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SPECIAL-INTEREST GROUPS ARE FLOODING THE RADIO WITH ATTACK ADS AGAINST MARK UDALLWhen YOU hear them, tell your friends and neighbors: The American economy is broken. The middle-class is getting choked. And only one candidate for United States Senate understands how to start getting our economy back on track: Mark Udall. That's why Mark Udall has voted sixty-five times to reduce taxes on middle-class families and small businesses. It's a fact. Sixty-five times Mark Udall's voted to reduce taxes on the middle-class and small businesses. See Mark Udall's 65 votes to reduce taxes on middle-class families and small businesses > But Bob Schaffer has voted to give huge tax breaks to big oil companies - the same oil companies making record profits while the rest of us pay four-dollars-a-gallon for gas. And Bob Schaffer repeatedly voted for tax giveaways to corporations that ship American jobs overseas. In tough economic times like these, Mark Udall understands what needs to be done to help Colorado's middle-class... ...while Bob Schaffer supports the same failed economic policies that helped get our economy into this mess in the first place. MARK UDALL SUPPORTS FISCALLY RESPONSIBLE TAX CUTS FOCUSED ON PROVIDING RELIEF TO THE MIDDLE CLASS AND SMALL BUSINESSESMIDDLE CLASS Fair Tax ReliefThe U.S. Treasury Department has said that the reduced tax bracket for lower incomes, Child Tax Credit, and marriage penalty relief equals tax relief for middle class families: "And when the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities looked at the report, it made an interesting catch. It turns out that Treasury's hypothetical families got all their gains from the so-called middle-class provisions of the Bush tax cuts: the Child Tax Credit, the reduced tax bracket for lower incomes and marriage penalty relief. Eliminating the Marriage Penalty, expanding credits for dependent care, expanding the 10% bracket and eliminating the AMT all Provide Relief to the Middle Class Squeeze. http://dpc.senate.gov/dpc-new.cfm?doc_name=fs-110-2-59 Voted to Expand Tax Credits to Help Middle Class Families. Supported a Rangel, D-N.Y., substitute amendment that would create a new 12 percent tax rate to be phased in over three years; expand the earned income and refundable child tax credits; double the married couples deduction; and adjust the alternative minimum tax so that filers would receive new rate reduction benefits. [RCV# 42, H.R. 3, 3/8/2001] http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2001/roll042.xml Voted to Provide Tax Relief to Middle Class Families. Supported legislation that would make individual income tax rate reductions; modify the earned income tax credit; and provide marriage penalty relief. [RCV# 117, 5/16/2001, H.R. 1836] http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2001/roll117.xml "The House should go to conference with the best product, and the best product is the Rangel substitute. It contains rate reductions for the American people, marriage penalty relief, improvements in the earned income tax credit, and a rebate of $600 for married couples. But let me stress this, and my colleagues talk about the juxtaposition of the two political parties, our substitute is affordable. The Republican bill is not. Our substitute is fiscally prudent. The Republican bill is not." [Congressional Record, 5/16/2001] Voted for $900 Billion in Tax Cuts. Supported a Substitute Amendment that calls for dividing the non-Social Security, non-Medicare, 10-year surplus ($2.7 trillion) into approximately one-third for spending, one-third for cutting taxes, and one-third for reducing the debt and providing additional Medicare and Social Security resources. [RCV# 69, 3/28/2001, HCR 83] http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2001/roll069.xml Voted to Revise Tax Code to Help Middle Class Families. Voted for a motion to instruct conferees to insist that the final legislation include marriage penalty relief, estate tax relief, increasing the per-child tax credit, pension reform and permanent extension of the research tax credit. [RCV#146, H.R. 1836, 5/23/2001] http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2001/roll146.xml Voted to Extend a Wide Range of Personal Tax Credits to Help Middle Class Families: Voted for legislation that would extend a number of expiring tax provisions including AMT Relief, the Child Tax Credit and Others. [RCV#52, 3/7/2002] [See Also House Report 107-251] Voted to Extend Tax Cuts to Help Middle Class. Voted for legislation that would allow for an extension of certain tax cuts, such as the $1,000 child tax credit, while reducing tax cuts for those who make more than $500,000 a year. [RCV#91, 3/25/2004, HCR 393] http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2004/roll091.xml Voted to Extend Tax Cuts to Help Middle Class. Voted for a substitute amendment that would permanently extend tax provisions eliminating the so-called marriage penalty by making the standard deduction for married couples double that of single taxpayers and increasing the upper limit of the 15 percent tax bracket for married couples to twice that of singles. It also would prevent the alternative minimum tax from negating the benefits of the bill for married couples, and it would offset the cost of the bill by imposing a 3.6 percent surtax on taxpayers earning more than $500,000 a year and married couples with annual incomes of more than $1 million.. [RCV#136, 4/28/2004, H.R. 4181] http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2004/roll128.xml Voted to Make the 10% Tax Bracket Permanent. Voted for passage of the bill that would make permanent the current upper limit of the 10 percent income tax bracket. The current limits of $7,000 for individuals and $14,000 for couples are set to revert to $6,000 and $12,000 in 2005. [RCV#170, H.R. 4275, 5/13/2004] http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2004/roll170.xml Voted to Extend the Middle Class Tax Cuts. Voted for legislation that would extend, for one year, many expiring provisions such as the deduction for state and local retail sales taxes, and the deduction for college tuition expenses. The amendment would also eliminate all individual minimum tax liability for incomes below $200,000 in the