Coronavirus (Cong. Rec., July 20, 2020)
Summary
A page of the Congressional Record, Senate, dated July 20, 2020, at page S4252, under the heading Coronavirus. The page begins with a tribute to John Lewis, recalling Dr. King's words about the arc of the moral universe. Mr. McConnell says it has been half a year since the coronavirus began to spread from China, with 3.7 million cases recorded and more than 140,000 lives lost, and discusses what the Senate needs in another recovery package that is neither a multitrillion-dollar bridge loan nor an ordinary stimulus. He also praises the National Defense Authorization Act put forward by Chairman Inhofe and Ranking Member Reed.
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“Coronavirus (Cong. Rec., July 20, 2020).”
Original at www.govinfo.gov. Archived at Pandemic Darlings, https://pandemicdarlings.com/source-documents/crec-crec-2020-07-20-crec-2020-07-20-pt1-pgs4252-870bf914b3/
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S4252 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE July 20, 2020
The memory of our colleague brings we now? On the one hand, our So I am particularly encouraged that
to mind Dr. King’s own words. He fa- healthcare fight against the virus itself Chairman INHOFE, Ranking Member
mously said: ‘‘The arc of the moral uni- is very obviously unfinished. New REED, and our committee colleagues
verse is long, and it bends toward jus- spikes in large and economically cen- put forward a robust, bipartisan bill. It
tice.’’ tral States show that we are nowhere will invest in the training and tech-
It would be a mistake to read those near out of the woods. At the same nology that will keep our fighting
words and assume that he meant this time, neither economics nor our Na- forces on the cutting edge. It will
bending is inevitable. Our society has tion’s sanity would sustain an indefi- strengthen our alliances and partner-
only marched toward justice because nite total lockdown until there is a ships with shared systems for con-
great figures like Congressman JOHN vaccine. So even as we continue to taining threats. It will honor our serv-
LEWIS took it upon themselves to lead fight the healthcare battle, cautious icemembers and their families with
the way. The Nation mourns his pass- reopenings will need to proceed in ways pay raises and top-notch services they
ing, and we celebrate the life of this that are as smart, safe, and data-driven deserve here at home. That means new
American hero. as possible. investments in 5G systems and
f This is the situation facing the Sen- hypersonic weapons, the establishment
ate as we discuss and consider the pos- of European and Pacific defense initia-
CORONAVIRUS sibility of another recovery package. It tives for greater cooperation to check
Mr. MCCONNELL. Mr. President, on would neither be another multitrillion- Russia and China, and improving mili-
an entirely different matter, it has dollar bridge loan to make up for a to- tary family housing, education, and
been half a year since the deadly tally shutdown economy, nor an ordi- healthcare.
coronavirus began to spread from nary stimulus for a nation ready to get This NDAA will build on the success
China throughout the world. Now, 3.7 back to normal. The need now lies of the last 3 years in rebuilding and
million cases have been recorded on somewhere in between. modernizing the world’s greatest fight-
American soil. More than 140,000 lives We need to continue supporting our
ing forces. It will continue to advance
have been lost. healthcare system and harbor no delu-
Today, our Nation stands at a chal- our new national defense strategy, put-
sion that this virus is behind us be-
lenging crossroads. States and local- ting aside the naive resets of the past
cause it isn’t, while also taking stra-
ities are trying to balance the need to tegic steps to help laid-off American administration and continuing to in-
reopen and foster economic recovery workers get rehired and American fam- vest in strength instead.
with the need to stay on offense ilies get their kids back to school this I will be proud to vote to advance and
against the virus. fall. pass the NDAA, and I hope all of our
Back in March, the American people That is why Senate Republicans will colleagues will join me.
began a period of historic disruption be putting forward a strong starting f
and heroic sacrifice in order to stunt point for additional recovery legisla-
the spread of the virus. Life as we have MEASURE PLACED ON THE
tion, hopefully, as soon as this week. It
known it was simply put on ice. Daily CALENDAR—H.R. 7120
will take good-faith, bipartisan co-
routines were reinvented, not as a per- operation from our Democratic col- Mr. MCCONNELL. Mr. President, I
manent solution but as a short-term leagues to actually make a law. That understand there is a bill at the desk
emergency measure to save our productive spirit is what got the due for a second reading.
healthcare system. CARES Act across the finish line The PRESIDING OFFICER. The lead-
The American people stepped up. The unanimously, but last month, that er is correct.
sacrifices saved lives. Nowhere in the spirit was absent. A political deter- The clerk will read the bill by title
United States did hospitals suffer the mination from our Democratic col- for the second time.
fate of the medical system in places leagues led them to block the JUSTICE The legislative clerk read as follows:
like Italy. Act and block the Senate from even A bill (H.R. 7120) to hold law enforcement
Our Nation met new kinds of Amer- turning to the subject of police reform, accountable for misconduct in court, im-
ican heroes: doctors and nurses, who even as millions had taken to the prove transparency through data collection,
worked double shifts, washed their streets demanding change. and reform police training and policies.
hands raw, and endured physical sepa- So, for the sake of our Nation, if we Mr. MCCONNELL. Mr. President, in
ration from their loved ones so they want to continue helping the American order to place the bill on the calendar
could continue to treat ours; essential people, the next several weeks will under provision of rule XIV, I object to
maintenance, delivery, and grocery need to look a lot more like March and further proceedings.
store workers, who kept clocking in to a lot less like June. Senate Repub- The PRESIDING OFFICER. Objec-
keep families, communities, and entire licans will put forward our proposal tion having been heard, the bill will be
industries supplied and functioning; soon. I hope our Democratic colleagues placed on the calendar.
teachers and parents, who tried their will be ready to work together to get
best to keep school in session for our f
an outcome.
Nation’s children, from virtual class- First, this week, the Senate will RESERVATION OF LEADER TIME
rooms and kitchen tables all across our complete two other important pieces of
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Under
country. the people’s business. First, we will
No generation before us had ever had the previous order, the leadership time
confirm the President’s choice to head
to pull the emergency brake on na- is reserved.
the Office of Management and Budget.
tional life in quite this way. This his- Then we will finish and pass the Na- f
toric challenge required historic sup- tional Defense Authorization Act for CONCLUSION OF MORNING
port so the Senate wrote and passed the 60th consecutive time. BUSINESS
the largest rescue package in history. As COVID–19 captured our Nation’s
The CARES Act puts financial assist- attention, we knew our adversaries The PRESIDING OFFICER. Morning
ance in the pockets of American fami- around the world would not ease up. business is closed.
lies. It sent hundreds of billions of dol- We knew that those who seek to harm f
lars so that employers could keep pay- America, our interests, and our allies
ing workers. It mobilized unprece- would use the commotion to show even EXECUTIVE SESSION
dented resources for the medical re- more of their true colors, and, sure
sponse. Economists and experts across enough, the Russian military has flirt-
dlhill on DSK120RN23PROD with SENATE
the spectrum agreed that the Senate’s ed even closer to the boundaries of U.S. EXECUTIVE CALENDAR
bold, bipartisan policies have made a airspace. Iran has stepped up its med- The PRESIDING OFFICER. Under
tremendous difference these past dling in regional conflicts. China has the previous order, the Senate will pro-
months. escalated both its international bul- ceed to executive session to resume
The question before the Senate this lying and its domestic repression, such consideration of the following nomina-
week is, Where are we now? Where are as in Hong Kong. tion, which the clerk will report.
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