Former Treasury head to urge Congress to move on estate tax

Former Treasury Secretary Robert Rubin will join several others in calling on Congress to reinstate the estate tax before the August recess. 

The July 21 event will be hosted by United for a Fair Economy, which has been fighting to preserve the estate tax since 1999.

Rubin is expected to discuss his reasons for supporting a permanent estate tax fix.

Abigail Disney, the grandniece of Walt Disney, and Julian Robertson, founder of Tiger Management hedge funds, are expected to join Rubin in urging Congress to move on the estate tax.

Currently, the tax is repealed, but will return in 2011 to levels not seen since 2001. 

Sen. Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.) could introduce legislation that would reinstate the tax before 2011. He has recently said he will seek to amend the small-business jobs bill with an estate tax fix, assuming amendments are allowed on the bill.

The Senate is expected to take up the jobs bill when it returns from the July 4 recess.