Congressional Record, September 22, 2021 — Senate
Summary
Congressional Record, Senate, page S6610, September 22, 2021, carrying the end of a Senate floor speech criticizing President Biden's handling of the Afghanistan withdrawal. The speaker says a small force should have remained in Afghanistan, that the President's statement about the advice from his military commanders was not true, and that the Senate needs explanations and accountability. Secretary Austin, General Milley and General McKenzie are to appear at an open, unclassified meeting the following Tuesday. The speaker also voices concern about a return to the Iran deal with sanctions relief and about China, quoting former Secretary Gates's memoir on President Biden.
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“Congressional Record, September 22, 2021 — Senate.”
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S6610 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE September 22, 2021
But let’s make this crystal clear: truth about getting American families the blame lands squarely on him, and
None of this is the fault of our mili- out of Afghanistan. He failed to tell the he owns this.
tary. Our military leaders, the ones truth about the advice that he got We should expect his failures in Af-
with real experience on the ground, ad- from his military commanders, saying ghanistan to bleed into other issues.
vised the same thing that I did, and that his military commanders did not China and Russia see a weak America
that is, leave a small force in Afghani- advise him. We know better than that, now. Terrorists see safe havens and use
stan. Now, this would have supported and if you don’t know it, stick around Afghanistan as a rallying cry.
the Afghan military, prevented the for next Tuesday, and you will find out. I still have a lot more questions and
Taliban’s takeover, kept the pressure He didn’t tell the truth about al-Qaida expect President Biden and his admin-
on the terrorists, reassured our re- not being a threat. istration to have more answers. Thir-
gional partners, and kept our homeland So I have to wonder, if he is not tell- teen brave Americans died in the chaos
safe. ing the truth about this, what else is created by President Biden’s policies.
President Biden pretends that none he not telling the truth about? If we We need explanations and we need ac-
of this was possible. He claims that he can’t trust the President on this, if we countability.
had two options: a massive deployment can’t trust him to tell the truth and we We are going to hear from Secretary
or zero troops, which is not true. In can’t trust him to put together a good Austin, General Milley, and General
fact, I publicly supported a third op- strategy in Afghanistan, how can we McKenzie next week. This is going to
tion: maintain a small force to pre- trust him to protect the Nation from be on Tuesday. I have reminded people
serve our air power. We can’t do the air our strategic competitors? of that for a long time because we need
power without some troops on the After watching President Biden to have a clear understanding, and we
ground. We needed to have some troops stumble badly in Afghanistan, I am will get that understanding. We are
on the ground—we did—counterterror- worried that he won’t pursue a strong going to start to understand this—just
ism operations and military options. strategy to push back on China, and what went wrong, who is to blame, and
Many of us here supported a small, China is our top threat right now. We what we need to do to protect our-
tailored deployment to protect our all know that. We don’t like to talk selves. This is going to be an open
core interests, and so did his own mili- about it, but it is true. meeting. This is not a classified meet-
tary advisers. Yet, when he was asked, As former Secretary Gates famously ing. This is an open meeting that is
‘‘Did your top military advisers warn wrote in his memoir, President Biden going to take place this coming Tues-
against withdrawing on this timeline? has ‘‘been wrong on nearly every major day. We are going to be doing this as
Did they ask you to keep 2,500 troops?’’ foreign policy and national security transparently and openly as possible
issue over the past four decades.’’ That because the American people deserve
President Biden said, ‘‘No, they didn’t.
was Secretary Gates, former Secretary the truth. Our servicemembers and
That wasn’t true.’’
But it was true. We talked to the—in of Defense. their families who sacrificed so much
fact, you are going to find something I am also worried about the adminis- over the last 20 years deserve that, too,
out this coming Tuesday when we have tration desperately trying again to re- and we are going to give them the
a hearing. We are going to have many turn to the Obama administration’s truth. That is going to happen next
of the principals whom we really failed Iran deal and offering Iran mas- week.
