Congressional Record, May 6, 2020 — Senate

Summary

Congressional Record, Senate pages S2272 and S2273, May 6, 2020. Under the heading CARES Act, Mr. Cardin reviews the small business provisions of the CARES Act, including the Paycheck Protection Program, for which $349 billion was authorized and appropriated in the original CARES Act and an additional $310 billion in a second round, for a total of $659 billion, and the EIDL Program. Mr. Cardin states that legislation introduced with Senator Shaheen and Senator Schumer would require the SBA to make loan information available. Mr. Blunt then speaks about the Army Corps of Engineers' operation and maintenance of 13,000 miles of commercial, deep-draft ship channels.

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“Congressional Record, May 6, 2020 — Senate.” Original at www.govinfo.gov. Archived at Pandemic Darlings, https://pandemicdarlings.com/source-documents/crec-crec-2020-05-06-crec-2020-05-06-pt1-pgs2272-6a6c0e12da/, SHA-256 530af37e37cb7aab510fdf7a8b5d8bd36eaeeb678bcf9ab694fcdf315aa44f40.

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S2272 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE May 6, 2020
country have access to accurate test- I suggest the absence of a quorum. CARES Act enacted tools that can help
ing technologies and innovative treat- The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mrs. small businesses survive this pandemic.
ments that they need to reduce the BLACKBURN). The clerk will call the The program that is getting the most
risk of infection. roll. attention is the Paycheck Protection
Our healthcare workers on the The bill clerk proceeded to call the Program, the PPP program. In the
frontlines, including our immigrant roll. original CARES Act, we authorized and
health heroes who sacrifice so much in Mr. CARDIN. Madam President, I ask appropriated $349 billion for that pro-
the pursuit of medicine and service, de- unanimous consent that the order for gram, and then we replenished in a sec-
serve better. When the President goes the quorum call be rescinded. ond round an additional $310 billion, for
after immigrants in his press con- The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without a total of $659 billion for the PPP pro-
ference, do you know whom I keep objection, it is so ordered. gram.
thinking of? I keep thinking of this f It is a program in which small busi-
doctor, this hero in my home State nesses go to their financial institution
CARES ACT
who risks her life every day managing and take out a 7(a) loan, which is a
these patients and managing teams of Mr. CARDIN. Madam President, I loan that is provided for under the
doctors because of her know-how and take this time to go over with my col- Small Business Act, but there are pri-
because of the trust that an institution leagues the status of where we are in vate lenders that lend the money to
like the Mayo Clinic has put in her. regard to the provisions in the CARES the small businesses. But we made spe-
What are we thinking? These heroes Act that relate to small businesses. cial provisions in this law to provide
should be heralded and not condemned. First, I want to make it clear that 100 percent Federal guarantee so that
In closing, I want to share this quote our top priority for America’s busi- there is no risk to the borrower. We
from President Franklin Roosevelt: nesses, whether they be small busi- made it easier for companies to be able
‘‘Courage is not the absence of fear, but nesses or large businesses, is to get this to get those 7(a) loans and provided ad-
rather the assessment that something COVID–19 behind us, to stop the spread ditional lenders for other communities.
else is more important than fear.’’ of this deadly disease, and to give con- We expanded the 7(a) program to in-
That is exactly what these immigrant fidence back to the American people clude not only conventional, for-profit
health heroes are doing. They chose to that it is safe to pursue their economic small businesses but also nonprofit
be in this country and to come here be- desires and therefore to have busi- businesses, as well as individual propri-
cause, yes, they wanted a good life for nesses be able to go back to a situation etors.
themselves and their families, and they where they have customers and they To date, the program has been very
knew they were going to have to work can be open for business. We have ap- successful. Over 4 million 7(a) loans
hard to make that happen. They got a propriated significant resources in have been made under the Paycheck
degree. They are on the frontlines. order to make sure we do what is right Protection Program. But we have con-
Then they chose to keep working and financially to deal with this deadly dis- cerns. Let me talk a little bit about
to save lives during an incredibly dan- ease, and we have provided the tools to the concerns we have.
