[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 127 (Monday, July 20, 2020)]
[Senate]
[Pages S4253-S4255]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                              Coronavirus

  On another matter, it is rare we gather at the start of a work 
session with so much to do in so little time. As we speak, our country 
faces the greatest public health crisis since 1918 and the greatest 
economic challenge since the Great Depression.
  Earlier this year, COVID exploded through the Northeast and the 
Pacific Northwest before finally subsiding. The economic pain of those 
first few months--over 40 million newly unemployed--was 
incomprehensible. Now, States throughout the South and West are 
experiencing a similar surge in cases, hospitalizations, and, sadly, 
deaths, as the economic pain deepens.
  While all of us have watched in horror as this crisis unfolds, Senate 
Democrats have repeatedly called for action on crucial issues like aid 
for State and local and Tribal governments, hazard pay for essential 
workers, funding for coronavirus testing and tracing, rental 
assistance, and support for our Nation's childcare and education 
systems.
  Each time we sought to pass legislation on these issues, Senate 
Republicans blocked our attempts. Senate Republicans said that we 
should, in the words of Leader McConnell, ``hit the pause button.'' Our 
Republican friends said they wanted to ``assess the conditions in the 
country'' before providing any more relief.
  Our House colleagues passed the Heroes Act over 60 days ago. It has 
been well over 3 months--3 long months--since we passed the CARES Act. 
And what has happened in those 3 months?
  Three months ago, on April 20, the United States reported 775,000 
total cases of COVID-19, with 42,000 deaths. Today, we have nearly 3.8 
million confirmed cases and 140,000 deaths.
  Just over 3 months ago, 30 million Americans had filed for 
unemployment claims. Today, that figure is nearly 50 million. More 
unemployment claims were filed in the last 17 weeks than in the entire 
18-month stretch of the great recession.
  Today, the State of Florida has more infections per week than China, 
Japan, Korea, Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, 
Australia, and the European Union combined.
  That is what has happened while Senate Republicans have been 
``assessing the conditions in the country.'' That is what has been 
happening while Senate Republicans have hit the ``pause'' button. And 
now we know the real reason for Republican inaction, why they have hit 
the ``pause'' button: They can't come to agreement among themselves. 
The Nation is raging in crisis, and the Republican Party has been 
paralyzed--stopping and blocking action that

[[Page S4254]]

