Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise to urge the passage of H.R. 2941, to renew and enhance ``Johanna's Law'' to increase public awareness and knowledge of gynecological cancers. I am pleased to have introduced this important bill with Representatives DeLauro, Issa, and Burton.

Johanna's Law established a national public information campaign to educate women and health care providers about the risk factors and early warning signs of gynecologic cancers. This bill before the House carries on that important work by extending funding of Johanna's Law for 3 more years, from 2011 to 2014, and providing funds for demonstration projects to identify the most effective educational tools.

The law was named after Michigan resident Johanna Silver Gordon, a loving mother and dedicated public school teacher, who, despite visiting her doctor regularly, was blindsided by a late stage diagnosis of ovarian cancer, learning only after her diagnosis that the symptoms she had been experiencing were common symptoms of that disease. Tragically, Johanna lost her life to ovarian cancer 3\1/2\ years after being diagnosed.

Johanna's story is far too common. Although, it has been 10 years since Johanna Silver died of ovarian cancer, and 4 years since Congress passed this important legislation, each year over 71,000 women in U.S. are diagnosed with a gynecologic cancer and over 26,000 women are lost to one of these serious cancers. Many of those deaths could be prevented if more women knew and recognized the early symptoms of gynecologic cancers and received prompt treatment. For all gynecological cancers, early detection dramatically improves a woman's chance of survival. For instance, ovarian cancer causes more deaths in women than any other gynecological cancer; however, it has a 90 percent survival rate if detected in Stage One, but only a 20 percent survival rate if detected in Stage Three or Four.

Right now, awareness, education, early diagnosis, and treatment are the most effective weapons we have in our war against gynecological cancers. I urge my colleagues to support Johanna's Law so we can prevail in our battle against these terrible cancers that cut short the lives of our mothers, daughters, sisters, wives, partners and friends. I urge the House to join me in voting for this vital legislation.

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to House Resolution 1674, I call up the bill (H.R. 2378) to amend title VII of the Tariff Act of 1930 to clarify that fundamental exchange-rate misalignment by any foreign nation is actionable under United States countervailing and antidumping duty laws, and for other purposes, and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself 3 minutes.

(Mr. LEVIN asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Colleagues, this is an important moment for this House and for the people of our Nation. There is a real problem--China's persistent manipulation of its currency. That requires real action, and under our leadership, real action is now being taken in this House.

China's practices represent, as the Secretary of the Treasury indicated in his testimony before us, ``a major distortion in the global economy.''

For our country, it is impacted on our trade deficit with China--in 2009, $226 billion--and it is impacted on our jobs. Their goods come to us, as a result of their manipulation, cheaper, and our goods to them, more expensive. There is a 15-35 or 40 percent imbalance, a tilted field of competition. The estimates mean 500,000 to 1.5 million jobs. This manipulation is one of the causes of the outsourcing of our jobs-- of manufacturing and other good jobs.

Talk hasn't worked. Less than 2 percent appreciation has occurred since just before the last G-20 meeting when the Chinese said that they would make their currency more flexible.

Additional steps are needed, and this bill is just such a step. So, after 2 days of hearings before our committee, I worked over the weekend with our majority staff to modify, to make sure this bill was fully compliant with our international WTO obligations. It is compliant.

China has an economic strategy. For our businesses and workers, it is vital that our Nation has an active economic strategy, and this is one important piece of that strategy.

I strongly urge support of this legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.

I yield myself 15 seconds.

That statement really rewrites the history of this legislation. I suggest to everybody, go back and look at the opening statement of the ranking member. Also, we have urged support of the green 301 petition. Only three Republicans supported it. I regret the partisan inflection here. I won't engage in it. I hope we get bipartisan support.

I now yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from Washington (Mr. McDermott), a gentleman who is so actively engaged on these issues.

(Mr. McDERMOTT asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. Speaker, it is my privilege to yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Neal), another active member of our committee.

I now yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. Becerra), another very distinguished member of our committee.

I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the distinguished gentleman from California (Mr. Thompson), another member of our committee.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from Oregon (Mr. Blumenauer), another very, very distinguished member of our Ways and Means Committee.

I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Linda T. Sanchez), another distinguished member of our committee.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from New York (Ms. Slaughter), the very distinguished chair of the Rules Committee.

I yield myself 10 seconds.

To the gentleman who just spoke, without a job, one can't buy goods at any price. This bill is about jobs.

I now yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Boccieri).

Mr. Speaker, I now yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Etheridge), a member of our Ways and Means Committee.

Mr. Speaker, I now yield 1 minute to the distinguished gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Visclosky).

Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Oregon (Mr. DeFazio).

Mr. Speaker, it is now my special pleasure to yield 2 minutes to the gentleman who is an original cosponsor of this important legislation, the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Ryan).

Mr. Speaker, how much is there on both sides?

It is now my pleasure to yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Maine (Mr. Michaud), an active participant in discussions of trade issues.

Mr. Speaker, it is now my pleasure to yield 2 minutes to the very distinguished gentleman from New York (Mr. Rangel).

(Mr. RANGEL asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. Speaker, I now yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the distinguished gentlewoman from Ohio (Ms. Sutton).

Mr. Speaker, it is now my privilege, a deep privilege, to yield

1 minute to our distinguished Speaker, the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Pelosi).

I yield 1 minute to the distinguished gentleman and colleague from Michigan (Mr. Kildee).

I yield 15 seconds to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Ryan).

I now yield 1 minute to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Andrews).

(Mr. ANDREWS asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

It is now my special privilege to yield 1 minute to the distinguished gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Perriello).

Mr. Speaker, how much time remains on either side?

I yield now 1 minute to the gentleman from Vermont (Mr. Welch).

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 2378.

Is the gentleman ready to close?

So am I.

I yield myself the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, international trade is here to stay. The question before us today is whether we shape its course or simply let it roll--whether there are rules of competition that allow us to compete or whether we look the other way.

A 25-40 percent tilt against us is unacceptable. This bill says we cannot and will not look the other way. We are going to act. I say the more multilateral effort the better, but the lack of it should not leave us without a remedy.

China's manipulation of its currency is a major unilateral act, and we need to act. The President of our country said to the Chinese Premier, ``Make your currency flexible or we have other means.'' This is just such a means.

This is a real problem. No more excuses. Goodwill isn't enough. We need a real answer. This is a real answer. Support this legislation.

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

Mr. Speaker, I demand a recorded vote.

Madam Speaker, I offer a resolution constituting the privileges of the House.

I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Madam Speaker, not much time needs to be consumed to make clear what is happening here. Many on the minority side rise in opposition. Why? Essentially, it is this:

Oppose any bill that helps the Nation, because it helps the President and this Congress achieve something for the Nation. Oppose it even if it helps small business, as this bill will. Oppose it even if it creates jobs, the key to this bill. Oppose it even if the pay-fors primarily were developed on a bipartisan basis. Find some flimsy excuse to oppose it.

