Business Before the Senate (Cong. Rec., Feb. 22, 2021)
Summary
A page of the Congressional Record, Senate, dated February 22, 2021, at page S756, in executive session. The clerk reads the nomination of Linda Thomas-Greenfield to be the Representative of the United States of America to the United Nations, and Mr. Schumer moves to proceed to executive session to consider Calendar No. 9. Under the heading Business Before the Senate, Mr. Schumer lists the week's nominations, Tom Vilsack for Secretary of Agriculture, Jennifer Granholm for Secretary of Energy and Dr. Miguel Cardona for Secretary of Education, and discusses the second impeachment trial of Donald Trump. Under the heading Coronavirus, he marks the United States passing 500,000 deaths from COVID-19 and urges Americans to remember families who lost loved ones and to end the pandemic as swiftly as possible.
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“Business Before the Senate (Cong. Rec., Feb. 22, 2021).”
Original at www.govinfo.gov. Archived at Pandemic Darlings, https://pandemicdarlings.com/source-documents/crec-crec-2021-02-22-crec-2021-02-22-pt1-pgs756-3-807d06f08c/
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S756 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE February 22, 2021
EXECUTIVE SESSION nominees with a vote on Linda Thom- died without a chance for their loved
as-Greenfield to serve as the next U.N. ones to hold their hands; the grand-
Ambassador. children, wrapped in protective gear,
EXECUTIVE CALENDAR Ms. Thomas-Greenfield has spent waving goodbye to grandparents from
The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- three decades in the U.S. Foreign Serv- across the silence of a hospital room—
pore. Under the previous order, the ice. She is exceptionally qualified, and 500,000 American souls and counting.
Senate will proceed to executive ses- that was reflected in the bipartisan There is no way—no way—to properly
sion to consider the following nomina- support she received from the Foreign account for the loss of so many lives in
tion, which the clerk will report. Relations Committee. If confirmed, she so short a time, but I would ask my fel-
The bill clerk read the nomination of will assume the role of U.N. Ambas- low Americans to mark this terrible
Linda Thomas-Greenfield, of Lou- sador at a time when the nations of the day by doing two simple things.
isiana, to be the Representative of the world must deepen their cooperation First, keep in your hearts the fami-
United States of America to the United on the fight against COVID–19 and the lies who have lost a loved one. Reach
Nations, with the rank and status of fight against climate change, among out to that colleague or friend, and
the Ambassador Extraordinary and other critical priorities. She will have offer sympathy and support. Stop for a
Plenipotentiary, and the Representa- no time to waste in rebuilding Amer- moment and grieve for your fellow citi-
tive of the United States of America in ica’s reputation and reasserting the zens or for someone you have lost per-
the Security Council of the United Na- first instrument of American power— sonally. We all know someone who is
tions. diplomacy. I look forward to voting in gone. I learned of another one yester-
RECOGNITION OF THE MAJORITY LEADER favor of her nomination. day.
After that, the Senate will imme- And, second, let us strive to end this
The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem-
diately proceed to the nomination of pandemic as swiftly as possible. For us
pore. The majority leader is recog-
Tom Vilsack to serve as the Secretary in the Congress, that means moving
nized.
of Agriculture. Mr. Vilsack is no forward with legislation to speed vac-
BUSINESS BEFORE THE SENATE
stranger to the Senate confirmation cine distribution and help the Amer-
Mr. SCHUMER. Madam President, it process or to the Department of Agri- ican people during this time of eco-
has only been a month since President culture in having served as its Sec- nomic crisis, which is what the Amer-
Biden took the oath of office and retary under President Obama. The ican Rescue Plan is all about, but
Democrats assumed the majority in former Governor of Iowa has made a every American can contribute by con-
the Senate, but we have already taken career out of caring for and supporting tinuing to follow the guidelines and
some major steps to repair and rebuild our Nation’s farmers. Mr. Vilsack was staying safe, by not losing hope or pa-
our country. approved by the Agriculture Com- tience as we round the final corner.
