Senate Session of July 21, 2020, Page S4310 — Congressional Record
Summary
Pages of the Congressional Record for the Senate dated July 21, 2020, beginning at page S4310. They open with a senator describing a relief proposal Senate Republicans are preparing, including $105 billion for educators to reopen schools, a second round of the PPP, another round of direct payments and legal protections for healthcare workers, schools and businesses. The Senate then resumes consideration of S. 4049, a defense appropriations authorization bill for fiscal year 2021, with Inhofe amendment No. 2301 pending. Mr. SCHUMER, recognized as the Democratic leader, criticizes the Republican approach to the next COVID relief bill and points to the Heroes Act passed by the House. The closing pages record a 90 to 10 vote agreeing to an amendment, the text of amendment numbered 2411 on Department of Defense property for law enforcement, and a recess until 2:15 p.m.
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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
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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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July 21, 2020 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S4311
hardly know it. Over the past several Enhanced unemployment benefits interests. So if reports are accurate,
months, even as COVID–19 surged will expire at the end of the month. Ac- the Republicans are doing just that.
through the country once again, even cording to reports, the Republican bill They are pleasing corporate interests,
as our States hit new records of infec- will not do nearly enough to aid the 20 not workers and families and small
tions and hospitalizations, the Repub- to 30 million Americans currently un- businesses, and that will not get the
lican majority in the Senate dithered employed. We have heard Republicans job done.
and delayed on the next phase of major debate a credit for Americans who are For 60 days, Senate Democrats have
emergency relief. going back to work, but those are the been clear about where we should start
In April, May, and June, Democrats very same Americans who will be get- the negotiations. The Heroes Act
tried to jolt the Senate into action, but ting a salary again. What about Ameri- passed by the House provides crucial
almost every time we tried to pass cans who remain unemployed and actu- relief for education funding, for hos-
much needed legislation by average ally need the help? pitals and medical workers, for essen-
Americans, our Republican colleagues The moratorium on evictions expires tial workers on the frontlines, and for
objected. Unemployment claims this week. According to reports, the State and local governments.
reached 50 million. The number of Republican bill will not do anything Right now Republicans seem to want
cases topped 3.8 million as the virus re- for the millions of Americans who to play chicken with pandemic relief
surged over the past several weeks, and can’t afford the rent and could get and string everyone along with a bill
more than 140,000 Americans have died. kicked out of their apartments. After and a process we all know is doomed to
Still, Senate Republicans wanted to, in all the hemming and hawing and the fail.
the words of their leader, ‘‘hit the delay, which cost America so much— I urge all of my Republican col-
pause button’’ and ‘‘assess the condi- months of delay—it appears the next leagues to abandon their one-party,
tions’’ in the country before providing Republican proposal on COVID will not one-Chamber approach before it is too
any more relief. The country was burn- even come close to meeting the mo- late and immediately begin bipartisan,
ing, and Senate Republicans, led by ment. bicameral negotiations on the next
Leader MCCONNELL, said: ‘‘Let’s wait a It has become clear over the last few round of COVID legislation.
little longer and see how this goes.’’ weeks that the reason our Republican The problems, of course, don’t end
Like President Trump, they were colleagues have taken so long to put with the Republican Senate. We are
hoping it would go away, ignoring all even this inadequate proposal together living through one of the greatest fail-
of the scientific evidence but paying is because they are paralyzed by inter- ures of Presidential leadership in our
obeisance to the hard right, which nal divisions among themselves and by country’s history.
didn’t want to spend money no matter division with the President.
According to reports in the press, Do you hear that, Donald Trump?
what the cost to America.
Now it seems our Republican friends even after all these months that our You have created one of the greatest
have finally found the motivation to do Republican colleagues spent ‘‘assess- failures of Presidential leadership in
another emergency relief bill. Even ing’’ the conditions in the country, the our country’s entire history and the
they, with their heads still half in the White House and Senate Republicans history books will record it that way.
sand, have to see the crisis the country are starkly divided about what to do. President Trump cannot even model
is in. But instead of working with The Trump administration is fixated good behavior and consistently encour-
Democrats in either the Senate or the on a payroll tax cut, an idea that will age Americans to wear a mask.
House, Leader MCCONNELL has decided not only harm those who rely on Social When the White House coronavirus
to write the bill behind the closed Security but will do nothing for the briefings resume, President Trump
doors of his office—the same partisan, tens of millions of Americans who lost should not take the podium. Every
one-side-only process that has failed their jobs during the crisis. Many of time President Trump takes the po-
time and again to produce successful my Republican colleagues aren’t too dium at one of these briefings, he is a
legislation in the Senate. keen on that idea, with good reason. threat to public health. Even after
MCCONNELL talked about how the Yet it may still be in MCCONNELL’s pro- 140,000 lives were lost to COVID, the
Senate led in the last three bills. I posal because he and the other Repub- President claimed again on Sunday
would add a word to that. It was Sen- licans are afraid to tell President that this disease will disappear. It has
ate Democrats that led. Republicans Trump no, even when they know he is been over 6 months since the start of
put a small, stingy, corporate-oriented wrong. the virus, and this Trump administra-
proposal before the Senate. We said no, Recent reports also suggest that the tion still lacks a national testing strat-
and they were forced to add provisions administration is trying to block bil- egy. The administration ordered hos-
friendly to workers and average Amer- lions of dollars from going to the pitals to hide their coronavirus data
ican families. That is what happened. States in order to improve their test- from the CDC.
History knows that. ing and contact tracing capabilities. The President is pressuring schools
Yesterday, Leader MCCONNELL, once Can you imagine? Republicans are ar- to reopen this fall without the nec-
again, called for the same spirited bi- guing about whether to block funds for essary resources or guidance to keep
partisanship that helped us pass the testing and tracing, the two most im- our kids safe.
CARES Act. Well, Leader MCCONNELL, portant tools in our arsenal to manage Remember, President Trump, you
writing a bill in your own office with- this crisis right now. It is amazing. pushed Republican Governors to open
out any input from Democrats, drop- Americans are hanging their heads in their States too early, and look at
ping it on the floor, and demanding some degree of shame at the Presi- what happened. You are now making
that Democrats support it is no one’s dent’s actions because every other de- the same mistake with schools. COVID
idea of bipartisanship. You can’t fool veloped country—just about every surged through those States that re-
the American people with these facile other one in Europe and East Asia—is opened too quickly, and many now are
words that just don’t ring true. doing much better than us because being forced to reimpose restrictions.
Even worse, the Republican proposal they have leadership and their leader- We cannot repeat those mistakes when
appears destined to fall drastically ship provided, above all, testing and it comes to the schools and safety of
short of what is required. From all in- tracing. This President refuses to do it, our kids and our families.
dications, the bill will prioritize cor- and the Republicans say nothing. They The question looms over this Cham-
porate special interests over workers are so afraid of President Trump, even ber: When will our Republican friends
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and Main Street businesses. It will not when they know he is wrong. Even stand up to President Trump and tell
provide hazard pay for essential work- when millions of lives are at stake, him to get his act together—when push
ers. It will not provide new funding to even when the economy is at stake, comes to shove, when people’s health
State, local, and Tribal governments or they just are deathly silent. and even lives are at stake? It seems
enough investments in communities of What do they end up doing? Well, the that Senate Republicans are always
color that have been ravaged by the one thing that unites Trump and all too timid, too afraid to buck the Presi-
virus. the Republicans is pleasing corporate dent.
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S4312 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE July 21, 2020
Will they stand up and tell him he is ‘‘I often said, when I started going up been in the pantheon of heroes, but his
wrong to block more funding for test- through the ranks, that if I had a vision and faith were bigger than jus-
ing and tracing? Will they tell him to chance—if I ever became police chief— tice for just one group. His commit-
stop ignoring the signs, trying to hide that I was going to try to right that ment was to genuine democracy and
the data, and undermining medical ex- wrong,’’ said Murphy during an inter- equality. He said so many times: ‘‘You
perts like Dr. Fauci? Most of all, most view—now the deputy sheriff for Mont- cannot build a wall when it comes to
importantly, will our Republican col- gomery County, AL. He went on to say: equality; it must be equality for all
leagues finally step up to the plate and ‘‘A lot of my peers didn’t want to talk and not for some.’’ He told us: ‘‘We
do what is right—work with us in a bi- about it. They didn’t want to face the must be headlights, not taillights.’’
partisan way to provide desperately truth.’’ For John, being a headlight meant
needed relief to the American people? Because of that gesture, John Lewis going out ahead and shining a light so
I yield the floor. and Kevin Murphy struck up a friend- that we could see the people living in
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen- ship, and John Lewis invited Murphy the cold shadows of discrimination and
ator from Illinois. to the White House to meet President bring them into the warmth of Amer-
REMEMBERING JOHN LEWIS Barack Obama. Then the two of them, ica’s promise.
