Congressional Record — Senate, October 23, 2020, Page S6415
Summary
Page S6415 of the Senate section of the Congressional Record for October 23, 2020, listing bills and resolutions introduced and cosponsor additions, with resolution text. S. 4857 from Mr. Portman and Mr. Brown would name a post office in Salem, Ohio, and S. 4858 from Mrs. Loeffler and Mr. Rounds amends title 38. One bill would provide structured relief to food service and drinking establishments through December 31, 2020, and S. Res. 752 supports historic diplomatic announcements between Israel and the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain. Other text covers Tanzania's Political Parties Act and nongovernmental organization registration, and home health services during COVID-19.
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“Congressional Record — Senate, October 23, 2020, Page S6415.”
Original at www.govinfo.gov. Archived at Pandemic Darlings, https://pandemicdarlings.com/source-documents/crec-crec-2020-10-23-crec-2020-10-23-pt1-pgs6415-3-5572d2b7af/
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October 23, 2020 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S6415
Springs, Colorado, and for other purposes; to tion Fund to provide structured relief ing the sense of the Senate that the
the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs. to food service or drinking establish- August 13, 2020, and September 11, 2020,
By Mr. PORTMAN (for himself and Mr. ments through December 31, 2020, and announcements of the establishment of
BROWN):
for other purposes. full diplomatic relations between the
S. 4857. A bill to designate the facility of
the United States Postal Service located at S. 4154 State of Israel and the United Arab
275 Penn Avenue in Salem, Ohio, as the At the request of Mr. CRAMER, the Emirates and the State of Israel and
‘‘Howard Arthur Tibbs Post Office’’; to the name of the Senator from Hawaii (Ms. the Kingdom of Bahrain are historic
Committee on Homeland Security and Gov- HIRONO) was added as a cosponsor of S. achievements.
ernmental Affairs. 4154, a bill to amend the Bank Service S. RES. 752
By Mrs. LOEFFLER (for herself and Company Act to provide improvements At the request of Mr. HAWLEY, the
Mr. ROUNDS):
with respect to State banking agencies, name of the Senator from South Da-
S. 4858. A bill to amend title 38, United
States Code, and the Honoring America’s and for other purposes. kota (Mr. ROUNDS) was added as a co-
Veterans and Caring for Camp Lejeune Fami- S. 4258 sponsor of S. Res. 752, a resolution con-
lies Act of 2012, to make certain enhance- At the request of Mr. CORNYN, the demning the Chinese Communist Par-
ments to grants awarded by the Secretary of name of the Senator from West Vir- ty’s use of forced labor and other coer-
Veterans Affairs and contracts between the ginia (Mr. MANCHIN) was added as a co- cive measures to destroy religious free-
Secretary and entities that provide services dom in Tibet.
sponsor of S. 4258, a bill to establish a
to homeless veterans, and for other purposes;
grant program for small live venue op- f
to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.
erators and talent representatives. STATEMENTS ON INTRODUCED
f
S. 4299 BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTION
SUBMISSION OF CONCURRENT AND At the request of Ms. CORTEZ MASTO,
SENATE RESOLUTIONS By Ms. COLLINS (for herself and
the name of the Senator from Hawaii Mr. CARDIN):
The following concurrent resolutions (Ms. HIRONO) was added as a cosponsor S. 4854. A bill to provide payments
and Senate resolutions were read, and of S. 4299, a bill to provide grants for for home health services furnished via
referred (or acted upon), as indicated: tourism and events support and pro- visual or audio telecommunication sys-
By Mr. MENENDEZ: motion in areas affected by the tems during an emergency period; to
S. Res. 756. A resolution urging the Gov- Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID–19), the Committee on Finance.
