John Ensign: “I rise to talk about an amendment Senator Kerry and I will be offering as an amendment to the small business jobs bill.…”

“I rise to talk about an amendment Senator Kerry and I will be offering as an amendment to the small business jobs bill. This amendment is to correct something we do not want the IRS enforcing right now. Senator Kerry and I have 72 Members who have cosponsored our bill that we will be offering as an amendment. There is overwhelming bipartisan support for this. I thank Chairman Baucus and Ranking Member Grassley for committing to work with Senator Kerry and myself to get this issue addressed. The need for the amendment is based on a little-noticed provision that was added in 1989. It has to do with cell phones and similar devices that are treated as what the IRS has known as 'listed property,' along with computers and automobiles. As a result, employees and employers must keep detailed records of all calls made on their employer-issued cell phones, indicating whether they are personal or business related, or have the value of the phone included as taxable income. This law is a good example of the Government attempting to micromanage the economy and why they shouldn't.”