[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 16 (Wednesday, January 27, 2021)]
[Senate]
[Pages S177-S178]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          STATEMENTS ON INTRODUCED BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTION

      By Mrs. FEINSTEIN (for herself, Mr. Padilla, Mr. Wyden, Mr. 
        Merkley, Mrs. Murray, Ms. Cantwell, Mr. Menendez, Mr. Booker, 
        Mr. Markey, and Mr. Sanders):
  S. 58. A bill to amend the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act to 
permanently prohibit the conduct of offshore drilling on the outer 
Continental Shelf off the coast of California, Oregon, and Washington; 
to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
  Mrs. FEINSTEIN. Mr. President, I rise today to reintroduce the ``West 
Coast Ocean Protection Act.''
  This important legislation would prohibit oil or gas drilling in 
federal waters off the coast of California, Oregon, and Washington.
  After four years of an Administration intent on allowing drilling off 
the West Coast and in waters across the United States, I am hopeful we 
will finally pass this bill to ensure no drilling ever occurs in 
Pacific waters.
  I'm pleased to be joined today by Senators Padilla, Wyden, Merkley, 
Murray, Cantwell, Menendez, Booker, Markey, and Sanders in introducing 
this bill, which has been introduced in every Congress since the 
Deepwater Horizon disaster in April 2010.
  11 people were killed and 17 others injured when the Deepwater 
Horizon well blew out. Oil and gas spewed into the Gulf of Mexico for 
87 days.
  Oil slicks covered the Gulf. Tar balls and toxic sludge covered 
beaches and wetlands. More than one-third of federal waters in the Gulf 
were closed to fishing.
  While the Deepwater Horizon disaster reminded the world of the 
dangers of offshore drilling, Californians never had to be convinced; 
before Deepwater Horizon and Exxon Valdez, there was the tragic 1969 
oil spill in Santa Barbara.
  A well blowout on an offshore rig spilled more than 3 million gallons 
of crude oil according to some estimates--the worst spill in U.S. 
history at the time.
  The spill closed local beaches--which were covered by a thick layer 
of oil--and thousands of marine mammals and birds were killed.
  Tourists were turned away and commercial fishing operations were 
halted, hurting the local economy.
  After the Santa Barbara spill, California had enough. The State 
blocked all new offshore drilling in state waters--which extend three 
miles from the shore--and in 1994 enacted a permanent offshore drilling 
ban.
  Through local ordinances, congressional opposition, and presidential 
moratoria, all new drilling in federal waters off California has been 
blocked since 1984.
  Today, opposition to offshore drilling is higher than ever. A 2018 
poll found that nearly 70% of Californians oppose new drilling off our 
coast. The evidence is quite clear: Californians do not want any more 
drilling.
  The California coast is an economic engine of growth for the state 
and the nation. A 2015 report produced by the National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Administration found that California's 19 coastal counties 
created $662 billion in wages and $1.7 trillion in GDP in 2012.
  Overall, California's ocean economy supports over 1 million jobs and 
generates significant growth for the U.S. Because of the unique nature 
of the West Coast ocean shelf, potential drilling would occur near the 
coastline and directly threaten the environment and robust economy.
  It is long past time to respect the view of California and our fellow 
West Coast states by passing the ``West Coast Ocean Protection Act'' to 
permanently ban offshore drilling and protect the Pacific coast for 
generations to come.
  I yield the floor.
                                 ______
                                 
      By Mr. DURBIN (for himself, Mr. Sanders, Mr. Reed, Mr. Cardin, 
        Mr. Merkley, and Mr. Leahy):
  S. 67. A bill to support efforts by international financial 
institutions to provide a robust global response to the COVID-19 
pandemic; to the Committee on Foreign Relations.
  Mr. DURBIN.


