What this legislation does, Anderson, is it addresses a crisis that this country has ignored for too long.

I am going to pass that bill.

In the richest country in the history of the world, people should not be going hungry.

We're putting money into making sure that millions of workers do not lose the pensions that they were promised.

This legislation is quite comprehensive in attempting to address the needs of working families.

this is the most significant legislation for working people that has been passed in decades

the Biden administration, I think in the last month has made real progress, but we have a long, long way to go

the next reconciliation bill will deal with our structural problems, not just the emergency problems of how we can create millions of good paying jobs.

This legislation will expand the child tax credit and lower childhood poverty in America by up to 50 percent.

we're not going to get our kids back to school safely. We're not going to get our economy humming the way it should be, and create the millions of jobs we need to create unless we crush the pandemic

the American people want it, overwhelmingly large numbers of people support raising the minimum wage to 15 bucks an hour.

It says to me that the Republicans have turned their back on the needs of working families.

given the unprecedented series of crises this country now faces, the Republican amendment simply does not accomplish what the American people need or what they want. Our bill would substantially expand the child tax credit and cut child…

Let me be very clear, we are not given up on this. We are going to come back with vote after vote and one way or the other. We are going to pass a $15 an hour minimum wage. That is what the American people want. And that is what the…

I ask unanimous consent that the following staff members from my staff and from Senator Graham's staff be given all-access floor passes for the consideration of the bill: Majority staff: Michael Jones, Joshua Smith, Michael Lawliss…

I rise in strong opposition to this amendment. There are some people here who do not understand the crises facing the American people. Sixty-three percent of our people today are living paycheck to paycheck. Every day that we do not…

--cutting down. The Republican amendment simply does not do what the American people need right now. I ask for a ``no'' vote. Oh, I raise a point of order. I am sorry. Point of Order Mr. President, I raise a point of order that the pending…

I ask unanimous consent that the reading of the amendment be dispensed with. The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Is there objection? Without objection, it is so ordered. (The amendment is printed in the Record of March 4, 2021 under ``Text…