November 10, 2008
Tax Foundation to Present Republican from Louisiana, Democrat from Massachusetts with Distinguished Service Awards at Annual Dinner in Washington, DC
Washington, DC, November 10, 2008 - The Tax Foundation will present its Distinguished Service Awards to Congressman Jim McCrery (R - Louisiana 4th District) for his promotion of better tax policy and Congressman Richard Neal (D - Massachusetts 2nd District) for his leadership on international business taxes.
The awards will be presented at the Tax Foundation's Annual Dinner, celebrating the 71st anniversary of their founding, on Thursday, November 20, 2008 at the Four Seasons Hotel, 2800 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, DC.
Congressman Jim McCrery represents Louisiana's 4th Congressional District, encompassing northwest and west central Louisiana, and is serving his tenth and final term in the U.S. House of Representatives. McCrery is the ranking minority member of the House Ways and Means Committee, and also serves on the Joint Committee on Taxation. When McCrery served as chairman of the Subcommittee on Select Revenue Measures Subcommittee Chairman, Congressional Quarterly called him an "economic guardian." He has concentrated on producing fundamental tax reform, economic growth and making health care more available and affordable. Former Ways and Means Chairman and Tax Foundation Board Member Bill Archer has called Congressman McCrery "one of the most knowledgeable members of the House on the issue of welfare reform." House leaders twice called on McCrery to serve on conference committees which resulted in the passage of historic welfare reform legislation.
Congressman Neal was first elected to the United States House of Representatives in 1988, and represents Massachusetts' 2nd District which encompasses south central Massachusetts. He serves alongside McCrery as a member of the Ways and Means Committee, and as current chairman of the Subcommittee on Select Revenue Measures. Congressman Neal has led legislative efforts to prevent American companies from moving offshore to avoid paying U.S. taxes. While he has battled offshore tax evasion, Neal has also supported U.S. companies with active business operations overseas by allowing deferral for financing income. Neal continues to lead the effort to repeal the Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT), has sponsored legislation that would increase the national savings rate by encouraging the use of individual retirement accounts, and has worked to make health care and tuition expenses tax deductible for middle-income people.
"Sound tax policy is not, and should never be a partisan issue," said Scott Hodge, president of the Tax Foundation. "Congressmen McCrery and Neal are role models of bipartisan leadership on economic issues."
The Tax Foundation is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that has monitored fiscal policy at the federal, state and local levels since 1937.
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To schedule an interview, please contact Matt Moon, the Tax Foundation's Manager of Media Relations, at (202) 464-5102.