Death Tax Bill Introduced in
Senate
Legislation (S. 38) to phase out
the federal death tax over a ten-year period has been
introduced in the Senate by Ben Campbell (R-CO). The
Campbell bill is similar to the death tax bill he
sponsored last year. A companion bill, sponsored by
Reps. Jennifer Dunn (R-WA) and John Tanner (R TN), will
be introduced soon in the House of Representatives and
is a top House priority for the 106th Congress.
AGC members are asked to write their Senators and
Congressman and ask for support and cosponsorship of
both bills. Sample letters can be found in the
Legislative Area of the Members Only section on AGC’s
website (www.agc.org).
Health Care Mandate Bills Return: Congressional
Democrats in both the House and Senate have reintroduced
"Patients’ Bill of Rights" legislation, with Senate
Democrats placing it at the top of their "Top Five" bill
list for the 106th Congress. Both of these bills are
opposed by AGC as they seek health care reform through
increased federal mandates that will raise health care
costs and mandate coverage. Of particular concern in
both bills is a provision that would allow patients to
sue managed care plans for damages when benefits are
delayed or denied. AGC believes that competitive,
market-based forces and not government dictates will
drive health care costs down and allow greater access to
health care.
Sen. Domenici Introduces Bill to Make Budget and
Appropriations Follow Two-Year Cycle: Sen. Pete
Domenici (R-NM), Chairman Senate Budget Committee,
proposed legislation this week to change the annual
budget and appropriations process to a two-year cycle.
He also proposed placing stricter controls on emergency
supplemental spending and an automatic continuing
resolution if the new fiscal year starts without all
appropriations bills passed into law.
Study Shows Water Utilities Will Need $325 billion
over 20 years for Infrastructure improvements: An
American Waterworks Association report issued on January
15 demonstrates that water utilities will need about
$325 billion for infrastructure improvements over the
next 20 years. The recent study shows much greater needs
than the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimated
in 1997 in their needs report, which claimed that water
systems would need about $138 billion over a 20-year
period.
Vote for the Most Annoying Tax! House Majority
Leader Dick Armey has launched an internet poll where
taxpayers can vote for the "most annoying tax." Poll
participants are able to select from ten different
taxes, including income and death taxes. AGC members are
invited to take part in this poll by logging on to
www.freedom.gov.
Supreme Court Rules on Subcontractor Case: The
Supreme Court ruled, in Department of the Army v. Blue
Fox, that a subcontractor cannot sue the federal
government for an "equitable lien" when a prime
contractor defaults. The subcontractor, Blue Fox,
performed construction work on a telecommunications
project in which the prime contractor, Verdan
Technologies, did not have to obtain a Miller Act bond.
Had the Miller Act bond been in place, Blue Fox would
have been protected when the prime defaulted. This case
was narrowly decided on issues of sovereign immunity and
does not adversely impact contractors’ or
subcontractors’ rights under the Miller Act.
New CEI Study Shows Americans Against Federal
Regulations: The Competitive Enterprise Institute
(CEI) released survey results from one thousand
registered voters. Survey results conclude that 70% of
the respondents trust state and local government
decisions on environmental protection over the federal
government. According to 68% of the respondents, water
quality and protection should be the purview of state
and local government. A similar number support landowner
compensation when environmental actions restrict the use
of land. Startlingly, 8% of the respondents feel that
the federal government should be the "primary" actor for
dealing with environmental issues.
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