[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 156 (2010), Part 2]
[Senate]
[Pages 2250-2251]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                  EXPIRING PROVISIONS AND JOB CREATION

  Mr. BAUCUS. We now return to the urgent legislation to create jobs 
and extend vital safety net and tax provisions.
  This urgent legislation would prevent millions of Americans from 
falling through the safety net. It would extend vital programs that 
expired Sunday. It would put cash into the hands of Americans who would 
spend it quickly, boosting economic demand.
  It would extend critical programs and tax incentives that create 
jobs. Let me be specific. Just today, we received detailed estimates 
from the National Economic Council on what would happen if we fail to 
act. Unless we act, a half million workers who lose their jobs 
nationwide, including nearly 1,600 in Montana, would be ineligible for 
help paying for their health insurance under COBRA.
  Unless we act, the average doctor in America would stand to lose more 
than $16,600 in payments for Medicare. The average doctor in Montana 
would lose about $13,000. Unless we act, nearly 40 million Medicare 
beneficiaries and nearly 9 million TRICARE beneficiaries nationwide 
would be affected. That includes nearly 144,000 Montanans with Medicare 
and nearly 33,000 Montanans with TRICARE.
  Unless we act, 400,000 Americans would be ineligible for expanded 
unemployment insurance benefits. This is urgent legislation. We must 
extend this legislation, and soon.
  We had a productive day on the bill yesterday. Senator Sessions 
offered his amendment to impose discretionary spending caps. This is 
essentially the same amendment the Senate rejected on January 28. A 
point of order lies against the amendment under section 306 of the 
Congressional Budget Act, which requires 60 votes to waive that point 
of order. At the appropriate time, I intend to raise that point of 
order against the Sessions amendment.
  As well, Senator Thune offered his amendment proposing business tax 
cuts offset by cutting back stimulus funding in the Recovery Act. This 
is essentially the same argument the Senator from Kentucky, Mr. 
Bunning, has been raising on the narrower, short-term unemployment and 
COBRA extension bill. The Senator from South Dakota and the Senator 
from Kentucky both seek to cut back the Recovery Act.
  I believe these efforts are mistaken. Let me tell you why. On issues 
relating to the budget and the economy, we turn to the nonpartisan 
Congressional Budget Office for the straight story. They are the 
neutral referees, and the CBO says the Recovery Act is working. That is 
why it would be a mistake to cut back on the Recovery Act.
  Last month CBO issued its report on the effects of the Recovery Act 
in the fourth quarter. In that report, this is what the CBO said:

       CBO estimates that in the fourth quarter of calendar year 
     2009, the Recovery Act added between 1 million and 2.1 
     million to the number of workers employed in the United 
     States, and it increased the number of full-time equivalent 
     jobs by between 1.4 million and 3 million.

  That is what CBO says. They say the Recovery Act created or saved 
between 1 and 3 million jobs. That is real job creation. That means the 
Recovery Act is working. That is why we need to defeat efforts such as 
that made by the Senator from Kentucky and the Senator from South 
Dakota to cut back on the Recovery Act. Cutting back on a proven job 
creator is the last thing we would want to do right now.
  We are working to line up votes on the pending amendments and an 
amendment the Senator from Kentucky seeks to offer on the short-term 
unemployment and COBRA bill. I am hopeful we may be able to reach an

[[Page 2251]]

agreement on these matters this afternoon. I thank all Senators for 
their cooperation.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mrs. Gillibrand.) The Senator from Illinois is 
recognized.
  Mr. BURRIS. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent to speak as in 
morning business.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

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