Build Back Better (Cong. Rec., Oct. 25, 2021)

Summary

Congressional Record, Senate, October 25, 2021 (beginning at page S7325). The page carries the end of a speech on Build Back Better that criticizes Republican tax policy, defends the child tax credit enacted in the American Rescue Plan, and reads a letter from a constituent in Illinois named Lydia about buying school supplies, clothes and groceries. It also quotes Democratic Senators questioning how a revenue package has been vetted. After morning business is closed, the Senate proceeds to executive session and resumes consideration of the nomination of Jia M. Cobb, of Virginia, to be United States District Judge for the District of Columbia.

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“Build Back Better (Cong. Rec., Oct. 25, 2021).” Original at www.govinfo.gov. Archived at Pandemic Darlings, https://pandemicdarlings.com/source-documents/crec-crec-2021-10-25-crec-2021-10-25-pt1-pgs7325-3-ba3d1b9981/, SHA-256 7dc0a9fd4e7ac819fee6bdbce329d9f9b6d9a4764bbc85fe205572dd2c6c8e8e.

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October 25, 2021 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S7325
after a couple of days’ discussions on I doubt that the Senator from Ken- afford a roof over your head, you are
the back of an envelope. It is a massive tucky has really been in the inner facing eviction, you can’t afford the ba-
and untested change that has not re- workings and decision process of what sics to send them to school, you can’t
ceived any—any—meaningful study or is going to be in the revenue package afford new clothes and a new pair of
scrutiny. when it comes to the reconciliation shoes.’’
Even the Democratic chairman of the bill. I couldn’t tell you. We say, Isn’t it a darn shame. But
House Ways and Means Committee is Maybe the Presiding Officer knows now we have done something about it
complaining: more than I do; but it is a matter of ne- in the American Rescue Plan without a
It hasn’t been marked up, and there’s been gotiation, and it is ongoing, and it has single Republican vote, not one. So our
no vetting of it. not been agreed to. Yet when you hear tax policy helps lower-income families,
Our Democratic colleague, the senior the Senator from Kentucky come to particularly those with children, and if
Senator from Montana, says: the floor, he is announcing what is we can do it—I think we can—we can
Anytime you get into stuff that’s not prov- going to be in the package as if he engineer that tax cut to make it per-
en in the tax code, it becomes a bit dan- knows. I don’t think he does. manent to help families.
gerous. There are a couple of things that we I just heard President Biden—he was
The senior Senator from Virginia do know for sure. We know what the in New Jersey speaking about infra-
says: Republican vision of tax policy in structure and Build Back Better, the
My fear is that we’re going to try some in- America is because they have shown it reconciliation plan. He said that in the
novative new ideas and if we don’t have time to us over and over again. When Donald State of New Jersey, this child tax
to develop them . . . we could mess some of Trump was elected President, the Re- credit, which we enacted without a sin-
this up. publican Senators had a chance to do gle Republican vote helping us, has re-
No kidding, Madam President. their reconciliation package, and they duced child poverty in that State by 36
This is just the latest saga in this devoted it to changing the Tax Code. percent. I will bet you it has done the
long parade of Democratic tax hikes. And to no one’s surprise, they came same thing in my State if it has done
Nonpartisan analysts have shown that through with their time-honored ap- it in New Jersey.
various aspects of the Democrats’ plans proach: cut taxes on the wealthiest So we are getting practical results
would shatter President Biden’s prom- people in America and the poor and that help working families. If we have
ise to leave the middle class alone. I middle-class people will be happy as our way in reconciliation, we are going
guarantee you, the middle class will clams. to give the largest tax cut in the his-
get hit. Well, they did it and did it again and tory of this country to middle-income
When Republicans had power, we added to the deficit in the process. In and working families, exactly the op-
prioritized giving Americans a big tax fact, under their Republican President, posite of what the Senator from Ken-
cut. We wanted families to keep more Donald Trump, we had the largest in- tucky just said: ‘‘Oh, it’ll be the big-
of their own money and make Amer- crease—36 percent—in the debt than gest tax increase in history.’’
ican businesses more competitive all under any President in history. Well, there will be a tax increase, I
around the world. So when they come talking to us hope, for those who can afford to pay
Democrats want the opposite—his- about tax policy, they favor the rich; it, and that means the same people who
toric tax hikes. So families keep less, and the impact on the deficit, they got a benefit 4 years ago from the
Washington gets more, and our com- don’t pay any attention to it when Trump Republican tax policy.
petitors, like China, can pop the cham- they have a President of their own A lady named Lydia in my home
pagne. party. I think we know that the facts State of Illinois described what this
f speak for themselves. means to her. She wrote to my office,
Here is what we do know as well: One and she said: ‘‘With the child tax cred-
CONCLUSION OF MORNING of the provisions in the American Res- it, I’ll be able to buy my kids their
BUSINESS cue Plan under President Biden really school supplies, clothes, things they
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Morning specifically went after helping working need to go back to school,’’ and she
business is closed. families and lower-income families. added, ‘‘be able to buy some groceries.’’
f And it bears remembering and repeat- Think about the last time that any
ing that not a single Republican was Senator stopped and thought: I wonder
EXECUTIVE SESSION willing to vote for that package in ei- if I will have enough money to buy gro-
--- ther the Senate or the House. They all ceries this week.
EXECUTIVE CALENDAR voted against it. Here is a mom in Illinois, with kids,
One of the things included in it was a who says that our tax policy—the one
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Under tax break for families with kids. How that was just criticized by the Senate
the previous order, the Senate will pro- about that? A tax break for families Republican leader—is helping her.
ceed to executive session and resume with kids instead of a tax break for the Well, if the Republicans were in
consideration of the following nomina- multimillionaires and billionaires charge, I am afraid they would take
tion, which the clerk will report. which were part of the Republican that money that Lydia, who wrote to
The legislative clerk read the nomi- package 4 years ago. me, is talking about buying groceries
nation of Jia M. Cobb, of Virginia, to So it basically came down to kids and put it right in Jeff Bezos’ pocket.
be United States District Judge for the under the age of 6, parents received Now, I have nothing against Mr.
District of Columbia. $300 a month in a tax break; and those Bezos. He has done fabulously well. I
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The ma- between 6 and 17—I think these figures have talked to him once, maybe twice,
jority whip. are correct—received $250 a month. a long, long time ago. I am not opposed
BUILD BACK BETTER That money flowing to these families to people investing in business, being
Mr. DURBIN. Madam President, it is with children was the largest tax cut— successful, and making money, but I
possible—it is just possible—that the it really dwarfed anything that the Re- don’t believe that his income should be
Republican Senator from Kentucky, publicans ever did to help working somehow walled off from the Tax Code.
who is the minority leader on the floor, families. And we are trying to keep it I believe he ought to pay his fair share.
has been sitting in on the revenue ne- on the books. I am, and I think you are And if I remember correctly—and I will
gotiations for the reconciliation. But it too, and all of us are. stand corrected if I am wrong—I don’t
is possible—I don’t rule that out—it is Do you know why? Because we have believe he paid taxes last year.

