[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 203 (Wednesday, December 2, 2020)]
[Senate]
[Page S7155]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                           Coronavirus Relief

  Madam President, now, regarding another COVID bill, we seem to be 
caught in a familiar pattern. We all know that successfully passing 
legislation through Congress means that a bill must get through the 
Democratic House and get Democratic votes in the Senate.
  Passing the law takes a measure of bipartisanship and compromise. 
That is why Speaker Pelosi and I sent the Republican leader a new offer 
on the COVID bill. It was an effort to jump-start serious negotiations, 
but, yesterday, Leader McConnell announced that rather than respond to 
our offer or the bipartisan offer of the so-called Gang of 8, he will 
pursue another partisan proposal before the end of the year. He said he 
was going to talk to the Republican leader in the House, the Republican 
President, and that is it--not a word with Democrats.
  From early reports in the press, the latest Republican offer will be 
even more insufficient than the previous two attempts--so insufficient, 
that according to one press report, a Republican Senator said it was 
``offensive''--his word--to struggling Americans for the Republican 
majority to focus on another messaging bill.
  Apparently, the latest Republican proposal will not include another 
dime of unemployment assistance because, according to the Republican 
whip, it was likely something the President wouldn't sign.
  Let's be clear. The latest Republican offer on COVID will include 
immunity for corporations that put their workers at risk of COVID-19 
but not a dime for workers who lost their jobs because of the pandemic.
  The Republican leader should not waste the Senate's time on another 
inadequate, partisan proposal and, instead, sit down with Democrats to 
begin a true bipartisan effort to quickly meet the needs of the 
country.
  I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Under the previous order, all postcloture time 
has expired.
  The question is, Will the Senate advise and consent to the Hauptman 
nomination?
  Mr. BARRASSO. I ask for the yeas and nays.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there a sufficient second?
  There appears to be a sufficient second.
  The clerk will call the roll.
  The bill clerk called the roll.
   Mr. THUNE. The following Senators are necessarily absent: the 
Senator from Georgia (Mrs. Loeffler) and the Senator from Arizona (Ms. 
McSally).
   Mr. DURBIN. I announce that the Senator from California (Ms. 
Harris), the Senator from Vermont (Mr. Sanders), and the Senator from 
Hawaii (Mr. Schatz) are necessarily absent.
   The PRESIDING OFFICER. Are there any other Senators in the Chamber 
desiring to vote?
   The result was announced--yeas 56, nays 39, as follows:

                       [Rollcall Vote No. 245 Ex.]

                                YEAS--56

     Alexander
     Barrasso
     Blackburn
     Blunt
     Boozman
     Braun
     Burr
     Capito
     Cassidy
     Collins
     Cornyn
     Cotton
     Cramer
     Crapo
     Cruz
     Daines
     Enzi
     Ernst
     Fischer
     Gardner
     Graham
     Grassley
     Hassan
     Hawley
     Hoeven
     Hyde-Smith
     Inhofe
     Johnson
     Jones
     Kennedy
     King
     Lankford
     Lee
     McConnell
     Moran
     Murkowski
     Paul
     Perdue
     Portman
     Risch
     Roberts
     Romney
     Rounds
     Rubio
     Sasse
     Scott (FL)
     Scott (SC)
     Shelby
     Sinema
     Sullivan
     Thune
     Tillis
     Toomey
     Warner
     Wicker
     Young

                                NAYS--39

     Baldwin
     Bennet
     Blumenthal
     Booker
     Brown
     Cantwell
     Cardin
     Carper
     Casey
     Coons
     Cortez Masto
     Duckworth
     Durbin
     Feinstein
     Gillibrand
     Heinrich
     Hirono
     Kaine
     Klobuchar
     Leahy
     Manchin
     Markey
     Menendez
     Merkley
     Murphy
     Murray
     Peters
     Reed
     Rosen
     Schumer
     Shaheen
     Smith
     Stabenow
     Tester
     Udall
     Van Hollen
     Warren
     Whitehouse
     Wyden

                              NOT VOTING--5

     Harris
     Loeffler
     McSally
     Sanders
     Schatz
   The nomination was confirmed
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Under the previous order, the motion to 
reconsider is considered made and laid upon the table, and the 
President will be immediately notified of the Senate's action.
  The Senator from Ohio.
  Mr. PORTMAN. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the 
mandatory quorum be waived.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection?
  Without objection, it is so ordered.

                          ____________________