Coronavirus (Cong. Rec., March 23, 2020)

Summary

Senate section of the Congressional Record for Monday, March 23, 2020, Volume 166, No. 57. The Senate met at 12 noon with Mr. Grassley presiding and the Chaplain's prayer is printed. A speaker says Democrats and Republicans crafted a compromise package that would push tens of billions of dollars to hospitals, send direct checks to millions of households and massively expand unemployment insurance, which is that speaker's account. The speaker accuses Senate Democrats of filibustering relief for small business employees, while another speaker replies that Democrats are trying to get things done rather than make partisan speeches.

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“Coronavirus (Cong. Rec., March 23, 2020).” Original at www.govinfo.gov. Archived at Pandemic Darlings, https://pandemicdarlings.com/source-documents/crec-crec-2020-03-23-crec-2020-03-23-pt1-pgs1919-5-2ecbf1ebd1/, SHA-256 e7aeab7946c23ea7505dbe97da07f00ac2a61ba0e999b3d1a4d6a13b8cb96576.

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Congressional Record
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116 th CONGRESS, SECOND SESSION
United States
of America PROCEEDINGS AND DEBATES OF THE

Vol. 166 WASHINGTON, MONDAY, MARCH 23, 2020 No. 57

Senate
The Senate met at 12 noon and was Democrats and Republicans sat down they want to argue with the airlines
called to order by the President pro together. We crafted this version of a over their carbon footprint.
tempore (Mr. GRASSLEY). proposal together. This compromise I would like to see Senate Democrats
f package would push tens of billions of tell small business employees in their
dollars to hospitals and healthcare pro- States, who are literally being laid off
PRAYER viders. It would send direct checks to every day, that they are filibustering
The Chaplain, Dr. Barry C. Black, of- millions of American households—di- relief that will keep people on the pay-
fered the following prayer: rect checks. It would massively expand roll because Democrats’ special inter-
Let us pray. unemployment insurance in this crisis. est friends want to squeeze employers
Heavenly Father, give our lawmakers It would stabilize industries to prevent while they are vulnerable—squeeze
wisdom and spiritual eyes to see You mass layoffs. And, crucially, it would these employers while they are vulner-
at work. Remind them that, in every- deliver historic relief to small busi- able.
thing, You are working for the good of nesses to help Main Street employees I would like to see Senate Democrats
those who love You. from being totally crushed—crushed— tell all the American seniors who have
Guide our Senators to strive to by this pandemic. seen their hard-earned retirement sav-
please You by living blameless, holy, But, yesterday, when the time came ings literally melt away, as the mar-
and disciplined lives. to vote on these urgent measures, our kets track toward their worst month
As they battle this coronavirus pan- Democratic colleagues chose to block since 1931, that they are continuing to
demic, may they not forget the it. So why are the American people hold up emergency measures over tax
marginalized. still waiting? It is a good question to credits for solar panels—tax credits for
Lord, give our lawmakers a hunger ask. I hear the markets are not doing solar panels.
for Your words and a desire to apply well today. They would like to ask the Even with the Federal Reserve an-
Your knowledge in their daily work. question of us: Why not move? Why are nouncing even further extraordinary
We pray in Your merciful Name. Democrats filibustering the bipartisan steps today, the markets are tanking
Amen. bill they helped write? once again, as I said, because this body
f It is an appropriate question to ask can’t get its act together, and the only
this morning as the country waits on reason it can’t get its act together is
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE us. So let me give the American people right over here on the other side of the
The President pro tempore led the a taste of the outstanding issues we aisle.
Pledge of Allegiance, as follows: woke up to this morning. Here are So these are just a few of the com-
I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the some of the items on the Democratic pletely nongermane wish list items
United States of America, and to the Repub- wish list over which they chose to that they are rallying behind, pre-
lic for which it stands, one nation under God, block this legislation last night: tax venting us from getting this emergency
indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. credits for solar energy and wind en- relief to the American people right
f ergy, provisions to force employers to now, eleventh-hour demands the Demo-
give special new treatment to Big crats have decided are more important
RECOGNITION OF THE MAJORITY Labor, and—listen to this—new emis- than Americans’ paychecks and the
LEADER sions standards for the airlines. personal safety of doctors and nurses.
The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Are you kidding me? This is the mo- So remember what one of Speaker
SASSE). The majority leader is recog- ment to debate new regulations that PELOSI’s top lieutenants in the House
nized. have nothing whatsoever to do with said a few days ago—and this is a di-
f this crisis? That is what they are up to rect quote: This is a tremendous oppor-
over there. The American people need tunity to restrict things to fit our vi-
CORONAVIRUS to know it. sion—to fit our vision. That was the
Mr. MCCONNELL. Mr. President, the Democrats will not let us fund hos- Democratic whip in the House, just
eyes of the Nation are on the Senate. pitals or save small businesses unless laying it out there. It reminds me of
For days now, we have been engaged in they get to dust off the Green New the definition of a Washington gaffe:
intense, bipartisan talks to build emer- Deal. I would like to see Senate Demo- when a politician in Washington tells
gency relief legislation on a historic crats tell New York City doctors and you what he really means.
scale, to push resources to our nurses who are literally overrun as we We heard something similar here on
healthcare heroes and American work- speak that they are filibustering hos- the Senate floor last night—just last
ers and families. pital funding and more masks because night. Here was one of our Democratic

