Coronavirus (Cong. Rec., March 19, 2020)
Summary
Senate section of the Congressional Record for Thursday, March 19, 2020, Volume 166, No. 53. The Senate met at 12 noon with Mr. Grassley presiding, and the Chaplain's prayer is printed. Mr. Grassley commends parents and grandparents as schools close, then says the Senate passed House legislation the day before giving some workers additional benefits during the emergency. A speaker lists steps already taken, including closing the northern border to nonessential travel, and says firms such as corner stores, pizza parlors and airlines did not bring this on themselves, while saying this is no ordinary time.
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“Coronavirus (Cong. Rec., March 19, 2020).”
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Congressional Record
E PL
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116 th CONGRESS, SECOND SESSION
United States
of America PROCEEDINGS AND DEBATES OF THE
Vol. 166 WASHINGTON, THURSDAY, MARCH 19, 2020 No. 53
Senate
The Senate met at 12 noon and was these past few days regarding our Na- ern border to nonessential travel.
called to order by the President pro tion’s response to the coronavirus. But These are major steps as we confront a
tempore (Mr. GRASSLEY). this morning, after our prayer to the major crisis.
f Lord and after the pledge to our Na- Here in the Senate we are preparing
tion’s flag, I want to take this oppor- to take further bold steps of our own.
PRAYER Yesterday, we passed legislation from
tunity to send Iowans’ and our Nation’s
The Chaplain, Dr. Barry C. Black, of- parents my commendation because the House that will provide some
fered the following prayer: schools are closing, and as these American workers with additional ben-
Let us pray. schools close, the work of a parent or efits during this emergency. As I ex-
Our Father, we place our hope in grandparent is more important than plained yesterday, that legislation was
You. May our lawmakers find wisdom ever. I know many children are scared hardly perfect. It imposes new costs
in Your trustworthy precepts. Guide and uncertainty on small businesses at
or don’t understand why they can’t
our Senators to live so honorably that precisely the most challenging moment
play with their friends, and this puts
they will bring glory to Your Name. for small businesses in living memory.
an extra burden on their parents on top
Lord, inspire them to yield their alle- So the Senate is even more determined
of all of the other challenges that these
giance to You, striving always to re- that our legislation cannot leave small
families have.
ceive Your approval. Thank You for businesses behind.
Those of you who are parents are
hearing and answering their prayers, as Support for small business is one of
raising America’s future, and I want to
they fervently seek Your wisdom. the four key components of the much
recognize the importance of what you
Guide them through the challenges of bolder proposal we are finalizing.
do every day.
these times. Chairman RUBIO and Chairman COLLINS
Lord, remind us all that we are mere I yield the floor.
have been crafting a major plan to help
sojourners in time, heading for the bet- f small businesses survive this crisis and
ter land of eternity. RECOGNITION OF THE MAJORITY help workers continue to get paid.
We pray in Your loving Name. Amen. LEADER We are talking about new federally
f guaranteed loans on the order of hun-
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The ma-
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE dreds of billions of dollars to address
jority leader is recognized.
immediate cashflow problems. This is
The President pro tempore led the f no massive new bureaucracy. We want
Pledge of Allegiance, as follows: to let qualified small businesses get li-
SENATE LEGISLATIVE AGENDA
I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the quidity through familiar institutions—
United States of America, and to the Repub- Mr. MCCONNELL. Madam President,
lic for which it stands, one nation under God,
their own community banks, credit
yesterday, President Trump and his
indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. unions, or nationwide lenders.
team announced several new actions to As Chairman COLLINS explained yes-
f help contain and combat the terday, owners will not be able to use
RESERVATION OF LEADER TIME coronavirus. The President invoked the the funds to give themselves raises or
Defense Production Act, laying ground- increase their own profits. The point is
The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mrs.
work to manufacture more medical to help small business endure, help
FISCHER). Under the previous order, the
equipment. The Department of Health workers keep their jobs, and help both
leadership time is reserved.
and Human Services will let medical businesses and workers emerge from
f professionals practice across State this ready to thrive.
