S1692 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE March 23, 2021 The senior assistant legislative clerk EXECUTIVE CALENDAR sive form of systemic racism through- read as follows: The PRESIDING OFFICER. The out our history for Black Americans. But all of us in this Chamber have CLOTURE MOTION clerk will report the nomination. taken an oath to the Constitution. All We, the undersigned Senators, in accord- The senior assistant legislative clerk ance with the provisions of rule XXII of the read the nomination of Vivek of us have a responsibility to defend Standing Rules of the Senate, do hereby Hallegere Murthy, of Florida, to be the box. It is our responsibility move to bring to a close debate on the nomi- Medical Director in the Regular Corps to knock down the barriers that others nation of Executive Calendar No. 39, Vivek of the Public Health Service, subject to would put up to prevent citizens from Hallegere Murthy, of Florida, to be Medical qualifications therefor as provided by having the opportunity to participate Director in the Regular Corps of the Public in our elections. That is exactly what Health Service, subject to qualifications law and regulations, and to be Surgeon General of the Public Health Service S. 1, For the People, does in the face of therefor as provided by law and regulations, the greatest attack on voting rights in and to be Surgeon General of the Public for a term of four years. Health Service for a term of four years. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen- this Nation since Jim Crow. Charles E. Schumer, Patrick J. Leahy, ator from Oregon. This legislation puts the power back Richard J. Durbin, Christopher A. Mr. MERKLEY. Mr. President, I ask where it belongs—in the hands of the Coons, Benjamin L. Cardin, Jon Tester, unanimous consent that with respect people. This bill said that if you believe in Richard Blumenthal, Michael F. Ben- to the Young nomination, the motion net, Sheldon Whitehouse, Sherrod the vision of our democratic Republic, to reconsider be considered made and Brown, Jeanne Shaheen, Debbie Stabe- then you believe in voter empower- laid upon the table and the President now, Thomas R. Carper, Margaret ment, not voter intimidation, not voter be immediately notified of the Senate’s Wood Hassan, Elizabeth Warren, Patty obstruction, not voter suppression. action. Murray, Alex Padilla, Tina Smith, Tim This bill says that the people should Kaine. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without choose their politicians, not the other objection, it is so ordered. The PRESIDING OFFICER. By unan- way around. attacks imous consent, the mandatory quorum FOR THE PEOPLE ACT the very notion of equal representation call has been waived. Mr. MERKLEY. Madam President, that is so important in the social con- The question is, Is it the sense of the today I am proud to join a number of tract of the citizens with their govern- Senate that debate on the nomination my colleagues to highlight the impor- ment. So this bill says we will have an of Vivek Hallegere Murthy, of Florida, tance of S. 1, the For the People Act. independent commission in each State to be Medical Director in the Regular The ballot box is the pulsating heart to draw the boundaries of the districts Corps of the Public Health Service, of our government of, by, and for the so that we put an end to partisan ger- subject to qualifications therefor as people. rymandering. provided by law and regulations, and to President Lyndon B. Johnson said: This bill says that government of, by, be Surgeon General of the Public The vote is the most powerful instrument and for the people means you can’t Health Service for a term of four years, ever devised by man for breaking down injus- have a stadium sound system turned up shall be brought to a close? tice. to full volume, drowning out the voice The yeas and nays are mandatory Think about that—‘‘the most power- of the people. And what is that stadium under the rule. ful instrument ever devised for break- sound system? It is the , The clerk will call the roll. ing down injustice.’’ hundreds of millions of dollars of un- The senior assistant legislative clerk It is Robert Kennedy who observed identified funds racing and coursing called the roll. that ‘‘each citizen’s right to vote is through our elections across this coun- fundamental to all the other rights of The yeas and nays resulted—yeas 57, try, doing attack ads, with citizens citizenship.’’ nays 43, as follows: having no idea where that funding is You know, the opportunity to cast a coming from. That is simply wrong. [Rollcall Vote No. 130 Ex.] ballot is not just an opportunity. It is This bill says that public servants YEAS—57 not simply a responsibility. But it is a should work in the public interest, not Baldwin Hickenlooper Portman right—the right—the right that em- to line their own pockets, not to serve Bennet Hirono Reed bodies all it means to a republic in simply the wealthy or the powerful or Blumenthal Kaine Romney which the power flows from the people. Booker Kelly Rosen the privileged. Brown King Sanders Our Nation, however imperfect in the These points are straightforward. We Cantwell Klobuchar Schatz beginning, has worked toward this vi- have been fighting to improve and Cardin Leahy Schumer sion of citizens through the ballot box, guarantee the vision of government of, Carper Luja´ n Shaheen Casey Manchin Sinema driving the vision of our Nation, for by, and for the people over our entire Cassidy Markey Smith over 200 years, overcoming barrier history. Now, to protect our system of Collins Marshall Stabenow after barrier. We overcame some of the voting, the foundation of our Republic, Coons Menendez Sullivan barriers of race with the 14th and 15th we have to get this bill over the finish Cortez Masto Merkley Tester Duckworth Murkowski Van Hollen Amendments. We overcame the bar- line. We have an extraordinary team Durbin Murphy Warner riers of gender with the 19th Amend- working to make that happen, Sen- Feinstein Murray Warnock ment. We overcame barriers that had ators with sturdy, clear ideals and ex- Gillibrand Ossoff Warren Hassan Padilla Whitehouse denied Native Americans the right to cellent ideas and grit and determina- Heinrich Peters Wyden vote with the Indian Citizenship Act of tion coming together to save our Re- 1924. We overcame the barriers of Jim public: