Search

The article focuses on tax-cut bills in the U.S. that extended the cuts for individuals and businesses scheduled to expire in several years. This change, along with the addition of a $5 billion tax increase on large oil companies, drew protest from other committee Republicans who supported the package and the House bill also excludes business tax cuts for Gulf Coast rebuilding, which is part of the Senate package. A little discussion has also been provided on some other bills like Defense Bill that Calls for Reports on Iraq, USA PATRIOT Act, and Pension Reform Bill and views of famous lawyer Samuel A. Alito on these bills.

The article presents information on some recent political developments in the U.S. Senate Finance Committee Chairman Charles Grassley was forced to postpone a November 10 markup of his $60 billion tax-cut reconciliation package after moderate Senator Olympia Snowe refused to back it. The Senate at press time on November 10 was moving toward passage of the long-delayed fiscal 2006 Defense authorization bill. The House Ways and Means Committee on November 9 adopted a major overhaul of the nation's pension laws, moving the legislation closer to a House floor vote.

This article focuses on the efforts of the U.S. government to help New Orleans, Louisiana, and the Gulf Coast recover from hurricane Katrina. Now that U.S. President George W. Bush has put expensive new initiatives on the table to help the affected area, committees might come to the fore in the first week of October 2005 as the U.S. Congress begins to draft legislation on those and other proposals. According to U.S. Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, chairmen are working with ranking members to finish conversations so they can forward appropriate, well-thought-out Katrina legislation to himself and the minority leader for possible Senate action.

Negotiations leading up to the introduction of Medicare prescription drug legislation are expected to dominate the agenda in the U.S. Congress session of the week starting June 2, 2003. In the Senate, Democrats could filibuster a Medicare bill, requiring 60 votes for passage— but an aide said no decisions had been made about whether they would do so. The Senate is basing its work on the “tripartisan” bill from 2002, while the House is likely to adopt legislation that includes aspects of the version it passed in 2002. The Senate will resume consideration of the energy bill on February 6, 2003 and will continue on the bill until the prescription drug bill is ready for floor action. The Senate Banking Committee will hear testimony on legislation to reauthorize the Defense Production Act, which allows presidents to rush the procurement of military supplies and equipment in times of war or national emergency.

Summarizes the legislative activities scheduled to be held in the U.S. Senate and the House of Representatives after the spring recess of 2003. Preparation of members of the House and the Senate for passing budget resolutions for financial year 2003 supplemental and 2004; Attempts of moderate and conservative members to write an expensive highway bill; List of legislative activities expected in the second week of April 2003.

Reports on speculation over the fiscal year 2003 (FY03) $74.7 million supplemental spending bill and fiscal year 2004 budget resolution, to be introduced in the U.S. House in February 2003. Objections raised by Senators against the FY03 bill; Proposed difficulties in implementation of the bill; Plans of the U.S. congressional tax advisers on including tax deduction package in the budget resolution.

The article focuses on the forthcoming debates between the U.S. House and Senate Budget committees on budget resolutions for FY04. Republicans also will continue pushing for action on a variety of tax cut and tax relief initiatives — including one for soldiers yanked from consideration last week as a result of the inclusion of special interest tax breaks. Meanwhile, the U.S. House Ways and Means Committee completes a series of hearings on the president's economic growth plan and turns to writing its version of the measure. Republican leaders pulled the bill from the floor last after whip counts showed opposition to a number of unrelated tax breaks included in the bill that benefited narrow interests.

Reports on the resumption of the business of the U.S. House to discuss matters related to President George W. Bush's nomination of Miguel Estrada to the U.S. appellate bench. Acceleration of the proposed $ 695 billion tax cut plan of the President; Commitment of the administration to legislate the proposal; Debate on the legislation to prohibit child pornography; Issues related to military base closures.

Reports on legislative bills under discussion in the U.S. Congress on the first anniversary of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks against the United States. Bills related to immigration reforms and Homeland Security Department; Business group's concern over terrorism reinsurance bill; Debate over Port and Maritime Security Act and Energy bill.

Focuses on issues about the proposed trade bill in the United States. Support of George W. Bush, American president, on the legislation; Position of political parties on the trade bill; Provisions of the bill.

Focuses on the intensive preparation campaign of the supporters of presidential trade negotiating authority in the United States. Support for the controversial trade bill; Strategy to communicate the importance of trade; Plan of the Bush administration to weigh into the trade debate publicly.

The article reports that U.S. Senator Bill Frist might begin moving the first set of several targeted Gulf Coast disaster relief bills through the chamber as soon as today, while House GOP leaders begin to devise a long-term strategy to deal with the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Frist might take up either a modest tax bill the Finance Committee introduced late Tuesday night, or a regulatory package boosting the amount of available federal flood insurance and lifting work rules for recipients of the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families funds.

This article reports that business groups of the U.S. endorsed Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist's decision to postpone this week's planned vote on estate tax repeal, canceling advertising plans and putting lobbying efforts on hold. Frist's office was not specific about when the estate tax bill might come to the floor, saying only it would be considered later in the fall. Jade West, senior vice president of the National Association of Wholesaler-Distributors and a leader of the Tax Relief Coalition, said that the coalition was temporarily "standing down" its lobbying and advertising campaign.

