[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 53 (Thursday, April 15, 2010)]
[House]
[Pages H2615-H2620]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
CONTINUING EXTENSION ACT OF 2010
Mr. LEVIN. Mr. Speaker, pursuant to the order of the House of today,
I call up the bill (H.R. 4851) to provide a temporary extension of
certain programs, and for other purposes, with the Senate amendment
thereto, and ask for its immediate consideration.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Clerk will designate the Senate
amendment.
The text of the Senate amendment is as follows:
Senate amendment:
Strike all after the enacting clause and insert the
following:
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Continuing Extension Act of
2010''.
SEC. 2. EXTENSION OF UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE PROVISIONS.
(a) In General.--(1) Section 4007 of the Supplemental
Appropriations Act, 2008 (Public Law 110-252; 26 U.S.C. 3304
note) is amended--
(A) by striking ``April 5, 2010'' each place it appears and
inserting ``June 2, 2010'';
(B) in the heading for subsection (b)(2), by striking
``april 5, 2010'' and inserting ``june 2, 2010''; and
(C) in subsection (b)(3), by striking ``September 4, 2010''
and inserting ``November 6, 2010''.
(2) Section 2002(e) of the Assistance for Unemployed
Workers and Struggling Families Act, as contained in Public
Law 111-5 (26 U.S.C. 3304 note; 123 Stat. 438), is amended--
(A) in paragraph (1)(B), by striking ``April 5, 2010'' and
inserting ``June 2, 2010'';
(B) in the heading for paragraph (2), by striking ``april
5, 2010'' and inserting ``june 2, 2010''; and
(C) in paragraph (3), by striking ``October 5, 2010'' and
inserting ``December 7, 2010''.
(3) Section 2005 of the Assistance for Unemployed Workers
and Struggling Families Act, as contained in Public Law 111-5
(26 U.S.C. 3304 note; 123 Stat. 444), is amended--
(A) by striking ``April 5, 2010'' each place it appears and
inserting ``June 2, 2010''; and
(B) in subsection (c), by striking ``September 4, 2010''
and inserting ``November 6, 2010''.
(4) Section 5 of the Unemployment Compensation Extension
Act of 2008 (Public Law 110-449; 26 U.S.C. 3304 note) is
amended by striking ``September 4, 2010'' and inserting
``November 6, 2010''.
(b) Funding.--Section 4004(e)(1) of the Supplemental
Appropriations Act, 2008 (Public Law 110-252; 26 U.S.C. 3304
note) is amended--
(1) in subparagraph (C), by striking ``and'' at the end;
(2) by inserting after subparagraph (D) the following new
subparagraph:
``(E) the amendments made by section 2(a)(1) of the
Continuing Extension Act of 2010; and''.
(c) Effective Date.--The amendments made by this section
shall take effect as if included in the enactment of the
Temporary Extension Act of 2010 (Public Law 111-144).
SEC. 3. EXTENSION AND IMPROVEMENT OF PREMIUM ASSISTANCE FOR
COBRA BENEFITS.
(a) Extension of Eligibility Period.--Subsection (a)(3)(A)
of section 3001 of division B of the American Recovery and
Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5), as amended by
section 3(a) of the Temporary Extension Act of 2010 (Public
Law 111-144), is amended by striking ``March 31, 2010'' and
inserting ``May 31, 2010''.
(b) Rules Relating to 2010 Extension.--Subsection (a) of
section 3001 of division B of the American Recovery and
Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5), as amended by
section 3(b) of the Temporary Extension Act of 2010 (Public
Law 111-144), is amended by adding at the end the following:
``(18) Rules related to april and may 2010 extension.--In
the case of an individual who, with regard to coverage
described in paragraph (10)(B), experiences a qualifying
event related to a termination of employment on or after
April 1, 2010 and prior to the date of the enactment of this
paragraph, rules similar to those in paragraphs (4)(A) and
(7)(C) shall apply with respect to all continuation coverage,
including State continuation coverage programs.''.
(c) Effective Date.--The amendments made by this section
shall take effect as if included in the provisions of section
3001 of division B of the American Recovery and Reinvestment
Act of 2009.
SEC. 4. INCREASE IN THE MEDICARE PHYSICIAN PAYMENT UPDATE.
Paragraph (10) of section 1848(d) of the Social Security
Act, as added by section 1011(a) of the Department of Defense
Appropriations Act, 2010 (Public Law 111-118) and as amended
by section 5 of the Temporary Extension Act of 2010 (Public
Law 111-144), is amended--
(1) in subparagraph (A), by striking ``March 31, 2010'' and
inserting ``May 31, 2010''; and
(2) in subparagraph (B), by striking ``April 1, 2010'' and
inserting ``June 1, 2010''.
SEC. 5. EHR CLARIFICATION.
(a) Qualification for Clinic-based Physicians.--
(1) Medicare.--Section 1848(o)(1)(C)(ii) of the Social
Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395w-4(o)(1)(C)(ii)) is amended by
striking ``setting (whether inpatient or outpatient)'' and
inserting ``inpatient or emergency room setting''.
