[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 67 (Monday, April 19, 2021)]
[Senate]
[Page S2002]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              CORONAVIRUS

  Mr. SCHUMER. Madam President, on another matter, for the last year, 
the country has faced a daunting series of crises. After such a 
difficult year, it is important to take stock of how the country is 
finally, finally starting to recover.
  Over a month ago, Senate Democrats passed the American Rescue Plan, 
supercharging our Nation's vaccination drive and putting thousands of 
dollars into the pockets of Americans who needed it most. Already, the 
benefits are pouring in.
  Yesterday, the CDC announced that the country had reached a truly 
remarkable milestone. Over half of U.S. adults, 130 million Americans, 
have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. It is the 
result of a rapidly accelerating pace of distribution, which we in the 
Senate--many of us--pushed for, first in the December bill and then in 
the ARP bill. The country now averages over 3 million doses per day.
  Even better news arrived this morning. Starting today, every single 
adult in the United States is eligible to get vaccinated. Let me say 
that again. All U.S. adults in all 50 States, Washington, DC, and 
Puerto Rico are now eligible to get the vaccine, meeting the deadline 
President Biden set just 2 weeks ago.
  I urge all Americans to go online, find a location where vaccines are 
being administered, and get the vaccine. Register, sign up, call in. Do 
whatever you need to do to make yourself an appointment. This is about 
protecting yourself and protecting your family. We are on our way to 
beating COVID-19, but everyone needs to do their part, and part of 
doing your part is being vaccinated.

  Inoculating a country of 330 million people--a country the size of a 
continent--is a momentous task. The fact that we have already reached 
the halfway point in 4 short months is a credit to the Biden 
administration and our work here in Congress to fund vaccine production 
and distribution, and it is a credit to the thousands of medical 
researchers, scientists, doctors, nurses, and all the public health 
workers who have made this possible.
  Thanks to the American Rescue Plan, our economy has gotten its own 
shot in the arm. The Treasury Department announced that nearly 159 
million stimulus payments--$376 billion--have reached people across the 
country. Last week, jobless claims fell to their lowest levels since 
the start of the pandemic. Global consumer confidence is now higher 
than it was even before the pandemic. Across the country, the American 
Rescue Plan is accelerating our economic recovery. Consumer spending is 
up, businesses are gradually reopening, and American workers are 
regaining hope and reentering the workforce.
  Thanks to our historic investment in American workers, American 
families, and the American economy, brighter days are just around the 
corner. All of us who worked hard on passing the ARP and the previous 
legislation can be very proud of what we were able to do. Now, of 
course, we are not completely out of the woods yet. Despite the roaring 
success of the American Rescue Plan, we must continue to bolster our 
economic recovery and create good-paying jobs for American workers. 
That is why infrastructure--big, bold infrastructure--remains at the 
top of our priority list.
  There isn't a community in this country without some glaring 
infrastructure challenges, be they crumbling roads, bridges, or school 
buildings, aging sewer systems, housing properties, or unreliable 
internet. If America is going to compete in the 21st century, we can't 
have an infrastructure that is stuck in the last century, so Congress, 
in coordination with the Biden administration, is going to work on a 
comprehensive jobs and infrastructure bill this year.
  Today at the White House, President Biden will meet with Members from 
both parties to continue bipartisan discussions on an infrastructure 
package. The President has reiterated his intention and desire to work 
in good faith with our Republican colleagues. Hopefully, our Republican 
colleagues share that willingness and desire. Reliably investing in our 
Nation's infrastructure used to unite our two parties. It can do so 
again.
  Here in Congress, we are going to start getting our teeth into the 
details of an infrastructure package. Right here in the Senate, there 
are numerous activities going on this week. Tomorrow, the Senate 
Appropriations Committee will hear from four Cabinet-level officials on 
the details of the American Jobs Plan: Secretaries Buttigieg, Raimondo, 
and Fudge, as well as EPA Administrator Michael Regan. Later in the 
week, the Democratic Steering and Outreach Committee will hear from 
Secretaries Buttigieg and Raimondo on the President's Build Back Better 
agenda, and the Democratic caucus will meet with the Director of the 
National Economic Council, Brian Deese, on the same subject.
  As the Senate begins to shape the contours of a comprehensive 
infrastructure bill, I will soon move to have the Senate take up a 
bipartisan water infrastructure bill. This legislation, the Drinking 
Water and Infrastructure Act, was advanced by the Environment and 
Public Works Committee on a unanimous vote earlier this year. It will 
authorize tens of billions of dollars to make sure American families, 
especially low-income families, have access to safe and clean drinking 
water.
  The drinking water bill could represent a small but important first 
step in bringing our two parties together on the work on 
infrastructure. I salute the chairman of EPW, Tom Carper of Delaware, 
and the ranking member, Senator Capito of West Virginia, for coming 
together on the legislation. We look forward to working with our 
Republican colleagues later this work period to get that piece of 
legislation done.
  I yield the floor.
  I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The clerk will call the roll.
  The legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. SCHUMER. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the order 
for the quorum call be rescinded.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Without objection, it is so 
ordered.

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