case of joint returns and below $100,000 in all other cases for taxable year 2006. [RCV#619, 12/8/2005, H.R. 4297] http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2005/roll619.xml Married Couples and ChildrenVoted to Reduce Taxes for Married Couples by Approximately 182 billion over 10 years. Voted for Passage of the bill to reduce taxes for married couples by approximately $182 billion over 10 years. [RCV#15, 2/10/2000, H.R 6] http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2000/roll015.xml Voted to Reduce Taxes for Married Couples. Voted for passage of the bill to reduce taxes for married couples by approximately $182 billion over 10 years. The measure would increase the standard deduction claimed by married couples to twice the amount claimed by single taxpayers. The upper boundary of the 15 percent tax bracket would gradually increase from 2003 to 2008 to twice the limit for singles. The measure also would allow couples to earn an additional $2,000 before being disqualified from receiving the earned income tax credit. [RCV# 392, 7/12/2000, H.R. 4810] http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2000/roll392.xml Voted to Reduce Taxes on Married Couples by $399.2 billion over 10 years by Doubling Married Couples Deduction and Child Tax Credit. Passage of a bill that would reduce taxes by $399.2 billion over 10 years by doubling both the married couples' deduction and the child tax credit. The measure would gradually raise the standard deduction, expand the 15 percent income tax bracket, and raise the alternative minimum tax exemption for married couples filing jointly to twice that of individuals filing singly. The bill would raise the earned-income amount used by joint filers to calculate the earned-income credit to 110 percent of the amount used by all other taxpayers. It also would gradually double the child tax credit to $1,000, and make the credit refundable. [RCV# 75, H.R. 6, 3/29/2001] http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2001/roll075.xml Udall Voted for Passage of the Adoption Tax Credit. Supported passage of a bill that would provide several tax credits for those who adopt, including an increase of the maximum credit given to parents that adopt children from $5,000 to $10,000, raise the credit for adopting special needs children from $6,000 to $10,000 and make the credit permanent. [RCV#124, 5/17/2001, H.R. 622] http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2001/roll124.xml Voted to make the Marriage Penalty provision of the Bush Tax Cuts Permanent [RCV#177, 5/21/2002, H.R. 4626] http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2001/roll177.xml Voted to Extend the Adoption Tax Credit: Supported a bill that would permanently extend a provision in last year's $1.35 trillion tax cut package increasing the adoption tax credit from $5,000 ($6,000 for children with special needs) to $10,000. It also would double to $10,000 the amount an employer may deduct for employee-adoption assistance. [RCV#208. 6/4/2002] Voted for an Additional $9.8 billion in Child Tax Credits: Voted to instruct the conferees to add another $9.8 billion in tax reductions to a bill already extending middle-income tax cuts. Supported legislation that would eliminate (1) the scheduled reductions, in 2005 through 2009, of the $1,000 child tax credit; (2) the scheduled reductions, in 2005 through 2008, of the standard deduction for married taxpayers; (3) the scheduled reductions, in 2005 through 2007, of the threshold taxable income level applicable to married taxpayers eligible for the 15 percent tax bracket; (4) the reduction, for taxable years between 2005 and 2008, of the threshold taxable income level applicable to married taxpayers eligible for the ten percent tax bracket. Provides for an inflation adjustment to the threshold taxable income level for the ten percent tax bracket. [RCV# 370, 7/16/2003] http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2003/roll370.xml Voted to Extend Tax Relief for Married Couples. Voted for passage of the bill that would permanently extend breaks for married couples contained in last year's $1.35 trillion tax cut law. It would indefinitely extend an increase in married couples' standard deduction, and raise their income subject to the 15 percent rate to double that of individuals. The bill also would permanently allow married couples to earn $3,000 more than single tax filers and continue to qualify for the earned income tax credit. RCV#229, 6/13/2002, H.R. 4019] http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2002/roll229.xml Voted to Expand the Child tax Credit and for Additional Tax Breaks for Military Personnel: Supported a substitute amendment that would include Senate-passed language expanding the child tax credit to low-income families and granting additional tax breaks for military personnel. The amendment also would make other tax code changes aimed at assisting low-income taxpayers and eliminating tax breaks for companies that move their headquarters overseas to avoid paying U.S. income taxes. [RCV#291, H.R. 1528, 6/19/2003] Voted to Provide Permanent Marriage Penalty Relief. The bill would permanently extend tax provisions eliminating the marriage penalty by making the standard deduction for married couples double that of single taxpayers and increasing the upper limit of the 15 percent tax bracket for married couples to twice that of singles. The bill would also exempt married couples from having to pay higher rates because their combined earnings push them into higher brackets. [Roll call 138, HR 4181, 4/28/2004] http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2004/roll138.xml Udall Voted to Permanently Extend the Child Tax Credit. Supported passage of the bill that would permanently extend the $1,000 per child tax credit that is scheduled to revert to $700 per child in 2005. It would increase the amount of income a taxpayer may earn before the credit begins to phase out from $75,000 to $125,000 for single individuals and from $110,000 to $250,000 for married couples. It also would allow military personnel to include combat pay in their gross earnings in order to calculate eligibility for the child tax credit. [RCV#209, H.R. 4259, 5/20/2004] http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2004/roll209.xml Udall