We Can Get Americans Safely Back to Work and Kids Back in Schools with Bipartisan Solutions, Not Democrats’ Payoff to Progressives
Washington,
February 27, 2021 -
Today, Congressman Patrick McHenry (NC-10), the top Republican on the House Financial Services Committee, delivered the following remarks on the House Floor in opposition to H.R. 1319, Democrats’ partisan “stimulus” plan:
Watch Ranking Republican McHenry’s remarks HERE.
“We have politicians who are talking down our economy specifically to pass this spending package.
“To be clear, we know many Americans are still suffering. Republicans want to provide targeted relief to those in need.
“Temporary, targeted relief related to COVID.
“In fact, for a year now we have been working to support families impacted by COVID, and we’ve done so in an overwhelmingly bipartisan way.
“But now Democrats have power and they’re not interested in bipartisanship no matter what the campaign pledges were, or even basic facts.
“The fact is that the CBO projects the unemployment rate—which is lower right now than it was in the first five years of President Obama’s presidency—that unemployment rate will continue to fall even without Congressional action and reach its pre-pandemic size by next year.
“Additionally, personal income increased at the end of last year, and the report out of the Bureau of Labor Statistics today says personal savings rates are now over 20 percent, a level not seen in decades.
“But these are facts that don’t back up the Democrats’ preferred narrative, that the economy is horrible, and this big spending package is their solution.
“Democrats are distorting the truth to push through a package that dedicates only 9 percent—9 percent—of the $1.9 trillion price tag to actually combatting the virus.
“So, let’s reject this package. Let’s get the American people back in work. Let’s get schools open. Let’s get parents back at work. Let’s get women back in the workforce.
“We can do that with bipartisan solutions not a big government spending package.
“So, let’s reject this, let’s start over and get to good terms so we can actually fix the problems for the American people—get them working again, get schools open, and beat the virus.
“I yield back”
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