Congressional Record, Senate, May 6, 2020 — Coronavirus and Remote Voting

Summary

Page S2277 of the Senate section of the Congressional Record for May 6, 2020. Senator Barrasso thanks Senator Carper from Delaware and committee staff for work on two pieces of water infrastructure legislation that passed the Environment and Public Works Committee, and says Wyoming has reopened, with over 30 States reopened as of that day. Under the heading Remote Voting, Portman describes legislation introduced with Dick Durbin of Illinois to let Congress vote remotely.

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“Congressional Record, Senate, May 6, 2020 — Coronavirus and Remote Voting.” Original at www.govinfo.gov. Archived at Pandemic Darlings, https://pandemicdarlings.com/source-documents/crec-crec-2020-05-06-crec-2020-05-06-pt1-pgs2277-0a258cb54f/, SHA-256 355bd9cfb07444522be6db4ae19f05cc7dc34425b94a231f771dc74a63ae5bf5.

Full text

May 6, 2020 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S2277
say we are friends and we like to work ment at a time we desperately need it. I know that the work that Senator
together. Our staffs, most days, like to As we face down the COVID–19 crisis CARPER is doing on this committee is
work together, hopefully. But I want to before us, I hope that these two pieces meant for generations to come, and it
thank his staff. of legislation will serve as a model for is a privilege to work with him.
I want to thank all the Senators. He how we can continue to work together, f
and I pleaded with our colleagues from which is what I intend to do with our
all 50 States to give us their ideas of chairman. CORONAVIRUS
what should go into this bill, and a I yield the floor. Mr. BARRASSO. Madam President, I
bunch of our colleagues—a majority of The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen- come for an additional reason, and that
them—did that. So it is not just some- ator from Wyoming. is to tell you that in my home State of
thing we dreamed up in our committee, Mr. BARRASSO. Madam President, Wyoming, we have reopened. We did
but had great input from a whole before my friend and colleague, Sen- that starting last Friday. Many States
bunch of our colleagues, Democrats ator CARPER from Delaware, leaves the across the country are continuing to do
and Republicans, and we were able to floor, I will tell you what a privilege it so, and people all across my home
put together a bill that passed our is to work with him, and we have State are ready, willing, able, and
committee unanimously. worked together as partners on the En- needing to get back to work. We are
I just want to mention the names of vironment and Public Works Com- doing it safely, we are doing it smartly,
a couple of people on both sides of the mittee. As you know, every chair and we are following the guidelines set
aisle, and they include Richard Russell, works with a ranking member, and I out by the White House.
Brian Clifford, Andy Harding, Lizzie couldn’t have a better partner than I States all across the country are
Olsen, Susan Lucas, Craig Thomas, have in TOM CARPER. He has been mag- doing it. Governors and local leaders
Beth Lange, Christina Rabuse, Matt nificent in times, always trying to find are reopening, and they are doing it in
Leggett, who worked for Senator BAR- a right solution that is a bipartisan so- a responsible way. As of today, over 30
RASSO; and on my team, Mary Frances
lution, and we have done it again today States have reopened. On Thursday,
Repko, our staff director, Mark on the Environment and Public Works Michigan will reopen. On Friday, Penn-
Mendenhall, Annie D’Amato, and John Committee as we passed two major sylvania, North Carolina, as well as
pieces of water infrastructure legisla- California will begin to reopen. By this
Kane, who works harder than just
tion. time next week, nearly 40 States will
about any person I have ever had the
Last year, we passed highway legisla- have opened again.
privilege of working with. tion, and he is focused, as am I, on re-
Lastly, Senator BARRASSO introduced Now, we do hear, on the other side of
building for America the highways, the the aisle, Democrats complaining
me last year or so to a fellow from Wy-
bridges, repairing as well the tunnels, about wanting to do significant
oming who had been nominated to be a
all of the areas—roads, bridges, ports, amounts of additional spending. Ameri-
very senior official at the Commerce
riverways, reservoirs. I could not find a cans are busy getting back to work.
