American Rescue Plan Act of 2021

Floor Speech

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Mr. REED. Mr. Speaker, I don't need a sheet of paper to express my words here today.

I rise in objection to this bill, because this bill is being passed on the backs of 500,000 plus of our fellow American citizens' deaths, under the guise that you are passing a bill on a partisan basis, on their souls, in order to do COVID relief. This isn't relief. This is because you guys won the majority.

I am speaking to the American people, to speak truth.

You won the majority, you took the opportunity to put forth an agenda, and you didn't include bipartisan support.

I had one simple amendment on this bill. $1,400 is going to go to convicted child molesters in State prisons. What is that doing to stimulate the economy? Why does a child molester, who is sitting in State prison, need $1,400 to buy cigarettes or play video games in State prison? That is your priority. That is what you put in this bill. You didn't even debate our bipartisan amendment to try and have that included.

Let's be honest with the American people. You are playing politics. You are carrying forward an agenda. I get it. You won the election. But this is an emergency. This is a virus that is killing our fellow American citizens.

We put together $4 trillion worth of relief to the American people on a bipartisan basis. We should have done it again, and you didn't. It is wrong. That is why I say no to this bill.

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