Return to the Scoop Newsletter Index
Return to National Center Home PageThe National Center for Public Policy Research
Amy Moritz, President
300 Eye Street N.E. Suite 3 * Washington, D.C. 20002
(202) 543-4110 * Fax (202) 543-5975
E-Mail: [email protected]
Strategy Lunch: Activities at the March 22 Wednesday Strategy
Lunch, sponsored by Coalitions for America (202/546-3003) and
chaired by Paul Weyrich of the Free Congress Foundation and Rep.
Ernest Istook (R-OK).
* Politics of and Budgeting for GOP Tax-Relief Proposals Discussed
Participants from Congress and a variety of think-tanks discussed
media reports that 100 Members of Congress want to lower the income
eligibility level of families that the $500 per child tax credit
and associated tax relief proposals under consideration in Congress
(which includes provisions allowing the use of IRAs for first
home purchases, tax relief for caring for elderly relatives, adoption
deductions, capital gains tax reduction, etc.). Some present reported
that some in Congress signed a letter calling for a debate on
a lower income ceiling because they want to open a debate on whether
there should be any ceiling at all, while others support tax relief
but are afraid of Democratic Party attacks that the GOP is the
"party of the rich." Also discussed was the proper mechanism
for making sure the federal budget is balanced and the tax cuts
are paid for, and Senator Paul Coverdell (R-GA) stressed the importance
of communicating well to the American people exactly how proposals
pending in the Senate and House would affect them. Contact Rep.
Tim Hutchinson's office (R-AR) at 202/225-4301, Rep. Ernest Istook's
office (R-OK) at 202/225-2132, Rep. Bob Dornan's office (R-CA)
at 202/225-2965, Rep. Steve Stockman's office (R-TX) at 202/225-6565,
Senator Paul Coverdell's office at 202/224-3643, Senate Majority
Whip Trent Lott's (R-MS) staff at 202/2708, The Heritage Foundation
at 202/546-4400, the Association of Concerned Taxpayers at 202/785-0494,
The National Center for Public Policy Research at 202/543-4110,
the Free Congress Foundation at 202/546-3000, the National Center
for Policy Analysis at 202/628-6671, or The Hudson Institute at
202/223-9200.
* Pros and Cons of Tort Reform Bills, Consumer Concerns, and Prospects
for Tort Reform Passage Reviewed
Mike Horowitz of The Hudson Institute reviewed the importance
of tort reform, provisions and pros and cons of various tort reform
planks, the politics of tort reform, and prospects for passage.
He was critical of those who "buy into the culture of victimization
that is the heart of the liberal agenda" and whose votes
on tort reform are influenced by the fact that tort lawyers "have
replaced labor unions as the number one financiers of the Democratic
Party," but also was critical of some elements of the House
GOP tort reform proposal. A tort reform bill, S. 300, sponsored
by Senators Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and Spence Abraham (R-MI) will
be the subject of hearings in the Senate after the upcoming Senate
recess, he said. Horowitz also discussed provisions designed to
protect consumers. Contact The Hudson Institute at 202/223-9200.
* Mexico a "Huge Pressure-Cooker," Says Congressman,
and President Clinton's Policies are a "Disaster"
Rep. Steve Stockman (R-TX) reviewed what he termed President Clinton's
mandate on Mexico to "raise taxes, impose price controls,
and have interest rates at 90%," calling the President's
plan "a disaster" and Mexico "a huge pressure-cooker."
Stockman reviewed his efforts, including a discharge petition,
to stop the U.S.-Mexico loan bailout. Rep. Bob Dornan commented:
"The American middle class taxpayer cannot make up for...
Wall Street squandering of investors' money." Contact Rep.
Steve Stockman's office at 202/225-6565 or Rep. Bob Dornan's office
at 202/225-2965.
* Rep. Dornan Analyzes His, Others' Chances in Presidential Sweepstakes
Rep. Bob Dornan (R-CA) reviewed his plans to declare himself a
candidate for the Presidency of the United States on April 15
and analyzed the qualifications and chances of the various GOP
candidates for president. Contact Rep. Dornan's office at 202/225-2965.
Family Forum Meeting: Activities at the March 23 Family Forum
meeting chaired by Amy Moritz of The National Center for Public
Policy Research and Becky Kimberly of the Family Research Council.
* Clinton Administration Sought to Give the UN Taxing Authority
Over the World's Citizens
Mike Schwartz of the Life Advocacy Alliance reviewed the Clinton
Administration agenda at three ongoing United Nations conferences
(1994's in Cairo on birth control/abortion, the just-concluded
conference in Copenhagen, and the scheduled September 1995 UN
"Conference on the Status of Women"). Specifically,
he said, the Clinton Administration, joined by Britain, Australia,
Canada and some European countries, sought in Copenhagen to get
two main proposals adopted. They were: 1) imposition of a world-wide
tax, payable to the UN, so the UN would no longer be answerable
to or need to rely on member nations in funding matters, and 2)
a so-called "20/20" proposal that would mandate that
a) all developed nations must give 7/10ths of 1% of their national
budgets in foreign aid and that 20% of that aid must be designated
for "social development" ("social development"
defined to consist of family planning aid, clean water aid, payments
for primary education and other specific categories), and b) that
all aid-receiving nations must devote 20% of their national budgets
to UN-specified "social development" categories. Poor
countries opposed the 20/20 proposal, Schwartz said, because many
of them must devote much of their budgets to the repayment of
international bank loans and simply cannot afford the UN mandate.
U.S. conservatives also opposed 20/20, Schwartz said, for a variety
of reasons. Schwartz, who attended the Copenhagen conference,
also reviewed public relations literature the People's Republic
of China distributed in Copenhagen, quoting a line the PRC apparently
believes demonstrates its dedication to women's rights: "When
a wife terminates gestation as required by the population program,
her husband may not file for divorce until six months after the
abortion." Contact the Life Advocacy Alliance at 202/637-9550.
* Family Research Council Proposes Alternative National History
Standards
Stating that the recent controversial National History Standards
developed by a government panel had, among other things, forgotten
to include the 1969 moon landing as a significant historical event,
Becky Kimberly of the Family Research Council distributed copies
of a 64-page booklet Let Freedom Ring: A Basic Outline of American
History, representing the FRC's recommendations for what a comprehensive
history curriculum should include. Contact the Family Research
Council at 202/393-2100.
Bulletin Board: Publications, press releases and plans of the
conservative community.
* Should Congress Fund Groups That Lobby Congress?
60 Plus, a conservative seniors group, recently testified before
Congress that three left-of-center seniors groups are extensively
funded by tax dollars while three conservative seniors groups
are not, and called for legislation to stop all federal funding
of groups that lobby Congress. Contact 60 Plus at 703/351-5251.
Scoop is published by The National Center for Public Policy Research
to provide information about the activities of the conservative
movement. Coverage of a meeting or statement in Scoop does not
imply endorsement by The National Center for Public Policy Research.
Copyright 1995 The National Center for Public Policy Research.
Return to the Scoop Newsletter IndexReturn to National Center Home Page