XXXX Voted to Study Implementing a Flat Tax. In May 2003, XXXX voted for an amendment that would express the sense of the Senate that the Senate Finance Committee and the Joint Economic Committee should undertake a study on ways to simplify the tax code, including implementing a flat tax, and present their findings to the Senate. The amendment passed 70-30. [Vote 150, 5/15/03] GAS TAX XXXX Voted Against A Bill To Suspend Federal Gas Taxes. In 2000, XXXX voted against a motion to close debate on the Federal Fuel Tax Holiday Act of 2000 (S. 2285). The bill would suspend the 4.3-cent per gallon Federal excise tax on gasoline, diesel, kerosene, and aviation fuel, from April 16 to December 31, 2000. In the event the national average price of unleaded regular gasoline rises to $2 per gallon, the bill would further suspend all Federal excise taxes on fuels (retaining only the 0.1-percent portion devoted to the Leaking Underground Storage Tanks Trust Fund). The cloture motion was rejected, 43-56. [Vote 80, 4/11/00] XXXX Voted To Reject Gasoline Tax Increases To Eliminate The Combustion Engine. In 2000, XXXX voted for an amendment that would express the sense of the Senate that the levels in this resolution "assume that the Senate will not, on behalf of Vice President Al Gore, increase gasoline and diesel fuel taxes by $1.50 per gallon effective July 1, 2000, and by an additional $1.50 per gallon effective fiscal year 2005, as part of 'a coordinated global program to accomplish the strategic goal of completely eliminating the internal combustion engine, over, say, a twenty-five year period.' The amendment was agreed to, 99-0. [Vote 60, 4/6/00] XXXX Voted Against Cloture On A Bill To Suspend Federal Gas Taxes. In 2000, XXXX voted against a motion to close debate on the motion to proceed to the Federal Fuel Tax Holiday Act of 2000 (S. 2285). The bill would suspend the 4.3-cent per gallon Federal excise tax on gasoline, diesel, kerosene, and aviation fuel, from April 16 to December 31, 2000. The cloture motion was agreed to, 86-11. [Vote 51, 3/30/00] MISCELLANEOUS XXXX Voted To Prohibit Immigrants From Collecting Tax Refunds For Years That They Were Here Illegally. In 2006, Senator XXXX voted for a Republican amendment to the Senate immigration bill that “would prohibit illegal immigrants who apply for status adjustment under the bill from collecting any tax refunds or filing any claims for the Earned Income Tax Credit or other tax benefits for tax years prior to 2006.” So any immigrant that gained legal status through the Senate bill would not be able to claim the credit for the years they were here illegally. [Vote 155, 5/25/06; CQ, 5/25/06; Las Vegas Review-Journal, 5/26/06] XXXX Voted to Bar Illegal Immigrants from Claiming EITC. In 2006, XXXX voted for an amendment to the Senate immigration bill that would prohibit illegal immigrants from claiming the Earned Income Tax Credit until they receive citizenship. Sen. Jeff Sessions, who sponsored the amendment, argued, “Because when the people that are here illegally, most of them -- 60 percent, perhaps -- are not high school graduates. They’re going to qualify for the earned income tax credit. I tried to get that stopped until they become a citizen, and it would have saved $40 billion. We lost that vote.” [Vote 154, 5/25/06; CQ, 5/25/06; Fox News, The Big Story With John Gibson, 5/25/06] XXXX Voted to Repeal ‘93 Social Security Tax Hike But Didn’t Offer a Way to Pay for the Repeal. In March 2005, XXXX voted to repeal the 1993 tax increase on Social Security benefits for individuals who earn more than $34,000 and couples earning more than $44,000., but the amendment XXXX supported included no offset for the $64 billion cost of the repeal. Even Republicans who supported the repeal said it was a largely symbolic vote. [Vote 74, 3/17/05; Columbus Dispatch, 3/19/05; New York Times, 3/19/05; Washington Post, 3/18/05] XXXX Voted Against Prioritizing Social Security Solvency Over New Tax Cuts. In 2005, XXXX voted against making the consideration of new tax cuts or deficit-busting spending subject to a 60-vote majority until Congress restored the solvency of Social Security for 75 years. [Vote 47, 3/15/05; National Journal’s CongressDaily, 3/16/05] 281