April Jobs Report (Cong. Rec., May 10, 2021)
Summary
Congressional Record, Senate, pages S2400 and S2401, May 10, 2021. Schumer sends cloture motions under rule XXII, including one on the nomination of Amber Faye McReynolds to be a Governor of the United States Postal Service, and moves to proceed to legislative session and to executive session. Durbin, under the heading April Jobs Report, says the U.S. economy added only 266,000 jobs in April after 770,000 in March and that Republicans vowed to end enhanced unemployment benefits for more than 8 million American workers. The remarks cite an ABC News poll in which 25 percent of women and 18 percent of men said they are worse off economically than a year ago.
Summary drafted by a model from the document's text below and checked by script against that text before publication. It is a navigation aid, not a reading of what the document proves. Where AI is used
Cite this document
“April Jobs Report (Cong. Rec., May 10, 2021).”
Original at www.govinfo.gov. Archived at Pandemic Darlings, https://pandemicdarlings.com/source-documents/crec-crec-2021-05-10-crec-2021-05-10-pt1-pgs2400-9-7b4f9d6ff4/
, SHA-256 12494194de3cb0c4d944295b8c782874d0c7237afae58704b64aab30eec16f2f.Full text
S2400 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE May 10, 2021
CLOTURE MOTION Mr. SCHUMER. Finally, I ask unani- pushed out of the workforce since the
Mr. SCHUMER. Madam President, I mous consent that the mandatory start of this pandemic. In a recent ABC
send a cloture motion to the desk. quorum calls for the cloture motions News poll, 25 percent of women said
The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- filed today, May 10, be waived. they are worse off economically now
pore. The cloture motion having been f than they were a year ago compared to
presented under rule XXII, the Chair 18 percent of men. A survey last fall
directs the clerk to read the motion. LEGISLATIVE SESSION found that almost 40 percent of work-
The legislative clerk read as follows: ing mothers in my State of Illinois—40
CLOTURE MOTION percent—lost their jobs or are working
MORNING BUSINESS reduced hours. Nearly half of all work-
We, the undersigned Senators, in accord-
ance with the provisions of rule XXII of the Mr. SCHUMER. Madam President, I ing mothers of color reported the same.
Standing Rules of the Senate, hereby move ask unanimous consent that the Sen- There are many reasons that this re-
to bring to a close debate on the nomination ate resume legislative session and be in cession has been so economically dev-
of Executive Calendar No. 110, Amber Faye a period of morning business, with Sen- astating for so many women, but the
McReynolds, of Colorado, to be a Governor of ators permitted to speak therein for up two biggest reasons are these: Women
the United States Postal Service for a term are overrepresented in the industries
expiring December 8, 2026.
to 10 minutes each.
Charles E. Schumer, Margaret Wood Has- The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- that have been hit the hardest by the
san, Tammy Duckworth, Jon Tester, pore. Is there objection? pandemic: restaurants, retail, leisure
John Hickenlooper, Tammy Baldwin, Without objection, it is so ordered. and hospitality. Women are also the
Brian Schatz, Gary C. Peters, Tina Mr. SCHUMER. Madam President, I primary caregivers—in some cases, the
Smith, Cory A. Booker, Christopher yield the floor. only caregivers—in the vast majority
Murphy, Debbie Stabenow, Richard of American families. With schools and
Blumenthal, Sheldon Whitehouse, f
childcare programs closed, what choice
Chris Van Hollen, Benjamin L. Cardin, RESERVATION OF LEADER TIME does a working mother have besides
Robert P. Casey, Jr., Alex Padilla.
The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- stepping back from work?
f For millions of American mothers
pore. Under the previous order, the
leadership time is reserved. and their families, the stimulus pay-
LEGISLATIVE SESSION
ments, the enhanced unemployment
Mr. SCHUMER. Madam President, I f checks, the increased child tax credits,
move to proceed to legislative session. CONCLUSION OF MORNING and other economic benefits in the
The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- BUSINESS American Rescue Plan have literally
pore. The question is on agreeing to been a lifeline. They have enabled
the motion. The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem-
these mothers and families to feed
The motion was agreed to. pore. Morning business is closed.
their kids and to keep their homes dur-
f f ing the worst recession since the Great
EXECUTIVE SESSION Depression.
