Maintenance of National Parks and other federal land open to the public. Senators are now working on amendments to the bill. No votes are scheduled yet, but work is expect today continue to next week. Now to live coverage of the u. S. Senate here on cspan2. The president pro tempore the senate will come to order. The chaplain, dr. Black, will lead the senate in prayer. The chaplain let us pray. 1mighty god, thank you for your great and precious promises. You have promised to keep a record of our pain. You have promised that no weapon formed against us will prosper. You have promised to supply our needs and to surround us with the shield of your blessings. You have promised to keep us from stumbling or slipping. Lord, you have promised that nothing can separate us from your love. You have promised to do for us more than we can ask or imagine. Great and precious are your promises. Give our lawmakers confidence in your promises, as they face these tumultuous times. Sustain them with your unfailing love and keep them on the right path. We pray in your matchless name. Amen. The president pro tempore please join me in reciting 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. Mr. Grassley mr. President. One minute for open business, morning business business. The presiding officer without objection. Mr. Grassley the miracles of the scientific innovation have cured illnesses that a generation ago delivered a death sentence to many americans. Dr. Jonas salks polio vaccine in 1953 eradicated the effects of the virus that killed thousands of children in the first half of the 20th century. I have every confidence our Scientific Community will unlock a vaccine to stop the coronavirus pandemic. Testing, developing, reviewing vaccines take time, but all of that is well under wait a minute however, there is no time to is underway. However there is no time for congress to lose to pass the bipartisan Prescription Drug act. We have the responsibility to ensure that pharmaceutical treatments, therapies and vaccines are affordable for all americans facing this pandemic or any of the future ones. I yield the floor. The presiding officer under the previous order, the leadership time is reserved. The presiding officer the majority leader. Mr. Mcconnell over the last several weeks major challenges have dominated the headlines on a daily basis. Following the sacrifices americans made to fight the coronavirus, our nation is gradually beginning to reopen. Our economy has started adding back jobs. But some states are seeing their numbers increase, the fallout for American Workers remains historic, and schools, universities, and employers are still looking for smart and safe ways to step back toward normal. The senate is working to ensure our efforts to treat, contain, and recover from the pandemic. Weve confirmed a special Inspector General for pandemic recovery. Committees are overseeing the cares act. And senator cornyn is crafting measures to make sure a second epidemic of frivolous lawsuits does not blook block schools and colleges from reopening or employers from rehiring workers. At the same time the killing of black americans like george floyd and Breonna Taylor have accelerated important conversations. With the leadership of senator scott of south carolina, the senate is preparing to add to the conversations surrounding Law Enforcement with our own serious proposal. Policies that would take smart steps without attacking the vast majority of Police Officers who bravely do their jobs the right way. But of course, mr. President , theres also a long list of legislative priorities which the senate was going to tackle before these new issues materialized. This week chairman inhofe and the Armed Services committee have been marking up the 60th Consecutive NationalDefense Authorization act which i hope the full senate will be voting on later this month. And here on the floor, weve also been considering a landmark bill to protect and preserve our nations public lands for future generations. In my home state of kentucky, we know all about the Important Role that public lands play in our preservation of our physical heritage, providing access for Outdoor Recreation, and sustaining jobs and prosperity in the process. Across the commonwealth, Outdoor Recreation supports 120,000 jobs and drives nearly 13 billion in consumer spending. From natural wonders like red river gorge and Mammoth Cave National Park to the Historic Sites like mills springs battlefield and camp nelson, kentuckians have grown up enjoying our public lands, and we intend to protect them for future generations. So let me give you an example. As i mentioned yesterday when i came to the senate, kentucky was the only state in the union without its only National Wildlife refuge. We have plenty of history, plenty of heritage. We just need a little help to preserve it. With the support of hunters, boaters and outdoorsmen in the jackson purchase region i led the establishment of the clarks river National Wildlife refuge. It was a huge step to protect local species and our treasured kentucky past times. This refuge has continued to grow over the years. Thanks to the land and Water Conservation fund and many willing sellers, it now makes thousands of acres available for appreciation, recreation, and tourism. Like many public lands, these wildlife areas make great neighbors. In a single year more than 50 million visitors come to american wildlife refuges nationwide and spend billions, billions in nearby communities. Decades later another Kentucky Community looking to safeguard its own national treasure, the green river which flows through kentucky and meets the ohio river near henderson county, is one of the most biodiverse waterways on the entire continent. I was proud to take the lead once again alongside strong local supporters and a Broad Coalition of groups, we sent a bill to President Trump and he signed it into law. We welcomed the interior secretary to western kentucky last year to cut the ribbon on the green river National Wildlife refuge. But kentuckians know that ribbon cuttings are just the beginning. Our state has a newly designated public land that needs attention to get off the ground. We have wellestablished public lands that have opportunities to grow and improve. And we have places like the Daniel Boone National forest established more than 80 years ago that need our careful attention and upkeep. The legislation before the senate will help all of them. It will help us repair levees at the clarks river National Wildlife refuge. It will help our two wildlife refuge continue to grow. It will help mills springs battlefield and camp nelson keep teaching the history of emancipation and the civil war to new generations. It will help us make infrastructure upgrades at Mammoth Cave National Park with the safety of two million annual visitors. It will help enhance the land between the lakes and its 600 million economic impact. It will Fund Transportation and maintenance in the Daniel Boone National forest which supports more than 900 jobs. It will help us rehabilitate the Cumberland Gap and give future americans the opportunity to literally follow in the footsteps of our early explorers. So, mr. President , kentucky is proud of our public lands. Were proud of the role our natural inheritance plays in our vibrant present and in our promising future. And of course we are only just one