In this week's edition of the Taxpayer's Tab, NTUF analyzed the fiscal impacts that taxpayers might expect to see from some of Congress' latest efforts.
Among the most popular bills recently introduced in the Senate is Barbara Mikulski's (D-MD) Paycheck Fairness Act, with 33 cosponsors. S. 84 would seek to close loopholes in the 1963 Equal Pay Act, requiring employers to show substantive performance differences in the case of pay disparities between male and female employees. The bill would also allow for open discussion of salaries without the threat of legal action, implement training for federal workers to address the issue, and would authorize grants to fund negotiation skills development for women and girls across the country. The bill comes in at a $3 million annual cost, or $15 million over 5 years. It is not the first time Mikulski has introduced such legislation.
Also in the Tab this week:
- Most Expensive: H.R. 41, introduced by Rep. Scott Garrett (R-NJ), would increase the borrowing authority for FEMA's Flood Insurance Program. It would increase federal spending by $9.3 billion over the next five years, according to the Congressional Budget Office.
- Least Expensive: H.R. 396, introduced by Rep. Lynn Jenkins (R-KS), would reduce Congressional pay by 20 percent and prevent any future pay raises unless the government has a balanced budget. It would save about $19 million in the first year.
- Wildcard: Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX) introduced H.R. 82, the Infant Protection and Baby Switching Prevention Act of 2013. It would increase penalties associated with switching newborn babies in hospitals. NTUF found its regulations would have no significant cost to the federal government.
For more on these bills and their sponsors, be sure to check out this week's Taxpayer's Tab. To receive future editions of the Tab, sign up here for NTUF's mailing list.