Congressional Record — Senate, April 9, 2020, Page S2169, Unanimous Consent Request

Summary

A page of the Congressional Record, Senate, dated April 9, 2020, at page S2169, with a unanimous consent request on which Mr. Van Hollen reserves the right to object. He calls the moment unfortunate, noting that the CARES Act passed 96 to nothing, and calls the majority leader's move a political stunt that lacks bipartisan support. He argues that the Paycheck Protection Program is out of money and quotes a National Restaurant Association letter that says the program is funded at $349 billion and lenders will reach that ceiling. He adds stories from Maryland of small businesses turned away by banks. The Senate adjourned until Monday, April 13, 2020, at 10 a.m.

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“Congressional Record — Senate, April 9, 2020, Page S2169, Unanimous Consent Request.” Original at www.govinfo.gov. Archived at Pandemic Darlings, https://pandemicdarlings.com/source-documents/crec-crec-2020-04-09-crec-2020-04-09-pt1-pgs2169-07cf6dc7e6/, SHA-256 bffeb943d6c97883a1d99e5974fd43bf2820db95ce20e1c0f1953fed5e08796d.

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April 9, 2020 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S2169
Now, we got that information yester- UNANIMOUS CONSENT REQUEST nizing the demand would be huge, as it
day, and maybe the majority leader Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Mr. President, re- is on other programs. It is not just in
didn’t have it, but we can tell you they serving the right to object. need of more money. It needs some im-
can’t issue those grants, and that is This is an unfortunate moment for portant fixes, which I daresay would
under the CARES Act, and that is out the U.S. Senate. We came together on have bipartisan support as well.
of money. a bipartisan basis just a very short I don’t know if the majority leader
I am also going to tell you some sto- time ago to pass the CARES Act. It saw the letter just this morning from
ries we have heard in Maryland, and we passed here 96 to nothing. That fol- the National Restaurant Association.
have heard it all over the country. I lowed two other bipartisan efforts that Here is what they say:
have heard from small businesses that came out of the House, passed the Sen- The PPP is funded at $349 billion, and we
went to their bank in order to partici- ate, and were signed by the President, expect that lenders will reach that ceiling
again, with overwhelming support. shortly. We appreciate the bipartisan calls
pate in the PPP loan, and they were
Yet, today, we see from the majority this week to provide prompt additional fund-
told that they didn’t have a credit ing for the program.
card, so the bank wasn’t going to write leader a complete political stunt here
on the floor of the U.S. Senate—some- Then they go on to say:
the loan, or they hadn’t had a previous
thing that does not have bipartisan However, equally important is the need to
loan with that bank, so the bank is not address the limitations of the program that
going to write the loan. support, something that is go it alone,
do not recognize the unique and evolving
take it or leave it, and totally violates
We have heard from some community challenges of the restaurant business cycle
the spirit all of us have been working and our path to recovery.
banks that they can only handle exist-
on during this crisis where we were
ing customers; they can’t do additional This is not a Republican group or a
able to come together in the U.S. Sen-
customers at this point. We have heard Democratic group. This is a group that
ate and the House of Representatives
from rural small businesses; they can’t represents small businesses, res-
with the White House to, on three prior
find lenders who will write these notes. taurants, just trying to get by, and
occasions, pass legislation in a way
We have to do a better job. what they say to us this morning is:
that addressed the issues that are im-
What did we find out yesterday? Of Yes, we do need additional money. We
portant to this country.
the total 7(a) lenders that are out there Yet, today, we have this situation know that. But equally important,
today, about 90 percent were certified where the majority leader knew full let’s fix some of the kinks, and there
before the CARES Act. We have only well there was not agreement and con- are kinks in this program.
increased their numbers by about 10 sensus on moving forward with this I got a letter at 12:44 a.m. this morn-
percent. That is not enough. We can’t proposal. That is why we are here ing from a small business owner who
reach these underserved communities. today. This was, in fact, designed to had been banking with Wells Fargo.
We have to do a better job in reaching fail, designed as a political stunt. It is Then, of course, Wells Fargo hit the