Mr. DURBIN. Madam President, John both Lewis and Murphy, traveled to He challenged us always to expand
Lewis was a great American, but there Ireland and Northern Ireland to talk our concepts of justice and equality—
was a humility in his heart that with Catholics and Protestants about as he said, ‘‘to respect the dignity and
showed his greatness even more, and he bridging the religious divide. worth of every human being, Black or
gave speeches that stirred a nation. Murphy said he was awed by Lewis’s White, Latino or Asian, immigrant to
Who among us can forget his trade- capacity to walk through the world Native American, gay, straight, Mus-
mark speech of explaining how, as a with an open heart. You can just tell, lims, Christians, Jews.’’ John spoke for
young man, growing up on a farm, he with everything he had been through, all of them. How many times did he
practiced public speaking to an audi- that he wasn’t a bitter man. He truly tell us: ‘‘We are one people, one family;
ence of chickens? He told that story had tried to put a lot of what hap- we live in one house’’?
over and over again. pened—the injustices—behind him. One of the great injustices for our
John Lewis used to say, ‘‘People That was John Lewis. times was overly harsh drug laws. It
come up to me in the airport, and they It is a miracle that he didn’t die was a measure passed in the 1980s and
say, ‘I’m going to cry. I’m going to when angry Klansmen and their sym- 1990s that disproportionately harmed
pass out.’ ’’ pathizers torched the bus that carried people and communities of color. Many
John’s reply was, ‘‘Please, don’t pass a young John Lewis and other Freedom of us worked for years to replace those
out; I’m not a doctor.’’ Riders near Anniston, AL, in 1961. It is biased laws. John Lewis was deeply
John Lewis was a healer and a balm amazing that he survived the Edmund committed to our cause.
for troubled souls. I was struck by an Pettus Bridge, on Bloody Sunday in About 2 years ago, a proposal was of-
article in the Atlanta newspaper that 1965, when the Alabama State troopers fered that would have shifted the focus
talked about an incident that occurred nearly beat him to death. Clearly, of our efforts and really walked away
in January of 2009. there was a purpose in his life that had from a commitment to criminal sen-
A former Ku Klux Klan member, to be served. tencing reform. It was John Lewis who
Elwin Wilson, confessed to being part I had the honor to serve with Con- stepped up. His steadfast insistence
of the White mob that had bloodied gressman Lewis in the House for 10 made a difference, and it resulted in
John Lewis and other Freedom Riders years, and I called him my friend for having the FIRST STEP Act being
in Rock Hill, SC, nearly 48 years be- nearly 40 years. For a man who had signed into law.
fore. Lewis noted in his 2012 book witnessed the depths of hatred and de- Rosa Parks was one of John Lewis’s
‘‘Across That Bridge’’ that Wilson was spair, John Lewis was one of the most heroes. When she died in October 2005,
the first of his attackers to apologize hopeful people I had ever met. He once her body lay in the Rotunda of the U.S.
for his actions. Wilson traveled to said the only time he came close to Capitol. Tens of thousands of people
Washington a short while later to meet giving up was after the murder of Rob- filed past to pay their respects to this
Lewis face-to-face and ask for forgive- ert Kennedy in 1968. Martin Luther great heroine of justice who had the
ness. King had been assassinated 2 months courage to refuse to sit in the seg-
‘‘Without a moment of hesitation, I earlier. So when Bobby Kennedy died, regated portion of that bus. They came
looked back at him and said, ‘I accept it seemed for a few weeks that any all night and all the next morning.
your apology,’ ’’ John Lewis wrote. hope for justice and equality had died Late at night, John Lewis walked
This was a great testament to the too. That is what John Lewis said. Yet quietly into the Rotunda. He waited in
power of love to overcome hatred. he didn’t allow despair to overcome line with every other mourner. Accom-
John Lewis had another incident him. He didn’t spend his life hoping for panying him were a handful of blind
that I thought was worth mentioning better; he spent his life making the men and women who were using white
this morning, as well, that was another world better. He still had hope, and he canes. That was John Lewis, showing
example of the forgiveness. had a profound belief in the future of the way by quiet and powerful exam-
Kevin Murphy wasn’t born until a this Nation. ple. He showed us that the promise of
year after John Lewis was knocked un- I was reminded this weekend of a America is the promise of dignity for
conscious by a blow from a wooden story that captured so well John Lew- everyone. In John’s eyes, none of us is
Coca-Cola crate in 1961 after the Free- is’s humility and his enormous redemp- free until all of us are free.
dom Riders pulled into the bus station tive influence on America. It was Janu- Born in rural Troy, AL, the son and
in Montgomery, AL. As the city’s po- ary 20, 2009—a day I will never forget. grandson of sharecroppers, he saw the
lice chief in 2013, Mr. Murphy wanted Barack Obama was sworn in to be the injustice of Jim Crow even when he
to issue an apology for the officers who first African-American President of the was a young boy. When he was 15, he
declined to step in as a White mob de- United States. As he was leaving the discovered a man who became an iconic
scended on Lewis and his bus-riding podium, John Lewis stepped forward to leader and his personal mentor. At that
colleagues. So, when Lewis and other the new President and asked him to age, John bought a comic book entitled
dignitaries assembled at Montgomery’s sign his inauguration program. The ‘‘Martin Luther King and the Mont-
First Baptist Church to commemorate President hesitated, pulled out a pen, gomery Story.’’ It was 14 pages long,
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the event, Murphy walked to the and wrote the following inscription: and it cost him a dime, but it touched
microphone and offered Lewis what ‘‘Because of you, John. Barack his heart and inspired his life. That
was long a symbol of oppression for Obama.’’ thin dime had yielded arguably the
many African Americans—his police John Lewis was an icon of the Amer- greatest return on investment of any
badge. Murphy told Lewis he hoped it ican civil rights movement. If he had purchase in the history of our Nation.
would serve as a token of reconcili- confined his life’s work to only ending Now we are asked, how should we
ation. racial injustice, he would have still honor this man?
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July 21, 2020 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S4313
It was a little over 10 years ago that some who are trying mightily to di- strongly urging the Trump administra-
I joined the Faith & Politics pilgrim- minish American’s faith in our democ- tion to refrain from taking any action
age and made a trip to Alabama. It was racy and our elections. We can honor that resembles what has occurred in
a weekend that John had led for so John Lewis by protecting the right to Portland, OR. Any involvement by
many years wherein we visited the vote. Let’s do it and do it now. Federal law enforcement in community
shrines of the American civil rights Let me close with another story I policing activity must be conducted in
movements. We saw the monument and learned about John Lewis this week- coordination with and with the ap-
tribute to Rosa Parks, and we went to end. We have seen those iconic photos proval of local law enforcement offi-
the church where those little girls were of the 23-year-old John Lewis as he led cials. In this time of heightened ten-
killed in Birmingham. Unfortunately, those marchers across the Edmund sion, we cannot have Federal law en-
my schedule was such that I had to Pettus Bridge in 1965—a young man, forcement operating at cross-purposes
leave before we actually visited Selma, dressed in a tan trench coat, with a with local leaders.
which was to occur at 12 noon on Sun- backpack. John Lewis had been ar- In recent days, the Trump adminis-
day. rested before for nonviolent protests. tration has deployed Federal law en-
I went to John and said: I am sorry I He just had a hunch that he was going forcement agents in the streets of
can’t be there, as I have always wanted to be arrested again that day and Portland, OR. They have arrived with-
to be on that Selma bridge and to hear jailed, so in his backpack he had his out any visible identifying informa-
your story in your own words. toothbrush, toothpaste, an apple, an tion. These Federal agents have report-
He said: You have got to come. We orange, and two books. edly used excessive force against peace-
will make a special trip. I will meet One book was ‘‘The Seven Storey ful protestors and detained residents in
you in the lobby of the hotel at 6:30 in Mountain’’ by the Catholic monk and unmarked vehicles. Such conduct is
the morning, and we will drive over mystic Thomas Merton. That book unacceptable anywhere in the United
and see it. I will take you on that tour. spoke about the power of hope to trans- States and certainly unacceptable in
How could I possibly say no? form abstract principles into realities the city of Chicago and the State of Il-
I said: I will be there in the lobby. that, one day, if necessary, we would be linois.
Let’s go. willing to sacrifice and even die for. I am joining Senator JEFF MERKLEY
And off we went. On that day, the other book in John of Oregon this week in introducing leg-
We talked all the way over about his Lewis’s backpack was entitled ‘‘The islation to prevent President Trump
memories of what led to that march in American Political Tradition.’’ It from taking this action in Chicago or
Selma. He was the one who told me opened with a quote from the writer any other American city. The bill we
personally how Federal Judge Frank John Dos Passos. Here is what it read: jointly are offering would require Fed-
Johnson had often been overlooked but ‘‘In times of change and danger when eral officers to wear identifying insig-
that if it were not for his rulings that there is quicksand of fear under men’s nia. There is no place in America for
had allowed that march to go forward, reasoning, a sense of continuity with secret police.
it might never have happened. generations gone before can stretch The bill also would limit Federal
It was an inspirational visit for me to like a lifeline across the scary forces to the immediate vicinity of
be there in the early Sunday morning present.’’ Federal property unless there has been
hours on that misty day, standing at John Lewis was the bridge that con- a written request by local leadership or
the end of the Edmund Pettus Bridge, nected the civil rights generation with the Insurrection Act has been invoked.
right next to John Lewis. He pointed what we see today in the streets of There is no question that the Federal
down, just at the foot of the bridge, America—again, a common effort to Protective Service and other Federal
and said: make sure we fulfill the promise of law enforcement does have the respon-
That’s where I fell. That’s where they hit equality for everyone. John Lewis was sibility for Federal facilities, but what
me. heartened by the Black Lives Matter we have seen in Portland has gone far
There is a lot of talk about what to movement. His last public appearance beyond that location and into the com-
do next to honor John Lewis. There has was here in Washington in the area munity at large.
been talk of renaming the Edmund they have reserved for speaking their Our bill would also prohibit arrests
Pettus Bridge in his honor. I am not minds about this important issue. or apprehensions in unmarked vehicles
opposed to that. I think that humble In this time of change and loss, may and render any arrests made in viola-
bridge is becoming a defining piece of we honor the legacy of John Lewis and tion of this act unlawful.
