For our nation and world. Help them to realize that the power of your providence will enable them to navigate through every challenge and tragedy. Trusting in your might, may they embrace your promise to do more for them than they can ask or imagine. Lord, inspite of difficulties, disappointments, as despair, reassure them that you are still in control. Remind us all that in everything, you are working for the good of those who love you who are the called according to your purposes. We pray in your loving name. Amen. The president pro tempore please join me in 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 e 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 permission to speak for one minute in morning business. The presiding officer without objection. Mr. Grassley journalists as we all know serve as the watchdog for accountability, particularly to keep government responsible. These journalists inform and investigate issues important to the readersrom Human Interest to public interest. Right now a lot of focus is upon covid19 pandemic. The university of iowas independent newspaper, the dailyowan , has been named the best allaround daily Student Newspaper by the society of professional journalists. This prestigious honor follows its recognition as the 2020 nepaper of the year by the iowa newspaper association. So i come to the floor to commend the team of collegiate journalists in the stuntrun newsroom at the daily iowan. These awards show that the staffs hard work and commitment to your craft rise above the rest. You are cream of the crop. Congratulations and keep up the good work. I yield the floor. Mr. Mcconnell madam president . The presiding officer the majority leader is recognized. Mr. Mcconnell week after week this capitol has been a study in contrast. Call it the tale off two chambers. Over here in the u. S. Senate, open, a were working for theare American People. All month weve been in session passing National Security legislation, confirming key nominees, and Holding Hearings on the Coronavirus Crisis and the effectiveness of the historic rescue package the senate wrote and the Senate Passed. Were heeding medicaluidance and taking new precautions, but were showing up and getting things done. And over across the rotunda in the house, crickets. Crickets. Their lights are off. Their doors are locked. The peoples house has shown up for a grand total of two legislative session days since marc well, two days in eight weeks, a blistering pace. Last week they flew into town to pass speaker pelosis latest 1,800page liberal wish list, diversity and inclusion in the Marijuana Industry wasnt going to study itself, after all. That had to be an a1 priority during the crisis. The speakers proposal was so unserious and so far left, it could not even ute her own conference, even after a twomonth sabbatical, House Democrats could not contribute anything serious. But they did find the time to keep fishing for another impeachment. More thahan a year after the Mueller Report thoroughly debunked the conclusion Conspiracy Theory, democrats are still, still pursuing the administration in court over that document. In a new Supreme Court brief the day before yesterday, House Democrats said they had the right to continue because now listen to this the president s impeachment did not actually end with his acquittal. Didnt end with h acquittal. The House Democrats are now claiming the impeachmement that ended in february is not really over. Their brief says they are weighing, quote, whether to recommend new articles of impeachment and referring to chairman nadlers Judiciary Committee, quote, the committees investigation did not cease with the conclusion of the impeachment trial. Ththats chaman nadlers argument in a court case. Perpetual investigation,l impea. If only someone could have predicted this, if only someone, anyoyone had warned the House Democrats opening the pandoras box of weak impeachments would affect our country into the future. Of course, senate and House Republicans warned precisely that. And here we are. Its a suitable complement to the other ongoing incident where a federal drop. These are fascinating legal standards, madam president. Investigates are no longer in when a jury acquits someone and prosecutions no longer end when charges are dropped. The House Democrats would rather spend a fourth Consecutive Year trying to cram their politics into the legal system that actually govern the country than actually govern the country during a pandemic. So fortunately, as i laid out, the senate is up to the job. Every single day the historic cares act that we wrote and passed to fight this pandemic continues to come online. Direct payments hit family accounts, support for Major Industries help prevent mass layoffs, resources for dock fors, doctors, nurses, hospital, and Health Care Providers helped stabilize the system from coast to coast and the Paycheck Protection Program has saved tens of millions of jobs for American Workers from big cities to small towns, to industrial suburbs to farm country. Senate republicans bold program is turning potential pink slips into paychecks every single day. To be sure, the program is imperfect. That was guaranteed when banks had to cram multiple years worth of lending into a few weeks. Yesterday we saw a glaring example of that imperfection. The