Colloquy Between Sens. Collins, Loeffler, Rubio
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
March 22, 2020 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S1897 vote today at this time, I would vote affected by the coronavirus—not in the and fishing industries, gyms, B&Bs, no, not to proceed. We will stay here sense that they have become ill with it, gift shops, retailers, and hair salons— all night long. They are worried about but their customer base has simply have also been hard hit. The hospi- what happens when the markets open dried up—and 51 percent say they will tality industry, in particular, is at risk in the morning. We will work around only be able to keep open for up to 3 of being devastated, as conferences and the clock. I am fine. I can stay here months if the economic consequences vacation trips continue to be canceled. until 7, 8 o’clock. We can all work continue. The potential loss of more A hair stylist in Biddeford, a good around the clock, but there has to be a than half of our Nation’s small busi- friend of mine, was forced to shutter balanced approach and putting nesses, and the impact on the millions her shop, and, at the same time, she healthcare first. of people they employ is simply unac- lost her part-time job bartending when f ceptable. the bar that employed her was also re- In my State the number of claims for quired to close. When these small busi- RECESS unemployment filed in a span of just 3 nesses suffer, it has a cascading effect Mr. MANCHIN. Mr. President, I ask days this month was nearly double on their employees, from housekeepers unanimous consent that the Senate those filed in all of March 1 year ago. to wait staff, to bartenders, to fisher- stand in recess until 5 p.m. today. Maine is on track to surpass the high- men, to drivers, to retail clerks. These There being no objection, the Senate, est weekly total of unemployment are just some of the countless examples at 3:18 p.m., recessed until 5:02 p.m. and claims since the great recession of 2008. of the economic damage that is occur- was reassembled when called to order The situation is dire, and it is only ring in every community because of by the Presiding Officer (Mrs. LOEF- going to get worse unless we act and the virus and through absolutely no FLER). we act now. fault of the small businesses or their We must come together as Repub- workers. But for the coronavirus and f licans and Democrats in this Chamber the steps that State and local govern- MIDDLE CLASS HEALTH BENEFITS and in the House to provide relief to ments have taken, as well as the Fed- TAX REPEAL ACT OF 2019—Motion the American people to ensure that eral Government, these businesses to Proceed—Resumed workers continue to receive paychecks would be thriving. In Maine, they or other forms of assistance. Of course, The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen- would be beginning to start staffing up we continue to build on the two bills ator from Maine. for the summer months for the height that we have already passed to protect of the tourism season. CORONAVIRUS the health and safety of the American It is essential that Congress act im- Ms. COLLINS. Madam President, the people. mediately without partisan bickering, United States is facing a crisis unlike Looking beyond the statistics that I without delay—act immediately to pro- any other in our recent history. This is just recited, the real world effect of tect the paychecks and to provide no time for partisanship or for political this economic devastation is evident other relief to supplement the earlier differences to prevent us from coming everywhere. I just got off the phone bills that we have passed. together and working in the best inter- from talking to a couple in Lewiston, I am pleased to report that help is on ests of the American people. ME, Jimmy and Linda Simones. They the horizon for small businesses and The coronavirus pandemic has ar- run a third-generation family diner. It their workers that would allow them to rived on our shores, and it is growing is well known and a favorite place to weather the current storm. As a mem- exponentially, sickening our people stop by for lunch. They tried to con- ber of the Small Business Task Force, and devastating our economy. As of vert to a takeout business, but it just I have been working very closely night today, more than 26,700 Americans didn’t work. So for the first time ever and day with a group of my col- have tested positive for the virus, and in this diner’s history, the Simones leagues—Senator RUBIO, Senator 340 people have died, while 176 have re- family is forced to close their doors CARDIN, and Senator SHAHEEN. Our covered. In my home State of Maine, and to lay off their workers—workers staffs have worked literally through there are now 89 cases in 8 different who have been with them for years, the night on legislation to provide re- counties. workers who include not only them- lief to small businesses and their em- Hospitals, doctors, and nurses are selves but their son George. ployees. struggling to triage the influx of pa- Every day I have heard from small The Keeping Workers Paid and Em- tients. Nursing homes are locking business owners who are anxious about ployed Act that I authored with Sen- down their facilities in an attempt to the future of their businesses and how ator RUBIO, the chairman of the Small safeguard their vulnerable residents. they can continue to pay their employ- Business and Entrepreneurship Com- Students and teachers have had to ees who are often their family mem- mittee, provides a plan to do just that. transition abruptly to online learning bers, their friends, and their neighbors. Through our negotiations with Senator as schools have closed across the Na- The last thing they want to do is to lay SHAHEEN and Senator CARDIN, who tion. Parents have been left with no off their employees and shut their have been wonderful partners—wonder- childcare. Workers have been laid off doors, but they fear they may have no ful partners—we have produced, joint- or fear that they may soon lose their other choice. They simply do not have ly, a $350 billion plan that would help jobs as the outbreak worsens. the cash flow, the revenue coming in mitigate this crisis. To help mitigate the spread of this the door, to allow them to remain Our group has worked night and day dangerous virus and protect those who open. in a bipartisan fashion. We have kept are at highest risk, Americans have The tourism sector, which is so crit- in mind the common goal of protecting stepped forward to take the proper pre- ical to jobs in Maine, has been particu- those employees who have been laid off cautions and to follow the guidelines larly hard hit. A small hotel in Bruns- or who are at risk of being laid off be- that are issued by the Centers for Dis- wick, ME, received 84 cancellations cause of the cashflow problems of their ease Control. within 24 hours of the local college sus- employers, problems that these small Although measures such as limiting pending its in-person classes. A well- businesses did not create but, rather, large social gatherings and reducing known Irish pub in Bangor, ME, had to are a result of the COVID–19 pandemic. nonessential travel are important to close for St. Patrick’s Day, probably Our joint vision is to help small busi- help contain the coronavirus and re- its biggest day of the year, and has nesses and their employees make it duce contagion, they are also taking a been forced to lay off 60 people. A char- through to the other side of this crisis tremendous toll on our economy. There ter bus company based in Lewiston lost by providing cashflow assistance quick- are 30 million small businesses in the $400,000 in 3 days because two major ly to employers who agree to keep United States. They employ nearly 60 tours canceled. If tourism is further re- their workers on the payroll. This million Americans, about half of our duced, this bus company predicts losses would allow employers to stay in busi- Nation’s workforce. According to a re- of more than $1 million. ness and keep paying their employees. cent survey, 96 percent of small busi- Countless other businesses in my More than 100 Maine small businesses ness owners say they have already been State—such as restaurants, the lobster and the Maine Chamber of Commerce VerDate Sep 11 2014 02:23 Mar 23, 2020 Jkt 099060 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 4637 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\G22MR6.006 S22MRPT1 dlhill on DSKBBY8HB2PROD with SENATE S1898 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE March 22, 2020 have endorsed this bill. Additionally, to COVID–19. It is imperative that we main open. We appreciate your under- nationwide, a group of more than two not delay. Every day that we delay, an- standing that our businesses should not be dozen business organizations that rep- other business like the Samones’ busi- forced to permanently close because of an unforeseen, world-wide pandemic we have resent thousands of companies across ness, their diner in Lewiston, ME, is played no role in causing. You are also right the country have expressed their forced to close their doors and to lay to focus on protecting the jobs of our work- strong support for this proposal, and I off their employees.