gerous pandemic. protect our economy. One of our concerns is that it has
They understand that courage is not Let me talk a little bit about the at- been difficult for the underserved com-
the absence of fear—of course, they are tention to small business. I am pleased munity, the underbanked community,
afraid when they go to those jobs—but, and proud to be the ranking Democrat to be able to get these 7(a) loans as a
rather, the assessment that something on the Small Business and Entrepre- priority. We failed them in the first
else is more important than fear. Their neurship Committee. I serve with Sen- round. It was the larger companies
life’s mission, to them, is more impor- ator RUBIO, who is the chairman of the that had established relationships with
tant than fear. Saving someone’s committee. We have worked together, their banks that got priority on the
grandma or saving someone’s hus- Democrats and Republicans, in order to processing of these loans, so that mi-
band—they decided that is more impor- help small businesses during this pan- nority businesses, women-owned busi-
tant to them than fear. They choose demic. We did that because we under- nesses, businesses located in rural com-
service over fear. stand that small businesses do not munities, and veteran-owned busi-
What I am asking our colleagues to have the same degree of financial resil- nesses did not receive the same atten-
do here is—we understand there is anti- iency that larger companies have. tion as the larger businesses did.
immigrant sentiment out there. We When they are going through an emer- So our first priority is to find out ex-
know it. We hear it every day from the gency situation, when they are going actly how the program is working. We
President. But I am asking you to ac- through a pandemic, they don’t have need to get the data. We need to know
tually believe that your service is more the same capacity to get credit and to where these loans were made. We need
important than that fear that has been get the cash they need that larger com- to know what industries got the dif-
stoked. Certainly, a number of our col- panies have. ferent loans. We need to know the loca-
leagues decided that when they were We also understand that small busi- tion of these loans. We need to know
willing to get on that bill—Democrats ness is where the job creation mostly the size by dollar value and by number
and Republicans—to reauthorize the will take place in our country. Most of employees.
Conrad 30 program to allow these im- jobs are created through smaller com- We also need to know how the dif-
migrant heroes, these doctors who were panies. We also understand that small- ferent provisions of the PPP program
trained in our country, to be able to er companies are more innovative. have been allocated by loans. For ex-
keep doing their work. Let me again They come up with new and creative ample, we made exceptions on the 500-
mention the names of the cosponsors of ways in order to build our economy. employee limit for those companies
this bill: COLLINS, ROSEN, KING, ERNST, But we recognized that we had to do that come under the NAICS code 72—
CRAMER, COONS, BLUNT, CAPITO, BALD- something to make sure they could this is our hospitality industry—and
WIN, WYDEN, THUNE, MERKLEY, WICKER, survive through the pandemic, and for good reason: They are really hurt-
CARPER, and PAUL, and, of course, I that is where the CARES Act came in. ing during this time.
