Infrastructure (Cong. Rec., April 12, 2021)
Summary
This is S1864 of the Congressional Record, Senate, April 12, 2021, with interleaved columns. Under the heading Honoring Officer William F. Evans, Mr. Schumer says the Senate returns in the shadow of tragedy after an attack on the Capitol injured one Capitol Police officer and claimed the life of Officer Evans, who will lie in honor under the Capitol Rotunda. Mr. Schumer discusses nominations, a vote on legislation from Senator Hirono and Representative Meng to address anti-Asian hate crimes, and, under the heading Infrastructure, the Biden administration's plan for a comprehensive infrastructure and jobs bill, with the views attributed to Mr. Schumer.
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“Infrastructure (Cong. Rec., April 12, 2021).”
Original at www.govinfo.gov. Archived at Pandemic Darlings, https://pandemicdarlings.com/source-documents/crec-crec-2021-04-12-crec-2021-04-12-pt1-pgs1864-4-643b919d9c/
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S1864 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE April 12, 2021
Mr. SCHUMER. Madam President, I Deputy Secretary of State, Gary I attended four or five—maybe even
ask unanimous consent that the order Gensler to serve on the Securities and more—rallies against anti-Asian vio-
for the quorum call be rescinded. Exchange Commission, and Brenda lence, and I was heartsick to hear the
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without Mallory to be a Member of the Council stories: an elderly man afraid to just
objection, it is so ordered. on Environmental Quality. Each is ex- walk out on the street that he might
RECOGNITION OF THE MAJORITY LEADER ceptionally well qualified for the re- be ridiculed, spat upon and a young
The majority leader is recognized. spective position and each, I expect, lady who didn’t want to travel the sub-
HONORING OFFICER WILLIAM F. EVANS
will receive bipartisan support here on ways because of the glares and stares
the floor. at her from some people because of her
Mr. SCHUMER. Madam President, I am particularly proud of Polly
the Senate returns to session in the Asian ancestry. The stories could be re-
Trottenberg, who was my legislative peated over and over again, and, unfor-
shadow of tragedy. A week ago last director and legislative assistant on
Friday, the senseless attack on the tunately, this bigotry has often ended
Transportation, I believe it was, for 9 in violence.
Capitol by a lone actor injured one years. She then served as commissioner We must stop it as Americans. We all
Capitol Police officer and claimed the of transportation in New York City. know—every one of us—that racism
life of another, Officer William ‘‘Billy’’ One of the things, of course, that I against one is racism against all. We
Evans. talked to her about regularly was get- must stop it. Again, I plead with my
All of us in the Capitol and all of us ting Gateway, our much needed tunnel, colleagues on the other side of the aisle
across the Nation wish for the speedy built under the Hudson—so needed by to let this legislation go forward—it
recovery of Officer Shaver and mourn New York, New Jersey, and the entire seems so unobjectionable—and pass
the loss of another fallen hero. Northeast corridor. with a strong bipartisan vote. Again,
To pay tribute to his final act of The Senate will also vote on whether let’s get it done this week.
bravery, Officer Evans will lie in honor to debate legislation from Senator INFRASTRUCTURE
under the Capitol Rotunda, at the very HIRONO and Representative MENG to Madam President, on infrastructure,
center of the democracy he gave his address the surge of anti-Asian hate finally, over the next several months,
life to protect. A service in his memory crimes during the COVID pandemic. the Biden administration has said that
will take place tomorrow morning. Over the past year, we have read hor- it will push a comprehensive infra-
For everyone who works in the Sen- rible accounts of violence and discrimi-
structure and jobs bill in coordination
ate, his loss is particularly painful. He nation against Asian Americans,
with Congress. This effort could not
was a familiar face who greeted law- spurred on by ignorance and xeno-
come at a better time. The American
makers, reporters, staffers, and em- phobia and the vicious slander that
Rescue Plan is already delivering on its
ployees at the north entrance as we en- blames the Chinese people for COVID–
promise to lift the country out of the
tered the Senate side of the building. 19—slander that was often encouraged
COVID crisis and set our economy back
Whether you knew him or not, his wide and repeated so regrettably—I so re-
on the path to recovery.
smile was often the first thing you gret that a President would stoop to Over the State work period, I visited
would see in the morning. that level—by the former President,
scores of restaurants, like Essie’s in
This has been an immensely difficult who seemed to almost revel in advanc-
Mount Carmel and Russo’s Grill in Am-
few months for members of the Capitol ing bigotry.
