Casten Slams GOP Hypocrisy on Budget Reconciliation
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Congressman Sean Casten (IL-06) at this week's Financial Services Committee (FSC) hearing on the Urgent Need for Congress to Act on Providing Pandemic Relief questioned expert witness, Dr. William Spriggs, Chief Economist, The American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO) on the economic ?necessity for Congress to deliver immediate relief for families and communities bearing the brunt of the crisis—including provisions to accelerate local vaccine distribution and public health response, ?protect public sector workers, and raise the minimum wage.
Casten opened his remarks by responding to accusations of partisanship regarding budget reconciliation, pointing to the importance of helping the public understand the budget reconciliation process and the purposes for which the tool has been used in recent years.
"The last time that my colleagues across the aisle controlled everything in the House, Senate, and the White House they used budget reconciliation to pass a massive tax cut for corporations and to take away people's health care," continued Rep. Casten. "Now that we are in control, we are using budget reconciliation to address the fact that we are in a pandemic that has killed 433,000 Americans, left 12% of Americans hungry, and 60 million people out of work. That is the right way to use your majority. I do not apologize for it and please do not say that this is somehow not worth doing in the name of bipartisanship"
To see Casten's opening remarks, click the image above or click here.
Casten went on to question Clarence Anthony, CEO and Executive Director, National League of Cities about the costs of failing to address the 1.3 million public sector job losses since February, 2020 and whether that number will increase, decrease, or stabilize if Congress does not deliver state and local aid in the next COVID-19 relief package.
Casten said, "Like we all do, I've got a neighbor who's a school teacher, I've got friends who are cops. They didn't get any of this protection."
Casten closed out his remarks by grilling Dr. Michael Strain, Economist, American Enterprise Institute on the economic calculations pointed at as reasons not to raise the federal minimum wage, asking Dr. Strain, "Has your salary gone up since the 2008 timeframe?"
"Well, the federal minimum wage has not gone up since 2009," Casten continued. "As you run your economic forecasts that presume that somehow if you raise wages for the wealthiest, they will increase their spending and live a nicer life, but if you raise it for the poorest, they're not going to be willing to pay more for a sandwich? I suggest you check some of your math."
To see Casten's questions, click the image above or click here.
This hearing comes one day after the House voted to pass H. Con. Res. 11, FY 2021 Budget Resolution, a key tool to accelerate passing COVID relief for Americans. Passing this budget resolution ?ensures that Congress can act quickly and decisively in the weeks to come to deliver the robust relief that American families and communities need to combat the coronavirus pandemic and strengthen the economy.
In Congress, there is a strong precedent for reconciliation bills, which have been passed on a bipartisan basis 17 times in recent years, including for the bipartisan, landmark Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP). Democrats hope and expect that Republicans in Congress will support assistance that will bring relief to the communities they represent. Passing this budget does not preclude adopting Republican suggestions that would strengthen the package. But it does ensure that Congress can move forward in a timely way and meet Illinois families' urgent needs.
Reports indicate that without immediate action, an entire cohort of young people in Illinois and across the country may have lower lifetime earnings because they were deprived of another semester of school. Millions of Illinois parents, particularly mothers, could be forced to stay at home, reducing their wages and future job prospects because they have no choice but to care for their kids. With interest rates at historic lows and the return on smart investments in the economy is high?, numerous top economists are saying that now is the time for bold action.
The budget resolution passed today is an essential first step in Congress's efforts to deliver the comprehensive, strategic and science-based relief laid out in President Biden's robust American Rescue Plan:
- Beat the virus and safely reopen schools – The plan will mount a national vaccination program that includes setting up community vaccination sites nationwide. It will also take complementary measures to combat the virus, including scaling up testing and tracing, addressing shortages of personal protective equipment and other critical supplies, investing in high-quality treatments and addressing health care disparities. The plan will also make the investments necessary to safely reopen schools.
- Deliver immediate relief to working families bearing the brunt of the crisis – The plan will provide direct assistance to households across America by $1,400 per person, bringing the total (including the $600 down payment enacted in December) to $2,000. The plan will also provide direct housing and nutrition assistance to families struggling to get by, expand access to safe and reliable child care and affordable health care, extend and expand Unemployment Insurance so American workers can pay their bills and give families with children as well as childless workers a boost through enhanced tax credits.
- Support communities struggling with the economic fallout – The plan will provide crucial support for the hardest-hit small businesses, especially those owned by entrepreneurs from racial and ethnic backgrounds that have experienced systemic discrimination. The plan also provides crucial resources to protect the jobs of first responders, frontline public health workers, teachers, transit workers and other essential workers that all Americans depend on.