Business Before the Senate (Cong. Rec., June 11, 2020)
Summary
The opening Senate proceedings in the Congressional Record, Volume 166, No. 108, for Thursday, June 11, 2020. The Senate met at 10 a.m., was called to order by the President pro tempore, Mr. Grassley, and heard a prayer by the Chaplain, Dr. Barry C. Black. A speaker urges passage of the Prescription Drug Pricing Reduction Act and refers to Dr. Jonas Salk's polio vaccine in 1953. Other remarks mention a confirmed Special Inspector General for Pandemic Recovery, a law enforcement proposal led by Senator Scott, and, under Coronavirus, Mr. Schumer.
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“Business Before the Senate (Cong. Rec., June 11, 2020).”
Original at www.govinfo.gov. Archived at Pandemic Darlings, https://pandemicdarlings.com/source-documents/crec-crec-2020-06-11-crec-2020-06-11-pt1-pgs2901-7-db86182c93/
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Congressional Record
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116 th CONGRESS, SECOND SESSION
United States
of America PROCEEDINGS AND DEBATES OF THE
Vol. 166 WASHINGTON, THURSDAY, JUNE 11, 2020 No. 108
Senate
The Senate met at 10 a.m. and was nesses that a generation ago delivered cover from the pandemic can succeed.
called to order by the President pro a death sentence to many Americans. We have confirmed a Special Inspector
tempore (Mr. GRASSLEY). Dr. Jonas Salk’s polio vaccine in 1953 General for Pandemic Recovery. Com-
f eradicated the fatal effects of the virus mittees are overseeing the CARES Act,
that killed thousands of children in the and Senator CORNYN is crafting meas-
PRAYER first half of the 20th century. ures to make sure a second epidemic of
The Chaplain, Dr. Barry C. Black, of- I have every confidence that our sci- frivolous lawsuits does not block
fered the following prayer: entific community will unlock a vac- schools and colleges from reopening or
Let us pray. cine to stop the coronavirus pandemic. employers from rehiring workers.
Almighty God, thank You for Your Testing, developing, and reviewing vac- At the same time, the killings of
great and precious promises. You have cines take time, but all of that is well Black Americans like George Floyd
promised to keep a record of our pain. underway. and Breonna Taylor have accelerated
You have promised that no weapon However, there is no time to lose for important conversations. With the
formed against us will prosper. You Congress to pass my bipartisan Pre- leadership of Senator SCOTT of South
have promised to supply our needs and scription Drug Pricing Reduction Act. Carolina, the Senate is preparing to
to surround us with the shield of Your We have the responsibility to ensure add to the conversations surrounding
blessings. You have promised to keep that pharmaceutical treatments, law enforcement with our own serious
us from stumbling or slipping. therapies, and vaccines are affordable proposal—policies that would take
Lord, You have promised that noth- for all Americans facing this pandemic smart steps without attacking the vast
ing can separate us from Your love. or any of the future ones. majority of police officers who bravely
You have promised to do for us more I yield the floor. do their jobs the right way.
Of course there is also a long list of
than we can ask or imagine. Great and f legislative priorities which the Senate
precious are Your promises.
RESERVATION OF LEADER TIME was going to tackle before these new
Give our lawmakers confidence in
issues materialized. This week, Chair-
Your promises as they face these tu- The PRESIDING OFFICER. Under
man INHOFE and the Armed Services
multuous times. Sustain them with the previous order, the leadership time
Committee have been marking up the
Your unfailing love and keep them on is reserved. 60th consecutive National Defense Au-
the right path. f thorization Act, which I hope the full
We pray in Your matchless Name. Senate will be voting on later this
Amen. RECOGNITION OF THE MAJORITY
LEADER month.
f Here on the floor, we have also been
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The ma- considering a landmark bill to protect
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE jority leader is recognized. and preserve our Nation’s public lands
The President pro tempore led the f for future generations.
