Congressional Record — Senate, S1803 (March 18, 2020)
Summary
Page S1803 of the Senate section of the Congressional Record for March 18, 2020. A senator lists priorities for the relief bill, including weeks of paid sick leave and family and medical leave, support for Amtrak, support for the airline and hospitality industries, and a $100 million grant pool for universities to partner with pharmaceutical companies. The senator notes an earlier $8.3 billion coronavirus supplemental and says details on how leave is paid for are still being worked out. Executive communications follow, including a Treasury report on a final rule removing terrorism sanctions regulations, and the majority leader is recognized.
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“Congressional Record — Senate, S1803 (March 18, 2020).”
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March 18, 2020 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S1803
weeks of sick leave and up to 10 weeks here in the Senate—support for Am- a really good thing to do is to stop and
of additional paid family and medical trak, a priority for me because I com- kind of take stock of where we are and
leave. We just had a disagreement over mute by Amtrak and it is one of the how it is going to be best to move for-
exactly how that is going to get paid biggest modes of transportation on the ward.
for and how it is going to get com- east coast; support for the airline and I think it is important to realize that
pensated and on what timeline, and we hospitality industries because they em- we have already directed resources to
are going to work out those details. ploy hundreds of thousands of people the coronavirus pandemic. There is the
My office’s website will have an ac- and have seen their business drop off coronavirus supplemental, which was
cessible, readable summary of what is sharply; support for long-term struc- an $8.3 billion piece of legislation. That
in this bill up later tonight. tural changes to how we provide access may seem like a lifetime ago to some
The larger point was that we thought to healthcare, access to skills and of those in our States. It was a couple
it essential that folks who we want to training for our workforce, and access of weeks ago. That money is already
stay home, but who are maybe living to higher education. making its way out. Tennessee re-
paycheck to paycheck, know that they I have heard very concerning stories ceived $10 million this week in order to
will get paid sick leave so they can from the folks who lead some of the work on public health needs around the
stay home and we can slow the spread most important nonprofit and faith coronavirus.
of this disease. and educational institutions in my We also had our President move for-
There is also an increase in funds State, and they are looking to us for ward without hesitation to do the na-
from the Federal Government to States bold and decisive leadership. tional emergency declaration. That
for Medicaid, because a lot of our Last, we must not forget those on the freed up $50 billion of resources. That is
States are going to see increased costs margins of our society—people who are money that is going to our States and
as folks move to Medicaid as the place homeless, people who are incarcerated, our localities to help with the response
they get healthcare as they move to people who are uninsured, people who for this, to get those resources where
unemployment. One hundred million are undocumented. If we want to make they need to go.
dollars in additional resources will go sure that we make our country safe, we Of course, there was legislation that
to the State of Delaware alone to pro- need to practice not just good hygiene, passed today, and in that, I supported
vide support for those who may be not just social distancing, but we need the Johnson amendment. I do fully be-
newly dependent on Medicaid. to refrain from moral distancing. We lieve that working through this with
Then, last is an expansion of unem- need to remember the words of Hubert our unemployment insurance and our
ployment benefits—26 weeks of unem- Humphrey, and we need to be reminded employment security system is the
ployment benefits, including tem- exactly why people look to this Federal way to go. I have supported the payroll
porary unemployment caused because Government for prompt action and for tax holiday. I am one of those who
of COVID–19. significant resources: It is because they have always said: Why should we have
There are more details as to how this look for us to be able to make sure to pay the government to hire some-
temporary unemployment insurance that we see all Americans and that we body? So the payroll tax holiday made
will work, but it will last longer and know that we are all in this together. sense to me. The Johnson amendment
have a higher level of benefit and be I yield the floor. that I cosponsored makes sense to me,
more flexible than previous versions of I suggest the absence of a quorum.
that we could do it because we could
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The
Federal unemployment insurance, and more quickly get resources to individ-
clerk will call the roll.
it is being delivered in partnership The legislative clerk proceeded to uals, from the Federal Government to
with States. call the roll. the taxpayer, to the individual. That is
So those are the biggest pieces of this Mrs. BLACKBURN. Mr. President, I what we need to do at this time.
bill. It is just $104 billion, but the bill ask unanimous consent that the order Tennessee is very blessed. We have
we are already hard at work on will be for the quorum call be rescinded. had a very low unemployment rate.
