INVESTMENTS

Amendments

Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act: make repeal of estate taxes permanent (H.R. 8), S5672, S5673 [8JN]

Analyses

HSA Improvement and Expansion Act (S. 3585), S6583 [27JN]

Sustainable Solvency First for Social Security Act (S. 2427), S2318-S2320 [16MR]

Articles and editorials

Broad Economic Worries Drive a Global Sell-Off, H3896 [13JN]

Can Developing Countries Be Financial Saviors of Rich Nations?, E1090 [9JN]

Did the Dividend-Tax Cut Work?, H1814 [26AP]

Estate Tax Lunacy, E1083 [8JN]

Health Care for Veterans $1 Billion Short, S1092 [13FE]

How Tax Reform Drives Growth and Investment, H2068 [3MY]

It Is the Estate Tax Rate That Matters, S5613 [8JN]

Luring Business Developers Into Low-Income Areas, S856 [8FE], E100 [8FE]

Or Unfair Burden on Families?, S5616 [8JN]

Taxes Everlasting, S5612 [8JN]

Watch This Hookup Closely, S2302 [16MR]

Bills and resolutions

Aroostook County, ME: modify empowerment zone boundaries (see S. 2596), S3378 [7AP]

Children and youth: promote youth financial education (see H.R. 5046), H1319 [29MR]

Commodity Exchange Act: amend relative to reporting and recordkeeping for positions involving energy commodities (see S. 2642), S3506 [25AP]

Corporations: reduce burdens of implementing internal auditing control requirements of companies subject to securities laws (see S. 2824), S4695 [17MY] (see H.R. 5405), H2705 (see H.R. 5405), H2757 [17MY]

Dept. of Commerce: establish position of Under Sec. of Commerce for U.S. Direct Investment (see S. 3171), S5229 [25MY]

Education: provide student borrowers with basic rights, including the right to timely information about their loans and the right to make fair and reasonable loan payments (see S. 3255), S5341 [26MY]

Federal employees: provide a real estate stock index investment option under the Thrift Savings Plan (see S. 2490), S2730 [3AP]

Financial institutions: improve the netting process for financial contracts (see H.R. 5585), H3787 [12JN]

FRS: require the Board of Governors to continue to make available to the public information on the measure of the M3 monetary aggregate and its components (see H.R. 4892), H644 [7MR]

Housing: expand homeownership in States having high housing costs (see S. 2597), S3378 [7AP]

Immigration: exclude from admission aliens who have made investments directly and significantly contributed to the enhancement or ability of Cuba to develop its petroleum resources (see S. 2682), S3704 [27AP] (see S. 2795), S4469 [11MY] (see H.R. 5292), H2173 [4MY]

Individual development accounts: establish and provide for treatment (see H.R. 4751), H273 [14FE]

Medicare: permit eligible seniors to elect to receive vouchers for health savings accounts and/or premiums for high deductible health insurance plan and suspend certain late enrollment penalties (see S. 2601), S3378 [7AP]

National security: ensure while promoting foreign investment and job creation, reform examination process for such investments, and establish Committee on Foreign Investment in the U.S. (see H.R. 5337), H2501 [10MY]

Pensions: allow certain existing retirement plans maintained by churches to continue to provide annuities directly to participants rather than through an insurance company (see H.R. 5424), H2832 (see H.R. 5424), H2890 [18MY]

Power resources: regulate over-the-counter trading of energy derivatives (see H.R. 5248), H1916 [27AP]

Rural areas: reward the hard work and risk of individuals who live in and help preserve small, rural towns (see H.R. 5380), H2585 [11MY]

SEC: require the registration of hedge fund advisers under the Investment Advisers Act (see H.R. 5712), H4914 [29JN]

Securities: prohibit securities trading based on nonpublic information relating to Congress and require additional reporting by Members and employees of Congress of securities transactions (see H.R. 5015), H1195 [28MR]

———protect investors by fostering transparency and accountability of attorneys in private securities litigation (see H.R. 5491), H3307 (see H.R. 5491), H3359 [25MY]

Small business: improve loans for members of the National Guard and Reserves (see S. 3122), S5228 [25MY]

———modernize the treatment of development companies (see S. 2595), S3212 [6AP]

Social Security: provide entitlement to dependents' and survivors' benefits under Old-Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance Program to permanent partnerships (see H.R. 5152), H1678 [6AP]

———provide for progressive indexing and longevity indexing of old-age insurance benefits for newly retired and aged surviving spouses to ensure future solvency (see S. 2427), S2312 [16MR]

———require trust funds be held in trust for beneficiaries, ensure assets are not diverted, and authorize investment in securities that are not limited to those guaranteed by the U.S. (see H.R. 4965), H1059 [15MR]

