[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 55 (Saturday, March 21, 2020)]
[Senate]
[Page S1879]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       SENATE LEGISLATIVE AGENDA

  Mr. GRASSLEY. Mr. President, I am leading negotiations on tax and 
healthcare issues as part of the third phase of economic relief to help 
workers, families, and small businesses. We have been working through 
tough issues, and we must do it in short order.
  The American people need Congress to put partisan politics aside and 
provide them relief as quickly as possible to get the economy turned 
around, and we must demand this of ourselves as well.
  Our multifaceted approach includes recovery checks to Americans, 
enhanced unemployment insurance, and much needed resources for our 
healthcare system. This is just one piece of the Senate's comprehensive 
package; in other words, there are a lot of other Senators who are 
working in separate arenas to accomplish in that area what I am trying 
to accomplish through the Finance Committee.
  I hope that Democrats and my colleagues in the House of 
Representatives will work with us to pass our relief package as quickly 
as possible. This requires all hands on deck.
  From what I just said, you might draw the conclusion that fighting 
this virus pandemic is going to be just a role for the Congress of the 
United States, as important as that role is, but also, as you read how 
people are responding, we have to thank a lot of private large and 
small businesses that we read about that are stepping into this abyss 
that we call the pandemic.
  While we are wringing our hands--and we all ought to be wringing our 
hands--you read about manufacturing plants of different varieties all 
over the country converting production to badly needed hospital 
supplies and testing supplies. You not only read that in the United 
States of America but you also read about President Macron of France 
saying that we are in a war-like environment--all joining together to 
produce these badly needed hospital supplies and testing supplies. You 
read about the German Chancellor calling unemployed people out to help 
with harvest because workers who normally come in can't cross borders 
there.
  So we here in Washington might think the only reaction to the 
pandemic we are in is only something we can do in Congress, as 
important as that is, but it is also very important that we recognize 
that there are a lot of people out there in our private sector doing 
what entrepreneurs normally do--coming to the rescue--and they need to 
be thanked and recognized as well.
  I yield the floor.
  I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. 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 PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

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