'Plain Old Nonsense': Chuck Schumer Refutes JD Vance, Urges Bipartisan Support For Child Tax Credit

2 months ago

During remarks on the Senate floor, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) spoke about the child tax credit.

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Transcript

00:00Now, 45 days after Joe Biden took the oath of office and I became Majority Leader, Senate

00:07Democrats passed a major expansion of the Child Tax Credit, one of the signature policies

00:13of the American Rescue Plan.

00:16Every single Republican, down to the last member, voted against this bill.

00:22The Child Tax Credit expansion was a stupendous success.

00:27It cut child poverty in America in half, in half.

00:32But it sadly expired after a year.

00:35During that year, parents had money to pay for good food for their kids, to pay for school

00:40supplies, to pay for clothing and the things that so many parents can't afford to do.

00:46It made the kids so much better.

00:48But of course, it did expire because it was passed just during the COVID.

00:53This week, the Senate has a chance to do it again.

00:57To pass another expansion of the Child Tax Credit to help get more kids out of poverty.

01:05This is just one of the many reasons, one of many reasons, the Senate should take up

01:10the Tax Relief for American Families and Workers Act.

01:14Last night, I filed cloture on this important piece of legislation and Senators should expect

01:18to vote on this measure Thursday.

01:21Now, on the day Democrats assume the majority in 2021, I promised my colleagues that I would

01:28always try my best to work first in a bipartisan way to get things done in this chamber.

01:36I've always said bipartisanship is preferable because it's the best approach to achieving

01:42results.

01:44The Senate's record over the last three years bears this out.

01:48Democrats and Republicans have come together again and again to pass historic bills like

01:53infrastructure, chips and science, Ukraine and Israel aid, veterans health care.

01:59And we've even passed bills on more difficult issues like safety, like gun safety and marriage

02:04equality.

02:05And of course, together, we avoided default and shutting down the government, which would

02:09have wreaked such havoc in our economy and hurt so many millions of families.

02:15Now just today, we're getting another bipartisan bill done through COSA and COPPA.

02:20We want to continue the productive streak this week with a vote on the tax bill, though,

02:25because it will deliver so many benefits for families.

02:29This should be bipartisan.

02:31It passed in a bipartisan vote in the House.

02:34And I hope Republicans here in the Senate choose to join us.

02:38But Mr. President, I have also always been clear that Democrats would not shy away from

02:44moving forward on important issues when necessary to give the American people a chance to see

02:50where their elected representatives stand.

02:54Putting Senators on record is one way progress is made on important issues.

02:58It can bring important issues to the forefront.

03:01It's what we did on choice, IVF, contraception last month.

03:09This week is a classic example of how we can do both in the Senate.

03:14Pass bipartisan legislation to get things done for the American people, like COSA and

03:19COPPA, but also put pressure on Republicans to show where they stand on important issues

03:26like the child tax credit, affordable housing, and R&D.

03:31So this week, the American people will also get a chance to see which Senators in reality

03:37support tax relief for parents and businesses in housing and who opposes it.

03:42Now over the past few days, some Republican Senators, like the junior Senator from Ohio,

03:48have claimed laughably that Democrats somehow oppose the child tax credit.

03:53Mr. President, this is plain old nonsense.

03:57Democrats do not oppose the child tax credit whatsoever.

04:01On the contrary, we strongly support it.

04:03We authored it and put it together back in 2021.

04:07And the child tax credit is one of the most significant achievements Democrats have done

04:11under the Biden-Harris administration.

04:15If anyone wants to know who actually opposes the child tax credit, they should go ask the

04:1949 Republican Senators who voted against the child tax credit when we passed the American

04:25Rescue Plan.

04:28Here's the truth.

04:30Democrats want to pass the tax package because it will help lift more kids out of poverty

04:34with another expansion of the child tax credit.

04:37Democrats want to pass the tax package because it will reward businesses that will invest

04:42in R&D and new equipment, which will mean new jobs and greater opportunity.

04:47Democrats want to pass the tax package because it makes progress on a subject I'm passionate

04:52about – affordable housing.

04:55And this package thankfully includes an expansion of the low-income housing tax credit, one

05:00of the best tools we have for increasing the supply of housing.

05:05Democrats are ready to go.

05:07The American people need tax relief.

05:10The big question right now is, will Republicans join us, or will they stand in the way?

05:16So let me just say it again, because I'm very proud of this Senate, and particularly

05:20of our caucus.

05:22This week is a classic example of how we can do both in the Senate – pass bipartisan

05:28legislation to get things done for the American people, like COSA and COPPA, with large bipartisan

05:34majorities, but also put pressure on Republicans to show where they stand on important issues

05:41like the child tax credit, affordable housing, and R&D tax credit for business.

'Plain Old Nonsense': Chuck Schumer Refutes JD Vance, Urges Bipartisan Support For Child Tax Credit

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