Taxation: allow a credit against income tax for qualified equity investments in certain small businesses (see H.R. 5198), H1851 [26AP]

———allow deduction for high deductible health plan premiums and a credit for certain employment taxes paid relative to such premiums and contributions to health savings accounts (see S. 2494), S2730 [3AP]

———creation of a new class of bonds for new school construction (see H.R. 4945), H972 [14MR]

———encourage college savings by providing a Federal income tax credit to match contributions to Coverdell education savings accounts (see S. 2458), S2415 [27MR]

———establish Catastrophe Savings Accounts (see S. 3115), S5227 [25MY] (see H.R. 4836), H508 [1MR]

———establish long-term care trust accounts and allow a refundable tax credit for contributions to such accounts (see S. 2397), S1965 [9MR]

———exclude from gross income interest received on loans secured by agricultural real property and rural housing (see H.R. 4854), H564 [2MR]

———expand use of health savings accounts for the payment of health insurance premiums for high deductible health plans purchased in the individual market (see S. 2549, 2554), S2901 [5AP] (see H.R. 5586), H3787 [12JN]

———expand use of health savings accounts to include health insurance payments and increase limits for contributions to, and allow rollover of certain unused funds into, health savings accounts (see S. 3488), S5683 [9JN]

———extend the investment tax credit relative to solar energy property and qualified fuel cell property (see S. 2677), S3704 [27AP] (see H.R. 5206), H1851 [26AP]

———improve and expand availability of health savings accounts (see S. 3585), S6560 [27JN] (see H.R. 5743), H4916 [29JN]

———improve and expand education savings accounts (see H.R. 5314), H2337 [9MY]

———increase access to pension plans and other retirement savings vehicles (see S. 2431), S2312 [16MR]

———increase contribution limits for individual retirement plans, defined contribution plans, and salary reduction plans (see H.R. 5322), H2338 [9MY]

———increase the annual contribution limit to Coverdell education savings accounts (see H.R. 5701), H4794 [28JN]

———permit issuance of tax-exempt bonds for certain air and water pollution control facilities (see H.R. 4918), H866 [9MR]

———permit startup partnerships and S corporations to elect taxable years other than required years (see S. 2462), S2467 [28MR]

———provide estate tax relief and reform (see S. 3626), S6787 [29JN]

———provide small business tax incentives, increase the minimum wage, and increase the exemption for annual gross volume of business done by an enterprise (see H.R. 5368), H2585 [11MY]

———provide tax incentives to assist in preparing for the financial impact of long-term care needs (see S. 2281), S1175 [14FE]

———provide tax relief to promote investments in mine safety (see H.R. 4835), H508 [1MR]

———repeal dollar limitation on contributions to funeral trusts (see S. 3586), S6560 [27JN]

———require broker reporting of customer's basis in securities transactions (see S. 2414), S2122 [14MR] (see H.R. 5367), H2584 [11MY]

———restore estate tax and repeal carryover basis rule, increase estate and gift tax unified credit, and reduce rate of estate and gifts taxes to the generally applicable capital gains rates (see H.R. 5421), H2832 (see H.R. 5421), H2890 [18MY]

———treatment of income received in connection with litigation concerning the Exxon Valdez (vessel) oil spill (see S. 3422), S5490 [6JN]

———treatment of Indian tribal governments relative to issuance of tax-exempt governmental bonds (see S. 3567), S6492 [26JN]

Veterans: allow community reinvestment credit for investments and other financial support for veterans to purchase residential homes or other housing opportunities for veterans (see H.R. 5045), H1319 [29MR]

Cloture motions

Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act: make repeal of estate taxes permanent (H.R. 8), motion to proceed, S5509 [6JN], S5628 [8JN]

Letters

Death Tax Repeal Permanency Act: Donald Dulle, Jr., Flathead Beverage Co., S5622 [8JN]

———Mary Jo Lane, S5622 [8JN]

———Merelee Manuel, S5622 [8JN]

———Robert Rumney, S5622 [8JN]

New market tax credit extension: several community development corporations and financial institutions, S856 [8FE]

Social Security reserve fund: David P. Sloane, AARP, S2263 [16MR]

Veterans health care funding: Steve Robertson, American Legion, S1090 [13FE]

Remarks in House

Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act: facilitate shareholder consideration of proposals to make Settlement Common Stock available to missed enrollees, eligible elders, and eligible persons of a certain age (S. 449), H393, H394 [28FE]

CFTC: regulatory oversight of crude oil markets, H2874 [18MY]

Congress: accomplishments of the 109th Congress, H3343 [25MY]

