American Jobs Plan (Cong. Rec., April 26, 2021)
Summary
A page of the Congressional Record, Senate, dated April 26, 2021, at pages S2186 and S2187, carrying two speeches on infrastructure. A Democratic Senator praises President Biden's first hundred days and the American Rescue Plan and argues for the American Jobs Plan, saying it would remove lead pipes, expand broadband and build the infrastructure of tomorrow. A Republican Senator then says the administration's plan mainly focused on things other than roads and bridges, claiming that out of more than $2 trillion in proposed spending, less than 6 percent would go to roads and bridges.
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“American Jobs Plan (Cong. Rec., April 26, 2021).”
Original at www.govinfo.gov. Archived at Pandemic Darlings, https://pandemicdarlings.com/source-documents/crec-crec-2021-04-26-crec-2021-04-26-pt1-pgs2186-e8d33d55e7/
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S2186 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE April 26, 2021
the American Rescue Plan that Presi- the United States against Russia. Once issue that touches every community in
dent Biden proposed and this Congress again, America has a President willing America on a subject we all know—in-
passed last month, sadly without one to defend this Nation against attacks frastructure.
single Senate vote from our Republican by a hostile government. I think I speak for the entire Demo-
colleagues; nor were there any House President Biden is also reasserting cratic caucus in welcoming this effort
Republican votes in favor of it. American leadership in the fight from our friends across the aisle. As I
The American Rescue Plan, exclu- against climate change. On his first mentioned earlier, when it came to the
sively passed with Democratic votes, full day in office, he began the process American Rescue Plan for vaccines and
also included $1,400 emergency stim- to rejoin the Paris Agreement. Remem- vaccinations and cash support for fami-
ulus checks to a majority of Ameri- ber when President Trump withdrew lies and help for small businesses and
cans, assistance for schools, small busi- from the Paris Agreement, making the schools, not a single Republican would
nesses, and State and local govern- United States the only Nation in the join us. It is time for us to come to-
ments. Enhanced unemployment bene- world that hadn’t signed up for this ef- gether and work on a bipartisan basis.
fits, which were scheduled to stop last fort? On Earth Day last week, Presi- Maybe this is a start.
March, will continue until September. dent Biden hosted a virtual summit of After all, infrastructure is what
This is an economic lifeline for mil- leaders from 40 nations and announced should unite us. Whether you live in
lions of Americans who lost their jobs that the United States will cut its car- Laurel, MS, or the Lake View section
during the pandemic. bon emissions by half by 2035. Under of Chicago, our roads, bridges, and our
The American Rescue Plan expanded Joe Biden, America is ready to lead the fiber-optic networks keep us connected
the child tax credit and makes it fully global effort to avoid climate catas- and keep us moving.
refundable so that families who need it trophe and create good, new green jobs As we emerge from this pandemic, it
most can benefit from it now. Amer- and industries of the future. Don’t we is clear that Americans are ready to
ica’s child poverty rate today is one of owe that to our kids and grand- get to work building a stronger coun-
the highest in the developed world. children? try, a healthier country, and a more
President Biden is returning nor- prosperous country. Sadly, though, the
This action taken in President Biden’s
malcy and dignity to the Office of the proposal from my Republican friends
American Rescue Plan could cut child
President. At a townhall meeting in really fails to meet the once-in-a-gen-
poverty in America by 40 percent.
We have been waiting for more than Wisconsin in February, the President eration opportunity test to transform
told the Nation: America and make America a winner
40 years for the benefits of a tax cut for
in the 21st century.
the rich to trickle down and solve The next four years, I want to make sure
all the news is about the American people.
At a time when millions of Ameri-
these problems, to help working fami- cans lack access to reliable, efficient
lies, and to end poverty. It didn’t work. He has replaced ego with empathy, transportation and millions more lack
Income inequality in America grew chaos with competence, and division access to reliable high-speed internet,
under the Republican plan, and now it with decency and unity. we can’t settle for just repaving old
is greater than it was at the start of White House briefings are filled with
roads or filling potholes. We need to in-
the Great Depression. But in less than information, not insults. The @POTUS
vest in this Nation’s future and put
40 days, the American Rescue Plan is Twitter account no longer fires off people back to work building a sustain-
already working. Here are the indica- tweets in the middle of the night that able economic foundation for our chil-
tions: are unsettling to Americans and even dren and grandchildren to grow and
Last month, the number of families our allies. thrive. We need an infrastructure plan
behind in rent fell by 2 million. One of our colleagues on the other
that is a blueprint for the world of to-
The share of adults who say they side of the aisle complained. He re-
morrow, not just a patchwork quilt fo-
don’t have enough to eat fell from 1 in cently bemoaned President Biden’s
cused on yesterday.
