Timothy Bishop

Mr. BISHOP of New York

Mr. BISHOP of New York. Madam Chair, I demand a recorded vote.

Mr. BISHOP of New York

Mr. BISHOP of New York. Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. BISHOP of New York. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Chairman, my amendment is very simple. It prohibits oil and natural gas lease sales off the coast of Northeast States, including New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Maine. Furthermore, my amendment is paid for by striking language in the bill related to Outer Continental Shelf revenue sharing in Section 17501. I appreciate the Rules Committee making my amendment in order because this amendment will protect the coastline of New York and other Northeast States. I also thank my cosponsors, including Mr. Crowley, Mr. Rangel, Mr. Pascrell, Mr. Capuano, and Ms. Pingree. Mr. Chairman, I represent the last 70 miles of eastern Long Island, where the primary industries are travel and tourism, everything to do with the second home market, agriculture, and the fishing industry. Thus, in my district, the environment is the economy in many respects. It can ill- afford a disaster like Gulf Coast States endured during the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in 2010. Oil-soaked beaches would devastate Long Island's economy, let alone the environment, and there is no reasonable person who can disagree with me on this point. The Republican drilling proposals to offset the highway bill would raise less than $4.3 billion over 10 years, according to CBO, or less than one-tenth of the revenue actually needed. Combine this with the other funding mechanisms for the highway bill, and Republicans are paying for their reckless legislation on the backs of middle class families. For example, the Republican spending package will require Federal employees to increase their pension contributions while reducing their benefits. Worse, as of this moment, they are using Federal employees' pension contributions to offset costs in two completely separate proposals: the highway bill and the payroll tax cut package for unemployment benefits and the doc fix. This isn't being honest with the American people. I would ask the Republican leadership to check their numbers again. Mr. Chairman, I urge my colleagues to support my amendment and oppose the underlying bill. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. BISHOP of New York. Mr. Chairman, may I inquire as to how much time I have left.

Mr. BISHOP of New York. I yield 1 minute to the gentlelady from Maine (Ms. Pingree).

Mr. BISHOP of New York. Mr. Chairman, I am prepared to close as well, so I will yield myself the balance of my time. I would say to my friend from Washington that I would find his argument and I would find the statistics that he cited somewhat more persuasive if this Congress had enacted any reforms, any safeguards to protect our coastline from the kind of disaster that affected the Louisiana and the Florida coast in the wake of the BP oil spill. We have not put in place a single piece of legislation that would make offshore drilling safer. We have not put in place a single piece of legislation designed to prevent the kind of disaster that took place in the gulf. We are continuing to rely on the sort of slipshod environmental reviews that preceded the granting of leases in the gulf, and I think to expose certainly my region, Ms. Pingree's region, to the kind of disaster that the gulf was exposed to without putting in place those safeguards is simply unwise, not worth $4.3 billion to fund a bill that most of us feel is a very flawed bill to begin with. So I would urge adoption of my amendment. As I say, I would urge defeat of the underlying legislation. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. BISHOP of New York. Mr. Chairman, I demand a recorded vote.

