Transcripts For CSPAN2 U.S. Senate U.S. Senate 20240713 : vi

CSPAN2 U.S. Senate U.S. Senate July 13, 2024

Nomination of scott rash for the district of arizona. Live on cspan2. The president pro tempore the senate will come to order. The chaplain, dr. Barry black, will lead the senate in prayer. The chaplain let us pray. Eternal master the father of us all we thank you that through your spirit you have provided our legislative body with the talents and capabilities to fulfill your purposes. May our senators remember that this body has many parts, each making its distinctive contribution to the success of the whole. As our lawmakers acknowledge and honor the value added by each member of this body, unite them with faith, civility, courage, and gratitude. And lord, we pray for the First Responders and Health Care Workers who stand on the front lines during this Global Health crisis. We pray in your unifying name. Amen. The president pro tempore please join me in reciting the pledge of allegiance to our 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. Grassley mr. President. The presiding officer the senator from iowa. Mr. Grassley i ask to speak in morning business for about 45 seconds. The presiding officer without objection. Mr. Grassley this time of the year is typically spent celebrating students of all ages as they graduate on to their next endeavor. Most graduations have a different look this year, due to the pandemic. But the occasion has not lost its significance. Graduations are a time to celebrate the hard work and dedication students put into their education. I want to congratulate all iowans graduating this spring as you begin a new chapter in your life. Barbara and i wish you all more years of continued success. Mr. Mcconnell mr. President. The presiding officer the majority leader. Mr. Mcconnell the covid19 pandemic continues to hold our nation on high alert. More than 1. 4 million americans have been infected. More than 80,000 lives have been tragically lost. And the livelihoods of tens of millions of working families have been turned upside down in what seems like the blink of an eye. Our Nations Health care system has not been stressed by contagion on this scale in over a century. And notre dame has not been this high since the second world war. And unemployment has not been this high since the second world war. From Lab Researchers to Grocery Store workers to custodians and janitors to Community Volunteers have been called up to the front lines to serve their neighbors and our country. So for several weeks now mr. President , the senate has counted ourselves among those ranks of essential workers. They are showing up for our country, so were showing up for them. With respect to the pandemic itself, we are conducting rigorous oversight of the senates historic cares actress cue package and are helping plan the pivot toward reopening. Last week, chairman alexander and the help committee engaged with dr. Fauci dr. Redfield, admiral giroir and other top experts to discuss paths for schools and businesses to reopen. And a number of our colleagues are joining me and senator cornyn in thinking proactively about the issue of legal liability that could crush the recovery on the runway. We need strong Legal Protection to ensure that our historic Recovery Efforts are not drained away from Health Care Workers schools, and university or Small Businesses in order to line the pockets of trial lawyers. At the same time, we have kept our eye on the ball on other significant global challenges. Last week, on a bipartisan basis, the senate reauthorized critical surveillance authorities for our National Security professionals. We also made sure to include important new reforms to begin to address the abuses that marred the 2016 election. The disturbing details of which are continuing to come to light every day. Our action on that subject is not finished. Thanks to the leadership from senator rubio, we will pass legislation to continue ratcheting up the pressure on the Chinese Communist party. In thiscase, our billwillshed new light and impose new consequences for the egregious abuses against the uighur people and other muslim minorities. And we confirmed wellqualified nominees to important roles at the National Counterintelligence and Security Center, the Nuclear Regulatory commission, the department of Homeland Security, and the department of housing and urban development. In other words mr. President we have done more for the American People in two weeks on this side of the capitol than the house of representatives has done in the last two months. In the two months that House Democrats have been away from their duty stations, they seemingly gave themselves just one assignment draft an enormous enormous political messaging bill and brand it as coronavirus relief. But even on this basis, they have failed. The 180page door stop that Speaker Pelosi dropped last week was appropriately greeted as the legislative equivalent of a standup comedy. There were tax hikes on Small Businesses in the midst of a Small Business crisis. There were targeted tax cuts for the wealthiest people in the bluest states. There were two separate taxpayerfunded studies on diversity and inclusion in the market for marijuana. In sum a 3 trillion wish list slapped together in a clumsy effort to never let a good crisis go to waste. Serious