Bill despite talks on capitol hill last week. Senate Majority Leader Mitch Mcconnell says lawmakers will be given 24 24 hours notice to return to capitol hill to vote if a deal is reached. The presiding officer the senate will come to order. The chaplain will lead the senate in prayer. The chaplain let us pray. O god our refuge and strength, give us reverence for your greatness. Guide our senators around the pitfalls of their work, enabling them to have hearts sustained by your peace. May they surrender their will to you, as they trust you to guide their lives. Lord, give them the wisdom to receive your reproof with the understanding that you chastise those whom you love for their good. Make their lives productive for the glory of your name. Mighty god, protect the oppressed and helpless, preserving them from evil. We pray in your great name, amen. The presiding officer join me in reciting the pledge. 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. The presiding officer the clerk will read a communication to the senate. The clerk washington, d. C. , august 12, 2020. To the senate under the provisions of rule 1, paragraph 3, of the standing rules of the senate, i hereby point the honorable roy blunt, a senator from the state of missouri, to perform the duties of the chair. Signed chuck grassley, president pro tempore. Mr. Mcconnell mr. President . The presiding officer the majority leader. Mr. Mcconnell yesterday i spoke about the disconnect between discourse here in washington and the pain and uncertainty that American Families are feeling all across our country. I spoke about the human toll of the democrats choice to play politics with billions and billions of aid and block it all over noncovid19related wish list items. Its been clear for some weeks that the speaker of the house and the Senate Democratic leader are treating this crisis like an ordinary political game. The New York Times said Speaker Pelosi is, quote, playing hardball. Politico says she is taking a huge risk as she remains almost entirely unyielding in her demands. More than 160,000 americans have been killed by the worst Infectious Disease outbreak in more than a century. More than 16 million americans are out of work. An entire school year for our kids is in limbo. The democrats are playing political games like this for some runofthemill typical negotiation. Partisan gamesmanship and playing politics. Those are House Democrats im quoting on the House Democratic bill. Yesterday literally a few minutes after i said on the floor that democrats should stop treating this crisis like a game, the democratic leader came to the floor to talk about who, quote, ran down the clock; who, quote, tossed up an airball; and, who, quote, subbed themselves out of the game. So, look. The democrats arent taking this as a serious issue. They arent acting like this is serious, and the American People are hurting in the meantime. Lets get outside the beltway and listen to how this crisis has impacted real American Families and how the democrats stonewalling continues to hurt them. Since we passed the cares act, ive been visiting Health Care Facilities in high home state of kentucky in my home state of kentucky, place like Kings Daughters Medical Center in ashland, always wearing a mask and social distancing, of course. Ive thanked the frontline workers and heard how the senates last rescue package has helped them save lives and stay safer themselves while doing it. Thats because the cares act provided 1. 3 billion for Kentucky Health care providers alone on top of more than 120 million wed already sent for testing. But kentuckys incredible nurses, doctor, and hospitals are not finished fighting the battle on behalf of their communities. And Congress Must not be finished helping them do it. Thats why Senate Republicans proposed major new investments in health providers. We want to send tens of billions more to expand testing, to reimburse Health Care Facilities for unplanned pandemic expenses, to speed the development and rapid distribution of covid19 treatments, and to find a vaccine to finish this fight once and for all. Thats what republicans would like to do, but democrats have blocked all of it over noncovidrelated liberal demands. Lets talk about the p. P. P. The Historic Program that that is kept main street alive and kept millions of americans from losing their jobs. This program has been transformational for kentucky. Our Small Businesses and their workers have received more than 5 billion in payroll support, as the director of the daretocare food bank in louisville told me, p. P. P. Fund something what has allowed his facility to keep its entire workforce precisely what our Community Needs were the greatest. And i heard from the director of a kentucky museum, quote, the p. P. P. Program was the one hope that we had to keep our business alive. But these Small Businesses and nonprofits are now nearing the end of this help. P. P. P. Had to close its doors last saturday for new applications, and Many Employers are exhausting the money they had already received. Our country is approaching another Small BusinessTipping Point and workers could begin getting pang slips instead of paychecks. Thats why Senate Republican wrote up plans for a whole new round of p. P. P. , a full second draw tort hardesthit businesses. House