Diminishes us. We weep because of the grief of George Floyds family. We weep because of the explosive impact of deferred dreams. We weep because of the potentially catastrophic consequences of peaceful proking during a pandemic. We weep because justice delayed is justice denied. We weep because of the paralysis of analysis that often impedes your prevailing providence. We weep because of our personal culpability during these tragic times. We weep because of our sins of commission and omission. We weep because we know you are weeping. Today use our lawmakers for your glory. May they strive to find a vaccine to inoculate our nation against hate, sin, and despair. We pray in your merciful name, amen. The president pro tempore please join me in the pledge of allegiance. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of america, and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under god, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. The presiding officer the senator from iowa. Mr. Grassley i wish to address the senate for one minute. The presiding officer without objection. Mr. Grassley our nation is hurting. George floyds death was horrific, and justice must be served. The Justice Department has opened an investigation, and the officer has been charged with murder. A single act of violence at the hands of an officer is one too many. George floyd deserved better. All black americans do. Indeed, all americans do. The last thing we need is more pain, more devastation, and more injustice. Has a country, lets strive for compassion and listening to others. The best way to honor george floyd is to engage with all members of our community, including members of this body, on how to heal these wounds. This is an opportunity for congress to discuss what reforms can and should be made to address police use of force. Lets move forward and protect our communities together. I yield the floor. Mr. Mcconnell mr. President . The presiding officer the majority leader. Mr. Mcconnell this is an hour of great pain and unrest in our country. Americans from coast to coast have been grieved and horrified by the killings of three African American citizens Ahmaud Arbery in georgia, brie owe in a taylor in my hometown of louisville, kentucky, and george floyd in minneapolis. In each disturbing situation, investigations and reviews are ongoing. In kentucky, im glad that local authorities are investigating. Im glad the f. B. I. Is involved. Im glad our attorney general is committed to taking any necessary action. We need the truth, and we need swift justice. Under law. But heres something that requires no investigation in no world whatsoever should arresting a man for an alleged minor inflax involve a Police Officer putting his knee hone mans neck for nine minutes while he crisis out i cant breathe and then goes silent. To me, to a great many of my fellow kentuckians and to many of outraged americans, these disturbing events do not look like three isolated incidents. They look more like the latest chapter in our National Struggle to make equal justice and equal protection of the law into facts of life for all americans rather than contingencies that sometimes depend on the color of ones skin. Obviously this struggle remains incomplete. Ive spent decades in the senate not only as an advocate for civil rights but as a First Amendment purist, so i completely support and fully defend citizens Constitutional Rights to speak their minds and engage in peaceful protest. One nation cannot devon itself to the deafen itself to the anger, pain, or frustration of black americans. Our nation needs to hear this. Yet over the last several days, citizens have watched with horror as cities across america have convulsed with looting, riots, and destruction. On a nightly basis, initially peaceful demonstrators have been hijacked. Americans have watched protests dedicated to ending unjust violence mutate into riots that inflict unjust violence themselves. Weve seen Small Businesses destroyed and public property defaced. Weve seen the men and women of Law Enforcement, the vast majority of whom are not bad actors but brave public servants, threatened and assaulted on our streets. Free speech and peaceful protest are Central American liberties. Looting, rioting, assault, and arson are Violent Crimes that have no place no place whatsoever in our society. It is not a display of courageous citizenship to smash and destroy Small Businesses that have just barely hung on through the pandemic. It is not an act of principal protest to grab expensive merchandise or set fire to a church. It does not advance freedom or justice to vandalize the world war ii memorial that stands for those who bled and died for the exactly those values. You do not advance peace by committing assault. You do not advance justice by inflictinginjustice upon your neighbors. You do not promote the rule of law through an. R. A. Ty. Theres not constitutional right to commit Violent Crime or to terrorize communities, period. This cannot continue. Its already gone on for entirely too long. I hope state and local authorities will work quickly to crack down on outside agitators and domestic terrorists and restore some order to our cities. And if state and local leaders cannot or will not secure the peace and protect citizens and their property, the hope the federal government is ready to stand in the breach. In kentucky, were already seeing violence and tragedy compound on themselves. Several days ago seven people were shot in louisville. None, according to the mayor, by Law Enforcement. Last night one individual was shot and killed by authorities after the police were fired upon from within a crowd. Were learning about the incidents as fast as we can. I was just briefed by Governor Beshear today, and i support a full and thorough and immediate investigation. But, mr. President , this has to end. These important protests began with the notion that basic physical safety and Legal Protections must be nongoshable for every single american, bar none. But american liberty and the rule of law must be universal truths for all, not special privileges for some. That point is absolutely right. That is a righteous and important mission. And it is exactly why these senseless and destructive riots need to end e. Not next week, not tomorrow night. Right now. Right now. We have real work to do to build a constructive path forward between Law Enforcement and affected communities. More violence and destruction is not just unfair to many innocent people, it also just makes this important work so much harder. Now, on an entirely different matter, these events only compound what has already been an historically challenging time for our country. As our nation continues to combat and contain the coronavirus, the senate will continue to lead the response. To name one example, i hope and anticipate the senate will soon take up and pass legislation that just passed the house by an overwhelming vote of 4171 to further strengthen the Paycheck Protection Program so it continues working for Small Businesses that need our help. And even as we fight the pandemic, well remember that other challenges face our nation as well. Foreign adder have anniversary all too eager to exploit a distracted world. In recent days agents of the Chinese Communist party have taken to social media to openly taunt openly taunt the United States and defend their violent crackdown on the autonomy of hong kong. Its been almost a year since the world watched hong kongers embark on the latest round of Peaceful Demonstrations against the repressive grip of the chinese communitiist party. The world watched as hong kong verdicts were american flags in hand dealt crushing defeats to beijings preferred