Coronavirus (Cong. Rec., Jan. 26, 2021)
Summary
A page of the Congressional Record, Senate, dated January 26, 2021, at page S134, with Senate floor remarks. Mr. Schumer says there is progress on the organizing resolution because the Republican leader dropped his demand for added provisions and will agree to the 2001 rules that governed the 50-50 Senate, and he then turns to COVID, saying the Senate will move on another relief bill, preferably with Republican support but without it if necessary. He cites the Congressional Budget Office estimate that the pandemic has taken more than $17 trillion out of the economy. Mr. McConnell, under the heading Filibuster, says two Democratic Senators have said they will not vote to end the legislative filibuster, quotes Lamar Alexander on the 60-vote threshold and argues that lowering the standard for lawmaking would harm the Senate.
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“Coronavirus (Cong. Rec., Jan. 26, 2021).”
Original at www.govinfo.gov. Archived at Pandemic Darlings, https://pandemicdarlings.com/source-documents/crec-crec-2021-01-26-crec-2021-01-26-pt1-pgs134-2-a5bc7348a2/
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S134 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE January 26, 2021
That pace must continue this week from budget deficits and have not re- years later, we have many Federal
with the confirmation of the Secre- ceived direct assistance. The amount of judges, including three Supreme Court
taries of Homeland Security and Trans- direct payments to the American peo- Justices, who were confirmed with
portation. After that, we need a Health ple in the previous bill was regrettably fewer than 60 votes.
and Human Services Secretary in- much lower than many of us, including The back-and-forth exchange over
stalled to oversee the public health re- myself, wanted. We must continue sup- nominations had one institutional sil-
sponse to COVID; an Education Sec- porting the rapid and massive distribu- ver lining, because, routinely, filibus-
retary to facilitate the safe reopening tion of the vaccine to finally crush this tering nominations was itself a modern
of the schools, guided by the science; virus once and for all. invention pioneered by Senate Demo-
and a Secretary of HUD to help Amer- So the Senate is going to press for- crats in the 2000s. So, on nominations,
ica’s struggling families stay in their ward on another COVID-relief bill. We for all the fighting, the Senate just
homes during this horrible economic want to work with our Republican col- simply circled back to the simple ma-
crisis. The Senate is working at an en- leagues to advance this legislation in a jority threshold that had been our
couraging pace, and we will not let up. bipartisan way, and the work must longstanding norm on nominations;
f move forward—preferably, with our Re- that is, on the Executive Calendar.
publican colleagues, but without them Legislation is very different. When it
ORGANIZING RESOLUTION comes to lawmaking, the Framers’ vi-
if we must.
Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, now We are still in the midst of a once-in- sion and our history are abundantly
on the organizing resolution, well, a-century crisis that has reshaped our clear. The Senate exists to require de-
since the last time I addressed this economy and altered nearly every as- liberation and cooperation. James
Chamber, there has been notable pect of American life. Americans are Madison said the Senate’s job was to
progress in my discussions with the Re- still getting sick. Americans are still provide a ‘‘complicated check’’—a
publican leader about organizing the dying. Americans are still losing their ‘‘complicated check,’’ he said—against
Senate. Last night, the Republican jobs. We must not suffer timidity or ‘‘improper acts of legislation.’’ We en-
leader dropped his demand for addi- delay. There is great urgency to con- sure that laws earn enough buy-in to
tional provisions on the organizing res- tinue the work of COVID relief, and receive the lasting consent of the gov-
olution and will agree to the 2001 rules that is exactly what the Senate will do. erned. We stop bad ideas, improve good
that last governed the 50–50 Senate— I yield the floor. ideas, and keep laws from swinging
exactly what Democrats proposed from wildly with every election.
f Our friend, Lamar Alexander, put it
the start.
