[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 194 (Monday, November 16, 2020)]
[Senate]
[Page S6690]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                              Coronavirus

  Mr. LEAHY. Mr. President, I am struck by the fact, as I call people 
around my State of Vermont, which, like your State and every State, has 
suffered from COVID--although I compliment our Republican Governor, who 
has kept the numbers down lower than practically any other State in the 
country. But we are facing winter, and even today, the outgoing 
President does not seem to be willing to acknowledge the huge mistake 
he made in not accepting the fact that we had a COVID pandemic coming 
to this country. We lost too much time preparing for it. We are still 
not adequately prepared for it. We could take some hope in the news of 
new vaccinations, but even that is going to take months before than can 
be fully implemented.
  The reason I mention this is that the Senate time and again is voting 
on judicial nominees who have been recommended predominantly by a 
special interest group or a couple of different special interest 
groups. We have to vote on these special interest judges for lifetime 
appointments, but we can't do a single thing to help the average people 
who are suffering because of COVID. It should not be a Republican or a 
Democratic issue.
  In my State, I hear from business people who have small B&Bs, may 
have a restaurant and a small business--they don't identify themselves 
as Republicans or Democrats; they just say: We can't open. What are we 
going to do?
  I hear from parents who say: What is being done so our kids can go 
back to school? The schools say they could probably do something, but 
they need the money to set up various COVID protections.
  Small hospitals are overwhelmed. We have seen this in States all over 
the country. The hospitals are being overwhelmed, and the people 
working there are being overwhelmed.
  The U.S. Senate hasn't done a single thing. We had a bill before us 
from the House in June and July. We could have voted on it. The 
Republican leader said: No, we can't, because there are some parts we 
Republicans may not like. Well, that is why you vote. Bring it up. Vote 
it up or vote it down. Bring up amendments. Vote for them or vote 
against them, but do it. Instead, we spend our time day after day after 
day voting on special interest judges--people who have been proposed by 
special interests groups, who are picked because they feel they would 
vote with these special interests groups. What we should be doing is 
taking a little time off from that and voting for the American people.
  In my State, we have Republicans and Democrats. We have a Republican 
Governor who is doing an excellent job. He has just been reelected. We 
have a wonderful Democratic woman who has been elected as the new 
Lieutenant Governor. They both want to work together to get people back 
to school, back to work, protect their health. They keep saying: When 
is the help coming from Washington
  I think that instead of spending all of this time talking about 
fanciful thoughts--I saw one of the Trump supporters on television 
saying that she was there to rally for Donald Trump, to resist those 
millions of votes that came in at the last minute from China, into 
these voting booths. She thoroughly believed it, and she seemed like a 
really intelligent person. But let's talk about reality.
  The reality is that COVID did not go away in the spring, as the 
President said. The reality is that you have to wear masks. The reality 
is that you have to take steps to keep from getting COVID. The reality 
is that our schools are suffering, our families are suffering, our 
small businesses are suffering, our government agencies are suffering--
America is suffering.
  I think about a few years ago when we had the Ebola plague, and the 
Obama administration put in place, with strong bipartisan support, a 
special unit at the White House to react to plagues or serious novel 
diseases coming here. As a result, America was protected. But what we 
also did, as America does best, is we helped other countries to handle 
the question of Ebola.
  What did we do when this administration came in? Well, because 
President Obama set up that infectious disease unit, they quickly 
disbanded it. For months, as these reports were coming in making it 
very clear we were facing a serious threat to the United States, they 
ignored it and refused to acknowledge it. Now at least they have 
acknowledged it somewhat but are unwilling to take the steps necessary 
to fight it.
  So I suggest that the U.S. Senate do its job. Hold off for a while on 
these special interest judges and actually vote for the things that 
help people who don't have special interests--the vast majority of 
Republicans and Democrats, men and women, families throughout the 
United States of America. Do something to help them. Bring up the 
bills. Bring up the COVID bills. Bring up the appropriations bills. 
Certainly, Senator Shelby and I are prepared to bring them to the 
floor. If people don't like a particular bill, then bring up an 
amendment. Vote it up or down. What are we afraid of? Why are we afraid 
to vote? Vote it up or down. Let the American people see what we are 
doing.
  Certainly, I do not know a single person, Republican or Democrat, in 
my State who would tell me: Well, I would much rather have you vote on 
these special interest judges than to vote on things that might 
actually help us keep our businesses from closing, help us be able to 
afford our kids going to school, help us put food on our table.
  That is what we should be doing. Let's vote on real things. Let's 
vote on the COVID appropriations. Let's vote on the help. Let's bring 
up our appropriations bills. After all, in just a few weeks, all 
funding for the government stops. Bring it up and vote on it. Vote up 
on down. If people don't want to fund the government, then vote no. If 
they want to fund the government, vote yes. If they don't like a 
particular part of the funding package, bring up an amendment and have 
the courage to put your name on it and then vote up or down.
  I will speak further on this as we go on. I see one of my colleagues 
on the floor. I think he wants to speak.
  I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from the Kansas.