puppet candidates in elections last fall. But in recent weeks, as the coronavirus pandemic that china exacerbated has dominated the worlds attention the Chinese Communist party has tried yet again to tighten their grape. New laws supposedly related to National Security aimed to stifle dissent and curtail hong kongers six liberties. When i authored the u. S. Hong kong policy act way back in 1992, we wanted to ensure future chinese regimes would respect the promises made regarding this unique, autonomous region. So we made sure the weight and persuasion of the United States of america would stand with hong kongers, if need be. Unfortunately, these years later such a time is upon us. Among other examples, weve received word today that for the fires time in 30 years 30 years authorities in hong kong will not allow the annual candlelight vigil that commemorates the continuing continue square massacre to occur. For the first time in 30 years, no commemoration of the tiananmen massacre will occur in hong kong. For three being dids, for three decades, hong kong has been the only place in china where fullscale remembrances of the massacre were permitted. But now they, too, will be going dark. So im encouraged that secretary pompeo is tapping into that law and formally certify that beijings systematic efforts to interfere in hong kong have eroded the regions autonomy. I might say, mr. President , this is exactly what we were concerned about back in 1992. When the Hong Kong Policy act was introduced by me and became law. Exactly what we figured. And i hope that the administration will soon identify the specific ways it will impose costs on beijing and, just as important, continue americas support to the people of hong kong. Under my original legislation, several tools are available. Their primary aim is to be an effective friend and partner for hong kongers to share values of democracy and freedom and help preserve the regions unique character, autonomy, and prosperity. Our nations commitment to those efforts must remain ironclad and it must be 100 clear that the responsibility for threatening hong kongs economic, political, and social climate rests solely and squarely on the Chinese Communist party. The regime that views free thought as fundamental evil. The regime that sees peaceful demonstration as an existential challenge. That is who is to blame for this no matter what the communist partys twobit propagandas try to claim. Not the people of hong kong, not their friends in the United States. Just the wouldbe tyrants in beijing. Last year, as Congress Passed senator rubios update to my Hong Kong Policy act, i also secured additional funding to provide Legal Protection to hong kong protesters and support democracy promotion activities. But if china moves in the coming days and weeks to implement its draconian new laws that strangle hong kong, there will be no rule of law left for protesters to appeal to. Thats why the u. S. Response should mirror those of other democracies who have opened their doors to hong kongers fleeing oppression. Our nation has a Rich Heritage of standing as a beacon of light and freedom from refugees of war to those escaping the iron curtain. We should exercise it again for the people of hong kong. And finally, mr. President , while we address these latest aggressions, we must not miss the broader lessons. The communist party of china does not play by the rules. They dont. Not the rules of the international economy, not the rules of its Bilateral Agreements with other nations. Not even its own rules which are increasingly subject to the whims of president xi. Whether they are cracking down on hong kong, trying to cover up a pandemic, or hurting ethnic and religious minorities in modernday gulags, this generation of chinese leadership is telling the world every single day exactly who they are. Exactly who they are. America and the world have watched china deepen its tyranny at home, assert its hegemony abroad, and undermine basic norms that protect the peace. The question before us, before us is what do we do to solve it . Mr. President , i understand there are two bills at the desk due a second reading en bloc. The presiding officer the clerk will read the titles of the bills for the second time. The clerk s. 3833, a bill to extend the loan forgiveness period for the Paycheck Protection Program, and for other purposes. H. R. 680, an act making emergency supplemental appropriations for the fiscal year ending september 30, 2020, and for other purposes. Mr. Mcconnell in order to place the bills on the calendar under the provisions of rule 14, i would object to further proceeding en bloc. The presiding officer objection having been heard, they will be placed on the calendar. Mr. Mcconnell i suggest the absence of a quorum. The presiding officer the clerk will call the roll. Quorum call mr. Schumer mr. President. The presiding officer the democratic leader. Mr. Schumer are we in a quorum . I ask unanimous consent the quorum be dispensed with. The presiding officer without objection. Mr. Schumer mr. President , one week ago today, a white Police Officer in minneapolis, minnesota, knelt on the neck of an African American man named george floyd, pinning him to the ground for over eight minutes as he pled for his life. The officer callously refused to heed those calls, standing up only after mr. Floyd was unresponsive. Mr. Floyd was pronounced dead shortly thereafter. Eight minutes, eight minutes he was pinned there. Today, eight days later, our nation is reeling. Reeling over the injustice and senselessness of George Floyds death, reeling over the memory of Ahmaud Arbery, Michael Brown, breonna taylor, and eric garner, and the unimaginable number of innocent lives that were taken in similar circumstances. Reeling from centuries of Racial Injustice, a legacy as old as the nation itself and one that haunts us to this day. It took two and a half centuries and civil war to finally end slavery in america. 100 years more until the descendants of those newly freed men and women could fully enjoy the rights of citizenship. Even today, slavery is stay with us. Its terrible legacy and evil effects felt in real and discernible ways every single day. When the french historian de tocqueville visited america in the 1830s, he was amazingly prescient. He predicted that the United States would become a great nation, the greatest in the world, even though at the time we were a fledgling country compared to the great powers of europe. But he also said that the one thing that could doom our nation is racism and racial prejudice. His words ring true today. The Racial Disparities in our criminal Justice System have been on full display, but these disparities permeate not just the criminal Justice System but all of society. There are glaring Racial Disparities in health care and housing, Racial Disparities in income and in wealth, in the board room and at the ballot box, on our streets and in our schools. These disparities have been with us a very long time, but covid19 has placed a magnifying glass on them. Perhaps most evident and immediate, the covid19 pandemic continues to infect and kill African Americans at a disproportionate rate. We are confronted by the alltoooften fatal consequences of those disparities on a daily basis. So George Floyds killing touched off justified protests and demonstrations across the country, driven by americans of every age and color and creed who are distressed and upset, frightened and angry by the america they see and feel compelled to change. The overwhelmingly peaceful protests do honor to the generations of americans who have stood up and sat in and shouted at the top of their lungs in the Urgent Mission to make america a more perfect