Congressional Record, Senate - July 30, 2020, S4625

Summary

This is page S4625 of the Congressional Record, Senate, July 30, 2020, with interleaved columns. Mr. LANKFORD, under Remembering John Lewis, recounts that John Lewis was born on February 21, 1940, in Troy, AL, joined the Freedom Rides, and led 600 peaceful, orderly protesters across the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, AL, on March 7, 1965. A speaker at the top of the page urges that America vote. Under the heading HEALS ACT, Mr. SULLIVAN says the Senate minority leader from New York objected to extending the current level of unemployment insurance in the CARES Act, $600 a week, and says millions of Americans would lose that benefit in 2 days.

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“Congressional Record, Senate - July 30, 2020, S4625.” Original at www.govinfo.gov. Archived at Pandemic Darlings, https://pandemicdarlings.com/source-documents/crec-crec-2020-07-30-crec-2020-07-30-pt1-pgs4625-2-37be5b3f63/, SHA-256 9d6868f573f17da45574b7c95ec9464393c618dfe4839e230dcd9e0ec6c2c412.

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July 30, 2020 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S4625
So stop trying to cancel the election ers stand on the bridge and salute his them, trying to set a building on fire—
based on the success of what has em- body as it went by because John Lewis when I watch that and those individ-
powered more Americans to vote and brought change to America. uals trying to say they are protesting
be involved and be educated in our de- John Lewis was elected to Congress for justice—they are not protesting for
mocracy. Let America vote, and let’s in 1986 in Georgia’s Fifth Congressional what is just. John Lewis was protesting
get on with putting the securities in District, where he served faithfully. He for what is just.
place that will help America get to the was affectionately known as being the John Lewis made the change in
polling places in a secure fashion and conscience of the Congress. America, led a Nation and led a genera-
get their ballots to the election offi- He was trained in religious teachings. tion, even as a young 23-year-old man,
cials in a timely manner. He had a theological degree. He was to do the right thing in the right way.
I yield the floor. often called ‘‘the reverend.’’ He never The change that he brought is a gift to
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen- lost track of his faith. He treated peo- the generations for millennia in our
ator from Oklahoma. ple with respect. Even people he dis- Nation.
REMEMBERING JOHN LEWIS agreed with and voted differently from, With that, I yield the floor.
Mr. LANKFORD. Mr. President, on he would treat them with respect in a The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen-
February 21, 1940, John Lewis was born way that would honor God and honor ator from Alaska.
in Troy, AL—a son of sharecroppers, them and honor his own family. HEALS ACT
born to be a person to bring good trou- What is interesting, some of the Mr. SULLIVAN. Mr. President, it is
ble to the Nation. He grew up on his statements John Lewis has made over Thursday afternoon, and normally I
family’s farm and attended segregated the years always struck me. His quiet come down to the Senate floor to talk
public schools in Pike County, AL. demeanor and his stern way of address- about the Alaskan of the Week—what I
As a young boy, he was inspired by ing justice always came back to his call that person. It is one of my favor-
the activism that surrounded him—the faith. A statement he made in 2004 ite things to do in the Senate. But I
Montgomery bus boycott and the really sticks with me. He said: just witnessed something so remark-
works of a leader name Rev. Dr. Martin I’m deeply concerned that many people able and disturbing that I actually
Luther King, Jr. He attended Fisk Uni- today fail to realize that the movement was want to come down to the Senate floor
versity, and he organized sit-in dem- built on deep-seated religious convictions, and explain what just happened on the
and the movement grew out of a sense of floor because I think a lot of people
onstrations in segregated lunch faith—faith in God and faith in one’s fellow
counters in Nashville, TN. probably missed it, if they are watch-
human beings.
In 1961, he started participating in Many of us who were participants in this ing at home, and maybe didn’t under-
