Coronavirus (Cong. Rec., Dec. 21, 2020)

Summary

The opening of the Congressional Record, Volume 166, No. 218, for Monday, December 21, 2020, with the Senate meeting at 12 noon, a prayer by the Chaplain, Dr. Barry C. Black, and the Pledge of Allegiance. Mr. Grassley, with unanimous consent for 1 minute in morning business, speaks under the heading Coronavirus about Operation Warp Speed and urges fellow Iowans to roll up their sleeves when their turn comes for the vaccine. Mr. McConnell says leaders in the Senate and the House and the Secretary of the Treasury reached a major agreement, describes a rescue package of just under $900 billion, and says the Senate will also pass full-year government funding. He recalls that Democrats blocked Republican relief proposals in July, August, September and October.

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“Coronavirus (Cong. Rec., Dec. 21, 2020).” Original at www.govinfo.gov. Archived at Pandemic Darlings, https://pandemicdarlings.com/source-documents/crec-crec-2020-12-21-crec-2020-12-21-pt1-pgs7887-6-535d7e0bdf/, SHA-256 8cb53346537ede3bebf89bf36051c9615dd77ff1e2bc839620e53a51974e06a3.

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 21, 2020 No. 218

Senate
The Senate met at 12 noon and was years to come. Operation Warp Speed, we proposed to send about $1 trillion to
called to order by the President pro which President Trump launched, priorities including a second round of
tempore (Mr. GRASSLEY). turned out to be a historic public-pri- the Paycheck Protection Program, di-
f vate partnership. It has delivered a rect checks for households, and funding
lifesaving vaccine in record time, shat- for healthcare providers, testing, and
PRAYER
tering scientific benchmarks along the K–12 schools—back in July.
The Chaplain, Dr. Barry C. Black, of- way. For the last 9 months, Americans Democrats said no. They said they
fered the following prayer: have pulled together in shared sacrifice would block anything short of their
Let us pray. to do their part. multitrillion-dollar leftwing wish list.
Beautiful Savior, Your mighty power As the COVID–19 vaccine makes its Here was one headline that particu-
makes us glad. We celebrate the vic- way into the communities across our larly underscores their view: ‘‘$2 tril-
tories You have given us in the past country as it is right now, I encourage lion or bust: Democrats draw red line
and trust You with our future. my fellow Iowans to keep pulling to- in coronavirus spending battle.’’
Lord, You have been our dwelling gether. When public health officials So, in July and in August, when Re-
place in all generations, and we are say it is your turn to get a vaccine, roll publican Senators tried to extend ex-
sustained by Your steadfast love. up your sleeve. I will be doing the same piring Federal unemployment benefits,
Today, surround our Senators with the when my turn arrives. Democrats blocked us. Laid-off work-
shield of Your favor as they labor to Getting immunized is the only way ers lost their benefits.
keep our Nation strong. Inspire them we will beat the virus and get back to In September and again in October,
to be obedient to Your commands, the normal way of American life. His- as people kept hurting, the virus kept
doing what You desire of them as You tory will show Americans turned the spreading, and schools tried to find
fill them with Your wisdom. page on the pandemic when all of us footing, every Republican voted for a
Lord, manifest Your power through roll up our sleeves. multihundred-billion-dollar package.
their labors so that this Nation will I yield the floor. Both times Democrats blocked the re-
fulfill Your purposes. May Your angels lief. Their view was all or nothing.
f
guard us in all our ways. But a few days ago, with a new Presi-
We pray in Your mighty Name. RECOGNITION OF THE MAJORITY dent-elect of their own party, every-
Amen. LEADER thing changed. Democrats suddenly
f The PRESIDING OFFICER. The ma- came around to our position that we
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE jority leader is recognized. should find consensus, make a law
The President pro tempore led the f where we agree, and get urgent help
Pledge of Allegiance, as follows: out the door.
CORONAVIRUS In a few days of hard work, we have
I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the
United States of America, and to the Repub-
Mr. MCCONNELL. Mr. President, yes- assembled another historic bipartisan
lic for which it stands, one nation under God, terday leaders in the Senate and the rescue package: just under $900 billion
indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. House and the Secretary of the Treas- of relief targeted toward our fellow
The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. ury reached a major agreement that Americans who need help the most.
YOUNG). The Senator from Iowa. struggling Americans have needed for I will begin where this pandemic will
Mr. GRASSLEY. Mr. President, I ask months. end: vaccinations. Thanks to the ge-
unanimous consent to speak for 1 We are going to pass another historic nius of science and the leadership of
minute in morning business. rescue package to help American fami- President Trump, Operation Warp
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without lies through this pandemic. We are Speed has produced safe and effective
objection, it is so ordered. going to pass full-year government vaccines. Now, we need to distribute
f funding so the Armed Forces and all them nationwide.
Federal Departments have the re- This rescue package provides many
CORONAVIRUS sources and the certainty they need. billions more dollars to expand vaccine
Mr. GRASSLEY. Mr. President, his- And we are going to do both of these purchasing and vaccine distribution.
tory will look back at 2020 and find things as soon as possible. Until we have won, we need to keep
many lessons and even some silver lin- Senate Republicans have been trying wearing masks and taking precautions.
ings to unpack. since July—July—to get more tar- Even so, more Americans will fall ill,
The loss of more than 300,000 Amer- geted, bipartisan relief into the hands so this legislation continues to fund
ican lives so far will be mourned for of the American people. Back in July, health providers and COVID testing.

