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, MONDAY, MAY 4, 2020 No. 83 House of Representatives The House was not in session today. Its next meeting will be held on Tuesday, May 5, 2020, at 10:30 a.m. Senate MONDAY, MAY 4, 2020 The Senate met at 3 p.m. and was CORONAVIRUS March 25, right before we passed the called to order by the President pro Mr. GRASSLEY. Mr. President, CARES Act 96 to 0, the Senate has kept tempore (Mr. GRASSLEY). Americans from coast to coast right on working this whole time. f hunkered down to stop the spread of We have monitored the implementa- tion of that bill—the largest rescue PRAYER the virus. Office workers, including my staff in Washington, adapted to work package in American history—and The Chaplain, Dr. Barry C. Black, of- from home. But not all Americans can strengthened it where necessary. We fered the following prayer: passed further legislation to provide Let us pray. do their jobs from home. Many must work away from home to provide essen- even more economic assistance, even O God of our salvation, deliver us more support of testing, and more re- from fear. Your might and majesty tial services for our communities. I am talking about workers who harvest, lief for hospitals and healthcare work- continue to bring us peace in spite of ers. the challenges we face. Lord, we can process, and deliver our food; the crews who provide sanitation services and This deadly coronavirus does not meet these challenges with Your power take days off, and so the U.S. Senate that transcends human understanding. keep our communications, transpor- tation, and energy grids running has not either. For more than a month, When You whisper, dangers flee into we were among the many Americans the darkness. The sound of Your foot- around the clock; America’s postal workers and truckdrivers who deliver who have found creative ways to steps causes tribulations to hide. telework and continue doing our jobs Almighty God, permit our lawmakers mail and transport goods across the remotely. But now the time has come to be aware of Your providential guid- country; the grocery store clerks and for us to continue conducting our Na- ance. May they depend on You to lead factory workers who make toilet paper, tion’s business in ways that are only them according to Your will. Give diapers, and consumer products we possible with Senators here in the Cap- them the wisdom to trust You when can’t live without. itol. they can’t see the road before them, be- On behalf of Iowans and the rest of For this work period, the Senate will lieving that You will be their light in America, I thank the frontline workers shift out of the ranks of those Ameri- the darkness. who are on the job, working away from We pray in Your great Name. Amen. home, in the line of duty. Thank you cans who are working remotely and all for your service and sacrifice. into the ranks of the Americans work- f I yield the floor. ing in essential sectors who are listen- PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE f ing to expert guidance and modifying The President pro tempore led the their routines and ultimately con- RECOGNITION OF THE MAJORITY Pledge of Allegiance, as follows: tinuing to man their posts to keep the LEADER I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the country running. United States of America, and to the Repub- The PRESIDING OFFICER. The ma- If it is essential that brave lic for which it stands, one nation under God, jority leader is recognized. healthcare workers, grocery store indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. f workers, truckdrivers, and many other The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Americans continue to carefully show CORONAVIRUS HAWLEY). The Senator from Iowa. up for work, then it is essential that Mr. GRASSLEY. Mr. President, I ask Mr. MCCONNELL. Mr. President, the their U.S. Senators carefully show up permission to address the Senate for 1 Senate is back in session. In this un- ourselves and support them. minute in morning business. usual period for our Nation, it has been I want to thank the dedicated men The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without more than 5 weeks since the full Sen- and women who worked hard to de- objection, it is so ordered. ate last convened. As I explained on velop solutions so the Senate can take ∑ This ‘‘bullet’’ symbol identifies statements or insertions which are not spoken by a Member of the Senate on the floor. S2195 . VerDate Sep 11 2014 03:27 May 05, 2020 Jkt 099060 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 4637 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\A04MY6.000 S04MYPT1 S2196 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE May 4, 2020 these careful steps back toward in-per- to change their tactics. But as long as families unable to comfort or even say son operations: Dr. Brian Monahan and floor time and rollcall votes remain goodbye to a loved one have been ex- the entire Office of the Attending Phy- the only way for the Senate to fill im- tremely painful, enough to break your sician, well done; everyone in the Of- portant posts, that is what we will do. heart. fices of the Architect of the Capitol, We cannot let nuclear watchdogs or At the same time, while we are griev- the Sergeant at Arms, the Secretary of counterintelligence leaders stay on the ing, we are also inspired by the bravery the Senate, and our colleagues on the sidelines. of our doctors and nurses, healthcare Rules Committee and their staff. Of The Senate is going to be as smart workers, first responders, and other course, the teams who support our net- and safe as we possibly can, and we are daily heroes—many of them immi- works and telecommunications were going to show up for work like the es- grants—on the frontlines of this crisis. working hard day and night during sential workers we are. Our bosses are To them we owe an extraordinary debt these weeks of remote work. the American people, and they are of gratitude, an enormous thank-you Even more broadly, I want to recog- counting on us to keep on serving. that I hear out the windows of my nize and thank all—all—the essential It is good to see the Chair and all of apartment and many in New York at 7 Senate staff who are here with us our colleagues again. I am grateful p.m. when we applaud them as they today in person so the Senate can func- that all 100 of us have come through change shifts every night—an act that tion. Whether they be staff members in the last several weeks safely and in brings isolated New Yorkers together. More than that, this Congress, this our own offices and committee offices, good health. Let’s work together, Senate, must deliver the people of our all the nonpartisan professionals who across the aisle, and get some more country relief. We have come together serve the institution itself, and, par- work done for the American people. on several occasions to pass historic ticularly, our facilities employees, f custodians, food service staff, and, of legislation in this time of crisis. They course, the men and women of the Cap- RESERVATION OF LEADER TIME passed 96 to 0, which shows that this body can come together in a time of itol Police, we are grateful for your The PRESIDING OFFICER. Under crisis, which should give Americans service, and, more importantly, your the previous order, the leadership time some hope and some solace. Let me be country is grateful for your service. is reserved. very clear. Our work is far from over. You are literally helping our govern- f The Republican leader has called the ment function in the midst of this cri- Senate back into session despite the CONCLUSION OF MORNING sis. fact that the District of Columbia ap- The Senate is back in session because BUSINESS pears to be reaching the peak phase of we have important work to do for the The PRESIDING OFFICER. Morning this public health emergency, despite Nation. Critical posts throughout the business is closed. the risks we face by gathering here in Federal Government—from public f the Capitol, despite the risks faced by health to national security and be- security guards, cafeteria workers, yond—remain vacant. Qualified nomi- EXECUTIVE SESSION janitors, and the staff who operate the nees who have been held up for too long floor of the Senate. I want to take a already have become even more nec- moment to thank each and every one EXECUTIVE CALENDAR essary in these uncertain times. of them—and all of those Capitol Hill On the floor and in committee, the The PRESIDING OFFICER. Under workers—for being here today, for Senate will be acting on key nomina- the previous order, the Senate will pro- doing their jobs so that we may do tions that relate directly to the safety ceed to executive session to consider ours. of the American people, oversight of the following nomination, which the If we are going to be here, if we are our coronavirus legislation, and more. clerk will report. going to make these fine people come We need to continue to maintain and The legislative clerk read the nomi- into work in these conditions, let the safeguard our domestic nuclear re- nation of Robert J.