Congressional Record, House, November 2, 2021, Page H6110
Summary
A page of the Congressional Record, House, dated November 2, 2021, at page H6110, carrying a special order in which Republican Members criticize the reconciliation bill. Mr. Luetkemeyer and Mr. Keller call it a socialist reconciliation bill that would drive a wedge between job creators and the workforce, say it adds taxes and spending during runaway inflation, and describe it as government control of the economy. They say the tax cut bill of 2017 left the country with 1.2 million more jobs than people to fill before the pandemic. Mr. Keller draws on 25 years of experience in private industry. The remarks are the speakers' own and are partisan.
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H6110 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE November 2, 2021
with every day to make their business have runaway inflation going on right those people who are willing to take
work and the effects of mandates. I ap- now, and we want more money to be those kinds of risks and drive our coun-
preciate his comments. spent again. This is nuts. try forward and provide the jobs.
Madam Speaker, I yield to the gen- Government control. I appreciate his As a reminder, when we unleashed
tleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. KEL- comments with regard to that. This is the power of the people with the tax
LER), who has a great personal story about government control. It is about cut bill of 2017, we wound up before the
himself. I look forward to his remarks controlling the economy and control- pandemic of having 1.2 million more
and his concerns about this mon- ling individuals and controlling busi- jobs in this country than we had people
strosity of a bill, socialist reconcili- nesses. Again, it is about the belief to fill them. The first time in history
ation bill. that the other side seems to believe in that we had those sorts of job openings
Mr. KELLER. Madam Speaker, I the goodness and greatness of govern- for people to apply for.
thank Ranking Member LUETKEMEYER ment, and we believe in the goodness The fundamentals are still there if
for having this Special Order. At a and greatness of our people. I certainly we don’t destroy them, and that is the
time when we should be doing every- appreciate his comments with regard key. This bill will destroy those fun-
thing we can to help small businesses to that and reminding us of those sa- damentals. Add to that the uncertainty
thrive and strengthen America’s work- lient facts. that a lot of our good friends and small
force, President Biden’s radical social- Madam Speaker, how much time is businesses that drive this country are
ist agenda is driving a wedge between remaining? concerned about, the taxes will be the
job creators and the workforce. The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gen- burden that will have to be overcome,
Drawing upon 25 years of experience tleman has 9 minutes. and probably will drive a lot of them
in private industry, working in a fac- Mr. LUETKEMEYER. Thank you out of business.
tory, later managing that factory, I very much. I shouldn’t be too long. We They are very concerned about the
understand the challenges that our have rolled this around quite a bit, and direction of this administration. They
businesses face and what it means to we have hit on the high points, but I do seem to believe, again, in the goodness
get up every day, go to work, and sup- want to make a few closing remarks. and greatness of government. Our side
port a family. The American people deserve better believes in the goodness and greatness
President Biden and House Demo- than this. We are here to be able to of our people, and we want to empower
crats aren’t looking out for American help them, not to harm them. We are them and continue to protect them and
families. If they were, they would not here to be able to lift them up and em- work with them.
be working to increase the tax rates for power them instead of take power Madam Speaker, thank you for the
small business owners or dumping away. We are here to give them hope, opportunity to be here this evening and
more than a trillion dollars into the not destroy hope. You do all these for allowing us to have this Special
economy. That will only worsen the in- things on the positive side, I think, by Order. I yield back the balance of my
flation we have seen and the supply empowering them and letting them be time.
chain crisis. who they are rather than take that
This build back better scheme is a away from them and try from the gov- f
farce. It is simply out of control. Who- ernment side to control what they are
b 1845
ever controls more of an individual’s doing and who they want to be.
money and how they earn it controls I have the opportunity with one of INVESTING IN THE UNITED
more of their actions. That should be the positions that I hold here in Con- STATES
the person who earns it, not the gov- gress to meet with a lot of foreign fi-
ernment. nance ministers from around the world, The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under
When you look at these tax policies, and it is always interesting to talk to the Speaker’s announced policy of Jan-
when you look at inflation, when you them because they are very jealous of uary 4, 2021, the gentleman from Penn-
look at the fact that this administra- what we have. We have something most sylvania (Mr. CARTWRIGHT) is recog-
tion has taken us away from energy countries in the world don’t have, and nized for 60 minutes as the designee of
independence, people are spending that is economic freedom. The freedom the minority leader.
more for groceries, they are spending to be able to go somewhere tomorrow; GENERAL LEAVE
more for fuel, they are going to spend if you want to change jobs, go change Mr. CARTWRIGHT. Madam Speaker,
more to heat their homes, and that is jobs. If you want to start a new busi- I ask unanimous consent that all Mem-
controlling more of their money be- ness tomorrow, go start a new business. bers have 5 legislative days to revise
cause of these poor policies. The best If you want to start another one next and extend their remarks and include
thing government can do is get out of week, start another new business next extraneous material on the subject of
the way and return economic independ- week. Most places in the world you my Special Order.
ence to the American people. can’t do that, and that is a huge dif- The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there
I thank the ranking member for hav- ference. That economic freedom, that objection to the request of the gen-
ing this Special Order and allowing us entrepreneurial spirit that we have in tleman from Pennsylvania?
to point out that we believe in the this country makes us different from There was no objection.
American people. They built the great- everybody else. Mr. CARTWRIGHT. Madam Speaker,
est economy the world has ever seen. This monstrosity of a socialist rec- we are here tonight to talk about these
They built the greatest nation on the onciliation bill is a dagger in the heart amazing bills coming up having to do
face of the Earth, and I just wish that to the entrepreneurs and the small with our investment in the United
President Biden, when he talks about business people in this country who States of America, both in the bipar-
being frustrated with American citi- have built this country. The big busi- tisan infrastructure bill and the Build
zens, would get half as frustrated with nesses, where did they start from? Back Better Act.
