Congressional Record United States Th of America PROCEEDINGS and DEBATES of the 117 CONGRESS, FIRST SESSION
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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 117 CONGRESS, FIRST SESSION Vol. 167 WASHINGTON, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 27, 2021 No. 16 House of Representatives The House was not in session today. Its next meeting will be held on Thursday, January 28, 2021, at 9 a.m. Senate WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 27, 2021 The Senate met at 10:30 a.m. and was The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without Security under Presidents of both par- called to order by the President pro objection, it is so ordered. ties wrote recently: After the attacks tempore (Mr. LEAHY). f on the Capitol on January 6, it is more f urgent than ever to have in place an RECOGNITION OF THE MAJORITY experienced, capable, and Senate-con- PRAYER LEADER firmed leader. That person is The Chaplain, Dr. Barry C. Black, of- The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Mayorkas. fered the following prayer: LUJA´ N). The majority leader is recog- That was four previous Homeland Let us pray. nized. Secretaries from both parties. O God, our Father, thank You for the Unfortunately, because of the objec- gift of this day. Lord, we are grateful f tions of one Member, the Senate has for the blessing of Your unfailing love, NOMINATION OF ALEJANDRO not been allowed to vote on this nomi- for Your mercies endure forever. NICHOLAS MAYORKAS nation yet. It is the Senate’s responsi- Keep our lawmakers on the proper bility to make sure national security path. Lead them to strive for right- Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, it has officials are on the job and keeping our eousness and humility. As You show been 3 weeks since a mob of domestic country safe. them the path to choose, give them the terrorists stormed the U.S. Capitol in My friends on the other side don’t wisdom to live for Your honor. Remind an effort to thwart our democratic sys- have to agree with Mr. Mayorkas on them that You are a friend to those tem of government. In the weeks since, the finer points of every policy, but who possess referential awe. Rescue the underlying threat of violence to surely we can all agree that he knows them from the traps of their enemies. our government remains of great con- the Department, he understands the Lord, You are our hope for the years cern. threats to our Nation’s security, and he to come. One of the most important respon- has what it takes to lead DHS. The We pray in Your Holy Name. Amen. sibilities of the new administration—of Senate must confirm his nomination in f any administration—is to protect our very short order, and we will make PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE country and its citizens. The Senate sure that happens. must continue the process of con- We must continue on to the rest of The President pro tempore led the firming President Biden’s Cabinet by Pledge of Allegiance, as follows: the President’s Cabinet as well. The installing Alejandro Mayorkas to serve President’s nominee for Secretary of I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the as Secretary of Homeland Security. In United States of America, and to the Repub- Transportation was voted out of com- lic for which it stands, one nation under God, truth, we should have been able to con- mittee this morning on an overwhelm- indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. firm Mr. Mayorkas days ago. He is su- ingly bipartisan vote, 21 to 3. With co- The PRESIDENT pro tempore. The premely well qualified for the job. He is operation, the Senate can and should Senator from New Mexico. the son of immigrants whose family es- confirm Mr. Buttigieg soon, as well. Mr. LUJA´ N. Mr. President, I suggest caped from the Holocaust, a pros- f the absence of a quorum. ecutor, a veteran of 7 years who led the The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Agency’s response on Ebola, cyber se- CLIMATE clerk will call the roll. curity, border security, counterterror- Mr. SCHUMER. On climate, today The senior assistant legislative clerk ism, and domestic terrorism. President Biden is set to announce a proceeded to call the roll. Just 4 years ago, President Trump slew of Executive actions on climate, Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, I ask had his Secretary of Homeland Secu- including critical measures to increase unanimous consent that the order for rity installed on Inauguration Day. As the conservation of Federal lands, re- the quorum call be rescinded. four previous Secretaries of Homeland duce oil and gas development, and ∑ This ‘‘bullet’’ symbol identifies statements or insertions which are not spoken by a Member of the Senate on the floor. S157 . VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:45 Jan 27, 