granule_id,date,congress,session,volume,issue,title,chamber,granule_class,sub_granule_class,page_start,page_end,speakers,bills,citation,full_text CREC-2020-12-31-pt1-PgD1143-2,2020-12-31,116,2,,,Daily Digest/Senate Committee Meetings,SENATE,DAILYDIGEST,DDSCMEETINGS,D1143,D1143,,,166 Cong. Rec. D1143,"Congressional Record, Volume 166 Issue 223 (Thursday, December 31, 2020) [Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 223 (Thursday, December 31, 2020)] [Daily Digest] [Page D1143] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] Committee Meetings (Committees not listed did not meet) No committee meetings were held." CREC-2020-12-31-pt1-PgD1143-3,2020-12-31,116,2,,,Daily Digest/House of Representatives,HOUSE,DAILYDIGEST,DDHCHAMBER,D1143,D1145,,"[{""congress"": ""116"", ""type"": ""HR"", ""number"": ""221""}, {""congress"": ""116"", ""type"": ""S"", ""number"": ""371""}, {""congress"": ""116"", ""type"": ""HRES"", ""number"": ""965""}, {""congress"": ""116"", ""type"": ""HRES"", ""number"": ""1273""}, {""congress"": ""116"", ""type"": ""S"", ""number"": ""1310""}, {""congress"": ""116"", ""type"": ""HR"", ""number"": ""1923""}, {""congress"": ""116"", ""type"": ""HR"", ""number"": ""1925""}, {""congress"": ""116"", ""type"": ""HR"", ""number"": ""2678""}, {""congress"": ""116"", ""type"": ""HR"", ""number"": ""2744""}, {""congress"": ""116"", ""type"": ""HR"", ""number"": ""3153""}, {""congress"": ""116"", ""type"": ""HR"", ""number"": ""4704""}, {""congress"": ""116"", ""type"": ""S"", ""number"": ""5076""}, {""congress"": ""116"", ""type"": ""HR"", ""number"": ""8169""}, {""congress"": ""116"", ""type"": ""HR"", ""number"": ""9057""}, {""congress"": ""116"", ""type"": ""HR"", ""number"": ""9067""}]",166 Cong. Rec. D1143,"Congressional Record, Volume 166 Issue 223 (Thursday, December 31, 2020) [Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 223 (Thursday, December 31, 2020)] [Daily Digest] [Pages D1143-D1145] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] House of Representatives Chamber Action Public Bills and Resolutions Introduced: 11 public bills, H.R. 9057- 9067; and 1 resolution, H. Res. 1273 were introduced. Page H9178 Additional Cosponsors: Page H9179 Reports Filed: A report was filed on December 29, 2020 as follows: Committee on Small Business. Report on the Activity of the Committee on Small Business of the One Hundred Sixteenth Congress (H. Rept. 116- 702). Reports were filed today as follows: Committee on Ethics. Committee on Ethics Summary of Activities 116th Congress (H. Rept. 116-703); H.R. 8169, to amend the Elder Abuse Prevention and Prosecution Act to authorize the Elder Justice Initiative, to require that online resources of such initiative are made available in Spanish, and for other purposes (H. Rept. 116-704); [[Page D1144]] H.R. 2678, to amend title 18, United States Code, to provide for the tolling of the statute of limitations with regard to certain offenses committed by the President of the United States during or prior to tenure in office, and for other purposes, with an amendment (H. Rept. 116-705); Committee on the Budget. Activities and Summary Report of the Committee on the Budget (H. Rept. 116-706); Committee on House Administration. Activities of the Committee on House Administration During the 116th Congress (H. Rept. 116-707); Select Committee on Climate Crisis. Activities of the Select Committee on the Climate Crisis (H. Rept. 116-708); Committee on Armed Services. Activities of the Committee on Armed Services (H. Rept. 116-709); Committee on Oversight and Reform. Activity Report Committee on Oversight and Reform (H. Rept. 116-710); Committee on Education and Labor. Report on the Activities of the Committee on Education and Labor (H. Rept. 116-711); and Committee on Natural Resources. Report on the Activities of the Committee on Natural Resources (H. Rept. 116-712). Page H9178 Communication from the Sergeant at Arms: The House received a communication from Paul D. Irving, Sergeant at Arms. Pursuant to section 1(b)(2) of House Resolution 965, following consultation with the Office of Attending Physician, Mr. Irving notified the House that the public health emergency due to the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 remains in effect. Page H9169 Announcement by the Chair: The Speaker announced the further extension, pursuant to section 1(b)(2) of House Resolution 965, effective December 31, 2020, of the covered period designated on May 20, 2020. Page H9169 Advancing Research to Prevent Suicide Act: The House agreed to take from the Speaker's table and concur in the Senate amendment to H.R. 4704, to direct the Director of the National Science Foundation to support multidisciplinary research on the science of suicide, and to advance the knowledge and understanding of issues that may be associated with several aspects of suicide including intrinsic and extrinsic factors related to areas such as wellbeing, resilience, and vulnerability. Pages H9169-70 Expanding Findings for Federal Opioid Research and Treatment Act: The House agreed to take from the Speaker's table and concur in the Senate amendment to H.R. 3153, to direct the Director of the National Science Foundation to support research on opioid addiction. Page H9170 Designating the Manhattan Campus of the New York Harbor Health Care System of the Department of Veterans Affairs as the ``Margaret Cochran Corbin Campus of the New York Harbor Health Care System'': The House agreed to take from the Speaker's table and concur in the Senate amendment to H.R. 1925, to designate the Manhattan Campus of the New York Harbor Health Care System of the Department of Veterans Affairs as the ``Margaret Cochran Corbin Campus of the New York Harbor Health Care System''. Page H9170 USAID Branding Modernization Act: The House agreed to take from the Speaker's table and concur in the Senate amendment to H.R. 2744, to authorize the Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development to prescribe the manner in which programs of the agency are identified overseas. Page H9170 Organization of American States Legislative Engagement Act: The House agreed to take from the Speaker's table and pass S. 1310, to strengthen participation of elected national legislators in the activities of the Organization of American States and reaffirm United States support for Organization of American States human rights and anti-corruption initiatives. Pages H9170-72 Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism Act: The House agreed to take from the Speaker's table and concur in the Senate amendment to H.R. 221, to amend the State Department Basic Authorities Act of 1956 to monitor and combat anti-Semitism globally. Page H9172 Women's History and Nineteenth Amendment Centennial Quarter Dollar Coin Program Act: The House agreed to take from the Speaker's table and concur in the Senate amendment to H.R. 1923, to amend title 31, United States Code, to require the Secretary of the Treasury to mint and issue quarter dollars in commemoration of the Nineteenth Amendment. Page H9172 Building Up Independent Lives and Dreams Act: The House agreed to take from the Speaker's table and pass S. 371, to provide regulatory relief to charitable organizations that provide housing assistance. Page H9172 Authorizing the Sergeant at Arms and Doorkeeper of the Senate to delegate authority to approve payroll and personnel actions: The House agreed to take from the Speaker's table and pass S. 5076, to authorize the Sergeant at Arms and Doorkeeper of the Senate to delegate authority to approve payroll and personnel actions. Pages H9172-73 [[Page D1145]] Quorum Calls--Votes: There were no yea and nay votes, and there were no Recorded votes. There were no quorum calls. Adjournment: The House met at 10 a.m. and adjourned at 10:11 a.m." CREC-2020-12-31-pt1-PgD1143,2020-12-31,116,2,,,Daily Digest/Senate,SENATE,DAILYDIGEST,DDSCHAMBER,D1143,D1143,,"[{""congress"": ""116"", ""type"": ""HR"", ""number"": ""1472""}, {""congress"": ""116"", ""type"": ""S"", ""number"": ""3985""}, {""congress"": ""116"", ""type"": ""HR"", ""number"": ""4044""}, {""congress"": ""116"", ""type"": ""HR"", ""number"": ""6395""}]",166 Cong. Rec. D1143,"Congressional Record, Volume 166 Issue 223 (Thursday, December 31, 2020) [Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 223 (Thursday, December 31, 2020)] [Daily Digest] [Page D1143] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] Thursday, December 31, 2020 [[Page D1143]] Daily Digest Senate Chamber Action Routine Proceedings, pages S7985-S7993 Measures Passed: Protect and Restore America's Estuaries Act: Senate passed H.R. 4044, to amend the Federal Water Pollution Control Act to reauthorize the National Estuary Program. Page S7993 Homestead National Historical Park: Committee on Energy and Natural Resources was discharged from further consideration of H.R. 1472, to rename the Homestead National Monument of America near Beatrice, Nebraska, as the Homestead National Historical Park, and the bill was then passed. Page S7993 Measures Considered: JUSTICE Act: Senate began consideration of the motion to proceed to consideration of S. 3985, to improve and reform policing practices, accountability, and transparency. Page S7985 Veto Messages: William M. (Mac) Thornberry National Defense Authorization Act--Veto Message: Senate continued consideration of the veto message to accompany H.R. 6395, to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2021 for military activities of the Department of Defense, for military construction, and for defense activities of the Department of Energy, to prescribe military personnel strengths for such fiscal year. Pages S7987-91 A unanimous-consent agreement was reached providing for further consideration of the veto message to accompany the bill at approximately 12 noon, on Friday, January 1, 2021. Page S7993 Messages from the House: Pages S7992-93 Enrolled Bills Presented: Page S7993 Additional Cosponsors: Page S7993 Statements on Introduced Bills/Resolutions: Additional Statements: Adjournment: Senate convened at 12 noon and adjourned at 3:40 p.m., until 12 noon on Friday, January 1, 2021. (For Senate's program, see the remarks of the Majority Leader in today's Record on page S7993.)" CREC-2020-12-31-pt1-PgD1145-2,2020-12-31,116,2,,,Daily Digest/COMMITTEE MEETINGS FOR 2021-01-01,,DAILYDIGEST,DDCOMMITTEEMEETINGS,D1145,D1145,,,166 Cong. Rec. D1145,"Congressional Record, Volume 166 Issue 223 (Thursday, December 31, 2020) [Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 223 (Thursday, December 31, 2020)] [Daily Digest] [Page D1145] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] COMMITTEE MEETINGS FOR FRIDAY, JANUARY 1, 2021 (Committee meetings are open unless otherwise indicated) Senate No meetings/hearings scheduled. House No hearings are scheduled." CREC-2020-12-31-pt1-PgD1145-3,2020-12-31,116,2,,,Daily Digest/Next Meeting of the SENATE + Next Meeting of the HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES + Other End Matter,SENATE,DAILYDIGEST,DDENDMATTER,D1145,D1146,,"[{""congress"": ""116"", ""type"": ""HR"", ""number"": ""6395""}]",166 Cong. Rec. D1145,"Congressional Record, Volume 166 Issue 223 (Thursday, December 31, 2020) [Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 223 (Thursday, December 31, 2020)] [Daily Digest] [Pages D1145-D1146] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] CONGRESSIONAL RECORD (USPS 087-390). The Periodicals postage is paid at Washington, D.C. The public proceedings of each House of Congress, as reported by the Official Reporters thereof, are printed pursuant to directions of the Joint Committee on Printing as authorized by appropriate provisions of Title 44, United States Code, and published for each day that one or both Houses are in session, excepting very infrequent instances when two or more unusually small consecutive issues are printed one time. Public access to the Congressional Record is available online through the U.S. Government Publishing Office, at www.govinfo.gov, free of charge to the user. The information is updated online each day the Congressional Record is published. For more information, contact the GPO Customer Contact Center, U.S. Government Publishing Office. Phone 202-512-1800, or 866-512-1800 (toll-free). E-Mail, contactcenter@gpo.gov. To place an order for any of these products, visit the U.S. Government Online Bookstore at: bookstore.gpo.gov. Mail orders to: Superintendent of Documents, P.O. Box 979050, St. Louis, MO 63197-9000, or phone orders to 866-512-1800 (toll-free), 202-512-1800 (D.C. area), or fax to 202-512-2104. Remit check or money order, made payable to the Superintendent of Documents, or use VISA, MasterCard, Discover, American Express, or GPO Deposit Account. Following each session of Congress, the daily Congressional Record is revised, printed, permanently bound and sold by the Superintendent of Documents in individual parts or by sets. With the exception of copyrighted articles, there are no restrictions on the republication of material from the Congressional Record. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to the Superintendent of Documents, Congressional Record, U.S. Government Publishing Office, Washington, D.C. 20402, along with the entire mailing label from the last issue received. [[Page D1146]] _______________________________________________________________________ Next Meeting of the SENATE 12 noon, Friday, January 1 Senate Chamber Program for Friday: Senate will continue consideration of the veto message to accompany H.R. 6395, William M. (Mac) Thornberry National Defense Authorization Act, and vote on the motion to invoke cloture thereon at 1 p.m. Next Meeting of the HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 10 a.m., Sunday, January 3 House Chamber Program for Sunday: House will meet in Pro Forma session at 10 a.m. _______________________________________________________________________ Extensions of Remarks, as inserted in this issue HOUSE Carter, Earl L. ``Buddy'', Ga., E1217 Dunn, Neal P., Fla., E1217 Hagedorn, Jim, Minn., E1217 Jackson Lee, Sheila, Tex., E1217 Kuster, Ann M., N.H., E1217 Nunes, Devin, Calif., E1219 Peterson, Collin C., Minn., E1217" CREC-2020-12-31-pt1-PgD1145,2020-12-31,116,2,,,Daily Digest/House Committee Meetings,HOUSE,DAILYDIGEST,DDHCMEETINGS,D1145,D1145,,,166 Cong. Rec. D1145,"Congressional Record, Volume 166 Issue 223 (Thursday, December 31, 2020) [Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 223 (Thursday, December 31, 2020)] [Daily Digest] [Page D1145] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] Committee Meetings No hearings were held. Joint Meetings No joint committee meetings were held." CREC-2020-12-31-pt1-PgE1217-2,2020-12-31,116,2,,,PERSONAL EXPLANATION,HOUSE,EXTENSIONS,PERSONALEXPLAIN,E1217,E1217,"[{""name"": ""Ann M. Kuster"", ""role"": ""speaking""}]",,166 Cong. Rec. E1217,"Congressional Record, Volume 166 Issue 223 (Thursday, December 31, 2020) [Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 223 (Thursday, December 31, 2020)] [Extensions of Remarks] [Page E1217] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] PERSONAL EXPLANATION ______ HON. ANN M. KUSTER of new hampshire in the house of representatives Thursday, December 31, 2020 Ms. KUSTER of New Hampshire. Madam Speaker, on Monday, December 28, 2020 I was unavoidably detained and missed Roll Call vote No. 253. Had I been present, I would have voted AYE on Roll Call vote No. 253. ____________________" CREC-2020-12-31-pt1-PgE1217-3,2020-12-31,116,2,,,CONGRATULATING DOUG CRANDALL ON HIS RETIREMENT,HOUSE,EXTENSIONS,CONGRATULATIONS,E1217,E1217,"[{""name"": ""Collin C. Peterson"", ""role"": ""speaking""}]",,166 Cong. Rec. E1217,"Congressional Record, Volume 166 Issue 223 (Thursday, December 31, 2020) [Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 223 (Thursday, December 31, 2020)] [Extensions of Remarks] [Page E1217] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] CONGRATULATING DOUG CRANDALL ON HIS RETIREMENT ______ HON. COLLIN C. PETERSON of minnesota in the house of representatives Thursday, December 31, 2020 Mr. PETERSON. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the career of Doug Crandall, who will retire at the end of this year after 13 years with the U.S. Forest Service. The Members and staff of the House Agriculture Committee wish to express our thanks and best wishes to Doug for his service. We had the opportunity to work closely with Doug and his staff as Director of Legislative Affairs for the Forest Service, and we'll miss his dedication and professionalism. Together we've worked on several important efforts, including the landmark Wildfire Funding Fix in 2018, and most recently the Great American Outdoors Act. During his time with the Forest Service, Doug has answered the Secretary's call several times, serving as Acting Assistant Secretary of Congressional Relations for one year, as well as Acting Deputy Under Secretary of Natural Resources and Environment. Doug came to the Forest Service from right here in the House, where he served for eight years as Staff Director for the Natural Resources Subcommittee on Forests and Forest Health. Prior to that, Doug represented the Society of American Foresters, the National Forest Foundation, and the American Forest and Paper Association. We will miss Doug's hard work and we send our sincere gratitude and wish him all the best in retirement. ____________________" CREC-2020-12-31-pt1-PgE1217-4,2020-12-31,116,2,,,PERSONAL EXPLANATION,HOUSE,EXTENSIONS,PERSONALEXPLAIN,E1217,E1217,"[{""name"": ""Jim Hagedorn"", ""role"": ""speaking""}]","[{""congress"": ""116"", ""type"": ""HR"", ""number"": ""6395""}, {""congress"": ""116"", ""type"": ""HR"", ""number"": ""9051""}]",166 Cong. Rec. E1217,"Congressional Record, Volume 166 Issue 223 (Thursday, December 31, 2020) [Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 223 (Thursday, December 31, 2020)] [Extensions of Remarks] [Page E1217] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] PERSONAL EXPLANATION ______ HON. JIM HAGEDORN of minnesota in the house of representatives Thursday, December 31, 2020 Mr. HAGEDORN. Madam Speaker, had I been present for the vote on the motion to suspend the rules and pass H.R. 9051, I would have voted ``nay.'' Had I been present for the vote to Override the President's Veto Message on H.R. 6395--Mac Thornberry National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021, I would have voted ``nay.'' ____________________" CREC-2020-12-31-pt1-PgE1217-5,2020-12-31,116,2,,,PERSONAL EXPLANATION,HOUSE,EXTENSIONS,PERSONALEXPLAIN,E1217,E1217,"[{""name"": ""Neal P. Dunn"", ""role"": ""speaking""}]",,166 Cong. Rec. E1217,"Congressional Record, Volume 166 Issue 223 (Thursday, December 31, 2020) [Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 223 (Thursday, December 31, 2020)] [Extensions of Remarks] [Page E1217] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] PERSONAL EXPLANATION ______ HON. NEAL P. DUNN of florida in the house of representatives Thursday, December 31, 2020 Mr. DUNN. Madam Speaker, I was unable to travel to Washington, D.C. on December 28 due to illness. Had I been present, I would have voted YEA on Roll Call No. 253. ____________________" CREC-2020-12-31-pt1-PgE1217-6,2020-12-31,116,2,,,CONGRATULATING BILL DAWSON,HOUSE,EXTENSIONS,CONGRATULATIONS,E1217,E1217,"[{""name"": ""Earl L. \""Buddy\"" Carter"", ""role"": ""speaking""}]",,166 Cong. Rec. E1217,"Congressional Record, Volume 166 Issue 223 (Thursday, December 31, 2020) [Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 223 (Thursday, December 31, 2020)] [Extensions of Remarks] [Page E1217] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] CONGRATULATING BILL DAWSON ______ HON. EARL L. ``BUDDY'' CARTER of georgia in the house of representatives Thursday, December 31, 2020 Mr. CARTER of Georgia. Madam Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Bill Dawson on his retirement from the Georgia Ports Authority after more than forty years of dedicated work. Bill was born and raised in Brunswick, Georgia, and he has been a pillar in his community for many years. The Georgia Ports Authority, which was founded in 1945, operates port facilities in the state of Georgia. Bill has been with them as long as they have been in Brunswick. He was previously employed as Assistant Manager for the Brunswick Port Authority and then joined the GPA as Terminal Manager for Brunswick Operations. Throughout his career, Bill has been a professional and a mentor to many. He has been known as the go-to person for the GPA customers and community, and he set the tone for GPA's business at the Port of Brunswick for decades. Bill's contributions to GPA expanded beyond his job responsibilities in operations, as he always went above and beyond to oversee the success of GPA in many other areas such as sales and public relations. Although he is very passionate about the Georgia Ports Authority, he is most passionate about his grandchildren. I hope that Bill is able to cherish many more special times with them as he begins his retirement. I wish Bill the best, and I want to thank him for his lasting impact on Brunswick. ____________________" CREC-2020-12-31-pt1-PgE1217-7,2020-12-31,116,2,,,CARING FOR AMERICANS WITH SUPPLEMENTAL HELP ACT OF 2020,HOUSE,EXTENSIONS,ALLOTHER,E1217,E1219,"[{""name"": ""Sheila Jackson Lee"", ""role"": ""speaking""}]","[{""congress"": ""116"", ""type"": ""HR"", ""number"": ""9051""}]",166 Cong. Rec. E1217,"Congressional Record, Volume 166 Issue 223 (Thursday, December 31, 2020) [Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 223 (Thursday, December 31, 2020)] [Extensions of Remarks] [Pages E1217-E1219] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] CARING FOR AMERICANS WITH SUPPLEMENTAL HELP ACT OF 2020 ______ speech of HON. SHEILA JACKSON LEE of texas in the house of representatives Monday, December 28, 2020 Ms. JACKSON LEE. Madam Speaker, as a senior member of the Committees on the Judiciary, on Homeland Security, and on the Budget, I rise in strong support of H.R. 9051, the ``Caring For Americans With Supplemental Help Act of 2020, or CASH Act, which provides an additional $1,400 in recovery payments directly to Americans, who are desperately struggling to get by during the twin disasters of COVID-19 and a faltering economy. Because I had seen first-hand the pain and devastation caused by the pandemic, in March of this year, during the debate on the CARES Act, I advocated that the amount of direct payment should be $3,000. Madam Speaker, I see the disparities in the lives of so many of my constituents who suffer disproportionately from medical conditions that make COVID-19 deadly. They work low wage or no wage jobs to make ends meet, and they have no health insurance and rely on community health centers or pubic health services for routine care. I call them friends and neighbors because they are that to me. I am pleased to have this opportunity to vote in favor of this legislation that will provide them with the help they need to survive and recover from COVID-19. No one is benefiting from the COVID-19 economy. The U.S. poverty rate has grown at a historic rate over the past five months, with 7.8 million Americans falling into poverty after the expanded $600 a week in unemployment assistance expired at the end of July. This represents the greatest increase since the government began tracking poverty sixty years ago. In the city of Houston, nine key service sectors, accounting for 70 percent of all jobs, hemorrhaged more 1,343,600 jobs, which to average folks is another way of saying that more than 1.34 million persons lost their livelihoods. Houston workers lost jobs in the following areas: Healthcare: 391,000; Retail: 303,600; Food services: 267,000; Finance: 166,000; Private Education: 63,400; Arts and Entertainment: 37,400; Accommodations: 28,700; Air Transportation: 20,200; Other Services: 115,800. In addition to these positions, jobs were also lost in other areas, the largest of which was the construction industry, which shut down 30,700 jobs. Professional and business services followed, with 25,300 jobs lost, although 13,900 were in temporary and provisional jobs in employment services; upstream oil lost 12,300 in March/April; and non-oil manufacturing lost 7,700 jobs. Americans out of work due to COVID-19 have generated 86 million jobless claims, with new claims being filed in recent weeks topping 800,000. Millions of Americans who lost their jobs during the pandemic have fallen thousands of dollars behind on rent and utility bills, a clear warning sign that people are running out of money for basic needs. If this is not enough evidence of what is happening just look at the miles of vehicles lined up outside of food distribution centers for assistance, we see nightly on our television screens and in our communities. [[Page E1218]] Moody's Analytics warned in November 2020 that 9 million renters said they were behind on rent, according to a Census Bureau survey. The Bureau of the Census reports that twenty-one percent of all renters are behind on their rent, of which twenty-nine percent are African American families and seventeen percent are Hispanic households. According to the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia's analysis of persons who were employed prior to the pandemic, 1.3 million of these households are now, on average of $5,400 in debt on rent and utilities, after the family breadwinners lost their jobs. The new COVID-19 relief legislation passed last week by Congress and reluctantly but finally signed by the President Trump restores unemployment assistance, but cuts that assistance from $600 a week to $300 a week without consideration of the facts on the ground, which are that millions of Americans remain out of work due to COVID-19 public health policy, and have been without sufficient income since August 1, 2020. Today, we have twenty million Americans who are receiving some kind of unemployment aid, and about 12 million of the unemployed stopped receiving their benefits. The nation is on the cusp of a recession that is in danger of becoming a double dip event that would plummet the economy into a precarious economic state that will take much more than a $2000 payment to each individual to overcome. These are the reasons why I will vote for the CASH Act--it increases direct payments to individuals from $600 to $2000, which will be of help to families struggling with the economic impacts of COVID-19. COVID-19 is not waning or wearying as it continues its deadly work, and there are new reports indicating there is a new strain that is seventy percent more contagious. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that as of December 23, 2020, 18.17 million cases of COVID-19, resulting in 321,734 deaths, had been reported in the United States. The new year will mark a terrible milestone for the United States-- the last time we witnessed death on this scale in our nation was during the 1918 Flu Pandemic, which recorded a total of 675,000 deaths in the United States. What the costs will be to our nation for the over 320,000 deaths have yet to be fully calculated. It is a tragedy that too many households who have lost a member to COVID-19 are struggling to accept these deaths, but it is also the friends, co-workers, business owners, professionals, students, teachers, wives, husbands, brothers, sisters, aunts, cousins, and grandparents who also are feeling these losses because someone that mattered to them is no longer here. Each of these lives impacted dozens of other lives, too many of whom were not allowed to be present with them during their final moments on this earth, but whose suffering is too often overlooked because we unduly preoccupy ourselves with only the immediate family. My deepest concerns are for the medical professionals who are seeing more death day after day than our soldiers saw on distant battlefields in foreign lands defending our nation going back to World War II. Our medical professionals and health care deliverers pride themselves on robbing death by keeping the very ill or critically injured alive but they are themselves wounded by each loss in ways that we cannot understand. Too many of our medical professionals are losing the battle with death as they attempt to treat extremely ill COVID-19 patients because they do not have access to sufficient amounts of essential therapies or the special trained staff to administer interventions that could save lives . Medical people also have not had the universal support of political leaders who are willing to promote wearing of face coverings, social distancing and handwashing to limit the spread of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) the infection that causes COVID-19. There is a hidden cost to this foolhardy disregard for the seriousness of this moment in American history. My concerns are for the economic impact and the long-term damage to our nation's health care delivery system . Today we will focus on the economic injuries caused by COVID-19, and I look forward to working with my colleagues on addressing the systemic long-term damage caused by unequal access to the health care. Small businesses and working men and women of this great nation, who are the life blood of the economy and who pay the lion's share of federal taxes now find themselves, through no fault of their own, in need of assistance in the form of direct payments that will provide a bridge to them and to the economy for the next few weeks so that the next Administration will have time to assess and craft the relief package needed to get the nation over the last hurdles of the pandemic's economic impact. Since the 1980s, corporate income tax revenues have become a smaller share of overall tax revenues paid to the federal government. In 2017, President Trump signed into law P.L. 115-97, the tax scam which substantially and permanently changed the U.S. federal tax system for the wealthy and large corporations. Most of the changes to the individual income tax system in P.L. 115- 97 for those less well-off are temporary and scheduled to expire at the end of 2025, after which the rates for these individuals will return to what it was for 2017. In contrast, many of the tax cuts made in P.L. 115-97 affecting corporations and wealthy individuals are permanent, in other words they will keep the drastic cut in corporate taxes. The facts are that working individuals and small businesses support the U.S. government's federal tax system. The largest source of revenue to the federal government is the individual income tax, which in 2019, generated $1.7 trillion. The second-largest source of federal revenue is payroll taxes, which is collected by employers and is often paid quarterly. In FY2019, payroll taxes generated $1.2 trillion in federal revenue or thirty-six percent of the total revenue for the federal government. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) projects that federal income tax revenues in FY2020 will be $1.5 trillion, and payroll tax revenue will be $1.3 trillion. In FY2020, it is projected that about 47 percent of federal revenue will be generated through the individual income tax. In FY2019, corporate tax receipts were only $230 billion, or nearly 7 percent of federal revenue, and in FY2020, corporate tax receipts are expected to be $151 billion, less than 5 percent of federal revenue. Receipts from other sources are also projected to increase in FY2020 to $298 billion, from $271 billion in FY2019, which will result in 9 percent of total revenue up by from the 8 percent the previous year. Obligated social insurance federal program payments for Social Security and Medicare are paid through payroll taxes and are expected to generate an additional estimated $1.3 trillion, or 35 percent of revenue in FY2020. The $2,000 in payments to individuals will be used to pay bills, rent, utilities, car notes, or purchase needed items like food and winter coats, and other essentials, which will translate into income for small businesses. All of this spending will generate local, state and federal tax revenue as it fuels consumption and the provision of services that are still available through the economy. Overtime basic Keynesian economics has proven itself to be the most durable and reliable economic model and has repeatedly proven that money turning over in the economy makes more money. There is a reason why it is important to stimulate the economy during a deadly unchecked pandemic, chief of which is to stem the depressing of the national and global economies which exacerbate negative economic conditions. We know the end of the COVID-19 pandemic's grip on the economy is in sight with the development and distribution of a vaccine, but we are not there yet; we must help the American people, and our small businesses, endure until we reach seventy percent inoculation in the general population. The use of direct payments is the Keynesian solution that is winning the day across the globe for countries able to support their economies in this way. Payments to individuals allows them and not the government to make spending decisions on their household's essential life sustaining needs such as paying for housing, utility bills, food, and clothing which allows money they spend to circulate through the economy like blood throughout the body. The American people can and should be trusted to make decisions regarding how they spend the funds provided by the stimulus because they best know the needs of their own families. Consumers will spend money with small businesses who should have the freedom to pay their workers and suppliers, workers and suppliers will be free to buy goods from other businesses, and those businesses will pay their workers and suppliers, and so on. In this way, the $2,000 in spending by each individual is actually spent more than once as the effect of each dollar spent creates more spending. This is called the ``money multiplier'' effect: an initial increase in spending, cycles repeatedly through the economy and has a larger impact than the initial $2,000 amount spent. The economy needs to be inoculated against recession, which is what the $2,000 in individual payments will do, and it will need a booster in about thirty to sixty days. This is why the decision to provide a $600 a week addition to unemployment benefits is a [[Page E1219]] good idea for those in labor markets with high costs of living like New York and Washington, D.C., but may have far out stripped the going rate for labor where the cost of living is much lower and $600 a week exceeded the going rate for labor. The Congress may need to revisit models for future programs of this type and provide a formula that is based on the actual spending power of funds provided so the ability of meeting the cost-of-living needs can be more in line with the intent of the funds provided, while ensuring that the spending power is equal. This may mean that depending on where someone lived at the time a disaster of this nature was declared the amount, they would qualify for receiving may be different depending on the spending power of a dollar where they live. If the overwhelming majority of those who will receive the $2,000 payment were planning to deposit the funds in a bank account rather than spend it, then this bill would not be needed, but we know this is not the case. For all these reasons, I urge all Members to join me in voting for H.R. 9051, the CASH Act, to increase individual payments from $600 to $2,000. ____________________" CREC-2020-12-31-pt1-PgE1219,2020-12-31,116,2,,,FAREWELL REMARKS FOR CONGRESSMAN KENNY MARCHANT,HOUSE,EXTENSIONS,ALLOTHER,E1219,E1219,"[{""name"": ""Devin Nunes"", ""role"": ""speaking""}]",,166 Cong. Rec. E1219,"Congressional Record, Volume 166 Issue 223 (Thursday, December 31, 2020) [Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 223 (Thursday, December 31, 2020)] [Extensions of Remarks] [Page E1219] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] FAREWELL REMARKS FOR CONGRESSMAN KENNY MARCHANT ______ HON. DEVIN NUNES of california in the house of representatives Thursday, December 31, 2020 Mr. NUNES. Madam Speaker, public service calls us at different times and in different ways. Some lead with loud voices, but often the most significant leaders are humble folk who quietly and tirelessly work to serve their constituents. My friend Kenny Marchant is one of those great leaders, and I am proud to have served with him. Service comes natural for the Bonham, TX native, something he learned from his father Hobart, who was a barber and World War II Veteran. Throughout his thirty-five years of public service, from zoning committee and city council to state representative to the U.S. House of Representatives, Kenny has ceaselessly worked to make both Texas and America great. Everyone that knows Kenny knows of his love and adornment for his family, his wife Donna, sons Matthew, Luke, and Kenny, Jr., and his daughter Dallas. But if you really want to see him smile, ask him about his grandchildren, Kendall, Hayden, Carolina, Sadie, Walker, Neyland, Conway, and Carter Bailey. Congressman Marchant served this House, the state of Texas, and the people of District 24 with honor, respect, and dignity. I will greatly miss him on the Ways and Means Committee where we served together for many years. His impact in helping pass the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 and the U.S.-Mexico-Canada trade agreement cannot be understated. And, during this Congress, Congressman Marchant was selected as Ranking Member of the House Ethics Committee, a position in which he continued his devotion to humble public service. I very much wish Kenny wasn't retiring at the end of this Congress, but he has earned a well-deserved retirement. I ask all of my colleagues to join me in congratulating our friend and colleague on his many years of service. We wish him, and the Marchant family, all the best on his retirement." CREC-2020-12-31-pt1-PgH-FrontMatter-2,2020-12-31,116,2,,,House of Representatives,HOUSE,HOUSE,FRONTMATTER,H9169,H9169,,,166 Cong. Rec. H9169,"Congressional Record, Volume 166 Issue 223 (Thursday, December 31, 2020) [Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 223 (Thursday, December 31, 2020)] [House] [Page H9169] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S Vol. 166 WASHINGTON, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 31, 2020 No. 223" CREC-2020-12-31-pt1-PgH9169-2,2020-12-31,116,2,,,PRAYER,HOUSE,HOUSE,PRAYER,H9169,H9169,,,166 Cong. Rec. H9169,"Congressional Record, Volume 166 Issue 223 (Thursday, December 31, 2020) [Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 223 (Thursday, December 31, 2020)] [House] [Page H9169] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] PRAYER The Chaplain, the Reverend Patrick J. Conroy, offered the following prayer: Lord, Father of us all, we give You thanks for giving us another day--another year. Today, the last day of 2020, a most difficult year in so many ways, we ask Your blessing on this House and upon our Nation this penultimate pro forma session of the 116th Congress. As we ``gather,'' virtually like the rest of our world in this time, we mourn the death of the first Member of Congress, Luke Letlow, newly elected and not yet sworn in, of COVID. Only 41, his death brings the brutal nature of this coronavirus plague to the doorstep of Congress. May all here find, with Your grace O Lord, the renewed energy and resolve to put our Nation's assets to the suppression of this disease. Lord, have mercy. Bless as well those who have labored in these Halls and offices during this extraordinary year. Without their steady and faithful service, the work of Congress would not have been possible. May all that is done be for Your greater honor and glory. Amen. ____________________" CREC-2020-12-31-pt1-PgH9169-3,2020-12-31,116,2,,,THE JOURNAL,HOUSE,HOUSE,HJOURNAL,H9169,H9169,,"[{""congress"": ""116"", ""type"": ""HRES"", ""number"": ""967""}, {""congress"": ""116"", ""type"": ""HRES"", ""number"": ""967""}]",166 Cong. Rec. H9169,"Congressional Record, Volume 166 Issue 223 (Thursday, December 31, 2020) [Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 223 (Thursday, December 31, 2020)] [House] [Page H9169] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] THE JOURNAL The SPEAKER. Pursuant to section 4(a) of House Resolution 967, the Journal of the last day's proceedings is approved. ____________________" CREC-2020-12-31-pt1-PgH9169-4,2020-12-31,116,2,,,PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE,HOUSE,HOUSE,PLEDGE,H9169,H9169,,,166 Cong. Rec. H9169,"Congressional Record, Volume 166 Issue 223 (Thursday, December 31, 2020) [Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 223 (Thursday, December 31, 2020)] [House] [Page H9169] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE The SPEAKER. Will the gentlewoman from Michigan (Mrs. Dingell) come forward and lead the House in the Pledge of Allegiance. Mrs. DINGELL led the Pledge of Allegiance as follows: 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. ____________________" CREC-2020-12-31-pt1-PgH9169-5,2020-12-31,116,2,,,COMMUNICATION FROM THE SERGEANT AT ARMS,HOUSE,HOUSE,ALLOTHER,H9169,H9169,,"[{""congress"": ""116"", ""type"": ""HRES"", ""number"": ""965""}]",166 Cong. Rec. H9169,"Congressional Record, Volume 166 Issue 223 (Thursday, December 31, 2020) [Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 223 (Thursday, December 31, 2020)] [House] [Page H9169] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] COMMUNICATION FROM THE SERGEANT AT ARMS The SPEAKER laid before the House the following communication from the Sergeant at Arms of the House of Representatives: Office of the Sergeant at Arms, House of Representatives, Washington, DC, December 28, 2020. Hon. Nancy Pelosi, Speaker, House of Representatives, Washington, DC. Dear Madam Speaker: Pursuant to section 1(b)(2) of House Resolution 965, following consultation with the Office of Attending Physician, I write to provide you further notification that the public health emergency due to the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 remains in effect. Sincerely, Paul D. Irving, Sergeant at Arms. ____________________" CREC-2020-12-31-pt1-PgH9169-6,2020-12-31,116,2,,,"ANNOUNCEMENT BY THE SPEAKER The SPEAKER. The Chair announces the Speaker's further extension, pursuant to section 1(b)(2) of House Resolution 965, effective December 31, 2020, of the ``covered...",HOUSE,HOUSE,HANNOUNCEMENT,H9169,H9169,,"[{""congress"": ""116"", ""type"": ""HRES"", ""number"": ""965""}]",166 Cong. Rec. H9169,"Congressional Record, Volume 166 Issue 223 (Thursday, December 31, 2020) [Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 223 (Thursday, December 31, 2020)] [House] [Page H9169] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] ANNOUNCEMENT BY THE SPEAKER The SPEAKER. The Chair announces the Speaker's further extension, pursuant to section 1(b)(2) of House Resolution 965, effective December 31, 2020, of the ``covered period'' designated on May 20, 2020. ____________________" CREC-2020-12-31-pt1-PgH9169-7,2020-12-31,116,2,,,ADVANCING RESEARCH TO PREVENT SUICIDE ACT,HOUSE,HOUSE,ALLOTHER,H9169,H9170,"[{""name"": ""Debbie Dingell"", ""role"": ""speaking""}]","[{""congress"": ""116"", ""type"": ""HR"", ""number"": ""4704""}, {""congress"": ""116"", ""type"": ""HR"", ""number"": ""4704""}]",166 Cong. Rec. H9169,"Congressional Record, Volume 166 Issue 223 (Thursday, December 31, 2020) [Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 223 (Thursday, December 31, 2020)] [House] [Pages H9169-H9170] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] ADVANCING RESEARCH TO PREVENT SUICIDE ACT Mrs. DINGELL. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to take from the Speaker's table the bill (H.R. 4704) to direct the Director of the National Science Foundation to support multidisciplinary research on the science of suicide, and to advance the knowledge and understanding of issues that may be associated with several aspects of suicide including intrinsic and extrinsic factors related to areas such as wellbeing, resilience, and vulnerability, with the Senate amendment thereto, and concur in the Senate amendment. The Clerk read the title of the bill. The SPEAKER. The Clerk will report the Senate amendment. The Clerk read as follows: Senate amendment: Strike all after the enacting clause and insert the following: SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. This Act may be cited as the ``Advancing Research to Prevent Suicide Act''. SEC. 2. FINDINGS. Congress finds the following: (1) The rate of Americans dying by suicide is on the rise, increasing 10.7 to 14.0 deaths per 100,000 people from 2001 to 2017. (2) Suicide is the tenth-leading cause of death among people in the United States and the second-leading cause of death for young people between the ages of 15 and 34. (3) The National Science Foundation funds research that is improving our basic understanding of factors with potential relevance to suicide, including potential relevance to prevention and treatment. (4) Despite progress in mental health research, current gaps exist in scientific understanding and basic knowledge of human neural, genetic, cognitive, perceptual, behavioral, social, and environmental factors with potential relevance to suicide. SEC. 3. NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION RESEARCH. (a) In General.--The Director of the National Science Foundation, in consultation with the Director of the National Institutes of Health and the Director of the National Institute of Mental Health and taking into consideration prioritized research agendas or strategic plans, as appropriate, shall, subject to the availability of appropriations, award grants on a competitive, merit-reviewed basis to institutions of higher education (or consortia of such institutions) to support multidisciplinary, fundamental research with potential relevance to suicide, including potential relevance to prevention and treatment, including, but not limited to-- (1) basic understanding of human social behavior; (2) the neural basis of human cognition; (3) basic understanding of cognitive, linguistic, social, cultural, and biological processes related to human development across the lifespan; [[Page H9170]] (4) basic understanding of perceptual, motor, and cognitive processes, and their interaction, in typical human behavior; and (5) basic understanding of the relevance of drug and alcohol abuse. (b) Encouraging Applications From Early Career Researchers.--To promote the development of early career researchers, in awarding funds under subsection (a), the Director of the National Science Foundation shall encourage applications submitted by early career researchers, including doctoral students or postdoctoral researchers. Mrs. DINGELL (during the reading). Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to dispense with the reading of the amendment. The SPEAKER. Is there objection to the request of the gentlewoman from Michigan? There was no objection. The SPEAKER. Is there objection to the original request of the gentlewoman from Michigan? There was no objection. A motion to reconsider was laid on the table. ____________________" CREC-2020-12-31-pt1-PgH9169,2020-12-31,116,2,,,House of Representatives,HOUSE,HOUSE,CALLTOORDER,H9169,H9169,,,166 Cong. Rec. H9169,"Congressional Record, Volume 166 Issue 223 (Thursday, December 31, 2020) [Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 223 (Thursday, December 31, 2020)] [House] [Page H9169] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] [[Page H9169]] House of Representatives The House met at 10 a.m. and was called to order by the Speaker. ____________________" CREC-2020-12-31-pt1-PgH9170-2,2020-12-31,116,2,,,MARGARET COCHRAN CORBIN CAMPUS OF THE NEW YORK HARBOR HEALTH CARE SYSTEM,HOUSE,HOUSE,ALLOTHER,H9170,H9170,"[{""name"": ""Debbie Dingell"", ""role"": ""speaking""}]","[{""congress"": ""116"", ""type"": ""HR"", ""number"": ""1925""}, {""congress"": ""116"", ""type"": ""HR"", ""number"": ""1925""}]",166 Cong. Rec. H9170,"Congressional Record, Volume 166 Issue 223 (Thursday, December 31, 2020) [Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 223 (Thursday, December 31, 2020)] [House] [Page H9170] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] MARGARET COCHRAN CORBIN CAMPUS OF THE NEW YORK HARBOR HEALTH CARE SYSTEM Mrs. DINGELL. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to take from the Speaker's table the bill (H.R. 1925) to designate the Manhattan Campus of the New York Harbor Health Care System of the Department of Veterans Affairs as the ``Margaret Cochran Corbin Campus of the New York Harbor Health Care System'', with the Senate amendment thereto, and concur in the Senate amendment. The Clerk read the title of the bill. The SPEAKER. The Clerk will report the Senate amendment. The Clerk read as follows: Senate amendment: Strike all after the enacting clause and insert the following: SECTION 1. DESIGNATION OF MANHATTAN CAMPUS OF THE NEW YORK HARBOR HEALTH CARE SYSTEM OF THE DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS, NEW YORK. (a) Findings.--Congress makes the following findings: (1) Margaret Cochran was born in Franklin County, Pennsylvania, on November 12, 1751, and married John Corbin in 1772. (2) Three years after the marriage, when John Corbin left to fight in the Revolutionary War as an artilleryman, Margaret Corbin accompanied him to war to support the Revolutionary Army. (3) Margaret Corbin supported the Revolutionary Army by caring for injured and sick soldiers as well as by cooking and cleaning. During battle, she also helped her husband load the cannon he was responsible for manning. (4) On November 16, 1776, John Corbin was manning a cannon during the Battle of Fort Washington on Manhattan Island, New York, when he was killed. Margaret Corbin heroically took her husband's place, firing the cannon until she, too, was hit by enemy fire and seriously wounded. (5) Having lost the use of her left arm, Margaret Corbin was assigned to the ``Invalid Regiment'' at West Point, New York. (6) The Continental Congress awarded Margaret Corbin a lifelong pension for her injuries, making her the first woman to receive a pension from the United States by virtue of military service for the United States. (7) Margaret Corbin died in 1789 in Highland Falls, New York. She is honored nearby at West Point as a hero of the Revolutionary War. (b) Designation.--The Manhattan Campus of the New York Harbor Health Care System of the Department of Veterans Affairs in New York, New York, shall after the date of the enactment of this Act be known and designated as the ``Margaret Cochran Corbin Campus of the New York Harbor Health Care System'' or the ``Margaret Cochran Corbin VA Campus''. (c) Reference.--Any reference in any law, regulation, map, document, paper, or other record of the United States to the Campus referred to in subsection (b) shall be deemed to be a reference to the Margaret Cochran Corbin Campus of the New York Harbor Health Care System. Mrs. DINGELL (during the reading). Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to dispense with the reading of the amendment. The SPEAKER. Is there objection to the request of the gentlewoman from Michigan? There was no objection. The SPEAKER. Is there objection to the original request of the gentlewoman from Michigan? There was no objection. A motion to reconsider was laid on the table. ____________________" CREC-2020-12-31-pt1-PgH9170-3,2020-12-31,116,2,,,USAID BRANDING MODERNIZATION ACT,HOUSE,HOUSE,ALLOTHER,H9170,H9170,"[{""name"": ""Debbie Dingell"", ""role"": ""speaking""}]","[{""congress"": ""116"", ""type"": ""HR"", ""number"": ""2744""}, {""congress"": ""116"", ""type"": ""HR"", ""number"": ""2744""}]",166 Cong. Rec. H9170,"Congressional Record, Volume 166 Issue 223 (Thursday, December 31, 2020) [Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 223 (Thursday, December 31, 2020)] [House] [Page H9170] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] USAID BRANDING MODERNIZATION ACT Mrs. DINGELL. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to take from the Speaker's table the bill (H.R. 2744) to authorize the Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development to prescribe the manner in which programs of the agency are identified overseas, and for other purposes, with the Senate amendment thereto, and concur in the Senate amendment. The Clerk read the title of the bill. The SPEAKER. The Clerk will report the Senate amendment. The Clerk read as follows: Senate amendment: Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert: SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. This Act may be cited as the ``USAID Branding Modernization Act''. SEC. 2. AUTHORIZATION FOR BRANDING. (a) In General.--The Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development (referred to in this section as ``USAID''), in coordination with the Secretary of State, as appropriate, and with due consideration for the safety and security of implementing partners and beneficiaries, is authorized to prescribe, as appropriate, the use of logos or other insignia of the USAID Identity, or the use of additional or substitute markings, including the United States flag, to appropriately identify, including as required by section 641 of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2401), overseas programs administered by USAID. (b) Audit.--Not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Inspector General of USAID shall submit to Congress an audit of compliance with relevant branding and marking requirements of USAID by implementing partners funded by USAID, including any requirements prescribed pursuant to the authorization under subsection (a). Mrs. DINGELL (during the reading). Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to dispense with the reading of the amendment. The SPEAKER. Is there objection to the request of the gentlewoman from Michigan? There was no objection. The SPEAKER. Is there objection to the original request of the gentlewoman from Michigan? There was no objection. A motion to reconsider was laid on the table. ____________________" CREC-2020-12-31-pt1-PgH9170-4,2020-12-31,116,2,,,ORGANIZATION OF AMERICAN STATES LEGISLATIVE ENGAGEMENT ACT OF 2020,HOUSE,HOUSE,ALLOTHER,H9170,H9172,"[{""name"": ""Debbie Dingell"", ""role"": ""speaking""}]","[{""congress"": ""116"", ""type"": ""S"", ""number"": ""1310""}, {""congress"": ""116"", ""type"": ""S"", ""number"": ""1310""}]",166 Cong. Rec. H9170,"Congressional Record, Volume 166 Issue 223 (Thursday, December 31, 2020) [Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 223 (Thursday, December 31, 2020)] [House] [Pages H9170-H9172] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] ORGANIZATION OF AMERICAN STATES LEGISLATIVE ENGAGEMENT ACT OF 2020 Mrs. DINGELL. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to take from [[Page H9171]] the Speaker's table the bill (S. 1310) to strengthen the participation of elected national legislators in the activities of the Organization of American States and reaffirm United States support for Organization of American States human rights and anti-corruption initiatives, and for other purposes, and ask for its immediate consideration in the House. The Clerk read the title of the bill. The SPEAKER. Is there objection to the request of the gentlewoman from Michigan? There was no objection. The text of the bill is as follows: S. 1310 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. This Act may be cited as the ``Organization of American States Legislative Engagement Act of 2020''. SEC. 2. FINDINGS. Congress makes the following findings: (1) The Charter of the Organization of American States establishes that ``representative democracy is an indispensable condition for the stability, peace and development of the region''. (2) Article 2 of the Inter-American Democratic Charter of the Organization of American States affirms that ``the effective exercise of representative democracy is the basis for the rule of law and of the constitutional regimes of the member states of the Organization of American States''. (3) Article 26 of the Inter-American Democratic Charter states that ``the OAS will continue to carry out programs and activities designed to promote democratic principles and practices and strengthen a democratic culture in the Hemisphere''. (4) In accordance with the OAS Charter and the Inter- American Democratic Charter, the OAS General Assembly, OAS Permanent Council, and OAS Secretariat have established a wide range of cooperative agreements with domestic and international organizations, including national legislative institutions. (5) In 2004, OAS General Assembly Resolution 2044 (XXXIV-O/ 04) appealed for the ``strengthening of legislatures, as well as inter-parliamentary cooperation on key items of the inter- American agenda, with a view, in particular, to generating initiatives to fight corruption, poverty, inequality, and social exclusion''. (6) In 2005, OAS General Assembly Resolution 2095 (XXXV-O/ 05) called on the OAS Secretariat to ``invite [. . .] the presidents or speakers of the national legislative institutions of the Americas, i.e., congresses, parliaments, or national assemblies, [. . .] to attend a special meeting of the Permanent Council [. . .] for the initiation of a dialogue on topics on the hemispheric agenda''. (7) In 2014 and 2015, the OAS Secretariat expanded its engagement with elected national legislators from OAS member states by convening two meetings of presidents of national legislatures, first in Lima, Peru and subsequently in Santiago, Chile. (8) However, no permanent procedures exist to facilitate the participation of elected national legislators from OAS member states in OAS activities. (9) The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) Parliamentary Assembly has proven successful at strengthening inter-parliamentary cooperation among its member states. SEC. 3. SENSE OF CONGRESS. It is that sense of Congress that-- (1) elected national legislators play an essential role in the exercise of representative democracy in the Americas, including by-- (A) promoting economic freedom and respect for property rights; (B) promoting the rule of law and combating corruption; (C) defending human rights and fundamental freedoms; and (D) advancing the principles and practices expressed in the Charter of the Organization of American States, the American Declaration on the Rights and Duties of Man, and the Inter- American Democratic Charter; (2) establishing procedures and mechanisms to facilitate the participation of elected national legislators from OAS member states in OAS activities could contribute to the promotion of democratic principles and practices and strengthen a democratic culture in the Western Hemisphere; (3) increasing and strengthening the participation of elected national legislators from OAS member states in OAS activities could advance the principles and proposals expressed in section 4 of the Organization of American States Revitalization and Reform Act of 2013 (Public Law 113-41; 127 Stat. 549); (4) the OAS General Assembly, OAS Permanent Council, and OAS Secretariat should take steps to facilitate greater participation of elected national legislators from OAS member states in OAS activities; (5) the OAS Permanent Council resolutions titled ``Guidelines for the Participation of Civil Society in OAS Activities'' and ``Strategies for Increasing and Strengthening Participation by Civil Society Organizations in OAS Activities'' should serve as important references for efforts to bolster the participation of elected national legislators from OAS member states in OAS activities; and (6) the successful experience of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe Parliamentary Assembly should serve as a model to the OAS in creating a similar mechanism. SEC. 4. STRENGTHENING PARTICIPATION OF ELECTED NATIONAL LEGISLATORS AT THE OAS. (a) In General.--The Secretary of State, acting through the United States Mission to the Organization of American States, should use the voice and vote of the United States to support the creation of procedures for the Organization of American States that-- (1) enhance the participation of democratically elected national legislators from OAS member state countries in OAS activities that advance the principles of the Inter-American Democratic Charter and the core values of the OAS consistent with the principles and proposals expressed in section 4 of the Organization of American States Revitalization and Reform Act of 2013 (Public Law 113-41; 127 Stat. 549); (2) create an annual forum for democratically elected national legislatures from OAS member states to discuss issues of hemispheric importance, including regional efforts to defend human rights and combat transnational criminal activities, corruption, and impunity; (3) permit elected national legislators from OAS member states to make presentations, contribute information, and provide expert advice, as appropriate, to the OAS Secretariat, OAS Permanent Council, and OAS General Assembly about OAS activities on issues of hemispheric importance; (4) lead to the creation of a mechanism to regularly facilitate the participation of elected national legislators in OAS activities; and (5) reinforce OAS Secretariat programs that provide technical assistance for the modernization and institutional strengthening of national legislatures from OAS member states. (b) Expenses.--The Secretary of State, acting through the United States Mission to the Organization of American States, as appropriate, shall seek to ensure that expenses related to the procedures set forth in this Act do not increase member quotas, assessed fees, or voluntary contributions and that the Secretariat of the OAS shall seek to ensure shared financial responsibilities among the member states in facilitating the financial support necessary to carry out this initiative. SEC. 5. SUPPORT FOR OAS HUMAN RIGHTS AND ANTI-CORRUPTION INITIATIVES. (a) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that-- (1) the efforts of the OAS Secretary General and Secretariat to combat corruption and impunity in the Americas represent important contributions to strengthening the rule of law and democratic governance in the Americas; and (2) the United States should support efforts to ensure the effectiveness and independence of OAS initiatives to combat corruption and impunity in the Americas. (b) Anti-corruption and Human Rights Promotion Strategy.-- Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of the Act, the Secretary of State shall submit to the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate and the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives a strategy for supporting OAS anti-corruption and human rights promotion efforts. The strategy should include-- (1) an assessment of United States programs, activities, and initiatives with the OAS to support anti-corruption and human rights promotion in the Americas; (2) a summary of the steps taken by the United States Mission to the OAS to strengthen anti-corruption and anti- impunity efforts in the Americas; (3) an assessment of necessary reforms and initiatives to prioritize and reinforce the OAS Secretary General and Secretariat's efforts to advance human rights and combat corruption and impunity in the Americas; (4) a detailed plan to facilitate increased OAS collaboration, as appropriate, with relevant stakeholders, including elected national legislators and civil society, in support of an approach to promote human rights and combat transnational criminal activities, corruption, and impunity in the Americas; and (5) a detailed plan for implementing the strategy set forth in this section of the Act. SEC. 6. REPORTING REQUIREMENTS. (a) In General.--Not later than one year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State shall submit to the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate and the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives a report on OAS processes, initiatives, and reforms undertaken to implement section 4, actions taken to implement the strategy required under section 5(b), and steps taken to implement the Organization of American States Revitalization and Reform Act of 2013 (Public Law 113-41). The report should include-- (1) an analysis of the progress made by the OAS to adopt and effectively implement reforms and initiatives to advance human rights and combat corruption and impunity in the Americas; and (2) a detailed assessment of OAS efforts to increase stakeholder engagement to advance human rights and combat corruption and impunity in the Americas. (b) Briefings.--Not later than one year after the Secretary of State submits the report required under subsection (a), and annually thereafter for two additional years, the [[Page H9172]] Secretary shall provide to the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate and the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives a briefing on the information required to be included in such report. SEC. 7. SENSE OF CONGRESS ON ELECTED NATIONAL LEGISLATOR. It is the sense of Congress that an elected national legislator participating in the activities outlined in this Act should be an individual that-- (1) was elected as a result of periodic, free and fair elections; and (2) is not known to be under investigation or convicted for corruption or transnational criminal activities, including trafficking of people, goods, or illicit narcotics, money- laundering, terrorist financing, acts of terrorism, campaign finance violations, bribery, or extortion. The bill was ordered to be read a third time, was read the third time, and passed, and a motion to reconsider was laid on the table. ____________________" CREC-2020-12-31-pt1-PgH9170,2020-12-31,116,2,,,EXPANDING FINDINGS FOR FEDERAL OPIOID RESEARCH AND TREATMENT ACT,HOUSE,HOUSE,ALLOTHER,H9170,H9170,"[{""name"": ""Debbie Dingell"", ""role"": ""speaking""}]","[{""congress"": ""116"", ""type"": ""HR"", ""number"": ""3153""}, {""congress"": ""116"", ""type"": ""HR"", ""number"": ""3153""}]",166 Cong. Rec. H9170,"Congressional Record, Volume 166 Issue 223 (Thursday, December 31, 2020) [Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 223 (Thursday, December 31, 2020)] [House] [Page H9170] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] EXPANDING FINDINGS FOR FEDERAL OPIOID RESEARCH AND TREATMENT ACT Mrs. DINGELL. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to take from the Speaker's table the bill (H.R. 3153) to direct the Director of the National Science Foundation to support research on opioid addiction, and for other purposes, with the Senate amendment thereto, and concur in the Senate amendment. The Clerk read the title of the bill. The SPEAKER. The Clerk will report the Senate amendment. The Clerk read as follows: Senate amendment: Strike all after the enacting clause and insert the following: SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; FINDINGS. (a) Short Title.--This Act may be cited as the ``Expanding Findings for Federal Opioid Research and Treatment Act'' or the ``EFFORT Act''. (b) Findings.--The Congress finds that-- (1) research gaps currently exist in the prevention and treatment of opioid addiction; (2) the National Science Foundation's research on opioid addiction has increased understanding of the neuroscience of addiction, substance abuse intervention, the role of illicit supply networks, the secondary effects on families, the use of technology to address the opioid epidemic, and options for alternative, non-addictive therapeutics for pain; and (3) the National Science Foundation and the National Institutes of Health have recognized that fundamental questions in basic, clinical, and translational research would benefit greatly from multidisciplinary approaches and collaboration. SEC. 2. NSF SUPPORT OF RESEARCH ON OPIOID ADDICTION. The Director of the National Science Foundation, in consultation with the Director of the National Institutes of Health, shall support merit-reviewed and competitively awarded research on the science of opioid addiction. Mrs. DINGELL (during the reading). Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to dispense with the reading. The SPEAKER. Is there objection to the request of the gentlewoman from Michigan? There was no objection. The SPEAKER. Is there objection to the original request of the gentlewoman from Michigan? There was no objection. A motion to reconsider was laid on the table. ____________________" CREC-2020-12-31-pt1-PgH9172-2,2020-12-31,116,2,,,CIRCULATING COLLECTIBLE COIN REDESIGN ACT OF 2020,HOUSE,HOUSE,ALLOTHER,H9172,H9172,"[{""name"": ""Debbie Dingell"", ""role"": ""speaking""}]","[{""congress"": ""116"", ""type"": ""HR"", ""number"": ""1923""}, {""congress"": ""116"", ""type"": ""HR"", ""number"": ""1923""}]",166 Cong. Rec. H9172,"Congressional Record, Volume 166 Issue 223 (Thursday, December 31, 2020) [Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 223 (Thursday, December 31, 2020)] [House] [Page H9172] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] CIRCULATING COLLECTIBLE COIN REDESIGN ACT OF 2020 Mrs. DINGELL. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to take from the Speaker's table the bill (H.R. 1923) to amend title 31, United States Code, to require the Secretary of the Treasury to mint and issue certain circulating collectible coins, and for other purposes, with the Senate amendment thereto, and concur in the Senate amendment. The Clerk read the title of the bill. The SPEAKER. The Clerk will report the Senate amendment. The Clerk read as follows: Senate amendment: At the end, add the following: SEC. 8. COST. No coin or medal minted and issued under this Act, or an amendment made by this Act, may be sold at a price such that would result in a net cost to the Federal Government. Mrs. DINGELL (during the reading). Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to dispense with the reading of the amendment. The SPEAKER. Is there objection to the request of the gentlewoman from Michigan? There was no objection. The SPEAKER. Is there objection to the original request of the gentlewoman from Michigan? There was no objection. A motion to reconsider was laid on the table. ____________________" CREC-2020-12-31-pt1-PgH9172-3,2020-12-31,116,2,,,BUILDING UP INDEPENDENT LIVES AND DREAMS ACT,HOUSE,HOUSE,ALLOTHER,H9172,H9172,"[{""name"": ""Debbie Dingell"", ""role"": ""speaking""}]","[{""congress"": ""116"", ""type"": ""S"", ""number"": ""371""}, {""congress"": ""116"", ""type"": ""S"", ""number"": ""371""}, {""congress"": ""116"", ""type"": ""S"", ""number"": ""371""}]",166 Cong. Rec. H9172,"Congressional Record, Volume 166 Issue 223 (Thursday, December 31, 2020) [Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 223 (Thursday, December 31, 2020)] [House] [Page H9172] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] BUILDING UP INDEPENDENT LIVES AND DREAMS ACT Mrs. DINGELL. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to take from the Speaker's table the bill (S. 371) to provide regulatory relief to charitable organizations that provide housing assistance, and for other purposes, and ask for its immediate consideration in the House. The Clerk read the title of the bill. The SPEAKER. Is there objection to the request of the gentlewoman from Michigan? There was no objection. The text of the bill is as follows: S. 371 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. This Act may be cited as the ``Building Up Independent Lives and Dreams Act'' or the ``BUILD Act''. SEC. 2. MORTGAGE LOAN TRANSACTION DISCLOSURE REQUIREMENTS. (a) TILA Amendment.--Section 105 of the Truth in Lending Act (15 U.S.C. 1604) is amended by inserting after subsection (d) the following: ``(e) Disclosure for Charitable Mortgage Loan Transactions.--With respect to a mortgage loan transaction involving a residential mortgage loan offered at 0 percent interest with only bonafide and reasonable fees and that is primarily for charitable purposes by an organization described in section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 and exempt from taxation under section 501(a) of such Code, forms HUD-1 and GFE (as defined under section 1024.2(b) of title 12, Code of Federal Regulations) together with a disclosure substantially in the form of the Loan Model Form H-2 (as depicted in Appendix H to part 1026 of title 12, Code of Federal Regulations) shall, collectively, be an appropriate model form for purposes of subsection (b) of this section.''. (b) RESPA Amendment.--Section 4 of the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act of 1974 (12 U.S.C. 2603) is amended by adding at the end the following: ``(d) Disclosure for Charitable Mortgage Loan Transactions.--With respect to a mortgage loan transaction involving a residential mortgage loan offered at 0 percent interest with only bonafide and reasonable fees and that is primarily for charitable purposes, an organization described in section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 and exempt from taxation under section 501(a) of such Code may use forms HUD-1 and GFE (as defined under section 1024.2(b) of title 12, Code of Federal Regulations) together with a disclosure substantially in the form of the Loan Model Form H-2 (as depicted in Appendix H to part 1026 of title 12, Code of Federal Regulations), collectively, in lieu of the disclosure published under subsection (a) of this section.''. (c) Effective Date.--The amendments made by subsections (a) and (b) shall take effect on the date of the enactment of this Act. The bill was ordered to be read a third time, was read the third time, and passed, and a motion to reconsider was laid on the table. ____________________" CREC-2020-12-31-pt1-PgH9172-4,2020-12-31,116,2,,,AUTHORIZING THE SERGEANT AT ARMS AND DOORKEEPER OF THE SENATE TO DELEGATE AUTHORITY TO APPROVE PAYROLL AND PERSONNEL ACTIONS,HOUSE,HOUSE,ALLOTHER,H9172,H9173,"[{""name"": ""Debbie Dingell"", ""role"": ""speaking""}]","[{""congress"": ""116"", ""type"": ""S"", ""number"": ""5076""}, {""congress"": ""116"", ""type"": ""S"", ""number"": ""5076""}, {""congress"": ""116"", ""type"": ""S"", ""number"": ""5076""}]",166 Cong. Rec. H9172,"Congressional Record, Volume 166 Issue 223 (Thursday, December 31, 2020) [Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 223 (Thursday, December 31, 2020)] [House] [Pages H9172-H9173] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] AUTHORIZING THE SERGEANT AT ARMS AND DOORKEEPER OF THE SENATE TO DELEGATE AUTHORITY TO APPROVE PAYROLL AND PERSONNEL ACTIONS Mrs. DINGELL. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to take from the Speaker's table the bill (S. 5076) to [[Page H9173]] authorize the Sergeant at Arms and Doorkeeper of the Senate to delegate authority to approve payroll and personnel actions, and ask for its immediate consideration in the House. The Clerk read the title of the bill. The SPEAKER. Is there objection to the request of the gentlewoman from Michigan? There was no objection. The text of the bill is as follows: S. 5076 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, SECTION 1. AUTHORITY TO DELEGATE AUTHORITY TO APPROVE PAYROLL AND PERSONNEL ACTIONS. Section 1201 of the Supplemental Appropriations Act, 1984 (2 U.S.C. 6598) is amended-- (1) by striking ``all vouchers, for payment of moneys,'' and inserting ``any voucher for payment of moneys, payroll action, or personnel action''; and (2) by striking ``any voucher, for payment of moneys,'' and inserting ``any voucher for payment of moneys, payroll action, or personnel action''. The bill was ordered to be read a third time, was read the third time, and passed, and a motion to reconsider was laid on the table. ____________________" CREC-2020-12-31-pt1-PgH9172,2020-12-31,116,2,,,SPECIAL ENVOY TO MONITOR AND COMBAT ANTI-SEMITISM ACT,HOUSE,HOUSE,ALLOTHER,H9172,H9172,"[{""name"": ""Debbie Dingell"", ""role"": ""speaking""}]","[{""congress"": ""116"", ""type"": ""HR"", ""number"": ""221""}, {""congress"": ""116"", ""type"": ""HR"", ""number"": ""221""}]",166 Cong. Rec. H9172,"Congressional Record, Volume 166 Issue 223 (Thursday, December 31, 2020) [Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 223 (Thursday, December 31, 2020)] [House] [Page H9172] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] SPECIAL ENVOY TO MONITOR AND COMBAT ANTI-SEMITISM ACT Mrs. DINGELL. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to take from the Speaker's table the bill (H.R. 221) to amend the State Department Basic Authorities Act of 1956 to monitor and combat anti-Semitism globally, and for other purposes, with the Senate amendment thereto, and concur in the Senate amendment. The Clerk read the title of the bill. The SPEAKER. The Clerk will report the Senate amendment. The Clerk read as follows: Senate amendment: Strike all after the enacting clause and insert the following: SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. This Act may be cited as the ``Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism Act''. SEC. 2. FINDING. Congress finds that, since the Global Anti-Semitism Review Act of 2004 (Public Law 108-332) was enacted, in many foreign countries acts of anti-Semitism have been frequent and wide in scope, the perpetrators and variety of threats to Jewish communities and their institutions have proliferated, and in some countries anti-Semitic attacks have increased in frequency, scope, violence, and deadliness. SEC. 3. MONITORING AND COMBATING ANTI-SEMITISM. Section 59(a) of the State Department Basic Authorities Act of 1956 (22 U.S.C. 2731(a)) is amended-- (1) in paragraph (2)-- (A) in subparagraph (A)-- (i) by inserting before the period at the end the following: ``, who shall be appointed by the President, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate''; and (ii) by adding at the end the following new sentence: ``The Special Envoy shall report directly to the Secretary.''; and (B) in subparagraph (B)-- (i) in the heading, by striking ``Appointment'' and inserting ``Nomination''; (ii) by striking the first sentence; (iii) in the second sentence, by striking ``If the Secretary determines that such is appropriate, the Secretary may appoint'' and inserting ``If the President determines that such is appropriate, the President may nominate''; and (iv) in the third sentence, by striking ``The Secretary may allow such officer or employee to retain the position (and the responsibilities associated with such position) held by such officer or employee prior to the appointment'' and inserting ``Such officer or employee may not retain the position (or the responsibilities associated with such position) held by such officer or employee prior to the nomination''; and (2) by adding at the end the following new paragraphs: ``(3) Duties.--The Special Envoy shall serve as the primary advisor to, and coordinate efforts across, the United States Government relating to monitoring and combating anti-Semitism and anti-Semitic incitement that occur in foreign countries. ``(4) Rank and status of ambassador.--The Special Envoy shall have the rank of ambassador. ``(5) Qualifications.--The Special Envoy should be a person of recognized distinction in the field of combating anti- Semitism.''. Mrs. DINGELL (during the reading). Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to dispense with the reading of the amendment. The SPEAKER. Is there objection to the request of the gentlewoman from Michigan? There was no objection. The SPEAKER. Is there objection to the original request of the gentlewoman from Michigan? There was no objection. A motion to reconsider was laid on the table. ____________________" CREC-2020-12-31-pt1-PgH9173-2,2020-12-31,116,2,,,SENATE ENROLLED BILL SIGNED,HOUSE,HOUSE,ENROLLEDSIGNED,H9173,H9173,,"[{""congress"": ""116"", ""type"": ""S"", ""number"": ""4996""}]",166 Cong. Rec. H9173,"Congressional Record, Volume 166 Issue 223 (Thursday, December 31, 2020) [Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 223 (Thursday, December 31, 2020)] [House] [Page H9173] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] SENATE ENROLLED BILL SIGNED The Speaker announced her signature to an enrolled bill of the Senate of the following title: S. 4996. An act to ensure funding of the United States trustees, extend temporary bankruptcy judgeships, and for other purposes. ____________________" CREC-2020-12-31-pt1-PgH9173-3,2020-12-31,116,2,,,JOINT RESOLUTION PRESENTED TO THE PRESIDENT,HOUSE,HOUSE,ALLOTHER,H9173,H9173,,"[{""congress"": ""116"", ""type"": ""HJRES"", ""number"": ""110""}]",166 Cong. Rec. H9173,"Congressional Record, Volume 166 Issue 223 (Thursday, December 31, 2020) [Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 223 (Thursday, December 31, 2020)] [House] [Page H9173] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] JOINT RESOLUTION PRESENTED TO THE PRESIDENT Cheryl L. Johnson, Clerk of the House, reported that on December 20, 2020, she presented to the President of the United States, for his approval, the following joint resolution: H.J. Res. 110. Making further continuing appropriations for fiscal year 2021, and for other purposes. ____________________" CREC-2020-12-31-pt1-PgH9173-4,2020-12-31,116,2,,,ADJOURNMENT,HOUSE,HOUSE,ADJOURNMENT,H9173,H9173,,"[{""congress"": ""116"", ""type"": ""HRES"", ""number"": ""967""}, {""congress"": ""116"", ""type"": ""HRES"", ""number"": ""967""}]",166 Cong. Rec. H9173,"Congressional Record, Volume 166 Issue 223 (Thursday, December 31, 2020) [Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 223 (Thursday, December 31, 2020)] [House] [Page H9173] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] ADJOURNMENT The SPEAKER. Pursuant to section 4(b) of House Resolution 967, the House stands adjourned until 10 a.m. on Sunday, January 3, 2021. Thereupon (at 10 o'clock and 11 minutes a.m.), under its previous order, the House adjourned until Sunday, January 3, 2021, at 10 a.m. ____________________" CREC-2020-12-31-pt1-PgH9173-5,2020-12-31,116,2,,,EXPENDITURE REPORTS CONCERNING OFFICIAL FOREIGN TRAVEL,HOUSE,HOUSE,HEXPENDITURE,H9173,H9175,,,166 Cong. Rec. H9173,"Congressional Record, Volume 166 Issue 223 (Thursday, December 31, 2020) [Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 223 (Thursday, December 31, 2020)] [House] [Pages H9173-H9175] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] EXPENDITURE REPORTS CONCERNING OFFICIAL FOREIGN TRAVEL Reports concerning the foreign currencies and U.S. dollars utilized for Official Foreign Travel during the first, second, third and fourth quarters of 2020, pursuant to Public Law 95-384, are as follows: REPORT OF EXPENDITURES FOR OFFICIAL FOREIGN TRAVEL, COMMITTEE ON THE BUDGET, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, EXPENDED BETWEEN JAN. 1 AND MAR. 31, 2020 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Date Per diem \1\ Transportation Other purposes Total ---------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- U.S. dollar U.S. dollar U.S. dollar U.S. dollar Name of Member or employee Country Foreign equivalent Foreign equivalent Foreign equivalent Foreign equivalent Arrival Departure currency or U.S. currency or U.S. currency or U.S. currency or U.S. currency currency currency currency -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------\2\-----------------------\2\-----------------------\2\-----------------------\2\---- Hon. Lloyd Doggett..................... 2/19 2/22 Austria.................. ........... 1,942.68 ........... 22.00 ........... ........... ........... 1,964.68 2/22 2/23 UK....................... ........... 462.30 ........... 24.00 ........... ........... ........... 486.30 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Committee total.................. ........ .......... ......................... ........... 2,404.98 ........... 46.00 ........... ........... ........... 