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Last week’s 54-45 U.S. Senate vote in favor of the Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA) was a modest step forward for U.S. taxpayers and consumers. Certainly the pact could be simpler, and much more work needs to be done to tear down burdensome tariffs, which are nothing more than taxes on the flow of goods. But as CAFTA awaits an uncertain fate in the House, some less inspiring liberal voices from the past continue to echo through Washington. “CAFTA contains inadequate protections for workers’ rights and will only increase the power of corporations to exploit workers,” the International Brotherhood...

All told, 25 lawmakers on Capitol Hill had 10 or more days of unexcused absences in the 108th Congress, amounting to more than $500,000 in illegal salary payments. And 17 of those 25 senators and representatives were out campaigning at the time, according to a recent study by the National Taxpayers Union (NTU).

Supreme Court's Kelo Decision Trashes Taxpayer Rights as Well as Property Rights, Citizen Group Says 6/23/2005 1:13:00 PM To: National Desk Contact: Pete Sepp or Annie Patnaude, 703-683-5700, both of the National Taxpayers Union ALEXANDRIA, Va., June 23 /U.S. Newswire/ -- The U.S. Supreme Court's narrow 5-4 ruling in the Kelo v. City of New London case today has wide implications for taxpayers, not just property owners, according to the 350,000-member National Taxpayers Union (NTU), a non-partisan citizen group that filed a "friend of the court" brief in the case on behalf of the homeowners. John Berthoud, President of NTU,...

Federal Payroll, State Tax Hikes Would “Undo Four Years of Progress,” Group’s President Warns (Washington, DC) – Expiring federal tax cuts, nagging state-level tax increases, and looming proposals to boost payroll taxes constitute a triple threat to small businesses: that’s the warning the 350,000-member National Taxpayers Union (NTU) gave to policymakers at a forum sponsored by the Small Business & Entrepreneurship Council. “Small businesses could be locked out of a prosperous future unless the tax cuts of the last four years are locked in,” said NTU President John Berthoud, who served as a Speaker at the Council’s event. “The income...

This may be a repost but an important one.Alexandria, VA) – Even though President Bush took the oath of office last week, taxpayers still have one piece of unfinished business from the election: some federal lawmakers – including many seeking higher office – received thousands of dollars in salary overpayments for being away from their jobs during 2003 and 2004. According to a study released today by the 350,000-member National Taxpayers Union (NTU), an obscure federal statute still on the books requires Congressional absentees to forfeit their pay unless they or a family member are ill; but leaders have failed...

WASHINGTON - A conservative watchdog group, upset that Sen. John F. Kerry [related, bio] kept his day job while running for president, wants him to return $91,000 in pay for days he missed votes.      Citing an obscure but still valid law, the National Taxpayers Union said Kerry should be docked pay for 146 days of Senate votes missed between January 2003 and October 2004.      Kerry tops a list of 25 senators and congressmen of both parties, most of whom were running for higher office or in tough re-election bids, listed as having missed more than 10 voting days in Congress...

(Alexandria, VA) -- Thanks to a generous pension system, life after Congress can be a lot more lucrative: that's the conclusion of a study released today by the National Taxpayers Union Foundation (NTUF), a research group known for its detailed estimates on Congressional retirement benefits. A total of 38 former Senators and Representatives from the 108th Congress qualify for taxpayer-funded pensions, with former Senator Tom Daschle (D-SD) leading the pack at a projected $5 million lifetime payout. "Even as most Americans face high taxes and other roadblocks to their own retirement, Members of Congress have paved a smooth path for...

The 2004 election brought significant turnover in the United States Senate. What will the Senate election mean for taxpayers? Because most of the incoming Senators have previous service in the House of Representatives, a comparison can be made of the fiscal records of the outgoing Senators and most of the new Senators.To undertake the analysis, this Issue Brief utilizes the most recent National Taxpayers Union (NTU) Rates Congress grades for outgoing and incoming Senators. Of course, 2003 grades were available for all nine outgoing Senators. Grades were available for six of the nine incoming Senators (Senator-elect Obama (IL), Senator-elect Salazar...

  Press Releases    Printable Version  |      Email to a friend   For Immediate Release Sep 30, 2004For Further Information, Contact:Peter J. Sepp, Annie Patnaude, (703) 683-5700 "Offshoring" of Services a Boom -- Not a Bust -- for Americans, Taxpayer Group's Study Shows (Alexandria, VA) -- As politicians and economists alike debate the findings of last week's government report on U.S. firms' importation of services from foreign countries, a study released today from the 350,000-member National Taxpayers Union (NTU) concludes that the "offshoring" phenomenon benefits rather than harms Americans. "Periods of lackluster economic growth and soft employment tend to produce convenient bogeymen for...

A taxpayer watchdog group gives Sen. John Edwards an "F" grade on its tax-and-spending scorecard. "The data on John Edwards offers little comfort to taxpayers seeking spending restraint from Washington," said NTU President John Berthoud in a press release. "There is scant evidence to suggest his fiscal policies would be more moderate than those offered by the man at the top of the ticket." For 25 years, NTU has conducted an annual Rating of Congress based on every roll call vote affecting federal taxes, spending, debt, and regulation (typically 100-300 votes in a Congressional session, the group says). In 2003,...

