Congressional Record — Senate, March 22, 2020, Page S1895
Summary
Congressional Record — Senate for March 22, 2020, beginning at page S1895. The Senate resumes consideration of the motion to proceed to H.R. 748, a bill to repeal the excise tax on high cost employer-sponsored health coverage. Under the heading Coronavirus, Mr. ALEXANDER says the majority leader will begin a process that will permit the Senate to act for the third time on the healthcare crisis. The remarks describe legislation with three goals, including $300 billion for loans to small businesses that are forgiven if used to pay wages, and checks of $1,200 for individuals, $2,400 for a couple, and $500 for each eligible child.
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“Congressional Record — Senate, March 22, 2020, Page S1895.”
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March 22, 2020 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S1895
or close their operations, and social ate are going to keep working to de- the suffering that this disease has
distancing has become a public health liver the resources that Americans caused, but the sooner we make more
priority. need to confront and defeat this dis- tests available and stop telling Ameri-
Workers are wondering how long ease. cans not to get a test, the better.
they will be getting a paycheck. Small I yield the floor. Just yesterday, a California company
businesses are worrying about whether announced a 45-minute test that could
f
they will be able to reopen their doors be taken in a doctor’s office while also
when all of this is over. Key industries RESERVATION OF LEADER TIME getting a flu test. Expanding tests like
have taken a massive economic hit. A The PRESIDING OFFICER. Under this will do more to get the economy
major response is required. the previous order, the leadership time moving again than spending trillions
The package we put together address- is reserved. stabilizing businesses and supporting
es a number of priorities: putting emer- employees.
f Yesterday, I spoke with the chief ex-
gency cash into the hands of American
families and American workers quick- CONCLUSION OF MORNING ecutive officer of the company that
ly, in a way that ensures those most in BUSINESS makes that test. This is a well-estab-
need get the maximum level of sup- lished company that makes millions of
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Morning flu tests. He said they could make
port; delivering relief to small busi- business is closed.
nesses to help them keep their workers 45,000 tests available by the end of the
f month and 2 million tests by the end of
employed; injecting stability into the
June. More instances of expansion of
economy to help bridge this crisis and MIDDLE CLASS HEALTH BENEFITS tests that you can get at the same time
to limit layoffs; providing new re- TAX REPEAL ACT OF 2019—Motion you visit a doctor’s office is what we
sources for State unemployment pro- to Proceed—Resumed need.
grams to help workers displaced by The PRESIDING OFFICER. Under The legislation the Senate will be
this emergency; and most impor- the previous order, the Senate will re- considering has three goals: one, keep
tantly—most importantly—continuing sume consideration of the motion to the payroll checks coming as much as
to deliver resources to the healthcare proceed to H.R. 748, which the clerk possible; two, relieve financial burdens
workers fighting to stop this pandemic. will report. on Americans; and, three, contain the
This package is the product of bipar- disease.
The senior assistant legislative clerk
tisan input, and I hope it will receive Keeping the payroll checks coming
read the following:
overwhelming bipartisan support in the means $300 billion for loans to small
A bill (H.R. 748) to amend the Internal Rev-
Senate. Republicans and Democrats businesses. If they use the loans to pay
enue Code of 1986 to repeal the excise tax on
have already come together to deliver high cost employer-sponsored health cov- the wages, the loans will be forgiven.
two coronavirus relief bills. It is time erage. It authorizes the Federal Reserve
for us to come together again to de- Board and the Treasury Department to
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen-
liver this legislation. create trillions more in financial credit
ator from Tennessee.
As the leader said yesterday, the support for States, cities, and large
CORONAVIRUS
American people need help, and they businesses so they will be able to stay
need it now. This bill will provide them Mr. ALEXANDER. Mr. President, in in business and pay their employees.
with relief. a few minutes, the majority leader will It expands the emergency paid sick
These are challenging times. There is begin a process that will permit the and family leave passed by the House
a lot of stress and uncertainty, and Senate to act for the third time to deal and then the Senate last week—to
Americans are understandably worried. with this unprecedented healthcare cri- workers who were laid off and later re-
We are going to get through this. There sis that we are facing. Our message to hired by their employers.