Voted for Permanent Extension of the Adoption Tax Credit. Supported legislation that would permanently extend a provision enacted in the 2001 tax law that increased the adoption tax credit from $5,000 ($6,000 for children with special needs) to $10,000. [RCV#468, 9/23/2004] http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2004/roll468.xml HousingMark Udall supported excluding Mortgage Debts from Taxation. He voted for the Supported Mortgage Forgiveness Debt Relief Act (H.R. 3648) which would change tax law by excluding any mortgage debts forgiven or canceled by lenders, through renegotiation or foreclosure, from a homeowner's taxable income. It also would extend through 2014 a provision in existing law that allows taxpayers to deduct private mortgage insurance premiums from their taxes and makes it easier to qualify as a cooperative housing corporation. To offset the costs, the bill would change the tax treatment of capital gains from the sale of a primary residence that was originally used as a second home or rental property. [RCV#948, 10/4/2007, Passed 366-27] http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2007/roll948.xml Voted for a Tax Credit for First Time Home Buyers: Voted for Legislation that allows first-time homebuyers a tax credit for 10% of the purchase price of a principal residence. Limits the dollar amount of such credit to $7,500. The bill also allows individual taxpayers who claim the standard deduction an additional deduction from gross income for state and local real property taxes. [RCV#832, 8/4/2007 and RCV#519, 7/23/2008] http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2008/roll519.xml RetirementVoted to Increase the Amount of Tax Free Contributions Permitted into Retirement Plans. Voted to Increase Amount Workers Could Invest in Retirement Accounts. The bill would permanently increase the amount workers could contribute to tax-favored retirement accounts included in the 2001 $1.35 trillion tax cut. The provisions raised the annual limit on contributions to individual retirement accounts to $5,000 from $2,000 and limits on contributions to 401(k) and other retirement plans to $15,000 from $10,000. Without congressional action, those provisions would expire at the end of 2010, and supporters argued Congress needed to act quickly to make the provisions permanent so people could make plans.[RCV#248, 6/21/2002, H.R. 4931] http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2001/roll248.xml Voted To Raise the Income Limits Subject to 85% Taxes on Social Security. Voted for a Pomeroy, D-N.D., amendment that would strike the bill's language and replace it with a provision that increases the income thresholds at which 85 percent of Social Security benefits are subject to taxation from $34,000 to $80,000 for single taxpayers, and from $44,000 to $100,000 for married taxpayers filing jointly. [RCV# 449, 7/27/2000, H.R. 4865] http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2000/roll449.xml The Legislation was Explained in the House Report: "If a taxpayer's income exceeds the lower threshold but does not exceed the second-tier threshold, then the amount of taxable Social Security benefits is the lesser of: (1) 50 percent of the taxpayer's Social Security benefits, or (2) 50 percent of the excess of the taxpayer's income over the lower threshold. If a taxpayer's income exceeds the second-tier threshold, then the amount of taxable Social Security benefits is the lesser of: (1) 85 percent of the taxpayer's Social Security benefits or (2) the sum of: (a) 85 percent of the excess of the taxpayer's income over the second-tier threshold, plus (b) the smaller of (i) the amount of benefits that would have been included if the 50-percent inclusion rule were applied, or (ii) one-half of the difference between the taxpayer's second-tier threshold and lower threshold." [House Report 106-780] Health CareUdall Voted to Provide Tax Breaks For Long Term Health Care Coverage. Supported a motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill that would grant tax breaks to purchase long-term health care insurance. Buyers of long-term coverage who pay at least half the cost of their premiums would be allowed to deduct a portion of those premiums, beginning in 2003. The break would rise to up to 50 percent of qualified premiums by 2012. It would be phased out for individuals with between $20,000 and $40,000 in modified adjusted gross income and for couples with double that range. It also would grant an additional personal exemption, which would gradually rise to $3,000 by 2012, for each dependent family member with long-term care needs. [RCV#351, 7/25/2002, H.R. 4946] http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2002/roll351.xml Udall Voted to Expand Health Care Tax Credit for Unemployed Workers. Passage of the bill that would provide for a 20 percent increase in health care tax credits for unemployed workers. [RCV# 1025, 10/31/2007, passed 264-157] http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2007/roll1025.xml Supported Eliminating Taxes on Recipients of Government Sponsored Home Care: Taxpayer Assistance and Simplification Act of 2008 which would exempt recipients of home care services under federally-assisted state or local government home care programs for the elderly or disabled from payment of employment taxes for amounts paid to service providers. Imposes liability for payment of such taxes on the fiscal administrators of such programs. [RCV# 190, 4/15/2008] AMTAMT: Middle Class More at Risk Than Millionaires. [CNN 3/12/2007] http://money.cnn.com/2007/03/07/pf/taxes/amt_hearing_house/index.htm Udall Voted to Extend Exemptions from the Alternative Minimum Tax. Voted for passage of the bill that would extend for one year the current income exemptions -- up to $40,250 for individual taxpayers and $58,000 for married couples -- from the alternative minimum tax. [RCV#144, H.R. 4227, 5/5/2004] http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2004/roll144.xml Udall Voted to Extend Exemptions from the Alternative Minimum Tax. Voted for a motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill that would extend for one year, through 2006, the exemption levels for the alternative minimum tax, adjusted for inflation. [RCV# 613, H.R. 4096, 