The Charles Rangel dossier

Transcription

1 1920 L Street, NW Suite 200 Washington, DC Fax CONTACT: John Kartch jkartch@atr.org November 6, 2006 The Charles Rangel dossier [Rangel] said he ``cannot think of one'' of President George W. Bush's first-term tax cuts that merit renewal -- Bloomberg.com, September 20, 2006 Asked whether tax increases across the income spectrum would be considered, he replied, "No question about it." -- Congress Daily, September 26, 2006 Rep. Charles Rangel Lifetime ATR Congressional Rating: 4% Voted against every one of President Bush s tax cuts Voted against the repeal of the Death Tax Voted against the extension of the 15% rate on capital gains and dividends Voted against the line-item veto Voted against extending the Internet tax moratorium Voted against tort reform Voted against CAFTA In 2006, Rangel scored a 0% Federal Election Integrity Act of 2006 (09/20/2006, Roll Call No. 459) Rangel voted NO 09/20/ The House passed H.R. 4844, amended, to amend the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 to require any individual who desires to register or re-register to vote in an election for Federal office to provide the appropriate State election official with proof that the individual is a citizen of the United States to prevent fraud in Federal elections, by a yea-and-nay vote of 228 yeas to 196 nays, Roll No An aye vote is a vote for taxpayers.

2 Providing for the adoption of the resolution (H. Res. 1000) providing for earmarking reform in the House of Representatives. (09/14/2006, Roll Call No. 449) Rangel voted NO 09/14/ The House agreed to H. Res. 1003, providing for the adoption of H. Res. 1000, amended, providing for earmarking reform in the House of Representatives, by a recorded vote of 245 ayes to 171 noes, Roll No An aye vote is a vote for taxpayers. Pension Protection Act (07/28/2006, Roll Call No. 422) Rangel voted NO 07/28/ The House passed H.R. 4, to provide economic security for all Americans, by a recorded vote of 279 ayes to 131 noes with 1 voting "present", Roll No. 422, after ordering the previous question. An aye vote is a vote for taxpayers. Disaster Recovery Personal Protection Act of 2006 (07/25/2006, Roll Call No. 401) Rangel voted NO 07/25/ H.R. 5013, amended, to amend the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act to prohibit the confiscation of firearms during certain national emergencies, by a (2/3) yea-and-nay vote of 322 yeas to 99 nays, Roll No An aye vote is a vote for taxpayers. Legislative Line Item Veto Act (06/22/2006, Roll Call No. 317) Rangel voted NO 06/22/ H.R. 4890, amended, to amend the Congressional and Impoundment Control Act of 1974 to provide for the expedited consideration of certain proposed rescissions of budget authority, by a recorded vote of 247 ayes to 172 noes, Roll No An aye vote is a vote for taxpayers. Permanent Estate Tax Relief Act (06/22/2006, Roll Call No. 315) Rangel voted NO 06/22/ The House passed H.R. 5638, to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to increase the unified credit against the estate tax to an exclusion equivalent of $5,000,000 and to repeal the sunset provision for the estate and generation-skipping taxes, by a recorded vote of 269 ayes to 156 noes, Roll No An aye vote is a vote for taxpayers American-Made Energy and Good Jobs Act (05/25/2006, Roll Call No. 209) Rangel voted NO 05/25/ The House passed H.R. 5429, to direct the Secretary of the Interior to establish and implement a competitive oil and gas leasing program that will result in an environmentally sound program for the exploration, development, and production of the oil and gas resources of the Coastal Plain of Alaska, by a yea andnay vote of 225 yeas to 201 nays, Roll No An aye vote is a vote for taxpayers. Tax Relief Extension Reconciliation Act (05/10/2006, Roll Call No. 135) Rangel voted NO 05/10/ The House agreed to the conference report on H.R. 4297, to provide for reconciliation pursuant to section 201(b) of the concurrent resolution on the budget for fiscal year 2006, by a recorded vote 244 ayes to 185 noes, Roll No.

