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 2, 2020 No. 203 Senate The Senate met at 10 a.m. and was that Iowa family farmers and other RECOGNITION OF THE MAJORITY called to order by the President pro farmers are protected from natural dis- LEADER tempore (Mr. GRASSLEY). asters or other unforeseen events that The PRESIDING OFFICER. The ma- f they have no control over, like flooding jority leader is recognized. or wind storms. PRAYER f The Chaplain, Dr. Barry C. Black, of- Family farmers work hard to make CORONAVIRUS fered the following prayer: sure that Americans have food on the table. These same family farmers oper- Mr. MCCONNELL. Mr. President, Let us pray. when I opened the Senate on Monday, I Righteous God, refresh our law- ate on very thin margins. These farm- ers ought to qualify for help during repeated something Republicans have makers as a river in the desert and as stated for months now. We need to put tough times since losing these oper- the cool shadows of large trees in a hot partisanship aside and get more bipar- ations would risk our Nation’s food and weary land. May our Senators find tisan, targeted coronavirus relief out supply. in You a hope that illuminates the to the American people. paths they travel as You guide them However, taxpayers and nonfarm Dating back to the summer, and all with Your great love. State lawmakers may stop supporting fall, Senate Republicans tried repeat- Lord, fill them with such wisdom a Federal farm safety net if spending edly to advance hundreds of billions of that they will solve our Nation’s most programs aren’t held accountable or dollars to prevent layoffs, protect challenging problems, making the left unchecked. Losing urban support small businesses, fund vaccine distribu- rough places smooth and the crooked for this farm safety net is why I am tion, and continue assisting workers places straight. Deal favorably with deeply concerned about the USDA’s re- who have already lost their jobs due to them because of Your great love and cent proposal to roll back rules that the crisis. Every time, the Speaker of mercy. Inspire them to live lives that put teeth in the definition of a legal the House and the Democratic leader will permit You to bless our Nation term called ‘‘actively engaged in farm- blocked our efforts. It had to be the en- and world. tirety of their leftwing wish list or We pray in Your mighty Name. ing.’’ nothing at all. Long-lost relatives, by changing Amen. Finally, this week, we are seeing f these rules, who have probably never cracks starting to form in the Demo- lifted a finger on the farm should not PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE cratic leaders’ stone wall, and thank get away with collecting farm pay- goodness for the country that that is The President pro tempore led the ments. Farm payments should only go Pledge of Allegiance, as follows: finally happening. In the last several to operators that—and I have a defini- days, the Democratic leaders have sig- I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the tion that is a little facetious but some- naled a new willingness to engage in United States of America, and to the Repub- what realistic—unless they have dirt lic for which it stands, one nation under God, good faith and, yesterday, a number of indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. under their fingernails. Senate Democrats proposed a different The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. ROM- A few weeks ago, I recently com- compromise. NEY). The Senator from Iowa. plimented Secretary Perdue on what I But at the risk of repeating some- Mr. GRASSLEY. Mr. President, I ask thought were very strong rules that thing we all know, making law will not unanimous consent to speak for 1 were being proposed at that time. Now just require the Senate’s approval but minute in morning business. the USDA’s decision to backtrack on also the signature of the President of The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without their rules means more megafarmers the United States. objection, it is so ordered. will take advantage of this loophole So, after several conversations with f and people who aren’t actively engaged the Secretary of the Treasury and the in farming will benefit from farm pay- White House Chief of Staff, I put for- USDA RULEMAKING REVISIONS ments. I am disappointed with this ward yesterday another proposal re- Mr. GRASSLEY. Madam President, I turnaround. flecting what the President is ready to want to tell my colleagues about a dis- sign into law. What we have proposed Once again, Congress must do what it appointment I have in some U.S. De- would give universities and nonprofits partment of Agriculture recent revi- can to oppose these loopholes so that the legal certainty they need. It would sions of a proposed rule. we have only family farmers benefiting create a second draw on the job-saving Here is the background: I have long from the farm program. Paycheck Protection Program to pre- fought to strengthen the safety net so I yield the floor. vent more layoffs, and it would extend ∑ This ‘‘bullet’’ symbol identifies statements or insertions which are not spoken by a Member of the Senate on the floor. S7143 . VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:41 Dec 02, 2020 Jkt 019060 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 4624 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\A02DE6.000 S02DEPT1 rfrederick on DSKBCBPHB2PROD with SENATE S7144 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE December 2, 2020 two important emergency unemploy- library card and music lessons. In her indeed of American history—govern- ment benefit programs that were cre- words, ‘‘everything you needed that ment that is limited but effective and ated by the CARES Act and which will was important.’’ smart; a system where power stays expire in December without action. And I would certainly add loving par- close to the people and working fami- These programs have been championed ents to that list. lies can thrive and prosper. These prin- by our Democratic colleagues, particu- This son of two educators grew up ciples made our colleague a nationally larly the senior Senator from Virginia, steeped in the importance of schooling. known leader long before he was sworn and we made sure they were included He would later reference his mother’s in as a Senator. But I would say they in the framework. work in early childhood education by have reached full flourishing with I hope our Democratic colleagues saying he is probably the only Sec- Chairman ALEXANDER’s astonishingly will finally let Congress pass a bipar- retary of Education in history—in his- effective leadership right here in this tisan bill that the President will likely tory—who spent 5 years in kinder- body. sign into law and do so soon. garten. Students, families, and teachers ben- That passion would remain through- f efit every day from the Every Student out LAMAR’s career. His cutting-edge Succeeds Act, Chairman ALEXANDER’s TRIBUTE TO LAMAR ALEXANDER focus on improving opportunities and historic, bipartisan makeover fol- Mr. MCCONNELL. Now, Mr. Presi- reforming education benefited Ten- lowing No Child Left Behind. One re- dent, on a completely different matter, nessee hugely in the 1980s, and our port called it ‘‘the largest devolution of the Senate revolves around people. whole Nation during his time in Presi- federal control to the states in a quar- The body consists of 100 individuals. dent Bush 41’s Cabinet. ter century.’’ One of our key duties concerns the per- But that isn’t the only way LAMAR Millions of medically vulnerable sonnel whom we examine and confirm, has honored his roots. You couldn’t Americans also have their champion in and there are all these dedicated staff walk across the entire State of Ten- our friend from Tennessee. The over- professionals who make this place go. nessee in a plaid shirt, get elected Gov- whelmingly bipartisan 21st Century Today, it is both my great honor and ernor before the age of 40, and serve Cures Act was the single most impor- regrettable task to honor someone who more combined years as Governor and tant law of the entire 114th Congress. It secured all three parts of that senato- Senator than anyone else in the his- is paving the way for more innovation rial triple crown: the senior Senator tory of the Volunteer State without be- and faster innovation to benefit pa- from Tennessee, the chairman of the coming entirely intertwined with the tients who have no time to waste—an- Committee on Health, Education, place. Every corner of the State is bet- other LAMAR ALEXANDER production. Labor, and Pensions, LAMAR ALEX- ter for his service. His groundbreaking His leadership was instrumental in work to bring home good-paying auto ANDER. the landmark legislation we passed 2 LAMAR first set foot here as a tal- jobs has paid dividends, so has his years ago to combat the opioid epi- ented young staffer. Decades later, he major focus on infrastructure and bet- demic. appeared before us as a supersuccessful ter roads. Just this year, he was the driving But alas, even building a statewide former Governor and university presi- force behind the Great American Out- and then national reputation does not dent with a nomination to the Cabinet. doors Act, the Senate’s historic project always, always, translate into honest- And for the past 18 years, the other 99 to secure our parks and public lands for to-goodness celebrity status.