Senator KLOBUCHAR, who will NAYS—43 Crow with the Voting Rights Act of be speaking next—author of several of Barrasso Graham Risch 1965. But now, as we stand in this the key provisions of this bill, includ- Blackburn Grassley Rounds Blunt Hagerty Rubio Chamber, the central right of each citi- ing bipartisan provisions—who tomor- Boozman Hawley Sasse zen’s opportunity to participate in the row will be chairing the first-ever Sen- Braun Hoeven Scott (FL) election through the ballot box is again ate hearing on this landmark legisla- Burr Hyde-Smith Scott (SC) under attack. tion; Senator PADILLA, who knows ex- Capito Inhofe Shelby Cornyn Johnson Thune Right now as we speak, there are 253 actly what it is like to be a secretary Cotton Kennedy Tillis bills in 43 States assaulting the right of state and has been an amazing Cramer Lankford Toomey Crapo Lee to vote. These efforts are designed to champion for voter empowerment in Tuberville Cruz Lummis make it harder for students to vote, for his home State; Senator VAN HOLLEN, Daines McConnell Wicker low-income Americans to vote, for Na- who led the EMPOWER Act and the Young Ernst Moran tive Americans to vote, for seniors to Restoring Integrity to America’s Elec- Fischer Paul vote, and most insidiously, for Black tions Act; Senator WHITEHOUSE, who The PRESIDING OFFICER. On this and Brown Americans to vote. And I authored the DISCLOSE Act portion of vote, the yeas are 57, the nays are 43. say ‘‘most insidiously’’ because block- the bill and is a tremendous leader on The motion is agreed to. ing access to the ballot has been a mas- campaign finance reform.

VerDate Sep 11 2014 03:50 Mar 24, 2021 Jkt 019060 PO 00000 Frm 00012 Fmt 0624 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\G23MR6.022 S23MRPT1 dlhill on DSK120RN23PROD with SENATE March 23, 2021 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S1693 Today, our Nation is at a crossroads. country in red, blue, and purple States. Georgia. Why? As Senator WARNOCK Are we going to be a nation for ‘‘we the And Republican and Democratic elec- said so beautifully and succinctly in people,’’ or are we going to be a nation tion officials and Governors have sup- his maiden Senate floor speech just for ‘‘we the powerful’’? ported them. last week: ‘‘Some people don’t want We must pass the For the People Act As the chair of the Senate Rules some people to vote.’’ Well, that is not to save our democracy. As our leader Committee, the committee with juris- how this country was founded. That is said last week, ‘‘Failure is not an op- diction over Federal elections and cam- not what our Constitution says. tion.’’ So let’s get it done, and let’s en- paign finance law and the committee We cannot just sit back and let our sure, as Abraham Lincoln declared, to which this bill has been referred, I democracy be undermined. As I said that ‘‘government of the people, by the believe we must get this done. Tomor- from the inaugural stage on that beau- people, for the people, shall not perish row, as noted by Senator MERKLEY, we tiful blue-sky day at the very place from the earth.’’ will be holding a hearing on the bill. I where you could still see the spray I yield to Senator KLOBUCHAR. am pleased that every single Demo- paint at the bottom of the columns and The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen- cratic Member of this committee is a makeshift windows that we had in ator from Minnesota. cosponsor of the bill. I intend to move place after the January 6 attack: Ms. KLOBUCHAR. Madam President, quickly to a markup to send the bill to This is the day our democracy picks itself I come to the floor today to join my the Senate floor for a vote. up, brushes off the dust, and does what colleague, Senator MERKLEY, and so The For the People Act is critically America always does: goes forward as a na- many others in speaking in support of important. It is important because it tion, under God, indivisible with liberty and the critical democracy reforms in the would improve our democracy by pro- justice for all. For the People Act—legislation that I tecting voting rights, getting dark For decades, there have been those am honored to lead with Senator money out of our elections, and put- who have been trying to chip away at MERKLEY and Majority Leader SCHU- ting in place anti-corruption reforms. the fundamental right to vote. We MER, Representative SARBANES, in the It is important because every one of can’t just keep taking it. We have to House, which passed this bill very re- the things that we want to get done, ensure that right to vote. cently through their entire Chamber. from rebuilding our economy to fixing What is this about? One, making it This bill will, in short, make it easier our immigration system, to investing easier to vote. That is exactly what to vote, not harder to vote, as, sadly, in infrastructure, to tackling the cli- For the People does. It includes provi- some of our colleagues have proposed mate crisis, to reforming our criminal sions that I have championed and so over the years. But it will make it easi- justice system, they all depend on a de- many others have, like automatic vot- er to vote, end the dominance of big mocracy that works for the people. ing registration, ending purges of vot- money in politics and ensure that pub- Last November, in the middle of an ing rolls, ending redistricting commis- lic officials work for the public inter- unprecedented pandemic, nearly 160 sions, requiring all States to allow est. And it includes provisions, as Sen- million Americans voted, more people same-day voting registration, and vot- ator MERKLEY noted, from 15 bills that than ever before in the history of ing by mail. I lead to strengthen our democracy. America. Think about that—in the These are commonsense policies that I appreciate my colleagues on both middle of a pandemic. And we know we were already in place in many States sides of the aisle who have contributed saw the pictures on TV. We saw the in the 2020 general election. Forty-five to the ideas in this bill. It represents people at the very beginning before we States didn’t require an excuse to vote the combined work of so many people knew what safety protocols should be by mail. This will ensure that in every in this Chamber who are dedicated to in place, when things were getting State, you don’t need to make an ex- improving our