Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, 1 year ago this Saturday, a young couple in my hometown of Louisville were in bed when their door was broken down. The terrified couple leaped for cover, and the man, a licensed gun owner, fired a single shot toward the men busting into his home, hitting one in the leg.

The intruders responded with a barrage of gunfire so wild that it not only killed the woman but narrowly missed a 5-year-old in another apartment.

There is no mystery about the killers' identities, yet they remain free.

That this is unjust, tragic, and an abomination should be beyond debate. Instead, it is hardly unique in America for two reasons, because the killers wore badges and their victims were Black.

One year later, we are still demanding justice for Breonna Taylor, for her grieving friends and family and aching community and country.

Until this horrific story stops repeating, until we can say that, in America's policing and justice system, Black lives truly matter, we will not stop fighting; we will never stop demanding justice for Breonna; and we will never stop saying her name.

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to House Resolution 198, I call up the bill (H.R. 1319) to provide for reconciliation pursuant to title II of S. Con. Res. 5, with the Senate amendment thereto, and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. Speaker, I have a motion at the desk.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and insert extraneous material into the Record on the Senate amendment to H.R. 1319.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, as the sponsor of this legislation, I am immensely proud that we will soon send this bill to President Biden's desk to be signed into law. We have acted with the urgency this pandemic demands, while following every House rule and proper procedure required for a budget reconciliation package.

The American Rescue Plan is aggressive--no doubt about it. But researchers and health professionals have told us this is what is needed to scale up testing and tracing, to address PPE shortages, and to speed up equitable vaccine distribution. They have told us these investments are needed if we want to save lives and defeat this pandemic once and for all.

Economists have also made clear what is needed to generate a strong, inclusive economic recovery. And again, we listened. This bill provides direct financial relief to more than 80 percent of American families. It helps feed hungry Americans and provides financial support so families can afford health coverage during the greatest health crisis of our lifetimes. It prevents more than 10 million workers from losing lifeline unemployment benefits--while also making the first $10,200 of these payments tax free. It helps families facing eviction stay in their homes. And it expands the earned income tax credit, putting more money in the pockets of hardworking Americans.

The American Rescue Plan will provide the resources needed to open schools safely and make up for lost time in the classroom. It will cut the child poverty rate in half--in half. Just think about what that will mean for those children and their futures--and the future of our country.

The legislation has been called one of the most consequential pieces of legislation in modern history. Well, I guess that depends--if you are measuring in terms of relief for nearly every American family and hardworking individual; if your yardstick is lifting millions of children out of poverty and giving parents the help they desperately need; if your metrics are a strong and inclusive economic future both in the short term and long term, then it is easy to agree.

And the American people do. They get what we are doing. They know all too well the challenges facing our Nation, and that is why the vast majority of them--Democrats, Republicans, and independents--support the American Rescue Plan.

Look, this is it. Congress' work on the bill is almost done. In just a short time, we will pass this legislation. We will send it to President Biden's desk, and he will sign it into law. We promised relief. The President promised relief, and now help is on the way.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 45 seconds to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Lee), a distinguished member of the Budget Committee.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 45 seconds to the gentleman from Nevada (Mr. Horsford), a distinguished member of the Budget Committee.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. Clyburn), the majority whip.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I suspect we will listen to this throughout this debate. The ranking member of the Budget Committee, Mr. Smith, persists in trying to scare the American people because he doesn't have a valid argument against this incredible popular bill.

Let me make this very clear: The statutory PAYGO requirements, which would cause a cut in Medicare, has never happened, won't happen, and will never happen. In 2017, when Republicans cut taxes for the wealthy and big corporations, we faced the same problem. We cured that. Democrats helped Republicans solve that issue. The only way any Medicare dollars get cut because of this bill is if Republicans don't help us correct it.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 45 seconds to the gentleman from California (Mr. Levin), a distinguished member of the Veterans' Affairs Committee.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 45 seconds to the gentlewoman from Illinois (Ms. Schakowsky), a distinguished member of the Budget Committee.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 45 seconds to the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson Lee), a distinguished member of the Budget Committee.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 45 seconds to the gentlewoman from the Virgin Islands (Ms. Plaskett), a distinguished member of the Budget Committee.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Jeffries), the Democratic Caucus chairman and a distinguished member of the Budget Committee.

Mr. Speaker, I remind the gentleman that the push to give $2,000 to every citizen under a certain income level was former President Donald Trump's idea. He campaigned on that. I guess the Republicans have had a change of heart now that it is a different President.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentlewoman from New York (Mrs. Carolyn B. Maloney), the distinguished chair of the Oversight and Reform Committee.

Mr. Speaker, we have just listened to a repetitive recitation of all the arguments we have heard about the American Rescue Plan for the last 6 weeks or so, and they consist essentially of scare tactics, misinformation, and then calling everything socialism. You know, if Democrats had a potluck picnic, the Republicans would call it socialism.

What we say is: This is a bill that responds uniquely to a unique national crisis and it does it in a way that the American people believe is the right way.

So I respond to the minority leader by saying, a poll just this morning reported that 75 percent of the American people support the American Rescue Plan. Only 18 percent oppose it. Fifty-nine percent of Republicans support the American Rescue Plan.

