[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 121 (Monday, July 12, 2021)]
[Senate]
[Pages S4809-S4810]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                       Business Before the Senate

  Mr. SCHUMER. Madam President, 6 months ago, the Democratic majority 
began this Congress by aggressively confronting the COVID crisis. We 
passed the American Rescue Plan--one of the largest Federal stimulus 
measures in history--to help bring an end to the economic downturn and 
prime our economy to come roaring back. Now, millions of Americans have 
come off the unemployment rolls, and small businesses have reopened 
from coast to coast. More than 150 million Americans have been fully 
vaccinated. We need, of course, to keep up the effort to inoculate the 
rest of the country, but suffice it to say, we are well on our way to 
bringing the country out of chaos, out of crisis, and back to normal. 
But the task is not done.
  As our country reopens and Americans return to work, we must turn our 
attention to laying a foundation for the future. This upcoming work 
period will focus on exactly that: building a foundation for future 
American prosperity for years and decades to come through smart and 
bold investments in our Nation's infrastructure.
  As I have said for weeks, the discussions about infrastructure 
legislation continue along two tracks. On the bipartisan track, our 
committees are getting closer to turning the recent agreement between 
the White House and the bipartisan infrastructure group into 
legislation. I am pleased to report

[[Page S4810]]

we are making very good progress toward that goal. On the second track, 
the Senate Budget Committee is close to finalizing a budget resolution, 
which will allow the Senate to move forward with the remaining parts of 
the American Jobs and Families Plan. The Senate must pass the budget 
resolution and an eventual budget reconciliation bill with or without 
Republican support.
  The fact of the matter is, brick-and-mortar infrastructure is very 
important, but it is no longer the only type of infrastructure that 
matters in the 21st century. Human infrastructure--what many might call 
family support as our families come under increasing pressure in this 
modern society, things like childcare, family leave, education, 
healthcare--are just as essential to giving our citizens opportunity as 
building roads and bridges and railways. Both are very important. 
Twenty-first century investment in broadband internet, the electric 
grid, and retrofitting our economy to fight climate change in bold ways 
are just as important as roads and bridges and railways. We must do 
both. It is not one or the other, and we are going to do both.
  Before the week work period is over, it is my intention for the 
Senate to hold votes on the bipartisan infrastructure bill and a budget 
resolution. Members should prepare for a busier work period than usual, 
with the possibility of late-night votes, weekend votes, and changes to 
the August schedule. It is not going to be easy, but it is certainly 
going to be worth it.
  The Federal Government has not made a significant stand-alone 
investment in infrastructure in decades. We have the world's largest 
economy, and yet our infrastructure ranks 13th. America has less 
generous family support policies than so many of our peers who are not 
as wealthy as we are. It is time to rebuild our infrastructure, create 
millions of good-paying jobs--particularly to those who haven't been 
able to get good-paying jobs--and help American families keep up with 
rising expenses. If and when we succeed, the benefits--the benefits--
will reverberate across the country for generations to come.