[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 150 (2004), Part 17]
[Senate]
[Page 23292]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




               REFUNDABLE TAX CREDITS FOR MUNICIPALITIES

  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Under the previous order, the Senate will 
proceed to consideration of S. Res. 464, which the clerk will report by 
title.
  The assistant legislative clerk read as follows:

       A resolution (S. Res. 464) relating to refundable tax 
     credits from municipalities.

  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Under the previous order, the resolution is 
agreed to and the motion to reconsider is laid on the table.
  The resolution (S. Res. 464) was agreed to.
  The resolution reads as follows:

                              S. Res. 464

       Whereas, the Senate today passed a free standing measure 
     which is designed to address tax relief issues relating to 
     Reservists and National Guardsmen;
       Whereas, one of the provisions of the package provides tax 
     relief to employers of Reservists and National Guardsmen;
       Whereas, the employer provision is targeted to businesses 
     and tax paying entities;
       Whereas, State and local governments are facing budgetary 
     pressures, particularly with regard to homeland security;
       Whereas, many local first responders have been called to 
     active duty in the National Guards and Reserves, and many 
     state and local governments have continued to pay their 
     salaries, thus increasing the budgetary pressure on state and 
     local governments;
       Whereas, the Senate recognized this pressure by including 
     in the FSC-ETI bill a provision to compensate state and local 
     governments for closing the pay gap of first responders who 
     are called to active duty in the National Guards and 
     Reserves: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That it is the Sense of the Senate that:
       1. The Senate should reiterate its support for reimbursing 
     state and local governments for closing the pay gap for first 
     responders who are called to active duty in the National 
     Guard and Reserves by considering expanding the employer tax 
     relief provisions to cover state and local governments; and
       2. The President should consider including such a proposal 
     in his Fiscal Year 2006 Budget Submission.

  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Under the previous order, the Senator from 
California, Mrs. Boxer, is to be recognized for 30 minutes.
  Mr. REID. Mr. President, I yield the time.

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