Unanimous Consent Requests on H.R. 9051 and H.R. 6395, December 30, 2020 — Congressional Record, Senate
Summary
Senate page of the Congressional Record dated December 30, 2020, with remarks on unanimous consent requests. A request is made that the Senate proceed to H.R. 9051, a bill to provide a $2,000 direct payment to the working class. One speaker states that over two-thirds of House Members, including 44 Republicans, voted for the $2,000 check and that the leader of the Republican Party writes '$2000 ASAP!'. The speaker says the enacted package included a new round of PPP loans and $300 a week of Federal money on top of State programs. Markey also speaks, and Cornyn is recorded reserving the right to object.
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“Unanimous Consent Requests on H.R. 9051 and H.R. 6395, December 30, 2020 — Congressional Record, Senate.”
Original at www.govinfo.gov. Archived at Pandemic Darlings, https://pandemicdarlings.com/source-documents/crec-crec-2020-12-30-crec-2020-12-30-pt1-pgs7974-3501b5f4ac/
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S7974 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE December 30, 2020
vote against $2,000 checks for people in together and voted unanimously, I be- There are people who are still suf-
your State, vote against it. I see Sen- lieve, for the most extraordinary aid fering from the economic fallout of
ator TOOMEY here. He has been clear package—financial stimulus bill, how- this terrible COVID crisis. There is no
about it. I suspect he will vote against ever you care to characterize it—in the question about it. We know there are
it. I respect his opinion, but all that we history of the world by far. Remember people who are concentrated in a hand-
are asking for is a vote. What is the where we were. We had closed down the ful of industries, for the most part—not
problem? In the House, over two-thirds economy. To a very large degree, the exclusively—but people who have
of the Members of that body, including American economy had stopped func- worked in the restaurant industry, peo-
44 Republicans, voted to say, in this tioning because State governments ple who work for hotels, travel, enter-
time of economic desperation, working around the country decided they had to tainment. So many of those people are
families deserve help, and they deserve close it down. We can discuss and we still out of work and their prospects of
a $2,000 check. can argue about whether that was a getting their old jobs back are not good
As Senator SCHUMER just indicated, good decision or not, but given the lim- in the short run. I sure hope they will
we have a very unlikely ally in Presi- ited knowledge we had about the na- be good in the medium-term run, if not
dent Trump. Nobody here has disagreed ture of the COVID–19 threat, it was sooner.
with Trump more times than I have; deemed to be the right thing to do. And our bill addressed that. It ad-
yet here is what the leader of the Re- So we were on the verge of having no dressed that problem. How did we do
publican Party writes: ‘‘$2000 ASAP!’’ economy. That has never happened be- that? With a new round of PPP loans,
So, even on this issue, amazingly fore in our history. which are really grants to small busi-
enough, the President of the United So what did we do? We decided this nesses, if they will keep their work-
States is right. calls for extraordinary measures, and force intact; expansion of unemploy-
What all of this comes down to, my we would try to use Federal dollars as ment insurance benefits, so that people
fellow Americans, is not even whether a substitute for the economy—just re- who have historically been ineligible
you agree with Senator SCHUMER and place lost income on a massive, unprec- remain eligible so they can continue to
myself and 78 percent of the American edented scale—and we did. We approved collect unemployment benefits; an in-
people or whether you agree with Sen- almost $3 trillion in that legislation. crease in the amount of unemployment
ator MCCONNELL and, I suspect, Sen- At the time, we included $1,200 per
benefits, a $300-a-week overlay of Fed-
ator TOOMEY. That is fine. It is called person. You could make an argument
eral money on top of whatever their
democracy. We have differences of that that was an extremely inefficient
State program is; $600 per person, re-
opinion. All that I am asking is to give use of that $1,200 per person, but at the
gardless of whether they lost income.
time, given the circumstances, I under-
us a vote. What is the problem? Allow All of that was passed just a few days
stood why we didn’t have many good
the U.S. Senators to cast a vote as to ago, and now we are told we need to
options, and that was something we de-
whether they are for the $2,000 check or come back immediately, right now,
cided to do.
whether they are against it. So where are we now? We are in a and make sure that we are sending
We will need, as I understand it, 60 $2,000 checks to people who had no lost
very different place. Our economy is
votes to win. That is a big hurdle. I income.
not in a free fall. Our economy is in a
don’t know that we are going to win. So for that reason, I object.
