House Republican Study Committee Update
May 13, 2003

* Dividend Taxation
* Dueling for Dollars
* Message of the Week
* The Money Monitor
* Conservative Activity
* Legislative Bulletins

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Dividend Taxation
The RSC is fighting to correct a provision of the House's economic growth package (H.R. 2) that would tax dividends from American-owned corporations differently than dividends from foreign-owned corporations. For example, if you owned stock in Chrysler (which is now a subsidiary of German-owned Daimler), you'd pay more than double the tax on your dividends than if you owned stock in Ford (which is American-based). H.R. 2 with this dividends provision passed the House on May 9, 2003, by a vote of 222-203. (See the end of this e-mail for related links.)

The RSC received a commitment from Ways & Means Chairman Bill Thomas that the final economic growth package will treat shareholders equally, regardless of whether they hold stock in American or foreign corporations. To read more details, click here: http://www.house.gov/burton/RSC/PR5903.pdf

To read a letter from Rep. Don Manzullo (R-IL) and Rep. Pat Toomey (R-PA) to House Speaker Dennis Hastert on the problems with this dividend proposal, click here: http://www.house.gov/burton/RSC/ToomeyManzullo5903.doc

To see a list of the top 100 "reciprocal companies" (i.e. foreign-owned companies with major operations in the United States that would be most harmed by this dividend proposal), click here: http://www.house.gov/burton/RSC/ForeignCompaniesinUS.pdf

To read a report prepared by the Organization for International Investment on reciprocal companies' economic impact, click here: http://www.ofii.org/facts_figures/Stock_Study.pdf

Dueling for Dollars
The RSC was featured in a story in National Journal's Congress Daily about conservative efforts to increase tax cuts and reduce spending. To read the news story, click here: http://www.house.gov/burton/RSC/nj5803.htm

Message of the Week
Each week, the RSC promotes a message around which conservatives are generally unified. To read the current message about focusing on high-growth tax cuts, click here: http://www.house.gov/burton/RSC/Message5703.pdf

To access previous RSC messages, click here: http://www.house.gov/burton/RSC/news.htm

The Money Monitor
Each week in "The Money Monitor," the RSC tracks how the bills passed by the House would affect authorizations, mandatory spending, appropriations, and federal government revenue. Last week, bills passed by the House would result over five years in $33.7 Billion in authorizations and a net $290.3 billion reduction in federal revenues. To view "The Money Monitor" for the week of May 5-9, 2003, which includes year-to-date spending totals, click
here: http://www.house.gov/burton/RSC/MoneyMonitor5503.pdf

To access earlier editions of "The Money Monitor," click here: http://www.house.gov/burton/RSC/budget.htm

Conservative Activity
--Rep. Robert Aderholt (R-AL) will soon introduce the Ten Commandments Defense Act, which would give states the power to decide whether or not to display the Ten Commandments on or within publicly owned buildings. For more details, click here: http://www.house.gov/burton/RSC/word/Aderholt51203.doc
To read the text of the Act, click here: http://www.house.gov/burton/RSC/word/Aderholt51203a.doc

--Rep. Rick Renzi (R-AZ), Rep. Marilyn Musgrave (R-CO), and Rep. Cliff Stearns (R-FL) have circulated a letter asking for co-sponsors on Rep. Renzi's resolution in support of America's crisis pregnancy centers. To read the letter, click here: http://www.house.gov/burton/RSC/word/Renzi51203.pdf

--Rep. Joe Pitts (R-PA) wrote an op-ed about the Unborn Victims of Violence Act and the support it is receiving from the parents of Laci and Conner Peterson. Click here to read the op-ed: http://www.house.gov/burton/RSC/word/Pitts51203a.pdf

--Rep. Jim DeMint (R-SC) has praised the Social Security Administration for updating its annual report to American workers to more accurately reflect the declining economic condition of Social Security. Click here for additional information: http://www.house.gov/burton/RSC/word/DeMint51203.pdf

--Rep. Jeff Flake (R-AZ) expressed disappointment at the retirement of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), Mitch Daniels, who was known for his fights against runaway congressional spending. Read Rep. Flake's statement here: http://www.house.gov/burton/RSC/word/Flake51203.pdf

--Rep. Richard Pombo (R-CA) is promoting the Healthy Forests Restoration Act (H.R. 1904), which would streamline the forest management process to protect against wildfires and other environmental catastrophes. To learn more, click on the following two links, which feature photos of damaged forests: http://www.house.gov/burton/RSC/word/Pombo51203.pdf
http://www.house.gov/burton/RSC/word/Pombo51203a.pdf

--Rep. Trent Franks (R-AZ) will soon introduce legislation to encourage states to enact their own education scholarship tax credits. For more details, click here: http://www.house.gov/burton/RSC/word/Franks51203.doc

--Rep. Joe Pitts (R-PA) spoke on the House floor about the report that France provided French passports to fleeing Iraqi officials. To read a Washington Times story on this issue, click here: http://www.house.gov/burton/RSC/word/Pitts51203.pdf

