Chris Coons: “it was I believe then-President Reagan who famously asked, ``Are you better off than you were four years ago?'' I rise…”

“it was I believe then-President Reagan who famously asked, ``Are you better off than you were four years ago?'' I rise to take a moment here at the end of the 118th Congress, at the end of the Presidency of Joe Biden, to say: You bet you are better off today than you were 4 years ago. I wanted to take just a few moments and reflect on the service, the career, the values, and the consequence of Joe Biden's service on behalf of Delaware in this Chamber for 36 years, as our Vice President for 8, and as our President for the last 4. I have the honor of having Joe Biden's desk here on the floor of the Senate, and in my office in Russell, I have what was his desk as a Senator for 36 years and as a Vice President for 8. As the son of both Scranton, PA, and Claymont, DE, in many ways, he was a role model to me and many others in Delaware and a source of inspiration to get involved in public service in the first place. If you think for a moment about where we were this time 4 years ago, there were three different, profound challenges the United States was facing, all really because of the pandemic--a pandemic that had been badly mishandled and spiraled out of control and was still killing 3,000 Americans a day in December of 2020. Violent crime had skyrocketed. Healthcare coverage was declining. Jobs had been lost in the rates of millions. The United States was divided from some of its closest, oldest, and most trusted allies.…”