7 to 1 in 11. Twitter feed when he said ‘‘unimagi- The way I see it, we are on the cusp
The U.S. economy added 916,000 jobs. nably conventional.’’ He meant that as of a world where America owns the
In December, economic projections a criticism. Most American people find clean energy economy and exports our
from the Federal Reserve had a fore- it a relief. union-made electric trucks and cars
cast of the U.S. economy growing by Polls show that the majority of across the globe. Where workers can
4.2 percent in 2021. After we passed the Americans approve of President get to work easily by bus, train, or
American Rescue Plan, that estimate Biden’s leadership on the coronavirus bike and working parents don’t have to
jumped to a healthy, strong 61⁄2 per- and the economy. A new poll by the worry about finding a safe and afford-
cent. Kennedy School at Harvard finds that able place to leave their kids when
Last month, consumer confidence in among young people between the ages they are working. A world where, rath-
America hit its highest level since the of 18 and 29, 56 percent—a solid major- er than reading about the Mesozoic Era
pandemic shut down the economy a ity—say they are hopeful about Amer- in an outdated textbook, a child can
year ago. ica’s future. That is the highest for any throw on a virtual reality headset in
President Biden is also restoring President in the 21-year history of the the home or classroom and watch in
America’s role as a global leader. He poll. awe as a T. rex swings its massive tail
used his first speech to a global audi- The challenges that President Biden over their head. A world in which
ence at the Munich Security Con- and Vice President Harris inherited America makes and sells the new tech-
ference in February to announce: were historic. They won’t be solved in nologies of the sustainable economy to
‘‘America is back, [and] the trans- a hundred days, maybe not in a hun- the world rather than buying them.
atlantic alliance is back.’’ And ‘‘diplo- dred weeks. But in his first hundred That is a future powered by the infra-
macy is back at the heart of U.S. for- days as President, Joe Biden has kept structure of tomorrow. Under the
eign policy.’’ his promises and has begun to restore American Jobs Plan, it is a future
President Biden is consulting with the most precious commodity of all— made in America. But we need to start
our allies, not insulting them, and he is America’s sense of hope and common building it today because, if we don’t, I
countering authoritarian strongmen purpose. Those qualities built this Na- guarantee you somebody else will.
instead of cozying up to them. Earlier tion, and they will build our future. My friends, take a look across the
this month, the Biden administration (Ms. HIRONO assumed the Chair.) ocean. Do we really believe that China,
announced new sanctions against Rus-
SSpencer on DSK126QN23PROD with SENATE
AMERICAN JOBS PLAN for example, is skimping on investing
sia and expelled Kremlin diplomats Madam President, last week, a few of in its future? Absolutely not. They are
over Russian interference in the 2020 my Republican colleagues introduced already using technologies like artifi-
election. The SolarWinds cyber-espio- their counterproposal to President cial intelligence to ease traffic conges-
nage campaign that targeted impor- Biden’s American Jobs Plan. The sen- tion in cities. They are installing facial
tant U.S. Federal Agencies and For- ior Senator from Mississippi called the recognition systems on their streets to
tune 500 companies and other hostile proposal a ‘‘good-faith effort.’’ He wish- keep tabs on jaywalkers and, sadly,
acts certainly merited that action by es to engage with Democrats on an tabs on ethnic minorities like Uighurs.
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April 26, 2021 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S2187
That is the difference between us and And don’t take it from me: Ameri- Head Coach Craig Skinner, and the en-
China. In China, the Communist Party cans of all political stripes—Demo- tire program. Kentucky and all of Big
uses technology to broaden the scope of crats, Independents, and Republicans— Blue Nation couldn’t be prouder.
its surveillance state. In America, we support marshaling the resources of BIDEN ADMINISTRATION
have an opportunity to show the world the Federal Government to go big and Madam President, on another mat-
that technology and innovation can ac- bold on infrastructure. They want us to ter, it has been nearly a month since
tually strengthen democracy by giving not only repair our highways and the Biden administration rolled out its
people the freedom to work the way bridges but to rebuild our waterways so-called infrastructure plan. It quick-
they want with universal broadband and airports and make high-speed ly became clear that their proposal
and to move around the way they want broadband internet available to every- mainly focused on everything but the
with new forms of transportation. one. things normal people call infrastruc-
The President’s American Jobs Plan Americans support a plan that puts
ture.
will give our kids an honest shot to us on track to have an American cen-
The day this plan was introduced, the
thrive by eliminating lead pipes and tury in the 21st century. That is our
White House messaging document men-
service lines from our drinking water plan, and victory is within our reach.
There was an architect and designer tioned the words ‘‘climate’’ and
systems and making safe, affordable ‘‘union’’ more often than ‘‘roads’’ and
housing a reality for millions of work- in the city of Chicago in the transition
from the 19th to the 20th century who ‘‘bridges.’’ And the numbers back that
ing families. up. Out of more than $2 trillion in pro-
I can’t help but acknowledge my col- helped design the Columbian Expo-
sition, ‘‘White City,’’ and a lot of his- posed spending, less than 6 percent
league Senator TAMMY DUCKWORTH would go to roads and bridges. Even
when it comes to clean water and new tory was made with those decisions.
