Taking The Hill

by Christy Plunkett

President Bush Wants Energy Bill With Superfund Changes

President George W. Bush wants his energy plan passed with changes in the Superfund law. Bush calls for reforming the Superfund law instead of simply reauthorizing it. He believes businesses not involved in the creation of the pollution should not be financially responsible for cleaning it up. The president's plan will not renew expired corporate tax provisions that funded cleanup. Instead, the president plans to pass the cleanup expenses to individual taxpayers responsible for the pollution. Bush's energy plan also offers tax incentives for Americans to purchase fuel-efficient vehicles.

California Bill Opposes Insurer-Owned Repair Facilities

A bill introduced by California State Sen. Jackie Speier, D-San Francisco, would make it illegal for an insurance company to acquire a collision repair facility. The bill (CA S 1648) would also make it illegal for an insurance company to steer its customers to a repair facility in which it maintains an ownership interest.

Regulatory Relief Legislation

U.S. Reps Mike Oxley, R-Ohio, and Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., have introduced legislation to clear outdated regulations on overly regulated businesses. Oxley said the legislation stands to advance the goals set by the 1999 Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act. The bill proposes to modernize regulatory reporting procedures, allow for flexibility to banks in dividend payments, increase the option for savings institutions to invest in small businesses and lessen depository institution merger applications.

Appeal to Whitman for Clean Air Rules

Members of the U.S. House of Representatives have sent a letter to Christine Whitman, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) administrator, to appeal to her to block a proposal by the White House to reverse clean air plans already in action. The representatives, 107 total, asked Whitman to deny any changes to the new source review (NSR) rules that the Bush administration is seeking to change. The representatives believe if the NSR rules are weakened it will allow more polluted air to be released.

Rep. Henry Waxman, D-Calif., drafted the letter, signed predominately by Democrats. The NSR rules being reviewed mandate when power plants and refineries must install new pollution control equipment.

Estate Tax Repeal

U.S. Sens. Phil Gramm, R-Texas, and Jon Kyl, R-Ariz., will attempt to attach an amendment to the Energy bill that will make the estate tax repeal permanent. The estate tax, part of President George W. Bush's tax cut plan, is being phased out and repealed, but it will expire in 2011. There is bipartisan support for this measure because this law directly affects so many small businesses and family farms.

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