Congressional Record, Senate, December 21, 2020 — Coronavirus and Environmental Legislation
Summary
Senate page of the Congressional Record dated December 21, 2020. A joint statement from the Army Secretary and the Army Chief of Staff is quoted as saying there is no role for the military in determining the outcome of an American election. Casey discusses COVID–19 relief provisions in legislation scheduled for a vote that night, including $26 billion in agriculture and nutrition funding, with $13 billion to combat food insecurity. Barrasso describes environmental legislation from the Environment and Public Works Committee, including the water resources act, the USE IT Act and a phasedown of hydrofluorocarbons.
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“Congressional Record, Senate, December 21, 2020 — Coronavirus and Environmental Legislation.”
Original at www.govinfo.gov. Archived at Pandemic Darlings, https://pandemicdarlings.com/source-documents/crec-crec-2020-12-21-crec-2020-12-21-pt1-pgs7915-f95c49e58c/
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December 21, 2020 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S7915
The Army Secretary and the Army the rise due to the economic impact of have come through the Environment
Chief of Staff released a joint state- the pandemic. and Public Works Committee: the
ment clarifying, based on these dan- There is a lot in here that is positive water resources act, the USE IT Act,
gerous actions proposed by the Presi- for American families, for workers, for the act called DERA to eliminate and
dent’s team, that ‘‘there is no role for small businesses, and for so many reduce emissions from diesels, as well
the U.S. military in determining the other needs. It took way too long. This as additional legislation on HFCs.
outcome of an American election.’’ is months overdue. There are gaps in My partner in all of those is here on
It is hard to believe that those offi- it. the floor now, and I would just like to
cials in our government who help de- I think this is a 3-month bill to help ask him if he would—since he has been
fend our country would even have to folks get through January, February, such a great partner for the last 4 years
say that based upon what the reporting and March. I think we will need an- that I have chaired the committee—
indicates. other bill after that. And, obviously, I talk about this as an accomplishment
So I hope that, even in this holiday am very disappointed we don’t have for the environment, for the com-
season, it is made very clear by every dollars in here to help nursing homes, mittee, and for the Senate and for the
Member of the U.S. Senate that this which I fought very hard for. We will country.
will not be tolerated and has to be con- keep up that fight. So I am just kind of curious, from his
demned. We can’t just say: Oh, well, it It doesn’t have the direct help to standpoint, where he sees things as a
is another outrage, another insult. It State and local governments, even sign of success.
should be condemned, just like the ac- though there are provisions that will Mr. CARPER. Mr. President, if my
tions of the Russian Government help States but not nearly enough. colleague will yield.
should be condemned as well. So it is far, far from perfect, but I As Senator CASEY leaves, I thought
f think it is important that we pass it to his point about longest night and every
provide direct help to people who have day that follows will be brighter, and
CORONAVIRUS some of the provisions that Senator
challenges, whether it is with employ-
Mr. CASEY. Mr. President, I just ment or running a small business or BARRASSO and I, along with JOHN
want to make a couple of brief com- supporting their families. NEELY KENNEDY, have included in the
ments about the legislation we are The last point I will make on this is Nation’s major budget piece of legisla-
going to be voting on, we hope, to- that we gather here today—and we tion ensure that it will be brighter.
night. hope the vote will be tonight before One of the pieces of legislation, as
I will talk about, for purposes of midnight, but we don’t know. But it is Senator BARRASSO knows, deals with
time, not the spending bill or the just ironic that today is the 21st of De- the phasedown of HFCs,
spending portion, the so-called omni- cember, the winter solstice, the dark- hydrofluorocarbons. They are 1,000
bus. I will talk about the COVID–19 re- est day of the year. times worse for climate change than
lief provisions. I won’t go through all I was noting this weekend Elizabeth carbon dioxide. Under the legislation
of them, obviously, but there is a lot of Dias wrote an op-ed, a very thoughtful that we have offered, it will phase
good news for many Americans in this op-ed, in the New York Times about down their utilization over the next 15
legislation. winter and all of the ways different years by 85 percent. What is that
The consensus on unemployment cultures have dealt with the darkness worth? It is worth a half a degree Cel-
benefits will help a lot of Americans: and the severity of winter. But here is sius—just this one thing, just this one
$300 per week for all Americans receiv- what she says, and I hope it provides a provision.
ing unemployment benefits through context for what we are about to pass A lot of people on this planet think
March 14. The Pandemic Unemploy- and what we must do in the months the biggest challenge that we face on
ment Assistance Program is extended ahead when the virus is still raging and this planet right now, an existential
to help self-employed individuals, gig the death number keeps climbing. Here threat, is the fact that our planet is
workers, and others in nontraditional is what Elizabeth Dias says: getting warmer and that we need to do
employment. The great irony of winter is that the mo- something about it. In this legislation,
The economic impact payments for ment darkness is greatest is also the mo- we do take a big bite out of it.
Americans across the country: $600 for ment light is about to return. Each year the And my hope is what it will be is that
individuals making up to $75,000 a year winter solstice comes with the promise that it will serve as a source of encourage-
and $1,200 for couples making up to the next day will be brighter. ment for other Democrats and Repub-
$150,000 per year, as well as a $600 pay- In this season of hope and this holi- licans, maybe an Independent or two,
ment for each dependent child. That day season, we hope and we pray that to take other steps as we come back
means a family of four would receive this legislation will bring some light to into the new year with the new admin-
$2,400 in direct payments. people’s lives, that it will give them a istration and make further progress.
The Paycheck Protection Program, sense, in addition to having a vaccine One of the great things that I love
so-called PPP: $284 billion for the first available now, that brighter days are about our HFC legislation—thanks,
and second PPP forgivable loans. ahead. colleague.
There is more money for transpor- We can’t underestimate the darkness One of the great things, Mr. Chair-
tation, more money for health, and, in that has engulfed so many families, but man, that I love about our HFC legisla-
particular, money for the procurement we hope tonight that we provide at tion is that it shows that you can do
of vaccines and therapeutics, as well as least a measure of light to all the dark- good things for our planet and create
money for vaccine distribution. ness that so many families have faced. jobs. That is what I said: do good
Education is funded for more than $80 I yield the floor. things for our planet in the battle
billion; emergency rental assistance, The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen- against climate change and create jobs.
$25 billion; the Postal Service, $10 bil- ator from Wyoming. How many jobs? Tens of thousands of
lion; childcare, $10 billion—both very Mr. BARRASSO. Mr. President, I ask jobs—in this country, in this country;
important. unanimous consent to engage in a col- billions of dollars’ worth of economic
The ones I am especially grateful for, loquy with my friend and colleague growth—in this country—and at the
even though on a lot of these I would from the State of Delaware, TOM CAR- same time doing good things with re-
vote for higher numbers—a lot of us PER. spect to climate change.
would—are the nutrition provisions: The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without Interestingly, it is not every day you
$26 billion in agriculture and nutrition objection, it is so ordered. find legislation supported by the Na-
ctelli on DSK11ZRN23PROD with SENATE
funding. Half of that will be used for di- f tional Association of Manufacturers,
rect payments to farmers who have suf- the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, most
fered losses due to the impact of the ENVIRONMENTAL LEGISLATION major environmental groups, and co-
pandemic. The remaining 13, the other Mr. BARRASSO. Mr. President, I sponsored by, gosh, two-thirds of the
half of the 26—$13 billion will be used have just recently been talking about a Senate—Democrats and Republicans
to combat food insecurity, which is on number of pieces of legislation that alike.
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