[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 7 (Tuesday, January 11, 2022)]
[House]
[Page H16]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           REFLECTING ON DEMOCRATIC ACHIEVEMENTS OF PAST YEAR

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from 
North Carolina (Ms. Manning) for 5 minutes.
  Ms. MANNING. Mr. Speaker, as Congress reconvenes for the Second 
Session of the 117th Congress, I want to take a moment to reflect on 
the important achievements that the Democrats have made this past year.
  The pandemic continues to be a challenge, but thanks to the funding 
provided by the Democrats' American Rescue Plan Act, the vast majority 
of Americans have been vaccinated and are protected from severe 
illness, hospitalization, and death.
  We must also acknowledge that the Democrats' commitment to building 
back stronger and more equitably than before has resulted in 
unprecedented economic recovery from the initial impact of the 
pandemic.
  Last month, the unemployment rate fell to 3.9 percent, the largest 
calendar-year decrease in the unemployment rate in history. We reached 
this rate 5 years before experts anticipated. That is the result of 
adding 6.4 million jobs to the economy since President Biden took 
office, regaining 84 percent of the jobs lost during the pandemic.
  This economic boom was brought to you by President Biden and the 
Democrats in Congress who voted for the American Rescue Plan.
  The American Rescue Plan supercharged our economic recovery by 
providing critical support to small businesses as they navigated the 
pandemic. It expanded the child tax credit, which helped families put 
food on the table and pay for childcare. It provided rent assistance so 
families could keep their housing.
  Now, the bipartisan infrastructure law is creating millions of good-
paying jobs while rebuilding our Nation's crumbling infrastructure and 
combating the climate crisis.
  Through the American Rescue Plan and the bipartisan Infrastructure 
Investment and Jobs Act, Democrats have delivered for the American 
people and created historic economic growth.
  We have more important work to do. We must encourage the Senate to 
pass the voting rights protections that we in the House passed months 
ago that are critical to ensure that all citizens can exercise their 
most precious right to vote.
  I look forward to working with my colleagues to continue our 
important work, building back stronger and more equitably than ever 
before.

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