Get Rid Of The 'Phantom Tax'! by Spencer Maccoll, Jul 29, 2008 (7:06pm)
The “Mortgage Cancellation Relief Act of 2007” is a bill that can help a lot of Americans. In this time of a slowing economy with the sub prime mortgage crash many Americans are struggling with the tax on short sales and foreclosures. The tax code treats forgiven debt as ordinary income which means not only do you lose your home but you have to pay an additional tax on money you never see. It is unfair to tax people on phantom income when they most likely have no cash with which to pay the tax. This bill can help take off the burden to many people.
Mr. and Mrs. Plascencia Should Stay In the U.S. by Spencer Maccoll, Jul 24, 2008 (11:32pm)
I have read the story about these two individuals and they should not be deported back to Mexico. They have 4 children and the both have had steady jobs in the U.S. since 1988. I have no problem with this bill other than I am confused as to why our congressmen have to take their time to address a bill that affects two immigrants when so many need help.
H.R. 1832 Is Not A Necesssary Bill by Spencer Maccoll, Jul 24, 2008 (7:22pm)
H.R. 1832 is unnecessary because there is a nearly identical house bill also titled the “National Hurricane Research Initiative Act of 2007” which has already gone further in the House and has had hearings. I am confused as to why there needs to be another house bill with the same title, but as far as I can see this bill is not important and the important house bill is instead, HR 2407.
Bill Trys To Stop Acid Drainage into Great Lakes by Spencer Maccoll, Jul 24, 2008 (6:39pm)
H.R. 183 may not be necessary by Spencer Maccoll, Jul 23, 2008 (9:31pm)
H.R. 183, a bill to authorize the project for hurricane and storm damage reduction in Louisiana seems great because making areas safer from hurricanes is always good. But practically speaking, the amount of money that goes into this project is a lot and when budget cuts are happening, this type of project seems like pork for Rep. Melancon’s district.
Small Business Securities Protection Act Can Help Business by Spencer Maccoll, Jul 23, 2008 (7:29pm)
The Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 forced businesses to focuse millions of dollars on micro-accounting issues rather than expanding employment. H.R. 1780, can clearly define accounting terms that lead to millions in pointless litigation. The bill also provides relief to small companies less than one year old to revive the business sector. This bill can help companies from moving to other markets like Hong Kong.
Rep. Cardoza's Amendment Wants To Free Up More Information by Spencer Maccoll, Jul 17, 2008 (8:14pm)
Representative, Dennis Cardoza, made an amendment to the Freedom of Information Act that provides that information submitted to the government relating to federal contracts shall not be considered to be trade secrets. Therefore federal contracts can be made available to public knowledge.
Ombudsman Can Help Injured Soldiers by Spencer Maccoll, Jul 17, 2008 (5:46pm)
Rep. Peter Welch has introduced this bill to give our injured soldiers a better path to recovery. Ombudsman are popular in Europe for helping people with their complaints and with getting through lots of bureaucracy. This is a great idea because injured soldiers sometimes do not get the attention they need in recovering and an Ombudsman for each medical facility can improve the help we give to our injured soldiers.
Safe Facilities Act Ensures State Power by Spencer Maccoll, Jul 16, 2008 (9:09pm)
Many states like New Jersey have designed and implemented their own homeland security measures. This bill is specific to chemical plants and other facilities. New Jersey has strict measures on ensuring that chemical plants are not easily attacked by terrorists. But if New Jersey obeyed the federal Homeland Security law, they would have to wipe clean all the progress and work they have done on designing their own measures against terrorist attacks. So this bill is good in that it protects states rights when a state has already implemented its own laws that are as strict as the homeland security laws on protecting chemical facilities.
The National Parks Quarter Will Be A Beautiful by Spencer Maccoll, Jul 7, 2008 (10:58pm)
America’s Beautiful National Parks Quarter Dollar Coin Act of 2008, or H.R. 6184, is a great bill that will make US currency more beautiful and generate revenue for the U.S. Government. The idea of having national parks ingrained on to quarter dollar coins is great and it reminds us of our beautiful homeland.
