Statements on Introduced Bills and Joint Resolutions

Floor Speech

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Ms. COLLINS. Mr. President, I rise to introduce a bill to ensure that the treatment of the State and Local Property Tax deduction, also known as the ``SALT deduction,'' does not unfairly penalize married taxpayers. The SALT Deduction Fairness Act would eliminate the marriage penalty imposed by the current $10,000 cap on SALT by doubling this amount for married filers.

The SALT deduction has been in the tax code since 1913 when the income tax was first established and is intended to prevent double taxation. The original Senate tax reform bill in 2017 would have eliminated the deduction altogether. During the consideration of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, I fought to keep the SALT deduction in the Federal tax code because of the incredible tax burden a complete elimination of this deduction would have imposed on American taxpayers, many of whom pay high taxes on everything from their incomes to their vehicles.

My amendment, which was adopted by the Senate, retained the SALT deduction for up to $10,000 in State and local taxes such as State income taxes, local property taxes, and vehicle excise taxes. This was especially important to families living in high-tax states like Maine, which not only has one of our Nation's highest tax burdens, but also a relatively low per household income--approximately $6,300 below the U.S average. Maintaining the deduction provided important tax relief for those hard-working Mainers who continued to itemize.

But a basic unfairness still exists in the tax code that penalizes married couples. Currently, individual taxpayers can deduct up to $10,000 in State and local taxes. If two people marry, however, the deduction remains at $10,000. As a result, a couple could be financially better off not getting married when it comes to the current SALT deduction.

This legislation very simply would remove the marriage penalty by doubling the SALT deduction from $10,000 to $20,000 for joint filers. This straightforward change would remove a bias against marriage from the tax code. And, most important, it would help make the dream of home ownership a reality for married couples.

The National Association of Realtors recently wrote to me about the importance of eliminating this marriage penalty, stating, ``Homeownership has long been a vital part of the American Dream. Research shows that an overwhelming majority of current renters aspire to own a home, and we know that our Nation's faith in homeownership has persisted through the Great Recession. For well over a century, our tax system has helped American families in reaching this Dream.''

Mr. President, we should not unfairly penalize American taxpayers for being married. This common sense legislation will fix this undue burden who are penalized for their filing status. ______

By Mr. THUNE (for himself, Mr. Blumenthal, Mr. Moran, Mrs. Blackburn, and Mr. Warner):

S. 2763. A bill to require that internet platforms give users the option to engage with a platform without being manipulated by algorithms driver by user-specific data; to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.

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Ms. COLLINS. Mr. President, today I am pleased to be joined by my friend and colleague from Maryland, Senator Cardin, to introduce the Girls Leadership, Engagement, and Advocacy in Development, or Girls LEAD, Act. Our legislation would support and expand civic engagement and political leadership of adolescent girls around the world.

Despite comprising over 50 percent of the world's population, women are underrepresented at all levels of public sector decision-making. Recently, Congress has taken steps to combat this issue with new laws, including the Women, Peace, and Security Act and the Women's Entrepreneurship and Economic Empowerment Act. The Girls LEAD Act will complement these efforts by specifically addressing the civic involvement and leadership of adolescent girls, an area where there is currently a gap in U.S. foreign assistance programing. The United States can help foster a pipeline of adolescent girls who will aspire to assume leadership roles in their communities.

Adolescence is a pivotal time in a girl's life that brings about significant physical, emotional, and social changes. Yet, according to UNESCO, 132 million adolescent girls between the age of 6 and 17 are not enrolled in school. As reported by UNICEF, more than 150 million girls will marry as children by 2030. It is vitally important that girls and young women in childhood are empowered, and that we invest in their leadership potential early so that they can develop pathways to positions of political leadership and civic engagement.

The Girls LEAD Act would combat these terrible statistics by making it the policy of the United States to promote and ensure that all adolescents are able to fully participate in society, and are specifically able to exercise their civil and political rights in their communities and countries. We know that women's political participation results in tangible change for democracies and the United States must continue to be a leader in this arena.

Specifically, our legislation would direct the Department of State and the U.S. Agency for International Development to implement a strategy that strengthens adolescent girls' participation in democracy and governance. This strategy would include U.S. foreign assistance programs that focus on increasing adolescent girls' civic and political knowledge, advocacy, leadership, and research skills, while addressing the common barriers that can preclude their participation. The bill would require that this strategy be developed in consultation with civil society, including the participation of adolescent girls.

As a senior member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, for years I have pushed to set aside resources in the annual State Department funding bill for women's leadership and political participation programs, and I have seen first-hand the positive effects of greater political involvement on the part of women here in the United States. I believe our Nation can and must continue its leadership role in empowering women and girls worldwide, and turning more attention to the civic engagement of adolescent girls will help advance that mission.

I urge my colleagues to join me and Senator Cardin in supporting the Girls LEAD Act, which will help to improve and create a more secure world now and in the future.

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