Department, and he had been nomi- better partner.
nated for a position where he would be That is where our focus should be. Peo-
You know, it is interesting he men-
Assistant Secretary of the Interior to ple are packing their lunches. They are
tioned Matthew 25, and if you read
handle, among other things, national taking proper precautions. They are
Matthew 25, it was Ben Franklin’s fa-
parks, national wildlife refuges, fish putting on their work gloves. They are
vorite Bible verse. What Ben Franklin
and wildlife—big job, important job for would say is, if someone chose to live earning their keep. They aren’t looking
all of our States—certainly mine and their life by one Bible verse, if they for favors. They are not looking for
certainly Wyoming. chose Matthew 25, he said, the world frills from Washington. They just want
During his testimony, Rob Wallace would be a better place. TOM CARPER is to do their jobs, and they want to
testified, I thought, so well, and it is one who leads his life every day con- make sure that we do ours as well.
hard not to like the guy. I liked him al- sistent with the teaching and the read- We have spent close to $3 trillion in
most immediately, but he said these ings and the writings of the Gospel of this country over the last 2 months,
words to our committee. He said: Bi- Matthew 25. and we have a duty to make sure that
partisan solutions are lasting solu- He mentioned my good friend Rob money is spent properly and that we
tions. That is what he said: Bipartisan Wallace from Wyoming, who is now the got it right. We need to make sure we
solutions are lasting solutions. Assistant Secretary of the Interior are here and focused on work-friendly
I sat there that day thinking: Boy, he overseeing parks, as well as fish and policies, and this doesn’t necessarily
nailed it. I have stolen that line—some- wildlife for the country. Rob always mean additional spending. It means
times, I give him credit for it; some- said, as was so quoted by our Ranking making it easier for the 30 million peo-
times, I don’t—but think about that. Member CARPER, that bipartisan solu- ple who currently are out of work and
Bipartisan solutions are lasting solu- tions are the best solutions. He is who have lost their jobs to get back to
tions. somebody who knows. He worked on work sooner.
We need the lasting solutions. We es- the Hill. He worked as a staffer for Our priorities are America’s prior-
pecially need them with respect to former Senator Malcolm Wallop of Wy- ities: rebuilding the economy and jobs,
making sure those words in the Dec- oming and then on the Energy Com- addressing the coronavirus, and help-
laration of Independence—life, liberty, mittee when Senator Wallop was so ac- ing our health systems. Plenty of dol-
and the pursuit of happiness—aren’t tively involved in those days in the lars have started to go out the door.
just words on a sheet of paper or old 1980s and ’90s. Many more dollars, already approved,
words on a piece of parchment, but But the other thing that Rob Wallace are still slated to go to the American
they are real words today, and we have talked about, to which Senator CARPER people, to small businesses, to States,
renewed our commitment to them, and and I agree as well, is there are lands and to our healthcare system. The $3
we have done that with the legislation in this great country that need to be trillion doesn’t get spent overnight.
we reported out of our committee. protected and preserved and passed on The support we have provided is find-
We still have some work to do. Har- because, as Rob pointed out that day, ing its way through the economy,
bor maintenance, we need to try and he said whether it was John Muir, who through the healthcare systems, and
resolve that—people have strong views, carried a stick, whether it was Ansel through the States to the men and
not always in sync with one another— Adams, who carried a camera, or Teddy women of America. States are looking
and the legislation on forever chemi- Roosevelt, who carried a gun all into at the dollars coming in, and they are
cals and how do we deal with that in these vast areas of our country, they figuring out how best to use the re-
ways that are smart and respect all recognized, no matter what they sources. They are asking for more
science and enable us to make sure were carrying, the value that these flexibility, and I believe they need to
that we better protect people’s health. wonderful lands meant for the people of have more flexibility in how the money
So these bills, in closing, are a win, our country, and we needed to make is spent.