MORNING BUSINESS lines. The Department of Defense will As Chairman RUBIO explained, the
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Under deploy hospital ships and transfer mil- portions of these funds that small busi-
the previous order, the Senate will be lions of respirator masks and thou- nesses use on core expenses, such as
in a period of morning business, with sands of ventilators to HHS. The FDA paying workers and paying their rent
Senators permitted to speak therein will deepen partnerships with commer- or mortgage, will convert into grants
for up to 10 minutes each. cial laboratories to expand testing. The they will not need to pay back. This
The Senator from Iowa. Department of Housing and Urban De- will make sure that even lower profit
f velopment will suspend foreclosures margin Main Street businesses get a
and evictions on FHA-insured mort- fighting chance to stay open and con-
CORONAVIRUS gages. And the Department of Home- tinue paying workers.
Mr. GRASSLEY. Madam President, land Security reached a mutual agree- This is straightforward: a rapid injec-
SSpencer on DSKBBXCHB2PROD with SENATE
much has been said on the Senate floor ment with Canada to close our north- tion of cash to help small businesses
∑ This ‘‘bullet’’ symbol identifies statements or insertions which are not spoken by a Member of the Senate on the floor.
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S1818 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE March 19, 2020
through this turmoil—not some ed cushion to companies that made ican people will come through this bat-
brandnew program with a long lead mistakes. We are talking about loans, tle and then soar to new heights on the
time but an existing program that has which must be repaid, for American other side.
been tested. employers whom the government The American people will win this
The second major pillar of our legis- itself—the government itself—is tem- fight against this virus. The Senate’s
lation will be even more straight- porarily crushing for the sake of public job is to give them the tools they need,
forward: direct financial help for Amer- health. and we are not leaving until we do our
icans. Senate Republicans want to put The fourth piece of our proposal goes job.
cash in the hands of the American peo- to the heart of this crisis: the health of I suggest the absence of a quorum.
ple. Chairman GRASSLEY and a number the American people. Chairmen ALEX- The PRESIDING OFFICER. The
of our colleagues are finalizing a struc- ANDER and GRASSLEY will be rolling out clerk will call the roll.
ture that will get assistance to individ- proposals to get resources on the The senior assistant legislative clerk
uals and families as rapidly as possible. frontlines of our fight against the virus proceeded to call the roll.
This is no Washington process with a itself because, to be clear, nothing I Mr. SCHUMER. Madam President, I
thousand cooks in the kitchen, no piles have laid out so far will represent a ask unanimous consent that the order
of forms for laid-off workers or busy typical economic stimulus in the way for the quorum call be rescinded.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without
families to fill out—money for people that we think of that term.
Nobody—nobody—expects that em- objection, it is so ordered.
from the middle class on down, period.
For laid-off Americans, this infusion ployment figures or the stock market f
would complement unemployment in- or GDP growth will bounce right back RECOGNITION OF THE MINORITY
surance and could be put toward imme- to where they were a few weeks ago. No LEADER
diate needs during this crisis. For policy and no amount of money could The PRESIDING OFFICER. The
Americans who are still working, the return things to normal overnight. Democratic leader is recognized.
money would provide extra certainty There is an underlying medical re-
f
in this uniquely uncertain time and ality that is driving this disruption. In
help remind everyone that temporary the words of one journalist, this is pri- CORONAVIRUS
shutdowns at bars and restaurants do marily ‘‘a health crisis—with an eco- Mr. SCHUMER. Madam President, in
not mean all commerce has to halt. nomic crisis strapped to its back.’’ the space of less than 24 hours, yester-
For retirees, the money would com- So, yes, our proposal will imme- day, the number of coronavirus cases
plement Social Security and help sen- diately help American workers, fami- in my dear home State of New York
iors navigate the unusual routines that lies, and businesses. Yes, it will help has more than doubled. The spread of
have suddenly become necessary for position our economy to thrive once the virus has been rapid and the con-
their own safety. again after this public health menace sequences severe. The coronavirus is
This is a form of additional tax relief is behind us. slowing our economy to a near stand-
that we want to push to taxpayers This may not be the last economic still, promoting widespread layoffs and
right away. It is not an ordinary pol- legislation we pursue, but, fundamen- the likelihood of a deep recession that
icy, but this is no ordinary time. The tally, we have to beat back this virus. will be painfully felt in households
American people need help, and they We have to beat back this virus. That from coast to coast, from New York to
need it fast. This will deliver it. is why our proposal will go even fur- California and every other State.