union. The small minority who exploit the moment for violence and mayhem are wrong and do not advance the cause of justice, but i would note that while over 4,000 protesters have been arrested in the last week, only one in four of the Police Officers involved in the killing of george floyd has been arrested. While that statistic does not excuse the violence we have seen, it certainly helps to explain the frustration and anger right now. There is accountability when everyday citizens and protesters violate the law, but that same accountability is far too often lacking when Law Enforcement violates the law. We have to fix that. We must work to bring accountability to Police Departments so bad actors are not shielded from culpability, and the many officers who do the job the right way are incentivized and rewarded. We must reform our laws and our Police Practices so that events like George Floyds killing are far less likely in the first place. There are many examples of departments that have made strides at improving community relations, transparency and accountability, while reducing unwarranted racial violence and bias. We must get all our Police Agencies to adopt them. We must invest in services and programs necessary to deal with issues unrelated to Law Enforcement, such as housing, mental health. Rather than asking Police Officers to be responsible for addressing all of our societys challenges. And there are many ways to address the broader disparities in our society. The systemic racism and injustice that follows america around like a shackle in our laws, in our customs, and in too many of our hearts. We have to make progress on these issues. Right now, not later, not next year, not after the next george floyd, but right now. Senate democrats will be confronting and addressing all of these issues this week, and many of my colleagues will prepare legislative plans of action. We will listen to experts on these issues and our constituents who face these challenges on a daily basis. Be sure of this. We will propose and push for bold action. Leader mcconnell, however, will despite whether or not the senate will take any of that action. At the moment, he has reserved the floor of the senate for the confirmation of several rightwing judges, many of whom will become part of the very problem were now discussing, a Justice System that doesnt work for everyone, a biased system. These are judges who were preselected specifically because of their antipathy to Voting Rights and civil rights and criminal justice balance and fairness. Time and time again, the republican majority has confirmed judicial nominees who pledge loyalty to an ideological doctrine that would exacerbate the very inequalities that have been laid bare in recent weeks and months. Mcconnell is doing that this week once again. At this delicate time, the senate should lead on these issues rather than aggravate the problem. Leader mcconnell should commit to put a Law Enforcement reform bill on the floor of the senate before july 4. There shouldnt be hearings on President Trumps wild conspiracies about the 2016 election or a month of rightwing anticivilian rights judicial nominees. As the covid pandemic continues to rage and americans are taking to the streets to express their anger at Police Violence and Racial Injustice, the republican majority in the senate must focus on the National Crisis at our doorstep. Today, just today, the c. B. O. Is expected to release an estimate of the damage to our economy caused by the pandemic. If the Current Trends continue, the c. B. O. Predicts a jawdropping 16 trillion reduction in Economic Growth over the next decade. 16 trillion. 40 million americans are currently unemployed. Where is the urgency from Senate Republicans to address the economic catastrophe in our country . A catastrophe that like Police Violence will disproportionately affect African Americans and other americans of color. We should address both these issues, covid, and Police Violence this month. Not spend time on fringe conspiracy theories, not spend time on putting rightwing judges who have shown no sympathy to civil rights and Racial Justice and harmony on the floor of the senate. This is a moment that cries out for leadership, for compassion, for sympathy, for understanding, and for action. For our leaders to bring us together instead of letting events tear us apart. But the leader of our country, the president of the United States, struggles, struggles to summon even an ounce of humanity in this time of turmoil. The president has reacted to the pain and anger in the country by playing politics and encouraging police to be tougher on protesters, by bragging about his reelection prospects and his personal safety inside the white house. A president ial tweet invoked a miami police chief who in 1967 encouraged shooting black people during riots. The president seems unable even to address the underlying issues that the protests are about, unwilling, unwilling even to speak to the nation about Racial Justice. Unfortunately none of this is remotely new with President Trump. A few years ago President Trump told Law Enforcement officers not to worry about injuring suspects when arresting them. His Administration Stopped investigating state and local Police Departments for Racial Discrimination and repealed restrictions on Police Departments obtaining militarystyle weapons. The president s policies have worsened racial divisions in this country. His rhetoric has consistently inflamed them. Either the president is too afraid to lead or is simply incapable. But all of us right now have to engabling in the difficult have to engage in the difficult work of pulling this country together and then forward. We are a nation exhausted and dispirited in the midst of a onceinageneration challenge, we have been reminded of a generations long struggle for Racial Justice and equality. The only way, the only way for us to move forward is to do it together. To the large majority of Police Officers who do a very difficult job the right way to be part of the reform effort, for our National Leaders in the senate and the house to take up thorny issues of prejudice and discrimination and begin changing the laws and institutions that perpetuate them, and, yes, for the president to finally start acting like the leader hes supposed to be and the constitution calls for, we are all engaged in this project to not only recover from a Public Health crisis and an economic disaster, but to build a society where none of our citizens fear the men and women who are supposed to protect them , a society where americans of color can live and breathe and watch birds in a park and walk home with a bag of skittles without fearing for their lives. As millions of americans take to the streets in peaceful and righteous protests, i hope that this moment, one of pain and sorrow and grief, can also be a watershed moment for action. I yield the floor. I note the absence of a quorum. The presiding officer the clerk will call the roll. Quorum call quorum call quorum call quorum call mr. Hawley madam president . The presiding officer the senator from missouri. Mr. Hawley madam president , it was the presiding officer senator, woulder in a quorum call. Mr. Hawley i ask unanimous consent that the quorum call be dispensed with. The presiding officer without objection. Mr. Hawley thank you, madam president. Madam president , it was one week ago today that george floyd died in the streets of minute appear listing at the hands in the streets of minneapolis at the hands of minneapolis Police Officers, supplying incredible illegal, unconstitutional violence resulting in the loss of mr. Floyds life. And this afternoon we have a medical report from examiners