Providing for Consideration of H.R. John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act of Providing for Consideration of Senate Amendment to H.R. Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act; and Providing for Adoption of S. Con. Res. Concurrent Resolution on the Budget for Fiscal Year and for Other Purposes

Floor Speech

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Mr. HOYER. Madam Speaker, I rise in support of this rule. This rule allows the Congress of the United States to do the people's business in two critical areas--actually, three.

Number one, it provides for us to receive from the Senate the budget and to do what the Republicans did on their tax bill: act on a budget reconciliation bill.

You did that. You, of course, didn't pay for it. We are going to pay for this.

Secondly, this rule allows us to proceed on a piece of legislation which seeks to make sure that the Voting Rights Act, protecting the most important asset a citizen has, and that is their right to vote or, as our Speaker has said, the voice of those not empowered. That is not exactly what it was, Madam Speaker.

Two of these items are critical, and when we talk about saving lives, the reconciliation bill and the budget, the Build Back Better Act is going to save lives and enrich the quality of lives of our people.

Thirdly, this rule will allow us to proceed to adopt the bipartisan-- 69 Senators voting for it--infrastructure bill. It is not a perfect bill. It is not our bill, and it is limited in some respects in terms of its addressing one of our most important challenges and enemies, and that is climate change. It nevertheless is a very, very substantial investment in America, its growth, people, and jobs.

Vote for this rule. It is a good bill for the people.

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