Welcome to The Taxpayer's Tab -- the weekly newsletter for up-to-the-minute research from the National Taxpayers Union Foundation's BillTally Project. For more information, check out NTUF's BillTally Project and our partner, WashingtonWatch.com! Most Expensive Bill of the WeekThe Bill: H.R. 4114/S. 894, Veterans' Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act of 2012 Annualized Cost: $869 million ($4.3 billion over five years) Testifying before the House Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs, Raymond C. Kelley, Director, National Legislative Service for the Veterans of Foreign Wars stated, "Disabled veterans, their surviving spouses and children depend on their disability and dependency and indemnity compensation to bridge the gap of lost earnings and savings that the veteran's disability has caused. Each year, veterans wait anxiously to find out if they will receive a cost-of-living adjustment. There is no automatic trigger that increases these forms of compensation for veterans and their dependents. They rely on an act of Congress each year to ensure they receive the same cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) that is payable under title II of the Social Security Act." H.R. 4114 and S. 894 would authorize a COLA for FY 2013. Relative to current law, CBO estimates that enacting H.R. 4114 and S. 894 would cost $4.3 billion over the next five years. CBO assumes that the COLA would take affect on December 1st of this year and would be a 1.3 percent increase. To learn more or discuss this bill visit WashingtonWatch.com. Least Expensive Bill of the WeekThe Bill: H.R. 4093, Presidential Allowance Modernization Act Annualized Savings: $3 million (first-year savings) In 1955, Congress was concerned that former President Harry Truman would be unable to bear the financial burden of hiring and staffing an office to handle correspondence and other duties after his presidency. In 1958, Congress adopted the Former Presidents Act (FPA) to provide former presidents with an annual lifetime pension and office allowances. Allowances are now based, in part, on local living expenses, health care requirements, and office needs. The FPA has been expanded over time to include funds for travel, local and long-distance telephone service, and mailing expenses. In 1962, former First Couples were given Secret Service protection for life; however, Presidents leaving office after January 1, 1997, are now entitled to only 10 years of protection. The four living former Presidents -- Jimmy Carter, George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton, and George W. Bush -- cost taxpayers $4 million in FY 2012, excluding protection costs which are not disclosed to the public. Because today's former heads of state are able to secure lucrative book deals and speaking engagements that weren't available to Truman, Congress is now looking to curtail Presidential perks. Congressman Jason Chaffetz (R-UT) has proposed the Presidential Allowance Modernization Act to do just that. The bill provides ex-Presidents with a flat pension benefit of $200,000 a year as well as $200,000 for all other costs associated with their offices and needs. The Presidents would receive a cost of living adjustment every year -- the same adjustment given to Social Security recipients. In the event that a President's annual income exceeds $400,000, the Act would initiate a dollar-for-dollar reduction in the allowances. "[T]he fact is none of our former presidents are poor," Congressman Chaffetz said. "Reports actually indicate that between book tours and speaking fees these men are making millions of dollars a year. There's little reason why American taxpayers should be subsidizing these former presidents when they're doing fine on their own." According to a press release from Congressman Chaffetz's office, H.R. 4903 would reduce spending by $3 million in FY 2013. To learn more or discuss this bill visit WashingtonWatch.com. Most FriendedThe Bill: H.R. 4077/S. 2318, Department of State Rewards Program Update and Technical Corrections Act of 2012 Annualized Cost: Unknown -- Conditional Number of Cosponsors: 47 Congressmen and 6 Senators The State Department's Rewards for Justice program offers compensation for information leading to the arrest of individuals plotting or attempting terrorist acts against the United States. Informants who prevent a terrorist act, provide the location of a terrorist leader, or disrupt terrorism financing are also eligible for cash payments. The program has been in effect since 1984 and has led to the capture of numerous terrorists, including Ramzi Yousef who was one of the main perpetrators of the 1993 World Trade Center bombing. Congressman Edward Royce (R-CA) and Senator John Kerry (D-MA) have sponsored a bill to reform the program to include those involved in global organized crime that contribute to terrorism, such as weapons traffickers and money launderers. H.R. 4077 and S. 2318 would expand the scope of Rewards for Justice by including individuals who are charged with crimes against humanity. Since the program is strictly funded on a case-by-case basis for each criminal arrested or indicted, the program does not have a consistent funding level and is not applicable under BillTally's scorekeeping rules. Cosponsors include 28 Democrats and 19 Republicans in the House. In the Senate, three Democratic and three Republican Senators currently support S. 2318. To learn more or discuss this bill visit WashingtonWatch.com. 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