[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 215 (Friday, December 18, 2020)]
[Senate]
[Page S7701]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                              Coronavirus

  Mr. BENNET. Mr. President, before I give my remarks, I would like to 
say that I hope the rumors are true that we are getting close to a deal 
here. The country needs us to reach a bipartisan deal, as we did in 
March, unanimously, when we passed the CARES Act here.
  It is time for us to do that again. In Colorado and all across the 
country cases are spiking and the economy is slowing down. People need 
relief. They need help. I hope we will come together in a bipartisan 
way and do that.
  I hope that the deal is not going to come crashing down because of a 
disagreement about what the Federal Reserve's authority ought to be 
under the 13(3) program. That is an important program for the Federal 
Reserve to help when things are really distressed in our economy--to 
help our small businesses, our State and local governments, and working 
families all over this country.
  It is an authority that Donald Trump used--or that the Fed used while 
Donald Trump was President. People on both sides of the aisle said it 
was an effective authority, and if it is an effective authority for 
President Trump, it should not be taken away from the Federal Reserve 
just because Joe Biden is becoming President of the United States.
  So I hope that we will come to an agreement. I expect that we will. I 
hope it is soon. People need the help