03.09.21

Durbin: American Rescue Plan will Help Deliver Vaccines, Support Unemployed Americans

Durbin also slams Republicans for opposing bill

WASHINGTON – In a speech on the Senate floor, U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today highlighted important provisions in President Biden’s American Rescue Plan, which the Senate passed on Saturday, that will help distribute and administer COVID-19 vaccines and support unemployed workers and families during the pandemic.

“All across the board, the bill that we passed, whether it's money for schools or money for hospitals or money for clinics or money for administering this vaccine, was money that will be well spent in the State of Illinois and all across the United States,” Durbin said.

Durbin also slammed his Republican Senate colleagues for their opposition of President Biden’s American Rescue Plan. Durbin noted the bipartisan support former President Trump’s COVID-19 relief packages received last year, including votes of 96-0 for the CARES Act and 92-6 for the December relief package, and expressed his disappointment that the same bipartisan support could not be reached for  President Biden’s American Rescue Plan. 

“Not one Republican Senator supported the bill that passed on Saturday. We passed it with 50 Democratic votes…but what a disappointment that is. To think that this pandemic and the economic crisis that followed was addressed on a bipartisan basis with every Democratic vote on the major legislation last year, and this year under President Biden we couldn't get one Republican Senator to join us in that effort. It's a disappointment, but I hope it isn't a portent of things to come. We have a lot to do and we need to do it together on a bipartisan basis. The American people are going to count on us to do it,” Durbin concluded. 

Video of Durbin’s remarks on the Senate floor is available here.

Audio of Durbin’s remarks on the Senate floor is available here.

Footage of Durbin’s remarks on the Senate floor is available here for TV Stations.

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