Senator Clinton returns to Senate and targets KBR for investigation

[grantcart]

http://blogs.suntimes.com/sweet/2008/06/clinton_back_in_the_senate_sad.html

Clinton back in the Senate saddle again. Calls for Senate investigation of Halliburton subsidiary.


WASHINGTON--Former presidential contender Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) is back on the Senate beat. She is calling Tuesday--via a press release, she has not surfaced for a week--for a probe of government contracts with a Halliburton subsidiary with over $1 billion in questionable charges for work in Iraq.

CLINTON CALLS FOR INVESTIGATION INTO GOVERNMENT CONTRACTS WITH KBR

New Report of Over $1 Billion in Questionable Charges


WASHINGTON, DC—Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton today called for a Senate investigation into the Pentagon’s contracts with KBR, the former Halliburton subsidiary and recipient of the largest government contract in Iraq. It was reported today that Charles M. Smith, the Army official formerly responsible for managing the Pentagon’s contract with KBR, was removed for refusing to pay over $1 billion in questionable charges to the contactor. In a letter to Chairman Carl Levin (D-MI) of the Senate Armed Services Committee, Senator Clinton called for a committee hearing to investigate the contracts awarded to KBR in the Iraq War.


“This is the latest in a series of staggering reports that the Administration has turned a blind eye while private contractors run amok in Iraq. The administration owes the American people an explanation as to why it has allowed KBR and other private contractors to both compromise our mission in Iraq and squander billions of dollars in the process. Putting an end to the fraud, waste, and abuse of government contracts in Iraq is long overdue,” said Senator Clinton.


Last month Senator Clinton voiced concern over a report that KBR performed electrical work in Iraq that may have resulted in the electrocution of at least a dozen military personnel and severe shocking many others.

[babylonsister]

1. Great place to start! Thank you, Senator Clinton! nt

[KittyWampus]

8. Bet Dan Abrahm will now stop using her as his chew toy.

[PA Democrat]

2. A local soldier was one of those electrocuted to death due to KBR's gross negligence.

Go get 'em, Hillary!

[Diane R]

3. She might be a more progressive senator now that she isn't positioning for the presidency.

[democrattotheend]

7. Kerry became much more progressive after losing

You could argue that he may have been trying to set himself up for another presidential run, but he's been much more progressive even since he decided not to run again. I guess now that he's not running for president he has the luxury of being true to himself and voting like a Senator from Massachusetts.

[blm]

76. In 2003-4 Kerry had the most liberal lifetime voting record of any Dem candidate, including Kucinich

He also was the top lawmaker in DC uncovering and exposing government corruption and was the leading advocate for gays to serve openly in the military, the first to submit gay friendly legislation in the senate in the 80s and the first to submit a public financing of campaigns legislation in 1997.

Kerry was in the senate since 1985 and by the 2003-4 primary race, his lifetime voting record was closest to Wellstone's of any of the Dem candidates.

[fedupinBushcountry]

100. Show me how your opinion

is true? Because it is not. To bad you weren't really paying attention in '04 and before on how progressive John Kerry was and still is. Statements like this truly amaze me, do you even know what progressive means? Sheesh!

[burythehatchet]

13. excellent point. I hope she does it.

[grantcart]

19. I agree - throw out all the machinations and we will see how great she can be.

[polichick]

59. I really hope so - bet she'll do her best work now.

[gateley]

4. Excellent! Thank you, Hillary! nt

[democrattotheend]

5. Good for her

I can easily see her becoming a powerhouse in the Senate the way Ted Kennedy did after he lost the nomination in 1980. In fact, if Kennedy is unable to continue serving in the Senate, which I pray won't happen anytime soon, I was thinking that maybe HRC could take over his chairmanship of the HELP committee. It's a perfect role for her, given the issues she seems to be most passionate about. She'd have to bump a few people who are higher in seniority (I think Mikulski is next in line), but perhaps Mikulski could be given something else...another committee chairwomanship or a leadership role in the caucus, perhaps. Chairwoman of the HELP committee would be the perfect role for Hillary, and I think she'd be great in that position.

