Concurrent Resolution on the Budget for Fiscal Year 2021

Floor Speech

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Mrs. KIM of California. Mr. Speaker, I rise today because people are hurting, small businesses are struggling to keep their doors open, and livelihoods are on the line.

The COVID-19 pandemic has taken more than 440,000 lives to date. It has taken the life of my mother-in-law, and I am sure many of my colleagues' loved ones, too.

Now is the time for unity. Now is the time to come together. Now is the time to put down our partisan words and show that Congress can work together for the American people.

Bypassing the chance for bipartisanship is not the way to bring relief to the American people or to bring unity. I came to Congress to break the partisan gridlock, but the reconciliation process drives us farther apart.

We should strive to focus on issues that we all can get done, like providing $160 billion targeted funding for vaccine distribution and to reopen our schools safely, not a wish list to advance our other priorities unrelated to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Federal Government has also yet to spend about $1 trillion provided by the COVID-19 relief bills passed last year. Think about that: $1 trillion unspent.

So I ask my colleagues, before we rush through more trillion dollars, let's first have a real bipartisan discussion so we can ensure that our communities with the most need are getting the relief right away.

Instead, Democrats are throwing away the chance to work with Republicans to get things done, provide our constituents with relief, and bring our country together. The only way we will get through this pandemic and get things done is by working together.

Our constituents, the Nation, and the world are watching.

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