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formal | single mother | null | racist | Mr. COONS. Mr. President, 2020 has been a difficult year for so many. We have lost far too many mothers and fathers, sons and daughters, sisters and brothers, neighbors and friends. My own heart and the hearts of many in Delaware grew heavier this week as we said goodbye in Delaware to a whole series of friends, folks who had long been champions of our community, folks who were exactly the sort of people who helped build and sustain community. I am grateful for the privilege of the floor to speak for a few minutes about the legacy of these lions of Delaware, these folks who were giants of service and who gave their hearts to us. On Monday, we said goodbye to Elaine and Wayne Manlove, who were loved by so many, and I rise first to pay tribute to them--some of the most special people I have ever known. They were killed in a tragic accident literally the day before last Tuesday's election. On that day, we lost two of Delaware's greatest diamonds, Mary ``Elaine'' Manlove and Lambert ``Wayne'' Manlove from Hockessin and Ocean View. It was always striking they went not by their first names but by their middle names. They were known as Elaine and Wayne Manlove. These are proud patriots, people dedicated to our State and community who spent decades giving to others. Elaine I knew best in her role as State elections commissioner and as someone who fought hard here for funding for election security and election systems. The very last time I saw her, she was proudly showing off the brandnew statewide election system in Delaware. She didn't, tragically, get to see the fruits of her labor--the deployment of these new, state-of-the-art digital voting machines. Her many professional achievements in that role: increasing our voter rolls, modernizing machines, bringing elections to the classrooms, carrying off just this last Tuesday a near flawless statewide election. While impressive, it was just a very small part of who Elaine was. Deeply proud of her Irish heritage, known for her kindness and her generosity, her Irish Catholic faith that she and Wayne shared was a foundation for them and for their family and their lives. St. Patrick's Day in Wilmington was often the highlight. Elaine was one of the folks who helped organize the annual St. Patrick's Day mass and breakfast--a breakfast that raised money for the St. Patrick Center that serves some of the neediest and most marginalized in Wilmington but a breakfast that was a celebration of the intersection of faith, politics, service, hope, and community. My own wife Annie worked with Elaine for years in New Castle County government long before her time as the State elections commissioner, and they remained close for years afterward. Annie knew her as the best mom and grandmother and friend to so many people. Margaret Aitkin, one of Elaine's closest friends, who also served with her and my wife in county government, said: Elaine never sought the spotlight, and she never tried to be the center of attention--she was like a warm fire that you just gravitated towards. She wasn't the life of the party; she was the reason for the party. Elaine had a special and giving spirit that had a lasting and transformativedifference on thousands of Delawareans, from Kirkwood Soccer, to the county, to her work for elections, to her deep commitment to her faith, her family, and her community. Wayne, her husband of 51 years, was a union electrician, a proud member of IBEW Local 313 for 53 years. Wayne loved hosting neighborhood dinners, annual crab feasts, watching his beloved Eagles with family and friends, and confounding his son because he could never get his players straight. He loved sharing the Eagles with all three of his sons. For Wayne and Elaine, their sons, Matthew, Joe, and Michael, were the beginning, middle, and end. The Sun rose and set on their boys. They took huge delight in sharing stories about them with everyone who would sit still and listen. They did everything it took to put them through college and through parochial education. They sacrificed hugely for their children, and it made a lasting difference in their lives. Once Elaine and Wayne were your friends, they were always your friends. They brought together people from grade school, high school, from work, and from all different walks of life. They were strongly rooted in and connected to St. Elizabeth's parish, where Elaine was baptized, where they were married, and where they just last year renewed their vows for their 50th wedding anniversary. On Monday, hundreds of us gathered to wish them farewell. So my condolences, my deep and heartfelt condolences go out to Matthew and Meghan, to Joe, to Michael and Mary, to Elaine's brother Grant and wife Ruth, and their four grandchildren who gave them such joy: Catherine, Elizabeth, Margaret, and Finn. I am turning now to consider another Delawarean and friend, someone I knew for decades who exemplified character, bravery, and integrity. Mike Rush--Edward Michael Rush, Jr., who passed away late last month in Bear, was someone who always rose to the tasks and challenges at hand--a Marine Corps veteran, a small business owner, a firefighter, a member of the American Legion, a stalwart of his parish, and a great friend. He was a proud graduate of Salesianum High School and Goldey-Beacom College and a proprietor and leader of a family-owned business, Rush Uniform. He started working there in 1963, and he helped build and lead his family-owned business for decades. I first really got to know Mike through the Better Business Bureau, where he and his family sponsored an award for ethical behavior by a family-owned business. He sponsored the Edward M. Rush, Sr. Memorial Award. Mike was also someone whose whole heart was in the fire service. The volunteer fire service in Delaware is one of the backbones of communities up and down our State, and he was a life member of two volunteer fire companies. He was 50 years with Wilmington Manor, 33 years with Christiana, president of the New Castle County Volunteer Fire Chiefs Association, president of the Delaware Valley Fire Chief's Association, and then, ultimately, while I was county executive, president of the Delaware State Fire Chiefs Association. Mike was also someone who did the hard work of being a fire school instructor for our State for 30 years. Mike did so much for so many others through his parish, through his fire company, through his training service, and through his service to our Nation in the military. He has earned accolades for his decades of bravery and his commitment to our community. But more than anything, because I was not able to make it to his service, I wanted to share my condolences and the gratitude of our State and Nation for Mike's wife of 45 years, Winnie; his sisters Barbara and Catherine; his children Megan and Barbara; and his beloved grandson Seamus. Let me now turn to another anchor of another community in our State and offer greetings and condolences to the family and the beloved of Pastor Lottie Lee-Davis. She was an ordained minister from the east side of Wilmington and a hallmark of resiliency and faith. She was a preacher's daughter, a voice for the voiceless, and a beacon of hope for many. A friend, Alethea Smith-Tucker, told our Delaware News Journal that it was unending how many people Pastor Davis had touched and encouraged without judgment and without regard. She was the devoted pastor at Be Ready Jesus is Coming Church. She answered the call to serve beyond the confines of the pulpit. She provided housing for single mothers and their children. She led efforts to renovate parks for the community, and she recently garnered funding to build a mixed-use property just a block from her church to provide housing for those in need. Sadly, that which she launched, she will not get to see come to fruition in this life, but I am confident that Pastor Davis will continue to inspire and engage and move the community of Wilmington, the congregation she helped lead, and the families who will benefit for years to come from her vision and her leadership of this project she just launched. Her legacy will continue to live through her work. I wanted to give my condolences to her husband Flalandas; to her daughter Amira; and to members of the congregation, family, and friends. Last, but certainly not least, this past week we lost someone beloved to me and to so many in the Hockessin community, Gloria Ignudo Corrozi. Gloria was a mainstay of one of the landmark couples of our State for decades. Gloria spent 30 years working at DuPont, and like so many of her generation who had a successful career at DuPont, she also was engaged in lots and lots of other community activities, engagements, and services. She spent a lot of her life also helping the Delaware Chapter of the American Diabetes Association. She served as cochair and raised tens of thousands of dollars year after year after year for this important cause. But, frankly, her great joy was her family. Her beloved husband of 55 years, Philip Corrozi, was someone who was an incredible mentor and friend to me at work, at home, and in public service. Phil was an elected Republican, chairman of the Budget Committee, leader in our State general assembly, and someone who, with Gloria's tireless affection and support, crafted lasting solutions for our State. Gloria was a blessing to an incredible network of friends and family, nieces and nephews, all of whom knew her as Aunt Gloria. I had the opportunity to get to know her best in the decade I spent working with Phil at a global manufacturing firm in Delaware. But Phil Corrozi, frankly, was someone who, when he gave his heart to a cause, Gloria was right alongside him and often pushing him. For a woman who never had children of her own, Gloria had so many people who knew her and thought of her as a second mother. My heart goes out to Gloria's family and friends who, today, gathered at St. Anthony of Padua Church in Wilmington to say their final goodbyes to this gracious, kind, funny, giving, loving, powerful woman, whose witness was an important influence on my life, as well as so many others. These are just some of the individuals our community has lost this year. Delaware is a State of neighbors, and we all feel these losses profoundly. There was a strong, common thread amongst those I have just honored and those who have been a gift to our State. I want to return to a powerful message that Joe, Wayne and Elaine Manlove's son, gave in a eulogy just Monday at St. Elizabeth Church. It was funny; it was memorable; it was wide-ranging; it was personal; and it was touching. But at the conclusion, Joe said this. While today is sad and painful and so unexpected for all of us, I want to leave you with this thought: When you leave here today thinking of my parents and feeling the void in your life, do the following--join a civic committee, help organize your kids' Little League, volunteer for something you care about, help a neighbor with a home project, and when some email comes out saying ``We need people to help,'' respond that you are in. Do all of it without a thought of compensation. Do it because it is the right thing to do. Do it because you want to improve the world around you. Do it because there is nothing more powerful than the heart of a volunteer. That was them, Wayne and Elaine, but that was also Mike and Lottie and Gloria and so many other friends and neighbors who helped weave togetheracross different backgrounds, different political parties, and different places of origin and different communities--they weaved together a State of neighbors and left a lasting legacy. That legacy is that we love one another as we have been called to do. May we continue to be grateful for their legacies of service and live lives that would make them and their families proud. I suggest the absence of a quorum. | 2020-01-06 | Mr. COONS | Senate | CREC-2020-11-10-pt1-PgS6637 | null | 1,600 |
formal | Chicago | null | racist | Mr. DURBIN. Madam President, more, perhaps, than any event in our lifetimes, the COVID-19 pandemic has focused our minds on the life-and-death value of scientific research and discovery. As the entire world waits anxiously for safe, effective, affordable vaccines and medical treatments that can protect us against this deadly virus, the recent announcements of the 2020 Nobel Prizes in science gives us reasons for hope. While the new Nobel science laureates are not themselves involved in COVID-19 research, collectively, they have found answers to some of the most fundamental questions in science, they have made medical discoveries that have already saved millions of lives worldwide and may one day soon enable us to cure cancer and other deadly diseases. There is another reason to be hopeful about the 2020 Nobel science laureates. For only the second time in history, women scientists received two of the three Nobel science prizes, for physics and for chemistry. And for the first time ever, two women won a Nobel science award for research they pioneered on their own, without the help of male colleagues. Their achievements underscore why we need to continue clearing hurdles for women and girls as they navigate careers in science, technology, engineering, and math. We can't afford to ignore the scientific potential of half of our society. We need all hands on deck. Let me tell you about these new Nobel science laureates. The 2020 Nobel Prize in Chemistry goes to Jennifer Doudna and Emmanuelle Charpentier for their work on CRISPR-Cas9, a revolutionary advancement in biomedical science that enables scientists to edit and change DNA with high precision. Jennifer Doudna is an American biochemist at the University of California, Berkeley, and Emmanuelle Charpentier is a French microchemist and director of the Max Planck Institute for Infection Biology in Berlin. They are the sixth and seventh women in history to receive the chemistry prize and the first all-women team to receive a Nobel in any science. In less than a decade since the pair wrote a paper demonstrating the power of CRISPR-Cas9, the technique hastransformed how basic science is done. Scientists are using CRISPR to ask fundamental questions about life, such as which genes are essential to a cell's survival. Doctors are testing it as a cure for genetic conditions such as sickle cell disease and hereditary blindness, and plant scientists are using it to create new crops. People in my home State of Illinois are especially proud of Andrea Ghez, a 2020 Nobel physics laureate who grew up in Chicago and was encouraged to pursue a career in science by a gifted teacher at the University of Chicago Laboratory School. Dr. Ghez, director of the UCLA Galactic Center Group, received the Nobel for her pioneering research on the supermassive black hole at the center of our galaxy. She describes her research as ``extreme astrophysics.'' Her discoveries have enabled scientists to explore black holes and their fundamental role in the evolution of the universe. Dr. Ghez and her team conduct their research at the W.M. Keck Observatory in Hawaii. She is only the fourth woman to receive the physics prize. She shares half of the prize with Reinhard Genzel of UC Berkeley and the Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics in Berlin. The other half of the prize was awarded to Roger Penrose of the University of Oxford. Dr. Ghez has earned numerous honors for her research, including election to the National Academy of Sciences and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. In 2019, she was awarded an honorary degree by Oxford University. When she was a girl, she wanted to be the first woman to walk on the moon. She attributes her love of science partly to a woman who taught her nearly 40 years ago at the University of Chicago Laboratory School. Judith Keane was the only woman in the Lab School's physical sciences department. Dr. Ghez has said how important it was for her to see a woman in that role. For much of history, women's involvement in science has been discouraged and their achievements have been ignored. Nevertheless, they have persisted. A few examples: In 1903, Marie Curie became the first woman to win the Nobel Prize for Physics, for her discovery of radioactivity. She won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry 8 years later for her work in isolating pure radium. She remains the only woman in history to ever win the Nobel twice and the only human to ever win a Nobel Prize in two different sciences. Rachel Carson was a marine biologist and environmentalist whose groundbreaking book, ``Silent Spring,'' helped launch the modern environmental movement. Rosalind Franklin, a British chemist and molecular biologist, was one of the key figures behind unlocking the structure of human DNA, although her contributions went largely unrecognized. Barbara McClintock was an American geneticist and the only woman ever to have been awarded the Nobel Prize for Medicine by herself. In 1993 she won the the Nobel Prize for her discovery of the ``jumping gene'' or the ability of genes to change position on the chromosome. Ruth Rogan Benerito was a chemist and pioneer in bioproducts who spent most of her career at the U.S. Department of Agriculture. She is credited with saving the cotton industry in post-WWII America through her discovery of a process to produce wrinkle-free, stain-free, and flame-resistant cotton fabrics. Navy Rear Admiral Grace Hopper first developed computer languages and a compiler to translate them into machine code. She developed computer languages written in English, rather than mathematical notation, including COBOL, which is still in use today. Katherine Johnson was an African-American mathematician and NASA space scientist who made enormous contributions to America's space programs by her incorporation of computing tools. She calculated key trajectories for America's first manned space flight and for the 1969 Apollo 11 flight to the moon. Mae Jemison is a physician, chemist, biologist, and a former NASA astronaut. As a girl growing up on the South Side of Chicago, she was inspired to become an astronaut after watching Star Trek's Lt. Uhuru, the only Black woman aboard the Starship Enterprise. In 1992, she became the first Black woman to travel into space. Despite the achievements of these and other women, the tradition in science of excluding women and other underrepresented groups at prestigious scientific meetings and conferences is so pervasive that some scientists sometimes refer wryly to such panels as ``manels.'' Dr. Francis Collins is director of the National Institutes of Health and a brilliant scientist. In June 2019, he announced that he would no longer speak at any science conference where women and other minority scientists were not included. He challenged other leaders in bioscience to do the same. Fortunately, some are. More should. As I said, we need all hands on deck. I will close with this. About a week after the 2020 Nobel Prizes announcements, the winner of the 2020 3M Young Scientist Challenge was announced. That is the Nation's top science prize for middle schoolers. It carries a $25,000 award. The winner this year is a 14-year-old Indian-American girl from Frisco, TX, Anika Chebrolu. Two years ago, she began studying the Spanish Influenza of 1918 that killed at least 50 million people worldwide. Last year, she came with a bad case of the seasonal flu herself and threw herself into finding a cure. She discovered a molecule that may lead to the development of a new antiviral drug to treat COVID. The molecule binds to the spiky protein of the novel coronavirus and inhibits the spread of the virus into human cells. Supporting the achievements of girls and women in STEM fields can help solve some of the greatest afflictions of our time and solve some of the deepest mysteries of our universe. It is a profoundly wise investment. Congratulations to the new women Nobel science laureates of 2020. May there be many more who follow in their footsteps. (At the request of Mr. Durbin, the following statement was ordered to be printed in the Record.) | 2020-01-06 | Mr. DURBIN | Senate | CREC-2020-11-10-pt1-PgS6639-6 | null | 1,601 |
formal | the Fed | null | antisemitic | Mr. BURR. Madam President, last month the Senate confirmed the newest Justice to the Supreme Court, Amy Coney Barrett. As members of this body, one of our great privileges and weightiest responsibilities is to fulfill the role of ``advice and consent'' provided in the Constitution to examine and, if merited, confirm the President's nominees. In the case of the Federal judiciary, not only will these nominees out serve many of us in the Senate, their rulings will shape the fabric of our Nation the way that affects generations. It is with a great understanding of this that I consider judicial nominees and also why I am proud to have been able to vote in support of Justice Barrett's confirmation. Much has been said about her legal abilities and credentials and how she has consistently distinguished herself as a student, a law clerk and practitioner, academic, and judge on the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals. Yet two characteristics beyond her stellar resume enabled me to decisively cast my vote for her to serve on the Supreme Court of the United States: her respect for the Constitution and her character. Throughout her career, Justice Barrett has shown she will uphold the Constitution and that she understand the checks and balances that are a part of our democracy. She has stated multiple times that ``It is never appropriate for a judge to impose that judge's personal convictions,'' and her writing and her statements and her opinions for the Seventh Circuit demonstrate her respect for the rule of law; for the responsibilities of the legislative, executive, and judicial branches; and for interpreting the law in accordance with the ``the meaning it had at the time people ratified it.'' This understanding is crucial for judges to ensure that the legislature has its proper role, that the Constitution is followed as written and amended when changes are necessary, and that our system has the proper checks and balances. With regards to her character, Judge Barrett's career and life demonstrate the kind of person she is. She has received public awards, including the Notre Dame Law School's Distinguished Teaching Award three times, being selected by graduating law students as a professor ``who exhibits excellence in leadership, friendship, legal knowledge, legal teaching, and professional ability.'' She has received the accolade of her fellow clerks on the Supreme Court, including the clerks of the late Justice Ginsburg, who called her ``smart, honorable, and fair-minded.'' She was lauded by fellow professors at Notre Dame as someone who has ``in abundance all of the other qualities that shape extraordinary jurists: discipline, intellect, wisdom, impeccable temperament, and above all, fundamental decency and humanity.'' It goes without saying that these are the qualities of an individual who we want serving on the highest court of our land. For a lifetime appointment to the Supreme Court, an individual must be the entire package. I am confident that Justice Barrett's credentials, judicial philosophy, and character will serve our Nation well for decades to come, and I am honored to have supported her nomination. | 2020-01-06 | Mr. BURR | Senate | CREC-2020-11-10-pt1-PgS6650 | null | 1,602 |
formal | blue | null | antisemitic | Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, last week, the country and the world received some really great news that we have longed for quite a while to hear. A major American drug company, together with its German partner, announced that their candidate for a COVID-19 vaccine appears to be at least 90 percent effective in trials. That is 90 percent--nine zero. Dr. Fauci called these preliminary results extraordinary. Another expert called the news ``as good as you could hope for.'' Of course, tests and trials are ongoing. The FDA will perform its own thorough review, which will include analyzing months of safety data. The American people should rest assured there are appropriate and necessary measures to ensure the safety and efficacy of any vaccine before it is rolled out to the American people, but this will proceed with the lifesaving urgency that is called for. Right now, COVID-19 is continuing to spread across the country at rates that are not sustainable and which we must try to slow. Yesterday, my home State of Kentucky just logged its highest ever daily total--2,700 new cases. The positivity rate of our tests is the highest since early May. It is urgent that all Americans continue the smart steps that have gotten us this far: wearing masks, social distancing, adapting our plans and routines. This virus is not going to magically leave us alone if we decide we are fed up with taking precautions, but thank God and thanks to the brilliant scientists, we may look back on this hopeful announcement as the beginning of the end of this terrible ordeal. I said back in March that our country was about to meet a whole lot of brandnew heroes. Many were going to be doctors and nurses. Others were going to be essential workers who kept society going. Some were going to be the men and women who worked like crazy in labs and research centers until we had this virus beaten. But every single American has a role. As cases continue to climb, the simple advice--wear a mask, practice social distancing, wash your hands--is now just as important as ever. So, of course, discovering the vaccine will only be a part of the battle. Once one or more candidates have been proven effective and safe, it will be a second Herculean undertaking to scale up production and distribute doses of the vaccine throughout our country. This is why this Senate and the Trump administration have been on the case for months. As part of the historic CARES Act, we created Operation Warp Speed--a historic effort that combined interagency government work with public-private partnerships. This was a 21st-century Manhattan Project for a COVID vaccine. We helped fund research and development for several firms. We committed billions of dollars in advance purchase agreements. We flattened regulatory barriers to speed the process. We provided backing so that companies could begin mass-producing vaccine doses before clinical trials had fully concluded so we would have a head start on whichever ones wound up working. If things stay on track, we hope to have a safe and effective vaccine in a timeframe that will be absolutely historic. President Trump's administration and this Congress should take huge pride in the groundwork we laid. Now, strangely enough, some are finding it challenging to simply applaud this unambiguous good news. The Democratic Governor of New York opined a few days ago that it was ``bad news'' that a vaccine breakthrough may have been reached, because President Trump is still in office. Now, I understand Governor Cuomo has found the time during this pandemic to write and publish a self-congratulatory book on leadership--this, notwithstanding that his own State has been absolutely pummeled by the disease and his own administration intentionally sent thousands of COVID-19 positive patients into vulnerable nursing homes. The Governor has the temerity to say this vaccine breakthrough is partially ``bad news''--partially ``bad news''?--because it occurred under the Trump administration. He gestured vaguely toward unspecified concerns about distribution. I guess he would have preferred the lifesaving breakthroughs to have been delayed longer, with more American deaths in the meantime. The irony, as our colleague the Senator from Tennessee has pointed out, is that the plans that are in place put States in the driver's seat for arranging distribution and making sure the most vulnerable citizens receive access. The Federal Government is there to provide guidance and support. As Senator Alexander said, the Governor of New York might want to devote more time and attention to developing this crucial plan rather than undermining public confidence for the sake of politics. Sadly, this isn't anything new. Just a few weeks ago, the Democratic Governors of both New York and California both began openly second-guessing the Food and Drug Administration and doubting its ability to assess the safety of a vaccine. There were suggestions that blue States may set up their own State review boards and then withhold lifesaving vaccines from their own people for who knows how long until this extra obstacle had been hurdled. This is where they are. Vaccines aren't vaccines if a Republican is President until New York and California reinvent their own miniature FDAs. To be clear, Americans purchase nearly 4 billion prescriptions every single year--4 billion prescriptions--trusting the expertise and professionalism of the FDA. That is the trusted authority. Nobody is crying out for liberal Governors to add their own Good Housekeeping seal of approval, let alone potentially delaying the end of COVID-19 to do so. If this vaccine proves to be the one, citizens in New York and California should not have it withheld from them because their Governors care more about performatively opposing President Trump than about hard science. This reminds me of when the junior Senator from California declared back in September, during her Vice Presidential campaign, that she might hesitate to trust a vaccine. The whole country understands that our Democratic friends are not charter members of the Donald Trump fan club. We know that. They do not need to dabble in the early stages of anti-vax conspiracy theories to prove it. In fact, for the sake of public health and public confidence and saving lives, they have a moral obligation to stop. If a vaccine has been found and distribution can begin soon, that is good news, not bad news. It would be a major victory for our country and the world, fueled by American innovation and aided by Operation Warp Speed, thanks to this Senate and the Trump administration. It would save thousands and thousands of American lives, and public confidence will be essential. So this is where we are. Leaders on all sides have a duty to act accordingly. | 2020-01-06 | Mr. McCONNELL | Senate | CREC-2020-11-12-pt1-PgS6657-6 | null | 1,603 |
formal | single | null | homophobic | Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, last week, the country and the world received some really great news that we have longed for quite a while to hear. A major American drug company, together with its German partner, announced that their candidate for a COVID-19 vaccine appears to be at least 90 percent effective in trials. That is 90 percent--nine zero. Dr. Fauci called these preliminary results extraordinary. Another expert called the news ``as good as you could hope for.'' Of course, tests and trials are ongoing. The FDA will perform its own thorough review, which will include analyzing months of safety data. The American people should rest assured there are appropriate and necessary measures to ensure the safety and efficacy of any vaccine before it is rolled out to the American people, but this will proceed with the lifesaving urgency that is called for. Right now, COVID-19 is continuing to spread across the country at rates that are not sustainable and which we must try to slow. Yesterday, my home State of Kentucky just logged its highest ever daily total--2,700 new cases. The positivity rate of our tests is the highest since early May. It is urgent that all Americans continue the smart steps that have gotten us this far: wearing masks, social distancing, adapting our plans and routines. This virus is not going to magically leave us alone if we decide we are fed up with taking precautions, but thank God and thanks to the brilliant scientists, we may look back on this hopeful announcement as the beginning of the end of this terrible ordeal. I said back in March that our country was about to meet a whole lot of brandnew heroes. Many were going to be doctors and nurses. Others were going to be essential workers who kept society going. Some were going to be the men and women who worked like crazy in labs and research centers until we had this virus beaten. But every single American has a role. As cases continue to climb, the simple advice--wear a mask, practice social distancing, wash your hands--is now just as important as ever. So, of course, discovering the vaccine will only be a part of the battle. Once one or more candidates have been proven effective and safe, it will be a second Herculean undertaking to scale up production and distribute doses of the vaccine throughout our country. This is why this Senate and the Trump administration have been on the case for months. As part of the historic CARES Act, we created Operation Warp Speed--a historic effort that combined interagency government work with public-private partnerships. This was a 21st-century Manhattan Project for a COVID vaccine. We helped fund research and development for several firms. We committed billions of dollars in advance purchase agreements. We flattened regulatory barriers to speed the process. We provided backing so that companies could begin mass-producing vaccine doses before clinical trials had fully concluded so we would have a head start on whichever ones wound up working. If things stay on track, we hope to have a safe and effective vaccine in a timeframe that will be absolutely historic. President Trump's administration and this Congress should take huge pride in the groundwork we laid. Now, strangely enough, some are finding it challenging to simply applaud this unambiguous good news. The Democratic Governor of New York opined a few days ago that it was ``bad news'' that a vaccine breakthrough may have been reached, because President Trump is still in office. Now, I understand Governor Cuomo has found the time during this pandemic to write and publish a self-congratulatory book on leadership--this, notwithstanding that his own State has been absolutely pummeled by the disease and his own administration intentionally sent thousands of COVID-19 positive patients into vulnerable nursing homes. The Governor has the temerity to say this vaccine breakthrough is partially ``bad news''--partially ``bad news''?--because it occurred under the Trump administration. He gestured vaguely toward unspecified concerns about distribution. I guess he would have preferred the lifesaving breakthroughs to have been delayed longer, with more American deaths in the meantime. The irony, as our colleague the Senator from Tennessee has pointed out, is that the plans that are in place put States in the driver's seat for arranging distribution and making sure the most vulnerable citizens receive access. The Federal Government is there to provide guidance and support. As Senator Alexander said, the Governor of New York might want to devote more time and attention to developing this crucial plan rather than undermining public confidence for the sake of politics. Sadly, this isn't anything new. Just a few weeks ago, the Democratic Governors of both New York and California both began openly second-guessing the Food and Drug Administration and doubting its ability to assess the safety of a vaccine. There were suggestions that blue States may set up their own State review boards and then withhold lifesaving vaccines from their own people for who knows how long until this extra obstacle had been hurdled. This is where they are. Vaccines aren't vaccines if a Republican is President until New York and California reinvent their own miniature FDAs. To be clear, Americans purchase nearly 4 billion prescriptions every single year--4 billion prescriptions--trusting the expertise and professionalism of the FDA. That is the trusted authority. Nobody is crying out for liberal Governors to add their own Good Housekeeping seal of approval, let alone potentially delaying the end of COVID-19 to do so. If this vaccine proves to be the one, citizens in New York and California should not have it withheld from them because their Governors care more about performatively opposing President Trump than about hard science. This reminds me of when the junior Senator from California declared back in September, during her Vice Presidential campaign, that she might hesitate to trust a vaccine. The whole country understands that our Democratic friends are not charter members of the Donald Trump fan club. We know that. They do not need to dabble in the early stages of anti-vax conspiracy theories to prove it. In fact, for the sake of public health and public confidence and saving lives, they have a moral obligation to stop. If a vaccine has been found and distribution can begin soon, that is good news, not bad news. It would be a major victory for our country and the world, fueled by American innovation and aided by Operation Warp Speed, thanks to this Senate and the Trump administration. It would save thousands and thousands of American lives, and public confidence will be essential. So this is where we are. Leaders on all sides have a duty to act accordingly. | 2020-01-06 | Mr. McCONNELL | Senate | CREC-2020-11-12-pt1-PgS6657-6 | null | 1,604 |
formal | public school | null | racist | Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, this summer, Senator Smith and I introduced the Impact Aid Coronavirus Relief Act. If enacted, this bill would provide much needed relief to school districts participating in the Impact Aid Program. And given the many otherstrains they are feeling due to the ongoing pandemic, it can't come soon enough. By way of background, public school districts on military installations, Tribal land, and other Federal public property, or with students living on these Federal properties, can participate in the Impact Aid Program, which includes nearly 40 school districts in the State of South Dakota. This program is of vital importance to the financial well-being of these schools, as it reimburses them for revenue shortfalls due to the reduction or absence of a local tax base because of the presence of Federal property In order to determine grant awards through this program, school districts must annually calculate the number of federally connected students that they have enrolled. While generally a prudent exercise, during a pandemic, conducting this type of count has presented a new set of challenges for administrators. The Impact Aid Coronavirus Relief Act is a commonsense, bipartisan approach that would not cost a dime yet would provide financial stability to school districts by allowing them to use last year's student headcounts on impact aid applications that they are completing this fall. Doing so would prevent the reporting of noticeable, but likely temporary, declines in student enrollment, which would lead to student reduced impact aid payments next year. Distance learning has made collecting student data more challenging as well. Districts are also experiencing declines in student headcount due to parents choosing to temporarily homeschool their children during the pandemic. Unless Congress allows these school districts to use last year's student headcounts on this year's impact aid applications, schools will have the undue burden of collecting this data during an otherwise challenging time and could very well experience a reduced impact aid payment next fall. Our legislation will ensure that they have certainty in the near term. A companion of our bill passed the House by unanimous consent on October 2, and impact aid school districts are eager for the Senate to do the same. I hope we can get that done today. I yield to the Senator from Minnesota for some comments. | 2020-01-06 | Mr. THUNE | Senate | CREC-2020-11-12-pt1-PgS6659 | null | 1,605 |
formal | based | null | white supremacist | Mr. CASEY. Madam President, I rise today to urge this body to pass H.R. 1773, the Rosie the Riveter Congressional Gold Medal Act. This bill would honor the American women who joined the workforce in support of the war effort during World War II. Millions of women dedicated themselves to strengthening our Nation and answered the call to action by joining the workforce and learning new jobs. Many of these women built the vehicles, the weaponry, and the ammunition that were critical to the war effort. Whether they worked on assembly lines, addressed the troops' medical needs, or tended to ships and farms, Rosies ensured the country continued functioning during the war while often serving as the primary caretakers for their children. These Rosie the Riveters rose to the challenge and set a powerful example both to working women and for all Americans. Rosies not only faced gender-based discrimination, but Rosies of color fought racial discrimination, all while manufacturing planes, ships, tanks, weapons, jeeps, and everything else that was needed to defeat the enemy in World War II. Today, their example continues to inspire generations to embody the ``We can do it'' spirit. The Rosies are among our Nation's greatest living heroines. They deserve recognition and formal commendation for their service to our country while they are still with us. The Rosies who are still alive are in their nineties, and we need to honor them now. The House version of the Rosie the Riveter Gold Medal Act passed a year ago on November 13, 2019, by unanimous consent and with broad bipartisan cosponsorship. The Senate version, S. 892, which I introduced last year, has 76 cosponsors, including 36 Republicans, as well as all 26 women serving in the Senate of both parties. This body has already made clear its overwhelming support for the bill. Each State contributed to the war effort, and each State has Rosies awaiting this award. I would like to tell you about a Rosie the Riveter from my home State of Pennsylvania. I will just put up a poster of a picture of her. As I said, she is a Pennsylvanian. Her name is Mae Krier of Levittown, PA, Bucks County, Southeastern Pennsylvania. Mae worked in a Boeing factory where she helped make B-17 and B-29 warplanes as a teenager during World War II. Mae is now 94 years old and has been working to recognize and honor her fellow Rosies--not for years; she has been working on this for decades. Mae is a patriot. And Mae is now serving her country yet again during another crisis. She has spent the better part of this year making face masks for those who need them. These polka-dot masks are reminiscent of the bandanna worn by the woman in the famous ``We Can Do It'' poster. Mae is the embodiment of the ``We Can Do It'' spirit. For over 70 years, from the Boeing assembly line where she worked to her sewing machine today, Mae has devoted herself to the betterment of the Nation. She and her fellow Rosies have earned this Congressional Gold Medal. Many of Mae's friends--her fellow Rosies--have passed away without the recognition that they are worthy of. Thousands more are eagerly awaiting the passage of this bill, in addition to the families of the Rosies who have died. This honor has already been delayed for far too long. I urge my colleagues to pass this important, time-sensitive legislation. So, Madam President, as if in legislative session, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs be discharged, and the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of H.R. 1773. | 2020-01-06 | Mr. CASEY | Senate | CREC-2020-11-12-pt1-PgS6664 | null | 1,606 |
formal | based | null | white supremacist | End-of-Year Priorities Madam President, finally, while the election updates have dominated headlines over the last week or so, the work of the 116th Congress is far from being finished. As I mentioned yesterday, my top priority is to pass another coronavirus relief package. We need to ensure that our researchers and scientists have the resources they need to continue to make progress on the therapeutics and eventual vaccine and the money and the logistical organization needed to deploy the vaccine once it is finally approved. I suspect that there will not just be one vaccine but, hopefully, multiple vaccines available. We also need to make sure that our ongoing economic recovery keeps trending in the right direction. While addressing this pandemic should be our top priority, we can't take our eyes off of other threats. Over the last few months, I have been working with a bipartisan group of Senators and others in the House to advance legislation to address our vulnerabilities in one of our most critical supply chains. This is one of the most significant lessons this virus has taught us--the vulnerability of some critical supply chains. One of those is for semiconductors. Regardless of how much the average consumer knows about semiconductors, these chips, these integrated circuits, are everywhere. They are in the technology for everything, including our cell phones to the advanced weapons systems that support our national security and defense. Yet, for all of the ways our dependence on products that use semiconductors has grown, so has our vulnerability, because the U.S. production of these chips has declined over the last two decades. It will come as no surprise that other countries have stepped in to fill the void. China has gone from manufacturing zero semiconductors to manufacturing 16 percent of the world's supply. You can bet it doesn't plan to stop there. China is preparing to invest another $1.4 trillion in semiconductor technologies. If you are looking for a reason that this is so dangerous, just look at the personal protective equipment shortages we faced at the start of this pandemic. The need was so high that hospitals asked the public to help boost their supplies. They took donations from folks who had extra boxes of N95 masks in their garages, and they took gloves from salons that had closed their doors to help in the mitigation efforts. We didn't reach that point because of there being a lack of preparation by hospitals but, rather, because of our reliance--our dependence, if you will--on other countries, notably China, to produce this medical gear. It has been a wake-up call and a reminder that we need to take action today to protect our most critical supply chains from similar vulnerabilities. If we are going to regain lost ground in semiconductor manufacturing, it is going to require a strategic investment by the Federal Government. That is where the legislation I introduced with our colleague, the senior Senator from Virginia, Senator Warner, comes in, which is called the CHIPS for America Act. It creates a Federal incentive program, through the Department of Commerce, to encourage semiconductor manufacturing in the United States. This will, we hope, help to stimulate domestic advanced semiconductor manufacturing and boost both our national security and our global economic competitiveness. We worked hand in glove with Senator Cotton from Arkansas and with Senator Schumer, the Democratic leader, in drafting an amendment that was adopted by the whole Senate by a vote of 96 to 4 in the national defense authorization bill. So, as you can see, this is a priority for both the Republicans and the Democrats in the House and in the Senate, and I am optimistic that it will head to the President's desk with the full National Defense Authorization Act in the coming weeks. Yet this just means we are halfway there. The next step is funding. I am working with colleagues on both sides to ensure we can provide the full funding for this legislation and finally restore American leadership in semiconductor manufacturing. This is key to our long-term national security and economic competitiveness, and it will be one of my top priorities in the coming weeks as the Senate prepares to consider appropriations bills. It is no longer possible for us just to leave this sort of laissez-faire free market economics. Our competitors--notably, Communist China--are investing billions of dollars in everything from 5G to artificial intelligence, to quantum computers. They don't have to go through a democratic or constitutional process like we do in order to appropriate money for that purpose. I just think it is time for us to rethink and maybe reset the way we view our vulnerabilities and our need to be competitive and, indeed, to win that competition with countries like Communist China, which do not play by the same set of rules as we do. Before the end of the year, I also hope we can get another piece of legislation across the finish line called the Jenna Quinn Law, which is the ultimate example of noncontroversial, consensus legislation. Senator Hassan of New Hampshire is my partner on this particular bill. It is named for an inspiring Texan who is one of more than 42 million adult survivors of child sexual abuse nationwide. Sadly, these victims often stay silent for months, years, or some for even a lifetime, and as a result, they and countless other victims continue to be subjected to abuse. Jenna has devoted her life to interrupting this cycle. She was the driving force behind a State law in Texas which requires training for teachers and caregivers and other adults who work with children on how to prevent, recognize, and report child sexual abuse. The signs of child sexual abuse are unique from other forms of child abuse, and correctly identifying these signs is integral to bringing children out of an abusive situation. After our State law passed in 2009, one study found educators reported child sexual abuse at a rate almost four times greater after training than they did before training. It was one of the first child sexual abuse prevention laws in the United States to mandate such training, and now more than half of the States have adopted some form of Jenna's Law. Well, you might ask, if the States are passing these laws, why would we need to pass one here at the Federal level? Many States that have required training simply don't have funding for these programs. The Jenna Quinn law, when we pass it out of the House and it is signed by the President, will change that. It will allow the Department of Health and Human Services to make grants to be used for specialized training for students, teachers, and caregivers to learn how to identify, safely report, and hopefully prevent future child sexual abuse. It encourages States without similar laws to implement innovative programs to address child sexual abuse. The Jenna Quinn Law passed the Senate unanimously here in September, and common sense would lead you to think it would pass in the House quickly and land on the President's desk without delay. Unfortunately, common sense doesn't always prevail here in Washington. Some in the House have chosen to hold this lifesaving legislation in an effort to advance a partisan bill that has no chance of passing in the Senate. That is what many people hate about this place--holding hostage a consensus, bipartisan, child sexual assault victim prevention bill to help advance another partisan bill that has no chance of passing. We all know that an all-or-nothing approach here in Washington and particularly in Congress leaves you in the end with nothing. And when it comes to something as grave and consequential as child sexual abuse, that should not be an option. As I have said before, this is a bipartisan bill that received unanimous support here in the Senate. I have worked with several House Democrats on this legislation, including Congresswoman Susan Wild, who is the lead sponsor, and Congresswoman Haley Stevens, both of whom are members of the committee that has so far not even taken up the bill in the House. I have also been joined by two fellow Texans--Congressmen Michael McCaul and Ron Wright--who have seen the incredible impact Jenna's Law has had in our State. I hope our Democratic colleagues will push back on their leaders who are basically dragging their feet on this legislation and get it passed so we can save lives. As families have isolated at home during the pandemic, signs of abuse have been harder and harder to identify. Teachers, education professionals, and other support staff at schools, like busdrivers, are responsible for more than half of the child sexual abuse reports, but obviously, if our children aren't going to the classroom, those reports are declining. With children at home during the pandemic--out of sight from their teachers and other adults who would otherwise see them on a routine basis--we have seen a 40-percent decrease in reports compared to the same time last year. Well, normally, that would be great news. Any reduction in reports of child sexual abuse would be great news. But based on everything we know about the stresses and circumstances created by this pandemic and the fact that the children have to be in school to get identified as being a victim, this reduction in reports is distressing for all the obvious reasons. It is just not being identified or reported like it should be. The need to pass this legislation to help our most vulnerable escape the cycle of abuse has never been greater. So I would urge all of our colleagues and particularly our House colleagues to pass the Jenna Quinn Law without delay so we can get it to the President's desk so we can provide the help victims of child sexual abuse need as soon as possible. | 2020-01-06 | Unknown | Senate | CREC-2020-11-12-pt1-PgS6667 | null | 1,607 |