3 135, after ordering the previous question. An aye vote is a vote for taxpayers. In 2005, Rangel scored an 8% Tax Relief Extension Reconciliation Act Rangel voted NO The House passed H.R. 4297, to provide for reconciliation pursuant to section 201(b) of the concurrent resolution on the budget for fiscal year 2006, by a yea-and-nay vote of 234 yeas to 197 nays, Roll No An aye vote is a vote for taxpayers. Deficit Reduction Act Rangel voted NO The House passed H.R. 4241, to provide for reconciliation pursuant to section 201(a) of the concurrent resolution on the budget for fiscal year 2006, by a recorded vote of 217 ayes to 215 noes, Roll No An aye vote is a vote for taxpayers. Gasoline for Americas Security Act Rangel voted NO The House passed H.R. 3893, to expedite the construction of new refining capacity in the United States, to provide reliable and affordable energy for the American people (by a recorded vote of 212 ayes to 210 noes, Roll No. 519). An aye vote is a vote for taxpayers. HEALTH Act of 2005 Rangel voted NO The House passed H.R. 5, improving patient access to health care services and provide improved medical care by reducing the excessive burden the liability system places on the health care delivery system, by a recorded vote 230 ayes to 194 noes with 2 voting "present", Roll No An aye vote is a vote for taxpayers. Dominican Republic-Central America-United States Free Trade Agreement Implementation Act Rangel voted NO The House passed H.R. 3045, to implement the Dominican Republic-Central America- United States Free Trade Agreement, by a recorded vote of 217 ayes to 215 noes, Roll No An aye vote is a vote for taxpayers. In 2004, Rangel scored a 15% Spending Control Act of 2004 Rangel voted NO On Passage 06/24/2004 House Roll Call No th Congress, 2nd Session Failed: This vote establishes budget rules to hold the line on spending. ATR supports this vote. Medical Malpractice- Tort Reform Rangel voted NO On Passage 05/12/2004 House Roll Call No. 166 Passed: This vote supports decreasing the cost and improving the effectiveness of health care by stopping frivolous lawsuits. ATR supports this vote. Permanent extension of the 10% individual income tax rate Rangel voted NO 05/12/2004 House Roll Call No. 156 This vote aims to permanently extend the 10- percent individual income tax rate bracket. ATR supports this vote.

4 Alternative Minimum Tax Rangel voted NO On Ordering the Previous Question 05/05/2004 House Roll Call No This vote extends middle-class tax cuts to ATR supports this vote. In 2003, Rangel scored a 5% Class Action Fairness Act of 2003 Rangel voted NO By a vote f 253 to 170 the House passed H.R. 1115, the Class Action Fairness Act. The Class Action Fairness Act will streamline the ability of the courts to deal with class action lawsuits by making it easier for those involved in the case to transfer suits from the state courts to the federal courts. Frivolous lawsuits that have blossomed under the current tort law system have created a new "tort tax" on the United States. The costs are passed onto the consumer in the form of higher prices, while a handful of trial lawyers have manipulated a system to earn millions of dollars in settlement fees. Americans for Tax Reform double rated the aye vote as a vote for taxpayers. Excessive Congressional Spending Rangel voted NO By a vote of the House rejected an amendment offered by Representative Pat Toomey (R-PA0 that would have prevented funding for five specific grants of questionable value, and allowed the funding to be used for other research. The combined value of these grants is roughly $1.7 million for FY The grants were Grant Number RO1HD043689: "Mood Arousal and Sexual Risk Taking," Grant Number RO3HDO39206: Study on Sexual Habits of Older Men, Grant Number R01DA01386: Study on San Francisco's Asian Prostitutes/Masseuses, Grant Number R01MH065871: Study on American Indian Transgender Research, and Grant Number R01HD039789: National Institute for Child Health and Human Development Study on Pandas. An aye vote was a vote for taxpayers. Death Tax Repeal Permanency Act Rangel voted NO By a vote of 264 to 163 the House voted to pass H.R. 8, the Death Tax Repeal Permanency Act. The bill would make repeal of the death tax, that is scheduled to sunset after 10 years, permanent. An aye vote is a vote for taxpayers. Jobs and Growth Tax Reconciliation Act Rangel voted NO By a vote of 222 to 203 the House passed H.R. 2, the Jobs and Growth Tax Reconciliation Act. The bill provided the most significant tax cut to American taxpayers in over twenty years. The new tax law accelerated income tax rate reductions, expanded business depreciation, increased small business expensing amounts, slashed the capital gains tax and significantly reduced the double taxation of dividends. An aye vote is a vote for taxpayers. Energy Independence (ANWR) Rangel voted YES By a vote of 197 to 228 the House rejected an amendment offered by Rep. Edward Markey (D-MA) that would have prevented the Interior Department from granting leases for oil and gas exploration, development, and production in the Arctic National Wildlife

