In Speech On The Senate Floor, Durbin Highlights Impact Of American Rescue Plan, Bipartisan Infrastructure Law In Creating American Jobs
Durbin also calls on Republican colleagues to work with Democrats to prepare economy for future COVID surges
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today delivered a speech on the Senate floor praising the Biden Administration for the uptick in American jobs shown in the April 2022 jobs report and the unemployment rate of 3.6 percent, which reflects pre-pandemic levels. During his remarks, Durbin highlighted the efforts of Congressional Democrats and President Biden in passing the American Rescue Plan to provide relief to families and small businesses and Democrats’ leadership success in passing the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
“April marked the 15th consecutive month of job growth under President Biden. And the United States has now recovered more than 90 percent of the jobs that were lost during the coronavirus pandemic. Put it into context: When President Biden took office, 20 million Americans relied on unemployment benefits just to get by. Now that number is down to slightly more than one million,” Durbin said.
“It’s also the result of bold, decisive economic actions taken by the Democrats in Congress and President Biden. The American Rescue Plan… passed without a single Republican voting in favor of it last year. That plan helped us get shots in arms and provided economic relief to small businesses and unemployed Americans when they needed it the most. And the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act represented a historic investment in America, in our nation’s infrastructure… This legislation is creating jobs. We see it in the report. It’s helping Americans stay connected at home, at school, and with their doctors. It’s allowing us to meet 21st century demands like climate change and cyber-attacks,” Durbin continued.
While he acknowledged the historic prosperity these two laws have created, Durbin also noted the impact that rising global inflation has on American families. In his speech, Durbin explored potential solutions to rising expenses, including fortifying the U.S. supply chain.
“But even with last Friday’s good news, we still have more work to do to make sure we have an economy that really works for everyone… Democrats are committed to taking action to lower household costs and combat rising prices, get kids back to school, and workers back to work. We need to give families a helping hand when it comes to the basics – medication, housing, and gas for your car or truck,” said Durbin.
Durbin concluded by emphasizing the importance of preparing for the next public health emergency or global pandemic.
Durbin concluded, “We need to think ahead by preparing and investing now for future COVID surges so we can save lives and minimize the potential disruption to our supply chains and the economy... I urge my Republican colleagues to sit down, get real… We need to boost domestic manufacturing and jobs, we need to lower costs for families, and we need to insulate our economy against future COVID [surges]."
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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