hired by mr. Floyds family. The words are just shocking. George floyd, the report concludes, was killed by asphyxia due to neck and back compression and he died at the scene. Quoting now, sustained pressure on the right side of mr. Floyds artery impeded blood flow to the brain and weight on his back impeded his ability to breathe. And then the report concludes, the independent examiners found that the weight on the back, handcuffs and positioning were contributing factors because they impaired mr. Floyds diaphragm to function. From all the evidence still quoting from this independent report from all the evidence, the doctors said it now appears mr. Floyd died at the scene. Words cannot begin to describe the injustice that this report puts into plain text. The violation of police procedures, the abuse of the law, the appalling, illegal, homicidal misuse of government authority. And words cannot begin to describe the injustice that this has done to mr. Floyd, to his family, to his community, and to millions of americans who feel caught up, who feel judged by, endangered by, imperiled by these actions. And too many others like them over too many years for too long in this country. And i just want to say, as the former attorney general of my state, a role in which i had the great privilege to work day in and day out with Law Enforcement across the state of missouri, Law Enforcement who go to worker day to prevent this kind of illegal violence, to prevent this kind of illicit use of power, that the actions by the Police Officer and officers here in this case cast an incredible aspersion on those valiant and courageous and lawabiding Police Officers, black and white and of every color, across our country who go to do their job every day to protect and defend and uphold the constitution of the United States and to protect men and women like george floyd. The actions of these officers in this case are an incredible betrayal of those standards, of those officers and of justice itself. And i understand why so Many Americans have assembled peacefully, peacefully, to witness to this abuse of power and to protest it the and to demand that justice be done. And they are right to do so. And they are right to demand that this pattern of violence exercised against African Americans be acknowledged and it be confronted and it be stopped. And this is urgent work for us as a nation and for this congress as we go forward. I also believe, madam president , that those who would turn this occasion into an opportunity for rioting and for looting and for more violence and for further attacks and for civil unrest do a great disservice to the memory of mr. Floyd, to his family, and to this cause of justice that we americans share together. For this is a cause that is ours together as a nation. This is a cause given to us by our common constitution. This is a cause that should link us together, american with american, and we must resist the efforts of those all of those who would set us against ourselves, as we seek to pursue that more perfect union, as we seek to pursue justice in this case and in other cases and in the future to come. And so i add my voice to those who call for an end now to the rioting and to the looting and to those who would defame and dishonor and disfigure the memory of mr. Floyd and his cause. And i hope that all lawful steps will be taken to protect innocent and lawabiding citizens in our cities and in our communities so that the Peaceful Assembly and its righteous cause can go forward. And i just want to say one more thing, madam president , on this subject. We cannot ignore that these peaceful protests are taking place amid a backdrop of 20 unemployment in this nation, perhaps higher in the urban centers of our nation. And i think of a line by a former senator who once said that to be unemployed is to have nothing to do. And that means having nothing to do with the rest of us. And i hope that as we as a nation and we as a body in the United States senate turn our attention to what we can do to seek that more perfect union, what we can do to better secure the promise of our constitution, what we can better do to secure that dream that we hold together as americans, i hope that one thing that we will discuss is the vitality, the necessity of work, work that is he meaningful and that is rewarding and that is available for all americans from our urban core to our small towns. And you i hope that we will have a discussion about the policies that for too long in this country, for too many decades have sent too much work out of our country, away from our cities, away from our small towns, for that malt. I hope for that matter. I hope well discuss what we can do to bring work back so that those who grow up in our cities, young men who grow up in our cities will have answer is of a future, will have a sense of a possibility, will think that theres something for me here, i could build a family here, i could start something here and, yes, i could have a say and a share in our society here. For that, they have to have work, madam president. They have to have meaningful work. And this is a task to which we must set ourselves. It is urgent now in this present pandemic crisis that has seen these unemployment numbers rocket to historic, unimaginable levels. It is vital we address the crisis of work. But it is also vital for our future. It is vital for our urban core. It is vital for the young men and women who struggle there. It is vital for our rural towns and our small areas like the with unthat i am from. It is vital for like the one that i am from. It is vital for every member of this nation. It is work that i hope we will take up urgently together to provide goodpaying, meaningful jobs that can support the social fabric, that is the foundation of our democracy. There is much to do in the months and the years ahead. I just hope that the loss of mr. Floyd will serve as a fresh beginning, an opportunity for a new start for americans from every corner of this country, from every political background, from every race and ethnicity to stand together and to say, we commit ourselves anew to this constitution that we love, to this nation that we call home, and we are determined now more than ever to seek and to build a more perfect union. Thank you, madam president. I yield the floor. Mr. Cornyn madam president . The presiding officer the senator from texas. Mr. Cornyn madam president , ours is a nation with the split screen after battle on two fronts. One is the pandemic that weve been fighting now for many months about, and the other is to continue the fight to defeat Racial Injustice that has sadly divided our nation since its very inception. One week ago today, george floyd, a native houstonian, was tragically died in the custody of a Law Enforcement officer. As the gutwrenching video of his death spread, so has the passion and the anger among all of us who wonder how can Something Like that happen . Our constitution guarantees every american the right to protest injustice, and i believe we all have a responsibility to stand up for whats right and condemn what is plainly wrong. People of all color, backgrounds, and ages are demanding that justice be served in the case of george floyd. The first step in that process came on friday when the officer who had him in custody was himself arrested and charged with thirddegree murder. Devastating events like the death of george floyd remind us that we have a long way to go in the fight for equal justice under the law. But we cannot yield to the temptation to fill the void created by this tragedy with violence. Too many protests across our country have turned into riots with looting and vandalism and destruction, hurting innocent people