Senate Floor on the Child Tax Credit, July 14, 2021 — Congressional Record
Summary
This is S4884 of the Congressional Record, Senate, July 14, 2021, with interleaved columns. A Senator whose name is not printed in the text read speaks on the Senate floor about the child tax credit, saying that starting the next day 90 percent of children in America will start to see payments of up to $300 for every child in a household under 6 and $250 for every child ages 6 through 17. The speaker, who names Senator Brown, Senator Bennet, and Senator Warnock as colleagues, urges making the change permanent. The page also includes a tribute to a diplomat and civil rights advocate who worked with a former Attorney General and a President, with the views and figures attributed to the speaker.
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“Senate Floor on the Child Tax Credit, July 14, 2021 — Congressional Record.”
Original at www.govinfo.gov. Archived at Pandemic Darlings, https://pandemicdarlings.com/source-documents/crec-crec-2021-07-14-crec-2021-07-14-pt1-pgs4884-451b8022a3/
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S4884 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE July 14, 2021
Prince Edward County, which at the going on in this country around em- Senator BROWN, Senator BENNET,
time was blatantly flouting Brown v. powering children. We have a big thing Senator WARNOCK, and I, along with
Board of Education requirements. Rob- happening tomorrow with the vast ma- our House colleagues, are going to con-
ert Kennedy, then-Attorney General, jority of families with kids across the tinue to do what must be done. This
personally tracked Bill’s work, noticed country. change for this year—cutting child
his record of success in integrating As of tomorrow, they will start see- poverty, empowering millions of fami-
Maryland’s schools, and the two be- ing more money in their bank accounts lies, 90 percent of whom with kids will
came close friends. every year for the rest of the year. see a benefit—we must make this per-
There was another leader, Jimmy These payments are the result of manent. I will fight alongside my col-
Carter, who had asked Bill to represent changes that we have made to the child leagues to see that this is not a one-
America abroad as Ambassador to the tax credit, which was signed into law time benefit for 1 year but a permanent
European Office of the United Nations, by President Biden as part of the change that we—change our status. We
which kicked off Bill’s storied diplo- American Rescue Plan because of the are the 36th wealthiest Nation on the
matic career. His diplomatic accom- changes we advocated for. planet, and we are 4th from the bottom
plishments are too long to go through What President Biden made law, in child poverty. We are second to last
in one speech, but through his work, he more families and children are going to in terms of child allowances. We in
became a vocal and prominent advo- benefit from the child tax credit. More America have to make this country
cate for the United Nations and the than ever before in history, in fact, live up to its promise to every child
work that it does to address pressing this will be the greatest cut in overall that we are the cornerstone of the idea
global issues. child poverty in the history of America of the American dream; that we are the
Bill also remained committed to for this coming year. most fertile soil for which a child could
solving problems at home. He was a So starting tomorrow, 90 percent of
thrive; that we love our children not
renaissance man, a true polymath, and kids in America—90 percent of their
just in words but in the policies we
a staunch civil rights advocate. For families across the country—will start
make. This is a historic moment.
years, he helped lead the charge in New to see these payments for the rest of
this year, up to $300 for every child in The one thing I will say to anyone
York City to reform its prisons. He be- listening to my words, because, as my
came a crusader in the city. He tackled a household under 6 and $250 for every
child in the household ages 6 through colleague knows, some families are eli-
the squalid conditions of confinement, gible but might not benefit, please, we
and he feared no one in his efforts to 17. For families in suburbs and cities
and rural areas, for families across the need to make sure that portal—that
speak for the voiceless and make sure people know to go to childtaxcredit.gov
that even the most hardened criminals country, this policy is transformative.
For the family of people with essen- to get the information. All of us have
were treated like human beings. It is a an obligation to help everyone avail
tial workers in Florida, the grand-
big part of his legacy as well. themselves of this policy. I believe,
mother raising three children in Cali-
And in his later life, when I got to God willing, we will make it perma-
fornia, a single mom in Pennsylvania
know him, he returned to his first love. nent.
working the same job for 20 years, for
Bill vanden Heuvel started and led the I now turn to my colleague Senator
a parent in Utah—you can go on and on
Franklin Eleanor Roosevelt Institute, BENNET from Colorado, Mr. President,
and on—this is one of the most trans-
and he championed the long fight to es- with your permission.
formative policy changes made in our
tablish the Four Freedoms Park on Mr. BENNET. Mr. President.