state. Every one of my Senate Colleagues has parks, forests, refuge and Historic Sites theyre equally proud of, that are equally central in their communication f communities. Thats why we voted to advance this legislation earlier this week by an overwhelming bipartisan margin. President Teddy Roosevelt once said this about our Nations National treasures. We have fallen heirs to the most glorious gift people ever received and each one must do his part if we wish to show that the nation is worthy of its good fortune. So i want to thank senator daines and senator gardner for their leadership in making sure that we keep up our end of the bargain with the generations of americans who came before us and those who are yet to come. Im also grateful to senator alexander and senator portman and our democratic colleagues, senator manchin and senator warner, for helping assemble this bipartisan bill. Ill be proud to speak for kentucky and to vote for it. I suggest the absence of a quorum. The presiding officer the clerk will call the roll. Quorum call quorum call mr. Schumer mr. President. The presiding officer the democratic leader. Mr. Schumer i ask unanimous consent the quorum be dispensed with. The presiding officer without objection. Mr. Schumer now, mr. President , the killing of george floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery catapulted the issues of Racial Justice, Police Violence, systemic racism to the forefront of this nations conscience. These issues are not new. Some are even older than the nation itself. And the anger felt by hundreds of thousands of protesters is about that historical and pervasive injustice. Its rooted in our decadelong failure to Reform Police departments and the yawning gap between our ideal of equal justice under law and the reality of equal justice for only some. Americas an experiment. Our Founding Fathers said that. We know it deep in our bones. An experiment means you can change, and some of the best observers of the difference i think de tocqueville was one of these of america and the difference between us and other countries, we are willing to change. I am touched and moved i was with the demonstrators on saturday in new york in brooklye there, great diversity, and how many were young and idealistic and doing things for just the right reasons. Not selfish reasons, but for the better of the country, to make us a more Perfect Union. We must seize this moment. We cannot let it pass. This isnt are simply renewing a national dialogue, although dialogue is always important. Its about action. Its about making real and meaningful progress. And the way to do that is with comprehensive Police Reform legislation in congress. So house and Senate Democrats have already drafted legislation that would ban the use of choke holds and other tactics that have taken the lives of black americans like george floyd, eric garner. That would also ban the use of noknock warrants in drug cases, which is one of the reasons for the death of Breonna Taylor. That would limit the transfer of military equipment to Police Departments and crucially, it would make it easier to hold Police Accountable for misconduct as well as institute several reforms to prevent that misconduct in the first place. The moment does not call for cherrypicking one or two things to do. It calls for bold, broad change, whole scale reform, not piecemeal reform. I know the inclination of some of my Senate Colleagues would be to cherrypick a few small improvements and say the jobs done. It will not be. We need to start, start with the justice and policing act, a strong comprehensive bill that people, particularly senators booker and harris, c. B. C. , spent a lot of time with experts who have studied this issue for many, many months and years. For too long when major issues wash over the country, the waves of change and progress crash against the rocks of a disinterested Republican Senate majority. When americans watched in horror as another spade of Mass Shootings rocked the nation, they rose up and demanded change. President trump and Senate Republicans initially tried to make the right noises. Leader mcconnell promised a debate on expanding background checks would be, quote, front and center after shootings in dayton but particularly after, that debate never came to pass. When theres a national crisis, major issue, people in the streets worried and concerned and want change, we hear words and then the strategy is delay and at the end do nothing. So we cannot go through these same motions again. This is about the original sin of america, that we must try to deal with headon. Americans in the streets shouting at the top of their lung, for change lungs for change, young people, idealistic people, the best of america. The senate must pursue comprehensive reform, not the lowest common denominator and certainly not more empty rhetorical resolutions. Of course theres another crisis in our country crying out for action and leadership. The covid19 pandemic didnt go away while the nation rightfully turned its eyes to issues of Racial Justice. Yesterday the United States eclipped two million cases of coronavirus, another 1. 5 million americans filed for unemployment this week. Federal reserve officials sober, nonpolitical are predicting that best case, well end the year around 10 unemployment. A staggering figure, one out of every ten. One out of every ten. The disease is spiking in a number of states around the country. Arizona officials have warned that its hospitals could be filled by next month. Texas has gone three Straight Days with record numbers of hospitalizations. North carolina and new mexico, california, oregon and several other states are experiencing a resurgence or peak levels of covid19. As the president continues to fixate on the stock market and Senate Republicans are prematurely ready to declare victory, we need to rest the focus back to these crucial issues. So today im requesting that dr. Fauci and dr. Birx and other members of the administrations Coronavirus Task force conduct a briefing for Democratic Senators on the recent spikes and do it next week. We understand why these spikes we need to understand why these spikes are happening and how to adapt our national response. The president always interested in himself, not in the good of the country, was too quick to sideline the Coronavirus Task force, too eager to pretend that everything was back to normal and better than ever. The country needs dr. Fauci on billboards but the president wants to put him on a milk carton. The Vice President yesterday was photographed with Campaign Staffers in a tight space, no social distancing, without anyone wearing a mask. The very least the administration could do is lead by example and often cannot even manage that much. At the same time we cannot forget that the issues of Racial Justice and covid19 are intricately related. The covid19 pandemic disproportionately kills black americans. Communities of color have less access to Quality Health care, greater food insecurity, greater percentages of poverty, and a disproportionate number of our frontline essential workers, 41. 