I will read the last sentence from the Chamber of Commerce letter:

``Ninety-six percent of the Chamber's members are small businesses with fewer than 100 employees. On behalf of these small businesses, the Chamber urges you to support H.R. 5297 and strongly encourages Congress to address the issues of broad economic importance to the small business community.''

So you're trying to find some fig leaf. So far, they've all been transparent. To come here and to try to march with your message, even when it doesn't apply, doesn't serve you well. It doesn't serve this Congress well. It surely doesn't serve small businesses well, and it doesn't serve well our Nation.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Lewis).

Madam Speaker, it is now my privilege to yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Massachusetts, a member of our committee, Mr. Neal.

Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

You know, the mindless objection really overlooks the urgency of this picture. We go back home; people say they can't receive credit. You talk about TARP III. You're the only ones who use that language to try to find a label even for something beneficial, as was other legislation.

So we go home and we hear this cry out for credit, and we put together a bill that provides $30 billion for small and medium-size businesses, and you look for an excuse. We provide money for the States to provide collateral so small businesses can receive the credit--a provision that Governors support, Republicans and Democrats--and you search for some basis that somehow will carry what you think is a winning message even if the American people are the losers. It doesn't work.

Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the distinguished majority leader, Mr. Hoyer.

(Mr. HOYER asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Andrews).

(Mr. ANDREWS asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

My colleagues on the Republican side want to talk about everything except this bill. I understand that. I think quietly you might admit you are embarrassed to vote against it. You raise the 1099 issue in the health bill. We've brought up a bill to repeal it, and almost all of you voted ``no.'' You want to talk about all kinds of other issues except this bill.

Announcement by the Speaker Pro Tempore

I will be glad to do that.

So my colleagues want to make sure, if they can, that this doesn't happen. It's going to. You say, why can't we get together? The last months, the last year, all of this has proven the last thing you want to do is to get together. They think that the best thing to do is to make sure we can't. That won't help the small businesses of this country.

This is an excellent, necessary bill for small businesses in this country who need the credit flowing. And those who vote ``no'' are standing in the way of that flow of credit for the small businesses of this country. Inexcusable.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Madam Speaker, I submit the following.

Health Care/Medicare

Congress spent the first part of this session enacting

landmark health reform legislation that substantially reforms

and strengthens the Medicare program. As a result of this

legislation, CBO estimates net deficit reduction of $143

billion from 2010 to 2019, and deficit reduction of more than

$1 trillion in the next decade. In addition, the Medicare

Actuary estimates that the Medicare changes enacted in health

reform will extend the life of the Part A Trust Fund by 12

years--the largest extension in history. Finally, as a result

of the new law, national health expenditures per insured

person will fall by $1,400 by 2019.

The health reform law also includes extensive provisions to

aggressively reduce fraud, waste, and abuse in government

health programs. The Affordable Care Act (ACA) establishes

new authorities to enhance fraud-fighting when providers

first enroll in the program and during the pre- and post-

payment periods.

During the Medicare provider enrollment period, ACA

strengthens provider screening and disclosure requirements

and allows the Secretary to impose a moratorium on new

providers in areas of significant risk. These tools will help

keep fraudulent providers out of government programs before

they have a chance to act. In the pre-payment period, ACA

directs the Secretary to establish a program of increased

oversight for new providers and allows for the suspension of

payment, if deemed appropriate, to a provider or supplier.

For the post-payment and enforcement period, ACA establishes

new penalties for the submission of false data or false

claims and increases funding for proven fraud-fighting

programs used by the Office of Inspector General (OIG) and

the Department of Justice.

Taken together, these provisions reduce fraud, waste, and

abuse by improving payment accuracy, promoting efficiency,

and controlling spending within Medicare and other government

programs.

The Committee's efforts to achieve deficit reduction,

prevent fraud, promote efficiency, and control spending

within government programs extend beyond the ACA. The

Preservation of Access to Care for Medicare Beneficiaries and

Pension Relief Act of 2010 (P.L. 111-192) included two

provisions that address these goals. First, this law

clarifies the 3-day payment window for inpatient admissions

to ensure that all services related to the hospital admission

are included in the bundled payment. Absent this provision,

hospitals would likely have unbundled hospital payments

driving up Medicare spending. Second,

the law established a CMS-IRS data match to identify

potentially fraudulent providers. This provision authorizes

the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to

collaborate with the IRS to determine whether providers

enrolling or re-enrolling in Medicare have failed to file

Federal tax returns or have delinquent tax debts. In doing

so, the law helps to identify potentially fraudulent

providers earlier in the application process and allows the

Secretary to use this information in determining whether to

deny such application or to apply enhanced oversight to the

provider.

Following passage of health reform legislation, the

Committee has held and will continue to hold oversight

hearing on a number of issues, including:

Fraud, Waste and Abuse

While many of the HHS OIG recommendations from their annual

compendium were adopted in the ACA, combating fraud remains a

top priority for the committee. On June 15th, the Health and

Oversight Subcommittees held a joint hearing on combating

fraud, waste, and abuse. At this hearing, a representative of

the HHS Office of Inspector General discussed two new tools

that would improve OIG's ability to prevent criminals from

becoming providers in the Medicare program. The first

recommendation was to provide OIG with broader permissive

authority to exclude permanently from Medicare corporate

executives who have been involved in Medicare fraud. Second,

it was suggested that the OIG permissive authority could also

be expanded to better enable the OIG to reach parent

companies that may be hiding behind corporate shells.

On September 14, 2010, in response to these

recommendations, Health Subcommittee Chairman Representative

Stark and Ranking Republican Wally Herger introduced the

Strengthening Medicare Anti-Fraud Measures Act. The bill

would provide the OIG with this expanded permissive

authority. We are awaiting a CBO score of the legislation.

HITECH Implementation

Enactment of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of

2009 included the Health Information Technology for Economic

and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act, which created incentive

payments for providers that adopt and meaningfully use

electronic medical records. Increased adoption and meaningful

use of health information technology will arm providers with

information that is usually held only in paper records, lower

duplication rates of procedures, promote efficiency and

quality, and reduce waste as providers coordinate care

through improved exchange of clinical information. The Health

Subcommittee held an oversight hearing on implementation of

HITECH Act earlier this year and will continue to monitor the

program to ensure that the advance of health information

technology improves quality and efficiency of the delivery of

health care in the Medicare program.

Durable Medical Equipment competitive bidding process

The Medicare Modernization Act directed CMS to establish a

competitive bidding process for payment of durable medical

equipment, prosthetics, orthotics, and supplies (DMEPOS)

under Medicare. The first round of competitive bidding for

DME was delayed in 2008 because of implementation problems.

Later this year, CMS will award contracts under the first

round of the revised program. The Health Subcommittee will

examine whether CMS has adequately addressed problems with

the competitive bidding program and explore its potential

effect on beneficiaries' access to the program and supplier

participation.