(2) Medicaid.--Section 1903(t)(3)(D) of the Social Security
Act (42 U.S.C. 1396b(t)(3)(D)) is amended by striking
``setting (whether inpatient or outpatient)'' and inserting
``inpatient or emergency room setting''.
(b) Effective Date.--The amendments made by subsection (a)
shall be effective as if included in the enactment of the
HITECH Act (included in the American Recovery and
Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5)).
(c) Implementation.--Notwithstanding any other provision of
law, the Secretary of Health and Human Services may implement
the amendments made by this section by program instruction or
otherwise.
SEC. 6. EXTENSION OF USE OF 2009 POVERTY GUIDELINES.
Section 1012 of the Department of Defense Appropriations
Act, 2010 (Public Law 111-118), as amended by section 7 of
the Temporary Extension Act of 2010 (Public Law 111-144), is
amended by striking ``March 31, 2010'' and inserting ``May
31, 2010''.
SEC. 7. EXTENSION OF NATIONAL FLOOD INSURANCE PROGRAM.
(a) Extension.--Section 129 of the Continuing
Appropriations Resolution, 2010 (Public Law 111-68), as
amended by section 8 of Public Law 111-144, is amended by
striking ``by substituting'' and all that follows through the
period at the end and inserting ``by substituting May 31,
2010, for the date specified in each such section.''.
(b) Effective Date.--The amendments made by subsection (a)
shall be considered to have taken effect on February 28,
2010.
SEC. 8. COMPENSATION AND RATIFICATION OF AUTHORITY RELATED TO
LAPSE IN HIGHWAY PROGRAMS.
(a) Compensation for Federal Employees.--Any Federal
employees furloughed as a result of the lapse in expenditure
authority from the Highway Trust Fund after 11:59 p.m. on
February 28, 2010, through March 2, 2010, shall be
compensated for the period of that lapse at their standard
rates of compensation, as determined under policies
established by the Secretary of Transportation.
(b) Ratification of Essential Actions.--All actions taken
by Federal employees, contractors, and grantees for the
purposes of maintaining the essential level of Government
operations, services, and activities to protect life and
property and to bring about orderly termination of Government
functions during the lapse in expenditure authority from the
Highway Trust Fund after 11:59 p.m. on February 28, 2010,
through March 2, 2010, are hereby ratified and approved if
otherwise in accord with the provisions of the Continuing
Appropriations Resolution, 2010 (division B of Public Law
111-68).
(c) Funding.--Funds used by the Secretary to compensate
employees described in subsection (a) shall be derived from
funds previously authorized out of the Highway Trust Fund and
made available or limited to the Department of Transportation
by the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2010 (Public Law 111-
117) and shall be subject to the obligation limitations
established in such Act.
(d) Expenditures From Highway Trust Fund.--To permit
expenditures from the Highway Trust Fund to effectuate the
purposes of
[[Page H2616]]
this section, this section shall be deemed to be a section of
the Continuing Appropriations Resolution, 2010 (division B of
Public Law 111-68), as in effect on the date of the enactment
of the last amendment to such Resolution.
SEC. 9. SATELLITE TELEVISION EXTENSION.
(a) Amendments to Section 119 of Title 17, United States
Code.--
(1) In general.--Section 119 of title 17, United States
Code, is amended--
(A) in subsection (c)(1)(E), by striking ``April 30, 2010''
and inserting ``May 31, 2010''; and
(B) in subsection (e), by striking ``April 30, 2010'' and
inserting ``May 31, 2010''.
(2) Termination of license.--Section 1003(a)(2)(A) of
Public Law 111-118 is amended by striking ``April 30, 2010'',
and inserting ``May 31, 2010''.
(b) Amendments to Communications Act of 1934.--Section
325(b) of the Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 325(b))
is amended--
(1) in paragraph (2)(C), by striking ``April 30, 2010'' and
inserting ``May 31, 2010''; and
(2) in paragraph (3)(C), by striking ``May 1, 2010'' each
place it appears in clauses (ii) and (iii) and inserting
``June 1, 2010''.
SEC. 10. EXTENSION OF SMALL BUSINESS LOAN GUARANTEE PROGRAM.
(a) Appropriation.--There is appropriated, out of any funds
in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, $80,000,000, for
an additional amount for ``Small Business Administration--
Business Loans Program Account'', to remain available until
expended, for the cost of fee reductions and eliminations
under section 501 of division A of the American Recovery and
Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5; 123 Stat. 151)
and loan guarantees under section 502 of division A of the
American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law
111-5; 123 Stat. 152), as amended by this section: Provided,
That such costs shall be as defined in section 502 of the
Congressional Budget Act of 1974.
(b) Extension of Sunset Date.--Section 502(f) of division A
of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public
Law 111-5; 123 Stat. 153) is amended by striking ``April 30,
2010'' and inserting ``May 31, 2010''.
SEC. 11. SENSE OF THE SENATE REGARDING A VALUE ADDED TAX.
It is the sense of the Senate that the Value Added Tax is a
massive tax increase that will cripple families on fixed
income and only further push back America's economic recovery
and the Senate opposes a Value Added Tax.
