American Rescue Plan Act of 2021--Motion to Proceed

Floor Speech

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Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, in a moment, I will move to proceed to the Senate's substitute amendment to the American Rescue Plan. This legislation will keep America's families, businesses, and workers afloat and hasten the day when our country can return to normal and our economy can come roaring back.

The United States is facing a once-in-a-century crisis that has sapped millions of jobs from our economy, left millions of Americans struggling to make ends meet, and stolen more than half a million American lives. The time is now to move forward with big, bold, strong relief for the American people; to send checks as promised to American workers and families; to help reopen schools as quickly and safely as possible; to help the hardest hit small businesses hang on; to help families stay in their homes, care for their children, and put food on the table; to keep firefighters, teachers, and busdrivers on the job; and to crush the virus with testing and vaccines once and for all.

We are not going to repeat the mistakes of the past. We are not going to be timid in the face of a great challenge. We are not going to delay when urgent action is called for. We are not going to quit before the race is won. We are going to sprint through the finish line.

It is time to move forward with this legislation, which will be one of the largest single anti-poverty bills in recent history. It is time to lift this country out of crisis and set it on a path to a strong and swift recovery. It is time to tell the American people that help is on the way.

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