Coronavirus (Cong. Rec., Nov. 18, 2020)
Summary
Congressional Record, Senate, November 18, 2020, page S7048 and following. Remarks under the heading CORONAVIRUS say that Senate Republicans have spent months trying to pass another bipartisan rescue package, discuss the PPP, and criticize a proposal by the Speaker. Other remarks say that President Trump fired Chris Krebs, described as the country's chief election security officer. The page also records a question whether debate on the nomination of Stephen A. Vaden, of Tennessee, to be a Judge of the United States Court of International Trade shall be brought to a close.
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“Coronavirus (Cong. Rec., Nov. 18, 2020).”
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S7048 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE November 18, 2020
All of the Senate’s thoughts and posal, the Speaker literally took out— Now, it has been nearly 2 weeks since
prayers are with our distinguished col- listen to this—took out hundreds of every major news network called the
league, who reported yesterday evening millions of dollars for hiring, equip- Presidential election for Joe Biden.
that he still feels fine. We hope that ping, and training local law enforce- Preparations for the incoming Biden
will remain the case. Certainly, if any ment. I guess by their account, the po- administration are well under way, and
Member of this body has the good lice don’t count as ‘‘Heroes’’ any still—still—President Trump refuses to
health and stamina to kick the virus to longer. accept reality.
the curb, it is Senator GRASSLEY. By playing all-or-nothing hardball This morning brought a fresh series
So we will look forward to seeing him with a proposal this radical, our col- of Presidential delusions on Twitter.
soon. leagues have thus far guaranteed that President Trump declared—sometimes
CORONAVIRUS American workers and families get in capital letters—that the election
Madam President, now on an entirely nothing at all. was a fraud, a joke, and even unconsti-
The pace of our economic recovery tutional. Imagine that, an unconstitu-
different matter, Senate Republicans
and the promise of vaccines on the ho- tional election. That is because
have spent months—months—trying to
rizon give us reasons for major hope, Trump’s ego is such, when he doesn’t
get another bipartisan rescue package
but we are nowhere near—nowhere win, everything is wrong, false, et
passed and signed into law for the
near—out of the woods yet. Vaccines cetera.
American people. President Trump, get out of your
will need to be distributed nationwide
For months, our position has been bubble. You lost. Joe Biden will be
and quickly. Republicans’ targeted pro-
entirely consistent. We want to reach sworn in as the next President of the
posal provided billions of dollars to
agreement on all the areas where com- United States on January 20. There is
make that happen, but Democrats
promise is well within reach, send hun- nothing you can do to stop it. Get out
blocked it.
dreds of billions of dollars to urgent The PPP has helped millions of of the bubble and work on a transition.
and uncontroversial programs, and let American workers and small businesses Last night, continuing President
Washington argue over the rest later. hang on thus far, but now, in the home Trump’s outrageous and dishonest be-
There is no reason why doing right stretch, they need more help. Repub- havior, President Trump fired our
by struggling families should wait licans’ targeted proposal would have country’s chief election security offi-
until we resolve every difference on renewed that lifeline for the hardest cer, Chris Krebs, an honorable public
every issue. But, unfortunately, both hit small businesses, but again, Demo- servant, because he confirmed that our
Speaker PELOSI and the Democratic crats blocked it. elections were secure. This reinforced
leader have been equally consistent, So think about it. We moved Heaven the No. 1 rule of working for Donald
and they don’t think Congress should and Earth and spent mountains of Trump: You can never tell the truth.
do anything at all—anything, unless money to help workers keep their jobs But no matter whom he fires or how
they get to cash out a far-left ideolog- and help small businesses keep the many times he tweets, President
ical wish list, including things with lights on from the springtime all the Trump cannot change reality. He lost
zero relationship to the present crisis. way up to now, but now, after all that, the Presidential election. Joe Biden
They have continued to insist that with the end seemingly in sight, we will be the next President of the United
Congress must pass their so-called He- might lose the hardest hit small busi- States, and it is time for President
roes Act or do nothing at all. nesses in the home stretch because Trump to quit the nonsense, admit the
The problem is that their proposal is Democrats have refused—refused—to truth, and move on. Anytime my Re-
a multitrillion-dollar laughingstock let us continue helping. We kept family publican colleagues want to tell him
that never had a chance of becoming businesses alive for months and that would be fine by me.
