Van Hollen: Summer jobs bill is emergency spending

Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) on Thursday said the summer jobs program being advocated by the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) for inclusion in extender legislation should be considered emergency spending.  

"I think the jobs situation in this country needs to be dealt with like an emergency," he told reporters. 

Under pay-as-you-go rules, emergency spending measures do not require offsets. Van Hollen's comment could indicate that the $1.5 billion summer jobs bill will be added to extender legislation and not be fully offset. However, no decision has been announced. 

"We're still in discussions about what will be in the bill," Van Hollen said. 

CBC Chairwoman Barbara Lee (D-Calif.) believes the bigger fight to include the program in the extender bill is on the Senate side. 

Lee recently met with Senate Finance Chairman Max Baucus (D-Mont.) and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) and apparently was not reassured that the program would be in the bill. 

"The politics of the Senate seems to be what the problem is," she said, adding, "I don't know if there is a sense of urgency [over there]." 

The House is expected to vote on the extender bill next week, with the Senate following suit before the Memorial Day recess.