SEC. 12. DETERMINATION OF BUDGETARY EFFECTS.
(a) In General.--The budgetary effects of this Act, for the
purpose of complying with the Statutory Pay-As-You-Go Act of
2010, shall be determined by reference to the latest
statement titled ``Budgetary Effects of PAYGO Legislation''
for this Act, submitted for printing in the Congressional
Record by the Chairman of the Senate Budget Committee,
provided that such statement has been submitted prior to the
vote on passage.
(b) Emergency Designation for Congressional Enforcement.--
This Act, with the exception of section 4, is designated as
an emergency for purposes of pay-as-you-go principles. In the
Senate, this Act is designated as an emergency requirement
pursuant to section 403(a) of S. Con. Res. 13 (111th
Congress), the concurrent resolution on the budget for fiscal
year 2010.
(c) Emergency Designation for Statutory PAYGO.--This Act,
with the exception of section 4, is designated as an
emergency requirement pursuant to section 4(g) of the
Statutory Pay-As-You-Go Act of 2010 (Public Law 111-139; 2
U.S.C. 933(g)).
Motion to Concur
Mr. LEVIN. Mr. Speaker, I offer a motion.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Clerk will report the motion.
The Clerk read as follows:
Mr. Levin moves that the House concur in the Senate
amendment.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the order of the House of today,
the motion shall be debatable for 1 hour, equally divided and
controlled by the chair and ranking minority member of the Committee on
Ways and Means.
The gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Levin) and the gentleman from Texas
(Mr. Brady) each will control 30 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Michigan.
General Leave
Mr. LEVIN. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that Members have 5
legislative days to revise and extend their remarks.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Michigan?
There was no objection.
Mr. LEVIN. Mr. Speaker, I now yield myself as much time as I may
consume.
Mr. Speaker, actually, this issue can be stated very succinctly, very
briefly and, I think, very compellingly. We now have 6\1/2\ million
unemployed workers who have been looking for a new job for over 6
months. That's twice the numbered of long-term unemployed compared to
any other time on record before this recession. I repeat, twice the
number of long-term unemployed compared to any other time on record
before this recession.
Furthermore, under both Democrats and Republicans, we have routinely
considered extended unemployment benefits emergency spending, and we've
passed extensions before in this House by voice vote. And yet, in the
other body, Republicans blocked assistance to these jobless workers and
to their families. They claimed their opposition was rooted in concern
about the deficit.
Well, just briefly saying what that's all about, in the past, those
who now raise this issue have presided over increases in the deficit,
paying for tax cuts, paying for the Iraq war, paying for other
programs, passing them without paying for them at all.
{time} 1915
So, in a word, we should now rise together and pass this bill. The
unemployed people of this country are waiting. Those looking for work
when there are no jobs available are waiting for action by this House.
At long last, the Senate has acted, and I'm hopeful that we'll be able
to reach beyond partisan divide, beyond partisan rhetoric and pass this
bill with a strong, strong bipartisan vote.
The unemployed people of this country deserve it. They're looking to
this House. And those who talk about balancing budgets who have not
balanced them in the past should not be now trying to do so on the
backs of hundreds of thousands of unemployed in our beloved country.
I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. BRADY of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself so much time as I may
consume.
Mr. Speaker, I support American workers and families, and that is why
I must oppose the legislation before us that would heap another $18
billion onto the dangerous deficits this Congress has already amassed
and that American workers will ultimately be made to pay for in the
coming years. On this Tax Day, as an overburdened Nation staggering
under dangerous deficits, we need to send this bill back to the drawing
board and return with legislation that is paid for that will not create
more debt, that will help create more jobs instead of economic
uncertainty and, ultimately, more job losses.
The legislation before us would extend for another 2 months special
Federal spending programs that today allow unemployed workers to
collect up to 99 weeks of benefits in most States. That is nearly 2
years of unemployment checks today which are by far an all-time U.S.
record. That compares with a total of up to 26 weeks of benefits
payable in almost all States during normal times.
We all want to help unemployed workers who are frustrated by a White
House who has taken their eye off the economic ball. They're frustrated
by this Congress that has sought an extreme agenda rather than focusing
on jobs. But it is impossible to ignore the fact that those extra 73
weeks of Federal benefits paid today, a full 17 months courtesy of
Federal taxpayers, come at an enormous price.
In all, this bill would add $18 billion--that is more than the size
of the entire NASA budget--add that to this year's trillion dollar
deficit, including $13 billion more for the unemployment benefits it
would extend. That is on top of the approximately $100 billion spent so
far on these programs; and, if extended for the remainder of this year
as we expect, another $50 billion more would be added to the national
debt.
None of this has or will be paid for. In fact, the Federal
unemployment account has long since been bankrupted; yet we continue to
spend, and now are being bailed out with general revenues. And who will
bail out general revenues when they run out? Taxpayers, through more
taxes and more general revenues the government extracts from them.
So far in the past year and 2 months since the President has been in
office, taxpayers are paying $2,100 more per individual because of $670
billion in new tax increases. And if President Obama's budget is
approved by the Democratic Congress, we will heap almost $3 trillion
more on American taxpayers. And what's sad, again, is that we continue
to heap debt without any opportunity, without any promise that is kept
to pay for them.
