Extending Child Tax Credit

Floor Speech

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Mr. CARTER of Louisiana. School supplies, gas for the car, swimming lessons, payment for rent, these are just a few of the ways my constituents in southeast Louisiana are spending their child tax credit payments. Especially as my community recovers from Hurricane Ida and has unexpected costs, the dependability of monthly child tax credits-- an average of $410 for my constituents--has meant a lot.

While this program expires at the end of December, the problems facing American children and families will not. The Build Back Better Act includes provisions to continue this program.

Studies show that extending the child tax credit permanently is sound economic policy and that it can be done better to have better healthcare, better health outcomes, and more economic opportunities for families.

We need to put our money where our mouth is and invest in our children, invest in our families, and pass the Build Back Better Act. Remembering Musician Bennie Pete

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Mr. CARTER of Louisiana. Mr. Speaker, COVID-19 has taken over 725,000 lives. One person gone too soon that I want to highlight is Bennie Pete, a New Orleans jazz musician. He passed away at the age of 45 from complications of COVID-19, shortly after deciding to get his first vaccine shot.

Bennie played the tuba and cofounded the celebrated Hot 8 Brass Band. Born in the Upper Ninth Ward, he helped found the band by the age of 18. They played on street corners, parades, and funerals, and then at bars and bigger venues, and as second lines.

When Hurricane Katrina hit, Hot 8 brought music to the city in a way that only New Orleans can in the challenging days after the storm, playing at evacuation shelters and medical centers. The band became local heroes, a sense of hope, a sense of energy in the days immediately following great despair.

The Hot 8 grew in popularity, touring in Europe and playing at Tipitina's and the Jazz and Heritage Festival.

New Orleans will never be the same. We have lost a little bit of our soul with the passing of Bennie Pete. May he rest in peace. Improving Louisiana's Environment and Industry

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Mr. CARTER of Louisiana. Mr. Speaker, Louisiana's Second Congressional District includes an industrial corridor of nearly 150 oil refineries, plastic plants, and chemical facilities. Many sites provide high-paying jobs that lift families out of poverty or build a better life. But it is, foremost, a place that my constituents call home.

As their Congressman, it is my job to make sure that it is a safe and prosperous place to live. Sadly, there have been longstanding concerns over elevated and disproportionate rates of cancer and respiratory conditions in this region. It shouldn't be this way. Industry and community can coexist, with proper monitoring and regulation.

That is why I am calling on EPA Administrator Regan for Federal assistance to study, monitor, and improve the impacts of emissions and polluting substances in the river parishes. No one should have to die for their job.

I stand ready to bring both environmental stewardship and a robust economy to Louisiana. We can do this. We must do this.

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