[grantcart]

54. good points

[genna]

64. Barbara Mikulski should not have to step aside for HRC

Do you have any idea how much Milkulski has had to fight inside Maryland to keep her seat and push forward?

I can still remember her Republican opponent putting out rumors about her not liking men. Milkulski's comeback was pretty artful: my father and brothers would be surprised to hear that.

Everyone is not Barney Franks.

How many women are in Congress, much less the Senate like Barbara?

My opinion: not enough.

[democrattotheend]

65. Maybe Mikulski could get another chairmanship, or a leadership position

[emilyg]

6. Go get them Hillary!!

[Erin Elizabeth]

9. More power to her!

[AllentownJake]

10. There is freedom in losing

No more need to worry about future races for a while. Go get them Hill.

[blondeatlast]

11. Excellent. the Dems are demonstrating spine and the public seems to be responding! nt

[grantcart]

21. It also 'feels' coordinated - like there is a common plan.

[bluethruandthru]

12. Good for her!

It's time the American people got a look at the pentagon's books.

[blogslut]

14. Good

Thank you, Senator Clinton.

[Evergreen Emerald]

15. Awesome

[Canuckistanian]

16. About bloody time

If I were a Congressman or a Senator, I would be introducing bills and calling for investigations until they dragged me out.

I really don't know what makes politicians so afraid of tackling KBR. They have a HORRIBLE track record of corruption, criminal behaviour, political nepotism and SHEER INCOMPETENCE.

Seems to me like that kind of behavior should be EASY to criticize.

[PoliticalAmazon]

30. Hillary's a born-again liberal, after she was silent for 6 freaking years....

I may be one of the more cynical posters here at DU, but I learned about politics from my mother, starting at a very early age. She always said, "A skunk doesn't change it's stripes overnight."

So I will get down with my cynical self and say this: this is politically motivated. She's trying to whitewash her legacy which she destroyed in the primary.

[Canuckistanian]

33. I tend to agree with that statement

Although Hillary's paid lip service to such issues, this is the first time I've ever noticed any significant action to back up her words.

Still, it's good to see someone taking up the fight.

[PoliticalAmazon]

34. Cynics Unite! In politics we are usually right! n/t

[MonkeyFunk]

39. She didn't destroy her legacy by any means

you really should let go of the hate.

[PoliticalAmazon]

67. Ad hominem. Criticizing a candidate is not "smearing" them....

Please refer to my previous post briefly listing the actions Hillary Clinton took during her campaign which, IMO, have destroyed her legacy.

[MonkeyFunk]

105. Well, at least Clinton is still trucking

whereas you've (finally!) been banned from here. Thanks mods!

[Beacool]

46. Destroyed her legacy?????

Yeah, how dare she run against the party's new anointed candidate.

Please...........

[PoliticalAmazon]

66. Strawman argument. The issue is not her running for president...

Running for president in and of itself doesn't destroy a politician's legacy. In most cases, it greatly enhances their legacy.

The issue with Hillary Clinton is that she ran her campaign in such a way that it reflected very, very badly on her. I don't want to get into a long discussion of Hillary's issues, but briefly, these are the issues as I see them:

1) Using Rove/Bush tactics.
2) Lying.
3) Pandering to bigots.
4) Using the possibility of Obama's assassination as a reason for her to go all the way to Convention.
5) Completely disorganized campaign, reflecting very poorly on her ability to organize and lead.
6) Tactics of her surrogates and campaign staff.
7) Squandering of resources, running her campaign into huge debt.
8) Claiming criticism of her was "sexism."

[Beacool]

83. I disagree with most of your points,

but you're entitled to tour opinion.

:shrug:

[grantcart]

87. If, repeat if, we accept your cynical reading then it seems that a careful and

coordinated campaign is underway with the Obama campaign to help 'rehabilitate' Sen. Clinton's standing.

This is a good thing - even if you take your very cynical reading.

In some ways it actually elevates it.

