Congressional Record, Senate Page S4890 — August 5, 2020

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A page of the Congressional Record, Senate, dated August 5, 2020, at page S4890. A Senator marks exactly 30 years since Vaclav Havel spoke in the building, argues against toppling statues and criticizes the entertainment industry for self-censoring to appease Beijing, and announces a plan to regularly recognize notable pieces of Indiana's history. The remarks then turn to COVID-19, noting that some businesses are making more money than ever while others struggle, and the page ends with a discussion of Federal Reserve interest rates and of funds for healthcare, education, public safety and COVID response, including $30 billion toward education and $150 billion toward public safety.

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“Congressional Record, Senate Page S4890 — August 5, 2020.” Original at www.govinfo.gov. Archived at Pandemic Darlings, https://pandemicdarlings.com/source-documents/crec-crec-2020-08-05-crec-2020-08-05-pt1-pgs4890-00e7f4462d/, SHA-256 6c156e262e8d25e97c5fa982f749c729fcfba4df54b8d483afa56fadeb164d67.

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S4890 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE August 5, 2020
squares and streets, but that is a world pression. As a playwright and a musi- the same way health-wise or economi-
away from toppling statues of George cian, he suffered under censorship. As a cally.
Washington and U.S. Grant in the same public leader, he helped his nation gain There are some people who get
manner those of Lenin and Stalin were the power of free expression. It was ex- COVID–19, and they, literally, never
once removed at the end of the Cold actly 30 years ago today that Vaclav know it—they experience no symptoms
War. Havel, then the President of Czecho- at all—while others end up in a hos-
Our entertainment industry is get- slovakia, spoke in this building. ‘‘You pital, in the ICU, or on ventilators.
ting in on the act too. American mov- have thousands of problems of all There are even fatalities.
ies once inspired freedom seekers. kinds, as other countries do,’’ he ob- Economically, we are at the same
Today, they are self-censored to ap- served of America. ‘‘But you have one spot with COVID–19. Some businesses
pease another totalitarian regime in great advantage,’’ he reminded us. in America and some individuals in
Beijing. ‘‘You have been approaching democ- America are, literally, making more
America is a good nation. Those who racy . . . for more than 200 years, and money now than they ever have before.
call it home are decent and kind. We your journey toward that horizon has They are in one of those businesses
are not perfect, but our imperfections never been disrupted by a totalitarian that is in high need—maybe home im-
are not irredeemable. system.’’ provement. Since lots of folks are stay-
The year 2020 has made it clear, Fellow Americans, our journey con- ing at home, they are doing home im-
though, that much work remains in the tinues on toward that horizon, and provements. The price of lumber has
task of building a more perfect union. only we have the power to disrupt it. In skyrocketed and the price for replace-
That effort is ongoing. Every genera- this Nation, two plus two must always ment windows. All kinds of people are
tion since our founding has worked to- equal four. installing pools at their homes. They
ward it. Every generation has made We can take a positive step forward aren’t going on vacation this year. So
hard-earned progress, and our own in one respect. Here is how. Beginning they are doing things to fix up their
work to create a more just future will today, I will be regularly recognizing homes. Construction and home im-
be no less difficult—certainly more so notable pieces of Indiana’s history. It provement have skyrocketed. Retail
than knocking down bronze and marble may be through a floor speech or a res- sales and craft businesses and things to
men or waging war on books or on each olution or a social media posting. The do at home have skyrocketed.
other across social media. purpose will be to celebrate and better A lot of other businesses that we
Every time our Nation has moved understand my State’s part of Amer- have seen have actually increased dra-
