HEALS Act (Cong. Rec., Aug. 4, 2020)
Summary
These are pages S4679 and S4680 of the Congressional Record, Senate, Tuesday, August 4, 2020, Vol. 166, No. 138, with interleaved columns. Mr. GRASSLEY, under Absentee Voting, says Iowa's secretary of state Paul Pate will mail an absentee ballot request form to every registered Iowa voter and opposes a Federal mandate for universal vote-by-mail. Under HEALS ACT, Mr. MCCONNELL says Senate Republicans released a proposal of $1 trillion for kids, jobs, and healthcare more than a week earlier and accuses Democratic leaders of obstructing it. He says the national death toll now exceeds 150,000. The Senate then proceeds to the nomination of Mark Wesley Menezes, of Virginia, to be Deputy Secretary of Energy.
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“HEALS Act (Cong. Rec., Aug. 4, 2020).”
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Congressional Record
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116 th CONGRESS, SECOND SESSION
United States
of America PROCEEDINGS AND DEBATES OF THE
Vol. 166 WASHINGTON, TUESDAY, AUGUST 4, 2020 No. 138
Senate
The Senate met at 10 a.m. and was vember election. This is a request Yesterday, more of our neighbors had
called to order by the President pro form, not a ballot, being mailed out to to say goodbye to loved ones whose
tempore (Mr. GRASSLEY). everybody. lives were claimed by this virus. Yes-
f Iowa’s current absentee ballot sys- terday, more doctors and more nurses
tem allows anyone who wants to vote worked long shifts on the frontlines,
PRAYER by mail the option to do so. Just send fighting to heal strangers and limit the
The Chaplain, Dr. Barry C. Black, of- in the request form when you receive national death toll that now exceeds
fered the following prayer: it, or you may download it online, but 150,000. Yesterday, more workers
Let us pray. if Iowans prefer to vote in person, that brought home pink slips, and more
Eternal Spirit, to whom we must give remains their choice. Main Street businesses saw the end of
and account for all our powers and There has been a lot of misinforma- their PPP lifelines fast approaching.
privileges, guide the Members of this tion claiming that some massive, Fed- Yesterday, more laid-off Americans
body so that they will be faithful stew- eral intervention is needed to allow filed new claims for unemployment in-
ards of Your will. citizens to vote by mail. This isn’t true surance or lay awake wondering about
Lord, open their minds and hearts to in Iowa or elsewhere. Every State has next month’s rent. Yesterday, more
know and do Your bidding, teaching vote-by-mail, and 16 States ask for a school officials wondered what to tell
them to rely on Your strength and to reason, such as being over 65, for exam- parents, students, and teachers about
serve You with honor. Help them to ple, but most have waived or loosened September.
discover in their daily work the joy of this requirement. What happened here in the Capitol
Some groups are now using the pan- yesterday? With the American people
a partnership with You. Use them to
demic to push for a Federal mandate fighting all of these battles and more,
bring good news to the marginalized, to
on States to adopt a new, universal what did the Speaker of the House and
comfort the brokenhearted, and to an-
vote-by-mail system overnight. It took the Democratic leader do with yet an-
nounce that captives will be released
5 years when Washington State imple- other day of deliberations? Yet again,
and the shackled will be freed. it was the exact same refrain. It never
mented voting by mail. Requiring
May our Senators depend upon the seems to change: We are feeling opti-
every State to replace its current vot-
power of Your prevailing providence, mistic. We spoke very politely to the
ing system with a whole new, central-
for You are the author and finisher of administration, but we are still no-
ized, mail-only system this close to our
our faith. where close on the substance.
November election is a recipe for dis-
We pray in Your great Name. Amen. It has now been more than a week
aster. In such a system, every reg-
f istered voter, including those who have since Senate Republicans released a se-
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE died or moved away, would automati- rious proposal for another major rescue
cally be mailed a ballot with no voting package—$1 trillion for kids, jobs, and
The President pro tempore led the healthcare. The Democrats are block-
Pledge of Allegiance, as follows: in person.