work here in the senate. Partisan pointlessness over in the house. Well, the senate will stay on course and continue our serious work at this serious time. Tomorrow morning our colleagues on the Banking Committee will hear from secretary mnuchin and fed chairman powell on the latest status of the cares act implementation efforts. The Homeland Security and Government Affairs committee will meet this week to consider the nomination of brian miller to serve as special Inspector General for the Pandemic Recovery programs. The special committee on aging will be examining the challenges facing american seniors during this pandemic as both the virus itself and the social distancing measures take a heavy toll on older americans. And of course we will continue to uphold our responsibility beyond the scope of covid19. We will consider more nominations to the federal Election Commission and the federal bench. Tomorrow our colleagues on the Intelligence Committee will vote on reporting the nomination of John Ratcliffe to serve as director of national intelligence. This role is essential for monitoring and countering evolving threats from russia to china to terrorist groups and for ensuring the Intelligence Communitys important work is not tainted by partisan bias or political weaponization. We have a busy week ahead of us. This pandemic is not going to defeat itself. A careful reopening will not plan itself, and our nations other challenges are not about to politely step aside in the meantime. All kinds of american heroes across the country are tackling the coronavirus head on. Were going to do all we can to keep them safe and supported while they do it. The presiding officer under the previous order the leadership time is reserved. Morning business is closed. Under the previous order the senate will proceed to executive session to resume consideration of the following nomination, which the clerk will report. The clerk nomination, the judiciary, scott h. Rash of arizona, to be United States district judge for the district of arizona. Mr. Mcconnell i note the absence of a quorum. The presiding officer the clerk will call the roll. Quorum call quorum call mr. Schumer mr. President . The presiding officer the democratic leader. Mr. Schumer i ask unanimous consent the quorum be dispensed with. The presiding officer without objection. Mr. Schumer now for the third week in a row a republican majority in the senate has no covidrelated business on the agenda. For the third week in a row leader mcconnell has scheduled zero votes on legislation having to do with the crisis. Senate democrats have had to relentlessly pressure our republican colleagues to secure even the most routine oversight hearings on the pandemic. If we hadnt pressured them, i doubt thered be any hearings at all, and theyre feuds and far between. The hearings will be the only work weve done in the senate on covid19 in the entire month of may, and the republican majority had to be pressured into doing even those. There are now more than 35 million americans out of work through no fault of their own. Almost 1. 5 million americans are sick nearly 90,000 have died, and Senate Republicans have decided to take the month off from the coronavirus. The American People may be wondering, what is the Republicanled Senate doing instead of addressing this Urgent National crisis . What could be more pressing . What is the Republican Senate doing in the midst of the crisis . Well, leader mcconnell has scheduled five rightwing judges for the floor of the senate, and the republican chairman of the Homeland Security will be holding a hearing designed to slander the family of the president s political opponent. Is the chairman of Homeland Security calling in fema to find out if our hospitals have enough p. P. E. . No, he wants to echo cremebacked con kremlinbacked conspiracy theories to go on a fishing expedition to smear joe bidens son. Must our republican colleagues gainly follow such an absurd, diversionary and untruthful agenda . I guess so. Its a shame. And even more shameful, the company that the senator from wisconsin wants to issue a subpoena for is voluntarily cooperating and providing relevant documents to the committee. Did you hear that . They want to make a big show of subpoenaing, but the company says itll cooperate. Its a show. Its a sham. It has nothing to do with covid and everything to do with kremlinbacked rumors that they want to use to divert attention from the president s poor showing on covid. The subpoena is just for show. It is not necessary because the company will cooperate. A way to kick up dirt for exclusively partisan purposes. It would be bad enough if they were doing this when covid wasnt raging, but with covid raging to spend time doing this instead of focusing on the way to get relief to people . Unbelievable a low point for that committee. A low point for the senate. So this is what republican this is what is on the Senate Republicans agenda in the midst of historic unemployment and a National Crisis five rightwing judges and the exploitation a show move to concur hearing for partisan a show mock hearing for partisan mudslinging. Senate republicans are rearranging the nations deck chair and trying to put them in a political ahe ssembly. The chairman of the federal reserve, jay powell, appointed by President Trump said last week were looking at the