Middle Class Health Benefits Tax Repeal Act of 2019

Floor Speech

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Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. Mr. Speaker, I am proud to be here as a member of the Energy and Commerce Committee, and I rise, as we all know, during one of the most challenging moments in the history of our country and, I would say, the world.

Americans are hurting, and families are suffering. The calls that are coming to my office, and I am sure to yours, too, are just heartbreaking.

But today, we will pass a bill that will provide critical relief to begin the healing in our communities. Despite, I have to say, the failure of leadership from our President, Congress has, in fact, stepped up.

Thanks to the unity of House and Senate Democrats, we pushed the initial Republican proposal from corporate-first to families-and- workers-first.

We fought for and won a $100 billion investment in hospitals and healthcare systems for our doctors and nurses on the front line fighting the coronavirus, often without the equipment that they need.

I am imploring the President to fully invoke the Defense Production Act so that our frontline workers will have the protective gear that they need and right now are not getting.

The CARES Act will also provide double the unemployment insurance benefits that Republicans initially proposed. This will help countless restaurant workers and small business employees who call my office and say: ``We need help.''

Thanks to Democrats, the small business owners in my district will now be able to make payroll, with their mortgages and utility costs eligible for Small Business Administration loan forgiveness.

Sadly, this bill isn't all that it could be. I am deeply disturbed that my Republican colleagues are trying to exclude local Planned Parenthood clinics from this small business financing, especially since they are helping people every single day to be able to get the healthcare they need.

I am also really disappointed that they took this opportunity to irrelevantly add to this the Hyde amendment.

I especially want to take the time to thank the people who are working today, and I am glad to be here among you doing just that. But we are seeing people who are outside here, the Capitol Police, the people who are helping to clean our environment, the people who are now working at jobs like the people in my grocery store, the Jewel Food Store in my neighborhood, the people who are bagging my groceries, who are loading my shelves, who are taking my money in order to buy the food that all the people in my community need. They are risking their lives, too, and deserve the thanks.

I want to thank my Governor, Governor J. B. Pritzker, who has actually created a response fund that will put money into community organizations and not-for-profits that can help people who aren't covered here, who need to be covered in the next bill. I am talking about immigrants and undocumented people.

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