12/7/2005] http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2005/roll613.xml Voted for Extensions of the Tax Cuts for the Middle Class. Supported a motion to instruct conferees to include Alternative Minimum Tax relief extension, eliminate House-passed provisions extending the lower tax rate on dividends and capital gains that would terminate at the end of 2008 and insist that the conference report will neither increase the federal budget deficit nor the amount of the debt subject to the public debt limit. [RCV#74, 3/29/2006, H.R. 4297] http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2006/roll074.xml Udall Voted for Effort to Protect Middle Class Families from AMT in Lieu of Billions in Giveaways to Millionaires. The vote was for a Democratic motion to recommit on the $70 billion tax reconciliation, which would have sent the bill back to committee with instructions to take out the extended cuts on capital gains and dividends and to extend AMT relief for more than just the one year provided in the bill. [HR 4297, RCV #134, 5/11/06] http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2006/roll134.xml Udall Voted to Extend Exemptions from the Alternative Minimum Tax. Voted for passage of the bill that would provide a one-year adjustment to exempt an additional 21 million taxpayers from paying the alternative minimum tax on income from 2007. It would make changes to tax law and extend several expiring tax provisions for one year. The bill would expand the eligibility in 2008 for the refundable child tax credit by setting the threshold for the credit at $8,500. To offset the cost of the measure, the bill includes provisions intended to raise revenue, such as taxing the carried interest of private equity managers, venture capitalists and some real estate investors at up to 35 percent instead of the current 15 percent. [RCV#1081, H.R. 3996, 11/9/2007] http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2007/roll1081.xml Udall Voted to Extend Exemptions on Alternative Minimum Tax. Supported legislation Suspend that would provide a one-year adjustment to exempt an additional 21 million taxpayers from paying the alternative minimum tax on income from 2007. [RCV#1183, H.R. 3396, 12/19/2007] http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2007/roll1183.xml Udall Voted for Bill to Extend AMT Extensions. Supported passage of the bill that would provide a one-year adjustment to prevent an additional 21 million taxpayers from paying the alternative minimum tax (AMT) on income from 2007. It would make changes to rules for AMT credits and expand the eligibility in 2008 for the refundable child tax credit by setting the threshold for the credit at $8,500. To offset the costs, it would limit a number of tax breaks, including the ability of taxpayers to use offshore arrangements for deferred compensation by including it in gross income and taxing it on a current basis. [RCV#1153, H.R. 4351, 12/12/2007] http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2007/roll1153.xml Voted to Provide Temporary Relief to the Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT). The bill amended the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) increase and extend through 2008 the alternative minimum tax (AMT) exemption amounts; (2) extend through 2008 the offset of certain nonrefundable personal tax credits against regular and AMT tax liabilities; (3) treat net income and loss from an investment services partnership interest as ordinary income and loss; (4) deny major integrated oil companies a tax deduction for income attributable to domestic production of oil, gas, or primary products thereof; (5) limit tax treaty benefits with respect to U.S. withholding of tax requirements imposed on certain tax deductible payments made directly to a foreign parent corporation; (6) require payment settlement entities to report certain identifying information to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) relating to the settlement of payment card and third party network transactions; and (7) extend the applicability of the continuous levy for delinquent taxes on payments due to a vendor to property or services sold or leased to the federal government (currently, applicable to goods or services). [RCV#455, H.R. 6275, 6/25/2008]. http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2008/roll455.xml Military and PoliceMost military personnel earn middle-income wages. http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos249.htm#earnings Most Police Officers Earn Middle Income Wages: Police and sheriff's patrol officers had median annual earnings of $47,460 in May 2006. The middle 50 percent earned between $35,600 and $59,880. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $27,310, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $72,450. Median annual earnings were $43,510 in Federal Government, $52,540 in State government, and $47,190 in local government. [Department of Labor Statistics] http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos160.htm#earnings Supported Legislation that would implement $1.3 billion in tax breaks for members of the military over 10 years: The death benefit paid to survivors of military personnel killed on duty would increase to $12,000 and would be tax-exempt. National Guard and reserve members would be allowed a tax deduction for all overnight transportation, meals, and lodging expenses for members who travel more than 100 miles from home to attend National Guard or reserve meetings. The bill would exempt from taxable income amounts received under the Defense Department's Homeowners Assistance Program. [RCV#609, 11/5/2003, H.R. 3365] Udall Voted to Provide Tax Relief to Military Survivors. Supported legislation that would exempt the full $6,000 cash payment given to the survivors of military members killed in the line of duty to help offset funeral expenses from taxation. [RCV#286, 7/9/2002, H.R. 5063] http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2002/roll286.xml Udall Voted to Provide Tax Relief to Military Survivors. Supported legislation that would exempt the full $6,000 cash payment given to the survivors of military members killed in the line of duty to help offset funeral expenses from taxation. [RCV#451, 10/9/2002. H.R. 5557] http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2002/roll451.xml