worst recession since world war ii. Yesterday mr. Powell warned that layoffs will continue for several months and employment could reach 20 or even 25 . He said, quote if we let people be out of work for long periods of time, if we let businesses fail unnecessarily waves of them therell be longerterm damage to the economy the recovery will be slower. The good news the good news, he said, is we can avoid that by providing more support now. Mr. Powell went on to encourage policymakers to provide greater assistance to families and implement measures to keep workers in their homes. He pointed out if state and local governments dont receive additional aid theyll be forced to lay off Public Employees and cut back on Public Services at the worst possible time. Mr. Powell is spoton. And tomorrow in the senate Banking Committee my republican colleagues will have a chance to hear this critical message straight from the horses mouth with mr. Mnuchin and mr. Powell set to testify only after Senate Democrats had to push and push and push to have such a hearing. We asked for it three weeks ago. It should have happened two weeks allege. Two weeks ago because the country is calling out for action. Trump appointees are calling out for action. Governors across the country democrat and republican governors, are calling out for action. When will my republican colleagues hear the message . After all theres no shortage of action the senate could take. Millions of americans are having americans of americans are having difficulty receiving the expanded benefits that congress passed. Why arent Senate Republicans holding a hearing on why millions of our citizens arent getting the aid we intended to provide . Instead of these sham political show trial gotcha hearings. Testing continues to be a major problem. A blockbluster report in the Washington Post last night said that quote, we are far short of testing numbers that most independent experts say will be needed to avoid another wave of death and illness unquote. The report describes a concerning shortage of p. P. E. , nasal swabs and reagents in Nursing Homes and other frontline settings. The report underlined another problem a startling lack of awareness in many neighborhood about the need for testing. These are lifeanddeath issues. They relate to Peoples Health and peoples lives and they relate to our economy getting well. Why isnt President Trump leading a nationwide push to increase Testing Capacity and frequency and awareness . President trump is so desperate to reopen the country as quickly as possible, but he refuses to roll up his sleeves and do the work that would allow us to do it safely. There is an anomaly here. He demands people get back to work but doesnt do his work to make sure we have testing to make sure there are guidelines, to make sure this works correctly so we dont have another crisis a few months from now. House democrats have put together a major bill that would provide urgent and necessary relief to the American People. My colleagues on the republican side dont have to like everything in it. They could easily say lets sit down and negotiate. Lets find some Common Ground. But, instead leader mcconnell has said that republicans have, quote, yet to feel the urgency for acting immediately. Herbert hoover redux. Instead, his party is the slowly preparing legislation to give legal immunity to big corporations that put workers in dangersous situations. That the numberone problem on every americans mind . Is that the numberone problem on peoples minds people who are going bankrupt, who cant feed their kids protecting corporations from liability . This Republican Party is so, so out of touch with america. Its so offkilter. It is so in obeisance to the hard right that they cant even focus on a crisis when its right before their eyes. We are confronted with a period of prolonged economic misery for millions of American Workers and families. Americans who for the first time are waiting in staggering lines for food banks americans who for the first time dont know if theyll be able to keep a roof over their head, put food on the table or pay the rent. Just how long will it take how long . How much economic hardship, how much before republicans feel the urgency to act . On another matter, last friday night in the dark of night President Trump fired the Inspector General of the state department mr. Steve linick. Mr. Linick according to reports, had been investigating the misuse of Public Resources by secretary pompeo and the trump administrations arms sales to saudi arabia. Mr. Lynn i can is now the fifth yes the fifth Inspector General to be fired by President Trump from his or her post in the last few months. They all shared one thing in common they had the audacity to do their jobs and speak the truth. They had the audacity to try and drain the swamp. And what is Donald Trumps reaction when he hears the truth . Fire the people who spoke it. What kind of president is that in . During normal times it is bad enough. During a crisis, its awful. The Inspector General of the Intelligence Committee delivered a whistleblower report to congress as required by law. For this, it seems, he was fired. It was through the work of the h. H. S. Inspector general the public learned the extent of the trump administrations failure to provide

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