Coronavirus (Cong. Rec., July 21, 2020)
Summary
The Congressional Record, Volume 166, No. 128, for Tuesday, July 21, 2020, with Senate proceedings under the heading Coronavirus. Mr. McConnell says the Nation stands at a crucial midway point in the battle against the virus and recalls the springtime response, including the CARES Act as the largest rescue package in American history. The page also contains remarks on the implementation of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, urging the administration to address enforcement issues quickly, and remarks on the ingenuity of small business and on a Senate bill that Democrats should support.
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“Coronavirus (Cong. Rec., July 21, 2020).”
Original at www.govinfo.gov. Archived at Pandemic Darlings, https://pandemicdarlings.com/source-documents/crec-crec-2020-07-21-crec-2020-07-21-pt1-pgs4309-6-8279938ab3/
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Congressional Record
E PL
UR M
IB NU
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116 th CONGRESS, SECOND SESSION
United States
of America PROCEEDINGS AND DEBATES OF THE
Vol. 166 WASHINGTON, TUESDAY, JULY 21, 2020 No. 128
Senate
The Senate met at 10 a.m. and was The U.S-Mexico-Canada Agreement RECOGNITION OF THE MAJORITY
called to order by the President pro fixes many problems we had for 30 LEADER
tempore (Mr. GRASSLEY). years under NAFTA, and it also creates The PRESIDING OFFICER. The ma-
f several new, modern trade provisions jority leader is recognized.
for our 21st century economy—things f
PRAYER
that were negotiated that weren’t even
The Chaplain, Dr. Barry C. Black, of- thought of 30 years ago when NAFTA CORONAVIRUS
fered the following prayer: was negotiated. However, even with Mr. MCCONNELL. Madam President,
Let us pray. this agreement going into effect and our Nation stands at a crucial midway
Eternal God, thank You for the gift being a tough agreement to negotiate, point in our battle against this terrible
of this day. Open the minds of our law- it isn’t going to be simple from here on virus. The heroism of healthcare pro-
makers and give them a vision of the out. There is plenty of work remaining fessionals, essential workers, and fami-
unlimited possibilities available to to ensure the agreement is imple- lies from coast to coast got our Nation
those who trust You as their guide. mented fully and properly. through a springtime like no other.
May our Senators embrace a humility Communities across America put nor-
that seeks first to understand rather I urge the administration to be expe-
ditious in addressing any enforcement mal life on pause to buy breathing
than to be understood. Inspire them to room for our medical system. We essen-
seek Your wisdom as You sustain them issues or noncompliance from our trad-
ing partners under the dispute settle- tially had to winterize the world’s larg-
with Your grace, mercy, and peace. est economy for weeks on end and
Lord, remind them that You will judge ment mechanism. I also encourage
close consultation between Congress spare our people as much of the result-
their fruits, productivity, and faithful- ing pain as possible. The task was his-
ness. and the administration so we may con-
tinue to be successful in the U.S-Mex- toric, and so was the Senate’s response.
We pray in Your strong Name. Amen.
ico-Canada Agreement implementation We wrote and passed the CARES Act—
f the largest rescue package in American
efforts—allowing Americans to reap
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE the benefits of this agreement. history. Our legislation helped pull
The President pro tempore led the I raised questions with the adminis- both our health system and our econ-
Pledge of Allegiance, as follows: tration, but I have no doubt that they omy back from the brink. Tens of mil-
I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the are going to be on top of it. I remember lions of jobs were saved. The hallways
United States of America, and to the Repub- President Trump as a candidate, 2015 to of our hospitals did not become Italy.
lic for which it stands, one nation under God, 2016, running on a platform to get rid of The Senate’s leadership helped the Na-
indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. NAFTA. Trump was elected. By May of tion endure the first phase of this, but
The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mrs. his first year in office, Trump started this crisis is far from over.
