S. 178 (Cong. Rec., Sept. 10, 2020)
Summary
This is the Congressional Record, Senate, September 10, 2020, covering pages S5526 and S5527 under the heading S. 178, with interleaved columns. The page opens with remarks honoring Kentucky servicemembers who deployed from Fort Campbell and Fort Knox after the September 11 attacks. Mr. McConnell then says the Senate will vote that day on moving forward with a Republican coronavirus relief proposal, including $105 billion for education, a second round of the PPP for hard-hit businesses and extended Federal unemployment insurance, and criticizes Democratic leaders for blocking earlier efforts. He says more than 1,000 Kentuckians had lost their lives to COVID–19. A later speaker, not named in the text read, argues that Democrats rejected compromise and that a $1 trillion proposal for States is not necessary spending.
Summary drafted by a model from the document's text below and checked by script against that text before publication. It is a navigation aid, not a reading of what the document proves. Where AI is used
Cite this document
“S. 178 (Cong. Rec., Sept. 10, 2020).”
Original at www.govinfo.gov. Archived at Pandemic Darlings, https://pandemicdarlings.com/source-documents/crec-crec-2020-09-10-crec-2020-09-10-pt1-pgs5526-d3d00ad9b7/
, SHA-256 e6ed6ee3197cc18f7c867826e58008f1c28d6e4168402d8a50b3f409b975006a.Full text
S5526 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE September 10, 2020
our soil who have deployed throughout Well, we will find out in a couple of an incredibly robust package for edu-
the War on Terror. The special opera- hours. cation and healthcare to get kids back
tors of the 160th, the Night Stalkers, Republicans have tried repeatedly to in school safely and then defeat this
based at Fort Campbell, KY, handled build on the CARES Act and get more virus through science. We will be vot-
the very first airborne insertion of help out the door to American families. ing on $105 billion for education, more
Army troops in mid-October—a dan- Democrats have blocked us at every than House Democrats put on their
gerous fight over the Hindu Kush turn. They have invented different ex- bill; billions on testing and tracing;
mountains. The soldiers they carried cuses each time. and even more support for vaccines.
were from the famed 5th Special Forces A few months ago, Speaker PELOSI Thanks to a number of our col-
Group, also based at Fort Campbell, wrote a massive multitrillion-dollar leagues, including Senators ERNST and
who formed the tip of the spear to un- liberal wish list that even her own LOEFFLER, there is new support for
leash the might of America on the ter- House Democratic Members said would childcare, plus other arrangements like
rorists and their Taliban hosts. The fa- never become law. homeschooling, thanks to Senator
mous 101st Airborne, also at Fort ‘‘The HEROES Act went too far.’’ A CRUZ.
Campbell, became the first conven- ‘‘political wish list.’’ These are quotes Are Democrats going to vote against
tional unit on the ground just days from House Democrats. childcare and education during a pan-
later. But in July, when the Senate Repub- demic because they are afraid the Re-
Fast-forward a decade, and the Night licans put forward a serious offer, publicans might get some credit? Real-
Stalkers were helicoptering over Af- Speaker PELOSI and the Democratic ly? They are going to vote against find-
ghanistan yet again. They inserted and leader said they would not even talk— ing and distributing vaccines because
extracted SEAL Team Six the night we not even talk—unless we started with they are afraid the breakthrough that
took Osama bin Laden off the battle- that unserious bill. No help for families our Nation is praying for might pos-
field. unless they got to pass the absurd bill sibly help President Trump?
