The Tobacco Tax Equity Act of 2021 Is a Blunt Instrument
The Tobacco Tax Equity Act of 2021 [1], introduced by U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Senate Finance Committee Chair Ron Wyden (D-OR), with U.S. Representative Raja Krishnamoorthi (IL-D-08), seeks to raise the federal tax on cigars, pipe tobacco, smokeless tobacco and alternative nicotine delivery systems (ANDS) to match the tax on combustible cigarettes.[i] [2] From a harm reduction perspective, this strategy is too blunt of an instrument.
Harm reduction recognizes that people will, inevitably, engage in behaviors that may be risky and seeks to provide alternatives that reduce the risk associated with these behaviors. A harm reduction approach to tobacco product taxation involves ensuring that taxation levels are proportionate to the health risks of the product. This creates an incentive for people to choose less harmful products. Since the Tobacco Tax Equity Act of 2021 seeks to equalize taxes on all tobacc
FDA authorizes Pfizer s Covid-19 shot for children 12 to 15
With Sarah Owermohle and Emily Martin.
On Tap Pfizer’s Covid-19 shot is authorized by FDA for children ages 12 to 15. FDA’s vaccine advisory panel will meet in June to discuss what data are needed for authorization of Covid shots for younger kids. Novavax pushes back the application timeline for its Covid vaccine.
It’s Tuesday, welcome back to Prescription Pulse. Please give a warm welcome to the newest additions to the Prescription Pulse roster: Lauren Gardner (@Gardner LM or [email protected]) and Katherine Ellen Foley (@katherineefoley or [email protected]). As always, also send tips to David Lim ([email protected] or @davidalim).
Press release
AIA praises proposed legislation aimed at easing & bolstering retirement planning for architects
WASHINGTON – May 5,
2021 – The
American Institute of Architects (AIA) commends Senate Finance Committee Chair
Ron Wyden, (D-OR), Rep. Darin LaHood, (R-IL), and Rep. Danny Davis, (D-IL), on
the recent reintroduction of The Retirement Parity for Student Loans Act.
The proposed legislation, H.R.2917, allows employers to make matching
contributions to a 401(k)-retirement plan when their employees make student
loan repayments. Under this proposal, recent graduates who cannot afford to
save money while making their student loan repayments would no longer have to
forego the employer match.
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As President Joe Biden works to sell his $4.1 trillion plans for infrastructure and safety-net programs and the tax hikes on corporations and the wealthy that he proposes to help pay for them Republicans are looking to set the terms for upcoming negotiations.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) said Monday that Biden isn’t likely to get any Republican support for his current spending proposals.
“I think it s worth talking about but I don t think there will be any Republican support none, zero for the $4.1 trillion grab bag that has infrastructure in it but a whole lot of other stuff,” McConnell said at a press conference at the University of Louisville.