American history. Yet John Lewis did find within us the hope and courage to How in the world can we explain that
not risk his life on Bloody Sunday for continue his work, as he reminded us in the year 2020, the Trump administra-
the right to rename a bridge; he risked that the cause of justice and equality tion would follow the example of Vladi-
his life for the right of every man and is the cause of a lifetime. mir Putin in his invasion of Ukraine
woman in America to vote and to have PROTESTS with these so-called green monsters,
a voice in our democracy. John said so Madam President, let me start by who would arrive without any insignia
many times that the right to vote is saying that there is no place for vio- or any indication of whom they were
precious, that it is almost sacred, and lence or vandalism in the exercise of fighting for? These little green men
that it is the most powerful, non- any constitutional right. The use of turned out to be agents of the Russian
violent tool we have. force against peaceful protesters or Government. We don’t need anything
The Voting Rights Act of 1965 has members of law enforcement in the like that—even close to it—in the
been weakened and whittled down by reasonable exercise of their respon- United States.
recent Supreme Court and other court sibilities is unacceptable. Finally, the bill would require notice
decisions and by the actions of this De- In recent days, President Trump has to the public in the event of crowd con-
partment of Justice. In December, the indicated that he wants to send Fed- trol-related deployments that includes
House of Representatives voted to re- eral agents into cities, including Chi- information about the agencies in-
store the Voting Rights Act. John cago, to conduct policing activities volved, the number of personnel, and
Lewis presided over the U.S. House of that are traditionally handled by local information related to requests and
Representatives on the day of that im- law enforcement. other details. That is what you come to
portant vote. That bill to restore the The Chicago Tribune has reported expect in a democracy.
Voting Rights Act has been sitting on that the Department of Homeland Se- In February 2017, Senator TAMMY
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Senator MCCONNELL’s desk for more curity is developing a plan to send an DUCKWORTH and I sent President
than 225 days. additional 150 agents to Chicago as Trump a letter suggesting how he
Words of praise for John Lewis are soon as this weekend, although details could help, how the Federal Govern-
fine, but they are not enough. This have not been made public as to what ment could come forward to give us as-
Senate should honor the life and the they are going to do. sistance in fighting crime and gun vio-
sacrifice of John Lewis by voting to re- I join Governor J.B. Pritzker of Illi- lence in the city of Chicago. The letter
store the Voting Rights Act. There are nois and Chicago Mayor Lightfoot in noted that public safety is primarily a
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S4314 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE July 21, 2020
local responsibility, but the Federal Well, there is no explanation, and there Eight weeks ago, the House of Rep-
Government can be a partner in public is no good reason, and, sadly, that resentatives did their measure, the He-
safety efforts alongside local officials, delay is causing a problem. People are roes Act—one which I think is sound
law enforcement, and community uncertain of their status as to whether and principled and I would have sup-
stakeholders. they are positive or otherwise for days ported. Senator MCCONNELL has come
We recommended the administration on end, waiting for the results of the to the floor regularly to say it is so
take steps to assist local violence-pre- test. bad, it is inadequate, it is wrong. Yet
vention efforts, including enhancing It is time for us to develop a test we still don’t have a proposal from the
Department of Justice programs that that is timely in its results and widely Republicans, who are the majority in
improve community policing; directing available to Americans. We cannot re- the Senate, about what they would do
the Department of Justice to promote alistically open the economy or even to move forward from this point in the
mentoring and job-training programs conceivably get our schools back to next COVID–19 bill.
for youth and the formerly incarcer- normal until we have that testing. One of the areas that I want to ad-
ated; improving mentoring and vio- Why, then, does the White House re- dress specifically is the fact that al-
lence-prevention initiatives and boost- sist putting money in the next COVID– most 3 months ago—maybe longer—
ing funding for recidivism-reduction 19 bill for the additional testing that is Senator MCCONNELL came to the floor
programs; directing the Department of fundamental to the question of dealing and said: There is a redline here. If the
Justice to abide by its commitment to with the future of this COVID–19 virus? COVID–19 bill that we are considering
help implement policing reforms rec- In addition, I am joining with a num- in the future does not include a provi-
ommended by the Department’s Civil ber of my colleagues—KIRSTEN GILLI- sion giving immunity—legal immu-
BRAND, MICHAEL BENNET, CHRIS COONS,
Rights Division; closing the gaps in the nity—to businesses across the United
FBI gun background check system and and others—in an effort to try to ex- States, it has no chance. We are not
in Federal firearm laws that enable pand the medical and healthcare per- going to consider it.
straw purchasers and gun traffickers to sonnel necessary to make sure that we Well, many of us have a lot of ques-
flood Chicago’s streets with illicit finally bring this virus to bay. We are tions about this legal immunity that
guns; prioritizing career and youth going to try to include this in the Senator MCCONNELL is asking for.
training programs to address lack of COVID–19 legislation. What is it? How far does it go? Well, it
I have legislation that Senator turns out there was a memo describing
economic opportunity; and redirecting
RUBIO—a Republican from Florida—and
resources that are devoted to the con- it that was leaked to K Street. That is
I have cosponsored that would enhance
struction of his border wall to making where the lobbyists’ offices are for spe-
the training of National Health Service
our cities and communities across the cial interest groups in Washington.
doctors, nurses, and dentists and med-
United States safer. That is the way That memo found its way into a news-
ical professionals, mental health coun-
the Trump administration can show paper, and we have read it, and there
selors and the like. I think our bill is a
that it really cares about law enforce- are still many unanswered questions.
step forward because it provides schol- We have been waiting for months for
ment in the city of Chicago and across arship assistance to those who will
this Nation and can help us move for- the language—this redline immunity
pledge years of service to the National
ward in reducing the incidence of vio- language that Senator MCCONNELL in-
Health Service Corps once they have
lence. sists on. He has described the number
graduated and are licensed. We need
I join Mayor Lightfoot in making it of lawsuits and litigation that have
that.
clear to President Trump that we have CHRIS COONS is talking about expand- been filed under COVID–19 as being a
no need and will not tolerate tyranny ing the opportunity for Americans to tsunami, overwhelming in number.
by the Federal Government on the step forward and serve their Nation Completely false. The number of
streets of Chicago. doing contact tracing and other things claims that have been filed is few
If the President truly wants to co- that are essential. It would create across the United States, with more
operate with law enforcement efforts, thousands and thousands of jobs across than 3 million people who have so far
we can find ways to find common the United States at a time when we been infected.
ground and make it a safer city to- desperately need them for a cause that Should we have a standard of con-
gether, but sending in secret police we must conquer ultimately. duct? Of course we should. The Senate
with unmarked vehicles to snatch peo- These are good things to include in Judiciary Committee, almost 3 weeks
ple off the streets is not only unaccept- this legislation, but there are more im- ago, had a hearing where a Texas busi-
able, it is un-American. mediate things on the economic side. nessman came forward and said: I want
CORONAVIRUS Do you realize that this coming Sat- to do the right thing, but what stand-
Madam President, I listened care- urday will be the last day we will be ard should I be following here? Some-
fully to Senator MCCONNELL this morn- sending out unemployment checks thing local? Something State? Some-
ing as he came to the floor and talked with the Federal supplement that we thing Federal? Give me the standard,
about the situation we currently face. voted on on March 26 in the CARES and I will do my very best to live up to
Make no mistake—we are still in the Act? Yes, this week—before next Sun- it.
midst of this pandemic. COVID–19 is day—the last check will be mailed be- Well, that sounded like a good-faith
taking its toll on many parts of Amer- cause, you see, our effort under the effort by a businessperson who wants
ica. In the last week, more than 40 dif- CARES Act expires on July 31. customers and employees to be safe
ferent States that decided to open their The last payment will be made on when they come into his establish-
economies early have found that it was Saturday, and then what? And then ment. He has every right to ask for
not a wise decision; that, in fact, many what? For the millions of Americans that standard, and we have every re-
more people are becoming infected and who depend on this Federal supplement sponsibility to provide it based not on
dying. Over 140,000 have died in the to feed their families, pay their rent, the politics of the moment but on pub-
United States so far, and over 3 million pay their mortgage, pay the utilities, lic health, on medical certainty, and on
have been infected. I am afraid that pay their health insurance premiums— science. That is what the standard
there will be more to follow. I wish what are they going to do next? should be drawn to, and the notion that
that were not the case. The question is, I listened to Senator MCCONNELL say: any standard published by anyone—
What can we do? Well, we are going to have to take a whether by a town, a city, a township,
look at what that is going to be in the a county, a State, whatever it might
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First, what can we do when it comes
to COVID–19? future. Well, let’s do it, Senator, but be—is sufficient to absolve any busi-
I listened the other day when Dr. An- let’s do it quickly. Why have we wait- ness from any liability goes way too
thony Fauci of the National Institutes ed? It has been since March 26 that we far. Unfortunately, it is going to be
of Health was interviewed, and he and have taken up any legislation on the misused, I am afraid, by those who do
Dr. Collins have both been asked, why subject, and we knew this day would not—as this businessman clearly was
does it take so long to get results when come. Why did we wait until the last not going to do—want to live up to
people go in for testing for COVID–19? minute? their responsibility.
