Manzullo Votes For Cutting Spending While Helping Creation of American Jobs

Congressman Don Manzullo (R-IL) voted today for legislation that cuts wasteful federal spending while helping to create thousands of American jobs, extending tax relief to middle-income Americans and job providers, and reforming and extending unemployment insurance.

The Middle Class Tax Relief & Job Creation Act (HR 3630) passed the House but faces an uncertain future in the Democrat-controlled Senate, which is demanding huge tax increases on Americans instead of spending cuts to offset the costs of the bill. President Obama has also threatened to veto the bill because it cuts spending instead of increasing taxes on America’s job creators.

Specifically, the bill:  

• Extends for one year the payroll tax holiday to prevent a $1,000 tax increase next year on an American worker earning $50,000 annually. Instead of shortchanging the Social Security Trust Fund, the bill pays for the tax holiday by cutting wasteful spending, freezing the pay of federal workers and Members of Congress, gradually increasing Medicare premiums for wealthy Americans, and prohibiting millionaires from receiving unemployment insurance and food stamps.
• Accelerates a decision on the job-creating Keystone XL energy pipeline, requiring a permit to be granted within 60 days unless the President determines the project is not in the national interest. The President decided recently to delay a decision on the project until after next year’s election, despite the fact it would provide over 100,000 good-paying jobs to needy Americans and is supported by both employers and unions.
• Reforms and extends unemployment insurance (UI) to help get Americans back to work. The bill would allow states to screen and test UI recipients for drug abuse and would require all UI recipients to 1) search for a job, 2) be in a GED program if they don’t have a high school diploma, with reasonable exceptions, 3) participate in re-employment services. Federal unemployment benefits would gradually top out at 59 weeks by mid-2012. (Even President Obama proposed phasing out 20 weeks of unemployment insurance next year).
• Extends 100 percent business expensing through 2012 to make it easier for employers to invest now in new machinery and equipment, grow their businesses, and create jobs.
• Prevents massive cuts to doctors working in the Medicare program to protect America’s seniors and those with disabilities. The bill also saves more than $13 billion in wasteful over payments of health Exchange subsidies, and repeals provisions in current law that hurt physician-owned hospitals.

 "This legislation will strengthen our economy by preventing tax increases on workers and their employers, helping unemployed Americans get a job, accelerating a decision on a major job-creating project, and protecting seniors and their doctors from huge Medicare cuts. And we do it all without increasing our debt. 

The benefits are all paid for by cutting wasteful spending elsewhere, freezing the salaries of federal employees and Members of Congress, gradually increasing Medicare premiums for wealthy Americans, and prohibiting millionaires from receiving unemployment insurance and food stamps,” Manzullo said. “I strongly encourage the Senate to take up this bill and pass it and the President to sign it into law so we can help put Americans back to work while helping those most in need.”