--Rep. David Vitter (R-LA) has introduced a resolution (H.Con.Res. 166) supporting "Buckle Up America Week." Read the text of the resolution by clicking here: http://www.house.gov/burton/RSC/word/Vitter51203.pdf

For information on other activities of conservatives in the House, click here: http://www.house.gov/burton/RSC/activity.htm

Legislative Bulletins
Each week, the RSC analyzes the legislation that comes to the floor of the House. Included in each "Legislative Bulletin" is a summary of the legislation, relevant background information, cost to the taxpayer, constitutional authority, and any concerns that conservatives may have. The Legislative Bulletins from last week are linked below: http://www.house.gov/burton/RSC/lb.htm

H.Con.Res. 139--Authorizing printing of the brochures entitled "How Our Laws Are Made" and "Our American Government", the publication entitled "Our Flag", the document-sized, annotated version of the United States Constitution, and the pocket version of the United States Constitution http://www.house.gov/burton/RSC/LB5603.pdf
(Passed by voice vote)

H.Con.Res. 138--Authorizing the printing of the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress, 1774-2005 http://www.house.gov/burton/RSC/LB5603.pdf
(Passed by voice vote)

H.R. 1596--To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 2318 Woodson Road in St. Louis, Missouri, as the "Timothy Michael Gaffney Post Office Building." http://www.house.gov/burton/RSC/LB5603.pdf
(Passed 405-0) http://clerkweb.house.gov/cgi-bin/vote.exe?year=2003&rollnumber=159

H.R. 1625--To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 1114 Main Avenue in Clifton, New Jersey, as the "Robert P. Hammer Post Office Building." http://www.house.gov/burton/RSC/LB5603.pdf
(Passed 405-0) http://clerkweb.house.gov/cgi-bin/vote.exe?year=2003&rollnumber=160

H.R. 1740--To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 1502 East Kiest Boulevard in Dallas, Texas, as the "Dr. Caesar A.W. Clark, Sr. Post Office Building." http://www.house.gov/burton/RSC/LB5603.pdf
(Passed 405-0) http://clerkweb.house.gov/cgi-bin/vote.exe?year=2003&rollnumber=161

H.R. 1609--To redesignate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 201 West Boston Street in Brookfield, Missouri, as the "Admiral Donald Davis Post Office Building." http://www.house.gov/burton/RSC/LB5603.pdf
(Passed 423-0) http://clerkweb.house.gov/cgi-bin/vote.exe?year=2003&rollnumber=162

H.R. 100--Servicemembers Civil Relief Act http://www.house.gov/burton/RSC/LB5703.pdf
(Passed 425-0) http://clerkweb.house.gov/cgi-bin/vote.exe?year=2003&rollnumber=163

H.Con.Res. 96--Authorizing the use of the Capitol Grounds for the National Peace Officers' Memorial Service http://www.house.gov/burton/RSC/LB5703.pdf
(Passed 419-0) http://clerkweb.house.gov/cgi-bin/vote.exe?year=2003&rollnumber=164

H.Con.Res. 53--Authorizing the use of the Capitol Grounds for the Greater Washington Soap Box Derby http://www.house.gov/burton/RSC/LB5703.pdf
(Passed 422-0) http://clerkweb.house.gov/cgi-bin/vote.exe?year=2003&rollnumber=168

H.R. 866--Wastewater Treatment Works Security Act http://www.house.gov/burton/RSC/LB5703.pdf
(Passed 413-2) http://clerkweb.house.gov/cgi-bin/vote.exe?year=2003&rollnumber=169

H.R. 874--Rail Passenger Disaster Family Assistance Act http://www.house.gov/burton/RSC/LB5703.pdf
(Passed 414-5) http://clerkweb.house.gov/cgi-bin/vote.exe?year=2003&rollnumber=172

H.Res. 213--Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that public service employees should be commended for their dedication and service to the Nation during Public Service Recognition Week http://www.house.gov/burton/RSC/LB5703.pdf
(Passed 418-0) http://clerkweb.house.gov/cgi-bin/vote.exe?year=2003&rollnumber=176

H.R. 766--Nanotechnology Research and Development Act http://www.house.gov/burton/RSC/LB5703.pdf
(Passed 405-19) http://clerkweb.house.gov/cgi-bin/vote.exe?year=2003&rollnumber=167

H.Res. 148--Committee Funding Resolution http://www.house.gov/burton/RSC/LB5703.pdf (includes chart showing recent history of committee-funding levels) (Passed by voice vote with an amendment increasing the resolution's allotment for the Ways & Means Committee by $160,000 over two years)

H.R. 1261--Workforce Reinvestment and Adult Education Act
http://www.house.gov/burton/RSC/LB5803.pdf
(Passed 220-204) http://clerkweb.house.gov/cgi-bin/vote.exe?year=2003&rollnumber=175

H.R. 2--Jobs and Growth Reconciliation Tax Act
http://www.house.gov/burton/RSC/LB5903.pdf
(Passed 222-203) http://clerkweb.house.gov/cgi-bin/vote.exe?year=2003&rollnumber=182

H.Res. 110--Providing amounts for the expenses of the Committee on Homeland Security in the 108th Congress ($11 million over two years) http://thomas.loc.gov/ (Passed by voice vote)