A senator madam president . The presiding officer the senator from minnesota. Ms. Klobuchar madam president , are we in a quorum call . The presiding officer no, we are not. Ms. Klobuchar madam president , we are here today to vote on a nominee to be a commissioner at the federal election commission, the independent Agency Responsible for enforcing federal Campaign Finance laws. I am deeply disappointed in todays vote which is a departure from the senates longstanding tradition of considering f. E. C. Nominees on a bipartisan basis and another step in eroding the fra decisions of the the traditions of the senate all for a candidate that hold extreme views towards the agency that he would be appointed to. Prior to today, the senate has voted to confirm 47 f. E. C. Nominees and 42 of those nominees have been confirmed through a bipartisan process. As the ranking democrat on the rules committee, i have repeatedly urged my republican colleagues to work with us to get the f. E. C. Running again as it is unacceptable that the Agency Charged with protecting the integrity of our Campaign Finance system has been without a quorum for 261 days, the longest period without a quorum in the agencys history. But this is not the way to do it. The f. E. C. Has been plagued by partisan gridlock for years. With the general election only 168 days away, we should be working together to make sure that the agency is working to the fullest extent possible. Americans are tired of hyper partisanship and gridlock. This is not the time to abandon the bipartisan tradition of moving f. E. C. Nominees together. We need to work to restore their trust in our Political Institutions and with this vote we are taking a step backwards. We all know that our Campaign Finance system is broken. Everyone in this room knows it. Spending on campaigns has gotten out of control and special Interest Groups are a major part of the problem. Experts project that at least 6 billion will be spent in the 2020 election cycle on political advertisements alone. That doesnt count the billions that will be spent by the campaigns themselves and the additional billions spent by dark money groups and special interests who are trying to influence this election. In order for our democracy to work, we need strong rules for Campaign Spending and we need a Strong Agency to enforce those rules. We should be working together on a bipartisan basis to propose solutions to try to get the f. E. C. Back on track. I have a few ideas. We should Work Together to pass legislation to reform the f. E. C. s rules so that it functions better. We should establish a working group that will investigate Bipartisan Solutions to improve the function of the f. E. C. And we should also Work Together to select strong nominees from both parties who will serve on the commission with the understanding that they are there to enforce the law and protect our election system and oh, does this election system need protecting right now. We are in the midst of a pandemic. We have people standing in garbage bags and homemade masks in the rain in wisconsin just trying to exercise their right to vote. We have nearly 50 of those people who got sick. We have a poll worker who got sick. We have states all over the country with both democratic and republican governors who are desperately trying to get funding so that we can have more athome voting and have the polls open earlier and have it open for days so that people dont have to all congregate on one day and then on that day we have to also make our elections safer. We have a lot to do. But we know that the Enforcement Agency when it comes to elections for things like Campaign Finance, that is the f. E. C. And we know it is broken and we as a body should work to improve it. My republican colleagues, this particular nominee had repeatedly said that by confirming mr. Trainor, they are doing some good, restoring a quorum. Okay, but that is not the full story of this nomination. It ignores the fact that gridlock will persist and that republicans have intensely left a democratic seat on the commission vacant for more than 1,100 days and ignores the fact that leader schumer and i referred a democratic candidate to the white house and she has been vetted and cleared. She is immensely qualified and she would be the first person of color to ever sit on the f. E. C. Yes, thats right, not the first person of color now in this congress but the first person of color in the history of the federal Elections Commission to serve on the federal Elections Commission. Since republicans refuse to move forward in a bipartisan manner, the Agency Charged with enforcing our Campaign Finance laws will continue to remain ineffective. This undermines our countrys Political Institutions and it does not serve our countrys best interests. Many people refer to the senate as the worlds greatest deliberative body because the senate as an institution is designed for the careful consideration and debate of legislation and nominations. When we erode the bipartisan norms that made us the greatest deliberative body, we end up allowing unqualified nominees who hold extreme views to be appointed to important positions in our government just at a time when we should be doing the opposite. In addition to these process concerns, today we are also being asked to move forward with a nominee to the f. E. C. Who doesnt believe in basic Campaign Finance law. The f. E. C. Was created to enforce Campaign Finance law so it is critical that the agency be staffed by commissioners who believe in its mission so it can Police People from both parties. Mr. Trainor has consistently worked to dismantle the rules that keep corruption out of our political system. He has spent his career arguing that people shouldnt have to disclose political spending and has worked to stack the decks against voters by gerrymandering districts in texas to dilute minority voting power. Trainors views on disclosure are inconsistent with decades of Supreme Court precedent, including the views of late justice scalia. When fellow republicans in the Texas Legislature worked to require politically active, nonprofit organizations to disclose their donors, trainor challenged them and said that such a law, quote, would have a Chilling Effect on anybodys ability to speak. End quote. Now, lets just step back. That is fellow republicans on the Texas Legislature simply trying members of that body trying to put some reforms in place so you know where those donations are coming from and he spoke out against that. Moving forward with when nomination today my restore a quorum, but it does not serve the American People. The American People deserve an f. E. C. That works, an agency that enforces the law and protects our political system from corruption. At a time when unprecedented amounts of dark money and foreign money are flowing into our elections, are influencing our courts, a fully functioning f. E. C. Is critical to safeguarding our political system. But when it comes to a nominee for the agency in charge of enforcing our Campaign Finance laws, the absolute minimum qualification should be that the person actually believes in the mission of the agency. Is that too much to ask . We need to focus on how we can help the American People safely vote during this pandemic. I mean, we need to focus on this pandemic instead of the seerries of votes the series votes weve seen this week but if we are going to decide who should serve on the f. E. C. During this pandemic, it should be someone who believes in the mission of the f. E. C. We need to Work Together to hold hearings. With bipartisan groups of Election Officials like we have been working to do on the state level when it comes to how to vote on this pandemic. There has been a lot of good work going on with republicans and democrats, governors and secretaries of state. We need to do the same thing in this chamber as we approach major legislation and as we approach our workings with the f. E. C. I oppose the process by which this nominee