Coronavirus (Cong. Rec., Aug. 5, 2020)
Summary
Page S4885 of the Senate section of the Congressional Record for August 5, 2020, headed Coronavirus, in interleaved columns. Mr. Schumer says talks on the next round of COVID relief continued with Speaker Pelosi, and criticizes Republican positions on aid to State and local governments, which is his view. He says Senate Republicans accepted extending the enhanced $600 unemployment benefit for a period, and that Postmaster DeJoy has enacted guidelines that experts say will delay mail delivery. A separate speaker from Illinois says education professionals need flexibility to keep serving school meals.
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“Coronavirus (Cong. Rec., Aug. 5, 2020).”
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August 5, 2020 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S4885
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without should just go bankrupt. They put zero The new Postmaster, Mr. DeJoy, a
objection, it is so ordered. into their proposal for State and local big donor to President Trump—which
f and would like Republican Senators to many believe is his main qualification
go home and tell their Governors, tell for being chosen—has enacted new
RECOGNITION OF THE MINORITY guidelines in the post office that ex-
their mayors, and tell their county ex-
LEADER perts say will cause severe delays in
ecutives: We want zero for you. That is
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The what our leader is for. Well, it is not mail delivery. Then he refused for
Democratic leader is recognized. acceptable. weeks to even hold a phone call with
f On unemployment insurance, a few Democrats, including myself, about
Senate Republicans have belatedly ac- this issue. I called three times. Mr.
CORONAVIRUS DeJoy evidently didn’t have the time
cepted the view we should extend the
Mr. SCHUMER. Madam President, enhanced benefit of $600 for an ex- to call back when I was so concerned
negotiations on the next round of tended period of time, as Democrats about mail delivery in New York and
COVID relief continued yesterday and have proposed and voted for in the the rest of the country. So we have in-
will continue again today. Speaker House. Of course, many Senate Repub- sisted to Mr. Mnuchin and Mr. Mead-
PELOSI and I are making progress with licans—most Senate Republicans—still ows on meeting with Mr. DeJoy, which
the White House, but we remain far object to that, but at least a few have will take place later today.
apart on a large number of issues. come around. At the moment, however, We need to resolve the problems at
As I mentioned yesterday, the funda- the White House is not there, and we the post office—this lack of funding
mental disagreement between our two are not going to strike a deal unless we and the new regulations that get in the
parties is the scope and severity of the extend the unemployment benefits, way of the timely delivery of the mail.
problem. This is the greatest economic which have kept nearly 12 million We must resolve those issues in a way
crisis America has faced in 75 years and Americans out of poverty. that allows mail to be delivered on
the greatest health crisis in 100. There The same goes for healthcare, test- time for the election and for the neces-
must be a relief package commensu- ing, and tracing. How is it that every- sities that people need.
rate with the size of this historic chal- one in the White House can get tested, Each and every one of these issues is
lenge. A skinny package—a package everyone in the NFL can get tested, critical, and there are many more. We
that doesn’t solve so many of the prob- but average Americans still cannot ac- need answers and movement on all of
lems that America faces—would hurt cess tests easily or get results back them, not just on one or two, but some
the American people, and we cannot fast enough? More than 7 months into of our Republican friends seem content
have it. to pass a bill—any bill—so they can
the crisis, this administration does not
But our Republican friends are wed- check the box and go home. We cannot
have a plan or adequate capacity for
ded ideologically to the idea that gov- do that. We cannot agree to an inad-
testing and contact tracing. It is a
ernment shouldn’t take forceful action; equate bill and then go home while the
shocking failure on the part of the
that we should leave the welfare of the virus continues to spread, the economy
Trump administration and the Repub-
American people to the whims of the continues to deteriorate, and the coun-
lican Senators.
private sector. It just doesn’t work like So Democrats are insisting that we try gets worse. So we are going to keep
that, especially in a time of national slogging through, step by step, inch by
provide enough resources to finally
emergency. The private sector cannot inch, until we achieve the caliber, the
slow the spread and defeat this dis-
do it. extent, the depth and breadth of the
ease—the single most important thing
While we have started to generate legislation that the American people
to our recovery. The American people
some forward momentum, we need our need, deserve, and want.
