Coronavirus (Cong. Rec., Dec. 8, 2020)

Summary

A page of the Congressional Record, Senate, dated December 8, 2020, at page S7250, under the heading Coronavirus. A Senator tells the chamber that it has been over 8 months since Congress passed the CARES Act and criticizes the Republican leader's insistence on a corporate immunity red line, citing 111 COVID-related lawsuits over conditions of employment, 23 personal injury suits and 11 medical malpractice suits, with nearly 15 million Americans infected and 280,000 lives lost. The remarks urge rejection of Nathan Simington's nomination to the FCC and pay tribute to Martha McSally and to Tom Udall as they leave the Senate. They call for the bipartisan Gang of 8 process to continue.

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“Coronavirus (Cong. Rec., Dec. 8, 2020).” Original at www.govinfo.gov. Archived at Pandemic Darlings, https://pandemicdarlings.com/source-documents/crec-crec-2020-12-08-crec-2020-12-08-pt1-pgs7250-2-9a44daa36f/, SHA-256 5b0a8973190faab96b4b32933314cb7066e7d885fdf61e5da8d8b5a83d7cd31e.

Full text

S7250 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE December 8, 2020
I can tell you that MARTHA attacked it legislation to help the American peo- Simington, a Republican nominee to
just like she does everything else. She ple. That is the only way to get legisla- the FCC.
approaches that with the same deter- tion passed. But observers of this proc- Normally, these nominations to inde-
mination and intensity that she does in ess seem to have lost track of this sim- pendent Boards and Commissions are
every other aspect of her life. ple truth. The Republican leader seems paired—one Democrat, one Repub-
She pushes herself to her limits, and to have forgotten about it entirely. lican—to keep balance on the board,
those are the qualities that she has dis- Amazingly, it has been over 8 months but here in the waning days of a lame-
played throughout her career, whether since Congress came together to pass duck Presidency, the Republican ma-
she was breaking glass ceilings in the the CARES Act, and the leader’s posi- jority is rushing to approve a single
military or fighting here in Congress to tion has not budged. The majority Republican nominee.
protect the A–10 Warthog. leader continues to insist that the Sen- The nominee himself is far from
She has made the most of her 2 years ate accept one of his partisan Repub- uncontroversial. Mr. Simington’s key
in the Senate, tying for the most bills lican proposals, each one of which has qualifications seem to be that he sup-
signed into law during her first year. been sorely inadequate and each of ports President Trump’s desired
And Arizona has benefited from her te- which has contained poison pills de- changes to section 230, a law that regu-
nacity and commitment. signed to ensure the bill’s failure. lates internet speech. In fact, it ap-
MARTHA is tough and determined, but The most conspicuous of these poison pears that he severely misled Senators
she is also kind and generous, all traits pills is the so-called ‘‘red line’’ the ma- on the Commerce Committee when he
that were displayed in her farewell jority leader has tried to draw on the told them that while working for a
speech last week. There was a lot to issue of corporate immunity. Contrary Federal agency, he played only an ad-
admire in that speech. I was particu- to the majority leader’s dire pre- ministrative role in his Department’s
larly struck by the gratitude that she dictions, there has been no flood of petition for the repeal of section 230. It
displayed. A lesser person might have COVID lawsuits—in fact, quite the op- turns out that Mr. Simington was not
betrayed some bitterness at the brevity posite. Almost a year into this pan- only pushing the petition himself, he
of her time here. MARTHA was just demic, with nearly 15 million Ameri- was actively lobbying FOX News to
grateful—grateful for the opportunity cans infected and 280,000 lives lost to support it for political reasons.
to serve, grateful for the team who COVID–19, there have only been 111 I strongly urge my colleagues on
worked with her, grateful for what she COVID-related lawsuits filed regarding both sides of the aisle to reject Mr.
was able to accomplish for Arizona. conditions of employment, 23 suits for Simington’s nomination to the FCC.
I am grateful not only to have served personal injury for exposure to the TRIBUTE TO TOM UDALL
with her but to have had her as a part coronavirus in a public place, and 11 Madam President, finally, as we ap-
of the whip team here in this Congress. COVID-related medical malpractice proach the end of the Senate session, I
Unsurprisingly, she was a dedicated suits. have the unhappy task of bidding fare-
and effective deputy whip, and I will Far from a pandemic of lawsuits, well to Senators who will be con-
