Floor Statements

Mr. President, today I wish to bring awareness to an event being hosted in my State this weekend. The National Handicapping Championship, NHC, will take place on January 27 and 28 at Treasure Island Las Vegas. Tourism and gaming are the backbone of Nevada's economy. It's a legacy that we must continue to nurture and I welcome events like the NHC to my state.

Las Vegas is a world-class destination unmatched by any other, and I have and will continue working to support policies that will keep Nevada's gaming industry growing and prosperous. Travel and tourism are a major part of my State's economy, attracting millions of visitors every year because of the variety of attractions and entertainment options available.

Considered the most anticipated tournament in the world for horseplayers, the NHC marks the conclusion of a year-long series of tournaments endorsed by the Daily Racing Form and the National Thoroughbred Racing Association, NTRA, where Thoroughbred racing handicappers wager more than $12 billion each year. In turn, these dollars are put back into the horse industry contributing significantly to this agribusiness' future growth.

I commend the Daily Racing Form and the NTRA for choosing Las Vegas, NV to host this prestigious tournament and wish them a successful event this weekend. I look forward to building upon this success and encourage more events to visit my State. As a United States Senator from Nevada, I will continue do all that I can to make sure that organizations such as these have the opportunity to enjoy all that my great State has to offer.

Mr. President, today the Senate will consider my legislation again to extend the temporary payroll tax cut.

This week, the Senate has been given another opportunity to do the right thing and provide much needed relief to the American worker.

It shouldn't be news to anyone that Americans are desperate for solutions. Millions of Americans are unemployed, underemployed, or have simply given up looking for a job.

In between looking for a job or higher paying employment, Americans are busy trying to figure out how to handle high health care costs, looming bankruptcy, and the threat of foreclosure.

As a Senator from Nevada, I understand how difficult it is, perhaps more than any of my other colleagues. My State has the unfortunate distinction of leading the Nation in unemployment, in bankruptcies, and in foreclosures. I hear from my constituents every day on these issues. Nevadans--Democrats, Independents, and Republicans--are looking to Congress for answers, and they are frustrated that they are not getting them.

Even with the economic difficulty Americans across the country are experiencing, Congress appears to be prepared to stage a partisan standoff rather than extending a payroll tax cut for hard-working Americans. I cannot allow this to happen. Americans deserve solutions.

The plan I have introduced to extend the payroll tax cut is a workable solution that will provide relief for Americans responsibly. In fact, the solution I am proposing today borrows a cost-cutting idea from the bipartisan Simpson-Bowles Commission that can actually pass Congress and be signed into law.

My proposal allows American taxpayers to hold on to more of their hard-earned wages while not punishing the Nation's job creators as the majority proposes. Under my plan, American taxpayers will not see a tax increase. In fact, my plan prevents a tax increase on those already receiving a payroll tax credit. Today, Congress can do the right thing by allowing employers to continue to invest in their businesses so they can plan for the future and, of course, hire more workers.

I understand that Democrats would prefer to pay for the payroll extension by raising taxes on employers. But treating tax dollars responsibly is absolutely necessary if we are going to see long-term economic growth in this country. In this case, we can extend the payroll tax cut and still pay for it.

I also understand that not all Republicans support my plan. To be honest, I disagree with some of my colleagues who claim a payroll tax holiday is not necessary. I believe that we should allow more Americans to hold on to their hard-earned wages. For those who are already struggling to live within their means, this payroll tax cut will continue some much needed relief.

Today, I am asking my Republican and Democratic colleagues to come together and join me to help continue the payroll tax holiday without raising taxes on businesses in America. This will help preserve long- term job growth in the future.

My proposal is a workable solution containing provisions endorsed by both the majority and my colleagues in the House of Representatives. This is the only version of the payroll tax cut that has the potential to pass Congress and to be signed into law.

My proposal pays for the payroll tax cut by reducing government spending where it is no longer needed and requires the richest Americans to pay higher premiums for Medicare. This will allow us to strengthen and preserve Medicare for those Americans who rely on the program the most.

This is the same approach endorsed by Democrats who say the richest Americans should do more. Americans want solutions. They do not want more partisan bickering.

This week Congress has another opportunity to do the right thing to help hard-working Americans extend the payroll tax cut holiday.

I make calls back to my home State every week. In those calls, I ask Nevadans if they think their children will have access to a better, brighter future than their own. For the first time in history, a majority of Americans and a majority of Nevadans believe their children will have less opportunity. By continuing down this path of partisanship, Congress is robbing the American people of the dream for their children. This needs to stop.

We in this body need to seriously consider the high stakes of the political games that continue to unfold on this Senate floor. American workers need solutions and they need relief right now. Congress should come together today, put partisanship aside, and pass meaningful legislation that will benefit all Americans.

Mr. President, I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. President, the Senate today has an opportunity to put aside some of the partisan differences and come together and do something that will benefit all Americans. The legislation I propose is a solution, and I support solutions which Republicans, Democrats, and Independents can all support.