the Freedom Rides. He was just a movement saw our involvement as an exten- stand it. There was a lot of discussion
young man. He would get on board a sion of our faith. going on here. Let me just say that the
segregated bus, and he would dare to He said: Senate minority leader from New York
sit in the ‘‘Whites Only’’ area just to We saw ourselves doing the work of the Al- just objected to extending the current
make a simple statement—that any mighty. Segregation and racial discrimina- level of unemployment insurance in
person of any race should be able to sit tion were not in keeping with our faith, and the CARES Act—$600 a week to help
anywhere they choose to sit in Amer- so we had to do something. American workers who had been laid
ica, and it would be OK. He literally And he did. off due to the pandemic. He just ob-
risked his life just riding on a bus in Representative Lewis left a long leg- jected to that and stopped legislation
the wrong seat. acy as a civil rights leader. He will not that was moving on the floor to extend
He became best known in 1963 when be forgotten in our Nation. The Big Six unemployment insurance for another
he helped to organize the March on leaders made significant changes. I week. Let me repeat that: The Senate
Washington. He was part of what they think about those changes he saw just minority leader of the U.S. Senate,
called the Big Six in the civil rights in his lifetime and the changes that he, when we are moving in good faith, as
movement. He was nationally recog- personally, was engaged in making in we are discussing and negotiating bills
nized. We lose track of the fact that in our Nation. Representative Lewis once here, one element of CARES that is
1963 he was one of the keynote speakers made the statement: ‘‘When people tell going to expire at the end of this
in the March on Washington. He stood me nothing has changed, I tell them, month, unemployment insurance in the
in front of the Lincoln Memorial at 23 come walk in my shoes and I will show CARES Act, the Senate minority lead-
years old. you change’’ because Representative er just blocked that from happening.
His focus on nonviolent protests, his Lewis, just in his lifetime, in the bat- Who knows why, but there will be mil-
focus on training people on how to tles he fought, led, and changed, lions of Americans, in 2 days, who will
speak out for what is just and for what changed segregated schools in Amer- lose that benefit, and the Senate mi-
is right, his focus on challenging people ica; took away segregated water foun- nority leader just blocked it.
to rethink justice and to be able to see tains in America; took away seg- I sure hope our friends in the media
all people as being created in the image regated movie theaters in America; write this story because that is ex-
of God, all people equal, was a message took away segregated public transport actly, exactly, exactly what happened.
that our Nation needed to hear and was in America; changed how people ap- Let me describe in a little bit more
a message he delivered over and over plied for jobs, got jobs, enjoyed their detail. As you would expect in a democ-
again. From his youngest days, he jobs; changed the opportunities for a racy, in the U.S. Senate, we have been
brought good trouble, as he said, to our person being able to live wherever they debating, working on, and negotiating
Nation to awaken us. wanted to live in America; changed a new relief package due to the pan-
He led 600 peaceful, orderly pro- even how we vote in giving equal ac- demic. In March, we passed unani-
testers across the Edmund Pettus cess for every American to be able to mously in this body the CARES Act to
Bridge in Selma, AL, on March 7, 1965. get to the ballot and vote. That is just try to bring relief to our fellow Ameri-
They were going to march from Selma in John Lewis’s lifetime. He left a leg- cans whom we knew were going to be
to Montgomery to demonstrate the acy of change. hurting from this pandemic. We didn’t
need for voting rights changes in the His nonviolent protests, his training have a crystal ball on how long relief
State of Alabama, but Alabama State in leading people, stands in stark con- could last or should last for unemploy-
Troopers met them there in what is trast to what I see some people who ment, for businesses, for small busi-
known as Bloody Sunday. He and other call it protests are doing right now. nesses, for families, for hospitals, for
peaceful protesters, simply marching, When I see what is happening right schools, or for fishermen. So we are

