Coronavirus (Cong. Rec., Dec. 14, 2020)

Summary

This is S7453 of the Congressional Record, the opening of the proceedings for Monday, December 14, 2020, Vol. 166, No. 211, with interleaved columns. After the prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance, Mr. Grassley, under the heading Veterans History Project, thanks the Library of Congress and says he has delivered 31 personal accounts and will submit six more interviews recorded at a veterans post. Under the heading Coronavirus, Mr. McConnell says the first U.S. doses of COVID-19 vaccine rolled off the assembly line, that Pfizer shipped 2.5 million vaccine doses the day before through the UPS Worldport hub in Louisville, and that CARES Act programs helped. The views are attributed to the speakers.

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“Coronavirus (Cong. Rec., Dec. 14, 2020).” Original at www.govinfo.gov. Archived at Pandemic Darlings, https://pandemicdarlings.com/source-documents/crec-crec-2020-12-14-crec-2020-12-14-pt1-pgs7453-6-62284cf85a/, SHA-256 260b53d03d0ba121d04177b5c9cd08d743e34f3f68b914a0e963d992e8df5a82.

Full text

Congressional Record
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116 th CONGRESS, SECOND SESSION
United States
of America PROCEEDINGS AND DEBATES OF THE

Vol. 166 WASHINGTON, MONDAY, DECEMBER 14, 2020 No. 211

Senate
The Senate met at 3 p.m. and was tions to come. Over the past 2 years, I tered to the Commonwealth’s
called to order by the President pro have delivered 31 personal accounts to healthcare workers and most at-risk
tempore (Mr. GRASSLEY). be stored at the Library of Congress as residents.
f part of their program called the Vet- There is a historic success story
erans History Project. I thank the Li- being written today along the vaccine
PRAYER brary of Congress for preserving the in- supply chain, from Missouri to Massa-
The Chaplain, Dr. Barry C. Black, of- dividual stories as reported in the vet- chusetts, to Michigan, to Kentucky, to
fered the following prayer: eran’s own words. frontlines all across our country, and it
Let us pray. Today, I will submit six more inter- is emblematic of an approach that has
Eternal God, continue to help us, for views to this collection that we re- been helping our country since the ear-
the kingdom, the power, and the glory corded at the Waverly Area Veterans liest days of the crisis. From the per-
belong to You. Post last month. I am proud to be a sonal precautions that helped save our
Permit our lawmakers to feel Your part of the Veterans History Project, health system to the bravery of the
power and trust Your sovereignty. May preserving the stories of Iowa veterans doctors, nurses, and other healthcare
this trust impel them to dare boldly, to for future generations. workers who spent sleepless nights
venture on wider seas where storms I yield the floor. tending to victims of the virus, to the
will show Your mastery. f ingenuity of entrepreneurs who have
Remind them that You will honor spun out masks and sanitizer or kept
Your promise to never leave or forsake RECOGNITION OF THE MAJORITY serving their customers safely, to the
them. Help them also to remember LEADER patience of parents and school kids
that evil can triumph when good people The PRESIDING OFFICER. The ma- who have had to adapt in extraordinary
refuse to act. jority leader is recognized. ways, to our economic efforts to blunt
Lord, inspire our Senators to strive f the pain of a self-inflicted slowdown
always to please You. without precedent, all along the way,
We pray in Your merciful Name. CORONAVIRUS it has been a heroic, resilient American
Amen. Mr. MCCONNELL. Mr. President, this people fighting and winning this battle,
f past weekend, we saw that the historic with the government providing smart,
nationwide effort to bring this pan- targeted, and essential support to sus-
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE demic to heel has begun a critical final tain them.
The President pro tempore led the chapter. After months of development, It is the American people who have
Pledge of Allegiance, as follows: the first U.S. doses of COVID–19 vac- brought the light at the end of the tun-
I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the cine rolled off the assembly line, bound nel within sight, but Washington has
United States of America, and to the Repub- for treatment facilities all across our played a key role in creating the condi-
lic for which it stands, one nation under God, country. tions for them to do it. That joint ef-
indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. I am particularly proud that an im- fort is how the unanimous, bipartisan
The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. portant waypoint on that journey is CARES Act programs helped to sustain
HAWLEY). The Senator from Iowa. my hometown of Louisville, KY. Yes- struggling families, prevented millions
Mr. GRASSLEY. Mr. President, I ask terday alone, Pfizer shipped 2.5 million more layoffs, and gave Main Street a
for 1 minute in morning business. vaccine doses, and less than an hour fighting chance. It is how Operation
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without after their airlift began, shipments Warp Speed has helped to unleash pri-
objection, it is so ordered. bound for the eastern United States vate enterprise and the genius of re-
f were passing through the UPS searchers on a breakneck campaign for
Worldport logistics hub at Muhammad a cure that, just a few months ago, the
VETERANS HISTORY PROJECT Ali International Airport in Louisville. mainstream media was lecturing Presi-
Mr. GRASSLEY. Mr. President, I In the days and weeks ahead, the hard dent Trump would be impossible.
come to the floor to thank the Library work of Kentuckians at UPS’s new At every step, the story of this year
of Congress and to talk about some- healthcare command center in Louis- has been American workers and fami-
thing that honors our veterans. ville will play a critical role in fin- lies digging deep, muscling through,
Iowa has a rich history of veterans ishing this fight. and lending one another a helping
serving on behalf of our country. Their Already they have helped direct tens hand, with an assist from those of us
service ensures that all Americans will of thousands of doses to Kentucky hos- here in Congress. But there is a prob-
live in peace and prosperity for genera- pitals, where they are being adminis- lem. The American people’s work is not

