Congressional Record, Senate, February 4, 2021 — S. Con. Res. 5 Budget Resolution for Fiscal Year 2021
Summary
This is S413 of the Congressional Record, Senate, February 4, 2021, the opening of the proceedings for Vol. 167, No. 21, with interleaved columns. A note says that because the Senate was in session until 5:39 a.m. on Friday, February 5, 2021, the proceedings of Thursday and Friday are combined. The page prints the prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, and the resumed consideration of S. Con. Res. 5, the budget resolution for fiscal year 2021. Mr. Schumer pays tribute to Ann Berry, who will become Secretary of the Senate, speaks under the heading Coronavirus about over 26 million Americans infected and over 450,000 dead, previews the second impeachment trial of Donald J. Trump, and announces a proposal to cancel up to $50,000 in Federal student loan debt.
Summary drafted by a model from the document's text below and checked by script against that text before publication. It is a navigation aid, not a reading of what the document proves. Where AI is used
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“Congressional Record, Senate, February 4, 2021 — S. Con. Res. 5 Budget Resolution for Fiscal Year 2021.”
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Congressional Record
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117 th CONGRESS, FIRST SESSION
United States
of America PROCEEDINGS AND DEBATES OF THE
Vol. 167 WASHINGTON, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2021 No. 21
Senate
Due to the Senate being in session until 5:39 a.m. on Friday, February 5, 2021, the proceedings of the Thursday, February 4, 2021,
Congressional Record and Friday, February 5, 2021, Congressional Record are hereby combined in the Friday, February 5, 2021,
Congressional Record.
The Senate met at 10 a.m. and was U.S. SENATE, RECOGNITION OF THE MAJORITY LEADER
called to order by the Honorable CATH- PRESIDENT PRO TEMPORE, The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem-
ERINE CORTEZ MASTO, a Senator from Washington, DC, February 4, 2021. pore. The majority leader is recog-
To the Senate: nized.
the State of Nevada.
Under the provisions of rule I, paragraph 3,
TRIBUTE TO ANN BERRY
f of the Standing Rules of the Senate, I hereby
appoint the Honorable CATHERINE CORTEZ Mr. SCHUMER. Madam President,
PRAYER MASTO, a Senator from the State of Nevada, first, I want to offer congratulations to
to perform the duties of the Chair. longtime Senate staffer Ann Berry,
The Chaplain, Dr. Barry C. Black, of- PATRICK J. LEAHY, who will soon be taking over the re-
fered the following prayer: President pro tempore. sponsibilities of a very important job
Let us pray. Ms. CORTEZ MASTO thereupon as- as Secretary of the Senate. This is a
Almighty Redeemer, today, show our sumed the Chair as Acting President position that dates all the way back to
lawmakers Your unfailing love. Sur- pro tempore. April 8, 1789, 2 days after the Senate
round them with the shield of Your di- achieved its first quorum for business.
vine protection. Keep their steps on the f
Ann’s nomination was approved by
right paths, providing them with wis- RESERVATION OF LEADER TIME the Senate yesterday afternoon, mak-
dom to serve You and country faith- ing her the first African American and
fully. May they not hesitate to fulfill The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem-
only the eighth woman to ever serve in
Your purposes. pore. Under the previous order, the
that position. It would be an under-
Lord, guard them with Your omnipo- leadership time is reserved.
statement to say Ann knows the Sen-
tence and fill them with the power of f ate well. She brings four decades of ex-
Your Spirit. perience in the Senate to her new of-
Arise, O Lord. Stand with those who CONCLUSION OF MORNING
fice, having worked with Senator
seek to protect freedom. Let the smile BUSINESS
LEAHY for many years, and, more re-
of Your face shine on this land we love. The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- cently, with Senator Jones from her
We pray in Your great Name. Amen. pore. Morning business is closed. home State of Alabama.
f f She is going to do a fantastic job
helping the Senate through its day-to-
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE LEGISLATIVE SESSION day responsibilities, and I look forward
to seeing her up here on the dais when
The Presiding Officer led the Pledge
she assumes her new title in a few
of Allegiance, as follows: SETTING FORTH THE CONGRES- weeks.
I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the SIONAL BUDGET FOR THE Once again, another ceiling has been
United States of America, and to the Repub- UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT broken, and we welcome Ann Berry as
lic for which it stands, one nation under God,
indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.
FOR FISCAL YEAR 2021—Resumed Secretary of the Senate.
The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- CORONAVIRUS
f Madam President, next, COVID. One
pore. Under the previous order, the
Senate will resume consideration of S. year ago, the United States reported 11
APPOINTMENT OF ACTING confirmed cases of COVID–19. A few
PRESIDENT PRO TEMPORE Con. Res. 5, which the clerk will report.
The senior assistant legislative clerk days later, a woman from California
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The read as follows: became the first American to die from
clerk will please read a communication this disease.
A resolution (S. Con. Res. 5) setting forth
to the Senate from the President pro the congressional budget for the United Today, those numbers stand at over
tempore (Mr. LEAHY). States Government for fiscal year 2021 and 26 million Americans infected and over
The senior assistant legislative clerk setting forth the appropriate budgetary lev- 450,000 Americans dead. Along the way,
SSpencer on DSK126QN23PROD with SENATE
read the following letter: els for fiscal years 2022 through 2030. COVID–19 has turned life as we know it
∑ This ‘‘bullet’’ symbol identifies statements or insertions which are not spoken by a Member of the Senate on the floor.
S413
.
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S414 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE February 4, 2021
upside down. It triggered the greatest IMPEACHMENT their answer. The constitutional objec-
economic emergency since the Great Madam President, now on impeach- tion raised by some of my Republican
Depression, tens of millions of lost ment, a few weeks ago, I laid out the colleagues has been completely de-
jobs, shuttered schools, collapsed busi- agenda for the Senate’s opening few bunked by more than 150 scholars rep-
nesses, and the greatest healthcare cri- weeks: first, nominations; second, resenting the entire breadth of the po-
sis since the Spanish pandemic flu. major legislation to rescue the Amer- litical spectrum, including very promi-
Congress has come together on sev- ican people from the continued effects nent conservatives like Steven
eral occasions to pass important relief of COVID–19; and third, an impeach- Calabresi, the cofounder of the Fed-
measures—measures that did a lot of ment trial for Donald J. Trump. eralist Society.
good. They saved jobs and lives and The Senate has made steady progress We will move forward with a fair and
businesses. But it has not yet been on the first two agenda items, con- speedy trial. The House managers will
enough. The crisis is still with us. The firming several historic and exception- present their case. The former Presi-
economy has weakened. Everyday ally qualified nominees to President dent’s counsel will mount a defense.
Americans are struggling with the Biden’s Cabinet. Senators will have to look deep into
basic costs of living, of necessities. Tonight, we will be voting on the their consciences and determine if
So today the Senate is going to take budget resolution—the first step in giv- Donald Trump is guilty and if so, ever
the next strong step forward in passing ing the Congress the tools to pass a qualified again to enjoy any office of
a rescue plan to lift the country out of major relief bill. honor, trust, or profit under the United
a crisis and set it back on the path to On Tuesday, the Senate will begin to States.
normal. Starting this afternoon, we fulfill the third responsibility that I We will pass judgment, as our solemn
begin the process of debating amend- outlined: the second impeachment trial duty under the Constitution demands,
ments to the budget resolution. When of Donald J. Trump for inciting a vio- and in turn, history will judge how the
that process is complete at whatever lent mob against the Capitol on Janu- Senate and each Senator responds.
hour, we will vote on final passage and ary 6. They were right near all of us— STUDENT LOANS
pave the way for Senate committees to right near all of us. Madam President, now on student
begin crafting the rescue plan itself, in It has been nearly a month since the loans, finally, later this morning, I will
coordination with House committees as attacks on the 6th. Time will do its join several of my Democratic col-
well. part to heal the scars left by that day, leagues from the House and Senate to
The amendment process here today but we cannot allow it to dull our sense reintroduce our proposal to cancel up
will be bipartisan, it will be open, and of responsibility for holding to account to $50,000 in Federal student loan debt,
it will be vigorous. Democrats and Re- those who perpetrated and motivated a life-changing measure—life-chang-
publicans alike will have the oppor- the attack. ing—for Americans struggling to stay
tunity to share their ideas. We wel- We were all witnesses to the events afloat during this pandemic and secure
come that. Of course, what amend- that day when a group of insurrection- financial independence.
ments our friends in the minority pro- ists, White supremacists, and domestic For tens of millions, especially peo-
pose is entirely up to them. terrorists fed a cavalcade of lies about ple of color, college education has rep-
Now, the Republican leader hinted the legitimacy of the American elec- resented the surest path to the middle
yesterday that his conference is pre- tions by the former President, told to class, but now that often means taking
paring several messaging amendments come to Washington by the former on a mountain of debt that can take
that they hope might score political President, whipped into a frenzy and decades to pay off. It makes it harder
points. That is fine. That is their right. directed toward the Capitol by the to own a home, save for retirement,
But I sincerely hope our Republican former President, invaded and dese- and provide a better life for loved ones.
colleagues approach our work today crated this sacred temple of democracy In the midst of a once-in-a-century cri-
with the intention of having serious with the intention of denying the sis, these Americans need relief fast.
ideas considered, not using the debate counting of the electoral college vote— College has always been the ladder up.
over pandemic relief to sharpen ephem- the final act in certifying the former For too many, it is now an anchor
eral, partisan talking points. This President’s defeat. weighed down by huge amounts of debt
should be a very serious debate, a very The horrors of that day may have
they almost can never see repaid in
much needed debate. We are in one of faded for some, not for others. Many in
full.
the greatest crises America has ever this Chamber, staff, Senators, House
I look forward to joining Senator
faced. If there are good-faith amend- Members, and House staff alike, still
ELIZABETH WARREN, as well as Rep-
ments from the other side, we look for- live through this every single day—
resentatives ADAMS, OMAR, and JONES,
ward to them. every single day. So it has not faded
this morning to present our plan for
What we can’t do, however, is think for a lot of us. But as a country, even
student loan debt cancellation.
small in the face of big problems. We for those for whom it has faded, we
I yield the floor.
cannot repeat the mistakes of the past. cannot simply move on. I suggest the absence of a quorum.
We cannot do too little. We cannot The U.S. Capitol Complex has been
The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem-
lock our country into a long and slow militarized, patrolled by the National
pore. The clerk will call the roll.
recovery. We must instead respond to Guard, surrounded by a fence to safe-
The senior assistant legislative clerk
the urgent needs in our country and guard the people’s house from the peo-
proceeded to call the roll.
chart a bold path back to normal. ple themselves. Five people are dead.
We must make sure that our country Mr. MCCONNELL. I ask unanimous
Just yesterday, we held a memorial
consent that the order for the quorum
and its citizens have the resources to service in the Rotunda of this building
call be rescinded.
survive the remaining months of chal- for a Capitol Police officer who was
The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem-
lenge; that struggling businesses can tragically killed during the attack.
pore. Without objection, it is so or-
access loans and grants; that State and There cannot be any healing without
dered.
local governments and, yes, Tribal gov- truth, without accountability. The idea
RECOGNITION OF THE MINORITY LEADER
ernments are not forced to cut essen- that we should sweep this under the
tial services and millions of essential rug and move on—one of the greatest The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem-
employees; and that our doctors and acts of perfidy against this govern- pore. The Republican leader is recog-
medical workers can administer the ment, against the American people in nized.
SSpencer on DSK126QN23PROD with SENATE
vaccine as quickly and as widely as our grand 200-some-odd-year history— S. CON. RES. 5
possible. That is how we get back to no sweeping under the rug. Mr. MCCONNELL. Madam President,
normal. That is how we survive the So the trial will commence on Tues- this pandemic hit our Nation with
months in between until we get back to day. Senators have already been sworn compounding layers of crisis. American
normal. And that is what this budget in as judges and jurors. The House families have faced a health crisis, a
resolution and the rescue plan are all managers have filed their brief. The jobs crisis, a small business crisis, an
about. former President’s counsel have filed education crisis, and, frankly, a social
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February 4, 2021 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S415
and community crisis—all piled on top but, again, the horizon looks bright. again. This is not the time for trillions
of one another. Mounting evidence confirms that in- more dollars to make perpetual
In response, Congress has built the person schooling is remarkably safe lockdowns and economic decline a lit-
largest Federal response to any crisis with smart and basic precautions. tle more palatable. This is the time to
since World War II—by far. In the last Let me say that again. The Biden ad- focus on our smart, targeted bridge to
11 months, we have passed five major ministration’s own scientists say the day when we end this chapter and
bipartisan rescue packages that sent school can be quite safe and kids win this fight.
about $4 trillion to fight the virus and should be back in person. Dr. Fauci Notwithstanding the actual needs,
to help American families. says: notwithstanding all the talk about bi-
For context, total net spending by We need to try and get the children back partisan unity, Democrats in Congress
the entire Federal Government back in to school. It’s less likely for a child to get in- are plowing ahead. They are using this
2019 was $4.4 trillion. We have borrowed fected in the school setting than if they were phony budget to set the table to ram
and spent almost as much fighting just in the community. through their $1.9 trillion rough draft.
COVID–19 as the Federal Government The new CDC Director, Dr. Walensky, Last year, the Democratic leader
spent on everything in 2019. Our na- says: kept saying we need a true, bipartisan
tional debt is now larger than the size I . . . want to be clear that there is in- bill. He said: ‘‘Sitting in your own of-
of our entire economy for the first time creasing data to suggest that schools can fice, writing a bill, and then demanding
since World War II. safely reopen, and that safe reopening does the other side support it is not any-
This crisis has been historic. So has not suggest that teachers need to be vac- one’s idea of bipartisanship.’’ That was
the Federal response. The American cinated . . . [as] . . . a prerequisite. the Democratic leader last year. Well,
people deserve for the conversation These experts are not looking at hy- that was then; this is now. Now Demo-
about the next steps to begin with pothetical data conditioned on Con- crats reject the bipartisan approach
them and their needs—not partisan gress pouring even more huge sums that built all five of our historic
rush jobs, not talking points. We need into schools. They are describing the COVID packages. All five of them were
to start with the needs of our country. science right now. They are describing bipartisan.
The most recent package, another $900 the science right now. So let’s hope President Biden remem-
billion, was literally passed 6 weeks Just 6 weeks ago, Congress sent an- bers the governing approach he prom-
ago—just 6 weeks ago. other huge sum to help schools. It ised and changes course. In the mean-
Let’s talk about, then, where we are brought the total for K–12 to about $68 time, if we are to debate this phony,
right now. On the health front, we have billion. As of the latest update, only $4 partisan budget, we will create some
come through a terrible year. We have billion of the 68 had been spent. Nine- clarity for the American people. We are
lost more than 450,000 Americans and ty-four percent of the K–12 funding we going to put Senators on the record.
counting. But our healthcare heroes have already provided is still in the Expect votes to stop Washington
held the line. The genius of science pipeline, unspent. from actively killing jobs during a re-
plus Operation Warp Speed produced So our Nation stands at a turning covery, like terminating the Keystone
vaccines in record time. The science point on all these fronts. A dark year is Pipeline; that job-killing, one-size-fits-
and Operation Warp Speed produced in the rearview mirror. Brighter days all minimum-wage hike; and whether
vaccines in record time. This adminis- are already starting to dawn, and much to bar tax hikes on small businesses for
tration’s stated goal of 1 million shots of the groundwork for a strong recov- the duration of this emergency.
per day is exactly the pace they inher- ery is already in place. Expect votes that would help target
ited from the prior team. It will not serve Americans to pile this plan towards Americans’ needs,
As we speak, nearly half of the another huge mountain of debt on our issues like stimulus checks for illegal
money Congress has sent for testing grandkids for policies that even liberal immigrants, pouring money into
and about two-thirds of our funding for economists say are poorly targeted to schools where unions are blocking re-
vaccine distribution is still in the pipe- current needs. It will not serve Ameri- opening, and the commonsense step of
line. That money has yet to be spent. cans to ram through a one-size-fits-all delaying new spending until existing
Let’s talk about jobs. Last year, minimum-wage hike that CBO says funds have actually gone out the door.
States had to take one of the best job would kill more than a million jobs for We will see what this resolution
markets in American history, with lay- the most vulnerable workers, affect looks like on the other side and what
offs and firings at 20-year lows, and lit- States unequally, and already has bi- signals Democrats send to the Amer-
erally slam on the brakes to protect partisan opposition. ican people along the way.
public health. This is no time to send wheelbarrows I suggest the absence of a quorum.
We spent historic sums to soften that of cash to State and local governments The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem-
blow. Two waves of direct payment hit that simply, factually, do not need it. pore. The clerk will call the roll.
families’ bank accounts. Multiple Nonpartisan economists say States and The senior assistant legislative clerk
rounds of the Paycheck Protection localities are already ‘‘well positioned proceeded to call the roll.
Program have helped small business to weather the storm,’’ with ‘‘addi- Mr. DURBIN. Madam President, I ask
workers stay employed. We passed and tional needs that are far less than the unanimous consent that the order for
extended extra Federal jobless benefits. $500 billion . . . in the Biden [plan].’’ the quorum call be rescinded.
As a result, even as economic produc- By the way, State and local tax re- The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem-
tion fell last year, total personal in- ceipts already fully rebounded—fully pore. Without objection, it is so or-
come actually went up. We saw the rebounded—in quarter three to their dered.
largest annual increase in disposable highest level in American history. DREAM ACT OF 2021
income in almost 40 years. Household This is no time to ignore the science Mr. DURBIN. Madam President,
savings have shot up. Things are even on school safety in order to chase mov- someday I will write a book—maybe—
looking up in the service sector, where ing goalposts from Big Labor and pour and one of the topics that I have
literally yesterday a key measure of endless sums into school districts that thought of, because I spent most of my
optimism hit a 2-year high. unions will not allow to reopen. adult life in the world of legislating, is
There is no doubt that some families If you combine the Democrats’ new what motivates or inspires the idea to
are still struggling. This isn’t finished, proposal with what just became law 6 introduce a bill that might one day be-
but experts agree the remaining dam- weeks ago, the Democratic law plus come a law.
SSpencer on DSK126QN23PROD with SENATE
age to our economy does not require this new proposal would dwarf the size I think many people would be sur-
another multitrillion-dollar, nontar- of the CARES Act, which sustained the prised at what the motivation could be.
geted bandaid. country through months of lockdowns. For example, on health issues, I have
Then there is education. Temporary This is not the time for trillions found Members who were inspired be-
emergency measures have sadly be- more dollars to make perpetual cause of the knowledge of someone in
come an enduring new normal for our lockdowns and economic decline a lit- their family or a friend who went
students, parents, and teachers as well, tle more palatable. Let me say that through a challenge with a medical
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S416 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE February 4, 2021
condition and asked them if they would 20 years ago I introduced a bill called was 11 years ago that Republican Sen-
help in the field of research. Of course, the DREAM Act. The DREAM Act was ator Dick Lugar, of Indiana, on a bipar-
many bills come to us from constitu- for Tereza Lee. tisan basis agreed to call on President
ents who contact us and have problems I am going to interject here part of Obama and ask him to do what he
and challenges, and we realize the only the story because I always forget to could do to protect these young people
real recourse is a change in the law. tell the happy ending. Tereza Lee from deportation. President Obama
That is the case with the bill I am in- ended up applying to music school in created the DACA Program. The DACA
troducing today. New York. She was accepted, and she Program meant that these young peo-
It was 20 years ago that we got a went to school because of the kindness ple came forward, identified them-
phone call in my office in Chicago, and of several families in Chicago who were selves, paid a substantial fee, went
a woman who was the director of a so impressed with her talent. She fin- through a criminal background check
music program in the city of Chicago ished the 4 years of education at that and a national security check, and, if
asked for some help. The program is music school and was so good that she approved, were given a 2-year renew-
known as the MERIT Music Program, played in Carnegie Hall and then mar- able protection from deportation and a
and a very kind lady left some money ried an American-born jazz musician in 2-year renewable right to work.
to the program with the instruction New York. More than 800,000 of these Dreamers
that it should be used to teach stu- She is now the proud mother of three came forward and received the protec-
dents—low-income family students—in children. She is a music teacher herself tion of DACA. It unleashed their full
public schools how to play a musical and an American citizen, by virtue of potential. I can tell you over and over
instrument and to actually buy the in- her marriage to the other musician. and over again, they will say to me:
strument for them. Tereza was the first Dreamer, but DACA changed my life; I finally
It has been spectacularly successful. there were many just like her who thought I had a chance to be part of
And, of course, we learned that many didn’t have as much luck. They are America.
students, if they take up music, turn still in a suspended animation status And so they became soldiers and
out to be not only musicians but very when it comes to immigration and citi- teachers and business owners and ev-
good students. zenship. So for 20 years on the floor of erything imaginable.
The MERIT Music Program has quite the U.S. Senate, I have introduced this In the midst of the COVID–19 pan-
a history. Well, they called and told us bill and told the stories of the Dream- demic, more than 200,000 DACA recipi-
20 years ago that they had an amazing ers. ents are essential infrastructure work-
I think I have gotten through to a ers. That is not my term. That is the
young woman who was part of the
number of people because the word definition of the Department of Home-
MERIT Music Program, who had start-
‘‘Dreamer’’ now really signifies more land Security under President Donald
ed playing the piano at the age of 12
this citizenship status than anything Trump.
and was nothing short of a phe-
else. I joke that when I first started Among these essential workers are
nomenon. She had applied for music
this mission, if you were to ask people 41,700 DACA recipients in the
schools that she might attend, and the
who were the Dreamers, older folks healthcare industry: doctors, intensive
major music schools—like Juilliard
would have said: Why, that is a British care nurses, paramedics, respiratory
and Manhattan Conservatory of rock group, with a fellow named therapists—all of them in a suspended
Music—had expressed an interest. Freddie who is the lead singer. But immigration status because the Dream
They had run into a problem, though,
today when you mention the word Act is still a bill and not a law.
because when she filled out the appli- On September 5, 2017, former Presi-
‘‘Dreamers,’’ people automatically
cation form and they asked for her citi- dent Trump repealed DACA. Hundreds
think of these young people and their
zenship status. She said, unfortu- situation in the United States, which, of thousands of these Dreamers faced
nately, that she didn’t know what it to this day, because of our failure to losing their work permits and being de-
was, and her mother said: Why don’t we pass the Dream Act, is still unresolved. ported.
call Senator DURBIN’s office? They came to the United States as Last summer, the Supreme Court re-
And that is how we got into the pic- kids. They are American in every way. jected President Trump’s effort to end
ture. They went to our schools, and they deportation protection for Dreamers.
Her name was Tereza Lee. Tereza Lee stood up every morning and put their In an opinion—an amazing opinion—by
was Korean American. She was brought hand over their heart to pledge alle- Chief Justice John Roberts, the Court
to the United States on a visitor’s visa giance to that flag—the only flag they held that President Trump’s attempt
at a very early age, at the age of 2, to have ever known. They thought they to rescind Deferred Action for Child-
Chicago. And when the visa expired, no were just like the kids next to them, hood Arrivals, known as DACA, was
effort was made to renew it or to file and then one day, the parents sat down ‘‘arbitrary and capricious.’’
any papers with the Federal Govern- and told them the reality. In one of his first official acts—I
ment. They go to school with our kids. We can’t thank him enough—President
She was a classic case of the undocu- see them in church. We know that they Biden signed an Executive order on
mented alien. Her parents, some of stand by the beds of our neighbors and January 20 to restore DACA. I want to
whom were here legally, and her sib- relatives who are fighting COVID–19. thank him from the bottom of my
lings, some of whom were citizens, did We know that they are injecting life- heart for making DACA one of his
not spare her the problem that she saving vaccines in the arms of our par- highest priorities.
faced in determining her own status, ents and loved ones. And they are giv- Without DACA, hundreds of thou-
and that is why they called us. ing back to America as teachers, sands of talented young people who
We learned that, even though she was nurses, engineers, and soldiers, but have grown up in our country cannot
17 or 18 at the time and had been in the they are not citizens of the United continue their work and are at risk of
United States all of her life that she States. deportation to countries they barely
could remember, she did not have legal Today, I will once again reintroduce remember, if they remember at all. But
status. And the law said that Tereza the Dream Act with Senator LINDSEY the resumption of DACA is just the
Lee, at the age of 17, had to leave the GRAHAM, Republican from South Caro- first step toward justice for Dreamers.
United States for 10 years and apply to lina, as my cosponsor. I want to thank Only legislation by Congress can pro-
come back in legally. him for doing this and making it a bi- vide a path to citizenship for Dreamers.
I couldn’t believe it when I heard it.
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partisan effort. We have a long history We know now that there are still ef-
My staff told me that they didn’t know of working together—though we dis- forts under way to eliminate DACA
what to tell her to do, and I soon real- agree on many things, but on this protection in the courts of America. A
ized the only thing to do was to change issue, we believe that Congress has an recent case in Texas is a reminder that
the law and to give to young people obligation to fix our broken immigra- a law has to pass.
brought here as infants and toddlers tion system. I am honored that I have a chance to
and babies and young kids a chance to It was, as I mentioned, many years serve as chairman of the Senate Judici-
become legal in America. That is why ago that I introduced the bill, but it ary Committee in this new Congress.
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February 4, 2021 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S417
As the child of an immigrant, I never of a pandemic, what would we be think- home. Halting new oil and gas drilling
dreamed that I would have this oppor- ing? The fight is on for Ana and for could jeopardize the stability of other
tunity to lead the committee in the hundreds of thousands just like her affordable energy supply and will defi-
Senate that writes our Nation’s immi- who simply want a chance to earn their nitely jeopardize American jobs sup-
gration laws. way to legal status and citizenship in ported by this industry.
To all of the Dreamers out there, let the United States of America. As for the Keystone XL Pipeline,
me tell this: Passing the Dream Act is It would be a tragedy for us to turn stopping this project—which I would
still my highest legislative priority. away these brave, talented, and deter- point out is well underway—is nothing
There was a fellow named Jack Va- mined professionals in the midst of this more than a symbolic gesture. America
lenti who worked for LBJ years ago, pandemic. So we have to get to work in will still need reliable sources of oil,
and he used to say: ‘‘Every good speech the Judiciary Committee and on the and a modern pipeline is a cleaner way
has six words in it.’’ And so he told me floor of the Senate. This is the year. to transport.
those words, and they are these: ‘‘Let This is the time when we can come to- Keystone XL has been through mul-
me tell you a story.’’ I have come to gether and make a difference in the fu- tiple exhaustive environmental re-
the floor of the U.S. Senate to tell the ture of America. views, and, on top of that, its builder
story of the Dreamers 128 times. To Ana, we need you. We want you. has committed to fully offsetting its
Today, I want to tell you about Ana We want to make you part of the fu- operations with $1.7 billion in renew-
Cueva. She was born in Mexico and ture of this country because you are able energy purchases. The oil trains,
came to the United States when she such an important part of America trucks, and other pipelines still moving
was 5 years old. She grew up in Utah. today. This Dream Act means a lot to crude oil today aren’t doing that. In
What a student—she was president of me. We need to make it the law. fact, Canadian Prime Minister Justin
the National Honor Society at her high I yield the floor. Trudeau, a staunch liberal, included
school, graduated in the top 10 percent I suggest the absence of a quorum. the pipeline in Canada’s clean energy
of her class, and volunteered at local The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. plan.
hospitals in her junior and senior BOOKER). The clerk will call the roll. It is also worth noting, in addition to
years. The senior assistant legislative clerk eliminating an environmentally re-
Ana’s dream? She wanted to become proceeded to call the roll. sponsible means of transporting oil,
a nurse. Ana wrote me a letter, and Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, I ask canceling the pipeline project will cost
here is what she said about her dream: unanimous consent that the order for thousands of jobs, which is particularly
My mom became very sick. She required the quorum call be rescinded. unfortunate given the many jobs that
emergency surgery for a brain tumor. It was
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without have been lost during this pandemic.
one year after arriving to the U.S., so her
English was [very] limited. After her recov- objection, it is so ordered. On day one of his Presidency, President
ery, she has always said the nurses who The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen- Biden effectively fired 2,000 pipeline
cared for her were kind and patient. Even ator is recognized. workers and told another 9,000 never to
though they couldn’t communicate very BIDEN ADMINISTRATION show up.
well, they touched her very deeply. Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, in his Then, of course, there is the Presi-
Ana said: victory speech and in his inauguration dent’s order halting construction of the
I wanted to do for others what these nurses address, President Biden pledged to be border wall on our southern border.
did for my mom. a President for all Americans. He said: The Biden administration has plans for
Driven by that commitment, Ana I pledge to be a President who seeks not to sweeping immigration reform but does
earned an associate’s degree and a divide, but to unify. Who doesn’t see Red and not seem to be placing much of an em-
bachelor of science in nursing at Utah Blue states, but a United States. And who phasis on border security. Instead, they
Valley University. Thanks to DACA, will work with all my heart to win the con- have reduced the wall to a symbol of
she became an ICU registered nurse. fidence of the whole people. the Trump administration and chosen
Most of her nursing career has been in He reiterated that sentiment at his to satisfy immigration activists by
her home State of Utah, but during the inauguration stating: halting construction without offering
COVID–19 pandemic, she has become a On this January day, my whole soul is in adequate alternate ways to secure our
travel nurse and has worked in Cali- this: Bringing America together. Uniting our borders against the flood of illegal im-
fornia, Massachusetts, Idaho, and people . . . uniting our Nation. migration or drug and human traf-
Texas. It is a sentiment that I honor. As I ficking and other criminal activity.