By supporting my legislation and imposing tax increases on employers, Congress can also preserve opportunity for job growth in the future. Increasing taxes on small businesses will not help my State overcome the highest unemployment rate in the Nation. By asking millionaires and billionaires to pay higher premiums for government health care, my proposal asks the richest Americans to do more, just like my colleagues on the other side of the aisle ask that they should.

Lastly, this proposal is the only one that has a chance of passing the House of Representatives and be signed into law. I urge all of my colleagues to support this piece of legislation and this effort to help Americans already struggling to make ends meet.

I yield the floor.

Mr. President, I ask for the yeas and nays.

Mr. President, I thank you for the opportunity to spend a few minutes here on the Senate floor. And I want to thank the previous speaker, Senator Moran from Kansas, for his timely comments, specifically regarding housing, the ability for small institutions, community banks to be able to produce the capital they need to help these small businesses and these homeowners, but, specifically, for the ability to create jobs. It dovetails into what I want to talk about today; that is, solutions, solutions for the American people.

This week, Congress has an opportunity to come together to help hard- working Americans, those taxpayers, and extend the payroll tax cut holiday. No State needs Congress to put aside political bickering more than the great State of Nevada.

Right now, as a percentage, more Nevadans are looking for jobs than in any other State. Right now, more Nevadans are having difficulty holding on to their homes than in any other State. And right now, more Nevadans are filing for bankruptcy than in any other State.

There was a report released yesterday that named Nevada the toughest place in the country to find a job.

Our No. 1 priority in this Congress should be to turn this economy around and get people working again. Yet here I am standing on the U.S. Senate floor today trying to convince the majority not to raise taxes on small businesses.

I am proud of my State. I am confident that, with the right policies in place, Nevadans can find job opportunities and overcome these difficult times. But in order for that to happen, Congress must put partisanship aside and come together to pass meaningful legislation that benefits Americans who need help in this tough economy and expand opportunities for employers looking to hire.

Extending the payroll tax cut will allow Americans to hold on to wages they worked hard to earn. Under my plan, hard-working American taxpayers will not see a tax increase. Under my plan, we will prevent a tax increase on those already receiving the payroll tax credit. And under my plan, employers can continue to invest in their businesses, so they can grow, expand, and hire more workers without the fear of a tax increase.

Americans need jobs desperately. Congress should be focused on policies that create jobs and drive long-term economic growth. The legislation I have proposed allows Congress to responsibly extend the payroll tax cut and treat taxpayers' dollars appropriately.

There is no question Congress should extend the payroll tax cut. Republicans, Democrats, Independents, everyone agrees on that. But we should not do it by turning around and raising taxes on employers everywhere.

Nevadans are looking for jobs. Increasing taxes on small businesses in Nevada is bad economic policy, and taking away the capital they could use to invest makes little sense.

Rather than finding a solution for hard-working Americans, the majority has chosen to go down a path that is engineered purposely to fail. They know there is little chance a tax increase on hard-working American taxpayers and their businesses will pass the Senate, and they know there is no chance their tax increase will pass in the House. So instead of success and reaching bipartisan agreement, the majority has chosen to focus on failure and scoring political points.

Honestly, these are the games the American people are tired of: the ``my way or the highway'' mentality, proposals that have no chance for success, bickering at the expense of our economy.

We have a divided Congress. That means to ensure 160 million Americans receive an extension of this tax cut, we need to move beyond petty politics of this majority.

As a Senator from the State that is leading the Nation in unemployment, I am particularly disturbed by this determination to play the political game rather than focus on solutions that work for all Americans.

With a little common sense, we can pay for the payroll tax cut without raising taxes on job creators, we can reduce government spending where it is no longer needed, and require the richest Americans to pay higher premiums for Medicare. This will allow us to strengthen and preserve Medicare for those Americans who rely on the program the most. And since my colleagues on the other side of the aisle frequently talk about how the richest Americans should be doing more, I believe this is an approach that both Democrats and Republicans can support.

By voting for this alternative plan, Congress can put political gamesmanship aside and support a workable solution for all Americans. The bipartisan veterans jobs bill, along with the 3-percent withholding bill Congress passed earlier this month, is proof that when Congress has the will to work together, we can find a pathway forward.

My proposal provides Congress with another opportunity to break the political gridlock here in Washington, DC, and vote for a solution that can pass Congress and be signed into law. I am hopeful Congress can work together to extend the payroll tax cut and preserve opportunities for job growth. It is past time Congress put aside politics and focused on policies that work for Nevadans and all Americans already struggling in this difficult economic environment.

Mr. President, I yield the floor.

Mr. President, the Senate will soon vote to overturn the open internet order, widely known as net neutrality. This measure that was passed days before the start of the 112th session of Congress by the Federal Communications Commission is a rule that many believe the FCC had no legal right to make and will harm job creation in the technology sector of our economy.

Plain and simple, this measure will cost the Nation good-paying jobs. That is why I do not support net neutrality and will vote in favor of the resolution of disapproval to overturn it.