an order of magnitude greater, likely The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without But what we have seen in the last 2 or
more than $1 trillion. If what we have objection, it is so ordered. 3 weeks is that unemployment claims
seen in terms of anxiety and concern f
have quadrupled, and we expect this is
from families up and down my State going to continue as workers, inde-
and all over our country is any indica- CORONAVIRUS pendent contractors, sole proprietors,
tion, we must take this up quickly and Mrs. BLACKBURN. Mr. President, I and small businesses see their income
enact it. have so appreciated the comments of stream or their revenue stream go from
There are small business owners, my colleagues today as they have come something healthy to zero. That has
whom I have heard from today, who to the floor and they have talked about happened literally overnight, just with-
want to keep employing the folks who how they are approaching what is hap- in a few days as the economy started to
work for them but have lost half of pening with this coronavirus pandemic shut down.
their business since our Governor took and what they are hearing from the What we hear from people is, look,
the bold and necessary step of closing citizens of their States. this is not something we have done, it
our restaurants and bars to all except I know each of us is spending our day is something that has been done to us,
drive-through and delivery service. Ten listening to the people in our States and we are being asked to close our
percent of the folks who work in Dela- and listening to their concerns and doors and to change the way we oper-
ware work in restaurants and hospi- hearing them say: As you look at how ate. So they repeatedly say: Don’t for-
tality. Folks who want to keep their you are going to address this, don’t for- get about us, and do not give us man-
people on payroll but have no work for get about us. Don’t forget about us— dates we cannot afford, because what
them to do face a very hard choice. whether it is independent contractors we need is assistance to bridge that
We need to find ways that we can who are working in the music industry gap.
both defer the payments that are nec- or television producers—I was talking When we talk about mandates that
essary for students, for homeowners, to one last night; they lost $9,000 worth you can’t afford, Tennesseans are very
for businesses, for those who have out- of production work this week—or concerned about the paid family leave
standing payments on SBA loans or on theme park owners who are trying to provisions that are in the legislation
federally guaranteed mortgages or on figure out how they are going to work today. What I have heard repeatedly—
SSpencer on DSKBBXCHB2PROD with SENATE
bank loans where we can work out through this or the CEO of one of our repeatedly—whether it is someone who
some way to provide temporary relief, Nation’s airlines earlier today. People runs a nursing staffing company or a
and then individual payments that will are looking to us to make certain that furniture store or a small manufac-
help students, that will help heads of we address this situation in a way that turing company, is that the tax credit
households, and that will help individ- is going to stabilize it and that is going provision is not going to work with
uals. to provide assistance. cash flow. They mention that repeat-
So there are a lot of different pieces As we have worked through this, one edly. So my hope is that we can come
that are being debated and discussed of the things I think sometimes is just together on a bipartisan basis and we
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S1804 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE March 18, 2020
can address the concerns that are there of not being able to get the active PROGRAM
around that because we want our small pharmaceutical ingredients—they are Mr. MCCONNELL. Mr. President, we
businesses to keep those doors open called APIs—those ingredients that are continue to work on the next bill,
and to return to health and vitality. necessary to make vaccines and which is generally referred to as phase
We need to listen to what they are say- antivirals for viruses like the COVID– 3. This will be needed to respond to the
ing, which is, help to stabilize, to assist 19. crisis, and the Senate is going to stay
us and to help us bridge this divide so Right now, China is saying they may
around until we finish the bill and send
that we can come back. not let us have one of the products that
it over to the House.
We also need to be listening to our we need. We commend our scientists
I recommend Senators stay close.
nonprofits that are saying the same and our companies and people like the
While we don’t know exactly how long
thing about the family leave provisions Denison Lab at Vanderbilt University
it will take to get this done, everyone
and their concerns there. for the work they are doing to find
knows that we need to do it as quickly
You know, we have to bear in mind that vaccine and to test that vaccine.
We commend these labs for the work as possible because the situation de-
that all of these employers really care
they are doing to find the right mands it. So we will keep Senators
for and value their employees. They
antivirals to help people fight this so posted. I hope they don’t go too far
want to do right by them. They want
that we are able to slow the growth, away.
to do right by their communities. And
certainly they want to do right by the and we are able to cap the growth in f
country. But they need our listening this.
Now, we know also that as we go MESSAGES FROM THE PRESIDENT
ears, and they need our attention.