closer to better realizing the promise ica’s story and to remember the Hoo- matically, not just grocery stores and
at the heart of our Declaration of Inde- siers who—through and because of free- department stores and such, but online
pendence ‘‘that all men are created dom of action, speech, and expression— retailers. They are doing really good
equal . . . endowed by their Creator wrote that story. They will not be business. In my State, the incomes
with certain inalienable Rights,’’ it has erased. from many small towns to their com-
been because the Founders dared to I yield the floor. munities are higher now than they ever
dream that was possible and left us the The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen- were in the history of their cities be-
means to do so: the freedom to raise ator from Oklahoma. cause people aren’t driving to other
our voices and state our opinions, to f towns to shop. They are staying at
disagree and respectfully debate; the home and are shopping locally or on-
gift of free inquiry; the right to chal- HEALS ACT
line. So that tax revenue is going back
lenge our country on toward what Mar- Mr. LANKFORD. Mr. President, we to the cities. Literally, they are doing
tin Luther King, Jr., memorably called have been talking here in the Senate better now than they ever have done.
its noble dream through words, music, for months now about what needs to be For other communities and other
art, or expression—all free from censor- done to respond to COVID–19. Right businesses, there have been horrible ef-
ship and recrimination. now, we are debating behind the scenes fects during this time period, if you are
These liberties—unparalleled in a fifth bill dealing with COVID–19. We a hotel or a convention center or a res-
human history—were won, preserved, have already passed four through the taurant that surrounds a convention
and handed down to us by many of House and the Senate that the Presi- center. If the businesses deal with trav-
those whose memorials are falling. Out dent has signed. el, transportation, or vacations, all of
of gratitude, we must remember the Many Americans know the effects of those are struggling horribly during
men and women who came before us. those previous bills. They have re- this time period, and there are mul-
We must see their faults but not lose ceived deposits from the Treasury of tiple others.
sight of their virtues and aspire to the $1,200, and they have received assist- Here is the challenge that we have:
high ideals they set for us, even if they ance from the Paycheck Protection Should our response now be the same
often fell short of realizing them. What Program. Their schools have received as it was in March—to just pretend
will we have without these freedoms, assistance. Their hospitals have re- that this has struck everyone exactly
without memory and understanding of ceived assistance. Their States have re- the same—or should we pay attention
our past? Desolate public spaces, ceived assistance. Their local jurisdic- to the realities economically around
empty bookshelves, silenced citizens tions have received assistance. There the country?
with nothing to strive for other than has been wide support in multiple I think we should be more strategic
self-preservation. But with these free- areas—for housing and for health, for and understand that what we are
doms and inspired by our history, valu- testing and for vaccines. All of those spending is other people’s money. It is
able debate and dialogue will flourish; things have happened in the previous not just printed monopoly money that
daring ideas will be welcome; and great four bills. we can just throw out of here. It is debt
ideas will live. And the work we are Yet, when we passed the last set of on our future or it is, literally, taking
in—the work of building a more perfect bills, there was a lot of thought about money from the person next door or
union and a freer and fairer nation— what would happen next. How would from your house.
will be possible. Let this be the path we the virus spread? How long would this So what do we need to do in a bill,
choose. last? Would Americans continue to just and what are the needs at this point?
It would be natural to close with a stay sequestered in their homes, away Some of them are very obvious. For
quote by one of our several generations from everyone else?