China and Russia and the Taliban. They started as a small business. They These two bills taken together will
Mr. LUETKEMEYER. I thank the didn’t start as a big, major business to create millions of American jobs re-
gentleman for his insightful remarks. I begin with. They started in somebody’s building our infrastructure and build-
really appreciate his comments. Pour- garage or in a university research lab ing clean energy technology to combat
ing more money into the economy just somewhere or as an idea that somebody climate change. Together, the Build
adds to inflation. If we go back and scratches on the back of a napkin in a Back Better Act and the infrastructure
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look at the comments by the CBO when restaurant somewhere. These people, package are expected to create 2 mil-
they scored the bill back in February, the entrepreneurs who are willing to lion jobs a year on average. They will
a $1.9 trillion bill, they said we didn’t put their ideas on the table, their reward work by cutting taxes for work-
need it, that we would have 5 percent money, and their beliefs and risk ev- ing families and lowering costs on the
growth by the end of this year if we did erything to make this work. things that keep folks up late at night,
nothing. And yet we spent $1.9 trillion This bill that we are talking about like healthcare, childcare, and home
and look at what has happened. We this evening is a dagger in the heart to care for aging relatives.
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November 2, 2021 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE H6111
We are going to pay for that invest- Mr. CARTWRIGHT. I yield to the Pennsylvania, Amtrak has assessed
ment and those investments in our Na- gentleman from New York. that adding a line to reach north-
tion and in working families by mak- Mr. HIGGINS of New York. That eastern Pennsylvania will add $87 mil-
ing sure that the ultra-wealthy and the would be 91 percent. lion a year in additional economic ac-
corporations pay their fair share. Mr. CARTWRIGHT. Ninety-one per- tivity in Pennsylvania.
The Build Back Better Act will not cent under the Republican Eisenhower These are amazing, smart invest-
add to the deficit, and no one making administration during the 1950s. ments, investments that we have to
less than $400,000 a year will pay a And what happened to that 91 per- make in our country if we expect to
penny more in taxes. That is the prom- cent, if the gentleman knows? compete with Europe, with China, with
ise that President Joe Biden made, and Mr. HIGGINS of New York. It was re- Russian, places that are investing in
we intend to keep it. duced to 77 percent under a Democratic their infrastructure.
Now, Madam Speaker, we have here administration, under John F. Ken- We are talking about the largest in-
Representative BRIAN HIGGINS of Buf- nedy. vestment in clean drinking water and
falo. He is a ninth-term Member from Mr. CARTWRIGHT. We are talking wastewater infrastructure in American
western New York, and prior to serving about the top marginal tax rate, which history. This is how we avoid catas-
in Congress, Representative HIGGINS is in the 30s right now. Am I correct in trophes like what happened in Flint,
was a history and economics instructor that? Michigan, where little kids got brain
at SUNY Buffalo State College. Rep- Mr. HIGGINS of New York. That is damage from drinking lead-tainted
resentative HIGGINS also served in local right, sir. water from pipes that hadn’t been re-
and State elected office. Congressman Mr. CARTWRIGHT. You can con- placed in over 100 years.
HIGGINS has been a fierce advocate of tinue. This infrastructure investment will
stronger regional and national eco- Mr. HIGGINS of New York. Well, I ensure that every American has access
nomic policies. think the point that is being made here to reliable high-speed internet. This is
Congressman HIGGINS currently is, despite perceptions to the contrary the kind of investment that the Fed-
serves on the Ways and Means and and the assertions of those who have eral Government knows how to make.
Budget Committees. Congressman HIG- now left perhaps because they can’t de- This is the kind of effort that we have
GINS is also the Democratic chair of the fend this, clearly the American econ- succeeded at before because we have
House Northern Border Caucus. Con- omy performs much more efficiently, seen it.
gressman HIGGINS is the chair of the much more effectively under Demo- Eighty years ago, it was the Rural
House Cancer Caucus, and he is a cratic administrations. Electrification Act, which brought
House lead on the Canada-United That is why the Build Back Better electricity to places in America that
States Inter-Parliamentary Group. program invests not in wars that don’t did not have it and would not have it
Madam Speaker, I yield to the gen- create any new roads and bridges in today if the government hadn’t
tleman from New York (Mr. HIGGINS). America, that don’t pull any kids out brought that into effect. The Rural
Mr. HIGGINS of New York. Madam of poverty, that don’t provide childcare Electrification Act did essentially the
Speaker, I thank the gentleman for and child tax credits. Complete waste same thing with electricity that we in-
yielding. of money. Brown University just came tend to do with broadband internet ac-
I was listening intently to the other out with a study that said Americans cess.
side extolling the virtues of nothing paid $6.2 trillion in the past two dec- We can’t leave people behind. That is
but a cynical assessment of the Amer- ades in three Middle East wars. what we do if we continue on the same
ican economy when the American econ- The Build Back Better program in- path we are on.
omy, in fact, needs investment. vests in America by rebuilding Amer- This infrastructure bill helps us
A couple of facts I want to clear up ica, by investing in young America so tackle, maybe most importantly, the
here, if the United States economy had that they become safer, have better nu- climate crisis by making the largest
grown at the increased rates seen trition, and have more economic activ- investment in clean energy trans-
under Democrats since 1933, the aver- ity at a very young age. mission and electric vehicle infrastruc-
age income of Americans would be Every single study points to the ture in history. Build Back Better will
more than double than it currently is same conclusion, that if you invest in work with the infrastructure package
today. kids, the child tax credit, pre-K, to make even more investments in
Economic growth since 1933: 4.6 per- childcare, you produce a more produc- electric vehicles and other clean en-
cent under Democrats; 2.4 percent tive citizen. University studies show ergy technology to combat climate
under Republicans. that for every dollar that you spend, change while making our economy
Annual jobs increases since 1933: you produce in long-term economic more competitive.
