no, ms. bass is next in line. >> oh. okay, there you go. thank you for your testimony this morning. earlier when we opened, i believe the chair mentioned the need for the president to present solutions instead of just criticizing. i just wanted to mention that yesterday the president sent his start-up america legislative agenda to accelerate start-up and small business growth to congress. parts of the agenda have already won bipartisan support in the house, including allowing small business to businesses to raise capital, raise taxes on capital gains and key investments and small businesses. i think this is an example of the types of economic stimulus we should be pursuing. and i'm hoping that my colleagues on the other side of the aisle will bring the president's package to the house floor for a vote soon. i did want to ask you about states and the fiscal pressure on states, which i do see as a major obstacle to sustainable recovery. at the start of 2012, 29 states have already projected a gap of about $44 billion for fiscal year 2013. and i imagine that this number is going to gro

ms. bass: in three short weeks, people barely surviving on unemployment benefits will be out on the streets. in three short weeks 160 million people who get paychecks would have to pay the government nearly $1,000 more. unfortunately house republican leadership insists on unrelated ideological legislation, freezing the pay of middle class public servants for a third time in three years, slashing unemployment benefits by 40 weeks, and drug testing americans who lost their jobs through no fault of their own. i don't think my republican colleagues understand the plight of americans who lost their jobs through no fault of their own, so i'm asking my constituents and people from around the country to go to my website, karenbass.house.gov and send in stories about their efforts to look for work. i will share these stories with my republican colleagues to help them understand in hopes they will do the right thing. mr. speaker, i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: for what pur