[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 140 (Thursday, August 6, 2020)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5231-S5233]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                              Coronavirus

  Mr. DURBIN. Madam President, the news this morning about the actions 
taken by Facebook and Twitter in relation to statements made by 
President Trump is incredible. We now have a decision by these two 
major sources of social media to draw down and to remove statements 
made by the President of the United States on the issue of the national 
health emergency which we currently face.
  They believe--and certainly, on its face, it is clear--that these 
statements by President Trump misrepresented medical fact in terms of 
the immunity of children to COVID-19 and the state of play in America 
when it comes to this pandemic.
  The numbers 5 and 25 tell a real story. America has roughly 5 percent 
of the world's population and, sadly, 25 percent of the COVID 
infections in the world. How could a great and strong nation like ours 
have reached this point where this medical crisis has reached a point 
where many parts of America are facing recordbreaking infection levels?
  Part of it has to do with the lack of leadership: a President who has 
refused to acknowledge experts like Dr. Fauci and others, who, when 
they say things that disappoint him, are banished from appearing on 
television with him or making public statements in contradiction of his 
bizarre point of view. We also know, as well, that the President has 
downplayed, from the start, the threat of this COVID-19. One of the 
reasons Facebook and Twitter removed his statements is that the 
President continues to diminish the severity of this crisis.
  We know, as well, that he has failed to tell us the truth and has 
speculated on medical theories that are just pure quackery. Who can 
forget the President's famous press conference talking about ingesting 
disinfectants, his theories about ultraviolet lights, and this 
hydroxychloroquine fantasy that he continues to enjoy telling the 
American people? We know, as well, that he has failed to take action 
when it was needed
  Initially, Governors, including my own in the State of Illinois, were 
desperate for the equipment that they

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needed to protect healthcare workers and to save the lives of those who 
were infected with the coronavirus. At this moment in time, many people 
are asking me basic questions on my website. One of the questions from 
a lady this morning said: Why is it that the United Kingdom has a rapid 
test and we don't in the United States? I wish I could answer that, but 
I can't.
  The fact is, if you are taking a test to see if you are positive for 
the coronavirus and the results aren't available for 5 days or even 12 
days, they are almost pointless. At that point in time, it is just a 
data point in history, not something that you could rely on in terms of 
your own conduct.
  How do the Republicans in the Senate explain the nonchalance many of 
them have displayed when it comes to the challenges we face? This is 
the worst national health crisis we have faced in 100 years. We know 
that people are dying. Over 150,000 have died already in this country, 
and we know that number is likely to grow.
  Despite that, when it comes to putting money into testing, Democrats 
have called for a dramatic investment to make that happen, and the 
Republicans--just $16 billion for a nation that needs so much more.
  When it comes to the economy, I can't understand the position of the 
Republicans. They refuse to come forward with their own plan to rescue 
our economy, to help unemployed families, and to put businesses back in 
business, and they seem to lack a sense of urgency as to the situation 
we currently face.
  The American people take this situation very, very seriously. We have 
recently done surveys and found that they overwhelmingly believe we 
still have major challenges ahead, and they start with the coronavirus. 
Why hasn't this President used the resources of this government to come 
up with a quick, rapid-results test so that people can learn whether 
they are positive for coronavirus in a quick fashion? We can't 
realistically expect to open the economy or open our schools until we 
have that available across the United States of America. Yet the 
President doesn't seem to want to take on that responsibility.
  For those who believe that we can say to the unemployed ``If you 
would just work a little harder, you would find a job,'' they ought to 
face the reality. The reality is we have four unemployed workers in 
America for every job opening. The reality, as well, is that employers 
who wish to fill their positions are doing it at a faster pace than at 
any time. And this notion that if you are receiving an unemployment 
check you are going to stay home and not go back to work--in the last 
few months, of the people who have returned to work in America, 70 
percent of them were being paid more on unemployment than they were on 
the jobs that they returned to, but they wanted to get back to work. 
They believe in work. They know that unemployment is a temporary help 
and that they have to get back on their own feet as quickly as 
possible. Plus, there are benefits to working. One of them is health 
insurance, and many people returned to work to get back to the health 
insurance that they particularly think is right for their family.
  So why would the Republicans be suggesting a reduction in the weekly 
benefit by some $400? They ought to sit down and talk to the people who 
are receiving these unemployment checks, as I did last Friday in 
Chicago. Let them tell their stories. What are they spending these 
unemployment checks for? Overwhelmingly, the basics of life: food, 
paying utility bills, rent and mortgage payments.
  People aren't salting this money away. Almost half of the unemployed 
in America have exhausted all of their savings. Some of them have 
resorted to selling some piece of property they own, some goods or 
articles that might raise enough money to help them pay their bills. It 
is a desperate situation for the 30 million Americans who are 
unemployed. I don't understand why the Republicans don't engage with us 
in addressing this problem directly.
  How can we possibly explain that, in the negotiation over the next 
rescue package for America, we have the President's Chief of Staff; the 
Secretary of the Treasury; the Speaker of the House, Democrat Nancy 
Pelosi; Chuck Schumer, the Democratic leader in the Senate; and two 
empty chairs? Senator McConnell does not participate in this 
negotiation, nor does Leader McCarthy from the Republicans in the 
House.
  They should be there. That is their job. This notion that they can 
stand off on the sidelines and just criticize things that are being 
discussed is not productive. America needs more. America needs a better 
approach when it comes to this.
  Another issue that comes up every time I open any conference call to 
questioning from an audience is our Postal Service. In July, Postmaster 
General DeJoy eliminated overtime for postal employees even though 
parcel volumes were up almost 60 percent in June compared to last year. 
Usually, about 20 percent of all the work by mail handlers, city 
carriers, and postal drivers is done in overtime.
  In the July memo announcing these operational changes, the new 
Postmaster acknowledged that employees--listen to this quote--``may see 
mail left behind or mail on the workroom floor or docks . . . which is 
not typical.'' Postmaster General DeJoy routinely compares the Postal 
Service, a 245-year-old government agency that performs a service, to 
U.S. Steel as an example of the need to adapt to the new market 
realities. Postmaster DeJoy does not seem to understand that the Postal 
Service is an essential service provided by the government, not a 
luxury and certainly not a routine business.
  Americans rely on the U.S. Postal Service to deliver needed packages, 
medications, Social Security checks, and other benefits. Many small 
businesses would absolutely fold if they couldn't use the U.S. Postal 
Service and its daily operations, and rural Americans especially know 
that many for-profit delivery services will not come to their addresses 
in smalltown America. The Postal Service will be there.

