Transcripts For CSPAN2 U.S. Senate U.S. Senate 20240713

You uphold the universe by the words of your power. Today, walk with our senators as they work. Help them to remember that there is no purity without vigilance, no learning without study, and no mastery without discipline. Give them the wisdom to be willing to pay the price to honor you. Provide them with joy in service and devotion in discipleship. Infuse them with a spirit of power, love, and selfcontrol. We pray in your mighty name. Amen. The president pro tempore please join me in the pledge of allegiance to the flag. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of america, and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under god, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Mr. Grassley madam president . The presiding officer the senator from iowa. Mr. Grassley one minute in morning business. An oped i penned recently mentioned countries that still has laws on the books and it touched the nerve in bangladesh. I certainly didnt mean to imply that it was the worst offender and i commend bangladesh for its support of almost one million Rohingya Muslim refugees who are fleeing burma. Bangladeshs secular government has also taken steps to prosecute perpetrators of religiousbased crimes. However, in 2016 report by the u. S. Commission on International Religious freedom found that religious and Civil Society groups in bangladesh fear increasing religious extremism. Moreover, some bangladeshee leaders have warned that violators of blasphemy laws would be prosecuted. Bangladesh and the 68 other countries that still have blasphemy laws on the books should repeal these laws. Thats why i am cosponsoring a resolution s. 458 calling on the global repeal of blasphemy laws. I yield the floor. Mr. Mcconnell madam president . The presiding officer the majority leader. Mr. Mcconnell this week the senate has a Good Opportunity to update the laws governing the way we harness and deploy americas tremendous Domestic Energy resources. Its been well over a decade since the last time comprehensive Energy Legislation was signed into federal law. But following our overwhelming vote yesterday to proceed to consideration of the American Energy innovation act, the senate is on track to change that very soon. The American Energy innovation act put forward by chairman murkowski and Ranking Member manchin is thoroughly bipartisan. It contains provisions sponsored or cosponsored by more than 60 of our colleagues. Its come to include 50 individual pieces of legislation that the energy and Natural Resources committee considered last year. Over the past three years, the Trump Administration and this congress have worked together to secure historic advances for both the producers and consumers of affordable Domestic Energy. Weve opened access to new energy reserves, streamlined the regulation of liquid natural gas exports, halted or reversed the most egregious obamaera regulatory burdens, the growing record is clear. Weve helped to usher in a prosperous new era of u. S. Energy independence. The legislation were considering this week is designed to build on those successes. It takes proactive steps to ensure the security, efficiency, and affordability of American Energy for years to come. First, it puts a strong tailwind behind program, grants, and Research Efforts that are focused on Energy Innovation. That means significant investments and improving Energy Efficiency and grid storage technologies. New resources for the development of renewable, geothermal, nuclear, and other Energy Sources to help sustain Domestic Energy independence. Reauthorization for the department of energys Cutting Edge Research at the advanced Research Projects agency and a renewed commitment to carbon captured utilization and storage of cole production facilities. In addition to Energy Innovation, the legislation also focuses on energy security. Since the last comprehensive update, the federal energy laws in 2007, our nations Critical Infrastructure including the electric grid has changed significantly. And so have the threats it faces. Our colleagues legislation tackles this headon. It introduces incentives for electrical grid modernization and cybersecurity projects. It encourages utility providers to take proactive measures to protect ratepayers from the devastating effects of potential cyberattacks. It makes new technical cybersecurity Assistance Available to municipalities and rural utilities. And authorizes Grant Funding for onthejob workforce retraining. Perhaps most importantly, madam president , the legislation before us is not only designed for continued advances in areas where the u. S. Energy sector has seen success, it also meant to take a sober assessment of where were falling short. As my colleague chairman murkowski noted yesterday, the United States currently relies on foreign imports to meet our demand for dozens of mineral commodities. Were talking about rare substances with critical applications in manufacturing, energy production, and National Security. These are critical products but at present Domestic Production does not satisfy domestic demand. Thats why this legislation provides for new survey and cataloguing efforts to identify new domestic supplies of important materials. Invest and Extraction Technologies that would harness existing mining infrastructure in places like appalachian coal country to help meet the demand. As the senior senator from kentucky, i know the importance of these investments firsthand. The working families and job creators in my state know that clean Coal Technologies and longstanding Mining Operations can continue to add tremendous value to the security and prosperity of our nation. Theres a reason why this legislation has earned widespread praise from the researchers and Energy Industry leaders who would be affected the most. It is the product of serious good faith, bipartisan work. Thats why organizations from the National Mining association to the Environmental Defense fund have found Common Ground in endorsing it. Ill have more to say about this legislation in the coming days but right now im grateful to our colleagues on the Energy Committee for their work and bringing it to the floor. I look forward to considering their important legislation in the days ahead and i would encourage all members to join me in supporting this excellent work. The presiding officer under the previous order, the leadership time is reserved. Morning business is closed. The senate will resume consideration of the motion to proceed to s. 2657 which the clerk will report. The clerk motion to proceed to s. 2657, a bill to support innovation in advanced Geothermal Research and development and for other purposes. The presiding officer the clerk will call the roll. Quorum call quorum call quorum call mr. Schumer madam president . The presiding officer the democratic leader. Mr. Schumer are we in a quorum . The presiding