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

Protection program and businesses of all sizes have started to use the tax tools that we provided for their liquidity. But in that time the critics have also done what they do best. They criticize. The need came has seized on an opportunity to perpetuate every negative story that critics can manufacture. You can imagine my surprise when democrats criticized the net operating loss carryback provisions in the cares act. Because oddly democrats previously supported the last three bills where we expanded the net operating loss carrybacks in 2002, 2005, and even in 2009 with all democrat rule. So i dont recall in any of those instances any partisan attacks from democrats about this previously bipartisan, antirecessionary policy tools. So why now . Sadly, that irresponsibility has led our democratic colleagues in the house to pass legislation that would take back important tax tools that we have provided in the cares act to the tune of 254 billion, and thats a tax increase on the american businesses and more taxes, less employers or less employees. Its hard to understand how the House Democrats think that this policy makes any sense. Imposing tax increases when you have a downturn. Ism posing a quarter of a trillion dollars imposing a quarter of a trillion dollars retroactively on businesses in need of cash to restart their operations as states begin to lift shutdown orders is a recipe for further disaster as opposed to the disaster were already in. It makes one think that House Democrats dont want an economic recovery, at least until they can defeat President Trump. Ism posing such a tax imposing such a tax increase when the country is facing unemployment levels not seen since the Great Depression fails the commonsense test. Its even more disturbing to the extent that the House Democrats proposal targets Small Businesses and other pas passthrough entities. Arent these losses just as real as larger corporations and their need for liquidity possibly even greater . According to the tax foundation, more than 90 of american businesses in recent years operate as passthrough entities. Passthrough businesses include some of those hardest hit by this pandemic were in. Farmers, restaurants, manufacturers, retailers, health care providers. And they employ over half of americas workers. And yet the democrats want to take them on. Its critical that these businesses also survive this pandemic to ensure that americans have jobs to return to as it becomes safe to go back to work. Ive heard some critics even suggest that allowing Small Businesses and passthroughs to use their net operating losses is kind of a tax gimmick or loophole. Apparently they dont understand that these are real economic losses that businesses incur because there isnt enough income to cover payroll, rent, utilities, and other fixed expenses. Now the whole goal of the cares act is to help businesses tax paid as taxes in private years when times were very good so that they can survive through this current crisis. When we drafted this cares act, we didnt pick winners and losers and government shouldnt pick winners and losers. The tools generally apply to all types and sizes of businesses, from farmers and sole proprietiorships to partnerships to l. L. C. s, and S Corporations and to the large corporations. They apply to all industries since every sector is bearing the brunt of stayathome and shutdown orders across our nation. Most important, we didnt try to decide which jobs were more worthy than saving than other types of jobs. Our goal was to help preserve as many jobs as possible regardless of whatever business they were in. Those objectives were the right ones. This partisan tax increase also flies in the face of antirecessionary fiscal policy 101. Would you find me a credible economist who says that we should raise taxes in a normal recession . Its just common sense not to. In normal business cycles, downturn tax increases hurt rather than help recovery. Why double down now as the house is doing in the greatest economic contraption in modern history. The House Democrats have reverted to partisan politics as usual in the middle of the worst pandemic in more than 100 years and the worst economic crisis in nearly that long. Maybe they should think about former president obamas support for this kind of antirecessionary fiscal policy back in 2009 when what former president obama said then should apply now. Dont raise taxes in a recession. Nevertheless, im hopeful that we can maintain the bipartisan spirit of the cares act in the United States senate as we chart the next steps to reopen the economy and get americans back to work. While some businesses will feel the impact of this pandemic more than others, none of these businesses are doing well. All they all deserve as many tools as we can provide to weather this storm. Whats more, employers across the country who have been relying on the cares act shouldnt be deterred by the misguided tax hike proposed by the House Democrats. That messaging bill that the house just passed cant be allowed to undermine access to capital needed to reopen their businesses, bring back employees, and win back the customers that made them successful before the pandemic attack. And to the democratic critics, i say this. Lets put away the partisan attacks. Lets put away the political pandering. Lets keep working for the good of the country so our families businesses and economy really can come out of these tough times on a strong footing and with a best shot at a rapid recovery. I yield the floor. A senator mr. President . The presiding officer the senator from iowa. Ms. Ernst mr. President , i ask unanimous consent to use my military rucksack in my speech. The presiding officer without objection. Ms. Ernst thank you, mr. President. Mr. President , on monday we honor the fallen on memorial day. While we traditionally spend this day of remembrance with our family and friends, things look look a little bit different this year. Even though we wont have the same services and ceremonies that we typically take part in, it does not make this day any less important. Just like every year, this memorial day, lets commemorate the Service Members and families who have sacrificed in defense of our freedom. The freedoms we cherish but are so often taken for granted did not come without a price. For generations american patriots have secured our blessings of liberty by willingly laying down their lives in defense of our great nation. Every fallen soldier leaves behind a grieving parent, child, sibling, spouse, or friend. These family members and friends never forget that knock at the door, the sound of taps, the loud thunder of the 21 gun salute or the touch of a folded flag once laid on a comes cet. As a casket. Ai know that the men and women n uniform who served bravely alongside the fallen never forget either. I think of iowans like iraq war veteran Richard Myles whose picture i proudly display on my desk. Iowa Army National guardsman brent maher, james carney whose family are dear friends, just 22 years old, killed in afghanistan. Army Sergeant James jamie scalberg, jr. , died in combat in afghanistan at just 25 years old leaving behind his beautiful son who was not even a year old when he lost his father. Sergeant joseph millage was killed when a roadside bomb exploded near his unit as it searched for weapons in baghdad and he was just 23. It was the knock that i gave on his mothers door to tell her that her son would never be coming back home. Imhandz Sergeant Major marilyn gabber, the first woman in the iowa Army National guard to be promoted to the rank of command Sergeant Major. Killed in iraq in a blackhawk helicopter crash. The stories and many, many more of these men and women of iowa are heartbreaking and heroic, and the very reason for a memorial day. For 23 years i served alongside the best of our nation, women and men who risked absolutely everything to preserve our great freedoms. And one of the many ways i pay tribute is through a ruck march. Every couple of months, that is until covid19, i would gather a group of people to go on a ruck march. I grab my rucksack filled with nearly 35 pounds of weight, i march down around the Washington Monument and back. These marches offer a time for us to remember and reflect on the service and sacrifice of those in our armed services. A couple of years ago i went on the baton memorial death march in white sand, new mexico. This is 26 miles. Its a marathon in the desert with a 46pound rucksack, not my typical 35 pounds. And, folks, let me tell you it was exhausting. My feet were blistered. My legs were swollen and sore and my back ached for days after. There were times during that march that i thought i couldnt keep walking and i was probably dehydrated and just simply wanted to quit. But every minute and every mile was worth it because we were honoring the lives of the fallen, those that were on that baton death march, and others who had sacrificed family, comfort, health, and in so many cases their lives. The baton march really put the meaning behind memorial day into focus. Now, while this weekend is a time to reflect on sacrifice and the lives lost, this entire month is military appreciation month. So i want to take just a minute to commend our Service Members. During this pandemic, our men and women in uniform have fought tirelessly against this invisible enemy, and they have been doing an outstanding job. For instance, our troops have stepped up to care for patients in hospitals and created deployable medical units such as the air force expeditionary medical system, Army Combat Support Hospitals and field hospitals, and Navy Expeditionary medical facilities. Members of our u. S. Air force have transported critical supplies and heroes who are near and deer my heart dear to my heart, our national guardsmen, have been working around the clock to disinfect public spaces, to hand out food, and provide transportation and logistic support. To all of our Service Members at home and abroad, thank you, and to their families and loved ones who also make tremendous sacrifices, we appreciate you and we support it. Because of the Ongoing Service of our military men and women, we will defeat this virus. Folks, on this memorial day and during military appreciation month, i pray we take time out of our lives, we pause, and we remember all of those who have made the ultimate sacrifice and the families and the friends and loved ones that theyve left behind. To all of our soldiers, airmen, marines, and sailors who never returned home, today we honor you. May god bless our troops and their families. Thank you, mr. President. I yield the floor. The presiding officer the senator from missouri. Mr. Blunt let me join my other colleagues in appreciation to senator ernst and her service, her service in iraqi freedom, her two decades of service of being ready and able to go whenever she was called to go and her continued service here and her appreciation for those who serve that she feels in such a unique way. As she pointed out, this is a different memorial day. Communities across missouri, across the country, have traditional events that long planned on memorial day. Memorial day every year looks a lot of same. It wont look the same very many places this year. If you did have a parade or an event planned, it was probably canceled weeks agency and even with the best of effort probably not put together for monday, but it doesnt mean we dont have an opportunity and an obligation, in fact, to remember those that served. Also memorial day has long become a time at least where i live in the middle of the country, maybe more southern in southern missouri than other places where memorial day really became a day to remember all those who have gone before us, those who passed along values to us, those who have done things that made life possible today. When i was growing up, sometimes we called memorial day Decoration Day because it was the beginning tradition of memorial day was to go and decorate the graves of soldiers after the civil war, and that continued. Memorial day became a time when families would go to cemeteries and youd sort of have the jean logical lesson gene gen ological lesson. Many family members who were here last year arent here today and wont be here on monday. Clearly the coronavirus pandemic has had a devastating impact on families. Its had a devastating impact on communities. Its had a devastating impact on lives, and as we support this memorial day, as we think about this memorial day, well be remembering a unique memorial day where so many have given their lives in a war that was different than other wars, to an enemy that was not easily seen, to an enemy that turned out to be deadlier around the world than any would have predicted. And thats part of memorial day this year. Part of memorial day is remembering the sacrifices that people have made. We also on this day want to remember the sacrifices that people have made to try to keep people alive in this virus, the sacrifices people have made to try to give care, to bring people out of the emergency room, to bring people off the ventilators, to do those things. It is in fact a unique memorial day. It is a memorial day where 75 years ago we were just finishing the incredible devastation, the devastating war of world war ii. V. E. Day ended the war in europe. 