law. months, only to see some of them fail CORONAVIRUS
Let’s recall what Speaker PELOSI’s now, with vaccines on the horizon, be- Madam President, now, on another
own Members said when she first re- cause Democrats have blocked another matter entirely, the country is facing
leased this proposal: round of PPP. the worst phase of the pandemic. As
I think the Heroes Act went too far. It got Well, it is not too late to make a dif- the number of new infections and hos-
loaded up with a bunch of political wish list ference. Republicans stand ready to de- pitalizations threaten, once again, to
things. liver this urgent aid. Let’s fund all the overwhelm the capacity of our
This is Washington politics at its worst programs where there is not even real healthcare system, we have to make
. . . a partisan wish list.
disagreement—just the ones where sure that our nurses and doctors and
It’s a middle finger to the American peo-
ple. there is no disagreement—and let’s do all of our healthcare professionals have
it now. We just need Democrats to fi- the PPE they need to protect them-
These are all reactions of House nally get serious about this. selves and their patients safely.
Democrats. And no wonder, because I suggest the absence of a quorum. We all remember the early days of
here are just some of the demands the The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- the crisis, when healthcare profes-
Speaker will not drop: a massive tax pore. The clerk will call the roll. sionals in some parts of the country
cut specifically for wealthy people in The senior assistant legislative clerk were forced to jury-rig masks and
blue States; a colossal slush fund for proceeded to call the roll. gloves from spare clothing and bits of
consistently mismanaged State and Mr. SCHUMER. Madam President, I string. In my home State of New York,
city governments, with no linkage to ask unanimous consent that the order nursing homes alone were burning
actual pandemic needs. for the quorum call be rescinded. through 12 million pieces of PPE a
These things are included, but they The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- week during the height of the pan-
managed to completely leave out—lis- pore. Without objection, it is so or- demic in April. The recent surge in
ten to this—leave out entirely any new dered. cases might bring us all back to or be-
funding for a second round of the job- RECOGNITION OF THE MINORITY LEADER
yond the peak levels we saw earlier
saving Paycheck Protection Program— The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- this year. We must do everything—ev-
something we made sure to include in pore. The Democratic leader is recog- erything—in our power to avoid a re-
every Republican offering. They want nized. peat of the widespread PPE shortages.
to spend $3 trillion but couldn’t find 2020 ELECTIONS So I am joining Senators MURRAY,
one cent—one cent—of new money for Mr. SCHUMER. Madam President, PETERS, BALDWIN, and MURPHY to in-
the job-saving program that has kept first, let me join all of my colleagues troduce new legislation that authorizes
small businesses afloat from coast to in wishing the Senate pro tempore, the $10 billion for the Strategic National
dlhill on DSK120RN23PROD with SENATE
coast. senior Senator from Iowa, Senator Stockpile to purchase large quantities
Oh, and by the way, because the far- GRASSLEY, a speedy and quick recov- of PPE, including N95 respirators,
left decided in the summertime they ery. We know he is a strong man, and gloves, gowns, face masks, face shields,
didn’t much like the men and women of we have every confidence he will beat and surgical masks.
law enforcement anymore, between the this back, as he has beaten many other The N95 masks don’t need to be worn
first and second version of this pro- adversities back in the past. by every American on a daily basis, but
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November 18, 2020 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S7049
they provide a much higher degree of The leader’s position hasn’t changed now not once but twice brought a bill
protection to our healthcare profes- over the past few months. He said it to the floor of the U.S. Senate that en-
sionals and frontline workers who are again this morning. It is the Repub- joyed the support of a majority of U.S.
exposed to the virus more regularly. lican proposal or nothing at all. I Senators. There were 52 Senators who
That is why we need the Defense Pro- would remind the Republican leader voted for coronavirus relief not once
duction Act and get those N95 masks in that the House has passed a bill. The but twice—once in September and once
the hands of any healthcare profes- Senate has not, and the only Senate in October. Not a single Democrat
sional who needs it. bill that the leader brings to the floor voted for it.