formal | the Fed | null | antisemitic | End-of-Year Priorities Madam President, finally, while the election updates have dominated headlines over the last week or so, the work of the 116th Congress is far from being finished. As I mentioned yesterday, my top priority is to pass another coronavirus relief package. We need to ensure that our researchers and scientists have the resources they need to continue to make progress on the therapeutics and eventual vaccine and the money and the logistical organization needed to deploy the vaccine once it is finally approved. I suspect that there will not just be one vaccine but, hopefully, multiple vaccines available. We also need to make sure that our ongoing economic recovery keeps trending in the right direction. While addressing this pandemic should be our top priority, we can't take our eyes off of other threats. Over the last few months, I have been working with a bipartisan group of Senators and others in the House to advance legislation to address our vulnerabilities in one of our most critical supply chains. This is one of the most significant lessons this virus has taught us--the vulnerability of some critical supply chains. One of those is for semiconductors. Regardless of how much the average consumer knows about semiconductors, these chips, these integrated circuits, are everywhere. They are in the technology for everything, including our cell phones to the advanced weapons systems that support our national security and defense. Yet, for all of the ways our dependence on products that use semiconductors has grown, so has our vulnerability, because the U.S. production of these chips has declined over the last two decades. It will come as no surprise that other countries have stepped in to fill the void. China has gone from manufacturing zero semiconductors to manufacturing 16 percent of the world's supply. You can bet it doesn't plan to stop there. China is preparing to invest another $1.4 trillion in semiconductor technologies. If you are looking for a reason that this is so dangerous, just look at the personal protective equipment shortages we faced at the start of this pandemic. The need was so high that hospitals asked the public to help boost their supplies. They took donations from folks who had extra boxes of N95 masks in their garages, and they took gloves from salons that had closed their doors to help in the mitigation efforts. We didn't reach that point because of there being a lack of preparation by hospitals but, rather, because of our reliance--our dependence, if you will--on other countries, notably China, to produce this medical gear. It has been a wake-up call and a reminder that we need to take action today to protect our most critical supply chains from similar vulnerabilities. If we are going to regain lost ground in semiconductor manufacturing, it is going to require a strategic investment by the Federal Government. That is where the legislation I introduced with our colleague, the senior Senator from Virginia, Senator Warner, comes in, which is called the CHIPS for America Act. It creates a Federal incentive program, through the Department of Commerce, to encourage semiconductor manufacturing in the United States. This will, we hope, help to stimulate domestic advanced semiconductor manufacturing and boost both our national security and our global economic competitiveness. We worked hand in glove with Senator Cotton from Arkansas and with Senator Schumer, the Democratic leader, in drafting an amendment that was adopted by the whole Senate by a vote of 96 to 4 in the national defense authorization bill. So, as you can see, this is a priority for both the Republicans and the Democrats in the House and in the Senate, and I am optimistic that it will head to the President's desk with the full National Defense Authorization Act in the coming weeks. Yet this just means we are halfway there. The next step is funding. I am working with colleagues on both sides to ensure we can provide the full funding for this legislation and finally restore American leadership in semiconductor manufacturing. This is key to our long-term national security and economic competitiveness, and it will be one of my top priorities in the coming weeks as the Senate prepares to consider appropriations bills. It is no longer possible for us just to leave this sort of laissez-faire free market economics. Our competitors--notably, Communist China--are investing billions of dollars in everything from 5G to artificial intelligence, to quantum computers. They don't have to go through a democratic or constitutional process like we do in order to appropriate money for that purpose. I just think it is time for us to rethink and maybe reset the way we view our vulnerabilities and our need to be competitive and, indeed, to win that competition with countries like Communist China, which do not play by the same set of rules as we do. Before the end of the year, I also hope we can get another piece of legislation across the finish line called the Jenna Quinn Law, which is the ultimate example of noncontroversial, consensus legislation. Senator Hassan of New Hampshire is my partner on this particular bill. It is named for an inspiring Texan who is one of more than 42 million adult survivors of child sexual abuse nationwide. Sadly, these victims often stay silent for months, years, or some for even a lifetime, and as a result, they and countless other victims continue to be subjected to abuse. Jenna has devoted her life to interrupting this cycle. She was the driving force behind a State law in Texas which requires training for teachers and caregivers and other adults who work with children on how to prevent, recognize, and report child sexual abuse. The signs of child sexual abuse are unique from other forms of child abuse, and correctly identifying these signs is integral to bringing children out of an abusive situation. After our State law passed in 2009, one study found educators reported child sexual abuse at a rate almost four times greater after training than they did before training. It was one of the first child sexual abuse prevention laws in the United States to mandate such training, and now more than half of the States have adopted some form of Jenna's Law. Well, you might ask, if the States are passing these laws, why would we need to pass one here at the Federal level? Many States that have required training simply don't have funding for these programs. The Jenna Quinn law, when we pass it out of the House and it is signed by the President, will change that. It will allow the Department of Health and Human Services to make grants to be used for specialized training for students, teachers, and caregivers to learn how to identify, safely report, and hopefully prevent future child sexual abuse. It encourages States without similar laws to implement innovative programs to address child sexual abuse. The Jenna Quinn Law passed the Senate unanimously here in September, and common sense would lead you to think it would pass in the House quickly and land on the President's desk without delay. Unfortunately, common sense doesn't always prevail here in Washington. Some in the House have chosen to hold this lifesaving legislation in an effort to advance a partisan bill that has no chance of passing in the Senate. That is what many people hate about this place--holding hostage a consensus, bipartisan, child sexual assault victim prevention bill to help advance another partisan bill that has no chance of passing. We all know that an all-or-nothing approach here in Washington and particularly in Congress leaves you in the end with nothing. And when it comes to something as grave and consequential as child sexual abuse, that should not be an option. As I have said before, this is a bipartisan bill that received unanimous support here in the Senate. I have worked with several House Democrats on this legislation, including Congresswoman Susan Wild, who is the lead sponsor, and Congresswoman Haley Stevens, both of whom are members of the committee that has so far not even taken up the bill in the House. I have also been joined by two fellow Texans--Congressmen Michael McCaul and Ron Wright--who have seen the incredible impact Jenna's Law has had in our State. I hope our Democratic colleagues will push back on their leaders who are basically dragging their feet on this legislation and get it passed so we can save lives. As families have isolated at home during the pandemic, signs of abuse have been harder and harder to identify. Teachers, education professionals, and other support staff at schools, like busdrivers, are responsible for more than half of the child sexual abuse reports, but obviously, if our children aren't going to the classroom, those reports are declining. With children at home during the pandemic--out of sight from their teachers and other adults who would otherwise see them on a routine basis--we have seen a 40-percent decrease in reports compared to the same time last year. Well, normally, that would be great news. Any reduction in reports of child sexual abuse would be great news. But based on everything we know about the stresses and circumstances created by this pandemic and the fact that the children have to be in school to get identified as being a victim, this reduction in reports is distressing for all the obvious reasons. It is just not being identified or reported like it should be. The need to pass this legislation to help our most vulnerable escape the cycle of abuse has never been greater. So I would urge all of our colleagues and particularly our House colleagues to pass the Jenna Quinn Law without delay so we can get it to the President's desk so we can provide the help victims of child sexual abuse need as soon as possible. | 2020-01-06 | Unknown | Senate | CREC-2020-11-12-pt1-PgS6667 | null | 1,608 |
formal | based | null | white supremacist | Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Mr. President, November 15, 2020, will mark the 25th World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims, commemorating the millions of people killed and injured on the world's roads. It is also a day to thank emergency responders for their role in saving lives; to reflect on the impact of road traffic deaths and injuries on families and communities; and to draw attention to the need for improved legislation, awareness, infrastructure, and technology to save more families from the tragedy of losing a loved one. More than 1 million people die from road crashes every year, and tens of millions are seriously injured. Road traffic crashes are the No. 1 killer of young people aged 15-29 and the eighth leading cause of death among all people worldwide. Rochelle Sobel, President of the Association for Safe International Road Travel, highlighted the gravity of this issue and the imperative to fix it: ``Every 27 seconds, somewhere in the world, a person dies in a road crash.'' On the 25th anniversary of World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims, it is important to remember the history and recommit to the goals of this day. It was initiated in 1995 as the European Day of Remembrance and quickly spread around the globe to countries in Africa, South America, and Asia. In 2005, the United Nations General Assembly adopted Resolution 60/2, recognizing November 15 as the World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims. Since that time, the observance of this day has continued to spread to a growing number of countries on every continent. This year, the stated goals of World Day of Remembrance 2020 include remembering all people killed and seriously injured on the roads, acknowledging the crucial work of the emergency services, advocating for better support to road traffic victims and their families, and promoting evidence-based actions to prevent and eventually stop further road traffic deaths and injuries. Indeed, the day has become an important moment to focus international attention on this preventable epidemic and as an advocacy tool in global efforts to reduce road casualties. As a result of the growing awareness and global call to action that World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims has generated, in September 2020, the United Nations passed a resolution declaring the years 2021 to 2030 a new Decade of Action for Road Safety. The declaration affirms the UN's commitment to work vigorously to implement a new, ambitious agenda to halve road crash deaths by 2030. Additionally, the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 3.6 calls on governments and their stakeholders, including NGOs and private citizens, to address the personal, medical, and financial burdens associated with road traffic deaths and injuries. The devastation of losing a child, parent, sibling, partner, friend, caregiver, or caretaker; the struggle of having to care for a permanently disabled loved one, these are incalculable. Road traffic crashes are preventable, and so we owe it to our communities to work together so that the hopes and dreams of our loved ones are not shattered on the roads of the United States and theworld. We must all take action to prevent these avoidable tragedies and save lives. | 2020-01-06 | Mr. VAN HOLLEN | Senate | CREC-2020-11-12-pt1-PgS6672 | null | 1,609 |
formal | XX | null | transphobic | The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, the Chair will postpone further proceedings today on motions to suspend the rules on which the yeas and nays are ordered. The House will resume proceedings on postponed questions at a later time. | 2020-01-06 | The SPEAKER pro tempore | House | CREC-2020-11-16-pt1-PgH5735-5 | null | 1,610 |
formal | the Fed | null | antisemitic | Mr. HUFFMAN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (S. 327) to amend the Federal LandsRecreation Enhancement Act to provide for a lifetime National Recreational Pass for any veteran with a service-connected disability. | 2020-01-06 | Mr. HUFFMAN | House | CREC-2020-11-16-pt1-PgH5738-2 | null | 1,611 |
formal | based | null | white supremacist | Mrs. LURIA. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (S. 900) to designate the community-based outpatient clinic of the Department of Veterans Affairs in Bozeman, Montana, as the ``Travis W. Atkins Department of Veterans Affairs Clinic'', as amended. | 2020-01-06 | Mrs. LURIA | House | CREC-2020-11-16-pt1-PgH5745 | null | 1,612 |
formal | the Fed | null | antisemitic | The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, the unfinished business is the vote on the motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill (S. 327) to amend the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act to provide for a lifetime National Recreational Pass for any veteran with a service-connected disability, on which the yeas and nays were ordered. | 2020-01-06 | The SPEAKER pro tempore | House | CREC-2020-11-16-pt1-PgH5748-3 | null | 1,613 |
formal | XX | null | transphobic | The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, the unfinished business is the vote on the motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill (S. 327) to amend the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act to provide for a lifetime National Recreational Pass for any veteran with a service-connected disability, on which the yeas and nays were ordered. | 2020-01-06 | The SPEAKER pro tempore | House | CREC-2020-11-16-pt1-PgH5748-3 | null | 1,614 |
formal | XX | null | transphobic | The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, the unfinished business is the vote on the motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill (S. 3147) to require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to submit to Congress reports on patient safety and quality of care at medical centers of the Department of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes, on which the yeas and nays were ordered. | 2020-01-06 | The SPEAKER pro tempore | House | CREC-2020-11-16-pt1-PgH5749-3 | null | 1,615 |
formal | the Fed | null | antisemitic | Under clause 2 of rule XIII, reports of committees were delivered to the Clerk for printing and reference to the proper calendar, as follows: Mr. GRIJALVA: Committee on Natural Resources. H.R. 6237. A bill to amend the Indian Health Care Improvement Act to clarify the requirement of the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Department of Defense to reimburse the Indian Health Service for certain health care services (Rept. 116-569, Pt. 1). Referred to the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union. Mr. DeFAZIO: Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. H.R. 5919. A bill to amend title 40, United States Code, to require the Administrator of General Services to enter into a cooperative agreement with the National Children's Museum to provide the National Children's Museum rental space without charge in the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center, and for other purposes; with an amendment (Rept. 116-570). Referred to the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union. Mr. PALLONE: Committee on Energy and Commerce. H.R. 4499. A bill to amend the Public Health Service Act to provide that the authority of the Director of the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities to make certain research endowments applies with respect to both current and former centers of excellence, and for other purposes (Rept. 116-571). Referred to the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union. Mr. PALLONE: Committee on Energy and Commerce. H.R. 4712. A bill to amend the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act with respect to limitations on exclusive approval or licensure of orphan drugs, and for other purposes; with an amendment (Rept. 116-572). Referred to the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union. Mr. PALLONE: Committee on Energy and Commerce. H.R. 5668. A bill to amend the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to modernize the labeling of certain generic drugs, and for other purposes; with an amendment (Rept. 116-573). Referred to the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union. Mr. DeFAZIO: Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. H.R. 2914. A bill to make available necessary disaster assistance for families affected by major disasters, and for other purposes; with an amendment (Rept. 116-574). Referred to the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union. Mr. DeFAZIO: Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. H.R. 4358. A bill to direct the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency to submit to Congress a report on preliminary damage assessment and to establish damage assessment teams in the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and for other purposes; with an amendment (Rept. 116-575). Referred to the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union. Mr. DeFAZIO: Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. H.R. 4611. A bill to modify permitting requirements with respect to the discharge of any pollutant from the Point Loma Wastewater Treatment Plant in certain circumstances, and for other purposes; with an amendment (Rept. 116-576, Pt. 1). Referred to the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union. Mr. DeFAZIO: Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. H.R. 5953. A bill to amend the Disaster Recovery Reform Act of 2018 to require the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency to waive certain debts owed to the United States related to covered assistance provided to an individual or household, and for other purposes; with an amendment (Rept. 116-577). Referred to the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union. Mr. DeFAZIO: Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. H.R. 8326. A bill to amend the Public Works and Economic Development Act of 1965 to require eligible recipients of certain grants to develop a comprehensive economic development strategy that directly or indirectly increases the accessibility of affordable, quality child care, and for other purposes (Rept. 116-578, Pt. 1). Referred to the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union. Mr. DeFAZIO: Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. H.R. 8408. A bill to direct the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration to require certain safety standards relating to aircraft, and for other purposes (Rept. 116-579). Referred to the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union. Mr. DeFAZIO: Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. H.R. 8266. A bill to modify the Federal cost share of certain emergency assistance provided under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act, to modify the activities eligible for assistance under the emergency declaration issued by the President on March 13, 2020, relating to COVID-19, and for other purposes; with an amendment (Rept. 116-580). Referred to the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union. Mr. PALLONE: Committee on Energy and Commerce. H.R. 2117. A bill to improve the health and safety of Americans living with food allergies and related disorders, including potentially life-threatening anaphylaxis, food protein- induced enterocolitis syndrome, and eosinophilic gastrointestinal diseases, and for other purposes, with an amendment (Rept. 116-581). Referred to the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union. Mr. PALLONE: Committee on Energy and Commerce. H.R. 6096. A bill to improve oversight by the Federal Communications Commission of the wireless and broadcast emergency alert systems (Rept. 116-582 Pt. 1). Referred to the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union. Mr. PALLONE: Committee on Energy and Commerce. H.R. 3878. A bill to amend the Controlled Substances Act to clarify the process for registrants to exercise due diligence upon discovering a suspicious order, and for other purposes, with an amendment Rept. 116-583 Pt. 1). Referred to the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union. Mr. PALLONE: Committee on Energy and Commerce. H.R. 4812. A bill to amend the Controlled Substances Act to provide for the modification, transfer, and termination of a registration to manufacture, distribute, or dispense controlled substances or list I chemicals, and for other purposes(Rept. 116-584, Pt. 1). Referred to the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union. Mr. PALLONE: Committee on Energy and Commerce. H.R. 4806. A bill to amend the Controlled Substances Act to authorize the debarment of certain registrants, and for other purposes; with an amendment (Rept. 116-585 Pt. 1). Referred to the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union. Mr. PALLONE: Committee on Energy and Commerce. H.R. 5855. A bill to amend the Public Health Service Act to establish a grant program supporting trauma center violence intervention and violence prevention programs, and for other purposes (Rept. 116-586). Referred to the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union. Mr. PALLONE: Committee on Energy and Commerce. H.R. 2281. A bill to direct the Attorney General to amend certain regulations so that practitioners may administer not more than 3 days' medication to a person at one time when administering narcotic drugs for the purpose of relieving acute withdrawal symptoms, with amendments (Rept. 116-587, Pt. 1). Referred to the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union. Mr. PALLONE: Committee on Energy and Commerce. H.R. 8121. A bill to require the Consumer Product Safety Commission to study the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on injuries and deaths associated with consumer products, and for other purposes; with amendments (Rept. 116-588). Referred to the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union. Mr. PALLONE: Committee on Energy and Commerce. H.R. 6624. A bill to support supply chain innovation and multilateral security, and for other purposes (Rept. 116-589). Referred to the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union. Mr. PALLONE: Committee on Energy and Commerce. H.R. 2610. A bill to establish a Senior Scams Prevention Advisory Council to collect and disseminate model educational materials useful in identifying and preventing scams that affect seniors; with amendments (Rept. 116-590). Referred to the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union. Mr. PALLONE: Committee on Energy and Commerce. H.R. 6435. A bill to direct the Federal Trade Commission to develop and disseminate information to the public about scams related to COVID-19, and for other purposes (Rept. 116-591). Referred to the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union. | 2020-01-06 | Unknown | House | CREC-2020-11-16-pt1-PgH5794-5 | null | 1,616 |
formal | Reagan | null | white supremacist | Under clause 2 of rule XIII, reports of committees were delivered to the Clerk for printing and reference to the proper calendar, as follows: Mr. GRIJALVA: Committee on Natural Resources. H.R. 6237. A bill to amend the Indian Health Care Improvement Act to clarify the requirement of the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Department of Defense to reimburse the Indian Health Service for certain health care services (Rept. 116-569, Pt. 1). Referred to the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union. Mr. DeFAZIO: Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. H.R. 5919. A bill to amend title 40, United States Code, to require the Administrator of General Services to enter into a cooperative agreement with the National Children's Museum to provide the National Children's Museum rental space without charge in the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center, and for other purposes; with an amendment (Rept. 116-570). Referred to the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union. Mr. PALLONE: Committee on Energy and Commerce. H.R. 4499. A bill to amend the Public Health Service Act to provide that the authority of the Director of the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities to make certain research endowments applies with respect to both current and former centers of excellence, and for other purposes (Rept. 116-571). Referred to the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union. Mr. PALLONE: Committee on Energy and Commerce. H.R. 4712. A bill to amend the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act with respect to limitations on exclusive approval or licensure of orphan drugs, and for other purposes; with an amendment (Rept. 116-572). Referred to the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union. Mr. PALLONE: Committee on Energy and Commerce. H.R. 5668. A bill to amend the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to modernize the labeling of certain generic drugs, and for other purposes; with an amendment (Rept. 116-573). Referred to the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union. Mr. DeFAZIO: Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. H.R. 2914. A bill to make available necessary disaster assistance for families affected by major disasters, and for other purposes; with an amendment (Rept. 116-574). Referred to the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union. Mr. DeFAZIO: Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. H.R. 4358. A bill to direct the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency to submit to Congress a report on preliminary damage assessment and to establish damage assessment teams in the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and for other purposes; with an amendment (Rept. 116-575). Referred to the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union. Mr. DeFAZIO: Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. H.R. 4611. A bill to modify permitting requirements with respect to the discharge of any pollutant from the Point Loma Wastewater Treatment Plant in certain circumstances, and for other purposes; with an amendment (Rept. 116-576, Pt. 1). Referred to the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union. Mr. DeFAZIO: Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. H.R. 5953. A bill to amend the Disaster Recovery Reform Act of 2018 to require the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency to waive certain debts owed to the United States related to covered assistance provided to an individual or household, and for other purposes; with an amendment (Rept. 116-577). Referred to the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union. Mr. DeFAZIO: Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. H.R. 8326. A bill to amend the Public Works and Economic Development Act of 1965 to require eligible recipients of certain grants to develop a comprehensive economic development strategy that directly or indirectly increases the accessibility of affordable, quality child care, and for other purposes (Rept. 116-578, Pt. 1). Referred to the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union. Mr. DeFAZIO: Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. H.R. 8408. A bill to direct the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration to require certain safety standards relating to aircraft, and for other purposes (Rept. 116-579). Referred to the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union. Mr. DeFAZIO: Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. H.R. 8266. A bill to modify the Federal cost share of certain emergency assistance provided under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act, to modify the activities eligible for assistance under the emergency declaration issued by the President on March 13, 2020, relating to COVID-19, and for other purposes; with an amendment (Rept. 116-580). Referred to the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union. Mr. PALLONE: Committee on Energy and Commerce. H.R. 2117. A bill to improve the health and safety of Americans living with food allergies and related disorders, including potentially life-threatening anaphylaxis, food protein- induced enterocolitis syndrome, and eosinophilic gastrointestinal diseases, and for other purposes, with an amendment (Rept. 116-581). Referred to the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union. Mr. PALLONE: Committee on Energy and Commerce. H.R. 6096. A bill to improve oversight by the Federal Communications Commission of the wireless and broadcast emergency alert systems (Rept. 116-582 Pt. 1). Referred to the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union. Mr. PALLONE: Committee on Energy and Commerce. H.R. 3878. A bill to amend the Controlled Substances Act to clarify the process for registrants to exercise due diligence upon discovering a suspicious order, and for other purposes, with an amendment Rept. 116-583 Pt. 1). Referred to the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union. Mr. PALLONE: Committee on Energy and Commerce. H.R. 4812. A bill to amend the Controlled Substances Act to provide for the modification, transfer, and termination of a registration to manufacture, distribute, or dispense controlled substances or list I chemicals, and for other purposes(Rept. 116-584, Pt. 1). Referred to the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union. Mr. PALLONE: Committee on Energy and Commerce. H.R. 4806. A bill to amend the Controlled Substances Act to authorize the debarment of certain registrants, and for other purposes; with an amendment (Rept. 116-585 Pt. 1). Referred to the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union. Mr. PALLONE: Committee on Energy and Commerce. H.R. 5855. A bill to amend the Public Health Service Act to establish a grant program supporting trauma center violence intervention and violence prevention programs, and for other purposes (Rept. 116-586). Referred to the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union. Mr. PALLONE: Committee on Energy and Commerce. H.R. 2281. A bill to direct the Attorney General to amend certain regulations so that practitioners may administer not more than 3 days' medication to a person at one time when administering narcotic drugs for the purpose of relieving acute withdrawal symptoms, with amendments (Rept. 116-587, Pt. 1). Referred to the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union. Mr. PALLONE: Committee on Energy and Commerce. H.R. 8121. A bill to require the Consumer Product Safety Commission to study the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on injuries and deaths associated with consumer products, and for other purposes; with amendments (Rept. 116-588). Referred to the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union. Mr. PALLONE: Committee on Energy and Commerce. H.R. 6624. A bill to support supply chain innovation and multilateral security, and for other purposes (Rept. 116-589). Referred to the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union. Mr. PALLONE: Committee on Energy and Commerce. H.R. 2610. A bill to establish a Senior Scams Prevention Advisory Council to collect and disseminate model educational materials useful in identifying and preventing scams that affect seniors; with amendments (Rept. 116-590). Referred to the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union. Mr. PALLONE: Committee on Energy and Commerce. H.R. 6435. A bill to direct the Federal Trade Commission to develop and disseminate information to the public about scams related to COVID-19, and for other purposes (Rept. 116-591). Referred to the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union. | 2020-01-06 | Unknown | House | CREC-2020-11-16-pt1-PgH5794-5 | null | 1,617 |
formal | urban | null | racist | Mr. GRASSLEY. Although promising vaccines for the coronavirus are on the horizon, it is more important than ever to stop the surge. Countries across the world are seeing cases explode. It is critical for Iowans to step up their personal responsibilities to stay safe and healthy for themselves and their loved ones. And that, of course, includes our tireless healthcare professionals--those on the frontlines, working to save lives. This virus is hitting rural and urban areas alike. No community is immune. I ask every Iowan to continue to do their part to keep their family and neighbors safe: Wash your hands; limit your activity outside your household; social distance; wear a mask. We are going to get through this together, but we need everyone to do their part. I yield the floor. | 2020-01-06 | Mr. GRASSLEY | Senate | CREC-2020-11-16-pt1-PgS6687-4 | null | 1,618 |
formal | extremism | null | Islamophobic | Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, on a totally different matter, the last several days have brought renewed speculation about the prospect of rapidly withdrawing all U.S. military forces from Syria, Iraq, and Afghanistan. Here in Congress, a small minority in both parties seem to think it is in America's power to unilaterally remove conflicts by simply walking away from them. Let me say that again. A small minority in both parties seem to think itis in America's power to unilaterally resolve conflicts by simply walking away from them. Of course all wars must end. The question is now how they end and whether the terms on which they end are favorable or unfavorable to the security and interests of the United States. And nothing about the circumstances we face today suggests that if we lose resolve, the terrorists will simply leave us alone. Over the last 4 years, the Trump administration has made tremendous headway in creating the conditions that will secure the enduring defeat of the terrorists. This President and his policies have strengthened America's hand in multiple Middle East conflicts while reducing the risks and costs to our country. The ISIS caliphate has been shattered, and millions have been liberated from their brutal rule. We have removed master terrorists like al-Baghdadi, Soleimani, and senior al-Qaida and ISIS leaders from the battlefield. The Trump administration has brokered diplomatic successes that should help bring long-term stability and more economic opportunity to a troubled region. The Abraham Accords are a geostrategic game changer. The last 4 years have also brought increased skin in the game from our allies and our partners. Our friends in Europe and elsewhere have a shared interest in stopping safe havens for terror. Today, in Africa, our limited American presence supports a multinational initiative led by France to combat radical Islamic terrorists. Likewise, in places where American forces continue to play roles in ongoing conflicts across the broader Middle East, Secretaries Mattis and Esper worked hard and successfully to secure renewed contributions from European partners and to transition our posture more and more toward a supporting role. Our local partners are demonstrably shouldering the lion's share of the burden in the fight. In neither Afghanistan nor Iraq nor Syria are American combat forces playing a primary role. We have scored major battlefield successes by supporting and working with and through local partners, such as the Afghan National Security Forces, the elite Iraqi Counter Terrorism Service, and the local Kurdish and Arab fighters of the Syrian Democratic Forces. So the situation we face today is totally different than what we faced 10 years ago. We do not have hundreds of thousands of soldiers engaged in combat abroad. We do not have hundreds of thousands of soldiers engaged in combat abroad. We are not an occupying force. Today, our limited American military presence in the Middle East is supporting local forces and enabling multinational efforts. We are playing a limited--limited but important role in defending American national security and American interests against terrorists who would like nothing more than for the most powerful force for good in the world to simply pick up our ball and go home. They would love that. That is why, last year, 70 Senators--a bipartisan supermajority--voted for an amendment I authored that acknowledged the progress made in Syria and Afghanistan, identified the risks that remain, and cautioned that precipitous withdrawal would create vacuums that Iran, Russia, and the terrorists would be delighted--delighted--to fill. There is no American who does not wish the war in Afghanistan against terrorists and their enablers had already been conclusively won. But that does not change the actual choice before us now. A rapid withdrawal of U.S. forces from Afghanistan now would hurt our allies and delight--delight--the people who wish us harm. Violence affecting Afghans is still rampant. The Taliban is not abiding by the conditions of the so-called peace deal. The consequences of a premature American exit would likely be even worse than President Obama's withdrawal from Iraq back in 2011, which fueled--fueled--the rise of ISIS and a new round of global terrorism. It would be reminiscent of the humiliating American departure from Saigon in 1975. We would be abandoning our partners in Afghanistan, the brave Afghans who are fighting the terrorists and destroying the government's leverage in their talks with the Taliban that are designed to end the fighting. Our retreat would embolden the Taliban, especially the deadly Haqqani wing, and risk plunging Afghan women and girls back into what they experienced back in the 1990s. It would hand a weakened and scattered al-Qaida a big, big propaganda victory and a renewed safe haven for plotting attacks against America. And it would be welcome news to Iran, which has long provided arms and support to the Taliban and explicitly seeks our retreat from the Middle East. A disorganized retreat would jeopardize the track record of major successes this administration has worked hard to compile. A number of former officials and Ambassadors recently stated: ``The spectacle of U.S. troops abandoning facilities and equipment, leaving the field in Afghanistan to the Taliban and ISIS, would be broadcast around the world as a symbol of U.S. defeat and humiliation, and a victory for Islamist extremism.'' President Trump deserves major credit--major credit--for reducing U.S. forces in Afghanistan to a sustainable level, scoring major victories against terrorists across the region, and ensuring the Afghans themselves are at the front of the fight. That same successful approach should continue until the conditions for the long-term defeat of ISIS and al-Qaida have been achieved. | 2020-01-06 | Mr. McCONNELL | Senate | CREC-2020-11-16-pt1-PgS6687-7 | null | 1,619 |
formal | terrorism | null | Islamophobic | Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, on a totally different matter, the last several days have brought renewed speculation about the prospect of rapidly withdrawing all U.S. military forces from Syria, Iraq, and Afghanistan. Here in Congress, a small minority in both parties seem to think it is in America's power to unilaterally remove conflicts by simply walking away from them. Let me say that again. A small minority in both parties seem to think itis in America's power to unilaterally resolve conflicts by simply walking away from them. Of course all wars must end. The question is now how they end and whether the terms on which they end are favorable or unfavorable to the security and interests of the United States. And nothing about the circumstances we face today suggests that if we lose resolve, the terrorists will simply leave us alone. Over the last 4 years, the Trump administration has made tremendous headway in creating the conditions that will secure the enduring defeat of the terrorists. This President and his policies have strengthened America's hand in multiple Middle East conflicts while reducing the risks and costs to our country. The ISIS caliphate has been shattered, and millions have been liberated from their brutal rule. We have removed master terrorists like al-Baghdadi, Soleimani, and senior al-Qaida and ISIS leaders from the battlefield. The Trump administration has brokered diplomatic successes that should help bring long-term stability and more economic opportunity to a troubled region. The Abraham Accords are a geostrategic game changer. The last 4 years have also brought increased skin in the game from our allies and our partners. Our friends in Europe and elsewhere have a shared interest in stopping safe havens for terror. Today, in Africa, our limited American presence supports a multinational initiative led by France to combat radical Islamic terrorists. Likewise, in places where American forces continue to play roles in ongoing conflicts across the broader Middle East, Secretaries Mattis and Esper worked hard and successfully to secure renewed contributions from European partners and to transition our posture more and more toward a supporting role. Our local partners are demonstrably shouldering the lion's share of the burden in the fight. In neither Afghanistan nor Iraq nor Syria are American combat forces playing a primary role. We have scored major battlefield successes by supporting and working with and through local partners, such as the Afghan National Security Forces, the elite Iraqi Counter Terrorism Service, and the local Kurdish and Arab fighters of the Syrian Democratic Forces. So the situation we face today is totally different than what we faced 10 years ago. We do not have hundreds of thousands of soldiers engaged in combat abroad. We do not have hundreds of thousands of soldiers engaged in combat abroad. We are not an occupying force. Today, our limited American military presence in the Middle East is supporting local forces and enabling multinational efforts. We are playing a limited--limited but important role in defending American national security and American interests against terrorists who would like nothing more than for the most powerful force for good in the world to simply pick up our ball and go home. They would love that. That is why, last year, 70 Senators--a bipartisan supermajority--voted for an amendment I authored that acknowledged the progress made in Syria and Afghanistan, identified the risks that remain, and cautioned that precipitous withdrawal would create vacuums that Iran, Russia, and the terrorists would be delighted--delighted--to fill. There is no American who does not wish the war in Afghanistan against terrorists and their enablers had already been conclusively won. But that does not change the actual choice before us now. A rapid withdrawal of U.S. forces from Afghanistan now would hurt our allies and delight--delight--the people who wish us harm. Violence affecting Afghans is still rampant. The Taliban is not abiding by the conditions of the so-called peace deal. The consequences of a premature American exit would likely be even worse than President Obama's withdrawal from Iraq back in 2011, which fueled--fueled--the rise of ISIS and a new round of global terrorism. It would be reminiscent of the humiliating American departure from Saigon in 1975. We would be abandoning our partners in Afghanistan, the brave Afghans who are fighting the terrorists and destroying the government's leverage in their talks with the Taliban that are designed to end the fighting. Our retreat would embolden the Taliban, especially the deadly Haqqani wing, and risk plunging Afghan women and girls back into what they experienced back in the 1990s. It would hand a weakened and scattered al-Qaida a big, big propaganda victory and a renewed safe haven for plotting attacks against America. And it would be welcome news to Iran, which has long provided arms and support to the Taliban and explicitly seeks our retreat from the Middle East. A disorganized retreat would jeopardize the track record of major successes this administration has worked hard to compile. A number of former officials and Ambassadors recently stated: ``The spectacle of U.S. troops abandoning facilities and equipment, leaving the field in Afghanistan to the Taliban and ISIS, would be broadcast around the world as a symbol of U.S. defeat and humiliation, and a victory for Islamist extremism.'' President Trump deserves major credit--major credit--for reducing U.S. forces in Afghanistan to a sustainable level, scoring major victories against terrorists across the region, and ensuring the Afghans themselves are at the front of the fight. That same successful approach should continue until the conditions for the long-term defeat of ISIS and al-Qaida have been achieved. | 2020-01-06 | Mr. McCONNELL | Senate | CREC-2020-11-16-pt1-PgS6687-7 | null | 1,620 |