Udall Voted to Extend Tax Benefits for military personnel, veterans, volunteer firefighters, emergency medical responders and public servants. Voted to extend $1.9 billion in new and extended tax benefits for military personnel, veterans, volunteer firefighters, emergency medical responders and public servants. It would allow volunteer firefighters and emergency personnel to exclude from gross income certain reimbursements and state and local tax benefits. It also would change eligibility rules to allow certain military families to receive Supplemental Security Income. [RCV# 1181, 12/18/2007, HRS 884, See Text of Amendment] http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2007/roll1181.xml Udall Voted to Extend Tax Exempt Status to Police Officers Families. Voted to extend tax-exempt status to annuities paid to survivors of public safety officers killed in the line of duty before Dec. 31, 1996, the same benefit given to survivors of officers killed after that date. [RCV#111, H.R. 1727, 5/15/2001] http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2001/roll111.xml SMALL BUSINESS Voted to Extend the Moratorium on E-Commerce Taxes for Two Years. Supported a Delahunt, D-Mass., amendment that would extend the current moratorium on new Internet-specific taxes until Oct. 21, 2003. [RCV#156, 5/10/2000, Passed 423-1] Voted for to Reduce Taxes for Individuals and Small Businesses. Supported a substitute amendment that would spend $110 billion in fiscal 2002 for individual and business tax reductions, additional unemployment and health insurance benefits, and new spending on school construction, economic development, security enhancements and other domestic programs. It would offset $91 billion of the bill's cost by freezing a reduction in the top individual tax bracket at 38.6 percent. [RCV# 402, 10/24/2001, H.R. 3090] http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2001/roll402.xml Voted to Expand the Estate Tax Exemption: Supported Increasing the Estate Tax Exemption, Instead of Full Repeal. Voted for an alternative $39.2 billion estate tax proposal to increase the exemption from the tax as opposed to an outright repeal. The plan would have immediately raised the exemption from $675,000 to $2 million for individuals ($5 million for couples) and then gradually to $ 2.5 million. Only 47,483 people paid the estate tax in 1998, according to the latest Internal Revenue Service data available, and they represented only 2 percent of the 2.3 million people who died that year. [RCV#82, 4/4/2001] Udall Voted to Revise the Estate Tax. Supported a substitute amendment that would strike the measure's permanent repeal language and replace it with provisions that would cap the maximum estate tax rate at 50 percent but permanently raise from $1 million to $3 million the value of an estate exempt from taxation. RCV#217, H.R. 2142, 6/6/2002] http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2002/roll217.xml Revising the estate tax will help Small Businesses while keeping its application for the super rich. http://www.cbo.gov/ftpdocs/65xx/doc6512/07-06-EstateTax.pdf Udall Voted to Revise the Estate Tax. Supported a substitute amendment that would cap the estate tax rate at 49 percent and exempt from the tax all estates under $3 million [RCV#287, 6/18/2003, H.R. 8] http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2003/roll287.xml Udall Voted to Reduce and Eventually Repeal the Estate Tax. Passage of the bill that would amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to reduce and ultimately repeal the estate and gift tax by 2010. [RCV#254, H.R. 2143, 6/9/2000, Passed 279-136] Voted to provide for $137 billion in new tax cuts businesses over 10 years: Adoption of the conference report on the bill that would repeal an export provision in the U.S. tax code that has been ruled an unfair subsidy by the World Trade Organization, and would provide for $137 billion in new tax cuts for businesses over 10 years. It also includes a $10 billion buyout of tobacco farmers. The cost of the tax breaks would be offset by curbs on tax-avoidance practices. [Roll Call 509, HR 4520, 10/7/2004] http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2004/roll509.xml Voted for Tax Relief for Small Businesses. Supported a motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill that would extend through 2007 provisions included in current tax law increasing expensing and cost limits on qualifying business property. [RCV#405, H.R. 4840, 7/21/2004] http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2004/roll405.xml Udall Voted For Increasing Estate Tax Exemption. The vote opposed an alternative estate tax proposal to increase the size of an estate exempt from the tax to $3 million for an individual ($6 million per couple) beginning in 2006 and to $3.5 million ($7 million per couple) in 2009. It would reduce government revenue $70 billion and eliminate 99.7 percent of estates from taxation. [Roll Call 101, HR 8, 4/13/2005] http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2005/roll101.xml Udall Voted for Fiscally Responsible Democratic Estate Tax Alternative. The vote was for a motion to recommit the estate tax bill to make it more fiscally responsible. Pomeroy's alternative would provide estate tax relief for 99.7 percent of Americans - raising the exemption immediately to $3 million increasing to $3.5 million ($7 million per couple) in 2009. [Roll Call 314, HR 5638, 6/22/2006] http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2005/roll314.xml Voted for $1.3 billion in tax breaks for small businesses. Supported legislation that would provide $1.3 billion in tax breaks for small businesses, including a one-year extension of increased limits for expensing business-related purchases and a modified and extended credit for hiring certain disadvantaged employees. [RCV#102, H.R. 976, 2/16/2007] http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2007/roll102.xml Voted for $4.8 billion in small-business tax incentives. [RCV#333, H.R. 2206, 5/10/2007] Voted to Ban State and Local Taxes on Internet Access. Supported legislation that would extend for the ban on state and local taxes on Internet access for seven years. It would also prevent state and local governments from collecting taxes on electronic commerce