S844 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE February 24, 2021 The PRESIDING OFFICER. The to help, and these are people who des- the world and had a chance to see men question is on agreeing to the motion. perately need affordable energy, and and women in uniform and thank them The motion was agreed to. they don’t have it. for their services, as we have done, and f Democrats close to the administra- gone to battlefields, as we have had tion have reported that what the ad- family members who have served in the EXECUTIVE SESSION ministration and President Biden are military and defended this country and trying to do is to ‘‘isolate’’ the Chinese our freedoms. And it has been a pleas- EXECUTIVE CALENDAR Communist Party. ure to be able to do that with you and The Biden administration thinks share that with your family because of Mr. SCHUMER. Madam President, I that by refusing to make these loans to our united heritage of fighting or our move to proceed to executive session to folks around the world, that the Chi- family history of fighting for the coun- consider Calendar No. 13. nese Communist Party will be shamed try. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The for using fossil fuels for energy and will So a good example of what I am talk- question is on agreeing to the motion. ing about is Kosovo. I have been there The motion was agreed to. shame the Communist Party of China on three separate occasions specifically The PRESIDING OFFICER. The for loans that they make to countries to visit members of our troops—the clerk will report the nomination. to develop coal-fired powerplants, nat- The senior assistant legislative clerk ural gas plants, and other projects that men and women in uniform, people read the nomination of Cecilia Elena use fossil fuel. from Wyoming who are serving in Kosovo. I have been there three sepa- Rouse, of New Jersey, to be Chairman Let me tell you, the Chinese Com- rate times. I was there in 2019, was of the Council of Economic Advisers. munist Party will not be shamed. China has a totalitarian regime; China there previously for Thanksgiving, was CLOTURE MOTION puts Uighurs in concentration camps. there on Easter Sunday one time to be Mr. SCHUMER. Madam President, I with the troops. send a cloture motion to the desk. So I am not sure what makes President Biden and his administration think Well, Kosovo is one of the poorest na- The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clo- tions in Europe, but it has vast energy ture motion having been presented that the Chinese Communist Party will be ashamed of using an affordable reli- resources. Despite being physically under rule XXII, the Chair directs the smaller than the State of Connecticut, clerk to read the motion. able source of energy—coal. In reality, President Biden, by this Kosovo has the fifth largest reserves of The senior assistant legislative clerk coal in the world: small geography, read as follows: Executive order, is giving China a gift. President Biden is giving China an- massive resources of coal. CLOTURE MOTION other advantage on the world stage and So the World Bank has cut off We, the undersigned Senators, in accord- Kosovo’s funding for a new state-of- ance with the provisions of rule XXII of the putting ourselves at a disadvantage, if you think about it. the-art coal-fired powerplant. They Standing Rules of the Senate, do hereby have old coal-fired powerplants. They move to bring to a close debate on the nomi- If the United States and those that we fund through the World Bank refuse are burning coal right now. nation of Executive Calendar No. 13, Cecilia I have talked to the leaders of the Elena Rouse, of New Jersey, to be Chairman to provide loans to those countries to country, and they say: We need to of the Council of Economic Advisers. build the powerplants that they need, build a new coal-fired powerplant. We Charles E. Schumer, , that is going to leave a vacuum. They need to borrow the money to do it. , , Thomas are going to need to use the resources R. Carper, , Pat- Well, the World Bank has said it is rick J. Leahy, , Chris- that they have—if they have plenty of only going to support new energy topher A. Coons, Jack Reed, Michael F. coal or natural gas—and the Chinese projects from renewable sources. So Bennet, , Chris Van Communist Party is going to come in this is what Kosovo’s Minister of Eco- Hollen, , , and make the loan. nomic Development is saying. He said: Bernard Sanders, Edward J. Markey, China already funds 7 out of 10 new ‘‘In a poor country [like] Kosovo . . . Cory A. Booker. coal plants around the world, and we don’t have the luxury . . .’’