Hoyer Floor Remarks on Fiscal Year 2021 Budget Resolution
For Immediate Release:
February 3, 2021
Contact Info:
Katie Grant Drew 202-225-3130
WASHINGTON, DC – House Majority Leader Steny H. Hoyer (MD) spoke on the House Floor today in support of the Fiscal Year 2021 budget resolution, which will give Congress an additional path to enact President Biden’s American Rescue Plan. Below are his remarks as prepared for delivery and a link to the video.
“Madam Speaker, the American people are suffering from the most severe public health emergency in our lifetimes and the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression. They are looking to Washington to help. After we enacted the CARES Act together in March 2020 to get American workers, businesses, and communities through the spring and summer months, the Trump Administration and Republican-controlled Senate hit the ‘pause’ button. That pause crippled our nation’s response both to the public health emergency and the economic one as supports authorized by the CARES Act faded.
“While we were finally able to reach bipartisan agreement on COVID-19 relief at the end of December, much damage had been done, and we knew that the December legislation would not be enough. Now, President Biden has outlined the next steps we need to take, part of his American Rescue Plan. The budget resolution before us today provides us with one path to put that plan into action with the next round of major relief for our people and the economic boost needed by workers and businesses. But it is not the only path.
“Let me be clear, Madam Speaker: we want this to be a bipartisan endeavor. I hope that the discussions between President Biden and a small group of Senate Republicans will lead to a responsible and actionable bipartisan compromise that can pass the Senate with sixty votes and get to the President’s desk in the coming weeks. But make no mistake: we will not seek compromise at the expense of necessary action. The American people cannot wait for Republicans to work their way through another pause.
“Democrats are taking this step today to ensure that we have all the procedural tools necessary to move forward with the relief so sorely needed for the American people in case the preferred path of bipartisanship is unsuccessful. Particularly because expanded unemployment insurance benefits expire on March 14. So, I urge my colleagues to join me in voting for this resolution so we can assure the American people that Congress is moving forward with the relief they need in the timely manner they ought to expect.”
“Madam Speaker, the American people are suffering from the most severe public health emergency in our lifetimes and the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression. They are looking to Washington to help. After we enacted the CARES Act together in March 2020 to get American workers, businesses, and communities through the spring and summer months, the Trump Administration and Republican-controlled Senate hit the ‘pause’ button. That pause crippled our nation’s response both to the public health emergency and the economic one as supports authorized by the CARES Act faded.
“While we were finally able to reach bipartisan agreement on COVID-19 relief at the end of December, much damage had been done, and we knew that the December legislation would not be enough. Now, President Biden has outlined the next steps we need to take, part of his American Rescue Plan. The budget resolution before us today provides us with one path to put that plan into action with the next round of major relief for our people and the economic boost needed by workers and businesses. But it is not the only path.
“Let me be clear, Madam Speaker: we want this to be a bipartisan endeavor. I hope that the discussions between President Biden and a small group of Senate Republicans will lead to a responsible and actionable bipartisan compromise that can pass the Senate with sixty votes and get to the President’s desk in the coming weeks. But make no mistake: we will not seek compromise at the expense of necessary action. The American people cannot wait for Republicans to work their way through another pause.
“Democrats are taking this step today to ensure that we have all the procedural tools necessary to move forward with the relief so sorely needed for the American people in case the preferred path of bipartisanship is unsuccessful. Particularly because expanded unemployment insurance benefits expire on March 14. So, I urge my colleagues to join me in voting for this resolution so we can assure the American people that Congress is moving forward with the relief they need in the timely manner they ought to expect.”