EXECUTIVE SESSION So it has come as a bit of a surprise
that our Republican colleagues would
EXECUTIVE CALENDAR choose to start Mother’s Day weekend
EXECUTIVE CALENDAR by vowing to end enhanced unemploy-
Mr. SCHUMER. Madam President, I The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- ment benefits for more than 8 million
move to proceed to executive session to pore. Under the previous order, the American workers. They cite the April
consider Calendar No. 112. Senate will proceed to executive ses- jobs report as their justification. After
The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- sion and resume consideration of the we added 770,000 jobs in March—a
pore. The question is on agreeing to following nomination, which the clerk strong showing—we learned last week
the motion. will report. the U.S. economy added only 266,000
The motion was agreed to. The legislative clerk read the nomi- jobs in April. Immediately, our Repub-
The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- nation of Andrea Joan Palm, of Wis- lican colleagues cited the dis-
pore. The clerk will report the nomina- consin, to be Deputy Secretary of appointing jobs numbers as proof that
tion. Health and Human Services. the recovery has clearly stalled and
The legislative clerk read the nomi- The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- that we have to do more to get people
nation of Donet Dominic Graves, Jr., of pore. The assistant Democratic leader. back to work, as if it justifies ending
Ohio, to be Deputy Secretary of Com- Mr. DURBIN. Madam President, I ask enhanced jobless benefits.
merce. unanimous consent to speak as in They seem to think that additional
morning business. unemployment benefits make Amer-
CLOTURE MOTION
The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- ican workers lazy. They imply that
Mr. SCHUMER. Madam President, I pore. Without objection, it is so or-
send a cloture motion to the desk. Americans would rather sit at home,
dered. watch nonstop Netflix, and eat choco-
The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem-
APRIL JOBS REPORT late-covered cherries rather than go
pore. The cloture motion having been
presented under rule XXII, the Chair Mr. DURBIN. Madam President, back to work. They must not know
directs the clerk to read the motion. some economists have another name many American workers. Americans
The legislative clerk read as follows: for the recession that we are living want to work. Americans work longer
through, the one that was caused by and harder than their counterparts in
CLOTURE MOTION
the COVID pandemic. They call it a almost every nation in the world. We
We, the undersigned Senators, in accord- ‘‘she-cession’’ because the economic should be proud of that work ethic and
ance with the provisions of rule XXII of the
hardships and job losses have fallen what it has meant to America.
Standing Rules of the Senate, do hereby
move to bring to a close debate on the nomi- disproportionately on women, espe- The reason many workers haven’t re-
nation of Executive Calendar No. 112, Donet cially on working mothers. It is ironic turned to the workplace isn’t because
Dominic Graves, Jr., of Ohio, to be Deputy that we are having this conversation they are lazy. People remain afraid of
Secretary of Commerce. the day after Mother’s Day and reflect- this coronavirus. They lack adequate,
Charles E. Schumer, Jon Ossoff, Mar- ing on the current state of American affordable childcare. They may be car-
SSpencer on DSK126QN23PROD with SENATE
garet Wood Hassan, Richard J. Durbin, families in the midst of a pandemic ing for older family members or be
Sheldon Whitehouse, Ron Wyden, Ben- but, equally important, on the state of dealing with personal health condi-
jamin L. Cardin, Jacky Rosen, Cory A.
American families and the state of the tions. That is the reality of life in fam-
Booker, Tammy Duckworth, Tammy
Baldwin, Jon Tester, Edward J. Mar- mothers of those families and the eco- ilies and, particularly, in struggling,
key, John Hickenlooper, Brian Schatz, nomic realities that they face. working families. Taking away the en-
Gary C. Peters, Tina Smith, Chris- There are 2.5 million American hanced unemployment benefits they
topher Murphy. women who have dropped out or were need to be able to feed their kids and
VerDate Sep 11 2014 05:32 May 11, 2021 Jkt 019060 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 0637 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\G10MY6.014 S10MYPT1
May 10, 2021 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S2401
pay their rents or mortgages does pensive. That is the reality of work for The mayor of the town, Chris Koos,
nothing to change that reality except American workers today. That mother called me a year after the Mitsubishi
to make it worse. isn’t lazy. That mother faces a chal- plant had closed and said: ‘‘Senator, I
Our Republican colleagues will say lenge that not one of us wants to see in think I’ve got a buyer.’’ I said: ‘‘Chris,
that the April jobs report is the reason our families. Either our children or what are you drinking?’’ ‘‘No,’’ he says,
for their renewed determination to grandchildren, we don’t want them to ‘‘I really believe there’s a new company
stop sending these enhanced checks to be pawns in this whole public debate that makes electric vehicles that’s
the jobless families. The truth is—the about when we are going to start or really interested in the Mitsubishi
real truth is—these Republicans think stop helping families. plant.’’