know that the Trump administration In stark contrast, the Republican
partners in the White House to go and their Republican adherents in the leader has decided that he would rather
much further on a number of issues, let Senate are to blame for this huge fail- lob partisan pot shots from the Senate
alone the Republican Senate, where 20 ure in testing and tracing. They de- floor each morning rather than join in
or so Republicans, by the majority mand we act and act fully now, not productive negotiations. It is difficult
leader’s admission, don’t want to do with some half-baked, poorly funded to listen to the Republican leader spin
anything. plan that won’t do the job, which is such a malicious fiction about why
For example, the administration has where the administration seems to be Congress has yet to pass another round
finally come around to the view that at right now. of relief when he can’t even sit in the
we should extend the moratorium on Democrats are insisting that every room with us and negotiate, when he
evictions, but they continue to refuse American should be able to vote this can’t even create a modicum of unity
to provide actual assistance to the November safely and confidently in- in his disturbingly divided caucus.
renters themselves. What good does person or by mail. COVID has affected For 3 months, Leader MCCONNELL
that do? We can prevent Americans how we will vote. Many more will vote and Senate Republicans put the Senate
from being kicked out of their apart- by mail. There will be a need for poll- on pause when it came to the
ments for another few months, but if ing places—maybe more of them—and a coronavirus. As COVID threats spread
they can’t pay the rent, they will be need to space people out as they vote. throughout the South and West, as
right back at square one when the mor- We are not going to stop fighting until States hit daily records for new cases
atorium expires, with even more un- State election systems and the post of- and hospitalizations, as 50 million
paid bills piled up. Extending the mor- fice, which is part of getting the mail Americans filed for unemployment, the
atorium on evictions solves only one- there on time, get the resources they Senate Republican majority merely
half of the problem. need. hummed along as if it were living in a
Republicans continue to stonewall Elections are a wellspring of our de- different universe.
support for State, local, and Tribal mocracy, and the only answer as to Leader MCCONNELL scheduled con-
governments, which have already shed why neither the Republicans in the firmation votes on rightwing judges.
more than a million public service jobs Senate nor the White House wants to The chairman of Judiciary and Home-
this year and will continue to lay off do anything about it is they fear a free land Security held hearings on the
teachers, firefighters, and more if Con- and fair election. That is inimicable to President’s wild conspiracy theories
gress does nothing. the core of this Republic. about the 2016 election and conducted
In the early days of the crisis, State We are going to keep fighting. There
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desperate fishing expeditions, hoping
and local governments fought this dis- have been alarming reports about re- to dig up dirt on the family of the
ease basically on their own. The Trump cent failures at the post office, about President’s political rivals. When the
administration couldn’t be bothered to residents in Michigan and Pennsyl- Republican majority did put legisla-
coordinate a national response or sup- vania not getting their medicines or tion on the floor, it wasn’t even re-
ply them with the necessary resources. their paychecks for 3 weeks or more. motely related to COVID.
Now Leader MCCONNELL and others on The Postal Service is vital—and not All through that time, Democrats
the Republican side say our States just for elections but every single day. came to the floor to practically beg our
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S4886 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE August 5, 2020
colleagues to consider COVID relief hammered out between the parties and Major League Baseball and the Na-
legislation. We asked consent to pass the leaders of the Republican Party in tional Football League can get test re-
urgent relief no fewer than 15 times, Congress refused to attend the meet- sults in a matter of hours while Ameri-
and every single time, Republicans ings. cans are standing in line and waiting
blocked our requests. Senator MCCONNELL gives polished for results that are largely irrelevant
Once Senate Republicans finally de- speeches on the floor criticizing Sen- when they are delivered 5 or 6 days
cided to write a bill, it was the legisla- ator SCHUMER and Speaker PELOSI. after the test. What good is a test if it
tive equivalent of a dumpster fire. Re- They should be polished—he has time tells you that you are safe 6 days ago,
publicans bickered among themselves to practice them all day instead of when you want to see your grand-
for over a week and a half before fi- going into the negotiations that can children today? That is the reality of
nally giving up. They didn’t even re- actually make a difference in the fu- testing in America.
