[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 204 (Thursday, December 3, 2020)]
[Senate]
[Pages S7204-S7205]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       SENATE LEGISLATIVE AGENDA

  Mr. CORNYN. Mr. President, the legislative year is quickly drawing to 
a close, but the lights on the 116th Congress haven't gone out yet. 
Before the House and the Senate gavel out for the final time this 
Congress, we still have a lot of work to do.
  Headlines have focused on the large, ``must-pass'' legislation, which 
will require a good amount of debate and compromise in the coming 
days--things like government funding, the National Defense 
Authorization bill, and another COVID-19 relief package. But there are 
actually countless other bills that have already passed the Senate with 
broad bipartisan support and continue to linger in purgatory on the 
House's legislative calendar.
  After weeks, months, and, in some cases, more than a year of waiting, 
the Speaker and the House leadership refuse to let these commonsense 
bipartisan bills have a vote on the House floor. Just to give you an 
idea of the type of legislation they are holding up, let's start with 
the Jenna Quinn Law. This legislation carries the name of an inspiring 
young Texan who is a survivor of child sexual abuse and who has made it 
her mission in life to end the cycle of abuse that harms our children 
in communities across the country.
  Jenna was the driving force behind a 2009 Texas law requiring 
training for teachers, caregivers, and other adults who work with 
children on how to prevent, recognize, and report child sexual abuse. 
You can imagine the teachers, in particular, who spend--at least before 
COVID--day after day after day with children. They are actually in the 
best position, sometimes, to identify symptoms of sexual abuse, if 
properly trained.
  Since 2009, a number of other States have passed similar laws, but 
the training often lacks adequate funding, and that is where our 
Federal legislation comes in. I introduced this bipartisan bill with 
Senator Hassan from New Hampshire to finally back that training with 
Federal funding through grants from the Department of Health and Human 
Services. At a time when the experts believe that abuse is on the rise 
as families are isolated at home due to COVID-19 mitigation efforts, 
this legislation could not be more urgent.
  Despite the fact that this bill will deliver real change for the most 
vulnerable in our communities and that it passed the Senate with 
unanimous support, the House refuses to even vote on it. House 
Democrats have chosen to hold this lifesaving legislation hostage in 
order to advance a partisan bill that they know has no chance of 
becoming law.
  Unfortunately, those are the types of games that, sadly, we have had 
to become accustomed to when it comes to House Democrats. But, as I 
said, this is only one of a long list of bills that they are sitting 
on.
  Over the summer, the Senate passed legislation that had taken aim at 
another crisis harming our children, which is e-cigarettes. Prior to 
COVID-19, headlines were dominated by stories

[[Page S7205]]

about mysterious vaping-related illnesses and healthy teenagers being 
admitted to emergency rooms with symptoms usually associated only with 
decades-long smokers.
  Well, to state the obvious, the most effective way to prevent 
children from becoming addicted to these devices is to stop them from 
getting their hands on them in the first place. If the 16-year-old went 
to a gas station or convenience store and attempted to buy an e-
cigarette, they would be turned away because that sale could not take 
place without a proper ID, but those same age-verification requirements 
don't apply to online purchases. Devices can be ordered and delivered 
without any proof of age or an ID.
  Senator Feinstein, the senior Senator from California, and I 
introduced legislation to change that and ensure that online purchases 
are subject to the same age verification requirements as those made in 
person. Once again, this legislation passed the Senate unanimously, but 
the House has refused to take any action.
  And here is another one. Last month, we passed a bill to provide 
mental healthcare to those transitioning out of the criminal justice 
system. More than half of the individuals in the criminal justice 
system have experienced a mental health issue, and our justice system 
too often fails to provided adequate diagnosis and treatment.
  But even when these individuals do receive treatment while 
incarcerated, they are rarely given the tools they need to succeed upon 
release. Approximately 80 percent of the people are uninsured after 
being released, making it nearly impossible for them to continue mental 
health treatment without additional safety net provisions.
  Senator Blumenthal, our colleague from Connecticut, and I introduced 
legislation to support those who have become part of our criminal 
justice system who have decided to turn their lives around and to 
provide them stable treatment if they suffer from a mental illness as 
they transition out of incarceration. That is not only in their best 
interest, but it is in the best interest of the larger community, 
because these people, rather than being a danger to the community, can 
contribute to the community.
  This legislation passed the Senate with unanimous support, but, once 
again, no movement in the House, and the list goes on and on and on.
  We unanimously approved legislation to provide justice to families of 
human smuggling victims and assistance to local communities battling 
the problem, to help State and local governments strengthen their cyber 
security and safeguard their elections, and to increase cross-border 
economic and educational partnerships with Mexico.
  Those half dozen bills I just named are only a handful of the ones I 
introduced that have passed the Senate but are collecting dust on the 
House calendar. Add in the long list of bills led by our Republican and 
Democratic colleagues, and we have a major legislative logjam in the 
House.
  As I understand it, next week is set to be the House's last workweek 
of the 116th Congress. That means that, unless Speaker Pelosi and House 
Democratic leadership allow movement on these compromise, commonsense 
bipartisan bills, we are going to have to start from square one. We are 
going to have to start all over again in the next Congress.
  Now, I know it is not unusual for a Member of Congress to take 
legislative hostages to advance their own agenda, but this is not a 
time to play those kinds of politics, particularly on these kinds of 
subjects. These aren't controversial bills. We are talking about grants 
to prevent child sexual abuse, reform to stop kids from buying e-
cigarettes online, a lifeline of hope for folks who suffer from mental 
illness and are transitioning from our criminal justice system, and so 
much more.

  As I said, these bills are just one step away from heading to the 
President's desk for his signature, so it is time for Speaker Pelosi 
and the leadership of the House to quit playing games and allow the 
House to vote on these life-changing bills.

                          ____________________