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A Weekly e-Newsletter from
Senator Johnny Isakson (R-GA)
March 14, 2008
Dear Friends,
This week, the Senate debated the Fiscal Year 2009 Budget Resolution with a variety of amendments, detailed below. By the end of the debate, I could not support final passage of the budget, which serves as a nonbinding blueprint for Congress when it decides how to appropriate federal dollars later in the year. Senate Democrats packed it with heavy spending and a $1.2 trillion tax increase, which is the largest tax increase in U.S. history. To my dismay, the resolution passed last night by a vote of 51 to 44.
The Budget Resolution increases non-defense discretionary spending by almost $211 billion over the next five years and adds $2 trillion to the gross national debt. It also contains no provisions for reducing entitlement spending, instead allowing it to grow by $488 billion over five years. The Senate also rejected a number of amendments to extend existing tax relief past 2010. We must take large and immediate steps to end the reckless spending that is threatening the future of our nation. Congress must become better stewards of the taxpayers' money.
We also simply cannot raise taxes on America's families and businesses. We must alleviate the tax burden placed on our citizens, not increase it.
Amendment to Extend 2001 and 2003 Tax Cuts
We debated a variety of amendments to the budget dealing with reducing the tax burden on Americans, which is particularly important for our economy now. I voted in favor of an amendment to extend the tax cuts passed by Congress in 2001 and 2003, and truly favor making them permanent. President Bush's tax cuts in 2001 and 2003 lowered tax rates for individuals, businesses, dividends and capital gains, eliminated the marriage penalty and scaled back the alternative minimum tax and the estate, or 'death tax.' Letting American taxpayers keep more of their hard-earned money pays far better dividends than sending that money to Congress to spend on another government solution. Unfortunately, the amendment failed by a vote of 47 to 52.
Amendment to Expand Estate Tax Relief
I also voted in favor of an amendment that would increase the exemption for the death tax from $2 million to $5 million. When the tragedy of death comes, family members are immediately confronted with one of the most punitive and confiscatory taxes that has ever been devised in the history of taxation – the death tax. This amendment would have been a huge step in the righting that wrong and would have avoided subjecting an estimated 119,200 families, small businesses and family farms to the estate tax each and every year. The amendment would also have established the top death tax rate at no more than 35 percent beginning in 2010. The amendment failed by a 50 to 50 vote.
A full repeal of the estate tax will let our hard-working taxpayers pass along their savings to their children and grandchildren tax-free. I will continue to do everything I can to see that we take action to repeal the death tax permanently.
Proposed Amendment to Enact a One-Year Moratorium on Earmarks
Another amendment I supported to the Fiscal Year 2009 Budget Resolution would have imposed a year-long moratorium on congressional earmarks in order to take the time to establish transparency and disclosure in the appropriations process. As a member of the Fiscal Reform Working Group, I have participated in several in-depth discussions on how to reform the earmark process for appropriations bills. We are looking at additional means for the Senate to bring greater transparency and fiscal responsibility to government spending, because one of the problems we have in Congress is spending money on projects that shouldn't be funded with tax dollars. The amendment failed by a 29 to 71 vote.
Amendment to Expand Immigration Enforcement
Senator Chambliss and I voted on Thursday in favor of an amendment we co-sponsored to the budget resolution that would create a deficit-neutral reserve fund for border security, immigration enforcement and criminal alien removal programs.
The amendment, which passed by a vote of 61 to 37, would cover all border security, immigration enforcement, and criminal alien removal programs, but specifically highlights six programs that will need attention in this year's budget cycle.
Those programs include: (1) expanding the zero tolerance prosecution policy for illegal entry ("Operation Streamline") to all 20 border sectors; (2) completing the 700 miles of pedestrian fencing required by the Secure Fence Act of 2006; (3) deploying up to 6,000 National Guard members to the southern border; or (4) evaluating the 27% of the federal, state, and local prison populations that are non-citizens in order to identify removable criminal aliens; (5) training and reimbursing state and local law enforcement officers under Memorandums of Understanding entered into under Section 287(g) of the Immigration and Nationality Act; (6) implementing the exit data portion of the U.S. VISIT entry and exit data system at airports, seaports, and land ports of entry (the exit portion of U.S. VISIT is already past the December 31, 2003, deadline for airports and seaports, the December 31, 2004, deadline for 50 high-traffic land border ports of entry, and the December 31, 2005, deadline for full implementation at all ports of entry, required under 8 U.S.C.A. §1365a).
