This was a vote on a resolution setting a time limit for debate and determining which amendments could be offered to legislation providing small businesses with tax incentives intended to spur job creation. The job creation bill also expanded the "Build America Bond program," which provides subsidies to state and local governments for bonds intended for infrastructure projects. Current law provides subsidies for bonds issued prior to January 1, 2011. This bill extended the subsidy program to bonds issued prior to April 1, 2013. H.R. 4849 also increased taxes on U.S. subsidiaries of foreign corporations employing American workers.

Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-OR) contended the bill deserved bi-partisan support: "I am pleased that we have in here the Build America Bonds, that we will be able to extend a favored treatment to local governments, to be able to build infrastructure, to be able to fight congestion, fight pollution, be able to revitalize communities. These bonds have been very successful in the last program we had. This extends it for 3 more years. I would hope, Madam Speaker, that at some point we will be able to return to the era where at least one area was not partisan, and that is infrastructure and rebuilding and renewing America. Even Ronald Reagan supported user fees for things like transportation."

Rep. Dave Reichert (R-WA) argued the bill would raise taxes without helping small businesses: "The last thing we should be doing to small businesses is raising taxes. The last thing that Congress should be doing is raising taxes. Small businesses today need certainty about what's going to be happening to them in the future. Small businesses today want to hire employees, but they can't hire employees because they are being taxed too much….I am one of those that stand up and say, I want to keep the tax burdens on small businesses low so they can hire employees, so we can generate jobs, so we can generate this economy and get this country moving forward."

The House agreed to the resolution setting a time limit for debate and determining which amendments could be offered to the job creation bill by a vote of 233-187. 233 Democrats voted "yea." All 173 Republicans present and 14 Democrats voted "nay." As a result, the House proceeded to formal floor debate on legislation providing small businesses with tax incentives intended to spur job creation and expanding a bond program for infrastructure projects.