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Skriven 2006-12-20 23:31:20 av Whitehouse Press (1:3634/12.0)
Ärende: Press Release (061220) for Wed, 2006 Dec 20
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Fact Sheet: Tax Relief and Health Care Act of 2006
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For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
December 20, 2006

Fact Sheet: Tax Relief and Health Care Act of 2006


˙˙˙˙˙ President's Statement on Tax Relief and Health Care Act of 2006 ˙˙˙˙˙
President Bush Signs the Tax Relief and Health Care Act of 2006 ˙˙˙˙˙ In
Focus: Jobs and Economy ˙˙˙˙˙ In Focus: Health Care ˙˙˙˙˙

Today, President Bush Signed The Tax Relief And Health Care Act Of 2006.
This Act will extend tax relief for millions of American families and small
businesses, and add momentum to our growing economy. It will maintain key
tax reforms, expand our commitment to renewable energy resources, make it
easier for Americans to afford health insurance, and help open markets
overseas for our farmers and small businesses.
  ū The American Economy Is Strong, Productive, And Prosperous. The most
    recent jobs report shows that our economy created 132,000 jobs in
    November alone, and we have added more than 7 million new jobs since
    August 2003  more than Japan and the European Union combined. The
    unemployment rate has remained low at 4.5 percent, and the latest
    figures show that real hourly wages increased 2.3 percent in the last
    year, meaning an extra $1,350 for this year for the typical family of
    four with both parents working.

The Tax Relief And Health Care Act Will Continue Economic Progress In Four
Key Ways
 1. The Act Will Extend Key Tax Relief Measures That Are Critical To
    Expanding Opportunity, Continuing Economic Growth, And Revitalizing Our
    Communities. We are extending the deductibility of tuition and higher
    education expenses to help more Americans go to college and compete in
    the global market. We are also extending and modernizing the research
    and development tax credit to keep our Nation leading the world in
    technology and innovation. By allowing businesses to deduct part of
    their R&D investments from their taxes, this Act will encourage
    American companies to pursue the innovative products, medicines, and
    technologies of the future.
      ū The Act Will Also Extend Vital Provisions Of The Gulf Opportunity
        Zone (GO Zone) Act That The President Signed Last Year. It will
        keep in place key tax credits that we passed to help rebuild Gulf
        Coast communities devastated by the hurricanes that hit the region
        in 2005. It will also allow us to maintain our commitment to
        provide a 50 percent bonus depreciation for GO Zone properties in
        the hardest hit areas, which will encourage businesses to build new
        structures and purchase new equipment.
 2. The Act Will Help Expand And Diversify Our Energy Supply. The Act will
    increase America's energy security by reducing our dependence on
    foreign oil, a key goal of the President's Advanced Energy Initiative.
    To encourage the development of new sources of energy, it will extend
    tax credits for investment in renewable electricity resources including
    wind, solar, biomass, and geothermal energy. The Act will also
    encourage the development of clean coal technology and renewable fuels
    like ethanol, and it will help promote new energy efficient
    technologies.
      ū The Act Will Allow Access To Key Portions Of America's Outer
        Continental Shelf So That We Can Reach More Than 1 Billion
        Additional Barrels Of Oil And Nearly 6 Trillion Cubic Feet Of
        Natural Gas. By developing these domestic resources in a way that
        protects the environment, we will help address high energy prices,
        protect American jobs, and reduce our dependence on foreign oil.
 1. The Act Will Help Open New Markets For American Goods And Services
    Around The World. It authorizes Permanent Normal Trade Relations with
    Vietnam, which will soon join the World Trade Organization. The Act
    also extends a series of programs with other developing nations to give
    duty-free status to products they export to the United States. By
    encouraging a system of free and fair trade, we can create
    better-paying jobs for American workers and farmers, provide new
    opportunities for entrepreneurs, and help lift entire nations out of
    poverty.
 2. The Act Will Help Make Health Care Affordable And Accessible For More
    Americans. This Act will bring Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) within
    the reach of more Americans. HSAs allow people to save money for health
    care tax-free, and to take these accounts with them if they move from
    job to job. This Act will raise contribution limits and make the
    accounts more flexible, let people fund their HSAs with one-time
    transfers from their Individual Retirement Accounts, allow people to
    contribute up to the annual limit of $2,850 regardless of the
    deductible for their insurance plan, and give them the option to fully
    fund their HSAs regardless of what time of year they sign on to a plan.

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