Congressional Record, Senate — December 7, 2020, S7230
Summary
This is page S7230 of the Congressional Record, Senate, December 7, 2020, continuing onto S7231. A senator who is not named in the text applauds a bipartisan group of Senators working on COVID–19 relief, and under Jenna Quinn Law states that the bill introduced with Senator Hassan has passed the Senate unanimously but is stuck in the House of Representatives. The speaker says the bill would allow current Department of Health and Human Services grant funds to be used for training to identify and report child sexual abuse. Under Coronavirus, the speaker states that Leader McConnell announced progress in negotiations to pass another bill by the end of the year and lists items such as additional funding for schools and a second round of Paycheck Protection Program funds. A later item discusses collaborative efforts on the Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forests.
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“Congressional Record, Senate — December 7, 2020, S7230.”
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S7230 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE December 7, 2020
It is shameful that, after passing four known that you were showing all the ers, counselors, caregivers, also police
separate COVID–19 relief bills, includ- classic symptoms of a victim of child officers, lawyers, social services, but
ing the CARES Act, through the end of sexual abuse, I would have intervened predominantly teachers who see these
March on a virtually unanimous basis, sooner. children at school.
that Speaker PELOSI chose to pass a Well, the 2009 Texas law was one of Teachers, educational professionals,
partisan bill out of the House, the He- the first to mandate this training, and and other support staff at schools, like
roes bill, for another $3 trillion, includ- now more than half of all the States busdrivers, are responsible for more
ing things like tax breaks for million- have adopted a form of Jenna’s Law. So than half of the reports of child abuse.
aires and billionaires in New York and you may ask: Why do we need to pass But as I said, with children home
San Francisco, unrelated to the a Federal law? Well, the States don’t during the pandemic, out of sight from
COVID–19 relief bill that we needed. have the funding for the training, and their teachers and other adults they
So I applaud the group of bipartisan that is what the Jenna Quinn Law pro- would otherwise see on a routine basis,
Senators who have been working now, vides. It allows current Department of abuse is becoming more difficult to
after the election, to try to come up Health and Human Services grant identify and report, not because it is
with the relief rather than kicking this funds to be used for this specialized not happening but because these chil-
can down the road and leaving people training. dren are having to suffer silently, liv-
in the lurch during the Christmas holi- This bill has received the support of ing with, perhaps locked down with,
day season. every member of the Senate Health their abuser.
And then when it comes to a vaccine, Committee—Republicans and Demo- As the stresses of the pandemic and
I have no doubt that the incoming ad- crats, not surprisingly—and it has the lack of reporting take a violent toll
ministration is going to claim com- passed the Senate unanimously, but it on our children across the country, it
plete credit for producing a vaccine has been months, and we are still wait- is time for action, not excuses, not de-
and getting this virus in the rearview ing for the House of Representatives to criminalizing marijuana, not a ‘‘Tiger
mirror. act. King’’ bill but passing legislation that
I understand why they would be Just last week, House Democrats, will actually make their lives better,
tempted to do so, but it is because of under Speaker PELOSI, did find time to give them some hope—not action at
the bipartisan action that Congress has act on a bill to decriminalize mari- some time in the future but now.
taken with this administration juana; on a bill to deal with large cats, And there is one person in the House
through Operation Warp Speed that we the ‘‘Tiger King’’ bill. But did they of Representatives who is holding that
have seen our world-class scientists have time to provide assistance to up right now, and he is Chairman
come up with safe and effective, I hope, small businesses? Did they find time to SCOTT.
soon-to-be-certified vaccines by the pass bipartisan COVID–19 relief? Did Children are suffering every day.
Food and Drug Administration, and they find time to pass the Jenna Quinn They are not worried about politics or
people can begin to start getting vac- Law, which I am sure, if put on their whether Chairman SCOTT has the lever-
cinated by the middle of this month. suspension calendar, would pass very age he needs to advance a larger par-
That is a modern-day miracle. We quickly and go to the President for his tisan bill later on next year. These vic-
should all be proud of it, but it should signature? tims are worried about their own safe-
not be part of a partisan campaign now In a move that defies common sense, ty. They are worried about: How much
after we have had an election on No- the chairman of the Education and longer will it be until some adult iden-
vember 3. Labor Committee in the House, Con- tifies my abuse and gets me out of this
I wish our friends would get out of gressman BOBBY SCOTT, is blocking— abusive relationship—gets me out of a
the campaign mode and get into the blocking—the Jenna Quinn Law. living nightmare?
governing mode. We have got impor- He voted to decriminalize marijuana; Well, the sort of mindless obstruction
tant work we need to do here. he voted to ban the private ownership we are seeing from Chairman SCOTT in
JENNA QUINN LAW of big cats, but he won’t even let the the House exemplifies everything peo-
Madam President, part of that is the Jenna Quinn Law receive an up-or- ple loathe about Congress—holding up
Jenna Quinn Law. This bipartisan down vote on the floor of the House of a bill to prevent child sexual abuse as
piece of legislation that I introduced Representatives. a means to gain political leverage for a
with Senator HASSAN over a year and a Well, if you are confused by the logic bigger partisan bill. It is just shameful.
