VOLUME No: 60 Issue No:4

Washington, D.C. - April 30, 2004

House Votes to Permanently Extend Tax Cut for Married Couples

The US House of Representatives voted to permanently extend a tax cut for married couples earlier this week. This vote is the first in a series of votes aimed to extend popular provisions of President Bush's 2001 and 2003 tax cuts.

The recent vote would make the 15 percent income tax bracket, the standard deduction, and the earned-income tax credit for married couples become permanent. The House passed the vote 323 to 95.

House Democrats complained that the GOP has not taken into consideration the $1.7 trillion dollars in tax cuts they have made in the past three years, and are worried that rising war costs and an unprecedented federal budget deficit will catch up to them in coming years.

Republicans hope to boost their image as tax cutters for the upcoming elections.

Gore Donates $6 million to Democratic Party

Former Vice President Al Gore announced Wednesday that he would be donating $6 million dollars left over from his unsuccessful presidential race last year to Senator John Kerry and the Democratic Party.

The money has been in a special coffer that presidential candidates use to pay accounting and legal costs associated with campaign finance laws. It is legal to transfer unlimited amounts to political parties, as it is not an individual contribution. About $4 million will be given to the National Democratic Party, one million each to House and Senate party committees, $250,000 to the Democratic Party in Tennessee , and $240,000 to the Florida Democratic Party.

According to PoliticalMoneyLine, the Republican National Committee (including House and Senate parties) has raised in excess of $298 million since the beginning of 2003, and has had nearly $86 million on hand for President Bush's re-election. This far surpasses the amount the Democratic National Committee had raised (around $146 million, with $46 million banked).

New Bill Would Give Women Seeking Abortions Adoption Agency Information

A bill recently introduced to the US House of Representatives would ensure that women seeking abortions would also receive a detailed pamphlet of adoption agencies in the areas.

The bill, called “The Adoption Information Act”, or H.R. 1229, would call for ‘family planning' clinics that accept Title X funds from the Public Health Service Act to provide detailed information about adoption agencies in the area to women seeking abortions.

Additionally, the clinics would need to orally inform the woman that the pamphlet was issued by the Department of Health and Human Services, and what its contents were.

The bill, sponsored by Representative Jo-Anne Davis (R-VA) has 52 co-sponsors and is being considered by the House Subcommittee on Health.

Bush Calls for Ban on Broadband Taxation

Earlier this week, President Bush called for a permanent ban on broadband internet access taxation. Speaking from an annual meeting of the American Association of Community Colleges, President Bush addressed the fact that the United States is ranked number 10 in the industrial world in broadband capability, and stated that “10 is 10 spots too low”.

Most Americans use the traditional ‘dial-up' method of access to Internet Service Providers. Broadband, or high-speed internet access, differs from this in that it uses phone, cable, and satellites to provide users with a faster, more reliable connection. Broadband fees vary depending on your location, but are generally $35-$50 per month. Its amenities include video conferencing, allowing for easier communication between doctors and their colleagues as well as teachers and their students.

Broadband currently has over 24 million subscribers, and President Bush aims to put high-speed Internet access in every American home by 2007.