This resolution expresses the sense of the House of Representatives concerning the Senate passage of a two-month extension of a payroll tax holiday and its own passage of a one-year extension (H.R. 3630).

The resolution says it is the House's position "that any final measure to extend the payroll tax holiday, extend Federally funded unemployment insurance benefits, or prevent decreases in reimbursement for physicians who provide care to Medicare beneficiaries--

• (1) extend the payroll tax holiday through December 31, 2012;
• (2) extend and reform Federally funded unemployment insurance benefits;
• (3) eliminate for two years the dramatic cut in reimbursement for physicians who provide care to Medicare beneficiaries;
• (4) reduce spending from areas throughout the Federal Government, including a freeze on congressional salaries, in order to protect the Social Security Trust Fund, whose solvency would otherwise be diminished as result of the payroll tax holiday; and
• (5) provide immediate job creation through--

   (A) final approval of the Keystone XL pipeline; (B) expensing for capital assets placed in service in 2012; and (C) drafting new regulations for boilers that are achievable and cost-effective."

Rep. Steve Cohen, D-Tenn., spoke in favor of a Democratic-sponsored alternative resolution that would have had the effect of putting the House in favor of the Senate's two-month extension. "This is a very sad day for the American people. There was an opportunity with the Democrats in the Senate and the Republicans in the Senate. Eighty-nine of them, including my senior Senator, Lamar Alexander, Senator Heller, a former colleague, a classmate in this class, Senator Lugar, Senators Collins, Snowe, and others came together. They said, We need to protect the American people, protect the opportunity to see doctors when you're on Medicare, get unemployment insurance and keep the tax breaks. They came together and said, Let's do it for 60 days. We can come back later and then we can work on it for the rest of the year. They knew what was possible within the time allotted to it.

"Unfortunately, my colleagues on the other side don't realize what time makes available. There is no possibility of the Senate coming back and having a conference committee. They are saying `Bah, humbug' to the compromise and the bipartisanship that we saw in the Senate.

"It's an unfortunate day for the American people, and I'm sorry for my folks who will not be able to get doctors to treat them, unemployment compensation, or a tax break."

Rep. Phil Gingrey, R-Ga., called for passage of this resolution. "Clearly, this House has spoken in a bipartisan way with H.R. 3630. In fact, we will follow this debate with a resolution ... which basically gives that tax break to 160 million middle-income Americans for a full year. ... extends the unemployment insurance to 99 weeks for those who have been out of work for more than 6 months for an additional year ... [and] gives the assurance of the physicians in this country that provide care for our blessed senior citizens under the Medicare program that their reimbursement will not be cut 27 percent. ...

"I can't help but believe, Mr. Speaker, that the other side of the aisle agrees with all three of these provisions. It's beyond me that they would disagree with the job-creating Keystone XL pipeline, 120,000-plus jobs. It's hard for me to understand how they could oppose any of that.

"No. I think really this is all about how we pay for it.

"What the Democrats want to do, Mr. Speaker, is they want to charge increased taxation on the job creators in this country. What we want to do is pay for it by freezing the pay of all these Federal employees--yes, including ourselves--for 3 additional years in a very responsible way and other provisions on this side that makes sense for the American people."

The resolution was approved by a vote of 226-185, with 226 Republicans and no Democrats voting yes and eight Republicans and 185 Democrats voting in opposition. Seven Republicans and 15 Democrats did not vote.