miss having her on the team. there has barely been a trickle. Yet the cluding their time in this Chamber.
At the end of her farewell address, Republican leader continues to prevent Within an hour, our dear friend and
MARTHA said: Americans from getting the aid they so dear colleague, Senator TOM UDALL of
Today represents a change in seasons for desperately need and deserve until he New Mexico, will give his final speech
me. I don’t yet have clarity on what my next gets this piece of partisan, ideological here on the Senate floor.
mission will be, but I do know who is the au- legislation. Again, yesterday, while the For the past 12 years, Senators have
thor and finisher of my faith and that He leader was busy accusing Democrats of been lucky to work with a legislator of
created each of us with a purpose. blocking ‘‘bipartisan’’ legislation that Senator UDALL’s caliber, someone who
I am confident that the author of our ‘‘everyone agrees on’’—his words— possesses a mastery of public policy,
faith has more great missions in mind other Members of the Republican lead- who is practical as well as principled.
for MARTHA MCSALLY, and I look for- ership were making it clear that Lead- You always know where Senator UDALL
ward to seeing her take them on. er MCCONNELL continues to insist on stands on an issue, but you also know
I yield the floor. this particular poison pill. The Repub- he is always willing to sit with you and
I suggest the absence of a quorum. lican whip said that any relief must work with you until you find common
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The have corporate immunity provisions ground. Because of these qualities, TOM
clerk will call the roll. that ‘‘satisfy Senator MCCONNELL.’’ will leave this Chamber as a supremely
The senior assistant legislative clerk Imagine holding emergency aid hos- accomplished legislator, a fierce de-
proceeded to call the roll. tage—help for the unemployed, help for fender of the environment, and a true
Mr. SCHUMER. Madam President, I small businesses, help to pay the sala- champion of the American West.
ask unanimous consent that the order ries of police and firefighters, help for A lot of politicians get described as
for the quorum call be rescinded. individual Americans, funding to de- wunderkinds for getting elected at a
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without liver a vaccine—in order to give cor- young age. You would be hard-pressed
objection, it is so ordered. porations legal immunity. But that has to find someone who got their start in
RECOGNITION OF THE MINORITY LEADER been the Republican position for the politics earlier than TOM. He made his
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The past 8 months, and it is the leader’s po- debut at the plucky age of 5, hoisting
Democratic leader is recognized. sition today. campaign signs on the back of his dad’s
CORONAVIRUS For the sake of bipartisan negotia- convertible during his dad’s first bid
Mr. SCHUMER. Madam President, tions, Republican leadership should for Congress.
everywhere you look, there are signs forsake these hard-line positions. You Public service runs deep in the veins
the country needs emergency Federal can’t claim to want bipartisanship of a Udall. It might be called the sap of
relief before the end of the year. Cases, while actively demanding the Senate the Udall family tree. Alongside his fa-
hospitalizations, and deaths are rising. accept partisan legislation. ‘‘Bipar- ther, TOM looked up to his uncle Mo,
COVID restrictions are snapping back tisan’’ does not mean Democrats must who succeeded his father in Congress
into place in cities and States around agree to whatever the Republican lead- and ran for President as one of his gen-
the country. Economists are warning er wants on whatever issue he picks. eration’s great environmental advo-
of a double-dip recession if Congress ‘‘Bipartisan’’ means both sides—both cates. Not too long ago, the Senate
fails to pass another round of fiscal sides—sitting down and finding agree- rollcall featured two Udalls, TOM and

SSpencer on DSK126QN23PROD with SENATE
stimulus. ment to meet the needs of the country his cousin Mark. Even now, our col-
The situation is really quite simple. and make a law. That process is hap- league from Utah, Senator LEE, is a
There are flaring needs in the country, pening with the Gang of 8. It should second cousin to the Udall clan.
and we need to work across party lines continue until we get a solution. Ultimately, it was TOM’s dad who
to pass legislation to meet those needs. NOMINATION OF NATHAN SIMINGTON taught him a lifelong love of the polit-
Let me say it again. We need both par- Madam President, the Senate will ical process. During the years Stewart
ties to sit down and compromise on also vote on the nomination of Nathan Udall served as Interior Secretary, TOM

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