Past Action on the Estate Tax

Past Action on the Estate Tax:

News

Estate Tax Update For June 2003 06/30/2003
On June 18th, the House of Representatives passed H.R. 8, the “Death Tax Repeal Permanency Act of 2003,” which would make permanent the repeal of the estate tax, currently scheduled to take place in 2010 (thus the proposed law would take effect only in 2011 and beyond). The bill passed the House by a vote of 264-163, primarily with Republican backing, and with 41 Democrats and four Republicans breaking rank with their colleagues. (Vote Results) Read More

Virginia Senate Preserves State Estate Tax 04/07/2003
In an April 3 victory both for proponents of preservation of a fair estate tax and for the cash-strapped state of Virginia, itself, the Virginia Senate fell 2 votes short of the 27 it needed to override Gov. Mark Warner’s (D) veto of repeal of the state’s estate tax. The state is currently facing a deficit of at least $1.1 billion for FY 2004, which starts on July 1, 2003. According to reports by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, in response, Virginia -- and many other states facing a similar crisis -- has made plans to cut funding for correctional facilities, laid off state employees, and raised tuition at state-funded universities. Read More

Estate Tax Repeal Supporters Losing Ground 03/24/2003
In a move viewed by many as truly outrageous, Sen. Jon Kyl (R-AZ) introduced an amendment to the Senate Budget Committee’s budget resolution on March 19 – the day the country committed itself to billions of dollars for the war and its aftermath in Iraq – to accelerate the repeal of the estate tax by one year. Read More

Estate Tax Moves to the ?Top Ten? in the Senate 02/24/2003
With approval of the FY 2003 spending bills finally accomplished, Senate Republican leaders unveiled their legislative agenda for the 108th Congress on February 15, 2003. Permanent repeal of the estate tax made their list of top-ten legislative items. In January 2003, Sen. Jon Kyl (R-AZ) introduced a bill to accelerate full repeal (currently scheduled for one year in 2010 by the 2001 Bush tax cut) to 2005 and permanently eliminate the estate tax thereafter. Several other bills have since been introduced to make repeal permanent after 2010. Read More

Estate Tax Repeal Proponents Launch New Round of Misleading Attack Ads 06/24/2002
Repeal proponents may have failed to secure enough Senate support to make estate tax repeal permanent (see this OMB Watch article) in their June 12 vote, but that vote seems to have only strengthened their resolve. They have launched attack ads against a number of Senators who voted to for reform over repeal of the estate tax instead of repeal it. Read More

Transcript of Remarks of Sen. Kent Conrad 06/18/2002
On June 12, 2002, Sen. Kent Conrad, William H. Gates, Sr., and Americans for a Fair Estate Tax released the results from a poll conducted in May on views of the estate tax among the American public.

The following is the transcript of the remarks by Senate Budget Committee Chairman Kent Conrad (D-ND). Read Sen. Conrad's Remarks

National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare Letter to Senate Members 06/12/2002
The National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare (NCPSSM) sent this letter to all Senate members on June 12, 2002, urging them to vote "No" on any proposal to make permanent any of the tax cuts enacted as part of last year's $1.35 trillion tax cut package -- and mentions permanent repeal of the estate tax specifically.

The letter urges all Senate members to "reject any legislation to permanently extend such tax cuts until Social Security and Medicare have been placed on strong financial footing and seniors are provided adequate access to a Medicare prescription drug benefit." Read More

NEA Letter to Senate Members 06/12/2002
The National Education Association (NEA) sent this letter to all Senate members on June 11, 2002, urging them to vote "No" on the Gramm amendment to H.R. 8 for permanent repeal of the estate tax.

The letter argues that, "Spending hundreds of billions of dollars to permanently repeal the estate tax will constrain our ability to meet the educational needs of our children." Read More

RESOUNDING "NO" FOR PERMANENT REPEAL OF THE ESTATE TAX 06/12/2002
The final vote this evening (June 12) on the Gramm amendment for permanent estate tax repeal was 54 for permanent repeal and 44 against -- clearly failing the 60-vote requirement. This represents a resounding victory against permanent repeal of the estate tax.