I yield the floor.
haven’t heard from, principals who sive sanctions relief, sanctions that
I suggest the absence of a quorum.
were involved in advising the adminis- were put on in the previous administra- The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. MUR-
tration as to what the military wanted tion to get their—of course, we know PHY). The clerk will call the roll.
and didn’t want. Iran would just use the sanctions relief The bill clerk proceeded to call the
Except it was. We know that now. to ramp up terrorism. roll.
The former commander of U.S. Forces- You know, I don’t know how the Mr. BROWN. Mr. President, I ask
Afghanistan, General Miller, told the American people—maybe it is the peo- unanimous consent that the order for
Senate Armed Services Committee just ple in Oklahoma. They are the ones I the quorum call be rescinded.
this last week—this is our committee, have talked to more than any other The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without
the committee I chaired for some pe- groups. You know, what else would objection, it is so ordered.
riod of time—he said no. Now, he didn’t they do? What would Iran, with their THE CHILD TAX CREDIT
tell President Biden directly because background, do with sanction relief or Mr. BROWN. Mr. President, it is al-
President Biden didn’t even bother with funds? They would use it on ter- ways a thrill to come to the floor to
calling his top commander on the rorism. That brings us back to Afghan- talk about the child tax credit, espe-
ground before making his decision, but istan, which is only one of many, many cially with three colleagues who really
General Miller did report it to the examples in the Middle East and North are the authors and the most impor-
chain of command. Africa where the administration has no tant pushers, if you will, of this bill in
Now, we are talking about General plan for countering terrorists and the Senate.
Miller. At that time, he was the top keeping us safe. I am going to turn it to Senator BEN-
commander on the ground. So the President Biden and his administra- NET—he and I worked on this for damn
President didn’t even consult him as to tion have broadly talked about a new close to a decade now—and Senator
whether or not we should—he made it over-the-horizon strategy to counter- BOOKER. And then we will be joined last
very clear he advised him not to go, terrorism. ‘‘Over the horizon’’ means by Senator WARNOCK, who has only
not to close everything up. that we don’t have boots on the been in the Senate for a year—not
He also tried to say that al-Qaida is ground. We send airplanes in from even—and has done so much already
‘‘gone’’ from Afghanistan and that afar—something our military leaders for the State of Georgia, and he is one
‘‘terrorism is not emanating from that have told us is way more difficult than of the best supporters of this in the
part of the world.’’ Well, we know that most people believe, far more expen- U.S. Senate.
is not true. General McKenzie said al- sive, and almost impossible without So I will reserve my comments for a
Qaida remains the main focus in the re- partners on the ground. little later. Senator BENNET will go
gion. We can’t do it. You can’t just lead first.
Last week, the Director of the De- with military airpower. Even if it is The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen-
fense Intelligence Agency—that is LTG possible, experts are telling us it won’t ator from Colorado.
Scott Berrier—said that the projected be effective. We haven’t even seen a Mr. BENNET. Mr. President, I want
timeline for al-Qaida to have the capa- plan for how this will be enough to to thank my colleague from Ohio, Sen-
ctelli on DSK11ZRN23PROD with SENATE
bility to threaten our homeland is 1 to keep American families safe. ator BROWN, for his remarkable leader-
2 years at most, if not sooner, and that This is a failure of leadership. Along ship in getting us to this point with the
is it. the way, President Biden has tried to child tax credit and with the earned in-
So President Biden was not telling blame everyone else—the Afghan Secu- come tax credit for childless families
the truth in that area about having rity Forces, the Afghan Government, which, thanks to his leadership, we
only two choices. He didn’t tell the and the previous administration. But have been able to triple.
