Congressional Record, Senate, March 19, 2020 — Coronavirus (Schumer)

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Congressional Record — Senate for March 19, 2020, beginning at page S1818. A senator describes the second major pillar of a legislative proposal as direct financial help for Americans, and says the Senate is not leaving until it does its job. Under the heading Recognition of the Minority Leader, Mr. SCHUMER says that in less than 24 hours the number of coronavirus cases in New York more than doubled and that the coronavirus is slowing the economy to a near standstill.

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“Congressional Record, Senate, March 19, 2020 — Coronavirus (Schumer).” Original at www.govinfo.gov. Archived at Pandemic Darlings, https://pandemicdarlings.com/source-documents/crec-crec-2020-03-19-crec-2020-03-19-pt1-pgs1818-2-7fdf9f88c9/, SHA-256 34d1647aba75353a0c2408a08289eb6fd13e231c075ec929af469d99e900f5a0.

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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.

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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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March 19, 2020 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S1819
paid sick leave, unemployment insur- Second, phase 3 must include a mas- many other cities they depend on one
ance, and provide free—free, no copays, sive infusion of resources for our form of mass transit or another.
no deductibles—coronavirus testing for healthcare system, for hospitals and The next legislation that we are put-
all Americans. That bill was a first medical supplies. America needs a Mar- ting together must include a historic
step. I am glad it is now done. I am shall Plan for public health and public commitment to supporting our
glad it got support from both sides of health infrastructure. In the wake of healthcare system and our fellow
the aisle—I believe 90 votes on pas- World War II, America helped rebuild a Americans who get sick. We cannot get
sage—and the aid will begin to flow. continent. Right now, we need to re- this wrong. The stakes are too high.
Now, Leader MCCONNELL has just build our health infrastructure on a And third, phase 3 legislation must
outlined and will soon announce plans continental scale. We need a Marshall address the plight of workers and fami-
of what the Senate Republicans believe Plan for our healthcare system. lies struggling with the economic
should be included in the third phase of Without a massive commitment from ramifications of the virus. Millions and
legislation to confront the coronavirus. this Congress, our healthcare system millions of American workers have
We are ready and eager to look at what will not be able to handle this crisis. been laid off. They didn’t do anything
Republicans put together and to work There are not enough workers, not wrong—neither did the owner of their
with them, but we believe that, what- enough supplies, not enough beds, not business—but there are no people com-
ever proposal emerges—and it will be enough State and local funding. There ing into the restaurants and the stores
bipartisan—it must be a workers-first is a major concern that, as this virus and the shops. There may be no cus-
proposal. spreads, countless Americans will not tomers for businesses that provide
Workers first—that is our motto in be able to access or afford treatment if services or goods. Storefronts are
what we are proposing. That means they get the coronavirus. closed. The service industry is shedding
help for all workers: service workers, It goes from the very big—we need jobs. Small businesses, small busi-
industry workers, factory workers, of- lots of ventilators—to the smaller. A nesses owners who have devoted their
fice tower workers, small business hospital in New York told us that they lifetime to building their businesses
workers, gig workers, freelancers, bar- didn’t have enough nasal swabs to con- are on the brink of collapse. The gears
tenders, retail workers, airline attend- duct the coronavirus test. Healthcare of American manufacturing are grind-
workers in Washington State are fash- ing to a halt. There are millions of
ants, and so many more.
We owe a great deal of gratitude to ioning homemade masks out of vinyl, American workers home at night,
the working people of America, wheth- elastic, and double-sided tape. The home during the day. They are doing
er they be blue collar or white collar; the right thing, but now they have no
need for ventilators, which will save
whether they work in high office tow- income, no idea where the next pay-
the lives of those who are afflicted by
check will arrive or when they can re-
ers, on the farms, or in a local drug the disease in a severe way, is des-
turn to work. We must step up to the
store; those who clean our buildings perate.
Yesterday, President Trump finally plate immediately and help these suf-
and streets; those who are still work-
took our suggestion and invoked the fering workers who don’t have a pay-
ing to collect the garbage and keep the
check and are worried about how they
power on; and, of course, our Defense Production Act, but what is
are going to pay the rent, the mort-
healthcare workers, who are risking happening now? We don’t know. Who is
gage, buy the food, the necessities, the
everything to keep the rest of us safe. in charge? Which factories are being
medicines they and their families need.
Workers first—that is the motto that asked to make the ventilators, and
Congress must help them.
I have and I believe Speaker PELOSI which factories are being asked to do We should enact a new form of unem-
has, as well, as we Democrats seek other things as well? We need that kind ployment insurance. We call it ‘‘em-
input into the joint, bipartisan pack- of information, but just as important ployment insurance.’’ It is really un-
age that will be put together. Our goal as the information is the urgency of employment insurance on steroids—as-
is to make sure that no one—no work- getting these things done. sistance until these already employed
er, no family, no one—loses a paycheck Machines like ventilators can be the Americans can get back to work. Exist-
or goes into financial ruin as a result difference between life and death. Ac- ing unemployment insurance has a lot
of the coronavirus. That will take cording to one projection, it is possible of failings. It doesn’t cover enough peo-
strong, bold, immediate action. that up to 960,000 Americans will need ple to meet this crisis. So many who
That is why we must work so quickly a ventilator during the coronavirus work part time, who are gig workers,
but carefully, as well, to put together a pandemic. Right now, only 160,000 are and for many other reasons are not
bipartisan package. I spoke with Sec- available, and only 12,700 are in stock- covered by unemployment insurance—
retary Mnuchin several times. I think piles. our new employment insurance must
he is of that view. I have heard that The President must direct a massive cover them all.
Leader MCCONNELL has said he will sit mobilization to ramp up ventilator pro- Second, the payments must be full.
down with our Democratic Senators to duction. He also must do so to acquire The payment should be equal or come
come up with a bipartisan package. new hospital space. We will be short of as close to equaling as possible the sal-
That is what we must do. beds, particularly ICU beds. The Army aries they got. Most people who get un-
So let me outline a few of our prior- Corps must be involved in helping to employment insurance don’t get close
ities. First, if there is going to be a build temporary hospitals that can to the percentage they need to live on.
bailout of any sort of industry, worker take on the new burden. We are on the And third, it must be quick and easy.
priorities and worker protections must verge, unfortunately, if we don’t act In many States—some by design—it is
be included. Corporations should not quickly, of repeating the heart- very hard to get employment insur-
get a bailout and then be allowed to breaking collapse of the hospital ca- ance. You have to go through the
fire employees or cut their salaries, cut pacity experienced in Italy. That must whole rigmarole. That must end.
their benefits. not be allowed to happen. Our new employment insurance—an
The airline industry just spent bil- I was glad yesterday that President unemployment insurance on steroids—
lions and billions in stock buybacks in Trump heeded the call by Democrats must have full payment so lost salaries
the last 2 years, liquidity that would on the Defense Production Act, but we are totally made up for, it must be
come in handy at a time like this. If need to go further. The President must quick and easy to access, and it must
there is a bailout, there need to be con- make this an urgent responsibility. be broad-based. Democrats will ask for

