Richard Durbin on Tax Reform

	Richard Durbin on Tax Reform Democratic Sr Senator (IL)

Close tax loopholes and gain $1.2T from the wealthy

Q: If the government saves money in tax reform, that means somebody's taxes go up. Do you think that taxes have been raised enough on the wealthy?

DURBIN: I can tell you that there are still deductions, credits, special treatments under the tax code which ought to be looked at very carefully. We forgo about $1.2 trillion a year in the tax code, money that otherwise would go to the government, and when you look closely, some of those things are near and dear to us individually and to the economy-- the mortgage interest deduction, charitable deductions, deductions for state and local taxes, but beyond that, trust me, there are plenty of things within that tax code, these loopholes where people can park their money in some island offshore and not pay taxes, these are things that need to be closed. We can do that and use the money to reduce the deficit.

Q: So there are other taxes that you believe that you can raise, retrieve, whatever, from the wealthy?

DURBIN: Absolutely.

Source: CNN SOTU 2013 interview on 2014 Illinois Senate race , Jan 6, 2013

Call on the wealthiest people to pay their fair share

I am open to modifications to President Bush's tax cuts. For example, instead of waiting nearly 10 years to address the estate tax and then totally eliminating it for the wealthiest estates, we should eliminate estate taxes immediately for small business owners, farmers and 99% of all estates, while continuing to call on the wealthiest people in our society--who often have successfully avoided taxes on much of their income while they are alive--to pay their fair share in estate taxes. Source: 2008 Senate campaign website, www.dickdurbin.com, "Issues" , Mar 2, 2008

Rated 14% by NTU, indicating a "Big Spender" on tax votes.

Durbin scores 14% by NTU on tax-lowering policies

Every year National Taxpayers Union (NTU) rates U.S. Representatives and Senators on their actual votes—every vote that significantly affects taxes, spending, debt, and regulatory burdens on consumers and taxpayers. NTU assigned weights to the votes, reflecting the importance of each vote’s effect. NTU has no partisan axe to grind. All Members of Congress are treated the same regardless of political affiliation. Our only constituency is the overburdened American taxpayer. Grades are given impartially, based on the Taxpayer Score. The Taxpayer Score measures the strength of support for reducing spending and regulation and opposing higher taxes. In general, a higher score is better because it means a Member of Congress voted to lessen or limit the burden on taxpayers. The Taxpayer Score can range between zero and 100. We do not expect anyone to score a 100, nor has any legislator ever scored a perfect 100 in the multi-year history of the comprehensive NTU scoring system. A high score does not mean that the Member of Congress was opposed to all spending or all programs. High-scoring Members have indicated that they would vote for many programs if the amount of spending were lower. A Member who wants to increase spending on some programs can achieve a high score if he or she votes for offsetting cuts in other programs. A zero score would indicate that the Member of Congress approved every spending proposal and opposed every pro-taxpayer reform.

Source: NTU website 03n-NTU on Dec 31, 2003

Rated 100% by the CTJ, indicating support of progressive taxation.

Durbin scores 100% by the CTJ on taxationissues

OnTheIssues.org interprets the 2005-2006 CTJ scores as follows:

0% - 20%: opposes progressive taxation (approx. 235 members)
21% - 79%: mixed record on progressive taxation (approx. 39 members)
80%-100%: favors progressive taxation (approx. 190 members)

About CTJ (from their website, www.ctj.org):

Citizens for Tax Justice, founded in 1979, is not-for-profit public interest research and advocacy organization focusing on federal, state and local tax policies and their impact upon our nation. CTJ`s mission is to give ordinary people a greater voice in the development of tax laws. Against the armies of special interest lobbyists for corporations and the wealthy, CTJ fights for:

Fair taxes for middle and low-income families
Requiring the wealthy to pay their fair share
Closing corporate tax loopholes
Adequately funding important government services
Reducing the federal debt
Taxation that minimizes distortion of economic markets

Source: CTJ website 06n-CTJ on Dec 31, 2006

Minimum tax rate of 30% for those earning over $1 million.

Durbin co-sponsored Paying a Fair Share Act

Amends the Internal Revenue Code to require an individual taxpayer whose adjusted gross income exceeds $1 million to pay a minimum tax rate of 30% of the excess of the taxpayer`s adjusted gross income over the taxpayer`s modified charitable contribution deduction for the taxable year (tentative fair share tax).
Establishes the amount of such tax as the excess of the tentative fair share tax over the excess of the sum of the taxpayer`s regular tax liability, the alternative minimum tax (AMT) amount, and the payroll tax for the taxable year;
Provides for a phase-in of such tax.
Requires an inflation adjustment to the $1 million income threshold for taxable years beginning after 2013.

Expresses the sense of the Senate that Congress should enact tax reform that repeals unfair and unnecessary tax loopholes and expenditures, simplifies the tax system, and makes sure that the wealthiest taxpayers pay a fair share of taxes. Source: HR3903/S2230 12-S2230 on Mar 22, 2012