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the next bill that is coming, we need to
of Founding Fathers: Washington, Lin- Now, after months of dealing with focus in on vaccines, tests, and thera-
coln, King. But today I feel it is more this COVID–19, not only in the United peutics.
appropriate to remember another na- States but globally, we know a lot What are we going to do with tele-
tion’s founder and a good American more about not only how we are going health? How are we going to be able to
friend—a man who lived behind the to respond and treat the disease but help?
Iron Curtain and knew well the dangers also about what we are dealing with, This is, first and foremost, a health
of censorship and the power of free ex- for COVID–19 doesn’t affect everyone in crisis, and it is amazing to me the

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August 5, 2020 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S4891
number of topics that are being dis- and that helped those families have a gling through this. What are we going
cussed for the next bill that have noth- stable time, where they knew where to do to help them?
ing to do with COVID–19—nothing to do their check was coming from. It helped There are some strategic ways to get
with it. those businesses reopen, and many of out some additional assistance, but we
My friends on the other side of the them are reopening now. It kept them should target it to those families of
aisle came forward with the Heroes off the unemployment assistance. greatest need, and that should be the
Act—a great name. It is a $3 trillion Now, if we do a second round of pay- same with their unemployment assist-
bill, and a full $1 trillion of it has noth- check protection, it really needs to be ance.
ing to do with COVID–19. Unrelated focused in on those businesses that are Unemployment assistance passed in
completely is $1 trillion of it because it significantly off on revenue that will March. There was an additional $600
is a big bill, and we want to get other not survive without some additional per week, per person that was sent out
things in. We want to just throw it in help. on unemployment assistance in addi-
there. We need to be attentive to how we tion to the normal State unemploy-
Why don’t we start with this as a actually handle this and be more stra- ment assistance.
health crisis, and let’s focus in on the tegic. We are not in the same situation For many individuals in my State,
health issues there—vaccines, testing, that we were in March. that meant you made more on unem-
therapeutics, telehealth. What can we We need to also look at businesses ployment than you did on employment.
do for rural hospitals? What needs to that were funded with private equity. That is a problem long term. Now, this
happen at urban and suburban hos- It makes no sense to me that if a busi- program was set up to be short term;
pitals? Those are basic questions that ness started and got their loan from a that it would be assistance through the
should be there. bank, they can get a Paycheck Protec- end of July, which has now passed. It
One of the most successful programs tion Program, but if they got their cap- was a week ago. But individuals apply-
that we put forward in the CARES Act ital from private equity, they are not ing for unemployment assistance this
was the Paycheck Protection Program. eligible for this. week are still getting unemployment
Now that it has had its headlines, as The employees that work there don’t assistance in my State, exactly as they
some folks have said, there are people know where the capital came from to were in February of this year, exactly
who have abused it. Well, welcome to start the business; they just know they as they were in November of last year,
government. Every single program that work there. But for some reason, there exactly as they were in August of last
comes out of government will be is a continual pushback to say: Well, if year. Unemployment assistance is still
abused by someone at some time. they were funded with private equity happening in my State, just like it is
We have seen that in the unemploy- rather than a bank, then they are evil. happening in every other State.
ment system. Unemployment insur- No, they are startup companies doing But the debate is, do we want to go
ance has gone out, and it has been technology, innovation, healthcare. above and beyond unemployment as-
widely abused. Well, so have some por- Those are the kinds of companies that sistance that literally takes people to
tions of the Paycheck Protection Pro- are out there that are being funded the spot where they make more stay-
gram, but we have all seen the long with private equity, but yet we have ing at home than they do at work?
lines at unemployment offices around told their employees: You can just go Now, there are some folks who are
the country. The reason this was put in to unemployment, and, literally, the saying: Well, that doesn’t actually
place—the Paycheck Protection Pro- business next door to them: No, you get deincentivize work. Really? Tell that
gram—was to do whatever we could to paycheck protection. That makes no to the folks whom I have talked to who
help shorten those lines at unemploy- sense. We should fix that. work in manufacturing, who are there
ment offices, for people to not have to We should put into this next bill at the job working every day, and the
leave and go on unemployment but to some help for schools that are reopen- person who usually works a pod away
stay connected to their small business ing. Now, not every school is reopen- from them is at home because they
or not-for-profit. That has worked. ing. They are not going to need the have talked to them, and they are say-
In my State, 65,000 businesses and same level of help. Some schools are ing: I will come back once my unem-
nonprofits have taken advantage of the not reopening or they are choosing not ployment goes away.
Paycheck Protection Program—about to. I understand that. We gave addi- So this person is busting their tail
$5.5 billion of assistance just in my tional funds—$30 billion of funds— working, making less than the person
State. across the country from the previous who is staying at home, and the person
But there are some things that need CARES Act to help schools transition staying at home is telling their friend:
to be dealt with. The forgiveness sys- to online learning, to help them get I will come back when the benefits run
tem on it is just coming out—much de- through the process of finding cleaning out. That is not right for either one of
layed, much to our frustration, but supplies, do additional training. That those folks. That tells that person
there are some straightforward things was $30 billion that was sent out to do working: You are a sucker for not just
that can be done. that. staying home and getting somebody
If you are an entity with a loan that Additional dollars should be helping else’s money.
is $150,000 or less, there should be a those schools that are reopening that We should not incentivize for not
very straightforward process of testi- will have additional expenses. They are working. We should help people get
monial—a single page to fill out to going to have to run additional bus through a very difficult time, and that
complete this. We want to see this. routes to make sure they keep kids is what this is, but not discourage en-
We want to see businesses with the separate. They are going to have to do gagement in work. That is not fair to
highest need—let’s say businesses with A and B schedules to open up their the guy or the lady who is still work-
a 35-, 40-percent, 50-percent—some of classrooms. There are going to be ing. That is not fair to the employer
them, 70-, 75-percent loss in revenue greater expenses for them, so we should that has opened up and saying: I have
from the previous year should have an help those schools that are reopening got jobs available but no one will
eligibility to get through this. through the process. That is common apply. And that is not right for that
Now, some businesses took the Pay- sense in this. family who is staying home, taking
check Protection Program, and they There has been a big request for an money from their neighbors, when they
had a 5-percent loss over last year. To additional assistance check for those know they could come back and work.
me, that is fine because at the begin- that need additional assistance. There Now, the law says that if you are of-

