WASHINGTON – One of the nation’s leading non-partisan senior advocacy groups recently honored Rep. Leonard Lance (NJ-07) for his strong support to eliminate the federal death tax.

During a Capitol Hill ceremony, 60 Plus Association President Jim Martin presented Lance with the groups prestigious Benjamin Franklin Award for his support to repeal the terrible “death” tax.

“I am very proud to receive this distinguished award for my efforts on behalf of New Jersey taxpayers,” said Lance. “New Jersey taxpayers know far too much about high taxes because our residents pay one of the highest tax burdens in the nation. I fully support eliminating the federal death tax so that working families can keep more of their hard earned money and so they can pass their money onto their family – not the government – at the time of their death.”

60 Plus President Jim Martin thanked Lance for his efforts to defend seniors and taxpayers stating: “Senior citizens know they can always depend on Rep. Lance to abolish this anti-senior, anti-small business, confiscatory tax. It was Franklin who famously said there are two certainties in life, death and taxes, but because of the estate or ‘death’ tax, there is a third certainty--- taxes after death.”

60 Plus presented the Benjamin Franklin Award to members of Congress who support repealing the federal death tax. The 60 Plus Association is a 17-year-old nonpartisan organization championing issues such as death tax repeal, saving Social Security, working to lower energy costs, affordable prescription drugs and other senior-friendly issues featuring a less government, less taxes approach.
For his part, Congressman Leonard Lance has been working hard to lower the tax burden on New Jersey’s seniors.

Lance supports eliminating the 1993 tax on Social Security benefits, which penalizes our nation’s seniors who have planned for their retirement through savings, investment, and hard work. And Congressman Lance believes Congress must eliminate the tax on Social Security benefits for early retirees between the ages of 62 and 64 who work.

And finally, Lance has cosponsored the “Protecting Senior’s Nest Egg Act,” legislation which suspends the IRS requirement that forces retirees to make minimum withdrawals from their retirement accounts.

“In today’s economy, it is vital to protect the financial security of older Americans,” Lance concluded.