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September 22, 2021 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S6611
But I think we are here today on a buy the cheap tire that she would ordi- came here. He rattled off data that
really, really momentous matter. When narily buy that would break next should be repeated. I say this is a
I think back to the days when I was the week—as she said—but to buy a tire moral issue, but he has shown us it is
superintendent of schools in Denver, that the kid could rely on. She said, an economic issue. We are the wealthi-
most of the kids in my city were kids ‘‘That is what being poor in America is est Nation on the planet Earth, and of
of color and most were living in pov- like; you have to pay a tax on every- the top 41 countries, we are at 38 in
erty, and many of their families were thing,’’ because you can’t buy a decent poor kids. What he pointed out is that
working two or three jobs. And no mat- pair of shoes and you can’t buy a de- poverty costs all of us. It is a deep,
ter what they did, they couldn’t get cent tire for a bike. self-inflicted wound in this society, be-
their kids out of poverty. This is a reason why 450 economists cause poverty costs this Nation over $1
Today, now, I travel the State of Col- have written to the administration trillion as measured by economists.
orado, a State that has got very rural saying we should be making this per- But I would state that economists
areas and very urban areas. If I had to manent. And I believe we should be don’t measure all the things that are
summarize the last 10 years of my making it permanent. They have also important. Our GDP does not reflect
townhalls—10 or 11 years—it is very pointed out that it is very important well-being. It doesn’t reflect how many
easy to do it. No matter what county I for people to hear that this is pro- antidepressants people take or how
am in, people say: We are killing our- work. The countries that have child al- many child deaths there are. But the
selves, and no matter what we do, we lowances like this actually have a truth of our economy is that every dol-
can’t afford some combination of hous- higher percentage of people in the lar that we invest in getting children
ing, healthcare, higher education, early workforce than we do, because people out of poverty returns $8 to this econ-
childhood education—if there is any can use that allowance to pay for a lit- omy. So it is an economic issue, clear-
childhood education. We can’t save. We tle extra childcare so they can stay at ly.
feel like our kids are going to live a work. They can use that allowance to It is a globally competitive issue be-
more diminished life than the life we help pay to fix a car so they can stay cause in a global, knowledge-based so-
lived. at work. This is a pro-work policy. ciety, the Nation whose children learn
That is the anecdotal reflection of an Just as importantly, childhood pov- the most will earn the most and will
economy that, for 50 years in this erty costs our country $1 trillion a outcompete.
country, has worked really well for the year. We have been told by Columbia It is a national security issue as we
top 10 percent of Americans and not for University that we are going to see an go up against countries like China,
anybody else. The result of that is, 8x annual return as a result of cutting whose top 10 percent of their grad-
today, the United States is 38th out of childhood poverty in half this year, uating high school classes outnumber
41 industrialized countries, in terms of which this policy does, as opposed to all the children we have, virtually.
childhood poverty. spending money just to mitigate the ef- But it is a moral issue most of all. If
The poorest people in our society are fects of childhood poverty. we are going to create a more beloved
our children. The poorest generation in So there is every reason in the world community, how do we treat our chil-
the United States of America are our that we should make this permanent, dren?
children, which is scandalous. that we should extend it. In my view, Children who live in poverty literally
Senators BROWN, BOOKER, WARNOCK, we can’t afford not to, and that is why have physical effects. Poverty is vio-
and then-Senator HARRIS, before that, we are here today. lence. Study after study shows that the
I want to thank my colleague from
and I came together to try to address it brain development of children in pov-
New Jersey, Senator BOOKER, some-
and to say that we don’t have to accept erty is inhibited, literally—the stress
body I have known since he was mayor
this much childhood poverty as a per- hormones, the cortisol. It is akin to an
of Newark and I was the super-
manent feature of our economy or a adult having a traffic accident every
intendent of the Denver Public
permanent feature of our society. We single day. It is an indicator of child-
Schools, and we were working together
can actually fix this by making three hood trauma.
to try to lift up kids in our respective
changes to the child tax credit: to in- Poverty is a moral obscenity, and we,
communities. There have been many
crease the amount and make it fully the richest Nation on the planet,
times when I have been on this floor
refundable, so that for the first time in where, year after year, our rich are
and I have said that we are treating
our country’s history the poorest kids getting richer, our children are getting
America’s children like they are some-
have the benefit of it; and to have it poorer—who are we when we pledge al-
one else’s children, that only a country
paid out on a monthly basis, so that legiance to a flag and say ‘‘liberty and
that didn’t care about their kids would
when parents and grandparents are at justice for all’’? Who are we?