has come to the floor, and i believe the nominees extreme views are disqualifying for this important office. I strongly urge my colleagues to vote no on this nominee. Thank you, madam president. I yield the floor. The clerk we, the undersigned senators, in accordance with the provisions of rule 22 of the standing rules of the senate, do hereby move to bring to a close debate on the nomination of james e. Trainer,ism ii, of texas, to be a member of the federal election commission, signed by 17 senators. The presiding officer by unanimous consent, the mandatory quorum call has been waived. The question is, is it the sense of the senate that debate on the nomination of james e. Train or, iii, of texas, shall the yeas and nays are mandatory under the rule. Vote vote vote the presiding officer on this vote the yeas are 50. The nays are 43. The motion is agreed to. The clerk will report the nomination. The clerk federal election commission, james e. Trainor iii of texas to be a member of the federal election commission. A senator madam president . The presiding officer the senator from wyoming. Mr. Barrasso thank you, madam president. I ask unanimous consent that the quorum call be vitiated. The presiding officer were not in a quorum call. Mr. Barrasso thank you, madam president. Madam president , americans have come together in this moment. Weve come together to defeat the coronavirus. Weve come together to ramp up testing, to ramp up health care, and to reopen our communities and our country. The coronavirus has brought out the best in so many ways in america and in the American People. From our Frontline Health care workers taking care of patients to scientists and researchers working on testing, on treatment, and on vaccines, to those in Public Service keeping essential parts of the government running day in and day out, to those working on supply chains to deliver goods 24 hours a day, and to those who are staying at home to keep themselves and keep others safe. Americans are in this together. Madam president , its interesting because all were seeing from the other side of the political aisle is more of the same old politics and name calling. President obama is taking cheap shots at President Trump. Speaker pelosi just put out a bdz 3 trillion bill that reads like the Democrat Party platform and joe biden is hol holed up ad hiding in his basement. Is this the best the democrats can offer . It this the best they can do . Madam president , biden, obama, and pelosi should be embarrassed. This is not leadership. Republican policies in the cares act that we passed actually have had significant results, real results. The Paycheck Protection Program making sure 50 million americans are still getting their paychecks. Economic impact payments which are reachin reaching 130 million families. Now these are policies that are going to build a bridge for the country to get to the other side of the devastation done by the virus. And still more money and resources from the cares act are slated to go out to states, to hospitals, and to Small Businesses all across america. Altogether between congress and the federal reserve, weve injected close to 9 trillion into the economy in just a couple of months. And all of this money is nowhere close to having even been spent. In fact, its only because of the steps that weve seen already, the efforts of governors across the country, the work of this administration, that the House Democrats have found themselves in a position as they were last friday of wasting time and energy on a fantasy bill. Republicans now have two jobs. The first is to get the country back on track and the second is to not allow the democrats to try to exploit the crisis that is upon this country for their own political gains. Democrats are pushing their agenda as a cureall for the virus. Let me be clear, madam president , it is not. It is simp live a solution for their electoral problems simply a solution for their electoral problems. Yesterday the New York Times published a front page article. Online it was called seeking big democratic ideas that make everything better. And the printed copy they changed the headline to say biden pursues ideas to match scale of crisis, less senses and a bold agenda. The article goes step by step on how the pandemic is being used by the democrats to make sweeping changes in their policy platforms in their effort to remake america. Basically consistent with their dangerous democratic socialist views. They are planning according to this to get rid of their socalled center left policies that they had initially, additionally, and initially envisioned. Theyre now court whag they call leftwing allies, they are adopting the ideas of singlepayer health care, onesizefitsall health care, the government making decisions for you rather than you or your doctor making decisions for yourself. Theyre adopting ideas through labor unions, think tanks, progressive institutions. They have taken over the Democrat Party and they are all beholden to nancy pelosi. Madam president , democrats are using the coronavirus so that their favorite groups get a giveaway. Thats what it reads. When you take a look at that 3 trillion bill that nancy pelosi dragged across the floor of the house last friday night, with members of her party kicking and screaming about voting for it, thats what we see. And some are kicking and screaming because the 3 trillion bill that started as a 1. 5 trillion bill didnt get big enough, didnt include enough of their farleft socialist agenda. This is not a solution for the crisis facing america. It is not a solution for the crisis that were facing with coronavirus. Its not a solution that were facing with the crisis of a shutdown economy, shutdown by the government in an effort to protect ourselves from the disease. Oh, no, madam president. What we see here is a partisan political playbook. It is the democrats agenda for the 2020 election madam president , the efforts to get the coronavirus behind us and get our communities and our country opened must be targeted, must be temporary, and must be tailored to the needs of our communities at this critical time in our nations history. Because ultimately, madam president , it is time now for america to open swiftly and smartly and safely. Thank you, madam president. I yield the floor. Ms. Stabenow madam president. The presiding officer the senator from michigan. Ms. Stabenow thank you, madam president. I first want to give a thank you to everybody who is working right now and all the folks that are required to be here with the senate in session. And i wish we would focus on those things right now that are directly related to making sure everybodys going to be able to continue to be safe and to focus on what we need to do to safely reopen the economy rather than what we are voting on this week, but i want to thank i want to thank all of you for being here. And i also want to send condolences and thoughts to everyone who has lost a loved one in this crisis. We are approaching this weekend 100,000 americans, and if that doesnt give us a sense of urgency right now to effectively address this Health Pandemic and to get this right and to Work Together, i dont know what does. So i rise today with a real sense of urgency, and i think its important to understand how we got here so we know what we need to do going forward. Because on january 20, the first case of covid19 was reported in the United States. Same day as the first case in south korea. Our white house didnt act. They were unfortunately more worried about the stock market than people in the supermarket. In south korea, they did act. Within eight weeks, they were testing 40 times more people per one million of their citizens than we were. And by april 14, they had 10,000 cases, and we had over 600,000 cases, because there was no sense of urgency to do what needed to be done to take this seriously, and now we know that we are well, well beyond that. Unfortunately, on the american side, in the weeks and months that came