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July 21, 2020 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S4315
What that Texas businessman said in ing to the floor—are 818 amendments, program virtually impossible to use. It
the Senate Judiciary Committee gave of which 440 are Republican and 428 are adds only burdensome certification and
me a good belief and strong faith that Democratic. Then there was the adop- reporting requirements.
the business community wants to do tion of the substitute amendment. We Now, I don’t say this critically of
the right thing but just wants guid- all remember what happened then. We Senator SCHATZ, but he doesn’t like the
ance. It would be amazing if the CDC had 79 amendments. Those amend-
program, and he wants to kill the pro-
and OSHA stepped forward and pro- ments were 34 Democrat and 34 Repub-
gram. We are not going to allow this to
vided clear, enforceable standards so lican, and 11 were joint. Then the
happen.
that businesses and others across the amendments we adopted with the man-
United States knew exactly what to do agers’ package included 34 amend- As an example, let’s say that a sher-
in terms of social distancing and masks ments, 15 from Republicans and 18 from iff’s office in my State of Oklahoma or
and the like. We need that, but first we Democrats, as amendments on the sec- any other State decides that they want
need the language from Senator ond managers’ package numbering 28 to receive sleeping bags that the De-
MCCONNELL. This so-called redline has and the third package of 34. What I am partment of Defense no longer needs.
been promised now for months. Let’s saying is that we have had many Under the Schatz amendment, that
see the details. Let’s move forward amendments, and this is the first time sheriff’s office would need to, No. 1, put
from there. there has been a bill that was entirely the request for sleeping bags out for
The notion of immunity for busi- written by the Members. That is why public comment 30 days prior; second,
nesses by any standard that will not we are at a point now where we can in- they would have to receive approval
protect employees and customers is un- troduce our amendments. from local and State authorities; and
acceptable. It would not make America It was important to both Senator third, they would have to file reports
safe; it would make the situation even REED and me to try to vote on at least on how the sleeping bags would be used
worse. a few individual amendments. This is and the kind of training officers will
I yield the floor. something we haven’t been able to do have to receive in order for them to
I suggest the absence of a quorum. in the last several years. We made this have these sleeping bags.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The arrangement 2 weeks ago when we set
clerk will call the roll. Sheriff’s offices are too busy working
up some six amendments to be voted to keep our communities safe to file
The senior assistant legislative clerk on. We will start in just a few minutes
proceeded to call the roll. numerous reports on sleeping bags that
voting on the first two, which will be
Mr. INHOFE. Madam President, I ask they receive from DOD. To put it
Senator SCHATZ’s and mine. I am glad
unanimous consent that the order for bluntly, I think this amendment would
we are doing this within the hour.
the quorum call be rescinded. The first two amendments will be in kill the 1033 Program. Again, this is al-
The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mrs. relation to Senator SCHATZ regarding lowing trained law enforcement offi-
LOEFFLER). Without objection, it is so the 1033 Program. I am strongly op- cers to use surplus equipment that is
ordered. posed to the Schatz amendment to end not going to be used and has no value
S. 4049 the 1033 Program. I hear people talking to the military. This is why both the
Mr. INHOFE. Madam President, we about this, and I guess they don’t real- National Sheriffs’ Association and the
have three groups of speakers having ize what we have done in the State of National Fraternal Order of Police
to do with the vote that will take place Oklahoma. Our sheriffs and law en- strongly oppose Senator SCHATZ’s
at 11:45 a.m., and during that time I forcement officers were quite upset amendment.
will take the first 15 minutes, and then when they heard that it might be in Madam President, I ask unanimous
other Members will have amendments. jeopardy. The 1033 Program is an effec- consent to have printed in the RECORD
The first two amendments will be the tive use of the taxpayers’ money, tak- the recommendations from the Na-
Schatz amendment and then my ing equipment that is not being used tional Sheriffs’ Association and the Na-
amendment. by the military and allowing it to go tional Fraternal Order of Police.
I did have the intention of having into the law enforcement sector. All
more time and was going to kind of re- There being no objection, the mate-
kinds of precautions have already been rial was ordered to be printed in the
joice a little bit because, right now, I taken, but we are talking about adding
understand we are about to get the in- RECORD, as follows:
a few more precautions.
formation on suggestions that the Sec- The 1033 Program is an effective use NATIONAL SHERIFFS’ ASSOCIATION,
Alexandria, VA, July 14, 2020.
retary of Defense has after working of taxpayers’ money. In fact, since the Hon. JAMES INHOFE,
over a realignment of some of our re- program’s creation in 1990, more than Chairman, U.S. Senate Committee on Armed
sources, particularly in Europe. This is $7 billion worth of vehicles, desks, Services, Washington, DC.
kind of interesting because this is boots, computers, and more have been DEAR MR. CHAIRMAN: I write today to lend
something that 18 years ago this year I responsibly recycled into law enforce- the voice of 3,068 sheriffs in support of your
tried to do unsuccessfully when Jim ment. This is military equipment that amendment #2411 to the National Defense
Jones was the Supreme Allied Com- the military no longer needs and that Authorization Act and in opposition to Sen-
mander, and we were not able to get it these agencies would be purchasing ator Schatz’ amendment #2252. The National
done. After 18 years, we are going to anyway. The equipment is always de- Sheriffs’ Association has studied this issue
try it again. I will be speaking about militarized so that it is appropriate for thoroughly and determine that your amend-
that issue at 4 p.m. today, and it is a public safety use. ment to prohibit the transfer of bayonets,
significant one. For years, local law enforcement has grenades (other than flashbang and stun),
Today we are considering amend- weaponized tracked combat vehicles and
been asked to do more with less. Now
armed drones is a more thoughtful approach.
ments to our national defense author- they face the liberal cause to defund Senator Schatz, on the other hand, would
ization bill. We are still working on a the police. We need to continue this stop the 1033 completely thru bureaucratic
managers’ package, but as I previously transparent, responsive program. recordkeeping and reporting requirements
noted, we have already agreed to more There are a lot of us who have a hard that make it all but impossible to legally
than 140 bipartisan amendments. time believing that this is going on comply. It seems to us that, since taxpayers
Let me be more specific than that. today—that people are trying to play have bought this equipment once, to simply
This is the first time we have done down law enforcement, trying to say throw the equipment away or let it rust in
this. We have had amendments to a that it is acceptable to break the law. warehouses is an incredibly wasteful ap-
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lesser degree in the past. This is the This has never happened before in proach to taxpayers’ dollars. The sheriffs im-
plore you to let us continue to use this
first time that the entire bill has been America, but that is what we are see-
equipment to save lives in high water res-
put together by Members of the U.S. ing right now. That makes this pro- cues, deep snow rescues, and hostage situa-
Senate. gram one that is even more valuable. tions, which we do many times a year.
To demonstrate that, the total num- Senator SCHATZ’s amendment would Best regards,
ber of amendments to date, on July place such stringent limitations on the JONATHAN THOMPSON,
21—including our request prior to com- 1033 Program that it would make the Executive Director and CEO.
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S4316 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE July 21, 2020
NATIONAL FRATERNAL ORDER OF POLICE, Defunding and deequipping our law ment offered today would bury law en-
Washington, DC, July 15, 2020. enforcement agencies simply will not forcement, especially those from poor
Hon. MITCH MCCONNELL, fix anything. Making sure they have communities, in unnecessary bureauc-
Majority Leader, Senate,
the right equipment and right training racy, effectively preventing them from
Washington, DC.
Hon. CHARLES E. SCHUMER, will. So I would request that my col- procuring the equipment needed to
Minority Leader, U.S. Senate, leagues vote no on the Schatz amend- keep our communities and citizens
Washington, DC. ment and recognize the value of this safe. This unworkable messaging ploy
DEAR SENATORS MCCONNELL AND SCHUMER: program, and vote yes on my amend- is born out of Democrats’ belief that
I am writing on behalf of the members of the ment putting new safeguards into the vilifying the police will somehow help
Fraternal Order of Police to advise you of 1033 Program. them win the election in November.
our opposition to S. Amdt. 2252, which will With that, Madam President, having Thankfully, there is an alternative,
be offered to S. 4049, the ‘‘National Defense
Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021.’’ The
used the first 10 minutes of my time, I amendment No. 2411, offered by the
FOP urges members of the Senate to vote yield the next 5 minutes to Senator chairman from Oklahoma. It is a
against this amendment, which would im- CRAMER. thoughtful, commonsense approach
pose sweeping restrictions on an important The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen- with a focus on trained prevention and
surplus equipment program for State and ator from North Dakota. deescalation. It puts the right equip-
local law enforcement agencies. Mr. CRAMER. Madam President, I ment in the right hands and places
The FOP has long supported the 1033 pro- thank Chairman INHOFE for his leader- commonsense restrictions on what
gram, which is a surplus equipment program ship and eloquence. I rise today in de- transfers can occur, all while saving
administered by the Defense Logistics Agen- fense of the heroes on the thin blue line
cies (DLA) and the Law Enforcement Sup- the taxpayers’ money.
port Office (LESO) at the U.S. Department of
and in opposition to amendment No. I urge my colleagues to support
Defense (DoD). The media is constructing an 2252 to the National Defense Authoriza- amendment No. 2411 and call on the
inaccurate narrative that State and local tion Act, which Chairman INHOFE just Members of this body to reject any at-
law enforcement agencies are becoming too spoke to. tempts to prevent these brave men and
‘‘militarized’’ simply because this program is Over the past few months, America women from doing their jobs to safely
administered by the DoD. has watched as we have seen a rise in secure our communities.