Despite his attempts to divide this country and to demonize the Speaker and others, the American people understand that this is the appropriate step to take at the appropriate time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 45 seconds to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Chu), a distinguished member of the Budget Committee.

Mr. Speaker, may I inquire how much time remains on both sides.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Scott), the distinguished chairman of the Education and Labor Committee and also a member of the Budget Committee.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 45 seconds to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Brendan F. Boyle), a distinguished member of the Budget Committee.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Waters), the distinguished chair of the Committee on Financial Services.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 45 seconds to the gentlewoman from Virginia (Ms. Wexton), a distinguished member of the Budget Committee.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 45 seconds to the distinguished gentleman from Texas (Mr. Doggett), a member of Budget Committee.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 45 seconds to the gentleman from Rhode Island (Mr. Cicilline), a distinguished member of the Foreign Affairs Committee.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 45 seconds to the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Kildee), a distinguished member of the Budget Committee.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 45 seconds to the gentlewoman from New York (Ms. Clarke), a distinguished member of the Energy and Commerce Committee.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 45 seconds to the gentleman from California (Mr. Khanna), a distinguished member of the Agriculture Committee and Oversight and Reform Committee.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 45 seconds to the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Wasserman Schultz), a distinguished member of the Oversight and Reform Committee and the Appropriations Committee.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Meeks), the distinguished chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 30 seconds to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Green), a distinguished member of the Financial Services Committee.

Mr. Speaker, may I inquire how much time remains.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, this morning there was a really interesting article in the Louisville, Kentucky, paper, The Courier-Journal, because yesterday the Beshear administration presented to the general assembly the numbers that Kentucky was going to experience based on this American Rescue Plan, the money that was going to go to the State, the money that was going to go to counties and cities, the money that was going to go to higher education--half of which has to be used to support students in need--and the amount of money that was going to go to help children out of poverty.

The way it was described in this article was that these legislators-- overwhelmingly Republican, our State house is 75-25, and our senate is 38-9--were stunned and they were excited. One person described it as: the excitement was palpable.

Of course it is. This is life changing for so many constituents of theirs. It is life changing for the future of the Commonwealth of Kentucky.

Let me put it this way: We have 4.4 million Kentuckians--4 million out of 4.4 million, 92 percent--who will be getting a check, a $1,400 check, some a little bit less, but most $1,400, and 1.2 two million children will become eligible for an extended child tax credit--1.2 million children. The magnitude of the impact of this bill is truly stunning.

Now, some people will say--and you can infer this, Mr. Speaker, from many things the Republicans have said--that none of those people deserve the $1,400. They don't need it.

I hope they all go home and tell those people that they represent, you really don't need that $1,400. You haven't suffered because of this pandemic. You haven't had to care for a relative or a child who has not been able to go to school, and you haven't had any extra expenses because of the pandemic. You just don't need it. You are a moderate- income person. Don't take the $1,400.

I want to hear that conversation because it is not going to happen. As a matter of fact, what we are all concerned about on our side is Republicans are all going to vote against this and then are going to show up at every ribbon cutting for every project that is funded out of this bill, and they are going to puff up their chest and take credit for all these great benefits that are coming to their citizens. It is okay if they want to take credit for it. It is fine.

What we are concerned about is that we have finally, in this body and in this Congress, risen to the occasion in the context of a terrible national disaster.

What astounds me when I listen to the arguments against this bill is that nobody was at fault here. At least nobody out in the country was at fault. All these people who are going to get $1,400 didn't do anything wrong. All these kids who are going to get raised out of poverty certainly didn't do anything wrong. The people who are now in food lines in many cities across the country, who never ever would have been in a food line before, didn't do anything wrong.

Who is going to help?

Do we say this is all survival of the fittest?

No. We rose to the occasion. We delivered. The American people I know support us.

Mr. Speaker, I urge everyone to support the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material in the Record on H.R. 1319.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, on Monday our Nation crossed an unfathomable milestone. More than half a million Americans have now died from the coronavirus. On top of this staggering level of loss is the reality that the virus is evolving, and we are now dealing with variants that are more contagious and highly infectious for both adults and children.

At the same time, our Nation faces a painful and unequal recession, one from which we cannot fully recover until the coronavirus is contained.

The resources Congress provided last year have been put to good use, but they are not enough. Vaccines can stop this virus, but we don't have the resources or infrastructure to get them out fast enough. Food banks are still overwhelmed, and rental assistance is running out. Unemployment benefits for millions of Americans will start to expire in just a few days. And more and more small businesses are closing their doors for good each day.

We are in a race against time and the American people are counting on us and the American Rescue Plan.

This plan is tailored and targeted. It will address the urgent needs of the American people: beating the virus, quickly and equitably distributing vaccines, safely reopening schools, delivering immediate relief to working families, and helping cities and States keep essential workers on the job and critical services up and running.

The American people are painfully aware of the challenges we face, and that is why the majority of them, the vast majority of them, Democrats, Republicans, and Independents support this relief package.

If you don't think Congress has more work to do here, then you either don't get what American families are going through, or you don't care. I don't know how else to say it.