after january 20, the white house slowwalked declaring a national emergency. They failed to quickly implement widespread testing that was being done all around the world in every other country, and they dropped the ball on getting the essential medical equipment and supplies our doctors and nurses still need to treat people and keep them safe. Their reckless delay made us the world leader, the world leader in a number of covid19 cases and deaths. When you think about it, were a little over 4 of the worlds population, and yet we have about 30 of the deaths because of lack of urgency and inaction at the very beginning to be able to get our countrys arms around this deadly virus and what was happening. Now four months have passed, and more than, as i mentioned, 90,000 on to 100,000 americans have passed away from covid19. Think about that. When we look at over 90,000 lives, thats as if a whole city in michigan just disappeared from the map. Yet the white house and the republican leader and our friends across the aisle continue to show a lack of urgency about this crisis. On march 14, the house of representatives passed the familys first coronavirus response. It had a whole range of things that were incredibly important in it. Covid testing so you could get free testing if you needed it, increased medicaid funding for states, extended unemployment help for more workers. It established the 14 days of paid sick leave for people who lost their paycheck because they had to stay home because of the virus. And the bill provided nutritional food for m ms for moms and babies and families. Yet the Senate Leader felt no urgency to pass it right then. The house passed a bill on a friday night in the middle of the night. All we had to do was stay until saturday and we could get it done, but there was no sense of urgency for the nurses and the doctors and the unemployed workers and the Small Business owners and the hungry families. They had to wait. They had to wait for the next week, for the Senate Leader to go home for the weekend. And they had to wait until the next week. The leader returned to washington but his sense of urgency still wasnt there. So while the white house didnt act and the republican leader didnt act, ill tell you who did act. The governors acted. Democrats and republican governors. Stood up and leaned in to protect their citizens. Im so grateful what our for what our governor and her great team have done in michigan, and all of our mayors and local communities that leaned in, taking whatever resources were available to put them right out there and make sure peoples lives are being saved. Number one priority. And they have been stepping up and taking actions needed to save lives over and over and over again in this crisis. And, frankly, thats what the white house said should happen. Remember the words of President Trump when he tweeted governors must be able to step up and get the job done. We will be there with you all the way. We will be there with you all the way. Unfortunately, when he said all the way, he actually meant find your own way, which puts us where we are right now today in trying to help them get resources for critical state and local services. And the vacuum of federal leadership has reallife consequences. Today i released a report that shows the Price American families will pay if the white house and Congressional Republicans refuse to support state and local services. Our democratic policy and communications group, supported by all of our democratic senators, are saying we have to act. There are real consequences, families and communities will pay the price if we do not act and step up to have their back. Through no fault of their own, our states and local communities are facing critical budget shortfalls. Up to 650 billion over three years, which far exceeds what states lost after the great recession. Far and away more than what they lost in the great recession. Without urgent federal assistance, these cuts will affect our safety, our childrens education, and our quality of life. But the republican leader said he has not yet, quote, felt the urgency of acting immediately. Maybe states should go bankrupt, he said. Well, i can tell you the white house and the republican leader, i can tell them who feels the sense of urgency. Its the Health Care Worker who has been laid off and doesnt know when he will get paid and what hes going to do to take care of his family. He is feeling a sense of urgency. Its the student whose school might have to be cut back and the teachers who are going to be laid off due to the severe budget cuts, they feel a sense of urgency. The woman who cant continue treatment for her opioid addiction because of cutbacks at her local Community Behavioral health center. She feels a sense of urgency right now. The community thats cutting back on its police and Fire Departments and the 9 11 call centers to save money because the president said that he would be with him all the way and how he is saying no way, youre on your own. They feel a sense of urgency. And their mom who is waiting hours in line in her car at the local food bank to try to get some food for her children, for today. Not next month, not hey, we have two or three months. She wants them to eat today and tomorrow and the next day. She feels a sense of urgency. Americans across the country are feeling a sense of urgency, and its urgent that we act to meet this moment so that they understand in this horrendous moment and through no fault of their own a health crisis, the economic crisis, that somebody really does have their back. We need to help our state and local governments continue paying vital workers who educate our children and keep us safe and provide all the essential services. We need to extend Unemployment Benefits so that people who are out of work will be able to pay the rent and feed their children. We need to improve access to Healthy Foods for families in need right now. We need to create a heros fund to ensure that essential workers who have taken the most risk to keep our country running, to keep us safe, to save lives during this pandemic receive the additional hazard pay, the compensation that they deserve. They need to know that they are essential and not expendable. And just saying thank you is good, but its not enough when youre worried about paying your own mortgage while you go to work to save somebody elses life or put food on your own table for your family. Our country can do better for them. Thats what the house bill did. Thats what the senate needs to do. And we need to invest in our state and local Health Departments so that we can continue to fight the virus and keep our communities safe. That should really be a nobrainer right now, the fact that we need to support our Health Departments who are on the front lines of tracking what is happening and getting the critical information so the right decisions can be made to keep us safe and the right decisions can be made about how to safely reopen our economy, which we all want and know needs to happen. Actions have consequences. Im here to say that inaction also have consequences. Inaction has consequences. Were losing lives. Were losing time. And every part of the economy is being affected. Its time to act, time for this senate to act. Not any more judges over and over and over again, but to act on the things that the American People need to have happened, that the people of michigan need to have happen so that they can be healthy and survive the virus and also be able to survive economically for their family, for their business, for their farms. Mitch mcconnell may not feel a sense of urgency, but i do on behalf of the people of michigan. Its time for the senate to act. Thank you, madam president. I yield the floor. The presiding officer the senator from connecticut. Mr. Murphy i yield to the senator from oklahoma for a unanimous consent request. Mr. Inhofe thank you. I ask unanimous consent that at the conclusion of the remarks of the senator from connecticut