Today in Washington D. C. - Oct 25, 2007

From Senate sources: Yesterday, after a contentious debate, the Senate finally confirmed Judge Leslie Southwick to the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals. Senators also blocked a motion to take up the DREAM Act (S. 2205).

Failing to pass the Dream Act, Senate Democrats did NOT address any of the five appropriations bills they have yet to pass, but to a bill to reauthorize Amtrak. Though the Amtrak bill needs to be completed, the Nov. 16th deadline to fund government operations looms large. This Congress has now gone farther past the original deadline to pass the 12 appropriations bills (Oct. 1st) without a single one having been sent to the president than any Congress in the last 20 years.

A week from today, the moratorium on Internet access taxes expires. After a previous attempt to pass a permanent ban on Internet access taxes was blocked by Senate Democrats, Sen. John Sununu (R-NH) introduced an amendment to the Amtrak bill to make the Internet access tax ban permanent. Because the deadline is so close, Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell then filed for cloture on the Sununu amendment, setting up a likely vote on a permanent ban tomorrow.

On The Floor: Senate resumes consideration of the Amtrak reauthorization bill (S. 294) which would authorize $11.4 billion for Amtrak over six years, mandate a strategic overhaul of Amtrak, and direct the government to refinance Amtrak’s $3 billion debt.

Markup of the 2007 farm bill continues today. The Senate Agriculture Comm. is expected to send the $288 billion bill to the floor for possible consideration next week.

In the House: Yesterday, the House passed the Hawiian Government Act, H.R. 505 which will great two governments in Hawaii. The bill is proceeding through the Senate as S.310. A vote EDNA, Employment Non-Discrimination Act, has been postponed to next week. GOPUSA article addresses the effort by Democrats to create special special workplace rights bill for gays and transsexuals. the president has threatened to veto ENDA in it spresent form.

House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Charlie Rangel (D-NY) will reveal what House Republicans are calling the “Mother of All Tax Hikes.” In a letter to Republican members, Ways and Means Ranking Member Jim McCrery (R-LA) explained some of the bill: “At a bipartisan Ways and Means caucus last night, Chairman Rangel outlined his long-awaited ‘Mother of All Tax Hikes’ legislation. The basics of the package are simple: This is the largest individual income tax increase in history.

“The bill will add a 4% surtax on Americans earning more than $150,000 a year ($200,000 for couples). That is on top of the scheduled expiration of the 2001 and 2003 tax cuts. So, under Democrats’ plan, over the next few years, the individual income top tax rate in the United States will rise from 35% to 44%. By way of comparison, the other 29 Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development countries – basically other developed nations - have an average top marginal tax rate of 35.7%. In fact, only five OECD countries would have higher top marginal tax rates in 2011 than the U.S. if the Democrats’ bill is enacted.”

---

Tags: appropriations, Charlie Rangel, increased taxes, Internet tax, US House, US Senate, Washington D.C. To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!