and tearing our cities apart. In response to these escalating protests, last night there were more curfews in place than at any other time since the assassination of Martin Luther king jr. One man who has experienced that period of American History first hand is our colleague on the other side of the capitol, congressman john louis. He fought and marched alongside of dr. King, fighting for equal rights and continues fighting today for equal justice. Over the weekend, he denounced the rioting and looting that occurred and said, be constructive, not destructive. History has proven time and time again that nonviolent, peaceful protest is the way to achieve the justice and equality that we all deserve. I understand and share the passion and the anger that has spread across the country and support those who are peacefully protesting and demanding that justice be served. There should never be a time in which the color of someones skin determines whether they live or die, and we have to do everything in our power to prevent these tragedies from occurring in the first place. But that change cant happen when businesses are being looted, when vehicles are being set on fire, or innocent people are being harmed. It only can happen when we come together and learn to empathize with one another and understand the struggles that our neighbors are facing. I would note that there is good evidence that many of these acts of violence are being instigated, not by victims of injustice but by outsiders determined to stoke the rage that many feel and, thus, insite them to that incite them to that unless. I was glad to hear the attorney general of the United States say that the department of justice will treat violence by individuals associated with antifa and other groups as domestic terrorism and calling protests following George Floyds and calling sop of these protests following George Floyds death to have been hijacked for another destructive antisocial agenda. And then, madam president , investigators are also tracking social media posts and looking into whether foreign agents are behind an active Propaganda Campaign using social media, trying to divide us further to stoke the anger and rage that many of us feel. Officials have seen a huge surge of social media accounts with fewer than 200 followers created in the last month, a textbook sign of a Disinformation Campaign by a foreign power much as we saw in 2016 during the Russian Active Measures Campaign leading up to the election. Righteous rage is one thing. Being manipulated by violence and foreign powers is quite another. Now, madam president , on to another matter. I was glad to be able to get back home to texas this last week where our communities are slowly coming out of a coronavirus shutdown. Churches have begun to safely welcome in worshippers. Restaurants are beginning to safely seat customers, albeit with appropriate social distancing, and retailers are now beginning to safely reopen their doors. After weeks and in some cases months of hunkering down, its a welcome sign of our progress in the fight against the coronavirus and the first step in our economic recovery. When stayathome orders were first put in place, Small Businesses were worried, understandably so, about their ability to survive. Many said they couldnt survive more than a couple of weeks under those circumstances. Back in march, fort worth chef tim love described the situation as armageddon. He said its worse than a tornado. Its worse than a hurricane. Its worse than a fire. This is going to destroy everything that i have built. But the restaurants werent alone. I heard similar concerns from countless other Small Business owners across nearly every sector of the economy hospitality, tourism, retail, manufacturing, and the list goes on. Keeping our Small Businesses open means much more than having another restaurant to eat in or a shop to buy in on main street. Its one of the most effective ways to support our economy, by protecting those jobs. Across the country, Small Businesses have employed nearly half of all u. S. Workers. They are the lifeblood of our local economies and provide Critical Services to each of our communities. Without customers coming through the front door each day, its hard to cover your business expenses and keep employees on payroll. In fact, its not just hard, its impossible. Whether you are a new business just starting out or a decadesold community staple, the financial squeeze caused by this virus in the mitt and the mitigation efforts that ensued are unavoidable. As we worked on Coronavirus Response legislation here in march, we knew that Small Businesses needed our support. Thats why we established the Paycheck Protection Program and initially funded it with 350 billion. This funded loans that were available for these businesses to keep their employees on their payroll and cover other necessary expenses, and if you did so, that loan would turn into a grant. It was so popular, and its not hard to see why, and the need was so great that that initial funding ran out in about two weeks. So we wisely, in my opinion, decided to replenish it with another 320 billion. An i. T. And Document Management company in shoeingland, texas, called function four was one of the recipients of those p. P. P. Loans. One of the partners, bill patsaurus, said if it wasnt for the p. P. P. , they would, quote, absolutely have to start letting people go, but instead of layoffs, all 89 employees of function four are shill employed and still working, but this is a familiar story, im sure, not just in texas but elsewhere. As of may 23, Small Businesses in texas have received more than 350,000 p. P. P. Loans, totaling more than 40 billion. Thats an average loan size of less than 115,000. These are for small and mediumsized businesses. In speaking to my Community Bankers last week, i learned that one bank had approved a loan request for as little as 300. So while the average loan was 115,000, some businesses needed far less than that, including this one loan for 300. No matter how large or small, these loans have allowed businesses, churches, nonprofits, and some of our most valuable Community Institutions to survive. Thats not to say, though, it was perfect, at least to start with. When it was first established, no one expected this rollout to be perfect. I think that would be an exercise in hope over experience, because no Government Program this big and created this fast and we knew both of those were important. We needed to go big. We needed to deal with the need urgently. We knew there would be some problems. A brandnew loan program drafted and passed in such a short time frame is bound to have some hiccups. So over the last several weeks, i have been working, talking to my constituents, as we all have, to identify what needs to be fixed or improved, what gaps need to be filled. Figure out whats working, what isnt, and how we can make it even more effective. Well, i heard repeatedly the biggest need was for flexibility in the use of those funds, and thats where they are needed the most. The main goal of the Paycheck Protection Program is right in the name, protecting paychecks, and thats why we said that 75 of the money needed to be used for payroll, otherwise you were going to have to pi the money back. We said originally the remaining 25 could use be used on a range of other expenses like rent or utilities, but based on the feedback that i have gotten and im confident that i am not alone we missed our mark by establishing that 75 requirement. For many who had no business because they were shut down as part of the mitigation efforts, their payroll expenses, they couldnt use three quarters of the loan for payroll, at least not in the short time frame