75 years ago today soldiers were fighting the battle of okinawa. Why us a few weeks d. Just a few weeks before that, two weeks before that, our country and our allies fought the battle of iwo jima. These were really the two last major battles of the pacific. One of the people who died at iwo jima was an 18yearold marine from bates county, missouri, named george phillips. An enemy hand grenade was tossed into the area where his squad had sought shelter. Private phillips shout add warning and threw his body on top of the grenade. Saves the lives of every other person there but gave his life to save theirs. For his actions that day, he was awarded the medal of honor. The citation was signed by another former missouri soldier from missouri, president truman, honoring that bravery, the kind of unhesitating bravery that has been so characteristic of american soldiers over centuries of understanding what it meant to defend your family, to defend your friends, to defend those serving with you, and in the case of our country, to be willing to defend freedom, to be willing to jump on the grenade, to be willing to do what was necessary to protect others. Weve seen many examples of that in the last year. Some of those examples were in the military. Others were in those who protect us in First Responders and police and fire and then many examples of people who risked their lives to save others in the virus that has attacked our country. We have a lot to think about this memorial day, a lot to dedicate ourselves toward as we look to a future where people continue to help others, to where people continue to give selfless lit, and for selflessly. And for those who have served in the military, to be willing to serve, to be willing to pay whatever price, and we stand in appreciation of that on this memorial day as we aprofess this weekend. And we approach this weekend. Mrs. Capito mr. President . The presiding officer senator from West Virginia. Mrs. Capito thank you, mr. President. It is an honor for me to be here with mi fellow senators. I was very moved by senator ernsts recounting of not only her service but the service of so many iowans. And senator blunt as well from missouri reminding me what memorial day is for and how it is commemorated around the country for those brave soldiers from missouri. So we are getting ready to commemorate memorial day, and weld be doing it differently than we have in the past years, but its still just as important for us to honor the brave men and women of the United States armed services. They have selflessly served our country by standing up to protect the freedoms that we hold so dear and go into the line of fire in many ways. This memorial day is particularly momentous because 2020 marks the 75th anniversary of the conclusion of world war ii. He recall whyer in month on may 8, as earlier this month on may 8, we recognized victory in europe day, recognizing the end of the allies european campaign. In a few months, on september 2, we will recognize the 75th anniversary of japan signing its surrender, subsequenting ending the pacific war the Pacific Campaign and the war. During world war ii, the United States lost over 400,000 soldiers who were fighting to uphold our values and defend the liberties of those abroad as well. As the daughter of a proud world war ii veteran myself, i had the chance to hear firsthand the acts of valor that my father, sergeant arch moore, witnessed on the battlefield. I also had the honor to travel to election umberg and belgium to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the battle of the budge. My dad was wounded in the herdigan force. Only three of the 36 men made it out alive. I think about those 33 men and their families on this memorial day. Being able to attend those ceremonies and to honor all the soldiers who fought during the battle of the bulge is a humbling experience i will never forget and some of them returned to commemorate that occasion, most of them in their 90s. The efforts of our Service Members in both the european and pacific theaters were great. A couple of months ago marked the 75th anniversary of the battle of iwo iwo gee m the United States marine corps and navy were able tote capture the island. While this marks the 75th anniversary of the conclusion of world war ii, we must also never forget all the americans who lost their lives in battle, whether it be the korean war, vietnam war, the first gulf war and the ongoing fight against terrorism in the middle east and all the conflicts that america has fought in. Our countrys Service Members, many of them have made the ultimate sacrifices to keep our liberties intact. I recently read a book called no surrender. You may have heard of t its a true story of his father Roddy Edmunds who risked his life during the final days of world war ii to save others from the nazis. His heroic duty saved i think thousands of lives. He was captured and sent to a p. O. W. Camp in germany. He risked his life to prevent hundreds of others from nazi persecution and possible death. But at the same time, he witnessed horrific acts and he also witnessed many, many of his fellow soldiers losing their lives in the name of freedom. The members of the United States military have always put our Country First and will continue to do so to keep our flag flying high. And Roddy Edmunds was a perfect example of this. West virginians have always believed in putting our country and state first and i am proud of all the men and women of my state, of which we have a large percentage of men and women who have answered the call of duty. It is sad that we will not be able to come together to honor the brave efforts of the men and women in our country who have given the ultimate sacrifice in service. But i know welcome together in spirit. While we might not have the usual parades and bar beus could that we have become accustomed to, we can use this time to reflect on the sacrifices made by our armed forces and their families. I encourage everyone to take the time to remember those who lost their lives searching our country. Serving our country. Memorial day is often considered the first unofficial day of the summer but really it is a time to remember those who made america the great country it is today. On monday, take the time take a moment to pray for those Service Members who have lost their lives fighting for this country and for their families as well. For the children who are out of school, take time to learn more about the men and women who came before you and defended this country and its values. I want to say thank you to all those who have served, all those families who have lost. Your sacrifice has not gone unnoticed and we are forever grateful. I yield back. A senator mr. President. The presiding officer the senator from north dakota. A senator thank you, mr. President. I rise with my esteemed colleague from West Virginia, colleague from missouri and others to remember to commemorate and honor those who have given their lives and service to this country. Mr. Hoeven those who have fought and died for our nation, secured our freedoms. And we are forever indebted to them. That includes many north dakotas who gave their lives. These Fallen Heroes served in world war i, world war ii, korea, vietnam, iraq and afghanistan. While we set aside a day each year, memorial day, to honor those who have given their lives on behalf of our nation, every day were reminded of the dedication and sacrifice of those who served to protect our freedoms and liberty. We must never forget those who have made the ultimate sacrifice as well as those who are missing in action. Thats why in 2014 i supported legislation to create the defense p. O. W. M. I. A. Accounting agency. This d. O. D. Agency seeks to locate the nearly 82,000 missing Service Personnel so we can bring them home and provide answers to their families. We also recognize that those who served do not serve alone. Friends and family of those in the service of our country also serve, and those who have lost loved ones know well the cost of freedom. As fellow americans, it is our duty to ensure their survivors are taken care of and that these heroes are never forgotten. We can better uphold our promise and honor to those who made the ultimate sacrifice by providing their fellow Service Members, veterans, and their survivors with the Health Care Benefits and recognition that they have earned. Thats why we continue to work with the department of veteran affairs as they implement the v. A. Missions act which gives our veterans more options to seek care in their home communities. That includes providing them with access to longterm and nursing home care closer to home. Last fall i also helped to dedicate the Fargo National cemetery, the first v. A. National cemetery in north dakota. We worked to secure this cemetery because its presence allows North Dakotans who have served to be laid to rest with honor while being close enough to their homes for family and loved ones to visit and pay their respects to our heroes. The new cemetery complements the North Dakota Veterans Cemetery in mandan operated by the state. To help support maintenance and operations, im helping introduce a bipartisan bill, bipartisan legislation, the Veterans Cemetery grants improvement act with senators tester, rounds, and reed, so that stateoperated veterans cemeteries receive the funding they need to ensure that all of our veterans can be laid to rest closer to their loved ones. Our Service Members and their families have given much in defense of our nation and our way of life. In the state of north dakota especially has a rich tradition of military service. With deepest appreciation and admiration, we look to the meaning of their Service Never forget to honor those who have passed and extend our gratitude to the family and loved ones left behind. May god bless those who have gone before, those who continue to serve, may he continue to bless this great country that they have served so very well. With that, mr. President , i yield the floor. Ms. Collins mr. President. The presiding officer the senator from maine. Ms. Collins thank you, mr. President. Mr. President , throughout america, we set aside memorial day to honor those who gave their all for all of us. But this memorial day will be very different from those we have celebrated in the past as we honored our veterans. This memorial day there will be no big parades, no formal ceremonies at state veterans cemeteries. In bangor, maine, where i live, each year there is a fabulous memorial day parade in which veterans from all conflicts and all eras march down main street, often with walking sticks that were provided by one of maines greatest veterans, galen cole, who passed away recently, a world war ii veteran, who made a pledge that he would always honor our veterans. But despite the absence of big parades and big celebrations and fireworks this year, mr. President , we should still take the time to honor those who have worn the uniform of our country. From americas founding to our time, the men and women of our armed forces have written the history of our freedom. From generation to generation they add new and inspiring chapters of valor, devotion to duty, and sacrifice. As we honor the fallen, we also honor those who served and returned home and those who serve today. Joined together as we grieve for their fallen comrades. We also thank the families, the husbands, the wives, the sons and daughters, brothers and sisters, mothers and fathers who endure the grief that is part of freedoms price. It is significant that a day dedicated to the deepest of Human Emotions grief, remembrance, and gratitude began not by decree from any high authority, but in the hearts of everyday people. As the civil war ravaged the countryside and took on an ever greater and more ghastly toll, widows and grieving mothers on both sides of the conflict began placing wild flowers on the graves of the soldiers, regardless of uniform, who fell in their fields and forests. From those humble beginnings, we have remained true to memorial days original spirit. Memorial day is a national observance, yet it remains deeply personal for each of us. For me, it brings back a cherished memory from my early childhood. My father was a world war ii veteran who was wounded twice in the battle of the bulge. He taught me to honor our veterans and our flag. And each year as i was growing up, he would take me to the memorial day parade in our hometown of caribou, maine. He would perch me high on his shoulders, and there from the best Vantage Point i could see our veterans march by and our flag go by. Memorial day is all about