Congressional Record, Volume 156 Issue 53 (Thursday, April 15, 2010)

[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 53 (Thursday, April 15, 2010)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2363-S2367]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

CONTINUING EXTENSION ACT OF 2010--Continued

Mr. DURBIN. Madam President, for those who are following the Senate
activities today, we are considering the extension of unemployment
benefits. It is a debate which has gone on repeatedly. I see the
chairman of the Senate Finance Committee has come to the Chamber and
has been sitting patiently on the floor trying to work this through,
and I think we may be close to a vote on this matter very shortly.
If I am not mistaken, if we are successful in passing this extension,
it will extend unemployment benefits to the end of May. I hope we do
not face this again between now and then because not only does it tie
up the Senate for a lengthy period of time, but it creates real
uncertainty across America.
Madam President, 212,000 people had their unemployment benefits cut
off in the United States last week because we were gone and the
benefits expired; so this week another 212,000 people. In my home State
of Illinois, 16,000 people a week lose their unemployment benefits
because of the decision by the Senate not to move forward and extend
those unemployment checks.
An unemployment check in my home State is about $300 a week. Some
have come to the floor and argued we should not give unemployment
benefits because it makes people lazy. If they are getting $300 a week,
they will not go looking for jobs. I wonder when it was, if ever, that
a Senator tried to live on $300 a week. I think it would be very
difficult, in most cases impossible, for those who are used to a
lifestyle that is much more expensive.
So extending these benefits, in my estimation, is not only humane, it
is good economic judgment. The money given to people out of work is
money that is spent immediately for the necessities of life. It is not
saved or invested. They go out and spend it on what they need, whether
it is on utility bills or rent or food or clothing--whatever it might
be. So it is money that is injected straight into the economy.
When Republicans come to the floor, they say: Wait a minute. At some
point, with our national debt, we have to pay for this. I say to them:
How would you pay for it? They say: We pay for it by cutting spending
on projects that create jobs. Wait a minute. If you cut spending on
projects that create jobs, there are more people unemployed. More
people unemployed need more benefits. We cannot end the recession until
we focus on getting people back to work.
One of the key areas Senator Baucus on the Senate Finance Committee
has worked on is putting money into small businesses across America.
Many of us believe small businesses are going to be the engine that
brings us out of this recession. So when Senator Baucus and the Finance
Committee create tax credits for businesses that hire the unemployed or
reduce their payroll taxes for those who hire the unemployed or have
new deductions for expensing and the purchase of capital equipment, we
are doing everything we can to put money into those small businesses.
The argument that we should stop spending on those things will mean the
recession goes on longer.
I hope we can reach a point soon where we put the question of
unemployment behind us. There should be a debate on the national debt,
and there will be. I do not know if it is a great honor, but Senator
Reid, the majority leader, has appointed me to the Deficit Commission.
I met today with Erskine Bowles, who was the head of the Small Business
Administration under President Clinton, as well as Alan Simpson, a
former U.S. Senator from Wyoming, who chair this commission.
We are going to start, in a couple weeks, our inquiry and debate on
what to do about our national debt. It is one that is long overdue. But
I think if we are honest about this, we realize it will take some
thoughtful consideration and some time to come up with an approach that
really deals with the debt in a humane and sensible way, but does not
stop our recovery in this recession. So we are tasked with doing that.
Senator Baucus is a member of that commission as well. We will spend
some time together talking about it, I am sure. We have to report by
the end of the year. In the meantime, we will be watching the
appropriations bills that come through here to cut the waste out of the
spending if there is

[[Page S2364]]

some in some of these agencies. And I am sure we can find some.
In the meantime, let's not make the unemployed across America the
victims of this debate. Let us give them some certainty that the
basics, the necessities of life, which they need because they have lost
a job through no fault of their own, are going to be provided for. We
want to make certain if they lost their lifesavings and stand to lose
their home, we give them at least a little bit of a helping hand while
they look for work.
In my home State of Illinois, the unemployment figures came out
today, and, sadly, they have not gone down. It tells me we were late to
the recession and we will probably be slow to the recovery. I am sorry
to report that, but I think it may be the case. But, in the meantime,
we have to create the climate for small business expansion, and we have
to create the safety net for those who are out of work across America.
The passage of this bill will help us to do that.
Madam President, I yield the floor.
I suggest the absence of a quorum.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
The assistant editor of the Daily Digest proceeded to call the roll.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The majority leader.
Mr. REID. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for
the quorum call be rescinded.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
Mr. REID. Madam President, first, I wish to express my appreciation
to everyone in the Senate. This has been a good debate. Sides have been
chosen, and I think the arguments were good on both sides. We had
amendments on this. There were efforts made to just move forward and
have a cloture vote on it. I thought this was the best way to go.
So I appreciate everyone's cooperation. We didn't want to take these
votes, but we took them, and I think it is better for the order.
Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that at 5 p.m. today, the
Senate proceed to vote in relation to the McCain amendment No. 3724;
that upon disposition of the McCain amendment, no further amendments be
in order; that the Senate then proceed to vote on the motion to invoke
cloture on the Baucus amendment No. 3721, as modified; that if cloture
is invoked, then all postcloture time be yielded back; the Baucus
amendment as modified and amended, if amended, be agreed to; the bill
then be read a third time; and following the reading of the pay-go
letter from the chairman of the Budget Committee, the cloture motion
with respect to the bill be withdrawn, the Senate then proceed to vote
on passage of the bill, as amended, and that 2 minutes prior to the
first vote be equally divided and controlled between Senators Baucus
and McCain.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection?
Without objection, it is so ordered.
The Senator from Arizona.