It is important for Senators to understand civil unrest turn into violence in cities I yield back.
that equipment received through the 1033 all across our country. Anarchists and
program is demilitarized and repurposed for
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen-
public safety use. Simply because a piece of
domestic terrorists have exploited the ator from Hawaii.
equipment was originally purchased—with peaceful protests of millions of well-in- AMENDMENT NO. 2252 TO AMENDMENT NO. 2301
our tax dollars—by the DoD does not make it tentioned Americans in order to inflict (Purpose: To reform Department of
military equipment. A tool is defined by its chaos and instill fear in our commu- Defense transfers of personal property
use. The equipment is used to defend and nities. Standing on the frontlines as a to law enforcement agencies.)
protect officers and civilians from threats shield from absolute anarchy are our Mr. SCHATZ. Madam President, I
and to carry out law enforcement and public local law enforcement officers who, by
safety objectives.
call up amendment No. 2252, as pro-
There is no data, studies, or other informa-
and large, have applied the appropriate vided for under the previous order.
tion to support the contention that State force required to protect American The PRESIDING OFFICER. The
and local law enforcement agencies are mis- families as well as First Amendment clerk will report.
using equipment obtained through these rights. The legislative clerk read as follows:
Federal grant programs. For this reason, on Unfortunately, some have made the The Senator from Hawaii [Mr. SCHATZ] pro-
behalf of the more than 354,000 members of political calculation that they would poses an amendment numbered 2252 to
the Fraternal Order of Police, we urge mem- benefit more from chaos than from amendment No. 2301.
bers of the Senate to vote against this peace. They believe defunding and
amendment. If I can provide any additional
Mr. SCHATZ. I ask unanimous con-
abolishing police departments and re- sent to dispense with the reading.
information on this issue, please feel free to
contact me or Executive Director Jim Pasco
stricting their access to protective The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without
in my Washington office. gear are politically better than an hon- objection, it is so ordered.
Sincerely, est look at what our justice system (The amendment is printed in today’s
PATRICK YOES, really needs to succeed. RECORD under ‘‘Text of Amendments.’’)
National President. The 1033 Program has been utilized Mr. SCHATZ. Madam President, Sen-
Mr. INHOFE. Madam President, I for years to provide State and local law ators MURKOWSKI, HARRIS, PAUL, and I
support strong oversight of the 1033 enforcement with valuable tools al- are offering a bipartisan amendment
Program, and I understand the intent ready purchased by the Federal Gov- that proposes reasonable, common-
behind my colleague’s amendment. We ernment to promote public safety. It sense reforms to the 1033 Program.
want to make sure that the wrong kind would be the epitome of waste to gut Groups on the left and the right sup-
of equipment doesn’t get into the this program and let these valuable port it, including the NAACP, the Na-
hands of people who cannot properly tools rust in a pile or a closet some- tional Urban League, OurStreets,
use it, so we have actually put those place. FreedomWorks, Concerned Veterans
modifications into an amendment that As the chairman stated, the police for America, the American Conserv-
will be voted on—the Inhofe amend- and sheriffs associations oppose amend- ative Union, Campaign for Liberty,
ment—right after the Schatz amend- ment No. 2252, and for good reason. Americans for Tax Reform, and the
ment, in another 30 minutes from now. Patrick Yoes of the Fraternal Order of Faith and Freedom Coalition.
We are offering an alternative to the Police says: People on the left and the right agree
Schatz amendment. It would place a It is important for Senators to understand that it is time to start to demilitarize
more narrow limitation on the transfer that equipment received through the 1033 the police.
of Department of Defense equipment, program is demilitarized and repurposed for Our amendment will permanently
public safety use. Simply because a piece of
including weapons that cannot be used prohibit the transfer of lethal military
equipment was originally purchased with our
by State and local enforcement. We are tax dollars by the Department of Defense weapons to police departments. This
talking about weapons such as does not make it military equipment. A tool includes heavy ammunition, bayonets,
weaponized tracking vehicles, drones, is defined by its use. The equipment is used grenade launchers, explosives,
and lethal grenades. They are not being to defend and protect officers and civilians stripped-down tanks, tear gas, and
from threats and to carry out law enforce- weaponized drones, among other
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used anyway, so let’s put them on a list
so that they can’t be used. That should ment and public safety objectives. things. Now, think about that list—
satisfy a lot of people’s concerns. It is stunning to me that some of my weaponized drones and bayonets. Is
It also makes sure that those who re- colleagues are more appalled at where anybody under the impression that a
ceive this equipment get necessary law enforcement gets some of their police department needs a weaponized
training on how to protect citizens’ tools and equipment than they are at drone or a bayonet?
constitutional rights and enhanced the violence that our police officers Our amendment also ensures the po-
training on deescalation techniques. have to endure every day. The amend- lice departments can still get access to
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July 21, 2020 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S4317
the equipment that actually helps is not easy work, and it will not be mind those who are running this fall, if
them to protect the public under the solved by one vote. This amendment is you want to make sound bites about
1033 Program, like first-aid kits, cold- meaningful, and it is bipartisan. this and not do anything, as of yester-
weather gear, flash lights, and high- There is simply no evidence to sup- day, the virus has infected more than
water vehicles to respond to flood dis- port the idea that police are 3.8 million Americans. It has killed
asters. outgunned. Criminals are not rolling more than 143,000. Those are not num-
The last month has made clear that around with IEDs and armored vehi- bers. Those are people. There have been
weapons of war don’t belong in police cles. This is an opportunity, given the 30,000 more Americans who have been
departments. Weapons of war have no failure of us to do anything about the killed by this virus in the past 5
place in police departments. We saw relationship between police and com- months than died in Vietnam, Korea,
the terrifying images of police in mili- munities—anything at all in this Con- Iraq, and Afghanistan combined.
tary gear storming the streets, combat gress, in this historic moment—this What is the President’s response?
vehicles rumbling down city blocks, amendment is an opportunity to actu- Well, the virus will soon just go away.
rounds and rounds of tear gas shot at ally get something done. We have bi- After dismissing the virus as nothing
peaceful protesters, frequently without partisan cosponsors. This will be a bi- to worry about and predicting that the
warning and often unprovoked. None of partisan vote. We have organizations, U.S. economy would come roaring back
this helps anyone deescalate a crisis. frankly, on the far left and the far in June, our self-proclaimed wartime
Our communities are not battlefields. right supporting this amendment. This President has, for all intents and pur-
The American people are not enemy is an opportunity for the Senate to ac- poses, left the battlefield.
combatants. If our troops can’t use tually get something done. So I urge Unfortunately, the people who are
tear gas while overseas, police depart- my colleagues to vote yes. fighting COVID have not left the bat-
ments shouldn’t use it on American I yield the floor. tlefield. These are friends of mine. I
citizens. It is really that simple. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen- have known people who have died from
Across the country, more than 8,000 ator from Vermont. this. We all do. Hopefully, we all know
police departments are stockpiling Mr. LEAHY. Madam President, I ap- doctors and nurses and others who
weapons of war at no cost. The re- preciate the words of the distinguished work on the frontlines of this.
search plainly shows that outfitting Senator from Hawaii. Those of us who After months of the President belit-
our police for war does not help to keep served in law enforcement know the tling those who wear masks to protect
the peace. Militarized equipment actu- temptation to seek out this kind of themselves and others, almost nothing
ally leads to more violence, dispropor- military hardware and the basic use- he has said about this pandemic has
tionately impacting communities of lessness and cost of it when that is turned out to be accurate or, worse yet,
color. More militarized law enforce- done. helpful. At this point, his priority ap-
ment is associated with more civilians I will just be very brief in mentioning pears to be keeping the Confederate
killed each year by police. that we had a small, very safe, and flag flying and honoring those who
One study found that when a county very quiet community. The police chief fought to defend slavery and destroy
goes from having no military equip- was in my office when I was State’s at- the Union. This is appalling, even for
ment to receiving about $2.5 million torney, and the chief law enforcement this divisive President who wants to
worth of weaponry, civilian deaths at officer of the county was all excited be- protect the names of people who are
the hands of police are likely to double. cause he was going to get an armored traitors to the United States and
To make matters worse, some police personnel carrier. I said: What are you fought against the United States. Why
departments are misusing this program going to do with it? not put names of people on those forts
by selling, trading, or pawning equip- Well, just in case there is an upris- and those military bases who actually
ment. Often, county and city officials ing. defended the United States and fought
don’t even know what weapons and I said: An uprising is whether some- for us?
equipment police departments are ac- body is shouting too much on your Back to COVID–19. We know the
quiring because equipment like ar- Fourth of July parades. I said: If you virus toll in this country is staggering,
mored track vehicles are very expen- get that, I can assure you that if it is and unlike many countries where gov-
sive to store and maintain. This pro- used, I will have an inquiry into why it ernments quickly put in place effective
gram is actually blowing up local budg- was used, and no cases from your juris- controls, and the virus has receded in
ets across the country because these diction will be allowed in the court. He those countries that put the controls
tanks are tearing up the streets. decided he could find better uses of in and their economies have largely re-
Today, we have an opportunity to fix their other things. opened, here, it is getting worse.
it. It is not to repeal the 1033 Program I said: Besides, you are going to get We also need to be aware of what the
outright, which, frankly, I would favor, laughed out of town if you get it. virus is doing in other parts of the
but this amendment is the result of a CORONAVIRUS world because that will determine how
bipartisan compromise wherein we I have spoken many times about the long it is going to take to defeat this
worked with each Member who was need for another COVID–19 supple- pandemic and how long before life re-
willing to engage—former Governors mental. We see the frightening trajec- turns to normal in our own country.
who served in the Senate, former pros- tory of this virus. The terrible human Any virus is only an airplane trip away
ecutors who served in the Senate, suffering, loss, and economic devasta- from our shores, but that has been ig-
Members of both parties—and they spe- tion that is causing families, busi- nored by the White House.