remembrance. It is also about our resolve to uphold the values that sacrifice sacrifice we honor today. This was best articulated in what many regard as the first and finest memorial day speech. It was not given on a warm may morning, but on a chilly november afternoon in a place called gettysburg. These are the words of president abraham lincoln. That from these honored dead, we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion. Mr. President , may those who have fallen rest in peace. May we always remember them this memorial day and forever. And may god bless the United States of america. A senator mr. President. The presiding officer the senator from indiana. Mr. Young memorial day, we travel door to door in neighborhoods across this country. All americans will agree that this day is special. Its a day to honor the men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice on behalf of our country. Thanks to their heroism, we have our freedom, our strong democracy, and our countrys greatness. For their contributions, we owe them a debt we can never repay. It was 152 years ago that our 16th president , abraham lincoln, enacted the First National memorial day. It was a day meant to honor the valiant soldiers who fought in the civil war, and today we still heed abraham lincolns timeless words bind up the nations wounds to care for him who shall have borne the battle, and for his widow and his orphan. To me, memorial day is a day to reflect, reflect on the hoosiers and other great americans weve lost to causes greater than their own. This day honors alec, Lance Corporal alec derwisky of dubois, indiana, a fellow United States marine. Alec lost his life in the service in afghanistan in 2012 and i proudly wear his memorial bracelet around my wrist as a reminder of that sacrifice. The state honors Corporal James gr resam. Hes in the history book of being among the First American soldiers to give their lives in the line of duty during world war i. This day honors charles, Sergeant Charles g. Ruble of parker city, killed in 1944. His remains were recently identified and returned to the United States and in march he was buried with full military honors at Arlington National cemetery. And this day honors christopher. Just two weeks ago we lost Sergeant Christopher wesley curry. Only 23 years old, this hoosier soldier from terre haute, indiana, was stationed in iraq. Those who knew christopher said sergeant currys incessant optimism was the hallmark of his personality and often provided respite for others during times of stress. His honesty, lightheartedness, and wit will always be remembered by his brothers in arms. To those who are not here today because they made the ultimate sacrifice for our nation, we humbly say thank you. Their legacy lives on in the hearts of every american. God bless america. I yield back, mr. President. A senator mr. President. The presiding officer the senator from kansas. Mr. Roberts thank you, mr. President. Thank you to senator young, senator collins who just preceded me and set the tone as only they can do with regard to honoring memorial day. And it is truly an honor, mr. President , to stand on the floor of the senate and speak about so many who have served and defended our nation. As the son of a world war ii veteran, a marine veteran, i might add, and a veteran myself, also a marine, it is a privilege to represent our men and women in uniform in the United States senate to be able to ensure that they have all the tools they need to fulfill their missions, to ensure their families are supported here at home, and to ensure our veterans receive the care and services that they deserve. Just a word about my dad. He was 41 when the war started. He joined the marines. He was in a noncombat role, a recruiting station in kansas city. They looked and looked and looked for a combat bullet and found one that said the top age was 39. They needed people. He was 41. He lied about his age and went to see action in guam, okinawa, and, yes, iwo jima. I went to iwo jima on the 15th anniversary. Thats about 60 years ago when he died when standing on top of a mountain, he stopped to realize the sacrifice my dad and others made. He survived those attacks and thanks to this president truman for allowing my dad to get back. Throughout our history, our nations men and women have stepped forward to protect us. From terrorism to cyberattacks to unpredictable regimes with the ability why i to astack our attack our shores and with global pandemics. The principles set forth by our Founding Fathers have been defended by our brave men and women in uniform. I stand here once again to commemorate those who have made the ultimate sacrifice for our freedoms. Hopefully they will continue to be remembered by those of us who recognizes those who have given so much out of the love for their country, their family, and their fellow citizens. And remembering service and sacrifice does not just happen on memorial day. One of the greatest honors for me to meeting the veterans who visit washington, d. C. , through the incredible efforts of the honor flight network. Having the opportunity to visit with members of the greatest generation who make the journey to washington, often with High School Students who are learning first hand about their service and that history, so they can see their memorial is a humbling and uplifting experience for me and for all of us. To watch these men and women share their stories, many for the first time is incredibly moving. When meeting these members of the greatest generation, you understand how befitting that label is for these humble men and women who stood in face of tyranny and triumph. We see this same courage and resolve demonstrated daily by the good men and women currently serving in our Armed Forces Throughout the world. We see acts of uncommon valor and great sacrifice for a cause and something bigger than just one person. So we honor all of the american men and women who gave their lives for our country, since our nations founding, Susan Collins just referred to that in her fine speech. We honor the most than 300,000 living veterans from the greatest from those folks to the greatest generation and we honor the families of those who are here and are serving many speaking of the greatest generation, mr. President , i have the honor to be the chairman of the eisenhower memorial commission, it pays tribute to kansas favorite son and ikes leadership both as supreme allied commander where he saved western democracy and the 34th president of the United States. This memorial will serve as a symbol for all generations with a promise of america and what our values make possible here and around the world. Now we were supposed to dedicate this memorial this month, but like everything else, the pandemic put those plans on hold. When we dedicated the memorial in september, we hope to have many world war ii veterans attending, including kansas other famous son, senator bob dole. While our debt to these heroes can never be repaid, i know that my fellow kansans agree that these liberators and defenders of democracy deserve our respect and gratitude. I will quote from general eisenhower. There is nothing wrong with america that the faith, love of freedom, intelligence, and energy of her citizens cannot cure. I hope that those words by ike at that particular time can ring true in this body and more especially those of us who have been privileged to serve in this body. There is another quote i will repeat from winston churchill, who said kites rise highest against the wind, not with it. We have seen a lot of talk about the pandemic, and those winds have been a bit a bit partisan to see the say the least. I would hope we would stop and honor memorial day in the true way we should do that. I would also close by saying that in the words of ronald reagan, freedom is only one generation away from extinction. It is not ours by inheritance. It must be fought for and defended constantly by each generation for it comes only once to a people. Those who have known freedom and have lost it have never known it again. I think president reagan gives us a great deal of insight. Thank you, mr. President. I yield the floor. Mr. Roberts mr. President. The presiding officer the senator from kansas. Mr. Roberts upon close observation, i suggest the absence of a quorum. The presiding officer the clerk will call the roll. Quorum call a senator mr. President. The presiding officer the senator from virginia. Mr. Warner mr. President , i rise today the presiding officer weesh in a quorum call. Mr. Warner mr. President , i ask unanimous consent that the proceedings of the quorum call be dispensed with. The presiding officer without objection. Mr. Warner thank you, mr. President. Mr. President , i rise today concerning the tragic death of a Young Virginian who was shot and killed by two u. S. Park Police Officers over two years ago. While this tragic incident occurred, as i mentioned more than two years ago, many questions remain unanswered regarding the circumstances of bicons death. Unfortunately, the department of interior has failed to answer many of the basic questions that i have asked about the night of bisons death. The National Park service has taken following the shooting. Of november of last year i wrote the department and requested information about the u. S. Park polices use of force in vehicle pursuit policies as well as information about the Park Services response in the aftermath of bichons shooting. Unfortunately, theres been no response. The Department Found time to do some p. R. , though. They provided copies of the updated use of force and vehicle pursuit policies to the Washington Post earlier this year, but i still have not received a response to my letter that was sent over six months ago. To this point, the department has failed to answer many basic questions about this incident, questions that i have asked as well as my friend the senior senator from iowa, questions about the incident, such as did the Department Open an internal Affairs Inquiry into the incident to see if any violations of park Police Policy occurred . What is the time line for such an investigation . Is the u. S. Park Police Conducting a thorough afteraction review of the incident . What is the status to the park Police Officers involved in the incident . Are they on administrative leave . Desk duty or are they back on patrol . These are basic questions. If the department of interior had any interest in transparency, they could answer them today. The zjsar family deserves answers. The pain they endured is immeasurable. As if the death of their son isnt bad enough, they waited two years for answers from a federal government that has failed completely to adequately respond to this tragedy. Mr. President , im not going to rest until the g hsa r family has the answers they deserve about what happened to bjian that night. If the department wants to ignore these basic questions i asked, if they want to disregard legitimate congressional oversight, then there will be consequences until their action changes. In february i voted against katharine macgregors nomination to be deputy secretary of the interior. And i said very clearly at that time, if the department of interior continues to ignore my questions about the killing of bjian, then i will hold up future interior nominees. For this reason, i am today placing a hold on the nomination of lanny erdos to serve as the director of Surface Mining and enforcement within the department of interior. If we dont get answers to legitimate questions that i and other members of this body and members of the house have raised about the shooting of bjian, im prepared to hold up even more nominees. This is not something i take lightly. Holding up nominees should always be a last resort. But ive been patient. Bjians family has been patient and still the department of interior has been silent. For bjians family, two years is too long to wait. They deserve answers about and what the night their son was shot and killed. I urge the department to swiftly provide substantive answers to my outstanding questions regarding the death of bjian and the departments response. Thank you, mr. President. I yield the floor and note the absence of a quorum. The presiding officer the clerk will call the roll. Quorum call quorum call the presiding officer all time is expired. The question is on the manasco nomination. Is there a sufficient second . There appears to be. The clerk will call the roll. Vote vote vote vote the presiding officer the yeas are 7 1rbgs the nays 71, the nays are 21. The nomination is confirmed. Under the previous order, the motions to reconsider are considered made and laid upon the table and the president will be immediately notified of the senates action. Mr. Cornyn mr. President. The presiding officer the senator from texas. Mr. Cornyn mr. President , the hallmark of american democracy, the single greatest feature that sets us apart from every other country in the world is the peaceful transition