Dave Camp

Mr. CAMP

Mr. CAMP. I yield the gentleman an additional minute.

Mr. CAMP. Mr. Speaker, I submit for the Record a list of all of the American businesses that oppose this bill because it will cost us American jobs. Job Creators Oppose Democrats' Deficit Extender Bill Cite Concerns that Provisions Will Hinder Job Creation, Decrease Competitiveness of American Businesses Since Democrats introduced their latest version of H.R. 4213, ``The American Jobs and Closing Tax Loopholes Act,'' business leaders and organizations that represent millions of American businesses and their employees have voiced their opposition to the job-killing, deficit extending bill. These employers say that the legislation is anti-job growth, will place American businesses at a worldwide competitive disadvantage, subject them to higher taxes and will harm the nation's path to economic recovery. Given the disconnect between House Democrats' rhetoric on jobs and their votes for tax increases, it is no wonder employers are confused, new investments aren't being made and unemployment continues to hover at close to 10 percent. Below are just some of the concerns expressed by employers. U.S. Chamber of Commerce: ``However, Congress' decision with this legislation, to saddle small business, American worldwide companies, and investment partnerships with draconian tax increases that will hinder job creation, decrease the competitiveness of American businesses, and deter economic growth, leaves the Chamber no choice but to oppose this legislation as currently drafted.'' Business Roundtable: ``These tax increases would take us two steps backwards in terms of the job-creating legislation; we strongly need to move our economy forward, not backwards, to stay competitive with the rest of the world.'' National Association of Home Builders: ``NAHB estimates that the economic impact of taxing carried interest as 100 percent ordinary income would be a loss of 33,000 jobs due to reduced multifamily rental housing construction and $1.2 billion in reduced annual property tax revenues to state and local governments.'' National Association of Manufacturers: ``Unfortunately, the onerous tax increases...could outweigh the benefits of the pro-growth changes by imposing significant new costs on American businesses and threatening job creation, U.S. competitiveness and overall economic growth.'' Associated General Contractors: ``Unfortunately, the bill reduces the effectiveness of these provisions by reducing capital available for private construction and limiting private job creation by increasing taxes on many small businesses in the construction industry.'' National Foreign Trade Council: ``These new revenue proposals will make American businesses less able to compete in foreign markets, will subject them to double taxation, and as a result may have significant negative consequences on worldwide American businesses and their U.S. employees.'' Promote America's Competitive Edge: ``The proposed changes in the international tax rules will make a bad situation worse, making it even more difficult for American worldwide companies to compete.'' Technology CEO Council: ``At a time when innovative companies are looking for more certainty and stability, the extenders bill as currently drafted fails to provide either . . . last-minute proposals to raise revenue could outweigh the bill's positive aspects, possibly costing--not creating-- jobs.'' IBM: ``The pending legislation would impose significant new tax increases that will completely overwhelm any positive economic effect of the R&D tax credit, harming the U.S. economy just as recovery has begun.'' Black Entertainment Television Founder Robert Johnson: ``In my opinion, this legislation would cause a rapid decline in minority private equity firms and possibly eliminate minority participation in this important financial sector of the American economy . . . If minority funds are reduced or eliminated it will also impact investments in urban cities and job creation and economic development in markets where it is most needed.'' Finance Executives International: ``With more Americans out of work than any other time in the last 50 years, businesses in the U.S. have an obligation to get our citizens back to work. Other countries seem to understand this call to action, and are working tirelessly to lower tax rates and bring in businesses from around the globe. By passing H.R. 4213, the United States would be harming the competitiveness of American worldwide companies.'' Emergency Committee for American Trade: ``H.R. 4213 will undermine U.S. commercial engagement overseas and put U.S. enterprises and their workers at an even greater competitive disadvantage . . . H.R. 4213 is a major step in the wrong direction.'' Silicon Valley Leadership Group: ``We are concerned that the recent revenue off-sets are being used as `pay-fors' at the expense of U.S. jobs.'' Real Estate Roundtable: ``Capital formation is what leads to job and tax base creation--this proposal would discourage it. Now is not the time to raise taxes. The tax hike will further delay economic recovery and make financing and refinancing more difficult.'' S Corporation Association of America: ``It represents an $11 billion tax hike on employers in the middle of a very difficult economy, and it should be rejected.'' Organization for International Investment: ``[S]everal of the international proposals in the Amendment may diminish the ability of foreign multinationals to continue making significant contributions to the U.S. economy and U.S. employment.'' Investment Company Institute: ``Congressional action at this time would be both redundant and counterproductive.'' I yield 3 minutes to a distinguished member of the Ways and Means Committee, the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Linder).