Relief cannot wait, and we aren't going to wait. We are going to pass this legislation today, and we are going to provide the aggressive, bold action needed to finally end this pandemic and rebuild our economy.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Pelosi), the Speaker of the House.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Higgins), a distinguished member of the Budget Committee.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Chu), a distinguished member of the Budget Committee.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Brendan F. Boyle), another distinguished member from the Budget Committee.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from Washington (Ms. Jayapal), a distinguished member of the Budget Committee.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Nevada (Mr. Horsford), a distinguished member of the Budget Committee.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Lee), a distinguished member of the Budget Committee.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from California (Mr. Peters), another distinguished member of the Budget Committee.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Sires), another distinguished member of the Budget Committee.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, it is fascinating to stand here at almost 10 minutes after midnight and debate this bill and have our Republican colleagues say, ``There has been no debate on this bill.'' In fact, there has been more than 100 hours of debate on this bill in committees. There have been hundreds of amendments proposed, most by Republicans.

Mr. Speaker, the reason we are here so late tonight is because Republicans proposed hundreds of those amendments today in the Rules Committee, amendments that had already been debated and discussed in the various committees.

This bill has had extensive discussion, and unfortunately, part of this discussion has been a misrepresentation of much of what it does. We hear constantly this figure of $1 trillion out there that has not been spent. We tried to track that trillion dollars down. We can't find it anywhere.

What we do know is that all the money that has been allocated and deployed by prior relief measures is in the pipeline, has been allocated, has been assigned, has been obligated. There is no money wasted in this legislation.

Also, what we know is that about 85 percent of the adults in every one of the speakers' districts, Democrat and Republican, will get $1,400 to help them make it through this desperate economy that we have been seeing. Every child will be granted a tax credit of $3,000. A family of four, for instance, will get $5,600, plus the tax credits. That is in everybody's district.

As the minority leader said, we can talk about a swamp. I think he has been swimming in a swamp for about 4 years. Unfortunately, he needs to knock his head and knock some of that water out of his ears because he needs to stand on the Earth that we all occupy, the country that we occupy, and understand the pain and the suffering that the American people have been going through and for whom this bill is so essential.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, one of the things that we constantly have to remember is where we have been over the last year and the depths to which this economy has fallen, the pain and suffering that the American people have experienced.

Mr. Speaker, 500,000 of our fellow citizens have perished by the coronavirus.

That is why the polling on this bill is so overwhelming: 76 percent of the American people this week, 60 percent of Republicans. That is why 150 or more top CEOs from the country have said this is the right thing to do at this time. This is why the chairman of the Fed has said that we need to make this kind of investment in the country. That is why several regional presidents of the Fed have said that. That is why nonprofits have said this all over the country. That is why the U.S. Conference of Mayors has said this is the right bill for the time.

We have met the moment with this legislation. We have met the moment of need in this country. We are proud of the product we produced. We will make sure that the American people get through this pandemic, this economic crisis, this healthcare crisis, this personal crisis, and restore their standard of living and the economy of this country once we get to the other side.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that in the engrossment of the bill, H.R. 1319, the Clerk be authorized to make technical corrections and conforming changes to the bill.

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to House Resolution 85, I call up the concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 11) establishing the congressional budget for the United States Government for fiscal year 2021 and setting forth the appropriate budgetary levels for fiscal years 2022 through 2030, and ask for its immediate consideration in the House.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H. Con. Res. 11.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, it has been roughly 1 year since the first COVID-19 case was diagnosed in the United States. Since then, more than 26 million Americans have been infected, and more than 440,000 have lost their lives.

Millions of Americans remain out of work as families are pushed to the brink of devastation. Our economy faces lows unseen since the Great Depression.

Food insecurity is climbing. Widespread school closures threaten to derail our children's education. And our most vulnerable communities are being forced to bear the brunt of these twin crises as underlying health and economic inequities grow worse.

Congress has previously come together to pass relief packages, but COVID is getting worse, not better. Our

recovery is painful and the most unequal on record. We are still deep in the trenches. We have to do more, a lot more.

As chairman of the Budget Committee, I promised that we would do everything our committee could do to support our recovery, which is why I introduced the 2021 budget resolution being considered today. This budget resolution was designed solely for one task: providing Congress with the option of using reconciliation to implement the American Rescue Plan and deliver the critical relief we need.

President Biden's American Rescue Plan lays out an aggressive legislative package to change the direction of these crises, including a national vaccine program; testing and tracing, paid sick leave to stop the spread, an extension of lifeline unemployment benefits that are set to expire in March; direct financial support for families; and support so schools can operate safely.

Our country desperately needs this relief, and economists across the ideological spectrum agree. Past crises have made it clear that doing too little will cost us far more. Weak support will lead to a weak, prolonged, and K-shaped recovery, posing more severe risks to our economic and budget outlooks than any deficits we might incur.

Without the American Rescue Plan, CBO estimates that it will take at least 3 years before employment returns to prepandemic levels. But with this vital support, economists estimate that we can bring the economy back to near full employment in a little over 12 months.

We have the plan and the ability to do this. And, thankfully, we can also afford to do it. Interest rates and inflation are at historic lows, lower today than even before the pandemic, and the return on smart investments in the economy has never been higher.

Economists of all stripes are telling us, begging us, to use the fiscal space we have. They are warning that if we don't go big, we will be responsible for a long, painful, and unequal recovery, one that will cost more lives and more jobs, that will cause more businesses to close and result in more damage to our Nation's economy, both in the short- and long-term.