We are calling, once again, for the gets zero Democratic support. And yet The Democratic leader was just talk-
Defense Production Act, grossly under- the Republican leader’s position is, if ing about the House of Representa-
utilized by the current administration, you don’t take my bill, get nothing, tives, where they passed a bill. Yes,
to be invoked in order to expand indus- when he knows his bill can’t pass the they passed a bill. It didn’t have a sin-
trial capacity to meet surging demand. Senate and can’t pass the House. It is a gle Republican on it. It was a massive
Our bill will create a $1 billion grant feeble position, as the pandemic rages, multitrillion-dollar bill, liberal wish
program for small business to retool and it just doesn’t fly. list, that included all kinds of things
their facilities to assist in the produc- We Democrats lowered our proposal like bailouts for blue States the tax-
tion of PPE. by over $1 trillion to move closer in ne- payers would have to finance, including
For months, our communities have gotiations, and what did Senate Repub- tax cuts for millionaires in places like
been held together by the quiet her- licans do? They didn’t move in our di- New York and California, and left a lot
oism of nurses, doctors, caregivers, and rection. They moved further away by of the American people who are really
essential workers. We call them front- cutting their already inadequate pro- suffering from the coronavirus holding
line workers because they are like our the bag.
posal in half, making compromise even
soldiers, putting their own lives at risk We believe that there are things that
more difficult.
to protect the lives of others. And just So, look, we need to reset the con- need to be done, and just because we
as we would never send our troops into versation here. The country is in des- can’t do everything that the Demo-
battle without helmets or bulletproof perate straits, maybe more desperate crats want to do on their liberal wish
vests, we must never leave our front- list, that we should do something, and
than it has ever been in this crisis. The
line workers to battle diseases without Republicans came together behind a
consensus view of economists and ex-
the N95 masks they need, as well as bill. They increased the support above
perts is that the country requires a
other PPE like gloves and gowns that and beyond what unemployed workers
substantial injection of aid: meaning-
serve as their armor. would normally get through unemploy-
So, our bill, the Protect our Heroes ful relief to our schools, small busi-
ment insurance—increased that benefit
Act of 2020, should be part of the bipar- nesses, the unemployed, State and
by $300 a week. It also provided a sig-
tisan discussion on the next COVID re- local governments, our healthcare sys-
nificant amount of funding for schools
lief bill. Our bill will allow frontline tem, among other things. These are not
as they continue to deal with the cost
workers to get the N95 masks they frivolous. These are not someone’s
of trying to stay open safely. It put sig-
need and deserve. We urge bipartisan whim. These are the desperate needs of nificant investments into vaccines,
support for this proposal. The truth is, people crying out for help. Almost none testings, therapeutics, support for pro-
there should be a great urgency to get of them were covered adequately in the viders, and all the things that will help
something done here in Congress to de- Republican leader’s bill. on the healthcare front to defeat this
feat the virus, save American lives, and This morning, New York’s MTA an-
virus. And, of course, it provided infu-
forestall even greater pain for our nounced a cut to subways and buses—a sion of additional dollars for the Pay-
workers and businesses. flashing warning sign about how des- check Protection Program, which has
Speaker PELOSI and I had negotiated perately we need transit relief. We are been so successful in assisting our
for months, in good faith, with the going to fight hard for transit relief. small businesses as they weather and
Trump administration to find an agree- None of it is in Leader MCCONNELL’s survive this crisis to try and keep their
ment on a COVID relief bill. Democrats bill. workers employed and keep their busi-
lowered our proposal by $1.2 trillion to The two vaccines in development nesses up and operating and keep our
move closer to our Republican counter- must be produced and distributed on a economy operating in this country.
parts. Meanwhile, Leader MCCONNELL massive scale, and they must reach un- Those are all things—all things—for
and Senate Republicans refuse to take derserved and minority communities. which there is bipartisan support and
part in those negotiations. Instead, the The House Heroes bill goes much fur- on which there should be votes, not
Republican leader has asked the Senate ther in getting that done than the just among Republicans in the Senate
to accept several inadequate partisan McConnell bill. It is time for our two but among Democrats as well, but un-
proposals. In every version of the parties to sit down together and hash fortunately the Democrats have opted
COVID relief legislation that the Re- out a compromise on a bill that meets not to sit down in a reasonable way and
publican majority has put on the floor, the needs of the American people. We come up with a reasonable proposal.
there have been poison pills included to have been going around in circles—the The bill that came over from the
ensure the bill will fail. Republican leader, in particular—for House of Representatives that they
Many Members of the Republican far too long with nothing new added to continue to tout is something that
Senate caucus want to spend no dol- the conversation. would never pass in the Senate, and it
lars, so Leader MCCONNELL has to twist So Speaker PELOSI and I have for- would never get signed into law.
