Welcome to the Taxpayer's Tab -- the weekly newsletter for up-to-the-minute research from the National Taxpayers Union Foundation's BillTally Project. NTUF gives you the most and least expensive bills that affects not only the nation's ledger but your pocketbook. For more information, check out NTUF's BillTally Project and our partner, WashingtonWatch.com! Most Expensive Bill of the WeekThe Bill: S. 1723, Teachers and First Responders Back to Work Act of 2011 Annualized Cost: $6.998 billion ($34.99 billion over five years) The Teachers and First Responders Back to Work Act would authorize grants to states to protect and create jobs. The grants would be used to pay salaries and benefits to keep teachers in the classroom and support staff on the job. In a press release, Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ) said his bill would "protect nearly 400,000 education jobs." Funds would be awarded based on the number of K-12 students and the total population in the state. Local police and fire departments would also receive money to prevent layoffs and to create additional jobs. According to Senator Menendez, the provision would "save thousands of police and fire fighter jobs" with an infusion of almost $5 billion. Similar to the bill's education measure, public funds would be available for hiring, rehiring, and retention of first responders. According to the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), S. 1723 would result in almost $35 billion in new spending over the next five years. Spending for teachers represents 85 percent -- or $30 billion -- of the bill's five-year cost. In order to pay for the new spending in S. 1723, a 0.5 percent surtax would be imposed on individuals making more than $1 million. To learn more or discuss this bill visit WashingtonWatch.com. Least Expensive Bill of the WeekThe Bill: H.R. 2576, a bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to modify the calculation of modified adjusted gross income for purposes of determining eligibility for certain healthcare-related programs Annualized Savings: -$1.733 billion (-$5.2 billion over three years) Each year, Americans can calculate their income to determine if they are eligible for certain tax credits, government subsidies, and special benefits. Some assistance is determined by different factors, such as the amount of retirement pay they receive or how much inflation rises or falls. Sometimes these same factors are not included in the totals at all. For programs such as Medicaid -- a system designed to provide some or all medical care for low-income individuals and families -- you cannot make above a certain amount of money, depending on the state in which you live. Under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), Medicaid calculations are scheduled to change in 2014. Instead of considering all income, Americans will no longer be permitted to include Social Security retirement payments in determining their Medicaid eligibility. The result would be enrolled into Medicaid. As a result, more tax dollars would be required to pay for the additional beneficiaries. Congresswoman Diane Black (R-TN) sponsored H.R. 2576 to require a return to the traditional method for calculating income to determine Medicaid eligibility. H.R. 2576 would result in a $5.2 billion spending reduction over the first five fiscal years. By adding nontaxable Social Security to Medicaid income definitions, CBO determined that up to one million people would not become eligible for Medicaid. Those people would be required to find other forms of health insurance under the individual insurance mandate established in PPACA. Many individuals would become eligible for premium assistance credits and subsidies offered in health insurance exchanges while others would opt into employment-based coverage. To learn more or discuss this bill visit WashingtonWatch.com. Most FriendedThe Bill: H.R. 27/S. 1218, Lumbee Recognition Act Annualized Cost: $169 million ($846 million over five years) Number of Cosponsors: 131 Congressmen and 1 Senator The federal government has recognized 564 Indian tribes as of October, 2010. Recognition guarantees those tribes varying benefits including land rights, medical and education benefits, and taxing authority. The bill introduced by Congressman Mike McIntyre (D-NC) and Senator Richard Burr (R-NC) would extend federal recognition to the Lumbee tribe of North Carolina. If H.R. 27 were enacted, the Lumbee tribe would receive funds from the Bureau of Indian Affairs for support services, including education and community development. The Indian Health Service would also offer benefits to approximately 30,000 of the tribe's 54,000 person membership. According to CBO, the bill would increase outlays by $846 million over the next five years with similar spending beyond that period. Health benefits constitute the majority of new spending. Cosponsors include 113 Democratic and 18 Republican Representatives. Two Congressmen who recently resigned were not included. In the Senate, a single cosponsor, Senator Kay Hagan (D-NC), currently supports S. 1218. To learn more or discuss this bill visit WashingtonWatch.com. |