Mr. CAMP. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Pence). (Mr. PENCE asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. CAMP. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Let's be clear about what we are doing here today, and, that is, absolutely 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 clear that this bill has nothing to do with jobs. In fact, virtually every business group is opposed to this package: the Chamber of Commerce, Home Builders, Associated General Contractors, the National Federation of Independent Businesses, the National Association of Manufacturers, and the list goes on and on. Employers across the country say this bill will hurt our economic recovery. With employment stuck at nearly 10 percent, this is the last bill this House should be passing. And here we are addressing yet another fundamental flaw in the Democrats' health care overhaul. Had the Democrats not hidden the true cost of that law, we would not be here today voting on another so- called ``doc fix,'' a fix that expands the deficit by $22.9 billion, kicks the can 19 months down the road, has doctors facing a 33 percent cut in 2012, and will force us to spend billions more. We could have paid for a much better package--like the ones the Republicans offered on the House floor last fall--by simply standing up to the trial lawyers and passing commonsense lawsuit reform. Let's also be honest about the real deficit impact because it is much, much more than the $54.2 billion we have before us. Every Member of this House knows we will be back voting again to increase the deficit in order to again extend these programs and to extend COBRA and FMAP subsidies, both of which were deleted from the bill early this morning. Now, whether you eat the cookie in one bite or several little bites, it has the same number of calories. We owe it to ourselves and to the American people to be honest about just how much deficit spending we're being asked to swallow. Given that this bill adds $54.2 billion to the deficit but is somehow PAYGO compliant, I think we can officially declare dead the myth that PAYGO will instill fiscal discipline. So just what are we getting for this deficit spending? Not jobs and not tax cuts. There is no net tax relief before us today. In fact, the Democrats are imposing permanent tax increases at the worst possible time to pay for temporary extensions of current law. There is a $17.7 billion tax on carried interest, including real estate partnerships and venture capital firms, that would discourage the entrepreneurial risk-taking that is crucial to economic growth and job creation. The proposed tax on small business income is perhaps even more troubling. President Obama himself claims that 70 percent of new jobs come from small businesses, yet the bill would increase taxes on certain small businesses by subjecting to employment taxes the business profits as opposed to wages. The bill also includes more than a half dozen complex changes to our international tax rules. These new changes collectively raise close to $15 billion but have not been reviewed by the Ways and Means Committee. Given the desperate shape of our economy and the need to remain competitive with other countries, we should not be rushing forward with massive tax increases without knowing their exact impact. I urge my colleagues to vote ``no'' on increasing the deficit by over $50 billion and to vote ``no'' on raising taxes permanently when unemployment is stuck at nearly 10 percent. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. CAMP. Mr. Speaker, I continue to reserve the balance of my time.

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

Mr. CAMP. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. This legislation before us raises the deficit by $54 billion. It is not the fiscally responsible legislation that some claim it to be. I insert in the Record the analysis by the Congressional Budget Office that shows the deficit increases by $54.2 billion under this legislation. Estimate of the Statutory Pay-As-You-Go Effects for H.R. 4213, the American Jobs and Closing Tax Loopholes Act of 2010 (As reported by the Committee on Rules on May 26, 2010 with a subsequent draft amendment transmitted to CBO on May 27, 2010) [Millions of dollars, by fiscal year] ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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

Mr. CAMP. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to a distinguished member of the Ways and Means Committee, the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Brady).

Mr. CAMP. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to a distinguished member of the Ways and Means Committee, the gentleman from Nevada (Mr. Heller).

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

Mr. CAMP. I yield 2 minutes, Mr. Speaker, to the gentleman from Texas, Dr. Burgess.

