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, WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 9, 2020 No. 208 Senate The Senate met at 10 a.m. and was This award was earned for the wing’s pect they might be laid off now, with called to order by the President pro exceptional service to the Air Force in vaccines just around the corner, be- tempore (Mr. GRASSLEY). 2019, which included the usual thou- cause Washington fumbles the ball in f sands of flying hours and refueling, but the red zone. it also included things like the human- There are medically vulnerable PRAYER itarian efforts of this wing’s effort in Americans who have watched Oper- The Chaplain, Dr. Barry C. Black, of- the multiple Puerto Rican natural dis- ation Warp Speed appear to succeed at fered the following prayer: asters. a historic pace, but Congress can’t even Let us pray. In addition, the 185th Wing has been agree to fully fund the distribution ef- Eternal God, we praise You that You working tirelessly to support cleanup forts that will get the vaccines to peo- continue to rescue us from ourselves. efforts from this great windstorm in ple. We will tell about the wonders You Iowa called the derecho, which wiped There are Americans who have been have worked on our behalf. We are born out 800,000 acres of crops through the thrown out of work, through no fault of in sin and formed by iniquity, but Your middle of Iowa. It also included such their own, who are watching Federal power continues to transform. things that they may not be recognized aid programs tick toward expiration in Lord, You have kept us from stum- for enough—helping with the COVID–19 a few weeks, even though neither side bling and disgrace. Continue to provide testings in the State of Iowa. in Congress opposes extending them. Senate Republicans have made one our Senators with the blessings of Your So I say congratulations to the 185th offer after another after another to try mercy and peace. Lead them not into Wing, and, most importantly, thank and make law on all the significant temptation, but deliver them from evil. you for your dedication to serving our areas where nobody even disagrees. We Use our lawmakers to restore health State and country. spent July, August, September, Octo- and unity to a nation desperately de- I yield the floor. ber, and November trying different siring Your purposes to prevail. May I suggest the absence of a quorum. ways to create common ground, but Your favor keep us all secure. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The the Speaker of the House and the Sen- We pray in Your loving Name. Amen. clerk will call the roll. ate Democratic leader have been just f The senior assistant legislative clerk as consistent. At every turn, they have proceeded to call the roll. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE delayed, deflected, moved the goal- Mr. MCCONNELL. Mr. President, I posts, and made the huge number of The President pro tempore led the ask unanimous consent that the order places where Congress agrees into a Pledge of Allegiance, as follows: for the quorum call be rescinded. hostage—into a hostage—of the few I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without places where we do not agree. United States of America, and to the Repub- objection, it is so ordered. Back in the summertime, I pointed lic for which it stands, one nation under God, f out the obvious. I said leading Demo- indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. crats simply just didn’t want any more The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. BAR- RECOGNITION OF THE MAJORITY LEADER help to reach American families before RASSO). The Senator from Iowa. the election occurred. The other side Mr. GRASSLEY. Mr. President, I ask The PRESIDING OFFICER. The ma- claimed great offense; how insulting to unanimous consent to speak for 1 jority leader is recognized. even suggest that such cynicism might minute in morning business. f be at play. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without And now they are admitting it out CORONAVIRUS objection, it is so ordered. loud. Yesterday, on CNN, the Demo- f Mr. MCCONNELL. Mr. President, the cratic whip was asked point-blank why American people are hurting. We are in the Speaker and the Democratic leader RECOGNIZING THE IOWA AIR NA- the thick of one of the worst national were so unwilling to play ball back in TIONAL GUARD’S 185TH AIR RE- crises in modern memory, and people’s the autumn. The No. 2 Democrat re- FUELING WING eyes are fixed on Congress. They need sponded: ‘‘[Well], there was some exu- Mr. GRASSLEY. Mr. President, on the House and the Senate to stop chas- berance involved because an election November 27, it was announced that ing our tails and make a law. was coming.’’ Well, he gets points for the Iowa Air National Guard’s 185th There are small business employees candor: ‘‘because an election was com- Air Refueling Wing in Sioux City, IA, who have held onto their jobs all this ing.’’ has been awarded the Air Force Out- time because of the Paycheck Protec- A few days ago, Speaker PELOSI told standing Unit Award. tion Program but are facing the pros- reporters why she reversed months of ∑ This ‘‘bullet’’ symbol identifies statements or insertions which are not spoken by a Member of the Senate on the floor. S7289 . VerDate Sep 11 2014 02:42 Dec 10, 2020 Jkt 019060 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 4624 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\A09DE6.000 S09DEPT1 ctelli on DSK11ZRN23PROD with SENATE S7290 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE December 9, 2020 statements and suddenly began dis- spent months ensuring that unem- and critical infrastructure. Allied cussing comparatively more reasonable ployed Californians can’t have jobless countries are following our lead, and sums of money. Her answer was simple. aid extended and California restaurants public and private sector cooperation She thinks the Presidential election can’t get another round of PPP unless has improved to defend the institu- went the way she wanted. The Speaker the Governor of California gets a Fed- tions, alliances, and international of the House views it as a success that eral slush fund out of proportion to any order the CCP wants to disrupt. she denied struggling people relief they proven need. The administration has worked with badly needed for months because she Do working families agree they international partners to ensure the se- thinks she got the political result she should not get any more help them- curity of 5G, reassert freedom of navi- was after. selves unless the Governors and State gation in the South China Sea, and I count no fewer than 10 separate legislators get a controversial bailout? blunt harmful elements of China’s times that top Democrats rejected or Are struggling Americans saying: exploitive Belt and Road Initiative. blocked various Republican efforts to Thank goodness the Democrats are Of course, more needs to be done, jump-start the process, so here is just a bravely—bravely—blocking help for me particularly on human rights. The partial sampling. and my family unless my State politi- treatment of Hongkongers in the spot- In July, Republicans sketched a com- cians get some more cash? I would say light reminds the world of the ways we prehensive plan for safe schools, jobs, not. know Beijing is treating Uighurs and and healthcare. We could have made Our people need more help. There is a Tibetans in the shadows. law in July, but the Democratic leader huge list of helpful policies that both And if China treats its own citizens wouldn’t even engage with it. Just be- sides agree on. This need not be rocket with brutal violence, just think how it fore August, Republicans tried to at science. But we can’t do a thing unless plans to treat its neighbors. So I wel- least extend unemployment aid before the Democrats decide they actually come the latest sanctions imposed by it expired. Democrats blocked that as want to make a law. the administration and the latest au- well. f thorities granted by Congress. We are In September, we tried something raising the stakes for China’s repres- else: a targeted effort to spend hun- CHINA sion, but our work isn’t over. Our part- dreds of billions of dollars for PPP, Mr. MCCONNELL. Now, Mr. Presi- ners will continue to look to us to lead vaccine development, and other prior- dent, on another matter entirely. Last with a tone of zero tolerance for this ities. Every Democrat who voted week, the struggle to preserve freedom behavior. The United States must con- blocked us from even debating it, and and autonomy in Hong Kong was dealt tinue to work alongside China’s peace- they did it a second time a month later another disturbing blow. ful neighbors and our democratic al- in October. On Thursday, Jimmy Lai, a promi- lies, like Japan and Australia. We must Last week, after speaking with the nent media figure and pro-democracy give voice to those in Hong Kong, administration, I made yet another activist, was denied bail. The Chinese Xinjiang, and Tibet who have been re- overture. The Democratic leader said: Communist Party continues cracking pressed and jailed. We must stand No thanks. And just yesterday, the down on dissent and free speech. Not against the worst instincts and actions Speaker and the Democratic leader long ago, the international community of the Communist Party.