Coronavirus (Cong. Rec., July 20, 2021)
Summary
This is S4956 of the Congressional Record, Senate, July 20, 2021, with interleaved columns. Under the heading Nominations, Mr. Durbin responds to remarks by the Republican leader about the dismissal of some individuals by the administration, citing the name Merrick Garland, and says a commission to investigate January 6 was stopped. He then supports the nomination of Mr. Polite, describing his service as the U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Louisiana from 2013 to 2017 and as an assistant U.S. attorney in the Southern District of New York. The page also includes remarks under the heading Coronavirus, with the views attributed to Mr. Durbin.
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“Coronavirus (Cong. Rec., July 20, 2021).”
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S4956 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE July 20, 2021
Mr. MCCONNELL. Mr. President, I and I want them to follow norms and As an experienced prosecutor who
suggest the absence of a quorum. conduct that are respectful of Amer- has served his community throughout
The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- ican values. But defunding the police is his career, Mr. Polite is certainly
pore. The clerk will call the roll. not something I have ever embraced or qualified for this important position.
The senior assistant legislative clerk ever will. From 2013 to 2017, Mr. Polite served as
proceeded to call the roll. But it is interesting to hear that ar- the U.S. attorney for the Eastern Dis-
Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, I ask gument from the Senator from Ken- trict of Louisiana. While in this role,
unanimous consent that the order for tucky. He said that, in a way, you Mr. Polite’s office prosecuted several
the quorum call be rescinded. would be insulting and attacking the large, violent, criminal organizations.
The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- police by taking that position. One He held local corrupt politicians ac-
pore. Without objection, it is so or- could argue that, but I would suggest countable and stopped more human
dered. to him that, in his position, stopping traffickers than during any prior U.S.
NOMINATIONS the creation of a commission to inves- attorney’s term in office.
Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, I heard tigate what happened in this Chamber Prior to serving the people of Lou-
the Republican leader on the floor just on January 6 and what happened to 140 isiana, Mr. Polite served as an assist-
moments ago talking about the dis- members of law enforcement in the ant U.S. attorney in the Southern Dis-
missal of some individuals by the Biden Halls of the U.S. Capitol on the same trict of New York, which is a very busy
administration and their replacement, day is not respectful of the police and important office. There, he took on
and his complaint that this violated itself. organized crime, fought corruption,
We have had a plea—a direct plea
the norms and the precedents of the healthcare fraud, and identity theft.
from the men and women in uniform In addition to his extensive experi-
U.S. Senate.
who guard us in this building to have ence as a public servant, Mr. Polite
There are certainly two words I
an investigative commission determine also has a remarkable personal story.
would offer in response to that asser-
what was behind that insurrectionist Born to teenage parents, he spent his
tion: Merrick Garland.
mob of January 6 and what we need to youth in public housing projects in
I would offer those words to the Re-
do to avoid it in the future. That com- New Orleans before moving to the
publican leader as a reminder of what
mission and its prospects were stopped
he did when there was a vacancy on the Lower Ninth Ward as a child. He grad-
cold by the Republican leader from
highest Court in the land, the U.S. Su- uated high school as the valedictorian
Kentucky. That is a fact.
preme Court. Antonin Scalia passed In terms of being respectful of law of his class, and he went on to earn his
away, and a vacancy occurred. It was enforcement, allowing that commis- undergraduate degree from Harvard
the last year of the Obama administra- sion to be created—a bipartisan com- and his law degree from the well-re-
tion. mission—to get to the bottom of that spected Georgetown University. After
Tradition suggested that that Presi- horrible incident, that embarrassing law school, Mr. Polite initially went
dent of the United States, duly elected incident in the history of the United into private practice, but he was in-
and in office, had the responsibility States, is the least we can do to re- spired to become a prosecutor after his
and the opportunity to fill the va- spond to what the police who guard us half brother was tragically killed by
cancy, and so he offered as his nominee have asked for. gun violence.
Merrick Garland from the DC Circuit I might add one other element while Throughout his career, Mr. Polite
court. we are on the discussion of law enforce- has always given back to the commu-
What happened to Merrick Garland’s ment and protecting America. We have nity that raised him. He has served on
nomination? What was the norm and a special security supplemental appro- the boards of numerous community or-
precedent? Well, there would be a hear- priation that was created by Senator ganizations and schools in New Orle-
ing and a consideration of that nomi- PATRICK LEAHY of Vermont, the chair- ans, and Mr. Polite’s track record as an
nation and a vote in the U.S. Senate. man of the Senate Committee on Ap- even-handed public servant has earned
That process was stopped in its propriations, which appropriates the him support from across the aisle.
tracks by one leader, the Republican funds to pay the National Guard units In 2011, he was appointed by a Repub-
leader of the U.S. Senate from Ken- who left their families and came here lican Governor of Louisiana, Bobby
tucky. to protect us, and to pay the Capitol Jindal, to serve on the Louisiana Civil
So when he talks about norms and Police for the expenses they incurred Service Commission.
