[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 200 (Wednesday, November 17, 2021)]
[Senate]
[Pages S8319-S8320]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                        Build Back Better Agenda

  Now on Build Back Better--I want to return to a comment made recently 
by the other side that crystalizes the difference between how the two 
parties see today's challenges.
  ``A gold mine.'' ``A gold mine.'' Those three words were used by my 
colleague, the junior Senator from Florida, when talking about 
Americans struggling with rising costs. A gold mine for them.
  If you want to know why Americans can get frustrated with Washington, 
look no further than the comments like the one from the gentleman from 
Florida.
  The Republicans, who voted for a giant tax break for millionaires and 
billionaires, don't have any solutions for working families, but they 
see political gold in exploiting their struggles.
  Families are still struggling to pull themselves out of a once-in-a-
century economic crisis brought about by COVID. They want to pay less 
for things like groceries, healthcare, prescription drugs, and 
childcare. They want us to find ways to make that happen, and that is 
just what Democrats are doing in Build Back Better. But, unfortunately, 
Republicans appear more interested in politics than progress.
  It is simple: If we want to fight inflation, if we want to create 
more jobs--so many businesses are short of workers--and if we want to 
lower costs and

[[Page S8320]]

make sure families have more money in their pockets, the best thing--
the best thing--we can do is pass Build Back Better.
  Seventeen Nobel Prize-winning economists--and more from both sides of 
the political spectrum--have said that this bill will help relieve 
inflationary pressures over the long term.
  And this morning, an exclusive by Reuters confirmed that, for all the 
Republicans howling at the Moon about inflation, Build Back Better will 
not--will not--increase inflation.
  And here is what the leading economist at Moody's said:

       The bills do not add to inflation pressures, as the 
     policies help to lift long-term economic growth via stronger 
     productivity and labor force growth, and thus take the edge 
     off inflation.

  Stronger growth, less inflation. I will say it again: If you want to 
fight inflation, if you want to lower costs and grow the economy, 
support Build Back Better. If you want to fight inflation, support 
Build Back Better.
  Build Back Better is going to help families save money by making 
childcare more affordable. It is going to give parents a tax break so 
they can pay for diapers and groceries and gas. It is going to lower 
the cost of prescription drugs, like insulin and cancer treatments; and 
it is going to put more Americans to work, help our economy grow in the 
long term.
  The American people want these things.
  Why won't a single Republican come out and vote for them--a single 
Republican? Why do Republicans seem so intent on opposing lowering the 
price of insulin or giving parents a middle-class tax break?
  Given the choice between helping families afford childcare and 
leaving them to fend for themselves, Republicans are telling families: 
You are on your own.
  Listen to the list of things I just mentioned: middle-class tax 
breaks, lowering prescription drug costs, childcare. These aren't 
handouts. These aren't luxury items. To so many families, they are 
daily essentials, and they are just the beginning of what the BBB would 
offer.
  While Democrats are fighting to pass legislation to lower costs, 
Republicans, who spent years under Donald Trump trying to repeal 
healthcare and give tax breaks to the ultrarich, are opposing tax cuts 
to the middle class while rooting for prices to go up and up--a gold 
mine.
  Americans won't forget who in Washington is fighting for them and who 
is spending their time trying to exploit their hardships.