officer we are. Mr. Schumer i ask unanimous consent that the quorum be dispensed with. The presiding officer without objection. Mr. Schumer now, madam president , the number of confirmed coronavirus cases in the United States has recently surpassed 100. As more americans are tested in the days and weeks to come that number expected to increase. Just this morning we learned that a second new yorker from new rochlle has contracted the virus and is in currently in a new york hospital. Our prayers are with him and his family. This only underlines the need to respond to the coronavirus on a national scale. The only appropriate response in congress is to come together quickly and in a bipartisan fashion, deliver resources and authorities our federal agencies need to track and combat the virus, treat americans with the disease, and develop a vaccine and additional treatments. We also must aid the states and localities in their efforts to deal with the disease because they are on the front lines. Im glad that congress is headed in that direction. I expect that today appropriators will announce an agreement on an emergency response. The agreement is expected to include between 7 billion and 8 billion of funding, very close to the 8. 5 billion that we Senate Democrats requested last week, and over four or five times the amount of new funding initially proposed by the administration. Thats good news. When it comes to Americans Health and safety, theres no reason to be penny wise and poundfoolish. If the bean counters at o. M. B. Unnecessarily cut the money we need, it will cost us more in the long run. It is far better to get our experts and agencies the funding they need up front and all together rather than be forced to pass additional appropriations in the coming months. We may have to, but we ought not skimp now. If we did skimp, a scenario that would make no sense and yet left to the its own devices, thats what the administration would have done. So im glad we pushed them early, despite the fact that President Trump didnt want to hear anything contrary to what he was proposing. So im pleased that both parties in congress, in both houses of congress, are coming together to do the responsible thing. I hope and expect we can pass the emergency appropriation through the senate before the end of the week, as congress does what is necessary to respond to the coronavirus, the Trump Administrations efforts leave much to be desired. While their response is slow and loose with the facts and President Trump blames everyone but himself, congress, the democrats and republicans, house and senate, are acting like the adults in the room. Were not letting President Trumps nastiness and false statements and inability to really grapple with the problem and instead try to brush it away get in our way of doing what America Needs to have done and done immediately. Progressional appropriators have had to include provisions in the emergency bill to prevent the administration from stealing funds from other Public Health and disease programs to fight the coronavirus. Thats what the white house wanted to do. Test kits were not as widely available or accurate as they should have been in the early days of the coronavirus outbreak. Politico reported this morning that the administration was very slow to develop an accurate test for coronavirus and slow to allow hospitals and Public Health labs to develop that on their own. The emergency funding bill seeks to deal with these two issues. It explicitly funds laboratory testing. We may have to do even more in the weeks to come, but that is no reason not to immediately give a generous appropriation so that testing can be done. Every day we delay testing, every time a person who needs a test doesnt get one is a day, a time where the virus gets worse and worse and worse and can spread. There is still major there are still major issues with the lack of testing. Infrastructure that is being provided by the administration, states and cities still dont have enough tests and yesterday we heard from the National Indian health board that the Indian Health service and Tribal Health facilities are being left behind in the Coronavirus Response and have received few, if any, resources. Thats unacceptable. And meanwhile, as congress works, democrats and republicans, house and senate, to come up with a strong, comprehensive bill with the necessary dollars, President Trump continues to spread rumor, loose speculation, and happytalk. If any member of the administration tells the president something optimistic, he repeats it and exaggerates it to the point of absurdity. The president said the disease might magically disappear once the weather gets warmer and promised that the vaccine would arrive soon. His words. Only yesterday were a group of Governmental Health experts and pharmaceutical executives able to convince the president that a vaccine wont be ready in a matters of months, as the president believed and said, and in fact could take a year to develop. We need leadership in this country. We need serious leadership at a time of crisis like this. We dont need the facts being brushed under the rug. We dont need executives being told just do happytalk, dont tell the American People the truth. We dont need a president who doesnt know the facts and blithely states whatever pops into his head that he thinks will benefit him for the moment. This is a crisis. Theres no substitute for credibility and honesty from our political leaders. We need the president and his team to level with the American People and tell the truth more during a Health Crisis than ever before. Our Public Health professionals must tell the president the facts, and the president and his team must tell the American Public the facts just the facts. Now, the Vice President and ambassador debby birx will speak to both Senate Caucuses at lunch today. I am disappointed that dr. Anthony fauci, who was originally slated to join us, is longer coming. But Senate Democrats have many questions for the Vice President about his administrations response to the outbreak and even more importantly what theyre doing now to help deal with the problem as it gets worse and worse. We look forward to pressing the them on the need for transparency and decisiveness and hopefully getting useful answers, because the health and safety of the American People are at stake. I yield the floor. Mr. Durbin madam president . The presiding officer the senator from illinois. Mr. Durbin madam president , Samuel Johnson was a great thinker in the 19th century and was quoted many times for things that he observed even then. He did have one statement about nothing focusing the mind like the prospect of a hanging, and i would like to use that as an analogy to my comments this morning. I do notice that the senator from south dakota has taken the floor. Let me yield to him, because i think in the order of speaking, he is next, and i will follow him. I