Amendment No. 3724, as Modified

Mr. McCAIN. Madam President, it is tax day. Americans are
overburdened and taxed by an antiquated, complex, and oversized Tax
Code. This year they will spend $100 billion in compliance-related
expenses. Instead of offering proposals to reform the system, some are
suggesting a new value-added tax which would increase taxes on average
Americans and even further complicate our Tax Code. I believe it is an
opportunity, with a sense-of-the-Senate resolution, for Members of
Congress to say where they stand. This is their opportunity.
I encourage my colleagues to support the amendment.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Montana.
Mr. BAUCUS. Madam President, the amendment by the Senator from
Arizona would state a sense of the Senate that we should not adopt a
value-added tax. Personally, I agree with him. I do not favor a value-
added tax. I, for one, would be happy to accept the amendment. I don't
know if the Senator from Arizona wants a rollcall vote. I don't know if
it is provided for. I hope we don't have to have one, but if he wants
one, that is fine with me. The order states we will start voting at 5
o'clock, and when we do get to the vote on the McCain amendment, I
intend to vote for it.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is all time yielded back?
Mr. BAUCUS. I yield back my time.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The yeas and nays have been ordered.
The question is on agreeing to the amendment.
The clerk will call the roll.
The legislative clerk called the roll.
Mr. DURBIN. I announce that the Senator from Florida (Mr. Nelson) and
the Senator from Virginia (Mr. Warner) are necessarily absent.
I further announce that, if present and voting, the Senator from
Florida (Mr. Nelson) would vote ``yea.''
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Are there any other Senators in the Chamber
desiring to vote?
The result was announced--yeas 85, nays 13, as follows:

[Rollcall Vote No. 115 Leg.]

YEAS--85

Alexander
Barrasso
Baucus
Bayh
Begich
Bennet
Bennett
Bond
Boxer
Brown (MA)
Brownback
Bunning
Burr
Burris
Cantwell
Carper
Casey
Chambliss
Coburn
Cochran
Collins
Conrad
Corker
Cornyn
Crapo
DeMint
Dodd
Durbin
Ensign
Enzi
Feingold
Feinstein
Franken
Gillibrand
Graham
Grassley
Gregg
Hagan
Harkin
Hatch
Hutchison
Inhofe
Inouye
Isakson
Johanns
Johnson
Kerry
Klobuchar
Kohl
Kyl
Landrieu
Lautenberg
Leahy
LeMieux
Lieberman
Lincoln
Lugar
McCain
McCaskill
McConnell
Menendez
Merkley
Mikulski
Murkowski
Murray
Nelson (NE)
Pryor
Reid
Risch
Roberts
Rockefeller
Sanders
Schumer
Sessions
Shaheen
Shelby
Snowe
Specter
Stabenow
Tester
Thune
Udall (CO)
Vitter
Wicker
Wyden

NAYS--13

Akaka
Bingaman
Brown (OH)
Byrd
Cardin
Dorgan
Kaufman
Levin
Reed
Udall (NM)
Voinovich
Webb
Whitehouse

NOT VOTING--2

Nelson (FL)
Warner

The amendment (No. 3724), as modified, was agreed to.
Mr. BAUCUS. I move to reconsider the vote, and I move to lay that
motion on the table.
The motion to lay on the table was agreed to.
Mr. BAUCUS. Madam President, I ask consent that the next two votes be
10-minute votes.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

Cloture Motion

The PRESIDING OFFICER. By unanimous consent, pursuant to rule XXII,
the Chair lays before the Senate the pending cloture motion, which the
clerk will report.
The legislative clerk read as follows:

Cloture Motion

We, the undersigned Senators, in accordance with the
provisions of rule XXII of the Standing Rules of the Senate,
do hereby move to bring to a close debate on the Baucus
substitute amendment No. 3721 to H.R. 4851, a bill to provide
a temporary extension of certain programs, and for other
purposes:
John D. Rockefeller IV, Benjamin L. Cardin, Jeanne
Shaheen, Al Franken, Daniel K. Akaka, Kent Conrad,
Sheldon Whitehouse, Patty Murray, Tom Udall, Bernard
Sanders, Richard Durbin, Ron Wyden, Robert P. Casey,
Jr., Edward E. Kaufman, Patrick J. Leahy, Mark L.
Pryor, Byron L. Dorgan.