Tax Provisions to Prevent Tax Avoidance and Fraud

Closing Foreign Tax Credit Loopholes

On August 10, 2010, the House passed H.R. 1586, the

Education Jobs and Medicaid Assistance Act by a vote of 247

to 161. The bill, signed into law the same day (P.L. 111-

226), included changes developed jointly by the Treasury

Department, the Committee on Ways and Means, and the Senate

Committee on Finance to curtail abuses of the U.S. foreign

tax credit system and other targeted abuses. Foreign tax

credits are intended to ensure that U.S.-based multinational

companies are not subject to double taxation. However, multi-

national corporate taxpayers have taken advantage of the U.S.

foreign tax credit system to reduce the U.S. tax due on

completely unrelated foreign income in a manner that has

nothing to do with eliminating double taxation. The bill

eliminated $9.6 billion of foreign tax credit loopholes.

Transfer Pricing

On July 22, 2010, the Committee on Ways and Means held a

hearing to begin initial discussions of the complex areas of

tax law that govern transfer pricing practices among related

parties (multinational corporations). Pursuant to a request

by the Committee in December 2009, the Joint Committee on

Taxation (JCT) undertook a study of transfer pricing issues.

Part of that study involved meetings with tax practitioners

and the IRS to gain a better understanding of how companies

can structure overseas operations to minimize U.S. taxes. The

JCT released a report summarizing its work, beginning with a

study of the issues and specific case studies to illuminate

the potential for income shifting through transfer pricing.

The Committee continues to investigate opportunities for

reducing tax avoidance by multinational corporations through

transfer pricing structures.

First-Time Homebuyer Program

The Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008 established

the First-Time Homebuyer Credit, which generally provided an

$8,000 tax credit to certain taxpayers for the purchase of a

home. The credit was extended and expanded by the American

Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 and the Worker,

Homeownership, and Business Assistance Act of 2009

(Assistance Act). On October 22, 2009, the Subcommittee on

Oversight of the Ways and Means Committee held a hearing on

administration of the credit by the Internal Revenue Service

(IRS). At the hearing, the Treasury Inspector General for Tax

Administration (TIGTA) released a report finding instances of

fraud and abuse in the program. In response to the report,

TIGTA and the U.S. Government Accountability Office made

several legislative recommendations to improve administration

of the credit. On October 22, 2009, Oversight Subcommittee

Chairman John Lewis (D-GA) introduced H.R. 3901, the

Homebuyer Tax Credit Improvement Act of 2009, which provided

the IRS with additional authority to prevent fraudulent

claims and claims by minor children. On November 6, 2009,

H.R. 3901 was enacted into law as part of the Assistance Act

(P.L. 111-92).

Prisoner Tax Fraud

On September 27, 2008, the House passed H.R. 7082, the

Inmate Tax Fraud Prevention Act of 2008. This law allows the

IRS to exchange with officers and employees of the Federal

Bureau of Prisons certain tax return information with respect

to prisoners whom the Secretary has determined may have filed

false or fraudulent tax returns. This provision was enacted

into law on October 15, 2008. In June 2010, TIGTA released a

report estimating that about 1,300 prison inmates (more than

90 percent of whom were state prison inmates) claimed and

received more than $9 million in fraudulent first-time

homebuyer tax credits. On June 29, 2010, a provision to allow

the IRS to disclose tax return information to officers and

employees of State agencies charged with the administration

of prisons passed the House in H.R. 5623, the Homebuyer

Assistance and Improvement Act of 2010. On July 2, 2010, this

provision was enacted into law as part of the Homebuyer

Assistance and Improvement Act of 2010 (P.L. 111-198).

Tax Provisions to Promote Government Efficiency and Reform

Increase electronic filing of tax returns

The Internal Revenue Service Restructuring and Reform Act

of 1998 (RRA) established a goal for the IRS to receive at

least 80 percent of tax and information returns

electronically. For 2010, the overall electronic filing (e-

filing) rate is projected to reach approximately 59 percent.

To achieve the 80 percent goal, an estimated 40 million

additional returns need to be e-filed. On October 22, 2009,

Oversight Subcommittee Chairman John Lewis (D-GA) introduced

H.R. 3901, the Homebuyer Tax Credit Improvement Act of 2009,

which authorized the IRS to require tax return preparers to

file returns electronically in order to achieve additional

cost reduction and savings. On November 6, 2009, H.R. 3901

was enacted into law as part of the Worker, Homeownership,

and Business Assistance Act (P.L. 111-92). The Electronic Tax

Administration Advisory Committee, established by the RRA,

believes that this is the single most important initiative

that will enable the IRS to reach its 80 percent electronic

filing goal.

Removal of cell phones from listed property

In 1989, Congress passed a law requiring taxpayers to

substantiate the business use of cell phones. At that time,

cell phones were an expensive perk for executives. Cell

phones and similar equipment are now ingrained in daily

business practices at all levels. The Administration has

recognized that cell phone service in this country has

changed dramatically over the past decade and recommended

that the law be modernized to remove the special

documentation requirements for cell phones and reduce the

cost of administering and complying with the provision. On

April 15, 2010, a provision to eliminate the strict

substantiation rules on cell phones passed the House in H.R.

4994, the Taxpayer Assistance Act of 2010.

Repeal of the partial payment requirement on submissions of

offers-in-compromise. Offer-in-compromise (OIC) agreements

are an important collection alternative for the IRS and

taxpayers. Under current law, due to legislation passed in

2006, a taxpayer offering to settle a tax liability must make

a partial payment with submission of an OIC application. The

need to increase the usage of OIC agreements in situations of

economic hardship was raised at a February 2009 hearing of

the Subcommittee on Oversight of the Committee on Ways and

Means. On May 12, 2009, Oversight Subcommittee Chairman John

Lewis (D-GA) introduced H.R. 2343, a bipartisan bill that

would increase the likelihood that some amount of tax is

collected and promote continued tax compliance by repealing

the partial payment requirement. On April 15, 2010, a

provision to repeal the partial payment requirement passed

the House in H.R. 4994, the Taxpayer Assistance Act of 2010.

Study on delivery of tax refunds

The National Taxpayer Advocate (NTA) has stated that the

quickest and cheapest way to distribute tax refunds is

electronically rather than by paper checks in the

mail. However, a large number of taxpayers do not have bank

accounts. These taxpayers are not able to fully

participate in electronic filing because the IRS cannot

transmit their refunds to them electronically. The NTA

recommended that the Department of Treasury develop a

program to enable taxpayers to receive refunds on stored

value cards. On April 15, 2010, a provision to require the

Secretary of Treasury, in consultation with the National

Taxpayer Advocate, to conduct a study on the feasibility

of delivering federal tax refunds on debit cards, prepaid

cards, or other electronic means passed the House in H.R.

4994, the Taxpayer Assistance Act of 2010.

