[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 54 (Tuesday, March 23, 2021)]
[Senate]
[Pages S1699-S1700]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
Unanimous Consent Request--S. 931
Mr. President, let's try one more time. The Democrats have objected
to not sending checks to criminals in prison. The Democrats have
objected to not sending checks to murderers in prison. The Democrats
have objected to not sending checks to rapists in prison.
Let's try a group that I think may be the lowest of the low, which is
child molesters. I spent a lot of years in law enforcement, and I think
there is no more horrific offense than those who commit crimes of
violence and sexual assault against kids. When I was solicitor general
of Texas, the cases where people sexually abused kids I thought should
be in Dante's Ninth Circle of Hell.
So here is a chance for some bipartisan agreement. Can't we all agree
that the Federal Government shouldn't send $1,400 checks to the child
molesters in prison right now for molesting
[[Page S1700]]
kids? And before the Senator from Oregon says, ``Who knows who the
child molesters are,'' well, the Department of Justice and every State
department of justice knows who the child molesters are in their
prisons.
Let's take the money that the Democrats want to send to child
molesters, and let's take it from the child molesters and give it to
the victims of crimes, the kids who have been molested. This is as
simple a legislative choice as I can imagine.
Mr. President, as in legislative session, I ask unanimous consent
that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of S. 931,
introduced earlier today. I further ask that the bill be considered
read a third time and passed and that the motion to reconsider be
considered made and laid upon the table.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection?
Mr. WYDEN. Reserving the right to object, Mr. President.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Oregon.
Mr. WYDEN. Mr. President, once again, our colleague from Texas is
offering an idea that would disrupt the system in a way that would keep
millions and millions of Americans who are hurting from getting help in
a timely way. He has come back with, essentially, one version after
another because he thinks that, somehow, this is the kind of
sensational idea that will cause people to rally to his side.
I believe what he has been proposing--now, I gather, four times--is
so disruptive, so unworkable that it is going to hurt the millions of
people whom this Congress wanted to help, and that is what the Senator
from Texas has sought to do from the very beginning. I object.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Objection is heard.
Mr. CRUZ. Mr. President, there is an old saying that you don't learn
anything from the second kick of a mule.
The first time the Senator from Oregon said that I sought to disrupt
stimulus payments, perhaps he did so because he didn't know my views on
that topic, but he has since been corrected that I voted for stimulus
payments to American citizens in the time of economic crisis and didn't
oppose them. So he is now repeatedly stating falsehoods, knowing that
they are false.
You know, all of us were there when Joe Biden gave his inauguration
speech making a call to unity, making a call to healing, and there was
a chance we could have done that. On COVID relief, you don't have to
ask theoretically. Last year, when Republicans had control of the
Senate, we passed five bipartisan COVID relief bills, coming together
with overwhelming bipartisan majorities.
The Democrats decided, when they took control, they didn't want to do
that. You want to know just how far out of touch and how radical
today's Democratic Party is? We have seen the Democrats now say we will
send taxpayer stimulus checks to millions of illegal immigrants. We
have seen Democrats say we will send the taxpayer stimulus to criminals
in prison. We have seen the Democrats say we will send the taxpayer
stimulus checks to murderers in prison. We have seen them say we will
send the checks to rapists in prison. And we now just saw them say we
will send the checks to child molesters in prison.
It should be the essence of common sense to say don't give this money
to violent criminals; give it to victims of crime instead. In a sane
world, that would be a hundred-to-nothing proposition.
I challenge any one of you in the brightest of blue States: Go home
and explain to your constituents that you refused to take the money
from child molesters and give it to the victims of that crime. That is
the position of every Democrat in this Chamber because every single
Democratic Senator was the deciding vote rejecting the amendment on the
floor.
It is unfortunate just how extreme the hard left is right now, but it
is far out of touch with the American people, and it has long abandoned
any semblance of common sense.
I yield the floor
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Oregon.
Mr. WYDEN. Here is what we are for. We are for making sure that needy
people get help to pay for groceries and make rent rather than have one
of our colleagues come out with something that is unworkable and
disruptive and is going to keep those people from getting help. That is
what this debate is all about, something that is unworkable.
I read the direct comment from the IRS with respect to not having the
information or getting help to people who are hurting.
I yield the floor.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Texas.
Mr. CRUZ. Mr. President, the Senator from Oregon suggested that the
concern of the Democrats is to get taxpayer funds to needy people.
People currently incarcerated are not needy. The Senator from Oregon
said we need to help Americans struggling with rent. You know what?
People currently incarcerated pay zero in rent. They don't have rent
costs.
So the argument of the Democrats is: We don't know who the criminals
are who are currently in jail. That does not comport with reality, and
any fairminded person watching this knows that.
I yield the floor.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Louisiana.