Multiemployer Pension System (Cong. Rec., Aug. 6, 2020)
Summary
Page S5240 of the Senate section of the Congressional Record for August 6, 2020, in interleaved columns. The Senate considers and agrees by unanimous consent to S. Res. 668, marking the 50th anniversary of a Federal law enforcement training center, at the request of Mrs. Loeffler. A speaker warns that a collapse of the multiemployer pension system would hurt retirees, current workers and small businesses, which is that speaker's view, and honors Rita Lewis for continuing her husband's fight. Another speaker, from Alaska, says the fishing industry is vital and seafood is a missed opportunity in relief talks.
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“Multiemployer Pension System (Cong. Rec., Aug. 6, 2020).”
Original at www.govinfo.gov. Archived at Pandemic Darlings, https://pandemicdarlings.com/source-documents/crec-crec-2020-08-06-crec-2020-08-06-pt1-pgs5240-2-60e776dfeb/
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S5240 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE August 6, 2020
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The It touches every single State in the low workers. His wife, Rita Lewis, has
clerk will report the resolution by country. We are talking about our en- continued his fight and has become a
title. tire multiemployer pension system. If leader and an inspiration to so many of
The senior assistant legislative clerk it collapses, it will not just be retirees us.
read as follows: who feel the pain. Current workers will Rita once told me that retirees and
A resolution (S. Res. 668) commemorating be stuck paying into pensions they will workers struggling with this crisis feel
the Federal Law Enforcement Training Cen- never receive. Small businesses will be like they are invisible. These Ameri-
ter’s 50th Anniversary. left drowning in pension liability they cans aren’t invisible to me. They
There being no objection, the Senate can’t afford. Small businesses that shouldn’t be invisible to this body.
proceeded to consider the resolution. have been in the family for generations They aren’t invisible to Speaker
Mrs. LOEFFLER. I ask unanimous could face bankruptcy. PELOSI or Leader SCHUMER. They are
consent that the resolution be agreed I have seen those companies: not invisible to Senator SMITH, who is
to, that the preamble be agreed to, and Spangler Candy in Williams County, from Minnesota and has done yeoman’s
that the motions to reconsider be con- OH; Smucker’s Preserves in Orrville, work on this; or Senator PETERS from
sidered made and laid upon the table OH. We have seen these companies that Michigan, who has spoken out and
with no intervening action or debate. have been family companies paying fought for better laws; or Chairman
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there into this pension plan for generations, NEAL in the House; or Chairman SCOTT
objection? and workers lose jobs if businesses from Virginia in the House; and many
Without objection, it is so ordered. close up shop. of my colleagues who worked for years
The resolution (S. Res. 668) was The effect will ripple through the en- now trying to find a bipartisan solu-
agreed to. tire economy. It is not only union busi- tion.
The preamble was agreed to. nesses that participate in these plans We are not giving up. As we know, it
(The resolution, with its preamble, is that will close their doors. It would comes back to the dignity of work.
printed in today’s RECORD under ‘‘Sub- devastate small communities across When work has dignity, we honor the
mitted Resolutions.’’) the industrial heartland. Small busi- retirement security people earn. When
f nesses in these communities already you love this country, you fight for the
are hurt because of this virus. people who make it work.
EXECUTIVE CALENDAR—Continued
These pension plans were already in I urge my colleagues in this body—
Mrs. LOEFFLER. Madam President, danger prior to February or March, or colleagues with healthcare and retire-
I suggest the absence of a quorum. even April or May, when the President ment plans paid for by taxpayers—to
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The decided that this was a crisis. Now the think about these retired workers and
clerk will call the roll. economic emergency we are in has put
The senior assistant legislative clerk the stress—on top of the stress of the
them in a worse position. coronavirus—they are facing.
proceeded to call the roll. The House did its part repeatedly.
Mr. BROWN. Mr. President, I ask Join us. Let’s pass a solution that
First, they passed the Butch Lewis Act. honors their work, that honors the dig-
unanimous consent that the order for More than 2 months ago, they passed
the quorum call be rescinded. nity of work, and that keeps our prom-
the Heroes Act, which includes a pen- ise.
The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. sion solution.
YOUNG). Without objection, it is so or- I suggest the absence of a quorum.
But under Senator MCCONNELL, the
dered. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The
Senate has done nothing. It is time for
clerk will call the roll.
MULTIEMPLOYER PENSION SYSTEM us to do our part.
Mr. BROWN. Mr. President, the pub- Leader MCCONNELL has refused to do The legislative clerk proceeded to
lic health crisis and the economic cri- anything on pensions. We could have call the roll.
sis that are happening right now are fixed this last year. He chose not to. He Mrs. HYDE-SMITH. Mr. President, I
not happening in a vacuum. didn’t address it in the HEALS Act ask unanimous consent that the order
All the damage caused by the that he introduced last week, and he for the quorum call be rescinded.
coronavirus and the President’s fail- didn’t address it in the CARES Act The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without
ures is layered on top of all the exist- that we passed back in March. objection, it is so ordered.
ing problems of our country, including There are reports the President, who The PRESIDING OFFICER. Under
the crisis we have been facing for years has not been a friend of workers—put- the previous order, all postcloture time
in the multiemployer pension system. ting it mildly—was fine with including has expired.
