[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 217 (Sunday, December 20, 2020)]
[Senate]
[Pages S7857-S7858]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                              Coronavirus

  Mr. President, our country is racing to distribute two now successful 
vaccines to bring an end to this pandemic that we have been living 
through that has claimed the lives of more than 315,000 Americans. 
Millions of workers have lost their jobs. They have no income. They 
lost those jobs either weeks or several months ago and have been 
struggling to support themselves and their families. Sometimes I 
wonder, as we delay in responding and providing additional relief, 
whether those who receive paychecks have sufficient empathy for those 
who are receiving no paychecks. Time is of the essence.
  Small businesses are crunching the numbers, trying to determine how 
much longer they can hang on and keep their employees on the payrolls, 
if they have been able to at all.
  Of course, teachers are doing the best they can to teach our children 
virtually or in hybrid situations, with some children going back to the 
classroom. This has been a tragic circumstance, I believe, particularly 
for many low-income children for whom virtual learning is simply not an 
option or is simply failing them because many of them have no access to 
broadband. They may not have sufficient supervision at home to help 
them through their studies. To me, it is incredible that we expect to 
put children who are in elementary school in front of computer screens 
for 8 hours a day and expect them to get what they need in terms of 
their education.
  Of course, none of this is news. We have known about not only the 
need but the urgency of each of these priorities for months now. 
Unfortunately, the partisan dysfunction leading up to the election 
prevented us from making more progress since the CARES Act was passed 
last March. Yet, with the election in November, we finally saw some 
interest on the part of congressional leaders on both sides of the 
aisle, on both sides of the Capitol, in negotiating a compromise.
  There are many of our colleagues--some of whom are sitting here in 
the Chamber today--who have dedicated a lot of time and effort to 
trying to help the leadership build a consensus and get to yes, which I 
hope we will get to very soon. We know there have been a lot of 
negotiations and a lot of loose ends, but vaccines, workers, small 
businesses, and schools should be our priority.
  According to the Democratic leader and the majority leader, we 
apparently are just hours away from finalizing a bipartisan deal, but 
none of us have actually seen the text yet of what this looks like. The 
only responsible thing is for us to be able to study it and understand 
exactly what is happening. The House Committee on Rules, presumably, 
will meet and pass a rule, and then it will go to the House floor. I 
know some people are saying we can get this done today. To me, that 
seems unlikely, but I guess we can all hope. I hope we do this 
responsibly and not just quickly.
  We do know that the American people are suffering and that this is 
not the time for politics or delay for delay's sake. This is a time to 
come together to compromise and make good on the commitment we have 
made to support the American people. I am sort of expecting smoke 
signals from some quarters, but I hope the signs that we are all trying 
to read, the tea leaves and the like, become a lot clearer today so 
that we can chart a clear path forward to both government funding and 
coronavirus relief.
  While the size and shape of this legislation is still coming 
together, I hope it will include legislation I introduced earlier this 
year to help some of our hardest hit small businesses.
  Over the last few months, we have heard much about the incredible 
success of the Paycheck Protection Program, which deserves all of the 
accolades it has received because it has provided a vital lifeline to 
America's small businesses and their employees.
  These loans helped employees make payroll and cover business expenses 
during the most difficult parts of the

[[Page S7858]]

pandemic, and by any measure, the program has been an incredible 
success.
  But not all small businesses have been eligible for the Paycheck 
Protection Program, and some of the most heavily impacted are our 
small, independent venues. These businesses were the first to close 
when COVID-19 hit, and they are likely to be the last to open when it 
is behind us.
  Live, cultural, musical, theatrical events are not only critical 
cultural institutions, but they are huge drivers of local economies.
  A single event can provide paychecks not only to the artists and 
performers but to lighting and sound technicians, bartenders, ticket 
takers, concessions, and merchandise salesmen, as well as security 
guards, cleaning staff, and the list goes on and on.
  Unlike restaurants, which have been able to offer at least carryout 
or outdoor dining, or retailers, which switched to curbside pickup, 
there is no virtual substitution for these live events.
  That is why, working with the Senator from Minnesota, Senator 
Klobuchar, I introduced the Save Our Stages Act so that these venues 
can be kept afloat so that when we are able to put the virus behind us, 
our favorite, small, independent venues will be able to open their 
doors once again.
  This is a stressful and scary moment for the Texans who work at and 
frequent our favorite venues, and the Save Our Stages Act can provide 
some hope for these cultural institutions.
  I am proud to say that 58 of our colleagues have cosponsored Save Our 
Stages, making it one of the most widely supported bipartisan proposals 
before the Senate.
  These final hours of negotiations are not the time to try to change 
the basic contours of that proposal to benefit well-endowed 
institutions or institutions that don't, frankly, need the money, while 
these other venues are dying unless they get the money.
  Save Our Stages will benefit beloved, small, independent music venues 
and other theaters and the like across the country and ensure those 
marquees will shine bright once again.
  So as we all know, time is running out. The Congress needs to take 
action and take action soon.
  We cannot add the stress of another government shutdown to a raging 
pandemic. It is time for us to come together and get this done for the 
American people.
  I yield the floor.
  (Mr. HOEVEN assumed the chair.)
  (Mr. DAINES assumed the chair.)
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Barrasso). The Senator from Missouri.