[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 37 (Friday, February 26, 2021)]
[House]
[Page H736]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              COVID RELIEF

  (Mr. HERN asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. HERN. Mr. Speaker, last year, every single COVID relief package 
passed with bipartisan support and bipartisan input. This is not 
happening today because the majority has chosen to abandon their calls 
for unity without even making an effort. Sadly, it is the American 
people who will bear the burden of this decision.
  Components of this package were shoved through committees on strictly 
partisan lines. One of my amendments asking that we prohibit taxpayer 
dollars from going to people illegally in our country passed the Senate 
with broad bipartisan support, but was rejected without a single 
Democratic vote in our committee.
  I know from experience that a hard-earned paycheck is infinitely more 
valuable than anything from the unemployment office. We need to put 
Americans back to work, make America tired again. That means we cannot 
incentivize workers to stay out of the workforce.
  Let's not waste any more taxpayer dollars than we have to.
  Getting our students back in the classrooms should be a top priority 
for everyone here. Not only does this bill not help return students to 
the classroom, most of the education funds are not even allocated until 
2022.
  There is a lot we can do together, but I fear a one-sided process 
will leave millions of Americans unaccounted for in this relief 
package.

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