Congressional Record, Senate, Nov. 30, 2020, pp. S7097–S7098
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Congressional Record
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116 th CONGRESS, SECOND SESSION
United States
of America PROCEEDINGS AND DEBATES OF THE
Vol. 166 WASHINGTON, MONDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2020 No. 201
Senate
The Senate met at 3 p.m. and was Thanksgiving meals. Still, these essen- and worked from home following his
called to order by the President pro tial workers provide and continue to positive COVID test 2 weeks ago. We
tempore (Mr. GRASSLEY). provide for and keep our country safe. all predicted that if any Member of this
f An essential job that often gets over- body had the stamina and spirit to
looked is that of the 86,000 Iowa farm kick the virus to the curb, it would
PRAYER families who produce the food that we certainly be him, and, sure enough, our
The Chaplain, Dr. Barry C. Black, of- consume on Thanksgiving and the 364 colleague reports that he experienced
fered the following prayer: days out of the rest of the year. That is no symptoms. His doctors have cleared
Let us pray. why I am proud to see Ron and Susie him to come back to work, and we are
Almighty God, who in Your wisdom Kardel from Walcott, IA, get well-de- sure glad to have him back.
has so ordered our earthly lives that served recognition this past week. You Chairman GRASSLEY had to put his
we must walk by faith and not by see, Ron and Susie, along with their epic streak of consecutive votes tempo-
sight, increase our trust in Your sov- two turkeys, Corn and Cob, partici- rarily on hold for the sake of other peo-
ereign care. Remind our lawmakers pated in a time-honored White House ple. Of course, leadership and example-
that no problem is too difficult for You tradition. That tradition is the Na- setting are nothing new for the senior
to solve. Lord, give our Senators a tional Thanksgiving Turkey Pardoning Senator from Iowa. I am confident our
faith that triumphs over despair, love Ceremony at the White House. This colleague will pick up exactly where he
that triumphs over hate, and courage ceremony helps connect the dots for left off, resuming both his perfect at-
that triumphs over faintheartedness. many Americans, showing them that tendance record and the tireless work
Empower them to be bold participants, the food they put on the Thanksgiving for Iowans that it represents. We all
rather than timid spectators in meet- table isn’t grown in a grocery store. benefit so very much from his leader-
ing the daunting challenges of these So I want to thank Ron, Susie, and ship.
times. President Trump for highlighting Iowa f
We pray in Your powerful Name. agriculture this Thanksgiving. In a
Amen. BUSINESS BEFORE THE SENATE
year that has been so very difficult for
f most Americans, it is nice to see tradi- Mr. MCCONNELL. Mr. President, the
tions like this carried on. Senate is back in session to finish up
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE I yield the floor. 2020. The American people are counting
The President pro tempore led the I suggest the absence of a quorum. on us to finish strong. We need to reach
Pledge of Allegiance, as follows: The PRESIDING OFFICER. The agreement on Federal Government
I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the clerk will call the roll. funding to avoid a lapse in basic pro-
United States of America, and to the Repub- The legislative clerk proceeded to grams and services.
lic for which it stands, one nation under God, call the roll. We need to finish the annual Defense
indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Mr. MCCONNELL. Mr. President, I authorization to shore up the U.S.
The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. ask unanimous consent that the order military’s competitive advantage over
HAWLEY). The Senator from Iowa. for the quorum call be rescinded. our adversaries, and we need to con-
Mr. GRASSLEY. Mr. President, I ask The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without tinue processing well-qualified nomi-
unanimous consent to speak for 1 objection, it is so ordered. nees for vacancies throughout the gov-
minute in morning business. f ernment, especially—especially—on
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without the Federal bench.
