Congressional Record, Senate — Page S4449, July 23, 2020
Summary
Page S4449 of the Senate section of the Congressional Record for July 23, 2020, under a correction heading. Durbin announces Senators who are absent, and the result of Rollcall Vote No. 141 is announced as yeas 60, nays 32. Amendment text modifies the requirements for the Department of Energy response to review by the Nuclear Weapons Council of a budget. In remarks, a speaker says the rental eviction moratorium expires tomorrow, that benefits expire in 2 days, and that the other side of the aisle has no piece of legislation on offer, and mentions Secretary of Labor Scalia.
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“Congressional Record, Senate — Page S4449, July 23, 2020.”
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CORRECTION
July 23, 2020 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S4449
Mr. DURBIN. I announce the Senator (Purpose: To modify the requirements for We have been asking just down the
the Department of Energy response to the hall—Senator MCCONNELL was just in.
from Virginia (Mr. KAINE), the Senator
review by the Nuclear Weapons Council of We have asked him week after week
from Vermont (Mr. LEAHY), the Sen- the budget of the National Nuclear Secu-
ator from Vermont (Mr. SANDERS), and after week—April, May, June, half of
rity Administration)
the Senator from Arizona (Ms. SINEMA) July—to do something about this im-
Beginning on page 1036, strike line 7 and
are necessarily absent. all that follows through page 1037, line 8, and
pending problem we have.
The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. insert the following: This is why we have to do this now.
SCOTT of Florida). Are there any other ‘‘(3) DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY RESPONSE.— Tomorrow, millions of families face a
Senators in the Chamber desiring to ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—If the Council submits massive cliff, and they face another
vote? to the Secretary of Energy a written descrip- one in a week. Right now, millions of
tion under paragraph (2)(B)(i) with respect to Americans are in danger of losing their
The yeas and nays resulted—yeas 60, the budget request of the Administration for
nays 32, as follows: homes. In the CARES Act, we put a
a fiscal year, the Secretary shall include as
an appendix to the budget request submitted
temporary moratorium on evictions
[Rollcall Vote No. 141 Ex.]
to the Director of the Office of Management and foreclosures for renters and home-
YEAS—60 owners and properties with federally
and Budget—
Alexander Fischer Murphy ‘‘(i) the funding levels and initiatives iden- backed loans, as well as for renters re-
Baldwin Gardner Perdue
Barrasso Graham Portman
tified in the description under paragraph ceiving Federal assistance. It is a good
Blackburn Grassley Risch (2)(B)(i); and thing entirely, just not enough. This
Blunt Hassan Roberts ‘‘(ii) any additional comments the Sec- rental eviction moratorium expires to-
Boozman Hawley Rounds retary considers appropriate. morrow.
Braun Hoeven Rubio ‘‘(B) TRANSMISSION TO CONGRESS.—The Sec-
Capito Hyde-Smith Sasse retary of Energy shall transmit to Congress, The last thing we need—imagine this:
Carper Inhofe Scott (FL)
with the budget justification materials sub- In the middle of a public health crisis,
Casey Johnson Scott (SC)
Collins Jones Shaheen mitted in support of the Department of En- people who get evicted roam the
Cornyn Kennedy Shelby ergy budget for a fiscal year (as submitted streets, or they go to an overcrowded
Cotton King Sullivan with the budget of the President under sec- shelter, or they go live in their cousin’s
Cramer Lankford Tester tion 1105(a) of title 31, United States Code), a basement—all potentially spreading
Crapo Lee Thune copy of the appendix described in subpara-
Cruz Loeffler Tillis the virus.
graph (A).’’.
Daines Manchin Toomey We know the moratorium didn’t go
Enzi McConnell Warner Strike Sections 3112, 3113, 3114, 3115, far enough. It only covered 28 percent
Ernst Moran Wicker 3116.
Feinstein Murkowski Young of renters. We should be extending and
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen- expanding the moratorium. We should
NAYS—32 ator from Ohio. be passing my emergency rental assist-
Bennet Harris Rosen UNANIMOUS CONSENT REQUESTS—S. 3685 AND S. ance bill to get people through this
Blumenthal Heinrich Schatz 4097
Booker Hirono Schumer
pandemic, not kicking them out on the
Brown Klobuchar
Mr. BROWN. Mr. President, as if in streets.
