Providing for Consideration of H.R. American Rescue Plan Act of 2021

Floor Speech

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Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, President Biden has set forth a national plan to crush the virus. With this bill, Congress is providing the President with the resources and tools to implement a national plan that was sorely lacking under President Trump. States competed against each other during the Trump administration for personal protection equipment, ventilators, and testing supplies. That now ends.

This legislation provides $20 billion to speed up the distribution and administration of COVID-19 vaccines. It invests over $47 billion in a national testing strategy. It invests $7 billion to hire 100,000 new full-time public health workers to perform vital tasks, like vaccine outreach and contact tracing. It invests more than $25 billion to address health disparities.

We also include assistance for struggling families to help keep their lights on, the heat working, and the water running. We included $7.6 billion to expand internet connectivity to help students and teachers without home internet access.

Madam Speaker, the American Rescue Plan meets the unprecedented challenges our Nation is facing, and it deserves strong bipartisan support.

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