Get America Back on Track

Floor Speech

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Mr. MANN. Madam Speaker, I rise today to urge Americans who can get back to work, get back to work.

It has been more than a year since the pandemic shut down the country. Today, nationwide coronavirus cases have dramatically decreased, and cases in Kansas alone are only 7 percent of what they were in January. We are getting back to normal. Businesses are ready to reopen and welcome back customers.

Unfortunately, President Biden's bonus, the new monthly unemployment checks being distributed on top of the checks unemployed persons already receive, is paying a premium for potential workers to remain at home rather than finding work. I have heard from countless small business owners in the Big First who cite the Biden bonus as the reason why they cannot find workers and completely reopen.

The data doesn't lie. There are nearly 8 million open jobs in America right now, a new record. The Biden bonus, at a time when employers are searching for workers, is unwanted Federal Government interference in the marketplace.

I recently joined fellow Kansas Republicans in urging the Kansas Governor to opt out of enhanced unemployment benefits. I cosponsored the Help Wanted Act, which addresses the severe labor shortages caused by the Federal unemployment policy.

It is time to take off the masks, get our kids back to school, get our businesses open, and get people back to work so we can get America back on track.

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