Twilight’s Last Gleaming: An American Political RP Congress

[The Orion Islands]

OOC: I forgot Classen is a representative. I will move another bill.

OOC: CHS asked to be the Senate sponsor, so it should be able to be debated in both chambers. That said, I don't understand why a Republican bill is being brought up for debate. The Democrats hold the majority. Similarly with the ROSE Act, how did this reach cloture?

OOC: The bill was introduced by Classen in the House, not CHS in the Senate.

[The Orion Islands]

Senator Carole Martel (D-CA)

"Motion to suspend the rules and take up the G.I. Bill of 2007."

Senate President Pro Tempore (D)
“With a second, and no objections, the motion is adopted. The chair invites the Senator from California to lay out the bill as amended by the House of Representatives.”

[New Luciannova]

SECTION 1: SHORT TITLE
This Act may be cited as the "Tax Reform Act of 2007".

SECTION 2: Individual and General Changes
-Increased the credit from $1,000 to $2,300 per qualifying child under 18 with a valid Social Security number.
-Increased the income threshold at which point the credit phases out to $200,000 for single filers and $400,000 for joint filers.
-Increased the refundable portion of the credit to 15% of earnings in excess of $2,500 (up to a maximum refundable credit of $1,400).
-Added an additional nonrefundable credit of $500 for other dependents, such as children aged 17-18, full-time college students aged 19-24, and non-child dependents.
-Increased the AMT tax exemption to $44,350 for single filers and $66,250 for married filers and extended this through 2012. Extended the allowance of personal nonrefundable credits against the AMT through 2012.
-Energy Tax Provisions. Allowed credit for electricity produced from certain renewable resources through 2008, extended the placed-in-service date for a tax credit for electricity produced at certain qualified facilities, extended and expanded clean renewable energy bonds (authorized an additional $400 million of CREBs and increased the maximum amount that may be allocated to qualified projects of governmental bodies to $750 million), allowed a deduction for certain energy-efficient commercial building property through 2012, extended and expanded to petroleum products expensing of "Brownfields" environmental remediation costs through 2010 for qualified contaminated sites.
-Cuts all personal tax rates by 1% after calculations are completed.

SECTION 3: Business Changes
-Reduced the top corporate income tax rate from 35 percent to 21 percent, and eliminated the graduated corporate rate schedule.
-Repealed the corporate alternative minimum tax.
-Repealed the domestic production activities deduction.

SECTION 3: Useless and “Extra” Spending Cuts
-The Natural Resource Conservation Service, and the PHSCC are now nonexistent with their funds returning to the federal government to pay for these tax cuts and pay down the national debt.
-Foreign aid is reduced from making up 1.4% of the budget down to .8% of the budget; these funds are returned to the federal government to pay for these tax cuts and pay down the national debt; Israel is explicitly said to not be included in these cuts.

[Prince Kropotkin]

(OOC: Having to have motions to take up a bill is not how the House works, either as described in the OOC, or IRL. That said, purely in the interests of trying to get things moving...)

House Majority Leader Ryan Gaines
Democrat from Oregon

Mr Speaker, I move to take up the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act of 2007.

[Dentali]

(OOC: Having to have motions to take up a bill is not how the House works, either as described in the OOC, or IRL. That said, purely in the interests of trying to get things moving...)

House Majority Leader Ryan Gaines
Democrat from Oregon

Mr Speaker, I move to take up the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act of 2007.

NPC Dem: Seconded

Cragie: With that we will take up the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act of 2007. The Sponsors may introduce the bill.

[Prince Kropotkin]

House Majority Leader Ryan Gaines
Democrat from Oregon

Mr Speaker, stem cell research holds the possibilities for unlocking treatments and cures for a host of currently fatal, debilitating, and otherwise untreatable diseases and conditions, including genetic and hereditary ones. The administration's continued restrictions on stem cell research are preventing America's universities and research institutes, the scientists and doctors working in laboratories and gene clinics, from advancing our knowledge and understanding, and are denying patients, parents, children, those praying for a cure, a remedy, from any source of hope. I'd like to enter into the record the following statement from NIH Director Elias Zerhouni, one of this country's leading biomedical scientists:

It is in the best interest of our scientists, our science, and our country that we find ways and the nation finds a way to allow the science to go full speed across adult and embryonic stem cells equally.

Back home in my district in Oregon, I've met with veterans who have served America with valor in combat and suffered spinal cord injuries that have left them unable to walk, unable to hold their new baby in their arms, unable to feed and bathe themselves - and yet, still able to beseech me, beseech this Congress, this government, that stem cell therapy remains the best and most viable future opportunity for treating them.

