[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 211 (Tuesday, December 7, 2021)]
[Senate]
[Pages S8955-S8956]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         BUILD BACK BETTER ACT

  Mrs. MURRAY. Madam President, I can say with confidence to the senior 
Senator from Kentucky, who spoke this morning on childcare, that as a 
former preschool teacher, we can rest assured that we are not at risk 
of a toddler takeover in the U.S. Senate.
  But seriously, I have never heard so much misinformation in such a 
short time from one person. It is not at all clear to me that the 
senior Senator from Kentucky read the bill--the Build Back Better bill.
  So I want to set some facts straight. Under our bill, working parents 
will have way more options and pay way less to send their child to a 
high-quality childcare provider they choose. It is the same with pre-K. 
Parents of 3- and 4-year-olds will have more options to send their kids 
to quality preschool for free. We are talking about parents saving 
thousands of dollars a year on childcare and pre-K, which are huge 
financial burdens to families right now.
  It is also, by the way, a great deal for our States who, by the way, 
are already working with the Federal Government on childcare, and 44 
States already have some form of publicly funded pre-K. So this plan is 
not some new outlandish idea. And, finally, religious providers and 
family-based providers are absolutely eligible.
  So this isn't a radical plan. It is a practical solution to, again, a 
huge financial barrier that parents are facing today. It is not a 
toddler takeover. It is giving parents more choices and more 
affordability. Though I would actually prefer toddlers on the Senate 
floor to what I saw today.
  And it is not far-left propaganda because I can't emphasize this 
enough: This is not a political question for parents. To them, the 
question is, Can I choose the provider I actually like or do I have to 
go to this cheaper one just because I can't afford the one I really 
want to send my kids to; or is it worth me going back to work if I have 
to pay as much for rent or mortgage or college tuition as I do to send 
my child to a provider that I trust; or how long am I going to be on 
this wait list, and what do I do in the meantime?
  What Democrats want to do is make sure there are more affordable 
options out there for parents. What Senate Republicans want to do is 
nothing but watch the prices keep rising.
  And here is the thing. I have seen again and again, when someone says 
you can't do something, it is because they are afraid that you will. It 
is because they are afraid that we will. Senate Republicans are shaking 
in their boots because we are really doing something that helps working 
parents with a big part of their costs.

[[Page S8956]]

  So I am sure they are going to keep calling affordable childcare 
``radical'' and insisting that it would be better to do just nothing, 
and I am equally sure that Democrats are going to get this done.
  I yield the floor.
  I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order 
for the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Padilla). Without objection, it is so 
ordered.

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