Mr. CAMP. Mr. Speaker, I will insert into the Record a letter to the Speaker of the House by 12 physicians' organizations representing 155,000 physicians opposing this legislation. May 26, 2010 Hon. Nancy Pelosi, Speaker, House of Representatives, Washington, DC. Dear Speaker Pelosi, On behalf of the undersigned national surgical societies, we would like to thank you for your leadership and ongoing efforts to pass a permanent replacement for the flawed Medicare physician payment formula. It is vital that Congress adopt a policy that provides long-term stability to ensure that our nation's seniors, disabled and military families enrolled in the TRICARE program maintain access to high quality surgical care. Unfortunately, short term approaches--including the sustainable growth rate (SGR) policy contained in the proposed House amendment to H.R. 4213, the American Jobs and Closing Tax Loopholes Act of 2010--fall short of this goal, so we must oppose such legislative proposals. With regard to H.R. 4213 (as released on May 20), our specific concerns include: Rather than permanently repealing the SGR, the bill only provides temporary relief from the pending payment cuts for three and a half years; the formula applied in 2012 and 2013 will likely result in a pay freeze for most surgeons; the bill reverts back to the SGR in 2014 when physicians will once again be facing cuts in excess of 35 percent; and with an estimated price tag of nearly $500 billion in 2014, it will be virtually impossible to permanently fix the problem at a later date. These continued payment cuts, rising practice costs and a lack of certainty going forward, make it difficult, if not impossible, for already financially challenged surgical practices to continue to treat Medicare patients. A February 2010 survey conducted by the Surgical Coalition confirms that surgeons and anesthesiologists will be forced to make significant changes in their practices if Medicare payments continue to decline, jeopardizing timely access to surgical care. The survey found that 37 percent of respondents will change their Medicare status to ``nonparticipating'' and an additional 29 percent will opt out of Medicare altogether. In addition, those remaining in Medicare will also make significant changes to their practices, with 69 percent limiting the number of Medicare patient appointments; 47 percent reducing time spent with Medicare patients; and 45 percent no longer providing certain services. Finally, the survey demonstrates a direct connection between Medicare payment cuts, jobs and the economy, as 43 percent of respondents stated they would reduce staff; 44 percent would defer the purchase of new medical equipment; and 32 percent would defer purchases of health information technology. Surgeons are keenly aware of the fiscal challenges confronting Congress and our nation. We believe, however, that the most fiscally responsible approach is to permanently repeal the SGR today, rather than growing the cost by acting on it tomorrow. We remain steadfast in our commitment to ensure and improve all Americans' access to quality surgical care and we stand ready to work with you to find a solution that will achieve this goal. Sincerely, American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery; American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery; American Association of Neurological Surgeons; American Association of Orthopaedic Surgeons; American College of Osteopathic Surgeons; American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists; American Osteopathic Academy of Orthopedics; American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery; American Society of Plastic Surgeons; American Urological Association; Congress of Neurological Surgeons; Society for Vascular Surgery. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the distinguished gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. Terry).

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

Mr. CAMP. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself 15 seconds. My friends on the other side have essentially claimed Republicans don't care about unemployed Americans. Nothing could be further from the truth. We believe these programs must be extended. But we also believe they must be paid for, as legislation introduced by Mr. Heller of Nevada does, and of which I am a cosponsor. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from Texas (Mr. Hensarling).

Mr. CAMP

Mr. CAMP. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Res. 1339, to designate May as National Foster Care Month. Nearly one half million children are currently in foster care. This is a sobering statistic, and one that we must tirelessly work to reduce. For many children, a positive permanent outcome can be found in reunification with their biological parents, or adoption into a new family. However, far too many children languish for years without getting the help and love they deserve from permanent families. In 2008 over 10% of children leaving foster care, nearly 30,000 children, did so through emancipation and without the family support they deserve. Equally alarming, for 2008 the National Child Abuse and Neglect Data System estimated that there were 1,740 child fatalities resulting from abuse or neglect. This is simply unacceptable. With the passage of the 2008 Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act, Congress made a significant commitment to reforming our nation's foster care system, giving states and families new tools to cut down on the amount of time that kids spend in foster care and more opportunities to find permanent homes. Yet, more can and should be done to make the system work for foster children. I am pleased that we are taking the opportunity today to discuss the pressing needs of our foster care system. Children in foster care deserve our unwavering support. We must redouble our efforts to find them permanent families and until then, ensure their safety while in our care.

Mr. CAMP

Mr. CAMP. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. McHenry).

