It is said that Albert Einstein once defined insanity as doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result.  Well, that is exactly what the Democrats are doing today – trying to pass for the third time an unpaid for extension of unemployment benefits that the Senate – and the American people – have repeatedly rejected.  In fact, just last night, the Senate again… Read more

This debate has shown the lengths Democrats will go to in order to avoid paying for any government spending – even calling the eighth extension of unemployment benefits an emergency.  One would hope even Congress could see it coming after the first seven times? We could pass this bill with broad bipartisan support if Democrats would just agree to pay for the spending.  Instead,… Read more

What has changed since yesterday?  Nothing.  And, certainly not the Democrats’ willingness to pay for government spending.  So, just as we did yesterday, we have a bill before us that will increase the federal deficit by $34 billion. Let me be clear – I support and Republicans have supported extending unemployment benefits, but we must not do so at a cost to the deficit, to the economy… Read more

Here we go again.  Another month, another bill extending unemployment benefits and extending the federal deficit. Only this time the Democrats have now waited almost an entire month since these programs last expired to come up with a plan for how to extend them, leaving hundreds of thousands of long-term unemployed people without needed benefits.  And, it is all because Democrats… Read more

For the fourth time in six months, Democrats’ inability to properly manage the Medicare program is causing doctors to confront a 21 percent cut in their Medicare reimbursement rates.  In fact, this cut went into effect on June 1st, forcing Medicare to pay claims for physician services with the 21 percent cut.  In practical terms, this means that for a standard office visit, physicians are… Read more

Mr. Speaker, this bill contains many positive features but also some negative ones and thus I reluctantly plan to oppose it. Like my friend on the other side of the aisle, I am pleased to see that it does include some tax relief, albeit limited, for small businesses, including provisions championed by both Republicans and Democrats. And I am also pleased that, unlike an earlier version… Read more

With the unemployment rate stuck at nearly 10 percent, far too many Americans and small businesses are struggling to get by.  While the bill before us contains some limited benefits, it does little to help small businesses create the jobs so many Americans desperately need. The Motion to Recommit keeps the underlying bill intact and provides real help to Americans by repealing one of the… Read more

Let’s be clear about what we are doing today: Nothing.  This bill is going nowhere.  It will not be signed into law and it will be totally rewritten in the Senate.  Majority Leader Reid made that perfectly clear on the floor of the Senate last night.  So, if you want to walk a $54.2 billion deficit increasing, tax-hiking, job-killing plank, vote yes.  If not, vote no. Let’s also be… Read more

Madam Speaker, I rise in support of this bill, despite its obvious shortcomings, and yield myself such time as I may consume. On March 17th, the House approved the prior version of this bill, which would have extended Federal unemployment, COBRA and related benefits, plus the Medicare “doc fix,” through the month of April.  Everyone in this town knew those benefits and programs were… Read more

Madame Speaker, It is tough to see this bill as either a small business bill or a jobs bill.  Specifically, I have three main concerns:  It raises taxes on employers during a recession – making it tougher for Americans to find needed work.  Roughly 80 percent of the so-called tax relief in the bill is dedicated to state and local governments. Small governments are not… Read more