[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 192 (Wednesday, December 14, 2011)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2255]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF H.R. 3630, MIDDLE CLASS TAX RELIEF AND 
                        JOB CREATION ACT OF 2011

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                               speech of

                          HON. HENRY A. WAXMAN

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, December 13, 2011

  Mr. WAXMAN. Mr. Speaker, I oppose this closed rule, particularly 
because it does not allow for a Democratic substitute for critical year 
end legislation.
  In a Democratic substitute we would have included a permanent repeal 
of the flawed physician payment formula in Medicare replacing it with a 
ten-year freeze. Each year members promise to look into this formula 
and address it--to provide certainty and stability for America's 
seniors in accessing their doctors. The House passed health reform bill 
did exactly that. Unfortunately it did not become law, but the 
Republicans did not even try to solve this problem. They did not offer 
legislation or have markups. The Republican bill punts the question for 
another 2 years.
  In a Democratic substitute we would have included the Wireless 
Innovation and Public Safety Broadband Act that Representatives Eshoo 
and I sponsored. It keeps many of the same policy goals as the 
Republican legislation, but it would not undermine public safety by 
erecting a faulty governance model for a public safety broadband 
network, nor would it mandate the premature return of spectrum utilized 
for mission critical voice communications. The substitute also would 
have allowed the FCC necessary discretion to preserve unlicensed 
spectrum uses that preserve innovation and benefit consumers as well as 
protect consumers from monopolies.
  In a Democratic substitute, we would not have included the poison 
pill of the Keystone XL tar sands pipeline provision.
  In a Democratic substitute, we would not be asking modest income 
seniors and individuals with disabilities to foot the bill for tax 
relief--that's just robbing Peter to pay Paul. Seniors making over 
$85,000 a year are already paying more for Medicare. High income 
earners already pay more all their lives for Medicare through the 
Medicare payroll tax which has no cap. The changes in the Republican 
bill restructure the Medicare program in problematic ways to pay for 
short term extensions.
  In a Democratic substitute, we would not be creating an additional 
170,000 uninsured people by increasing costs on working class 
individuals through the health care tax credit and subsidies in the 
Affordable Care Act.
  In a Democratic substitute, we would not be taking the shortsighted 
step of reducing our commitment to public health and prevention 
activities. These activities help to prevent diseases like diabetes, 
heart disease, cancer, and obesity and can lower healthcare costs over 
the long run.
  The Democratic substitute would be a fair extension of important 
programs and would be paid for by the withdrawal and downsizing of 
troops overseas through the overseas contingency fund.

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