Alexandria, Va. (November 9, 2005) Rep. Jim Ryun (R-KS) has been formally invited to testify at a major House Ways and Means Subcommittee hearing on Wednesday, November 16, to discuss the merits of H.R. 414, the Hearing Aid Assistance Tax Credit, and why this legislation deserves favorable consideration. The hearing will be conducted by the Select Revenue Measures Subcommittee, chaired by Rep. Dave Camp (R-MI), and it will focus on a limited number of tax proposals that have been introduced in 2005 and specially selected by the subcommittee chair for inclusion. H.R. 414 co-sponsors Mark Foley (R-FL) and Tom Reynolds (R-NY) are Subcommittee members. Additional cosponsors of H.R. 414 serving on the full Ways & Means Committee include Reps. Phil English (R-PA), William Jefferson (D-LA), John Lewis (D-GA), Richard Neal (D-MA) and Jim Ramstad (R-MN).
Speculation on which few Representatives might be invited to testify before the Ways and Means Subcommittee has been of keen interest to many organizations with tax related interests since the hearing was first announced in August. Since Congress reconvened after Labor Day, HIA has been diligently working with our hearing coalition partners to increase overall visibility and support for H.R. 414 - holding 53 Congressional meetings and garnering 14 additional co-sponsors along the way. We are delighted that Rep. Ryun will be testifying on the Hearing Aid Assistance Tax Credit Act, and that this Subcommittee will have the benefit of hearing about this bill from one of their colleagues. All tax legislation must be approved by the full Ways and Means Committee before being considered by the House, so this hearing provides an outstanding opportunity for Rep. Ryun to make a direct appeal to colleagues who are crucial to passage of the measure.
HIA is urging all hearing aid tax credit supporters who live in a Congressional district represented by a member of the Ways and Means Select Revenue Measures Subcommittee to contact their Representative to urge them to support and co-sponsor H.R. 414. To find out if your Representative is a Subcommittee member, please visit www.congress.org. You can identify your Representative by listing your zip code as indicated.
Representatives who are currently not co-sponsors of H.R. 414 and need to hear from constituents are listed below:
Representative Dave Camp (MI) - Chairman
Representative Eric Cantor (VA)
Representative Chris Chocola (IN)
Representative Lloyd Doggett (TX)
Representative Melissa Hart (PA)
Representative John Larson (CT)
Representative John Linder (GA)
Representative Mike Thompson (CA)
Representative Stephanie Tubbs Jones (OH)
Representative Jerry Weller (IL)
H.R. 414 currently has 83 bipartisan cosponsors, a number that we expect to increase in the coming months.