that we allowed for. They needed to be able to spend more on other expenses like rent and mortgage. The Company Owned by tim love, who i mentioned a moment ago, who described this crisis as armageddon, received a p. P. P. Loan and so far has been able to hire back 80 of their 490 employees. A couple of weeks ago, he participated in a roundtable at the white house, and he asked for adjustments to give businesses more flexibility. He said were not just were not asking for more money. Were just asking for the opportunity to spend the money that we have in a way that you would want us to, the way it was intended, to take care of our employees when we are able to open up. And that is precisely what we are working to do, and i hope we can get legislation to the president s desk this week to meet to make those needed changes. Last week, the house passed a bill to provide that flexibility for Small Businesses to use these funds where theyre needed most. This evident was spearheaded by a fellow member of the texas delegation, congressman chip roy, and it passed by a vote of 4171, a rare feat these days in the house of representatives. The bill will reduce the level of funds that must be used on payroll from 75 to 60 . This will make sure that the bulk of the funding continues to protect jobs and support workers while giving businesses the flexibility they need to stay viable. This legislation also gives borrowers another valuable asset. Thats the asset of time. The p. P. P. As originally written gave borrowers eight weeks to use these funds, and i have repeatedly heard from my constituents that eight weeks is simply not enough. For those who receive these loans at the outset in early april, their window to use the p. P. P. Loan is quickly closing, and although businesses are now just starting to safely reopen, its going to take some time before we find our new normal. I dont think we want a situation where after being back at work for eight weeks, employees are let go because of an administrative policy that makes no sense. Its completely arbitrary, and thats exactly what could happen if we dont act. The bill passed by the house would extend that period of time to 24 weeks for borrowers to use those funds. That will ensure that businesses and nonprofits have time to safely reopen, rebuild their operations while using the p. P. P. To help cover payroll and other business expenses. This would be a winwin. I rarely have heard from my constituents back home that weve done anything that has been so universally appreciated as the p. P. P. Program, the Paycheck Protection Program. This legislation thats passed the house that i hope we will take up and pass this week extends the benefits of this Incredible Program and provides more stability for Small Businesses without spending any more taxpayer dollars. It doesnt cost us anything. Giving Small Businesses and nonprofits more flexibility to use this money when and where its needed is important to our longterm recovery. Ive heard very positive feedback about these changes from the Small Business owners i represent, and im eager to support the passage of the latest house bill here in the senate. A senator madam president. The presiding officer the democratic whip. Mr. Durbin madam president , his name was george floyd. Seven days ago, he was killed on the streets of minneapolis. He was not the first African American to be the victim of racism and criminal misconduct by the police. Its happened in our history many times. But this was different. This was a killing which we watched in real time. In fewer than nine minutes, a minneapolis Police Officer with his knee on the neck of george floyd took his life away. Despite mr. Floyds begging over and over again, his pleas that he couldnt breathe, even invoking the name of his mother didnt stop what happened. That photo is still emblazoned in my mind as im sure it is for all of those who have seen it. The look in that policemans eyes at the videotape that was being taken of that incident was cold and hard and distant, unmoved by George Floyds plea and the plea of those around him. What a tragic moment for our country. A tragic moment for that family. What does it say about who we are in the United States of america that in the year 2020, this sort of thing can happen with such frequency . The heartbreaking killing of george floyd follows years of similar tragedies and needless loss. In 2012, 17yearold Trayvon Martin shot and killed by a vigilante as he walked home with a bag of skittles that he just bought from a local 7eleven. His crime black in america. In 2014, the words i cant breathe were seared into our minds when we saw the video of eric garner struggling for his life and dying as a Police Officer held him in a chokehold. His crime black in america. Weeks later, Michael Brown was shot and killed by a Police Officer in ferguson, missouri, despite being unarmed. A couple months later, on the streets of chicago, illinois, la quon macdonald was shot and killed by a Police Officer. The next month after he was killed, tamir rice was shot and killed by a Police Officer while playing with a toy gun in a cleveland park. The tragic list of black individuals we have mourned and marched for continues to grow. Walter scott, freddie gray, filandro castia, many more, including sondra bland, another resident of illinois whose life was taken when she drove down to texas to interview for a new job. I attended her funeral ceremony. The loss of such a wonderful young woman is still unexplained. Now we have come together to mourn the lives of two black men and a black woman, lives that were cut far too short in incidents of inexplicable and inexcusable violence. Ahmaud arbery, breonna taylor, george floyd. Once again those gutwrern chg words gut wrenching words, i cant breathe brought us to heres. As an activist pointed out justice for breonna, george and ahmaud would mean theyd each be alive today. What we must now seek is accountability. The arrest of former minneapolis Police Officer Derek Chauvin is the first step in that direction but there is so much more that must follow. Too often Police Officers who cross the line from lawful protection of our communities to baseless targeting, harming and killing of unarmed americans of color. Perhaps an arrest of the officer will be made, but our system of justice rarely leads to real consequences that follow. How many more names of black men, women, and children will be cried out in protest before america finally acknowledges the obvious . We cannot call ourselves a land of justice until we address those fundamental issues of Racial Injustice. That will require an honest, candid conversation with leaders in the Law Enforcement community about training, inherent bias, use of force, and the consequences for their unjust action. It will require prosecutors and courts to commit to pursuing true accountability when injustice occurs and it will require ledges is legislators like myself and those in the house and state legislators around this country to continue to undo the damage of a criminal Justice System fraught with Racial Disparities. Most importantly, it will require those of us with privilege and power to step back and listen to black america as they tell us about what a life facing pervasive systemic racism is life. If we truly want to reach a new day in america, impacted communities must lead the conversation. Allies must play an active supportive role in confronting and dismantling racism. We know there are several steps the federal government can take right now to begin the process of moving forward. A good place to start was president Barack Obamas task force on 20th Century Policing. In 2015 president obamas task force released a report outlining