American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (Congressional Record, Senate, March 18, 2021, page S1624)
Summary
A page of the Senate section of the Congressional Record dated March 18, 2021 (page S1624), carrying Senate floor remarks on the American Rescue Plan. The remarks describe the plan as restoring confidence and support for Americans, say that during the pandemic tens of millions of Americans were out of work, and discuss support for housing, including the choice between paying rent and utilities or buying groceries. Other remarks on the page condemn rhetoric directed at the Asian-American community.
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“American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (Congressional Record, Senate, March 18, 2021, page S1624).”
Original at www.govinfo.gov. Archived at Pandemic Darlings, https://pandemicdarlings.com/source-documents/american-rescue-plan-act-of-2021-congressional-record-senate-march-18-09f8c15ef0/
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S1624 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE March 18, 2021
Just yesterday, we confirmed a nomi- ahead of us right away. I said that we The American Rescue Plan is finally
nee whose parents emigrated from Tai- had three important priorities to do restoring confidence and support for
wan to become the U.S. Trade Rep- quickly: One, the impeachment trial of Americans at the middle and at the
resentative. That is notable and impor- Donald Trump; two, big and bold bottom, helping drive a robust recov-
tant progress. But, unfortunately, the COVID relief; and, three, President ery for everyone.
past few years have shown us that Biden’s Cabinet. We have already fin- One crucial aspect of that recovery is
America has not excised the age-old ished the first two priorities, and very support for housing. As we all know,
demon of racism, and to too many it soon we are going to finish the third. during the pandemic, tens of millions
has become acceptable, permissible, or I want to thank my colleagues, my of Americans were out of work and
just shrug your shoulders. That cannot Democratic colleagues, for working so drained family incomes. Americans
be. quickly, so hard, and in such a unified were forced into impossible choices: Do
With respect to the Asian-American team effort to allow all of this to hap- I pay the rent and utilities this month
community specifically and all com- pen. I am very proud of what we have or do I buy another few weeks of gro-
munities, we must condemn rhetoric done in these first few months. ceries?
that is racist. In this case, we must Later today, the Senate will take its Sadly, more than 13 million Ameri-
condemn any rhetoric that blames the first vote on the nomination of Boston cans report that they have fallen be-
Chinese people for the coronavirus. Mayor Marty Walsh to be our Nation’s hind on the rent, especially Black and
President Trump did that, despicably, Labor Secretary. Early next week, Brown Americans.
and that notion was too often encour- after we confirm him, the Senate will So when Senate Democrats put to-
aged by others who repeated his harsh, have confirmed every available Cabinet gether the American Rescue Plan, we
nasty, and bigoted words. Secretary and many more Cabinet- made one of the most significant in-
We must stand beside and stand up level appointments besides. That is ex- vestments in housing assistance in re-
for our Asian-American brothers and cellent progress, and, again, I want to cent history: more than $20 billion in
sisters. Americans of every faith, every thank my colleagues in the Senate on emergency aid for low-income renters,
color, every gender and sexual orienta- both sides of the aisle for their votes in those at the greatest risk of eviction;
tion must band together against these supporting these fine nominees. $10 billion to help homeowners behind
dark forces of hate. As I said, they are What does it mean? It means the on mortgages and utilities to avoid
always with us, but somehow after the Biden administration will have the per- foreclosure.
4 years of the Trump Presidency, they sonnel in place to implement the We include crucial support for rural
are rising to the surface and seem too American Rescue Plan, finish the fight America, homeowners struggling with
acceptable to too many people. Fight against COVID–19, and bring our coun- the mortgage, and Americans, particu-
them, fight them, fight them we must. try roaring back. In the meantime, the larly veterans, who have recently fall-
As we mourn with the people of Geor- Senate must continue to work to get en into homelessness or at risk of
gia, let us recommit ourselves to that the rest of the President’s team in homelessness.
most American of creeds that is right place. The American Rescue Plan goes fur-
above the mantle where you sit, Mr. f ther in delivering housing assistance to
President, ‘‘e pluribus unum.’’ Out of Tribal Nations and Native Hawaiians,
many, one. AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN ACT OF
2021 more than any other housing bill in
America: ‘‘e pluribus unum.’’ Out of history.
many, one. Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, now The American Rescue Plan, quite lit-
f on the American Rescue Plan. As erally, will keep a roof over Americans’
Americans learn more and more about heads. It is just one of the many ways
NOMINATIONS ARP, the American Rescue Plan, the the ARP delivers relief to struggling
Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, on more popular it becomes and the more Americans and sets the stage for a su-
nominations, today, the Senate will optimistic Americans feel about our percharged economic recovery.
vote to confirm another member of economic recovery. I yield the floor.
President Biden’s Cabinet, Xavier Across the country, the support for I suggest the absence of a quorum.
Becerra, to serve as Secretary of the rescue plan has risen to over 70 per- The PRESIDING OFFICER. The
Health and Human Services. cent. In January of this year, before clerk will call the roll.
In truth, Attorney General Becerra’s President Biden took office and Demo- The senior assistant legislative clerk
nomination should not have taken this crats assumed the majority of the Sen- proceeded to call the roll.
long. From the moment the Attorney ate, more than four in five Americans Mr. MCCONNELL. Mr. President, I
General Becerra was announced as believed America was on the wrong ask unanimous consent that the order
President Biden’s pick for HHS, Senate track; less than one in five said it was for the quorum call be rescinded.
Republicans have tried to derail his on the right track. The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem-
nomination. Their arguments almost Now a majority, 55 percent, believe pore. Without objection, it is so or-
verge on the ridiculous. They complain the country is headed in the right di- dered.
loudly that he had no direct experience rection. It is back on the right track. f
as a medical professional, even though That is a dramatic turn rather quickly,
Republicans voted in lockstep to in- but I think it is, in part, because of the RECOGNITION OF THE MINORITY
stall Alex Azar, a pharmaceutical exec- good work we have done here in the LEADER
utive, who raised drug prices and tried Senate. The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem-
to undermine our Nation’s health law Now we have learned something else: pore. The Republican leader is recog-
as the previous HHS Secretary. Consumer confidence has increased nized.
Becerra, by contrast, has decades of faster after the passage of the Amer- f
standing up for working and middle- ican Rescue Plan than after any of the
class Americans in Congress, fighting other stimulus bills passed by Con- BORDER SECURITY
to protect and expand Medicare and gress, particularly among low- and Mr. MCCONNELL. Yesterday, Sec-
Medicaid and working to safeguard our middle-income Americans, who have retary Mayorkas testified the ‘‘border
healthcare system from attacks by the suffered the most. is secure and the border is not open.’’
Trump administration. That is fantastic news. Americans at Yet the situation on our southern
As the Biden administration works the top have been able to survive the border has required FEMA, the Federal
to defeat this pandemic, the President pandemic much more easily than Emergency Management Agency, to be
ctelli on DSK11ZRN23PROD with SENATE
deserves to have his Cabinet confirmed, Americans at the lower end of the lad- called in. So either this is the first
especially a post as important as HHS der. For that reason, economists have time FEMA has been deployed just to
Secretary. I look forward to com- long feared a K-shaped recovery in admire a situation that is going
pleting his nomination today. which high-income earners recover smoothly or the administration is not
A few days after Democrats gained quickly, while middle- and low-income being straight with the American peo-
control of the Senate, we had big tasks earners are left behind. ple.
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