5 Refuge in Alaska. According to a study conducted by the Competitive Enterprise Institute, opening ANWR to exploration and drilling could boost domestic U.S. oil production by 14 percent. In order to decrease the United States dependence on foreign oil and to improve our economic and energy security, allowing exploration of ANWR for oil and gas exploration is vital. A no vote was a vote for taxpayers. Bankruptcy Reform Rangel voted NO By a vote of 315 to 113 the House passed H.R. 975, the Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act of The legislation slows the rise of bankruptcy cases in the United States by placing restrictions on those who qualify to file for bankruptcy and educating debtors on how to better handle their financial responsibilities. An aye vote was a vote for taxpayers. Medical Malpractice Reform Rangel voted NO By a vote of 229 to 1267 the House passed H.R. 5, the Help Efficient, Accessible, Low- Cost, Timely, Healthcare (HEALTH) act. The legislation comprehensively reforms the medical malpractice system by enacting caps on damages, allowing for the inclusion of collateral source payments in jury considerations, imposing time limits on filing of lawsuits, and other reforms. Rising jury awards and settlements are increasing physician malpractice insurance premiums. The costs from malpractice suits are having a taxing effect on society by increasing the practice of defensive medicine and decreasing physician productivity, and have the potential to increase costs for specific patient groups and hinder patient access to quality healthcare. An aye vote was a vote for taxpayers. Welfare Reform Rangel voted NO By a vote of 230 to 192 the House passed H.R. 4 the Welfare Reform bill. The bill reauthorizes and improves the program of block grants to states for temporary assistance for needy families and encourages families to move from welfare to work, and ensure equitable treatment of married, two-parent families. An aye vote is a vote in favor of taxpayers. An aye vote was a vote for taxpayers. In 2002, Rangel scored a 0% Medicare Modernization and Prescription Drug Act of 2002 Rangel voted NO On Passage 06/28/2002 House Roll Call No. 282 Passed: By a vote of 221 ayes to 208 nays, the House passed H.R. 4954, to provide for a voluntary program for prescription drug coverage under the Medicare program and to establish a competitive bidding process for negotiating the terms and conditions of prescription drug plan sponsors. An aye vote is a vote in favor of taxpayers. Retirement Savings Security Act Rangel voted YES On Motion to Recommit with Instructions 06/21/2002 House Roll Call No. 247 Failed: By a vote of 186 ayes to 192 nays, the House rejected an effort to recommit the bill, which makes the pension and individual retirement arrangement provisions of the