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ning of this, no one knew who was are some families who are struggling to fered a job and you are on unemploy-
going to survive. Many of those busi- make their payments and are going to ment, you have to take it. But we
ness owners were in the process of say- be evicted. know of way too many cases already
ing: I am going to have to lay everyone The $1,200 that was sent out earlier where individuals are not taking the
off or I can keep them on the Paycheck this year went out to help stop that job they are offered, and the employer
Protection Program. They kept them early in the year, and some families knows it is one of their employees who
on the Paycheck Protection Program are still unemployed and still strug- is a good employee, and they want

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S4892 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE August 5, 2020
them to come back, so they hate to able to come into session, and when we The real issue is with the public safe-
turn them in. So it puts everyone in a put that out from this body, those ty and the COVID expenses because so
quandary—the employer and the em- State legislatures were going out of many of the States—now with this
ployee because the employee is break- session or they were locking down be- whole ‘‘defund the police’’ movement—
ing the law by staying home, teaching cause they didn’t know what their ex- don’t want to allocate their public
their family to do the wrong thing, be- penses would be. So almost no one has safety dollars toward public safety.
cause it gets them more money. We taken those funds because their legisla- They want to be able to use it for other
shouldn’t put them in that spot, and we ture wasn’t in session to vote for it and things, not public safety.
shouldn’t encourage people to be in because they didn’t have any ability to Well, that is a decision States can
that spot. anticipate what funds would be needed make, but they have the flexibility al-
In this bill, we should deal with un- this session, and so there is $350 mil- ready to use those dollars. Literally,
employment, but we should make sure lion of unused money from the last bill they could pay for every single law en-
we are helping people through this sea- that we should just take the strings off forcement officer in their State—their
son, not incentivizing them to break of and make it clear to States: You salary and their benefits would be fully
the law. could use these funds for the election taken care of—but they are saying: I
We should deal with nursing care and coming up this fall. don’t want to pay our law enforcement.
senior living. We should deal with hos- Now, there is a big push to say: Let’s I want to use it for other things. Well,
pital care in this bill. Those are the add another $350 million. Come on, peo- those funds have been allocated, and
areas that have been the hardest hit in ple. Let’s read the last bill that we they need to make a decision on what
all of America. The largest number of wrote and bring it forward into this they are going to do with it.
fatalities that we have had and the bill and fix the problems from the last Now, there is a lot that could be done
greatest amount of expense are in that one. It shouldn’t be that difficult. with this bill, but my challenge for us
area. We should do something to come Our States are going to need help on is, let’s focus on the things that are es-
alongside them. the elections this year. There will be sential to be done, not the long wish
We should do something in this bill much greater expenses, but we want list of what people want to cram into a
about liability protections. I have let- the election to go smoothly. We have bill because it is getting big, and they
ters and phone calls from universities already allocated them the dollars. can hide something in it.
in my State and from businesses in my Let’s allow them to actually use it in a Let’s keep it focused and let’s con-
State saying they are terrified to re- way that they can during this session. tinue to remember this is a health cri-
engage for fear of what is going to hap- But that shouldn’t be for just mass sis and it is a season during which we
pen with lawsuits coming in the days mailing of every ballot. Just printing should work across the aisle to solve
ahead that they can’t stop. off ballots and mailing it to every things that are common sense and not
They want to be able to serve their house doesn’t solve the issue; it com- ignore the problem.
I yield the floor.
students at school, they want to be plicates the issue. But we should help The PRESIDING OFFICER (Ms.
able to serve their customers in their people with their election systems. MCSALLY). The Senator from Florida.