of power that occurs every four, or sometimes every eight, years on january 20. Its a legacy we inherited from our forefathers and one that generations of americans have fought throughout our history hard to protect. Its a remarkable moment, the most powerful person in the world bows to the will of the people and sits only a few yards away as the next president takes the oath of office. Think about the wars that have been fought throughout history over who the next leader of a country would be. Yet in america, dating back to 1787, the peaceful transition of power has defined the american presidency. But a growing body of evidence suggests that the january 20, 2017, inauguration of President Donald Trump was an exception to that hallowed tradition. Since the f. B. I. Launched its russia probe in july 2016, theres been no shortage of stories about what did or did not happen in the months leading up to that election. For the better part of three years the speculation dominated headlines and news feeds with even the smallest details consuming hours of airtime. Beyond the russian actives measure campaign, which we know did happen, there was a lot of attention focused on the Trump Campaign itself. Now, almost four years later, we know a lot about what happened and what didnt happen. For example, we know from the Mueller Report that there was no crime of collusion or obstruction committed by the president or his campaign. But since the special counsels report was completed more than a year ago, weve learned a lot more about the outsized role played by some very Senior Obama Administration officials in what could only be described as an Insurgency Campaign against the trump presidency. To be blunt, these revelations have given the American People good reason to be concerned about the Outgoing Administration which took aggressive, poppably unlawful possibly unlawful steps to interfere with initially the Trump Campaign and then to undermine the Incoming Trump administration. For starters thereof the Inspector Generals report on the cross fire hurricane investigation, which was released in september of last year. The Inspector Generals findings find evidence that the concerns were more than warranted. Inspector general horowitz detailed a series of errors and missteps made by the f. B. I. Throughout the investigation, including alarming abuse of the powers of the foreign Intelligence Surveillance act. Now, this act confers extraordinary power on the f. B. I. And the Intelligence Community. In the fisa application for carter page, Inspector General horowitz identified seven errors in the initial application and ten additional errors in three renewals. Were not talking about innocent typos or misspelled words. This is not just sloppiness. There were significant and material errors plus the deliberate falsification of Material Information about carter pages past service to the u. S. Government as well as the omission of important ex exculpatory information. I would hope we could all agree, mr. President , that lying to a court is serious and completely unacceptable. The meticulous requirements that Congress Mandated in the foreign Intelligence Surveillance act and the proceedings in the fisa court were created to help instill trust and confidence and accountability in the institutions charged with protecting our National Security while at the same time protecting our privacy and civil liberties. Sadly, much of that trust has been destroyed by these revelations. Uncovered by the Inspector General of the department of justice. And sadly, another recent development has sewn even more distrust during the previous administration. Their motives and the legality of their action. Last week the acting director of National Intelligence Richard Grenell provided a declassified list of Senior Obama Administration officials who made requests to unmask the identity of michael flynn. Masking the name of a u. S. Person in Foreign Surveillance is routinely done to minimize the intrusion on their privacy rights. Now, i know trying to keep up with the flood of facts about these incidents can be a challenge. So lets quickly recap. General flynn was a member of the Trump Campaign and at the beginning of the administration, he was named as the National Security advisor. But we know his tenure was short lived. Only a few weeks after assuming the post, general flynn resigned after a storm erupted when leaks were published about his conversations with the Russian Ambassador kis kislyka. Im not here to talk about general flynns case. Thats in the hands of the courts. But the list of obamaera officials provided by acting director grenell gave us some unsettling details about the larger context of the whole russia investigation. If an american citizen is intercepted in connection with foreign intelligence, the name of that person is masked when intelligence reports are disseminated in order to protect their identity and their privacy. But its not unusual for intelligence officials to request that somebody be unmasked. It could be critical to a counterintelligence investigation or to understanding the nature or context of the intelligence. But here over the course of about six weeks between late november 2016 and january 2017, 39 separate obamaera officials made unmasking requests, 39. This list is very odd, including a range of highranking officials at the department of treasury and energy, a number of ambassadors and even nato officials. And it extended to the highest levels of the Obama Administration, the u. N. Ambassador samantha power. C. I. A. Director john gren nan. F. B. I. Director james comey. The president s chief of staff mcdonough and even Vice President biden himself. Madam president , it reads like a guest list for an Obama Administration state dinner. It is not what you would expect to see for legitimate unmasking requests. But you have to wonder. Why are these highranking officials, including the Vice President of the United States, unmasking the name of an american citizen in foreign intelligence on an eve of the inauguration of their successor . Then u. N. Ambassador power submitted seven separate requests. Director clapper then director of the National Intelligence submitted three. Director brennan and secretary lew each submitted two. And somehow, somehow i know this sounds strange working in washington, d. C. Somehow once general flynns name was unmasked in response to 39 separate requests from obamaera officials, that information was leaked to the press. And the Intelligence Community, intelligence is shared based on the need to know. What i want to know is what need do these 39 obamaera officials have for this sur this surveillance which included the name of a u. S. Citizen. I suspect, madam president , it was done because what naturally happens next. The more people who know, the more likely the information is to leak to the press in service of a narrative. While unmasking can be legal if done by the rules, leaking that information is not. Its a crime. Its a felony punishable by up to ten years in prison. As i mentioned when it comes to understanding this investigation, theres a lot of information to sort through. Thats why im glad that chairman lindsey graham, chairman of the judiciary committee, plans to hold extensive hearings into this whole matter, something the presiding officer and i will participate in as members of that committee. But i worry that in the process of leaning in, trying to connect the dots in a very complex situation, we could lose sight of the big picture. It appears that highranking officials from a Political Party used their positions to gain and leak information on a political rival. Now, were not just talking about one or two rogue operators here. More than three dozen senior officials released that information to the media only eight days before the end of the Obama Administration. Add to this the rapidly growing list of wrongs weve learned about so far. The Inspector General report on the foreign Intelligence Surveillance abuse, the infamous texts between lisa page and peter strawt, the first altered and now missing 302 for michael flynn. Susan rices Inauguration Day email to herself. Well, theres political intrigue and manipulation written all over this. But heres the point. Our Intelligence Community and system of justice must not be manipulated for political purposes, and they certainly must not be used as a tool to disrupt the peaceful transition of power that is the very foundation of our democracy. A monday evening attorney general barr was asked about the investigation, and he made a comment that i think appropriately sums up the entire issue. He said, the proper investigative and prosecutorial standards of the department of justice were abused in my view in order to reach a particular result. We saw two different standards of justice emerge, one that applied to President Trump and his associates and the other that applied to everyone else. We cant allow this ever to happen again. I agree with the attorney general. This entire matter has been riddled with a combination of exploitation, abuse of power, and possible criminality. At the very best it will highlights dysfunction but at worst, it looks like a coordinated effort by one administration to abuse its power to sandbag and undermine its successor. Despite the time and taxpayer dollars that have been funneled into the russiarelated probe, its provided no evidence of collusion that we thought and were told was its object. Instead its highlighted men and women at the highest levels of government using their positions for political purposes. This is a far cry from the peaceful transition of power our forefathers wanted and provided for. When exiting the Constitutional Convention in 1787, Benjamin Franklin was approached by a group of citizens who asked what type of government the delegates had created. He famously answered a republic if you can keep it. In order to maintain this grand republic, we must be able to trust our institutions, especially Law Enforcement and the Intelligence Community. We need to respect the choices of the American People in our elections which provides those elected with legitimacy and authority. These are essential to a Constitutional Republic like ours. These revelations about actions from Obama Administration officials undermine that trust and we must and will get to the bottom of it so we can assure that it never ever happens again. Madam president , i yield the floor. A senator madam president . The presiding officer the senator from maryland. Mr. Cardin thank you, madam president. Each person in this body recognizes the importance of Small Business to our economy, to our way of life. Small businesses are called the job creator in our economy. They create more jobs than Larger Companies. They provide innovative ways in order to move forward on our economy. They can figure out better ways to do things more efficiently and more meeting the needs of the people of our community. But theyre also more vulnerable. They dont have access to the type of capital that Larger Companies have. They dont have the resiliency. So when covid19 struck, we recognized, those of us in the senate and the house, recognized that we had to take special effort to protect the economic viability of the Small Businesses in our country. They did not have the reserve capital. They did not have the resiliency in order to deal with this prolonged downturn in our economy. Eight weeks ago we came together, democrats and republicans by a 960 vote and passed the cares act. I was proud that a significant part of the cares act responded to the needs of Small Businesses. We had a working group, a bipartisan working group. Senator rubio, the chairman of the Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee. Im the ranking democrat. We were joined by senator shaheen and senator collins. And we worked on an expedited way in order to see what we could do to help Small Businesses get through covid19. And the cares act provides new opportunities for us to help Small Businesses during this unprecedented disaster. We passed the p. P. P. Program, Paycheck Protection Program and provided 660 billion of help for americas Small Businesses. I want to compliment the men and women at the Small Business administration and at treasury for putting this program together literally overnight. And today 4. 