may be difficult days ahead, but we are the American people is this: This is The second goal is to relieve the fi-
going to come out the other side. about your paycheck. This is a collec- nancial burden on Americans. That
All around this country, Americans tion of the best ideas that Democratic section of the bill includes checks to
are standing up to meet this challenge. Senators and Republican Senators have individuals and families: $1,200 for indi-
We have our heroic healthcare workers that we believe will generate trillions viduals, $2,400 for a couple, and $500 for
who are putting their lives on the line in economic support that will, No. 1, each eligible child.
to care for the seriously ill, our first keep payroll checks coming; No. 2, re- Federal income taxes don’t have to
responders who got their name because lieve the financial burdens on Ameri- be filed until July 15. Estimated taxes
they are always the first on the scene cans; and No. 3, begin to contain this can be delayed until October 15. It will
in any crisis, and new heroes: grocery COVID–19 virus. make it easier to use retirement sav-
store employees, truck drivers, deliv- The legislation we will be voting on ings without penalty.
will contain about $1.7 trillion in Fed- All student loan payments will be de-
ery people, pharmacy employees—peo-
eral spending, and it will authorize the ferred for 6 months. There are 43 mil-
ple we may have taken for granted be- lion Americans with student loans.
fore but won’t again. Federal Reserve Board and the Treas-
ury Department to generate trillions There is priority on both sides of the
Everywhere I look in my State, I see aisle for more Federal funding for
South Dakotans helping other South more in liquidity and credit support for
State unemployment insurance pro-
Dakotans. It is the same all across this companies of all kinds to try to keep
grams, so States can increase benefits,
country: people looking out for their payrolls checks coming to workers.
waive the waiting week, and expand
neighbors, providing meals for those in In the end, the only way to end this
eligibility to self-employed and inde-
need, offering childcare help to those crisis—and the only way to get the pendent contractors.
who can’t telework, running errands American economy moving again—is to There is money for block grants for
for elderly, or those with compromised contain the disease. This will require, States for K–12 education, for higher
immune systems who can’t leave their as soon as possible, adopting a new education, and for children and fami-
house. goal. That goal should be to test every lies, including the child care and devel-
I was touched to read a story from American who needs it for COVID–19 as opment block grants, which will pro-
the Rapid City Journal yesterday soon as possible, and then isolate and vide immediate assistance to childcare
about a group of young people from care for the few who are sick and fast- centers.
Eagle Butte, SD, who showed up out- track treatments and vaccines so that Finally, containing the disease is the
side the Medicine Wheel Village Nurs- Americans can go back to work and go third goal. It makes all COVID–19 tests
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ing Home to hold up signs to encourage out to eat and resume a normal life free. There is nearly $100 billion for the
the residents who can’t receive visitors again. This legislation will make all public health and social services emer-
right now because of the risk of virus COVID–19 tests free. gency fund. That is at least $75 billion
transmission. The government has shut down the for hospitals and $10.5 billion for accel-
We are going to get through this to- economy to fight this disease, and the erating diagnostics, treatments, and
gether. My colleagues and I in the Sen- government has to help pay the cost of vaccines.
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S1896 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE March 22, 2020
We are probably a few months away I have been on conference calls be- to have confidence built into it is as
from a treatment for COVID–19. This cause we are social distancing, as we long as the virus is out there without
would accelerate the efforts that are all are. I have talked to the nurses’ as- any type of a treatment or a vaccine
being made now to determine if these sociation, the medical association, and coming down the pike that is going to
treatments work and if they are safe. the hospital association. The main con- cure and protect us. That is what this
We are even further away from a vac- cern we have right now is of our med- is all about.
cine, but if there is any way to accel- ical providerships’ being stable enough Don’t you think we should be putting
erate that vaccine, this $10 billion will and protected enough so, if need be, the resources on the front end to help
help to do that. they can continue to take care of us. these providers, to give some assur-
There is another $1.7 billion for the Right now, they are scared to death be- ances to the American public, to the
strategic national stockpile, which has cause they are not getting the protec- people in West Virginia that we have
the purpose of buying the equipment tive equipment they need. They don’t found and we have a treatment now
that our medical personnel especially have the personal protection equip- that will work?
