American Rescue Plan and China — Congressional Record, Senate, February 24, 2021, Page S835
Summary
This Senate page of the Congressional Record (page S835, February 24, 2021) records floor remarks on the American Rescue Plan and on China. Majority leader Schumer says the Democratic majority is working on the plan after a once-in-a-century event that sapped more than 10 million jobs and, according to CBO, left a $17 trillion hole in the economy. Schumer says congressional Republicans oppose the $1.9 trillion plan despite the plan's popularity and discusses raising the Federal minimum wage to $15 an hour under the Senate's reconciliation rules. Another speaker calls competition with China a main challenge of the 21st century, citing intellectual property theft and currency manipulation, and points to semiconductor manufacturing as a weak spot.
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“American Rescue Plan and China — Congressional Record, Senate, February 24, 2021, Page S835.”
Original at www.govinfo.gov. Archived at Pandemic Darlings, https://pandemicdarlings.com/source-documents/crec-crec-2021-02-24-crec-2021-02-24-pt1-pgs835-2-03d3f1479c/
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February 24, 2021 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S835
I don’t want to beat this point to faced in 100 years. But our Republican CHINA
death. America is ready to do its part. colleagues say all these groups de- Mr. President, on another matter.
We have imposed sanctions on Mr. manding the $1.9 trillion American Everyone knows our country and our
Putin. I support President Biden’s at- Rescue Plan—business leaders, govern- economy face daunting challenges be-
tempt to engage our friends in Europe ment officials from both parties, yond COVID–19. While our two parties
and our effort to try to convince China economists from across the spectrum, don’t agree on a whole lot, both Repub-
to become a stable part of world order, and 7 in 10 Americans—Republicans say licans and Democrats know that one of
but we shouldn’t forget to do the same all of them are wrong. the main challenges of the 21st century
thing with respect to Mr. Putin. Mr. According to a report in CNN, Repub- will be competing with and confronting
Putin’s aggression should teach us lican leaders are maneuvering to get China.
something: What you allow is what will every single Republican Member to op- The roots of this challenge go back
continue. pose the emerging legislation—every decades. When I was first elected to the
I yield the floor to the distinguished single one. Senate visiting all corners of New
Senator from New York. Make no mistake, Republicans op- York, I saw entire industries going
RECOGNITION OF THE MAJORITY LEADER pose the American Rescue Plan to the under as a result of unfair Chinese
The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- detriment of the country, and they do competition and the manipulation of
pore. The majority leader is recog- so at their own political peril. If our the currency by China. For decades,
nized. Republican colleagues want to oppose China has effectively cheated and sto-
Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, I direct checks to struggling families; len its way to economic growth, engag-
thank my friend from Louisiana for his food assistance to hungry Americans; ing in brazen theft of American intel-
erudite remarks, much of which—at keeping teachers, firefighters, and es- lectual property via cyber operations,
least the last part I heard—I agree sential public employees on the job; forced technology transfers, the dump-
with. providing another round of support for ing of cheap goods in our economy, and
AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN small business; helping schools reopen for a while, the pernicious manipula-
Mr. President, even now, even as we as quickly and safely as possible; tion of its currency. American workers,
continue to confirm President Biden’s speeding vaccinations around the coun- academics, and businesses of all sizes
nominees here on the floor, the Senate try—well, if congressional Republicans have paid the price to the tune of mil-
Democratic majority is busy working want to oppose all that, my response lions of jobs and trillions of dollars of
on the American Rescue Plan. The is, good luck. wealth.
country has just suffered from a once- The country needs this final push. It More recently, China has directed its
in-a-century event that shuttered is overwhelmingly popular. A new anal- energy and mercantilist policies to-
thousands of businesses, sapped more ysis this morning showed another vac- ward beating the United States and
than 10 million jobs, and, according to cine produced by a U.S. company is like-minded countries to the pole posi-
CBO, left a $17 trillion hole in our econ- safe and effective, which only under- tion on all leading technologies in the
omy. scores the need for Federal dollars to 21st century.