[StevieM]

104. Whether you like it or not, or agree with it or not, Sen. Clinton's legacy has been greatly enhanced

The assertion that she has damaged her reputation is simply a talking point by hateful, vindictive Obamites. Most members of congress are impressed by how many votes she got, especially in the more conservative areas. Her campaign may have reflected badly on her to you, but you do not speak for the majority--just yourself.

I disagree with all of your examples. She never pandered to bigots, she kept campaigning for the black vote (with the Maya Angelou commercial in NC) after it became clear to many that it was lost. And she never raised the specter of Obama's assasination. That was a despicable slander that had no basis in substance. People who chose to believe it were simply people who had hatred in their hearts and heard what they wanted to hear. She was answering a question about whether it was unreasonable for a campaign to last this long, and she provided many examples of races that had gone on this long or longer--most of which were a lot less close.

If Hillary really did those things, then Obama should refuse to stand with her in this election. He should refuse her support. But he isn't going to do that.

Steve

[Jakes Progress]

79. Your mother didn't understand politics.

In politics you can change your stripes overnight. Now that the onus of having to please a majority of the country is not on her mind, she can vote her conscience. Politics is the game of winning elections.

Just like our current candidate, Hillary was running for the presidency. She made decisions and voted to that end. Barack is probably more liberal than his voting record and his cautious statements make him seem. But just like Hillary, he was hedging his bets. We will have to be very forgiving of some of his stances in the next five months if we hope to have him in office.

Were he to declare that he would back a constitutional amendment to allow gay marriage, support legislation to start limiting gun ownership, begin impeachment hearings, and end the war in January he wouldn't stand a chance of getting elected.

As far as destroying her legacy, she got more votes for the nomination of her party than any woman in history. Most of the world will pull their heads out of the MSM backwash and realize what they have been eating for the last six months. Hanging on to the hate is not only bad for the soul, it is bad for our nominee and bad for the party.

[grantcart]

95. good points all except that I think there is a big distinction between the way

politicians "hedge their bets" and I am a lot more comfortable with the way that Obama does it than any in a long time.

[Jakes Progress]

96. i'm votin' for him

but we will have to disagree here. I don't see much difference in the hedging techniques of the candidates. Now the press coverage that outs the hedging can make a big difference in the perceptions. I guess the usual thing is for each of us to think our candidate is purer than someone else's, that he or she doesn't play the game as much. But i just think that any one of them that gets to this level has had to compromise and game more than would make most of us comfortable. I always like looking back on Robert Redford's The Candidate to see what is closer to reality than what we get in the press releases.

A long time ago I thought I was quite clever about politics and was having a discussion with my yellow dog father. I was flirting with the concept of being an independent, just because I though I was so smart. He told me you never find out the truth about a candidate during the primaries, that they are all gaming at that point. He said you had to go on their history. He was also a big fan of finding out what kind of father or mother the candidate was, whether they had decent children. He said to always vote Democratic and that the name at the head of the ticket wasn't that important. He said that republicans always look after the rich and the corporations, that, even if personally not that good, at least a Democrat would be appointing the judges and bureaucrats that really affected our lives in better ways than the scoundrels the republicans would put in power. Damned if every year I get older the smarter he seems to have been.

[grantcart]

97. I think the differene here is that people are looking at trying to find a checklist

to judge the candidate and that simply isn't what Obama is about.

Yes of course there are key elements like Iraq, etc.

He is even more concerned about attacking the premises that allowed the country to get to war.

He is hunting for bigger game trying to attack the mind set from the begining.

In that sense he hasn't been gaming or hedging but telling us exactly what he is all about but people keep looking for the checklist on their personal issues.

[SOS]

91. KBR just got another $150 billion Army contract this week.

Hopefully Clinton will try to stop them from getting one penny of it.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/17/washington/17contractor.html?partner=rssnyt&emc=rss

[Shoelace]

98. wow, that news deserves a seperate post

you might consider posting this news because it is HUGE! It will get lost in the shuffle here but folks need to know this.

[JeffR]

17. Go get the bastards, Senator!

:grr:

[gmudem]

18. Thank you Senator!

I hope she continues to do the right thing.