dlhill on DSK120RN23PROD with SENATE
were attacked and beaten for doing now in Portland every night and now working on, as you expect in a de-
what is just. watching individuals gear up and lit- mocracy, what we view as the appro-
It was a telling thing to see John erally attacking Federal law enforce- priate next level because this has ex-
Lewis’s body this past week cross that ment, throwing Molotov cocktails at tended longer than any of us thought,
historic bridge one last time, and as he them, pointing laser pointers at their and the impacts are very significant.
crossed, to have Alabama State Troop- eyes, shooting large-scale fireworks at That is what we are doing here.

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S4626 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE July 30, 2020
The Republicans put forward the me, that will never pass on the Senate pens all the time here. People do it in
Health, Economic Assistance, Liability floor because I will not allow it. But good faith.
Protection, and Schools Act—HEALS. I that is in there. It is a highly inappro- What we just saw was bad faith. What
think it is a good bill. It is not a per- priate attack on 20 percent of the popu- we just saw, in my view, was the Sen-
fect bill, but it has very significant— lation in my State. ate minority leader taking hostage this
very significant resources for schools, But here is the point: These are issue, hoping that his friends in the na-
for hospitals, and for families. starting points. This is what happens tional media will somehow blame us. I
When I was home in Alaska and tak- in the Senate—or at least I thought think, if you are telling the truth and
ing calls with my fellow Alaskans and these were starting points. you just watched what happened on the
heard what their priorities are and But I guess I was wrong because, Senate floor, that is going to be hard
heard what they said was really impor- when my good friend from Arizona to do. My view is we have to come to-
tant for them to have in any kind of came down and said we are having ne- gether in good faith to help our fellow
the next relief package, part of my job gotiations on these bills, we are having Americans, my fellow Alaskans, many
is to listen and try to work hard to get negotiations on how and to what de- of whom are still really, really hurting.
that done. gree to extend unemployment insur- We have a Senator from Arizona who
There is a lot in the HEALS Act that ance from the Federal Government— tried to do that just an hour ago on the
is exactly what my constituents have she put forward a bill that we all floor, and it was rejected.
been pressing for, what they need, and agreed to that said, because we are ne- There are going to be a lot of people
what I believe they need. gotiating right now and the one thing next week who are going to be hurting
Let me give you a couple of exam- in the CARES Act that expires at the because of this, and I hope they accu-
ples: more flexibility for States and end of this month is unemployment in- rately report why they are hurting,
local governments on how to use the surance, let’s extend it—at the current what just happened, and that is not the
CARES Act funding that they already level. spirit of compromise that we are going
have, a very high priority; additional It is right now. Let’s extend it so the to need to get through this pandemic.
funds for our fishermen. The Presiding people who are relying on it can have I yield the floor.
Officer knows how important that is, something for the next week while we The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen-
being from Florida. The original continue to negotiate and debate. That ator from Alaska.
CARES Act had $300 million. That was is very reasonable. That happens all f
a provision I got into the CARES Act the time here.
for fishermen. It is not enough but EXECUTIVE CALENDAR
The Senate minority leader came
something important to this really down, and he blocked it. He blocked it. Mr. SULLIVAN. Mr. President, I ask
critical part of the Alaskan, American, If you are not going to be receiving a unanimous consent that the Senate
and Florida economies. The HEALS check next week, there is one person proceed to the consideration of Execu-
Act has $500 million in it because they you can blame. What did he say when tive Calendar Nos. 776 through 791 and
have been hit so hard. There is eco- he blocked it? Remarkably, he said, in all nominations on the Secretary’s
nomic assistance in terms of another essence, if the other side doesn’t accept desk in the Air Force, Army, Navy, and
round of paycheck protection for small the entire Heroes Act—that bill that I Space Force; that the nominations be
businesses whose revenues have been just talked about that attacks Alaska confirmed; that the motions to recon-
crushed, like in the tourism industry. Natives—then I am going to block ev- sider be considered made and laid upon
Again, that is something my constitu- erything. That is what happened on the the table with no intervening action or
ents have been asking about. Allowing Senate floor like an hour ago. debate; that the President be imme-
501(c)6s to access the PPP, that is in No, that is not working in good faith. diately notified of the Senate’s action;
there. Allowing certain PPP borrowers, I am sure that the minority leader be- and the Senate then resume legislative
like fishermen and seasonal businesses lieves that the national media will not session.
to request an increase in loan amounts blame him. He is probably right, but it The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without
due to the changes that were in the in- should. But it should. objection, it is so ordered.
terim final rules that came out of the If you are one of the millions of The nominations considered and con-
Treasury Department, that is in there. Americans who are worried about this firmed are as follows:
Dramatic expansion of testing, more IN THE ARMY
issue because you are out of work, we
funding for vaccine development, ev- just put forward a very simple com- The following named officers for appoint-
eryone wants that. Securing supply ment in the United States Army to the grade
promise: As we continue to negotiate,
indicated under title 10, U.S.C., section 624:
chains for crucial medical equipment we will continue the unemployment
To be brigadier general
and critical minerals, many of which levels paid to Americans that were in
we have in Alaska, that is all in there. the CARES Act for another week, at Col. Douglas S. Lowrey
Col. Curtis D. Taylor
It is a pretty good bill. It is not per- the levels that currently exist. Col. James P. Work
fect, but it is a pretty good bill. It was blocked by the Senate minor-
IN THE AIR FORCE
The competing bill, you may have ity leader, without a real explanation,
The following named officer for appoint-
seen, you may have read in the paper a essentially saying take our NANCY ment in the United States Air Force to the
couple of months ago, came from the PELOSI $3.5—actually, $4 trillion bill or grade indicated under title 10, U.S.C., section
House—the so-called Heroes Act. It is a nothing. I sure hope the media reports 624:
behemoth in terms of the pricetag, and on what just happened. I don’t have To be brigadier general
it has some things that, actually, are faith that they will, but that is exactly Col. Rebecca R. Vernon
similar to the HEALS Act: school fund- what happened. The following named officer for appoint-
ing, hospitals. It has other things that We are facing a national crisis. We ment in the United States Air Force to the
aren’t in the HEALS Act, some things don’t always come together in imme- grade indicated under title 10, U.S.C., section
that I think would be completely un- diate agreement on everything, but 624:
necessary: a huge tax break for some of what we have seen in the last several To be brigadier general
the richest Americans in the HEROES months is that we have come together Col. Randall E. Kitchens
Act. Yes, that is in there. Economic in the Congress. These bills haven’t IN THE ARMY
impact payments for illegal immi- been perfect. The bills I just de- The following named officer for appoint-
grants—I don’t think that is a priority scribed—the HEALS or Heroes—aren’t ment in the United States Army to the grade
right now, at least not for my constitu- perfect, but what they require is com- indicated while assigned to a position of im-

dlhill on DSK120RN23PROD with SENATE
ents. An overt attack on Alaska Native promise and working together. portance and responsibility under title 10,
organizations, dozens and dozens of When you can’t get to a spot in a cer- U.S.C., section 601:
them, Alaska Native corporations, tain amount of time, you look at areas To be lieutenant general
stripping them of any Federal funds where, OK, this is going to expire right Maj. Gen. John B. Morrison, Jr.
they receive in the CARES Act, that is now—that is pretty important—so let’s The following named officer for appoint-
in the House-passed Heroes Act. Trust extend it for a week or two. That hap- ment in the United States Army to the grade

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