XXXXVoted to Divert Revenue to Tax Cuts. In 1997, XXXX voted for diverting unanticipated revenue increases to tax cuts. [Vote 147, 6/27/97] XXXX Voted To Repeal The Federal Phone Tax. In 2000, XXXX voted for the amendment that would repeal the 3% Federal excise tax on telephone and other communications services. The amendment was agreed to, 97-3. [Vote 185, 7/13/00] XXXX Voted For A GOP Amendment to Cut Taxes On Social Security Benefits. In 2000, XXXX voted for an amendment that would repeal the 1993 tax increase on Social Security recipients' benefits, which raised the percentage of benefits subject to taxation earned by single senior citizens with $34,000 or more in income to 85 percent (it was at 50 percent), and raised the percentage of benefits subject to taxation earned by married senior citizens with $44,000 or more in income to 85 percent (it was at 50 percent). The amendment was agreed to, 58-41. [Vote 188, 7/13/00] XXXX Voted For A Bill To Provide Tax Cuts. In 2000, XXXX voted for a bill to provide tax relief, to increase the minimum wage, to improve Federal health care benefits, to permit controlled substances to be used for pain management but not assisted suicide or euthanasia, and to reauthorize the Small Business Act (H.R. 2614). The bill would provide $73.9 billion in tax relief over 5 years and $240.4 billion over 10 years (including $88.3 billion for health insurance benefits, $63.8 billion for pension and IRA reforms, $35.9 billion for small business relief, $25.2 billion for community renewal incentives, and $7.8 billion for school construction incentives). The motion to proceed was agreed to, 55-40. [Vote 286, 10/26/00] CHILD CARE AND FAMILY TAX CREDITS XXXX Voted Against Expanding the Child Tax Credit. In November 2005, XXXX voted against expanding the income threshold used to calculate the child tax credit to benefit six million families and making over 600,000 additional working families eligible for the credit. [Vote 346, 11/17/05; Congressional Record, 11/17/05] XXXX Voted Against Bill to Block Mandatory Cuts in Medicaid and Earned Income Tax Credit. XXXX voted against an amendment that struck reconciliation instructions that directed the Finance Committee to achieve $14 billion in mandatory spending reductions through cuts in Medicaid and the earned income tax credit. [Vote 39, 3/10/04] XXXX Voted Against Expanding the Child Tax Credit for Low-Income Families. In July 2003, XXXX voted against expanding the refundable child tax credit and allowing low-income families to claim a cash payment equal to 15 percent of their taxable income that exceeds $10,500, up to $1,000 per child. The measure “would not expand child credit benefits for higher income families, and it would enact restrictions on certain corporate tax accounting practices as offsets, instead of customs user fees, to pay for its smaller $3.5 billion cost.” On a party line 51-45 vote, the Senate blocked consideration of the bill. [Vote 266, 7/9/03; CQ Daily Monitor, 7/9/03] XXXX Voted Against Creating A $5,000 Tax Credit For Family Caregivers. In 2003, XXXX voted against creating a $5,000 tax credit per year for family caregivers. [Vote 169, 5/15/03] XXXX Voted Against Responsible Tax Cut Package That Protected Child Tax Cuts. In May 2003, XXXX voted against a substitute to the 2003 Bush tax bill which would have frozen the highest tax rates and tripled the amount of income that was subject to the lowest tax rate. The amendment tripled the amount of income taxable in the 10 percent tax bracket, froze the top income tax rate, and retained the original bill’s changes to the child tax credit, marriage penalty and alternative minimum tax. The changes were be offset by eliminating the bill’s dividend tax cuts. [Vote 168, 5/15/03; Star Tribune, 5/16/03] XXXX Voted Against Increasing the Child Tax Credit to $1,000 Retroactively Back to 2002. XXXX voted against an amendment that would have made the increases to the child tax credit in the 2003 Bush tax cut bill retroactive to Jan. 1, 2002. The bill already increased the child tax credit from $600 to $1,000 effective back at the beginning of 2003. The costs would have been offset by a delay of a year and a half in the reduction of the top 268