democracy. messed around—those people in Wis- cuse. Twenty-one States have same- Nine bipartisan bills are part of the consin in garbage bags, in garbage bags day registration, including States like For the People Act—bills like the Hon- in the rain, standing in line to vote. Idaho, Wyoming, and Iowa. Forty-three est Ads Act, which I originally intro- Why did so many people vote in the States have . Just last duced with Senator McCain, of the middle of a pandemic, both sides of the month, Kentucky’s Republican sec- great State of Arizona, the Presiding aisle—Democrats, Republicans, Inde- retary of state praised a State bill that Officer’s home State, and now lead pendents—why did they vote? Well, would make early in-person voting per- with Senator GRAHAM and Senator they were interested in the election; we manent. WARNER. know that. But it was more than that. Certainly, we need to ban purges of What does that bill do? Well, it im- In part, they voted because they had voting rolls. As my friend Stacey proves disclosure requirements for on- more access to voting because of the Abrams said: If you don’t go to a meet- line ads, disclosure requirements that changes that were made in the States. ing every year, you don’t lose your aren’t in law. It is not right. And that Vote-by-mail was available and easier right to assemble under the Constitu- is why this is just one of the many pro- for so many more people to do than tion. If you don’t go to church or syna- visions with bipartisan support, the ever before. gogue or mosque or temple, you don’t election security reforms that so many We think about those people who lose your right to worship. So if you of us worked on, including Senator suddenly had new means to vote in haven’t voted for a few elections and LANKFORD and Senator BURR. Those States where they suddenly didn’t have you decide you want to vote because are in this bill. to get a notary public or two signa- you care about a candidate or an issue, These are reforms that have broad tures or this or that just to exercise you should not lose your right to vote. support among the American people. their right to vote. They voted, and But in too many places, that is not the According to a Pew Research Center they voted in droves. case. poll, 65 percent of respondents said the Even though the overwhelming ma- Twenty States already have auto- option to vote early, in this bill, or ab- jority of Americans have made it clear matic laws, includ- sentee, in this bill, should be available they want to see policies that continue ing West Virginia, Alaska, and Geor- to any voter. And a poll from the Cam- to make it easier to vote, sadly, there gia. This bill simply says they all paign Legal Center found that 83 per- are those on the other side of the aisle should. cent of likely voters support public dis- who have been doubling down to find The second major reform we need is closure of contributions to organiza- ways to make it harder to vote. As to get the big money out of politics. tions involved in elections. Of course, Senator MERKLEY noted, over 250 bills The For the People Act helps bring they do. People want to know who is were introduced in States across the transparency to campaign spending so paying for these ads they see on TV. country, including my home State of that voters are informed about who is They want to know where the money is Minnesota, that had the highest voter funding candidates and who is paying from, and then they can follow the turnout once again in the country. for the ads. money. People are trying to make it harder to It also tightens regulations on super Many of the provisions in the bill vote, including in Arizona where they PACs and restructures the Federal have already been adopted across the had such a record turnout, including in Election Commission to make it more

VerDate Sep 11 2014 03:50 Mar 24, 2021 Jkt 019060 PO 00000 Frm 00013 Fmt 0624 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\G23MR6.026 S23MRPT1 dlhill on DSK120RN23PROD with SENATE S1694 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE March 23, 2021 effective and less prone to partisan ically lost in Colorado yesterday by yet The For the People Act presents an gridlock. another senseless mass shooting in our opportunity for us to establish a base- The third major reform in the For country. My heart breaks for their line of voting rights and ballot access the People Act is restoring trust in our families, but the sobering and harsh re- for all voters. I know that the For the government. Democracy isn’t just ality is that in many parts of the People Act will improve voting rights about what happens on election day; it United States, it is easier to buy a gun in America because, as California’s sec- is also about making sure that our than it is to cast a ballot. In 25 States, retary of state, I helped adopt and im- elected officials are accountable once voters must be registered and have spe- plement these best practices. These in- they take office. cific forms of identification in order to clude automatic and same-day voter The For the People Act ensures that cast a ballot, but those same States registration; online voter registration; Members of Congress and other Federal allow people to buy rifles without per- expanded access to vote-by-mail; ex- officials are truly working for the peo- mits and require no bond checks for tended early voting periods—in-person ple. It expands conflict of interest laws, some sales. Think about that. It seems early voting periods; and widespread, prohibits Members of Congress from to me that we have our priorities en- convenient access to secure, official serving on the boards of for-profit enti- tirely backward when it comes to mak- ballot drop-off locations. Together, ties, and codifies ethics rules for the ing it easier to buy a weapon than we these policies help to ensure equitable executive branch. do to cast a ballot. access to the ballot and, in so doing, Most importantly, why does the As we work to rebuild our economy strengthen our democracy. highest Court in the land not have any for all people, we must acknowledge While California has led the way in ethic rules for the Supreme Court when that to build an inclusive economy, we making our elections more accessible every other Federal court in the Na- need an inclusive democracy. Just as to all voters, the