formal | Islamic terrorists | null | Islamophobic | Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, on a totally different matter, the last several days have brought renewed speculation about the prospect of rapidly withdrawing all U.S. military forces from Syria, Iraq, and Afghanistan. Here in Congress, a small minority in both parties seem to think it is in America's power to unilaterally remove conflicts by simply walking away from them. Let me say that again. A small minority in both parties seem to think itis in America's power to unilaterally resolve conflicts by simply walking away from them. Of course all wars must end. The question is now how they end and whether the terms on which they end are favorable or unfavorable to the security and interests of the United States. And nothing about the circumstances we face today suggests that if we lose resolve, the terrorists will simply leave us alone. Over the last 4 years, the Trump administration has made tremendous headway in creating the conditions that will secure the enduring defeat of the terrorists. This President and his policies have strengthened America's hand in multiple Middle East conflicts while reducing the risks and costs to our country. The ISIS caliphate has been shattered, and millions have been liberated from their brutal rule. We have removed master terrorists like al-Baghdadi, Soleimani, and senior al-Qaida and ISIS leaders from the battlefield. The Trump administration has brokered diplomatic successes that should help bring long-term stability and more economic opportunity to a troubled region. The Abraham Accords are a geostrategic game changer. The last 4 years have also brought increased skin in the game from our allies and our partners. Our friends in Europe and elsewhere have a shared interest in stopping safe havens for terror. Today, in Africa, our limited American presence supports a multinational initiative led by France to combat radical Islamic terrorists. Likewise, in places where American forces continue to play roles in ongoing conflicts across the broader Middle East, Secretaries Mattis and Esper worked hard and successfully to secure renewed contributions from European partners and to transition our posture more and more toward a supporting role. Our local partners are demonstrably shouldering the lion's share of the burden in the fight. In neither Afghanistan nor Iraq nor Syria are American combat forces playing a primary role. We have scored major battlefield successes by supporting and working with and through local partners, such as the Afghan National Security Forces, the elite Iraqi Counter Terrorism Service, and the local Kurdish and Arab fighters of the Syrian Democratic Forces. So the situation we face today is totally different than what we faced 10 years ago. We do not have hundreds of thousands of soldiers engaged in combat abroad. We do not have hundreds of thousands of soldiers engaged in combat abroad. We are not an occupying force. Today, our limited American military presence in the Middle East is supporting local forces and enabling multinational efforts. We are playing a limited--limited but important role in defending American national security and American interests against terrorists who would like nothing more than for the most powerful force for good in the world to simply pick up our ball and go home. They would love that. That is why, last year, 70 Senators--a bipartisan supermajority--voted for an amendment I authored that acknowledged the progress made in Syria and Afghanistan, identified the risks that remain, and cautioned that precipitous withdrawal would create vacuums that Iran, Russia, and the terrorists would be delighted--delighted--to fill. There is no American who does not wish the war in Afghanistan against terrorists and their enablers had already been conclusively won. But that does not change the actual choice before us now. A rapid withdrawal of U.S. forces from Afghanistan now would hurt our allies and delight--delight--the people who wish us harm. Violence affecting Afghans is still rampant. The Taliban is not abiding by the conditions of the so-called peace deal. The consequences of a premature American exit would likely be even worse than President Obama's withdrawal from Iraq back in 2011, which fueled--fueled--the rise of ISIS and a new round of global terrorism. It would be reminiscent of the humiliating American departure from Saigon in 1975. We would be abandoning our partners in Afghanistan, the brave Afghans who are fighting the terrorists and destroying the government's leverage in their talks with the Taliban that are designed to end the fighting. Our retreat would embolden the Taliban, especially the deadly Haqqani wing, and risk plunging Afghan women and girls back into what they experienced back in the 1990s. It would hand a weakened and scattered al-Qaida a big, big propaganda victory and a renewed safe haven for plotting attacks against America. And it would be welcome news to Iran, which has long provided arms and support to the Taliban and explicitly seeks our retreat from the Middle East. A disorganized retreat would jeopardize the track record of major successes this administration has worked hard to compile. A number of former officials and Ambassadors recently stated: ``The spectacle of U.S. troops abandoning facilities and equipment, leaving the field in Afghanistan to the Taliban and ISIS, would be broadcast around the world as a symbol of U.S. defeat and humiliation, and a victory for Islamist extremism.'' President Trump deserves major credit--major credit--for reducing U.S. forces in Afghanistan to a sustainable level, scoring major victories against terrorists across the region, and ensuring the Afghans themselves are at the front of the fight. That same successful approach should continue until the conditions for the long-term defeat of ISIS and al-Qaida have been achieved. | 2020-01-06 | Mr. McCONNELL | Senate | CREC-2020-11-16-pt1-PgS6687-7 | null | 1,621 |
formal | Islamic terrorist | null | Islamophobic | Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, on a totally different matter, the last several days have brought renewed speculation about the prospect of rapidly withdrawing all U.S. military forces from Syria, Iraq, and Afghanistan. Here in Congress, a small minority in both parties seem to think it is in America's power to unilaterally remove conflicts by simply walking away from them. Let me say that again. A small minority in both parties seem to think itis in America's power to unilaterally resolve conflicts by simply walking away from them. Of course all wars must end. The question is now how they end and whether the terms on which they end are favorable or unfavorable to the security and interests of the United States. And nothing about the circumstances we face today suggests that if we lose resolve, the terrorists will simply leave us alone. Over the last 4 years, the Trump administration has made tremendous headway in creating the conditions that will secure the enduring defeat of the terrorists. This President and his policies have strengthened America's hand in multiple Middle East conflicts while reducing the risks and costs to our country. The ISIS caliphate has been shattered, and millions have been liberated from their brutal rule. We have removed master terrorists like al-Baghdadi, Soleimani, and senior al-Qaida and ISIS leaders from the battlefield. The Trump administration has brokered diplomatic successes that should help bring long-term stability and more economic opportunity to a troubled region. The Abraham Accords are a geostrategic game changer. The last 4 years have also brought increased skin in the game from our allies and our partners. Our friends in Europe and elsewhere have a shared interest in stopping safe havens for terror. Today, in Africa, our limited American presence supports a multinational initiative led by France to combat radical Islamic terrorists. Likewise, in places where American forces continue to play roles in ongoing conflicts across the broader Middle East, Secretaries Mattis and Esper worked hard and successfully to secure renewed contributions from European partners and to transition our posture more and more toward a supporting role. Our local partners are demonstrably shouldering the lion's share of the burden in the fight. In neither Afghanistan nor Iraq nor Syria are American combat forces playing a primary role. We have scored major battlefield successes by supporting and working with and through local partners, such as the Afghan National Security Forces, the elite Iraqi Counter Terrorism Service, and the local Kurdish and Arab fighters of the Syrian Democratic Forces. So the situation we face today is totally different than what we faced 10 years ago. We do not have hundreds of thousands of soldiers engaged in combat abroad. We do not have hundreds of thousands of soldiers engaged in combat abroad. We are not an occupying force. Today, our limited American military presence in the Middle East is supporting local forces and enabling multinational efforts. We are playing a limited--limited but important role in defending American national security and American interests against terrorists who would like nothing more than for the most powerful force for good in the world to simply pick up our ball and go home. They would love that. That is why, last year, 70 Senators--a bipartisan supermajority--voted for an amendment I authored that acknowledged the progress made in Syria and Afghanistan, identified the risks that remain, and cautioned that precipitous withdrawal would create vacuums that Iran, Russia, and the terrorists would be delighted--delighted--to fill. There is no American who does not wish the war in Afghanistan against terrorists and their enablers had already been conclusively won. But that does not change the actual choice before us now. A rapid withdrawal of U.S. forces from Afghanistan now would hurt our allies and delight--delight--the people who wish us harm. Violence affecting Afghans is still rampant. The Taliban is not abiding by the conditions of the so-called peace deal. The consequences of a premature American exit would likely be even worse than President Obama's withdrawal from Iraq back in 2011, which fueled--fueled--the rise of ISIS and a new round of global terrorism. It would be reminiscent of the humiliating American departure from Saigon in 1975. We would be abandoning our partners in Afghanistan, the brave Afghans who are fighting the terrorists and destroying the government's leverage in their talks with the Taliban that are designed to end the fighting. Our retreat would embolden the Taliban, especially the deadly Haqqani wing, and risk plunging Afghan women and girls back into what they experienced back in the 1990s. It would hand a weakened and scattered al-Qaida a big, big propaganda victory and a renewed safe haven for plotting attacks against America. And it would be welcome news to Iran, which has long provided arms and support to the Taliban and explicitly seeks our retreat from the Middle East. A disorganized retreat would jeopardize the track record of major successes this administration has worked hard to compile. A number of former officials and Ambassadors recently stated: ``The spectacle of U.S. troops abandoning facilities and equipment, leaving the field in Afghanistan to the Taliban and ISIS, would be broadcast around the world as a symbol of U.S. defeat and humiliation, and a victory for Islamist extremism.'' President Trump deserves major credit--major credit--for reducing U.S. forces in Afghanistan to a sustainable level, scoring major victories against terrorists across the region, and ensuring the Afghans themselves are at the front of the fight. That same successful approach should continue until the conditions for the long-term defeat of ISIS and al-Qaida have been achieved. | 2020-01-06 | Mr. McCONNELL | Senate | CREC-2020-11-16-pt1-PgS6687-7 | null | 1,622 |
formal | radical Islamic terrorists | null | Islamophobic | Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, on a totally different matter, the last several days have brought renewed speculation about the prospect of rapidly withdrawing all U.S. military forces from Syria, Iraq, and Afghanistan. Here in Congress, a small minority in both parties seem to think it is in America's power to unilaterally remove conflicts by simply walking away from them. Let me say that again. A small minority in both parties seem to think itis in America's power to unilaterally resolve conflicts by simply walking away from them. Of course all wars must end. The question is now how they end and whether the terms on which they end are favorable or unfavorable to the security and interests of the United States. And nothing about the circumstances we face today suggests that if we lose resolve, the terrorists will simply leave us alone. Over the last 4 years, the Trump administration has made tremendous headway in creating the conditions that will secure the enduring defeat of the terrorists. This President and his policies have strengthened America's hand in multiple Middle East conflicts while reducing the risks and costs to our country. The ISIS caliphate has been shattered, and millions have been liberated from their brutal rule. We have removed master terrorists like al-Baghdadi, Soleimani, and senior al-Qaida and ISIS leaders from the battlefield. The Trump administration has brokered diplomatic successes that should help bring long-term stability and more economic opportunity to a troubled region. The Abraham Accords are a geostrategic game changer. The last 4 years have also brought increased skin in the game from our allies and our partners. Our friends in Europe and elsewhere have a shared interest in stopping safe havens for terror. Today, in Africa, our limited American presence supports a multinational initiative led by France to combat radical Islamic terrorists. Likewise, in places where American forces continue to play roles in ongoing conflicts across the broader Middle East, Secretaries Mattis and Esper worked hard and successfully to secure renewed contributions from European partners and to transition our posture more and more toward a supporting role. Our local partners are demonstrably shouldering the lion's share of the burden in the fight. In neither Afghanistan nor Iraq nor Syria are American combat forces playing a primary role. We have scored major battlefield successes by supporting and working with and through local partners, such as the Afghan National Security Forces, the elite Iraqi Counter Terrorism Service, and the local Kurdish and Arab fighters of the Syrian Democratic Forces. So the situation we face today is totally different than what we faced 10 years ago. We do not have hundreds of thousands of soldiers engaged in combat abroad. We do not have hundreds of thousands of soldiers engaged in combat abroad. We are not an occupying force. Today, our limited American military presence in the Middle East is supporting local forces and enabling multinational efforts. We are playing a limited--limited but important role in defending American national security and American interests against terrorists who would like nothing more than for the most powerful force for good in the world to simply pick up our ball and go home. They would love that. That is why, last year, 70 Senators--a bipartisan supermajority--voted for an amendment I authored that acknowledged the progress made in Syria and Afghanistan, identified the risks that remain, and cautioned that precipitous withdrawal would create vacuums that Iran, Russia, and the terrorists would be delighted--delighted--to fill. There is no American who does not wish the war in Afghanistan against terrorists and their enablers had already been conclusively won. But that does not change the actual choice before us now. A rapid withdrawal of U.S. forces from Afghanistan now would hurt our allies and delight--delight--the people who wish us harm. Violence affecting Afghans is still rampant. The Taliban is not abiding by the conditions of the so-called peace deal. The consequences of a premature American exit would likely be even worse than President Obama's withdrawal from Iraq back in 2011, which fueled--fueled--the rise of ISIS and a new round of global terrorism. It would be reminiscent of the humiliating American departure from Saigon in 1975. We would be abandoning our partners in Afghanistan, the brave Afghans who are fighting the terrorists and destroying the government's leverage in their talks with the Taliban that are designed to end the fighting. Our retreat would embolden the Taliban, especially the deadly Haqqani wing, and risk plunging Afghan women and girls back into what they experienced back in the 1990s. It would hand a weakened and scattered al-Qaida a big, big propaganda victory and a renewed safe haven for plotting attacks against America. And it would be welcome news to Iran, which has long provided arms and support to the Taliban and explicitly seeks our retreat from the Middle East. A disorganized retreat would jeopardize the track record of major successes this administration has worked hard to compile. A number of former officials and Ambassadors recently stated: ``The spectacle of U.S. troops abandoning facilities and equipment, leaving the field in Afghanistan to the Taliban and ISIS, would be broadcast around the world as a symbol of U.S. defeat and humiliation, and a victory for Islamist extremism.'' President Trump deserves major credit--major credit--for reducing U.S. forces in Afghanistan to a sustainable level, scoring major victories against terrorists across the region, and ensuring the Afghans themselves are at the front of the fight. That same successful approach should continue until the conditions for the long-term defeat of ISIS and al-Qaida have been achieved. | 2020-01-06 | Mr. McCONNELL | Senate | CREC-2020-11-16-pt1-PgS6687-7 | null | 1,623 |
formal | radical Islamic terrorist | null | Islamophobic | Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, on a totally different matter, the last several days have brought renewed speculation about the prospect of rapidly withdrawing all U.S. military forces from Syria, Iraq, and Afghanistan. Here in Congress, a small minority in both parties seem to think it is in America's power to unilaterally remove conflicts by simply walking away from them. Let me say that again. A small minority in both parties seem to think itis in America's power to unilaterally resolve conflicts by simply walking away from them. Of course all wars must end. The question is now how they end and whether the terms on which they end are favorable or unfavorable to the security and interests of the United States. And nothing about the circumstances we face today suggests that if we lose resolve, the terrorists will simply leave us alone. Over the last 4 years, the Trump administration has made tremendous headway in creating the conditions that will secure the enduring defeat of the terrorists. This President and his policies have strengthened America's hand in multiple Middle East conflicts while reducing the risks and costs to our country. The ISIS caliphate has been shattered, and millions have been liberated from their brutal rule. We have removed master terrorists like al-Baghdadi, Soleimani, and senior al-Qaida and ISIS leaders from the battlefield. The Trump administration has brokered diplomatic successes that should help bring long-term stability and more economic opportunity to a troubled region. The Abraham Accords are a geostrategic game changer. The last 4 years have also brought increased skin in the game from our allies and our partners. Our friends in Europe and elsewhere have a shared interest in stopping safe havens for terror. Today, in Africa, our limited American presence supports a multinational initiative led by France to combat radical Islamic terrorists. Likewise, in places where American forces continue to play roles in ongoing conflicts across the broader Middle East, Secretaries Mattis and Esper worked hard and successfully to secure renewed contributions from European partners and to transition our posture more and more toward a supporting role. Our local partners are demonstrably shouldering the lion's share of the burden in the fight. In neither Afghanistan nor Iraq nor Syria are American combat forces playing a primary role. We have scored major battlefield successes by supporting and working with and through local partners, such as the Afghan National Security Forces, the elite Iraqi Counter Terrorism Service, and the local Kurdish and Arab fighters of the Syrian Democratic Forces. So the situation we face today is totally different than what we faced 10 years ago. We do not have hundreds of thousands of soldiers engaged in combat abroad. We do not have hundreds of thousands of soldiers engaged in combat abroad. We are not an occupying force. Today, our limited American military presence in the Middle East is supporting local forces and enabling multinational efforts. We are playing a limited--limited but important role in defending American national security and American interests against terrorists who would like nothing more than for the most powerful force for good in the world to simply pick up our ball and go home. They would love that. That is why, last year, 70 Senators--a bipartisan supermajority--voted for an amendment I authored that acknowledged the progress made in Syria and Afghanistan, identified the risks that remain, and cautioned that precipitous withdrawal would create vacuums that Iran, Russia, and the terrorists would be delighted--delighted--to fill. There is no American who does not wish the war in Afghanistan against terrorists and their enablers had already been conclusively won. But that does not change the actual choice before us now. A rapid withdrawal of U.S. forces from Afghanistan now would hurt our allies and delight--delight--the people who wish us harm. Violence affecting Afghans is still rampant. The Taliban is not abiding by the conditions of the so-called peace deal. The consequences of a premature American exit would likely be even worse than President Obama's withdrawal from Iraq back in 2011, which fueled--fueled--the rise of ISIS and a new round of global terrorism. It would be reminiscent of the humiliating American departure from Saigon in 1975. We would be abandoning our partners in Afghanistan, the brave Afghans who are fighting the terrorists and destroying the government's leverage in their talks with the Taliban that are designed to end the fighting. Our retreat would embolden the Taliban, especially the deadly Haqqani wing, and risk plunging Afghan women and girls back into what they experienced back in the 1990s. It would hand a weakened and scattered al-Qaida a big, big propaganda victory and a renewed safe haven for plotting attacks against America. And it would be welcome news to Iran, which has long provided arms and support to the Taliban and explicitly seeks our retreat from the Middle East. A disorganized retreat would jeopardize the track record of major successes this administration has worked hard to compile. A number of former officials and Ambassadors recently stated: ``The spectacle of U.S. troops abandoning facilities and equipment, leaving the field in Afghanistan to the Taliban and ISIS, would be broadcast around the world as a symbol of U.S. defeat and humiliation, and a victory for Islamist extremism.'' President Trump deserves major credit--major credit--for reducing U.S. forces in Afghanistan to a sustainable level, scoring major victories against terrorists across the region, and ensuring the Afghans themselves are at the front of the fight. That same successful approach should continue until the conditions for the long-term defeat of ISIS and al-Qaida have been achieved. | 2020-01-06 | Mr. McCONNELL | Senate | CREC-2020-11-16-pt1-PgS6687-7 | null | 1,624 |
formal | terrorists | null | Islamophobic | Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, on a totally different matter, the last several days have brought renewed speculation about the prospect of rapidly withdrawing all U.S. military forces from Syria, Iraq, and Afghanistan. Here in Congress, a small minority in both parties seem to think it is in America's power to unilaterally remove conflicts by simply walking away from them. Let me say that again. A small minority in both parties seem to think itis in America's power to unilaterally resolve conflicts by simply walking away from them. Of course all wars must end. The question is now how they end and whether the terms on which they end are favorable or unfavorable to the security and interests of the United States. And nothing about the circumstances we face today suggests that if we lose resolve, the terrorists will simply leave us alone. Over the last 4 years, the Trump administration has made tremendous headway in creating the conditions that will secure the enduring defeat of the terrorists. This President and his policies have strengthened America's hand in multiple Middle East conflicts while reducing the risks and costs to our country. The ISIS caliphate has been shattered, and millions have been liberated from their brutal rule. We have removed master terrorists like al-Baghdadi, Soleimani, and senior al-Qaida and ISIS leaders from the battlefield. The Trump administration has brokered diplomatic successes that should help bring long-term stability and more economic opportunity to a troubled region. The Abraham Accords are a geostrategic game changer. The last 4 years have also brought increased skin in the game from our allies and our partners. Our friends in Europe and elsewhere have a shared interest in stopping safe havens for terror. Today, in Africa, our limited American presence supports a multinational initiative led by France to combat radical Islamic terrorists. Likewise, in places where American forces continue to play roles in ongoing conflicts across the broader Middle East, Secretaries Mattis and Esper worked hard and successfully to secure renewed contributions from European partners and to transition our posture more and more toward a supporting role. Our local partners are demonstrably shouldering the lion's share of the burden in the fight. In neither Afghanistan nor Iraq nor Syria are American combat forces playing a primary role. We have scored major battlefield successes by supporting and working with and through local partners, such as the Afghan National Security Forces, the elite Iraqi Counter Terrorism Service, and the local Kurdish and Arab fighters of the Syrian Democratic Forces. So the situation we face today is totally different than what we faced 10 years ago. We do not have hundreds of thousands of soldiers engaged in combat abroad. We do not have hundreds of thousands of soldiers engaged in combat abroad. We are not an occupying force. Today, our limited American military presence in the Middle East is supporting local forces and enabling multinational efforts. We are playing a limited--limited but important role in defending American national security and American interests against terrorists who would like nothing more than for the most powerful force for good in the world to simply pick up our ball and go home. They would love that. That is why, last year, 70 Senators--a bipartisan supermajority--voted for an amendment I authored that acknowledged the progress made in Syria and Afghanistan, identified the risks that remain, and cautioned that precipitous withdrawal would create vacuums that Iran, Russia, and the terrorists would be delighted--delighted--to fill. There is no American who does not wish the war in Afghanistan against terrorists and their enablers had already been conclusively won. But that does not change the actual choice before us now. A rapid withdrawal of U.S. forces from Afghanistan now would hurt our allies and delight--delight--the people who wish us harm. Violence affecting Afghans is still rampant. The Taliban is not abiding by the conditions of the so-called peace deal. The consequences of a premature American exit would likely be even worse than President Obama's withdrawal from Iraq back in 2011, which fueled--fueled--the rise of ISIS and a new round of global terrorism. It would be reminiscent of the humiliating American departure from Saigon in 1975. We would be abandoning our partners in Afghanistan, the brave Afghans who are fighting the terrorists and destroying the government's leverage in their talks with the Taliban that are designed to end the fighting. Our retreat would embolden the Taliban, especially the deadly Haqqani wing, and risk plunging Afghan women and girls back into what they experienced back in the 1990s. It would hand a weakened and scattered al-Qaida a big, big propaganda victory and a renewed safe haven for plotting attacks against America. And it would be welcome news to Iran, which has long provided arms and support to the Taliban and explicitly seeks our retreat from the Middle East. A disorganized retreat would jeopardize the track record of major successes this administration has worked hard to compile. A number of former officials and Ambassadors recently stated: ``The spectacle of U.S. troops abandoning facilities and equipment, leaving the field in Afghanistan to the Taliban and ISIS, would be broadcast around the world as a symbol of U.S. defeat and humiliation, and a victory for Islamist extremism.'' President Trump deserves major credit--major credit--for reducing U.S. forces in Afghanistan to a sustainable level, scoring major victories against terrorists across the region, and ensuring the Afghans themselves are at the front of the fight. That same successful approach should continue until the conditions for the long-term defeat of ISIS and al-Qaida have been achieved. | 2020-01-06 | Mr. McCONNELL | Senate | CREC-2020-11-16-pt1-PgS6687-7 | null | 1,625 |
formal | Islamist | null | Islamophobic | Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, on a totally different matter, the last several days have brought renewed speculation about the prospect of rapidly withdrawing all U.S. military forces from Syria, Iraq, and Afghanistan. Here in Congress, a small minority in both parties seem to think it is in America's power to unilaterally remove conflicts by simply walking away from them. Let me say that again. A small minority in both parties seem to think itis in America's power to unilaterally resolve conflicts by simply walking away from them. Of course all wars must end. The question is now how they end and whether the terms on which they end are favorable or unfavorable to the security and interests of the United States. And nothing about the circumstances we face today suggests that if we lose resolve, the terrorists will simply leave us alone. Over the last 4 years, the Trump administration has made tremendous headway in creating the conditions that will secure the enduring defeat of the terrorists. This President and his policies have strengthened America's hand in multiple Middle East conflicts while reducing the risks and costs to our country. The ISIS caliphate has been shattered, and millions have been liberated from their brutal rule. We have removed master terrorists like al-Baghdadi, Soleimani, and senior al-Qaida and ISIS leaders from the battlefield. The Trump administration has brokered diplomatic successes that should help bring long-term stability and more economic opportunity to a troubled region. The Abraham Accords are a geostrategic game changer. The last 4 years have also brought increased skin in the game from our allies and our partners. Our friends in Europe and elsewhere have a shared interest in stopping safe havens for terror. Today, in Africa, our limited American presence supports a multinational initiative led by France to combat radical Islamic terrorists. Likewise, in places where American forces continue to play roles in ongoing conflicts across the broader Middle East, Secretaries Mattis and Esper worked hard and successfully to secure renewed contributions from European partners and to transition our posture more and more toward a supporting role. Our local partners are demonstrably shouldering the lion's share of the burden in the fight. In neither Afghanistan nor Iraq nor Syria are American combat forces playing a primary role. We have scored major battlefield successes by supporting and working with and through local partners, such as the Afghan National Security Forces, the elite Iraqi Counter Terrorism Service, and the local Kurdish and Arab fighters of the Syrian Democratic Forces. So the situation we face today is totally different than what we faced 10 years ago. We do not have hundreds of thousands of soldiers engaged in combat abroad. We do not have hundreds of thousands of soldiers engaged in combat abroad. We are not an occupying force. Today, our limited American military presence in the Middle East is supporting local forces and enabling multinational efforts. We are playing a limited--limited but important role in defending American national security and American interests against terrorists who would like nothing more than for the most powerful force for good in the world to simply pick up our ball and go home. They would love that. That is why, last year, 70 Senators--a bipartisan supermajority--voted for an amendment I authored that acknowledged the progress made in Syria and Afghanistan, identified the risks that remain, and cautioned that precipitous withdrawal would create vacuums that Iran, Russia, and the terrorists would be delighted--delighted--to fill. There is no American who does not wish the war in Afghanistan against terrorists and their enablers had already been conclusively won. But that does not change the actual choice before us now. A rapid withdrawal of U.S. forces from Afghanistan now would hurt our allies and delight--delight--the people who wish us harm. Violence affecting Afghans is still rampant. The Taliban is not abiding by the conditions of the so-called peace deal. The consequences of a premature American exit would likely be even worse than President Obama's withdrawal from Iraq back in 2011, which fueled--fueled--the rise of ISIS and a new round of global terrorism. It would be reminiscent of the humiliating American departure from Saigon in 1975. We would be abandoning our partners in Afghanistan, the brave Afghans who are fighting the terrorists and destroying the government's leverage in their talks with the Taliban that are designed to end the fighting. Our retreat would embolden the Taliban, especially the deadly Haqqani wing, and risk plunging Afghan women and girls back into what they experienced back in the 1990s. It would hand a weakened and scattered al-Qaida a big, big propaganda victory and a renewed safe haven for plotting attacks against America. And it would be welcome news to Iran, which has long provided arms and support to the Taliban and explicitly seeks our retreat from the Middle East. A disorganized retreat would jeopardize the track record of major successes this administration has worked hard to compile. A number of former officials and Ambassadors recently stated: ``The spectacle of U.S. troops abandoning facilities and equipment, leaving the field in Afghanistan to the Taliban and ISIS, would be broadcast around the world as a symbol of U.S. defeat and humiliation, and a victory for Islamist extremism.'' President Trump deserves major credit--major credit--for reducing U.S. forces in Afghanistan to a sustainable level, scoring major victories against terrorists across the region, and ensuring the Afghans themselves are at the front of the fight. That same successful approach should continue until the conditions for the long-term defeat of ISIS and al-Qaida have been achieved. | 2020-01-06 | Mr. McCONNELL | Senate | CREC-2020-11-16-pt1-PgS6687-7 | null | 1,626 |
formal | radical Islam | null | Islamophobic | Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, on a totally different matter, the last several days have brought renewed speculation about the prospect of rapidly withdrawing all U.S. military forces from Syria, Iraq, and Afghanistan. Here in Congress, a small minority in both parties seem to think it is in America's power to unilaterally remove conflicts by simply walking away from them. Let me say that again. A small minority in both parties seem to think itis in America's power to unilaterally resolve conflicts by simply walking away from them. Of course all wars must end. The question is now how they end and whether the terms on which they end are favorable or unfavorable to the security and interests of the United States. And nothing about the circumstances we face today suggests that if we lose resolve, the terrorists will simply leave us alone. Over the last 4 years, the Trump administration has made tremendous headway in creating the conditions that will secure the enduring defeat of the terrorists. This President and his policies have strengthened America's hand in multiple Middle East conflicts while reducing the risks and costs to our country. The ISIS caliphate has been shattered, and millions have been liberated from their brutal rule. We have removed master terrorists like al-Baghdadi, Soleimani, and senior al-Qaida and ISIS leaders from the battlefield. The Trump administration has brokered diplomatic successes that should help bring long-term stability and more economic opportunity to a troubled region. The Abraham Accords are a geostrategic game changer. The last 4 years have also brought increased skin in the game from our allies and our partners. Our friends in Europe and elsewhere have a shared interest in stopping safe havens for terror. Today, in Africa, our limited American presence supports a multinational initiative led by France to combat radical Islamic terrorists. Likewise, in places where American forces continue to play roles in ongoing conflicts across the broader Middle East, Secretaries Mattis and Esper worked hard and successfully to secure renewed contributions from European partners and to transition our posture more and more toward a supporting role. Our local partners are demonstrably shouldering the lion's share of the burden in the fight. In neither Afghanistan nor Iraq nor Syria are American combat forces playing a primary role. We have scored major battlefield successes by supporting and working with and through local partners, such as the Afghan National Security Forces, the elite Iraqi Counter Terrorism Service, and the local Kurdish and Arab fighters of the Syrian Democratic Forces. So the situation we face today is totally different than what we faced 10 years ago. We do not have hundreds of thousands of soldiers engaged in combat abroad. We do not have hundreds of thousands of soldiers engaged in combat abroad. We are not an occupying force. Today, our limited American military presence in the Middle East is supporting local forces and enabling multinational efforts. We are playing a limited--limited but important role in defending American national security and American interests against terrorists who would like nothing more than for the most powerful force for good in the world to simply pick up our ball and go home. They would love that. That is why, last year, 70 Senators--a bipartisan supermajority--voted for an amendment I authored that acknowledged the progress made in Syria and Afghanistan, identified the risks that remain, and cautioned that precipitous withdrawal would create vacuums that Iran, Russia, and the terrorists would be delighted--delighted--to fill. There is no American who does not wish the war in Afghanistan against terrorists and their enablers had already been conclusively won. But that does not change the actual choice before us now. A rapid withdrawal of U.S. forces from Afghanistan now would hurt our allies and delight--delight--the people who wish us harm. Violence affecting Afghans is still rampant. The Taliban is not abiding by the conditions of the so-called peace deal. The consequences of a premature American exit would likely be even worse than President Obama's withdrawal from Iraq back in 2011, which fueled--fueled--the rise of ISIS and a new round of global terrorism. It would be reminiscent of the humiliating American departure from Saigon in 1975. We would be abandoning our partners in Afghanistan, the brave Afghans who are fighting the terrorists and destroying the government's leverage in their talks with the Taliban that are designed to end the fighting. Our retreat would embolden the Taliban, especially the deadly Haqqani wing, and risk plunging Afghan women and girls back into what they experienced back in the 1990s. It would hand a weakened and scattered al-Qaida a big, big propaganda victory and a renewed safe haven for plotting attacks against America. And it would be welcome news to Iran, which has long provided arms and support to the Taliban and explicitly seeks our retreat from the Middle East. A disorganized retreat would jeopardize the track record of major successes this administration has worked hard to compile. A number of former officials and Ambassadors recently stated: ``The spectacle of U.S. troops abandoning facilities and equipment, leaving the field in Afghanistan to the Taliban and ISIS, would be broadcast around the world as a symbol of U.S. defeat and humiliation, and a victory for Islamist extremism.'' President Trump deserves major credit--major credit--for reducing U.S. forces in Afghanistan to a sustainable level, scoring major victories against terrorists across the region, and ensuring the Afghans themselves are at the front of the fight. That same successful approach should continue until the conditions for the long-term defeat of ISIS and al-Qaida have been achieved. | 2020-01-06 | Mr. McCONNELL | Senate | CREC-2020-11-16-pt1-PgS6687-7 | null | 1,627 |
formal | Federal Reserve | null | antisemitic | Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, tomorrow, the Senate will vote on the nomination of Judy Shelton to serve on the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve. Judy Shelton's views are breathtakingly extreme and retrograde. She actually seems to prefer the economic policies that foregroundedthe Great Depression. She has openly advocated a return to the gold standard. She has long questioned the need for Federal deposit insurance, and, in March 2009, in the midst of our last economic crisis, she questioned: Why do we need a central bank? Imagine someone like Ms. Shelton, with her retrograde views, sitting on the Federal Reserve during a time of economic crisis? Imagine someone like that making decisions about monetary policy back in April, when our economy was in free fall? We should not confirm to the Federal Reserve someone who would likely stymie efforts to dig ourselves out of this economic crisis. I urge every one of my colleagues, Democratic and Republican, to reject this terrible, terrible nomination. | 2020-01-06 | Mr. SCHUMER | Senate | CREC-2020-11-16-pt1-PgS6688-3 | null | 1,628 |
formal | the Fed | null | antisemitic | Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, tomorrow, the Senate will vote on the nomination of Judy Shelton to serve on the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve. Judy Shelton's views are breathtakingly extreme and retrograde. She actually seems to prefer the economic policies that foregroundedthe Great Depression. She has openly advocated a return to the gold standard. She has long questioned the need for Federal deposit insurance, and, in March 2009, in the midst of our last economic crisis, she questioned: Why do we need a central bank? Imagine someone like Ms. Shelton, with her retrograde views, sitting on the Federal Reserve during a time of economic crisis? Imagine someone like that making decisions about monetary policy back in April, when our economy was in free fall? We should not confirm to the Federal Reserve someone who would likely stymie efforts to dig ourselves out of this economic crisis. I urge every one of my colleagues, Democratic and Republican, to reject this terrible, terrible nomination. | 2020-01-06 | Mr. SCHUMER | Senate | CREC-2020-11-16-pt1-PgS6688-3 | null | 1,629 |
formal | single | null | homophobic | The Chaplain, the Reverend Patrick J. Conroy, offered the following prayer: Loving and gracious Lord of mercy, we give You thanks for giving us another day. In this single week after a long campaign season and before breaking once again for Thanksgiving, bless the Members of the people's House with focus and purpose on the issues facing them. We ask Your blessing as well on those newly elected who will be joining this assembly for the 117th Congress. May their transition into office be smooth and marked by the civility of democratic change of government, which is the rightful pride of the United States of America. Lord, our Nation continues to be besieged by the plague of the coronavirus. Send Your spirit of peace, that our people might be brought together to address the dangers of this disease as we approach seasons of family and community celebration. Bless as well those who continue to labor to bring health and relief to those who are ill. May all that is done this day be for Your greater honor and glory. Amen. | 2020-01-06 | Unknown | House | CREC-2020-11-17-pt1-PgH5802-3 | null | 1,630 |
formal | XX | null | transphobic | The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, the Chair will postpone further proceedings today on motions to suspend the rules on which the yeas and nays are ordered. The House will resume proceedings on postponed questions at a later time. | 2020-01-06 | The SPEAKER pro tempore | House | CREC-2020-11-17-pt1-PgH5803-4 | null | 1,631 |
formal | the Fed | null | antisemitic | Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 5668) to amend the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to modernize the labeling of certain generic drugs, and for other purposes, as amended. | 2020-01-06 | Mr. PALLONE | House | CREC-2020-11-17-pt1-PgH5805 | null | 1,632 |
formal | the Fed | null | antisemitic | Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 4712) to amend the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act with respect to limitations on exclusive approval or licensure of orphan drugs, and for other purposes, as amended. | 2020-01-06 | Mr. PALLONE | House | CREC-2020-11-17-pt1-PgH5807 | null | 1,633 |
formal | the Fed | null | antisemitic | Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 6096) to improve oversight by the Federal Communications Commission of the wireless and broadcast emergency alert systems, as amended. | 2020-01-06 | Mr. PALLONE | House | CREC-2020-11-17-pt1-PgH5820 | null | 1,634 |
formal | the Fed | null | antisemitic | Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 6435) to direct the Federal Trade Commission to develop and disseminate information to the public about scams related to COVID-19, and for other purposes, as amended. | 2020-01-06 | Mr. PALLONE | House | CREC-2020-11-17-pt1-PgH5831 | null | 1,635 |
formal | the Fed | null | antisemitic | Mr. DeFAZIO. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 8408) to direct the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration to require certain safety standards relating to aircraft, and for other purposes, as amended. | 2020-01-06 | Mr. DeFAZIO | House | CREC-2020-11-17-pt1-PgH5835 | null | 1,636 |
formal | the Fed | null | antisemitic | Mr. DeFAZIO. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 8266) to modify the Federal cost share of certain emergency assistance provided under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act, to modify the activities eligible for assistance under the emergency declaration issued by the President on March 13, 2020, relating to COVID-19, and for other purposes, as amended. | 2020-01-06 | Mr. DeFAZIO | House | CREC-2020-11-17-pt1-PgH5847 | null | 1,637 |
formal | Reagan | null | white supremacist | Ms. NORTON. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 5919) to amend title 40, United States Code, to require the Administrator of General Services to enter into a cooperative agreement with the National Children's Museum to provide the National Children's Museum rental space without charge in the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center, and for other purposes, as amended. | 2020-01-06 | Ms. NORTON | House | CREC-2020-11-17-pt1-PgH5853 | null | 1,638 |
