Irritable Engineer: Tax Me Bitch

Congress.org presents MEGAVOTE for December 5, 2017 and Georgia's 13th Congressional District.

Recent Congressional Votes

Senate: Tax Overhaul – Motion to Proceed
Senate: Tax Overhaul – Education Savings Accounts
Senate: Tax Overhaul – Passage
House: National Forest Mining
House: Federal Workforce Probationary Period Extension
House: EPA Brownfields Program Reauthorization
House: Manufactured Housing Lending Regulation

Upcoming Congressional Bills

Senate: Nielsen Nomination
Senate: Tax Overhaul – Motion to Proceed to Conference
Senate: Extend Federal Government Funding
House: Tax Overhaul Conference
House: Concealed Carry & Gun Background Checks
House: Mortgage Escrow Requirements
House: Merger & Acquisition Firms
House: Extend Federal Government Funding

Recent Senate Votes:

Tax Overhaul – Motion to Proceed Vote Agreed to (52-48)

McConnell, R-Ky., motion to proceed to the bill that would revise the federal income tax system by: lowering individual and corporate tax rates; consolidating the current seven tax income rates into four rates; eliminating the deduction for state and local income taxes; limiting certain deductions for property taxes and home mortgages; and creating a new system of taxing U.S. corporations with foreign subsidiaries.

Sen. Johnny Isakson voted YES

Sen. David Perdue voted YES

There are a few things that you can expect from every tax structure change.

The general progressive structure will not change.

The Democrats will say it favors the rich.

The Republicans will say it favors everybody.

Poor people who do not pay income tax will have their cash flow increase.

Cost and spending will be paid lip service.

Our politicians are not interested in real tax reform or growing business, they are interested in maintaining the cash flow to the government, ever increasing the benefits paid so as to create dependence and predictable votes, and creating favorable environments for the businesses that support them with campaign donations. The rest is just bullshit smoke and mirrors.

Its all so depressing.

Tax Overhaul - Education Savings Accounts Vote Agreed to (51-50)

Cornyn, R-Texas, for Cruz, R-Texas, amendment to the McConnell, R-Ky., for Hatch, R-Utah, substitute amendment, that would allow tuition expenses or the cost of school supplies for secondary public, private or religious school to be treated the same as higher education expenses for certain tax purposes. Vice President Mike Pence broke the tie and voted in the affirmative.

Sen. Johnny Isakson voted YES

Sen. David Perdue voted YES

Whatever, lets make sure we protect carve outs, ending up with a system of mutually deterrent tax exceptions.

Tax Overhaul - Passage Vote Passed (51-49)

Passage of the bill, as amended, that would revise the federal income tax system by lowering individual and corporate tax rates, repealing various deductions through 2025, specifically by eliminating the deduction for state and local income taxes through 2025, increasing the deduction for pass-through entities and raising the child tax credit through 2025. It would also open parts of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil and gas drilling.

Sen. Johnny Isakson voted YES

Sen. David Perdue voted YES

More of the same topic, I am tired of it and assure myself that in a year or two we may realize it was all misdirection leading to taxes that are the highest in the industrial world.

Recent House Votes:

National Forest Mining Vote Passed (216-204, 13 Not Voting)

Passage of the bill would prohibit the designation of national monuments and the withdrawal of lands in the National Forest System in the state of Minnesota from mineral and geothermal leases without the approval of Congress. It would designate any mineral leases issued within the boundaries of the National Forest System lands in Minnesota as indeterminate preference right leases.

Rep. David Scott voted NO

Democrats are not conservationists, they are environmentalists. Study the difference and it becomes clear why they resist everything and seek to avoid oversight.

Federal Workforce Probationary Period Extension Vote Passed (213-204, 16 Not Voting)

Passage of the bill would increase to two years the probationary period for newly hired federal employees, for any individuals promoted to a supervisory or managerial role, and for any individual appointed to the Senior Executive Service. It would also establish a system in which supervisors would be notified near the end of an employee's probationary period.

Rep. David Scott voted NO

Absolutely, the security of federal employees needs a little threatening.

EPA Brownfields Program Reauthorization Vote Passed (409-8, 16 Not Voting)

Passage of the bill would authorize $250 million annually, through fiscal 2022, for assistance with environmental assessment, cleanup and job training activities at the EPA's brownfields program sites, and would increase, to $500,000 per site, the amount available for remediation grants for brownfield sites.

Rep. David Scott voted YES

This is kind of a simple issue, pay to clean up the messes.

Manufactured Housing Lending Regulation Vote Passed (256-163, 14 Not Voting)

Passage of the bill would change the definitions of "mortgage originator" and "loan originator" to exempt companies that manufacture homes and sell manufactured homes from various mortgage-related regulatory requirements. It would increase the maximum allowable rates and fees that may be applied to a manufactured home loan before the loan is classified as a high-cost mortgage.

Rep. David Scott voted YES

Technical loan speak. Frankly I don't care what they charge people for buying double wides, or the interest rate they catch.

Upcoming Votes:

Nielsen Nomination - PN1095

The Senate will vote on the nomination of Kirstjen Nielsen to be secretary of Homeland Security.

Kirstjen Nielsen is a national security expert who served in the Bush administration and in the private world earned some accolades from the Obama administration. She earned a BS from Georgetown and an JD from the University of Virginia.

Tax Overhaul – Motion to Proceed to Conference - HR1 The Senate is expected to vote on a motion to proceed to a conference committee on tax legislation.

The house takes op the Senate bill, discussed enough above.

Extend Federal Government Funding - HJRes123 The Senate will vote on legislation to extend funding the federal government through Dec. 22, 2017.

Oh the difficulties of pretending like they budget anything..

Tax Overhaul Conference - HR1

The House will vote on a motion to go to conference on HR 1, Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. The House passed its version of the bill on Nov. 16 by a 227-205 vote, and the Senate was set to pass its version in the early morning hours of Saturday, Dec. 2. Both versions would substantially restructure the U.S. tax code to simplify the code and provide a net $1.5 trillion tax cut, with taxes being cut for both corporations and small businesses and individuals.

I've got nothing more to say.

Concealed Carry & Gun Background Checks - HR38

The measure, would combine two bills reported by the Judiciary Committee last week, allows anyone authorized by their state to carry a concealed handgun to also carry that concealed weapon in any other state that allows concealed carry. It also seeks to ensure that federal agencies and state governments report relevant information to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) regarding individuals who are not eligible to purchase firearms — including by requiring federal agencies to certify twice per year that they are uploading all relevant records to the NICS.

I want to see this but think it is a pipe dream.

Mortgage Escrow Requirements - HR2971

The bill would expand to somewhat larger companies certain exemptions from home mortgage escrow requirements under the 2010 Dodd Frank law. Specifically, it exempts lenders with assets of $25 billion or less from the law's requirement that they establish escrow accounts for the first five years of "high-priced" mortgage loans, if the lender holds the loan on its own balance sheet for three years after the loan is made, and it exempts companies that service up to 30,000 mortgage loans from current loan servicing and escrow account administration requirements.

Politicians messing with loans that poor people cannot afford.

Merger & Acquisition Firms - HR477

The measure would exempt from SEC registration requirements certain firms that broker mergers and acquisitions and assist in the transfer of ownership of small, privately owned businesses Â— if the transactions meet certain criteria. Republicans say that exempting those firms from SEC registration requirements will help preserve jobs since those brokers play a critical role in helping small, privately held businesses transition to new owners.

Extend Federal Government Funding - HJRes123

The House will vote on legislation to extend funding the federal government through Dec. 22, 2017.