As the distribution of the vaccine fi- When I say ‘‘China,’’ I mean the Chi-
accelerate its distribution. It will help
nally begins to accelerate under the nese Government and the China Com-
millions of American families survive
Biden administration, there is cer- munist Party. The American people
the ongoing crisis, recuperate from the
tainly hope on the horizon. But we are have nothing against the Chinese peo-
economic hardship of the past year,
a far way off from a full recovery, and ple.
and set our country on a firm path to
it is our job—our job—to help millions I have made no secret of America’s
recovery.
of Americans—struggling Americans— failure to hold the Chinese Government
That is why Senate Democrats have accountable, and that has been a fail-
through the next several months of dif-
made it the first legislative item on ure of both parties—both parties in the
ficulty and hasten the day when our
our agenda. By stark contrast, the first past. After another bout of tough talk,
country can finally return to normal.
action item taken by the Republican we are not much closer to reining in
The American Rescue Plan is de-
Senate majority when they got the ma- China’s predatory behavior than we
signed to do just that—keep American
jority in 2017 was an attempt to repeal were 4 years ago. That is why yester-
families and businesses and schools and
our Nation’s healthcare law and rip day, I asked the chairs and members of
workers afloat until they can get back
health coverage away from millions of our relevant Senate committees to
on their feet. And there is a broad con-
Americans. Republicans followed it up begin work on legislation to enable the
sensus that our country needs more
with a giant tax cut disproportionately United States to outcompete China and
support to get through this crisis. May-
aimed at rich corporations and the create American jobs.
ors and Governors from both parties
uber-rich. At the core of this effort will be the
support the plan. The Republican Gov-
ernor of West Virginia told Congress: The Democratic Senate majority is Endless Frontier Act. This is a bipar-
‘‘[W]e need to go big.’’ going to start on a much different tisan legislation that Senator YOUNG
Economists from across the political note. This week, the House—and soon and I sponsored and drafted together
spectrum say that our economy needs thereafter the Senate—will start work- over a year ago. It would surge re-
further support. The Chair of the Fed- ing on President Biden’s American Res- sources into the National Science
eral Reserve, appointed by President cue Plan to deliver desperately and ur- Foundation and the Department of
Trump, just told us that ‘‘the economic gently needed assistance to the Amer- Commerce to advance American inno-
recovery remains uneven and far from ican people. vation in a number of critical tech-
complete, and the path ahead is highly One final note on this topic—the nologies.
uncertain.’’ Chairman Powell, hardly a minimum wage. As it has been reported We must also consider significant in-
raving liberal, concluded: ‘‘There is a widely, the Senate Parliamentarian is vestments, even through emergency
long way to go.’’ hearing arguments today on the $15 appropriations, to rebuild the capacity
And it has broad support in America. minimum wage policy included in the of the U.S. semiconductor industry.
Seven in 10 Americans approve of the House version of the bill. According to This, too, is a bipartisan effort that
American Rescue Plan. In some polls I the Congressional Budget Office, rais- Senators COTTON and CORNYN joined
have seen, a majority of Republicans ing the Federal minimum wage to $15 Senator WARNER and I, and we placed
approve of this plan—Republican vot- an hour has a significant budgetary im- the original authorizing legislation in
ers, not Republicans here in the Sen- pact, which should make it permissible the Defense bill.
dlhill on DSK120RN23PROD with SENATE
ate. under the Senate’s reconciliation rules. Right now, semiconductor manufac-
Now, it is easy to see why there is I want to thank all of the hard-work- turing is a dangerous weak spot in our
such broad support. The COVID pan- ing Senate staffers on my staff, Sen- economy and in our national security.
demic is the worst economic crisis ator SANDERS’ staff, and many others Our auto industry is facing significant
since the Great Depression, the worst in participating in these arguments chip shortages. This is a technology
public health crisis our Nation has today. the United States created, and we
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