Nation in more than a century.
Roosevelt Island. That park will stand This policy means stability. It means The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen-
forever as a testament to both the maj- help is on the way. It means hope is ator from Colorado.
esty of Franklin Roosevelt and the pa- here. Mr. BENNET. Mr. President, we are
triotism of Bill vanden Heuvel. In my home State, Margarita from
Finally, though an obituary of a all here today—I want to say on this
Passaic, NJ, who is raising three kids floor how much I love my colleagues
great man like Bill is filled with public on her own while working two jobs, one
accomplishment, for his friends and from New Jersey and from Ohio who
before sunrise, starting tomorrow, she are here with me today on the floor to
family, it is his private accomplish- will see hundreds of dollars a month to
ment which defined his true greatness. celebrate this incredibly important
help her pay the electric bill, help her milestone.
His wife Melinda and his daughters, make rent, and help her children suc-
Katrina and Wendy, and his step- I love you for your commitment to
ceed in school. the country and for your commitment
children, Ashley and John, know him For the family of two educators with
as a kind and loving husband and fa- to our kids.
kids in New York, tomorrow is trans-
ther. And the literally thousands of formative. Washington State, North I want to wish your brother well be-
young public servants and reformers Dakota, blue State, so-called red cause I know that he is recovering
and diplomats that he mentored over State—all over this country, we are from his stroke, and you are still tak-
the years, they are grateful for the seeing a transformation. ing time to be here on the floor to
time he took to midwife the hopes and This is what a mom from Kansas make sure that people who need it the
dreams of others. said: most hear about this tax credit. I want
I am one of these people. Bill took [This child tax credit] would help so much to thank you for that.
me under his wing early in my public for single moms like me to be able to feel se- I have heard the Senator from Ohio,
service career. It is his advice I turned cure as a parent. If at any time something just like the Senator from New Jersey,
to over and over, especially in my early were to happen to me, such as a car repair, talk about the lives of real people in
a doctor visit, even a book fair for my chil- their States. I have sat in the chair
years in Congress, as I set my own
dren, I am just not making enough to have where the Presiding Officer is, listen-
course and picked my own battles. So, any extra for anything other than bills.
above all, Bill’s family and friends will Shoes and coats, maybe a ball glove. Karate
ing to Senator BROWN talk about fami-
miss him dearly. or dance lessons to improve social skills and lies in Ashtabula or Zanesville or Day-
I yield the floor. athletic abilities and teach children team- ton or Cleveland or Cincinnati or To-
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen- work would be possible; [and] maybe even at ledo and what the policies that we pass
ator from New Jersey. Christmas since they didn’t get one in 2020. in this body either—you know, the dif-
CHILD TAX CREDIT For middle-class families trying to ference they make or very often the
Mr. BOOKER. Mr. President, first I stay afloat, lower income families des- difference they don’t make to real peo-
want to recognize my colleague from perate to make ends meet, and families ple at home, to the people you work for
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Connecticut, his moving tribute to a living in poverty struggling to put food and represent in Newark.
great American, and also thank him on the table, tomorrow is a new start. I think about a mom, I say to my col-
for his steadfast leadership on issues of For millions of Americans across the league from Colorado, the Presiding Of-
gun safety in this country. country, from this body, our President, ficer, a mom in Rifle, CO, who was in
I am standing here with my col- tomorrow will begin a historically un- an early childhood center there, and
leagues today to talk about what is paralleled moment. she was so happy to be there. The other
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July 14, 2021 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S4885
moms were happy to be there, too, be- in the industrialized world. Only three Mr. BROWN. MICHAEL BENNET, thank
cause until they had that early child- countries are worse than we are. The you. You said this is a new day. I loved
hood center, they had to drive 30 miles poorest population in America? Our how you set that up. The mayor of
to Glenwood Canyon to get to Glen- children. And we have some of the low- Denver gets a tax cut or at least pours
wood Springs to put their kid in est economic mobility of any country money into the richest neighborhoods
daycare so they could work, and now in the industrialized world. We tell our- in Denver, expecting that to trickle
they could actually have it in their selves we are the land of opportunity, down or trickle out to help other
community. What she said to me was but we haven’t looked like that for a neighborhoods and other people. It ob-
this: I work so I can have health insur- very long time, and the policies that viously doesn’t work that way any
ance. Every single dollar I make goes have been passed here haven’t helped. more than the—I was going to say the
to pay for this early childhood center That is where the child tax credit Bush tax cut, but it has been their
so I can work. comes into being. playbook for years. Whenever they get
It is that triangle that so many We increased it to $3,000, $3,600 for a majority, they give a tax cut to rich
Americans are caught in because we kids under the age of 6. We made it people, arguing it will trickle down. It
have had an economy that for 50 years fully refundable so the poorest kids, never does. Senator BOOKER has been so
has worked really well for the top 10 the millions of poor kids who have articulate about that. As you say, Sen-
percent and not for anybody else in never benefited from the tax credit be- ator BENNET, it is a new day for this
America. For too long, it seemed like fore because their parents made too lit- country.