Study on timely processing and use of information returns

Under current law, the IRS processes tax returns before it

processes related information returns, such as Forms W-2 and

Forms 1099. The IRS does not match information on income tax

returns to information returns until after the filing season

has ended. There are two reasons for the delay: (1) the

deadline for filing information returns generally is March 31

and (2) the tax filing season begins in mid-January. A

provision to require the Secretary of Treasury to study, and

make recommendations on, the administrative and legislative

steps required to allow the IRS to receive information

returns before it processes income tax returns passed the

House in H.R. 4994, the Taxpayer Assistance Act of 2010.

Clarify that the bad check penalty applies to electronic payments

Taxpayers are subject to a penalty if their check or money

order in payment of their tax liabilities is not honored. On

April 15, 2010, a provision to ensure fair application of the

penalty by clarifying that the penalty applies to all

commercially acceptable instruments of payment (i.e.,

electronic payments) passed the House in H.R. 4994, the

Taxpayer Assistance Act of 2010. On July 2, 2010, this

provision was enacted into law as part of the Homebuyer

Assistance and Improvement Act of 2010 (P.L. 111-198).

Trade

The Trade Subcommittee is developing Customs and Border

Protection (CBP) reauthorization legislation addressing two

important oversight issues explored at a May 2010 hearing:

(1) correcting the agency's failure to collect antidumping

and countervailing duties; and (2) addressing cost overruns

and delayed implementation of the agency's new, modernized

computer system, the Automated Commercial Environment (ACE).

Combating the Evasion of Antidumping and Countervailing Duty Orders

The U.S. government loses hundreds of millions of dollars

every year when foreign companies employ fraudulent tactics

to evade U.S. antidumping and countervailing duty orders.

Such tactics include misrepresenting the country of origin of

imported products or mislabeling the types of products being

imported on Customs import documentation. The resulting

impact in the United States is two-fold. Not only is there

lost revenue to the government, but also American businesses

and workers are denied relief from the illegal trade

practices that the antidumping and countervailing duties are

designed to neutralize. The Trade Subcommittee is preparing

legislation to counter these kinds of practices and aims to

move that legislation shortly. This legislation: (1)

establishes clear, expeditious timeframes for CBP to

investigate and determine whether evasion is occurring; (2)

requires maximum cooperation between CBP and the Department

of Commerce in making and enforcing such determinations; and

(3) provides authority for CBP to collect unpaid duties and

assess penalties. This legislation will diminish

substantially the duties lost to evasion as well as the

corresponding harm to the U.S. industry.

Ensuring Efficient Use of Taxpayer Dollars in Further ACE Deployment

The Trade Subcommittee is preparing legislation that will

support the positive steps taken by CBP since its May 20th

hearing to get ACE deployment back on track and moving in the

right direction. ACE development to date has cost over $3

billion, and the system continues to have limited

functionality to attract a critical mass of users. Completion

of ACE promises significant benefits to CBP, businesses, and

workers alike, increasing U.S. competitiveness and saving

taxpayer dollars. The Trade Subcommittee is developing

legislation to ensure that: (1) ACE is completed

expeditiously and with strong functionality; and (2) the

funds invested in this project, going forward, are used

efficiently and effectively.

Social Security

In December of 2009, Congress enacted H.R. 4218, the No

Social Security Benefits for Prisoners Act of 2009 (P.L. 111-

115) to prevent retroactive Social Security and Supplemental

Security Income benefit payments from being issued to

individuals while they are in prison, along with

beneficiaries in violation of conditions of parole or

probation, or who are fleeing to avoid prosecution for a

felony or a crime punishable by sentence of more than one

year. The Social Security Act already barred payment of

monthly benefits to such individuals. This new law ensures

the prohibition applies to retroactive benefit payments as

well, and allows payments to be paid once the beneficiary is

no longer prohibited from receiving payments under the

provisions of this bill.

In response to a Social Security Administration Inspector

General report that as many as eight states use prison

industries to perform work that allows inmates access to

individual Social Security numbers, Chairman Pomeroy

introduced H.R. 5854, the No Prisoner Access to Social

Security Numbers Act of 2010. The bill would protect the

accuracy of Social Security records and help shield

individuals from identity theft and other potential crimes by

prohibiting federal, state, and local governments from

employing prisoners in any capacity that would allow inmates

access to full or partial SSNs of other individuals. The

Federal Bureau of Prisons already proscribes such work by

federal inmates by regulation. This bill would extend this

policy to all of the states.

In recent years, we have substantially increased funding

for program integrity at the Social Security Administration,

which will save billions of dollars in overpayments and

payments to people who have become ineligible for benefits.

Because the Social Security Administration uses innovative

predictive modeling techniques to identify cases with the

highest risk of an overpayment and targets those cases for

careful review, they are able to generate savings of as much

as $12 for every dollar invested in program integrity,

despite Social Security's already very low error rate. For

example, in 2008 their computer models allowed them to target

the beneficiaries most likely to have medically improved for

full eligibility reviews, saving $3.8 billion in Social

Security, Medicare, Medicaid, and SSI benefits. If SSA had

randomly selected cases for intensive review, they would only

have saved $900 million.

Because the return on investment is so significant, we plan

to work on legislation that will increase our investment in

Social Security's fight against fraud, waste, and abuse.

I yield myself 2 minutes.

The minority comes here and talks about wishing to be back at a jobs fair for those who are unemployed and looking for work, having voted against continuing unemployment compensation for those out of work and looking for it. The minority comes here talking about help for small business, having voted against Democratic bills to help small business.

On this bill this is not an increase in taxes on job creation. What it is is closing a tax loophole used by some to escape taxes and thereby encouraging them to ship jobs overseas, purely and simply.

This is a fact: U.S. companies that operate overseas owe taxes when they return that income to the U.S. They get a foreign tax credit for the taxes they paid overseas. What some companies are doing is using those tax credits not against income brought back home but against income obtained elsewhere. This is a tax loophole purely and simply, and closing a tax loophole used by a few is fair taxation policy for everybody else. That's what the people of this country demand: Close tax loopholes that help shift jobs overseas. We're doing just that in this bill, as we have done several other times in the House of Representatives.

Madam Speaker, I and Ways and Means Committee Ranking Member Camp have asked the nonpartisan Joint Committee on Taxation to make available to the public a technical explanation of the revenue provisions included in the Senate amendment to the House amendment to the Senate amendment to H.R. 1586, the ``Education Jobs and Medicaid Assistance Act of 2010,'' considered in the House of Representatives today. This technical explanation provides information on the Committee's understanding and legislative intent behind the legislation. It is available on the Joint Committee's website at www.jct.gov and is listed under document number JCX-46-10.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the very distinguished gentleman from Texas (Mr. Doggett), who has been a champion on the issue of tax loopholes, a member of the Ways and Means Committee.

It is now my true pleasure to yield 1 minute to our very distinguished majority leader, the colleague from the great State of Maryland (Mr. Hoyer).

I now yield 2 minutes to the gentlelady from Ohio (Ms. Kilroy).