2 are African American and latino. The majority of African Americans are renters and dedicate more than 50 of their income to rent. The truth is, an emergency bill on covid19 is a Racial Justice issue, too. Hazard pay for essential workers is a Racial Justice issue, too. Health care is a Racial Justice issue, too. Rent assistance and forbearance from eviction is a Racial Justice issue, too. There are these are all items that must be discussed in another covid relief bill. And its past time to get to work. African americans, latinos, other minorities are taking the economic hit from the coronavirus on the chin but Senate Republicans led by leader mcconnell are reportedly unwilling to consider another emergency relief bill until late july. How many more workers will lose their jobs between now and late july . How many renters will be kicked out of their homes between now and late july . How many state and local government workers who lose their jobs as state and local governments meet their budget deadlines on july 1 and dont have the dollars to deal with them. How many of them will lose their jobs . Wait until late july. Its callous. Its cold and its wrong for our economy. The republican majority seems to have a whole lot of time to push rightwing judges. Thats what they want to do next week. And both of their judges that they nominate to show the hypocrisy of those who talk about wanting to help can compare it to their actions. Both of those judges have an antipathy to our health care law. In the middle of the Public Health care crisis, the republican majority thinks it can get away with stuff like this but they cant. Americans are catching on. One of them of the nominees cory wilson with an alarming record on Voting Rights in the middle of a National Reckoning on racial injustice. Youre all going to vote for him . This guy has opposed Voting Rights and youre going to vote for him. They oppose health care. Youre going to vote for him. Then youre going to give nice speeches how you want equality. The two have to add up together. The republican majority also seems to have time to chase all of President Trumps wild conspiracy theories about how he was wronged by Law Enforcement. The poor beleaguered President Trump. My goodness. Thats whats happening in judiciary today. They can the republican majority leader mcconnell can devote time to that but they cant commit to time on the floor about how black americans are being wronged by Law Enforcement. In order to bring a small appearance of fairness to those ridiculous Judiciary Committee vote today, democrats will be requesting subpoenas for Trump Campaign associates, like michael cohen, rich gates rick gates, george papadopoulos, Michael Flynn among others. These men have at one time or another pled guilty to offenses related to putins interference in the election. Lets hear what they have to say or should this be a onesided Kangaroo Court to please President Trump . If the republican conspiracy caucus wants to waste the senates time dredging up old conspiracy theories about the previous election, lets at least get the straight story. Lets at least hear witnesses who might have Something Different to say. This is not a dictatorship. This is not how courts or hearings are supposed to work, i would say to the republican chairman. And its beneath his dignity and the dignity of the body to conduct such sham Kangaroo Court hearings. I yield the floor. The presiding officer morning business is closed. Under the previous order, the senate will resume consideration of h. R. 1957 which the clerk will report. The clerk calendar number 75, h. R. 1957, an act to amend the Internal Revenue code of 1986 to modernize and improve the Internal Revenue service and for other purposes. Mr. Thune mr. President . The presiding officer the senator from south dakota. Mr. Thune mr. President , are we in a quorum call . The presiding officer we are not. Mr. Thune most other sectors of our economy, agriculture has taken a huge hit from the coronavirus. The pandemic has caused significant market volatility sending many commodity futures prices plummeting. Increased consumer demand for beef led to significant increases in boxed beef prices while saddle prices plummeted which led to significant gaps between cattle producer and packer profit margins. And to make the situation worse, temporary closures and reduced Processing Capacity at u. S. Meat pack be plants as a result of the virus further diminished demand for livestock and depressed prices. This has aggravated an already difficult situation for farmers and ranchers. Unlike the majority of the economy which was thriving before the coronavirus pandemic, the ail culture economy has been struggling for a while. Low prices, extended trade disputes and natural disasters have meant a tough few years for farmers and ranchers even before the coronavirus hit. Now things are even more challenging. Agriculture is the lifeblood, mr. President , of my state of south dakota so supporting farmers and ranchers during the crisis has been one of my top priorities. I fought to get agriculture relief money included in the coronavirus aid relief and Economic Security act or the cares act which was signed into law in late march. The final bill included 14 billion to replenish the commodity credit corps, to allow the department of agriculture to provide income and price support for farmers and ranchers, plus an additional 9. 5 billion in Emergency Support for agriculture producers affected by the pandemic. Days after the bill passed, i led a Bipartisan Group of senators and representatives in a letter to secretary of agriculture sonny perdue urging him to use a portion of the funds to provide support for hardhit cattle producers. In mid april the department of agriculture responded to their and other petitions by announcing it wyche 16 billion it would issue 16 billion in direct payments to agriculture producers affected by the virus. Signups for this funding began at the end of may. As of june 8, south dakota Agricultural Producers had received approximately 80 million. Mr. President , over the past two months ive kept in Constant Contact with the department of agriculture and others to amplify producers concerns and to urge swift relief. Ive also been focused on developing additional legislation to help farmers and ranchers weather this crisis. I introduced legislation to allow emergency haying and grazing on Conservation Reserve Program acres for the duration of this crisis. Under current law ag producers can hay or graze during weather relaithed disasters without a reduction in their crp payment. My legislation would extend that provision to cover pandemics, including the covid19 pandemic. Thanks to low prices and the reduction in capacity of meatpacking plants as a result of the pandemic, farmers and ranchers are having to hold on to their livestock for longer than expected. Of this bill would help ensure that they have adequate storage for their animals. I should say adequate forage for their animals. Earlier this week i introduced another bill. The paycheck protection for producers act which would help more farmers and ranchers benefit from the Paycheck Protection Program. The Coronavirus Relief legislation that we passed in late march established the Paycheck Protection Program which provides forgivable loans to Small Businesses to help them keep their employees on their payroll during this crisis. Selfemployed americans which describes many farmers and ranchers are eligible for these loans but in practice, the programs guidelines have excluded a lot of Agricultural Producers. Low Commodity Prices and a challenging planting season meant that many