such as cable modem and digital subscriber lines. [RCV#1014, 10/30/2007, H.R. 3678] http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2007/roll1014.xml Education, Work, Research and Development Mark Udall voted To Permanently Extend the Work Opportunity Tax Credit and Welfare to Work Tax Credit. The amendment would permanently extend the research credit, the work opportunity tax credit, and the welfare-to-work tax credit. The WOTC promotes the hiring of individuals who qualify as a member of a target group and provides a Federal tax credit to employers who hire these individuals. [Roll Call 331, HR 2488, 7/22/1999] http://clerk.house.gov/evs/1999/roll331.xml Voted to Extend the Tax Credits for the Working Disabled. Supported legislation that would extend the work opportunity tax credit for two and a half years. The WOTC promotes the hiring of individuals who qualify as a member of a target group and provides a Federal tax credit to employers who hire these individuals. [RCV#611, 11/18/1999, Passed 418-2] http://clerk.house.gov/evs/1999/roll611.xml Udall Voted for Tax Incentives to Encourage Economic Development. Supported legislation that would provide tax credits and economic incentives to encourage investment and job creation in economically depressed urban and rural communities. It would authorize President Clinton's 'New Markets Initiative,' and designates nine new 'empowerment zones' and 40 new 'renewal communities.' [RCV#430, H.R. 4923, 7/25/2000] http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2000/roll430.xml Voted to Combine Work Opportunity and Welfare-To-Work Tax Credits. The bill also would combine the work opportunity and welfare-to-work tax credits and make the new break available to employers hiring individuals from the two credits' targeted groups, including qualified high-risk youth, veterans and family assistance recipients. The WOTC promotes the hiring of individuals who qualify as a member of a target group and provides a Federal tax credit to employers who hire these individuals [RCV#177, 5/21/2002, H.R. 4626] http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2002/roll177.xml Voted to Extend Work Opportunities Tax Credit and Welfare-to-Work Credit. Voted for permanent extension of work opportunities tax credit and the welfare-to-work credit. The amendment would also allow self-employed individuals to deduct their entire health insurance costs. The WOTC promotes the hiring of individuals who qualify as a member of a target group and provides a Federal tax credit to employers who hire these individuals.[RCV# 40, 3/9/2000, H.R. 3081] http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2000/roll040.xml Voted to Extend Tuition and Research and Development tax Credits: Voted for legislation that extended through 2007 the tax credit for increasing research activities. Increases the rate of the alternative incremental tax credit for research activities. Allows an election for an alternative simplified tax credit for research expenses. [RCV#533, 12/8/2006, H.R. 6111] Energy Costs and InnovationTax Incentives for Renewable Energy Development Help Colorado's Small Businesses. [See Above List] Voted for Tax Credits for Energy Efficient Homes and Tax Deductions for Energy Efficient Buildings: Supported an amendment that would provide tax credits for energy-efficient homes, tax deductions for other energy-efficient building and create a grant program for states that have at least a 90 percent compliance rate with the most recent energy-efficiency building codes and authorize $25 million in each of fiscal years 2006 through 2010 for the grants. [RCV#118, 4/20/2005, H.R. 6] http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2005/roll118.xml Voted for Tax Incentives for Renewable Energy. Supported legislation that included a $21.5 billion package of tax incentives that would be offset in part by eliminating or reducing $13 billion in subsidies for major oil and gas companies. [RCV#1140, H.R. 6, 12/6/2007] http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2007/roll1140.xml Voted for Tax Credit to Encourage Energy Efficiency. Passage of the bill that would authorize $16.1 billion in energy-related tax provisions, including new tax credit bonds to encourage energy efficiency in residential property and more production of "clean" energy. [RCV#835, H.R. 2776, 8/4/2007] http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2007/roll835.xml Supported Passage of the Renewable Energy and Energy Conservation Tax Act of 2008. The legislation expanded tax incentives for renewable electricity, energy and fuel, as well as for plug-in hybrid cars, and energy efficient homes, buildings, and appliances. [RCV# 84, 2/27/2008] Supported Extension of the Renewable Energy Production Tax Credit. Voted for Legislation that Extends: (1) through 2009 the tax credit for producing electricity from qualified wind facilities; and (2) through 2011 the tax credits for producing electricity from closed and open-loop biomass, geothermal or solar energy, small irrigation power, municipal solid waste, trash combustion, and qualified hydropower. [RCV#344, 5/21/2008] Renewable Energy Tax Incentives Would and Have Benefited the Following Colorado Small Businesses, for example: FLATIRON SOLAR, LLC Golden Solar Great Solar Works, Inc. High Noon Solar Hydro Electric, LLC. Innovative Energy Metro Solar Inc. Simply Efficient Solar Professional Services, LLC SolarWorx LLC Starfire Energy LLC Sunnyside Solar Colorado Sun Spot Solar, LLC Sustainable Solutions, Inc. Atlasta Solar and Energy Products Independent Power Systems, Inc. Bella Energy Namaste Solar Electric, Inc. Full list of roll-call votes: [Roll Call 331, HR 2488, 7/22/1999] [RCV#611, 11/18/1999, Passed 418-2] [RCV#15, 2/10/2000, H.R 6] [RCV# 40, 3/9/2000, H.R. 3081] [RCV#156, 5/10/2000, Passed 423-1] [RCV#254, H.R. 2143, 6/9/2000, Passed 279-136] [RCV# 392, 7/12/2000, H.R. 4810] [RCV#430, H.R. 4923, 7/25/2000] [RCV# 449, 7/27/2000, H.R. 4865] [RCV# 42, H.R. 3, 3/8/2001] [RCV# 69, 3/28/2001, HCR 83] [RCV# 75, H.R. 6, 3/29/2001] [RCV#82, 4/4/2001] [RCV#111, H.R. 1727, 5/15/2001] [RCV# 117, 5/16/2001, H.R. 1836] [RCV#124, 5/17/2001, H.R. 622] [RCV#146, H.R. 1836, 5/23/2001] [RCV#52, 3/7/2002] [RCV#177, 5/21/2002, H.R. 4626] [RCV#177, 5/21/2002, H.R. 4626] [RCV#208. 