The Senate's passage of this critical amendment is a step in the right direction. Border security must be a priority in the Congressional budget. America is too important, and this issue is too critical to the American people.
Amendment to Protect English in the Workplace
I also voted for an amendment to the budget resolution that would stop the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission from suing organizations for requiring English in the workplace. Specifically, the amendment would provide $670,000 to the Department of Education's English Literacy and Civics Education Program to promote the teaching of English and civics to immigrants. The funds would come from allocations to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission that are now being used to prosecute businesses who require their employees to speak English on the job.
English-only charges filed by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission have nearly quadrupled in the last 10 years. In Fiscal Year 1996, 32 English-only charges were filed compared to 125 such charges in Fiscal Year 2006. While I respect the rich heritage that immigrants bring to our nation, the citizens of the United States value English as our common language. It is inconceivable to me that American businesses are being punished because they require the use of English in their place of business. Using English in the workplace is just common sense. Fortunately, the amendment passed by a vote of 54 to 44.
Senate Approves Georgian to Serve on Tennessee Valley Authority Board
Today, after several years of effort, the U.S. Senate unanimously approved the first Georgian ever to serve on the TVA board. Thomas Gilliland of Blairsville, Ga., was nominated by President Bush for the post after Senator Chambliss and I recommended him to fill the vacancy created with Bill Baxter resigned from the board in January 2007. This distinguished citizen of our state is extremely knowledgeable about the environmental, recreational and power resources provided by the TVA. There is no one better qualified to serve on the TVA board than Tom Gilliland, and I am extremely pleased the Senate has confirmed this outstanding individual.
Gilliland is Executive Vice President, Secretary and General Counsel for United Community Banks, Inc., which is the third-largest bank holding company in Georgia. Prior to joining United Community Banks in 1992, he was a partner at Hurt, Richardson, Garner, Todd and Cadenhead in Atlanta, where he represented a number of financial institutions, specializing in commercial loan transactions. Gilliland earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Georgia and a Juris Doctor from Emory University.
Economic Stimulus Payments
On February 13, 2008, President Bush signed an economic stimulus bill that is designed to boost the nation's economy by issuing rebate checks to taxpayers and by providing employers greater incentives to invest and create jobs.
Specifically, rebate checks would start at $300 for people who had an earned income of at least $3,000 during 2007. Depending on their incomes, single taxpayers could receive a maximum of $600 while married couples could receive a maximum of $1,200. The benefit would phase out for single people earning more than $75,000 a year and married couples earning more than $150,000.
The amount of the tax rebate would increased by $300 for each child under the age of 17, with no limit on the number of children. Illegal immigrants are not eligible for any assistance. Senior citizens, disabled veterans and widows of disabled veterans are eligible to receive rebate checks by counting Social Security benefits and VA disability payments towards the $3,000 earned income test.
Starting in May, the Department of Treasury will begin sending stimulus payments to more than 130 million individuals. The stimulus payments will go out through the late spring and summer. The vast majority of people receiving a payment only need to file a 2007 tax return as they normally would. The IRS will then do all the rest, including determining eligibility and payment amounts.
Please visit the IRS.gov web site will be the best source of information for all stimulus questions. The Frequently Asked Questions section – accessible through the front page of IRS.gov-- includes an extensive set of information for all taxpayers with questions about the stimulus payments, commonly referred to as rebates. The questions and answers include important information for low-income workers and certain recipients of Social Security, Railroad Retirement benefits and veterans' benefits.
What's on Tap for Next Week?
The Senate will be in recess for the next two weeks so that we can work in our states. I will be travelling to southeast, southwest and central Georgia over the next two weeks and I look forward to hearing from you.
If you have follow-up comments or questions from this e-mail, I urge you to e-mail me through my web form for a prompt answer by clicking here .
Sincerely,
Johnny Isakson
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