Here is what Ana said about the on- said the day after the inauguration, if Then, of course, there is the Presi-
going COVID–19 pandemic: President Biden can truly be a Presi- dent’s decision to overturn the Mexico
My soul aches. I have seen more people die dent who governs for all Americans and City policy, which prevents taxpayer
in the past year than my five years [before] who respects all Americans and who dollars from being used to fund abor-
as a nurse. I have held more hands as people works to win the confidence of the tions in other countries. The majority
passed away alone and cried with families
through FaceTime and on the phone. I be- whole people, he will have done our Na- of Americans do not believe in unre-
came numb for a short while [there]. But as tion a great service. stricted abortion. A new poll released
I find myself again, I remembered why I do But it is not enough to talk about last month showed a majority of Amer-
what I do. unity. It has to be matched with ac- icans do not want their tax dollars
I want to thank Ana for her service tion. Too many of the President’s ac- going to fund abortions, yet the Presi-
on the frontlines of the coronavirus tions so far have been more calculated dent has acted to ensure that American
pandemic. She is a health hero. She is to appeal to the far-left wing of the tax dollars can go to fund overseas
an immigrant health hero. She is the Democratic Party than to unite Ameri- abortions whether Americans want
face of DACA. cans. In his 2 weeks in office, the Presi- them to or not.
She has put her life at risk and her dent has signed off on a long list of Ex- In addition, this administration has
family at risk to protect others. She ecutive actions, many of which read given every sign that it intends to pur-
should not also have to worry about like a wish list of leftist priorities. sue a radically pro-abortion agenda
whether she is going to be deported and In a nod to the far-left environmental that is out of step with the views of the
her family ripped apart. wing of the Democrat Party, the Presi- majority of Americans.
So some people think we would be a dent issued a new moratorium on oil Last week, the New York Times pub-
and gas leasing on Federal lands and lished an editorial urging the President
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stronger country if Ana Cueva would
leave: Go back to Mexico; you are not called a halt to the Keystone XL Pipe- to slow down the Executive orders and
one of us. We have numbers of immi- line, even though we are a long way to embrace policymaking. The Times
grants we can accept each year, and from significantly reducing or elimi- correctly pointed out that permanent
you are not in that number. You are il- nating our need for oil and natural gas. legislation on issues like immigration
legal, you are undocumented. Domestic oil and gas production is is better for the country than wild pol-
What a loss that would be. If we lose essential to maintaining an affordable icy shifts between administrations, and
Ana and people like her in the middle and reliable energy supply here at the Times urged the President to focus
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S418 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE February 4, 2021
less on Executive orders and more on Will we see political amendments on movement of goods and services of peo-
legislating. the floor during this process? Sure, we ple is critical to delivering on the pan-
The editorial noted the President’s will, from both parties. demic and to helping our economy not
pledge to seek unity and that on the Democrats have chosen a political suffer even greater economic impact.
campaign trail he ‘‘often touted his maneuver instead of seeking to rep- We have seen how important the
skill at finding compromise, and his licate the bipartisan success we had transportation sector is. We have seen
decades as a legislator, as reasons to with COVID bills like the CARES Act. even recently out in the West how our
elect him over Mr. Trump.’’ We did five—five—COVID bills while we dockworkers, the ILWU and others,
Now is the time for the President to were the majority at the 60-vote have suffered major infection rates of
show that he does really mean to live threshold, which is required for most COVID, and this now starts to threaten
up to his inaugural pledge and to unify legislation here in the Senate, but with our delivery of goods and products
our Nation. That means not just talk, bipartisan support. Here we are in a through those systems. We need to do
but action. It means working with law- purely partisan legislative exercise on more to get them vaccines and to make
makers of both parties to develop legis- the floor of the U.S. Senate. So yes, sure that we are moving Americans’
lation, not pushing exclusively Demo- Republicans will offer some political products through our ports as well.
crat measures. It means urging Demo- amendments, but we will also offer I want to talk about the fact that the
crat congressional leaders to actually COVID-related amendments the Demo- aviation sector represents 5 percent of
negotiate with Republicans instead of crats should support if they truly want our GDP. That is 11 million jobs and
trying to force through an agenda that to deliver help to those in need. $1.6 trillion in economic activity. The
lacks the support of half or more of the It is deeply disappointing that Demo- aviation sector is important to us,
country. It means focusing less on crats are heading down this partisan overall, and continuing to maintain
checking off the priorities of the far path. If they really wanted to govern our competitiveness there and to grow
left and more on actually representing for all Americans, they would work the economy of the future is very crit-
the views of the majority of Ameri- with Republicans to pass yet another ical. That is why we continue to work
cans. bipartisan COVID bill. for and look for ways to keep the avia-
The President has a chance to genu- I yield the floor. tion system going during the pandemic
inely unify our Nation, but he will The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen- and why we are continuing to move the
have to decide whether or not he wants ator from Washington. support for airlines in this package.
to take it. Ms. CANTWELL. Mr. President, I Congress has twice acted to provide
S. CON. RES. 5 come to the floor today to support the critical relief to airline workers, pilots,
Mr. President, yesterday, I came budget resolution and to underscore mechanics, flight attendants, and we
down to the floor to talk about Demo- the need for us to keep moving forward will continue to do so as part of this
crats’ decision to pursue a partisan on helping the American people during budget reconciliation.
budget resolution designed to pave the this pandemic. As I mentioned, avoiding furloughs
way for a partisan COVID relief meas- It is clear to me from the people of keeps highly skilled pilots and crew
ure, despite the fact that Congress has the Northwest that we have to do more members trained and ready to go as
produced five—five—prior COVID relief to help them, whether it is vaccines, part of the transportation sector.
packages and appropriated trillions of more PPE equipment, helping our As we have seen with this economy,
dollars on an overwhelmingly bipar- small businesses continuing to move we are now—I think the sector is back
tisan basis. through this process. It means helping to almost 40 percent of where it was
Republicans put forward several to also understand individuals most prior to the pandemic. Helping to pre-
ideas to improve the measure: an hard-hit by the pandemic and sectors serve that commerce and trade has
amendment to protect small businesses of our economy most hard-hit. It helped our economy and our U.S. air-
hit hard by the pandemic from sudden means helping to put kids back into ports, which also have been impacted
tax increases; an amendment to ensure school. It means making sure that we by this and have had continued eco-
that schools actually open, especially fund the E-rate Program and do more nomic losses, and we want to help them
after teachers receive the vaccine; an on broadband. And it also means we with moving forward on this plan.
amendment to ensure that States deal have to avoid more layoffs, if possible, We also want to work on a bipartisan
honestly and transparently with the to help make sure Americans have jobs basis to do more to help aviation man-
tragic COVID deaths that had hap- to pay the bills at home. ufacturing that has been greatly im-
pened at certain nursing homes; an I hope that we can find a bipartisan pacted by this. The aviation aerospace
amendment to protect healthcare compromise and move forward on sector has lost so many jobs, and there
workers who travel to other States to these. There are issues that we have are hundreds of thousands more at
help during the pandemic from getting been able to do in the past two COVID risk.
surprise tax bills from those States as packages to get bipartisan support. I I know my colleague from Kansas
a thank-you note. hope that our colleagues will continue and my colleague from Virginia, Sen-
I would like to think the Democrats to look for those paths, but we have to ators MORAN and WARNER, have been
would support some of these amend- keep helping the American people working on a proposal. We certainly
ments. My amendment to protect within the Congress’s jurisdiction. want to continue to work on a bipar-
healthcare workers is based on legisla- I know some of my colleagues from tisan basis to make sure that as much
tion I advanced that has received the committee are going to come out of the aviation workforce can keep
strong bipartisan support, although it here and talk today. We have really fo- going, so as we return to the very com-
has been opposed by a handful of cused on the issues of our transpor- petitive environment of aviation, we
States, like the Democratic leader’s, tation sector and how hard-hit our have a workforce that is skilled there
that aggressively tax mobile workers. transportation sector has been. to do it.
So far Democrats have not shown I know that people see today’s head- We also have to do more to help Am-
much of an inclination to entertain Re- lines even about airlines that are trak. The revenues of ridership dropped
publican ideas, no matter how much issuing furlough notices as part of 97 percent compared to the 2019 rider-
they would help address the effects of their requirement to do so. But when ship, and Amtrak has been forced to
the pandemic. Democrats have indi- we have these furlough notices, basi- furlough over 2,000 employees. It has
cated that they may allow a handful of cally, what you are doing is you are had to cut essential services on long-
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amendments that enjoy some Repub- disrupting our transportation delivery distance and State routes. Trust me.
lican support, but that doesn’t change system. People who end up getting fur- My colleagues from Montana, Senator
the essentially partisan character of loughed end up having to set retraining TESTER and Senator DAINES, have
this undertaking, which is designed to and reestablish before they can go back brought these issues up. Without addi-
allow Democrats to pass the legislation to the sector. tional relief, essential services that
that they want on an entirely partisan We want to keep our transportation connect rural communities will be cut
basis. sector moving because, obviously, the further. I can tell you, in Montana,
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February 4, 2021 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S419
where people go to see Glacier National risks widening the homework gap and The bottom line is that, if a young
Park and the wonders of that great making it harder for students, espe- student has no internet connection or
State, having this essential service is cially those living in rural and Tribal device, she cannot learn. That means
key. communities, to catch up. The budget that those 12 million students in Amer-
We don’t want do more damage to resolution under consideration does ica, right now, without connectivity,
the economy, as we continue to deal right by students, not only by helping who are disproportionately from com-
with the pandemic, by underinvesting them survive the public health emer- munities of color, low-income house-
in the infrastructure that has to keep gency but also by thriving long term. holds, and rural areas, are falling fur-
operating to help our economy. So I am By providing emergency funding for ther behind in their studies every sin-
going to continue to work with our col- rail and air infrastructure, it also saves gle day that this pandemic continues.
league Senator WICKER in his efforts on jobs and communities in New Mexico. There is no reason the country that
Amtrak and continue to move forward. Our small airports and rail stations are invented the internet cannot provide it
Also, I know of the impact of trans- hubs of commerce that connect rural to children who need it to learn and to
portation on the State budget that we New Mexico with markets across the develop. We as a society simply cannot
have seen. In the State of Washington, United States and the world. As a new allow an 8-year-old to miss the third
for example, there is a whole list of member of the Senate Commerce Com- grade because she does not have the
projects that is now going to be de- mittee, I am ready to get to work and internet at home. These vulnerable
layed—projects that are not finished, get the job done on these New Mexico students are no longer facing just a
are not done—just because of the loss priorities. homework gap; they are facing a learn-
of revenue from ridership and transpor- What Congress is working toward ing gap, and it will likely become an
tation. So our transportation infra- today—providing essential support to opportunity gap for the rest of their
structure needs to be kept going, and help fight and recover from the lives because those opportunities come
the workforce that keeps it going needs coronavirus pandemic—matters little from a good education. To close this
to be supported. This is going to be a if those most in need do not trust in gap and correct this educational injus-
key aspect of the next budget rec- America’s institutions enough to ben- tice, we must immediately connect
onciliation package and what we are efit from this support. That is why I these students to the internet. Given
going to work on. am particularly proud of the resolu- its history and success, it is just com-
I hope our colleagues can understand tion’s support for local journalism. mon sense that we use the E-rate Pro-
how important this is to our economy With this resolution, Congress has an gram as a guide to connect students
and how important it is to the men and opportunity to help our students, pro- where they are currently learning—at
women who serve in the transportation tect jobs and businesses, and fulfill our home.
sector. If I could just say, there are so moral duty. The Senate must do every- The E-rate, which already connects
many people in the transportation sec- thing in its power to provide the tools schools and libraries to the internet, is
tor that just went and did their jobs. for the American people to recover and a trusted program, deliberately de-
We have lost lives in aviation. We have to rebuild. signed to require an equitable distribu-
lost lives in transit. We have lost lives I yield the floor. tion of funding to our most vulnerable
with dockworkers. People have just The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen- communities, urban and rural, blue and
showed up to continue to do their jobs, ator from Massachusetts. red. I created the program more than
so we need to do better by passing this Mr. MARKEY. Mr. President, I am two decades ago, and it has since in-
package and giving them support, more here to emphasize just how important vested more than $52 billion in the edu-
vaccines, more equipment, and more this budget resolution is to unlocking cational connectivity for children, es-
support in funding so we can keep opportunity for millions of children pecially in the poorest communities,
Americans working in jobs but working across our country. I am here to shine and that has unleashed another $50 bil-
safely. That is what this next package a bright light on a problem that pre- lion. From the State and local levels,
will be about. dates the coronavirus but that has which is $100 billion from that E-rate
I yield to my colleagues who are been severely exacerbated by the ongo- Program that I authored out of the
going to talk about other priorities ing pandemic. I am speaking about the House of Representatives in 1996, it is
within this particular sector. I see my homework gap experienced by as many still the greatest educational tech-
colleague from New Mexico on the as 12 million children in the United nology program in the history of our
floor. States, who, right now, today, nearly a country.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen- year into this public health emergency, It has led to the deployment of this
ator from New Mexico. still do not have internet access at technology on school desks at the same
Mr. LUJÁN. Mr. President, the fund- home and are unable to participate in rate for poor children as rich children.
ing provided in the American recovery online learning. That is the first time that has ever
package is critical to New Mexico’s This is a national disgrace, and it is happened. Yet, today, there is a gap be-
students, workers, and families. going to come back to haunt our Na- cause many of these children—millions
Among many measures important to tion for a generation. Children should of them—do not have it at home. That
New Mexicans, the budget resolution not be missing the third grade because is the gap. In many instances, it is not
provides emergency funds to close the they are not connected. They should a digital divide; it is a poverty divide
homework gap for K–12 schools and li- not be missing the fifth grade. They that is leading to this crisis. It is a
braries, including those on Tribal are going to pay a huge, long-term poverty divide. Because their parents
lands. It provides emergency funding price because of that lack of cannot afford the connectivity and be-
for our rail and air infrastructure, in- connectivity. Before the pandemic, cause they cannot have this service for
cluding maintaining essential air serv- these students were at an educational their children, we are going to see an
ice in rural areas and passenger rail disadvantage already because they absolute disgrace which will befall our
throughout the Southwest. It includes could not complete homework assign- country when we look back and see
emergency grant funding to support ments that required internet access what has happened to these kids.
local newspapers and broadcasters, who after class, but, today, the problem is That is why we need in this reconcili-
continue to provide fact- and evidence- exacerbated with most schools being ation package billions of dollars which
based reporting on local and national closed and household kitchen tables be- are going to be included. We have to
issues as advertising revenues plum- coming virtual classrooms during the make sure that the funding is there for
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met. pandemic. Even as we try to safely re- every city, for every school system, for
New Mexico faces a digital divide, open schools in the weeks and months every parent to have a kid who is con-
and the COVID–19 pandemic has exac- ahead, distance learning is not going nected for as long as this takes, and we
erbated existing disparities between away both because of the continuing don’t know how long it is going to
the students who have broadband ac- health crisis and the need to make up take. Children are only 20 percent of
cess and the one in four who don’t. for severe learning loss during these our population, but they are 100 per-
Failing to address these disparities past 11 months. cent of our future, and, right now, we
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S420 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE February 4, 2021
are leaving behind millions of them Now, there is really nothing mys- The legislative clerk proceeded to
who will have much less of an oppor- terious about how to bridge this gap. In call the roll.
tunity to be able to maximize their fact, I am proud to say that my State Mr. BLUMENTHAL. Mr. President, I
God-given abilities. of Connecticut has done it very signifi- ask unanimous consent that the order
I am here to say that the one thing cantly—I am tempted to say ‘‘has done for the quorum call be rescinded.
we must do this time, which the Re- it,’’ but nobody is perfect. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without
publicans forced out of the package in Connecticut has built a program objection, it is so ordered.
December, is put the billions of dollars called Everybody Learns at the initia- UNANIMOUS CONSENT AGREEMENT—TRIAL OF
in in order to make sure that all chil- tive of our Governor, Ned Lamont, who DONALD JOHN TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE
dren have access to the internet at has used Federal money from the UNITED STATES
home for their educational opportuni- CARES Act. We have used significant Mr. BLUMENTHAL. Mr. President, I
ties. private philanthropy—for example, ask unanimous consent that the Sec-
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen- from Ray and Barbara Dalio, great citi- retary of the Senate be authorized, in
ator from Connecticut. zens of the State of Connecticut, and relation to the pending impeachment
Mr. BLUMENTHAL. Mr. President, I their foundation, which has contrib- trial of former President Trump, to
am really honored to follow my col- uted mightily, particularly in the print as Senate documents those docu-
league from Massachusetts, ED MAR- Hartford area, where the leadership of
KEY, one of the premier founders—the
ments filed by the parties to be imme-
Mayor Luke Bronin has been abso- diately made available to all parties,
father—of E-rate, who knows better lutely critical. What they have done,
than anyone how investment in online and that at the conclusion of the trial,
very simply, is provide tens of thou- those douments be printed together as
learning and connectivity can make a sands of tablets, the kind of devices
crucial difference in all of our lives—in a Senate document.
that are necessary for students to con-
the lives of seniors, in the lives of peo- The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without
nect, and they have provided hot spots
ple who live in communities of color, objection, it is so ordered.
so that students have that way of
and in other underserved areas of our Mr. BLUMENTHAL. I yield the floor.
reaching the internet. No mystery—
country. Most importantly, it can The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen-
simply hard work and money. Most im-
make a crucial difference in the lives portant, commitment. ator from Delaware.
of schoolchildren. Most crucially, right I am asking my colleagues today for S. CON RES. 5
now, the simple, stark fact about this that same commitment to our Nation Mr. COONS. Mr. President, I appre-
pandemic is that it has locked out of and to Connecticut, which needs to fin- ciate the opportunity to address the
classrooms millions of students around ish the job of connecting. body today about the bill we are to
the country. We need to get those stu- The Secretary of Education—or the take up and debate and advance this
dents back into the classroom, and it nominee for that position—Miguel evening and about several different
has to be done safely. Cardona, knows very well the impor- provisions that are of specific concern
In the meantime, online learning is tance of online learning. He has cham- and interest to me, to the residents of
going to be critical for them. Yet sub- pioned it in Connecticut. Yesterday, he the State of Delaware, and to our Na-
stantial numbers—most especially in testified about it to the Health, Edu- tion.
communities of color—lack the cation, Labor, and Pensions Com- Let me just remind all of us the mo-
connectivity and the devices they need mittee, and he is going to be a very ment that we are in. There are 26 mil-
to open classroom doors. In many of steadfast advocate, a trusted champion lion Americans who have been infected
those households, working parents sim- for online learning. But he, too, needs by COVID–19, a dread, deadly, global
ply can’t be around to supervise their the tools and the resources. pandemic, and 445,000 Americans have
children. It is more than just the nuts Think of it not as a spending item, been killed so far in this pandemic—far
and bolts of devices; it is learning not as a funding measure; it is an in- too many.
about how to learn online, but at the vestment. It is an investment in the In my little home State of Dela-
very least, the nuts and bolts have to basics of devices and connectivity. It is ware—just 900,000 people—we not too
be there, and that is why this Amer- an investment in our young people. long ago passed 1,000 deaths, and, like
ican rescue program is so critical to Connecticut has made that invest- many other States, we are racing to de-
the lives and learning of these millions ment, and we should not be skimping liver vaccines and to address the eco-
of students. or cutting corners on our young people. nomic and the human wreckage of this
The simple fact is that this home- We should not be, in effect, short-
pandemic and the recession caused by
work gap is no longer a gap—it is a changing them at this critical time
the bungled mishandling of this pan-
chasm. The homework gap has turned when connectivity, broadband, online
demic by the now previous administra-
into a homework chasm and a home- learning are really the lifeline for
tion. I am encouraged because there is
work crisis that threatens to set back them.
Let’s put them online with this life- also a positive number: 34 million
students by months and even more.
line and give them the ability to con- Americans have been vaccinated.
The fact is, right now, students are es-
timated across the country to have lost tinue their education, even as the pan- Delaware has been at the forefront of
3 to 5 years. In communities of color, demic locks them out of classrooms. delivering vaccines quickly and safely,
that loss may be even worse, and once They may be physically no longer in and now with President Biden and his
students have suffered that loss in person, but online, they can connect. If team at the helm, they are pulling to-
learning, catching up, overcoming it, they are denied that online access, gether the resources of our Nation—
and bridging that gap is very difficult they will be truly locked out of learn- using the Defense Production Act to
and sometimes impossible to do, which ing, not just locked out of their class- deliver needed PPE, testing capabili-
is a lifelong potential setback for room, and that would be a disgrace for ties, and vaccines to every corner of
them. this Nation. our country. They have a lot of work to
We are, in effect, disadvantaging I thank my colleagues for what I do. They are behind because of some of
American education by allowing this hope will be their commitment to con- the failures of the past, but I am ex-
homework chasm to continue. tinuing American teaching and edu- cited by the promise of the future.
The American rescue program pro- cation online during this unparalleled, Yesterday, I had the honor of meet-
vides a model—it provides money but uniquely painful and difficult time in ing with President Biden in the Oval
Office for an hour first thing in the
SSpencer on DSK126QN23PROD with SENATE
also a model in how the homework gap our Nation’s history. We can make it is
can be bridged and the chasm avoided. easier for students. We can save them morning, and we talked about this pan-
We have made a promise. America the homework chasm and the home- demic and his plan, the American Res-
makes a promise to its students that work crisis. cue Plan, the $1.9 trillion in badly
the basics of education will be provided I yield the floor. needed relief that will touch almost
so they can have an equal chance at I suggest the absence of a quorum. every American family and move us
the American dream. We are failing to The PRESIDING OFFICER. The quickly out of this pandemic and back
keep that promise. clerk will call the roll. toward growth and security, health and
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February 4, 2021 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S421
prosperity. And his determination, de- a chance to visit the Hope Center. The and the budget resolution would allow
spite all the back-and-forth about num- Hope Center used to be known as the for the $2 billion over the course of this
bers—his determination, at the very Sheraton. It was a hotel in foreclosure, pandemic that they need. We have pro-
core of what we do, is to keep in mind and an innovative county executive vided relief before. We need to provide
the middle class of this country, the used some of the CARES Act money relief in this bill and going forward.
folks who have been overlooked, under- that we provided federally to the State As I mentioned in my opening, get-
served, and most disadvantaged. He is and local governments to buy it at auc- ting the vaccine distributed as quickly
passionate about seeing the ways in tion and to reopen it as a source of 192 as possible is the most urgent thing be-
which this pandemic has revealed the emergency housing rooms that can fore us. Last Saturday, I had the
deep inequities in our country and have up to 400 people in it. It was great chance to volunteer for several hours
making sure of how we respond to edu- to tour that center on Martin Luther at a vaccination site with Drs. Coker
cational needs, to housing needs, to King Day, to be part of those delivering and Hockstein, put together at ENT &
transportation needs, and to personal items and material for those Allergy of Delaware. They vaccinated
healthcare needs, that we combat the who are now resident at the Hope Cen- over 150 people, and they had connected
profound inequalities of our society ter. But it is just one of many exam- to and reached out to some churches
and Build Back Better. ples of how Federal resources we pro- that I am familiar with and fond of—
As Senator CARPER and I were sitting vided last year have been used cre- Seeds of Greatness, Bethel AME.
with President Biden, going over $1,400 atively to help keep people in rental But we are under pressure because
checks and this many months of unem- housing, in emergency housing, or in there are new variants of this virus
ployment extension and this much for their homes. emerging around the world. What vi-
housing and homelessness or this much The CDC Federal eviction morato- ruses do is they mutate. Some of you
for transit, he said: Wait, wait. Just re- rium was extended in the bill we passed know there are new variants from
member at the end of the day, keep in in December, but it runs out in March; South Africa, from Brazil, from the UK
your mind’s eye a family—a plumber thus, the urgency of our acting. And that are more transmissive and, poten-
and a teacher with two kids at home, President Biden’s American Rescue tially, more deadly. So one of the
one of them laid off, desperately trying Plan includes $30 billion in emergency things we have to keep an eye on is
to pay their rent, trying to figure out rental assistance and $5 billion to pre- that we cannot close ourselves off from
how to pay their bills, trying to figure vent further outbreaks of COVID–19 the world. Something that is missing
out how they can keep a roof over their among America’s homeless population. from the Republican proposal and that
kids’ heads. Remember the people we We need to make this a key piece of is urgently needed that is in the Biden
are trying to help and serve. this provision, an important part of American Rescue Plan is $11 billion to
I am reminded of Mark from New
this bill, and it is my hope we can find help with global vaccination relief.
Castle, who called my office to tell me I recently spoke with Strive
support on both sides, but if we don’t,
he had been laid off, and he was des- Masiyiwa, a dear friend from Africa
perately afraid, that he was struggling we must move forward.
Let me speak to two other topics be- who is leading the African Union’s
because he was fighting cancer, a plans for how to vaccinate the 54 coun-
fore I yield the floor, if I might.
health condition, and fighting home- Those of us on the East Coast, and tries on the Continent of Africa. Sure,
lessness, concerned about losing his my colleague from Maryland and my the Russians have offered their Sput-
home. Fighting housing and homeless- colleague from New Jersey are cer- nik vaccine, which was not fully and
ness, combating homelessness and en- tainly among them, travel by Amtrak transparently developed and tested.
suring security of housing has got to be
frequently. Before this pandemic, Am- The Chinese are offering their vaccine.
at the center of how we respond to this
trak carried a record 32 million pas- But what I believe the developing
crisis.
Economist Mark Zandi says there is sengers just 2 years ago. But just like world would welcome with open arms,
$57 billion in owed back rent unpaid. the airlines when the pandemic hit, it if we would just fund it and provide it,
One of the best things we have done as lost the vast majority of their pas- is the rapid scale-up, production, and
a body is to extend the eviction mora- sengers. So, too, did Amtrak and com- manufacturing in countries like South
torium that the CDC imposed last year. muter rail all over our country. It has Africa, India, and elsewhere of the
A key piece of the bill we are taking up been a key piece of our society, our tried, true, tested, scientifically sound
and debating is to ensure that more competitiveness, our interconnected- vaccines made available by Pfizer, by
Americans have an opportunity to safe, ness for over a century, and there are Johnson & Johnson, by Moderna, by
sanitary, decent, and affordable hous- millions who depend on it as their way the Western companies like
ing. Before this pandemic, more than 17 to commute up and down the East AstraZeneca and others that have
million American households spent Coast corridor in particular. shown that their vaccines are safe.
more than half their money on rent or My office recently heard from Ken The United States has long been a
mortgage, unaffordable to any house- Potts, the Delaware representative for leader in world health. We have in-
hold—those 17 million households the Rail Passengers Association, about spired the world in the way in which
stretched to their limits. The pandemic the urgent need for funding; and, we have brought our medical advances,
has made the risk of eviction or fore- frankly, this is a warning notice for our scientific capability, and our hu-
closure greater than ever. those of us who don’t realize that I–95, manitarian commitment to the world.
Some know my early years were right as it goes through Wilmington, This should be another chapter in that
spent working around issues of housing DE, is about to be shut down for most long and great history.
and homelessness. I served with the of the next 2 years on a generational And we must remember that no one
National Coalition for the Homeless in repair project. There is going to be in this world is safe from this pandemic
New York and in five other States 100,000 people deterred off of the high- until the entire world has been success-
around the country, staying in home- way, and hopefully onto rail, but only fully vaccinated. If we do not con-
less shelters in the late eighties, when if it can keep running. tribute to the global vaccine campaign
homelessness was an explosion, a crisis There are 1,200 furloughed Amtrak of COVAX, if we do not participate in
across this country that impacted fam- employees on the east coast and other the World Health Organization in
ilies and communities of all types and places around the country. Those are meeting the needs of the developing
backgrounds. the folks I interact with on the days world, it will simply come back to the
when I commute from Wilmington to people of the United States.