H.R. 1489 Gives More To SCHIP by Spencer Maccoll, Jul 7, 2008 (10:15pm)
The State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) has not met its funding needs in some states. HR 1489 gives the power to allocate more funds to states that have shortfalls in funding for SCHIP. This can benefit those children that need health insurance. The reason why some states are not reaching their funding goals is an issue that needs to be studied more.
Military Housing Allowance Should Not Be Considered DIsposable Income by Spencer Maccoll, Jul 1, 2008 (8:25pm)
The US men and women in uniform need to live in housing close to their bases or forts. The Low Income Housing Tax Credit program helps military workers obtain affordable housing. But some soldiers are not eligible for the tax credits because their income is too high. The problem is with the tax code because the basic allowance is not true, disposable income. It is not counted when soldiers file their income taxes, and it should not be counted when soldiers apply for housing financed with tax credits.
Child Care Services Must Provide More Information by Spencer Maccoll, Jul 1, 2008 (7:01pm)
H.R. 1473, the Anthony DeJuan Boatwright Act, makes it mandatory that a licensed child care business must let the customers know whether or not they have liability insurance. This is important because if a child gets injured, the business must be able to pay for lawsuits against them. And if customers are aware of whether or not a child care business has liability insurance the customers can make a better, more informed decision of which business to trust their kids with.
Keep Our Internet Safe by Spencer Maccoll, Jul 1, 2008 (5:19pm)
H.R. 263, Cybersecurity Education Enhancement Act of 2007, establishes a grant giving program to institutions of higher education to research more about cybersecurity. Cybersecurity is a matter of concern in today’s world and businesses as well as households may suffer from a cyber attack. This bill addresses that concern and provides incentives for further research on cybersecurity.
Reducing Over-Classification Act of 2007 by Spencer Maccoll, Jun 29, 2008 (9:11pm)
HR 4806, Reducing Over-Classification Act of 2007, is a bill that tries to promote the sharing of homeland security information. It makes it harder for information to be filed as classified and thus makes it easier to share with agencies within Homeland Security.
JAG Program Causes Friction by Spencer Maccoll, Jun 29, 2008 (5:34pm)
HR 3546, or the “JAG Program” has much support from Police Officers, Sheriffs, and other Public Service workers, but many civil rights groups oppose the bill. Those that argue against the bill say that the JAG Program does not stop the racial profiling, and corruption in law enforcement. Many organizations feel that the drug policy of today is too strict and the JAG Program does not address that issue.
Our Kids Need To Get Outdoors! by Spencer Maccoll, Jun 25, 2008 (4:39am)
HR 3036, the “No Child Left Inside Act of 2007” makes the government responsible for educating our nation’s children about nature and the environment. It has been said that our the youth of the U.S. suffer from mental health problems and obesity partly because they are not getting outside enough and experiencing nature. I agree with this statement but I am not sure where the line is when it is the parent’s responsibility or the government’s responsibility to get children outside. I am a huge fan of nature but I am not sure how far the government’s responsibility should extend in to people’s lives.
Smarter Funding for All of America's Homeland Security Act of 2007 Helps Prepare America For Emergencies by Spencer Maccoll, Jun 20, 2008 (3:51am)
HR 130, also known as “Faster and Smarter Funding for First Responders Act”, gives more power to the Secretary of Homeland Security so that the Secretary may make grants to states and eligible regional entities on the basis of the threat to a state or region’s population and critical infrastructure. This can improve America’s response to disasters in the future.
HR 1256 Gives Federal Employees More Benefits by Spencer Maccoll, Jun 19, 2008 (5:31am)
HR 1256 increases the medical benefits for federal government employees. This helps employees to receive better health care for those that need it. The only down side is that an increase in benefits for federal employees means more money out of the taxpayer’s pocket.
