Congressional Record, Senate, March 14, 2022 (S1137) — American Rescue Plan and Tribute to Dr. Ezike

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Congressional Record, Senate, page S1137, March 14, 2022. A senator's remarks discuss the planned address by the President of Ukraine to a joint session of Congress, the American Rescue Plan one year after it passed, and inflation. The remarks say the American Rescue Plan passed only with Democratic votes and that America's economy added more than 6 million new jobs in the year since it passed. The remarks also include a tribute to Dr. Ngozi Ezike, who headed the Illinois Department of Public Health during the pandemic and is leaving that position.

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“Congressional Record, Senate, March 14, 2022 (S1137) — American Rescue Plan and Tribute to Dr. Ezike.” Original at www.govinfo.gov. Archived at Pandemic Darlings, https://pandemicdarlings.com/source-documents/crec-crec-2022-03-14-crec-2022-03-14-pt1-pgs1137-cb581f580c/, SHA-256 2ed3aae16d864ed7d78d2b84f543af51069c5a5d839dc03973543448742adfa5.

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March 14, 2022 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S1137
President of Ukraine, will address a nities through the worst time when the little over a year when COVID hit. We
joint session of Congress using the re- pandemic forced businesses and schools were lucky she was there.
mote technology. We are all in awe of to close. The American Rescue Plan Directors of State health depart-
his courage and leadership, and we are provided a critical lifeline to low-in- ments usually work outside the public
anxious to hear his message, to think come families, stabilized middle-class spotlight. She was in the spotlight
of what that man has achieved by stay- families by providing enhanced child every day. Appearing with Governor JB
ing on the scene, regularly broad- tax credits, and expanded unemploy- Pritzker in his daily briefings, she was
casting videos to show that he was still ment insurance and housing relief. the public face of Illinois’ effort to con-
there. He inspires his people to get up That plan also closed the holes to pro- tain the virus and save lives. What a
and fight for Ukraine. vide help for families with children, ex- reassuring presence. She dispensed
Our message to him on that day is panding the earned income tax credit daily doses of compassion and empathy
‘‘Slava Ukraini!’’—that is, ‘‘Glory to and child tax credit. along with the facts and statistics, the
Ukraine.’’ And it is a phrase that was In particular, the enhanced child tax realities, pleas for mask wearing and
actually banished during Soviet times credit gave working families a chance handwashing. She delivered her mes-
because it was so nationalistic that the to breathe. They used it to buy the ba- sage calmly, clearly, and then, without
Soviets didn’t want the people of that sics—groceries, diapers—pay the util- missing a beat, delivered it again in
country using it. They use it proudly ity bills, pay the rent, pay the mort- Spanish.
today because they are an independent, gage. Some of us just take that all for Her sincerity was obvious and never
free, and democratic nation. granted. For many people, it is a pay- more so than at a news conference
America stands with Ukraine in its check-to-paycheck challenge. Some about 7 months into the pandemic
fight for democracy and civilization. I families actually finally paid down when she broke down as she was deliv-
just hope that we will learn many les- their debts. Others put a few dollars ering the day’s grim statistics. She
sons from this. Don’t many of the away for the next emergency. paused to regain her composure and
things which we were arguing about in Now, they are feeling squeezed again, then urged Illinois residents to fight
America seem so trivial in comparison those same families. That doesn’t mean the fatigue and keep doing what is
to what we are talking about in we were mistaken when we passed the needed to protect themselves and each
Ukraine: truckers coming to protest American Rescue Plan. It means we other from the virus. After seeing that
social distancing and masks and vac- have more to do to lower the cost of on television, I wrote her a fan letter,
cine mandates? I am sure those are im- living for families across the United and many others did too. She really
portant issues, but they pale in com- States. This should be done on a bipar- cared.
parison to the life-and-death struggle tisan basis. Two weeks ago, she was at another
which is going on in Ukraine. Inflation is a global problem, not news conference with the Governor.
These people understand that they simply an American problem. It is a re- With the number of Illinois residents