cifically came to our office and said: nesses, and public services in every Last week, the World Health Organi-
You know, that specific item has an State and municipality in this country zation, which the White House blames
important civilian use, could you ex- have greatly accentuated the urgency for favoring China—at the same time,
empt it from the list of prohibited of that need. incidentally, President Trump was
transfers? We worked and we worked As the coronavirus continues to out- praising Xi Jinping for China’s re-
and we worked, and this is the com- pace the White House’s appallingly be- sponse to the virus—reported more
promise measure. By passing this lated, I would say, incompetent, inad- than 14 million confirmed infections
amendment, we can prevent the abuse equate, and incoherent efforts to con- and more than 600,000 deaths world-
of a 1033 Program, and we can limit the tain it, and while they keep trying to wide. The virus has spread to 216 coun-
amount of dangerous weapons in local make a sound bite, the number of tries and territories. It affected the en-
SSpencer on DSK126QN23PROD with SENATE
precincts. Americans becoming sick and dying tire world. Countries with the most ad-
To be clear, reforming this program continues to rise. vanced healthcare systems in the world
is not the only thing we need to do. No They ought to be worried, first and are struggling to cope with the flood of
single amendment will end police bru- foremost, about Americans and Ameri- sick people. As bad as that is, the situ-
tality and violence, and alleviating the cans’ health and Americans’ safety far ation is far worse in developing coun-
deep mistrust between police and the more than what might be a political tries, where billions of people have no
communities they are sworn to protect sound bite for this fall’s election. I re- access to quality medical services, and,
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S4318 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE July 21, 2020
for that matter, even safe water and interest in this, too—in the world being Will you please tell me who you are.
sanitation. healthy. It is not a problem that is They start beating him, and they break
Their governments have minimal going to be solved by an ‘‘America his hand. This is a Navy veteran who
ability to stop the spread of the virus First’’ policy or by building a wall and has served our country.
or to shore up their failing economies saying somebody else will pay for it or This is as out of control as anything
and to stop the virus from going else- by blaming others. else. And to hear smug comments from
where. Without aid from the United Americans can’t safely resume nor- members of the administration saying
States and other donors, the virus mal international travel and commerce that we have to do this—no, everybody
spreads out of control. You know, we without a successful global strategy to knows they are doing that hoping that
are not isolated from the rest of the reduce the number and rate of infec- somehow it will help the President’s
world. We have already seen this hap- tions. As long as the virus is spreading reelection.
pening in our hemisphere. in this hemisphere and beyond, Ameri- I want to help the United States of
According to USAID; the World Food cans will continue to become infected America.
Programme; the Vaccine Alliance, and die, and the U.S. economy will suf- I have spoken many times about the
GAVI; the Global Fund; and other pub- fer, no matter how many tweets and need for another COVID–19 supple-
lic health and humanitarian organiza- sound bites come from the White mental. The frightening trajectory of
tions, COVID-related needs around the House. this virus and the terrible human suf-
world are spiking in every area. USAID The amount appropriated for the fering, loss, and economic devastation
said that whatever amount of resources international response to the virus in it is causing families, businesses, and
the Congress provides is not going to previous COVID–19 supplementals to- public services in every State and mu-
be enough. tals $2.4 billion, including less than $1 nicipality in this country, have greatly
They describe massive gaps in meet- billion for food and other humanitarian accentuated the urgency of that need.
ing what they foresee as a tidal wave of aid. That is about one-half of 1 percent As the coronavirus continues to out-
need in the making, at the same time of the sum total of those emergency pace the White House’s appallingly be-
that they and others are trying to stop supplementals. lated, incompetent, inadequate, and in-
the backsliding in other infectious dis- I will put much of these numbers in coherent efforts to contain it, the num-
ease programs, which, because we are the RECORD, but there are billions ber of Americans becoming sick and
all on one globe, ultimately affect us. needed for the cost of purchasing and dying continues to rise.
If the current trend continues, 270 distributing billions of doses of a As of yesterday, the virus has in-
million people will be without ade- coronavirus vaccine, as soon as one is fected more than 3.8 million Americans
quate food by the end of this year, an available. GAVI will play an essential and has killed more than 143,000.
increase of 150 million due to the pan- role in that, protecting the world and Those are not numbers. They are peo-
demic alone. U.S. Food for Peace Pro- protecting us because that distribution ple. Thirty thousand more Americans
gram, known as P.L. 480 Title II, has is going to be immensely difficult and have been killed by this virus in the
been a lifesaver for over 60 years. More costly, and we have to be prepared as past 5 months than died in Vietnam,
than 3 billion people in 150 countries soon as the vaccine is proven to be safe Korea, Iraq, and Afghanistan com-
have received P.L. 480 food aid, and it and effective. bined.
has been backed strongly by both Re- The longer Congress delays, then the The President’s response? That the
publicans and Democrats in this body. more costly—in lives and dollars—an virus will ‘‘soon just go away’’. After
It is absolutely vital to the COVID–19 effective international response to dismissing the virus as nothing to
response. COVID–19 becomes. worry about and predicting that the
The World Food Programme is under- The President does not want to be U.S. economy would come ‘‘roaring
taking the biggest humanitarian re- the leader we need at this critical time. back’’ in June, our self-proclaimed
sponse in its history. Does that affect So it is up to Congress—an independent ‘‘war time President’’ has for all in-
us in the United States? Of course, it branch of government—to actually tents and purposes left the battlefield.
does because we are interrelated, and stand up and do our work. After months of belittling those who
because if these problems continue in On July 10, the House Appropriations wear masks to protect themselves and
other parts of the world, ultimately, Committee marked up its fiscal year others, almost nothing he has said
they do affect us very, very much. 2021 bill for the Department of State about this pandemic has turned out to
In the United States, we see that our and Foreign Operations, which includes be accurate or helpful.
agriculture economy is continuing to $10 million in emergency funding to re- At this point, his priority appears to
suffer. The Trump trade wars have hurt spond to COVID–19. That is a good be keeping the confederate flag flying
our farmers. The pandemic has acceler- start, but we have a lot more to do. I and honoring those who fought to de-
ated their decline. Actually, additional hope the proposal that will finally be fend slavery and destroy the Union.
funding for P.L. 480 will help address unveiled by the majority leader will in- That is appalling, even for this divisive
immediate global hunger needs, while clude funds for an international re- President.
it would also support America’s farm sponse. The virus’s toll in this country is
community suffering from the eco- Senator GRAHAM—a Republican—and staggering, and unlike many countries
nomic crisis caused by COVID–19. I have worked together on this Foreign where governments quickly put in
The U.N. believes the number of Ops bill. We are in agreement that we place effective controls and the virus
COVID–19 infections are massively need strong U.S. leadership at this crit- has receded and economies have large-
underreported and is running out of ical time. I am going to be making rec- ly reopened, here it is getting worse.
funds to support the hundreds of pas- ommendations to other members of the But we also need to be aware of what
sengers and cargo flights carrying Appropriations Committee on this. the virus is doing in other parts of the
international aid and workers’ food and I will close on an entirely different world because that will determine how
medical supplies, and, of course, many matter. long it will take to defeat this pan-
of these humanitarian workers are When I see a Navy veteran come and demic and how long before life returns
themselves becoming ill. ask masked, unidentified soldiers, po- to normal in our own country. This,
Both USAID and the U.N. have stated lice officers—nobody really said who too, has been all but ignored by the
that you have to have U.S. leadership they were—dispersing a crowd in Port- White House.
to get other countries to help. It is a land, and he just stands there and says: Last week, the World Health Organi-
SSpencer on DSK126QN23PROD with SENATE
practice widely understood, apparently Look, who are you? What are you zation—which the White House blames
everywhere except at the White House. doing? He was not being in any way for favoring China at the same time
The less prepared we and other coun- threatening. What is their response to President Trump was praising Xi
tries are for what lies ahead, the worse him? They start beating him and beat- Jinping for China’s response to the
it is going to be for them and for us. ing him and firing tear gas at him. He virus—reported more than 14 million
You know, this is not just being good simply asked: Who are you? Why are confirmed infections and more than
humanitarians on our part; we have an you in our town? What are you doing? 600,000 deaths worldwide. The virus has
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July 21, 2020 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S4319
spread to 216 countries and terri- say that U.S. leadership is crucial to U.S. leadership at this critical time. I
tories—in effect, the entire world. obtaining contributions from other do- will be making my own recommenda-
Countries with the most advanced nors. It is widely understood—at least tion to the other members of the Ap-
health care systems in the world are everywhere except inside the White propriations Committee for the nec-
struggling to cope with the flood of House—that the less prepared we and essary funding to combat the virus
sick people. As bad as that is, the situ- other countries are for what lies ahead overseas, and I urge other Senators to
ation is far worse in developing coun- the worse it will be for them and for us. support it.
tries, where billions of people have no This is not a problem that will be S. 4049
access to quality medical services or solved by an ‘‘America First’’ policy or Mr. PAUL. Mr. President, there is a
even safe water and sanitation. by building a wall or by blaming oth- Cold War-era quote, attributed to Win-
Their governments have minimal ers. ston Churchill, that ‘‘in a democracy, a
ability to stop the spread of the virus Americans cannot safely resume nor- knock on the door in the early morning
or to shore up their failing economies. mal international travel and commerce is the milkman.’’
