Restaurants, Veterans and Tribute to Suzie Orlove — Congressional Record, Senate, May 18, 2022 (S2555)

Summary

Congressional Record, Senate, page S2555, dated May 18, 2022. The page opens in the middle of remarks by the majority leader, who says the Senate will hold a vote tomorrow on legislation to help restaurants, gyms, minor league teams, and other small businesses, and that a Senate committee will mark up the nomination of Bridget Brink to be U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine. The remarks also describe a bipartisan proposal by Tester and Moran on legislation for veterans exposed to toxins during military service, including toxic burn pits, and include a tribute to Suzie Orlove on her retirement after 37 years in the office. Durbin then speaks on immigration and the children of people who came to the United States on H–1B visas.

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“Restaurants, Veterans and Tribute to Suzie Orlove — Congressional Record, Senate, May 18, 2022 (S2555).” Original at www.govinfo.gov. Archived at Pandemic Darlings, https://pandemicdarlings.com/source-documents/crec-crec-2022-05-18-crec-2022-05-18-pt1-pgs2555-2ddadda44a/, SHA-256 f0dcba34e7367e05afbddeaa9e0028c32b964d272325450935d7c98c83490a5b.

Full text

May 18, 2022 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S2555
purely political motives is to only I was proud to champion the $28 bil- The list of people she has helped is
strengthen Putin’s hand. The major- lion restaurant relief in the American practically endless. All across New
ity—vast majority—of Democrats and Rescue Plan, but these establishments, York, there are so many people who
Republicans want to see this legisla- as I mentioned, still need our help. To- are grateful to Suzie Orlove for helping
tion done, and get it done we will, as morrow, there should be a strong bipar- them in ways when they really needed
soon as tomorrow. tisan show of support to help these help. She is amazing, as is the number
Off the floor, the Senate Foreign Re- businesses. of staffers she helped train to serve
lations Committee will mark up the VETERANS New Yorkers with diligence. She
nomination of Bridget Brink to serve Finally, there is another area that trained my staff—everyone who came
as U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine. Ms. we will be voting on. There is an im- in—but she also gave lots of advice to
Brink’s nomination is terrific news at portant announcement this morning the staff of other of my colleagues,
a critical moment for Ukraine and the for our Nation’s veterans. Chairman first in Congress and now in the Sen-
United States. She is deeply experi- TESTER and Ranking Member JERRY ate.
enced. She has already won bipartisan MORAN of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs She is amazing—amazing.
support in this Chamber, and she is Committee will announce a bipartisan Suzie Orlove, every day you came
very much needed as the United States proposal on comprehensive legislation into work, you were dedicated to help-
seeks to strengthen our democratic to help millions of our Nation’s vet- ing people—something that has always
ties to the war-torn nation. Ms. Brink’s erans who struggle with sickness be- been a part of you. You were the strong
nomination will be a top priority to cause of exposure to toxins during glue in the office, teaching so many
the Senate when she comes before the their military service, including expo- others who came and went how to help
Chamber. sure to toxic burn pits and Agent Or- people, do casework, and do it with
RESTAURANTS
ange. fierce dedication but a friendly smile
Mr. President, on a different mat- This has for years—for years—been a as well.
ter—the restaurants bill—tomorrow, top priority of mine. I have worked All our office staff—past, present,
the Senate is going to hold a vote on closely with advocates like VSOs and and future—are grateful to Suzie for
legislation to help our restaurants, Jon Stewart and John Feal to get this who she is and what she has done.
gyms, minor league teams, and other Senate to act on this long-neglected Suzie, thank you for your service. To
small businesses that have been utterly problem. I am happy to see burn pit quote the old song, ‘‘We’re gonna miss
devastated by the COVID pandemic. legislation has taken an important you when you’re gone.’’
This bill, championed by my col- I yield the floor.
step closer to passage.
leagues Senator CARDIN, a Democrat, I thank Senators TESTER and MORAN The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem-
and Senator WICKER, a Republican— for their good work. I strongly support pore. The majority whip.
which I very strongly support—will the agreement reached by TESTER and IMMIGRATION
help restaurants and other small busi- MORAN, and it is my intention to have Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, the ma-
