Transportation (Cong. Rec., Sept. 17, 2020)
Summary
Page S5691 of the Senate section of the Congressional Record for September 17, 2020, under Transportation. A speaker says Democrats blocked a targeted relief package the week before, and says the official poverty rate fell to 10.5 percent and more than 4 million Americans rose out of poverty between 2018 and 2019. Another speaker on aviation says air travel dropped 96 percent when the pandemic hit, and that the Payroll Support Program, created in the CARES Act, was designed to compensate aviation industry workers and preserve jobs. That speaker says travel had recovered to about 40 percent of airline capacity before the Labor Day weekend.
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“Transportation (Cong. Rec., Sept. 17, 2020).”
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September 17, 2020 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S5691
Unfortunately, Congressional Demo- It has spurred economic growth. It has are critical to our economy that can-
crats have decided not to let the oppor- spurred an economy like I have never not be easily replaced. Maintaining our
tunity that moment presents go to seen in my lifetime. aviation sector is vital to the long-
waste. Democrats are taking advantage In 2019, incomes grew at the highest term economic success of our country.
of the American people’s uncertainty pace ever recorded. Last year, the offi- When the pandemic hit, we saw a 96-
and pain in an attempt to force them cial poverty rate fell to an all-time percent drop in air travel, which in-
to lose faith in their government, in record low of 10.5 percent. Think about stantly jeopardized thousands of jobs
their fellow countrymen, and in them- that—10.5 percent. A decade ago, there in this sector. We worked very hard in
selves. We are hearing from people that were more people than ever on assist- the CARES Act to create the right bal-
this causes them concern because they ance. Between 2018 and 2019 alone, more ance of capital for the aviation sector
want to see us work together; they than 4 million Americans rose out of to continue because it is essential. We
want to see us address these issues that poverty. Think about those numbers. also have workers who are essential to
are causing heartache together. That is a good thing. It was the largest their jobs, so we must keep moving to
I have to tell you, I think it was so reduction in poverty in over 50 years. solve these problems from the pan-
unfortunate that last week, some of The Black poverty rate fell below 20 demic.
our friends across the aisle blocked yet percent for the first time in history, The Payroll Support Program, which
another targeted relief package that and child poverty also fell to a near 50- was created in the CARES Act and is
would have brought billions of dollars year low. being administered through the De-
in support to the American people. I Our record on this is very clear: The partment of the Treasury, was designed
think we have to realize that this was Trump administration policies worked. to compensate aviation industry work-
not a vote on final passage; this was a The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act worked. ers and preserve jobs in order to help
vote to end cloture and begin the de- That is what the American people are protect the essential aspects of avia-
bate on that package. wanting to get back to. tion and airline services. The program
Basically, what our friends across the I encourage all of my colleagues in continues to cover the costs of keeping
aisle said to the American people last this Chamber to read that report and people employed and keeping this vital
week is this: We don’t want to talk look at these stats, and everyone piece of transportation moving. This is
about this. We don’t want to discuss it. should remind themselves of the critically important because, in just a
We don’t want to debate it. progress we have made as a nation on very short period of time, September
That is unfortunate. If you look at growing this economy over the last 4 30, this program is going to expire.
the bill that the Senate Republicans years. Congress needs to act to extend the
proposed and brought forward on a clo- Politically, everybody talks about program. It is important that we pro-
ture vote last week, it is hard to tease how this is a divided nation, but we vide this support through the PSP pro-
out exactly what the problem was with have to come together and work under gram for the aviation workers who are
it. It included another round of pay- an umbrella of policies that will make so essential to continuing to deliver
check protection plan funding. I will life better for all Americans. For the these services. Aviation not only helps
tell you, in Tennessee, a lot of our en- life of me, I cannot fathom why my col- people move around the country for
tertainment venues and a lot of our leagues on the other side of the aisle personal reasons and essential business
restaurants need this. They need that would throw that opportunity away. reasons, but it also delivers good medi-
consideration to stay afloat. Our citizens want us to work on a re- cine and essential mail services. The
There was funding for vaccine devel- lief package that is going to help them fact is that most people probably have
opment. Is there anybody who does not get back to work, help our children get forgotten how important airlines are to
think we need a vaccine for back to school, and allow our commu- delivering the U.S. mail, but they are
coronavirus? I haven’t met people who nities, our schools, our governments, important.