recovery mode. We are not back to
There are a number of Republicans, to where we want to end up. We are not The PRESIDING OFFICER. Objec-
their credit, who have said they are back to where we were before March, tion is heard.
ready to vote for it. I suspect there but we have taken big steps in that di- The Senator from Massachusetts.
may be more, when given the oppor- rection. f
tunity, who will vote for it. Maybe I The economy grew at 33 percent last UNANIMOUS CONSENT REQUEST—
am wrong. Maybe we will lose. I think quarter—33 percent. That is a tremen- H.R. 9051 AND H.R. 6395
that would be unfortunate. All that I dous recovery that is underway. More
am asking for right now is to give us Mr. MARKEY. Mr. President, I rise
than half of all the people who lost
the opportunity to vote. What is the their jobs earlier this year have re- to echo the sentiments of the Senator
problem with that? gained their jobs. So we are not fin- from Vermont. He is right. The Repub-
I will now go to Senate legalese. ished yet, but that is a huge step along licans are wrong on this issue. On
I ask unanimous consent that at 11:30 the way. every single part of this debate, Sen-
a.m. on Thursday, December 31, the And now we are being told, after ator SANDERS is right; the Republicans
Senate proceed to the immediate con- passing another extraordinary bill— are wrong.
sideration of H.R. 9051, a bill to provide this one almost $1 trillion and includ- We are in the middle of an unprece-
a $2,000 direct payment to the working ing $600 per person—that that is not dented crisis in our country. We have a
class; that the bill be considered read a enough; we need to do $2,000 per person, healthcare crisis, we have an unem-
third time; and that the Senate vote on despite the fact that we know for sure, ployment crisis, we have a hunger cri-
the passage of the bill, without inter- we know for a fact, that the large ma- sis, we have a housing crisis, we have
vening action or debate; further, that if jority of those checks are going to go an addiction crisis, and we have a
passed, the motion to reconsider be to people who had no lost income. moral crisis in this country.
considered made and laid upon the How does that make any sense at all? The U.S. Government should be re-
table; further, that immediately fol- We know for sure that the majority of sponding to the needs, to the despera-
lowing the vote on H.R. 9051, the Sen- these people had no lost income. They tion of families in our country at this
ate proceed to the immediate consider- didn’t lose their jobs, and yet we are time. There is a crisis of faith that the
ation of the veto message on H.R. 6395 going to send them not $600, not the American people have in its govern-
and that the Senate immediately vote $1,200, but $2,000. ment’s ability to respond to human
on the passage of the bill, the objec- So think about this. A married cou- suffering. Well, this institution has
tions of the President to the contrary ple, who both are working and have 2 been created to respond to human suf-
notwithstanding, with no intervening kids, maybe they work for the Federal fering. That is our job.
action or debate. Government, like 2 million-odd people Tony Fauci has made it very clear
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there do. Maybe they work for a large com- that the worst of the pandemic is
objection? pany, the vast majority of which did ahead of us, not behind us. We know
The Senator from Pennsylvania. not have large numbers of layoffs. So what is coming, and yet we are not re-
Mr. TOOMEY. Mr. President, in re- this two-child, two-income couple that sponding. We know this is not going
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serving the right to object, let me start makes six figures had no interruption, away soon, and yet we are not respond-
by pointing out that we are not in the no diminishment of their income what- ing.
same place that we were back in soever. They are going to get $8,000 of A program, Operation Warp Speed,
March. Our economy is in nothing like money we don’t have that is going to was created to create a vaccine, but be-
the situation we faced during a mo- be either borrowed or printed. That is cause for 7 months the Republicans
ment in March when this body came what it is all going to come down to. have refused to fund the public health
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December 30, 2020 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S7975
system of our country at the State and dented hardship. They are having to and they need $2,000 now. So that is the
local level, we have ‘‘Operation Snail make impossible decisions as to wheth- issue: Yes or no, up or down, on pro-
Speed’’ to put the vaccinations in the er to put food on the table or keep the viding $2,000 to Americans to help them
arms of the American people. heat on through the cold winter make it through the worst part of this
It was anticipatable. Tony Fauci and months, and the U.S. Government has crisis.