yield the floor. Mr. Thune i thank the democratic whip, the senator from illinois, for yielding time, and i would be short here. Madam president , were in a pretty good place in this country right now when it comes to energy. Our Energy Supply is abundant, and Energy Prices are generally affordable. But we cant afford to become complacent. Were in a good place because of american innovation, because President Trump, working with our republican majority in the congress, took steps to expand our Domestic Energy supply and lessen our dependence on foreign oil. But we need to make sure we stay on the cutting edge of Energy Innovation and to ininvest in our Domestic Energy supply from oil and natural gas to renewable Energy Sources like hydropower and wind. We also need to make sure we stay on top of threats to our energy grid and our energy security. Our colleagues at the Energy Committee have spent a lot of time over the past months working on these issues, and yesterday we voted to move forward on bipartisan Energy Legislation put forward by Energy Committee chairman Lisa Murkowski and Ranking Member joe manchin p. The bill they put together contains measures from over 60 senators, particularly clean energy inshowvation, Workplace Security and security of our energy grid. The act invests in a wide range of Clean Energy Technologies. It also focuses on improving energy storage. Many modern, Clean Energy Technologies lack the reliability of traditional electric sources. The amount of Energy Produced from wind, for example, is depend is dependent on the amount of wind on any give inday given day. The American Energy innovation act also focuses on improving research into carbon capture. The bill also invests in advanced Nuclear Energy research so we can regain our edge in the use of this technology. I plan to introduce amendments to the legislation to review where we can boost hydropower in the upper Missouri River basin and to develop base to recycle the windmill blades used in wind energy generation. Nearly half, madam president nearly half of the electricity generated in south dakota is from hydroelectric, and we should explore building off of these investments through repowering existing dams. In addition to clean Energy Innovation, the legislation focuses on boosting security of our electric grid. Our electric grid is the subject of a steady stream of cyberattacks, some of which could have devastating consequences. It is not hard to imagine the deadly results of prolonged traffic outrages or longterm Power Outages at hospitals or fire stations. Thats why the act invests in cybersecurity and grid modernization. The act also focuses on improving our domestic supply of some of the key elements and minerals that we rely on from manufacturing things from computer chips to batteries to defense applications. Right now we have to import too much from countries like china. It is important that we find ways to identify supplies of these minerals here at home. Finally, madam president , the American Energy innovation act invests in workforce development. All the Innovative Technologies in the world wont help us if we dont have the workers to operate and maintain these technologies. We need to ensure that while were investing in innovation, were also investing in the Energy Workforce of the future. Madam president , this legislation will help ensure that we maintain our Energy Independence for the longterm. It will boost security of our electric grid, strengthen our National Security and invest in american workers. And it will help pave the way for a clean energy future. This is a good bill, and i hope that my colleagues will support it and not derail this legislation with partisan amendments. I know many of my colleagues across the aisle have a keen interest in adding Certain Energy tax provisions to this bill. I would remind them, however, that last summer the Senate Finance committee created a number of tasks forces to examine expiring and expired tax policies. I coled the Energy Task Force along with the senior senator from michigan, and many of the energy tax items that we reviewed were included in the yearend bill in december. But others were not yet ready for prime time. Madam president , im eager to continue to work with my colleagues on Energy Innovation, but we have to be realistic about the fact that a number of the energy tax proposals in question are not yet ready for complementation. And need to be considered in the context of other reforms and corrections to the tax code. As i said, i hope debate over tax provisions or other amendments will not delay passage of this important bipartisan legislation. I look forward to working with colleagues from both parties to advance this i will about and help secure Americas Energy this bill and help secure Americas Energy future. Madam president , i yield the floor. Mr. Durbin madam president . The presiding officer the senator from illinois. Mr. Durbin madam president , as i noted earlier, Samuel Johnson once molted that theres nothing that focuses the mind like the prospect of a hanging. I would say theres nothing that focuses the mind on the issue of Health Care Like the prospect of a pandemic, and that is what were facing now with the coronavirus. Americans should not panic and they shouldnt be pessimistic but we need to be realistic as the numbers start to increase over the world. And we take note of our vulnerabilities here in the United States of america. Were also, i hope, reflecting on what were counting on toest go us through this pandemic in a posse comitatussive fashion in america. The first thing is we look to two Major Health Care organizations of the federal government the National Institutes of health, which is the premier Health Research agency in the world, and the center for Disease Control, which again leads the world when this comes to preventing the spread of disease and threats to the Public Health of america. The question we should ask ourselves is how have we treated these agencies to date. The answers are mixed. The answer when it comes to National Institutes of health is a positive one. Over the last four years, something dramatic has occurred. I was happy to be part of a bipartisan effort that was led by senator patty murray of washington, senator roy blunt of missouri, senator Lamar Alexander of tennessee. What we have accomplished in the last four years is to increase the spending at the National Institute of health for medical Research Grants from 30 billion to 39 billion. Its a dramatic increase. We started off with the premise that we wanted to increase the n. I. H. Budget by real growth, thats 5 over inflation each year. We held to that standard. In fact, some years even better. Weve got a lot to show for it. There have been real breakthroughs when it comes to medical research. We want to continue down this line. When it came to the centers for Disease Control, i had the same goal in mind. And we