win, win, for our Nation’s economy, for sure that they were there for genera- Senators and committees are here to
our public health, and for our environ- tions to come. make sure that we get this right. We

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S2278 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE May 6, 2020
need to do that through hearings, ‘‘greatest generation’’ looked at that, these Federal agencies and making cer-
through oversight, and through con- and they said: Let’s get in behind this, tain that the bureaucracy doesn’t get
firmations. Just this week, the Senate and let’s get that debt down. They were in the way of the decisionmaking.
will be having COVID–19-related hear- good about that. I think about the par- At this point, we do know that there
ings in the Banking Committee, in the ents and relatives and grandparents, are a lot of unknowns, but what we do
Homeland Security Committee, in the and what did they say? If there is a know is this: The Chinese Govern-
Commerce Committee, and in the task to be done, let’s go do it. That is ment—the Chinese Communist Party—
Health and Education Committee. We why they lined up and they fought in the Chinese Government spent the
are just getting started. World War II, and they reshaped the early days of the COVID–19 outbreak
Importantly, this is not the time to way our communities worked. They destroying testing samples, intimi-
reshape America along some liberal planted victory gardens. They changed dating doctors, expelling journalists,
wish list of ideas that the Democrats their daily routines, and they went to hiding information, and lying to the
have suggested. It is not time to legis- work. They said: Let’s get in here, and world. You know, it is so interesting
late from either Brooklyn or San Fran- let’s get this job done. They then put that they still have not let the sci-
cisco. It is not time to veer to the left. their focus on economic growth when entists from the CDC into that Wuhan
It is time to stay focused. The Senate they came out of the war, and look at virology lab. They still don’t want any-
Republicans are here, and we are going what they accomplished. body in there. They lied to everybody
to stay focused on the future of Amer- So while we think about the economy about how dangerous this was, and
ica. shrinking and jobless numbers growing they did that on purpose. Think about
I yield the floor. and our vulnerable citizens, we have to it—an intentional act of deception, re-
The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. think about the high price that is peated acts by the Chinese Communist
CRAMER). The Senator from Tennessee. being paid there. We also have to think Party to hide something that was an
Mrs. BLACKBURN. Mr. President, I about what it does to our children and outbreak and try to keep it from the
so agree with the comments that the our grandchildren because our fore- world.
Senator from Wyoming was just mak- bears certainly thought about that for This seems inconceivable, that a per-
ing, and I hear them repeated every us, and our children and grandchildren manent member of the U.N. Security
day in Tennessee by my constituents. deserve no less. Council and a former and likely future
I thank my colleagues who have When I am talking with Tennesseans member of the Human Rights Council
asked me this week how Tennessee is who are stuck at home, and they are would be so careless with the lives and
doing. You know, we had another ter- watching the news every night and livelihoods of billions of people, but
rible storm. It was our third this year. they are listening to what we are say- they did it. If you consider their track
We have had two tornadoes, and we had ing—they are in on Zoom meetings, record, it does start to make sense be-
lots of power outages and damaged and we are communicating with them cause China is not a new problem; it is
trees that were down in Middle Ten- daily—they have a tendency to say: just a newly recognized problem.
nessee. The tornadoes, the storms on How did we get here with a situation I fear America has forgotten the les-
Sunday evening, and COVID are a lot that is this bad that occurred this sons we learned as we watched the
for anybody to handle, but I think the quickly? Should we not have seen this Communist dogma burn its way
Senator’s point is so well taken. coming? through Eastern Europe, Russia, and
Wyoming and Tennessee—these are In February, we had some of the best Asia, twisting the minds of ambitious
States that are saying: We can do this. numbers we have ever had economi- men who leveraged political mass mur-
We are going to use the resources that cally, and now you look at what has der as a messaging tool, killing tens of
are there for us because, yes, we want happened in this short transition. And millions of innocent people in the proc-
to get back to work, and we want to what they will ask is, what kind of ess.
