Unprecedented in fact in the modern history of this country. Over the last several weeks, hundreds of thousands of americans from one end of this country to the other, pigs cities, small towns have rightly taken to the streets to demand andr and the Police Murder and brutality and in fact, to rethink the nature of policing in america. And in the midst of that, rising up for the Police Departments rethinking and the Police Departments murder and brutality in the midst of all of that, our country continues to suffer from that covid19 pandemic. And its in a number of locations in this country, is actually getting worse. And which has up to this point, killed over 110,000 people. And infected over 2 million americans. And then on top of all of that, the struggle for Racial Justice dealing with a pandemic in the midst of all of that, we have the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression of the 1930s. In the last number of months as you know, over 32 million americans have lost their jobs. Mr. President , inid the midst of the struggle for Racial Justice, in the midst of this horrific healthcare t crises, in the midt of this economic, the American People are demanding to know what their government is doing in response to these crises. We were elected as senators and members of the house, to respond to the needs of the American People. The American People are working around them and they see the struggle for Racial Justice, they see a pandemic. They see an economic meltdown. And many of them are asking what the Republican Leadership here in the senate is doing. Crisis after crisis after crisis. And what is the leadership here in the senate doing and it tragically, mr. President , the answer is nothing. Historians have suggested that in the year 64 a. D. , while rome was morning, the emperor played his fiddle. At least he did something. He provided entertainment to his court. But here in the u. S. Senate, republican leader mcconnell, and his leadership team, are doing nothing. Sadly and tragically, this is the worsto donothing senate in modern American History and every member of this body should be deeply ashamed. At the degree to which we are failing our constituents. Mr. President , enough is enough. The United States senate must respond to the pain and the suffering of the American People. Let us quickly wrap up debate over the land and Water Conservation fund act which is on the floor right now. Let us wrap up debate. Let us vote on this bill, is a good bill and thus passes. And then let us begin to work on the unprecedented crisis that is facing our country. Mr. President , if there is anything that the torture and murder of george floyd by the Minneapolis Police has taught us is that we have to rethink the nature of policing in america. And reform our broken and racist criminal justice system. Let us be clear, the murder of george floyd is not just an isolated incident. It is the latest in an endless series of Police Killings of africanamericans including others. Several names. And many others. And if anyone thinks that these Police Murders have just begun to take place in recent years, when people had cell phone cameras, you would obviously have been mistaken. This has gone on for ever. Mr. President , the American People are actually demanding justice and an end to Police Brutality and murder. The u. S. Senate has got to act now. We have got to hear the cries for justice that are coming from the streets of this country, that are coming from the Africanamerican Community in the White Community in the latino community. From all of our people. We must act and we must act now. And let me just suggest some of the items that must fbn the legislation that we pass. This is a limited number. We can do more. In my view, every police officerinvolved in the killing must be held accountable. And those found guilty, must be punished. With the full force of law. That includes officers to stand by while these brutal acts take place. Every single clip killing a person by police, or while in Police Custody must be investigated by the department of justice. We must pray to process by which the Police Departments look like the communities that they serve and not look like invading armies. We need to abolish qualified immunity. So that the Police Officers are held civilly liable for abuses. We need to prohibit the offensive militaryra equipment. To the police department. We need to strip the federal funds from departments who violate civil rights. We need to provide funding to save municipalities. Unarmed First Responders to supplement Law Enforcement for too long. We have asked Police Departments to do things which they are not trained or prepared to do. And have criminalized societal problems like addiction, and homelessness and mental illness. These are not problems. Theyre not solved by incarceration. Representative of the community with the police or Police Custody, the federal authorities for investigation. We need to ban the use of rubber balls, tear gas and pepper spray on protesters. We need to make certain that when people go to the street to protest that they are not treated like criminals. And that their basic Constitutional Rights are denied. Mr. President , the struggle for Racial Justice is just one of the crises that we have got to address. Today, mr. President , we are looking at a pandemic, unprecedented in the last 100 years. I would tell you that new zealands a very small country of about 5 Million People, did something rather interesting, not surprising, butte interesting. They listened to their scientists. They acted boldly at the start of the pandemic and they had Political Leadership trusted by their citizens. The result is, just the other day, new zealand was able to announce that the covid19 virus was virtually eliminated in their country and that they could reopen their economy safely. On the other hand, and the United States under President Trump, we have a president who downplayed the crisis from the very beginning, who ignored or attacked scientists, whom most people recognize as a pathological liar and not to be trusted. Mr. President , and new zealand and many other countries, most unintelligent act saved lives. In our country tragically, incompetent leadership cost us lives. While we cannot bring back those who unnecessarily died or who have become ill. But what we can do is take action now to do Everything Possible to minimize unnecessary deaths and illness in the future. First and foremost we need a National Protocol based on science to address this pandemic. Not have 50 states and hundreds of communities Going Forward in different directions. There is a way to effectively deal with this crisis. And that leadership should be coming from the federal government. What we are talking about is the need among other things for increased testing and how we best utilize that testing as we talk about opening businesses