Senate Floor on the COASTAL Act and Coronavirus, March 12, 2020 — Congressional Record
Summary
Congressional Record — Senate for March 12, 2020, beginning at page S1719. A senator describes the COASTAL Act, which would treat all the States the same, with each getting 50 percent, a 50–50 split. The senator also asks that the cap on the money Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Texas could get each year from the 37.5 percent under GOMESA, the Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act, stated as $500 million a year, be removed. Under the heading Coronavirus, Mr. BROWN says Senators should not leave town and that the House package takes care of workers who must choose between going to work sick and staying home without pay.
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“Senate Floor on the COASTAL Act and Coronavirus, March 12, 2020 — Congressional Record.”
Original at www.govinfo.gov. Archived at Pandemic Darlings, https://pandemicdarlings.com/source-documents/crec-crec-2020-03-12-crec-2020-03-12-pt1-pgs1719-ef476a47e8/
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March 12, 2020 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S1719
longer deposit sediment, but the sedi- drilled after 2006, Louisiana gets 37.5 the amount of money that Louisiana
ment that was already there before we percent of the money that the Federal and Mississippi and Alabama and Texas
leveed the river was slowly sinking. So Government gets—but not just Lou- could get each year from that 37.5 per-
we have sea levels in the gulf rising 12 isiana. We didn’t want to be greedy. We cent at $500 million a year. Out of basic
to 13 inches every 100 years, and we asked to have Texas included. We fairness, we are asking that the cap be
have the land sinking. You don’t have asked to have Mississippi included. We removed if we can pass this bill, the
to be a senior at Cal Tech to figure out also asked to have Alabama included so COASTAL Act. The quarterback of the
we have a problem. That is why our it would get 37.5 percent too. Fair is bill is the senior Senator from Lou-
land is washing away. fair. The Federal Government gets the isiana, Dr. BILL CASSIDY. I am helping
Now, why is this important? rest. him all I can as are the Senators from
It is obviously important for the peo- Louisianans have put their money Texas and Mississippi and Alabama and
ple who live on the land that is wash- where their mouths are. We have dedi- other States. All we are asking is for
ing away, but it is also important for cated every single penny of that equality.
America’s energy independence be- GOMESA money to coastal restoration I don’t want to end on a negative
cause underneath the land that is slow- in order to try to build up our land note by just talking about our prob-
ly being washed into the gulf—criss- faster than we have been losing our lems. If you haven’t visited Louisiana,
crossing that land and extending over land to the gulf. It has been a losing please come. I have lived in five States
into Texas and into Alabama—are battle, but we have been holding our and a foreign country. I have just never
26,000 miles of pipelines that carry oil own. To give you an idea of how dra- lived in a place like Louisiana. It is my
and natural gas that heat American matic it has been, since 1930—I think home, and I know I am biased. God
homes and generate American energy. 1932—Louisiana has lost land the size blessed our State, and in having
When that land washes away, those of Delaware. I believe, if you run the blessed us, I think God blessed us a sec-
pipelines are going to be exposed. numbers in terms of square miles, we ond time.
Do you know what the saltwater is have lost land the size of two Rhode Is- I mean, look at our location. We are
going to do to those pipelines? lands. I think we have lost a football at the top of the gulf coast; we are in
It is going to corrode them. When field a day. Remember, this doesn’t the middle of the Gulf South; we strad-
that land washes away, those pipelines just hurt Louisiana. This hurts Amer- dle one of the mightiest rivers in the
now exposed are going to be exposed to ica, and it hurts our energy independ- entire world. We have more oil and gas
ocean currents, and they are going to ence. than most nations do, which we share
burst. It will not be all at once, but Louisiana has put its money where with the American people. My people
they are going to burst, and this coun- its mouth is. We said: Thank you, are experts in things like agriculture,
try’s energy independence is going to American people, for passing GOMESA. aquaculture, shipbuilding, petro-
be undermined. We appreciate the 37.5 percent of the chemical manufacturing, oil and gas
Do you know how long and how much oil royalties we are going to get out of exploration, food, timber, healthcare. I
money it will take to move those pipe- the Federal Government’s share, and could keep going. Our people are hard-
lines? we are putting every single penny into working, God-fearing, and fun-loving.
