Senatorial reply

Remember when I wrote my Senators and Representatives about using pre-paid visas for tax refunds? I finally got an answer from one.

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February 21, 2008

Mr. Dan Brackmann
Dear Mr. Brackmann:

Thank you for contacting me regarding Congressional efforts to stimulate the economy. I appreciate hearing from you.

On February 7, 2008, Congress passed and sent to the President legislation designed to stimulate our struggling economy. I voted for this bipartisan bill, which will provide tax rebates for most individuals who in 2007 made at least $3,000 in wages, Social Security benefits, or veterans disability benefits. This rebate will help more than 65,000 veterans in Illinois and more than 20 million seniors across the country. Eligible families with a child who is under the age of 17 will receive an additional per-child rebate of $300. The rebates begin to phase out for those with incomes above $75,000 for individuals and $150,000 for families.

Corporations will benefit from accelerated depreciation for new investments and small businesses will be able to write off up to $250,000 in new purchases. The legislation also will take a small step to help address the current housing crisis by increasing the loan limit for loans backed by the Federal Housing Administration, Fannie Mae, and Freddie Mac.

I supported several important initiatives that were included in the legislation passed by the Senate Finance Committee but that were excluded from the final bill. One such provision would have extended unemployment benefits to help laid-off workers who find that it takes longer to find a new job when businesses are hiring fewer workers. Resistance from the President and his allies in Congress prevented us from enacting this provision in our first attempt, but we will keep trying.

The Senate Finance package would have expanded payments to the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), which helps low-income families meet the high costs of heating or cooling their homes. The package also contained tax credit provisions to encourage the use of alternative and renewable energy sources.

The legislation passed by Congress will prohibit illegal immigrants from receiving rebates.

The economic stimulus package passed by Congress will promote growth in the near term and help address the needs of those affected by the economic downturn. While it is a good start, more work remains to be done so that Americans who most need a helping hand are given the assistance they deserve. I will continue to support efforts to include an expansion of LIHEAP and the food stamp program and an extension of unemployment benefits in further Congressional efforts to stimulate our economy.

In addition, I am working to allow families that have been forced into bankruptcy due to the subprime mortgage crisis to restructure their mortgages rather than having the banks foreclose on their homes. Foreclosures hurt the homeowner, the bank, and the surrounding community, which sees its housing values go down. Bankruptcy relief is one of the most important things we can do to inject greater stability into an economy trying to work its way out of the subprime mortgage crisis.

Thank you again for your message. Please feel free to keep in touch.

Sincerely,

Richard J. Durbin

United States Senator

RJD/jc

P.S. If you are ever visiting Washington, please feel free to join Senator Obama and me at our weekly constituent coffee. When the Senate is in session, we provide coffee and donuts every Thursday at 8:30 a.m. as we hear what is on the minds of Illinoisans and respond to your questions. We would welcome your participation. Please call my D.C. office for more details.

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What a bunch of twaddle! Thank you for writing and he's a bunch of sophistry that has, at best, a tangential relationship to what you wrote about, but sounds like one of my campaign pamphlets. Oh and let me add a campy P.S. (like I actually thought of it at the last minute) so this seems homey and you might not realize its a form letter.

Political tripe.