Washington, D.C. – October 8, 2009 – (RealEstateRama) — Alaskan Congressman Don Young voted yes today on H.R. 3590, the Service Members Home Ownership Tax Act and H.R. 1016, the Veterans Health Care Budget Reform and Transparency Act, both of which he cosponsored.
“These are very important bills for Alaska,” said Rep. Young. “As it currently stands, Alaskans serving overseas can not take advantage of the first-time homebuyer tax credit which was supposed to be available to all citizens. H.R. 3590 will allow members of the Armed Forces serving overseas to rightly benefit from this tax credit. These are two good, sound bills that aid our nation’s veterans, and provide them with better access to the medical and economic support they are entitled to and deserve. As a former veteran myself, it is my priority to make sure that Alaska’s veterans are well-cared for and I am proud to be a part of these bills.”
· H.R. 3590 seeks to modify the first-time homebuyer’s credit in the case of members of the Armed Forces and other Federal employees. This legislation will extend the first-time homebuyer credit time limit by one year for military members, members of the Foreign Service and members of the intelligence community serving outside of the United States in 2009. This extension will allow those members currently serving overseas to take advantage of a tax credit offered to all citizens by the Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008. H.R. 3590 also waives the recapture of the homeowner tax credit for service members who are reassigned on government orders within three years of purchasing their first home.
· H.R. 1016 will provide advance appropriation authority for medical care accounts within the Department of Veterans Affairs. This legislation requires the inclusion of budget estimates for certain Veterans Affairs accounts, as well as an annual report regarding the adequacy of resources for the provision of medical care services for the upcoming fiscal year. H.R. 1016 will also ensure that the Government Accountability Office (GAO) conducts a study of the adequacy and accuracy of budget projections made by the VA’s Enrollee Health Care Projection Model.