reforms to strengthen communication policing and restore trust in the communities they serve. Under president obamas leadership the Justice Departments Civil Rights Division investigated civil rights abuses in multiple Police Departments across the country. Baltimore, ferguson, missouri; cleveland, and, yes, chicago, illinois. Unfortunately the current president dismantled these efforts as soon as he took control of the department of justice in 2017. In this heartbreaking moment of crisis, america is pleading with us for leadership. President trump and attorney general barr could demonstrate that leadership by implementing the recommendations of the task force of the 21st Century Policing and permitting the Civil Rights Division to do its job and vigorously investigate Police Departments accused of engaging in a pattern of practice of misconduct. We have a role to play here too. We Must Immediately hold hearings on systemic racism and Police Misconduct so that we can discuss and pursue solutions, including accountability and training. Chairman graham of the Senate Judiciary committee has announced the committee will hold a hearing on Police Misconduct. Im glad that he made that statement. I hope its more than just one token hearing. When i chaired the Senate Judiciary subcommittee on human rights, i held several hearings on race in america, including my last hearing as chairman in december of 2014 on the state of civil and human rights in the United States. I said then and i repeat it today, it is important to recognize and say clearly that there is still a problem with racism in america, and we still have so much more to do. Weve got to acknowledge the obvious. As one sign said at a demonstration yesterday, all black people are not criminals. All white people are not racist. All policemen are not bad. We have to find the problems and solve them, but we cant ignore the obvious. Since the republicans took Senate Majority control in 2015, the Senate Judiciary committee rarely if ever addresses these issues of systemic racism in america. In fact, the last hearing on policing was almost five years ago. In november of 2015, the junior senator from texas held a hearing entitled, quote, the war on police how the federal government undermines state and local Law Enforcement. It was a thinly veiled attack on the efforts of the obamas civil rights p division to improve police integrity. Four and a half years after that hearing we still have so much work to do, and im committed to joining with my colleagues to listen to civil rights leaders, activists and affected communities and work with them to improve life in my state and across the nation. I hope we can honor george, breonna, ahmaud and all of the black and brown lives that have been lost in brutal acts of Racial Injustice. We need to do this by reforming the system that has permitted these atrocities to occur and dedicate ourselves to bringing about justice and accountability. Madam president , it was many years ago when i was a law student in this city. The year was 1968. I remember it well. It was an historic year and much of the history was painful. I was sitting in the Student Library at Georgetown Law School and a professor opened the door and asked that all students in second and third year come out in the hallway. I went out in the hallway, and he said we need your help. As you know, the city of washington is ablaze with demonstrations and anger over the assassination of dr. Martin luther king. The system of justice is broken down in the city. Theyve run out of attorneys to even stand with the accused defendants before the court. We are preparing to empower you, even as a law student, to walk across the street to the d. C. Court and play that role. We need you. I did it, nervous as could be, uncertain of what i was actually doing but realizing that the system of justice in this city had all but broken down. I think weve learned the hard way that to maintain order in a democracy, you need a consensus, a consensus on what is the common good, and the belief that we all must stand together to make certain that its protected. There will always be its enemies and outliers, but ultimately if we are to move together as a democratic nation, we have to understand and Work Together toward the common good, a comob. Shouldnt the beginning of that common good or common goal be the end of racism in america . Ive read so much history about the civil war, the role of another illinoisan, abraham lincoln, in bringing that war to a successful conclusion. The constitutional amendments that followed, the promises that followed as we emancipated slaves across the United States. Those promises sadly were not kept. Reconstruction, jimcrow laws, and the discrimination that followed is still with us today. There was one moment, one shining moment in my political life when i stood just a few feet away from a new president of the United States by the name of barack obama, an African American, and i thought to myself finally, finally durbin, maybe weve reached that turning point in america when it comes to race, if we can accept an African American as the leader of our nation, maybe, just maybe we are moving toward the day weve all dreamed of. Im afraid he moved us forward but not far enough, and he would be the first to acknowledge. We have work to do. It used to be a bipartisan effort, when it came to making certain that minorities, especially African Americans, were not denied the right to vote. That used to be bipartisan when i first came to congress. Now its become another sad divisive partisan issue. And the efforts to restore the Voting Rights act failed because the republicans no longer joined the democrats in that quest. There are so many other areas that lie ahead that we have to address beyond criminal justice. We have to address economic justice. We know from the covid19 pandemic that those who are minorities in this country, the black and brown, are dying at a much greater rate, a much higher rate than others. There are gross disparities, Racial Disparities, poverty disparities when it comes to health care in america. And the same is true for education and housing and so many other aspects of what being an american is all about. That agenda is before us. And if we think that coming to the floor and making a speech, having a hearing and moving on will solve the problem, it will not. It will not. We have to envision moving forward, rethinking america. And we have to acknowledge that the process will be far from perfect. Just the last two nights in the city of chicago and across the United States, we have seen incidents occur which i thought id never see again. They hearken back to the 1968 reaction to the assassination of dr. Martin luther king. The burnings, looting, confrontations, things that sadly look exactly like they did some 50 years ago. The reality is this, in america we are given a constitutional right to express our feelings and our free speech and our free assembly, and those rights are important and should be valued and respected. But those rights to march, to demonstrate, as people are doing right outside this building at this very moment, cannot be taken to the point where theyve reached an extreme and become destructive. Speaking, assembling, exercising your constitutional right does not include looting. It doesnt include arson, vandalism or violence. In fact, those actions detract from the underlying message which calls for positive change in america. I am glad that leaders like john lewis, my dear friend, and former colleague from the house of representatives, has made that point. His voice on the subject is much more articulate and more convincing, but hes reminded us that if we are to move america to