half ago to help identify and stop child of this move, you are not alone, espe- Let’s call it what it is—shameful.
sexual abuse in communities across our cially because the urgency for this leg- It is time for Chairman SCOTT to stop
country has passed the Senate unani- islation has only grown during the pan- blocking the Jenna Quinn Law so we
mously but is stuck in the House of demic. can provide training to the men and
Representatives. As families have stayed at home as women most likely to stop the cycle of
Nationwide, there are more than part of the mitigation efforts, their child sexual abuse.
42,000 survivors of child sex abuse— lives have been filled with a range of CORONAVIRUS
adults now, 42 million adult survivors new stressors. Loss of income, isola- Madam President, finally, last week
of child sexual abuse. tion, health anxiety, and the stress of on the Senate floor, I spoke briefly
Sadly, these victims often stay silent teaching children at home can test about our retiring colleague Senator
for days, months, years, even a life- even the healthiest families and rela- MIKE ENZI, from Wyoming, and some
time. As a result, they and countless tionships. But they also put children at wisdom he imparted to me shortly
other victims continue to be abused. a higher risk for abuse and neglect. after I arrived in the Senate—some-
We need to stop this cycle as quickly In April of this year, nationwide re- thing he calls the 80–20 rule. As my
as possible, and that is why the Jenna ports of abuse or neglect dropped an friend from Wyoming told me, you are
Quinn Law is so important. average of 40 percent compared to the never going to agree or disagree with
It is modeled after a 2009 Texas law, same time last year. Now, ordinarily, somebody 100 percent of the time, but
which requires teachers, caregivers, you would say: Well, that is good news. that doesn’t mean you can’t get impor-
and other adults who work with chil- But the reason the reports of abuse and tant work done. So instead of just fo-
dren to receive training on how to neglect have dropped is because chil- cusing on the 20 percent you cannot
identify and report child sexual abuse. dren have not been going to their class- agree on, look at the 80 percent you
After the Texas law passed in 2009, rooms, where the teachers who train in can agree on.
one study found educators reported identifying these signs and symptoms I hope all of my colleagues will re-
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child sexual abuse at a rate almost four can see them and help them by inter- member this formula for success in the
times greater after the training than vening. coming days as we work to deliver an-
they got during their pretraining ca- In 2018, two-thirds of the reports of other round of coronavirus relief for
reer. child abuse were submitted by people the American people. It is clear that
Jenna Quinn herself tells the story of who came in contact with children as we are never going to agree 100 percent
her own mother saying: If I had just part of their jobs. I mentioned teach- of the time on what that bill should
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December 7, 2020 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S7231
look like, but I bet we can agree on 80 ticipants’ refusal to quit is a key at- Wagon Road, and the Magruder Road,
percent, and we ought to get that 80 tribute of successful collaborative ef- which attract visitors from all over the
percent done. forts. country. Project leaders, recognizing
We all believe additional funding for One of the greatest benefits of col- the importance of these routes to the
our schools is necessary to keep our laboration is that it enables the local economy and historical signifi-
students and teachers healthy and kids achievement of solutions that are bet- cance, have partnered with local
on track for a good education; that ter than the status quo for all stake- groups and the University of Idaho to
American workers who had the rug holders. Such solutions are better for include digital interpretation that is
pulled out from under them earlier this the environment and the economy. accessible even in locations without
year deserve additional support; that a Through collaboration, participants internet service. The project has also
second round of job-saving Paycheck can actually achieve their objectives been supported through the Secure
Protection Program funds would help and in ways that benefit the entire Rural Schools Resources Advisory
even more workers and small busi- community. Committee to assist with the mainte-
nesses; and that another investment in The work on the Nez Perce-Clear- nance.
vaccine distribution is essential to water National Forests is a great ex- Stewardship contracts have also been
bringing this pandemic to an end. ample of the benefits of collaborative used on the Nez Perce-Clearwater Na-
Last week, Leader MCCONNELL an- efforts. The Clearwater Basin Collabo- tional Forests to enable the Forest
nounced progress in negotiations to rative, or CBC, as we call it, which was Service to accomplish vegetation and
pass another bill by the end of the officially launched 12 years ago, has watershed restoration. By leveraging
year. He has spoken with the Presi- had an important role in furthering this program with other partnerships
dent’s team and the Speaker, and there discussions about the management of and funding sources, the forests are
are hopeful signs. There appears to be a the Nez Perce-Clearwater National able to have a truly integrated restora-
path forward on this legislation that Forests. Nez Perce Tribal representa- tion program. Stewardship contracts
could clear both Chambers and receive tives, representatives of Federal and have enabled fuels and weed treatment,
the signature of the President, and I State agencies, county commissioners, watershed protection and restoration,
hope we will follow that path to a con- local communities, timber companies, road maintenance, and enhancements
structive conclusion. conservation groups, and other stake- such as the removal of wire fencing to
As I said last week, the best Christ- holders make up the CBC’s Working help wildlife.