I don’t know. I am not sure if there coastal restoration. I tell my friends Senator CRUZ and
are enough ditches to quantify it. There is still a basic unfairness be- Senator CORNYN all the time how much
Let me shift gears and talk about the cause 20 other States get 50 percent. I love Texas—and I do. Gosh, Texas is a
solution as I think I have defined the Now, these States aren’t coastal great State. Every day, it seems like it
problem. States. I am happy for them. Don’t wins an award. Yet I tell Senator CRUZ
We are helping ourselves, and I will misunderstand me. These are inland and Senator CORNYN—in jest, of
give you an example. The Morganza to States that have Federal lands. When course—look, Texas is 51⁄2 times bigger
the Gulf project doesn’t mean a lot to oil companies drill on those Federal than Louisiana, but give us credit as
some of you, but trust me—it is a big lands and hit oil or hit natural gas, we are 101⁄2 times more interesting than
deal to the people of Louisiana and to those States don’t get 37.5 percent of you are.
the American people who are familiar what the Federal Government gets; We are just a fun, extraordinary, di-
with it. We have been taxing ourselves they get 50 percent. That is just not verse State, but we need some help. We
for 20 years to pay for that project, fair. Everybody ought to be treated the are not asking for extra; we are just
which is part coastal restoration and same. Louisiana and Alabama and Mis- asking for equity. I hope this Senate,
part hurricane protection. We also re- sissippi and Texas are not asking for in its wisdom, will pass the COASTAL
ceived help from the American people. any extra. We call that lagniappe in Act.
Thank you. Thank you, American Louisiana. We aren’t asking for any I suggest the absence of a quorum.
people, for coming to our aid. extra. We are just asking to be treated The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr.
In 2006, the U.S. Congress passed like everybody else. In Louisiana, we YOUNG). The clerk will call the roll.
what we call GOMESA. It stands for are dedicating every single penny—I The senior assistant legislative clerk
the Gulf of Mexico Energy Security don’t know if I mentioned this or not— proceeded to call the roll.
Act. That is what I mean when I talk to solving the coastal restoration prob- Mr. BROWN. Mr. President, I ask
about GOMESA, and GOMESA is a lem, which is not just Louisiana’s prob- unanimous consent that the order for
pretty straightforward bill. It says lem but is a problem for the United the quorum call be rescinded.
that, for all new oil and gas drilling in States. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without
the Gulf of Mexico, the Federal Gov- We have a bill. It is called the objection, it is so ordered.
ernment and the State government are COASTAL Act. The full name is the CORONAVIRUS
going to share the oil royalties. Conservation of America’s Shoreline Mr. BROWN. Mr. President, Presi-
The government, as you know, owns Terrain and Aquatic Life Act. We call dent Trump had chance, after chance,
the seabeds. We lease them to oil com- it the COASTAL Act. All the COAST- after chance to get ahead of this
panies, and they drill and produce oil AL Act would do would be to treat all coronavirus pandemic in the United
and natural gas. In fact, off of Louisi- the States the same. Everybody would States. He failed. Congress can’t make
ana’s coast, we have wells that produce get 50 percent—a 50–50 split. Louisiana the same mistakes.
about 16, 17 percent of the Nation’s oil wouldn’t get more or less than any Senators should not leave town. I
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and about 3 percent of the natural gas. other State. Alabama wouldn’t get just saw Senator MCCONNELL on the
Those oil companies pay royalties to more or less than any other State. Mis- floor. It is his decision. One Senator
the Federal Government, and the roy- sissippi wouldn’t get more or less than from one State can make this decision
alties flow through the Federal Gov- any other State. Texas would be under to walk away—to fail to take care of
ernment to the State government. the same rule. All of the States would the $12-an-hour worker who is sick,
Under GOMESA, the American peo- get 50 percent. who has to choose between going to
ple, through their representatives, It would also make one other change. work—perhaps getting sicker or per-
said: OK. On all new wells that are When GOMESA was passed, it capped haps infecting others—or staying home
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S1720 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE March 12, 2020
and giving up her $12-an-hour, $96-a- ing others with coronavirus or the flu This was unilateral disarmament. We
day job when she struggles with her or anything else, or staying home and unilaterally disarmed against the
rent. We have put her in that position. giving up their pay, which they need to world’s infectious diseases.