Madam Speaker, I yield the balance of our time to our distinguished Speaker, the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Pelosi).

Madam Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 5982) to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to repeal the expansion of certain information reporting requirements to corporations and to payments for property, to eliminate loopholes which encourage companies to move operations offshore, and for other purposes.

Mr. Speaker, I urge all Members to support this legislation that indeed has been posted online.

Mr. Speaker, again I urge all Members to support this legislation, which has indeed been posted online. This bill would eliminate a reporting requirement which has been identified as a potentially onerous burden for small businesses. The provision itself is not currently in place--it does not take effect until 2012--but recent studies have indicated that it could pose challenges for small businesses throughout this country.

The Independent Taxpayer Advocate recently stated the provision, ``may present significant administrative challenges to taxpayers and the IRS.'' The advocate is concerned that the reporting requirement for small business--and again I quote--``may turn out to be disproportionate as compared with any resulting improvement in tax compliance.''

So here we are today to provide this House with an up-or-down vote on eliminating this requirement. This bill is fiscally responsible, covering the cost by reducing tax incentives that encourage companies to ship jobs overseas. This is a win-win for American jobs.

This bill both provides relief to small businesses and reduces incentives for some large, multinational corporations to ship jobs overseas. It also closes an egregious loophole in the gift tax, the Grantor Retained Annuity Trust, that is only available for extremely wealthy individuals.

So in a few words, all Members on both sides of the aisle have a choice today--to stand up for millions of American small businesses and their workers, or keep a tax loophole and side with those companies that ship jobs overseas.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Number one, you received more notice about this than we did about your motion to recommit.

I yield to the gentleman from Michigan.

Mr. Speaker, I reclaim my time.

Mr. Camp, you may not like the bill----

Mr. Camp, abide by the rules of the House. I did not yield to you to rant and rave.

Announcement by the Speaker Pro Tempore

We received a couple-minutes' notice of the motion to recommit.

I will continue and then I will yield.

It was handed to us as it was being submitted. So, if there is an effort for bipartisanship, then a motion to recommit can be submitted early on, without any effort to surprise, and we can see if we can work it out. That's the fact.

Number two, in terms of worker against worker, what you don't like about our proposal is that we protect and safeguard the workers of the United States of America, and we make sure that jobs are not shipped overseas that may help workers in other countries but not workers in the United States of America. That is what our bill provides.

Number three, in terms of added taxes, the taxes on the very wealthy, closing the loophole is something that should be done. You are not protecting the typical taxpayers in this country. They don't use these annuity provisions. They don't try to escape gift taxes through this device. The administration has pleaded with this Congress to close this loophole, and you, today, are essentially saying you don't want to vote for this bill because it addresses outsourcing and because it addresses a tax loophole. You don't like that. All right. Then vote ``no.''

We find a way to eliminate the 1099 requirement and pay for it by making sure companies don't have an inducement to ship jobs overseas and the very, very wealthy to escape gift taxation. So that is really what this is all about. Everybody here has a choice: eliminate the 1099 and not use a hammer on millions of families in this country and eliminate it in a way that saves jobs in this country.

I yield to the gentleman from Louisiana.

Okay. I reclaim my time.

I told you that it was placed on the Internet, number one. Number two, every provision in this bill in terms of the pay-for has been before this Congress before--every single provision. So don't say you're surprised by these provisions.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Announcement by the Speaker Pro Tempore

I now yield 3 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from New York (Mr. Murphy).

I now yield 3 minutes to a very distinguished colleague of ours from New York (Mr. Owens).

I yield 2 minutes to the very vigorous gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Perriello).

Madam Speaker, could you please give us the time remaining on both sides?

I now yield 1 minute to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Murphy).

It is now my pleasure to yield 2 minutes to a very distinguished member of our committee, Mr. Xavier Becerra from California.

I ask that all Members have leave to enter extraneous material into the Record.

First, I yield 30 seconds to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Murphy).

Madam Speaker, there's obvious discomfort on the side of the minority. There's a claim about procedure.

What I said before about our notice to motion on the motion to recommit is exactly correct. Now, you say we should act on elimination of 1099? That's exactly what we're doing, exactly what we're doing. Then you say you don't like the pay-fors. You act as if this is a new issue. We have debated these provisions time and time and time and time again, and you know it.

No. I'm going to finish my statement.

The outsourcing provision has been before us a number of times.

And you keep talking about workers. We talk about having workers in the United States having work. That's what this is all about. And essentially what the provision does in the Tax Code is to help those companies that ship jobs overseas, and what we're saying is that that should be prevented, period. We've been saying it time and time and time again.

We've also discussed another loophole that's here that you don't seem to discuss, and that is for a relatively few very wealthy people taking a loophole in the Code and setting up a gift to others in the family, taking back the money, hoping that there will be an increase and no gift tax paid. That is a grievous loophole that should be closed, and we provide payment for this bill by closing it.

Now, I want to finish about outsourcing.

We have lost so many jobs in this country. If it comes through competition that's fair, so be it. If it comes, however, from companies using a provision that says you get a foreign tax credit on income, you're supposed to bring that income back here and not use the foreign tax credit to avoid taxation.

It's not an issue of double taxation. It is an issue of companies avoiding any taxation.

So essentially everybody who comes to the floor to vote on this has the opportunity to eliminate the 1099 provision and to close loopholes and to stop some of the outsourcing of American jobs. There could not be stronger reasons to vote for a bill.

So I close: Vote for it.

Mr. Speaker, I and Ways and Means Committee Ranking Member Camp have asked the nonpartisan Joint Committee on Taxation to make available to the public a technical explanation of H.R. 5982, the ``Small Business Tax Relief Act of 2010''. This technical explanation provides information on the Committee's understanding and legislative intent behind the legislation. It is available on the Joint Committee's website at www.jct.gov and is listed under document number JCX-43-10.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. Chair, I rise in strong support of the Consolidated Land, Energy and Aquatic Resources Act.

It is often said that experience is the best teacher. Unfortunately, it often seems that experience is the only teacher when it comes to developing common sense safeguards to prevent oil spills. As I speak, at least 800,000 gallons of oil has spilled from a pipeline into the Kalamazoo River in my home state of Michigan. We are just a few days into this crisis, but surely this accident could have been prevented.

In 1989, the Exxon Valdez ran aground in Alaska and spilled 11 million gallons of crude oil into Prince William Sound, fouling hundreds of miles of pristine coastline. In the months that followed, Congress responded by approving the Oil Pollution Act that strengthened the Federal Government's role in oil spill response and cleanup in the case of oil tankers. Among its many provisions, the Act required vessels carrying oil and operating in U.S. waters to have double hulls to prevent further accidents of this type. The law has been a success, but the damage to Alaska's environment was done.