Thousands more servicemembers de- their own Democratic Members have These are the policies that every one
ployed from Kentucky’s Fort Knox and ridiculed. of us will be voting on in a couple of
Fort Campbell during the War on Ter- So, in August, Republicans tried hours—these and many more.
ror, and more than 18,000 soldiers and something else. We proposed breaking Speaker PELOSI and the Democratic
airmen from the Kentucky National off some of the most urgent, most bi- leader can keep up their frantic polit-
Guard had been mobilized to defend our partisan policies and agreeing wherever ical spin. They can keep trying to
Nation. we could: unemployment insurance, make this an abstract argument over
Fighting by our side for nearly 20 the Paycheck Protection Program. But leverage or an infinite set of things
years now have been our friends and Speaker PELOSI and the Democratic that aren’t in the bill or whether the
NATO allies. America’s friends invoked leader blocked that too. They said they White House Chief of Staff has been po-
article 5 right away and have fought didn’t want to do anything ‘‘piece- lite to them or whatever new excuse
alongside us to defeat this global meal.’’ ‘‘Piecemeal,’’ they said. they will settle on today. But none of
threat. Then, just a few weeks later, Speaker that is what we are going to vote on.
That dark day occasioned brave con-
PELOSI completely contradicted herself We are going to vote on policy.
tributions from so many—from the
and rushed back to Washington to pass Today, every Senator will either say
firefighters who sprinted through the
a total piecemeal bill that only helped they want to send families the relief we
smoke to the citizens who donated
the Postal Service and did nothing for can agree to or they can send families
blood and flew our flag, to the young
working families—contradiction after nothing—nothing.
men and women who are stationed
contradiction, excuse after excuse, Reporters asked the Democratic lead-
thousands of miles from home right
while working families have suffered er yesterday if his stonewalling was
now to help our Nation project power
and waited and wondered whether making the perfect the enemy of the
and protect our homeland.
We did what Americans do. We Washington Democrats really care good. He replied—listen to this—‘‘Re-
stayed strong. We stuck together. We more about hurting President Trump publicans are the enemy of the good.’’
rolled up our sleeves, and we rebuilt. than helping them through this crisis. ‘‘Republicans are the enemy.’’ That is
Some rebuilt their lives. Others rebuilt My Democratic colleagues should what he said.
buildings. Some put on the uniform stand up and tell the American people We have all heard the saying that a
and rebuilt peace and security with which elements of our multihundred- gaffe is when a politician accidentally
their own hands. billion-dollar proposal they actually says what he really thinks. That is a
May we never fail to honor them, and oppose. Washington gaffe, when a politician ac-
may we never tire of the toughness, Let me say that again. They should tually says what he really thinks. Well,
vigilance, and persistence it has stand up and tell the American people the Democratic leader just told us how
taken—and will continue to take—to which parts of the proposal we will poisonous his thinking has become.
make our pledge, ‘‘Never Again,’’ a re- vote on later today that they are actu- The Americans we represent, how-
ality. ally against. ever they vote, know that Republicans
Today, we are going to vote to extend aren’t our enemies and Democrats
f
the Federal unemployment insurance. aren’t our enemies. The coronavirus is
S. 178 Will Democrats vote against that? the enemy. The coronavirus is the
Mr. MCCONNELL. Madam President, Thanks to Senator COLLINS and enemy.
on an entirely different matter, Con- Chairman RUBIO, we are going to vote My home State just passed a sad
gress has spent months talking—talk- on a whole second round of the PPP for milestone yesterday. More than 1,000
ing—about whether to give the Amer- hard-hit businesses. Are the Democrats Kentuckians have lost their lives to
ican people more relief as they con- against that? COVID–19. These families I represent
tinue grappling with this pandemic. Thanks to colleagues such as Sen- are not burying their loved ones be-
Today we are going to vote. ators ERNST, DAINES, GARDNER, and cause Republicans or Democrats are
Today we are going to vote. Every SULLIVAN, we will be voting on help for the enemy. They are burying their
Senator will be counted. Should we small businesses like farms and fish- loved ones because of this virus. That
move forward with the floor process to eries. Thanks to Senator CORNYN, we is what we are fighting. That is what
deliver hundreds of billions of dollars will be voting on commonsense legal families are dealing with. We are not
more for kids, jobs, and healthcare? protections that universities and non- each other’s enemies. We are all in this
ctelli on DSK11ZRN23PROD with SENATE
Should we at least vote to move for- profits have been asking for. Who are together, just like we were back in
ward and have this debate out in the the Democrats excited to vote March and April.