Opponents of drug reimportation legislation are mobilizing on several fronts in advance of an expected tight vote in the U.S. House next week, as of July 18, 2003. The Seniors Coalition, an organization that is aligned with the pharmaceutical industry and other business groups, has launched a nationwide radio and print advertising campaign against the reimportation bill. A spokesman for the Seniors Coalition declined to specify the number of House districts in which these advertisements are running, although he acknowledged that advertisements running on a radio station in Baltimore in Maryland, are aimed at Representatives Wayne Gilchrest and Roscoe Bartlett, both Republicans from Maryland.

K Street support for the Senate tax cut bill is threatening to give away, as horrified business leaders recoil at provisions for a dividend tax break they describe as paltry and at billions of dollars in “offsetting ”revenue increases, many targeting corporations. The legislation, marked up by the U.S. Senate Finance Committee on Thursday May 08, 2003 evening, calls for $433 billion in tax cuts, balanced by about $85 billion in offsets to keep the net figure within the $350 billion limit agreed to in a deal between Senate leaders and GOP moderates. The limit is short of the $550 billion allowed by the House and less than half the $726 billion proposed by U.S. President George W. Bush.The Tax Relief Coalition, the vast business umbrella group supporting President Bush's tax cut proposals, put out a carefully worded statement Thursday night warning that the Senate bill would raise taxes and fail to spur economic growth.

Focuses on the strategy adopted by U.S. tax cut advocates towards the passage of economic growth plan proposed by U.S. President George W. Bush in the budget. Issues discussed by Senate Finance Chairman Chuck Grassley and ranking member Max Baucus in their meeting; Lobbying efforts by business-based Tax Relief Coalition; Plans of Senator Gordon Smith to introduce accelerated depreciation bill.

Reports on the plans of the U.S. House Ways and Means Committee to mark up the economic growth plan proposed by U.S. President George W. Bush following the week that ends on March 22, 2003. Prediction of the consequences following the plan's mark up by the committee's chairman Thomas Daschle; Possibility of a bill's approval related to taxation of armed forces in the House.

Focuses on the economic growth bill proposed by U.S. President George W. Bush in the U.S. Congress. Possibility of approval for dividend proposal in the bill; Efforts of Tax Relief Coalition to support the bill proposed by Bush; Organizations which are opposing Bush's proposal.

Reports on the announcement of a trade plan for Latin American nations by U.S. Trade Representative Robert B. Zoellick. Issues proposed by Zoellick to boost textile and apparel exports; Views expressed by director at Public Citizen's Global Trade Watch Lori Wallach on the proposal; Concerns expressed by a Democrat on rules governing fabric imports.

Reports on the increased lobbying efforts by business groups, technology groups, defense contractors, health researchers and port authorities over the creation of a Homeland Security Department in the United States. Lobbying campaigns by the White House and the federal employees' unions on language related to labor rights; Proposed language to include both the U.S. president's version and the Language of the House Government Reform Committee; Federal employee unions affected by the legislation.

Reports on U.S. Senate Governmental Affairs Committee Chairman Joseph Lieberman's presentation of a rough draft of the homeland security legislation. Plans to discuss the draft prior to the August 2002 recess; Differences between Lieberman and Senator Fred Thompson on issues of employment status of workers.

Focuses on the expediency in the health agenda after the association of the U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Chairman Edward Kennedy with the committee in 2001. Inclusion of various health bills in the agenda; Works of Kennedy on educational, health, anthrax and other issues; Schedule of markups for June, 2002; Redistricting of New York; Criticism of the Conservative Action Team and pork projects.

Reports the agreement between Senate Majority Leader Daschle and Minority Leader Lott to pass a bill to increase federal debt ceiling in the United States. Objection of Daschle to tap employee retirement funds; Call for a budget summit including congressional leaders and White House; Consideration on the size of the increase in debt ceiling.

Reports that the U.S. Chamber of Commerce accompanied by other business and labor groups intends to join the lawsuit that awaits the pending campaign reform bill. Reasons for the opposition of the bill by Chamber of Commerce and other groups; Role of Senator Mitch McConnell and James Bopp in campaign reforms; Opposition of Chamber officials to the bill's soft-money provisions.

Reports the similarity between the presidential trade negotiating authority bill and the House bill in the United States. Consideration of amendments to the trade authority bill; Frustration of some unions on the reciprocity of the two measures; Caution on the possible changes to the bill brought about by Senate action.

Reports the opposition of House Democrats on the aviation security bill in the United States. Inclusion on the republican conferees; Composition of democratic conferees; Details on the option of requiring screeners to become federal employees.

Focuses on the urge of the Republicans to use wartime popularity for trade bill of President George Bush in the United States. Use of capital to deliver on Republican priorities; Comments of Representative Patrick Toomey of Pennsylvania; Opposition of the Bush Government to farm bill.

Reports the defense authorization bill of United States Senate Majority Leader Thomas Daschle for the airline industry. Schedule for the completion of the bill; Economic analysis for the airline industry by Daschle; Sessions of the Congress to respond for economic developments caused by the nascent war.