WASHINGTON – Today on the floor, U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) denounced Leader Schumer and Senate Finance Committee Chairman Ron Wyden’s attempts to ram through the Tax Relief for American Workers and Families Act without giving Senators the chance to debate and amend it and expressed his concerns with the bill’s Child Tax Credit expansion, which is estimated to cost more than $33 billion over the next three years. Excerpts of Sen. Cornyn’s remarks are below, and video can be found here.  

“Chairman Wyden has shown zero interest in moving this bill through the Finance Committee and across the floor of the United States Senate, giving all Senators a chance to participate in the process and, hopefully, improve the final outcome.”

“I’ve reviewed this bill, and while I will concede there are some portions that are very promising, there are problematic areas that need more work.”

“One example is the watered-down work requirement for the Child Tax Credit.”

“I would think we would want able-bodied people to be working if work is available, but this change would completely undermine that basic principle.” 

“We would be doing a great disservice to taxpayers by allowing the Child Tax Credit to morph into another welfare program.” 

“The national debt is increasing by almost a trillion dollars every 100 days, and the permanent tax credit expansion would only fuel the debt crisis we’re facing.”

“We need to pump the brakes on this expansion – this runaway debt train – not stomp on the accelerator, which is what this proposal would do.” 

“I will not vote to move this bill on the Senate floor until we have a process that allows all Senators to participate, but starting with members of the Senate Finance Committee.”

“The Majority Leader and the Chairman of the Finance Committee want to ram this bill through the Senate without proper debate or amendment, and Republicans must not allow that to happen.”