open? Or do our Democratic colleagues against—the farmers or the university So, today, every Senator is going to
prefer to hide behind closed doors and presidents? vote. Every Senator is going to vote.
refuse to help families before the elec- Thanks to Chairman ALEXANDER and Senators who share the Democratic
tion? Senator BLUNT, we are going to vote on leader’s toxic attitude, who think the
VerDate Sep 11 2014 02:35 Sep 11, 2020 Jkt 099060 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 4637 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\G10SE6.002 S10SEPT1
September 10, 2020 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S5527
real enemies are their political oppo- Our Nation is deeply, deeply in debt Democrats have rejected serious nego-
nents, I assume, will follow his lead right now. Next year, our country will tiation. Sure, they sat in meetings, and
and vote no. They can tell American owe more than we produce for the first they talked about a bill, but at the end
families they care more about politics time since the end of World War II. of the day, Democrats refused to com-
than helping them. That is a very bad place to be. That is promise. It was their bill or no bill,
But Senators who want to move for- getting toward the kind of debt-to-GDP which means that so far, they have
ward will vote yes. They will vote to ratio that helped bring about financial chosen no bill.
advance this process so we can shape it disaster in Greece. While the United The only way to get a bill through
into a bipartisan product and make a States is not Greece, if we grow our the Senate and to the President’s desk
law for the American people. That is debt enough, what happened to the is to develop a compromise bill. Even if
what working families need. They need Greek economy could happen here. the majority leader puts Democrats’
us to act. They need us to legislate. Being the United States of America exact bill on the floor today, there is
Today, they will see exactly who has does not exempt us from financial re- no way—no way—it would make it
their backs. alities. In times of crisis, sometimes through the Senate, much less be
f
you have to borrow money, and that is signed into law by the President. So if
what we had to do earlier this year the Democrats really want a bill, they
RESERVATION OF LEADER TIME with the CARES Act and other are going to have to compromise, and
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Under coronavirus relief legislation. But we that is something they have continued
the previous order, the leadership time have an absolute responsibility to to refuse to do, which leads to the log-
is reserved. every American, to every hard-working ical conclusion that Democrats don’t
individual in this country to ensure want a bill at all.
f If Democrats really wanted to get re-
that we are only borrowing what is ab-
EXECUTIVE SESSION solutely necessary. lief to Americans, they would work
Democrats’ proposal doesn’t even with Republicans to pass a compromise
come close to meeting the definition of bill even if it didn’t contain all the
EXECUTIVE CALENDAR ‘‘necessary spending.’’ To give just one money Democrats want, because even
example, Democrats have proposed ap- if it were true that the Republican leg-
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Under
propriating a staggering $1 trillion for islation is inadequate, some money is
the previous order, the Senate will pro-
States even though the States still— better than no money. If you can’t get
ceed to executive session to resume
still—haven’t spent the money we pro- someone in need all the money you
consideration of the following nomina-
vided for them in the original CARES think they should have, you should get
tion, which the clerk will report.
Act. Now, it is certainly possible that them what money you can.
The senior assistant legislative clerk If Democrats really thought it was of
at some point, we will have to provide
read the nomination of Hala Y. Jarbou, overwhelming importance that we de-
some kind of additional assistance to
of Michigan, to be United States Dis- liver relief to Americans right now,
States, but to create a trillion-dollar
trict Judge for the Western District of they would be working with Repub-
slush fund for States before they have
Michigan. licans to get as much relief as they
even spent the money they have al-
Mr. MCCONNELL. I suggest the ab- could through Congress. But, for Demo-
ready been given would be an incred-
sence of a quorum. crats, delivering relief to Americans is
ibly irresponsible use of taxpayer dol-
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The not really of overwhelming impor-
lars. At least some of that money could
clerk will call the roll. tance. What is of overwhelming impor-
be used for coronavirus relief.