dlhill on DSK120RN23PROD with SENATE
possible that we didn’t know it, but he too darn many families struggling in So we are looking at that and saying:
was actually sitting for breakfast in America, and they are in poverty. Mr. Bezos, congratulations. Amazon is
Wilmington, DE, with Schumer, And we talk a lot about it, and we a big deal. It is making a lot of money,
Manchin, and other leaders as they say: ‘‘Isn’t it a darn shame in a great and all of us—most of us—are partici-
were hammering out the revenue and country like this? That you can’t af- pating in it, but you ought to pay some
tax portions, but I doubt it. ford food for your children, you can’t taxes. If you can build rockets and

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S7326 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE October 25, 2021
take your friends up for a little shot have peace of mind and have their kids to say that education and investment
into space, shouldn’t you pay a few in good hands while they are working. in American production and workers is
bucks in taxes? Everyone, from single mothers to our the best way to get this economy mov-
I don’t think it is unreasonable. Nation’s economists, can tell you the ing again. We need to have a reserve
The same thing holds true for these best way to stabilize the American supply of these chips so that we can
corporations. When we look at the big- economy is by supporting working fam-
build the autos and provide for the as-
gest corporations and most profitable ilies.
in America, too darned many of them In fact, the report by Moody’s con- sembly lines and stabilize prices for ev-
pay no Federal taxes. cluded that the Republican erything from toasters to tractors.
What is going on here? fearmongering about inflation—and we It is an important undertaking, and I
We live in a country where success hear it every day on the floor—Moody’s hope my colleagues will realize that
leads to wealth, and wealth leads, I called it ‘‘overdone.’’ Moody’s is hardly Build Back Better, the reconciliation
think, to some social responsibility, a Democratic publication. But the fear bill, is dedicated to the same premise.
and that includes paying your taxes. of inflation is one of the reasons Re-
Under President Biden’s Build Back publicans give for not wanting to even NOMINATION OF MYRNA PEREZ
Better agenda, we want to extend the talk about changing tax policy in Madam President, let me close with
child tax credit, give working families America. reference to a vote that we face today.
a little breathing room, and reduce This pandemic has shown us the
child poverty in America. Now, if they cracks in our economy. This Build We have another qualified nominee,
want to come up and criticize us for re- Back Better package will get us to the Myrna Perez, for the Second Circuit
ducing child poverty in America, so be point where we can start to rebuild it Court of Appeals. She is really com-
it, but call it for what it is. We are put- in the right way—give families finan- petent and experienced. She has been
ting our tax policy on the side of fami- cial relief, invest in our Nation’s eco- handling complex civil litigation and
lies with kids. nomic potential. will be ready to serve on the Second
For our Republican colleagues who The President said in New Jersey— Circuit on day one.
say families like Lydia’s don’t need and I couldn’t agree with him more—
any help, they do. And we cannot walk we have never gone wrong in America She has earned degrees from Yale
away from them. investing in the people in this country. University, Harvard University, and
Not a single Republican will vote for We have a lot of hard-working people. Columbia Law School. After grad-
this reconciliation bill. We know it. They do it every single day for their uating, she clerked for the U.S. Dis-
They didn’t vote for the rescue plan. families. Those who come to this coun- trict Court for the District of Pennsyl-
That is just their choice. I’m sorry to try keep up the tradition. vania and the Third Circuit Court of
say that we are not going to build back But they need the tools to succeed. Appeals. She has dedicated her career
America better unless we change some One of those tools is education. I hope to defending Americans’ right to vote
policy and tax policy to help working we can find a way to expand opportuni- through her work at the Brennan Cen-
families makes a difference. ties in education for training for our