[JohnnyLib2]

20. Great news.

Rec.

[grantcart]

23. thanks

[klyon]

22. well isn't that nice

we are paying her, after all

[yourguide]

24. Good for her!

It's about time someone investigated these contractors.

The gravy train is about to come off the tracks and I cant wait!!!

[highplainsdem]

25. Brava, Hillary! And thank you!

[PeaceNikki]

26. Rock on, Senator!

:patriot:

[Cha]

27. Thank you, Senator Clinton for

doing this for our country!

[malik flavors]

28. Great news! Go get em' Hillary!

[slinkerwink]

29. good on you, Hillary!

[musicblind]

31. Awesome! Obama/Hillary 08! For the WHITE HOUSE!

[Zhade]

36. Not gonna happen. Strategic mistake. Tuzla video = mcLame easily proving her a liar.

NT!

[Name removed]

37. Deleted sub-thread

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[rodeodance]

48. so what. Obama lied about Reszo and his pastor.

[Emit]

51. wha'?

[mkultra]

78. none in this cycle lied as much as she did.

[musicblind]

60. Well we'll have to agree to disagree on this one. I really do think Hillary would make a great VP

I don't think they dislike each other that much. They both seem focused on winning the White House in 08. Hillary wouldn't have to be introduced, she is already known. She has a large fan base. She has great plans about health care and she has plenty of experience. She, Bill, and Chelsea would campaign their hearts out. She would bring her big donors to the table (though she is already doing that now.) Sure they'll have smears for her, but they'll have smears for anyone he picks. They'll even have smears for Obama. They're republicans. They lie and make up stuff in order to win with a great amount of ease. I am giving my honest opinion. I am not saying this just because I think it is owed to her, or because I wont support Obama if he chooses someone else. Winning the White House in November is as important to me as it is to you. I am saying this because I really believe that Hillary as VP will help.

I will support Obama no matter who he picks as his VP, but I think that Hillary would be the wisest choice.

[Jakes Progress]

80. Obama has to know that she is the wise choice.

He didn't get here by being stupid.

[musicblind]

84. I agree and I think that he will at least ask her. n/t

[Jakes Progress]

92. Yep. In politics

it isn't wise to have things decided in public. Get everything worked out. If she's going to take it or not, whether there is another position, how it will be coordinated, then go public. I don't know that she ought to want it, but not asking is just dumb. Kennedy was much disliked and often scorned back when he was a viable candidate. His lion of liberalism mantle came when he no longer had to try to win everyone's vote and could become the senior statesman.

[nam78_two]

32. Excellent-K&R

Good going Senator!

[apocalypsehow]

35. Way to go, Senator Clinton. K & R.

:applause:

[elizm]

38. Thank you Hillary! nt

[JNelson6563]

40. Oh snap!

If the Rethugs thought she'd come back a beaten woman they are in for a terrifying surprised.

Take it to 'em Senator Clinton!

Julie

[grantcart]

63. thanks Julie

[hokies4ever]

41. I think she needs to get back on the Iraq Security Agreement thing

You could tell that she had the Bush administration running scared when she scolded them for not showing Congress the proposed Iraq Security Agreement during the Petraeus hearing a few months ago.

[CitizenLeft]

42. another reason to applaud her tonight

GO HILLARY! :applause:

[grantcart]

43. yes things appear to be well coordinated and everyone working together

[CitizenLeft]

44. the media is having a hissy about Patty Solis Doyle...

...but I can't believe that it wasn't done without Hillary (or someone close to her) being told in advance it would happen. I'm sure it wasn't a smack in the face, like the some in the media try to portray it, and I think this proves it. Yay team!

[grantcart]

52. Of course not - Obama is very conscious of such symbolism and protocol

It could be that the Clinton campaign made a request because she needed uninterupted income.

Whatever it is it isn't a slap at the Clintons.

There is another possibility - Doyle is the interface betweent he two camps so that they can coordinate their activities, news cycles and strategy.