formal | the Fed | null | antisemitic | Ms. NORTON. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 5953) to amend the Disaster Recovery Reform Act of 2018 to require the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency to waive certain debts owed to the United States related to covered assistance provided to an individual or household, and for other purposes, as amended. | 2020-01-06 | Ms. NORTON | House | CREC-2020-11-17-pt1-PgH5856 | null | 1,639 |
formal | the Fed | null | antisemitic | Ms. NORTON. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 4358) to direct the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency to submit to Congress a report on preliminary damage assessment and to establish damage assessment teams in the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and for other purposes, as amended. | 2020-01-06 | Ms. NORTON | House | CREC-2020-11-17-pt1-PgH5858 | null | 1,640 |
formal | XX | null | transphobic | The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, the unfinished business is the vote on the motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 4611) to modify permitting requirements with respect to the discharge of any pollutant from the Point Loma Wastewater Treatment Plant in certain circumstances, and for other purposes, as amended, on which the yeas and nays were ordered. | 2020-01-06 | The SPEAKER pro tempore | House | CREC-2020-11-17-pt1-PgH5861 | null | 1,641 |
formal | safeguard | null | transphobic | Under clause 2 of rule XIII, reports of committees were delivered to the Clerk for printing and reference to the proper calendar, as follows: Mr. PALLONE: Committee on Energy and Commerce. H.R. 7310. A bill to require the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information to submit to Congress a plan for the modernization of the information technology systems of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, and for other purposes (Re pt. 116-592, Pt. 1). Referred to the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union. Mr. MORELLE: Committee on Rules. House Resolution 1224. Resolution providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 8294) to amend the National Apprenticeship Act and expand the national apprenticeship system to include apprenticeships, youth apprenticeships, and pre-apprenticeship registered under such Act, to promote the furtherance of labor standards necessary to safeguard the welfare of apprentices, and for other purposes (Re pt. 116-593). Referred to the House Calendar. Mr. ENGEL: Committee on Foreign Affairs. H.R. 4644. A bill to clarify United States policy toward Libya, advance a diplomatic solution to the conflict in Libya, and support the people of Libya; with an amendment (Re pt. 116-594, Pt. 1). Referred to the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union. | 2020-01-06 | Unknown | House | CREC-2020-11-17-pt1-PgH5866-3 | null | 1,642 |
formal | welfare | null | racist | Under clause 2 of rule XIII, reports of committees were delivered to the Clerk for printing and reference to the proper calendar, as follows: Mr. PALLONE: Committee on Energy and Commerce. H.R. 7310. A bill to require the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information to submit to Congress a plan for the modernization of the information technology systems of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, and for other purposes (Re pt. 116-592, Pt. 1). Referred to the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union. Mr. MORELLE: Committee on Rules. House Resolution 1224. Resolution providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 8294) to amend the National Apprenticeship Act and expand the national apprenticeship system to include apprenticeships, youth apprenticeships, and pre-apprenticeship registered under such Act, to promote the furtherance of labor standards necessary to safeguard the welfare of apprentices, and for other purposes (Re pt. 116-593). Referred to the House Calendar. Mr. ENGEL: Committee on Foreign Affairs. H.R. 4644. A bill to clarify United States policy toward Libya, advance a diplomatic solution to the conflict in Libya, and support the people of Libya; with an amendment (Re pt. 116-594, Pt. 1). Referred to the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union. | 2020-01-06 | Unknown | House | CREC-2020-11-17-pt1-PgH5866-3 | null | 1,643 |
formal | blue | null | antisemitic | Mr. McCONNELL. Madam President, there is significant outstanding business that Congress needs to complete before the end of the year. My Republican colleagues and I have stated over and over that we still want to pass more coronavirus relief for the American people. Senate Republicans have voted multiple times to send hundreds of billions of dollars to schools, small businesses, healthcare, and laid-off workers. If Speaker Pelosi and Leader Schumer had not made the calculation to block it, that money could have been out the door many weeks ago. Instead, our Democratic colleagues have spent months--literally months--holding all of that urgent help hostage over unrelated, leftwing wish list items. Their so-called ``Heroes'' proposal is so unrealistic and poorly targeted that Speaker Pelosi's own moderate Democrats ridiculed the bill the instant she put it out and said it will never become law. It includes things like a massive tax cut for wealthy people in blue States and huge sums of money for State and city governments with no linkage to demonstrated COVID needs. Some blue States, including New York and California, have actually seen higher State income tax revenues this autumn than they saw during the same months last year, in part, because they are taxing a chunk out of vulnerable people's unemployment benefits. They are receiving more tax revenue now than they did in 2019. Some of these blue States are receiving more revenue now than they did in 2019. But, alas, Democrats still want coronavirus relief for the entire country held hostage over a massive slush fund for their own use. Well, even if our Democratic colleagues continue to block any bipartisan pandemic relief from becoming law, there are other responsibilities we still need to tackle together. The Federal Government is currently funded through December 11. The next few days will tell us a lot about whether Congress can pull off the bipartisan, bicameral appropriations process that I believe both sides would like to deliver. Last week, our colleagues on the Senate Appropriations Committee released all 12 bills for fiscal year 2021. The bills would fully fund all kinds of crucial priorities, from securing our border to caring for our veterans, to supporting public health at this particularly critical time. What needs to happen now is quite simple. Our colleagues on the committee and their counterparts in the House need to continue their bicameral discussions and settle on topline dollar amounts for each separate bill. I hope they will be able to reach this broad agreement by the end of this very week. That would help keep us on course to deliver full-year funding legislation, which helps our Armed Forces and all Federal agencies plan and get ahead of the curve by the December deadline. For nearly 2 years now, we have avoided the drama that has become aWashington routine and funded our government on a bipartisan basis. Last August, we passed a 2-year bipartisan funding agreement that let our committees do their work even amid this divided government. When both sides have honored the agreement and kept bills clean of poison pills, Chairman Shelby has been able to deliver full-year bills without drama. I hope we can replicate that successful pattern this year. Congress should also reach a bipartisan, bicameral compromise on the National Defense Authorization Act and pass a conference report before the end of the year. Our men and women in uniform need every tool and resource to confront the great-power competitors, rogue states, and terrorists who wish us harm. Congress should be an asset to our own servicemembers, not a liability This year would make the 60th consecutive year Congress will have passed an NDAA. This is no time to break that streak and leave our forces in the lurch. Let's get this done and pass a conference report through both Chambers this year. | 2020-01-06 | Mr. McCONNELL | Senate | CREC-2020-11-17-pt1-PgS7019-6 | null | 1,644 |
formal | tax cut | null | racist | Mr. McCONNELL. Madam President, there is significant outstanding business that Congress needs to complete before the end of the year. My Republican colleagues and I have stated over and over that we still want to pass more coronavirus relief for the American people. Senate Republicans have voted multiple times to send hundreds of billions of dollars to schools, small businesses, healthcare, and laid-off workers. If Speaker Pelosi and Leader Schumer had not made the calculation to block it, that money could have been out the door many weeks ago. Instead, our Democratic colleagues have spent months--literally months--holding all of that urgent help hostage over unrelated, leftwing wish list items. Their so-called ``Heroes'' proposal is so unrealistic and poorly targeted that Speaker Pelosi's own moderate Democrats ridiculed the bill the instant she put it out and said it will never become law. It includes things like a massive tax cut for wealthy people in blue States and huge sums of money for State and city governments with no linkage to demonstrated COVID needs. Some blue States, including New York and California, have actually seen higher State income tax revenues this autumn than they saw during the same months last year, in part, because they are taxing a chunk out of vulnerable people's unemployment benefits. They are receiving more tax revenue now than they did in 2019. Some of these blue States are receiving more revenue now than they did in 2019. But, alas, Democrats still want coronavirus relief for the entire country held hostage over a massive slush fund for their own use. Well, even if our Democratic colleagues continue to block any bipartisan pandemic relief from becoming law, there are other responsibilities we still need to tackle together. The Federal Government is currently funded through December 11. The next few days will tell us a lot about whether Congress can pull off the bipartisan, bicameral appropriations process that I believe both sides would like to deliver. Last week, our colleagues on the Senate Appropriations Committee released all 12 bills for fiscal year 2021. The bills would fully fund all kinds of crucial priorities, from securing our border to caring for our veterans, to supporting public health at this particularly critical time. What needs to happen now is quite simple. Our colleagues on the committee and their counterparts in the House need to continue their bicameral discussions and settle on topline dollar amounts for each separate bill. I hope they will be able to reach this broad agreement by the end of this very week. That would help keep us on course to deliver full-year funding legislation, which helps our Armed Forces and all Federal agencies plan and get ahead of the curve by the December deadline. For nearly 2 years now, we have avoided the drama that has become aWashington routine and funded our government on a bipartisan basis. Last August, we passed a 2-year bipartisan funding agreement that let our committees do their work even amid this divided government. When both sides have honored the agreement and kept bills clean of poison pills, Chairman Shelby has been able to deliver full-year bills without drama. I hope we can replicate that successful pattern this year. Congress should also reach a bipartisan, bicameral compromise on the National Defense Authorization Act and pass a conference report before the end of the year. Our men and women in uniform need every tool and resource to confront the great-power competitors, rogue states, and terrorists who wish us harm. Congress should be an asset to our own servicemembers, not a liability This year would make the 60th consecutive year Congress will have passed an NDAA. This is no time to break that streak and leave our forces in the lurch. Let's get this done and pass a conference report through both Chambers this year. | 2020-01-06 | Mr. McCONNELL | Senate | CREC-2020-11-17-pt1-PgS7019-6 | null | 1,645 |
formal | terrorists | null | Islamophobic | Mr. McCONNELL. Madam President, there is significant outstanding business that Congress needs to complete before the end of the year. My Republican colleagues and I have stated over and over that we still want to pass more coronavirus relief for the American people. Senate Republicans have voted multiple times to send hundreds of billions of dollars to schools, small businesses, healthcare, and laid-off workers. If Speaker Pelosi and Leader Schumer had not made the calculation to block it, that money could have been out the door many weeks ago. Instead, our Democratic colleagues have spent months--literally months--holding all of that urgent help hostage over unrelated, leftwing wish list items. Their so-called ``Heroes'' proposal is so unrealistic and poorly targeted that Speaker Pelosi's own moderate Democrats ridiculed the bill the instant she put it out and said it will never become law. It includes things like a massive tax cut for wealthy people in blue States and huge sums of money for State and city governments with no linkage to demonstrated COVID needs. Some blue States, including New York and California, have actually seen higher State income tax revenues this autumn than they saw during the same months last year, in part, because they are taxing a chunk out of vulnerable people's unemployment benefits. They are receiving more tax revenue now than they did in 2019. Some of these blue States are receiving more revenue now than they did in 2019. But, alas, Democrats still want coronavirus relief for the entire country held hostage over a massive slush fund for their own use. Well, even if our Democratic colleagues continue to block any bipartisan pandemic relief from becoming law, there are other responsibilities we still need to tackle together. The Federal Government is currently funded through December 11. The next few days will tell us a lot about whether Congress can pull off the bipartisan, bicameral appropriations process that I believe both sides would like to deliver. Last week, our colleagues on the Senate Appropriations Committee released all 12 bills for fiscal year 2021. The bills would fully fund all kinds of crucial priorities, from securing our border to caring for our veterans, to supporting public health at this particularly critical time. What needs to happen now is quite simple. Our colleagues on the committee and their counterparts in the House need to continue their bicameral discussions and settle on topline dollar amounts for each separate bill. I hope they will be able to reach this broad agreement by the end of this very week. That would help keep us on course to deliver full-year funding legislation, which helps our Armed Forces and all Federal agencies plan and get ahead of the curve by the December deadline. For nearly 2 years now, we have avoided the drama that has become aWashington routine and funded our government on a bipartisan basis. Last August, we passed a 2-year bipartisan funding agreement that let our committees do their work even amid this divided government. When both sides have honored the agreement and kept bills clean of poison pills, Chairman Shelby has been able to deliver full-year bills without drama. I hope we can replicate that successful pattern this year. Congress should also reach a bipartisan, bicameral compromise on the National Defense Authorization Act and pass a conference report before the end of the year. Our men and women in uniform need every tool and resource to confront the great-power competitors, rogue states, and terrorists who wish us harm. Congress should be an asset to our own servicemembers, not a liability This year would make the 60th consecutive year Congress will have passed an NDAA. This is no time to break that streak and leave our forces in the lurch. Let's get this done and pass a conference report through both Chambers this year. | 2020-01-06 | Mr. McCONNELL | Senate | CREC-2020-11-17-pt1-PgS7019-6 | null | 1,646 |
formal | securing our border | null | anti-Latino | Mr. McCONNELL. Madam President, there is significant outstanding business that Congress needs to complete before the end of the year. My Republican colleagues and I have stated over and over that we still want to pass more coronavirus relief for the American people. Senate Republicans have voted multiple times to send hundreds of billions of dollars to schools, small businesses, healthcare, and laid-off workers. If Speaker Pelosi and Leader Schumer had not made the calculation to block it, that money could have been out the door many weeks ago. Instead, our Democratic colleagues have spent months--literally months--holding all of that urgent help hostage over unrelated, leftwing wish list items. Their so-called ``Heroes'' proposal is so unrealistic and poorly targeted that Speaker Pelosi's own moderate Democrats ridiculed the bill the instant she put it out and said it will never become law. It includes things like a massive tax cut for wealthy people in blue States and huge sums of money for State and city governments with no linkage to demonstrated COVID needs. Some blue States, including New York and California, have actually seen higher State income tax revenues this autumn than they saw during the same months last year, in part, because they are taxing a chunk out of vulnerable people's unemployment benefits. They are receiving more tax revenue now than they did in 2019. Some of these blue States are receiving more revenue now than they did in 2019. But, alas, Democrats still want coronavirus relief for the entire country held hostage over a massive slush fund for their own use. Well, even if our Democratic colleagues continue to block any bipartisan pandemic relief from becoming law, there are other responsibilities we still need to tackle together. The Federal Government is currently funded through December 11. The next few days will tell us a lot about whether Congress can pull off the bipartisan, bicameral appropriations process that I believe both sides would like to deliver. Last week, our colleagues on the Senate Appropriations Committee released all 12 bills for fiscal year 2021. The bills would fully fund all kinds of crucial priorities, from securing our border to caring for our veterans, to supporting public health at this particularly critical time. What needs to happen now is quite simple. Our colleagues on the committee and their counterparts in the House need to continue their bicameral discussions and settle on topline dollar amounts for each separate bill. I hope they will be able to reach this broad agreement by the end of this very week. That would help keep us on course to deliver full-year funding legislation, which helps our Armed Forces and all Federal agencies plan and get ahead of the curve by the December deadline. For nearly 2 years now, we have avoided the drama that has become aWashington routine and funded our government on a bipartisan basis. Last August, we passed a 2-year bipartisan funding agreement that let our committees do their work even amid this divided government. When both sides have honored the agreement and kept bills clean of poison pills, Chairman Shelby has been able to deliver full-year bills without drama. I hope we can replicate that successful pattern this year. Congress should also reach a bipartisan, bicameral compromise on the National Defense Authorization Act and pass a conference report before the end of the year. Our men and women in uniform need every tool and resource to confront the great-power competitors, rogue states, and terrorists who wish us harm. Congress should be an asset to our own servicemembers, not a liability This year would make the 60th consecutive year Congress will have passed an NDAA. This is no time to break that streak and leave our forces in the lurch. Let's get this done and pass a conference report through both Chambers this year. | 2020-01-06 | Mr. McCONNELL | Senate | CREC-2020-11-17-pt1-PgS7019-6 | null | 1,647 |
formal | based | null | white supremacist | Mr. SCHUMER. Madam President, on Judy Shelton, today the Senate will vote on the nomination of Judy Shelton to serve as a member of the Board of Directors of the Federal Reserve. Ms. Shelton is, without a doubt, one of the most unqualified nominees I have ever seen for our Nation's central bank. When her nomination first came before the Senate Banking Committee, a former Republican aide to a Senator on the Banking Committee said that she was so unqualified and so far out of the mainstream that the ``idea of even calling Ms. Shelton as a witness for something was beyond the pale.'' That is a former Republican aide saying that Shelton wasn't qualified to be a witness in a committee hearing, let alone a nominee to the Federal Reserve Board of Governors. It is not hard to understand why. For years, Ms. Shelton has advocated for the resurrection of the gold standard, a long since discarded policy that in part led to the Great Depression. She has questioned the independence of the Fed and, beyond that, has even questioned whether the Fed should exist. Ms. Shelton has also suggested that we put an end to Federal deposit insurance, an institution that has protected American savings since the 1930s. That is why over 130 of the nation's top economists, including seven Nobel laureates, have opposed her nomination, as have countless alumni of the Federal Reserve Board of Governors. Ms. Shelton's views have another strange quality: They seem to change when it is politically convenient. When President Obama was in office, Ms. Shelton harangued the Fed to increase interest rates, despite the economic downturn. But in 2017, when President Trump took office, Ms. Shelton abruptly switched her position and argued that the Fed should reduce rates, in her words, ``as fast, as efficiently, as expeditiously as possible.'' It may surprise few to learn that she was an adviser to President Trump's 2016 campaign. She has defended his candidacy and his policies and encouraged world banks to hold international conferences at Mar-a-Lago. Imagine--a nominee for the Federal Reserve, which is supposed to be an independent body. I have fought both Democrats and Republicans when they have tried to interfere with the independence of the Fed, but Ms. Shelton doesn't seem to care about it at all. So that might be the most concerning thing about her nomination: her stunning lack of independence. The Federal Reserve Board must make decisions based on objective economic analysis and judgment, not whatever is best for one party or one occupant of the Oval Office. That is why terms on the Federal Reserve board last 14 years. We are supposed to trust Federal Reserve Governors to be neutral arbiters, no matter which party is in power in Washington. We are supposed to trust that everyone who serves on the Fed is first and foremost well qualified and truly independent. But, unfortunately, Judy Shelton is neither. Ms. Shelton has shown herself to be an economic weathervane, pointing whichever direction she thinks the partisan winds are blowing. Every single Democrat will oppose her nomination today. I understand a few of our Republican colleagues will oppose her nomination as well. The question is, Will enough of our colleagues on the other side stand up and do the right thing today? Members of this Chamber have stood up before to prevent President Trump from putting unqualified partisan advocates on the Federal Reserve. During these final few weeks of the Trump Presidency, it is time to do it again. I plead with my Republican colleagues, for the sake of an economy that is hurting from COVID, for the sake of our future economy and its growth, to reject Ms. Shelton's nomination. | 2020-01-06 | Mr. SCHUMER | Senate | CREC-2020-11-17-pt1-PgS7020-4 | null | 1,648 |
formal | Federal Reserve | null | antisemitic | Mr. SCHUMER. Madam President, on Judy Shelton, today the Senate will vote on the nomination of Judy Shelton to serve as a member of the Board of Directors of the Federal Reserve. Ms. Shelton is, without a doubt, one of the most unqualified nominees I have ever seen for our Nation's central bank. When her nomination first came before the Senate Banking Committee, a former Republican aide to a Senator on the Banking Committee said that she was so unqualified and so far out of the mainstream that the ``idea of even calling Ms. Shelton as a witness for something was beyond the pale.'' That is a former Republican aide saying that Shelton wasn't qualified to be a witness in a committee hearing, let alone a nominee to the Federal Reserve Board of Governors. It is not hard to understand why. For years, Ms. Shelton has advocated for the resurrection of the gold standard, a long since discarded policy that in part led to the Great Depression. She has questioned the independence of the Fed and, beyond that, has even questioned whether the Fed should exist. Ms. Shelton has also suggested that we put an end to Federal deposit insurance, an institution that has protected American savings since the 1930s. That is why over 130 of the nation's top economists, including seven Nobel laureates, have opposed her nomination, as have countless alumni of the Federal Reserve Board of Governors. Ms. Shelton's views have another strange quality: They seem to change when it is politically convenient. When President Obama was in office, Ms. Shelton harangued the Fed to increase interest rates, despite the economic downturn. But in 2017, when President Trump took office, Ms. Shelton abruptly switched her position and argued that the Fed should reduce rates, in her words, ``as fast, as efficiently, as expeditiously as possible.'' It may surprise few to learn that she was an adviser to President Trump's 2016 campaign. She has defended his candidacy and his policies and encouraged world banks to hold international conferences at Mar-a-Lago. Imagine--a nominee for the Federal Reserve, which is supposed to be an independent body. I have fought both Democrats and Republicans when they have tried to interfere with the independence of the Fed, but Ms. Shelton doesn't seem to care about it at all. So that might be the most concerning thing about her nomination: her stunning lack of independence. The Federal Reserve Board must make decisions based on objective economic analysis and judgment, not whatever is best for one party or one occupant of the Oval Office. That is why terms on the Federal Reserve board last 14 years. We are supposed to trust Federal Reserve Governors to be neutral arbiters, no matter which party is in power in Washington. We are supposed to trust that everyone who serves on the Fed is first and foremost well qualified and truly independent. But, unfortunately, Judy Shelton is neither. Ms. Shelton has shown herself to be an economic weathervane, pointing whichever direction she thinks the partisan winds are blowing. Every single Democrat will oppose her nomination today. I understand a few of our Republican colleagues will oppose her nomination as well. The question is, Will enough of our colleagues on the other side stand up and do the right thing today? Members of this Chamber have stood up before to prevent President Trump from putting unqualified partisan advocates on the Federal Reserve. During these final few weeks of the Trump Presidency, it is time to do it again. I plead with my Republican colleagues, for the sake of an economy that is hurting from COVID, for the sake of our future economy and its growth, to reject Ms. Shelton's nomination. | 2020-01-06 | Mr. SCHUMER | Senate | CREC-2020-11-17-pt1-PgS7020-4 | null | 1,649 |
formal | the Fed | null | antisemitic | Mr. SCHUMER. Madam President, on Judy Shelton, today the Senate will vote on the nomination of Judy Shelton to serve as a member of the Board of Directors of the Federal Reserve. Ms. Shelton is, without a doubt, one of the most unqualified nominees I have ever seen for our Nation's central bank. When her nomination first came before the Senate Banking Committee, a former Republican aide to a Senator on the Banking Committee said that she was so unqualified and so far out of the mainstream that the ``idea of even calling Ms. Shelton as a witness for something was beyond the pale.'' That is a former Republican aide saying that Shelton wasn't qualified to be a witness in a committee hearing, let alone a nominee to the Federal Reserve Board of Governors. It is not hard to understand why. For years, Ms. Shelton has advocated for the resurrection of the gold standard, a long since discarded policy that in part led to the Great Depression. She has questioned the independence of the Fed and, beyond that, has even questioned whether the Fed should exist. Ms. Shelton has also suggested that we put an end to Federal deposit insurance, an institution that has protected American savings since the 1930s. That is why over 130 of the nation's top economists, including seven Nobel laureates, have opposed her nomination, as have countless alumni of the Federal Reserve Board of Governors. Ms. Shelton's views have another strange quality: They seem to change when it is politically convenient. When President Obama was in office, Ms. Shelton harangued the Fed to increase interest rates, despite the economic downturn. But in 2017, when President Trump took office, Ms. Shelton abruptly switched her position and argued that the Fed should reduce rates, in her words, ``as fast, as efficiently, as expeditiously as possible.'' It may surprise few to learn that she was an adviser to President Trump's 2016 campaign. She has defended his candidacy and his policies and encouraged world banks to hold international conferences at Mar-a-Lago. Imagine--a nominee for the Federal Reserve, which is supposed to be an independent body. I have fought both Democrats and Republicans when they have tried to interfere with the independence of the Fed, but Ms. Shelton doesn't seem to care about it at all. So that might be the most concerning thing about her nomination: her stunning lack of independence. The Federal Reserve Board must make decisions based on objective economic analysis and judgment, not whatever is best for one party or one occupant of the Oval Office. That is why terms on the Federal Reserve board last 14 years. We are supposed to trust Federal Reserve Governors to be neutral arbiters, no matter which party is in power in Washington. We are supposed to trust that everyone who serves on the Fed is first and foremost well qualified and truly independent. But, unfortunately, Judy Shelton is neither. Ms. Shelton has shown herself to be an economic weathervane, pointing whichever direction she thinks the partisan winds are blowing. Every single Democrat will oppose her nomination today. I understand a few of our Republican colleagues will oppose her nomination as well. The question is, Will enough of our colleagues on the other side stand up and do the right thing today? Members of this Chamber have stood up before to prevent President Trump from putting unqualified partisan advocates on the Federal Reserve. During these final few weeks of the Trump Presidency, it is time to do it again. I plead with my Republican colleagues, for the sake of an economy that is hurting from COVID, for the sake of our future economy and its growth, to reject Ms. Shelton's nomination. | 2020-01-06 | Mr. SCHUMER | Senate | CREC-2020-11-17-pt1-PgS7020-4 | null | 1,650 |
formal | single | null | homophobic | Mr. SCHUMER. Madam President, on Judy Shelton, today the Senate will vote on the nomination of Judy Shelton to serve as a member of the Board of Directors of the Federal Reserve. Ms. Shelton is, without a doubt, one of the most unqualified nominees I have ever seen for our Nation's central bank. When her nomination first came before the Senate Banking Committee, a former Republican aide to a Senator on the Banking Committee said that she was so unqualified and so far out of the mainstream that the ``idea of even calling Ms. Shelton as a witness for something was beyond the pale.'' That is a former Republican aide saying that Shelton wasn't qualified to be a witness in a committee hearing, let alone a nominee to the Federal Reserve Board of Governors. It is not hard to understand why. For years, Ms. Shelton has advocated for the resurrection of the gold standard, a long since discarded policy that in part led to the Great Depression. She has questioned the independence of the Fed and, beyond that, has even questioned whether the Fed should exist. Ms. Shelton has also suggested that we put an end to Federal deposit insurance, an institution that has protected American savings since the 1930s. That is why over 130 of the nation's top economists, including seven Nobel laureates, have opposed her nomination, as have countless alumni of the Federal Reserve Board of Governors. Ms. Shelton's views have another strange quality: They seem to change when it is politically convenient. When President Obama was in office, Ms. Shelton harangued the Fed to increase interest rates, despite the economic downturn. But in 2017, when President Trump took office, Ms. Shelton abruptly switched her position and argued that the Fed should reduce rates, in her words, ``as fast, as efficiently, as expeditiously as possible.'' It may surprise few to learn that she was an adviser to President Trump's 2016 campaign. She has defended his candidacy and his policies and encouraged world banks to hold international conferences at Mar-a-Lago. Imagine--a nominee for the Federal Reserve, which is supposed to be an independent body. I have fought both Democrats and Republicans when they have tried to interfere with the independence of the Fed, but Ms. Shelton doesn't seem to care about it at all. So that might be the most concerning thing about her nomination: her stunning lack of independence. The Federal Reserve Board must make decisions based on objective economic analysis and judgment, not whatever is best for one party or one occupant of the Oval Office. That is why terms on the Federal Reserve board last 14 years. We are supposed to trust Federal Reserve Governors to be neutral arbiters, no matter which party is in power in Washington. We are supposed to trust that everyone who serves on the Fed is first and foremost well qualified and truly independent. But, unfortunately, Judy Shelton is neither. Ms. Shelton has shown herself to be an economic weathervane, pointing whichever direction she thinks the partisan winds are blowing. Every single Democrat will oppose her nomination today. I understand a few of our Republican colleagues will oppose her nomination as well. The question is, Will enough of our colleagues on the other side stand up and do the right thing today? Members of this Chamber have stood up before to prevent President Trump from putting unqualified partisan advocates on the Federal Reserve. During these final few weeks of the Trump Presidency, it is time to do it again. I plead with my Republican colleagues, for the sake of an economy that is hurting from COVID, for the sake of our future economy and its growth, to reject Ms. Shelton's nomination. | 2020-01-06 | Mr. SCHUMER | Senate | CREC-2020-11-17-pt1-PgS7020-4 | null | 1,651 |
formal | the Fed | null | antisemitic | Mr. McCONNELL. Madam President, on another matter, while our committees are working, the full Senate is keeping busy with one of the core constitutional responsibilities we have: continuing to confirm well-qualified men and women to lifetime appointments to the Federal judiciary. Yesterday, we voted to advance the nomination of Kristi Haskins Johnson, the current solicitor general of Mississippi, with multiple impressive clerkships under her belt, to serve as a district judge for the Southern District of Mississippi. She will make history as the first woman to join the bench in that district. This is just the first of several nominations we will consider this week. We will also vote on Benjamin Beaton, a Kentuckian who has been nominated to be a district judge for the Western District of Kentucky. This Paducah native is yet another outstanding choice by President Trump. Mr. Beaton received a first-rate education from Kentucky's Centre College and then Columbia Law School, where he edited the law review. He clerked on the DC Circuit and on the Supreme Court for the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Since then, Mr. Beaton has excelled at some of the country's top law firms. He has also undertaken a substantial pro bono caseload and shown a dedication to community service. At each step, the nominee has demonstrated a firm commitment to the Constitution and the rule of law. The American Bar Association has confirmed what Kentuckians already knew--Mr. Beaton is well qualified to serve as a district judge. Last month, our colleagues on the Judiciary Committee advanced this brilliant nominee with no Members voting in opposition. I urge all my colleagues to join me in voting to confirm him later today and our other impressive nominees this week. Now, this week's nominees are only the latest example of the incredible qualifications that have characterized President Trump's nominees. Take the metric that our Democratic colleagues have called the ``gold standard,'' the ratings of the left-leaning American Bar Association. As of a few months ago, across all the people that President Trump had nominated to the Federal District Courts, 68.8 percent had earned the ABA's top rating--top rating--of ``well qualified.'' If you look back over the last seven Presidential administrations, only one--Bush 43--has managed to post a higher average rating for judicial nominations. Even then, it was only higher by just a hair--just a hair. Even the Democrats' own supposed ``gold standard'' destroys the talking point that President Trump's nominees have been less thoroughly qualified. It is just not factual. It is not true. Earlier this year, looking at clerkships and professional experience, one liberal commentator admitted that ``the average Trump appointee has a far more impressive resume than any past president's nominees.'' Let me say that again. This is a liberal commentator who follows these things and admitted that ``the average Trump appointee has a far more impressive resume than any past president's nominees.'' So it is pretty hard to argue that these haven't been extraordinary additions to our Federal courts. This is a tremendous accomplishment. These are judges who will serve our Nation honorably for generations to come. Our colleagues here in the Senate should be rightly proud to have confirmed them, and we are going to continue doing just that. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the mandatory quorum call with respect to the Beaton nomination be waived. | 2020-01-06 | Mr. McCONNELL | Senate | CREC-2020-11-17-pt1-PgS7020 | null | 1,652 |
formal | single | null | homophobic | Presidential Election Mr. President, losing an election hurts. I know. I lost three elections before I ever won one. I suspect that anyone who has ever lost an election has had to grapple with the disappointments, the what-ifs, and even a kind of sadness, bordering on anger, but that is the risk you take when you run for office. The voters have the last word. Never, until now, have we ever heard it suggested that a losing Presidential candidate ought to be allowed to put America's national security at risk because he is struggling mightily to accept his own loss in the election. Never, until now, have we tolerated a losing Presidential candidate's deliberately undermining Americans' faith in the integrity of our electoral system. Never before have we witnessed a losing Presidential candidate refuse, out of spite and anger, to follow the law and allow the peaceful, orderly transfer of power to his successor. Never before now could many Americans even imagine an outgoing President deliberately sabotaging our Nation's heroic efforts to bring an end to the deadliest health crisis in our country, but that is what is happening. It is shocking. It is dangerous. It is shameful. It needs to stop now. Some of my Republican colleagues ask: What harm can it do? We want to humor the President. He is going through a period of adjustment here. He lost an election. It hurts. The poor President--we have to stick with him. We have to parrot his theories of how there will be massive numbers of votes discovered somewhere. We know that he is raging in his tweets regularly. So he still must be in pain, the poor man, and we have to humor him. We have to tell him: Yes, Mr. President. You must be right. This election must have been stolen from you. Let me tell you what harm it can do. Every minute of every hour, an American dies from COVID-19. Every day, 1,000 Americans are dying from COVID. That is nearly a 50-percent increase from a month ago. We are nearing 1 million new COVID infections every week. The pandemic is surging in every single State, and public health experts warn the worst is yet to come. Over the weekend, we learned that President Trump has not attended a single meeting of the White House's coronavirus task force in 5 months. He told us why. I am tired of this COVID-19, he says. He has gone AWOL. By refusing to concede the results of the election, President Trump is preventing our Federal health officials from meeting with President-Elect Biden's COVID task force and starting to coordinate the efforts for the transition that is going to take place on January 20, and failing to put the time, personnel, and resources into the distribution of a vaccine, which we pray to God will be available soon. In doing this, the President is jeopardizing America's ability to successfully distribute a COVID vaccine and bring this pandemic, once and for all, under control. He is deepening our Nation's economic crisis because the first step to healing our economy is in defeating this virus--all because of the pain he is going through personally. Well, I wish I could share that pain, but I am overwhelmed by the pain of America's going through a pandemic. The President's hurt feelings don't compare. The grief of losing an election is nothing compared to the grief of 246,000 American families who have lost loved ones to this pandemic. That is the grief we ought to be concerned about. More Americans voted in these elections than ever before--in history. Now that the election is over, the results are clear: President-Elect Biden and Vice President-Elect Harris received 306 electoral votes versus 232 electoral votes for President Trump and Vice President Pence. Four years ago, the President referred to exactly the same vote totals in his favor as a landslide. Today, he refuses to acknowledge them. He is so full of himself that he can't feel the pain of others. Joe Biden and Kamala Harris received at least 5 million more votes than President Trump and Vice President Pence. That is the largest popular vote margin of victory in a Presidential election since 1932. In the 2 weeks since the election has ended, the Trump campaign and its allies have decided to strike back and file a flurry of lawsuits in six different States, challenging the vote counts. Well, how are they doing? These lawsuits have only affirmed the integrity of the election results that we knew. Many of the complaints have been dismissed, and not a single vote has been invalidated. Even Trump campaign officials privately and publicly agree that none of the remaining legal challenges can change the outcome of the election. Last Thursday, members of the Election Infrastructure Government Coordinating Council, within this administration's own Department of Homeland Security, called the 2020 election ``the most secure in American history.' Over the weekend, a senior Federal election official who was nominated by President Trump condemned the President's false postelection claims of vote fraud, calling them baffling, laughable, and insulting. The same official warned ``these conspiracy theories that are flying around have consequences.'' They are dangerous to our national security. Over the weekend, John Bolton, who is President Trump's former National Security Advisor, urged Republican leaders to finally acknowledge Mr. Trump's defeat and get on with it. Another former Trump security adviser, LTG H.R. McMaster, rejected Mr. Trump's claim on Twitter that the Presidential election was rigged. ``What the President says in this tweet--it's just wrong,'' the general said. ``It's regrettable, it's counterproductive.'' John Kelly, once Chief of Staff to the same President, told POLITICO that a delayed transition was detrimental to the country's national security. His concerns were echoed by more than 150 former national security, senior military, and elected officials who called on the leader of the General Services Administration, Ms. Emily Murphy, to recognize the election of President-Elect Biden and Vice President-Elect Harris. Yet Administrator Murphy refuses to gauge what is known as ``ascertainment'' to establish who the real winners were. She continues to deny President-Elect Biden and his team access to resources and the knowledge they need to begin the massive task of setting up a new government. Administrator Murphy's actions are in defiance of the Federal Presidential Transition Act, the law that has governed the transfer of Presidential power in America since 1963. Quite stunningly, what we are hearing from our American President--theleader of the free world--are the same kind of nonsense claims that petty dictators use to deny citizens democracy and the peaceful transfers of power. One need only look at Belarus, at the moment, for a timely comparison. America is the country that stands against these kinds of undemocratic attempts at power around the world, not a nation that cowers in fear. Leader McConnell has compared President Trump's refusal to accept the election results to the delay in determining the winner of the 2000 election, which sounds right until you look at the facts. He is wrong. The comparison is wrong. The 2000 election between President Bush and former Vice President Gore ultimately came down to a difference of not 5 million votes but 537 votes in one State--Florida--not tens of thousands of votes in many States. Even Republican attorney and elections expert Ben Ginsberg rejects the comparison. He ought to know. Ginsberg was part of the team that led President Bush's recount effort in 2000. The refusal by President Trump and some around him to accept the election results is damaging faith in our elections and our democracy. The goal is clear: to undermine the legitimacy of the Biden-Harris administration even before it is sworn in. He is damaging the ability of President-Elect Biden and his team to get to work now on the deep and painful challenges we confront as a nation. People close to President Trump tell reporters off the record that the President knows he can't win. Some say he just needs to very gradually come to accept the reality of his defeat. Well, with all due respect, Mr. President, your duty is to preserve this democracy. Your moral obligation is to prevent unnecessary suffering and death and to defend this country. For 4 years, Donald Trump has feasted on chaos and the discord of America. Time and time again, he has placed his own self-interest over our national interest. He has damaged the institutions of our democracy and abused his power. We shouldn't be surprised by his destructive actions on his way out, but we shouldn't tolerate them either. It is time for Donald Trump to accept the clear results of the election and for his administration to work with President-Elect Biden's team for a successful, peaceful, productive transition of power. It is time for the President's friends, allies, and political pals to finally level with the President. It is time for a confrontation, perhaps--a moment of truth, perhaps--and to say to the President: It is over. Now be a man. Stand up, and show this Nation that we can have a peaceful transition of power. Show this Nation we are prepared to accept the will of the American people. Subverting faith in democracy is not a winning strategy, and it should be beneath the dignity of any American President I yield the floor. | 2020-01-06 | Unknown | Senate | CREC-2020-11-17-pt1-PgS7026 | null | 1,653 |
