Senate, three senators and 15 staff people. Ask those who follow the senate can tell our staff has come to work as they are expected to come under circumstances that are more challenging than it were just a few weeks ago. I want to thank each and every one of them here on the floor as well as the many that you dont see behind the scenes who are necessary for the opening of this capital and for the protection of everyone who works here. There are policemen. There are people engage in basic activities here that keep this magnificent structure functioning, and they coming out in m the midst of a public healh challenge where most of the american have been told stay home. If you can possibly stay home, do it. Social distancing, make certain that you stay a certain distance between yourself and some other person. And yet they come here, and we thank them for it. The obvious question is why are we here under the circumstances . We were called back into a week of legislative activity which had been scheduled to be a week where we were back home in her individual states. Theres a lotac for me to do th, and im sure thats true for every senator from the crisis which we had at ohare airport. I was working on that saturday and sunday night to the issue of closing schools and feeding children, and all the other issues that are part of this coronavirus challenge. But we were told to come back here this week to make a trip back, to fly back from wherever, to come to the United States capital for two reasons. We were told we had to pass the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act a reauthorizat reauthorization, because it expired as of last weekend. It turned out that we found a way to avoid unnecessary vote at the last minute. The Senate Republican leader agreeded last night just a few minutes before the scheduled vote to accept a proposal that had been made to him by republican senator mike lee of utah last thursday. The Senate Republican leader did not accept it in. He accepted it last night. The net result was we didnt have to be present. We didnt have to make the journey for that purpose. But the second part of our return is equally important, maybe more so, in light of this Public Health crisis. And that was to consider the measure that was taken up by the house ofho representatives and morning hoursrly of saturday. T this measure known as the Families FirstCoronavirus Response act is the second piece of legislation which we are considering, and im sure not the last. Were already talking about the coronavirus three act that is i likely to be debated and voted on soon. But the point im making is this measure which was physically sent to us last night with technical corrections could have been considered as early as last saturday by unanimous consent of the senate can take up the measure before it physically arise from the house. This has happened many times before. Ic its nots extraordinary. The physical presence of the document is not necessary for this debate or for a vote to considering it. We acknowledge the fact sometimes a movement of paperwork from the house may take a longer than the actual time and we physically can take possession of it through other means. And so the argument was made this morning that it wasnt until we received the document last night that we could consider is not accurate. Under the senate rules by unanimous consent we could have considered it as soon as it was enacted by the house. But the question before us now is what are we waiting for . There was a technical correction bill that was added to it yesterday after the house overcame the objections of a republican congressman after his objections were set aside or satisfied, they moved forward with the technical corrections so wehe hadit the package thats before us now and the obvious question is, why are we not passing this measure immediately . We should because contained in this measure are important changes in the law that will help American Families respond to this coronavirus crisis. Fundamental questions. Will we provide for Many American workers medical leave if they decide k they dont feel well and want to keep themselves, their family, their coworkers and the public safe by staying home . But the afraid if they dont get a paycheck they cant meet the needs of the families. So this bill extends the medical leave coverage to more workers across america. Im unhappy that it doesnt go further and perhaps we can extend it further with the third iteration of our coronavirus legislative package. But theres no reason not to pass this and to pass it now, and not to wait a day or two or three before we get around to it. Lets do it. Lets get it done. In addition, we have changes in Unemployment Compensation. If someone literally loses the job because of this Outlook Health crisis, we wantet to make sure that they have something coming in to help their families as quickly as possible. Thats a measure under all of us agree on, to change the Unemployment Compensation laws to help these families through very difficult times. Why would we wait to pass that . We should pass this by unanimous consent today, and do it quickly if that is something i hope that the Senate Republican leader will consider. Theres just no reason for delay and are so many other things involved in this. The basic issueue of feeding america is now in question. Whos going to feed these School Students whose schools have been closed across illinois and across the United States . Its a practical challenge in springfield, illinois, as well as chicago. Well, we have issues that are raised by this coronavirus legislation that is before us thatng will change and strengthn Food Assistance at this time the Public Health crisis. Why wait . Lets get this done by unanimous consent. We should be doing, and doing it