6 Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001 permanent, to the Ways and Means Committee. A nay vote is a vote for taxpayers. Permanent Elimination of the Marriage Penalty Tax Rangel voted NO On Passage 06/13/2002 House Roll Call No. 229 Passed: By a vote of 271 ayes to 142 nays, the House passed H.R. 4019, to provide that the marriage penalty relief provisions of the Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001 shall be permanent. An aye vote is a vote in favor of taxpayers. Tax Limitation Amendment to the Constitution Rangel voted NO Requiring a 2/3rds majority to raise taxes 06/12/2002 House Roll Call No. 225 By a vote of 227 yeas to 178 nays, the House failed to pass by the necessary two-thirds supermajority H.J. Res. 96, proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States to require a two-thirds vote in each chamber of Congress to approve all tax increases. An aye vote is a vote in favor of taxpayers. ATR considers this vote to be so important that it has been double-rated. An aye vote is a vote in favor of taxpayers. Permanent Death Tax Repeal Act Rangel voted NO Make permanent the repeal of "the tax on death" 06/06/2002 House Roll Call No. 219 By a vote of 256 ayes to 171 nays, the House passed H.R. 2143, to make the repeal of the death tax permanent. An aye vote is a vote in favor of taxpayers. ATR considers this vote to be so important that it has been double-rated. Welfare Reform Rangel voted NO On Passage 05/16/2002 House Roll Call No. 170 By a vote of 229 ayes to 197 nays, the House passed H.R. 4737, to reauthorize and improve the program of block grants to states for temporary assistance for needy families and encourage families to move from welfare to work, and ensure equitable treatment of married, two-parent families. An aye vote is a vote in favor of taxpayers. Tax Relief Guarantee Act of /18/2002 Rangel voted NO House Roll Call No th Congress, 2nd Session By a vote of 229 ayes to 198 nays, the House passed H.R. 586, to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to make permanent the tax reductions enacted by the Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of An aye vote is a vote in favor of taxpayers. Taxpayer Protection and IRS Accountability Act Rangel voted NO On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass 04/10/2002 House Roll Call No. 85 By a vote of 205 yeas to 219 nays, the House failed to reach the necessary 2/3 supermajority to suspend the rules and pass H.R. 3991, to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to protect taxpayers and ensure accountability of the Internal Revenue Service. An aye vote is a vote in favor of taxpayers. Class Action Fairness Act Rangel voted NO

7 Tort Reform 03/13/2002 House Roll Call No. 55 By a vote of 233 to 190, the House approved H.R. 2341, to outlaw certain practices that provide inadequate settlements for class members, and to assure that attorneys do not receive a disproportionate amount of settlements at the expense of class members. An aye vote is a vote in favor of taxpayers. Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act Rangel voted NO Resolution calling on Congress to make permanent, the Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of /06/2002 House Roll Call No. 10 By a vote of 235 yeas to 181 nays, the House failed to reach the necessary two-third supermajority to suspend the rules and agree to H. Con. Res. 312, expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the tax relief provided by the Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001 should not be suspended or repealed. An aye vote is a vote for taxpayers. In 2001, Rangel scored a 5% Marriage Tax Reduction. Rangel voted NO (Roll Call #75, 29 Mar.) The House passed a bill cutting taxes by $400 B over 10 years by doubling and expanding married couples' deductions and the child tax credit. YES was a vote FOR taxpayers. Death Tax Relief. Rangel voted NO (Roll Call #84, 4 Apr.) The House passed a bill cutting taxes on estates by $186 B over 10 years. YES was a vote FOR taxpayers. Tax Limitation Amendment. Rangel voted NO (Roll Call #87, 25 Apr.) The House failed to get the two-thirds vote needed for a constitutional amendment requiring a supermajority of Congress to raise taxes. For ATR, this vote is important enough to double weight. YES was a vote FOR taxpayers. Fiscal 2002 Budget. Rangel voted NO (Roll Call #104, 9 May) The House adopted spending and revenue targets for the next 10 years, including $1.3 trillion in tax cuts, a $100 B stimulus package, and a cap on discretionary spending of $661 B, of which half would be for defense. YES was a vote FOR taxpayers. Tax Cuts. Rangel voted NO (Roll Call #118, 16 May) The House passed a bill cutting all income tax rates and making other tax cuts totaling $958.3 billion over 11 years. YES was a vote FOR taxpayers. School Vouchers. Rangel voted NO (Roll Call #135, 23 May) The House rejected an amendment that would help students in failing or dangerous schools to attend private schools, including religious schools. YES was a vote FOR taxpayers.