When our Democrat friends took office, they promised they would pay
for the wars, pay for the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, but not a dime
yet. They
[[Page H2617]]
promised they would balance the budget. Today we see trillion dollar
deficits as far as the eye can see. They enacted PAYGO and said we're
going to pay for all new spending, but as this bill today shows,
they've done nothing of that and, in fact, have invented extravagant
loopholes, declared anything an emergency simply as an excuse to
continue spending. And, of course, they promised to curb earmarks. In
fact, eliminating earmarks could nearly pay for this bill, but they've
not kept that promise either.
Mr. Speaker, we can do better than this. What unemployed workers
really want are jobs and paychecks, not almost 2 years of unemployment
checks and more massive debt for our country. Unfortunately, jobs are
something Democrats in this Congress have been totally incapable of
delivering.
Instead of creating 3.7 million jobs as promised, their stimulus bill
was followed by 3 million more job losses. Instead of holding
unemployment under 8 percent as promised, it soared to nearly 10
percent and remains close to that today.
Sixteen million Americans are unemployed, including record numbers
for over a year. In fact, the White House promised, if you passed the
stimulus, 90 percent of the new jobs we create would be in the private
sector. The opposite is true. The private sector has lost 3.7 million
jobs, but government jobs have been created--almost 300,000. So the
people who are getting these unemployment benefits are the ones whose
promises have not been kept by this White House and this Democrat
Congress.
We need to start over and actually start paying for new spending,
starting with this bill. The only way to do that is to defeat this bill
and bring it back in a paid-for fashion.
But beyond that, Mr. Speaker, we also need to do the things that
really help create jobs for workers. We can start by stopping
frightening the job creators; businesses who are delaying important
rehiring decisions, investment decisions, frightened by all of the new
taxes proposed in Congress, the new health care mandates, the rising
energy taxes, the talk of new regulations. We have to stop frightening
consumers who know that, ultimately, they'll be relied on to pay this
terrible debt.
We need to reward innovation and small business job creation through
lower taxes and support for innovation, and we need to pursue free
trade agreements that find new customers for American workers and
American companies. That is why, Mr. Speaker, we must send this bill
back and make it paid for, and stop punishing American workers and
families.
I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. LEVIN. I yield myself 30 seconds.
Once again, the party of ``no'' has spoken. Every jobs bill that has
come before us they have voted ``no.'' When the President came to
power, we were losing 779,000 jobs a month. The last month we gained
162,000 jobs. The people of this country deserve more than a ``no,''
another ``no'' from the party of ``no.''
I now yield 3 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from the State
of Washington who is chairman of the subcommittee, Mr. McDermott.
Mr. McDERMOTT. Mr. Speaker, my good friend from Texas, I couldn't
have asked for a better setup man for a straight man because, I dare
say, there are many Members at one time or another who had something to
say hypocritical either on the floor or on the campaign trail. But I
don't ever recall the blatant hypocrisy behind the cornerstone of an
argument to deny benefits to hundreds of thousands of people who have
lost their jobs through no fault of their own, that is, until the
recent debate about extending unemployment benefits.
The Senate Republicans, and now my House Republican colleagues, have
cut off unemployment benefits for hundreds of thousands of jobless
Americans for the last 2 weeks because they say they're upset about the
budget deficit. Isn't that something. They claim we can't afford to
help the unemployed unless the cost of these benefits is offset, even
though Congress has routinely considered such benefits to be emergency
spending which doesn't require offsets.
Maybe my mind is failing, I don't know, but I don't remember these
concerns coming up from our Republican colleagues when there was
discussion about the $1 trillion cost of the wars in Afghanistan and
Iraq, not a penny of which was offset. President Bush never asked for
any sacrifice from the American people. He said, We can just go out and
fight a war and it will be paid for sometime when I'm not here. I also
don't recall any Republicans expressing concern about the nearly $2
billion spent on two successive tax cuts that went mainly to the
wealthy. That is why you will have to forgive me if I seem a little
frustrated that Republicans have miraculously discovered fiscal
responsibility. I don't know. They must have turned over a rock
somewhere.
When they're talking about unemployment benefits, they suddenly worry
about paying for it. A measly $18 billion. President Bush put us $3
trillion in debt, and now they're worrying about $18 billion. They were
happy to help their President turn the biggest surplus in our Nation's
history into the biggest deficit in our Nation's history, but now when
it comes to help the unemployed workers and their families, Senate
Republicans say we just can't afford to do it. So they delayed and
obstructed the bill for weeks until the Senate finally cleared the
Republican filibuster earlier this evening.
We're here tonight to pass that bill to provide an extension through
May for a number of programs that are expiring at the end of the month,
including Federal unemployment insurance. We're going to take another
one of these votes in June.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The time of the gentleman has expired.
Mr. LEVIN. I yield the gentleman an additional 1 minute.
Mr. McDERMOTT. We will be back here on June 1 going through this same
charade all over again. We will hear about the terrible budget
deficits. But the people who are unemployed and can't buy food to put
it on the table, they're not listening to you people.
