American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (Cong. Rec., March 16, 2021)

Summary

This is the opening of the Congressional Record, Vol. 167, No. 49, Senate, Tuesday, March 16, 2021. The Senate met at 10 a.m. with the Chaplain, Dr. Barry C. Black, offering the prayer, and proceeded to resume consideration of the nomination of Isabella Casillas Guzman to be Administrator of the Small Business Administration. Mr. Schumer speaks under the headings Nomination of Isabella Casillas Guzman and American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, saying that 109 million Americans have received at least one vaccination and that checks have gone out, with the views and figures attributed to Mr. Schumer.

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“American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (Cong. Rec., March 16, 2021).” Original at www.govinfo.gov. Archived at Pandemic Darlings, https://pandemicdarlings.com/source-documents/crec-crec-2021-03-16-crec-2021-03-16-pt1-pgs1531-9-216b7976a4/, SHA-256 d9a5f09d232986dba64935f3b903b822d6521377c72164297266ef664aede008.

Full text

Congressional Record
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117 th CONGRESS, FIRST SESSION
United States
of America PROCEEDINGS AND DEBATES OF THE

Vol. 167 WASHINGTON, TUESDAY, MARCH 16, 2021 No. 49

Senate
The Senate met at 10 a.m. and was ceed to executive session to resume part of the American dream. I have
called to order by the President pro consideration of the following nomina- every confidence that, under Ms.
tempore (Mr. LEAHY). tion, which the clerk will report. Guzman’s leadership, the SBA will help
f The senior assistant legislative clerk small business owners hold onto their
read the nomination of Isabella dreams until our economy comes roar-
PRAYER Casillas Guzman, of California, to be ing back.
The Chaplain, Dr. Barry C. Black, of- Administrator of the Small Business AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN ACT OF 2021
fered the following prayer: Administration. Mr. President, this morning, I also
Let us pray. RECOGNITION OF THE MAJORITY LEADER want to continue the theme of high-
Father of life, awaken in our Sen- The PRESIDENT pro tempore. The lighting aspects of the American Res-
ators the joy of living this day with all majority leader is recognized. cue Plan that have not received enough
its new challenges and hopes. May they (Mr. WARNOCK assumed the Chair.) attention.
see in the challenges opportunities to NOMINATION OF ISABELLA CASILLAS GUZMAN We have heard a lot about the
grow in grace and in a deeper knowl- Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, the progress we have made on vaccines. I
edge of You. May they find in their COVID–19 pandemic has revealed just read, this morning, that 109 million
hopes seeds to plant that will bring a how important the Federal Govern- Americans have received at least one
harvest of healing to our land. Lord, ment can be in helping workers, fami- vaccination, so we are well on the path
fill their working hours with Your re- lies, and businesses during a time of to getting Americans vaccinated, and
deeming radiance and their hearts with crisis. Congress has passed trillions of checks have gone out the door. I was
Your peace. Keep them safe, for they dollars in urgent relief, and we have re- on a call with people from central
have found in You a refuge. Instruct lied on Federal Agencies to implement Brooklyn—Bed-Stuy and Brownsville—
them with Your truth as You give that aid quickly, reliably, com- last night, and many had already re-
them faith to believe in the certainty petently.
ceived their checks. It was very much
of Your ultimate triumph. So, while it might not normally be as
We pray in Your strong Name. Amen. high profile as other Cabinet-level needed. It was very much welcomed.
As President Biden announced yes-
f Agencies, the Small Business Adminis-
terday, on the vaccines, we have had
tration has recently been in the spot-
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE 100 million shots in people’s arms and
light. Over the last 12 months, the
The President pro tempore led the Small Business Administration has 100 million checks in people’s pockets.
Pledge of Allegiance, as follows: overseen two pandemic-related pro- Let’s say that again. That sounds good
I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the grams that will dole out more than $1 to me—100 million shots in people’s
United States of America, and to the Repub- trillion to our Nation’s small busi- arms and 100 million checks in people’s
lic for which it stands, one nation under God, nesses, nonprofits, and religious insti- pockets. The Democrats are delivering
indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.
tutions. Moving forward, it will play a what we promised.
f prominent role in implementing the Now, we have heard a lot about how
American Rescue Plan. the American Rescue Plan will help
RESERVATION OF LEADER TIME
Today, the Senate will vote on Presi- Americans who need it the most. The
The PRESIDENT pro tempore. Under 20 percent of Americans at the lowest
dent Biden’s nominee to take on that
the previous order, the leadership time levels of income will receive the high-
important job: Ms. Isabella Guzman.
is reserved. est levels of support. It is about time.
Ms. Guzman could not be more ready.
f She comes from a family of small busi- We had the mirror image of that when
CONCLUSION OF MORNING ness owners herself. Her dad ran his our Republican colleagues ran the Sen-
BUSINESS own veterinary clinic. Not only is Ms. ate, where the top 1 percent did the
Guzman a veteran of the Small Busi- best and the bottom 20 percent was to-
The PRESIDENT pro tempore. Morn-
ness Administration, in serving as the tally ignored. That is backward. God
ing business is closed.
Deputy Chief of Staff in the Obama ad- bless the people who are in the top 1
f percent, but they don’t need the help.
ministration, she has just finished a
EXECUTIVE SESSION stint as a top official at California’s Of- It is the people struggling to feed their
fice of Business and Economic Develop- families, pay the rent, and help the
ment, helping support the fifth largest kids in school who need the help. We
EXECUTIVE CALENDAR economy in the world. are doing it for the first time in a
The PRESIDENT pro tempore. Under For many Americans, opening and while. Experts predict that child pov-
the previous order, the Senate will pro- operating a business of their own is erty could be cut in half. Meanwhile,