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ditions to make sure the interests of We need a Marshall Plan for our that as one of our most important asks
labor are given priority and that cor- healthcare system, and that also because that goes to the people who
porations can’t buy back stock, reward means getting new workers involved. need help; that goes to the people who
executives, or lay off workers. We are going to be short doctors and are not getting their salaries because
We cannot repeat the mistake that nurses. We have to make sure those in they have been laid off or furloughed.
was made in 2008 when the big boys and the healthcare system can get to work. That is the most immediate and quick
the big girls benefited, and no one else The New York subway system is still thing to deal with the problem right at
did—workers first. needed to carry them there, and in the level where it exists.

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S1820 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE March 19, 2020
Another must for us is paid sick I have taken time to lay out these One hundred and twenty-eight new
leave. Senators MURRAY and GILLI- ideas on the floor because—thus far, at cases were announced yesterday in our
BRAND have important legislation on least—Senate Democrats have not been State. It is the largest single 1-day in-
this issue and want to get this done. included in discussions with Senate Re- crease since we have been reporting.
And for small businesses, there must publicans about phase 3. Leader We have 2 additional counties that
be liquidity. Many of these businesses MCCONNELL is putting together his own have now been touched out of the 102.
are great businesses. They were doing plan. He is talking to his chairman and We are now up to 17 counties with the
fine until 2, 3 weeks ago, but no cus- his Members, and then, he has said, he infections. An additional 20 people at
tomers are coming in the door or call- will present it to Senate Democrats or the DuPage County long-term care fa-
ing on the phone. In addition to paying even House Democrats. cility tested positive, bringing it to a
their workers through our employment As I have said before, if we want to total of 42—30 residents and 12 mem-
insurance, we must see that these busi- get this done quickly, the best way to bers of that staff—in that one facility.
nesses have liquidity to pay their in- do it is to have a four-corners negotia- Forty-one thousand unemployment
surance bills, to pay their mortgages, tion: House and Senate, majority and insurance claims were filed in Illinois
to pay their problems, and deal with minority. If we do it in each step, obvi- in the past 2 days. To put that in per-
that so when, God willing—and I am ously—knowing how the Senate and spective, during the same 2 days last
confident it will happen—this crisis the House work—it will take much year, 4,445 were filed. That is roughly
leaves us, they will be able to open longer. We have to move quickly. 10 times the number of unemployment
their businesses stronger than ever be- Make no mistake about it, our entire claims that have been filed this year.
fore. caucus wants to work in a bipartisan As I mentioned, that is 10 times the
There are many other things we want way to get this done quickly. What we level of the same 2-day period a year
to get done. Today, Senator WARREN, are prescribing are some of the things ago.
Senator MURRAY, Senator BROWN, and I we think would do the most good. The Department of Labor reported
are announcing a bill to cancel—can- In reference to that, we are living in this morning that 281,000 people filed
cel—student loan payments during the a time of emergency. The typical legis- unemployment insurance claims na-
duration of the coronavirus and to pro- lative process takes too long and will tionwide last week, and that number is
vide a minimum of a $10,000 payoff for not work. I believe all parties should be likely to grow. Oak Park—just to the
all student loan borrowers. This is a in the room from the get-go so that west of Chicago—is the first town in Il-
problem that has been going on for too any final product can pass as swiftly as linois to issue a shelter-in-place order
long. It is exacerbated by the crisis. We possible. We are all interested in com- for residents, which will last until
have to help the students and those ing together as quickly as we can. April 3. Mayor Lightfoot for the city of
with big loans on their backs. That leg- Time is of the essence. Let us come to- Chicago announced the city would tem-
islation—something like it—should be gether, construct, and pass this bill as porarily suspend debt collection prac-
in phase 3 of legislation. soon as we possibly can. tices and nonsafety-related citations,
I yield the floor.
