Breaking News!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[jordanrules23]

Wouldn't suprise me and its going to keep going up as long as these politicians allow big corporates to run this country.

isn't that the truth, corp America is ruining this society

[kbsooner21]

Wouldn't suprise me and its going to keep going up as long as these politicians allow big corporates to run this country.

What's your solution? Isn't that what capitalism is all about? Making as much money as you can?

[BackDoorCvr]

the HOUSE is trying to pass an ammendment to give illegals the same tax break(600$) that AMERICANS get.....THANKS YOU FUCKING DEMO'S........

The House version of the bill actually prohibits "non resident aliens" i.e. illegal immigrants from receiving the rebates. The problem is that many illegals (as well as legal immigrants) file their tax returns with the IRS using an individual taxpayer id number which is different from a social security number. The Senate Finance Committee is trying to fix the bill by making only individuals filing their taxes using a ss# eligible for the refund. I love to bash the Dems as much as anyone but this looks like an oversight.

[jordanrules23]

Senate Makes Fixes to Stimulus Bill, But Not Everyone is Happy

Wednesday, January 30, 2008

* E-Mail
* Respond
* Print

* Share:
o Digg
o Facebook
o StumbleUpon

WASHINGTON — Members of the Senate Finance Committee passed a bill Wednesday they say will fix a loophole in the House-passed economic stimulus package that allows some illegal immigrants to qualify for tax rebate checks.

The fix requires that anyone eligible for a rebate envisioned in a House-passed $161 billion stimulus package must have to have a valid Social Security number, rather than an Individual Tax Identification Number.

The stimulus plan overwhelmingly passed the House on a suspended vote, meaning no amendments were included on the initial legislation. A mini-brushfire broke out in the Capitol Wednesday as members realized that the decision to refund tax payments to ITIN holders meant illegal immigrants could possibly benefit.

The IRS classifies illegal workers in the U.S. for more than 31 days in the current year as "resident aliens." The majority of illegal immigrants in the U.S. are believed to be included as resident aliens under the IRS statutes.

Resident aliens can get an ITIN, pay taxes and file tax returns. The House measure expressly blocked "non-resident aliens," those who just arrived in the U.S., have not been deported and have not spent any "substantial" time here.
Related

*
Stories
o Senate Expected to Fix Immigrant Loophole in Stimulus Bill
o Illegal Immigrant Taxpayers to Benefit From House-Approved Stimulus Plan

The internal warfare among congressional Republicans centered on whether or not illegal immigrants who earned at least $3,000 in taxable income were eligible for a rebate. House Minority Leader John Boehner insisted illegal immigrants would not benefit because they generally don't use ITINs to file tax returns since the very use of ITINs indicates the return may have been filed by an illegal immigrant.

Still, Boehner's argument did not answer the question about the inclusion of the words "resident aliens" in the legislation, so the Senate came up with a compromise. Sen. John Ensign, R-Nev., a lead opponent of illegal immigrants getting rebates, said he was satisfied with changes made to the Senate panel's bill.

But Colorado Republican Rep. Tom Tancredo, one of the most-vocal anti-illegal immigration voices in Washington didn't appear to take solace in Boehner's argument or the Senate fix. In a letter sent to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, Tancredo implored the Senate to "fix" the loophole.

"Whether the total amount of checks cut to illegal aliens from the U.S. Treasury amounts to $600 or $6 billion, I do not believe the American public supports a stimulus package that reinforces the idea that there is really no difference between illegal aliens and American citizens. Worse, given the well documented tendency of illegal aliens to send large portions of their earnings back to relatives in their home country, it is quite possible that the lion’s share of any payments sent to illegal aliens will simply be sent abroad -- stimulating a foreign economy rather than our own," Tancredo wrote.

Speaking with FOX News, Tancredo complained that the Senate's proposed fix also doesn't address a much greater problem:

"The fact that we know that Social Security numbers are compromised, the fact that thousands of people, maybe millions of people, we don't know for sure how many people, filed an income tax form with a fake Social Security number. We also know that there's absolutely no communication between the IRS and Social Security Administration," Tancredo said..

Differences between House and Senate versions of the legislation require the chambers meet in a conference to create a single, unified bill. But the ability to craft a compromise may be more difficult than originally envisioned by the House, however, since the committee approved a stimulus package that gives Americans, who file individual returns $500 rebate checks if they earned less than $150,000 in 2007; $1,000 if married and filing jointly with a combined income less than $300,000. Families with children under 17 years old would get $300 per child.