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∑ This ‘‘bullet’’ symbol identifies statements or insertions which are not spoken by a Member of the Senate on the floor.

S7453

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S7454 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE December 14, 2020
finished. The struggle continues every The next several days are going to The PRESIDING OFFICER. The
day. Cases and deaths are mounting. bring about one of two outcomes. Ei- clerk will report the nomination.
The commerce that sustains small ther 100 Senators will be here shaking The legislative clerk read the nomi-
businesses is still depressed. Working our heads, slinging blame, and offering nation of Charles Edward Atchley, Jr.,
families are still trying to grind excuses about why we still have not of Tennessee, to be United States Dis-
through, but recently Washington has been able to make a law, or we will trict Judge for the Eastern District of
not held up its end of the bargain. break for the holidays having sent an- Tennessee.
For months—literally months—both other huge dose of relief out the door CLOTURE MOTION
sides in Congress have known roughly for the people who need it. Mr. MCCONNELL. Mr. President, I
what the shape of a compromise rescue So, look, it is up to us. It is up to us. send a cloture motion to the desk.
package could look like. We know all We decide. This is entirely within our The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clo-
the areas where we do not even dis- control. I can speak for the Republican ture motion having been presented
agree and should be able to make sig- side: We want to make a law to agree under rule XXII, the Chair directs the
nificant law. But, alas, partisan dy- where we can and help people who need clerk to read the motion.
namics and political posturing have it. I hope and believe that my Demo- The legislative clerk read as follows:
prevented us from getting more relief cratic colleagues will feel the same CLOTURE MOTION
out the door, even in areas where no- way. It is about time to get this done. We, the undersigned Senators, in ac-
body even claims to disagree. f
I don’t want to relitigate the last cordance with the provisions of rule
weeks and months this afternoon. Any- EXECUTIVE SESSION XXII of the Standing Rules of the Sen-
one who wants to dole out blame has a ate, do hereby move to bring to a close
clear record they can analyze. debate on the nomination of Charles
It is time for this body to collec- EXECUTIVE CALENDAR Edward Atchley, Jr., of Tennessee, to
tively recognize that finger-pointing Mr. MCCONNELL. Mr. President, I be United States District Judge for the
doesn’t put food on the table for strug- move to proceed to executive session to Eastern District of Tennessee.
Mitch McConnell, James E. Risch, Mike
gling families. Finger-pointing doesn’t consider Calendar No. 933. Crapo, Roy Blunt, Shelley Moore Cap-
help people avoid having to choose be- The PRESIDING OFFICER. The ito, Tom Cotton, John Cornyn, Chuck
tween Christmas gifts and making question is on agreeing to the motion. Grassley, Thom Tillis, Richard Burr,
rent. And finger-pointing does not do a The motion was agreed to. Pat Roberts, Cory Gardner, Lindsey
darn thing to fund vaccine distribution The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Graham, Todd Young, Marco Rubio,
so we can slam the door on this virus clerk will report the nomination. John Boozman, John Barrasso.
as fast as possible and maximize the The legislative clerk read the nomi- f
number of lives we can save. nation of Joseph Dawson III, of South
LEGISLATIVE SESSION
That last point is a concern that Carolina, to be United States District
State health officials across the coun- Judge for the District of South Caro- Mr. MCCONNELL. Mr. President, I
try have raised repeatedly. Even with lina. move to proceed to legislative session.
vaccines on the way, many are report- CLOTURE MOTION The PRESIDING OFFICER. The
ing that they don’t have the funds to Mr. MCCONNELL. Mr. President, I question is on agreeing to the motion.
