SENATOR HEINZ'S RECORD ON THE ECONOMY
I.
Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)
Senator Heinz has voted to reduce government control
over businesses by requiring OSHA to prepare economic impact
statements for all regulations issued (CQ 255-77), but he
opposed exempting from the requirements of the 1970
Occupational Safety and Health Act small businesses that
employed 10 or fewer persons and were in an occupational
category in which the injury or illness rate was less than
7 per 100 full-time workers (CQ 270-78).
II.
Anti-Trust
Senator Heinz opposed an amendment to prohibit the
acquisition of coal and uranium resources by major oil and
natural gas producers (CQ 351-77).
III.
Business Tax Laws
Except for CQ 630-77, on which he did not vote, Senator
Heinz's record demonstrates his support for tax laws which
favor business. The Senator voted to allow faster tax writeoffs for business investments (CQ 252-80) and opposed setting
different taxable wage bases for employees and employers,
soaking the employers by forcing from them a greater contribution (CQ 622-77). Senator Heinz also voted in favor of
a provision for tax incentives for increased energy production and conservation (CQ 581-77).
V
IV.
Individual Tax Reform
With the exception of CQ 116-77 where he voted against
eliminating a tax increase, Senator Heinz has consistently
favored lower individual taxes (CQ 107, 108-77, 356-77, and
447-78) and has voted to protect citizens from de facto
tax rate increases caused by inflation. To prevent inflation
from forcing tax payers into higher tax brackets, although
their real incomes haven't increased, he favors and votes for
indexing of tax brackets (CQ 451-78, 253-80). However,
the Senator in CQ 120-77 opposed automatically indexing
tax tables, personal exemptions, and standard deductions
to annual increases in the consumer price index.
Senator Heinz voted in favor of the Bumpers Amendment
'to cut individual income taxes in 1979 by $4.5 billion more
than the $16 billion recommended by the Finance Committee
(CQ 448-78) . The Senator has also -favored capital gains
tax exclusions for stimulating production, thus aiding
economic recovery (CQ 469-78).
Homeowners and the elderly should be particularly
pleased with Senator Heinz f s voting record. The Senator
supported a once-only complete capital gains tax exclusion
for profits from the sale of personal homes priced up to
$100,000, allowing for exclusions for sales on more expensive
homes owned by disabled persons and/or individuals 55 years
and older (CQ 268-78). Furthermore, the Senator has
consistently favored a tax deduction allowance for state and
local gasoline taxes (CQ 597-77 and 449-79). Also, see
CQ 102-77, 413-79, 480-79, 481-79.
Senator Heinz has supported other responsible tax
reduction plans such as CQ 27-79, and 459-80.
Senator Heinz*s tax reform voting record demonstrates
his commitment to individual income tax reduction.
V.
International Taxation
In CQ 171-80 Senator Heinz voted to disapprove the
$4.62 fee per barrel of imported oil imposed by President
Carter.
VI.
International Trade
In CQ 431-78 the Senator voted against allowing the
President to deny Export-Import Bank credits to nations that
tolerate terrorism or violate human rights.
VII.
Tax Credits
Maintaining an excellent record of support for the
elderly, Senator Heinz voted for (1) a tax credit of $250
for individuals maintaining homes for elderly dependents sixtyfive and older (CQ 112-77); (2) allowing the elderly the
choice between two tax credit plans, formerly not an option
(CQ 106-77); and (3) a tax credit for heads of households over
65 of $75 annually from January 1, 1978 through December 31,
1985, a credit gradually phased out for persons with incomes
of $7,500 or higher (CQ 580-77).
The Senator opposed a $150 per year tax credit for
residential property taxes paid for the support of public
schools (CQ 310-78). He may wish to defend this with a
fiscal responsibility argument. This particular tax credit
would have cost nearly $1.5 billion in fiscal 1981. However,
Senator Heinz voted to allow tax credits for promoting
energy conservation, production and conversion to alternate
fuels (CQ 605-77).
VIII.
Pension Benefits
Like most of his colleagues, Senator Heinz voted to
tighten funding requirements and reduce government liability
for multi-employer pension plans (CQ 313-80).
IX.
Small Business
Aiding American small business, Senator Heinz voted
for $1.4 billion in supplemental appropriations for the
Small Business Administration Disaster Loan Fund (CQ 524-77)
and voted to authorize $1.2 billion for fiscal 1981 and
$1.4 billion for 1982-84 for Small Business Administration
Programs (CQ 211-80). The Senator opposed exempting from
the requirements of the 1970 Occupational Safety and
Health Act small businesses that employ 10 or fewer persons
and have an illness or injury rate less that 7/100 full-time
workers (CQ 270-78).
X.
Budget Reform
s
When reasonable, Senator Heinz has supported such
fiscally conservative legislation as budget reductions and
budget ceilings (CQ 134-78 and 254-80). The Senator
undoubtedly supported the concept of a balanced budget,
as attested to by CQ 266-78, 25-79, and 408-80. However,
he did not always support such fiscally conservative legislation as budget reductions, limits and ceilings (CQ 38-77,
136-77, 137-77, and 366-78). The Senator opposed an amendment that would balance the Federal budget by requiring an
automatic surtax to be added to the income tax of all persons
and corporations to recoup the loss (CQ 324-78).
Often, Senator Heinz has voted to increase the temporary
debt limit. This may irritate some conservatives. He
may wish to defend these votes by appealing to voters'
common sense. For example, the Senator voted against
recommiting the budget resolution to the Budget Committee with
instructions to balance it, realizing that holding the Budget
Committee entirely responsible would be a wasted effort (CQ 13378). Various other committees 1 unwillingness to cut entitlement
programs and various Senators 1 unwillingness to prevent budget
increases from the Senate floor would make such a proposal useless
. Frequently, the Senator.voted for temporary debt increases
because without them the government wouldn't be able to:
(1) reissue security debt or issue new debt, (2) pay
interest on outstanding debt, (3) pay businesses that have
contracted with the government for goods or services,
(4) pay employee wages and salaries, (5) pay social security.
CQ 501-77, 272-78, 28-79, 317-79, 171-80 include the
Senator's votes to increase the public debt. Senator Heinz
also has voted against certain arbitrary budget cuts
as CQ 132-78.
While some conservatives might find these votes annoying, attacks by a liberal candidate might be stayed by
arguing that the above votes prove that Senator Heinz is
no mere hatchet man, chopping blindly at the budget, but
rather one who tempers his decisions with common sense
judgements.
Three votes that liberals might be pleased with are:
(1) CQ 50-79 a vote against cutting budget authority
and outlays for foreign aid, public service jobs, health
programs, welfare and food stamps programs, federal travel
spending, and categorical grants to the states; (2) CQ 51-79
a vote against cutting budget authority and outlays for
transportation, economic development, health, social programs,
welfare, and state grants; (3) his vote against the
Armstrong Amendment (CQ 91-80) which would have cut fiscal
1981 revenues and thus would have eliminated 197,000
CETA jobs, reduced food stamps, and cut ^a summer youth
employment program in half at a time when minority youth
unemployment was at a 40% level.