Congressional Record, Senate — March 9, 2021 (S1414–S1415)

Summary

Congressional Record, Senate, pages S1414 and S1415, March 9, 2021. Remarks supporting Judge Garland as the next Attorney General precede Brown of Ohio, who supports Marcia Louise Fudge to be Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, citing her work on lead poisoning and fair housing. Under the heading American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, Brown says 4 million Ohioans will get a stimulus check, out of 12 million people in the State. Blackburn says Senate Democrats signed off on the largest and most partisan transfer of wealth in the history of Congress, and that only 9 percent of a nearly $2 trillion bill goes toward COVID relief while $350 billion goes to State and local governments.

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

Cite this document

“Congressional Record, Senate — March 9, 2021 (S1414–S1415).” Original at www.govinfo.gov. Archived at Pandemic Darlings, https://pandemicdarlings.com/source-documents/crec-crec-2021-03-09-crec-2021-03-09-pt1-pgs1414-2-35ade8661d/, SHA-256 15776c8110754bb68b726892d6e097eccc7e9a4e614fb78740db91b539b4e281.

Full text

S1414 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE March 9, 2021
And I feel an obligation to the country to whether it is farm country around Lex- This comes back to, as it always does
pay back, and this is the highest, best use of ington, OH, or whether it is an urban in politics—the Presiding Officer
my own set of skills to pay back. neighborhood on the East Side of knows—as it does in government, and
Judge Garland’s motivation for serv- Cleveland. it comes down to ‘‘whose side are you
ing as the Nation’s next Attorney Gen- This champion of Cleveland under- on?’’ as this illustrates pretty well.
eral is powerful, it is honest, and it is stands that. She saw up close how lend- The American Rescue Plan. We all re-
humble. ers preyed on families and the fore- member—most of us remember—4
I want to close by coming full circle, closure crisis that followed. My col- years ago, the Trump tax cut for the
so to speak. At Judge Garland’s hear- leagues have heard me talk about ZIP rich, and the blue here is the American
ing, I noted that, if confirmed, he code 44105, where Connie and I live, Rescue Plan, which we just passed on
would be standing on the shoulders of which had more foreclosures in the Saturday, which the House will prob-
predecessors like Robert Kennedy, who first half of 2007 than any ZIP code in ably pass tomorrow, and President
called on Congress to enact sweeping the United States. Biden will probably sign it this week-
civil rights legislation. Well after that At the time, Congresswoman FUDGE end. The lowest numbers—the lowest 20
hearing, the committee received a let- was serving as mayor of a city fewer percent—saw their income go up by 20
ter from over 30 members of the Ken- than 20 miles away. Today, she rep- percent under our plan. It is barely per-
nedy family, and they likened what resents this ZIP code in the United ceptible how much it went up under
faces Judge Garland to what faced the States Congress. Those families are the Trump tax plan. But if you go to
young Robert Kennedy as he took up more than just a statistic to her. They the top of 1 percent, you can see how
his position as Attorney General. They are her constituents. They are her much their income went up, and this is
wrote—the Kennedy family—and I neighbors. They are her friends. She to the tune of millions and millions of
quote: knows their story. She knows how, for dollars, and the lowest earners essen-
We are confronted by the same challenges decades, communities have watched as tially got nothing from the Trump tax
today, particularly in voting rights, in the factories closed, investment dried up, plan.
actions of some of our police officers, and in and storefronts were boarded over. She So you can see here in the blue is
great disparities in housing, health, and jobs. knows how many neighborhoods and how our tax bill will put money in the
Merrick Garland’s record shows he is dedi- towns have never had the investment pockets of middle-income people, all
cated to the kind of justice that does not they should—from Black codes to Jim
simply punish but lifts people up so their
the way up—middle-income people,
best selves can be fulfilled.
Crow, to red lining, to the discrimina- working-class people, the lowest in-
tion that President Trump’s regulators come people—while the Trump tax