The benefits under this bill will be retroactive, so unemployed
workers who were cut off during the last 2 weeks will receive
compensation. That is the least we can do for those who have lost their
job through no fault of their own.
Six weeks from now, as I say, we will be back to continue this again.
We will be pushing for a much longer extension of Federal unemployment
programs to ensure that jobless Americans are not continually held
hostage every month to the Republicans and their hypocrisy.
I was recently reading an article about a man who was laid off. He
had an MBA. He played by the rules, made a good living, but it was
taking him many months to find work. He said, For someone that is
unemployed right now, you need to turn off the news. It will affect the
positive attitude you need to have. You've got to be positive, because
it's not easy.''
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The time of the gentleman has again expired.
Mr. LEVIN. I yield the gentleman an additional 1 minute.
Mr. McDERMOTT. Americans can't stomach this Republican hypocrisy
anymore. And I sincerely hope that when the unemployed go to vote in
this election, they remember the attitude of the Republicans toward
them when they were in need, because maybe then the Republicans will
get the message.
Mr. BRADY of Texas. I yield myself 30 seconds.
I would remind people the Democratic Congress handed President Obama
a trillion dollar deficit, eight times larger than Republicans when we
held this Congress. The stimulus bill alone was larger than the Iraq
and Afghanistan wars. And, unfortunately, only 6 percent of Americans
feel the stimulus has helped create jobs in America. What a terrible
waste.
With that, I would yield 3 minutes to the distinguished gentleman
from Kansas (Mr. Moran).
Mr. MORAN of Kansas. Today is April 15, Tax Day, and across the
country citizens concerned with the direction our Nation is headed are
rallying together to send Washington, D.C., a message. Though I was
unable to join the people at these rallies, it is my duty to be here in
the House of Representatives today to share their message and to speak
and to vote against this bill.
First, this bill is shortsighted because it increases the deficit by
$18 billion, a cost to be paid for by future
[[Page H2618]]
generations. This Congress has spent and borrowed its way into record
deficits.
Second, the so-called doc fix in this bill is an example of Congress
avoiding real solutions necessary to improve health care for Americans.
The short-term doc fix included in this bill is hardly a fix when
Kansas hospitals and doctors have to endure this wait-and-see game
every few months while still working to care for folks and keep their
doors open. We need a permanent solution to this ongoing problem so
that doctors can regain a sense of stability and predictability in
their practices.
And thirdly, despite its intention, this bill does little to address
our country's persistent high unemployment rate. Rather than continuing
to spend money we do not have, Congress needs to pursue a strategy of
job creation. This legislation is yet another unfortunate example of
``business as usual'' in our Nation's capital; same old story from a
Congress that needs to learn its lessons from the American people, a
story told one more time on this Tax Day, April 15.
Mr. LEVIN. I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. BRADY of Texas. I yield myself as much time as I may consume for
closing remarks.
{time} 1930
Mr. Speaker, if the Democrat stimulus plan had worked as promised, we
wouldn't be here tonight. If we had really created 3.7 million new
jobs, as President Obama promised, as this Democrat Congress promised,
these programs would have phased out already. Instead, we witness
another 3 million Americans sitting home tonight without a job.
If the unemployment rate were 7.4 percent and falling as Democrats
promised, these programs would be phased out, and we would be
celebrating job creation. Instead, unemployment is near 10 percent and
will remain at that level for more than a year. Consider that when the
other side says we have to extend unemployment benefits to reduce
unemployment, we have to extend unemployment to reduce unemployment.
Consider that when the other side claims that Vice President Biden once
said we have to spend money to keep from going bankrupt. We have to
raise health care costs to reduce health care costs.
Well, we have done the stimulus and spent and spent and spent and
added trillions of dollars to this dangerous American debt. Meanwhile,
we are 6 million jobs short of where Democrats promised we would be. It
hasn't worked. It's time to stop the madness. It's time to stop the
spending. Defeat this bill and bring back legislation that will
actually create jobs, not add to our Nation's horrible debt.
I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. LEVIN. Mr. Speaker, I close, quoting a woman who spoke to my
office today from Eastpointe, Michigan. She was laid off from a large
accounting firm, and she says, ``I was there for 2\1/2\ years. The firm
let me go because they had some clients who closed shop because of the
economy the way it is. It was nothing I did. I received a raise every
year I was there. I've been unemployed ever since. That was the end of
May of last year, 2009.
``Without unemployment, we'd be in a lot of trouble. I'd probably
lose my car.''
Mr. Speaker, holding unemployed Americans, hundreds of thousands of
them, like this woman, hostage to score what some think may be
political points I think is reprehensible.
Ms. JACKSON LEE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of Senate
Amendment to H.R. 4851, the Continuing Extension Act, to extend a range
of programs.
On March 17, the House passed H.R. 4851, emergency legislation that
would extend a range of programs that unfortunately expired. These
programs included: unemployment benefits; help with health insurance
for the unemployed, COBRA; the highway bill; satellite TV; delay in the
cut in Medicare physician payments; flood insurance; and small business
loan guarantees. We passed this emergency legislation in the House, but
Republican Senator Jim Bunning single-handedly blocked passage of this
emergency measure, despite the critical needs of millions of families
across the United States during this economic downturn.
