Build Back Better Act (Cong. Rec., Dec. 7, 2021)

Summary

This is S8938 of the Congressional Record, Senate, December 7, 2021, with interleaved columns. A Senate Democratic speaker urges confirmation of Ms. Rosenworcel at the FCC, and, under the heading Build Back Better Act, says the bill would extend the child tax credit, a $300 check each month for each child, and invest in childcare and affordable housing. Under the heading Remembering Gil Hodges, the speaker congratulates the Hodges family on his election to the National Baseball Hall of Fame. Mr. McConnell, also under the heading Build Back Better Act, criticizes the bill and compares it to the earlier health care law, with the views attributed to the speakers.

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“Build Back Better Act (Cong. Rec., Dec. 7, 2021).” Original at www.govinfo.gov. Archived at Pandemic Darlings, https://pandemicdarlings.com/source-documents/crec-crec-2021-12-07-crec-2021-12-07-pt1-pgs8938-9ccbadfa16/, SHA-256 d6ad653785db7a193b554f71d77a19d4571fde1d3bdd838ccbcf12d76939f0b6.

Full text

S8938 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE December 7, 2021
under her leadership, the FCC will our economy the strongest in the 20th have waited for this great player to re-
make immense progress in addressing century. We have got to learn that les- ceive Hall of Fame recognition. The
these challenges. son here in the 21st century with pre-K. wait is over. Gil is in that hall.
Americans don’t want to see their Build Back Better, of course, will I congratulate Mrs. Hodges and the
internet bills go up and up and up. also extend the child tax credit that whole Hodges family for receiving this
They don’t want to have to drive long Democrats passed under the American honor. And I want to congratulate, of
distances at late hours just so their Rescue Plan. This simple lifeline—a course, all the other inductees in the
kids can finish homework at public li- $300 check in the mail each month for Hall of Fame, among them many his-
braries. And they want telemedicine to each child—can be a game changer—a tory-making, barrier-breaking athletes
be available so they can be in the best game changer—during the winter who have made the sport what it is
of health. months, and under Build Back Better, today.
No. Every American wants and de- we can make sure this benefit stays in I yield the floor.
serves fast, affordable, and reliable place. I suggest the absence of a quorum.
internet access directly in their homes. None of this approaches the many The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem-
Already this year, as a result of the other ways that Build Back Better will pore. The clerk will call the roll.
President’s infrastructure bill, we have save Americans money. It will provide The senior assistant legislative clerk
made tremendous strides in closing the the largest investment in affordable proceeded to call the roll.
Mr. MCCONNELL. Mr. President, I
digital divide. We will build on that housing ever. It could save Americans
ask unanimous consent that the order
progress by confirming Ms. hundreds—even more—by making pre-
for the quorum call be rescinded.
Rosenworcel today so that Americans scription drugs, like insulin, cheaper. The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem-
can rest assured that they will have an And it will take necessary and long- pore. Without objection, it is so or-
FCC fighting for them. overdue steps to fight the climate cri- dered.
BUILD BACK BETTER ACT sis, which costs our country tens of bil- RECOGNITION OF THE MINORITY LEADER
Mr. President, on Build Back Better, lions each year every time hurricanes, The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem-
Senate Democrats continue our work wildfires, and floods wreak havoc pore. The Republican leader is recog-
to pass the President’s Build Back Bet- across the country. nized.
ter Act before Christmas. Making Creating jobs, lowering costs, fight-
BUILD BACK BETTER ACT
progress on Build Back Better has been ing climate change, and keeping more
Mr. MCCONNELL. Mr. President, the
no small task, but sticking to our money in people’s pockets—these are
last time Washington Democrats
deadline will be worth it for one simple the things Americans want. These are
pushed through a huge change that dis-
reason: at its core, Build Back Better the things Americans need, and it is
rupted families’ arrangements, it
is the best shot we have had in decades what Build Back Better does. We are
earned President Obama the ‘‘Lie of
to help families lower costs, to cut going to continue working to get these
the Year’’ award.
taxes for working and middle-class things done before the Christmas holi- Democrats insisted that if you liked