A great deal of time and energy was spent debating this legislation in the last Congress. In the last Congress it was firmly established that this legislation in no way incentives the creation or farming of embryos, but makes use of what would otherwise be discarded biomedical waste. It was established that adult stem cells do not hold the same morphological characteristics and potential as embryonic stem cells. And it was established that a majority stand in favor of our doctors and scientists, of our future scientific potential, and yet the President acted against that majority anyway.

This new Congress has the opportunity to take up this mantle again, and it should do so and send the President this bill with unambiguous support for science, medicine, and compassion behind it.

[Kavanis]

Jack rose.

“Mr Speaker, I move to strike all references to ‘embryonic stem cells’ and replace with ‘pluripotent adult stem cells’.

“I also move to amend by adding the following:”

SEC. 3. QUALIFIED STEM CELL CREDITS

The Internal Revenue Code is amended to create stem cell research tax credits. All donations to stem cell research and storage shall be fully deductible. Any individual donating umbilical cord blood shall be eligible for up to a deduction of up to $2,000 per taxable year. Stem cell research shall be fully tax deductible. Expensing to stem cell storage facility establishment shall be 50% deductible and stem cell storage facility maintenance 20% deductible. No tax credit under this section shall apply to any donation to any facility that performs any research relating to embryonic stem cells or stores any embryonic stem cells.

[Dentali]

Jack rose.

“Mr Speaker, I move to strike all references to ‘embryonic stem cells’ and replace with ‘pluripotent adult stem cells’.

“I also move to amend by adding the following:”

SEC. 3. QUALIFIED STEM CELL CREDITS

The Internal Revenue Code is amended to create stem cell research tax credits. All donations to stem cell research and storage shall be fully deductible. Any individual donating umbilical cord blood shall be eligible for up to a deduction of up to $2,000 per taxable year. Stem cell research shall be fully tax deductible. Expensing to stem cell storage facility establishment shall be 50% deductible and stem cell storage facility maintenance 20% deductible. No tax credit under this section shall apply to any donation to any facility that performs any research relating to embryonic stem cells or stores any embryonic stem cells.

Cragie: House will now vote on the proposed amendment.

[Hopal]

Representative Greg Shields
[Democratic - 28th District of California]

Greg wanted to get this passed this congress, and he wanted to get Cush to sign this bill. "Aye. Mr Speaker."

[Kavanis]

"Aye," voted Jack.

[Meretica]

Representative John Amos Mattox III
Democratic - 8th District of Massachusetts

"...aye..."

[Madrinpoor]

Jack rose.

“Mr Speaker, I move to strike all references to ‘embryonic stem cells’ and replace with ‘pluripotent adult stem cells’.

“I also move to amend by adding the following:”

SEC. 3. QUALIFIED STEM CELL CREDITS

The Internal Revenue Code is amended to create stem cell research tax credits. All donations to stem cell research and storage shall be fully deductible. Any individual donating umbilical cord blood shall be eligible for up to a deduction of up to $2,000 per taxable year. Stem cell research shall be fully tax deductible. Expensing to stem cell storage facility establishment shall be 50% deductible and stem cell storage facility maintenance 20% deductible. No tax credit under this section shall apply to any donation to any facility that performs any research relating to embryonic stem cells or stores any embryonic stem cells.

Cragie: House will now vote on the proposed amendment.

Tommy shook his head. He sent out a note to the House Republican Caucus.

Whip on the bill is nay.

Speaker of the House
Tommy Sommo [R-NY-1]

"Nay!"

[Greater Arab State]

House Floor

Representative Thomas Volker (R-MO-8): “Nay.”

[Reorganized Portugal]

Daniel Kaheo'ole (D-HI-2)
Kaheo'ole seemed to struggle to rise from his chair. "Aye."

[Prince Kropotkin]

House Majority Leader Ryan Gaines
Democrat from Oregon

Nay.

[Jovuistan]

Jack rose.

“Mr Speaker, I move to strike all references to ‘embryonic stem cells’ and replace with ‘pluripotent adult stem cells’.

“I also move to amend by adding the following:”

SEC. 3. QUALIFIED STEM CELL CREDITS

The Internal Revenue Code is amended to create stem cell research tax credits. All donations to stem cell research and storage shall be fully deductible. Any individual donating umbilical cord blood shall be eligible for up to a deduction of up to $2,000 per taxable year. Stem cell research shall be fully tax deductible. Expensing to stem cell storage facility establishment shall be 50% deductible and stem cell storage facility maintenance 20% deductible. No tax credit under this section shall apply to any donation to any facility that performs any research relating to embryonic stem cells or stores any embryonic stem cells.

Cragie: House will now vote on the proposed amendment.

Rep. Tony Boesch (R-WI1)

"Aye."

[Greater Arab State]

House Floor

Representative Thomas Volker (R-MO-8): “Mr Speaker, I change my vote to Aye.”