others were warning us back in May an obligation to help working people Mr. President, I ask unanimous con-
and June and July that there would be who, through no fault of their own, are sent that at 12:30 p.m. on Thursday, De-
a second wave and the second wave seeing all of the things that they care cember 31, the Senate proceed to the
could be bigger. We got the warning. about, all of the success that they have immediate consideration of H.R. 9051, a
The Republicans refused to heed that worked for, and all the financial secu- bill to provide a $2,000 direct payment
warning. rity they have earned be washed away. to the working class; that the bill be
And here we are now, without the And yet the Republicans want to put considered read a third time and the
public health infrastructure to deal another ‘‘Operation Snail Speed’’ in Senate vote on passage of that bill
with the overflow capacity in emer- place. without intervening action or debate;
gency rooms, in ICUs all across the The damage to these families is further, that if passed, the motion to
country, while simultaneously asking anticipatable. We can see what is un- reconsider be considered made and laid
those same medical institutions to put folding. Dr. Fauci is telling us that we upon the table; and that immediately
vaccinations in the arms of healthy are at the worst part of the pandemic following the vote on H.R. 9051, the
people, without the resources provided and it is going to continue. So let us Senate proceed to the immediate con-
by the Federal Government to help act in anticipation. sideration of the veto message on H.R.
those States and local communities to Louis Pasteur used to say that 6395; that the Senate immediately vote
deal with that crisis. ‘‘chance favors the prepared mind.’’ on passage of the bill, the objections of
Sometimes Daniel Patrick Moynihan That is what Dr. Tony Fauci is telling the President to the contrary notwith-
would say that when you deal with an us. Let us prepare. Let us help families standing, with no intervening action or
issue you deal with it with benign ne- prepare for what is about to arrive. debate.
glect if you don’t want to help or you Just in Massachusetts alone, 21,000 The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there
don’t want to hurt—deal with benign new people applied for unemployment objection?
insurance in the week before Christ- The Senator for Texas.
neglect. Mr. CORNYN. Reserving the right to
What has happened with the Repub- mas. Food banks across Massachusetts
and across the country are seeing dou- object, Mr. President, Speaker PELOSI’s
licans this year is that they created a
ble-digit increases in demand with fam- second bite at the apple, just after we
program which is designed neglect. It
ilies who never faced food insecurity voted on a $900 billion bill that has now
is an actual plan not to provide the been signed into law by the President
funding, not to provide the help for before. People are literally starving,
cold, and without homes. of the United States, is not the way to
those families, for those communities, send relief to the hardest hit Ameri-
Meanwhile, the majority leader and
for those institutions that are now cans. Under this legislation, a family of
Republican leadership would rather
being overwhelmed, and asked, on top head home for the New Year and ignore five with an annual income of $350,000
of that, to put this extra burden of put- the financial and health crises that are would receive a stimulus check. This is
ting vaccinations in people’s arms, but taking a toll on our families. For mil- reminiscent of the Heroes Act that the
without the extra resources. lions of Americans, this will be a New House passed, which cut taxes for mil-
And what do they do on the Repub- Year holiday where they won’t know if lionaires and billionaires. This isn’t
lican side? They throw out these red they can put food on the table that about helping the people that need it
herrings—so many red herrings that night. Republicans are claiming that the most. This is about helping mil-
you would need to build an aquarium giving $2,000 in direct cash payments to lionaires and billionaires and people
in the well here of the Senate in order working Americans would be too ex- who frankly have not suffered the
to deal with all of them—that gets pensive, that it would inflate our na- hardships economically that others
away from the central issue: Yes or no, tional deficit, that our budgets are al- have during this pandemic. The median
up or down, will you provide $2,000 to ready bloated. household in my State is $60,000, and
Americans who are going to need it I have to ask, though, where was this the Speaker wants to send taxpayer-
through what Tony Fauci is saying will outrage when Republicans blew up our funded assistance to folks earning
be the worst part of this pandemic? Yes national deficit to give a $1.5 trillion nearly six times that much. Even the
or no, up or down, where do they stand tax cut to billionaires and corpora- Washington Post editorial board agrees
on this issue? tions? These are the crocodile tears this is bad policy.