Under Democrats, 2.8 percent; under benefits $7 to $8. Rebuilding our infrastructure means
Republicans, 1 percent. Mr. CARTWRIGHT. Madam Speaker, rebuilding our middle class. It means
Since 1962, Democrats created 21 mil- I want to talk about a few things. I jobs, jobs, jobs, and more jobs.
lion more jobs than Republicans. want to talk about jobs, tax cuts, and Before I move on to tax cuts, I would
Ten of 11 of the United States reces- lower costs for American families. like to recognize a fellow Member from
sions between 1953 and 2000 began under First, jobs. Together, under the Pennsylvania, Congresswoman MARY
Republicans administrations. Biden administration, we have already GAY SCANLON. MARY GAY SCANLON is a
George Bush I, a Republican, created created nearly 5 million jobs this year. second-term Member representing
a $300-billion deficit. William Clinton, Growth is up. Wages are up. And unem- Pennsylvania’s Fifth Congressional
a Democrat, wiped out the entire def- ployment right now is down below 5 District. In Congress, Representative
icit and left the next administration, percent. SCANLON has continued her work as a
Bush II, with a $300-billion surplus. Together with Build Back Better, the lifelong advocate for children and fami-
Bush II turned that into a $1.3-trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill will cre- lies.
deficit. Obama, a Democratic Presi- ate millions more jobs, good-paying Representative SCANLON currently
dent, cut that deficit to $600 billion. jobs, American jobs, union jobs, jobs serves on the House Judiciary Com-
Mr. CARTWRIGHT. Madam Speaker, that cannot be outsourced, cannot be mittee and the House Rules Com-
I have been listening to our colleagues offshored. mittee. She is vice chair of the House
across the aisle complaining about so- This infrastructure package makes Committee on House Administration.
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called socialist tax increases that we the largest Federal investment in pub- Congresswoman SCANLON and her
have in store. lic transit ever. It is the largest Fed- husband, Mark, have three adult chil-
Does the gentleman know what the eral investment in passenger rail since dren. They currently reside in
top marginal tax rate under the Eisen- the creation of Amtrak. Swarthmore with a lot of pets.
hower administration was? In Pennsylvania alone, the State will Madam Speaker, I yield to the gen-
Mr. HIGGINS of New York. Will the be opened up to over 3 million people tlewoman from Pennsylvania (Ms.
gentleman yield? with access to Amtrak. In northeastern SCANLON).
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H6112 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE November 2, 2021
Ms. SCANLON. Madam Speaker, I tion as a logistics hub on the East need universal pre-K, better access to
thank Congressman CARTWRIGHT for Coast and to ensure America’s com- affordable childcare, a dependable sys-
yielding, and I thank him for outlining petitiveness in a global economy. tem of care for our seniors, and invest-
some of the many benefits to climate America can’t engage in inter- ments in higher education and work-
in this bill because for my adult chil- national trade if it can’t get goods in force training.
dren and so many of the college stu- and out of the country or across the The Build Back Better Act will lower
dents in my district, their number one country due to crumbling infrastruc- the cost of things that keep families up
issue is finally taking meaningful ac- ture and related backlogs in proc- at night, while also delivering a mas-
tion to address climate change. essing. sive tax cut for the middle class
But these bills do so much more than through the expanded child tax credit
b 1900
that. After more than 50 years of failed and the earned income tax credit—giv-
trickle-down economics and unfulfilled The COVID pandemic brought into ing the middle class more breathing
promises to prioritize our Nation’s in- sharp focus how essential the internet room. That is what my constituents
frastructure, the last administration is for Americans to work or find em- need.
decided to punt on infrastructure and ployment, to participate in remote Already this year, through the Amer-
double down on giveaways to the rich learning, to access healthcare, to stay ican Rescue Plan that we passed in
by passing yet another tax cut for the connected with friends and family, and March, we have seen the child tax cred-
ultra-wealthy. What did that get us? to carry out any number of basic ac- it benefit 126,000 children in my district
Widening income inequality, a shrink- tivities in the 21st century. Yet, mil- alone. That is 76,000 families who got
ing middle class, crumbling roads and lions of Americans live in areas where extra help for essentials like childcare,
bridges, and increased corporate wel- there is no broadband infrastructure, food, and diapers—much less paying for
fare. or they can’t afford it. school clothes, extracurricular sports,
For too long, America’s economic Our infrastructure bill will expand or putting something aside for college.
policy has revolved around support for broadband access for millions of Amer- By making the most significant in-
the rich and powerful rather than icans, including many of my constitu- vestment in children and caregiving in
working people. With President Biden, ents. In addition to investing in generations, we are helping individual
we are ready to change that. broadband infrastructure, the bill will families and the country as a whole.
I am proud to be part of a Congress also lower prices for internet service Because people—particularly women—
that is prioritizing the American peo- and create a permanent program to can get back to work when they know
ple. help more low-income households ac- that their family members are cared
In partnership with the Biden admin- cess the internet. for. And ensuring access to quality
istration, Democrats in Congress have Much like the Federal Government’s daycare and preschool sets children up
set out to offer the greatest potential efforts to provide electricity to every for success, making them more likely
for American families and American American nearly a 100 years ago, this to graduate, pursue higher education,
small businesses to achieve prosperity effort will be transformative. It will hold jobs, pay taxes, and have higher
and the American Dream in half a cen- drastically improve the ability for all earnings.