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

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S7888 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE December 21, 2020
The pandemic has fallen especially retary Mnuchin. Before the pandemic, RESERVATION OF LEADER TIME
hard on children and parents. Our leg- Steven was already a crucial partner The PRESIDING OFFICER. Under
islation includes major funding—more for the Republican majorities in Con- the previous order, the leadership time
than $80 billion—for K–12 schools to re- gress. We enacted the most consequen- is reserved.
open safely and get kids’ educations tial tax reform in a generation. We
helped create the conditions for explo- f
back on track. There are billions more
for childcare providers to reopen safely sive job growth, wage growth, and MORNING BUSINESS
as well, and new investments in rural record-low unemployment. Our country
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen-
broadband will improve both education had the strongest possible starting
ate will be in a period of morning busi-
and telehealth down the road. point to weather this storm.
This year, the Secretary has been ness, with Senators permitted to speak
Then there are Americans’ personal
even more essential. He helped Con- therein for up to 10 minutes each.
finances, the impossible kitchen table
gress develop and pass the historic Mr. MCCONNELL. I suggest the ab-
questions that millions of working
CARES Act in record time. It pre- sence of a quorum.
families have faced this year through
vented a complete economic collapse at The PRESIDING OFFICER. The
no fault of their own.
the hands of the virus. From drafting clerk will call the roll.
Back in March, thanks to Chairman
CARES to implementing it, to the in- The senior assistant legislative clerk
RUBIO, Senator COLLINS, and Senator
tervening months, to this latest pack- proceeded to call the roll.
CARDIN, we created a Paycheck Protec-
age, Secretary Mnuchin has been an ex- Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, I ask
tion Program. It saved small busi-
tremely capable and patient partner. unanimous consent that the order for
nesses and helped millions of American
He helped guide our Nation through the quorum call be rescinded.
workers keep receiving paychecks
this dark period toward the daybreak The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without
rather than pink slips.
It would be insanity for us to have that lies ahead. objection, it is so ordered.
saved these jobs all this time only to On behalf of the Senate and the coun- f
drop the ball with the end in sight, so try, I thank the Secretary for his
countless hours of work and his incred- WINTER SOLSTICE
this bill will send more than $280 bil-
lion to reopen the PPP for a targeted ible effectiveness in extraordinary Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, before I
second round, and we made sure times. say anything else, I want to say happy
churches and faith-based organizations f winter solstice. And 2020 is almost
will continue to be eligible. gone. It is an announcement I made to
GOVERNMENT FUNDING my family this morning, and I hope
Of course, millions have already been
Mr. MCCONNELL. Mr. President, on America shares it. We are turning a
laid off, so months after Republicans
a related matter, while this rescue corner as a nation and to a new year
tried to stop benefits from expiring in
package will dominate headlines, we and a new season, and, I hope, a much
the first place, this package will re-
are also set to fund the entire Federal better day for all of us across this
sume a temporary Federal supplement
Government on a bipartisan basis. country.
to unemployment insurance, and it ex- We must not overlook the tireless
tends other programs for the self-em- f
work from Chairman SHELBY, Senator
ployed and gig workers that would LEAHY, and our Appropriations Com- CORONAVIRUS
have expired. mittees in both Chambers. Their hard
Thanks to the particular leadership Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, 9
work goes beyond just avoiding shut- months ago, in March, we created the
