[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 134 (Friday, July 30, 2021)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5204-S5206]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                              Coronavirus

  Mr. MURPHY. Mr. President, I rarely come to the floor to directly 
respond to speeches given by my colleagues. I normally like to use the 
Chamber to make my own arguments on their merits rather than to make 
arguments against specific colleagues.
  But yesterday I listened to a speech by Senator Cruz of Texas, and it 
was one of the most dangerous speeches that I have ever heard given on 
the Senate floor, and it deserves a response.
  Now, I understand that Republicans don't want to talk about the 
economy. They don't want to talk about the fact that we have had more 
jobs added to the economy in the first 5 months of President Biden's 
term than any other first-term President. I know they don't want to 
talk about the rapid expansion of the economy that is happening.
  I understand Republicans don't want to talk about what we are 
debating on the Senate floor right now, which is the biggest bipartisan 
investment in infrastructure in the history of the country.
  And I also understand that the Senator from Texas doesn't like the 
new guidance announced this week by the CDC. And he is not alone. From 
what I can tell, a lot of Republicans here are upset, as are a lot of 
nonpolitical Americans. Nobody likes to wear a mask. Nobody likes that 
the new recommendation is that some Americans need to wear them. Again, 
I don't like wearing a mask. I hate it. My kids hate the masks more.
  But here is what the CDC said. The CDC's scientists have been 
carefully following this dramatic increase in cases that we have seen 
all across the country as the Delta variant spreads, even through 
vaccinated people. First, we can't ignore this, the fact that there has 
been this huge increase in cases. The national 7-day average is triple 
what it was from a month ago. We are averaging 40,000 new cases a day.
  This is a big problem, and it is overwhelming parts of our healthcare 
system. Now, I wish this weren't the case, but it requires us to think 
about adjusting policy.
  Second, the CDC is looking at this new evidence that indicates that 
even fully vaccinated individuals who become infected with the Delta 
variant can carry the virus and transmit it to others, even if they 
don't get sick. Now, this latest development is important because it 
allows the Delta variant, the more contagious variant, to spread 
faster. Early information from the CDC shows that the Delta variant is 
as contagious as the chickenpox, more contagious than earlier strains 
of COVID.
  And, remember, not every American today is vaccinated. For instance, 
my youngest son is 9 years old. He can't get vaccinated. If the 
evidence suggests that I can transmit the virus to him, even if my 
vaccine prevents me from getting really sick, then that matters.
  Finally, with so many Americans still unvaccinated, the virus still 
has plenty of bodies in which to mutate. Right now, the good news is 
that we have got three authorized COVID-19 vaccines that are pretty 
effective against severe illness. But the worry is that eventually the 
vaccine is going to mutate into a version of itself that is resistant 
to the current vaccines. And with so many Americans choosing to stay 
unvaccinated and evidence suggesting that vaccinated people who are 
infected with the Delta variant can transmit it to people who are 
unvaccinated, the CDC has concluded that, right now, we need to take 
additional steps to cut down on the pathways that the virus has to 
spread and keep mutating before it is too late, and we have a virus 
that our vaccines don't work against at all.
  Now, what does the new guidance say? It recommends that fully 
vaccinated people wear a mask in public indoor settings, in places in 
the country where there are a lot of cases. And since most young kids 
aren't vaccinated, the CDC is also recommending that, when school 
opens, teachers and kids should wear masks.
  That is the argument that the CDC is making. That is the evidence 
upon which they have issued their new guidance. And it is perfectly 
legitimate to contest the CDC's decision or the reasons that they gave 
for making the decision. It is OK for anybody in this body to disagree 
with the conclusions that they reach.
  But that is not what Senator Cruz did yesterday. He didn't come to 
the floor and argue against the merits of the CDC's argument. No. In 
fact, not once during the speech--and I watched the whole speech--did 
he ever reference the actual reasons for the CDC's new guidance, not 
once.
  In fact, he claimed that the CDC offered no explanation. At one 
point, after mischaracterizing the CDC's announcement, he asked 
rhetorically why the CDC changed the guidance. ``Who knows?'' he said. 
Anyone who listened to that speech or, frankly, many other speeches 
that are being given by Republicans all across Capitol Hill this week 
would logically come to the conclusion that the CDC had offered not a 
single explanation for the new guidance.
  Then, after creating the impression that the CDC didn't have any 
reasons for the new recommendation, the Senator from Texas announced 
that he had discovered the reason. He said that the real reason the CDC 
changed their guidance was because the CDC is ``an arm of the 
Democratic National Committee'' and that Democrats in Congress are 
``faithful little foot soldiers'' of the CDC
  He offered no explanation as to why it would benefit Democrats 
politically or the DNC or the CDC to recommend mask wearing. He just 
simply claimed that the CDC was a political puppet of the DNC and the 
guidance was politically motivated.
  The closest he came to a more detailed explanation of this claim was 
when he talked about the school guidance. There the Senator from Texas 
claimed, without any evidence, that the only reason the CDC made this 
decision was because it was demanded by

