Coronavirus (Cong. Rec., Nov. 29, 2021)
Summary
This is S8767 and S8768 of the Congressional Record, Vol. 167, No. 205, for Monday, November 29, 2021. The House was not in session, and the Senate met at 3 p.m. with the Chaplain, Dr. Barry C. Black, offering the prayer. Mr. Schumer remembers his father, Abe Schumer, who passed away after 98 years, and, under the heading Coronavirus, urges vaccination and booster shots in light of the Omicron variant, quoting Dr. Francis Collins. He then turns to government funding, with the views attributed to Mr. Schumer.
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“Coronavirus (Cong. Rec., Nov. 29, 2021).”
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Congressional Record
E PL
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117 th CONGRESS, FIRST SESSION
United States
of America PROCEEDINGS AND DEBATES OF THE
Vol. 167 WASHINGTON, MONDAY, NOVEMBER 29, 2021 No. 205
House of Representatives
The House was not in session today. Its next meeting will be held on Tuesday, November 30, 2021, at 2 p.m.
Senate
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 29, 2021
The Senate met at 3 p.m. and was The PRESIDING OFFICER (Ms. ing husband, parent, grandparent, and great-
called to order by the President pro HIRONO). Without objection, it is so or- grandparent.
tempore (Mr. LEAHY). dered. Dad, we love you. We already miss
f f you beyond comprehension. Thank you
for the incredible life you led on this
PRAYER RECOGNITION OF THE MAJORITY Earth.
The Chaplain, Dr. Barry C. Black, of- LEADER
f
fered the following prayer: The PRESIDING OFFICER. The
Let us pray. Democratic leader is recognized. CORONAVIRUS
O God, who remains the same though f Mr. SCHUMER. Madam President,
all else fades, we praise You for Your now, on another subject, Omicron. Over
graciousness and compassion, rejoicing REMEMBERING ABE SCHUMER the course of 2021, our country has
that You are slow to anger and rich in Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, I hope made monumental and hard-fought
love. all Senators had a productive and rest- progress in our fight against the
Lord, thank You for Your presence in ful Thanksgiving holiday. COVID–19 pandemic.
the lives of our lawmakers, providing This year, I am sad to say, was a After the passing of the American
them with clear vision from Your light painful Thanksgiving season for the Rescue Plan, after getting vaccines
that leads to truth. Schumer family. Last Wednesday, we into as many arms as possible, and be-
Remind our Senators that everything all said goodbye to my father Abe cause of the unceasing work of the
is possible for those who believe. In- Schumer, who passed away after 98 Biden administration and healthcare
cline their hearts to Your wisdom and amazing years. workers across the country, we begin
love, as You keep their feet on the path I want to thank all of my colleagues the winter of 2021 in a much better
of integrity. in this Chamber who have reached out place than the winter of 2020.
We pray in Your great Name. Amen. But as we learn more about the Omi-
with prayers, condolences, and words of
f kindness in recent days. Their words cron variant that is spreading abroad,
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE give us strength. Their prayers give us my message to the American people is
The President pro tempore led the healing. Their kindness gives us im- simple: If you don’t want to get sick,
Pledge of Allegiance, as follows: mense comfort. I say the same to so get vaccinated. If you are eligible, get
I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the many New Yorkers who reached out as your booster shot.
United States of America, and to the Repub- well. While there is so much we have yet
lic for which it stands, one nation under God, Here on the floor of the U.S. Senate, to understand about the Omicron vari-
indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. I want to take a moment to offer a lov- ant, we do know that you are far less
The PRESIDENT pro tempore. The ing son’s tribute to the man we lost likely to be hospitalized or die from
Senator from Hawaii. last week. the coronavirus if you are fully vac-
Ms. HIRONO. Mr. President, I suggest My father was the kind of parent cinated. And for those who are already
the absence of a quorum. every kid deserves, every spouse hopes vaccinated, research shows that boost-
The PRESIDENT pro tempore. The for, and the sort of American that ers are likewise highly effective. Take
clerk will call the roll. makes our country great, and as I the words of Dr. Francis Collins, the
The legislative clerk proceeded to shared last week: head of the National Institutes of
call the roll. In so many ways, he personified the great- Health:
Mr. SCHUMER. Madam President, I est generation. He took whatever was thrown Boosters do, in fact, allow your immune
ask unanimous consent that the order at him, no matter how difficult; he did his system to have a wide range of capabilities
SSpencer on DSK126QN23PROD with SENATE
for the quorum call be rescinded. job and never complained. He was an amaz- against spike proteins it hasn’t seen before.
∑ This ‘‘bullet’’ symbol identifies statements or insertions which are not spoken by a Member of the Senate on the floor.
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S8768 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE November 29, 2021
If you needed one more reason, if you’re eli- GOVERNMENT FUNDING I yield the floor.
gible to get that booster right away, this I suggest the absence of a quorum.
would be it.
Mr. SCHUMER. Madam President,
now on government funding, as we all The PRESIDING OFFICER. The
Those are the words of Dr. Collins. know, by the end of this week, both clerk will call the roll.
By now we know, the longer that eli- The bill clerk proceeded to call the
parties must come to an agreement for
gible people resist safe vaccines, the roll.
funding the government and avoiding a Mr. MCCONNELL. Madam President,
greater the risk of new variants like needless shutdown.