SSpencer on DSK126QN23PROD with SENATE
People experiencing homelessness are
particularly vulnerable to COVID–19. Washington. I get a chance to talk to Of course, we must prioritize vacci-
Homeless individuals infected are twice the staff, the conductors, the people nating our Nation, our people, Dela-
as likely to be hospitalized, four times who work at Union Station or in Wil- wareans. But just as Joe Biden in the
as likely to need critical care, and mington’s Joe Biden Station. Twelve Oval Office earlier this week asked me
three times as likely to die. hundred furloughed employees and to keep in my mind’s eye that family
In Delaware, on Martin Luther King families struggling, just like the air- sitting around a kitchen table, worried,
Day, as part of a service project, I got lines, every bit as deserving of relief, struggling with finances, with their
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S422 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE February 4, 2021
health, with their future, we have to wealthy are doing just great. The stock had plenty of Democrats—at least 57
keep our eye on the horizon, on having market had a good year in 2020. The Democrats were on board; a majority
passenger rail available to recover S&P 500 went up 16 percent. But it is no of this body—but needed just some Re-
when our country recovers, on having secret that stock holdings are con- publicans to join in this effort. Well,
housing and affordable housing options centrated among the very elite and what happened was that the proposal,
for families who are struggling with that almost half of all American house- the bold proposal, got negotiated down
homelessness, and our eye on the hori- holds have no stock holdings at all, in- and down and down and then barely
zon of the potential threat from the cluding in 401(K) or other retirement squeaked by the U.S. Senate.
rest of the world of more dangerous plans. So don’t tell me that the coun- Even after all that long, bipartisan
variants, which is why we need to con- try is doing well because the stock negotiating, in the House of Represent-
tribute to a global campaign to ensure market is up because the stock market atives, not a single Republican
that all of the world’s people are safe conceals the whole other economy. Congressperson voted for that bill. So
from this pandemic. Here is a little story that illustrates we ended up with a divided Congress
Thank you for the opportunity to the point, which is that in Baltimore and an inadequate recovery bill, and
speak to these three connected con- City, per capita income is roughly our Republican colleagues spent the
cerns, all of which touch on Delaware’s $54,000, but if last year Jeff Bezos next many, many years complaining
families and our Nation. moved to Baltimore City, the average that the economic recovery after the
I yield the floor. per capita income would be $175,000. downturn had taken too long. It was
The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. People struggling in Baltimore City the longest and slowest economic re-
SCHATZ). The Senator from Maryland. would be no better off, but it would ap- covery in history, when if we had been
Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Mr. President, let pear that way if you simply look at the permitted to go big and bold, we could
me start by thanking my colleague averages. have changed that trajectory.
from Delaware for outlining the ur- So, as we look at these economic fig- That is why Secretary of the Treas-
gency of the moment and reminding us ures, let’s remember that averages con- ury Janet Yellen said that now we have
that the United States is not an island; ceal the real hurt being experienced by to go all in. She said:
that we have to address these issues to- so many people. In fact, over 18 million Neither the President-elect—
gether. And I am pleased to see Presi- of our fellow Americans are relying on This was her earlier testimony—
dent Biden reasserting American global unemployment benefits right now to
nor I propose this relief package without an
leadership on all sorts of fronts, includ- sustain themselves and their families, appreciation for this country’s debt burden.
ing the healthcare front. and that relief will begin to expire in But right now, with interest rates at historic
Mr. President, I come to the floor mid-March if we don’t act. lows, the smartest thing we can do is act big.
today to support the budget resolution Four million Americans have been In the long run, I believe the benefits will far
that is before us. As our country to- out of work and looking for a job for at outweigh the costs, especially if we care
gether fights the COVID–19 health cri- least 6 months. The harsh reality is about helping people who have been strug-
sis and the economic fallout, more that the longer someone is unem- gling for a very long time.
than 450,000 of our fellow Americans ployed, the harder it is for them to get Even President Trump’s former top
have died of COVID–19—200,000 more a new job, and when they do, it is often economist, Kevin Hassett, supported
than the country that has experienced at a much lower wage, and that lower that assessment and has said that if we
the next highest death toll. It is an un- pay then follows them for decades. don’t act now, we could end up in a
acceptable toll of suffering, and the That is the story of countless Amer- negative spiral for the economy.
economic fallout is painful as well. ican families holding on today against The American public sees this very
Main Street is struggling. We have the torrent of financial hardship. clearly. If you just look at recent polls,
seen thousands of small businesses So to those who claim ‘‘Don’t worry. 70 percent of the American public is
shuttered. Our students are facing an This is all going to blow over. Let’s fully on board with President Biden’s
ever-widening education gap. Families just delay our efforts to provide ur- bold plan. That is reflected in a
are contending with mounting bills and gently required relief’’ or ‘‘Let’s pro- Quinnipiac poll that came out just
food insecurity. It is a crisis that has vide less,’’ I say let’s look at the hard today. The Navigator data said the
upended every part of American life facts. same thing. The American public rec-
and which has disproportionately If you look at the projections that ognizes that we have to act big and we
harmed working families, communities just came out from the nonpartisan have to act now to make sure that we
of color, our children, and the elderly. Congressional Budget Office, they indi- beat this pandemic and that we get our
I am glad that this Congress has been cate that unemployment will remain economy back on track just as soon as
able to come together on a bipartisan above 4 percent until the year 2025 un- possible.
basis before to deliver important emer- less we do something different. That We all would like to have our Repub-
gency relief, but now is not the time to means that even after the last vaccine lican colleagues as partners in this ef-
pat ourselves on the back and say we shot goes into the last arm, we may be fort. President Biden has made that
are done and throw in the towel. We caught in the wake of this economic very clear. But the overriding priority
need to go big, and we need to do it be- down tow for years unless we act now. must be to meet the moment and take
fore it is too late, so we can beat this So we shouldn’t get complacent. We care of the needs of the American peo-
virus, get help to those who are hardest shouldn’t look at those overall average ple. That is what the American people
hit, and put our economy on the road numbers. We shouldn’t look at the are telling us. I hope all of us will lis-
to recovery. We must pass a package stock market. We should listen to the ten.
that meets the moment, and that is stories of people who are suffering, and I yield the floor.
what the Biden proposal does: beating if we don’t act, they will be suffering I suggest the absence of a quorum.
the pandemic by accelerating the deliv- for much longer than they have to. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The
ery of vaccines and testing, helping to That is why it has been said that the clerk will call the roll.
get our students back into school as risk is not that Congress might do too The bill clerk proceeded to call the
fast as possible, and do it safely, and much but that we might do too little. roll.
get our economy moving again—an I remind my colleagues that we have Mr. LEE. Mr. President, I ask unani-
economy that continues to suffer the been in this place before. Many of my mous consent that the order for the
wounds of the pandemic that has killed colleagues on the Democratic side of quorum call be rescinded.
SSpencer on DSK126QN23PROD with SENATE
jobs and ballooned unemployment. the aisle have scar tissue from 2009. Re- The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without
Right now, we are seeing a K-shaped member, we were facing a financial objection, it is so ordered.
recovery, a tale of two economies. meltdown that was taking the entire Mr. LEE. Mr. President, the Federal
Some people are bouncing back just economy under, and here in the U.S. Government has become too big and
great, like a V shape, but many others Senate at that time, then-President too expensive, and it has been this way
are flatlined or actually going further Obama was working to get a big eco- for quite a long time. It is not without
and further under. At the very top, the nomic relief package through. They its impact. It has been borrowing and
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February 4, 2021 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S423
spending far too much money and You see, the Federal Government called the PROMISE Act. This would
doing too many things even before the doesn’t pay property tax on land that help to make sure that interactive on-
COVID–19 global pandemic, but this it owns. In a State like mine where the line providers—entities including but
emergency has really shown how badly Federal Government owns most of the not limited to social media platforms—
we need to return to some semblance of land—two-thirds of it, in fact—it can make clear what their standards are,
federalism, some semblance of Federal be very difficult for many of our com- what they will be doing to moderate
restraint with respect to what it does munities to survive because without speech on their platforms, for example,
and particularly what it spends. that property tax revenue, they find it how they will be enforced, and gives
I say this because emergencies, na- difficult to fund everything from them incentive, with possible penalties
tional emergencies, will arise from schools to search and rescue oper- under law if they deceive their cus-
time to time. It happens. And when ations, police and fire services, and so tomers about what their policies are
those things happen from time to time, forth. and how they will be enforced.
the Federal Government will need to The Federal Government makes up The bottom line here is that the Fed-
expend some significant resources and for some of this through this payment eral Government’s size has not been
borrow money. That is exactly why we program that is supposed to in some making it stronger or more nimble or
should not be running multitrillion- ways replicate the property taxes that more effective; its size and its bureauc-
dollar deficits at the top of the busi- the taxing authority would otherwise racy have undermined its work, from
ness cycle to begin with. receive, and they call it payment in our COVID response to our entitlement
During a period of significant eco- lieu of taxes. The problem is, they crisis, to our dysfunctional welfare sys-
nomic expansion, not a recession, we haven’t accurately assessed the value tem, which, while intended to alleviate
were already spending more than we of the land. My amendment would call poverty and make it rare, has instead
had. It makes it much harder for us to for a more accurate assessment of the sometimes made it longer lasting.
respond, be nimble, and do the things land so that these taxing jurisdictions Reform doesn’t mean just doing the
we need to do. This has been a long- can get what they need. same exact things but spending a little
term problem because Washington, DC, I will also be proposing a significant bit less; it means modernizing and
has been centralizing political power amendment to increase access of the streamlining processes and devolving,
and political decision making now for American people to health savings ac- where appropriate, certain government
generations. It has not made the Fed- count systems. HSAs, health savings functions to State and local govern-
eral Government more effective but, accounts, do nothing to undermine the ments that are closer and more ac-
rather, weaker and less effective. It has efficacy or the prominence of govern- countable to the people.
made it slower, less nimble, more rigid, ment-run healthcare systems. They do, The way we serve the American peo-
and inflexible. however, do a lot of good for those who ple is not just by letting bureaucrats
We need to start turning policy in and politicians make decisions for
have them. They simply add a private
the other direction, localizing more de- them thousands of miles away in Wash-
option for American families who
cisions so all Americans in red States ington, DC. The way we achieve true,
would like to make some of their own
and in blue States alike, regardless of effective government and fair govern-
decisions about how they would like to
where they live, can live under policies ment is by giving all Americans up and
spend their healthcare dollars. If they
that they are more likely to agree down the income scale and across the
would like to spend more on nutri-
with. That is the beauty of federalism. political spectrum the power to make
tional supplements, they should be able
It allows more Americans to have ac- their own decisions and to make them
to do that. If they would like to spend
cess to more of the kind of government as locally as possible.
more on preventive care, they should Thank you.
they want and less of the kind of gov-
ernment they don’t want. be able to do that. HSAs give them the The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen-
That is the goal of the budget resolu- answer, and one of my amendments ator from Texas.
tion amendments that I will be intro- would expand their opportunities. Mr. CORNYN. Mr. President, as we
ducing this week. I will be introducing I will be offering an amendment to all know, over the last year,
a number of amendments, and I will streamline the regulations under the coronavirus relief has dominated our
cite a few examples here. environmental law known as NEPA, work here in the Congress. To the sur-
First, I am going to propose an the National Environmental Policy prise of some, Republicans and Demo-
amendment to ensure that Congress’s Act. NEPA has achieved significant en- crats have worked closely together to
voice and the voices of our State gov- vironmental gains in this country, but bolster our response on both the public
ernments are heard in the designation it needs to be updated and modernized health and economic front so we can
of national monuments. so as to make it easier for us to com- bring an end to this crisis as quickly as
Utah has been home to two signifi- plete infrastructure and construction possible. Not surprisingly, there were
cant, massive national monument des- projects, which have become too slow some disagreements along the way—
ignations over the last 25 years. One and too expensive. there always are—but both sides under-
thing they both had in common was I have a number of other amend- stood the importance of action and
they were made contrary to the ex- ments, including one that would in- reaching a bipartisan deal.
pressed will of local and statewide crease the child tax credit significantly Part of the reason was pure function.
elected officials and Utah’s congres- in order to further diminish a little- With a divided government, every piece
sional delegation at the time they were known but pernicious aspect of our of legislation involves compromise.
made. Federal Tax Code known as the parent You are forced to work with folks on
These two monument designations in tax penalty. the other side of the aisle to reach an
and of themselves are larger than two I will be introducing another amend- agreement. That is a good thing be-
Delawares. Yet they were made with- ment to increase the recognition and cause that is what it requires to reach
out any input from Congress and with- the credit that Americans receive for the President’s desk and earn the
out any input from the host State’s making charitable contributions—espe- President’s signature.
legislature. The Antiquities Act cur- cially important during a global pan- But the reasons for working together
rently allows this to happen. My demic like this one. on COVID–19 relief are more than just
amendment would propose that we I have another amendment pro- the practical or functional require-
allow the people’s elected representa- tecting Americans’ Second Amendment ments. Over the last year, I have spo-
rights, one protecting religious free- ken with countless Texans who have
SSpencer on DSK126QN23PROD with SENATE
tives in Congress and the affected
State legislature to have input. dom, and one dealing with gasoline tax, faced incredible challenges and dealt
I will also be filing an amendment to which I don’t think should be in- with unimaginable hardship. There are
ensure full funding for a program creased, especially during difficult folks who have lost their jobs and have
known as PILT. PILT is an acronym; it times like these and especially given lost loved ones, who fought this virus
stands for payment in lieu of taxes. It the regressive nature of the fuel tax. on the frontlines in hospitals, and who
is something very important to public I have another amendment dealing have tried to support their commu-
land States like mine. with some legislation I have developed nities throughout this crisis. I know
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S424 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE February 4, 2021
colleagues throughout the Chamber to target those resources to the people safely back into the classroom, which
have heard similar stories from their who need them—not a time to pass is our goal.
constituents back home because every your liberal outbox and agenda. I will not support a COVID–19 relief
State and every community has been So, unfortunately, this reconciliation proposal that sends hard-earned tax-
impacted by this virus. process is designed not to encourage bi- payer dollars to places where they al-
Regardless of politics, we all realize partisanship, not to encourage negotia- ready have billions that they haven’t
this virus has taken a devastating toll tion, not to get bipartisan buy-in. In even spent yet. One great example is
on the American people, and we need to short, it is not designed to achieve additional funding for schools. Our
remain committed to providing relief. unity at all—just the opposite. Democratic friends would provide $130
There have been big disagreements, of Well, after spending almost a trillion billion more for K–12 education when
course, about the best way to do that, dollars this December, just about a there is still $64 billion remaining from
but in the end, if we share the same month ago—again, with only 20 percent the money we appropriated in Decem-
goal—to bring an end to this pandemic of that money actually out the door ber. They want to spend $130 billion
as quickly as possible and minimize and on the way to the people who need more when there is still $64 billion
the pain and suffering of the American it—our Democratic colleagues are pre- available to be spent.
people—we can figure out how to make pared to spend nearly double that Well, even that is a high number be-
this happen. amount when a huge portion of the pre- cause the CDC, the Centers for Disease
That common goal has led to five bi- vious funding hasn’t even reached its Control, estimated that schools only
partisan relief packages that have rep- intended target. needed about $22 billion. In other
resented the best ideas of each party. As of a couple of weeks ago, States words, they have almost three times
None of these bills are perfect, but I had spent just $4 billion of the $68 bil- more than they already need, accord-
am sure both sides will agree that, in lion we appropriated for K–12 schools— ing to the CDC, but our Democratic
the end, every COVID package that has $4 billion of the $68 billion. And what friends want to spend another $130 bil-
been signed into law has received over- do our Democratic colleagues want to lion.
whelming bipartisan support. As a do? They want to continue to shovel I will be the first person to advocate
matter of fact, none of the bills have money out the door. for additional relief when and where it
received less than 90 votes, and one The CDC, the Centers for Disease is needed, but this massive relief pack-
passed unanimously. That is spending Control, has distributed only about a age creates more problems than solu-
close to $4 trillion. That is a remark- third of the $9 billion we have already tions. I continue to believe that tar-
able, remarkable accomplishment. appropriated for vaccine distribution— geted relief bills are the most effective
In the beginning, President Biden ap- only a third. And then there are tens of way to support our country without
peared to agree that a continuation of billions of dollars in unspent funds for driving up unnecessary spending.
this bipartisan approach was the best everything from COVID–19 testing to Somebody is going to have to pay
for the country. After all, his campaign the Paycheck Protection Program. So this money back, and we shouldn’t be
was built on a theme of unity, and he it is hard for me to see—and I am sure frivolous about the way we spend it. If
has consistently talked with great elo- I am not alone—the justification for there is a need, let’s do it. But if there
quence about the need to heal our divi- spending tens of billions of dollars is not a need, it is reckless and irre-
sions and work together and com- more in places where previous funding sponsible to continue to shovel money
promise. is still waiting to be spent. out the door. If there is a need to rein-
To his credit, he has met with a num- There is also the question of whether vest in critical areas like unemploy-
ber of our Republican colleagues at the the current funding is even serving its ment benefits, the reopening of
White House earlier this week to dis- intended purpose. Federal funding has schools, vaccine distribution, or the
cuss what a compromise package might helped K–12 schools prepare for a safe Paycheck Protection Program, we can
look like. Ordinarily, that would be reopening, and in Texas these have and we should replenish those funds
seen as an encouraging development. been used to update the ventilation through targeted proposals; and I
We have a Congress with a record of bi- systems, purchase masks and personal would hope, as before, we would be able
partisan COVID–19 bills and a Presi- protective equipment, and make other to proceed on a bipartisan basis.
dent who talks about the desire to investments in classroom safety. While Senator SCHUMER is clearly on
broker deals that could win the support But there are other school districts the warpath to get this massive relief
of both political parties. across the country that have gladly ac- to the Senate on a partisan vote, at
But, unfortunately, what might seem cepted that funding but have zero plan least one of our Democratic colleagues
like good news and a positive develop- to reopen their schools to in-person has shown some hesitation about going
ment really isn’t because in the mix education. They have capitulated to along with his plan. Senator MANCHIN,
you have the Democratic leader, who is the teachers unions that have de- the Senator from West Virginia, said
not on board with the President’s call manded that schools stay closed. Some this week he wouldn’t vote for a
for unity and bipartisanship. have said they refuse to go back until COVID–19 package that wasn’t bipar-
Less than 24 hours after the bipar- all students are vaccinated—not all tisan. I hope he will stick by his guns.
tisan meeting at the White House and teachers but all students. There is not Congress has passed five overwhelm-
just 15 days after the President’s inau- even a vaccine approved for people ingly bipartisan COVID–19 bills last
guration, the majority leader laid the under the age of 16, but that is the de- year. We have overcome disagreements
foundation to pass President Biden’s mand of the teachers unions, who have before, and I have no doubt that we
massive $1.9 trillion package with zero showed zero interest in their students could, if we were to try, do so again.
Republican votes. They are not inter- but a lot of self-interest. This crisis has affected Americans in
ested in doing the hard work it takes Some of these districts have gladly red States and blue States alike. It
to build consensus. Rather than take accepted the funding to prepare for a would be a shame for the Democratic
the normal legislative process, which safe reopening and, in many cases, leader to shut out half of this Chamber
was used for each of the bipartisan bills have put their teachers at the front of in an effort to claim a reckless win for
that had previously passed, the Demo- the line for vaccines, but somehow the his party.
cratic leader is preparing to use the teachers unions are appalled at the We need to remember, just like the
budget reconciliation process to pass idea that schools would actually use teachers who teach our students, they
these tools to get children back in the need to keep their focus on the chil-
SSpencer on DSK126QN23PROD with SENATE
this controversial legislation.
And please note: We passed a $900 bil- classroom. dren and on their education needs and
lion bill in December, and only 20 per- Before we pass another multitrillion- their safety, and we need to keep our
cent of the money that we appropriated dollar spending bill and add to our rap- attention on our constituents and what
is even out the door yet. idly growing national debt, we need to their needs are and try to be responsive
This is not the time to try to make determine where the needs truly are to their needs—not try to gain some
political statements. This is the time and whether the teachers unions are on partisan advantage at their expense.
to try to parse where the needs are and board with our goal to get children I yield the floor.
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February 4, 2021 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S425
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen- lief package of almost a trillion dol- we passed 39 days ago that sends still
ator from Pennsylvania. lars, and it was signed into law 39 days more money to people. So I don’t see
Mr. TOOMEY. Mr. President, I want ago. Literally, hundreds of billions of the data that suggests we need yet an-
to address the budget resolution we are dollars of that money is still unspent, other round of these universal stimulus
going to vote on later today. To be yet we are told immediately we need to checks, but in President Biden’s bill
clear, this is a device that makes it get another $1.9 trillion. that we are in the process of facili-
possible, subsequently, to pass this This is unbelievable. Part of the rea- tating today, that is almost half a tril-
massive blowout spending bill that son it is so unbelievable is that the lion dollars we are going to spend this
President Biden has proposed and to do economy is not in the same place today way.
it on a strictly party-line vote. That is that it was in back in March or April— This money is not lying on the shelf,
what this is all about. not even close. We were in a situation by the way; we are either going to
It is disappointing at many, many we had never been in before. We had print it, or we are going to borrow it
levels, not the least of which is that, shut down our economy. It was abso- from overseas. President Biden has
just 15 days ago, President Biden made lutely devastating—very, very scary. pretty much admitted this is about ful-
an impassioned call for unity. He said: Fortunately, in part because of our filling a campaign promise.
‘‘This is our historic moment of crisis response, I think, we were able to avoid The fact is, the vast majority of the
and challenge, and unity is the path a depression, an extended disastrous 160 million Americans who have re-
forward.’’ period, and we have begun a robust re- ceived checks already never had any
Well, there is nothing about unity in covery. lost income. They never lost their jobs.
this exercise. This is designed to be a Consider some of the data. In April of They never lost their checks. What
partisan exercise. It is designed not to last year, the unemployment rate hit Federal employee, for instance—of the
find common ground. It appears not to almost 15 percent. Today it is at 6.7. many categories I could cite, what Fed-
be informed by any objective measure Most economists didn’t think we would eral employee lost their paycheck be-
of needs. The only organizing principle get below 7 percent until the end of cause of the COVID crisis? I don’t know
in this bill that I can figure out is the this year, 2021. We got below 7 percent of them. My staff continued to get paid
desire to spend a massive amount of back in October. We have 18 States in throughout this entire period, but they
money on things that aren’t required. the Union that have employment rates all got checks.
Oh, and it is worse than that. It will- below 5 percent. Think about this: If President
fully ignores the adverse impact some After a devastating downdraft of our Biden’s plan passes as our Democratic
of these policies are going to have. economy in the second quarter, the colleagues want to pass it and the eli-
Part of what is so maddening about third quarter came roaring back. The gibility criteria for these checks fol-
this is we have demonstrated—up until third quarter of the economy grew by lows the methodology from the pre-
now, anyway—that we can pass major 33 percent. That was a long way to- vious two rounds of checks, a family of
bipartisan legislation. We have done it wards recovering what we had lost in four with a household income of
five times already—but no more. Presi- the second quarter—not complete—and $150,000 will receive $5,600. That is on
dent Biden and the Democrats, who the growth has continued. The fourth top of the $5,800 they got from the pre-
control the Senate and the House, quarter grew by 4 percent. The CBO’s vious rounds. It is a total of $11,400
don’t want to pursue bipartisan legisla- economic outlook for this entire year that we are going to mail out to a fam-
tion anymore. I guess those days are is nearly 5 percent. ily who had a six-figure income and no
behind us for now, according to them. We have a strong recovery that is un- income loss. How does this make any
But I would remind my colleagues of derway. Look, we are not there yet. We sense?
what a dramatic departure that is from are not back to the tremendously Consider the expanded unemploy-
what we have been doing about this booming economy we had just before ment benefits. I was all in favor of it.
COVID crisis. Back in March and April, the pandemic hit, but we do know that I remain in favor of expanding eligi-
when States shut down their economies the vast majority of the economic pain bility for unemployment benefits be-
and we went into a full-blown economic that people are going through is con- cause we have a lot of folks who work
crisis, we responded with massive, bold centrated in a handful of very hard-hit in the gig economy. They are self-em-
legislation, the biggest of which, the industries. It is hospitality, travel, en- ployed, and they have not been able to
March bill, had a huge category that tertainment. We know that. What we historically participate in the unem-
was designed and, in fact, did replace should be asking ourselves is, have we ployment insurance program. I am in
lost income for people who, through no done what we need to do for these par- favor of having made those folks eligi-
fault of their own, were out of work. It ticular sectors and the people who are ble, but we have already done that.
had a huge category to deal with in these sectors who are hurting? But They are totally eligible.
healthcare expenses for hospitals, for $1.9 trillion for the entire economy? On top of eligibility, back in March
vaccine development, for PPE—all I mean, think about this statistic: when we passed the CARES Act, we
kinds of healthcare-related needs. Total employee compensation in the added $600 a week to unemployment
And we had a set of provisions that second and third quarters of last year checks. It turns out that 70 percent—
were designed to provide liquidity, pro- was down. That is not surprising, according to the University of Chicago,
vide loans and funding for businesses so right? Total employee compensation their analysis, about 70 percent of ev-
that they could survive and people was down because so many people were erybody who was unemployed ended up
would have a place to go back to work out of work. It was down by about $215 getting paid more money not to work
after this was behind us. We did that. billion. Government transfer payments than they did to get to work. In what
Actually, we did five bills altogether, to individuals was up by almost $900 universe does that make sense?
every one of them overwhelmingly bi- billion. That is more than four times We have had unemployment insur-
partisan. the lost income. And now we are told ance for decades. Never anywhere, at
In the Senate, each of the five got we need another whole round of these any time, under any circumstances
over 90 votes. The biggest of them universal so-called stimulus checks— have we designed the program so that
didn’t have a single ‘‘no’’ vote. My checks that go out to everyone regard- we would pay you more not to work
point is, we have demonstrated we can less of whether you actually had any than what you make working. The rea-
pass big, bold, unprecedented legisla- lost income. son we have never done that is because
tion if people on both sides of the aisle Well, it happens that personal in- it doesn’t make any sense.
SSpencer on DSK126QN23PROD with SENATE
want to work together. We did it five come is actually higher today than it President Biden’s plan is not for $600,
times last year. was before the pandemic hit. Dispos- but it is $400 of extra payments above
But our Democratic colleagues don’t able, real per capita income rose last and beyond what unemployment insur-
want to pursue that anymore because year at the fastest rate since 1984. The ance pays. If that happens, then over
they have a different objective in mind. personal savings rate is at an alltime half of all the beneficiaries will be paid
By the way, the last of the five was the high for most of 2020—the highest since more not to work than they would get
second largest of all time, a COVID re- 1974 now—and that is all before the bill paid if they actually worked. That will
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S426 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE February 4, 2021
only slow the economic recovery, as Let’s be honest about the con- actually result in getting more people
well as not make any sense—not to sequences. There is only one con- vaccinated more quickly, then I am for
mention the invitation for fraud. sequence that is going to happen as a it. I just haven’t heard that expla-
By the way, it is estimated that result of this, and that is, we are going nation yet, and I haven’t seen how it
there have been $10 billion in fraudu- to have less affordable housing and gets allocated in this bill to accom-
lent unemployment insurance pay- higher rents because the landlord is plish that.
ments in California alone. going to have to think long and hard President Biden had a commendable
Speaking of California, State and about how long he is going to go with- call to unity in his early addresses to
local governments—now, this is rich— out being able to collect rents in the the Nation, but this exercise we are
in this $1.9 trillion spending bonanza, future, and so he is either going to get going through today is suggesting that
there is $350 billion to go to State and out of the business, in which case there that kind of rings hollow. Just a few
local governments. We know many of is less affordable housing being built, weeks into office and the President and
our Democratic colleagues have want- or he is going to raise the rents to our Democratic colleagues seem to be
ed to bail out these fiscally irrespon- cover that period when the government abandoning what had consistently been
sible and insolvent States and munici- pursues this senseless policy. overwhelmingly bipartisan, successful,
palities for a long time, but here is Health provisions are an area that is major responses to this COVID crisis.
what is unbelievable. We are told there in a category unto itself here. Specifi- Now it seems they are on a one-party
is a fiscal crisis here. Just look at the cally, I think every single person in partisan track to pass a bunch of their
numbers. The total of State and local this body would agree that it is abso- liberal wish list items, much of which
tax collections in 2020 was up by $21 lutely essential that we get as many
has nothing to do with the cir-
billion over 2019. vaccines into as many arms as quickly
cumstances we face.
Let me clear about this. In 2019—the as we possibly can. That is certainly
The fact is, what we ought to be
amount of revenue collected by State my view. For the sake of eliminating
working on is maximizing the speed of
and local governments hit an alltime human suffering, to prevent unneces-
vaccinations and ensuring that we re-
record high in 2019. In 2020, they broke sary deaths, and at a much lower level
turn our economy and allow people to
of importance, but also to help restore
the record—alltime record amount of get back to work so that we can have
the vibrancy of our economy, that is
revenue collected. the prosperity that we had before this
This, by the way, does not include what we have to do. We have to put as
many vaccines into as many arms as pandemic struck. What we shouldn’t be
the $572 billion that the Federal Gov- doing is using the pandemic as the ex-
ernment sent to these State and local quickly as we can.
Today, there are around 260 million cuse to pass a longstanding partisan
governments through the five bills that policy wish list.
Americans who are eligible to receive
we have already passed, so they have I yield the floor.
COVID–19 vaccines. We have an average
alltime record revenue on their own. of about 1.34 million doses actually The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen-
We sent them $572 billion more, and being administered every day. It is the ator from Montana.
now we are told we have to send them highest daily rate of doses being ad- Mr. TESTER. Mr. President, I rise
yet another $350 billion. ministered anywhere in the world. I am today to urge my colleagues from both
Look, let’s not kid ourselves. This is sides of the aisle to support this vet-
trying to understand what more gov-
just a complete bailout of insolvent ernment spending now is going to do erans COVID–19 relief package, to do
and irresponsible States. That is what about that. In the Federal Govern- right by the millions of veterans across
this is. This hasn’t got anything to do ment, we already purchased 600 million our country struggling with this pan-
with a pandemic. doses, which is enough to vaccinate 300 demic.