As a result, a 2-day shutdown of these programs that jeopardized
unemployment benefits for more than 1 million Americans and furloughed
thousands of highway and transit workers. This bill compensates
Transportation Department employees who were furloughed during the
lapse in the Federal highway, highway and motor carrier safety, and
public transit programs. Unfortunately, Republican Senator Coburn has
now put a hold on H.R. 4786, which passed the House by voice vote last
week, to address this problem for transportation workers.
The following programs are now being extended:
Unemployment Insurance: Extends unemployment benefits, including the
increased payouts and longer duration of benefits from the Recovery Act
through May 5.
Help with Health Insurance for Unemployed Workers, COBRA: Extends
eligibility for the COBRA health insurance 65 percent subsidy for
people who have lost their jobs through April 30.
Medicare Physician Payments: Extends current Medicare payment rates
for physicians, preventing a 21 percent payment reduction, through
April 30, 2010.
Flood Insurance: Extends the National Flood Insurance Program
authorization through April 30.
Satellite Television: Extends the compulsory copyright license used
by satellite television providers through April 30, 2010.
Compensation for Furloughed Employees: Provides compensation for
federal employees furloughed during March 1 and 2 as the result of the
lapse in expenditure authority from the Highway Trust Fund.
Medicare Therapy Caps Exceptions: Extends exceptions process for
beneficiary payment limits on outpatient therapy services through April
30, 2010.
Poverty Guidelines: Extends current provision maintaining 2009
poverty guidelines through April 30, 2010, to prevent a lowering of the
poverty line due to deflation in 2009.
This bill is the right thing to do. We still need to do more to put
jobs in the hands of Americans. Unemployment in the Houston-Sugar Land-
Baytown region climbed to 5.4 percent in October, according to a recent
report from the Texas Workforce Commission. There were 152,300 people
without jobs during the month out of a total civilian labor force of
about 2.8 million, compared with 144,200 people, or 5.1 percent,
unemployed out of a civilian labor force of 2.8 million in September,
according to the TWC. The unemployment rate in October was up from 4
percent a year ago. Getting all Americans back to work is, and should
be our number one priority.
Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to join my colleagues in doing the
right thing for the American people in these challenging economic
times. We owe that to the people whom we are sent here to serve.
Mr. CONYERS. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 4851, the
``Continuing Extension Act of 2010.'' Earlier today, the Senate passed
this critically important measure, which will provide short term
extensions to several lapsed programs, including extended unemployment
benefits and COBRA health insurance subsidies. The bill also ensures
that physicians who care for Medicare patients will not suffer a
debilitating cut in their reimbursement rates, which could potentially
cause them to cease providing care.
We pass these needed and humane extensions tonight to ease the pain
being felt by our fellow citizens around the country. I sincerely hope
this is the last time we are forced to cut off this social lifeline
because of the dilatory tactics of Senate Republicans. Food, shelter,
and health care are too important to be subjected to petty political
battles. I encourage all my colleagues to support the bill.
Mr. STARK. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the Senate amendments to
H.R. 4851, the Continuing Extension Act of 2010. As its title suggests,
this bill continues a number of vital programs affecting people's
health and economic wellbeing. It deserves strong bipartisan support.
I'd like to highlight several key components.
On the economic front, the legislation will ensure that hundreds of
thousands of workers can maintain their unemployment benefits by
extending and fully funding both the Emergency Unemployment
Compensation and Extended Benefits programs for an additional 2 months.
It also continues the $25 per week supplementary payment for all
unemployment recipients.
With regard to health care, this legislation will continue the
temporary COBRA premium assistance program through May 31 of this year.
This program was created in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act
and provides a 65 percent COBRA premium subsidy for workers who have
been involuntarily terminated. The subsidy is available for up to 15
months. This program has allowed workers who've lost their jobs during
the recession to maintain their families' health insurance as they
search for new employment. It is an important program and I am pleased
to support this extension. I also look forward to pursuing legislation
to extend this program through the end of the year.
[[Page H2619]]
The bill also protects Medicare for our senior citizens and people
with disabilities by forestalling a 21 percent payment cut to Medicare
physicians. Passage of this bill provides a reprieve until the end of
May, but isn't a long term solution.
With regard to Medicare physician payments, the House passed
legislation late last year that would have permanently solved our
ongoing dilemma with the sustainable growth rate, SGR, physician
payment formula in Medicare. Our legislation, H.R. 3961, would have
created a new formula that emphasized primary care and encouraged
physicians to join together in accountable care organizations to
provide more efficient higher quality care.
I am committed to continuing to work with my colleagues in Congress,
the Administration, and the physician community to eliminate the SGR
and move to a revised payment formula that ensures that physicians are
fairly compensated and enhances quality and efficiency in Medicare.
These programs are too important to let a few Republican Senators
hold them hostage month by month. I urge my colleagues to vote yes to
extend these vital programs now and to work with us on a bipartisan
basis for longer term solution on them all.