formal | blue | null | antisemitic | Coronavirus Mr. President, I would like to also take a second to respond to the Senator's comments about our needing to do something about this pandemic--that we need to pass another piece of legislation and that we need to collaborate with the incoming administration to make sure that we don't miss distributing this vaccine on a timely basis. My friend from Illinois, at least on three occasions, has voted against bills that would help to facilitate the delivery of the vaccine and would ensure that small businesses and other individuals get the economic help they need during this crisis that has been through no fault of their own. By my count, our Democratic colleagues voted against a $1 trillion HEALS bill. They voted against two separate, more targeted pieces of legislation that totaled a half a trillion dollars each. Those are three occasions on which they voted against continuing to provide the aid that we had voted on, on a bipartisan basis, by the end of March--four bills worth $3.8 trillion. I could only have wished that the sort of bipartisan cooperation we saw up through and including the CARES Act in late March would have continued, but that wasn't to be. Time and again, Speaker Pelosi stood on a $3 trillion piece of legislation that she knew had no chance of passing. Why? Because it included things like tax cuts for millionaires and billionaires in blue States. She wanted to eliminate the cap on State and local tax deductions in the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, which we passed a few years ago, and reward millionaires and billionaires, which was not exactly dealing with the virus, either its economic fallout or the public health consequences. Then, if that weren't enough--stiff-arming every effort that we tried to undertake since March to try to pass additional relief, both from a public health and economic perspective--today, the Speaker and the Democratic leader of the Senate took the bold step--the bold step--of writing a letter to Majority Leader McConnell. Man, that was a bold step to protect the public health and protect those who, through no fault of their own, find themselves out of a job or in financial distress. Well, I have been around here long enough to know the only reason you write a letter to somebody and then release it to the press before it gets to its intended recipient is for political purposes. It is posturing. That is what we continue to see from our friends across the aisle--political posturing. Now they are saying--I think the Vice President himself said this--unless you drop the lawsuits, you drop the efforts to review the vote and to make sure all the ballots--all the legal ballots--are correctly counted and the ballots that are not appropriate are not counted, then people will die, unless you capitulate and give up all those rights. In the wake of these partisan efforts to defeat any meaningful, additional relief post-March, it should be held up to ridicule because that is exactly what it deserves. It is not serious. It is partisan posturing. If the Speaker and the Democratic leader wanted to get to work on another COVID-19 bill, do you know what they could do? They could pick up the telephone. You know, they could do a Zoom call. They wouldn't even have to socially distance or wear masks. They wouldn't have to worry about that. They could do it virtually. Or, if they wanted to do it in person, then they could come over, socially distance, and do it safely. But this is all partisan posturing. This is not about the public health of the American people. This is not about helping people who are desperately in need of additional financial assistance--the small businesses and others that continue to struggle and lay off their workforce. If we are serious about solving this problem, then we need to work together as we did during four separate pieces of legislation, ending with the CARES Act in late March. But ever since that time, ever since we have offered additional assistance, Speaker Pelosi has shut it down. Our Democratic colleagues have all voted against it. If they were serious about it, they would have voted to get on the bill, offer amendments, try to make it better, and let the Senate do its job. But, no, they wanted to make things worse in the runup to the election becauseone of their main arguments against President Trump was that he mishandled the COVID-19 pandemic. I know and you know that hindsight is 2020. We know that the public health guidance provided by the CDC has evolved over time. We have learned a lot since then. But they were more interested in the blame game to advance their political cause in the runup to the November 3 election than they were in actually trying to help the very people who sent us here to represent them, and I think it is just shameful. | 2020-01-06 | Unknown | Senate | CREC-2020-11-17-pt1-PgS7027 | null | 1,654 |
formal | tax cut | null | racist | Coronavirus Mr. President, I would like to also take a second to respond to the Senator's comments about our needing to do something about this pandemic--that we need to pass another piece of legislation and that we need to collaborate with the incoming administration to make sure that we don't miss distributing this vaccine on a timely basis. My friend from Illinois, at least on three occasions, has voted against bills that would help to facilitate the delivery of the vaccine and would ensure that small businesses and other individuals get the economic help they need during this crisis that has been through no fault of their own. By my count, our Democratic colleagues voted against a $1 trillion HEALS bill. They voted against two separate, more targeted pieces of legislation that totaled a half a trillion dollars each. Those are three occasions on which they voted against continuing to provide the aid that we had voted on, on a bipartisan basis, by the end of March--four bills worth $3.8 trillion. I could only have wished that the sort of bipartisan cooperation we saw up through and including the CARES Act in late March would have continued, but that wasn't to be. Time and again, Speaker Pelosi stood on a $3 trillion piece of legislation that she knew had no chance of passing. Why? Because it included things like tax cuts for millionaires and billionaires in blue States. She wanted to eliminate the cap on State and local tax deductions in the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, which we passed a few years ago, and reward millionaires and billionaires, which was not exactly dealing with the virus, either its economic fallout or the public health consequences. Then, if that weren't enough--stiff-arming every effort that we tried to undertake since March to try to pass additional relief, both from a public health and economic perspective--today, the Speaker and the Democratic leader of the Senate took the bold step--the bold step--of writing a letter to Majority Leader McConnell. Man, that was a bold step to protect the public health and protect those who, through no fault of their own, find themselves out of a job or in financial distress. Well, I have been around here long enough to know the only reason you write a letter to somebody and then release it to the press before it gets to its intended recipient is for political purposes. It is posturing. That is what we continue to see from our friends across the aisle--political posturing. Now they are saying--I think the Vice President himself said this--unless you drop the lawsuits, you drop the efforts to review the vote and to make sure all the ballots--all the legal ballots--are correctly counted and the ballots that are not appropriate are not counted, then people will die, unless you capitulate and give up all those rights. In the wake of these partisan efforts to defeat any meaningful, additional relief post-March, it should be held up to ridicule because that is exactly what it deserves. It is not serious. It is partisan posturing. If the Speaker and the Democratic leader wanted to get to work on another COVID-19 bill, do you know what they could do? They could pick up the telephone. You know, they could do a Zoom call. They wouldn't even have to socially distance or wear masks. They wouldn't have to worry about that. They could do it virtually. Or, if they wanted to do it in person, then they could come over, socially distance, and do it safely. But this is all partisan posturing. This is not about the public health of the American people. This is not about helping people who are desperately in need of additional financial assistance--the small businesses and others that continue to struggle and lay off their workforce. If we are serious about solving this problem, then we need to work together as we did during four separate pieces of legislation, ending with the CARES Act in late March. But ever since that time, ever since we have offered additional assistance, Speaker Pelosi has shut it down. Our Democratic colleagues have all voted against it. If they were serious about it, they would have voted to get on the bill, offer amendments, try to make it better, and let the Senate do its job. But, no, they wanted to make things worse in the runup to the election becauseone of their main arguments against President Trump was that he mishandled the COVID-19 pandemic. I know and you know that hindsight is 2020. We know that the public health guidance provided by the CDC has evolved over time. We have learned a lot since then. But they were more interested in the blame game to advance their political cause in the runup to the November 3 election than they were in actually trying to help the very people who sent us here to represent them, and I think it is just shameful. | 2020-01-06 | Unknown | Senate | CREC-2020-11-17-pt1-PgS7027 | null | 1,655 |
formal | tax cuts | null | racist | Coronavirus Mr. President, I would like to also take a second to respond to the Senator's comments about our needing to do something about this pandemic--that we need to pass another piece of legislation and that we need to collaborate with the incoming administration to make sure that we don't miss distributing this vaccine on a timely basis. My friend from Illinois, at least on three occasions, has voted against bills that would help to facilitate the delivery of the vaccine and would ensure that small businesses and other individuals get the economic help they need during this crisis that has been through no fault of their own. By my count, our Democratic colleagues voted against a $1 trillion HEALS bill. They voted against two separate, more targeted pieces of legislation that totaled a half a trillion dollars each. Those are three occasions on which they voted against continuing to provide the aid that we had voted on, on a bipartisan basis, by the end of March--four bills worth $3.8 trillion. I could only have wished that the sort of bipartisan cooperation we saw up through and including the CARES Act in late March would have continued, but that wasn't to be. Time and again, Speaker Pelosi stood on a $3 trillion piece of legislation that she knew had no chance of passing. Why? Because it included things like tax cuts for millionaires and billionaires in blue States. She wanted to eliminate the cap on State and local tax deductions in the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, which we passed a few years ago, and reward millionaires and billionaires, which was not exactly dealing with the virus, either its economic fallout or the public health consequences. Then, if that weren't enough--stiff-arming every effort that we tried to undertake since March to try to pass additional relief, both from a public health and economic perspective--today, the Speaker and the Democratic leader of the Senate took the bold step--the bold step--of writing a letter to Majority Leader McConnell. Man, that was a bold step to protect the public health and protect those who, through no fault of their own, find themselves out of a job or in financial distress. Well, I have been around here long enough to know the only reason you write a letter to somebody and then release it to the press before it gets to its intended recipient is for political purposes. It is posturing. That is what we continue to see from our friends across the aisle--political posturing. Now they are saying--I think the Vice President himself said this--unless you drop the lawsuits, you drop the efforts to review the vote and to make sure all the ballots--all the legal ballots--are correctly counted and the ballots that are not appropriate are not counted, then people will die, unless you capitulate and give up all those rights. In the wake of these partisan efforts to defeat any meaningful, additional relief post-March, it should be held up to ridicule because that is exactly what it deserves. It is not serious. It is partisan posturing. If the Speaker and the Democratic leader wanted to get to work on another COVID-19 bill, do you know what they could do? They could pick up the telephone. You know, they could do a Zoom call. They wouldn't even have to socially distance or wear masks. They wouldn't have to worry about that. They could do it virtually. Or, if they wanted to do it in person, then they could come over, socially distance, and do it safely. But this is all partisan posturing. This is not about the public health of the American people. This is not about helping people who are desperately in need of additional financial assistance--the small businesses and others that continue to struggle and lay off their workforce. If we are serious about solving this problem, then we need to work together as we did during four separate pieces of legislation, ending with the CARES Act in late March. But ever since that time, ever since we have offered additional assistance, Speaker Pelosi has shut it down. Our Democratic colleagues have all voted against it. If they were serious about it, they would have voted to get on the bill, offer amendments, try to make it better, and let the Senate do its job. But, no, they wanted to make things worse in the runup to the election becauseone of their main arguments against President Trump was that he mishandled the COVID-19 pandemic. I know and you know that hindsight is 2020. We know that the public health guidance provided by the CDC has evolved over time. We have learned a lot since then. But they were more interested in the blame game to advance their political cause in the runup to the November 3 election than they were in actually trying to help the very people who sent us here to represent them, and I think it is just shameful. | 2020-01-06 | Unknown | Senate | CREC-2020-11-17-pt1-PgS7027 | null | 1,656 |
formal | shut it down | null | antisemitic | Coronavirus Mr. President, I would like to also take a second to respond to the Senator's comments about our needing to do something about this pandemic--that we need to pass another piece of legislation and that we need to collaborate with the incoming administration to make sure that we don't miss distributing this vaccine on a timely basis. My friend from Illinois, at least on three occasions, has voted against bills that would help to facilitate the delivery of the vaccine and would ensure that small businesses and other individuals get the economic help they need during this crisis that has been through no fault of their own. By my count, our Democratic colleagues voted against a $1 trillion HEALS bill. They voted against two separate, more targeted pieces of legislation that totaled a half a trillion dollars each. Those are three occasions on which they voted against continuing to provide the aid that we had voted on, on a bipartisan basis, by the end of March--four bills worth $3.8 trillion. I could only have wished that the sort of bipartisan cooperation we saw up through and including the CARES Act in late March would have continued, but that wasn't to be. Time and again, Speaker Pelosi stood on a $3 trillion piece of legislation that she knew had no chance of passing. Why? Because it included things like tax cuts for millionaires and billionaires in blue States. She wanted to eliminate the cap on State and local tax deductions in the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, which we passed a few years ago, and reward millionaires and billionaires, which was not exactly dealing with the virus, either its economic fallout or the public health consequences. Then, if that weren't enough--stiff-arming every effort that we tried to undertake since March to try to pass additional relief, both from a public health and economic perspective--today, the Speaker and the Democratic leader of the Senate took the bold step--the bold step--of writing a letter to Majority Leader McConnell. Man, that was a bold step to protect the public health and protect those who, through no fault of their own, find themselves out of a job or in financial distress. Well, I have been around here long enough to know the only reason you write a letter to somebody and then release it to the press before it gets to its intended recipient is for political purposes. It is posturing. That is what we continue to see from our friends across the aisle--political posturing. Now they are saying--I think the Vice President himself said this--unless you drop the lawsuits, you drop the efforts to review the vote and to make sure all the ballots--all the legal ballots--are correctly counted and the ballots that are not appropriate are not counted, then people will die, unless you capitulate and give up all those rights. In the wake of these partisan efforts to defeat any meaningful, additional relief post-March, it should be held up to ridicule because that is exactly what it deserves. It is not serious. It is partisan posturing. If the Speaker and the Democratic leader wanted to get to work on another COVID-19 bill, do you know what they could do? They could pick up the telephone. You know, they could do a Zoom call. They wouldn't even have to socially distance or wear masks. They wouldn't have to worry about that. They could do it virtually. Or, if they wanted to do it in person, then they could come over, socially distance, and do it safely. But this is all partisan posturing. This is not about the public health of the American people. This is not about helping people who are desperately in need of additional financial assistance--the small businesses and others that continue to struggle and lay off their workforce. If we are serious about solving this problem, then we need to work together as we did during four separate pieces of legislation, ending with the CARES Act in late March. But ever since that time, ever since we have offered additional assistance, Speaker Pelosi has shut it down. Our Democratic colleagues have all voted against it. If they were serious about it, they would have voted to get on the bill, offer amendments, try to make it better, and let the Senate do its job. But, no, they wanted to make things worse in the runup to the election becauseone of their main arguments against President Trump was that he mishandled the COVID-19 pandemic. I know and you know that hindsight is 2020. We know that the public health guidance provided by the CDC has evolved over time. We have learned a lot since then. But they were more interested in the blame game to advance their political cause in the runup to the November 3 election than they were in actually trying to help the very people who sent us here to represent them, and I think it is just shameful. | 2020-01-06 | Unknown | Senate | CREC-2020-11-17-pt1-PgS7027 | null | 1,657 |
formal | terrorism | null | Islamophobic | Terrorism On another matter, over the last 4 years, our country has made serious progress in the decades-long fight against terrorism and to lay the foundation for peace and stability in the Middle East. We have virtually wiped out the ISIS caliphate, which was the most recent manifestation of this poisonous ideology embraced by al-Qaida that led to the attacks on 9/11. We have brought down high-ranking terrorists like al-Baghdadi, and we have eliminated the head of the Quds Force, the IRGC in Iran, that is the No. 1 state sponsor of terrorism in the world--Mr. Soleimani. We have actually strengthened our relationship with allies in the region, like Israel and Jordan, and taken a tougher approach on a unified basis against enemies like Iran. And the recent Abraham Accords Peace Agreement marked a historic step in normalizing relations between Israel and the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain. There is no question in my mind that the world is safer today than it was 4 years ago because of the historic progress that we have made, not only against terrorists but to provide the foundation of peace and stability in the Middle East by encouraging Israel and its neighbors to work together where they can. But our job is not finished. Dangerous and destabilizing forces still remain, and America's military continues to play a vital role. I personally appreciated General Mattis's doctrine of fighting terrorists by, with, and through our allies on the ground. That meant that we didn't need to put hundreds of thousands of American soldiers and marines, Special Forces on the ground. We could work through and with our allies, and that was largely successful at eliminating the ISIS threat in the Middle East. So I was alarmed by Acting Secretary of Defense Christopher Miller's announcement today that without any real consultation either with our allies at NATO or elsewhere--certainly not with Congress--the Pentagon plans to withdraw troops from Afghanistan and Iraq to a potentially unstable and dangerous level. I happen to be a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, and one of the things our military does in forward-deployed locations like the Middle East is provide enabling and force protection for our intelligence officers, who quietly work without any particular attention, hopefully. That is the nature of their work. But they need the military to be there to provide that force protection if they need it to enable their important work. So a precipitous retreat, which would reverse the progress we have made and fought so hard to make, I think, is deeply troubling. If we have learned one thing, it is about--maybe you call it the--I don't know if you call it the physics of military conflict or leadership, but history has taught us that power vacuums are not often filled by the good guys. It is the tyrants, it is the thugs, it is the dictators, it is the terrorists who fill those power vacuums, and if we mistakenly, even with the best of intentions, create a power vacuum, we could see once again the rise of ISIS like we saw with President Obama's premature withdrawal from Iraq. We simply need to learn from our experience and not make the same mistake again. A precipitous withdrawal would not empower our allies. Indeed, we have heard from some of those allies. For example, NATO--the North Atlantic Treaty Organization--has a significant number of troops in these areas that are providing training and support for our friends on the ground. It could well give rise to an opportunity for our adversaries--to the terrorists and insurgents who would love nothing more than to see American troops packing their bags so they could claim that they have defeated the Great Satan, as some of them have referred to it. We would also, I think, cause our allies to question our reliability, while unintentionally, perhaps, emboldening our enemies and jeopardizing the lives of civilians in the region. So I think we need to have a conversation here. We need to have a consultation. We need to get the military leaders before the appropriate committees in the Senate so that we can ask questions and understand the process and what the end goal is, particularly this close to the close of this administration's current term of office. I understand the desire to bring our troops home. But in doing so, we can't undermine the gains that they and thousands of other brave Americans have made in the fight against terrorism and those who would do us harm. | 2020-01-06 | Unknown | Senate | CREC-2020-11-17-pt1-PgS7028 | null | 1,658 |
formal | terrorists | null | Islamophobic | Terrorism On another matter, over the last 4 years, our country has made serious progress in the decades-long fight against terrorism and to lay the foundation for peace and stability in the Middle East. We have virtually wiped out the ISIS caliphate, which was the most recent manifestation of this poisonous ideology embraced by al-Qaida that led to the attacks on 9/11. We have brought down high-ranking terrorists like al-Baghdadi, and we have eliminated the head of the Quds Force, the IRGC in Iran, that is the No. 1 state sponsor of terrorism in the world--Mr. Soleimani. We have actually strengthened our relationship with allies in the region, like Israel and Jordan, and taken a tougher approach on a unified basis against enemies like Iran. And the recent Abraham Accords Peace Agreement marked a historic step in normalizing relations between Israel and the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain. There is no question in my mind that the world is safer today than it was 4 years ago because of the historic progress that we have made, not only against terrorists but to provide the foundation of peace and stability in the Middle East by encouraging Israel and its neighbors to work together where they can. But our job is not finished. Dangerous and destabilizing forces still remain, and America's military continues to play a vital role. I personally appreciated General Mattis's doctrine of fighting terrorists by, with, and through our allies on the ground. That meant that we didn't need to put hundreds of thousands of American soldiers and marines, Special Forces on the ground. We could work through and with our allies, and that was largely successful at eliminating the ISIS threat in the Middle East. So I was alarmed by Acting Secretary of Defense Christopher Miller's announcement today that without any real consultation either with our allies at NATO or elsewhere--certainly not with Congress--the Pentagon plans to withdraw troops from Afghanistan and Iraq to a potentially unstable and dangerous level. I happen to be a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, and one of the things our military does in forward-deployed locations like the Middle East is provide enabling and force protection for our intelligence officers, who quietly work without any particular attention, hopefully. That is the nature of their work. But they need the military to be there to provide that force protection if they need it to enable their important work. So a precipitous retreat, which would reverse the progress we have made and fought so hard to make, I think, is deeply troubling. If we have learned one thing, it is about--maybe you call it the--I don't know if you call it the physics of military conflict or leadership, but history has taught us that power vacuums are not often filled by the good guys. It is the tyrants, it is the thugs, it is the dictators, it is the terrorists who fill those power vacuums, and if we mistakenly, even with the best of intentions, create a power vacuum, we could see once again the rise of ISIS like we saw with President Obama's premature withdrawal from Iraq. We simply need to learn from our experience and not make the same mistake again. A precipitous withdrawal would not empower our allies. Indeed, we have heard from some of those allies. For example, NATO--the North Atlantic Treaty Organization--has a significant number of troops in these areas that are providing training and support for our friends on the ground. It could well give rise to an opportunity for our adversaries--to the terrorists and insurgents who would love nothing more than to see American troops packing their bags so they could claim that they have defeated the Great Satan, as some of them have referred to it. We would also, I think, cause our allies to question our reliability, while unintentionally, perhaps, emboldening our enemies and jeopardizing the lives of civilians in the region. So I think we need to have a conversation here. We need to have a consultation. We need to get the military leaders before the appropriate committees in the Senate so that we can ask questions and understand the process and what the end goal is, particularly this close to the close of this administration's current term of office. I understand the desire to bring our troops home. But in doing so, we can't undermine the gains that they and thousands of other brave Americans have made in the fight against terrorism and those who would do us harm. | 2020-01-06 | Unknown | Senate | CREC-2020-11-17-pt1-PgS7028 | null | 1,659 |
formal | thugs | null | racist | Terrorism On another matter, over the last 4 years, our country has made serious progress in the decades-long fight against terrorism and to lay the foundation for peace and stability in the Middle East. We have virtually wiped out the ISIS caliphate, which was the most recent manifestation of this poisonous ideology embraced by al-Qaida that led to the attacks on 9/11. We have brought down high-ranking terrorists like al-Baghdadi, and we have eliminated the head of the Quds Force, the IRGC in Iran, that is the No. 1 state sponsor of terrorism in the world--Mr. Soleimani. We have actually strengthened our relationship with allies in the region, like Israel and Jordan, and taken a tougher approach on a unified basis against enemies like Iran. And the recent Abraham Accords Peace Agreement marked a historic step in normalizing relations between Israel and the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain. There is no question in my mind that the world is safer today than it was 4 years ago because of the historic progress that we have made, not only against terrorists but to provide the foundation of peace and stability in the Middle East by encouraging Israel and its neighbors to work together where they can. But our job is not finished. Dangerous and destabilizing forces still remain, and America's military continues to play a vital role. I personally appreciated General Mattis's doctrine of fighting terrorists by, with, and through our allies on the ground. That meant that we didn't need to put hundreds of thousands of American soldiers and marines, Special Forces on the ground. We could work through and with our allies, and that was largely successful at eliminating the ISIS threat in the Middle East. So I was alarmed by Acting Secretary of Defense Christopher Miller's announcement today that without any real consultation either with our allies at NATO or elsewhere--certainly not with Congress--the Pentagon plans to withdraw troops from Afghanistan and Iraq to a potentially unstable and dangerous level. I happen to be a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, and one of the things our military does in forward-deployed locations like the Middle East is provide enabling and force protection for our intelligence officers, who quietly work without any particular attention, hopefully. That is the nature of their work. But they need the military to be there to provide that force protection if they need it to enable their important work. So a precipitous retreat, which would reverse the progress we have made and fought so hard to make, I think, is deeply troubling. If we have learned one thing, it is about--maybe you call it the--I don't know if you call it the physics of military conflict or leadership, but history has taught us that power vacuums are not often filled by the good guys. It is the tyrants, it is the thugs, it is the dictators, it is the terrorists who fill those power vacuums, and if we mistakenly, even with the best of intentions, create a power vacuum, we could see once again the rise of ISIS like we saw with President Obama's premature withdrawal from Iraq. We simply need to learn from our experience and not make the same mistake again. A precipitous withdrawal would not empower our allies. Indeed, we have heard from some of those allies. For example, NATO--the North Atlantic Treaty Organization--has a significant number of troops in these areas that are providing training and support for our friends on the ground. It could well give rise to an opportunity for our adversaries--to the terrorists and insurgents who would love nothing more than to see American troops packing their bags so they could claim that they have defeated the Great Satan, as some of them have referred to it. We would also, I think, cause our allies to question our reliability, while unintentionally, perhaps, emboldening our enemies and jeopardizing the lives of civilians in the region. So I think we need to have a conversation here. We need to have a consultation. We need to get the military leaders before the appropriate committees in the Senate so that we can ask questions and understand the process and what the end goal is, particularly this close to the close of this administration's current term of office. I understand the desire to bring our troops home. But in doing so, we can't undermine the gains that they and thousands of other brave Americans have made in the fight against terrorism and those who would do us harm. | 2020-01-06 | Unknown | Senate | CREC-2020-11-17-pt1-PgS7028 | null | 1,660 |
formal | blue | null | antisemitic | Ms. COLLINS. Madam President, this year, in addition to celebrating the bicentennial of the State of Maine, we are also commemorating the bicentennial of the first major find in North America of the treasured semiprecious stone tourmaline in the mountains of western Maine. It is a fascinating historical coincidence that the State of Maine and the discovery of its official State gemstone share the same anniversary. Maine became our Nation's 23rd State on March 15, 1820. In late autumn of that year, college students Elijah Hamlin and Ezekiel Holmes were pursuing their studies in mineralogy on an expedition to Mount Mica in Paris, ME. As they headed down the mountain at sunset, they spotted a vivid green sparkle amid the tangled roots of a fallen tree. The beautiful crystal was an exciting find, but the encroaching darkness prevented further exploration. Their plan to continue their search the next morning was cancelled by an overnight snowfall that blanketed the ground until spring. When the two students did return months later, they were astonished by the amount and variety of the crystals among the rocky ledges. The many shades of green, red, white, and yellow translucent stones they found explain why the word ``tourmaline,'' which comes from an ancient language of Sri Lanka, roughly translates to ``many colors.'' News of the discovery spread, and the region soon became the foremost hunting grounds in North America for these remarkable gems, rivaling famous sites in South America and Asia. Among the early Maine rock hounds was Elijah Hamlin's younger brother Hannibal, who four decades later would serve as President Lincoln's first Vice President. Today, Maine tourmaline is treasured by jewelers, artists, and collectors. Our distinctive watermelon tourmaline, which combines pink, white, and green in one stone, is especially prized. Residents and visitors alike delight in searching for these gorgeous stones amid the marvelous scenery of our western mountains. The Hamlin Necklace, containing stones of various colors from the original find, can be seen at the HarvardUniversity Mineralogical Museum. In 1972, a spectacular discovery in Newry, ME, yielded hundreds of pounds of red and green crystals, including the ``Jolly Green Giant,'' a 10-inch crystal now in the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History collection. The State of Maine tourmaline necklace was designed using Newry gems and presented to the State in 1975 by the Maine Retail Jewelers Association. On Presidents Day 2010, a major discovery included a 120-carat blue tourmaline crystal, among the most rare of hues. This was named ``The President'' and was cut into nine gems. The largest was presented as a gift from the State of Maine to President Barack Obama when he visited that year. How and why such large deposits of tourmaline are found in Maine, so distant from the usual locales, remains a puzzle for geologists to solve. It is worth noting, however, that tourmaline is said to bestow on its bearer fearlessness, happiness, and self-confidence--qualities that define the people of our State. Mr. President, Maine is renowned for the stunning beauty of its mountains, forests, and seacoast. The 200th anniversary of the discovery of tourmaline is a reminder that some of the most beautiful things are not as readily apparent but are well worth looking for. | 2020-01-06 | Ms. COLLINS | Senate | CREC-2020-11-17-pt1-PgS7034-4 | null | 1,661 |
formal | coincidence | null | antisemitic | Ms. COLLINS. Madam President, this year, in addition to celebrating the bicentennial of the State of Maine, we are also commemorating the bicentennial of the first major find in North America of the treasured semiprecious stone tourmaline in the mountains of western Maine. It is a fascinating historical coincidence that the State of Maine and the discovery of its official State gemstone share the same anniversary. Maine became our Nation's 23rd State on March 15, 1820. In late autumn of that year, college students Elijah Hamlin and Ezekiel Holmes were pursuing their studies in mineralogy on an expedition to Mount Mica in Paris, ME. As they headed down the mountain at sunset, they spotted a vivid green sparkle amid the tangled roots of a fallen tree. The beautiful crystal was an exciting find, but the encroaching darkness prevented further exploration. Their plan to continue their search the next morning was cancelled by an overnight snowfall that blanketed the ground until spring. When the two students did return months later, they were astonished by the amount and variety of the crystals among the rocky ledges. The many shades of green, red, white, and yellow translucent stones they found explain why the word ``tourmaline,'' which comes from an ancient language of Sri Lanka, roughly translates to ``many colors.'' News of the discovery spread, and the region soon became the foremost hunting grounds in North America for these remarkable gems, rivaling famous sites in South America and Asia. Among the early Maine rock hounds was Elijah Hamlin's younger brother Hannibal, who four decades later would serve as President Lincoln's first Vice President. Today, Maine tourmaline is treasured by jewelers, artists, and collectors. Our distinctive watermelon tourmaline, which combines pink, white, and green in one stone, is especially prized. Residents and visitors alike delight in searching for these gorgeous stones amid the marvelous scenery of our western mountains. The Hamlin Necklace, containing stones of various colors from the original find, can be seen at the HarvardUniversity Mineralogical Museum. In 1972, a spectacular discovery in Newry, ME, yielded hundreds of pounds of red and green crystals, including the ``Jolly Green Giant,'' a 10-inch crystal now in the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History collection. The State of Maine tourmaline necklace was designed using Newry gems and presented to the State in 1975 by the Maine Retail Jewelers Association. On Presidents Day 2010, a major discovery included a 120-carat blue tourmaline crystal, among the most rare of hues. This was named ``The President'' and was cut into nine gems. The largest was presented as a gift from the State of Maine to President Barack Obama when he visited that year. How and why such large deposits of tourmaline are found in Maine, so distant from the usual locales, remains a puzzle for geologists to solve. It is worth noting, however, that tourmaline is said to bestow on its bearer fearlessness, happiness, and self-confidence--qualities that define the people of our State. Mr. President, Maine is renowned for the stunning beauty of its mountains, forests, and seacoast. The 200th anniversary of the discovery of tourmaline is a reminder that some of the most beautiful things are not as readily apparent but are well worth looking for. | 2020-01-06 | Ms. COLLINS | Senate | CREC-2020-11-17-pt1-PgS7034-4 | null | 1,662 |
formal | echo | null | antisemitic | Mr. WHITEHOUSE. Madam President, I rise today to honor Mr. Elmer, one of Rhode Island's leading advocates for humanitarian and environmental causes. Mr. Elmer is set to retire after a long and successful career, most recently with the Conservation Law Foundation. After graduating from Rhode Island College and Harvard Law School, Mr. Elmer devoted the first part of his career to humanitarian, peace, and security issues. He was codirector of Rhode Island's American Friends Service Committee, where he focused on nuclear disarmament and human rights. He also traveled extensively in South and Southeast Asia to research the status of human rights and the effect of Western military and economic aid programs in the region. Mr. Elmer's work yielded important, lasting change. He authored a key referendum to freeze the production and deployment of nuclear weapons, which appeared as a ballot question in Rhode Island in 1982. He then led the successful statewide campaign for that referendum. The 1982 nuclear freeze measure was, at that time, the largest nationally coordinated voter referendum in U.S. history. Later in his career, Mr. Elmer turned to the fight for climate action for renewable power in Rhode Island's energy market. At the Conservation Law Foundation, Mr. Elmer appeared before Federal and State courts and the Public Utilities Commission to enforce Rhode Island's renewable energy laws. He was the principal author of several of Rhode Island's major renewable energy statutes. Notably, he drafted the long-term contracting statue, which gave rise to the Nation's first offshore wind project, the Block Island Wind Farm, and helped to write the distributed generation standard contracts law, to create a comprehensive framework to spur development of small, local renewable energy projects across the State. In recent years, Mr. Elmer led successful opposition to the siting of a fossil fuel power plant in Burrillville, RI, and has been one of Rhode Island's great environmental litigators. Mr. Elmer is a staunch advocate for human rights, peace, and action on climate. His tireless efforts on behalf of the Conservation Law Foundation and Rhode Island echo far beyond our State. I am proud to recognize his service and thank him for such an impressive career in battle for great causes. | 2020-01-06 | Mr. WHITEHOUSE | Senate | CREC-2020-11-17-pt1-PgS7035-3 | null | 1,663 |
formal | based | null | white supremacist | At 10:57 a.m., a message from the House of Representatives, delivered by Mr. Novotny, one of its reading clerks, announced that the House has passed the following bills, without amendment: S. 327. An act to amend the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act to provide for a lifetime National Recreational Pass for any veteran with a service-connected disability. S. 3147. An act to require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to submit to Congress reports on patient safety and quality of care at medical centers of the Department of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes. S. 3587. An act to require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to conduct a study on the accessibility of websites of the Department of Veterans Affairs to individuals with disabilities, and for other purposes. The message further announced that the House has passed the following bill, with an amendment, in which it requests the concurrence of the Senate: S. 900. An act to designate the community-based outpatient clinic of the Department of Veterans Affairs in Bozeman, Montana, as the ``Travis W. Atkins Department of Veterans Affairs Clinic''. The message also announced that the House has passed the following bill, with an amendment, in which it requests the concurrence of the Senate: S. 910. An act to reauthorize and amend the National Sea Grant College Program Act, and for other purposes. The message further announced that the House has passed the following bill, with an amendment, in which it requests the concurrence of the Senate: S. 1069. An act to require the Secretary of Commerce, acting through the Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, to establish a constituent-driven program to provide a digital information platform capable of efficiently integrating coastal data with decision-support tools, training, and best practices and to support collection of priority coastal geospatial data to inform and improve local, State, regional, and Federal capacities to manage the coastal region, and for other purposes. The message also announced that the House has passed the following bills, in which it requests the concurrence of the Senate: H.R. 1964. An act to provide for the recognition of the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina, and for other purposes. H.R. 6237. An act to amend the Indian Health Care Improvement Act to clarify the requirement of the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Department of Defense to reimburse the Indian Health Service for certain health care services. | 2020-01-06 | Unknown | Senate | CREC-2020-11-17-pt1-PgS7035-4 | null | 1,664 |
formal | the Fed | null | antisemitic | At 10:57 a.m., a message from the House of Representatives, delivered by Mr. Novotny, one of its reading clerks, announced that the House has passed the following bills, without amendment: S. 327. An act to amend the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act to provide for a lifetime National Recreational Pass for any veteran with a service-connected disability. S. 3147. An act to require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to submit to Congress reports on patient safety and quality of care at medical centers of the Department of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes. S. 3587. An act to require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to conduct a study on the accessibility of websites of the Department of Veterans Affairs to individuals with disabilities, and for other purposes. The message further announced that the House has passed the following bill, with an amendment, in which it requests the concurrence of the Senate: S. 900. An act to designate the community-based outpatient clinic of the Department of Veterans Affairs in Bozeman, Montana, as the ``Travis W. Atkins Department of Veterans Affairs Clinic''. The message also announced that the House has passed the following bill, with an amendment, in which it requests the concurrence of the Senate: S. 910. An act to reauthorize and amend the National Sea Grant College Program Act, and for other purposes. The message further announced that the House has passed the following bill, with an amendment, in which it requests the concurrence of the Senate: S. 1069. An act to require the Secretary of Commerce, acting through the Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, to establish a constituent-driven program to provide a digital information platform capable of efficiently integrating coastal data with decision-support tools, training, and best practices and to support collection of priority coastal geospatial data to inform and improve local, State, regional, and Federal capacities to manage the coastal region, and for other purposes. The message also announced that the House has passed the following bills, in which it requests the concurrence of the Senate: H.R. 1964. An act to provide for the recognition of the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina, and for other purposes. H.R. 6237. An act to amend the Indian Health Care Improvement Act to clarify the requirement of the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Department of Defense to reimburse the Indian Health Service for certain health care services. | 2020-01-06 | Unknown | Senate | CREC-2020-11-17-pt1-PgS7035-4 | null | 1,665 |
formal | the Fed | null | antisemitic | The following petitions and memorials were laid before the Senate and were referred or ordered to lie on the table as indicated: POM-249. A concurrent resolution adopted by the Legislature of the State of Louisiana urging the United States Congress and the Louisiana Congressional Delegation to take such actions as are necessary to require the Federal Emergency Management Agency to grant Louisiana full federal funding for disaster expenses associated with Hurricane Laura or to grant Louisiana the ability to utilize alternative sources of federal funding as needed, matching funds if full federal funding is not provided; to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. Hosue Concurrent Resolution No. 3 Whereas, Hurricane Laura was one of the most powerful storms to hit Louisiana in recorded history; and Whereas, Hurricane Laura's exceptionally strong winds left a scar of damage across our state spanning from the Gulf Coast to our northern border; and Whereas, while loss and damage totals are still being compiled, the projections across all states impacted by Hurricane Laura are expected to be in the tens of billions of dollars and Louisiana was undoubtedly the state that suffered the brunt of the storm's impact; and Whereas, between the worldwide slump in oil prices and the COVID-19 pandemic shuttering businesses across the state and withering the state's previously strong tourism revenues, Louisiana's economic prospects for the current and ensuing fiscal years were already strained before Hurricane Laura wreaked her havoc; and Whereas, before Hurricane Laura arrived, Louisiana was already expecting a budget shortfall for the next fiscal year totaling hundreds of millions of dollars; and Whereas, the strain of providing for the health and safety of its citizens while also meeting the matching fund requirements for the Federal Emergency Management Agency's assistance in recovering and rebuilding from Hurricane Laura could cripple our state fiscal resources and infrastructure in the next few years; and Whereas, according to the Congressional Research Service, as of early 2013, over the prior twenty-four years, cost- share adjustments had been made for major disaster declarations two hundred and forty-four times, including for Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, Ike, Gustav, and Sandy; and Whereas, Louisiana's request to have the state matching portion of its federal disaster assistance waived is not unprecedented and would provide much-needed relief to a state struggling with this year's unexpected hardships. Therefore, be it Resolved, That the Legislature of Louisiana does hereby memorialize the United States Congress and the Louisiana Congressional Delegation to take such actions as are necessary to require the Federal Emergency Management Agency to grant Louisiana full federal funding for disaster expenses associated with Hurricane Laura or to grant Louisiana the ability to utilize alternative sources of federal funding as needed matching funds if full federal funding is not provided; and be it further Resolved, That a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to the presiding officers of the Senate and House of Representatives of the Congress of the United States of America and to each member of the Louisiana Congressional Delegation. | 2020-01-06 | Unknown | Senate | CREC-2020-11-17-pt1-PgS7037 | null | 1,666 |
