Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (D-CT), Chair of the House Appropriations Committee, delivered the following remarks at the Committee's markup of the fiscal year 2022 Financial Services and General Government bill:
“I want to congratulate Chairman Quigley and Ranking Member Womack, on this bill. Thank you for your hard work and for facilitating an orderly and productive process aimed at meeting the needs of the American people and ensuring our country is safe, strong and moving forward.
“For far too long, the American economy has catered to the very rich and corporate interests - and left the middle class, small businesses, and the vulnerable behind. That is why I am so proud that this bill takes important steps to get our nation back on track, creating good-paying jobs, growing opportunity, and protecting the middle class and the vulnerable, indeed, leveling the playing field in the face of big corporations too prone to predatory practices.
“There is no greater example of how the deck is stacked against hard working people than at the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). After a period of disinvestment, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) simply does not have the resources to enforce tax laws on big corporations and the wealthy or help the average citizen navigate the tax system.
“That is why I am pleased that this bill provides $13.6 billion for operations of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), which will renew tax enforcement efforts to crack down on tax cheats and begin repairing a broken customer service system that leaves hard working Americans - who are just trying to follow the law - in the lurch.
“The funding will allow for the successful implementation of the expanded and improved, and now monthly, Child Tax Credit. Something that has been a priority for myself and the historic expansion of the Tax Credit creates a lifeline to the middle class and it cuts child poverty in half. We need to make that expansion and improvement to the Child Tax Credit permanent. Let me also mention with regard to the Child Tax Credit, lifting millions of children out of poverty, in my own district that benefits 110,000 kids and we need to make sure, again, that this is permanent.
“In addition to facilitating the expansion of the Child Tax Credit, this bill helps small business owners by providing an increase of $111.9 million for the Small Business Administration and an increase of $60 million for Community Development Financial Institutions. This includes $26 million for Women’s Business Centers which I think is crucial especially since women have been hit hardest by the economic and workforce effects of this pandemic. Together, these critical investments will provide the credit that our underserved communities desperately need. We are a nation of businesses that employ so many working people and we must ensure they have the resources and support they need to recover and rebuild from the devastation of the pandemic.
“Just a few weeks ago, I attended the reopening of a historic music club in New Haven called Toad’s Place. It was encouraging to see how a business like Toad’s Place, which faced all the challenges presented by the pandemic, has bounced back and successfully reopened. With the funding in this bill, we will ensure that restaurants and small businesses are able to come back, give more workers an income and jobs and push us to growth that can raise wages.
“Leveling the playing field for working families and the vulnerable also means cracking down on corporate practices that prey on consumers. This legislation will allow Americans to have more confidence in the products they purchase because we are providing $172 million (an increase of $37 million) for the Consumer Product Safety Commission. And through an increase of $39 million for the Federal Trade Commission, this bill also cracks down on unfair corporate practices.
“The past five years have also illustrated just how vulnerable our democracy is to foreign interference, and this legislation helps protect the security and integrity of our democracy with $500 million for Election Security Grants to states.
“And, as climate change continues impacting our country and the world - this legislation launches the transition to a clean Federal vehicle fleet by providing $300 million for the Electric Vehicle Fund.
“I am very proud of this bill, which takes important steps to invest in America’s working families and small businesses. And I urge my colleagues to support it. Thank you."
Source: U.S. Department of HCA