policies we have im- tion does? This bill answers that ques- the pandemic has put a spotlight on plemented are not unique to our State. tion. the inequities in our economy and our States like Maine and Alaska have also Three simple ideas: Making voting healthcare systems, so, too, has the adopted automatic voter registration easier, getting big money out of poli- pandemic put a spotlight on the inequi- policies. States like Utah, Iowa, Idaho, tics, and strengthening ethics rules. ties in access to the ballot. The 2020 and Wyoming also permit same-day The year 2020 marked the 100th anni- election, held in the midst of the voter registration. States like Florida versary of the ratification of the 19th COVID–19 pandemic, demonstrated and Ohio allow no-excuse vote-by-mail Amendment, which granted women the once again that we have made it easier and provide voters with early voting right to vote, and a century after that for some citizens to vote than others. options as well. ratification, we elected our first Afri- This is not an accident. The election reforms within the For can American, first Asian American, Depending on where a voter lives, the People Act are not partisan. These and first woman Vice President in Vice they may or may not have the ability reforms are not Democrat or Repub- President . As we cele- to register to vote online; they may or lican. They are common sense and are brate these firsts, we are reminded that may not be able to participate in same- proven to work. All voters deserve throughout our country’s history, the day registration; they may or may not equal voting rights and equal access to right to vote has been hard-fought and be able to vote early or vote by mail. the ballot. hard-won. All this varies State by State. This Colleagues, we are a stronger democ- As Congressman John Lewis, whom patchwork has a direct and dramatic racy and a better nation when we hear we sadly lost, once said: effect on whose voices are heard in our all voices from all corners of our Na- Your vote is precious, almost sacred. It is tion and when those voices are not just the most powerful nonviolent tool we have democracy, and, too often, it is work- to create a more perfect union. ing-class communities, communities of heard but counted. By passing the For When we reflect on the sacrifices and color, young people whose voices are si- the People Act, we can ensure that strides that have been made for the lenced. more voices are heard and more voices For voters whose work schedule does right to vote, one thing is very clear: are, indeed, counted. not allow them to wait in line to vote, I yield the floor. The fight isn’t over. The best way we the denial of vote-by-mail or early vot- The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. MUR- can honor the countless Americans ing denies the opportunity to vote alto- PHY). The Senator from . who have risked and, in some cases, gether. Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Mr. President, given their lives—given their lives to For voters who do not have that spec- first, I thank my colleagues who have protect our freedoms overseas, given ified form of State identification, even gathered here on the floor to help pass their lives to protect our democracy though they are American citizens of and urge the passage of this very im- here at home—the best way is to make voting age and otherwise eligible to portant piece of legislation, the For sure that democracy continues unfet- vote, lack of an ID can mean that they the People Act. tered and that everyone has the right will not be given a ballot, even if they Our Constitution begins with three to vote because we know, as Senator can verify their identity some other words that ring in the minds of each WARNOCK reminded us, that there are way. and every American, ‘‘We the People.’’ some people who are trying to make it For voters who want to vote by mail Seventy-six years after those words hard for some people to vote. That is and may have access to some form of were written, President Lincoln re- not how America works. vote-by-mail, unreasonable ballot re- solved, in 1863, that those who had lost The For the People Act is all about ceipt deadlines, a scarcity of ballot re- their lives on the battlefield at Gettys- making sure America works for every- turn locations, and/or slow or unreli- burg ‘‘shall not have died in vain and one. that the government of the people, by Thank you. able Postal Service delivery can mean I yield the floor. that their won’t be counted. the people, and for the people shall not I see we are joined by two Senators For young voters and for those who perish from the Earth.’’ who are going to be speaking, Senator move frequently, antiquated registra- One hundred two years after Gettys- PADILLA—three Senators—from Cali- tion systems and unreasonably early burg, our beloved former colleague, fornia, as well as Senator WHITEHOUSE registration deadlines can leave them Congressman John Lewis—then a civil from Rhode Island and Senator VAN unable to register to vote or to update rights activist and leader—together HOLLEN from Maryland. their registration record in time to ex- with nonviolent marchers, was beaten Thank you. ercise their fundamental right to vote. bloody by Alabama State Troopers in The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen- All of these voting restrictions have 1965 as they crossed the Edmund Pettus ator from California. a disproportionate impact on commu- Bridge while demanding voting rights. Mr. PADILLA. Madam President, I nities of color. Just like the poll taxes Later that year in 1965, Congress acted rise to speak today on the For the Peo- and literacy tests of the Jim Crow era, and did pass the Voting Rights Act, ple Act. the truth is plain for all to see: Voter and it was reauthorized regularly But before I do, I want to take a mo- suppression laws are rooted in White thereafter, most recently in 2006 by a ment to honor the lives of those trag- supremacy. vote of 90 to 0 here in the U.S. Senate