[[Page S5205]]

``union bosses'' and that the ``CDC said `Ma'am, yes, ma'am, we will 
issue the order demanded by the union bosses.' ''
  That is all made up. And the Senator from Texas isn't the only 
Republican saying things like this. There are dozens of national 
Republicans making these same wild, unfounded allegations.
  The political agenda at the CDC that Republicans allege is a fiction. 
It is constructed out of thin air. And it is, frankly, an insult to the 
thousands of dedicated, nonpolitical public health professionals at the 
CDC who just go to work every day trying to keep Americans safe.
  These aren't politicians. These are epidemiologists and scientists 
and doctors who have worked their entire lives trying to keep this 
country safe. I am not saying they get it right every time. I have 
criticized many of the decisions made by the CDC during the pandemic. 
It is OK to criticize their decisions, but to claim that they are all 
corrupt, they are these politically controlled ``hacks,'' that is an 
outrage.
  And rhetoric like that is going to get people killed because we are 
still in the middle of the epidemic, and what anti-CDC Republicans are 
doing through these attacks on our public health agencies is to 
intentionally undermine people's faith in the Nation's preeminent 
public health institutions right at the moment where we need people to 
believe in them.
  I am not saying they should be immune from criticism, but criticism 
should be based on the science. Contest the new evidence the CDC says 
that requires people to wear masks again, but saying that the 
scientists are deliberately ignoring the science to effectuate some 
top-secret political agenda--give me a break.
  And, by the way, what political interest is served by recommending 
that people wear masks indoors again? People hate masks. There is only 
political downside to suggesting that people start wearing them again. 
It just belies plain old common sense to say that politics is behind 
the new guidance.
  If the CDC was worried about politics, they certainly wouldn't be 
recommending anybody wear masks again. And, by the way, that is all the 
CDC is doing: They are giving guidance. Over and over, Republicans 
refer to this new guidance as an ``order'' or, as the Senator from 
Texas said repeatedly, an ``edict.'' They know that is not true. They 
know that is not true.
  But Republicans want to scare you into believing that the Federal 
Government has more power than it does. The CDC doesn't require people 
to do anything; they issue recommendations. But that doesn't suit this 
narrative about socialist, statist Democrats secretly pulling the 
strings of their marionettes at the CDC.
  It is ridiculous. It is ridiculous.
  Don't come to the Senate floor and make things up. Don't destroy 
people's reputations and careers with wild, unsubstantiated allegations 
about political motivations. The CDC doesn't get it right 100 percent 
of the time, but they don't have some secret political agenda. But the 
more people believe that they do, the less likely it is that people 
will follow their recommendations the 90, 95 percent of the time that 
they do get it right, and that will guarantee that this virus never 
disappears.
  I understand there is an element of the Republican Party that just 
wants to destroy all government institutions and is seeking to 
discredit any effort by any public agency to do good in this country. 
In normal times, I would argue that that is dangerous, but in the 
middle of a pandemic it is deadly. And Republicans of conscience should 
come to this floor and start telling the truth.
  I yield the floor
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Florida.