We are more than 100 days into the oil spill crisis in the Gulf of Mexico. To date, between 90 million and 180 million gallons of oil has been released into the environment. The BP Deepwater Horizon spill might have been prevented if there had been some basic drilling safety standards in place, and if there had been effective oversight of BP's actions as it was drilling the well. We are creating these standards today with this bill.

The CLEAR Act before the House establishes new safety standards for offshore oil drilling. The legislation reforms the Federal Government's oversight of offshore drilling operations, holds BP and other oil companies accountable, and ensures that polluters pay the full cost of damage caused by the spills they create.

Experience is, indeed, the best teacher. But when it comes to preventing future oil spills, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. I urge passage of the CLEAR Act.

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to House Resolution 1568, I call up the bill (H.R. 5893) to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to create jobs through increased investment in infrastructure, to eliminate loopholes which encourage companies to move operations offshore, and for other purposes, and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. Speaker, I ask that all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and insert extraneous material into the Record.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself 3 minutes.

This is a bill to stimulate jobs here, not over there, to create American jobs and close tax loopholes that encourage companies to ship overseas. There is no excuse to vote ``no.''

It is noteworthy that we are on pace to gain more private-sector jobs in the first 8 months of 2010 than were added in the full 8 years of the Bush Presidency. There has been private-sector job growth every month of 2010, but there is still a lot of work to do. There are five unemployed workers for every new job opening.

This bill highlights infrastructure development and private-sector jobs. The Build America Bonds (BABs) are the cornerstone of this bill's infrastructure investments.

When the recession hit, local governments could not get credit. BABs helped fill this demand by accessing corporate tax bonds and doing so very successfully. As of March 1, BABs have financed more than $115 billion in local infrastructure programs, private-sector jobs.

Also, we provide for an emergency fund for job creation. By extending this program that soon expires for 1 year at a cost of $3.5 billion, it will help States sustain low-income families and expand subsidized job programs that create jobs for the unemployed.

I want to emphasize, this program has led to the creation of 247,000 jobs, and that is why it has broad support. There is a letter from the National Governors Association, from the National Conference of State Legislatures, and the National Association of Counties. Kevin Hassett of the American Enterprise Institute has said, ``It is hard to imagine how any sensible person could oppose it.''

And we pay for it; we pay for it through closing a loophole. We have a Foreign Tax Credit, the FTC, to help businesses avoid double taxation of foreign-sourced income. Some corporations have found ways to use that credit to offset other income while leaving their foreign-sourced profits overseas sometimes permanently. As a result--and I emphasize this--American taxpayers are effectively subsidizing these companies' overseas operations.

These provisions have been before us before--no excuse that you haven't seen them before--and you knew this was coming. This is coming because of the urgency of job creation.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself an additional 15 seconds.

It's urgent. So this Invest in American Jobs Act of 2010 will create the jobs we need to keep moving America forward. To vote ``no'' is to vote America moving backwards.

Mr. Speaker, I and Ways and Means Committee Ranking Member Camp have asked the nonpartisan Joint Committee on Taxation to make available to the public a technical explanation of H.R. 5893, the ``Investing in American Jobs and Closing Tax Loopholes Act of 2010''. This technical explanation provides information on the Committee's understanding and legislative intent behind the legislation. It is available on the Joint Committee's website at www.jct.gov and is listed under document number

Mr. Speaker, I submit for the Record a letter of March 3, 2010, from the National Governors Association, signed by a Republican Governor and by a Democratic Governor on behalf of the entire association.

National Governors Association,

March 3, 2010.

Hon. Nancy Pelosi,

Speaker of the House, House of Representatives, Washington,

I yield myself 15 seconds.

Mr. Speaker, the infrastructure goes to States and to local governments for private sector jobs--like the highway bill. Small business: You voted against the small business bill. Summer jobs: You voted against summer jobs. Now you say this created summer jobs. It is so hypocritical.

I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Pascrell).

Announcement by the Speaker Pro Tempore

I yield 15 additional seconds to the gentleman.

It is now my privilege to yield 2 valuable minutes to the gentleman from Oregon (Mr. Blumenauer), an active member of our committee.

I yield the gentleman an additional 15 seconds.

I yield 2 minutes to the distinguished member of our committee, Mr. Davis of Illinois.

It's now my pleasure to yield 3 minutes to another distinguished, indeed a very distinguished member of our committee, from the State of Maryland (Mr. Van Hollen).

Mr. Speaker, I now yield 1 minute to the very distinguished majority leader of the U.S. House of Representatives, Steny Hoyer.

I yield 30 seconds to the majority leader.

I yield myself 30 seconds.

Build America Bonds, 62 issues as of 6/30/2010 totaling $2 billion, creating all kinds of private sector jobs. We look backward to learn lessons. We have also look forward, and the minority will do neither.

I now am privileged to yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Neal), a distinguished member of our committee.

I now yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Doggett), a most active member of our committee.

I now yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. Thompson), another very vigorous member of our committee.

I yield the gentleman 30 additional seconds.

I yield myself the balance of our time.

It's really so important to look at the facts. This bill does not basically create government jobs. That is a total myth, and you know it.

The infrastructure money goes to State and local communities like highway monies do. These orange barrels, orange and white in Michigan, Mr. Camp, are put up by private contractors with Federal money.

So why demean the Build America Bonds provisions by calling it money to State and local governments when everybody knows it's for infrastructure that goes to private contractors and their employees?

You mention the number of construction workers out of work; that is very true. And then you vote against the legislation that will give them jobs.

You say where are the jobs? Then you come down here and vote against bills to create jobs.

It doesn't make any sense. Instead, we get the same political speech aimed at November 2, instead of aiming at creating jobs for the thousands and thousands of people who are unemployed in the United States of America.

I want to say something about the double taxation so people understand what this is really all about. We have a foreign tax credit, as there should be, at least in this structure. This is a credit that is supposed to relate to the income by American companies created overseas.

So what has been happening under this loophole is that the credit has been used, not in relationship to that income, but has been used relating to other income. So it isn't double taxation; it's an effort to avoid any taxation, and the rest of us pick up the bill.

Now, one company that has objected to this has dramatically increased their investment offshore and diminished their jobs in the United States and diminished their R&D. So they say close the loophole and we will pay more taxes, yes. What we are saying is follow the rules, like small business does in this country, and like all of us individual taxpayers do in this country. You can come here and say closing a loophole increases taxes. By definition it does, because it says to people who are skipping paying taxes, pay your fair share.

So this is a two-fer, jobs in the U.S. and stopping the shipment of jobs overseas.

And if people come here and vote against this bill, they can expect to hear from constituents, that you have voted to help people and entities that ship jobs from this country elsewhere. We should vote resoundingly for this legislation.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1875) to establish an Emergency Commission to End the Trade Deficit, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks.

I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I urge Members to support H.R. 1875, a bill to establish an Emergency Trade Deficit Commission. This commission will examine the causes and the consequences of the United States' persistent and substantial trade deficits, and it will provide recommendations on how to address and reduce those deficits.