Americans, no matter where they live In addition to increasing the max-
tury. We need both the bipartisan In-
or their income level, to access serv- imum for Pell grant awards, the Build
frastructure Investment and Jobs Act
ices and opportunities that are essen- Back Better Act expands opportunities
and the Build Back Better Act to meet
tial to modern life. for Americans to participate in job
that potential and deliver a fairer,
Another aspect of the infrastructure training programs that prepare them
more balanced economy that works for
bill that is important for my district is for careers in fast-growing sectors.
all Americans.
the funding it provides for climate re- This bill is going to help the working
After too many infrastructure weeks
siliency, particularly flooding. Commu- people in PA–05 and across the country.
to count, Congress will soon deliver an It will help families like the one I
infrastructure bill to the President’s nities like Eastwick, and economic en-
met in Media—a mom who was beam-
desk that creates economic oppor- gines like the Philadelphia airport, are
ing about her son’s good-paying, new
tunity for all Americans in the 21st especially vulnerable to climate
job at the Philadelphia shipyard, which
century and beyond. change. We have seen the damage done
he got after completing the Maritime
My district, Pennsylvania’s Fifth, is by flooding, hurricanes, and even—as-
Career Development Program at Dela-
home to Philadelphia’s airport, port, tonishingly, in southeastern Pennsyl-
ware County Community College. It
and rail yard; miles and miles of inter- vania—tornadoes. will help low-income workers in my
state highways and passenger rail Sadly, these extreme weather events
district who work two or more jobs
lines; and regional commuter and are only getting worse. Funding from every day but still can’t make ends
light-rail lines that link Philadelphia the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs meet.
and its suburbs. Our infrastructure is Act will make our communities safer It will help families that struggle to
aging, heavily used, and, in many and our infrastructure more resilient pay for the prescription drugs that
cases, beyond its usable lifespan. Any- to the impacts of climate change. keep them alive without forcing them
one who has been stuck in traffic or a But fixing our Nation’s physical in- to choose between forgoing medication
pothole on the Schuylkill Expressway, frastructure can only take us so far. or housing or heat or food. And the
the Blue Route, or I–95 knows how im- The bipartisan infrastructure bill cre- best part, the Build Back Better bill is
portant an infrastructure bill is to our ates jobs that will provide new oppor- paid for by making those at the top
region. tunities and reduce costs for many pay their fair share for a change.
State and local governments in Penn- Americans, but it won’t change the cal- Madam Speaker, 17 Noble Prize-win-
sylvania and across the country simply culus for the working mom or dad who ning economists recently wrote in sup-
don’t have enough money to meet basic can’t find adequate childcare for their port of this legislation, ‘‘Because this
maintenance needs, much less to invest kid. It won’t improve our schools or agenda invests in long-term economic
in modernization, expansion, or other prepare for the future, and it won’t re- capacity and will enhance the ability
improvements to our national infra- duce the spiraling cost of prescription of more Americans to participate pro-
structure. That is precisely why the In- drugs. ductively in the economy, it will ease
frastructure Investment and Jobs Act All of these factors are holding back longer-term inflationary pressures.’’
is so critical for my district and our families from fully participating in our We have the chance to set a new path
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national economy. economy, and in turn, preventing them that creates real, sustained economic
The Infrastructure Investment and from buying homes and building wealth growth and benefits everyone, not just
Jobs Act will fix our ailing roads and for retirement. Without addressing the multimillionaires and real estate de-
bridges and fund improvements to failings of our ‘‘human infrastructure,’’ velopers. It is time to get this done for
other critical infrastructure at our a majority of Americans—particularly the American people.
port and airport. These upgrades are women and people of color—will con- Mr. CARTWRIGHT. Madam Speaker,
essential to maintain our region’s posi- tinue to be held back. That is why we I thank the gentlewoman.
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November 2, 2021 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE H6113
I appreciate that you mentioned pot- cles, ending this Nation’s addiction to went, 47 percent, from July and August
holes, and you don’t have to be from foreign oil. payments—those are the data available
Pennsylvania to understand the Mr. CARTWRIGHT. Madam Speaker, currently—47 percent went to put food
scourge of potholes. I will say that in I thank the gentleman from New York on the table; 28 percent went toward
my hometown of Scranton, there was a (Mr. HIGGINS), for his time here this utilities, including broadband.
study done about how much it costs car evening. So we are talking about kids doing
owners every year to play the pothole Madam Speaker, we have talked their homework. We are talking about
slalom every year and hope that you about creating jobs, and Build Back parents having an opportunity to reach
don’t damage your car. They do dam- Better is about creating jobs. It is also the outside world. Middle-income
age their cars, and it costs on average about helping workers keep more of America to have cottage industries up
$1,400 a year for car owners to drive their hard-earned paychecks by cutting and running. So 75 percent of that tax
over these rough roads. taxes for the middle class. Thanks to cut went to food and utilities, and
It is something that only the govern- the American Rescue Plan, the child other incidentals absorb the remaining
ment can do, fix the roads, pave the tax credit’s monthly tax cuts are al- amount of payments. Now, that is a
roads, fix the bridges. Thank you for ready helping parents put gas in the staggering statistic. That should tell
mentioning that. car or pay for childcare so they can go us something about the value added of
In fact, I would be remiss if I did not to work and help fuel our economy. this tax cut.
mention, the Susquehanna River flows The latest data analyzed by the JEC Madam Speaker, as Representative
through northeastern Pennsylvania found that these tax cuts are gener- CARTWRIGHT indicated, there is a stark
and it bisects the two towns of Pittston ating more than $19 billion in spending contrast between Republican leader-
and West Pittston. And there are only in local economies each month ship in the House and Democratic lead-
two bridges over the Susquehanna at throughout our Nation. The data are ership in the House. When the majority
Pittston to West Pittston, and one of clear: When working families keep was run by the Republicans, they
them is out right now. It is out because more of their hard-earned money, that joined the former President in pro-
it is really old; it hasn’t been main- is more money pumping into local viding a tax cut for the 1 percent of the
tained properly because the money businesses and supporting even more highest wealth in the country. This
wasn’t there, the investment wasn’t jobs. That is why we are working to reaches across the spectrum of middle-
made, and we didn’t get the job done. continue those tax cuts and more income communities and those looking
This is exactly why we have to make through the Build Back Better Act. to ascend to the middle class.
these investments. Democrats passed the child tax credit The statistic that I find most heart-
Madam Speaker, I thank the gentle- and the American Rescue Plan without warming is that one-half of children
woman for her time this evening. a single Republican vote. That is right. living in poverty in our country, one-
Ms. SCANLON. Madam Speaker, I Every single Republican voted against half of those children, will be lifted out
have heard of other States that have more money in the pockets of hard- of poverty with this child tax credit.
that problem. I heard Kentucky has a working families. That is a moral standard that we
bridge that is out right now that is des- Now, it is Democrats who are work- should all embrace.