treat our kids the way we have.
the end of the month trying to make But, finally, we are not. Finally, we We don’t even know the demographic
the rent or buy a few more groceries or said: We are not going to tolerate this. changes in our country. We have cities
pay for a little bit more childcare, they And a lot of that has to do with the across America where 1 out of every 10
are able to do it in real time. Senator from New Jersey’s leadership. children is being raised by a grand-
I am sure my colleagues on the floor I yield the floor. parent. So here we are discussing child-
today spent time meeting with people The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen- hood poverty, and some people are
in their States over the recess. I did. I ator from New Jersey. talking about work requirements,
met mostly moms, but parent after Mr. BOOKER. Mr. President, I want when we know from the data, from con-
parent after parent, who said to me: to thank the two leaders that I joined, servative think tanks to what we see in
For the first time in my life, I was able Senators BROWN and BENNET, for cham- other nations like Canada, that things
to buy back-to-school clothes, and I pioning this issue, not just for this like the child allowance—or in our
didn’t bankrupt my family. Buying Congress but for years. Before I came country, the child tax credit—increase
back-to-school clothes was not a catas- to Washington, these two men were workforce participation. But if you get
trophe for my family. My kid was able standing up and talking about the rid of the child tax credit, those grand-
to go to school in a new shirt. moral core of our country. parents raising grandchildren—half of
One mom in Colorado Springs said to If you want to see how a nation is them—plunge back into poverty.
me that she bought a bicycle for her doing, don’t look at the buildings we The stories are profound.
son so he could take himself to school build or at how many billionaires we We heard from my colleague from
and participate in afterschool pro- have. Just look at children. What is Colorado. We know families in New
grams that he wouldn’t have otherwise galling me right now is that we have Jersey, like a woman I just saw named
ctelli on DSK11ZRN23PROD with SENATE
been able to participate in, because he come to the 1-yard line. Margarita. She used her child tax cred-
could take himself there and bring We are at an inflection point in our it payments for exactly what so many
himself back. country where we have to ask a ques- said they would be used for. She used
She said that he had burst a tire in tion: Who are we? them for food for her children, for
this new bicycle and that she was able, My friend Senator BENNET and I have school supplies, to keep the electricity
because of the child tax credit, not to been working with kids well before we running in her house. We have heard
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S6612 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE September 22, 2021
stories that they are used for a car bill don’t get evicted or I don’t get behind power—a tax cut for wealthy people—
to get people to work. They are used to in my rent—just the opportunities for but this is a tax cut for working fami-
pay for childcare that they need for these parents. lies, and we know how important that
their families so that they can work. So I want to talk directly—directly— is. It is finally—finally—to America’s
Families are not using this money so to Ohio parents. We talk about parents parents, making your hard work pay
they could quit their jobs. Quite the and about the child tax credit. I want off so you can keep up with those extra
contrary, they are using them so they to talk to Ohio parents for a moment. expenses that keep coming and coming
can get to work. Parents, check your bank accounts. and coming when you are raising a
We are a nation in crisis because of A week ago today, we once again put family.
how we treat our children. The child money directly in the pockets of the Stories have poured into our office
tax credit is a lifeline for the millions families of most Ohio parents. The from parents across Ohio about these
of grandparents raising grandchildren. families of 92 percent of Ohio children tax cuts. Let me just give you snippets
It is a lifeline for low-income children. are getting these dollars either direct of several of them.
