Congressional Record, Senate, August 5, 2020, Page S4884
Summary
A page of the Congressional Record, Senate, dated August 5, 2020, at page S4884, under the heading HEALS Act. Mr. McConnell says the Speaker and the Democratic leader keep pushing a $3 trillion wish list, insist on tax cuts for big city penthouses and want Federal unemployment assistance to pay people more not to work. He says the Democratic bill costs three times as much as the Senate Republicans' HEALS Act while giving fewer resources for reopening schools and shortchanging a second round of the Collins-Rubio Paycheck Protection Program. Mr. Schumer asks unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.
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“Congressional Record, Senate, August 5, 2020, Page S4884.”
Original at www.govinfo.gov. Archived at Pandemic Darlings, https://pandemicdarlings.com/source-documents/crec-crec-2020-08-05-crec-2020-08-05-pt1-pgs4884-a29fc5e911/
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S4884 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE August 5, 2020
and the American people stand with for struggling people unless big city is hitting most of America very dif-
them in their journey. penthouses get these tax cuts. The ferently.
f Democratic leader said just yesterday My constituents in Kentucky have
that he is still holding out for this. bigger problems. They need actual re-
HEALS ACT Now, this isn’t the only bad policy lief to go straight to struggling fami-
Mr. MCCONNELL. Madam President, they are hung up on. The Speaker and lies, and, frankly, they needed it yes-
on an entirely different matter, stop the Democratic leader continue to in- terday, not a $1 trillion slush fund for
me if the story I am about to tell sist that Federal unemployment assist- bureaucrats who haven’t spent what we
sounds familiar. ance should pay people more not to sent them back in March.
The Speaker of the House and the work than the essential workers who Those are just some of the fantasy
Democratic leader summon President have kept working. Let me say that items that are in the Democrats’ de-
Trump’s representatives to the Capitol. again. The Democratic position has mands. I haven’t even gotten to all of
They meet for a long while. The Demo- been that these millions of laid-off peo- the important things they left out.
crats emerge, saying they have per- ple should get nothing unless they get Their bill costs three times as much as
mitted a few millimeters of progress, a higher salary than the people who are the Senate Republicans’ HEALS Act,
but a deal is still far off, leaving mil- still working. This isn’t just bad eco- but they skip over major, serious
lions of Americans in the lurch. Then nomics if you are trying to reopen a things that we took care of.
they continue to push their $3 trillion country; it is also just simply unfair in The Democrats proposed fewer re-
wish list that even their own Demo- the simplest terms. sources than the Republicans for the
cratic colleagues brush off as absurd. The Republicans want to keep pro- fund to help schools reopen safely. The
We have had variations on this theme viding some supplemental Federal un- Democrats completely shortchanged
daily for more than a week now. employment. We just don’t think it is the successful Collins-Rubio Paycheck
Yesterday, the Speaker of the House remotely fair for the Federal Govern- Protection Program, wherein our bill
called their far-left proposal a ‘‘well- ment to tax essential workers who would fund a whole second round. The
developed strategic plan,’’ but even have kept working every day so Uncle Democrats have no real equivalent to
Members of her own caucus know that Sam can pay their neighbors a higher our proposals to strengthen domestic
is not true. salary to stay home. Let me say that supply chains for PPE and critical re-
Back when the Speaker’s wish list again. We just don’t think it is re- sources, and they propose no legal pro-
was rammed through the House, one motely fair for the Federal Govern- tections at all for the doctors and
Democratic Member came right out ment to tax essential workers who nurses who have fought this unknown
and said that the so-called Heroes Act have kept working every day so Uncle enemy or for the schools, universities,
‘‘isn’t a plan. It’s a wish list.’’ Sam can pay their neighbors a higher churches, and businesses that are try-
Another said that Members of her salary to stay home. ing to reopen. Apparently, those soil
caucus had taken the bill as ‘‘an oppor- Outside of the Democratic leader and health experiments and diversity ini-
tunity to make political statements the Speaker of the House, even Demo- tiatives didn’t leave enough room for
. . . that goes far beyond pandemic re- crats concede it is a bit upside down to the critical policies that would actu-
lief and has no chance at becoming pay people more not to work. ally help the country.
