[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 196 (Wednesday, November 18, 2020)]
[Senate]
[Page S7048]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                              Coronavirus

  Madam President, now on an entirely different matter, Senate 
Republicans have spent months--months--trying to get another bipartisan 
rescue package passed and signed into law for the American people.
  For months, our position has been entirely consistent. We want to 
reach agreement on all the areas where compromise is well within reach, 
send hundreds of billions of dollars to urgent and uncontroversial 
programs, and let Washington argue over the rest later.
  There is no reason why doing right by struggling families should wait 
until we resolve every difference on every issue. But, unfortunately, 
both Speaker Pelosi and the Democratic leader have been equally 
consistent, and they don't think Congress should do anything at all--
anything, unless they get to cash out a far-left ideological wish list, 
including things with zero relationship to the present crisis.
  They have continued to insist that Congress must pass their so-called 
Heroes Act or do nothing at all.
  The problem is that their proposal is a multitrillion-dollar 
laughingstock that never had a chance of becoming law.
  Let's recall what Speaker Pelosi's own Members said when she first 
released this proposal:

       I think the Heroes Act went too far. It got loaded up with 
     a bunch of political wish list things.
       This is Washington politics at its worst . . . a partisan 
     wish list.
       It's a middle finger to the American people.

  These are all reactions of House Democrats. And no wonder, because 
here are just some of the demands the Speaker will not drop: a massive 
tax cut specifically for wealthy people in blue States; a colossal 
slush fund for consistently mismanaged State and city governments, with 
no linkage to actual pandemic needs.
  These things are included, but they managed to completely leave out--
listen to this--leave out entirely any new funding for a second round 
of the job-saving Paycheck Protection Program--something we made sure 
to include in every Republican offering. They want to spend $3 trillion 
but couldn't find one cent--one cent--of new money for the job-saving 
program that has kept small businesses afloat from coast to coast.

  Oh, and by the way, because the far-left decided in the summertime 
they didn't much like the men and women of law enforcement anymore, 
between the first and second version of this proposal, the Speaker 
literally took out--listen to this--took out hundreds of millions of 
dollars for hiring, equipping, and training local law enforcement. I 
guess by their account, the police don't count as ``Heroes'' any 
longer.
  By playing all-or-nothing hardball with a proposal this radical, our 
colleagues have thus far guaranteed that American workers and families 
get nothing at all.
  The pace of our economic recovery and the promise of vaccines on the 
horizon give us reasons for major hope, but we are nowhere near--
nowhere near--out of the woods yet. Vaccines will need to be 
distributed nationwide and quickly. Republicans' targeted proposal 
provided billions of dollars to make that happen, but Democrats blocked 
it.
  The PPP has helped millions of American workers and small businesses 
hang on thus far, but now, in the home stretch, they need more help. 
Republicans' targeted proposal would have renewed that lifeline for the 
hardest hit small businesses, but again, Democrats blocked it.
  So think about it. We moved Heaven and Earth and spent mountains of 
money to help workers keep their jobs and help small businesses keep 
the lights on from the springtime all the way up to now, but now, after 
all that, with the end seemingly in sight, we might lose the hardest 
hit small businesses in the home stretch because Democrats have 
refused--refused--to let us continue helping. We kept family businesses 
alive for months and months, only to see some of them fail now, with 
vaccines on the horizon, because Democrats have blocked another round 
of PPP.
  Well, it is not too late to make a difference. Republicans stand 
ready to deliver this urgent aid. Let's fund all the programs where 
there is not even real disagreement--just the ones where there is no 
disagreement--and let's do it now. We just need Democrats to finally 
get serious about this.
  I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The clerk will call the roll.
  The senior assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. SCHUMER. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the order 
for the quorum call be rescinded.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Without objection, it is so 
ordered.