Minimum wage—that is in this bill as million Americans. We have multiple For months, I have been hearing
well, the President’s proposal. It is an- vaccine candidates. Some already have from folks back home in Montana on
other terrible idea. A $15-an-hour min- been approved, and some are about to the need for Congress to put together a
imum wage—what this is guaranteed to be approved. We have already paid for smart, targeted package that will
do is destroy the jobs of lower income them, and we have also paid for all the quickly provide communities across
people. Guess what. A disproportionate other related costs of administering the country with the resources they
number of them work in the hardest the vaccine. We paid for the R&D in need to weather this storm. This in-
hit industries, like hotels and res- the first place. We bought the produc- cludes delivering assistance and vac-
taurants. tion—as they say, 600 million doses. cines to those who have worn the uni-
This isn’t just my speculation; the The Federal Government pays for the form and sacrificed for our liberties.
Congressional Budget Office projects transportation to deliver the vaccine If this year has taught us anything,
that if we have a $15 mandatory min- to the site at which it is going to be ad- it is that we need to secure additional
imum wage nationally, which is what ministered. The Federal Government resources to expand medical services,
the President’s proposal would do, we has paid for all the accompanying sup- mental healthcare, and telehealth ca-
would lose at least 1.3 million jobs and plies—the syringes, the vials, the stop- pabilities to protect and support our
maybe as high as 3.7 million jobs. Of pers, the dry ice to keep it cold, all of most vulnerable populations.
course, this will disproportionately af- that. Insurance—Medicare covers the And we need a distribution plan that
fect young people just entering the cost of putting the vaccine into some- will provide more predictability when
workforce. That is the biggest category body’s arm. We have even allocated it comes to administering vaccines.
of people who are paid at the low end of money to fund the planning of the exe- That way, we could get more vaccines
the pay scale. So we will just take cution of this plan. into the veterans’ arms as quickly as
away the ladder that these folks need It is pretty clear to me that, in talk- possible.
to step on to in order to build the abil- ing to Pennsylvania healthcare folks Today, we are putting a bicameral
ity to provide for themselves and their who are on the frontlines delivering proposal on the table that delivers tan-
families. this and actually vaccinating people, gible relief to veterans and families
We have a moratorium on evictions that the limiting factor now is produc- and all Americans who need them. As
from the CDC that gets extended. This tion of the vaccine, and we are going we all know, proposals are rarely ever
is unbelievable. First of all, it is absurd all-out. I mean, you could take General perfect, and this package is no dif-
to think that the CDC has the author- Motors and get them to produce ven- ferent.
ity to impose this universally and But the truth is, we have good provi-
SSpencer on DSK126QN23PROD with SENATE
tilators. General Motors can manufac-
throughout America. They just don’t. ture ventilators pretty quickly. They sions in this bill that allow us to pro-
It is also a terrible precedent to say can do that. You can’t get General Mo- vide serious relief to those who swore
that despite the fact that our unem- tors to produce vaccines—not in any- an oath to protect our country. It will
ployment rate is below 7 percent and thing like the timeframe we would slow the spread of the virus, and it will
we have more than replaced lost in- like. help save lives.
come, people don’t have to pay the So I am all ears. If someone can show A previous package that was put
rent. me how we can spend money that will forth by my Republican colleagues—I
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February 4, 2021 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S427
would say, thank you for doing that, I yield the floor. know that any large medical bill can
but unfortunately, that package didn’t I suggest the absence of a quorum. be a shock, and during these uncertain
put as much as a dime to support our The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. times, we can work to lessen that bur-
veterans and families. KING). The clerk will call the roll. den and especially take away that
Now, there are a lot of things we dis- The senior assistant legislative clerk stress on our veterans. That is why our
agree upon in this body, but delivering proceeded to call the roll. plan would provide copayment relief to
for our Nation’s veterans should never Mr. BROWN. Mr. President, I ask all veterans as the pandemic continues.
be one of them. That is why my col- unanimous consent that the order for If a vet were charged a VA copay, re-
leagues and I worked with the Biden the quorum call be rescinded. gardless of whether the care was
administration on this new relief pack- The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without COVID-related or not, that copay
age that allocates $17 billion in critical objection, it is so ordered. would be waived. It would reimburse
resources and assistance to the men The Senator from Ohio. veterans who have already paid their
and women who have served this coun- Mr. BROWN. Mr. President, I joined bills to the VA.
try. some of my colleagues at the White I thank Chairman TESTER and Chair-
The truth is that out of almost 7 mil- House yesterday to talk with President man SCHATZ for their work on this plan
lion veterans that the VA serves na- Biden and Vice President Harris about as many of our Nation’s veterans have
tionwide, only 638,000 veterans have what it will take to make real progress fixed incomes, and it will mean so
been vaccinated so far. Serious efforts against the pandemic and to make a much to them not to have to worry
need to be made to reach more vet- real difference in people’s lives. Our about another medical bill.
erans, especially those veterans who country is in the middle, as we know, Last week, Denis McDonough came
live in rural or country areas. of a once-in-a-generation crisis, and before our Committee on Veterans’ Af-
Additional funding under our pro- this is our opportunity to deliver for fairs. He is the nominee to be the VA
posal allows the VA to increase vaccine them. Secretary. He was asked about a pro-
distribution and outreach efforts to re- Yesterday, I came to the floor to talk posed program that would require mili-
mote areas, ensuring all veterans who about the need for direct stimulus tary borrowers who are coming out of
want a vaccine can receive one. checks and for rental assistance and COVID–19 mortgage forbearance to pay
It even goes a step further in accel- tax cuts for working families and to back their missed payments with inter-
erating the deployment of VA’s supply use the Defense Production Act to get est within 10 years. This VA program
chain modernization initiative to im- more people vaccinated more quickly. would be more expensive than what
prove the Department’s preparedness Today, I am here to talk about the other Federal mortgage programs are
and response to public health emer- critical help in this plan, the Biden offering.
gencies. It takes an aggressive ap- plan, for our Nation’s veterans and Think about that. We charge vet-
proach in assisting vulnerable veterans their families. erans more than others through this
by providing mental health care op- Since the beginning of the pandemic, program. It makes no sense. It would
tions, medical equipment, and addi- 9,300 veterans have died of COVID–19. make it more likely that VA borrowers
tional services to women vets, those at Right now, at least 9,000 veterans are will fall behind on these new, higher
risk of homelessness, and those who sick with this virus. Our plan would en- monthly payments.
face unemployment. sure that frontline VA employees He gave me his word that he would
Make no mistake, this pandemic is would have the protective equipment
taking a dangerous toll on our vet- look into the program and would work
they need to continue to do their jobs with me to ensure that no VA home-
erans. Veterans are experiencing job
every day as they care for our vet- owner is left with a worse option than
losses at unprecedented rates. The vet-
erans. It would help us get more vet- borrowers in other federally backed
eran unemployment rate for December
erans and VA workers vaccinated. We loan programs.
was roughly double what it was this
know that nothing is more critical now We are about to have new leadership
time last year, up from 2.8 percent to
than getting vaccines into people’s at the VA, leadership that understands
5.3 percent. And with older veterans
arms, especially as we face new, more that the decisions made in Washington
continuing to face more difficulty in
contagious variants. So far, the VA has impact veterans in Portland, ME, in
the job market, it makes this package
provided some 800,000 initial doses of Cincinnati, OH, in Columbus, in Day-
even more necessary today.
Our proposal helps tackle veteran un- vaccines to veterans and employees. ton, and in Chillicothe. Veterans in
employment by establishing a VA Additional funding would ramp up both Cleveland and Toledo don’t care how
Rapid Retraining Assistance Program vaccine distribution and COVID treat- the Senate passes this. They don’t care
that will strengthen existing job oppor- ments for those who answer the call to about regular order or reconciliation.
tunities and establish new resources to service. They just want the help that they
get veterans employed and back on In order to continue to meet our Na- need. That is why we need to go big.
their feet. tion’s and veterans’ medical needs, the Veterans care about when they get the
And for folks burdened by healthcare VA has shifted to new methods of car- vaccine, when they can get an appoint-
costs, our provisions waive copayment ing, including expanded telehealth. We ment with their mental health profes-
billing and debt collection, as well as know the need for expanded capabili- sionals, and whether their VA pro-
costs for COVID–19 testing, treatment, ties will only continue to grow. The VA viders have enough personal protective
and vaccine services, because no vet- will need additional funding to meet equipment so they can continue to do
eran should have to worry about choos- veterans’ needs where they are—so their jobs.
ing between accessing essential they can stay home and so they can So I say to my colleagues of both
healthcare and providing for their fam- stay safe whenever possible—and pro- parties: Let’s get this done. There is no
ily during a global pandemic and an vide them with the healthcare they time for squabbling over Senate proce-
economic crisis. have earned. dure. The Senate has used these fast-
When veterans elect officials to Con- In many cases, the VA was able to tracking budget measures over and
gress, they do so with the expectation freeze bills, if you will, to veterans who over in times far less dire and far less
that they will get the job done. So accrued copayments and fees for care stressful than what we face today.
while this proposal is not a silver bul- during the pandemic. That was the That is why it is so important that
let, it is our best shot, however, at get- right move. In discussions with VA we just go back and remember what
Medical Center directors in Ohio, I said Senator MCCONNELL had no problem
SSpencer on DSK126QN23PROD with SENATE
ting more folks vaccinated and our
economy back on track. we should use as much flexibility as with in 2017 during the leader’s first
There should be no excuses. Veterans possible to waive these debts. Some of term. He had no problems pouring
and all Americans are looking at us to these copays and fees amounted to money into corporations’ coffers with
do the right thing. We do need bipar- $2,000 for some vets. For them to have their tax cuts. There was no emer-
tisan support in this Chamber if we are the bills come due right after the holi- gency. The only emergency was that
going to put this pandemic behind us, days was cruel as we were seeing cases lobbyists were lined up out in front of
and we do need it today. spike and uncertainty continue. We Senator MCCONNELL’s office, asking for
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S428 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE February 4, 2021
tax cuts for their corporations. Now VA patients who have died of two workers at that VA hospital were
Senator MCCONNELL claims he can’t af- coronavirus. Although 1 million na- killed while they were doing mainte-
ford to help everyone else. tionwide of our veterans have received nance. It was unnecessary, avoidable,
We didn’t win World War II by wor- vaccinations, there are many, many preventable, but it demonstrated the
rying about whether or not we could more who have not. These vaccines are weaknesses and defects in the con-
afford it. General Eisenhower didn’t reaching the arms of veterans, but the struction that remains in that hos-
call President Roosevelt in early June VA system needs support and the in- pital. It must be remediated and im-
1944 and say: We have enough dollars vestment to do its job. proved. The best way to do it is
for D-day. Of course not. Our veterans Likewise, this pandemic has imposed through a new building, not just a new
know that. They know we are in a mental health burdens on our veterans. exterior, not just cosmetic work but,
global crisis. They know we have mar- The veterans who are shut in—like- truly, an infrastructure program that
shaled all of our vast resources and tal- wise, the veterans who have no homes keeps faith with our veterans.
ent to rise to meet it. Then we grew and veterans in all parts of the coun- There is no excuse for delaying this
the economy, after the war, from the try—have been stressed and strained COVID–19 rescue plan. Delay is uncon-
middle class out, and we paid down the just like everyone else—in fact, maybe scionable. Time is not on our side. We
debt with rising wages. more so. Medical health services avail- need decisive, bold, and big action to
This is a war too. Americans elected able through telemedicine are more meet the needs that our veterans have
new leaders because they were tired of important than ever, but they alone and that all of the American people
a President and a majority leader who are not going to accomplish this pur- have in this time of unique, painful,
refused to treat this war with the same pose. Again, what we have seen in Con- and continuing crisis.
urgency. People are tired of being told necticut through the CBOCs, what is I yield the floor.
that we can’t do it, that we can’t afford accomplished from telemedicine, and I suggest the absence of a quorum.
it, and that we have done enough. Let’s what is provided through counseling all The PRESIDING OFFICER. The
aim higher in this country. Let’s de- show additional investment will clerk will call the roll.
The legislative clerk proceeded to
liver for the people we serve. Let’s produce even better care for our vet-
call the roll.
come together. Let’s pass this. Let’s erans. Mr. MENENDEZ. Mr. President, I ask
make a real difference in Americans’ A lot of our veterans have debts.
unanimous consent that the order for
lives. Some of them are medical debts. They
the quorum call be rescinded.
I suggest the absence of a quorum. need help. This American Rescue Plan The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The provides assistance for them. I have objection, it is so ordered.
clerk will call the roll. been a longtime advocate of extending Mr. MENENDEZ. Mr. President, I
The legislative clerk proceeded to VA healthcare to more veterans. I am come to the floor today to make the
call the roll. proud this plan would allow struggling case that we should invest $10 billion in
Mr. BLUMENTHAL. Mr. President, I veterans to get more healthcare at the the prevention and defeat of COVID–19
ask unanimous consent that the order VA, but relieving veterans from the in the foreign assistance portion of this
for the quorum call be rescinded. burden of medical costs is not enough. budget resolution.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without We need to deliver stimulus payments, For so long as COVID–19 is anywhere,
objection, it is so ordered. unemployment insurance, and aid to it can spread everywhere, directly
Mr. BLUMENTHAL. Mr. President, I small businesses so that we can lift the threatening our national security, our
am honored to follow my colleague broader economic pain brought on by economy, and the health and safety of
Senator BROWN on an issue that should COVID–19. Veterans are part of our the American people.
be close to all of our hearts, which is general population, and those general COVID–19 has devastated the world.
strengthening our VA so that it can programs are part of what we owe To date, there have been nearly 103
provide more assistance, more help, them. million confirmed cases worldwide.
and more support for our Nation’s he- All of these programs need more More than 2 million people have died,
roes. oversight and more vigorous scrutiny including over 450,000 in the United
I had the great opportunity last Sun- as we go forward in order to prevent States.
day to spend time at the West Haven the kind of waste or delay that we have The lockdowns necessitated by the
VA Hospital, where literally thousands seen sometimes in veterans’ programs. pandemic have triggered the worst re-
of vaccines are being administered That is why the funds for the VA would cession since the Great Depression. We
hour by hour to our veterans. Around be directed, in part, to oversight by the must join with our partners and allies
25 percent of the veterans of Con- VA Office of the Inspector General. around the globe to end this scourge
necticut eligible to receive it have had Through oversight by the inspector once and for all.
vaccinations administered to them. general, in combination with rigorous Now, with so many Americans shat-
That 25 percent is way above the 10 congressional oversight, we can ensure tered by the death, disruption, and eco-
percent of the entire population of our that these dollars are being spent effec- nomic devastation unleashed by the
State, and it is a great beginning. tively and in accordance with congres- coronavirus, I am sure more than a few
Under the leadership of Al Montoya at sional priorities in a way that best sup- would question why we should bother
the West Haven VA and his remarkable ports our veterans. spending any resources in the global
team, our Nation’s heroes are receiving A broader plan is also necessary, a fight against COVID–19, let alone $10
the vaccinations they need and de- broader infrastructure plan that will, billion.
serve. More than 8,000 already—and the for example, reconstruct and rehabili- The simple answer is: COVID–19
staff of the VA, 2,500—have received tate the West Haven hospital. It dates knows no borders.
vaccinations. Not all want it, but the from the 1950s. It has a new shell, but The pandemic didn’t start here, but
VA is reaching out to them—literally, its structure is aging and aged, degrad- it came here. The world is in a race
person by person—to ask them to come ing and sometimes, in some ways, de- against COVID–19, and we cannot lose,
and ensure them that this vaccine is crepit. The VA has done a great job of for the longer we allow this virus to
safe and effective. Most assuredly, it is. sustaining and maintaining it, but this spread, the more it will mutate into
So the VA is moving forward, but reconstruction is absolutely necessary. new strains, and the more that it mu-
much more needs to be done. A lot of A capital investment must be made as tates into new strains, the greater the
that VA target population is among
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our VA facilities, our ports and air- threat to the efficacy of our vaccines
the most vulnerable by virtue of age, ports, roads and bridges all are in need and our ability to rebuild our economy
by virtue of preexisting conditions, by of vital repair and reconstruction. That and restore our way of life.
virtue of their service and exposure and is part of the broader plan that must be This $10 billion investment will ramp
comorbidity. That is why this plan, the undertaken. Priority must be given to up American efforts to fight COVID–19
American Rescue Plan, in its distrib- those VA facilities. and stop new variants before they
uting COVID–19 vaccines to veterans, is Just a few months ago, we suffered in reach our shores and cost more Amer-
so critically important. There are 9,000 Connecticut a tragic accident when ican lives.
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February 4, 2021 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S429
It will fund humanitarian assistance globe. We must begin to undo the dam- COVID–19 Vaccines Global Access Fa-
to respond to the suffering inflicted by age to the State Department and cility so that 190 countries in the world
COVID–19 and channel resources to USAID wrought by the Trump adminis- can join together to make sure that ev-
international organizations charged tration and ensure that both agencies eryone gets access to this vaccine, par-
with responding to these challenges have the resources to deal with the ef- ticularly in low- and middle-economic
and preventing further spread. And it fects of COVID–19, including the im- countries that otherwise would be chal-
will support the global race to develop pacts on our foreign service officers lenged. Why? Because those are our
new vaccines. and their families, Embassy oper- values—humanitarian concerns glob-
As Dr. Anthony Fauci publicly stated ations, and lost revenue due to disrup- ally, but it is also in our individual in-
last month, we have to start work now tion of services, even as we look to re- terest because if this virus is not con-
preparing additional vaccines to deal plenish and revive these critical instru- tained in a country, it will get to the
with new and virulent strains of ments for our national security. United States.
COVID–19. So I will end where I began: We can- And as Chairman MENENDEZ said, the
This will require investment both at not hermetically seal ourselves and be- longer this virus goes globally, the
home and abroad. lieve that we can avoid any con- more variants we are going to see and
In addition to our own efforts, we sequences from anyplace across the the tougher it is going to be for us to
must invest in international research globe. Disease, including this one, control the COVID–19 around the world
and development and support tech- knows no boundaries, knows no bor- and in the United States of America.
nology transfers so that vaccines capa- ders. With 104 million infections globally,
ble of protecting us from future Unless and until COVID–19 is this is a global pandemic and requires
variants are produced and made avail- stamped out globally, American lives a global response, and this budget reso-
able quickly around the world. and livelihoods remain at risk. Simply lution gives us the wherewithal in
The package also includes funding for put, our international efforts to stop order to do that.
global health programs that strengthen the spread of COVID–19 abroad are di- And as Senator MENENDEZ has point-
health systems in developing countries. rectly linked to our national and eco- ed out, it is not only to deal with the
As we have learned firsthand, COVID– nomic security at home. direct eradication of the virus, which
19 can overwhelm even the most robust So I urge all of my colleagues to sup- we have to do, but the consequences of
of healthcare systems. For countries port continued relief, recovery, and the virus in world poverty and hunger
with poorer public health infrastruc- prevention efforts by voting in support and those issues that are important for
ture, the challenge is exponentially of the budget resolution. the United States to lead the global
harder. And the longer we allow I yield the floor to my distinguished community in dealing with the after-
COVID–19 to ravage health systems colleague, the senior member of the math of this terrible virus.
around the globe, the longer it will re- Senate Foreign Relations Committee, So I just really wanted to come to
main a threat to the United States. Mr. CARDIN. the floor to underscore there are so
The resolution will also help us pro- The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen- many reasons to support this budget
tect two decades’ worth of investments ator from Maryland. resolution, but the one that I just real-
to combat the spread of HIV/AIDS, tu- Mr. CARDIN. Mr. President, first, let ly wanted to underscore today is that
berculosis, and malaria through the me thank Chairman MENENDEZ, the we are not only dealing with the issues
Global Fund. Specifically, the resolu- chair of the Senate Foreign Relations at home, we are being responsible citi-
tion ensures that lifesaving treatments Committee, for his advocacy in getting zens of the world, leading by example
for those three deadly diseases con- into this budget resolution the $10 bil- and leading by engagement, which will
tinues. lion for the global response to COVID– help the healthcare of the people in
It also provides resources to support 19. America and our national security.
the Global Fund’s newly developed I just want to underscore what Chair- I suggest the absence of a quorum.
COVID–19 response mechanism, allow- man MENENDEZ said from the begin- The PRESIDING OFFICER. The
ing countries to better prevent, care ning: This global response will not only clerk will call the roll.
for, and treat this disease. save lives around the world, it will save The legislative clerk proceeded to
It is hard to recapture the scale of lives here at home. call the roll.
the suffering unleashed by this pan- In 1 year, 450,000 Americans have lost Mr. GRAHAM. Mr. President, I ask
demic, but here is what we know: The their lives to COVID–19; 2.6 million unanimous consent that the order for
number of people facing faminelike worldwide. The United States has the the quorum call be rescinded.
conditions around the world has dou- distinction of having the largest num- The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without
bled, and child malnutrition and death ber of fatalities and infections of any objection, it is so ordered.
rates are on the rise. Through this res- country in the world. Mr. GRAHAM. Mr. President, so as I
olution, we will be able to address the This is a challenge that requires the understand it, some of the Senators
pandemic’s toll on the most vulnerable, leadership of the United States of will come in after I speak. I will talk 10
including children and refugees, by America. If we are going to beat or 15 minutes, and then we will get on
funding organizations such as the COVID–19, America must be in the with the process of voting.
World Food Programme and UNICEF. leadership to do this as quickly and as So, to the American people who may
It will also enable us to help confront efficiently as possible. be watching, what is this all about?
dramatically increased rates of vio- So what does that require? It re- This is an effort by my Democratic col-
lence against women and girls, what quires us to take the right steps at leagues, supported by President Biden,
the United Nations has called the home, and the budget resolution before to pass $1.9 trillion in COVID relief
‘‘shadow pandemic’’ of gender-based vi- us gives us the resources to do that through a budget process that requires
olence. And it will provide urgently with the production and distribution— only 50 votes. It goes around the idea of
needed funding for the World Health fair distribution—of vaccines and deal- bipartisanship.
Organization, which the Biden adminis- ing with the needs for testing, dealing And I would say this: I think all of us
tration rejoined on the President’s first with the needs of those businesses and would like unity. I think President
day in office. individuals who have been directly af- Biden said all the right things in his
We cannot forfeit our seat at the fected by COVID–19, all that is dealt inauguration. The question is, Are we
table to other countries that do not with in this package, but we also need going to do more than talk about
SSpencer on DSK126QN23PROD with SENATE
share our values or our interests. We to work responsibly in the global com- unity?
must engage, and we must lead. munity, and that is what this $10 bil- I can understand having reconcili-
Finally, the resolution will support lion will allow us to do—to be leaders ation used for ObamaCare or for taxes.
ongoing State Department and USAID globally as well as what we do at home. You all did that. We did that. There are
operations that protect Americans President Biden has already taken big philosophical differences. But this
overseas and advance our diplomatic the initial steps by rejoining the World is the one area that there was biparti-
and economic interests around the Health Organization and joining the sanship up until recently. This is the
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S430 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE February 4, 2021
one area where the Congress has been and as of this moment, $2.7 trillion has lower income areas who have suffered
able to work together across party actually been allocated. So there is the most.
lines, and that is providing relief to the over $1.3 trillion that we haven’t spent So there is a lot of concern about the
American people who have been long- yet. Of the $900 billion we authorized to nature of the $1.9 trillion package. De-
suffering under the COVID pandemic. be spent, appropriated in December, tails do matter. But I will just say this:
So I find it odd that if our goal is only 20 percent of it has been spent. I can understand having a fight about
unity, we start with an issue that has So a lot of the money is yet to be healthcare and about taxes, but when
been unified up until now. That is what spent, and now we are going to add $1.9 it comes to COVID relief, we have been
is a bit perplexing because it is not like trillion on top of what we have done able, in the last year, to find biparti-
the Republican Party can’t work with before all the money has been spent or sanship for $4 trillion. And now we are
the Democratic Party to help the most of it has been spent. We created a abandoning that quest, and we are
American people when it comes to Federal Reserve program for midsize going to try to create a process—my
COVID relief. and larger businesses that had a $5.7 Democratic colleagues are—to deal us
We had a Republican President, a trillion cap on it, and we have done $2.6 all out on our side and pass a $1.9 tril-
Democratic-controlled House, and a trillion. lion COVID package that I think in
Republican Senate for the last year. So I think people on our side really many ways misses the mark.
We have appropriated $4 trillion in believe that we should learn more So to say that I am disappointed is
COVID relief for the American people about how the money we have already an understatement. You have the right
working together. So when there was appropriated is being spent and that a to do this. And during the campaign,
divided government—a Republican $15 minimum wage increase in a COVID we talked about what would happen if
President, a Democratic-controlled package is a bad idea during a COVID one party got in charge of everything.
House, and a Republican-controlled economy, and that is what is in this We predicted, on the Republican side, if
Senate—we were able to achieve bipar- package. you have a Democratic President,
tisanship in large measure, dealing Most small businesses in South Caro- Democratic Senate, and a Democratic
with a lot of money, because we saw lina and throughout the country have House, the liberal wish list is going to
the problem as something worthy of bi- been struggling to stay open due to come roaring through the House and
partisanship, necessary for bipartisan- lack of travel. And due to mandates at the Senate, trying to get on President
ship, and COVID was affecting every- the State and local levels reducing the Biden’s desk.
ability to have 100 percent occupancy To President Biden’s credit, I think
body, regardless of political persuasion.
Now we find ourselves early on in the in restaurants, tourism has really been he ran a campaign that was more cen-
Biden administration abandoning that hurt. The service sector has really been trist, but now he has the chance, as
President of the United States, to
model and going forward on a partisan hurt. The food industry has really been
stand down this process and continue
effort to spend $1.9 trillion with one hurt.
Can you imagine the combined effect to talk with the Republicans. I think
party alone without, really, input from
of having the government reduce your there are more than 10 who would like
the other party.
On March 5, 2020, we approved an $8 ability to earn money by restricting to find an alternative to a $1.9 trillion
package that we think misses the mark
billion supplemental appropriation 96 your business model and at the same
and is being appropriated when we
to 1. In March, we were just beginning time adding a mandate to your busi-
haven’t spent most of the money we
to understand the nature of the COVID ness of maybe increasing your wages
have already appropriated.
problem. We shut the country down by 50 percent, maybe 100 percent? So this is the choice you make. This
pretty much in March, and as things So this one-two punch will take out
is the debate we are going to have. It is
became more clear to us, we acted, I what is left of small businesses in the
going to be a long day. It will go into
think, responsibly. tourism sector and the restaurant busi-
the night. Let’s try to keep good cheer
March 18, just a couple of weeks ness because what we have had to do— about it. I understand that we all love
later, we approved, 98 to 8, a $355 bil- some people say we have done too the country, but these kinds of debates
lion package to help families that were much in restricting the ability of small are important, and the choices you
affected by COVID. March 25, just businesses to earn a living, and that is make as a party—we will have to ac-
about a week later, we spent $1.9 tril- having an effect on their ability to gen- cept responsibility for the choices that
lion in a COVID-relief package, which erate income. Now we are combining we all make.
is a massive amount of money—one of an increase in cost of increasing wages And I would just urge my Democratic
the largest expenditures in the history for every business in the country to $15 colleagues, this is one area where I
of the country since World War II—96 an hour over time. They can’t absorb have been relatively proud of the Con-
to nothing. that. gress. We have spent an enormous
So we are now talking about spend- A lot of us believe that is the wrong amount of money in a bipartisan fash-
ing $1.9 trillion in February of 2021, and thing to do in a COVID economy. ion. Some of the most conservative
there seems to be no ability here to ne- Maybe one day we can talk about a Members of the Senate have been vot-
gotiate a package that could get an- minimum wage increase when business ing on pretty large amounts of money
other 90-plus votes because my Demo- can get back on its feet, but that is one because, I think, generally speaking, it
cratic colleagues have chosen the rec- of the reasons that you are going to has been necessary. But now the vac-
onciliation route. find pretty much unified opposition on cine is being distributed. Anything we
April 21, 2020, by voice vote, we spent our side. can do to get it out faster to more peo-
$355 billion to add more money to the So I just want the American people ple, great. Most of the money we have
Paycheck Protection Act that Senator to know, it is one thing to talk about appropriated hasn’t been spent. I would
COLLINS and the Presiding Officer unity, and it is another thing to seek just ask that we slow down a bit.
worked on to help businesses that had it. And you picked the one issue that Whatever we spend in the future
lost their customer base. September 30, we have been able to find common needs to be more targeted. And the last
we had $8 billion, 84 to 10. December 21, ground. Why you did this, I don’t know, thing you want to do in a COVID econ-
2020, we did an omnibus bill of $1.4 tril- but you have. omy is increase the cost of doing busi-
lion funding the government, and we I appreciate President Biden sitting ness at a time when most businesses
had money for COVID in that package, down with 10 Republicans who wanted are barely hanging on in certain sec-
about $900 billion. That passed 92 to 6. to find an alternative. A lot of people
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tors of the economy.