lease a coherent bill; just a series of ture of America. And what has this President done
nibbling proposals, rife with corporate Americans are genuinely concerned, about it? He has made statement after
giveaways and K Street carve-outs. Re- and they should be. We face a national statement that there are all the tests
publicans proposed a tax break for health emergency with this pandemic, we could possibly want available to
three-martini lunches but no food as- sadly, where the infections are spiking every American. We know better. All
sistance for hungry kids; $2 billion to across America. It is still amazing to across America, we know better. Test-
build an FBI building to boost the consider two numbers: the number 5— ing has improved and increased, but it
value of the Trump hotel but not a the United States has about 5 percent is not where we need it. That should be
dime to help Americans afford their of the world’s population; and the num- the highest priority of this administra-
rent. ber 25—the United States has gen- tion, but they failed when it came to
Then, to top it all off, almost as soon erated 25 percent of the COVID–19 in- providing personal protective equip-
as the Republican plan on COVID was fections in the world. Five percent of ment, and they failed when it comes to
released, it became clear that even the population and 25 percent of the re- providing testing.
Senate Republicans didn’t support it. ported COVID infections in the world. The biggest failure is the attitude of
President Trump called it ‘‘semi-irrele- How did we reach this point where the Senate Republican leader and the
vant.’’ ‘‘Semi-irrelevant’’ is what this great developed, civilized, and President when it comes to the crises
President Trump called the Republican strong Nation has been brought to its America faces—first, the coronavirus
proposals. knees by this pandemic? We have crisis and, second, the economic crisis.
Leader MCCONNELL basically gave up reached this point by lack of leader- The biggest tragedy is the fact that
and left Democrats and the White ship. The American people know that they believe we should do little or
House to negotiate the next bill. So it there have been leadership failures at nothing—little or nothing when we are
strains reason for Leader MCCONNELL the top. They know this President re- facing some the greatest challenges of
to criticize those of us who are actu- fuses to listen to experts. If the experts our time, some of the greatest chal-
ally engaged in negotiations while he is say something he doesn’t like to hear, lenges in American history. The Amer-
intentionally staying out of it. His he banishes them, as Dr. Fauci has ican people expects us to take it seri-
‘‘Alice in Wonderland’’ rhetoric—flip- found. ously and to aggressively go after this
ping everything on its head and accus- We also know that this President is coronavirus and its spread and aggres-
ing the other side of the sins that downplaying the threat that sadly is sively help this economy back to its
Leader MCCONNELL, in fact, is commit- taking American lives in the thousands feet.
ting—is extremely counterproductive. by the day. Just yesterday or the day We have come up with a plan, which
Since Senate Republicans clearly before, he branded this pandemic as all Senator MCCONNELL has come to the
cannot reach a consensus, any agree- but over. Really? There is hardly any- floor and mocked every single day. It
ment is going to require a lot of Demo- one in America who would agree with passed the House of Representatives 11
cratic votes. Suffice it to say, the Re- that statement—certainly no one who weeks ago. Eleven weeks ago, Speaker
publican leader’s rhetoric and positions is paying any attention to the sad re- PELOSI passed it and sent it to the Sen-
are not helpful in that regard. alities facing families. ate. What has happened in that 11-week
While Republican leadership con- This President has failed to tell the period? Speech after speech after
tinues to sit on the sidelines, Demo- truth. He has been engaged in medical speech, deriding the efforts of the
crats are in the room working hard. quackery. This hydroxychloroquine House of Representatives and, literally,
That is what the American people ex- that he clings to has been discredited nothing on the other side to show for
pect of us. They want to see us working by the sources that test it. It just isn’t it.
to get something done in this time of an answer. The President should know Finally, last week, they started
extraordinary challenge. better. For goodness’ sake, he doesn’t trickling out a few ideas here and
I yield the floor. have the competence to make a med- there, and they weren’t very good.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen- ical judgment along those lines, but They refused to participate, will not
ator from Illinois. that won’t stop him. even attend the negotiation sessions
Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, I want But many people across America are with the White House, and come to the
to thank the Senator from New York just fed up with it, whether it is Lysol floor each day and mock and criticize
and thank him for the negotiations he cocktails or ultraviolet insertions. Democratic efforts to deal with the
has engaged in. Lord only knows what he will come up issues before us.
