January 13, 2009 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — Extensions of Remarks E69 

As the veterans population of Florida and 

the Tampa Bay area continues to grow, the 

staff at Bay Pines seeks to respond quickly to 

meet the increased demand for veterans medical care. 

Madam Speaker, representing Bay Pines 

and the veterans its serves is a great honor 

but also a great responsibility. It is reassuring 

to know that with receipt of the Carey Award 

for Excellence that Bay Pines continues to 

provide the highest level of care and that they 

never rest on their laurels as the staff and volunteers continue to search for new ways to 

improve the services they provide to our nation’s heroes and their families. It is my hope 

that my colleagues will join me today in expressing to the staff and volunteers at Bay 

Pines our thanks and appreciation for a job 

well done. 

f 

PERSONAL EXPLANATION 

HON. JOHN CONYERS, JR. OF MICHIGAN

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Tuesday, January 13, 2009 

Mr. CONYERS. Madam Speaker, on January 9, 2009, I inadvertently cast a ‘‘yea’’ vote 

for H. Res. 34. I intended to vote ‘‘present.’’ 

f 

PAYCHECK FAIRNESS ACT 

SPEECH OF

HON. CHET EDWARDS OF TEXAS

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Friday, January 9, 2009 

Mr. EDWARDS of Texas. Mr. Speaker, the 

Paycheck Fairness Act is about far more than 

the size of a paycheck. It is about our commitment to the American values of hard work and 

equality of opportunity. 

The story of America is our never-ending 

march toward the highest ideals of equal opportunity for all our citizens. 

Today, we write a new chapter in that great 

American story. Today, we say to women and 

young girls all across our land, that if you work 

hard and play by the rules, you will be rewarded fairly. You will reap what you sow. 

From our founding days, that promise has 

motivated parents to work hard to improve the 

lives of their families and the future for their 

children. It has inspired generations of immigrants to leave their homelands to make 

America their home. 

Fulfilling the promise of equal opportunity for 

American women will lift millions of our families and children out of poverty. That’s not just 

progress for their families; it is real progress 

for the American family. And, by fairly rewarding the hard work of America’s women, we 

make our Nation more competitive in the world 

economy. 

Some will say this step forward will be inconvenient. I say that knocking down barriers 

to equality of opportunity has never been the 

convenient thing to do, but it has always been 

the right thing to do. 

My wife and I try to teach our two young 

sons every day that if they will work hard, they 

will do well in life—that their work will be rewarded fairly. 

I am supporting this bill, because I want the 

parents of every little girl in America to be able 

to teach that value, to make that promise to 

their daughters. It is the promise of America. 

f 

INTRODUCTION OF WORKER 

RELIEF LEGISLATION 

HON. JOHN M. McHUGH OF NEW YORK

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Tuesday, January 13, 2009 

Mr. McHUGH. Madam Speaker, on January 

6, 2009, I introduced three measures that are 

designed to provide relief to millions of unemployed American workers. These proposals 

are H.R. 155, the Suspension of Federal Income Tax on Unemployment Benefits Act of 

2009; H.R. 154, the Workers Severance Tax 

Reduction Act of 2009; and H.R. 153, the 

Worker Savings Account Act of 2009. 

From December 2007 to December 2008, 

the national unemployment rate has risen from 

4.9 percent to 7.2 percent and 2.6 million jobs 

have been lost. In fact, from November 2007 

to November 2008, the number of those seeking work has risen in 49 States and the District of Columbia, including New York, which 

has seen its rate increase from 4.6 percent to 

6.1 percent during that time. As of November 

2008, in New York’s 23rd Congressional District, which I have the privilege of representing, 

9 of my 11 constituent counties had unemployment rates that significantly exceed the 

national rate. With my support, the 110th Congress enacted legislation (P.L. 110–252 and 

P.L. 110–449) to provide up to an additional 

20 weeks of unemployment benefits to workers who have exhausted their 26 weeks of 

regular benefits. However, there is more we 

can and should do to help those without a job. 

In the first instance, we should enact H.R. 