Votes on the two Democratic reform amendments showed that there is a lot of support for reform, and means that we now need to move forward to talk about what a fair and reasonable reform would be. (The Dorgan amendment was 44 for and 54 against; Conrad amendment was 38 for and 60 against) (To be precise, these all were procedurally votes on waiving the budget rules to allow votes on the amendments--but effectively they were votes on the substance of the amendments.)

Please check www.fairestatetax.org for updates this week.

Statement of Charlotte McConnell, Executive Director, Family and Child Services of Washington, DC In 06/12/2002
On June 12, 2002, Sen. Kent Conrad, William H. Gates, Sr., and Americans for a Fair Estate Tax released the results from a poll conducted in May on views of the estate tax among the American public.

The following are the remarks of Charlotte McConnell, Executive Director of Family and Child Services of Washington, DC, Inc. on the problems repeal of the estate tax pose for the nation's charities. Read Remarks by Charlotte McConnell

Statement of William H. Gates, Sr. 06/12/2002
On June 12, 2002, Sen. Kent Conrad, William H. Gates, Sr., and Americans for a Fair Estate Tax released the results from a poll conducted in May on views of the estate tax among the American public.

William H. Gates, Sr., participating by phone from Seattle, WA, made the following remarks. Read Bill Gates, Sr. Statement

Statement by George Soros on Permanent Repeal of the Estate Tax 06/10/2002
George Soros is Chairman of Soros Fund Management and founder of the Open Society Network of Foundations. Click here to read his views on permanent repeal of the Estate Tax.

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AFL-CIO Letter to House Members 06/07/2002
The AFL-CIO sent this letter to all House members on June 5, 2002, urging them to vote "No" on H.R. 2143, which calls for permanent repeal of the estate tax.

The letter encourages Congress to "delay the implementation of any new tax cut, including those which have already been enacted but not yet implemented, until our domestic priorities are met and Social Security and Medicare are fully protected." Read the AFL-CIO letter

House Passes Permanent Estate Tax Repeal 06/07/2002
The House wanted its vote yesterday on permanent repeal of the
estate tax (H.R. 2143) to send a signal to the Senate showing
widening support for repeal. The vote did send a signal, though not the
one the House had intended. Read More

Taxpayers for Common Sense Letter to House Members 06/07/2002
Taxpayers for Common Sensesent this letter to all House members on June 5, 2002, urging them to vote "No" on H.R. 2143 for permanent repeal of the estate tax.

The letter argues that, "The nation cannot afford this legislation at this time. Even if the lost revenues could be offset, the long-term revenue losses will cause significant future economic problems, all in the name of assisting a very small number of wealthy families to escape inheritance tax liability."

Read more from Taxpayers for Common Sense

Transport Workers Union Letter to House Members 06/07/2002

The Transport Workers Union sent this letter to all House members on June 5, 2002, urging them to vote "No" on H.R. 2143 for permanent repeal of the estate tax.

The letter notes that, "In every other war in American history taxes have been raised to defray the costs of the war. During World War I wealthy Americans asked to have their taxes raised so they could participate in the war effort and do their share." Read the letter from the Transport Workers Union

American's for A Fair Estate Tax - Letter to Senators 06/06/2002
Read More

American's for a Fair Estate Tax - Letter to Members of the House 06/06/2002
Read More

PRESS RELEASE: GRAMM-KYL ESTATE TAX PLAN THREATENS TAXPAYERS WITH $850 BILLION PRICE TAG 05/29/2002

Proposal Leaves Most Americans to Pick Up the Tab for a Few Multi-Millionaires, Americans for a Fair Estate Tax Coalition Warns AFET Press Release

Analysis of What Happened to the Estate Tax in June 2001 05/30/2001
OMB Watch analysis of the significance of the estate tax repeal language signed into law as part of President Bush's June 2001 $1.35 trillion tax cut. Read More

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