If you want to really see a comeback
perately in need of repair. ing to extend the child tax credit. This
in our economy, we support those fami-
Mr. CARTWRIGHT. Madam Speaker, contrast could not be clearer. When
lies, middle-income families, those
I want to go back on the question of in- Democrats control the Congress, we
looking to ascend to the middle in-
frastructure for a moment. cut taxes for working people. When Re-
come. Those are the families that need
Madam Speaker, I yield to the gen- publicans control the Congress, they
the shot in the arm. And it is going to
tleman from New York (Mr. HIGGINS), cut taxes for millionaires and billion-
happen by further extending that tax
our colleague from Buffalo. aires and corporations. And they leave
Mr. HIGGINS of New York. Madam program.
middle-class families out to dry. So our heart is with children. Our
Speaker, my two colleagues from Madam Speaker, we are joined to- heart is with those children who need
Pennsylvania were very clear about the night by an esteemed colleague, Rep- early education, three- and four-year-
component parts of this plan and the resentative PAUL TONKO of the Capital olds that will be able to have advan-
good things that they do for individ- District of New York. He is a six-term tages, too. The programs that will pro-
uals, but they also do good things for Member of Congress from Upstate New vide, not only educational training, but
our Nation as a whole. York and a lifelong public servant. cognitive skill development, cognitive
Madam Speaker, the conservative Throughout his career, he has been a awareness, social awareness that will
economist from Moody’s Analytics, strong fighter for the environment and drive the factors that lead to a produc-
Mark Zandi, did an analysis of the 2017 sustainable energy, and he currently tive life.
corporate tax cut. He said that for serves as the cochair for the Sustain-
every dollar that you gave away, you able Energy and Environmental Coali- b 1915
could expect to recapture 32 cents. tion Caucus and a member of the Com- And so many times education experts
That is a loss in investment of 67 per- mittee on Energy and Commerce. will cite the availability of early edu-
cent. Representative TONKO is a long- cation as the big factor in determining
On infrastructure, the conservative standing champion for the working the outcome of a person’s work career
economist says that for every dollar class by advancing policies that create and the dollars that individual brings
that you spend on infrastructure, you jobs, provide economic opportunity, home; so that is very important.
produce $1.60 in economic activity. The and ensure that senior citizens are able Access to quality childcare. So many
gain on investment on infrastructure is to retire with dignity. families are not rejoining the work-
60 percent. So it is beyond the bricks Madam Speaker, I yield to the gen- force because they don’t have access to
and mortar of infrastructure. It is also tleman from New York (Mr. TONKO). healthcare. And if the schools are in
the good that that does for the growth Mr. TONKO. Madam Speaker, I thank this undecided state whether they are
in the economy. the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. going to have virtually learning or in-
I would leave you with this: The oil CARTWRIGHT), and thank him for lead- classroom learning or part of each
age isn’t going to end because we run ing us in tonight’s discussion on both combined, they need the security of
out of oil. The oil age is going to end physical and human infrastructure. childcare.
because we find a better way than the Let me start by extending my com- So the human fabric, the human in-
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internal combustible engine, some- ments toward the child tax credit that frastructure that is part of the Build
thing that is quieter, cleaner, and you made mention of in your last com- Back Better Act introduced and envi-
eventually cheaper. And guess what? ments. The data now are available sioned by this President, President
This bill, the Build Back Better, the in- from July and August. As we all know, Biden, is tremendously reinforcing to
frastructure bill, has money to provide families received their first check in so many families across the country.
charging stations to facilitate the July, and what a bit of welcome relief. Powerful information and powerful re-
making and the using of electric vehi- And as we look at where those dollars inforcements that enable them to
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H6114 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE November 2, 2021
dream their version of the American reaching every corner of this country, It is a different economy. These are
dream. which broadband will do. different times. We need to adjust. We
Now, when we talk about the phys- Let me just mention this, and I will need to invest in America and into her
ical infrastructure, I would be remiss if close with this for now. I chair the people, and that is what this measure
I didn’t equate that to the 20th Con- Subcommittee on Environment and is about.
gressional District of New York. My Climate Change reporting to the En- I am also involved with the offshore
district hosts the eastern mouth of the ergy and Commerce Committee. Under wind industry. And making certain
Erie Canal. And the vision for infra- our umbrella falls the responsibility that my district, hundreds of miles
structure in really difficult economic for the Safe Drinking Water Act. away from any offshore wind project, is
times, by Governor DeWitt Clinton, The drinking water infrastructure in going to have many jobs because we
was to connect the great ocean, the At- this Build Back Better effort, and in- are going to be building foundations.
lantic, with the Great Lakes. frastructure in general, is about mak- We are going to be building tower com-
That inspired not only the develop- ing certain no children drink out of ponents. We are going to be building
ment of New York as an entry port, lead-infested pipes. 10,000 pipes in this the ancillary pieces that are a part of
and we now know what a metropolis it country that are feeding and serving it. We may be building some of the tur-
is, but it inspired the necklace of com- homes. There is no way children and bine blades that are then installed in
munities that were given birth to as families should be drinking water that the offshore capacity along the eastern
mill towns; and then inspired a west- has lead in it: we know that it is a per- network where everyone is going to
ward movement. That is infrastructure manent damage, irreversible; and we prosper from this. And we are going to
playing into our economic development know that it is about social and eco- clean the environment, which is a de-
into our future. It expanded the turf of nomic justice. mand of the generations behind us and
this country. It gave so many people We also provide for more dollars in those yet to be born.
the opportunity to insert their skill the SRF, the State Revolving Funds, They have the right to demand clean
set, their passion, their abilities into which 50 capitals across the country re- air; to have made clean the air they
products that fed the quality of life ceive in terms of the Federal downpay- breathe; and make safe the water they
around the world. ment for water infrastructure. I was in drink. It is a mission that is justified,
Mr. CARTWRIGHT. Madam Speaker, county government back when I start- and we need to be part of that justifica-
I request a colloquy with the gen- ed my career, and we had much more of tion.
tleman from New York. a partnership with Washington. Mr. CARTWRIGHT. Madam Speaker,
Is the gentleman trained as an engi- Today, we are getting on average I thank Representative TONKO. We have
neer? maybe 4 to 5 percent of all projects an engineer on his toes here this
Mr. TONKO. Yes. Not a civil engi- that are drinking water-based as a Fed- evening who has picked up on a lot of
neer, but mechanical and industrial. eral share. Come on, we can do much the points that have been made pre-
But those engineers are powerful be- better than that. If we don’t, the issue viously.