objection, it is so ordered. RECOGNITION OF THE MAJORITY These are important assignments,
LEADER but they aren’t the only things that
f
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The ma- Congress should get done before the
NATIONAL THANKSGIVING jority leader is recognized. end of the year. There is no reason—
TURKEY PARDONING CEREMONY none—why we should not deliver an-
f
Mr. GRASSLEY. Mr. President, like other major pandemic relief package to
many Iowans, for the first time in my SENATOR CHUCK GRASSLEY help the American people through what
life, I wasn’t able to share a meal with Mr. MCCONNELL. Mr. President, seem poised to be the last chapters of
my family this Thanksgiving. That first, as the Senate reconvenes this this battle.
doesn’t keep me from being thankful afternoon, I am especially happy to This morning, we got yet another
for the essential workers of our coun- welcome back our President pro tem- major sign of hope. More data appeared
rfrederick on DSKBCBPHB2PROD with SENATE
try who have also missed many pore. Senator GRASSLEY quarantined to confirm that the vaccine developed
∑ This ‘‘bullet’’ symbol identifies statements or insertions which are not spoken by a Member of the Senate on the floor.
S7097
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S7098 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE November 30, 2020
by Moderna is more than 94 percent ef- relief. The hostage-taking was never EXECUTIVE SESSION
fective. They are going ahead and ask- going to work.
ing the FDA for emergency use author- Now there is only one remaining
ization. Experts are calling this news question for the Speaker and the EXECUTIVE CALENDAR
‘‘absolutely remarkable.’’ Alongside Democratic leader—just one question: Mr. MCCONNELL. Mr. President, I
other promising vaccine developments Will they finally—finally—let Congress move to proceed to executive session to
from Pfizer, AstraZeneca, Johnson & pass hundreds of billions of dollars of consider Calendar No. 761.
Johnson, and others, there is continued relief on all the subjects where we The PRESIDING OFFICER. The
cause to suspect that victory over this agree? Or will they continue to insist question is on agreeing to the motion.
pandemic is not far off. that either they get their entire ideo- The motion was agreed to.
But a huge amount of work remains logical wish list or the American peo- The PRESIDING OFFICER. The
before us. If Operation Warp Speed re- ple get nothing at all? clerk will report the nomination.
mains on this historic trajectory, we The legislative clerk read the nomi-
need to continue investing in the sys- Even their fellow Democrats are in-
creasingly seeing this as not a terribly nation of Christopher Waller, of Min-
tem that will distribute these vaccines nesota, to be a Member of the Board of
around our country. If we want the difficult question to answer. For exam-
ple, over the weekend, Professor Governors of the Federal Reserve Sys-
small businesses that have already tem for a term of fourteen years from
hung on for most of the year to survive Austan Goolsbee, who chaired the
Council of Economic Advisers under February 1, 2016.
a few more months, we need a second CLOTURE MOTION
round of the job-saving Paycheck Pro- President Obama, called on Democrats
to finally play ball. Here is what he Mr. MCCONNELL. Mr. President, I
tection Program for the workers at the
said: send a cloture motion to the desk.
hardest hit establishments. Some
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clo-
major parts of the historic CARES Act There are a lot of people really hurting.
ture motion having been presented
have already run dry, and many others . . . I hope [Congress] can agree on some-
thing soon. . . . [I]f they have to accept half under rule XXII, the Chair directs the
are set to expire at year’s end.
a loaf, then they have to accept half a loaf. clerk to read the motion.
We Republicans have spent months
The legislative clerk read as follows:
trying to renew important help and Speaker PELOSI’s No. 2, the House
provide even more. We have tried to CLOTURE MOTION
Democratic majority leader, feels the
send more than $100 billion to help We, the undersigned Senators, in accord-
same way: ance with the provisions of rule XXII of the
schools and welcome students and
I just hope that we can get agreement. It Standing Rules of the Senate, do hereby
teachers safely to the classroom. We move to bring to a close debate on the nomi-
may not be everything that everybody
have tried to implement commonsense nation of Christopher Waller, of Minnesota,
wants, but at least. . . . some significant re-
legal protections that universities and lief to people. to be a Member of the Board of Governors of
charities have been clamoring for. We the Federal Reserve System for a term of
have tried to pass all of this over and Our distinguished Senate colleague fourteen years from February 1, 2016.