Smith
Cantwell Markey legislative session, I ask unanimous
Stabenow We already had a housing crisis in
Cardin Menendez Udall consent that the Committee on Bank-
Coons Merkley this country before the coronavirus
Van Hollen ing, Housing, and Urban Affairs be dis-
Cortez Masto Murray Warren charged and the Senate proceed to the hit. Many of the professions we are now
Duckworth Paul recognizing as essential—one essential
Whitehouse immediate en bloc consideration of the
Durbin Peters
Gillibrand Reed
Wyden
following bills: S. 3685, the Emergency worker, a grocery store worker, said:
Rental Assistance and Rental Market I don’t feel essential. They call me essen-
NOT VOTING—8 tial. I feel expendable because I don’t make
Stabilization Act, which I am a prime
Burr Leahy Sanders much money, and they don’t protect you at
Cassidy McSally Sinema sponsor of, and S. 4097, Senator WAR-
work.
Kaine Romney REN’s bill, the Protecting Renters from
Evictions and Fees Act. I further ask Many of those people recognized as
The PRESIDING OFFICER. On this essential aren’t paid enough to afford
that the bills be considered read a third
vote, the yeas are 60, and the nays are housing.
time and passed en bloc and the mo-
32. tions to reconsider be considered made Think about this: One-quarter of all
The motion is agreed to. and laid upon the table. renters—one out of four renters—before
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there the pandemic were paying half or more
f objection? of their income in rent. One thing hap-
Mr. CRAPO. Mr. President. pens in their lives, and they are on the
EXECUTIVE SESSION The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen- streets. Now we are seeing millions of
ator from Idaho. people all at once have those same
Mr. CRAPO. Mr. President, reserving emergencies. They are facing impos-
the right to object, we have discussed sible choices between rent and grocery
EXECUTIVE CALENDAR this before on the floor, and I will not or prescriptions or draining their sav-
go through that entirely in my part of ings or going to a payday lender. More
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The the discussion here. than 40 percent—40 percent—of Black
clerk will report the nomination. Four months ago with the CARES and Latinx renters report they are un-
The senior assistant legislative clerk Act, we came together and unani- likely to be able to make their next
read nomination of William Scott mously passed a package that provided payment—40 percent.
Hardy, of Pennsylvania, to be United historic support, significant support, in
the rental markets, as this request fo- Some people don’t have any choice at
States District Judge for the Western
cuses on. I believe that in the coming all. Their only option is eviction.
District of Pennsylvania.
days, we can come to that same kind of Those evictions are already happening
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen- in Columbus, the capital city in Ohio,
ator from Massachusetts. consensus and deal with this important
issue. Because of that, I object. the largest city in Ohio. In Columbus,
MODIFICATION TO AMENDMENT—S. 4049 they have turned the convention center
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The ob-
abonner on DSK9F5VC42PROD with CONG-REC-ONLINE
Ms. WARREN. Mr. President, as if in jection is heard. into an eviction court—an eviction
legislative session, I ask unanimous Mr. BROWN. Mr. President. court at the convention center. More
consent that notwithstanding the pas- The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen- eviction filings will be coming if we do
sage of S. 4049, the clerk be authorized ator from Ohio. nothing.
to correct the instruction line on Mr. BROWN. I am disappointed. I For all those renters who have been
amendment No. 2417. knew it was coming from Senator protected from eviction by the CARES
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without CRAPO. He is my friend, and I appre- Act, back rent will suddenly be due.
objection, it is so ordered. ciate the cooperation, but this is so They will owe for March and April and
The amendment (S. 2417), as modi- much more serious than what we did a May and June. The same goes for the
fied, is as follows: few months ago. millions who aren’t protected under
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S4450 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE July 23, 2020
the CARES Act but got relief from a We are supposed to be the greatest This is really a commonsense solu-
temporary State or local moratorium country on Earth. The American peo- tion. My bill, the Protecting Renters
or court closure. ple should not have to fend for them- from Evictions and Fees Act, would ex-
On top of that, at the end of next selves in the middle of a once-in-a-gen- tend the Federal eviction moratorium
week, the additional $600 a week in UI eration crisis. It is time to lead where through March of 2021, and it would ex-
benefits expires. Senator WYDEN has the President has failed. It is time for pand the moratorium to protect every
done yeoman’s work. It is incredible Leader MCCONNELL to let us do our job. single renter.
