Washington, D.C. - Congressman Brian Baird joined Senators Maria Cantwell and Patty Murray today in urging Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist to make extending the state sales tax deduction the first order of business when Congress reconvenes for a post-election lame-duck session. 

Leader Frist sets the Senate legislative calendar and represents Tennessee - one of the seven states that would benefit from the sales tax deduction.  An extension of the deduction was included in the “trifecta” bill that passed the House in late July.

The lawmakers made their request in the following letter:

October 19, 2006

The Honorable Bill Frist                                                The Honorable Dennis Hastert

Majority Leader                                                           Speaker of the House

509 Hart Senate Office Building                                    235 Cannon House Office Building
Washington, DC 20510                                                Washington, DC 20515

Dear Majority Leader Frist and Speaker Hastert:

We write to urge you to bring to the Senate floor as the first order of business in November an up or down vote on a tax extenders package. This critical legislation will extend significant middle-class tax cuts important to Washington state taxpayers like the state sales tax deduction, the college tuition deduction, a deduction for teachers who use their own money to buy supplies for their classrooms, the timber tax and the research and development tax credit.

Despite strong bipartisan support for these tax cuts and the millions of Americans that they stand to benefit, Senate Republicans have held these middle-class tax cuts hostage to election year politics. The Republican majority ignored warnings from the IRS that failure to act by October 15th would cause confusion for millions of Americans who claim these benefits and blocked three attempts by Democrats to pass a tax extenders package in September.

When Congress reconvenes in November, the Senate must act to return fairness to the tax system by extending important middle class tax cuts like the state sales tax deduction.

Last year alone, Washington state taxpayers saved $500 million from the state sales tax deduction. Not only does the state sales tax deduction bring much needed money into the pockets of our state’s taxpayers, but it restores equity to our tax code.

Unfortunately, Congress’s failure to extend the state sales tax deduction has left thousands of our constituents in the dark. Many have refrained from making major purchases out of concern that the state sales tax deduction will expire and no longer be available to them. Congress needs to provide certainty to these taxpayers so they can move ahead with lives and contribute to our local economy. 

We call on you to bring a tax extenders bill to the floor for an up or down vote as the first order of business in November so we can prevent a tax hike for thousands of Washington taxpayers.

Sincerely,

Patty Murray, U.S. Senator

Maria Cantwell, U.S. Senator                           

 Brian Baird, Member of Congress

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