need; $4.5 billion for the Centers for ment, such as the masks or the shields God forbid if you contract the dis-
Disease Control and Prevention for or the gowns—all of the equipment ease, and the virus attacks you, but we
State and local preparedness and re- that a first responder or a medical pro- can help you. You are not going to per-
sponse grants and to improve public vider should have. That is what we are ish from this. But with that being said,
health; $80 million for the Food and fighting for right now. Also, we have it doesn’t make any sense to me that—
Drug Administration, again, for rural hospitals and rural clinics the proposal that Leader MCCONNELL
diagnostics, treatments, and vaccines; throughout all of America—West Vir- from the Republican side has put forth
$1.32 billion for community health cen- ginia is mostly all rural—and they are is absolutely, totally worried about
ters. There are 1,400 centers with 12,000 all scared to death that they are not Wall Street at this time.
I am worried about the people in
sites. They are the hospitals for prob- going to have the finances with which
rural West Virginia and all over Main
ably 28 or 30 million Americans across to stay afloat.
Street. Those are the people we are
this country. And there is $20 billion The proposal that we have right now,
worried about, and Wall Street is going
for veterans healthcare. that they are working on—that both
to do just fine. It has always rebounded
The goal of the legislation we will be sides are working on—is inadequate
real well. They always come back
considering has these objectives: keep and insufficient. MITCH MCCONNELL’s
strong. But the market has to have sta-
the paychecks coming as much as pos- proposal falls short of delivering the
bility to it and it has to have con-
sible, relieve financial burdens on protection the medical providerships
fidence in it and the people have to
Americans, and, most importantly, need. They talk about the economy and
have confidence.
contain the disease. the recovery of this economy, but we So that is where we stand. Let’s take
Senator THUNE mentioned that now need to find a treatment for the virus care of the people whom we are asking
one of our Members, Senator PAUL of as we know it. For the people who do to take care of us if we need them.
Kentucky, has tested positive for the contract it, they will know they have a Let’s take care of our healthcare work-
coronavirus. That reminds us of what treatment that can cure them, and ers, our nurses, our first responders, all
every family in this country is going then we must find a working vaccine as of our doctors. Let’s take care of the
through today and worrying about. It quickly as possible. We have been told facilities that they are keeping open
also should remind us of the urgency of that this could take 12 months or for us, which is the hospitals and the
moving ahead. longer. clinics—everything that we possibly
We have been working together for The treatment is the most important can to protect them. Let’s make sure
several days with our counterparts on thing, and protecting our healthcare that our workers and these healthcare
the other side. This is a collection of workers is the most important thing. providers don’t go down because if that
ideas that will keep the paychecks Keeping our hospitals and clinics and system goes down, I can assure you,
coming, relieve financial burdens, and all medical providers vibrant right now you can’t print enough money for Wall
contain the disease. It is time to vote and able to survive this economic Street to rebound. If the healthcare
on it, approve it by a big margin, and downturn is the first and foremost system in this country is not able to
send it to the House of Representatives thing, and it is the thing that didn’t take care of the people of America,
so we can intensify our efforts. get the attention that we needed. that will not happen.
I yield the floor. I am hoping that between now and And if West Virginians can’t count
Mr. MCCONNELL. Mr. President, I before we vote, at 6 o’clock, the two on our hospitals and clinics to take
suggest the absence of a quorum. sides can come together. I implore of care of them, and if the workers who
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The my colleagues on the Republican side work there—the nurses and all of the
clerk will call the roll. to basically express their concerns to different people who work within that
The senior assistant legislative clerk their leader, MITCH MCCONNELL, that system—aren’t able to go to work be-
proceeded to call the roll. we need to have a balanced approach. cause they might have contracted the
Mr. MCCONNELL. Mr. President, I I am concerned about the economy. I virus, we have done nothing special to
ask unanimous consent that the order am concerned about the workers. help them with their childcare and ev-
for the quorum call be rescinded. Through no fault of their own, we have erything because they will be working
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without had workers throughout West Virginia extraordinary hours. This is where our
objection, it is so ordered. who have been laid off. They have done emphasis should be right today. This is
UNANIMOUS CONSENT AGREEMENT nothing wrong except to have been in what we should be talking about.
