[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 191 (Tuesday, December 13, 2011)]
[House]
[Pages H8761-H8762]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
RAISING A QUESTION OF THE PRIVILEGES OF THE HOUSE
Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, pursuant to clause 2(a),
paragraph 1 of rule IX, I rise to give notice of my intention to offer
a resolution to raise a question of the privileges of the House.
The form of the resolution is as follows:
H. Res. ------
Whereas although our Nation's economy is gradually
improving after one of the worst economic crises in our
Nation's history, the economic crisis remains a daily reality
for the 13.3 million unemployed workers and for the millions
of Americans experiencing record levels of food insecurity,
poverty, and foreclosure;
Whereas the national unemployment rate is 8.6 percent, with
over 42.8 percent of all unemployed workers, more than 5.7
million people, having been out of work for more than 6
months;
Whereas while there were 1.8 unemployed Americans for every
job opening in December 2007, when the Great Recession began,
data recently released by the Department of Labor show that,
as of October 2011, there were over 4.3 unemployed Americans
for every job opening;
Whereas data recently released by the Department of Labor
show that, as of October 2011, there were 3.3 million job
openings, which is well below the 4.8 million job openings in
March 2007, when job openings were at their highest point
during the most recent business cycle;
Whereas recent data demonstrate that most unemployed
Americans no longer receive unemployment insurance benefits,
reflecting the crisis that exists for the millions of
Americans who have exhausted their benefits and still cannot
find work, including the 100,000 Illinoisans estimated to
have exhausted their benefits in 2010 and the additional
100,000 Illinoisans who, it is estimated, would exhaust their
benefits in 2012 if current law were extended;
Whereas unemployment benefits are a critical lifeline for
our citizens and our economy, including by keeping 3.2
million Americans (including nearly 1 million children) from
falling into poverty in 2010 alone; generating $2 in economic
stimulus for every $1 the Federal Government spent during
this recession; and saving or creating 1.1 million jobs as of
the fourth quarter of 2009 alone;
Whereas all Members of the House of Representatives have a
responsibility to protect Americans and our country from
physical and economic harm, especially during times of
national crisis;
Whereas the recently-introduced Republican proposal to
address the unemployment crisis facing our Nation fails to
protect Americans by drastically cutting 40 weeks of
unemployment assistance and imposing new restrictions that
would make it more difficult and costly for employees to
receive the benefits for which they have paid;
Whereas the Republican proposal fails to protect Americans
by cutting the number of Federally-funded weeks of
unemployment benefits from 73 to 33 in high unemployment
States, abandoning over 1 million Americans in 2012 by
slashing their benefits;
Whereas the Republican proposal would likely result in the
following States, with elevated unemployment rates, losing 40
weeks of unemployment benefits in 2012: Alabama, California,
Connecticut, the District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia,
Illinois, Idaho, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Missouri,
Nevada, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Rhode
Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Washington;
Whereas the Republican proposal would cause all other
States to lose between 14 and 34 weeks of Federal
unemployment benefits;
Whereas the Republican proposal would erode the
unemployment safety net by undermining the requirement that
unemployment dollars fund unemployment benefits to help
individual workers cover basic necessities, such as food and
housing;
Whereas the Republican proposal would further erode the
unemployment safety net by undermining the eligibility
standard that unemployment benefits be determined solely on
the basis of a claimant's unemployment;
Whereas the Republican proposal demands untested, punitive
measures that hurt unemployed workers, including deducting
money from one's unemployment check to pay for required
reemployment assessments and delayed or prohibited benefits
depending on educational attainment;
Whereas the Republican proposal would disproportionately
harm groups of Americans who are hardest hit by unemployment
and long-term unemployment, including older Americans, low-
income Americans, Americans from racial and ethnic minority
groups, and Americans without a high school diploma;
Whereas now that emergency assistance is about to expire,
the Republican proposal reflects comfort with $180 billion in
tax breaks for the wealthiest 3 percent of Americans for
2012, but not the $50 billion needed to help millions of the
neediest Americans who still cannot find a job;
Whereas the Economic Policy Institute estimates that the
Republican proposal would result in as much as $22 billion in
lost economic growth, and the Center for American Progress
estimates that the Republican proposal would lead to a loss
of approximately 275,000 jobs in 2012;
Whereas it will tarnish the dignity and integrity of the
House proceedings if the House considers a bill that cuts
critical emergency assistance to millions of Americans,
hinders economic recovery, and disproportionately harms older
Americans, Americans from racial and ethnic minority groups,
low-income Americans, and Americans without a high school
degree;
Whereas it will tarnish the dignity and integrity of the
House proceedings if the Republican Leadership holds hostage
the 2.5 million Americans who, the Department of Labor
estimates, will lose their benefits by March 2012 if Congress
fails to act, in order to push a radical agenda the American
people have already rejected; and
Whereas failure to allow consideration of amendments to
protect vulnerable Americans during consideration of a bill
that substantially and permanently changes Federal
unemployment benefits tarnishes the integrity of the
legislative process: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
(1) recognizes the immediate need to extend current
emergency unemployment benefits to promote our Nation's
economic recovery by stimulating purchases, creating jobs,
and preventing the loss of jobs;
(2) recognizes the immediate need to extend current
emergency unemployment benefits to help the approximately 6
million unemployed Americans who will lose benefits if
current emergency unemployment benefits are not extended
through 2012;
(3) disapproves of drastically limiting Federal
unemployment benefits until economic growth is robust and the
Nation is in a period of full employment; and
(4) calls on the Leadership of the House to bring to a vote
a clean extension of all current emergency unemployment
benefits for a full year to protect the millions of Americans
who will lose benefits if the current statute sunsets at the
end of December 2011 or if H.R. 3630, as posted by the
Committee on Rules on December 9, 2011, is enacted.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair would now entertain the
resolution.