Since privatizing the Internet in 1994, the FCC and Congresses led by both Democrats and Republicans have handled the Internet with a light regulatory touch by classifying it as an information service. This classification originated from a Democrat-led FCC, and the U.S. Supreme Court supported efforts to classify the Internet as an information service when it upheld the FCC's Cable Modem Order on June 27, 2005.

The FCC's policy has been that subjecting providers of enhanced services, even those offered via transmission wires, to title II common carrier regulation was unwise given the fast moving, competitive market to which they were offered. In other words, the FCC, led by Democrats and Republicans, has been consistent in the belief that regulating the Internet the same way we regulate land telephone lines even if those lines are used to connect to the Internet was counterproductive to good public policy given the speed of innovation and the competition present. Even the U.S. Supreme Court supported this position.

So Congress has never passed a law that gives the FCC the power to regulate the Internet, the FCC has gone to great lengths to avoid regulating the Internet, and the U.S. Supreme Court has supported previous FCC administration policy toward zero regulation of the Internet. Yet here we are voting to overturn a Federal Communications Commission order to regulate the Internet.

Make no mistake, as FCC Commissioner Robert McDowell said, ``To say the net neutrality rules don't regulate the Internet is like saying that regulating on-ramps, off-ramps, and its pavement doesn't equate to regulating the highways themselves.''

But why does this matter? Why don't we just say: You know what, these unelected bureaucrats at the FCC know so much more than Congress and the Supreme Court. Let these rules go through.

Because they will cost us jobs. U.S. broadband has seen an investment of hundreds of billions of dollars in infrastructure expansion and upgrades over the last 10 years and that has led to hundreds of thousands of jobs in this industry.

This year alone, broadband providers are estimated to invest over $60 billion in their networks. That is more money than the Federal Government has spent on highways in previous years.

I am well aware that the FCC insists the rules will not have a significant impact on the industry, but they did little to prove this. Minus a market or cost-benefit analysis, there is no way of knowing what exactly the impact of this regulation will be.

That is why I asked the FCC to conduct a market benefit analysis to prove the exact impact on jobs and the economy. The FCC stated the analysis was in the Internet order, but I still have not been able to find what they are referring to. I suspect the analysis was not ever actually done. If it was completed, the FCC would have seen that the costs of net neutrality would be significant and justifying the rules would not have been possible.

The fact is, net neutrality regulation is costly. As explained by the Federal Trade Commission in 2007 when they said in part:

Policy makers should proceed with caution in evaluating

calls for network neutrality regulation. . . . No regulation,

however well-intentioned, is cost free, and it may be

particularly difficult to avoid unintended consequences here.

Policy makers should be very wary of network neutrality

regulation . . . simply because we do not know what the net

effects of potential conduct by broadband providers will be

on consumers, including among other things, the prices that

consumers may pay for Internet access, the quality of

Internet access and other services that will be offered, and

the choices of content and applications that may be available

to consumers in the marketplace.

The FTC clearly stated that Congress must proceed with caution because we cannot fully quantify what the reaction by broadband providers would be if they were not able to manage their networks.

Again, let me state, some reports have said that over the next 5 years, there will be hundreds of billions of dollars invested in broadband infrastructure which will result in half a million jobs.

If broadband wire line and wireless service providers rolled back their investment by just 10 percent because of this regulation, the benefits of regulation would never outweigh the costs of job loss.

I assure you, these companies will roll back their investments if this rule is allowed to move forward, which will in turn eliminate jobs.

Because of the unpredictable nature of the Internet and evolving consumer demands, broadband providers must have the ability to change their business models to ensure maximum utilization of their network. These net neutrality rules impose restrictions on how a broadband provider can offer Internet service, which means broadband providers can't adapt to an evolving Internet. If a broadband provider does not have the ability to manage their own network to ensure maximum profits, the incentive to invest diminishes. If you minimize investment, you lose jobs. Estimates have put the number of jobs lost because of this regulation at 500,000 over the next 10 years. In my home State of Nevada, the unemployment level is at 13.2 percent, the highest in the Nation. Any regulation that increases unemployment both nationally and in my State is unacceptable.

Finally, some people believe we need this regulation to ensure competition in the industry. I believe this is as ridiculous as saying that this measure will not cost jobs.

Fixed and mobile broadband Internet access is growing rapidly. In 2003, only 15 percent of Americans had access to broadband. In 2010, 95 percent of Americans do. Competition, investment, innovation, and job creation are all growing because of the light touch policymakers and the FCC have put on the Internet.

We are in this wonderful era of innovation and investment where people can use an I-pad to read their e-mail in the Sierra Nevadas because the government did not regulate the Internet. Now our friends on the other side of the aisle and the FCC are saying: Yes, but in order to continue this amazing innovation, we must regulate.

Competition is robust in this industry, and when weighed against the loss of hundreds of thousands of jobs, the need for this regulation is simply not there. Net neutrality should not be enacted. It makes no sense for Nevada and will cause unnecessary job loss nationwide.

I urge my colleagues to vote for this measure and disapprove of the FCC's net neutrality order.

Mr. President, I rise today to address the economy as it affects my home State of Nevada.

