COVID-19 (Cong. Rec., Nov. 1, 2021)
Summary
Page S7525 of the Senate section of the Congressional Record for November 1, 2021, headed COVID-19, in interleaved columns. A speaker says President Biden wants to make millionaires out of people who violated Federal law, which is the speaker's characterization, and quotes a shopper saying she can barely buy one week's worth of food. A passage on the nomination of Mr. Heytens recounts his work with the Solicitor General and his clerkship for Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Another speaker says a vote to put the pandemic behind us would help, and mentions a letter to Secretary Mayorkas on police safety.
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“COVID-19 (Cong. Rec., Nov. 1, 2021).”
Original at www.govinfo.gov. Archived at Pandemic Darlings, https://pandemicdarlings.com/source-documents/crec-crec-2021-11-01-crec-2021-11-01-pt1-pgs7525-4-0646f4a0f0/
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November 1, 2021 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S7525
President Biden wants to literally and choose. Before, you didn’t have to Solicitor General, and then he clerked
make millionaires out of people who do that. You could just go in and buy a for Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Not a bad re-
have violated Federal law. week or two’s worth of food. Now, I can sume.
What could be more unfair and un- barely buy one week’s worth.’’ After a few years in private practice,
just to law-abiding, tax-paying Amer- That is a sobering reality that too Mr. Heytens rejoined the Justice De-
ican citizens? many Americans are dealing with, and partment as an assistant to the Solic-
And talk about yet another massive it isn’t limited to the grocery store. itor General. Most recently, he was So-
incentive for more and more people to Folks in my hometown of Louisville licitor General for the Commonwealth
come here illegally: On President have seen gas prices jump a full dollar of Virginia.
Biden’s watch, we have already seen an in the past year. Feeding a family is He is a distinguished academic—
alltime high in illegal border crossings, getting harder. Filling up the tank is taught at Cornell Law School, joined
combined with a decade low in arrests getting harder. Even heating a home the faculty at UVA Law School, co-
in the interior. this winter is shaping up to be 30 per- directed the Supreme Court Litigation
So Democrats have already created a cent more expensive than last year. Clinic.
major border crisis, and now they want Even during a time of calm and pros- Mr. Heytens has personally argued 10
to cut seven-figure checks to illegal perity, writing million-dollar checks to cases before the U.S. Supreme Court—
border crossers? illegal immigrants would be an insult there aren’t many people who can say
Democrats are already trying to send to American families, but it is 10 times that—and handled the briefing in more
monthly welfare payments to people more insulting at a time like this, than 50 other cases before the Court,
who are here illegally. That is in the when Democrats’ policies are forcing so and the breadth of these cases is im-
reckless taxing-and-spending spree many households to tighten their belts. pressive.
they are putting together behind closed These are the same Democrats who With such credentials, it is not sur-
doors. are putting finishing touches on yet prising he enjoys the strong support of
But who needs $300 a month when another multimillion dollar—multitril- Senators KAINE and WARNER.
President Biden wants to send these lion dollar reckless taxing-and-spend- He has been unanimously rated ‘‘well
folks $450,000 per person? ing spree. So in the days and weeks qualified’’ by the American Bar Asso-
That is four and a half times the pay- ahead, when the far left tries to sell ciation, and his nomination is sup-
ment that the Department of Defense America on historic inflationary spend- ported by leaders in the legal commu-
sends to the survivors of servicemem- ing, historic tax hikes, and more nity, including three former Repub-
bers who were killed in action. Fallen micromanaging of American life by lican Solicitors General under Presi-
troops’ families get $100,000 from the politicians, just remember, these are dent George W. Bush.
Pentagon. But the Biden administra- the same politicians who have proposed He is a dedicated public servant. I
tion wants to give illegal immigrants giving millions of dollars of taxpayers’ will be voting for him, and I hope my
$450,000? money to people who broke Federal law colleagues will join me.
This is an especially extreme exam- to enter our country. COVID–19
ple of a big error that Democrats con- The same people who think that is a Madam President, on another mat-
tinue to make over and over again. great idea want license to transform ter, this weekend saw the happy return
The left mistakenly thinks that a our entire economy. of a tradition in many neighborhoods.
compassionate border means a weak Look around. I am not sure how Last night, my senatorial assignment
border. They think compassion re- much more of this transformation was to be at the front door of my home
quires weakness—weak security, weak American families can stomach. in Springfield, IL, and pass out candy
enforcement, weak on upholding the to the trick-or-treaters.
rule of law. And now, apparently, we f
After a year off because of COVID,
are a cruel country unless we hand out CONCLUSION OF MORNING Halloween was back. We had at least
a million dollars per family to illegal BUSINESS 80, maybe 100, kids show up, and they
immigrants who sue America. were all having a great time, as we all
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Morning
But the entire concept is dead wrong. remember our own youth.
business is closed.