himself in pretzels to put any bill on mally invited the Republican leader The bill that Senate Republicans
the floor, and the only way he can get and our Senate Republican colleagues passed—I shouldn’t say passed but got
support of his caucus is to put poison to join us in bipartisan talks. Our col- majority support for here in the Senate
pills in so he can wink at them and leagues face a simple choice: They can not once but twice—would, in fact, get
say: Hey, this won’t pass. put the election behind them and work signed into law and is something that
So Senate Republicans are seeing across the aisle to get something done could pass here in the Senate and I be-
this pandemic as an opportunity to try or they can remain in their partisan lieve in the House of Representatives,
and make it harder to hold corpora- corner defending the poisonous lies of a too, because they are all things that
tions accountable when they put their flailing President refusing to do the enjoy broad bipartisan support.
workers at risk. I heard the Republican people’s desperately needed business. The difference is that our bill was
leader this morning give the same long, I yield the floor. targeted to those areas which need the
dlhill on DSK120RN23PROD with SENATE
tired speech that pretends as if Demo- The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- support the most. It was fiscally re-
crats haven’t been trying to negotiate pore. The majority whip is recognized. sponsible, recognizing that we have a
with our colleagues and that we Mr. THUNE. Madam President, I $26 trillion debt growing by the day
haven’t been trying over and over think it is important to point out that and that every dollar we spend is a bor-
again to get our Republican colleagues as we discuss the issue of coronavirus rowed dollar from our children and
to talk with us. relief, that Senate Republicans have grandchildren.
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S7050 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE November 18, 2020
It is so important that when we do Confirming good judges is one of the President Obama famously said that
this, we do this in a way that is most important responsibilities that he wanted judges with empathy. Well,
thoughtful, deliberative, reasonable, we have as Senators, and it is a respon- that is all very well until you are a
and with an eye toward making sure sibility that I take very seriously. In party in a case, and you have the law
we are getting a good return for the fact, one of the main reasons I was first on your side, but the judge empathizes
American taxpayer and delivering as- elected to the Senate was to make sure with the opposing party. What happens
sistance in a targeted way to those that outstanding judicial nominees then?
folks who need it the most—unem- were confirmed to the Federal bench. The only way to preserve the rule of
ployed workers; those who are em- It is hard to imagine now, but con- law in this country is to confirm judges
ployed; the small businesses that em- firming judges used to be a pretty bi- who understand that their allegiance
ploy them; the healthcare frontline partisan affair. Presidents of both par- must be to the law and to the Constitu-
workers who are out there every day ties generally got the majority of their tion, not to their personal feelings,
fighting this fight against this virus, judicial nominees confirmed to the their personal beliefs, their political
making sure they have the PPE to pro- bench. But all of that changed back in beliefs, or their ‘‘broader vision of what
tect them—and then, of course, the im- the early 2000s. America should be.’’ Otherwise, you re-
portant investments we are making in After President George W. Bush’s place the rule of law with the rule of a
vaccines and therapeutics and testing election, Democrats decided that the bunch of individual judges.
and all the things that will help defeat President’s judicial nominees might So I am very thankful that we have
this; money for schools, colleges, uni- not deliver the results that Democrats confirmed so many judges who under-
versities, elementary and high school wanted, and so they decided to adopt a stand that the job of a judge is to apply
students and faculty and administra- new strategy: blocking judicial nomi- the law, not make it, and who won’t
tion—those who are trying to keep our nees on a regular basis. That became try to usurp the role of Congress by
kids in school, keep them educated by the routine here in the Senate. legislating from the Federal bench. I
dealing with a lot of additional costs I was one of the many Americans thank the majority leader for making
related to providing that education in who were upset by the blockade of im- judicial confirmations such a priority.
a safe way. pressive, well-qualified nominees, and
Those are all things on which there is I look forward to confirming more out-
it was one of the main reasons that I standing judicial nominees this week.
broad bipartisan agreement. We could
ran for the Senate in 2004. I promised I yield the floor.
pass it today. We could pass it today in
South Dakotans that if they elected I suggest the absence of a quorum.
the Senate, but the Democrats insist
me, I would help put outstanding, im- The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem-
on a liberal wish list, which includes a
multitrillion-dollar proposal—multi- partial judges on the bench. I am proud pore. The clerk will call the roll.
trillion-dollar proposal—with a liberal to have delivered on that promise. The senior assistant legislative clerk
The list of outstanding judicial nomi- proceeded to call the roll.