This recession has hit my home State of Nevada harder than it has hit any other State in the country. My State has the unfortunate distinction of leading the Nation in unemployment, foreclosure, and bankruptcy.

As we discuss yet another stimulus this week, I hear from my friends on the other side of the aisle their claim that their priorities are jobs, jobs, jobs. I have one question about their economic policies: Is this working?

In January 2009 President Obama was inaugurated as President of the United States. Democrats controlled both Houses--both the House and the Senate--and Nevada's unemployment rate at that time was 9.4 percent. The next month the stimulus was passed. Supporters claimed the national unemployment level would not rise above 8 percent if we passed the stimulus bill. Nevada's unemployment at that time then grew from 9.4 percent to 10.1 percent.

In June of 2009 Congress passed the Cash for Clunkers legislation and Nevada's unemployment then grew at that point from 10.1 percent to 12 percent. With the success of Cash for Clunkers, we passed Cash for Clunkers II the following August, and Nevada's unemployment rose from 12 percent to 13.2 percent.

Then in March of 2010, Congress passed the President's health care law. Nevada's unemployment rose again, from 13.2 percent to 13.4 percent.

In July of that year, Congress then passed the Dodd-Frank reform of the financial services industry legislation that effectively limited access to capital, both for individuals and small businesses, and Nevada's unemployment rate went from 13.4 percent to 14.3 percent. In fact, if we go back to May of 2010, Nevada overtook Michigan as the State with the highest unemployment rate at 14 percent. With the passage of Dodd-Frank, it then rose again to 14.3 percent.

Then we passed the State bailout in August of 2010, and then stimulus No. 2, and Nevada's unemployment rate rose again to 14.4 percent. So with the unemployment rate at 14.4 percent and due to the lack of economic activity, some people in Nevada have stopped looking for work or, worse, some Nevadans have actually left the State for employment elsewhere. This has resulted in Nevada's unemployment dipping from 14.4 percent to 13.4 percent.

I guess I raise the question for the second time: Have these economic policies worked?

There is a local paper that had a readers' poll and the question of this readers; poll was: Is Nevada's economy recovering? Of those who responded, 82 percent said no. So regardless of what Washington, DC, is trying to tell them, 82 percent of Nevadans understand that the economic recovery has not yet occurred in the State of Nevada.

One of my constituents recently wrote:

I am writing you today because I am outraged over the

stimulus proposal that President Obama is trying to

intimidate you into passing. Despite the evidence that the

first two stimulus plans have failed, despite the promises

that there were shovel ready jobs, despite the other false

promises that the first trillion would upgrade our

infrastructure and keep unemployment under 8 percent, despite

the overwhelming evidence that nearly a TRILLION dollars of

taxpayers' dollars were completely wasted in the first

stimulus, this President had the audacity to demand that you

immediately pass another half a trillion dollars' worth of

stimulus. Don't do it!

So it is that the approach of this administration and its supporters have taken for economic recovery has failed miserably. Another stimulus bill is not the solution.

We now have a string of economic policies that are big on talking points, light on solutions. People from all over the country are struggling just to get by and are desperate for real solutions. It is time for new ideas and a new direction, not more of the same. Out-of- control spending, a health care law that no one can afford, and a seemingly endless stream of regulations are crippling employers, stifling economic growth, and killing jobs. The American public and businesses alike are awaiting a plan that can provide the stability and certainty necessary to provide confidence to the American people and bolster economic growth.

I hear some of my friends on the other side of the aisle claim there are no ideas for job creation coming from Republicans. Since coming to the Senate, I have repeatedly filed job-related amendments when given the opportunity but have yet to see an open debate on any of these amendments. So if it is true there are no ideas coming from Republicans, then there is nothing to fear from an honest, real debate on jobs. Instead of symbolic votes and political grandstanding, let's actually do the difficult work and address this problem.

As I suggested to President Obama, Nevada needs a proposal that reforms the Tax Code, stops excessive government spending, and provides the certainty businesses need to hire. Instead, the administration and the Senate majority have recycled the same failed policies, but this time they increase taxes on the same businesses we need to create jobs.

There are a number of actions Congress can take immediately to bolster our Nation's economy such as opening our country to energy exploration, streamlining the permitting process for responsible development of our domestic resources, and reforming our Tax Code, making it simpler for individuals and businesses alike, and cutting out the special-interest loopholes while reducing the overall tax burden for all Americans. Instead of looking for new ways to tax the American public and our job creators, we should make our Tax Code more competitive and provide businesses the stability they need to grow and create jobs.

As I have stated before, this continual threat of tax increases feeds the uncertainty that serves as an impediment to economic growth. These are all things that both this administration and Congress can do immediately to boost economic recovery.

I came to Washington to make a difference. Let's start doing the hard work we were sent here to do.

Mr. President, I yield the floor and note the absence of a quorum.

Mr. President, I rise today to speak in favor of the two amendments filed by my good friend from Ohio, Senator Portman, my amendment No. 674, and above all the issue of the day, jobs.