mentioned Senator DURBIN. They are On a bipartisan basis, we crafted new We need to know how many hotels
willing to do that, and there is so much tools under the Small Business Admin- and how many restaurants qualified
more we can do. We still await an an- istration to help small businesses. I under the NAICS code exception. We
swer for why the visa processing for was proud to work with Senator RUBIO, need to know how many franchisees
these healthcare workers was sus- Senator SHAHEEN, and Senator COL- have been able to get loans. We need to
pended. LINS. The four of us got together well know how much went to the nonprofit
Service first, fear last—that is what before the CARES Act was brought to community and how much went to the
these doctors did, and that is what we the floor of the U.S. Senate in order to self-employed community. For that
must do first. That is what we must do deal with what is necessary to keep reason, I have introduced legislation
now. small businesses afloat during the pan- with Senator SHAHEEN and Senator
I yield the floor. demic. New tools were created, and the SCHUMER to require the SBA to make

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May 6, 2020 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S2273
that information available to us on a 50,000 loans have been successfully are not returning to normal within the
very regular basis. We need to get that processed under EIDL. We just got that next few weeks. We need to design a
information in order to properly carry information today. Yes, there have program that provides the next level of
out our oversight function. been over 1 million grants given out. relief to those small businesses that
Today, the Small Business Com- Most of them have been under $10,000, really need it, those that have had sig-
mittee in the Senate had a briefing whereas the maximum we thought nificant revenue losses, those small
with Secretary Mnuchin and Adminis- most small businesses would get is a businesses that are really small busi-
trator Carranza, and we talked about $10,000 grant. nesses, like the mom-and-pop-type
one of the problems we have in admin- There needs to be better coordination businesses, and, yes, those small busi-
istering this law. There is a self-certifi- between the PPP program and the nesses that have traditionally been left
cation; that is, the business makes the EIDL Program, and we must make sure out—the minority-owned businesses,
certification that they meet the stand- that the window remains open. But, and women-owned businesses, and busi-
ards and need under the act. We are today, a non-agricultural business that nesses in smaller, rural communities,
concerned that there may have been applies for an EIDL loan is told that and veteran-owned businesses.
abuses. But until we see the informa- they can’t process that loan, that the The success of the PPP program and
tion, it is difficult for us to do our re- window is basically closed. That is not the success of the EIDL program were
spective oversight. the intent of Congress. We want to because Democrats and Republicans
We don’t know if we still have ade- make sure those windows are open. worked together in a strong bipartisan
quate funding. To date, there has been So I come here today to tell you that manner. We are continuing to do that
somewhere around—over $500 billion, the first priority is that we need to get in the Small Business Committee.
closer to $600 billion has already been the facts, and we need to fix the pro- I applaud our leader, Senator RUBIO,
lent out; $550-some billion has already gram to make sure it works well. But for reaching out to work together be-
been lent out under this program. Are I want to qualify that by saying how tween Democrats and Republicans. We
we going to need more money? Until proud we are of the men and women at need to continue to work together and
we get this information, we don’t know the SBA and Treasury. They are imple- enact the type of oversight that is nec-
what the future funding needs are menting this new program literally essary for the programs that are cur-
going to be. So we need to be able to overnight and working 24 hours a day rently existing and make the modifica-
get that information so we can provide in order to make sure this program can tions so these programs can work effec-
adequate resources. work. We recognize that, and we recog- tively and well.
I must tell you that I think every nize this is a major challenge, but we We heard today about the inflexi-
Member of the Senate has been ap- need to make sure the program works bility of the 8-week period and how we
proached with ways this program can right. need to deal with that. We need to
be made better. There are questions as We need oversight and account- work together to improve the program
to why certain groups are eligible and ability, and we can’t do that oversight and to make sure that the next level of
others are not. There is going to be a and accountability unless we get all of help for small businesses is targeted to
need for modification in this program, the facts and unless we get the infor- those small businesses that really need
and it will be difficult for us to make mation. Those who abuse the program the help so that we can continue to
those modifications unless we get the need to be held accountable. I was have an economy that can grow, that
data we need to understand where the pleased to hear Secretary Mnuchin can create jobs, that can be innovative,
loans have been made. talk about that today in the briefing to and that protects the ability of small
There is a second program that was our committee. We have to have over- business owners to be able to partici-
created under the CARES Act and ex- sight as to the program working effi- pate in our economy.
panded under the CARES Act, and that ciently. We also have to make sure I yield the floor.
is the EIDL Program, the Economic In- that we take care of the problems that The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen-
jury Disaster Loan Program, and we we have seen in the program with the ator from Missouri.
added a grant program to that. The ini- underserved community. We can do a Mr. BLUNT. Madam President, let
tial CARES Act provided $10 billion. better job in reaching those businesses me first of all join with my good friend,
When we went through the second that are traditionally underserved. Senator CARDIN, in appreciating the in-
round of funding, we put another $60 We specifically allocated $60 billion credible work that really so many Fed-
billion into this program. Why did we of PPP to smaller financial institu- eral employees have done to make
do that? Because the loan program tions. We now need to make sure they these programs work.