didnt quite reach it. Over the last four years weve seen a 14 increase at c. D. C. I believe that this coronavirus pandemic threat is going to open the eyes of america to the need to make sure the c. D. C. Is adequately, properly funded for years to come. So at the outset, the focus of the mind is on those agencies of government which do the absolute essential work of research and the prevention of the spread of disease. So the n. I. H. And c. D. C. , they need to occupy a special place when it comes to budgeting by the federal government. The second thing that we note is there are practical questions to be asked and answered. Were now talking about the development of a test to determine whether individuals have been infected by the coronavirus. That test is now starting to come forward. It will be released in states across the United States in the next several weeks. Some obvious, practical questions face us. How much does this test cost . Is it covered by Health Insurance . If not covered by Health Insurance, can the average family afford it . These are practical questions which those of us who have good Health Insurance and are not worried about the next paycheck can take care of. But for millions of americans, its a significant challenge. And we noticed that in some cases, it takes more than one test to determine that a person is truly free of the coronavirus. So the obvious question is, does our Health Insurance cover this kind of testing . As i stand here, i dont know the answer to it. If it turns out to be an expensive test and its not covered by insurance, that is going to really face america is going to be faced with that challenge right off the bat. And it brings to mind the real fundamental issue of the debate in congress over the last ten years about Health Insurance. Our friends on the other side of the aisle argue that people ought to be able to pay less for Health Insurance that covers even less. We on this side call it junk insurance. The Affordable Care act said that Health Insurance plans had to have certain basic coverage before they could be offered in this country. We got rid of the lifetime limits that some Health Insurance plans had. We eliminated the discrimination against people with preexisting conditions. We said that kids could stay on their parents Health Insurance plan until they reach the age of 26. And we said every Health Insurance plan had to include those provisions. We included coverage in basic Health Insurance of Mental Illness and addiction services, basic, fundamental care that every american should expect when they buy Health Insurance of the republicans on the other side of the aisle say well, we ought to be able to buy insurance that doesnt cover those things. It will be cheaper. Let the consumers decide. Its okay for a consumer to decide for less coverage, i suppose, if they can be guaranteed good health for the rest of their lives. But no one knows about the next accident or the next diagnosis that might really call into question the adequate si adequacy of our Health Insurance coverage. I stand with the Affordable Care act. We should have a basic, basic standard when it comes to Health Insurance in america so that when you buy a plan, it covers what most americans will need, the basics they will need. Junk insurance has no place in america and its no bargain for people who truly need Health Insurance for reimbursement. When it comes to the cost of dealing with the coronavirus, whether its the initial test or followup hospitalizations, we all want the peace of mind that our Health Insurance plan will cover those needs. The third issue that is clear is that there are people who are going to miss work because of this coronavirus. Some of them are asked to stay home and work from home and things continue as usual. And they receive their regular paycheck. But for others, they have to leave the workplace because of fears they may have the flu or may be contagious or someone else at work might be. What happens when they go home when it comes to their paycheck . Will they be given medical leave and pay for their absences . Its an issue that comes to the forefront in this coronavirus debate but frankly its was all of the time. Those of us on the democratic side believe that medical leave should be extended. We just expanded it when it comes to federal employees. We should do it as well for people across the United States. Medical leave gives you peace of mind to make the right medical decision. Dont go to work with a fever. Dont go to school with a fever. Stay home. Protect yourself, your family, the people you work with, the people youre around during the course of a day. Medical leave gives you that option and its one that is a practical solution to something that we face all the time. The third or fourth issue which ill raise has been brought up by this coronavirus debate is the role of pharma in the future. Its interesting that across america when you ask americans their concern when it comes to the cost of health care, the cost of prescription drugs is high on the list. It is also interesting that Health Insurance companies, the Major Companies tell us that one of the biggest drivers in the increase in Health Insurance premiums is the cost of prescription drugs. So pharma is obviously a challenge to all of us. We want them to have the money to be profitable, to invest in research, but we dont want them to dramatically overcharge for the products that they make. Your money or your life is not a good answer when it comes to pharma in the and the Public Health of america. So now were going to face it again. The prospect of a vaccine. We hope to have a vaccine quickly but even quickly by medical terms is a long time. Dr. Fauch i of n. I. H. Said it could be a year and a half, even two years before a real reliable vaccine is discovered to deal with coronavirus. Its an indication of the kind of research that has to take place, research that start, i might add, at the federal level with your government doing research. I know pharmaceutical companies will ultimately produce the product, the vaccine. But it starts with an investment by the federal government in the basic research to lead up to that vaccine, whenever it is discovered. And then we have the question about once the vaccine is discovered, who will sell it to america and at what price. Thats a debate that we went through several years ago. We faced the swine flu and during that period of time, some 40 million americans were actually vaccinated in 1976 for swine flu. 45 million to be exact. For several months four pharmaceutical firms refused to sell the vaccine to the government that they manufactured until they received full liability indemnity and a guaranteed profit. The vaccine was there but they wouldnt sell it until they received those promises. In fact, the federal government assumed the liability for this vaccine and according to this article published this morning