Effective Date

Floor Speech

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Mr. SMITH of Nebraska. Mr. Speaker, I rise to oppose this massive legislation. We are here supposedly for COVID relief, but the vast majority of this bill, as you have already heard, has nothing to do with defeating this disease.

Real COVID relief would prioritize vaccine distribution, reopening small businesses, and getting our children back in classrooms. This bill does not do that.

This bill is a litany of longstanding proposals which are detrimental to our small businesses and will actually hurt our efforts to reconnect the unemployed.

The extension of the child tax credit and EITC were first introduced long before the pandemic and will disincentivize returning to work. Likewise, the proposed bailout for mismanaged multiemployer pensions predates COVID-19. And now we have learned that bringing this bill to the floor was actually delayed because Democrats were adding a new cash grab, drastically lowering the threshold at which gig workers receive a 1099-K.

It is like the majority learned nothing from the debacle they created when they shoehorned new 1099 rules into ObamaCare.

Mr. Speaker, I am appalled that we are here tonight continuing to try to address this in such a manner when we owe the American people better than what this legislation delivers. I urge its defeat.

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