[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 67 (Monday, April 25, 2022)]
[Senate]
[Page S2118]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                              Coronavirus

  Madam President, in addition to Ukraine funding, I will also keep 
working with my colleagues to pass another bipartisan COVID funding 
package. At the end of the last work period, a group of Democrats and 
Republicans reached an agreement on a funding package, only for every 
single Republican to vote against moving forward--every single one. 
Truly disappointing, because this funding is desperately needed.
  The best way to keep life as close to normal in case a new COVID 
variant arises, is for Republicans to work with us to quickly approve 
more money for vaccines, more for testing, more money for lifesaving 
therapeutics, and other urgent tools to fight the pandemic.
  The longer that Senate Republicans hold out on working with us to 
approve new funding, the higher the cost will be for our country down 
the line. As we have learned already, it doesn't take much for a new 
variant to undo a lot of the progress we have made in recent months.
  So in the coming weeks, both parties must come to the table and reach 
a good-faith agreement to move forward on COVID funding.
  It will be vital for keeping schools, churches, businesses, and our 
communities open if and when a future, more potent variant rears its 
ugly head.