these underserved communities so that actually not the first time we have cap. We thought we had dealt with that
a small business that doesn’t have that seen this. You may recall that, just be- in recent days. But he is not sure he is
type of relationship with a bank can fore we came together and passed the still going to be able to get that loan
still participate in the Paycheck Pro- CARES Act 96–0, the majority leader through Wells Fargo, and he says:
tection Plan. This UC does nothing at came to the floor of the Senate back I’ve also now looked at more than 100
all about that issue—nothing at all websites of 7(a) lenders in the greater DC
then and tried to ram through an un- area and have found that NONE—capital let-
about that. finished product while negotiations ters NONE—will accept a PPP application
The urgent issues are not dealt with were going on between Secretary from any small business that did not bank
in this UC. That is why the process of Mnuchin and Democrats in the House with them before February 15, 2020.
negotiating—allowing us to come to- and the Senate to try to finalize the Here are some other headlines in re-
gether and figure out what is the best bill, and that actually caused unneces- cent days:
way to move forward—will result in us sary delay. But the majority leader ‘‘Baltimore-area small businesses
actually getting something done to came to the floor then and tried to ram complain of continuing problems gain-
help the small business community. it through. It didn’t work then, and it ing access to federal lending program.’’
There are other urgent needs. My col- is not going to work today. ‘‘ ‘Nightmare’: 3 small-business own-
league, Senator VAN HOLLEN, is going I would ask the majority leader—and ers describe process of applying for
to talk about some of these. I think all of us would—to go back to PPP coronavirus loans.’’
The healthcare issues, my colleague trying to address these issues the way The Journal Record: ‘‘Community
and I have participated in numerous we addressed them in a successful man- bankers frustrated with PPP rollout.’’
conference calls over the last 2 weeks. ner before. I am going to shortly pro- Another headline, this one from an-
I am sure my other colleagues have pose an amendment that addresses other part of the country: ‘‘PPP loan
done the same. We have heard from our some of those concerns—an amendment plan a mess so far for small businesses
healthcare providers, that they are to the majority leader’s proposal. riding out coronavirus crisis.’’
ready to close the doors. They need im- I would like to address some of the ‘‘Billions ‘disbursed’ through Pay-
mediate help and a lot more than the issues first, and my colleague, Senator check Protection Program? Small busi-
$100 billion that has been provided. CARDIN, has addressed many with re- nesses say not yet.’’
spect to small businesses. First of all, The Wall Street Journal: ‘‘Big Banks
We talked to our Governor yesterday.
he pointed out that the one program to Favor Certain Customers in $350 Bil-
He is the head of the National Gov-
help small businesses that has actually lion Small-Business Loan Program.’’
ernors Association. They requested $500
really run out of money is the emer- Another article: ‘‘Many small busi-
billion. They need money. Their reve-
gency loan and grant program. nesses are being shut out of the new
nues are down. We know we didn’t do Let’s talk about the PPP program. loan program by major banks.’’
right for the District of Columbia. We This is a really important program to Mr. President, what we are saying
know we didn’t do right for smaller incentivize small businesses and non- here today is, yes, we know we need
communities. We need to correct that profits to keep employees on the pay- more money for this program. Many of
now because they can’t stay in busi- roll and allow them to help keep the us predicted this before we passed the
ness today. It is urgent, and the UC lights on, pay fixed costs, pay the CARES Act. But for goodness’ sakes,
does nothing to help in that regard. mortgage, pay the rent, whatever it let’s take the opportunity to make
So, Mr. President, if I could, I would may be, so that they can emerge on the some bipartisan fixes to allow this pro-

dlhill on DSKBBY8HB2PROD with SENATE
like to allow my colleague from Mary- other side of this storm without having gram to work better for the very peo-
land, whom I believe has a reservation had to fold. Many of us anticipated ple it is designed to help: small busi-
also, and then he has a UC request of long before the CARES Act passed that nesses, nonprofits.
his own. this program would need more money. That is what they are asking us to
The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- I was part of a group that proposed $600 do. That is what the restaurant asso-
pore. The Senator from Maryland. billion for a program like this, recog- ciation is asking us to do. That is what

