Lewis Pans Senate Legislation to Help Unemployed

Congressman Jerry Lewis has voted with his party against a bill that would have extended jobless benefits and reduced payroll taxes through the start of 2012, putting millions at risk of losing benefits.

The House voted 229-193 to send the measure back to the Senate, which on Saturday approved the two-month measure with bipartisan support, 89-10 vote.

The bill would have extended cuts in the amount of payroll tax workers had to pay and unemployment benefits for two months after the current bill expires Dec. 31. This would have allowed the House and Senate time to work on a year-long plan, according to several reports.

House representatives are instead demanding immediate talks for the year-long plan. But the Senate has already left for the holidays.

If Congress doesn't pass a bill by the end of the year, payroll taxes will go up for 160 million workers on Jan. 1. Almost 2 million people could lose unemployment benefits in January as well, according to the Associated Press.

Rep. Lewis, R-Redlands -- who also represents Cabazon, Banning, Beaumont, Calimesa and Yucaipa -- voted with more than 230 House members for H.R. 3630, the Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2011.

The legislation passed the House by a simple majority on Dec. 13, with 193 members casting votes against.

"He's supporting a year-long extension," Jim Specht, deputy chief of staff for Lewis, said Tuesday in a phone interview from the Nation's Capital. "He voted on it last week and he's still behind it."

Meanwhile, 43rd District Rep. Joe Baca, D-Rialto, said that Tea Party Republicans are to blame in the Senate compromise falling apart.

“By rejecting this compromise, Tea Party Republicans have committed to raising taxes on middle class families, cutting off assistance to unemployed Americans, and risking seniors losing access to their doctors," Baca said in a statement. "The Republican refusal to compromise means that 160 million Americans will see their taxes increased by an average of $1,000.  It also means that 2.3 million Americans – including 362,000 Californians - will lose their unemployment benefits by mid-February, and that 48 million Medicare recipients will have their medical care jeopardized.”

The legislation calls for extending Social Security payroll tax cuts through 2012, and it calls for extending unemployment benefits through 2012 for those having trouble finding work. The bill also calls for averting a 27 percent cut in payment rates for doctors who treat Medicare patients through 2012.

The Senate version calls for providing a two-month extension of the Social Security payroll tax cuts and a two-month extension on unemployment benefits. The Senate version also calls for preventing the 27 percent cut in payment rates for doctors who treat Medicare patients, but only for two months.

The Senate vote was largely bipartisan. Critics claim the original legislation is too costly, and sticks the middle class with the bill. And, according to reports, Democrats oppose the House version also contained spending cuts and tighter rules for jobless benefits.

While Democrats and Republicans agree on long-term jobless benefits through 2012, under the original bill the benefits would get extended to a maximum of 79 weeks, less in some cases, which is below this year's 99-week limit.

In its assessment, the Senate objected to the benefits shortfall.

When the amended version went back to the House on Monday, it was clear there was an impasse.

"Democrats and Republicans agree that the payroll tax cut needs to be extended for a full year to provide the kind of relief that Americans need in this struggling economy," House Speaker John Boehner said Monday in Washington.

"The House last week passed a bill to do just that - but instead of passing the House bill or another bill which extended the payroll credit for a year, the Senate Democratic leaders passed a two-month extension, punting the problem into next year," Boehner said.

If Congress doesn't act on the bill, the Social Security payroll tax would jump back up to its normal 6.2 percent effective Jan. 1. Currently, U.S. workers are getting hit with a reduced 4.2 percent Social Security payroll tax rate.

GOP lawmakers called Monday for formal negotiations with the Senate. Boehner said the process would include a "sit-down" conference that could last over the holidays.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has said he won't open talks until the House approves the two-month measure to ensure Americans get the tax breaks and benefits while lawmakers continue hammering out the details.

Lewis represents the 41st Congressional District, which covers part of Riverside County and most of San Bernardino County.