law.’’ Last week, the House Democratic But, remember, our Democratic col-
Others said it was ‘‘not focused’’ and majority leader said: ‘‘It’s not $600 or leagues told us from the beginning
‘‘partisan gamesmanship.’’ bust.’’ their goal was never a targeted plan for
These are Democrats I am quoting. Our colleague, the senior Senator COVID–19.
Even the Speaker’s own rank and file from Maryland, has said: ‘‘We certainly In March, one of the Speaker’s top
know it is comical to say your ‘‘stra- understand we don’t want to have high- lieutenants said the Democrats should
tegic plan’’ for COVID–19 involves send- er benefits than what someone can view this deadly disease and mass un-
ing taxpayer checks to people who are make working.’’ employment as a ‘‘tremendous oppor-
here illegally, paying people more not Just yesterday, the senior Senator tunity to restructure things to fit our
to work than essential workers earn by from West Virginia stated plainly that vision.’’ Speaker PELOSI herself called
working, soil health programs—so- Speaker PELOSI’s position was unten- this crisis a ‘‘wonderful opportunity.’’
called ‘‘environmental justice’’ able. ‘‘I don’t think we’re going to stay It is clear they view it that way be-
grants—and a massive tax cut aimed at the $600.’’ cause, while Americans are struggling,
directly at wealthy people in New York Let’s bear in mind, even $200 would the Democratic leaders have moved
and California. be eight times what the Democrats put about 1 inch in 8 days.
That last point needs special atten- in place with unified control of the For the sake of the millions and mil-
tion. government during the last crisis in lions who need more help, let’s hope
Now, in ordinary negotiations, Mem- 2009. It is unthinkable they will hold they decide to get serious soon.
bers of Congress like to bring things every bit of relief hostage unless we f
home for their core supporters, but it land back at $600 and pay workers a
is a little too on the nose for the bonus if they do not help to reopen our RESERVATION OF LEADER TIME
Speaker from San Francisco and the country. Maybe the Speaker and the The PRESIDING OFFICER. Under
Democratic leader from New York City Democratic leader will get the memo the previous order, the leadership time
to be holding up $1 trillion in emer- from their colleagues sometime soon. is reserved.
gency aid for the entire country unless Then there is the Democrats’ demand f
they get big tax breaks for millionaires for $1 trillion more to hand out to
in their hometowns. State and local governments even MORNING BUSINESS
Economists across the political spec- though they have only spent a fourth The PRESIDING OFFICER. Under
trum say this demand of theirs is a bad of the money we sent them back in the previous order, the Senate will be
idea because 94 percent of the benefit March. in a period of morning business, with
would flow to people who make north Yesterday, I received an urgent letter Senators permitted to speak therein
of $200,000. from the city of Malibu, CA—and I for up to 10 minutes each.
In the words of one progressive econ- promise I am not making this up—ask- Mr. MCCONNELL. Madam President,
omist, who ought to be on their side: ing Congress for hundreds of billions of I suggest the absence of a quorum.
SSpencer on DSK126QN23PROD with SENATE
This is not a good idea. . . . It would not dollars for State and local governments The PRESIDING OFFICER. The
help the economy heal and would not benefit because it has had to delay its ‘‘conver- clerk will call the roll.
the people who need help. sion to an all-electric city fleet.’’ The senior assistant legislative clerk
Yet my friends in the Democratic I guess that is an emergency in proceeded to call the roll.
leadership are not deterred. More than Malibu when they can’t keep buying Mr. SCHUMER. Madam President, I
a week into these talks, they are still brandnew electric cars as quickly as ask unanimous consent that the order
threatening to block any and all relief they would like. Well, this emergency for the quorum call be rescinded.
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