Mcconnell announced a vote on the next covid relief package coming up tomorrow although we expect discussion on the matter today as well. Now live to the floor of the u. S. Senate here on cspan2. The president pro tempore the senate will come to order. The chaplain, dr. Black, will lead the senate in prayer. The chaplain let us pray. Faithful father, our refuge and strength, give us such lawmakers that their lives will enable you to be glorified by bringing healing to our land. Lord, provide our nation with physical, mental, social, and spiritual healing by the power of your grace. Sustained by this grace, may our senators seek to please you in all they do. Inspire them to give you cheerfully their highest be gracious, mighty god, to our nation and world. Intowr us all empower us all until the words of our mouths and the meditations of our hearts are acceptable to you. We pray in your sacred 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. The presiding officer the senator from iowa is recognized. Mr. Grassley i ask one minute for morning business. The presiding officer without objection. Mr. Grassley this year has been one of the most challenging years for iowa farmers during my 40 years in the senate. Farmers have had to confront coronavirus supply chain disruptions, widespread drought, and a record wind storm that blew across our state during my county meetings, i saw iowa fields that were completely destroyed, 150 miles long, 3040 miles wide. The images of mature crops laying flat on the ground was heartbreaking, but iowans are a very resilient people. But the hurt that farmers have endured in year will be felt in our state for a few years to come. Senator ernst and i will keep fighting to strengthen iowas farm economy despite this years very challenging situations. I yield the floor. Mr. Mcconnell madam president. The presiding officer the majority leader is recognized. Mr. Mcconnell anyone watching the senate yesterday saw another installment in an ongoing series that has become somewhat familiar. Republicans roll out yet another effort to forge a bipartisan compromise around Coronavirus Relief, and democrats reply with partisan cheap shots and threats to block everything. Republicans develop a serious plan to get historic amounts of additional money in the pipeline for kids, for jobs, for schools, and democrats just point fingers, call names and keep blocking American Families from getting any more help before the november election. In july, republicans put forward a serious framework, but Speaker Pelosi and the democratic leader refused to talk unless starting point was their literally absurd 3. 4 trillion farleft wish list that even House Democrats called a stunt. In august, when those talks stalled, republicans proposed narrow agreements on specific urgent policies to help families. Unemployment benefits, the Paycheck Protection Program. Democrats refused again. This time their invented excuse was that any assistance short of their entire wish list was too piecemeal, too piecemeal and not worth doing. If democrats didnt get their diversity studies for the cannabis industry, stimulus checks for illegal immigrants, tax cuts for bluestate millionaires, theyd make sure millions of americans would lose their Unemployment Benefits and p. P. P. Would close. Thats what they threatened and thats what they did. So here we are in september. Schools and colleges have gone without, without the 105 billion that republicans wanted to give them back in july. Thats more money than Speaker Pelosi put in her bill. American workers have gone without the second round of the p. P. P. That republicans proposed weeks and weeks ago. Speaker pelosi had no money for p. P. P. In her 3. 4 trillion bill. The race for treatments and vaccines has gone without the additional funding that republicans wanted to deliver. Families have gone without the Economic Relief that republicans wanted to put in their pockets. And washington democrats have just kept trying to run out the clock, run out the clock until november. But heres one thing, madam president. The Senate Majority works for the American People. We fight for American Families. Were not going to let Speaker Pelosi and the democratic leader kill and bury Coronavirus Relief behind closed doors without putting every senator on the record. So we have put together a new targeted proposal containing several of the most urgent and most popular policies that would help americans right now, and tomorrow the whole senate will vote on it. It will be a procedural vote. Its not a vote to pass our bill tomorrow precisely as written. Its a vote for senators to say whether they want to move forward toward huge amounts of relief for kids, for jobs, for health care, or whether they are happier doing absolutely nothing. That is what every single senator will decide tomorrow. Do you want to do something something or do you want to do nothing . Democratic leaders know this simple choice will put the spotlight on their partisan antics. They know this vote will expose their obstruction. Speaker pelosi and leader schumer were attacking our new proposal yesterday before they even read it, before it had even come out. I would normally make fun of that, madam president , but in this case it makes perfect sense because their position is clearly they do not want any bipartisan relief whatsoever. They do not want any bipartisan relief whatsoever to reach American Families prior to the election. They didnt even need to see what we were proposing. If it helped working families in any way, in any way between now and november 3, Speaker Pelosi