Majority Leader Schumer Floor Remarks On This Week’s Senate Vote To Advance The Bipartisan Tax Relief For American Families And Workers Act

Washington, D.C. – Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) today spoke on the Senate floor on this week’s Senate vote on cloture on the motion to proceed to the bipartisan Tax Relief for American Families and Workers Act. Below are Senator Schumer’s remarks, which can also be viewed here:

Forty-five days after Joe Biden took the oath of office and I became Majority Leader, Senate Democrats passed a major expansion of the Child Tax Credit, one of the signature policies of the American Rescue Plan.

Every single Republican, down to the last member, voted against this bill.

The Child Tax Credit expansion was a stupendous success. It cut child poverty in America in half – in half – but sadly it expired after a year. During that year, parents had money to pay for good food for their kids, to pay for school supplies, to pay for clothing, and the things that so many parents can't afford to do. It made the kids so much better. But of course, it did expire because it was passed just during the COVID [pandemic].

This week, the Senate has a chance to do it again – to pass another expansion of the Child Tax Credit to help get more kids out of poverty. This is just one of the many reasons – one of many reasons – the Senate should take up the Tax Relief for American Families and Workers Act.

Last night, I filed cloture on this important piece of legislation, and senators should expect to vote on this measure Thursday.

Now, on the day Democrats assumed the Majority in 2021, I promised my colleagues that I would always try my best to work first in a bipartisan way to get things done in this chamber.

I’ve always said bipartisanship is preferable because it’s the best approach to achieving results.

The Senate’s record over the last three years bears this out: Democrats and Republicans have come together again and again to pass historic bills like infrastructure, CHIPS and Science, Ukraine and Israel aid, veterans’ health care, and we’ve even passed bills on more difficult issues like gun safety and marriage equality. And of course, together we’ve avoided default and shutting down the government, which would’ve wreaked such havoc in our economy and hurt so many millions of families.

Now, just today, we are getting another important bipartisan bill done through KOSA and COPPA. We want to continue the productive streak this week with a vote on the tax bill though, because it will deliver so many benefits for families. This should be bipartisan – it passed in a bipartisan vote in the House and I hope Republicans here in the Senate choose to join us.

But I have also always been clear that Democrats would not shy away from moving forward on important issues when necessary to give the American people a chance to see where their elected representatives stand. Putting senators on record is one way progress is made on important issues. It can bring important issues to the forefront. It's what we did on choice, IVF, and contraception last month.

This week is a classic example of how we can do both in the Senate: pass bipartisan legislation to get things done for the American people, like KOSA and COPPA – with a large bipartisan majority – but also put pressure on Republicans to show where they stand on important issues like the Child Tax Credit, affordable housing, and R&D.

So, this week, the American people will get a chance to see which senators in reality support tax relief for parents and businesses and housing, and who opposes it.

Now, over the past few days, some Republican senators – like the junior senator from Ohio – have claimed laughably that Democrats, somehow, oppose the Child Tax Credit.

This is plain old nonsense. Democrats do not oppose the Child Tax Credit whatsoever. On the contrary, we strongly support it. We authored it and put it together back in 2021. The Child Tax Credit expansion is one of the most significant achievements Democrats have done under the Biden-Harris Administration.

If anyone wants to know who actually opposes expanding the Child Tax Credit, they should go ask the 49 Republicans Senators who voted against the Child Tax Credit expansion when we passed the American Rescue Plan.

Here is the truth: Democrats want to pass the tax package, because it will help lift more kids out of poverty with another expansion of the Child Tax Credit.

Democrats want to pass the tax package, because it will reward businesses that will invest in R&D and new equipment, which will mean new jobs and greater opportunity.

Democrats want to pass the tax package, because it makes progress on a subject I’m passionate about: affordable housing.

This package thankfully includes an expansion of the LIHTC, one of the best tools we have for increasing the supply of housing.

Democrats are ready to go. The American people need tax relief. The big question right now is this: will Republicans join us or will they stand in the way?

So, let me say it again because I'm very proud of this Senate, and particularly of our caucus. This week is a classic example of how we can do both in the Senate: pass bipartisan legislation to get things done for the American people, like KOSA and COPPA – with large bipartisan majorities – but also put pressure on Republicans to show where they stand on important issues like expanding the Child Tax Credit, affordable housing, and R&D tax credits for businesses.

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