3 million loans have been given under this program that didnt exist just eight weeks ago. 513 billion in loans under the Paycheck Protection Program. Thats quite an accomplishment. But there are challenges. There are challenges with any new program, but this program has its major concerns. When we passed the program, we thought eight weeks later that our economy would be performing at a much higher level than it is today. We need to revisit that. A Second Program that we modified and changed was the Economic Injury disaster loan program. We provided an additional 50 billion of funds for the eidl loaning so that the Small Business administration which makes direct loans could provide 360 billion of additional loans to Small Businesses. The eidl Program Works with the p. P. P. Program. The p. P. P. Program covers payroll for eight weeks plus some additional expenses. The eidl Program Provides working capital so Small Businesses that have been impacted by covid19 can stay afloat. Here the results are nowhere near as promising. Only 252,000 loans have been issued under the eidl loan program for under 25 billion. As i pointed out earlier, they have a capacity for 360 billion. It has been very slow at the s. B. A. In issuing eidl loans. And then we provided under the eidl program for grants. Initially we provided 10 billion. We increased that to 20 billion. And yet the number of loans that have been issued grants that have been issued under eidl, a little over a million, a little over 10 billion, but this program has not operated as we intended. We wanted these grants to be given within three days. We put that in the statute. And we certainly didnt expect that the average loan would be between 4,000 and 5,000 when we gave grants up to 10,000. So challenges exist on both the loan and Grant Program under eidl. And then we provided debt reli relief. For those who have microloans or 7a loans or 504 loans under the s. B. A. Six months of relief. And quite frankly, we dont know a lot about how that program has been working. We dont have much information about it. Thats what we did eight weeks ago and then supplemented it with some additional funds. What should we do now . The senate is not finished the senate has not finished its work as it relates to helping the Small Businesses of america. We still have work that we need to do. First and foremost, we need to have transparency and data related to how these programs are working. Expediency does not excuse transparency and accountability. Yes, we wanted to get the money out welcomely, and we got the money out quickly under the p. P. P. Program. That was our desire. But we need to have the transparency and we need to have accountability. We need to get the geographical information, including how many loans have been given in the traditionally underserved communities, minority businesses, womenowned businesses, veteranowned businesses, the rural community, the smaller of the Small Businesses. We need to get information by the size of the businesses, the number of employees that they have, the industries, the lender types. We need to get the numbers on how much has gone to the nonprofit community, to affiliates, and those under the nic code exception. All that information we need to have in order to carry out our responsibilities in the United States senate. And, yes, we need to get information from the Small Business administration and from treasury so that we can properly prepare for Additional Resources that may be needed in order to fund these programs. This is not a new request that ive made. On april 17, i joined with senator schumer, senator shaheen, and senator wyden in a letter to secretary mnuchin and administrator car ran disco asking for this information to be made available on a regular basis. To date we have still not gotten that detailed information. So i filed legislation in order to mandate that that legislation that data be provided, much of that on a daily basis. We tried to get a u. C. 0en we tried to get a u. C. On it, we could not do that. We had certain promises that that would be made available. We are still not getting the granular information thats necessary for us to properly evaluate this program. We need to get that information. We need to have transparency. We need to have accountability. Youve heard about the vie h. Highly visible loans that were made, that were given back by the probasketball team, by the larger public corporations. We need to see exactly how the money was allocated. And then theres a second thing we need to do in addition to getting the data and having transparency. We need to have a hearing in the Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee with administrator carranzs thereto answering questions as to how this program is working. Quite frankly, senator rubio,the chairman of the committee, has been trying to get that for us. And hes been rebuffed by the s. B. A. Thats not acceptable. We need to have a public hearing. I support senator rubios request that we schedule this hearing should have been scheduled by now. We are scheduling it for the week we return, the week of june 1. I hope the administrator will be here to answer questions about these programs. We have a responsibility. We have appropriated over 700 billion. We have a responsibility to conduct an adequate oversight hearing on how those funds are being used. We need to do more than that. We also need to recognize what is going to be the next step. Whats going to come next . And im going to tell you, there are certain things that can be done administratively. Some might require the action of congress. But some things can be done administratively. And we need to get that done as quickly as possible. One of the things we need to get done is to make sure that the underserved communities get adequate resources. Now, when we reauthorized the extra 310 billion for the p. P. P. Program, we allocated 60 billion to smaller Financial Institutions, and that was a step in the right direction. I noticed that secretary mnuchin mentioned before a hearing this week that he is amenable to allocating additional moneys to the cdfis. We need to allocate at least 10 billion to the cdfis and the minority depository institutions. In order that the resources are targeted to the underserved, underbanked communities. But quite frankly, i think we need to do even more than that. Ive introduced legislation with senator booker that will help develop the Financial Institutions in the underserved, underbanked communities. It will strengthen the abilities of those communities to have institutions in place that can help deal with the credit gap in the underserved communities. Our legislation would also strengthen the s. B. A. Tools that serve the underserved communities. All this, we believe, can be done to help strengthen our commitment, which was in the cares act, to make sure that all communities are fairly treated in the tools that we made available. Another thing that we can do immediately is get the data. That information can be made available now. And i know that secretary mnuchin has tried to help us get certain data, but were still not where we need to be. We need to get that information now. And another thing we can do and quite frankly, i think there is bipartisan support and a willingness on behalf of the administration and thats dealing with returning citizens who were denied any ability to participate in the p. P. P. Program. My goodness, a person who has made their debt to society, that has returned to their community, that is working a Small Business, we should say, no were not going to help them survive . They have enough challenges out there. We certainly dont want to take away their ability to take advantage of tools that are available to all americans in order to help their Small Businesses. I believe theres bipartisan support for this the. And we hope that well be able to get that done administratively. After all, the restrictions were imposed administratively. They can be removed administratively. And then theres another issue that we need to deal with immediately. And that is the eightweek restriction thats in the p. P. P. Program. It was wellintended when we passed it. It was based upon the dollars that were available. And thought that after eight weeks that by june we would see our economy back performingings at a level in which Small Businesses could be expected to be able to do well. Well, thats clearly not the case. We now need to provide additional help to Small Businesses as it relates to the eightweek period. And we can do that. We can recognize that. The money has already been ahe want proked. This does not really the money has already been appropriated. It will give Small Businesses the ability to spend the money over a longer period of time. Why . Because their businesses arent open. The eight weeks started the date they got the loan. And yet today theyre still not at full operations. And some are not at any operations. So i was pleased to see that the house acted on this by extending this to 24 weeks. I would hope that we can find Common Ground because i think there is support on both sides of the aisle to give greater discretionary on that eightweek period. So it is a longer period so the Small Business has the opportunity to spend the funds that are under the loan in a way that they can get maximum forgiveness of that loan, which will also require us to extend the june 30 date for those businesses that need extra time in order bring their workers back. I think theres general agreement on this. I would hope that we could act this week on that provision because by the time we come back after recess, the very first loans that have been issued under the pt. P. P. Program will under the p. P. P. Program will have reached their loan forgiveness deadline. We need to act before that date. There is a sense of urgency. We need to get that done this week, if at all possible. And we should work to get that done. Let me also point out that even when we fix the problems with these programs and i hope by oversight we can get the loans out there and increase the size of the eidl grants, we can get more information about the loan forgiveness and get the p. P. P. Program working in all communities, including the underserved communities, giving more flexibility to businesses on the eightweek period were going to need additional help. Eight weeks of payroll help is not going to be enough for many Small Businesses. So as we start to consider the next round, i hope that we will look at a program that is targeted to the Small Businesses that need the help the most. Our objective when we passed the bill eight weeks ago was to get money out quickly, and it was successful. Now we need to look at thesis look at those Small Businesses that have the greatest need. We need to target it to the underserved communities. We need to target it to the smaller of the Small Businesses. If we can target the program properly, the cost will be much less than the original cost, and we can save businesses that otherwise will have a hard time surviving. The key to what we did is that we worked together. It was bipartisan from the beginning. We need to do that again. Our Small Businesses and our workers and our economy depends upon us getting this right. I look forward to working with my colleagues in order to get this done. With that, madam president , i would yield the floor. Mr. Lankford madam president . The presiding officer the senator from oklahoma. Mr. Lankford i ask unanimous consent to be able to complete my remarks before the vote begins. The presiding officer without objection. Mr. Lankford in a few minutes this senate will vote on the nomination for john heil serving as a Court District court judge for oklahoma. We have three areas northern district, eastern district, Western District in oklahoma. This judge position covers all three of those and moves to wherever there is a greatest need. And we are in great need. This is a position weve needed fora while, and i am glad that john heil has gone through this process. He was overwhelming confirmed in the committee process. I look forward to him transitioning from him being a great attorney in our state to being a great judge, to be able to serve the people of oklahoma and of the United States on the federal bench. So im looking forward to that vote be completed. In the days ahead, we will celebrate Decoration Day. Decoration day was first declared locally in 1866 after the civil war. It was a day to remember those who gave their lives in battle for our country by decorating the graves and remembering their sacrifice. Now we call it memorial day. We remember all those who have given their lives for our nation. Its, unfortunately, not those who just gave their lives long past. Unfortunately, its still in the painful present. Last weekend i sat in an agonizing funeral for tec sergeant roberts, who was killed by rocket fire just two and a half months ago. He was in the process of getting others to safety when a rocket took his life. He is the first oklahoma air guardsman to ever lose his life in battle, and this memorial day will be very different for his wife, his daughter, their family in and the state of oklahoma. Because i. T. Not just a day because its notious a day about sleeping in and sales on dishwashers and cars. It will evoke the memory of Tech Sergeant Marshal Roberts and hundreds of thousands of others like him. They gave their everything for the sake of our liberty. Those men and women are not forgotten. They are our heroes. And this memorial day, we will remember. And this time, its interesting to note with all thats going on, america is still eating, america is still moving