The action of Congress and President Bush to enact the Terri Schiavo legislation over Palm Sunday provides proof that Congress and the president can act quickly if they choose. Is now time for the American people to insist that our Congress and our president apply this lesson learned over Palm Sunday to resolve some very urgent matters that affect tens of millions of Americans
First Congress need to change a simple number in the Internal Revenue Code to increase the amount that triggers the Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT) to reflect inflation since it was enacted. This is not a complex change and does not require study or subcommittees in Congress. It is a simple change and far less complicated then the Schiavo legislation enacted a week ago. In addition a sentence needs to be added that says “beginning in 2006 this amount will be adjusted each year by the change in the cost of living”. This will help millions of Americans who are being subject to this alternate minimum tax which was never the intent of Congress.
A second simple piece of legislation that does not require study is to appropriate the money necessary to hire 10,000 border guards that President Bush has said are necessary to safeguard our borders. To pay for the guards we restore the tax rate on TOP income bracket to where it was prior to 2001.
I sincerely hope that this Easter season has opened the eyes of our elected members of Congress and our president to show them that yes they can act in the best interests of the American people. Many other issues are more complex and will require greater deliberation. But these two do not require further study. They only require the same willingness to act from our Congress and President as in Terri Schiavo matter.