—the Mr. SCHUMER. I ask unanimous con- thanks to President Biden’s misguided luxury of focusing only on renewable sent that the mandatory quorum call effort, that is likely soon going to be sources when they don’t have that for the cloture motion be waived. close to 10 out of 10. much access to renewable energy. The The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without Just like President Biden’s other en- wind doesn’t blow that much; in terms objection, it is so ordered. ergy orders, this new policy will make of sunny days, not at all during the The Senator from Wyoming. China stronger. It will make America winter, and they have this incredible Mr. BARRASSO. Madam President, I weaker. China will have more influ- resource of coal. ask unanimous consent that I be al- ence, and the United States will have Well, the Minister of Economic De- lowed to conclude my remarks before less. velopment is absolutely correct—be- recessing. Now, this order is not going to hurt cause I have been there in the spring; I The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without China at all. The people whom it will have been there in the winter; I have objection, it is so ordered. hurt are those who look to the United been there different times throughout BIDEN ADMINISTRATION States for help and for friendship. It is the year. Developing countries cannot Mr. BARRASSO. Madam President, I going to especially hurt the 840 million afford the elitist environmental agen- come to the floor today, as I have done people around the world who don’t das of Presidents who become climate twice before over the past month, to have access to electricity today. elitists, especially those being put in sound the alarm about the new admin- Developing countries desperately charge of those issues, former Sec- istration’s attacks on American en- need the electricity. They need it to be retary of State John Kerry. ergy. Yet there is still more to talk affordable. They need it to be reliable. Let me repeat myself so—I want to about. So if you help developing countries in just make this absolutely clear: We, President Biden has continued this terms of helping them get a stable sup- the United States, have peacekeeping assault on American energy as well as ply of energy, it is one of the best troops in the country of Kosovo. We the American economy. Now he is tak- things we can do to help people around have them right there in Kosovo. And ing that attack further. He is taking the world in their fight against pov- we, the United States, are driving the the attack on energy around the world erty. Government of Kosovo into the clutch- as well as attacking the needs for en- Many parts of the world, countries es of the Communist Chinese Party be- ergy of a number of our allies around with abundant energy resources, just cause of a holier-than-thou attitude of the world. President Biden signed an need our help and turn to us for our the climate alarmists in the White Executive order to cut off all loans for help so they can use the resources that House. coal, oil, and gas projects in some of they have. So we pay to put our troops on the the poorest nations in the world. And let me give you a good example, ground, and then we say: Go to China if Now, some of these nations are our Madam President, because you and I you need help providing power to your friends that we work with and we try have traveled to various places around country.

VerDate Sep 11 2014 01:32 Feb 25, 2021 Jkt 019060 PO 00000 Frm 00012 Fmt 0624 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\G24FE6.022 S24FEPT1 dlhill on DSK120RN23PROD with SENATE February 24, 2021 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S845 People need affordable, reliable en- Chamber wishing to vote or change his ticularly with the censuring that is ergy. Traditional energy projects are or her vote? going on. Consumers must be mindful still the most affordable, still the most The yeas and nays resulted—yeas 67, about their digital footprint. Anything reliable. nays 32, as follows: typed into a search engine is effec- If we really care about the people in [Rollcall Vote No. 65 Ex.] tively a digital diary, saved in the developing countries, then we ought to YEAS—67 cloud for some rainy day. Consumers help them turn on the lights. So I urge Baldwin Hassan Portman must be mindful about what is posted, the Biden administration to reverse Bennet Heinrich Reed what is downloaded, what is shared, course, to rethink this, to look at all Blumenthal Hickenlooper Risch and what is liked on social media plat- the implications of the decisions they Booker Hirono Romney forms. Braun Hoeven are making. Rosen The road to responsible and account- Brown Johnson Rounds We need to stop this senseless attack Burr Kaine Sanders able digital citizenship isn’t solely the on energy jobs. We need to stop this Cantwell Kelly Schatz consumer’s responsibility. Social Cardin King Schumer media companies, as well as content reckless attack on developing nations. Carper Klobuchar Shaheen We need to stop pushing our allies into Casey Leahy and internet providers, are not exempt Collins Luja´ n Sinema from ethical corporate stewardship, es- the waiting arms of the Chinese Com- Smith munist Party. Coons Manchin pecially when the welfare of the next Cornyn Markey Stabenow The American people and our friends Cortez Masto McConnell Sullivan generation is at stake. Keep in mind around the world—we are better than Cramer Menendez Tester that human trafficking is a pervasive what we are getting right now from Crapo Merkley Van Hollen crime that grooms and blackmails Daines Murkowski Warner young people on Main Street but also this administration, and we need to re- Duckworth Murphy Warren verse course. Durbin Murray Whitehouse in online communications. I yield the floor. Feinstein Ossoff Wyden However, having said all those ques- Gillibrand Padilla Young f tion marks about Big