[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 200 (Wednesday, November 17, 2021)]
[House]
[Page H6325]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  HISTORIC INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENTS

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from 
Massachusetts (Mrs. Trahan) for 5 minutes.
  Mrs. TRAHAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of the Build Back 
Better Act.
  Together with the historic infrastructure investments signed into law 
by President Biden earlier this week, working families like the one I 
grew up in will be able to get back on their feet and succeed in an 
economy that finally works for them.
  Now, I have talked about my childhood on the floor of the people's 
House before. My dad was a union ironworker, and like his union 
brothers and sisters have done for decades, he worked long, hard hours 
to provide for my three sisters and me. When there wasn't work for him 
at home in Massachusetts, he would travel out of State erecting bridges 
and buildings in New York, Maine, and other places, sometimes for 
months at a time.
  As a first generation American, a union job with benefits was better 
than most had, and it is certainly the reason I am standing here today. 
But the demands of my dad's job placed limitations on what my mom could 
do for work. Despite the wages and benefits secured by his union, my 
parents couldn't afford childcare for four girls. So my mom picked up 
jobs where she could to help make ends meet. Whether it was clerical 
work, cleaning homes, hostessing, or caring for kids, she did anything 
and everything possible to pay the bills while also making sure she was 
home to care for us when my dad was away.
  Here is the thing: My family's story is not unique, not in the 
slightest. In fact, it is a story shared by millions of working 
families across our country who show up to work each day but don't have 
the support they need to get ahead.
  My mom's story is one that is shared by millions of working moms who 
want nothing more than to return to work and support their families but 
can't because the math doesn't work, giving them no choice but to stay 
at home and care for their families instead.
  Mr. Speaker, under President Biden's leadership we are going to flip 
that script.
  The infrastructure package he signed into law earlier this week will 
create millions of jobs with family sustaining wages and benefits by 
repairing our roads, our bridges, our water systems, and more.
  But creating millions of jobs only works if workers are ready to fill 
them. That is why we are also working to pass the Build Back Better Act 
which will make unprecedented investments in working families. Families 
that continue to be the backbone of our country that we all have the 
honor of representing.
  By expanding access to quality childcare, providing paid family and 
medical leave, establishing universal pre-K, and making home care 
affordable for our seniors, this legislation will propel parents--
especially our working moms--back into the workforce and full 
participation in our economy.
  By lowering healthcare costs and driving down prescription drug 
prices, the Build Back Better Act will ensure that families no longer 
have to choose between their health and their ability to put food on 
the table. By cutting taxes for low-income and middle-class Americans 
and extending the child tax credit payment that has served as a 
lifeline for so many, this package will keep money in families' 
pockets.
  Passage of the Build Back Better Act will ensure that no one is left 
behind as we defeat COVID and rebuild our economy. That is why these 
provisions are supported by an overwhelming majority of Americans--
Democrats, Republicans and Independents alike. Like President Biden, 
they recognize that when we invest in working families, America wins.
  Now, if my colleagues on the other side of the aisle need to hear 
more about why they should support this bill, please let me know. My 
mom, Linda Loureiro, is happy to call you and tell you what the Build 
Back Better Act would have done for her and moms like yours 40 years 
ago and why we need to get it done for her children and her 
grandchildren today.

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