in the new york times, eventually paid out over 100 million in claims. Are we going to face that again with pharma when it comes to a vaccine for coronavirus . Certainly theyre entitled to a profit for their own investment, whatever it may be in that vaccine. But the initial work on the research is being done by the federal government. And that federal Government Research will lead to a product which will lead to a profit for these companies. Im not opposed to a reasonable profit, but i do think if they are going to hold us hostage for months over a guaranteed profit thats unreasonable, that america is going to rebel against these pharmaceutical companies. So our debate about pharma and its relationship with america in the future is really sharpened and focused by this debate on the coronavirus that we are facing today. Theres one other aspect which id like to raise. I was surprised at the briefing we received two weeks ago here in washington on the coronavirus to learn how many pharmaceuticals are actually produced in china and how many pharmaceutical ingredients are produced in china and india. It turns out we have a real dependence when it comes to developing medicines and drugs on these two countries and many others. And when it comes to medical devices, the same is true. Medical equipment the same. And it raised a question in my mind as to whether we should do something thoughtful and perspective in terms of dealing with global dependence on medicine, medical devices and medical supplies. So im introducing legislation this week calling for the creation of a commission to look at this dependence, to measure it today. Today were facing the coronavirus, a possible i underline possible interruption in the supply of pharmaceutical and ingredients from china because of the coronavirus. Did we anticipate this . Have we stockpiled enough of these drugs so we wont be caught short on something thats absolutely vital if if we havent, we should. And we should also think about the prospect that in the future, for certain critical drugs, there should be a domestic source in the United States that we can count on if theres some interruption in global trade because of a medical crisis such as this or because of terrorism, for example. I hope that we can get some guidance on this from the agencies involved and from those that we respect to give us thirdparty judgment on this. Let us at this moment in time as we face this crisis look ahead to what the next challenge might be and be prepared for it. So as we debate this coronavirus, i would urge my colleagues to do our best to try to find bipartisan ground to work on. I have found across my state regardless of political allegiance, the people of illinois and in many other states are looking for us in washington to address this problem responsibly in a mature way, in a totally nonpolitical way. When statements are made by political observers, even by the president himself that are far afield from the truth, lets not be derailed by that. Lets focus on medical expertise that we can trust. Public Health Experts that can guide us through this in the appropriate way. And in the meantime, realize we are blessed to live in a country with the best, most talented medical professionals in the world and the best medical resources on earth. We want to make certain that we give them all the room they need to lead us through this crisis and challenge in a very positive way. Madam president , i yield the floor. I suggest the absence of a quorum. The presiding officer the clerk will call the roll. Quorum call quorum call quorum call quorum call quorum call mr. Booker madam president. The presiding officer the senator from new jersey is recognized. Mr. Booker thank you very much. I think were in a quorum, yes . The presiding officer we are in a quorum. Mr. Booker request to get rid of the quorum. The presiding officer without objection. Mr. Booker i want to thank the pages in this class right now. They are hard at work and i want it to be written into the record in the United States senate that on this day in march, the junior senator from new jersey recognizes them even though they do not tell jokes that are very good. Now if my may start my prepared remarks. Madam president , i rise today with other colleagues that are speaking today, and particularly my colleague from connecticut, senator murphy to speak on a bill that actually passed out of the house which was something that was extraordinary. It passed out of the house of representatives just over a full year ago that were still waiting here in the senate to come down to the floor. Now, im one of those folks that really believes that we have too much unnecessary are partisanship around issues when there is so much common cause in our country, when there is so much Common Ground in our country. Yes, indeed, debate is important, disagreement is important. It undergerds democracy. The idea that that actually produces a better whole, a better result. But when we have a nation that such extensive agreement on an issue where 97 of americans agree, where republicans and democrats in the house of representatives agree and we cant get action here, to me that is not adding to the strength of democracy, it is weakening our republic. It was almost exactly a year ago that the house of representatives passed h. R. 8, the bipartisan background checks act of 2019. This legislation would require a background check before any sale or transfer of a firearm. Under existing law, you can go to a gun show and purchase a gun from an unlicensed seller without having gone through a background check. Think about this. You could be on a terrorist no fly list, you could be a convicted felon, you could be a spousal abuser. You can be a lot of things, anything, and be able to go to an unlicensed seller at a gun show and fill up a trunk full of weapons. This is a glaring loophole that allows dangerous individuals that we all agree are dangerous to purchase a gun in violation of federal law. Now, again, 97 of americans want that loophole closed, and the evidence is clear. A study found last year, found that states that have this common sense, widely supported, partisanly backed background check law when they have it in place, when youre that state, you get 10 lower homicide rates. This is not speculation. 