Congressional Record, Senate, March 30, 2022, Page S1844

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A page of the Congressional Record, Senate, dated March 30, 2022, at page S1844. A Senator says a mom-and-pop shop in Seattle approved for restaurant relief did not get the money because the funds ran dry, and urges Democratic colleagues to join in a bill to keep restaurants open. The Senator also says the President's budget would double down on excessive government spending coupled with what Bloomberg describes as the largest tax hike in American history in dollar terms. Under the heading Coronavirus, Mr. Durbin says COVID cases are down to the lowest level since July and that hospitalizations and deaths are also down. The remarks are the speakers' own.

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“Congressional Record, Senate, March 30, 2022, Page S1844.” Original at www.govinfo.gov. Archived at Pandemic Darlings, https://pandemicdarlings.com/source-documents/crec-crec-2022-03-30-crec-2022-03-30-pt1-pgs1844-efaaf9abb8/, SHA-256 949fadb34e66e112766127f555d5c89457c5715ebd82a586d29f99289985a1c4.

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S1844 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE March 30, 2022
Senate. This is the kind of bill that we owners, the funds were gone before done together, and let’s get it done as
should be working on if we want to they were able to get the same relief soon as possible. Let’s keep America
help alleviate our inflation situation their neighbors got. healthy and our restaurants open for
and improve the economy. I don’t think it is right that a busi- business.
I was dismayed to see that the Presi- ness on one side of the street in Seattle I yield the floor.
dent’s budget, which was released this got Federal dollars from the Res- I suggest the absence of a quorum.
week, would double down on the kind taurant Revitalization Fund but an- The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem-
of excessive government spending that other mom-and-pop shop just next-door pore. The clerk will call the roll.
helped get us into this inflation crisis and just as qualified—that also got ap- The legislative clerk proceeded to
in the first place. After a year of pro- proved—didn’t get the money because call the roll.
gressively worsening inflation, you the funds ran dry. Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, I ask
would think Democrats would have Now, I know this is true for commu- unanimous consent that the order for
learned their lesson, but, clearly, the nities in red States and in blue the quorum call be rescinded.
President is still intent on more reck- States—that our restaurants are often The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr.
less spending, coupled, I might add, the heart of a community. They serve KAINE). Without objection, it is so or-
with job-killing tax hikes—and not just their local favorites that remind us of dered.
any tax hikes. According to home. They sponsor our sports teams CORONAVIRUS
Bloomberg, the President’s budget and community causes. They allow us Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, we have
would add up to being the largest tax to get together and share a meal and some rare good news on the public
hike in American history in dollar celebrate with family and friends and health front. COVID cases are down at
terms. make memories. Making these busi- the lowest level since July. Crucially,
I hope that my Democratic col- nesses whole is critical for our econ- hospitalizations and deaths are also
leagues here in Congress will decide to omy, but it is essential to preserving down dramatically, more than 70 per-
skip the President’s irresponsible tax- what makes Seattle ‘‘Seattle’’ or Spo- cent lower than they were in January
and-spending proposals and focus on kane ‘‘Spokane.’’ during the Omicron wave. Compared to
measures that would actually help al- I know many of my Republican col- just a few months ago, our Nation is
leviate this inflation crisis, not make leagues feel the same way. So I want us experiencing far less suffering and
it worse. to look at every possible option to re- death, thank goodness.
While there is no easy fix for our in- plenish the Restaurant Revitalization But despite the progress we have
flation situation, we can start to make Fund and get help to every restaurant made, COVID continues to be a threat.
things better for Americans with bipar- that applied and got approved but Every day, 800 American families lose a
tisan legislation like the Ocean Ship- didn’t get the same help as everyone loved one to COVID—800 a day—and
ping Reform Act. I hope my colleagues else. catch new infections, which present an
on both sides of the aisle will support We have got good bipartisan bills to opportunity for the virus to mutate.
the legislation Senator KLOBUCHAR and get this done. Our legislation would We are at a turning point in this
I have produced. help hard-to-reach businesses and com- fight against COVID. Now, we need to
I yield the floor. munities apply for the assistance be- strengthen our healthcare system. We
I suggest the absence of a quorum. cause I really want to make sure we need to stay a step ahead of this deadly
The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- are helping actual small businesses, virus. That is especially true since the
pore. The clerk will call the roll. not giant corporations that don’t need subvariant of Omicron—BA.2, as it is
The legislative clerk proceeded to it. known—has become dominant in Amer-
call the roll. Any Senator who has spoken to local ica.
Mrs. MURRAY. Mr. President, I ask restaurant owners knows they are deal- Remember the frenzy last holiday
unanimous consent that the order for ing, still, with really tough challenges season when we were running from
the quorum call be rescinded. right now: increased costs from infla- pharmacy to pharmacy trying to find
The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- tion and shortages of everything from rapid tests for our families or waiting
pore. Without objection, it is so or- straws to chicken wings, and it is not in the freezing cold for hours on end to
dered. easy to find wait staff and cooks and a get a PCR test? Why would we ever
RESTAURANT REVITALIZATION FUND lot more. That is why it is so urgent want to be caught flatfooted again? We
Mrs. MURRAY. Mr. President, I met that we get a bipartisan small business need to sustain our public health fund-
with restaurant owners from all over relief package—that makes our res- ing so that our hospitals and
my State last month—from Seattle to taurants whole—over the finish line as healthcare professionals have the
Yakima, to Spokane—and we talked soon as possible. So let’s do whatever equipment and tools they need to keep
about the American Rescue Plan and we need to do to get this done and keep us safe.
how important that was and how that our restaurants open. The one thing dramatically worse
bill made recovery possible for so many CORONAVIRUS than returning to the dark days of
restaurants in our State—but not for Now, Mr. President, everyone here COVID–19 and the deadly variants
everyone, and that is why I am on the knows how strongly I feel that we get would be to return unprepared. If we
Senate floor today. a COVID supplemental passed as soon want to keep our masks off—and I do—
The American Rescue Plan was abso- as possible. We do not know when the if we want to keep our kids in school—
lutely a lifeline. It designated more next variant might come or how bad it and I do—and our businesses open, we
than $28 billion to establish a Res- could be. We don’t want to end up in need to make smart investments in
taurant Revitalization Fund that gave the same position as before, when we America’s capacity to confront future
restaurant owners the financial sup- did not have enough tests or vaccines strains of these variants. We can’t con-
port they needed to keep their doors or therapeutics. We all know we have tinue this cycle of neglect and panic.
open, to rehire workers, and to deal to get funding for a COVID supple- These pendulum swings harm our
with the continued effects of COVID–19. mental passed and soon. health system and contribute to unnec-
More than 3,500 Washington State So let’s get both of these passed to- essary costs and suffering.
businesses have received over $9 billion gether to make sure we are doing ev- Congress must come together on a bi-
in Federal loans and grants and debt erything to keep every part of our partisan basis. And shouldn’t we all
relief since the start of the pandemic. economy up and running and so that agree on this: that we move as a nation
That is not even considering the flexi- this administration has what it needs in the same direction? That means pro-

ctelli on DSK11ZRN23PROD with SENATE
ble dollars that we provided local gov- to fund every other tool that we know viding funding to purchase new booster
ernments to help local small busi- will keep restaurants open, keep our doses, including those which the FDA
nesses. Now, that really made a dif- schools open, and every other part of authorized this week for adults over
ference and helped a lot of folks keep our communities. the age of 50. I got mine yesterday
their doors open and their employees I feel strongly that we need to pass morning. If we don’t purchase these
on the payroll, but for many restaurant both of those bills. So let’s get them vaccines now ahead of time, then we

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