The resolution's budget reconciliation framework sets a budgetary target of up to $1.9 trillion, the estimated cost of the American Rescue Plan, allocated across the 12 committees that have jurisdiction over some portion of the plan. The resolution instructs these committees to report legislation consistent with these budgetary targets to the Budget Committee by February 16. The Budget Committee will then combine the legislation and prepare it for floor consideration.

There will be plenty of opportunities for my colleagues across the aisle to engage in this process and offer amendments, but we cannot afford to slow down our response to these urgent crises while Republicans decide if they want to help or not.

The American Rescue Plan can be the difference between getting a vaccine or a virus, advancing to the next grade or falling behind, keeping the doors open or shutting down businesses for good.

The choice is clear. I look forward to passing this resolution and ensuring Congress delivers the American Rescue Plan to the American people.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I listened with great interest to the passionate words of the ranking member, and I failed to hear one instance in which he expressed concern or any ideas about how to help the hundreds of thousands of Americans who will die if this government does not act quickly and aggressively; or the hundreds of thousands of businesses that will close; or the schools that he wants to reopen, which we all want to reopen. We are looking for ideas, but so far all we have had is resistance and obstruction.

The President this week actually met with 10 Republican United States Senators in an effort to get a bipartisan approach to the crisis we face. I would still hope that we can do that, but we can't afford to wait for that to happen. That is why this process is in place, giving plenty of opportunity for the Republicans in both the House and Senate to participate and to help us find a better plan to move forward.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Neal), who is the chairman of the Ways and Means Committee.

Mr. Speaker, I just wanted to respond to the notion that this is a radical plan. The radical, very radical chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers under President Trump, Kevin Hassett, said:

But I think we need to be risk-averse and pass another

relief package. There are so many businesses treading water,

barely hanging on. Now they are getting hit by another shock.

You could end up in a negative spiral for the economy.

January 22, 2021, the radical Kevin Hassett.

Mr. Speaker, it gives me great pleasure to yield 2\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Grijalva), the distinguished chairman of the Natural Resources Committee.

Mr. Speaker, it gives me great pleasure to yield 2\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Meeks), the distinguished chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee.

Mr. Speaker, I welcome the gentleman from California to both Congress and the Budget Committee and I look forward to working with him. I will advise him that in just a few weeks he will have the opportunity, as a member of the Budget Committee, to go through a markup, offer amendments to the plans that will be proposed in another budget resolution that will actually come to the floor. So I look forward to that discussion and hope that will satisfy the gentleman.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2\1/2\ minutes to the distinguished gentleman from Oregon (Mr. DeFazio), the chair of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2\1/2\ minutes to the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Johnson), the distinguished chair of the Science, Space, and Technology Committee.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, once again, I welcome the gentleman from Iowa to the House of Representatives, and I will correct him.

There is no 10-year budget outlook in this budget. This is a single budget resolution, only for this fiscal year, designed to facilitate the use of the reconciliation package to implement the President's American Rescue Plan, which, by the way, he campaigned vigorously on throughout his campaign.

While Republicans were saying, ``Oh, it is too early to do something. Let's pause. Let's wait. Let's do this,'' the President was aggressive. The President was creative, forceful, and the American people rewarded him with a victory.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Brendan F. Boyle), a distinguished member of the Budget Committee.

Mr. Speaker, once again, I welcome the gentleman from Florida to the House of Representatives. I really think that we ought to stop talking about States bailing other States out. The next time that a major hurricane hits Florida, we are not going to say that New York and California don't want to help them. That is not the kind of body that I hope we are.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Scott), the distinguished chairman of the Committee on Education and Labor.

Mr. Speaker, I know it is fascinating, and I have heard this argument now year after year after year talking about how much every individual in this country has owed because of the debt--the national debt. We have been accumulating debt in this country for most of our 240-year history.

I ask the gentleman: Has there ever been one American citizen or one American citizen's ancestor who has ever paid any of that debt or who has ever been asked to pay for that debt?

Of course not. That is because we are a sovereign currency nation. We don't pay attention to that.

And just to clarify one thing he said, he said spending money has never helped in a crisis. Well, you will find virtually no economist who will not say that what we did last spring when we passed the CARES Act helped us mitigate the very first few months of this disaster. We didn't do enough then. We can't make the same mistake now.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. Takano), the distinguished chair of the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

The gentlewoman from Georgia said that this plan is going to destroy the economy. I think it is interesting that the American Rescue Plan has received praise from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the Business Roundtable, the National Retail Federation, among other business groups, and top economic advisers from the last four Presidents: Kevin Hassett, who I mentioned earlier from the Trump administration; Gene Sperling; R. Glenn Hubbard; and Alan Blinder have all said that additional spending is needed to rescue the economy.

Mr. Speaker, I am honored to yield 2\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Pallone), the distinguished chairman of the Energy and Commerce Committee.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the comments from my friend from Texas, and I remind him that this, as I said in my opening statement, is plan B. We would prefer not to do this. We would prefer to have a bipartisan, regular order solution to this. We could do it actually more expeditiously than the reconciliation process.