mas present we can give the American Group, which accommodates a diverse A total of 536 miles of streams have
people would be to work together in a array of viewpoints and objectives. been restored on the Nez Perce-Clear-
bipartisan way to provide that relief. I met with members of the prede- water National Forests, resulting in
We need an outcome, and to get there cessor group, called the Konkolville the forests being ranked fourth nation-
is going to take compromise. It is Collaborative, and welcomed the oppor- wide in miles of streams restored. The
going to take the 80–20 rule. tunity to be a part of the CBC’s official forests have a strong partnership with
This process requires input and launch in 2008. I track the group’s the Nez Perce Tribe, which contributes
agreement from our colleagues in the progress through dedicating a member greatly to its watershed accomplish-
Senate, the House, and the White of my staff to being part of its discus- ments. At the same time, priorities of
House, as does all legislation. But my sions focused on resolving longstanding much needed restoration of landscapes,
constituents—and, I dare say, all concerns and achieving land manage- including water quality improvements,
Americans—are fed up with the dys- ment decisions and fostering commu- are also providing a supply of raw ma-
function they see and the partisanship nication among different interest terials to our local mills. In fact, the
that is for no real purpose that has de- groups. The remarkable landscape it forests are the fifth in the Nation in
layed this COVID–19 relief bill for works to enhance encompasses providing wood products for purchase.
months. forestlands providing habitat for treas- More work is underway to address
It is time to reach an agreement and ured wildlife and anadromous fish spe- significant challenges, but this is the
deliver yet another round of cies; resources for local communities, direction we need to continue to go in
coronavirus relief for the American including timber, livestock grazing, delivering long-term results. I com-
people. and mining; and natural carbon sinks mend all those involved in this effort
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen- that help our planet. for their hard and exemplary work im-
ator from Idaho. The Nez Perce-Clearwater National proving our treasured landscapes.
NEZ PERCE-CLEARWATER NATIONAL FORESTS Forests span 4 million acres. Three riv- Also, a Good Neighbor Authority pro-
Mr. CRAPO. Madam President, I rise ers flow through the forests, providing gram coordinated by the Nez Perce-
today to highlight some meaningful important water sources, outstanding Clearwater National Forests and the
progress underway on the Nez Perce- fishing, and other recreational oppor- Idaho Department of Lands was recog-
Clearwater National Forests to im- tunities. It is truly a remarkable place, nized with the 2017 Regional Forester
prove the health of these forests. These and the group’s work is far from easy, Awards. Through the program, forest
collaborative efforts are showing as there is a lot at stake. management has supported fuels reduc-
progress, and they are an example of The good news is that we are hearing tion and watershed restoration. Fur-
where we can go nationally. reports of remarkable achievements ther, the Nez Perce-Clearwater Na-
Collaboration brings results. I have being made on the Forests. The Nez tional Forests recently signed a Good
been a longtime champion of collabora- Perce-Clearwater National Forests Neighbor Authority agreement with
tion to address public lands manage- have received three significant recogni- the Idaho Department of Fish and
ment disputes, as collaborative proc- tions this year alone that highlight co- Game. This will enable the forests and
esses are good for the environment and operative restoration work: a Regional the Idaho Department of Fish and
good for natural-resource based econo- Forester’s Award for fostering partner- Game to work more seamlessly as they
mies. Collaborative problem-solving is ship and volunteerism; a Chief’s Award collaborate on projects to enhance
a key way to ensure that all voices are for delivering benefits to the public; wildlife habitat such as aspen restora-
heard and long-term solutions are and an Undersecretary’s Award for cus- tion.
crafted. tomer service for the forests’ Historic Statewide, the Idaho Department of
Working together through collabora- Routes Project. Lands reports that the agency is uti-
tion does not require a sacrifice of Through the Historic Routes Project, lizing Good Neighbor Authority to
principles, but it does require earnest the Nez Perce-Clearwater National partner with national forests in Idaho
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negotiations with respect for ideas Forests dedicated approximately $1 to expedite projects focused on fuels re-
from all perspectives and a willingness million of retained receipts from stew- duction, forest health improvements,
to work to understand each other’s ob- ardship contracts to improve water and watershed health. According to an
jectives. Inevitably, at several points quality through historically sensitive ILD summary from January of this
along the collaborative path, there are maintenance along three historic road- year, the program has enabled the
strong disagreements. However, par- ways: the Lolo Motorway, the Elk City treatment of 4,800 acres through 50
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