That was Christmas. believe that in this package the direct So I look forward to working with
Here is what I want you to under- payments go to people who really are Senator SANDERS, trying to work
stand. We have, up to now, been able to not going to spend the money because through the amendments. This will be
work together to help the American they haven’t lost their jobs and are a long day, but, hopefully, it will be a
people who have been suffering from making over $150,000 or $200,000-plus as fruitful day for the American people as
COVID. We have appropriated, as I a couple and that we should target di- you understand more about the dif-
have just described, over $4 trillion, rect stimulus checks to people in the ferences that we have. And, eventually,
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February 4, 2021 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S431
maybe we can find something in com- American people are suffering one cri- ing the worst week of the great reces-
mon. sis after another, and we have got to sion in 2008.
If you asked me before the election: address those crises as quickly as we The budget resolution that we are
What are the two areas that biparti- can. considering this week will provide the
sanship would be easiest achieved, Let me briefly—I know there is a lot funding to provide 18 million Ameri-
most likely to be achieved—infrastruc- of media talk about $1.9 trillion, and cans with $400 a week in supplemental
ture, because we all have roads and this, that, and the other thing. Some- unemployment benefits until the end of
bridges and ports, and COVID. So I was times we forget to look at actually September. So we are saying now to
wrong about the COVID part, and time what is in the proposal. What are we the millions and millions of unem-
will tell if it matters at all. trying to do? What are the problems ployed workers in this country, who,
With that, I will yield to my friend that we are trying to address? So let through no fault of their own, have lost
and colleague, the chairman of the me just, very briefly, touch on some of their jobs, we are there for you. We are
committee, Senator SANDERS. the provisions of this budget resolu- going to extend unemployment bene-
Mr. SANDERS. Let me thank my col- tion. fits to September and add another $400
league from South Carolina. And I look First, and perhaps most importantly, on top of the benefits that you nor-
forward to working with him. He is it will enable us to aggressively crush mally would receive.
going to be the ranking member of the the pandemic, which has already taken One of the disgraces that we have al-
Budget Committee. We have a lot of over 450,000 American lives. That is our lowed to go on for so many years, and
work to do, and I look forward to work- top priority: crush the pandemic and not talk about it, is the fact that in
ing with him. allow people to get back to work as we this country—the richest country in
As Senator GRAHAM indicated, in a reopen and strengthen the economy, the history of the world—we have one
few moments, at the end of my re- and we get our kids back to school. of the highest childhood poverty rates
marks, we are going to begin the vote-
That is an essential part of what this of any industrialized country. And they
arama process, where Senators can
resolution is about. are all over America. You have got sin-
offer amendments, with debate limited This resolution will allow us to pro- gle moms and couples, people trying to
to 2 minutes—1 minute for the pro- vide the funding to establish a national take care of their kids, trying to pay
ponents and 1 minute for the oppo- emergency program to produce the for childcare, trying to do all of the
nents.
quantity of vaccines that we need. We things that good parents want to do,
The last time I checked—I may be a
don’t have enough vaccines now. We and they are unable to do it. This budg-
little behind the times on this—my Re-
publican colleagues had filed over 550 need more. And then we need a process, et resolution will provide the resources
amendments, which, theoretically, which we don’t have right now either, necessary to provide childcare to
means that we will be here for days, to get those vaccines into the arms of 875,000 kids in America.
but I think not. I have a feeling it will people as quickly as we possibly can. This resolution will expand the child
At a time when so many of our peo- tax credit from $2,000 to $3,000 and
be a very long night, but I assume we
will get out of here at some point. ple are hurting, have gone through the $3,600 for kids under the age of 6, which
Unfortunately, many of the amend- worst year in their lives as a result of we believe will cut the child poverty
ments being offered have absolutely this pandemic, this budget resolution rate in America in half—something we
nothing to do with COVID relief, will allow us to keep the promises we should have done 20 years ago. That is
which, after all, is what this budget made to the American people and in- what is in this resolution.
resolution is all about. crease the $600 in direct payments for This budget resolution that we are
My Republican colleagues have filed working-class adults and their children debating today would provide $350 bil-
amendments to make President to $2,000. That means $1,400 for every lion to prevent mass layoffs of public
Trump’s tax breaks for the wealthiest working-class adult and child in this sector workers in State and local gov-
people in our country and the most country, an additional $5,600 on top of ernments. We have lost well over 1 mil-
profitable corporations permanent, the 600 bucks that we sent out a few lion jobs—talking about teachers, fire-
which would provide a massive windfall weeks ago. men, cops, municipal workers. This
for the top 1 percent and the billionaire Do you know what that would mean resolution will give States and local
class who have already seen their to millions of families who are worried governments the resources to not lay
wealth go up by over $1 trillion during about whether they can pay the rent or off workers, to bring those workers
this pandemic. In my mind, it is not put food on the table? They will under- back so they could provide the services
exactly the kind of policy that we need stand that maybe, just maybe, we are that their communities and States re-
right now. one country, and the government and quire.
Republicans have filed amendments this Congress has heard their pain. We are the only major country on
to exacerbate the xenophobia, the xen- Passing this budget resolution will Earth not to guarantee healthcare to
ophobia which exists in this country, give us the tools we need to raise the all people as a human right. And, right
despite the fact that many undocu- minimum wage to a living wage of $15 now, over 90 million Americans are ei-
mented workers are doing some of the an hour and provide substantial help to ther uninsured or underinsured. Imag-
most essential and dangerous work in struggling small businesses to help ine being uninsured in the midst of a
our country. They are working in them cover the cost of these wage in- terrible pandemic. That is the case for
meatpacking plants; they are preparing creases. 90 million people.
our food and working on the frontlines, We do understand that restaurants This budget resolution will enable
often with very low pay. We should not and small businesses are hurting, and the Senate to substantially increase
be attacking them. We should not be that is why we will provide billions of access to healthcare for many millions
dividing this country up. We should be dollars to help them cover the cost of of Americans, including, very likely, a
bringing our people together. increasing the minimum wage. significant expansion of Medicaid.
We have had 4 years of efforts to di- But let us be clear, the minimum This budget resolution will allow
vide us up. Now is a time for unity. wage in this country has not been more Americans to receive the primary
Members of the Democratic caucus raised since the year 2007. It now healthcare they need through commu-
have made my life easy in this process stands at $7.25 an hour. That is a star- nity health centers. It will address the
because they have filed zero amend- vation wage. That is an embarrass- serious shortage of doctors and nurses
ment, and that minimum wage must be in rural areas and inner cities by ex-
SSpencer on DSK126QN23PROD with SENATE
ments. Republicans, 550 amendments;
Democrats, 0. I think that speaks to increased so that we can give a pay panding the National Health Service
the strong desire of our entire caucus raise to some 32 million workers. Corps. And it will make sure our vet-
to pass President Biden’s $1.9 trillion Moreover, this pandemic has caused erans receive the healthcare they have
emergency COVID relief plan as soon tens of millions of Americans to lose earned and deserve by increasing fund-
as we possibly can. their jobs through no fault of their ing at the VA by some $17 billion.
The reason we have got to pass that own. For 45 consecutive weeks, unem- In addition, in the wealthiest coun-
plan as quickly as possible is that the ployment claims have been higher dur- try in the history of the world, I don’t
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S432 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE February 4, 2021
think it is saying too much that people people, as Lincoln talked about in the icit over either the period of the total of fis-
should not go hungry. I get emotion- midst of the terrible Civil War. cal years 2021 through 2025 or the period of
ally wrought when, in my own State— So now we can show who we are, and the total of fiscal years 2021 through 2030.
and this is true in every State in this that is, instead of listening to wealthy Ms. SINEMA. Mr. President, I yield
country—in my own city of Burlington, campaign contributors and all of the back all time on both sides.
VT, hundreds of people line up in their lobbyists who flood Capitol Hill, let us The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without
cars to get emergency food packages. stand with working families today, the objection, it is so ordered.
Many of them never, in a million years, elderly, the children, the sick, and the Ms. SINEMA. I ask for the yeas and
would have thought that they would be poor who want us to stand with them. nays.
in that position. Let us pass this budget resolution, and The PRESIDING OFFICER. The
We are looking at the highest rate of let us then finish the job by passing a question is on agreeing to the amend-
hunger in America in decades. And if reconciliation bill so that we can get it ment.
this country means anything, if this to the President for his signature as Is there a sufficient second?
government means anything, we are soon as possible. There appears to be a sufficient sec-
not going to allow our fellow Ameri- With that, I yield the floor. ond.
cans to go hungry. I suggest the absence of a quorum. The clerk will call the roll.
This budget resolution will provide The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. VAN The senior assistant legislative clerk
nutrition assistance to tens of millions HOLLEN). The clerk will call the roll. called the roll.
of hungry families with children, the The legislative clerk proceeded to The result was announced—yeas 90,
disabled, and the elderly by providing call the roll. nays 10, as follows:
billions of dollars for SNAP, WIC, and Mr. SANDERS. Mr. President, I ask [Rollcall Vote No. 14 Leg.]
the pandemic nutrition assistance pro- unanimous consent that the order for YEAS—90
gram. the quorum call be rescinded. Baldwin Grassley Padilla
One of the outstanding crises this The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without Barrasso Hagerty Peters
Bennet Hassan Portman
country faces is the fear of many mil- objection, it is so ordered. Blackburn Hawley Reed
lions of our people of being evicted ORDER OF BUSINESS Blumenthal Heinrich Risch
from their homes or their apartments. Mr. SANDERS. Mr. President, I ask Blunt Hickenlooper Romney
Today, over 14 million Americans owe Booker Hirono Rosen
unanimous consent that the following Boozman Hoeven Rounds
an average of $5,800 in back rent. We amendments be called up in the order Brown Hyde-Smith Rubio
have a moratorium on eviction right listed: Wicker-Sinema No. 261, Tim Burr Inhofe Sanders
now. But the day that moratorium Scott No. 53, Rubio-Scott No. 69, Blunt Cantwell Johnson Schatz
Capito Kaine Schumer
ends, I fear that many, many people all No. 48, Thune No. 52, Young No. 54; fur- Cardin Kelly Scott (SC)
over this country will face eviction. ther, that there be 2 minutes for debate Carper Kennedy Shaheen
That is why this budget resolution will equally divided in the usual form prior Casey King Shelby
provide the funding for rent relief, util- Cassidy Klobuchar Sinema
to each vote. Collins Leahy Smith
ity assistance, and mortgage relief to The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there Coons Luján Stabenow
millions of tenants and homeowners objection? Cornyn Lummis Sullivan
who are in danger of eviction or fore- Without objection, it is so ordered. Cortez Masto Manchin Tester
Cotton Markey Thune
closure. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen- Cramer Marshall Tillis
In addition, this budget resolution al- ator from Arizona is recognized. Crapo McConnell Van Hollen
lows us to address the terrible crisis of AMENDMENT NO. 261
Duckworth Menendez Warner
homelessness in America where, a few Durbin Merkley Warnock
Ms. SINEMA. Mr. President, I call up Ernst Moran Warren
blocks away from here, in bitter cold
amendment No. 261 on behalf of Sen- Feinstein Murkowski Whitehouse
weather, Americans are sleeping out in Fischer Murphy Wicker
ator WICKER and myself and ask that it
tents. Gillibrand Murray Wyden
Not only is this $1.9 trillion emer- be reported by number. Graham Ossoff Young
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The
gency COVID relief package the right NAYS—10
clerk will report the amendment by
thing to do from a moral perspective Braun Lee Toomey
number.
and a public policy perspective, it is Cruz Paul Tuberville
The senior assistant legislative clerk Daines Sasse
exactly what the overwhelming major-
read as follows: Lankford Scott (FL)
ity of the American people want us to
do. They understand that if we are one The Senator from Arizona [Ms. SINEMA], The amendment (No. 261) was agreed
for Mr. WICKER, proposes an amendment to.
country and they are hurting, now is numbered 261.
the time to come together and to ad- The PRESIDING OFFICER (Ms.
dress that pain. The amendment is as follows: ROSEN). The majority leader.
So many of our people have given up (Purpose: To establish a deficit-neutral re- Mr. SCHUMER. I ask unanimous con-
on democracy. They have given up on serve fund relating to establishing a fund sent I be allowed to speak for 1 minute.
to provide grants to food service and drink- The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without
their belief that government can work
ing establishments affected by the COVID- objection, it is so ordered.
to help them. Now is the time to try to 19 pandemic)
reaffirm people’s faith in government. SENATOR MURRAY’S 9,000TH VOTE
At the end of title III, add the following:
People want us to go forward. Ac- Mr. SCHUMER. Madam President, as
SEC. 3lll. DEFICIT-NEUTRAL RESERVE FUND
cording to a recent poll, over 70 percent RELATING TO ESTABLISHING A the Senate proceeds today on its long
of the American people support Presi- FUND TO PROVIDE GRANTS TO string of rollcall votes, I rise at this
dent Biden’s $1.9 trillion COVID–19 FOOD SERVICE AND DRINKING ES- moment to note that this vote is dif-
TABLISHMENTS AFFECTED BY THE
plan, 83 percent support boosting direct COVID–19 PANDEMIC.
ferent than the rest.
payments from $600 to $2,000, 64 percent The Chairman of the Committee on the One of our most beloved, effective
support raising the Federal minimum Budget of the Senate may revise the alloca- Members has just cast her 9,000th roll-
wage to 15 bucks an hour, and 62 per- tions of a committee or committees, aggre- call vote in the course of her career.
cent support additional unemployment gates, and other appropriate levels in this Senator MURRAY, congratulations.
benefits. resolution, and make adjustments to the (Applause, Senators rising.)
In other words, what we are doing is pay-as-you-go ledger, for one or more bills, Mr. SCHUMER. It is a history-mak-
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the right thing to do, and what we are joint resolutions, amendments, amendments ing accomplishment from a truly his-
doing is what the American people between the Houses, motions, or conference tory-making public servant.
reports relating to establishing a fund to
want us to do. So now is the time to re- Madam President, as the Senate pro-
provide grants to food service and drinking
affirm the faith of the American people establishments affected by the COVID–19 ceeds today on its long string of roll-
that their government listens to them; pandemic by the amounts provided in such call votes, I rise at this moment to
that, in fact, we are a government of legislation for those purposes, provided that note that this one is different from the
the people, by the people, and for the such legislation would not increase the def- rest—because, with this vote, our
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February 4, 2021 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S433
friend Senator MURRAY has now Mr. SCOTT of South Carolina. Col- The legislative clerk called the roll.
reached 9,000 rollcall votes over the leagues, as of last month, two out of The result was announced—yeas 50,
course of her career, a history-making every five COVID-related deaths in this nays 50, as follows:
accomplishment from a truly history- country are either residents of nursing [Rollcall Vote No. 15 Leg.]
making public servant. homes or the staff of nursing homes. YEAS—50
Senator MURRAY was elected to this Inaccurate information affects life- Barrasso Graham Portman
Chamber in 1992, the, ‘‘Year of the and-death decisions for communities. Blackburn Grassley Risch
Woman.’’ She began her tenure along- Requiring States to provide accurate Blunt Hagerty Romney
Boozman Hawley Rounds
side Senator FEINSTEIN, who will also data is common sense for anyone who Braun Hoeven Rubio
hit this significant milestone later believes, as I do, that we should have a Burr Hyde-Smith Sasse
today, and two other women in a year science-based, fact-driven response to Capito Inhofe Scott (FL)
Cassidy Johnson
that tripled the number of women who this pandemic. Collins Kennedy
Scott (SC)
served in this chamber, from two to We should not offer more funding to Shelby
Cornyn Lankford
Sullivan
six. States that have mismanaged and then Cotton Lee
Thune
Over the course of her career, she was covered up their pandemic response Cramer Lummis
Crapo Marshall Tillis
the first woman to serve in a number of until they fix it. It simply makes no Cruz McConnell Toomey
positions of Senate leadership, includ- sense. That is why my colleagues Daines Moran Tuberville
ing chair of the Senate Veterans’ Af- should join me in supporting this Ernst Murkowski Wicker
Fischer Paul Young
fairs Committee and chair of the Sen- amendment.
ate Budget Committee. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Who NAYS—50
In her time, she has been a leading yields time in opposition? Baldwin Hickenlooper Reed
voice on the biggest issues, from The Senator from Pennsylvania. Bennet Hirono Rosen
Blumenthal Kaine Sanders
healthcare, to the environment, to Mr. CASEY. Madam President, I have Booker Kelly Schatz
labor rights, pensions, standing up for great respect for my colleague from Brown King Schumer
families and workers everywhere, pos- South Carolina. We are going to serve Cantwell Klobuchar Shaheen
sessing the rare gift of explaining and together on the Aging Committee, Cardin Leahy Sinema
Carper Luján
presenting complex policy with ex- leading the committee. Casey Manchin
Smith
traordinary clarity. I oppose this amendment for some Stabenow
Coons Markey
Tester
As a close member of my leadership basic reasons. No. 1 is he cited the Cortez Masto Menendez
Van Hollen
team, she has been a valued and trust- number of deaths in long-term care fa- Duckworth Merkley
Durbin Murphy Warner
ed partner and a dear friend. cilities across the country. More than Feinstein Murray Warnock
So let us take this moment to recog- 150,000 people are dead in long-term Gillibrand Ossoff Warren
nize Senator MURRAY, a public servant Hassan Padilla Whitehouse
care. The last administration didn’t
Heinrich Peters Wyden
of extraordinary skill, and a Member even count those deaths until May of
we have all been honored to serve 2020, despite efforts by Members of this The amendment (No. 53) was rejected.
alongside for all these years. body to urge the administration to do The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen-
I yield the floor. that. ator from Florida.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen- They never had a plan. They didn’t AMENDMENT NO. 69
ator from South Carolina. help the States. This is an effort, an Mr. RUBIO. Madam President, I call
AMENDMENT NO. 53 ongoing effort, to blame States when up my amendment No. 69 and ask it be
Mr. SCOTT of South Carolina. the Federal Government dropped the reported by number.
Madam President, I call up my amend- ball when it came to long-term care. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without
ment No. 53 and ask that it be reported I think we can do better than that. objection, the clerk will report the
by number. We should be helping nursing homes amendment by number.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The with the resources they need, like re- The legislative clerk read as follows:
clerk will report the amendment by sources for cohorting where you can The Senator from Florida (Mr. RUBIO), for
number. separate a resident with COVID–19 himself and others, proposes an amendment
The senior assistant legislative clerk numbered 69.
from those who don’t have it.
read as follows: We should be providing money for The amendment is as follows:
The Senator from South Carolina (Mr. strike teams in ways to help nursing (Purpose: To establish a deficit-neutral re-
SCOTT of South Carolina) proposes an amend- homes. Let’s reduce the deaths instead serve fund relating to prohibiting legisla-
ment numbered 53. of pointing fingers. tion that would increase taxes on small
The amendment is as follows: Mr. SCOTT of South Carolina. businesses during any period in which a na-
tional emergency has been declared with
(Purpose: To establish a deficit-neutral re- Madam President, how much time do I
respect to a pandemic)
serve fund relating to ensuring the accu- have left on my 60 seconds?
rate reporting of COVID-19 related deaths At the end of title III, add the following:
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen-
of residents or staff at nursing homes) SEC. 3lll. DEFICIT-NEUTRAL RESERVE FUND
ator has 5 seconds. RELATING TO PREVENTING TAX IN-
At the end of title III, add the following: Mr. SCOTT of South Carolina. I look CREASES ON SMALL BUSINESSES
SEC. 3lll. DEFICIT-NEUTRAL RESERVE FUND forward to working with Senator DURING A PANDEMIC.
RELATING TO ENSURING THE ACCU- The Chairman of the Committee on the
RATE REPORTING OF COVID-19 RE-
CASEY on the committee, and he is a
person I have great respect for. Budget of the Senate may revise the alloca-
LATED DEATHS OF RESIDENTS OR
STAFF AT NURSING HOMES. I would simply say that it is the re- tions of a committee or committees, aggre-
The Chairman of the Committee on the gates, and other appropriate levels in this
sponsibility of the Governors of these resolution, and make adjustments to the
Budget of the Senate may revise the alloca- States to report accurate information.
tions of a committee or committees, aggre- pay-as-you-go ledger, for one or more bills,
This is not a political debate. joint resolutions, amendments, amendments
gates, and other appropriate levels in this
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen- between the Houses, motions, or conference
resolution, and make adjustments to the
pay-as-you-go ledger, for one or more bills, ator’s time has expired. reports relating to changes in Federal tax
joint resolutions, amendments, amendments VOTE ON AMENDMENT NO. 53 laws, which may include preventing tax in-
creases on small businesses during any pe-
between the Houses, motions, or conference The PRESIDING OFFICER. The
reports relating to ensuring States accu- riod in which a national emergency has been
question is on agreeing to the amend- declared with respect to a pandemic, by the
rately report COVID-19 deaths, which may
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ment. amounts provided in such legislation for
include conducting investigations and with- Mr. THUNE. I ask for the yeas and
holding funding from States who under- those purposes, provided that such legisla-
nays. tion would not increase the deficit over ei-
report, by the amounts provided in such leg-
islation for those purposes, provided that The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there a ther the period of the total of fiscal years
such legislation would not increase the def- sufficient second? 2021 through 2025 or the period of the total of
icit over either the period of the total of fis- There appears to be a sufficient sec- fiscal years 2021 through 2030.
cal years 2021 through 2025 or the period of ond. Mr. RUBIO. Madam President, this
the total of fiscal years 2021 through 2030. The clerk will call the roll. amendment simply says you can’t raise
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S434 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE February 4, 2021
taxes on small business during the pan- Mr. PAUL. Madam President, I ask served areas are impacted by not going
demic, and I hope everyone can support unanimous consent that the subse- to school.
it. I can’t imagine anyone being quent votes be 10 minutes in duration. Science confirms schools can and
against that idea. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there should reopen safely. Just this week,
I yield the floor. objection? the CDC Director said that vaccines
Mr. THUNE. Madam President, I ask Mr. BROWN. Madam President, re- aren’t even a prerequisite to getting
for the yeas and nays. serving the right to object, I would like kids back to school. There shouldn’t be
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there a to ask Senator PAUL, in front of every- any further delay. This amendment
sufficient second? body, to start wearing a mask on the does include teachers vaccines as part
There appears to be a sufficient sec- Senate floor, like the entire staff does of the criteria; but with vaccines, we
ond. all the time—particularly the staff. should get back to in-person school.
The yeas and nays are ordered. And I appreciate now the Presiding Of- The case is strong. I urge my col-
I recognize the Senator from ficer is wearing a mask, but I wish Sen- leagues to vote for this amendment.
Vermont. ator PAUL would show respect to his The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen-
Mr. SANDERS. Madam President,
colleagues to wear a mask while he is ator from Washington.
there are no tax increases on small
on the Senate floor walking around. Mrs. MURRAY. Madam President,
business in this. We support the Rubio
I withdraw my objection. the role of Federal funding to schools
amendment.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there for COVID relief is to help support our
Mr. GRAHAM. Do it by voice vote?
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Does the objection to the request from the Sen- schools in implementing public health
Senator want to yield back time? ator from Kentucky? protocols aligned with local public
Mr. SANDERS. Yes. We yield back The objection is withdrawn. health guidance in order to safely re-
time. We support a voice vote. Without objection, it is so ordered. open.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. All time The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen- The President has made clear that he
is yielded back. ator from Missouri. would like the vast majority of K–8
The yeas and nays were previously AMENDMENT NO. 48 schools to reopen in the next 100 days,
ordered. Mr. BLUNT. Madam President, I call but any amendment offered today at-
Mr. CARDIN. Madam President, I ask up my amendment No. 48 and ask that taching extraneous conditions to those
unanimous consent that the rollcall be it be reported by number. funds is simply a political show. If we
dispensed with and we use voice votes. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The withhold funds and schools cannot im-
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there clerk will report the amendment by plement health safety protocols, then
objection? number. we are acting counter to actually get-
Without objection, it is so ordered. The bill clerk read as follows: ting students back into the classroom.
The question is on agreeing to the The Senator from Missouri [Mr. BLUNT] Making sure our Nation’s educators
Rubio amendment. proposes an amendment numbered 48. receive a vaccine is an important step;
Mr. SCHUMER. Madam President, I however, vaccinations are just one
ask for the yeas and nays. The amendment is as follows:
piece of safely transitioning back.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there a (Purpose: To establish a deficit-neutral re- Safely reopening schools means pro-
sufficient second? serve fund relating to prohibiting the pro-
viding schools the resources to imple-
There appears to be a sufficient sec- vision of COVID–19 related kindergarten
through grade 12 emergency relief to ment public health protocols, physical
ond. distancing, consistent mask-wearing,
The yeas and nays are ordered. schools that do not reopen for in-person
learning after the teachers of such schools ventilation, testing, and contact trac-
The clerk will call the roll.
are vaccinated against COVID–19) ing. This amendment would prohibit
The legislative clerk called the roll.
The result was announced—yeas 100, At the end of title III, add the following: schools from getting critical resources
nays 0, as follows: SEC. 3lll. DEFICIT-NEUTRAL RESERVE FUND to implement those public health pro-
RELATING TO PROVIDING COVID–19 tocols, and, as a result, this amend-
[Rollcall Vote No. 16 Leg.] RELATED EMERGENCY RELIEF TO ment would make that much harder for
YEAS—100 SCHOOLS.
schools to reopen for in-person instruc-
Baldwin Hagerty Portman The Chairman of the Committee on the
Barrasso Hassan Reed Budget of the Senate may revise the alloca- tion.
Bennet Hawley Risch tions of a committee or committees, aggre- The best way for our schools to re-
Blackburn Heinrich Romney gates, and other appropriate levels in this open as soon as possible is to give
Blumenthal Hickenlooper Rosen schools the resources they need. I urge
resolution, and make adjustments to the
Blunt Hirono Rounds
Booker Hoeven
pay-as-you-go ledger, for one or more bills, my colleagues to oppose this amend-
Rubio joint resolutions, amendments, amendments
Boozman Hyde-Smith Sanders
ment.
Braun Inhofe between the Houses, motions, or conference Mr. BLUNT. Madam President, may I
Sasse
Brown Johnson reports relating to supporting schools, stu-
Burr Kaine
Schatz have additional time?
Schumer
dents, and their families, which may include
Cantwell Kelly limiting or prohibiting the provision of The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen-
Scott (FL)
Capito Kennedy
Scott (SC) COVID–19 related kindergarten through ator has 2 seconds.
Cardin King Mr. BLUNT. Vote yes on this amend-
Carper Klobuchar Shaheen grade 12 emergency relief to schools that do
Casey Lankford Shelby not reopen for in-person learning after the ment.
Cassidy Leahy Sinema teachers of such schools are vaccinated, by VOTE ON AMENDMENT NO. 48
Collins Lee Smith the amounts provided in such legislation for
Coons Luján Stabenow those purposes, provided that such legisla-
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The
Cornyn Lummis Sullivan tion would not increase the deficit over ei- question is on agreeing to the amend-
Cortez Masto Manchin Tester ther the period of the total of fiscal years ment.
Cotton Markey Thune
Cramer Marshall
2021 through 2025 or the period of the total of Mr. THUNE. I ask for the yeas and
Tillis
Crapo McConnell Toomey
fiscal years 2021 through 2030. nays.
Cruz Menendez Tuberville Mr. BLUNT. Madam President, I am The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there a
Daines Merkley sufficient second?
Duckworth Moran
Van Hollen offering an amendment today to reopen
Warner our Nation’s schools once teachers are There appears to be a sufficient sec-
Durbin Murkowski
Warnock
Ernst Murphy vaccinated and the potential for tying ond.
Warren
Feinstein Murray COVID funding to that reopening. The clerk will call the roll.
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Fischer Ossoff Whitehouse
Gillibrand Padilla Wicker The evidence is clear, school closures The legislative clerk called the roll.
Graham Paul Wyden are hurting students, prolonged remote The result was announced—yeas 50,
Grassley Peters Young nays 50, as follows:
learning puts kids where they are at
The amendment (No. 69) was agreed high risk of falling behind, of failing [Rollcall Vote No. 17 Leg.]
to. classes, and of having mental health YEAS—50
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen- problems. And even a greater number Barrasso Blunt Braun
ator from Kentucky. of students with disabilities in under- Blackburn Boozman Burr
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February 4, 2021 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S435
Capito Hoeven Romney professionals who travel from other (Purpose: To establish a deficit-neutral re-
Cassidy Hyde-Smith Rounds serve fund relating to preventing legisla-
Collins Inhofe Rubio
States to help during the COVID crisis
who now may be facing a surprise big, tion that would allow illegal immigrants
Cornyn Johnson Sasse to receive Economic Impact Payments or
Cotton Kennedy Scott (FL) fat tax bill.