HYDE-SMITH). The Senator from Iowa. The virus that has claimed 140,000
negotiations. They were successful ne-
Mr. GRASSLEY. Madam President, I American lives has not gone anywhere.
gotiations. NAFTA is now gone. Now
ask unanimous consent to speak for 1 As some places step back toward nor-
USMCA is going into effect.
minute in morning business. malcy, infections are climbing again in
Trump delivered on his campaign hotspots across our country. The start
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without
promise. I have no doubt that he will of our economic recovery has been
objection, it is so ordered.
see that the U.S-Mexico-Canada Agree- sharp and impressive, but in absolute
f ment is properly implemented. terms, we still have just begun to pick
UNITED STATES-MEXICO-CANADA I yield the floor. up the pieces. Our progress so far has
TRADE AGREEMENT I suggest the absence of a quorum. been encouraging, but it remains frag-
Mr. GRASSLEY. The U.S.-Mexico- The PRESIDING OFFICER. The ile and far from sufficient. I would
Canada Agreement entered into force clerk will call the roll. argue that our country’s job now is
on July 1, and I am eager to see the even more complex than it was back in
modernized agreement deliver on its The senior assistant legislative clerk
March.
promises to spur job growth for Amer- proceeded to call the roll. Now, as then, we need to keep our
ican farmers, workers, and businesses, Mr. MCCONNELL. Madam President, health system robust, but now, instead
and even help our innovators. Also, at I ask unanimous consent that the order of locking down the country to do it,
the same time, it will create new op- for the quorum call be rescinded. we want to stand up a society that
portunities with our North American The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without functions somewhat more normally at
SSpencer on DSK126QN23PROD with SENATE
trading partners. objection, it is so ordered. the same time.
∑ This ‘‘bullet’’ symbol identifies statements or insertions which are not spoken by a Member of the Senate on the floor.
S4309
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S4310 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE July 21, 2020
The American people cannot com- state, but they still face a tough road. work together and produce a bipartisan
pletely stop building their lives until With the majority of businesses ex- outcome.
the vaccine is available. The United pected to exhaust their initial Pay- As I said yesterday, in March the
States of America was not built for a checks Protection Funding this sum- Senate gave a historic master class in
defensive crouch. We need to stand up mer, we will also be proposing a tar- how to pass major bipartisan legisla-
an educational system and an economy geted second round of the PPP with a tion. The CARES Act, the largest res-
that works for workers and families in special eye toward hard-hit businesses. cue package ever, was drafted by Re-
the meantime. We need to find the Speaking of building on what worked publicans, promptly negotiated across
right sort of middle ground—middle in the CARES Act, we want another the aisle with Democrats, and then
ground that is smart and safe but also round of direct payments—direct pay- passed urgently without a single dis-
more sustainable. It is another historic ments to help American families keep senting vote.
set of challenges and another oppor- driving our national comeback. Help- Last month, in June, we recorded a
tunity for the U.S. Senate to deliver. ing to create more Americans jobs is master class in how not to make a law.
For weeks now, I have made it clear an urgent, moral priority, and these Instead of amending Senator TIM
that further legislation out of the Sen- are just some of the policies we are dis- SCOTT’s JUSTICE Act, our Democratic
ate will be a serious response to the cussing that will help that happen. colleagues flat-out blocked him. They
crisis. We will not be wasting the In addition to kids and jobs, our filibustered the issue of police reform
American people’s time like the House third major focus is healthcare. The altogether. Well, for the sake of Amer-
Democrats, with their multimillion- reason is obvious. The reason is obvi- ica’s kids, jobs, and healthcare, let’s
dollar proposal for high taxes on small ous. If we lose control of the virus or if hope our Democratic friends bring
businesses, cut taxes for blue-State research stalls, then everything else their bipartisan urgency and good faith
millionaires, and send diversity detec- will be window dressing. to the process and leave the partisan
tives into the cannabis industry. Our proposal will dedicate even more poses behind.