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∑ This ‘‘bullet’’ symbol identifies statements or insertions which are not spoken by a Member of the Senate on the floor.

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S1532 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE March 16, 2021
the top 1 percent of Americans will see I said, you know: I am CHUCK SCHU- including most nonprofits and church-
an income boost of zero percent. As I MER, the son of Abe Schumer of Cen- es. Up to 90 percent of minority-owned
said, God bless them, but they are tury Exterminating. You owe us 6 small businesses will qualify for this
doing fine already. They are doing fine months. We have been doing a good job funding, closing the racial gap and
already. of exterminating your house. keeping local economies from deterio-
And we have heard a lot about how Do you know what he said to me? rating further.
the American Rescue Plan will prime Your dad is a small business man. He We invest $10 billion in State, local,
the American economy to come roaring can’t afford a lawyer. He can’t afford and Tribal small business financing
back. Economists are already pro- anything to go after me. I am not pay- programs.
jecting that economic growth could ing. We expand the employee retention
double as a result of the American Res- This is the anguish that small busi- tax credit so that businesses of any size
cue Plan. When over 75–85, I think it ness people face, so we need to help can more easily keep their workers on
is—percent of Americans get some them. We need to help them. the payroll because that one doesn’t
checks, the money goes out. It starts That is one of the many reasons I am have an employee number limit.
revitalizing our economy. People shop so proud of the American Rescue Finally, we bolstered and expanded
in the stores, eat at the restaurants, Plan—because it provides tens of bil- the popular Paycheck Protection Pro-
even begin to travel and see their rel- lions of dollars in support for small gram to include more nonprofits, in-
atives, maybe, for the first time if peo- businesses that have suffered during cluding labor and agricultural organi-
ple are vaccinated. the pandemic. The American Rescue zations that unfortunately, in Decem-
Wow, this is great news. This is great Plan is nothing short of a lifeline for ber, our Republican colleagues
news. I think that America is turning Main Street businesses from one end of wouldn’t let in.
the corner, and I think the attitude of this country to the other: Main Street In a nutshell, the American Rescue
Americans is turning the corner as businesses in rural America, Main Plan provides a colossal boost for our
well. People now see a brighter future Street businesses in suburban America, Nation’s small businesses and will
for this country and their regions. and Main Street businesses in urban make sure that all of them, not just
Today, though, as I said, there is so America and in our inner cities. It is a those with the right connections, can
much in this bill that, every day, I lifeline. access relief. It will help millions of
want to focus on something else that For starters, the American Rescue Americans keep their jobs, retain their
may not be focused upon. Since the Plan provides $30 billion for res- incomes, and support their families
Senate is set to vote on the confirma- taurants and bars through the RES- during this recovery.
tion of the new SBA Administrator, TAURANTS Act—the first bipartisan Now, we know many of these busi-
today is a good opportunity to expand amendment added to the bill—spon- nesses are not out of the woods yet.
on just how the American Rescue Plan sored by Senators SINEMA and WICKER. There is still some time until our coun-
will help our Nation’s 30 million small The American Rescue Plan also in- try can fully open up, until families eat
businesses. cludes more than $1 billion in addi- inside their favorite restaurant or col-
We all know that small businesses tional support for our Nation’s small leagues can meet at a bar for happy
have been some of the hardest hit enti- theaters and venues, adding to a grant hour, until we can see one of our favor-
ties by the pandemic. Early in the cri- program I helped create in December ite performers put on a concert. But we
sis, 80 percent of small businesses—four called the Save our Stages Act. These are already seeing signs of hope.