what he was able to do for this unem- It is time to keep families from losing Congress should pass this bill imme-
ployment that kept millions and mil- their homes. That is really clear. diately, and we should pair it with Sen-
lions and millions—tens of thousands I yield the floor to the sponsor of this ator BROWN’s bill to create a $100 bil-
of Oregonians and hundreds of thou- other bill that is so very important, lion emergency rental assistance fund
sands of Ohioans were kept in their Senator WARREN. to help struggling renters make their
homes because of this $600 unemploy- The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen- payments. Families would get the help
ment check that they got weekly. Now, ator from Massachusetts. they need to stay in their homes and
because Senator MCCONNELL doesn’t Ms. WARREN. Mr. President, I thank stay current on their rent, and land-
care, President Trump doesn’t care, Senator BROWN for the leadership on lords would get their payments. This
those people are going to lose that $600. this. would help families. It would cover
What do they do then? We know that I am very sorry that the Republicans landlords, and it would help protect
UI didn’t cover everyone, but for many will not agree to moving forward on renters and communities from the
people, that $600 was the difference be- this bill today. The urgency of the mo- spread of coronavirus.
tween being able to pay their bills and ment cannot be overstated. So the answer is really simple. The
skipping meals or draining their sav- President Trump’s utterly failed re- Senate can—and must—pass these two
ings or having to turn to a payday sponse to the coronavirus pandemic bills today because the consequences of
lender. has allowed a dangerous virus to inaction would be devastating.
We need to extend the assistance to spread, uncontrolled, throughout our More than one out of every three
help families afford their food and pre- Nation. More than 4 million Americans renters have already missed a housing
scriptions. We need to provide emer- have contracted coronavirus, and more payment. More than one-third of rent-
than 140,000 people are dead. ers have little or no confidence that
gency rental assistance to keep a roof
While the death toll mounts, the they can make the next payment.
over their heads.
President’s failure to control the And let’s be clear about who is most
This problem isn’t some distant cliff.
spread of COVID–19 has caused a second at risk. Closer to half of Black and
We are all about to go home for the
crisis, following closely on the heels of Latinx renters aren’t sure they will be
week. This doesn’t happen a month
the virus. Our economy is in shambles, able to make the next housing pay-
from now or 3 months from now; this
and now we are forced to fight on two ment. Black Americans are already
happens starting this week. It happens more likely to be renters because of
when unemployment expires. It hap- fronts: to keep families safe from the
coronavirus and safe from the eco- decades of racist Federal policies that
pens when these moratoria around the denied Black families Federally in-
country expire. nomic fallout.
So I am here on the Senate floor sured mortgages, and our government
What is President Trump doing? failed to protect Black homeowners
What is Majority Leader MCCONNELL today to talk about one piece of the
economic emergency unfolding in our from predatory mortgages leading up
doing? Nothing. Maybe going to Mar-a- to the great recession. So when the
Lago, maybe going back to Kentucky. I country. Right now, we are just days
away from a completely preventable economy crashed, millions of Black
don’t know. What are they doing about Americans lost their homes, wiping out
this impending cliff? Nothing. housing crisis. The CARES Act evic-
tion moratorium is currently pro- nearly all of the gains in Black home-
We asked them in March. We asked ownership since the 1968 Fair Housing
them in April, in May, and in June. tecting more than 12 million renters
Act.
Two-thirds of the way into July, they from losing their homes while the virus
Failing to institute an eviction mor-
still refuse to help. rages across our country. On Friday at atorium would further deepen existing
Because of this President’s failures, midnight, those protections will dis- racial injustices. Letting eviction pro-
this crisis isn’t getting any better, the appear, allowing a tsunami of evictions tections evaporate at midnight on Fri-
virus continues to spread, people con- that will hit communities of color and day will also result in widespread hous-
tinue to die, small businesses continue low-income families the hardest unless ing disruption and needlessly cause
to suffer. we act now. long-term harm to millions of families’
Why would we let up on the relief Let us be clear. Eviction is not a new future housing, financial stability, and
people need now? The work we do in problem in this country. Too many their health. It will put more families
this body to get help to people simply families were already on the financial at risk of homelessness at a time when
can’t make up for the lack of leader- brink before the virus crashed our providers are already stretching every
ship from the White House, but it can economy. Close to 40 percent of adults dollar to connect unhoused Americans
mitigate some of the damages. don’t have enough cash to cover an un- with sheltering resources, and it will
The House passed the Heroes Act expected $400 expense. More than half take away one of the most critical pro-
nearly 2 months ago. That would have of households didn’t have enough sav- tections from furthering the spread of
eliminated these cliffs. It would have ings to cover 3 months without income. coronavirus: safe, stable housing.