Another thing that has come up that through this, telehealth is vitally im- Messages from the President of the
is of concern that was in the legisla- portant. This is something that I have United States were communicated to
tion that cleared the Chamber today is discussed. As you know, I have dis- the Senate by Ms. Roberts, one of his
the Medicaid expansion provisions and cussed it with our conference, I have secretaries.
the way it affects the non-expansion discussed it with the White House, and f
States. It adversely impacts States with the President, and the Vice Presi-
like Tennessee that were non-expan- dent, and I am grateful to see the EXECUTIVE MESSAGES REFERRED
sion States. There are some defini- changes that we have in telehealth As in executive session the Presiding
tional changes that need to be made in that is making it more available. Officer laid before the Senate messages
that provision so that we are not ad- I was talking with a physician from from the President of the United
versely impacting these States. another State—not Tennessee. I was States submitting sundry nominations
For our Tennessee business owners talking with him yesterday, and he and a withdrawal which were referred
and employers, this is a very tedious said: Well, our insurance company, to the appropriate committees.
and emotional time. I talked with an which kind of is the only big insurance (The messages received today are
employer last night who laid off 20 peo- provider in this State, had decided they printed at the end of the Senate
ple at a small business. They had to do would allow telehealth through the end proceedings.)
it in order to keep the doors open. But of the month. It is vitally important
that we move these medically complex f
what they all tell me is that they are
really very grateful that the President, patients and the elderly—especially el- MESSAGE FROM THE HOUSE
the Vice President, and the task force derly who have comorbidities and have
ENROLLED BILL SIGNED
are focused on getting the virus under complex medical situations—to tele-
health. It is important that CMS pro- At 5:03 p.m., a message from the
control, getting the response from our
vide specificity and clarity on how this House of Representatives, delivered by
country under control, and making cer-
is going to be paid for these Medicaid Mrs. Cole, one of its reading clerks, an-
tain that we address the economic and
and Medicare enrollees. nounced that the Speaker pro tempore
financial impact of this. They know
We commend CMS for moving for- (Mr. HOYER) has signed the following
that it is going to be a long way back
ward through the 1135 waiver system— enrolled bill:
on this one, that there isn’t a quick fix.
that section of the code with Med- H.R. 6201. An act making emergency sup-
They realize that the way this all hap-
icaid—for making some adjustments, plemental appropriations for the fiscal year
pened had to do with China and China ending September 30, 2020, and for other pur-
but it is imperative that for these pri-
knowing in December that they had a poses.
vate insurance companies, that we
virus, that they had a problem. Know-
allow more specificity so we can utilize The enrolled bill was subsequently
ing that China has lied to us; they kept
them. signed by the President pro tempore
hidden information; they have not been We have a situation. We know that (Mr. GRASSLEY).
forthcoming; they did not make the this virus came out of Wuhan, China.
viral sample available to us in a timely f
We know they knew about it in Decem-
manner; and that lack of transparency ber. We know that the rest of the world EXECUTIVE AND OTHER
is something that they point to and found out about it about 6 weeks later. COMMUNICATIONS
they say that we are all in this fight We know it has caused a global pan-
together, we want to make certain that The following communications were
demic. We know every life is precious, laid before the Senate, together with
China does not have the ability to take and we grieve the loss of those lives,
down our economy or take down our accompanying papers, reports, and doc-
the inconvenience, and also the loss of uments, and were referred as indicated:
healthcare system. the ability of so many people to have
It is one of the reasons—two of the EC–4333. A communication from the Coun-
their businesses and be able to run sel for Legislation and Regulations, Office of
provisions that I have that will come their businesses, and families who are
before us are provisions that are fo- General Counsel, Department of Housing and
not able to experience what they had Urban Development, transmitting, pursuant
cused on, one, bringing our production planned for this year. to law, the report of a rule entitled ‘‘Adjust-
of pharmaceuticals back to the United So we know that we are going to be ments of Civil Monetary Penalty Amounts
States. Senator MENENDEZ has joined working ahead. We are going to stay for 2020’’ (RIN2501–AD90) received in the Of-
me in this provision, and it is the SAM- here until we get much of this ad- fice of the President of the Senate on March
C bill—Securing America’s Medicine dressed and answer some of the ques- 17, 2020; to the Committee on Banking, Hous-
SSpencer on DSKBBXCHB2PROD with SENATE
Cabinet, the SAM-C legislation. What tions that our constituents have. We do ing, and Urban Affairs.
this would do is incentivize returning EC–4334. A communication from the Assist-
know we have done some work, but
pharmaceutical production to the ant Director for Regulatory Affairs, Office of
there is a lot more work to do, and we Foreign Assets Control, Department of the
United States, allowing our colleges fully realize we can rise to this occa- Treasury, transmitting, pursuant to law, the
and universities to access funds from a sion. report of a rule entitled ‘‘Final Rule to Re-
$100 million grant pool to partner up I yield the floor. move From the Code of Federal Regulations
with pharmaceutical companies so that The PRESIDING OFFICER. The ma- the Terrorism Sanctions Regulations’’ (31
we never find ourselves in the position jority leader. CFR Part 595) received in the Office of the
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