hire enough trained workers or pur- send a cloture motion to the desk. The motion was agreed to.
chase enough PPE to safely administer The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clo- f
them as fast as possible. As one health ture motion having been presented EXECUTIVE SESSION
observer put it, ‘‘It would be a shame if under rule XXII, the Chair directs the
all the effort on Warp Speed for devel- clerk to read the motion.
opment isn’t warp speed for distribu- The legislative clerk read as follows: EXECUTIVE CALENDAR
tion.’’ That is what we risk if Congress CLOTURE MOTION
can’t get our act together and supply Mr. MCCONNELL. Mr. President, I
We, the undersigned Senators, in accord- move to proceed to executive session to
the funds to deliver this literal shot in ance with the provisions of rule XXII of the
the arm to our people. This is the sup- consider Calendar No. 935.
Standing Rules of the Senate, do hereby The PRESIDING OFFICER. The
port that State and local governments move to bring to a close debate on the nomi-
need most urgently—not unfettered question is on agreeing to the motion.
nation of Joseph Dawson III, of South Caro-
slush funds for non-COVID-related lina, to be United States District Judge for The motion was agreed to.
needs that predate the pandemic but the District of South Carolina. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The
incredibly urgent, targeted money to Mitch McConnell, James E. Risch, Mike clerk will report the nomination.
get citizens vaccinated right now and Crapo, Roy Blunt, Shelley Moore Cap- The legislative clerk read the nomi-
ito, Tom Cotton, John Cornyn, Chuck nation of Zachary N. Somers, of the
finish the fight. Grassley, Thom Tillis, Richard Burr,
That isn’t the only urgent priority District of Columbia, to be a Judge of
Pat Roberts, Cory Gardner, Lindsey the United States Court of Federal
that Congress must not leave behind. Graham, Todd Young, Marco Rubio,
The same business owners and working Claims for a term of fifteen years.
John Boozman, John Barrasso.
families who relied on the Paycheck CLOTURE MOTION
f
Protection Program to get them Mr. MCCONNELL. Mr. President, I
through the bleakest points of the LEGISLATIVE SESSION send a cloture motion to the desk.
spring and summer are, once again, Mr. MCCONNELL. Mr. President, I The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clo-
facing tough choices. Renewed health move to proceed to legislative session. ture motion having been presented
restrictions and decreased demand The PRESIDING OFFICER. The under rule XXII, the Chair directs the
mean that some American jobs that question is on agreeing to the motion. clerk to read the motion.
have been sustained all this period may The motion was agreed to. The legislative clerk read as follows:
not survive the last home stretch. f CLOTURE MOTION
So we can help. We can provide a sec- We, the undersigned Senators, in accord-
ond round of job-saving PPP tailored EXECUTIVE SESSION ance with the provisions of rule XXII of the
to those who need it most. Standing Rules of the Senate, do hereby
And what about Americans who have move to bring to a close debate on the nomi-
already lost their jobs in the pandemic EXECUTIVE CALENDAR nation of Zachary N. Somers, of the District

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through no fault of their own? Several Mr. MCCONNELL. Mr. President, I of Columbia, to be a Judge of the United
States Court of Federal Claims for a term of
key unemployment programs are set to move to proceed to executive session to
fifteen years.
expire at the end of the month. This is consider Calendar No. 934. Mitch McConnell, James E. Risch, Mike
not an outcome that struggling people The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Crapo, Roy Blunt, Shelley Moore Cap-
deserve, least of all during the holiday. question is on agreeing to the motion. ito, Tom Cotton, John Cornyn, Chuck
So we should act. We should act. The motion was agreed to. Grassley, Thom Tillis, Richard Burr,

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