formal | based | null | white supremacist | 2020, AS ``NATIONAL DIRECT SUPPORT PROFESSIONALS RECOGNITION WEEK'' Mr. CARDIN (for himself, Ms. Collins, Mr. King, Mr. Brown, Mr. Markey, Mr. Murphy, Mr. Menendez, Ms. Warren, Ms. Klobuchar, Mr. Blumenthal, Ms. Hassan, Mr. Jones, Mr. Van Hollen, Mr. Casey, Ms. Baldwin, Mrs. Murray, Ms. Rosen, Mr. Kaine, and Ms. Smith) submitted the following resolution; which was considered and agreed to: S. Res. 776 Whereas direct support professionals, including direct care workers, personal assistants, personal attendants, in-home support workers, and paraprofessionals, are key to providing publicly funded, long-term support and services for millions of individuals with disabilities; Whereas, during the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (referred to in this preamble as ``COVID-19'') pandemic, many direct support professionals continue to arrive for work every day in order to ensure the health and safety of individuals with disabilities; Whereas direct support professionals provide essential services that ensure all individuals with disabilities are-- (1) included as a valued part of the communities in which those individuals live; (2) supported at home, at work, and in the communities of the United States; and (3) empowered to live with the dignity that all people of the United States deserve; Whereas, by fostering connections between individuals with disabilities and their families, friends, and communities, direct support professionals ensure that individuals with disabilities thrive, thereby avoiding more costly institutional care; Whereas direct support professionals build close, respectful, and trusting relationships with individuals with disabilities and provide a broad range of personalized support to those individuals, including-- (1) helping individuals make person-centered choices; (2) assisting with personal care, meal preparation, medication management, and other aspects of daily living; (3) assisting individuals in accessing the community and securing competitive, integrated employment; (4) providing transportation to school, work, religious, and recreational activities; (5) helping with general daily affairs, such as assisting with financial matters, medical appointments, and personal interests; (6) assisting individuals in the transition from isolated or congregate settings or services to living in the communities of their choice; and (7) helping to keep individuals with disabilities safe and healthy during the COVID-19 pandemic, including by volunteering to quarantine with individuals whom they care for to reduce spread of the disease; Whereas there is a documented critical and increasing shortage of direct support professionals throughout the United States; Whereas the majority of direct support professionals are employed in home and community-based settings, and that trend is expected to increase over the next decade; Whereas many direct support professionals-- (1) are the primary financial providers for their families; (2) are hardworking, taxpaying citizens who provide a critical service in the United States; and (3) continue to earn low wages, receive inadequate benefits, and have limited opportunities for advancement, resulting in high turnover and vacancy rates that adversely affect the quality of support, safety, and health of individuals with disabilities; and Whereas the Supreme Court of the United States, in Olmstead v. L.C., 527 U.S. 581 (1999)-- (1) recognized the importance of the deinstitutionalization of, and community-based services for, individuals with disabilities; and (2) held that, under the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (42 U.S. 12101 et seq.), a State must provide community- based services to individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities if-- (A) the community-based services are appropriate; (B) the affected individual does not oppose receiving the community-based services; and (C) the community-based services can be reasonably accommodated after the community has taken into account the resources available to the State and the needs of other individuals with disabilities in the State: Now, therefore, be it Resolved, That the Senate-- (1) designates the week beginning September 13, 2020, as ``National Direct Support Professionals Recognition Week''; (2) recognizes the dedication and vital role of direct support professionals in enhancing the lives of individuals with disabilities of all ages; (3) appreciates the contribution of direct support professionals in supporting individuals with disabilities and their families in the United States; (4) commends direct support professionals for being integral to the provision of long-term support and services for individuals with disabilities; (5) encourages the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the Department of Labor to collect data specific to direct support professionals; and (6) finds that the successful implementation of public policies affecting individuals with disabilities in the United States can depend on the dedication of direct support professionals. | 2020-01-06 | Unknown | Senate | CREC-2020-11-17-pt1-PgS7040-2 | null | 1,667 |
formal | single | null | homophobic | Mr. LEE. Madam President, in a city divided by politics, a nation riven by disease, and an era defined by partisan opportunism, it is vital to remember that there are among us, mercifully, on Capitol Hill, a few men and women who embody the very highest ideals of honesty, charity, public service, and personal integrity. As chairman of the Joint Economic Committee for the past 2 years, I have had the privilege of knowing one of these indispensable patriots. I rise today, before the end of my term as chairman of the Joint Economic Committee and at the end of her 40th year of service on the Joint Economic Committee, to commend to all of my colleagues the personal and professional merits of Ms. Colleen Healy. Colleen was born in Port Allegany, PA, to Bob and Theresa Healy and is a sister to Bob, Barry, Brian, and Bret. She attended Port Allegany Union High School, where she participated in the school band, chorus, student government, and the Spanish club. As a senior, she was selected by her classmates to compete for the title of Pennsylvania State Laurel Queen of 1969. Colleen next attended Penn State, where she earned her B.A. in Spanish and Latin American Studies. After graduating and teaching Spanish for several years in Florida, she came to Washington in 1977, first working for Representative Joseph Ammerman of Pennsylvania as his executive secretary. Colleen then found her calling in the Joint Economic Committee, where she has made an indelible mark on generations of Representatives, Senators, and staff ever since. Colleen has now served on the JEC staff for more than half the time the committee has even been in existence. All great institutions, of course, depend on institutional memory. The Joint Economic Committee depends on Colleen Healy. That is why for decades the first decision every incoming JEC chair has made, whether the chair happens to be from the House or the Senate, happens to be a Democrat or a Republican, the first decision made over and over again is retaining Colleen's invaluable services as financial director. Colleen is the reason the JEC is known across Capitol Hill for being one of the most cooperative and congenial committees to work for, to work with, or to serve on because both sides trust Colleen. They also know they can trust each other. That has a ripple effect that is undeniably positive. Staffers trust that they can always go to Colleen with their questions and their problems, whether it is about the committee process or procedure, and receive gracious, knowledgeable, consistent, honest answers. But even more impressive than her acumen is her essential kindness and grace. Colleen is known to get a flag flown over the Capitol for each new baby born to a coworker. Staffers past and present joke that you can't walk 10 minutes with Colleen from her office in the Dirksen Building and get very far because she has befriended literally everyone across the Capitol complex, remembering personal details about their lives and their families and stopping to talk with each person along the way. From Members to staffers, to interns and custodians, Colleen never misses an opportunity to make every single person feel important and valued and necessary. That, again, has ripple effects that are always positive in any organization and certainly are on the JEC. As one former coworker put it, when you talk to Colleen, you are instantly made to feel like the most special, loved, and cared-for person on Earth. When you step into her office, you know she is ready to laugh, listen, or cry with you. As another has said, despite the length of time she has worked in Washington, DC, Colleen still exudes warmth and joy--a spirit that permeates the committee and touches everyone she meets. This in a city not necessarily known for those traits. And though she lives it out quietly, she gives witness to her Catholic faith each and every day. Mother Teresa once advised: ``Let no one ever come to you without leaving better and happier.'' I can think of no better way to describe how Colleen Healy lives her life. In the words of the JEC vice chair, Representative Don Beyer, ``Colleen is the JEC's administrator, historian, sage, and most important, the heart and soul of the committee. She is respected and beloved by decades of JEC Senate and House Members of both parties, as well as generations of staff. Her decades of service have been invaluable.'' We are all better and happier for it. I thank Colleen for her service to the committee, and I hope we are lucky enough to get another 40 years with her serving on the Joint Economic Committee I yield the floor. | 2020-01-06 | Mr. LEE | Senate | CREC-2020-11-17-pt1-PgS7041-4 | null | 1,668 |
formal | based | null | white supremacist | Mr. PORTMAN. Madam President, I am here on the floor of the Senate tonight to talk about the encouraging progress we have seen in finding a vaccine for the COVID-19 virus that has disrupted all of our lives and caused such great damage over the past year. From the early days of this coronavirus pandemic, a public-private partnership has employed scientists who have worked around-the-clock to prevent people from getting infected by developing effective vaccines. We saw the results of this effort in the last week with announcements from Pfizer and now Moderna that their interim success rates were above 90 percent during their trials. Other companies have vaccines at various stages of development, and there is hope that they will have similar results. Getting safe and effective vaccines across the finish line will be a monumental achievement. Not only are we witnessing unprecedented progress in creating an effective widespread vaccine, we are doing so at a speed unheard of in modern medical history. This result is going to be our best hope of getting out of this pandemic. With cases rising not only across the country but around the world, we are running out of other tools needed to stop the pandemic. I support the social distancing, wearing of masks, PPE, the testing, but I believe widespread inoculation is the most effective way to avoid the negative economic and social impacts the virus and the subsequent mitigation efforts have caused. If these vaccines receive the expected emergency use authorization from the Food and Drug Administration over the coming weeks and months, this will be a testament to the unprecedented support that Congress has provided for vaccine development, the Trump administration's innovative approach to cut bureaucratic redtape with Operation Warp Speed, and the commitment and ingenuity of our researchers, our scientists, and our manufacturers. The bipartisan CARES Act we passed here in March with unanimous support provided $27 billion in funding for countermeasures against COVID, including funding this important vaccine development research. It was money well spent. Thanks to these funds and the innovative approach by the administration, we have been able to invest in building the infrastructure to begin manufacturing these vaccines now so that if the vaccine is approved, we can quickly ramp up distribution. This two-track approach also involves ramping up large-scale clinical trials, which are critical to furthering our scientific understanding of this pandemic and verifying the safety and effectiveness of these vaccines. By using these CARES Act funds to invest in both research and trials and in manufacturing at the same time, we are able to ensure that the trials are thorough and methodical while also ensuring that if and when approved there is vaccine ready to be distributed. At the same time, the Food and Drug Administration, which is the Federal agency responsible for approving the use of any new vaccine, has followed the science and moved cautiously. As an example, they have actually raised the standards needed for giving an emergency use authorization for a vaccine. Normally, a vaccine only needs to be effective about 50 percent of the time to be approved under the EUA, emergency use authorization, but with the coronavirus vaccine, the standard is much higher. By requiring companies to collect more rigorous information to show longer lasting results from their respective vaccine candidates, this will help ensure greater confidence in the system, and I am grateful that they took these additional careful steps. This progress on the vaccine is critical for our economic recovery as well. When a vaccine and therapeutics are authorized by the FDA and made widely available and people actually get vaccinated, all of us will feel safer returning to the workplace, retail establishments, restaurants, churches and other places of worship, and schools, as well as feeling more comfortable gathering with friends and family. We will finally be able to truly reopen and get millions of Americans back to work. In short, a widely available vaccine is our best bet for getting America back to normal--something we all are desperate for. Last month, I received a briefing from CTI Clinical Trial and Consulting Services, a research company that is based in my hometown of Cincinnati, OH. I met with them to receive a briefing to find out what is going on in Ohio and what they are doing around the country. CTI is a global leader in actually executing these clinical trials that we always talk about for these vaccines and therapeutics, and right nowthey are helping to conduct clinical trials on a potential COVID vaccine being developed by a number of companies, including Janssen, J & J. That is Janssen, Johnson & Johnson. I was impressed with the progress they had made in their phase 1 and phase 2 trials for the J & J vaccine, as well as the precautions they are taking with regard to safety and privacy of participants in the trial. In fact, the previous trial of this vaccine found 99 percent of participants developed antibodies to COVID-19, and 98 percent still had these antibodies in their system after 29 days. These are encouraging figures that suggest that this J & J vaccine could prove to be another useful tool in our toolkit to fight COVID-19, but there is still a lot of work to be done. CTI explained to me that they were focused on encouraging more people to join their trials. I asked if it would help if I signed up, and they said yes. Along with tens of thousands of other participants, I am now joining this trial for this promising new vaccine. Like other participants in the program, I don't know if I got the vaccine or if I got a placebo. I enrolled in this vaccine trial for really three reasons. One is because I think it is so important to get this vaccine moving, and these trials are really important to having that be successful. In my view, again, the vaccine is the most effective way for us to defeat this coronavirus. Second, I enrolled because I want to encourage others to join these trials around the country. If you are interested, go online. Look at the vaccine trials and join one in your community. And, third, I hope it will convince my fellow Ohioans and others that getting vaccinated makes sense. There is a concerning Gallup poll from last month that found that only half of Americans are comfortable getting a COVID-19 vaccine, and 50 percent of us are not comfortable at this point getting vaccinated. Actually, that is down from August, when two-thirds of Americans said they would be willing to be vaccinated. This concerns me a lot. I suspect in part this is happening because of the rhetoric we have heard from some public officials casting doubt on a vaccine solely because it may be approved by the Trump administration's FDA. We need to stop playing politics with people's health and let the science and the data determine which vaccines get approved. The FDA is being very cautious, and they are being driven by science. Casting doubt on the efficacy of a vaccine to try to score political points is dangerous and needs to stop. Public confidence in vaccines is declining at exactly the time that we need these vaccines the most, and we need to do what we can to reverse that trend. My hope is that being involved firsthand I can use my platform as a Senator to help give people confidence that these new vaccines being developed are safe and effective. The more folks participate in these trials, the sooner they will have the complete data to finalize this phase of the trial and move on to the FDA approval process. But just as important as participating in these vaccine trials is what we do here as legislators in Congress to ensure that these vaccines can continue to be developed and deployed safely and rapidly. As I mentioned earlier, the CARES Act provided $27 billion for the development of vaccines and other countermeasures--an unprecedented show of support from Congress in our fight to defeat the underlying healthcare challenges of this pandemic. Unfortunately, since that bill was passed--the CARES bill--way back in March, 8 months ago, we have been unable to focus on following up with more funding to help this effort. Twenty-seven billion dollars is a lot of money, but it only gets us so far in an effort like this. What is also missing from the uses for this $27 billion is the ability to fund a campaign to explain to Americans that there is a safe and effective vaccine out there that they can use, that the science has been followed. As I mentioned, there is a lot of vaccine hesitancy right now. It existed before this pandemic. Unfortunately, it has been made worse by some elected officials trying to politicize this science-driven effort. That is why I am working on bipartisan legislation to support a national awareness campaign that would empower HHS to cut through the politics and promote the scientific advancements we have made in order to increase public confidence. We don't have a vaccine yet, and we are still facing another round of shutdowns, with little help to support those who will be impacted by it. That is the reason we need to do more here in Washington right now to ensure that the healthcare response to this pandemic does not falter, because this crisis is getting worse, not better. In my home State of Ohio and around the country, we are seeing this, and we can make a difference here. In Ohio, the number of daily cases has risen every day for the past month. We are seeing double what we saw just a few weeks ago. In the United States, we are now averaging more than 100,000 new cases per day, double the rate from just a month ago. As was predicted, it got colder, people are inside more, and the third wave has arrived. Unfortunately, we have also seen an increase in Ohio in hospitalizations, in ICU patients, and, sadly, in fatalities along with these new cases. We need to do more to help the economy, too, and that is another reason we need a COVID-19 package--a stimulus package--because as the pandemic has worsened, the impressive economic growth we were seeing has slowed down at a time when the economy is still down 10 million jobs since February. What we really don't want is for those ten million people, in a slowdown of the economy, to become long-term unemployed and who may never reenter the workforce. And, of course, certain sectors--like hospitality, restaurants, hotels, travel, and entertainment--are still struggling badly, with no end in sight, as some States are beginning to re-implement stricter social distancing measurers and even to close down these facilities in order to counter the spread of the virus I am pleased that Leader McConnell has called on Congress to work together to pass another coronavirus response package before the end of the year. We can't afford to wait any longer. It is my hope that my Democratic colleagues recognize the urgency as well. And I have talked to a number of them who do. We have to refrain from making this political at this point. We have to figure out how to work together to find common ground. If we can come together and get a bipartisan coronavirus bill passed before the end of this year that takes a commonsense approach targeting the healthcare challenges of this pandemic, targeting the economic consequences, we will not only help the men and women working tirelessly in labs around the country to fight this disease, but we will send a clear message to the American people that we are with them in this fight. And as we continue this critical national effort, let's be sure we are doing our part here in Congress to pass legislation that provides additional funding for treatments and therapies for the coronavirus so that we can be sure we have the resources necessary to treat the virus as people get it. The time is now for us to put the partisanship aside and figure out how we can work together to give the American people a little hope, to address the healthcare crisis that is in all of our States, and to ensure that the economic consequences are not devastating for the people we represent. I urge my colleagues to come together and to do that before we recess for the holidays. I yield back my time. | 2020-01-06 | Mr. PORTMAN | Senate | CREC-2020-11-17-pt1-PgS7042 | null | 1,669 |
formal | based | null | white supremacist | The SPEAKER. The Chair will now take this opportunity to make an announcement concerning floor practice during the coronavirus pandemic. First, the Chair wishes to underscore the importance of safe practices during votes. As the Chair stated on July 29, 2020, under clause 2 of rule I, the Chair is required to preserve order and decorum in the Chamber. This includes the responsibility to ensure the protection of Member and staff health and safety during proceedings. To that end, based upon health and safety guidance from the attending physician and the Sergeant at Arms, the Chair would advise that all Members should leave the Chamber promptly after casting their votes. Furthermore, Members should avoid congregating in the rooms leading to the Chamber, including the Speaker's lobby. As a reminder, the Chair will continue the recent practice of providing small groups of Members with a minimum of 5 minutes within which to cast their votes. Members are encouraged to vote with their previously assigned group. After voting, Members must clear the Chamber to allow the next group a safe and sufficient opportunity to vote. It is essential for the health and safety of Members, staff, and the U.S. Capitol Police to consistently practice social distancing and to ensure that a safe capacity be maintained in the Chamber at all times. The Sergeant at Arms is directed to enforce this policy. Second, the Chair wishes to remind Members that the announcement of July 29, 2020, regarding the wearing of masks in the Hall of the House remains in effect. Members and staff will not be permitted to enter the Hall of the House without wearing a mask. Masks will be available at the entry points for any Member who forgets to bring one. To reiterate, the Chair views the failure to wear masks as a serious breach of decorum. I repeat, Members and staff will not be permitted to enter the Hall of the House without wearing a mask. The Chair appreciates the attention of all Members and staff to these principles. | 2020-01-06 | The SPEAKER | House | CREC-2020-11-18-pt1-PgH5875-3 | null | 1,670 |
formal | XX | null | transphobic | The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Yarmuth). Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, the Chair will postpone further proceedings today on motions to suspend the rules on which the yeas and nays are ordered. The House will resume proceedings on postponed questions at a later time. | 2020-01-06 | The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Yarmuth) | House | CREC-2020-11-18-pt1-PgH5877-2 | null | 1,671 |
formal | religious freedom | null | homophobic | Mr. ESPAILLAT. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 5408) to oppose violations of religious freedom in Ukraine by Russia and armed groups commanded by Russia, as amended. | 2020-01-06 | Mr. ESPAILLAT | House | CREC-2020-11-18-pt1-PgH5920 | null | 1,672 |
formal | blue | null | antisemitic | Coronavirus Madam President, now on an entirely different matter, Senate Republicans have spent months--months--trying to get another bipartisan rescue package passed and signed into law for the American people. For months, our position has been entirely consistent. We want to reach agreement on all the areas where compromise is well within reach, send hundreds of billions of dollars to urgent and uncontroversial programs, and let Washington argue over the rest later. There is no reason why doing right by struggling families should wait until we resolve every difference on every issue. But, unfortunately, both Speaker Pelosi and the Democratic leader have been equally consistent, and they don't think Congress should do anything at all--anything, unless they get to cash out a far-left ideological wish list, including things with zero relationship to the present crisis. They have continued to insist that Congress must pass their so-called Heroes Act or do nothing at all. The problem is that their proposal is a multitrillion-dollar laughingstock that never had a chance of becoming law. Let's recall what Speaker Pelosi's own Members said when she first released this proposal: I think the Heroes Act went too far. It got loaded up with a bunch of political wish list things. This is Washington politics at its worst . . . a partisan wish list. It's a middle finger to the American people. These are all reactions of House Democrats. And no wonder, because here are just some of the demands the Speaker will not drop: a massive tax cut specifically for wealthy people in blue States; a colossal slush fund for consistently mismanaged State and city governments, with no linkage to actual pandemic needs. These things are included, but they managed to completely leave out--listen to this--leave out entirely any new funding for a second round of the job-saving Paycheck Protection Program--something we made sure to include in every Republican offering. They want to spend $3 trillion but couldn't find one cent--one cent--of new money for the job-saving program that has kept small businesses afloat from coast to coast. Oh, and by the way, because the far-left decided in the summertime they didn't much like the men and women of law enforcement anymore, between the first and second version of this proposal, the Speaker literally took out--listen to this--took out hundreds of millions of dollars for hiring, equipping, and training local law enforcement. I guess by their account, the police don't count as ``Heroes'' any longer. By playing all-or-nothing hardball with a proposal this radical, our colleagues have thus far guaranteed that American workers and families get nothing at all. The pace of our economic recovery and the promise of vaccines on the horizon give us reasons for major hope, but we are nowhere near--nowhere near--out of the woods yet. Vaccines will need to be distributed nationwide and quickly. Republicans' targeted proposal provided billions of dollars to make that happen, but Democrats blocked it. The PPP has helped millions of American workers and small businesses hang on thus far, but now, in the home stretch, they need more help. Republicans' targeted proposal would have renewed that lifeline for the hardest hit small businesses, but again, Democrats blocked it. So think about it. We moved Heaven and Earth and spent mountains of money to help workers keep their jobs and help small businesses keep the lights on from the springtime all the way up to now, but now, after all that, with the end seemingly in sight, we might lose the hardest hit small businesses in the home stretch because Democrats have refused--refused--to let us continue helping. We kept family businesses alive for months and months, only to see some of them fail now, with vaccines on the horizon, because Democrats have blocked another round of PPP. Well, it is not too late to make a difference. Republicans stand ready to deliver this urgent aid. Let's fund all the programs where there is not even real disagreement--just the ones where there is no disagreement--and let's do it now. We just need Democrats to finally get serious about this. I suggest the absence of a quorum. | 2020-01-06 | Unknown | Senate | CREC-2020-11-18-pt1-PgS7048 | null | 1,673 |
formal | tax cut | null | racist | Coronavirus Madam President, now on an entirely different matter, Senate Republicans have spent months--months--trying to get another bipartisan rescue package passed and signed into law for the American people. For months, our position has been entirely consistent. We want to reach agreement on all the areas where compromise is well within reach, send hundreds of billions of dollars to urgent and uncontroversial programs, and let Washington argue over the rest later. There is no reason why doing right by struggling families should wait until we resolve every difference on every issue. But, unfortunately, both Speaker Pelosi and the Democratic leader have been equally consistent, and they don't think Congress should do anything at all--anything, unless they get to cash out a far-left ideological wish list, including things with zero relationship to the present crisis. They have continued to insist that Congress must pass their so-called Heroes Act or do nothing at all. The problem is that their proposal is a multitrillion-dollar laughingstock that never had a chance of becoming law. Let's recall what Speaker Pelosi's own Members said when she first released this proposal: I think the Heroes Act went too far. It got loaded up with a bunch of political wish list things. This is Washington politics at its worst . . . a partisan wish list. It's a middle finger to the American people. These are all reactions of House Democrats. And no wonder, because here are just some of the demands the Speaker will not drop: a massive tax cut specifically for wealthy people in blue States; a colossal slush fund for consistently mismanaged State and city governments, with no linkage to actual pandemic needs. These things are included, but they managed to completely leave out--listen to this--leave out entirely any new funding for a second round of the job-saving Paycheck Protection Program--something we made sure to include in every Republican offering. They want to spend $3 trillion but couldn't find one cent--one cent--of new money for the job-saving program that has kept small businesses afloat from coast to coast. Oh, and by the way, because the far-left decided in the summertime they didn't much like the men and women of law enforcement anymore, between the first and second version of this proposal, the Speaker literally took out--listen to this--took out hundreds of millions of dollars for hiring, equipping, and training local law enforcement. I guess by their account, the police don't count as ``Heroes'' any longer. By playing all-or-nothing hardball with a proposal this radical, our colleagues have thus far guaranteed that American workers and families get nothing at all. The pace of our economic recovery and the promise of vaccines on the horizon give us reasons for major hope, but we are nowhere near--nowhere near--out of the woods yet. Vaccines will need to be distributed nationwide and quickly. Republicans' targeted proposal provided billions of dollars to make that happen, but Democrats blocked it. The PPP has helped millions of American workers and small businesses hang on thus far, but now, in the home stretch, they need more help. Republicans' targeted proposal would have renewed that lifeline for the hardest hit small businesses, but again, Democrats blocked it. So think about it. We moved Heaven and Earth and spent mountains of money to help workers keep their jobs and help small businesses keep the lights on from the springtime all the way up to now, but now, after all that, with the end seemingly in sight, we might lose the hardest hit small businesses in the home stretch because Democrats have refused--refused--to let us continue helping. We kept family businesses alive for months and months, only to see some of them fail now, with vaccines on the horizon, because Democrats have blocked another round of PPP. Well, it is not too late to make a difference. Republicans stand ready to deliver this urgent aid. Let's fund all the programs where there is not even real disagreement--just the ones where there is no disagreement--and let's do it now. We just need Democrats to finally get serious about this. I suggest the absence of a quorum. | 2020-01-06 | Unknown | Senate | CREC-2020-11-18-pt1-PgS7048 | null | 1,674 |
formal | based | null | white supremacist | Judicial Nominations Madam President, a couple of weeks ago, we confirmed one of the most qualified Supreme Court Justices in living memory. This week, we are confirming more district court judges, bringing the total number of judges we have confirmed over the last 4 years to nearly 230. Confirming good judges is one of the most important responsibilities that we have as Senators, and it is a responsibility that I take very seriously. In fact, one of the main reasons I was first elected to the Senate was to make sure that outstanding judicial nominees were confirmed to the Federal bench. It is hard to imagine now, but confirming judges used to be a pretty bipartisan affair. Presidents of both parties generally got the majority of their judicial nominees confirmed to the bench. But all of that changed back in the early 2000s. After President George W. Bush's election, Democrats decided that the President's judicial nominees might not deliver the results that Democrats wanted, and so they decided to adopt a new strategy: blocking judicial nominees on a regular basis. That became the routine here in the Senate. I was one of the many Americans who were upset by the blockade of impressive, well-qualified nominees, and it was one of the main reasons that I ran for the Senate in 2004. I promised South Dakotans that if they elected me, I would help put outstanding, impartial judges on the bench. I am proud to have delivered on that promise. The list of outstanding judicial nominees we have confirmed over the past 4 years is long. We have confirmed brilliant, accomplished men and women with superb qualifications, but most importantly, we have confirmed men and women who understand the proper role of a judge, who know that the job of a judge is to interpret the law, not make the law, to call balls and strikes, not to rewrite rules of the game. It is here that Republican judicial philosophy diverges from the judicial philosophy of a lot of Democrats. Republicans believe that the job of a judge is to look at the law and the Constitution and then rule based on how those things apply to the facts in a particular case. Judges, we believe, should leave their politics and their personal opinions at the courtroom door and base their opinions solely on what the law and the Constitution say. For Democrats, on the other hand, what matters most is not how judges reach their conclusion, not whether they apply the law, but what outcomes they deliver. If a judge can deliver the right outcome by following the plain meaning of the law, then great, but if she can't, then Democrats want a judge to reach beyond the plain meaning of the statute to deliver what Democrats see as an appropriate result. Then-Presidential candidate Barack Obama back in 2007 said: [W]hat you've got to look at is, what is in the justice's heart? What's their broader vision of what America should be? Well, that is a very dangerous standard. It is not the job of a judge to impose his or her ``broader vision of what America should be''; it is the job of a judge to determine what the law says and then apply the law to the particular case before him. President Obama famously said that he wanted judges with empathy. Well, that is all very well until you are a party in a case, and you have the law on your side, but the judge empathizes with the opposing party. What happens then? The only way to preserve the rule of law in this country is to confirm judges who understand that their allegiance must be to the law and to the Constitution, not to their personal feelings, their personal beliefs, their political beliefs, or their ``broader vision of what America should be.'' Otherwise, you replace the rule of law with the rule of a bunch of individual judges. So I am very thankful that we have confirmed so many judges who understand that the job of a judge is to apply the law, not make it, and who won't try to usurp the role of Congress by legislating from the Federal bench. I thank the majority leader for making judicial confirmations such a priority. I look forward to confirming more outstanding judicial nominees this week. I yield the floor. I suggest the absence of a quorum. | 2020-01-06 | Unknown | Senate | CREC-2020-11-18-pt1-PgS7050-2 | null | 1,675 |
formal | the Fed | null | antisemitic | Judicial Nominations Madam President, a couple of weeks ago, we confirmed one of the most qualified Supreme Court Justices in living memory. This week, we are confirming more district court judges, bringing the total number of judges we have confirmed over the last 4 years to nearly 230. Confirming good judges is one of the most important responsibilities that we have as Senators, and it is a responsibility that I take very seriously. In fact, one of the main reasons I was first elected to the Senate was to make sure that outstanding judicial nominees were confirmed to the Federal bench. It is hard to imagine now, but confirming judges used to be a pretty bipartisan affair. Presidents of both parties generally got the majority of their judicial nominees confirmed to the bench. But all of that changed back in the early 2000s. After President George W. Bush's election, Democrats decided that the President's judicial nominees might not deliver the results that Democrats wanted, and so they decided to adopt a new strategy: blocking judicial nominees on a regular basis. That became the routine here in the Senate. I was one of the many Americans who were upset by the blockade of impressive, well-qualified nominees, and it was one of the main reasons that I ran for the Senate in 2004. I promised South Dakotans that if they elected me, I would help put outstanding, impartial judges on the bench. I am proud to have delivered on that promise. The list of outstanding judicial nominees we have confirmed over the past 4 years is long. We have confirmed brilliant, accomplished men and women with superb qualifications, but most importantly, we have confirmed men and women who understand the proper role of a judge, who know that the job of a judge is to interpret the law, not make the law, to call balls and strikes, not to rewrite rules of the game. It is here that Republican judicial philosophy diverges from the judicial philosophy of a lot of Democrats. Republicans believe that the job of a judge is to look at the law and the Constitution and then rule based on how those things apply to the facts in a particular case. Judges, we believe, should leave their politics and their personal opinions at the courtroom door and base their opinions solely on what the law and the Constitution say. For Democrats, on the other hand, what matters most is not how judges reach their conclusion, not whether they apply the law, but what outcomes they deliver. If a judge can deliver the right outcome by following the plain meaning of the law, then great, but if she can't, then Democrats want a judge to reach beyond the plain meaning of the statute to deliver what Democrats see as an appropriate result. Then-Presidential candidate Barack Obama back in 2007 said: [W]hat you've got to look at is, what is in the justice's heart? What's their broader vision of what America should be? Well, that is a very dangerous standard. It is not the job of a judge to impose his or her ``broader vision of what America should be''; it is the job of a judge to determine what the law says and then apply the law to the particular case before him. President Obama famously said that he wanted judges with empathy. Well, that is all very well until you are a party in a case, and you have the law on your side, but the judge empathizes with the opposing party. What happens then? The only way to preserve the rule of law in this country is to confirm judges who understand that their allegiance must be to the law and to the Constitution, not to their personal feelings, their personal beliefs, their political beliefs, or their ``broader vision of what America should be.'' Otherwise, you replace the rule of law with the rule of a bunch of individual judges. So I am very thankful that we have confirmed so many judges who understand that the job of a judge is to apply the law, not make it, and who won't try to usurp the role of Congress by legislating from the Federal bench. I thank the majority leader for making judicial confirmations such a priority. I look forward to confirming more outstanding judicial nominees this week. I yield the floor. I suggest the absence of a quorum. | 2020-01-06 | Unknown | Senate | CREC-2020-11-18-pt1-PgS7050-2 | null | 1,676 |
formal | single | null | homophobic | Senator Chuck Grassley Madam President, as I begin today, I just want to say that our thoughts are with Senator Chuck Grassley after his coronavirus diagnosis. It was a strange day in the Senate yesterday with Chuck Grassley not voting, because he broke a 27-year-long streak of showing up for every single vote. We are praying for his swift recovery and his speedy return to the Senate | 2020-01-06 | Unknown | Senate | CREC-2020-11-18-pt1-PgS7050 | null | 1,677 |
formal | based | null | white supremacist | Mr. CORNYN. Mr. President, here it is November 18. It seems like the election was a few years ago. Time is flyingby, but there is still a lot of work to be done here in the 116th Congress. I hope that our friends across the aisle will reconsider their objections to working with us on another COVID-19 relief bill. I know back home in Texas, many small businesses that received PPE loans are uncertain, for example, what the tax consequences are going to be associated with that. Many of them, for whom that was a lifeline, are running out of that lifeline due to the passage of time. We also know we need to pass an appropriations bill before the December 11 deadline to both avoid a government shutdown and give our government agencies the ability to plan and operate with certainty. Of course, perhaps most significantly, we need to pass a final version of the National Defense Authorization Act. The foremost obligation of the Federal Government is the peace and security for the American people. We do that by passing the defense authorization act and funding our military each year on an annual basis. This bill determines how we maintain our military bases, modernize our aircraft, and invest in the next generation of aircraft and weaponry. Of course, we know that our adversaries--most notably, countries like China and Russia--are moving very quickly to modernize their military and their weaponry in a way that could jeopardize the balance or the deterrence of our current systems. It is very, very important. This is also how we supply our servicemembers and their families with the money they need to provide for their families. It is how we take stock of the evolving threat landscape--things like hypersonic glide vehicles--and ensure our country is taking active steps to counter threats on the horizon. The most important thing, I think, Ronald Reagan taught us or reminded us of is ``peace through strength,'' that weakness is actually a provocation to the bullies, tyrants, and dictators who will take advantage of any opportunity. It causes instability and perhaps even miscalculation and people taking risks that, ultimately, will lead to armed conflict. The best thing we can do to maintain the peace is make sure the United States of America remains the preeminent military force on the planet. Of course, it is no secret that, in recent years, China has emerged as one of the greatest threats to world order. It is increasingly belligerent and well resourced and continues to demonstrate a lack of respect for basic human rights and dignities. The challenge of China is they don't play by the rules. I know back when China became part of the World Trade Organization, there was a hope expressed that maybe by becoming part of the World Trade Organization, they could join the other rules-based economies and countries, but they have not. They continue to steal intellectual property, and they continue to want to dominate the United States, both economically and militarily, in the long run. The Chinese Communist Party has made no secret of its desire to flex its economic and political power throughout the world as evidenced by their Made in China 2025 Initiative. It seeks to advance Chinese dominance in high-tech manufacturing for everything from electric cars to advanced robotics to artificial intelligence to seemingly innocuous devices like jetways at airports. One major component of this plan is semiconductor manufacturing, and China is making serious headway. Since 2000, China has gone from manufacturing zero chips to 16 percent of the global supply, and it plans to invest another $1.4 trillion in the semiconductor technology. Why is this important? Well, because these microcircuits that have gotten smaller and smaller and smaller and make up the working components in everything from iPhones to our weapons systems--these have become harder and harder to manufacture. In fact, one of the things this COVID virus has taught is the vulnerability of our supply chains. Right now, one of the sole sources of the most sophisticated semiconductor that goes into everything from our iPhones to our national defense systems is manufactured overseas, primarily in Taiwan. While China has upped its production of semiconductors dramatically and its investment, the U.S. has dropped to producing roughly a quarter of the world's semiconductors to only 12 percent. That is a big problem. First is the obvious economic implications. Giving up a significant global share of manufacturing means missing out on thousands--indeed tens of thousands--of high-paying jobs that could be stationed right here at home. It also ignores the benefits of a strong U.S. manufacturing supply chain to support products made by the United States and our trading partners. Our growing dependence on others, including China, for semiconductors also poses a serious national security risk. As I said, these chips are everywhere. They are also critical components to our infrastructure, things like cell towers, hospital equipment, missile defense systems. Our most critical technologies rely on a product we are looking for a country overseas to supply, whether it is Taiwan or China or some other country. Earlier this year, we, of course, experienced how dangerous that is. It is as simple as things like personal protective equipment. China has long been a major supplier of masks, gloves, and gowns, and other PPE used by our healthcare workers. That didn't seem to be a problem because they could always make it cheaper, but when the virus hit, we found out it was a serious problem. By the time the virus began spreading to the U.S., China had been battling it for a number of weeks, maybe even months. So when it came time for American hospitals, clinics, and healthcare providers to beef up their supply of personal protective equipment, the supplies were already depleted or we were dependent on China to produce them. Healthcare workers did what they could by reusing masks throughout an entire shift in order to conserve supplies. Hospitals were pleading with the general public to donate any unused personal protective equipment so their workforce could remain safe. We didn't reach that point because of lack of preparation, but because of our reliance on other countries, namely China, to produce that medical gear. This has been a wake-up call, I think, for me and, I think, certainly many others about our supply chain vulnerabilities. It is a clear signal that we need to take action to secure other critical supply chains. When it comes to semiconductor manufacturing, that is easier said than done. Building a new semiconductor foundry is a very, very expensive undertaking. It simply will not happen without a robust private-public partnership. We know our adversaries are making a big down payment on their own semiconductor manufacturing. The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development estimates that 21 major semiconductor firms across a number of countries received more than $50 billion in government support between 2014 and 2018. This is not exactly a market that is going to depend purely on the private sector. It is going to require the Federal Government to step up if we are going to bring that manufacturing onshore and if we are going to reduce our vulnerabilities, both from an economic and national security perspective. Some of the countries investing, though, in manufacturing these technologies are South Korea, Singapore, Taiwan, Ireland, Germany, and--yes, you guessed it--China. We have lost ground to our global competitors, and unless we take action, it is estimated that, by 2030, 83 percent of global semiconductor manufacturing will be in Asia--83 percent. We simply can't allow that to happen. The U.S. needs to make a strategic investment in semiconductor manufacturing to regain lost ground, and this year's National Defense Authorization Act includes the critical first step. I introduced a bill, along with our colleague, our friend from Virginia, Senator Warner, called the CHIPS for America Act, and a version of this bill was adopted as an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act. It had bipartisan support--a vote of 96 to 4. It will help restore American leadership in semiconductor manufacturing by creating a Federal incentive program through the Department of Commerce in order to encourage chip manufacturing here in the United States. In short, this will help stimulate domestic advanced semiconductor manufacturing and boost both our national security and global competitiveness. It will enable us to bring the manufacturing of these critical devices back home and strengthen the supply chains for our military systems, our critical infrastructure, telecommunications, healthcare, agriculture, manufacturing, and virtually every other industry you could name. Senator Warner and I have worked closely with Senator Cotton, of Arkansas, and with Senator Schumer, of New York, in drafting this bipartisan amendment. I am glad our colleagues in the House have approved a similar amendment to their legislation, and I am eager to see the final version in the conference report. When the NDAA makes its way to the President's desk, it will mark the 60th consecutive year in which Congress has passed such bipartisan legislation to fund, supply, and equip our Nation's military. I appreciate the strong bipartisan support of Chairman Inhofe, of the Committee on Armed Services, and Ranking Member Reed, and I am eager for this legislation to come to the floor for a final vote, but the next step is to secure funding for the programs to incentivize domestic semiconductor manufacturing. We have been working with the administration, particularly with Secretary Mnuchin, Secretary Ross, and Secretary Pompeo, who have identified this as a major vulnerability and have worked with us to try to close that gap. I have enjoyed working with colleagues on both sides of the aisle to ensure that we provide full funding for this legislation, but we are not there yet. This is the key to our long-term national security and economic competitiveness, and it is my top priority in the coming weeks as the Senate prepares to consider appropriations bills. A secure semiconductor supply chain will strengthen our national security, and our economy will reap countless benefits by bringing these manufacturing jobs back to the United States. As we work to counter increasingly sophisticated adversaries around the world, passing the National Defense Authorization Act and funding these new programs could not be more important. I yield the floor. I suggest the absence of a quorum. | 2020-01-06 | Mr. CORNYN | Senate | CREC-2020-11-18-pt1-PgS7065-2 | null | 1,678 |