More than a million American work- a multiemployer pension fix in the The question is, Will the Senate ad-
ers and retirees were already in danger CARES Act if Leader MCCONNELL vise and consent to the Cronan nomi-
of losing the retirement security that wanted it. But Leader MCCONNELL nation?
they earned. These are people who did stopped it, and the President wasn’t Mrs. HYDE-SMITH. I ask for the
everything right. They spent years willing to step in. He is supposed to yeas and nays.
working on assembly lines, bagging lead the country, but he has The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there a
groceries, driving trucks, working hard outsourced his decision making to Sen- sufficient second?
to keep this economy going and to pro- ator MCCONNELL. There appears to be a sufficient sec-
vide for their families. Money came out The Senate must act. If the entire ond.
of every single one of their paychecks multiemployer pension system col- The clerk will call the roll.
to pay into a pension system. lapses, it will make our economic crisis The legislative clerk called the roll.
People in Washington don’t under- worse. We knew before this pandemic Mr. THUNE. The following Senators
stand the collective bargaining proc- that the pension system could collapse. are necessarily absent: the Senator
ess. They either don’t understand it or It is only more likely to fail now. If from Tennessee (Mr. ALEXANDER) and
don’t care to understand it. People give that happens, we know who gets hurt the Senator from Tennessee (Mrs.
up dollars today at the bargaining the most. It is not the Wall Street BLACKBURN).
table for the promise of a secure retire- banks that squandered workers’ Further, if present and voting, the
ment, with healthcare and a pension. money. It is small businesses. It is Senator from Tennessee (Mr. ALEX-
This crisis affects thousands of Ohio- workers. It is employees who did every- ANDER) would have voted ‘‘yea.’’
ans and people in Indiana, the Pre- thing right. Their lives and livelihoods Mr. DURBIN. I announce that the
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siding Officer’s State. It affects the will be devastated if Congress doesn’t Senator from Illinois (Ms. DUCKWORTH)
massive Central States Pension Plan, do our job. is necessarily absent.
the Bricklayers Local 7, the Iron- Workers and retirees in Ohio and The PRESIDING OFFICER. Are there
workers Local 17, the Ohio Southwest around the country have rallied in the any other Senators in the Chamber de-
Carpenters Pension Plan, the Bakers name of Butch Lewis, a great Ohioan siring to vote or to change their vote?
and Confectioners Pension Plan, and on who helped lead this fight and passed The result was announced—yeas 55,
and on and on. away far too soon, fighting for his fel- nays 42, as follows:
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August 6, 2020 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S5241
[Rollcall Vote No. 157 Ex.] As my colleagues know, our fisher- 179, S. 494; that the bill be considered
YEAS—55 men are some of the hardest working read a third time and passed; and that
Barrasso Grassley Risch Americans. They are also some of the the motion to reconsider be considered
Blunt Hawley Roberts Americans who have been hit the hard- made and laid upon the table with no
Boozman Hoeven Romney intervening action or debate.
est by this pandemic. The Saltonstall-
Braun Hyde-Smith Rounds
Burr Inhofe Rubio
Kennedy Act helps these hard-working The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there
Capito Johnson Sasse men and women across the country by objection?
Cassidy Jones Scott (FL) providing consistent funding for fish- Mrs. GILLIBRAND. Objection.
Collins Kennedy
Cornyn Lankford
Scott (SC) eries research and development and re- The PRESIDING OFFICER. Objec-
Shelby lated programs, grant programs—very tion is heard.
Cotton Lee
Sinema
Cramer Loeffler popular. The Senator from New York.
Crapo Sullivan
Manchin Decades ago, Congress authorized a Mrs. GILLIBRAND. Mr. President,
Cruz McConnell Tester
Daines McSally Thune group of experts from all around the reserving the right to object, I ask
Enzi Moran Tillis country—Alaska, the east coast—and unanimous consent that the request be
Ernst Murkowski Toomey vessel owners, fishermen, and distribu- modified so that in addition to the re-
Fischer Paul Wicker
Young tors to advise the Secretary of Com- quest of the Senator from Alaska, the
Gardner Perdue
Graham Portman merce on how to distribute these funds. Senate proceed to the immediate con-
It makes sense. They are the closest to sideration of Calendar No. 317, S. 908,
NAYS—42
the action. Over time, unfortunately, the Fluke Fairness Act.
