The measure was approved unanimously by the Commerce Committee, but never made it to the Senate floor. Under intense lobbying by the transportation industry, the bill fell victim to anonymous holds in the Senate. While McCain's measure stalled in the Senate, auto dealers were busy steering large contributions to elected officials and their parties.
Transportation has a political agenda that mirrors that of other major industries.
Given that Clinton vetoed a repeal of the tax last year, dealers had no doubt about which party to back. We'd like to see the estate tax repealed completely, which is the more Republican outlook. Ironically, auto dealers are also crusading for Senate Bill 1020, which would allow them to settle legal disputes with auto manufacturers in court rather than through mandatory arbitration. While most executives in the transportation industry supported the GOP, a few sided with the Democrats. Bert Boeckmann King Tut 96.