Transition Underway; 106th Congress Adjourns Bush Pledges to Pursue
Tax Cut PackageWashington is finally in a state of
transition as President-elect George W. Bush meets with leaders on Capitol
Hill and outlines his legislative priorities for the coming year. Pledging
to move forward his conservative agenda in spite of an evenly divided
Senate and tight GOP margin in the House, Bush said the case for his $1.3
trillion tax cut "is even more solid today than it was a year ago."
Democrats were quick to volley back that such an agenda is at odds with
Bush's call for cooperation across party lines. Referring to the tax
package, Senate Democratic Leader Tom Daschle said, "I can't think of
anything that would divide this nation more quickly right off the bat."
Death Tax Tops AIADA AgendaFor automobile dealers, chief
among the tax concerns to be addressed is the estate tax. AIADA has
lobbied vigorously in support of elimination of the death tax, which can
be devastating to family-owned automobile dealerships. A stand-alone bill
for repeal was passed by both the House and Senate but was vetoed by
President Clinton in the 106th Congress. Elimination of the death tax
remains a top priority for AIADA in 2001, and the association is hopeful
the issue will be addressed early. "We strongly encourage President-elect
Bush to move aggressively for an end to the death tax," said AIADA vice
president of government relations Scott Lane. House Speaker Dennis Hastert
and Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott both urged Bush to consider changing
his strategy from a large tax bill to a series of smaller bills. Lott
pointed specifically to the elimination of the estate tax and the marriage
penalty as a way to start the process, noting the bipartisan support for
those issues.
106th Congress Adjourns, Preparations for 107th
UnderwayThe House and Senate officially adjourned the 106th
Congress on Dec. 15, after scrambling to finish a catch-all funding
package in a lame duck session that provides a record $634 billion for all
government departments and agencies through next September. Things won't
be quiet on Capitol Hill for long. The new members of the 107th Congress
will be sworn in on Jan. 3, 2001. As Congress gears up for the coming
year, yet to come are announcements of who will chair key committees such
as House Ways and Means and Senate Finance, which influence issues of
concern to auto dealers. Although Republicans control the House, Senate
and White House for the first time in almost 50 years, the narrow margins
of victory will require bipartisan political cooperation to get anything
done. With so many new members of Congress, it will also take time to
bring everyone up to speed on the issues. AIADA's grassroots force gives
the association an early advantage. "This is an important time to begin
educating new members of Congress," said Lane. "Through the dealers in our
Legislative Involvement Program, we will be reaching out early and often
to educate Congress on the issues that impact automobile dealerships." For
more information or to get involved, call 1-800-GO-AIADA.
An organization committed to free trade and an open and competitive
automotive market in the United States, AIADA supports permanent normal
trade relations with China and fast-track negotiating authority. The
association also serves as a watchdog in Washington on automotive trade
issues to ensure that trade disputes do not negatively impact its members,
the 10,000 American retailers of international nameplate automobiles.
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