Does the gentleman from Illinois wish to offer it at this point?
Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Yes, I do.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Clerk will report the resolution.
The Clerk read as follows:
H. Res. ------
Whereas although our Nation's economy is gradually
improving after one of the worst economic crises in our
Nation's history, the economic crisis remains a daily reality
for the 13.3 million unemployed workers and for the millions
of Americans experiencing record levels of food insecurity,
poverty, and foreclosure;
Whereas the national unemployment rate is 8.6 percent, with
over 42.8 percent of all unemployed workers, more than 5.7
million people, having been out of work for more than 6
months;
Whereas while there were 1.8 unemployed Americans for every
job opening in December 2007, when the Great Recession began,
data recently released by the Department of Labor show that,
as of October 2011, there were over 4.3 unemployed Americans
for every job opening;
Whereas data recently released by the Department of Labor
show that, as of October 2011, there were 3.3 million job
openings, which is well below the 4.8 million job openings in
March 2007, when job openings were at their highest point
during the most recent business cycle;
Whereas recent data demonstrate that most unemployed
Americans no longer receive unemployment insurance benefits,
reflecting the crisis that exists for the millions of
Americans who have exhausted their benefits and still cannot
find work, including the 100,000 Illinoisans estimated to
have exhausted their benefits in 2010 and the additional
100,000 Illinoisans who, it is estimated, would exhaust their
benefits in 2012 if current law were extended;
Whereas unemployment benefits are a critical lifeline for
our citizens and our economy, including by keeping 3.2
million Americans (including nearly 1 million children) from
falling into poverty in 2010 alone; generating $2 in economic
stimulus for every $1
[[Page H8762]]
the Federal Government spent during this recession; and
saving or creating 1.1 million jobs as of the fourth quarter
of 2009 alone;
Whereas all Members of the House of Representatives have a
responsibility to protect Americans and our country from
physical and economic harm, especially during times of
national crisis;
Whereas the recently-introduced Republican proposal to
address the unemployment crisis facing our Nation fails to
protect Americans by drastically cutting 40 weeks of
unemployment assistance and imposing new restrictions that
would make it more difficult and costly for employees to
receive the benefits for which they have paid;
Whereas the Republican proposal fails to protect Americans
by cutting the number of Federally-funded weeks of
unemployment benefits from 73 to 33 in high unemployment
States, abandoning over 1 million Americans in 2012 by
slashing their benefits;
Whereas the Republican proposal would likely result in the
following States, with elevated unemployment rates, losing 40
weeks of unemployment benefits in 2012: Alabama, California,
Connecticut, the District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia,
Illinois, Idaho, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Missouri,
Nevada, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Rhode
Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Washington;
Whereas the Republican proposal would cause all other
States to lose between 14 and 34 weeks of Federal
unemployment benefits;
Whereas the Republican proposal would erode the
unemployment safety net by undermining the requirement that
unemployment dollars fund unemployment benefits to help
individual workers cover basic necessities, such as food and
housing;
Whereas the Republican proposal would further erode the
unemployment safety net by undermining the eligibility
standard that unemployment benefits be determined solely on
the basis of a claimant's unemployment;
Whereas the Republican proposal demands untested, punitive
measures that hurt unemployed workers, including deducting
money from one's unemployment check to pay for required
reemployment assessments and delayed or prohibited benefits
depending on educational attainment;
Whereas the Republican proposal would disproportionately
harm groups of Americans who are hardest hit by unemployment
and long-term unemployment, including older Americans, low-
income Americans, Americans from racial and ethnic minority
groups, and Americans without a high school diploma;
Whereas now that emergency assistance is about to expire,
the Republican proposal reflects comfort with $180 billion in
tax breaks for the wealthiest 3 percent of Americans for
2012, but not the $50 billion needed to help millions of the
neediest Americans who still cannot find a job;
Whereas the Economic Policy Institute estimates that the
Republican proposal would result in as much as $22 billion in
lost economic growth, and the Center for American Progress
estimates that the Republican proposal would lead to a loss
of approximately 275,000 jobs in 2012;
Whereas it will tarnish the dignity and integrity of the
House proceedings if the House considers a bill that cuts
critical emergency assistance to millions of Americans,
hinders economic recovery, and disproportionately harms older
Americans, Americans from racial and ethnic minority groups,
low-income Americans, and Americans without a high school