But when Republicans, in an effort to be supposedly bipartisan, offer $600 billion--when virtually everyone says we need relief and rescue money approaching the $1.9 trillion figure--it is not genuine, bipartisan, good-faith negotiation. That is posturing.

We will have several weeks to reach a bipartisan agreement. I hope we can. But this is plan B. And we will proceed with it because the American people can't wait as long as the Republicans seem to be able to.

Mr. Speaker, I am honored to yield 2\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. David Scott), the distinguished chairman of the Agriculture Committee.

Mr. Speaker, I yield the gentleman from Georgia an additional 30 seconds.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2\1/2\ minutes to the gentlewoman from New York (Ms. Velazquez), the distinguished chair of the Committee on Small Business.

Mr. Speaker, I yield an additional 15 seconds to the gentlewoman.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2\1/2\ minutes to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Waters), the distinguished chair of the Committee on Financial Services.

Mr. Speaker, I yield an additional 15 seconds to the gentlewoman.

Mr. Speaker, I want to welcome the gentlewoman from Iowa to the House of Representatives and just remark that when she said that this is a plan that was crafted in secret, this plan was crafted during the 2020 campaign. It was part of President Biden's agenda, and every American voter had a chance to register his or her support for that plan.

Mr. Speaker, may I inquire from the Chair as to how much time remains on both sides.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Higgins), a distinguished member of the Budget Committee.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Kildee), a distinguished member of the Budget Committee.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Nevada (Mr. Horsford), a distinguished member of the Budget Committee.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Doggett), who is a distinguished member of the Budget Committee.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Jeffries), who is the chairman of the Democratic Caucus and a distinguished member of the Budget Committee.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume to respond to my friend from Texas, to say that, in about 3 weeks or a little less, the Budget Committee will have a piece of legislation which actually goes into the details of the American Rescue Plan and includes those. There will be a markup. The gentleman will have every opportunity to offer amendments, and then that bill will come to the floor as well. So don't give up hope.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Texas.

We will have a floor debate as well. In regular order, the gentleman will go through the Rules Committee.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the distinguished gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Hoyer).

Mr. Speaker, may I inquire as to how much time is remaining?

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson Lee), a distinguished member of the Budget Committee.

Mr. Speaker, I am privileged to yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentlewoman from Illinois (Ms. Schakowsky), a distinguished member of the Budget Committee.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Sires), a distinguished member of the Budget Committee.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Chu), a distinguished member of the Budget Committee.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Lee), another distinguished member of the Budget Committee.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record the names of the Budget Committee staff who worked so tirelessly and competently on this piece of legislation.

Budget Committee Majority Staff List

Erika Appel

Ellen Balis

Samantha Carter

Edward Etzkorn

Jose Guillen

Jocelyn Harris

Emily King

Sarah Lee

Sheila McDowell

Diana Meredith

Kimberly Overbeek

Barbara Pike

Katie Raymond

Scott Russell

Laura Santos

Raquel Spencer

Greg Waring

Alexandra Weinroth

Christie Wentworth

Jennifer Wheelock

Ted Zegers

Grady Stevens (intern)

Mr. Speaker, for the record, nothing in this proposal should come as a surprise. The resolution's budgetary target matches the estimated cost of the American Rescue Plan, every detail of which was put forward during President Biden's campaign. Further, many of these provisions have already passed the House but languished on Senator McConnell's desk.

Nothing we are doing here precludes a bipartisan deal. But let's be clear, the American people overwhelmingly support President Biden's plan.

And I can assure you they couldn't care less about House procedures. They want us to act and get them the relief they need now.

January was the deadliest month yet for COVID. Every 28 seconds, an American died from the coronavirus. At that

rate, more than 385 Americans will have died while we are debating this resolution.

We cannot afford to slow down. We need to hurry the hell up.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to congratulate J. Gary Mudd, Vice

President of Government and Community Affairs at the American Printing House for the Blind (APH), on his retirement. For more than 34 years, Gary has been a tireless advocate for thousands of students and adults who are blind or visually impaired.

Gary has been the face of APH on Capitol Hill for decades. His approach to educating Members of Congress and their staff was to emphasize the importance of increased funding for the blind and visually impaired; demonstrating the many technologies developed by APH; and making clear how that investment helps expand educational opportunities for those without sight. Gary's determination, both personally and professionally, proved to all who know him that a blind man can achieve great success. Gary is a proud graduate of the University of Louisville where he received his Bachelor of Science Degree in Sociology.

Gary was known to many on Capitol Hill, and his guide dogs were often more recognizable than their owner. When Gary called for an appointment, the first question was: ``Is the dog coming?'' Heathcliff was his first companion. When he passed away, Denver filled the coveted position. Not that we weren't pleased to see Gary, but his companions were always a highlight of the day. Gary was a valuable resource for members of the Capitol Hill community and was always available to answer any questions about educating the blind and visually impaired.

Gary's accomplishments are many: he played a key leadership role on the APH executive board; helped establish the National Prison Braille Network--a partnership with the APH and prisons across the United States to learn braille to transcribe textbooks for blind students; and played an integral role at the APH Museum, the InSights Arts Competition, and the National Instructional Materials Accessibility Center resources services team. Gary was not only instrumental in ensuring that the APH facility was an accessible workplace for all, but also led the team to include accessibility for the blind for the Louisville Metro region to expand accessibility and technology for transit, buildings, and streets, and he worked tirelessly to help incorporate changes into city planning documents for our city.