think we don’t need to be working on and our businesses to safely operate The CARES Act included require-
that. Everybody is saying: Let’s get with liability protections. ments to ensure that smaller markets
this to market as safely and quickly as I yield the floor. continue to receive air service and its
is possible. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen- associated benefits. As you can see,
There was support for healthcare ator from Washington. many of the airlines, in the uncer-
workers. TRANSPORTATION tainty of what is happening with the
There was support for students and Ms. CANTWELL. Madam President, I CARES Act extension, are now cutting
teachers who are still trying to adapt come to the floor this afternoon to talk services to those communities. Doing
to online learning. about the importance of aviation and another CARES Act bill would help us
I was just doing a virtual townhall continuing to focus on the workforce to keep those services in these smaller
with one of our counties in Tennessee. employed in aviation. I want to speak communities. It was announced that as
One of their issues is, when will there about the importance of the thousands many as 50,000 airline jobs will be at
be additional funding to help us with of workers, including pilots, flight at- risk if we don’t continue the Payroll
technology, because 30 percent of our tendants, gate agents, baggage han- Support Program.
students elected an e-learning format. dlers, mechanics, catering workers, and Now is not the time to be uncertain.
Do you know what? There was even many others, who are feeling the im- Now is the time to give the airline sec-
money for the post office. Back in Au- pact of the COVID–19 pandemic. tor the importance that it deserves by
gust, our friends across the aisle I believe we should continue to ad- having airline workers continue to do
thought that was a crisis, but I guess it dress the very important issues of the their jobs. Every job lost means a
was their drama of the day because health aspects of the pandemic and the worker earns less. It means the slow-
they voted against all of this funding. economic impact of the pandemic, but down of the economy as a whole. It
They voted for weakening the econ- while we are working on developing a means that consumer spending, which
omy, I guess, and they voted against vaccine and developing better thera- is a big engine of our economy, will
the prospects of American workers. peutics and testing and stopping the slow down, and 70 percent of our GDP
But what they were doing was spread of this virus, we also need to comes from that consumer spending.
strengthening the false premise that keep in mind that we do need transpor- So these programs are important.
they are the only ones capable of tation. If the Payroll Support Program is
sparking an economic recovery. This, Prior to the pandemic, the aviation not extended, the cost for workers who
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of course, is demonstrably false. industry supported nearly 11 million will lose their jobs will simply be shift-
This week, the Census Bureau re- American jobs, put $1.8 trillion to work ed to the States in the form of unem-
leased its annual report. I will tell you in our economy, and contributed to ployment benefits, and since we aren’t
that the numbers prove that the Trump about 5.2 percent of our GDP. In fact, solving the problems of the States, the
administration’s pro-growth policies civilian aviation is the seventh leading States also add to the GDP, so we are
are working. The Tax Cuts and Jobs contributor of overall productivity. not helping the GDP unless we come to
Act that we passed in 2017 is working. These are skilled, high-wage jobs that a resolution within the CARES Act.
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S5692 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE September 17, 2020
Unemployment doesn’t cover the cost important air travel moving for our make sure it is safe for the public to
of a full salary. Each worker would economy. fly. Getting this extension of the
have less to spend on gas and groceries, Without the extension, flight crews, COVID bill done before September 30
on a mortgage, and on medicine. In the flight attendants, and others will be still remains a key priority.
downturn of the economy that we have impacted in another way, in that, when On the point of aviation, I would say
been facing, we can’t afford more loss. you stop air transportation services, to my colleagues, besides the Cantwell-
Our economy is showing some signs people, after a period of time, will have Scott bill we will be dropping tomor-
of modest recovery as the result of the to come back and be retrained and re- row to help focus on more aviation
economic stimulus from the CARES certified. Many times here, I have par- safety, my colleague Senator WICKER
Act, but many of those benefits are ex- ticipated in debates about tax credits and I remain committed to continuing
piring. I can tell you, as a Member or tax policy. Oftentimes, we go past to work on aviation safety as it relates
from the Pacific Northwest, I hear a our deadline of December 31 and into to certification legislation. I hope all
lot from businesses that didn’t get help the new year. Even though we can’t of our colleagues on the Commerce
and support in the PPP program and reach a conclusion, most people think: Committee will continue to focus on
want it to continue so that they, too, Well, that is OK. We will make it retro- that as well.
can be on par with some of their active, so going past our deadline WILDFIRES
friends and neighbors who have been doesn’t impact anything. In this case, Madam President, I would now like
able to succeed economically. it does impact something because, once to say a few words about another press-
Right now, we are at a turning point we hit the October 1 deadline and we ing issue in the State of Washington,
at which we need the PSP program to start seeing these people in unemploy- and that is the issue of fire.
continue and to help give certainty ment situations, the time starts tick- Yesterday, we heard from the Deputy
about transportation. Nationally, on ing for the cost of recertifying them to Forest Chief that we needed 5,000 fire-
average, we know an aviation me- be in that cockpit or to be of service. fighters in the United States to help
chanic takes home about $1,600 per For example, pilots have to meet cer- fight fires. It is clear that we don’t
week in pay, but when these jobs are tain flying requirements to maintain have 5,000 firefighters helping as
cut, the weekly incomes are cut. Let’s currency in their pilot licenses. So, COVID has impacted our ability to
look at a few States and a few exam- without an extension of the PSP, flight fight fire. So I call on the President to
ples. crews and flight attendants would need help us reach out to the international
Right now, in North Carolina, the to be retrained at the cost of starting community to help us get more fire-
weekly income for a mechanic is only up again. A PSP extension also means fighters into the United States.