Over the past 10 years, our trade deficits have been unprecedented. Before 2000, our largest trade deficit was in 1987 when the deficit was equal to 3.3 percent of GDP, but that 1987 deficit pales in comparison to the deficits we have had every year from 2000 through 2008. Indeed, in 2006, our trade deficit represented 6.4 percent of GDP, nearly twice as high as in 1987.

These enormous trade deficits are corrosive. They lower our GDP. They weaken our economic growth. It is no surprise that global imbalances and, in particular, huge U.S. trade deficits have contributed to the global economic crisis that we are slowly recovering from. Our trade deficits are improving now, but this appears to be largely due to a still weak economic recovery, not to any structural policy change, and many economists are warning that massive global imbalances will return unless we take corrective action.

Our recent trade deficits are due, in part, to a passive, hands-off approach to trade in the past. Proponents of this flawed approach mistakenly believed that our trade deficits would resolve themselves. Ignoring their effect on U.S. manufacturers, they claim that the mercantilistic practices of China and of some of our trade partners may be okay for the U.S. because they result in cheaper imports for our consumers. This is not a trade policy; this is a recipe for economic failure.

As our President has said: Trade is going to be reciprocal. It is not just going to be a one-way street.

Those words have been backed up by strong action, such as the China safeguard action the administration took last year.

To be sure, there are many causes of our trade deficits, many causes which are not directly related to trade or to industrial policy. The fiscal deficits we amassed over the past decade certainly played a signature role, for example, and we need to confront those issues as well. Trade can contribute substantially to the strength of our economy, but it has to be reciprocal. It has to be two-way trade.

I believe that the work of the Emergency Trade Deficit Commission can help us determine how best to achieve two-way trade. It can help us expand and shape trade to ensure that it is working for working Americans. It can help us make a thing of the past these corrosive trade deficits that weaken our economy and hurt our workers and the manufacturers which employ them.

I, therefore, urge my colleagues to vote in favor of this important legislation.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Pascrell), our distinguished colleague, a member of the Ways and Means Committee.

I yield an additional 2 minutes to the gentleman from New Jersey.

I yield the gentleman an additional 30 seconds.

It is now my distinct pleasure to yield 3 minutes to the author of this legislation, the active, distinguished gentleman from Oregon (Mr. DeFazio).

I yield an additional 2 minutes to the author of the bill.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Now, that the distinguished ranking member on the Trade Subcommittee has yielded back the balance of his time, I will close.

First of all, I want to thank Mr. DeFazio for introducing the bill and for his willingness and his really effective efforts to work with us. His staff also collaborated in bringing this bill to the floor. I also want to thank Congressman Camp and Congressman Brady and their staff for working with us.

So let me just say a word. We'll debate trade issues another time. I think everybody here has spoken about the importance of two-way trade and ending the one-way street. The problem with the Korea agreement, as it was negotiated, was that when it comes to the industrial sector, there was no way it was even close to a likelihood that there would be two-way trade in vital industrial sectors. So far it's only been one way, and now steps have to be taken with the other provisions in the bill to make sure there's two-way trade in industrial, as well as agricultural, goods as well as opening up their markets to service products.

I think we're now finished with this. We can discuss the moratorium on drilling some other day, and I now urge passage of this bill.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to House Resolution 1550, I call up the bill (H.R. 4213) to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to extend certain expiring provisions, and for other purposes, with the Senate amendment to the House amendment to the Senate amendment thereto, and I have a motion at the desk.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I shall consume.

Mr. Speaker and colleagues, this action should have occurred 2 months ago. This House acted to extend unemployment insurance on May 28. For 6 weeks Republicans in the Senate blocked unemployment insurance. They stood not on the side but in the way of millions of Americans. During those 6 weeks, over 2.5 million unemployed Americans exhausted their benefits, and they struggled to stay afloat while continuing to look for work in this difficult economy.

Americans like this person from Grand Rapids, Michigan, who wrote me, and I quote, ``I worked 22 years in automotive, 60 to 70 hours a week, supported my family, paid my taxes, and worked in my community. Every single day I send my resume out, to no avail. I have lost my home, one vehicle, and my sense of the ability to take care of my family.''

Or this individual from Madison Heights, Michigan. ``My family is not living large; we are surviving. Cutting unemployment insurance will take us out of survival mode and put us into homeless mode. After working 20-plus years, this is the first time that we have asked for unemployment.''

And to add insult to injury, after their filibuster was broken, Senate Republicans insisted on running out the clock and delaying the full 30 hours before they would let a final vote occur in the other body. Thirty hours for nothing. No excuse of theirs worked for working Americans out of work, out of work through no fault of their own and looking for work.

We have acted to extend unemployment insurance in Republican Congresses under Republican Presidents. So today we put this sad chapter behind us, and now we move forward to continue our efforts to support job creation and to continue to dig out of the jobs ditch inherited by this administration and by this Congress.

I reserve the balance of my time.

It is now my very distinct pleasure and privilege to yield 1 minute to the most distinguished Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from Washington (Mr. McDermott), our subcommittee chair.

(Mr. McDERMOTT asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on my motion.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from New York (Mr. Rangel).

I also ask unanimous consent that Mr. McDermott, the subcommittee chair, be allowed to control the balance of the time.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 4380) to amend the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States to modify temporarily certain rates of duty, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I urge Members to support the U.S. Manufacturing Enhancement Act of 2010, also known as the Miscellaneous Tariff Bill,

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself 15 seconds.

Rule XXI, clause 9, specifically defines congressional earmarks in one clause and limited tariff benefits in another. You lump them together, you are lumping hurt against manufacturing in the U.S.

I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman who chairs the Trade Subcommittee, my colleague from Tennessee (Mr. Tanner).

I yield myself 10 seconds.

Mr. Brady, it is your choice.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Neal).

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself 10 seconds.

The rule has separate provisions on congressional earmarks and limited tariff benefits. You are using an excuse that does not exist.

I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Doggett), a distinguished member of our committee.

I yield an additional 15 seconds to the gentleman.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Oregon (Mr. Blumenauer), another distinguished member of our committee.

I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Pascrell), another distinguished member of our committee.

I yield the gentleman 10 additional seconds.

I yield for the purpose of making a unanimous consent request to the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Scott).

(Mr. SCOTT of Virginia asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

I yield the balance of my time to the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Etheridge), a distinguished member of our committee.

Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to introduce the Veterans', Seniors', and Children's Health Technical Corrections Act of 2010. This bill contains many time-sensitive provisions that affect our nation's veterans, seniors, and children and that have already been considered by the House as part of H.R. 4213, the American Jobs and Closing Tax Loopholes Act of 2010, which passed the House before the Memorial Day recess. I understand that the Senate is renewing their consideration of this jobs legislation. I encourage them to do so--and to do so quickly--as it contains critical provisions to create jobs, cut taxes, and support American workers. Should the Senate face delays in passing that larger legislation, this bill guarantees the consideration of necessary, time-sensitive, and non-controversial health care provisions.