because there are essential workers that are still serving. Theyre Health Care Workers, theyre Grocery Store workers, theyre trucking, folks at Convenience Stores and gas stations, sanitation workers and power generation, theyre farmers and ranchers, theyre even in government, public safety, Law Enforcement. While the news every day covers folks that are at home waiting to return to work, we at times forget the people that are working twice as hard right now to be able to make sure thats even possible. And were grateful for the what theyre doing. Were grateful for the sacrifices of their family and of the hours that theyre putting in. But i want to be able to highlight a couple different groups that are unique in this mix. Some of the folks that are really truly behind the answer is that we really dont see a lot but we see the end result of their product. Let me start with farmers and ranchers there are folks taking care of making our food because as we well know food does not grow in the Grocery Store. It has to happen somewhere by folks putting the work out in the sun and getting a chance to be able to bring that crop in. Were watching it happen across my state and across the country right now. Wheats coming in and in oklahoma it looks beautiful. Its green still, but in the days ahead as it comes in it will be very important to us. But it will be interesting to be able to see this crop, if its not taken out by the hail coming in this weekend. This crop, as it comes in, will be very important to us. But the challenge will be that this year the h2a workers that typically come in from all over the world that do custom cutting are not able to come in this year because of the coronavirus. The challenge will be will americans step up when literally the harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Will americans step up and say i will not let that harvest go to waste . I will engage in bringing the harvest in. Folks that are in forestry, forestry and logging is a crop in oklahoma. For those of yall that havent been there, its the eastern side of our state. Its incredibly important to us, and were seeing a boom in that area, thanks to things like a great need for boxes for everyone getting all their materials shipped to their house right now, in this small commodity we call toilet paper, there seems to be a run on it going on right now. Cotton, corn, sorghum, beans, so many things that are so important that are behind the scenes that if we lose track of the fact, well just miss it. One of the things that has been in the news lately has been livestock and the processing of those livestock. Its been news about how coronavirus has spread in some of those facilities, and i have one of those facilities in my state. Its a tremendous operation where folks have worked for decades in a tremendous place to be able to harvest those hogs, to be able to turn them into fabulous things like bacon and pork chops. In this location in texas county in guyman weve seen an outbreak in texas count. The folks at seaboard farms stepped up to it. 95 of their workers have been tested and theyre in the process of doing a different test all over again to be able to track and find the people that were negative if theyll show positive the next time but theyre running at 60 operation right now. That may not seem like a big deal to you but thats about over 700 hogs a day not being be harvested. They are being whats euphemistically called depopulated. Thats a tremendous loss to everybody in the entire food chain. Were seeing major issues that are also happening with our beef production. Weve had enormous issues on trying to be able to harvest those animals. As we go through the process and all the challenges, it becomes extremely personal to a lot of folks in my state. In my state, this is not just a theory. In my state this is actually happening to real people. Its jim howard, a fourth generation rancher who rarnlingn jefferson county. His whole family is involved in the operation. They have feed lot operation. Theyve got it all. But at this point theyre facing between 35 and 40 loss in the prices of cattle. Literally he loses money on every single cow. Its robert friedmeyer, a Third Generation wheat and cattle farmer. Using todays wheat prices even with that crop coming in, he will lose 150,000 this year on his wheat crop, not to mention whats going to happen on beef cattle. Theres a reason that were trying to be able to put solutions in the cares act. Theres a reason we put 19 billion there to be able to help our food supply. 3 billion of that has gone towards providing for our food pantries and nonprofits and places to be able to get food out to people so food doesnt go to waste. But there is direct aid going to farmers and ranchers to be able to keep those organses alive keep those organizations alive long term and were grateful to be able to come alongside with them. There are challenges on the packing operations that are not new. They have been around for awhile. And were pushing in a couple of areas to say weve got to solve a couple of these problems. Our small packinghouses that are out there, they pay almost 80 an hour for overtime fees. 80 an hour for each inspector to do overtime seas. If we have a location like seaboard farms that goes down and they want to go to another location to ramp up, theyre financially punished from being able to do that and they cant make the math work. We have to solve that so were not punishing small to medium size operations from being able to ramp up. We have to solve the issue of the c. I. S. Program. 27 states including my own have state inspection programs that equal to the usda program. They have to be equal to it but theyre still not allowed to sell over state lines until they get the c. I. S. Program and only three states have been able to complete that. This should be logical. We should be able to solve this. Those two things would allow longterm fixes for the packinghouse operations, something that weve complained about for a long time. We should solve in this moment because its become even more obvious. The issues about energy continue to rise for us. We as a nation are finally energy independent. Finally. We choose to buy energy from places we want to buy energy because we can produce it ourselves. But we cannot go backwards to a time period when were dependent on the middle east again because of whats happened in covid19. Weve got to be able to Pay Attention to this. There are Commonsense Solutions that i understand full well. There are some folks that dont like fossil fuels. I get it, but those same folks fly on planes and we drive cars and trucks and we like wearing clothes and we like having paint, and all of those things that are disposable now like p. P. E. , guess what theyre made of . Petroleum. This challenge of lets try to get away from petroleum, its been interesting to me to how many people say lets get rid of everything to say lets get disposable now. Those disposable items are made with petroleum products. We can do it clean but weve got to keep this part of the industry open and still functioning. If the whole system collapses we will not be able to do that. Many of you know my state is a production state. We at times will have hundreds of wells for oil and gas that are happening. Right now in the entire state of oklahoma, there are 12 rigs working. 12. Thats the collapse of thousands and thousands of jobs. And if those jobs and those companies go away, that does not recover, and were suddenly dependent on the middle east again. We cannot go there. We have to be able to resolve that. Its why the Paycheck Protection Program was opened up to Small Businesses, yes, even energy companies, to help sustain them for a couple of months to be able to get through this, but its going to be a very big challenge for them. Quite frankly, something thats news to this body that i want to just be able to raise, in 2007, long before i was in congress, Congress Passed an act dealing with ethanol, mandating a certain number of gallons of ethanol to be used every year. Guess what . America wasnt driving in march and in april. That means were not going to be close to the number of gallons of gasoline that we normally use, but we still have a requirement sitting out there for the number of gallons of ethanol that have to be used this year. We literally have an energy ticking time bomb based on a bad law that was written years ago dealing with ethanol. And if were not careful, were going to cause even bigger challenges in energy based on that law on ethanol and the number of gallons that are required when there is literally no way even if we poured it on the ground, we can use the gallons required in that law. Thats going to be an issue for us. And its one that we need to be able to work cooperatively and in a nonpartisan way to be able to say lets have some common sense in this moment to be able to solve how we deal with our energy. Less the prices of gasoline explode at the backside of this, not because of undersupply, but because of ethanol regulations. We should not allow that to be able to occur. And we should be able to not only solve that for this year, but solve it long term. Im grateful for the folks that are farmers and ranchers and work in the energy, folks that work behind the scenes that make america move because in the days ahead well start moving. As my state has already reached phase two of reopening, and we continue to see a decline in the number of cases, but those folks that were working behind the scenes the whole time are making the difference for us. I ask unanimous consent that the senate vote on confirmation of the ratcliffe nomination at noon tomorrow. I further ask that notwithstanding the provisions of rule 22 the cloture vote with respect to the badalamenti nomination occur at 1 30 tomorrow. Further i ask that if cloture is invoked on the nomination the postcloture time be deemed expired and the confirmation vote occur at 5 30 p. M. On monday, june 1. Finally if either of the nominations are confirmed, the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table, the president be immediately notified of the senates action. The presiding officer is there objection . Without objection. The senate is on the heil nomination. The yeas and nays. Is there a sufficient second . There appears to be. The clerk will call the roll. Vote vote vote the presiding officer are there any senators in the chamber wishing to vote or change his or her vote . If not, the ayes are 75. The nays are 17. And the nomination is agreed to. Confirmed. Under the previous order, the motion to reconsider is considered made and laid upon the table and the president will be immediately notified of the senates actions. A senator mr. President . The presiding officer the senator from tennessee. Mrs. Blackburn thank you, mr. President. I ask unanimous consent that the senate 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. Mrs. Blackburn mr. President , i have five requests for committees to meet during todays session of the senate. They have the approval of the majority and minority leaders. The presiding officer duly noted. Mrs. Blackburn thank you, mr. President. Last week i received the very sad news that the fifth special forces group, which is stationed at fort campbell, which is there in tennessee, was going to have to forego and cancel their annual memorial day gold star ceremony. This is a tradition at the post. It is something that is so special to those gold star families, and were disappointed with that but understand. And ive really been pleased that today senator ernst had organized a time for us to come to the floor and to really come together to honor not only our fallen but also their loved ones who have had to spend this years remembrance separated from their gold star families. And we know that is a time that they cherish, having that togetherness. Although the formal ceremonies are canceled, please know that each of these families are in our prayers. Theyre in our thoughts and that we grieve alongside them. This memorial day reflections are framed by a world that has really been made much smaller by our shared experiences with covid19. Even so, the state of our world makes the battlefields we send our soldiers and sailors and airmen and marketplaces to seem very and marines to seem very far away because, in their world, authoritarian regimes rule in an iron fist and they violate human rights with impunity. Violence often replaces diplomacy as the preferred method of dispute resolution and freedom when its discussed at all, many times feels like a possibility. This is what they deal with even daily basis. The danger 0en a daily basis. The danger this creates is no secret to anyone. Our soldiers read the news reports from the front lines. They hear the enemy propaganda. They hear those that repeat the enemy propaganda. Many of them have experienced the ferocity of the enemy attacks against our forces and against our allies. They know what they are up against. They see it