the place where it must be, we must do it in a nonviolent fashion within the law, not breaking the law. His name was george floyd, a 46yearold African American. He died on the streets of minneapolis with the knee of a Police Officer on his neck for almost nine minutes. He cannot be forgotten. And all the others that i mentioned must also be remembered. It is time for us, it is time for our generation to say enough. Madam president , i yield the floor. I suggest the absence of a quorum. The presiding officer the clerk will call the roll. Quorum call quorum call the presiding officer the senator from maine. Ms. Collins mr. President , i ask unanimous consent that proceedings under the call be vitiated. The presiding officer without objection. Ms. Collins thank you, mr. President. Mr. President , i rise today at a time of great sorrow, anger, and fear for our nation. We face the confluence of a health crisis, an economic depression, and a killing that lay bear the Racial Injustice that still taints our country. The horrific death of george floyd in minneapolis was reprehensible. It was beyond a tragedy. It was a crime. As americans we all need to frankly acknowledge and work to resolve our longstanding, ongoing struggle with racial inequality. The president should help heal the racial divisions in this country. It is at times like this that a president needs to speak to the nation to pledge to right wrongs and to calm inflamed passions. Mr. President , the right to gather to protest injustice is inshrined in our constitution. The desire for reconciliation is in our national character. We must join together to ensure that the legacy of george floyd is a progress, not deepening division and hatred. Let me be clear, mr. President. The vast majority of our Law Enforcement officers are brave men and women devoted to protecting our families, our belongings, and our communities. They deserve our heartfelt gratitude as they willingly risk their lives for ours when danger strikes. In maine, were fortunate to have so many terrific professional Law Enforcement officers devoted to their duty, devoted to doing what is right. It is, however, imperative that we examine and act on the Racial Disparities in Law Enforcement where they occur. I cannot believe, mr. President , that george floyd would have had his neck stepped on and the life squeezed out of him had he been white. There are many other examples as well, sadly. I remember our own senator, tim scott, describing being stopped by a Police Officer when driving many times during one year even though he was oh, he was abiding by all the traffic laws. That is harassment and simply wrong. In confronting these problems, we would do well to heed the words of congressman lewis in response to the violence that overwhelmed peaceful protests in his city of atlanta last weekend. And, of course, we all know that the congressman is a civil rights icon as well as an extraordinary member of congress. He said this. Justice has, indeed, been denied for far too long. Rioting, looting, and burning is not the way. Organize, demonstrate, sit up, stand up, vote, be constructive, not destructive. History has proven time and again that nonviolent peaceful protests is the way to achieve the justice and equality that we all deserve. Those are powerful words, mr. President , from congressman lewis. Those are words that should motivate and guide all of us. Dr. Martin luther king jr. Once said, darkness cannot drive out darkness. Only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate. Only love can do that. Mr. President , by continuing to listen to one another and be guided by the words of congressman lewis and dr. Martin luther king and the mayor of atlanta, we can work toward improving social justice and eliminating Racial Disparities in this country. We can drive out the forces of bigotry. Thank you, mr. President. I yield the floor and suggest the absence of a quorum. The presiding officer the clerk will call the roll. Quorum call quorum call the presiding officer without objection. Under the previous order, the leadership time is reserved. Morning business is closed. Under the previous order, the senate will proceed to executive session to resume consideration of the following nomination, which the clerk will report. The clerk nomination, the have been, john leonard about a dale menty, badalamenti, of florida, to be United States district judge for the middle district of florida. The presiding officer under the previous order, the question is on the nomination. Is there a sufficient second . There appears to be. The clerk will call the roll. Vote vote vote vote the presiding officer is any senator not has not senator not voted or wish to change their vote . On this vote, the yeas are 55, the nays are 22. The nominations 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. Mr. Mcconnell mr. President. The presiding officer the majority leaders recognized. Mr. Mcconnell i ask unanimous consent that notwithstanding the provisions of rule 22, cloture motions filed on may 21, ripen at 11 45 a. M. Tomorrow. If cloture vote is invoked on the mercado nomination, the postcloture time expire at 2 15 p. M. Tomorrow, if cloture is invoked on the miller nomination, cloture expire at 4 00 p. M. And if confirmed, the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table and the president be immediately notified of the senates action. The presiding officer without objection. Mr. Mcconnell i ask unanimous consent the senate proceed to legislative session for a period of morning business with senators permitted to peek therein for up to speak therein for up to ten minutes each. The presiding officer . Without objection. Mr. Mcconnell i ask unanimous consent that the senate proceed to the immediate consideration of s. 3846. The presiding officer the clerk will report. The clerk s. 3846, a bill to observe the lives lost in the United States due to the covid19 pandemic. The presiding officer is there objection to proceeding to the measure . Without objection. Mr. Mcconnell i further ask the bill be considered read three times an passed and the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table. The presiding officer without objection. Mr. Mcconnell i ask unanimous consent that what when the senate completes completes its s today, it adjourn until 10 00 a. M. , the journal of proceedings be approved to date, and the time for the two leaders be reserved for their use later in the day, and morning business be closed. Further, following leader remarks, the senate proceed to executive session to resume consideration of the mercado nomination. Finally that the Senate Recess following the cloture vote on mercado until 2 15 to allow for the Weekly Conference meetings. The presiding officer without objection. Mr. Mcconnell if theres no further business to come before the senate, i ask that it stand adjourned under the previous order. Order. This is working on to judicial nominations one for more than the other for texas. Later this week lawmakers are expected to consider the Nomination White House lawyer brian Miller Special Inspector General for pandemic recovery. A new position overseeing related spending that would create but the passage of the cares act. Also possible legislation providing greater flexibility to Small Businesses. The receipt paycheck protection loans. We could see from the work on reauthorizing that form Intelligence Surveillance act. It is the start of todays session. Hes followed by Iowa Republican grassley. A majority leader mitch mcconnell. Eternal god, who has placed our tears in a bottle. Today we weep. We weep because every death diminishes us. We weep because of the grief
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