the Federal Government ought to do We need to face this workforce prob- Well, he was right, and thank good-
the bare minimum to help working lem because it is really key to it, this ness he was. Fast forward 4 years later,
families weather this pandemic. That childcare crisis in this country. Do we and a visit last week, he showed this
is their credo: Government isn’t the so- care enough about families and chil- amazing facility, which is now going to
lution; government is the problem even dren to make sure there is affordable be expanded because of the plant that
during a once-in-a-century health cri- daycare? President Biden does. He is is going to build electric vehicles. They
sis. Whether the economy is adding talking about a program nationwide, already have models on the floor that
jobs quickly or slowly, whether the thank goodness, which will finally ad- you can see of SUVs, trucks, and deliv-
COVID infection and death rates are dress this issue and put a goal in place ery vans for Amazon. Amazon is a
rising or falling, the Republicans have to keep the cost of daycare manageable major investor in Rivian.
fought to scale back Federal unem- for every family regardless of its And we are not just seeing it in Nor-
ployment benefits for workers. means. mal. We are seeing evidence that our
Not one of our Republican col- So what did the Republican Senate State, the State of Illinois, has a
leagues—let me repeat that—not one of leader say last week? He said he was chance to become an EV State.
our Republican Senate colleagues 100-percent focused—100-percent fo- I looked up in the Will County area.
voted for the American Rescue Plan. cused—on stopping the Biden adminis- The Governor was there last week,
Remember that one? That was the plan tration. That is an echo of what he said talking about help for a plant that is
by President Biden that put more in the first, early days of the Obama going to build the heavy trucks and
money into the purchase of vaccines; Presidency. He came to the floor, and buses that are needed—electric vehi-
that finally set up a nationwide effort instead of talking about what we could cles for the future.
to administer those vaccines; that sent do to work together to try to find some Go to Libertyville, IL, and there is a
the $1,400 cash check to working fami- bipartisan ground, he said that he Dutch supplier of power generating
lies—a check that had been promised hoped to do everything he could to equipment that is relocating some of
by the previous administration—that make sure that Barack Obama was a its facilities in our State.
gave an additional helping hand to one-term President. It didn’t take him And at the same time, Argonne Lab-
small businesses to get through the long to come back with a similar state- oratory has been doing research on bat-
pandemic; and that did, in fact, in- ment with regard to the Biden Presi- tery technology and leading the Nation
crease or, I should say, lengthen the dency. in doing it for years, and we believe it
period of time that people would be eli- It is not encouraging, but I am en- is a combination that really pays off.
gible for unemployment benefits. couraged by the fact that there are So how will our State or any State
That is a pretty good, important some Republicans who just don’t agree tap into this new economy? With
package; don’t you think? When you with it. I hope that they will step up. I trained and skilled workers, with fami-
look at what it did for America, it hope that they will show that we can lies that don’t have to worry day in
came just in the nick of time for many. still work on a bipartisan basis. This and day out about daycare.
You would have thought, wouldn’t you, ‘‘100-percent’’ stopping the Biden ad- We have to make sure that we are
with 50 Republican Senators, that ministration from Senator MCCONNELL ready in Illinois and across the Nation
one—one—Republican Senator would cannot be the basis for a successful for this opportunity. President Biden
have supported those things. Unfortu- congressional session. does. He understands it because he un-
nately, that wasn’t the case. The Senate Democrats have an agen- derstands the challenges to working
There are things we can do to get da; it is true. We are 100-percent fo- families.
this economy moving again. We need to cused on getting this pandemic under I can’t understand the opposition of
encourage more Americans to get vac- control and building a better future for the Republicans in Congress to Presi-
cinated, No. 1. President Biden has our families. We would like to work dent Biden. They seem to be deter-
done a remarkable job, but we still with our Republican colleagues to do mined to make sure that America al-
have work to do. We shouldn’t sit back it. Although they didn’t join us, for ex- ways finishes a solid second. The Biden
and relax. Every person vaccinated is ample, on the child tax credit, I do be- administration disagrees, and I do too.