Mr. CAMP. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this bill, despite its
obvious shortcomings.
On March 17, the House approved the prior version of this bill, which
would have extended Federal unemployment, COBRA and related benefits,
plus the Medicare ``doc fix,'' through the month of April.
Everyone in this town knew those benefits and programs were poised to
expire at the end of March if Congress failed to act. But because
Senate Democrats refused to pay for a 1 month extension and House
Democrats refused to pay for even a 1 week extension, hundreds of
thousands have missed an unemployment benefit payment, among other
painful effects.
Now that the Senate has finally acted, we are considering a bill to
extend these programs, yet again. Only this time, the extension is not
just for 1 month, but 2. Predictably, this will add twice as much to
the already massive deficit--$18 billion instead of $9 billion.
Unfortunately, efforts in the Senate to add offsets, so that these
important provisions do not add to the deficit, were defeated. And,
disappointingly, as it has continued to do in recent months, the House
is debating this bill today under procedures which do not even allow us
to offer a paid-for alternative.
In the past, I have consistently voted for bills extending
unemployment benefits. I will reluctantly vote for this bill today,
because voting yes is the only way to continue these important benefits
for laid off workers in my State, where the unemployment rate is a
staggering 14 percent.
Simply put, we should not punish those workers for the failure of the
Congress to find a way to pay for the extension of these benefits.
Similarly, we shouldn't punish seniors, who risk losing access to
doctors if we don't reverse the 21 percent cut in the physician fee
schedule that took effect at the start of this month. We all knew this
cut was coming, yet for the second time in as many months, the
Democrats' failure to act allowed this cut to go into place.
But everyone should know this bill is far removed from what we really
should be doing. What we should really be doing is paying for the new
spending we approved, instead of simply adding it onto our already
overcharged national credit card.
In the longer run, we all know that unemployed workers and their
families need something more than another round of extended
unemployment benefits. Most of all they need jobs. And jobs are
something this majority has been totally incapable of producing.
A little over a year ago, Democrats promised their trillion-dollar
stimulus plan would create 3.7 million jobs. Yet that bill was followed
by 3 million more job losses. Unemployment rose to 10 percent instead
of the 8 percent peak the other side promised. And now 16 million
Americans are unemployed, with millions out of work for over a year,
both all-time records.
They deserve our help, but they also deserve a job and a country not
sinking ever deeper into debt.
Mr. Speaker, the American people are generous. And they know that
these continued unemployment benefits--especially in areas of the
country where jobs are scarce--are important. But they also deserve a
Congress that acts responsibly.
It is too late to add offsets to this bill, and I am not prepared to
vote against it for that shortcoming, since it would further hurt many
who are most in need of our help. But the next time we deal with this
issue, Members need to have a real choice so that we can help workers
without hurting future taxpayers by driving up the debt by tens of
billions of dollars.
Mr. LEVIN. I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. All time for debate has expired.
Pursuant to the order of the House of today, the previous question is
ordered.
The question is on the motion by the gentleman from Michigan (Mr.
Levin).
The question was taken; and the Speaker pro tempore announced that
the ayes appeared to have it.
Recorded Vote
Mr. LEVIN. Mr. Speaker, I demand a recorded vote.
A recorded vote was ordered.
The vote was taken by electronic device, and there were--ayes 289,
noes 112, not voting 29, as follows:
[Roll No. 211]
AYES--289
Ackerman
Aderholt
Adler (NJ)
Altmire
Andrews
Arcuri
Baca
Baird
Baldwin
Barrow
Bean
Becerra
Berkley
Berman
Biggert
Bilirakis
Bishop (GA)
Bishop (NY)
Blumenauer
Boccieri
Bonner
Boren
Boswell
Boucher
Brady (PA)
Braley (IA)
Bright
Brown, Corrine
Brown-Waite, Ginny
Buchanan
Burgess
Butterfield
Camp
Cao
Capps
Capuano
Cardoza
Carnahan
Carney
Carson (IN)
Cassidy
Castle
Castor (FL)
Chandler
Childers
Chu
Clarke
Clay
Cleaver
Clyburn
Cohen
Connolly (VA)
Conyers
Costa
Costello
Courtney
Crenshaw
Crowley
Cuellar
Cummings
Dahlkemper
Davis (AL)
Davis (CA)
Davis (IL)
Davis (KY)
Davis (TN)
DeFazio
DeGette
Delahunt
DeLauro
Dent
Deutch
Diaz-Balart, L.
Diaz-Balart, M.
Dicks
Dingell
Doggett
Donnelly (IN)
Doyle
Driehaus
Edwards (TX)
Ehlers
Ellison
Ellsworth
Engel
Eshoo
Etheridge
Farr
Fattah
Filner
Foster
Frank (MA)
Fudge
Garamendi
Gerlach
Giffords
Gordon (TN)
Grayson
Green, Al
Green, Gene
Griffith
Grijalva
Gutierrez
Hall (NY)
Halvorson
Hare
Harman
Hastings (FL)
Heinrich
Heller
Herseth Sandlin
Higgins
Hill
Himes
Hinchey
Hinojosa
Hirono
Hodes
Holden
Holt
Honda
Hoyer
Inslee
Israel
Jackson (IL)
Johnson (GA)
Johnson (IL)
Johnson, E. B.