and schools. We need, through the defense production act and any other approach to make certain all medical personnel have the necessary personnel protective equipment that they need. Even today, after the pandemic corrupted, doctors and nurses still p lack to the equipment w they need to protect themselves. I was on the phone a couple of weeks ago with people in vermont working in clinics. They still do not have the protective equipment they need. We need to produce hundreds of millions of the most effective masks we can. To protect all americans above and beyond medical personnel. Masks are an important part of fighting this pandemic. Every american should have the best quality masks as possible. Working with the community we need to make sure a safe vaccine is produced as quickly as possible and it is distributed to every american for free ive asked the Trump Administration on several occasions when and god willing the vaccine will be produced. Its as soon as possible we all went that. As you know the federal government is spending billions of dollars to help develop that vaccine, giving money to the Drug Companies thate, is fine after thats developed it must be distributed to every man, woman, and child in this country at no cost. I dont want to see people dying because they cannot afford to pay for a vaccine. I do not want to see the Drug Companies profiteering from this federal investment. Over tongue nothe responding to this pandemic we are trying but workers who arent on the front lines. That is whetheress their medical professionals, workers in transportation, grocery stores, drug stores meatpacking plants or what ever. They musty receive a hazard pay the dangerous work they do. I get tired of seeing tv ads thanking the heroes who are out on the front lines. Went to thank them and we need to pay them for the dangerous work they are doing. We can no longer allow multibilliondollar corporations like amazon, walmart, and tyson foods to treat w essential workers like expendable workers, like sacrificial workers. We can no longer allow multibilliondollar corporations to run advertising calling their workers heroes. But paying them starvation wages and treating them disrespectfully. So mr. President , it is not just the Racial Justice crisis we face. Its not just the pandemic we face, that we are in the midst of an un precedented economic crisis. And we must act boldly and aggressively to protect the American People in the midst of these crises. As we speak, tens of millions of people have lost their jobs. They are worried about being evicted from their apartments, the worried about losing their homes they are worried about putting food on the table and vermont and i suspect in every state in this country there are people lining up at emergency food shelters there anyone who thanks this is not a moment of urgencies does not understand what the word urgency means. In america go hungry. When people o get evicted losing their home. Weve got to act. Weve got to act now not a month from now, not two months from now. No, President Trump this is not a time for a victory lap that remains over 20 the highest it has been since the Great Depression. Unless we get our act together boldly, over half of Small Business owners in america will be forced to close their doors for good within the next six months. We need to respond vigorously to the economic crisis that we face and the pain and suffering of the American People. What is that mean . Just a fewse provisions that have got to be passed. We need to pass a paychecks security act which does what many European Countries do that is provide workers 20 of the paycheck and benefits they previously received. According to recent study from the diversity of california, berkeley, if we had a a Paycheck Guarantee Program similar to the one in germany, 24 million americans would have a job today. Instead we are seeing President Trump and senator mcconnell taking ae victory lap because we created some to me in jobs last month. Thats critical but when we have 32 Million People whove lost their jobs in recent months, we have got to act and we have got to act boldly. And my view during this crisis we must make sure that every american gets the healthcare they need by expanding medicare to cover the underinsured, uninsured, and the needs of private insurance but an adequate private insurance. Had my view, as mr. President , the midst of this crisis so much economic suffering we need to provide every workingclass person in this country with a 2000dollar of payment for each and every month until the crisis is over so they can pay the rent feed the families until with the basic needs. Furthermore is the top priority we have to make sure no one in america goes hungry. That means substantially expanding the meals on wheels program, and snap benefits. Mr. President here we are. All over this country people are demanding more from an end to Police Killings and brutality, demanding more from Racial Justice in this country will all over this country people are being infected with the virus, continue to die all over this country. There are people wondering how theyre going to pay their bills because they have lost their jobs. Because some have no food in the covered entrant covered. Theres ever a modern time in the history of this Country Senate in the house are called upon to stand up for the working families of this country are living in emotional anxiety are scared to death about what is going to happen to the future if we are to reaffirm faith in government in this country to know we are seeing and hearing that pain, now is the time. So today i call upon my colleagues, i know we have disagreements but let us understand the urgency of the moment, let us deal with the pandemic that saves lives prayed lets deal with the economic. Crisis, lets put people back to work, lets deal with the issue of Racial Justice, lets fight to end racism in the country. There is an enormous amount of work to be done, lets do it. Thank you. Police reform legislation could be debated on the senate floor before the july recess. The senate has gaveled out but earlier today lawmakers continue debate on public lands a package that would permanently fund the land and conservation final establishing up fun for National Parks and other public lands part ill show you some of that debate from earlier today beginning with oregon democrats. Mr. President , the senate has taken up and will be voting soon, i hope successfully on water shed environmental legislation that will provide for municipal county, state, National Parks and public spaces and america for generations to come. This is legislation i have been working on for years. Legislation that i have pushed hard to advance, as chairman in the senate with energy and National Resources committee and legislation for which im now a cosponsor. The bill to r
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