That is precisely the kind of Attor- locked into place. She understands how plan, of course, was helping the richest
ney General America needs and the decades of policy funneled resources people in the country.
kind of Attorney General Merrick Gar- and jobs away from Black and Brown We see that middle-class and work-
land will be. I look forward to voting communities. ing-class and low-income families are
for him, and I urge all of my colleagues A few years ago, I was talking with all going to benefit from the American
to do the same. local health department officials in Rescue Plan. This is a broad invest-
I yield the floor. Cleveland. I asked them what percent- ment in a whole country—in the vast
The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. MUR- age of the older homes that make up majority of people, who get their in-
PHY). The Senator from Ohio. the bulk of Cleveland housing have come not from a stock portfolio but
NOMINATION OF MARCIA LOUISE FUDGE dangerous levels of lead, those homes from a paycheck. Contrast that with
Mr. BROWN. Mr. President, today, I built right after World War II or before those who benefitted from the McCon-
urge my colleagues to join me in sup- that. They said 99 percent of those nell-Trump tax scam. The vast major-
porting another dedicated and talented homes have high levels of lead—dan- ity of benefits, as we all know, went to
public servant and a great Ohioan—my gerously high levels of lead. those at the top. Again, look at the top
Congresswoman for the last 12 years— The families in those homes are Con- 1 percent. They got more from the
MARSHA FUDGE, to be our next Sec- gresswoman FUDGE’s constituents. She Washington Republican tax giveaway
retary of Housing and Urban Develop- knows what lead poison does to kids. than anyone else.
ment. She knows the local efforts that Ohio- At the time, I remember—the Pre-
Congresswoman FUDGE is a proud ans are leading in Cleveland to take siding Officer, I think, remembers this;
daughter of Ohio. She was born in this on. She lifts up their voices, which he opposed that bill vigorously, too—
Cleveland, grew up in Ohio, and grad- have been drowned out or silenced for Republicans claimed it just wasn’t pos-
uated from the Ohio State University too long. She will be a champion for sible—to do their tax bill, it wasn’t
and Cleveland-Marshall College of Law. families all over the country who want possible—to avoid giving tax cuts to
Congresswoman FUDGE has a long and to be able to afford a home without the richest 1 percent. They just had to.
distinguished career serving our State crippling stress every single month and We knew they were wrong then. This
in the Cleveland and Cuyahoga County to be able to build wealth through has proved they are wrong.
courts and Cuyahoga County prosecu- home ownership to pass on to their Again, look at the blue and the pur-
tors’ office, as chief of staff to the children and grandchildren. ple—the benefits that go to the lowest,
trailblazing Stephanie Tubbs Jones, Congresswoman FUDGE has dedicated to middle-class families, working fami-
and as mayor of Warrensville Heights, her career to fighting for Ohioans. I am lies, and low-income families. Our res-
OH. excited she is now going to use all that cue plan gave literally zero to the top
At HUD, Congresswoman FUDGE will talent and all that passion and all that 1 percent. They are doing just fine. The
work to help protect our kids from lead empathy to fight for her whole coun- value of their stock portfolio has
poisoning, to restore the promise of try. I ask my colleagues to support her soared during the pandemic. We in-
fair housing, and to give communities confirmation to be Secretary of Hous- vested in everyone else, in the people
the help and the resources that they ing and Urban Development. who were promised more money in
need. It is a tall order. It is one she is AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN ACT OF 2021 their paychecks from the Republican
poised to meet. Mr. President, this weekend, on Sat- tax scam but never got those raises.
She brings to the job the unique and urday, we passed the American Rescue As I said, 4 million Ohioans will get
critical experience of serving as mayor Plan that will put shots in people’s a stimulus check. That is out of 12 mil-
for the kind of community that is ei- arms, kids back in school, money in lion people in the State. Two million
ther overlooked or outright preyed people’s pockets, and workers in jobs. Ohio families will get at least a $3,000