                               H.R. 3684

  Mr. SCOTT of Florida. Mr. President, after weeks like this, I find it 
hard to explain to Floridians back home how Congress is actually 
working on behalf of their families.
  I think it is safe to say that every Member of the Senate believes we 
should be investing in infrastructure. For me, it is pretty simple. I 
believe we should invest in real infrastructure: roads, bridges, 
airports, and seaports.
  As Governor of Florida, I did just that. Over my 8 years as Governor, 
Florida invested $85 billion in real infrastructure across our State, 
and we did it while cutting taxes and fees 100 times and paying off a 
third of our State debt. In other words, we paid for these big 
investments in infrastructure by growing our economy and supporting job 
creation. That is what is important to Floridians, and I am immensely 
proud of our accomplishments.
  So I support doing the exact same thing at the Federal level. But 
what we are doing here just doesn't make any sense. Nowhere in the 
world does business happen like it does here in the U.S. Congress.
  We started this week with ongoing negotiations about a big 
infrastructure deal. Of course, outside of the small group involved in 
these negotiations, no one here had any clue what was actually being 
debated. We had no text; we had no real information on how much was 
being spent; and we certainly had no idea how this was all supposed to 
be paid for.
  Then, on Wednesday, we got the big news: A deal had been reached. 
Well, that might be great, but we still had no real details. We still 
don't have the text of the bill.
  Now the majority leader expects us to start voting on amendments, and 
maybe even this whole package, this weekend. This is insanity. Nowhere 
in the world would this be the process. We are expected to make a 
decision on spending $1.2 trillion of American taxpayer dollars, and no 
one in the U.S. Senate has had the chance to even read the bill.
  Typically, the Congressional Budget Office would score a bill like 
this before the Senate considers it. That score gives us important 
information about the true cost and financial impact of the legislation 
on the Federal Government and the American people. Of course, that is 
not the case with this bill. The CBO hasn't had the chance to review it 
at all.
  Do you think any company would sign off on a massive expense without 
all the details? Would a family make a huge purchase without knowing 
exactly what it is for? Of course not. But that is how things work here 
in Congress, and that is not right.
  This is exactly why I ran for the U.S. Senate, to make Washington 
work for Florida families and stop this madness of reckless spending 
and backroom deals that don't deliver and aren't paid for.
  Speaking of pay-fors, well, they just don't exist in this bill. This 
is how backward and awful Washington is. People up here think they can 
just make big, empty promises and sell it to the American people. They 
think families will just buy whatever they are selling, no questions 
asked.
  Nope. It is time for some accountability. My friend from Indiana, 
Senator Braun, recently did a great job of laying out the claims and 
facts of the so-called pay-fors in this bill, so I am going to borrow 
from him a bit to show what is really going on here. Here are just a 
few of the most ridiculous examples.
  First, half of this bill is supposedly paid for with $550 billion 
from the highway trust fund. That fund is $100 billion in the red. The 
money isn't there. So that is not real.
  The bill also proposes using billions of repurposed COVID relief 
funding. I am all for repurposing this money, but we borrowed it to 
begin with, so this is robbing Peter to pay Paul. It is not like it is 
free money.
  They also want to use $49 billion in savings for delaying a Medicare 
Part D rebate rule and another $9 million paid for another year of 
mandatory sequester. Why would we cut Medicare to pay for roads?
  The 4.6 million seniors in Florida deserve better. Any savings in the 
Medicare Program should stay in the Medicare Program. Let's all 
remember, the Medicare trust fund is actually heading toward 
bankruptcy.
  And, of course, there are a handful of other fee increases thrown in 
there with lofty and unrealistic revenue estimates that they will claim 
will get us fully paying for this $1.2 trillion package.
  What they won't say is that these fees will almost certainly increase 
the costs of everyday goods and make it more expensive to get a 
mortgage and afford a home.
  There is no shame in Washington; just greed. Everyone wants so badly 
to say that they have given you something, but they always forget to 
mention the cost and that you actually