[musicblind]

58. I agree grantcart. That makes much more sense than the image the media is trying to convey

with all this. I think Clinton had to have known. Heck she just announced a fundraiser with Obama. They don't seem to be angry at each other now. They seem to be focused on winning in November. I still think there is a good chance she might end up as his VP if not in his cabinet.

[grantcart]

86. I agree 100% and the smart thing about the Obama campaign is that once

they have a plan they follow it very carefully.

This smells completely of a 'rehabilitation' of Senator Clinton and making Senator Obama the one in charge.

The other indicator - Bill Bill who?

[RamboLiberal]

45. Kick some ass Sen. Clinton the way you did the last couple of months

in the campaign. Now here's a great target to throw the kitchen sink at! :kick:

[grantcart]

49. exactly

[DeepModem Mom]

47. K&R

[bluedawg12]

50. Go git 'em Sen. Clinton! n/t

[jgraz]

53. She's on the Armed Services Committee. Here's hoping she can make this happen.

The sooner the better.

[ccharles000]

55. Hillary is wonderful.

[grantcart]

62. yes she is

[Eurobabe]

56. Yea! Go Hillary, get those corrupt bastages!

:applause: :applause:

[Pooka Fey]

57. Woo-Hoo! Great work, Senator Clinton.

[eridani]

61. Go Hillary!

Very, very good!

[SemiCharmedQuark]

68. Woot woot! Go Hillary!

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

69. speaking of probes, can they stick some up the a&# of the Oil Execs?

probe probe probe!

[boomerbust]

70. YOU GO GIRL

ITS TIME TO EARN YOUR SENATE PAY!!!

[grantcart]

89. welcome to DU

[Hutzpa]

71. Good place to start

if she had used this measure before she would have been in a much
better position than she ended up with.

Hopefully, she can start being true to herself and her conscience.

Good start ma'am....:thumbsup: hope you continue.....

[ElsewheresDaughter]

72. She's a pitbull in pearls!!!

[phrigndumass]

73. Thank you, Senator Clinton!

:kick: :thumbsup:

[mod mom]

74. Is this separate from the Kerry-Obama legislation that the senate passed?

June 18, 2008
Newsroom
Press Releases
Floor Statements
Speeches
Op-Eds
Multimedia
Photo Gallery
Media Outlets

Search Site:
Newsroom
05/22/2008
SENATE PASSES KERRY-OBAMA LEGISLATION TO CLOSE KBR TAX LOOPHOLE, PROVIDE TAX RELIEF FOR TROOPS




WASHINGTON, DC – Senators John Kerry and Barack Obama today announced that the Senate passed the Heroes Earnings Assistance and Relief Tax Act of 2008 (The "HEART Act"). The Act would provide tax relief to the men and women in our nation's armed services and others volunteering service on behalf of the United States, including Peace Corps volunteers and AmeriCorps volunteers – and is paid for by the Kerry-Obama tax reform that closed the tax loophole that allowed defense contractor KBR to avoid paying its fair share of taxes..

The Act passed the House yesterday and now goes to the President for his signature.

Kerry and Obama were instrumental in ensuring that the funds that will be used to pay for these benefits came from defense contractors that were not paying their fair share of taxes. In March, they introduced the Fair Share Act of 2008 to close the loophole that had allowed KBR to fleece the American taxpayer by almost $100 million a year. It was discovered that KBR and another defense contractor have avoided paying their fair share of Social Security and Medicare taxes by creating shell companies in the Cayman Islands. The Fair Share Act of 2008 will end the practice of U.S. government contractors setting up sham companies in foreign jurisdictions to avoid payroll taxes.

“Now thousands of military families in Massachusetts will receive the benefits they deserve and big companies will pay their fair share of taxes rather than leaving hard working Americans with the bill,” said Senator Kerry.

“This important bill will provide much needed tax relief to our brave service members and hold American companies accountable for paying taxes and guaranteeing that employees receive the benefits they are entitled to through their employment,” said Senator Obama. “For the sake of transparency and fairness in our tax system, we cannot allow Federal contractors to set up shell corporations in tax shelters and shirk their responsibility to pay payroll taxes for their American employees. I commend Senator Kerry for his leadership on behalf of America's small businesses, workers, and service members and I call on the President to sign this bill into law.”