VerDate Sep 11 2014 03:50 Mar 24, 2021 Jkt 019060 PO 00000 Frm 00014 Fmt 0624 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\G23MR6.027 S23MRPT1 dlhill on DSK120RN23PROD with SENATE March 23, 2021 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S1695 and 390 to 33 in the House, where I As my colleagues have said, the dering devices for big donors. It is even served at that time. American people have a right to know as simple as phoney-baloney shell cor- Then, in 2013, in the case of Shelby who is spending all of this money to porations. Sometimes they are stacked County v. Holder, the Supreme Court, try to influence their votes. That is up, and the money goes to the phoney- in a notorious 5-to-4 decision, stripped why, back in 2010, I authored and the baloney shell corporation. The shell away a key enforcement provision from House passed the DISCLOSE Act—to corporation launders it through the Voting Rights Act: the require- require that the information be avail- DonorsTrust, and DonorsTrust gives it ment that the Department of Justice able to voters and the American peo- to the 501(c), and it dumps it into the approve changes to voting rights laws ple. In fact, had that House bill become super PAC. They all know it is going in States that had histories of dis- law, we wouldn’t have secret money on. This is orchestrated stuff. criminating against African-American today. While it was overwhelmingly So we have a real battle on our voters and others in their past laws. popular in the country and supported hands. We passed the billion-dollar-in- Almost immediately, like within 24 by an overwhelming majority of Sen- dark-money threshold a long time ago. hours, you saw States that had been ators at the time, because of fate and a When people are spending $1 billion in covered by that act begin to move to quirk of history in the death of Ted dark money to influence what goes on erect barriers to the ballot box, mak- Kennedy, the Senate was not able to in this country, you can bet they are ing it more difficult for people of color secure the 60 votes necessary to over- winning. You can bet they are winning. to vote. Indeed, in the case of the come a . Ted Kennedy passed They wouldn’t keep spending money by North Carolina State Conference of the away, and his replacement was a Re- the billions if they were not winning. NAACP v. McCrory, the U.S. Court of publican. This Senate voted with 59 So we have to put a stop to this. Appeals for the Fourth Circuit said votes—a big majority—to pass the DIS- The American people are with us. that the voting provisions passed by CLOSE Act, but because of the fili- The polling is unbelievable. It is in the the North Carolina legislature, in the buster rule, it couldn’t get over that nineties. Whether you are a Bernie Bro aftermath of the rollback of the Voting hurdle. or a tea partier, you hate the idea that Rights Act, were designed to ‘‘target The DISCLOSE Act is part of S. 1. there is big dark money in politics African-Americans with almost sur- Senator WHITEHOUSE and all of the calling the tune for Congress to dance gical precision.’’ to, but that is the fact. Look at the Now we come to 2021. On January 6, Senators here have been part of that outcomes. we witnessed a violent mob, incited by effort. It is part of S. 1. Look at climate change. There is no the former President of the United We cannot afford to repeat the his- dispute about the science. We all know States, attack this Capitol in order to tory of 2010. We cannot allow a minor- what needs to be done, but one big spe- overturn the results of a democratic ity of Senators who represent a minor- cial interest, the fossil fuel industry, election. The mob came because of the ity of the public in this country and has shut down one political party. My big lie—the big lie told by Donald the people of this country to stop the Trump and fueled by some of his allies For the People Act. We have a duty to strong bet is, if you looked at all of the here on Capitol Hill—that he had been every patriotic American who has dark money funding the Republican cheated out of an election victory. It is worked hard—and the many who have Party in Congress, you would find that a pernicious and insidious lie that has spilled blood—for the right to vote. We it is 80 percent the fossil fuel industry. caused Republican State legislatures have a duty to pass the For the People They have become the political wing of across the country to try to build up Act. the fossil fuel industry, and they spe- barriers to voting: limiting vote-by- I yield the floor. cialize in fake climate denial for that mail, reducing the number of days for The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen- reason, and it is going to cost us. The early voting, even making it illegal in ator from Rhode Island. lost decade on climate is going to cost Mr. WHITEHOUSE. Mr. President, I Georgia for anyone to provide water to us. AN HOLLEN left someone who is waiting in line to pick up where Senator V So dark money is not just a plague to vote—a real provision that has already off because, when he was fighting for the integrity of American democracy; passed the Georgia House and that is the DISCLOSE Act in the House, I was it is a plague that harms our ability to on its way to the Senate. These are all the manager of that bill on the floor deal with the other problems that are measures designed to make it harder here in the Senate. coming our way—wherever there is a It would do something very simple. If for American citizens to exercise their big special interest that can play the right to vote. you are spending more than $10,000 in game of hiding the money and moving We needed the For the People Act be- an election, we ought to know who you it around. fore January 6, but we need it more are. That is pretty easy. It is not going Let me say one last thing. than ever now to establish some min- to rope in lots of small donors. It will Dark money? Not really. It is not imum national standards to ensure get the big interests who are out there dark to the candidate who is the bene- that every American’s right to vote is trying to control our democracy and ficiary. When a big dark money donor secure. hide who they are while they are doing sets up a shell corporation and gives it In addition to the barriers being it. a couple of million dollars and then has erected around the country to voting, As Senator VAN HOLLEN said, this that shell corporation launder the our democracy faces another real and started with Citizens United—a wretch- money through DonorsTrust and then present danger: the flood of cash from ed decision that unleashed unlimited has that money go into a super PAC to Big Money and