155, the Suspension of Federal Income Tax 

on Unemployment Benefits Act of 2009. Many 

Americans are unaware that they must pay 

Federal income taxes on any unemployment 

compensation benefits they might receive. 

This has not always been the case; between 

1979 and 1986, those payments were excluded from Federal income taxes. It is time to 

once more provide this relief to unemployed 

Americans, which could provide up to $117 in 

additional income to the average beneficiary. 

In this manner, Congress can both help those 

individuals who are most in need and inject 

billions of dollars into the economy through 

paid rents, mortgages, utilities, groceries, and 

other necessities. 

We should also enact H.R. 154, the Workers Severance Tax Reduction Act of 2009, 

which would allow laid-off workers to exclude 

up to $40,000 from any severance pay, provided that it is less than $150,000 and is received between December 31, 2007, and December 31, 2010. Studies have indicated that 

roughly 60 percent of businesses offer their 

employees some kind of severance pay. While 

these totals can vary from business to business, in many cases it is remitted as a lump 

sum. Unfortunately for many workers, the IRS 

takes a substantial bite out of these benefits. 

Specifically, under current law, severance pay 

is treated as regular income, thus often driving 

people into higher tax brackets at the very 

time they are losing their jobs. 

From the start of the current economic 

slump in December 2007 through November 

2008, there have been 20,712 mass layoffs involving nearly a quarter of a million Americans. While not all of them received severance pay, those who did needed all those 

monies to better support their families, go 

back to school, or otherwise find a new job or 

career. Congress can and should help these 

citizens during this difficult time by allowing 

them to retain more of these much-needed 

monies. 

Finally, to help Americans enhance their 

personal safety nets, Congress should enact 

H.R. 153, the Worker Savings Account Act of 

2009. This measure would allow people to establish Worker Savings Accounts (WSAs) to 

supplement the benefits they might otherwise 

receive while unemployed. 

Like traditional Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs), WSAs would have an annual 

contribution limit of $5,000, indexed to inflation. However, employers would be able to 

provide matching contributions of up to $5,000 

annually. Contributions to WSAs would be permitted until the account owner actually elects 

to take Social Security retirement benefits. At 

that time, WSA account holders could choose 

to rollover their WSA funds into a 401(k) or 

IRA; alternatively, the WSA funds could be 

withdrawn without penalty but subject to taxation. Prior to a WSA account owner’s decision to take Social Security payments, WSA 

funds could be withdrawn without penalty and 

tax-free as long as employment was lost 

through no fault of the worker or they had become disabled. 

To encourage lower-income Americans to 

take advantage of the opportunity to contribute 

to this benefit, the Worker Savings Account 

Act would provide a refundable tax credit of up 

to $1,000 for eligible individuals. This tax credit would be indexed to inflation and recipients 

could receive up to $5,000 over the course of 

their career. 

Madam Speaker, by enacting the three bills 

described above, the 111th Congress can help 

millions of unemployed Americans. Accordingly, I ask my colleagues to work with me to 

enact these important measures. 

f 

HONORING CADET COLONEL 

ROBERT J. WILSON 

HON. FRANK R. WOLF OF VIRGINIA

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Tuesday, January 13, 2009 

Mr. WOLF. Madam Speaker, it is my privilege to honor my constituent, Cadet Colonel 

Robert Wilson of Chantilly, Virginia, for his remarkable achievements as a member of the 

Civil Air Patrol. At a Pentagon presentation 

and award ceremony on January 5, Cadet Wilson was presented with the General Carl A. 

Spaatz Award. The Spaatz Award is the Civil 

Air Patrol’s highest cadet honor, presented to 

cadets who demonstrate extraordinary leadership, character, fitness, and aerospace knowledge. 

For every 1,000 cadets, only 2 achieve this 

distinct honor. Robert first joined the Civil Air 

Patrol in January 2004 where he served with 

distinction in the Fairfax Composite Squadron 

of the National Capital Wing. Upon graduation 

from high school, he chose to attend EmbryRiddle Aeronautical University in Prescott, Arizona, to obtain his bachelor’s degree in aerospace engineering. 


rfrederick on PROD1PC67 with REMARKS