I am glad the Republican leader fi- RECOGNITION OF THE MINORITY this way in his farewell speech. He
nally relented, and we can move for- LEADER said: ‘‘The Senate exists to produce
ward now to organize the Senate, Sen- The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- broad agreements on controversial
ate committees, chairs, and ranking pore. The Republican leader is recog- issues that become laws most of us
members, and the process for moving nized. have voted for and that a diverse coun-
bills and nominees to the floor from try will accept.’’
f More than any other feature, it is the
committees with an evenly divided
FILIBUSTER Senate’s 60-vote threshold to end de-
number of Members. I am glad we are
Mr. MCCONNELL. Mr. President, yes- bate on legislation that achieves this.
finally able to get the Senate up and
terday, two Democratic Senators con- It ensures narrow interests cannot ig-
running. My only regret is that it took
firmed they will not provide the votes nore the rest of the country. It em-
so long because we have a great deal we bodies Jefferson’s maxim that ‘‘great
need to accomplish over the next sev- to eliminate the legislative filibuster.
The senior Senator from West Virginia innovations should not be forced on
eral weeks and months. slender majorities.’’
f issued a public ‘‘guarantee’’: ‘‘I do not
The bar for lawmaking is high. It
support doing away with the filibuster
CORONAVIRUS should be high, even if both bodies take
under any condition.’’
turns at being slightly frustrated by it.
Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, now Any chance of changing his mind?
If your legislation can’t pass the Sen-
on COVID, in addition to the confirma- ‘‘None whatsoever.’’
ate, you don’t scrap the rules or lower
tion of critical Cabinet nominees, the The senior Senator from Arizona
the standards. You improve your idea,
Senate will soon move forward with made the same commitment. She op-
take your case to the people, or both.
legislation to address the twin crises poses ending the legislative filibuster Four years ago, Republicans had just
facing our country: the public health and ‘‘is not open’’—not open—‘‘to won unified control. President Trump
crisis and the economic crisis. changing her mind.’’ Our colleague in- and others pressured us heavily—me, in
In December, Congress took the im- formed me directly last night that particular—to scrap this rule when it
portant step of passing interim emer- under no circumstances would she re- was protecting the Democratic minor-
gency relief to the country, but we left verse course. ity. But we stood firm. I stood firm and
the job unfinished. I understand that Now, it should not be news that a few endured many tweets on the subject. I
recent opposition from the political Members of the majority pledge they said we would not do that to our col-
right for more spending has increased won’t tear up a central rule, but the leagues in the minority.
in volume now that there is a Demo- Democratic leader was reluctant to re- No short-term policy win justifies de-
crat in the White House, but the pan- peat the step I took as majority leader stroying the Senate as we know it, es-
demic doesn’t particularly care that in unified government when I ruled out pecially since laws would become so
there has been a change in the adminis- that step on principle. brittle and reversible. So Democratic
tration. The needs of our country are Rather than relying on the Demo- Senators used the 60-vote threshold to
still great, and the urgency to act is cratic leader, I took the discussion di- shape and block legislation. They
clearer than ever. rectly to his Members. Basic arith- stalled COVID relief, they blocked po-
The Congressional Budget Office told metic now ensures that there are not lice reform, and they stopped even
us last fall that the COVID–19 pan- enough votes to break the rule. This modest measures to protect innocent
demic has taken more than $17 trillion victory will let us move forward with life because I chose not to destroy the
out of our economy—$17 trillion. No the 50–50 power-sharing agreement con- tool that allowed them to do that.
doubt, Congress has passed substantial taining all the elements of the 2001 That same tool that some Democrats
relief, but looking at the data, we are model because it will sit on the very now want to destroy, they used freely
dlhill on DSK120RN23PROD with SENATE
nowhere close to filling the COVID- same foundation. and liberally throughout their years in
sized hole in our economy. Expanded I want to discuss the precipice from the minority, and I protected their
unemployment insurance will once which the Senate has stepped back. In ability to do that. Republicans under-
again expire in March. State and local 2013, Senator Harry Reid began the stand you don’t destroy the Senate for
governments, which have already cut ‘‘nuclear’’ exchange over nominations. a fleeting advantage. Our friends across
over a million jobs, are still reeling I said Democrats would regret it. A few the aisle must see the same.
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