get back to normal. breakdown took place in our inter- During the Cold War, the divide be-
What is normal is a question and the national order that could have allowed tween the Soviet bloc and the West was
right question for people to be asking COVID–19 to spread beyond China’s pretty clear. We could see that align-
because what is it going to look like borders and into our neighborhoods and ment with the Soviets would derail our
and how is that daily routine going to our communities? global fight for democracy. We also
be reshaped? How do we give up these I have to tell you, they are upset caught glimpses of Mao’s China, where
worries that we have about health and about this. They are angry that lives upwards of 30 million people died of
wellness and safety and protection for have been disrupted. starvation and disease directly at the
ourselves and our families, our employ- I had a call from a lady who has high hands of party officials—not an appre-
ers, our employees, and healthcare school children, and she said: You ciation for the sanctity of life—one of
workers? All of this goes into the shape know, Marsha, I have to tell you, I our first principles and tenets.
of a new routine for the day—the went to the grocery store, and I looked Today, the Chinese Communist Party
things you worry about, the things you at where every product was made be- is still following that Soviet playbook,
are focused on, about your jobs, about fore I put it in my cart. and it is time for the world to remem-
businesses, about the future. The reason she is checking where ber what that means before time runs
Another point that comes up regu- products are made—she said: I am so out. Although Xi Jinping and the CCP
larly from Tennesseans was well made angry with China. I am angry with the have modernized their methods—they
by a Wall Street Journal article that lies, the deceit, and the lack of infor- are all about cyber, and they are all
ran on Monday, and it was discussing mation. I am angry that lives have about technology—here is what we
that the U.S. Government would bor- been lost and livelihoods have been have to remember: Their philosophy
row $41⁄2 trillion this year for this fiscal lost, and I am angry that my children and their goals are exactly the same.
year. Now, that is something that I have missed class days, field days, They want to dominate the world mili-
think legitimately could be added to school sports, graduation, prom, sum- tarily, economically, and politically.
the worry list for those of us who are mer camp, and summer jobs. It is a sea- They are wanting domination, and
fiscal conservatives, and we are look- son of their lives that they are not they will step over and run over what-
ing at $25 trillion in debt. We are look- going to recover. It is a loss of life and ever gets in their way.
ing at this debt load and thinking livelihood. What we have to do is to remember
about that in relation to our GDP and The order that we had is the reason that China is capable of funneling mass
thinking about the importance of fed- that Tennesseans are turning to us and amounts of cash, equipment, and phys-
eralism. We are very concerned about they are saying: We expect you to in- ical support to developing countries.
this. We are going to have—CBO says vestigate what happened, to review it, They are doing it all in exchange for
our annual deficit is going to be the to oversee it, and to make certain that loyalty to the Chinese Communist Par-
highest it has been since World War II. our preparation is better and that more ty’s agenda. For example, debt diplo-
When we think about that, we have forethought is given to how we are macy schemes—that is their new
to think about the fact that the going to address this—addressing all of thing—debt diplomacy schemes have

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May 6, 2020 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S2279
ensnared Sri Lanka and Djibouti and and food delivery for students who etable prices are down about 50 to 60
other countries in Africa and Asia. typically rely on eating breakfast and percent, and cattle and pork producers
Those countries have in turn opened lunch at school. have been affected by meat processing
doors to strategically important ports Then there is the emotional toll com- plant closures and limitations. At the
and waterways and granted access to bating the virus has taken. A local law same time, the Georgia Food Bank As-
valuable natural resources. To be clear, enforcement officer told me that his sociation told me they have seen
these are not aid programs; they are department has seen a dramatic spike roughly a 40-percent increase in de-
tools of manipulation offered to na- in domestic abuse calls. An emergency mand for their services. We need to en-
tions in desperate circumstances. hotline run by the Substance Abuse sure that the relief in the CARES Act
For nations not in desperate cir- and Mental Health Services Adminis- is making its way to our farmers and
cumstances, Beijing has to work a lit- tration saw a 1000-percent increase in agriculture businesses.