dlhill on DSK120RN23PROD with SENATE
upon by Wall Street and by big inves- Tens of millions Americans, including child tax credit. They will get a
tors. She understands we can’t write more than 5 million Ohioans, are going check—$250 every month year round.
off entire swaths of the country— to see money in their pockets from More than half a million Ohio workers
whether it is a coal town in southeast stimulus checks and the dramatic ex- will get an expanded earned income tax
Ohio or a historic industrial city like pansion of the earned income tax credit credit. Those childless families—single
the one I grew up in, in Mansfield, or and the child tax credit. people, childless people, some old, a

VerDate Sep 11 2014 02:47 Mar 10, 2021 Jkt 019060 PO 00000 Frm 00006 Fmt 0624 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\G09MR6.011 S09MRPT1
March 9, 2021 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S1415
number of older Ohioans not yet quite They did what they set out to do. A evaporates, just call on the Federal
65—will get their enhanced earned in- fraction of the American Rescue Plan’s Government and crank up the printing
come tax credit. Over a million deliv- $2 trillion pricetag would go toward presses one more time. Why? Oh, we
ery drivers and more than a million that—and I am quoting again—‘‘big, need the money. We cannot manage
cashiers will get an income boost, and bold, urgent’’ relief that Democrats our budgets. We are running low on ful-
800,000 home health aides get more spent all weekend long bragging about. filling our obligation to the pension
money back in their pockets. I am sure you heard them as you fund. Oh, my goodness, we have so
These are the workers on the turned on the TV. Here is the truth: many needs.
frontlines of the pandemic. These are Only 9 percent—9 percent—will go to- Everybody has needs. Our children
the people who go to work every day ward vaccines, testing, healthcare jobs; and our grandchildren have needs.
and expose themselves to people whom 9 percent of a nearly $2 trillion bill They need freedom. They need Mem-
they don’t know, in the course of their goes for COVID relief. bers of the Senate, Members of the
job. They go home at night anxious But if we want to talk about big, bold House to act like adults and address
that they might be infecting their fam- spending plans, let’s talk about all the problems that are right in front of
ilies. This is what making hard work those special earmarks and sweetheart us.
pay off looks like. This is what invest- deals that Democrats used to take ad- When President Biden asked, back in
ing in the country looks like. This is vantage of the situation and seize even February, what would they have me
what a government on the side of more power—again, after the power, cut from this spending bill, I would
workers and their families look like. It using people as pawns to get their lib- have told him, let’s start with this
is about the dignity of work. It is eral wish list, get the money in the money. Let’s start with the money
about rewarding people that work pipeline. Of course, you can forget that that is going to the States to bail them
hard. It is what we did on Saturday. It we had $1 trillion already in the pipe- out because yes, indeed, this is now the
is what I said, as I was walking out of line that had not been spent, also put- Biden blue State bailout.
this building on the way home on Sat- ting their desired power ahead of our Democrats’ desire for a lawless and
urday, was the best day of my Senate children and grandchildren who are open border shone through in their
career because we helped tens of mil- going to have to pay that debt. Im- unanimous refusal to accept an amend-
lions of Americans. We helped millions moral. ment that would have kept billions of
of people in my State. We will make a In my office, we call this bill the blue dollars in direct payments out of the
difference in their lives. That is what State bailout. We do it for a reason. hands of illegal immigrants. This was
we did on Saturday. That is what we You can look at this chart. Along with more than just a handout; it was a sig-
will continue to do. that laughable 9 percent of actual nal to every person who is trying to
I suggest the absence of a quorum. COVID relief, the American people jump the line and break the rules that
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The took on $350 billion in debt to cover a we will not only tolerate it, but now we
clerk will call the roll. bailout for some of the highest spend- are encouraging it. Think about that.
The senior assistant legislative clerk
ing and most poorly managed State Think about that.
proceeded to call the roll. The rule of law is out the window. We
Mrs. BLACKBURN. Mr. President, I and local governments in the country.
The number is astronomically higher are willing to chip away at our own se-
ask unanimous consent that the order
than even the most extreme estimates curity—the Democrats are—and ignore
for the quorum call be rescinded.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without of need conjured up by leftwing think the growing crisis at our southern bor-
objection, it is so ordered. tanks. It is more than the $31 billion der—the Democrats are. And if it
Mrs. BLACKBURN. Mr. President, loss in expected tax revenue that ex- means we can slap a bandaid on what
this past Saturday, Senate Democrats perts forecasted. And it doesn’t even has become a gaping wound and call it
signed off on the largest and most par- take into consideration that many a win in the war against poverty, the
tisan transfer of wealth in the history States don’t need a bailout. Many Democrats are OK with doing that. It
of the U.S. Congress. States had success putting those five is called spin. But it does not address
In the weeks leading up to that vote, previous bipartisan COVID relief pack- the underlying issues. It doesn’t ad-
they insisted that their $1.9 trillion ages to work. They caught up on their dress the fact that they are doing this
giveaway would bring the relief the tax revenue with time to spare. at the expense of schools, small busi-
American people were seeking. They But, still, that $350 billion, it served nesses, and families.
quoted suspect polling and anecdotes a purpose. You can see it right here. Democrats certainly followed
to support their ridiculous claims that The blue States, they are getting more through on their campaign promise to
the bill was bipartisan, even though money. The red States, they are losing empower teachers unions. In fact, they
they never even tried to secure bipar- money. It created yet another expecta- went so far as to approve a provision
tisan support. In fact, I would argue tion of dependency that mismanaged that would pay schools to stay closed.
that Democrats threw away the idea of States and local governments can lean All 50 Democrats voted against an
bipartisanship the moment they chose on when their out-of-control spending amendment that would have sent new
to use the reconciliation process to policies come back to bite them. funding only to schools that have fol-
force their hand. After almost 30 hours And we have learned today that the lowed the science and have reopened
of debate, they did just that on a majority leader had a staff member safely.
party-line vote. Then the cracks in who tweeted out that the money from You know, you would have thought
their claims of bipartisanship and ne- this bill, it would tend to New York that the Democrats would have at least
cessity began to show. State’s deficit—pretty much the same done that for the children. But, no. In
Almost immediately after the final thing we are hearing from California addition to saddling them with debt—
vote, the majority leader called it—and and from some of the big blue cities. If another $2 trillion worth of debt—they
I am quoting—‘‘one of the most pro- you can’t control your spending habits, encouraged the teachers unions to not
gressive pieces of legislation—if not crank up the printing presses. go back to school. That vote put the
the most progressive—in decades.’’ But The payday continued with an $85 power right where the Democrats want
we all know that his definition of ‘‘pro- billion no-strings-attached pension it—in the hands of the unions. And mil-
gressive’’ isn’t compatible with the bailout that everyone from the Com- lions of students and teachers out
kind of targeted relief everyone here mittee for a Responsible Federal Budg- there will continue to pay the mental
would probably agree that this country et to the editorial board of the Wall and emotional price for this action.
needs, had my colleagues on the other Street Journal, to the editorial board This bill took so much from people

