Loeffler: ‘When Americans Unite, We Rise To Meet Any Challenge’
On Senate Floor, Loeffler Lays Out Plan for Economic Revival
WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Kelly Loeffler (R-Ga.) delivered remarks on the Senate floor regarding her USA Restoring & Igniting the Strength of our Economy (USA RISE) Plan. The plan is a roadmap for how America can reignite its economic engine.
To watch Loeffler’s remarks, click here or on the image.
Remarks as delivered:
“Mr. President, my first priority during the COVID-19 pandemic has been to do all I can to keep Georgians and all Americans safe and healthy.
“But while at home in Georgia these last few weeks, I’ve seen that the measures we needed to take to fight this unprecedented health crisis has created dramatic economic and societal impacts.
“One in five Georgians is unemployed. In the last six weeks, the Georgia Department of Labor has issued more unemployment payments than in the previous four years combined.
“Hotels in the Golden Isles were seeing 80-90 percent occupancy rates at the beginning of March, the start of peak season for our beach communities. As the number of tourists plummeted, the president of our visitors’ center described the economic impacts as ‘absolutely devastating.’
“School districts, like the Forsyth County Schools, are organizing meal pickups and food delivery for students who typically rely on eating breakfast and lunch at school.
“And then there’s the emotional toll combatting the virus has taken.
“A local law enforcement officer told me that his department has seen a dramatic spike in domestic abuse calls.
“An emergency hotline run by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration saw a 1000 percent increase in calls last month compared to last April.
“The full costs of this pandemic remain to be seen, but it is clear we need to look ahead and plan for a future that protects Americans’ lives and livelihoods.
“As a member of the President’s Opening Up America Again Congressional Group, I’m putting to work my nearly three decades of experience building companies and creating jobs.
“Over the last few weeks, I have held more than 100 calls to hear directly from Georgia hospitals, state officials, first responders, food banks, small businesses, farmers, large employers, nonprofits, chambers of commerce, as well as the President and his administration to address the needs of Georgians.
“With my experience and feedback I’ve heard from Georgians, I’ve developed the USA Restoring & Igniting the Strength of our Economy Plan – USA RISE. This is a plan to bring back our thriving economy.
“It offers a four-pillared framework for investing in America, growing jobs and helping families without expanding the grip of the federal government. It builds on the success of President Trump’s America First agenda.
“The USA RISE Plan calls on all of us in Congress to ensure that the more than $2 trillion in relief already passed in the CARES Act and in Phase 3.5 is targeted to the areas of the economy that need it most while providing prudent oversight.
“The first pillar – Made in the USA – addresses the fact that for too long, our manufacturing has moved overseas.
“Now, more than ever, we’re reminded of how dangerous it is to rely on other countries, especially competitors like China.
“The USA RISE Plan calls for incentivizing companies to return to the United States, investing in infrastructure to spur economic development and having a competitive tax and intellectual property framework to promote hiring and capital expenditures.
“We need to ensure that America remains the best country in the world to do business.
“The second pillar – Grown in the USA – is aimed at supporting our farmers and helping Americans who are seeing empty grocery shelves or local foodbanks that are depleted.
“I grew up working in the fields as the fourth generation on my family’s farm and I know firsthand the challenges that farmers face even in the best of times.
“So today, fruit and vegetable prices are down about 50-60% and cattle and pork producers have been affected by meat processing plant closures and limitations.
“So at the same time, the Georgia Food Bank Association told me they’ve seen a roughly 40% increase in demand for their services.
We need to ensure the relief in the CARES Act is making its way to our farmers and agriculture businesses.
“Any future trade deals with China must hold the Chinese Communist Party accountable for their role in spreading the coronavirus and should focus on shifting supply chains back to the U.S.
“Farmers account just for 2% of America’s population, but 100% of us eat.
“It is time to harness our agriculture advantage to support our farmers who put their businesses on the line every single day to feed Americans and the world.
“The third component of my plan – Hiring in the USA – proposes removing regulatory barriers and cutting taxes to help small businesses keep employees on the payroll and to create jobs.
“Half of all Americans are employed by small businesses, and these are the small businesses that have been particularly hurt by COVID-19.
“Congress has already taken extensive action to provide loans and grants to small businesses, like Globalus, a small trucking company in Fulton County, and Jan’s Family Daycare in Dalton.
“I recently talked to the daycare owners Bill and Jan Whetstone, who received a PPP loan. This will allow them to keep their doors open and to serve working families.
“Our economy cannot recover without our small businesses.
“My plan also calls for reducing the temptation for trial lawyers to use COVID-19 lawsuits to drain profits from employers at the expense of productive jobs.
“Local shops and restaurants are the lifeblood of our communities and there’s more we can do to help them.
“And finally, we must support families in building strong futures.
“Right now, too many families have lost their incomes and are struggling to afford their rent and put food on the table.
“The fourth component of my plan is Families in the USA. It aims to provide targeted relief for families and for children.
“Among other things, it supports churches who are helping families during this difficult time and other organizations – like the YMCAs across our state, which are the largest providers of childcare in Georgia, and they’re providing thousands of meals each day to families across our state.
“In the last several weeks, we’ve made great strides in expanding testing for the COVID-19 outbreak. This is a crucial tool for getting back to work.
“Over 7 million Americans have been tested through Monday. And as President Trump noted, no one else – no other country in the world – has even come close to this level of testing. This is something we are proud to build on.
“In fact, the president has also announced a Testing Blueprint, which is a partnership to help states build out testing capabilities.
“And in my state of Georgia, Governor Kemp has partnered with our universities and private companies to expand testing capabilities, and that’s now at record levels.
“So, anyone who thinks they may have the virus can use an app developed by Augusta University to screen their symptoms and schedule a test at one of the 66 testing centers in our state.
“Testing is a key component to restarting our economy safely, but we must start to adapt to this new reality now.
“Before this pandemic hit, we saw job creation and opportunity that lifted up all Americans.
“The four pillars I’ve outlined are critical to reigniting our economic engine.
“The USA RISE Plan offers solutions to grow our economy without unnecessarily growing the federal government or our deficits.
“Americans want to get back to work and back to their lives, but safely.
“While we will continue to fight COVID-19 on the health front, we also must look ahead and make plans to rebuild now.
“I’m confident we will, because I know that when Americans unite, we RISE to meet any challenge.”