and they live it each and every day, and yet, in spite of the danger, they answer the call because they have something inside them that says freedom is worth fighting for. It is their commitment to that cause of liberty to allow us to live in a free and open society, to allow us and our children to pursue those dreams, to dream those big dreams, and to make them come true. And whether weve lost loved ones and friends, weve lost them on the battlefield or later, we lose them to the trauma of combat and loss. This weekend we thank them for their sacrifice, we honor the memory, and we express our gratitude to their families who this year will have to celebrate as a family and not with others. I yield the floor. A senator mr. President. I ask consent the quorum call be suspended. The presiding officer were not in a quorum call. Mr. Durbin thank you, mr. President. This Week Congress submitted to the president the bipartisan review act resolution that overturned betsy devos borrower defense rule. The rule she came up with makes it almost impossible for student loan borrowers, including, many, many veterans who have been defrauded by their schools these are usually forprofit schools to have federal student debt disbarred. Ten republicans joined with the democrats in march to reject this rule in the senate and pass this resolution, and i thank those on the other side of the aisle who stood up for the veterans and for students who have been defrauded. I urge President Trump to sign this bill without delay. More importantly than my urging, 30 different veterans organizations urge the president to sign our resolution. Were going to be giving a lot of speeches about veterans on the senate floor and back home over memorial day weekend. Heres a chance for the president to stand up for the veterans on memorial day weekend. In a march 13 letter to President Trump, these veterans asked him to ensure that, quote, the men and women who serve their country honorably are not burdened with student loans, the result from fraud. I ask consent that this letter be included in the record. The presiding officer without objection. Mr. Durbin thank you. President trump has the opportunity to be the one who rescues these defrauded veterans from a rule that the American Legion has entitled fundamentally rigged against defrauded borrowers and give these americans who served our country not just a pat on the back, but a chance to get back in the game in their lives. American voters are behind us overwhelmingly both political parties. New polling by third way finds that voters in key red and swing states believe the federal government should not make students who took out loans to attend fraudulent or misleading institutions of hoover education pay back of Higher Education pay back those loans. In ohio, 73 of voters believe this. 68 in indiana. 64 in colorado. 63 in pennsylvania. 61 . In missouri and North Carolina. 60 until south carolina. When asked if schools that misled student borrowers should be held accountable, the numbers are dramatically higher. 95 of republicans in North Carolina agree. 91 of republicans in south carolina. The list goes on. The devos borrower defense rule would make it impossible for defrauded borrowers to get the relief that the American People and i believe they deserve. It will lessen accountability for the schools that defrauded these borrowers that are just going to do it again. And god forbid we loan these schools, these defrauding schools money in the current economic crisis so they can continue to defraud veterans and other students. This isnt a controversial issue among the American People, just among politicians. By signing this resolution, President Trump would be supporting americas veterans, democratic and republican voters. I hope hes listening. Mr. President , i ask that this second statement be placed in a separate part in the record. The presiding officer without objection. Mr. Durbin mr. President , americans owe a great debt of gratitude to the Health Care Workers on the front lines of the fight against the covid19 pandemic. I cant tell you how many stories i read, heart breaking stories of these Health Care Workers who are so depressed over the number of infections, the suffering that people are going through and of course those whose lives are taken by this coronavirus. I cant imagine what its like physically and mentally for what they go through. Bless them. Bless them for caring enough for us and for our families, to risk their own lives and go to work every single day. I want to spend a minute and talk about a special group of these Health Care Workers immigrants. Thats right, immigrants. Consider this, one in six health care and social Service Workers are immigrants. 3. 1 million out of 18. 7 million. Over 3 million immigrants. These immigrants are playing a crucial role in the battle against pandemic, and yet the president continues to disparage them, falsely claiming that theyre a drain on society. He wishes they would leave. I hope they never do. Ive come to the floor to tell the story of one. Ill continue to highlight these stories because we need to put faces on this issue. We need to understand who these people are who are immigrants to this country and willing to risk their lives to save ours. I invite my colleagues to do the same, tell the stories in your own states, and i can just guarantee you, wherever you are from, there are immigrant health heroes. Not to take anything away from those who are not new immigrants, but these people need special attention at a time when theres so much criticism of immigration to this country of immigrants. Many of these Health Care Workers are young immigrants who came here as children. Theyre known as dreamers. I know because 20 years ago i introduced the dream act so that these young people brought to this country as toddlers and infants and little kids have a chance to be part of our future. Theyre american in every way except their immigration status. I join with republican dick lugar years ago on a bipartisan basis to call on the president to use his authority to protect these dreamers from being deported. President obama responded. He created the daca program. Daca provided temporary protection from deportation of dreamers if they registered with the government, paid a 600 filing fee, went through a criminal background check and had no serious problems. They were allowed to stay two years at a time, not be deported, legally work in america. More than 800,000 dreamers came forward and received daca protection. And let me tell you what they did. They turned around and became teachers and nurses and soldiers and Small Business owners and 100 other things important to america. And listen to this, more than 200,000 Daca Recipients are essential, Critical Infrastructure workers. I didnt make that up. That came out of President Trumps own department of homeland security, that number. Among these essential workers are 41,700 Daca Recipients in the health care industry. These include doctors, intensive care nurses, paramedics and respiratory therapists. Understand this, these are undocumented people in america, brought here as children, grew up here, went to school here, got an education, developed skills and training, and now we need them in this pandemic. 41,700 of them. On september 5, 2017, President Trump repealed daca. Hundreds of thousands of dreamers faced losing their work permits and being deported from this country to places that many of them barely remember. Thank goodness the court stepped in to stop the president s action. But the president decided to appeal the case, and now across the street in the Supreme Court theyre sitting on a case that will disied the fate of decide the fate of 800,000 of these daca protectees, many of them, thousands of them Health Care Workers who are doing essential work every day. We can get a decision from the court any day. Will we be better off if 41,000 of these daca Health Health cars profession alings are deported from this country in the midst of this pandemic . If the court rules in favor of President Trump, up to 200,000 essential workers in america would be sidelined in the middle of this national emergency. Many of them face deportation. I sent a letter to the president with 17 of my Senate Colleagues last month urging him to extend the Work Authorization for Daca Recipients to the end of the year. Its not too much to ask. Theyve lived in this country for years. They passed the criminal background check. For goodness sakes, mr. President , dont get tough on these people when we need them the most. But if you consider what the president said about immigrants over and over again, i know its unlikely that hes going to have a moment of caring when it comes to their future. So congress has to step in. The heroes act, which the house of representatives passed last week, and we did not even consider this week in the United States senate, this heroes act includes a provision to automatically extend Work Authorizations for Daca Recipients. When critics of that house action come to the floor and talk about all the benefits for undocumented People Living in this country, this is what theyre talking about. The extension of daca protection for thousands of essential workers in this country who are protected by daca. Oh, it sounds like theyre opening the doors for illegal people to come in here and get Royal Treatment in america. The opposite is true. These are people who are risking their lives, providing health care and essential services across america. The heroes act that passed in the house of representatives simply said were not going to deport them for the rest of the calendar year. What a radical suggestion, that we could use their help, we need their help to the rest of the year. We certainly do. And those who come and mock this provision by saying its just a giveaway to Illegal Immigrants are doing a disservice to these people and the sacrifice theyre making. Ultimately we need to give these dreamers a chance to become citizens. I believe it now and i believed it for 20 years. Its been that long since i introduced the dream act, a bipartisan bill which would accomplish that. Last year the house passed the dream and promise acts which would have solved this problem, based on the dream act. The vote was 237 to 187 in the house. Leader mcconnell has refused to even consider calling that measure for consideration in the senate. And it isnt because were overworked. Just take a look at this empty chamber. Over the years ive come to the floor of the senate more than 100 times to tell the stories of dreamers. I want you to know who they are. These stories show whats at stake when we consider the fate and future of daca. Today i want to tell you about javier quieros castro. Heres javier dressed for work. Hes the 121st dreamer whose story i told. His parents brought him to the United States when he was three years old and he grew up in nashville, it tennessee. His father worked in construction as a bricklayer. His mother cleaned homes. As the oldest child and the best english speaker, javier took care of his siblings and helped his family navigate the challenges of being in america. Javier went to a private Christian College in nashville, lips come university. At lipscomb, he discovered a love of nursing. He enrolled in the school of nursing and did training at vanderbilt medical center. He graduated in may 2013 with his bachelors in science of nursing. Javier received the spirit of nursing award which each year is given to only one Nursing Student who has best delivered quality care. Because president obama established daca in 2012, javier had a chance. Before that he had no chance to become a registered nurse in this country. But he had a chance and he took advantage of it. Javier now lives in houston, texas, works at houston methodist hospital. Hes part of a team taking care of patients with covid19. This is what he wears to work. Javier wrote me a letter and heres what he said. Thanks to daca, ive been able to save a lot of lives. Ive been able to be there with patients at their final moments of life. Ive been able to take care of people of many different backgrounds, nationalities, races, socioeconomic levels and cultures. This wouldnt be complete if i didnt introduce you to javiers daughter. Take a look at this beautiful little girl. This is isabel quiros. A few weeks ago she took her first steps. Ill bet shes about the same age as my granddaughter whose birthday is friday of this week. She is about to take her first steps too. This beautiful little girl, javiers little girl, her fate and future are at stake too in this debate in the United States senate. I want to wish isabel a happy birthday tomorrow, and my little granddaughter jo happy birthday on friday. Javiers wife is also a nurse. She and javier worry ever, ever, every day about not infecting their baby daughter as they go to work to save other people. But they still get up every day and go to work to care for their patients. I want to thank