out of five—reported having to close independent art venues, restaurants, As a Washington Post headline an-
their doors at one point. Just the other and places like that—churches—are the nounced recently, ‘‘Companies are scal-
day, I heard of a local New York busi- hardest hit because that is where peo- ing back layoffs because of [the Amer-
ness owner who was forced to close up ple gather. When they are not gath- ican Rescue Plan].’’ Let me say that
shop after surviving most of the pan- ering, there is no income whether it be again, proudly and happily. ‘‘Compa-
demic. You could hear the pain in his the money they pay the small business, nies are scaling back layoffs because of
voice. He poured his entire soul into the checks they pay at the restaurants [the American Rescue Plan],’’ and the
this business. I know. This hits home or the money they leave on the collec- Senate, I assure the American people,
for me. tion plates, when they are not there, in is going to keep working to make sure
My dad was a small business man. He our religious institutions. So this is a that the support for our businesses re-
struggled. He had a little extermi- good thing. mains intact over the next few months.
nating business all through my grow- I want to say one more thing about I yield the floor.
ing years—from the day I was born Save our Stages. It not only includes I suggest the absence of a quorum.
until the day I left the house. My more money for Save our Stages; it in- The PRESIDING OFFICER. The
brother, sister, and I still have vivid cludes an amendment I authored to clerk will call the roll.
memories of Dad’s pacing the floor on allow venue owners to apply for aid The senior assistant legislative clerk
Sunday nights at 2 a.m. because he through Save our Stages without los- proceeded to call the roll.
hated going to work on Monday morn- ing eligibility for traditional small Mr. MCCONNELL. Mr. President, I
ing—so many challenges, so much business grants through the PPP. So ask unanimous consent that the order
thrown at him, and not much he could that is a change that our arts institu- for the quorum call be rescinded.
do about it. He was wondering how he tions and our independent venues and The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without
would actually provide for his family. theaters should know—that they could objection, it is so ordered.
Praise God, he retired at around 70. He get both the PPP and Save our Stages. RECOGNITION OF THE MINORITY LEADER
is now 97. He has been a happy man for Now, these venues, the small busi-
these last 27 years. God is good, as the nesses of many types, the nonprofits, The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Re-
Presiding Officer knows better than they are the lifeblood of our commu- publican leader is recognized.
most of us, but he struggled. nities. They were the first to close; FILIBUSTER
So, when I hear about the anguish of they will be the last to open. Mr. MCCONNELL. Mr. President,
small business people, I will never for- I am hopeful that the support we today I would like to begin with a few
get. I would work there sometimes— passed in the American Rescue Plan quotations.
weekends, summers. He sent me out to will help our small businesses, our the- The legislative filibuster . . . is the most
collect checks from a landlord who had aters, our music venues, and our res- important distinction between the Senate
had three or four smaller buildings, taurants to hold on until we can all and the House. Without the 60-vote threshold

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and my dad’s company had done the ex- gather safely once again. for legislation, the Senate becomes a
majoritarian institution like the House,
terminating. The guy hadn’t paid for 6 That is not all. The American Rescue
much more subject to the whims of short-
months. I traveled, and it took me Plan provides $15 billion in flexible, term electoral change. No Senator would
about an hour to an hour and a half on targeted grants to help small busi- like to see that happen. So let’s find a way
two buses to get to this man’s door. I nesses that have had a hard time ac- to further protect the 60-vote rule for legisla-
knocked. He opened the door. cessing relief over the last 12 months, tion.

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