For example, Representative MARY
cause they make the world spin. And doesn’t go away, and local property
GAY SCANLON and Representative
that whole feat, today, if you were to taxpayers have to pick up that burden.
TONKO both brought up the similarity
visit the Erie Canal and see the lochs It is a regressive tax.
between expanding broadband internet
that were developed at a time when So for many, many reasons, we are
access to all of the rural places and all
modern equipment and machinery on board here with a plan that really
the nooks and crannies and hollers in
wasn’t available, it was not only an en- speaks to the definitive times in which
this country. The similarity between
gineering feat, but a tremendous salute we reside. We now are living in a mo-
doing that and enacting the Rural
to the workers and the skill and the ment of history where we need to re-
Electrification Act 80 years ago by
work ethic that they bore. engage, reengineer our skill sets, our President Franklin Roosevelt, if we
Mr. CARTWRIGHT. Madam Speaker, resources, to advance an innovation hadn’t done that so many people would
the gentleman was discussing the neck- economy; and to do that, we need a 21st have been left behind, literally, in the
lace of communities that followed the century toolkit and the Build Back dark.
Erie Canal. Earlier on this evening I Better Act and the infrastructure act, If we don’t do this, we are going to
was talking about how Amtrak as- they do it. It is a good downpayment. leave Americans behind in the quest
sessed that restoring passenger rail in We are going to still have more work for knowledge and keeping up in the
northeastern Pennsylvania would re- to do. modern economy by use of high-speed
sult in about $87 million per year of ad- The President has a vision; it is bold. broadband internet.
ditional economic activity along the But we know that leaders in the past, Another thing Representative TONKO
line. Governor DeWitt Clinton, President Ei- just mentioned, Madam Speaker, is
Mr. TONKO. Absolutely. senhower, President Franklin Roo- about filling jobs. I represent north-
Mr. CARTWRIGHT. Does that hold sevelt, President Teddy Roosevelt with eastern Pennsylvania, and I talk to
water? parks, setting aside lands for park de- employers a lot, employers of manufac-
Mr. TONKO. Absolutely. And as we velopment, these were giants in their turing jobs, employers of retail and
invest in rail, we increase ridership if times. restaurant jobs, and the lament has
you are getting from A to B in a We have a giant now calling on Con- been constant. With manufacturing
quicker time period than you would if gress to help bring the vision into clear jobs, it predated the pandemic, it was
you were traveling by car. It makes view and tether it into the commu- that we can’t find people trained-up to
common sense and economic sense. nities across this country. do our work. We can’t find people who
From rail to broadband—I have com- Mr. CARTWRIGHT. It is true, isn’t know how to run CNC machines, the
munities in my district that are it, that the Build Back Better Act and modern version of the lathe, to manu-
unserved or underserved with the bricks and mortar infrastructure facture parts in their businesses.
broadband services. act, they work together, they dovetail The Build Back Better Act includes a
Today, this is about doctors reading to achieve the visions you are talking lot of money for workforce develop-
x-rays, children doing their homework, about? ment. It is a big favor being done for
cottage industries launching and stay- Mr. TONKO. Worker training, worker employers, for companies that do man-
ing in business. This is an important retraining, apprenticeship programs, ufacturing work; but it goes beyond
bit of modern-day infrastructure. It is skills development, childcare, so that that. As Representative TONKO just
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akin to the Rural Electrification Act of families can comfortably go to work mentioned, there are so many families,
the 1930s, in the last century. and know that their children are in single-parent families, where either the
We have a history that speaks to us good stead. We have many households mom or the dad, probably predomi-
boldly about what infrastructure that are headed by single-parent moms. nantly the mom, is home watching
meant. The Rural Electrification Act We have many households that have kids and doesn’t have options for
made America buzz with economic ac- both members of the household, cou- childcare or for pre-K that would en-
tivity; provided economic justice by ples, having full-time jobs. able them to go out and go back to
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November 2, 2021 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE H6115
work. That is what we are seeing right chain, to hold down energy costs, re- versal healthcare in this country. That
now after the pandemic. duce costs, reduce the tax burden on is so good because it keeps our hos-
In fact, we have Wilkes-Barre, Penn- households, and provide a vision that pitals afloat.
sylvania, in my district, and the chief will get us to where we need to be. Madam Speaker, do you know what
executive officer of the Greater Wilkes- It is about time that we had this sort happened in Pennsylvania before we
Barre Chamber of Commerce did a sur- of leadership; not just reducing pro- got the expansion of Medicaid under
vey and touched on the very point Rep- grams, cutting down government, not the Affordable Care Act? We started
resentative TONKO just made. The sur- seeing the effectiveness of sound gov- losing rural hospitals. Madam Speaker,
vey showed that of the people who took ernment. Now we have a leader who un- it is no longer a theoretical thing.
themselves out of the workforce be- derstands the public-private partner- When your hospital isn’t there because
cause of the pandemic, in restaurant ship—business working with govern- it went under, your actual healthcare
and retail jobs, of those people, 54 per- ment—to address the needs of those suffered, not your coverage. Your
cent of those who have not gone back businesses, their workers, worker chances of making it if you had a heart
have not gone back because they are training, and having the resources to attack or a stroke go way, way down if
watching kids at home because of the be robustly competitive so that we the local hospitals are not financially
scarcity of options for childcare. grow a more fair, more just, more ro- sound and robust.