dlhill on DSKBBY8HB2PROD with SENATE
∑ This ‘‘bullet’’ symbol identifies statements or insertions which are not spoken by a Member of the Senate on the floor.

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S1920 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE March 23, 2020
colleagues: ‘‘How many times are we own States deserve it. Their own In the past 24 hours, we got word that
going to get a shot at a trillion-dollar- States’ emergency room doctors de- a Member of this Chamber, Senator
plus program?’’ Right here on the floor serve it. Their own constituents who PAUL, has tested positive for
last night: ‘‘I don’t know how many have lost their jobs deserve it. coronavirus, and the husband of an-
trillion-plus packages we are going to In my home State of Kentucky, the other Member, Senator KLOBUCHAR,
have.’’ In other words, let’s don’t waste Governor has effectively paused com- also tested positive. He is in the hos-
this opportunity to take full advantage merce across the State, and our unem- pital. I want to let them know—both of
and get our whole wish list done. ployment system crashed due to de- them—that the Senate is thinking of
They ought to be embarrassed. In mand. Kentuckians need help now, and them and praying for their speedy re-
fact, I have heard from some of them we aren’t alone. I have heard the pleas covery, as we are for tens of thousands
who are embarrassed, talking like this from healthcare workers in New York of American families who are con-
is some juicy political opportunity. and Seattle. I have listened to the fronting the same situation right now.
This is not a juicy political oppor- small business owners crying out in Whether you are afraid for a sick
tunity. This is a national emergency. Brooklyn and Chicago. family member, an older relative in the
We had days of productive, bipartisan Why does only one side understand hospital, or struggling without work,
talks to get to this point. Senate that this is urgent? Why are these income, or the knowledge of when your
Democrats sat down with Senate Re- hard-hit cities’ own Senators happy to isolation might end, our thoughts are
publicans and negotiated furiously to keep this slow-walking going on indefi- with you right now. These are trying
get to this point. The bill now contains times for all of us, but the scourge of
nitely? Is that really something these
a huge number of changes that our this disease will pass. The American
folks on the other side are comfortable
Democratic colleagues requested, in- people, as always, will prevail.
with—indefinitely slow-walking all of As the number of confirmed COVID–
cluding major changes. We were this this? How can half the Senate not rise 19 cases in the United States eclipses
close—this close. to the occasion? At a time when every-
Then, yesterday morning, the Speak- 35,000, the Senate continues to nego-
body else in the country is pulling to- tiate what will likely be the largest
er of the House flew back from San gether, they are pulling us apart. emergency funding bill in American
Francisco, and suddenly the Senate’s The examples are all over the coun- history. As I have mentioned, we have
serious bipartisan process turned into try that we ought to look to: had almost continuous discussions
this leftwing episode of ‘‘Supermarket healthcare heroes, to neighborhood vol- with Secretary Mnuchin. He left my of-
Sweep’’—unrelated issues, left and unteers, to national industries. Every- fice at about 12:15 last night and was
right. body is unifying and pitching in. What there at about 9 o’clock this morning.
I will tell you what would really about here in the Senate? The White House congressional liaison,
lower our carbon footprint. If the en- It is time to get with the program. It Eric Ueland, has been in and out of the
tire economy continues to crumble, is time to pass historic relief that we office as well. We are very close to
with hundreds of thousands more have built together. The country reaching a deal—very close. Our goal is
Americans laid off because Senate doesn’t have time for these political to reach a deal today, and we are hope-
Democrats will not let us act, that will games. They need progress. ful, even confident, that we will meet
lower our carbon footprint all right. So we are going to vote in just a few that goal.
