[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 54 (Friday, March 20, 2020)]
[Senate]
[Pages S1863-S1865]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              CORONAVIRUS

  Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, yesterday I came to the floor with some 
optimism about what we could be including

[[Page S1864]]

in the legislation currently being considered in the Senate to respond 
to the coronavirus public health emergency. I laid out priorities 
ranging from shoring up the hospital systems to measures to provide 
direct assistance to students, workers, businesses, and families 
through this economic crisis.
  Since that time, Leader McConnell has released the Republican draft 
of his offering for this third package. It is a 250-page bill that some 
estimate will cost $1 trillion. That is a daunting pricetag, except 
when you put it in context of the American economy and what it takes to 
keep us on track or put us back on track.
  Our top priority must be immediate, direct relief to the healthcare 
sector--our heroic doctors, nurses, first responders, lab techs, and 
the hospitals and health clinics they support.
  Yesterday I spent an hour on the telephone with the Governor of 
Illinois, J.B. Pritzker, talking about the reality on the ground in my 
home State and the choices he faced. It is a tough job being Governor--
never tougher than when you have to make a decision about the lifestyle 
of families and individuals, about the businesses and their future, 
and, literally, a life-and-death choice in terms of policy. No one 
willingly accepts that, but when you run for high office, there is 
always that possibility.
  He is concerned--and I share his concern--about the capacity of our 
hospitals and clinics in Illinois to deal with the infections that are 
becoming more and more common in our State. The numbers of infections 
are growing as the number of tests are increasing, which is an 
indication that there are many undiagnosed people in our midst, and 
that number is likely to continue to increase.
  Those who administer the hospitals of Illinois have given us some 
yardsticks to measure the future. They suggest to us that if 20 percent 
of the population of my State should become infected for a 12-month 
period of time, they will need 88 percent of our hospital resources to 
respond. If that same 20 percent becomes infected over a 6-month period 
of time, it will be double that capacity; in other words, 176 percent 
of our current hospital capacity. It would push our system beyond the 
breaking point. If the infection rate, though, is double that--40 
percent for any period of time--our hospitals, as good as they are, as 
big as they are, as prepared as they are, can't handle it.
  If that is the situation in our State, it is the situation in many 
other States. At that point, we will be dealing with serious 
overcrowding and triage decisions being made under heartbreaking 
circumstances.
  That is why many of us on this side of the aisle feel that this third 
package offered by the other side really needs to be changed and 
improved so that we do have what Senator Schumer is calling a Marshall 
Plan for the hospital work healthcare of America. We desperately need 
it, and we need it now. Waiting to come and face us at a later date 
makes it that much more difficult.
  Our health system is currently stretched to its absolute limit: surge 
staffing, emergency protocols, shortfalls of masks and protective 
equipment, and cashflow running out in just weeks. The plan that we 
have before us--the draft plan from the other side--does not address 
these needs. It has no new appropriations, no real funding or 
authorization for staffing or equipment and only meager changes when it 
comes to programs like Medicare.
  What this pandemic demands is that Marshall Plan for healthcare, an 
immediate funding boost to our healthcare systems, clinics, and health 
departments, mass production of masks, respirators, gloves, and 
ventilators.
  Two days ago, the President acknowledged that he has the authority, 
under what I believe is called the Defense Recovery Act, to say to 
manufacturers: change whatever you are making and make more respirators 
and change whatever you are making in terms of masks and make more 
medical-grade masks to meet the needs across this country. I hope the 
President will use that authority. That is why it was created in the 
law.
  We also need to support our workforce. We need to increase Medicaid 
funding, and we need to put an end to Medicare sequestration and DSH 
cuts.
  I am also calling for the inclusion in this package of a bill known 
as the Rural Hospital Relief Act. I am cosponsoring that bill with 
Senator James Lankford, a Republican, of Oklahoma. It would keep the 
most financially vulnerable hospitals afloat during this challenging 
time by providing them access to the stability of the Critical Access 
Hospital Program. Every State with smalltown hospitals and rural 
hospitals should pay close attention to this bill that we put in. It 
could be a great help to hospitals that are otherwise 
struggling. Anything less, I am afraid, we will be turning our backs on 
the selfless and heroic work of the frontline health workers. How can 
we say enough about these nurses and doctors and healthcare workers--
these men and women--who literally risk their lives for every patient 
that comes through the door.

  We need to maintain access to healthcare for people who lose their 
jobs as a result of this pandemic too. We must offer Federal funding to 
cover the costs of COBRA coverage for people who lose their jobs but 
want to keep health insurance. Currently, if you lose your job and you 
have health insurance where you work, you can maintain your current 
health insurance, but you have to pay for the employer's share since 
you no longer work there. The premiums go through the roof in those 
circumstances, and many people can't afford these COBRA payments. Why 
don't we include in this third package coming before us a subsidy for 
those families so they can keep their health insurance, even if they 
are not on the job? We certainly don't want them uninsured. It is not 
good for them. It is not good for our country. It is certainly not good 
for our health system. It is bad enough that millions of people may 
lose their jobs; we don't want to also have them lose their healthcare 
in the midst of a public health emergency. Let's step up and help them 
now.
  I was not included during the drafting of the bill that was presented 
by Senator McConnell, but I would like to give two pieces of feedback 
from two colleagues from his side of the aisle. The first said, 
referring to this package:

       Relief to families in this emergency shouldn't be 
     regressive. Lower income families shouldn't be penalized.

