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E PL UR UM IB N U U S Congressional Record United States th of America PROCEEDINGS AND DEBATES OF THE 116 CONGRESS, SECOND SESSION Vol. 166 WASHINGTON, THURSDAY, JULY 23, 2020 No. 130 Senate The Senate met at 9:30 a.m. and was of State Sumner Welles issued a state- were sacrificing for their fellow Ameri- called to order by the President pro ment outlining U.S. policy toward the cans. tempore (Mr. GRASSLEY). Soviet Union’s annexation of the Baltic There is no doubt that containing f States. It began: ‘‘During these past this virus has caused economic pain few days the devious processes not seen since the Great Depression. PRAYER whereunder the political independence Hopefully, we are racing toward a vac- The Chaplain, Dr. Barry C. Black, of- and territorial integrity of the three cine answer to this pandemic. In the fered the following prayer: small Baltic Republics—Estonia, Lat- meantime, Americans must continue Let us pray. via, and Lithuania—were to be delib- to sacrifice, just as previous genera- We acknowledge today, O Lord, Your erately annihilated by one of their tions did for the sake of their neigh- power, mercy, and grace. We need Your more powerful neighbors, have been bors, families, friends, and loved ones. power, for the challenges we face re- rapidly drawing to their conclusion.’’ Make no mistake, we will beat this quire more than human wisdom. We It expressed the sympathy of the peo- virus, and the United States of Amer- need Your mercy, for we transgress ple of the United States for democratic ica will emerge stronger and even more Your love and fall short of Your glory. self-government and, at the same time, prosperous than before. We need Your grace, for we cannot articulated the policy of the United Today, Senate Republicans, hope- offer anything to merit Your favor or States to oppose predatory activities fully, will unveil an unprecedented ex- gain Your love. using force or the threat of force or pansion of previous assistance to help Lord, empower our Senators for to- any intervention in the affairs of an- our country get through this crisis. As day’s journeys. Give them confidence other sovereign state. The United Finance Committee chairman, I look to draw near to You that they may find States continued to recognize the sov- forward to introducing further assist- grace to help them in this time of need. ereignty of the Baltic States through- ance to individuals, relief for workers May they pass their days in the com- out about 50 years of Soviet occupa- and employers, support for patients, panionship of Your everlasting pres- tion. providers, and foster youth, and addi- ence. Lord, enable them to learn the Things that go around come around. tional flexibilities for State and local stewardship of time, energy, and abun- Now we have a historical footnote. governments to fight this disease and dance. Guide their gifts with Your wis- Vladimir Putin has been trying to re- the economic pain that has come be- dom as You help them with their deci- write this history for his own devious fore it. sions. purposes—reverting to the absurd So- I call on my colleagues to, once We pray in Your great Name. Amen. viet claim that the Baltics in 1940 again, work together and not let par- f joined the Soviet Union voluntarily. tisan politics or gamesmanship get in There are also clear parallels we the way of delivering for the American PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE ought to take notice of to this current people. The President pro tempore led the Russian occupation of parts of the Re- I yield the floor. Pledge of Allegiance, as follows: public of Georgia and the Ukraine. The I suggest the absence of a quorum. I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the principles in Secretary of State Welles’ The PRESIDING OFFICER. The United States of America, and to the Repub- Declaration are as relevant today as clerk will call the roll. lic for which it stands, one nation under God, they were 80 years ago. The legislative clerk proceeded to indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. f call the roll. The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. CORONAVIRUS Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, I ask TILLIS). The Senator from Iowa. unanimous consent that the order for Mr. GRASSLEY. Mr. President, I ask Mr. GRASSLEY. Mr. President, on the quorum call be rescinded. unanimous consent to speak for 1 another issue—and more current—ear- The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without minute in morning business. lier this year, after the longest eco- objection, it is so ordered. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without nomic expansion in U.S. history, the objection, it is so ordered. government told the American people f f to stay home and businesses to close— the first time in 240 years of our coun- WELLES DECLARATION try. Countless lives have been saved be- RECOGNITION OF THE MINORITY ANNIVERSARY cause Americans heeded their govern- LEADER Mr. GRASSLEY. Mr. President, on ment’s call. And at the same time, The PRESIDING OFFICER. The this very day in 1940, Acting Secretary whether they wanted to or not, they Democratic leader is recognized. ∑ This ‘‘bullet’’ symbol identifies statements or insertions which are not spoken by a Member of the Senate on the floor. S4433 . VerDate Sep 11 2014 09:37 Jul 24, 2020 Jkt 099060 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 4624 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\A23JY6.000 S23JYPT1 SSpencer on DSK126QN23PROD with SENATE S4434 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE July 23, 2020 CORONAVIRUS and trace and finally stop the spread of I yield the floor. Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, faced this evil disease. The centerpiece of the I suggest the absence of a quorum. with the greatest economic challenge Republican proposal is a liability The PRESIDING OFFICER. The in 75 years and the greatest public shield to protect big corporations from clerk will call the roll. health threat in a century, we Senate lawsuits if they put their workers at The senior assistant legislative clerk Democrats have been waiting for risk—seriously. As COVID continues to proceeded to call the roll. months for our Republican colleagues surge throughout our country and un- Mr. MCCONNELL. Madam President, in the Senate to get serious about an- employment numbers rose again for I ask unanimous consent that the order other round of emergency relief for the the first time in weeks, Leader MCCON- for the quorum call be rescinded. American people. NELL has made corporate immunity the The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mrs. Now that Senate Republicans have fi- centerpiece of this Republican re- HYDE-SMITH). Without objection, it is nally woken up to the calamity in our sponse. Once again, the Republican so ordered. country, they have given up wishing it Senate is far more comfortable pro- f viding relief to big corporations than would go away, following the Presi- RESERVATION OF LEADER TIME dent’s wishing everything would go relief to American workers and Amer- away, to the detriment of this country. ican families. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Under Our Republican colleagues have been so How about instead of shielding cor- the previous order, the leadership time divided, so disorganized, and so unpre- porations from liability, we shield is reserved. pared that they have to struggle to renters from eviction? How about in- f draft even a partisan proposal within stead of shielding corporations from li- ability, we shield the unemployed from CONCLUSION OF MORNING their own conference. This is before BUSINESS they talk to a single Democrat. This is poverty? before they even consider what the Even in those areas where the Senate The PRESIDING OFFICER. Morning House has done. Republicans seem to be moving a bit in business is closed. It does seem that sometime soon, Re- our direction, it looks like they are f coming up way short. Republicans publicans may finally unveil a legisla- LEGISLATIVE SESSION tive proposal, but because they are so aren’t talking about providing enough disorganized and divided, they can’t resources for our schools to reopen agree on a series of smaller bills that safely. According to reports, the White NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZA- don’t even amount to one coherent pro- House and Senate Republicans want to TION ACT FOR FISCAL YEAR posal. Even after all this time, it ap- extend the enhanced unemployment 2021—Resumed pears the Republican legislative re- benefits the Democrats secured in the CARES Act but only provide a percent- The PRESIDING OFFICER. Under sponse to COVID is ununified, the previous order, the Senate will re- unserious, unsatisfactory. Let me re- age of a worker’s former wage. That is right, America. If you have sume consideration of S. 4049, which peat that. Despite hitting the ‘‘pause’’ lost your job through no fault of your the clerk will report. button on the Senate for 3 months, de- own and can’t go back to work because The senior assistant legislative clerk spite waiting more than 60 days after this administration has mismanaged read as follows: the House Democrats passed their plan the crisis, Republicans want you to A bill (S. 4049) to authorize appropriations to start work on their own, the Senate take a 30-percent pay cut in the middle for fiscal year 2021 for military activities of Republican response to COVID is of this crisis. the Department of Defense, for military con- ununified, unsatisfactory, and, fun- Worse still, because Republicans struction, and for defense activities of the damentally, unserious. dithered and delayed for so long, there Department of Energy, to prescribe military From what we know, their proposal will be an interruption in unemploy- personnel strengths for such fiscal year, and for other purposes.
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