[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 108 (Thursday, June 11, 2020)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2934-S2936]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
STATEMENTS ON INTRODUCED BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTION
By Mr. THUNE (for himself, Mr. Braun, Mr. Grassley, Mr. Rounds,
and Ms. Ernst):
S. 3938. A bill to extend Federal guidance concerning the use of
certain alcohol-based hand sanitizer during the coronavirus public
health emergency, and for other purposes; to the Committee on Health,
Education, Labor, and Pensions.
Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of
the bill be printed in the Record.
There being no objection, the text of the bill was ordered to be
printed in the Record, as follows:
S. 3938
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Hand Sanitizer Guidance
Extension Act of 2020''.
SEC. 2. FEDERAL GUIDANCE ON HAND SANITIZER.
(a) Extension of Federal Guidance.--The Food and Drug
Administration guidance entitled ``Guidance for Industry:
Temporary Policy for Preparation of Certain Alcohol-Based
Hand Sanitizer Products During the Public Health Emergency
(COVID-19)'', initially released on March 23, 2020, and
updated on April 15, 2020, and on June 1, 2020, shall remain
in effect until the date that is 2 years after the date of
enactment of this Act.
(b) Effect of Extension.--During the 2-year period
described in subsection (a), the Food and Drug Administration
shall permit the production, sale, and use of hand sanitizer,
consistent with the guidance described in subsection (a),
provided that such hand sanitizer is manufactured using only
the following ingredients in the preparation of the product:
(1)(A) Subject to subsection (c), alcohol (ethanol) that is
not less than 94.9 percent ethanol by volume; or
(B) United States Pharmacopeia grade isopropyl alcohol.
(2) United States Pharmacopeia grade or Food Chemical Codex
grade glycerin (glycerol).
(3) Hydrogen peroxide.
(4) Sterile water meeting United States Pharmacopeia
specifications for purified water.
(c) Ethanol Produced in Certain Facilities.--Ethanol
produced in facilities normally producing fuel or technical
ethanol may be used as described in subsection (b)(1)(A) only
if such ethanol--
(1) meets United States Pharmacopeia or Food Chemical Codex
grade requirements;
(2) has been screened for any other potentially harmful
impurities not specified in the United States Pharmacopeia or
Food Chemical Codex requirements; or
(3) has otherwise been approved for use by the Food and
Drug Administration.
(d) Automatic Extension.--The effective period of the
guidance described in subsection (a) shall automatically be
extended for 1 additional year if the Secretary of Health and
Human Services determines that a public health emergency
exists at the time that the 2-year period described in
subsection (a) expires.
(e) Exemption.--If the Commissioner of Food and Drugs
determines that a public health emergency requires that the
requirement for the use of denatured alcohol be reduced, or
requires a waiver of any other requirement with respect to
hand sanitizer under the guidance, the Commissioner of Food
and Drugs may waive or reduce such requirement, as
applicable.
Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, like most other sectors of our economy,
agriculture has taken a huge hit from the coronavirus. The pandemic has
caused significant market volatility, sending many commodity futures
prices plummeting.
Increased consumer demand for beef led to significant increases in
boxed beef prices, while cattle prices plummeted, which led to
significant gaps between cattle producer and packer profit margins. To
make the situation worse, temporary closures and reduced processing
capacity at U.S. meatpacking plants as a result of the virus further
diminished demand for livestock and depressed prices. This has
aggravated an already difficult situation for farmers and ranchers.
Unlike the majority of the economy, which was thriving before the
coronavirus pandemic, the agricultural economy has been struggling for
a while. Low prices, extended trade disputes, and natural disasters
have meant a tough few years for farmers and ranchers even before the
coronavirus hit. Now things are even more challenging.
Agriculture is the lifeblood of my State of South Dakota. So
supporting farmers and ranchers during the crisis has been one of my
top priorities. I fought to get agriculture relief money included in
the Coronavirus Aid Relief and Economic Security Act, or the CARES Act,
which was signed into law in late March. The final bill included $14
billion to replenish the Commodity Credit Corporation to allow the
Department of Agriculture to provide income and price support for
farmers and ranchers, plus an additional $9.5 billion in emergency
support for agricultural producers affected by the pandemic.