special interests—in- money into our politics, but it said be spent for a particular candidate or vading the airwaves and invading the that the unlimited money was going to against his opponent, do you think internet—that seeks to drown out the be transparent. That was its predicate: they don’t find a way to let the can- voices of everyday Americans. It is going to be transparent. You won’t didate know what they did and why? In 2010, in another notorious 5-to-4 have corruption because everybody will The only people who are not in on the Supreme Court decision, Citizens be able to see. The ad will say: We are joke are the American people, and we United, the Court opened the flood- ExxonMobil, and we paid for this mes- have got to put an end to this. gates to unlimited amounts of cor- sage. Democracy behind masks isn’t de- porate special interest money flowing Well, of course, the dark money mocracy at all. Let’s get rid of this into our elections. Over $14 billion was forces, in having achieved that victory stuff. The American public will be with spent in the 2020 election cycle, much at the Supreme Court, went right out us. It will provide health and hygiene of it secret. In fact, one of the con- and violated that predicate—right out. to our democracy again, and we will sequences of that decision, coupled They have built an entire architecture start to see results for the American with already existing laws, was that of deception around their campaign fi- people in a way that the dark money more money flowed secretly into our nances since then. It is the 501(c) cor- has prevented. elections—the dark money, the dark porations that don’t have to report I thank Senator MERKLEY for leading money trying to hijack our democracy their donors. It is the donor-advised us in this enterprise. This is a public for the highest bidder. trusts that are money identity laun- service. This is why we came here. This

VerDate Sep 11 2014 03:50 Mar 24, 2021 Jkt 019060 PO 00000 Frm 00015 Fmt 0624 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\G23MR6.029 S23MRPT1 dlhill on DSK120RN23PROD with SENATE S1696 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE March 23, 2021 is the democracy that needs defending, that established rank discrimination Voluntary, small-donor public fi- and, by God, we are going to defend it. against African Americans for decades nancing of congressional campaigns The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen- and invited brutal voter suppression ef- would mean more candidates with ator from Illinois. forts that sadly, amazingly, we are still more ideas and a Congress that works Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, I am fighting today. for more than just the top 1 percent in happy to join in this block of time in Here is the reality: If those col- America. which Members are coming forward to leagues were serious about protecting I thank Senator MERKLEY for, once talk about the For the People Act. democracy, they would be standing on again, including this act in the bill, I thank Senator MERKLEY for being the floor with us right now. They and, again, I thank Congressman SAR- our leader and inspiration in many as- would have stayed in their seats when BANES for his leadership in the House. pects of this and Chair the electoral college vote was certified. The Fair Elections Now Act is just from the Rules Committee, who will They wouldn’t have spent weeks chal- one of the many critical reforms in this have the honor of bringing this matter lenging and questioning the legitimate bill that will empower voters and com- before our committee for debate and results of an election that their chosen bat corruption. discussion. candidate actually lost, and they would After months of the former President Tomorrow is going to mark 11 weeks be on the floor with us, as I said, in and his allies undermining faith in our since we sat in this Chamber late into support of the For the People Act. electoral system with their unjustified the night and debated the certification Anyone who truly believes that we claims, we must take immediate, con- of the electoral college vote of the No- need to strengthen the integrity of our crete steps to repair our battered de- vember 3 election. It was an experience elections and democratic process mocracy. none of us will ever forget. should be cosponsoring this bill. I urge all my colleagues to join in Hours before we were told to rush out The For the People Act ensures that this mission and support the For the of this Chamber as quickly as possible all eligible Americans can cast a ballot People Act. because the insurrectionist mob was without burdensome barriers that sup- I yield the floor. just a few feet away, we had been told press the vote. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen- they were going to keep this place safe In 1890, there was established some- ator from Oregon. for us. We were to sit at our chairs and thing called the Mississippi Plan. The Mr. MERKLEY. Mr. President, I gather our staffs along the walls. You Mississippi Plan was State legislation thank my colleagues who have come to carefully crafted to make certain that will be safe. You will be just fine. Ten the floor to speak so powerfully to the African Americans didn’t have the minutes later, they said: Run as fast as essential task of defending the ballot right to vote. box, of stripping dark money out of our you can. It was an experience that Other States looked at it carefully elections, of honoring the vision of none of us ever expected in the U.S. and said: This is the answer. Literacy equal representation by ending the Capitol Building and one we will cer- tests, poll taxes, every obstacle they practice of gerrymandering across this tainly never forget. could dream of became part of the Mis- We had been rushed out of the Cham- country. sissippi Plan, with the express purpose ber as this mob attacked the Capitol in Senator KLOBUCHAR, who chairs the of disenfranchising African Americans an effort to stop us from fulfilling our Rules Committee and who will host recently emancipated. and direct the committee hearing, the constitutional duty in recognizing Joe That plan, unfortunately, lived out first ever for S. 1, For the People Act, Biden as the President of the United its days for decades and performed as made a powerful representation of how