The "Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act" would continue for an additional year a temporary reduction in the payroll tax paid by workers that was authorized in a fiscal 2011 budget agreement. The payroll tax rate would remain at 4.2 percent, 2 percentage points less than the standard rate of 6.2 percent.

The legislation would also continue a program of extended unemployment benefits for the long-term unemployed, but with significant changes. They would include a reduction of the maximum length of unemployment benefits a person could receive from as long as 99 weeks in some states to 59 weeks, tougher standards for enforcing job-search and education standards, and authorization to require drug testing of unemployment benefit applicants.

The legislation includes a series of provisions that House Republicans have characterized as jobs initiatives.

One would set a 60-day deadline for the administration to rule on a permit for the Keystone XL pipeline project, which would if completed be a conduit for crude oil and natural gas from Canada to the Gulf coast. President Obama had delayed a decision on the controversial pipeline until 2013.

Another would order the Environmental Protection Agency to withdraw and rewrite rules that would have forced certain fossil-fuel-powered power plants and waste incineration units to comply with stricter emission standards. The standards generally are opposed by power plant and waste management companies. The legislation would require that the EPA write new rules that impose the least regulatory burden and "can be met under actual operating conditions" by the affected companies.

The legislation would continue the 100 percent bonus depreciation for businesses that were enacted in 2011 to encourage capital purchases.

Also contained are several health-care related provisions. One is a Medicare physician "doc fix" to forestall a 27.4 percent in physician payments through the Medicare program that would otherwise go into effect in 2012. Another significant provision would require people receiving insurance premium assistance through the health care exchanges created under the health care reform law to pay back some or all of the assistance if their income increases during the course of the year, such as through a raise.

Other provisions of the legislation affect flood insurance and the sale of broadband spectrum.

Some provisions to offset the costs of the legislation include an increase in fees that the two major government-sponsored mortgage-backing corporations, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, charge to mortgage lenders (which would likely result in higher fees to most home purchasers); a requirement that only people with a valid Social Security number can claim a child tax credit; a provision stating that people earning more than $1 million would be ineligible for unemployment benefits and any person in a household worth more than $1 million could not receive Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program ("food stamp") assistance; and a one-year extension of a federal employee pay freeze that would have ended at the end of 2012, along with a requirement that federal employees pay higher amounts of their salary into the Civil Service Retirement System.

During House floor debate, Rep. David Camp, R-Mich., sponsor of the legislation, said, "There are four important facts everyone should know about the Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act: First, it will strengthen our economy and help get Americans back to work by lowering the tax burden for middle class families and job providers alike. Second, it prevents massive cuts to doctors working in the Medicare program to protect America's seniors and those with disabilities--providing more stability in the doctor payment schedule than there has been in a decade. Third, it adopts a number of the President's legislative initiatives, which represents the bipartisan cooperation Americans are demanding; and Fourth, it's fully paid for with spending cuts, not job-killing tax hikes. The CBO tables show the bill is fully offset and saves about $1 billion. And when you add in the flood insurance provisions, the savings are closer to $6 billion.

So it will help families struggling in this economy; it will help the unemployed get and keep a job; it helps seniors; it's bipartisan; and it is paid for.

The House should--and I expect it will--overwhelmingly pass this measure, and the Senate should quickly pass it so Americans can get what they truly want this holiday season--something that helps create jobs while helping those most in need."

Rep. Sander Levin, D-Mich., leading the debate for opponents of the legislation, said, "Republicans are seeking a path of confrontation instead of collaboration. If Republicans were serious, truly serious about trying to come together on behalf of American families, they would have reached out to Democrats in this House. They've done nothing of the sort. They've made a sham out of bipartisanship. Instead, they, once again, targeted millions of seniors and middle class families for cuts without asking essentially anything of millionaires and billionaires. They've singled out Medicare premium increases that permanently increase seniors' costs by $31 billion.

"The bill also, when you look at it carefully, spends $300 million on a special interest provision that helps a handful of specialty hospitals while cutting billions from community hospitals. They've targeted the unemployed, slashing 40 weeks of unemployment insurance, impacting millions of families still struggling under the weight of the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression. Twenty-two jurisdictions, 22, with the highest unemployment rates would be hit the hardest: Alabama, California, Connecticut, D.C., Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Idaho, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Missouri, Nevada, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Washington. The result would be in the State that Mr. Camp and I come from, Michigan, a maximum of 46 weeks of unemployment insurance.

"And what do they ask of the wealthiest Americans? Basically nothing. Not even after the wealthiest 1 percent saw their incomes nearly triple in the last three decades while salaries for middle class families barely budged."

The bill was approved by the House by a vote of 234-193. Voting in favor of the bill were 224 Republicans and 10 Democrats. Voting in opposition were 14 Republicans and 179 democrats. Three Republicans and three Democrats did not vote.