Every Iowan who wants to vote ab- ing it all. It is like they expect ap-
I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the plause for merely keeping a civil tone
sentee in November can do so, and
United States of America, and to the Repub- with the President’s team—never mind
lic for which it stands, one nation under God, those who want to vote in person can
also do so safely. It is a voter’s choice they are still obstructing any action
indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.
and should remain so. for our country.
The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mrs. I yield the floor. Senate Republicans want to revive a
HYDE-SMITH). The Senator from Iowa. Federal add-on to unemployment in-
f
Mr. GRASSLEY. Madam President, I surance, which the Democratic leader
ask unanimous consent to speak for 1 RECOGNITION OF THE MAJORITY would not let us extend last week. We
minute in morning business. LEADER want to send another round of direct
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without The PRESIDING OFFICER. The ma- checks straight into families’ pockets.
objection, it is so ordered. jority leader is recognized. We want to supply generous, new in-
f f centives for rehiring American workers
and workplace safety. We want to send
ABSENTEE VOTING HEALS ACT historic money to schools for reopening
Mr. GRASSLEY. Madam President, Mr. MCCONNELL. Madam President, and invest even more in testing and
Iowa’s secretary of state Paul Pate will another day has come and gone in this vaccine research. We want legal protec-
mail an absentee ballot request form to once-in-a-century national battle for tions so schools, churches, charities,
SSpencer on DSK126QN23PROD with SENATE
every registered Iowa voter for the No- our country. and businesses can reopen.
∑ This ‘‘bullet’’ symbol identifies statements or insertions which are not spoken by a Member of the Senate on the floor.
S4679
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S4680 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE August 4, 2020
The Democrats say they want many ANDER. The ranking member on Small RESERVATION OF LEADER TIME
of the same things. I certainly believe Business cannot even discuss PPP with The PRESIDING OFFICER. Under
that many of my Democratic col- Chairman RUBIO and Chairman COL- the previous order, the leadership time
leagues who serve as ranking members LINS. is reserved.
want many of the same things and No, no; the Speaker and the Demo- f
could easily find common ground with cratic leader only want themselves at
our chairmen if the Democratic leader the table so that behind closed doors EXECUTIVE SESSION
would let them talk. Instead, we have they can say that nobody gets another
gotten a full week of the Speaker of dime of Federal unemployment money;
the House’s and the Democratic lead- nobody gets extra school funding; and EXECUTIVE CALENDAR
er’s shutting out all of their own Mem- nobody gets more money for testing The PRESIDING OFFICER. Under
bers and refusing to move an inch off of and PPE unless they burn cash on 1,000 the previous order, the Senate will pro-
demands that everyone knows are out- unrelated things. ceed to executive session and resume
landish. I am talking about things like stim- consideration of the following nomina-
The Democratic leaders want the en- ulus checks for illegal immigrants; a tion, which the clerk will report.
tirety of their massive, far-left wish trillion-dollar slush fund for States, The senior assistant legislative clerk
list—all of it. Speaker PELOSI is still even though States and localities have read the nomination of Mark Wesley
agitating for strange, new special in- only spent a quarter of the money we Menezes, of Virginia, to be Deputy Sec-
terest carve-outs for the marijuana in- sent them in March. Let me say that retary of Energy.
dustry—even claiming they are COVID- again—a trillion-dollar slush fund for Mr. MCCONNELL. Madam President,
related. She said that, with respect to States, even though States and local- I suggest the absence of a quorum.
this virus, marijuana is ‘‘a therapy ities have only spent a quarter of the The PRESIDING OFFICER. The
that has proven successful.’’ You can’t money we sent them in March. In my clerk will call the roll.
make this up. I hope she shared her State, the State administration only The senior assistant legislative clerk
breakthrough with Dr. Fauci. In the spent 6 percent of the money we sent proceeded to call the roll.
other corner, Leader SCHUMER is still them—6 percent—diversity and inclu- Mr. SCHUMER. Madam President, I
demanding massive tax cuts for rich sion studies, a soil health program, and ask unanimous consent that the order
people in blue States or he won’t let on and on and on. for the quorum call be rescinded.
any relief become law. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without
These are the kinds of nongermane The House bill does all these things
while completely forgetting a second objection, it is so ordered.