10 of those states have less homicides. But today, over a year after its passage out of the house, the senate has failed to take up this commonsense bill which we know which we know factually would save lives. What is one of the fundamental reasons why our government was founded in the first place . For the common defense. We are we are here to defend our nation from violence, from terror, from injury, from harm. Everyone in this body takes that commitment very seriously. And so here we have something 97 of americans want. We know that it would save lives, protect our country and, yet, no action. The bill has not come to the floor. I know this personally. I was the mayor of my states largest city, and the overwhelming majority of homicides and shootings where we captured the person and found out how they got their gun, they were not qualified to buy a gun. It was illegal for them to buy a gun in any state because many of them have criminal convictions yet they found easy ways to obtain a goal because we have so many loopholes in the commonsense law, loopholes that allow violence to happen that is terrorizing communities and, of course, we know that that is not just antidotal evidence. According to the archive an estimated 2,018 people were killed by a gun in the United States in 2018. We know that gun violence is the single leading cause of death for children and teenagers. Our greatest Natural Resource as a country is our children. And and for black children and teenagers, they are 14 times more likely to die from gun homicides than their white peers. It is a tragic carnage going on for African American kids. In one day in st. Louis missouri, in one city, between april and september of last year, 13 children, ranging in age from 2 to 16 were killed by a gun. And theres another kind of gun violence we dont talk about. We dont talk enough about the death of our children, we definitely dont talk enough about Domestic Violence in our country. It is factual when an abuser can get a gun, a victim of Domestic Violence is that an abuser has a gun, a victim of Domestic Violence is five times more likely to be killed. And, again, the Racial Disparities in communities of color like i live in, we know a black woman is twice as likely to be shot and killed by an intimate partner as well. Our duty is to protect this nation. Its to protect one another. This is not controversial when you have 97 97 . And so every year in the United States of america, on average, 100,000 people are shot and they survive, many of whom will carry with them for their lives mental and physical wounds. The Economic Cost of being a gun violence survivor is measured in the tens and tens of thousands of dollars. The community costs of folks being killed ive seen this in my community when a shooting happened at the ihop on burgon street, the ihop had to close, it lost jobs. It reverberates throughout the community. These wounds are physical, are economic, are mental health. I cant tell you how many communities in america, when we celebrate the very ideas of our country on july 4 when the firecrackers go off, when children hear them, they duck under cover, they show signs of posttraumatic stress. That is what were living in right now. This is an every day reality. I came to the floor today to point it out, 12 months, 365 days from the house passing a bipartisan bill supported by 97 of americans that is fundamental for the reason of government, the common defense, in the wake of one of the greatest killers of children in our country, all of those things and we here are doing nothing. What did Martin Luther king jr. Say . What we have to repent for is not just the words and violent actions of the bad people. Its also the appalling silence and inaction of the good people. I i have stood for comprehensive gun safety reform, and a lot of things i support arent supported by 97 of americans like background checks. I support gun licensing. The percentage of americans that support that falls into the 70s. I support an assault weapons ban. Support for that falls as well. So maybe thats an area where we debate. I will stand for those commonsense changes because, again, i believe in the data. States that do that have seen dramatic drops in violence. We can debate that. But when we have a bill from the house that 97 of americans support that has bipartisan support that we know will save lives and we dont act, what does that say about us every day in this country people being shot and being killed and we do nothing when we all agree. Agree . This week, march 7, will mark the 55th anniversary of the day that 600 Civil Rights Act visits, led by a young man named john lewis, walked from selma to montgomery to walk against discrimination and violence. Those nonviolent protesters were met with vicious beatings by billy clubs by Alabama State troopers. They had tear gas and dogs set on them. Congressman lewis had his skull cracked open. By the next day, americans all over this country, that horrific scene, we know this as bloody sunday, americans all over this country who saw that violence, who saw that viciousness, saw what was done to people who were nonviolent marchers fighting for justice and equality, it motivated americans of all backgrounds, black, white, christian, jewish, republican and democrat to join in the call for change. I i love this nation, and i love my country. I love folks who agree with me, who disagree with me. I think patriotism is love of country, and you cant love your country unless you love your fellow countrymen and women. Senate president , i love you, man. And we dont agree. My friends across the aisle. Heck, in my own caucus, we dont agree, but we love one another. And my faith and the other faiths represented in this body. Im excited that we have more religiousus diversity than ever before. It is founded by love thy neighbor. This is the challenge. It is, how do we manifest love into our policy. As one of the great authors i read, what does love look like in public . It looks like justice. This is the great thing of our country, we dont always act right away but throughout our history when we were confronted with the retch yesness of our society and incongruenceys, we have seen this country rise up and make change. When four girls died in a bombing in birmingham, it shocked the consciousness of our country. We made change. When women in the triangle fact were trapped in sweatshop conditions, a fire breaks out, this country watched in horror read about in horror back then, saw in horror through pictures women throwing themselves out windows dying on the pavement below, it shocked the consciousness of this country and we in this body we passed laws to protect workers. I could go through our entire history. We not always are fast to get there but we are a caring, compassionate, loving country. We are. That is the root of who we are. Its the values we profess. And i know as much as we disagree and try to vilify each other, the truth is were a nation founded in the ideals of love. Again, i look at my colleague up there in that seat, i watched him. I saw you on hbo reading our founding documents. It was moving for me to see republicans and democrats im sure you saw it reading our founding documents. Our deck rairgs of independence our decoration of independence, it ends with one of the greatest declarations of love in human history. It says if were going to make this nation work, all the stuff we just talked about, if were going to be the country that is as the prophet isaiah says is ultimately a light unto other nations