fmap is six months. that is fungible money. they can use it for things other than medicaid, so we're working to get that done. i think we can get it done. we have had a good debate here this week, and we hope to be able to end this tuesday. later in the day i will file cloture on the bill. people have had time to offer all the amendments they want. some amendments we haven't been able to get to a vote and there won't be votes on those. rather than have individual cloture on -- cloture on various amendments, we simply don't have time for that, so i'm going to file cloture on the bill. those amendments we're having trouble getting votes on will likely fall, those that are germane to the subject matter at hand. mr. president, i wanted to talk a little bit about the house of representatives yesterday passing our jobs bill. that was really important. we had a bipartisan jobs bill here. they will -- they have already sent us a message, and so we can work on that even though there may be people objecting to it, we can do that with one

it also includes fmap provisions, which are extremely important to the states that includes other provisionsnd i think just in the spirit really of letting us continue to support these americans while we debate and finally conclude, i hope successfully, a longer-term solution is, i think, the fairest and best thing to do. my colleague, senator stabenow, just an hour ago asked unanimous consent only to receive an objection. and i will once again ask unanimous consent that the senate proceed to the immediate consideration of calendar 323, h.r. 4851 to provide a temporary extension of certain programs and that the bill be read three times, passed, and the motion to reconsider be laid on the table. the presiding officer: is there objection? mr. coburn: reserving the right to object. the presiding officer: the senator from oklahoma. mr. coburn: again i would note this is the fourth time i've done this. regrettably because we had an agreement yesterday that the house would not go along with, i have to object because we will be adding to the debt. the presiding officer: objection is heard. mr. reed

there are three targeted fmap provisions, bonuses for verntle maine, and nebraska. vermont gets a $2.2 increase for six years for the entire program. maine gets a .5% increase for three years. nebraska got a 100% fmap increase for newly eligibles forever. that was this particular deal. under the disproportionate payment section, hawaii is alone in among the states that gets an extension. michigan and connecticut get a special benefit under section 508 so that their hospitals have an toption benefit -- an option to benefit under that section if it means higher payments. this was also done in previous legislation. montana, south dakota, north dakota, and wyoming, they get a special deal. an amendment that adds a percent to the hospital wage index for those states. and there are other states that qualify but would not benefit because they're already above the one-point wage index value. it also establishes a 1.0 practice expense floor for a nis those particular states -- for a physician in those particular states. one of my colleagues -- got a benefit for his constitue

that we pay for the fmap fix, that we pay for the other parts of this bill minus the emergency extension of unemployment insurance in cobra. that would make us be consistent with the paygo rules that we have forced upon ourselves, i think appropriately so, but it's important that we follow the rules that we set for ourselves, and this is one of the ways that we do it, by paying for these nonemergency items in the underlying bill. so, mr. president, that's my argument. that's why i have introduced this legislation. i think it's unfortunate that the other side has chosen to object to it, but they have and that's it. the amendment will fail. unless the other side finds that it makes sense to simply begin to pay for the things. i thought the other side was interested in seeing that these requirements are paid for, particularly when they make such strong case for the payment of of -- of physicians who are medicare and medicaid patients. but that doesn't seem to be the case. thank you, mr. president. i yield the floor. i note the absence of a quorum. the presiding officer: the clerk will call

of the state fiscal relief, the temporary increase in the federal medical assistance percentages or fmaps found employment performance has been better in states that received more funds through this channel. unfortunately states continue to face large budget shortfalls. the center on budget and policy priorities estimates that even after the injection of the recovery act funds, states faced a combined fiscal shortfall of some $125 billion in fiscal 2010, $142 billion in fiscal 2011. and $118 billion in fiscal 2012. because of these continuing shortfalls additional fiscal relief to the states is likely to be both particularly valuable and particularly effective. it's particularly valuable because states are now at the point where the steps they would have to take to balance their budgets would involve cutting service on vital services or raising taxes on families who are already struggling. relief is particularly effective because it will alter states' budget decisions quickly. states were able to meet very little of their shortfalls in fiscal 2009 by dipping into rainy day funds and almo