precedents and creating and filling va- on January 6 to fortify this Capitol Then, last month, the Republican At-
cancies, he has forgotten that he made against any future insurrectionist mob. torney General of Louisiana, Jeff
history in a very unusual way: by vio- That supplemental appropriations bill, Landry, publicly voiced his support for
lating the most basic norm and prece- which should have been passed rou- Mr. Polite’s nomination to this posi-
dent that the U.S. Senate had the re- tinely weeks ago, is still languishing tion in the Department of Justice. In a
sponsibility to fill a vacancy on the Su- for lack of agreement on the Repub- letter to the Senate Judiciary Com-
preme Court. And the President of the lican side. mittee, Mr. Landry wrote that, while
United States, duly elected, was not a If you want to be respectful of law serving as U.S. attorney, ‘‘Mr. Polite
lameduck in the last year of his admin- enforcement, whether they are men was not only an effective crime fighter,
istration. and women in uniform, in police units, but he was also an invaluable member
The second issue which was raised by or the National Guard, wouldn’t you of the community.’’
the Republican leader this morning pay them for the services they have Mr. Polite is an outstanding nominee
dealt with the phrase ‘‘defunding the rendered to protect this Capitol and to for this critical role at the Justice De-
police.’’ I have rejected that phrase protect the United States of America? partment. You should have been in the
from the first time I heard it. I I call on the Republican leader: In- Judiciary Committee, which the Pre-
couldn’t imagine anyone thinking that stead of making a speech on the floor, siding Officer serves on, when his nomi-
this was a sensible policy to follow call the Republican ranking member nation came up. The praise that he won
when it came to the security of our on the Senate Committee on Appro- from the two Republican Senators of
homes and our communities. priations and ask him to waste no time Louisiana is an indication of this
I can’t speak for anybody else in the in showing respect for law enforcement man’s popularity and of his value to
Senate, but in the awful circumstance and to pass that security supplemental. Louisiana and to our country. I hope
when one is called on to dial 911, you NOMINATION OF KENNETH ALLEN POLITE, JR. that he will receive the same broad bi-
certainly hope that the police will an- Mr. President, on another topic, this partisan support in the full Senate, and
dlhill on DSK120RN23PROD with SENATE
swer and that they will be there if they week, the Senate will vote on the nom- I urge my colleagues to join me in sup-
are needed. Defunding them lessens ination of Kenneth Polite. President porting Mr. Polite’s nomination.
that possibility, and I am not a person Biden has nominated him to serve as CORONAVIRUS
who supports that. Assistant Attorney General for the Mr. President, last week was an im-
I want the very best police and law Justice Department’s Criminal Divi- portant day for literally millions of
enforcement. I want them well trained, sion. Americans because the child tax credit
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July 20, 2021 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S4957
went into effect on July 15, and many distribute vaccines across America, Apparently, post-Civil War voter sup-
were awakened to the good news that helped small businesses get back on pression laws and poll taxes and other
their checking and savings accounts their feet, and is helping millions of atrocities don’t hold a candle to what
had been increased because of this new Americans and children and families as is happening today in places like Geor-
child tax credit. of this day. I am sorry that there was gia, where—the horror—only election
It was part of the American Rescue not one single Republican vote in sup- officials will be able to hand out water
Plan, the proposal by President Biden port of that proposal, but I believe it to those in line at the polls.
to get America back on its feet. You was money well spent and continues to Then, of course, there were the Texas
remember that plan, almost $2 trillion. benefit this country. We have a lot of Democrats’ antics as they flew to
It was an important infusion into our work to do in this country. Washington via a private jet to shut
economy. Money within that plan was I will close by saying this: I was on down the Texas Legislature and pre-
being spent on the administration of radio shows this morning in downstate vent election legislation from being
vaccines across America. In addition to Illinois. Chicago, and the Chicagoland, passed there, and the Senate Demo-
that, money was available for small area have been able to get vaccinated crats’ field hearing in Georgia yester-
businesses to receive forgivable loans. to a level where they are starting to day to highlight the supposed horrors
And this provision, that of enhancing breathe a little easier in anticipating of Georgia’s mainstream election law.
the child tax credit, was an important children going back to school in the In his speech last week, President
part of it as well. fall, businesses reopening, and people Biden mentioned stopping the spread of
We have had tax credits in the past getting out and about. You can just disinformation, which is an ironic
for families with children, but this was feel it in the air. Yet that is not the statement when the Democrats are en-
an especially important one because it case all over the United States. gaging in one of the most massive cam-
was fully refundable, which meant it The City of Los Angeles, I under- paigns of disinformation we have ever
went to the lower-income families who stand, is opposed to a new mask re- seen, because—and let’s be very clear—
might not have had enough income to quirement, which, unfortunately, evi- the narrative the Democrats are ped-
merit a tax responsibility. This now is dences the fact that there are still too dling, which is that States are engag-
fully refundable, so there is no tax re- many infections these days related to ing in a massive campaign of voter sup-
sponsibility necessary to receive the COVID–19. Unfortunately, as Dr. Fauci pression, is simply false.
