Congressional Record, Senate, April 21, 2020, Page S2178 — Unanimous Consent and Small Business Loans
Summary
A page of the Congressional Record, Senate, dated April 21, 2020, at page S2178. Mr. McConnell asks unanimous consent for up to 15 minutes of debate each for Senators Schumer, Paul, Cardin, Lee and Sullivan, and the Democratic leader is then recognized. The Democratic leader criticizes an earlier proposal that did nothing for the health care system, testing or State, local and Tribal governments, and says Senate Democrats spent the week negotiating with Treasury Secretary Mnuchin, Chief of Staff Meadows and Speaker Pelosi and reached a final agreement earlier that day. The remarks say $30 billion of lending is set aside for community-based lenders and that smaller, minority and women-owned businesses were left out of earlier loans.
Summary drafted by a model from the document's text below and checked by script against that text before publication. It is a navigation aid, not a reading of what the document proves. Where AI is used
Cite this document
“Congressional Record, Senate, April 21, 2020, Page S2178 — Unanimous Consent and Small Business Loans.”
Original at www.govinfo.gov. Archived at Pandemic Darlings, https://pandemicdarlings.com/source-documents/crec-crec-2020-04-21-crec-2020-04-21-pt1-pgs2178-3-89df5d2cad/
, SHA-256 574b28939c9156c014e1a9da028dd852e7fd45db1b0f09bda2a983beace551a9.Full text
S2178 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE April 21, 2020
UNANIMOUS CONSENT they were all running out of funding. you were left out. Two out of three
AGREEMENT His proposal did not attempt to fix the loans in New York were ignored. The
Mr. MCCONNELL. Mr. President, I dire lack of lending to small businesses mom-and-pops, the small businesses,
ask unanimous consent there now be that are truly small, underbanked, un- the restaurants, and the barber shops,
up to 15 minutes of debate each for derserved, minority, or women-owned. the hardware stores, the butchers, and
Senators SCHUMER, PAUL, CARDIN, LEE, His proposal included nothing at all for small startups, both service and manu-
and SULLIVAN; further, that the time be our healthcare system, nothing to ad- facturing, they couldn’t get in. Now,
for debate only and upon the use or dress the national shortage in testing, they will be because of our work.
yielding back of their individual times, nothing to help State, local, or Tribal Our bill will help rural small busi-
I be immediately recognized with no governments who are breaking their nesses, minority small businesses,
intervening action. budgets to fight this disease. women-owned small businesses get the
The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- All of us want to help our small busi- money they need. I believe every Mem-
pore. Is there objection? nesses—all of us—but this emergency ber of our Caucus heard from busi-
Without objection, it is so ordered. demands we take action on many nesses in their States who couldn’t ac-
fronts. So we have spent the last week cess Federal lending because they
f negotiating with the administration— didn’t have a prior relationship with a
RECOGNITION OF THE MINORITY Treasury Secretary Mnuchin, Chief of big bank.
LEADER Staff Meadows, as well as Speaker So what we have done is set aside
PELOSI and House Democrats with us, lending for smaller, community-based
The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- lenders and dedicated half of that fund-
the Senate Democrats, to improve the
pore. The Democratic leader is recog- ing—$30 billion—to Community Devel-
legislation. We reached a final agree-
nized. opment Financial Institutions and Mi-
ment earlier today.
f Now, there are plenty of disagree- nority Depository Institutions. We in-
PAYCHECK PROTECTION PROGRAM ments between our parties these days, sisted that this money be separate
but once again, we are coming together from the competition with the bigger
Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, well, to pass this legislation by unanimous companies, so that moms-and-pops,
in the month since I last addressed this consent—not a single Senator objected. restaurants and nail salons, startups,
Chamber, life for nearly every Amer- I want to thank Secretary Mnuchin. and minority businesses can get some
ican has been upended. Stay-at-home I spent hours and hours with him at all access.