The HEART Act includes several provisions included in legislation introduced by Kerry and Senator Gordon Smith (D-Oregon) in January of 2007. The Active Duty Military Tax Relief of 2007 aimed to bolster military families and small businesses that employ reservists.

The HEART Act would:

Enable active duty military personnel to qualify for economic stimulus payments. The HEART Act would clarify that active military who file a joint tax return would be eligible for the stimulus rebate payment even if the spouse does not have a Social Security number;
Make permanent the ability to include combat pay as earned income for purposes of the Earned Income Tax Credit. The earned income tax credit (EITC) is a refundable tax credit for eligible low-income workers. Generally, "earned income" includes taxable wages, salaries, tips, and other employee compensation. Some low-income military families who receive the EITC based on taxable military pay could lose this tax credit if they begin receiving non-taxable combat pay and have no other earned income on which to claim the EITC. The HEART Act would extend the provision that allows America's military men and women to count combat pay for the purposes of qualifying for the earned income tax credit.
Make permanent and modify qualified mortgage bonds used to finance residences for veterans. To give our nation's brave veterans greater access to homeownership, the HEART Act would permanently extend the provision that allows veterans to qualify for state-operated, tax-exempt mortgage revenue bond programs. This program provides financing to provide lower-income individuals without regard to the general first-time home buyer requirement;
Modify retirement plan protections for reservists who have given their lives in service or who are disabled while serving our country. The HEART Act would modify the Uniformed Services Employment and Re-employment Rights Act to: 1) allow the day prior to the date of death to be treated as the date the employee returned to work for purposes of triggering payment of benefits under a qualified plan; and 2) permit an employer to make certain contributions to a qualified pension plan on behalf of an employee who is killed or becomes disabled in combat;
Modify treatment of differential wages paid by an employer to an employee who becomes active duty military. In the case of an employee who is called to active duty with the United States uniformed services, some employers voluntarily agree to continue paying the level of compensation that the service member would otherwise have received from the employer during the service member's period of active duty. This "differential pay" is not treated as wages for purposes of the federal income tax withholding rules that apply to an employer's payment of wages. The HEART Act would treat differential wages paid by an employer to an employee who becomes active duty military as wages for withholding and retirement plan purposes;
Extend the period for filing tax refund credit claims arising from Department of Veterans Affairs (DVA) disability determinations. Because of the lapse of time between retirement and the determination of, or the onset and determination of, a service connected disability, the HEART ACT would extend the statute of limitations to permit retired military personnel to file claims for refunds one year after the date of the determination of a service-connected disability is made;
Make permanent the special rules that permit penalty-free withdrawals from retirement plans. Generally, there is a ten percent withdrawal tax on early distributions from certain retirement plans. Because reservists called to active duty may need access to amounts that they have contributed to their retirement plans in order to meet their personal financial obligations while serving our country, the HEART Act would extend special rules that permit active duty reservists to make penalty-free withdrawals from their retirement plans, and a reservist has two-years from the last day of the active duty period to contribute distributions to an IRA;
Permit recipients of military death benefit gratuities to roll over the amounts received to tax-favored accounts for retirement and education savings. To enable survivors of servicemembers should be able to contribute death benefit proceeds to accounts to save for future retirement and education needs, the HEART Act would permit recipients of military death benefit gratuities to roll over the amounts received, tax-free, to a Roth IRA or an Education Savings Account; and
Provide a tax credit for small employers with respect to differential wage payments to employees who are on active military duty. Many employers voluntarily eliminate any pay gap between the reservists' civilian pay and military pay by paying the difference. The proposal would treat the pay gap as wages requiring information reporting and subject the differential pay payments to withholding. The proposal would also make it easier for employers to contribute to their activated employee's retirement plans.