under EIDL, which is an emergency really get to the institutions that can I was with the SBA Director about 2
program for businesses that have suf- serve minority small businesses, that weeks ago on Friday. She said that in
fered disasters, and COVID–19 qualifies can serve those smaller of the small the first 14 days of the PPP program
as that, gives relief beyond just the 8 businesses, that can serve women- they did 14 months of loans in that 14-
weeks of payroll and the other ex- owned businesses and veteran-owned day period. I thought many times that
penses covered under the PPP program. businesses and businesses located in Secretary Mnuchin set these high
So small businesses need help with rural communities. standards for how quickly we would get
working capital. They can get that I would suggest that we need to make to each of these points and probably
help under the EIDL Loan Program. A sure that the CDFIs and minority de- only later realized just how difficult it
small business might need an imme- pository institutions get their fair is to get the Federal Government to
diate influx of cash. They can get that share of allocations under the PPP pro- move.
under the grant program under EIDL, gram in order to reach these hard-to- In this case, the Federal Government
up to $10,000. serve small businesses. has moved. The Congress has moved
Yes, when the programs were an- Yes, we do need to look at how we working together. We didn’t have the
nounced, they were overprescribed. We can modify the program to make it element of time on our side. We really
had over 1 million small businesses work even better. We recognize that had to move quickly. I think we all
make immediate applications for these when we crafted the program, we knew when we were doing so that we
funds, and the Small Business Adminis- thought that 8 weeks would be enough. were going to have some miscalcula-
tration was overwhelmed. That is why We now know that our economy in tions, whether it was the amount of
we provided, in addition to the original most of the country is not going to be money for PPP or a program that
$10 billion for the grant program, an- up and running within that 8-week pe- wasn’t quite as refined as it needed to
other $10 billion. And in addition to the riod. How do we improve that program? be. And, hopefully, we are right now
loaning capacity, we put another $50 I want to tell you that we all recog- trying to look at not only how we have
billion into that program so they could nize that the Paycheck Protection Pro- filled in the blanks on the programs
execute $300 billion worth of loans. gram may not be enough. Even in con- that we so quickly dealt with in March,
But it has been very slow at the SBA, junction with the EIDL program, it but also to look forward to May and
which is a concern of ours. Only about may not be enough because businesses July and try to figure out what the

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S2274 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE May 6, 2020
economy is going to need and where we have before. Dr. Fauci said early on they are just ready quicker than they
are going to be in this healthcare crisis that if we developed a vaccine in 18 would have been otherwise.
in May and July. months, that would be the world record We hear often the idea that failure is
Certainly, a number of our States are for a U.S.-developed vaccine from a not an option. This is a case where ac-
beginning to reopen. States like Mis- new virus to having a vaccine avail- tually failure is almost a certainty on
souri are opening in what I think is ex- able. some of the things you are trying. If
actly the appropriate way. The Gov- We are trying to do everything we you are not failing, you are not trying
ernor looked at the whole State and can, not only to meet that potential enough things. If all you did was ad-
said: We are going to step back from world record but to beat that world vance four things that were going to
our initial order in the entire State. record. How are we doing that? We are work anyway, you really didn’t take
We are going to remove that order. He doing that with things like the shark much of a chance to fast forward or
has worked thoughtfully and carefully tank concept at NIH, which we specifi- dual-track what you are trying to do.
with the mayor of St. Louis and the cally put $1 billion behind in the last We are working hard to get ready to
mayor of Kansas City, the county ex- bill—$1 billion for a place where people have those tests so when you have a
ecutives of bigger counties, and the would bring ideas for a vaccine, for normal blood draw to check your cho-
mayors of Columbia and Springfield, therapy, for testing, and you would lesterol, when you turn that into your
and he has not gotten into fights with have that shark tank environment doctor, you could ask your doctor to
local officials about situations where begin to evaluate which of those ideas also check for COVID–19 if they don’t
they have every reason to know more deserve the help of the Federal Govern- ask you if you want to check for
than he does, just like the Governor of ment to push them forward faster. COVID–19. They could say you have it.
