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, APRIL 21, 2021 No. 69 Senate The Senate met at 10:30 a.m. and was U.S. SENATE, LEGISLATIVE SESSION called to order by the Honorable BEN PRESIDENT PRO TEMPORE, The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- Washington, DC, April 21, 2021. RAY LUJA´ N, a Senator from the State pore. The Senate will now resume leg- of New Mexico. To the Senate: Under the provisions of rule I, paragraph 3, islative session. of the Standing Rules of the Senate, I hereby f f appoint the Honorable BEN RAY LUJA´ N, a Senator from the State of New Mexico, to TRIAL OF PRAYER perform the duties of the Chair. Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, yes- The Chaplain, Dr. Barry C. Black, of- PATRICK J. LEAHY, terday, a jury of former police officer fered the following prayer: President pro tempore. Derek Chauvin’s peers determined that Let us pray. Mr. LUJA´ N thereupon assumed the he was guilty of murdering George Eternal God, we thank You for Your Chair as Acting President pro tempore. Floyd, confirming what was plain to the millions of Americans who watched great blessings. Lord, we are grateful f that though the arc of the moral uni- his on video—91⁄2 excruciating verse is long, it bends toward justice. RECOGNITION OF THE MAJORITY minutes that documented the senseless Continue to use our lawmakers to LEADER and unnecessary loss of one man’s life in broad daylight. permit justice to roll down like waters The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- and righteousness like a mighty Our country was forever changed by pore. The Democratic leader is recog- the horrendous video of Derek Chauvin stream. nized. May our Senators trust Your pre- killing Mr. Floyd. His searing final vailing providence as they realize that f words, screaming for air, calling for his behind the dim unknown, You stand mother, are etched in our memory. EXECUTIVE SESSION This guilty verdict serves as an official within the shadows, keeping watch proclamation of what so many of us above Your own. have known for nearly a year: George Lord, be with all the families af- EXECUTIVE CALENDAR Floyd was murdered by an officer who fected by the Derek Chauvin trial. Be was sworn to protect and to serve but also with the many brave men and Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate who, obviously, didn’t. women who faithfully serve You in law The brutality of ’s mur- proceed to executive session to con- enforcement. der, yet another in a seemingly endless sider the following nomination: Cal- We pray in Your merciful Name. string of tragedies, sparked a summer Amen. endar No. 60; that the nomination be of unlike any we have seen in confirmed; that the motion to recon- American history, elevating a long- f sider be considered made and laid upon building movement for more justice in the table with no intervening or de- policing. Americans of every age, color, PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE bate; that no further motions be in and creed took to the streets in peace- The Presiding Officer led the Pledge order to the nomination; that the ful protest—from to Maine of Allegiance, as follows: President be immediately notified of and Los Angeles to Atlanta, and in- I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the the Senate’s action; and that the Sen- cluding in my own home city of New United States of America, and to the Repub- ate resume legislative section. York. A community of global citizens lic for which it stands, one nation under God, The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- would soon join them in protest. In for- indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. pore. Is there objection? eign capitals—from Rome, Paris, and Without objection, it is so ordered. London to Amsterdam, Berlin, and f The nomination considered and con- Mexico City—the name George Floyd firmed is as follows: would echo through the public square. APPOINTMENT OF ACTING IN THE NAVY This was not only a fight for justice PRESIDENT PRO TEMPORE The following named officer for appoint- but a fight against the mistreatment, The PRESIDING OFFICER. The ment in the United States Navy to the grade discrimination, and outright bigotry clerk will please read a communication indicated while assigned to a position of im- that Black men and women suffer at to the Senate from the President pro portance and responsibility under title 10, the hands of State power, not just here tempore (Mr. LEAHY). U.S.C., section 601: in America but around the globe. The senior assistant legislative clerk To be admiral The death of George Floyd provoked read the following letter: Adm. John C. Aquilino such a reaction because folks in those

∑ This ‘‘bullet’’ symbol identifies statements or insertions which are not spoken by a Member of the Senate on the floor.

