| 00:00:00 | YOU. |
| 00:00:01 | THIS CONFERENCE COMMITTEE WAS CHARGED WITH RESOLVING DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE HOUSE AND SENATE SO WE COULD EXTEND MIDDLE CLASS TAX CUTS, PROTECT SENIORS, ACCESS TO THEIR DOCTORS, AND EXTEND UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS FOR AMERICANS LOOKING FOR WORK. |
| 00:00:13 | AS A MEMBER OF THE CONFERENCE COMMITTEE I'M PLEASED WE FOUND A COMPROMISE TO MEET THESE GOALS AND WE ARE ABLE TO PROVIDE STABILITY FOR MILLIONS OF AMERICANS. |
| 00:00:22 | ACTION TODAY MEANS 160 MILLION AMERICAN TAXPAYERS WILL BE ABLE TO KEEP MORE OF THEIR HARD-EARNED DOLLARS. |
| 00:00:29 | THESE ARE MIDDLE CLASS FAMILIES STRUGGLING TO PAY THEIR MORTGAGES, FOOD BUILT, CHILDCARE COST, AND COLLEGE TUITION. |
| 00:00:36 | THIS TAX CUT WILL BETTER ENABLE THEM TO MEET THEIR OBLIGATIONS AND CONTRIBUTE TO GROWING THE ECONOMY. |
| 00:00:41 | IT MEANS THAT 13 MILLION OF OUR HARDEST WORKING AMERICANS WILL RECEIVE UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS AND BE BETTER ABLE TO PROVIDE FOR THEIR FAMILIES. |
| 00:00:49 | THERE ARE ENCOURAGING MEASURES OF ECONOMIC GROWTH IN OUR COUNTRY, BUT RECOVERY IS STILL FRAGILE. |
| 00:00:55 | WE HAD 23 CONSECUTIVE MONTHS OF PRIVATE SECTOR JOB GROWTH, UNEMPLOYMENT NUMBERS ARE DOWN. |
| 00:01:01 | YET MILLIONS OF AMERICANS ARE STILL LOOKING FOR WORK. |
| 00:01:04 | ACTION TODAY BETTER ENSURES THAT LOSING A JOB WILL NOT MEAN ECONOMIC DISASTER FOR FAMILIES WHO HAVE WORKED HARD AND PLAYED BY THE RULES. |
| 00:01:13 | ACTION TODAY WILL MEAN WE WILL KEEP OUR PROMISE TO 47 MILLION SENIORS BY PREVENTING A DRASTIC 27% CUT TO PHYSICIANS WHO CARE FOR MEDICARE BENEFICIARIES. |
| 00:01:22 | THIS IS A WIN FOR AMERICAN SENIORS. |
| 00:01:25 | BUT IT DOES NOT RELIEVE US OF OUR RESPONSIBILITY TO PERMANENTLY REPEAL THE S. |
| 00:01:29 | G.R. AND REPLACE IT WITH A NEW PAYMENT SYSTEM. |
| 00:01:32 | FOR OVER A DECADE THIS FAILED POLICY HAS CREATED UNCERTAINTY AND INSTABILITY FOR PATIENTS, FOR HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS, AND THE FEDERAL BUDGET. |
| 00:01:40 | THROUGHOUT THIS PROCESS I ADVOCATED FOR BOTH PERMANENT FISCALLY RESPONSIBLE REPEAL OF THE FAILED MEDICARE POLICY, AND A PATH FORWARD TO NEW PAYMENT MODELS TO IMPROVE QUALITY WHILE REDUCING COSTS. |
| 00:01:53 | DESPITE BIPARTISAN SUPPORT FOR THIS APPROACH, LONG-TERM AGREEMENT COULD NOT BE PREACHED. |
| 00:01:57 | I WILL CONTINUE TO WORK WITH MY COLLEAGUES ON BOTH SIDES OF THE AISLE TO END THIS PERENNIAL THREAT TO THE PROMISE OF MEDICARE ONCE AND FOR ALL. |
| 00:02:06 | I URGE SUPPORT FOR AMERICAN FAMILIES AND SENIORS AND MILLIONS OF AMERICANS STILL SEARCHING FOR A JOB. |
| 00:02:11 | I URGE SUPPORT FOR THIS CONFERENCE REPORT. |
Ms. SCHWARTZ. This conference committee was charged with resolving differences between the House and the Senate so that we could extend middle class tax cuts, protect seniors' access to their doctors, and extend unemployment benefits for Americans looking for work. As a member of the conference committee, I'm pleased we found a compromise to meet these goals and we are able to provide stability for millions of Americans.
Action today means 160 million American taxpayers will be able to keep more of their hard-earned dollars. These are middle class families struggling to pay their mortgages, their food bills, child care costs, and college tuition. This tax cut will better enable them to meet their obligations and contribute to growing the economy.
Action today means that 13 million of our hardest working Americans will receive unemployment benefits and be better able to provide for their families.
There are encouraging measures of economic growth in our country, but recovery is still fragile. We've had 23 consecutive months of private sector job growth. Unemployment numbers are down, yet millions of Americans are still looking for work. Action today better ensures that losing a job will not mean economic disaster for families who have worked hard and played by the rules.
An action today means that we will keep our promise to 47 million seniors by preventing a drastic 27 percent cut to physicians who care for Medicare beneficiaries. This is a win for American seniors, but it does not relieve us of our responsibility to permanently repeal the SGR and replace it with a new payment system.
For over a decade this failed policy has created uncertainty and instability for patients, for health care providers, and for the Federal budget. Throughout this process, I advocated for both permanent, fiscally responsible repeal of the failed Medicare policy and a path forward to new payment models to improve quality while reducing costs. Despite bipartisan support for this approach, a long-term agreement could not be reached. I will continue to work with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to end this perennial threat to the promise of Medicare once and for all.
I urge support for middle class families, for America's seniors, and for millions of Americans still searching for a job. I urge support for this conference report.