Sadly, the recent spate of anti-Asian sterdam, that are now receiving a cru-
Police Force and for everyone who
violence is not a new chapter in Amer- cial lifeline of assistance from the
works behind the scenes to safeguard
ican history. From the Chinese mas- American Rescue Plan. I visited small
the Capitol Complex. Senate commit-
sacre of 1871 to the explicitly racist and independent stages and venues,
tees are conducting bipartisan and
Chinese Exclusion Act, the internment like the Bug Jar in Rochester, which
comprehensive reviews to ensure the
of Japanese-American citizens, and the will soon receive grants through the
Capitol is as secure as possible while
shameful Korematsu Supreme Court Save our Stages Act, and I met with
also remaining accessible to the public.
decision, the Asian-American commu- community organizations to hear
That is a top priority.
nity has long suffered the hammer about how New York families are re-
But also, in this moment of profound
blows of racism and bigotry. ceiving thousands of dollars per child
loss, we need to comfort each other and
We cannot let this new surge, which through the expanded child tax credit—
support members of the Capitol Police,
contains echoes of these violent chap- or will be receiving, rather. That is a
who, in 4 short months, have suffered a
ters in our history, go unaddressed. So, policy that is going to lift millions of
brutal attack by a violent mob and lost
this week, the Senate will vote on Sen- American children out of poverty dur-
four of their friends and cherished col-
ator HIRONO’s anti-Asian hate crimes ing a time of economic hardship for so
leagues. We must never, never take for
bill, and I know the Presiding Officer is many.
granted the work they do, day in and The American Rescue Plan is helping
day out, to guard this citadel of democ- a proud sponsor of that legislation.
The bill does two things. the country recover from the worst
racy. public health crisis in a century and
First, it tells the Department of Jus-
I will have more to say tomorrow the worst economic crisis in three-
tice they need to make consideration
when we pay tribute to the life of Offi- quarters of a century. Now, not later,
of these hate crimes a top priority dur-
cer Evans. For now, I wish to extend is the time to build on that solid foun-
ing this pandemic. There is a scourge
my deep condolences to his friends and dation to create jobs and cement a ro-
of abuse happening to the Asian-Amer-
family, especially his two young chil- ican community—shamefully aided and bust economy.
dren, and everyone whose lives were abetted by former President Trump— The next big step is a long overdue
enriched by knowing this incredible, and it needs to be prioritized by law en- investment and a large and significant
incredible public servant. forcement more than it is right now. investment in our Nation’s infrastruc-
BUSINESS BEFORE THE SENATE Second, it sends a very important ture. We know that our Nation’s roads
Now, Madam President, on an en- signal from the Congress of the United and bridges and railways and water-
tirely other matter, as the Senate re- States to the American public: These ways and ports are in need of an over-
turns to work this week, we are going crimes will not be tolerated, and there haul. So too does our country need in-
to pick right back up where we left off will be consequences. vestment in modern infrastructure
in aggressively filling the Biden admin- This legislation is as commonsense projects, like our electric grid,
istration with well-qualified nominees and straightforward as it gets. It is as
SSpencer on DSK126QN23PROD with SENATE
broadband internet access, and 5G, just
and pursuing timely legislation that unobjectionable as it gets. I should ex- to name a few. President Biden’s pro-
meets the needs of the American peo- pect our work on Senator HIRONO’s posal will address both our traditional
ple. hate crimes bill to be thoroughly bipar- infrastructure needs and invest in 21st
This week, the Senate will vote on tisan. President Biden has urged Con- century infrastructure projects that
the nominations of Polly Trottenberg gress to swiftly pass this legislation America sorely needs.
to serve as Deputy Secretary of Trans- and send it to his desk. Let’s get it Again, this very important work
portation, Wendy Sherman to serve as done this week. should be bipartisan. This is an issue
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April 12, 2021 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S1865
that affects all 50 States. Our two par- mous consent that the Senate proceed ing immunity to interactive computer
ties used to agree on the need to reli- to the consideration of H. Con. Res. 28, services that host third-party content.
ably invest in infrastructure. We which was received today. The goal of section 230 at the time
should be able to do that again. Presi- The PRESIDING OFFICER. The was laudable. The internet was in its
dent Biden is hosting bipartisan discus- clerk will report the concurrent resolu- infancy, and content being posted to
sions about his proposal at the White tion by title. message boards by third parties was
House today and will continue to bring The senior assistant legislative clerk leading to litigation that threatened
lawmakers and stakeholders together read as follows: the spread of free speech and expres-
to find common ground. I know that A concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 28) sion. Section 230 was enacted to en-
the administration is going to talk to directing the Architect of the Capitol to courage free speech, while giving com-
Members from both sides of the aisle to transfer the catafalque situated in the Cap- panies the ability to remove illegal and
incorporate their ideas. itol Visitor Center to the rotunda of the Cap- obscene materials.
Every day now, millions of Ameri- itol for use in connection with services con- Section 230 and the legal shield it of-
ducted for United States Capitol Police Offi-
cans are getting the vaccine—4 million fers helped to enable the internet to
cer William F. Evans.
on 1 day over the weekend—and we are grow into what we know this very day.
closer than ever to defeating the There being no objection, the Senate However, interactive computer services
COVID–19 pandemic. The worst of proceeded to consider the concurrent are no longer struggling companies but
COVID–19 is, hopefully, in the rear resolution. some of the largest corporations in the
view mirror. The streets of New York Mr. SCHUMER. I ask unanimous con- world today. Would you believe that
City, this weekend as I wandered sent that the concurrent resolution be when section 230 was signed into law,
about, were more alive than I have agreed to and the motion to reconsider the words ‘‘Google,’’ ‘‘Facebook,’’
seen them in months. Soon we will be considered made and laid upon the ‘‘Twitter,’’ and ‘‘YouTube’’ did not
have an opportunity to work together table with no intervening action or de- even exist as words or companies?