2,450.98 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ \1\ Per diem constitutes lodging and meals. \2\ If foreign currency is used, enter U.S. dollar equivalent; if U.S. currency is used, enter amount expended. HON. JOHN A. YARMUTH, Dec. 11, 2020. REPORT OF EXPENDITURES FOR OFFICIAL FOREIGN TRAVEL, COMMITTEE ON THE BUDGET, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, EXPENDED BETWEEN APR. 1 AND JUNE 30, 2020 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Date Per diem \1\ Transportation Other purposes Total ---------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- U.S. dollar U.S. dollar U.S. dollar U.S. dollar Name of Member or employee Country Foreign equivalent Foreign equivalent Foreign equivalent Foreign equivalent Arrival Departure currency or U.S. currency or U.S. currency or U.S. currency or U.S. currency currency currency currency -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------\2\-----------------------\2\-----------------------\2\-----------------------\2\---- HOUSE COMMITTEES Please Note: If there were no expenditures during the calendar quarter noted above, please check the box at right to so indicate and return. x ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ \1\ Per diem constitutes lodging and meals. \2\ If foreign currency is used, enter U.S. dollar equivalent; if U.S. currency is used, enter amount expended. HON. JOHN A. YARMUTH, Dec. 11, 2020. REPORT OF EXPENDITURES FOR OFFICIAL FOREIGN TRAVEL, COMMITTEE ON THE BUDGET, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, EXPENDED BETWEEN JULY 1 AND SEPT. 30, 2020 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Date Per diem \1\ Transportation Other purposes Total ---------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- U.S. dollar U.S. dollar U.S. dollar U.S. dollar Name of Member or employee Country Foreign equivalent Foreign equivalent Foreign equivalent Foreign equivalent Arrival Departure currency or U.S. currency or U.S. currency or U.S. currency or U.S. currency currency currency currency -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------\2\-----------------------\2\-----------------------\2\-----------------------\2\---- HOUSE COMMITTEES Please Note: If there were no expenditures during the calendar quarter noted above, please check the box at right to so indicate and return. x ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ \1\ Per diem constitutes lodging and meals. \2\ If foreign currency is used, enter U.S. dollar equivalent; if U.S. currency is used, enter amount expended. HON. JOHN A. YARMUTH, Dec. 11, 2020. [[Page H9174]] REPORT OF EXPENDITURES FOR OFFICIAL FOREIGN TRAVEL, COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION AND LABOR, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, EXPENDED BETWEEN APR. 1 AND JUNE 30, 2020 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Date Per diem \1\ Transportation Other purposes Total ---------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- U.S. dollar U.S. dollar U.S. dollar U.S. dollar Name of Member or employee Country Foreign equivalent Foreign equivalent Foreign equivalent Foreign equivalent Arrival Departure currency or U.S. currency or U.S. currency or U.S. currency or U.S. currency currency currency currency -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------\2\-----------------------\2\-----------------------\2\-----------------------\2\---- HOUSE COMMITTEES Please Note: If there were no expenditures during the calendar quarter noted above, please check the box at right to so indicate and return. x ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ \1\ Per diem constitutes lodging and meals. \2\ If foreign currency is used, enter U.S. dollar equivalent; if U.S. currency is used, enter amount expended. HON. ROBERT C. ``BOBBY'' SCOTT, Oct. 22, 2020. REPORT OF EXPENDITURES FOR OFFICIAL FOREIGN TRAVEL, COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION AND LABOR, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, EXPENDED BETWEEN JULY 1 AND SEPT. 30, 2020 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Date Per diem \1\ Transportation Other purposes Total ---------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- U.S. dollar U.S. dollar U.S. dollar U.S. dollar Name of Member or employee Country Foreign equivalent Foreign equivalent Foreign equivalent Foreign equivalent Arrival Departure currency or U.S. currency or U.S. currency or U.S. currency or U.S. currency currency currency currency -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------\2\-----------------------\2\-----------------------\2\-----------------------\2\---- HOUSE COMMITTEES Please Note: If there were no expenditures during the calendar quarter noted above, please check the box at right to so indicate and return. x ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ \1\ Per diem constitutes lodging and meals. \2\ If foreign currency is used, enter U.S. dollar equivalent; if U.S. currency is used, enter amount expended. HON. ROBERT C. ``BOBBY'' SCOTT, Oct. 22, 2020. REPORT OF EXPENDITURES FOR OFFICIAL FOREIGN TRAVEL, COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN AFFAIRS, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, EXPENDED BETWEEN JULY 1 AND SEPT. 30, 2020 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Date Per diem \1\ Transportation Other purposes Total ---------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- U.S. dollar U.S. dollar U.S. dollar U.S. dollar Name of Member or employee Country Foreign equivalent Foreign equivalent Foreign equivalent Foreign equivalent Arrival Departure currency or U.S. currency or U.S. currency or U.S. currency or U.S. currency currency currency currency -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------\2\-----------------------\2\-----------------------\2\-----------------------\2\---- HOUSE COMMITTEES Please Note: If there were no expenditures during the calendar quarter noted above, please check the box at right to so indicate and return. x ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ \1\ Per diem constitutes lodging and meals. \2\ If foreign currency is used, enter U.S. dollar equivalent; if U.S. currency is used, enter amount expended. HON. ELIOT L. ENGEL, Dec. 15, 2020. REPORT OF EXPENDITURES FOR OFFICIAL FOREIGN TRAVEL, COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN AFFAIRS, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, EXPENDED BETWEEN OCT. 1 AND DEC. 31, 2020 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Date Per diem \1\ Transportation Other purposes Total ---------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- U.S. dollar U.S. dollar U.S. dollar U.S. dollar Name of Member or employee Country Foreign equivalent Foreign equivalent Foreign equivalent Foreign equivalent Arrival Departure currency or U.S. currency or U.S. currency or U.S. currency or U.S. currency currency currency currency -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------\2\-----------------------\2\-----------------------\2\-----------------------\2\---- HOUSE COMMITTEES Please Note: If there were no expenditures during the calendar quarter noted above, please check the box at right to so indicate and return. x ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ \1\ Per diem constitutes lodging and meals. \2\ If foreign currency is used, enter U.S. dollar equivalent; if U.S. currency is used, enter amount expended. HON. ELIOT L. ENGEL, Dec. 15, 2020. REPORT OF EXPENDITURES FOR OFFICIAL FOREIGN TRAVEL, COMMISSION ON SECURITY AND COOPERATION IN EUROPE, EXPENDED BETWEEN JAN. 1 AND MAR. 31, 2020 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Date Per diem \1\ Transportation Other purposes Total ---------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- U.S. dollar U.S. dollar U.S. dollar U.S. dollar Name of Member or employee Country Foreign equivalent Foreign equivalent Foreign equivalent Foreign equivalent Arrival Departure currency or U.S. currency or U.S. currency or U.S. currency or U.S. currency currency currency currency -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------\2\-----------------------\2\-----------------------\2\-----------------------\2\---- Shannon Simrell........................ 10/03 1/12 Austria.................. Euro 26,724.00 ........... 1,517.43 ........... ........... ........... 28,241.43 Alex Tiersky........................... 1/13 1/15 Norway................... Norwegian 972.30 ........... 4,437.95 ........... ........... ........... 5,410.25 Krona Everett Price.......................... 1/22 1/26 Sweden................... Swedish 1,038.00 ........... 959.15 ........... ........... ........... 1,997.15 Krone Shannon Simrell........................ 2/03 2/05 Albania.................. Albanian 366.95 ........... 1,124.20 ........... ........... ........... 1,491.15 Lek Everett Price.......................... 2/06 2/11 Azerbaijan............... Azerbaijan 1,188.35 ........... 12,509.65 ........... ........... ........... 13,698.00 Manat Mark Toner............................. 2/06 2/11 Azerbaijan............... Azerbaijan 1,188.35 ........... 9,286.25 ........... ........... ........... 10,474.60 Manat Hon. Alcee L. Hastings................. 2/19 2/22 Austria.................. Euro 3,416.48 ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... 3,416.38 2/22 2/23 United Kingdom........... Pound 536.99 ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... 536.99 Sterling Hon. Joe Wilson........................ 2/19 2/22 Austria.................. Euro 2,087.57 ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... 2,087.57 2/22 2/23 United Kingdom........... Pound 536.99 ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... 536.99 Sterling Hon. Emanuel Cleaver................... 2/19 2/22 Austria.................. Euro 2,087.57 ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... 2,087.57 2/22 2/23 United Kingdom........... Pound 536.99 ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... 536.99 Sterling Hon. Gwen Moore........................ 2/20 2/22 Austria.................. Euro 1,535.68 ........... 6,951.20 ........... ........... ........... 8,486.88 2/22 2/23 United Kingdom........... Pound 536.99 ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... 536.99 Sterling Hon. Steven Cohen...................... 2/19 2/22 Austria.................. Euro 2,087.57 ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... 2,087.57 2/22 2/23 United Kingdom........... Pound 536.98 ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... 536.98 Sterling Hon. Robert Aderholt................... 2/19 2/22 Austria.................. Euro 2,087.57 ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... 2,087.57 2/22 2/22 United Kingdom........... Pound ........... ........... 663.35 ........... ........... ........... 663.35 Sterling Hon. Richard Hudson.................... 2/19 2/22 Austria.................. Euro 2,087.57 ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... 2,087.57 2/22 2/23 United Kingdom........... Pound 536.98 ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... 536.98 Sterling Alex T. Johnson........................ 2/19 2/22 Austria.................. Euro 1,423.12 ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... 1,423.12 2/22 2/23 United Kingdom........... Pound 536.98 ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... 536.98 Sterling Jennifer McCuiston..................... 2/19 2/22 Austria.................. Euro 1,423.12 ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... 1,423.12 2/22 2/23 United Kingdom........... Pound 536.98 ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... 536.98 Sterling Alex Tiersky........................... 2/19 2/22 Austria.................. Euro 1,423.12 ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... 1,423.12 [[Page H9175]] 2/22 2/23 United Kingdom........... Pound 536.99 ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... 536.99 Sterling Everett Price.......................... 2/19 2/22 Austria.................. Euro 1,423.12 ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... 1,423.12 2/22 2/23 United Kingdom........... Pound 536.99 ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... 536.99 Sterling Francois Hernandez..................... 2/19 2/22 Austria.................. Euro 1,423.12 ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... 1,423.12 2/22 2/23 United Kingdom........... Pound 536.99 ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... 536.99 Sterling Robert Hand............................ 2/17 2/23 Austria.................. Euro 2,194.68 ........... 1,552.15 ........... ........... ........... 3,746.83 Paul Massaro........................... 2/16 2/25 Austria.................. Euro 2,144.51 ........... 2,055.45 ........... ........... ........... 4,199.96 ........ .......... United Kingdom........... Pound ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... Sterling Committee total.................. ........ .......... ......................... ........... 64,229.60 ........... 41,056.78 ........... ........... ........... 105,286.38 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ \1\ Per diem constitutes lodging and meals. \2\ If foreign currency is used, enter U.S. dollar equivalent; if U.S. currency is used, enter amount expended. HON. ALCEE L. HASTINGS, May 5, 2020. ____________________" CREC-2020-12-31-pt1-PgH9173,2020-12-31,116,2,,,ENROLLED BILLS SIGNED,HOUSE,HOUSE,ENROLLEDSIGNED,H9173,H9173,,"[{""congress"": ""116"", ""type"": ""HR"", ""number"": ""1418""}, {""congress"": ""116"", ""type"": ""HR"", ""number"": ""1492""}, {""congress"": ""116"", ""type"": ""HR"", ""number"": ""2502""}, {""congress"": ""116"", ""type"": ""HR"", ""number"": ""3250""}, {""congress"": ""116"", ""type"": ""HR"", ""number"": ""5126""}]",166 Cong. Rec. H9173,"Congressional Record, Volume 166 Issue 223 (Thursday, December 31, 2020) [Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 223 (Thursday, December 31, 2020)] [House] [Page H9173] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] ENROLLED BILLS SIGNED Cheryl L. Johnson, Clerk of the House, reported and found truly enrolled bills of the House of the following titles, which were thereupon signed by the Speaker: H.R. 1418. An act to restore the application of the Federal antitrust laws to the business of health insurance to protect competition and consumers. H.R. 1492. An act to update the map of, and modify the maximum acreage available for inclusion in, the Yucca House National Monument. H.R. 2502. An act to amend title 40, United States Code, to require certain prospectuses for public buildings to be made publicly available, and for other purposes. H.R. 3250. An act to require the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a special resource study of the sites associated with the life and legacy of the noted American philanthropist and business executive Julius Rosenwald, with a special focus on the Rosenwald Schools, and for other purposes. H.R. 5126. An act to require individuals fishing for Gulf reef fish to use certain descending devices, and for other purposes. ____________________" CREC-2020-12-31-pt1-PgH9175-2,2020-12-31,116,2,,,"EXECUTIVE COMMUNICATIONS, ETC.",HOUSE,HOUSE,EXECUTIVECOMM,H9175,H9178,,"[{""congress"": ""116"", ""type"": ""HR"", ""number"": ""133""}]",166 Cong. Rec. H9175,"Congressional Record, Volume 166 Issue 223 (Thursday, December 31, 2020) [Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 223 (Thursday, December 31, 2020)] [House] [Pages H9175-H9178] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] EXECUTIVE COMMUNICATIONS, ETC. Under clause 2 of rule XIV, executive communications were taken from the Speaker's table and referred as follows: EC-6026. A letter from the General Counsel, Railroad Retirement Board, transmitting the Board's Performance and Accountability Report for Fiscal Year 2020, pursuant to 31 U.S.C. 3515(a)(1); Public Law 101-576, Sec. 303(a)(1) (as amended by Public Law 107-289, Sec. 2(a)); (116 Stat. 2049); to the Committee on Oversight and Reform. EC-6027. A letter from the Congressional Review Coordinator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Department of Agriculture, transmitting the Department's final rule -- Removal of Emerald Ash Borer Domestic Quarantine Regulations [Docket No.: APHIS-2017-0056] (RIN: 0579-AE42) received December 28, 2020, pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 801(a)(1)(A); Public Law 104-121, Sec. 251; (110 Stat. 868); to the Committee on Agriculture. EC-6028. A letter from the Deputy Secretary, Commodity Futures Trading Commission, transmitting the Commission's final rule -- Bankruptcy Regulations (RIN: 3038-AE67) received December 28, 2020, pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 801(a)(1)(A); Public Law 104-121, Sec. 251; (110 Stat. 868); to the Committee on Agriculture. EC-6029. A letter from the Deputy Secretary, Commodity Futures Trading Commission, transmitting the Commission's final rule -- Swap Execution Facility Requirements (RIN: 3038-AE94) received December 9, 2020, pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 801(a)(1)(A); Public Law 104-121, Sec. 251; (110 Stat. 868); to the Committee on Agriculture. EC-6030. A letter from the Program Analyst, Department of Agriculture, transmitting the Department's final rule -- National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) Compliance (RIN: 0596-AD31) received December 9, 2020, pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 801(a)(1)(A); Public Law 104-121, Sec. 251; (110 Stat. 868); to the Committee on Agriculture. EC-6031. A letter from the President of the United States, transmitting a designation of funding as an emergency requirement all funding so designated by the Congress, pursuant to Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021; H.R. 133 (H. Doc. No. 116--175); to the Committee on Appropriations and ordered to be printed. EC-6032. A letter from the President of the United States, transmitting a designation of all funding for Overseas Contingency Operations/Global War on Terrorism, pursuant to Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021; H.R. 133 (H. Doc. No. 116--176); to the Committee on Appropriations and ordered to be printed. EC-6033. A letter from the Senior Counsel, Legal Division, Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection, transmitting the Bureau's Major final rule -- Qualified Mortgage Definition under the Truth in Lending Act (Regulation Z): General QM Loan Definition [Docket No.: CFPB-2020-0020] (RIN: 3170-AA98) received December 28, 2020, pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 801(a)(1)(A); Public Law 104-121, Sec. 251; (110 Stat. 868); to the Committee on Financial Services. EC-6034. A letter from the Director, Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection, transmitting the Bureau's final rule -- Amendments Relating to Disclosure of Records and Information [Docket No.: CFPB-2016-0039] (RIN: 3170-AA63) received December 28, 2020, pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 801(a)(1)(A); Public Law 104-121, Sec. 251; (110 Stat. 868); to the Committee on Financial Services. EC-6035. A letter from the Senior Counsel, Legal Division, Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection, transmitting the Bureau's final rule -- Qualified Mortgage Definition under the Truth in Lending Act (Regulation Z): Seasoned QM Loan Definition [Docket No.: CFPB-2020-0028] (RIN: 3170-AA98) received December 28, 2020, pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 801(a)(1)(A); Public Law 104-121, Sec. 251; (110 Stat. 868); to the Committee on Financial Services. EC-6036. A letter from the Counsel for Legislation and Regulations, Office of Housing -- Federal Housing Commissioner, Department of Housing and Urban Development, transmitting the Department's final rule -- Housing Counseling Program: Revision of the Certification Timeline [Docket No.: FR-6215-I-02] (RIN: 2502-ZA34) received December 9, 2020, pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 801(a)(1)(A); Public Law 104- 121, Sec. 251; (110 Stat. 868); to the Committee on Financial Services. EC-6037. A letter from the Program Specialist, Chief Counsel's Office, Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, Department of the Treasury, transmitting the Department's interim final rule -- Temporary Asset Thresholds [Docket ID: OCC-2020-0044] (RIN: 1557-AF06) received December 31, 2020, pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 801(a)(1)(A); Public Law 104-121, Sec. 251; (110 Stat. 868); to the Committee on Financial Services. EC-6038. A letter from the Program Specialist, Chief Counsel's Office, Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, Department of the Treasury, transmitting the Department's final rule -- Activities and Operations of National Banks and Federal Savings Associations [Docket ID: OCC-2020-0003] (RIN: 1557- AE74) received December 31, 2020, pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 801(a)(1)(A); Public Law 104-121, Sec. 251; (110 Stat. 868); to the Committee on Financial Services. EC-6039. A letter from the Program Specialist, Chief Counsel's Office, Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, Department of the Treasury, transmitting the Department's final rule -- Appraisals for Higher-Priced Mortgage Loans Exemption Threshold [Docket No.: OCC-2020-0039] (RIN: 1557- AF04) received December 31, 2020, pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 801(a)(1)(A); Public Law 104-121, Sec. 251; (110 Stat. 868); to the Committee on Financial Services. EC-6040. A letter from the Secretary, Division of Corporation Finance, Securities and Exchange Commission, transmitting the Commission's Major final rule -- Disclosure of Payments by Resource Extraction Issuers [Release No.: 34- 90679; File No.: S7-24-19] (RIN: 3235-AM06) received December 28, 2020, pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 801(a)(1)(A); Public Law 104- 121, Sec. 251; (110 Stat. 868); to the Committee on Financial Services. EC-6041. A letter from the Secretary, Division of Investment Management, Securities and Exchange Commission, transmitting the Commission's Major final rule -- Use of Derivatives by Registered Investment Companies and Business Development Companies [Release No.: IC-34084; File No.: S7- 24-15] (RIN: 3235-AL60) received December 16, 2020, pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 801(a)(1)(A); Public Law 104-121, Sec. 251; (110 Stat. 868); to the Committee on Financial Services. EC-6042. A letter from the Secretary, Division of Trading and Markets, Securities and Exchange Commission, transmitting the Commission's Major final rule -- Market Data Infrastructure [Release No.: 34-90610. File No.: S7-03-20] (RIN: 3235-AM61) received December 16, 2020, pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 801(a)(1)(A); Public Law 104-121, Sec. 251; (110 Stat. 868); to the Committee on Financial Services. EC-6043. A letter from the Chairman, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, transmitting the Corporation's Integrated Digital Experience Act Report, pursuant to 44 U.S.C. 3501 note; Public Law 115-336, Sec. 3(b)(2); (132 Stat. 5026); to the Committee on Financial Services. EC-6044. A letter from the Acting Deputy Director -- OLA, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, transmitting the Corporation's interim final rule -- Temporary Asset Thresholds (RIN: 3064-AF67) received December 17, 2020, pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 801(a)(1)(A); Public Law 104-121, Sec. 251; (110 Stat. 868); to the Committee on Financial Services. EC-6045. A letter from the General Counsel, Federal Housing Finance Agency, transmitting the Agency's Major final rule -- 2021 Enterprise Housing Goals (RIN: 2590-AB04) received December 28, 2020, pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 801(a)(1)(A); Public Law 104-121, Sec. 251; (110 Stat. 868); to the Committee on Financial Services. [[Page H9176]] EC-6046. A letter from the Secretary, Securities and Exchange Commission, transmitting the Commission's final rule -- Exemption from the Definition of ``Clearing Agency'' for Certain Activities of Security-Based Swap Dealers and Security-Based Swap Execution Facilities [Release No.: 34- 90667; File No.: S7-08-11] (RIN:3235-AK74) received December 28, 2020, pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 801(a)(1)(A); Public Law 104- 121, Sec. 251; (110 Stat. 868); to the Committee on Financial Services. EC-6047. A letter from the Acting Assistant Secretary, Department of Labor, transmitting the Department's final rule -- Fiduciary Duties Regarding Proxy Voting and Shareholder Rights (RIN: 1210-AB91) received December 28, 2020, pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 801(a)(1)(A); Public Law 104-121, Sec. 251; (110 Stat. 868); to the Committee on Education and Labor. EC-6048. A letter from the Acting Assistant Secretary, Employee Benefits Security Administration, Department of Labor, transmitting the Department's final rule -- Grandfathered Group Health Plans and Grandfathered Group Health Insurance Coverage (RIN: 1210-AB89) received December 28, 2020, pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 801(a)(1)(A); Public Law 104- 121, Sec. 251; (110 Stat. 868); to the Committee on Education and Labor. EC-6049. A letter from the Assistant General Counsel for Regulatory Affairs, Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation, transmitting the Corporation's final rule -- Allocation of Assets in Single-Employer Plans; Valuation of Benefits and Assets; Expected Retirement Age received December 28, 2020, pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 801(a)(1)(A); Public Law 104-121, Sec. 251; (110 Stat. 868); to the Committee on Education and Labor. EC-6050. A letter from the Assistant General Counsel for Regulatory Affairs, Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation, transmitting the Corporation's final rule -- Allocation of Assets in Single-Employer Plans; Interest Assumptions for Valuing Benefits received December 28, 2020, pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 801(a)(1)(A); Public Law 104-121, Sec. 251; (110 Stat. 868); to the Committee on Education and Labor. EC-6051. A letter from the Assistant Secretary for Legislation, Department of Health and Human Services, transmitting the 2019 National Healthcare Quality and Disparities Report, pursuant to 42 U.S.C. 299b-2(b)(2); Public Law 106-129, Sec. 2(a); (113 Stat. 1658); to the Committee on Energy and Commerce. EC-6052. A letter from the Attorney, Regulatory Affairs Division, Office of the General Counsel, Consumer Product Safety Commission, transmitting the Commission's final rule -- Virginia Graeme Baker Pool and Spa Safety Act Drain Cover Standard [Docket No.: CPSC-2019-0012] received December 16, 2020, pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 801(a)(1)(A); Public Law 104-121, Sec. 251; (110 Stat. 868); to the Committee on Energy and Commerce. EC-6053. A letter from the Attorney, Regulatory Affairs Division, Office of the General Counsel, Consumer Product Safety Commission, transmitting the Commission's final rule -- Safety Standard for Hand-Held Infant Carriers [Docket No.: CPSC-2012-0068] received December 16, 2020, pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 801(a)(1)(A); Public Law 104-121, Sec. 251; (110 Stat. 868); to the Committee on Energy and Commerce. EC-6054. A letter from the Assistant Secretary for Legislation, Department of Health and Human Services, transmitting the Administration's Fiscal Year 2019 annual report to Congress for the Office of Combination Products; to the Committee on Energy and Commerce. EC-6055. A letter from the Regulations Coordinator, Department of Health and Human Services, transmitting the Department's final rule -- Grandfathered Group Health Plans and Grandfathered Group Health Insurance Coverage [CMS-9923- F] (RIN: 0938-AT49) received December 17, 2020, pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 801(a)(1)(A); Public Law 104-121, Sec. 251; (110 Stat. 868); to the Committee on Energy and Commerce. EC-6056. A letter from the Assistant Chief Counsel for Regulatory Affairs, Department of Transportation, transmitting the Department's final rule -- Hazardous Materials: Miscellaneous Amendments Pertaining to DOT- Specification Cylinders [Docket No.: PHMSA- 2011-0140 (HM- 234)] (RIN: 2137-AE80) received December 28, 2020, pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 801(a)(1)(A); Public Law 104-121, Sec. 251; (110 Stat. 868); to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. EC-6057. A letter from the Director, Regulatory Management Division, Environmental Protection Agency, transmitting the Agency's final rule -- Hazardous and Solid Waste Management System: Disposal of CCR; A Holistic Approach to Closure Part B: Alternate Demonstration for Unlined Surface Impoundments; Correcting Amendments [EPA-HQ-OLEM-2019-0173; FRL-10017-88- OLEM] (RIN: 2050-AH11) received December 16, 2020, pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 801(a)(1)(A); Public Law 104-121, Sec. 251; (110 Stat. 868); to the Committee on Energy and Commerce. EC-6058. A letter from the Director, Regulatory Management Division, Environmental Protection Agency, transmitting the Agency's withdrawal of direct final rule -- Implementation of the Revoked 1997 8-Hour Ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standards; Updates to 40 CFR Part 52 for Areas That Attained by the Attainment Date [EPA-HQ-OAR-2019-0611; FRL-10017-82- OAR] (RIN: 2060-AU54) received December 16, 2020, pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 801(a)(1)(A); Public Law 104-121, Sec. 251; (110 Stat. 868); to the Committee on Energy and Commerce. EC-6059. A letter from the Director, Regulatory Management Division, Environmental Protection Agency, transmitting the Agency's final action -- Review of the National Ambient Air Quality Standards for Particulate Matter [EPA-HQ-OAR-2015- 0072; FRL-10018-11-OAR] (RIN: 2060-AS50) received December 16, 2020, pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 801(a)(1)(A); Public Law 104- 121, Sec. 251; (110 Stat. 868); to the Committee on Energy and Commerce. EC-6060. A letter from the Director, Regulatory Management Division, Environmental Protection Agency, transmitting the Agency's final rule -- Air Plan Approval; California; Placer County Air Pollution Control District, Antelope Valley Air Quality Management District, Mariposa County Air Pollution Control District, and Eastern Kern Air Pollution Control District [EPA-R09-OAR-2020-0435; FRL-10017-70-Region 9] received December 28, 2020, pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 801(a)(1)(A); Public Law 104-121, Sec. 251; (110 Stat. 868); to the Committee on Energy and Commerce. EC-6061. A letter from the Director, Regulatory Management Division, Environmental Protection Agency, transmitting the Agency's final rule -- Air Plan Approval; California; South Coast Air Quality Management District [EPA-R09-OAR-2019-0176; FRL-10017-96-Region 9] received December 28, 2020, pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 801(a)(1)(A); Public Law 104-121, Sec. 251; (110 Stat. 868); to the Committee on Energy and Commerce. EC-6062. A letter from the Director, Regulatory Management Division, Environmental Protection Agency, transmitting the Agency's final rule -- Air Plan Partial Approval, Partial Disapproval, and Partial Conditional Approval; Arizona: Maricopa County Air Quality Department; Reasonably Available Control Technology State Implementation Plan and Surface Coating Rule [EPA-R09-OAR-2020-0358 and EPA-R09-OAR-2019- 0423; FRL-10017-89-Region 9] received December 28, 2020, pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 801(a)(1)(A); Public Law 104-121, Sec. 251; (110 Stat. 868); to the Committee on Energy and Commerce. EC-6063. A letter from the Director, Regulatory Management Division, Environmental Protection Agency, transmitting the Agency's final rule -- Broflanilide; Pesticide Tolerances [EPA-HQ-OPP-2018-0053; FRL-10016-42] received December 28, 2020, pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 801(a)(1)(A); Public Law 104-121, Sec. 251; (110 Stat. 868); to the Committee on Energy and Commerce. EC-6064. A letter from the Director, Regulatory Management Division, Environmental Protection Agency, transmitting the Agency's final rule -- 2,4-D; Pesticide Tolerances [EPA-HQ- OPP-2019-0233; FRL-10017-30] received December 28, 2020, pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 801(a)(1)(A); Public Law 104-121, Sec. 251; (110 Stat. 868); to the Committee on Energy and Commerce. EC-6065. A letter from the Director, Regulatory Management Division, Environmental Protection Agency, transmitting the Agency's final rule -- Air Plan Approval; Kansas; Infrastructure State Implementation Plan Requirements for the Ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standard [EPA-R07-OAR- 2020-0422; FRL-10018-59-Region 7] received December 28, 2020, pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 801(a)(1)(A); Public Law 104-121, Sec. 251; (110 Stat. 868); to the Committee on Energy and Commerce. EC-6066. A letter from the Director, Regulatory Management Division, Environmental Protection Agency, transmitting the Agency's final rule -- Bacillus Thuringiensis Cry1Ab/Cry2Aj Protein and G10-evo Enolpyruvylshikimate-3-Phosphate Synthase (G10evo-EPSPS) Protein; Exemptions from the Requirement of a Tolerance [EPA-HQ-OPP-2018-0403; FRL-10015-98] received December 28, 2020, pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 801(a)(1)(A); Public Law 104-121, Sec. 251; (110 Stat. 868); to the Committee on Energy and Commerce. EC-6067. A letter from the Director, Regulatory Management Division, Environmental Protection Agency, transmitting the Agency's final rule -- Reclassification of Major Sources as Area Sources Under Section 112 of the Clean Air Act; Correction [EPA-HQ-OAR-2019-0282; FRL-10014-50-OAR and FRL- 10019-02-OAR] (RIN: 2060-AM75) received December 28, 2020, pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 801(a)(1)(A); Public Law 104-121, Sec. 251; (110 Stat. 868); to the Committee on Energy and Commerce. EC-6068. A letter from the Program Analyst, Policy Division, Federal Communications Commission, transmitting the Commission's final rule -- Expanding Consumers' Video Navigation Choices [MB Docket No. 16-42] and Commercial Availability of Navigation Devices [CS Docket No. 97-80] received December 31, 2020, pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 801(a)(1)(A); Public Law 104-121, Sec. 251; (110 Stat. 868); to the Committee on Energy and Commerce. EC-6069. A letter from the Program Analyst, Office of the Managing Director, Federal Communications Commission, transmitting the Commission's final rule -- Implementation of State and Local Governments' Obligation to Approve Certain Wireless Facility Modification Requests Under Section 6409(a) of the Spectrum Act of 2012 (WT Docket No.: 19-250) received December 31, 2020, pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 801(a)(1)(A); Public Law 104-121, Sec. 251; (110 Stat. 868); to the Committee on Energy and Commerce. EC-6070. A letter from the Chief of Staff, Media Bureau, Federal Communications Commission, transmitting the Commission's final rule -- All-Digital AM Broadcasting [MB Docket No. 19-311] and Revitalization of the AM Radio Service [MB Docket No. 13-249] received December 31, 2020, pursuant to 5 [[Page H9177]] U.S.C. 801(a)(1)(A); Public Law 104-121, Sec. 251; (110 Stat. 868); to the Committee on Energy and Commerce. EC-6071. A letter from the Assistant Chief, Media Bureau, Federal Communications Commission, transmitting the Commission's final rule -- Promoting Broadcast Internet Innovation through ATSC 3.0 [MB Docket No. 20-145] received December 28, 2020, pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 801(a)(1)(A); Public Law 104-121, Sec. 251; (110 Stat. 868); to the Committee on Energy and Commerce. EC-6072. A letter from the Acting General Counsel, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, transmitting the Commission's final rule -- Implementation Issues Under the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act of 1978 [Docket Nos.: RM19-15-001 and AD16-16-001; Order No. 872-A] received December 28, 2020, pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 801(a)(1)(A); Public Law 104-121, Sec. 251; (110 Stat. 868); to the Committee on Energy and Commerce. EC-6073. A letter from the Regulations Coordinator, Health Resources and Services Administration, Department of Health and Human Services, transmitting the Department's final rule -- 340B Drug Pricing Program; Administrative Dispute Resolution Regulation (RIN: 0906-AB26) received December 17, 2020, pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 801(a)(1)(A); Public Law 104-121, Sec. 251; (110 Stat. 868); to the Committee on Energy and Commerce. EC-6074. A letter from the Chief of Staff, Media Bureau, Federal Communications Commission, transmitting the Commission's final rule -- Amendment of Section 73.622(i), Post-Transition Table of DTV Allotments, Television Broadcast Stations (Mesa, Arizona) [MB Docket No. 20-331] received December 16, 2020, pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 801(a)(1)(A); Public Law 104-121, Sec. 251; (110 Stat. 868); to the Committee on Energy and Commerce. EC-6075. A letter from the Chief of Staff, Media Bureau, Federal Communications Commission, transmitting the Commission's final rule -- Amendment of Section 73.622(i), Post-Transition Table of DTV Allotments, Television Broadcast Stations (Minneapolis, Minnesota) received December 16, 2020, pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 801(a)(1)(A); Public Law 104-121, Sec. 251; (110 Stat. 868); to the Committee on Energy and Commerce. EC-6076. A letter from the Chief of Staff, Media Bureau, Federal Communications Commission, transmitting the Commission's final rule -- Amendment of Section 73.622(i), Post- Transition Table of DTV Allotments, Television Broadcast Stations (Portland, Oregon) received December 16, 2020, pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 801(a)(1)(A); Public Law 104-121, Sec. 251; (110 Stat. 868); to the Committee on Energy and Commerce. EC-6077. A letter from the Chief of Staff, Media Bureau, Federal Communications Commission, transmitting the Commission's final rule -- Amendment of Parts 15, 73 and 74 of the Commission's Rules to Provide for the Preservation of One Vacant Channel in the UHF Television Band for Use by White Space Devices and Wireless Microphones [MB Docket No. 15-146] and Expanding the Economic and Innovation Opportunities of Spectrum Through Incentive Auctions [GN Docket No. 12-268] received December 16, 2020, pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 801(a)(1)(A); Public Law 104-121, Sec. 251; (110 Stat. 868); to the Committee on Energy and Commerce. EC-6078. A letter from the Chief of Staff, Media Bureau, Federal Communications Commission, transmitting the Commission's final rule ---- Amendment of Part 74 of the Commission's Rules Regarding FM Translator Interference [MB Docket No. 18-119] received December 16, 2020, pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 801(a)(1)(A); Public Law 104-121, Sec. 251; (110 Stat. 868); to the Committee on Energy and Commerce. EC-6079. A letter from the Director, Office of Congressional Affairs, Nuclear Regulatory Commission, transmitting the Commission's issuance of regulatory guide -- Physical Protection Programs at Nuclear Power Reactors Safeguards Information [NRC-2020-0246] received December 7, 2020, pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 801(a)(1)(A); Public Law 104-121, Sec. 251; (110 Stat. 868); to the Committee on Energy and Commerce. EC-6080. A letter from the Regulations Coordinator, Office of General Counsel, Department of Health and Human Services, transmitting the Department's final rule -- Department of Health and Human Services Good Guidance Practices (RIN: 0991- AC17) received December 28, 2020, pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 801(a)(1)(A); Public Law 104-121, Sec. 251; (110 Stat. 868); to the Committee on Energy and Commerce. EC-6081. A letter from the Secretary, Department of the Treasury, transmitting a six-month periodic report on the national emergency with respect to the Western Balkans that was declared in Executive Order 13219 of June 26, 2001, pursuant to 50 U.S.C. 1641(c); Public Law 94-412, Sec. 401(c); (90 Stat. 1257) and 50 U.S.C. 1703(c); Public Law 95- 223, Sec 204(c); (91 Stat. 1627); to the Committee on Foreign Affairs. EC-6082. A letter from the Chairman of the Board of Directors, Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation, transmitting the Corporation's FY 2020 Annual Report, pursuant to 29 U.S.C. 1308; Public Law 93-406, Sec. 4008 (as amended by Public Law 109-280, Sec. 412); (120 Stat. 936); to the Committee on Oversight and Reform. EC-6083. A letter from the Associate General Counsel for General Law, Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, Department of Homeland Security, transmitting notification of a federal vacancy and designation of acting officer, pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 3349(a); Public Law 105-277, Sec. 151(b); (112 Stat. 2681-614); to the Committee on Oversight and Reform. EC-6084. A letter from the Associate General Counsel, Department of Agriculture, transmitting three (3) notifications of a nomination and action on nomination, pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 3349(a); Public Law 105-277, Sec. 151(b); (112 Stat. 2681-614); to the Committee on Oversight and Reform. EC-6085. A letter from the Secretary, Department of Labor, transmitting the Department's Semiannual Report to Congress of the Office of Inspector General for the period April 1, 2020 through September 30, 2020, pursuant to Sec. 5 of the Inspector General Act of 1978; to the Committee on Oversight and Reform. EC-6086. A letter from the Director, Office of Financial Management, Department of Transportation, transmitting the Department's FY 2020 agency financial report, pursuant to 31 U.S.C. 3515(a)(1); Public Law 101-576, Sec. 303(a)(1) (as amended by Public Law 107-289, Sec. 2(a)); (116 Stat. 2049) and 31 U.S.C. 1115(b); Public Law 111-352, Sec. 3; (124 Stat. 3867); to the Committee on Oversight and Reform. EC-6087. A letter from the Secretary, Department of the Interior, transmitting the Department's Semiannual Report of the Office of Inspector General for the 6-month period of April 1, 2020 through September 30, 2020, pursuant to Sec. 5 of the Inspector General Act of 1978, Public Law 95-452; to the Committee on Oversight and Reform. EC-6088. A letter from the Director, Office of Management and Budget, Executive Office of the President, transmitting the Statistical Programs of the United States Government: Fiscal Years 2019/2020 report; to the Committee on Oversight and Reform. EC-6089. A letter from the Chairman, Federal Maritime Commission, transmitting the Commission's Office of the Inspector General's Semiannual Report to Congress for the period April 1, 2020 through September 30, 2020; to the Committee on Oversight and Reform. EC-6090. A letter from the Chief Financial Officer, National Labor Relations Board, transmitting the Board's Performance and Accountability Report for Fiscal Year 2020, pursuant to 31 U.S.C. 3515(a)(1); Public Law 101-576, Sec. 303(a)(1) (as amended by Public Law 107-289, Sec. 2(a)); (116 Stat. 2049); to the Committee on Oversight and Reform. EC-6091. A letter from the Chairman of the Board, Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation, transmitting the Corporation's Semiannual Report to Congress of the Office of Inspector General, pursuant to Sec. 5 of the Inspector General Act of 1978; to the Committee on Oversight and Reform. EC-6092. A letter from the Deputy Director, Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement, Department of the Interior, transmitting the Department's final rule -- Clarification of Provisions Related to the Issuance of Ten- Day Notices to State Regulatory Authorities and Enhancement of Corrective Action for State Regulatory Program Issues [Docket ID: OSM-2019-0010; S1D1S SS08011000 SX064A000 212S180110; S2D2S SS08011000 SX064A00 21XS501520] (RIN: 1029- AC77) received December 28, 2020, pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 801(a)(1)(A); Public Law 104-121, Sec. 251; (110 Stat. 868); to the Committee on Natural Resources. EC-6093. A letter from the Assistant Attorney General, Department of Justice, transmitting the report on the Administration of the Foreign Agents Registration Act of 1938, as amended, for the six months ending December 31, 2018, pursuant to 22 U.S.C. 621; June 8, 1938, ch. 327, Sec. 11 (as amended by Public Law 104-65, Sec. 19); (109 Stat. 704); to the Committee on the Judiciary. EC-6094. A letter from the Director, Administrative Office of the United States Courts, transmitting a compilation and summary of reports received from chief district judges