Lead the senate in prayer. The chaplain let us pray. Eternal god, the author of unity, remind our lawmakers that people accomplish laudable goals more through unity than division. May our senators remember that all of us are more effective than any one of us. As our legislators pursue effectiveness in their work, give them the wisdom to forge alliances that make the difficult become easy and the impossible become probable. In their search for common purposes, inspire them with the conviction that nothing is impossible for those who believe. We pray in your omnipotent name. Amen. The president pro tempore please join me in reciting the pledge of allegiance 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. Grassley madam president. The presiding officer the senator from iowa is recognized. Mr. Grassley i ask to speak in morning business for one minute. The presiding officer without objection. Mr. Grassley people often think of prisons as places only to send criminals and then send them there and then forget about them. But as ive noted here before most inmates will one time and one day be released. Helping former criminals become productive citizens is very much an important function of our prison system. In recent weeks inmates in the iowa prison system have acquired what you might consider strange skills, but they are new skills and even monetary allowances. Theyve done this by producing personal protective equipment like face shields and masks, and during this time of the virus pandemic, we all know what those are used for. I commend these efforts by our prisoners and our prison system promoting this sort of training. They will help protect the health and safety of the prisons and our state in the short term but theyll also help inmates in the long term. These inmates are providing an essential public service, and for that for that they deserve our appreciation. Its an important contribution that i hope that they will long remember and that will help them be productive members of society when they finish their sentence. I yield the floor and suggest the absence of a quorum. The presiding officer the clerk will call the roll. Mr. Mcconnell madam president. The presiding officer the majority leader. Mr. Mcconnell i ask consent that further proceedings under the quorum call be dispensed with. The presiding officer without objection. Mr. Mcconnell normally during National Police week, thousands of officers from across the country come here to our nationals capitol to honor comrades in the line of duty. Obviously coronavirus has changed these kinds of logistics for these kind of gatherings, but it is not less important to honor these brave men and women who gave the ultimate sacrifice. Tonights candlelight vigil for these officers will go on. Our hearts will be united in remembering these heroes and their names are added to the National Law Enforcement memorial. Im thinking of two kentuckians. Meade county sheriff chris holtzy who was a firefighter and paramedic. He was attacked while investigating a suspect and was pronounced dead hours later. Chief Deputy Bobby Wayne Jacobs of the Knott County Sheriff Office suffered from a fatal heart attack both of these deputies left behind children, loving friends, and a commonwealth made safer by their service. We also cannot let this years National Police week pass without reaffirming our gratitude for our very own u. S. Capitol police. These men and women protect this institution with the greatest professionalism no matter the challenge. To all peace officers in kentucky, here in the capitol, and all across the country, your country thank you. Now speaking of keeping our nation safe, the senate has work of our own to do this week to ensure the safety and security of our nation. In addition to fighting this historic pandemic, it is also our job to keep sight of the other threats to National Security that are still evolving independent of covid19. Far from any front line hospital the p. R. C. s domineering approach to territories in the south china sees seas keeping the men and women on high alert. From dark corners of cyberspace, russia busys our National Security with a steady flow of propaganda and disinformation. From the mediterranean to the gulf, iran continues to expand its regional influence, sow division, threaten america and its partners. Across afghanistan, the taliban, and isis continue to work on an International Coalition and representative government. These are just a few of the Global Threats that were with us long before the covid19 crisis and theyve only gotten worse during the pandemic. History reminds us that when great nations confront profound challenges at home, their enemies and competent ofers do not politely pause their own efforts until the situation becomes more stable. Rather from beijing to moscow to caves in the middle east, our adversaries would be tickle pinked if the coronavirus causes the United States to lose our ability to multitask. Some of our democratic colleagues have implied recently that it is beneath the senate, beneath the senate to spend time on any business that does not exclusively pertain to the pandemic. I could not disagree more strongly. Common sense tells us this crisis demands more vigilance on other fronts of National Security, not less. When we take our oaths of office as u. S. Senators, we swear to defend the constitution against all enemies, foreign and domestic. This coronavirus may have shoved its way to the top of that list, but the list is still a long one