orders have swept across the country. hours of the day. I want to thank some- Unlike Leader MCCONNELL’s proposal,
The monthly toll of new unemploy- one I didn’t know very well, Chief of this bill also includes $100 billion in
ment claims are measured in the mil- Staff Meadows, who is very good at money to fight the coronavirus itself.
lions. Our health system has been making sure an agreement can come to We are not going to cure the economic
strained to the breaking point. Amer- fruition, even in the wee hours of the problem unless we cure the health
ican workers and businesses are suf- morning. Of course, I want to thank problem. We can give loans to small
fering financial hardship not seen since my dear friend and partner, Speaker businesses, but if there are no cus-
the Great Recession. Almost 800,000 of PELOSI. I want to thank Leaders tomers walking the streets to go into
our fellow citizens have tested positive MCCONNELL and MCCARTHY who, at the their stores, what good is that?
for COVID–19. And most end of the day, did not let partisan dis- So we insisted that $75 billion go to
heartbreakingly, America has lost agreement stand in the way of doing our hospitals. Our hospitals are going
more than 37,000 precious lives to this what is right for this country. underwater—certainly, the big ones in
coronavirus—many, many of them New Again, just like the CARES Act, the cities like mine that have an epicenter
Yorkers. hard work of bipartisan negotiation of corona, but smaller hospitals in
Over the past 2 months, the Senate paid off. The fact that Democrats said, rural areas. Talk to our rural rep-
has come together on three occasions You need to talk to us, not try to resentatives, and they are telling you
to pass legislation in response to this steamroll us, once again, made a huge their hospitals might go under. And
multifaceted crisis, to rescue our ailing and positive difference. This legislation medium-sized hospitals in New York
healthcare system, to cushion the blow is significantly better and broader than State—St. Joseph’s in Syracuse and St.
to American workers and businesses, the initial proposal offered by the Re- Peter’s in Albany—each laid off 700
and to prepare our country for a more publican leader. people this week. They are going to get
prosperous future on the other side of Republicans asked us to funnel more help because of what we did.
this pandemic. money into a program that wasn’t The experts are clear. To fight this
Our last legislative effort, the working the way it should. We nego- disease and reopen the economy safely,
CARES Act, was unprecedented in size tiated a bill that not only provided we need to dramatically—dramati-
and in scope—the largest stimulus in support but made it more effective, cally—expand testing capacity and fre-
American history. Remarkably, on more inclusive, and addressed other ur- quency. We don’t have enough tests;
such a large and complex bill, the Sen- gent national priorities as well. The that cry rings from one end of America
ate came together 96–0 to pass this cru- legislation before us contains 220 bil- to the other. It is urban, suburban,
cial emergency relief, getting ayes lion more dollars, including funding for rural, north, east, south, and west; we
from Senator SANDERS to Senator CRUZ small businesses through community don’t have enough tests.
and everyone in between. It shows financial institutions, new funding for Well, now, help is on the way because
that, even with the partisanship here, our hospitals and healthcare systems, Democrats stood and fought for it—$25
as tough and harsh as it can be, we can and a substantial downpayment on a billion, $11 billion to go to the States
come together unanimously in a time national testing regime so desperately to help them test and do the contact
of great crisis. needed and asked for by one and all. tracing they need, money to help cre-
Still, the depth of the crisis we now Let me repeat that: The legislation ate a manufacturing and supply chain
face meant that funding for certain now includes an additional $220 billion, that will have adequate tests and ade-
programs in this bill had already been $120 billion for small businesses, $100 quate supplies for those tests so we can
depleted, and a number of required billion for our healthcare system, di- finally get them going. We need them
fixes had to be made to make sure vided among healthcare providers and desperately.
