“As to why people like Joseph Lelyveld are writing memoirs, I think they're just catching on the coattails of the trend.” Quote by Francine du Plessix Gray
“Another agency - the IRS - did not do as well under Republicans who control Congress. The IRS is largely flatlined in their spending, but they did get about 300 million more funding. But I can only be used to help people pay their taxes and answer questions. It can't be used for any other purpose.” PeopleWellsI CanHelpingUsedPurposeAnswersPayMillionsRepublicanTaxesCongressSpendingAgencyFundingIrs Author:Susan Davis
“OK, so this pack - tax package includes about 50 tax breaks. None of them are new. They were all existing tax breaks. What this did was make them permanent. It gives some certainty for people when they're filing taxes that they don't have to wonder if Congress is going to renew them year after year.” PeopleIfsGivingYearsWonderBreakTaxesCongressCertaintyPermanentPacksPackagesFilingTax Breaks Author:Susan Davis
“Most of them benefit businesses, things like research and development tax credits. But people will also benefit, too, from things like - the earned income tax credit and the child tax credit have been made permanent. They predominantly help lower-income families.” PeopleChildrenHas BeensMadeHelpingDevelopmentTaxesBenefitsResearchCreditIncomePermanentIncome TaxResearch And Development Author:Susan Davis
“Congress also did something new, which is, they delayed for two years two new taxes - one on medical devices and one on high-end health insurance plans. Those taxes are supposed to help pay for President Obama's health care law, but they're really unpopular.” YearsTwoEndsHelpingCareLawPresidentPayPlansTaxesCongressMedicalHealth CareTwo YearsSomething NewDevicesPresident ObamaDelayed Author:Susan Davis
“There's dozens of unrelated policy provisions tucked inside of it. I'll give you a sense of a handful of them. One is a visa waiver program change. It's going to make it harder for people who've traveled to places with terrorist activity to get into the U.S. They're going to have to go through an added layer of security.” PeopleGivingSecurityPolicyActivityProgramHarderTerroristDozenLayersTraveledHandfulProvisionVisaWaiver Author:Susan Davis
“It ends a 40-year ban on exporting U.S. oil. It's changed - it's included in its cyber-security legislation - that says to private companies, hey, if you share with us your data on your cyber-attacks, your potential cyber-attacks, we'll give you liability protection. And they authorized a health care program for 9/11 responders for 75 years to cover the length of their lifespans.” IfsGivingYearsEndsCareCompanyShareSecurityChangedProgramProtectionOilHeyDataHealth CareLengthLegislationBansLiabilityCyberCyber SecurityExportingCyber Attacks Author:Susan Davis
“When it comes to pay raises, Congress always plays the role of Grinch. The bill extends an existing pay freeze for Vice President Joe Biden, specifically, and senior political appointees broadly.” PlayPoliticalPresidentPayRolesRaisesBillsCongressVicesSeniorFreezeVice PresidentBiden Author:Susan Davis
“The president doesn't get an automatic pay raise, so they can't freeze it for him. But it also does extend the pay rate - they pay increases or pay freeze for pay increases for members of Congress. They've had a pay freeze since 2009, but most civil servants will see a small pay bump in 2016 thanks to a separate order from President Obama.” DoeOrderPresidentPayMembersIncreaseRaisesRateCongressThanksServantPresident ObamaFreezeBumpsCivil Servants Author:Susan Davis
“It's been hard. My mother is proud of me, but her reaction swings wildly from day to day. I don't really take her point of view. I'm hard on her. And that's hard to read.” HardMotherViewsProudPoint Of ViewReactionsSwingsDay To DayProud Of Me Author:Sean Wilsey