Americans, and create good paying jobs day. your healthcare plan, you could keep
while fighting the climate crisis. REMEMBERING GIL HODGES your healthcare plan. It turned out
Economists across the ideological Finally, Mr. President, I close with a that was totally false. Their reckless
spectrum have said it will not—will bit of joyful, long-awaited news not government takeover threw many fam-
not—worsen inflation, something we only for Mets fans all over the world, ilies into chaos.
are seeing happening across the world, but for Brooklynites and those who This year, many of the same Demo-
not just in the U.S. have ancestry in Brooklyn that have crats want to write a sequel. They
Here is something just about every spread across the country. want to ram through a radical, reck-
American can appreciate: Build Back Sunday night, the National Baseball less, multitrillion-dollar taxing-and-
Better will make it cheaper for parents Hall of Fame announced that, after spending spree between now and
to raise their kids. For that alone, it is decades of waiting, Brooklyn’s wonder- Christmas. And a huge part of their bill
more than worth the effort. By pro- ful Gil Hodges—one of the great defen- would completely upend childcare and
viding the largest investment in sive first basemen of his era, a long- pre-K as they exist for families all
childcare in American history, Build time member of the Brooklyn and Los across our country.
Back Better will make it so the vast Angeles Dodgers, and a manager of the If you like your childcare, you can
majority of families will pay no more Mets presiding over the ‘‘Miracle keep your childcare. Well, buckle up,
than 7 percent of their income on Mets’’ 1969 World Series champion- parents. What could possibly go wrong?
childcare for kids under 6. That single ship—has finally, finally, earned his The Democrats have written their
investment could save parents hun- place in Cooperstown. toddler takeover in ways that would
dreds or even thousands of dollars a Some of the earliest memories I have turn families’ finances literally upside
year. I think it is a pretty great deal are listening and watching the Dodgers down and make already expensive
for American families. with my dad. Gil was an essential fig- childcare even costlier. So let’s walk
It will also help our economy. Every- ure of that era—a hero of the 1955 through how they did it.
where you go you hear about shortages World Series, an eight-time All-Star, First, their reckless taxing-and-
of labor. One of the main reasons is in- three-time Golden Glove winner. I spending spree would make childcare
adequate childcare. We rank way low think he was the first to win the Gold- dramatically more expensive through
on the list of developed nations. The en Glove. He was such an amazing an avalanche of new mandates, regula-
United States’ provisions for childcare fielder at first base, as well as Greg tions, and micromanagement—the
come out near the very bottom. That is Gibbons. usual Washington, DC, routine.
something we cannot tolerate any- And what a nice guy he was. One of State and local governments are pan-
more. And that is just one item, the highlights of my life each year was icking about the childcare inflation
childcare. to go trick-or-treating and knock on this would cause. Here in the District,
Build Back Better will also provide, Gil Hodges’ door. Who would come out as one liberal analyst uncovered, local
for the first time ever, free universal and give us candy? The great man him- officials have formally estimated—lis-
pre-K for millions of American fami- self while he was a Brooklyn Dodger. ten to this—that the per-child daycare
lies. By one measure, pre-K can cost That was an incredible, incredible situ- cost for a toddler or an infant would
parents up to $8,600 a year per child. ation. And so it shows you what a nice jump up $12,000 a year—increase the
Under Build Back Better, many par- guy he was. He is a caring guy. cost of childcare $12,000 a year; $12,000

dlhill on DSK120RN23PROD with SENATE
ents will pay zero. Think about that: As much as he was a titan of the more per child per year. President
pre-K, for the first time in U.S. his- game, he was a central part of our Biden’s inflation is coming for daycare.
tory, the greatest expansion of free Brooklyn family, and we all admired That is why the other half of their
education that the United States has the fact that he lived in Brooklyn, clumsy scheme is to dump subsidies
seen in a century. When we made high right near all of us. Year after year, onto some families. They want to bor-
schools available to everyone, it made from one decade to another, Mets fans row and print even more so they can

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