that i be recognized to speak for whatever time i shall consume. The presiding officer without objection. Mr. Murphy thank you very much. Thank you, madam president. I want to concur in the remarks of my friend from michigan. You know, a lot of our constituents have long thought that there is just an enormous gulf between the conversations that of we have in the United States senate and the conversations that are going on at peoples kitchen tables, going on between friends and neighbors at the super market. They think that what we worry about here is guided by lobbyists on k street, Political Action committees and really doesnt have much to do with what they care about. I dont know that their perception of that gulf has been any bigger than it is right now now, because the message that senator mcconnell and senator republicans are sending is that there is no urgency. There is no need for the senate to act, that weve done everything that needs to be done for the time being when it comes to the depressionlevels of unemployment in this country, the lines going around blocks to pick up groceries for families that cant afford food, the schools that are scrambling to figure out how the heck they are going to reopen schools with revenues for their municipalities and counties and states cratering through the floor. And so it just tears peoples hair out right now in a there is a piece of legislation passed the house of representatives that will help millions of families who are in meltdown crisis right now as they have lost their job, they maybe have a sick loved one, and they dont know when life is getting back to normal. And the senate is doing now. I understand my Senate Republican friends wouldnt write the bill that passed the house, and thats understandable. Different party in control of the senate than in control of the house of representatives. Of course there is going to be a difference in priorities. But the decision to not even take up the house bill, to not try to amend it, to not try to draft a version of our own to fill these just enormous gaps that families are feeling right now, it is maddening to the people that i represent back home, who feel that sense of urgency that is not shared by the folks who havent lost their salary or their Health Care Benefits in the United States senate. Earlier today we tried to take a small step forward to better protect our constituents and try to bring this pandemic to an end. Senator durbin offered a Pretty Simple resolution that would have just expressed the sense of the senate that we should join with nations around the world to try to develop a vaccine for covid. I dont agree with the president. I dont think that it is all hopeless until we find a vaccine. I think that we can take steps in our communities through state leaders to try to reopen our economy even before we have a vaccine. But obviously thats the goal that we all strive for. And we are much better off if we are working with other countries to develop that vaccine. There are very promising discoveries that as we speak are being made in other countries, many of them allies of the United States. There is in fact an International Effort underway to help pay for that vaccine development. Probably the most prominent of those efforts is something called the coalition for epidemic preparedness innovations. Curiously, all of our friends, all of our allies, some of our adversaries of members of that coalition. The United States is not. If this coalition were to develop a vaccine, if they were to get there before the United States, then we dont have a seat at the table to try to decide where that vaccine goes. It is a question of whether we would be able to get it to the United States if were not sitting at that table. Why not hedge our bets . I hope that the dollars that weve appropriated here in the United States senate lead to the discovery of a vaccine happening here. But if it doesnt, why would we not also want to be part of a coalition like cepi so that if they discover the vaccine first, we get the benefit of it, or at the very least we get a say in where it goes . Thats all this resolution said, and yet we couldnt get it passed. This resolution was especially important because there is something extraordinary happening right now. It is not as if the Trump Administration has decided that they are not going to go forward with membership in cepi because they are going to lead a Different International coalition. No. In fact, the Trump Administration is taking a giant step back from the world and from International Organizations just at the moment when it is most necessary for us to be cooperating with the rest of the world in finding a vaccine or stamping out this virus. Remember how we stopped ebola from becoming a crisis in the United States is by being present in africa to make sure that it didnt reach our shores. The Obama Administration understood that travel bans and walls cant stop a virus from entering your country, so you have to stamp it out everywhere in order tock protected here in order to be protected here. And so just at the moment when we need to be more engaged with the world, the Trump Administration is withdrawing us from it. Witness the president s unprecedented attacks on the w. H. O. Now, stipulation, the w. H. O. Is not unlike any other major multinational, international organization. They have flaws. They have inefficiencies. But there is no way that you can stand up an International Coalition to manage coronavirus or prevent the next pandemic without the World Health Organization. And color me skeptical that the president is sincerely interested in reforming the w. H. O. It seems as if it has been a fairly recent interest of the white house. One of the ways i can tell that is that we have a seat on the governing board at the w. H. O. If we have legitimate grievances over how the w. H. O. Is run and i am amongst those who has a laundry list of reforms i would like to see at the w. H. O. The proper way to express those grievances would be through our seat on the board at the w. H. O. But you know what . Its been vacant for three years. The Trump Administration hasnt put anybody on the board. They nominated somebody, but then senator mcconnell didnt bring him up for a vote and then his name had to be withdrawn and it took another ten months for the senate to finally put somebody on it, in the middle of this crisis. And so weve been absent from the w. H. O. For three years. But now the Trump Administration is leveling some pretty serious criticisms at that organization. Many of them crystallized in a letter that the president released to the world last night. And what is extraordinary about this letter is that it is almost as if the president took a letter that detailed his administrations failings with respect to how it addressed the early moments of coronavirus and just substituted in the w. H. O. For the Trump Administration, because in this letter to the w. H. O. , it says the World Health Organization has repeatedly made claims about the coronavirus that were either grossly inaccurate or misleading heres President Trump on january 22. Question, are there worries about a pandemic at this point . No, not at all. We have it totally under control. Its one person coming in from china, and we have it under control. Its going to be just fine. You want to talk about the leading worlds figure making misstatements about the seriousness of coronavirus, it was President Donald Trump especially in january and february when we could have been getting a head start. Further in this letter it says, the World Health Organization has been curiously insistent on praising china for its alleged transparency. Heres president donald j. Trump on january 24. This isnt in answer to a question. This is just an unsolicited remark about china on his twitter account. He says china has been working very hard to contain the coronavirus. The United States greatly appreciates the efforts and the transparency. It will all work out well. In particular