Lord, give our law lawmakers aing this upper for your words and a desire to apply your knowledge in their daily work. We pray in your merciful name. Amen. The president pro tempore please join me in the please join me in reciting the pledge of allegiance to the flag. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of america, and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under god, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Mr. Mcconnell mr. President . The presiding officer the majority leader. Mr. Mcconnell the eyes of the nation are on the senate. For days now weve been engaged in intense, bipartisan talks to build emergency relief legislation on an historic scale to push resources to our Health Care Heroes and American Workers and families. Democrats and republicans sat down together. We crafted this version of the proposal together. This compromise package would push tens of billions of dollars to hospitals and Health Care Providers. It would send direct checks to millions of american households, direct checks. It would massively expand Unemployment Insurance in this crisis. It would stabilize industries to prevent mass layoffs and, crucially, it would deliver historic relief to Small Businesses to help main street employees from being totally crushed crushed by this pandemic. But yesterday when the time came to vote on these urgent measures, our democratic colleagues chose to block it. So why are the American People still waiting . Its a good question to ask. I hear the markets are not doing well today. Theyd like to ask the question of us, why not move . Why are democrats filibustering the bipartisan bill they helped write . An appropriate question to ask this morning as the one waits as the country waits on us. So let meet give the American People a taste of the outstanding issues we woke up to this morning. Here are some of the items on the democratic wish list over which they choose over which they choose to block this legislation last night. Tax deduction yets to solar energy and wind energy. Provisions to force employers to give special, new treatment to big labor, and listen to this new emissions standards for the airlines. Are you kidding me . This is the moment to debate new regulations that have nothing whatsoever to do with this crisis . Thats what theyre up to over there. The American People need to know it. Democrats wont let us fund hospitals or save Small Businesses unless they get to dust off the Green New Deal. Id like to see Senate Democrats tell new york city doctors and nurses, who are literally overrun as we speak, that theyre filibustering hospital funding and more masks because they want to argue with the airlines over their Carbon Footprint . Id like to see Senate Democrats tell Small Business employees in their states who are literally being laid off every day that theyre filibustering relief that will keep people on the payroll because democrats special interest friends want to squeeze employers while theyre vulnerable. Squeeze these employers while theyre vulnerable. Id like to see Senate Democrats tell all american seniors whove seen their hardearned Retirement Savings literally melt away as the markets track toward their worst month since 1931 that theyre continuing to hold up emergency measures over tax credits for solar panels tax credits for solar panels. Even with the Federal Reserve announcing even further steps today, the markets are tanking once again, as i said, because this body cant get its act together. And the only reason it cant get its act together is right over here on the other side of the aisle. So these are just a few of the completely nongermane wish list items that theyre rallying behind, preventing us from getting this emergency relief to the American People right now. 11th hour demands democrats have decided are more important than americans paychecks and the personal safety of doctors and nurses. So remember what one of speaker pelosis top lieutenants in the house said just a few days ago and this is a direct quote. This is a tremendous opportunity to restrict things to fit our vision. To fit our vision. That was the democratic whip in the house just laying it out there. Reminds me of the definition of washington agaffe, when a politician in washington tells you what he really means. And we heard something similar here on the senate floor, just last night just last night here was one of our democratic colleagues. Quote, how many times are we going to get a shot at a 1 trillionplus program right here on the floor right night. I dont know how many trillionplus packages were going to have. In other words, lets dont waste this opportunity to take full advantage and get our whole wish list done. They ought to be embarrassed, mr. President. In fact, i heard from some of them who are embarrassed. Talking like this is some juicy political opportunity. This is not a juicy political opportunity. This is a national emergency. We had days of productive bipartisan talks to get to this point. Senate democrats sat down with Senate Republicans and negotiated furiously to get to to this point. The bill now contains a huge number of changes that our democratic colleagues requested, including major changes. We were this close this close. Then yesterday morning the speaker of the house flew back from San Francisco. And suddenly the senates serious bipartisan process turned into this leftwing episode of supermarket sweep. Unrelated issues left and right. Ill tell you what will lower our Carbon Footprint, mr. President if the entire economy continues