Cramer Lankford any other similar direct, tax-based tem-
Scott (SC) Mobile workers generally have to file
Crapo Lee Shelby
porary financial assistance)
Cruz Lummis Sullivan
tax returns in multiple States, as tax At the end of title III, add the following:
Daines Marshall
Thune rules often differ, and with COVID, SEC. 3lll. DEFICIT-NEUTRAL RESERVE FUND
Ernst McConnell
Fischer Moran
Tillis many employers had their employees RELATING TO PREVENTING LEGIS-
Toomey begin working from home, presenting a LATION THAT WOULD ALLOW ILLE-
Graham Murkowski GAL IMMIGRANTS TO RECEIVE ECO-
Grassley Paul Tuberville possible tax problem for workers who
Wicker NOMIC IMPACT PAYMENTS OR ANY
Hagerty Portman live in a different State than the one OTHER SIMILAR DIRECT, TAX-
Hawley Risch Young
they work in. BASED, TEMPORARY FINANCIAL AS-
NAYS—50 SISTANCE.
This amendment would address these The Chairman of the Committee on the
Baldwin Hickenlooper Reed challenges. It would create a uniform
Bennet Hirono Rosen Budget of the Senate may revise the alloca-
Blumenthal Kaine Sanders
standard for mobile workers, codify the tions of a committee or committees, aggre-
Booker Kelly Schatz prepandemic status quo for remote gates, and other appropriate levels in this
Brown King Schumer workers, and establish a special 90-day resolution, and make adjustments to the
Cantwell Klobuchar pay-as-you-go ledger, for one or more bills,
Cardin Leahy
Shaheen standard for healthcare workers and
Sinema others who traveled to another State joint resolutions, amendments, amendments
Carper Luján Smith
Casey Manchin to help during the pandemic and to en- between the Houses, motions, or conference
Stabenow reports relating to changes in Federal tax
Coons Markey sure that these workers don’t face an
Tester laws, which may include provisions limiting
Cortez Masto Menendez
Duckworth Merkley
Van Hollen unexpected tax bill. or preventing illegal immigrants from re-
Warner
Durbin Murphy I would ask that we adopt the amend- ceiving Economic Impact Payments or other
Feinstein Murray Warnock
Warren ment. similar direct, tax-based temporary financial
Gillibrand Ossoff
Whitehouse The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen- assistance, by the amounts provided in such
Hassan Padilla
Wyden legislation for those purposes, provided that
Heinrich Peters ator from Ohio. such legislation would not increase the def-
The amendment (No. 48) was rejected. Mr. BROWN. Mr. President, I want to icit over either the period of the total of fis-
The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. thank my friend, the senior Senator cal years 2021 through 2025 or the period of
WARNOCK). The Senator from South Da- from South Dakota, for working with the total of fiscal years 2021 through 2030.
kota. me on this. We have been working on Mr. YOUNG. Mr. President, I rise
AMENDMENT NO. 52, AS MODIFIED this for a full decade now. We worked today in support of my amendment to
Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, I ask together in the Ag Committee to de- ensure that any new round of economic
unanimous consent that my amend- liver for America’s farmers. I want to impact payments does not go to those
ment No. 52 be called up, as modified, take the same approach here. in this country illegally.
and reported by number. Healthcare workers, as my friend It would establish a dangerous prece-
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The from South Dakota said, have been on dent if the Federal Government were to
clerk will report the amendment by the frontlines of this pandemic going give a direct cash payment to those
number. on for a year now. Not only are they who have jumped the line and sub-
The bill clerk read as follows: combating this virus in their own com- verted our Nation’s immigration sys-
The Senator from South Dakota [Mr. munity; many of them have traveled tem to enter the United States.
THUNE] proposes an amendment numbered 52, across State lines, obviously, to do Now, I want to emphasize that this
as modified. this. amendment is not a change. It is not a
The amendment, as modified, is as A surprise tax bill is the last thing change from the way this body has ap-
follows: they need. We should make it easier for proached EIPs during the last two
(Purpose: To establish a deficit-neutral re- these mobile workers to support them- rounds. Moreover, it does not affect the
serve fund relating to the authority of selves and their family. important fix that Congress imple-
States or other taxing jurisdictions to tax mented, with the leadership of Mr.
certain income of employees for employ-
This is important to a lot of my col-
RUBIO, in December to ensure mixed-
ment duties performed in other States or leagues. Senator HASSAN, Senator SHA-
status families are not negatively im-
taxing jurisdictions) HEEN, Senator CORTEZ MASTO, and I
pacted.
At the end of title III, add the following: just talked about it. I thank all of you
This amendment would simply make
SEC. 3lll. DEFICIT-NEUTRAL RESERVE FUND for working to make this progress pos-
certain that Democrats do not loosen
RELATING TO THE AUTHORITY OF sible.
STATES AND OTHER TAXING JURIS- the existing eligibility requirements
DICTIONS TO TAX CERTAIN INCOME
Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, I thank moving forward if there is a new round
OF EMPLOYEES WORKING IN OTHER the Senator from Ohio, and I would ask of EIPs.
STATES OR TAXING JURISDICTIONS. that this amendment be adopted by The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen-
The Chairman of the Committee on the voice. ator from Illinois.
Budget of the Senate may revise the alloca-
tions of a committee or committees, aggre- VOTE ON AMENDMENT NO. 52, AS MODIFIED Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, let me
gates, and other appropriate levels in this The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clarify something at the outset. Un-
resolution, and make adjustments to the question is on agreeing to the amend- documented immigrants do not qualify
pay-as-you-go ledger, for one or more bills, ment. for stimulus relief under current law or
joint resolutions, amendments, amendments any proposal by the Biden administra-
between the Houses, motions, or conference
The amendment (No. 52), as modified,
tion. This amendment is unnecessary.
reports relating to the authority of States or was agreed to.
There are estimated to be 11 million
other taxing jurisdictions to tax certain in- The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen- undocumented immigrants in the
come of employees for employment duties ator from Indiana. United States, 71⁄2 million ITINs. These
performed in other States or taxing jurisdic-
AMENDMENT NO. 54 are men and women working in the
tions by the amounts provided in such legis-
lation for those purposes, provided that such Mr. YOUNG. Mr. President, I call up United States, paying Federal taxes,
legislation would not increase the deficit amendment No. 54 and ask that it be living in this country.
We can save the debate for another
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over either the period of the total of fiscal reported by number.
years 2021 through 2025 or the period of the
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The day as to their entitlement for any fi-
total of fiscal years 2021 through 2030. nancial relief, but let me hope that we
clerk will report the amendment.
Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, one sig- do agree on one basic thing: Children
The legislative clerk read as follows:
nificant thing we could do to provide who are legal citizens in the United
genuine relief to Americans is to ad- The Senator from Indiana [Mr. YOUNG] pro- States of America are entitled to help,
dress the tax situation facing remote poses an amendment numbered 54. regardless of the immigration status of
and mobile workers, like the medical The amendment is as follows: their parents.
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S436 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE February 4, 2021
Unfortunately, Senator YOUNG’s The senior assistant legislative clerk Mr. SANDERS. Mr. President, I ask
amendment, as written, would preclude read as follows: unanimous consent to speak for 30 sec-
these children of immigrant parents The Senator from West Virginia (Mr. onds.
from this financial assistance. Whether MANCHIN) proposes an amendment numbered The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen-
you are for or against their parents re- 775. ator is recognized.
ceiving a payment, be fair to these The amendment is as follows: Mr. SANDERS. I do not oppose this
American children, these legal citizens (Purpose: To establish a deficit-neutral re- amendment. I don’t think anybody
in the United States, and vote no on serve fund relating to targeting economic here wants to see people making
the Young amendment. impact payments to Americans who are $300,000 or $400,000 get direct payments.
Mr. YOUNG. Mr. President, how suffering from the effects of COVID–19, in- But let me be very clear, speaking for
much time do I have to respond? cluding provisions to ensure upper-income myself. I absolutely want to make cer-
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Five sec- taxpayers are not eligible) tain that people who are making $75,000
onds. At the end of title III, add the following: a year or less do get their payments
Mr. YOUNG. Mr. President, we have SEC. 3lll. DEFICIT-NEUTRAL RESERVE FUND and couples making $150,000 a year or
consulted with legal counsel. The gen- RELATING TO TARGETING ECO-
NOMIC IMPACT PAYMENTS TO
less do get their payments.
tleman from Illinois’ statements, as- AMERICANS WHO ARE SUFFERING I yield the floor.
sertions are inaccurate. This would not FROM THE EFFECTS OF COVID–19. VOTE ON AMENDMENT NO. 775
impact mixed-status families. The Chairman of the Committee on the The PRESIDING OFFICER. The
I encourage my colleagues on both Budget of the Senate may revise the alloca- question is on agreeing to the amend-
sides of the aisle to vote aye on this tions of a committee or committees, aggre-
ment.
amendment. gates, and other appropriate levels in this
resolution, and make adjustments to the
Mr. WHITEHOUSE. I ask for the yeas
VOTE ON AMENDMENT NO. 54 and nays.
pay-as-you-go ledger, for one or more bills,
I ask for the yeas and nays. joint resolutions, amendments, amendments The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there a
Mr. DURBIN. Do I have any time re- between the Houses, motions, or conference sufficient second?
maining? reports relating to targeting economic im- There appears to be a sufficient sec-
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there a pact payments to Americans who are suf- ond.
sufficient second? fering from the effects of COVID–19, includ- The clerk will call the roll.
There appears to be a sufficient sec- ing provisions to ensure upper-income tax- The senior assistant legislative clerk
ond. payers are not eligible, by the amounts pro- called the roll.
The clerk will call the roll. vided in such legislation for those purposes,
The result was announced—yeas 99,
The bill clerk called the roll. provided that such legislation would not in-
The result was announced—yeas 58, crease the deficit over either the period of nays 1, as follows:
nays 42, as follows: the total of fiscal years 2021 through 2025 or [Rollcall Vote No. 19 Leg.]
[Rollcall Vote No. 18 Leg.] the period of the total of fiscal years 2021 YEAS—99
through 2030. Baldwin Grassley Peters
YEAS—58
Barrasso Hassan Risch
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen- Barrasso Hagerty Portman
Bennet Hassan Reed
Blackburn Hawley Romney ator from West Virginia. Blackburn Hawley Risch
Blunt Hickenlooper Rounds Mr. MANCHIN. Mr. President, Amer- Blumenthal Heinrich Romney
Boozman Hoeven Rubio ican families in every corner of our Blunt Hickenlooper Rosen
Braun Hyde-Smith Sasse Booker Hirono Rounds
Burr Inhofe country are struggling right now, and I
Scott (FL) Boozman Hoeven Rubio
Capito Johnson Scott (SC)
don’t think a single person on this Braun Hyde-Smith Sanders
Cassidy Kelly Shelby floor would disagree that the decent, Brown Inhofe Sasse
Collins Kennedy
Cornyn Lankford
Sinema compassionate thing is for us to target Burr Johnson Schatz
Stabenow relief to our neighbors struggling every Cantwell Kaine Schumer
Cotton Lee Capito Kelly Scott (FL)
Sullivan
Cramer Lummis day to get by, to the families who are Cardin Kennedy Scott (SC)
Crapo Manchin Tester
Thune struggling to pay rent and put food on Carper King Shaheen
Cruz Marshall Casey Klobuchar Shelby
Daines McConnell Tillis the table. This $1,400 will make a sig-
Cassidy Lankford Sinema
Ernst Moran Toomey nificant impact on their ability to get Collins Leahy Smith
Fischer Murkowski Tuberville by. These families need our support Coons Lee Stabenow
Graham Paul Wicker
Grassley Peters Young
right now. Cornyn Luján Sullivan
Still, there are other families who Cortez Masto Lummis Tester
Hagerty Portman Cotton Manchin Thune
have not missed a single paycheck as a Cramer Markey Tillis
NAYS—42
result of this pandemic. It does not Crapo Marshall Toomey
Baldwin Gillibrand Padilla
Bennet Heinrich Reed
make sense to send a check to those in- Cruz McConnell Tuberville
Daines Menendez Van Hollen
Blumenthal Hirono Rosen dividuals who are still working, earn- Duckworth Merkley Warner
Booker Kaine Sanders ing a decent living over the wages that Durbin Moran Warnock
Brown King Schatz we talked about. Ernst Murkowski Warren
Cantwell Klobuchar Schumer Feinstein Murphy Whitehouse
Cardin Leahy Shaheen My bipartisan amendment would
Fischer Murray Wicker
Carper Luján Smith simply ensure those Americans who are Gillibrand Ossoff Wyden
Casey Markey Van Hollen truly struggling through no fault of Graham Padilla Young
Coons Menendez Warner
Cortez Masto Merkley Warnock
their own— NAYS—1
Duckworth Murphy Warren The PRESIDING OFFICER. Thirty
Paul
Durbin Murray Whitehouse seconds.
Feinstein Ossoff Wyden Mr. MANCHIN. Are given the support The amendment (No. 775) was agreed
The amendment (No. 54) was agreed they need during this difficult time. to.
to. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen- The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen-
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen- ator from Maine. ator from Pennsylvania.
ator from West Virginia. Ms. COLLINS. Mr. President, the AMENDMENT NO. 553
AMENDMENT NO. 775 question before us is quite simple: Do Mr. TOOMEY. Mr. President, I call
Mr. MANCHIN. Mr. President, I call we want stimulus checks to go to up my amendment No. 553 and ask that
up amendment No. 775 and ask that it households with family incomes of it be reported by number.
SSpencer on DSK126QN23PROD with SENATE
be reported by number. $300,000 or do we want to target the as- The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without
I also ask for unanimous consent sistance to struggling families who objection, the clerk will report the
that the time be split between myself need the help and provide a boost for amendment by number.
and the Senator from Maine. the economy? The senior assistant bill clerk read as
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without I urge my colleagues to support the follows:
objection, it is so ordered. Manchin-Collins amendment. The Senator from Pennsylvania (Mr.
The clerk will report the amendment The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen- TOOMEY), for himself and others, proposes an
by number. ator from Vermont. amendment numbered 553.
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February 4, 2021 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S437
The amendment is as follows: radical idea: Why doesn’t Congress do The Senator from Maryland [Mr. CARDIN]
its own work and fix this broken immi- proposes an amendment numbered 716.
(Purpose: To establish a deficit-neutral re-
serve fund relating to ensuring that State gration system once and for all, in- The amendment is as follows:
and local law enforcement are permitted to stead of blaming local police depart- (Purpose: To establish a deficit-neutral re-
cooperate with Federal officials to enforce ments? serve fund relating to COVID–19 vaccine
Federal law) VOTE ON AMENDMENT NO. 553
administration and a public awareness
At the end of title III, add the following: campaign)
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The
SEC. 3lll. DEFICIT-NEUTRAL RESERVE FUND At the end of title III, add the following:
question is on agreeing to the Toomey
RELATING TO ALLOWING STATE AND SEC. 3lll. DEFICIT-NEUTRAL RESERVE FUND
LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT CO- amendment. RELATING TO COVID–19 VACCINE
OPERATION. Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, I ask for ADMINISTRATION AND A PUBLIC
The Chairman of the Committee on the the yeas and nays. AWARENESS CAMPAIGN.
Budget of the Senate may revise the alloca- The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there a The Chairman of the Committee on the
tions of a committee or committees, aggre- sufficient second? Budget of the Senate may revise the alloca-
gates, and other appropriate levels in this There appears to be a sufficient sec- tions of a committee or committees, aggre-
resolution, and make adjustments to the ond. gates, and other appropriate levels in this
pay-as-you-go ledger, for one or more bills, resolution, and make adjustments to the
The clerk will call the roll.
joint resolutions, amendments, amendments pay-as-you-go ledger, for one or more bills,
The senior assistant bill clerk called joint resolutions, amendments, amendments
between the Houses, motions, or conference
reports relating to reducing Federal funding
the roll. between the Houses, motions, or conference
by any of the committees instructed in sec- The result was announced—yeas 50, reports relating to strengthening and im-
tion 2002 for any State or political subdivi- nays 50, as follows: proving the process of distributing COVID–19
sion of a State that prohibits its local offi- The result was announced—yeas 50, vaccines to States, which may include sup-
cials from cooperating with Federal officials nays 50, as follows: porting States in implementing a trans-
to enforce Federal law, by the amounts pro- [Rollcall Vote No. 20 Leg.] parent and consistent vaccine administra-
vided in such legislation for those purposes, YEAS—50 tion program and bolstering States’ public
provided that such legislation would not in- awareness campaigns to increase awareness
Barrasso Graham Portman
crease the deficit over either the period of and knowledge of the safety and effective-
Blackburn Grassley Risch
the total of fiscal years 2021 through 2025 or Blunt Hagerty ness of COVID–19 vaccines (particularly
Romney
the period of the total of fiscal years 2021 Boozman Hawley Rounds
among vulnerable communities, including
through 2030. Braun Hoeven Rubio ethnic minority populations), by the
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen- Burr Hyde-Smith Sasse amounts provided in such legislation for
Capito Inhofe Scott (FL) those purposes, provided that such legisla-
ator from Pennsylvania. Cassidy Johnson tion would not increase the deficit over ei-
Scott (SC)
Mr. TOOMEY. Mr. President, this Collins Kennedy ther the period of the total of fiscal years
Shelby
amendment would allow withholding of Cornyn Lankford
Sullivan 2021 through 2025 or the period of the total of
community development block grants Cotton Lee
Cramer Lummis
Thune fiscal years 2021 through 2030.
and Economic Development Act fund- Crapo Marshall Tillis
Mr. CARDIN. Mr. President, I would
ing from States and municipalities Cruz McConnell Toomey
Tuberville ask unanimous consent that 30 seconds
that prohibit local police from cooper- Daines Moran
Ernst Murkowski Wicker of my time be devoted to Senator
ating with Federal officials to enforce Fischer Paul Young PORTMAN.
Federal law. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without
It is important to note it would not NAYS—50
objection, it is so ordered.
affect any security-related funds. Baldwin Hickenlooper Reed
Mr. CARDIN. I thank Senator
It is important because sanctuary Bennet Hirono Rosen
Blumenthal Kaine Sanders PORTMAN and Senator MENENDEZ for
cities, like San Francisco and Philadel- Booker Kelly Schatz cosponsoring this amendment. Each of
phia, in my State, have radical policies Brown King Schumer our States has challenges in the ade-
that actually forbid the local police Cantwell Klobuchar Shaheen quacy and fairness of vaccine distribu-
from cooperating with Federal immi- Cardin Leahy Sinema
Carper Luján Smith
tion systems. This amendment would
gration officials, even when the local Casey Manchin provide that there would be State and
Stabenow
police would like to cooperate. Coons Markey
Tester Federal support to the States for im-
These policies are dangerous. They Cortez Masto Menendez
Van Hollen
Duckworth Merkley plementing a transparent and con-
cost us time and money. But most im- Warner
Durbin Murphy sistent vaccine administration pro-
portantly, by far, is the tragic cost to Feinstein Murray Warnock
Warren gram and bolstering States’ awareness
human beings, people like Kate Gillibrand Ossoff
Hassan Padilla Whitehouse campaigns to increase awareness and
Steinle, killed by an illegal immigrant
who opened fire on a San Francisco Heinrich Peters Wyden knowledge of the safety and effective-
pier. The amendment (No. 553) was re- ness of COVID–19 vaccines, particularly
This shooter had been convicted of jected. among vulnerable communities, in-
seven felonies, been deported five The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. cluding ethnic minority populations.
times. Why was he on the pier that KAINE). The Senator from Vermont. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen-
night? Because San Francisco chose to Mr. SANDERS. Mr. President, I ask ator from Ohio.
unanimous consent that it be in order Mr. PORTMAN. Mr. President, I
release him rather than cooperate with
to call up the following amendments in strongly support this amendment. The
Federal authorities that wanted to
the order listed and that the amend- most important thing we can do right
take him off the streets.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen- ments be reported by number: Cardin now is to get the vaccines distributed.
ator’s time is expired. No. 716; Barrasso No. 653; Sasse No. 192; One of the problems we have is that
The majority whip. Graham No. 687; Ernst No. 132; Collins about 40 percent of Americans are still
Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, commu- No. 546; and Shaheen No. 834. saying they are uncomfortable getting
nity policing is not a one-size-fits-all The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there the vaccine. Part of that is because we
approach. The Congress and the admin- an objection? haven’t been able to get a proper public
istration should respect the judgment Without objection, it is so ordered. awareness campaign out there—not
of local leaders when it comes to iden- The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen- with politicians but with folks with
tifying public safety needs. ator from Maryland. white coats and people who are re-
Hundreds of cities and counties have AMENDMENT NO. 716 spected and trusted on this issue—to
say it is necessary for us because these
SSpencer on DSK126QN23PROD with SENATE
decided they don’t want to be immigra- Mr. CARDIN. Mr. President, I call up
tion police. Why? Because their re- my amendment No. 716 and ask that it are safe and effective, and by getting
sources are stretched thin, and doing be reported by number. these vaccines in place, we can turn
so will deter people from reporting The PRESIDING OFFICER. The things around.
crime and cooperating with police in- clerk will report the amendment by I support the amendment.
vestigation. number. VOTE ON AMENDMENT NO. 716
Instead of laying off this responsi- The senior assistant legislative clerk Mr. CARDIN. I ask for the yeas and
bility to local government, I have got a read as follows: nays.
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S438 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE February 4, 2021
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there a tions of a committee or committees, aggre- [Rollcall Vote No. 22 Leg.]
sufficient second? gates, and other appropriate levels in this YEAS—98
There appears to be a sufficient sec- resolution, and make adjustments to the Baldwin Grassley Portman
ond. pay-as-you-go ledger, for one or more bills, Barrasso Hagerty Reed
joint resolutions, amendments, amendments Bennet Hassan Risch
The yeas and nays are ordered.
between the Houses, motions, or conference Blackburn Hawley Romney
Who yields time in opposition? reports relating to supporting elementary Blumenthal Heinrich Rosen
Mr. THUNE. I yield back time. and secondary schools in States with lost Blunt Hickenlooper Rounds
The PRESIDING OFFICER. All time revenue due to the Federal moratorium on Booker Hirono Rubio
is yielded. Boozman Hoeven Sanders
oil and natural gas leasing on public lands Braun Hyde-Smith
The question is on agreeing to the and offshore waters by the amounts provided Brown Inhofe
Sasse
amendment. in such legislation for those purposes, pro- Schatz
Burr Johnson Schumer
The yeas and nays are ordered. vided that such legislation would not in- Cantwell Kaine
Scott (FL)
The clerk will call the roll. crease the deficit over either the period of Capito Kelly
Scott (SC)
the total of fiscal years 2021 through 2025 or Cardin Kennedy
The senior assistant legislative clerk Carper King
Shaheen
called the roll. the period of the total of fiscal years 2021 Shelby
Casey Klobuchar
The result was announced—yeas 100, through 2030. Cassidy Lankford
Sinema
Collins Leahy Smith
nays 0, as follows: Mr. BARRASSO. Mr. President, my Stabenow
Coons Luján
[Rollcall Vote No. 21 Leg.] amendment addresses the serious im- Cornyn Lummis Sullivan
YEAS—100 pacts of the Biden administration mor- Cortez Masto Manchin Tester
Thune
Baldwin Hagerty Portman atorium on oil and natural gas leases Cotton Markey
Tillis
Cramer Marshall
Barrasso Hassan Reed and the impact on Federal lands and Crapo McConnell Toomey
Bennet Hawley Risch waters. Tuberville
Blackburn Heinrich Cruz Menendez
Romney Van Hollen
Blumenthal Hickenlooper Wyoming and many States across the Daines Merkley
Rosen Duckworth Moran Warner
Blunt Hirono Rounds West have Federal land where there is Durbin Murkowski Warnock
Booker Hoeven
Boozman Hyde-Smith
Rubio oil and gas development. The revenue Ernst Murphy Warren
Sanders generated from the lease sales goes to Feinstein Murray Whitehouse
Braun Inhofe
Sasse Fischer Ossoff Wicker
Brown Johnson
Schatz
States, which use it for essential serv-
Burr Kaine Gillibrand Padilla Wyden
Schumer ices. Graham Peters Young
Cantwell Kelly
Capito Kennedy Scott (FL) One of the many crushing con- NAYS—2
Cardin King Scott (SC) sequences of the moratorium is elimi-
Carper Klobuchar Shaheen Lee Paul
Shelby nating hundreds of millions of dollars
Casey Lankford The amendment (No. 653) was agreed
Cassidy Leahy Sinema for K–12 education for students, fund-
Collins Lee Smith ing all of these States. In 2019 alone, to.
Coons Luján Stabenow revenues from oil and gas contributed The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen-
Cornyn Lummis Sullivan
$740 million to Wyoming’s public ator from Nebraska.
Cortez Masto Manchin Tester AMENDMENT NO. 192
Cotton Markey Thune schools.
Cramer Marshall Mr. SASSE. Mr. President, I call up
Tillis This amendment creates a deficit-
Crapo McConnell Toomey my amendment No. 192 and ask that it
Cruz Menendez neutral reserve fund to protect stu-
Tuberville be reported by number, please.
Daines Merkley dents and schools from this misguided
Van Hollen The PRESIDING OFFICER. The
Duckworth Moran Warner moratorium by restoring these lost
Durbin Murkowski clerk will report the amendment by
Warnock funds to the States.
Ernst Murphy
Warren
number.
Feinstein Murray I urge a ‘‘yes’’ vote. The senior assistant bill clerk read as
Fischer Ossoff Whitehouse
Gillibrand Padilla Wicker The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen- follows:
Graham Paul Wyden ator from New Mexico. The Senator from Nebraska [Mr. SASSE],
Grassley Peters Young for himself and others, proposes an amend-
Mr. HEINRICH. Mr. President, my
The amendment (No. 716) was agreed friend from Wyoming and I disagree on ment numbered 192.
to. many things. We disagree on the im- The amendment is as follows:
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen- pact of this policy in the immediate, (Purpose: To establish a deficit-neutral re-
ator from Wyoming. and we disagree on the speed of the en- serve fund relating to improving health
AMENDMENT NO. 653 ergy transition to a zero-carbon econ- care to prohibit a health care practitioner
Mr. BARRASSO. Mr. President, I call omy. from failing to exercise the proper degree
up amendment No. 653 and ask that it of care in the case of a child who survives
What we do not disagree about is an abortion or attempted abortion)
be reported by number. that these communities we support—
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The At the end of title III, add the following:
we support their schools, and through- SEC. 3lll. DEFICIT-NEUTRAL RESERVE FUND
clerk will report the amendment by out this transition we should support RELATING TO IMPROVING HEALTH
number. the people who have kept the lights on CARE TO PROHIBIT A HEALTH CARE
The senior assistant legislative clerk and made this country the greatest en- PRACTITIONER FROM FAILING TO
read as follows: EXERCISE THE PROPER DEGREE OF
ergy country on the face of the Earth. CARE IN THE CASE OF A CHILD WHO
The Senator from Wyoming [Mr. BAR- So I would support this amendment SURVIVES AN ABORTION OR AT-
RASSO] proposes an amendment numbered TEMPTED ABORTION.
because it is about supporting the
653. The Chairman of the Committee on the
schools in those communities.
The amendment is as follows: Budget of the Senate may revise the alloca-
VOTE ON AMENDMENT NO. 653 tions of a committee or committees, aggre-
(Purpose: To establish a deficit-neutral re-
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The gates, and other appropriate levels in this
serve fund relating to supporting elemen-
resolution, and make adjustments to the
tary and secondary schools in States with question is on the amendment.
pay-as-you-go ledger, for one or more bills,
lost revenue due to the Federal morato- Mr. WHITEHOUSE. I ask for the yeas joint resolutions, amendments, amendments
rium on oil and natural gas leasing on pub- and nays. between the Houses, motions, or conference
lic lands and offshore waters)
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there a reports relating to improving health care,
At the end of title III, add the following: which may include the creation of criminal
SEC. 3lll. DEFICIT-NEUTRAL RESERVE FUND
sufficient second?
and civil penalties for providers who fail to
SSpencer on DSK126QN23PROD with SENATE
RELATING TO SUPPORTING ELE- There appears to be a sufficient sec- exercise the same degree of care for babies
MENTARY AND SECONDARY ond.