provided $100 billion in emergency re- More than one in four renters were President Trump’s shameful inaction
lief. But do you know what? That bill paying more than half of their income has allowed this virus to spread
has been on the majority leader’s desk to housing. throughout every community in our
collecting dust since May. Now families are facing the worst country. He has denied the scope and
For millions of families about to lose economic crisis of their lifetime. About seriousness of this pandemic. He has
their unemployment, about to lose 30 million Americans are officially un- dismissed calls to take lifesaving ac-
their homes, and not able to feed their employed or out of work. One-half of tion, and he has refused to use the pow-
kids, the bills keep coming, the clock all Americans have lost employment ers of the Federal Government to im-
keeps ticking, the stress keeps mount- income since the start of this pan- plement even the most basic mitiga-
ing. People are tired of this lack of ac- demic, and communities of color have
SSpencer on DSK126QN23PROD with SENATE
tion measures.
tion and lack of accountability. been hit the hardest. It is not possible But crisis does not stop growing just
They are tired of being betrayed— to fix this economy without containing because those in power refuse to ac-
‘‘betrayed’’ is the right word—betrayed the virus, but we can make sure that knowledge it. That is true for the
by this President, who is supposed to millions of Americans don’t lose their spread of the coronavirus, and it is also
look out for them. They are tired of homes because President Trump closed true for the looming eviction crisis.
feeling like no one is on their side. his eyes and hoped that the pandemic This is about our values. The Senate
That is why we need to do this. would just go away. has the opportunity—right now—to
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July 23, 2020 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S4451
stop a massive wave of evictions that As a matter of fact, NANCY PELOSI, aisle, they write lots of bills to help
will displace families right in the mid- Speaker of the House, living on Fan- multinational corporations—lots of
dle of a global pandemic. My colleagues tasy Island, wants to extend these for 6 bills to help the powerful and the spe-
understood the stakes in March when more months, all the way until the end cial interests, but as of this afternoon,
Congress passed the existing eviction of January. The CBO and other re- there is not a bill to help those folks
moratorium into law. I urge them to searchers and economists have looked who this weekend are going to be say-
join me now in continuing this life- at this and said this would be a heavy ing: We are not going to be able to
saving protection while providing wet blanket on the economy. It would make rent in a few days. We are not
emergency rental assistance to keep prevent 10 million people from going going to be able to feed our families,
renters housed, landlords paid, and back to work—going all the way until not going to be able to pay for the car
most of all, to keep families safe. the end of January. insurance. People aren’t spending this
I yield the floor. It is likely that such a proposal money on luxuries. They are spending
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen- would cost $1 trillion—$1 trillion—and it on essentials. To a great extent, they
ator from Oregon. much of that is we are talking about kept the economy afloat for the last
UNANIMOUS CONSENT REQUEST—S. 4143 paying people to not work instead of few months.
Mr. WYDEN. Mr. President, as if in helping people work. The other point I want to make is
legislative session, I ask unanimous So I hope my colleagues will join me that this did not have to happen. Not
consent that the Committee on Fi- in better targeting help to the unem- only do we have legislation ready to
nance be discharged from further con- ployed in a way that doesn’t pay people discuss with our colleagues that incor-
sideration of S. 4143; that the bill be more when they are sitting at home porates some of their ideas, we have
considered read a third time and not working than they would make at been reaching out again and again. Yet
passed; and that the motion to recon- work. MITCH MCCONNELL, who took all of
sider be considered made and laid upon We are working on a plan now to pro- July off when he could have been get-
the table with no intervening action or vide additional help for the unem- ting this piece of legislation together—
debate. ployed if they can’t go back to work those big 2 weeks, and he could have
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there because their job isn’t there, isn’t been getting the legislation together—
objection? available; if, for health purposes, they basically, actively—didn’t happen by
The Senator from Wyoming. can’t go back to work; but do it in a osmosis—actively gave short shrift to
Mr. BARRASSO. Mr. President, re-
way that the Democrats have claimed the needs of the unemployed and made
serving the right to object, the CARES
that they want to do but haven’t even no effort, none whatever, even though
Act provides an additional $600 per
proposed. We need to make it much we reached out continually to Repub-
week to those who are receiving,
more closely aligned with lost wages. licans, saying that this weekend—and
through their States, unemployment
So we are going to be introducing the pain that working families have
insurance. In Wyoming we have a gen-
this plan shortly, and I hope my col- this weekend didn’t have to happen. We
erous unemployment insurance pro-
leagues on the other side of the aisle wanted to do everything we can, work-
gram to help people who are out of
will engage with us in that effort. ing with our colleagues, to prevent it.
