[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 33 (Monday, February 22, 2021)]
[Senate]
[Page S756]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                       Business before the Senate

  Mr. SCHUMER. Madam President, it has only been a month since 
President Biden took the oath of office and Democrats assumed the 
majority in the Senate, but we have already taken some major steps to 
repair and rebuild our country.
  I said this Chamber would begin its work by accomplishing three 
immediate tasks: confirming President Biden's nominees, addressing the 
COVID pandemic with bold legislation, and conducting a fair and honest 
impeachment trial of Donald Trump. The Senate has made steady progress 
on all three.
  A little over a week ago, we concluded the second impeachment trial 
of Donald Trump. The House managers presented a powerful, harrowing 
reconstruction of the former President's role in inciting an attack 
against our democracy--the greatest offense ever--ever--committed by a 
President of the United States. Despite the final verdict of this 
Chamber, Donald Trump deserves to be convicted, and I believe he will 
be convicted in the court of public opinion. History will judge Mr. 
Trump harshly, deservedly so, and everyone who condoned the dangerous 
final acts of his Presidency will live with that in history as well and 
live rather dishonorably.
  Even during the impeachment trial, the Senate advanced the ball on 
the two other priorities I mentioned. Our committees conducted several 
confirmation hearings and worked closely with their House colleagues to 
draft COVID relief legislation. That process is ongoing among Senate 
Members, as well as over in the House. Now that the trial is complete, 
we are going to move forward on both fronts.
  Democrats remain hard at work preparing the desperately needed COVID 
relief bill, which is on track to go to the President's desk before the 
March 14 expiration of unemployment insurance benefits, and starting 
this evening, the Senate will continue the process of confirming 
President Biden's nominees with a vote on Linda Thomas-Greenfield to 
serve as the next U.N. Ambassador.
  Ms. Thomas-Greenfield has spent three decades in the U.S. Foreign 
Service. She is exceptionally qualified, and that was reflected in the 
bipartisan support she received from the Foreign Relations Committee. 
If confirmed, she will assume the role of U.N. Ambassador at a time 
when the nations of the world must deepen their cooperation on the 
fight against COVID-19 and the fight against climate change, among 
other critical priorities. She will have no time to waste in rebuilding 
America's reputation and reasserting the first instrument of American 
power--diplomacy. I look forward to voting in favor of her nomination.
  After that, the Senate will immediately proceed to the nomination of 
Tom Vilsack to serve as the Secretary of Agriculture. Mr. Vilsack is no 
stranger to the Senate confirmation process or to the Department of 
Agriculture in having served as its Secretary under President Obama. 
The former Governor of Iowa has made a career out of caring for and 
supporting our Nation's farmers. Mr. Vilsack was approved by the 
Agriculture Committee by a unanimous vote. I expect he will receive the 
same bipartisan reception by the full Senate.
  For the rest of the week, we will continue to confirm Members of the 
President's Cabinet: first, Jennifer Granholm to serve as the Secretary 
of Energy; second, Dr. Miguel Cardona to serve as the Secretary of 
Education. Both nominees have been advanced by the respective 
committees with bipartisan votes--a pattern this week.
  At a time when our Nation is gripped by a once-in-a-century crisis, 
the President deserves to have his nominees approved quickly by this 
Chamber so they can immediately get to work healing our great country