dlhill on DSK120RN23PROD with SENATE
side of the aisle not seen an oppor- of the Washington Post agree had noth- who have absolutely nothing to give.
tunity to fulfill the radical campaign ing to do with COVID relief—nothing. Think of all those billions of dollars
promises that had put them into It was a gift to an embattled constitu- wasted on unnecessary State bailouts,
power. They chose—they chose—that ency and another pernicious assertion pension rescues, and union appease-
power over dealing with the needs that that when the going gets tough and the ment. We had the opportunity to spend
people have. money in those mismanaged funds that money on vaccine distribution and

VerDate Sep 11 2014 05:02 Mar 10, 2021 Jkt 019060 PO 00000 Frm 00007 Fmt 0624 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\G09MR6.012 S09MRPT1
S1416 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE March 9, 2021
small business relief and a light at the mean if it isn’t involved with freedom verse a decision by the student senate
end of the tunnel for rural healthcare of speech? denying a group of pro-life students
systems that are hanging on by a All of the progress that has made student organization status purely be-
thread. modern life possible has been the result cause of their political views.
So why did Democrats throw so much of individuals who have been able to In each case, the university adminis-
money at their pet projects? Do they think of things in new ways, even if trations of these three universities ul-
really owe that many favors and pay- that challenged an old orthodoxy. A timately resolved these incidents well
backs? They certainly didn’t pour their healthy and vibrant academic environ- and properly so. I mention them not to
time and energy into those 600 pages to ment is not afraid of those challenges. pick on my State of Iowa’s universities
provide relief but to shamelessly ad- Only stagnant, defensive, and and not to criticize any university, for
vance their own agenda and throw unconfident regimes suppress speech. that matter, but because they seem to
aside struggling families and workers. Think about the recent protests in be examples of a broader trend on cam-
Struggling families and workers were Russia, Belarus, or Burma. China’s re- puses across the country of a knee-jerk
simply the price for getting the power strictions on the internet and suppres- reaction to shut down speech some find
that the Democrats wanted. sion of minorities show that it is disagreeable.
When I talk to Tennesseans about threatened by contrary ways of think- The best response to the expression
what happened in this Chamber last ing. of views that you find repugnant is
week, I tell them: You are right about Which would you describe as an ad- speech that points out the errors of
what you were seeing as you watched vanced, stable, and dynamic society: that particular way of thinking. Now, I
the proceedings. You are right. Demo- North Korea or South Korea? Obvi- think that is best expressed by the Uni-
crats took advantage of you, of your ously, that describes South Korea well. versity of Chicago’s policy, which has
desperation and your exhaustion. They It does not at all describe that part of become kind of a gold standard for free
used slick messaging and wordy the Korean Peninsula north of the 38th speech advocacy on university cam-
phrases to sell a bill of goods that parallel. puses. The University of Chicago ex-
treats every pet project they have and So what does it say about so many pressly prohibits obstructing or other-
every liberal wish list agenda item as American academic institutions that wise interfering with freedom of others
essential. the notion of free thought and free to express views they reject or even
They like changing the rules. They speech has now become controversial? loathe.
change the meaning of words like ‘‘es- What purpose do universities serve if If you are confident in the rightness
sential’’ because they knew that if one of the purposes is not to discuss of your views and you have an environ-
they could make everything that they controversial subjects? I often say my ment that allows free expression of
wanted essential, they could take all definition of a university is where con- those views, you need not fear speech
the power away from local, responsible troversy runs rampant. you find wrong. Of course, that as-
governments. They could take it away We hear lots of rationales about why sumes that human beings are all gifted
from school districts and small busi- the current generation of college stu- with the power of reason and can dis-
nesses. And do you know what they are dents needs to be protected from hear- cern what is right.
doing with it? They are going to cen- ing speech that could be offensive, Now, if it happens that that is not