on behalf of the American People, i want to thank president xi. There was no more enthusiastic cheerleader for china and its response to coronavirus in january, february, and march than our own president. If President Trump wants to level criticisms at the w. H. O. For being too soft on china, he has to look himself in the mirror and understand that it frankly would have been hard for the w. H. O. To stand up and contradict its most important donor and patron, the United States of america. On february 7 the president was given this question are you concerned china is covering up the full extent of coronavirus . President trumps answer no. China is working very hard. Theyre working very hard. I think theyre doing a very professional job. February 18 mr. President , are you still satisfied with how president xi is handling the coronavirus . I think president xi is working very hard. Question some people dont seem to trust the data coming from china. Are you worried about that . Trump look, i know this, president xi loves the people of china. He loves his country. Hes doing a very good job. February 26 how can you legitimately trust president xi and the chinese, the question is. I can tell you this, i speak to him. I had a talk with him recently. Hes working hard on this problem. Theyre tough and very smart. There was no one who was defending china more vociferously in january and february than President Trump. It came on the heels of his decision to pull out twothirds of c. D. C. Scientists out of that country, to shutter a program that was tracking viruses around the world including china, and now the president has compounded that error by pulling the United States out of the w. H. O. , an imperfect but absolutely necessary body that can be the only natural source of convening for a fight to stop coronavirus over the course of this summer and this fall and to prevent the next pandemic. This is a moment when we should be putting a foot forward into the world and leading, and leading. There is no wall. There is no travel restriction that can stop this virus. Why do we know that . Because the president crowed about his travel restriction on china and we found out that 400,000 people got here from countries subject to the ban before and after it was put into effect. He sends out pictures on a regular basis of a wall going up with mexico. That didnt stop this virus from getting here. We need to be present in the world stage right now. And finally, madam president , if the president s complaint is that china and the w. H. O. Are too close, then by withdrawing from the w. H. O. We are effectively exacerbating the problem that the president identifies as one that needs to be solved. Why . Because yesterday president it xi accepted an invasion to speak before the w. H. O. An invitation to speak before the w. H. O. , an invitation that President Trump turns down. And he pledged to lead the worlds response to the humanitarian suffering caused by coronavirus. Now color me skeptical about chinas intentions, but the fact is they were on that world stage putting 2 billion into that effort yesterday, and we were nowhere to be found. The greatest beneficiary that comes from the United States stepping back at this moment, walking away from the w. H. O. Is the Chinese Government. I believe that our security will be defined by our ability to contest efforts by china to grow its power around the world. We are gifting them, gifting them an advancement of their power and influence through our refusal to take part in the w. H. O. , our refusal to lead the effort to reform it, and our refusal as called upon in this resolution that was objected to earlier today offered by senator durbin to be part of a global effort to try to find a vaccine. I yield the floor. Mr. Inhofe madam president. The presiding officer the senator from oklahoma. Mr. Inhofe madam president , i was sitting through the last few speakers and listening to them. You can tell that its an election year. The democrats want to defeat President Trump, and i think sometimes a tactic to use is to get someones strongest point and try to turn it into his weakest point. In this case we have heard in the last few minutes that the president is handling the coronavirus completely wrong, that he is critical and then he was friendly to, i couldnt quite figure out the relationship with china. I know that the democrats in this chamber are generally perceived as the Close Friends of china and president xi and some of the rest of them. And also to talk about what Speaker Pelosi has done in terms of the bill that was passed in the house. And the criticism that were not taking up that bill. All that bill is, its were not supposed to be talking about anything at all about heavy spending except doing something about coronavirus. This is something that no one has anything to do with. We didnt know it was going to happen. We had no preparation for it. Ive never experienced it in my life and yet i do remember so well when this body, the senate, was working on a coronavirus bill and we were to be voting on it on a sunday at 6 00 in the evening. And the speaker of the house, nancy pelosi, came dancing in, and this was the first time i even knew she was in town because the house wasnt in session. And she stopped it. She used her influence to try to stop it and did successfully stop that vote from taking place at 6 00 on a sunday night. And Nothing Happened except a halt from then until 6 00 on thursday night when we finally did vote on it. In the meantime, how many days passed, how many people died in the meantime . And then when they come up in the house and they come up with a bill that is supposedly their answer to the coronavirus, it has nothing to do with coronavirus. It has to do with the very liberal democrat agenda taking advantage of the fact that this crisis is on us in order to use this to try to get things passed. Im talking about i dont have any notes down here with me. I dont know what shes using, gun control, or what other efforts they were using in that bill, but its one that has no place in the discussion when were talking about coronavirus, the tragedy thats there. People are dying and the effort. And this president , i have to say, has done a great job in addressing this. Hes the one who is every single day there with the top medical people. And then at the end of the day, having a News Conference and getting it from the to the public. What can we do better than we havent been doing . He has handled it in a very, very effective way. But thats not why im here on the floor. Im here with something that is very sensitive to me that i want to share. I wish to make some unscripted comments but theyre sincere. Theyre comments theyre from the heart. I hope im accurate when i say this. I think in some respect i discovered tom coburn and then i suspect time and i are the only two who ever had a major highlevel political, National Discussion in odear, oklahoma. I heard many years ago that there is a very conservative doctor from ow oklahoma and i remember calling him up and asking him to run for the house of representatives. And he did. He kept his commitment. He did everything that he was supposed to do. I always remember that day because as senator coburn knows, we have a place my wife and i built at a big lake in oklahoma in 1962. A lot of people outside of oklahoma dont realize oklahoma has more miles of fresh water shoreline than any of the 50 states. Its a biglake state. And she and i built our place way back a long time ago. And when i drive up there, you go through that little town of adare, oklahoma and i go by that little sheltered area that is half torn down by now, years have gone by. They tore down the biggest bank in town when they built that. Every time i go by there, i have to say i recall meeting for the first time with a young doctor from muskogee tom coburn. I regret to say there are times in our Service Together when weve not been in agreement on specific issues, and i think weve we have one