Washington wasn’t paying any atten- tle money, now have the benefit of it, I think the three of us think—and I
tion to that. I mean, what was our so- and it is going to be paid out starting think that Senator HICKENLOOPER, the
lution to that? To spend $5.6 trillion on tomorrow on a monthly basis. So when Presiding Officer, has thought this, as
two wars in the Middle East that lasted families are making decisions about have most Members of the Senate—
for 20 years? To come to this floor to how to pay the rent, put a little food that this is perhaps the most impor-
cut taxes not for working people, not on the table, buy a few hours of tant thing we have done in this Senate
for the people who needed it, but for daycare so that they can stay at work in 25 years.
and earn a living, they will be able to Tomorrow, parents across the coun-
the wealthiest people in the country at
do it. So they can work, as the Senator try will check their bank accounts. Not
a time when our income inequality was
from Ohio so eloquently said, with dig- all of them are going to know what
higher than it was at any time since
nity. CORY BOOKER, MICHAEL BENNET, and all
before the Great Depression? It made of us did, but they are going to see,
In my view, this should be just the
no sense. most importantly in many ways—
beginning of creating an economy that,
It was like if the mayor of Denver—
when it grows, grows for everybody, maybe my religious faith teaches me
who the Presiding Officer used to be, so this. It is almost better that these peo-
not just for the people at the very top.
let’s just imagine that for a second—it ple have these—they get these checks
It strengthens our democracy by giving
is as if the mayor of Denver said to the in Cleveland and Akron and Mansfield,
everybody a sense that they have a real
people of Denver: We are going to bor- and they have no idea how they got
stake in the economy and that their
row more money than we have ever them. They didn’t know I had anything
kids are going to be able to live a
borrowed. to do it as their Senator; they just
brighter life than the life they live.
I would say, as a concerned citizen of know their lives are better.
That is what it is supposed to be in
Denver, to the mayor: That worries Families will see $250 or $300 direct-
America.
me. I would like to know what you are I am grateful to stand here today deposited into their accounts every
spending it on. Are you spending it on with my two colleagues and with the month for the next 6 months, and then
parks? Presiding Officer to say that finally, fi- they get the rest of the year in a lump
Nope. nally, with this President, we are sum. Then, as Senator BENNET and
Mental health services? We certainly treating America’s children like they Senator BOOKER said, it is up to us to
need those. are America’s children, and we don’t make this permanent.
Nope. have to accept chronic childhood pov- In my State, 92 percent of the kids in
Homeless? erty as a chronic feature of our econ- the State are eligible. We have a great
Nope. omy or our democracy. We can have an majority—at least, we think, 90 per-
Our roads and our bridges? cent of them will see these checks this
ambition that is greater than that for
No. week either in their bank account or in
our country and for our children, and
Schools? their mailbox. We have to make sure
we can say to our kids: You are impor-
No. we get the other children who are eligi-
tant to us. In some ways, you are all
You are borrowing all this money. ble. Their parents may not have filed a
that matter to us, and the position we
What are you spending it on? tax return, and those families need to
put you in to be able to get an edu-
The mayor would have said: Well, I go to childtaxcredit.gov to make sure
cation and contribute to society and
am going to give the money we are bor- they get this benefit.
help lead the country, participate in
rowing to the two richest neighbor- Even before this pandemic, we all
our economy, in our democracy, that is
hoods in Denver and expect that some- know hard work wasn’t paying off for
our priority, and that is what we care
how it is going to trickle down to ev- millions of workers. We have seen in
about.