tralize it. hateful, or just plain wrong. Of course, the case, if people cannot be trusted to
See, here is the thing: You were es- none of us support hateful speech. I listen to different views and come to
sential to their greedy power grab. don’t support it, but I do support free- the right conclusion, then there is no
They had to have you. dom. basis for democracy and our system of
They had to give their bill a nice- If you empower those in authority to self-government, then, is fundamen-
sounding name. They had to say cer- limit hate speech, whether they be col- tally flawed.
tain things were essential, but you— lege administrators or government of- You can shield students from hearing
small businesses, families, people who ficials, that power will eventually be challenging and uncomfortable views
are playing by the rules, you were not abused to limit dissenting points of while in college but not when they get
essential to them. view of all kinds, and that is where out in the real world. Just think of
See, that is what ‘‘progressive’’ some universities are right now. these college students who are on cam-
means to Senate Democrats, and if we Even in Iowa’s three public univer- pus. What if they had left high school
continue along this road, you are right; sities, we have seen recent efforts to for the world of work? They would be
it will be an absolute unmitigated dis- shut down mainstream, center-right faced with all these things every day.
aster for every single person that my views. For instance, a dean at the Uni- So what is special about a college
colleagues across the aisle have used as versity of Iowa sent an email across a campus? In fact, it is so special that
leverage against responsible policy university platform criticizing a you ought to have a discussion of all
that will actually bring us out of this Trump administrative Executive order, these subjects. Academic institutions
pandemic. but at that same university, when a that do not allow for student views to
No, it is not about getting out of the student challenged the position of the be challenged, to be tested, to be re-
pandemic. It is about power, the power dean using the very same medium, the fined through rigorous debate are doing
that they want. student was threatened with discipli- those very same students a very great
I yield the floor. nary action. disservice. These students’ knowledge
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen- Well, the dean has since apologized will be limited, then, and their views
ator from Iowa. for his initial handling of the subject, unsophisticated. Their ability to deal
FREE SPEECH so I don’t raise that to pick on him. In with different ways of thinking, which
Mr. GRASSLEY. Mr. President, I fact, that very dean has befriended me they will inevitably encounter
have spoken on the Senate floor re- in very many ways and in thoughtful throughout their lifetime, will be
cently on the subject of free speech as ways as well. But it just makes you greatly diminished.
it applies to the world of digital media. wonder if it is part of a broader cul- I feel sorry for students who graduate
The principles of free speech are time- tural trend in academia, what went on from colleges that cocoon them from
less and are applicable to new forms of in that instance at the University of controversy. Let me repeat what I said
communication. Still, it is natural Iowa. at the beginning. I have always
that new questions will arise and new Then there was an English professor thought of a university as a place
mechanisms might be needed to apply at Iowa State University who had to be where controversy should run rampant.

dlhill on DSK120RN23PROD with SENATE
those principles across new modes of reprimanded for banning her students The notion that the voices students
communication. from writing papers expressing certain hear must be curated for their own
What shouldn’t be in question is the viewpoints such as opposition to abor- good is concerning, not just because it
need for open dialogue and freedom of tion or same-sex marriage. The presi- has a totalitarian ring but because it is
speech in academia. Otherwise, what dent of my alma mater, the University harming students in the long run, when
does the principle of academic freedom of Northern Iowa, had to step in to re- they have to deal with the real world.

VerDate Sep 11 2014 05:02 Mar 10, 2021 Jkt 019060 PO 00000 Frm 00008 Fmt 0624 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\G09MR6.014 S09MRPT1

File and source

File: CREC_crec-2021-03-09_crec-2021-03-09-pt1-pgs1414-2.pdf
Size: 216,840 bytes
SHA-256: 15776c8110754bb68b726892d6e097eccc7e9a4e614fb78740db91b539b4e281
Our copy: CREC_crec-2021-03-09_crec-2021-03-09-pt1-pgs1414-2.pdf
Original: www.govinfo.gov