[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 156 (2010), Part 4]
[House]
[Pages 5665-5670]
[From the U.S. 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

[[Page 5666]]

     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)).


                            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

[[Page 5667]]

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 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.

[[Page 5668]]

  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 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

[[Page 5669]]

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.
  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. LINDER. Mr. Speaker, the legislation before us would extend for 
another 2 months special Federal programs that today mean unemployed 
workers can collect up to 99 weeks of benefits in most States. This 
compares with a total of up to 26 weeks of benefits in almost all 
States during normal times. Other Members note the massive expense of 
all this spending, which would grow by another $18 billion in just the 
next 2 months. None of it paid for, just as none of the more than $100 
billion in ``emergency'' Federal unemployment spending has been paid 
for since this program began in mid-2008.
  But stepping back, what are those 73 weeks of additional benefits, at 
a cost now of $7-8 billion per month, buying American workers and 
taxpayers? The answer is a whole lot of disincentives to work, 
according to recent articles.
  The April 13 Wall Street Journal (``Incentives Not to Work: Larry 
Summers v. Senate Democrats on jobless benefits'') put it this way, 
summarizing the effect of unemployment benefits on returns to work:

       The second way government assistance programs contribute to 
     long-term unemployment is by providing an incentive, and the 
     means, not to work Each unemployed person has a `reservation 
     wage'--the minimum wage he or she insists on getting before 
     accepting a job. Unemployment insurance and other social 
     assistance programs increase [the] reservation wage, causing 
     an unemployed person to remain unemployed longer.'' Any guess 
     who wrote that? Milton Friedman, perhaps. Simon Legree? 
     Sorry. Full credit goes to Lawrence H. Summers, the current 
     White

[[Page 5670]]

     House economic adviser, who wrote those sensible words in his 
     chapter on ``Unemployment'' in the Concise Encyclopedia of 
     Economics, first published in 1999.

  The experts at the Brookings Institution have reported that these 
unemployment extensions ``correspond to between 0.7 and 1.8 percentage 
points of the 5.5 percentage point increase in the unemployment rate 
witnessed in the current recession.'' So even if you accept the low end 
of the estimate, unemployment would be 9 percent instead of today's 9.7 
percent rate. At the other end, the unemployment rate might be below 8 
percent but for the effect of extended unemployment benefit extending 
and thus increasing unemployment.
  And in case my colleagues on the other side say these effects only 
matter when unemployment is low and jobs are plentiful, guess again. As 
noted by the scholar Amity Shines this past week, ``Two scholars, 
Stepan Jurajda and Frederick Tannery, looked at Pittsburgh in the first 
half of the 1980s, a period when the Nation had two temporary increases 
in unemployment benefits. They determined that one third of those 
claiming unemployment found work within weeks of the expiration of 
their benefits, but not before.'' And that was when Pittsburgh had 
unemployment rates far above the US average today, suggesting that the 
benefits and not the unemployment rate are reason behind extended and 
increased unemployment.
  Mr. Speaker, we can do better than this. What unemployed workers 
really want are jobs and paychecks. We need to start over and do the 
things that really help create jobs for unemployed workers. That means 
repealing Democrats' government health care takeover law and scrapping 
their energy tax hike plans. It means extending expiring tax cuts on 
businesses and individuals and ending wasteful stimulus spending. And 
it means committing to not increase any tax until the economy has fully 
recovered.
  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
     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.

                          ____________________