characteristic in common and that is were both bull headed which has created some temporary hard feelings, but there is one thing that overshadows that and that is jesus has a feal. His family has a family. His family has a lot of people in it. Some are here in this room. Tom coburn and i are brothers. In the 20 years that ive been here in the senate, i dont believe i heard a speech that was as touching as and as sincere as the speech i heard from my junior senator, the senator just a short time ago. I really believe that in spite of all the things that have happened and there were some differences but they were minor, that he never ceased to be my brother and i want to ask the senator right now to forgive me for the times i perhaps had said something unintentional and not always right and was not always from the heart. But i want my junior senator to know that i sincerely love him and going to be hurting with him, the troubles that he has right now or might have in the future and will sorely miss him in this body. And i ask the record to show that i sincerely love my brother senator tom coburn. Madam president , the speech i made in december 11, 2014, its kind of funny because after the disagreement that he and that we had, that he and i were talking just a short time ago and that was well after this speech i made in 2014 and neither one of us could remember what issue it was that we disagreed on but we knew there was one there. Well, heres the truth. There was no one like dr. Tom coburn. There was no one like him in oklahoma where he was a simple country doctor from muskogee. He was a Family Doctor who delivered thousands of babies in northeastern oklahoma. I told him when he was first running running for the first time, you dont have any problem. All you have to do is get all the babies you delivered and have them bring their families along. That will be an overwhelming victory. But there was no one like him where he was a true fiscal conservative who stayed true to his purposes. He had the skills that made him arguably the most thoughtful advisor in the republican conference. I think this is somewhat characteristic of doctors. Doctors are its part of their culture. They advise people. People listen to them. And thats what tom tom was always an advisor to everyone. In every policy decision, tom sought to be a faithful steward of the taxpayers money and a dedicated Public Servant to oklahoma. He had an impressive record of service in the house of representatives as well as serving in the senate with me. But nothing about that legacy would have mattered to tom. Tom knew what mattered in life. What mattered in life. His family, carolyn and the three daughters. Carolyn, i suspect you probably are even watching right now. I want you to know how many people in this body tom is not here anymore but how many people love you. Tom knew what was important in life and in jesus. Hes a brother in the lord. He was my brother. He will also be a member of this institution, but we need to make it official. So in honor of his life and legacy, id like to ask unanimous consent that the Senate Approve a resolution in honor of the life and legacy of tom coburn, a doctor from muskogee and to do that, i would say as if in legislative session, i ask unanimous consent that the senate proceed to the consideration of Senate Resolution 583 submitted earlier today. The presiding officer the clerk will report. The clerk Senate Resolution 583 honoring the life and achievements of former United States senator thomas alan coburn and expressing condolences to the family of thomas alan coburn on his passing. The presiding officer is there objection to proceeding to the measure . Without objection, the senate will proceed. Mr. Inhofe thank you. I ask unanimous consent that the resolution be agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, and that the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table with no intervening action or debate. The presiding officer without objection. Mr. Inhofe thank you, madam president. I have one request for a committee to meet during todays session of the senate. It has been has the approval of the majority and the minority. The presiding officer duly noted. Mr. Inhofe i yield the floor. I suggest the absence of a quorum. The presiding officer the clerk will call the roll. Quorum call quorum call a senator i ask unanimous consent the quorum call be dispensed with. The presiding officer without objection. Mr. Cornyn madam president , president eisenhower once said farming looks mighty easy when your plow is a pencil. And youre a thousand miles away from a cornfield. Those were wise words from a wise man. If youre trying to get a view of whats happening across america, you certainly cant get a comprehensive picture staying here in washington, d. C. Or even listening to the national media. Thats why whether youre working on a farm bill, a highway bill, or a coronavirus recovery bill, id look to my constituents for feedback, and i know we all do the same. Since we first learned that evacuees from china would be headed to joint base san antonio for a 14day quarantine, i have been in close contact with folks in texas, starting with san antonio, about the coronavirus. I have joined dozens if not a hundred or more videoconferences with groups covering every industry who have shared honest perspectives about how things are going, whats working, and what more is needed from congress. Ive spoken with nurses and hospital administrators about the need for additional personal protective equipment to protect our health care heroes. Ive spoken with researchers and scientists even as recently as today in the ongoing quest to develop vaccines and treatments. And of course with farmers and ranchers and producers about their struggle to cope with a glut of supply and reduced demand. And with Small Business owners about the impact of this virus on their businesses, their workforce, and their communities. Their feedback has been invaluable to the work of the senate as we continue our mission to lead america through and eventually out of this crisis. As states across the country begin to reopen their economies, the light at the end of the tunnel is getting a little bit brighter, but there is still a whole lot of work that needs to be done. Yesterday, i spoke with some of my friends at texans for lawsuit reform and the Texas Civil Justice League and a number of other business stakeholders about the critical need for Liability Protection in our next piece of coronavirus legislation. Were already seeing that across america, there is a wave of covid19related lawsuits rolling in, and without action on our part, there is genuine fear that these lawsuits could hurt the very people we need to be helping right now get through this weakened economy. One of the texans on the call talked about the vast challenges our Health Care Workers have faced over the last several weeks. As hospital beds begin piling up, the strain on Health Care Workers became a serious problem. Many states loosened restrictions to allow outofstate or retired physicians to join the fight on the front lines, and countless Health Care Workers are being cross trained or redeployed to help fill personnel shortages. You may see pediatricians caring for adults or anesthesiologists working in the i. C. U. On top of that, these men and women are forced to make tough, almost impossible decisions, every day. They may have half a dozen patients who desperately need a ventilator but only two machines available. We should not put our Health Care Workers in an impossible situation where we ask them to do everything they can to help and then we punish them by subjecting them to litigation when somebody claims that they could or should have done better. Its just not Health Care Workers, though, who could emerge from this crisis only to be greeted by an avalanche of lawsuits. As our economy begins to reopen, businesses are dusting off their tables, barber chairs, gym equipment, whatever the case may