Senator MCCONNELL, who was stand- meet their rent payment. The House We know that international tuber-
ing right there—his office is just down package takes care of this. Senators culosis is a problem. We know that
the hall—could make that unilateral shouldn’t be leaving this building until international HIV/AIDS is a problem.
decision as to whether we stay and ac- we get this help to the people we serve. We know that international malaria is
tually do the right thing. The Senate People in Ohio and people in Indiana, a problem. We work against those.
has no business leaving. We shouldn’t in the Presiding Officer’s State, are Do you know what? One of the things
leave town until we pass the House scared. They are angry, and I am I am proudest about in our country is
package to help workers and to support angry. what we have done about public health.
our communities. Many of us have been sounding the We led the charge to eradicate small
President Trump needs to sign it. We alarm for years, warning President pox. Small pox killed hundreds of mil-
need to do our jobs. We need to take Trump and Leader MCCONNELL, who al- lions of people over time in this
care of workers who are going to need ways does President Trump’s bidding, world—hundreds of millions.
help paying their mortgage, paying as if he doesn’t even represent a We led the charge to eradicate small
their rent, and taking care of their State—he represents the President in pox—this country did. Then we led the
children if schools close or they get this body—that the President has made charge to eradicate polio all over the
sick. us less prepared to handle a crisis like world. I am old enough to remember
It is really, really simple. It is why this one. children—not children anymore—chil-
we need to pass paid sick days now and President Trump tried to gut the dren I went to grade school with who
to shore up unemployment insurance Centers for Disease Control and the Na- had had polio. They were recovered,
funds immediately. tional Institutes of Health. but they still limped. They still had
We know that hundreds of thou- Think about this: The United States signs of polio—not crippling signs but
sands—who knows?—millions of people of America, as recently as 10 or 15 signs of polio. We did that.
are going to get laid off in the airlines, years ago, had the best public health We took on tobacco in this body—
in restaurants, in hotels, in commu- infrastructure, the best public health Senator DURBIN, Senator BLUMENTHAL,
nities where they depend on these busi- safety net in the history of the world. Senator MERKLEY, and I and others.
nesses to pay property tax. We know We have the Centers for Disease Con- People smoke at half the rate today
there are going to be lots of layoffs. trol. We have the National Institutes of than they did 50 years ago. It is start-
I am not an alarmist. I am not pan- Health. ing to go back up because of e-ciga-
icky. I think we are going to deal with In Cincinnati, we have the National rettes, but we have had huge public
this right. But we need the majority Institute for Occupational Safety and health victories in this country.
leader, Senator MCCONNELL, who sits Health—the only one of its kind in the Do you know what? We have a Presi-
right here and runs the Senate, who world—and we have our county public dent of the United States now and we
makes the decisions on whether we health departments in each of Ohio’s 88 have a Senate Republican leader,
work or don’t work, whether he sends counties and all over the country. MITCH MCCONNELL, who—well, he cer-
us home or keeps us here working— We had the best in the world until tainly tried to help tobacco, but I
Senator MCCONNELL needs to make the President Trump began to try to gut won’t even talk about that. We have a
decision to keep us here, and as soon as the CDC and the NIH. He refused to fill President and we have a Senate major-
the House passes this bill, the Senate key public health positions. ity leader who simply did all they
takes it up. Most importantly—this is just unbe- could to dismantle the Centers for Dis-
Paid sick days are one of the most lievable when you think about it, and I ease Control and NIH. They left us un-
important things we can do to stop the know Senator YOUNG, the Presiding Of- prepared when the President fired the
spread of this virus. We already know ficer, had concerns about that—he got global security team at the White
that our economy is going to get hurt. rid of the White House’s entire global House that looked out for illnesses.
We know the President of the United health security team 2 years ago. Let Now we have a global pandemic on our
States judges the economy by the me repeat that. For 2 years, President hands.
stock market. He is the first President Trump left us without the team that is President Trump needs to stop pre-
I have ever seen do that, but that is be- supposed to manage pandemics. Do you tending he can lock out a disease by
side the point. We also know that the know what that means? It means that putting up walls at the border—that he
stock market is up and down and most- there were about 40 people at the White has already allowed to spread—and he
ly down, and investors are uneasy at House, led by an admiral who was an needs to start making up for all the
best. They want more predictability, M.D.—an admiral who was also a doc- lost time he has wasted, and so does
and they are not getting it. But we tor. His job was to survey the world Senator MCCONNELL.