2021 Jkt 019060 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 0637 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\A27JA6.000 S27JAPT1 dlhill on DSK120RN23PROD with SENATE S158 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE January 27, 2021 place environmental justice, green bold and robust course of action to de- Mr. LEAHY. I thank the distin- jobs, and, yes, science at the heart of feat the disease and get our country guished leader. our Nation’s climate policy. back to normal. We must not—we must Mr. SCHUMER. I yield the floor. I think Americans are saying: Wel- not—repeat the mistakes of 2008 and f come back, science. We are glad you 2009, when Congress was too timid and RECOGNITION OF THE MINORITY are playing a role in the decisions we constrained in its response to the glob- LEADER make and not being ignored and tram- al financial crisis. pled on like the previous administra- The Congressional Budget Office has The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Re- tion did. Understanding that the told us last fall that COVID–19, the publican leader is recognized. United States cannot defeat a global pandemic, has taken more than $17 f threat on its own, the Biden adminis- trillion out of our economy—$17 tril- NOMINATIONS tration has already wisely joined the lion out of the economy. The danger of Mr. MCCONNELL. Mr. President, yes- Paris accords and will also propose undershooting our response to COVID– terday, we confirmed Antony Blinken, convening an international climate 19 is far greater than overshooting it. our new Secretary of State. Like the summit this year, on Earth Day. So Congress must pursue a bold re- Director of National Intelligence, the These Executive actions are a very sponse to the prevailing crisis of our Secretary of Defense, and the Sec- strong opening push by the Biden ad- time. retary of the Treasury, it was another ministration to refocus our Nation’s Here in the Senate, we want that work to be bipartisan. Let me say that big, bipartisan vote here in the Senate. energy toward the threat of climate Four years ago, Senate Democrats change. President Biden’s commitment again. We want the next legislative re- sponse to COVID–19 to be bipartisan. subjected mainstream nominees to lead to deal with climate change is unques- State and Treasury to a full gauntlet tioned. He is off to a fast start, and it We want to work with our Republican colleagues, if we can, to include their of partisan delay tactics. They forced couldn’t come soon enough. cloture votes. Those were nearly party- The Federal Government has a great ideas and input if they will offer them. line. So were the final votes. Neither deal of power to set the direction for That is our preference. But if our Re- got on the job until February. But this our Nation’s energy and environmental publican colleagues decide to oppose President’s mainstream nominees to policy, but climate change represents the necessary, robust COVID relief that key posts are receiving fair consider- an existential threat to our country is needed, we will have to move forward without them. It is not our preference, ation and a timely process. and our planet. Every tool in the tool- Republicans have no shortage of sub- box should be brought to bear. In my but dealing with this crisis in a bold and sufficient way is a necessity. The stantive policy differences with the view, President Biden should consider new administration. We will be dis- the declaration of a national emer- Senate is going to respond to the coun- try’s needs and deliver help to the cussing them with Secretaries Austin, gency on climate change. Yellen, and Blinken in the course of Former President Trump, of course, American people fast. f normal committee oversight. issued an emergency declaration to di- But unlike what took place 4 years vert funds toward an expensive and in- IMPEACHMENT ago, Republicans are not gratuitously effective border wall when there was no Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, now delaying people who are mainstream emergency at all. Declaring one for cli- on impeachment, finally, I want to ad- and qualified whom the new President mate change—an actual emergency— dress the vote the Senate took yester- has asked to serve in key posts. If we would be a giant step in the right di- day on the point of order raised by the find somebody unfit, unqualified, or rection, and it would allow President junior Senator from Kentucky. I regret outside the mainstream, you bet we Biden to tap additional resources and to say, for 45 Republican Senators to will oppose them. pursue additional policies in the fight vote for a spurious constitutional ob- But I have just spent 4 years arguing against climate change, even if Repub- jection to the coming impeachment that Presidents deserve some latitude licans in Congress remain intransigent trial was deeply, deeply irresponsible.