Unanimous Consent Request—S. 3604 (Cong. Rec., Feb. 9, 2022)
Summary
This is S586 and S587 of the Congressional Record, Senate, February 9, 2022, with interleaved columns. The page begins with the end of remarks by a Senator urging a vote against the confirmation of Ms. Lewis as President of the Ex-Im Bank. Under the heading Unanimous Consent Request on S. 3604, Mr. Cotton asks the Senate to pass his bill requiring schools that receive Federal funding to give parents a choice on whether their children wear masks, and Mrs. Murray, reserving the right to object, says the legislation would tie the hands of State and local officials. The page then records the vote on the Nathan nomination and a cloture motion on the nomination of Douglas R. Bush to be an Assistant Secretary of the Army, with the views attributed to the speakers.
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“Unanimous Consent Request—S. 3604 (Cong. Rec., Feb. 9, 2022).”
Original at www.govinfo.gov. Archived at Pandemic Darlings, https://pandemicdarlings.com/source-documents/crec-crec-2022-02-09-crec-2022-02-09-pt1-pgs586-905de332cc/
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S586 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE February 9, 2022
In fact, I suspect she would embrace for simply trying to play, trying to Stadium when the Rams played the
that. make friends, trying to breathe a little 49ers, taking pictures—without a
I am also concerned about the back- easier. mask—with Magic Johnson and a
ground she brings to this job. Ms. Some parents may think that masks bunch of other celebrities, while he en-
Lewis does have some experience in work for their kids, and that is fine. If forced one of the most onerous mask
international policy, but she does not they want to, they can put their kids mandates in the country.
have the financial background that in a mask. They should be able to What about Eric Garcetti, whose
should be a prerequisite for serving as choose. But under Democratic-forced nomination to be the Ambassador to
the President of a big bank. And with- masking policies, parents have no India is in front of the Senate right
out such a background, she is going to choice at all. Tragically, but predict- now, who said that pictures of him
inevitably rely heavily on Ex-Im’s ably—not just predictably—predicted— without a mask on are fine because he
staff. As I said, I am very concerned these absurd policies have had severe was holding his breath—I guess like
that she is going to support this do- psychological effects on our kids. Sui- Bill Clinton, who didn’t inhale.
mestic financing program of the ad- cide and mental health problems have Barack Obama, pictures recently
ministration. skyrocketed in the past 2 years. Grades emerged of him standing outside—out-
So for these reasons and others, I am have plummeted, while depression has
side—on the beach, without a mask,
urging my colleagues to vote against surged. And as is so often the case,
while all the peons who are building his
the confirmation of Ms. Lewis as Presi- those with the least have suffered the
multimillion-dollar beach compound
dent of the Ex-Im Bank. most.
But when parents dared to complain were forced to wear a mask in front of
I yield the floor. him.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen- on behalf of their kids, they were con-
demned by teachers union bosses and And I will let you in on something.
ator from Arkansas. The same goes for Democratic Sen-
Mr. COTTON. Mr. President, I ask by Democratic politicians as anti-
science and extremists. They were in- ators. I was in a hearing this week. It
unanimous consent that Senator MUR-
vestigated when Attorney General was in a small, closed room. Not a sin-
RAY and I be allowed to complete our
Merrick Garland sicced the Feds on gle Democratic Senator wore a mask in
remarks before the scheduled rollcall
parents who were simply going to that hearing in that room. The catch
votes.
school boards to protest these stupid is, the TV cameras weren’t on, so there
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without
policies. The Secretary of Education wouldn’t be video of them sitting in
objection, it is so ordered.
threatened to withdraw Federal fund- that closed room without a mask on.