Mr. BISHOP of New York

Mr. BISHOP of New York. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, this motion to instruct conferees is very simple and straightforward. It directs conferees negotiating extensions of the payroll tax cut, unemployment insurance, and the SGR to file their conference report by February 17, 2012. Day in and day out, Members of this body come to the floor to speak about the level of uncertainty that is hindering the U.S. economy and stifling job growth. We have heard Speaker Boehner argue that the Bush tax cuts must be extended in perpetuity to relieve corporations of uncertainty. We have heard our Tea Party friends rally against the deficit in order to reduce uncertainty for job creators. Time and time again, we've heard our Republican colleagues speak of the uncertainty that EPA regulations have created for expanding jobs. Yet, when we contemplate the uncertainty created for consumers, small businesses, doctors, and the unemployed driven by Congress' inability to address the payroll tax extension, the SGR fix, and unemployment benefits, our Republican friends are suddenly silent. We all remember the debate in December when, after years of touting the benefits of tax cuts, our Republican colleagues suddenly changed their minds when a payroll tax cut was considered, a tax cut that will provide immediate relief for millions of Americans and will immediately benefit the economy. As we've debated these issues for several months, we've seen the data and heard from economists who say extending the payroll tax cut and unemployment insurance is good for American families, businesses and economic growth. It isn't the silver bullet to solving all of our Nation's problems, but it's a step in the right direction, a step that can provide some relief to the unemployed and stimulate consumer spending, which is fundamental to improving the overall economy. By extending the payroll tax cut through the end of the year, 160 million Americans would continue to take home more money in their paycheck. For a family earning $50,000 a year, that's about $80 a month, or about $1,000 for the year. Without the extension, that $1,000 is unavailable to families for buying groceries or putting gas in their vehicles or buying their children new clothes for school which, when spent at local businesses, sparks economic activity. These facts are indisputable. Moody's Analytics estimates that for every dollar spent on the payroll tax cut it produces $1.27 in economic activity. JP Morgan Chase economists also estimated that ending the payroll tax cut and halting an extension of unemployment would shave .75 percent off the GDP next year. Macroeconomic Advisers provided a similar analysis last year, stating that allowing the pay roll tax cut to lapse would reduce GDP growth by .5 percent and cost the economy 400,000 jobs. A job loss of that magnitude would destroy the improvements in employment we've seen since President Obama took office. Last week, the Labor Department reported that 243,000 jobs were added to the economy in January, marking the 23rd consecutive month of private sector job growth. The unemployment rate also fell to 8.3 percent, the lowest point since February of '09. Now, we clearly still have a long, long way to go, but failure to extend these critical programs would stifle the progress we have seen thus far and thwart future growth. But Americans don't know if they'll have that extra $80 a month to spend come March 1, and businesses are equally uncertainly about whether or not their customers will have that extra income to spend. Yesterday, Mark Zandi, the chief economist at Moody's Analytics, told the Joint Economic Committee that it is vital, vital to extend both the payroll tax cut and unemployment insurance, which together could add .9 percent to GDP if done for the whole year. He also said the failure to do so would deal ``a significant blow to the economy, cutting growth by almost one full percentage point.'' We must extend both the payroll tax cut and unemployment insurance. Unemployment insurance provides temporary relief to Americans who lose their jobs through no fault of their own. In a sense, it's a bridge to reemployment. The average weekly benefit in 2011 was $300 a week. That's $1,200 a month. Take that away and millions of unemployed Americans lose a lifeline to put gas in their tank to get to that job interview, or to hire a babysitter while they go out to look for a job. Every little bit helps to get them back on their feet, and that's all Americans want to do, get back to work. In every recession since 1957, the Federal Government has stepped in to provide additional support for unemployed workers. Without an extension, 5 million people will exhaust their benefits by the end of 2012. Furthermore, under the GOP proposal in December to adjust the unemployment program, 3.3 million people would lose their unemployment benefits. The Council of Economic Advisers estimates that if unemployment benefits are not extended, the economy can be expected to generate 478,000 fewer jobs. That's fewer jobs by the end of 2014, an estimate that is consistent with CBO projections. CBO also estimates that $36 billion spent on unemployment insurance would raise GDP between $14 billion and $54 billion, or about .22 percent. The Economic Policy Institute has also estimated that extending unemployment through next year would create $70 billion in economic activity and a .4 percent increase in GDP. While these estimates differ somewhat, they all point to one thing, increased economic activity. Yet, here we are, debating whether or not this vital lifeline should be extended for an additional 10 months. For struggling families, this is a frightening time to find our elected leaders squabbling about the Keystone pipeline and requiring drug testing for unemployment benefits. As American families continue to struggle, so too do American businesses. A survey done in 2011 by the National Federation of Independent Businesses found that 53 percent of small businesses said lack of demand is an impediment to growth. Extending the payroll tax cut and unemployment will put additional money in the hands of Americans who will, in turn, spend that money on necessities like food, clothing, and travel. When consumer spending represents roughly 70 percent of our economy, the policies that create the environment for growth will be the ones that get Americans spending again, and we can do that by putting more money back into the pockets of Americans struggling to make ends meet. It's not just American workers and the unemployed facing uncertainty. Medicare doctors and patients are too. If we don't act, the SGR formula responsible for Medicare physician payments will cut reimbursement by 27.4 percent starting on March 1. A cut this large will force more doctors out of Medicare at a time when doctors find it difficult to treat Medicare patients, pay employees and keep their practices open. A 2011 MEDPAC survey found that 2 percent of Medicare patients reported having big problems finding a physician. That may not sound like a lot, but previous surveys showed patients having relatively few, if any, problems. In addition, a 2008 survey done by the Center for Studying Health System Change found that about 14 percent of physicians accepted no new Medicare patients, and a 2010 survey by the American Medical Association found that 17 percent of physicians were restricting the number of Medicare patients in their practice. If we fail to find a permanent solution to the SGR, these numbers will only rise, and Medicare patients will not receive the care they need or deserve. Mr. Speaker, the Congress must act to end this uncertainty. I urge my colleagues to support this simple motion to instruct, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. BISHOP of New York. Mr. Speaker, I offer a motion to instruct on H.R. 3630.