know the most important thing is to and look around for potential illness We need to make sure we don’t end
deal with the spread of the outbreaks, to look around for potential up with a financial crisis on top of the
coronavirus. If we can’t contain that, if pandemics. It might have been SARS. public health crisis. For some of us,
we can’t do anything about that, if we It might have been Ebola. It might this feels like deja vu. We have been in
can’t stop the spread of this virus, the have been a resurgence of polio. It moments like this before. We have seen
other stuff just doesn’t matter as might have been any number of things. the market drop. We worried about the
much. His job at the White House—we are a financial system. We bailed out the
You start with the spread of this rich enough country. We can do this, banks, but we didn’t do anything for
virus. The best way to stop the spread and we do it to protect—we care about the workers. That is what this body al-
of the virus is to say to people if they the world. We protect our own people, ways does.
are sick: You can stay home, and you although, as we see, if we don’t, we see I am certain Senator MCCONNELL will
can get sick pay. Every other rich what happens. His job was to continue get around to—and President Trump—
country in the world provides sick pay to look around the world and look out helping corporations that have been
for people who can’t go to work be- for these kinds of pandemics. The hurt. There have been corporations
cause they are sick. It is as simple as President fired him. The President that have been damaged badly—hotel
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that. If we don’t pass the sick day pol- fired the whole office. The President chains, transportation companies, par-
icy, if we leave town right now, even if has never replaced them. I sent him a ticularly airlines. They have been hurt
we come back next week, which we are letter at the time, more than 600 days badly by this. That part is going to get
not scheduled to—again, Senator ago—back in May of 2018—telling him worse. I am sure they will open the
MCCONNELL’s decision—even if we are to stop dismantling our healthcare in- public checkbook to make sure there
only gone a week, that is 5 more work- frastructure. Now we are all paying the are billions of dollars for these indus-
days of sick people going to work when price for President Trump’s decision. tries, but we shouldn’t do it until we
they shouldn’t, getting sicker, infect- We see the real-time consequences. take care of the workers.
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March 12, 2020 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S1721
If we are going to give X number of portfolio. Right now, JPMorgan is in and just a little bit of procedure are
dollars to the airlines, as we probably the middle of an ongoing $30 billion in not even considered anymore.
should, most of that money better end stock buybacks. Wells Fargo is in the The White House has had a highly
up in the pockets of the flight attend- midst of a $23 billion stock buyback, as qualified candidate to fill the Demo-
ants, the pilots, the ticket agents, the if their executives, in all of their crimi- cratic seat for over a year, who has
mechanics, the baggage handlers, and nality and bad decisions, have earned been totally vetted and has gone
all of the people who work for the air- it. That money would be better spent through all the processes that we have,
lines whom this body forgets about. investing in small business, in medical but the President and his staff have
Yeah, they serve us when we fly, and research, and in relief for people who still not sent us her nomination. I
we don’t even know their names. We need help. The reason big banks are think they are scared. I hear this be-
probably know the CEOs’ names, and supposed to have that money is so that cause she is a very, very bright, very
we always help them, but we ought to they keep lending and keep commu- smart, very articulate, and very intel-
be helping the workers. nities afloat when we have crises like ligent person. She knows the issues,
Right now, we have a chance to stop this. and she is well respected in her field.
this from spiraling out of control. We It is time for all of us to come to- By breaking the longstanding prac-
don’t have another 2008 on our hands gether in the Senate, in the White tice of pairing nominations and not
yet, but we have to act now. We don’t House, in the communities across the sending us a nomination for the Demo-
go home for a week or two or three be- country, and, yes, on Wall Street. That cratic seat, the administration under-
cause Senator MCCONNELL has some means we don’t leave this building mines the bipartisan structure of the
whatever it is that would send us until we have done everything we need Commission. I made a commitment to
home. We need to act now. We need to to do to get this epidemic under con- Mr. Danly that I would support his
make sure that we focus our efforts on trol, to get our communities the test- nomination because he is well quali-
preventing this virus from spreading ing capacity and tools they need to fied, and I will honor that commitment
and that we don’t have one crisis—the manage this crisis, and to support the and vote to confirm him. Two wrongs
healthcare crisis—stacked on top of an workers who are going to get hurt. don’t make a right here, but this has
economic crisis, making the healthcare Leader MCCONNELL’s responsibility— got to stop.
crisis worse. I don’t care how he votes in the end— Both sides have to stand up and say:
We know that job is harder because is to make the decision to put the Mr. President, this is a tradition. This
of all the ways President Trump and House bill on the floor so we can vote is what we do. This is customary of
Leader MCCONNELL have undone the on it, and President Trump, the day he what has been done, and it gives us a
many protections we put in place after gets it, needs to sign it. five-member FERC, which is extremely
the last crisis. They backed away from Let’s get help to the people we important for energy in our country
Wall Street reform safeguards. The serve—not next week, not 2 weeks from and the reliability that we depend on.