inspiring free people across the globe, we stepped out in the course of human events and said were going to found a country based on virtue, not a theocracy, not a monarchy. On virtue. That we would be a nation based on ideas, and those ideas, as imperfect as the geniuses that founded this country and they didnt believe that women are equal or blacks are equal, but they believed this nation should always strive to make a more Perfect Union making more real those virtues and values in peoples lives and the history of our country is a glorious testimony to us Getting Better and better each generation. Susan b. Anthony stood up and said it is we the people, not we the male citizens that made this country, not the white male citizens. We the people. She used the words of our founding documents to inform our moment of history. Martin luther king right here in d. C. On the mall, does he term to turn to a new radical treaties . No, he goes back to our founding documents and qowts them in his quotes them in his speech at the march on washington. Thats the beauty of our nation. And so what does it say that testimony to love, the founding of our nation, in the declaration of independence, and yes, to all those people, i will give you deference that that declaration called native americans savages. Ill give you deference that the men who wrote it they were imperfect representatives of the values to which they adhere to excuse me to which they call to. But that declaration of love at the end is unmistakable. At the end of the declaration of independence they say if we are to make it all work, we must mutually pledge. I look at my colleague in the seat because he knows these words backwards and forwards. We must mutually pledge that is pledge to each other our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor. God, i think about those words more than you might realize. What does it mean to give someone your sacred honor . To pledge to them your lives and your fortunes. God, i would die for this country, as i know my colleagues would. None of the people in this body i know many of my friends in this body might have come here with great wealth, but none of them are doing it for wealth. Our lives, our fortunes, but that last one sacred honor what does that mean . To me, words that evoke that greatest of human values; love, that word that we honor each other, we believe that we are people that must elevate each other and protect each other. And so there is a bill in the house that passed in a bipartisan way on that fundamental ideal of being there for one another, whether you pray like me or look like me, we are there for one another. We protect each other. We stand for each other. I may have differences with a man in that seat who is on the other side of the aisle, but, god, i give you my sacred honor. Im not going to vilify or demonize your character because we are americans. And now the call of our country is people who are overlooked are dying every day in communities like mine around this country, people being felled by domestic abusers. We know from the data this can make a difference. Bipartisan voice, 97 of americans, can we pass comprehensive background checks . We can do better. Lets leave the things we want to debate, that, god, i want to debate licensing assault weapons ban, leave those aside but we agreed that someone on the terrorist nofly list should not be able to go to a gun show or a casual seller and buy weapons. Those are the guns on the streets of newark. Weve traced them. My country tis of thee sweet, sweet land of liberty of thee i sing. May our country be free from fear and free from violence, and may we be empathetic towards those that are fearful of their abuser, that are fearful to walk their kids to school. May we understand that that liberty to fight for freedom of fear still is an unachieved dream in this country, that liberty that comes from safety and security is still an unrealized dream for millions of americans. And may we join together and plenl our lives, our pledge our lives, our fortunes and sacred honor, may we pledge to one another to do the work that america wants to keep each other safe and secure and to ensure our children disproportionately impacted by violence, that our children grow up to carry on our culture and our traditions, and the honor that is america. Mr. President , i yield the floor. Quorum call mr. Blunt mr. President. The presiding officer the senator from missouri. Mr. Blunt i have eight requests for committees to meet during todays session of the senate. They have the approval of the majority and noornls. The presiding officer noonls minority leaders. The presiding officer duly noted. Mr. Blunt i want to talk about the Coronavirus Response and where we are. I think all senators need to be updated again. This is not a new place for us to be. This time last year the labor, health and Human Services Committee Held a hearing on emerging threats, and at that point we were experiencing the secondlargest outbreak of ebola in the democratic of the congo. There was a flu outbreak bigger than we had seen a in long time. One year later were fighting the Ebola Outbreak in the d. R. C. Antibiotic Resistance Continues to be a global problem. And according to the director of the National Institutes of allergy and Infectious Disease, the flu were seeing this year is shaping up to be one of the worst in decades. There are several several,000 americans die every year from the flu. Usually at least 35,000, sometimes as high as 75,000. I think about 350,000 americans have died from the flu in the last decade. Were now facing a new danger, the covid19 danger. Thats the new coronavirus we havent seen before. As we learned from ebola, patient zero, who doesnt know he has it can board a plane or cruise ship and be in another country or continent in a matter of hours, and this lesson is reinforced. Like all other diseases it doesnt know any boundaries. Were no longer living in a world where our health can be separated from the health of other countries. Last week the number of new Coronavirus Infections outside of china outpaced those inside of china for the first time. Maybe the good news is china is beginning to seeing is headed in a different direction, but the bad news infections in iran and italy and south korea and japan and other places, this has moved into europe now and in south america a case was Just Announced in brazil. But this is kind of that moment, mr. President , where we have some opportunity to do everything we can to prepare for the worst but we still have the option of hoping for the best. Thats what happened with zars and thats what happened with zekea that wasnt as bad as we anticipated at one point it might be. Disturbing to see the first deaths in the state of washington, but certainly the message to us is be more vigilant and be better prepared. The congress, in the last five years, has increased money. That doesnt count