It is not compassion to lure people What a difference vaccines can make.
from all over the world through dan- f Slowly but surely, we are putting this
gerous journeys with the promise of EXECUTIVE SESSION pandemic behind us. And after a dif-
open-borders socialism. In fact, the ficult year-plus of remote learning,
government paying out six-figure sums --- kids are going back to school across
that multiply with every additional EXECUTIVE CALENDAR America.
child in tow will only incentivize the Three days ago, we received some
riskiest and most dangerous kinds of The PRESIDING OFFICER. Under long-awaited news that will enable par-
illegal immigration. We will be guaran- the previous order, the Senate will pro- ents to breathe another sigh of relief
teeing that even more children are ceed to executive session and resume and allow children to be safely vac-
dragged along the dangerous journey. consideration of the following nomina- cinated. The FDA authorized Pfizer
Honestly, this absurd idea feels like a tion, which the clerk will report. vaccinations for kids between ages 5
satirical policy proposal that Repub- The bill clerk read the nomination of and 11.
licans would have invented to make a Jonathan Davidson, of Maryland, to be While it is true that healthy children
parody out of the radical left. Oh, and Deputy Under Secretary of the Treas- generally are at lower risk from this
the next thing you know, they will be ury. virus, they are not immune, and test-
sending out million-dollar checks to il- The PRESIDING OFFICER. The ma- ing had to take place, and it has taken
legal immigrants. But this is literally jority whip. place. The new lower-dose COVID vac-
what the Biden administration wants NOMINATION OF TOBY J. HEYTENS cine can protect our kids—and
to do, according to reports that they Mr. DURBIN. Madam President, grandkids, I might add. And I want to
have not denied. today, the Senate will vote to confirm do everything I can to make sure that
Out in the real world, American fam- Toby Heytens to serve on the U.S. happens.
ilies already have enough reasons to Court of Appeals for the Fourth Cir- I usually tell the story, which dates
worry about the administration’s cuit. me, but I know the reality of my im-
sspencer on DSK126QN23PROD with SENATE
spending habits. The inflation kicked He is an accomplished appellate ad- pression on those who are watching. I
off by Democrats’ springtime binge has vocate, with a depth of experience and have been around a few years, and I re-
wiped out wage gains and made family a fair-mindedness that would make member in the 1950s, when we were
budgets even harder to square. him an asset to the Fourth Circuit. He scared to death of polio, and along
One recent report on soaring food started as a clerk on the Third Circuit, came Jonas Salk—God bless his mem-
prices included this quote from a shop- completed a prestigious fellowship at ory—with a new vaccine, and we all
per out in Indiana: ‘‘You have to pick the Justice Department’s Office of the lined up, rolled up our sleeves, and got
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S7526 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE November 1, 2021
a shot, and there wasn’t a question all and get vaccinated, and speak up give 35 million families enhanced child
asked. when people decide, on FOX TV and tax credits will help them meet the
We saw the ravages of polio—the iron others, to peddle this anti-vax quack- cost of living and save them hundreds,
lungs, the crippled children, and some ery that we see too often. maybe thousands, of dollars a year.
who lost their lives—and we did what THE ECONOMY A vote for good, free, early childhood
we should do: we followed our parents’ Madam President, on a related mat- education for every kid in America will
guidance, got the vaccinations. We vir- ter, when I listen to our Republican put hundreds, even thousands of dollars
tually eliminated polio in America as a colleagues’ rail on the economy, I am more back in the hands of parents.
result of it. reminded of the old saying, attributed And unlike the Trump tax cuts, the
We have got to do the same thing, to H.L. Mencken, that: ‘‘For every Build Back Better agenda is paid for.
when it comes to COVID, for children. complex problem, there is an answer That is right. We pay for it. We are not
The new COVID vaccine for young that is simply easy—and wrong.’’ adding to the deficit, and no one earn-
children is just the latest proof that Four years ago, Republicans used the ing less than $400,000 a year will face
President Biden’s leadership and ef- Senate’s reconciliation rules to pass higher taxes to pay for the Build Back
forts are working. the Trump tax cuts. They didn’t get a Better agenda.