indeed. Unfortunately, for several weeks now, our nation has been less prepared than normal to defend ourselves against those who wish us harm. And its not because of the coronavirus. Its because House Democrats have failed to act. Back in march, the Senate Passed a clean shortterm extension of key authorities under the federal Intelligence Surveillance act, while a broader renegotiation was under way. After the shameful abuses of the fisa process that marred the 2016 president ial campaign, there was a clear need for meaningful reforms to bring more daylight and accountability into the process. But at the same time, many of us on both sides of the aisle were absolutely intent on preserving these critical National Security tools that have helped keep america safe. So while discussions were under way on how to strike the right balance, the Senate Passed a bipartisan shortterm extension so that these important tools could remain in our National Security professionals hands while congress got our act together. Unfortunately, Speaker Pelosi has left that ex has let that extension sit on her desk and gather dust. So for more than eight weeks, eight weeks, these important tools have gone dark. Fortunately, the attorney general and members of congress have worked together to craft a compromise solution that will implement needed reforms while preserving the core National Security tools. These intense discussions have produced a strong bill that balances the need for accountability with our solemn obligation to protect our citizens and defend our homeland. I understand our colleagues believe this compromise bill is not perfect. Sadly, imperfection is a fact of life when it comes to compromise legislation. But while i respect my distinguished colleagues whose amendments we will be voting on later today, i would urge senators to vote against it. The current bill in its current form already strikes the correct and delicate balance. And there is certainly no guarantee that another new version of this legislation would necessarily pass the house or earn the president s support. This version has already done both. We cannot let the perfect become the enemy of the good when key authorities are currently sitting expired and unusable. In sum, while the Senate Continues overseeing the National Response to the coronavirus crisis, were also making sure the pandemic does not inflict even greater harm by distracting us from other threats and challenges that preceded it. Off the floor, our committees are working through a number of pressing National Security nominations from the director of National Intelligence to the secretary of the navy to other high openings at the pentagon. When the time comes, i hope we will be able to fill these crucial openings promptly through a bipartisan cooperation here on the floor. I hope our democratic colleagues think carefully before applying reflexive partisan delays, even to the vital security positions during a global emergency. We cannot put Homeland Security on auto pilot because another crisis has our attention. The senate can, will, and must continue to Pay Attention to both. The presiding officer morning business is closed. Under the previous order, the senate will resume consideration of h. R. 61272, which the clerk will report. The clerk calendar number 440, h. R. 6172, an act to amend the federal Intelligence Surveillance act of 1978 to prohibit the production of certain business records, and for other purposes. Mr. Mcconnell i note the absence of a quorum. The presiding officer the clerk will call the roll. Quorum call mr. Schumer madam president. The presiding officer the democratic leader is recognized. Mr. Schumer are we in a quorum, madam president . The presiding officer yes, we are. Mr. Schumer i ask unanimous consent the quorum be dispensed with. The presiding officer without objection. Mr. Schumer now, first, madam president , as you know, when i speak on the floor, i remove my mask, but today is a special reason to keep this mask on. This mask is made by Hickey Freeman in rochester, new york, by american labor, union labor, by a grand and proud and Generous Company thats been in rochester for in the last three decades, the 1800s, 1900s, and now the 2000s. Its a wonderful company. They have kept jobs, goodpaying jobs in america to make fine clothing, and they started making the masks to give them to a local hospital at cost. So i salute Hickey Freeman. I salute the great tradesmen and women who work there, and may they continue for a hundred more years providing jobs in rochester and helping when they need help. Now, yesterday, House Democrats unveiled new legislation to combat the coronavirus pandemic. The American People need their government to act strongly, decisively, wisely, and this new legislation is the urgent and the necessary response to what this crisis demands. As any one of us could have guessed, the republican leader is rather predictably responding against the House Democratic bill to address the covid19 crisis. His response is predictable because for weeks leader mcconnell had been preemptively slandering any legislation coming out of the house as, quote, a partisan wish list, long before he even saw the bill. It was a paintbynumbers response from the republican leader and continues to be. It didnt matter what was in the bill. In his eyes, not in the eyes of almost every american, it was going to be a farleft partisan wish list. And to fit the preordained narrative, last night, Senate Republicans were latching on to