Without aid from the United States without a successful global strategy to In the United States, we are not sup-
and other donors, the virus will spread sustainably reduce the number and posed to fear a knock on our front
out of control. In fact, that is already rate of infections. As long as the virus door. If the police do knock on our
happening in this hemisphere. is spreading in this hemisphere and be- door, we expect them to come at a rea-
According to USAID, the World Food yond, Americans will continue to be- sonable hour and to respond to crimi-
Programme, WFP; The Vaccine Alli- come infected and die and the U.S. nal activity with the professionalism
ance, GAVI; the Global Fund; and economy will suffer. befitting the peace officers they are.
other public health and humanitarian The amount appropriated for the Those are the expectations of a free
organizations, COVID-related needs international response to the virus in people, proud of its history and tradi-
around the world are spiking ‘‘in every previous COVID–19 supplementals to- tion of separating the roles between ci-
area’’ and USAID says that whatever tals $2.4 billion, including less than $1 vilian law enforcement agencies and
amount of resources the Congress pro- billion for food and other humanitarian the Armed Forces—one is to keep the
vides ‘‘will not be enough.’’ aid. That is less than one-half of 1 per- peace within its community, the other
They describe ‘‘massive gaps’’ in is to destroy foreign adversaries.
cent of the sum total of those emer-
meeting what they fore see as a ‘‘tidal By keeping those roles separate,
gency supplementals.
wave of need’’ in the making, at the Americans have historically built and
Today’s appeals from just the Global
same time that they and others are sustained a strong bond of trust with
Fund, WFP, and GAVI total $10 billion,
trying to stop the backsliding in other their police officers. But, for years, the
and that doesn’t include the needs of
infectious disease programs. war on crime and the misguided war on
According to WFP, if current trends agencies like the UN High Commis-
sioner for Refugees, UNICEF, or our drugs has looked a lot like the war on
continue, 270 million people will be terror.
without adequate food by the end of own programs administered by USAID
Throughout our country, due to the
this year, an increase of 150 million due and the State Department.
Several billion dollars are needed Department of Defense’s 1033 Program,
to the pandemic alone. law enforcement is equipped with the
The U.S. Food for Peace Program, just for the cost of purchasing and dis-
tributing billions of doses of a tools of the U.S. military, which has
known as P.L. 480—Title II, has been a predictably resulted in the continued
life-saver for over 60 years. More than coronavirus vaccine as soon as one is
decline of the relationship between the
three billion people in 150 countries available, in which GAVI will play a
police and those they serve.
have received P.L. 480 food aid. central role. The distribution will be Perhaps we should discuss the kinds
This program is absolutely vital to immensely difficult and costly, and we of machinery provided to local police
the COVID–19 response. As countries have to be prepared as soon as a vac- departments.
restrict international travel to slow cine is proven to be safe and effective. The 1033 Program provided to the
the spread of the virus, it is disrupting The longer Congress delays, the more sleepy New England town of Keene,
the transport and movement of food. costly—in lives and dollars—an effec- NH, a Ballistic Engineered Armored
WFP is undertaking the biggest hu- tive international response to COVID– Response Counter Attack Truck, other-
manitarian response in its history. Ac- 19 becomes. Controlling the outbreak wise known as a Bearcat.
cording to David Beasley, ‘‘[t]his un- here at home is ultimately a lost cause That might sound menacing, but it is
precedented crisis requires an unprece- if we do not act aggressively to assist nothing compared to what the Depart-
dented response. If we do not respond other countries in the global fight ment of Defense provided to Columbia,
rapidly and effectively to this viral against this pandemic. SC: a mine-resistant war truck,
threat, the outcome will be measured President Trump has shown that he equipped with a machine gun.
in an unconscionable loss of life, and cannot and will not be the leader we These examples are by no means
efforts to roll back the tide of hunger need at this critical time. It is up to unique. Between 2006 and 2014, the De-
will be undone.’’ Congress. The longer we delay, the partment of Defense transferred over
In the United States, the agriculture more difficult and costly it will be to $1.5 billion worth of equipment, includ-
economy is continuing to suffer. Not defeat this virus. ing over 600 mine-resistant ambush
only have the Trump trade wars hurt On July 10, the House Appropriations protected vehicles, 79,288 assault rifles,
our farmers, the pandemic has acceler- Committee marked up its fiscal year 205 grenade launchers, and 11,959 bayo-
ated their decline. Additional funding 2021 bill for the Department of State nets to civilian police departments.
for P.L. 480 would help address imme- and Foreign Operations, which includes These are not the tools of peace offi-
diate global hunger needs, while also $10 billion in emergency funding for the cers. These are weapons uniquely de-
supporting America’s farm community international response to COVID–19. signed to crush an enemy army.
suffering from the economic crisis That is a good start, but it is too little. Mr. President, there has emerged a
caused by COVID–19. The virus is racing around the world consensus that we have turned our
The United Nations believes the and the costs of stopping it are increas- back on our own principles and blurred
number of COVID–19 infections is ing every day. the lines between civilian law enforce-
‘‘massively under-reported,’’ and is I hope the proposal about to be un- ment and soldiers of war.
running out of funds to support the veiled by the majority leader includes And we know that because the Inhofe
the necessary funds for the inter- amendment concedes as much. By lim-
SSpencer on DSK126QN23PROD with SENATE
hundreds of passenger and cargo flights
carrying international aid workers, national response because, to repeat, iting the types of weapons that can be
food, and medical supplies. Their ef- controlling the outbreak here at home transferred, such as bayonets and gre-
forts are also threatened by the fact is ultimately a lost cause if we do not nades, the Inhofe amendment acknowl-
that many health and humanitarian act aggressively to assist other coun- edges that there are at least some mili-
workers are getting sick. tries against this pandemic. tary-grade weapons that should not be
All of this requires large infusions of I believe Senator GRAHAM and I are turned on the streets of America’s
money, and USAID and the U.N. both in agreement about the need for strong communities.
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S4320 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE July 21, 2020
But, despite that major and very wel- Next, according to the Defense De- I support the Schatz amendment and
come concession, the Inhofe amend- partment, 92 percent of the equipment urge my colleagues to vote in favor of
ment contains a very telling blind spot. transferred during fiscal year 2019 was it.
It focuses almost exclusively on weap- in the category of uncontrolled prop- Thank you.
onry and not the true issue here, the erty—things like office equipment, I yield the floor.
importance of trust between law en- first aid kits, hand tools, computers, The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen-
forcement and the communities they and digital cameras. After 1 year from ator from Wyoming.
serve. transfer, items in this category become Mr. ENZI. Madam President, I come
The Inhofe amendment takes as a the property of the law enforcement to the floor today to urge my col-
given that the transfers of military agency and are no longer subject to an- leagues to support amendment No.
surplus equipment are between the law nual inventory requirements. The rest 2411, offered by the Senator from Okla-
enforcement agencies, the DOD, and no of the property transferred under the homa, and oppose amendment No. 2252,
one else. 1033 Program is considered controlled offered by the Senator from Hawaii.
The Schatz-Paul amendment takes a property and is given to law enforce- I have heard from law enforcement in
different approach by ensuring that ment agencies on a conditional or my State. They use this program to get
communities are notified of requests ‘‘loan’’ basis. This includes things like critical search-and-rescue equipment
and transfers, by posting notices small arms, demilitarized vehicles, and that saves lives. In Sweetwater Coun-
throughout the community and on a night vision equipment. ty, the sheriff used equipment from the
public website, as well as community Typically, small arms weapons only 1033 Program to rescue 22 people in just
participation by ensuring that a juris- make up about 5 percent of the prop- 5 months. In Big Horn County, equip-
diction’s governing body approves of erty transferred in the 1033 Program. ment from the program rescued a fam-
the transfers. And the Schatz-Paul When a law enforcement agency no ily who was kayaking when 6-feet
amendment provides enforcement longer wants or needs this controlled waves arose. A boat from this program
mechanisms to combat police mili- property, it must be returned to the was the only equipment that could
tarization. Department of Defense. break through the waves to rescue the
Mr. President, the police have a very To ensure that this program is run family. Without the 1033 Program, they
difficult job and serve a critical func- responsibly and effectively, the Gov- would not be able to afford this life-
tion. Without the rule of law, a civ- ernment Accountability Office has pro- saving equipment.
ilized society cannot exist. We cannot vided several reviews of this program Sometimes the equipment is not
take the police for granted. They are that have been helpful in past years to used, in which case we are pleased that
brave citizens, and they deserve our tighten the requirements on partici- there is no need for a search and rescue
gratitude. pants in the 1033 Program. The com- that year, or some of it is converted to
That is the core of the Schatz-Paul mittee report accompanying the bill fire protection equipment.
amendment. Our amendment takes se- before us requires another GAO review The burdensome paperwork required
riously the idea that the cops on the of DOD’s disposal of military vehicles, by the amendment offered by the Sen-
beat can only do their job well when which could inform additional reforms ator from Hawaii would effectively end
they are well known to their neighbors when we receive the results of the re- access to the program for the local law
and trusted by their communities. view.
By providing the Federal Govern- enforcement in my State whose depart-
I also know that the Defense Logis-
ment and local citizens a role in evalu- ments are small. Our towns are small.
tics Agency requires annual audits of
ating what tools should be available to participating agencies to ensure they The activities have to be combined be-
civilian police forces, the Schatz-Paul are accountable for the equipment they tween fire and police protection.
amendment will help build the rela- Senator INHOFE has attempted to find
have received. If an agency is delin-
tionship between law enforcement, the middle ground. His amendment re-
quent or doesn’t meet the require-
their communities, and, in turn, make ments, then they can be suspended or quires reforms and training without an
our citizens, our police, and our neigh- terminated from the 1033 Program. egregious paperwork burden that could
borhoods safer. While this Program is an effective end this important program.
I urge my colleagues to vote yes on way of reusing equipment that tax- Again, I urge my colleagues to vote
the Schatz-Paul amendment. payers have already paid for, we con- in favor of amendment 2411 offered by
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen- tinually need to ensure that our civil- Senator INHOFE.
ator from Rhode Island. ian law enforcement agencies do not I yield the floor.