another person protected. Also, the lieve that they really care about the We have the capacity to continue to
people around them are protected. The children in America, particularly the lead the world and to continue to lead
fundamental fact remains, as we talk poor children in America, and care the world’s economy, but it isn’t by
about all of the economics and all of enough to want to help them with sitting back and patting ourselves on
the government philosophy, our econ- daycare, with early kindergarten class- the back and talking about who won
omy cannot recover completely until es, with extending the school year be- the last election. We have to roll up
this virus is under control. yond the 12th grade for skills that are our sleeves on a bipartisan basis and
In addition, if the Republicans want needed. get this workforce ready and stand be-
to solve the problems facing our work- The Presiding Officer knows this well hind our families that send these work-
force, there are pretty obvious answers: because we come from the same State. ers into the plants that are going to
Sit down, and talk to a working moth- Last week, I had an exciting visit in create the products that are going to
er who lost a job, who has a child at Normal, IL. Things are not normal in make a success story out of the 21st
home, perhaps a young child, and ask Normal, IL. They are exceedingly be- century. That is what President Biden
her: Well, how soon can you get back yond normal. I visited the Rivian is for, and I couldn’t agree with him
to work? plant. The Rivian plant has an incred- more.
Her question back to you: Senator, ible story. I want to sit down and talk with any
SSpencer on DSK126QN23PROD with SENATE
how soon can you take care of my lit- It used to be the Mitsubishi auto Republican who is willing to be honest
tle boy? How much is it going to cost plant. Six years ago, it closed. One and serious about doing this together,
me? thousand workers were on the payroll and we also ought to take on the other
That is the reality. The daycare cen- at the time they lost their jobs, good- issues that we know plague our econ-
ter is probably closed, and the baby- paying jobs. And there sat that empty omy and our families—reducing the
sitter may not be available. There are factory out on the cornfields just west cost of prescription drugs, building an
lots of reasons. It just may be too ex- of Bloomington-Normal. infrastructure for the 21st century.
VerDate Sep 11 2014 04:08 May 11, 2021 Jkt 019060 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 0637 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\G10MY6.019 S10MYPT1
S2402 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE May 10, 2021
The truth is that last week’s job re- our economy and put working families When progressives talk about equity,
port is a ringing endorsement for the at the center of it, and make bold in- they mean equal outcomes, not oppor-
American Jobs Plan and the American vestments in the future right now. tunities. They want a government that
Families Plan of President Biden. We can keep good jobs in America is so powerful it owns everything and
Thanks to the American Rescue and build industries that have a future chooses how wealth is distributed to
Plan, more than 220 million shots have if we are ready to invest in American ensure equal outcomes. That, in es-
been administered, and more than 100 families. sence, is socialism, and the folks pro-
million Americans have been fully vac- I hope our Republican colleagues will moting this vision are channeling the
cinated, allowing businesses all across not say: Let’s go slow; let’s be satisfied same energy as the Marxists and com-
America to start to reopen. We need to with second. You know, maybe we just munists of the 20th century.
build on the success of the American can’t compete with some other coun- Well, so far, President Biden has been
Rescue Plan, not dismantle it piece by tries in the world. a more willing partner to champion the
piece. We need to work together to in- I don’t buy it. If we believe in Amer- progressive vision and export it from
vest in workers and families for the ica and its workers, we need to invest New York and California to every cor-
21st century, not grind Congress to a in them and their future. It is time to ner of the entire country. Just look at
halt, as some might prefer. think bigger. It is time to believe that what has happened lately. One of Presi-
The American Jobs Plan will enable this country has a future which is dent Biden’s first moves was to signal
American workers and businesses to going to be bright if we come together to the world that America’s borders are
build on those successes. It will help and do our job to stand by working open. The result? Absolute chaos. And
reduce barriers for entry to many families and the men and women—and, the administration shows little inter-
workers. It will direct billions of dol- in this moment, particularly the est in fixing it. We cannot have a coun-
lars toward helping dislocated workers women—who need that helping hand. try without borders. That is common
develop new skills and secure a stable, I yield the floor.
The PRESIDING OFFICER (Ms. sense.
well-paying job, building wind turbines Democrats were so eager to undo all
DUCKWORTH). The Senator from Ala-
or electric vehicles or making other the work President Trump did at the
bama.
American-made goods that will be in border just because President Trump
BIDEN ADMINISTRATION
high demand in the years to come. did it, not because there was merit in
Another priority for Democrats is Mr. TUBERVILLE. Madam Presi-
rolling back these policies. Because of
throwing a lifeline to working parents. dent, President Biden promised unity
this insane, open-door policy, the
to bring the country together during
Fortunately, we have made some American taxpayer—not the Biden ad-
his inaugural address. I was there with
progress on that front with the child ministration but the American tax-
my 26-year-old son Tucker. We listened
tax credit expansion and other provi- payer—is footing a $60 million bill a
together and hoped that President
sions in the American Rescue Plan. week—$60 million a week—to cover the
Biden would live up to his words. I as-
Those policies put more money in the cost of housing unaccompanied minors
sumed that when he said he would be a
pockets of middle-class and low-income at the border—60 million.