tle harder, but they still are working calls last month compared to last Any future trade deals with China
to get the job done. They count on the April. must hold the Chinese Communist
promise of cheap labor and production The full cost of this pandemic re- Party accountable for their role in
and low cost products to open doors mains to be seen, but it is clear we spreading the coronavirus and should
with nations that normally are not need to look ahead and plan for a fu- focus on shifting supply chains back to
going to work with somebody with ture that protects Americans’ lives and the United States.
such an abysmal human rights record livelihoods. Farmers account for just 2 percent of
as China has. As a member of the President’s Open- America’s population, but 100 percent
The world is recalling some very hard ing Up America Again Congressional of us eat. It is time to harness our agri-
lessons right now, but there is a path Group, I am putting to work my nearly culture advantage to support our farm-
forward. We must secure our supply three decades of experience building ers who put their businesses on the line
chains, and we must begin to return companies and creating jobs. every single day to feed Americans and
these critical infrastructure supply Over the last few weeks, I have held the world.
chains to the United States to make more than 100 calls to hear directly The third component of my plan, Hir-
certain that we can bolster ourselves from Georgia hospitals, State officials, ing in the USA, proposes removing reg-
and that we are not completely depend- first responders, food banks, small ulatory barriers and cutting taxes to
ent on China for some items that are businesses, farmers, large employers, help small businesses keep employees
essential for us. nonprofits, chambers of commerce, as on the payroll and to create jobs. Half
The pharmaceutical supply chain is well as the President and his adminis- of all Americans are employed by small
one on which I have focused, with Sen- tration, to address the needs of Geor- businesses, and these are the small
ator MENENDEZ, with our SAM-C legis- gians. businesses that have been particularly
lation. This week, Senator MCSALLY, With my experience and the feedback hurt by COVID–19.
Senator DAINES, and I introduced the I have heard from Georgians, I have de- Congress has already taken extensive
Stop COVID Act to hold China legally veloped the USA Restoring & Igniting action to provide loans and grants to
liable for the damage caused by the the Strength of our Economy Plan— small businesses like Globalus, a small
spread of the novel coronavirus. Our USA RISE. This is a plan to bring back trucking company in Fulton County,
colleagues have other pieces of legisla- our thriving economy. It offers a four- and Jan’s Family Daycare in Dalton. I
tion that have the same focused ac- pillared framework for investing in recently talked to daycare owners Bill
countability for China and making cer-
America, growing jobs, and helping and Jan Whetstone, who received a
tain this doesn’t happen to us again. I
families without expanding the grip of PPP loan. This will allow them to keep
encourage all of my colleagues to look
the Federal Government. It builds on their doors open and to serve working
at those.
I also encourage my colleagues to ac- the success of President Trump’s families. Our economy cannot recover
cept that our relationship with China America First agenda. without our small businesses.
The USA RISE Plan calls on all of us My plan also calls for reducing the
is broken right now and that it was
in Congress to ensure that the more temptation for trial lawyers to use
never that great to begin with. But
right now, it is broken. It is time for us than $2 trillion of relief already passed COVID–19 lawsuits to drain profits
to realize that we have to treat China in the CARES Act and in phase 3.5 is from employers at the expense of pro-
as an adversary and we have to protect targeted to the areas of the economy ductive jobs. Local shops and res-
ourselves as we move forward. that need it most while providing pru- taurants are the lifeblood of our com-
I yield the floor. dent oversight. munities, and there is more we can do
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen- The first pillar, Made in the USA, ad- to help them.
ator from Georgia. dresses the fact that for too long, our Finally, we must support families in
Mrs. LOEFFLER. Mr. President, my manufacturing has moved overseas. building strong futures. Right now, too
first priority during the COVID–19 pan- Now more than ever, we are reminded many families have lost their incomes
demic has been to do all I can to keep of how dangerous it is to rely on other and are struggling to afford their rent
Georgians and all Americans safe and countries, especially competitors like and to put food on the table.