Mr. MCCONNELL. Mr. President, I professions, basically, because of the Yet we are miles apart now because
ask unanimous consent that notwith- health concerns of our country, that Wall Street is not maybe taken care of
standing rule XXII, the cloture vote on had to lay them off. The businesses to the likes of what they would like. I
the motion to proceed to H.R. 748 occur they worked for had to stop—cease and can’t understand it at all. I really
at 6 p.m. desist. They had to stop. It was don’t. I want them to succeed, and they
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without through no fault of their own. Basi- will succeed. I want them to have a
objection, it is so ordered. cally, for the health of this country, it generous loan program—not a gift but
The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. was best if they closed. These people a loan program—and I want to make
YOUNG). The Senator from West Vir- have no control whatsoever over their sure that people who have lost their
ginia. destinies except to ask: When can we jobs and the business has closed down
dlhill on DSKBBY8HB2PROD with SENATE
Mr. MANCHIN. Mr. President, I get this thing cured? When do we get due to no fault of their own have the
would like to just say a few words ahead of this cycle, or ahead of the backing of this great country of ours
about what we are going through and curve, so we may get back to normal? and the government right here. That is
what we are experiencing. I can only Wall Street will not return, I can as- whom I am worried about.
give you my experiences back home in sure you, no matter how much money The proposal that is on the table
West Virginia. we throw at Wall Street. It is not going today does not do that. If we had to
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March 22, 2020 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S1897
vote today at this time, I would vote affected by the coronavirus—not in the and fishing industries, gyms, B&Bs,
no, not to proceed. We will stay here sense that they have become ill with it, gift shops, retailers, and hair salons—
all night long. They are worried about but their customer base has simply have also been hard hit. The hospi-
what happens when the markets open dried up—and 51 percent say they will tality industry, in particular, is at risk
in the morning. We will work around only be able to keep open for up to 3 of being devastated, as conferences and
the clock. I am fine. I can stay here months if the economic consequences vacation trips continue to be canceled.
until 7, 8 o’clock. We can all work continue. The potential loss of more A hair stylist in Biddeford, a good
around the clock, but there has to be a than half of our Nation’s small busi- friend of mine, was forced to shutter
balanced approach and putting nesses, and the impact on the millions her shop, and, at the same time, she
healthcare first. of people they employ is simply unac- lost her part-time job bartending when
f ceptable. the bar that employed her was also re-
In my State the number of claims for quired to close. When these small busi-
RECESS unemployment filed in a span of just 3 nesses suffer, it has a cascading effect
Mr. MANCHIN. Mr. President, I ask days this month was nearly double on their employees, from housekeepers
unanimous consent that the Senate those filed in all of March 1 year ago. to wait staff, to bartenders, to fisher-
stand in recess until 5 p.m. today. Maine is on track to surpass the high- men, to drivers, to retail clerks. These
There being no objection, the Senate, est weekly total of unemployment are just some of the countless examples
at 3:18 p.m., recessed until 5:02 p.m. and claims since the great recession of 2008. of the economic damage that is occur-
was reassembled when called to order The situation is dire, and it is only ring in every community because of
by the Presiding Officer (Mrs. LOEF- going to get worse unless we act and the virus and through absolutely no
FLER). we act now. fault of the small businesses or their
We must come together as Repub- workers. But for the coronavirus and
f licans and Democrats in this Chamber the steps that State and local govern-
MIDDLE CLASS HEALTH BENEFITS and in the House to provide relief to ments have taken, as well as the Fed-
TAX REPEAL ACT OF 2019—Motion the American people to ensure that eral Government, these businesses
to Proceed—Resumed workers continue to receive paychecks would be thriving. In Maine, they
or other forms of assistance. Of course, would be beginning to start staffing up
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen-
we continue to build on the two bills for the summer months for the height
ator from Maine.
that we have already passed to protect of the tourism season.