ernment of Tanzania and all parties to re- and for other purposes. Ms. COLLINS. Mr. President, I rise
spect human, civil, and political rights and S. 4375 today. along with my colleague Sen-
ensure free and fair elections in October 2020,
At the request of Mr. ALEXANDER, the ator CARDIN, to introduce the Home
and recognizing the importance of multi-
party democracy in Tanzania; to the Com- name of the Senator from Maine (Ms. Health Emergency Access to Tele-
mittee on Foreign Relations. COLLINS) was added as a cosponsor of S. health Act or Heat Act. This bipartisan
By Mr. WHITEHOUSE (for himself, Mr. 4375, a bill to amend title XVIII of the bill would help ensure that seniors who
COONS, Mr. JONES, and Mr. BROWN): Social Security Act to make perma- rely on home health care have the
S. Res. 757. A resolution expressing support nent certain telehealth flexibilities choice to receive these critical services
for the designation of the month of Novem- under the Medicare program related to through telehealth during the COVID–
ber 2020 as ‘‘Pancreatic Cancer Awareness the COVID–19 public health emergency. 19 pandemic and future public health
Month’’; to the Committee on Health, Edu-
cation, Labor, and Pensions. S. 4711 emergencies.
At the request of Mr. MENENDEZ, the COVID–19 is the greatest public
f
name of the Senator from California health challenge since the flu pan-
ADDITIONAL COSPONSORS (Mrs. FEINSTEIN) was added as a co- demic of 1918 and has claimed the lives
S. 2886 sponsor of S. 4711, a bill to provide for of more than 200,000 Americans. This
At the request of Ms. MCSALLY, the judicial security and privacy. public health emergency has under-
name of the Senator from Maine (Mr. S. 4805 scored the need for older adults and
KING) was added as a cosponsor of S. At the request of Mr. CRUZ, the other at-risk populations to have ac-
2886, a bill to prohibit the use of animal names of the Senator from Louisiana cess to health care in the home setting.
testing for cosmetics and the sale of (Mr. CASSIDY) and the Senator from Home-based care is crucial to ensuring
cosmetics tested on animals. Texas (Mr. CORNYN) were added as co- that this pandemic does not create dev-
sponsors of S. 4805, a bill to create a astating long-term health con-
S. 3533
point of order against legislation modi- sequences due to delayed care. The
At the request of Mr. CRAMER, the highly skilled and compassionate care
name of the Senator from Kansas (Mr. fying the number of Justices of the Su-
preme Court of the United States. that home health agencies provide are
MORAN) was added as a cosponsor of S. an important component of this
3533, a bill to authorize and establish S.J. RES. 14
inhome care.
minimum standards for electronic and At the request of Mr. RUBIO, the I have been a strong supporter of
remote notarizations that occur in or name of the Senator from Texas (Mr. home care since my very first home
affect interstate commerce, to require CORNYN) was added as a cosponsor of visit, which took place in my home-
any Federal court located in a State to S.J. Res. 14, a joint resolution pro- town in Aroostook County early in my
recognize notarizations performed by a posing an amendment to the Constitu- Senate service. This experience gave
notary public commissioned by another tion of the United States to require me the opportunity to meet and visit
State when the notarization occurs in that the Supreme Court of the United with home health patients, where I saw
or affects interstate commerce, and to States be composed of not more than 9 first-hand what a difference highly
require any State to recognize justices. skilled and caring visiting nurses and
notarizations performed by a notary S.J. RES. 76
other health care professionals make
public commissioned by another State At the request of Mr. CRUZ, the name to the lives of patients and their fami-
when the notarization occurs in or af- of the Senator from Louisiana (Mr. lies. I have been a passionate advocate
fects interstate commerce or when the CASSIDY) was added as a cosponsor of for home care ever since.