formal | the Fed | null | antisemitic | Mr. CORNYN. Mr. President, here it is November 18. It seems like the election was a few years ago. Time is flyingby, but there is still a lot of work to be done here in the 116th Congress. I hope that our friends across the aisle will reconsider their objections to working with us on another COVID-19 relief bill. I know back home in Texas, many small businesses that received PPE loans are uncertain, for example, what the tax consequences are going to be associated with that. Many of them, for whom that was a lifeline, are running out of that lifeline due to the passage of time. We also know we need to pass an appropriations bill before the December 11 deadline to both avoid a government shutdown and give our government agencies the ability to plan and operate with certainty. Of course, perhaps most significantly, we need to pass a final version of the National Defense Authorization Act. The foremost obligation of the Federal Government is the peace and security for the American people. We do that by passing the defense authorization act and funding our military each year on an annual basis. This bill determines how we maintain our military bases, modernize our aircraft, and invest in the next generation of aircraft and weaponry. Of course, we know that our adversaries--most notably, countries like China and Russia--are moving very quickly to modernize their military and their weaponry in a way that could jeopardize the balance or the deterrence of our current systems. It is very, very important. This is also how we supply our servicemembers and their families with the money they need to provide for their families. It is how we take stock of the evolving threat landscape--things like hypersonic glide vehicles--and ensure our country is taking active steps to counter threats on the horizon. The most important thing, I think, Ronald Reagan taught us or reminded us of is ``peace through strength,'' that weakness is actually a provocation to the bullies, tyrants, and dictators who will take advantage of any opportunity. It causes instability and perhaps even miscalculation and people taking risks that, ultimately, will lead to armed conflict. The best thing we can do to maintain the peace is make sure the United States of America remains the preeminent military force on the planet. Of course, it is no secret that, in recent years, China has emerged as one of the greatest threats to world order. It is increasingly belligerent and well resourced and continues to demonstrate a lack of respect for basic human rights and dignities. The challenge of China is they don't play by the rules. I know back when China became part of the World Trade Organization, there was a hope expressed that maybe by becoming part of the World Trade Organization, they could join the other rules-based economies and countries, but they have not. They continue to steal intellectual property, and they continue to want to dominate the United States, both economically and militarily, in the long run. The Chinese Communist Party has made no secret of its desire to flex its economic and political power throughout the world as evidenced by their Made in China 2025 Initiative. It seeks to advance Chinese dominance in high-tech manufacturing for everything from electric cars to advanced robotics to artificial intelligence to seemingly innocuous devices like jetways at airports. One major component of this plan is semiconductor manufacturing, and China is making serious headway. Since 2000, China has gone from manufacturing zero chips to 16 percent of the global supply, and it plans to invest another $1.4 trillion in the semiconductor technology. Why is this important? Well, because these microcircuits that have gotten smaller and smaller and smaller and make up the working components in everything from iPhones to our weapons systems--these have become harder and harder to manufacture. In fact, one of the things this COVID virus has taught is the vulnerability of our supply chains. Right now, one of the sole sources of the most sophisticated semiconductor that goes into everything from our iPhones to our national defense systems is manufactured overseas, primarily in Taiwan. While China has upped its production of semiconductors dramatically and its investment, the U.S. has dropped to producing roughly a quarter of the world's semiconductors to only 12 percent. That is a big problem. First is the obvious economic implications. Giving up a significant global share of manufacturing means missing out on thousands--indeed tens of thousands--of high-paying jobs that could be stationed right here at home. It also ignores the benefits of a strong U.S. manufacturing supply chain to support products made by the United States and our trading partners. Our growing dependence on others, including China, for semiconductors also poses a serious national security risk. As I said, these chips are everywhere. They are also critical components to our infrastructure, things like cell towers, hospital equipment, missile defense systems. Our most critical technologies rely on a product we are looking for a country overseas to supply, whether it is Taiwan or China or some other country. Earlier this year, we, of course, experienced how dangerous that is. It is as simple as things like personal protective equipment. China has long been a major supplier of masks, gloves, and gowns, and other PPE used by our healthcare workers. That didn't seem to be a problem because they could always make it cheaper, but when the virus hit, we found out it was a serious problem. By the time the virus began spreading to the U.S., China had been battling it for a number of weeks, maybe even months. So when it came time for American hospitals, clinics, and healthcare providers to beef up their supply of personal protective equipment, the supplies were already depleted or we were dependent on China to produce them. Healthcare workers did what they could by reusing masks throughout an entire shift in order to conserve supplies. Hospitals were pleading with the general public to donate any unused personal protective equipment so their workforce could remain safe. We didn't reach that point because of lack of preparation, but because of our reliance on other countries, namely China, to produce that medical gear. This has been a wake-up call, I think, for me and, I think, certainly many others about our supply chain vulnerabilities. It is a clear signal that we need to take action to secure other critical supply chains. When it comes to semiconductor manufacturing, that is easier said than done. Building a new semiconductor foundry is a very, very expensive undertaking. It simply will not happen without a robust private-public partnership. We know our adversaries are making a big down payment on their own semiconductor manufacturing. The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development estimates that 21 major semiconductor firms across a number of countries received more than $50 billion in government support between 2014 and 2018. This is not exactly a market that is going to depend purely on the private sector. It is going to require the Federal Government to step up if we are going to bring that manufacturing onshore and if we are going to reduce our vulnerabilities, both from an economic and national security perspective. Some of the countries investing, though, in manufacturing these technologies are South Korea, Singapore, Taiwan, Ireland, Germany, and--yes, you guessed it--China. We have lost ground to our global competitors, and unless we take action, it is estimated that, by 2030, 83 percent of global semiconductor manufacturing will be in Asia--83 percent. We simply can't allow that to happen. The U.S. needs to make a strategic investment in semiconductor manufacturing to regain lost ground, and this year's National Defense Authorization Act includes the critical first step. I introduced a bill, along with our colleague, our friend from Virginia, Senator Warner, called the CHIPS for America Act, and a version of this bill was adopted as an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act. It had bipartisan support--a vote of 96 to 4. It will help restore American leadership in semiconductor manufacturing by creating a Federal incentive program through the Department of Commerce in order to encourage chip manufacturing here in the United States. In short, this will help stimulate domestic advanced semiconductor manufacturing and boost both our national security and global competitiveness. It will enable us to bring the manufacturing of these critical devices back home and strengthen the supply chains for our military systems, our critical infrastructure, telecommunications, healthcare, agriculture, manufacturing, and virtually every other industry you could name. Senator Warner and I have worked closely with Senator Cotton, of Arkansas, and with Senator Schumer, of New York, in drafting this bipartisan amendment. I am glad our colleagues in the House have approved a similar amendment to their legislation, and I am eager to see the final version in the conference report. When the NDAA makes its way to the President's desk, it will mark the 60th consecutive year in which Congress has passed such bipartisan legislation to fund, supply, and equip our Nation's military. I appreciate the strong bipartisan support of Chairman Inhofe, of the Committee on Armed Services, and Ranking Member Reed, and I am eager for this legislation to come to the floor for a final vote, but the next step is to secure funding for the programs to incentivize domestic semiconductor manufacturing. We have been working with the administration, particularly with Secretary Mnuchin, Secretary Ross, and Secretary Pompeo, who have identified this as a major vulnerability and have worked with us to try to close that gap. I have enjoyed working with colleagues on both sides of the aisle to ensure that we provide full funding for this legislation, but we are not there yet. This is the key to our long-term national security and economic competitiveness, and it is my top priority in the coming weeks as the Senate prepares to consider appropriations bills. A secure semiconductor supply chain will strengthen our national security, and our economy will reap countless benefits by bringing these manufacturing jobs back to the United States. As we work to counter increasingly sophisticated adversaries around the world, passing the National Defense Authorization Act and funding these new programs could not be more important. I yield the floor. I suggest the absence of a quorum. | 2020-01-06 | Mr. CORNYN | Senate | CREC-2020-11-18-pt1-PgS7065-2 | null | 1,679 |
formal | Reagan | null | white supremacist | Mr. CORNYN. Mr. President, here it is November 18. It seems like the election was a few years ago. Time is flyingby, but there is still a lot of work to be done here in the 116th Congress. I hope that our friends across the aisle will reconsider their objections to working with us on another COVID-19 relief bill. I know back home in Texas, many small businesses that received PPE loans are uncertain, for example, what the tax consequences are going to be associated with that. Many of them, for whom that was a lifeline, are running out of that lifeline due to the passage of time. We also know we need to pass an appropriations bill before the December 11 deadline to both avoid a government shutdown and give our government agencies the ability to plan and operate with certainty. Of course, perhaps most significantly, we need to pass a final version of the National Defense Authorization Act. The foremost obligation of the Federal Government is the peace and security for the American people. We do that by passing the defense authorization act and funding our military each year on an annual basis. This bill determines how we maintain our military bases, modernize our aircraft, and invest in the next generation of aircraft and weaponry. Of course, we know that our adversaries--most notably, countries like China and Russia--are moving very quickly to modernize their military and their weaponry in a way that could jeopardize the balance or the deterrence of our current systems. It is very, very important. This is also how we supply our servicemembers and their families with the money they need to provide for their families. It is how we take stock of the evolving threat landscape--things like hypersonic glide vehicles--and ensure our country is taking active steps to counter threats on the horizon. The most important thing, I think, Ronald Reagan taught us or reminded us of is ``peace through strength,'' that weakness is actually a provocation to the bullies, tyrants, and dictators who will take advantage of any opportunity. It causes instability and perhaps even miscalculation and people taking risks that, ultimately, will lead to armed conflict. The best thing we can do to maintain the peace is make sure the United States of America remains the preeminent military force on the planet. Of course, it is no secret that, in recent years, China has emerged as one of the greatest threats to world order. It is increasingly belligerent and well resourced and continues to demonstrate a lack of respect for basic human rights and dignities. The challenge of China is they don't play by the rules. I know back when China became part of the World Trade Organization, there was a hope expressed that maybe by becoming part of the World Trade Organization, they could join the other rules-based economies and countries, but they have not. They continue to steal intellectual property, and they continue to want to dominate the United States, both economically and militarily, in the long run. The Chinese Communist Party has made no secret of its desire to flex its economic and political power throughout the world as evidenced by their Made in China 2025 Initiative. It seeks to advance Chinese dominance in high-tech manufacturing for everything from electric cars to advanced robotics to artificial intelligence to seemingly innocuous devices like jetways at airports. One major component of this plan is semiconductor manufacturing, and China is making serious headway. Since 2000, China has gone from manufacturing zero chips to 16 percent of the global supply, and it plans to invest another $1.4 trillion in the semiconductor technology. Why is this important? Well, because these microcircuits that have gotten smaller and smaller and smaller and make up the working components in everything from iPhones to our weapons systems--these have become harder and harder to manufacture. In fact, one of the things this COVID virus has taught is the vulnerability of our supply chains. Right now, one of the sole sources of the most sophisticated semiconductor that goes into everything from our iPhones to our national defense systems is manufactured overseas, primarily in Taiwan. While China has upped its production of semiconductors dramatically and its investment, the U.S. has dropped to producing roughly a quarter of the world's semiconductors to only 12 percent. That is a big problem. First is the obvious economic implications. Giving up a significant global share of manufacturing means missing out on thousands--indeed tens of thousands--of high-paying jobs that could be stationed right here at home. It also ignores the benefits of a strong U.S. manufacturing supply chain to support products made by the United States and our trading partners. Our growing dependence on others, including China, for semiconductors also poses a serious national security risk. As I said, these chips are everywhere. They are also critical components to our infrastructure, things like cell towers, hospital equipment, missile defense systems. Our most critical technologies rely on a product we are looking for a country overseas to supply, whether it is Taiwan or China or some other country. Earlier this year, we, of course, experienced how dangerous that is. It is as simple as things like personal protective equipment. China has long been a major supplier of masks, gloves, and gowns, and other PPE used by our healthcare workers. That didn't seem to be a problem because they could always make it cheaper, but when the virus hit, we found out it was a serious problem. By the time the virus began spreading to the U.S., China had been battling it for a number of weeks, maybe even months. So when it came time for American hospitals, clinics, and healthcare providers to beef up their supply of personal protective equipment, the supplies were already depleted or we were dependent on China to produce them. Healthcare workers did what they could by reusing masks throughout an entire shift in order to conserve supplies. Hospitals were pleading with the general public to donate any unused personal protective equipment so their workforce could remain safe. We didn't reach that point because of lack of preparation, but because of our reliance on other countries, namely China, to produce that medical gear. This has been a wake-up call, I think, for me and, I think, certainly many others about our supply chain vulnerabilities. It is a clear signal that we need to take action to secure other critical supply chains. When it comes to semiconductor manufacturing, that is easier said than done. Building a new semiconductor foundry is a very, very expensive undertaking. It simply will not happen without a robust private-public partnership. We know our adversaries are making a big down payment on their own semiconductor manufacturing. The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development estimates that 21 major semiconductor firms across a number of countries received more than $50 billion in government support between 2014 and 2018. This is not exactly a market that is going to depend purely on the private sector. It is going to require the Federal Government to step up if we are going to bring that manufacturing onshore and if we are going to reduce our vulnerabilities, both from an economic and national security perspective. Some of the countries investing, though, in manufacturing these technologies are South Korea, Singapore, Taiwan, Ireland, Germany, and--yes, you guessed it--China. We have lost ground to our global competitors, and unless we take action, it is estimated that, by 2030, 83 percent of global semiconductor manufacturing will be in Asia--83 percent. We simply can't allow that to happen. The U.S. needs to make a strategic investment in semiconductor manufacturing to regain lost ground, and this year's National Defense Authorization Act includes the critical first step. I introduced a bill, along with our colleague, our friend from Virginia, Senator Warner, called the CHIPS for America Act, and a version of this bill was adopted as an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act. It had bipartisan support--a vote of 96 to 4. It will help restore American leadership in semiconductor manufacturing by creating a Federal incentive program through the Department of Commerce in order to encourage chip manufacturing here in the United States. In short, this will help stimulate domestic advanced semiconductor manufacturing and boost both our national security and global competitiveness. It will enable us to bring the manufacturing of these critical devices back home and strengthen the supply chains for our military systems, our critical infrastructure, telecommunications, healthcare, agriculture, manufacturing, and virtually every other industry you could name. Senator Warner and I have worked closely with Senator Cotton, of Arkansas, and with Senator Schumer, of New York, in drafting this bipartisan amendment. I am glad our colleagues in the House have approved a similar amendment to their legislation, and I am eager to see the final version in the conference report. When the NDAA makes its way to the President's desk, it will mark the 60th consecutive year in which Congress has passed such bipartisan legislation to fund, supply, and equip our Nation's military. I appreciate the strong bipartisan support of Chairman Inhofe, of the Committee on Armed Services, and Ranking Member Reed, and I am eager for this legislation to come to the floor for a final vote, but the next step is to secure funding for the programs to incentivize domestic semiconductor manufacturing. We have been working with the administration, particularly with Secretary Mnuchin, Secretary Ross, and Secretary Pompeo, who have identified this as a major vulnerability and have worked with us to try to close that gap. I have enjoyed working with colleagues on both sides of the aisle to ensure that we provide full funding for this legislation, but we are not there yet. This is the key to our long-term national security and economic competitiveness, and it is my top priority in the coming weeks as the Senate prepares to consider appropriations bills. A secure semiconductor supply chain will strengthen our national security, and our economy will reap countless benefits by bringing these manufacturing jobs back to the United States. As we work to counter increasingly sophisticated adversaries around the world, passing the National Defense Authorization Act and funding these new programs could not be more important. I yield the floor. I suggest the absence of a quorum. | 2020-01-06 | Mr. CORNYN | Senate | CREC-2020-11-18-pt1-PgS7065-2 | null | 1,680 |
formal | single | null | homophobic | Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, for six decades, my dear friend Mira Ball has been helping Kentucky families realize one of the cornerstones of the American dream: owning their own home. Earlier this year, Mira was honored for a lifetime of achievement in our Commonwealth with Leadership Kentucky's Flame of Excellence Award. Today, I would like to congratulate Mira for this latest recognition of her contributions to our home State. With her late husband, Don, Mira built Ball Homes into a respected business helping improve the lives of Kentuckians for generations. Don led the sales, and Mira kept the books. Together, they made a premier team helping make home ownership a reality for families across the region. The organization was made better still as their children, Ray, Mike, and Lisa, took their own leadership roles. Today, the company builds over 1,000 high-quality homes each year. Mira's contributions to Kentucky extend far beyond her entrepreneurial achievement. She is a trailblazing leader and philanthropist with special emphases on the health and education of our next generation. Saying she would only get involved in organizations where she could really make a difference, this former schoolteacher has helped steer the future of some of Kentucky's prominent institutions. In fact, Mira was the first woman to chair the boards of trustees for the University of Kentucky, Midway College, and the Lexington Chamber of Commerce. In 2018, Mira made the single largest scholarship gift in UK's history of $10 million to help Kentucky students access higher education and the opportunity for a better future. The scholarships focus on students from Nelson and Henderson Counties, Mira and Don's native homes, respectively. The gift is only one snapshot of years of philanthropy that will benefit the school and all who rely on it. Across our Commonwealth, families and communities can see the results of Mira's work. Families living in homes built by the Ball have adapted this year, turning kitchen tables into offices and classrooms. Students supported by Mira's philanthropy were given an extra leg up. Anyone who turns on Kentucky Educational Television, KET, or receives help from the United Way has benefited from her vision and immense generosity. So, it is my privilege to join the chorus praising Mira's leadership in Kentucky. She has not only paved a remarkable path, but she is also helping new leaders find their own. On behalf of my Senate colleagues, I would like to congratulate Mira Ball for this award and wish her years of continued success in Kentucky. The Kentucky Builders Journal recently published a profile on Mira Ball's career. I ask unanimous consent the article be printed in the Record. | 2020-01-06 | Mr. McCONNELL | Senate | CREC-2020-11-18-pt1-PgS7069-2 | null | 1,681 |
formal | based | null | white supremacist | Mr. MENENDEZ. Mr. President, I rise today to call upon the administration to take urgent diplomatic action to address the escalating conflict in Ethiopia, a country in the midst of what many in the international community, including myself, had hoped would be a historic political transition to democracy. Instead the country is sliding into civil war. Unless the international community acts quickly to forestall further violence, I fear that bloody and protracted conflict is unavoidable. Ethiopians have long aspired to participate in a democratic system of government. For years, their leaders let them down, but in 2018, things appeared to change when in response to peaceful popular protests centered in Ethiopia's Oromo and Amhara regions, Ethiopia's ruling party elevated Abiy Ahmed to Prime Minister. Prime Minister Abiy undertook dramatic political reform in the first year of his administration, releasing thousands of political prisoners, inviting exiled opposition groups back home, and allowing the press to freely operate. Repressive laws like the Charities and Societies and Anti-Terrorism proclamations, which had long been used to stifle political dissent, were revised and replaced. The new government committed itself to free and fair elections and, for the first time in Ethiopia's history, introduced a gender-balanced Cabinet. Many Ethiopians and much of the international community rightly celebrated these achievements and looked to further democratic progress. Abiy himself was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2019. Yet transitions from autocratic rule to democracy are rarely seamless, and Ethiopia's transition is no exception. The journey to democracy has been beset by the proliferation of ethnically motivated violence across the country. In 2018, IOM reported that Ethiopia recorded the third highest number of new ID P's anywhere in the world, fueled by ethnic violence and displacement in Gedeo and West Guji zones, and violence has continued. In June 2019, rogue regional security forces assassinated the president of Amhara region and the head of the Ethiopian National Defense Forces, and in June 2020, the murder of popular Oromo singer Hachalu Hundessa triggered violence that killed at least 239 people. Sadly, Ethiopians of all ethnic and religious backgrounds have been victims of this endless cycle of senseless violence. To be clear, there are some who have taken advantage of new-found freedoms to threaten or use violence to achieve political ends, engage in hate speech, and incite broader conflict. Such behavior is inconsistent with democratic practice and has further exacerbated the country's ethnic and political divisions in a profoundly damaging way. Ethiopian authorities have a responsibility to protect their citizens by holding the perpetrators and purveyors of such actions accountable through a transparent, credible legal process. Yet the government's response to these challenges has only complicated matters. In May 2020, a report from Amnesty International chronicled a long list of abuses committed by Ethiopia's security forces since the transition began, including extrajudicial killings, torture, and arbitrary arrest. The government has engaged in a troubling crackdown on political opposition, media organizations, and civil society, particularly in the wake of Hachalu Hundessa's death. There are growing fears that state institutions are being leveraged by the ruling party to unfairly consolidate the current government's power, including through weaponizing law enforcement and the judicial process to attack government critics. Under these conditions, it is unlikely that Ethiopia's next general elections can be anything approaching credible, exacerbating an already volatile political situation. Against the backdrop of a transition in jeopardy, violence between the federal government and political leaders of the Tigray region is escalating. Reports suggest that hundreds have already died in clashes between government and regional forces. I am particularly horrified by evidence of a civilian massacre in Mai-Kadra. I condemn this act and all attacks on civilians in the strongest term, and call for a thorough and transparent investigation by a credible, neutral, independent body. Those who attack civilians must be held accountable in accordance with the rule of law. I am also concerned by reports of civilian deaths as a result of federal government airstrikes, mass displacement, and discrimination and arrests based on ethnic profiling. Authorities in Tigray have confirmed that their forces fired rockets into the capital of a neighboring country, Eritrea.These rocket attacks constitute a significant escalation, are counterproductive, and should cease. They further underscore fears that the conflict will expand beyond Ethiopia's borders. If left to continue, the conflict in Tigray will not only lead to a catastrophic loss of life and worsening humanitarian conditions, but will breed further enmity that will derail Ethiopia's democratic progress and destabilize the entire subregion. We cannot afford to let that happen. Ethiopia is the second most populous African country, home to the African Union, and one of the world's top contributors to UN peacekeeping missions a tradition that dates back to the Korean war. It has been a pillar of U.S. engagement in the Horn of Africa for decades, partnering with the U.S. on counterterrorism and with the U.S. and international community to stabilize protracted conflicts in neighboring Somalia and South Sudan. The Ethiopian people need peace, not war; and the world needs a stable, democratic and prosperous Ethiopia. I urge the federal government and the leaders of Tigray region to choose the path of peace. While it is tempting to assign blame for the outbreak of hostilities, our collective focus must be on how to restore order. Make no mistake, a full accounting must take place. Right now, however, both sides must agree to an immediate ceasefire and begin a sustained dialogue to settle political differences. I also call on Prime Minister Abiy to take a series of actions to facilitate a successful democratic transition. First, barring immediate and incontrovertible evidence of serious crimes, he should release all members of the political opposition. Their continued detention is unacceptable, and I am troubled by reports that their judicial proceedings are being politicized. Second, media and digital rights must be respected. Arresting journalists and imposing internet blackouts harkens back to the dark days of the previous regime. Mr. Prime Minister, such practices must end. You and your colleagues have taken bold action to chart a new course for the country, and I urge you to continue along the difficult path of reform. Third, the Prime Minister should empower an independent and impartial body to investigate and ascertain responsibility for past acts of violence beyond those related to current hostilities in Tigray. Finally, I call on the Prime Minister to engage in an inclusive dialogue with relevant stakeholders in advance of elections to ensure there is a level playing field and buy-in to the electoral process from all stakeholders. Although resolving the current crisis requires Ethiopian commitment and action, the United States, along with others in the international community, have a critical role to play. I therefore urge the administration to do the following: Lead international diplomatic efforts-the administration must reach out to multilateral institutions, allies and partners in the region, the Gulf, and elsewhere to ensure unity around a single message to the federal government and officials in Tigray, there is no military solution to the conflict between the federal government and the Tigray People's Liberation Front. Dialogue is the only path forward. A joint delegation should demarche the Prime Minister with this message and reach out to leaders in Tigray with the same. Increase support for Ethiopia's democratic transition--the administration should redouble its efforts to support the transition by providing the Embassy and USAID mission with more staff to provide increased monitoring in the areas of democracy and human rights and increased technical assistance in the area of election administration. Funding for grassroots conflict mitigation and reconciliation is critical given ongoing tensions. The United States must also engage all Ethiopian stakeholders, including traditionally marginalized populations, without favor or bias, with the goal of encouraging dialogue between the country's rival political forces. Political disagreements must be settled through peaceful means. Take an informed, organized, and holistic approach. Civil war in Ethiopia will destabilize the Horn of Africa and has implications for U.S. geostrategic interests in the Horn of Africa and Red Sea corridor writ large. It is critical that the U.S. approach diplomatic engagement in a holistic manner, recognizing the potential ripple effects of prolonged conflict. Negotiations between Ethiopia, Sudan and Egypt relative to the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam--GERD--are only one example of how the conflict could impact stability in the subregion. Progress on the GERD talks is highly unlikely in the face of civil war, since Ethiopia is likely to remain focused on its domestic problems. Unfortunately, the U.S. approach is currently fractured. The administration has engaged in GERD negotiations as though they are unfolding in a vacuum, divorced from our interests in a strong bilateral partnership with Ethiopia and absent a broader strategy for the Horn of Africa and Red Sea corridor. Even in the parochial context in which we have engaged in GERD negotiations, the administration's actions have, quite frankly, been unhelpful. Having Treasury Department lead the talks was never wise. Treasury lacks the deep regional knowledge and expertise to lead such sensitive negotiations, and there is no evidence that its actions were developed as part of an interagency strategy or policy approach informed by such expertise. It is imperative that a sound strategy be developed and that the State Department take the lead on an integrated diplomatic approach to both the country and the subregion. Ethiopia faces historic challenges. These challenges can only be met through diplomacy, dialogue, and compromise. The country has a once in a generation opportunity that we must not let slip away. I urge the administration to act while there is still time. | 2020-01-06 | Mr. MENENDEZ | Senate | CREC-2020-11-18-pt1-PgS7071-2 | null | 1,682 |
formal | single | null | homophobic | Mr. MENENDEZ. Mr. President, I rise today to call upon the administration to take urgent diplomatic action to address the escalating conflict in Ethiopia, a country in the midst of what many in the international community, including myself, had hoped would be a historic political transition to democracy. Instead the country is sliding into civil war. Unless the international community acts quickly to forestall further violence, I fear that bloody and protracted conflict is unavoidable. Ethiopians have long aspired to participate in a democratic system of government. For years, their leaders let them down, but in 2018, things appeared to change when in response to peaceful popular protests centered in Ethiopia's Oromo and Amhara regions, Ethiopia's ruling party elevated Abiy Ahmed to Prime Minister. Prime Minister Abiy undertook dramatic political reform in the first year of his administration, releasing thousands of political prisoners, inviting exiled opposition groups back home, and allowing the press to freely operate. Repressive laws like the Charities and Societies and Anti-Terrorism proclamations, which had long been used to stifle political dissent, were revised and replaced. The new government committed itself to free and fair elections and, for the first time in Ethiopia's history, introduced a gender-balanced Cabinet. Many Ethiopians and much of the international community rightly celebrated these achievements and looked to further democratic progress. Abiy himself was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2019. Yet transitions from autocratic rule to democracy are rarely seamless, and Ethiopia's transition is no exception. The journey to democracy has been beset by the proliferation of ethnically motivated violence across the country. In 2018, IOM reported that Ethiopia recorded the third highest number of new ID P's anywhere in the world, fueled by ethnic violence and displacement in Gedeo and West Guji zones, and violence has continued. In June 2019, rogue regional security forces assassinated the president of Amhara region and the head of the Ethiopian National Defense Forces, and in June 2020, the murder of popular Oromo singer Hachalu Hundessa triggered violence that killed at least 239 people. Sadly, Ethiopians of all ethnic and religious backgrounds have been victims of this endless cycle of senseless violence. To be clear, there are some who have taken advantage of new-found freedoms to threaten or use violence to achieve political ends, engage in hate speech, and incite broader conflict. Such behavior is inconsistent with democratic practice and has further exacerbated the country's ethnic and political divisions in a profoundly damaging way. Ethiopian authorities have a responsibility to protect their citizens by holding the perpetrators and purveyors of such actions accountable through a transparent, credible legal process. Yet the government's response to these challenges has only complicated matters. In May 2020, a report from Amnesty International chronicled a long list of abuses committed by Ethiopia's security forces since the transition began, including extrajudicial killings, torture, and arbitrary arrest. The government has engaged in a troubling crackdown on political opposition, media organizations, and civil society, particularly in the wake of Hachalu Hundessa's death. There are growing fears that state institutions are being leveraged by the ruling party to unfairly consolidate the current government's power, including through weaponizing law enforcement and the judicial process to attack government critics. Under these conditions, it is unlikely that Ethiopia's next general elections can be anything approaching credible, exacerbating an already volatile political situation. Against the backdrop of a transition in jeopardy, violence between the federal government and political leaders of the Tigray region is escalating. Reports suggest that hundreds have already died in clashes between government and regional forces. I am particularly horrified by evidence of a civilian massacre in Mai-Kadra. I condemn this act and all attacks on civilians in the strongest term, and call for a thorough and transparent investigation by a credible, neutral, independent body. Those who attack civilians must be held accountable in accordance with the rule of law. I am also concerned by reports of civilian deaths as a result of federal government airstrikes, mass displacement, and discrimination and arrests based on ethnic profiling. Authorities in Tigray have confirmed that their forces fired rockets into the capital of a neighboring country, Eritrea.These rocket attacks constitute a significant escalation, are counterproductive, and should cease. They further underscore fears that the conflict will expand beyond Ethiopia's borders. If left to continue, the conflict in Tigray will not only lead to a catastrophic loss of life and worsening humanitarian conditions, but will breed further enmity that will derail Ethiopia's democratic progress and destabilize the entire subregion. We cannot afford to let that happen. Ethiopia is the second most populous African country, home to the African Union, and one of the world's top contributors to UN peacekeeping missions a tradition that dates back to the Korean war. It has been a pillar of U.S. engagement in the Horn of Africa for decades, partnering with the U.S. on counterterrorism and with the U.S. and international community to stabilize protracted conflicts in neighboring Somalia and South Sudan. The Ethiopian people need peace, not war; and the world needs a stable, democratic and prosperous Ethiopia. I urge the federal government and the leaders of Tigray region to choose the path of peace. While it is tempting to assign blame for the outbreak of hostilities, our collective focus must be on how to restore order. Make no mistake, a full accounting must take place. Right now, however, both sides must agree to an immediate ceasefire and begin a sustained dialogue to settle political differences. I also call on Prime Minister Abiy to take a series of actions to facilitate a successful democratic transition. First, barring immediate and incontrovertible evidence of serious crimes, he should release all members of the political opposition. Their continued detention is unacceptable, and I am troubled by reports that their judicial proceedings are being politicized. Second, media and digital rights must be respected. Arresting journalists and imposing internet blackouts harkens back to the dark days of the previous regime. Mr. Prime Minister, such practices must end. You and your colleagues have taken bold action to chart a new course for the country, and I urge you to continue along the difficult path of reform. Third, the Prime Minister should empower an independent and impartial body to investigate and ascertain responsibility for past acts of violence beyond those related to current hostilities in Tigray. Finally, I call on the Prime Minister to engage in an inclusive dialogue with relevant stakeholders in advance of elections to ensure there is a level playing field and buy-in to the electoral process from all stakeholders. Although resolving the current crisis requires Ethiopian commitment and action, the United States, along with others in the international community, have a critical role to play. I therefore urge the administration to do the following: Lead international diplomatic efforts-the administration must reach out to multilateral institutions, allies and partners in the region, the Gulf, and elsewhere to ensure unity around a single message to the federal government and officials in Tigray, there is no military solution to the conflict between the federal government and the Tigray People's Liberation Front. Dialogue is the only path forward. A joint delegation should demarche the Prime Minister with this message and reach out to leaders in Tigray with the same. Increase support for Ethiopia's democratic transition--the administration should redouble its efforts to support the transition by providing the Embassy and USAID mission with more staff to provide increased monitoring in the areas of democracy and human rights and increased technical assistance in the area of election administration. Funding for grassroots conflict mitigation and reconciliation is critical given ongoing tensions. The United States must also engage all Ethiopian stakeholders, including traditionally marginalized populations, without favor or bias, with the goal of encouraging dialogue between the country's rival political forces. Political disagreements must be settled through peaceful means. Take an informed, organized, and holistic approach. Civil war in Ethiopia will destabilize the Horn of Africa and has implications for U.S. geostrategic interests in the Horn of Africa and Red Sea corridor writ large. It is critical that the U.S. approach diplomatic engagement in a holistic manner, recognizing the potential ripple effects of prolonged conflict. Negotiations between Ethiopia, Sudan and Egypt relative to the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam--GERD--are only one example of how the conflict could impact stability in the subregion. Progress on the GERD talks is highly unlikely in the face of civil war, since Ethiopia is likely to remain focused on its domestic problems. Unfortunately, the U.S. approach is currently fractured. The administration has engaged in GERD negotiations as though they are unfolding in a vacuum, divorced from our interests in a strong bilateral partnership with Ethiopia and absent a broader strategy for the Horn of Africa and Red Sea corridor. Even in the parochial context in which we have engaged in GERD negotiations, the administration's actions have, quite frankly, been unhelpful. Having Treasury Department lead the talks was never wise. Treasury lacks the deep regional knowledge and expertise to lead such sensitive negotiations, and there is no evidence that its actions were developed as part of an interagency strategy or policy approach informed by such expertise. It is imperative that a sound strategy be developed and that the State Department take the lead on an integrated diplomatic approach to both the country and the subregion. Ethiopia faces historic challenges. These challenges can only be met through diplomacy, dialogue, and compromise. The country has a once in a generation opportunity that we must not let slip away. I urge the administration to act while there is still time. | 2020-01-06 | Mr. MENENDEZ | Senate | CREC-2020-11-18-pt1-PgS7071-2 | null | 1,683 |