CORONAVIRUS
the health and safety of the American It is essential that Congress act im-
Ms. COLLINS. Madam President, the people. mediately without partisan bickering,
United States is facing a crisis unlike Looking beyond the statistics that I without delay—act immediately to pro-
any other in our recent history. This is just recited, the real world effect of tect the paychecks and to provide
no time for partisanship or for political this economic devastation is evident other relief to supplement the earlier
differences to prevent us from coming everywhere. I just got off the phone bills that we have passed.
together and working in the best inter- from talking to a couple in Lewiston, I am pleased to report that help is on
ests of the American people. ME, Jimmy and Linda Simones. They the horizon for small businesses and
The coronavirus pandemic has ar- run a third-generation family diner. It their workers that would allow them to
rived on our shores, and it is growing is well known and a favorite place to weather the current storm. As a mem-
exponentially, sickening our people stop by for lunch. They tried to con- ber of the Small Business Task Force,
and devastating our economy. As of vert to a takeout business, but it just I have been working very closely night
today, more than 26,700 Americans didn’t work. So for the first time ever and day with a group of my col-
have tested positive for the virus, and in this diner’s history, the Simones leagues—Senator RUBIO, Senator
340 people have died, while 176 have re- family is forced to close their doors CARDIN, and Senator SHAHEEN. Our
covered. In my home State of Maine, and to lay off their workers—workers staffs have worked literally through
there are now 89 cases in 8 different who have been with them for years, the night on legislation to provide re-
counties. workers who include not only them- lief to small businesses and their em-
Hospitals, doctors, and nurses are selves but their son George. ployees.
struggling to triage the influx of pa- Every day I have heard from small The Keeping Workers Paid and Em-
tients. Nursing homes are locking business owners who are anxious about ployed Act that I authored with Sen-
down their facilities in an attempt to the future of their businesses and how ator RUBIO, the chairman of the Small
safeguard their vulnerable residents. they can continue to pay their employ- Business and Entrepreneurship Com-
Students and teachers have had to ees who are often their family mem- mittee, provides a plan to do just that.
transition abruptly to online learning bers, their friends, and their neighbors. Through our negotiations with Senator
as schools have closed across the Na- The last thing they want to do is to lay SHAHEEN and Senator CARDIN, who
tion. Parents have been left with no off their employees and shut their have been wonderful partners—wonder-
childcare. Workers have been laid off doors, but they fear they may have no ful partners—we have produced, joint-
or fear that they may soon lose their other choice. They simply do not have ly, a $350 billion plan that would help
jobs as the outbreak worsens. the cash flow, the revenue coming in mitigate this crisis.
To help mitigate the spread of this the door, to allow them to remain Our group has worked night and day
dangerous virus and protect those who open. in a bipartisan fashion. We have kept
are at highest risk, Americans have The tourism sector, which is so crit- in mind the common goal of protecting
stepped forward to take the proper pre- ical to jobs in Maine, has been particu- those employees who have been laid off
cautions and to follow the guidelines larly hard hit. A small hotel in Bruns- or who are at risk of being laid off be-
that are issued by the Centers for Dis- wick, ME, received 84 cancellations cause of the cashflow problems of their
ease Control. within 24 hours of the local college sus- employers, problems that these small
Although measures such as limiting pending its in-person classes. A well- businesses did not create but, rather,
large social gatherings and reducing known Irish pub in Bangor, ME, had to are a result of the COVID–19 pandemic.
nonessential travel are important to close for St. Patrick’s Day, probably Our joint vision is to help small busi-
help contain the coronavirus and re- its biggest day of the year, and has nesses and their employees make it
duce contagion, they are also taking a been forced to lay off 60 people. A char- through to the other side of this crisis
tremendous toll on our economy. There ter bus company based in Lewiston lost by providing cashflow assistance quick-
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are 30 million small businesses in the $400,000 in 3 days because two major ly to employers who agree to keep
United States. They employ nearly 60 tours canceled. If tourism is further re- their workers on the payroll. This
million Americans, about half of our duced, this bus company predicts losses would allow employers to stay in busi-
Nation’s workforce. According to a re- of more than $1 million. ness and keep paying their employees.
cent survey, 96 percent of small busi- Countless other businesses in my More than 100 Maine small businesses
ness owners say they have already been State—such as restaurants, the lobster and the Maine Chamber of Commerce
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