SCHOOLS IN STATES WITH LOST
who survive an abortion or attempted abor-
REVENUE DUE TO THE FEDERAL The clerk will call the roll. tion as would be provided to another child
MORATORIUM ON OIL AND NATURAL The senior assistant legislative clerk born at the same gestational age, by the
GAS LEASING ON PUBLIC LANDS amounts provided in such legislation for
AND OFFSHORE WATERS.
called the roll. those purposes, provided that such legisla-
The Chairman of the Committee on the The result was announced—yeas 98, tion would not increase the deficit over ei-
Budget of the Senate may revise the alloca- nays 2, as follows: ther the period of the total of fiscal years
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February 4, 2021 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S439
2021 through 2025 or the period of the total of plicable budget resolutions for the pur- resolution, and make adjustments to the
fiscal years 2021 through 2030. poses of Senate amendment No. 192, pay-as-you-go ledger, for one or more bills,
Mr. SASSE. Mr. President, we are and I ask for the yeas and nays. joint resolutions, amendments, amendments
between the Houses, motions, or conference
doing a lot of red versus blue jersey The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there a reports relating to strengthening and pro-
stuff today. Until about 2 a.m., it is sufficient second? tecting international agreements, joint dec-
going to be mostly straight partisan There appears to be a sufficient sec- larations, or proclamations entered into by
votes. It would be good for us to find ond. the United States and Mexico, which may in-
some common ground, and this amend- The clerk will call the roll. clude the Remain in Mexico program, which
ment is an opportunity to do that. The legislative clerk called the roll. requires foreign nationals seeking assistance
This amendment, modeled on the The result was announced—yeas 52, at the United States-Mexico border to wait
in Mexico for the results, by the amounts
Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protec- nays 48, as follows: provided in such legislation for those pur-
tion Act, is an opportunity to come to- [Rollcall Vote No. 23 Leg.] poses, provided that such legislation would
gether and to defend babies. It is pretty YEAS—52 not increase the deficit over either the pe-
simple, actually. Every baby, whether Barrasso Graham Portman
riod of the total of fiscal years 2021 through
she is born in a state-of-the-art hos- Blackburn Grassley Risch 2025 or the period of the total of fiscal years
pital with a NICU unit or whether she Blunt Hagerty Romney 2021 through 2030.
is born in an abortion clinic in a strip Boozman Hawley Rounds Mr. GRAHAM. Mr. President, the
Braun Hoeven Rubio
mall, every baby is born with dignity Burr Hyde-Smith
‘‘Remain in Mexico’’ policy was put in
Sasse
and is created in God’s image, and she Capito Inhofe place by the Trump administration
Scott (FL)
deserves care. This amendment is Casey Johnson Scott (SC) after talks with Mexico about how to
Cassidy Kennedy stem the flow of migrants from Central
aimed at making sure that babies who Collins Lankford
Shelby
survive abortions get the same degree Cornyn Lee
Sullivan America who were seeking to come to
of care that any other newborn would. Cotton Lummis
Thune the United States for economic reasons
Cramer Manchin Tillis more times than not. Before the ‘‘Re-
There is nothing partisan about that. Toomey
Crapo Marshall main in Mexico’’ policy was adopted,
That is why my Democratic colleagues, Cruz McConnell Tuberville
JOE MANCHIN and BOB CASEY, both Daines Moran Wicker migrants from the Northern Triangle
voted for this last year as legislation. Ernst Murkowski Young countries traveled to the United
We disagree on a bunch of stuff, but Fischer Paul States, seeking to turn themselves in
not this. NAYS—48 and claim asylum whether they had
There is a lot of complicated debate Baldwin Hickenlooper Reed
valid claims or not. They would then
in this Chamber, but this isn’t actually Bennet Hirono Rosen be released into the United States and
one of them. Here is a chance for 100 Blumenthal Kaine Sanders often did not return for their court
Booker Kelly Schatz dates.
Senators to come together and support Brown King Schumer
every baby. Every baby deserves a Cantwell Klobuchar Shaheen
If we end the ‘‘Remain in Mexico’’
fighting chance. Cardin Leahy Sinema policy for asylum seekers, it will lead
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Carper Luján Smith to a run on our border and complicate
Coons Markey Stabenow efforts to reform the immigration sys-
Democratic whip. Cortez Masto Menendez Tester
POINT OF ORDER Duckworth Merkley Van Hollen
tem. Over 50,000 asylum seekers have
Durbin Murphy Warner been waiting in Mexico rather than in
Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, it is al-
Feinstein Murray Warnock the United States, where they often
ready current law that all Federal pro- Gillibrand Ossoff Warren disappear while waiting in the 1 mil-
tections for people apply to every in- Hassan Padilla Whitehouse
Heinrich Peters Wyden lion-person asylum case backlog. This
fant born alive, including those born
was an important change that the
alive during the course of an abortion. The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Trump administration put in place,
Simply put, you cannot kill an infant, OSSOFF). On this vote, the yeas are 52, and it is a serious mistake to reverse
regardless of how they came into this the nays are 48. it.
world. Three-fifths of the Senators duly cho- The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen-
This is the law of the land thanks to sen and sworn not having voted in the ator from New Jersey.
the Born-Alive Infants Protection Act, affirmative, the motion is rejected. Mr. MENENDEZ. Mr. President, I op-
which passed the House and Senate by The point of order is sustained, and pose this amendment because my dis-
a voice vote and was signed into law by the amendment falls. tinguished colleague and friend put it
President George Bush in 2002. The Senator from South Carolina. in a very narrow context.
Does it work? In 2013, Dr. Kermit AMENDMENT NO. 687 The reality is that this amendment
Gosnell, a physician in Pennsylvania, Mr. GRAHAM. Mr. President, I call suggests that all agreements, procla-
was found guilty on three counts of up my amendment, No. 687. mations, or declarations entered into
murdering babies born alive in his clin- The PRESIDING OFFICER. The between the United States and Mexico
ic after botched late-term abortions. clerk will report the amendment by will be preserved. The problem is Con-
He is currently serving three life terms number. gress does not have a clear picture of
in prison. The bill clerk read as follows: the international agreements, arrange-
I would say to the Senator from Ne- ments, and supporting documents that
braska, of course we agree. People like The Senator from South Carolina [Mr.
GRAHAM] proposes an amendment numbered the Trump administration negotiated
Dr. Gosnell should pay a heavy price. 687. with Mexico. I requested those docu-
But to put this into a budget resolution ments for almost 2 years as the rank-
just doesn’t fit, and I am afraid one The amendment is as follows:
ing member on the Senate Committee
page doesn’t do justice to even the ex- (Purpose: To establish a deficit-neutral re- on Foreign Relations. Yet the Trump
planation that was given. serve fund relating to strengthening and administration was afraid to put them
I raise a point of order that the pend- protecting international agreements, joint
up for congressional and public scru-
ing amendment is not germane to the declarations, or proclamations entered
into by the United States and Mexico) tiny.
underlying resolution and therefore Without knowing what they say or
violates section 305(b)(2) of the Con- At the end of title III, add the following:
how low they may have stooped, I don’t
gressional Budget Act of 1974. SEC. 3lll. DEFICIT-NEUTRAL RESERVE FUND
RELATING TO STRENGTHENING AND
see how any Member can take an edu-
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen-
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PROTECTING INTERNATIONAL cated vote on this amendment to con-
ator from Nebraska. AGREEMENTS, JOINT DECLARA- sent to that which Members don’t even
MOTION TO WAIVE TIONS, OR PROCLAMATIONS EN- know exists.
TERED INTO BY THE UNITED STATES
Mr. SASSE. Pursuant to section 904 AND MEXICO.
I, therefore, oppose the amendment
of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 The Chairman of the Committee on the for those and other reasons.
and the waiver provisions of applicable Budget of the Senate may revise the alloca- POINT OF ORDER
budget resolutions, I move to waive all tions of a committee or committees, aggre- Mr. President, I raise a point of order
applicable sections of that act and ap- gates, and other appropriate levels in this that the pending amendment is not
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S440 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE February 4, 2021
germane to the underlying resolution (Purpose: To establish a deficit-neutral re- violates section 305(b)(2) of the Con-
and, therefore, violates section 305(b)(2) serve fund relating to prioritizing taking gressional Budget Act of 1974.
of the Congressional Budget Act of into custody aliens charged with a crime The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen-
resulting in death or serious bodily injury)
1974. ator from Iowa.
At the end of title III, add the following:
MOTION TO WAIVE MOTION TO WAIVE
SEC. 3lll. DEFICIT-NEUTRAL RESERVE FUND
Mr. GRAHAM. Mr. President, pursu- RELATING TO PRIORITIZING TAKING Ms. ERNST. Mr. President, pursuant
ant to section 904 of the Congressional INTO CUSTODY ALIENS CHARGED to section 904 of the Congressional
WITH A VIOLENT CRIME. Budget Act of 1974 and the waiver pro-
Budget Act of 1974 and the waiver pro- The Chairman of the Committee on the
visions of applicable budget resolu- visions of applicable budget resolu-
Budget of the Senate may revise the alloca-
tions, I move to waive all applicable tions, I move to waive all applicable
tions of a committee or committees, aggre-
sections of that act and applicable gates, and other appropriate levels in this sections of that act and applicable
budget resolutions for purposes of this resolution, and make adjustments to the budget resolutions for purposes of Sen-
amendment, Senate amendment No. pay-as-you-go ledger, for one or more bills, ate amendment No. 132, and I ask for
687, and I ask for the yeas and nays. joint resolutions, amendments, amendments the yeas and nays.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there a
between the Houses, motions, or conference The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there a
reports relating to providing funding for the sufficient second?
sufficient second? Department of Homeland Security to estab- There is a sufficient second.
There appears to be a sufficient sec- lish and implement policies that prioritize The clerk will call the roll.
ond. the taking into custody of removable aliens The legislative clerk called the roll.
The question is on agreeing to the who have been charged in the United States
with a crime that resulted in the death or se-
The yeas and nays resulted—yeas 52,
motion. nays 48, as follows:
rious bodily injury of another person, by the
The clerk will call the roll. amounts provided in such legislation for [Rollcall Vote No. 25 Leg.]
The bill clerk called the roll. those purposes, provided that such legisla- YEAS—52
The yeas and nays resulted—yeas 50, tion would not increase the deficit over ei- Barrasso Grassley Portman
nays 50, as follows: ther the period of the total of fiscal years Blackburn Hagerty Risch
2021 through 2025 or the period of the total of Blunt Hawley Romney
[Rollcall Vote No. 24 Leg.] fiscal years 2021 through 2030. Boozman Hoeven Rounds
YEAS—50 Braun Hyde-Smith Rubio
Ms. ERNST. Mr. President, this Burr Inhofe
Barrasso Graham Portman Sasse
amendment reflects the intent of S. 80, Capito Johnson Scott (FL)
Blackburn Grassley Risch
Blunt Hagerty Romney
Sarah’s Law, which would amend the Cassidy Kennedy Scott (SC)
mandatory detention provisions of the Collins King
Boozman Hawley Rounds Shelby
Cornyn Lankford
Braun Hoeven Rubio INA to require the detention of anyone Cotton Lee
Sullivan
Burr Hyde-Smith Sasse unlawfully present in the United Thune
Cramer Lummis
Capito Inhofe Scott (FL) Tillis
States who is charged with a crime re- Crapo Manchin
Cassidy Johnson Scott (SC) Toomey
Cruz Marshall
Collins Kennedy
Shelby
sulting in the death or serious bodily Daines McConnell Tuberville
Cornyn Lankford injury of another person. Wicker
Sullivan Ernst Moran
Cotton Lee Young
Cramer Lummis
Thune It honors the life of a girl from Iowa, Fischer Murkowski
Tillis Sarah Root. Her life was tragically cut Graham Paul
Crapo Marshall
Cruz McConnell Toomey short by a drunk driver who was ille- NAYS—48
Daines Moran Tuberville
Wicker
gally here in the United States. Baldwin Heinrich Reed
Ernst Murkowski
Fischer Paul Young Sarah’s Law currently has 21 cospon- Bennet Hickenlooper Rosen
sors. Blumenthal Hirono Sanders
NAYS—50 Booker Kaine Schatz
One of the first things the Biden ad- Brown Kelly Schumer
Baldwin Hickenlooper Reed ministration did was stop prioritizing Cantwell Klobuchar Shaheen
Bennet Hirono Rosen
Blumenthal Kaine
violent aliens for deportation. This Cardin Leahy Sinema
Sanders Carper Luján Smith
Booker Kelly Schatz
amendment reflects that DHS should Casey Markey Stabenow
Brown King Schumer not implement such policies. Coons Menendez Tester
Cantwell Klobuchar Shaheen I thank Senators TILLIS, MORAN, Cortez Masto Merkley Van Hollen
Cardin Leahy Duckworth Murphy Warner
Carper Luján
Sinema GRASSLEY, SASSE, INHOFE, HYDE-SMITH,
Smith Durbin Murray Warnock
Casey Manchin LEE, RICK SCOTT, and HOEVEN for join- Feinstein Ossoff Warren
Stabenow
Coons Markey
Tester
ing me in this effort, and I urge my col- Gillibrand Padilla Whitehouse
Cortez Masto Menendez leagues to support this commonsense Hassan Peters Wyden
Duckworth Van Hollen
Merkley
Durbin Murphy Warner amendment. The PRESIDING OFFICER. On this
Feinstein Murray Warnock The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen- vote, the yeas are 52, the nays are 48.
Gillibrand Ossoff Warren ator from Vermont.
Hassan Padilla Whitehouse Three-fifths of the Senators duly cho-
Wyden
Mr. SANDERS. Mr. President, this sen and sworn not having voted in the
Heinrich Peters
amendment is opposed by the Leader- affirmative, the motion is not agreed
The PRESIDING OFFICER. On this ship Conference on Civil Rights, the to. The point of order is sustained, and
vote, the yeas are 50, and the nays are Center for American Progress, Amer- the amendment falls.
50. ica’s Voice, SCIU, the National Immi- The Senator from Utah.
Three-fifths of the Senators duly cho- grant Justice Center, and many, many Mr. ROMNEY. Mr. President, we had
sen and sworn not having voted in the other civil rights and immigration or- a vote a moment ago to have 10-minute
affirmative, the point of order is sus- ganizations. The reason they oppose it votes. So far the vote are closer to 30
tained and the amendment falls. and why I oppose it is this amendment minutes than 10 minutes.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen- applies to people charged, not con- I ask unanimous consent that the
ator from Iowa. victed. I am not a lawyer, but my un- clerk time the votes to 10 minutes;
AMENDMENT NO. 132
derstanding is that in this country, we that we not go beyond 10 minutes; that
believe that people are innocent until at the end of 10 minutes, we give an
Ms. ERNST. Mr. President, I call up
proven guilty. extra 1 minute of grace time; and that
my amendment No. 132 and ask that it What this amendment does is vilify
be reported by number. we close the vote after 11 minutes.
immigrants. Many of them are working
SSpencer on DSK126QN23PROD with SENATE
(Applause.)
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The at essential and dangerous jobs right The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there
clerk will report the amendment. now, often for very low pay. objection?
The bill clerk read as follows: POINT OF ORDER Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President.
The Senator from Iowa [Ms. ERNST], for Mr. President, this amendment is not The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen-
herself and others, proposes an amendment germane to the budget resolution as re- ator from Illinois.
numbered 132. quired by law; therefore, I raise a point Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, reserv-
The amendment is as follows: of order that the pending amendment ing the right to object, I understand
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February 4, 2021 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S441
the Senator from Utah’s sentiments, Vice President HARRIS to come and of the money that was associated that
and I share them. break any tie. we sent out in the last CARES pack-
There is a physical need to call the The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there age, and that is 6 percent to rural hos-
roll, which takes an amount of time, an objection? pitals.
which sometimes can be more than 10 Mr. DURBIN. I object. We need to treat them fair. That is
minutes. If we reach a tie situation and The PRESIDING OFFICER. The ob- all we are asking for. A 20-percent set-
have to call in the Vice President, it jection is heard. aside is fair. Thank you, and I would
takes even longer. The Senator from Maine. appreciate your support.
The most effective thing I have seen AMENDMENT NO. 546 The PRESIDING OFFICER. Who
in the Senate to deal with this issue is Ms. COLLINS. Mr. President, on be- yields time in opposition?
for Members to sit in their chairs and half of myself, Senator MANCHIN, Sen- The Senator from Vermont.
to vote as their names are called. We ator CAPITO, Senator MORAN, Senator Mr. SANDERS. Mr. President, I rise
can bring the rollcalls to an end much SHAHEEN, Senator PORTMAN, and Sen- in support of the amendment. Clearly,
more quickly. Now they are running ator KING, I call up amendment No. 546 all across this country rural commu-
around 30 minutes. and ask that it be reported by number. nities are suffering real healthcare cri-
I am going to object to your sugges- The PRESIDING OFFICER. The ses in terms of a loss of hospitals that
tion, but I would suggest that when we clerk will report the amendment by they desperately need.
reach the point where Members are sit- So I would hope that this would be an
number.
ting in their chairs, amendments are The legislative clerk read as follows: issue that all of us will work together
called, and we vote on them quickly, to rebuild healthcare in rural America
The Senator from Maine [Ms. COLLINS], for
we can come to a conclusion in a much herself and others, proposes an amendment
and make sure that our communities
faster way. numbered 546. have the hospitals that they need.
Mr. ROMNEY. Would the gentleman VOTE ON AMENDMENT NO. 546
The amendment is as follows:
agree, then, that we take as much time I ask for the yeas and nays.
(Purpose: To establish a deficit-neutral re- The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there a
as it takes to read the names, and if it serve fund relating to strengthening the
requires the Vice President to come sufficient second?
Provider Relief Fund, including a 20 per- There appears to be a sufficient sec-
here, we give her sufficient time to get cent set aside for rural hospitals)
ond.
here, but, otherwise, 10 minutes? At the end of title III, add the following: The clerk will call the roll.
Mr. DURBIN. I think you are going SEC. 3lll. DEFICIT-NEUTRAL RESERVE FUND The bill clerk called the roll.
to find that 10 minutes is not practical. RELATING TO STRENGTHENING THE
The result was announced—yeas 99,
I wish—I am for electronic voting, just PROVIDER RELIEF FUND.
The Chairman of the Committee on the
nays 1, as follows:
to go way out on a limb, but I want to [Rollcall Vote No. 26 Leg.]
Budget of the Senate may revise the alloca-
tell you— YEAS—99
tions of a committee or committees, aggre-
Mr. ROMNEY. That is probably not gates, and other appropriate levels in this Baldwin Grassley Peters
practical tonight. resolution, and make adjustments to the Barrasso Hagerty Portman
Mr. SCHUMER. Would the gentleman pay-as-you-go ledger, for one or more bills, Bennet Hassan Reed
yield? joint resolutions, amendments, amendments Blackburn Hawley Risch
Blumenthal Heinrich Romney
Mr. ROMNEY. Certainly. between the Houses, motions, or conference
Blunt Hickenlooper Rosen
Mr. SCHUMER. It would help speed reports relating to strengthening the Pro- Booker Hirono Rounds
things along if we could have a set vider Relief Fund, which may include addi- Boozman Hoeven Rubio
amount. You keep handing us new tional support for rural hospitals in order to Braun Hyde-Smith Sanders
preserve jobs and access to specialty serv- Brown Inhofe Sasse
sheets. Burr Johnson Schatz
ices, by the amounts provided in such legis-
(Applause.) lation for those purposes, provided that such Cantwell Kaine Schumer
And that is OK, but let’s see the total legislation would not increase the deficit Capito Kelly Scott (FL)
amount of amendments, and then we Cardin Kennedy Scott (SC)
over either the period of the total of fiscal Carper King Shaheen
can try to move the time as quickly as years 2021 through 2025 or the period of the Casey Klobuchar Shelby
possible. OK? total of fiscal years 2021 through 2030. Cassidy Lankford Sinema
Mr. LEE. Mr. President. Ms. COLLINS. Mr. President, I ask Collins Leahy Smith
Coons Luján Stabenow
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen- that I be notified when I have 30 sec- Cornyn Lummis Sullivan
ator from Utah. onds remaining. Cortez Masto Manchin Tester
Mr. LEE. Mr. President, with due re- The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Cotton Markey Thune
spect to the majority leader, I under- Cramer Marshall Tillis
Chair will do so. Crapo McConnell Toomey
stand what he is suggesting. But the Ms. COLLINS. Mr. President, I rise Cruz Menendez Tuberville
Senator from Utah has made a motion to offer an amendment to replenish and Daines Merkley Van Hollen
which has absolutely nothing to do strengthen the Provider Relief Fund, Duckworth Moran Warner
with the number of votes that we are Durbin Murkowski Warnock
which has been a lifeline for hospitals, Ernst Murphy Warren
going to be taking tonight. nursing homes, and community health Feinstein Murray Whitehouse
Look, 365 days a year, we are told, as centers, as well as physician practices Fischer Ossoff Wicker
individual Senators, to wait our turn; Gillibrand Padilla Wyden
across the country, but especially so in Graham Paul Young
we will get to vote on whatever we rural America.
want to vote on if and when we vote on The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen- NAYS—1
them. This is the one time, with budget ator has 30 seconds. Lee
vote-arama, where anybody can ask for Ms. COLLINS. Mr. President, our The amendment (No. 546) was agreed
a vote on anything. rural hospitals have been particularly to.
Now, I don’t see anything wrong with hard hit during this pandemic. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The ma-
the Senator from Utah’s request that With that, I would yield to my friend jority leader.
we limit the amount of time it takes to from West Virginia. Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, I ask
vote to the amount of time it takes to Mr. MANCHIN. I ask unanimous con- unanimous consent to address the
call the roll and then to add to that sent for 30 seconds. Chamber for a minute.
any additional time that might be The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen- The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without
taken up by waiting for the Vice Presi- ator from West Virginia. objection, it is so ordered.
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dent in the event of a tie. Mr. MANCHIN. Mr. President, 18 SENATOR FEINSTEIN’S 9,000TH VOTE
So I would like to resuggest what the rural hospitals across America closed Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, we
Senator from Utah has asked. That is, last year—three in my own State. Do have another great accomplishment,
I ask unanimous consent that we so any of you have any sympathy for peo- one right after the other, because they
limit the amount of time we take to ple who live in rural America? both came together. Earlier today, we
vote to the time it takes to call the Twenty percent of the population in all congratulated our good friend Sen-
roll, subject to the need to wait for America is rural. We only got 6 percent ator MURRAY for achieving a historic
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S442 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE February 4, 2021
milestone—9,000 rollcall votes. Well, we Mrs. SHAHEEN. Mr. President, this The senior assistant bill clerk read as
are pretty lucky because today we get amendment supports organizations follows:
to celebrate another 9,000-vote accom- serving survivors of domestic violence, The Senator from Indiana [Mr. BRAUN] pro-
plishment by none other than the great sexual assault, and child abuse. As we poses an amendment numbered 833.
senior Senator from California, Sen- know, because of COVID, those sur- The amendment is as follows:
ator FEINSTEIN. vivors and families have been hit par- (Purpose: To establish a deficit-neutral re-
(Applause.) ticularly hard, and there has been very serve fund relating to prohibiting the
Like Senator MURRAY, she was also little money that has gone to support Council on Environmental Quality and the
elected during the Year of the Woman, them. This amendment would say very Environmental Protection Agency from
and she helped blaze a trail that many strongly we need to do better. promulgating rules or guidance that bans
would follow. Senator MURKOWSKI. hydraulic fracturing in the United States)
Throughout her career, and through Ms. MURKOWSKI. Mr. President, we At the end of title III, add the following:
many of those 9,000 votes, she has made are ensuring with this amendment that SEC. 3lll. DEFICIT-NEUTRAL RESERVE FUND
her mark on some of the biggest issues RELATING TO PROHIBITING THE
there will be resources for survivors of COUNCIL ON ENVIRONMENTAL
of our time: the environment, domestic violence, sexual assault, and QUALITY AND ENVIRONMENTAL
healthcare, gun safety, and much, child abuse. Senator SHAHEEN has PROTECTION AGENCY FROM PRO-
much more. MULGATING RULES OR GUIDANCE
pointed out that our shelters are very, THAT BANS FRACKING IN THE
Alongside Senator Boxer, she was the very much in need of our support. UNITED STATES.
first woman to come to the Senate We urge you all to protect the most The Chairman of the Committee on the
from the State of California, the first vulnerable in their time of need. We Budget of the Senate may revise the alloca-
Jewish woman to come to the Senate ask for your support on this amend- tions of a committee or committees, aggre-
from any State, and she became the ment. gates, and other appropriate levels in this
first woman ever to serve as chair of resolution, and make adjustments to the
VOTE ON AMENDMENT NO. 834
both the Rules Committee and Select pay-as-you-go ledger, for one or more bills,
Mrs. SHAHEEN. I ask for the yeas joint resolutions, amendments, amendments
Intelligence Committee. and nays. between the Houses, motions, or conference
One glass ceiling right after another The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. reports relating to the National Environ-
in a storied and continually impactful BLUMENTHAL). Is there further debate? mental Policy Act of 1969 and environmental
career. Hearing none, the question is on laws and policies, which may include lim-
I congratulate Senator FEINSTEIN for agreeing to the amendment. iting or prohibiting the Chair of the Council
today’s accomplishment, and I thank Is there a sufficient second? on Environmental Quality and the Adminis-
her for her many years of friendship. There appears to be a sufficient sec- trator of the Environmental Protection
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen- Agency from proposing, finalizing, or imple-
ond.
ator from New Hampshire. menting a rule or guidance that bans
The clerk will call the roll. fracking in the United States by the
AMENDMENT NO. 834 The senior assistant legislative clerk amounts provided in such legislation for
Mrs. SHAHEEN. Mr. President, I called the roll. those purposes, provided that such legisla-
would like to call up amendment No. The result was announced—yeas 100, tion would not increase the deficit over ei-
834, as modified, and speak for 30 sec- nays 0, as follows: ther the period of the total of fiscal years
onds and then turn the mic over to my [Rollcall Vote No. 27 Leg.] 2021 through 2025 or the period of the total of
colleague Senator MURKOWSKI, who is YEAS—100 fiscal years 2021 through 2030.
the cosponsor of this amendment. Baldwin Hagerty Portman Mr. BRAUN. Mr. President, my
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Barrasso Hassan Reed amendment helps ensure that the EPA
clerk will report the amendment by Bennet Hawley Risch cannot, through regulation or other-
Blackburn Heinrich Romney
number. Blumenthal Hickenlooper
wise, ban fracking in the United
The senior assistant legislative clerk Rosen
Blunt Hirono Rounds
States. This is an issue of energy inde-
read as follows: Booker Hoeven Rubio pendence, locking in our CO2 emissions
The Senator from New Hampshire [Mrs. Boozman Hyde-Smith Sanders reduction provided by clean natural
SHAHEEN], for herself and others, proposes an Braun Inhofe
Brown Johnson
Sasse gas, and it gives us time to find the
amendment numbered 834, as modified. Burr Kaine
Schatz cleanest, least expensive options down
Schumer
The amendment is as follows: Cantwell Kelly the road.
Capito Kennedy Scott (FL)
(Purpose: To establish a deficit-neutral re- Scott (SC) Due to our American renaissance, the
Cardin King
serve fund relating to improving services Carper Klobuchar Shaheen United States passed Russia as a lead-
and interventions relating to sexual as- Casey Lankford Shelby ing energy supplier in 2011 and passed
sault, family violence, domestic violence, Cassidy Leahy Sinema Saudi Arabia in 2018.
dating violence, and child abuse) Collins Lee Smith But fracking has been a boon to the
Coons Luján Stabenow
At the end of title III, add the following: Cornyn Lummis Sullivan
economy as well. According to the
SEC. 3lll. DEFICIT-NEUTRAL RESERVE FUND Cortez Masto Manchin Tester Global Energy Institute, if fracking
RELATING TO IMPROVING SERVICES Cotton Markey Thune were banned in 2021, the U.S. economy
AND INTERVENTIONS RELATING TO Cramer Marshall
SEXUAL ASSAULT, FAMILY VIO-
Tillis would lose 19 million jobs in 4 years,
Crapo McConnell Toomey
LENCE, DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, DAT- Cruz Menendez local and State tax revenues would
ING VIOLENCE, AND CHILD ABUSE. Tuberville
Daines Merkley Van Hollen
plummet, and gas prices would double.
The Chairman of the Committee on the Duckworth Moran This is why President Biden promised:
Warner
Budget of the Senate may revise the alloca- Durbin Murkowski
Warnock We will not ban fracking; we will pro-
tions of a committee or committees, aggre- Ernst Murphy
Feinstein Murray
Warren tect and grow jobs.
gates, and other appropriate levels in this Whitehouse
Fischer Ossoff Yet many in this body have called to
resolution, and make adjustments to the Wicker
pay-as-you-go ledger, for one or more bills,
Gillibrand Padilla
Wyden
ban fracking. The American people de-
Graham Paul
joint resolutions, amendments, amendments Grassley Peters Young serve to know who stands with energy
between the Houses, motions, or conference security and American workers. I ask
reports relating to improving services and The amendment (No. 834), as modi- my colleagues to support this amend-
interventions for victims relating to sexual fied, was agreed to. ment.
assault, family violence, domestic violence, The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Mr. WHITEHOUSE. The Senator
dating violence, and child abuse, which may WHITEHOUSE). The Senator from Indi- from Delaware.
include funding for programs and grants au- ana.
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Mr. CARPER. Mr. President, unfortu-
thorized by the Violence Against Women Act AMENDMENT NO. 833 nately, I must rise in opposition to
and the Victims of Child Abuse Act, by the Mr. BRAUN. Mr. President, I call up Braun amendment 833 this evening. On
amounts provided in such legislation for
those purposes, provided that such legisla-
my amendment No. 833 and ask that it its face, this amendment would pro-
tion would not increase the deficit over ei- be reported by number. hibit the EPA and the Council on Envi-
ther the period of the total of fiscal years The PRESIDING OFFICER. The ronmental Quality from issuing any
2021 through 2025 or the period of the total of clerk will report the amendment by regulation or guidance that would ban
fiscal years 2021 through 2030. number. oil and gas fracking.
