Providing For Consideration Of H.R. 4849, Small Business And Infrastructure Jobs Tax Act Of 2010

Floor Speech

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Madam Speaker, at this point I would like to yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Oregon (Mr. Blumenauer).

Mr. BLUMENAUER. I appreciate the gentleman's courtesy in permitting me to speak on this and his leadership guiding the rule for us. This is important legislation for us to consider. It's ironic that our Republican friends are saying that the solution they want is more tax cuts.

If you look at the jobs trajectory, in the Clinton administration where the tax levels were what they are going to be reverting to under the law, written by the Republicans, by the way, compared to what happened in the Bush administration where spending went up, taxes were cut, the economy collapsed, then we had the lowest rate of job creation during Bush years even though we took their prescription and cut taxes for all sorts of special interests. It is important that we are moving forward from this point by paying for the things that we do.

It's a hard lesson, but it worked in the 8 years of the Clinton administration where we had deficits reduced every single year until, at the end, we were actually in surplus compared to what happened later and had more robust job creation, lower deficits, more jobs by having a balanced economy and focusing on what's important. It is important being able to rebuild and renew this country.

I am pleased that we have in here the Build America Bonds, that we will be able to extend a favored treatment to local governments, to be able to build infrastructure, to be able to fight congestion, fight pollution, be able to revitalize communities. These bonds have been very successful in the last program we had. This extends it for 3 more years.

I would hope, Madam Speaker, that at some point we will be able to return to the era where at least one area was not partisan, and that is infrastructure and rebuilding and renewing America. Even Ronald Reagan supported user fees for things like transportation.

I hope we get to the point where the commitment to infrastructure, to roads, to transit, clean water, clean air, cleaning up Superfund sites, again enjoys the bipartisan support that it has at home here on Capitol Hill.

We have a wide range of groups, from the Chamber of Commerce to AGC to truckers who are willing to work with us to be able to provide this vital program going forward. I hope we reach that point, but, in the meantime, approving this legislation, jump-starting infrastructure for the next 3 years and not adding to the deficit, but being definite neutral, and dealing with areas, in fact, in some cases, recognized by the Bush Treasury, that there was abuse of the tax system and needed to be changed.

I hope we approve this rule, I hope we approve this legislation and we are able to get on to the business of continuing improving the economy.

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