Javier Quiros castro for his service. He is indeed a health care hero. He is an immigrant health care hero. He puts himself and his family at risk in order to save american lives. He shouldnt have to worry about a decision across the street at the Supreme Court which would deport him back to a country he cannot even remember. We must do better. We are better than that as a country. To say to someone like javier, thank you for working so darn hard. Thank you for getting through Nursing School with highest grades. Thank you for professionalism and risking your life for america, but, im sorry, buddy, youre undocumented. Get out of this country. This legislation would protect him to the end of the year yet members come to the floor and say were trying to give things away to Illegal Immigrants. Illegal immigrants like javier. Get real. Get serious. Be human. Weve got to do better for javier and the Daca Recipients. They are counting on us, those of us in the senate to solve this crisis created by President Trumps action. As long as im a senator, i will continue to come to the floor of the senate to advocate for javier and the dreamers. Ive done it for a long time, but the jobs not finished. It would be an american tragedy to deport this brave and talented nurse who is saving lives in houston, texas, as week speak. We must ensure javier and hundreds of thousands of others in our workforce are not forced to stop working when we need them the most. Ultimately we need to pass legislation to demonstrate who we are, what we believe in, what our values are. What does it say about america if we say to javier, we dont need you . We do. We need him and so many just like him who are performing essential services in this time of national emergency. Mr. Durbin mr. President , i yield the floor. The presiding officer the senator from ohio. Mr. Portman mr. President , last week i came on the floor of the senate to talk about how the tragic spread of the coronavirus around the world underscored the need for us to focus on the persistent challenge of china not playing by the rules. Now, in the case of coronavirus that was about china not telling the World Health Organization, not telling other countries, not telling their own people what was happening in terms of the coronavirus, not taking steps to stop International Travel early on. That wasnt playing by the w. H. O. Rules, the World Health Organization rules, and the result has been devastation. It has been the spread of the virus and so much of that devastation weve seen around the globe, in my view could have been avoided had they played by the rules. Unfortunately not playing by the rules applies to china in many other areas too. We talked about trade allot on this floor of the senate to be sure that theres a level Playing Field between china and the United States and making sure they play by the International Trading rules. But heres another one where china and the Chinese Communist party has not played by the rules and thats with regard to obtaining our intellectual property, our innovation, our research. Over at the permanent subcommittee on investigations, which i chair, we found this not playing by the rules to be the case when we conducted a bipartisan yearlong investigation into how china has used socalled talent recruitment programs, most notably its 1,000 talents plan to steal u. S. Taxpayerfunded research to fuel the rise of both the Chinese Military and the chinese economy over the past 20 years. Its been going on for over two decades. You might ask, how has this happened . How could this be possible . Well, this is how it happens. Every year federal grantmaking agencies like the National Institutes of health, the department of energy and national labs, the National Science foundation, and others, give out more than 150 billion in u. S. Taxpayer funds for research. Thats quite a bit of money. For the most part, this system works well. American taxpayers send the money to the federalgrant making agencies here in washington and give it out to the best Research Labs in the country. It resulted in important breakthroughs in science, technology, and health care, in energy, in military equipment, and more. The n. S. F. Helped fund the creation of the internet. The n. I. H. Has funded research into very successful and innovative treatments for cancer and other diseases. So theres a lot of good stuff coming out of these research dollars. Its made america really the leader in the world on on innovation and new ideas, and for the most part, this federal Research Funding has enjoyed broad bipartisan support here in the congress. But guess what. Its also attracted the interest from researchers around the world who want the chance to take part in this cuttingedge research and thats good too as long as they play by the rules. What weve learned, and through our report we proved, is this system is very vulnerable to theft by other countries, and thats exactly what happened in the case of china. Chinas made it no secret that its goal is to surpass the United States as the leader in Scientific Research and they have an opportunity to get ahead by exploiting the Research Enterprise that we have in this country. So theyve taken advantage of that. Specifically, the Chinese Government has systematically targeted the most promising u. S. Researchers. So they find out somebody is doing research on Something Interesting to them, theistickicly target systematically target that person. Theyve been paying these grant recipients to take this research remember research paid for by u. S. Taxpayer dollars and apply what they learned here in labs over in china at chinese universities affiliated with the Chinese Communist party. The research takeover in china isnt going just towards academic purposes. That wouldnt be right either because our taxpayer dollars are going in to fund this research. They are then leap frogging us by getting that research. Its not just for academic purposes. Often the research go directly into things like advancing chinas mill, which has made Great Strides in the last two decades, advancing its technological truth, Manufacturing Processes and so on. A state Department Witness at one of our Senate Hearings on our report said this, and i quote, the Chinese Communist party has declared the Chinese University system to be on the front line of military civilian fusion efforts for technology acquisition. End quote. So theres a clear link here between the Research Going to these Chinese University labs and that same research being used to allow china to effectively leapfrog us in terms of their military improvements and economic growth. Part of the reasons its gone on so long, frankly, is because weve been asleep at the switch. We havent been focused on this. We do have an open, Collaborative Research system in this country, and we havent been a effective on cracking down on the intellectual property theft. Thats starting to change and im appreciative of that. It started to change, frankly, in the middle of the permanent subcommittees investigations, our report helped where during one of our hearings the f. B. I. Actually acknowledged what has been happening. This is what the f. B. I. Said, and i quote, with our present day knowledge of the threat from chinese talent plans, we wish we had taken more rapid and comprehensive action in the past. And the time to make up for that is now. End quote. Well, i appreciate the candor. I appreciate the fact that the f. B. I. Was willing to say now that weve learned all of this, we should have enacted this a long time ago and were going to do it now and make up for lost time. And they have been much more aggressive. Since our hearing and detailed report, weve seen a number of highprofiled arrests in this country who have hidden their participation in chinas,000 Talents Program and taken research over to china. Remember hearing p this issue earlier this year when a harvard professor, dr. Charles lieber, head of the Chemistry Department was accused of taking money from china and sharing his Research Money with the Chinese Government. It was a shocking example of this. But hes not the only case. In march we received news of another arrest of a professor who used to work at West Virginia university who participated in,000 tall enlts. In this case the justice Department Found he convinced his employer, a u. S. Public university to give him paid parental leave funded by american taxpayers while he went to china to work at a university there to continue his work on specializing molecular reactions used in coal conversation technologies. This is what West Virginia university. These two cases would be bad enough on their own, but since the start of this month we had three more cases announced by the department of justice and f. B. I. In relation to the program. I commend the f. B. I. For their work to continue to crackdown on this program and go after these problems. They need better tools to do it. A few weeks ago a former Emery University professor worked simultaneously and secretly for six years for worth Emery University and for Emery University and for the communist party of china. Conducting Similar Research projects at both institutions. Despite the clear conflict of interest, he failed to report any of his at least 500,000 in foreign income on his federal tax returns. That very same day a professor at university of arkansas was arrested on charges of wire fraud for allegedly failing to disclose his ties to the Chinese Government despite being required to do so as a grant recipient from nasa. Nasa. And just this past week we found out that this problem had rooched my home reached my home state of ohio when the department of justice announced the arrest of a professor affiliated with the Cleveland Clinic. He received 3. 6 million from the National Institutes of health. Again, taxpayer dollars. To secure that grant, he is accused of lying to hide the fact that he was given a deanship at university of wuhan china and lied about his Chinese Research overlapping his n. I. H. Research. According to the criminal complaint, he received 3 million in funding to china to run a shadow lab to replicate his clevelandlab. He said he even admitted he hand carried samples to china of biological material from cleveland, ohio, to wuhan. Those samples are still stored in china. It also states that he did not close one of his chinese grants required that he be in wuhan for ten months of the year at the same time he was employed full time at Cleveland Clinic, again working with n. I. H. Funded research. I was glad to work with the f. B. I. To ensure we stop this happen. As a thousand talents member, this individual recruited around 40 to 50 other u. S. Based researchers for his Chinese University by hosting events at harvard and other schools in the United States. This is a big deal and it needs to stop. I commend the assistant attorney general for National Security for his work on this and other cases and the the f. B. I. Special agent in charge, eric smith, and all the members of their team for their work on this Cleveland Clinic case. Again, these cases are all positive steps in the right direction, but the problem, as you might notice, is none of these criminals charges and arrest were based on participating in the thousand Talents Program. Or hiding that from the Research Institutions or universities. The criminal charges and arrest were for perjury, wire fraud, tax evasion. Amazingly failing to disclose on a Grant Application to receive u. S. Taxpayer funds that you are receiving compensation from a Foreign Government and giving them research is not currently a crime. That needs to change. One example of the Emery University professor, according to the law, only committed tax fraud while arkansas professor committed wire fraud. The fact they are technically only financial crimes show that were still just nibbling around the edges of this problem. Its time for us to get at the underlying flaw in our Research Enterprise of talent programs enticing researchers here in the u. S. To steal for other countries. Were going to need targeted legislation that will take direct action against this practice and thats exactly what we have done. Along with a group of colleagues cliewg democrat tom including tom carper, we are introducing the sawfding innovation act which will build on the e. S. I. Report and look at the ongoing i. P. Theft going on. It will help the d. O. J. Go after thousand tall enlts participants by allowing d. O. G. To hold federal recipient to this isnt just about more rest. We should all agree that transparency on Grant Applications is critical to the integrity of research and this distribution will help promote those principles. Our bill also makes other changes as well based on the recommendations in the report. It requires the office of management and budget, o. M. B. , to streamline and coordinate grant making between the agencies so theres needed accountability and transparency when it comes to tracking the billions of dollars of taxpayer