[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 127 (Tuesday, July 20, 2021)]
[Senate]
[Pages S4956-S4957]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                              Coronavirus

  Mr. President, last week was an important day for literally millions 
of Americans because the child tax credit

[[Page S4957]]

went into effect on July 15, and many were awakened to the good news 
that their checking and savings accounts had been increased because of 
this new child tax credit.
  It was part of the American Rescue Plan, the proposal by President 
Biden to get America back on its feet. You remember that plan, almost 
$2 trillion. It was an important infusion into our economy. Money 
within that plan was being spent on the administration of vaccines 
across America. In addition to that, money was available for small 
businesses to receive forgivable loans. And this provision, that of 
enhancing the child tax credit, was an important part of it as well.
  We have had tax credits in the past for families with children, but 
this was an especially important one because it was fully refundable, 
which meant it went to the lower-income families who might not have had 
enough income to merit a tax responsibility. This now is fully 
refundable, so there is no tax responsibility necessary to receive the 
payment. It also was a benefit that extended beyond poor and low-income 
families to middle-income families across America. Some of these 
families with this payment of $300 a month for each child under the age 
of 6 and $250 a month for those between 6 and 17 would receive 
resources which they desperately need to make certain that their 
children have a fighting chance.
  We are especially proud of the fact that this infusion of cash into 
the hands of many families will literally mean it will lift them above 
the poverty line in America. Almost half of the kids in poverty will be 
spared that by this tax credit. So it has a direct and important 
impact.
  I had a press conference last Friday in Chicago with one of the 
parents who will be benefited by this. Her name is Susana Salgado. She 
is a mother of three--an 11-year-old, a 16-year-old, and a 23-year-old. 
Her family relies on her husband's income. He works as a restaurant 
worker in Chicago to pay the bills, but when the pandemic hit, his 
hours were cut drastically. A return to normal remains elusive for 
people like Susana Salgado because, at the same time the family's 
livelihood vanished, their cost of living increased.
  During the pandemic, as parents know well, schooling moved into the 
home and the high-speed internet connection became an absolute 
necessity for her kids to keep up in school. Thanks to the enhanced 
child tax credit, Susana can finally afford her monthly internet bill. 
It sounds like a small thing, but if the alternative is a child falling 
behind a grade in school, it is a critical family decision. That means 
her two younger children can keep up with their studies and her oldest 
son can remain in college. Something as basic as that can mean the 
difference in a young child's progress in his life.
  So I salute President Biden for the American Rescue Plan, which 
helped to distribute vaccines across America, helped small businesses 
get back on their feet, and is helping millions of Americans and 
children and families as of this day. I am sorry that there was not one 
single Republican vote in support of that proposal, but I believe it 
was money well spent and continues to benefit this country. We have a 
lot of work to do in this country.
  I will close by saying this: I was on radio shows this morning in 
downstate Illinois. Chicago, and the Chicagoland, area have been able 
to get vaccinated to a level where they are starting to breathe a 
little easier in anticipating children going back to school in the 
fall, businesses reopening, and people getting out and about. You can 
just feel it in the air. Yet that is not the case all over the United 
States.
  The City of Los Angeles, I understand, is opposed to a new mask 
requirement, which, unfortunately, evidences the fact that there are 
still too many infections these days related to COVID-19. 
Unfortunately, as Dr. Fauci and others have said, these infections are 
reflected in people who have not yet been vaccinated, by and large, and 
it is an indication that we can't let up on our effort to continue 
vaccinations across America. It is the only way to successfully put 
this pandemic to rest and return to normal life in America.
  To those who are not vaccinated, I am sure they are not watching C-
SPAN for advice, but I hope they will turn to a doctor or a nurse or to 
someone they trust in the community and hear about the safety of these 
vaccines, which have been safely administered to millions of people 
across the United States.
  If each and every one of us accepts our personal responsibility to 
get vaccinated to protect ourselves, our families, those we love, and 
those all around us, we will finally bring this pandemic to an end. At 
this point, there are many, many who are still holding back. I hope 
they will reconsider that position.
  I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Padilla). The Republican whip.
  Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that Senators 
Cornyn, Grassley, and I be allowed to complete our remarks before the 
scheduled rollcall votes.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.