erybody else. I think that is President Biden’s pri- the last 20 years that productivity has
That sounds crazy, but that was the ority, and he has reflected it incredibly gone up. Corporate profits have ex-
Bush tax policy. That is the Trump tax well in this policy. ploded. CEO pay has soared almost un-
policy, sixty-five percent of that bill I will turn it over to the Senator imaginably. Yet wages have essentially
for what he called the middle class from Ohio just by saying that now we been flat. That has gone on for decades
going to the top 5 percent in America. have to do the very hard and important even though the cost of everything is
That is why this is such a new day. work of making this a permanent part up, especially the cost of raising chil-
I have said on this floor before that it of our Tax Code so that we cut child- dren.
is long past time that we started treat- hood poverty permanently in half in Our child tax credit recognizes the
ing America’s children like they are this country. I would like us to end fact that raising children is work. It
our children and that we wouldn’t ac- childhood poverty in the United States. happens to be the most—maybe it is
cept the conditions so many kids live I think that would be a very worthy as- not compensated the same way, but it
in unless we thought they were some- piration for all of us to have. happens to be the most important work
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one else’s children. With that, I yield the floor to my any family can do. But from childcare
This country, as the Senator from wonderful colleague from Ohio, who to health insurance, to transportation,
New Jersey has said before, is 38 out of has been an incredible leader on this we have seen that a hard day’s work
41 industrialized countries in terms of from even before I was in the Senate. doesn’t begin to cover expenses for so
childhood poverty. In other words, we The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen- many parents, and even middle-class
have the 38th worst childhood poverty ator Ohio. families don’t feel stable.
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S4886 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE July 14, 2021
As a result, 2 weeks ago, we were out cuts that Senator BENNET talked about rightfully so. His statements have
of session, and I spent the week in Fre- with the Trump tax cuts that every Re- made one thing clear: If confirmed, he
mont, in Defiance, in Cleveland, and in publican supported, virtually, and that will fail to uphold the constitutional
Columbus, Dayton, Cincinnati, Youngs- blew a hole in the budget. That money right to bear arms.
town, and Toledo talking to people was put in Swiss bank accounts. It He has stated under oath that he sup-
about the child tax credit. The stories doesn’t trickle down. This money is ports mandatory Federal registration
I heard from people—these were mostly spent in the community. of common semiautomatic firearms
parents who will benefit. These are This is how we grow the economy. and ultimately supports a ban on AR–
some community activists whose kids This is how we invest in the people who 15 rifles.
may have been grown or don’t have make it work. We don’t shovel tax cuts Semiautomatic sporting rifles can be
kids. But the stories I heard, things to the very top and hope it trickles found in the homes of millions of law-
like—Senator BENNET and I had a dis- down. We know it never does. With abiding Americans, Hoosiers included,
cussion with people from Denver and these tax credits, we show parents and who use them for hunting, recreational
Cleveland one day on Zoom a couple workers: We are on your side. shooting, and defending their families.
weeks ago, too, and we heard over and We won’t stop fighting until these The ATF has a responsibility to
over that parents were saying: Every tax credits are permanent. Senators clearly articulate its decisions to the
month we just have to figure out, dur- BOOKER and BENNET have talked pas- public. In his confirmation hearing,
ing the last week of the month, how sionately and persuasively about that. Mr. Chipman revealed that he is not
are we going to pay our rent. I would add a couple other thanks able to articulate what an assault rifle
Now those families will have a little here. Two of my staff are sitting in the even is. His beliefs represent, in my
more comfort in knowing and less anx- back of this hall, Katie Mulhall and opinion, a direct attack on our Second
iety knowing they will be able to make Chad Bolt, who have made this tax, Amendment rights.
working with Senator BENNET’s and It is no surprise that organizations
their rent payment.
Senator BOOKER’s and Senator that have never opposed an ATF nomi-
I heard a number of parents say:
WARNOCK’s staff—in making these tax nee before are loudly opposing the
Well, now I can send my son, for the
cuts to reduce the poverty rate and nomination of David Chipman.
first time, to scout camp or to day Mr. Chipman’s nomination comes as
camp during the summer. Other par- making this happen this session with
President Biden’s active support. the ATF is already in need of more ac-
ents said: I don’t have to choose be- countability for politicized decisions.
