Jack Kingston

The IRS announced today when you can start to expect those rebate checks authorized in the “stimulus” package earlier this year.

As you start making plans with what to do with yours, take into account that the Budget that passed in the House last week is going to cost you more than you can expect in the mail.

According to Heritage, the budget will cost the average taxpayer in the First District $2,355 in additional taxes and $1,730 in lost income.  Georgia’s economy is expected to suffer a $3 billion loss.

Jack took to the floor today to talk about the Democrat budget being considered.  He notes that while earlier this year Congress approved $1200 checks to Americans in order to “stimulate” the economy and now they plan on raising taxes $3,155.

 Jack also discusses his earmark reform proposal and the need for Congress to address comprehensive earmark reform.

On Tuesday, Speaker Pelosi forced her new ethics package through the House.  In doing so, she violated her own ethical standards.  Though House Rule XX clearly states that a vote, “shall not be held open for the sole purpose of reversing the outcome of such vote,” Pelosi held the vote on the ethics legislation more than double the allotted fifteen minutes.  Had the vote been called when it was supposed to, Pelosi would have lost the vote 204-209.

Refusing to accept that the bill she backed would fail, Pelosi and Democratic Whip James Clyburn went into over time and got Reps. G.K. Butterfield, Sanford Bishop, Emanuel Cleaver and Bart Stupak to change their votes.  In the end the tally was 207-206.

When you combine that with her own questionable ethics, the question remains:  What swamp did Pelosi intend to drain?

Last night, Jack sent a letter to Speaker Pelosi calling for another vote to be held.  A copy of the press release can be found here.

We’ve said it before but incase you’ve forgotten, the Democrat’s budget resolution which is to be considered on the House floor next week contains the largest tax increase in American history.  Not sure how that would impact you?  The Budget Committee has it  broken down state-by-state.

If the resolution passes as it currently stands, the average Georgian will experience a tax increase of $2,743.  That figure certainly dwarfs the $300-$1200 “stimulus” checks we’re all told to expect this summer.  It’s a net loss of as much as $2,443.

How does it make sense to raise taxes when we’re facing an economic downturn?  Especially in light of today’s troubling job numbers, it seems like we’d want to free up funds rather than tax them all away.

To see how other states are getting taxed, click here.

House Democrats on the Budget Committee today rejected the earmark reform proposal offered by Jack along with Reps. Wolf and Wamp that would reform the earmarking process.  The committee voted down the measure by a vote of 21-16 during today’s markup of the FY2009 Budget Resolution.

 The resolution before committee today’s:

• Includes the largest tax increase in history - Democrats plan to raise taxes by $683 billion and will raise taxes on marraige and children, investments, small businesses, and estates.  This more than doubles the previous record set by President Bill Clinton in 1993.
• Adds $276 billion to the President’s budgest with $3 trillion in annual spending.
• Does nothing to address Social Security and Medicare’s balooning costs and will increase the unfunded liabilities to $52.5 trillion by 2013.
• Brings about the largest annual increase in debt at a whopping $646 billion

As you may know, the earmark reform proposal I introduced with Frank Wolf and Zach Wamp is going to be brought to a vote during today’s budget markup.  John Boehner’s live blogging about it here.

 The thing is there’s too much confusion as to how to get a grip on earmarks.  This proposal gives us an opportunity to divide good earmarks from bad earmarks and to have an objective bipartisan, bicameral review.  We would really like the Democrats to worth with us on this and come up with an approach that answers the crticism and maintains our constitutional prerogative to earmark the budget.