[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 213 (Wednesday, December 16, 2020)]
[Senate]
[Pages S7520-S7521]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                              Coronavirus

  Mr. President, speaking of working hard to solve problems, my hope is 
that we are closing in on our ability to pass the next COVID-19 relief 
bill. As the Presiding Officer knows, we have been at this for a while.
  It has been since March that we passed the CARES Act, and we have 
tried a number of times to try to pass additional relief for our small 
businesses and individuals, provide more resources to our frontline 
healthcare workers--make sure that they have the PPE, the testing and 
that the vaccine that is now here can be deployed in a way that as many 
Americans who can get the vaccine as possible will do so.
  Again, we know that the intervening election has been a problem 
because some people saw benefits to not solving the problem, and that 
would somehow gain them advantage at the ballot box. And still, today, 
there are still disagreements over a handful of controversial 
provisions, but as we enter the final days of the 116th Congress, it is 
now time to break that stalemate.
  There is no doubt in my mind that every Member of this body has a 
little different vision about what the next relief package should look 
like, but as the old saying goes, we shouldn't let the perfect be the 
enemy of the good. The search for compromise--which is really part of 
our job description here--on some of the most controversial measures 
has left us emptyhanded, and it is time to set aside those pieces that 
we can't agree on and make progress on the ones we can.
  First and foremost is funding for vaccine distribution that I alluded 
to a moment ago. Last week, the FDA approved the first COVID-19 
vaccine, and the process of vaccinating our frontline healthcare 
workers is already underway. And there is a good chance that by this 
time next week, millions of doses of a second approved vaccine will be 
en route to hospitals across the country.
  There is no question that the race to develop an effective COVID 
vaccine has been a success. It has really been nothing short of a 
miracle. Now it is critical we take additional actions to ensure the 
race to distribute the vaccine is successful as well.
  We have been waiting and planning for a vaccine all year, but the 
funding Congress provided in the CARES Act to help execute the 
nationwide distribution project has run dry. While the cost of the 
vaccine itself is already covered, there are a host of other expenses 
that come with vaccinating tens of millions--maybe hundreds of 
millions--of people.
  States are dipping into their other sources of funding to ensure they 
have the capabilities to carry out this widespread effort, but it takes 
specialized equipment from ultralow temperature freezers to store the 
vaccine, to masks and gloves and other PPE to protect those 
administering it, and it is easy to see that the costs add up quickly.
  So the time for politicking and campaigning is over. Now is the time 
for us to solve this problem and ensure that this vaccine distribution 
program goes off without a hitch. This is the silver bullet we have 
been praying for and hoping for, and it would be shameful if our 
partisan dysfunction in Congress stood in the way of the success of 
Operation Warp Speed.
  Second, we must support the men and women whose livelihoods have been 
upended by the pandemic. We all know that. We have done a lot, but we 
need to do more.
  We didn't know in March how long this virus would last, how many 
lockdowns would ensue.
  In April, as businesses closed doors to stop the spread of the virus, 
our nationwide unemployment rate skyrocketed to 14.7 percent. Tens of 
millions of Americans simply had no way to earn a paycheck, cover their 
bills, or even put food on their table. Many relied on the bolstered 
unemployment insurance benefits provided through the CARES Act, which 
helped cover bills and expenses until they were able to resume their 
jobs.
  Fortunately, our economic engine did not remain stalled for long. 
That is not only due to what we have done here but what the Federal 
Reserve has done. And over the past several months, the unemployment 
rate has gradually ticked down and reached 6.7 percent in November.
  I have no doubt that we will continue to rebuild our economy and put 
more people back to work who are eager to get back to work. But the 
reality is, it is going to take a while.
  There are still workers with no way to earn a paycheck, and unless we 
take action, they are sure to face an even more dire economic strain in 
the days ahead. The day after Christmas--the day after Christmas--two 
key programs from the CARES Act expire, which will leave millions of 
Americans without the jobless benefits that they and their families 
need to survive. It would be a shame, it would be embarrassing and, 
frankly, just flat negligent on our part if we did not intervene to 
make sure that we establish a continuum of support for these folks who, 
through no fault of their own, find themselves without work.
  These are the same people who, again, through no fault of their own, 
had the rug pulled out from under them earlier this year, and we can't 
leave them hanging. We have to help.
  Third, we need to continue supporting our small businesses. Congress

[[Page S7521]]

invested $670 billion in the Paycheck Protection Program. Every time I 
say a number like that--or $3 trillion--I still have to pinch myself 
that we are spending the money. We need to spend this money in order to 
meet this pandemic, but the Paycheck Protection Program, in particular, 
has been a lifeline for America's small business owners, especially in 
my State.
  Texas received more than $41 billion through more than 417,000 
individual PPP loans. This has given our businesses the resources they 
need to stay afloat and stay connected to their employees until things 
can return to whatever the next normal is.
  But we know the process is happening much faster for some businesses 
than others. It is interesting: A number of businesses, I would say, 
are flourishing during the pandemic--it is really, really interesting--
while others are just flat on their backs or nonexistent.
  Many small businesses that have already received PPP loans are still 
operating at a significant loss. They are unable to bring in enough 
revenue to keep their businesses and employees above water, and they 
need more assistance. Again, that is because of a lack of demand or 
because of restrictions governments have placed on people in the 
interest of public health--some of them seemingly pretty arbitrary. I 
won't go down that path here. But these folks need help.
  Currently, those businesses aren't eligible for a second draw of the 
PPP, and unless we want Main Streets across the country to turn into 
ghost towns, that needs to change. We need to reopen the PPP with 
additional funding for the hardest hit businesses to receive a second 
loan. This is the most effective way of keeping Americans connected 
with their employers and more small businesses on track for a strong 
postpandemic recovery.

  There are a number of other businesses--small businesses--that didn't 
qualify for the PPP which need our assistance, too. Things like small, 
independent music venues are the best example of a critical Main Street 
industry that is dying under the current COVID restrictions.
  That is why I worked with our friend from Minnesota, Senator 
Klobuchar, to introduce the Save Our Stages Act, which will keep 
independent venues across America from closing their doors for good. 
This wouldn't just apply to live music venues in Austin, TX. This would 
apply to symphonies and, potentially, Broadway. This would apply across 
the board.
  I am proud to say that 56 of our colleagues have cosponsored the Save 
Our Stages Act, making it one of the most widely supported stimulus 
proposals before the Senate.
  Again, I know the Presiding Officer has had his shoulder to the 
grindstone on this topic for a long time now. We still have a lot of 
work to do, but we don't have much time.
  Beyond these three goals, there is a lot more I would like to see in 
the relief bill, and I guarantee all 535 Members of Congress would like 
to see more for other things in the relief bill. But the fact of the 
matter is, we have been unable to reach an agreement on a bill that 
includes the most controversial priorities, and it is time to take 
action where we can act and where we do have consensus and come back 
next year and try to do more and try to do better.
  Each of these areas I just mentioned--support for vaccines, our 
workers, and small businesses--have that sort of strong bipartisan 
support. So I think all 100 of us--whether Republicans, Independents, 
or Democrats--should be able to line up behind a bill that supports 
these goals. Over the last several days, we have seen more bipartisan 
communication and cooperation than we saw in months--in the months 
leading up to this point, certainly since March. And I hope we are able 
to reach an agreement and pass another relief bill before gaveling out. 
As a matter of fact, I heard the majority leader say we are not leaving 
until we do, and I agree with that.
  The American people have repeatedly called on Congress to provide 
support for those hit hardest by this pandemic, and we simply cannot 
and will not let them down.
  I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Blunt). The Senator from Arkansas.