[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 189 (Wednesday, October 27, 2021)]
[Senate]
[Pages S7393-S7394]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         BUILD BACK BETTER PLAN

  Mr. SCHUMER. Now, on Build Back Better, Mr. President. Yesterday was 
another productive day as we make progress towards finalizing President 
Biden's Build Back Better plan.
  After another vigorous, spirited caucus lunch, meetings continue with 
Senate colleagues and members of the White House, as well as with the 
President. An agreement is within arm's length, and we are hopeful that 
we can come to a framework agreement by the end of today; but we must--
we must--continue working a little more to make sure it is the best 
deal possible for the American people.
  I am working especially hard to strengthen Medicare and make 
prescription drugs more affordable. Senator Sanders has worked hard to 
push for many of these Medicare provisions, and I support them.
  At its core, the goals of Build Back Better are about restoring the 
middle class in the 21st century; helping people who are in the middle 
class stay there; helping people who are struggling to get to the 
middle class to get there; and give more Americans the opportunity for 
good, fulfilling lives and better lives for their kids. And, of course, 
we must take bold action to tackle the climate crisis, which could 
overwhelm our globe all too quickly if we don't act.

[[Page S7394]]

  It is an agenda that favors not those at the very top, but everyday 
Americans who are struggling to achieve the American dream in the 21st 
century. Unfortunately, the past 20 years in America have been a story 
of middle-class decline. Even before COVID, the Federal Reserve 
estimated that over 40 percent of Americans in this day and age would 
still--still--have trouble covering an emergency expense of just $400, 
which you can easily incur if you have to fix your car, make repairs at 
home, or visit a doctor.
  A few decades ago, the story was very different. For much of the 
post-war era, most Americans had confidence that if you were willing to 
work hard, you could save a little and you could leave something behind 
for your loved ones. Nobody was guaranteed riches, but the basic 
bargain in America was that those who put in an honest day's work would 
be able to make ends meet.
  Build Back Better is precisely--precisely--about rekindling that 
faith in the American dream. That is no easy task. Americans face 
serious, severe challenges today that did not exist in the past. 
Raising a family is more difficult than ever. The challenges of finding 
and affording childcare and pre-K have grown exponentially. Seniors are 
struggling to afford basic drug care and basic drugs.
  These are not luxury items. These aren't handouts or entitlements. 
These are essentials. They are essentials that families need in order 
to work and get ahead, and they are oftentimes much, much harder to 
afford than they were in the past.
  That is what we mean by providing ladders to the middle class and 
helping families stay in the middle class. That is what we mean by 
reviving that sunny American optimism, which this country has lost in 
the last few decades. We have got to get it back, and the only way we 
can get it back is by bold action that gives people renewed hope in 
their futures and the future of their children.
  The work we do right now will echo far into the 21st century. This is 
the best opportunity we have had in a long time to make sure that the 
decades to come will offer the same--or even greater--opportunities 
that Americans enjoyed in the past.
  And if Democrats keep working together, if we keep our eye on the 
ultimate goal, and we keep negotiating to find that legislative sweet 
spot, then we will succeed in rewarding the trust that the American 
people have placed on us.
  I yield the floor.

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