Mr. CAMP. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. CAMP. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I thank the distinguished gentleman from New York for his comments and also for his effort and leadership on this legislation, as well as my colleague from Michigan. I want to echo these comments and also place in the Record a letter that we each received from both President Clinton and President Bush supporting this effort today. I rise in support of this legislation. The images of the devastation caused by the January earthquake that ravaged Haiti and its people were difficult for all of us to watch. And while those stories may no longer be splashed across the evening news, we know the Haitians continue to need help in rebuilding. The legislation before us today is the example of how the process should work. Bipartisan, bicameral cooperation, and working closely with all stakeholders has allowed us to craft a bill that provides meaningful assistance to Haiti. These benefits will encourage the long- term investment in Haiti that Haiti desperately needs for its economic recovery and future stability. I am convinced that the bill will promote trade and investment in the region and create a strong hemispheric partnership with U.S. interests. This legislation builds on the short-term assistance that Congress provided earlier this year to accelerate the tax benefits for charitable donations to the Haiti relief effort. And I am pleased to have participated in both of these bipartisan efforts. This legislation also supports U.S. textile manufacturers and their workers by providing a long-term extension of the Caribbean Basin Trade Partnership Act. The CBTPA program provides strong incentives to our trading partners throughout the region to use fabric and inputs produced in the United States, supporting American exports and American jobs. That is why this legislation is supported by the American textile industry. And I have a letter from the American Manufacturing Trade Action Coalition that I will insert into the Record supporting this legislation. The success of this bill also demonstrates the benefits of tailoring our preference programs to the needs of a specific country or region. Congress is able to provide these expanded benefits to Haiti because they are customized to its specific needs and limit any negative impact on the U.S. textile industry. The careful balance of interests this legislation represents is unique to Haiti and wouldn't be possible if we tried to expand it to all of our preference programs in a one-size- fits-all approach. I hope we can build on this bipartisan success and continue this policy of economic integration by working together to find a path that will enable Congress to bring pending trade agreements with Colombia and Panama to the floor for a successful vote. Like the legislation before us today, these agreements will promote economic development both here at home and for our trading partners as well. American Manufacturing Trade Action Coalition, National Council of Textile Organizations, April 26, 2010. Hon. Sander M. Levin, Acting Chairman, Committee on Ways and Means, House of Representatives, Washington, DC. Hon. Dave Camp, Ranking Member, Committee on Ways and Means, House of Representatives, Washington, DC. Dear Acting Chairman Levin and Ranking Member Camp: As representatives of the United States textile industry, we are writing in regard to the Haiti Economic Lift Program Act of 2010, a bill to provide enhanced market access for apparel products manufactured in Haiti. After lengthy negotiations with your staffs, we are pleased that we were able to reach an acceptable compromise on this important legislation. While the bill provides Haiti with a path forward for long-term economic recovery in the wake of its devastating earthquake, it also takes into account various sensitivities from the perspective of the U.S. textile industry. For example, the bill grants significant increases in duty free treatment through a system of Tariff Preference Levels (TPLs) but also institutes sub-limits on highly sensitive products that can be exported under the TPLs. The sub-limits were a key priority for the domestic industry and will prevent over concentration of exports in one or two key areas that could be particularly damaging to U.S. producers. In addition, the bill extends the current Caribbean Basin Trade Partnership Act (CBTPA) through 2020. This extension will help to provide long-term certainty for a program that is of significant value for U.S. and Western Hemispheric trading partners. Obviously, we take very seriously the impact that additional duty free imports may have on U.S. producers and workers as well as our Western Hemispheric customers. Noting those concerns, we also recognize that the devastating circumstances in Haiti produced an exceptional case that motivated Congress to develop a quick response and have worked with the Committee to develop a package that strikes an acceptable balance. We must stress, however, that this package does not set a precedent for any future trade preference legislation. For all these reasons, we are encouraging our Congressional members that represent the nearly 500,000 U.S. textile and apparel workers to approve this legislation in an expeditious manner under suspension of the rules in the House and by unanimous consent in the Senate. Sincerely, Augustine D. Tantillo, Executive Director, American Manufacturing Trade Coalition (AMTAC). Cass M. Johnson, President, National Council of Textile Organizations (NCTO).