Mr. BISHOP of New York. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself 1 minute for a couple of quick comments. We all have the same set of facts. The Senate conferees were appointed on December 23, the very same day that the provision that we're talking about passed the House by unanimous consent. The conference committee did not meet until the 27th of January for the first time. That's one. Two, we talk about the Reagan recession. The Reagan recession was nowhere near as severe as the, let's call it the Bush recession. The GDP fourth quarter of 2008 declined at an annual decline of over 8 percent. Most severe recession we have had since the Great Depression. Jobs lost. Last 14 months of the Bush administration, we lost jobs every single month, culminating in his last month in office, a job loss of 735,000 jobs. President Obama has been President for 36 months. We've had job growth, private sector job growth, in 23 of those months. Drug testing, one comment: Over 400,000 Americans have lost their jobs in the last 3 years as a result of corporations outsourcing to other countries.

Mr. BISHOP of New York. I yield myself another 30 seconds. So these are people who lost their jobs, ready, willing, and able to do them, lost their jobs as a result of, really, corporations unrelentingly pursuing profits at the expense of middle class Americans. Do we really want to add insult to injury and tell them if they need unemployment, they're going to have to be drug tested? I yield 3 minutes to my friend from Vermont (Mr. Welch).

Mr. BISHOP of New York. Mr. Speaker, I now yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Pascrell).

Mr. BISHOP of New York. I yield the gentleman an additional 30 seconds.

Mr. BISHOP of New York. I yield myself 30 seconds. The gentleman referenced my vote on TARP. I did, indeed, vote for TARP. I found myself in pretty good company. Mr. Cantor voted for TARP. Mr. Boehner voted for TARP. With that, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Andrews). (Mr. ANDREWS asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. BISHOP of New York. I yield myself 30 seconds so we all have the same set of facts. It's my understanding that the chairman of the conference committee, Mr. Camp, was on a codel to South America during the period of time that the gentleman from Oregon cites, and it is up to the chairman of the conference committee to call the conference. I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Rothman).

Mr. BISHOP of New York. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself 30 seconds for two quick comments. I don't know a single Democrat, not a single one, who believes that we should diminish the Social Security trust fund to handle this Social Security payroll tax reduction. We all believe that the Social Security trust fund should be held harmless. Second, with respect to Medicare, the Affordable Care Act does indeed reduce the rate of growth of Medicare going forward by $500 billion. I will point out that every single Republican in this Chamber voted for that very same reduction in the rate of growth when they voted for the Ryan budget. I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Kucinich).

Mr. BISHOP of New York. I yield the gentleman an additional 30 seconds.

Mr. BISHOP of New York. I yield 2 minutes to my friend from Michigan (Mr. Peters).

Mr. BISHOP of New York. In closing, let me just make it unmistakably clear: there is not a single Democrat that is advocating diminishing the Social Security trust fund. We all agree that the Social Security trust fund must be made whole. That is why we are fully accepting of the fact that this tax cut--unlike every other tax cut that's been passed in this Chamber in the last 10 years--should be fully paid for so that the Social Security trust fund is not diminished. Secondly, I want to thank Mr. Walden and Mr. Reed for their service on the conference committee; it cannot be an easy conference. I would just ask that as you go forward, you be guided by what Leader Cantor has said. What Leader Cantor has said is that we should pass what we can agree on, and we should leave the issues on which we can't agree to another day. It certainly appears as if we agree that we need to extend the payroll tax deduction, we need to fix the SGR, and we need to pass unemployment insurance. So, let's pass it. Let's leave to another day contentious issues like mercury emissions, like the Keystone pipeline, like drug testing. Let's pass what we can agree on. Let's debate those other issues--they're important, they deserve a full debate--but let's not let them stand in the way of a tax cut for 160 million Americans, access to Medicare physicians for 50 million Americans, and keeping millions of Americans at least with some lifeline with respect to unemployment insurance. I urge my colleagues to support this motion to recommit, and I thank the gentleman from Oregon for a spirited debate. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. BISHOP of New York. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. BISHOP of New York

Mr. BISHOP of New York. Mr. Speaker, under rule XXII, clause 7(c), I hereby announce my intention to offer a motion to instruct on H.R. 3630, the conference report to extend the payroll tax, unemployment insurance, and SGR payments for doctors. The form of the motion is as follows: Mr. Bishop of New York moves that the managers on the part of the House at the conference on the disagreeing votes of the two Houses on the Senate amendment to the bill H.R. 3630 be instructed to file a conference report not later than February 17, 2012.