The vote was 14-5 -- with three committee Republicans joining all the Democrats on the panel.

The new cap is higher than the House-passed version, which places a $600 limit on singles making $75,000 or $1,200 for joint-filing married couples who make $150,000. With assorted other elements, it raises the package to a cost of $193 billion.

Chairman Max Baucus, D-Mont., under tremendous pressure from his Democratic colleagues to cut America's richest taxpayers out of getting rebate checks, made the changes, and his ranking Republican co-chairman, Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa, spoke favorably about the caps being inserted despite his preference for no caps.

But that's not the only point of contention. An extension to unemployment benefits is shaping up to be the central fight when this bill makes it to the Senate floor. The committee extends unemployment payments for 13 weeks for those whose benefits have run out, with 26 more weeks available in states with a 6.5 percent unemployment rate. Only four states qualify for this extra assistance: Alaska, Michigan, Mississippi and South Carolina. Grassley said he was willing to go along with the measure if it meant increasing households eligible for the rebates.

Republicans are vowing to fight this measure, pointing to a private-sector analysis that shows jobs grew in January 2008. Sen Gregg, R-N.H., railed against the need for the extension, saying it could actually have the reverse effect of what's intended in a stimulus bill.

"To extend unemployment insurance by a year, in areas where you have full employment, you give a disincentive for people to go out and get a job," Gregg said. His own state's unemployment rate is well below the national average, at 3.6 percent

The Senate Finance Committee bill also gives rebate checks to more than 20 million low-income seniors who live on Social Security benefits. The disabled are also included in this, as they, too, get Social Security benefits. Baucus said 75,000 disabled veterans would get checks, as a result. This is different from the House bill, which gives no rebates to this group.

A $5.6 billion small energy temporary tax package was also included, benefiting those who produce biofuels like wind, energy, solar. That's on top of the $50 billion in incentives approved by the House.

The Senate also reconstituted a measure left out of House negotiations that lets businesses change the way they expense losses. The incentive lets companies that are losing money to apply 2006 and 2007 losses to tax returns from profitable years dating back to 2001 and 2002 so they can get refunds on tax payments.

Some Democrats had wanted to add money for food stamps and heating aid for the poor, but Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., feared that would load the bill down too much.

"We have to thread the needle here. We want to improve the bill, but we don't want to move it so far from the House bill that we slow it down," he said.

Speaking in California on Wednesday, President Bush said he prefers the House package, but wants to get legislation done by mid-February.

"If you're truly interested in dealing with the slowdown of the economy, the Senate ought to accept the House package, pass it, and get it to my desk as soon as possible," the president said. "The sooner you get a check the more likely it is the stimulus package will kick in and make a difference."

FOX News' Trish Turner and Chad Pergram contributed to this report.

[BackDoorCvr]

They reduced the rate by .75 basis points and I don't know yet if they reduced it again today or not, but 86% of the people believed they were going to do a .50 basis point cut again today. 66% believe that in march they will cut it another .25 basis points. How low can they keep reducing it? The dollar is so weak right now its pathetic.

One of the biggest problems is that these dumbass Politicians allowed way too much outsourcing which in turn ended up weakening this Country. Jobs left the Country and products being made outside of this Country are way too high. And the Politicians did this, because big corporations run this fucking country.

The Gov't has no say in how a corporation runs its business (assuming it's within the law) so these 'dumbass politicians' aren't 'allowing' big corporations to do anything. It's the private sector that has created the millions of jobs that we have in this country as well as the largest economy in the world.

[kbsooner21]

The Gov't has no say in how a corporation runs its business (assuming it's within the law) so these 'dumbass politicians' aren't 'allowing' big corporations to do anything. It's the private sector that has created the millions of jobs that we have in this country as well as the largest economy in the world.

[molta02]

What's your solution? Isn't that what capitalism is all about? Making as much money as you can?

you would think, but then again, you are trying to rationalize w/ dems............

[BettorsChat]

What's your solution? Isn't that what capitalism is all about? Making as much money as you can?

Are you fucking kidding me? You think corporations should have so much influence on Politicians and our Government?

Don't you care that tons of jobs have been sent out to other Countries? Or how about that imports are way more than our exports?

At one time this Country was the dominate Country with no budget deficit. Now things have changed to the opposite.