Americans have had to endure great hardship over the past few years. This recession has robbed millions of people of their jobs, their homes, their businesses, and their sense of security. No

State has been hit harder than the State of Nevada. My State has the unfortunate distinction of leading the Nation in unemployment, foreclosures, and bankruptcies. And there is no question that the status quo of dysfunctional government must end.

People from all over the country are struggling just to get by and are desperate for real solutions. The underlying legislation takes the wrong approach to job creation and can be very detrimental to economic growth in our country. Inciting a trade war with China will not create jobs.

In my home State of Nevada, a trade war would hurt tourism. It would stifle growth in renewable energy development and increase costs to consumers at a time when they can least afford it.

Working to sell American goods in foreign markets is what we should be fighting for. Instead, it seems job creation and economic growth have taken a back seat to political posturing and grandstanding in Washington. It is clear that the approach this administration and its supporters have taken for economic recovery has failed miserably. Out- of-control spending, a health care law no one can afford, and seemingly endless streams of regulation are crippling employers, stifling economic growth, and killing jobs. Instead of fighting for measures that create and protect jobs, this administration has created more government that continues to impede economic growth at every turn.

This government continues to tax too much, spend too much, and borrow too much. The American public and businesses alike are waiting on a plan that can plant the seeds of economic growth and bolster job creation. Instead, all they get from this government when it comes to job creation is a big wet blanket.

They need Washington to provide relief from new burdensome and overly intrusive regulations. Congress must help job creators by ensuring every regulation is vetted with a full understanding of the impact it will have on businesses across the country.

So I am pleased to join with Senator Portman in this fight to rein in excessive government regulation and to implement a market-benefit analysis for all agencies, both executive and independent, so the American public will know the true cost of these regulations. As President Obama said: We must rein in government agencies and force them to help businesses when they refuse to do so. I could not agree more.

There are a number of actions Congress can take immediately to help bolster our Nation's economy. The adoption of Senator Portman's amendments is one of those actions. I look forward to continuing to work with him on these issues. I believe our best days are still ahead, but we need to change course now. We need to roll back the regulations that are tying the hands of entrepreneurs across America. We can help hasten an economic recovery by embracing progrowth policies that place more money in the pockets of Americans.

I would also like to highlight another issue that would help create jobs and provide certainty for the businesses across the country; that is, Congress should pass a budget. Congress has not passed a budget in nearly 2\1/2\ years. Passing a comprehensive budget is one of the most basic responsibilities of Congress, but it has failed to accomplish this task.

America desperately needs a comprehensive 10-year plan that offers real solutions to the economic and fiscal problems in this country. We cannot lower unemployment rates in Nevada or restore the housing market without a holistic approach to reining in Federal spending and lowering the national debt.

Congress passed another continuing resolution that lacks a long-term approach to restoring our Nation to fiscal sanity. Instead, this bill funds the government for just a few more months. Congress cannot continue to function without a measure of accountability to hold Members of Congress to their constitutionally mandated responsibility, which is why I introduced the no budget, no pay amendment, amendment No. 674.

This measure requires Congress to pass a budget resolution by the beginning of any fiscal year. If Congress fails to pass a budget, then Members of Congress do not get paid. How can Congress commit to a debt reduction plan without a budget? Any serious proposal to rein in Federal spending and create jobs starts with a responsible budget.

At home in Nevada and across this country, if people do not accomplish the tasks their jobs require, they do not get paid. Somehow this very basic standard of responsibility is lost upon Washington.

The no budget, no pay amendment is not an end-all solution to our economic difficulties. It is, however, an important measure that Congress should adopt in order to show the American people that Members of Congress are serious about restoring our country to a period of economic prosperity.

Nevadans work hard for their paychecks. So should Congress. And since the majority believes the legislation before us today is a jobs bill, I encourage them to take up other measures that will help with job creation, such as opening our country to energy exploration, streamlining the permitting process for responsible development of our domestic resources, and taking the aggressive step of reforming our Tax Code. Let's make the Tax Code simpler for individuals and employers. Cut out the special interest loopholes while reducing the overall tax burden for all Americans.

Instead of looking for new ways to tax the American public, we should make our Tax Code more competitive and provide businesses the stability they need to grow and to create jobs. The continual threat of increased taxes feeds the uncertainty that serves as an impediment to economic growth. These are all things that both this administration and Congress could do immediately to boost economic recovery.

Let's give the American people a government that works for them. Removing impediments to job creation will get Americans working again and ensure our children and grandchildren have a brighter future.

I yield the floor and I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.

It is an honor serving the people of the great State of Nevada, and today I am speaking on their behalf for the first time in the Chamber of the Senate. Before I begin, I would like to take a moment to reflect on two tragic events that have taken place in Nevada recently.

In Carson City, our Nation lost three Nevada National Guard members at a local restaurant shooting. Those members were MAJ Heath Kelly, SFC Miranda McElhiney, and SFC Christian Riege.

The other was the horrific crash at the Reno air races this weekend. As with the shootings in Carson City, this terrible event not only impacted the communities in northern Nevada but the entire State and the Nation. Having visited the scene where the crash occurred, it is difficult to describe the amount of damage that took place there.

