As NTUF continues to research new legislation for the BillTally project, this week's edition of the Taxpayer's Tab highlights some of the notable bills we've scored lately.
Featured in this week's "Wildcard" section is a proposal from Congresswoman Doris Matsui (D-CA) that would establish a new grant program to fund tree planting projects. H.R. 1807, the TREES Act, is designed to combat high energy useage by strategically planting trees to provide more shade in residential areas. It authorizes "such sums as may be necessary" to do so, but no estimate is available regarding how high that cost might be.
Also in the latest issue:
- Most Expensive: H.R. 2706, the LEARN Act, was introduced by Reps. John Yarmuth (D-KY) and Jared Polis (D-CO) to provide additional funding for literacy development programs. It would increase federal outlays by $2.4 billion per year, or $11.8 billion over 5 years.
- Least Expensive: Congressman Ed Markey (D-MA) has yet to introduce any bills since assuming John Kerry's Senate seat, but he may re-introduce H.R. 1506, the SANE Act, which would cut funding to various U.S. nuclear arms programs to the tune of $10 billion per year ($50 billion over 5 years).
- Most Friended: Congresswoman Nita Lowey (D-NY) and Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA) introduced the Global Democracy Promotion Act in their respective Chambers. It would permanently repeal a provision in the Foreign Assistance Act that prohibited funding for foreign organizations that provided information about abortion procedures. The House version had 114 Democratic cosponsors, while 12 Democrats and one Republican cosponsored the Senate version.
For more details on these bills, check out the latest issue of the Tab online here. Be sure to sign up for future email updates here.
Also, NTUF is teaming up with the Tax Foundation to host an event honoring the life and work of renowned economist Milton Friedman. For more information on how you can participate in the Friedman Legacy Day festivities, follow the link here.