farmers and ranchers had a negative income in 2019. And right now the programs guidelines exclude farmers or ranchers without employees with a negative net income for last year. So, mr. President , my legislation would allow more farmers to access the Paycheck Protection Program by allowing them to use their 2019 gross income instead of their 2019 net income when applying for a loan. Im hoping to get both of these bills through congress in the near future. Mr. President , in addition to direct relief, another thing that we can do to support our nations Agricultural Producers is to support the ethanol industry. Ethanol and biodiesel producers buy up a significant amount of american corn and soy imeen oil but decreased demand for fuel as a result of the coronavirus has significantly diminished this crucial market for our farmers. And thats why in addition to direct relief measures for farmers and ranchers, ive also focused on what we can do to support the ethanol industry. American ethanol has stepped up to help by providing ethanol or alcohol for Hand Sanitizer. Thanks to the f. D. A. s temporary policy for preparation of certain alcoholbased Hand Sanitizer products during the Public Health emergency, qualifying ethanol can be used as an alcohol content in Hand Sanitizer. I imagine there are few americans who havent significantly stepped up their purchase of Hand Sanitizer during the current crisis. In addition to measures like social distancing and mask wearing, frequent hand washing is key to preventing the spread of the virus. When water and soap are not immediately available, Hand Sanitizer can step in as a substitute. We need a steady supply of Hand Sanitizer to help curtail virus transmission. And to help us meet this need and support our nations ethanol producers, today im introducing the Hand Sanitizer guidance extension act of 2020. Put simply, my bill will extend the f. D. A. s temporary ethanolbased Hand Sanitizer policy for at least two years. This will give ethanol producers that have made investments or changes in operations to meet the need for Hand Sanitizer a longer time to recoup their investment costs. I recognize that there is ongoing deliberation with the f. D. A. About denaturants and other accepted chemical limits for Hand Sanitizer ethanol and my bill would not hinder those discussions. My bill would provide ethanol producers with a baseline of certainty while still allowing the f. D. A. To make case by case approvals as necessary to meet the Public Health emergency. Now the amount of ethanol required for Hand Sanitizer is just a drop in the bucket for ethanol producers, and i am committed, mr. President , to finding additional ways to bring this clean americangrown fuel to market. But every little bit helps, and this legislation will at least give a small measure of certainty to producers while helping to meet the nationwide demand for Hand Sanitizer. Mr. President , the Coronavirus Crisis highlighted how much we rely on our nations Agricultural Producers. I am grateful every day for their work, and advocating for them will continue to be one of my top priorities. I am committed to helping our farmers and ranchers through the challenges theyre facing and see our nations agricultural economy thrive. Mr. President , i yield the floor. Mrs. Murray mr. President. The presiding officer the senator from washington. Mrs. Murray mr. President , i ask unanimous consent to speak as if in morning business. The presiding officer without objection. Mrs. Murray thank you, mr. President. Mr. President , it has been 17 days since Minneapolis Police murdered george floyd, 90 days since police in louisville, kentucky, killed Breonna Taylor, who would have turned 27 just days ago; and 109 days since Ahmaud Arbery was killed by armed white residents in south georgia. These are just some of the most recent examples of the senseless, repeated killings of black people in our communities, including by police that have led to massive outpouring of anger and grief that we have seen on display in streets across the country. But we know these protests are not only about unjust tragedies. They are also about tony mcdade, sandra bland, mike brown, atiania jefferson, walter scott, philando castile. Ayana stanley jones, tamir rice, as well as shea taylor from my home state of washington. And the countless people, black people and people of color, the vast majority whose names we dont know, whose lives have been unfairly taken. Even more important, these protests are driven by people, including many young people who are justifiably sick and tired of the systemic racism behind those killings that is deeply woven through the fabric of our democracy and our history and rightly believe we are not moving forward nearly fast enough. I know this is true in my home state of washington where according to data compiled by the Mapping Police violence database, between 2013 and 2019, black people were more than three times more likely to be killed by police, and it is beyond clear the disproportion ate impact of Police Violence on black communities as well as other communities of color is not some accident and speaks to a wrought deep in the design of our nation. So, mr. President , i come to the floor today because our nation has to change, because the people are demanding it. And i believe each of us, especially those of us privileged enough to serve in the United States senate, is responsible for being a part of the solution. Mr. President , its been more than two weeks since George Floyds murder, and were still seeing protests across the country in towns big and small, urban and rural areas. More importantly, they dont seem to be stopping. More and more people are getting engaged and learning and listening, signaling we have a real opportunity to make change in our country. I believe strongly this is a problem we can start to solve today, and we have policies to do it. One major step we can take is by passing the legislation offered this week by senators harris and booker. And i want to thank them for their moral leadership on so many challenges, but especially this week with the introduction of the justice in policing act. Their legislation would, among other things, reform qualified immunity. That is an antiquated judicial doctrine that has kept so many officers from being held accountable for violating americans constitutional rights. It would ban the use of choke holds and make federal Funds Available only for state and local departments committed to codifying an end to shameful tactics. It would make officers clear a higher bar before using deadly force and require deadly force to be used only as a last resort. Ban the use of noknock warrants in federal drug cases and provide strong incentives to state and local governments to do the same. It would strengthen transparency of policing through data like creating a National Police misconduct registry to prevent misconduct from being swept under the rug and requiring the federal government to finally begin National Tracking incidents of use of force. It would limit the transfer of militarygrade equipment to state and local Law Enforcement as well as steps to restore and build on many of the policing Reform Efforts initiated during the obama administration. None of these policies should be controversial for any of us here in the senate, democrat or republican. Weve all seen the same egregious