Procedural vote will take place this morning on the nominee. The confirmation vote later this afternoon. And the negotiations are continuing on a coronavirus aid package. Live coverage now here on cspan2. The president pro tempore the senate will come to order. The chaplain, dr. Black, will open the senate with prayer. The chaplain let us pray. O god our shield, we rejoice in the gift of your salvation. Look with favor upon our senators today, delivering them from fear and guiding them around the obstacles that hinder their progress. Lord, unite them for the common good of this great land. Lord, manifest your purposes to them, making clear your plans and guiding them with your love. Give them the wisdom to have confidence in your power, as you inspire them to use their talents as instruments of liberation and healing. Almighty god, have compassion upon our nation and world. We pray in your holy name. Amen. The president pro tempore please join me in 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 mr. President . The presiding officer the gentleman from iowa. Mr. Grassley one minute for morning business. The presiding officer without objection. Mr. Grassley i want to speak about a native american tradition in the state of iowa. Its about the masquaky nation, the only federally recognized tribe in iowa. This year many more than Community Events have been canceled due to covid19 pandemic. Each year the the masquaky powwow serves as an opportunity to bring the tribe together with fellow iowans to share, learn, and honor the mas unique contribution to our state. This is important to preserving the masquaky heritage and sharing it with the next generation. In light of the cancellation, they are posting a number of Educational Resources on their Facebook Page at masquaky nation to honor their annual powwow week. I encourage iowans to visit and learn. I yield the floor. Mr. Mcconnell mr. President . The presiding officer the majority leader. Mr. Mcconnell its been one week since Senate Democrats forced the additional federal benefit for jobless americans to expire. Senate republicans tried everything to prevent the lapse. That monday we rolled out a comprehensive proposal for another rescue package that would have kept extra federal benefits flowing. Democrats refused to act so we tried to force the issue. One of our senators requested unanimous consent to continue the benefits through the end of the year at a still historically generous level. This plan would have also corrected the bizarre choice facing American Workers whom the system was actually paying more to stay home than to resume working. But that wasnt good enough for the democratic leader and he objected. Another republican senator then asked unanimous consent to extend federal support exactly as it has been for one more week, one more week so the jobless americans didnt have to bear the cost of democrats leisurely negotiating pace. Once again the democratic leader objected. Finally, republicans forced a floor vote to demonstrate whether senators were enwilling to debate the even willing to debate the issue, whether senators would even consider extending these benefits, and every single democrat present voted no. The week since then has been seen what weve seen is plenty of talk, plenty of stalling from the Democratic Leaders who have insisted on handling this themselves. But no Significant Movement toward progress. They still kept their ranking members and more reasonable voices locked up. The speaker and the democratic leader continue to obstruct the kinds of committeelevel discussions that deliver the cares act are no longer in style. Only they are allowed to speak. Only they among democrats are allowed to have an opinion. Day after day theyve stonewalled the president s team. Day by day theyve tried to invent new euphemisms to create the illusion of progress. Yesterdays contribution from the speaker was this. Theres now a light at the end of the tunnel. But how long that tunnel is remains to be seen. Well, there are a lot of struggling americans who could tell Speaker Pelosi exactly how long this tunnel has been. And that will continue to be endless unless the democrats let us provide more relief to the country. Their second week of inaction has brought the country to a second cliff in coronavirus aid. Last week it was the extra federal benefit for laid off workers. This week its the enormously popular Paycheck Protection Program that has kept millions more americans off the unemployment rolls in the first place. The p. P. P. Was written and designed in march by chairman rubio and chairman collins as main street america was hurdling toward a cliff. Their innovative policy has saved Small Businesses at a massive scale. Hundreds of billions of dollars have gone out in emergency loans to more than 600,000 Small Businesses. I hear constantly from kentuckians whose local businesses and jobs would not have survived the last several months without this program. From distilleries to medical device suppliers to Domestic Violence advocates, the p. P. E. Has helped p. P. P. Has helped institutions weather the storm and keep more kentuckians on the payroll. This Emergency Program hasnt been perfect but it has been a huge, huge success. It has remained a success because back in april we finally got democrats to let us provide another wave of funding after a pointless delay and pointless brinksmanship. You may detect a pattern here. But now many of