Delta and Omicron arising in our I ask unanimous consent that the order
At the end of September, Democrats
midst. These strains—these strains—of for the quorum call be rescinded.
and Republicans worked together to The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without
variants have largely spread among keep the government open through De-
unvaccinated populations, threatening objection, it is so ordered.
cember 3, avoiding many of the fights
our families, small businesses, and pro- f
that tainted so many funding debates
longing the day we put this wretched under the previous administration. RECOGNITION OF THE MINORITY
disease fully in the rearview mirror. After the House takes action this LEADER
So if you aren’t getting vaccinated week, the Democratic-led Senate will
for yourself because you don’t think The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Re-
move forward to make sure the govern- publican leader is recognized.
you need it, then do it for your family, ment remains funded after the dead-
your friends, and your neighbors be- f
line.
cause the unvaccinated population is With so many critical issues, the last NATIONAL DEFENSE
where the variants multiply, spread, thing the American people need right AUTHORIZATION ACT
and grow, and hurt everybody. now is a government shutdown, and Mr. MCCONNELL. Madam President,
So as we enter the holiday season, as Democrats are going to work this week today’s Democratic Party does not
we begin attending holiday gatherings to make sure we don’t have one this make the policy decisions of a party
and traveling long distances to see time around. It is important to get it that is serious about protecting our
families, I urge New Yorkers and done, and we are working to get it country.
Americans everywhere to stay safe, get done. In May, President Biden released a
vaccinated, and get boosted. It is the budget proposal that proposed a de
f
best thing we can do to protect our facto cut in defense spending, and that
families, our communities, and our BUILD BACK BETTER was before the President’s own super-
country. Mr. SCHUMER. Finally, Madam charged inflation further cut the pur-
f President, on Build Back Better, before chasing power of every defense dollar.
NATIONAL DEFENSE the end of the year, the Senate will In August, his botched Afghanistan
AUTHORIZATION ACT also work on President Biden’s Build retreat shattered our allies’ trust and
Back Better legislation, which momen- delighted the terrorists. In 10 months
Mr. SCHUMER. Madam President, tously passed the House at the very in office, despite naive happy talk from
now on NDAA, the Defense Act, we end of the last work period. the administration, the threats we face
begin an important week for what will This week, Democrats will continue are markedly worse. The vacuum they
be an important final month of 2021. to meet with the Senate Parliamen- left in Afghanistan has emboldened ter-
Later today, the Senate will vote on tarian in order to complete the tech- rorists, from Iran’s militias in Iraq,
cloture on the substitute amendment nical and procedural work required be- Syria, and Yemen to the highest ranks
to the NDAA. NDAA has been passed fore the bill comes to the floor. Meet- of the Taliban’s government.
by this Chamber for over 60 years, and ings were held over the Thanksgiving Their desperation to return to a
there is no good reason why this year week, and we will continue this week failed nuclear deal has given Iran the
should be any different. and next week as needed. upper hand in negotiations.
Before Thanksgiving, the Senate As I have said repeatedly, once this For 4 years, my colleague the Demo-
worked in as bipartisan way as it could necessary work is completed with the cratic leader seemed constantly fo-
to lay the groundwork for advancing Parliamentarian, I will bring the Presi- cused on Putin and Russia. But now,
the Defense bill. Senate Armed Serv- dent’s Build Back Better legislation to with Putin flaunting his power and
ices Committee Chairman REED and the floor so we can pass it as soon as Russia engaged in ongoing cyber at-
Ranking Member INHOFE reached an possible and send it to the President’s tacks, weapons tests, and troop build-
agreement, a bipartisan agreement, on desk. Our goal continues to be to get ups? Crickets.
a package of 18 amendments—let me this done before Christmas. And for all their talk about China’s
repeat that; 18 amendments, folks—for Build Back Better represents the threat, we have seen no evidence that
the Senate to hold rollcall votes on. largest investment in the American Democrats intend for the United States
Nearly half of those amendments were people in generations. Under our bill, to keep pace with the PLA’s invest-
led by a Republican. That would be childcare will be more affordable, pre-K ments in nuclear and hypersonic weap-
more amendments to the NDAA receiv- will be more affordable, and raising ons.
ing rollcall votes than in the last 4 kids overall will be more affordable for The bipartisan National Defense
years combined. tens of millions of parents. Strategy Commission has made clear
We also agreed to the substitute The bill will take unprecedented that we cannot shortchange our mili-
amendment, which included at least 50 steps in the fight against the climate tary modernization and have a prayer
amendments, 27 of which were led by a crisis, paving the way for even greater of competing with the People’s Repub-
Republican. Senator INHOFE, the rank- action in the future. lic of China or even the declining but
ing member of the Armed Services And as scores of economists from dangerous Russian Republic.
Committee, agreed to this. across the ideological spectrum attest Our colleagues across the aisle have
In any other time, this would be con- to, Build Back Better will not worsen missed one opportunity after another
sidered a very fair and generous com- inflation—will not worsen inflation— to right the ship. They have used the
promise. Even though every Member and in the long run help bring costs reconciliation process to pass trillions
didn’t get every amendment they want- under control. in new partisan spending without a
ed, the leadership on both sides would So cutting costs, saving parents cent for defending the Nation.
have made sure that cloture was grant- money, fighting climate change, and And despite the strong bipartisan
SSpencer on DSK126QN23PROD with SENATE
ed. creating the jobs of tomorrow—these work of our colleagues on the Armed
Unfortunately, Republicans could not are the things the American people Services Committee, the Democratic
accept this agreement before Thanks- want; these are the things the Amer- leader kept this year’s Defense author-
giving, but we hope that Republican ican people need; and these are the ization bill in limbo literally for
dysfunction will not be a roadblock to things that Build Back Better will de- months and now wants to block the
passing this bill and taking care of our liver on once we pass it through this Senate from a real debate and a real
troops and their families. Chamber. amendment process.
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