of the state fiscal relief, the temporary increase in the federal medical assistance percentages or fmapransferred different amounts to different states based on the specifics of their medicaid programs. analysis by the cea has found employment performance has been better in states that received more funds through this channel. unfortunately states continue to face large budget shortfalls. the center on budget and policy priorities estimates that even after the injection of the recovery act funds, states faced a combined fiscal shortfall of some $125 billion in fiscal 2010, $142 billion in fiscal 2011. and $118 billion in fiscal 2012. because of these continuing shortfalls additional fiscal relief to the states is likely to be both particularly valuable and particularly effective. it's particularly valuable because states are now at the point where the steps they would have to take to balance their budgets would involve cutting service on vital services or raising taxes on families who are already struggling. relief is particularly effective because it will alter states' budget decisions

it also includes fmap provisions, which are extremely important to the states that includes other provisionsnd i think just in the spirit really of letting us continue to support these americans while we debate and finally conclude, i hope successfully, a longer-term solution is, i think, the fairest and best thing to do. my colleague, senator stabenow, just an hour ago asked unanimous consent only to receive an objection. and i will once again ask unanimous consent that the senate proceed to the immediate consideration of calendar 323, h.r. 4851 to provide a temporary extension of certain programs and that the bill be read three times, passed, and the motion to reconsider be laid on the table. the presiding officer: is there objection? mr. coburn: reserving the right to object. the presiding officer: the senator from oklahoma. mr. coburn: again i would note this is the fourth time i've done this. regrettably because we had an agreement yesterday that the house would not go along with, i have to object because we will be adding to the debt. the presiding officer: objection is heard. mr. reed

additional federal medicaid match money known as fmap, helps the economy grow, and according to economistzande, this funding has returned on the investment of about $1.40 for every dollar invested. the nation's governors have repeatedly asked for an extension of this federal assistance, and this bill answers their pleas. with so many americans out of work, our country needs congress to enact this legislation. this bill continues valuable tax incentives to families and businesses that will help them in these difficult economic times, and the bill sustains violate -- vlt safety net programs will also help foster economic growth. as i said at the out-of-the, -- at the outset, mr. president, there is just no ordinary legislation, this is urgent legislation. it would prevent millions of americans from falling through the safety net. it would extend vital programs that expired yesterday, expired yesterday and put cash in the hands of americans who would spend it quickly, boosting economic demand. it would extend critical programs and tax incentives that create jobs. it is an important thing tha

substitute amendment gives preferential treatment to unemployment insurance cobra and what's knows as fmap, which is the federal government's aid that it provides to states in the payment of medicaid. these are laudable things to do, especially in this difficult economic environment. in my home state of florida we have nearly 12% unemployment. it's the highest that anyone can remember and people are struggling. so these are laudable things to do. the challenge is that we're not going to pay for these spending programs. we are going to put them on the backs of our children and grandchildren. as my colleague senator burr, just remarked in his comments. now last -- a couple of weeks ago we passed a bill here in the senate called paygo. and the president just signed this bill into law. and i will tell you, mr. president, i struggled with my vote on paygo being a new member to the senate and being very concerned about spending i thought about voting for it. i thought about voting for it because anything that cuts spending around here on its face seems like a good idea to me. but the challenge t

and then he says, "in addition, my proposal eliminates the florida fmap provision, replacing it with additional federal financing in all states." well, of course this raises, i think, first of all, the legitimate question: how did the stuff get in there to start with? how did it take weeks of examining a 2,400-page bill? what about the other sweetheart deals that were included behind closed doors in this 2,400-page legislation? what about the deal for vermont, 2.2% medicaid bonus for six years for their medicaid program? what about the massachusetts deal, .5% medicaid bonus for three years? hawaii, adds money for hawaii hospitals. michigan and connecticut -- hospitals in michigan and connecticut have the option to benefit from higher payments. connecticut, $100 million for a university hospital, the senate beneficiary of this provision was not originally known. montana, south dakota, north dakota, wyoming increased medicare payments for those states. what's unique about those states? libby, montana, medicare coverage for individuals exposed to environmental health hazards, asbestos m