Yeah - but what a distance to travel! (0.00 / 0)

It's a measure of just how unprogressive the Congressional Dem parties are that having just ten Dem reps vote to abolish the estate tax is a matter of celebration. (Which, undoubtedly, it is.)

But - there's probably less here than meets the eye: the vote in question was on the motion to recommit HR 3056 (the bill to ban the IRS from using private debt collectors).

And all the MTR did was to abolish the tax - nothing about where the revenue loss was going to be made up, or other elements of the tax system adjusted.

As Pomeroy says (speaking against the MTR)

obviously serious-minded legislators like my friend would not bring forward a serious proposal about repeal of the estate tax without some means of paying for it, and that is really what the heart of this motion is. It is not a real estate tax motion. This is a kill-the-underlying-bill motion.

In other words, you can't assume that a 10 vote tally would apply to a bill which abolished the estate tax as part of a general tax reform, which met the revenue loss by raising other taxes.

(So far as I'm aware, there is no plausible technocratic argument for repealing the estate tax; there's certainly no progressive argument! But - hey, this is politics!)

The only other guy (that I can see) mentions the estate tax is Udall of CO:

I have long supported reform of the estate tax, not its complete repeal.

I think we should change it in a way that will strike the right balance, protecting family-owned ranches, farms, and other small businesses while recognizing the need for fiscal responsibility in a time of war.

But the motion to recommit would have simply added to the bill a permanent repeal of the estate tax. I do not support that and cannot vote for it.

Udall voted against the repeal bill in the 109th (HR 8) in the vote in April 2005 in which 42 Dems voted in favor.

There are many ways to gut a tax without actually repealing it: could well be that there would be more than 42 Dems prepared to vote for a bill that did that.

But - who on earth would give floor time to a bill like that?

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by: skeptic06 @ Sun Oct 21, 2007 at 20:10:11 PM UTC

Some curious votes on this (0.00 / 0)

Howie highlighted this vote over at DWT -- seven of the ten votes were from the usual Bush Dog suspects (frosh Altmire, Space, Mahoney, Lampson, Matheson, and Ellsworth; and Barrow), but three came from Reps. McNerney, Kagen, and Giffords.

I'm especially curious as to why Reps McNerney and Kagen decided to vote this way.

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by: Ron @ Sun Oct 21, 2007 at 21:26:00 PM UTC

Why McNerney voted to repeal the estate tax (4.00 / 1)

McNerney appeared at a Democratic Party meeting yesterday, and was questioned about his vote. He responded (this is paraphrased), "I'm glad you asked that question. I've really been looking forward to responding to that.

"The reason why I support repealing the estate tax is because it's good for the environment!"

Imagine the stunned faces of the CDP State Central Committee delegates from the East Bay.

McNerney went on to explain (again paraphrased): "You see, only 1% of our budget comes from the estate tax." (What is that - about $4 billion?) "And all of the super-wealthy have figured out how to avoid those taxes. So the only folks who actually end up having to pay estate taxes are farmers. And when farmers have to sell their farms to pay estate taxes, they end up selling their land to developers, and that hurts the environment."

And, sorry, no, I'm not kidding. That's what he said.

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by: babaloo @ Sun Oct 21, 2007 at 22:33:11 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Wow (4.00 / 1)

That's clownish. I expected more after reading about him and his positions last year (and contributing to his campaign, however meagerly). Hope the local Dems keep the pressure on him, at least.

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by: Ron @ Sun Oct 21, 2007 at 23:15:07 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Wow, Bush Dogs are finally moving into the progressive era (4.00 / 1)

I.e. the one spearheaded by such socialist radicals as Andrew Carnegie and Teddy Roosevelt over 100 years ago! What next, we'll see them take the unprecedented step of championing even more radical policies such as mine safety and child labor laws! Everybody's invited for a round at the local beer garden on me, and then it's off to the six day bike race! Ladies--make sure to wear those petticoats and keep those cigarettes at home--NO exceptions.

Happy days are here again!

(Oops, sorry, different progressive era, and they're probably not ready for that one.)

"Those who stand for nothing fall for anything...Mankind are forever destined to be the dupes of bold & cunning imposture" -- Alexander Hamilton

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by: kovie @ Sun Oct 21, 2007 at 22:23:27 PM UTC