detailing each public event conducted in accordance with the law's requirements during the previous fiscal year, pursuant to Public Law 115-237, Sec. 4(b)(1); (132 Stat. 2449); to the Committee on the Judiciary. EC-6095. A letter from the Director, Administrative Office of the United States Courts, transmitting the 2019 annual report on bankruptcy statistics, pursuant to 28 U.S.C. 159(b)(3); Public Law 109-8, Sec. 601(a); (119 Stat. 119); to the Committee on the Judiciary. EC-6096. A letter from the Director, Administrative Office of the United States Courts, transmitting the annual report to Congress concerning intercepted wire, oral, or electronic communications, pursuant to 18 U.S.C. 2519(3); Public Law 90- 351, Sec. 802 (as amended by Public Law 111-174, Sec. 6(3)); (124 Stat. 1217); to the Committee on the Judiciary. EC-6097. A letter from the Agency Representative, United States Patent and Trademark Office, Department of Commerce, transmitting the Department's final rule -- PTAB Rules of Practice for Instituting on All Challenged Patent Claims and All Grounds and Eliminating the Presumption at Institution Favoring Petitioner as to Testimonial Evidence [Docket No.: PTO-P-2019-0024] (RIN: 0651-AD40) received December 16, 2020, pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 801(a)(1)(A); Public Law 104-121, Sec. 251; (110 Stat. 868); to the Committee on the Judiciary. EC-6098. A letter from the Director, Regulatory Management Division, Environmental Protection Agency, transmitting the Agency's final rule -- Civil Monetary Penalty Inflation Adjustment [FRL-10018-13-OECA] received December 16, 2020, pursuant to 5 [[Page H9178]] U.S.C. 801(a)(1)(A); Public Law 104-121, Sec. 251; (110 Stat. 868); to the Committee on the Judiciary. EC-6099. A letter from the Secretary, Judicial Conference of the United States, transmitting the Report of the Proceedings of the Judicial Conference of the United States for the March 2020 session; to the Committee on the Judiciary. EC-6100. A letter from the Secretary, Judicial Conference of the United States, transmitting the Conference's report on the continuing need for bankruptcy judgeships, pursuant to 28 U.S.C. 152(b)(3); Public Law 98-353, Sec. 104(a) (as amended by Public Law 102-361, Sec. 4); (106 Stat. 966); to the Committee on the Judiciary. EC-6101. A letter from the Director, Regulatory Management Division, Environmental Protection Agency, transmitting the Agency's final rule -- Withdrawal of Certain Federal Water Quality Criteria Applicable to Maine [EPA-HQ-OW-2015-0804; FRL-10017-97-OW] (RIN: 2040-AG00) received December 16, 2020, pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 801(a)(1)(A); Public Law 104-121, Sec. 251; (110 Stat. 868); to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. EC-6102. A letter from the Assistant Secretary for Legislation, Department of Health and Human Services, transmitting the Department's report entitled, ``Computation of Annual Liability Insurance (Including Self-Insurance), No- Fault Insurance, and Workers' Compensation Settlement Recovery Threshold'', pursuant to 42 U.S.C. 1395y(b)(9)(D); Aug. 14, 1935, ch. 531, title XVIII, Sec. 1862(b)(9)(D) (as added by Public Law 112-242, Sec. 202(a)(2)); (126 Stat. 2379); jointly to the Committees on Energy and Commerce and Ways and Means. ____________________" CREC-2020-12-31-pt1-PgH9178-2,2020-12-31,116,2,,,PUBLIC BILLS AND RESOLUTIONS,HOUSE,HOUSE,HPUBBILLS,H9178,H9178,,"[{""congress"": ""116"", ""type"": ""HRES"", ""number"": ""1273""}, {""congress"": ""116"", ""type"": ""HR"", ""number"": ""9057""}, {""congress"": ""116"", ""type"": ""HR"", ""number"": ""9058""}, {""congress"": ""116"", ""type"": ""HR"", ""number"": ""9059""}, {""congress"": ""116"", ""type"": ""HR"", ""number"": ""9060""}, {""congress"": ""116"", ""type"": ""HR"", ""number"": ""9061""}, {""congress"": ""116"", ""type"": ""HR"", ""number"": ""9062""}, {""congress"": ""116"", ""type"": ""HR"", ""number"": ""9063""}, {""congress"": ""116"", ""type"": ""HR"", ""number"": ""9064""}, {""congress"": ""116"", ""type"": ""HR"", ""number"": ""9065""}, {""congress"": ""116"", ""type"": ""HR"", ""number"": ""9066""}, {""congress"": ""116"", ""type"": ""HR"", ""number"": ""9067""}]",166 Cong. Rec. H9178,"Congressional Record, Volume 166 Issue 223 (Thursday, December 31, 2020) [Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 223 (Thursday, December 31, 2020)] [House] [Page H9178] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] PUBLIC BILLS AND RESOLUTIONS Under clause 2 of rule XII, public bills and resolutions of the following titles were introduced and severally referred, as follows: By Mr. CARTWRIGHT: H.R. 9057. A bill to amend the Public Health Service Act to develop and test an expanded and advanced role for direct- care workers who provide long-term services and supports to older adults and people with disabilities in efforts to coordinate care and improve the efficiency of service delivery, and for other purposes; to the Committee on Energy and Commerce. By Mr. KENNEDY: H.R. 9058. A bill to require the Director of the National Institutes of Health to enter into a contract with the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine to study addiction to and dependence on social media applications, and for other purposes; to the Committee on Energy and Commerce. By Mr. KENNEDY: H.R. 9059. A bill to require Federal financial supervisory agencies to evaluate a financial institution's record of meeting community environmentally sustainable investment needs as part of examinations, and for other purposes; to the Committee on Financial Services. By Mr. KENNEDY (for himself and Mr. Cicilline): H.R. 9060. A bill to amend section 1979 of the Revised Statutes of the United States to clarify that States are persons for purposes of liability under that section, and for other purposes; to the Committee on the Judiciary. By Mr. KENNEDY: H.R. 9061. A bill to amend the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act to establish a credit to any bid for a lease that includes a commitment to use a project labor agreement, and for other purposes; to the Committee on Natural Resources. By Mr. KING of Iowa: H.R. 9062. A bill to amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to modify provisions relating to assistance by States, and political subdivision of States, in the enforcement of Federal immigration laws, and for other purposes; to the Committee on the Judiciary. By Mr. KING of Iowa: H.R. 9063. A bill to require agencies of the Federal Government to define the term service animal in accordance with the regulations of the Department of Justice, and for other purposes; to the Committee on Oversight and Reform. By Mr. KING of Iowa: H.R. 9064. A bill to Amend and Improve Federal law regarding in the areas of immigration, health care, the Constitution, education, trade, veterans affairs, welfare, tax, and other matters; to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committees on Energy and Commerce, Ways and Means, Education and Labor, Natural Resources, House Administration, Rules, Appropriations, Agriculture, Oversight and Reform, Veterans' Affairs, and Foreign Affairs, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned. By Mr. NADLER: H.R. 9065. A bill to amend title 18, United States Code, to amend provisions relating to the release or detention of a defendant pending trial, sentence, or appeal, and for other purposes; to the Committee on the Judiciary. By Ms. SCHRIER (for herself and Mr. Budd): H.R. 9066. A bill to direct the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information to establish a pilot program to provide innovation grants to established State broadband offices, and for other purposes; to the Committee on Energy and Commerce. By Mr. SOTO: H.R. 9067. A bill to establish an office within the Department of Commerce to coordinate all non-defense related deployment and activities related to blockchain technology within the Federal Government; to the Committee on Energy and Commerce. By Mr. KING of Iowa: H. Res. 1273. A resolution nullifying the impeachment of Donald John Trump; to the Committee on the Judiciary. ____________________" CREC-2020-12-31-pt1-PgH9178-3,2020-12-31,116,2,,,MEMORIALS,HOUSE,HOUSE,HMEMORIALS,H9178,H9178,,,166 Cong. Rec. H9178,"Congressional Record, Volume 166 Issue 223 (Thursday, December 31, 2020) [Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 223 (Thursday, December 31, 2020)] [House] [Page H9178] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] MEMORIALS Under clause 3 of rule XII, memorials were presented and referred as follows: ML-221. The SPEAKER presented a memorial of the General Assembly of the State of New Jersey, relative to Assembly Resolution No. 92, urging Congress to pass the ``Community Broadband Act''; to the Committee on Energy and Commerce. ML-222. Also, a memorial of the General Assembly of the State of New Jersey, relative to Assembly Resolution No. 139, condemning hate crimes and any other form of bias crime in New Jersey; to the Committee on the Judiciary. ML-223. Also, a memorial of the General Assembly of the State of New Jersey, relative to Assembly Resolution No. 193, urging the federal government to raise the state and local tax deduction to $25,000; to the Committee on Ways and Means. ____________________" CREC-2020-12-31-pt1-PgH9178-4,2020-12-31,116,2,,,Constitutional Authority Statement,HOUSE,HOUSE,CASTATEMENT,H9178,H9178,,,166 Cong. Rec. H9178,"Congressional Record, Volume 166 Issue 223 (Thursday, December 31, 2020) [Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 223 (Thursday, December 31, 2020)] [House] [Page H9178] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] CONSTITUTIONAL AUTHORITY STATEMENT Pursuant to clause 7 of rule XII of the Rules of the House of Representatives, the following statements are submitted regarding the specific powers granted to Congress in the Constitution to enact the accompanying bill or joint resolution." CREC-2020-12-31-pt1-PgH9178-5,2020-12-31,116,2,,,Constitutional Authority Statement for H.R. 9057,HOUSE,HOUSE,CASTATEMENT,H9178,H9178,,"[{""congress"": ""116"", ""type"": ""HR"", ""number"": ""9057""}]",166 Cong. Rec. H9178,"Congressional Record, Volume 166 Issue 223 (Thursday, December 31, 2020) [Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 223 (Thursday, December 31, 2020)] [House] [Page H9178] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] By Mr. CARTWRIGHT: H.R. 9057. Congress has the power to enact this legislation pursuant to the following: Article I, Section 8, Clause 3 (relating to the power of Congress to regulate Commerce with foreign Nations, and among the several States, and with the Indian Tribes.)" CREC-2020-12-31-pt1-PgH9178-6,2020-12-31,116,2,,,Constitutional Authority Statement for H.R. 9058,HOUSE,HOUSE,CASTATEMENT,H9178,H9179,,"[{""congress"": ""116"", ""type"": ""HR"", ""number"": ""9058""}]",166 Cong. Rec. H9178,"Congressional Record, Volume 166 Issue 223 (Thursday, December 31, 2020) [Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 223 (Thursday, December 31, 2020)] [House] [Pages H9178-H9179] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] By Mr. KENNEDY: H.R. 9058. Congress has the power to enact this legislation pursuant to the following: [[Page H9179]] Article I, Section 8" CREC-2020-12-31-pt1-PgH9178,2020-12-31,116,2,,,REPORTS OF COMMITTEES ON PUBLIC BILLS AND RESOLUTIONS,HOUSE,HOUSE,HPUBCOMMREPORT,H9178,H9178,,"[{""congress"": ""116"", ""type"": ""HR"", ""number"": ""2328""}, {""congress"": ""116"", ""type"": ""HR"", ""number"": ""2678""}, {""congress"": ""116"", ""type"": ""HR"", ""number"": ""8169""}]",166 Cong. Rec. H9178,"Congressional Record, Volume 166 Issue 223 (Thursday, December 31, 2020) [Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 223 (Thursday, December 31, 2020)] [House] [Page H9178] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] REPORTS OF COMMITTEES ON PUBLIC BILLS AND RESOLUTIONS Under clause 2 of rule XIII, reports of committees were delivered to the Clerk for printing and reference to the proper calendar, as follows: Ms. VELAZQUEZ: Committee on Small Business. Report on the Activity of the Committee on Small Business of the One Hundred Sixteenth Congress (Rept. 116-702). Referred to the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union. Mr. DEUTCH: Committee on Ethics. Committee on Ethics Summary of Activities 116th Congress (Rept. 116-703). Referred to the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union. Mr. NADLER: Committee on the Judiciary. H.R. 8169. A bill to amend the Elder Abuse Prevention and Prosecution Act to authorize the Elder Justice Initiative, to require that online resources of such initiative are made available in Spanish, and for other purposes (Rept. 116-704). Referred to the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union. Mr. NADLER: Committee on the Judiciary. H.R. 2678. A bill to amend title 18, United States Code, to provide for the tolling of the statute of limitations with regard to certain offenses committed by the President of the United States during or prior to tenure in office, and for other purposes; with an amendment (Rept. 116-705). Referred to the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union. Mr. YARMUTH: Committee on the Budget. Activities and Summary Report of the Committee on the Budget (Rept. 116- 706). Referred to the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union. Ms. LOFGREN: Committee on House Administration. Activities of the Committee on House Administration During the 116th Congress (Rept. 116-707). Referred to the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union. Ms. CASTOR of Florida: Select Committee on Climate Crisis. Activities of the Select Committee on the Climate Crisis (Rept. 116-708). Referred to the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union. Mr. SMITH of Washington: Committee on Armed Services. Activities of the Committee on Armed Services (Rept. 116- 709). Referred to the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union. discharge of committee Pursuant to clause 2 of rule XIII, the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure discharged from further consideration. H.R. 2328 referred to the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union. ____________________" CREC-2020-12-31-pt1-PgH9179-10,2020-12-31,116,2,,,ADDITIONAL SPONSORS,HOUSE,HOUSE,HADDSPONSORS,H9179,H9179,,"[{""congress"": ""116"", ""type"": ""HR"", ""number"": ""12""}, {""congress"": ""116"", ""type"": ""HRES"", ""number"": ""114""}, {""congress"": ""116"", ""type"": ""HR"", ""number"": ""1052""}, {""congress"": ""116"", ""type"": ""HR"", ""number"": ""1763""}, {""congress"": ""116"", ""type"": ""HR"", ""number"": ""2573""}, {""congress"": ""116"", ""type"": ""HR"", ""number"": ""3938""}, {""congress"": ""116"", ""type"": ""HR"", ""number"": ""5141""}, {""congress"": ""116"", ""type"": ""HR"", ""number"": ""7499""}, {""congress"": ""116"", ""type"": ""HR"", ""number"": ""8433""}, {""congress"": ""116"", ""type"": ""HR"", ""number"": ""8641""}, {""congress"": ""116"", ""type"": ""HR"", ""number"": ""8925""}, {""congress"": ""116"", ""type"": ""HR"", ""number"": ""8941""}]",166 Cong. Rec. H9179,"Congressional Record, Volume 166 Issue 223 (Thursday, December 31, 2020) [Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 223 (Thursday, December 31, 2020)] [House] [Page H9179] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] ADDITIONAL SPONSORS Under clause 7 of rule XII, sponsors were added to public bills and resolutions, as follows: H.R. 12: Mr. Wenstrup and Ms. Foxx of North Carolina. H.R. 1052: Ms. Finkenauer and Mr. Steube. H.R. 1763: Mr. Mfume. H.R. 2573: Ms. Adams. H.R. 3938: Mr. Crow. H.R. 5141: Ms. Barragan. H.R. 7499: Ms. Speier and Mr. Scott of Virginia. H.R. 8433: Mr. Pascrell and Mr. Crow. H.R. 8641: Mr. DeSaulnier, Mr. Panetta, and Mr. Lowenthal. H.R. 8925: Ms. Jackson Lee. H.R. 8941: Ms. Jackson Lee. H. Res. 114: Mrs. Carolyn B. Maloney of New York." CREC-2020-12-31-pt1-PgH9179-2,2020-12-31,116,2,,,Constitutional Authority Statement for H.R. 9060,HOUSE,HOUSE,CASTATEMENT,H9179,H9179,,"[{""congress"": ""116"", ""type"": ""HR"", ""number"": ""9060""}]",166 Cong. Rec. H9179,"Congressional Record, Volume 166 Issue 223 (Thursday, December 31, 2020) [Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 223 (Thursday, December 31, 2020)] [House] [Page H9179] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] By Mr. KENNEDY: H.R. 9060. Congress has the power to enact this legislation pursuant to the following: Article I, Section 8" CREC-2020-12-31-pt1-PgH9179-3,2020-12-31,116,2,,,Constitutional Authority Statement for H.R. 9061,HOUSE,HOUSE,CASTATEMENT,H9179,H9179,,"[{""congress"": ""116"", ""type"": ""HR"", ""number"": ""9061""}]",166 Cong. Rec. H9179,"Congressional Record, Volume 166 Issue 223 (Thursday, December 31, 2020) [Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 223 (Thursday, December 31, 2020)] [House] [Page H9179] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] By Mr. KENNEDY: H.R. 9061. Congress has the power to enact this legislation pursuant to the following: Article 1, Section 8." CREC-2020-12-31-pt1-PgH9179-4,2020-12-31,116,2,,,Constitutional Authority Statement for H.R. 9062,HOUSE,HOUSE,CASTATEMENT,H9179,H9179,,"[{""congress"": ""116"", ""type"": ""HR"", ""number"": ""9062""}]",166 Cong. Rec. H9179,"Congressional Record, Volume 166 Issue 223 (Thursday, December 31, 2020) [Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 223 (Thursday, December 31, 2020)] [House] [Page H9179] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] By Mr. KING of Iowa: H.R. 9062. Congress has the power to enact this legislation pursuant to the following: Article I, Section 8, Clause 4" CREC-2020-12-31-pt1-PgH9179-5,2020-12-31,116,2,,,Constitutional Authority Statement for H.R. 9063,HOUSE,HOUSE,CASTATEMENT,H9179,H9179,,"[{""congress"": ""116"", ""type"": ""HR"", ""number"": ""9063""}]",166 Cong. Rec. H9179,"Congressional Record, Volume 166 Issue 223 (Thursday, December 31, 2020) [Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 223 (Thursday, December 31, 2020)] [House] [Page H9179] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] By Mr. KING of Iowa: H.R. 9063. Congress has the power to enact this legislation pursuant to the following: Article I, Section 8, Clause 18" CREC-2020-12-31-pt1-PgH9179-6,2020-12-31,116,2,,,Constitutional Authority Statement for H.R. 9064,HOUSE,HOUSE,CASTATEMENT,H9179,H9179,,"[{""congress"": ""116"", ""type"": ""HR"", ""number"": ""9064""}]",166 Cong. Rec. H9179,"Congressional Record, Volume 166 Issue 223 (Thursday, December 31, 2020) [Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 223 (Thursday, December 31, 2020)] [House] [Page H9179] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] By Mr. KING of Iowa: H.R. 9064. Congress has the power to enact this legislation pursuant to the following: Article I, Section 8, Clause 1 Article I, Section 8, Clause 3 Article I, Section 8, Clause 4 Article I, Section 8, Clause 18" CREC-2020-12-31-pt1-PgH9179-7,2020-12-31,116,2,,,Constitutional Authority Statement for H.R. 9065,HOUSE,HOUSE,CASTATEMENT,H9179,H9179,,"[{""congress"": ""116"", ""type"": ""HR"", ""number"": ""9065""}]",166 Cong. Rec. H9179,"Congressional Record, Volume 166 Issue 223 (Thursday, December 31, 2020) [Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 223 (Thursday, December 31, 2020)] [House] [Page H9179] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] By Mr. NADLER: H.R. 9065. Congress has the power to enact this legislation pursuant to the following: Article I, Section 8, clauses 9 and 10 of the Constitution of the United States." CREC-2020-12-31-pt1-PgH9179-8,2020-12-31,116,2,,,Constitutional Authority Statement for H.R. 9066,HOUSE,HOUSE,CASTATEMENT,H9179,H9179,,"[{""congress"": ""116"", ""type"": ""HR"", ""number"": ""9066""}]",166 Cong. Rec. H9179,"Congressional Record, Volume 166 Issue 223 (Thursday, December 31, 2020) [Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 223 (Thursday, December 31, 2020)] [House] [Page H9179] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] By Ms. SCHRIER: H.R. 9066. Congress has the power to enact this legislation pursuant to the following: Article 1" CREC-2020-12-31-pt1-PgH9179-9,2020-12-31,116,2,,,Constitutional Authority Statement for H.R. 9067,HOUSE,HOUSE,CASTATEMENT,H9179,H9179,,"[{""congress"": ""116"", ""type"": ""HR"", ""number"": ""9067""}]",166 Cong. Rec. H9179,"Congressional Record, Volume 166 Issue 223 (Thursday, December 31, 2020) [Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 223 (Thursday, December 31, 2020)] [House] [Page H9179] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] By Mr. SOTO: H.R. 9067. Congress has the power to enact this legislation pursuant to the following: Article I, Section 8, of the United States' Consitution. ____________________" CREC-2020-12-31-pt1-PgH9179,2020-12-31,116,2,,,Constitutional Authority Statement for H.R. 9059,HOUSE,HOUSE,CASTATEMENT,H9179,H9179,,"[{""congress"": ""116"", ""type"": ""HR"", ""number"": ""9059""}]",166 Cong. Rec. H9179,"Congressional Record, Volume 166 Issue 223 (Thursday, December 31, 2020) [Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 223 (Thursday, December 31, 2020)] [House] [Page H9179] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] By Mr. KENNEDY: H.R. 9059. Congress has the power to enact this legislation pursuant to the following: Article I, Section 8" CREC-2020-12-31-pt1-PgS-FrontMatter-11,2020-12-31,116,2,,,Senate,SENATE,SENATE,FRONTMATTER,S7985,S7985,,,166 Cong. Rec. S7985,"Congressional Record, Volume 166 Issue 223 (Thursday, December 31, 2020) [Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 223 (Thursday, December 31, 2020)] [Senate] [Page S7985] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] S E N A T E Vol. 166 WASHINGTON, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 31, 2020 No. 223" CREC-2020-12-31-pt1-PgS7985-2,2020-12-31,116,2,,,PRAYER,SENATE,SENATE,PRAYER,S7985,S7985,,,166 Cong. Rec. S7985,"Congressional Record, Volume 166 Issue 223 (Thursday, December 31, 2020) [Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 223 (Thursday, December 31, 2020)] [Senate] [Page S7985] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] PRAYER The Chaplain, Dr. Barry C. Black, offered the following prayer: Let us pray. Eternal Lord God, as the new year beckons, our souls rise to meet You, for You are the source of our strength and the hope of our lives. We put our lives in Your hands, trusting You with all our tomorrows. Lord, You bless us with Your peace, even in the midst of life's storms. Uphold our Senators. Give them hours that sustain rather than stress. Permit the rhythm of Your truth to free them from the bondage that debilitates. May they find strength in You as they give You their restlessness and doubts. We pray in Your wonderful Name. Amen. ____________________" CREC-2020-12-31-pt1-PgS7985-3,2020-12-31,116,2,,,PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE,SENATE,SENATE,PLEDGE,S7985,S7985,,,166 Cong. Rec. S7985,"Congressional Record, Volume 166 Issue 223 (Thursday, December 31, 2020) [Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 223 (Thursday, December 31, 2020)] [Senate] [Page S7985] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE The Presiding Officer led the Pledge of Allegiance, as follows: 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. ____________________" CREC-2020-12-31-pt1-PgS7985-4,2020-12-31,116,2,,,APPOINTMENT OF ACTING PRESIDENT PRO TEMPORE,SENATE,SENATE,ALLOTHER,S7985,S7985,,,166 Cong. Rec. S7985,"Congressional Record, Volume 166 Issue 223 (Thursday, December 31, 2020) [Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 223 (Thursday, December 31, 2020)] [Senate] [Page S7985] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] APPOINTMENT OF ACTING PRESIDENT PRO TEMPORE The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will please read a communication to the Senate from the President pro tempore (Mr. Grassley). The senior assistant legislative clerk read the following letter: U.S. Senate, President pro tempore, Washington, DC, December 31, 2020. To the Senate: Under the provisions of rule I, paragraph 3, of the Standing Rules of the Senate, I hereby appoint the Honorable Deb Fischer, a Senator from the State of Nebraska, to perform the duties of the Chair. Chuck Grassley, President pro tempore. Mrs. FISCHER thereupon assumed the Chair as Acting President pro tempore. ____________________" CREC-2020-12-31-pt1-PgS7985-5,2020-12-31,116,2,,,RECOGNITION OF THE MAJORITY LEADER,SENATE,SENATE,ALLOTHER,S7985,S7985,,,166 Cong. Rec. S7985,"Congressional Record, Volume 166 Issue 223 (Thursday, December 31, 2020) [Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 223 (Thursday, December 31, 2020)] [Senate] [Page S7985] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] RECOGNITION OF THE MAJORITY LEADER The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The majority leader is recognized. ____________________" CREC-2020-12-31-pt1-PgS7985-6,2020-12-31,116,2,,,JUST AND UNIFYING SOLUTIONS TO INVIGORATE COMMUNITIES EVERYWHERE ACT OF 2020--MOTION TO PROCEED,SENATE,SENATE,ALLOTHER,S7985,S7985,"[{""name"": ""Mitch McConnell"", ""role"": ""speaking""}]","[{""congress"": ""116"", ""type"": ""S"", ""number"": ""3985""}, {""congress"": ""116"", ""type"": ""S"", ""number"": ""3985""}]",166 Cong. Rec. S7985,"Congressional Record, Volume 166 Issue 223 (Thursday, December 31, 2020) [Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 223 (Thursday, December 31, 2020)] [Senate] [Page S7985] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] JUST AND UNIFYING SOLUTIONS TO INVIGORATE COMMUNITIES EVERYWHERE ACT OF 2020--MOTION TO PROCEED Mr. McCONNELL. I move to proceed to Calendar No. 480, S. 3985. The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The clerk will report the motion. The senior assistant legislative clerk read as follows: Motion to proceed to Calendar No. 480, S. 3985, a bill to improve and reform policing practices, accountability and transparency. ____________________" CREC-2020-12-31-pt1-PgS7985-7,2020-12-31,116,2,,,RESERVATION OF LEADER TIME,SENATE,SENATE,ALLOTHER,S7985,S7985,,,166 Cong. Rec. S7985,"Congressional Record, Volume 166 Issue 223 (Thursday, December 31, 2020) [Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 223 (Thursday, December 31, 2020)] [Senate] [Page S7985] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] RESERVATION OF LEADER TIME The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Under the previous order, the leadership time is reserved. The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The majority leader. ____________________" CREC-2020-12-31-pt1-PgS7985-8,2020-12-31,116,2,,,NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT,SENATE,SENATE,ALLOTHER,S7985,S7986,"[{""name"": ""Mitch McConnell"", ""role"": ""speaking""}]",,166 Cong. Rec. S7985,"Congressional Record, Volume 166 Issue 223 (Thursday, December 31, 2020) [Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 223 (Thursday, December 31, 2020)] [Senate] [Pages S7985-S7986] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT Mr. McCONNELL. Madam President, yesterday, the Senate was finally able to proceed to this year's National Defense Authorization Act. A few of our Democratic colleagues have pulled out all the stops to hold back this crucial bill, but last night, a big bipartisan majority of 80 Senators voted to proceed. There should be nothing controversial about giving our brave men and women in uniform the tools and training they need to stay safe. There should be nothing controversial about continuing the work of rebuilding and modernizing our capabilities. It should be a nonpartisan proposition that America should keep pace with Russia and China rather than slip behind. We have enacted an annual NDAA for 59 straight years and counting. In the next few days, the easy way or the hard way, we are going to do our job once again. This body will fulfill our responsibility to the men and women who protect our country. The Senate will be here until we finish this bipartisan legislation. Now, for several days, we heard some Senators say Congress must send more cash to high-earning households that haven't seen any income disruption during COVID-19. Our colleagues who purport to be the champions of vulnerable Americans now say that what struggling people really need is for Congress to stop focusing on targeted relief for them specifically and, instead, to send thousands of dollars to people who don't need the help. Experts from across the political spectrum agree that our colleague from Vermont is dead wrong on this. Socialism for rich people is a terrible way to help the American families who are actually struggling. Let me say that again. Borrowing from our grandkids to do socialism for rich people is a terrible way to get help for families who actually need it. Washington Democrats took President Trump's suggestion and skewed it so the checks would benefit even more high-earning households. Imagine a family of five where the parents earn $250,000 per year and have not seen any income loss this past year. Speaker Pelosi and Senator Sanders want to send them $5,000 from Uncle Sam. They make a quarter of a million dollars, nobody is out of work, but our so-called progressive friends say the household needs ``survival [[Page S7986]] checks.'' In fact, they believe a family of five should have to earn $350,000 before the spigot of government money would stop entirely. Socialism for rich people. That is what Speaker Pelosi and Senator Sanders have sketched out. A terrible way to help those who need it, and experts across the political spectrum agree. The liberal editors of the Washington Post have blasted so-called progressives demanding a nontargeted giveaway that would give ``huge amounts'' to ``perfectly comfortable families.'' Larry Summers, who ran the Treasury Department for President Clinton and the National Economic Council for President Obama, says there is ``no good economic argument'' for more nontargeted checks with no linkage to need. The liberal New York Times reported this morning that a majority of the households that get nontargeted checks do not end up spending them on urgent needs but rather just add it to their savings. ``We know where the pockets of need are,'' said one economist, and ``putting [money] there would be a much more efficient use.'' Fortunately, though some of our colleagues seem to have forgotten, that is exactly what we did only a week ago. It has been less than 5 days since President Trump signed into law another historic bipartisan rescue package targeted to Americans who actually need the help. We passed an entire second round of PPP loans to save small business jobs, targeted to the hardest hit. We renewed multiple kinds of additional benefits for unemployed workers, including an extra $300 supplement every week. There are billions for targeted food assistance, billions for targeted rental assistance, and many billions of dollars for vaccine distribution so we can finally beat this virus and reopen the economy in full. These are the kinds of targeted emergency programs that directly help the most vulnerable, and we just poured almost another trillion dollars into them, less than 5 days ago, along with more direct checks that are already arriving in households' accounts. That is what we did just 5 days ago. This crisis has not affected everyone equally. The data show that many upper middle-class Americans have kept their jobs, worked remotely, and remained totally financially comfortable. On the other hand, some of our fellow citizens had their entire existence turned upside down and continue to suffer terribly. We do not need to let the Speaker of the House do socialism for rich people in order to help those who need help. Our duty, both to struggling Americans and to taxpayers, is to focus on targeted relief that will have the maximum impact and help the people who need it the most. That is what the experts say we should do. That is where there is broad bipartisan support, and that is exactly what we did less than 1 week ago, when nearly $900 billion in more targeted relief was signed into law for our people ____________________" CREC-2020-12-31-pt1-PgS7985,2020-12-31,116,2,,,Senate,SENATE,SENATE,CALLTOORDER,S7985,S7985,,,166 Cong. Rec. S7985,"Congressional Record, Volume 166 Issue 223 (Thursday, December 31, 2020) [Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 223 (Thursday, December 31, 2020)] [Senate] [Page S7985] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] [[Page S7985]] Senate The Senate met at 12 noon and was called to order by the Honorable Deb Fischer, a Senator from the State of Nebraska. ____________________" CREC-2020-12-31-pt1-PgS7986-2,2020-12-31,116,2,,,UNANIMOUS CONSENT REQUEST--H.R. 9051,SENATE,SENATE,SCONSENTREQUEST,S7986,S7987,"[{""name"": ""Charles E. Schumer"", ""role"": ""speaking""}, {""name"": ""Mitch McConnell"", ""role"": ""speaking""}]","[{""congress"": ""116"", ""type"": ""HR"", ""number"": ""9051""}, {""congress"": ""116"", ""type"": ""HR"", ""number"": ""9051""}]",166 Cong. Rec. S7986,"Congressional Record, Volume 166 Issue 223 (Thursday, December 31, 2020) [Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 223 (Thursday, December 31, 2020)] [Senate] [Pages S7986-S7987] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] UNANIMOUS CONSENT REQUEST--H.R. 9051 Mr. SCHUMER. Madam President, the Senate today meets for a rare New Year's Eve session for one reason and one reason only: The Republican leader has refused to allow us to vote on legislation to provide the American people $2,000 checks. He has twice objected to my requests to set a time for a vote on the measure, claiming yesterday that direct stimulus checks were ``poorly targeted,'' bemoaning the idea that some of these checks might go into ``the hands of Democrats' rich friends who don't need the help.'' Senator Toomey said much the same thing. Well, funny, I don't remember the Republican leader and Senator Toomey complaining about how a $2 trillion across-the-board corporate tax cut was ``poorly targeted'' because some large companies didn't need the help. No, when corporations get a blanket tax break, that is fine by the Republican majority. When the average American gets a little help from their government, it is ``poorly targeted.'' I hope that every American heard the objections by these Republican Senators. I hope every American who has their water or heat or electricity shut off or had eviction notices stapled on top of one another to their door or had to choose which meal to skip on a given day--I hope they all heard the reason they will not receive $2,000 checks is because Leader McConnell thinks it could wind up in the hands of ``Democrats' rich friends.'' Let's be very clear. There is one way and only one way to pass $2,000 checks before the end of the year, and that is to pass the House bill. It is the only way to get the American people the $2,000 checks they need and deserve. The House is gone for the session. Any modification or addition to the House bill can't become law. Either the Senate takes up and passes the House bill or struggling Americans will not get $2,000 checks during the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression. Leader McConnell knows this. So he has said that the Senate can only vote on a bill that combines the checks with other unrelated partisan policies: a repeal of section 230 and an investigation into the President's dishonest and bogus claims of election fraud. The Republican leader claims that President Trump insists that all three issues must be addressed in one bill, but, of course, the President has made no such demand. President Trump couldn't care less about how the bills are packaged in Congress. So the Republican leader has invented an excuse to prevent a clean, up-or-down, yes-or-no vote on $2,000 checks from coming to the floor. This maneuver to combine all three issues is intended to kill the possibility of $2,000 checks ever becoming law. Just to prove it, let me make this offer to the Republican majority. We are willing to vote on the other issues that President Trump mentioned--all the issues the Republican leader says must be addressed--so long as we vote on them separately. That way, $2,000 checks could become law, and we could debate all the President's supposed concerns. We can vote on setting up a commission to look at the President's roundly rejected claims of voter fraud. We would also have the commission look at voter suppression and gerrymandering. That is completely unrelated to helping Americans pay their bills, but we are willing to take a look at the whole picture. Just give us a vote on the House-passed bill so we can get help now for people who desperately need it. Heck, we can also have a vote on repealing 230. We can do it today. We will use Leader McConnell's exact language. He wouldn't agree to that because he knows his caucus wouldn't actually support such an act. Unlike the President, some Members of this body understand what 230 means. They understand that section 230, which certainly needs change, actually enables the President to spew his lies. We all know the 117th Congress will have to take a close look at the relationship between liability and reckless speech on the internet. But if Leader McConnell wants a vote on these issues, we are here for it. Just give us a vote on the House-passed bill, and we can vote on whatever rightwing conspiracy theory you would like. We can even vote to set up a special blue-ribbon commission to determine whether Georgia's secretary of State has a brother named Ron, if that would make our Republican friends happy. Just don't let these conspiracy theories and Presidential fantasies get in the way of helping actual people--people whose livelihoods have been torn apart by this pandemic, people whose lives have been torn apart by the administration's mismanagement of this pandemic, people who need just a little direct assistance. The President's term, thankfully, will end in 20 days. It is a term that has been marked by hate and division and turmoil. He has so far used his term to enrich himself and the wealthy. Let's close out the term on a good note. For once, he wants to help regular people, to give Americans a leg up. Let's allow him to do that. We have a chance at the end of this painful year to give Americans a reason to have some hope in 2021. The only [[Page S7987]] thing standing in the way is the Republican Senate majority. In a moment, I will, once again, ask consent that the Senate set a time for a vote on the House bill to provide $2,000 checks to the American people. Remember, the Democrats are willing to vote on all of the other issues that the Republicans say the President supposedly cares about. Just let us vote on a clean bill with the $2,000 checks. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of Calendar No. 645, H.R. 9051, a bill to increase the recovery rebate amounts to $2,000 for individuals; that the bill be read a third time and the Senate vote on passage; and that if passed, the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table with no intervening action or debate. The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Is there objection? Mr. McCONNELL. Madam President, I object. The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Objection is heard. ____________________" CREC-2020-12-31-pt1-PgS7986,2020-12-31,116,2,,,RECOGNITION OF THE DEMOCRATIC LEADER,SENATE,SENATE,RECOGNIZING,S7986,S7986,,,166 Cong. Rec. S7986,"Congressional Record, Volume 166 Issue 223 (Thursday, December 31, 2020) [Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 223 (Thursday, December 31, 2020)] [Senate] [Page S7986] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] RECOGNITION OF THE DEMOCRATIC LEADER The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The minority leader is recognized. ____________________" CREC-2020-12-31-pt1-PgS7987-2,2020-12-31,116,2,,,LEGISLATIVE SESSION,SENATE,SENATE,SLEGISLATIVE,S7987,S7990,"[{""name"": ""Bernard Sanders"", ""role"": ""speaking""}, {""name"": ""Mitch McConnell"", ""role"": ""speaking""}, {""name"": ""Richard J. Durbin"", ""role"": ""speaking""}, {""name"": ""Richard Blumenthal"", ""role"": ""speaking""}]","[{""congress"": ""116"", ""type"": ""HR"", ""number"": ""6395""}, {""congress"": ""116"", ""type"": ""HR"", ""number"": ""6395""}, {""congress"": ""116"", ""type"": ""HR"", ""number"": ""9051""}, {""congress"": ""116"", ""type"": ""HR"", ""number"": ""9051""}]",166 Cong. Rec. S7987,"Congressional Record, Volume 166 Issue 223 (Thursday, December 31, 2020) [Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 223 (Thursday, December 31, 2020)] [Senate] [Pages S7987-S7990] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] LEGISLATIVE SESSION ______ WILLIAM M. (MAC) THORNBERRY NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2021--VETO--MOTION TO PROCEED--Resumed The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Under the previous order, the Senate will resume consideration of the veto message on H.R. 6395, which the clerk will report. The senior assistant legislative clerk read as follows: Veto message, a bill (H.R. 6395) to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2021 for military activities of the Department of Defense, for military construction, and for defense activities of the Department of Energy, to prescribe military personnel strengths for such fiscal year, and for other purposes. The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The Senator from Vermont Unanimous Consent Request--H.R. 9051 and H.R. 6395 Mr. SANDERS. Madam President, let me briefly respond to some of the points that Majority Leader McConnell has made, to his inaccurate statements. Now, I am delighted that, after years of talking on the floor of the Senate about socialism for the rich, apparently, that has gotten across to my Republican friends. Of course, that is what we do every single day. That is why we have the incredible level of income and wealth inequality that exists in this country, because, decade after decade, we have used this body to provide massive tax breaks to the rich and provide corporate welfare to corporations that don't need it. That is socialism for the rich. The majority leader is right, but let's talk about, in fact, what is in this bill. According to the Tax Policy Center, fewer than 1 percent of the benefits of the direct payments--that is the $2,000 per working-class adult that Senator Schumer and I are talking about--would go to the top 5 percent of Americans. Virtually nothing would go to the very, very rich. The overwhelming majority of those funds would go to the middle class, the working class, low-income people, who in the midst of this pandemic are in desperate economic condition. Again, I am delighted to hear the majority leader talking about socialism for the rich, and I hope we will continue that discussion in the next session. Let me talk about the socialism for the rich that the majority leader is enthusiastically supportive of as the majority leader helped to lead this body to pass Trump's tax bill. Now, do you want to talk about socialism for the rich, Mr. Majority Leader? Under that bill, Charles Koch--one of the very richest people in America, who has a net worth of $113 billion--received a $1.4 billion tax break. Mr. Majority Leader, that sounds, to me, like socialism for the rich. Ah, but that is not all. In Nevada, you have a gentleman named Sheldon Adelson, who is a major contributor to the Republican Party and a big funder for Donald Trump. Under that same tax bill led by the majority leader, Sheldon Adelson received a $560 million tax break. A guy who is worth $34 billion desperately needed that tax break of $560 million. Do you want more tax breaks for the rich? Do you want to talk about socialism for the rich? Senator McConnell had no problem giving a $104 million tax refund to Amazon over the past 3 years despite the fact that the company made $30 billion in profits. So the argument that this bill, in any significant way, benefits the rich is just not accurate, but let us talk about whom this bill does benefit. This bill benefits tens of millions of Americans who, as a result of this pandemic, have lost their jobs and have lost their incomes. Some, in fact, have lost their lives. These are people who are going hungry today. We are seeing today a recordbreaking level of hunger in America--the richest country in the history of the world. All over this country--and I receive emails from people all over this country--people are frightened to death that they are going to be evicted from their homes. Think about what a $4,000 check or a $5,000 check would mean to those struggling families--husband, wife, kids. In fact, let me give you an example. This is a problem taking place all over this country. It is taking place in Vermont. It is taking place in Senator Schumer's State. It is taking place in Kentucky. In fact, the State of Kentucky--a very beautiful State; I have had the pleasure of being there a number of times--a beautiful State--is the State in which 10 out of the 25 poorest counties in America exist. I am sure Senator McConnell is aware that, throughout his State, you have thousands and tens of thousands of people living in economic desperation. I am talking about counties where 30 to 40 percent of people are living in poverty and where many thousands of residents are trying to survive on less than $20,000 a year. I am just using Kentucky as an example because that is the State Senator McConnell represents, but it is true all over this country. In Kentucky, over 22 percent of the children are living in poverty. Do you think they might need a little bit of help? In the State of Kentucky, more than 190,000 workers are making extremely low wages, and over a half a million people earn less than $15 an hour. Somebody might want to ask those people what a $2,000 check per adult would mean. I am talking about Kentucky, and I will never forget this because I visited Kentucky and talked to some of the people there. Kentucky has suffered from a particular opioid crisis. I will never forget talking to a football coach who told me that a bunch of the kids on his football team were living with their grandparents or on couches because of the opioid epidemic. In other words, the people in Kentucky, the people in New York, and the people in Vermont are hurting. They need help. So I say today to Senator McConnell, the leader here, let us address the horrendous economic crisis facing tens of millions of Americans. The pandemic today is worse than it has ever been. Hopefully, hopefully, the vaccine will make a profound difference, but, right now, people are hurting, and they are looking to this institution. They are looking to Congress. The House did the right thing. They are now looking to the Senate. They are looking to Senator McConnell. After all is said and done and after all of the legalese--and I am going to be introducing some legalese in a moment--it comes down to one thing: Senator McConnell disagrees with the proposal that Senator Schumer and I are making. I got it. That is fine. This is a democracy. He has the right to his point of view. I would love to have the debate on the floor with Senator McConnell about this legislation. All that we are asking is to give us the opportunity to vote up or down on whether or not working families in this country should be able to receive a $2,000 check. Senator McConnell disagrees. Come to the floor. Tell us why you disagree. Then we will do what this institution is supposed to do. We will have a vote. [[Page S7988]] The truth is, in the House, Senator McConnell knows that 44 Republicans voted for the House bill, which won, by the way, by a 2-to- 1 majority. Two-thirds of the House voted to make sure that working Americans would get a $2,000 check. Right here in the Senate, there are a number of Republicans--it is not clear how many--who have already gone public in saying they think it is a good idea that we go forward with the House bill. So all that I am asking Senator McConnell is to give us a vote. What is the problem? You can vote no. By the way, we need 60 votes--a majority. There is no question in my mind that a majority of the Senators will vote yes, but because of house rules, we need 60 votes. So we are going to have to get 48 Democrats--that is what we have--plus 12 Republicans. Can we get 12 Republicans? I don't know--maybe we can; maybe we can't--but give us a vote. What is the problem? What is the problem with having the American people see how their Senators vote on this issue of such enormous importance? As Senator Schumer indicated, Senator McConnell has some other concerns. He is concerned about section 230 of the 1996 Federal Telecommunications Act. I am sure that this is absolutely on the minds of everybody in Vermont, in New York, and in Kentucky. It is probably all that they are talking about, the 1996 Telecommunications Act. Fine. If he wants a vote on that, bring it to the floor. Let's vote on it as a separate bill. Do you want to talk about election security? Senator Schumer is right. There are a lot of issues out there. I am concerned about voter suppression. I am concerned about people waiting online for 5 hours to cast a vote. I am concerned about voter intimidation. Senator McConnell has different points of view. Let's have that discussion. Put together a commission. No problem. Bring that bill to the floor. Yet everybody understands that, when you combine all three elements, this is a poison pill designed to kill that legislation. After everything is said and done, all of this comes down to one simple fact: Will Senator McConnell, the Republican leader of the U.S. Senate, allow this body to vote on a bill which will provide $2,000 per person to working-class families all across this country? That is what this whole debate is about. It is not whether you like the bill or you don't like it. We can have that debate. We have 3 days left in this Congress. The House did the right thing. It is now time for the Senate to have that vote. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that at 3 p.m. today, Thursday, December 31, the Senate proceed to the consideration of Calendar No. 645, H.R. 9051, to provide a $2,000 direct payment to the working class; that the bill be considered read a third time and the Senate vote on the passage of the bill; and that if passed, the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table; further, that following the vote on H.R. 9051, the Senate resume consideration of the veto message on H.R. 6395, the National Defense Authorization Act, and the Senate vote on the passage of the bill, the objections of the President to the contrary notwithstanding, all with no intervening action or debate. The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Is there objection? Mr. McCONNELL. Madam President, I object. The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Objection is heard. Mr. DURBIN. Madam President, I suggest the absence of a quorum. The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The clerk will call the roll. The senior assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll. Mr. DURBIN. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded. The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Without objection, it is so ordered. Mr. DURBIN. Madam President, I would like to for a moment just reflect on where we are at this session of the U.S. Senate and the choices that have been made. I want to thank Senator Sanders and Senator Schumer for bringing this, with clarity, to the floor of the Senate. We support $2,000 as a helping hand to people across the United States. There is a limitation on the amount that individuals receive if they make more than $75,000 or if their family makes more than $150,000, but we are following the template that has been employed both with the CARES Act and with our own COVID relief act of just a few days ago. We have been told by the Department of the Treasury that if you want to put money into the hands of Americans who desperately need it, this is the best way to do it, the quickest way to do it. There are better ways, I am sure, but in a time of crisis, we need to respond and respond in a timely way. So Senator Sanders and Senator Schumer have brought to the floor for consideration, we hope, a bill that has already passed the House of Representatives. The significance of this is that the House is now in recess and not scheduled to return in this congressional session. So whatever happens over here cannot be a new bill--there is no House to send it to and no time to pass it--but, rather, has to be an up-or-down vote on a bill that has passed the House as is. That is what they have come to the floor now for 3 straight days asking. Senator Schumer has asked repeatedly of Senator McConnell, the Republican leader, a simple request: Whether you are for the House bill or against the House bill, allow the Senate to be the Senate. Allow us to vote on the bill--for those of us who support it, to vote on it. It isn't a lock; it isn't guaranteed that we are going to win and prevail with that vote. There are 48 Democratic Senators, and you need 60 votes. We need help from the other side. Four or five Republican Senators say they support it as well, but we don't know if we have the 12, if all of our Members can be here. In this era of COVID-19, sadly, even some of our Senators have illnesses in the family, which may make it impossible for them to be here. So there is no guarantee we win, but there will be a guarantee that we are recorded and our positions are known to the voters across America. That is a simple request. Yet, time and again, the Republican leader, Senator McConnell, has said no. I am worried about what is happening to this institution, not just in this instance but with what we have seen over the past several years. We will conclude this calendar year having voted on the floor of this U.S. Senate 29 times on amendments--29 in the course of a year in what is supposedly the world's greatest deliberative body. I guess I shouldn't complain--it is a 30-percent increase over last year, when we voted on 22 amendments in the entire calendar year. The Senate is out of business and out to lunch when it comes to legislating, and that is a fact. All we are asking for is the chance to legislate a $2,000 helping hand to families across America. I have heard over and over again that we are just trying to featherbed the rich, that we are trying to give big checks to rich people. Well, Senator Sanders made a point on that earlier. Less than 1 percent of the money we are asking for is going to go to the top 5 percent. When it came time for tax policy and tax breaks, many of the people complaining the loudest about $2,000 were giving away millions of dollars to the richest people in America without any hesitation. Well, today is another day, and today is a different America. Today, we are facing a country that is in the depths of the crisis created by COVID- 19. The numbers coming back to us every night on the news are heartbreaking numbers. I understand--and most of us do--that those wonderful women and men who are in the healthcare business usually are very stoic and calm in reporting the reality of their lives. Not so anymore. More and more doctors and nurses are breaking down on television as they describe the scenes in emergency rooms across this country. They describe the reality of telling families that they cannot be by the bedside of one of their loved ones who is about to die, and they break down in tears and tell us they don't know how much more of this they can take. That is the reality of America. It is not an America of vastly rich people sitting by the swimming pool hoping Congress sends them more money; it is an America of those patients and their families and the people who are out of [[Page S7989]] work and the business men and women who have lost everything, who need a hand from this government. If there is one thing about America, I hope it is clear, no matter what your political persuasion, we are a caring people. If a hurricane hits Florida, I care about it. If a tornado hits the State of Nebraska, I care about it. And we come together on a bipartisan basis to help those families. Now more than ever, those families need us to do something significant in their lives. How can you see the scenes on television every night of the parade of cars lined up in Texas, in Kentucky, in Illinois, hoping they can get some food to give to their families? Are those grifters and chiselers who are just trying to get a free meal? I don't think so. Would you sit in your car for an hour or two for food unless you really needed it? I think those people really need it. Many of them are heartbroken that they are in this situation. Some are even embarrassed--and they shouldn't be--that they have been the victims of this economy. So all we are asking, Senator McConnell, is, give us a chance to vote. You can vote no if you wish. Give us a chance to vote for the $2,000 that can make a difference in a person's life; $4,000 for a husband and wife who are struggling to get by--rent checks, mortgage payments, car payments, utility bills, things that really are basic to families' survival. We are trying to help, and I think we should be given that chance. We have tried time and again. We have the support of President Trump in this effort, and I am glad to have it. I think we have enough support in this Chamber to come up with 60 votes. I pray that we will, if we are given that chance, and I hope the Senate Republican leader is not afraid of that outcome. He shouldn't be. He has two of his incumbent Republican Senators in a runoff election who have both publicly said they want to vote for this, and yet he stops them. He is the one who has put an end to their opportunity. Why? Shouldn't he give them the opportunity to vote yes? He even refuses, in this situation, with this looming election, to bring this matter to the floor for an honest up-or-down, bipartisan vote. I listened to the stories that were told by Senator Sanders and others about the plight of people in this country and how much they count on us and, frankly, how many of them have given up on us. They just don't believe the Congress of the United States is in touch with the reality of America. If we are in touch with the reality in our home States, in our home towns, we should do something--something significant--to end this year on the right note. I plead with the Republican leader, who has the power. The sole Member of Congress of 100 Members--he has the power to bring this matter to a vote and to do it immediately, within the hour. We could call the Members who returned to Washington yesterday together, take a vote soon, in a matter of minutes, and know once and for all whether we have the 60 votes that are necessary to pass this measure. Then we can pass the override of the President's veto of the Defense authorization bill--a critical piece of legislation. That would be the right way to end this year. Let us not end it in suspense as to whether or not we are going to come to the aid and assistance of American families who rely on us time and again to be there when America needs a helping hand. Let's do our job. Let's fill this Chamber with Senators who will actually vote on an issue that makes a difference in the lives of Americans. That is what we were elected to do. We have no excuse if we fail. I yield the floor. I suggest the absence of a quorum. The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The clerk will call the roll. The senior assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll. Mr. BLUMENTHAL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded. The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Cramer). Without objection, it is so ordered. Mr. BLUMENTHAL. Mr. President, we are here in the waning hours of 2020, expectant and hopeful about the coming year, and I want to wish all of my colleagues a very healthy and happy new year in the hope that we will fulfill the promise of our constituents, our country, our Constitution in moving forward to meet and conquer the pandemic that still ravages our Nation and to renew our economy that still is failing. We are the greatest Nation in the history of the world, and Americans are hurting. This body has taken positive and important steps toward meeting this public health and economic crisis, as well as the hurt and harm that continue to plague Americans. In a number of important relief packages, we have helped to meet those needs and enabled the Nation to bridge the gap created by this pandemic--an economic gap that has become a chasm, a cliff that seems without end and, for many of our fellow citizens, a time of unparalleled and unanticipated pain. The relief package that we passed most recently--I think we can be proud to say--is the second largest in our Nation's history, and it will provide a second round of paycheck protection loans, forgivable, becoming grants, so that small businesses can keep their doors open; more aid for our transportation and education systems; money to distribute the vaccine that will be a lifesaver for so many Americans; and other important aid, including a $600 stimulus payment for every American who is making less than $75,000. That is real assistance for a family of four--$2,400--because every child, as well as adult, will receive that money. But all of that $906 billion is only a downpayment. It is a life raft, and it has to be followed by an even more robust, bigger, bolder package to provide real relief and sustenance for the survival of our economy and, literally, the survival of Americans who are struggling to put food on the table and to buy medicine, pay rent and mortgages, clothe their children. We have all told our stories on the floor of the Senate during 2020 about constituents waiting in food lines, hurting for the funds needed to stay in their home or apartment and to pay for the medicine that is literally a matter of life and death. We have told those stories. We have talked about Americans who are struggling. We have the opportunity now to do something about it, so I appeal to my Republican colleague very bluntly and simply: Give us a vote on the CASH Act. Let us vote on a stand-alone $2,000 stimulus payment bill. Allow every one of us to go on record on that $2,000 stimulus payment bill that would add $1,400 to that $600 already provided--not to minimize the importance of $600, but it is inadequate. It is insufficient. It is unacceptable because it fails to provide the basic needs to meet the desperate and dire straits of so many Americans. We are talking about families who need that money to buy bread and milk, paper towels and toilet paper, goods and services that are necessary to the survival of their families. Six hundred dollars is simply not enough, and that is why I call on my fellow colleagues to persuade their leaders that we should be permitted this vote, because I believe that if there is a vote, it will pass. Having spoken to Republican colleagues here, I have no doubt--none--that the stand-alone $2,000 stimulus payment measure would pass overwhelmingly, just as did the $600 payment as part of the larger bill. The simple fact is, that measure is the only viable vehicle. Any other measure loaded with other provisions, whether it is the section 230 reform or a commission to investigate the last election on fictitious fraud, is doomed. It is doomed logistically. It is doomed legally and physically. There is no way for the House to pass it. Only the House bill, if passed, can provide Americans with the $2,000 stimulus payment that they so desperately need. Only the House bill provides that relief. Any other measure will be doomed because the House cannot come back to pass it in the time we have left in this session. So the majority leader is essentially blocking a step that will literally save lives, supported by the vast majority of the American people, a significant part of his own conference, and every Democrat. Have no doubt--every Democrat will vote for it. We clamored for a higher stimulus payment for months when the majority leader refused to come to the table and then when the President of the United States failed to lift a finger--he was on the golf course--when it [[Page S7990]] might have made a difference in raising that $600 amount higher during the negotiating. Looking forward, there is a way to provide this relief to Americans without leaving here in a contest of blame but in a new year of mutual congratulation. Pass the $2,000 stimulus payment plan as a stand-alone, clean bill. I just want to say that I am probably the only Senator who has supported two measures--one of them actually passed by the Congress and signed by the President to reform section 230 and the other unanimously voted out of the Judiciary Committee. They reformed section 230, and I support reforming section 230. I have hardly been uncritical of section 230. There should be major reform of section 230, but it has to be done in a careful, deliberate, and considered way as a separate measure, not as a meat ax in a totally unrelated bill, the $2,000 payment bill that provides real relief for the country. Loading the CASH Act with poison pills is obstruction. It is not constructive legislating, and it fails to meet the test of this moment. It is vital that we move forward to provide struggling Americans with this relief, and scuttling the $2,000 stimulus payment bill with a half-baked, meat-ax evisceration of section 230 is cruel and downright stupid. It betrays the mission and obligation that we have in these waning days of 2020. Americans need more help, and they need hope. Help and hope are embodied in the vaccine. Unfortunately, the rollout of this vaccine, despite the $8 billion contained in the latest pandemic relief bill, has been hopelessly behind schedule. The number of doses distributed is roughly one-tenth of what it should be even under the scaled-back schedule that this administration has adopted. Twenty million vaccinations were promised by the end of the year. That number was way below the initial promise, and only about one-tenth of them--probably 2 million--will actually be provided. Instead of taking responsibility or taking control, President Trump is still tweeting; instead of action, more talk. Only action will save lives, and either he doesn't care enough, or he doesn't really see what is necessary to do in order to save these lives, because the distribution of this vaccine is a matter of life and death. Using the Defense Production Act, mobilizing America, making sure States have the resources they need, providing money to hospitals, and making sure there are the vials, syringes, training for workers, as well as the facilities to transport, store, and distribute this vaccine, are essential now. They are missing at this moment, and the President is where the buck stops. Now I look forward to a 2021 when a new President will expand the stimulus payments to individuals and when many of the other gaps left unfinished--action that still is necessary--will be fulfilled by another, more robust, bigger, bolder pandemic relief program. I hope we will have the same bipartisan support that we saw at the end of this year for the latest. I hope we will overcome the divisions that prevented us from doing what is really necessary and adding $1,400 to the $600 already provided. We need to do more for small businesses. Yes, there will be another round of PPP payments, but this chasm faced by restaurants, retailers, and small businesses struggling to keep their doors open, keep their people on payroll during the holidays--we have seen them all and talked to them. Their stories are riveting and heartbreaking. Businesspeople have poured their hearts and souls and lives into these businesses, only to see them threatened with extinction. This crisis has a racial justice aspect that cannot be ignored because disproportionately, the businesses that have failed are Black- and Brown-owned. Disproportionately, the lives lost have been in Black and Brown communities. Disproportionately, the jobs lost have been in those same communities--Black and Brown communities that have suffered more than any other as a result of this pandemic. So we need to make sure that they receive the vaccine as well as the therapeutics and testing that are necessary to save lives. We are in the midst of a racial justice moment that affects policing and criminal justice, but it also affects our schools, where the ZIP Code of a child's residence can mean the difference between a quality education or not; where Black and Brown communities suffer twice or three times the death rate of others as a result of this pandemic; where job discrimination still exists and where, in housing, redlining still afflicts these communities; and where environmental quality-- rivers, lakes, air can still be disproportionately contaminated and polluted in communities inhabited by Black and Brown people. We are here in the last day of an unprecedented and catastrophic year. More than 342,000 of our fellow Americans are dead as a result of this insidious virus--over 342,000 gifts unwrapped, places at the table left open, and many of them without a final goodbye. This past year will go down as one of the hardest in our history. I think we all hope for a better year, but it will come only if we take the kind of action that apparently my Republican colleagues are failing to provide today, which is to meet the need to match the moment of the desperate and dire straits of so many Americans. The failure to approve an additional $1,400 and pass the CASH Act is a haunting omission. My hope is that the hopes of a hurting nation will be met in this new year, that the calls for justice and relief will be heard, and that the ailing and sick--not just physically but emotionally--will be met. This crisis has been one of physical health care but also mental health care, and the emotional strains can be seen in the rising rates of domestic violence, substance abuse disorder and addiction, and so many other areas where mental and emotional stress and anxiety have taken a toll. The hopes of a fearful and grieving nation rests on our shoulders, and we cannot let them down. I yield the floor. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Utah. ____________________" CREC-2020-12-31-pt1-PgS7987,2020-12-31,116,2,,,CONCLUSION OF MORNING BUSINESS,SENATE,SENATE,SCONBUSINESS,S7987,S7987,,,166 Cong. Rec. S7987,"Congressional Record, Volume 166 Issue 223 (Thursday, December 31, 2020) [Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 223 (Thursday, December 31, 2020)] [Senate] [Page S7987] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] CONCLUSION OF MORNING BUSINESS The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Morning business is closed. ____________________" CREC-2020-12-31-pt1-PgS7990,2020-12-31,116,2,,,TRIBUTE TO GARY HERBERT,SENATE,SENATE,TRIBUTETO,S7990,S7991,"[{""name"": ""Mike Lee"", ""role"": ""speaking""}, {""name"": ""Mitch McConnell"", ""role"": ""speaking""}]",,166 Cong. Rec. S7990,"Congressional Record, Volume 166 Issue 223 (Thursday, December 31, 2020) [Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 223 (Thursday, December 31, 2020)] [Senate] [Pages S7990-S7991] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] TRIBUTE TO GARY HERBERT Mr. LEE. Mr. President, I stand today to honor my friend Gary Herbert, Governor of the State of Utah for the last 12 years, who, after a long career in public service, is now embarking on a really well-deserved, hard-earned retirement. He served the State of Utah and has done so with great enthusiasm and dedication and spirit, and I am grateful to have worked alongside him throughout his tenure serving our great State. Gary Herbert was born in American Fork, UT, and grew up in Orem. He served a 2-year mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on the east coast and later attended Brigham Young University, my alma mater. He first began his public service in college, serving in the Utah Army National Guard for 6 years and eventually becoming a staff sergeant. After his time in the National Guard, he set up a real estate firm and was very successful, eventually becoming the president of the Utah Association of Realtors. He also served as president of the Utah Association of Counties, by the way. Starting in 1990, he served as a commissioner on the Utah County Commission. He served there for 14 years, and it was at that point that he began his statewide service within Utah. You see, in 2004, when Jon Huntsman ran for the Governor's seat, Gary became his running mate, running alongside Huntsman as his Lieutenant Governor, with the pair going on to win the race in November. It was then that I first got to know Gary Herbert personally, when I was hired to be Governor Huntsman's general counsel. One of my first memories of Gary Herbert--which, to me, seems like it was just the day before yesterday--occurred when we all began moving into the Governor's office suite, just the day before Herbert and Huntsman were sworn into office. Gary came in and provided us all with a warm welcome, but he didn't stop at the welcome. He offered really sound and heartfelt advice about the importance of staying grounded as we were entering the political fray. He explained that long after our service and the Huntsman-Herbert administration expired, we want to be able to look back and be pleased about the relationships that we had formed with each other, but especially the relationships [[Page S7991]] that we had maintained with our families, our children, and God. I soon learned that Governor Herbert, in addition to being wise and in addition to being a skilled and valuable statesman, was also a formidable athlete. Right after he and Governor Huntsman were sworn in, the staff got together as a team several times in the Governor's mansion, where we soon discovered there was a ping-pong table in the basement. I then learned the hard way that Governor Herbert's athletic skills, including his ping-pong skills, are off the charts. While severing Governor Huntsman, I always found Gary to be friendly, approachable, and always willing to tackle every single assignment with eagerness and poise. Whenever Governor Huntsman's schedule became chaotic or changed unexpectedly, which happens in any Governor's office or any Senator's office, for that matter, particularly at certain times of the year, Lieutenant Governor Herbert would routinely be dispatched to speak on Huntsman's behalf, often sending him to remote corners of the State and often at really inconvenient times. He never once complained. And he was not only willing, but he was always eager and happy. He felt fortunate for the opportunity to help. That is the kind of enthusiasm that the people of the State of Utah have benefitted from for so long as a result of Gary Herbert's service. You see, he has never lost that--not during his entire time as Lieutenant Governor and not during his entire time as Governor. You can tell that he is exactly where he wants to be and that he feels privileged and he has been blessed to be able to serve the people of Utah. Likewise, whenever there was an issue that needed to be addressed by the Governor, even within the office or around the capitol compound, but where the Governor was unable to meet with the particular group in question, Gary was always assigned to the case. He would meet with, as he described it, all the different stakeholders. He would get together the legislators, county commissioners, citizens from this or that part of the State, lobbyists, lawyers who may have been involved, in addition to other members of Governor Huntsman's administration. He would bring them all in together, and he would wade through all the intricate and often pedestrian details of the matter. You see, he wanted to get to the bottom of the issue. He wanted to understand it. What is more, he had the skill of figuring out the best path forward for all parties involved and for making everyone feel heard and understood. If ever, whenever, there was a way to achieve a win-win, Gary found it, and he brought people to it, and they were always grateful as a result. The same traits that I saw in him as Lieutenant Governor would go on to make him an effective and beloved Governor himself. In office now as Governor since 2009, Gary Herbert is currently the Nation's longest serving Governor, and our State has seen exciting achievement and tremendous prosperity with Governor Herbert at the helm. In the last 8 years, Utah has seen continued, steady growth in our economy, with improvements in our GDP, number of jobs, and unemployment rate. We have seen the boom of Silicon Slopes. We celebrated the sesquicentennial of the driving of the Golden Spike, when it was an honor to stand alongside Governor and Mrs. Herbert at that celebratory reenactment. On that particular occasion, Governor Herbert and his wife Jeanette showed their characteristic enthusiasm by arriving in their finest 1869 apparel just to commemorate the moment, and it made all the difference. It made it all feel much more authentic. So, too, was it an honor to join Gary when President Trump came to Utah to announce his decision to shrink the Bears Ears National Monument, when we could all stand together and celebrate the fact that someone in Washington had heard our concerns within the State and saw fit to redraw the boundaries in a manner more compatible with local interests and concerns. Through his enthusiasm and his zeal, Gary Herbert has championed our State and the things that we stand for. He has done so very consistently and very enthusiastically. He can rattle off figures and metrics about Utah at the drop of a hat. I am convinced this man can do it in his sleep and do so infectiously and persuasively. And he is a compelling spokesman for our State's values. His spirit has helped Utah to attract talent and investment not only from throughout the United States but from throughout the world and to make it the good place that it is to live. Not only that, but Gary has been an instrumental partner in supporting initiatives that reflect and strengthen the values of our State. To champion the reclamation of our lands, he signed into law the Utah Transfer of Public Lands Act. He also signed into law innovative criminal justice reforms in Utah. He was at the cutting edge of that movement, making a far-reaching impact across our State and that ended up having impacts elsewhere. In fact, his work in Utah in criminal justice reform helped pave the way for the work that Congress and President Trump were able to achieve at the Federal level through the passage of the First Step Act. He has been a strong supporter of Utah's family culture and was helpful in the Senate's work promoting the child tax credit during our tax reform discussions just 3 years ago. On a more personal note, Gary Herbert also had the wisdom to put my brother Tom on the Utah Supreme Court. In so doing, he has been a champion for textualism, the notion that judges are there to interpret the law based on what the law says, rather than on the basis of what it might have said. For all of his public achievements, Gary is perhaps most proud and always most conscious of and most aware of and most concerned about his own role as a husband, as a father, and as a grandfather. Gary and his wife Jeanette have 6 children together, as well as 16 grandchildren, and he is known to encourage them to ``follow in his footsteps and marry up.'' In a myriad of ways, Governor Herbert has been a champion and a spokesman for all that is good about our State. It has been an honor to serve the people of Utah with him, and I wish Governor Herbert and his wife Jeanette all the best as they embark on the next chapter of their lives together. I yield the floor. The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Scott of Florida). The majority leader. Unanimous Consent Agreement--Executive Calendar Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, as in executive session, I ask unanimous consent that with respect to the Soskin nomination, the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table and the President be immediately notified of the Senate's action. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered. ____________________" CREC-2020-12-31-pt1-PgS7991-2,2020-12-31,116,2,,,UGANDA,SENATE,SENATE,ALLOTHER,S7991,S7992,"[{""name"": ""Robert Menendez"", ""role"": ""speaking""}]","[{""congress"": ""116"", ""type"": ""SRES"", ""number"": ""807""}]",166 Cong. Rec. S7991,"Congressional Record, Volume 166 Issue 223 (Thursday, December 31, 2020) [Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 223 (Thursday, December 31, 2020)] [Senate] [Pages S7991-S7992] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] UGANDA Mr. MENENDEZ. Mr. President, I rise with grave concern to speak about the troubling political situation in Uganda in the runup to that country's elections on January 14 and to call on President Museveni to take immediate action to stop the country's downward political spiral. Uganda has been an important if not critical security and counterterrorism partner to the United States for well over a decade, playing a prominent role in the African Union's Mission to Somalia and hosting over 1.4 million refugees. Its leadership and influence in East Africa and the African continent writ large is difficult to overstate. However, these are troubling times in Uganda, and longstanding efforts to advance its democracy are now in peril. National elections in Uganda have not met internationally accepted standards for free and fair polls since 1996, when they were held for the first time after a long-running conflict that brought President Museveni to power. For decades, Museveni's ruling National Resistance Party, NRM, has leveraged access to and influence over [[Page S7992]] state resources and institutions to tilt the electoral balance in its favor. These efforts are not new. Under President Museveni's leadership, the NRM successfully moved to change the Ugandan Constitution in 2005 to remove Presidential term limits and again in and 2017 to lift age limits. These changes allow President Museveni, who has been in power since 1986, to remain in office indefinitely. Not only have Museveni and the NRM engineered a constitutional coup, they have undertaken a campaign of political repression that has only become worse since the last general elections. Ugandan authorities have increasingly used coercive measures, including arbitrary arrests and detentions, torture, extrajudicial killings, and intrusive surveillance technology to intimidate and silence critics, place a strangle hold on media, and stifle political opposition in the country. Leading opposition figures have been targeted in brazen and shocking ways. Members of Parliament have been arrested and detained on numerous occasions, and there is strong evidence to support their claims of being tortured by President Museveni's security forces while in custody. Last week, prominent human rights attorney Nicholas Opiyo, along with several other attorneys, was arrested in what appears to be a blatant act of intimidation for their investigation into killings that occurred as a result of the arrest of rival Presidential candidate Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu in November. Just this past weekend, one of Kyagulanyi's bodyguards was killed by security forces in a violent confrontation that also saw two journalists injured. Imagine that happening to any political candidate here in the United States to one of our colleagues as they were out on the campaign trail this fall. We should all be outraged by such acts. To date there have been no meaningful investigations into these incidents and no accountability for these abuses. The question we must ask ourselves is, Why? Why has President Museveni failed to take swift and decisive action to ensure the safety and security of members of the Ugandan Parliament and other opposition figures, and bring those responsible to justice? Is President Museveni protecting particular individuals? Or perhaps direct responsibility for the violence against the Uganda opposition lies even further up the chain of command? Journalists and nongovernmental organizations have been under pressure as well. Ugandan authorities continue to use a range of restrictive and onerous administrative measures against NGOs, including deregistration of more than 12,000 mostly local NGOs in November 2019. Earlier this month, Ugandan authorities froze the bank accounts of some NGOs, and in the past, the Museveni administration has denied entry and deported some leaders of international NGOs in what were clear acts of intimidation. Journalists working for foreign media outlets are now required to reregister with Ugandan authorities or risk criminal penalties, and some foreign journalists have also been deported from the country. Government has also attacked digital rights and academic freedoms. Individuals with large social media followings are subject to onerous administrative regulation. Burdensome taxes have been imposed on social media users, and some individuals who have criticized the Museveni administration on social media platforms have even been prosecuted. Ugandan authorities have taken repeated action to suppress academic freedom and intimidate students and faculty who have been critical of the Museveni administration, including by firing and jailing professors who criticize the regime. In short, the longstanding effort to build democracy in Uganda is under grave threat, and we must take action in support of those defending political freedoms in the country. That is why I introduced S. Res 807. It not only condemns the actions of the Museveni administration, it calls on the Secretary of State and the heads of relevant departments and agencies of the U.S. Government to undertake three essential actions: first, to consider the imposition of targeted sanctions and visa restrictions on actors involved in undermining credible, transparent elections, and those who have perpetrated or abetted human rights abuses; second, to work with African partners, like-minded countries, and international institutions and organizations to develop and implement strategies and actions to promote and defend human, civil, and political rights and multiparty democracy in Uganda; and third, to immediately conduct a review of U.S. assistance and cooperation with Uganda for the purposes of reprioritizing such assistance should neutral observers determine that the January 2021 polls do not meet internationally accepted standards for credible elections. If the outcome of the elections in Uganda does not reflect the will of the people, I will be calling for the Biden administration to reevaluate our relationship with the Museveni administration, and I plan to pursue binding legislation in the 117th Congress that builds on S Res 807. Uganda's stature and importance as a security partner should not prevent the United States from speaking out in support of democracy and taking action in support of those Ugandans fighting for democratic freedoms. ____________________" CREC-2020-12-31-pt1-PgS7991,2020-12-31,116,2,,,MORNING BUSINESS,SENATE,SENATE,SMBUSINESS,S7991,S7991,"[{""name"": ""Mitch McConnell"", ""role"": ""speaking""}]",,166 Cong. Rec. S7991,"Congressional Record, Volume 166 Issue 223 (Thursday, December 31, 2020) [Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 223 (Thursday, December 31, 2020)] [Senate] [Page S7991] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] MORNING BUSINESS Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate be in a period of morning business, with Senators permitted to speak for up to 10 minutes each. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered ____________________" CREC-2020-12-31-pt1-PgS7992,2020-12-31,116,2,,,MESSAGES FROM THE HOUSE,SENATE,SENATE,SMSGHOUSE,S7992,S7993,,"[{""congress"": ""116"", ""type"": ""HR"", ""number"": ""221""}, {""congress"": ""116"", ""type"": ""S"", ""number"": ""371""}, {""congress"": ""116"", ""type"": ""S"", ""number"": ""1310""}, {""congress"": ""116"", ""type"": ""HR"", ""number"": ""1418""}, {""congress"": ""116"", ""type"": ""HR"", ""number"": ""1492""}, {""congress"": ""116"", ""type"": ""HR"", ""number"": ""1923""}, {""congress"": ""116"", ""type"": ""HR"", ""number"": ""1925""}, {""congress"": ""116"", ""type"": ""HR"", ""number"": ""2502""}, {""congress"": ""116"", ""type"": ""HR"", ""number"": ""2744""}, {""congress"": ""116"", ""type"": ""HR"", ""number"": ""3153""}, {""congress"": ""116"", ""type"": ""HR"", ""number"": ""3250""}, {""congress"": ""116"", ""type"": ""HR"", ""number"": ""4704""}, {""congress"": ""116"", ""type"": ""S"", ""number"": ""4996""}, {""congress"": ""116"", ""type"": ""S"", ""number"": ""5076""}, {""congress"": ""116"", ""type"": ""HR"", ""number"": ""5126""}, {""congress"": ""116"", ""type"": ""HR"", ""number"": ""5472""}]",166 Cong. Rec. S7992,"Congressional Record, Volume 166 Issue 223 (Thursday, December 31, 2020) [Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 223 (Thursday, December 31, 2020)] [Senate] [Pages S7992-S7993] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] MESSAGES FROM THE HOUSE At 12:02 p.m., a message from the House of Representatives, delivered by Mrs. Cole, one of its reading clerks, announced that the House has passed the following bills, without amendment: S. 371. An act to provide regulatory relief to charitable organizations that provide housing assistance, and for other purposes. S. 1310. An act to strengthen the participation of elected national legislators in the activities of the Organization of American States and reaffirm United States support for Organization of American States human rights and anti- corruption initiatives, and for other purposes. S. 5076. An act to authorize the Sergeant at Arms and Doorkeeper of the Senate to delegate authority to approve payroll and personnel actions. The message further announced that the House has agreed to the amendment of the Senate to the bill (H.R. 221) to amend the State Department Basic Authorities Act of 1956 to monitor and combat anti- Semitism globally, and for other purposes. The message also announced that the House has agreed to the amendment of the Senate to the bill (H.R. 1923) to amend title 31, United States Code, to require the Secretary of the Treasury to mint and issue certain circulating collectible coins, and for other purposes. The message further announced that the House has agreed to the amendment of the Senate to the bill (H.R. 1925) to designate the Manhattan Campus of the New York Harbor Health Care System of the Department of Veterans Affairs as the ``Margaret Cochran Corbin Campus of the New York Harbor Health Care System''. The message also announced that the House has agreed to the amendment of the Senate to the bill (H.R. 2744) to authorize the Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development to prescribe the manner in which programs of the agency are identified overseas, and for other purposes. The message further announced that the House has agreed to the amendment of the Senate to the bill (H.R. 3153) to direct the Director of the National Science Foundation to support research on opioid addiction, and for other purposes. The message also announced that the House has agreed to the amendment of the Senate to the bill (H.R. 4704) to direct the Director of the National Science Foundation to support multidisciplinary research on the science of suicide, and to advance the knowledge and understanding of issues that may be associated with several aspects of suicide including intrinsic and extrinsic factors related to areas such as wellbeing, resilience, and vulnerability. Enrolled Bills Signed The message further announced that the Speaker has signed the following enrolled bills: S. 4996. An act to ensure funding of the United States trustees, extend temporary bankruptcy judgeships, and for other purposes. H.R. 1418. An act to restore the application of the Federal antitrust laws to the business of health insurance to protect competition and consumers. H.R. 1492. An act to update the map of, and modify the maximum acreage available for inclusion in, the Yucca House National Monument. [[Page S7993]] H.R. 2502. An act to amend title 40, United States Code, to require certain prospectuses for public buildings to be made publicly available, and for other purposes. H.R. 3250. An act to require the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a special resource study of the sites associated with the life and legacy of the noted American philanthropist and business executive Julius Rosenwald, with a special focus on the Rosenwald Schools, and for other purposes. H.R. 5126. An act to require individuals fishing for Gulf reef fish to use certain descending devices, and for other purposes. H.R. 5472. An act to redesignate the Jimmy Carter National Historic Site as the ``Jimmy Carter National Historical Park''. The enrolled bills were subsequently signed by the Acting President pro tempore (Mrs. Fischer). Enrolled Bills Signed At 3:31 p.m., a message from the House of Representatives, delivered by Mrs. Cole, one of its reading clerks, announced that the Speaker pro tempore (Mr. Connolly) has signed the following enrolled bills: S. 371. An act to provide regulatory relief to charitable organizations that provide housing assistance, and for other purposes. S. 1310. An act to strengthen the participation of elected national legislators in the activities of the Organization of American States and reaffirm United States support for Organization of American States human rights and anti- corruption initiatives, and for other purposes. S. 5076. An act to authorize the Sergeant at Arms and Doorkeeper of the Senate to delegate authority to approve payroll and personnel actions. H.R. 221. An act to amend the State Department Basic Authorities Act of 1956 to monitor and combat anti-Semitism globally, and for other purposes. H.R. 1923. An act to amend title 31, United States Code, to require the Secretary of the Treasury to mint and issue certain circulating collectible coins, and for other purposes. H.R. 1925. An act to designate the Manhattan Campus of the New York Harbor Health Care System of the Department of Veterans Affairs as the ``Margaret Cochran Corbin Campus of the New York Harbor Health Care System''. H.R. 2744. An act to authorize the Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development to prescribe the manner in which programs of the agency are identified overseas, and for other purposes. H.R. 3153. An act to direct the Director of the National Science Foundation to support research on opioid addiction, and for other purposes. H.R. 4704. An act to direct the Director of the National Science Foundation to support multidisciplinary research on the science of suicide, and to advance the knowledge and understanding of issues that may be associated with several aspects of suicide including intrinsic and extrinsic factors related to areas such as wellbeing, resilience, and vulnerability. ____________________" CREC-2020-12-31-pt1-PgS7993-2,2020-12-31,116,2,,,ADDITIONAL COSPONSORS,SENATE,SENATE,SCOSPONSORS,S7993,S7993,,"[{""congress"": ""116"", ""type"": ""S"", ""number"": ""5085""}, {""congress"": ""116"", ""type"": ""S"", ""number"": ""5085""}, {""congress"": ""116"", ""type"": ""S"", ""number"": ""5085""}]",166 Cong. Rec. S7993,"Congressional Record, Volume 166 Issue 223 (Thursday, December 31, 2020) [Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 223 (Thursday, December 31, 2020)] [Senate] [Page S7993] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] ADDITIONAL COSPONSORS S. 5085 At the request of Mr. McConnell, the name of the Senator from Georgia (Mr. Perdue) was added as a cosponsor of S. 5085, a bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to increase the additional 2020 recovery rebates, to repeal section 230 of the Communications Act of 1934, and for other purposes ____________________" CREC-2020-12-31-pt1-PgS7993-3,2020-12-31,116,2,,,PROTECT AND RESTORE AMERICA'S ESTUARIES ACT,SENATE,SENATE,ALLOTHER,S7993,S7993,"[{""name"": ""Mitch McConnell"", ""role"": ""speaking""}]","[{""congress"": ""116"", ""type"": ""HR"", ""number"": ""4044""}, {""congress"": ""116"", ""type"": ""HR"", ""number"": ""4044""}]",166 Cong. Rec. S7993,"Congressional Record, Volume 166 Issue 223 (Thursday, December 31, 2020) [Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 223 (Thursday, December 31, 2020)] [Senate] [Page S7993] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] PROTECT AND RESTORE AMERICA'S ESTUARIES ACT Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of H.R. 4044, which was received from the House. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered. The clerk will report the bill by title. The senior assistant legislative clerk read as follows: A bill (H.R. 4044) to amend the Federal Water Pollution Control Act to reauthorize the National Estuary Program, and for other purposes. There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the bill. Mr. McCONNELL. I ask unanimous consent that the bill be considered read a third time. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered. The bill was ordered to a third reading and was read the third time. Mr. McCONNELL. I know of no further debate on the bill. The PRESIDING OFFICER. If there is no further debate on the bill, the bill having been read the third time, the question is, Shall the bill pass? The bill (H.R. 4044) was passed. Mr. McCONNELL. I ask unanimous consent that the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered. ____________________" CREC-2020-12-31-pt1-PgS7993-4,2020-12-31,116,2,,,HOMESTEAD NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK,SENATE,SENATE,ALLOTHER,S7993,S7993,"[{""name"": ""Mitch McConnell"", ""role"": ""speaking""}]","[{""congress"": ""116"", ""type"": ""HR"", ""number"": ""1472""}, {""congress"": ""116"", ""type"": ""HR"", ""number"": ""1472""}]",166 Cong. Rec. S7993,"Congressional Record, Volume 166 Issue 223 (Thursday, December 31, 2020) [Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 223 (Thursday, December 31, 2020)] [Senate] [Page S7993] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] HOMESTEAD NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources be discharged from further consideration of H.R. 1472 and the Senate proceed to its immediate consideration. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered. The clerk will report the bill by title. The senior assistant legislative clerk read as follows: A bill (H.R. 1472) to rename the Homestead National Monument of America near Beatrice, Nebraska, as the Homestead National Historical Park. There being no objection, the committee was discharged, and the Senate proceeded to consider the bill. Mr. McCONNELL. I ask unanimous consent that the bill be considered read a third time and passed and the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered. The bill (H.R. 1472) was ordered to a third reading, was read the third time, and passed. ____________________" CREC-2020-12-31-pt1-PgS7993-5,2020-12-31,116,2,,,"ORDERS FOR FRIDAY, JANUARY 1, 2021",SENATE,SENATE,SORDERFOR,S7993,S7993,"[{""name"": ""Mitch McConnell"", ""role"": ""speaking""}]","[{""congress"": ""116"", ""type"": ""HR"", ""number"": ""6395""}, {""congress"": ""116"", ""type"": ""HR"", ""number"": ""6395""}]",166 Cong. Rec. S7993,"Congressional Record, Volume 166 Issue 223 (Thursday, December 31, 2020) [Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 223 (Thursday, December 31, 2020)] [Senate] [Page S7993] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] ORDERS FOR FRIDAY, JANUARY 1, 2021 Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today, it adjourn until 12 noon, Friday, January 1; further, that following the prayer and pledge, the morning hour be deemed expired, the Journal of proceedings be approved to date, morning business be closed, and the time for the two leaders be reserved for their use later in the day; finally, that following leader remarks, the Senate resume consideration of the veto message on H.R. 6395. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered. ____________________" CREC-2020-12-31-pt1-PgS7993-6,2020-12-31,116,2,,,ADJOURNMENT UNTIL TOMORROW,SENATE,SENATE,ADJOURNMENT,S7993,S7993,"[{""name"": ""Mitch McConnell"", ""role"": ""speaking""}]",,166 Cong. Rec. S7993,"Congressional Record, Volume 166 Issue 223 (Thursday, December 31, 2020) [Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 223 (Thursday, December 31, 2020)] [Senate] [Page S7993] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] ADJOURNMENT UNTIL TOMORROW Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, if there is no further business to come before the Senate, I ask unanimous consent that it stand adjourned under the previous order. There being no objection, the Senate, at 3:40 p.m., adjourned until Friday, January 1, 2021, at 12 noon." CREC-2020-12-31-pt1-PgS7993,2020-12-31,116,2,,,ENROLLED BILL PRESENTED,SENATE,SENATE,ENROLLEDPRESENTED,S7993,S7993,,"[{""congress"": ""116"", ""type"": ""S"", ""number"": ""4996""}]",166 Cong. Rec. S7993,"Congressional Record, Volume 166 Issue 223 (Thursday, December 31, 2020) [Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 223 (Thursday, December 31, 2020)] [Senate] [Page S7993] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] ENROLLED BILL PRESENTED The Secretary of the Senate reported that on today, December 31, 2020, she had presented to the President of the United States the following enrolled bill: S. 4996. An act to ensure funding of the United States trustees, extend temporary bankruptcy judgeships, and for other purposes. ____________________" CREC-2020-12-30-pt1-PgD1140-2,2020-12-30,116,2,,,Daily Digest/Senate Committee Meetings,SENATE,DAILYDIGEST,DDSCMEETINGS,D1140,D1140,,,166 Cong. Rec. D1140,"Congressional Record, Volume 166 Issue 222 (Wednesday, December 30, 2020) [Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 222 (Wednesday, December 30, 2020)] [Daily Digest] [Page D1140] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] Committee Meetings (Committees not listed did not meet) No committee meetings were held." CREC-2020-12-30-pt1-PgD1140-3,2020-12-30,116,2,,,Daily Digest/House of Representatives,HOUSE,DAILYDIGEST,DDHCHAMBER,D1140,D1140,,,166 Cong. Rec. D1140,"Congressional Record, Volume 166 Issue 222 (Wednesday, December 30, 2020) [Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 222 (Wednesday, December 30, 2020)] [Daily Digest] [Page D1140] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] House of Representatives Chamber Action The House was not in session today. The House is scheduled to meet in Pro Forma session at 10 a.m. on Thursday, December 31, 2020." CREC-2020-12-30-pt1-PgD1140-4,2020-12-30,116,2,,,Daily Digest/House Committee Meetings,HOUSE,DAILYDIGEST,DDHCMEETINGS,D1140,D1141,,,166 Cong. Rec. D1140,"Congressional Record, Volume 166 Issue 222 (Wednesday, December 30, 2020) [Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 222 (Wednesday, December 30, 2020)] [Daily Digest] [Pages D1140-D1141] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] Committee Meetings No hearings were held. Joint Meetings No joint committee meetings were held. [[Page D1141]]" CREC-2020-12-30-pt1-PgD1140,2020-12-30,116,2,,,Daily Digest/Senate,SENATE,DAILYDIGEST,DDSCHAMBER,D1140,D1140,,"[{""congress"": ""116"", ""type"": ""S"", ""number"": ""3985""}, {""congress"": ""116"", ""type"": ""HR"", ""number"": ""6395""}]",166 Cong. Rec. D1140,"Congressional Record, Volume 166 Issue 222 (Wednesday, December 30, 2020) [Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 222 (Wednesday, December 30, 2020)] [Daily Digest] [Page D1140] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] Wednesday, December 30, 2020 [[Page D1140]] Daily Digest Senate Chamber Action Routine Proceedings, pages S7971-S7984 Measures Considered: JUSTICE Act: Senate began consideration of the motion to proceed to consideration of S. 3985, to improve and reform policing practices, accountability, and transparency. Page S7972 Veto Messages: William M. (Mac) Thornberry National Defense Authorization Act--Veto Message: Senate began consideration of the veto message to accompany H.R. 6395, to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2021 for military activities of the Department of Defense, for military construction, and for defense activities of the Department of Energy, to prescribe military personnel strengths for such fiscal year, after agreeing to the motion to proceed. Pages S7982-83 A motion was entered to close further debate on the veto message to accompany the bill, and, in accordance with the provisions of Rule XXII of the Standing Rules of the Senate, a vote on cloture will occur on Friday, January 1, 2021. Pages S7982-83 During consideration of this measure today, Senate also took the following action: By 80 yeas to 12 nays (Vote No. 290), Senate agreed to the motion to proceed to consideration of the veto message to accompany the bill. Page S7982 A unanimous-consent agreement was reached providing for further consideration of the veto message to accompany the bill at approximately 12 noon, on Thursday, December 31, 2020. Page S7983 Nominations Withdrawn: Senate received notification of withdrawal of the following nominations: Shon J. Manasco, of Texas, to be Under Secretary of the Air Force, which was sent to the Senate on May 4, 2020. Eric M. Ueland, of Oregon, to be an Under Secretary of State (Civilian Security, Democracy, and Human Rights), which was sent to the Senate on July 29, 2020. Pages S7983-84 Measures Placed on the Calendar: Page S7983 Additional Cosponsors: Page S7983 Statements on Introduced Bills/Resolutions: Additional Statements: Quorum Calls: One quorum call was taken today. (Total--5) Page S7982 Record Votes: One record vote was taken today. (Total--290) Page S7982 Adjournment: Senate convened at 3 p.m. and adjourned at 5:51 p.m., until 12 noon on Thursday, December 31, 2020. (For Senate's program, see the remarks of the Majority Leader in today's Record on page S7983.)" CREC-2020-12-30-pt1-PgD1141-2,2020-12-30,116,2,,,Daily Digest/Next Meeting of the SENATE + Next Meeting of the HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES + Other End Matter,SENATE,DAILYDIGEST,DDENDMATTER,D1141,D1142,,"[{""congress"": ""116"", ""type"": ""HR"", ""number"": ""6395""}]",166 Cong. Rec. D1141,"Congressional Record, Volume 166 Issue 222 (Wednesday, December 30, 2020) [Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 222 (Wednesday, December 30, 2020)] [Daily Digest] [Pages D1141-D1142] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] CONGRESSIONAL RECORD (USPS 087-390). The Periodicals postage is paid at Washington, D.C. The public proceedings of each House of Congress, as reported by the Official Reporters thereof, are printed pursuant to directions of the Joint Committee on Printing as authorized by appropriate provisions of Title 44, United States Code, and published for each day that one or both Houses are in session, excepting very infrequent instances when two or more unusually small consecutive issues are printed one time. Public access to the Congressional Record is available online through the U.S. Government Publishing Office, at www.govinfo.gov, free of charge to the user. The information is updated online each day the Congressional Record is published. For more information, contact the GPO Customer Contact Center, U.S. Government Publishing Office. Phone 202-512-1800, or 866-512-1800 (toll-free). E-Mail, contactcenter@gpo.gov. To place an order for any of these products, visit the U.S. Government Online Bookstore at: bookstore.gpo.gov. Mail orders to: Superintendent of Documents, P.O. Box 979050, St. Louis, MO 63197-9000, or phone orders to 866-512-1800 (toll-free), 202-512-1800 (D.C. area), or fax to 202-512-2104. Remit check or money order, made payable to the Superintendent of Documents, or use VISA, MasterCard, Discover, American Express, or GPO Deposit Account. Following each session of Congress, the daily Congressional Record is revised, printed, permanently bound and sold by the Superintendent of Documents in individual parts or by sets. With the exception of copyrighted articles, there are no restrictions on the republication of material from the Congressional Record. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to the Superintendent of Documents, Congressional Record, U.S. Government Publishing Office, Washington, D.C. 20402, along with the entire mailing label from the last issue received. [[Page D1142]] _______________________________________________________________________ Next Meeting of the SENATE 12 noon, Thursday, December 31 Senate Chamber Program for Thursday: Senate will continue consideration of the veto message to accompany H.R. 6395, William M. (Mac) Thornberry National Defense Authorization Act. Next Meeting of the HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 10 a.m., Thursday, December 31 House Chamber Program for Thursday: House will meet in Pro Forma session at 10 a.m." CREC-2020-12-30-pt1-PgD1141,2020-12-30,116,2,,,Daily Digest/COMMITTEE MEETINGS FOR 2020-12-31,,DAILYDIGEST,DDCOMMITTEEMEETINGS,D1141,D1141,,,166 Cong. Rec. D1141,"Congressional Record, Volume 166 Issue 222 (Wednesday, December 30, 2020) [Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 222 (Wednesday, December 30, 2020)] [Daily Digest] [Page D1141] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] COMMITTEE MEETINGS FOR THURSDAY, DECEMBER 31, 2020 (Committee meetings are open unless otherwise indicated) Senate No meetings/hearings scheduled. House No hearings are scheduled." CREC-2020-12-30-pt1-PgE1215-2,2020-12-30,116,2,,,SENATE COMMITTEE MEETINGS,SENATE,EXTENSIONS,ESENATECOMMITTEE,E1215,E1215,,"[{""congress"": ""116"", ""type"": ""SRES"", ""number"": ""4""}, {""congress"": ""116"", ""type"": ""SRES"", ""number"": ""4""}]",166 Cong. Rec. E1215,"Congressional Record, Volume 166 Issue 222 (Wednesday, December 30, 2020) [Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 222 (Wednesday, December 30, 2020)] [Extensions of Remarks] [Page E1215] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] SENATE COMMITTEE MEETINGS Title IV of Senate Resolution 4, agreed to by the Senate of February 4, 1977, calls for establishment of a system for a computerized schedule of all meetings and hearings of Senate committees, subcommittees, joint committees, and committees of conference. This title requires all such committees to notify the Office of the Senate Daily Digest--designated by the Rules Committee--of the time, place and purpose of the meetings, when scheduled and any cancellations or changes in the meetings as they occur. As an additional procedure along with the computerization of this information, the Office of the Senate Daily Digest will prepare this information for printing in the Extensions of Remarks section of the Congressional Record on Monday and Wednesday of each week. Meetings scheduled for Thursday, December 31, 2020 may be found in the Daily Digest of today's Record. MEETINGS SCHEDULED JANUARY 6 10 a.m. Select Committee on Intelligence To receive a closed briefing on certain intelligence matters. SVC-217" CREC-2020-12-30-pt1-PgS-FrontMatter-3,2020-12-30,116,2,,,House of Representatives,SENATE,SENATE,FRONTMATTER,S7971,S7971,,,166 Cong. Rec. S7971,"Congressional Record, Volume 166 Issue 222 (Wednesday, December 30, 2020) [Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 222 (Wednesday, December 30, 2020)] [Senate] [Page S7971] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S Vol. 166 WASHINGTON, WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 30, 2020 No. 222" CREC-2020-12-30-pt1-PgS7971-2,2020-12-30,116,2,,,House of Representatives,SENATE,SENATE,ALLOTHER,S7971,S7971,,,166 Cong. Rec. S7971,"Congressional Record, Volume 166 Issue 222 (Wednesday, December 30, 2020) [Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 222 (Wednesday, December 30, 2020)] [Senate] [Page S7971] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] House of Representatives The House was not in session today. Its next meeting will be held on Thursday, December 31, 2020, at 10 a.m. _________________________________" CREC-2020-12-30-pt1-PgS7971-3,2020-12-30,116,2,,,Senate,SENATE,SENATE,CALLTOORDER,S7971,S7971,,,166 Cong. Rec. S7971,"Congressional Record, Volume 166 Issue 222 (Wednesday, December 30, 2020) [Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 222 (Wednesday, December 30, 2020)] [Senate] [Page S7971] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] Senate Wednesday, December 30, 2020 The Senate met at 3 p.m. and was called to order by the President pro tempore (Mr. Grassley). ____________________" CREC-2020-12-30-pt1-PgS7971-4,2020-12-30,116,2,,,PRAYER,SENATE,SENATE,PRAYER,S7971,S7971,,,166 Cong. Rec. S7971,"Congressional Record, Volume 166 Issue 222 (Wednesday, December 30, 2020) [Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 222 (Wednesday, December 30, 2020)] [Senate] [Page S7971] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] PRAYER The Chaplain, Dr. Barry C. Black, offered the following prayer: Let us pray. Almighty God, our gracious King, You are the one clear power of love in the midst of lesser powers. Thank You for giving us the confidence that You hear and answer prayers. Lord, use the Members of this body as ambassadors of reconciliation. Help them to bring wholeness, healing, and unity to a fragmented nation and world. Inspire them to discover Your love in each other and to see Your image in all creation. Lord, settle our Senators down into a contemplative stillness that will make them yearn for righteousness, justice, and peace. May they speak wise words from a reservoir of wisdom that will transform discord into harmony. We pray in Your loving Name. Amen. ____________________" CREC-2020-12-30-pt1-PgS7971-5,2020-12-30,116,2,,,PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE,SENATE,SENATE,PLEDGE,S7971,S7971,,,166 Cong. Rec. S7971,"Congressional Record, Volume 166 Issue 222 (Wednesday, December 30, 2020) [Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 222 (Wednesday, December 30, 2020)] [Senate] [Page S7971] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE The President pro tempore, led the Pledge of Allegiance, as follows: 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. ____________________" CREC-2020-12-30-pt1-PgS7971-6,2020-12-30,116,2,,,RECOGNITION OF THE MAJORITY LEADER,SENATE,SENATE,ALLOTHER,S7971,S7971,,,166 Cong. Rec. S7971,"Congressional Record, Volume 166 Issue 222 (Wednesday, December 30, 2020) [Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 222 (Wednesday, December 30, 2020)] [Senate] [Page S7971] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] RECOGNITION OF THE MAJORITY LEADER The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Young). The majority leader is recognized. ____________________" CREC-2020-12-30-pt1-PgS7971-7,2020-12-30,116,2,,,NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT,SENATE,SENATE,ALLOTHER,S7971,S7971,"[{""name"": ""Mitch McConnell"", ""role"": ""speaking""}]",,166 Cong. Rec. S7971,"Congressional Record, Volume 166 Issue 222 (Wednesday, December 30, 2020) [Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 222 (Wednesday, December 30, 2020)] [Senate] [Page S7971] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, today, the Senate was supposed to finish legislation securing critical tools, training, and support for America's Armed Forces, but the junior Senator from Vermont had other ideas. Remember, Senator Sanders spent last summer, literally, trying to defund our military. Not my words, but the title of a piece he published: ``Defund the Pentagon: The Liberal Case.'' Our colleague offered an amendment to strip 10 percent of funding from our servicemembers and decimate our defense budget. The Russians aren't cutting military funding. China isn't cutting funding. But last summer, Senator Sanders and fellow Democrats, including the Democratic leader, voted to make America unilaterally disarm and cut ours. The left took a break from trying to defund the police to try to defund our Armed Forces. Their amendment went down in a landslide, but now our colleague from Vermont is again putting political stunts before the needs of our men and women in uniform. Our colleague says he will slow down this vital bill unless he gets to muscle through another stand-alone proposal from Speaker Pelosi that would add roughly half a trillion dollars to the national debt, which does not align with what President Trump has suggested and which has no realistic path to quickly pass the Senate. Well, as I have said, the Senate will not let our national security be shoved off course, certainly not by Senators who have spent years-- literally years--trying to gut America's capabilities while our adversaries continue ramping up. The Senate will stay on this important bill until we complete it one way or another. ____________________" CREC-2020-12-30-pt1-PgS7971-8,2020-12-30,116,2,,,CORONAVIRUS,SENATE,SENATE,ALLOTHER,S7971,S7972,"[{""name"": ""Mitch McConnell"", ""role"": ""speaking""}]",,166 Cong. Rec. S7971,"Congressional Record, Volume 166 Issue 222 (Wednesday, December 30, 2020) [Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 222 (Wednesday, December 30, 2020)] [Senate] [Pages S7971-S7972] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] CORONAVIRUS Mr. McCONNELL. Now let's talk about COVID-19 relief. Four days ago, President Trump signed the second largest rescue package in American history. The largest one was the CARES Act back in March. Due to this pandemic and our massive response, we now have a national debt far larger than our entire economy for the first time since World War II, but we knew our people needed more help, so Congress just passed another nearly $900 billion in emergency relief targeted to those who need it most, a second round of payroll support to save small business jobs, more unemployment aid, vaccine distribution money, funding for safe schools, and much more. In addition to historic amounts of targeted help at the request of President Trump and his team, the package also included another round of direct checks to households, whether or not each household needs the help, whether or not their finances have changed dramatically this past year. Yesterday, Secretary Mnuchin announced households should begin receiving these payments as early as today and this week. That is more good news to a lot of people. After Congress and the administration finalized the bipartisan bill, the President expressed interest in further [[Page S7972]] expanding nontargeted direct payments. So to ensure the President was comfortable signing the bill into law, the Senate committed to beginning one process that would combine three of the President's priorities: larger direct checks, a repeal of section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, and further efforts to review the integrity of our democracy--three of the President's priorities in one Senate process. That was the commitment, and that is what happened yesterday when I introduced text reflecting just what the President had, in fact, requested. Now House and Senate Democrats want something very different. As they tried to do countless times in the past 4 years, Speaker Pelosi and Leader Schumer are trying to pull a fast one on the President and the American people. First of all, they are hoping everyone just forgets about election integrity and Big Tech. They are desperate to ignore those two parts of President Trump's requests, and you can draw your own conclusions. Even on the question of larger checks, the Democrats have tried to warp what President Trump actually laid out. Look, it is no secret that Republicans have a diversity of views about the wisdom of borrowing hundreds of billions more to send out more nontargeted money, including to many households that have suffered no loss of income during the crisis. COVID-19 has not affected all households equally--not even close. It is hardly clear that the Federal Government's top priority should be sending thousands of dollars to, for example, a childless couple making well into six figures who have been comfortably teleworking all year. Our duty is to help get help to the people who actually need help, like we did, to a historic degree, just 4 days ago. But above and beyond that discussion, the Democratic leaders have broken from what President Trump proposed. They quietly changed this proposal in an attempt to let wealthy households suck up even more money. Speaker Pelosi structured her bill so that a family of four would have to earn more than $300,000 in order not--not to qualify for more cash. A family of three could pull in $250,000 per year--a quarter of a million dollars--and still qualify for some money. Democratic leaders want to call this scheme ``survival checks.'' Only my friends Speaker Pelosi and the Democratic leader could look at households in New York and California who make $300,000, in households where nobody has been laid off, where earnings have not even dropped during the past year, and conclude these rich constituents of theirs need ``survival checks'' financed by taxpayer dollars and borrowed money Everyone sees the game here. These are the same Democrats who proudly blocked the entire aid package for months because they tried to hold out their special tax cuts for rich people in rich States. Now they say it is a matter of survival to send another boatload of cash to people making $300,000, regardless of whether they have experienced any disruption at all this past year. Even the liberal Washington Post today is laughing at the political left for demanding more huge giveaways with no relationship to actual need. Here is what the Washington Post wrote: ``Especially wrongheaded . . . is the progressive left, spearheaded by Sen. Bernie Sanders . . . who depicts the $2,000 as aid to `desperate' Americans despite the huge amounts destined for perfectly comfortable families.'' That is from the editors of the Washington Post. The Wall Street Journal, usually their opposite number, actually agrees. These nontargeted ``checks are unnecessary,'' and struggling households can access targeted support like ``expanded jobless benefits, food stamps, child-care subsidies and much more.'' The liberal economist Larry Summers, President Clinton's Treasury Secretary and President Obama's NEC Director, says: ``There is no good economic argument'' for universal $2,000 checks at this moment. He points out the CARES Act and the brandnew law will already have boosted overall household income, relative to the economy, back to its prepandemic levels, if not higher. If specific struggling households need still more help after the huge, historic package that was just signed into law 4 days ago has taken effect, then what they will need is smart, targeted aid, not another firehose of borrowed money that encompasses other people who are doing just fine. So, in my view, colleagues like Senator Cornyn and Senator Toomey have pointed this out persuasively. But, more broadly, here is the deal. The Senate is not going to split apart the three issues that President Trump linked together just because Democrats are afraid to address two of them. The Senate is not going to be bullied into rushing out more borrowed money into the hands of the Democrats' rich friends who don't need the help. We just approved almost a trillion dollars in aid a few days ago. It struck a balance between broad support for all kinds of households and a lot more targeted relief for those who need help the most. We are going to stay smart; we are going to stay focused; and we are going to continue delivering on the needs for our Nation. ____________________" CREC-2020-12-30-pt1-PgS7972,2020-12-30,116,2,,,LEGISLATIVE SESSION,SENATE,SENATE,SLEGISLATIVE,S7972,S7973,"[{""name"": ""Mitch McConnell"", ""role"": ""speaking""}, {""name"": ""Charles E. Schumer"", ""role"": ""speaking""}]","[{""congress"": ""116"", ""type"": ""S"", ""number"": ""3985""}, {""congress"": ""116"", ""type"": ""S"", ""number"": ""5085""}, {""congress"": ""116"", ""type"": ""S"", ""number"": ""5085""}, {""congress"": ""116"", ""type"": ""HR"", ""number"": ""9051""}, {""congress"": ""116"", ""type"": ""HR"", ""number"": ""9051""}]",166 Cong. Rec. S7972,"Congressional Record, Volume 166 Issue 222 (Wednesday, December 30, 2020) [Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 222 (Wednesday, December 30, 2020)] [Senate] [Pages S7972-S7973] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] LEGISLATIVE SESSION ______ JUST AND UNIFYING SOLUTIONS TO INVIGORATE COMMUNITIES EVERYWHERE ACT OF 2020--MOTION TO PROCEED Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I move to proceed to Calendar No. 480, S. 3985. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the motion. The legislative clerk read as follows: Motion to proceed to Calendar No. 480, S. 3985, a bill to improve and reform policing practices, accountability and transparency. Measures Placed On The Calendar--S. 5085 and H.R. 9051 Mr. McCONNELL. I understand there are two bills at the desk due a second reading en bloc. =========================== NOTE =========================== On page S7972, December 30, 2020, third column, the following appears: Motion to proceed to Calendar No. 480, S. 3985, a bill to improve and reform policing practices, accountability and transparency. MEASURES PLACED ON THE CALENDAR--S. 3985 AND H.R. 9051 Mr. McCONNELL. I understand there are two bills at the desk due a second reading en bloc. The online version has been corrected to read: Motion to proceed to Calendar No. 480, S. 3985, a bill to improve and reform policing practices, accountability and transparency. MEASURES PLACED ON THE CALENDAR--S. 5085 AND H.R. 9051 Mr. McCONNELL. I understand there are two bills at the desk due a second reading en bloc. ========================= END NOTE ========================= The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will read the bills by title for the second time. The legislative clerk read as follows: A bill (S. 5085) to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to increase the additional 2020 recovery rebates, to repeal section 230 of the Communications Act of 1934, and for other purposes; A bill (H.R. 9051), to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to increase recovery rebate amounts to $2,000 for individuals, and for other purposes. Mr. McCONNELL. In order to place the bills on the calendar under provision of rule XIV, I object to further proceedings en bloc. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Objection having been heard, the bills will be placed on the calendar. Recognition Of The Minority Leader The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Democratic leader is recognized. Electoral College Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, I was prepared this afternoon to speak about the business the Senate must address, and I will do that, but, first, I must respond to the recent announcement by the junior Senator of Missouri that he intends to contest the certified votes of the electrical college when Congress meets to count those votes next week. The process for electing American Presidents is provided in our Constitution and laws. The process has been followed fully, fairly. The results have been duly certified by the Governors of the States, and they have been reviewed and confirmed by the courts many times over. The result is that Joe Biden and Kamala Harris won the election by overwhelming margins in both the popular vote and the electoral vote. The Biden-Harris ticket received more than 81 million votes, more than any ticket in American history. That was over 7 million more votes than Trump-Pence. The Biden-Harris ticket won the electoral college 306 to 232, the very same total that President Trump called a landslide for himself then just 4 years ago. Since the election process, President Trump and his acolytes have lost more than 50 lawsuits, falsely claiming fraud or other irregularities in the conduct of the 2020 election, including the unanimous decision by the Supreme Court to dismiss a lawsuit brought by the attorney general of Texas and more than half the Republican Members of the House. Today, we heard from the junior Senator from Missouri that he intends to object to the election results, particularly in Pennsylvania--a State where [[Page S7973]] the Trump campaign and its allies have brought no fewer than 13 lawsuits and lost every single one, many with Republican judges ruling. There have been only three individuals--three--charged with voter fraud in Pennsylvania, and in each case, the person voted for Trump. The effort by the sitting President of the United States to overturn the results is patently undemocratic. The effort by others to amplify and burnish his ludicrous claims of fraud is equally revolting. This is America. We have elections. We have results. We make arguments based on fact and reason, not conspiracy and fantasy. On January 6, Congress will meet to formally recognize the electoral college result. There is a very clear process to handle and dispense with the objections of Members of Congress to the counting of the result, and that is just what we will do--dispense with them. On January 6, Congress will ratify the electoral college's decision that Joe Biden will be President and Kamala Harris will be Vice President. Make no mistake about it--Joe Biden and Kamala Harris will be sworn in as President and Vice President on January 20. National Defense Authorization Act Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, now let me return to the matters at hand. Today, the Senate will begin the process of overriding the President's veto on the annual Defense bill. The House has already overridden the veto by a comfortable margin. I expect the Senate to follow suit and enact the NDAA into law over President Trump's evolving and ridiculous objections. Congress has passed the annual Defense bill for 59 years in a row. It is an important opportunity to ensure our defense and security policies reflect the evolving challenges of our world and provide our servicemembers and their families, as well as Defense Department civilians, the support, resources, and training they need. The particular legislation includes a pay raise for troops and provisions that will allow the executive branch to be better postured to identify and deter breaches to America's cyber security. In the wake of the SolarWinds hack, that might be a good policy to enact. Nonetheless, President Trump vetoed this legislation because it provides for renaming military installations that honor Confederate military leaders or, maybe, because it doesn't address an unrelated social media issue. Think about it for a moment. The President vetoed a pay raise to living American soldiers in order to defend the honor of dead Confederate traitors. Well, the Senate will soon have an opportunity to override the President's objection and do right by those brave Americans who wear the uniform. As I said yesterday, there are two major issues before the Senate right now--the annual Defense bill and the vital and important effort to send $2,000 stimulus checks to American families. There are only a few days left in this session, and the Senate should consider both issues before adjourning. There is a very simple solution to this dilemma: Leader McConnell should bring both measures up for a vote and let the chips fall where they may. I believe both measures--the defense override and the $2,000 checks to American families--will pass, but at the very least, the Senate deserves the opportunity for an up-or-down vote on increasing the individual payments to the American people. At the end of my remarks, I will ask the Senate to set a time tonight for a vote on the House bill to provide $2,000 checks. The Republican leader objected to a similar request I made yesterday, and it appears he may be considering a different bill that packages stimulus checks with other unrelated and partisan policies. I want to be very clear about one thing: There is no other game in town besides the House bill. The only way to get the American people the $2,000 checks they deserve and need is to pass the House bill and pass it now. The House has recessed for the year. Any modification or addition to the House bill cannot become law before the end of this Congress. It is a way to kill the bill. Make no mistake about it: Either the Senate takes up and passes the House bill or struggling American families will not get $2,000 checks during the worst economic crisis in 75 years. Over the past few days, the idea of increasing direct payments to the American people has united folks from all points of the political spectrum. I salute the Senator from Vermont for the good job he has done in bringing this forward to the American people's attention. An overwhelming bipartisan majority in the House supports the $2,000 checks. Senate Democrats strongly support these $2,000 checks, and our unlikely ally, President Trump, this morning, tweeted: ``$2000 ASAP!'' For once, the Democrats agree with something on President Trump's Twitter feed. Let's send $2,000 ASAP to working Americans who are facing the hardest and darkest days of the pandemic. After all of the insanity that the Senate Republicans have tolerated from President Trump--his attacks on the rule of law, an independent judiciary, the conduct that led to his impeachment--is this where the Senate Republicans are going to draw the line--with $2,000 checks to the American people? That is a bridge too far? Please. For the awareness of my colleagues, we can have this vote tonight and send the bill directly to the President's desk for his signature. We can vote on the NDAA bill tonight and finish the Senate's business before the end of the year. All it takes is our Republican colleagues to consent to a simple vote on the House bill to provide $2,000 checks to the American people. Yes or no, up or down, do you support sending $2,000 to the American people or not? Let's have the vote Unanimous Consent Request--H.R. 9051 I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of H.R. 9051, a bill received from the House, to increase recovery rebate amounts to $2,000 for individuals; that the bill be read a third time and passed; and that the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table with no intervening action or debate. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection? Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I object. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Objection is heard. Reservation Of Leader Time The PRESIDING OFFICER. Under the previous order, the leadership time is reserved. ____________________" CREC-2020-12-30-pt1-PgS7973-2,2020-12-30,116,2,,,UNANIMOUS CONSENT REQUESTS--H.R. 9051 AND H.R. 6395,SENATE,SENATE,SCONSENTREQUEST,S7973,S7974,"[{""name"": ""Bernard Sanders"", ""role"": ""speaking""}, {""name"": ""Patrick J. Toomey"", ""role"": ""speaking""}]","[{""congress"": ""116"", ""type"": ""HR"", ""number"": ""6395""}, {""congress"": ""116"", ""type"": ""HR"", ""number"": ""6395""}, {""congress"": ""116"", ""type"": ""HR"", ""number"": ""9051""}, {""congress"": ""116"", ""type"": ""HR"", ""number"": ""9051""}]",166 Cong. Rec. S7973,"Congressional Record, Volume 166 Issue 222 (Wednesday, December 30, 2020) [Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 222 (Wednesday, December 30, 2020)] [Senate] [Pages S7973-S7974] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] UNANIMOUS CONSENT REQUESTS--H.R. 9051 AND H.R. 6395 Mr. SANDERS. Mr. President, I want to concur with what Senator Schumer said. What he said goes beyond economics. It goes beyond the desperation that tens of millions of working families are facing. It goes beyond the struggles of the people of Vermont or Kentucky. Let me just make it clear for the majority leader that 10 out of the poorest 25 counties in the United States of America are located in Kentucky. So my colleague the majority leader might want to get on the phone and start talking to working families in Kentucky and find out how they feel about the need for immediate help in terms of a $2,000 check per adult. I have the strong feeling that the people of Kentucky will respond no differently than the people of Vermont or New York. The last poll that I saw had 78 percent of the American people saying they wanted and needed that type of help. This discussion, frankly, is not just about the economic struggling of working families in this country. It is not just about the massive levels of income and wealth inequality. It is about basic democracy. Now, what we have to do here on the floor, whether it is Senator Schumer or Senator McConnell or I, is to talk in legalese. That is the language of the U.S. Senate. The stuff sounds pretty complicated to the average person, but all that Senator Schumer and I are asking of the majority leader is very simple: Allow the Members of the U.S. Senate to cast a vote. If you want to [[Page S7974]] vote against $2,000 checks for people in your State, vote against it. I see Senator Toomey here. He has been clear about it. I suspect he will vote against it. I respect his opinion, but all that we are asking for is a vote. What is the problem? In the House, over two-thirds of the Members of that body, including 44 Republicans, voted to say, in this time of economic desperation, working families deserve help, and they deserve a $2,000 check. As Senator Schumer just indicated, we have a very unlikely ally in President Trump. Nobody here has disagreed with Trump more times than I have; yet here is what the leader of the Republican Party writes: ``$2000 ASAP!'' So, even on this issue, amazingly enough, the President of the United States is right. What all of this comes down to, my fellow Americans, is not even whether you agree with Senator Schumer and myself and 78 percent of the American people or whether you agree with Senator McConnell and, I suspect, Senator Toomey. That is fine. It is called democracy. We have differences of opinion. All that I am asking is to give us a vote. What is the problem? Allow the U.S. Senators to cast a vote as to whether they are for the $2,000 check or whether they are against it. We will need, as I understand it, 60 votes to win. That is a big hurdle. I don't know that we are going to win. There are a number of Republicans, to their credit, who have said they are ready to vote for it. I suspect there may be more, when given the opportunity, who will vote for it. Maybe I am wrong. Maybe we will lose. I think that would be unfortunate. All that I am asking for right now is to give us the opportunity to vote. What is the problem with that? I will now go to Senate legalese. I ask unanimous consent that at 11:30 a.m. on Thursday, December 31, the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of H.R. 9051, a bill to provide a $2,000 direct payment to the working class; that the bill be considered read a third time; and that the Senate vote on the passage of the bill, without intervening action or debate; further, that if passed, the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table; further, that immediately following the vote on H.R. 9051, the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of the veto message on H.R. 6395 and that the Senate immediately vote on the passage of the bill, the objections of the President to the contrary notwithstanding, with no intervening action or debate. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection? The Senator from Pennsylvania. Mr. TOOMEY. Mr. President, in reserving the right to object, let me start by pointing out that we are not in the same place that we were back in March. Our economy is in nothing like the situation we faced during a moment in March when this body came together and voted unanimously, I believe, for the most extraordinary aid package-- financial stimulus bill, however you care to characterize it--in the history of the world by far. Remember where we were. We had closed down the economy. To a very large degree, the American economy had stopped functioning because State governments around the country decided they had to close it down. We can discuss and we can argue about whether that was a good decision or not, but given the limited knowledge we had about the nature of the COVID-19 threat, it was deemed to be the right thing to do. So we were on the verge of having no economy. That has never happened before in our history. So what did we do? We decided this calls for extraordinary measures, and we would try to use Federal dollars as a substitute for the economy--just replace lost income on a massive, unprecedented scale-- and we did. We approved almost $3 trillion in that legislation. At the time, we included $1,200 per person. You could make an argument that that was an extremely inefficient use of that $1,200 per person, but at the time, given the circumstances, I understood why we didn't have many good options, and that was something we decided to do. So where are we now? We are in a very different place. Our economy is not in a free fall. Our economy is in a recovery mode. We are not back to where we want to end up. We are not back to where we were before March, but we have taken big steps in that direction. The economy grew at 33 percent last quarter--33 percent. That is a tremendous recovery that is underway. More than half of all the people who lost their jobs earlier this year have regained their jobs. So we are not finished yet, but that is a huge step along the way. And now we are being told, after passing another extraordinary bill-- this one almost $1 trillion and including $600 per person--that that is not enough; we need to do $2,000 per person, despite the fact that we know for sure, we know for a fact, that the large majority of those checks are going to go to people who had no lost income. How does that make any sense at all? We know for sure that the majority of these people had no lost income. They didn't lose their jobs, and yet we are going to send them not $600, not the $1,200, but $2,000. So think about this. A married couple, who both are working and have 2 kids, maybe they work for the Federal Government, like 2 million-odd people do. Maybe they work for a large company, the vast majority of which did not have large numbers of layoffs. So this two-child, two- income couple that makes six figures had no interruption, no diminishment of their income whatsoever. They are going to get $8,000 of money we don't have that is going to be either borrowed or printed. That is what it is all going to come down to. There are people who are still suffering from the economic fallout of this terrible COVID crisis. There is no question about it. We know there are people who are concentrated in a handful of industries, for the most part--not exclusively--but people who have worked in the restaurant industry, people who work for hotels, travel, entertainment. So many of those people are still out of work and their prospects of getting their old jobs back are not good in the short run. I sure hope they will be good in the medium-term run, if not sooner. And our bill addressed that. It addressed that problem. How did we do that? With a new round of PPP loans, which are really grants to small businesses, if they will keep their workforce intact; expansion of unemployment insurance benefits, so that people who have historically been ineligible remain eligible so they can continue to collect unemployment benefits; an increase in the amount of unemployment benefits, a $300-a-week overlay of Federal money on top of whatever their State program is; $600 per person, regardless of whether they lost income. All of that was passed just a few days ago, and now we are told we need to come back immediately, right now, and make sure that we are sending $2,000 checks to people who had no lost income. So for that reason, I object. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Objection is heard. The Senator from Massachusetts. ____________________" CREC-2020-12-30-pt1-PgS7973,2020-12-30,116,2,,,MORNING BUSINESS,SENATE,SENATE,SMBUSINESS,S7973,S7973,,,166 Cong. Rec. S7973,"Congressional Record, Volume 166 Issue 222 (Wednesday, December 30, 2020) [Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 222 (Wednesday, December 30, 2020)] [Senate] [Page S7973] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] MORNING BUSINESS The PRESIDING OFFICER. Under the previous order, the Senate will be in a period of morning business, with Senators permitted to speak therein for up to 10 minutes each. The Senator from Vermont. ____________________" CREC-2020-12-30-pt1-PgS7974,2020-12-30,116,2,,,UNANIMOUS CONSENT REQUEST--H.R. 9051 AND H.R. 6395,SENATE,SENATE,SCONSENTREQUEST,S7974,S7976,"[{""name"": ""Edward J. Markey"", ""role"": ""speaking""}, {""name"": ""John Cornyn"", ""role"": ""speaking""}]","[{""congress"": ""116"", ""type"": ""HR"", ""number"": ""6395""}, {""congress"": ""116"", ""type"": ""HR"", ""number"": ""6395""}, {""congress"": ""116"", ""type"": ""HR"", ""number"": ""9051""}, {""congress"": ""116"", ""type"": ""HR"", ""number"": ""9051""}]",166 Cong. Rec. S7974,"Congressional Record, Volume 166 Issue 222 (Wednesday, December 30, 2020) [Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 222 (Wednesday, December 30, 2020)] [Senate] [Pages S7974-S7976] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] UNANIMOUS CONSENT REQUEST--H.R. 9051 AND H.R. 6395 Mr. MARKEY. Mr. President, I rise to echo the sentiments of the Senator from Vermont. He is right. The Republicans are wrong on this issue. On every single part of this debate, Senator Sanders is right; the Republicans are wrong. We are in the middle of an unprecedented crisis in our country. We have a healthcare crisis, we have an unemployment crisis, we have a hunger crisis, we have a housing crisis, we have an addiction crisis, and we have a moral crisis in this country. The U.S. Government should be responding to the needs, to the desperation of families in our country at this time. There is a crisis of faith that the American people have in its government's ability to respond to human suffering. Well, this institution has been created to respond to human suffering. That is our job Tony Fauci has made it very clear that the worst of the pandemic is ahead of us, not behind us. We know what is coming, and yet we are not responding. We know this is not going away soon, and yet we are not responding. A program, Operation Warp Speed, was created to create a vaccine, but because for 7 months the Republicans have refused to fund the public health [[Page S7975]] system of our country at the State and local level, we have ``Operation Snail Speed'' to put the vaccinations in the arms of the American people. It was anticipatable. Tony Fauci and others were warning us back in May and June and July that there would be a second wave and the second wave could be bigger. We got the warning. The Republicans refused to heed that warning. And here we are now, without the public health infrastructure to deal with the overflow capacity in emergency rooms, in ICUs all across the country, while simultaneously asking those same medical institutions to put vaccinations in the arms of healthy people, without the resources provided by the Federal Government to help those States and local communities to deal with that crisis. Sometimes Daniel Patrick Moynihan would say that when you deal with an issue you deal with it with benign neglect if you don't want to help or you don't want to hurt--deal with benign neglect. What has happened with the Republicans this year is that they created a program which is designed neglect. It is an actual plan not to provide the funding, not to provide the help for those families, for those communities, for those institutions that are now being overwhelmed, and asked, on top of that, to put this extra burden of putting vaccinations in people's arms, but without the extra resources. And what do they do on the Republican side? They throw out these red herrings--so many red herrings that you would need to build an aquarium in the well here of the Senate in order to deal with all of them--that gets away from the central issue: Yes or no, up or down, will you provide $2,000 to Americans who are going to need it through what Tony Fauci is saying will be the worst part of this pandemic? Yes or no, up or down, where do they stand on this issue? Here is what we do know. Republicans seem more focused on funding the Defense Department than they do on funding the defenseless in our country, and Americans are becoming more defenseless as each day goes by. The headlines are screaming that this panic, which is absolutely understandable and based upon fact, is sweeping our country. There is protection that the Federal Government should be providing to these families. We hear it. They are hungry. They could be without their homes. The addiction crisis is rising. They need help in their families. So from my perspective, we have a moment in time, and Donald Trump happens to agree with us--even though a broken clock is right twice a day. And we do agree with him. He is right. We do need this help, which we should be providing to these families. As we watch more and more of our American loved ones fall sick and die, families are facing a new and unprecedented hardship. They are having to make impossible decisions as to whether to put food on the table or keep the heat on through the cold winter months, and the U.S. Government has an obligation to help working people who, through no fault of their own, are seeing all of the things that they care about, all of the success that they have worked for, and all the financial security they have earned be washed away. And yet the Republicans want to put another ``Operation Snail Speed'' in place. The damage to these families is anticipatable. We can see what is unfolding. Dr. Fauci is telling us that we are at the worst part of the pandemic and it is going to continue. So let us act in anticipation. Louis Pasteur used to say that ``chance favors the prepared mind.'' That is what Dr. Tony Fauci is telling us. Let us prepare. Let us help families prepare for what is about to arrive. Just in Massachusetts alone, 21,000 new people applied for unemployment insurance in the week before Christmas. Food banks across Massachusetts and across the country are seeing double-digit increases in demand with families who never faced food insecurity before. People are literally starving, cold, and without homes. Meanwhile, the majority leader and Republican leadership would rather head home for the New Year and ignore the financial and health crises that are taking a toll on our families. For millions of Americans, this will be a New Year holiday where they won't know if they can put food on the table that night. Republicans are claiming that giving $2,000 in direct cash payments to working Americans would be too expensive, that it would inflate our national deficit, that our budgets are already bloated. I have to ask, though, where was this outrage when Republicans blew up our national deficit to give a $1.5 trillion tax cut to billionaires and corporations? These are the crocodile tears from the right, as Americans are shedding real tears thinking about where their next meal will come from, the eviction notice on the front door, or losing healthcare in the midst of this crisis. Americans are actually tired of being told that $600 is ``sufficient'' as an amount of money as relief, as billionaires receive their tax breaks and grow their wealth by the trillions of dollars during this crisis. The rich get richer, and the rest are there left suffering. They have had enough of being told that there just isn't the money for support for the well-being of their communities when they can see tax breaks going to those companies that are actually laying off workers. Americans are tired of being let down by their government time and time again, as Donald Trump and his Republican allies have abandoned them during this response to the pandemic. Americans need support. They need to be able to trust their government, and they need $2,000 now. So that is the issue: Yes or no, up or down, on providing $2,000 to Americans to help them make it through the worst part of this crisis. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that at 12:30 p.m. on Thursday, December 31, the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of H.R. 9051, a bill to provide a $2,000 direct payment to the working class; that the bill be considered read a third time and the Senate vote on passage of that bill without intervening action or debate; further, that if passed, the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table; and that immediately following the vote on H.R. 9051, the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of the veto message on H.R. 6395; that the Senate immediately vote on passage of the bill, the objections of the President to the contrary notwithstanding, with no intervening action or debate. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection? The Senator for Texas. Mr. CORNYN. Reserving the right to object, Mr. President, Speaker Pelosi's second bite at the apple, just after we voted on a $900 billion bill that has now been signed into law by the President of the United States, is not the way to send relief to the hardest hit Americans. Under this legislation, a family of five with an annual income of $350,000 would receive a stimulus check. This is reminiscent of the Heroes Act that the House passed, which cut taxes for millionaires and billionaires. This isn't about helping the people that need it the most. This is about helping millionaires and billionaires and people who frankly have not suffered the hardships economically that others have during this pandemic. The median household in my State is $60,000, and the Speaker wants to send taxpayer-funded assistance to folks earning nearly six times that much. Even the Washington Post editorial board agrees this is bad policy. It doesn't differentiate between people who have been receiving a paycheck during this pandemic, such as government employees, and people who, simply by virtue of their job, have been put out of work and are not receiving any income or maybe at best unemployment compensation. The Speaker's bill isn't about targeting folks who have lost their jobs or have seen their income reduced. It is a far cry from the additional assistance President Trump requested for the hardest hit Americans. The reality is, this bill would spend roughly $300 billion more on folks who aren't even experiencing a financial strain from the pandemic. We need to focus on the people who have been hurt. That is what our COVID-19 relief bill, which was just recently signed into law, is designed to do, and I dare say this is not going to be the last time we visit this topic. If there is more we need to do, I am confident we will do it. But today, in this [[Page S7976]] way, is not the right way to do it. I object. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Objection is heard. The Senator from Illinois. ____________________" CREC-2020-12-30-pt1-PgS7976,2020-12-30,116,2,,,CORONAVIRUS,SENATE,SENATE,ALLOTHER,S7976,S7977,"[{""name"": ""Richard J. Durbin"", ""role"": ""speaking""}, {""name"": ""John Cornyn"", ""role"": ""speaking""}, {""name"": ""Bernard Sanders"", ""role"": ""speaking""}]",,166 Cong. Rec. S7976,"Congressional Record, Volume 166 Issue 222 (Wednesday, December 30, 2020) [Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 222 (Wednesday, December 30, 2020)] [Senate] [Pages S7976-S7977] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] CORONAVIRUS Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, I listened carefully and watched three occasions on the floor this afternoon where Senators Schumer, Sanders, and Markey have tried to create an opportunity where the Senate would actually come together and vote, where the Senate might make a decision based on the merits of this issue, rather than to keep talking around the issue. What is at stake is a substantial sum of money for families who are in the midst of the struggle of their lives--$2,000--characterized a few moments ago by my friend from Texas as ``Speaker Pelosi's idea.'' Well, I might remind him that it is also Donald Trump's idea and still is. The President has told us this morning that we should move on this as quickly as possible, and although I don't often come to the floor to agree with the President, he is right. In this instance he is clearly right. What are we doing now? We are calling Senators back to Washington from the far reaches across the United States. This morning, I received some email and text messages from some of my colleagues hopping on airplanes at 6 a.m. on the west coast to face a vote. What is this vote all about? Well, first, it is to override the veto of the President when it comes to the Defense authorization bill. This was certainly something that was occasioned by one Senator, the junior Senator from Kentucky, who forced us into a position where that vote needed to be taken here. It could have been handled much more efficiently and to the benefit of all Members if it was scheduled for the weekend when we were assuming a new session of Congress. But he insisted, and we are returning and, frankly, putting in peril again, in the midst of a pandemic, Members of the Senate who are traveling from all the far reaches of this country to be part of this action in Washington But it isn't just the junior Senator from Kentucky who is having us sit here in Washington and wait for things that could be taken care of with dispatch. It is the senior Senator from Kentucky as well. He has decided that we will not get a vote on the House measure to increase the payments to $2,000. Make no mistake, there is only one way to bring this relief to the families of America. It is to pass the bill already enacted by the House of Representatives--a bill which received 44 Republican votes in addition to a substantial number of Democrats, with only 2 voting no. Forty-four Republican votes joined with the Democrats to call for this measure which many have been decrying on the floor here as a class struggle or whatever their argument might be. There is no other measure, including Senator McConnell's alternative, which has any ghost of a chance to help the families in this country with this $2,000 benefit. The only thing that will do it--the only one thing that will do it--is this bill that has already passed the House of Representatives. The House has recessed. When they are going to return is uncertain. They certainly don't have the time to work through the regular order of business to consider any new legislation even if we could send it in time, which I believe is very doubtful. So it is up to Senator McConnell to decide right here and now, are we going to come together as a Senate this afternoon at 5 o'clock, when we are supposed to be back and voting, and get this matter done? Bring it to the Senate for a vote. Let's have this vote up or down, and let the Democrats and Republicans express their will on behalf of the families in this country. I couldn't agree more with the Senator from Massachusetts and his characterization of what families face across this country and, certainly, in my home State of Illinois. I just wonder if any of the Republican Senators who are downplaying this economic crisis facing these families have really looked into the issue. This morning, in the Senator's home State of Texas, they showed an early morning television show and the cars that were lining up for food banks--long lines of people waiting for food banks. They interviewed some of them in Texas who told heartbreaking stories of how they once were volunteers at this same food bank and are now dependent for a helping hand if they were going to be able to feed their families. These are people who are not lazy at all. Misfortune has come their way, and the question is, Will we help? This is our opportunity--today. It is a measure that has passed the House of Representatives, not some theory of some legislation that might be considered tomorrow--today. Let's have this vote today, this evening. When the Senators have returned, let's determine whether or not this House-passed measure of $2,000 is going to be enacted into law, since the President is clearly anxious to sign it. That to me is the reasonable thing to do. In fact, it might even sound like the U.S. Senate is taking a vote on a timely issue after a debate. We do it so seldom around here that I think we have lost our muscle memory when it comes to this activity in the Senate. It is time to return to it. I thank the Senator from Vermont, the Senator from Massachusetts, and, of course, the Democratic leader for bringing this issue before us this afternoon. But it shouldn't end with our great speeches. It ought to end with an important vote for the people of this country. Mr. CORNYN. Mr. President, would the Senator from Illinois yield for a question? Mr. DURBIN. I am happy to yield. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Texas. Mr. CORNYN. Mr. President, I wonder if the Senator from Illinois would consider pairing their request for a $2,000 direct payment with a liability shield provision that would guard businesses that have been operating in good faith and following the guidelines put out by public health and government institutions, and preserve a right to sue for reckless and willful disregard of the rights for others? Would the Senator consider pairing those two together? Mr. DURBIN. I would say in response to my colleague, I know his passionate defense of the notion for immunity from liability for corporations in America. He has introduced a lengthy bill on the subject. I don't believe that is consistent with keeping this Nation safe during a pandemic, and it certainly is not responsive to any onslaught of lawsuits. The Senator might be interested to know that the number of medical malpractice cases filed in the name of COVID-19 since the onset of this current pandemic is slightly higher than the total number of lawsuits filed by Donald Trump in protesting the results of the November 3 election. This is not a tsunami of lawsuits. I believe we can take reasonable measures to support and defend those corporations and companies that are making a good-faith effort to comply with public health standards and protect their employees and customers. His bill, I am afraid, goes way too far The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Vermont. Mr. SANDERS. Mr. President, let me concur with my friend from Illinois on the issue. I have a question for my colleague from Texas. It is a very simple question. You have concerns about the issue of corporate liability. I get that. I happen not to agree with you. You are entitled to your opinion. You may or may not be concerned about section 230 of the 1996 Federal telecommunications bill. That is fine too. We might have a discussion about how we protect American democracy. It is a good discussion as well. But I have a strong feeling, Senator Cornyn, that in Texas, as in Vermont--you know what--people are not really talking about corporate liability. It is a good issue. It is an important issue. I don't believe they are talking about section 230. What I think they are talking about, as the Senator from Illinois just said, is how they are going to feed their kids today. That is the issue. And what I would ask my friend from Texas is, What is your problem with allowing the Senate to vote on whether or not we are going to allow Americans, working-class people to get a $2,000 check? Now I gather that when that vote comes to the floor--and I hope it comes [[Page S7977]] immediately--you will vote no, and you will explain to the people of Texas why you voted that way. That is called democracy. I respect that. But what is your problem with allowing the Senate to have a free standing vote? There are a number of people on your side, Republicans, who have already come forward and said yes, they want to vote for this $2,000 check. Now, if you want to deal with corporate liability, that is fine. Let's deal with it at some point. Bring forward a bill, and we can vote on it up or down. All that we are asking for is a simple, up-or-down vote on the issue that tens of millions of people are talking about right now: Will they survive economically in the midst of this terrible pandemic? I ask my colleague from Texas: What is the problem with allowing the U.S. Senate to vote on the bill passed by the House? I yield to my colleague from Texas. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Texas. Mr. CORNYN. Mr. President, I would say to our colleague from Vermont, I have no problem with providing assistance, whether it is to public health officials who are trying to struggle with this pandemic or to provide money for research for the therapeutics or vaccines which, fortunately, are now being distributed around the country. I have no objection to direct payments to individuals. I voted for the $1,200 direct payments contained in the CARES Act. I voted for the additional money that is provided for in the most recent COVID-19 legislation. But this legislation that the Senator from Vermont is advocating would benefit households with annual incomes of over $350,000. They would get this money. I would say that one way to deal with this--because, of course, we negotiated back and forth on the last COVID-19 bill, and nobody got everything they wanted--but if our colleagues on the other side of the aisle want an additional financial benefit for people making up to $350,000, why not couple it with liability protection for people who are acting in good faith? This isn't just about corporations, and our colleagues across the aisle know it. This is about schools. This is about churches, synagogues, and mosques. This is about every business that is worried that a game of ``gotcha'' is going to take place and they are going to end up paying the price. Even if they win the lawsuit, they will still have to pay for the cost of defense, potentially losing their businesses outright. Clearly, our colleagues across the aisle care more about trial lawyers and being able to bring litigation against businesses that have tried to do their best and have struggled with the evolving public health guidance provided by the CDC and other authorities. Clearly, if they are not interested in engaging in a negotiation where people, who through no fault of their own, find themselves victimized by frivolous litigation, then, we have no alternative but to continue to object to this request. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Vermont. Mr. SANDERS. Mr. President, if you listened carefully, you understood that my friend from Texas did not answer my question. He has a concern about corporate liability. It is a legitimate debate. Do you know what? Bring it to the floor. Let's vote it up or down. I will vote against it. You will vote for it. But I asked you a very simple question, not about linking things together--nobody in the real world understands that stuff. That is inside-the-beltway stuff. What people in the real world know--and I want to take a moment to read some of these statements. We have a lot of people on our social media, and we asked the American people, just the other day: Tell me; what would a $2,000 check mean to you? What is going on in your life? And in just over 24 hours, I would say to my friend from Texas, nearly 6,000 people responded. Here is just what a few of them had to say. This is Twitter stuff. So I don't have their names here, and I wouldn't use them publicly, anyhow. But this is what they say. One person writes: ``$2,000 is the difference between keeping our apartment and being evicted.'' Here is another one: ``$2,000 means I can afford to feed my three kids.'' Another response: ``It would mean not having to choose between rent and groceries and not having to ration my partner's meds.'' Another response: ``I am raising my grandson with medical needs. I am $4,000 behind on utilities. We need electricity to run his medical equipment.'' Here is another response: ``$2,000 would mean I wouldn't have to worry about making my mortgage payment this month, and I could get my medication.'' Another response: ``$2,000 would mean paying my rent and getting lifesaving treatment because I can't afford the $50 copay through my work insurance just to see my neurologist right now''--and on and on and on. Thousands of people responded. So, I want to get back to the point. I want to again say to my friend from Texas: If you have a concern about corporate liability--good issue--bring it to the floor. Let's vote on corporate liability. I would yield for a question from my friend from Illinois. Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, I yield for a question through the Chair. I have listened to the figures used on the floor about families who would qualify for the $2,000. It is my understanding that an individual with an income of $75,000 or less could qualify for the $2,000 payment, and for a joint return--husband and wife--$2,000 could be given to them if their income is under $150,000. Is that your understanding? Mr. SANDERS. That is my understanding. And I think, you know, as Republicans do, they are going to let it be. But I get back to my friend--my friend from Texas, Senator Cornyn. We are asking a simple question. If you want to bring up corporate liability, bring it up. If you want to bring up section 230, bring it up. If you want to bring up the man in the Moon, bring it up. But what the American people want now is an up-or-down vote. Look, you are going to vote against it if it comes to the floor. That is fine. It is your right. Explain it to the people of Texas. I will vote for it. But all that I am asking for is the right, as a U.S. Senator, to have the vote. Again I ask you: What is your problem with Members of the U.S. Senate, including a number of Republicans, who have already indicated they would like to vote for this? What is your problem with bringing that up as a single stand-alone bill, not merged with corporate liability or anything else? What is your problem with that? The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Texas. Mr. CORNYN. Mr. President, I would say to our colleague from Vermont: This money is not targeted to people who have suffered financially. Mr. SANDERS. Then vote against it. Mr. CORNYN. It is not targeted to people who have suffered financial losses. This money would go to members of your own staff if they meet the financial requirements and to other government employees who have suffered no financial loss during this pandemic. We have all suffered in different ways during the pandemic, to be sure, but, financially, this money is designed to help the people who need it the most. Why would you send money to government employees who have been receiving their full paycheck during this pandemic? Mr. SANDERS. That is a good question. And then I will have to explain that to the people of the State of Vermont. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Texas has the floor. Mr. SANDERS. He asked me a question, as I understood it. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Texas. Mr. SANDERS. Did the Senator from Texas ask me a question? The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Texas. Mr. CORNYN. It was more of a rhetorical question. Mr. SANDERS. I took you literally. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Texas. ____________________" CREC-2020-12-30-pt1-PgS7977,2020-12-30,116,2,,,CORONAVIRUS,SENATE,SENATE,ALLOTHER,S7977,S7979,"[{""name"": ""John Cornyn"", ""role"": ""speaking""}]",,166 Cong. Rec. S7977,"Congressional Record, Volume 166 Issue 222 (Wednesday, December 30, 2020) [Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 222 (Wednesday, December 30, 2020)] [Senate] [Pages S7977-S7979] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] CORONAVIRUS Mr. CORNYN. Mr. President, I wanted to come to the floor and talk about what strikes me as something akin to Groundhog Day. Groundhog Day is only the day I was born. It is something I feel like we are living through here as we debate the same points over [[Page S7978]] and over and over again, forgetting what it is we have already done-- the good things we have done together on a bipartisan basis. We have already appropriated roughly $4 trillion in response to this pandemic, and it is appropriate that we have done so because this was a true public health crisis. But now this is--we are seeing politics creep back in in an attempt to send money in an untargeted and wasteful sort of way to people who have suffered no financial loss. These relief packages that we passed together have provided hundreds of billions of dollars to support our hospitals and healthcare workers who are on the frontlines. I voted for it, and I think we were right to do so. We have thrown small businesses and their employees a lifeline through the Paycheck Protection Program, and we were right to do so. We have invested in research, development, and manufacturing of therapeutics and vaccines that are currently being administered--thank goodness--throughout the country and, indeed, around the world. And we have sent unprecedented assistance to workers, families, and individuals whose livelihoods have been upended by this crisis. Thanks to President Trump's leadership, Congress has stepped up and met this unprecedented challenge to deliver relief bill after relief bill for the American people. If you had told me a year ago I would have voted this year alone for roughly $4 trillion worth of spending in this pandemic, I would not have believed you. But I do believe this is a domestic equivalent to World War II, where we have to do everything humanly possible to try to help our fellow man, woman, and child during this pandemic. The latest round of relief came, of course, just this week, when President Trump signed the $900 billion rescue package into law. While I am glad Congress was able to send more relief out the door at the end of the year, I am disappointed that it took so long to do so. It is amazing the sense of urgency our Democratic colleagues have today, since at least three times--maybe four times--they blocked our attempts to pass half-trillion-dollar relief bills during the course of the summer. In July, our colleagues introduced the HEALS Act, which would have provided just under a trillion dollars in relief, covering the same types of policies included in the most recent relief bill--direct payments, unemployment benefits, funding for schools, vaccines, and a host of other priorities. Our Democratic colleagues not only complained about the bill, but they called it weak, little, pathetic, and unserious. They refused to engage in the sorts of negotiations that are customary around here when you actually want to solve a problem or consider anything short of the House's multitrillion-dollar bill, which they knew had no chance of passing in the Senate because of things like tax cuts for millionaires and billionaires, which had nothing to do with COVID. So our Democratic colleagues dragged their feet--July, August, September, October, November. Months went by, and the cases soared, and the economic squeeze tightened, and our Democratic colleagues refused to accept any sort of compromise. That was until a few weeks ago, when they finally changed their tune right after the election. I am sure it comes as no surprise that once the holdout agrees to negotiate, things can move pretty quickly, and that is what happened here after the election. Democrats, Republicans, and the administration agreed to a $900 billion package, which looks very similar to the one they dubbed pathetic just a few months ago. In recent days, the President has expressed an interest in doing more, and I have no doubt that we will do more in this area, but Speaker Pelosi's bill goes far beyond what the President is talking about. For one, it would dramatically widen the pool of recipients, enabling wealthy households to qualify for relief checks. This is unacceptable and wasteful. When Congress provided the first round of direct payments through the CARES Act, we did so in a way that sent relief to the hardest hit Americans. Individuals who made up to $75,000 received the full $1,200, and the amount gradually declined as income increased and completely phased out at $99,000. We kept the same formula for the $600 payments provided for under the omnibus and further targeted the relief. Once again, those who made up to $75,000 will receive the full amount, and the amount phases out completely at $87,000. Under the CARES Act, a family of four earning up to $150,000 received $3,400, and in the most recent rescue bill, the same family would receive an additional $2,400. This was the most effective and targeted way to ensure that assistance goes to those who actually need it while avoiding sending taxpayer dollars--borrowed, I might add--to those who don't. The House-passed legislation would provide $2,000 payments, but it doesn't have a similar structure to keep these payments targeted. Let me give you an example. If this bill were to become law, a person making $100,000 a year would receive a $750 check from the Federal Government, whether or not they lost income during the pandemic. This isn't someone who used to make that much but was laid off or had a reduction in their income. Someone who is currently earning a six-figure salary would receive an additional $750 from American taxpayers. For families, the income barrier goes higher. As I mentioned a moment ago, if you have a family of five with an annual household income of $350,000 a year, that family would receive a stimulus check under the House-passed bill. Now, that is not being smart with taxpayer dollars, and that is not targeted at the people who actually need it. That is a giveaway to people who have not suffered any financial losses during this pandemic and clearly not targeted at those who need the most help. I mentioned a moment ago that the median income for households in Texas is $60,000 a year, so this family of five is earning nearly six times as much and would still receive a check from taxpayers. That defies all common sense. Even the Washington Post editorial board dubbed this policy as wasteful because of the huge amounts destined for what they call ``perfectly comfortable families.'' Even though Congress has already provided roughly $4 trillion in relief to the American people, our Democratic colleagues are acting as though this is the first and only way to help our country. Like I said, for them, every day is Groundhog Day. They ignore everything we have done in the past and act like this is the only thing we have or could do. It is just not true This debate isn't about whether or not Congress should help families who are struggling. We have. And there is no question we will continue to do so where needed. That is why we provided $1,200 in direct payments to the hardest hit Americans through the CARES Act and an additional $600 through the most recent relief bill. That is why these bills also bolstered State unemployment benefits and expanded them to include independent contractors and the self-employed. That is why Congress passed legislation to provide food assistance to families, keep more hard-working Americans on payroll, and ensure our economy is on track for a strong recovery. Again, we did this thanks to the leadership of President Trump and by working together in a bipartisan way. Countless Texans have told me about the impact of this relief on their businesses and their families, and we can't lose sight of the progress that has already been made. But future relief must be targeted. We need to support those who need it and avoid sending hundreds of billions of dollars, as this proposal would, to those who don't need it. Throughout the year, I have been an advocate for an incremental approach to these relief bills because I think it is hard to spend $3 trillion and know exactly how that bill is going to work. And, indeed, we found out through the CARES Act that the mainstream lending facility, which we funded at roughly half a trillion dollars, wasn't as useful as we would have hoped. Conversely, the Paycheck Protection Program was more successful than our wildest dreams. So I think by seeing what works and what doesn't work, we can be better stewards of taxpayer dollars by spending the money more efficiently and in a more targeted way. [[Page S7979]] This isn't like highway bills or farm bills or defense spending bills where we have an idea about what is needed for individual programs. There was no precedent for this pandemic, no handbook, and no clear way to gauge how long this crisis would go on or what would be needed to sustain our response. After the CARES Act passed, we knew it made the most sense to hit the pause button and see what worked well, what didn't, and where more help was needed. As I said, there were certain programs like the Paycheck Protection Program that almost immediately dried up. If I am not mistaken, in 2 weeks, roughly $350 billion was obligated under the Paycheck Protection Program--a strong indication that we really hit the sweet spot when it came to helping those small businesses. That is why we added more funding in April, another $320 billion, and we extended the program in July and reinvested in the Paycheck Protection Program again in the omnibus. As I said, there were other places where the money went unspent. But, fortunately, in the most recent bill we were able to repurpose hundreds of billions of dollars in unspent funds, again, to target it to where the need was greatest and where it could help the most. There is no question that tens of millions of workers and their families have been hurt by this virus. We all know that. And I think we have all acted together, by and large, responsibly, in trying to respond to that. No one will be left out if we have a means and method of targeting this to those people--whether it is direct payments, enhanced unemployment benefits, incentives to their employers to maintain them on payroll. And now that we have the beginning of the distribution of the vaccine, my hope is that in the coming months we will get back to, if not the new normal, whatever the next normal will be. But we are just a few days from kicking off the new Congress, and I have no reason to believe that our coronavirus relief work is finished here today. As a matter of fact, Vice President Biden said that he expects to send us an additional request for help once he assumes office. Once the legislation we have passed has a chance to benefit the American people, we will see if more relief is needed, and then, if it is needed, we should absolutely do more. I still believe in the wisdom of the incremental approach, and I believe our Democratic friends will join us in responding to the true needs of this crisis without monthlong delays or irresponsible spending. Countless Texans have told me about the importance of the relief we have provided through direct payments, unemployment benefits, food assistance, and other forms of support by the laws we passed throughout this year. I was proud to support each of those policies, which have eased the financial strains on millions of Texans and other Americans. I will continue to work with our colleagues to provide assistance as our war on COVID-19 rages on. I yield the floor. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Ohio. ____________________" CREC-2020-12-30-pt1-PgS7979,2020-12-30,116,2,,,CORONAVIRUS,SENATE,SENATE,ALLOTHER,S7979,S7980,"[{""name"": ""Sherrod Brown"", ""role"": ""speaking""}, {""name"": ""James M. Inhofe"", ""role"": ""speaking""}]",,166 Cong. Rec. S7979,"Congressional Record, Volume 166 Issue 222 (Wednesday, December 30, 2020) [Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 222 (Wednesday, December 30, 2020)] [Senate] [Pages S7979-S7980] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] CORONAVIRUS Mr. BROWN. Mr. President, we have heard a lot of revisionist history this afternoon. Look back in March, when Congress did the right thing and the Senate voted unanimously. Because of our efforts, 13 million people were kept out of poverty--we know that--because we provided relatively generous unemployment insurance. We did the direct payments. We helped with small business loans. But then this Senate thought its work was done for the year. We begged Senator McConnell month after month after month to come back and help. As I said, 13 million people were kept out of poverty because of the work this Congress did in March of this year, but now, since--many of those benefits, especially the unemployment benefit and the direct payments, were not continued, of course. Those benefits expired in August, and we have seen 8 million people drop into poverty in this country since. Yet Senator McConnell refuses and refuses and refuses I hear this revisionist history that Democrats just want to help people who are already affluent and give them more money. Well, remember back in March, the only amendment that we considered, the only amendment that Senator McConnell allowed on the floor of the Senate to the CARES Act, the only amendment was to take away the $600-a-week unemployment insurance. The only place Republicans fought was the $600- a-week unemployment insurance. That more than any single thing we did is why people were kept out of poverty. Now the best we could do was $300-a-week unemployment insurance--the best we could do. In spite of Senator Cornyn's and others' comments, Senator McConnell waited, waited, waited, and waited. Finally, we were able to do that. The President of the United States threatened to veto it, causing millions of Americans to fall off their unemployment insurance. We know all that. It is just important to remember all that. But there is one simple question before the Senate this week: Are we going to put more money into people's pockets? The American people made it clear on election day that they want a government that is on their side. This is our chance to deliver for them, to show people whom we serve that we can make a real difference in their lives, which we did back in March. It is pretty simple. The best way to help Ohio workers and families is to put more money in their pockets, not in the bank accounts of the largest corporations and biggest banks, hoping it will trickle down. We know it never does. The CEOs just pay themselves instead. We know that just recently there was more good news for American CEOs who are able again to do stock buybacks, more dividend distributions. A lot of corporations have made a lot of money--more power to them-- during this pandemic, but those are the corporations that continue to get the big tax breaks. We need, instead, to directly invest in people who make this country work. It helps people pay the bills and stay in their homes and get through this downturn. It injects money into local economies that really need it. The more money people have, the more they spend in small businesses that are hurting. We know this works. It did in the spring. We came together. We crossed the aisle, passed the CARES Act, expanded unemployment, and provided direct stimulus checks, keeping 13 million people out of poverty. The bill we passed last week was a good step in that direction, but we should make it stronger. Back in March, my original plan that I tried to negotiate as I sat with Secretary Mnuchin and a handful of other Senators was $2,000 per person, adults and children. We called for it to be sent automatically throughout the year, every quarter, as long as we remained in a public health emergency. It is clear now what we could have done and should have done. No one could predict how long this crisis would last. Today, we still aren't sure when everybody will be vaccinated and when the economy will return to full strength. We don't want to sit idly by. We don't want to wonder how bad it could get. We are the strongest, richest country on Earth. We have the resources to do something about it; we just need leadership willing to use every tool we have. If they refuse to support this $2,000 per person, if they refuse to support these direct payments, Leader McConnell and Senate Republicans will again make it perfectly clear to the American people whose side they are on. Every time there is a fork in the road and Senator McConnell and Senate Republicans have to make a decision--either go with corporate interests or go with working families--every single time, they choose corporate interests. They had no problem pouring money into corporate coffers with their tax cut and blowing up the deficit. Just down the hall here in Senator McConnell's office, I remember lobbyists lining up, looking for those tax cuts back 3 years ago, and they got those tax cuts. They didn't say anything about government deficits back then--$1.5 trillion added to the deficit. They didn't mind that because that was money going into their contributors' pockets, into big corporate coffers [[Page S7980]] for the wealthiest people in this country. They were all too happy to let the government shovel loans to the biggest banks and companies. But in the middle of the worst crisis of our lifetime, faced with the chance to give money directly to ordinary Americans, my colleagues claim we can't afford it. That is just simply a lie. We are the richest country on Earth. I remember Bill Spriggs--an economist at Howard University--told the Banking and Housing Committee in September: We didn't win World War II by worrying about whether or not we could afford it. We were in a global crisis. We marshalled all our vast resources and talents to rise to meet it. We grew the economy from the middle class out. We paid down the debt with rising wages. If we have learned anything from the crisis, it should be that we can do the same again. Americans are tired of being told we can't. It is the only answer that Senator McConnell and Senate Republicans ever have for most people's problems: We can't help you. We can't solve your problem. You are on your own. Let's aim higher. Let's deliver for the people we serve. Let's put $2,000 into their pockets--money that will make such a difference for so many families. It will help a mother worried about how she will pay back rent. It will keep a laid off restaurant worker from turning to a payday lender. It will allow a father to buy a new computer so his kids are better able to learn online. These are millions of real people-- people we swore an oath to serve who would breathe a little easier this new year if we pass this. So let's be clear about the decision today and this week before the Senate. Are we going to give the people we serve $2,000, or are you going to stand in the way? It is that simple. Let's come together. Let's pass this. Let's make a real difference in people's lives. I suggest the absence of a quorum. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll. The senior assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll. Mr. INHOFE. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered. ____________________" CREC-2020-12-30-pt1-PgS7980-2,2020-12-30,116,2,,,NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT,SENATE,SENATE,ALLOTHER,S7980,S7982,"[{""name"": ""Jack Reed"", ""role"": ""speaking""}, {""name"": ""James M. Inhofe"", ""role"": ""speaking""}]",,166 Cong. Rec. S7980,"Congressional Record, Volume 166 Issue 222 (Wednesday, December 30, 2020) [Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 222 (Wednesday, December 30, 2020)] [Senate] [Pages S7980-S7982] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT Mr. REED. Mr. President, I would like to rise and discuss the Fiscal Year 2021 National Defense Authorization Act. First, I would like to salute the chairman. He has done an extraordinary job. We have both served on the committee for many years, and this is probably the most challenging year we have had due to many different factors: the pandemic, the virtual hearings, all those things. And this has been particularly challenging, and the chairman, at every point, stood up to the challenge and led us. I want to thank him for that. It was a pleasure working with him. We all recognize that this legislation passed both Chambers, the House and the Senate, by overwhelming bipartisan majorities. And it is very important legislation. That is why it earned this bipartisan support. It enhances our national security. It strengthens our military readiness and defense capabilities. It protects our forces and their families and supports the defense industrial base. Despite all that it does for our troops and their families, President Trump waited until the 10th day after he received it and vetoed it the last day he could exercise his veto. That was December 23, which made quite a Christmas for our military personnel and for all of my colleagues who are here today to start the process of responding to that veto. The House already took the first step. They returned on Monday. Once again, by an overwhelming vote, over 300 Members of the House overrode the President's veto. Now we face the same task in the Senate. It is my hope we can quickly and resoundingly override [[Page S7981]] the President's veto and provide our troops with what they need. I will echo what the chairman said. You can go through all the thousands of pages, literally, but what is the most significant aspect of this legislation is keeping faith with the men and women who wear the uniform of the United States. So if anyone has any thoughts about their vote, just think about those men and women who are all across the world putting their lives at risk while their families share that risk and that sense of danger and sacrifice. That is what I think has motivated the chairman and myself and all of our colleagues on the committee and throughout this Senate to work hard to get this bill passed. There are several reasons being advanced by the President for suggesting that this bill should be vetoed--the veto should be upheld. One reason is that he claims the bill fails to include critical national security measures. Yet this legislation provides critical tools and authorities for the Department of Homeland Security to perform network hunting for threats and vulnerabilities on Federal networks. These tools and authorities would help to counter breaches like the SolarWinds hack, which is possibly the largest intrusion into our system we have ever seen by a foreign nation state adversary. We do not yet know the extent and the degree of intrusion that we have suffered. In fact, we weren't aware of this intrusion for many, many months. One of the disconcerting aspects is that it was discovered by a private company that is one of the most, if not the most sophisticated cyber intrusion expert in the world. Yet they were penetrated. So we have a serious, serious situation on our hands. This legislation would start giving basic tools, which would allow our cyber security experts to go into other Departments to look at their procedures, their policies, all of their cyber activities, and recommend corrections. In fact, this bill has done more, I think, for cyber based on the work of the Cyber Solarium Commission, which was chaired by Senator Angus King and Congressman Mike Gallagher of Wisconsin and also aided significantly by my colleague Congressman Jim Langevin of Rhode Island. They put the work together. We took a lot of the Solarium's work and put it into this bill. So there is absolutely no credence to the issue that we have not dealt with national security and cyber intrusions in particular. Then again, the President, in his veto message, wrote that one of the reasons is the failure to essentially repeal section 230 of the Communications Decency Act. But this issue has nothing to do with the military--nothing at all. It was designed years ago to provide legal protections to social media companies so that they could expand and grow. Frankly, I think it has worked beyond our wildest imaginations. Everyone recognizes it should be reformed, but reform requires thoughtful, responsible analysis of the legislation. The effects of the legislation should offer both sides the opportunity to explain positions. None of that was done, and none of that can be done before we conclude this legislative session. It is more, I think, a personal feud of the President, the section 230 repeal, than it is one of careful, deliberate, thoughtful legislation by the Senate. There is another reason the President has used, and that is we have established a commission to make recommendations for the renaming and removal of symbols, displays, monuments, and paraphernalia that honor or commemorate Confederates who served voluntarily with the Confederacy. There is a clear exemption, by the way, for gravestones that we would absolutely respect. But these individuals--many of them who were on Active service with our Army or Navy at the time--decided to consciously fight against the United States of America. It is that simple. Yet we have bases that are named after them. The President said this is part of the American heritage of victory and freedom, but, again, these are named after men who took up arms against the United States. In some cases--in most cases, they weren't particularly exemplary generals, with some exceptions. And it was done in a way that I think was not to honor the service of these individuals but to advance other forces. I think it is time that this history be changed, that this chapter be closed, and the senior Defense Department officials have indicated they are open to these changes. There is bipartisan support for cooperation on this issue. It passed the committee. It passed the floor. It passed the House. Now, it is in this legislation. When the President vetoed the bill, he also said it is a ``gift to China and Russia.'' I would strenuously disagree. This is one of the strongest bills yet on countering the threat China poses to the United States and our partners, including allies such as India, Taiwan, and other countries and regions. Among the provisions of this legislation is the Pacific Deterrence Initiative. That is a new authority for the Department of Defense, modeled after the European Deterrence Initiative and authorizes an additional $150 million in funding. This was the work--I was proud to collaborate, but the lead was the chairman, Chairman Inhofe, and I was his copilot on that one. This is the first time we really stepped back and said: We have a new threat-- significant threat--rising in the Pacific. We have to take a holistic review of strategy, capabilities, equipment, and we have to make this a top priority. So rather than doing nothing about China, as the President alleges, I think we have made one of the most significant steps forward in consciously recognizing the relationship that has developed between China and the United States. With regard to Russia and Europe, the conference report enhances our ability to deter Russian aggression, maintains strong support for Ukraine, and reaffirms our commitment to the transatlantic partnership, including by calling for a strong U.S. force posture in Germany. Now, President Trump also vetoed this legislation because he wants the ability to remove our military from ``far away and very unappreciative lands.'' Those are his words. Particularly, I have concern about the situation in Afghanistan. First--and I have been to Afghanistan somewhere close to 20 times--since the beginning. In fact, I was on the first congressional delegation to go in January after the invasion. I have tried to pay attention to what is going on there. And one point is that the Afghan people have struggled and fought with us side by side. They have suffered greatly. I don't think it is right to say they are unappreciative. I think every day they have been suffering casualties. They have been fighting with our soldiers-- in fact, in some cases, saving and helping our soldiers survive on the field. Second, essentially, the provision allows the President to make the decision. In fact, he can waive all the provisions we built in by simply declaring that it is in the national security interests of the United States and communicating that to the respective leaders in the House and the Senate. That is something that is almost pro forma. So the notion that this seriously hampers his ability is misplaced. What it does, though, is signal that we have to be very careful in recognizing all of the equities that are involved in Afghanistan. The fact is that there are numerous terrorist groups there, and we have to maintain a counterterrorism presence; the fact that, as I indicated before, the Government of Afghanistan, the Afghan people, in many cases, have suffered more than we have considering the onslaught of the Taliban and other forces. So, again, I don't think that reason measures up to the demands. The National Defense Authorization Act has passed for 59 years. We need to ensure it will pass for 60 years by overriding the President's veto. The House, as I said, has already done that--322 to 87. I encourage my colleagues to show similar support for our military personnel and their families and override this veto. I yield the floor. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Oklahoma. Mr. INHOFE. Mr. President, let me elaborate a little bit on something that my good friend from Rhode Island said about China. I think it is very, very significant that we realize that this is the toughest bill on China that has ever been [[Page S7982]] passed. That didn't come just from me; that came from the American Enterprise Institute, which has all the credibility in the world. They talk about the serious things that are going on, and they actually said this bill has the most substantial and consequential China-related provisions since--in, probably, history. That is significant because all of us remember--I know that Senator Reed and I have both spent time in the South China Sea, the seven islands that they are doing right now. China--it is illegal, but they have taken over--no, they have created seven islands in the South China Sea. When you go down there, it looks as if, on those islands, they are preparing for World War III. A lot of our allies in that area are very much concerned because they are making a lot more noise than we are, and they are demonstrating very clearly some of the things that they do that we haven't done. Hypersonics is an example. That is a state-of- the-art thing that we do in modernizing our military equipment and abilities. It has been very successful, but they are still ahead of us, so we are in catchup mode. I would say this: When you go and you look and you see the buildups that they have--I can remember--it wasn't long ago that every time China got involved in any kind of an effort, they did it from their own city limits there. Now they are all over Djibouti, Tanzania, and all around the world. We made this bill to establish the Pacific Deterrence Initiative. That is $2.2 billion for foreign posture to put ourselves in the position where we are going to pass, with this bill--we will pass China, and then we will be shifting the supply chains away from China-- semiconductors and printed circuit boards, the pharmaceuticals-- stimulating the U.S. economy, protecting weapons systems and our troops, and bringing China's malign national security activities into light to make sure everybody knows what they are doing there. We have a new report in this bill on the true China defense security spending, new assessments of China's industrial base, new list of Chinese companies operating in the United States and making it more difficult for them to do that. It is all in this bill. There is a new report on the fishing fleets they have out there. It extends the successful China Military Power Report, supports Taiwan and a new plan against--that is better than anything we have ever done before. Yesterday, I put this into the record--all the things that we are doing just concentrating on the threat that is posed to the United States from the country of China. It is all in this bill. So this is something we have taken great pride in because we recognize the threat that is posed to our country from the Chinese. This is a good bill. It is one that deserves overwhelming support. I will say one more time that a lot of work went into this from both sides of the aisle. We were in agreement on it with huge margins of support in both Chambers of the House and the Senate. We will have a chance to move procedurally toward that and make that a reality before the end of the week. I yield the floor. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Oklahoma. ____________________" CREC-2020-12-30-pt1-PgS7980,2020-12-30,116,2,,,NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT,SENATE,SENATE,ALLOTHER,S7980,S7980,"[{""name"": ""James M. Inhofe"", ""role"": ""speaking""}, {""name"": ""Jack Reed"", ""role"": ""speaking""}]",,166 Cong. Rec. S7980,"Congressional Record, Volume 166 Issue 222 (Wednesday, December 30, 2020) [Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 222 (Wednesday, December 30, 2020)] [Senate] [Page S7980] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT Mr. INHOFE. Mr. President, this is what I have considered to be--and I have heard my friend from the Democratic side, the minority side, say the same thing, that this is the most significant bill that we pass every year. It is the NDAA, the National Defense Authorization Act. This will be the 60th year--is it the 60th or 61st year? Mr. REED. The 60th. Mr. INHOFE. OK. It is the 60th year that we have passed this, and it has passed every year. There were a few moments there where I thought maybe it wasn't going to pass this year and we would set a record. Senator Reed and I don't want to set that kind of record. We want to make sure we get this done. The reason this is important is this is the blueprint. This tells us what we are going to be doing with our troops. I could make an argument that it is really--we are in the most dangerous situation, I think, that we have been in before. I have often talked about the good old days when we had the Cold War with two superpowers. We knew what the Soviet Union had; they knew what we had. Mutually assured destruction meant something at that time. But now it is different in a lot of respects because you have rogue countries out there that have weapons and have abilities to wipe out nations. That is why it is so significant. So, anyway, we suffered through a little bit of a problem back during the Obama administration, during the last 5 years, which would have been from 2010 to 2015. In his budget, he downgraded the military by 25 percent, and that is the same time, during that timeframe, that China increased theirs by 83 percent. So it is a scary world out there, and it is one that, to me, I have no doubt that this is the most important bill that we will pass all year because we have got our kids, and they are out there right now. They are in the trenches, and we have to support them. That is what it is all about. I do want to mention how many people are involved in this thing. We are actually starting this right now. We are starting next year's NDAA. So this started a year ago. The ones working on this--you have Liz King and John Bonsell heading up the minority and majority part of the committee, doing a great job and working every weekend--almost every weekend--with a very large staff, all specialists in certain areas. And they have got the bill. So I am very proud of the bill that we have this year. I think that it passed, when it passed in the Senate, it was 84 to--I think it was 84 to 14, I think it was. I think there were a couple of people not here. But that is the largest--that doesn't happen very often, to pass a bill with those margins, and we did. So this is a long tradition. We have got to support our troops. They are in there doing the right thing. It has been a joy, personally, for me to be working with Senator Reed, and we have, together, kind of provided the leadership on this thing. We didn't work as hard as the staff did. I admit that. But we were there, and I am very proud of this bill. So right now we have kids that are overseas, and they deserve the pay that was increased--that would be increased when this bill is passed. Right now, we have critical areas like pilots and engineers, doctors, that are in short supply because of the fact that we have had, up until the pandemic, a good and probably, I would argue, the best economy we have had in my lifetime. Well, that is good news, of course, but it is bad news in one way because it is hard to keep the people in those critical fields--pilots, for example. They have an opportunity to get out and do things that are--there are jobs out there that are paying a lot more. So we have to have them on the flight hours if something happens. And they are out-- there are a lot of jobs on the outside that are paying more. So we just have to make sure that we keep the resources in the right place to do the right job. So I think this is the--I know this procedural vote today is going to bring us, in the next couple of days, to pass the Defense authorization bill. It is all about the guys and gals in the field. We owe it to them. This is going to be the 60th year. I anticipate that this is going to pass with very large numbers. With that, I yield the floor. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Rhode Island. ____________________" CREC-2020-12-30-pt1-PgS7982-2,2020-12-30,116,2,,,WILLIAM M. (MAC) THORNBERRY NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2021--VETO--MOTION TO PROCEED,SENATE,SENATE,ALLOTHER,S7982,S7982,"[{""name"": ""Mitch McConnell"", ""role"": ""speaking""}, {""name"": ""John Thune"", ""role"": ""speaking""}, {""name"": ""Richard J. Durbin"", ""role"": ""speaking""}]","[{""congress"": ""116"", ""type"": ""HR"", ""number"": ""6395""}, {""congress"": ""116"", ""type"": ""HR"", ""number"": ""6395""}]",166 Cong. Rec. S7982,"Congressional Record, Volume 166 Issue 222 (Wednesday, December 30, 2020) [Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 222 (Wednesday, December 30, 2020)] [Senate] [Page S7982] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] WILLIAM M. (MAC) THORNBERRY NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2021--VETO--MOTION TO PROCEED Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I ask that the Chair lay before the Senate the veto message on H.R. 6395, and I ask for the yeas and nays. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there a sufficient second? There is a sufficient second. The clerk will call the roll. The legislative clerk called the roll. Mr. THUNE. The following Senators are necessarily absent: the Senator from Tennessee (Mrs. Blackburn), the Senator from Arkansas (Mr. Cotton), the Senator from Colorado (Mr. Gardner), the Senator from South Carolina (Mr. Graham), the Senator from Georgia (Mrs. Loeffler), the Senator from Georgia (Mr. Perdue), and the Senator from Florida (Mr. Rubio). Mr. DURBIN. I announce that the Senator from Alabama (Mr. Jones) is necessarily absent. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Are there any other Senators in the Chamber desiring to vote? The result was announced--yeas 80, nays 12, as follows: [Rollcall Vote No. 290 Leg.] YEAS--80 Alexander Baldwin Barrasso Bennet Blumenthal Blunt Booker Boozman Brown Burr Cantwell Capito Cardin Carper Casey Cassidy Collins Coons Cornyn Cortez Masto Cramer Crapo Daines Duckworth Durbin Enzi Ernst Feinstein Fischer Gillibrand Grassley Harris Hassan Heinrich Hirono Hoeven Hyde-Smith Inhofe Johnson Kaine Kelly King Klobuchar Lankford Leahy Manchin McConnell Menendez Moran Murkowski Murphy Murray Peters Portman Reed Risch Roberts Romney Rosen Rounds Sasse Schatz Schumer Scott (FL) Scott (SC) Shaheen Shelby Sinema Smith Stabenow Sullivan Tester Thune Tillis Toomey Udall Warner Whitehouse Wicker Young NAYS--12 Braun Cruz Hawley Kennedy Lee Markey Merkley Paul Sanders Van Hollen Warren Wyden NOT VOTING--8 Blackburn Cotton Gardner Graham Jones Loeffler Perdue Rubio The motion was agreed to ____________________" CREC-2020-12-30-pt1-PgS7982-3,2020-12-30,116,2,,,WILLIAM M. (MAC) THORNBERRY NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2021--VETO,SENATE,SENATE,ALLOTHER,S7982,S7983,"[{""name"": ""Mitch McConnell"", ""role"": ""speaking""}]","[{""congress"": ""116"", ""type"": ""HR"", ""number"": ""6395""}]",166 Cong. Rec. S7982,"Congressional Record, Volume 166 Issue 222 (Wednesday, December 30, 2020) [Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 222 (Wednesday, December 30, 2020)] [Senate] [Pages S7982-S7983] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] WILLIAM M. (MAC) THORNBERRY NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2021--VETO The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the bill by title. The legislative clerk read as follows: Veto message to H.R. 6395, to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2021 for military activities of the Department of Defense, for military construction, and for defense activities of the Department of Energy, to prescribe military personnel strengths for such fiscal year, and for other purposes. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The question is, Shall the bill pass, the objections of the President of the United States to the contrary notwithstanding? The question is debatable. The majority leader is recognized. Cloture Motion Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I send a cloture motion to the desk. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The cloture motion having been presented under rule XXII, the Chair directs the clerk to read the motion. The legislative clerk read as follows Cloture Motion We, the undersigned Senators, in accordance with the provisions of rule XXII of the Standing Rules of the Senate, do hereby move to bring to a close debate on the veto message on H.R. 6395, a bill to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2021 for military activities of the Department of Defense, for military construction, and for defense activities of the Department of Energy, to prescribe military personnel strengths for such fiscal year, and for other purposes. Mitch McConnell, James M. Inhofe, Todd Young, John Cornyn, Cindy Hyde-Smith, Mike Braun, Deb Fischer, John Barrasso, Roger F. Wicker, Richard [[Page S7983]] Burr, Pat Roberts, Shelley Moore Capito, Mitt Romney, Susan M. Collins, Richard C. Shelby, Thom Tillis, Lamar Alexander. ____________________"