[Congressional Bills 112th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 501 Introduced in House (IH)]

112th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 501

  Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives regarding any 
   final measure to extend the payroll tax holiday, extend Federally 
    funded unemployment insurance benefits, or prevent decreases in 
       reimbursement for physicians who provide care to Medicare 
                             beneficiaries.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           December 19, 2011

  Mr. Price of Georgia submitted the following resolution; which was 
  referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the 
     Committees on Energy and Commerce, House Administration, and 
  Transportation and Infrastructure, for a period to be subsequently 
   determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such 
 provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
  Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives regarding any 
   final measure to extend the payroll tax holiday, extend Federally 
    funded unemployment insurance benefits, or prevent decreases in 
       reimbursement for physicians who provide care to Medicare 
                             beneficiaries.

Whereas a two-month extension of the payroll tax cut instead of a full-year 
        extension would cause additional uncertainty and complexity for private-
        sector job creators already struggling in the current economy;
Whereas, on December 17, 2011, President Barack Obama said, ``It would be 
        inexcusable for Congress not to further extend this middle-class tax cut 
        for the rest of the year.'';
Whereas, on December 17, 2011, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi said, ``House 
        Democrats will return to Washington to take up this legislation without 
        delay, and we will keep up the fight to extend these provisions for a 
        full year.'';
Whereas, on December 17, 2011, House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer (D-MD): ``I'm 
        disappointed that Senate Republicans would not agree to a longer-term 
        extension of critical policies.'';
Whereas in 2011 working Americans received a temporary payroll tax rate 
        reduction which allowed the average family to keep $1,000 more of their 
        annual wages;
Whereas, on December 31, 2011, without action by the Congress, the temporary 
        payroll tax rate reduction will expire, leaving nearly 170 million 
        American workers with less disposable income as the economy continues to 
        struggle;
Whereas the imminent expiration of the temporary payroll tax rate reduction is 
        creating further uncertainty for families as well as employers who must 
        adjust withholding amounts from their employees' paychecks;
Whereas the Social Security Trust Fund is now running a cash deficit, and over 
        the next 75 years will require an additional $6.5 trillion to pay 
        scheduled benefits;
Whereas, on January 1, 2012, without Congressional action, Medicare physician 
        payments will be cut by 27.4 percent;
Whereas in order to preserve access to health care for the nation's seniors, two 
        years of stable Medicare payment rates would provide the most certainty 
        physicians have had since 2004;
Whereas a two-year period of stability would provide Congress time to develop a 
        long-term replacement to the Sustainable Growth Rate formula;
Whereas 13 million Americans remain unemployed and the unemployment rate has 
        been above eight percent for 34 consecutive months, the Congress should 
        enact needed reforms to ensure a fiscally responsible unemployment 
        insurance program;
Whereas H.R. 3630 as passed by the House provided a fully offset extension of 
        unemployment insurance benefits in line with previous periods of 
        economic duress and integrated common-sense reforms into the program, 
        including a requirement that benefit recipients search for work and 
        participate in reemployment services to help them get back to work;
Whereas construction of the Keystone XL pipeline from Hardisty, Alberta, to 
        Steele City, Nebraska, and to the United States Gulf Coast through 
        Cushing, Oklahoma, is a $7 billion energy project that will enhance the 
        energy security and economy of the United States;
Whereas the Keystone XL pipeline will create 20,000 direct jobs and 118,000 
        indirect jobs;
Whereas the Keystone XL pipeline has been subjected to three years of intensive 
        environmental review, and was deemed environmentally sound by the U.S. 
        Department of State in its August 26, 2011, Final Environmental Impact 
        Statement (FEIS);
Whereas Keystone XL pipeline legislation passed by the House and Senate would 
        allow the state of Nebraska to continue its environmental review of a 
        new pipeline route to avoid the Sand Hills region and the Ogallala 
        Aquifer;
Whereas H.R. 3630 as passed by the House will reduce the cost for employers to 
        purchase and place in service new equipment next year, and continued 
        expensing will serve as an incentive to make investments and foster 
        greater business investment and job creation;
Whereas EPA's new proposed rules for boilers would cost manufacturers, colleges 
        and universities, municipalities, and small businesses $15 billion and 
        put up to 240,000 jobs at risk;
Whereas significant concerns with EPA's new proposed rules cannot be adequately 
        addressed or remedied unless Congress passes legislation; and
Whereas the House of Representatives passed on October 13, 2011, by a vote of 
        275 to 142, with the support of 41 Democrats, legislation that would 
        overturn EPA's Boiler MACT rules and require the agency to re-propose 
        new rules in 15 months after date of enactment, with achievable 
        standards, and an extension of the compliance period from three years to 
        five years: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That it is the Sense of the House of Representatives that 
any final measure to extend the payroll tax holiday, extend Federally 
funded unemployment insurance benefits, or prevent decreases in 
reimbursement for physicians who provide care to Medicare 
beneficiaries--
            (1) extend the payroll tax holiday through December 31, 
        2012;
            (2) extend and reform Federally funded unemployment 
        insurance benefits;
            (3) eliminate for two years the dramatic cut in 
        reimbursement for physicians who provide care to Medicare 
        beneficiaries;
            (4) reduce spending from areas throughout the Federal 
        Government, including a freeze on congressional salaries, in 
        order to protect the Social Security Trust Fund, whose solvency 
        would otherwise be diminished as result of the payroll tax 
        holiday; and
            (5) provide immediate job creation through--
                    (A) final approval of the Keystone XL pipeline;
                    (B) expensing for capital assets placed in service 
                in 2012; and
                    (C) drafting new regulations for boilers that are 
                achievable and cost-effective.
                                 <all>