Washington, DC - As millions of Americans pay their 2010 taxes today, the Populist Caucus is leading the charge to make sure big corporations do the same. Populist Caucus Chair Bruce Braley (IA-01) and Vice Chairs Rosa DeLauro (CT-03), Peter DeFazio (OR-04), Betty Sutton (OH-13) and Donna Edwards (MD-04) wrote a letter to President Obama urging him to close corporate tax loopholes and make sure big companies like General Electric pay their fair share of U.S. taxes.

According to a recent New York Times article, General Electric (GE) reported billions of dollars in profit in the U.S. but paid no federal taxes for 2010 and claimed a $3.2 billion tax benefit - all while GE Chairman and Chief Executive Jeffrey Immelt heads the President's Jobs Council and advises the President on tax reform.

Rep. Bruce Braley, Chair of the Populist Caucus, said: "Corporations who don't pay U.S. taxes have no place advising the President on corporate tax reform. We've heard a lot of talk about shared responsibility and shared sacrifice, but so far that's amounted to middle class families paying more while giant corporations like GE hire armies of experts to avoid paying any federal taxes. That's just not right, and I strongly urge the President to reconsider taking tax advise from corporations that don't pay their fair share of taxes."

Rep. Rosa DeLauro, Vice Chair, said: "I urge President Obama to pursue corporate tax reform that puts an end to the practice that allows multinational corporations to avoid paying U.S. taxes and requires them to act as responsible corporate citizens. For this reform to be a success, it is critical that we create a tax system that is both fair and addresses our nation's high level of unemployment. I do not believe that asking for tax advice from heads of corporations that do not pay taxes is in our best interest, and that relying on such leaders will prevent the Jobs and Competitiveness Council from reaching its full potential to strengthen the economy, create jobs, opportunity, and prosperity for Americans."

Rep. Peter DeFazio, Vice Chair, said: "Many of the largest corporations, while making huge profits and shipping American jobs overseas, pay little to nothing in taxes. The deck is stacked against American consumers, American taxpayers and American workers while these multinational corporations lay off U.S. workers, pay huge bonuses to executives, and avoid U.S. taxes. I look forward to working with my colleagues to make huge, profitable corporations pay their fair share and I hope the administration advocates for tax policies that treat small businesses as well as it treats corporations like GE."

Rep. Donna Edwards, Vice Chair, said: "I agree with President Obama and the Jobs Council that it is time to redesign the corporate tax code in an effort to create jobs, strengthen our economy, and improve the competitiveness of U.S. companies. It's unacceptable for corporations that reap enormous benefits from the current system, like GE, to be at the table assisting the Administration in this process."

Rep. Betty Sutton, Vice Chair, said: "In evaluating ways to move America forward, including overhaul of our corporate tax system, it is disturbing that Administration is being advised by the same multinational corporations that hire expensive lawyers and accountants to avoid paying taxes and pursue loopholes to ship jobs overseas. We must pursue policies that ensure our economy is working for all Americans, putting people back to work, and leveling the playing field."

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"With a continued focus on obesity in this country, we are proud of our members for their collective huge accomplishment," said Barb Cady, president of TOPS.  "It is our goal to help people on their journey to lifelong health, and we are amazed by the amount of weight lost each year."

TOPS reported these weight-loss statistics as their 'Fabulous Figures' for 2010:

• The average weight lost per chapter equaled 100.03 pounds - an increase of more than 3% compared to 2009.

Weekly chapter meetings, awards programs, and regional events comprise a system of recognition and positive reinforcement for TOPS members on the wellness journey.  Goal weights are set in consultation with members' health care professionals.  When TOPS members reach their weight-loss goal, they are dubbed KOPS (Keep Off Pounds Sensibly).  These members maintain their weight - one of the most challenging parts of successful weight management - and continue to benefit from the accountability and support provided at chapter meetings and online.  TOPS' members-only section of its website features message boards, weight-loss tools, recipes, wellness videos, e-cards, and more.

Visitors are welcome to attend their first TOPS meeting free of charge. To find a local chapter, visit www.tops.org or call (800) 932-8677.

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Friday, April 15, 2011

As hundreds of millions of Americans zeroed in on highly publicized negotiations in Washington to avert a shutdown of the federal government, tens of millions of people from around the world were riveted by a live video stream coming out of Decorah, Iowa. Nestled 80 feet above ground in a cottonwood tree, three eaglets fascinated their online audience by hatching one-by-one under their parent's 24-hour supervision.

The close-up has fascinated classrooms of students and households across the country, enriching curriculum and showcasing the uncommon stateliness and regal beauty of America's national emblem.

While the hatchlings feasted on trout, carp and carrion brought to the nest by their parents in northeast Iowa, the budget debate ramped up in Washington.

How did Washington reach the brink in the first place? The Democratic-controlled Congress failed last year to pass a budget by the September 30 deadline. In the meantime, the federal government had been kept open with seven temporary spending bills.

So when the 112th Congress opened for business in January, it needed to hammer out a budget for the current fiscal year already underway before starting work on a budget for 2012.

After a week of showdowns, even a veto threat, that brought unnecessary uncertainty to hundreds of thousands of Americans, including military families and federal workers, the leadership in the House of Representatives and U.S. Senate reached a last-minute agreement with the White House. It will cut nearly $39 billion from the federal budget that will finance the federal government for the remainder of the fiscal year.

