During remarks on the Senate floor, Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) urged passage of a new tax package and denounced Senate Republican plans to vote against it.
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NewsTranscript
00:00Okay, so today the Senate has a chance to move forward on the Tax Relief for American Families and Workers Act.
00:10Democrats are ready to vote yes to advance bipartisan legislation today.
00:16The question is, will Senate Republicans join us to give Americans a tax break, or will they stand in the way?
00:25The tax bill passed the House with an overwhelming vote of 357 to 70.
00:30It won majorities of both parties.
00:33It was led in the House by the Republican Chair of Ways and Means, Congressman Smith, hardly a liberal.
00:42So we know this is a good and broadly bipartisan bill.
00:45For people who say that this is not bipartisan, go look at the House.
00:50Everyone in Congress is on board, except Senate Republicans.
00:55Unfortunately, it seems like Senate Republicans plan to vote no today.
01:01Even House Republicans managed to unite long enough to pass this bill.
01:05With great respect to Senate Republicans, it's never a good sign to be more obstructionist than Republicans in the House.
01:14Senate Republicans love to talk about how they are the party of family and business.
01:20So it's very odd to see them come out so aggressively against expanding the child tax credit and rewarding businesses with the R&D tax credit.
01:29But that seems to be what they're doing.
01:31Instead of jumping at the opportunity to get this tax bill done, some Senate Republicans are organizing against tax relief.
01:40You heard that right. Senate Republicans are organizing against tax relief.
01:46Some of them were passing out leaflets at their lunch yesterday, smearing the bill.
01:51Here's one of the nonsensical arguments Senate Republicans made against this tax bill.
01:56You don't dare pass it, they said, because God forbid it actually helps American families and then Democrats will get some credit.
02:04Can you believe that?
02:06Does that sound like a pro-family party?
02:09I don't think so.
02:10Instead of focusing on the election, Republicans maybe should focus more on the fact that this bill actually helped families.
02:17If the bill becomes law, half a million kids would come out of poverty.
02:22Sixteen million kids from low-income households would see benefits increase.
02:28Business owners that invest in R&D and buy new equipment would see more money coming back to them, leading to more jobs, good-paying jobs.
02:37And the housing crisis in America would ease one of our biggest crises, housing costs, by expanding the low-income housing tax credit,
02:46something I deeply cared about and urged be put in the bill. I'm glad it's there.
02:51And of course, communities devastated by natural disasters, we've seen so many of them across the country in the last few weeks, they'd get greater relief.
03:01So thank you to all my colleagues who worked hard on this bill, Chairman Wyden for his leadership, everyone on the Finance Committee,
03:09as well as Senators Brown and Casey and Bennett and Cantwell and Hassan and so many others.
03:14The ball is now in Senate Republican court.
03:17Senate Republicans can either choose bipartisanship and get this done now, or they can choose partisanship, leave families hanging out to dry.
03:26And Mr. President, just I want to note, this has so often become the M.O. of our Republicans in the House, Senate and the Presidency.
03:33When we do something good and strong, that Americans support in a bipartisan way, that most Republicans support,
03:40they say, don't pass it because it will benefit Democrats in the election.
03:44Donald Trump has said it repeatedly on border.
03:47We've seen it recently on crypto.
03:50We've seen it on so many other issues.
03:53That is not the way to help the American people.
03:56That is not the way to govern.