healthy. But while at home in Georgia China. The fourth component of my plan is
these last few weeks, I have seen that The USA RISE Plan calls for ‘‘Families in the USA.’’ It aims to pro-
the measures we needed to take to incentivizing companies to return to vide targeted relief for families and for
fight this unprecedented health crisis the United States, investing in infra- children. Among other things, it sup-
have created dramatic economic and structure to spur economic develop- ports churches that are helping fami-
societal impacts. ment, and having a competitive tax lies during this difficult time and other
One in five Georgians is unemployed. and intellectual property framework to organizations, like YMCAs across our
In the last 6 weeks, the Georgia De- promote hiring and capital expendi- State, which are the largest providers
partment of Labor has issued more un- tures. We need to ensure that America of childcare in Georgia, and they are
employment payments than in the pre- remains the best country in the world providing thousands of meals each day
vious 4 years combined. to do business. to families across our State.
Hotels in the Golden Isles were see- The second pillar, Grown in the USA, In the last several weeks, we have
ing 80 to 90 percent occupancy rates at is aimed at supporting our farmers and made great strides in expanding testing
the beginning of March, the start of helping Americans who are seeing for COVID–19. This is a crucial tool for
beach season for our beach commu- empty grocery shelves or local food getting back to work. Over 7 million
nities. As the number of tourists plum- banks that are depleted. Americans had been testing through
meted, the president of our visitors’ I grew up working in the fields as the Monday. As President Trump noted, no
center described the economic impact fourth generation working on my fam- one else, no other country in the world
as ‘‘absolutely devastating.’’ ily’s farm, and I know firsthand the has even come close to this level of
School districts, like Forsyth County challenges that farmers face even in testing. This is something we are proud
schools, are organizing meal pickups the best of times. Today, fruit and veg- to build on. In fact, the President has

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S2280 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE May 6, 2020
also announced the Testing Blueprint, devastated. They are in a situation use safe and secure means to do that.
which is a partnership to help States where they have no cash flow and can’t The technology is out there to do that.
build out their testing capabilities. keep the business open. It has to be safe, but let’s let Congress
In my State of Georgia, Governor At the same time, a lot of Americans weigh in and vote remotely when we
Kemp has partnered with our univer- have been teleworking. They have still can’t meet.
sities and private companies to expand been working, but they haven’t been These last 6 weeks are an example of
testing capabilities, and that is now at going to the office or going to the fac- that, but it is not just about this pan-
record levels. Anyone who thinks they tory. They have been working from demic. I have actually been talking
may have the virus can use an app de- home and figuring it out. about this for 25 years because I believe
veloped by Augusta University to Just like everything else, here in the it is important for Congress to be able
screen their symptoms and schedule a Senate, we have been affected by this to meet when there is any reason we
test at one of the 66 testing centers in pandemic. As I said, we have been shut can’t come together or shouldn’t come
our State. down for 6 weeks. This started back in together.
Testing is a key component to re- March. One of our colleagues actually After 9/11, a lot of people were more
starting our economy safely, but we came down with the virus, but it was focused on this because a terrorist
must start to adapt to this new reality really on the advice of health officials act—particularly a bioterrorist act—
now. Before this pandemic hit, we saw and public health experts that we de- could have the same effect, of course.
job creation and opportunity that lift- cided not to reconvene. It was probably There have been periods of time
ed up all Americans. The four pillars I the safe thing to do at the time. where Congress has not been able to
have outlined are critical to reigniting Again, it is good we are back now. We meet here, and there have been other
our economic engine. The USA Rise are back now with the recommendation periods of time like during the Cold
Plan offers solutions to grow our econ- of the attending physician and other War, when there was actually a bunker
omy without unnecessarily growing top medical experts. We have been set up in the hills of West Virginia
the Federal Government or our defi- wearing our masks dutifully and when somewhere for us to convene for fear
cits. appropriate. We have been keeping our that there could be a nuclear attack.