6/4/2002] [RCV#217, H.R. 2142, 6/6/2002] [RCV#229, 6/13/2002, H.R. 4019] [RCV#248, 6/21/2002, H.R. 4931] [RCV#286, 7/9/2002, H.R. 5063] [RCV#351, 7/25/2002, H.R. 4946] [RCV# 402, 10/24/2001, H.R. 3090] [RCV#451, 10/9/2002. H.R. 5557] [RCV#291, H.R. 1528, 6/19/2003] [RCV#287, 6/18/2003, H.R. 8] [RCV# 370, 7/16/2003] [RCV#609, 11/5/2003, H.R. 3365] [RCV#91, 3/25/2004, HCR 393] [RCV#136, 4/28/2004, H.R. 4181] [Roll call 138, HR 4181, 4/28/2004] [RCV#144, H.R. 4227, 5/5/2004] [RCV#209, H.R. 4259, 5/20/2004] [RCV#170, H.R. 4275, 5/13/2004] [RCV#405, H.R. 4840, 7/21/2004] [RCV#468, 9/23/2004] [Roll Call 509, HR 4520, 10/7/2004] [Roll Call 101, HR 8, 4/13/2005] [RCV#118, 4/20/2005, H.R. 6 [RCV# 613, H.R. 4096, 12/7/2005] [RCV#619, 12/8/2005, H.R. 4297] [RCV#74, 3/29/2006, H.R. 4297] [RCV#74, 5/11/06] [RCV #134, 12/08/06] [Roll Call 314, HR 5638, 6/22/2006] [RCV#533, 12/8/2006, H.R. 6111] [RCV#102, H.R. 976, 2/16/2007] [RCV#333, H.R. 2206, 5/10/2007] [RCV#835, H.R. 2776, 8/4/2007] [RCV#948, 10/4/2007] [RCV#1014, 10/30/2007, H.R. 3678] [RCV# 1025, 10/31/2007] [RCV#1140, H.R. 6, 12/6/2007] [RCV#832, 8/4/2007 and RCV#519, 7/23/2008] [RCV#1081, H.R. 3996, 11/9/2007] [RCV#1153, H.R. 4351, 12/12/2007] [RCV# 1181, 12/18/2007], [RCV#1183, H.R. 3396, 12/19/2007] [RCV# 84, 2/27/2008] [RCV# 190, 4/15/2008] [RCV#344, 5/21/2008] [RCV#455, H.R. 6275, 6/25/2008] FOR NEARLY EIGHT YEARS THE BUSH-SCHAFFER-CHENEY ECONOMIC MODEL HAS CHOKED THE MIDDLE CLASS, CREATING RECORD GAS PRICES, HIGH DEFICITS AND UNCONTROLLED SPENDING, ESCALATING COLLEGE AND HEALTH CARE COSTSDespite the Mess President George W. Bush Made of the Economy, Schaffer Has Praised Bush's "fiscal prudence" and Even Called Tax Breaks for Billionaires "sensible": "With the help of Bush's fiscal prudence and sensible tax relief initiative, the American economy has endured the terrorist attacks of 9/11 and the resultant wars in Afghanistan and Iraq better than we would have without the sound economic planning provided by staunch, principled conservatives like President George W. Bush. -Bob Schaffer, Northern Colorado Courier, 4/29/04 (1) Record Oil Prices: U.S. Dependence on Foreign Oil Has Increased Every Year Under the Bush-Schaffer-Cheney Approach: The United States has become increasingly dependent on foreign oil, from 58 percent of oil consumed in the U.S. in 2000 to over 70 percent currently. U.S. dependence on OPEC nations for oil imports "has risen to its highest level in 15 years." By focusing on expanding domestic exploration, he perpetuates our dependence on oil. [Department of Energy; Financial Times, 01/02/07] Bob Schaffer Cut Foreign Oil Deals For His Company, Including One In Northern Iraq, Which The State Department Opposed Because It Undercut The Mission Of U.S. Troops In Iraq. "An oil contract Republican U.S. Senate candidate Bob Schaffer helped negotiate in Iraqi Kurdistan is one of several production deals the U.S. State Department has flagged as problematic for Iraq and its attempts to establish a national oil policy... According to a June 23 report from the nonpartisan Government Accountability Office, Aspect Energy's oil contract and roughly two dozen other similar deals have proven a point of contention between Iraq and the Kurdistan Regional Government... ‘We continue to advise all companies that...signature of such contracts would needlessly elevate tensions between the (Kurdistan Regional Government) and the government of Iraq," Jeffrey T. Bergner, the State Department's assistant secretary of legislative affairs, wrote in an Oct. 18 letter to Congressman Edward Markey, D-Mass." [Grand Junction Daily Sentinel, 7/9/08] Schaffer Supports Billions of Dollars in Tax Breaks for the Oil and Gas Industry: [HR 4, Roll Call #320, 8/2/01] [NFIB Debate, 7/1/04] Bob Schaffer Has Refused to Back Mark Udall's Bi-Partisan Energy Proposal Because "the bill takes away oil-company tax breaks and gives them to renewable-energy": "Udall repeatedly challenged Schaffer to endorse his [energy] bill, but Schaffer would not. The Republican opposes the way the bill takes away oil-company tax breaks and gives them to renewable-energy companies." [Durango Herald, 8/16/08] (2) High Deficits and Uncontrolled Spending In April of 2002, With Deficit Projections Forecasted, The War on Terror Under Way and an Impending Conflict with Iraq, Bob Schaffer Voted to Make Tax Cuts Skewed to the Wealthiest 1% Permanent. The motion would make the fiscally irresponsible tax cuts permanent. In the first decade after 2012, the tax cuts would cost the Treasury approximately $4 trillion. When it is fully phased in, the cost of the tax cuts over the next 75 years will be more than twice as great as the entire 75-year shortfall projected in the Social Security Trust Fund. Additionally, when all of the enacted tax cuts are fully in effect, the benefits will flow disproportionately to those with the highest incomes. The 1.3 million tax filers who make up the most affluent one percent of filers will receive more than one-third of the tax cuts. At the same time, the 1.3 million tax filers in this elite group will receive about twice as much in tax cuts as the 78 million low- and moderate-income filers who comprise the bottom 60 percent of filers. (Vote #103, 4/18/2002 Associated Press, 4/19/02; Center on Budget & Policy Priorities, "The Administration's Proposal To Make The Tax Cut Permanent," 4/16/02) To Fund the Bush-Schaffer Economic Plan, The Bush Administration Has Borrowed More Money From Foreign Nations than Previous 42 Presidential Administrations Combined: Throughout the first 224 years (1776-2000) of our nation's history, 42 U.S. presidents borrowed a combined $1.01 trillion from foreign governments and financial institutions according to the U.S. Treasury Department. In the past four years alone (2001-2005), the Bush Administration has borrowed a staggering $1.05 trillion. It took the Bush Administration one-term to exceed the other 42 administrations combined. [U.S. Treasury Department] (3) Sky-Rocketing Tuition Costs Thanks To Bush-Schaffer-Cheney College Tuition Has Skyrocketed. Moreover, Key Federal Tuition Assistance Programs Such As The Pell Grant Program Have Failed To Keep Pace With The Rising Cost Of College: When President Bush took office, the average in-state tuition at a public four year college was $3,164. The