Sen. Jim DeMint (R-SC) and four GOP colleagues wrote Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-TN) yesterday that they want the Senate to take up S. Res. 123, a earmarks disclosure rule. The Senate passed a statutory version of the rule unanimously as part of S. 1, the ethics and and lobbying reform bill adopted 96-2 in January. DeMint and Sens. Coburn (OK), Cornyn (TX), Enzi (WY), and Chambliss (GA) said they will seek unanimous consent next Tuesday to consider the measure. As a resolution, it would become an internal rule of the Senate and, unlike S.

The Federal Election Commission (FEC) has approved five legislative recommendations. One recommendation is to increase the registration threshold for individuals and small groups involved in political campaigns. The FEC suggests the new threshold for requiring small groups to register as a political committee be raised to $5,000. Currently, individuals can volunteer time and their own travel expenses up to $1,000 before it counts as a contribution, now with a suggested increase to $2,000.

Why are health care costs rising so fast? In the long-term, that is the most important question before the fiscal policy community. The long-term budget imbalance threatens to do great harm to government programs and the economy, and rising health care costs account for ALL of the spending that outpaces revenues for the foreseeable future. Not Social Security, not entitlements, not an aging population- health care programs, driven by rising prices in the private market.

Since the Pension Protection Act of 2006 (PPA) tax exempt organizations that gross $25,000 or less will be required to annually file electronically Form 990-N, also called the e-Postcard. Starting in 2008, this filing requirement applies to tax periods beginning after December 31, 2006. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) plans to mail educational letters beginning in July 2007 to the small organizations that may now have to file the e-Postcard. Changes to the 2006 Forms 990 and 990-EZ and Schedule A were discussed in Phone Forums in March. For more information visit the IRS website.