Our State's first responders and medical personnel did an amazing job in a very difficult situation. My thoughts and prayers go out to all the victims and their families, and I wish the injured a quick recovery.

Mr. President, I am deeply humbled by the opportunity to stand here today and to address the body as Nevada's 25th Senator. Nevada is a small State, but it is one that has provided many with a great chance to succeed. Most people know that it was in Nevada where Samuel Clemens began to sign his writings as Mark Twain and reported on the territorial legislative sessions. However, the reason Samuel Clemens came to the Nevada territory was to follow his older brother, Orion Clemens, who served as the first and only secretary of the Nevada Territory. That position would later become secretary of state, a position which I held prior to my service in Congress.

Similar to the Clemens brothers who sought greater opportunities, it is in a State such as Nevada where a son of a mechanic can have the opportunity to interact with those who are responsible for governing the State. For instance, as a boy I delivered the newspaper to then- Gov. Mike O'Callaghan. For a time, I went to Sunday school with then- Lt. Gov. Harry Reid's sons, and I was educated at the same public high school as Senator Paul Laxalt. Our current Governor, Brian Sandoval, is someone whom I used to play organized basketball with. I wish to thank Senator Laxalt for his support and Senator Reid for being here today. I also wish to thank Senator McConnell for being here as well.

My father's automotive shop was across the street from the Nevada State legislature, so many of the legislators would come into my dad's business. I spent a lot of time there as a kid working in that garage, sweeping floors, repairing cars, fixing engines and transmissions. In that shop, I learned the value of hard work and responsibility and the importance of family.

I am proud of what I learned growing up in Nevada: values from two great parents, good teachers, and good neighbors. Nevada values such as faith in God, hard work, honesty, and commitment to family--these are the values I try to bring to Washington, DC, every day.

Although Nevada has changed over the years, in many ways it is very much the same place as when I grew up. I bring this up because I recall what it took for my father to keep his

business in operation, and I think about what might have happened if he were still in business today. During this time when so many people are hurting and our economy is so fragile, it is important to understand how government impacts our economy and businesses across the Nation. While Washington politicians tarnish one another, Americans are still out of work. My home State of Nevada, in particular, leads the Nation in unemployment, foreclosures, and bankruptcies. Nevadans do not want finger-pointing; they want jobs. Nevadans do not want political talking points; they want to keep their homes. Nevadans do not want to hear all the promises; they want to pass on a better future to their children and grandchildren.

Job creation and economic recovery should be a bipartisan value. Unfortunately, Washington is paralyzed by politicians and has been reduced to sound bites. Too often it seems we cannot move beyond the politics of today. It appears we are more interested in press conferences than solving our Nation's most pressing problems--issues such as Medicare, which is on the verge of bankruptcy. Instead of strengthening and preserving the program, it is often used as a political weapon.

The truth is, Washington has not done enough to get our Nation back on track and the American people know it. I recently received a letter from a small business owner who had this to say:

My business had to dramatically cut our spending and

unfortunately lay off half of our good employees. Many of our

customers have lost their jobs and their homes due to

government intervention in the housing market and massive

mismanagement of our tax dollars . . . government employment

has gone up, while private sector employment has dropped.

These are the kinds of stories I hear from Nevadans far too often.

For over 4\1/2\ years I have done weekly telephone townhall meetings, where I have the opportunity to speak with thousands of households across my great State. During a recent round of phone calls, I have been asking participants if they believe their children and grandchildren will have a better economic future than we have today. More than two-thirds of these respondents say no. Many Nevadans believe the economic burden of our national debt and the impact it will have on future generations will lead to fewer opportunities and less upward mobility. I am certain Nevada is not alone in this sentiment.

Do we want to be the first Congress that hands our children and grandchildren a lesser quality of life? This should serve as a wake-up call for Washington.

Passing a better life to our children and grandchildren is a value we all share as Americans. From all corners of Nevada and our Nation, the message is clear. The status quo is not working. We can no longer afford to ignore the biggest problems facing our country: government spending and the national debt. The choices are clear. We can continue down this path which leads to bigger government, higher taxes, less jobs, and rationed health care for our seniors or we can decrease government spending, create jobs, and fulfill our promises to future generations. Washington needs to place its trust in the American people to reenergize our economy, not the Federal Government. It was Reagan who said:

From time to time, we have been tempted to believe that

society has become too complex to be managed by self-rule,

that government by an elite group is superior to government

for, by, and of the people. But if no one among us is capable

of governing himself, then who among us has the capacity to

govern someone else?

Our debt will serve as an anchor on future prosperity if we do not work today to solve this problem. Business as usual is not an option. What we do as Senators and the decisions we make are critically important to those whom we wish to represent. Sometimes the results of our actions are seen immediately and sometimes the full ramifications take decades to unfold. Record deficits, high unemployment, an anemic recovery, and inflation are fueling anxiety over our Nation's fiscal health. The key to recovery is to create an environment where economic growth can flourish and provide certainty and stability to our Nation's job creators.