to crumble with house of thousands more americans laid off because Senate Democrats wont act. Thatll lower our Carbon Footprint, all right. Every single american outside of washington knows this is no time for this nonsense. A surgeon in fresno, california, says, quote, were at war with no ammo. We are at war with no ammo. Thats a surgeon in fresno. An intensive care nurse in new york city says, if we dont get the proper equipment soon, we are going to get sick. Democrats are filibustering more masks and aid for hospitals . Every day more americans wake up to the news that their jobs are gone their jobs are gone. Democrats are filibustering programs to keep people on the payroll . And theyre filibustering a huge expansion of Unemployment Insurance, which they themselves negotiated and put into the bill . Hundreds of dollars extra per week for laidoff workers on top of existing Unemployment Benefits and democrats are blocking it . This has got to stop. And today is the day it has to stop. The country is out of time out of time. When the Democratic House passed their phase two bill, even though Senate Republicans would have written it very differently, we sped it through the senate and passed it quickly, without even amending it. I literally told my colleagues to gag and vote for it, for the sake of building bipartisan momentum. Because republicans understand that a National Crisis calls for urgency and it calls for bipartisanship. Its time for that good faith to be reciprocated. Its time for democrats to stop playing politics and step up to the plate. The Small Businesses in their own states deserve it, their own states emergency room doctors deserve it, their own constituents whove lost their jobs deserve it. In my home state of kentucky, the governor has effectively paused commerce across the state, and our unemployment system crashed due to demand. Kentuckians need help now. And we arent alone. Ive heard the pleas from Health Care Workers in new york and seattle. Ive listened to the Small Business owners crying out in brooklyn and chicago. Why does only one side understand that this is urgent . Why are these hardhit cities, our own senators are happy, really, to keep this slowwalking going on indefinitely . Is that really something these folks on the other side are comfortable with, indefinitely slowwalking all of this . How can half the senate not rise to the occasion . At a time when everybody else in the country is pulling together, theyre you will pulling utah theyre pulling us apart. The examples are all over the country that we ought to look to. Health care heroes to neighborhood volunteers to National Industries everybody is unifying and pitching in. What about here in the senate . Time to get with the program. Its time to pass historic relief that we have built together. The country doesnt have time for these political games. They need progress. So were going to vote in just a few minutes, and i assure you, mr. President , the American People will be watching. I suggest the absence of a quorum. The presiding officer the clerk will call the roll. Quorum call the presiding officer the majority leader . Is there objection . The assistant democratic leader objects. Objection is heard. The presiding officer the democratic leader. The senate is in a quorum call. Mr. Schumer i ask unanimous consent the quorum be dispensed with. The presiding officer is there objection . Without objection. Mr. Schumer thank you, mr. President. Well every time we hear the majority leader come out, its a partisan screed. Well, im in my office with the president , secretary of treasury the president s secretary of treasury, the president s liaison getting things done. We democrats are trying to get things done, not making partisan speech after partisan speech. Now, in the past 24 hours, we got word that a member of this chamber, senator paul, has tested positive for coronavirus and the husband of another member, senator klobuchar also tested positive. Hes in the hospital. I want to let them know, both of them, that the senates thinking of them, praying for their speedy recovery as we are for tens of thousands of American Families who are confronting the same situation right now. Whether youre afraid for a sick family member, an older relative in the hospital, or are struggling without work, income, or the knowledge of when your isolation might end, our thoughts are with you right now. These are trying times for all of us, but the scourge of this disease will pass. The American People as always will prevail. As the number of confirmed covid19 cases in the United States eclipses 35,000, the Senate Continues to negotiate what will likely be the largest emergency funding bill in american history. As ive mentioned, weve had almost continuous discussions with secretary mnuchin. He left my office at about 12 15 last night and was there at about 9 00 this morning. The white house Congressional Liaison has been in and out of the office as well. Were very close to reaching a deal, very close. And our goal is to reach a deal today, and were hopeful, even confident that we will meet that goal. Weve been working on a few outstanding issues that are no surprise to everyone. From the very beginning democrats have insisted on a Marshall Plan for our medical system. More money for hospitals, Community Health centers, Nursing Homes, and Urgent Medical supplies like gloves and masks, i. C. U. Beds, testing kits, ventilators. Since our negotiations the numbers have gone up dramatically because the hospitals, our Health Care Workers need the