So you heard from Senator BENNET. deposit in their accounts or in their Katie in Akron: It helps pay for
We are at an inflection point. What mailboxes in checks. It started July 15, school supplies.
will we do right now? Will we extend then August 15, and then September 15. Caitlin: It pays for preschool for my
the child tax credit? Will we make the It will continue. Our goal on the floor son.
full refundability permanent? Will we today is to make this permanent; at Lindsay: It is back-to-school clothes.
keep people having these monthly least to make sure this goes beyond the Fern: It will pay for preschool for
checks? That is a policy question. But end of the year. We are going to suc- both of my children, and the rest is
the question before us really is a moral ceed in doing that. It is so important going into a savings account for them.
one. For once and for all, this is not that we do. From Melissa: I used part of it to buy
partisan. It is a defining moment for Back to talking to parents. We know school uniform pieces for my 4-year-
the character of our country, and I say how hard you work at your jobs and old.
words are not enough. raising your kids. Any parent knows Jennifer: Put it away for college tui-
We should show the child tax credit— how much work it is to take care of tion.
the truth in our policies and what we children, especially young children. It Maia: Food and school supplies.
do with our budgets. We should show has only gotten harder over the last And one of the most common stories
our love through what we do, not what year and a half. The pressures are we hear over and over is that parents
we say. And the best leading indicator greater. The anxiety placed on families are using this to afford childcare so
of that will always be how the most is more. they can go back to work or keep
vulnerable in our society are doing, We have not recognized in this coun- working or work a few more hours.
how we take care of our elderly, and, in try often enough that raising children One mother from Minford in South-
this case, how we care for our children. is work. If you have a job outside the ern Ohio near Portsmouth, wrote to
I am honored now to have come to home, you are probably not getting me, and she said:
the floor our Senator from Georgia. I paid what you are worth. We have seen My husband and I are middle class, raising
would remark that as much as I love what has happened over the past few two children [both] under 6. . . . We have
the Senator from Ohio and the Senator decades. been worried about the financial burden of
paying for 2 children in full-time child care.
from Colorado, the Senator from Geor- Productivity has gone up. Stock
The $300, per child, will be placed directly
gia has a much better haircut. prices have soared. Executive com- towards child care so . . . we [don’t] have to
I yield the floor. pensation is stratospheric. The wages worry about how my participation in the
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen- have been flat. Wages for most Ameri- workforce affects us, and allow us to partici-
ator from Ohio. cans have barely budged; meanwhile, pate more in the economy.
Mr. BROWN. Mr. President, I thank you all as parents know how expensive She continued:
Senator BOOKER, and I join my friend it is to raise kids—childcare, I believe these payments will allow more
Senator WARNOCK here to talk about healthcare, school lunches, diapers, parents, especially mothers, to participate
this. Thanks to Senator BENNET, Sen- clothes, school supplies, braces, sports more fully in the workforce, [allowing] them
ator BOOKER, and Senator WARNOCK for fees. The list never seems to end. That more time to pursue training, and help
their leadership on what I think is the is not to mention trying to put money American families [get] food on the table.
most important thing I have done in away—just a few dollars a month—try- From the bottom of my heart, thank you.
my years in public office: the child tax ing to put money away for college or She really tells the story. You know
credit that Senator BENNET and I began sending your kid to camp or maybe— in Connecticut and in Georgia that not
on years and years and years ago, maybe, as I have heard from some par- everybody has gone back to work that
joined by other colleagues. Senator ents—for the first time in 2 or 3 years, could find work; in part, because em-
WARNOCK has really taken it over in a they are going to get to take a little ployers are finally starting to pay
big way this year in getting it across vacation for a few days or maybe, once more, but so much of the time because
the finish line. Sorry for the sports a month, going out to dinner at the they can’t find childcare or they can’t
metaphor, but that is how important local diner. afford childcare. We know that. That is
this is. You feel like you can’t keep up no what these tax cuts are all about.