The HEART Act would also permanently allow the Social Security Administration to disclose tax return information to the DVA for purposes of determining eligibility for certain veteran's programs; clarify that certain tax rebates and benefits are excludible from income for volunteer firefighters; clarify the application of the "five-year requirement" to the sale of a principal residence by a Peace Corps volunteer; clarify that state payments to service members are treated as qualified military benefits; and provide for permanent exclusion of gain from the sale of a principal residence by certain employees of the intelligence community.

Supplemental Social Security Income

To ensure fairer treatment of military families who depend on Supplemental Security Income payments, the HEART Act would:

Allow most military cash allowances beyond basic pay to be treated as earned income for purposes of determining Supplemental Security Income (SSI) eligibility and benefit amounts for military families, and treat certain housing payments as in-kind support and maintenance;
Disregard state annuity payments paid to blind, disabled, and aged veterans when determining SSI eligibility and benefits; and
Disregard allowances paid to all Americorps volunteers for the purpose of determining SSI eligibility and benefit amounts.

Revenue Provisions

The HEART ACT would, revise tax rules on expatriation. American citizens and long-term U.S. residents are subject to tax on their worldwide income. Under current law, taxpayers can avoid taxes by renouncing their citizenship or terminating their residence. The Heart Act would tighten current law rules to ensure that certain high net-worth taxpayers cannot renounce their citizenship or terminate their residence in order to avoid U.S. taxes. Under this provision, high net-worth individuals would be treated as if they sold all of their property for its fair market value on the day before such individual expatriates or their residency would be terminated. The gain would be recognized to the extent that the aggregate gain recognized exceeds $600,000 (which will be adjusted for cost of living in the future).
Modify treatment of certain foreign persons performing services under contract with United States. The Heart Act generally would treat foreign subsidiaries of American companies performing services under a U.S. government contract as American employers for employment tax purposes. The domestic parent would be jointly liable for employment taxes imposed on the foreign subsidiary.
Increase general failure to file return penalty. The Heart Act would increase the general penalty for failure to file tax returns to the lesser of $135 or 100 percent of the amount required to be shown on such return.
Mental Health Parity

The HEART Act would extend current law excise tax for failure to comply with the mental health parity requirements for benefits for services furnished on or after the date of enactment through December 31, 2008. Current law requires certain group health plans to provide the same coverage for mental health benefits that they provide for medical and surgical health benefits. The HEART Act would extend the imposition of a $100-per-day excise tax on group health plans that fail to comply with this requirement.


http://kerry.senate.gov/cfm/record.cfm?id=298335

[karynnj]

75. I don't think so

HRC issued a press release that called for an investigation of KBR abuses.

Kerry and Obama wrote several parts of a bill that will curb one type of abuse by KBR and will help soldiers and vets. That bill that contained all this was passed and signed. (ie this was months of work for the 2 Seantors, other Senators and their staffes) vs a press release making a call that others have already called for - though it is needed.

[blm]

77. Still sounds familiar from some past Kerry pushes for probes into Halliburton-KBR.

Maybe Kerry and Obama are graciously allowing Clinton the room to look like she's doing something important upon her return to senate. A graciousness that Clinton, Schumer and her loyalists would not show to Kerry when he returned to the senate, and instead they targeted him for their scorn and sniping for three years straight.

[karynnj]

81. In fairness, Clinton is on the Arms Services Committee

the committee that should have investigated this a long time ago. I seriously doubt that either Obama or Kerry could stop her from making this call. It likely is a signal that she wants to be a leader in this area. If so, great. I just hope it is not just for show or an attempt to look good as VP.

If there are hearings, it would likely be the Armed Services Committee and there are many higher ranking Democrats - so she will not chair it - Levin likely would, unless he delegated it to a sub committee. The other way to excel is to be the best interrogator - I don't know how HRC would be on this - I was no that impressed in her "grilling" when I watched a few hearings.

[blm]

82. Not the point, though...Kerry has brought this up a number of times and she never jumped

on it before. The way I read this move by her is grab on to a sure winning issue for DEMOCRATS - and piggybacking onto Kerry's work on this and claiming it as her issue is a way to save face for all her years of INACTION on these serious issues. She's responding to the criticisms of her docileness in the senate and her failure to oppose Bush on serious issues from 2001-2007.