I have said we will start with the resources to the fastest race for a new The Senate has led every step of this
facts and develop real, targeted solu- vaccine in human history, along with crisis. We need to rise to the task one
tions on the subjects that matter most diagnostics and treatments. Our bill more time.
to American families. It turns out that will also protect seniors from a poten- f
means three things: kids, jobs, and tial spike in premiums. And the Fed-
healthcare—kids, jobs, and healthcare. eral Government will continue to sup- RESERVATION OF LEADER TIME
Surveys show the American people’s port hospitals, providers, and testing. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Under
top priorities for reopening are These are just some of the elements the previous order, the leadership time
childcare and K–12 schools. This coun- that Senate Republicans are discussing is reserved.
try wants its kids back in the class- among ourselves and with the adminis-
f
room this fall—learning, exploring, tration. There is one more central pro-
making friends. Their educations de- posal that ties kids, jobs, and CONCLUSION OF MORNING
pend on it. In some cases, their safety healthcare all together. BUSINESS
depends on it, and so do the livelihoods As I have said for months, the next
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Morning
of working parents. recovery package will include strong
business is closed.
The American Academy of Pediatrics legal protections for the healthcare
stated unambiguously that our goal workers who save strangers’ lives and f
must be in-person—in-person instruc- the schools, colleges, charities, and LEGISLATIVE SESSION
tion. But of course, parents, teachers, businesses that want to reopen. The
and doctors all agree it has to be as American people will not see their his-
safe as possible. That is where the Sen- toric recovery gobbled up by trial law- NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZA-
ate comes in. yers who are itching to follow this pan- TION ACT FOR FISCAL YEAR
This majority is preparing legislation demic with a second epidemic of frivo- 2021—Resumed
that will send $105 billion so educators lous lawsuits.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Under
have the resources they need to safely Gross negligence will still be action-
the previous order, the Senate will re-
reopen. That is more money than the able, but we are creating a safe harbor
sume consideration of S. 4049, which
House Democrats set aside for a simi- for institutions that make good-faith
the clerk will report.
lar fund, by the way, and that is in ad- efforts to follow the guidelines avail-
The senior assistant legislative clerk
dition to support for childcare needs. It able to them. Doctors and nurses clear-
read as follows:
is amazing how you can find room to ly deserve this protection, and school
districts, universities, nonprofits, and A bill (S. 4049) to authorize appropriations
fund serious priorities when you take a
for fiscal year 2021 for military activities of
pass on the far-left daydreams. small businesses will need it, as well, if the Department of Defense, for military con-
Second, the economic slowdown has we want any genuine reopening at all. struction, and for defense activities of the
hurt millions and millions of Ameri- The legislation that I have begun to Department of Energy, to prescribe military
cans. Before this crisis, we had never sketch out is neither another CARES personnel strengths for such fiscal year, and
had 7 million Americans receiving un- Act to float the entire economy nor a for other purposes.
employment at the same time. Today, typical stimulus bill for a nation that Pending:
we have 17 million. More than a million is ready to get back to normal. Our Inhofe amendment No. 2301, in the nature
people have filed new unemployment country is in a complex middle ground of a substitute.
claims every single week for more than between those two things. We can’t go McConnell (for Portman) amendment No.
4 months now. back to April, and we can’t snap our 2080 (to amendment No. 2301), to require an
The American job market needs an- fingers and finish the vaccine over- element in annual reports on cyber science
other shot of adrenaline. Senate Re- night. We need to carve out a new nor- and technology activities on work with aca-
publicans are laser-focused on getting mal. demic consortia on high priority cybersecu-
American workers their jobs back. Our Senate Republicans are continuing to rity research activities in Department of De-
fense capabilities.
bill takes several specific incentives to discuss these and other ideas among
RECOGNITION OF THE MINORITY LEADER
hire and retain workers and turn the our conference and with the adminis-
dials on those policies way up. The leg- tration. The majority will be laying The PRESIDING OFFICER. The
SSpencer on DSK126QN23PROD with SENATE
islation will help reimburse for safe down another historic proposal very Democratic leader is recognized.
workplaces so Main Street can afford soon. Here in the Senate, an outcome CORONAVIRUS
the PPE, testing, cleaning, or remod- will require bipartisan discussions. Mr. SCHUMER. Madam President,
eling to protect workers and entice I do not believe there will be any- our country faces the greatest health
customers. thing in our bill that our Democratic threat in 100 years and the greatest
The ingenuity and spirit of America’s colleagues should not happily support, economic crisis in 70 years, but here in
small business isn’t possible to over- but we will stand ready and eager to the Republican-led Senate, you would
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