The PRESIDING OFFICER. By unanimous consent, the mandatory quorum
call has been waived.
The question is, Is it the sense of the Senate that debate on
amendment No. 3721, as modified, offered by the Senator from Montana,
Mr. Baucus, to H.R. 4851, an act to provide a temporary extension of
certain programs, and for other purposes, shall be brought to a close?
The yeas and nays are mandatory under the rule.
The clerk will call the roll.
The assistant legislative clerk called the roll.
Mr. DURBIN. I announce that the Senator from Florida (Mr. Nelson) and
the Senator from Virginia (Mr. Warner) are necessarily absent.
I further announce that, if present and voting, the Senator from
Florida (Mr. Nelson) would vote ``yea.''
The yeas and nays resulted--yeas 60, nays 38, as follows:

[[Page S2365]]

[Rollcall Vote No. 116 Leg.]

YEAS--60

Akaka
Baucus
Bayh
Begich
Bennet
Bingaman
Boxer
Brown (OH)
Burris
Byrd
Cantwell
Cardin
Carper
Casey
Collins
Conrad
Dodd
Dorgan
Durbin
Feingold
Feinstein
Franken
Gillibrand
Hagan
Harkin
Inouye
Johnson
Kaufman
Kerry
Klobuchar
Kohl
Landrieu
Lautenberg
Leahy
Levin
Lieberman
Lincoln
McCaskill
Menendez
Merkley
Mikulski
Murray
Nelson (NE)
Pryor
Reed
Reid
Rockefeller
Sanders
Schumer
Shaheen
Snowe
Specter
Stabenow
Tester
Udall (CO)
Udall (NM)
Voinovich
Webb
Whitehouse
Wyden

NAYS--38

Alexander
Barrasso
Bennett
Bond
Brown (MA)
Brownback
Bunning
Burr
Chambliss
Coburn
Cochran
Corker
Cornyn
Crapo
DeMint
Ensign
Enzi
Graham
Grassley
Gregg
Hatch
Hutchison
Inhofe
Isakson
Johanns
Kyl
LeMieux
Lugar
McCain
McConnell
Murkowski
Risch
Roberts
Sessions
Shelby
Thune
Vitter
Wicker

NOT VOTING--2

Nelson (FL)
Warner
The PRESIDING OFFICER. On this vote, the yeas are 60, the nays are
38. Three-fifths of the Senators duly chosen and sworn having voted in
the affirmative, the motion is agreed to.
Under the previous order, the amendment, as modified, is agreed to.
The amendment was ordered to be engrossed, and the bill to be read a
third time.
The bill was read the third time.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will read the letter from the
chairman of the Budget Committee.
The legislative clerk read the following letter:
There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in
the Record, as follows:

Budgetary Effects of PAYGO Legislation for H.R. 4851

Senator Kent Conrad, Apr. 15, 2010

Mr. CONRAD: This is the Statement of Budgetary Effects of
PAYGO Legislation for H.R. 4851, as amended by S.A. 3721, as
modified. This statement has been prepared pursuant to
Section 4 of the Statutory Pay-As-You-Go Act of 2010 (Public
Law 111-139), and is being submitted for printing in the
Congressional Record prior to passage of H.R. 4851, as
amended, by the Senate.

Total Budgetary Effects of H.R. 4851:
2010-2015--net increase in deficit of $18.192 billion.
2010-2020--net increase in deficit of $18.229 billion.
Reduction of Total Budgetary Effects for Current Policy
under Section 7:
2010-2015--$2.115 billion pursuant to section 7(c).
2010-2020--$2.115 billion pursuant to section 7(c).
Reduction of Total Budgetary Effects for Provisions
Designated as an Emergency under Section 4(g):
2010-2015--$16.077 billion.
2010-2020--$16.114 billion.
Total Budgetary Effects of H.R. 4851 for the 5-year
Statutory PAYGO Scorecard: $0.
Total Budgetary Effects of H.R. 4851 for the 10-year
Statutory PAYGO Scorecard: $0.

Also submitted for the Record as part of this statement is
a table prepared by the Congressional Budget Office, which
provides additional information on the budgetary effects of
this Act.