President for all Americans, it also in-
working families in the midst of the In the same rush, Democrats are
cluded the 75 million Americans who
worst economic recession we have seen working to undermine the integrity of
voted for Donald Trump.
in decades. I was ready, and I still am, to work the election process through H.R. 1 and
When President Trump left office, 30 with President Biden in good faith to S. 1, the Federal Government takeover
million Americans couldn’t afford to find commonsense solutions to prob- of our elections.
put food on the table. Think about lems facing the country and to ensure They are working to force millions of
that. Just 1 month after the American the voices of Alabamians are heard. workers to join unions. They all want
Rescue Plan, that number was reduced But, so far, the President has neither to strip States of their right-to-work
to 17 million, and we should never ac- united nor reached across the aisle. His laws, called the PRO Act.
cept that or any number as acceptable actions have shown that he is fine to Democrats are using things Ameri-
in the future. We have cut the number play along with the divisive tactics of cans desperately need, like traditional
of Americans going hungry by nearly the progressive left, rather than unite infrastructure, as a smokescreen for
half since President Biden took office, a large and diverse country. things Americans desperately don’t
but we still have work to do. President Biden is acting like he is want, like the fantasy Green New Deal.
We need to provide more relief to the President of New York and Cali- And now Democrats in both Cham-
parents so they can work a full-time fornia, not the United States of Amer- bers have introduced legislation to ex-
job, if they choose, without having to ica. The progressives can barely con- pand the Supreme Court. And because
worry about finding a safe, reliable tain their excitement. The President they don’t have the votes to ram this
place for the kids. We have to ensure received glowing reviews from leading through the Senate—such an extreme
that low- and middle-income families progressive Members of Congress, say- agenda—many Democrats want to
pay no more than 7 percent, that is ing the President has ‘‘exceeded expec- eliminate the filibuster, despite the
what President Biden is asking, no tations.’’ fact that many wrote a letter asking to
more than 7 percent income on high- The left have been waiting a long keep the filibuster just a few years ago,
quality childcare. And that is on top of time for an administration to imple- when they were in the minority.
billions of dollars in funding the Amer- ment their vision. They need to use a The bottom line is that the Demo-
ican Jobs Plan would invest in building Trojan horse to put that vision into crats want to change the rules so they
and retrofitting childcare facilities practice because it is remarkably un- can get their way, because they are to
across our State and Nation. popular with a majority of the Amer- the point where they want to trans-
Last week’s job report is a wake-up ican people. form our country, so said some of our
call. We can’t just wish this crisis Their vision is unpopular because it leaders.
away. We have to act and act together. centers around a core belief of impos- As concerning as each of these ac-
We can’t reopen our economy fully ing their vision on everyone. But to tions have been, even more alarming
until the virus is under control, and achieve this, that means taking away are the progressives’ efforts to indoc-
then we can’t wait for 10 years to get your freedom—freedom to think dif- trinate our children by favoring fringe
back on track to where we were a year ferently, freedom to worship dif- theories over actual learning. For ex-
and a half ago. ample, the California Department of
SSpencer on DSK126QN23PROD with SENATE
ferently, freedom for you and your
We can’t build a prosperous economy family to live differently, freedom to Education is considering using a cur-
for the future unless we address some spend your hard-earned money the way riculum that says: ‘‘The concept of
of the systemic shortcomings that pre- you want to spend it. mathematics being purely objective is
vent too many workers from partici- Taking away those freedoms—free- unequivocally false.’’ Their goal is to
pating fully. Even if next month’s job doms that are the foundation of Amer- ‘‘dismantle racism in mathematics.’’
report exceeds expectations, such as ica—is not progress. It is called social- Apparently, two plus two does not
the one in March, we need to rebuild ism. equal four anymore because it is not
VerDate Sep 11 2014 04:08 May 11, 2021 Jkt 019060 PO 00000 Frm 00006 Fmt 0637 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\G10MY6.021 S10MYPT1
File and source
- File
- CREC_crec-2021-05-10_crec-2021-05-10-pt1-pgs2400-9.pdf
- Size
- 233,850 bytes
- SHA-256
- 12494194de3cb0c4d944295b8c782874d0c7237afae58704b64aab30eec16f2f
- Original
- www.govinfo.gov