Remember, when you are working in bust, and a more sustainable economy. This will lower healthcare costs by
a restaurant or retail, if you are bus- It is a powerful opportunity. strengthening the Affordable Care Act.
sing tables, you are not making enough It is a very important part of this bill.
b 1930
money to hire a nanny. You are not Madam Speaker, maybe the most im-
making enough money to get the top Mr. CARTWRIGHT. Madam Speaker, portant thing that people miss about
option in daycare. That is why the I thank Representative TONKO. The these bills that we are working on
Build Back Better Act comes in handy. gentleman has repeated the word right now: The Build Back Better Act
What it does is—above all, remember ‘‘competitive’’ about three times just is paid for. It is fully paid for by mak-
this—it does a favor for those small now, and I couldn’t think of a more ap- ing sure that the ultra-wealthy and
businesses, those employers that are propriate word because, Madam Speak- corporations pay their fair share. It
trying to fill those jobs that are open er, it is a tough world out there. We will not add to the deficit, and no one
and are going begging for people to Americans may think the world owes making less than $400,000 a year will
come fill them. The Build Back Better us a living, but it doesn’t. We have to pay a penny more in taxes. In fact,
plan, by establishing universal pre-K get out there and compete. Our busi- working families are going to see their
and also beefing up childcare options, nesses have to compete, and our people taxes cut because Build Back Better re-
gives those parents the ability to go have to compete. wards work and not wealth.
back to work and fill those jobs and We have to be at the top of our game This contrast is worth repeating,
power our economy. to win and keep those jobs and make Madam Speaker. When Democrats con-
What do you think, Representative sure they don’t go to Europe or Russia trol the Congress, we cut taxes for
TONKO? or China. Those countries are investing working people. When Republicans do,
Mr. TONKO. Will the gentleman in themselves. They are building fast they cut taxes for millionaires and cor-
yield? railroads; they are building their roads porations. No more.
Mr. CARTWRIGHT. I yield to the and bridges; and they are investing in As the President often says, for far
gentleman from New York. high-speed internet—all of these too long, this economy has worked
Mr. TONKO. Representative CART- things. As a result, we had better be at great for those at the top while hard-
WRIGHT mentioned, Madam Speaker, the top of our game. working Americans who built this
the strength of manufacturing and That is what we do with the Build country have been cut out of the deal.
growing our manufacturing jobs. The Back Better Act and these infrastruc- Democrats are dealing working people
pandemic alerted us to a supply chain ture investments. back into the deal by building an econ-
crisis. The Build Back Better Act Now, I have talked about jobs and omy that gives them a fair shot. We
speaks to addressing the shortages that tax cuts, but cutting costs for Amer- are going to make sure it is paid for by
we had for manufacturing. Supply ican families has to be covered as well. asking the ultra-wealthy to pay their
shortages. That is critical. As Representative TONKO mentioned, fair share. It is only right.
We also combined the efforts for this bill will save most families more Madam Speaker, it is so important
manufacturing to be more profitable than half their spending on childcare that we pass these bills. Representative
and provide more jobs by addressing and deliver free pre-K for every 3- and TONKO has spent some considerable
retrofitting manufacturing, so it is en- 4-year-old in America, as we talked time talking about the importance of
ergy-smarter as an outcome. about. That will free up moms and dads rebuilding, maintaining, and expanding
Now, we know we have a very robust to go to work. It will also provide our bricks-and-mortar infrastructure.
plan, a goal that is very robust by the money for senior care. That is so important. These are assets
year 2050 to have net-zero greenhouse There are a lot of folks at home who that were passed down to us from the
gas emissions. If we are going to can’t leave the house because they are Greatest Generation.
achieve that, we have to reach to every taking care of an elder at home. That Who are we to think that we don’t
sector of the economy in order to at- is another thing that these bills help. have to maintain them, take care of
tain those goals; so we need to look to Just think about what it means to a them, expand them, make them better,
manufacturing. working family in northeastern Penn- and make them work for a modern
Retrofitting manufacturing, making sylvania or anywhere else in this coun- economy and all the needs that Amer-
certain it is energy-smart, making cer- try that they can be freed up to go ican workers and businesses have to
tain it can compete in a global market- back to work and fill jobs that are stay competitive in the world?
place with all the tools at their finger- going begging right now. It means par- I say let’s pass these bills, let’s get
tips is an important standard that is ents can go to work and fuel our econ- the job done, and let’s fulfill the vision
established in the Build Back Better omy knowing their kids or their elder- for the American workers, the Amer-
Act. ly parents are taken care of. That is ican people, and our entire Nation.
So the President says we are at an good for our entire economy. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gen-
inflection point. I couldn’t agree more. Now, we know that eldercare and tleman from New York (Mr. TONKO).
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We are now in a focus mode where we childcare isn’t the only thing keeping Mr. TONKO. Madam Speaker, I will
are going to determine the best out- parents up late at night. It is about also cite the fact that some of the
comes by combining legislation and re- making ends meet and making sure greatest looking institutional build-
sources that will speak to the most they can afford good healthcare cov- ings in our districts are from the FDR
forceful, sharpest competitive edge for erage. These bills beef up the Patient era: libraries that speak significantly
our business community, for our manu- Protection and Affordable Care Act to to the cityscapes, institutional set-
facturing base to address our supply the point where we almost have uni- tings, schools that really laid out an
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H6116 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE November 2, 2021
image of importance to children of how part of this package. Thanks to our Madam Speaker, I yield back the bal-
great education is. We have been partners in unionized labor, union ance of my time.
taught by generations before us that labor, they have worked with us to de- f
there should be a commitment to peo- velop a blueprint for a sounder tomor-
row. HONORING AMERICA’S BELOVED
ple across this country, especially chil-
Let’s get aboard. Let’s get this done. VETERANS
dren, to invest in our tomorrows.