It is nothing short of amazing that with next. At a time when people are As far as a recovery is concerned, it
the Republican leader of the U.S. Sen- literally sick and dying, when our is essential that we dedicate ourselves
ate comes to the floor of the Senate healthcare heroes are risking their to it, but, first, coronavirus—first, get
every morning and criticizes Senator lives every day, this President goes off the infections under control and save
SCHUMER and Speaker PELOSI, who are on these flights of medical fantasy, and the lives of those who have already
sitting in a room day after day after the American people are fed up with it. been infected. That is the first thing
day, trying to hammer out an agree- This President has failed to take the that needs to be done.
ment to help America in this time of action that America desperately needs. The Republican approach is too little
need, while there are two empty chairs We cannot reopen this economy, we and too late. We have come up with a
at that table. KEVIN MCCARTHY, the cannot consider reopening schools $3 trillion plan. They have come up
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House Republican leader, does not at- until we dramatically invest in better, with a $1 trillion plan and said: We
tend the meetings, and sadly, the Re- quicker testing. That is a reality. may not even spend that much.
publican leader of the Senate is also As Senator SCHUMER said earlier, Particularly troublesome for me is
boycotting these meetings. I can’t re- Americans wonder how the President this attitude toward the unemploy-
member a time when this has occurred, manages to test everyone who crosses ment compensation being paid to
ever—no time in history when there the threshold of the White House over Americans. I couldn’t believe the Sen-
was a critical national decision to be and over, every single day, and how ator from Kentucky when he came to
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August 5, 2020 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S4887
the floor today and tried to pit our employment is a temporary help. They suited to make without intimidation or
healthcare heroes against the unem- want to get back to work, a place threats from Washington, DC.
ployed, saying: They are going to work where they can prove their worth as in- But Washington does have a role to
every day. Why should we give any dividuals and feel some satisfaction play. The best thing we can do to help
money to those who don’t go to work that they are going to work and doing local school districts through this dif-
every day? their best. That is part of the reality. ficult fall and beyond is to provide the
Really? We have four unemployed f Federal assistance and support they
Americans—four unemployed Ameri- need to ensure the path they choose is
cans—for every single job opening. I REOPENING SCHOOLS one that keeps students and staff safe
don’t believe the doctors, nurses, and Mr. DURBIN. Madam President, let while allowing the learning and devel-
medical professionals who are fighting me also address for a moment this opment to continue effectively.
COVID every single day resent those issue of reopening of schools. There is a It is why, as we negotiate a fourth
who are unemployed. I think they un- debate raging across the country right coronavirus response package, I will be
derstand full well the devastation of now about what this autumn will look pushing for the inclusion of the
this pandemic, not only on the individ- like for our Nation’s schools, the Coronavirus Childcare and Education
uals they treat but on the economy at schoolchildren, teachers, and school Relief Act, being led in the Senate by
large. staff. You have heard the President, Senator PATTY MURRAY of Washington.
When it comes to these healthcare who has literally threatened those who In addition to supporting childcare,
heroes, the Democrats have stepped up don’t reopen their schools that they early education, and higher education,
and called for hazard pay. Will the Re- may lose Federal funding if they don’t the bill provides $175 billion to elemen-
publicans join us? We think these reopen schools. What is that funding tary and secondary schools to help
healthcare heroes deserve it—that and spent for? Special education, school meet technology, cleaning, staffing,
more, our gratitude and more, for all lunches, help for kids in poor schools. and other needs of schools. It provides
they have given to the United States. The message has been reiterated by funds to school districts based on their
Let me say a word about those who the loyal Education Secretary, Betsy share of low-income children. In that
are receiving unemployment benefits. I DeVos. She, too, has joined in the way, it is similar to the CARES Act,
met with five of them in Chicago last threats of schools that don’t reopen. which brought more than $200 million
week, heard their stories, asked them a Now the Republicans in the Senate to the Chicago Public Schools and a
few questions, and learned a little bit have taken that threat and turned it total of $512 million across our State of
about their lives. I wasn’t surprised at into legislation with their proposal in Illinois. Compare that $175 billion to
the hardship they face. Many of them the next relief package. the $70 billion being offered on the Re-
have been out of work for 4 or 5 months Let me be really clear. There is a publican side—another classic example.