legislation we passed contains specific eligibility requirements. One rule said affiliates of National Nonprofits could not pose as small nonprofits and ask for money. But because time was and is of the essence, the legislation set up a process of initial selfcertification with review to follow. Rather than lengthy vetting upfront that would have slowed the emergency money for rightful recipients. And we learned yesterday that the nations largest Abortion Provider planned parenthood abused this emergency process and grabbed tens of millions of dollars of taxpayer money for which they were completely, completely ineligible. This is the organization that fired its new president last year because she was too focused on Broader Health issues and not sufficiently fixated on abortion above all else. Disrespecting human life is their central mission, and they just took advantage of a National Crisis and helped themselves to tens of millions of taxpayer dollars they were clearly, clearly forbidden from taking. It goes without saying the money must be sent back immediately, right now. As we shine a light on planned parenthoods misrepresentations, we cannot let their actions jeopardize this Important Program for the tens of millions of americans who are benefiting from it rightly. Remember the p. P. P. Has pushed 500 billion into the economy across more than four million loans. The average loan size is just 118,000. Paychecks instead of pink slips for tens of millions of americans. My hometown of louisville, kentucky is home to the baseball bat factory that made the famous louisville slugger. For few months the bat factory was a temporary casualty of covid19 but this month the fferrer secured a p. P. P. Loan, 171 employees were pulled off furlough and put right back on the payroll. 171 family stories went from pain and chaos back to stability because of this program. And that is just one business in one city in one state. Theres also an Automotive Parts supplier and shop in michigan, a fresh flower shop in arizona, a burger joint in North Carolina and on and on and on. Four million loans across all 50 states and new loans are still being issued as we speak. This is what serious legislation, madam president , looks like. This is what Serious Solutions can accomplish. Every day the senates work is paying dividends to working families all across our country. Now the pandemic is not all we are working on. The senate is also staying on top of foreign relations, National Security, and the personnel business. Yesterday the Intelligence Committee reported out the nomination of the next director of national intelligence. And the Armed Services committee reported out nominations for secretary of the navy, chief of staff to the air force, and deputy under secretary of defense for policy. I hope our democratic colleagues will not block the senate from filling these key National Security vacancies before we adjourn later this week. Now, madam president , on a completely different subject, throughout this health crisis, the senate, its members, and our staffs have been lucky to have the steady leadership of dr. Brian monahan in our corner. Our attending physician has responded with the same ability and professionalism that have benefited congress and the Supreme Court for more than a decade. His continued guidance is making it possible for the senate to smartly and safely fulfill our constitutional duty to the American People. The last time our nation faced a pandemic on this scale, the 1918 spanish flu, the attending Physicians Office was still more than a decade away from even existing. Dr. Monahan has had to break unprecedented ground in his crucial role on multiple levels. But true to form, hes adopted on the fly to serve his country. Dr. Monahan has developed detailed advice for members and committees. His team is working around the clock to answer questions and to keep us healthy. Expertise and attention to detail are nothing new from our attending physician. Who has spent a proud career in military service. The senate is is lucky the Public Service of this decorated admiral has brought him to us. We certainly are grateful to him and his entire team. Now im happy to report that we arent the only ones taking notice. So as a measure of our collective gratitude, madam president , i ask unanimous consent that this recent New York Times feature profile of dr. Monahan be printed in the record. The presiding officer without objection. Mr. Mcconnell and we thank the good doctor for all he does for this institution and for his country. The presiding officer under the previous order, the leap time is reserved. Morning business is closed. Morningunder the previous ordere senate will proceed to executive session. The clerk the judiciary, anna m. Manasco of alabama to be United States district judge for the Northern District of alabama. Mr. Mcconnell i suggest the absence of a quorum. The presiding officer the clerk will call the roll. Quorum call mr. Durbin madam president . The presiding officer the democratic whip is recognized. Mr. Durbin madam president , i ask consent that the quorum call be suspended. The presiding officer without objection. Mr. Durbin thank you, madam president. Madam president , we are going to complete three weeks three weeks of senate activity, called together by senator mcconnell, at a time when