As Helen Keller said, ``The only thing worse than being blind is having sight but no vision.''

Gary's work at the APH demonstrated more than vision. He inspired others to join in his quest to provide the best for blind students, adults, and the visually impaired all over this great nation.

I wish Gary the very best in retirement and send my good wishes to him, his wife Susan, daughters Kelly and Rachel, and grandchildren Cate, Carter, Davis, and Kase

Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H. Res. 476, the rule allowing for consideration of the National Defense Authorization Act, including my amendment to, once and

for all, repeal the SBP-DIC offset, commonly known as the widow's tax.

I would like to thank Chairman Smith and Chairman McGovern for their work to include my amendment in this bill. I also want to thank the gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. Wilson) for his continued stalwart leadership on the issue.

I got involved in this issue several years ago when I was contacted by a constituent of mine named Ellen. She emailed me to tell me about the unfair burden being placed on an estimated 64,000 surviving spouses and families of the men and women of our military, forcing them to forfeit all or part of an annuity purchased by their beloved fallen heroes.

In the final paragraph of Ellen's email, she mentioned a First Sergeant in the U.S. Army who suffered a heart attack during his required physical training in 2002. That First Sergeant was her husband.

It became clear to me that Congress' mistake more than 4 decades ago was now negatively impacting one of my constituents, a constituent who was already grieving the loss of her husband. And while I am heartbroken by the reason Ellen was forced to become an advocate on this issue, to this day I am very thankful she contacted me.

Including this provision to ax the widow's tax in must-pass NDAA legislation is likely our only shot in this Congress to end the unfair offset once and for all. I want to urge my colleagues to support this rule and final passage of this bill. We have tried for years to get this right and now we finally can.

Stand up for Gold Star families and support this rule and the underlying legislation. The spouses and children of our fallen heroes have sacrificed enough.

Madam Speaker, today, I would like to recognize and honor the outstanding service of Kim Kowalewski, who retires this week after nearly 40 years as a public servant, the past 30 of them at the Congressional Budget Office.

Kim Kowalewski joined CBO in 1989. After serving briefly as a principal analyst in what was then known as the Fiscal Analysis Division, he was promoted to be the Chief of the Financial and General Macroeconomics Modeling Unit, which analyzed developments in financial markets and contributed to the forecast of consumer spending. He next headed the Financial Markets Unit, which, in addition to analyzing and forecasting financial market indicators, prepared cost estimates for various federal financial programs and developed policy options for the housing and financial markets.

In 2008, he was promoted to Deputy Assistant Director of the Macroeconomic Analysis Division. In that capacity, he played an essential role in developing CBO's economic projections, which underlie the agency's budget projections, and he directed numerous studies on developments in the economy, including the operation of automatic stabilizers, changes in trade policy, and the effects of federal tax and spending policies. In 2016, he became a senior adviser at CBO. In that role, he led cross-divisional efforts to improve CBO's graphics and written presentations and mentored and trained colleagues. Throughout, he has been a leader in making CBO's analysis accessible.

Kim Kowalewski's public service did not begin with his work at CBO. He came to the agency after eight years at the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland, where he led the preparation of the bank's forecast of the U.S. economy and provided analysis related to monetary policy, financial markets, personal bankruptcy, and consumer spending.

By all accounts, Kim's colleagues at CBO and on the Hill appreciate his dedication, ability, skillful work, and breadth of experience. They will miss his generosity with his time and knowledge and, especially, his kindness.

I know my colleagues join me in extending our thanks and appreciation to Kim for his service to our country. We wish him well in his future undertakings and hope that the nation will continue to benefit from his expertise and commitment.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor and recognize the outstanding service of T.J. McGrath on her retirement after nearly 27 years of distinguished public service, the past 10 years at the Congressional Budget Office, most recently as its General Counsel.

T.J. was promoted to that position in late 2016, in recognition of her dedication, ability, skillful work, and breadth of experience. In that capacity, she has served as CBO's principal legal officer and an integral part of the agency's leadership team. She has overseen CBO's legal staff and their work, skillfully leading them in interpreting legislative proposals and providing high-level analysis regarding significant judicial decisions, scorekeeping guidelines, and relevant budget laws. She has been a leader in making CBO's analysis more transparent.

Moreover, since becoming CBO's General Counsel, she has worked tirelessly, building professional relationships across the legislative branch, focusing on creating a positive work environment at CBO, and providing training so that employees have the skills they need to interact more effectively. One example that encapsulates all three of those efforts is bystander training. T.J. worked closely with the Office of Congressional Workplace Rights to develop training to prevent harassment in the workplace. The training provided participants with practical tools for taking ownership of their work environment and encouraged bystanders not to remain silent if they witness an incident that might make someone feel uncomfortable. As a result of T.J.'s efforts, CBO was the first agency in the legislative branch to receive bystander training.