Senator BENNET said something matter how hard you work. It is why They are about the dignity of work.
about—and I guess Senator BOOKER— we passed the child tax credit. It is All work has dignity, whether you
that raising children is work. At least why we started, several years ago, punch a clock or swipe a badge, wheth-
one of my colleagues—a number of my working to get other Senators on board er you work on a salary or work for
colleagues on that side of the aisle, and until we had virtually, literally, every tips, whether you are raising children,
I believe a colleague or two on this side Senator on this side of the aisle. Every or whether you are caring for aging
of the aisle, said something about a single Democrat has voted for the child parents. Raising children is work. Rais-
work requirement in a child tax credit. tax credit twice already. ing children is work. It is a hell of a lot
And I don’t understand that because I Unfortunately, every single Repub- more work than moving money from
spent a lot of time, including this lican voted against it. I don’t even one overseas bank account to another
weekend, with my grandchildren, and I really understand why they are against or checking the balance in your stock
see how hard my daughters work rais- it when, you know, you could look out portfolio.
ing children and our son works raising down the aisle here, you can look down That didn’t stop Senator MCCONNELL
ctelli on DSK11ZRN23PROD with SENATE
children and the pressures. And this the hall, and Senator MCCONNELL’s of- and the Republican majority 2 or 3
bill, cutting everything else away, re- fice is down the hall, and you see the years ago from rewarding the CEOs and
lieves some of the anxiety that parents lobbyists lining up there. They always hedge fund managers and Swiss bank
face, the anxiety of how do I get the get their tax cuts. account holders. We all remember what
money together to pay the rent this A train carrying tax cuts leaves the happened. MITCH MCCONNELL—and the
week, before the end of the month, so I station whenever Republicans are in lobbyists lining up down the hall—and
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September 22, 2021 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S6613
the politicians who always do their bid- I want to be clear about who this tax I talked to Will, who works as a local
ding passed their tax cut for the cut helps because people who have no hairdresser, and the monthly payment
wealthy and corporations that vision engage in division, and some- helps his 12-year-old daughter partici-
outsource jobs. You know what they times when we are discussing these pate in karate tournaments, a develop-
promised? They promised it would all policies, we need to slow down and ment opportunity that family would
trickle down and have more jobs and make sure folk know exactly whom we not otherwise be able to afford.
workers in Savannah—the hometown are talking about. In another conversation, I asked a
of the Senator from Georgia—that Ninety-seven percent—97 percent—of Georgia mom of two young, growing
there will be more jobs and the workers American families with children would boys: Where would this tax cut go?
would get more pay and the companies benefit from this tax cut. After we I said: What are you going to do with
would invest more in the workforce. passed the American Rescue Plan, we this tax cut?
Well, it didn’t exactly happen that significantly expanded the child tax Do you know what she said to me?
way. They kept their money for them- credit and the earned income tax cred- She said: I am going to buy food and
selves. They spent that money on stock it. shoes.
buybacks. Unsurprisingly, where did To put more money in the pockets of You know, when you give ordinary
that money go? It goes in the pockets, working families, I remember that folk a break, when you give them an
mostly, of executives. Senator BOOKER—actually, Senator extra $200 or $300 a month, you know,
Now, this year, without a single vote BENNET called me from his car. He was they go and buy extravagant things,
from Republicans in Congress, we on his way back home. I had just got- like food and shoes and a coat for their
passed tax cuts for everyone else. It is ten elected, and just a few short kid.
a pretty simple contrast. months after I got elected, we passed They invest in extracurricular activi-
Whose side are you on? Do you want the American Rescue Plan because we ties because they want to see their
tax cuts for billionaires and corpora- won the majority and were able to do children do a little bit better than they
tions—that is what they did 4 years this. Senator BROWN said to me: RAPH- did. And when they invest in their chil-
ago; that is what the President and the AEL, this is one of the best days of my dren, in a real sense, they invest in all
Congress did 4 years ago—or do you career because we were able to pass the of our children.
want tax cuts for working families? American Rescue Plan with all of these When you give folk who already have
That is what Senator WARNOCK’s and amazing provisions, and this provision everything they need and then some,
Senator OSSOFF’s and President Biden’s alone is transformational. Experts you give them that money, they hold
elections meant in November and Jan- have said that this investment that we on to that money. But when you give
uary of this year; that instead of more made earlier this year would cut child money to ordinary folks, they put that
tax cuts for the richest people in the poverty in half nationwide. Think money right back into our local econo-
country—though that bill, 70 percent of about that. One provision. Just giving mies and into our small businesses.
