S7454 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE December 14, 2020 finished. The struggle continues every The next several days are going to The PRESIDING OFFICER. The day. Cases and deaths are mounting. bring about one of two outcomes. Ei- clerk will report the nomination. The commerce that sustains small ther 100 Senators will be here shaking The legislative clerk read the nomi- businesses is still depressed. Working our heads, slinging blame, and offering nation of Charles Edward Atchley, Jr., families are still trying to grind excuses about why we still have not of Tennessee, to be United States Dis- through, but recently Washington has been able to make a law, or we will trict Judge for the Eastern District of not held up its end of the bargain. break for the holidays having sent an- Tennessee. For months—literally months—both other huge dose of relief out the door CLOTURE MOTION sides in Congress have known roughly for the people who need it. Mr. MCCONNELL. Mr. President, I what the shape of a compromise rescue So, look, it is up to us. It is up to us. send a cloture motion to the desk. package could look like. We know all We decide. This is entirely within our The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clo- the areas where we do not even dis- control. I can speak for the Republican ture motion having been presented agree and should be able to make sig- side: We want to make a law to agree under rule XXII, the Chair directs the nificant law. But, alas, partisan dy- where we can and help people who need clerk to read the motion. namics and political posturing have it. I hope and believe that my Demo- The legislative clerk read as follows: prevented us from getting more relief cratic colleagues will feel the same CLOTURE MOTION out the door, even in areas where no- way. It is about time to get this done. We, the undersigned Senators, in ac- body even claims to disagree. f I don’t want to relitigate the last cordance with the provisions of rule weeks and months this afternoon. Any- EXECUTIVE SESSION XXII of the Standing Rules of the Sen- one who wants to dole out blame has a ate, do hereby move to bring to a close clear record they can analyze. debate on the nomination of Charles It is time for this body to collec- EXECUTIVE CALENDAR Edward Atchley, Jr., of Tennessee, to tively recognize that finger-pointing Mr. MCCONNELL. Mr. President, I be United States District Judge for the doesn’t put food on the table for strug- move to proceed to executive session to Eastern District of Tennessee. gling families. Finger-pointing doesn’t consider Calendar No. 933. Mitch McConnell, James E. Risch, , Roy Blunt, Shelley Moore Cap- help people avoid having to choose be- The PRESIDING OFFICER. The ito, , , Chuck tween Christmas gifts and making question is on agreeing to the motion. Grassley, , , rent. And finger-pointing does not do a The motion was agreed to. Pat Roberts, Cory Gardner, Lindsey darn thing to fund vaccine distribution The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Graham, , , so we can slam the door on this virus clerk will report the nomination. , . as fast as possible and maximize the The legislative clerk read the nomi- f number of lives we can save. nation of Joseph Dawson III, of South LEGISLATIVE SESSION That last point is a concern that Carolina, to be United States District State health officials across the coun- Judge for the District of South Caro- Mr. MCCONNELL. Mr. President, I try have raised repeatedly. Even with lina. move to proceed to legislative session. vaccines on the way, many are report- CLOTURE MOTION The PRESIDING OFFICER. The question is on agreeing to the motion. ing that they don’t have the funds to Mr. MCCONNELL. Mr. President, I hire enough trained workers or pur- send a cloture motion to the desk. The motion was agreed to. chase enough PPE to safely administer The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clo- f them as fast as possible. As one health ture motion having been presented EXECUTIVE SESSION observer put it, ‘‘It would be a shame if under rule XXII, the Chair directs the all the effort on Warp Speed for devel- clerk to read the motion. opment isn’t warp speed for distribu- The legislative clerk read as follows: EXECUTIVE CALENDAR tion.’’ That is what we risk if Congress CLOTURE MOTION can’t get our act together and supply Mr. MCCONNELL. Mr. President, I We, the undersigned Senators, in accord- the funds to deliver this literal shot in move to proceed to executive session to ance with the provisions of rule XXII of the consider Calendar No. 935. the arm to our people. This is the sup- Standing Rules of the Senate, do hereby port that State and local governments The PRESIDING OFFICER. The move to bring to a close debate on the nomi- question is on agreeing to the motion. need most urgently—not unfettered nation of Joseph Dawson III, of South Caro- slush funds for non-COVID-related lina, to be United States District Judge for The motion was agreed to. needs that predate the pandemic but the District of South Carolina. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The incredibly urgent, targeted money to Mitch McConnell, James E. Risch, Mike clerk will report the nomination. get citizens vaccinated right now and Crapo, Roy Blunt, Shelley Moore Cap- The legislative clerk read the nomi- ito, Tom Cotton, John Cornyn, Chuck finish the fight. nation of Zachary N. Somers, of the Grassley, Thom Tillis, Richard Burr, District of Columbia, to be a Judge of That isn’t the only urgent priority Pat Roberts, Cory Gardner, Lindsey that Congress must not leave behind. the United States Court of Federal Graham, Todd Young, Marco Rubio, Claims for a term of fifteen years. The same business owners and working John Boozman, John Barrasso. CLOTURE MOTION families who relied on the Paycheck f Protection Program to get them Mr. MCCONNELL. Mr. President, I through the bleakest points of the LEGISLATIVE SESSION send a cloture motion to the desk. spring and summer are, once again, Mr. MCCONNELL. Mr. President, I The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clo- facing tough choices. Renewed health move to proceed to legislative session. ture motion having been presented restrictions and decreased demand The PRESIDING OFFICER. The under rule XXII, the Chair directs the mean that some American jobs that question is on agreeing to the motion. clerk to read the motion. have been sustained all this period may The motion was agreed to. The legislative clerk read as follows: not survive the last home stretch. f CLOTURE MOTION So we can help. We can provide a sec- We, the undersigned Senators, in accord- ond round of job-saving PPP tailored EXECUTIVE SESSION ance with the provisions of rule XXII of the to those who need it most. Standing Rules of the Senate, do hereby And what about Americans who have move to bring to a close debate on the nomi- already lost their jobs in the pandemic EXECUTIVE CALENDAR nation of Zachary N. Somers, of the District through no fault of their own? Several Mr. MCCONNELL. Mr. President, I of Columbia, to be a Judge of the United key unemployment programs are set to move to proceed to executive session to States Court of Federal Claims for a term of fifteen years. expire at the end of the month. This is consider Calendar No. 934. Mitch McConnell, James E. Risch, Mike not an outcome that struggling people The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Crapo, Roy Blunt, Shelley Moore Cap- deserve, least of all during the holiday. question is on agreeing to the motion. ito, Tom Cotton, John Cornyn, Chuck So we should act. We should act. The motion was agreed to. Grassley, Thom Tillis, Richard Burr,

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