provisions that account for. 0003 of the total bill. 0003 . Talk about grasping at straws. It is so predictable that the republican leader would oppose the bill before he saw whats in it, and now that it is so necessary for so Many Americans, its predictable that republicans are just saying no. The republican leader also called the bill aspirational. The republican leader should know it is not aspirational when a family cant feed their children. It is not aspirational when americans for the first time are worried about losing their homes and being evicted from their apartments. It is not aspirational when americans are facing a Health Crisis in which every one of us is afraid that we might come down with a dangerous illness or spread it to a loved one. It is not aspirational. We are talking about urgent and necessary relief, but out of reflective kneejerk partisanship, the Republican Leadership in the senate basically declared the house bill dead on arrival before it was even announced. Its a shocking and incomprehensible position to take at this moment of national crisis. It would be one thing for the Republican Leadership to say well, lets sit down and negotiate. Lets talk about where both parties can come together to do something for this the nations wellbeing at this time of urgent crisis. But they have taken the position that there is absolutely no urgency to do anything at all. On monday, heres what the republican leader said. Republicans, he said, quote have yet to feel the urgency to act immediately. What will it take . Are they so, so wrapped around a hard right ideology that they cant see the real needs of the American People . Is there no urgency on testing . Talk to your local businesses. Talk to your local mayors. Talk to your local governors. See if there is no urgency on testing. If there is no urgency to provide relief to renters and homeowners, no urgency to prevent firefighters, Police Officers, and teachers from being laid off by state and local governments whose budgets are under water. In both blue and red states. Id like to know how many of my republican colleagues actually oppose providing reassurance to state and local governments so that teachers in iowa, firefighters in north carolina, and Police Officers in kentucky dont get laid off. To support our the support our states need is in the house bill. It is very close to what the governors, democrat and republican, have asked for. Leader mcconnell frequently highlights the heroism of our essential workers. I applaud him for that. But why dont we in addition to giving speeches on the floor put a little money in their pockets for the extra expenses they are undergoing . Why isnt there an urgency to provide them hazard pay . Thats in the house bill. Leader mcconnell and President Trump have placed a great emphasis on reopening the country as quickly as possible. Thats something we all want to see. So how do we achieve that safely . Far and away the most important factor in reopening the economy is testing. We are far behind where we should be. Fauci made that clear yesterday, despite the president s lies and mistruths about testing. Remember our president said on march 6, i think it was, anyone who wants a test can have a test. That is even not true today. Deluding the American People, deluding, running from the truth to say what pops into your head so it sounds good to the media for that moment, which it seems to be the president s m. O. Doesnt help. Doesnt help. Everyone knows that until this crisis is over, and on into the future, were going to need personal protective equipment to begin safely returning to work. As i mentioned, i wore on the floor this mask made in rochester by Hickey Freeman. Well, the house bill, the house bill includes crucial support for supply chain and manufacturing of p. P. P. Do we wait on that . Is that not urgent . An ambulance worker, a Health Care Worker not having the p. P. P. They need . Not urgent . Who believes that . Does leader mcconnell . Does President Trump . Do our republican colleagues . It is just baffling, baffling that at this time of probably the greatest crisis we have faced, both health and economic, in decades, that the senate Republican Leadership, instead of working with democrats to find Common Ground on these crucial issues, has decided it will begin taking it will be against taking urgent and necessary action to help the American People in a time of national crisis. Unless, of course, that means Liability Protections for big corporations. That seems to be their number one concern. Mr. President , or madam president , more than 30 million americans are now unemployed. More than 80,000 americans have died. Just how many lost jobs, lost businesses, lost lives will it take before Senate Republicans begin to feel the urgency . Now, on another matter, last week, americans learned that the Trump White House had blocked release by the center for Disease Control of a document that contained guidance for safely reopening up the country. According to media reports, this guidance was painstakingly prepared by the c. D. C. To help the country determine when and how to begin easing social distancing. Without causing undue risk to Public Health, further spread of covid, the recurrence of a second wave, and more infections and more deaths. The c. D. C. Guidance included detailed information and flow charts to help guide states, local governments, businesses, schools, churches, and religious institutions, and individuals as they consider these very challe