I also would call out two staff people,
tween the food we need to buy and buy- American gun owners, manufacturers,
one of whom is still in the office and
ing diapers. I don’t have to reuse dia- and small business owners deserve clar-
one who is now working in the House of
pers. ity and the right to appeal politicized
Representatives, Jeremy Hekhuis and
All the kinds of stories, we heard. decisions made by the ATF.
Gideon Bragin, who began work on this
People were saying: I don’t have to Currently, the ATF engages in a se-
in 2013, when we first started working
work that second job and be away at cretive, behind-the-scenes classifica-
with ROSA DELAURO and the work that
night. I can get daycare on my regular tion review process to decide if a fire-
she had done. I thank all of them for
job and get the benefits and have a lit- arm will be regulated by the National
making this happen.
tle money so that I can do these I especially thank my colleagues Firearms Act. No law-abiding Amer-
things. from Colorado and Georgia and New ican should have to wonder if they are
And the stories are as limitless as Jersey. We keep fighting to give these going to suddenly be made a criminal
the number of people who are involved. families the peace of mind that these by a bureaucratic decision. It doesn’t
And maybe the best part of this—and tax credits will be there for them up make sense.
MICHAEL and CORY and I have talked until their children are 18 so they can That is why I joined Representative
about it. Maybe the best part of this is raise their kids with a little less anx- DAN CRENSHAW in the House to intro-
we have SNAP benefits. We know that iety and a little more comfort and a duce the ATF Accountability Act.
is important for hungry families. We whole lot more opportunity. Law-abiding gun manufacturers and
know the hungry people and the chil- I yield the floor. small businesses should be able to ap-
dren especially. We do the rental as- The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen- peal the legal status of classifications
sistance, emergency rental. We know ator from Colorado. within a regular timeframe.
how important that is. But these dol- Mr. BENNET. Mr. President, I just I yield the floor at this time.
lars—this $250 or $300 a month, it goes was so inspired by—I am only going to The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen-
to families, and they make the decision be 1 minute—something Senator ator from Montana.
about what they need. I don’t make it. BROWN said in his remarks about his Mr. DAINES. Mr. President, I want
The senior Senator or the junior Sen- staff that I also want to mention Char- to thank my friend and colleague Sen-
ator—even though the junior Senator lie Anderson, who is no longer with me ator BRAUN for leading this important
is older, right, than the senior Sen- because he quit me to go work for the discussion on protecting Second
ator? I am confused. administration. But if it hadn’t been Amendment rights for Montanans and
But the Senators from Colorado don’t for him, I would be very surprised if we for all Americans.
make the decision. The Senator from would all be here today. So I wanted to Today, President Biden and CHUCK
New Jersey and I don’t make the deci- say thank you to Charlie for never giv- SCHUMER are propping up yet another
sion. These decisions are made by the ing up on this and for holding me ac- very controversial nominee, one who
mothers and fathers who go to their countable as we did the work together. far from unites us as Americans—rath-
mailbox and get this check or see it in I also am not going to address the er, another nominee who divides us fur-
their direct payment. issue about junior versus senior Sen- ther. Sadly, we are witnessing a com-
So we know that this is not just good ators from Colorado, just to observe plete disregard for our Constitution.
for those families. It means dollars in what a wonderful delegation it is we The Constitution could not be clear-
their pockets. It means they can make have from the State of Colorado. er. Now, I know my Democratic col-
decisions they couldn’t have made. It With that, I yield the floor. leagues may want to say it otherwise,
means they can build a foundation for The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen- but it is clear—it is very clear when it
their own children to have more oppor- ator from Indiana. says—and I have my pocket Constitu-
tunity—all of that. But this is also NOMINATION OF DAVID H. CHIPMAN tion here. It says, ‘‘the right of the
really good for the community. It Mr. BRAUN. Mr. President, I come to people to keep and bear Arms, shall not
means more dollars are spent at local the floor today to oppose the confirma- be infringed.’’ It is very strong and
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restaurants, more dollars are spent at tion of David Chipman, President very clear language. Montanans and
local stores. So that is an important Biden’s nominee for Director of the Bu- the American people are guaranteed
part of this, too, that it will help to lift reau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and this right, as protected in our Con-
up our economy. Explosives. stitution.
Families aren’t putting this money Many Hoosiers are concerned about Despite this, we have seen President
in a Swiss bank account, unlike the tax the nomination of Mr. Chipman, and Biden and far-left Democrats abandon
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