I said this Chamber would begin its mittee by a unanimous vote. I expect We will—we will—get through this,
work by accomplishing three imme- he will receive the same bipartisan re- but, today, let us mourn the 500,000
diate tasks: confirming President ception by the full Senate. Americans we have lost and commit
Biden’s nominees, addressing the For the rest of the week, we will con- ourselves to a future when the days of
COVID pandemic with bold legislation, tinue to confirm Members of the Presi- these tragic milestones are finally and
and conducting a fair and honest im- dent’s Cabinet: first, Jennifer firmly behind us.
peachment trial of Donald Trump. The Granholm to serve as the Secretary of I yield the floor.
Senate has made steady progress on all Energy; second, Dr. Miguel Cardona to The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem-
three. serve as the Secretary of Education. pore. The majority leader.
A little over a week ago, we con- Both nominees have been advanced by
cluded the second impeachment trial of f
the respective committees with bipar-
Donald Trump. The House managers tisan votes—a pattern this week. LEGISLATIVE SESSION
presented a powerful, harrowing recon- At a time when our Nation is gripped
struction of the former President’s role by a once-in-a-century crisis, the Presi- Mr. SCHUMER. Madam President, I
in inciting an attack against our de- dent deserves to have his nominees ap- move to proceed to legislative session.
mocracy—the greatest offense ever— proved quickly by this Chamber so The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem-
ever—committed by a President of the they can immediately get to work pore. The question is on agreeing to
United States. Despite the final verdict healing our great country. the motion.
of this Chamber, Donald Trump de- The motion was agreed to.
CORONAVIRUS
serves to be convicted, and I believe he Madam President, on another matter f
will be convicted in the court of public entirely, today, the United States will EXECUTIVE SESSION
opinion. History will judge Mr. Trump surpass more than 500,000 deaths from
harshly, deservedly so, and everyone COVID–19—a half a million souls.
who condoned the dangerous final acts How as a nation do we grapple with EXECUTIVE CALENDAR
of his Presidency will live with that in this enormous tragedy? How do we
history as well and live rather dishon- even comprehend a number that big or Mr. SCHUMER. Madam President, I
orably. a loss that great? Do we imagine five of move to proceed to executive session to
Even during the impeachment trial, our largest football stadiums, filled to consider Calendar No. 9.
the Senate advanced the ball on the the max, wiped out in an instant? The The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem-
two other priorities I mentioned. Our city of Atlanta or Sacramento erased pore. The question is on agreeing to
committees conducted several con- overnight? A 9/11 attack every single the motion.
firmation hearings and worked closely day for 169 days in a row? The motion was agreed to.
with their House colleagues to draft They say a single death is a tragedy, The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem-
COVID relief legislation. That process but a million deaths is a statistic. We pore. The clerk will report the nomina-
is ongoing among Senate Members, as must not let this tragic milestone wash tion.
well as over in the House. Now that the over us like just another awful sta- The bill clerk read the nomination of
trial is complete, we are going to move tistic stacked on top of a year’s worth Jennifer Mulhern Granholm, of Michi-
forward on both fronts. of awful statistics. Instead, we must gan, to be Secretary of Energy.
Democrats remain hard at work pre- treat this moment as 500,000 individual CLOTURE MOTION
paring the desperately needed COVID tragedies: the empty chair at the din- Mr. SCHUMER. Madam President, I
dlhill on DSK120RN23PROD with SENATE
relief bill, which is on track to go to ner table; the empty half of the bed at send a cloture motion to the desk.
the President’s desk before the March night that people are suffering The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem-
14 expiration of unemployment insur- through; the unplayed pianos and pore. The cloture motion having been
ance benefits, and starting this uncelebrated birthdays and funerals presented under rule XXII, the Chair
evening, the Senate will continue the that were never held; the neighbors and directs the clerk to read the motion.
process of confirming President Biden’s colleagues and friends and family who The bill clerk read as follows:
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