Although a relatively small victory for taxpayers considering the size of the deficit, the spending reduction represents a positive shift in the debate over the cost and size of the federal government. It's a victory for taxpayers because it established a new bottom line for future budget negotiations:  Washington needs to champion policies that grow the economy and create jobs, not defend ways that grow the government.

Although a resolution was achieved, the debate sets the stage for what is sure to be even more intense debate in the months ahead.

That's because the federal government still faces an unprecedented $14 trillion national debt. By mid-May, the United States will reach its legal debt ceiling.

For too long, the federal budget has ridden the rails of Washington's spending spree, picking up even more speed over the last two years with federal bailouts, stimulus handouts and new entitlement spending that have ratcheted up deficit spending and dug a bigger hole for American taxpayers to fill.

It's time for Washington to come clean with the American public. The federal government cannot borrow-and-spend our way to prosperity. The growing national debt poses serious risk to the long-term economic health of the United States.  It puts a heavy burden on taxpayers who will have less take-home pay to save, spend and invest if they have to send more money to Washington.

The recent budget stalemate is actually overshadowed by the much graver fiscal cliffhanger looming on the horizon. The national debt and unsustainable entitlements pose serious challenges to America's long-term prosperity.

Let's hope Washington gets serious about shutting down deficits and reforming entitlement spending. By doing so, Congress and the White House will go a long ways towards strengthening the U.S. economy and America's safety nets for retirees and the disabled.

Lawmakers and the President might find inspiration from the eagles nesting in Decorah. For 235 years, America has served as a beacon of hope and opportunity and for freedom and prosperity. Chosen by America's Founders to symbolize freedom, strength and longevity, the eagle graces the Seal of the United States. With widespread wings, the eagle carries a scroll in its beak inscribed with "E Pluribus Unum." The Latin phrase translates "Out of Many, One."

The president and 435 members of Congress collectively represent many different constituencies across the ideological, political, geographic and demographic spectrum. Although representing many, we all can work to make America an even better place for posterity. If we continue to live beyond our means, we'll push future generations over a fiscal cliff of no return. That's why Washington must clamp down on new spending and shrink the national debt.

Q.  What is Older Americans Month?

A.  Each May, we celebrate Older Americans Month.  Whether you're currently enjoying or are still looking forward to the next phase of life and retirement, this is a time to celebrate the contributions of the current generation and past generations of older Americans.  This year's theme, "Connecting the Community," highlights the ways in which older Americans bring the community together, and celebrates the many ways that technology helps older Americans live longer, healthier, better-quality lives.

Q.  What have you done to ensure younger workers have financial security when they retire?

A.   Workers who have yet to retire should think ahead to ensure they are financially able to give themselves options.  Employer-provided pensions are no longer as common as they once were and, in recent years, some employers who offered pension benefits were exposed as having promised more than they could deliver.  In 2006, after the Enron and United Airlines retirement savings and pension debacles, among others, Congress enacted the most sweeping pension legislation in more than 30 years.  As one of the authors, I was glad to help stop the game playing by which corporations indicated that their pensions were in better shape than they really are.  In addition, the law made permanent the increased amounts that people can put away in their 401(k) and Individual Retirement Accounts and provided for more portability between these types of accounts when workers change employers. Other provisions made permanent are the savers credit for low- and middle-income taxpayers and the ability for individuals over the age of 50 to make "catch up" contributions to increase their retirement income security.   For some helpful tips on preparing for retirement, please visit http://www.dol.gov/ebsa/publications/10_ways_to_prepare.html.

Q.  What have you done to help improve the lives of seniors?

A.  It's important to protect vulnerable citizens, including those who require care from a family member or live in a nursing home.  In 1984 and 2000, I authored updates to the Older Americans Act, including a new program that offers support to family caregivers, including those who care for older family members.  As chairman of the Senate Special Committee on Aging in the late 1990s, I conducted oversight on the quality of care provided in nursing homes.  Predictably timed inspections and lax enforcement of care standards allowed abuse and neglect to flourish in too many cases.  It takes ongoing persistence to make sure quality standards are enforced.  Making inspection information more transparent helps keep nursing homes on their toes.  Beefing up the Department of Health and Human Services' Nursing Home Compare website has helped to empower consumers to choose the right facility.  The Nursing Home Transparency and Improvement Act that Senator Herb Kohl and I got enacted last year will build on prior transparency efforts to give consumers more information about individual nursing homes and their track record of care and give the government better tools for enforcing high-quality standards.

The whistleblower updates of the federal False Claims Act that I first sponsored in the Senate in 1986 and have worked to safeguard and fortify ever since help to ensure that tax dollars meant to care for seniors aren't lost to fraud.  Whistleblowers have helped to recover billions of dollars to the federal Treasury.  In 2003, I authored and helped shepherd through Congress the first-ever Medicare prescription drug benefit.  The drug benefit program has cost 37 percent less than originally estimated and, today, 90 percent of eligible Medicare beneficiaries have prescription drug coverage.  Additionally, a bill which I authored became law last year and will require that, beginning in September 2013, payments by pharmaceutical companies and medical device makers to doctors be made public online.  Transparency of the financial relationships between drug and device makers and physicians will inform consumers and establish accountability.  Every day, advanced technology is improving the quality of life for all Americans, including older Americans, as we mark Older Americans Month.