Pregnancy and Trauma Care Access Protection Act of 2004 - Motion to Proceed

PREGNANCY AND TRAUMA CARE ACCESS PROTECTION ACT OF 2004-MOTION TO PROCEED

Mr. GRASSLEY. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.

The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

Mr. GRASSLEY. Mr. President, we all know we are likely to pass only a few major tax bills this election year, and we know one of the most important tax bills is the jobs in manufacturing bill that comes up for a cloture vote tomorrow. We know the only way the JOBS in manufacturing bill can pass is a "yes" vote on the motion to stop debate or, as we call it in the Senate, cloture. That vote will be tomorrow.

Once again, we must ask, will the Democrats say no to cloture? Will they say no to stopping debate? Will they refuse to allow us to get to finality on this very important bipartisan legislation that when it comes to a final vote will overwhelmingly pass in the Senate? Will they go on record opposing the provisions that are in this bill? Democrats should not because this is a bipartisan bill. This is a bill that every Democrat member of the Senate Finance Committee voted yes on to report it from committee.

Keep in mind that the jobs in manufacturing bill could be the last train out of town this year. It has to get done if we are going to end the sanctions and tariffs that have been put on U.S. exports to Europe as a result of the United States not following our own trade agreements.

Each time a Member votes against stopping debate, it lessens the chance that this bill is going to go forward. In fact, it kills off many good measures in the jobs in manufacturing bill. From the very beginning, this bill was overwhelmingly bipartisan. In fact, there was a bipartisan agreement that we need to pass this bill because there is a bipartisan agreement of long standing that the United States agrees to international trade agreements, and we have an obligation to do our part and live up to those agreements.

A "no" vote on this motion tomorrow is an obstruction to the bipartisanship that is expressed in the language of this bill.

I would like to briefly go through some of the measures that are in this jobs in manufacturing bill. What I am going to refer to is what a lot of Members of both political parties have asked for the consideration of by my committee and for inclusion in the language of this bill. I will go over what is in this bill and sincerely ask why the Democrat leadership is willing to tell its members to kill the bill by voting no to stopping debate.

This bill will end $4 billion a year of sanctions against the United States and our exports. As of March 1, those sanctions are being imposed against U.S. exports of grain, timber, paper, and manufactured goods.

You will later hear my comments on the products that are being hit right now by sanctions. I think each Member ought to know how this is affecting the economy of their district.

First, manufacturing jobs are good jobs in America. They pay 15 percent above the national average. If jobs are related to exports, there is a tariff on your exports in another country and we aren't competitive, those jobs aren't going to exist very long.

Think about what that would do in Waterloo, IA, for one-fifth of the tractors that come off the assembly line being exported. We couldn't afford to lose one-fifth of the jobs at John Deere in Waterloo, IA, because of these tariffs.

We can end the sanctions that are in this bill, but will the Democrats say no to cloture so we don't end sanctions?

This bill provides $75 billion of tax relief to our U.S.-based manufacturing sector to promote factory hiring here in the United States. It is not going to benefit corporations for that portion of their manufacturing overseas.

Will the Democrats say no to $75 billion worth of help, and help create jobs in factories in America, particularly considering the fact that every day you hear comments about outsourcing, and they expect us to do something about outsourcing? This bill will do something about outsourcing.

The jobs in manufacturing bill extends the research and development tax credit through next year. This is a domestic tax benefit that generates research and development in the United States. That translates into good high-paying jobs for workers in the United States-not overseas. The amendment we had on research and development passed overwhelmingly with a bipartisan vote.

Why would Democrats say no to a bipartisan provision in this bill? Will they? I hope not.

The jobs in manufacturing bill extends for 2 years many tax provisions that expired either last year or are going to expire this year. This would include items such as a work opportunity tax credit and the welfare-to-work tax credit and make the merger of those credits permanent. Senator Bayh and Senator Santorum asked for these provisions, and we included them. Will these Senators vote for cloture? They should.

Senator Breaux and Senator Snowe asked for a provision that allows naval shipbuilders to use a method of accounting which results in more favorable income tax credit treatment. We included that provision in this bill for Senator Breaux and Senator Snowe. They each have reasons to vote for cloture to get these amendments to the President for his signature.

There are enhanced depreciation provisions to help the ailing airline industry. Senator Lincoln, Senator Brownback, and Senator Roberts asked for these provisions. I hope they will vote to stop debate tomorrow so we can get to finality on this legislation.

There are what is referred to as new homestead provisions. These were requested by Senator Dorgan, Senator Baucus, Senator Thomas, Senator Enzi, and Senator Crapo. I hope these Senators will vote to stop debate so what they have asked me to do can get to the President for his signature.

There are rural development provisions to create businesses in counties that are losing population. For example, they provide incentives for starting or expanding rural businesses in a rural outmigration county when it hits a certain percentage of outmigration.

At the request of Senator Dorgan, we also included a new market tax credit for high outmigration counties. These credits help economic development in rural counties that have lost over 10 percent of their population.

There is only one way this homestead and the new market provisions can become law; that is, to have the Senate stop debate. That takes 60 votes.

For Senators we have tried to work with to get their provisions included, if they aren't willing to help stop debate and move this
bill along, why would they even ask me to include provisions in the bill if they do not want this bill to move along?

The jobs in manufacturing bill includes brownfields revitalization which was requested by Senators LAUTENBERG, DOLE, and INHOFE. The bill helps tax-exempt investors that invest in the cleanup and remediation of qualified brownfields sites.

I hope those Senators who asked me to include their provisions in my bill will decide they should vote to stop debate. Without getting over that hurdle, you never get to final passage