democrats left it out of their bill and slings turned their backs on those benefiting from p. P. P. But republicans want to keep helping main street workers. One womanowned Small Business in Northern Kentucky shared that, quote, were grateful for the 465,000 in the p. P. P. But weve used all of it for payroll and employrelated costs, 18 expenses. We are seeking more help to keep our most treasured asset our people employed. And the president of an Inspection Company in louisville says this. You have no idea how much this second draw on p. P. P. Will help us. We were actually in the process of figuring out how we were going to make it through to our fall work season. If we get this, that second tranche, if we get this, we can make it into our season with no layoffs. Republicans want to get more aid to these workers but Senate Democrats have blocked every bit of it over noncovidrelated liberal demands. Lets talk about our University President s. Our k12 School Boards want Legal Protections so they can reopen. So republicans proposed billions for education. Actually, even more than House Democrats in their bill. But now democrats are blocking it all over unrelated liberal demands. Republicans want another round of direct checks direct checks to households across kentucky and across america. I just heard from one constituent who said with my first one i was able to get an eye exam and new glasses. I appreciate all you can do. Some of us are hurting and need help. I want to put more cash in her pocket right now. But democrats are blocking every penny over unrelated liberal demands. So, mr. President , do you see the pattern . Kentuckians need more help. Americans need more help. The American People are not done fighting this virus. And republicans are not done crafting policies to help them. But the difference between now and march is that democrats seem to be finished being reasonable. The speaker of the house, the Senate Democratic leader have cut all their colleagues all of them all of their committees out of negotiations. Theyre doing this alone. And theyve declared that none of the priorities i named will see a single dime unless the two of them have declared none of the priorities i have named will see a single dime unless millionaires in brooklyn and San Francisco get a massive tax cut, states get a trilliondollar slush fund to cover budget problems from long before the pandemic, and we tax essential workers to pay Unemployed People a higher salary to stay home. Republicans wanted to Reach Agreement on all of these issues where we could find Common Ground and fight over the last few issues later, but the speaker and the democratic leader say nothing can move unless every one of these unrelated farleft items tags along. These two individuals are letting the wish lists of wealthy coastal elites stand between every working family in america and the additional help they deserve. So maybe in a few moments the democratic leader or somebody on the other side will try again to explain how this is all some big political game. Well, kentuckians know differently. They need results. All of our states need results. And republicans will fight until we actually get an outcome. The presiding officer under the previous order, the leadership time is is reserved. And under the previous order, the senate will be in a period of morning business with senators permitted to speak for up to ten minutes each. Mr. Kaine mr. President . The presiding officer the senator from virginia. Mr. Kaine mr. President , i rise today to speak about the latest coronavirus emergency aid package, but before i do, as a matter of personal privilege, i want to offer some comments and praise of a colleague. Just as we gather together, regardless of party, to mourn when a colleague dies or be together with a colleague whos undergoing a challenge, i think its good to gather together and acknowledge when something positive happens to a colleague, regardless of our political affiliation. And this is the first opportunity on the senate floor to offer a word about senator kamala harris, one of our colleagues who in an historic move, was asked by Vice President joe biden to join him as his preferred nominee to be Vice President of the United States. Ive come to know senator harris in her years in the senate, as many of us have, in her service especially in the Judiciary Committee and the intelligence committee. Her Public Service track record is a significant one worthy of praise from her work as a District Attorney, first a line prosecutor and then the elected District Attorney where she focused to trying to keep her Community Safe to services, broadening the portfolio to include Environmental Justice and Consumer Protection and news her work in the senate since 2016. What i find so compelling about senator harris in addition to her track record is her personal story, raised as the child of two immigrants a jamaican father and and indian mother. As so many in this country raised as children of immigrants developing a passion to serve and a patriotic love of country. Shes the first nominee African American woman nominee ever to be on a ticket. She is at first south person of south asian descent ever to be ton a picket. In the year 2020 when were celebrating the anniversary of the right of women to vote, i can think of no better