Missouri has every reason to know How would we push them forward Hopefully, by the time that test is
more than somebody in Washington, faster? Obviously, a vaccine is what we available, they can say you have it and
DC, about when our State should re- need to fully emerge, in my view, from you have enough of the antibodies or
open. this. We need therapies to deal with you have enough of what it took to
I am glad the President has let Gov- people who get the virus before we have fight this off that you should have im-
ernors have that sort of authority. I the vaccine and testing to know if you munity up until the time we are likely
think in most States, including mine, had it or not. Hopefully, we would have to have a vaccine. Many Americans
Governors have stepped back and let some level of immunity or testing to then know they are out there with no
local officials assert their view of what know whether you have it. We have to danger to themselves or no danger to
should happen in the area where they do better on all of those fronts. others. Many Americans then know
have been elected to be responsible. We need tests that are easier to take that, in all likelihood, they can safely
With that combination of things, we and get a quick response. We need mil- visit somebody they haven’t been vis-
are going to reopen and begin to see lions of these tests that millions of iting for a while because they didn’t
the economy reconnect again like it Americans will take more than once. If want to take a chance of carrying a
has not connected for the last couple of you are at a factory, if you are in a virus that now they know they can’t
months. close situation, or if you are on a col- possibly get. So those kinds of things
At the same time, we have these two lege campus, the administrator or the will make a real difference in our econ-
fights. One is to save the economy and boss or you may decide: I want to take omy.
one is this important fight against the that test every week, and I want to call On therapeutics, if we don’t have the
virus. I think in the 2 months since we my mother every week from this col- vaccine for it yet and if you get the
went home after the CARES Act, I lege campus and tell her I have taken disease, we need to find and fast for-
spent most of my time working on the the test again like I told you I would. ward the manufacturer of the thera-
healthcare side of this. Senator ALEX- I was OK last week. I am still feeling peutics that we think are most likely
ANDER is the authorizing chairman for OK. Nobody in my dorm is sick. It is to work.
these healthcare programs. I am the OK that I am here. It is the same with vaccines. On all
appropriating chairman for most of That is the kind of thing that will those fronts, we are making headway. I
them. These are programs that, cer- get us started. How do we get to that think we are probably testing sophisti-
tainly, in the last months, Americans quick, easy response test? How do we cated testing for the antibodies and for
have learned a lot more about than get to that therapy, and how would the a diagnostic test. We are having lots of
they ever knew about before. Who shark tank work? interest in that. There is a lot of pri-
knew the Centers for Disease Control, People bring in ideas. Let’s assume vate sector interest for an antibody
or the CDC, was doing what it was on testing that the shark tank decides test, for this coronavirus test, where
doing or that Health and Human Serv- there are really 10 of these that have particularly, if scientists can say that
ices has the responsibility they have or real potential to work and we are going you have it and you have this level of
how troublesome it was if we let our to begin to advance them. Then, at antibody that you can’t get it again.
hospitals get out of whack in terms of some point, there are four of them that Who wouldn’t want to take that test?
