mr. etheridge. two minutes. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized for two minutes. mr. heridge: mr. speaker, permission to revise and extend my remarks. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, so ordered. mr. etheridge: i thank you. i thank the gentleman from -- i thank the gentleman for yielding. since i have been in this congress i worked to extend the benefits of estate planning and raise the exemptions for the last 12 years. the estate tax was never meant to affect the vast majority of americans. under h.r. 4154, only 25 of every 10,000 estates would be subject to estate tax. by extending current law this bill strikes a balance. it provides certainty for estate planning and prevents tens of thousands of estates from being subject to taxation while also being physically responsible. critically this bill protects our small businesses and farmers. in my district in north carolina there are plenty of farmers that are land rich and cash poor. they may be affected by the reach of the estate tax because the land and equipment are worth quite a bit. but their business ma

mr. etheridge: thank you, mr. speaker. i thank the gentleman for yielding. i thank mr. rangel for his hard work on this legislation. i support the bill. the tax extenders act of 2009 reduces taxes by more than $30 billion for individuals and businesses that support small businesses and fuel job growth. to help create high-tech jobs, h.r. 4213 extends r&d tax credit. north carolina's growth has been supported by technology and the health and energy industries. the r&d tax credit is vital to this sector of the economy, a sector that spurs innovation and creates new jobs across america. h.r. 4213 extends accelerated cost recovery credit for retail improvements and incentivizes more businesses to grow, retool, modernize,'s expand their facilities. to help struggling their communities, the bill extend incentives like the new market credits and tax incentives for businesses and designated empowerment zones. these provisions are more important today than ever. as we help businesses grow, we help grow our work force and strengthen our economy. education is the key to the future