violence, the the same abuses of power from police in the communities we represent, communities whose safety should be our priority. It is undeniable, change is not only necessary but long overdue. And theres absolutely no reason this body shouldnt be able to take up these straightforward vital steps and pass them immediately. Now, mr. President , i dont think senators harris or booker or any of us cosponsoring the bill think this is a panacea or a solution to all of the longstanding problems the last few weeks have laid bare, but this is action that we can start taking now to begin ensuring justice and accountability in our laws and in our Law Enforcement, and hopefully help put us on a path that begin to heal our nations deep wounds. Because while we need to pass legislation to address Police Brutality, we cant stop there. The justice in policing act is the first of many steps we need to take in congress to help reset our nations moral compass. Mr. President , it isnt lost on me, the massive uprising of peaceful protests against Police Brutality weve seen in recent days is happening while many of our states are still working overtime to address the impacts of the covid19 pandemic and keep people safe as we reopen communities. Over the last couple of weeks i have been in contact with black leaders and activists on the ground back home, and i have heard over and over again about the connection between the racism at the heart of the policing of black communities and the disproportionate impact of covid19 on them and their families. And more importantly, how traumatizing multilayered challenges like these can be for black people in our lives who deal with these injustices day in and day out. For instance, one black civil rights leader in southwest washington told me how their community has had a hard time getting vulnerable members of the black community tested. She is fighting for more resources and support, and shes organizing car rallies to enable people to make their voices heard against Police Brutality while still maintaining social distancing. Another black leader in seattle shared with me how absolutely critical it is that black and other underserved communities have access to covid19 testing and health care during this ongoing pandemic, that these were both important and it isnt an either or proposition. That people are rushing the streets to make their voices heard in the middle of a Global Health emergency underscores how serious this moment in our country is and highlights the depths of the injustices baked into our systems at every level. This means during this unprecedented Public Health emergency, we must prioritize equity in our response, including ensuring were collecting the necessary Demographic Data to target our efforts towards those most in need and using this data to aggressively address disparities and making sure critical supplies like testing kits and p. P. E. Are getting to our hardesthit communities, which is not happening consistently and is contributing to black and brown communities suffering disproportionately from the health and Economic Impacts of this virus. Not to mention planning now for equitable distribution of a safe and effective vaccine. More broadly, the protests are a passionate call for meaningful change in our systems and institutions to combat the status quo of racism and antiblackness that stains our democracy. In order to make the right policy and resource decisions to help us change america for the better and move towards a more just and peaceful future, it is critical that we all try to stand in the shoes of those demanding change and hear what they are saying from the perspective of their life experience, not solely of our own. Because like ive heard recently in my conversations with black washingtonians. Its not that these are new ideas or proposals, but that as a nation we havent paid nearly enough attention to the profound grievances black people have been raising for a long time. What i hear is people crying out for this country to live up to its values, saying its time for all of us, especially elected officials, to listen and act by reinvesting in and supporting our communities rather than allowing Law Enforcement to be an unaccountable militarized nonanswer to perfectly understandable calls for Better Health care or better schools and real safety. That means not only addressing the racism and Police Violence in our national covid19 response but also in how we address Maternal Mortality which disproportionately affects black women and families and access to health care more broadly for black communities and how we work to solve the Climate Crisis which is a long time demand of black and brown communities who have suffered some of the worst impacts of growing pollution. And how we work to close the gender pay gap that hits black and latino women hardest, and how we ensure equity of resources and opportunity and quality in our schools and our colleges and our universities, and much, much more. Now none of this will happen overnight, but it is important that we start the work now to dismantle systemic racism if we ever want to make justice and equality realities instead of distant ideals. And theres also a piece of this, a big one, id be remiss if i didnt mention. I want to talk about something that i and so many people across this country, especially white people who dont live every day feeling the impacts personally, are grappling with right now, which is the part of this work that isnt about our systems or our institutions. Its about looking inward. Far too often the fear of finding out that youve been wrong or completely misunderstood closes us off from honest selfreflection and growth. We cant let it because lets be clear, change in our own hearts and our own minds and in our communities is as fundamental and essential to truly overcoming racism in our country as reforming policies and systems. So instead of letting fear of getting it wrong lead to inaction or come place ansi, i urge you to let it motivate you to listen and to learn because we all have more to do. I am personally committed to doing more. We all need to play a role in this work, especially our nations leaders, which is why it is so frustrating that next week, instead of addressing the profoundly urgent issues were hearing about from literally all corners of this country, the senate is working towards confirming a personal friend of the majority leaders to a lifetime judicial nomination, and very little else. I refuse to accept this, and we all should. Now, i also havent mentioned the president of the United States yet. Before i do, i want to make one thing really clear. Hes not the cause of all this injustice. Hes the symptom. And we, all of us are the only cure. Instead of rising to try and unify the country, the president has shown more interest in fanning the flames of divisiveness and making dangerous, unconstitutional threats to intimidate and to silence and to suppress these vital protests. To see this president at the helm of our country in this moment is tragic and frightening. But try as he might, the president cannot simply dismiss the legitimate anger on display in seattle or tacoma or spokane or across the country. At the pervasive and crushing impact of racism on black people and other people of color. For generations, weve seen in our newspapers and our televisions and from our cell phones