Here is what we do know. Repub- from the right, as Americans are shed- It doesn’t differentiate between peo-
licans seem more focused on funding ding real tears thinking about where ple who have been receiving a pay-
the Defense Department than they do their next meal will come from, the check during this pandemic, such as
on funding the defenseless in our coun- eviction notice on the front door, or government employees, and people
try, and Americans are becoming more losing healthcare in the midst of this who, simply by virtue of their job, have
defenseless as each day goes by. The crisis. been put out of work and are not re-
headlines are screaming that this Americans are actually tired of being ceiving any income or maybe at best
panic, which is absolutely understand- told that $600 is ‘‘sufficient’’ as an unemployment compensation. The
able and based upon fact, is sweeping amount of money as relief, as billion- Speaker’s bill isn’t about targeting
our country. aires receive their tax breaks and grow folks who have lost their jobs or have
There is protection that the Federal their wealth by the trillions of dollars seen their income reduced. It is a far
Government should be providing to during this crisis. The rich get richer, cry from the additional assistance
these families. We hear it. They are and the rest are there left suffering. President Trump requested for the
hungry. They could be without their They have had enough of being told hardest hit Americans. The reality is,
homes. The addiction crisis is rising. that there just isn’t the money for sup- this bill would spend roughly $300 bil-
They need help in their families. port for the well-being of their commu- lion more on folks who aren’t even ex-
So from my perspective, we have a nities when they can see tax breaks periencing a financial strain from the
moment in time, and Donald Trump going to those companies that are ac- pandemic.
happens to agree with us—even though tually laying off workers. We need to focus on the people who
a broken clock is right twice a day. Americans are tired of being let down have been hurt. That is what our
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And we do agree with him. He is right. by their government time and time COVID–19 relief bill, which was just re-
We do need this help, which we should again, as Donald Trump and his Repub- cently signed into law, is designed to
be providing to these families. lican allies have abandoned them dur- do, and I dare say this is not going to
As we watch more and more of our ing this response to the pandemic. be the last time we visit this topic. If
American loved ones fall sick and die, Americans need support. They need there is more we need to do, I am con-
families are facing a new and unprece- to be able to trust their government, fident we will do it. But today, in this
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S7976 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE December 30, 2020
way, is not the right way to do it. I ob- a class struggle or whatever their argu- Mr. CORNYN. Mr. President, would
ject. ment might be. There is no other meas- the Senator from Illinois yield for a
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Objec- ure, including Senator MCCONNELL’s al- question?
tion is heard. ternative, which has any ghost of a Mr. DURBIN. I am happy to yield.
The Senator from Illinois. chance to help the families in this The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen-
f country with this $2,000 benefit. The ator from Texas.
only thing that will do it—the only one Mr. CORNYN. Mr. President, I won-
CORONAVIRUS der if the Senator from Illinois would
thing that will do it—is this bill that
Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, I lis- has already passed the House of Rep- consider pairing their request for a
tened carefully and watched three oc- resentatives. $2,000 direct payment with a liability
casions on the floor this afternoon The House has recessed. When they shield provision that would guard busi-
where Senators SCHUMER, SANDERS, are going to return is uncertain. They nesses that have been operating in
and MARKEY have tried to create an op- certainly don’t have the time to work good faith and following the guidelines
portunity where the Senate would ac- through the regular order of business put out by public health and govern-
tually come together and vote, where to consider any new legislation even if ment institutions, and preserve a right
the Senate might make a decision we could send it in time, which I be- to sue for reckless and willful disregard
based on the merits of this issue, rath- lieve is very doubtful. So it is up to of the rights for others? Would the Sen-
er than to keep talking around the Senator MCCONNELL to decide right ator consider pairing those two to-
issue. here and now, are we going to come to- gether?
What is at stake is a substantial sum Mr. DURBIN. I would say in response
gether as a Senate this afternoon at 5
of money for families who are in the to my colleague, I know his passionate
o’clock, when we are supposed to be
midst of the struggle of their lives— defense of the notion for immunity
back and voting, and get this matter
$2,000—characterized a few moments from liability for corporations in
done?
ago by my friend from Texas as Bring it to the Senate for a vote. America. He has introduced a lengthy
‘‘Speaker PELOSI’s idea.’’ Well, I might Let’s have this vote up or down, and let bill on the subject. I don’t believe that
remind him that it is also Donald is consistent with keeping this Nation
the Democrats and Republicans express
Trump’s idea and still is. The President safe during a pandemic, and it cer-
their will on behalf of the families in
has told us this morning that we tainly is not responsive to any on-
this country.
should move on this as quickly as pos- I couldn’t agree more with the Sen- slaught of lawsuits.
sible, and although I don’t often come The Senator might be interested to
ator from Massachusetts and his char-
to the floor to agree with the Presi- know that the number of medical mal-
acterization of what families face
dent, he is right. In this instance he is practice cases filed in the name of
across this country and, certainly, in
clearly right. COVID–19 since the onset of this cur-
my home State of Illinois.