work, and the CARES Act adds to that,
For these reasons, I object. Now, for purposes of this discussion, I
essentially, a bonus payment of $600
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Objec- want to make sure people understand
additional per week. For a 40-hour
tion is heard. what this discussion really means to
workweek, that comes down to an av-
The Senator from Oregon. working families in this country. I was
erage of about a $15-an-hour bonus for Mr. WYDEN. Mr. President, I am
not being able to go back to work, and at home, at food banks and the like—
going to get into the substance of my lines for blocks—people who had never
that is on top of their regular unem-
colleague’s arguments in a moment, needed to go to a pantry or a food pro-
ployment benefits.
but I just want to be clear to all the gram were waiting in line because they
Well, since the CARES Act has
passed, what we have seen is that this people in America, the 30-plus million had been hit by this economic wreck-
additional $600 per week means that who are having problems making rent, ing ball.
most recipients are paid more for not having problems buying groceries, who There are people who are worried
working than they would make if they in just 2 days—2 days—come Saturday, about losing their homes and losing
actually were on the job working. This are going to be in a position where, their cars, being unable to fill their
fact has been confirmed by news re- based on what they tell me, they are prescriptions. As I mentioned, think
ports, by academic researchers, and by telling their kids: Hey, you probably about what it means when you have to
the Congressional Budget Office. have to eat a little bit less because the tell your kid you ought to eat less be-
Even former Obama administration unemployment is ending. cause they don’t know whether they
Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner, The fact is, the other body passed a will have enough cash to stock the pan-
along with President Obama’s Chair of bill so that folks would be able to make try next month.
the Council of Economic Advisers, rent and buy groceries. On this side of As I said, Republicans’ response to
agrees that $600 per week on top of un- the aisle, the Democratic leader and I this over the last few days—last few
employment insurance through the introduced legislation to tie the bene- weeks—I went to school on a basket-
States is too much. fits to economic conditions on the ball scholarship, and I remember when
We have ‘‘help wanted’’ signs all ground. One of the reasons we did is my you could basically play stall ball, go
around my State. I talked to the people colleagues on the other side said that into four corners offense, basically run
at unemployment insurance, who run benefits ought to taper off if unemploy- down the clock. And then at the end, as
the program. They tell me that they ment goes down. That is what our bill my distinguished colleague from Wyo-
are having many people who are get- does. ming tried to do, say: Well, it is the
ting paid much more than if they But here is the message that I think fault of the poor people. It is the fault
would work, if they would take the folks who are walking on an economic of those poor people. I am going to
jobs where you have employers out tightrope this weekend need to hear. touch on what this really is all about.
there hoping, looking for employees to On this side of the aisle, we have been When we began the negotiations—and
come and work. ready to go for weeks—essentially, I was the point person for the Demo-
You can’t continue to pay people months—to have bipartisan negotia- crats—in the Finance room—I offered
more to not work than to work. Yet in- tions to work this issue out. As of this basic wage replacement as our position
SSpencer on DSK126QN23PROD with SENATE
stead of trying to address this identifi- afternoon, with benefits expiring in 2 for dealing with this issue. Secretary of
able and correctible problem, today my days, the other side of the aisle has no Labor Scalia said: It can’t be done. The
colleagues are asking that we vote to piece of legislation on offer. Let me re- States can’t administer it. Western civ-
extend the $600-per-week bonus pay- peat that: no piece of legislation on ilization is pretty much going to end if
ments and continue these untargeted offer. we try to do this. And then he folded
payments for many months into the fu- Let me repeat that—no piece of legis- his arms, and, for days, basically re-
ture. lation on offer. On this side of the fused to negotiate about alternatives.
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