Dave Camp

Mr. CAMP

Mr. CAMP. At this time, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Brady).

Mr. CAMP. I yield myself such time as I may consume, and I think the point that we're trying to make on the floor here is that this is a false choice: Either you're for teachers or you're for the research and development tax credit, or you're against it. And the false choice is: Do we really have to raise taxes on job creators in order to get the extension of the research and development tax credit temporarily? Do we have to have this permanent tax increase that, frankly, will make us one of the highest-taxed countries in the world on this sort of investment tax? And I think that's a false choice being presented today. And with that, I yield to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Roskam).

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

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

Mr. CAMP

Mr. CAMP. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, death in and of itself should not be a taxable event. Death should not force the sale of family farms or the dissolution of small businesses. The fear of death should not be a reason for an American to hire a battery of accountants and lawyers to find legal ways to reduce the bite of the estate tax. And after a long wait, we're about to realize that goal. Set in motion by a law passed by the Republican Congress earlier this decade, there will be no death tax in 2010. That's just 29 days away. The bill before us, however, would resurrect the death tax next month and apply a 45 percent tax rate to estates above a $3.5 million exemption amount. The majority claims to be offering certainty to taxpayers, and I suppose in a way they are. They are certainly repealing the hope of ever eliminating the death tax. They are replacing that with the certainty of a Federal tax rate that at 45 percent must be considered confiscatory. No American should have the Federal Government take nearly half of their net worth. They're providing the certainty of an exemption that is not indexed for inflation, meaning that over time it is certain that more and more family farms and small businesses will be subject to this punishing tax. Just take a look at the AMT. Mr. Speaker, one other thing that is certain about this bill is that it is unlikely to be approved before the end of the year. As we are all aware, the Senate is fully engaged in the health care debate. It is unlikely to break from that to consider this bill this month, particularly since a clear majority of the Senate has indicated its support for a far more equitable and bipartisan death tax relief measure. We all understand that the current situation would benefit from a permanent solution, but this is not the right one, and I urge its defeat. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time, and I ask unanimous consent the remainder of my time be controlled by the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Brady).

Mr. CAMP

Mr. CAMP. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself 2\1/2\ minutes. The Medicare system paying for doctors is broken. It's broken badly, and on that, I don't think there's any disagreement. The question before us today is not whether to fix the so-called ``sustainable growth rate formula,'' but how. Time and time again, Republicans have supported America's doctors, while always paying for a so-called doctor fix. And the fact remains true today. It's irresponsible for the Speaker to force this House to choose between protecting doctors and seniors today and protecting our children's future. The bill before us directly adds at least $210 billion to the deficit, plus another 50 billion in added debt payment, and as The Washington Post noted, the budget gimmicks mask the true costs, which are closer to $300 billion. So much for health care reform not adding one dime to the deficit. Adding insult to injury, the bill before us doesn't even solve the underlying problem with the SGR. The Democrats' new ``targeted growth rate'' would allow doctors to face cuts again as soon as 2011. We can and should do better by our doctors, our seniors and our children. Republicans are offering a better alternative, a 2 percent increase in doctor and Medicare payments in each of the next 4 years that is fully paid for, primarily by implementing real medical liability reform, a proven way to cut wasteful health care spending. It's telling that our colleagues on the other side prefer to pile up hundreds of billions of dollars in new debt on our children, instead of standing up to their friends in the trial lawyer lobby. For all of the talk about PAYGO, this bill makes a mockery of the majority's so-called commitment to fiscal responsibility. This is new spending and lots of it. It should be paid for, it must be paid for, and Republicans are offering a way to pay for it. I reserve the balance of my time.

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

Mr. CAMP. At this time, Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the ranking member of the Budget Committee and a distinguished member of the Ways and Means Committee, the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Ryan).

Mr. CAMP. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to a distinguished member of the Ways and Means Committee, the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Brown- Waite).

Mr. CAMP. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to a distinguished member of the Ways and Means Committee, the gentleman from Louisiana, Dr. Boustany.

Mr. CAMP. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. When we reviewed this debate on this physician payment formula fix, clearly, this is something that we, both sides, agree needs to be addressed. But as you look at how this has evolved, initially this provision was part of the Pelosi-Obama health care bill. But when that 2,000-page bill came in at $1 trillion, this was pulled out, and then it was made a separate bill that be will magically merged into ObamaCare as that moves over to the Senate. And we have experts who have said this provision alone, without being paid for, could add to Medicare's unfunded liability as much as $1.9 trillion over a 75-year period. And obviously, with Medicare, we are looking at the long term. Given that there is already a $39 trillion hole in Medicare, this ends up making a commitment that will be borne by our children and grandchildren. We believe that we should have the opportunity to offer an alternative that would be paid for, as every alternative over the years has been. And I know the other side has cited this vote in committee. That vote was simply, in the context of full health care reform, saying that health care reform needed to be paid for and we needed to be fiscally responsible. We think this is a very important issue. Certainly, the public has weighed in on this incredible explosion in the debt over these last few months. And we believe that it is irresponsible to bring this bill to the floor, to make us choose between doctors and seniors and our children, and we believe that an alternative that is fully paid for is the right way to go. With that, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. CAMP. I yield 2 minutes to the ranking member of the Health Subcommittee, the distinguished gentleman from California (Mr. Herger).

Mr. CAMP. I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Roskam), a distinguished member of the Ways and Means Committee.

Mr. CAMP

Mr. CAMP. Madam Speaker, I rise today to commend the team members of the Midland Dow High School Boys Tennis Team. They have represented the town of Midland well with their perseverance and athleticism, and we are very proud of their accomplishments. The Chargers won the Division Two Boys State Tennis Championship on Saturday, November 17, 2009, after defeating Battle Creek-Lakeview High School: 30-23. This win gives Midland Dow their first Boys Tennis state championship since 1984. Additionally, this Chargers team was the embodiment of both teamwork and determination. Led by Coach Terry Schwartzkopf, these boys were also models of sportsmanship and set good examples on and off the court. Team members include: Juan Guerra, Alekzander Davila, Santiago Guerra, Jonathan Gurnee, J.P. Gurnee, Jon Templeman, Austin Woody, Kevin Winegar, Jacob Poliskey, Nate Karsten, Brandon LaFreniere, Alex Haslam, David Read, and Scott Kendall. I am honored today to recognize the Midland Dow Boys Tennis Team for their accomplishments, and congratulate them on their state championship.

Mr. CAMP

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

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

Mr. CAMP. At this time, Mr. Speaker, I yield the customary 1 minute to the distinguished minority leader, the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Boehner).

Mr. CAMP. We will reserve our time.

Mr. CAMP. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself 15 seconds. As a Senator from Maine who voted for the Senate finance bill remarked on the House legislation pending said, I do not know what world they live in, but all I know is it is totally detached from the average person, the average business owner who is struggling to keep their doors open, and to have that level of taxation is breathtaking in its dimension. I just think it is so out of proportion with reality, with Main Street, America, that it is hard to believe, frankly. I now yield 5 minutes to a distinguished member of the Ways and Means Committee, the distinguished minority whip from Virginia (Mr. Cantor).

Mr. CAMP. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Mica).

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

Mr. CAMP. Mr. Speaker, at this time, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Blunt).

Mr. CAMP. At this time, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. Brown).

Mr. CAMP. At this time I yield 3 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from Texas (Mr. Barton), the ranking member of the Energy and Commerce Committee. (Mr. BARTON of Texas asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. CAMP. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from Michigan (Mr. McCotter).