What are we doing now? We are call- rent pandemic is slightly higher than
I just wonder if any of the Repub-
ing Senators back to Washington from the total number of lawsuits filed by
lican Senators who are downplaying
the far reaches across the United Donald Trump in protesting the results
this economic crisis facing these fami-
States. This morning, I received some of the November 3 election. This is not
lies have really looked into the issue.
email and text messages from some of a tsunami of lawsuits.
This morning, in the Senator’s home I believe we can take reasonable
my colleagues hopping on airplanes at State of Texas, they showed an early measures to support and defend those
6 a.m. on the west coast to face a vote. morning television show and the cars corporations and companies that are
What is this vote all about? Well, first, that were lining up for food banks— making a good-faith effort to comply
it is to override the veto of the Presi- long lines of people waiting for food with public health standards and pro-
dent when it comes to the Defense au- banks. They interviewed some of them tect their employees and customers.
thorization bill. This was certainly in Texas who told heartbreaking sto- His bill, I am afraid, goes way too far.
something that was occasioned by one ries of how they once were volunteers The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen-
Senator, the junior Senator from Ken- at this same food bank and are now de- ator from Vermont.
tucky, who forced us into a position pendent for a helping hand if they were Mr. SANDERS. Mr. President, let me
where that vote needed to be taken going to be able to feed their families. concur with my friend from Illinois on
here. It could have been handled much These are people who are not lazy at the issue.
more efficiently and to the benefit of all. Misfortune has come their way, I have a question for my colleague
all Members if it was scheduled for the and the question is, Will we help? This from Texas. It is a very simple ques-
weekend when we were assuming a new is our opportunity—today. It is a meas- tion. You have concerns about the
session of Congress. But he insisted, ure that has passed the House of Rep- issue of corporate liability. I get that.
and we are returning and, frankly, put- resentatives, not some theory of some I happen not to agree with you. You
ting in peril again, in the midst of a legislation that might be considered are entitled to your opinion. You may
pandemic, Members of the Senate who tomorrow—today. Let’s have this vote or may not be concerned about section
are traveling from all the far reaches of today, this evening. When the Senators 230 of the 1996 Federal telecommuni-
this country to be part of this action in have returned, let’s determine whether cations bill. That is fine too. We might
Washington. or not this House-passed measure of have a discussion about how we protect
But it isn’t just the junior Senator $2,000 is going to be enacted into law, American democracy. It is a good dis-
from Kentucky who is having us sit since the President is clearly anxious cussion as well. But I have a strong
here in Washington and wait for things to sign it. feeling, Senator CORNYN, that in Texas,
that could be taken care of with dis- That to me is the reasonable thing to as in Vermont—you know what—people
patch. It is the senior Senator from do. In fact, it might even sound like are not really talking about corporate
Kentucky as well. He has decided that the U.S. Senate is taking a vote on a liability. It is a good issue. It is an im-
we will not get a vote on the House timely issue after a debate. We do it so portant issue. I don’t believe they are
measure to increase the payments to seldom around here that I think we talking about section 230. What I think
$2,000. Make no mistake, there is only have lost our muscle memory when it they are talking about, as the Senator
one way to bring this relief to the fam- comes to this activity in the Senate. It from Illinois just said, is how they are
ilies of America. It is to pass the bill is time to return to it. going to feed their kids today. That is
already enacted by the House of Rep- I thank the Senator from Vermont, the issue. And what I would ask my
resentatives—a bill which received 44 the Senator from Massachusetts, and, friend from Texas is, What is your
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Republican votes in addition to a sub- of course, the Democratic leader for problem with allowing the Senate to
stantial number of Democrats, with bringing this issue before us this after- vote on whether or not we are going to
only 2 voting no. Forty-four Repub- noon. But it shouldn’t end with our allow Americans, working-class people
lican votes joined with the Democrats great speeches. It ought to end with an to get a $2,000 check?
to call for this measure which many important vote for the people of this Now I gather that when that vote
have been decrying on the floor here as country. comes to the floor—and I hope it comes
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