UNANIMOUS CONSENT REQUEST—S. 3604
ing from States and schools who did But masks in school have become
Mr. COTTON. Mr. President, for the
not have mask mandates. symbols of control and fear. They are
past 2 years, our Nation’s kids have
Thankfully, the tide has begun to not instruments of public health. It is
suffered. They have suffered socially,
turn. Sometimes I hear the phrase ‘‘the past time for the mask mandates to
academically, and psychologically at
science changed.’’ The science hasn’t end and for parents across this country
the hands of Democratic politicians,
changed. What has changed is that to have a choice. That is why I am ask-
the Biden administration, and their po-
there is an election coming and Demo- ing the Senate to pass my legislation
litical bosses in the teachers unions.
crats have seen the polling on this today to require schools that receive
Although kids are at the lowest risk
question. Now they are running scared, Federal funding to give parents a sim-
of hospitalization and death from the
and they want to pretend that they ple choice on whether their kids should
Wuhan coronavirus, they have endured
didn’t force your kid to wear a mask wear a mask.
and they continue to endure some of
for 2 years. If my Democratic colleagues will join
the most excessive, extreme, and suffo- You see it in States that are run en-
cating COVID restrictions of any popu- me, we can get this done now, today.
tirely by Democrats: California, New That is why I urge them to support this
lation in our country. This treatment Jersey, New York, the President’s own
has been nothing short of cruel. The bill. And I ask, as if in legislative ses-
Delaware. Just yesterday, across the sion, unanimous consent that the Sen-
politicians and the neurotic public river in Virginia, the State senate, to
health obsessives who enforce these ate proceed to the immediate consider-
include many Democrats, voted not ation of S. 3604, which is at the desk;
policies should all hang their heads in just to allow parents a choice but to
shame. further, I ask unanimous consent that
prohibit mask mandates by local the bill be considered read a third time
There are few things in a kid’s life, schools.
outside of family and church, that are and passed and that the motion to re-
Yet, in many places, forced masking consider be considered made and laid
more important to them than their remains. Kids as young as 2, 3, 4 are
school. For them, open and happy upon the table.
still being forced to wear hot, restric- The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there
schools are precious. But for teachers tive, and ineffective masks for hours on
union bosses like Randi Weingarten, objection?
end. Yes, ineffective because almost all
they are just useful hostages. The Senator from Washington.
those kids are wearing cloth masks,
For the better part of a year, teach- which don’t even work. And that is not Mrs. MURRAY. Mr. President, re-
ers unions shut down our schools while me speaking; that is the CDC speaking. serving the right to object, I have said
they shook down politicians for more These masks don’t even work. Yet the before that we all want to make sure
funding and benefits that they prom- kids are forced to wear them all day our schools can stay safely open for in-
ised would allow them to reopen safely. long. person learning. But based on this leg-
Yet they kept schools closed. They I can tell you that most Democratic islation, it is not clear that is true for
kept kids masked. politicians don’t think they work ei- all of my Republican colleagues.
Desperate parents watched their so- ther. How do we know that? Look at Look, this is straightforward. If you
cially isolated kids fall behind while the candidate for Governor in Georgia, want education decisions to happen at
they engaged in Zoom schools, but the Stacey Abrams—or maybe I should say the local level, you do not tie the
unions still dragged their feet. the Governor of Georgia, since she still hands of State and local officials when
When schools finally reopened, our refuses to concede the 2018 election and they are trying to keep their students
kids faced insane coronavirus proto- many of my Democratic colleagues and educators safe. And if you want
cols. They weren’t allowed to sit with have endorsed her view that she is schools to be able to stay safely open
friends at lunch. They weren’t allowed somehow the shadow Governor of Geor- and bring some stability and certainty
to play at recess. They had to eat out- gia. Just last week, photos emerged of back to our classrooms, you don’t cut
ctelli on DSK11ZRN23PROD with SENATE
side on freezing-cold days. And every her sitting in classrooms with masked schools off from the resources they
moment of every day at every school, kids grinning ear to ear, the only per- need just because you think you know
they were forced to wear a mask. son not wearing a mask in the class- better than the parents and local offi-
Confused and hyper kids naturally room. cials about how this pandemic is pro-
often rebelled, and they have been rep- Also, Gavin Newsom, the Governor of gressing in their community or how
rimanded and they have been punished California, was yucking it up at SoFi they should use tools like masks.