and direction of President Trump and downs. Full-year funding bills give our
Secretary Mnuchin, households will re- relief known as the CARES Act, and it
Armed Forces the certainty to make passed the Senate by a vote of 96 to 0.
ceive a second round of direct relief plans and budgets so we can continue
checks—$600 per adult and per child. It was a measure intended to address
to modernize our capabilities and keep
This is just some of the aid that will be the pandemic and the resultant eco-
pace with competitors like Russia and
heading Americans’ way in a matter of nomic downturn in America. I have
China.
hours. No sprawling leftwing wish list, This year’s bills also tackle impor- heard various estimates of the total
no unconstrained bailouts for State tant domestic priorities. Everything cost, but it is somewhere in the range
and local government with no connec- from agricultural research to the fight of $2 trillion to $3 trillion. It was the
tion to COVID needs—just smart, tar- against opioid abuse, to border security largest single investment in our Nation
geted, bipartisan policies, what Senate and law enforcement are provided for. in our history. It was a massive na-
Republicans have been recommending We aren’t defunding the police or abol- tional response to a massive national
since the summer. ishing ICE around here—not on our health crisis, and it worked, at least on
I cited a figure of $900 billion, but lis- watch. the economic front. I believe that it
ten to this. The net new cost—new Federal law enforcement from the created demand in our economy that
cost—is less than roughly $350 billion. U.S. Marshals to the Border Patrol will otherwise would not have been there,
We are recovering more than half a get the resources they need to protect and it gave some businesses a chance
trillion dollars in unspent money that innocent Americans and uphold the to survive. Sadly, all did not, and many
Congress had already set aside and rule of law. are still suffering. But it was nec-
channeling it to these urgent needs. And I want to especially thank essary. It was done on a bipartisan
Thanks to our colleague Senator Chairman SHELBY and Congresswoman basis. It was massive, and I believe it
TOOMEY, this legislation winds down GRANGER for beating back a number of achieved its goal.
some of the temporary emergency pow- far-left poison pills. These bills main- It started us on the course of dealing
ers we lent the Federal Reserve to tain pro-life guardrails on funding, se- with the COVID–19 coronavirus, and
make sure our financial system sur- cure President Trump’s approach to one has to look back and say it only
vived last spring. title X, and respect our citizens’ Sec- had limited success in that regard. As
A lot of talented leaders helped make ond Amendment rights. of today, we have lost more than 317,000
this happen. Leader MCCARTHY has The Senate is about to cast some in- American lives, and millions have been
been an invaluable partner. White credibly impactful votes. None of us infected. Our hospitals are still overrun
House Chief of Staff MARK MEADOWS think any of this legislation is perfect, with patients. But we did the right
has been central. Colleagues such as but a big bipartisan majority of us rec- thing, and we quickly realized what we
Senators COLLINS, MURKOWSKI, ROM- ognize the incredible amount of good it did could make a difference.

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NEY, CASSIDY, and PORTMAN helped will do when we send it to the Presi- The unemployment compensation,
prod the Senate toward consensus with dent’s desk. which we provided for millions of
their bipartisan work. And I just men- The American people have waited Americans, was not only the humane
tioned Senator TOOMEY. long enough. I am glad for our country thing to do but, as economists would
I want to give particular thanks to that we are now moving ahead to- tell you, it was the best single thing
the Secretary of the Treasury, Sec- gether. you could do to fight a recession. A

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