same tuition increased to $5,192 for the recently completed school year, a 64% increase in 6 years. [Washington Higher Education Coordinating Board.] While the maximum Pell Grant covered 51 percent of the cost of tuition, fees, room and board at a public four-year college during the 1986-1987 school year, it covered only 35 percent of those costs in 2004-2005. Also total funding for Pell Grants in 2005-2006 was lower than in the preceding year. Funding was down from $13.6 billion in 2004-05 to $12.7 billion in 2005-06. Additionally, the average Pell Grant per recipient declined by $120 dollars, from $2,474 to $2,354. [College Board, www.collegeboard.com] Bob Schaffer Was One of Just Four Congressmen To Vote Against A Bill Guaranteeing A Drop In Student Loan Interest Rates And Raising The Amount Needy Students May Receive In Pell Grants: The 1998 higher education bill also increased federal efforts to train and recruit teachers. The legislation had several provisions that gained it bipartisan support, including an authorized increase in Pell Grants from $3,000 to $4,500 for the following year and in stages until $5,300 for the 2003-2004 school years. Congress would have to appropriate the money. The vote on final passage was 414-4. (AP 5/6/98) (4) Health Care Currently 800,000 Coloradans are Uninsured, A 24% Increase since Bush Took Office. 647,000 people were uninsured in Colorado in 2000 compared to 800,000 now. [Colorado Health Institute, Colorado Springs Gazette, 06/08/08] Schaffer voted against the Bipartisan Patient's Bill of Rights. The Bill was endorsed by over 200 health care providers and consumer advocacy groups and included the following components:
[HR 2723, 10/7/1999; Passed 275-151] Congressional Quarterly said that the only time Schaffer departed from the Bush/GOP leadership line was "to stake out an even more conservative position." (CQ Member Profile, 2002 Edition) Fort Collins Coloradoan Editorial Board Specifically Asks Schaffer to "devote more energy to promoting Colorado issues and less on party politics": "Our perception is that you [Schaffer] spend an inordinate amount of your time attacking the Democrat administration. You are a conservative Republican, so your viewpoint is not surprising, but a continuous negative attitude regarding party politics is not productive. We'd like you to devote more energy to promoting Colorado issues and less on party politics." (Fort Collins Coloradoan, 10/30/00)Schaffer Supported the 2001 Bush Energy Plan Which Included Nearly $13 Billion in Tax Breaks for the Oil and Gas Industry: [HR 4, Roll Call #320, 8/2/01] Schaffer Voiced Support for the 2004 Bush Energy Plan: "I support all aspects of the president's [energy] plan. I think the president is on the right track." Bob Schaffer, NFIB Debate, 7/1/04 The 2004 Energy Bill Included Nearly $12 Billion in Tax Breaks for the Oil and Gas Industry: It would authorize $25.7 billion in tax breaks over 10 years, including $11.9 billion to encourage oil and gas production (HR 4503, 6/15/2004) (HR 6, 11/18/2003) Schaffer Supported 1999 Tax Break Worth Over A Billion A Year For Big Oil. Schaffer voted for the final 1999 GOP Tax package, which included a provision that would give oil companies a special tax benefit for their foreign operations. According to USA Today, "One of the biggest targeted breaks in the newly approved measure is for multinational oil companies, courtesy of Ways and Means Chairman Bill Archer, R-Texas. Archer pushed through a provision that would repeal rules limiting tax credits that oil and gas companies can claim from foreign operations. By 2009, the companies would save $ 1.2 billion a year." According to the New York Times, the bill contained other measures beneficial to the oil industry as well, including allowing tax write-offs for wells that are "marginally productive."[Vote 333, 7/22/99; Vote 379, 8/5/99; USA Today, 8/17/99; New York Times, 7/21/99] Bob Schaffer Refused To Endorse Mark Udall's Bi-Partisan Energy Plan Because "The Bill Takes Away Oil-Company Tax Breaks And Gives Them To Renewable Energy Companies": "Udall repeatedly challenged Schaffer to endorse his [energy] bill, but Schaffer would not. The Republican opposes the way the bill takes away oil-company tax breaks and gives them to renewable-energy companies." [Durango Herald, 8/16/08] Schaffer Supported Keeping a Tax Loophole that Allows Corporations to Locate Their Headquarters Offshore in Order to Avoid Paying Federal Taxes. The measure sought to close a loophole that allowed corporations to locate their headquarters offshore in order to avoid paying federal taxes. It would prevent the practice of ‘corporate inversion,' under which a U.S. company inverts its corporate structure so that the parent firm is technically located in a tax-free nation and only a subsidiary is located in the United States, for the purpose of escaping federal taxes. (HR 4931, 6/21/02, Vote #247) Schaffer voted to subsidize corporations that lay off American workers: (HR 2871, Vote #120, 5/1/2002) Schaffer voted for billions in tax breaks for overseas corporations: Schaffer voted for proposal that included a $6.5 billion tax break extension for financial corporations with overseas operations. Under existing law, U.S. firms were taxed on some types of income earned by foreign corporations that they control, regardless of whether the income is distributed back to the United States. (HR 3529, Vote #509, 12/19/2001) "Many analysts say it's true. "The U.S. tax system does provide an incentive to locate production offshore," says Martin Sullivan, a contributing editor to Tax Notes, a non-profit publication that tracks tax issues. At issue is the U.S. tax code's treatment of profits earned by foreign subsidiaries of American corporations. Profits earned in the United States are subject to the 35% corporate tax. But multinational corporations can defer paying U.S. taxes on their overseas profits until they return them to the USA - transfers that often don't happen for years. [USA Today, 03/21/08] Schaffer Voted to Give Homeland Security Contracts to Offshore Tax Dodgers: Schaffer opposed an effort to bar companies that avoid paying U.S. taxes by moving their headquarters overseas from being awarded contracts with the new Homeland Security Department. [HR 5005, Vote #366, 7/26/02] |