This legislation contains clarifications and extensions under Medicare, Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program. For veterans, this legislation clarifies a special enrollment period to ensure that they can properly enroll in Medicare Part B and retain their TRICARE eligibility.

For children, this legislation clarifies that eligible children's hospitals retain access to discounts for expensive orphan drugs. Children will also benefit from technical corrections in this bill that relate to Medicaid and CHIP.

For teaching hospitals that train our newest physicians, this legislation makes a technical correction to clarify that residency positions currently shared between teaching hospitals will not be redistributed. In 36 states, this will affect more than 300 hospitals with affiliation agreements in place that are currently using these residency slots.

For Medicare beneficiaries receiving care at a skilled nursing facility, this legislation guarantees that they will be covered under the most current refined payment system.

We pay for this bill largely with funds from the Medicare Improvement Fund. CBO estimates that this bill results in small savings to the federal government.

So colleagues, I ask you to join me in supporting this time-sensitive and noncontroversial legislation pertaining to veterans, Medicare providers including skilled nursing facilities, teaching hospitals, and children's hospitals.

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to H. Res. 1495, I call up the bill (H.R. 5618) to continue Federal unemployment programs, and ask for its immediate consideration.

I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, during the rule, a Member of the minority came here regarding the plight of millions of unemployed who were losing their unemployment insurance, saying that he came to the floor with a heavy heart. I think the unemployed and all of America welcome heavy hearts, but if there isn't a helping hand, a heavy heart doesn't work. So, within this framework, I want to list very briefly the basic facts for everyone to consider and for all of our country to hear.

The 1.7 million unemployed workers, unemployed through no fault of their

own and who are looking for work, will have lost their benefits by the end of this week--1.7 million. By the end of next week, if there is not action, 2.1 million. By the middle of July, when Congress can address this issue again, 2.5 million. The average unemployment insurance in this country is about $300 a week. That is about half of the previous wage on average, and for a family of four, that average check is only 74 percent of the poverty level. That should refute the notion that those who are unemployed, who have no benefits, who have lost their jobs through no fault of their own, are not looking for work.

Indeed, the figure is very clear. For every job available, there are five unemployed workers. There is one other fact because this has been raised. It is the notion that this is unfunded. By the way, that is provided as an emergency under statutory PAYGO. Under both Democratic and Republican Congresses, under both Democratic and Republican administrations, UI has been extended on an emergency basis. It is hard to understand how anybody can come to this floor and say for 1.7 million people and their families this is not an emergency. There is no excuse for voting ``no.''

It is said that the Senate is out of session. We must send this so that it is the first item of business they take up when they return.

I will finish with this: it did not pass the Senate last night. The only reason was that there could not be found more than two Republicans to vote for this extension. That is a shame, and it is shameful. We need to, within our ranks in this House, lift that shame off the shoulders of everybody in this institution.

I reserve the balance of my time.

It is now my privilege to yield 5 minutes to the chairman of the subcommittee, the gentleman from Washington (Mr. McDermott).

I now yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Pascrell), a member of the Ways and Means Committee.

Mr. Speaker, I yield the gentleman 1 additional minute.

I want to read quickly a report from the CBO regarding the recovery program, and I quote:

``It increased the number of full-time equivalent jobs by 1.8 million to 4.1 million compared with those amounts that would have been otherwise.''

I now yield 2 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Lewis), a very able member of our Ways and Means Committee.

Mr. Speaker, I now yield 2 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Davis), a member of the Ways and Means Committee.

Now I am privileged to yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Kucinich).

I yield 2 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Ryan).

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 5618.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of the time.

I'm glad my colleague from Michigan just spoke, and I think, laid it out very clearly what's before us. He said, this is the eighth time and we call it an emergency.

This is the hurricane season. I assume that if there are eight hurricanes, that, when the damage is done the eighth time, we'll call it for what it is, an emergency.

So the fact that this is the eighth time, first of all, it shows that under

Presidents of both parties we've extended unemployment insurance in an unfunded way, as an emergency. But I think what this shows is that, indeed, it is an emergency for numerous families.

Essentially, the minority is looking for cover. This is an emergency within statutory PAYGO that passed this Congress, so we are following it.

The Senate rejected it last night, short one vote, only because of the death of Senator Byrd, and there were only two Republicans. His position may be filled soon as we mourn him, and then this bill can pass the Senate. And hopefully there will be more than two Republicans, the rest not standing in the way.

There's been some reference here to job loss. I just want to repeat: during the 8 years of the Bush administration, there was a loss of 673,000 private sector jobs. In the first 5 months of 2010 alone, there's been a gain of 495,000 private sector jobs. So, even that excuse won't work, nor the notion of the deficit, when those who are trying to invoke it helped to create most of it.

So I simply want to read some stories, because everybody needs to go home and face people like this. I start with a gentleman from Warren, Michigan:

``I am a U.S. Navy veteran and am trying to get things going, but I need just a little more help.''

And, next, a person in touch with us from Grand Rapids: ``I worked 22 years in automotive, 60 to 70 hours a week, supporting my family, paid my taxes and worked in my community. Every single day I send my resume out, to no avail.'' And I interrupt this quote. Don't say these are people who are not looking for work. That's also an excuse that won't work.

And I continue. He said: ``I've lost my home and one vehicle and my sense of the ability to take care of my family.''

And now a person from Madison Heights, Michigan.

``We depend on unemployment to help pay our house payment and our bills. Without that check, we would definitely lose our house.''

And now this person from Fraser, Michigan. And there are people like this throughout the country. ``As of June 2,'' and I quote, ``I will no longer be collecting unemployment on the emergency extension. I cannot stress to you enough how very hopeless this all is for me and millions of people. I have worked since I was 13, making my own way, served my country in the Vietnam war, raising a family, paying my taxes, and now facing total ruin. What is being done to help people like me in my time of need?'' The answer on the minority side, with a few exceptions, too few, is nothing, a cold shoulder, an excuse.

The next I quote from a person in Sterling Heights, a woman who wrote this: ``My husband is a union electrician, and is about to lose his unemployment. He has always worked, and never been laid off for more than a few months until now. No matter how hard he tries to find work, there is not much work in the building construction in Michigan. This extension can't wait much longer.''

What the minority has been saying, and I hope it won't say today, is the answer for the unemployed is you will wait, and you will wait, and you will wait. The House will pass this, we will send it to the Senate, I hope with some bipartisan support here. It will go to the Senate. And as I said before, I hope as their first regular order of business they will find the 60 votes. To do that, those in the minority will have to rise above politics. For a moment they'll have to put down their political banner and remember the plight of not only 1. 7 million, but their families, and more to be added, while this institution, without bipartisan help, has not responded.

There is only one answer. No excuses. None holds any water. We are holding up the basic, basic elements of life for millions of Americans. We can do better. We must do better. We shall do better in just a few moments.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.