Americans want to get back to work social distance. So Congress has thought about this be-
and back to their lives but safely. My desk is actually over there, but fore, but Congress has never been able
While we continue to fight COVID–19 there was another Senator over there, to put in place the ability for us to
on the health front, we also must look so they put me here, which is good. We vote remotely, for us to have debate re-
ahead and make plans to rebuild now. I have been doing this successfully this motely, and for us to have hearings re-
am confident we will because I know week, and that is great because we motely. I think that is too bad because
that when Americans unite, we rise to need to be here representing the voice we are the voice of the people. We rep-
meet any challenge. of the American people. resent individual congressional dis-
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen- However, I will tell you, during these tricts on the other side of the Capitol.
ator from Ohio. 6 weeks when we weren’t convening, We represent individual States here.
f there was a lot of work to be done too. The Constitution set it up so that we
Yet Congress was unable to do it. Why? are out here listening to people we rep-
SENATE LEGISLATIVE AGENDA Because, unlike probably the majority resent, and we come here to represent
Mr. PORTMAN. Mr. President, it is of the people whom I represent, we that voice.
good to be back in session. After 6 don’t telework. We work, yes. We were The executive branch has its own
weeks away from this place, it is good home working hard. But we weren’t in- role, and it is a very important one,
that we are all together working on volved in debates here. We weren’t in- but it shouldn’t take over the legisla-
some very important things. volved in hearings. We weren’t involved tive branch role because they are dif-
In the past 6 weeks, since we haven’t in debates on the floor. We weren’t in- ferent, and the Founders intended it
been here in session working together, volved in voting. that way, to have this separation of
a lot has changed. America has been During that time period of 6 weeks, powers.
overtaken, really, not just by the by the way, over half a trillion was ap- By the way, other countries have
coronavirus but by the economic dam- propriated. In other words, this body done this. The United Kingdom has
age it has caused. chose to spend over half a trillion dol- begun to conduct its proceedings re-
More than 30 million Americans have lars—that used to be a lot of money— motely. The EU has started to vote re-
now filed for unemployment, and most of taxpayers’ money without people motely—the European Union. There
believe we are approaching the highest being here to weigh in, to vote, to have are several other countries that have
unemployment we have had in this amendments, or to have debate. And come up with one way or another to
country since the Great Depression. It that legislation had to be done because work remotely—to telework, in es-
is a concern and particularly troubling it had to do with helping small busi- sence.
because, if you think about it, just a nesses in particular but also healthcare By the way, about 14 States have also
few months ago, back in February, we providers around the country and get- figured this out so that they can con-
hit a 50-year low in terms of unemploy- ting more testing, which was very im- vene meetings and so on, and some of
ment in this country. So we have gone portant. But wouldn’t it have been them even vote remotely. So I think it
from a strong and growing economy to good had Congress been able to weigh is time to do it.
one where many people are out of work in? But we couldn’t. Why? We don’t Last week, the Permanent Sub-
and many businesses have been shut- have the ability to remotely vote, committee on Investigations, which I
tered. Some of these businesses tell me much less engage in debate or much chair, had the first remote hearing in
they may have shuttered permanently. less have hearings. the history of the Congress, and it
I hope not, but it has been a tough I think we should be able to do that. worked really well. We had three wit-
time. At the same time, churches and I think we should be able to meet and nesses. We had several Members of the
schools have been closed. discuss things even when we can’t Senate participate. The witnesses were
Some States have begun to reopen physically be here in the Capitol. all around the country, so we didn’t
their economies, which is fantastic, but f have to call them here to Washington.
a majority of Americans are still living We didn’t have to gather as a group
by very strict social distancing guide- REMOTE VOTING and therefore risk one of us infecting
lines. Mr. PORTMAN. Mr. President, a cou- another or exposing us to the
I hear constantly from Ohioans about ple of months ago, I introduced legisla- coronavirus.
how much this has upended their lives. tion here on the floor of the Senate The witnesses were testifying from
Sometimes small business owners will with my colleague DICK DURBIN from their homes, from a living room in one
tell me a heartbreaking story of how Illinois. He is on the other side of the case. One of the witnesses actually tes-
they spent 30 or 40 years building a aisle. In a bipartisan way, we said: tified from the cab of a pickup truck
business, and now they have seen it Let’s let Congress vote remotely. Let’s because she was at her sister’s place

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