The senior assistant legislative clerk Other money in the Democrats’ bill tance to Democrats is keeping
proceeded to call the roll. would go to measures that have noth- coronavirus alive as a political issue,
Mr. THUNE. Madam President, I ask ing—absolutely nothing—to do with and if that means no bill, well then
unanimous consent that the order for the virus, things like diversity studies Democrats are OK with that. They
the quorum call be rescinded. in the cannabis industry, a soil health would rather have no bill, zero funding,
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without study, federalizing elections, and tax and a political weapon than to have a
objection, it is so ordered. cuts for millionaires in States like New bill and allow Republicans to say that
CORONAVIRUS York and California. we helped Americans. So all indica-
Mr. THUNE. Madam President, once One of the biggest priorities in the tions are that when we have a vote
again this week, Republicans are bring- wake of the coronavirus is helping later today, they plan to filibuster this
ing forward a proposal to provide addi- Americans keep their jobs or to find bill.
tional coronavirus relief to help pro- new ones. It should be front and center This is not the first time we have
tect jobs, to get kids and teachers back in any relief bill. Yet Democrats’ mas- seen this. Think back to the end of
in the classroom safely, and to provide sive bill—over $3 trillion in the Demo- June. In the wake of George Floyd’s
funding for the treatments and vac- crats’ bill—manages to mention the death at the knee of a police officer,
cines we need to defeat this virus, and word ‘‘cannabis’’ more often than the Americans of all parties came together
once again, Democrats are objecting. It word ‘‘job.’’ Diversity studies for mari- to push for police reform. Republicans
is the same old song: Republicans’ bill juana are more important, evidently, put a police reform bill on the floor of
doesn’t spend enough. Well, let’s talk than jobs—at least if you look at the the Senate for debate and amend-
about that for a minute. Democrats’ bill. That should tell you ment—a substantial bill that included
First of all, Republicans are not all you need to know about the serious- 75 to 80 percent of what both Demo-
claiming that the bill we put on the ness of the Democrats’ proposal. I crats and Republicans said they want-
floor this week contains the last dol- would love for the Democratic leader ed, the product of years of research and
lars we will need to spend in response to come down to the floor and explain work by Senator TIM SCOTT, who has
to the coronavirus. We may need to how a bill that mentions the word personal experience on this issue.
spend more. This bill is simply an at- ‘‘cannabis’’ more often than the word And Democrats? Well, Democrats
tempt to direct relief funds to some of ‘‘job’’ is a serious coronavirus bill. filibustered. That is right. In the face
the biggest priorities right now, like Of course, despite the unseriousness of a nationwide call for police reform
helping the hardest hit small busi- of the Democrats’ proposal, Repub- legislation, Democrats refused to even
nesses weather this crisis and pro- licans have been willing to compromise move forward to debate the legislation.
viding more resources for testing, on a coronavirus bill from the very be- Why? Because agreeing to work with
ctelli on DSK11ZRN23PROD with SENATE
treatment, and vaccines. These are ginning. We understand how negotia- Republicans on legislation would have
areas we should all agree on. tion works, and we knew that we would taken away much of Democrats’ ability
Second of all, Democrats’ have to give some ground and that to exploit police reform as a political
coronavirus proposal—the $3 trillion Democrats would have to give some issue. So Democrats filibustered even
bill they proposed—is both unrealistic ground. We were and are willing to do though, remarkably, they were offered
and irresponsible. just that. But from the beginning, by Senator SCOTT and other supporters
VerDate Sep 11 2014 02:35 Sep 11, 2020 Jkt 099060 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 4637 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\G10SE6.003 S10SEPT1
File and source
- File
- CREC_crec-2020-09-10_crec-2020-09-10-pt1-pgs5526.pdf
- Size
- 222,451 bytes
- SHA-256
- e6ed6ee3197cc18f7c867826e58008f1c28d6e4168402d8a50b3f409b975006a
- Original
- www.govinfo.gov