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VerDate Sep 11 2014 01:48 Apr 22, 2021 Jkt 019060 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 0624 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\A21AP6.000 S21APPT1 dlhill on DSK120RN23PROD with SENATE S2090 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE April 21, 2021 communities knew a George Floyd of Not only is Ms. Gupta the first As Senator YOUNG and I have worked their own. Names of friends and col- woman of color to ever be nominated on the bill over the past several leagues who were tragically killed or to the position, she is the first civil months, several Senators from both suffered the brutal sting of racism rights attorney ever to be nominated sides have been added as original co- sprang to their tongues. They still do. to the position—the third ranking offi- sponsors: six Democrats and six Repub- Philando Castile, Ahmaud Arbery, cial in the Justice Department. That is licans. That is because there is a bipar- Breonna Taylor, , Eric shocking, really. We never have had a tisan consensus that the United States Garner, Daniel Prude, Sandra Bland— former civil rights attorney serving in must invest in the technologies of the each circumstance different, the under- such a position of prominence at the future to outcompete China. Whichever lying tragedy much the same. Their Justice Department. In that sense nation develops new technologies first, names, and countless others, serve as a alone, Ms. Gupta would bring a long be they democratic or authoritarian, reminder that a single verdict in a sin- overdue perspective to our Federal law will set the terms for their use. The gle trial will never be enough. enforcement Agency. stakes for personal privacy and per- It wasn’t long ago that excessive Just to give you a sense of Ms. sonal liberties, as well as for national force by police was never caught on Gupta’s commitment to civil rights security, economic security, and mi- iPhones or body cameras. It was out of and racial equity, in her very first case nority rights around the globe, are sight and often beyond the reach of the after law school, she won the release of simply enormous. law, which gave almost reflexive def- several African Americans who had So at the center of this legislation is erence to police officers who were been wrongly convicted by all-White a $100 billion investment in research, brought to trial, if they were ever juries in Texas. Her clients later won a commercialization, and workforce brought to trial. full pardon from Texas Governor Rick training in the kinds of technology So this was an important event for Perry. that will play an outsized role in the the American justice system. Not only At a time when our country needs to future—semiconductors, artificial in- were the events concerning George make strides against racial injustice, telligence, quantum computing, and Floyd caught on camera, but the of- how can we not install one of the Na- 5G, to name a few. fending officer was tried and convicted tion’s top civil rights lawyers at the Another $10 billion would foster the in a court of law. Let it serve as the Department of Justice? How can our development of technological hubs proper deterrent—a deterrent that colleagues not rise to the occasion— around the country. We want to see should have existed long ago—to the our colleagues on the other side of the Silicon Valleys across the country, kind of egregious misconduct that led aisle—and vote for her? I am so, so from my home State of New York and to George Floyd’s death. troubled by the fact that they are vir- upstate to communities in the South, However, and most certainly, we tually unanimously against such a fine to the Midwest, to other places that should not mistake a guilty verdict in person who is needed so much at this rarely get the attention they merit de- this case as evidence that the per- time. spite the potential of their workforces, sistent problem of police misconduct Yes, but, unfortunately, Ms. Gupta their institutions, and their links to has been solved or that the divide be- might be the first nominee in this Con- the global economy. Technological growth in jobs should tween law enforcement and so many of gress where the vote falls entirely not be limited to a few centers in the communities they serve has been down on party lines. I hope it doesn’t America, and this bill attempts to bridged. It has not. come to that. The effort to elevate spread it to other communities as well. We must remain diligent in our ef- highly qualified civil rights attorneys It will also strengthen the critical sup- forts to bring meaningful change to po- like Ms. Gupta should be bipartisan. ply chains in the United States and lice departments across the country, to I urge my colleagues—all of them, with global allies and partners. The reform practices and training, and the and particularly my friends on the Endless Frontier Act is exactly what legal protections that grant too great a other side of the aisle—to vote in favor we need to reinvigorate American of Ms. Gupta’s nomination today. shield to police officers guilty of mis- science and technology, to promote our conduct. f national security, and to create the We also must remain diligent in ENDLESS FRONTIER ACT jobs of the future. striving to root out the racial bias in I have committed to put a bipartisan, Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, on a our society: in our healthcare system, competitive-related bill on the floor of different matter here, for nearly a cen- in jobs, in housing, in the economy, in the Senate. The Endless Frontier Act tury, America’s national security and the boardroom and at the ballot box, will be a central part of that legisla- economic security has been grounded on our streets, and in our schools. tion. We will also push for emergency in our scientific and technological su- This goes way beyond party or polit- spending to implement the bipartisan ical faction. Racism strikes at the very periority, often supported by smart in- semiconductor manufacturing provi- core of this country. Justice—true jus- vestments by the Federal Government. sions in last year’s Defense bill. tice—will not come until we finally But in recent years, countries like Another potential component, led by banish the ancient poison of racism China have closed the gap with the Senators Menendez and Risch, is being from the American soul. United States. If we fail to respond, marked up in the Senate Foreign Rela- The Senate will continue that work they will overtake us, with drastic con- tions Committee this week. This is ex- as we strive to ensure that George sequences for our workers, businesses, actly what our Republican colleagues Floyd’s tragic death will not be in allies, and partners around the world. have asked for when it comes to reg- vain. We will not rest until the Senate It is long past time for the United ular order. passes strong legislation to end this States to make the next wave of in- We are marking up bipartisan bills in systemic bias in law enforcement. vestments to fix dangerous weak spots committee and considering bipartisan f in our economy and preserve our place amendments here on the floor. We have as the world leader in science and tech- NOMINATION OF VANITA GUPTA just seen this back process play out on nology, which then leads to millions of the anti-Asian hate crimes bill this Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, now good-paying jobs here in this country. week, and next week we are going to on a related subject, part of that effort, So, today, I am proud to join with my follow it up with a water infrastructure though modest, is installing com- friend the Republican Senator from In- bill that is also thoroughly bipartisan. mitted, experienced, compassionate diana, Senator YOUNG, and several of Our efforts to cement another cen- civil rights leaders in positions of my colleagues from both sides to re- tury of American economic leadership power in the Justice Department, our introduce the Endless Frontier Act. It should be no different—thoroughly bi- Nation’s top law enforcement Agency. is a big, bold, and bipartisan initiative partisan. It just so happens that, today, the Sen- to propel American science and tech- I yield the floor. ate will vote on the confirmation of nology into the . Let me I suggest the absence of a quorum. Ms. Vanita Gupta to be the next Asso- stress that last point. This bill is bipar- The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- ciate Attorney General. tisan. pore. The clerk will call the roll.

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