States. If that were in a novel 20 years expected, suppressing the vote. Again, vote-by-mail gives every citizen a full ago, I would have said: It is prepos- we face this kind of challenge. terous. It will never happen in Amer- The bill that we are talking about opportunity to participate in elections ica. here invests in election infrastructure without the manipulations that can But I saw it. I lived it. Many of us and provides State and local officials occur on election day, when different did. with the resources they need for safe people who do not want you to have ac- This mob had been fueled by weeks of and secure elections. cess to a ballot can put all kinds of lies, disinformation, and baseless alle- The bill reforms a broken campaign hurdles and obstacles in your way. gations of fraudulent votes and a sto- finance system that elevates the voices Senator VAN HOLLEN, who authored len election. of wealthy donors today and special in- the DISCLOSE Act in the House, re- I couldn’t get over that, yesterday, a terests, and it strengthens and en- minded us of John Lewis and his fellow lawyer named Sidney Powell, who was hances ethics and transparency re- protestors being beaten bloody on the the big defender of the big lie, said: Do quirements. Edmund Pettus Bridge to secure the you mean people actually believed me? I am proud to be here today because right to vote, as so many other Ameri- How could they possibly believe me? this bill also includes the Fair Elec- cans have fought for the right to vote Well, that is how far it has come. The tions Now Act. I have introduced this since our founding. preposterous statements being made by every year since 2007. And occasionally, Senator PADILLA, who implemented the pro-Trump forces about stealing just occasionally, I would get a Repub- so many reforms in California as Sec- the election now are so laughable that lican cosponsor. retary of State, gave us a sense that people are trying to escape legal liabil- The idea behind it is simple: public this can be done anywhere in the coun- ity by saying: Surely, you didn’t take financing of campaigns, a voluntary, try in time for next year’s elections. that seriously. small-donor public financing system Senator WHITEHOUSE, who has cham- Well, an awful lot of people did across for Senate candidates who agree to pioned the DISCLOSE Act in the Sen- America, and many of them marched raise small-dollar contributions, not ate, noted that there is a scheme of on this Capitol. big money. 501(c)(3) corporations and donor advice Despite this horrific attack on the The fair elections public financing trusts and phony-baloney shell cor- Capitol and our democracy, some of system would elevate the views and in- porations, as he put it, all working to our colleagues, to amplify these wild terests of a diverse spectrum of Ameri- corrupt our campaigns and that the claims, they continue to object to the cans rather than just the wealthy. amount of money that has been used to electoral vote count and claim that I am lucky to have a House sponsor, secure power to the powerful by manip- Congress needed to do more to assure . His father and I served ulating the elections now exceeds $1 voters that the 2020 election was legiti- in the Senate together, and he really billion. mate. has done a remarkable job promoting And Senator DURBIN, who has cham- A few of those colleagues even pro- the bill in the House. pioned year after year after year the posed a sham Commission to audit the We would pay for these campaigns, Fair Elections Now Act, presenting a election. They were relying on an 1876 public financing, without spending a powerful remedy for the role of Big precedent that was responsible for the dime of taxpayers’ dollars. It would be Money donations in our campaigns end of Reconstruction and the begin- financed with assessments on wealthy through public financing—public fi- ning of the Jim Crow era, a precedent bad actors and industry lawbreakers. nancing, not with government funds

VerDate Sep 11 2014 03:50 Mar 24, 2021 Jkt 019060 PO 00000 Frm 00016 Fmt 0624 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\G23MR6.030 S23MRPT1 dlhill on DSK120RN23PROD with SENATE March 23, 2021 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S1697 but with funds that come from cor- across the board. New cases, deaths, this week. For the sake of our country, porate malfeasance. and hospitalizations are all declining. I hope he sets the bar high. So I appreciate so much these col- Over the last week, the 7-day positivity Given the fact that we are now vacci- leagues who have been all involved in rate in Texas dropped to the lowest nating about 2.5 million Americans per so many different ways in this battle point since last May. day—a staggering number, really—it is to save our Republic. While we continue to follow the pub- time for the administration to take a There is always a powerful force lic health guidelines to slow the spread truly bold step. The goal here isn’t to seeking to manipulate the election of the virus, it is clear we are moving set a target you are almost certain to process to their favor, and it is one of closer and closer to an eventual end of meet. After all, you didn’t see the pre- many tools that that powerful group this pandemic, and there are a million vious administration set a target of a brings to bear. There are the dozens of reasons to be optimistic. successful vaccine by the summer of lawyers who work night and day, being Despite the narrative pushed by 2021, which is what many experts be- paid hundreds of dollars an hour, to se- some, all of this hope isn’t the result of lieved at the time. cure power for the powerful. There are just the last couple of months, and it Unfortunately, the underpromise, the public media campaigns that take certainly is not the product of the par- overdeliver strategy doesn’t end with tens of millions of dollars to frame tisan bill that was passed just 2 weeks vaccinations. Just look at the Presi- issues to try to persuade Americans of ago. These efforts have been underway dent’s latest comments about small their particular viewpoint or to drive a for more than a year now, and we owe outdoor gatherings. In the same speech wedge between different groups of a great deal of credit to Operation where he tried to take a victory lap for Americans. There is that dark money. Warp Speed, the