I try not to politicize too much on taxgirl.com but the circus that is Congress and the White House trying to agree on an economic stimulus plan is really getting out of hand. In a move that I can only categorize as half-baked, Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson issued a statement today urging the Senate to approve the economic stimulus bill passed by the House and deal with the “other issues” later. I’m not quite understanding why there’s a rush to pass an incomplete bill.
Tomorrow, the Senate will consider a bill that extends tax rebates to Social Security and veterans beneficiaries, extends unemployment insurance, and broadens business tax breaks. Each of those features was not included in the House version of the bill.
Paulson, an extension of the White House, is said to oppose the extension of unemployment insurance. He has refused to comment on the idea of allowing senior citizens to receive tax rebates. Speculation is that the White House finds the commitment to provide seniors with tax rebates too costly – but the White House does not want to take a hit by stating this publicly.
The AARP has gone on the offensive, urging seniors to contact their Senators. This message is posted on the AARP web site:
Your help is urgently needed.
On January 29, the U.S. House of Representatives passed economic stimulus legislation that would offer rebates to millions of American taxpayers. But, unless Senators alter this plan, the majority of Americans over 65 will be left out – including 20 million seniors who rely primarily on Social Security for retirement income.
The Senate has offered a different proposal that would help Social Security recipients. This plan would also enhance unemployment insurance, which is especially important for older workers who can have a difficult time finding new employment after a job loss. AARP supports the Senate plan and is working to get it passed – but we need your help.
Use the form below to send an email to your Senators. Don’t delay – the vote could be as early as Wednesday, February 6th! Make your voice heard today and let your Senators know that older Americans should be included in the economic stimulus package!
The link to the email can be found here.
To be clear, I think the whole “tax rebate” plan is ridiculous to begin with. Nothing is free, especially money. We will pay for it eventually. All of that said, if we’re proposing to give away money to low and middle class taxpayers, why leave seniors out of the picture?