Depts. of Transportation, the Treasury, and HUD, the Judiciary, District of Columbia, and independent agencies: prohibit corporations incorporated in certain foreign countries from being eligible for Federal contracts, H3918-H3920 [14JN]

Developing countries: role of investors and stock markets from developing countries in the global economy, E1090 [9JN]

Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act: make repeal of estate taxes permanent (H.R. 8), H3480 [7JN], H4222, H4224 [20JN], H4454 [22JN], H4569 [27JN], E1083 [8JN]

Economy: impact of homeownership, H203 [8FE]

———restore economic independence through sale of savings bonds, H3125 [23MY]

Financial institutions: reform the Federal deposit insurance system, H55, H59 [1FE]

FRS: require the Board of Governors to continue to make available to the public information on the measure of the M3 monetary aggregate and its components (H.R. 4892), E298 [7MR]

Kentucky Council on Economic Education: tribute to increased school participation in Stock Market Game, E1274 [26JN]

Murfreesboro, TN: tribute to Blackman High School Capitol Hill Stock Market Game winners, E758 [9MY]

Pensions: allow certain existing retirement plans maintained by churches to continue to provide annuities directly to participants rather than through an insurance company (H.R. 5424), E894 [19MY]

———protect accrued benefits of participants during conversions of pension plans to cash balance plans, H1615-H1621 [6AP]

Power resources: regulate over-the-counter trading of energy derivatives (H.R. 5248), H1923 [2MY], H2343 [10MY], H5101 [12JY]

Small business: promote growth through favorable tax and economic policies, H27 [1FE], H456 [1MR]

Social Security: privatization proposals, H337 [16FE], H618 [7MR], H1309 [29MR], H3773 [12JN], H4014 [15JN], H4185 [16JN], H4201 [19JN], H4225 [20JN], H5013 [11JY]

Taxation: creation of a new class of bonds for new school construction (H.R. 4945), H941 [14MR]

———extend the new market tax credit (H.R. 3957), E99 [8FE]

———impact of tax cuts on the budget deficit, H3218-H3220 [24MY], H4138 [16JN], H4920 [10JY]

———improve and expand education savings accounts (H.R. 5314), H2313, H2314 [9MY]

———increase the annual contribution limit to Coverdell education savings accounts (H.R. 5701), E1309 [28JN]

———rates, H1609-H1615 [6AP]

———repeal sunset on reduction of capital gains rates for individuals and on taxation of dividends of individuals at capital gain rates, H185-H192 [8FE], H1284-H1289 [29MR], H1613 [6AP], H1813-H1819 [26AP], H2066-H2071 [3MY], H2455 [10MY], E531 [6AP]

———retain estate tax with an immediate exemption increase and repeal new carryover basis rules, H4465 [22JN]

Remarks in Senate

Armed Forces: military equipment funding through repeal of certain tax breaks, S427-S429 [1FE], S495, S496 [2FE], S1094-S1096 [13FE], S1138 [14FE]

Aroostook County, ME: modify empowerment zone boundaries (S. 2596), S3380, S3381 [7AP]

Brookings Institution: tribute to Hamilton Project initiative emphasizing broad-based economic growth, S3979 [3MY]

Corporations: reduce burdens of implementing internal auditing control requirements of companies subject to securities laws (S. 2824), S4690 [17MY]

Courts: permit judges who must sell financial holdings to avoid conflict of interest to reinvest and defer paying capital gains tax until substitute investment is liquidated, S498, S499 [2FE]

Dept. of Commerce: establish position of Under Sec. of Commerce for U.S. Direct Investment (S. 3171), S5243, S5245 [25MY]

Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act: make repeal of estate taxes permanent (H.R. 8), motion to proceed, S5535-S5554, S5579-S5584, S5586, S5588-S5591 [7JN], S5610-S5629 [8JN]

Economy: develop agenda to enhance competitiveness of the U.S. economy, S425-S427 [1FE]

Education: provide student borrowers with basic rights, including the right to timely information about their loans and the right to make fair and reasonable loan payments (S. 3255), S5344 [26MY]

Immigration: exclude from admission aliens who have made investments directly and significantly contributed to the enhancement or ability of Cuba to develop its petroleum resources (S. 2682), S3717 [27AP]

———exclude from admission aliens who have made investments directly and significantly contributed to the enhancement or ability of Cuba to develop its petroleum resources (S. 2795), S4508 [12MY]

Medicare: permit eligible seniors to elect to receive vouchers for health savings accounts and/or premiums for high deductible health insurance plan and suspend certain late enrollment penalties (S. 2601), S3382 [7AP]

Small business: improve loans for members of the National Guard and Reserves (S. 3122), S5242 [25MY], S5331 [26MY]