8 Faith-Based Initiatives. Rangel voted NO (Roll Call #254, 19 July) The House passed a bill allowing religious organizations to provide social services without abandoning their religious character and expanding tax breaks for charitable giving. YES was a vote FOR taxpayers. Fuel Economy Standards. Rangel voted NO (Roll Call #311, 1 Aug.) The House rejected an amendment that would have applied stringent passenger car mileage requirements to light trucks and sport utility vehicles, thus forcing more Americans into smaller, lighter, more dangerous cars. NO was a vote FOR taxpayers. Alaskan Oil. Rangel voted NO (Roll Call #316, 1 Aug.) The House adopted an amendment limiting oil and gas drilling operations in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to 2,000 acres of total surface area, thus assuring passage of the president's energy proposal. YES was a vote FOR taxpayers. Medical Savings Accounts. Rangel voted NO (Roll Call #328, 2 Aug.) The House adopted an amendment lifting restrictions on MSAs, thus allowing more Americans to use these money-saving alternatives to traditional health insurance. YES was a vote FOR taxpayers. Patients' Rights. Rangel voted NO (Roll Call #332, 2 Aug.) The House passed a bill providing additional protections to patients in health maintenance organizations (HMOs), including appeals procedures for those denied care. These protections were added without the kind of regulation that would have driven HMOs out of business and reduced patient choice. YES was a vote FOR taxpayers. "Fast-Track." Rangel voted NO (Roll Call #481, 6 Dec.) The House passed a bill giving the president authority to negotiate trade agreements with foreign countries. Agreements would have to be ratified by Congress under expedited procedures, without amendment. YES was a vote FOR taxpayers. Economic Stimulus. Rangel voted NO (Roll Call #509, 19 Dec.) The House passed a bill stimulating the economy by cutting individual and business taxes by $90 B in 2002, extending unemployment benefits, and providing and health insurance tax credit. YES was a vote FOR taxpayers. In 2000, Rangel scored 15% Marriage Penalty Rangel voted NO (Roll Call #15, 10 Feb.) The House passed a bill substantially eliminating the tax penalty for being married. YES was a vote FOR taxpayers

9 Fiscal 2001 Budget Rangel voted NO (Roll Call #75, 23 Mar.) The House adopted spending and revenue targets for the next 5 years, including up to $200 billion in tax cuts and reservation of Social Security surpluses. YES was a vote FOR taxpayers. Tax Limitation Amendment Rangel voted NO (Roll Call # 119, 12 April) The House failed to get the two-thirds vote needed for a constitutional amendment requiring a supermajority of Congress to raise taxes. For ATR, this vote is important enough to double weight. YES was a vote FOR taxpayers. Tax Code Termination Rangel voted NO (Roll Call #127, 13 April) The House voted to abolish the current tax code, except for Social Security and Medicare, by Dec. 31, YES was a vote FOR taxpayers. Interstate Tax Cartel Rangel voted YES (Roll Call #157, 10 May) The House passed a resolution calling on the states to harmonize their treatment of Internet taxes. Such a system would make it impossible for one state to adopt a tax rate lower than another. NO was a vote FOR taxpayers. Internet Tax Moratorium Rangel voted YES (Roll Call #158, 10 May) The House insisted on a 5-year extension of the moratorium on state and local Internet taxes, defeating an effort to cut the moratorium to two years. NO was a vote FOR taxpayers. Telephone Tax Repeal Rangel voted NO (Roll Call #229, 25 May) The House voted to take up (and eventually passed) a bill repealing the 1898 temporary tax on telephone service. YES was a vote FOR taxpayers. Death Tax Repeal Rangel voted NO (Roll Call #254, 9 June) The House passed a bill phasing out entirely the tax on estates by YES was a vote FOR taxpayers. Tobacco Lawsuit Rangel voted NO (Roll Call #293, 19 June) The House voted to keep a prohibition on using medical funding for a government lawsuit against tobacco companies. YES was a vote FOR taxpayers. Corporate Welfare Rangel voted NO (Roll Calls #376, 10 July and #383, 11 July) The House rejected two amendments that would have banned the use of tax money to promote the exports of large corporations and subsidize wool and mohair producers. The two votes together are given the weight of a single vote. YES votes were votes FOR taxpayers. Marriage Penalty. Rangel voted NO

10 (Roll Call 392, 12 July) The House gave final approval of the bill reducing the tax penalty for being married. The tax savings amount to $182 billion over 10 years. YES was a vote FOR taxpayers. Social Security Benefits Tax Repeal. Rangel voted NO (Roll Call #450, 27 July) The House passed a bill repealing the Clinton-Gore tax on Social Security benefits. This was not a total repeal of taxes on Social Security benefits, but a YES was a vote FOR taxpayers.