the house of representatives under the guidance of dr. Monahan, who was just praised, and i join in that praise, the house of representatives was not in session, the senate can a i am to session. I said at the time that its our responsibility to be here. Thats why we ran for office. Important things need to be decided and we need to be part of it, for the good of the nation. But were about to complete three straight weeks without one measure on the floor of the United States senate relating to the National PublicHealth Emergency that we face, not one. Three weeks, not one. Hearings in some committees, yes. Activity on the floor of the senate, no. No bill brought to the floor. In fact, an attempt yesterday, a resolution which said the United States should be involved in the Global International effort to find a vaccine was objected to on the republican side. The reason that the senator objected to it is that he wants to take up the measure in his committee at some later today. I think encourage that senator to do it quickly. I think theres a sense of urgency across america in terms of this national Health Emergency that we face, but theres not a sense of urgency on the republican side of the aisle. Despite the fact that for three weeks we have not considered one measure on the floor relating to this covid virus 19 circumstance is unexplainable and indefensible. Senator mcconnell of kentucky has told us that he doesnt sense the urgency for us to take up the measure passed last week by the house of representatives. This was a measure, a bipartisan measure, that was brought to the floor of the United States house of representatives which attempted to move us forward from the original cares act, the 3 trillion of cumulative spending, that we have focused on the economy on the Public Health crisis facing our nation. Is there any urgency to it . With i sense that urgency well, i sense that urgency ever time i pick up the phone or read the newspaper in my state of illinois. Im on Conference Call with groups across my state that are concerned about Economic Issues as well as Public Health issues. There is truly a sense of urgency where i live. I cannot believe that senator mcconnell doesnt sense it in his own state of kentucky. Kentucky hospitals and Health Care Providers have received 900 million in cares act funding. I dont question whether they were deserving or needed it. We received funds as well in the state of illinois. But the Kentucky Hospital Association tells us that the hospitals in kentucky are expected to lose 1. 3 billion in march and april alone. You know, we are next door to kentucky, and my hospitals in downstraight Southern Illinois right next to kentucky have told me the same thing. Theyre losing money right and left. Do they think this is an urgent problem in illinois . You bet that do. I bet the hospitals in kentucky do as well. Listen to what carl hurd said. Quote, since theres no clear path to recoup these losses, hospitals are left with no choice but to look at their own operations to cut as much cost as they possibly can, close quote. The university of kentucky is projecting a 160 million loss for its health care system. It has furloughed 1,500 employees. Jenny Stewart Health in hopkinsville, kentucky, has furloughed 248 members. Appalachian health will if you are 0 foe 500. Another 300. Pikeville Medical Center furloughed 200. Is there a sense of urgency in these communities when many of these are the largest employers in town and hundreds of people are being furloughed because of the covid virus, because they cannot resume ordinary hospital operations with this shadow of infection hanging over them . The bill that passed the house of representatives last week, which we did not consider or even discuss, to my knowledge, in the senate this week, the heroes act called for more than 100 billion more in relief to hospitals. How important is that . I know how important it is in illinois. I can tell you flat out, as a downstater, when you take a look at the rural and smalltown hospitals in my state, they are struggling. One Hospital Administrator told me she had scheduled four elective surgeries last monday you a week ago, and only one patient showed up. The other three called up and said they were too frightened to show up and run the risk of being exposed to the covid19 virus. I cannot imagine that that is not the same thing going on in ken company. Isnt there a sense of urgency in kentucky to help us move quickly before they furlough more people and ultimately closure, something we want to urgently avoid . State and local governments are struggling to pay teachers, First Responders, and Health Care Workers as they face record revenue losses and increased costs fighting the virus. The measure that passed the house of representatives last week had almost 1 trillion to help these state and local governments, not just in illinois but in every state. Including the commonwealth of kentucky. In states around the country, red and blue, the center for budget and policy priorities estimates the states are losing 650 billion in revenues by next summer. By the end of the year, kentucky is expected to lose between 10 and 17 of its annual revenues. Without help from the federal government, kentuckys governor announced that kentuckys recession will be longer or its unemployment will be greate