[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 211 (Monday, December 14, 2020)]
[Senate]
[Page S7455]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       BUSINESS BEFORE THE SENATE

  Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, this week, the Senate returns with 
precious little time left to finish important matters of business. Last 
week, both Houses of Congress passed the annual Defense bill with veto-
proof majorities. If President Trump takes the rather ridiculous step 
of vetoing a pay raise for our troops in order to defend the honor of 
dead Confederate traitors--or whatever other contrived grounds he comes 
up with--Congress must override that veto.
  On Friday, both Chambers of Congress also passed a 1-week continuing 
resolution, giving us until the end of this week to finish an omnibus 
appropriations bill to fund the government. As usual, the 
appropriations bill will include several important pieces of related 
legislation. One that doesn't get enough attention is a bipartisan 
energy bill.
  Earlier this year, during the debate over the Energy bill, Senate 
Democrats insisted that a provision to reduce HFCs--a very harmful 
greenhouse gas that is driving our climate change problem--must be 
included in the bill. Unfortunately, we had to hold up the bill until a 
bipartisan agreement could be reached on this critical provision, which 
would be the single biggest victory in the fight against climate change 
to pass this body in a decade.
  Today, I am very happy to report that we have made very good progress 
toward an agreement on HFC reduction. We are about to get it done. That 
is one of the biggest victories to fight global warming in a very long 
time.
  I want to thank Senators Carper, Kennedy, and Barrasso. They have 
worked very diligently and very hard to craft a compromise.
  Finally, as we all know, it is imperative we pass another round of 
emergency Federal relief from the continued impact of the COVID-19 
pandemic. Today, the bipartisan group of Senators who have been 
diligently working toward an agreement will announce the results of 
their work: a package of over $900 billion that includes an agreement 
on assistance to State and local government. Notably, there is no 
agreement on corporate immunity. We look forward to reviewing their 
work. Democrats remain 100 percent committed to getting another round 
of emergency relief to the American people before the end of the year 
and in a robust, bold way because America needs it so badly.

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