Full Plate of Fall Tax Legislation to Study

As the Senate returns in the aftermath of Katrina, the Senate Finance Committee faces a docket which includes estate tax reform, reconciliation of presently passed (in one house) legislation, technical corrections, piecemeal extensions of some prior tax cut provisions and new restrictions on tax-exempt organizations. Senate Majority Leader Frist and Finance Chairman Grassley have already quibbled on the estate tax and Grassley and House Ways and Means Chair Thomas do not see eye to eye on reconciling legislation with Grassley prefering a pragmatic "get it done now" approach and Thomas wanting more structural legislation. Speaking of Ways and Means, a spokeswoman indicated that the agenda had not been fully set there.