initiative set up by the ‘‘disappointingly low bar’’ set for There are those efforts in State legisla- the Trump administration to accel- vaccinations, he made a rather con- tures to block the vote. erate the development of vaccines, fusing promise to the American people. I want to just close by reminding us treatments, and therapeutics. He said: all that the Constitution clearly states Last summer, when President Trump If we keep our guard up, stick together, that elections for Senators and House speculated that we would have an effec- and stick with the science, we can look for- Members, this body—Congress—has the tive vaccine by the end of the year, he ward to a Fourth of July that feels a little ability to pass laws to make sure those received some serious blowback. One bit more normal with small groups able to elections are fair across this country media outlet published a fact check gather for cookouts in backyards. because every American of any State saying it would require nothing short Well, that was a little bit of a head- has a clear stake in the legitimacy of of a ‘‘medical miracle.’’ Well, thanks to scratcher, when President Biden said the elections in other States because it the leadership of the previous adminis- that he anticipated that everybody is the collective voice here that makes tration, thanks to the great scientists, who wanted the vaccine could get it by decisions. So this is not only a respon- pharmaceutical companies, and others, May, and now he is talking about hav- sibility provided to us, it is a responsi- that so-called miracle has come true ing outdoor gatherings on the Fourth bility that we must fulfill to defend the not just once but twice. Both the Pfizer of July. ballot box, to end gerrymandering vio- and Moderna vaccines received emer- I can tell you, these small outdoor lating equal representation, and clear gency authorization last year, and gatherings have been a part of many that dark money, polluting and cor- Johnson & Johnson’s vaccine was au- Texans’ routines for almost all year rupting our campaigns, out of the sys- thorized last month. now. Families and friends have spent tem forevermore. Rather than setting ambitious goals time in driveways, backyards, open-air Let’s get this essential bill, this es- to bring an end to the pandemic, the spaces, parks. They follow the public sential defense of the pulsating heart Biden administration has embraced a health guidelines to keep themselves of our democracy, the ballot box—let’s different approach. An Associated and their loved ones safe while man- get this bill passed. Press headline in January evaluated aging some sense of normalcy. I yield the floor. the situation pretty well when it said The Centers for Disease Control has I suggest the absence of a quorum. that Biden’s early approach is to said it is safe for fully vaccinated indi- The PRESIDING OFFICER. The ‘‘underpromise’’ and ‘‘overdeliver.’’ viduals to gather not just outdoors but clerk will call the roll. Well, in December, President-Elect indoors as well. But based on the Presi- The bill clerk proceeded to call the Biden announced his administration’s dent’s remarks last week, he is trying roll. vaccine goal as 100 million shots in the to frame these gatherings as a reward Mr. CORNYN. Mr. President, I ask first hundred days. That announcement if things go well over the next few unanimous consent that the order for came about a week before the first months. If you do everything right, the quorum call be rescinded. doses of the vaccine were distributed, then you might be able to hang out The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without before we had a real-world test of the with your family in the backyard in 3 objection, it is so ordered. processes that had been in the planning months. Well, the administration’s own CORONAVIRUS stages for months. But it quickly be- Centers for Disease Control has already Mr. CORNYN. Mr. President, I am an came obvious that we were on a pace to told us that these gatherings are safe. unabashed optimist. I am a glass-half- meet that goal before President Biden Your current public health guidelines full not a glass-half-empty kind of guy, even took the oath of office on January can’t also double as a goal for 31⁄2 and I tell my staff that I am like the 20. The week of the inauguration, we months from now. little boy who goes down on Christmas averaged 1 million shots a day. On Jan- Then there is another big inconsist- morning and looks under the Christ- uary 20, 1.5 million Americans received ency between what the experts are tell- mas tree and finds a pile of manure and the vaccine. One physician and public ing us and what the administration is wonders where my pony is. That is how health expert described the President’s doing, and that has to do with reopen- much of an optimist I am. goal as a ‘‘disappointingly low bar.’’ To ing schools. Some children have now So I am optimistic about our no one’s surprise, the administration hit the anniversary mark of virtual progress made in the war against met that goal well ahead of the dead- learning. Studies have shown consist- COVID–19 after this long year that we line. ently that this is having a huge nega- have all endured. So far, a quarter of Last week, the President claimed a tive impact on America’s kids aca- Americans over the age of 18 have re- victory for hitting 100 million vaccines demically, mentally, socially, and emo- ceived at least one dose of the vaccine. in 58 days. Well, so did he follow up tionally. More than two-thirds of people over 65 with a new goal, a truly ambitious one We need our schools to reopen, and, have gotten their first shot. In my that would get us shots in arms even of course, we need that to happen safe- State, they have recently said every- faster? Did he set up a new benchmark ly, which they can. Back in December, body 50 and up can get a shot. Now, to encourage States to make their vac- then President-Elect Biden seemed to very soon, any adult person over the cination efforts more efficient and ef- share that goal. He promised to safely age of 16 will be eligible to get the vac- fective? Well, not yet. Maybe he will. reopen the majority of schools within cine. That translates into good news Maybe he will announce a new goal his first hundred days in the White

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