be, and preparing to welcome customers back through their doors. Theyre following the guidance from the state and the center for Disease Control and taking every precaution they recommend to protect both their employees and their consumers, but despite their best efforts, there is nothing stopping someone who contracts the virus from saying it happened at that particular business and then suing. One of the people on our call yesterday said his business has faced many lawsuits before, and he knows that even if you have done absolutely nothing wrong, defending these lawsuits can be a huge, huge expense. He pointed out the cause that causation is a particular concern when you talk about a virus. Were still learning about it, but we know that the incubation period could take up to 14 days, making it nearly impossible to prove when and where the virus was contracted. And while ordinarily it would be the burden of the person bringing suit to prove causation, we know that in jury trials, anything can happen, and that this is not enough to stop opportunistic litigation to try to either get a successful jury verdict and judgment or just a nuisance settlement because of the cost of defense. Across the country, were already seeing coronavirus lawsuits rolling in, targeting not only our Health Care Workers and businesses but nursing homes, assisted living facilities, universities, governments, you name it. Without action from congress, the litigation epidemic will be a big one and will add insult to injury from to this from this pandemic. We simply cannot allow this tidal wave of lawsuits to sweep away our Health Care Workers, nonprofits, and businesses who followed the guidelines and acted in good faith. Congress needs to put in place common sense reforms to protect those who have helped the American People get through this crisis and who will help lead us out of it. Im working with my colleagues on a proposal that would achieve this goal through temporary and targeted protections related to covid19 lawsuits. That includes our Health Care Workers who have been on the front lines battling this pandemic, the businesses that are going to Great Lengths to safely reopen their doors, the nonprofits helping their communities during a time of unprecedented need. Despite what some of the folks on the left try to claim, this isnt a ban on lawsuits. Nobody is suggesting we have blanket judgment. No one wants to let bad actors get away with their bad behavior and to reward it. But as my constituents told me yesterday, the fear of unrestrained litigation could be the boot on the neck of our economy and add insult to injury for our Health Care Workers and others who in good faith did precisely what they were asked to do during this time of crisis. We need to put commonsense safeguards in place to ensure that those operating in good faith and following all the relevant guidelines cannot be sued into oblivion because of a particular outcome. When people are doing the best they know how to do during a time of crisis in good faith and doing exactly what the Public Health officials and their government officials are telling them to do. This is going to be a critical aspect to our recovery not only in texas, but in every state across the nation. Weve counted on all of these people from our Health Care Workers to local businesses to help get us through this crisis. We cant let them down now. Madam president , i yield the floor. I note the absence of a quorum. The presiding officer the clerk will call the roll. Quorum call a senator madam president. The presiding officer the senator from West Virginia. Mrs. Capito madam president , could i ask that you vitiate the quorum call. The presiding officer without objection. Mrs. Capito thank you. Thank you, madam president. I rise today to address the health care and economic crisis facing our nation because of covid19. According to Johns Hopkins university more than 1. 5 million americans have tested positive for covid and more than 90,000 have died. 1,509 West Virginians tested positive for covid and 6 have died according to our States Department of health and human services. We mourn each one of those lost lives for their families and remember the families that grieve for them now and the friends that have lost a loved one. And all of us join together. And we thank all of the heroes who are on the front line performing lifesaving and lifesustaining jobs during this pandemic. The economic consequences of this pandemic have been devastating as well. But the health devastation is what really, i think, breaks all of our collective hearts. On the economic front, nationally the Unemployment Rate is 14. 7 . 36. 5 million americans have filed for unemployment since midmarch, an incredible number. In our small state of West Virginia, 164,000 unemployment claims have been processed since march, and the Unemployment Rate is over 15 . With these terrible facts and the urgency of them, it is right for congress to come together to take bold action. Weve enacted four major pieces of Bipartisan Legislation to help ease this crisis. Most significant of those of course was the cares act which passed this body by 960. With bipartisan support, the cares act provided 100 billion for our hospitals and medical providers to help them respond to this crisis. Together we created the Paycheck Protection Program, p. P. P. , as Everybody Knows it, to save jobs and keep our employees and employees connected, but to save jobs at Small Businesses and help those businesses survive. As of this weekend, 15,972 West Virginians, Small Businesses have taken advantage of the p. P. P. Program. The cares act provided direct relief for the American People through payments of up to 1,200 a piece. And more than 780,000 payments totaling 1. 3 billion have been sent to my fellow West Virginians. The cares act increased Unemployment Benefits to help meet the needs of those workers who lost their jobs due to the crisis, and we see the numbers. That has been a great benefit, and it provided significant resources for our state and local governments. Our state of West Virginia received 1. 25 billion to help our state, city, and county governments. After the cares act, despite some delays, we came together again and passed additional Bipartisan Legislation that provided more funding for the p. P. P. Program. Also more resources for hospitals, more money for covid testing. We just sent 57 million to the state of West Virginia for more testing. And in a bipartisan way, Congress Responded to the needs of our medical community, as we should. Our Small Businesses, our workers, our families, our state and local governments and our heroes are essential workers. As our communities begin the process of carefully reopening, we know that more federal resources and additional legislation will in all likelihood be necessary. We all hope that our economy which only months ago was very strong can rebuild quickly. But our Small Businesses and workers will need additional help. Theres no question that that will happen. As we face the possibility of a second wave of infections later this year, we should continue to build our stockpile of medical supplies and our hospitals. Ive heard from our governor, county commissioners, and our mayors across West Virginia about the lost state and local government revenues caused by covid. Allowing the cares act funds to be used to replace these lost revenues will make sure that state and local governments can continue to meet the Public Safety and Public Health needs. This is critical. I have joined senator sullivan and others in supporting Bipartisan Legislation that would do just that. We should enact meaningful Liability Reform to protect our hospitals, doctors, businesses, college, universities, and nonprofits from Lawsuit Abuse. Those who do their best to treat patients following government guidelines and prevent the spread of the contagiouses virus should not be held liable when treatments fail or covid spreads. Unless we act, Lawsuit Abuse could