nesses like gyms that were left out in this on the floor of the Senate the jority leader reminds us of the tragedy
earlier rounds of emergency aid. Every week that we return from the Memo- that occurred in Buffalo over the week-
proposal included in this package is bi- rial Day work period. end and how the shooter was somehow
partisan. Our veterans—we will see them on captivated by the notion of replace-
Some have said: Well, COVID is over,
Memorial Day—are very eager for this ment theory—a theory which is so in-
and the restaurants are back. I see
bill. I hope veterans throughout the sane and so mean-spirited that it ig-
them sort of full.
That may be true for some res- country will let their Senators know nores what this country is all about.
taurants, but for just about every res- how important this legislation is. Our A few minutes ago, over at what they
taurant, there is a shortage of labor, veterans need it, they deserve it, and call the House swamp, we held a press
and many are only opening at limited we have a moral obligation to take conference. Senator ALEX PADILLA of
times. Most of the restaurants I speak care of those who have sacrificed so California, myself, Congresswoman
to are either closed certain days, don’t much for us. ROSS, and Congressman BERA met with
serve lunches, or whatever, because TRIBUTE TO SUZIE ORLOVE a group of young people. There were
they can’t find labor. Finally, Mr. President, today I want about 50 of them. Some were high
Let’s not forget that many of the res- to bring special attention and praise to school age; some were in college. They
taurants, particularly the smaller Suzie Orlove, my beloved and talented are the sons and daughters of people
ones, the nonchain ones, had to borrow and deeply dedicated director of con- who came to the United States on H–1B
during COVID, borrow large amounts stituent service, who is retiring today visas. These are visas where people are
of money. They need to repay that after 37 amazing years in my office. allowed to come here for a period of
money, and they can’t do it based on Imagine that. She has worked in my of- years and work, and the visas can be
their limited incomes that are occur- fice—first as a Congressman, then as renewed.
ring right now. If they don’t get the Senator—for 37 years. Children and families who accom-
money to pay it back, the lenders are Suzie and I first met in the second pany them are growing up in America,
going to foreclose and close res- grade in P.S. 19, Miss Ruth Moore’s living in America, while the bread-
taurants that are already back on the second grade class, and we have been winner goes off to work each day, but
road to prospering and recovering. friends ever since. Suzie stood out even the clock is ticking. When the kids of
That makes no sense. in second grade for her compassion and these visa holders reach the age of 21,
We must pass this legislation. I hope her intellect. they are subject to self-deportation. In
we will get a good number of our Re- Soon after I was elected to the other words, they have no legal rights
publican colleagues to join Senator House, Suzie came to work in my office in America to remain.
WICKER in supporting this. Two years and dedicated herself to making gov- The reason that they are in suspense
into this crisis, the idea that res- ernment work for everyday New York- for so long is that the green card back-
taurant owners have all recovered ers. She became a healthcare policy ex- log can be decades while the parents
could not be further from the truth. pert, navigating Medicaid, Medicare, are waiting for permission to become
Restaurants are part of the fabric of and facing down often intransigent legal in the United States on a perma-
every Main Street and every tight-knit health insurance companies for con- nent basis. So these young people live
neighborhood. It is where friends run stituents who often face life-and-death in uncertainty.
into each other on the weekends, grab challenges. She became a maven navi- Senator PADILLA’s bill is an effort—

ctelli on DSK11ZRN23PROD with SENATE
a drink after work, have lunch after gating the bureaucracy of Social Secu- and I join with him in that bill—an ef-
church. The same can be applied to rity for our seniors and disabled. Year fort to give them the opportunity to
minor league teams and local gyms and after year, Suzie oversaw the process of earn their way to citizenship, to be-
businesses that support theaters. These interviewing and nominating extraor- come legal in America. Why would we
are places where Americans have al- dinary young New Yorkers to our mili- give up this talent? These young people
ways come together. tary academies. have grown up in America. They have

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