Mr. CAMP. Mr. Speaker, I just want to say that there is and has been strong, bipartisan support for this legislation. This legislation certainly deserves that support. I do want to note that I think it's important as we move forward that we not seek to establish a trade framework or a trade policy framework that requires standards for other countries that could exceed our own U.S. law and that this legislation in that respect not be a precedent for other preferences as we move forward. This legislation, I think, is important. It will help a devastated country through investment and begin to create more economic activity. I urge my colleagues to build on this success from this legislation; to work together in a bipartisan fashion; to take the steps necessary to further the economic benefits that come from increasing U.S. exports to our partners not only in this hemisphere but other hemispheres as well by bringing the pending trade agreements with Colombia and Panama to the floor for a successful vote. With that, I urge a ``yes'' on this legislation. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. CAMP

Mr. CAMP. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this bill, despite its obvious shortcomings. On March 17, 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 poised to expire at the end of March if Congress failed to act. But because Senate Democrats refused to pay for a 1 month extension and House Democrats refused to pay for even a 1 week extension, hundreds of thousands have missed an unemployment benefit payment, among other painful effects. Now that the Senate has finally acted, we are considering a bill to extend these programs, yet again. Only this time, the extension is not just for 1 month, but 2. Predictably, this will add twice as much to the already massive deficit--$18 billion instead of $9 billion. Unfortunately, efforts in the Senate to add offsets, so that these important provisions do not add to the deficit, were defeated. And, disappointingly, as it has continued to do in recent months, the House is debating this bill today under procedures which do not even allow us to offer a paid-for alternative. In the past, I have consistently voted for bills extending unemployment benefits. I will reluctantly vote for this bill today, because voting yes is the only way to continue these important benefits for laid off workers in my State, where the unemployment rate is a staggering 14 percent. Simply put, we should not punish those workers for the failure of the Congress to find a way to pay for the extension of these benefits. Similarly, we shouldn't punish seniors, who risk losing access to doctors if we don't reverse the 21 percent cut in the physician fee schedule that took effect at the start of this month. We all knew this cut was coming, yet for the second time in as many months, the Democrats' failure to act allowed this cut to go into place. But everyone should know this bill is far removed from what we really should be doing. What we should really be doing is paying for the new spending we approved, instead of simply adding it onto our already overcharged national credit card. In the longer run, we all know that unemployed workers and their families need something more than another round of extended unemployment benefits. Most of all they need jobs. And jobs are something this majority has been totally incapable of producing. A little over a year ago, Democrats promised their trillion-dollar stimulus plan would create 3.7 million jobs. Yet that bill was followed by 3 million more job losses. Unemployment rose to 10 percent instead of the 8 percent peak the other side promised. And now 16 million Americans are unemployed, with millions out of work for over a year, both all-time records. They deserve our help, but they also deserve a job and a country not sinking ever deeper into debt. Mr. Speaker, the American people are generous. And they know that these continued unemployment benefits--especially in areas of the country where jobs are scarce--are important. But they also deserve a Congress that acts responsibly. It is too late to add offsets to this bill, and I am not prepared to vote against it for that shortcoming, since it would further hurt many who are most in need of our help. But the next time we deal with this issue, Members need to have a real choice so that we can help workers without hurting future taxpayers by driving up the debt by tens of billions of dollars.

Mr. CAMP

Mr. CAMP. Madam Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Intelligence Specialist First Class Petty Officer James K. Brown for his 20 years of dedicated service in the defense of the United States of America. Petty Officer Brown enlisted in the United States Navy in June 1990 and went on to Great Lakes Recruit Training Center, for his basic training. After graduating from Recruit Training Command, Great Lakes, Illinois in August 1990, James went to Cryptological Training Command at Fort Devens, Massachusetts. Through out his years of service, Petty Officer Brown has distinguished himself as the Leading Petty Officer in the Intelligence Department and as the special Security Officer for the Command in many ways exemplified by the awards and ribbons he has collected throughout his service. During his assignment to the USS Wisconsin (B-64), he participated in Desert Shield and Desert Storm earning a Flag Letter of Commendation along with Navy Combat Action Ribbon and various other awards. While aboard the USS Nassau (LHA-4) Petty Officer Brown also earned the Blue Nose certificate. He also was part of the support team for the Desert Fox and Kosovo operations. In addition, Petty Officer Brown participated in the two crucial deployments USS Carl Vinson, launching the first attack on the Global War on Terrorism into Afghanistan in response to 9/11 and addressing heightened tensions off the coast of North Korea. During the second deployment off the coast of North Korea, he participated in FOAL EAGLE and TANDUM THRUST. While on board he pursued his associates degree in General Studies while earning his Enlisted Aviation Warfare Specialist pin and a Navy Achievement Medal. In the spring of 2003, he took orders to the Joint Military Intelligence College where he spent one year earning his bachelor's degree in Intelligence. Following his pursuit of education, he took orders to the Chief of Naval Operations where he pursued and finished his Post Graduate Education in Intelligence Studies. While stationed at the Pentagon, he received another Navy Achievement Medal and the Chairman of the Joint Chief Staff badge. We all owe a debt of gratitude to our servicemen and women, like Petty Officer Brown, who have dutifully a nobly answered the call to service for our Nation. They put themselves in harm's way to make our country safer. On behalf of the Michigan 4th Congressional District, I thank First Class Petty Officer James K. Brown for his dedicated service and wish him well in his future endeavors.