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February 4, 2021 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S443
President Biden has stated repeat- to call up the following amendments in amendment in the budget resolution
edly that he does not support a blanket the order listed and that the amend- would be corrosive to the privileged
ban on fracking. He has said that we ments be reported by number and that status of the resolution.
should capture the methane that ema- the amendments alternate with a Since this amendment contains ma-
nates from fracking, not ban the prac- Democratic amendment when one is terial inappropriate for inclusion in a
tice all together. available to be called up: Grassley No. budget resolution, its adoption could
Let me give you his exact words. 91, Cortez Masto No. 853, Inhofe No. 786, jeopardize the privilege of this resolu-
This is Joe Biden’s words: ‘‘Let me be Paul No. 1, Ernst No. 767, Daines No. tion, which would completely halt our
clear, and I know this always comes 678, Johnson No. 542, Lee No. 821. efforts to provide urgent, critical pan-
up, we’re not going to ban fracking.’’ The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there demic relief.
The amendment, as written, before objection? Additionally, this amendment is not
us appears to go beyond just prohib- Without objection, it is so ordered. germane to the budget resolution, as
iting EPA and the Council on Environ- The Senator from Iowa. required by law. Accordingly, I raise a
AMENDMENT NO. 91 point of order that the pending amend-
mental Quality from issuing regs to
ban oil and gas fracking. The effect Mr. GRASSLEY. Mr. President, I call ment violates section 305(b)(2) of the
here would actually go beyond that and up my amendment 91 and ask that it be Congressional Budget Act of 1974.
prevent the Federal Government from reported by number. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen-
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The ator from Iowa.
regulating emissions of methane and
clerk will report the amendment by MOTION TO WAIVE
air toxics that are related to fracking.
I encourage my colleagues to not number. Mr. GRASSLEY. Mr. President, pur-
The senior assistant bill clerk read as suant to section 904 of the Congres-
vote for this hasty and unnecessary
follows: sional Budget Act and the waiver pro-
amendment. Methane is 85 times more
The Senator from Iowa [Mr. GRASSLEY] visions of applicable budget resolu-
dangerous than carbon dioxide. We proposes an amendment numbered 91.
should be controlling it, not allowing it tions, I move to waive all applicable
The amendment is as follows: sections of that act and applicable
to go up into the air.
VOTE ON AMENDMENT NO. 833
(Purpose: To create a point of order against budget resolutions for the purpose of
legislation that would allow for six-figure Senate amendment 91, and I ask for the
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The tax cuts for the top 1/10/th of 1 percent of
question is on agreeing to the amend- yeas and nays.
taxpayers) The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there a
ment. At the appropriate place in title IV, add sufficient second?
Mr. THUNE. I ask for the yeas and the following: There appears to be a sufficient sec-
nays. SEC. 4lll. POINT OF ORDER AGAINST TAX ond.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there a CUTS FOR THE WEALTHY.
The clerk will call the roll.
sufficient second? (a) POINT OF ORDER.—It shall not be in
order in the Senate to consider any bill,
The senior assistant legislative clerk
There appears to be a sufficient sec- called the roll.
ond. joint resolution, motion, amendment,
amendment between the Houses, or con- The yeas and nays resulted—yeas 49,
The clerk will call the roll. ference report that increases or eliminates nays 51, as follows:
The senior assistant bill clerk called the limitation on the State and local tax de- [Rollcall Vote No. 29 Leg.]
the roll. duction if such increase or elimination YEAS—49
The result was announced—yeas 57, would, as determined by the Joint Com-
Barrasso Graham Risch
nays 43, as follows: mittee on Taxation, result in any taxpayer Blackburn Grassley Romney
[Rollcall Vote No. 28 Leg.] receiving a reduction in Federal income Blunt Hagerty Rounds
taxes which is equal to or greater than Boozman Hawley Rubio
YEAS—57
$100,000. Braun Hoeven Sasse
Barrasso Graham Murkowski (b) WAIVER AND APPEAL.—Subsection (a) Burr Hyde-Smith Scott (FL)
Bennet Grassley Paul may be waived or suspended in the Senate Capito Inhofe
Blackburn Hagerty Portman Scott (SC)
only by an affirmative vote of three-fifths of Cassidy Johnson Shelby
Blunt Hawley Risch Collins Kennedy
Boozman Heinrich Romney
the Members, duly chosen and sworn. An af- Sullivan
firmative vote of three-fifths of the Members Cornyn Lankford
Braun Hickenlooper Rounds Thune
Cotton Lee
Burr Hoeven Rubio of the Senate, duly chosen and sworn, shall Cramer Lummis
Tillis
Capito Hyde-Smith Sasse be required to sustain an appeal of the ruling Crapo Marshall Toomey
Casey Inhofe Scott (FL) of the Chair on a point of order raised under Cruz McConnell Tuberville
Cassidy Johnson Scott (SC) subsection (a). Daines Moran Wicker
Collins Kennedy Shelby Ernst Murkowski Young
Cornyn Lankford Sullivan
Mr. GRASSLEY. Mr. President, my
Fischer Portman
Cotton Lee Tester amendment creates a point of order
Cramer Luján Thune against repeal of the SALT tax deduc- NAYS—51
Crapo Lummis Tillis tion as part of the COVID package. Baldwin Hickenlooper Peters
Cruz Manchin Toomey Bennet Hirono Reed
Daines Marshall Tuberville
Any COVID relief package should be
Blumenthal Kaine Rosen
Ernst McConnell Wicker targeted at helping those in need, not Booker Kelly Sanders
Fischer Moran Young the benefit of the top 1 percent. Ac- Brown King Schatz
NAYS—43 cording to JCT, over half of the benefit Cantwell Klobuchar Schumer
from the repeal would go to those with Cardin Leahy Shaheen
Baldwin Kaine Sanders Carper Luján Sinema
Blumenthal Kelly Schatz incomes over $1 million, and $50,000 or Casey Manchin Smith
Booker King Schumer lower wouldn’t benefit at all. Coons Markey Stabenow
Brown Klobuchar Shaheen According to an analysis of the Tax Cortez Masto Menendez Tester
Cantwell Leahy Sinema Duckworth Merkley Van Hollen
Cardin Markey
Policy Center, the top 1 percent would
Smith Durbin Murphy Warner
Carper Menendez Stabenow
receive an average tax cut of $144,000. Feinstein Murray Warnock
Coons Merkley Van Hollen No COVID relief package should in- Gillibrand Ossoff Warren
Cortez Masto Murphy clude six-figure tax cuts to multi- Hassan Padilla Whitehouse
Warner
Duckworth Murray Heinrich Paul Wyden
Durbin Ossoff
Warnock millionaires when millions of middle-
Feinstein Warren class Americans are struggling to The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. DUR-
Padilla
Whitehouse
Gillibrand Peters make ends meet. BIN). Three-fifths of the Senators duly
Hassan Reed Wyden
And for the benefit of my friends on chosen and sworn, having voted in the
Hirono Rosen
SSpencer on DSK126QN23PROD with SENATE
the other side of the aisle, it is not pro- affirmative, the motion is not agreed
The amendment (No. 833) was agreed gressive to give tax cuts to the top 1 to.
to. percent of the people. The point of order is sustained and
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen- The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen- the amendment is rejected.
ator from Vermont. ator from Oregon. The Senator from Nevada.
ORDER OF BUSINESS POINT OF ORDER AMENDMENT NO. 853
Mr. SANDERS. Mr. President, I ask Mr. WYDEN. Mr. President, I have Ms. CORTEZ MASTO. Mr. President,
unanimous consent that it be in order been advised that inclusion of this I call up amendment No. 853.
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S444 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE February 4, 2021
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The The PRESIDING OFFICER. Who The question is on agreeing to the
clerk will report the amendment by yields time in opposition? amendment.
number. VOTE ON AMENDMENT NO. 853 Mr. INHOFE. Mr. President, I ask for
The senior assistant legislative clerk If there is no further debate, the the yeas and nays on my amendment.
read as follows: question is on agreeing to the amend- The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there a
The Senator from Nevada (Ms. CORTEZ ment. sufficient second?
MASTO) proposes an amendment numbered The amendment (No. 853) was agreed There appears to be a sufficient sec-
853. to. ond.
The amendment is as follows: The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen- The clerk will call the roll.
ator from Oklahoma. The senior assistant bill clerk called
(Purpose: To establish a deficit-neutral re-
AMENDMENT NO. 786 the roll.
serve fund relating to expanded support to
struggling Americans in relation to their Mr. INHOFE. Mr. President, I call up The result was announced—yeas 97,
employment in hospitality, including amendment up No. 786 and ask it be re- nays 3, as follows:
those in conventions, trade shows, enter- ported by number. [Rollcall Vote No. 30 Leg.]
tainment, tourism, and travel) The PRESIDING OFFICER. The
YEAS—97
At the end of title III, add the following: clerk will report the amendment by
number. Baldwin Hagerty Peters
SEC. 3lll. DEFICIT-NEUTRAL RESERVE FUND
Barrasso Hassan Portman
RELATING TO SUPPORTING HOSPI- The senior assistant legislative clerk Bennet Hawley
TALITY, CONVENTIONS, TRADE Reed
read as follows: Blackburn Heinrich Risch
SHOWS, ENTERTAINMENT, TOURISM,
The Senator from Oklahoma (Mr. INHOFE) Blumenthal Hickenlooper Romney
AND TRAVEL AND THEIR WORKERS.
proposes an amendment numbered 786. Blunt Hirono Rosen
The Chairman of the Committee on the Booker Hoeven
The amendment is as follows: Rounds
Budget of the Senate may revise the alloca- Boozman Hyde-Smith Rubio
tions of a committee or committees, aggre- (Purpose: To establish a deficit-neutral re- Braun Inhofe
Sasse
gates, and other appropriate levels in this serve fund relating to maintaining the Brown Johnson
Schatz
resolution, and make adjustments to the Burr Kaine
United States Embassy in Jerusalem, Cantwell Kelly Schumer
pay-as-you-go ledger, for one or more bills, Israel) Scott (FL)
Capito Kennedy
joint resolutions, amendments, amendments At the end of title III, add the following: Cardin King Scott (SC)
between the Houses, motions, or conference Casey Klobuchar Shaheen
SEC. 3lll. DEFICIT-NEUTRAL RESERVE FUND
reports relating to supporting struggling RELATING TO MAINTAINING THE Cassidy Lankford Shelby
Americans in relation to their employment UNITED STATES EMBASSY IN JERU- Collins Leahy Sinema
in hospitality, including those in the conven- SALEM, ISRAEL. Coons Lee Smith
tion, trade show, entertainment, tourism, The Chairman of the Committee on the Cornyn Luján Stabenow
and travel industries, which may include leg- Cortez Masto Lummis Sullivan
Budget of the Senate may revise the alloca-
Cotton Manchin Tester
islation that provides relief and recovery in- tions of a committee or committees, aggre- Cramer Markey Thune
centives, by the amounts provided in such gates, and other appropriate levels in this Crapo Marshall Tillis
legislation for those purposes, provided that resolution, and make adjustments to the Cruz McConnell Toomey
such legislation would not increase the def- pay-as-you-go ledger, for one or more bills, Daines Menendez Tuberville
icit over either the period of the total of fis- joint resolutions, amendments, amendments Duckworth Merkley Van Hollen
cal years 2021 through 2025 or the period of between the Houses, motions, or conference Durbin Moran Warner
the total of fiscal years 2021 through 2030. reports relating to the United States Em- Ernst Murkowski
Warnock
bassy in Jerusalem, Israel, maintaining its Feinstein Murphy
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen- Whitehouse
Fischer Murray
current location and level of operations, Wicker
ator from Nevada. which may include current funding levels
Gillibrand Ossoff
Wyden
Ms. CORTEZ MASTO. Mr. President, Graham Padilla
and security, by the amounts provided in Grassley Paul Young
the coronavirus pandemic has dev- such legislation for those purposes, provided
astated economies and industries at that such legislation would not increase the NAYS—3
every single State across the country. deficit over either the period of the total of Carper Sanders Warren
In Nevada, our hospitality travel and fiscal years 2021 through 2025 or the period of
the total of fiscal years 2021 through 2030. The amendment (No. 786) was agreed
tourism sectors have been especially to.
hard-hit. Mr. INHOFE. Mr. President, I yield 15
The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. DUR-
These businesses are economic en- seconds from our time to our friend,
BIN). The Senator from Kentucky.
gines for our communities, employing the Senator from Tennessee, Mr.
HAGERTY. AMENDMENT NO. 1
hundreds of thousands of workers and
Mr. HAGERTY. Mr. President, I am (Purpose: In the nature of a substitute)
pumping billions of dollars into our
economy each year, but they are facing pleased to join the senior Senator from Mr. PAUL. Mr. President, I call up
incredible challenges right now due to Oklahoma as the lead cosponsor of this my amendment, No. 1, and ask that it
amendment in support of our shared be reported by number.
COVID.
This amendment ensures that the objective, maintaining the U.S. Em- The PRESIDING OFFICER. The
bassy in Jerusalem, the eternal and the clerk will report the amendment by
Senate will prioritize support for the
indivisible capital of the Jewish State number.
hospitality industry and its workers as
of Israel. The legislative clerk read as follows:
it crafts legislation to provide This Embassy is paving the way for
coronavirus relief and recovery to com- The Senator from Kentucky [Mr. PAUL]
peace throughout the region and proposes an amendment numbered 1.
munities across the United States. should be preserved. Now our allies
Almost half of all job losses since the (The amendment is printed in today’s
there know we will stand with them.
pandemic began have been in the trav- The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen- RECORD under ‘‘Text of Amendments.’’)
el, leisure, and hospitality industries, ator from Oklahoma. Mr. PAUL. Mr. President, every
and the situation gets more dire every Mr. INHOFE. Mr. President, this American family must balance its own
day we don’t act. amendment shouldn’t be controversial family’s budget, and voters wonder
Communities across this country to anyone. It has been our position in why Congress never balances its budg-
have suffered as nearly $500 billion in the United States for 25 years that Je- et. The Democratic budget before us
travel spending and an estimated $64 rusalem is the capital of Israel, and we will add $15 trillion of debt over the
billion in Federal, State, and local rev- should have our Embassy in Jerusalem. next decade. The Pennies Plan budget,
enues have evaporated. Our commu- This is not controversial. In 1995, the which is consistent with the balanced
nities cannot afford to see these indus- budget amendment that most Repub-
SSpencer on DSK126QN23PROD with SENATE
same amendment was 93 to 5. In 2017, it
tries decimated. was 90 to 0. licans have voted for, balances the
That is why I urge my colleagues to With that, I retain the balance of my budget in just 5 years.
support this bipartisan amendment to time. When I first introduced this budget a
expand support for our struggling hos- VOTE ON AMENDMENT NO. 786 few years ago, all you had to do was
pitality industry and provide relief for The PRESIDING OFFICER. Does any cut one penny over 5 years, and the
the workers in the industries hardest Senator seek recognition in opposi- budget balanced, but as Congress has
hit by this pandemic. tion? blown through the budget caps, it has
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February 4, 2021 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S445
become much more difficult. Last year, SEC. 3lll. DEFICIT-NEUTRAL RESERVE FUND The PRESIDING OFFICER. I am
RELATING TO INCREASING THE FED-
it was two pennies—a 2-percent cut per ERAL MINIMUM WAGE DURING A sorry, the Senator from Iowa has no
year to balance in 5 years. Now it is a GLOBAL PANDEMIC. time remaining.
three-penny plan, and you have to have The Chairman of the Committee on the VOTE ON AMENDMENT NO. 767
a 3-percent cut, but it is still foresee- Budget of the Senate may revise the alloca- The question is on agreeing to the
able that we could balance our budget. tions of a committee or committees, aggre- amendment.
It is the right thing to do. It is good gates, and other appropriate levels in this Mr. SANDERS. Mr. President, I
for America. It will make us a stronger resolution, and make adjustments to the would accept a voice vote.
pay-as-you-go ledger, for one or more bills, The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there a
country to leave for our kids and our joint resolutions, amendments, amendments
grandkids, and I urge a ‘‘yes’’ vote. between the Houses, motions, or conference
sufficient second?
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Does any reports relating to increasing the Federal Ms. ERNST. We withdraw the request
Senator seek recognition in opposi- minimum wage during a global pandemic, for the yeas and nays.
tion? which may include prohibiting the rate from The PRESIDING OFFICER. The
VOTE ON AMENDMENT NO. 1
more than doubling to $15 per hour, by the question is on agreeing to the amend-
amounts provided in such legislation for ment.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The those purposes, provided that such legisla- The amendment (No. 767) was agreed
question is on agreeing to the amend- tion would not increase the deficit over ei- to.
ment. ther the period of the total of fiscal years The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen-
Mr. PAUL. Mr. President, I ask for 2021 through 2025 or the period of the total of ator from Montana.
the yeas and nays. fiscal years 2021 through 2030.
AMENDMENT NO. 678
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there a Ms. ERNST. Mr. President, a $15 Fed- Mr. DAINES. Mr. President, I call up
sufficient second? eral minimum wage would be dev- my amendment No. 678 and ask that it
There is a sufficient second. astating for our hardest hit small busi- be reported by number.
The clerk will call the roll. nesses at a time when they can least The legislative clerk read as follows:
The legislative clerk called the roll. afford it. These small businesses, like The Senator from Montana [Mr. DAINES],
The result was announced—yeas 29, restaurants and childcare centers, pro- for himself and others, proposes an amend-
nays 71, as follows: vide vital services for working families ment numbered 678.
[Rollcall Vote No. 31 Leg.] and are the lifeblood of our rural com- The amendment is as follows:
YEAS—29
munities.
(Purpose: To establish a deficit-neutral re-
The CBO estimates that raising the serve fund relating to the improvement of
Barrasso Grassley Paul
Blackburn Hagerty Risch Federal minimum wage to $15 would re- relations between the United States and
Braun Hyde-Smith Scott (SC) sult in 1.3 million jobs lost—this during Canada with regard to the Keystone XL
Cassidy Johnson Shelby the worst period of job loss since the Pipeline entering the United States in
Cornyn Kennedy Sullivan
Crapo Lankford
Great Depression. Phillips County, Montana)
Thune
Cruz Lee Tillis
The cost of living in States like Iowa At the end of title III, add the following:
Daines Lummis Toomey is very different than the cost of living SEC. 3lll. DEFICIT-NEUTRAL RESERVE FUND
Ernst Marshall in States like New York or California. RELATING TO THE IMPROVEMENT
Tuberville
Fischer Moran OF RELATIONS BETWEEN THE
We should not have a one-size-fits-all UNITED STATES AND CANADA.
NAYS—71 policy set by Washington politicians. The Chairman of the Committee on the
Baldwin Hawley Reed We all support higher wages, but a $15 Budget of the Senate may revise the alloca-
Bennet Heinrich Romney Federal minimum wage would be coun- tions of a committee or committees, aggre-
Blumenthal Hickenlooper Rosen
terproductive to this goal. gates, and other appropriate levels in this
Blunt Hirono Rounds
Booker Hoeven I thank my colleague Senator TIM resolution, and make adjustments to the
Rubio
Boozman Inhofe SCOTT for working on this with me, and pay-as-you-go ledger, for one or more bills,
Sanders
Brown Kaine joint resolutions, amendments, amendments
Burr Kelly
Sasse I urge my colleagues to vote yes. between the Houses, motions, or conference
Schatz
Cantwell King The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there reports relating to improving relations be-
Schumer
Capito Klobuchar
Scott (FL) any Senator seeking recognition in op- tween the United States and Canada, in-
Cardin Leahy position?
Shaheen creasing energy trade between the two na-
Carper Luján
Casey Manchin
Sinema The Senator from Vermont. tions, and reducing transportation emissions
Collins Markey Smith Mr. SANDERS. Mr. President, at a through the approval of the importation of
Coons McConnell Stabenow oil from Canada to the United States
Tester time when half of our workers are liv-
Cortez Masto Menendez through the Keystone XL Pipeline by the
Cotton Merkley Van Hollen ing paycheck to paycheck, when mil-
amounts provided in such legislation for
Cramer Murkowski Warner lions of workers are earning starvation those purposes, provided that such legisla-
Duckworth Murphy Warnock wages, and when Congress has not
Warren tion would not increase the deficit over ei-
Durbin Murray voted to raise the minimum wage since
Feinstein Ossoff Whitehouse ther the period of the total of fiscal years
Gillibrand Padilla Wicker 2007, I will do everything that I can to 2021 through 2025 or the period of the total of
Graham Peters Wyden make sure that a $15-an-hour minimum fiscal years 2021 through 2030.
Hassan Portman Young wage is included in this reconciliation Mr. DAINES. Mr. President, despite
The amendment (No. 1) was rejected. bill. But there appears to be some mis- President Biden’s call for unity, with
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen- understanding. As the author of the the stroke of a pen, he killed the Key-
ator from Iowa. Raise the Wage Act, it was never my stone XL Pipeline and the thousands of
AMENDMENT NO. 767
intention to increase the minimum jobs that come with it. He eliminated
wage to $15 an hour immediately and tens of millions of dollars of tax reve-
Ms. ERNST. Mr. President, I call up
during the pandemic. My legislation nues for communities in Montana for
my amendment No. 767 and ask that it
gradually increases the minimum wage education, for law enforcement, for in-
be reported by number.
to $15 an hour over a 5-year period, and frastructure, as well as across the
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The
that is what I believe we have to do. West. Hard-working Americans across
clerk will report the amendment by
We need to do it in the reconciliation our country, dozens of families in Mon-
number.
bill, and we need to end the crisis of tana have already been given the pink
The legislative clerk read as follows: starvation wages in Iowa and around slip. They were told to go home. Their
The Senator from Iowa [Ms. ERNST] pro- the United States. paycheck is gone. This isn’t because of
SSpencer on DSK126QN23PROD with SENATE
poses an amendment numbered 767.
So I will support this amendment be- a pandemic; this is because of Presi-
The amendment is as follows: cause nobody is talking about doubling dent Biden.
(Purpose: To establish a deficit-neutral re- the Federal minimum wage during the I hope all of my colleagues join me
serve fund relating to prohibiting an in- pandemic. We are talking about gradu- today for the good of American energy
crease in the Federal minimum wage dur- ally phasing it in over a 5-year period. and our blue-collar workers, or they
ing a global pandemic to $15 per hour) Ms. ERNST. Mr. President, do I have can stand with the job-killing Green
At the end of title III, add the following: time remaining? New Deal agenda. The choice is clear.
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S446 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE February 4, 2021
I yield back my time. ting our kids back in school is an ur- contracts for physical barriers and other bor-
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Does a gent priority. Children, parents, and der security measures for which funds al-
Senator seek recognition in opposition educators all struggle with remote ready have been obligated, by the amounts
to the amendment? provided in such legislation for those pur-
learning, especially when far too many
poses, provided that such legislation would
VOTE ON AMENDMENT NO. 678 children don’t have adequate access to not increase the deficit over either the pe-
If not, the question is on the amend- the internet. But if we are to open safe- riod of the total of fiscal years 2021 through
ment. ly and keep kids in school, we must fol- 2025 or the period of the total of fiscal years
Mr. THUNE. I ask for the yeas and low evidence-based public health guid- 2021 through 2030.
nays. ance from experts that protects all Mr. JOHNSON. Madam President, in
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there a members of our school communities: 2006, the Secure Fence Act was signed
sufficient second? students, parents, educators, and staff, into law, authorizing 700 miles of dou-
There appears to be a sufficient sec- alike. Vaccines for educators is a crit- ble-layer fencing along the southwest
ond. ical step, but schools must have the
The clerk will call the roll. border. It passed this Chamber on a
necessary guidance and resources to vote of 80 to 19, with 26 Senate Demo-
The bill clerk called the roll.
The result was announced—yeas 52, implement mitigation strategies to crats voting to secure the border.
nays 48, as follows: safely reopen, including funds for ven- Among the Democratic Senators vot-
[Rollcall Vote No. 32 Leg.]
tilation improvements, PPE, and ro- ing for it were then-Senators Obama,
bust testing and contact tracing. This Biden, Clinton, and current Senators
YEAS—52
amendment would be counter- SCHUMER, FEINSTEIN, CARPER, and
Barrasso Grassley Risch
Blackburn Hagerty Romney
productive—dangerously penalizing WYDEN.
Blunt Hawley Rounds schools, disregarding State and local In the end, only 36 miles of double
Boozman Hoeven Rubio public health guidance, and blocking fencing was actually constructed,
Braun Hyde-Smith Sasse access to billions of dollars for our edu-
Burr Inhofe which, in the end, combined with a
Scott (FL) cators and students when they need it
Capito Johnson Scott (SC)
very low bar for asylum claims and
Cassidy Kennedy Shelby most. DACA, created the catalyst for a hu-
Collins Lankford The Biden administration has called
Cornyn Lee
Sullivan manitarian crisis in 2014 of unaccom-
Cotton Lummis
Tester for cross-agency collaboration to pro- panied minors and family units coming
Thune vide guidance and for Congress to pro-
Cramer Manchin in, with the crisis peaking in the sum-
Tillis
Crapo Marshall
Toomey
vide an additional $ 130 billion in emer- mer of 2019. In reaction, President
Cruz McConnell gency K–12 funding, so our schools can
Daines Moran Tuberville Trump enacted a number of policies,
Ernst Murkowski Wicker safely return to in-person learning. including construction of 700 miles of
Fischer Paul Young American families, children, and edu- wall.
Graham Portman cators can’t afford for us to waste any Now, we didn’t construct all of it, but
NAYS—48 more time; it is time for Congress to we contracted 700 miles, completed 450,
Baldwin Heinrich Peters act. and, as of today, 250 miles are con-
Bennet Hickenlooper Reed The PRESIDING OFFICER (Ms. tracted but not built.
Blumenthal Hirono Rosen BALDWIN). The senior Senator from
Booker Kaine Sanders
Unfortunately, the Biden administra-
Brown Kelly Schatz Wisconsin. tion is now reversing all of these poli-
Cantwell King Schumer AMENDMENT NO. 542 cies.
Cardin Klobuchar Shaheen The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen-
Carper Leahy Sinema
Mr. JOHNSON. Madam President, on
Casey Luján Smith behalf of myself and Senator ator’s time has expired.
Coons Markey Stabenow TUBERVILLE, I call up amendment No. Mr. JOHNSON. I have 2 minutes,
Cortez Masto Menendez Van Hollen 542 and ask that it be reported by num- don’t I?
Duckworth Merkley Warner The PRESIDING OFFICER. One
Durbin Murphy Warnock ber.
Feinstein Murray Warren The PRESIDING OFFICER. The minute.
Gillibrand Ossoff Whitehouse clerk will report the amendment by Mr. JOHNSON. I was told 2.
Hassan Padilla Wyden
number. Well, anyway, my amendment—
The amendment (No. 678) was agreed The bill clerk read as follows: The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen-
to. ator’s time has expired.
The Senator from Wisconsin [Mr. JOHN-
f SON], for himself and Mr. TUBERVILLE, pro-
Mr. JOHNSON.—will prevent can-
poses an amendment numbered 542. cellation of those contracts, saving
MORNING BUSINESS taxpayers the cancellation costs and
The amendment is as follows:
securing the borders.
(Purpose: To establish a deficit-neutral re- I urge support of my amendment.
BUDGET RESOLUTION serve fund relating to protecting American The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen-
AMENDMENT NO. 54 taxpayers and the border, which may in- ator’s time has expired.
Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Mr. President, I clude prohibiting the cancellation of con- The junior Senator from Michigan.
opposed amendment No. 54 proposed by tracts for physical barriers and other bor-
Mr. PETERS. Madam President, we
der security measures for which funds al-
Senator YOUNG because it could pre- need to have a secure border with a
ready have been obligated and for which
vent more than 3.5 million American penalties will be incurred in the case of strategic mix of personnel, technology,
citizens with Social Security numbers, such cancellation and prohibiting the use and barriers, and the Biden administra-
including 2 million children, from re- of funds for payment of such penalties) tion has initiated a comprehensive re-
ceiving vital relief if anyone else in At the end of title III, add the following: view of southern border security. But
their household lacks a Social Security SEC. 3lll. DEFICIT-NEUTRAL RESERVE FUND this amendment would force the last
number or uses an Individual Taxpayer RELATING TO PROTECTING AMER- administration’s misguided, simplistic
Identification number to file their ICAN TAXPAYERS FROM THE COSTS border wall decisions on President
ASSOCIATED WITH CANCELLING
taxes. Before Congress passed an omni- CONTRACTS RELATING TO BORDER Biden.
bus Covid relief package in December SECURITY. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen-
2020, these mixed-status families were The Chairman of the Committee on the ate will be in order.
excluded from receiving economic im- Budget of the Senate may revise the alloca- Mr. PETERS. We are in the midst of
pact payments, including their Amer- tions of a committee or committees, aggre- an unprecedented pandemic and reces-
SSpencer on DSK126QN23PROD with SENATE
ican citizen children. It is simply gates, and other appropriate levels in this sion. The legislation before us must
wrong and constitutionally suspect to resolution, and make adjustments to the focus on families trying to put food on
pay-as-you-go ledger, for one or more bills,
discriminate against this group of the table and struggling small busi-
joint resolutions, amendments, amendments
American citizens. between the Houses, motions, or conference nesses, not ensuring well-connected
AMENDMENT NO. 48 reports relating to protecting American tax- government contractors get rich.
Mr. President, I opposed amendment payers and the United States border, which The President’s decision about our
No. 48 proposed by Senator BLUNT. Get- may include prohibiting the cancellation of borders will be guided by what is best
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