and leader schumer knew for sure they opposed it. Their red herrings and cherrypicked arguments have given way to total dishonesty. Yesterday our colleague from new york railed against a provision pertaining to critical supply chains, calling it some sinister giveaway to big business. A provision pertaining to critical supply chains, he called a sinister giveaway to big business . Madam president , that provision is cosponsored by his own democratic Ranking Member on the committee. So either the democratic leader is impugning his own Ranking Member right along with republicans or else he simply doesnt know what hes talking about. Likewise, the junior senator from vermont attacked this provision as corporate welfare, but he himself did not vote against this very provision in committee on two occasions. Theyre so desperate to keep working families from getting hean before the election any help before the election that some democrats are now attacking things they previously supported. At this point its just silly season on the democratic side. Theyve run out of excuses not to legislate, and even their cheap shots just backfire in embarrassing ways. But tomorrow, tomorrow the senate will cut through all the noise with one vote. Every senator will either say they want to move forward, agree where we can, and make a law to help people and keep arguing over our differences later, or say they prefer to do absolutely nothing. Every senator will vote on this significant package which secures federal Unemployment Benefits, reopens the p. P. P. For a second draw, sends more than 100 million to keep kids safe in school, helps parents with child care, helps family afford expenses for homeschooling, and rebuilds our strategic medical stockpile. This is not, not a simplistic argument over big versus small. Republicans want more money for k12 and college than was in the democrats bill. We want more money for p. P. P. , which their bill forgot to fund. These are bipartisan priorities that democrats left behind and republicans want to take care of. So tomorrow, tomorrow American Families will learn who wants to make a law for them and who is happiest if they get nothing. Now on a completely different matter, on saturday the world of sports once again revolved around my hometown of louisville for the 146th kentucky derby. Like so many other events, the coronavirus made this years derby look a little different. The race had already been postponed for only the second time in history, and none of the 150,000 spectators who normally fill Churchill Downs were there to sing my old kentucky home. But, the most exciting two minutes in sports refused to be defeated. The derby remains the longest continually held american sporting event, and this years labor day derby proved worth the wait. The winning thoroughbred, authentic outlasted a ferocious challenge from the favorite. Id like to extend the senates congratulations to the entire hall of fame team. This years derby showed our great traditions can adapt to overcome any challenge. But our sport must be protected. Ive been proud to stand up for kentucky horse racing throughout my career. I introduced a checkout bill to promote the sport domestically. I p assembled a keelings to opew markets in japan and hong kong. I worked to make sure that internet regulation did not unduly restrict the racing industry. I secured tax provisions to promote he equine equity and grw investment in kentucky. Its been my privilege to deliver for this sport and kentuckians who stand behind it. Today im introducing new legislation to keep it up, because unfortunately the coronavirus isnt thoroughbreds racing only challenge. In recent years tragedies on the track, medication scandals and a patchwork of regulations have cast clouds over the future. The National PublicationsEditorial Board even called for this sport to be abolished altogether. We needed action to protect the sport we love, defend our history and the 24,000 kentuckians who work in the thoroughbred racing industry. So in lexington, the Horse Capital of the world, i announced that my friend, congressman andy barr, that we found a way forward. Today ill introduce the horse racing integrity and safety act to recognize the uniform National Standard for thoroughbred racing. Baseball, football, and other professional sports have a central regulatory authority. Thoroughbred racing should as well. Some of the biggest names in the sport, Churchill Downs, the breeders cup and the jockey club, just to name a few, are supporting our plan to provide federal recognition and enforcement power to an independent horse racing integrity and safety authority. The board will be made up of both industry selected and independent members. It will set National Standards for track safety, antidoping and medication practices and lab protocols. This will make thoroughbred racing as fair and as safe as possible. Im proud to partner with senator christen gillibrand christen gillibrand on this bipartisan legislation. New york is home to another leg of the triple crown. Their junior senator has introduced similar legislation to protect our sport. Im also glad to have the senior senator from california as an original cosponsor on this bipartisan bill. Today congressman barr and congressman tonko will present this legislation over in the house. Im grateful for congressman barrs years of leadership on this issue, and im glad we are making bipartisan, bicameral progress with our bill. This way, when we can all return to the grandstands to watch the thoroughbreds round the final turn toward a thundering finish, well be taking pride in a fair and safe race. 