LETTER: RESEARCH TAX
CREDIT
----------------------------
The Senate
Task Force on Manufacturing is circulating a letter to
the president
requesting that the administration's fiscal 2000 budget
include the necessary
funding to implement a permanent research and
development (R&D) tax
credit.
The Task Force, co-chaired by Senators
Olympia Snowe (R-ME) and
Joseph Lieberman (D-CT), is hopeful that several
substantive issues
will be addressed during the 106th Congress pertaining to
a permanent,
effective R&D tax policy. Specifically, the Task Force
wants to:
ensure that the credit is more equitable; assure that the credit
is
available to all R&D-performing firms, particularly those in
research-
intensive industries; expand small business and start-up
company
access to the credit; and enhance the credit as a means to
encourage
research partnerships.
The deadline
for signature is noon on Friday, December 18.
CONTACT: Cameron Taylor at the Northeast-Midwest Senate
Coalition
(224-0606).
BRIEFING: SULFUR IN
GASOLINE
-----------------------------
The
Northeast-Midwest Senate and Congressional Coalitions on
Wednesday, December
16, will sponsor a luncheon briefing on sulfur in
gasoline. Noting that
the Environmental Protection Agency is expected
soon to announce a plan for
reducing gasoline's sulfur content, the
session will feature presentations
from industry, health, environment,
and government
representatives.
By poisoning the catalytic
converters used to control emissions
in virtually all roadway vehicles, high
levels of sulfur in gasoline
significantly increase tailpipe emissions of
nitrogen oxides (NOx),
carbon dioxide (CO2), and hydrocarbons. Noting a
potential emissions
benefit, automakers, environmental groups, and state and
local air
quality officials favor a low sulfur
standard.
Speakers will include: Greg Dana of
the Association of
International Automotive Manufacturers, Blake Early of the
American
Lung Association, Frank O'Donnell of the Clean Air Trust, Bill
Becker
with the State and Territorial Air Pollution Program
Administrators,
and Kathryn Clay with Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan
(D-NY).
The luncheon briefing will take place
from 12:00 noon until 1:30
pm in room 192 of the Dirksen Senate Office
Building.
CONTACT: Cameron Taylor at the Northeast-Midwest Senate
Coalition
(224-0606).
JOB
OPENINGS
------------
The Northeast-Midwest
Institute is seeking a senior policy
analyst and a research assistant for a
new, three-year project to
examine transportation, trade, and economic
development opportunities
in the Upper Midwest. Staff will review the
region's potential for
trade development and estimate the adequacy of its
transportation
infrastructure.
More detailed
job descriptions are available on the Institute's
web site --
www.nemw.org. Resumes can be faxed to
544-0043.
-------------------------
mailto:gstarnes@nemw.orghttp://www.nemw.org/-------------------------