Extending Assistance for Unemployed Americans

The Democrats in the Senate have continuously offered a small percentage surtax on those with a net income of a million dollars or more. We could easily pay for what is needed here with a small percentage, less than three percent, or in that neighborhood, surtax on the wealthiest in our nation. The Republicans have consistently opposed that contribution to this effort by our wealthiest citizens.

We must not leave this city and our responsibilities without extending unemployment insurance. We must not leave Washington, DC, for this holiday season to deliver a block of coal in the stockings of our constituents by failing to continue the tax cut from their payroll taxes. And we must not leave Washington, DC, without affecting a continuation of the proper reimbursement of doctors to ensure that Medicare patients will be able to get their doctors' services. So we have three items to focus on to get done and nine appropriation bills.

We cannot leave for the holidays until we ensure that the payroll tax holiday and unemployment benefits are extended and the Medicare physician payment rate is fixed. We should not risk raising taxes on middle class families, dropping unemployment benefits for those out of work, or preventing seniors from accessing their doctors through Medicare by including unrelated and controversial provisions. Democrats remain willing to work with Republicans to extend these critical measures before Congress adjourns for the year, but I do not believe that the plan Republican leaders proposed this morning would be the best path forward to do so. I hope they will work with us to find common ground quickly on a deal that can pass both chambers and be signed into law by the President.

Once again, House Republicans are wasting the Congress’s time on a bill that has nothing to do with creating jobs or dealing with the pressing issues that confront us before the end of the year. The Farm Dust Regulation Prevention Act is based on the same failed claim that deregulation will lead to job growth. Economists from both sides of the aisle strongly disagree and have said the link between regulations and unemployment is negligible, and they further add that many of our regulations help businesses compete on a level playing field. This farm dust bill is merely a smoke screen for Republican inaction on legislation that is actually important and would have significant bearing on millions of Americans. Even worse, the bill’s definition of ‘nuisance dust’ is overly broad and makes it easier for mining, smelting, excavation, and industrial operations to pollute in rural communities.

This Congress should not leave for the holidays without extending the payroll tax holiday, extending unemployment insurance benefits, and fixing the Medicare physician payment rate. I am disappointed that Republicans insist on playing political games with these critical policies. I have said repeatedly that Democrats are willing to work with Republicans to move these policies forward as long as unrelated, controversial policies are not attached, and President Obama said yesterday that he would reject a package that includes the Keystone pipeline. With so little time left before the end of the year, I hope Republicans reconsider their position and work with us to address these issues.

It’s been nearly a year since Republicans took the House majority and they pledged to focus on Americans’ top priorities: creating jobs and growing our economy. But instead of working with Democrats on a bipartisan basis to put Americans back to work and address the deficit in a meaningful way, Republicans have led an unproductive year and focused on the wrong priorities.

Democrats have repeatedly indicated that we are willing to work with our Republican counterparts to extend the payroll tax holiday. If it is allowed to expire at the end of this year, Americans will have less money in their pockets, threatening our economic recovery at a critical time. We should not leave for the holidays until Congress has extended the payroll tax holiday, unemployment insurance benefits, and fixed the Medicare physician payment rate. Republicans should not play political games with these critical policies, and I hope that they will work with us to take action on these items quickly.

I continue to urge the Republican leadership to work with us to avoid expirations of unemployment insurance benefits, the payroll tax holiday, and the Medicare physician payment rate. Unless we act, millions of Americans who are looking for work will lose the ability to support themselves and their families when unemployment insurance benefits begin expiring at the end of the year.