notarization was performed under or S.J. Res. 76, a joint resolution pro- In March, my bipartisan home health
relates to a public act, record, or judi- posing an amendment to the Constitu- legislation, the Home Health Care
cial proceeding of the State in which tion of the United States to require Planning Improvement Act, became
the notary public was commissioned. that the Supreme Court of the United law as part of the Coronavirus Aid, Re-
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S. 4012 States be composed of nine justices. lief, and Economic Security (CARES)
At the request of Mr. WICKER, the S. RES. 709 Act. This new law will improve the ac-
name of the Senator from Delaware At the request of Mr. GRAHAM, the cess Medicare beneficiaries have to
(Mr. CARPER) was added as a cosponsor name of the Senator from Wisconsin home health care by allowing physi-
of S. 4012, a bill to establish a (Ms. BALDWIN) was added as a cospon- cian assistants, nurse practitioners,
$120,000,000,000 Restaurant Revitaliza- sor of S. Res. 709, a resolution express- clinical nurse specialists, and certified
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S6416 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE October 23, 2020
nurse midwives to order home health use telehealth to provide skilled care tion parties, and private opposition political
services. Far too often seniors experi- to their patients. The Home Health party meetings have been broken up by po-
ence unnecessary delays in accessing Emergency Access to Telehealth lice;
Whereas freedom of association has been
home health care. To avoid these need- (HEAT) Act would ensure that seniors
limited through mandatory registration and
less delays, it is common sense that in Maine and across the country retain reporting processes for nongovernmental or-
other medical professionals who are fa- access to remote home health services ganizations that are arbitrary in nature;
miliar with a patient’s case should be during the COVID–19 emergency and Whereas, in September 2019, the Govern-
able to order these services. future public health emergencies. ment of Tanzania amended both the Compa-
Home health professionals have con- Thank you, Mr. President. nies Act and Nongovernmental Organization
tinued to provide face-to-face services f Act, which has severely restricted the ability
during the COVID–19 public health of civil society organizations, particularly
emergency, but this crisis has created SUBMITTED RESOLUTIONS those focused on democracy and human
rights, to receive foreign funds;
additional challenges, including the Whereas opposition leaders have been
need to maintain an adequate supply of SENATE RESOLUTION 756—URGING threatened, intimidated, and physically at-
personal protective equipment to pro- THE GOVERNMENT OF TANZANIA tacked, and the Magafuli Administration has
tect themselves, their patients, and AND ALL PARTIES TO RESPECT failed to hold perpetrators accountable;
their patients’ families. The use of HUMAN, CIVIL, AND POLITICAL Whereas President Magufuli’s failure to
telehealth and virtual visits can help hold Tanzanian government actors account-
RIGHTS AND ENSURE FREE AND
address these challenges. Unlike other able for arbitrary arrests, paired with ac-
FAIR ELECTIONS IN OCTOBER tions to limit democratic space for civil soci-
Medicare providers, however, home 2020, AND RECOGNIZING THE IM- ety, opposition parties, and citizens of Tan-
health agencies are not eligible to re- PORTANCE OF MULTI-PARTY DE- zania, has undermined the Tanzanian Con-
ceive Medicare reimbursement for tele- MOCRACY IN TANZANIA stitution and the rule of law;
health services during the COVID–19 Whereas the Government of Tanzania has
emergency. Mr. MENENDEZ submitted the fol-
rapidly escalated its campaign of repression
In May, I led Congress’ first hearing lowing resolution; which was referred against the opposition in the lead-up to the
examining COVID–19’s devastating im- to the Committee on Foreign Rela- October 2020 elections, through arbitrary and
pact on seniors. During the hearing, tions: partisan legal action against opposition can-
Dr. Steven H. Landers, President and S. RES. 756 didates and their parties, which undermines
CEO of the Visiting Nurse Association Whereas the United States has an impor- democratic principles of fair play and poten-
tant interest in supporting democracy in tially calls into question the credibility of
Health Group, testified that, despite the country’s October polls;
this lack of Medicare reimbursement, Tanzania and has consistently demonstrated
support for the people of Tanzania through Whereas some United States companies op-
his organization has found telehealth efforts to advance good governance, eco- erating in Tanzania have reported harass-
to be an essential part of providing nomic growth, and improved access to health ment, corruption, and lack of respect for
high quality home health care during and education; contracts and business operations, which
the COVID–19 public health emergency. Whereas respect for human, civil, and po- threatens future United States business in-
He urged action to ensure that home litical rights and deepening multiparty de- vestment and trade partnerships; and
health providers can continue offering mocracy are essential to Tanzania’s long- Whereas the Government of Tanzania’s