How dare we just pass by and cut ev- Let’s go forward and show people that The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under
erything and not help build? America is strong and that she is at the Speaker’s announced policy of Jan-
We are hurting ourselves by not in- her best when she embraces that pio- uary 4, 2021, the Chair recognizes the
vesting in those resources that will get neer spirit that I saw when I mentioned gentleman from Michigan (Mr.
us to a stronger economy, research the Erie Canal. There has always been BERGMAN) for 30 minutes.
money that will be part of the $555 bil- that pioneer spirit within us. It is part Mr. BERGMAN. Madam Speaker, I
lion that is part of the investment in of our DNA. am proud and honored to host today’s
climate change, the response to cli- How dare we deny it as we come to- Special Order in light of Veterans Day
mate change. It is much stronger than gether in this crucial moment where being just around the corner on No-
that, but there in the Build Back Bet- we are asked to come up with a re- vember 11.
ter Act is the opportunity to advance sponse to a global economy, where it is Here in D.C. and back home in Michi-
that effort. not the U.S. running the entire econ- gan, I stay closely connected with all
Now, that will include a number of omy of the world, where we have to my fellow veterans, and I can tell you
jobs in the trades, installing a lot of compete and compete effectively, and this: From the Afghanistan debacle to
the renewable energy and innovative where we give the people of this coun- lingering backlogs at the VA, it has
concepts, retrofitting manufacturing try the dignity of work where they can not been an easy year for veterans and
and the like. But then there are going earn a great and fair check so they can their families.
to be the white collar jobs as engineers support their families, pay for the roof But I want to remind you all, vet-
and planners go to work on investing over their head, set some money aside, erans, you are not alone. We are here
in the newness of discovery. That will and enable their children to enjoy that with you; we are listening; and we are
come with many people working in labs future set-aside? working through the difficult times to
and research centers who will get us to That is what this is about. This is get things done. You are going to hear
a stronger outcome. speaking to America, her families, and today from many of my colleagues who
Where there is no vision, the people those in need. It will result in a strong- not only share this feeling but want to
shall perish. We learn that when we er and healthier workforce and one remind you that we are working every
open our Book. That should speak to that has a sense of hope. If we can de- day on your behalf, not for any polit-
us. It is important for us to have a liver the commodity of hope to the ical reason but because we strive to
boldness of vision that will take an in- doorsteps of Americans, we will have thank you and honor you for your serv-
vestment but certainly render lucra- achieved.
ice to our Nation.
So, Madam Speaker, I thank Presi-
tive dividends for the people in this Madam Speaker, I yield to the gen-
dent Biden; I thank the leadership in
moment and those generations that tleman from Illinois (Mr. BOST), who is
the House; and I thank Representative
will follow us. my friend, colleague, and fellow ma-
CARTWRIGHT for leading us this evening
Let them look 100 years from now at rine.
in this great discussion.
this moment and say they got it; they Mr. CARTWRIGHT. Madam Speaker, Mr. BOST. Madam Speaker, I thank
invested; they received great assets I thank Congressman TONKO for his the gentleman for yielding. General
from those before them; and they saw comments. BERGMAN is doing a great job.
that they had to do likewise and con- Madam Speaker, you can tell when Madam Speaker, I am proud to join
tribute to the tomorrows that that you get Congressman TONKO, a guy my friends and fellow veterans here
group will enjoy 100 years out and be- from Amsterdam, New York, revved up today to honor the generations of men
yond. about the Erie Canal, he is going to and women who have served this great
This is our moment to really shine. give you a good speech. A good speech Nation. From the Greatest Generation
The gentleman talked about the fact is what we need to be doing right now of veterans to the youngest generation
that this effort is paid for. That is a because we have to have people under- of veterans, we are undeniably lucky to
good balance that we bring into the stand the importance of passing the in- have men and women who are willing
House. We tell people that we balanced frastructure bill and the Build Back to lay down their lives for others.
it so that there is a payment mecha- Better Act, and passing them together This Veterans Day comes exactly 2
nism for all that we choose to do. That because they fulfill the vision not only months after the 20th anniversary of
was not the case with the huge tax cut of President Biden but a vision that we the 9/11 terror attacks.
of 2016. They expected a trickle-down have all been waiting for for the long- b 1945
and that it would pay for itself. est time.
What did we see happening to the def- Representative TONKO and I have In that sense, it is an even more
icit? It bloated from that tax cut. been serving our entire time in Con- poignant reminder than usual of the
Then, Madam Speaker, you will hear gress—for me, 9 years; for the gen- sacrifices veterans have made so that
debate on this floor about raising the tleman, 13 years—waiting for infra- we can be free. For 20 years, soldiers,
debt ceiling so that America can pay structure to happen. sailors, airmen, marines, guardsmen,
her bills. What was their message? Representative MARY GAY SCANLON reservists, and Special Forces units, in
They want this money so they can spoke earlier tonight about all the in- and around Afghanistan prevented an-
spend more. frastructure weeks we had under the other terrorist attack on the home-
No, we are paying the dollars off that past administration. We had infra- land. For 20 years, they made the world
you incurred as bills when you were structure week after infrastructure safer. For 20 years, they gave the Af-
President and you were the Republican week. She said that as a joke because ghanistan people a taste of freedom;
leadership in this House. That is pay- it never happened. We just labeled the freedom for Afghan women and
ing for bills that came from the last weeks ‘‘infrastructure week,’’ and no- girls to pursue education and a career;
several years. This payment mecha- body did anything about it under the the freedom to play sports, the freedom
nism will make certain we go forward Republican administration. to be Christian; the freedom to live
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with an investment in America that is We are here to say President Biden without oppression and terror.
paid for and that will reach the great and the current Democratic majority Like generations of veterans before
many of us, the great middle-income in the House are going to deliver for them, they spent days, months, and
community. the people on the vision of infrastruc- years thousands of miles from home.
The strength of America lies in her ture and making our economy and our They missed births, birthdays, wed-
middle class, and the strength of the American people competitive on the dings, funerals, anniversaries and holi-
middle class lies in union jobs, which is world stage. days. They protected those they will
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