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February 9, 2022 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S587
I am a former preschool teacher, par- VOTE ON NATHAN NOMINATION nation of Executive Calendar No. 498, Doug-
ent advocate, and school board mem- The PRESIDING OFFICER. The las R. Bush, of Virginia, to be an Assistant
ber. But let’s be honest, you don’t need question is, Will the Senate advise and Secretary of the Army.
Charles E. Schumer, Jack Reed, Sheldon
classroom experience to see that right consent to the Nathan nomination?
Whitehouse, Richard Blumenthal,
now the very last thing we should be Mr. CARDIN. I ask for yeas and nays. Catherine Cortez Masto, Richard J.
doing is denying schools the tools and The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there a Durbin, Jacky Rosen, Margaret Wood
resources to help kids learn safely. The sufficient second? Hassan, Mark Kelly, Benjamin L.
data is clear. We have real work to do There appears to be a sufficient sec- Cardin, Brian Schatz, Debbie Stabe-
to help our students make up for an in- ond. now, Angus S. King, Jr., Patrick J.
credibly tough 2 years. The clerk will call the roll. Leahy, Martin Heinrich, Tim Kaine,
Now, Democrats actually passed leg- The legislative clerk called the roll. Gary C. Peters, Chris Van Hollen.
islation—the American Rescue Plan— Mr. DURBIN. I announce that the The PRESIDING OFFICER. By unan-
which invests specifically in helping Senator from New Mexico (Mr. LUJÁN) imous consent, the mandatory quorum
our students recover academically and is necessarily absent. call has been waived.
mentally. The proposal from the Sen- Mr. THUNE. The following Senators The question is, Is it the sense of the
ator from Arkansas would put our stu- are necessarily absent: the Senator Senate that debate on the nomination
dents’ recovery and safe in-person from Wyoming (Mr. BARRASSO), the of Douglas R. Bush, of Virginia, to be
learning in jeopardy. It would take Senator from Missouri (Mr. HAWLEY), an Assistant Secretary of the Army,
those important public health deci- and the Senator from South Dakota shall be brought to a close?
sions, which should be based on local (Mr. ROUNDS). The yeas and nays are mandatory
conditions, away from those commu- The result was announced—yeas 72, under the rule.
nities and slash funding for students nays 24, as follows: The clerk will call the roll.
and schools right when they need us The senior assistant legislative clerk
[Rollcall Vote No. 43 Ex.]
the most. called the roll.
YEAS—72 Mr. DURBIN. I announce that the
Now is not the time to pull the rug Baldwin Grassley Reed Senator from New Mexico (Mr. LUJÁN)
out from under students in schools. Bennet Hagerty Risch
is necessarily absent.
Parents, educators, and, most of all, Blumenthal Hassan Romney
Blunt Heinrich Rosen Mr. THUNE. The following Senators
kids have been through enough. I ob-
Booker Hickenlooper Sanders are necessarily absent: the Senator
ject. Brown Hirono Sasse from Wyoming (Mr. BARRASSO) and the
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Objec- Burr Kaine Schatz
Senator from South Dakota (Mr.
tion is heard. Cantwell Kelly Schumer
Capito Kennedy Shaheen ROUNDS).
The Senator from Arkansas.
Cardin King Sinema The yeas and nays resulted—yeas 95,
Mr. COTTON. Mr. President, I would Carper Klobuchar Smith nays 2, as follows:
simply reply to the remarks of the Sen- Casey Leahy Stabenow
Cassidy Manchin Sullivan [Rollcall Vote No. 44 Ex.]