to strengthen our recovery and create bate. Today, they are giant, dominant tech
the jobs of the future. A big, bold in- The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without companies.
vestment in our Nation’s infrastruc- objection, it is so ordered. Many argue that these private com-
ture is just the way to do it. The concurrent resolution (H. Con. panies have their own terms of service
I yield the floor. Res. 28) was agreed to. and are able to enforce them as they
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The ma- Mr. SCHUMER. Madam President, I wish and also that they are not covered
jority leader. yield the floor. under the First Amendment. Yet, these
f f platforms are now the new public
PERMITTING THE REMAINS OF EXECUTIVE CALENDAR—Continued square, where it is important that all
THE LATE UNITED STATES CAP- voices and viewpoints are able to be
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen-
ITOL POLICE OFFICER WILLIAM heard.
ator from Iowa.
With the immunities that these com-
F. EVANS TO LIE IN HONOR IN INFRASTRUCTURE
panies have and the importance of dia-
THE ROTUNDA OF THE CAPITOL Mr. GRASSLEY. Madam President, I logue on their platforms, arguably they
Mr. SCHUMER. Madam President, as have one short issue and another issue are in effect state actors, and therefore
if in legislative session, I ask unani- of about 10 minutes. First Amendment protections should
mous consent that the Senate proceed Over the Easter break, I held a Q&A apply to user-generated content.
to the consideration of H. Con. Res. 27, in 24 counties to hear what was on the The size and power of these compa-
which was received today. minds of Iowans. It was my constitu- nies also contribute to their ability to
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The ents’ agenda, not my agenda, that we censor speech and undermine the First
clerk will report the concurrent resolu- discussed. From my cattle market Amendment. Google controls 87 per-
tion by title. transparency bill to Second Amend- cent of search, Facebook has 2.8 billion
The senior assistant legislative clerk ment issues, COVID–19 vaccines, and monthly active users, 500 million
read as follows: the crisis at the southern border, tweets are sent on Twitter each day,
A concurrent resolution (H. Con Res. 27) Iowans are always up to date on the and over 1 billion hours of videos are
permitting the remains of the late United issues most important to them.
States Capitol Police Officer William F.
watched on YouTube every day.
One prominent question: Why can’t When a campaign has monopoly
Evans to lie in honor in the rotunda of the
you guys in the Senate get along? In power, it no longer is constrained by
Capitol.
other words, ‘‘Why not more biparti- normal market forces. If these plat-
There being no objection, the Senate sanship?’’ is a constant question I get.
proceeded to consider the concurrent forms had competitors, consumers
Iowans want Congress to work in a could choose alternatives when they
resolution. bipartisan way to enhance our Nation’s
Mr. SCHUMER. Madam President, I disagree with the terms of service or
infrastructure through increased fund- moderation policies. However, right
ask unanimous consent that the con-
ing for roads, bridges, highways, water- now, the only choice consumers have is
current resolution be agreed to and the
ways, and rural broadband, among to take it or leave it.
motion to reconsider be considered
many other infrastructure issues. Section 230 appears to compound this
made and laid upon the table with no
Unfortunately, what I have heard so problem. Big Tech has no competitors
intervening action or debate.
far about President Biden’s plan is that and is immune from liability. These
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without
it is everything but the kitchen sink companies are unaccountable to their
objection, it is so ordered.
The concurrent resolution (H. Con. and not enough focus on just the big, customers, the courts, and the govern-
Res. 27) was agreed to. big issue and the long-term issue of in- ment. If not for their monopoly power
frastructure. and section 230 immunity, these com-
f
Iowans expect us to work in a bipar- panies might not be involved in the ac-
DIRECTING THE ARCHITECT OF tisan way, and I hope Democrats will tions and the censorship we see today.
THE CAPITOL TO TRANSFER THE agree to work together with us, unlike These platforms are where people com-
CATAFALQUE SITUATED IN THE the passage of the $1.9 trillion bill. municate online, and there are no real
CAPITOL VISITOR CENTER TO SECTION 230 OF THE COMMUNICATIONS ACT alternatives.
THE ROTUNDA OF THE CAPITOL I recently spoke on the Senate floor This innovation has democratized
SSpencer on DSK126QN23PROD with SENATE
FOR USE IN CONNECTION WITH about the important issue of free our political system. I think that is
SERVICES CONDUCTED FOR speech. Today, I would like to speak on good. Yet, there are people who don’t
UNITED STATES CAPITOL PO- the power of Big Tech to censor free like that every person is able to get
LICE OFFICER WILLIAM F. speech. their views out, and they want to inter-
EVANS It has been 25 years since section 230 fere with and censor those views. We
Mr. SCHUMER. Madam President, as of the Communications Act was signed cannot stand for this cancel culture
if in legislative session, I ask unani- into law. This law grants wide-sweep- and the interference with free speech.
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