I mentioned to you how the deficit ter for Justice, where she serves as the
workers into the 21st century.
skyrocketed during the Trump admin- Talk about giving the store to the director of the Voting Rights and Elec-
istration. Well, the Senator from Ken- Chinese, if we don’t invest in our work- tion section. In this capacity, she has
tucky comes and repeats over and over ers and their training and education in led their efforts to defend the Voting
again: Well, they are going to do it the next generation to make sure that Rights Act and to protect, as John
again; they are going to run up the def- it is smarter than the last, then, we are Lewis said, this ‘‘precious, almost sa-
icit. going to lose ground to the Chinese. cred right.’’
We have a plan to pay for the pro- I wanted to say one last word here. I
Far too few nominees to the Federal
grams that we are talking about, and it see the Senator from Ohio is here so I
means putting a new tax responsibility am going to be quick about this. bench have significant experience in
on people who are wealthy. It is easy to overlook—take a look at handling civil rights and voting rights
The President made it clear: I don’t this chart. It is easy to overlook com- matters. In Ms. Perez, the Senate has
want taxes going up on anybody mak- puter chips, small pieces of silicon. the opportunity to confirm a com-
ing less than $400,000 a year. They power so many products and ap- petent judge who will bring this experi-
So any tax policy we have will affect pliances, that we use every day, that ence to the bench. Importantly, she un-
the wealthy and corporations that we don’t pay much attention. They are derstands the difference between being
aren’t paying their fair share. That is in our computers, smartphones, life- an advocate and a judge. I have every
our approach. It is quite a bit different saving medical equipment, appliances, confidence she will serve with dili-
than the Republican approach. microwaves, and our cars—dozens even gence, fairness, and impartiality.
Building back better is also going to in the cars that we drive.
do something about easing long-term There is a global shortage of And she will also bring demographic
inflationary pressure and making life microchips. That is one of the reasons diversity to the Second Circuit. She
affordable for families. The things we why it has slowed down production of will be the first Latina to serve on that
will invest in, in the Build Back Better new vehicles and why the market for court since former Judge Sonia
agenda, are spread over a number of used vehicles is tighter than usual, be- Sotomayor—now Justice Sotomayor.
years, and they will pave the way for cause of these little chips. And we have
Ms. Perez’s nomination has received
an enduring economic recovery. These become too reliant on foreign countries
policies will help parents get back to to produce them. broad support—across the spectrum—
work by making safe, reliable childcare In a bill that we considered a few from national civil rights groups, lead-
more accessible. months ago, we put direct investment ers in law enforcement, academics,
I don’t know what the final negotia- in America in building microchips. I faith leaders, as well as Senators from
tions will be on Build Back Better. We think that is money well spent. I hope her own State, Senators Schumer and
know the amount of money involved is it works. I think it can. If we can pro- Gillibrand.
going to be less than we originally vide these microchips, we don’t have to
One group of police chiefs and sher-
thought. We are going to have to wait for some company in Taiwan or
iffs and prosecutors sent a letter extol-
change some things, but I certainly China to send us this critical element

dlhill on DSK120RN23PROD with SENATE
hope that this idea of childcare—af- that is needed to build all of these ling her virtues. I ask unanimous con-
fordable, quality, safe childcare—is products. sent to have it printed in the RECORD.
part of the final package. The global shortage of computer There being no objection, the mate-
It means so much to so many work- chips and the higher cost to consumers rial was ordered to be printed in the
ing families, particularly to moms who is one example of how we failed to in- RECORD, as follows:
can’t get back to work unless they vest in our Nation’s resilience. I have

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