Baldwin Harris Reed I request that the bill be read a third
Bennet Hassan Rosen
this group was disbanded. Nobody
Blumenthal Heinrich Sanders thought that was a good idea—abol- time and passed and that motion to re-
Booker Hirono Schatz ishing this advisory committee. consider be considered made and laid
Brown Kaine Schumer Then you had the National Marine upon the table with no intervening ac-
Cantwell King Shaheen
Cardin Klobuchar Smith
Fisheries essentially determine how all tion or debate.
Carper Leahy Stabenow of these Saltonstall-Kennedy funds The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there
Casey Markey Udall would be distributed to fishermen. So, objection to the modification?
Coons Menendez Van Hollen with all due respect to the DC bureau- Mr. TILLIS. Reserving the right to
Cortez Masto Merkley Warner
Durbin Murphy Warren crats, they are the ones making the de- object.
Feinstein Murray Whitehouse cisions. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen-
Gillibrand Peters Wyden So we have a bill—my bill—which, by ator from North Carolina.
NOT VOTING—3 the way, passed the Senate previously, Mr. TILLIS. Mr. President, I have
Alexander Blackburn Duckworth unanimously, that members in the been in the Senate now for 51⁄2 years,
fishing community from all over the and I don’t consider somebody a better
The nomination was confirmed. country be chosen to determine how to friend, an advocate for his State than
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Under get these funds out to our fishermen, Senator SULLIVAN. I have actually
the previous order, the motion to re- whether in New York or North Carolina spent a lot of time—even though Sen-
consider is considered made and laid or Alaska, and everybody thinks that ator GILLIBRAND and I have differences
upon the table, and the President will makes sense. in certain situations, we find ways to
be immediately notified of the Senate’s Our fishermen need support right work together.
action. now; there is no doubt. They are being What I have before me, though, is
The Senator from Alaska. hammered by this pandemic. So the something that is very important for
f legislation that I am hopefully going to people to understand. I agree with ev-
be able to pass in the Senate here in a erything Senator SULLIVAN said. His
LEGISLATIVE SESSION
couple of minutes has cosponsors measure, I suspect, has broad support,
across a broad political spectrum in probably support on its own. But what
MORNING BUSINESS the Senate: Senators CANTWELL, MAR- we have here is the addition by the mo-
KEY, WARREN, MURKOWSKI, and myself. tion of Senator GILLIBRAND that affects
Mr. SULLIVAN. Mr. President, I ask I am aware of no policy objections to my State, North Carolina. It has to do
unanimous consent that the Senate this important piece of legislation. To with reallocation of quotas. It would
proceed to legislative session for a pe- the contrary, it has already passed the particularly affect the flounder indus-
riod of morning business, with Sen- Senate unanimously. I am, however, try in North Carolina.
ators permitted to speak therein for up aware of an unrelated dispute between I hope that we are able to work out
to 10 minutes each. the Democratic leader and some of my our differences. I hope that we can get
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without Senate colleagues from the east coast Senator SULLIVAN’s bill passed. But be-
objection, it is so ordered. regarding an entirely different bill. I cause it has been amended to include
f respect disagreements over regional something that hurts my fisheries in
issues, and I certainly hope my col- North Carolina and my commercial
UNANIMOUS CONSENT REQUEST—
leagues can work them out, but this fishermen at the worst possible time,
S. 494
issue is thousands of miles away from when they are suffering like everybody
Mr. SULLIVAN. Mr. President, I Alaska and my constituents, the people else from the COVID–19 crisis and all
wanted to come down and speak today I represent, who are hurting. the challenges that that produces, I do
about a very important sector of the Moreover, the bill I am getting ready object.
economy for Alaska and for America— to introduce, S. 494, helps all fishermen The PRESIDING OFFICER. Objec-
that is, our fishermen—and some im- nationwide—New York, North Caro- tion is heard.
portant, very bipartisan legislation lina, Alaska. Is there objection to the original re-
that I am trying to move right now The American Fisheries Advisory quest?
that I am hopeful everybody can agree Committee Act, S. 494, should not be Mrs. GILLIBRAND. I object.
to. The Senate has agreed to it pre- collateral damage or hostage taken in The PRESIDING OFFICER. Objec-
viously, and I am really hopeful that an unrelated fight. If my colleagues tion is heard.
we can do it again right now. want to try and work together, I will The Senator from Alaska.
I talk about the great State of Alas- certainly help them work out their dif- Mr. SULLIVAN. Mr. President, while
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ka being the superpower of seafood. ferences, but I don’t think it is con- I am disappointed, these are two good
Over 60 percent of all seafood—com- structive to hold hostage this impor- friends of mine on the Senate floor
mercial, recreational—harvested in tant legislation for a fight that is thou- right now, whom I have worked with on
America comes from my great State. sands of miles away from Alaska. numerous pieces of legislation. They
Sixty percent. So this is a vital indus- Mr. President, I ask unanimous con- both represent their States very well,
try in my State but also a vital indus- sent that the Senate proceed to the im- but this is a missed opportunity for the
try in the country. mediate consideration of Calendar No. fishermen of America—America, not
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