To answer your first question they need to quit allowing so many damn jobs to go out of this Country. And start making more products in our own Country.

[BettorsChat]

The House version of the bill actually prohibits "non resident aliens" i.e. illegal immigrants from receiving the rebates. The problem is that many illegals (as well as legal immigrants) file their tax returns with the IRS using an individual taxpayer id number which is different from a social security number. The Senate Finance Committee is trying to fix the bill by making only individuals filing their taxes using a ss# eligible for the refund. I love to bash the Dems as much as anyone but this looks like an oversight.

I can't imagine an Illegal immigrant would take the chance on getting a refund for the fear of being deported.

And the Senate Committee definately needs to pass the bill regarding having to use a SSN # for the refund.

[BettorsChat]

The Gov't has no say in how a corporation runs its business (assuming it's within the law) so these 'dumbass politicians' aren't 'allowing' big corporations to do anything. It's the private sector that has created the millions of jobs that we have in this country as well as the largest economy in the world.

WTF are you talking about? Who said the Government has anything to do with how a Big Corporation runs? I said big corporations influence and run this Country through our Politicians. If you don't believe that then you must still believe in the tooth fairy. Just check out all of the lobbyists and what they do.

As for Jobs their could be a lot more in this Country if it wasn't for all of the damn outsourcing to other Countries. Which is the fault of the Politicians passing laws to allow this which was lobbied by the Big Corporations.

[vols fan]

Are you fucking kidding me? You think corporations should have so much influence on Politicians and our Government?

Don't you care that tons of jobs have been sent out to other Countries? Or how about that imports are way more than our exports?

At one time this Country was the dominate Country with no budget deficit. Now things have changed to the opposite.

To answer your first question they need to quit allowing so many damn jobs to go out of this Country. And start making more products in our own Country.

Well said.Romney hit it on the head last night when he said we would probably have to borrow the 150 billion from China for the stimulous package and then go out and buy shit that was made in China.So whos economy are we really helping
Romneys "no more free rides"for people who don't have insurance might have gotten him my vote.He said most people who dont have insurance can afford it but have the attitude of why pay when we can get it for free.Finally someone in politics is tired of this shit too.I pay $52 a week for my family and it's time these people(without insurance)trade in there Escalades and Hummers and get something they can afford and pay it like the rest of us do.

[jordanrules23]

Well said.Romney hit it on the head last night when he said we would probably have to borrow the 150 billion from China for the stimulous package and then go out and buy shit that was made in China.So whos economy are we really helping
Romneys "no more free rides"for people who don't have insurance might have gotten him my vote.He said most people who dont have insurance can afford it but have the attitude of why pay when we can get it for free.Finally someone in politics is tired of this shit too.I pay $52 a week for my family and it's time these people(without insurance)trade in there Escalades and Hummers and get something they can afford and pay it like the rest of us do.

[BettorsChat]

Well said.Romney hit it on the head last night when he said we would probably have to borrow the 150 billion from China for the stimulous package and then go out and buy shit that was made in China.So whos economy are we really helping
Romneys "no more free rides"for people who don't have insurance might have gotten him my vote.He said most people who dont have insurance can afford it but have the attitude of why pay when we can get it for free.Finally someone in politics is tired of this shit too.I pay $52 a week for my family and it's time these people(without insurance)trade in there Escalades and Hummers and get something they can afford and pay it like the rest of us do.

Per the polls Romney faired about 11% better in the debate than McCain.

[BackDoorCvr]

WTF are you talking about? Who said the Government has anything to do with how a Big Corporation runs? I said big corporations influence and run this Country through our Politicians. If you don't believe that then you must still believe in the tooth fairy. Just check out all of the lobbyists and what they do.

As for Jobs their could be a lot more in this Country if it wasn't for all of the damn outsourcing to other Countries. Which is the fault of the Politicians passing laws to allow this which was lobbied by the Big Corporations.

What law is that? The law that allows corporations to be as profitable as they can? There is no reason to lobby for an imaginary law. Corps are free to outsource if they'd like - not because Congress passed some law allowing them to. I agree that Corps do have alot of influence. I challenge you to point out where I said they don't. You're the guy who said that the dumb politicians allow them to move jobs overseas. Politicians have nothing to do with it. They can't make corporations keep jobs here. That is my point. The free market society in which we live allows business to operate freely.

[grandmama]

I suggest you all read the book: "When corpotations rule the world." Great read, no matter your political beliefs.