$350 a week in unemployment benefits, supporting their wages and making While Washington and Oregon may
and that worker is facing a 79-percent sure that they have available eventually see wetter weather in Octo-
cut in weekly income. So I ask our col- healthcare during this time period. ber, we still have massive fires that we
leagues to consider, as you think about I don’t want to see one more Amer- are going to see in California in the
shifting these transportation workers ican lose one’s healthcare benefits be- month of October. We need to get more
from these salaries that they are get- cause of COVID. We are in a COVID cri- firefighters into the United States to
ting now to unemployment benefits, sis. We want people to be covered with help us fight this incredible attack by
how dramatic these cuts will be in healthcare so that we can help to fight Mother Nature on our communities.
some of these States. this pandemic. I know people here in We can’t leave them defenseless. We
I am proud that I come from a State Congress are looking at the very short need to give them a frontline in the de-
in which we have a pretty robust un- time period that we have left before fense, so I call on the President to help
employment benefit. I thank our State September 30. I call on my colleagues us get more international support for
and the people who vote for and sup- to set aside our differences and come fighting fires in the United States of
port a robust unemployment benefit, back to the table and make sure that America.
but if we continue to not act on the we address these issues before this Additionally, I will be supporting my
CARES Act and the PPP, we will be major layoff. colleague Senator WYDEN’s efforts
sending people home to States with un- This is important because, as I said, today on prescribed burns and the abil-
employment benefits that will be much this affects the GDP of our country. We ity to change our policies and do pre-
less robust than in my State. Right still have an opportunity to sustain scribed burns at different times of the
now, to face a 79-percent cut in one’s 950,000 frontline aviation workers, year, which is to say burn some of the
weekly income I don’t think is good for which is important to helping our fuel that we think could become fire
the aviation sector. economy recover. As I said, it is impor- breaks and stop fires from becoming
On average, when you look at the tant because aviation helps to grow op- larger and larger. The fuel break helps
weekly income for ramp agents in portunities for the future. to create a line of defense. We sup-
Georgia, it is about $850, but now that My colleague Senator SCOTT and I ported this legislation several years
any additional weekly benefits have will tomorrow be announcing other ago. Unfortunately, it didn’t make it
run out, these workers face a 57-per- aviation legislation that we, too, think into the big fire fix bill when we
cent income cut. In State after State, will help the aviation sector. For every stopped fire borrowing. Nonetheless, it
we see these cuts in these weekly in- 10 percent of travel that returns to remains a big priority.
comes. This means, as I said, less aviation, it drives more than $1.5 bil- What we have come to learn now is
money to spend on groceries and less lion into our economy. Those are sala- that trying to do prescribed burns in
money to spend on essentials at home. ries and wages and other aspects of this the summer months, when you have
Without any additional weekly bene- sector. That is the economic impact clearer air, doesn’t really help—it is
fits, in Florida, pilots will see a 92-per- that we will have by returning flight not helping us because we have such
cent drop in income, flight attendants service. large-scale fires and these very
a 75-percent drop, mechanics an 83-per- The original premise around the unhealthy smoke events that last for
cent drop, and ramp agents a 68-per- COVID bill was for us not to decimate days and days. Now, thanks to the new
cent drop. In Texas, pilots will see an the airline industry so much, because fire forecasting models that we have
85-percent drop in weekly income, of the COVID impact, that it wouldn’t and the new fire forecasters that we
flight attendants a 52-percent drop, me- recover and so that we wouldn’t be put in the previous bill, we are now
chanics a 68-percent drop, and ramp there to retrain and take advantage of
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seeing how unhealthy those conditions
agents a 48-percent drop. the upside as the public responds. We really are. They are so unhealthy that
My point here is to think about the have now gone from that 95-percent they are cause of major concern for
need for us to continue this program in loss of travel to, right before the Labor health officials across the whole West.
that not all States are going to be Day weekend, about 40 percent of air- So what do we need to do now?
treated equally in how aviation work- line capacity and travel. We want to We need to pass this proposal that I
ers will be affected. We have to think continue being ready to serve the pub- support, along with my colleague Sen-
about how we are going to keep that lic who has to fly, and we want to ator WYDEN, to move prescribed burns
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