I evaluate legislation through what I call the entrepreneurial standard or the ``more, higher, less test.'' Does this bill provide more competition with higher quality at less cost? What would a small businessman do? If the Federal Government approached problems through an entrepreneurial perspective, we would have a more efficient government at less cost to the taxpayer.

Unfortunately, our government is not providing that certainty today. We have a temporary Tax Code, overly burdensome regulations, and an ever-increasing national debt. There is no question the Federal Government must stop spending money we do not have. If we are going to keep America exceptional, we have to chart a new direction for our country.

As families across Nevada struggle to pay their bills and fight to keep their homes, government spending has grown exponentially. This must end if we are going to turn this economy around. We must focus on the long-term health of our economy and remove impediments that have caused economic stagnation and disabled businesses from creating new jobs.

The Federal Government has been on a massive spending spree, and it is time for this reckless behavior to end. History offers little evidence that massive deficit-financed spending leads to economic recovery. As an opponent of the stimulus and the Wall Street bailout, I believe reining in government spending is critical to economic recovery and the future of our country.

The unemployment rate, foreclosures, bankruptcies, all represent people who have become victims of this recession. There are those who have endured pay cuts to keep their jobs, individuals who are underemployed, and seniors on fixed incomes dealing with the increases in cost-of-living expenses. No question, times are tough.

So the question we must answer is, Do we have the courage to overcome partisan divides and work together to solve our Nation's problems?

While we all may not be members of the same political party or share the same philosophy of government, I believe we are all here to do what is right. In these difficult times, it is more important than ever that we work together, find common ground, and make tough decisions to create jobs and get people back to work.

Every day I go to work to advocate for the great State of Nevada, and every day I let Nevadans know there is someone in Washington who is on their side. There is not a day goes by that I do not think about what can be done to create jobs and get our economy moving again.

This is not the first time Americans have endured tough times, and it probably will not be the last. There will be better days ahead. However, it is incumbent upon us to effect change in difficult times to create a better future.

Today, we are at a crossroads, possibly a defining moment in our Nation's history, where we must change the way we govern. The window of opportunity is available, but it is growing smaller every day. Mark Twain wrote: ``You are a coward when you even seem to have backed down from a thing you openly set out to do.''

I ask another question: What is it that we set out to do? I ran for office to make a difference, to leave this place better than I found it. We still are the greatest Nation on Earth, with the greatest form of government. Our best days are yet to come--if we act now to return our Nation to what made us great: families, entrepreneurs, community, the American dream.

We must stop the mindset that we have all the answers here in Washington because I can assure my colleagues we don't. The answers are out there. They are in places such as Nevada, Alaska, Ohio, and perhaps Kentucky; in small towns and large cities across this country. Let the American engine fire again. Tear down the barriers to growth and opportunity and launch this great Nation to its great next chapter. I stand ready to serve and ready to bring us all together.

When my children and grandchildren look back many years from now, it is my hope that history will show we rose to the occasion to ensure their future and the future of our great Nation. I am confident we can meet those challenges. Our strength as a nation is bigger than the troubles of today. May God bless the State of Nevada and may God bless this great country.

I yield the floor.

Thank you very much.

(Applause, Senators rising.)

I thank the chairman for yielding time.

I'm an original cosponsor of H.R. 4 and proudly voted for this measure in the House Ways and Means Committee last month.

Madam Speaker, today's debate marks the second time, over the course of 3 months, that the House has taken the opportunity to discuss the disastrous consequences the health care bill has and will continue to have on our economy.

The House passed H.R. 2, which repealed the health care bill, with bipartisan support in January. Today we consider one of the many provisions of the bill that suppress economic recovery and job creation. The 1099 reporting mandate will impose substantial paperwork and reporting burdens on an estimated 40 million entities, including governments, nonprofits, and small businesses. Instead of fostering job creation in the private sector--which is what our economy needs--the previous Congress has passed a provision that would direct precious time and resources to collecting volumes of information and filling out mounds of new paperwork for businesses all throughout this country.

Once the economic engine of this Nation, small businesses are now buckling under the weight of onerous mandates and high taxes from a Federal Government that spends too much, taxes too much, and borrows too much. As a result, unemployment in Nevada has reached record highs that currently stand at nearly 15 percent.

Efforts to repeal the 1099 provision enjoy bipartisan, bicameral support.

I am pleased the House will pass H.R. 4 as part of our commitment to alleviate the burden the previous Congress placed on small businesses and American taxpayers. I remain committed to overturn the health care bill in its entirety. I support targeted legislation such as H.R. 4 to provide economic relief as soon as possible.

Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk, amendment No. 482.

Mr. Chairman, I rise today to offer an amendment with my friend from Idaho (Mr. Labrador) to prohibit funds from being used to designate national monuments under the Antiquities Act. Roughly 85 percent of Nevada is federally controlled.

So I am sensitive to any actions that could close access to public lands. New

national monuments would limit access, threaten grazing rights, end mineral exploration of mining, and even impact private property. And this is the last thing we need in this dire economy.