Democrats have sought to deal with the problem.
  We may never know the true cost of Republican inaction over these 
past 3 months, but we know the time for waiting is over. We must 
consider another major COVID relief package this work period. Enhanced 
unemployment benefits expire at the end of the month, protections 
against evictions expire this week, and schools are preparing for the 
fall without the necessary guidance and resources to open safely. The 
country is crying out for relief. The needless delays, the partisan 
politics, and the infighting between the President and Senate and House 
Republicans have to stop.
  But it seems that Leader McConnell has still not received that 
message. The Republican leader has said he is writing the next bill 
behind the closed doors of his office and he will present it to his 
party first before dropping it on the Senate's lap.
  This one-party approach is the same approach that delayed the passage 
of the CARES Act, delayed the passage of subsequent emergency relief 
legislation, and utterly failed on policing reform, where the 
Republican bill was opposed by 136 civil rights organizations. For 
Leader McConnell to then get up and talk about that bill, when the 
people were marching for a much stronger bill--the Justice in Policing 
Act--when civil rights organizations were urging that we not move 
forward on that bill, is twisting history in a way that no one is going 
to believe and history will never accept.
  Each time Congress passed COVID relief--all four times--we did it by 
coming together in a bipartisan fashion between our two parties, 
between our two Chambers. Leader McConnell three times tried to force a 
partisan bill down the Senate's throat, and it backfired every time.
  Leader McConnell, it won't work this time either.
  Leader McConnell called for bipartisanship this morning. That is 
great.
  But, Leader McConnell, sitting in your own office, writing a bill, 
and demanding the other side support it, is not anyone's idea of 
bipartisanship.
  Even worse, it appears that the Republican proposal is unlikely to 
meet the moment. From what we understand from press reports, 
McConnell's bill will prioritize corporate special interests over 
workers and Main Street businesses. It will fail to adequately address 
the worsening spread of the virus.
  There are currently between 20 and 30 million unemployed Americans, 
and from all accounts, the Republican bill will not do nearly enough 
for them.
  As Americans struggle to keep up with the rent, we are facing an 
avalanche of evictions. From all accounts, the Republican bill will not 
address that.
  According to reports, the Republican bill will come up short on 
hazard pay for essential workers, aid to State and local and Tribal 
governments, and investments in communities of color ravaged by the 
virus.
  If the reports are accurate, the Republican bill will not come 
close--not even come close--to meeting the moment of this great crisis.
  The truth is, we have a good product to start with--the Heroes Act. 
It has already passed the House
  By the way, Leader McConnell, we need the House to make a law.
  Unlike the bill Leader McConnell is preparing, it actually matches 
the scale of the crisis and will put workers and small businesses and 
our health needs before special interests.
  Just to give an example of where Republican priorities are right now, 
late last week, it was reported that the Trump administration wants to 
block tens of billions of dollars in the next COVID bill for States to 
conduct testing and contact tracing. Let me repeat that. When every 
expert says our lack of testing and contact tracing has led to the 
crisis being much greater in the United States than in most other 
countries, Trump wants to block that money for testing, for contact 
tracing. If past is prologue, our Republican colleagues--so afraid of 
offending Donald Trump even when they know he is wrong--will let him 
win the day or at least greatly whittle down the needs we have on 
tracing and testing.
  This report came days after we heard that the administration ordered 
hospitals to stop reporting COVID data to the CDC and instead report 
them to State health departments or other portals more easily 
controlled by the White House. If there was ever positive proof that 
the President is more worried about his image and political interests 
than the health and safety of the American people, this is it--hiding 
data from the Centers for Disease Control. It is hard to believe.
  This man is not a leader. You can't hide from the truth. The 
coronavirus will continue to ravage us whether or not the reports are 
public. But if the reports are public, we will all know more what to 
do.
  Has not President Trump learned? Have not the Republican Senators 
learned that hiding from the truth just makes things worse? That is why 
so much of the blame, according to the American people, for what has 
happened falls on the shoulders of the President and the Republican 
Senators who follow him blindly and obeisantly.
  This, unfortunately, is hardly the only example of the President's 
abject failure to lead our Nation through this awful crisis.
  I yield the floor.
  I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Ms. Ernst). The clerk will call the roll.
  The bill clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. CORNYN. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the order 
for the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  Mr. CORNYN. Madam President, during these last couple of weeks, like 
the rest of my colleagues, I was glad to get back home and spend some 
time talking to the men and women who are continuing to deal with the 
hurdles brought on by this pandemic.
  As our battle against COVID-19 has waged on, I have looked to folks 
across different industries in Texas to provide us an honest readout 
about the challenges they are facing and whether what we have done for 
them is working. Over these last 3 months, again, like all of us, I 
have heard from medical professionals on the frontlines of this fight, 
researchers and scientists who are racing to find treatments and 
vaccines, small business owners just hanging on by the skin of their 
teeth trying to keep their businesses afloat and their employees' jobs 
intact, as well as countless other men and women who are doing 
everything in their power to support their neighbors and to protect 
their communities. Their feedback has been invaluable, as always, to 
the work of the Senate as we have worked to pass four coronavirus bills 
to support them during this challenging period.
  As we prepare to work on the next response package, I was glad to 
hear from them about what they would like us to include in that. I have 
spoken with faculty and staff from community colleges across the State 
who are working to keep their students healthy while continuing to 
provide them with quality education. Like school leaders at all 
levels--from K-12 to other colleges and universities--they are 
constantly reevaluating the situation and preparing to make decisions 
about returning to onsite working and learning. I know these are 
difficult conversations that are happening across the country, and I am 
grateful for the hard work and dedication of incredible educators who 
are figuring out how to keep our children safe while continuing to give 
them the education they deserve and they need.
  Last week, I spent some time hearing from mental health advocates who 
are fighting to ensure that Texans have the support and resources they 
need amid so much stress and uncertainty. Over the last several months, 
everyone in our country has experienced some substantial shift in their 
daily routine. No matter how major or minor these changes, combined 
with the stress that comes from living through a pandemic, this is all 
taking a toll on America's mental health.
  I was glad to hear from more leaders with the Meadows Mental Health 
Policy Institute about how funding from the CARES Act has strengthened 
access to mental healthcare and how we can continue to support mental 
health services in Texas and across the country.
  I also valued my time with Texas veterans and talked to them about 
how the CARES Act can help them and their families and their 
businesses. We