ator from Washington, she asserted
that I or others who oppose these mask Collins Markey Tester YEAS—95
Coons McConnell Thune Baldwin
mandates think that we know better. Grassley Peters
Cornyn Menendez Tillis Bennet Hagerty Portman
That is the whole point, though. It is Cortez Masto Merkley Toomey Blackburn Hassan Reed
not that we think we know better; I Cramer Murkowski Van Hollen Blumenthal Heinrich Risch
Crapo Murphy Warner Blunt
think that you, as a parent, know bet- Hickenlooper Romney
Duckworth Murray Warnock Booker Hirono Rosen
ter. You know what is best for your Durbin Ossoff Warren Boozman Hoeven
Feinstein Padilla Whitehouse Rubio
child—not some Democratic politician, Braun Hyde-Smith Sanders
Gillibrand Peters Wyden
not some liberal superintendent, not Graham Portman Young
Brown Inhofe Sasse
some neurotic public health obsessive. Burr Johnson Schatz
NAYS—24 Cantwell Kaine
And, apparently, the Democrats have Capito Kelly
Schumer
no problem using these Federal funds Blackburn Hoeven Moran Scott (SC)
Cardin Kennedy
Boozman Hyde-Smith Paul Shaheen
when it suits their neurotic policies. Braun Inhofe Rubio
Carper King
Shelby
Casey Klobuchar
After all, the Department of Education Cotton Johnson Scott (FL) Cassidy Lankford
Sinema
last year threatened Federal funding Cruz Lankford Scott (SC) Collins Leahy Smith
for States and schools that did not per- Daines Lee Shelby Coons Lee Stabenow
Ernst Lummis Tuberville Cornyn Lummis Sullivan
mit mask mandates. The whole point Fischer Marshall Wicker Tester
Cortez Masto Manchin
of this exercise is this: the Democrats Cotton Markey Thune
who think they know better than par- NOT VOTING—4 Tillis
Cramer Marshall
ents to make the choices for the par- Barrasso Luján Crapo McConnell Toomey
Hawley Rounds Cruz Menendez Tuberville
ents’ kids. Daines Merkley Van Hollen
I am disappointed today that my The nomination was confirmed. Duckworth Moran Warner
Democratic colleagues want to con- (Mr. CASEY assumed the Chair.) Durbin Murkowski Warnock
tinue to see kids forced to wear masks (Mr. HEINRICH assumed the Chair.) Ernst Murphy Warren
Feinstein Murray Whitehouse
in schools across America, but, trust The PRESIDING OFFICER. (Mr. Wicker
Fischer Ossoff
me, change is coming one way or an- HICKENLOOPER). Under the previous Gillibrand Padilla Wyden
other. It will be because Democratic order, the motion to reconsider is con- Graham Paul Young
politicians, like Gavin Newsom, run for sidered made and laid upon the table, NAYS—2
the hills or because the American peo- and the President will be immediately Hawley Scott (FL)
ple repudiate them all in November. notified of the Senate’s action.
NOT VOTING—3
I yield the floor. f
Barrasso Luján Rounds
f
CLOTURE MOTION The PRESIDING OFFICER. On this
EXECUTIVE CALENDAR The PRESIDING OFFICER. Pursuant vote, the yeas are 95, the nays are 2.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Under to rule XXII, the Chair lays before the The motion is agreed to.
the previous order, the Senate will re- Senate the pending cloture motion, The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen-
sume consideration of the following which the clerk will state. ator from Rhode Island.
nomination, which the clerk will re- The senior assistant legislative clerk UNANIMOUS CONSENT AGREEMENT—EXECUTIVE
ctelli on DSK11ZRN23PROD with SENATE
port. read as follows: CALENDAR
The legislative clerk read the nomi- CLOTURE MOTION Mr. WHITEHOUSE. Mr. President, I
nation of Scott A. Nathan, of Massa- We, the undersigned Senators, in accord- ask unanimous consent that upon dis-
chusetts, to be Chief Executive Officer ance with the provisions of rule XXII of the position of the Bush nomination, the
of the United States International De- Standing Rules of the Senate, do hereby Senate vote on confirmation of the
velopment Finance Corporation. move to bring to a close debate on the nomi- Coffey nomination.
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