Providing for Consideration of Senate Amendment to H.R. United States-Mexico Economic Partnership Act; Providing for Disposition of Senate Amendment to H.R. Purple Book Continuity Act of and for Other Purposes

Floor Speech

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Mr. NEAL. Madam Speaker, let me proceed with acknowledging that this legislation had many crucial elements that were developed and constructed by the Committee on Ways and Means on a bipartisan basis.

We expanded on unemployment insurance. We provided an additional supplement of $300 a week. We expanded the retention tax credit, which was very important. We maintained and expanded the EITC and the child credit.

Madam Speaker, I want to thank Donna Shalala, because perhaps one of the most important elements in this successful piece of legislation was addressing surprise medical billing. She supported my position on this from day one, and she couldn't have been more earnest. She has been a terrific Member of this House.

We provide direct payments. We provide assistance in terms of tax extenders. We add a really good job on the renewable tax credits as well, and we expand eligibility for a round of checks to include people in mixed-status families.

Many of these pieces of legislation people said couldn't happen and, indeed, they did.

We addressed those who are most vulnerable.

And, the truth is, we also give Joe Biden a chance after January 20, because of the duration of this legislation, to provide what we all know is going to be a plan for additional assistance to members of the American family.

Madam Speaker, there are 20 million Americans collecting unemployment insurance right now in America. For people at the lower end of the economic spectrum, this has been cruel and callous. We need to come to their assistance.

People with white-collar jobs, they have held on and their unemployment rate is significantly less. But we know how stubborn this problem is, and until we defeat the virus, it is hard to see how we get to a full economic recovery.

I hope that the argument will not be, once Mr. Biden takes the oath, that we need to proceed to austerity. What we do in this legislation with these checks is we provide additional liquidity, which then provides additional demand for people at the lower end of the economic spectrum.

This is a very good piece of legislation. I am very proud of what the Committee on Ways and Means did to help get us to this day.

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