Charles W. Lindberg is the choosen name for the Outpatient Clinic by Spencer Maccoll, Jun 15, 2008 (3:55pm)
This bill, HR 1253, designates the Department of Veterans Affairs Outpatient Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, as the `Charles W. Lindberg Department of Veterans Affairs Outpatient Clinic’. There doesn’t seem to be much controversy over this name.
House Bill Doesn't Get Much Attention To The Senate Bill by Spencer Maccoll, Jun 15, 2008 (5:47am)
HR 121, High-Performance Green Buildings Act of 2007, did not catch the attention of many organizations that would have been interested in the bill. This may have to do with the media attention that the Senate bill S. 506 received. This bill is important and helps increase the health of many US citizens and most importantly the bill makes US public schools safer.
Farm Programs Payment Limitation Integrity Act Holds Farmers Accountable by Spencer Maccoll, Jun 15, 2008 (12:09am)
HR 124, Farm Programs Payment Limitation Integrity Act, punishes those farmers who try and fraud the Food Security Act of 1985. Those that commit fraud will not receive farm program payments for five crop years. This provides a disincentive to commit fraud.
HR 1211 Gives Those Who Serve Money For Education by Spencer Maccoll, Jun 12, 2008 (11:14pm)
HR 1211 helps those that have served in the military for at least two years to be eligible for an educational assistance program. This is a well intentioned bill that can give veterans more opportunities when they come back from service. Unfortunately those veterans who want to receive the entitlements need to give up $100 a month of their salary for their first 12 months of service.
HR 1179 Clarifies The Secretary of the Interior's Power by Spencer Maccoll, Jun 12, 2008 (9:10pm)
HR 1179 states that there shall be no law that prohibits the Secretary of the Interior from using services to manage the population of the Elk within the Rocky Mountain National Park. It is not clear how important this clarification is.
HR 1151 is very similar to S 1104 by Spencer Maccoll, Jun 12, 2008 (4:36am)
HR 1151 helps those foreign nationals that risked their lives to translate for the US armed forces and those translators should be rewarded. The bill is well intentioned because it extends the number of translators that may be provided special immigrant status into the US. But a senate bill, S 1104, contains almost the same text as HR 1151 and it was introduced only a month after this bill and became a law on June 15th, 2007. So it is confusing as to why this bill is being considered.
Why does the Government need to get involved in community service? by Spencer Maccoll, Jun 12, 2008 (12:19am)
HR 1184, the At-Risk Youth Protection Act of 2007, seems to put the responsibility of good parenting and taking adolescents away from gang life in the hands of the government. This bill makes the government responsible for at-risk teens and not the parents. It is a well intentioned bill that is trying to get more kids involved in community service. This is honorable but not the governments role.
Open Space Preservation Promotion Act Helps Protect Farming Land by Spencer Maccoll, Jun 11, 2008 (6:39pm)
Often a farmer can sell his land to the private market and get more money for it then to sell it as farmland. This bill gives an incentive to help organizations keep the land as open space so that it does not get developed. It is important to keep land open and free and not to always develop it. This bill will help to create open space.
More Research and Development Money by Spencer Maccoll, Jun 10, 2008 (3:11pm)
Hr 1126, a bill to reauthorize the Steel and Aluminum Energy Conservation and Technology Competitiveness Act of 1988, gives $60 million over the 2008-2012 period for research and development in the steel industry. It sounds good for money to be going towards researching how to make more environmental friendly metals such as light steel that can be used for cars so that a car’s miles per gallon can increase. But is there a better way to make more efficient metals than having the government give $60 million to the Steel Industry?
Department of Energy National Security Act foots a massive bill by Spencer Maccoll, Jun 10, 2008 (12:01am)
S.3004, The Department of Energy National Security Act of Fiscal Year 2009 contains a lot of money in it. Nine and a half billion dollars are being given for the activities of the National Nuclear Security Administration that is within the DOE. The bill is too vague to tell whether this amount is necessary and why so many billions of dollars is needed for the DOE’s activities. As this bill gets farther in Congress, more news should appear about its contents.