help. Were fighting hard and making progress for funding for state and local governments. Theyre propping up local Health Care Networks virtually on their own. Their revenues are dramatically declining. Many towns and villages across america, the smaller ones in particular, might be going broke pretty soon if we do nothing. If we can help the big corporations, we can help our local towns and villages and the taxpayers they represent. On Unemployment Insurance, the bill has moved in a direction weve outlined. The original bill had the unexpanded employment benefits. Last only three months. We need to make it longer because the dislocation caused by this crisis will not be over in 90 days and people who lose their jobs need help. But it says to every american who loses his or her job, the democratic plan that is now in the bill that you will get your full pay from the federal government. You can be furloughed by your employer. That means youll keep your benefits, health and otherwise. And it means that youll be able to come back in the business you and the business you had to leave will resemble itself quickly after god willing this crisis ends. The bill still includes something that most americans dont want to see. Large corporate bailouts with almost no strings attached. Maybe the majority leader thinks its unfair to ask protections for workers and labor to companies that are getting hundreds of billions of dollars. We think its very fair to ask for those. Those are not extraneous issues. That is a wish list for workers, nobody else. And so we are looking for protection. Were looking for oversight. If this federal government is making a big loan to someone, to a big company, we ought to know it and know the details immediately. The bill that was put on the floor by the republican leader said no one would know a thing about those loans for six months at least. And in those socalled bailouts, we need to protect workers, the workers those industries employ. Weve been guided by one plan, workers first. Thats the name of our proposal. The bill needs to reflect that priority. Now, were working on all these items in good faith as we speak. And we hope and expect to conclude negotiations today. This vote in the senate is no surprise. Its to take a merely repeat of the vote that failed last night. Leader mcconnell continues to set arbitrary vote deadlines when the matter of real importance is the status of the bipartisan negotiations. So let me be clear. The upcoming procedural votes are essentially irrelevant. The negotiations continue no more than 30 feet away from the floor of the senate in our offices where the Real Progress is taking place. Once we have an agreement that everyone can get behind, were prepared to speed up the consideration of that agreement on the floor. So im going to get back to negotiations. We all know time is of the essence. The country is facing the twin crises in our Health Care System and in our economy. We have an obligation to get the details right, get them done quickly. That doesnt mean blindly accepting a republicanonly bill. That was the bill we were given. Lots of things we didnt even know about saturday. That means working to make this bill better, better for our Small Businesses, better for our working families, better for our Health Care System. Democrats, democrats will not stop working with our republican counterparts until we get the job done. Ill continue to update the senate on the progress of our negotiations. I note the absence of a quorum. The presiding officer the clerk will call the roll. A senator mr. President . The presiding officer the senator from maine. Ms. Collins mr. President , i ask unanimous consent that proceedings under the quorum be dispensed with. The presiding officer is there objection . Mr. Schumer i object. I object. The presiding officer the Democratic Leaders objection is heard. Ms. Collins this is unbelievable. Mr. Mcconnell mr. President . The presiding officer the majority leader. Mr. Mcconnell i ask unanimous consent that the senator from maine be allowed to speak for a few minutes. The presiding officer the senate is in a quorum call. Mr. Mcconnell i ask consent the quorum call be dispensed with. The presiding officer is there objection . The Democratic Leaders objection is heard. Is there objection . The Democratic Leaders objection is heard. The senator from louisiana. A senator i ask the quorum call be dispensed with. The presiding officer is there objection . Without objection. Mr. Schumer mr. President . The presiding officer the Democratic Leaders objection is heard. Mr. Schumer i would simply like to know for the sake of the members the presiding officer the senate is in a quorum call. Mr. Schumer i ask consent to speak for 30 seconds. The presiding officer is there objection . The senate is in a quorum call. Is there objection to removing the quorum call . Mr. Schumer mr. President . The presiding officer is there objection to removing the quorum call . Mr. Schumer reserving the right to object. The presiding officer there is no mr. Schumer i have the floor. The presiding officer no you do not. The senate is in a quorum call. You asked that the mr. Schumer i ask unanimous consent the quorum be dispensed with. The presiding officer is there objection . Without objection. Mr. Schumer i simply would like to ask the leader before we have these speeches because we were supposed to vote for the next time after he and i spoke, what is the schedule for the rest of the day . Would he respond the presiding officer the majority leader. Mr. Mcconnell m