From 2009 to 2016, T.J. served as CBO's Deputy General Counsel. In that position, she dealt with many operational matters and quickly demonstrated her ability to develop practical solutions. She instituted CBO's successful legal intern program, updated and refined CBO's internal policies, served as lead attorney in cases involving the Congressional Accountability Act, and worked closely with a Justice Department attorney in a case brought in U.S. District Court. T.J. also made valuable

contributions to numerous reports, testimonies, and cost estimates in just about every subject area covered by CBO, including the economy, national security, and health care.

T.J.'s service to the nation did not begin with her work at CBO. She came to CBO from the Defense Department's TRICARE Management Activity (now the Defense Health Agency), where she was an Associate General Counsel, providing guidance to the Director and staff on policy and legal issues involved in delivering quality health care to military personnel, military retirees, and their dependents.

Although T.J. is retiring from civilian service, she will continue her exemplary military career. For nearly 27 years, she has served as a member of the Air Force's Judge Advocate General Corps. She first served on active duty in various locations, including Alaska, Korea, Germany, Iraq, and Afghanistan. During that time, T.J. defended the Air Force against tort claims, prosecuted criminal offenses, taught at the U.S. Air Force Academy, commanded a cadet squadron, and was a military assistant to the General Counsel of the Department of Defense. Since transferring to the reserves more than 14 years ago, she has served in the North American Aerospace Defense Command and United States Northern Command, the Air Force Space Command, the Air Force Nuclear Weapons Center, and the Pacific Air Forces. She remains active as a colonel in the selected reserves today.

Her colleagues in CBO and on the Hill appreciate her hard work, keen insights, sense of humor, and steady hand. They will especially miss her generosity with her time and knowledge, her patience, and especially her kindness.

I know my colleagues join me in extending our thanks and appreciation to T.J. for her service to our country. We wish her well in her future undertakings and hope that the nation will continue to benefit from her expertise and commitment.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor and recognize the outstanding service of T.J. McGrath on her retirement after nearly 27 years of distinguished public service, the past 10 years at the Congressional Budget Office, most recently as its General Counsel.

T.J. was promoted to that position in late 2016, in recognition of her dedication, ability, skillful work, and breadth of experience. In that capacity, she has served as CBO's principal legal officer and an integral part of the agency's leadership team. She has overseen CBO's legal staff and their work, skillfully leading them in interpreting legislative proposals and providing high-level analysis regarding significant judicial decisions, scorekeeping guidelines, and relevant budget laws. She has been a leader in making CBO's analysis more transparent.

Moreover, since becoming CBO's General Counsel, she has worked tirelessly, building professional relationships across the legislative branch, focusing on creating a positive work environment at CBO, and providing training so that employees have the skills they need to interact more effectively. One example that encapsulates all three of those efforts is bystander training. T.J. worked closely with the Office of Congressional Workplace Rights to develop training to prevent harassment in the workplace. The training provided participants with practical tools for taking ownership of their work environment and encouraged bystanders not to remain silent if they witness an incident that might make someone feel uncomfortable. As a result of T.J.'s efforts, CBO was the first agency in the legislative branch to receive bystander training.

From 2009 to 2016, T.J. served as CBO's Deputy General Counsel. In that position, she dealt with many operational matters and quickly demonstrated her ability to develop practical solutions. She instituted CBO's successful legal intern program, updated and refined CBO's internal policies, served as lead attorney in cases involving the Congressional Accountability Act, and worked closely with a Justice Department attorney in a case brought in U.S. District Court. T.J. also made valuable contributions to numerous reports, testimonies, and cost estimates in just about every subject area covered by CBO, including the economy, national security, and health care.

T.J.'s service to the nation did not begin with her work at CBO. She came to CBO from the Defense Department's TRICARE Management Activity (now the Defense Health Agency), where she was an Associate General Counsel, providing guidance to the Director and staff on policy and legal issues involved in delivering quality health care to military personnel, military retirees, and their dependents.

Although T.J. is retiring from civilian service, she will continue her exemplary military career. For nearly 27 years, she has served as a member of the Air Force's Judge Advocate General Corps. She first served on active duty with assignments across the world, including in Alaska, Korea, Germany, Iraq, and Afghanistan. During that time, T.J. defended the Air Force against tort claims, prosecuted criminal offenses, taught at the U.S. Air Force Academy, commanded a cadet squadron, and was a military assistant to the General Counsel of the Department of Defense. Since transferring to the reserves more than 14 years ago, she has served in the North American Aerospace Defense Command and United States Northern Command, the Air Force Space Command, the Air Force Nuclear Weapons Center, and the Pacific Air Forces. She remains active as a colonel in the selected reserves today.

Her colleagues in CBO and on the Hill appreciate her hard work, keen insights, sense of humor, and steady hand. They will especially miss her generosity with her time and knowledge, her patience, and especially her kindness.

I know my colleagues join me in extending our thanks and appreciation to T.J. for her service to our country. We wish her well in her future undertakings and hope that the nation will continue to benefit from her expertise and commitment.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in memory and in celebration of the life and legacy of my friend, Suzanne Kling Post, a tremendous force for good in the Commonwealth of Kentucky.

Suzy passed on January 2, after having spent her entire life in service to others, fighting for school desegregation, civil liberties, fair housing, women's rights, equality for all, and more. There was no challenge too daunting and no issue too controversial for Suzy to take on.