than a woman breaking a Glass Ceiling whereby no woman in this country has ever been a Vice President or president. Were so good at so much in this country. In fact were so good at many things with regard to women in this country. But were sort of uniquely bad in electing women to Higher Office in congress right now. 24 of congress is women and that ranks us 76th in the world in terms of our percentage of women. We trail iraq, canada, mexico, and many other nations. Regardless of how it all works out between nods and november and regardless of our own political affiliations, this a good day, i believe, for the country and a good day for the senate when one of the 100 is recognized in such a way and introduced to the American Public with an opportunity to serve. At a significant level. Returning to the latest coronavirus emergency aid package, currently the package doesnt exist. There have been no bipartisan negotiations on it since last friday. Thats disappointing to all of us who are here, ready and willing to negotiate and vote for a strong bipartisan relief package. The house of representatives passed its strong package back on may 15. Now nearly three months ago. Todays august 12. There was some hope that maybe covid cases were ticking downward. At the end of may, there was some hope that maybe the economic devastation was reducing, but covid cases did not tick down over the summer as some had hoped. In fact, they have ticked up in many parts of the country. The senate has not taken any votes on the house bill or indeed on any bill. Thats disappointing. But more than that, its disappointing for millions of americans who are in the midst of hard times right now and are worried about their own health or the health of their loved ones. They are worried about whether they will receive Unemployment Benefits or how they will make rent or the mortgage or how their children will get an education. We know in this body we can transcend public as usual to address coronavirus because we did so in march by passing the cares act. Even as members of this body as we meet were getting coronavirus as we were having those discussions. Even as staffers were getting it, even as Senate Spouses were getting it, we stayed at the table and found a bipartisan bill that helped us deal with the challenge for a few critical months. But were here debating this again because the magnitude of the crisis is not a crisis of a few months. No, its such that the aid provided thus far is running out while americans hardships continue. And thats why its essential that we not give up and that we stay here as long as it takes to come through for the American People. Ive heard some in congress, indeed some in this body, say about more federal aid for Coronavirus Response i just dont see the need for it. Indeed, the majority leader has candidly acknowledged that approximately 20 members of the Republican Caucus will not vote for more aid. Well, i want to make the case first that there is need for it. And the need is undeniable because the circumstances that people are living in are dire. Last friday, we found out that the Unemployment Rate in july was 10. 2 , which is a number that is higher than at any point during the 20082009 recession. The president called this great jobs numbers, but i dont see anything great about one in ten americans who are in the workforce not being able to find work. More than 30 million americans are collecting Unemployment Benefits, and last week their benefit checks were cut by more than 50 . In virginia, just as an example, unemployed workers are now receiving a maximum, a maximum of 378 a week. Thats not enough to pay rent, let alone rent, groceries, child care, electric bills, and many other costs that families face every day. Because they lost their jobs and other income, millions of americans are now at risk of eviction or foreclosure. The 600 federal unemployment benefit and federal Eviction Moratorium were holding this off for many, but with those relief measures expiring, families are unable to continue paying their august or september bills. One estimate is that 12 million evictions will be filed by october. 12 million is essentially the combined population of about six or seven states. There could be that many evictions filed by october just in october. Just in virginia, there was a stateimposed Eviction Moratorium that lapsed in five weeks, and just in those five weeks, nearly 10,000 evictions were filed potentially forcing people out of their homes. Three in ten virginia renters surveyed a couple of weeks ago said they were uncertain how they could pay august rent. And it was more than half of all African American renters surveyed said that was the case. Housing instability is difficult at any point in time, but imagine losing your housing during a pandemic. What are people supposed to do during a pandemic . The advice is if you can stay home, dont go out, dont be with others. That will help keep you and your family safe, but how can you quarantine at home if you are in danger of losing your home . Like the senator, the majority leader who quoted from constituents in kentucky, im hearing from virginia constituents every day. From allison who writes i have exhausted my savings account. I have rent due, groceries to buy, bills to pay. I am now desperate for immediate help. Fro