Mr. REED. Madam President, I rise end up looking like or acting like our The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen-
today in support of the Schatz amend- military when they patrol the streets. ator from Hawaii.
ment. The Schatz amendment would Given some of the incidents that have Mr. SCHATZ. Madam President, just
make changes to one of the Defense De- occurred in recent months, I believe by way of rebuttal to the Senator from
partment’s surplus property programs, that additional modifications are nec- Wyoming, to make clear what the
known as the 1033 Program, which al- essary. Schatz-Murkowski-Harris-Paul amend-
lows the Defense Department to dis- The Schatz amendment adds some ment does, we were very thoughtful
perse excess military equipment to reasonable requirements and limita- and deliberative and collaborative with
Federal, State, and local law enforce- tions to the 1033 Program. For one Members of the Senate to ensure that
ment agencies. thing, it would codify the prohibition the problem he is describing would not
The 1033 Program has provided the of certain items from being transferred occur under this new statute. So let me
Defense Department a way to reuse under the 1033 Program, things like just be specific. Search-and-rescue
taxpayer-funded equipment it no certain kinds of ammunition, grenades, equipment, boats, things like that
longer needs by providing it to law en- and drones. This amendment would which clearly have a virtuous civilian
forcement agencies. This, in turn, also prohibit the use of transferred use are not prohibited transfers under
saves State and local governments equipment against First Amendment- my amendment.
from having to buy new equipment. protected activities, such as the right Thank you.
This program is almost 25 years old, to peaceably assemble and to petition I yield the floor.
and it has been the subject of contin- the government for redress of griev- The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen-
ued scrutiny and modifications. ances. ator from Hawaii.
I would first like to review what is in
SSpencer on DSK126QN23PROD with SENATE
I know that the Defense Department VOTE ON AMENDMENT NO. 2252
place. DOD requires that all requests has some concerns about how this Mr. SCHATZ. Madam President, I
for equipment from law enforcement amendment would be implemented, but ask for the yeas and nays.
agencies include a justification of how I believe these concerns can be ad- The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there a
the property will be used. This jus- dressed during conference with the sufficient second?
tification is a key factor in deter- House. I believe it is important and There appears to be a sufficient sec-
mining if a requisition is to be ap- timely to make such changes to the ond.
proved. 1033 Program today. The yeas and nays were ordered.
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July 21, 2020 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S4321
Mr. SCHATZ. Madam President, I States Code, is amended by inserting before bled when called to order by the Pre-
ask unanimous consent that we start the period at the end the following: ‘‘, in- siding Officer (Mrs. CAPITO).
the vote now. cluding respect for the rights of citizens
f
under the Constitution of the United States
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there
and de-escalation of force’’. NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZA-
objection? (b) CERTAIN PROPERTY NOT
Without objection, it is so ordered. TION ACT FOR FISCAL YEAR
TRANSFERRABLE.—Such section is further 2021—Continued
Under the previous order, the ques- amended—
tion occurs on agreeing to the Schatz (1) by redesignating subsections (e) and (f) The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen-
amendment No. 2252. as subsections (f) and (g), respectively; and ator from Wyoming.
The yeas and nays were ordered. (2) by inserting after subsection (d) the fol- BUDGET
The clerk will call the roll. lowing new subsection (e): Mr. ENZI. Madam President, I rise
The bill clerk called the roll. ‘‘(d) PROPERTY NOT TRANSFERRABLE.—The
today to discuss our Federal finances
Secretary may not transfer to a Tribal,
The result was announced—yeas 51, and the need to address our
State, or local law enforcement agency
nays 49, as follows: under this section the following: unsustainable fiscal debt and deficit.
[Rollcall Vote No. 132 Leg.] ‘‘(1) Bayonets. The Federal budget has already been
YEAS—51 ‘‘(2) Grenades (other than stun and flash- on an unsustainable path before
Baldwin Harris Peters bang grenades). COVID–19 reached our shores and be-
Bennet Hassan Reed ‘‘(3) Weaponized tracked combat vehicles. fore the pandemic and our govern-
Blumenthal Heinrich Rosen ‘‘(4) Weaponized drones.’’. ment’s response to it, which has accel-
Booker Hirono Sanders VOTE ON AMENDMENT NO. 2411
Brown Jones Schatz
erated what I believe is a coming day
Cantwell Kaine Schumer The PRESIDING OFFICER. Under of reckoning.
Cardin King Shaheen the previous order, the question occurs I recognize the unprecedented crisis
Carper Klobuchar Sinema on Inhofe amendment No. 2411. presented by COVID–19. I support the
Casey Leahy Smith
Coons Manchin Stabenow Mr. INHOFE. Mr. President, I ask for necessary response. Together, Congress
Cortez Masto Markey Tester the yeas and nays. has passed and the President has
Daines Menendez Udall The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there a signed five separate pieces of legisla-
Duckworth Merkley Van Hollen
Durbin Murkowski Warner
sufficient second? tion responding to the pandemic and
Feinstein Murphy Warren There appears to be a sufficient sec- its economic fallout that together will
Gardner Murray Whitehouse ond. cost more than $2 trillion.
Gillibrand Paul Wyden The clerk will call the roll. I never would have supported tril-
NAYS—49 The senior assistant legislative clerk lions in new spending unless I truly be-
Alexander Fischer Risch called the roll. lieved that it was necessary to combat
Barrasso Graham Roberts The result was announced—yeas 90, the virus and prevent economic catas-
Blackburn Grassley Romney nays 10, as follows: trophe resulting from the government
Blunt Hawley Rounds
Boozman Hoeven [Rollcall Vote No. 133 Leg.] shuttering the economy. I know many
Rubio
Braun Hyde-Smith Sasse YEAS—90 of my colleagues feel that same way.
Burr Inhofe Scott (FL) Alexander Gardner Portman
When this crisis abates—and it will—
Capito Johnson Scott (SC) the Federal Government cannot afford
Baldwin Gillibrand Reed
Cassidy Kennedy
Collins Lankford
Shelby Barrasso Graham Risch to return to the status quo of
Sullivan Bennet Grassley Roberts unsustainable budgets and surging debt
Cornyn Lee
Thune Blumenthal Hassan Romney
Cotton Loeffler
Tillis Blunt Heinrich Rosen that jeopardizes the prosperity of fu-
Cramer McConnell
Crapo McSally Toomey Boozman Hirono Rounds ture generations. We have to start seri-
Wicker Braun Hoeven Rubio ous conversation about how we are
Cruz Moran
Young Brown Hyde-Smith Sasse
Enzi Perdue
Burr Inhofe Schatz
going to pay our bills and put our fi-
Ernst Portman nances on a more sustainable path. We
Cantwell Johnson Schumer
The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Capito Jones Scott (FL) can justify aggressive borrowing and
Cardin Kaine Scott (SC) spending as necessary during times of
CRUZ). On this vote, the yeas are 51, the Carper King Shaheen
nays are 49. Casey Klobuchar Shelby crisis, but that can’t be the default.
Under the previous order, the 60-vote Cassidy Lankford Sinema So far this fiscal year, we have al-
threshold having not been achieved, Collins Leahy Smith ready run up a deficit of $2.7 trillion in
Coons Lee Stabenow
the amendment is not agreed to. Cornyn Manchin Sullivan
1 year, more than triple the size of the
The Senator from Oklahoma. Cortez Masto McConnell Tester deficit we ran at the same time last
AMENDMENT NO. 2411 Cramer McSally Thune year. The Congressional Budget Office
Crapo Menendez Tillis says that we are on track to spend $3.7
Mr. INHOFE. Mr. President, I call up Cruz Merkley Toomey
my amendment No. 2411 and ask that it Daines Moran Udall trillion more than we take in this year,
be reported by number. Duckworth Murkowski Van Hollen and that is assuming we don’t pass new
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Durbin Murphy Warner COVID legislation. By the end of the
Enzi Murray Whitehouse
clerk will report the amendment by Ernst Paul Wicker
fiscal year, our publicly held debt will
number. Feinstein Perdue Wyden exceed the size of our economy and, by
The senior assistant legislative clerk Fischer Peters Young the end of next year, debt as a percent-
read as follows: NAYS—10 age of the economy will be higher than
The Senator from Oklahoma [Mr. INHOFE] Blackburn Hawley Sanders
it has ever been in our history. I have
proposes an amendment numbered 2411 to Booker Kennedy Warren a little chart here that demonstrates
amendment No. 2301. Cotton Loeffler that.
Harris Markey We have been fortunate the interest
The amendment is as follows:
(Purpose: To impose additional conditions The PRESIDING OFFICER. On this rates on our debt are currently low,
and limitations on the transfer of Depart- vote, the yeas are 90, the nays are 10. and the government has been able to
ment of Defense property for law enforce- Under the previous order requiring 60 borrow the funds necessary to address
ment activities) votes for adoption of this amendment, the crisis caused by the pandemic. The
At the end of subtitle E of title X, insert the amendment is agreed to. dollar has remained relatively strong,
helping to keep inflation low. The U.S.
SSpencer on DSK126QN23PROD with SENATE
the following: f
SEC. 1052. ADDITIONAL CONDITIONS AND LIMITA- dollar remains the world’s reserve cur-
TIONS ON THE TRANSFER OF DE- RECESS rency and the safe haven for invest-
PARTMENT OF DEFENSE PROPERTY The PRESIDING OFFICER. Under
FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT ACTIVI-
ments in the current time of crisis.
TIES. the previous order, the Senate stands But how long will that be the case if
(a) ADDITIONAL TRAINING OF RECIPIENT in recess until 2:15 p.m. we continue to run trillion-dollar defi-
AGENCY PERSONNEL REQUIRED.—Subsection Thereupon, the Senate, at 12:59 p.m., cits each year? Future Congresses will
(b)(6) of section 2576a of title 10, United recessed until 2:15 p.m., and reassem- not have the same flexibility to deal
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