That's my read, anyway. My read of human nature and political gamesmanship.

[karynnj]

85. I do get your point

Like you, I know Kerry has spoken of this issue for YEARS. He spoke of many of those issues in 2004. I remember that in 2005 or 2006 he sent his 3 million email list the information on Brave New Films' (I think that's the right name) movie on Iraq made by Iraqi vets that dealt with these issues.

But, this is just putting out a press release - and she is right - as Kerry and others have also said for some time - we need investigations. The fact is that you and I have written many times of how the Clintons with the biggest megaphones in the party were too unwilling to challenge Bush. I still think we were right. Here, she has put out a press release calling for an investigation - which is good. I hope that she does make this a cause and work hard to get the committee to investigate. The spotlight she could bring to it is good, the question is whether the press release was just an effort to make it seem that she is actively working - when she is not in teh Senate and not acting as a surrogate for the campaign.

Kerry has spoken out continuously on nearly every issue I can think of - which has been good for the party - but he can't personally lead everything. He is not on the committee that seems the most connected to this.

[mod mom]

99. The main credit should go with KERRY & OBAMA! While it's good Clinton called

for investigations, it kind of reeks of opportunism (imho)-it much more impressive to continually fight for a good cause than to hop aboard once a popular piece of legislation is passed.

[karynnj]

102. Not to mention - I see no mention of the Kerry/Obama accomplishment

in HRC's statement. As they are related as attacking the abuses of KBR. Now, that would have made sense a month or two ago. Then praising an accomplishment of her then foe would have been extremely gracious and extraordinary. (It also at an even earlier point been incredibly attractive and smart signaling a self confidence that let her give credit where credit was due.)

Now, to not bring some focus to OBAMA, positioning her call her action on a committee she sits on, as a followup to his success on a related KBR act of malfeasance. Then she would be using the visibility that she has to get the nominees name out related to good work that hits to key nerve points in the US - giving the soldiers and vets what they deserve and attacking war profiteering and government corruption.

In NOT doing this, she did nothing wrong - BUT she wasted an opportunity to do good. Contrast this to the Kerry and Daschle putting Obama as the focus of their comments - rather than speaking of themselves. HRC should look at them as role models into how to support a candidate. They are better supporting Obama, than her husband was supporting her. She is smart and I think she needs to consider why this was so - given that Bill Clinton had more power with the media and people than Kerry and Daschle. Had he been as willing to put his own ego aside, he would have been a far greater advocate for her.

As I said, there is nothing wrong in what she did, just a lost opportunity to show that she has the ability to play second fiddle to anyone other than Bill Clinton.. (That is not that easy for anyone - and neither Clinton has done that for 15 years. Edwards had problems with this in 2004 - and he did not have HRC's history.)

- I know this is KERRY/Obama, but in spite of being a huge Kerry fan, it is because Obama was involved that she should have mentioned it. (Had she said that Kerry and Obama took a step in holding KBR accountable and she was calling on the Senate Armed Services Committee to have thorough investigations to hold any company that abused their war contracts - it would signal that she did she herself as a team player.

[rodeodance]

88. Good for you Hillary.

[lunatica]

90. She's like the unsinkable Molly Brown!

And no, she ain't done yet so go stick the fork in someone else MSM!

edited for grammar

[dailykoff]

93. Except she didn't.

:hi:

[Imagevision]

94. targets KBR for investigation? - Question is will she be more successful then Conyers

getting Rove to appear in court?

[flpoljunkie]

101. KBR had better watch out. Senator Clinton is both tenacious and formidable.

[dailykoff]

103. The thread title is pure spin. Itdidn't happen, and the OP knows it.

As the Sun-Times article clearly states, Hillary simply sent Levin a letter from wherever she's vacationing and has obviously NOT launched any investigation of KBR.

[anonymous171]

106. Holy shit! She is more progressive than she let on during the primaries!