Jones
Kagen
Kanjorski
Kaptur
Kennedy
Kildee
Kilpatrick (MI)
Kilroy
Kind
Kirk
Kirkpatrick (AZ)
Kissell
Klein (FL)
Kratovil
Kucinich
Langevin
Larsen (WA)
Larson (CT)
LaTourette
Lee (CA)
Levin
Lewis (GA)
Lipinski
LoBiondo
Loebsack
Lofgren, Zoe
Lowey
Lujan
Lynch
Maffei
Maloney
Manzullo
Markey (CO)
Markey (MA)
Marshall
Matheson
Matsui
McCarthy (NY)
McCollum
McDermott
McGovern
McHenry
McIntyre
McMahon
McNerney
Meeks (NY)
Melancon
Michaud
Miller (MI)
Miller (NC)
Miller, George
Minnick
Mitchell
Mollohan
Moore (KS)
Moore (WI)
Moran (VA)
Murphy (CT)
Murphy (NY)
Murphy, Patrick
Murphy, Tim
Nadler (NY)
Napolitano
Neal (MA)
Nye
Oberstar
Obey
Olver
Ortiz
Owens
Pallone
Pascrell
Pastor (AZ)
Paulsen
Payne
Perlmutter
Perriello
Peters
Peterson
Petri
Pingree (ME)
Platts
Polis (CO)
Pomeroy
Posey
Price (NC)
Putnam
Quigley
Rahall
Rangel
Reichert
Reyes
Richardson
Rodriguez
Roe (TN)
Rogers (AL)
Rogers (MI)
Ros-Lehtinen
Ross
Rothman (NJ)
Roybal-Allard
Rush
Ryan (OH)
Salazar
Sanchez, Loretta
Sarbanes
Schakowsky
Schauer
Schiff
Schock
Schrader
Schwartz
Scott (GA)
Scott (VA)
Serrano
Sestak
Shea-Porter
Sherman
Shimkus
Shuler
Sires
Skelton
Slaughter
Smith (NJ)
Smith (WA)
Snyder
Space
Spratt
Stark
Stearns
Stupak
Sutton
Tanner
Taylor
Teague
Thompson (CA)
Thompson (MS)
Tiberi
Tierney
Titus
Tonko
Tsongas
Turner
Upton
Van Hollen
Velazquez
Visclosky
Walden
Walz
Waters
Watson
Watt
Waxman
Weiner
Welch
Whitfield
Wilson (OH)
Woolsey
Wu
Yarmuth
Young (FL)
NOES--112
Akin
Alexander
Austria
Bachmann
Bachus
Bartlett
Barton (TX)
Bishop (UT)
Blackburn
Blunt
Bono Mack
Boozman
Boustany
Brady (TX)
Broun (GA)
Burton (IN)
Buyer
Calvert
Campbell
Cantor
Carter
Chaffetz
Coble
Coffman (CO)
Cole
Conaway
Cooper
Culberson
Dreier
Duncan
Emerson
Fallin
Flake
Fleming
Forbes
Fortenberry
Foxx
Franks (AZ)
Frelinghuysen
Garrett (NJ)
Gingrey (GA)
Gohmert
Goodlatte
Granger
Graves
Guthrie
Hall (TX)
Harper
Hastings (WA)
Hensarling
Herger
Hunter
Inglis
Issa
Jenkins
Johnson, Sam
Jordan (OH)
King (IA)
King (NY)
Kingston
Lamborn
Lance
Latham
Latta
Lee (NY)
Lewis (CA)
Linder
Lucas
Lummis
Lungren, Daniel E.
Mack
Marchant
McCarthy (CA)
McCaul
McClintock
McKeon
[[Page H2620]]
McMorris Rodgers
Mica
Miller, Gary
Moran (KS)
Myrick
Nunes
Olson
Paul
Pitts
Poe (TX)
Price (GA)
Rehberg
Rogers (KY)
Rohrabacher
Rooney
Roskam
Royce
Ryan (WI)
Scalise
Schmidt
Sensenbrenner
Sessions
Shadegg
Shuster
Simpson
Smith (NE)
Smith (TX)
Souder
Sullivan
Terry
Thompson (PA)
Thornberry
Westmoreland
Wilson (SC)
Wittman
Wolf
NOT VOTING--29
Barrett (SC)
Berry
Bilbray
Boehner
Boyd
Brown (SC)
Capito
Edwards (MD)
Gallegly
Gonzalez
Hoekstra
Jackson Lee (TX)
Kline (MN)
Kosmas
Luetkemeyer
McCotter
Meek (FL)
Miller (FL)
Neugebauer
Pence
Radanovich
Ruppersberger
Sanchez, Linda T.
Speier
Tiahrt
Towns
Wamp
Wasserman Schultz
Young (AK)
{time} 2008
Mr. YOUNG of Florida changed his vote from ``no'' to ``aye.''
So the motion was agreed to.
The result of the vote was announced as above recorded.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
____________________