  We are less than 100 days from an election where mail-in ballots 
delivered by the Postal Service will be vital to ensuring people of all 
political persuasions that they can safely exercise their right to vote 
while following public health experts' recommendations to reduce the 
spread of COVID-19.
  When contacted to schedule a call with the Postmaster General, his 
office's response was this: ``Currently, he is not taking calls or 
meetings as he is focusing on understanding the organization.'' 
Understanding the organization?
  The Heroes Act that passed the House of Representatives 11 weeks ago 
included $25 billion in emergency funding to cover revenue losses over 
the next 2 years. I believe in the Postal Service, and I thank the 
employees. My own mail carrier in my neighborhood back in Springfield, 
Greg, works late hours, usually delivers our mail at 7 p.m. He tells me 
he is delivering a lot of packages now. He said: Senator, I just 
delivered a package of duct tape to one of your neighbors. I want to 
make sure I deliver your mail every single day, as promised.
  He is a dedicated public servant. You can tell it in his manner and 
his gait and his attitude. He takes his job very, very seriously, and 
he does it well, as so many do.
  We need to support our Postal Service. This is not something we can 
afford to skimp on at this moment in American history. I hope the 
Republicans will join us in believing that the Postal Service is worth 
an investment today, and I hope that we can include that in anything 
that we move forward.
  There is another provision I would hope to include in any rescue 
package, and it addresses an issue that we all feel intensely. Across 
America, many communities routinely face the harsh reality of too few 
doctors or nurses, dentists, or behavioral health providers. It means 
delayed healthcare in many communities, gaps in accessing lifesaving 
services, and, ultimately, worse health outcomes, especially in low-
income rural and urban areas.
  Our Nation is projected to face a shortage of up to 120,000 doctors 
within the next 10 years and a shortfall of hundreds of thousands of 
nurses for each of the next several years. If you ask the question, you 
will find that many hospitals and clinics in smalltown America resort 
to contract nurses. These are nurses who are available in an emergency, 
but they are expensive, sometimes charging two or

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three times what a nurse is usually paid at the same place--and that 
was before the coronavirus rampage across our Nation.
  This pandemic has magnified these shortages in our system. In my 
State of Illinois, Governor Pritzker had to call providers out of 
retirement from other States to deliver surge care while fourth-year 
medical students at the University of Illinois at Chicago were 
graduated early so that they could go to work.
  Over the past 6 months, America's healthcare workers have faced 
incredible strains on the frontlines in our fight against the 
coronavirus. Hundreds of healthcare workers have, tragically, died from 
COVID-19, tens of thousands have been infected, and countless more 
endured trauma and burnout from intense patient care.
  The crisis has also compounded alarming health disparities for Black 
and Latinx Americans, who are three times more likely to get sick and 
die from COVID-19 than White patients. A lack of minority physicians 
and health professionals of color contributes to this unconscionable 
inequity. In 2018, only 4 percent of incoming medical students in 
Illinois were Black men. A recent study found that there are fewer 
Black male medical students today than there were in 1978. That is 42 
years ago.
  The simple economics of American medical education pose a barrier to 
our health workforce needs. We take our most promising students, put 
them through years of rigorous education and training, license them 
after a backbreaking residency on one condition: They have to be 
prepared to assume a student debt of, on average, more than $200,000 to 
be a doctor in America.
  The burden of paying off these loans steers some of our best and 
brightest minds into higher paying specialties and communities, leaving 
many areas with gaps and vulnerable to the challenges we are facing 
today.
  To address these health workforce challenges and medical disparities 
and to bolster surge capacity for future emergencies, I have partnered 
with Senator Marco Rubio of Florida. Together, we have introduced 
Strengthening America's Health Care Readiness Act, immediately 
restoring our pipeline of doctors, nurses, and other providers. How do 
we do it? We provide scholarships and loan repayment funding through 
the National Health Service Corps and Nurse Corps to those who commit 
to serve in needy areas.
  In 27 States, more than 70 percent of inpatient hospital beds are 
full. One of the major issues with this capacity strain is the lack of 
providers to actually staff these health units. Our bill would help to 
surge tens of thousands of clinicians into these communities. To narrow 
disparities that I mentioned earlier, our legislation would emphasize 
recruitment from populations historically underrepresented in 
healthcare, and our bill would enhance our emergency preparedness by 
providing loan repayment for clinicians who serve in a reserve 
capacity--similar to our National Guard--who could be deployed from the 
private practice to serve in disaster locations.
  Representative Schakowsky--Jan Schakowsky of Chicago--is our partner 
in the House. We are pleased to have the support of the American 
Medical Association, the Association of American Medical Colleges, the 
National Association of Community Health Centers, and many more.
  Senator Rubio and I are working to include this policy in the next 
coronavirus relief package. We urge our colleagues to support it.