right now. In addition to that we provide additional medicaid benefits to the states to deal with the obvious health challenges. We want to make sure health care workers, and god bless them for riskingg their lives for us, we want to make sure theyre paid. We want to make sure that the equipment that is needed by hospitals and clinics comes on board as quickly as possible. In my state of illinois we have challenges from the city of chicago through rural and small towns. They need help. Medicaid assistance in this bill will provide help for them immediately. Why wait . Lets pass this and do it this morning. We also have free testing for coronavirus that is set up in the law whether you have insurance, covered by medicare, medicaid. Youre going to be able to be tested when the tests are available, i might quickly add, without cost to you, and thats a weight should be. These are things that are basic. They work we do not just by nancy pelosi the speaker of the house but by the trump white house, mr. Mnuchin, the secretary came forward and i negotiated all of the challenge which i b just described. So they are bipartisan in nature. There is no reason for us to delay this anyway. We should move on it quickly. Putting this off for a day or two of whatever the plan is with the Republican Leadership is totally unnecessary and, unfortunately, requires staff to wait around here when the been advised they should be home, there should be social distance, they should be in circumstances where they are not endangering themselves in terms of their health or anyone else. Lets get this done. The thirdish i want to to raise is one which is critically important, but i believe is timely. Went to think i knew about the way the senate does business. If were telling people to do their work from home when possible, teleconferencing as opposed to being physically present at work, what are we doing to achieve the same thing . Theres been speculation, conjecture about coronavirus a package, the third one in the series. I totally supportive on the democraticla side with a long lt of particulars of things we think will be helpful to get this economy back on its feet by starting with families and workers and expanding at Small Businesses. Its a loan and im sure theres more suggestions that could come before us. However going to consider those . Are we going to meet as committees as we ordinarily do in the same row when weve been advised that is not a good idea from Public Health viewpoint . Are we going to do by teleconferencing and skype and using modern technology . Itsde time for the sin to wakep to the 21st century and to make sure we hear are using technology that allows us to make it with one another without any danger a risk to Public Health. In addition to that theres a moore, thorny difficult question of how we can vote in the United States senate if we are not physically present. I i know that is being consider. Senator klobuchar and ive discussed it. I know she is thinking about. Senate rules perspective. Senator schatz of a white has raised thehe same question. Others haveo come to. Lets get into this. Lets find a way to do this which protects the integrity of our voting procedure but acknowledges the reality that our physical presence on the floor may not be required to be actually present t under the rus of the senate. At least for the sake of counting our votes. We ought to be discussing that this week and make sure we have a task force that is working on coming up with answers to that as quickly as possible. And finally i think its time for us to start meeting as committees by this teleconferencing and skyping and talking about this package, madam president . Coronavirus three package, the when the stretches beyond what are. Lets take a look at the first two measures, coronavirus one is a supplemental appropriation. The president asked for about 2 billion. We came up with a by person basis in just two short weeks with 8 billion primarily focusing on healthcare developing vaccines. That was a must and we did it in a bipartisan basis. The second package talks about families and workers and Small Businesses and how they should respond and we can help them. The third package i think well take a look at the original two to seeut if they need to be changed in any way but to expand our reach even more. Let us do it in the context that we are preaching to america. As we hold the press conferences in washington and tell americans avoid going to work physically if you cant, let us try and find ways to make the senate work without putting any was health at risk. We can do that but we need to do that together. Let meay also say the senator fm kentucky said that the senate will not return until significant will not recess until significant new measures eon with the house has passed are considered. If theres a plan for that please let us know. Those of us who are here and what about whether this transportation back home to our families at some point would like to know what the schedule is going to be. If the senate leader, the republican leader has a plan, please share it with us here all of us are waiting in anxious to know what our circumstances will be for the days ahead. I want to stay here and get the work done but lets do it in an orderly, safe, nonrisky way. Lets try to abide by the same guidelines we are preaching to the rest of america lets use new technology. Lets use our best thinking and come up with bipartisan answers. That to me is a way to manage this set up an image of this national emergency. We shouldnt return as i have this week and face situations like last night where our boat was not even necessary. Many of us came here ready to vote and found there have been an agreement that made such a vote unnecessary. Its time for a greater spirit of cooperation and