term economic prosperity and continued po- claim that the Novel Coronavirus (COVID–19)
these critical services remotely. has been eliminated in the country, and its
Maine home health care providers litical stability;
Whereas the conduct of elections will have suppression of information related to the
have also shared stories about how pandemic have not only placed citizens’
a significant impact on the trajectory of
telehealth is helping them to continue democratic growth in Tanzania, as well as health at risk, but have also violated citi-
caring for their patients during its relationship with the United States; zens’ freedom of speech and right of access to
COVID–19. Through a combination of Whereas Tanzania has held successive information: Now, therefore, be it
video visits and care calls, one provider multiparty elections since 1995, with the Resolved, That the Senate—
has been able to care for a woman with elections in 2015 being the most competitive (1) urges the Government of Tanzania to
severe heart and lung disease and keep to date, despite substantial state inter- ensure that the October 2020 elections are
this patient out of the hospital. The ference in political organizing by the opposi- conducted in a free, fair, credible, trans-
tion, both during and following the campaign parent, and peaceful manner that enables
nurse would speak with the woman by
period; citizens of Tanzania the opportunity to exer-
phone a couple of times per week to as- Whereas, since President John Magufuli’s cise their right to vote;
sess any symptoms that needed follow election in 2015, the Government of Tanzania (2) urges the Government of Tanzania to
up. If the nurse identified an issue dur- has adopted and enforced multiple repressive legally guarantee and respect the rights en-
ing the call, she would schedule a video laws that restrict media freedoms, and free- shrined in its Constitution, particularly the
visit and also work with the patient’s doms of expression, assembly, and associa- rights to freedom of movement, expression,
physician to modify medications as tion, such as the Cybercrimes Act of 2015, the information, religion, and association, as
needed. Media Services Act of 2016, the Electronic well as equality, privacy, and personal secu-
The bill I am introducing today and Postal Communications (Online Con- rity;
tent) Regulations Act of 2020, the Written (3) urges the Government of Tanzania to
would authorize Medicare reimburse-
Laws (Miscellaneous Amendments) (No. 3) foster a robust, market-led business environ-
ment for home health services provided Act, 2018, and the Written Laws (Miscella- ment conducive to continued United States
through telehealth during a public neous Amendments) Act No. 3 of 2020; trade and investment in Tanzania, including
health emergency where telehealth can Whereas the Government of Tanzania has respect for the legal and contractual rights
be used appropriately. The services promulgated onerous regulations that ac- of United States companies operating in
would not be reimbursed unless the tively undermine the independent collection, Tanzania;
beneficiary consents to receiving the dissemination, and publication of statistics (4) calls upon the Government of Tanzania
services via telehealth. To ensure that without government approval, and suspended and President Magufuli—
or halted activities by multiple newspapers (A) to repeal repressive laws that are con-
the Medicare home health benefit does
and digital and broadcast media outlets in trary to the principles of good governance, a
not become a telehealth-only benefit, retaliation for publishing content deemed healthy democracy, and the rights enumer-
Medicare reimbursement would only be critical of the state or officials; ated in the Tanzanian Constitution;
provided if the telehealth services con- Whereas state actors have threatened, ar- (B) to allow citizens, civil society organi-
stitute no more than half of the bitrarily arrested, and attacked journalists zations, and political parties to assemble
billable visits made during the 30–day with impunity, and some journalists have peacefully and express their views freely;
payment period. disappeared; (C) to immediately lift the ban on political
Home health serves a vital role in Whereas in mid-2016, the Magufuli Admin- activities and allow opposition parties to
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helping our nation’s seniors avoid more istration placed a ban on political party ral- hold political rallies and demonstrations at
lies until the 2020 elections; any time, both during and outside of election
costly hospital visits and nursing home
Whereas political freedoms were further periods;
stays. The COVID–19 emergency has eroded following the amendment of the Po- (D) to provide transparent, consistent, and
further underscored the critical impor- litical Parties Act in January 2019, which nonintrusive procedures for nongovern-
tance of home health services and high- granted Tanzanian authorities sweeping mental organizations to register and to en-
lighted how these agencies are able to powers to regulate the operations of opposi- able them to carry out programs and other
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