———modernize the treatment of development companies (S. 2595), S3245 [6AP]

Social Security: establish reserve fund, S2263 [16MR]

———provide for progressive indexing and longevity indexing of old-age insurance benefits for newly retired and aged surviving spouses to ensure future solvency (S. 2427), S2317 [16MR]

———reform, S7293 [11JY]

Taxation: allow a deduction for premiums for high deductible health plans and a credit for certain employment taxes paid with respect to premiums for such plans and contributions to health savings accounts (S. 2494), S2732 [3AP]

———allow tax-free distributions from individual retirement accounts for charitable contributions, S1096 [13FE]

———encourage investing of foreign earnings within the U.S. for productive business purposes, S1860 [8MR]

———establish Catastrophe Savings Accounts (S. 3115), S5332 [26MY]

———establish long-term care trust accounts and allow a refundable tax credit for contributions to such accounts (S. 2397), S1967 [9MR]

———expand use of health savings accounts for the payment of health insurance premiums for high deductible health plans purchased in the individual market (S. 2554), S3380 [7AP]

———extend the investment tax credit relative to solar energy property and qualified fuel cell property (S. 2677), S3699 [27AP]

———extend the new market tax credit (S. 1800), S855 [8FE]

———impact of capital gains and dividends tax cuts on the budget deficit, S397-S401 [1FE]

———impact of tax cuts on the budget deficit, S5758 [13JN], S7293 [11JY]

———improve and expand availability of health savings accounts (S. 3585), S6580 [27JN]

———increase access to pension plans and other retirement savings vehicles (S. 2431), S2323 [16MR]

———make permanent the rate reductions for individual income taxes and capital gains and dividend taxes, and the repeal of estate, gift, and generation-skipping transfer taxes (S. 7), S4442 [11MY]

———permit startup partnerships and S corporations to elect taxable years other than required years (S. 2462), S2469 [28MR]

———provide estate tax relief and reform (S. 3626), S6807 [29JN]

———repeal dollar limitation on contributions to funeral trusts (S. 3586), S6584 [27JN]

———repeal sunset on reduction of capital gains rates for individuals and on taxation of dividends of individuals at capital gain rates, S500 [2FE], S1083-S1090, S1101-S1104, S1107 [13FE], S1136, S1137 [14FE], S1321 [15FE], S4181 [9MY], S4402, S4418-S4425, S4438, S4442 [11MY]

———repeal tax deferral on income of controlled foreign corporations attributable to imported property, S407-S410 [1FE], S474-S476, S479-S482 [2FE], S2004-S2006 [13MR]

———require broker reporting of customer's basis in securities transactions (S. 2414), S2128 [14MR], S2196-S2199 [15MR]

———treatment of income received in connection with litigation concerning the Exxon Valdez (vessel) oil spill (S. 3422), S5493 [6JN]

Telephones: merger of AT&T Corp., and BellSouth Corp., S2302 [16MR]

Veterans: health care funding through repeal of certain tax breaks, S1090-S1094 [13FE]

———qualified mortgage bond program expansion, S1113 [13FE]

Reports filed

Reform of National Security Reviews of Foreign Direct Investments Act: Committee on Financial Services (House) (H.R. 5337) (H. Rept. 109-523), H4519 [22JN]

Summaries

Hamilton Project, S3979 [3MY]

Tables

Tabulation of capital gains taxed at 5% and 15% rates, S4439 [11MY]

Texts of

S. 449, facilitate shareholder consideration of proposals to make Settlement Common Stock available to missed enrollees, eligible elders, and eligible persons of a certain age under the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act, H394 [28FE]

S. 2462, Small Business Tax Flexibility Act, S2470 [28MR]

S. 2490, Real Estate Investment Thrift Savings Act, S2732 [3AP]

S. 2494, allow a tax deduction for premiums for high deductible health plans and a credit for certain employment taxes paid with respect to premiums for such plans and contributions to health savings accounts, S2732 [3AP]

S. 2596, modify Aroostook County, ME, empowerment zone boundaries, S3381 [7AP]

S. 2682, exclude from admission aliens who have made investments directly and significantly contributed to the enhancement or ability of Cuba to develop its petroleum resources, S3718 [27AP]

S. 3115, Catastrophe Savings Accounts Act, S5235 [25MY]

S. 3171, U.S. Direct Investment Act, S5243-S5245 [25MY]

S. 3422, tax treatment of income received in connection with litigation concerning the Exxon Valdez (vessel) oil spill, S5494 [6JN]

S. 3585, HSA Improvement and Expansion Act, S6581-S6583 [27JN]

S. 3586, repeal dollar limitation on contributions to funeral trusts, S6584 [27JN]