His name was Daniel Burnham. When when you add in airports, ports, rail,
lead pipes and service lines for our and waterways, the total would still be
drinking water systems. I am proud of he was asked about planning some-
thing like the White City, the Colum- exceeded by the amount going to elec-
the initiative and leadership that she tric vehicles alone. Even an Ivy League
has shown, working with other Mem- bian Exposition, in the city of Chicago,
he had a quote that you will turn to al- expert said using ‘‘infrastructure’’ to
bers of the Senate, to make this a re- describe the totality of the bill ‘‘does a
ality. most every day if you follow what is
going on in planning in Chicago. Here bit of violence to the English lan-
This is a unifying vision for the fu-
is what he said: ‘‘Make no little plans. guage.’’
ture. It is a model for global leader-
They have no magic to stir men’s So after a few days of trying to bat-
ship. So let’s not balk at the cost of
blood’’—and I might add, women— tle the English language, Democrats
making it a reality. This is not the
‘‘They have no magic to stir men’s began to pivot. I understand this is no
time to think small. We are talking
blood and probably themselves will not longer an ‘‘infrastructure’’ plan. Now it
about a transformative undertaking,
be realized.’’ is a ‘‘jobs’’ plan. But that turns out to
and that is part of what America has
They have no magic to stir men’s be just as dishonest. This proposal isn’t
always been about.
More than half a century ago, Repub- blood and probably will not themselves any more focused on creating jobs than
lican President Dwight Eisenhower be realized. I think we understand that. it is on fixing roads.
As President Eisenhower gave Amer- Even by the favorable metrics that
launched the Interstate Highway Sys-
ica a vision with the Interstate High- the White House likes to use, this plan
tem. It changed America. Today, the
way System, a connected nation and a would cost Americans more than
program’s nearly 50,000 miles of ex-
new America, we need to do the same. $800,000 for every new job that would
pressway carry about one-fourth of all
President Biden has challenged us to exist 10 years down the road.
traffic in the United States. These
do it. We need to do it on a bipartisan Serious, bipartisan legislation to re-
roads connect our communities, have
basis. I look forward to working with build American infrastructure could
created communities, and serve as a
my colleagues to make it a reality. have a big impact at a fraction—a frac-
bedrock for our economy. I yield the floor.
In today’s numbers, if you tried to tion—of the cost. This plan is bloated,
I suggest the absence of a quorum. unfocused. It is not a targeted recipe
rebuild the Interstate Highway Sys- The PRESIDING OFFICER. The
tem, it would cost half a trillion dol- for better public works.
clerk will call the roll. When America actually puts our
lars—probably much more, to be hon- The legislative clerk proceeded to
est. It is not a small sum. But, boy, it mind to things, we can do them. Re-
call the roll.
is an investment that paid off. The pro- Mr. MCCONNELL. Madam President, member Operation Warp Speed? But
gram generated $6 in economic activity I ask unanimous consent that the order this isn’t like that. This is a sloppy lib-
for every dollar spent to build those for the quorum call be rescinded. eral wish list that would spend a lot
roads and highways. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without and get very little in return.
And the fact is, today we need to in- objection, it is so ordered. The far left has been bragging about
vest in order to build our future. When RECOGNITION OF THE MINORITY LEADER all the social engineering and welfare
President Eisenhower launched the The Republican leader is recognized. spending that is stuffed into these pro-
Interstate Highway Program, we didn’t RECOGNIZING THE UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY
posals. They have boasted that the
have e-commerce or same-day ship- WILDCATS DNA of the Green New Deal is all over
ments. It was more than 10 years be- Mr. MCCONNELL. Madam President, this administration’s agenda.
fore Neil Armstrong stepped foot on over the weekend, the University of Roads, bridges, and ports are bipar-
the Moon. Now, each of us carries Kentucky’s women’s volleyball team tisan priorities. Water infrastructure
around a pocket-sized device with more made history. The Wildcats hoisted the and broadband are bipartisan prior-
than enough computing power to get program’s first NCAA volleyball na- ities. That is why when the Senate
him to the Moon and back. tional championship trophy after de- tackles honest-to-goodness infrastruc-
The world has changed—in many feating Texas on Saturday night. The ture in a smart way, we almost always
ways, for the better. Today, it is not falling confetti in Omaha closed out an have wide bipartisan margins.
sufficient for an infrastructure plan to incredible 24-win season. The Wildcats’ Last week, our colleague from West
begin and end with bridges and roads. unmatched athleticism and resilience Virginia, Senator CAPITO, got together
If we want to support a modern econ- fueled their paths to the title. with the other ranking members of
omy and sustain growth for genera- committees that deal with actual in-
SSpencer on DSK126QN23PROD with SENATE
Yesterday afternoon at UK’s Memo-
tions to come, we need to invest in the rial Coliseum, enthusiastic fans wel- frastructure. These Republicans put
infrastructure for tomorrow. comed home their champions, includ- forward a smart proposal that would
This isn’t to say that we have all the ing Madison Lilley, who was named the meet pressing needs in actual infra-
answers on this side of the aisle. But tournament’s ‘‘Most Outstanding Play- structure.
there is one answer we should all get er.’’ So now comes the critical moment.
behind: Go big; go bold. We can’t So I would like to extend the Sen- Now is the time we learn whether
penny-pinch America into first place. ate’s congratulations to the players, Democrats really want to jump start
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