these programs worked as intended. An a need for testing and contact tracing. One of the last provisions secured in
interim bill, COVID 3.5, is necessary. The new money includes $50 billion in these negotiations at midnight last
dlhill on DSKBBY8HB2PROD with SENATE
Now, my friend, the Republican lead- additional emergency small business night was a requirement that the ad-
er, tried to bypass negotiations on such loans and $10 billion in additional busi- ministration report on a national stra-
an interim measure. He tried to jam ness grants. That includes $60 billion in tegic testing plan on how it plans to in-
through a bill that would have in- new funding set aside for small lenders. crease domestic testing capacity, test-
creased funding for one small business If you don’t know a banker, if you are ing supplies, and the disparities in all
lending program but not others, when not a relatively large-sized company, communities. Thus far, unfortunately,
VerDate Sep 11 2014 01:51 Apr 22, 2020 Jkt 099060 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 4624 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\A21AP6.001 S21APPT1
April 21, 2020 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S2179
the administration has refused to ac- ican can exercise his or her constitu- and pharmacists working to make sure
cept responsibility for the sorry state tional franchise safely and confidently. that we continue to have access to the
of testing in our country. Under this This is a COVID-related issue. things we need in order to live. We
agreement, the Trump administration So those issues and more will be pri- have seen members of the news media
will now, at last, be required to report orities for the Senate Democratic Cau- working overtime, even if, as is the
on what its national testing plan actu- cus in the next bill. Yes, it has been a case for many of them, they do so only
ally looks like. Congress provided the long few months for the American peo- to blame all of this—rather unfairly in
startup funds for the testing program. ple, but even now, there are signs that my opinion—on the President of the
It is now up to the administration to the sacrifices Americans have made are United States. We have seen parents
prepare a national testing strategy and beginning to slow the spread of the dis- working both their jobs—both of
implement those funds to proper effect ease. We are a long way from the end, them—from home and simultaneously
before it is too late. but this, too, shall pass. home schooling their children; yet Con-
Of course, this bill is not perfect. We Until the day when we can begin to gress is in recess. This, Mr. President,
are sorely disappointed Republicans re- return to normal, it is up to Congress is simply unacceptable.
fused to work with us to strengthen and the entire Federal Government to If COVID–19 requires Congress to act,
food assistance. I am sorely dis- deliver the leadership and resources then it requires Congress to convene.
appointed that Republicans turned a that only we can provide. The private Now, look, I understand the need for
deaf ear to Governors, mayors, Tribal sector will not provide the aid our Na- distancing, and there are ways we can
leaders, county and local officials, tion requires. The efforts of individual accommodate that here. Support staff
Democratic and Republican, all 50 Gov- States or even individual citizens, he- can stay home. Policy experts can
ernors who have been pleading with the roic as they are, will not be enough. We mostly work from home. Many of our
Federal Government for more help. dare not abandon them in these dark meetings—most of them, in fact—can
And it is not about abstract govern- and difficult times. be conducted over the phone or by
ment. I know we don’t like government The American people need their gov- video conference. I have seen this my-
on the other side of the aisle. It is ernment. They need their government self in the last few weeks. I have been
about policemen, firefighters, bus driv- to act strongly, boldly, wisely. Let us working as many hours as ever, just
ers, hospital workers. They are being do what we were elected to do and pass with a lot of meetings over the phone
laid off because the local governments this bill today. and through Zoom and platforms like
and the State governments are starv- I yield the floor. that.
ing and not getting their revenues. We The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- The meetings can continue, but all
fought and fought, but unfortunately, pore. The Senator from Utah. the essential work of Congress—that is,
on the other side of the aisle, they re- f any steps necessary in order to enact
sisted. I hope they won’t resist in legislation, the task of legislating
CORONAVIRUS
COVID 4. We are going to need a large, itself—can be done only by Members
large amount of money to help our lo- Mr. LEE. Mr. President, it is with a who are voting and present in their re-
calities so those policemen, fire- heavy heart that I come to the floor of spective legislative Chambers, either
fighters, and bus drivers are not laid the Senate today. Over the last few the Senate or the House of Representa-
off. Republicans need to come to the weeks, I talked to countless people tives. This is a nondelegable duty. We
table and work with us to give our throughout Utah and across the Na- can’t delegate it to anyone else in gov-
States the help they need. They should tion, but especially in Utah, about the ernment, and so we have got exactly
be eager to do it. troubles that they have encountered, two choices. We can choose to legis-
Secretary Mnuchin committed—and about the profound sadness that the late, in which case we have to convene,
the President tweeted today—that they American people are experiencing right or we can stay in recess and not legis-
will support State and local funding in now, the frustrations that they have. late. Those really are the only two op-
the next round of legislation, as well— This is something that we have never tions.
