Advocacy Monthly - April 2024

Recent Legislative Happenings

Bi-partisan foreign aid and FISA bills pass, motion to vacate threatened, impeachment trial comes and goes.

• Foreign aid bills in support of Taiwan, Israel and Ukraine have passed the House and Senate with bipartisan support.

• Congress also came together to reauthorize the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA). Although controversial, leadership teams in both chambers were able to attract the bipartisan support necessary to get the bill to the President’s desk.

• Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene has yet to trigger her motion to vacate Speaker Johnson, despite his ongoing work with Democrats to fashion bipartisan legislative initiatives. With such a small margin, and with many Republicans voicing their desire to maintain the status quo, it is unclear is Greene would have the votes to win.

• Secretary of Homeland Security Alejando Mayorkas’s impeachment trial passed in the blink of an eye. After just one day of deliberation, the Senate voted down the charges sent over from the House.

Foreign aid bills in support of Taiwan, Israel and Ukraine have passed the House and Senate with bipartisan support. Overtly, these bills represent a push to follow through on our international commitments and policy agenda.

While this is certainly true, those watching the Hill may recall that Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene had threatened to trigger her motion to vacate if such an aid bill were to pass. The motion currently has explicit support from at least 2 other House Republicans, and with the margins as narrow as they are, such a vote taking place would almost certainly result in the Speakership once more being vacated if the House Democrats choose to throw their full weight behind the effort. Democrats have signaled that they would save Mike Johnson’s Speakership on the condition of foreign aid being approved, however such actions have already resulted in pushback from the Speaker’s more hardline right-wing. Such support from the other side of the aisle would effectively place Mike Johnson in a quasi-coalition with the Democrats in order to maintain control, which is a notion many in the Republican conference may be unwilling to accept.

On the Senate side, April saw another impeachment trial come and go. Articles of impeachment were sent up to the Senate against Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas, which served to be little more than a speed bump for the Democratic controlled chamber. After just a day, the charges from the House were voted down largely along party lines. The Senate then returned to its regular business, but not after having pushed many constituent meetings to staff due to required participation on the floor for the impeachment.

A few days after the impeachment proceedings, the Senate also came together to reauthorize the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA). Although controversial, bipartisan support necessary to bring it through was finally reached in both chambers. Criticism was leveled from the wings of both parties who believe that privacy could be threatened by the reauthorization of FISA. While the act itself has both bipartisan support and opposition, the success of negotiations and collaboration from both parties does deserve recognition. Like with the foreign aid packages, bipartisan support on controversial items indicates that the possibility for more cooperation in the future is possible.

Why Americans Should LOVE Paying Their Taxes

By Stephanie Vance, Advocacy Associates Managing Partner 

On April 15th, many Americans sprinted to the post office (or their computers) to file their FY23 taxes on time, and whether getting a refund or having a big bill to pay, our thoughts are focused on the money we personally spend for the "public good" (or the "public bad", depending on your perspective).
If you’re not wild about how that’s going, read on for some perspective that might have you, if not thrilled to pay your taxes, at least less irritated.

 
I'm Investing in My Country
 Do you like roads? Parks? Mail? The job our military does to keep us safe? Health care for the poor and elderly? Food stamps? Public broadcasting? Whatever your particular interest is, some portions of your tax dollars are going toward that project. If you're curious as to where your tax dollars go, check out the National Priorities Project and their interactive tax chart . Here you can enter the amount of taxes you actually paid (if it doesn't make you cry) and determine where those dollars went. Then, as you're filling out your 1040, pretend to yourself that you're donating to the programs you love best. You can even include that in the "memo" portion of the check - believe me, IRS workers have seen it all. That might ease the pain a little.
 
I'm Investing in Myself
 If you're not convinced by the broader benefits to society that paying your taxes brings, think about it from a purely selfish perspective. Every minute of every day you are impacted positively by government actions. Think about it. Did you wake up this morning? If you did and heard the clock radio alarm or watched television, you were affected by FCC regulation of the radio spectrum. Did you take a shower? Clean water regulations (hopefully). Have some coffee? Trade tariffs on coffee beans. With cream? Dairy price supports. Use the restroom? You better hope there are combined sewer overflow regulations in your area. Drive on a road? Well, you get the point.
 
I'll Gain Access to Potential Perks
 You know the old adage "you've got to spend money to make money?" Well, that definitely applies in the tax world. This year, thanks to recently passed bills, Americans can claim all kinds of credits on their returns. The catch is, you've got to file to get the cash.
 
For example, if you bought a car or a house, credits may be coming your way. There are more education and energy efficiency credits as well. So, take a careful look at all the existing and new deductions and credits. You may be surprised at what you'll gain!
 
I'll Avoid Public Humiliation and Additional Fees (and possible Jail Time)
 Famed mobster Al Capone wasn't sent to jail for the many violent crimes he allegedly committed. No, what brought him down was tax evasion. And, although they certainly shouldn't be equated with mobsters, tax problems have dashed the career hopes of everyone from cabinet nominees.
 
Whether you're concerned about how your tax situation will be addressed during your nomination hearing, or just want to avoid losing your business, it's important to stay on top of your tax obligations. In fact, many employers now look at how individuals manage their finances as one important hiring criterion. You don't want to lose your dream job because you just couldn't bring yourself to write that check on April 15th.
 
I Have the Right (and Responsibility) to Advocate on Government Spending
 "But wait," you're thinking. "The main reason I don't want to pay my taxes is because government spends my money on things I don't like." Sure, it's all very well and good to imagine that you're spending money ONLY on those government programs that make sense to you. But as a practical matter, that isn't really the case, is it?
 
Well, here's the most wonderful thing about our tax system and our overall system of government. If you don't like where your tax dollars are being spent, you have a right and a responsibility to let your elected officials know! For example, if you paid $5,000 in taxes, you'll find out that $1,470 went to the military and just over $1,000 went to health services. For some people those ratios are just fine: others believe that more should be going toward non-military programs. Wherever you stand on the spectrum, let your elected officials know what you think we should be investing in as a nation. How can you do that? Here are four simple steps:

1.     First, make sure you know what you're talking about. Don't rant about the huge portion of the budget being spent on foreign aid, for example. It's ½ of 1 percent. Try a site like www.usaspending.gov to be sure you've got the latest information.

2.     Second, be clear about what you want. If you want a specific program cut, say so. If you want a specific tax increased or decreased, be explicit. Don't simply say "we need to pay less in taxes."

3.     Third, be able to answer the question "why should this legislator listen to me?" You'll be far more compelling and persuasive if you are a constituent, if you represent constituents or if what you want connects with policy issues the lawmaker is interested in.

4.     Finally, connect your "ask" to your personal story. How would what you’re asking for benefit you and other constituents?

When All Else Fails...
 If things get too stressful just try to be thankful that at least you've got some income to pay taxes on, right? There are too many Americans struggling to make ends meet (especially in this economic climate). So, sit back and relax with a glass of wine - and who knows? That Cabernet might not have made it to your glass without some sort of taxpayer investment.