Majority Leader Schumer Floor Remarks On Senate Democrats’ Continuing Work To Strengthen Supply Chains And Lower Costs

Washington, D.C. –  Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) today spoke on the Senate floor regarding Senate Democrats continuing work to strengthen supply chains and reduce costs. Below are Senator Schumer’s remarks, which can also be viewed here:

It has been a productive few days here on the Senate floor as we pass legislation that will help reduce costs, relieve supply chains, and build on the incredible economic growth we’ve seen under President Biden.

I am glad to announce that the Senate is on track to pass bipartisan legislation by Senators Klobuchar and Thune to reform unfair shipping practices that are clogging up our ports, diminishing American exports, and hurting our farmers and ultimately hurting consumers. It hurts both ways when shipping costs go way up as they have: the exports we send over—a lot of it agricultural goods—and the imports that come back—a lot of it consumer goods—all of them are at a higher price, and Americans pay that higher price.

So, the bipartisan shipping bill is exactly the sort of thing the Senate should focus on, because when there’s a logjam at the port in Los Angeles, it hurts farmers and small businesses in Minnesota, North Dakota, and across the country—and it hurts consumers in every corner of the country, from Portland Maine, to San Diego, from Seattle to Miami, New York and everywhere in between.

I am glad we are making progress to getting this legislation done. The sooner the better again.

This legislation, of course, is not the only step we have taken this week to strengthen supply chains to help lower costs throughout the economy.

Earlier this week, the Senate passed a strongly bipartisan jobs and competitive bill in the works for over a year, which will help increase our domestic manufacturing, help address the critical chips shortage, and grow our economy by investing in American innovation.

Yesterday, the House passed a motion requesting a Conference Committee, and the Senate will soon do the same.

We are on track to initiating a conference hopefully before the end of this work period.

Off the floor, committees held numerous hearings zeroing in on the many dimensions of our lowering cost agenda. To name just a few examples:

The Banking Committee held a hearing Monday on the growing burden of medical debt. It’s a problem that’s facing so many Americans.

The Small Business Committee also held a hearing yesterday exploring the supply chain crisis and the implications for smaller businesses, including struggling restaurants.

And today, the Banking Committee is on the matter of seniors who struggle with affordable housing.

These are just a few examples of how both off the floor and on, Democrats are continuing our focus on legislation that will lower costs, help American families, and solve the deep and difficult challenges that everyday Americans face to make ends meet. And we are going to keep pushing in the months ahead to translate these ideas into legislation we can consider here in this chamber, as we’re doing with shipping right now.

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