Not one Republican, I might add, not single Democratic vote. And then there is the issue of climate
one, could see their way to vote for Why? Because those tax cuts bene- change. I am joining a group that
President Biden’s American Rescue fited the wealthiest people in America hopes we can go to Glasgow, Scotland,
Plan. It was that same rescue plan and the most profitable corporations. for this climate conference the Presi-
which set up the program across Amer- So did it cost us anything? Did we dent is attending today, and we hope
ica to administer vaccines. make money on that as a nation? that a bipartisan group delegation
Where would we be today if we were It cost us $1.9 trillion over 10 years. from the Senate can go at the end of
still struggling to do that? That was Republican reconciliation 4 this week, and I am looking forward to
I want to thank the Biden adminis- years ago. That is more than President that possibility.
tration for that leadership. We are Biden is now proposing for his entire We are paying so much money out,
starting to see good results, despite the slate of programs to ease the financial almost on a weekly basis, for weather-
Delta variant. And I think that we can squeeze on working families and create related disasters. Hurricane Ida, this
see at least the possibility of putting millions of good jobs and protect our year, cost us $100 billion in damage.
this pandemic behind us. But I hope Nation from the dangers of climate One storm cost roughly twice as much
more people will get vaccinated so that change. as we proposed to spend the whole year
that will happen sooner rather than All the wailing and gnashing of teeth in reducing the harm of climate change
later. we are hearing from Republicans about for all America.
Every week—and I have noticed— deficits and debt? Where in the heck We need to work together to create a
some of our Republican colleagues, in- were they during the Trump years, win for the American people and for
cluding their leader, come to this floor when the debt went up 36 percent? our planet, and wouldn’t it be nice if it
to propose undercutting commonsense They were all voting for it. were bipartisan for a change?
vaccine policies that exist to protect Of course, now that President Biden IMMIGRATION
our Nation. These Senators, to my is onboard, they are really deficit
Madam President, let me say a word
knowledge, have all been vaccinated; hawks. They have changed overnight.
about Senator MCCONNELL’s comments.
yet, when it comes to the mistruths Well, you should have heard them dur-
I sit here and wonder: What can he say
and distortions about vaccinations, ing the Trump years, if they are sin-
next?
they are strangely silent. I think we cere and honest. Well, today, he took the cake. Appar-
Our Republican colleagues moan on
know why. ently, he was suggesting that we have
and on about inflation. All Americans
Apparently, they think pitting Amer- a plan to give every undocumented per-
are concerned about that. The Senator
icans against each other is good poli- son in America—was it a million dol-
from Kentucky pointed out the reality.
tics, but it may be good politics one lars or a half a million dollars?
I filled my truck up with gas over the
day and bad public health for a long It is laughable to hear that kind of
weekend. It is more expensive.
time. It is corrosive to our public spir- What is causing all that? suggestion.
it. America is strongest when we are Well, part of it is we have no control Remember when the caravans were
united. over the price. The OPEC nations and bringing thousands and thousands and
We will no doubt hear our Republican others are determining what the price it didn’t happen?
colleagues cheer on the small minority levels will be. And other things are Now, there is some notion by the
of police and firefighters in cities like part of it as well, yes. Senator from Kentucky that Joe Biden
New York and Chicago, who continue Heating bills are going to go up this has a plan to give every undocumented
to refuse to get vaccinated, despite winter. When I talk to the people in person a million dollars. I mean, you
mandates. the natural gas industry, they talk would say to yourself: Did you keep a
Here is a number that we should keep about the problems that they had. straight face when you said that? Ap-
in mind, those of us who say, and I When the economy slumped during the parently, he did. And I will just tell
count myself as one, that we respect pandemic, the production of natural you that the plans I have been sup-
law enforcement and want them to be gas went down, the storage of it went porting would put these people to work
strong and safe—last year, five times down, the price went up, and that is in America, paying taxes—paying their
more law enforcement officers died of what we are paying for today. fair share of taxes, and that is impor-
COVID than died of gun violence. So the pandemic itself has had an im- tant if we want to get this economy
Let me repeat that. Last year, five pact on our economy, which we cannot straight and get the workers we need
times more policemen died of COVID and should not ignore. back on the job.
than died from gun violence. The pandemic closed down the global So I would suggest to the Senator
COVID is the No. 1 killer of law en- economy and sent demand for many from Kentucky, a million dollars for an
forcement officers in America today. products soaring. Getting back to nor- undocumented person in America? I
And so when we talk about being on mal is just going to take some time, think you have gone a little bit beyond
the side of the police, and you want to and it will take thoughtful action, not the pale with that comment.
save their lives—I sure do. I want them political potshots. I yield the floor.
sspencer on DSK126QN23PROD with SENATE
to be safe on the job, but I also want To our Republican friends: If you are The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen-
them to be vaccinated so that they really concerned about the economic ator from Iowa.
don’t succumb to the illnesses that fol- strain on middle-class and working CYBER SECURITY
low when they are not. families, you have got an opportunity Mr. GRASSLEY. Madam President,
If you care about police safety—if to prove it this week. earlier this month, Senator ERNST and
you really care about police safety, put President Biden’s Build Back Better I sent a letter to Secretary Mayorkas
this pandemic behind us once and for agenda is moving forward. A vote to asking the Secretary to address the
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