the tax cuts or the benefits went to the ordinary people, hard-working fami- Often the right thing to do is also the
richest 1 percent—now we are seeing lies, a break cuts child poverty in half. smart thing to do. It creates jobs, helps
our tax cut goes to 90 percent of the This is good public policy. all of us. And so the expanded child tax
families in this country. But I will tell you what would be bad credit grows and bolsters our economy
Every single month we are showing public policy. It is bad public policy to from the bottom up.
parents and workers we are on your cut child poverty in half one year and I agree with Senator BROWN. I am
side. We will not stop fighting to make then go back the very next year and just old enough to remember when
sure parents’ hard work pays off for double child poverty. That is poor pub- folks were talking about trickle-down
years to come. lic policy. It is not right, and it is not economics. And as a pastor, I have
I yield the floor. smart. worked and conducted my ministry in
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen- The expanded child tax credit is help- these communities that have been
ator from Georgia. ing Georgians. And do you want to hearing folks talk about trickle down
Mr. WARNOCK. Mr. President, I first know how I know that? I know be- for the last 40 years. The way to grow
want to say thank you to Senators cause, as I am moving across the State, an economy is from the bottom up. The
BROWN, BENNET, and BOOKER for keep- they are telling me. And it is no sur- right thing to do is the smart thing to
ing a spotlight on this issue. I must prise, when you put an extra $200 or do.
admit, however, on this issue, when I $300 in the bank account of ordinary The expanded child tax credit is
say Senators BROWN, BENNET, and people, working people, it makes a changing lives right now, and we have
BOOKER, I think about the multiple huge difference. a chance in this economic package we
choice questionnaires we got in school, In my regular travels around the are working on to secure this invest-
and I am wondering how a guy with a State, Georgians have told me how this ment for working Georgians and Amer-
last name ‘‘Warnock’’ got to be a part tax cut for working families has made icans into the future, and that is why I
of this effort, but I am grateful. a difference in their lives, made their believe we should make it permanent,
I want to get right to the point. lives just a little bit easier, especially and I will keep advocating for that.
There are many reasons to move this at the start of a new school year. But extending this critical tax cut
Build Back Better American package A few weeks ago, I was down in Co- right now is the right thing to do for
forward. We have to build back better. lumbus, GA, and I met with some of working families. We ought to do it.
We have a historic opportunity to the hard-working families who receive We ought not just talk about it; we
make landmark investments that will this tax cut. And as I stand here, I ought to do it.
strengthen our families, our economy, think about Dante and Alicia, a couple The Scripture says, He has shown
our care infrastructure, including ex- I met down in Columbus, GA. Their you, O mortal, what is good. And what
panding Medicaid benefits to more daughter’s name is London. And I does the Lord require . . . but that you
than 4 million Americans. We have got asked them: What are you going to do do justice, love kindness, and walk
600,000 Georgians in the Medicaid gap. with this monthly payment? humbly with your God.
We have got to provide critical debt re- And they said it will help cover the I see the face of God in the faces of
lief for small farmers who have taken a costs of school clothes and brain-build- our children.
financial hit during the pandemic. All ing extracurricular activities. They With that, I yield the floor.
of these things are covered in this have a very active young daughter, The PRESIDING OFFICER (Ms.
Build Back Better agenda. very bright, London. She came to the SMITH). The Senator from Texas.
But the other top priority of mine, meeting. And they said that: We VOTING RIGHTS
ctelli on DSK11ZRN23PROD with SENATE
and why we are all here today, is that wouldn’t be able to afford these extra- Mr. CORNYN. Madam President, in
we have a chance to extend the ex- curricular activities, but this extra June, our Democratic colleagues voted
panded child tax credit. We have al- support, just this little lift, has made a on their first and initial efforts to na-
ready seen it making a difference in difference in our personal economy, tionalize our State-run and local-run
the lives of over 2.2 million children and it has made a difference for Lon- election system. That bill—this legisla-
just in Georgia alone. don. tion, this effort—had been years in the
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