On the recordAugust 9, 2021
as we have just heard, thankfully, instruction is almost complete on the infrastructure bill. Once infrastructure passes, it is on to the budget resolution, which lays the foundation to pass Build Back Better this fall. The Senate Finance Committee is immersed in this effort. For several months, we have been working with members of the committee on a host of proposals that are included in the resolution. These proposals stem from essential American priorities, making it easier to support a middle-class family, lowering the cost of healthcare, and addressing the climate crisis. When you focus on those key priorities, you build a stronger, more fair economy and create good-paying jobs. There is going to be a lot to say about these issues in the hours and days ahead. Tonight, I will take just a few minutes to discuss the Finance Committee's work and why the policies are so important. I will begin with support for American families. For decades, typical working families in Oregon and across the land have felt that it has gotten harder and harder for them to climb the economic ladder. The cost of housing and education have shot into the stratosphere. Yet wages have largely been stuck on the launch pad. Despite being the best-educated generation in history, young people working in America today earn less on average than their parents did at the same age. It ought to be easier to raise a family in America.…