Every single American outside of minutes, and I assure you the Amer- We have been working on a few out-
Washington knows this is no time for ican people will be watching. standing issues that are no surprise to
this nonsense. Mr. DURBIN. I suggest the absence of everyone. From the very beginning,
A surgeon in Fresno, CA, says: ‘‘We a quorum. Democrats have insisted on a Marshall
are at war with no ammo.’’ ‘‘We are at The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Plan for our medical system, more
war with no ammo.’’ That is a surgeon clerk will call the roll. money for hospitals, community health
in Fresno. An intensive care nurse in The senior assistant legislative clerk centers, nursing homes, and urgent
New York City says: ‘‘If we don’t get proceeded to call the roll. medical supplies, such as gloves and
the proper equipment soon, we’re going Mr. MCCONNELL. Mr. President, I masks, ICU beds, testing kits, ventila-
to get sick.’’ ask unanimous consent that the order tors, and PPE. Since our negotiations,
Democrats are filibustering more for the quorum call be rescinded. the numbers have gone up dramatically
masks and aid for hospitals. Every day, The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there because the hospitals and our
more Americans wake up to the news objection? healthcare workers need the help.
that their jobs are gone—their jobs are Mr. DURBIN. Yes, I object. We are fighting hard and making
gone. Democrats are filibustering pro- The PRESIDING OFFICER. The as- progress on funding for State and local
grams to keep people on the payroll, sistant Democratic leader objects. Ob- governments. They are propping up
and they are filibustering a huge ex- jection is heard. local healthcare networks virtually on
pansion of unemployment insurance, Mr. SCHUMER. I ask unanimous con- their own. Their revenues are dramati-
which they themselves negotiated and sent that the order for the quorum call cally declining. Many towns and vil-
put into the bill. Hundreds of dollars be rescinded. lages across America—the smaller ones
extra per week for laid-off workers on The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there in particular—might go broke pretty
top of existing unemployment benefits, objection? soon if we do nothing. If we can help
and Democrats are blocking it? Without objection, it is so ordered. the big corporations, we can help our
This has to stop, and today is the day f local towns and villages and the tax-
it has to stop. The country is out of payers they represent.
time—out of time. When the Demo- RECOGNITION OF THE MINORITY On unemployment insurance, the bill
cratic House passed their phase 2 bill, LEADER has moved in the direction we have
even though Senate Republicans would The PRESIDING OFFICER. The outlined. The original bill has the
have written it very differently, we Democratic leader is recognized. unexpanded employment benefits last
sped it through the Senate and passed f only 3 months. We need to make it
it quickly without even amending it. I longer because the dislocation caused
literally told my colleagues to ‘‘gag CORONAVIRUS by this crisis will not be over in 90
and vote for it,’’ for the sake of build- Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, every days, and people who lose their jobs
ing bipartisan momentum, because Re- time we hear the majority leader come need help. It says to every American
publicans understand that a national out, it is a partisan screed. I am in my who loses his or her job—the Demo-

dlhill on DSKBBY8HB2PROD with SENATE
crisis calls for urgency and it calls for office with the President’s Secretary of cratic plan that is now in the bill: You
bipartisanship. Treasury, the President’s congressional will get your full pay from the Federal
It is time for that good faith to be re- liaison, getting things done. We Demo- Government. You can be furloughed by
ciprocated. It is time for Democrats to crats are trying to get things done, not your employer. That means you will
stop playing politics and step up to the making partisan speech after partisan keep your benefits, health and other-
plate. The small businesses in their speech. wise. And it means that you will be

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