whatever we do this week and next week, has increased money for preparedness by 44 . A year ago we created, for the first time, mr. President , an Infectious Disease fund. Our colleague in the house, tom cole, one of the major proponents of this, to let the health and Human Services people to have access to money immediately. Because of that they had 105 million that they wouldnt have previously had to be able to spend immediately to help contain this problem where it can be contained, to bring americans back here, particularly from china, to keep them in a known location for the 14day incubation period to see if anything happened. All of that was possible because we had given them the flexibility that they hadnt had before. The first line of defense funding has been there. Were now moving toward a conclusion of what we can do to make more money available for a back scene vaccine. Vaccine takes a while. Were not going to have a vaccine for a while. We will continue to talk to dr. Fouchy and his team about this. Were working with experts at whats called barta, the Biomedical Advanced Research and medical authority to move those vaccines quickly. Even if we had a vaccine if we had a vaccine in 18 months, that would be the u. S. World record to develop a vaccine here with the safety that we would think that it would need to have to that anybody could take a vaccine and with that vaccine this particular virus would likely be dealt with. So, you know, theres no treatment right now. Theres no cure right now. But the treatment is to handle these issues in the way that we can in a Public Health system thats been built over decades. There are 50 states, the district of columbia, all have local Public Health providers. Were going to have new money available to work with them, but, again, the prepareness money that theyve had for the last five years should have been used in a way, and i believe was used in a way that gets them all more ready to deal with this than they otherwise would have been. We need to continue that the centers for Disease Control and prevention have what they need to improve the surveillance systems, the testing systems. I think well find quickly there will be a test that will be approved quickly by the f. D. A. That allows people to check in a number of locations and have that processed in a number of locations that test to see if, in fact, you have what you thought was a worse than usual cold or maybe you thought it was not a worse than usual cold. Sometimes this particular disease doesnt evidence that much happened at all, and because of that, i think theres probably at this point a bigger number of people who we think would be a percentage of people that would have really negative consequences, even death from this disease, rather than all the people that had it and didnt know they had it. Weve learn in the past through outbreaks of a flu strain that we didnt have a vaccine for ebola and other diseases what protects people in other countries winds up protecting people. We have to understand that a lot of our fate in this has been determined and will continue to be determined by what we do to first try to contain this virus, and secondly, to provide the money to be sure that when we do have an outbreak which has already begun in our country, that its an outbreak that is really held at the lowest possible level of people impacted. And if you are infected by this disease, that you have the ability to work from home, to do other things, hospital not always the place to go. Were working with local and state Health Officials right now to see that happens. The money thats been used i think has been used effectively. Clearly were trying to agree between the house and the senate and the administration of exactly the right number. I would say that at this point the administrations been the most green new most agreeablo whatever money we would provide but would like to have the money quickly. I feel confident well have the resources to deal with this. I feel confident that this will be a problem that will not impact more people than would usually be impacted by Something Like the flu, but, again, we need to prepare for the very worst, hope for the very best. But our job right now is to prepare for the worst things that could happen with having the funding available so that we dont have to go through a couple of weeks again where an easy determination should have been reached. You know, one thing we could have done is give the administration exactly the amount of money they asked for. We could have decidedded to spend it differently decided to spend it differently two weeks ago and then get into a discussion of what we need next. Thats not the course we decided to go down. We are trying to come up with an amount of money it appears that would get us through this entire incident with this virus, but its time to get that done. Hopefully well see a bill filed later today and the house able to vote on that bill before they leave this week. Once that number is done, i think it will be seen as almost certain that the senate will be able to deal with that bill and approve that number and were going to move forward. I think, again, were going to move forward in a way that minimizes as much as possible the impact that this has on families and on individuals and, mr. President , i look forward to you and i both having a chance to learn more about this even today and to learn more as we move forward and the big thing we need to learn now is what the amount of money we need to have to spend and how we allocate that money for a vaccine and other things. And with that, mr. President , id ask unanimous consent that the Senate Recess under the previous order. The presiding officer without objection. Under the previous order, senate under the previous order, senate this than in recess for a weekly party lunches. Vice president mike pence says he will tend to talk about the government response to the coronavirus. The senate will be back later this afternoon to continue work on a bill dealing with u. S. Energy and environmental policy. We will have live coverage at about 2 15 p. M. Eastern. Today is super tuesday at several states participating in the democratic president ial primary. In addition there are five States Holding congressional primaries in alabama, arkansas, california, carolina, and texas. Watch our Live Campaign 2020 super tuesday coverage of the president ial primaries from 14 states including alabama, arkansas, california, colorado, maine, massachusetts, minnesota, north carolina, oklahoma, tennessee, texas, utah, vermont and virginia. With the candidates speeches results. Coverage begins today at 7 p. M. Eastern on cspan, cspan. Org or listen from wherever you are with the free cspan radio app. The Federal Reserve held a briefing earlier after cutting the federal Interest Rate by half a percentage point to offset the effects of use economy caused by the coronavirus