income and continuing expenses? All of are still one or two steps away from The authorizing chairman of the Ap-
those things happen. being fully vetted, but you don’t want propriating Committee, Senator
One of the things I worked hard on to wait until they are fully vetted to SHELBY, Senator ALEXANDER, Senator
has been to get that research funding go into production. That is where an- MURRAY, and I all believe that the gov-
at the National Institutes of Health, other billion dollars in an agency ernment should pay for that test. We
where Dr. Fauci runs only one of the called BARDA is. Take that billion dol- have said the government should pay
double handful of agencies at NIH, the lars and find a private partner and say for that test if your insurance company
infectious disease part of that. that we are going to produce all four of will not. Most insurance companies
The American people are beginning these tests. We are going to have all said they would pay for that test. It
to see those things that the govern- four of these tests ready 30 days from seems to me that if you have millions
ment does and also see that the govern- now when we know which one works of customers and a guaranteed payer,
ment, like every other family or every because 30 days really matters—30 days this is one that the private sector is
other institution, doesn’t respond to in getting back to school, 30 days in quickly about to take care of on their
crisis with immediate efficiency, but generating the economy. If you are 30 own. Thank goodness for that. This is
does begin to work its way toward a so- days ahead of where you would have one of those times when the most so-
lution. Senator ALEXANDER and I have been otherwise, you can put a lot of phisticated pharmaceutical-medical
spent a lot of time together with FDA money behind that and still pay only a science laboratory system in the world
and all those other agencies. What we fraction of what we have been putting begins to pay off. That is what we are
see happening is a real willingness with behind trying to stabilize the economy. going to see here.
the total backing of the Congress to If two of them work in that 30-day pe- We have other areas where companies
get out there and try to move these so- riod of time when you are going ahead are working together like they haven’t
lutions at a faster rate than we ever and manufacturing all four of them, before. I know they told our friends at

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May 6, 2020 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S2275
the National Institutes of Health that this afternoon. I was coming here to way to prevent the spread of this dead-
if we can test their experiment better say a few words about legislation we ly, virulent disease.
at our facility than they can, bring it passed unanimously out of the Envi- In our committee today, the Environ-
over here to test it over here. We need ronment and Public Works Committee. ment and Public Works Committee,
an all-out effort to get this economy I was passing a number of Capitol po- Senator SULLIVAN from Alaska talked
going again. We need an all-out effort lice officers, people who clean the about the Native Americans who live
to get people’s health secure. Once that building, maintain the building, and in his State who don’t have running
has happened, I think we will see all folks who serve food in the cafeteria so water. They don’t have a spigot to turn
those things come together. that the people who are working here on. They don’t even have the ability to
I think we made great strides. I have something to eat. They were al- flush toilets. For them, the idea that
haven’t heard anybody say in some most without exception wearing you can actually do those things is just
time on this issue that Congress just masks. a dream that they could never imagine
hasn’t provided enough resources to do The reason why it is important for us being realized. The thing is that too
this job on the testing, therapeutics, to do that is because they are at risk. many communities across our country
and the medical device side of this or We, as leaders, need to exhibit and lead do not have access to clean water be-
the personal protective equipment side by our example. I know my colleagues cause of harmful contamination in
of this. People looked at what the Con- endeavor to do that. It is important. their groundwater or water supply
gress has stepped up and done and said These are people who serve our country pipes.
the Congress has given us the tools. just as we do. They deserve not just our Sadly, this public health disparity
The administration, the research of respect and our thanks, but they de- usually goes hand in hand with eco-
scientists of America, American phar- serve our protection. For everybody for nomic opportunity. While water is the
maceutical companies, and the medical whom maybe it is something they are essence of life, it is also an essential
companies have to step in. I believe uncomfortable doing, not used to part of our economy. More than 99 per-
they are stepping in. Let’s break some doing, like hand sanitizing, washing cent of the U.S. overseas trade—more
records here. Let’s do some things their hands every other hour or even than 99 percent of U.S. overseas trade—
quicker with the same amount of safe- more, these are good things, not just moves through our waterways. Imagine
ty that we have done in the past. There for us but for the people who are serv- that. Most people would never imagine
is a dynamic need to do this. The ing this country here with us in our that. Our Nation’s water infrastruc-
American people understand why it Nation’s Capital. ture, our ports, our shipping channels,
needs to be done. People all over the I did come here today to say those and other related projects support eco-
world will benefit from our leadership words from my heart, and I wanted to nomic growth, facilitate commerce,
here. I think we are seeing it. share them with you and others. sustain jobs, and create new jobs as
Hopefully, we can continue on these f well.