wish list, an agenda that in many cases
has nothing to do with combating or nees we have confirmed over the past 4 Mr. SCOTT of South Carolina.
fighting the coronavirus but simply is years is long. We have confirmed bril- Madam President, I ask unanimous
an attempt to deliver on a liberal agen- liant, accomplished men and women consent that the order for the quorum
da for their political base. So let’s just with superb qualifications, but most call be rescinded.
make that point very clearly here importantly, we have confirmed men The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem-
when we talk about what we should be and women who understand the proper pore. Without objection, it is so or-
doing. role of a judge, who know that the job dered.
I believe what we should be doing is of a judge is to interpret the law, not Mr. SCOTT of South Carolina.
sitting down and working on a reason- make the law, to call balls and strikes, Madam President, I ask unanimous
able bill, a targeted bill, a fiscally re- not to rewrite rules of the game. consent that the mandatory quorum
sponsible bill. Republicans have been It is here that Republican judicial call with respect to the Vaden nomina-
more than willing to do that and more philosophy diverges from the judicial tion be waived.
than willing to compromise, but the philosophy of a lot of Democrats. Re- The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem-
Democrats both in the House and the publicans believe that the job of a pore. Without objection, it is so or-
Senate continue to insist upon a multi- judge is to look at the law and the Con- dered.
trillion-dollar bill that consists, again, stitution and then rule based on how CLOTURE MOTION
of a bunch of liberal wish list items— those things apply to the facts in a par- The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem-
taxpayer bailouts for blue States, tax ticular case. Judges, we believe, should pore. Pursuant to rule XXII, the Chair
cuts for millionaires across this coun- leave their politics and their personal lays before the Senate the pending clo-
try, putting money into diversity stud- opinions at the courtroom door and ture motion, which the clerk will state.
ies on cannabis—instead of the tar- base their opinions solely on what the The legislative clerk read as follows:
geted things, the things that are really law and the Constitution say. CLOTURE MOTION
going to be necessary to help the For Democrats, on the other hand, We, the undersigned Senators, in accord-
American people and our economy re- what matters most is not how judges ance with the provisions of rule XXII of the
cover from the coronavirus. reach their conclusion, not whether Standing Rules of the Senate, do hereby
SENATOR CHUCK GRASSLEY they apply the law, but what outcomes move to bring to a close debate on the nomi-
Madam President, as I begin today, I they deliver. If a judge can deliver the nation of Stephen A. Vaden, of Tennessee, to
just want to say that our thoughts are right outcome by following the plain be a Judge of the United States Court of
with Senator CHUCK GRASSLEY after his meaning of the law, then great, but if International Trade.
Mitch McConnell, Cindy Hyde-Smith,
coronavirus diagnosis. It was a strange she can’t, then Democrats want a judge
Thom Tillis, John Thune, Mike Crapo,
day in the Senate yesterday with to reach beyond the plain meaning of Mike Rounds, Steve Daines, Kevin
CHUCK GRASSLEY not voting, because the statute to deliver what Democrats Cramer, Richard Burr, John Cornyn,
he broke a 27-year-long streak of show- see as an appropriate result. Shelley Moore Capito, Todd Young,
ing up for every single vote. We are Then-Presidential candidate Barack John Boozman, David Perdue, James E.
praying for his swift recovery and his Obama back in 2007 said: Risch, Lindsey Graham, Roger F.
speedy return to the Senate. [W]hat you’ve got to look at is, what is in Wicker.
JUDICIAL NOMINATIONS the justice’s heart? What’s their broader vi- The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem-
Madam President, a couple of weeks sion of what America should be? pore. By unanimous consent, the man-
ago, we confirmed one of the most Well, that is a very dangerous stand- datory quorum call has been waived.
dlhill on DSK120RN23PROD with SENATE
qualified Supreme Court Justices in ard. It is not the job of a judge to im- The question is, Is it the sense of the
living memory. This week, we are con- pose his or her ‘‘broader vision of what Senate that debate on the nomination
firming more district court judges, America should be’’; it is the job of a of Stephen A. Vaden, of Tennessee, to
bringing the total number of judges we judge to determine what the law says be a Judge of the United States Court
have confirmed over the last 4 years to and then apply the law to the par- of International Trade, shall be
nearly 230. ticular case before him. brought to a close?
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