Virginia Ridge and Valley Act Protects Wilderness by Spencer Maccoll, Jun 9, 2008 (2:30pm)
S.570, the Virginia Ridge and Valley Act of 2007, expands the protected wilderness areas of Virginia. This is great for those who appreciate the outdoors. More trails will be made for those that visit the forests. America has beautiful land and it is important to protect it.
Harriet Beecher Stowe is a National Icon by Spencer Maccoll, Jun 5, 2008 (8:56pm)
This Act allows the Secretary of the Interior to look in to the possibility of making the well known Harriet Beecher Stowe House part of a National Park. Harriet Beecher Stowe wrote the book Uncle Tom’s Cabin which portrayed the anti-slavery sentiment that some have said helped to bring about the Civil War. This house should be incorporated in to the National Park system to honor Harriet Beecher Stowe.
FBI Building Doesn't Spark Much Controversy by Spencer Maccoll, Jun 4, 2008 (7:00pm)
The Federal Bureau of Investigation building under construction in Omaha, Nebraska, will be called the “J. James Exon Federal Bureau of Investigation Building.” The Senators seem to agree it is a fitting name and no bipartisan fights have occurred over the bill
FBI Building doesn by Spencer Maccoll, Jun 4, 2008 (6:59pm)
Badge Of Bravery Shows Support For US Law Enforcement Officers by Spencer Maccoll, Jun 3, 2008 (6:09pm)
S 2565, or the Federal Law Enforcement Congressional Badge of Bravery Act of 2007, is introduced so that US Law Enforcement Officers can be commended on their bravery. Each year many officers of the law are injured or killed doing their job and now their commitment American’s peace and order can be recognized more with this badge.
The Minute Man National Historic Park Should Expand by Spencer Maccoll, Jun 3, 2008 (5:49pm)
Bill S 2513, The Minute Man National Historic Park Boundary Revision Act, expands the park to include a historic building that was used to hide ammunition and weapons for the Revolutionary War. This historic house should be included in the park as well as more land that allows for a better public audience.
The New Federal Courthouse in Virginia by Spencer Maccoll, Jun 3, 2008 (5:01pm)
S.2403, the bill to designate the new Federal Courthouse,of Richmond, Virginia, as the “Spottswood W. Robinson III and Robert R. Merhige, Jr. Federal Courthouse” does not have any opposition. The simple bill of naming the courthouse did not recieve much press.
HR 2744 is a Necessity for Flight Attendants by Spencer Maccoll, May 29, 2008 (2:56pm)
The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) is a good law that helps many workers to be compensated when they must leave their work for an emergency. But airline workers do not meet the qualifications to get these benefits because their hours are calculated differently than most wage earners. Flight attendants spend only a part of their job in the skies, but that time in the sky is all that is recorded for determining their FMLA benefits. Flight attendants need HR 2744, Airline Flight Crew Technical Corrections Act, to pass so that they can be covered by the FMLA.
Protecting the US against IED attacks by Spencer Maccoll, May 27, 2008 (7:15pm)
HR 4749 can help protect the US because improvised explosive device (IED) attacks are a major threat to the US as cited by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary, Michael Chertoff. Given that an IED is easy to make and can cause mass casualties it is important to have a strong department researching ways to defend against such attacks. The only problem with creating a new office in the DHS is that there are already 26 offices in the department and adding more offices may not be efficient as the bureaucracy grows.
Keep Those Ceremonies In Order! by Spencer Maccoll, Jul 29, 2008 (8:26pm)
H.R. 1883 is a bill that makes a clear code for the ceremonies that take place for citizens that are naturalized. There are a bunch of guidelines but some include having speakers come to speak to the new citizens. The guidelines also recommend having an ‘American’ group be present too like the Boy Scouts or Daughters of the Revolution. I am not sure as to why these guidelines must be made a law and whether or not the ceremonies have been inappropriate lately. But the guidelines seem reasonable and respectful so the bill is a good one.