U.S. Agricultural Policy: Ensuring Taxpayers Shell Out a Bushel NTUF Policy Paper 149 by Kathryn Landuyt Mar 29, 2004 The economic condition of farmers has engaged the attention of public policy- makers for over sixty years. During this time span agricultural policy has vacillated amongst a variety of mechanisms with the "underlying assumption that farm policy can and should reduce the risks farmers face by stabilizing prices and incomes."[1] Since government first pursued an active role in agricultural public policy, it appears as though the economic problems of farmers have exacerbated over time. The unprecedented amount of money spent, the...

The National Taxpayers Union (NTU) and National Taxpayers Union Foundation (NTUF) have both conducted yearly analysis of John Kerry's record as Senator. This data is presented in Section I. NTUF has also looked at the promises made by candidate Kerry on the 2004 campaign trail. We've gone through his website, speeches, statements in debates, and all other similar documents to see what he has promised. We then use our BillTally database to determine the costs to implement these promises. This data is presented in Section II. In a nutshell, NTUF has found that as of March 8, 2004, Kerry has...

Republican U.S. Senate candidate Herman Cain received the endorsement of Club for Growth, an organization dedicated to helping to elect candidates who support the Reagan vision of limited government and lower taxes. Club for Growth was founded in 1999 as a nationwide political membership organization dedicated to advancing public policies that promote economic growth. As a general rule, the Club sides with conservative candidates who have an excellent chance to win. This is seen by political insiders as a very significant development in the Georgia Senate race. "I am honored and encouraged to have received the endorsement of the Club...

The Washington Times, June 9, 1996 June 9, 1996, Sunday, Final EditionPart B; COMMENTARY; EDITORIALS; Pg. B2   According to the non-partisan National Taxpayers Union, Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry is one of the chamber's biggest spenders. On a scale of 0 (meaning a lawmaker opposes controls on taxing and spending) to 100 (meaning a lawmaker is a friend of taxpayers), Mr. Kerry tallied just 21, based on an NTU survey of his roll call votes in 1995. His profligate ways earned him an "F" from the group and a new title, "Big Spender." The NTU findings are hardly the only measure...

How Presidential Hopefuls Would Deepen Deficits NTUF Policy Paper 148 Campaign pundits continue to wonder whether Howard Dean's candidacy for President will get the final boost it needs to prevail in this month's key Democratic primaries with former officeseeker Al Gore's recent endorsement. Yet, Gore's indirect presence in the race also reminds taxpayers of his duels with George W. Bush over fiscal policy in the 2000 Presidential contest. While Gore labeled Bush's tax reduction and Social Security reform plans as "risky schemes," Bush accused his opponent's budget platform of suffering from "fuzzy math." Today, as eight Democrats vie for their...

Study: Every Democrat Presidential Candidate's Platform Would Boost Budget Deficits 1/19/04 12:36:00 PM -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- To: National Desk Contact: Drew Johnson or Pete Sepp, 703-683-5700, both of the National Taxpayers Union Foundation ALEXANDRIA, Va., Jan. 19 /U.S. Newswire/ -- No matter who's left in the Presidential race after tonight's Iowa caucus, taxpayers will face sharply higher federal deficits if any of the remaining Democrat contenders' budget policies become law, according to a study from the National Taxpayers Union Foundation (NTUF). By supporting annual spending hikes of between 7.6 percent and 59.5 percent, every one of the eight hopefuls would worsen...

While the Bush administration lowers taxes, some states want to raise them. One taxpayer watchdog group is criticizing Virginia Gov. Mark Warner, a Democrat, for his proposed billion-dollar tax hike, while another group is urging Arkansas lawmakers to reject any proposed tax increases The National Taxpayers Union called Virginia Gov. Warner's proposal "as unwise as it is unneeded" and promised to work for its defeat. NTU President John Berthoud said Gov. Warner's proposed tax hike flouts the will of Virginia voters, who defeated tax-hike measures 14 months ago - in the November 2002 election. "Despite a multimillion-dollar campaign in favor...

10 Facts for Fiscal Conservatives to Consider When Voting on the Medicare Prescription Drug Legislation 1. By CBO's estimates, this bill will bring the total projected deficit for the coming decade to nearly $2 trillion. 2. In the year 2026 alone (the year Medicare Part A is projected to go bankrupt), this legislation will increase the overall cost of Medicare by $300 billion. 3. This legislation will force millions of Americans to lose their private prescription drug coverage and be herded into an inferior government-run program. Benefits would cost most seniors more and deliver less. 4. The National Taxpayers...

As Congress continues work on health care issues such as adding a prescription drug benefit to Medicare, a study by the 350,000-member National Taxpayers Union (NTU) urges lawmakers not to overlook a key element in any health care reform effort: the Tax Code itself. "In their zeal to supposedly 'fix' America's health system, policymakers have focused far too often on tinkering with or even worsening the very source of the problem," said NTU Director of Government Affairs and study author Paul Gessing. "Solving our nation's health care woes requires thinking outside of the current entitlement-based structure, which unwisely permits third...

Some in the ultraliberal national media have been labeling her as politically moderate. Our question is: Moderate as per whom, Karl Marx? Hillary's voting record is so consistently liberal that the National Taxpayers Union -- whose voting indexes are based on some 200 roll-call votes -- gave her a 3% score for 2001. Fact is, that's the sorriest score NTU has given a freshman senator since 1977. Her voting record was not any better for 2002, either. Worse, like Slick Willie, Hillary's history reeks with wrongdoing. The well reported untimely demise of two of Hillary's friends, Webster Hubbell and Vince...