pet projects that our Democratic col- RECOGNITION OF THE MINORITY LEADER
leagues are demanding—not a dime for round of the Paycheck Protection Pro-
gram—no second round for PPP—and The Democratic leader is recognized.
kids, jobs, and healthcare unless the
administration let’s them check off sending less money for schools than CORONAVIRUS
every leftwing lobbyist’s Christmas list the Senate bill. Mr. SCHUMER. Madam President, I
5 months early. This is what they will not budge just listened to my friend the Repub-
Let’s listen to what Speaker PELOSI’s from. And every day the script is the lican leader. The Republican leader is
own House Democrats said about this same, and the script is: We had a pleas- so tied in a knot by his own caucus and
bill when they passed it. Here is what ant conversation, but we don’t feel like his President that all he can do is give
House Democrats said about the bill making a deal. Maybe tomorrow. Alice-in-Wonderland, partisan speech-
that Speaker PELOSI and the Demo- Here is the problem: Every day the es. All he can do is threaten to force
cratic leader now say is their absolute Democratic leaders repeat the same sham votes that will not pass and will
redline: act here in the Capitol, they are letting not answer the anguished cries for help
One quote: ‘‘The partisan nature and down the struggling people who need that are coming from so many of our
wide scope of this bill make it doomed our help. Day after day, Americans are fellow Americans.
upon arrival in the Senate.’’ trying to stay above water—layoffs, On the other hand, over the weekend
Another quote: ‘‘In response to benefit cuts, threats of eviction, the and yesterday, Speaker PELOSI and I
COVID–19, our relief efforts must be possibility of losing a family business continued our negotiations with the
targeted, timely, and transparent. The forever, towns wondering if their Main White House on the next phase of
HEROES Act does not meet those Streets will ever come back, school COVID-relief legislation. After a week
standards.’’ principals with no idea what to tell of stalled talks because Republicans
Another quote: ‘‘This isn’t a plan; it’s communities. could not articulate a position on hard-
a wish list.’’ ly anything, I believe we are making
That is the reality in Kentucky and
Another quote: ‘‘Partisan gamesman- progress. We came closer together on
in all 50 States, and none of these peo-
ship.’’ several issues; however, we remain far
ple are helped one bit, not one bit, by
Another quote: ‘‘Some in my own apart on a number of issues, but we are
the Democratic leaders’ charade.
party . . . have decided to use this finally moving in the right direction.
package as an opportunity to make po- What American families need is an At the moment, the gap between our
litical statements and propose a bill outcome, a bipartisan result. Senate two parties in the negotiations is about
that goes far beyond pandemic relief Republicans have had a roadmap sit- priorities and about scale. As this huge
and has no chance at becoming law, ting on the table for more than a week. crisis engulfs our Nation, Democrats
further declaring the help so many We didn’t put every Republican wish believe we need a bold, strong, and vig-
need.’’ list item in history into an 1,800-page orous response from the Federal Gov-
Those are quotes from House Demo- encyclopedia and insist on starting ernment. It will take a lot of resources,
crats’ views about the so-called Heroes there. but if we don’t commit those resources
Act, but now the entire thing is the We built a serious starting place now, for sure the costs will only grow
price of admission for giving hard-hit based on the bipartisan programs we in the months to come.
Americans any more aid. passed back in March—unanimously, Democrats are fighting to meet the
What worked back in March with the by the way—and what the country needs of a desperate nation. Our Repub-
CARES Act were productive and good- needs now. lican friends, however—President
faith conversations between chairmen If our colleagues across the aisle Trump, his aides, and the Republicans
SSpencer on DSK126QN23PROD with SENATE
and ranking members—a bipartisan would do the same—frankly, if our col- in the Senate—do not seem to appre-
process led by Members. leagues across the aisle were even al- ciate the gravity of the situation. They
But this time, the Speaker and the lowed—allowed to take part in the dis- do not understand the needs of the
Democratic leader have forbidden their cussions, we could get this done for our country that are so great, and they are
Members from negotiating at all. The country. We did it in March. We could not stepping up to meet those needs.
ranking member on HELP cannot even do it again, but both sides have to ac- This disease has washed over our coun-
discuss testing with Chairman ALEX- tually want it. try like a great flood, and Republicans
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