Mr. CAMP

Mr. CAMP. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the bill, which will make a few small, but important changes to the administration of our tax laws. There is no question that April 15th is the most feared date on the Calendar. It is viewed with dread for good reason. The tax code is mind-numbingly confusing. It is a maze of forms and schedules and instructions that turns the simplest tax form into a lengthy challenge and that forces millions of Americans to turn to help, whether from an accountant, a professional tax preparer, or one of the many computer software programs designed for this purpose. The bill before us does make a few good changes to the code, including a provision long championed by Congressman Sam Johnson, a true American hero, that will end the long outdated requirement that employers record and report their employees' personal use of company- provided cell phones and Blackberries. Another provision worthy of support will require the IRS to notify taxpayers they suspect have been victims of identify theft. That certainly makes sense. And for those taxpayers who do file their returns electronically, this bill will shorten the time the IRS has to pay refunds before interest accrues. This is a taxpayer friendly provision that will encourage electronic filing, which is both faster and cheaper for the government. Finally, let me express my thanks to Congressman Becerra for making some changes to this bill that helped secure my support. As introduced, the bill would have established a new authorization of up to $20 million per year to fund Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Centers. The IRS has funded these programs in the past without authorization, which is troubling enough. But of even more concern is the fact that ACORN was a recipient of these funds. Today, we know how badly ACORN was abusing the public trust, and I do applaud the IRS for heeding our call and canceling those contracts when the extent of ACORN's misconduct came to light. But I don't yet have confidence that the government will avoid a similar mistake in the future and again fund groups like ACORN. Simply put, Congress should not authorize these grants until we know who will be receiving them and how they will be used. And so I thank Mr. Becerra for agreeing to remove this language to allow the Congress to examine the issue more closely. I urge a ``yes'' vote on the bill.

Mr. CAMP

Mr. CAMP. I continue to reserve.

Mr. CAMP. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. It's tough to see this bill either as a small business bill or as a jobs bill, and, specifically, I have three concerns: One, it raises taxes on employers during a recession, making it tougher for Americans to find needed work. Two, roughly 80 percent of the so-called tax relief in the bill is dedicated to State and local governments. Small governments are not small businesses, and they do not create the kind of private sector jobs that we need. Three, the limited and very narrow tax provisions, even if well- intentioned, will not do enough to help employers create jobs. Under this bill, American jobs will be taxed. That's the simple truth regarding the provision limiting treaty benefits for certain deductible payments. This is very similar to a provision offered previously by the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Doggett) and accounts for about 40 percent of the $19.4 billion in tax increases in the bill. There's never a good time to raise taxes on employers and American workers, but given the continued weakness in the economy, now may be the worst time. Data from the Department of Labor confirms that 48 States have lost jobs since the Democrats' stimulus bill passed, 3.3 million jobs have been eliminated since the Democrat stimulus bill passed, and a record 16 million Americans are out of work. In case you need more evidence that the Democrat stimulus bill failed, just look at the $2.5 billion in ``emergency'' welfare spending that was added to this bill. This money will be paid out in the third fiscal year since stimulus money first started flowing. That's the third year. This bill increases spending, it increases taxes and will not create private sector jobs. In that respect, this is the ``Mini Me'' of the Democrats' stimulus bill. I encourage my colleagues to vote ``no,'' and I reserve the balance of my time.