Ehrlich on Washington column, January 26, 1998

( MEWS FROM Robert L. Ehrlich, Jr. Second Congressional District of Maryland 3 1 5 Cannon House Office Building Washington, D.C. 20515 Week of January 26, 1998 1407 York Road, Suite 304 Lutherville, Maryland 21093 ON WASHINGTON By Congressman Robert L. Ehrlich, Jr. A BUSY YEAR AHEAD FOR CONGRESS This week, President Clinton delivered his annual State of the Union address, marking the beginning of the second session of the 105th Congress. As you know, the President has been adept at garnering headlines in recent weeks; some of this coverage concerns a flurry of new presidential proposals ranging from Medicare expansion to child care tax credits. While my colleagues and I welcome the President’s suggestions, there are a number of proposals of equal importance to the American people that are already on our agenda. Here is an overview of some of the most important issues Congress will be facing in 1998: IRS/Tax Reform: Soon the U. S. Senate will vote on, and President Clinton has promised to sign, the IRS reform bill the House overwhelmingly passed last fall. Once that job is done, we will begin looking at scrapping the current tax code and replacing it with a simpler, flatter, fairer alternative. The House will also act on legislation which will reduce the tax burden on married couples by allowing each spouse to file his or her tax return as a single individual. Budget Surplus: For the first time since the 1960s, government revenues will likely exceed expenditures. Deciding how to spend the resulting surplus funds will occupy much of Congress’ time. Rather than engage in a new spending spree, we must start to pay down the massive debt amassed during years of deficit spending. American citizens are responsible for paying off their outstanding debts; government must be required to do the same. Bankruptcy Reform: Due to inadequacies in existing bankruptcy law, some people who declare bankruptcy can simply erase certain “dischargeable" debts (such as those owed to credit cards and some