There are many other things that as well as penalties for late payment.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The as-
must be done. As we Senate Democrats I might add that we learned last
sistant Democratic leader.
a couple of days ago announced a $750 night that two Members of the House
f of Representatives have tested positive
billion package—well, there are other
things that are in there, and there may CORONAVIRUS for the virus: Representatives MARIO
be other things that have to be added, Mr. DURBIN. Madam President, I DIAZ-BALART of Florida and BEN
but we have to look at this crisis in its come to the floor today to thank MCADAMS of Utah. Both developed
totality and address it. Speaker PELOSI, Leader SCHUMER, and symptoms last Saturday, just hours
Some have proposed—I have heard all of my colleagues who help support after voting on the coronavirus re-
this coming out of the administration the Families First Coronavirus Re- sponse bill with hundreds of other
and from some of my colleagues—an al- sponse Act. That measure was signed Members.
ternative to these policies: a one-time yesterday by President Trump. As I un- I have joined with Senator ROB
cash payment of $1,000. That might derstand from Leader MCCONNELL, PORTMAN of Ohio in proposing that we
help families cover rent, groceries for a work is underway on a third take into consideration the fact that
month, but then what? If we are going coronavirus package in the form of an we have critically important work to
to do this kind of payment plan—first, economic stimulus to provide more do in the Senate, but gathering in
it cannot be a substitute for the things support to families, businesses, and to groups, as we have done historically,
I have mentioned. It must be in addi- the healthcare community, including poses a health risk not just to us as
tion. I think there is a general, unani- our hospitals. Members and our families but to the
mous view on our side that should be This morning, I spoke to the Gov- staff as well as their families, the staff
the case. ernor of Illinois—we have been speak- in the Senate and their families. We
But second, if we are going to do it, ing on almost a daily basis, sometimes ought to be more thoughtful in terms
it has to be bigger, more generous, and almost several times a day—and asked of our own families and the people who
more frequent than some that I have him about the State of the situation in work in the U.S. Senate. Yes, do our
heard proposed from the other side. We our home State of Illinois. Unfortu- job, but do it in a sensible and thought-
all know that workers and families nately, we are still desperate for test- ful way.
need assistance, and they are going to ing kits. Illinois has about 5,000 more Senator PORTMAN and I are exploring
get it. Democrats want to get that as- kits that were provided yesterday by a possibilities for remote voting by Mem-
sistance as quickly to the American private company at the urging of our bers of the Senate. Why is it required
people as possible, and I believe our Re- Governor, but we have never seen the that we be physically present on the
publican colleagues do as well. But number of test kits that we believe are floor, closer to one another, than per-
those who want to limit that assist- necessary to measure the current state haps we should be at this moment dur-
ance to a one-time payment of around of this coronavirus in our home State ing a public health crisis? Senator
$1,000 given to everybody, for people of Illinois. The official count—and I PORTMAN and I, on a bipartisan basis,
who make $1 million and people who might add that word ‘‘official’’—is that are trying to find a way to achieve this
make $500 a week, that doesn’t make we have had 288 Illinoisans infected and goal and to still protect the integrity

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sense. 1 fatality. I believe that the number of of the voting process in the U.S. Sen-
The pandemic requires bold, struc- infections in the official report grossly ate. Yes, it is new. Yes, it is different.
tural changes to our society’s safety understates the exposure in my home Yes, it reflects the 21st century and re-
net to give people a lifeline for months, State of Illinois. Once more tests are flects a challenge, the likes of which
not just weeks. It requires the kinds of administered and we receive the re- we have never seen. Tomorrow that
things I have mentioned. If we are sults, I am afraid we are going to see a challenge may be another public health
going to go this route, it has to be big- dramatic increase in that number of re- crisis, some other national emergency,
ger, more generous, more frequent. ported infections in the State. or maybe even a terrorist attack.

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