AMENDMENT NO. 3721, AS MODIFIED, TO H.R. 4851, THE CONTINUING EXTENSION ACT OF 2010, AS PROPOSED BY SENATOR BAUCUS (MAT10352)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
By fiscal year, in millions of dollars--
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2015-2015 2010-2020
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
NET INCREASE OR DECREASE (-) IN THE DEFICIT

Total Changes..................................................... 15,629 1,870 262 225 143 61 52 -10 -5 0 0 18,192 18,229
Less:
Designated as Emergency Requirements a........................ 13,514 1,870 262 225 143 61 52 -10 -5 0 0 16,077 16,114
Current-Policy Adjustment b................................... 2,115 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2,115 2,115
Statutory Pay-As-You-Go Impact.................................... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Memorandum: Components of the Emergency Designations:
Change in Outlays............................................. 12,222 1,069 26 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 13,324 13,324
Changes in Revenues........................................... -1,292 -801 -236 -220 -143 -61 -52 10 5 0 0 -2,753 -2,790
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Notes: Components may not sum to totals because of rounding.
a Section 11(c) of the Continuing Extension Act of 2010 would designate all sections of the Act, except section 4, as an emergency requirement pursuant to section 4(g) of the Statutory Pay-As-
You-Go-Act of 2010.
bSection 7(c) of the Statutory Pay-As-You-Go Act of 2010 provides for current-policy adjustments related to Medicare payments to physicians.
Sources: Congressional Budget Office and Joint Committee on Taxation.

Mr. BAUCUS. Madam President, I ask for the yeas and nays.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there a sufficient second? There appears to
be a sufficient second.
Under the previous order, the cloture motion on the bill is
withdrawn.
The bill having been read the third time, the question is, Shall the
bill pass? The yeas and nays have been ordered. The clerk will call the
roll.
The assistant legislative clerk called the roll.
Mr. DURBIN. I announce that the Senator from Indiana (Mr. Bayh), the
Senator from Florida (Mr. Nelson), and the Senator from Virginia (Mr.
Warner) are necessarily absent.
I further announce that, if present and voting, the Senator from
Florida (Mr. Nelson) would vote ``aye.''
The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Burris). Are there any other Senators in
the Chamber desiring to vote?
The result was announced--yeas 59, nays 38, as follows:

[Rollcall Vote No. 117 Leg.]

YEAS--59

Akaka
Baucus
Begich
Bennet
Bingaman
Boxer
Brown (OH)
Burris
Byrd
Cantwell
Cardin
Carper
Casey
Collins
Conrad
Dodd
Dorgan
Durbin
Feingold
Feinstein
Franken
Gillibrand
Hagan
Harkin
Inouye
Johnson
Kaufman
Kerry
Klobuchar
Kohl
Landrieu
Lautenberg
Leahy
Levin
Lieberman
Lincoln
McCaskill
Menendez
Merkley
Mikulski
Murray
Nelson (NE)
Pryor
Reed
Reid
Rockefeller
Sanders
Schumer
Shaheen
Snowe
Specter
Stabenow
Tester
Udall (CO)
Udall (NM)
Voinovich
Webb
Whitehouse
Wyden

NAYS--38

NOT VOTING--3

Bayh
Nelson (FL)
Warner
The bill (H.R. 4851), as amended, was passed, as follows:

H.R. 4851

Resolved, That the bill from the House of Representatives
(H.R. 4851) entitled ``An Act to provide a temporary
extension of certain programs, and for other purposes.'', do
pass with the following 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

[[Page S2366]]

(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 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)).

Mr. LEVIN. Mr. President, it is unfortunate that this vote comes
today and not 2 weeks ago. While we delayed taking action, thousands of
people in my state, and millions across the country, worried that these
benefits, benefits that provide a thin buffer between their families
and disaster, would disappear. These families are suffering through the
anxiety and frustration of job loss not because of anything they did,
but because of a crisis spawned in Wall Street banks and unscrupulous
mortgage companies.
This bill takes a number of important steps to alleviate the effects
of the financial crisis. It would extend the unemployment and COBRA
health insurance benefits on which so many families depend until early
June. While we have seen recent signs of improvement in employment, the
unemployment rate in Michigan, and the Nation, remains unacceptably
high, making these extensions all the more necessary. According to the
governor's office, more than 125,000 Michiganians will exhaust their
unemployment benefits.
We should keep in mind, too, that extending these benefits not only
helps families struggling to put food on the table and a roof overhead;
it helps all

[[Page S2367]]

of us, by contributing to our economic recovery. There is widespread
agreement that benefits such as unemployment payments give us the
biggest ``bang for the buck'' in terms of economic stimulus. By
extending these benefits, we will give continued support to an economy
struggling to recover, an effort that benefits all Americans.
I encourage my colleagues to place the interests of struggling
American families, and the economic recovery, clearly before us, and to
pass this much-needed extension.

____________________