the dire and unfair and tobacco often fatal impact of systemic racism on black lives. Now our focus must be on the painstaking work to actually address the deep, systemic rhythm in our country which continues to create these moments of understandable despair. So im going to keep listening to the people who are at the forefront of these movements, including leaning on the work thats already been done to help reimagine our nations approach to public safety. Working to redirect taxpayer dollars towards Community Resources that invest in the health and safety and security of black people and others who have been historically overlooked. And acting not just talking to keep our momentum and efforts on this front progressing forward. I am so glad i have been able to contact with leaders in Washington State on these issues, and as an elected leader, i know i have to continue stepping up and amplifying those necessary voices, because even though our country is at a crossroads, perhaps the most perilous one we have faced in recent memory, we have an opportunity for Real Progress right now. I feel it in the demands for change coming from the streets and on social media. I feel it in the energy and the resilience and the courage of civil rights leaders on the ground in Washington State. And i feel it in the justice and policing act. So in closing, mr. President , i hope every single senator in this chamber will join senators harris and booker and myself in cosponsoring this critical legislation and getting it signed and on the books as quickly as possible. And i challenge each of my colleagues and all of us to commit ourselves to a fairer, more compassionate vision for our future. Some will say that nothing will change or can change, that we are set to live out this historical loop of racial intolerance in perpetuity. But a seattle based writer reminds us, and i quote, you dont have to pretend to be free of racism to be an antiracist. Antiracism is the commitment to fight racism wherever you find it, including in yourself, and it is the only way forward, end quote. As a country, lets commit to fight racism in our laws and systems. As individuals, lets commit to fight racism in ourselves and in our communities. This is the work before all of us, and its a voice for and as a voice for my state and someone committed to forming a more Perfect Union for everyone, i intend to work for justice every day until it arrives. Mr. President , i yield the floor. Mr. President , i suggest the absence of a quorum. The presiding officer the clerk will call the roll. Quorum call a senator i ask consent the quorum call be vitiated. The presiding officer without objection. Mr. Alexander thank you, mr. President. Mr. President , yesterday, our Senate EducationCommittee Held a hearing on going back to School Safely, a subject on the minds of tens of millions of American Families since today twothirds of married parents both work outside the home and they have children, and the children are ready to go back to school and the parents are even more ready for them to go back to school. I ask consent that following my remarks this morning, that my Opening Statement from that hearing be included in the record. The presiding officer without objection. Mr. Alexander the commissioner of education from tennessee, and i know that the presiding officer, while he is a proud senator from florida also knows a little bit about tennessee, having lived there, was one of our witnesses yesterday. She said we want children to do two things. We want them to be safe, but we want them to thrive. I think thats what the sense i got from all of the witnesses yesterday, which include the Denver School superintendent, a National Representative of of education, dr. Benjamin, and it included the commissioner of education for the said of nebraska whos also the head of the chief state school officers. Anyone who looks at the children in America Today knows they need to go back to school. They have been out for five to six months now. This is a time when were especially concerned in our country and our attention is focused on racial injustice, on problems that minority families and minority children have. The single best thing that we could do to help minority children and minority families is to help them go back to School Safely in august and september. Any teacher can tell you and most parents can tell you the emotional and intellectual and physical damage to children thats been caused by being out of school since march and that will continue to be the case the senate is not in order. That will continue to be the case until they reopen in in august. Articles have talked about 50 learning deficits. We have that every summer when children are away from school. Teachers in the fall know they have to catch back up. Its also shown us the limits as well as the benefits of Remote Learning. My daughter has three young sons, two of them in school. She said they have about had it up to here with Remote Learning, even though they are in a very good Public School system. There are limits to what you can learn remotely. Teachers arent trained to teach remotely. In many parts of our country, broadband isnt sufficient to allow students to learn remotely. Teachers havent made lesson plans to teach remotely, so they have to to change the whole way they go about teaching. And then so much of the children being home affects home schooling. Home schooling is a good thing for parents who are able to do that, but home schooling is hard. It takes a lot of time. And if you are in a family, as twothirds of married families are, and you are both working outside of the home, how are you going to do the home schooling appropriately . And so that your child doesnt get far behind. So for the benefit of the children, the benefit of the parents, especially the benefit of lowincome children, many of whom get one or two meals a day at school, we need to go back to school, its essential. And when we do, when 100,000 Public Schools and 36,000 private schools, 55 million children go back to school and 20 Million Students go back to college, that will be the surest step toward regaining the rhythm of American Life that we could have. That would show we are actually going back to toward normal. That will be another year before we get to normal. I think we all understand that. Were going at warp speed to find a new vaccine. Were building manufacturing plants or vaccines before ee we even know that they work. We have never done that before. In fact, there has never been a time in our history where we have had more scientific brainpower in this world devoted toward a specific target than we do right now at trying to increase the number of fast, rapid, accurate diagnostic tests, the number of treatments to reduce the effects of covid19, and a vaccine for covid19. Probably we have never had so much scientists in the world working on a single project as that. So were likely to have some very good results from it, although it will take a while. So all the plans that are being made and we heard about them yesterday are for a whole year. Now, the next semester well have more tests, we will have more treatments, we will have more contact tracers, and there should be hopefully the beginning of vaccines. But our plans should be for a year. Now, what how do you make sure that the schools are safe . Well, the formula is pretty simple. Although