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NADA's Washington Week

June 23, 2000
vol. 1, no. 18

Contents:
Critical Time for Estate Tax Bill
NADA Pleased with Senate Vote on Ergo
Congresional Calendar



Critical Time for Estate Tax Bill

Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott (R-Miss.) said that he would bring the House-passed estate tax elimination bill (H.R. 8) directly to the floor as early as next week, although consideration may be delayed until after the July 4 recess to allow lawmakers to focus on the passage of appropriations bills.

Responding to Sen. Lott's remarks, Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle (D-S.D.) said that Democrats would seek to offer an alternative estate tax relief proposal and other amendments when the measure is brought up for floor consideration. Finance Committee Democrats are reportedly working out the final details of the Democratic proposal.

Estate tax relief seems to be gaining a higher profile among administration officials. Daschle and other Senate Democrats discussed the matter with Treasury Secretary Lawrence Summers during a June 20 policy luncheon. Meanwhile, Vice President Al Gore reportedly unveiled an alternative estate tax relief proposal raising the estate tax exemption for family-owned farms and businesses to a total of $5 million for a couple, up from the current $2.6 million.

"The Administration was clearly surprised by the strength of the vote in the House, and its movement in recent days suggests that they are finally understanding the devastating impact of the estate tax on family-owned businesses," said Tom Greene, chief operating officer, NADA Legislative Affairs. "This demonstrates that we need to keep the pressure on Congress to support full repeal."

[Editor's Note: A Special Alert was sent this morning asking members to contact their Senators and urge them to support H.R. 8.]

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NADA Pleased with Senate Vote on Ergo

NADA continues to make headway in its lobbying efforts against OSHA's ergonomics standard. The Senate yesterday voted to prevent the agency from issuing its controversial ergonomics standard during the next fiscal year.

The 57-41 vote, on an amendment sponsored by Sen. Mike Enzi (R-Wyo.), was mostly along party lines and comes a week after the House adopted a similar ban.

Democrats said after the vote that President Clinton would veto the overall fiscal year 2001 spending bill for the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education. According to a White House aide, the delay placed upon the ergonomics standard is "one of many objectionable items" in the bill.

Republicans and industry maintain that the new OSHA rules will cost businesses far too much. "There are going to be workers who lose their job because of this rule if it's imposed," said Sen. Tim Hutchinson (R-Ark.). "There are small businesses that are going to go bankrupt because of this rule if it's not stopped." A final Senate vote on the spending bill is possible next week.

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Congressional Calendar

Week of June 26
House: In session
Senate: In session

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National Automobile Dealers Association
Public Affairs Group
703-827-7407
nada@nada.org


Washington Week Check out past issues of NADA's Washington week.


 
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