degree;
Whereas it will tarnish the dignity and integrity of the
House proceedings if the Republican Leadership holds hostage
the 2.5 million Americans who, the Department of Labor
estimates, will lose their benefits by March 2012 if Congress
fails to act, in order to push a radical agenda the American
people have already rejected; and
Whereas failure to allow consideration of amendments to
protect vulnerable Americans during consideration of a bill
that substantially and permanently changes Federal
unemployment benefits tarnishes the integrity of the
legislative process: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
(1) recognizes the immediate need to extend current
emergency unemployment benefits to promote our Nation's
economic recovery by stimulating purchases, creating jobs,
and preventing the loss of jobs;
(2) recognizes the immediate need to extend current
emergency unemployment benefits to help the approximately 6
million unemployed Americans who will lose benefits if
current emergency unemployment benefits are not extended
through 2012;
(3) disapproves of drastically limiting Federal
unemployment benefits until economic growth is robust and the
Nation is in a period of full employment; and
(4) calls on the Leadership of the House to bring to a vote
a clean extension of all current emergency unemployment
benefits for a full year to protect the millions of Americans
who will lose benefits if the current statute sunsets at the
end of December 2011 or if H.R. 3630, as posted by the
Committee on Rules on December 9, 2011, is enacted.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Does the gentleman from Illinois wish to
present argument on why the resolution is privileged under rule IX to
take precedence over other questions?
Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. I do.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman will present those arguments.
Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, in order to qualify as a question
of the privileges of the House under rule IX, the resolution must
address ``the rights of the House collectively, its safety, dignity,
and the integrity of its proceedings.''
The resolution I offer seeks to express the position of the House
that the Republican proposal to address the unemployment crisis facing
our Nation and the procedures used to bring it to the floor tarnish the
dignity and integrity of the House proceedings and the integrity of the
legislative process.
All Members of the House of Representatives have a responsibility to
protect Americans and our country from physical and economic harm,
especially during times of national crisis. Yet, contrary to this
mandate, the Republican proposal to address the unemployment crisis
threatens to damage our national economy as well as the well-being of
millions of Americans.
By drastically cutting benefits--especially for employees and States
hardest hit by unemployment--by 40 weeks and imposing punitive
restrictions on access to benefits, the Republican proposal will almost
certainly harm millions of Americans and our Nation's economic well-
being.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair would remind the gentleman from
Illinois that argument must be confined as to whether or not the matter
is privileged under rule IX, and may not address the substance of the
resolution.
Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.
Given the unemployment crisis that does in fact exist in our country,
and given the great needs that exist for people to feel a sense of
comfort and security, given the fact that older Americans, low-income
Americans, Americans from racial and ethnic minority groups, and
Americans with----
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair would again ask the gentleman to
address whether or not this resolution is privileged under rule IX.
Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, it is my position and my belief
that the Republican proposal tarnishes the legislative process by
making substantial permanent changes to Federal unemployment benefits,
and that, when passed--if passed--that the country will have
experienced difficulties that could have been avoided.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair would ask the gentleman if he has
any additional observations relative to the question of privilege, and
not on the substance of the resolution.
Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, let me thank you for your
comments. Actually, I am at the end of my comments, and I would yield
back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair thanks the gentleman for his
creativity.
Does any other Member wish to be heard on the question of privilege?
The Chair is prepared to rule.
As the Chair ruled in similar circumstances on October 2 and October
3, 2002, a resolution expressing the sentiment that Congress should act
on a specified legislative measure does not constitute a question of
privileges of the House under rule IX.
The mere invocation of legislative powers provided in the
Constitution coupled with identification of a desired policy end does
not meet the requirements of rule IX and is really a matter properly
initiated through introduction in the hopper under clause 7 of rule
XII.
Accordingly, the resolution offered by the gentleman from Illinois
does not constitute a question of the privileges of the House under
rule IX.
____________________