already. It is no surprise that almost concern about empty classrooms. We believe this is a serious national
Those who study childhood behavior issue, when it comes to education. The
half of the people out of work have ex-
worry that lack of socialization takes Republicans do not. The amount of
hausted all of their savings at this
its toll on childhood development. money that they are proposing is a
point, even with unemployment bene-
fraction of what we offer, and much of
fits. Teachers are often sentinels for evi-
You ask those who are unemployed: it is conditioned on the schools actu-
dence of child abuse, which now may be
Well, what do you do with these checks ally reopening in person, regardless of
going unreported. Remote learning
that are sent to you each week? what is the safest thing for the schools,
works well for some but not for others.
It is pretty obvious to them what you the teachers, and the students in any
But that is not the concern of this
do with it. You pay the mortgage, if given area.
President. He wants schools back so he Congress shouldn’t put State and
you have one. You pay the rent, the car that can claim some kind of false vic- local officials in the position of choos-
payment, so it is not repossessed and tory over the coronavirus. ing between desperately needed Fed-
taken away from you. You try to keep Last week, I led 24 of my colleagues eral assistance and the safety of stu-
food on the table. You try to keep the in writing to the majority leader and dents and the school personnel. Con-
people issuing the credit cards at bay. the Democratic leader opposing put- gress should not incentivize schools to
These are the basics that people face ting children and teachers in any dan- reopen in person prematurely or penal-
every single day. But the Republicans ger by conditioning funding of schools ize those where the public health situa-
don’t seem to get that. They don’t un- reopening in person. tion makes it dangerous.
derstand it because they don’t get to Recently, I had the opportunity to The argument from the administra-
know these people or even ask them visit the Little Village Academy in tion seems to go: ‘‘Well, if schools
what life is like. They are not on any Chicago with the Chicago Public don’t reopen, they either don’t deserve
bed of roses with $600 a week when you Schools chief, Janice Jackson. Some or don’t need any help.’’ That is just
consider the debts they face, when you wonderful people are there each day not the case. Even schools that are not
consider the expenses they face, and passing out lunches to the kids in the able to reopen in person need assist-
you consider the fact that many of neighborhood who come around the ance ensuring their students, espe-
them are struggling to pay for their school. They haven’t reopened for cially those from low-income families,
own health insurance at this point. A classes. They hope they will, but that have the ability to participate in re-
family trying to pick up the cost of decision is still to be made. mote learning. They need help keeping
their health insurance, that their em- I can tell you that in Chicago and staff on payroll, preparing the build-
ployer once provided half of, finds around my home State of Illinois, ings so they can return in person in the
themselves spending $1,400 to $1,700 a school boards, administrators, teach- future, and addressing any number of
month on that alone. That is the re- ers, parents, and others are facing difficulties this pandemic has created.
ality. these decisions honestly. They have to For school buses, if there is going to be
For the record, of those who have re- provide a safe and effective learning social distancing of the kids on the
turned to work in America, we are environment for students and for buses, will there be a need for addi-
grateful that they are back to work. teachers, whether that be in person, in tional buses and busdrivers?
We are happy that they are back to school, or at home. In addition to funding, the Federal
work. Seventy percent of them were Unlike President Trump, who is nice- Government should also ensure that
making more money on unemployment ly insulated in the bubble of the White
SSpencer on DSK126QN23PROD with SENATE
schools have science-based guidance to
than they made returning to work. House with the multiple daily COVID– support safely opening, free from polit-
Well, why would they do that? Because 19 tests for everyone who just might ical influence and Presidential quack-
they are not lazy people. They are peo- come in contact with him, these edu- ery.
ple who take pride in work, believe cation professionals in my home State They also need the flexibility to con-
there is dignity with work, and are pre- of Illinois have to answer directly to tinue serving critical meals to our stu-
pared to return even if they made more the families in their communities. It is dents, regardless of what the school
on unemployment. They know that un- a decision that local officials are best year looks like this fall.
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