President had a chance to get ahead of now, not tomorrow; let’s do it today. But as I told my colleagues on the
this virus and other public health I suggest the absence of a quorum. Energy and Natural Resources Com-
threats, and he failed. He had a chance The PRESIDING OFFICER. The mittee, when we voted on Mr. Danly’s
to get ahead of financial risks, and he clerk will call the roll. nomination, I will not support another
failed. The legislative clerk proceeded to nominee unless we get both. This has
Luckily, Senator MCCONNELL and the call the roll. to stop, and I am asking my colleagues
President haven’t succeeded in getting Mr. MANCHIN. Mr. President, I ask on the Republican side to please help
rid of all of our Wall Street reform pro- unanimous consent that the order for us with some kind of structure and
tections. They haven’t succeeded in re- the quorum call be rescinded. some kind of procedure back into the
pealing the Affordable Care Act. Be- The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without operation. We need to start acting as a
cause of that, because of the work we objection, it is so ordered. Senate and not be guided by the poli-
did a decade ago with President NOMINATION OF JAMES P. DANLY tics—the toxic politics—and this tribal
Obama, we are in a better position now Mr. MANCHIN. Mr. President, I will mentality. I want the President to send
than we were in 2009. But we have to be voting to confirm Mr. Danly’s nomi- us the nominations so we can have a
come together. We have to rise to this nation to be a member of the Federal fully functioning committee.
challenge. Corporate America needs to, Energy Regulatory Commission. I am So with that, I ask all of my col-
too. doing so because I believe he is well leagues, please, let’s vote for the quali-
One way we can do that is to suspend qualified for the job. He has been the fications of the person, not the politics
these stock buybacks. Congress gave a Commission’s general counsel for the of the person. Also, let’s make sure we
huge tax cut to the wealthy in this past 21⁄2 years. He understands the com- have a complete, working Commission
country 2 years ago. Seventy percent of plex legal issues that come before the and not just a partial Commission that
the benefits went to the wealthiest 1 Commission. is overweighted.
percent. I voted to report Mr. Danly’s nomina- With that, I yield the floor.
I sat in the White House with the tion, both last November and again The PRESIDING OFFICER. The
President and about 10 Senators. The last week, on the strength of his quali- question is, Will the Senate advise and
President said: You know, everybody’s fications, not on politics. I urge my consent to the Danly nomination?
Mr. MANCHIN. I ask for the yeas and
pay is going to go up $4,000, some as colleagues to do the same.
The position to which Mr. Danly has nays.
much as $9,000. Those were the bookend The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there a
numbers he used. He said that if we do been nominated is one of five seats on
sufficient second?
this tax cut, it is going to trickle down the Federal Energy Regulatory Com- There appears to be a sufficient sec-
and workers are going to get these mission. By law, no more than three of ond.
raises. the five seats can be held by one party. The clerk will call the roll.
Well, it didn’t exactly happen that Only three of the seats are now filled— The bill clerk called the roll.
way. But do you know what did hap- two by Republicans and one by a Dem- Mr. THUNE. The following Senators
pen? After they got this tax cut, the ocrat. The other Democratic seat has are necessarily absent: the Senator
executives started to do stock been vacant since last August. from Texas (Mr. CRUZ), the Senator
buybacks, taking money that should Traditionally, when both a Repub- from Kansas (Mr. MORAN), the Senator
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have been invested in workers, taking lican seat and a Democratic seat have from Georgia (Mr. PERDUE), and the
money that should have been invested been vacant, past Presidents have sent Senator from Florida (Mr. SCOTT).
in technology and upgrading their com- nominations to fill both at the same Further, if present and voting, the
panies, but it went to executives—not time. I am deeply disappointed that Senator from Kansas (Mr. MORAN)
exactly a shock to most of us. That is this has not happened this time. The would have voted ‘‘yea.’’
what happened. politics involved in this town are out- Mr. DURBIN. I announce that the
Banks need to invest in their commu- rageous. It is truly outrageous that Senator from Washington (Ms. CANT-
nities, not invest in their CEOs’ stock even proper decorum, simple civility, WELL), the Senator from Minnesota
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