Days after the bill passed, I led a bipartisan group of Senators and
Representatives in a letter to Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue
urging him to use a portion of the funds to provide support for hard-
hit cattle producers. In mid-April, the Department of Agriculture
responded to that letter and other petitions by announcing that it
would issue $16 billion in direct payments to agriculture producers
affected by the virus. Signups for this funding began at the end of
May, and, as of June 8, South Dakota agriculture producers had received
approximately $80 million.
Over the past 2 months, I kept in constant contact with the
Department of Agriculture and others to amplify producers' concerns and
to urge swift relief. I have also been focused on developing additional
legislation to help farmers and ranchers weather this crisis.
Last week, I introduced legislation to allow emergency haying and
grazing on Conservation Reserve Program acres for the duration of this
crisis. Under current law, ag producers can hay or graze their CRP
acres during weather-related disasters without a reduction in their CRP
payments. My legislation would extend that provision to cover
pandemics, including the COVID-19 pandemic.
[[Page S2935]]
Thanks to low prices and a reduction in capacity of meatpacking
plants as a result of the pandemic, farmers and ranchers are having to
hold on to their livestock for longer than expected. This bill would
help ensure they have adequate forage for their animals.
Earlier this week, I introduced another bill, the Paycheck Protection
for Producers Act, which would help more farmers and ranchers benefit
from the Paycheck Protection Program. The coronavirus relief
legislation that we passed in late March established the Paycheck
Protection Program, which provides forgivable loans to small businesses
to help them keep their employees on their payroll during this crisis.
Self-employed Americans, which describes many farmers and ranchers, are
eligible for these loans, but, in practice, the program's guidelines
have excluded a lot of agricultural producers.
Low commodity prices and a challenging planting season meant that
many farmers and ranchers had a negative income in 2019. And right now,
the program's guidelines excludes farmers and ranchers without
employees with a negative net income for last year. My legislation
would allow more farmers to access the Paycheck Protection Program by
allowing them to use their 2019 gross income instead of their 2019 net
income when applying for a loan. I am hoping to get both of these bills
through Congress in the near future.
In addition to direct relief, another thing that we can do to support
our Nation's agriculture producers is to support the ethanol industry.
Ethanol and biodiesel producers buy up a significant amount of American
corn and soybean oil, but decreased demand for fuel as a result of
coronavirus has significantly diminished this crucial market for our
farmers, and that is why, in addition to direct relief measures for
farmers and ranchers, I have also focused on what we can do to support
the ethanol industry.
American ethanol has stepped up to help during the coronavirus crisis
by providing ethanol or alcohol for hand sanitizer. Thanks to the FDA's
temporary policy for preparation of certain alcohol-based hand
sanitizer products during the public health emergency, qualifying
ethanol can be used as an alcohol content in hand sanitizer.
I imagine there are few Americans who haven't significantly stepped
up their purchase of hand sanitizer during the current crisis. In
addition to measures like social distancing and mask wearing and
frequent hand washing, it is key to preventing the spread of the virus.
When water and soap are not immediately available, hand sanitizer can
step in as a substitute. We need a steady supply of hand sanitizer to
help curtail virus transmission.
To help us meet this need and support our Nation's ethanol producers,
today I am introducing the Hand Sanitizer Guidance Extension Act of
2020. Put simply, my bill will extend the FDA's temporary ethanol-based
hand sanitizer policy for at least 2 years. This will give ethanol
producers that have made investments or changes in operations to meet
the need for hand sanitizer a longer time to recoup their investment
costs.
I recognize that there is ongoing deliberation with the FDA about
denaturants and other accepted chemical limits for hand sanitizer
ethanol, and my bill would not hinder those discussions. My bill would
simply provide ethanol producers with a baseline of certainty while
still allowing the FDA to make case-by-case approvals and to waive or
reduce other requirements as necessary to meet the public health
emergency.
Now, the amount of ethanol required for hand sanitizer is just a drop
in the bucket for our ethanol producers, and I am committed to finding
additional ways to bring this clean American-grown fuel to market.
Every little bit helps, and this legislation will at least give a small
measure of certainty to producers while helping to meet the nationwide
demand for hand sanitizer.
The coronavirus crisis has highlighted just how much we rely on our
Nation's agriculture producers. I am grateful every day for their work,
and advocating for them will continue to be one of my top priorities. I
am committed to helping our farmers and ranchers through the challenges
they are facing and seeing our Nation's agricultural economy thrive.
______
By Mrs. FEINSTEIN (for herself, Mr. Schumer, Mr. Blumenthal, Mrs.
Gillibrand, Mr. Markey, and Ms. Harris):
S. 3946. A bill to require certain helicopters to be equipped with
safety technologies, and for other purposes; to the Committee on
Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
Mrs. FEINSTEIN. Mr. President, I rise today to introduce the
``Helicopter Safety Act.''
On January 26, 2020, a helicopter carrying nine Californians flew
into foggy weather, ultimately crashing minutes later. Los Angeles and
the world soon learned that among the crash victims were basketball
legend Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna.
And in the time since, we have learned the names and stories of John,
Alyssa, and Keri Altobelli; Sarah and Payton Chester; Christina Mauser;
and Ara Zobayan. These were spirited friends and family members
connected by their love of sport, traveling to a weekend basketball
tournament.
The sudden and shocking nature of the accident touched many, and I
have been moved by the public remembrances in Los Angeles and elsewhere
in honor of the victims.
But this tragedy is one that could have been averted. While the
National Transportation Safety Board is still investigating the
incident, a preliminary report indicates the helicopter was flying
through thick clouds and fog, yet was not equipped with a terrain
awareness and warning system among other safety technology. This
technology provides pilots real-time, in-flight warning signals and an
image of surrounding terrain.
Since 2006, the National Transportation Safety Board has recommended
to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) that all new and existing
helicopters capable of carrying six or more passengers be equipped with
terrain awareness and warning system technology. However, FAA has only
required these warning systems for air ambulances.
The lack of a terrain awareness and warning system left the pilot
vulnerable, without an adequate understanding of his surroundings. This
technology has become standard on new helicopters from Airbus, Bell,
Leonardo, and Sikorsky since December 2018.
This bill also requires crash-resistant flight data and voice
recorders. Otherwise known as black boxes, this technology is important
for when accidents do happen and mistakes are made. It would allow
agencies like the NTSB to have a better understanding of the incident
and provide more information to the FAA to prevent future accidents.
It is clear that additional steps are needed to ensure that
helicopters can fly safely, both for the sake of passengers and those
on the ground. Our bill offers a commonsense approach to preventing
further accidents like this one. It would simply direct the FAA to
implement the National Transportation Safety Board's recommendations to
require terrain awareness and warning systems and flight data and voice
recorders on all helicopters carrying six or more passengers.
I appreciate the hard work of the National Transportation Safety
Board in developing these important recommendations, and it is long
past time that the FAA heed its call.
My thoughts continue to be with the victims and their loved ones
impacted by this heartbreaking accident. Our bill would help prevent
future tragedies like the one that occurred this past January and it is
critical that Congress pass it swiftly to ensure that such loss of life
was not in vain.
Thank you, Mr. President. I yield the floor.
______
By Mr. KAINE:
S. 3947. A bill to amend the provisions relating to the higher
education emergency relief fund to clarify the flexibility provided to
institutions and for students under the fund, and for other purposes;
to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
Mr. KAINE. Mr. President, on March 27 Congress passed the Coronavirus
Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act in response to the
ongoing public health and economic crisis resulting from the COVID-19
pandemic. The CARES Act included a Higher Education Emergency Relief
Fund, which
[[Page S2936]]
provided nearly $14 billion in funding to ensure institutions of higher
education could make the transition to distance learning, provide
students with essential supports and resources, and cover the enormous
costs they've incurred during this time. Unfortunately, the
Administration has not followed Congress' intent to provide these
colleges and universities with the increased flexibility they need to
meet the needs of their students.
This is why I'm introducing the Coronavirus Relief Flexibility for
Students and Institutions Act, which would fix several implementation
issues with the higher education funds in the CARES Act by providing
institutions of higher education and students with the flexibility
Congress intended. This bill would make an additional 7.5 million
students eligible for emergency financial aid by expanding eligibility
beyond just those who have filled out a FAFSA and are eligible under
Title IV of the Higher Education Act. Additionally, it would allow
institutions of higher education to use CARES Act funds to cover
revenue losses incurred as a result of COVID-19, rather than limiting
the funding to the U.S. Department of Education's narrow interpretation
that funds can only be used for new expenses associated with the
transition of instruction to distance learning. It would also ensure
that colleges hardest hit by COVID-19 are receiving the support they
need by requiring an application to demonstrate such needs, rather than
providing all colleges with $500,000 in taxpayer funds regardless of
size.
In this difficult time, colleges desperately need the flexibility to
best serve their students. This bill will help ensure that Secretary
DeVos and the U.S. Department of Education follow Congress' intent to
stabilize our institutions of higher education that are hurting from
COVID-19 and provide emergency financial aid for the students who need
it, not just those that who have met bureaucratic requirements. I hope
the Senate passes this bill quickly to ensure that institutions have
the flexibility and supports they need to continue providing high
quality and equitable access to education for all students as we
continue to weather this pandemic.
______
By Mr. CRUZ (for himself, Mr. Lee, Mr. Scott of South Carolina,
and Mr. Scott of Florida):
S. 3949. A bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to permit
kindergarten through grade 12 educational expenses to be paid from a
529 account during the Coronavirus Emergency Period; to the Committee
on Finance.
Mr. CRUZ. Mr. President, I rise at a time of crisis. For several
months now, our Nation been dealing with two simultaneous crises--a
global health pandemic that has claimed the lives of over 115,000
Americans and over 400,000 people across the globe--and an economic
crisis that has cost over 40 million Americans their jobs. We are also
now dealing with a crisis of racial division and anger over the killing
of George Floyd on Memorial Day.
As our Nation reels from the difficulties of the past few months,
it's time to focus on what we can do to recover. One challenge that
we've faced this year is the closures of schools all across the
Country. Suddenly, because of the coronavirus pandemic, over 76 million
American students of all ages were faced with finishing the school year
at home--including over five million students in my home State of
Texas--away from many of the resources that school provides.
To say that has been a staggering shift for many students and
families is an understatement. That is why today, I'm introducing a
bill to temporarily expand 529 accounts so that parents of children who
are now learning from home as a result of the coronavirus pandemic can
cover educational expenses such as tuition, books and other
instructional materials, online educational materials, tutoring,
standardized test fees, and educational therapies for students with
disabilities.
This bill, the Helping Parents Educate Children During the
Coronavirus Pandemic Act, is a version of a bill I introduced last
year, the Student Empowerment Act, which would allow 100 percent of
American students to use 529 accounts to help pay for K-12 education.
The Helping Parents Educate Children During the Coronavirus Pandemic
Act has the benefits of the Student Empowerment Act, but is tailored to
navigate the educational challenges the coronavirus pandemic poses to
students nationwide.
These bills would extend 529 accounts to cover educational expenses
of all sorts, allowing public school families (who do not pay tuition)
to participate. Around 90 percent of America's students attend public
school, so this change would help many Americans afford all the
associated costs of an education.
These bills would also make 529 accounts more accessible to low-
income and middle-income families, public school families, families who
send their children to religious schools, and homeschool families who
need help paying for their child's K-12 education.
We've come a long way in making a quality education attainable for
American students, but we have more to do. That is why I'm working to
help parents, guardians, and students across the country access the
tools they need to continue school at home as long as we have a public
health emergency because of the coronavirus pandemic.
In closing, I want to thank the educators and parents who over the
past three months have made education a priority for millions of
American students. Your hard work and dedication to ensuring your
students continue to learn despite the challenges of a global pandemic
is a good example for us all that we must keep going, we must move
forward, and that one day, we will emerge from these challenges
stronger than before.
I yield the floor.
____________________