[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 43 (Monday, March 11, 2024)]
[Senate]
[Page S2337]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                Anniversary of the American Rescue Plan

  Madam President, now on the American Rescue Plan anniversary, today 
is the 3-year anniversary of President Biden signing the American 
Rescue Plan into law, which I was proud to lead here in the Senate.
  After Congress passed the ARP plan, I said, ``Help is on the way.'' 
That was the promise of the American Rescue Plan--to put shots in arms, 
to put money in people's pockets, and to propel our country out of the 
COVID crisis. Three years later, it is safe to say these investments 
have paid off and that the American Rescue Plan put America and our 
economy on a path toward the historic recovery we are witnessing today. 
Before the American Rescue Plan, job growth was unsteady, and millions 
were at risk of losing their jobs. Three years later, we have seen the 
strongest 3-year job growth in American history--in American history--
over 15 million new jobs since President Biden took office.

  Before the American Rescue Plan, the United States was losing 
manufacturing jobs by the day. Three years later, manufacturing 
investment--something that plagued America even before the pandemic--is 
near an alltime high, more than double its highest point during the 
previous administration.
  Critics argued that the American Rescue Plan would cause excessive 
inflation. Well, 3 years later, inflation has cooled down to the lowest 
levels since the start of the pandemic, from 9 percent to just below 3 
percent, meaning the prices of things like groceries, appliances, car 
rentals, and airfares have all come down.
  In the American Rescue Plan, we secured significant pension reform 
through the passage of the Butch Lewis Act, which has helped millions 
and millions of American workers receive the financial security they 
earned through their labors.
  I was proud to bring Deborah Hartman from Buffalo, NY, as my guest to 
President Biden's State of the Union last week. She called this 
critical plan ``the best thing that has happened to labor in I don't 
know how many years.'' It means the world to working people.
  We also included a dramatic expansion of the child tax credit, which 
helped millions and millions of families afford the cost of childcare 
and other needs. We provided billions in rental relief to help people 
keep a roof over their heads; billions in fiscal relief for States, 
cities, and localities to help them stay afloat; billions for education 
and broadband access to help kids get back in the classroom; and much 
more.
  The bottom line is this: Three years after President Biden signed the 
American Rescue Plan, it is proving to be a historic win for American 
families, workers, and the economy. And it is thanks to the American 
Rescue Plan and other landmark legislation we passed--like the 
infrastructure law, Chips and Science, and the Inflation Reduction 
Act--that today the U.S. economy is the envy of the world. Of course, 
our work is far from over, but we can look back and be very proud of 
what we accomplished in the ARP.
  I yield the floor.
  I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The clerk will call the roll.
  The legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. GRASSLEY. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the order 
for the quorum call be rescinded.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Without objection, it is so 
ordered.