Action on Seniors

I am pleased to support legislation and take actions that will support Idaho's seniors. This is not a comprehensive list of all the legislation I have co-sponsored related to issues of concern to seniors. You can view a comprehensive list at the Legislation Co-Sponsored Section of this site or through the Library of Congress Thomas site.

Legislation I have co-sponsored in the 110th Congress:

• S. 1743, a bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to repeal the dollar limitation on contributions to funeral trusts.
• S. 1546, a bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to treat gold, silver, platinum and palladium, in either coin or bar form, in the same manner as equities and mutual funds for purposes of the maximum capital gains rate for individuals.
• S. 1322, a bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to improve the operation of employee stock ownership plans, and for other purposes.
• S. 1010, a bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to encourage guaranteed lifetime income payments from annuities and similar payments of life insurance proceeds at dates later than death by excluding from income a portion of such payments.
• S. 773, a bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to allow Federal civilian and military retirees to pya health insurance premiums on a pretax basis and to allow a deduction for TRICARE supplemental premiums.
• S. 743, a bill to amend Title 36, United States Code, to modify the individuals eligible for associate membership in the Military Order of the Purple Heart of the United States of American, Incorporated.
• S. 718, a bill to optimize the delivery of critical care medicine and expand the critical care workforce.
• S. 640, a bill to amend the Public Health Service Act to establish an Office of Men's Health.
• S. 502, a bill to repeal the sunset on the reduction of capital gains rates for individuals and on the taxation of dividends of individuals at capital gains rates.
• S. 399, a bill to amend Title XIX of the Social Security Act to include podiatrists as physicians for purposes of covering physicans services under the Medicaid program.
• S. 374, a bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide the same capital gains treatment for art and collectibles as for other investment property and to provide that a deduction equal to fair market value shall be allowed for charitable contributions of literary, musical, artistic, or scholarly compositions created by the donor.
• S. 329, a bill to amend Title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide coverage for cardiac rehabilitation and pulmonary rehabilitation services.
• S. 65, a bill to modify the age-60 standard for certain pilots and for other purposes.
• S. 55, a bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to repeal the individual alternative minimum tax.
• S. 43, a bill to amend Title II of the Social Security Act to preserve and protect Social Security benefits of American workers and to help ensure greater congressional oversight of the Social Security system by requiring that both Houses of Congress approve a totalization agreement before the agreement, giving foreign workers Social Security benefits, can go into effect.
• S. 14, a bill to repeal the sunset on certain tax rates and other incentives and to repeal the individual alternative minimum tax, and for other purposes.
• S.Res. 221, a resolution supporting National Peripheral Arterial Disease Awareness Month and efforts to educate people about peripheral arterial disease.
• S.Con.Res. 27, a concurrent resolution supporting the goals and ideals of "National Purple Heart Recognition Day".
• S.Con.Res. 26, a concurrent resolution recognizing the 75th anniversary of the Military Order of the Purple Heart and commending recipients of the Purple Heart for their courageous demonstrations of gallantry and heroism on behalf of the United States.
• S.Con.Res. 12, a concurrent resolution supporting the goals and ideals of a National Medal of Honor and to celebrate and honor the recipients of the Medal of Honor on the anniversary of the first award of that medal in 1863.

Other actions I have taken to support Idaho's veterans include:

• Joined with several Senate colleagues to ask that the FY 2008 Defense Authorization bill include language that would grant independent practice authority to licensed mental health counselors. This would provide quality mental health services to returning veterans as well as greater accessibility to mental health services, which is significant in Idaho's rural areas and for Guard units that are not centralized around military facilities. Click here to read a copy of the text of the letter (Word doc).

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