Area Votes in Congress
WASHINGTON - Here is how Philadelphia-area members of Congress voted on major issues last week: House Temporary patch on highway fund. Voting 367-55, the House on Tuesday passed a bill (HR 5021) to add $10.8 billion to the Highway Trust Fund so that it can finance ongoing road, bridge, and mass-transit projects through May 2015. The bill would raise $6.4
WASHINGTON - Here is how Philadelphia-area members of Congress voted on major issues last week:
House
Temporary patch on highway fund. Voting 367-55, the House on Tuesday passed a bill (HR 5021) to add $10.8 billion to the Highway Trust Fund so that it can finance ongoing road, bridge, and mass-transit projects through May 2015. The bill would raise $6.4 billion over 10 years by allowing companies with defined-benefit pension plans to defer some pension contributions, thereby raising their profits and federal tax payments in the short run.
Voting yes: Robert Brady (D., Pa.), Chaka Fattah (D. Pa.), Jim Gerlach (R, Pa.), Pat Meehan (R., Pa.), Michael Fitzpatrick (R., Pa,), Allyson Schwartz (D., Pa.), Charlie Dent (R., Pa.), Joseph Pitts (R., Pa.), Matt Cartwright (D., Pa.), Frank LoBiondo (R., N.J.), Jon Runyan (R., N.J.), and Christopher Smith (R., N.J.).
Permanent fix of highway fund. Voting 193-227, the House on Tuesday defeated a Democratic motion to HR 5021 (above) to replenish the Highway Trust Fund only through December. This would force the current 113th Congress, not the 114th Congress that convenes next year, to enact a permanent means of adequately funding road and transit projects.
Voting yes: Brady, Fattah, Schwartz, Cartwright.
Voting no: Gerlach, Meehan, Fitzpatrick, Dent, Pitts, LoBiondo, Runyan, Smith.
Charitable tax deductions, national debt. Voting 277-130, the House on Thursday passed a GOP-drafted bill (HR 4719) giving permanent status to tax deductions that businesses other than "C corporations" receive for donating food inventory to charitable organizations. (Such deductions already are a permanent part of the tax code for C corporations.) The bill expands the tax break to cover food donations by farmers and ranchers. In addition, the bill raises from 10 percent to 15 percent the maximum percentage of net income that all businesses, including C corporations, can deduct for food donations. The bill would add $1.9 billion to the national debt over 11 years, according to official budget projections.
In other provisions, the bill allows penalty-free contributions from Individual Retirement Accounts to charities and makes tax deductions for conservation easements a permanent part of the tax code.
Voting yes: Gerlach, Meehan, Fitzpatrick, Dent, Pitts, LoBiondo, Runyan, Smith.
Voting no: Brady, Fattah, Schwartz, Cartwright,
Senate
Taxpayer-subsidized terrorism insurance. Voting 93-4, the Senate on Thursday passed a bill (S 2244) renewing through calendar year 2021 a post-9/11 program of taxpayer backing to help the property and casualty insurance industry meet the catastrophic costs of any future terrorist attacks. The Terrorism Risk Insurance Act obligates the Treasury to cover 80 percent of losses above varying deductible levels and then seek repayment from insurers. The program would be triggered by any foreign or domestic attack causing damages of at least $100 million.
Voting yes: Toomey, Casey, Menendez, Booker.
This week: The House will take up bills to counter illegal child immigration from Central America and renew terrorism-risk insurance, while the Senate will debate a bill allowing states to tax residents' online purchases.