and this is very important—as a provi- seen in this country, not on this scale, It is no coincidence, it is no accident
sion providing flexibility to use all not during our lifetimes. that the very first clause of the very
past and future relief dollars to offset My thoughts and prayers go out to first section of the very first article of
lost revenue. The President signaled my fellow Americans and my fellow the Constitution says that ‘‘all legisla-
his support for this concept as well in Utahns as they are struggling to make tive Powers herein granted shall be
a tweet this morning. We should have ends meet, whether it is figuring out vested in the Congress of the United
passed support for State and local gov- how to make payroll or keep food on States, which shall consist of a Senate
ernments. Democrats will see to it that the table at home or a combination of and a House of Representatives.’’
it gets done in the next package. both, as it is for so many. I am mindful Article I, section 7 then goes on to
Now, finally, I would remind my col- of them and of all the difficulty that prescribe the formula by which all Fed-
leagues that this is an interim meas- the American people are going through eral law will be enacted. This may hap-
ure. There are plenty of hard-won pro- right now. pen only when the same discrete set of
visions that we Democrats are pleased I want to begin by echoing something words presented in the form of a legis-
with, but it is, ultimately, a building that Senator SCHUMER said a moment lative proposal passes the House and
block. ago. We need to do what we were elect- the Senate and is then submitted to
In the weeks ahead, Congress must ed to do. Now, I don’t agree with every- the President for signature or veto.
prepare another major bill, similar in thing Senator SCHUMER just said—in Under our constitutional system,
size and ambition to the CARES Act. fact, I would strongly disagree with a under any definition of the term, Sen-
The next bill must be big and bold and lot of what he just said—but I do agree ators are essential employees. We are
suited to the needs of a beleaguered with that. We need to do the job we being paid. We have a crisis to continue
country. State localities and Tribal were elected to do. to work through. Our services are nec-
governments need support, so does the Let’s think about where we are right essary. In order to perform those serv-
Postal Service. Working Americans now and where we have been over the ices, we have to perform them here in
need rental assistance. Frontline work- last few weeks. We have seen Washington.
ers deserve hazard pay, and it is not healthcare providers working 24 hours To be very clear about this, this isn’t
just doctors, nurses, pharmacists, and a day, 7 days a week. We have seen the entirely a new thing. Sure, the most
other medical workers, but truck driv- President and his staff at the White recent iteration of this is new and
dlhill on DSKBBY8HB2PROD with SENATE
ers, grocery store clerks, police offi- House working 24 hours a day and 7 began when the COVID–19 crisis began
cers, firefighters, and more. days a week. We have seen the Centers about a month ago, but the fact is Con-
We must make sure that our elec- for Disease Control and members of the gress has, in many respects, been
tions this fall are conducted fairly, public health community who have shirking its responsibilities for years—
that States have enough money to run continued to work tirelessly—farmers, for decades, in fact. For the better part
them properly, and that every Amer- truck drivers, grocery store employees, of the last—I don’t know—three, four,
VerDate Sep 11 2014 01:51 Apr 22, 2020 Jkt 099060 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 4624 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\A21AP6.003 S21APPT1
File and source
- File
- CREC_crec-2020-04-21_crec-2020-04-21-pt1-pgs2178-3.pdf
- Size
- 208,791 bytes
- SHA-256
- 574b28939c9156c014e1a9da028dd852e7fd45db1b0f09bda2a983beace551a9
- Original
- www.govinfo.gov