Now, we believe this rapid assistance ther to remove barriers to care, speed We are living in a time of public
is crucial, but, more broadly, we need innovation, fund the hospitals and emergency—in our healthcare system,
to keep as many Americans as possible health centers that will treat patients, in our economy, and, indeed, in our so-
on the job and connected to their em- and expand healthcare workers’ access ciety itself. Separated from one an-
ployers. The small business relief will to the tools they need, including res- other, we are going to have to pull to-
help, and so will a number of additional pirator masks. gether in spirit. The American people
tax relief measures, which will be de- Immediately after we pass this legis- have to sacrifice their routines. They
signed to help employers maintain lation, Congress must begin a bipar- don’t want to, but we have no choice if
cashflow and keep making payroll, pre- tisan, bicameral appropriations process we want to stay healthy and arrest the
serving employment and protecting to address the administration’s new spread of the disease.
economic foundations. supplemental funding request, so we Our healthcare workers and our first
That is also why the third pillar of can keep funding healthcare and other responders every day are being asked
our proposal involves targeted lending priorities. to perform daunting and heroic tasks
to industries of national importance. I think every American shares the for which we all are already in their
Chairman SHELBY, Chairman WICKER, sense that the last several days have debt.
and Senator THUNE are leading this felt more like several months. Just last The anxiety, the fear, and the confu-
component. Saturday, our Nation had fewer than sion that New Yorkers and Americans
Just like small businesses, entire sec- 3,000 confirmed cases, and 58 Americans feel today is palpable, but I would re-
tors are being crushed—crushed—by had lost their lives. Already, the num- mind them that there has never been a
public health guidance, which is obvi- ber of cases has nearly tripled. Trag- challenge too great for our country to
ously through no fault of their own. ically, so has the number of deaths. overcome. I remember the dark days
For example, our Nation needs airlines. The crisis is moving fast; our health after 9/11. So many were prepared to
Yet they have ongoing maintenance system is under strain; and our econ- write New York City off the map. They
costs that do not disappear just be- omy is hurting. said no one would live or do business in
cause the government has chased away The legislation I have just laid out the southern part of Manhattan. They
all the customers. We cannot expect will not be the last word. As I said, we said the whole city and its suburbs
this key industry to mothball itself will need to turn right away to a bipar- would never come back.
overnight, then dust off in weeks and tisan appropriations process. This is But we did come back, strongly,
months and pop right back online as not Congress’s last chance to legislate, more resilient than we ever were be-
the Nation will need and expect. but it is critical that we move swiftly fore. We can and will do it again—in
So let’s be clear about something. and boldly to begin to stabilize our New York and throughout the Nation.
SSpencer on DSKBBXCHB2PROD with SENATE
From small businesses to key sectors, economy, preserve Americans’ jobs, get But we must act urgently and boldly
we are not talking about so-called bail- money to workers and families, and now, during what may still be the early
outs for firms that made reckless deci- keep up our fight on the health front. days of this crisis.
sions. Nobody is alleging a moral haz- That is exactly—exactly—what our Regarding the business before the
ard here. None of these firms—not cor- proposal will do. These are not ordi- Senate right now, yesterday we passed
ner stores, not pizza parlors, not air- nary policies. This is no ordinary time. the second phase of legislation to re-
lines—brought this on themselves. We The American people are strong. They spond to the coronavirus, which in-
are not talking about a taxpayer-fund- are brave. There is no doubt the Amer- cluded important provisions to extend
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