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Politics & Government

Edwards Teams Up With Bartlett on Tax Credit Bill

Democrat-led legislation failed last year; this year Fort Washington legislator enlists aid from Republican.

WASHINGTON — Rep. Donna Edwards teamed up with Rep. Roscoe Bartlett to push for tax relief in research and development, and manufacturing, which they say will both help curb unemployment and, in the long run, reduce the deficit.

Edwards, a Fort Washington Democrat, and Bartlett, a Buckeystown Republican, serve together on the Science and Technology Committee. They released the "21st Century Investment Act of 2011" Monday.

She sponsored a similar bill last year with four Democrats but it did not get out of the House Ways and Means Committee. Edwards, whose district includes about half of Montgomery County, and Bartlett are on opposite ends of the political spectrum.

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"We're really excited that Congressman Bartlett has come on the bill and we're excited to kind of promote this in Maryland and around the country in the next couple of months," Edwards spokesman Ben Gerdes said.

Lisa Wright, Bartlett's press secretary, said the bill would help make U.S. companies more competitive with those in other nations by reducing onerous tax burdens. She said that though it would seem to decrease tax revenues in the short-term, it would provide incentives for growth that would ultimately increase the tax base.

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"Income has to be generated before taxes can be paid to the government," Wright said. "Congressman Bartlett believes that if we have increased business activity and increased income for companies and their workers we will in fact be generating more revenue."
With the Democrats in charge of the Senate and Republicans in charge of the House, the budget battle may rage until the March 4 government shutdown deadline.

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