As reliable as the sun rising and setting each day, if there was injustice, prejudice, or discrimination, Suzy was right there, organizing and empowering. She helped lift the voices of those wronged, and demanded more from our city and our Commonwealth on behalf of those in need.

Born into a white, middle-class, Jewish family in the Highlands of Louisville in 1933, Suzy was quick to put others first. She joined the NAACP as a student at Indiana University. She returned home and helped organize sit-ins and demonstrations of civil disobedience in protest of housing discrimination; and she helped lead efforts for civil rights and against the Vietnam War.

She led the ACLU of Kentucky, founded by her uncle, Arthur Kling, and eventually became the founding director of the Metropolitan Housing Commission. After decades of service, she was inducted into the Kentucky Human Rights Commission Hall of Fame in 2007.

Though small in stature, she was larger than life. She had a fire in her belly and a passion for her work that was contagious. Her low voice had the power to move you, and she never missed an opportunity to use it and move us forward as a city.

In the Louisville Courier-Journal's thoughtful obituary recounting her life, they noted that, once asked why she became an activist, Suzy replied: I guess I just don't like injustice. It ticks me off; it really does. Although she didn't use the word ``ticks.''

She was as uncomplicated as she was powerful; straightforward, straight to the heart and an invaluable source of strength for me, our city, and our Commonwealth. To say we are better off because of her decades of service is an understatement. She expected more, gave more, and got more from all of us because she demanded it of her community and of herself.

I will always value her friendship, her leadership, and for never shying away from a fight.

To her children and grandchildren, I hope you can take some solace in knowing that your mother and grandmother was the conscience of the city that loved her dearly, and we will all work to carry her legacy forward.

May her memory be a blessing.

Madam Speaker, pursuant to section 30104 of the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018 and the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985, I hereby submit for printing in the Congressional Record a revised 302(a) allocation for the Committee on Appropriations for fiscal year 2019 that is adjusted to reflect amounts for disaster relief funding.

Questions may be directed to Jennifer Wheelock or Raquel Spencer.

DISCRETIONARY APPROPRIATIONS--APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE 302(a) ALLOCATION

(IN MILLIONS OF DOLLARS) ------------------------------------------------------------------------

Madam Speaker, I rise in honor and in loving memory of Dr. Thomas Vaughn Walker, who served not only his congregation but the greater community of my hometown of Louisville, the Commonwealth of Kentucky, and more.

Dr. Walker spent his Sundays (and nearly every other day of the week) sharing God's word from a brick building near the comer of Seventh Street and Algonquin Parkway, where First Gethsemane Baptist Church has proudly stood since 1972. From March of 1984 on, Dr. Walker made First ``G'' his home, serving as its Senior Pastor for nearly 35 years.

Though he had a quiet and reserved demeanor, his words and his impact--from the pulpit and beyond--were incredibly powerful. When he spoke, you listened, and lives were changed. Because Dr. Walker not only shared the lessons of scripture, he also served as a mentor and teacher for countless more.

The first black professor to work full-time at a Southern Baptist Convention school, Dr. Walker retired after 30 years of teaching at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville. He earned a Ph.D. degree from Oregon State University, a Master of Divinity and Christian Education degree from the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, a Master of Science degree from Eastern Illinois University, and a Bachelor of Science degree from Hampton University. Education was an important part of Dr. Walker's faith, and he shared that knowledge far and wide.

Dr. Walker's family, including the love of his life and his Hampton University college sweetheart, Dr. Cheryl D. Walker; their three children, David, Mary, and Eryn; and their six grandchildren, Celeste, Celvion, Jai, Joi, Josiah, and Ella; will all remain in my continued thoughts and prayers, along with the entire church family of First Gethsemane Baptist.

Though his work on earth is now complete, I am confident that his words and his teachings will remain with so many of us, and will be carried on by all of those who were lucky enough to call him their friend and teacher.

I thank Dr. T. Vaughn Walker for a lifetime of service.

Madam Speaker, I rise to commemorate 20 years of Fairness in my hometown of Louisville, Kentucky.

It's upsetting to think, but in much of the country, it's legal to kick someone out of their home or fire them for no reason but how they love. For being LGBTQ, for being gay.

But not in Louisville.

Because on January 26, 1999, our community took a bold and historic step for LGBTQ rights, passing the Fairness Ordinance and ensuring that no individual could be robbed of their home or job simply for being who they are.

Louisville was the first in our Commonwealth and among the first in the South to protect LGBTQ people from discrimination, and it was due to a decade of committed work by the Fairness Campaign's passionate staff and volunteers, who refused to accept anything but real, true equality.

In two decades since, Fairness has helped 10 Kentucky cities outlaw LGBTQ discrimination--from our capital Frankfort to the tiny Appalachian coal town of Vicco and beyond.

The rest of Kentucky and our country should follow Louisville's lead and ban LGBTQ discrimination everywhere. I look forward to continuing Louisville's legacy by casting my vote for the Federal Equality Act in this Congress and I urge every Member to join me.

Madam Speaker, pursuant to section 103(c) of the H. Res. 6, adopted rules of the House of Representatives for the One-Hundred Sixteenth Congress, I hereby submit for printing in the Congressional Record the lists of discretionary accounts identified for advance appropriations in Fiscal Year 2019 appropriation bills.