efforts to have the bipartisan deter- Americans cannot truly pursue hap-
mination to win these two fights: the AMERICA’S WATER piness without the economic oppor-
fight against the virus and the fight for INFRASTRUCTURE ACT OF 2020 tunity that comes with having strong
the economy that the American people Mr. CARPER. I have come today to water infrastructure, a lot of which we
deserve. talk about a couple of bills that the can’t see—we have been joined on the
I yield the floor. Senate Committee on Environment and floor by the chairman of our com-
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen- Public Works reported out today mittee. There are pipes and wastewater
ator from Delaware. unanimously that would vastly im- treatment plants and the facilities that
Mr. CARPER. Madam President, be- prove our Nation’s water infrastruc- clean the water for us; we don’t see
fore our colleague and friend from Mis- ture. What does infrastructure include? those. Fortunately, somebody does—
souri leaves the floor, I want to thank It includes the pipes that bring us our somebody builds them, somebody
him for a very thoughtful presentation. water or that take our wastewater maintains them—in order for us to
I want to thank him for that and for where it can be treated. have that life, liberty, and pursuit of
his leadership. I know he has other Infrastructure includes our dams, in- happiness.
places to go. I am glad I was here to cludes our harbors, our ports, our wa- Well, today, our committee, led by
hear that. terways—all that and a whole lot more. JOHN BARRASSO, Senator from Wyo-
I wasn’t sure if I would continue When we talk about improving our ming—I happen to have the privilege of
wearing my mask. I saw the Presiding water infrastructure, what we are real- being the ranking Democrat on that
Officer was wearing theirs and I said: ly talking about is keeping the prom- committee—we approved two bills that
Well, I will keep wearing mine, too. All ises afforded to every American are going to help us keep those prom-
our staff on the floor, including one of through the Declaration of Independ- ises laid out in that Declaration of
the staff who takes down our words for ence. Independence—life, liberty, and the
the CONGRESSIONAL RECORD and folks Remember those words: life, liberty, pursuit of happiness.
who accept documents at the desk in and the pursuit of happiness? The legis- America’s Water Infrastructure Act
front of us are all wearing masks. I was lation that we acted on today—the two of 2020 and the Drinking Water Infra-
wearing a mask earlier today going bills that will be combined into one structure Act of 2020 will help the U.S.
into a markup at a business meeting in later on, on the floor—called the Water Army Corps of Engineers and the Envi-
the Environment and Public Works Resources Development Act, the under- ronmental Protection Agency make
Committee. They were also wearing lying message is that our work today improvements to key water infrastruc-
masks. directly reflects those words in the ture systems throughout our country.
As I was about to go into the busi- Declaration of Independence: life, lib- The programs we passed in our com-
ness meeting, there was a Capitol po- erty, and the pursuit of happiness. mittee today will support the Army
lice officer there. I said to her: How are Certainly, none of those things—life, Corps of Engineers’ operation and
you doing today? liberty, the pursuit of happiness—are maintenance of—listen to this—13,000
She said: I am doing fine. possible without access to clean water, miles of commercial, deep-draft ship
I said: Any idea how many of our whether it is to wash our hands or to channels—13,000 miles—and 12,000 miles
Capitol police officers have been in- drink. We can’t have life without clean of commercial inland waterways.
fected and developed symptoms or had water to drink. The COVID–19 pan- I had explained earlier, Mr. Chair-
the virus at some point in recent demic has reminded us of that too— man, before you joined, how 99 percent
weeks? just how important it is to have access of the cargo that we send to other
She said: I believe it is somewhere to clean water to wash our hands and countries or that comes to us comes by
between 15 and 20. soap to wash our hands. We are re- ship. It doesn’t come by airplanes; it
This came as a surprise to me. We minded daily—I would say almost doesn’t come by train. It comes by
haven’t heard that much about it. I hourly—to wash our hands with soap ships. Those ships don’t move without
have been here to vote several times and water. It is a simple yet effective waterways largely maintained by the

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