USA - Corporate Inversion (Tax Dodge) Tax Reform & Highway (Transportation) Bill

ꕤ Article SOURCE as indicated Carl Icahn ('corporate raider' billionaire) 2016 Presidential Elections -- endorsed Donald Trump Electoral Influence Super PAC pledging $150 million -- push for corporate tax reform -- to target:  inversions (overseas company flight to avoid tax) -- spoke with: Senator Chuck Schumer, D. NY - expected new Senate minority leader after 2016 elections Representative Paul D Ryan, R. Wisconsin -- potential speaker of House Icahn "largely stayed out of politics during his five-decade Wall Street career" [WSJ] “Letter Discussing Desperately Needed Legislation” memo sent to high-profile members of Congress http://carlicahn.com/needed-legislation-letter/ Icahn lobbying re taxation reform: WSJ - Extract  ... more than 50 companies have left the U.S. in recent years, costing the U.S. “over half a trillion dollars in market value, hundreds of millions in tax dollars, and tens of thousands of jobs.” Icahn advocated for: International tax changes to the highway bill http://www.wsj.com/articles/carl-icahn-to-invest-150-million-in-super-pac-1445441825 Senate Passes Five-Year Highway Bill http://www.wsj.com/articles/house-passes-five-year-transportation-bill-1449167609 HIGHWAY BILL (USA) - TRANSPORT Legislation: -- Congress authorises $305 BILLION in funding -- money for roads & rail projects -- renews Export-Import Bank -- restore crop-insurance subsidy (query funding level) -- bigger fines for safety defects Opposition came from conservatives, objected to: -- renewal Export-Import Bank -- budgetary tactics to fund transportation projects **Leaders built support for the measure through the last-minute use of funds from a Federal Reserve account. WSJ JANET YELLEN, FEDERAL RESERVE CHAIR “financing federal spending by tapping the resources of the Federal Reserve sets bad precedent and impinges on the independence of the central bank.” [Comment:  I would have thought that it merely profits the private bankers that own America, which is a plus ... for the bankers.] $207.4 billion -- the bulk of the package -- devoted to highway projects $48.7 billion -- reserved for mass transit ** establishes the first-ever grant program ** guaranteeing financing for large-scale freight projects ** could help loosen a freight bottleneck in Chicago / or rail-freight tunnel NY Harbour $8 billion for Amtrak -- waiting authorisation Republicans push through legislation: $53.3 billion raised -- permitting negotiators to settle disputes by distributing money -- to many districts versus choosing districts Source:  Highway Bill / Transportation Bill Info Source http://www.wsj.com/articles/house-passes-five-year-transportation-bill-1449167609 General Information source https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carl_Icahn The Federal Reserve System‍—‌ aka:   Federal Reserve or the Fed‍—‌ central banking system of the United States. Founded:  Dec 23, 1913 ---------------------- ꕤ ---------------------- COMMENT If this guy is lobbying for taxation reform that involves hitting off-shore tax dodger companies, tax reform proposals must otherwise benefit his interests in some way (I've yet to read his pitch to congressmen or other related articles). Not sure what the deal is with 'tapping' Federal Reserve to finance federal spending is about.  America is hugely in debt already and owes the bankers.   So what's there to complain about by the Federal Reserve (which is bankers)?  That might be a look-up job.  Why are the Republicans pushing through the legislation with some fund that looks like it's been set up, when it is the 'conservatives' (presumably the Republicans) that were opposed to the legislation, in the first place? Where's the money coming from?   LOL ... I might have to do some reading. PS -- I highly doubt the billionaire, Icahn, 'largely stayed out of politics' as reported by WSJ.  More a case of remained behind the scenes or not as publicly prominent concerning politics, I would imagine. ꕤ