must be ready to stand and die for flection of the world labor market and hospitalized with COVID below 1,000 for
their freedom. How many of us could a global supply chain basically dis- 3 days for the first time since last Au-
rise to that level if challenged? It is rupted by a pandemic and still in the gust, the Governor said it was time to
something I think about a lot. process of recovery. lift our mask mandate, time to move
AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN Now, we have made a decision as a toward normal life in Illinois.
Madam President, on another topic, 2 nation to ban imports of Russian oil. Dr. Ezike surprised everybody by an-
years ago—March 13, 2020—President Seventy-nine percent of the American nouncing that she was going to return
Trump officially declared COVID a na- people support that decision, even to normal life herself; she was leaving
tional emergency in America. We all though they understand that it will her position. In announcing her deci-
remember the dark and uncertain days drive up the price of gasoline. They sion, she thanked her husband and four
in the early spring of 2020. Overnight, don’t want their hard-earned American kids ‘‘for tolerating the absences, the
schools, offices, and businesses closed dollars paying for Vladimir Putin’s last-minute changes in plans, the end-
their doors and opened their Zooms. war, killing the innocent people of less multitasking and the ever-present
Today is also an important anniver- Ukraine. I salute them for their cour- cellphones.’’ And she added:
sary in America’s recovery. One year age in joining our Nation together in Now it’s time—
ago today—1 year ago—Democrats in that effort to stop it.
Yes, it will add more to the price of She said to her family—
Congress passed the American Rescue
oil. It already has over the last week or to make you my priority and give back a
Plan, our comprehensive plan to help
portion of the encouragement and support
American families, hospitals, and two because of Putin’s invasion, but we
that you have lavished on me.
small businesses weather the economic have got to face a reality. To stop the
hardship of the pandemic and to dis- killing and death in Ukraine, we have She thanked the people of Illinois
tribute vaccines and medical equip- to be prepared to make some sacrifice. ‘‘for their sacrifices’’ and asked we con-
ment so that we could get the pan- Inflation is a real problem. We need tinue to show each other compassion
demic behind us and return to normal real solutions, not just complaints. and tolerance. She remembered the
life in America. TRIBUTE TO DR. NGOZI EZIKE nearly 33,000 people in our State who
The pandemic has affected every- Madam President, my remaining have died of COVID since the begin-
body: Republicans, Democrats, and statement is a tribute to an extraor- ning, and she said:
people who don’t care at all about poli- dinary individual, a lady who is a doc- All of the people and all of their stories, I
tics. Sadly, however, the American tor and was the head of the Illinois De- will carry always in my heart.
Rescue Plan only passed with Demo- partment of Public Health during the And she said:
cratic votes. Not a single Republican worst part of the pandemic. I’m so blessed to have been able to bring
would vote for it, in the House or in Her name is Dr. Ngozi Ezike. I saw some measure of comfort to Illinoisans, to
the Senate. her on TV every day when I was back quiet some of the chaos and to infuse some
And it worked. We were right. It was home during the pandemic, and she was calm.
needed. The U.S. economy has recov- such an inspiring person, so talented. Dr. Ezike, I would say that the bless-
ered faster and stronger from this pan- She was calm. She was wise. She was ing was ours.
demic than any other G–7 nation in the compassionate. And she was profes- As the first Black woman ever to
world. America’s economy added more sional. She really made life bearable head the Illinois Department of Public
than 6 million new jobs in the year during an unbearable time. She saved Health in its 143-year history, Dr.

dlhill on DSK120RN23PROD with SENATE
since we passed the American Rescue lives. Ezike added that she was also ‘‘glad
Plan. That is a record. A Harvard-trained, board-certified in- that I served as a role model to young
Part of the reason our economy is ternist and pediatrician, she worked at girls, girls of color, little Black girls,
strong today is because that plan made all levels of public health. For the last that they can be leaders in any field.’’
wise decisions that helped families, 3 years, she has been our State’s top In addition to shepherding our State
helped businesses, and helped commu- doctor. She had been in that post for a through the worst COVID crisis, I am

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