choke off our economic recovery. And we should hold china china accountable for hiding the true scope of the covid pandemic, making the global spread of this disease much, much worse. We should all work on all of these priorities going forward. Its appropriate that congress should examine the effectiveness of the cares act. Weve been doing that for the last several weeks. Thats why im glad were here, as well as the ongoing need for resources before considering continuing new legislation to aid the nations response. But legislation passed in response to this crisis should be, as has been in the past, should be bipartisan and it should be tailored to respond to covid and the economic problems that it has caused. Speaker pelosis legislation that passed the house of representatives on friday night fails on both of these counts. To the extent there was bipartisanship on friday night, it came from the 14 democrats who voted against the speakers wish list. And the bill was certainly not tailored to help americans respond to the covid cases. There were things in there that did respond, but there was a whole lot more that i think ill talk about that i think is irrelevant. Speaker pelosis bill took a massive step toward federalizing our elections. Thats the beauty of our elections, they are all different in every single state, and our states have the decisions to make. These decisions should be made by state and local officials and not micromanaged here in washington. And, by the way, i think that makes our elections safer, that its not federalized. The bill prohibits states from requiring a photo i. D. To vote and requires states to allow sameday voter registration, something we do not do in the state of West Virginia. Aside from being bad policy, what does that have to do with covid or helping Small Businesses and working families . The word cannabis, as we might have heard already today, appears in Speaker Pelosis bill 68 times. The bill requires a report to make sure that women and minorities are able to fully participate in the cannabis industry. And it makes sure that cannabis businesses are able to access the banking system. By the way, thats an issue thats been worked on since i was over in Financial Services ten years ago. But what does that and how does that relate to covid . By allowing stimulus payments to be sent to individuals without a verified Social Security number, Speaker Pelosis bill would send taxpayer dollars to illegal immigrants, and the bill requires the department of Homeland Security to review the files of every illegal immigrant in custody to determine if he or she should be released. Speaker pelosi also appropriates 50 million for Environmental Justice grants sounds good, Environmental Justice. Im not sure what it has to do with covid but sounds good. But in reality, a lot of these funds, among other things, assist those who are working to stop industries that are very critical to my state. All the Energy Industries of coal and natural gas, thats exactly the opposite of promoting an economic recovery in the state where i live. While working families continue to struggle, Speaker Pelosis bill offers significant tax relief for rich taxpayers in high tax states. Coincidentally, thats not one of my states. We run our state on a balanced budget and very well. Overall, the house bill costs more than 3 trillion while doing little to help our economy recover and get our laid off workers back on the job. There is a bipartisan model out there for working together in response to this crisis. Weve done it four times, as i mentioned. But that model is certainly not what the house passed on last friday night. The senate is continuing to hold hearings. Were having them today, to learn more about the Current Crisis and provide oversight. More importantly, were listening to the people in our states and their needs and their wants and their fears and their hopes and dreams. Im confident that we will take responsible action to build our economy together, that well put people back to Work Together, and well help keep our families safe and healthy. Together we can do this. Speaker pelosis legislation will not become law, and she already knew that when she passed it. But we will continue to press forward to respond as one nation and one people to this unprecedented disaster. I yield back. The presiding officer the clerk will call the roll. Quorum call quorum call the presiding officer the majority leader. Mr. Mcconnell i ask consent that further proceedings under the quorum call be dispensed with. The presiding officer without objection. Mr. Mcconnell i ask unanimous consent that notwithstanding the provisions of rule 22, the cloture votes with respect to the manasco and heil nominations occur at 11 00 a. M. And 12 30 p. M. Respectively tomorrow. I further ask that notwithstanding the provisions of rule 22, if cloture is invoked on the nominations, the confirmation votes occur at 3 00 p. M. And 4 30 p. M. Tomorrow respectively. Further, that following disposition of the heil nomination, cloture ripen with respect to the badalamenti nomination. Finally, if nil of the nominations are confirmed, the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table and the president be immediately notified of the senates action. The presiding officer is there objection . Without objection. The question occurs on the nomination of the trainor nomination. Is there a sufficient second . There appears to be. The clerk will call the roll. Vote vote vote vote the presiding officer are there any senators in the chamber who wish to vote or change their vote. Seeing none. The ayes are 49. The nays are 42. The nomination is confirmed. Under the previous order, the motion to reconsider sr the motion to reconsider is considered made and laid upon the table and the president will be immediately notified of the senates actions. Mr. Mcconnell mr. President. The presiding officer the majority leader. Mr. Mcconnell i ask unanimous consent the senate be in proceed to legislative session for a period of morning business with senators permitted to speak therein for up to ten minutes each. The presiding officer without objection. Mr. Mcconnell i ask unanimous consent the senate now proceed to the en bloc consideration of the following Senate Resolutions submitted earlier today. S. Res. 584, 585, 586, 587, 588. The presiding officer without objection, the senate shall proceed to the resolutions en bloc. Mr. Mcconnell i ask unanimous consent the resolutions be agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table all en bloc. The presiding officer without objection. Mr. Mcconnell so now, mr. President , i ask unanimous consent that when the senate completes its business today, it adjourn until 10 00 a. M. , wednesday, may 20, further, following the prayer and pledge, the morning hour be deemed expired, the journal of proceedings be approved to date, and the time for the two leaders be reserved for their use later in the day, and that morning business be closed. Further, following leader remarks, the senate proceed to executive session to resume consideration of the manasco nomination under the previous order. The presiding officer without objection. Mr. Mcconnell if theres no further business to come before the senate, i ask that it stand adjourned under s. Res. 583 as a further mark of respect for the late tom coburn, former senator from the state of oklahoma. The presiding officer under the previous order and pursuant to s. Res. 583, the Senate Stands adjourned until wednesday, may 20, 2020, and does so as a form of respect to the morning business. The presiding officer without objection. Mr. Grassley im deeply concerned about reports that china began hoarding medical supplies in early january while working to prevent the World Health Organization from sounding the alarm about the virus pandemic. By analyzing International Trade data, the department of Homeland Security assessed that the Chinese Government intentionally concealed the severity of the covid19 from the