over again, but Speaker PELOSI and the from Illinois, the Democratic whip, Mitch McConnell, John Thune, Marsha
Senate Democratic leader have blocked said the same thing: ‘‘[G]et something Blackburn, Joni Ernst, Pat Roberts,
it. done that is significant, do what we John Cornyn, Lindsey Graham, Deb
can achieve now.’’ Fischer, Tim Scott, Lamar Alexander,
They have been very transparent
Kevin Cramer, Mike Braun, John
about all of this with their political Here is the headline from Newsweek: Hoeven, Mike Crapo, Michael B. Enzi,
strategy—laid it right out there. The ‘‘Democrats Urge Pelosi to Accept John Boozman, Thom Tillis.
Speaker of the House spent the entire Smaller Stimulus Package to Ensure f
summer and the entire autumn lit- Relief by End of Year.’’
erally gambling with the health and LEGISLATIVE SESSION
Even the Speaker’s own House Demo-
welfare of the American people. She Mr. MCCONNELL. Mr. President, I
cratic Members are now openly cam-
gambled that if American families move to proceed to legislative session.
paigning for our Republican approach.
didn’t get any more relief before the The PRESIDING OFFICER. The
Here is one Democratic Congressman,
election, her party would expand its question is on agreeing to the motion.
who nearly lost his reelection after
majority in the House, and Democrats The motion was agreed to.
Speaker PELOSI’s stonewalling:
could continue demanding the right to
remake all of society along far-left We absolutely have to get something done. f
lines in exchange for passing any more . . . Mitch McConnell is talking about a bill
EXECUTIVE SESSION
COVID relief whatsoever. we can pass. . . . We should negotiate that to
the finish.
But their all-or-nothing obstruction
backfired. Democrats did not pick up That is a House Democrat saying EXECUTIVE CALENDAR
seats in the House but instead appear that the Senate Republican proposal is Mr. MCCONNELL. Mr. President, I
to have lost seats. They have not the template that can pass. move to proceed to executive session to
gained any leverage, but instead they Rank-and-file Democrats in both consider Calendar No. 842.
have lost leverage. And in the mean- Chambers are telling Speaker PELOSI The PRESIDING OFFICER. The
time, with the coronavirus surging and the Democratic leader to stop question is on agreeing to the motion.
from coast to coast, the American peo- stonewalling and move forward with The motion was agreed to.
ple have gone entirely—entirely—with- the approach Republicans have been The PRESIDING OFFICER. The
out any additional aid—even the least urging for months. The American peo- clerk will report the nomination.
controversial, most bipartisan pro- ple need more help, and they need it The legislative clerk read the nomi-
grams—because the Democrats say no. right now—right now. Democratic lead- nation of Liam P. Hardy, of Virginia,
Here is a summary from one news ers have already burned through 3 to be a Judge of the United States
outlet: months—3 months—and they didn’t Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces
Pelosi seems to have overplayed her hand even get the political results that their for the term of fifteen years to expire
as she held out for $2 trillion-plus right up
until the election. The results of the elec-
cynical strategy was supposed to de- on the date prescribed by law.
liver.
rfrederick on DSKBCBPHB2PROD with SENATE
tion, which saw Democrats lose seats in the CLOTURE MOTION
House, appear to have significantly undercut So let’s hope our colleagues at the Mr. MCCONNELL. Mr. President, I
her position. top of the Democratic Party can fi- send a cloture motion to the desk.
By now it is abundantly clear to ev- nally hear their own Members and stop The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clo-
eryone that the Speaker will not be blocking the commonsense, multihun- ture motion having been presented
getting to fundamentally transform dred-billion-dollar measures that Re- under rule XXII, the Chair directs the
American society in a socialist direc- publicans have been ready to deliver clerk to read the motion.
tion in exchange for more bipartisan for months. The legislative clerk read as follows:
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