Mr. BISHOP of New York

Mr. BISHOP of New York. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and honor Josephine Zappone, on the occasion of her 100th birthday. Mrs. Zappone has been a devoted wife and loving mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother to her large family. Born February 5, 1912 in Bronx, New York, to Pietro and Rosalie Nizzari, Mrs. Zappone nee Nizzari was the fifth of six children in her family. In 1938, she married Frank Zappone, with whom she raised three children: Allen, June, and Francis. Mrs. Zappone has become known for her beautiful knitting, a skill she learned from her mother as a child. During both World War I and World War II, young Josephine knitted caps, scarves, and gloves for soldiers fighting overseas. Now, instead of outfitting GIs, Mrs. Zappone knits to keep her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren warm. Josephine and her late husband, Frank, made their home in the Bronx, where she has been an active member of Our Lady of Mount Cannel Church for 93 years. Since 1956, Josephine has summered in my hometown of Southampton, on the shores of Shinnecock Bay. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to honor and recognize Josephine Zappone, a woman who has seen enormous change and progress during her long life. I would like to send Mrs. Zappone and her family my warmest regards and best wishes for happy 100th birthday.

Mr. BISHOP of New York

Mr. BISHOP of New York. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor and recognize the life of Barrett Byrnes, a constituent and friend, who passed away on December 21, 2011. He was 59 years old. Barrett Byrnes was raised in Huntington and attended Harborfields High School in Greenlawn before going on to Farmingdale State College. While a student at Farmingdale, Barrett pitched for the baseball team and in 1972 had an ERA of 0.36, fifth in the country and a school record that stands to this day. Upon his graduation, Barrett followed in his father's footsteps and began training to become an air traffic controller. Ralph Byrnes was one of New York's first air traffic controllers at LaGuardia Airport. Barrett's career began at Duchess County Airport in Wappingers Falls, a small local airport. It ended at John F. Kennedy Airport in New York, where he was a certified professional controller in the main tower for the final fourteen years of his career, retiring in 2008. Beyond his valuable work in the control tower, Barrett was also an active leader in the National Air Traffic Controllers Association, of which he was a charter member, and president/faculty representative of the JFK Tower chapter. As a safety advocate, Barrett served as an air safety investigator to the National Transportation Safety Board. It was through his commitment to legislative activism on behalf of his union that I came to know him, as he served as the face of the NATCA to the New York congressional delegation. Mr. Speaker, I mourn the passing and honor the memory of Barrett Byrnes. I wish to extend my heartfelt sorrow to his wife, Jacqueline Taylor, and the rest of Barrett's family.

Mr. BISHOP of New York

Mr. BISHOP of New York. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and honor the newly invested chief of the Suffolk County Police Department, James C. Burke. A dedicated law enforcement officer, Chief Burke has devoted his career to the service and protection of his community. Chief Burke began his service at the New York City Police Department in January of 1985, before moving to the Suffolk County PD in July of the following year. During his time with the department, Burke has served in a variety of leadership roles, including supervising the patrol and detective divisions. In addition to commanding the Organized Crime Bureau of the SCPD, Chief Burke has, since 2006, served as the chief investigator for the Suffolk County District Attorney's Office. Burke also has demonstrated a commitment to law enforcement education and is frequently called to give lectures to groups around the country. On January 1, 2012, James Burke was promoted to Chief of the Suffolk County Police Department, the pinnacle, but by no means the end, of a long and distinguished career. Chief Burke will continue to serve his community as the highest ranking uniformed officer in the county, upholding the high standard for which the SCPD has become known. Mr. Speaker, I honor James Burke for his invaluable and continuing contributions to our community. It is my great hope that his tenure with the department will be a credit to him and the officers he now oversees. I look forward to working with Chief Burke and supporting the department in its mission to keep Long Island safe and secure.

Mr. BISHOP of New York

Mr. BISHOP of New York. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commend the Teachers Federal Credit Union, a financial institution dedicated to the continued success of its members and to promoting financial literacy throughout the community. It is with great pleasure that I offer my congratulations to the TFCU on the occasion of their 60th anniversary and the opening of its new headquarters in Hauppauge. Since its founding in 1952, Teachers Federal Credit Union has grown from a tiny credit union with seven members and $35 to an institution with over 200,000 members and $4 billion in assets. Along the way, TFCU and its members have found time to demonstrate a continued commitment to efforts aimed at preserving the environment and improving the quality of life enjoyed by Long Islanders. I would also like to commend TFCU on its continuing dedication to the promotion of financial literacy. In recognition of that dedication, the Teachers Federal Credit Union has been awarded the Desjardins Youth Education Award, given in honor of significant commitment to youth financial education, six times. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to convey my sincere thanks to the Teachers Federal Credit Union, and my hopes for their continued success at their new Hauppauge location.