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, brett h. Ludwig of wisconsin to be United States district judge for the Eastern District of wisconsin. Mr. Mcconnell i notice 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 i ask unanimous consent the quorum be dispensed with. The presiding officer without objection. Mr. Schumer now, madam president , the amount of 1984like doublespeak that comes out of the other side never ceases to amaze, and i guess its becoming more its becoming more and more extreme. The republican leader calls his bill bipartisan. I would remind the leader that bipartisan means two parties, democrats and republicans. His bill is only a product of the republican side. The republican leader said democrats are delaying things. Was it democrats who called for a pause . Was it democrats when covid was ranging said raging said we had to assess the situation . Oh, no, it was the republican leader who said those things. Meanwhile, democrats in the house, supported by democrats in the senate, have passed a strong, comprehensive bill. We have just been waiting and waiting for our republican friends to get their act together so they might come close, even near coming to the moment that we need it. So after taking a pause on covid relief for four months, finally, finally, finally Senate Republicans are realizing the damage that their delay has done to our economy and the nations health. Yesterday, leader mcconnell announced by the end of the week, the senate would vote on a new slimmeddown version of an alreadyskinny republican bill. We know what happened here. The leader did nothing for months, but the American People are demanding action. Republican governors, local officials, hospitals, Small Businesses, everyone is demanding action. Restaurants. Performance stages in places are demanding action, not just of democrats, but of both sides of the aisle. So the leader had to do something. At first, he tried to cobble together a legislative response, but it failed spectacularly. Leader mcconnell was unable to bring it even forward for a vote. Thats happened a couple of weeks ago. So now, because he cant get the votes, because by his own admission, 20 of his own members want no money voted in this crisis. How Many Americans think there should be no money at the height of the greatest economic crisis we have had since the depression, the height of the greatest Health Crisis we have had since the spanish pandemic flu . How Many Americans think the federal government should do nothing . But a large chunk of the Republican Caucus evidently seems to, by the Republican Leaders own admission. So he couldnt even get this trilliondollar bill passed. It was pathetic. So now republicans are going to cut their original inadequate, 1 trillion bill in half in a desperate attempt to find the lowest common denominator among republicans. As the pain, the economic pain for millions of americans advance, Senate Republicans are actually moving backward. Of course, up until now, the issue in our negotiations with the white house where leader mcconnell have been absent has been about the size and scope of the next relief bill. Democrats passed a 3 trillion bill through the house over two months ago. Why . Thats the need of america during this great crisis. We didnt come up with just any numbers. We studied it carefully. We talked to school administrators. What do you need . We talked to hospital administrators. What do you need . We talked to restaurants. We talked to performance places. What do you need . We came up with a carefully thoughtout bill that met the need. Our republican friends didnt meet the need. They came out with what they called a skinny bill at 1 trillion. We all know why. The rightwing ideology that has so gripped so much of the Republican Party doesnt want to spend any money. We at least in an offer to compromise offered to meet our republican friends in the middle. They balked. No, no, no, they didnt want to compromise. Their way or no way. And now, instead of improving their offer, Senate Republicans have made it even stingier and even less appropriate to the looming crises that we have. Im not sure what kind of negotiating strategy that is, but it sure isnt a serious strategy and it sure wont be successful. Thats why i called it cynical yesterday. Covid19 has changed nearly every aspect of american life. The needs in our country are so great. The pain felt by average americans is severe. And yet the new republican proposal doesnt include Food Assistance for people who cant feed their kids, rental assistance for people who will be kicked out of their homes, aid to state and local governments desperate not to lay off, bus drivers, sanitation workers and firefighters. In their new bill republicans wont even let the states use existing funds to cover lost revenues. It leaves out hazard pay, it leaves out broadband so desperately need in rural areas, it leaves out funding for safe elections and help for the census. It shortchanges our Health Care System and education system. As school years begin across the country, the new emaciated republican bill basically makes funding for schools contingent upon reopening. So if youre a school struggling with the cost of operating remotely, if youre a school that would like to reopen safely but need help instituting new standards and protections, the g. O. P. Bill says tough luck. Donald trump comes up with the idea that all schools must open and our republican colleagues come up with a proposal that says to the millions of kids who will go to school remotely or