A transparent public process that includes input from local officials, communities, and stakeholders for any new Federal land designation is in the best interest of the residents of our public lands communities. That is why I support efforts to require any Antiquities Act actions to have congressional approval. Government that works in the best interest of the people ensures that all stakeholders have a seat at the table.

Examples, such as the Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument, which in the waning days of the Clinton administration literally obliterated massive economic development with a stroke of a pen, are why I am standing here today. I don't want this to happen in Nevada or anywhere else.

I urge my colleagues to join us to protect communities from the heavy hand of the Federal Government and support our amendment.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Chairman, I yield the balance of my time to the gentleman from Idaho (Mr. Labrador).

I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Yucca Mountain as a storage location for the Nation's nuclear waste is dead. Even the administration understands that transporting the nuclear waste to a State with no nuclear activity jeopardizes the security of our Nation and is a bad investment of precious taxpayer dollars.

Unfortunately, this bill not only tries to keep the Yucca Mountain project in regulatory limbo, it seeks to block information regarding viable alternatives to Yucca Mountain as a nuclear waste dump.

Yucca Mountain is in my district, and our State has been dealing with this boondoggle project for literally decades. According to the Government Accountability Office, over the past 20

years the proposed site has suffered from gross mismanagement, faulty science and research, contract mismanagement, and, most alarmingly, questions about safety and design of the site and its impacts on its surrounding environment and people.

I am a strong supporter of the need to responsibly develop all of our Nation's energy resources, including nuclear energy. However, the key to my position is the need to be responsible, and continued investment in the storage of nuclear waste at Yucca Mountain does not meet this litmus test.

I continue to be disappointed at the House's insistence of reviving the Yucca Mountain boondoggle. Most recent estimates place the cost of the Yucca Mountain facility at nearly $100 billion.

Not surprisingly, this estimate seems to increase with each passing year.

Given our current economic climate and our serious debt problems, our Nation cannot afford to continue with this poorly managed project. Congress needs to have a serious discussion about studying reasonable alternatives to Yucca Mountain. If you're concerned about the safety of American citizens and the wise stewardship of tax dollars, then join with me to keep this project out of limbo, acknowledge reality, and move forward on a responsible solution to our Nation's nuclear waste storage issue.

Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. Chairman, I appreciate the opportunity to speak.

Earlier this evening, or I should say last night, I had a tele-town hall meeting. I do this once a week. Generally what I do is I ask and we talk about what we're doing on the floor today: trying to create jobs to reducing the size of our Federal Government. So I open it up and I ask people, What would you cut? Or, Send me an email. Go to heller.house.gov, hit the prompt button to send me an email. Tell me what you would cut out of this Federal Government. And I got, obviously, numerous responses, as I'm sure most people in this audience would.

But I have to tell you, at the top of everybody's list, frankly, if it's not the top two or three, it's always in the top five, is to cut foreign aid. So we have an opportunity to do that today. So what my amendment does is it cuts $211,244,700 from the Multilateral Economic Assistance Account in the State Foreign Operations section.

This number is 14.5 percent of the account. And I am asked, What is the purpose of the 14.5 percent of this particular account? Well, 14.5 percent happens to match the State with the highest unemployment in the country, and that State happens to be the State of Nevada, the State that I am from.

This money is going to go to debt reduction. And I would like to talk about what frankly is being cut in this particular amendment. Some of us have heard of these organizations. Most haven't.

For example, we can go to the Global Environmental Facility, GEF. They make grants to help developing countries deal with global environmental problems.

We're going to cut the International Development Association from the World Bank. IDA lends concessional rates to low-income countries. What is a concessional rate? That means we're just going to take your tax dollars, and World Bank is going to actually lend it for less than you can go to your own bank to get a loan. So it is kind of a double whammy: we're going to take your money, and then we're going to loan it for less than you can actually get the loan yourself.

The Clean Technology Fund seeks to reduce the growth of greenhouse gas emissions in developing countries.

The Strategic Climate Fund seeks to address climate change under the auspices of the World Bank.

We can go through the list, some of them actually quite interesting. The International American Development Bank, Enterprise for the American Multilateral Investment Fund. I don't know how many people have heard of many of these, but this is where your tax dollars go in this foreign aid.

How about the Asian Development Fund? I wonder if some Asian country gets a concessional rate, China perhaps, to buy our own government securities with.

The African Development Fund. The International Fund for Agricultural Development. We can go on and on. International Organization and Programs. International Financial Institutions.

My point here, Mr. Chairman, is it is not our responsibility to create jobs in foreign countries. Our responsibility is to create jobs right here at home. And I choose America first. I think that's what our constituents are asking: In this process, do you choose America first over foreign aid to some of these other countries?

I choose America first. I choose Nevada first. And I think when our Nation is facing some significant budget crisis and many Americans needs are still unmet, the fact that Congress continues sending so much money overseas is unconscionable, and I believe the Federal Government is responsible to Americans before any other country. I support reducing foreign spending, and I strongly urge all my colleagues to support my amendment.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Chairman, I demand a recorded vote.

Offered By: Mr. Heller

Amendment No. 482: At the end of the bill (before the short

title), insert the following: