Congressional Record — Senate, S5386 (August 11, 2020)

Summary

Page S5386 of the Senate section of the Congressional Record for August 11, 2020, in interleaved columns, with floor remarks on relief negotiations. One speaker says Democrats insist on a new trillion-dollar fund for States and that States and localities have spent only about a fourth of aid sent last spring, which is that speaker's view. Another speaker describes a $3.4 trillion House Democratic plan and says Republicans do not have the country's back, also her view. A third says Nevada has the highest unemployment rate in the country at 25 percent.

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“Congressional Record — Senate, S5386 (August 11, 2020).” Original at www.govinfo.gov. Archived at Pandemic Darlings, https://pandemicdarlings.com/source-documents/crec-crec-2020-08-11-crec-2020-08-11-pt1-pgs5386-4-f96d717e80/, SHA-256 8ba73221d82bd4b43279af9eed68dd167a3f181818657f55e53e49c936543ba4.

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S5386 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE August 11, 2020
Here is another one of those dead-on- the Nation better if the Democratic mated Democrats to develop a $3.4 tril-
arrival demands: Democrats insist that leaders would act like it is a crisis. lion plan to finally crush the virus and
working families, small businesses, and f rescue American families. It was based
healthcare providers will not get any on the needs of our country, both
more help unless a new trillion-dollar RESERVATION OF LEADER TIME health and economic, the needs of our
slush fund for poorly managed States The PRESIDENT pro tempore. Under schools and businesses and workers and
tags along. Bear in mind that States the previous order, the leadership time our healthcare system. We Democrats
and localities have only spent about a is reserved. tell America, We have your back. Un-
fourth—a fourth—of the money we al- fortunately, our Republican friends do
f
ready sent them last spring. not.
Even Senate Democrats seem to ac- MORNING BUSINESS In our negotiations with the White
knowledge this, for example, by spon- House, Chief of Staff Meadows and Sec-
The PRESIDENT pro tempore. Under
soring legislation that would extend retary Mnuchin were unable to go
the previous order, the Senate will be
the deadline for the States to spend above $1 trillion, and their $1 trillion
in a period of morning business, with
down their CARES Act aid. The States was far short of the country’s needs.
Senators permitted to speak therein
need extra time to spend what we have Democrats offered to come down by $1
for up to 10 minutes each.
already sent them, and the serious esti- trillion. We asked our counterparts—
Mr. MCCONNELL. Mr. President, I
mates of the COVID shortfall that Secretary Mnuchin, Mr. Meadows—to
suggest the absence of a quorum.
State and local governments may face come up by $1 trillion, meet us in the
The PRESIDENT pro tempore. The
are a fraction—a fraction—of the middle. They said no.
clerk will call the roll.
Democrats’ trillion-dollar demand. So last Friday, after our negotiating
The legislative clerk proceeded to
Their demands aren’t based on math. session with the White House, I made it
call the roll.
They aren’t based on the pandemic. clear that the reasons our talks had
Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, I ask
They want a massive slush fund to stalled was that the White House had
unanimous consent that the order for
make up for decades of mismanage- basically declared ‘‘my way or the
the quorum call be rescinded.
ment. highway.’’ They were unwilling to
It is just how the Speaker explained The PRESIDENT pro tempore. With-
meet us in the middle. They said that
her view of the crisis. This is what she out objection, it is so ordered.
in the room. I guess imitation is the
said: f sincerest form of flattery because now
This is an opportunity. Every crisis is. RECOGNITION OF THE MINORITY Leader MCCONNELL is blaming Demo-
That same opportunism leads them LEADER crats for the breakdown in negotia-
to another absurd demand. Democrats tions, using the exact same language.
say nobody should get any more help The PRESIDENT pro tempore. The He said Democrats are the ones saying
unless—unless—the Federal Govern- Democratic leader is recognized. ‘‘my way or the highway.’’ Seriously,
ment sends out jobless benefits that f that is what the Republican leader,
pay more than what people made work- CORONAVIRUS who wasn’t even in the room and will
ing. Republicans support extending a not dare go in the room, claims.
Federal supplement for unemploy- Mr. SCHUMER. Now, Mr. President, Let’s go over the facts—the facts. We
ment—make no mistake about that— America is living through a crisis that said to the White House: We are willing
but we share the view of Democrats exceeds anything we have seen in gen- to come down by $1 trillion. Will you
like the House Democratic majority, erations. Other countries were able to come up by $1 trillion and meet us in
the senior Senator from Maryland, the test their populations, isolate cases, the middle? The White House said: No,
Democratic Governor of Connecticut, and contain the spread of the disease, we are not budging. So to whom does
all of whom indicated it should be do- but here the failure of the Trump ad- this logic apply? Who is intransigent?
able to land somewhere smarter than a ministration to develop or implement a Who is really saying ‘‘my way or the
flat $600. national strategy to defeat COVID on highway?’’ The answer is obvious. This
This is not complicated. Both sides the health front and economically has is not a ‘‘both sides to blame’’ situa-
want to help unemployed people. Re- meant that the disease has raged tion.
publicans never wanted the Federal through our country for 7 months, is Democrats are willing to com-
benefit to lapse to zero and tried to ex- still spreading, and the economy is in promise. Republicans are being intran-
tend the money. But as our economy very bad shape. sigent and will not move from their po-
tries to reopen, there is no reason We have over 5 million confirmed sition, which is totally inadequate for
Uncle Sam should take taxes out of es- cases of COVID–19. It just took 17 days the needs of America during the great-
sential workers’ paychecks to pay to go from 4 million Americans with est economic crisis we have had in 75
other people more to stay home. COVID to 5 million. Unemployment is years and the greatest health crisis in
This is just a flavor of the Demo- higher than it ever was during the 100. That is where we are: Democrats
cratic demands. The two parties should great recession. More than 150,000 willing to move and meet in the mid-
have been able to agree on a huge Americans have died. Small businesses dle, Republicans intransigent. Repub-
sweep of subjects—from testing to every day are closing, and those that licans declared ‘‘my way or the high-
school money, legal protection to di- are still open are struggling. Families way,’’ and rather than defend their po-
rect payments and more. Republicans can’t afford to feed their children. sition, they falsely accuse Democrats
wanted to reach an agreement every- Americans can’t pay the rent and will of doing the same.
where we could and then continue to be thrown out of their homes. Millions Now, rather than trying to break the
fight over the contested questions are out of work, and many more worry logjam, as a true Presidential leader
later. Democrats said no because they that they will be out of work in the should, President Trump sits on the
know their unrelated wish-list items month or two to come. This is a huge sidelines and just issued a bunch of
would have no prayer—no prayer—of crisis. weak and unworkable Executive or-
standing on their own merit. In this time of national emergency, ders. He slashed the enhanced unem-
Only these hostage tactics could pos- Democrats believe we must focus on ployment benefits, asked the Ameri-
sibly get their bad ideas across the fin- the health and economic security of cans who are out of work, through no
ish line. So struggling people have the American people. If we don’t ad- fault of their own, to take a pay cut.
waited and waited and gotten nothing. dress the health crisis, nothing else He deferred the payroll tax, which even

dlhill on DSK120RN23PROD with SENATE
That has been the Democrats’ decision. will matter, but we have to focus on Republicans admit will do nothing to
Reporters can call it ‘‘hardball,’’ like economic security as well. help our workers and the economy and
this was some ordinary standstill, but We have to keep Americans in their would undermine Social Security and
families are suffering. Americans are homes, put food on the table, prevent Medicare to boot. And the President’s
dying. This is not a Washington game; them from slipping into further hard- Executive order on evictions is more
it is a national crisis. It would serve ship and poverty. That is what ani- like an Executive suggestion. It doesn’t

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August 11, 2020 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S5387
even guarantee a moratorium on evic- getting COVID and some more people voting. He ought to be ashamed of him-
tions. It merely instructs Federal agen- dying, and, now, after all that, the Re- self to even consider this, tripling—tri-
cies to ‘‘review’’ or ‘‘consider’’ one and publican leader says his delay ‘‘allowed pling what it costs to vote by mail at
does nothing to help renters actually us to learn the coronavirus didn’t mys- a time when more people will vote by
afford the rent. teriously disappear.’’ mail than ever before. If anyone had
Here in Congress, the Senate Repub- So while President Trump and his any thought that this Postmaster Gen-
lican majority delayed for 4 long aides have certainly been an impedi- eral was on the level, it is now dis-
months, failed to come up with a pro- ment—an awful impediment to an pensed.
posal that had the support of their own agreement, the Republican Senate is To triple the cost of voting by mail
caucus, and then gave up and left it for equally culpable, and the American would be an outrageous and insidious
someone else to figure it out. That is people know it. They know that Demo- policy that would make it even harder
why MCCONNELL is not in the room. crats have their back, healthwise and and more expensive for States, already
Facing the greatest domestic crisis in economically. Republicans, so many of struggling with depleted budgets from
the 21st century, where Americans are them, are saying: Don’t do a thing. COVID–19, to conduct our elections
hurting healthwise and economically, Don’t do a thing. They are glad the ne- safely. Democrats will fight this policy
the Senate Republican majority ran gotiations have broken down. We are with every tool at our disposal. If our
down the clock, tossed up an air ball, not. Republican colleagues care about a free
and then subbed themselves out of the f and fair election this November, they
game. should as well.
U.S. POSTAL SERVICE
Even now, as Leader MCCONNELL I yield the floor.
claims that Democrats are blocking re- Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, one The PRESIDENT pro tempore. The
lief, there are 20 Members of the Re- final matter, millions of Americans Senator from Nevada.
publican caucus, according to their rely on the U.S. Postal Service to de- Ms. CORTEZ MASTO. Mr. President,
own leader, who will not vote for any- liver their mail reliably and on time. I so appreciate the comments of the
thing—no more relief. A group of Re- For decades, the hard-working people minority leader.
publican Senators came to the floor of the Postal Service have been doing f
last week to warn America about the just that. During this pandemic, USPS
has been providing these critical serv- HOUSING
national debt, not the health crisis, not
the economic crisis, not the looming ices day in and day out, up until the Ms. CORTEZ MASTO. Mr. President,
housing crisis but the national debt. It new Postmaster General, Mr. DeJoy, a oftentimes, when I am home and I am
is something that concerned those top Republican donor and Trump ally talking to constituents in Nevada, they
same Members very little when adding with no experience in the Postal Serv- look at Washington as a bubble. They
nearly $2 trillion to the debt in order ice, was installed at the helm. don’t really think that things happen
to give big corporations a giant tax cut Administering a national election is here unless they see it on the news or
in 2017. difficult in normal times. In the time they have no trust in us really coming
Listen to this one: The Senator from of COVID, it will undoubtedly be an together to work on behalf of our con-
Wisconsin, Mr. JOHNSON, said yester- even greater challenge. We need to in- stituents.
day: stitute policies and devote resources to I think it is time we focus on what
From my standpoint, the breakdown in
make sure every American can both needs to be done in the best interest of
talks is very good news. I hope the talks re- safely and confidently vote in person our country than focusing on political
main broke down. and by mail. By the way, even just as gain or gamesmanship.
Let me repeat that. Senator JOHNSON important, we need to make sure The reason why I say that is, I don’t
said: Americans get their medicines on time, know about the President pro tempore,
that the elderly and those with pre- but I know every single Senator comes
From my standpoint—
existing conditions who are staying in from a State, and they care about their
Reflecting the views of many Repub- their homes and not going out are able constituents. They get emails from
lican Senators— to get their necessities by mail. Your their constituents and letters from
the breakdown in talks is very good news. I pills are a week late—I know what that their constituents. When we go home,
hope the talks remain broke down. is like. It has happened to me. Fortu- we claim to be in a recess, but it is not
Why did he say that? Because he nately, I don’t have medicines that my really a recess. We are home working.
doesn’t want to spend one more nickel. life depends on. It causes you huge anx- We are talking to our constituents and
Despite the huge health crisis, the iety about your health. This Post- businesses and the individuals who are
huge economic crisis, people losing master is cutting overtime, cutting there. And if we are really listening to
their jobs, small businesses closing, we employees, when, at a time of COVID, our constituents, particularly at a
shouldn’t spend a nickel. This is not we need more help, not less. But elec- time like now, when this pandemic has
both sides. This is one side only. tions should certainly concern Ameri- created the worst health crisis we have
When President Trump called cans as well. seen not just in this country but
COVID–19 a hoax and told the country The current issues of the post office around the world and has contributed
to go take bleach and other quack should alarm every American. The new to an economic crisis, then we are
medicines, some of my friends here Postmaster General has instituted hearing from our constituents that
made disappointed noises. But when policies that have contributed to inex- they are struggling right now.
the President said the virus would just cusable delays in mail delivery. But The reason they are struggling is be-
disappear, it seems the Republican now, topping the cake, the Postal Serv- cause we have asked them to stay at
Senate bought it. ice has informed some States that they home and shelter in place to stem the
After we came together to pass the may need to pay a first-class rate to spread of this virus. We have said: Lis-
CARES Act, Republican Senators deliver ballots rather than the normal ten, we don’t have a vaccine. We are
pushed all their chips to the middle to rate, nearly tripling the cost. At a time working on it, but we don’t have it
bet with President Trump that the when people will have to vote by mail right away. We need to ramp up our
virus was going to miraculously dis- in record numbers because they can’t tests so we can make sure you can get
appear. The Republican leader said: I or will not go vote in person, the Post- it, and quickly, to determine whether
am going to put the Senate on ‘‘pause’’ master General is saying we should tri- you have this virus or the antibodies so
and see what happens. Last week, he ple the rate of costs to vote by mail? we can then quarantine you and shelter

dlhill on DSK120RN23PROD with SENATE
actually defended that position, saying What a despicable derogation of democ- you. But until we even get to that
that his delay ‘‘allowed us to learn the racy. point, we have asked everybody to stay
coronavirus didn’t mysteriously dis- What is his rationale? It is a small home. And they have done it.
appear.’’ Millions more people out of amount of money. Ballots are a small I know in my State of Nevada, we
work, hundreds of thousands of small percentage of the mail that is deliv- have the highest unemployment rate in
businesses closing, many more people ered. It is to discourage people from this country right now—25 percent.

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