these businesses are reaching the end of their rope. Their p. P. P. Money is dwindling but since the virus remains with us, even where shutdown orders have been lifted, commerce has not roared all the way back. One survey found one in four workers who were hired back and kept getting paid because of p. P. P. Have now been warned, warned they might be let go again. And you can bet that number will increase. Heres how one Business Owner explained the looming danger to reporters. If there is another round isnt another round of stimulus, well start cutting past the fat and to the bone. And thats our people and our people are hard, hard to replace. Congress should be strengthening the p. P. P. Instead the democrats have put it in jeopardy. This saturday, august 8, is the official deadline for anyone who hasnt yet gotten a loan to apply. The door closes the day after tomorrow. And many firms that did receive the assistance are getting nearer to the bottom of the well. This is why Senate Republicans blueprint for another major rescue package would put 190 billion into a second draw of the p. P. P. For the businesses that most need help. The House Democrats 3 trillion, 3 trillion wish list totally left that out. They ignored the p. P. P. We want to reup it. This is just one of the many ways our serious proposal beats the absurd farleft wish list the democrats own moderate members laughed out of town. While they focus on unrelated liberal demands like tax cuts for rich people in blue states, were focused on Serious Solutions for the problems facing americans right now. But instead of getting serious, the Democratic Leaders have chosen instead to misrepresent and even lie about whats all at stake. The Democratic Leaders repeated misstatements about the Legal Protections that Senate Republicans and the white house want for schools, doctors, nurses, charities, and employers have earned him three pinocchios from the Washington Post and a mostly false rating from another factchecker. Let me say that again, mr. President. The Democratic Leaders repeated misstatements about the Legal Protections that Senate Republicans and the white house want for schools, doctors, nurses, charities, and employers have earned him three, three pinocchios from the Washington Post and a mostly false rating from another factchecker. He doesnt even seem to realize that we model our medical malpractice reforms on the covidrelated protections that his fellow democrats put in place in new york. So this is where we are, mr. President. Another week that the speaker of the house and the democratic leader have spent stonewalling the hims team in talks and holding out for ideological pet projects with no relationship whatsoever to the covid crisis. And now, now as a result, struggling americans are facing another cliff with another important form of relief on its last legs. A second straight week of political theater from our democratic colleagues with no result except more pain for families, more uncertainty for workers, and more evidence to suggest that perhaps Democratic Leaders were never serious about getting something accomplished in the first place. All across america, small Business Owners are hurting and hoping the democrats get reasonable and allow another major package to move forward. Unemployed americans need these endless talks to finally bear fruit. So do School Principals and working parents and Senior Citizens and nurses and doctors and University President s and students of all ages. Thats why i will not be adjourning the senate for our august recess today as has been previously scheduled. Ive told republican senators theyll have 24hour notice before a vote but the senate will be convening on monday and ill be right here in washington. The house has already skipped town. But the senate wont adjourn for august unless and until the democrats demonstrate they will never let an agreement materialize. A lot of americans hopes, a lot of americans lives are riding on the democrats endless talk. I hope theyre not disappointed. Now, mr. President , i understand theres a bill at the desk due a second reading. The presiding officer the clerk will read the title of the bill for the second time. The clerk s. 4461, a bill to provide for a period of continuing appropriations in the event of a lapse and so forth. Mr. Mcconnell in order to place the bill on the calendar under the provisions of rule 14, i would object to further proceedings. The presiding officer objection having been heard, the bill will be placed on the calendar. Under itself 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, John Peter Cronan of new york to be United States district judge for the Southern District of new york. Mr. Mcconnell i suggest the absence of a quorum. The presiding officer the clerk will call the roll. Quorum call quorum call quorum call quorum call mr. Schumer madam 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, madam president , over the past week and a half, Speaker Pelosi and i have been engaged in serious discussions and negotiation in negotiation with the white house over another round of emergency relief for the American People. Our motivation is simple. Americans are crying out for relief. Cases, hospitalizations, and deaths continue to climb. The snowball of Economic Impact continues to roll downhill. This morning we learned that another 1. 