America's Workers Deserve a One Year Tax Holiday – Not Two Months , update from Dan Lungren

Congressman Lungren (R-Gold River-CA)voted toextend payroll tax relief, and to extend and reform unemployment insurance, for a full year. The vote to reject the Senate amendment to H.R. 3630, the Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act, places American middle class families first. H.R. 3630 extends unemployment benefits, extends the Medicare physicians reimbursement fix for two years. Today’s vote was in response to the Senate’s action in voting to only do this for 2 months. Congressman Lungren released the following statement.
“The Senate decided to extend the payroll tax cut for two months and then go on vacation. My colleagues and I, decided to stay in Washington and fight for a full year extension – as originally voted out of the House on Dec 14.  A two-month extension does not provide security to hard working families who are struggling in this economy. The Senate needs to return to Washington and extend these programs for a full year. Governing in 2 month increments is no way to govern. It is time to get serious about doing all we can to put people back to work and stop playing games.”



Differences between the House and Senate:

• The House extended unemployment benefits for 13 months.  The Senate bill extended unemployment benefits for only two months. 
• The House reformed the unemployment program to focus it more on getting people the training and education they need to get back to work, not just handing out checks. The Senate did not. 
• The House protected seniors’ health care for the next two years by ensuring doctors in the Medicare program don’t have their reimbursements cut by more than 27 percent.  The Senate did this for only two months. 
• The House provided a one-year extension of the payroll tax holiday, ensuring a worker earning $50,000 next year has $1,000 more in their pocket.  The Senate did this for only two months, meaning that same worker would have less than $200 in their pocket, or $800 less in take-home pay than under the House-passed bill. 
• The House included a pay freeze for Members of Congress and civilian federal workers.  The Senate did not.