payment. It also was a benefit that ex- and others have said, these infections In other years, I doubt whether any
tended beyond poor and low-income are reflected in people who have not of the State voting laws that have been
families to middle-income families yet been vaccinated, by and large, and passed would have been more than a
across America. Some of these families it is an indication that we can’t let up blip in the national news because they
with this payment of $300 a month for on our effort to continue vaccinations are nothing more than ordinary, main-
each child under the age of 6 and $250 a across America. It is the only way to stream updates to State voting guide-
month for those between 6 and 17 would successfully put this pandemic to rest lines. The Georgia law that has pro-
receive resources which they des- and return to normal life in America. voked so much Democratic hysteria is
perately need to make certain that To those who are not vaccinated, I not only squarely in the mainstream
their children have a fighting chance. am sure they are not watching C–SPAN when it comes to State election laws,
We are especially proud of the fact for advice, but I hope they will turn to but it is actually, in some ways, more
that this infusion of cash into the a doctor or a nurse or to someone they permissive than voting laws in some
hands of many families will literally trust in the community and hear about Democratic-led States.
mean it will lift them above the pov- the safety of these vaccines, which A piece in the New York Times, hard-
erty line in America. Almost half of have been safely administered to mil- ly a newspaper that carries water for
the kids in poverty will be spared that lions of people across the United Republicans, concluded that the voting
by this tax credit. So it has a direct States. provisions of the Georgia law are ‘‘un-
and important impact. If each and every one of us accepts likely to significantly affect turnout or
I had a press conference last Friday our personal responsibility to get vac- Democratic chances.’’
in Chicago with one of the parents who cinated to protect ourselves, our fami- In fact, the piece notes that Geor-
will be benefited by this. Her name is lies, those we love, and those all gia’s law could ‘‘plausibly even in-
Susana Salgado. She is a mother of around us, we will finally bring this crease turnout.’’
three—an 11-year-old, a 16-year-old, pandemic to an end. At this point, Meanwhile, the Washington Post
and a 23-year-old. Her family relies on there are many, many who are still Fact Checker column noted again:
her husband’s income. He works as a holding back. I hope they will recon- ‘‘The law does not put up roadblocks to
restaurant worker in Chicago to pay sider that position. Black Americans registering to vote.’’
the bills, but when the pandemic hit, I yield the floor. That from the Washington Post Fact
his hours were cut drastically. A return The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Checker.
to normal remains elusive for people PADILLA). The Republican whip. And yet Democrats have repeatedly
like Susana Salgado because, at the Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, I ask asked us to believe that this law is
same time the family’s livelihood van- unanimous consent that Senators COR- ‘‘Jim Crow on steroids’’ and part of
ished, their cost of living increased. NYN, GRASSLEY, and I be allowed to ‘‘the most significant test of our de-
During the pandemic, as parents complete our remarks before the sched- mocracy since the Civil War.’’ Those
know well, schooling moved into the uled rollcall votes. are quotes, actual quotes, from Demo-
home and the high-speed internet con- The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without crats.
nection became an absolute necessity objection, it is so ordered. That is right, since the Civil War.
for her kids to keep up in school. FOR THE PEOPLE ACT Apparently, segregation and the hor-
Thanks to the enhanced child tax cred- Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, it has rors of Jim Crow are nothing compared
it, Susana can finally afford her been all political theater all the time to Georgia’s adjustment of its regula-
monthly internet bill. It sounds like a lately as the Democrats attempt to tions on no-excuse absentee voting,
small thing, but if the alternative is a manufacture a crisis that will allow which isn’t even allowed in some Dem-
child falling behind a grade in school, them to pass their partisan Federal ocrat-led States like New York.
it is a critical family decision. That takeover of State election law. It is almost comical, except that it is
means her two younger children can There was President Biden’s over- not, because there is nothing funny
keep up with their studies and her old- wrought speech in Philadelphia last about Democrats irresponsibly evoking
dlhill on DSK120RN23PROD with SENATE
est son can remain in college. Some- week warning that election laws being the horrors of Jim Crow to convince
thing as basic as that can mean the dif- passed in various States are ‘‘the most Americans that reasonable reforms to
ference in a young child’s progress in dangerous threat to voting and the in- election laws are really a dastardly
his life. tegrity of free and fair elections in our plot to suppress votes.
So I salute President Biden for the history.’’ There is nothing amusing about
American Rescue Plan, which helped to That is right, in our Nation’s history. Democrats attempting to deceive the
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