Tech, I think we Grassley Peters all realize that Big Tech isn’t all bad. RECESS NAYS—32 Technology companies have revolu- The PRESIDING OFFICER. Under Barrasso Hagerty Rubio tionized our way of life and how we the previous order, the Senate stands Blackburn Hawley Sasse connect with friends and family. Dur- Blunt Hyde-Smith Scott (FL) ing the pandemic—and we are still in in recess until 4 p.m. Boozman Inhofe Scott (SC) Thereupon, the Senate, at 3:07 p.m., Capito Kennedy Shelby that pandemic—technology delivered recessed until 4 p.m. and reassembled Cassidy Lankford Thune invaluable connections for e-com- when called to order by the Presiding Cotton Lee Tillis merce, for digital learning, for tele- Cruz Lummis Toomey Officer (Mr. KELLY). Ernst Marshall working, and for telehealth. However, Tuberville Fischer Moran that doesn’t give big tech and big data f Wicker Graham Paul companies license to undermine con- EXECUTIVE SESSION—Continued NOT VOTING—1 stitutional protections or disregard Warnock harmful impacts their products and services have on civic life and public The PRESIDING OFFICER. On this CLOTURE MOTION trust in our American democracy. Ti- vote, the yeas are 67, the nays are 32. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Pursuant tans of technology need to take respon- The motion is agreed to. to rule XXII, the Chair lays before the sibility for the products they build, The Senator from Iowa. Senate the pending cloture motion, sell, and profit from fellow Americans. which the clerk will state. BIG TECH Policymakers and regulators have a The senior assistant legislative clerk Mr. GRASSLEY. Madam President, duty to shape and enforce the rules of read as follows: last week I held 12 meetings in Iowa. the road. Big Tech and all of its stake- Those meetings are for the purpose of CLOTURE MOTION holders, from content makers, social having dialogue with my constituents, media platforms, and internet service We, the undersigned Senators, in accord- mostly answering their questions. As ance with the provisions of rule XXII of the providers, all bear responsibility to un- Standing Rules of the Senate, do hereby many of my colleagues know, I hold derstand how their business model puts move to bring to a close debate on the nomi- face-to-face meetings with Iowans in freedom at risk. Red flags are popping nation of Executive Calendar No. 9, Jennifer all 99 counties every year. It has been up all over the digital frontier, from re- Mulhern Granholm, of Michigan, to be Sec- a privilege to get to every county in curring data breaches to online censor- retary of Energy. every corner of the State every single ship, misuse of user profiles, and the Charles E. Schumer, Cory A. Booker, Jon year for the past four decades. recent mess with an online brokerage Ossoff, , Richard J. People have asked me why I do this. app. Durbin, , Christopher A. The simple answer is, in our system of Coons, Margaret Wood Hassan, Sheldon In the last two Presidential elec- Whitehouse, Robert Menendez, Kirsten self-government, I am one half of a rep- tions, Big Tech has had a big influence E. Gillibrand, , Tammy Bald- resentative government; my constitu- on information that appeared or didn’t win, Ron Wyden, Mazie K. Hirono, ents are the other half. My county appear in Americans’ social media . meetings are a good way for me to keep feeds. The PRESIDING OFFICER. By unan- in touch and see for myself the chal- Big Tech can’t hide behind its busi- imous consent, the mandatory quorum lenges and successes going on in com- ness model when its revenue streams call has been waived. munities across my home State. In re- cash in on an infrastructure that sows The question is, Is it the sense of the cent years, it has become an important division and distrust among Ameri- Senate that debate on the nomination way for me to counter disinformation, cans. This ecosystem has been ex- of Jennifer Mulhern Granholm, of correct misinformation, and sidestep ploited to radicalize political extre- Michigan, to be Secretary of Energy, censorship that Americans digest daily mism and mobilize civil unrest. Social shall be brought to a close? in the mainstream and social media. media companies have reaped the bene- The yeas and nays are mandatory Big tech and big data companies, fits of their enterprise, so these compa- under the rule. much like State surveillance and Big nies bear some responsibility to help The clerk will call the roll. Brother, share something in common: repair cracks in the architecture of our The senior assistant legislative clerk If left unchecked, Big Tech can under- civic institutions and also to heal the called the roll. mine the privacy, civil liberties, and wounds festering in American life. Mr. DURBIN. I announce that the constitutional freedoms that every Our economic freedom allows social Senator from Georgia (Mr. WARNOCK), American should hold sacred and media companies to create a business is necessarily absent. should never take for granted. model that grows their bottom line. The PRESIDING OFFICER (Ms. HAS- Responsible digital citizenship is Americans need to understand their SAN). Are there any Senators in the more important now than ever, par- personal data is harvested for profit.

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