[[Page S4255]]

discussed the VA-specific funding that is strengthening access to 
healthcare for many veterans, and I appreciated the opportunity to hear 
more about some of the challenges they are facing and how we can do 
more in the Senate to support them.
  Over the last few weeks, I have enjoyed connecting with these Texans 
virtually, but I was also glad to join Agriculture Secretary Sonny 
Perdue for in-person visits with some of the men and women keeping 
America fed and clothed during this time of increased need. This 
pandemic has dealt a serious blow to Texas agriculture, and I would 
dare say to the Presiding Officer; I am sure it is true in her State as 
well. From livestock to row crops, to dairy, producers have seen their 
markets shrink and nearly disappear.
  Last Thursday, Secretary Perdue, Congressman   John Carter, and I 
participated in a roundtable in Coupland, TX, to discuss the impact of 
the pandemic on Texas agriculture. The CARES Act provided $16 billion 
in agricultural assistance, and so far Texans have received more than 
$300 million to support our producers. I was glad to learn more about 
how this funding is helping them through these difficult times and 
learning more about what should be included in the next bill.
  Secretary Perdue and I also had the chance to see how two incredible 
organizations in Texas are keeping families fed. First, we visited the 
Houston Food Bank, which is the largest food bank in the Nation. Under 
normal circumstances, the Houston Food Bank and its volunteers provide 
food to families across 18 counties in Southeast Texas. As the impact 
of COVID-19 has grown, so has the need for assistance, so much so that 
our National Guard troops have been lending a hand for months, but this 
week that will come to an end.
  Compared to the same time last year, the Houston Food Bank has seen 
up to a 171-percent increase in the need for food assistance. In June 
alone, the Houston Food Bank delivered more than 27 million pounds of 
food. It was a pleasure to join Secretary Perdue in volunteering for 
this incredible organization and being able to thank the men and women 
who are keeping our families fed in person. We were also able to visit 
one of the homes of the USDA Meals-to-You Program, which provides 
nutritious meals for low-income students in rural areas across the 
Nation.
  These are two incredible examples of how organizations throughout the 
State are supporting those who have been hardest hit by the pandemic. 
Support for our farmers, our ranchers, producers, food banks, and other 
organizations keeping Texas fed was a big part of the CARES Act, and I 
hope we will continue to strengthen that support with the next 
coronavirus response package.
  Senator Murphy and I introduced the SERVE and CARRY Act, which will 
provide additional opportunities to help low-income and unemployed 
Texans access food during the pandemic. It would establish three new 
programs to not only help put food on the table of Texans in need but 
also support the farmers, restaurants, and their workers who are 
suffering as a result of the economic impact of this pandemic.
  This legislation has been endorsed by the National and Texas 
Restaurant Associations, the California and Texas Food Banks, and a 
number of other anti-hunger organizations. It is time we put our 
restaurants and their employees back to work in feeding people, and let 
our men and women in uniform volunteering at the food banks go home to 
be with their families. The SERVE and CARRY Act will do just that, and 
I urge my colleagues to look at it and hopefully support it.
  As we dive into discussions on the next coronavirus response package, 
the feedback and ideas provided by these Texans during this last 2 
weeks could not have been more timely. I want to thank each of them for 
taking the time to share their ideas and feedback with me. I come back 
to Washington with fresh ideas, and I am eager to get to work so we can 
provide additional support for the Texans who have been impacted so 
dramatically by this virus