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
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