  That was a quote from Senator Hawley of Missouri, a Republican 
Senator.
  A second Republican Senator said, referring to this draft package:

       [T]he current bill . . . shouldn't give lower earners 
     smaller checks . . . that's directly contrary to my proposal 
     . . . we need to fix this to ensure lower earners get equal 
     payments.

  That quote is from Senator Romney of Utah.
  I agree with both of them. We should make sure that if there is any 
financial relief coming to people across the country, those in lower 
income categories should get as much, or more, than anyone else.
  I cannot agree more with their assessment. The direct cash benefit 
measure in this plan would give those the most in need of assistance in 
the lower income categories sometimes nothing at all.
  Additionally, the bill contains a provision that would allow middle 
and higher income earners to receive more of a benefit than low to 
moderate earners. That is upside down.
  Goldman Sachs released projections this week that unemployment claims 
may rise to 2.25 million this week. That would be the highest level on 
record. This proposal that we have been given by the other side falls 
far short of making sure we have enough resources to deal with this 
influx of unemployment claims.
  The bill also lacks any moratorium on evictions and foreclosures, 
leaving those who are particularly vulnerable at risk of being cast out 
on the street during a public health crisis. Instead of expanding paid 
sick leave to more who need it, I am afraid the new bill tries to 
further limit that protection.
  The McConnell bill provides no additional funds to the military. We 
have a supplemental appropriation which is supposed to be taken up. Why 
isn't it married into this bill? Why don't we do it all at once, get it 
done? We know we are going to need it, and there is no point in 
delaying it.
  We need to help our military, and we need to provide resources to 
many of

[[Page S1865]]

our States that are high and dry because of the cost of dealing with 
this public health crisis and the additional claims on their 
unemployment benefits.
  We need the National Guard and the Defense Department pushing 
assistance to every level of government during the pandemic. That means 
supplying masks and ventilators and beds to communities that need them.
  I am also, with Senator Duckworth--my colleague of Illinois--reaching 
out directly to the Department of Defense. I want to find out if we can 
start building field hospitals in the parking lots of major hospitals 
across our State. We have done it before when we had to--particularly 
when dealing with the Ebola crisis overseas--and we need to do that 
right here at home and take the expertise of the Army Corps of 
Engineers and other professionals at the Pentagon. They are ready to 
move at a moment's notice to build a field hospital, if needed, for our 
men and women in uniform. Let's take that same willingness and 
expertise and translate it into more bed capacity and room capacity at 
the hospitals most in need.
  The protective equipment across this country still is not at the 
level it should be for the men and women in the military as well as 
those in civilian life.
  The proposal before us ignores the desperation we are hearing from 
cities and town and States. Without tax revenues coming in, they are 
running out of cash to keep operating services and meeting payroll. We 
need a surge of Federal funding through current programs with 
flexibility for States and localities to allow them to keep paying 
their workers and ensuring things like transit, airports, schools, and 
housing.
  The McConnell plan also does not provide much needed education 
assistance to deal with the increased expenses related to closing 
schools and moving to online learning. We have to make sure that this 
new technology keeps our kids learning, even though they may be home in 
the process. It provides nothing for these emergency needs. That bill, 
I hope, will be improved today as the Democrats get a chance to sit 
down with Republicans for the first time and talk about compromises.
  The Republican majority leader himself said this is a public health 
crisis with an economic crisis strapped to its back. I couldn't agree 
more. Where are the test kits? Where is the protective equipment? Where 
is the assistance for working families? Let's get it done.
  The Senator from Kentucky is giving us a deadline to do it by 
tomorrow. I think that is ambitious, but let's try to meet it and do it 
on a bipartisan basis.
  I couldn't agree more that some affected industries--like the 
airlines and hospitality, along with small and midsized businesses--
need to be assisted. We can also take care of American workers and 
families at the same time. I think it is incumbent on us to do both.
  In short, the Senate needs to act now to fix the major flaws pointed 
out by both Republicans and Democrats in this third package. I stand 
ready to work on these fixes.
  Just a few minutes ago, I left one of the working groups, and it was 
a very positive atmosphere and attitude in which the two sides were 
sitting down and trying to work out their differences.
  For the dark time ahead, we need to continue reminding American 
people that we can rise to the challenge--both political parties--not 
to politically fight but to find political answers and compromises that 
solve these problems I have outlined here today.
  The bottom line is, people are sitting at home. Some are even 
following C-SPAN in their absolute boredom, trying to figure out what 
to do with their lives, and they are listening to our speeches.
  My report is this: We passed two major pieces of legislation 
involving billions of dollars. We have done it in record time. We have 
done it on a bipartisan basis. Both have been signed by the President. 
This third measure that may reach a trillion dollars in cost is a 
challenge, for sure, but one we can meet again on a bipartisan basis. 
We owe America, at this moment in our history, nothing less.
  I yield the floor.
  I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The clerk will call the roll.
  The senior assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order 
for the quorum call be rescinded.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Without objection, it is so 
ordered.

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