[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 188 (Tuesday, October 26, 2021)]
[Senate]
[Pages S7349-S7350]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         BUILD BACK BETTER PLAN

  Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, now on Build Back Better, this week, 
Democrats are continuing to make important progress toward finalizing 
President Biden's Build Back Better plan, and we remain confident that 
a final deal is within reach.

[[Page S7350]]

  When Democrats first set out to pass historic legislation to boost 
our economy and invest in everyday Americans, we knew that the task 
wouldn't be easy. The challenges that our country faces are manifold 
and they are severe--from the hardship of raising a family to securing 
a good-paying job, to affording something as basic as healthcare and 
the cost of prescription drugs.
  Tackling these issues head-on was sure to be an immense challenge. 
Doing big things in Congress is always hard. But we didn't choose 
elected office just to pursue the easy things. We came here to do the 
hard things, the important things, the things that will impact 
Americans--working-class Americans, middle-class Americans, those 
struggling to get into the middle class and those struggling to stay 
there--that will impact those people for generations.
  That is what these negotiations have been about: doing the hard work 
to deliver something big for the American people.
  Nobody--nobody--is going to get everything they want, but we all know 
we need to keep our promise to the American people.
  We need to tackle the climate crisis head-on, and the programs we are 
trying to enact will empower us to meet the President's emission goals.
  We need to help working parents and give every child in America a 
chance to succeed in school and in life, and programs being discussed 
will help improve countless of lives.
  And we need, I believe, to strengthen vital services, like Medicare--
relied on by millions of Americans--and to make healthcare more 
affordable. I believe this is so important, and we are working to get 
it done.
  Democrats will continue fighting until we are able to pass this 
transformational legislation. The progress of last week illustrated 
how, if we stick together, work towards finding that legislative sweet 
spot, then we can succeed.
  That is worth a few hard days. In fact, it is worth many hard days. 
We have some more work to do, but we remain committed to forging ahead 
until we reward the trust the American people have placed in us.
  I yield the floor.
  I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The clerk will call the roll.
  The senior assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. 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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