[[Page S5206]]

have to pay for it. The cost is important.
  I have said it a million times, and I will say it again: Reckless 
government spending causes higher inflation. It is a proven fact. And 
we are seeing the consequences of reckless spending across America 
right now.
  Eighty-seven percent--eighty-seven percent--of Americans are worried 
about inflation. Low- and fixed-income families are having to cut back 
on purchases because of rising costs. I am hearing it from families 
across Florida who are worried.
  A father of three in Jacksonville is temporarily helping take care of 
two other kids because their father is out of work. He has started 
working a second job driving Uber just to pay for groceries that are 
rapidly increasing in price. Now his Uber job is becoming less and less 
profitable because of the rising price of gas. Gas is up over 50 
percent in 1 year.
  A mother of four in Wauchula said that she used to be able to go to 
the grocery store and spend a certain amount for an entire month's 
groceries. Now she can't. Two hundred dollars in meat is no longer 
enough to feed her family of five. She has been forced to choose 
between gas to get to work and groceries for her family and is picking 
up extra jobs just to make ends meet.
  I can relate to this. I grew up in a poor family. My mom would take 
in ironing for extra money. She would give either my older brother or 
me the exact change to go to the grocery store, but she said: You have 
to check the price of everything because things are going up in price, 
and if we don't have enough money, you cannot buy it.
  A restaurant owner in Tampa told me that the cost of meat has gone up 
from $9 a pound to $18. Gas prices and food prices, coupled with the 
struggle to find workers, have been very hard on his business.
  Another family in Kissimmee told me how hard it is to keep food on 
the table because everything is so expensive. They are having trouble 
keeping their car because of the cost of maintenance and gas, but if he 
doesn't have a car, he wouldn't have a way to get to work to take care 
of his family.
  The price of gas affects nearly everyone. Right now, average gas 
prices are up nearly a dollar since last year. For a family who fills 
up their gas tank once a week, if they drive a car, that means Joe 
Biden raised their expenses $600 a year. If they drive a truck, Joe 
Biden raised their expenses by $1,000 a year.
  So next time you hear a big promise, remember these stories. These 
are real people bearing the real cost of the Democrats' reckless 
spending in Washington.
  Biden and the Democrats say they care about people, but they have 
done absolutely nothing to help families struggle to keep up with 
inflation. Their plan is to spend more money, not less.
  We have nearly $30 trillion in debt, and there are no plans to slow 
down. And that is exactly what we are seeing in this bill. We can't 
forget that this is just the start. Chuck Schumer said it on the floor 
yesterday. This is just part one and leads to Biden's and the 
Democrats' $5.5 trillion tax-and-spending spree on their liberal 
priorities. These two bills are together. They are welded together. 
There is no separating them.
  Right now, the message that President Biden and Democrats here in 
Washington are sending to the American people is clear: They don't care 
about inflation. They don't care that their reckless spending is 
causing prices to skyrocket. If that is the cost of getting their 
liberal wish list, so be it. They aren't focused on inflation or 
spending, just on more government dependency and control.
  Just look at what is happening this week with new COVID mask and 
vaccine mandates. I had COVID, and I got the vaccine. I think people 
should get vaccinated. But that is not what this is about. It is not 
about taking a measured approach and following the science and telling 
exactly how they came to the conclusion. It is about creating fear and 
chaos to grab power and control you.
  I am here to say that enough is enough. It is time to wake up to 
reality. It is time for every fiscally responsible Member of the Senate 
to join me to say we don't accept the status quo. We won't watch in 
silence while the futures of our children and our grandchildren are 
mortgaged and this Nation is driven deeper in debt with reckless and 
wasteful spending. We won't stand by while inflation wreaks havoc on 
our families and businesses. We can get spending under control, but we 
have to start accepting responsibility, and the time to do that is now. 
This isn't political. It is good government, and it is common sense.
  I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Illinois