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S2170 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE April 9, 2020
they want us to do, and we could do it address on an urgent basis, just as ur- er, we knew this wasn’t going to get
probably just as quickly if the major- gently as we need to address the small through. I see people are frustrated and
ity leader took a moment to sit down business situation. want to leave, but let’s get it done, and
with us and negotiate that piece. Testing—my goodness, look, this let’s get it done right, and let’s have
There are also other major demands virus, we all know, got an 8 to 10-week another 96-to-nothing vote here in the
on the system right now that we should head start on us because we were flat- U.S. Senate.
address at this moment, and one of footed when it came to testing. We So I ask unanimous consent that the
them is something I know we are all need a national rapid testing system so majority leader modify the request and
hearing about every day, which is to that we can ensure that people will get ask that the amendment at the desk,
protect the healthcare workers on the the tests and find out whether they which is the text of the interim emer-
frontlines. After all, if we want to ad- have the virus. That not only helps us gency COVID–19 Relief Act, be agreed
dress the economic crisis, we need to fight the virus, but it will also help us to; the bill, as amended, be read a third
address the health crisis that precip- as we try to get the country back to time and passed with no further inter-
itated that. We need to flatten this work on the other end of this. I would vening action or debate.
virus out, bring it down, and that is the propose those are real needs as well The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem-
best way to get on the road to eco- and that we can address those here pore. Is there objection to the modi-
nomic recovery. now. fication?
I am sure all of my colleagues are In addition to that, as Senator Mr. MCCONNELL. I object.
hearing from their nurses and doctors CARDIN said, we just spoke to Mary- The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem-
and frontline healthcare workers about land’s Governor yesterday who, in ad- pore. Objection is heard.
the urgent need for personal protective dition to being Maryland’s Governor, is Is there objection to the original re-
equipment. We provided funds in the the head of the National Governors As- quest?
original bill, but we know, today, that sociation. He and Governor Cuomo Mr. CARDIN. I object.
that will be exhausted quickly. We have worked very closely together. We The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem-
know it because we can add up the re- have a bipartisan request from the Na- pore. Objection is heard.
quests coming from around the coun- tional Governors Association to help The majority leader.
try. So let’s address that issue. We are States and local jurisdictions. We have Mr. MCCONNELL. Mr. President, I
hearing about it every day. been on the phone nonstop with our would just repeat that all the amend-
Just yesterday at our delegation, our local officials. They are running out of ment I offered would do is change the
region, Senator CARDIN and I and other equipment. We have got firefighters
members of the Maryland delegation, amount in the bill—that is all—to re-
who need help. We have emergency re- spond to the obvious emergency we
we wrote to FEMA just yesterday, to sponders who need help.
the Administrator of FEMA. We point- have with the Paycheck Protection
All of these requests are urgent and,
ed out that in our most recent re- Program.
I believe, could be dealt with on a bi-
quests, Virginia, Maryland, and the partisan basis, if the majority leader f
District of Columbia received just a would just take a moment, instead of
small percentage of the equipment that trying to rush this through, and we
we requested from FEMA. The District could actually get it done, as we were ADJOURNMENT UNTIL MONDAY,
received no hospital ventilators. I able to do before with the 96-to-nothing APRIL 13, 2020, AT 10 A.M.
would point out for all of us who are vote. Mr. MCCONNELL. With that, I ask
following this, it is predicted that So, at this time, Mr. President, I unanimous consent that the Senate
this—Maryland, DC, and Virginia—is have an amendment at the desk. I stand adjourned in accordance with the
going to be one of the next hotspots. know people are anxious to get out of order of March 26, 2020, for previously
Zero ventilators, zero safety goggles— here. We didn’t have to come in at all, ordered pro forma sessions.
we asked for 663,000 gloves, and over 1 if it hadn’t been for the decision to try There being no objection, the Senate,
million respirators masks. We got 4,000 to ram this through. I just want to at 10:34 and 7 seconds a.m., adjourned
of one. That is one problem we need to make that point. To the majority lead- until Monday, April 13, 2020, at 10 a.m.

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