business and the families who depend And while I speak on State funding,
f
on that, but they are afraid of an en- this whole issue of State funding does
trepreneurial lawyer that will file law- need to be addressed. During the NATIONAL DEBT
suits and will push them to settle or CARES Act that passed in March, this Mr. SCOTT of Florida. Madam Presi-
push them into bankruptcy at a very body gave the States $150 billion. There dent, I rise today to address a topic
difficult time for them, only because was also an allocation for healthcare of that Washington has been ignoring for
this body will not step up and do basic $260 billion. There was an allocation for decades. For years, Republicans fought
liability protections. education of $30 billion. Why do I bring against wasteful spending under the
Now, if there is gross negligence, we that up? Obama administration. My party ar-
should never protect that company. The three most expensive aspects in gued that our debt and deficits were
But if they are doing the best that they any State budget are education, public unsustainable, and they were leaving a
can, why wouldn’t we have basic liabil- safety, and healthcare. Those are the burden that our children and grand-
ity protections for our universities, our three most expensive portions from children simply can’t afford. Unfortu-
schools, and our places of business? any State budget. nately, my party has shown an almost
We need to have in this bill some This body allocated $260 billion to- equal disregard for the dangers of a
help for the postal system. There is a ward healthcare, $30 billion toward growing national debt and annual defi-
lot of debate about what that should education, $150 billion toward public cits, as have the Democrats.
be. Is it total reform of the postal sys- safety and COVID expenses. Congress spends taxpayer money
tem? No, that is not what this is about. Just to put that in perspective, the with no accountability—something you
But just like we helped the State De- total budget for every State in Amer- would never do in business or in your
partment in the CARES Act, we should ica is $900 billion. Every State’s total personal life—and our Federal Govern-
help USPS in this bill as well. budget combined spending that they do ment is borrowing an unprecedented
We have had some pushback on help- in a year—$900 billion. amount of money. Congress borrows
ing some of the areas on immigration. My Democratic colleagues want us to money with no plan to pay it back. Our
Many of the entities in immigration give almost $1 trillion to the States for families and our businesses cannot do
are totally fee-based. When someone COVID expenses. The total budget for that. Congress is leaving debt for the
applies to come into the country with every State in the entire country for next generation. Parents and grand-
our visa system, they pay a fee to do the entire year is just over $900 billion, parents don’t do that.
that. Well, obviously, they are not and they are going to give $1 trillion to This year, between mid-March and
coming in right now, so those areas of them on top of it. That is more than late June, the Treasury’s total bor-
our immigration policy are really replacing every State budget in Amer- rowing rose by about $2.9 trillion, and
struggling right now. We should come ica. That is absurd, and that is why the Federal Reserve’s holdings of U.S.
alongside and help. That is a unique these negotiations are so difficult—be- Treasury debt rose by about $1.6 tril-
situation in a Federal agency. cause it is not reasonable. lion. The Federal Reserve is creating
We should deal with election issues— They can just throw a number out an artificial market for treasuries to
maybe not like some people in this and say everybody needs this. Replac-

SSpencer on DSK126QN23PROD with SENATE
keep interest rates low. This is not sus-
body want. In the CARES Act, we in- ing the budget of every State in Amer- tainable and will have dire con-
cluded $350 million to the States to ica is reasonable? I don’t think so, es- sequences. There will come a time
help them in their elections for this pecially when we have already allo- when they can’t purchase any more
fall—$350 million. Almost none of that cated $260 billion toward healthcare, treasuries and rates will increase.
has been used by States because in the $30 billion toward education, and $150 When the Federal Reserve can no
bill itself it also required the State leg- billion toward public safety and COVID longer keep interest rates low, every-
islatures to add matching dollars to be response. thing from car loans to student loans

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