 =========================== NOTE =========================== 

  
  On page S177, on January 27, 2021, in the third column, the 
following appears: By Mr. PAUL (for himself, Mr. Grassley, Mr. 
Portman, Mr. Scott of Florida, Mr. Rubio, Mr. Inhofe, Mr. Young, 
Mr. Moran, Mr. Rounds, Mr. Cramer, Mr. Blunt, Ms. Ernst, Mr. 
Sullivan, Mrs. Blackburn, Mr. Toomey, Mr. Sasse, Mr. Lee, Mr. 
Cassidy, Mr. Marshall, Mr. Braun, Mr. Cruz, Mr. Johnson, Mr. 
Crapo, Mrs. Hyde-Smith, and Mr. Risch): S. 68. A bill to amend 
chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, to provide that major 
rules of the executive branch shall have no force or effect unless 
a joint resolution of approval is enacted into law; to the 
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.
  
  The online Record has been corrected to read: By Mr. DURBIN (for 
himself, Mr. Sanders, Mr. Reed, Mr. Cardin, Mr. Merkley, and Mr. 
Leahy):S. 67. A bill to support efforts by international financial 
institutions to provide a robust global response to the COVID-19 
pandemic; to the Committee on Foreign Relations. Mr. DURBIN.


 ========================= END NOTE ========================= 

  Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of 
the bill be printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the text of the bill was ordered to be 
printed in the Record, as follows:

                                 S. 67

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``Support for Global Financial 
     Institution Pandemic Response Act of 2021''.

     SEC. 2. SUPPORT FOR A ROBUST GLOBAL RESPONSE TO THE COVID-19 
                   PANDEMIC.

       (a) United States Policies at the International Financial 
     Institutions.--
       (1) In general.--The Secretary of the Treasury shall 
     instruct the United States Executive Director of each 
     international financial institution (as defined in section 
     1701(c)(2) of the International Financial Institutions Act 
     (22 U.S.C. 262r(c)(2)) to use the

[[Page S178]]

     voice and vote of the United States at that institution--
       (A) to seek to ensure adequate fiscal space for world 
     economies in response to the global coronavirus disease 2019 
     (commonly referred to as ``COVID-19'') pandemic through--
       (i) the suspension of all debt service payments to the 
     institution; and
       (ii) the relaxation of fiscal targets for any government 
     operating a program supported by the institution, or seeking 
     financing from the institution, in response to the pandemic;
       (B) to oppose any loan, grant, document, or strategy that 
     would lead to a decrease in health care spending or in any 
     other spending that would impede the ability of any country 
     to prevent or contain the spread of, or treat persons who are 
     or may be infected with, the SARS-CoV-2 virus; and
       (C) to require approval of all Special Drawing Rights 
     allocation transfers from wealthier member countries to 
     countries that are emerging markets or developing countries, 
     based on confirmation of implementable transparency 
     mechanisms or protocols to ensure the allocations are used 
     for the public good and in response the global pandemic.
       (2) Report required.--The Chairman of the National Advisory 
     Council on International Monetary and Financial Policies 
     shall include in the annual report required by section 1701 
     of the International Financial Institutions Act (22 U.S.C. 
     262r) a description of progress made toward advancing the 
     policies described in paragraph (1).
       (b) IMF Issuance of Special Drawing Rights.--
       (1) United states support for issuance.--The Secretary of 
     the Treasury shall instruct the United States Executive 
     Director of the International Monetary Fund to use the voice 
     and vote of the United States to support the issuance of a 
     special allocation of not less than 2,000,000,000,000 Special 
     Drawing Rights so that governments are able to access 
     additional resources to finance their responses to the global 
     COVID-19 pandemic.
       (2) Authorization to vote for allocation.--Notwithstanding 
     section 6(a) of the Special Drawing Rights Act (22 U.S.C. 
     286q(a)), the United States Governor of the International 
     Monetary Fund may vote to allocate up to 2,000,000,000,000 
     Special Drawing Rights under article XVIII of the Articles of 
     Agreement of the International Monetary Fund.
       (c) Termination.--Subsections (a) and (b) shall have no 
     force or effect after the earlier of--
       (1) the date that is one year after the date of the 
     enactment of this Act; or
       (2) the date that is 30 days after the date on which the 
     Secretary of the Treasury, in consultation with the Secretary 
     of Health and Human Services and the heads of other relevant 
     Federal agencies, submits to the Committee on Foreign 
     Relations of the Senate and the Committee on Financial 
     Services of the House of Representatives a report stating 
     that the SARS-CoV-2 virus is no longer a serious threat to 
     public health in any part of the world.

                          ____________________