its not as simple in its application. But the things that we know work are staying apart some distance. Thats one. Two, wash your hands. Thats two. Three, wear a mask. In colleges, that will be easier because colleges have more space. In fact, they have been they are big wasters of space. They usually dont teach in the morning or in the evening or on saturday or in the summer, and colleges can spread out and create smaller classes. There are more lectures. You can do lectures more easily. You can have a culture of mask wearing. At Purdue University as president mitch daniel testified the week before at colleges. So i think colleges will have an easier time than schools. In addition to that, while we know that unfortunately covid19 affects older people. Tennessee, for example, 5 of the cases of covid19 are in nursing homes, nearly 40 of the deaths are in nursing homes. The same is true in other states. But covid19 affects younger people a lot less. Dr. Fauci has warned us not to be cavalier about that but the truth is that younger people seem not to be as affected by covid19. So weve got a population thats not as affected. Weve got a population thats in a smaller controlled setting. You can shut a school if someone gets infected and keep the other schools open. We do that with flus. Weve got children who are more subject to being told what to do. So we have a setting where we should be able to create communities. There are a hundred thousand Public Schools, as i said, little communities that are among the safest in our country. On the other hand, little children may be have a difficult time wearing masks. They arent the best at hygiene and children go home every day. So they may come back and forth bringing germs with them. So we have those basics that i talked about, plus testing. What we know about testing is we have the capacity to do about ten million tests a month this month, according to admiral giwau of the assistant secretary of health. He said well have 40 million to 50 million test capacity by the time we go back to school in august or september. Thats four to five finals as many as we have times as many as we have today. Whats going on now is in florida and tennessee, every state is making its plan for the tests that it needs, sending it to the admiral. Theyre working on it together. And of the and if the state has needs that the state cant deal with, the federal government helps with that. So in our second month of that kind of relationship that seems to be working pretty well. I know that in tennessee which is 11th among all the states in terms of testing per capita, the governors motto is in doubt, get a test. You can go to the local Health Department and get one in five minutes. Takes to or three days to get the result but theres no delay, no request. Anybody who wants it can get it. That has created an environment where everybody feels more comfortable. If theyre worried about covid19, if they dont want to go home and see their older relatives or their spouse, they wonder if theyre sick, they can go get a test. So tests should be available for the schools. Well have to be careful and recognize that the way schools open will vary by community. There are many counties in nebraska, the commissioner of nebraska said yesterday, where theres not a single case of covid. So on his dial of green to red in terms of school opening, theyd be very green. And wouldnt have to do much in response to the covid19 in terms of changing the way they operate. On the other hand in omaha, it might be different in nebraska or in nashville it might be different or new york city or phoenix it might be different. But Denver School superintendent talked about perhaps having children come for two or three days a week on alternate days in order to have smaller classes. About having extra time for disabled children or children from homes where they had less support. More Vulnerable Children needing more help in our schools. But my hope would be that we can find ways for children to come back to as normal a school day as is possible. And it will take some flexibility. One of those that will need to be flexible are the states, the federal government, and the unions with their rules and regulations. Colleges have a lot of flexibility in rearranging class schedules, class sizes, class times. Schools have a lot less because they have state rules and union rules that restrict what they can do. They need some flexibility so they can reschedule. Then theres the question of money. There are two just as we say we want children to be safe, we want them to learn, there are two arguments on behalf of more money from the federal government. One would be federal spending to help them learn. Generally thats the responsibility of state and local governments. They spend about 90 of that. But in our first covid bill, the federal government was generous with schools recognizing that we shut down the economy and then that shut down the schools and that caused a lot of expensive problems. So the federal government supplied 23 billion. Tennessee got about 260 million for just k12 schools. There was another slug of money for colleges and then there was 150 billion for states. As the presiding officer knows, a big part of the state budget, 30 to 40 goes to education. So my thinking is that a part of that 150 billion, 23 billion weve already allocated to k12, and the 25 billion that we allocated to testing which can include contact tracers, some of which can be a part of schools, should help pay for keeping schools safe enough to reopen. If theres more money, we need to be open to that, i think, here in the federal government but not before we see whether its really needed. The tennessee commissioner and i put a lot of stock in her thinking because tennessee is a conservative state. It doesnt spend a lot of extra money, has no debt, big rainy day fund, low taxes, a lot like florida. She estimates that it will cost about a million and a half dollars per School District, average School District would be about 3,500 in her words, to provide the things that the School District needs to reopen safely. Those are things like more sanitizing equipment, barriers that separate children in the lunch room or maybe even in class. Extra money for busing because when you create a lot of new classes and a lot of new schedules, you may have to change the bus schedules, and that will cost more than one thing. About a million and a half. So i would be very interested to see how much of the money weve already appropriated or how much of the money that weve appropriated thats very inflexible and might be made more flexible for governors to use just for opening schools safely and whether we need to add any more. I think its in our interest to make sure that principals and School Boards know that theyll have sufficient funds to open 100,000 Public Schools safely because school administrators, with all respect, sometimes are a little bit conservative, reluctant to take risks. And if theres the excuse that we dont have enough money to open safely, they may just say lets keep up with Remote Learning. I think were about up to here with Remote Learning in most plieses in the country. Its especially not good for younger children and children who are from disadvantaged families or lowincome families. So i think its important to get the country going and its good for the children and its good for