Today in Washington D. C. - March 13, 2008

On The Floor: the Senate resumes consideration of the fiscal 2009 budget resolution (S. Con. Res. 70). After a half hour of debate on the budget, the Senate will proceed to this year’s “vote-a-rama” on budget amendments around 11 AM. Currently, at least 20 amendments are pending to the budget resolution. Vote could be close today, because Sen. Robert Byrd (D-WV) is ill. Sens. John McCain (R-AZ), Barack Obama (D-IL), and Hillary Clinton (D-NY) are expected to be present to vote.

The House is set to vote today on its new FISA proposal, despite the fact that the Senate has already resoundingly rejected the provisions in this bill. It appears that House Democrats plan on passing their inadequate bill and then tp leave town for another two weeks. President Bush criticized the House plan this morning: “Unfortunately, instead of holding a vote on the good bipartisan bill that passed the United States Senate, [House leaders] introduced a partisan bill that would undermine America’s security. This bill is unwise. The House leaders know that the Senate will not pass it. And even if the Senate did pass it, they know I will veto it.”

From Senate & News Sources: The Washington Times attacked what it termed Speaker Nancy “Pelosi’s FISA Sabotage” in an editorial today.

With regard to the proposed US Budget, The AP reports that under the Democrats’ budget, “tax rates would increase by 3 percentage points for each of the 25%, 28% and 33% brackets. At present, the 25% bracket begins at $31,850 for individuals and $63,700 for married couples.” The AP notes, Democrat presidential candidates “Obama, D-Ill., and Clinton, D-N.Y., both promise to reverse Bush’s tax cuts for wealthier taxpayers, but the Democratic budget they'll be voting for would allow income tax rates to go up on individuals making as little as $31,850 and couples earning $63,700 or more.”

Senate Finance Comm. Chair Max Baucus (D-MT) has offered a tax amendment on behalf of Democrats designed to extend certain provisions of the 2001 tax cuts they favor (though many voted against creating at the time). Baucus claims this amendment demonstrates Democrats’ “commitment to American families.” However his proposal fails to extend tax relief for Americans in the 25% income tax bracket which leave out an awful lot of people. In contrast, Senate Republicans plan to offer an amendment that will extend all of the 2001 and 2003 tax cuts, which gave tax relief to Americans across the board and helped fuel record job growth.

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