formal | the Fed | null | antisemitic | At 11:51 a.m., a message from the House of Representatives, delivered by Mrs. Cole, one of its reading clerks, announced that the House has passed the following bill, with an amendment, in which it requests the concurrence of the Senate: S. 1869. An act to require the disclosure of ownership of high-security space leased to accommodate a Federal agency, and for other purposes. The message also announced that the House has passed the following bills, in which it requests the concurrence of the Senate: H.R. 2117. An act to improve the health and safety of Americans living with food allergies and related disorders, including potentially life-threatening anaphylaxis, food protein-induced enterocolitis syndrome, and eosinophilic gastrointestinal diseases, and for other purposes. H.R. 2281. An act to direct the Attorney General to amend certain regulations so that practitioners may administer not more than 3 days' medication to a person at one time when administering narcotic drugs for the purpose of relieving acute withdrawal symptoms . H.R. 2466. An act to extend the State Opioid Response Grants program, and for other purposes. H.R. 2610. An act to establish an office within the Federal Trade Commission and an outside advisory group to prevent fraud targeting seniors and to direct the Commission to study and submit a report to Congress on scams targeting seniors and Indian tribes, and for other purposes. H.R. 2914. An act to make available necessary disaster assistance for families affected by major disasters, and for other purposes. H.R. 3878. An act to amend the Controlled Substances Act to clarify the process for registrants to exercise due diligence upon discovering a suspicious order, and for other purposes. H.R. 4358. An act to direct the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency to submit to Congress a report on preliminary damage assessment and to establish damage assessment teams in the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and for other purposes. H.R. 4499. An act to amend the Public Health Service Act to provide that the authority of the Director of the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities to make certain research endowments applies with respect to both current and former centers of excellence, and for other purposes. H.R. 4611. An act to modify permitting requirements with respect to the discharge of any pollutant from the Point Loma Wastewater Treatment Plant in certain circumstances, and for other purposes. H.R. 4712. An act to amend the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act with respect to limitations on exclusive approval or licensure of orphan drugs, and for other purposes. H.R. 4806. An act to amend the Controlled Substances Act to authorize the debarment of certain registrants, and for other purposes. H.R. 4812. An act to amend the Controlled Substances Act to provide for the modification, transfer, and termination of a registration to manufacture, distribute, or dispense controlled substances or list I chemicals, and for other purposes. H.R. 5668. An act to amend the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to modernize the labeling of certain generic drugs, and for other purposes. H.R. 5855. An act to amend the Public Health Service Act to establish a grant program supporting trauma center violence intervention and violence prevention programs, and for other purposes. H.R. 5919. An act to amend title 40, United States Code, to require the Administrator of General Services to enter into a cooperative agreement with the National Children's Museum to provide the National Children's Museum rental space without charge in the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center, and for other purposes. H.R. 5953. An act to amend the Disaster Recovery Reform Act of 2018 to require the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency to waive certain debts owed to the United States related to covered assistance provided to an individual or household, and for other purposes. H.R. 6096. An act to improve oversight by the Federal Communications Commission of the wireless and broadcast emergency alert systems. H.R. 6435. An act to direct the Federal Trade Commission to develop and disseminate information to the public about scams related to COVID-19, and for other purposes. H.R. 6624. An act to support supply chain innovation and multilateral security, and for other purposes. H.R. 7310. An act to require the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information to submit to Congress a plan for the modernization of the information technology systems of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, and for other purposes. H.R. 8121. An act to require the Consumer Product Safety Commission to study the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on injuries and deaths associated with consumer products and to direct the Secretary of Commerce to study and report on the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the travel and tourism industry in the United States. H.R. 8266. An act to modify the Federal cost share of certain emergency assistance provided under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act, to modify the activities eligible for assistance under the emergency declaration issued by the President on March 13, 2020, relating to COVID-19, and for other purposes. H.R. 8326. An act to amend the Public Works and Economic Development Act of 1965 to require eligible recipients of certain grants to develop a comprehensive economic development strategy that directly or indirectly increases the accessibility of affordable, quality child care, and for other purposes. H.R. 8408. An act to direct the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration to require certain safety standards relating to aircraft, and for other purposes. | 2020-01-06 | Unknown | Senate | CREC-2020-11-18-pt1-PgS7073-4 | null | 1,684 |
formal | Reagan | null | white supremacist | At 11:51 a.m., a message from the House of Representatives, delivered by Mrs. Cole, one of its reading clerks, announced that the House has passed the following bill, with an amendment, in which it requests the concurrence of the Senate: S. 1869. An act to require the disclosure of ownership of high-security space leased to accommodate a Federal agency, and for other purposes. The message also announced that the House has passed the following bills, in which it requests the concurrence of the Senate: H.R. 2117. An act to improve the health and safety of Americans living with food allergies and related disorders, including potentially life-threatening anaphylaxis, food protein-induced enterocolitis syndrome, and eosinophilic gastrointestinal diseases, and for other purposes. H.R. 2281. An act to direct the Attorney General to amend certain regulations so that practitioners may administer not more than 3 days' medication to a person at one time when administering narcotic drugs for the purpose of relieving acute withdrawal symptoms . H.R. 2466. An act to extend the State Opioid Response Grants program, and for other purposes. H.R. 2610. An act to establish an office within the Federal Trade Commission and an outside advisory group to prevent fraud targeting seniors and to direct the Commission to study and submit a report to Congress on scams targeting seniors and Indian tribes, and for other purposes. H.R. 2914. An act to make available necessary disaster assistance for families affected by major disasters, and for other purposes. H.R. 3878. An act to amend the Controlled Substances Act to clarify the process for registrants to exercise due diligence upon discovering a suspicious order, and for other purposes. H.R. 4358. An act to direct the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency to submit to Congress a report on preliminary damage assessment and to establish damage assessment teams in the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and for other purposes. H.R. 4499. An act to amend the Public Health Service Act to provide that the authority of the Director of the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities to make certain research endowments applies with respect to both current and former centers of excellence, and for other purposes. H.R. 4611. An act to modify permitting requirements with respect to the discharge of any pollutant from the Point Loma Wastewater Treatment Plant in certain circumstances, and for other purposes. H.R. 4712. An act to amend the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act with respect to limitations on exclusive approval or licensure of orphan drugs, and for other purposes. H.R. 4806. An act to amend the Controlled Substances Act to authorize the debarment of certain registrants, and for other purposes. H.R. 4812. An act to amend the Controlled Substances Act to provide for the modification, transfer, and termination of a registration to manufacture, distribute, or dispense controlled substances or list I chemicals, and for other purposes. H.R. 5668. An act to amend the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to modernize the labeling of certain generic drugs, and for other purposes. H.R. 5855. An act to amend the Public Health Service Act to establish a grant program supporting trauma center violence intervention and violence prevention programs, and for other purposes. H.R. 5919. An act to amend title 40, United States Code, to require the Administrator of General Services to enter into a cooperative agreement with the National Children's Museum to provide the National Children's Museum rental space without charge in the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center, and for other purposes. H.R. 5953. An act to amend the Disaster Recovery Reform Act of 2018 to require the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency to waive certain debts owed to the United States related to covered assistance provided to an individual or household, and for other purposes. H.R. 6096. An act to improve oversight by the Federal Communications Commission of the wireless and broadcast emergency alert systems. H.R. 6435. An act to direct the Federal Trade Commission to develop and disseminate information to the public about scams related to COVID-19, and for other purposes. H.R. 6624. An act to support supply chain innovation and multilateral security, and for other purposes. H.R. 7310. An act to require the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information to submit to Congress a plan for the modernization of the information technology systems of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, and for other purposes. H.R. 8121. An act to require the Consumer Product Safety Commission to study the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on injuries and deaths associated with consumer products and to direct the Secretary of Commerce to study and report on the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the travel and tourism industry in the United States. H.R. 8266. An act to modify the Federal cost share of certain emergency assistance provided under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act, to modify the activities eligible for assistance under the emergency declaration issued by the President on March 13, 2020, relating to COVID-19, and for other purposes. H.R. 8326. An act to amend the Public Works and Economic Development Act of 1965 to require eligible recipients of certain grants to develop a comprehensive economic development strategy that directly or indirectly increases the accessibility of affordable, quality child care, and for other purposes. H.R. 8408. An act to direct the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration to require certain safety standards relating to aircraft, and for other purposes. | 2020-01-06 | Unknown | Senate | CREC-2020-11-18-pt1-PgS7073-4 | null | 1,685 |
formal | the Fed | null | antisemitic | The following bills were read the first and second times by unanimous consent, and placed on the calendar: H.R. 4499. An act to amend the Public Health Service Act to provide that the authority of the Director of the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities to make certain research endowments applies with respect to both current and former centers of excellence, and for other purposes. H.R. 6096. An act to improve oversight by the Federal Communications Commission of the wireless and broadcast emergency alert systems. | 2020-01-06 | Unknown | Senate | CREC-2020-11-18-pt1-PgS7074-2 | null | 1,686 |
formal | the Fed | null | antisemitic | The following bills were read the first and the second times by unanimous consent, and referred as indicated: H.R. 2117. An act to improve the health and safety of Americans living with food allergies and related disorders, including potentially life-threatening anaphylaxis, food protein-induced enterocolitis syndrome, and eosinophilic gastrointestinal diseases, and for other purposes; to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. H.R. 2281. An act to direct the Attorney General to amend certain regulations so that practitioners may administer not more than 3 days' medication to a person at one time when administering narcotic drugs for the purpose of relieving acute withdrawal symptoms; to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. H.R. 2466. An act to extend the State Opioid Response Grants program, and for other purposes; to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. H.R. 2610. An act to establish an office within the Federal Trade Commission and an outside advisory group to prevent fraud targeting seniors and to direct the Commission to study and submit a report to Congress on scams targeting seniors and Indian tribes, and for other purposes; to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. H.R. 2914. An act to make available necessary disaster assistance for families affected by major disasters, and for other purposes; to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. H.R. 3878. An act to amend the Controlled Substances Act to clarify the process for registrants to exercise due diligence upon discovering a suspicious order, and for other purposes; to the Committee on the Judiciary. H.R. 4358. An act to direct the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency to submit to Congress a report on preliminary damage assessment and to establish damage assessment teams in the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and for other purposes; to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. H.R. 4611. An act to modify permitting requirements with respect to the discharge of any pollutant from the Point Loma Wastewater Treatment Plant in certain circumstances, and for other purposes; to the Committee on Environment and Public Works. H.R. 4712. An act to amend the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act with respect to limitations on exclusive approval or licensure of orphan drugs, and for other purposes; to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. H.R. 4806. An act to amend the Controlled Substances Act to authorize the debarment of certain registrants, and for other purposes; to the Committee on the Judiciary. H.R. 4812. An act to amend the Controlled Substances Act to provide for the modification, transfer, and termination of a registration to manufacture, distribute, or dispense controlled substances or list I chemicals, and for other purposes; to the Committee on the Judiciary. H.R. 5668. An act to amend the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to modernize the labeling of certain generic drugs, and for other purposes; to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. H.R. 5855. An act to amend the Public Health Service Act to establish a grant program supporting trauma center violence intervention and violence prevention programs, and for other purposes; to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. H.R. 5919. An act to amend title 40, United States Code, to require the Administrator of General Services to enter into a cooperative agreement with the National Children's Museum to provide the National Children's Museum rental space without charge in the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center, and for other purposes; to the Committee on Environment and Public Works. H.R. 5953. An act to amend the Disaster Recovery Reform Act of 2018 to require the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency to waive certain debts owed to the United States related to covered assistance provided to an individual or household, and for other purposes; to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs . H.R. 6435. An act to direct the Federal Trade Commission to develop and disseminate information to the public about scams related to COVID-19, and for other purposes; to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. H.R. 6624. An act to support supply chain innovation and multilateral security, and for other purposes; to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. H.R. 7310. An act to require the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information to submit to Congress a plan for the modernization of the information technology systems of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, and for other purposes; to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. H.R. 8121. An act to require the Consumer Product Safety Commission to study the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on injuries and deaths associated with consumer products and to direct the Secretary of Commerce to study and report on the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on the travel and tourism industry in the United States; to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. H.R. 8266. An act to modify the Federal cost share of certain emergency assistance provided under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act, to modify the activities eligible for assistance under the emergency declaration issued by the President on March 13, 2020, relating to COVID-19, and for other purposes; to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. H.R. 8326. An act to amend the Public Works and Economic Development Act of 1965 to require eligible recipients of certain grants to develop a comprehensive economic development strategy that directly or indirectly increases the accessibility of affordable, quality child care, and for other purposes; to the Committee on Environment and Public Works. H.R. 8408. An act to direct the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration to require certain safety standards relating to aircraft, and for other purposes; to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation | 2020-01-06 | Unknown | Senate | CREC-2020-11-18-pt1-PgS7074 | null | 1,687 |
formal | Reagan | null | white supremacist | The following bills were read the first and the second times by unanimous consent, and referred as indicated: H.R. 2117. An act to improve the health and safety of Americans living with food allergies and related disorders, including potentially life-threatening anaphylaxis, food protein-induced enterocolitis syndrome, and eosinophilic gastrointestinal diseases, and for other purposes; to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. H.R. 2281. An act to direct the Attorney General to amend certain regulations so that practitioners may administer not more than 3 days' medication to a person at one time when administering narcotic drugs for the purpose of relieving acute withdrawal symptoms; to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. H.R. 2466. An act to extend the State Opioid Response Grants program, and for other purposes; to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. H.R. 2610. An act to establish an office within the Federal Trade Commission and an outside advisory group to prevent fraud targeting seniors and to direct the Commission to study and submit a report to Congress on scams targeting seniors and Indian tribes, and for other purposes; to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. H.R. 2914. An act to make available necessary disaster assistance for families affected by major disasters, and for other purposes; to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. H.R. 3878. An act to amend the Controlled Substances Act to clarify the process for registrants to exercise due diligence upon discovering a suspicious order, and for other purposes; to the Committee on the Judiciary. H.R. 4358. An act to direct the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency to submit to Congress a report on preliminary damage assessment and to establish damage assessment teams in the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and for other purposes; to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. H.R. 4611. An act to modify permitting requirements with respect to the discharge of any pollutant from the Point Loma Wastewater Treatment Plant in certain circumstances, and for other purposes; to the Committee on Environment and Public Works. H.R. 4712. An act to amend the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act with respect to limitations on exclusive approval or licensure of orphan drugs, and for other purposes; to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. H.R. 4806. An act to amend the Controlled Substances Act to authorize the debarment of certain registrants, and for other purposes; to the Committee on the Judiciary. H.R. 4812. An act to amend the Controlled Substances Act to provide for the modification, transfer, and termination of a registration to manufacture, distribute, or dispense controlled substances or list I chemicals, and for other purposes; to the Committee on the Judiciary. H.R. 5668. An act to amend the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to modernize the labeling of certain generic drugs, and for other purposes; to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. H.R. 5855. An act to amend the Public Health Service Act to establish a grant program supporting trauma center violence intervention and violence prevention programs, and for other purposes; to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. H.R. 5919. An act to amend title 40, United States Code, to require the Administrator of General Services to enter into a cooperative agreement with the National Children's Museum to provide the National Children's Museum rental space without charge in the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center, and for other purposes; to the Committee on Environment and Public Works. H.R. 5953. An act to amend the Disaster Recovery Reform Act of 2018 to require the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency to waive certain debts owed to the United States related to covered assistance provided to an individual or household, and for other purposes; to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs . H.R. 6435. An act to direct the Federal Trade Commission to develop and disseminate information to the public about scams related to COVID-19, and for other purposes; to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. H.R. 6624. An act to support supply chain innovation and multilateral security, and for other purposes; to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. H.R. 7310. An act to require the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information to submit to Congress a plan for the modernization of the information technology systems of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, and for other purposes; to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. H.R. 8121. An act to require the Consumer Product Safety Commission to study the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on injuries and deaths associated with consumer products and to direct the Secretary of Commerce to study and report on the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on the travel and tourism industry in the United States; to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. H.R. 8266. An act to modify the Federal cost share of certain emergency assistance provided under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act, to modify the activities eligible for assistance under the emergency declaration issued by the President on March 13, 2020, relating to COVID-19, and for other purposes; to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. H.R. 8326. An act to amend the Public Works and Economic Development Act of 1965 to require eligible recipients of certain grants to develop a comprehensive economic development strategy that directly or indirectly increases the accessibility of affordable, quality child care, and for other purposes; to the Committee on Environment and Public Works. H.R. 8408. An act to direct the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration to require certain safety standards relating to aircraft, and for other purposes; to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation | 2020-01-06 | Unknown | Senate | CREC-2020-11-18-pt1-PgS7074 | null | 1,688 |
formal | Federal Reserve | null | antisemitic | The following communications were laid before the Senate, together with accompanying papers, reports, and documents, and were referred as indicated: EC-5904. A communication from the Deputy Administrator for Policy Support, Food and Nutrition Service, Department of Agriculture, transmitting, pursuant to law, the report of a rule entitled ``Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program: Pandemic Electronic Benefits Transfer (P-EBT) Integrity'' (RIN0584-AE80) received in the Office of the President of the Senate on November 10, 2020; to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry. EC-5905. A communication from the Director of the Regulatory Management Division, Environmental Protection Agency, transmitting, pursuant to law, the report of a rule entitled ``Tolerance Crop Grouping Program V'' (FRL No. 10015-10-OCSPP) received in the Office of the President of the Senate on November 10, 2020; to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry. EC-5906. A communication from the President of the United States, transmitting, pursuant to law, a report relative to the continuation of the national emergency that was originally declared in Executive Order 12170 of November 14, 1979, with respect to Iran; to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs. EC-5907. A communication from the President of the United States, transmitting, pursuant to law, a report relative to the continuation of the national emergency that was originally declared in Executive Order 13712 of November 22, 2015, with respect to Burundi; to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs. EC-5908. A communication from the President of the United States, transmitting, pursuant to law, a report relative to the continuation of the national emergency that was originally declared in Executive Order 12938 of November 14, 1994, with respect to the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction; to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs. EC-5909. A communication from the Chairman of the Board of Governors, Federal Reserve System, transmitting, pursuant to law, a report entitled ``Report to the Congress on the Profitability of Credit Card Operations of Depository Institutions''; to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs. EC-5910. A communication from the Regulatory Specialist, Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, Department of the Treasury, transmitting , pursuant to law, the report of a rule entitled ``National Banks and Federal Savings Associations as Lenders'' (RIN1557-AE97) received in the Office of the President of the Senate on November 10, 2020; to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs. EC-5911. A communication from the Director of Legislative Affairs, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, transmitting, pursuant to law, the report of a rule entitled ``Final Rule - Certain Emergency Facilities in the Regulatory Capital Rule and the Liquidity Coverage Ratio Rule'' (RIN3064-AF41) received in the Office of the President of the Senate on November 10, 2020; to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs. EC-5912. A communication from the Counsel for Legislation and Regulations, Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity, Department of Housing and Urban Development, transmitting, pursuant to law, the report of a rule entitled ``Implementing Executive Order 13891; Promoting the Rule of Law through Improved Agency Guidance'' (RIN2501-AD93) received in the Office of the President of the Senate on November 16, 2020; to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs. EC-5913. A communication from the Associate General Counsel for Regulations and Legislation, Office of Housing, Department of Housing and Urban Development, transmitting, pursuant to law, the report of a rule entitled ``Manufactured Housing Program: Minimum Payments to the Senate'' (RIN2502- AJ37) received in the Office of the President of the Senate on November 16, 2020; to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs. EC-5914. A communication from the Secretary of the Treasury, transmitting, pursuant to law, a six-month periodic report on the national emergency with respect to the Central African Republic that was declared in Executive Order 13667 of May 12, 2014; to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs. EC-5915. A communication from the Secretary of the Treasury, transmitting, pursuant to law, a six-month periodic report on the national emergency with respect to Syria that was declared in Executive Order 13338 of May 11, 2004; to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs. EC-5916. A communication from the Secretary of the Treasury, transmitting, pursuant to law, a six-month periodic report on the national emergency with respect to Yemen that was declared in Executive Order 13611 of May 16, 2012; to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs. EC-5917. A communication from the Division Chief of Regulatory Affairs, Bureau of Land Management, Department of the Interior, transmitting, pursuant to law, the report of a rule entitled ``Non-Energy Solid Leasable Minerals Royalty Rate Reduction Process'' (RIN1004-AE58) received in the Office of the President of the Senate on November 10, 2020; to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. EC-5918. A communication from the Director of the Regulatory Management Division, Environmental Protection Agency, transmitting, pursuant to law, the report of a rule entitled ``Air Quality Implementation Plan; California; Northern Sierra Air Quality Management District; Stationary Source Permits'' (FRL No. 10016-28-Region 9) received in the Office of the President of the Senate on November 16, 2020; to the Committee on Environment and Public Works. EC-5919. A communication from the Biologist, Fish and Wildlife Service, Department of the Interior, transmitting, pursuant to law, the report of a rule entitled ``Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Removing the Gray Wolf (Canis Lupis) From the List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife'' (RIN1018-BD60) received in the Office of the President of the Senate on November 10, 2020; to the Committee on Environment and Public Works. EC-5920. A communication from the Director of the Regulatory Management Division, Environmental Protection Agency, transmitting, pursuant to law, the report of a rule entitled ``Approval and Promulgation of State Plans for Designated Facilities and Pollutants: City of Philadelphia and District of Columbia'' (FRL No. 10016-45-Region 3) received in the Office of the President of the Senate on November 10, 2020; to the Committee on Environment and Public Works. EC-5921. A communication from the Director of the Regulatory Management Division, Environmental Protection Agency, transmitting, pursuant to law, the report of a rule entitled ``Air Plan Approval; North Carolina; Blue Ridge Paper SO2 Emission Limits'' (FRL No. 10016-41-Region 4) received in the Office of the President of the Senate on November 10, 2020; to the Committee on Environment and Public Works. EC-5922. A communication from the Director of the Regulatory Management Division, Environmental Protection Agency, transmitting, pursuant to law, the report of a rule entitled ``Air Plan Approval; Idaho, Incorporation by Reference Updates and Rule Revisions'' (FRL No. 10016-18- Region 10) received in the Office of the President of the Senate on November 10, 2020; to the Committee on Environment and Public Works. EC-5923. A communication from the Under Secretary of Defense (Comptroller), transmitting, pursuant to law, a report relative to the Department of Defense Agency Financial Report (AFR) for fiscal year 2020; to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. EC-5924. A communication from the Director, Office of Government Ethics, transmitting, pursuant to law, the Office's fiscal year 2020 Annual Financial Report (AFR); to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. EC-5925. A communication from the Treasurer of the National Gallery of Art, transmitting, pursuant to law, the Gallery's Inspector General Report for fiscal year 2020; to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. EC-5926. A communication from the Section Chief of the Diversion Control Division, Drug Enforcement Administration, Department of Justice, transmitting, pursuant to law, the report of a rule entitled ``Schedules of Controlled Substances: Placement of Crotonyl Fentanyl in Schedule I'' ((21 CFR Part 1308) (Docket No. DEA-633)) received in the Office of the President of the Senate on November 9, 2020; to the Committee on the Judiciary. EC-5927. A communication from the Program Analyst of the Policy Division, Federal Communications Commission, transmitting, pursuant to law, the report of a rule entitled ``Expanding Consumers' Video Navigation Choices; Commercial Availability of Navigation Devices'' ((MB Docket No. 16-42) (FCC 20-124)) received in the Office of the President of the Senate on November 16, 2020; to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. EC-5928. A communication from the Program Analyst, Wireless Telecommunications Bureau, Federal Communications Commission, transmitting, pursuant to law, the report of a rule entitled ``Implementation of State and Local Governments' Obligation to Approve Certain Wireless Facility Modification Requests Under Section 6409(a) of the Spectrum Act of 2012'' ((WT Docket No. 19-250) (FCC 20-153)) received in the Office of the President of the Senate on November 16, 2020; to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. EC-5929. A communication from the Program Analyst, Media Bureau, Federal Communications Commission, transmitting, pursuant to law, the report of a rule entitled ``All-Digital AM Broadcasting; Revitalization of the AM Radio Service'' ((MB Docket No. 19-311) (FCC 20-154)) received in the Office of the President of the Senate on November 16, 2020; to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. | 2020-01-06 | Unknown | Senate | CREC-2020-11-18-pt1-PgS7075 | null | 1,689 |
formal | the Fed | null | antisemitic | At the request of Ms. Klobuchar, her name was added as a cosponsor of S. 327, a bill to amend the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act to provide for a lifetime National Recreational Pass for any veteran with a service-connected disability. | 2020-01-06 | Unknown | Senate | CREC-2020-11-18-pt1-PgS7077-2 | null | 1,690 |
formal | based | null | white supremacist | Mr. BRAUN (for himself, Mr. Young, and Mr. Rubio) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: S. Res. 778 Whereas school athletic programs develop young people physically, mentally, socially, and emotionally through the life lessons learned through participation and competition; Whereas interscholastic athletic participation is an integral part of a student's educational experience and enhances the learning process; Whereas athletic administrators are committed to developing and maintaining comprehensive education-based athletic programs which seek the highest development of all student athletes; Whereas athletic administrators fulfill professional responsibilities with honesty, integrity, commitment to equity, and fairness; Whereas athletic administrators preserve, enhance, and promote the educational values of athletics in our schools through professional growth in the areas of education, leadership, and service; Whereas athletic administrators embody high standards of ethics, sportsmanship, and personal conduct and encourage coaching staffs, student-athletes, and community members to commit to these high standards as well; Whereas during the COVID-19 pandemic, now more than ever, we need school leaders, including athletic administrators, who prepare, plan, and endeavor to secure student safety and well-being; Whereas during the COVID-19 pandemic, athletic administrators have been at the forefront of overseeing their secondary school educational programs, as re-opening requires wisdom in preparation, adaptation, change, and relearning to be shared with other school officials; and Whereas the COVID-19 pandemic has shown the importance of athletic administrators and interscholastic athletics during a critical moment in our Nation's history: Now, therefore, be it Resolved, That the Senate-- (1) supports the recognition of Interscholastic Athletic Administrators' Day on December 15, 2020; (2) commends athletic administrators for their commitment and leadership provided to student-athletes at the secondary school level, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic; and (3) commends the National Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association as the leading organization that prepares those who lead secondary school athletics throughout the country, providing education, compassion, and preparation within the profession. | 2020-01-06 | Unknown | Senate | CREC-2020-11-18-pt1-PgS7079-2 | null | 1,691 |
formal | the Fed | null | antisemitic | Mr. WICKER. Mr. President, I have 8 requests for committees to meet during today's session of the Senate. They have the approval of the Majority and Minority Leaders. Pursuant to Rule XXVI, paragraph 5(a), of the Standing Rules of the Senate, the following committees are authorized to meet during today's session of the Senate: committee on commerce, science, and transportation The Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation is authorized to hold a meeting during the session of the Senate on Wednesday, November 18, 2020, at 9:30 a.m., in room G50 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building. The committee will hold an executive session. committee on energy and natural resources The Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Wednesday, November 18, 2020, beginning at 10 a.m. in room 366 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building in Washington, DC. The purpose of the business meeting is to consider pending nominations. committee on indian affairs The Committee on Indian Affairs is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Wednesday, November 18, 2020, in room 628 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building, at 2:30 p.m., to conduct a business meeting. committee on the judiciary The Committee on the Judiciary is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on November 18, 2020, at 10 a.m., in room 106 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building, to conduct a hearing entitled ``Nominations.'' committee on rules and administration The Committee on Rules and Administration is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Wednesday, November 18 at 10 a.m., in room 301, Russell Senate Office Building, in order to conduct a hearing to consider the following nominations: Shana M. Broussard, of Louisiana, to be a Member of the Federal Election Commission; Sean J. Cooksey, of Missouri, to be a Member of the Federal Election Commission; and Allen Dickerson, of the District of Columbia, to be a Member of the Federal Election Commission. select committee on intelligence The Senate Select Committee on Intelligence is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Wednesday, November 18, 2020 from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m., in room SVC-217 in the U.S. Capitol Building to hold a briefing. subcommittee on public lands, forests, and mining The Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources' Subcommittee on Public Lands, Forests, and Mining is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Wednesday, November 18, 2020, at 2:30 p.m. in room 366 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building in Washington, DC. The purpose of the hearing is to receive testimony on pending legislation. subcommittee on regulatory affairs and federal management The Subcommittee on Regulatory Affairs and Federal Management of the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Wednesday, November 18, 2020, at 3 p.m. in order to conduct a hearing entitled ``Modernizing Federal Telework: Moving Forward Using the Lessons Learned During the COVID-19 Pandemic.'' | 2020-01-06 | Mr. WICKER | Senate | CREC-2020-11-18-pt1-PgS7080-2 | null | 1,692 |
formal | safeguard | null | transphobic | The SPEAKER. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, the unfinished business is the vote on adoption of the resolution (H. Res. 1224) providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 8294) to amend the National Apprenticeship Act and expand the national apprenticeship system to include apprenticeships, youth apprenticeships, and pre-apprenticeship registered under such Act, to promote the furtherance of labor standards necessary to safeguard the welfare of apprentices, and for other purposes, on which the yeas and nays were ordered. | 2020-01-06 | The SPEAKER | House | CREC-2020-11-19-pt1-PgH5949-2 | null | 1,693 |
formal | welfare | null | racist | The SPEAKER. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, the unfinished business is the vote on adoption of the resolution (H. Res. 1224) providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 8294) to amend the National Apprenticeship Act and expand the national apprenticeship system to include apprenticeships, youth apprenticeships, and pre-apprenticeship registered under such Act, to promote the furtherance of labor standards necessary to safeguard the welfare of apprentices, and for other purposes, on which the yeas and nays were ordered. | 2020-01-06 | The SPEAKER | House | CREC-2020-11-19-pt1-PgH5949-2 | null | 1,694 |
formal | XX | null | transphobic | The SPEAKER. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, the unfinished business is the vote on adoption of the resolution (H. Res. 1224) providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 8294) to amend the National Apprenticeship Act and expand the national apprenticeship system to include apprenticeships, youth apprenticeships, and pre-apprenticeship registered under such Act, to promote the furtherance of labor standards necessary to safeguard the welfare of apprentices, and for other purposes, on which the yeas and nays were ordered. | 2020-01-06 | The SPEAKER | House | CREC-2020-11-19-pt1-PgH5949-2 | null | 1,695 |
formal | the Fed | null | antisemitic | The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 4 of rule 1, the following enrolled bills were signed by the Speaker on Thursday, November 19, 2020: H.R. 835, to impose criminal sanctions on certain persons involved in international doping fraud conspiracies, to provide restitution for victims of such conspiracies, and to require sharing of information with the United States Anti-Doping Agency to assist its fight against doping, and for other purposes; H.R. 1668, to establish minimum security standards for Internet of Things devices owned or controlled by the Federal Government, and for other purposes; H.R. 1773, to award a Congressional Gold Medal, collectively, to the women in the United States who joined the workforce during World War II, providing the aircraft, vehicles, weaponry, ammunition and other material to win the war, that were referred to as ``Rosie the Riveter'', in recognition of their contributions to the United States and the inspiration they have provided to ensuing generations; H.R. 3589, to award a Congressional Gold Medal to Greg LeMond, in recognition of his service to the Nation as an athlete, activist, role model, and community leader; H.R. 4104, to require the Secretary of the Treasury to mint a coin in commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the establishment of the Negro Leagues baseball; H.R. 5901, to establish a program to facilitate the adoption of modern technology by executive agencies, and for other purposes; H.R. 8472, to provide that, due to the disruptions caused by COVID-19, applications for impact aid funding for fiscal year 2022 may use certain data submitted in the fiscal year 2021 application; S. 327, to amend the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act to provide for a lifetime National Recreational Pass for any veteran with a service-connected disability; S. 3147, to require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to submit to Congress reports on patient safety and quality of care at medical centers of the Department of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes; S. 3587, to require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to conduct a study on the accessibility of websites of the Department of Veterans Affairs to individuals with disabilities, and for other purposes. | 2020-01-06 | The SPEAKER pro tempore | House | CREC-2020-11-19-pt1-PgH5950-2 | null | 1,696 |
formal | safeguard | null | transphobic | Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, pursuant to House Resolution 1224, I call up the bill (H.R. 8294) to amend the National Apprenticeship Act and expand the national apprenticeship system to include apprenticeships, youth apprenticeships, and pre-apprenticeship registered under such Act, to promote the furtherance of labor standards necessary to safeguard the welfare of apprentices, and for other purposes, and ask for its immediate consideration. | 2020-01-06 | Mr. SCOTT of Virginia | House | CREC-2020-11-19-pt1-PgH5950-3 | null | 1,697 |
formal | welfare | null | racist | Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, pursuant to House Resolution 1224, I call up the bill (H.R. 8294) to amend the National Apprenticeship Act and expand the national apprenticeship system to include apprenticeships, youth apprenticeships, and pre-apprenticeship registered under such Act, to promote the furtherance of labor standards necessary to safeguard the welfare of apprentices, and for other purposes, and ask for its immediate consideration. | 2020-01-06 | Mr. SCOTT of Virginia | House | CREC-2020-11-19-pt1-PgH5950-3 | null | 1,698 |
formal | the Fed | null | antisemitic | The Speaker on Thursday, November 19, 2020, announced her signature to enrolled bills of the Senate of the following titles: S. 327.--An Act to amend the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act to provide for a lifetime National Recreational Pass for any veteran with a service-connected disability. S. 3147.--An Act to require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to submit to Congress reports on patient safety and quality of care at medical centers of the Department of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes. S. 3587.--An Act to require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to conduct a study on the accessibility of websites of the Department of Veterans Affairs to individuals with disabilities, and for other purposes. | 2020-01-06 | Unknown | House | CREC-2020-11-19-pt1-PgH5987-2 | null | 1,699 |
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