2 million americans filed for unemployment, far more than at any time during the Great Recession that began in 2008. Our two parties dont agree on many things. Thats no secret. The Trump Administration has bun galled this crisis from the very beginning. And even now is careening from one selfinflicted crisis to the next. Democrats believe that congress has a moral obligation to step into the breach, to help americans put food on the table and keep the roof over their heads, to save our economy from a deeper recession, and longer recovery, and fight this disease with all the resources and wherewithal a great nation can bring to bear. So after the Senate Republican majority failed in spectacular fashion to put together a bill even its own members could support, democrats have engaged in arduous negotiations with the white house trying to impress upon them the gravity of the situation. We have made some progress this week but not enough. And the biggest reason is that President Trump and his aides and his party in congress are not truly awake to whats happening in this country. The Trump Administration and Senate Republicans have badly mauled the body politic, the american economy, and American Health care. We democrats believe the patient needs a major operation while republicans want to apply a band aid. And we wont let them just pass the band aid, go home, and still leave america bleeding. Thats the difference right now on so many issues. Our republican counterparts refuse to acknowledge that americans who have lost their job through no fault of their own might need some assistance with rent. The republican leader warns of an epidemic of lawsuits that hasnt materialized. What will materialize soon is an epidemic of evictions unless we extend the moratorium and pass rental assistance. Between 19 and 23 million households, one in five rental households will be at risk of eviction by the end of september, unless we do something, unless our republican colleagues wake up. Our republican counterparts refuse to acknowledge that state, local, and tribal governments who the Trump Administration abandoned in the early days of this crisis might need federal support to prevent teachers, firefighters, bus drivers from being laid off. And Public Services from being slashed at the worst possible time. Leader mcconnell just states, just states that states should go bankrupt. Thats not acceptable. Our republican counterparts refuse to acknowledge that running an election in the middle of a pandemic is going to be difficult, that state election systems are going to need more resources, and our post office must be well staffed and prepared to manage an election that see more voting by mail than any before. Yesterday the republican leader scoffed at the idea of extended enhanced Unemployment Benefits because it would mean that some americans without work would be paid more than our essential workers. Conveniently the republican leader did not mention that democrats have proposed for months that we give our essential workers additional hazard pay and that he and his party continue to block it. If our friends on the other side are finally worried about how little many of our essential workers are making as we are, id hope they put their money where their mouth is and support our proposal to give them hazard pay. When it comes to elections and education, Food Assistance for hungry children, and mind bogglingly when it comes to health care, tracing and medicaid, our republican friends continue to pinch pennies during a national emergency. Again this is the reason that our negotiations with the white house have been so difficult. The president and his aides and his party in congress are not even awake to the crisis in our country. President trump doesnt have a plan, doesnt engage in negotiations, and still manages to undercut the negotiations at every turn. There is no leadership from the white house at a time of great crisis. Historians will look back and say this is one of the greatest crises america has felt and the white house is nowhere to be found. Its never happened before. Way back in march after we passed the cares act, the Senate Republican majority made a dangerous gamble. Leader mcconnell said he was putting the senate on, quote, pause to see what would happen. Senate republicans swallowed the president s ridiculous fantasy that the disease would just disappear. Hoping they wouldnt have to do anything, the republican majority put the senate on ice for four long months, four months. Only yesterday leader mcconnell admitted that his delay, quote, allowed us to learn the coronavirus didnt mysteriously disappear. So look, at this late stage, after months of republican delay, as the country got worse and worse, after republicans in the senate failed to generate a proposal that even their own caucus or president could support, democrats are now in the room, were the ones in the room trying to negotiate a bill that would meet the countrys needs. And while some of my friends on the other side of the aisle are just looking for an outcome, any outcome so they can vote on something and go home, we are not going to agree to an inadequate bill that doesnt address the challenges in our country. And we are not going to give up. We are going to keep fighting until we achieve the caliber of legislation the American People during this time of great crisis need and deserve. Were going to keep working until we get it done. I yield the floor and note the absence of a quorum. The presiding officer the clerk will call the