Stuff in the News: Gas Prices, Fraudulant Tax Returns, Youth Violence, E-cigarettes, Guns

Congresswoman Jackie Walorski, R-Jimtown, along with Congressman Fred Upton, R-St. Joseph, have sent a letter to the chief executive officer of British Petroleum (BP) demanding answers to questions pertaining to the sudden closing of its refinery in Whiting, Ind., which has caused a sharp spike in gas prices throughout the upper Midwest. In their joint letter to Robert Dudley, Upton and Walorski noted: “Some areas of the Midwest have seen prices rise over $1 per gallon over a 24 hour period, disproportionately affecting the most vulnerable of our constituents and resulting in large unpredicted costs in getting goods to market across the region. Additionally, some are worried that speculators may force additional increases due to lack of information. The BP Whiting Refinery in northern Indian shut down the largest of its three crude distillation units on Saturday. Upton, who is chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, and Walorski, whose Congressional district includes the refinery, demand answers from Dudley for their constituents by August 21 along with daily updates. They want to know how long the outage is expected to last and how BP will prevent price gouging, among other issues.

On Wednesday, August 26, U.S. Senator Kelly Ayotte (R-N.H.) will hold a Budget Committee field hearing with Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Commissioner John Koskinen on the IRS' handling of fraudulent tax returns. Ayotte invited Commissioner Koskinen to participate in the hearing in order to hear directly from New Hampshire residents who have been victims of tax-related identity theft or have had other tax-related issues. The US Government Accountability Office (GAO) and Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) have both examined how the IRS deals with fraudulent returns and found billions in revenue lost due to lack of detection. Ayotte has pushed the IRS to improve its policies and better help identity theft victims protect themselves and their personal information, and was instrumental in securing a commitment from Commissioner John Koskinen to provide identity theft victims with copies of fraudulent tax returns. Ayotte also helped introduce the Social Security Identity Defense Act of 2015, which would require the Internal Revenue Service to notify potential victims of identity theft, something the agency has failed to do in the past. It also requires that the IRS notify law enforcement and that the Social Security Administration notify employers who submit fraudulently used Social Security numbers. The bill adds civil penalties and extends jail time for those who fraudulently use an individual's Social Security number.

Following a violent weekend in Philadelphia during which ten shootings occurred, U.S. Senator Bob Casey (D-PA) called for an end to the school to prison pipeline and pushed for passage of a bipartisan plan that would allow Pennsylvania cities to invest more in proven crime prevention strategies like youth mentoring. In North Philadelphia, Casey was joined by law enforcement, mentorship groups and a youth advocate who was once a victim of gun violence to discuss the need to aid children before they encounter the criminal justice system and curb youth violence. As major criminal justice reform legislation works its way through Congress this year, Casey’s legislation is backed by Republican Senators and could be included in the overhaul. On any given day in the United States, approximately 60,000 young people are incarcerated, costing taxpayers about $5 billion each year. The Youth PROMISE Act (Youth Prison Reduction through Opportunities, Mentoring, Intervention, Support, and Education) would empower local communities to fund, implement and evaluate evidence-based youth violence prevention and intervention strategies. These prevention practices, such as mentoring and after-school programs, reduce crime more effectively and at a lower cost than incarceration. In fact, a recent study in Pennsylvania found that it saved $5 for every $1 invested in high-quality prevention and intervention programs. The Youth PROMISE Act is supported by over 300 organizations, including the Alliance for Children and Families, the American Correctional Association, the AFT, the Children’s Defense Fund, the ACLU, the Coalition for Juvenile Justice, the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, the NAACP, the NEA, and the U.S. Conference of Mayors.

U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today joined U.S. Senators Tom Udall (D-NM), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Barbara Boxer (D-CA), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Jack Reed (D-RI) and Brian Schatz (D-HI) in calling for clear product standards and good manufacturing processes to combat the health risks of toxic substances in e-cigarettes as the U.S. Food and Drug Administration finalizes its first regulations of the aerosol-producing products. The number of e-cigarette users — especially among young people — has soared in recent years, but little is known about the long-term health risks for users and the risks of breathing in second-hand aerosol. (OH PLEASE!)

Intent on protecting Second Amendment rights, U. S. Senator Mike Enzi, R-Wyo., cosponsored legislation to allow military spouses to purchase handguns in the state where their partner is stationed for duty. Enzi also sent a letter last week with other senators against a plan by the federal government to prevent certain seniors from being able to purchase a gun. Current law restricts a citizen from legally purchasing a handgun in any state other than the one in which they reside. The Protect Our Military Families’ 2nd Amendment Rights Act, led by Senators Mike Rounds and John Thune, both R-S.D., would provide an exception for military spouses to purchases handguns in the state where their spouse is permanently stationed for duty or in a neighboring state if the military spouse commutes across state borders to their duty installation. An exception for active duty service members who are on permanent duty station orders is already made so that they can be considered a resident of the state in which they are assigned. Enzi and Senator John Barrasso, R-Wyo., also joined Senator Mike Crapo, R-Idaho and 24 other senators in signing a letter to express disappointment over the Social Security Administration plan to report certain social security beneficiaries to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS). NICS is used by the federal government to prevent gun sales to individuals who are felons, drug addicts, illegal or unlawful immigrants, and others.