Pledge of Allegiance, as follows: In my home State of Kentucky, we
BUSINESS BEFORE THE SENATE
I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the know all about the important role that
United States of America, and to the Repub- Mr. MCCONNELL. Over the last sev- public lands play in preserving our
lic for which it stands, one nation under God, eral weeks, major challenges have physical heritage, providing access for
indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. dominated the headlines on a daily outdoor recreation, and sustaining jobs
The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. ROM- basis. Following the sacrifices Ameri- and prosperity in the process. Across
NEY). The Senator from Iowa. cans have made to fight the the Commonwealth, outdoor recreation
Mr. GRASSLEY. Mr. President, I ask coronavirus, our Nation is gradually supports 120,000 jobs and drives nearly
unanimous consent to speak for 1 beginning to reopen. Our economy has $13 billion in consumer spending. From
minute in morning business. started adding back jobs. But as some natural wonders like Red River Gorge
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without States are seeing their numbers in- and Mammoth Cave National Park to
objection, it is so ordered. crease, the fallout for American work- historic sites like Mill Springs Battle-
f ers remains historic, and schools, uni- field and Camp Nelson, Kentuckians
versities, and employers are still look- have grown up enjoying our public
PRESCRIPTION DRUG PRICING ing for smart and safe ways to step lands, and we intend to protect them
REDUCTION ACT back toward normal. for future generations.
Mr. GRASSLEY. The miracles of sci- The Senate is working to ensure that Let me give just one example. As I
entific innovation have cleared ill- our efforts to treat, contain, and re- mentioned yesterday, when I came to
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∑ This ‘‘bullet’’ symbol identifies statements or insertions which are not spoken by a Member of the Senate on the floor.
S2901
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S2902 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE June 11, 2020
the Senate, Kentucky was the only parks, forests, refuges, and historic renewing a national dialogue, although
State without its own national wildlife sites they are equally proud of that are dialogue is always important. It is
refuge. We had plenty of history and equally central in their communities. about action. It is about making real
heritage. We just needed a little help to That is why we voted to advance this and meaningful progress. And the way
preserve it. legislation earlier this week by an to do that is with comprehensive police
With the support of hunters, boaters, overwhelming bipartisan margin. reform legislation in Congress.
and outdoorsmen in the Jackson Pur- President Teddy Roosevelt once said House and Senate Democrats have al-
chase region, I led the establishment of this about our Nation’s national treas- ready drafted legislation that would
the Clarks River National Wildlife Ref- ures: ‘‘We have fallen heirs to the most ban the use of choke holds and other
uge. It was a huge step to protect local glorious heritage people ever received, tactics that have taken the lives of
species and our treasured Kentucky and each one must do his part if we Black Americans like George Floyd
pastimes. This refuge has continued to wish to show that the Nation is worthy and Eric Garner; that would also ban
grow over the years. Thanks to the of its good fortune.’’ the use of no-knock warrants in drug
Land and Water Conservation Fund I want to thank Senator DAINES and cases, which is one of the reasons for
and many willing sellers, it now makes Senator GARDNER for their leadership the death of Breonna Taylor; that
thousands of acres available for appre- in making sure that we keep up our would limit the transfer of military
ciation, recreation, and tourism. end of the bargain with the generations equipment to police departments; and,
Like many public lands, these wild- of Americans who came before us and crucially, that would make it easier to
life areas make great neighbors. In a those yet to come. I am also grateful hold police accountable for mis-
single year, more than 50 million visi- for Senator ALEXANDER, Senator conduct, as well as institute several re-
tors come to America’s wildlife refuges PORTMAN, and our Democratic col- forms to prevent that misconduct in
nationwide and spend billions in near- leagues, Senators MANCHIN and WAR- the first place.
by communities. NER, for helping to assemble this bipar- The moment does not call for cherry-
Decades later, another Kentucky tisan bill. I will be proud to speak for picking one or two things to do; it calls
community was looking to safeguard Kentucky and to vote for it. for bold, broad change—whole-scale re-
its own natural treasure. The Green I suggest the absence of a quorum. form, not piecemeal reform. I know the
River, which flows through Kentucky The PRESIDING OFFICER. The inclination of some of my Senate col-
and meets the Ohio River near Hender- clerk will call the roll. leagues would be to cherry-pick a few
son County, is one of the most bio- The senior legislative clerk pro-
small improvements and say the job is
diverse waterways on the entire con- ceeded to call the roll.
Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, I ask done. It will not be. We need to start—
tinent. I was proud to take the lead start—with the Justice in Policing Act,
once again, and alongside strong local unanimous consent that the order for
the quorum call be rescinded. a strong, comprehensive bill that peo-
supporters and a broad coalition of ple, particularly Senators BOOKER and
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without
groups, we sent a bill to President HARRIS, the CBC, spent a lot of time
objection, it is so ordered.
Trump, and he signed it into law. We with experts who have studied this
welcomed the Interior Secretary to f
issue for many, many months and
Western Kentucky last year to cut the RECOGNITION OF THE MINORITY years.
ribbon on the Green River National LEADER For too long, when major issues wash
Wildlife Refuge. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The over the country, the waves of change
But Kentuckians know that ribbon Democratic leader is recognized. and progress crash against the rocks of
cuttings are just the beginning. Our a disinterested Republican Senate ma-
f
State has newly designated public jority.
lands that need attention to get off the JUSTICE IN POLICING ACT When Americans watched in horror
ground. We have well-established pub- Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, the as another spate of mass shootings
lic lands that have opportunities to killings of George Floyd, Breonna Tay- rocked the Nation, they rose up and de-
grow and improve, and we have places lor, and Ahmaud Arbery catapulted the manded change. President Trump and
like the Daniel Boone National Forest, issues of racial justice, police violence, Senate Republicans initially tried to
established more than 80 years ago, and systemic racism to the forefront of make the right noises. Leader MCCON-
that need our careful attention and up- this Nation’s conscience. These issues NELL promised that a debate on ex-
keep. are not new. Some are even older than panding background checks would be
This legislation before the Senate the Nation itself. The anger felt by ‘‘front and center’’ in the Senate after
will help all of them. It will help us re- hundreds of thousands of protestors is shootings in Dayton and El Paso, but,
pair levees at the Clarks River Na- about that historical and pervasive in- predictably, that debate never came to
tional Wildlife Refuge. It will also help justice. It is rooted in our decades-long pass.
our two wildlife refuges continue to failure to reform police departments That seems to be the M.O. of our Re-
grow. It will help Mill Springs Battle- and the yawning gap between our ideal publican friends. When there is a na-
field and Camp Nelson continue to of equal justice under law and the re- tional crisis, major issues, people in
teach the history of emancipation and ality of equal justice for only some. the streets worried and concerned and
the Civil War to new generations. It America is an experiment. The wanting change, we hear words, and
will help us make infrastructure up- Founding Fathers said that. We know then the strategy is delay and, at the
grades at Mammoth Cave National it deep in our bones. An experiment end, do nothing. We cannot go through
Park for the safety of 2 million annual means you can change, and some of the these same motions again.
visitors. It will help enhance the Land best observers of the difference—I This is about the original sin of
Between the Lakes and its $600 million think de Tocqueville was one of these— America that we must try to deal with
economic impact. It will fund transpor- of America and the difference between head-on. There are Americans in the
tation and structural maintenance in us and other countries—we are willing streets, shouting at the top of their
the Daniel Boone National Forest, to change. lungs for change, young people, ideal-
which supports more than 900 jobs. It I am touched and moved—I was with istic people—the best of America. The
will help us rehabilitate the Cum- the demonstrators on Saturday in New Senate must pursue comprehensive re-
berland Gap and give future Americans York, in Brooklyn—by how many peo- form, not the lowest common denomi-
the opportunity to literally follow in ple were there—great diversity—and nator and certainly not more empty
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the footsteps of our early explorers. how many were young and idealistic rhetorical resolutions.
Kentucky is proud of our public and doing things for just the right rea- f
lands. We are proud of the role our nat- sons—not selfish reasons but for the
ural inheritance plays in our vibrant betterment of the country, to make us CORONAVIRUS
present and our promising future. Of a more perfect union. Mr. SCHUMER. Of course, there is
course, we are only just one State. We must seize this moment. We can- another crisis in the country crying
Every one of my Senate colleagues has not let it pass. This isn’t about simply out for action and leadership.
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