the parents to make sure that schools have sufficient funds to reopen safely. So its it so it was a very good hearing yesterday. I thank the witnesses for their participation. It was all remote, even for all the senators. Well have another hearing next week on telehealth. Weve had to cram ten years of experience into three months to learn about telehealth, telework, and telelearning. And while this has been a very painful way to learn a lesson, we should take advantage of these lessons because as we will find out in our hearing next week about telehealth, weve gone from almost none of it to seeing that 40 or 50 of the physicianpatient visits are done remotely and if that were to turn out to be over the long term 15 or 20 that would produce a massive opportunity for change in the way we deliver medical services in the country. So, madam president , my mr. President , the one other thing i would mention is i heard about liability yesterday. The colleges and the schools ive talked to want to be included in whatever the federal government does to make sure that teachers and administrators and schools and universities are appropriately protected from lawsuits as a result of the covid19 epidemic. As long as they meet a standard of care that is reasonable, they should not have to worry about being liable if a child whos 8 years old forgets to wear a mask, coughs on another child, that child goes home and makes grandma sick and grandma sues the school. Teachers are always worried about liability. The teachers unions use Liability Insurance as one of the major incentives to join the union. Many states like my state provide tort liability for teachers, but i think we need to make sure here in the United States senate that as we consider any additional legislation that has to do with covid19, that we include colleges and we include schools. Weve received a letter from all of the colleges from the American Council on education specifically asking us to do that. Otherwise we might discourage schools and colleges from opening and if we discourage schools from opening, that leaves children sometimes home alone, sometimes home without being educated, some of them being left with Remote Learning that doesnt help and developing a learning gap that will leave them at a disadvantage for the rest of their lives. So as we look at all of the issues that we have to deal with, i hope that we include appropriate steps to put limits on liability, at least as a result of the covid19 experience. I thank the president. I yield the floor. I notice the absence of a quorum. The presiding officer the clerk will call the roll. Quorum call quorum call quorum call quorum call call be. Mr. Daines i have two requests for committees to meet during todays session of the senate. They have thate approval of the majority and the minority leaders. The presiding officer duly noted. Mr. Daines i note the absence of a quorum. The presiding officer the clerk will call the roll. Quorum call quorum call quorum call the presiding officer the senator from indiana. Mr. Young i move to verb the quorum. The presiding officer without objection. Mr. Mr. Young on a recent saturday afternoon, the world watched as space falcon streeked through the sky and sent the crew dragon capsule beyond the earths atmosphere. By sunday, its crew was successfully docked at the International Space station. The following morning, indianapolisbased eli lilly and Company Announced the start of human testing of a potential treatment for covid19. Falcon 9, the first rocket to send men to space from america was traveling at ten times the speed of sound and lilys covid19 therapy is moving nearly as fast. It usually takes nearly a dozen years to develop a drug. This one could be available in just months. Neither happened spontaneously, though. Theyre the result of years of savvy technological and scientific investments, of partnerships between private industry and government. Such investments, such partnerships open new horizons in spacex exploration and disease fighting. And they show us the endless frontier into which american imagination and ingenuity can carry us. We americans have always been drawn to the frontier. Yes, the natural frontier of wildernesses and unfamiliar territories from which states such as mine spring but also the frontier that bounds what we as humans were once imagined to be capable of accomplishing after our forebears settled across this great continent. Americans see the heavens and dont simply wonder what they hold. We see loved ones grow sick and we just dont resign ourselves to the prognosis. We create cures. Americans would always rather build a rocketship than a rest home. Were driven by a deep need to lift one another, to discover breakthroughs that will lead to the betterment of all mankind. And among the most powerful allies we have in accomplishing this are our science and research and the inno he visions and the innovations that they fuel. In the 20th century. Vanderville bush beautifully captured the essence of American Culture, of discovery and innovation. He first coined the memorable term endless frontier. Bush, you see, was a visionary, an unsung hero of world war ii. He was the man who saw the importance of science and discovery and defeating the access powers. As president franklin d. Roosevelts unofficial science adviser, he initiated the Manhattan Project and ensured that it receive top priority from the highest levels of government. Later in his 1945 report to the president entitled science, the endless frontier, bush called for an expansion of public support for science and paved the way for the creation of the National Science foundation. He believed that americas security and prosperity depended upon premarket investment in science and technology. Basic research in his words was the pacemaker of technological progress. New products and processes do not appear full grown, he said. They are founded on new principles and new conceptions which in turn are painstakingly developed by research in the purest realms of science. Bush was right. The years that follow proved it. In National Science foundation a National Science foundation was created. A space age was ushered in. A space race was won. An evil empire was defeated. All in an era of historic prosperity that was only possible because of americas economic and technological supremacy. Itself built on governmentfunded premarket research. Bush originally articulated the importance of science to the nations fortunes in a time of peril. While the challenges we face today are of a different nature, we are again in such a time. A mysterious virus with no known cure has spread across the globe, killed thousands of americans and crippled our economy. A new power competition is now under way and americas prodominant challenger is an unscrupulous authoritarian regime whose values are the inverse of our own. For proof witness beijings leveraging of covid19 to further its goal of global dominance and authorship of this new century. To meet these new challenges, we must once again, once again show the entire world the resiliency and dynamism of the american people, the american economy, the american spirit, and the american project itself. And to do this, we mustnt simply advance again towards the endless frontier but accelerate into it. The endless frontier act authored by senator schumer and me will provide the rocket fuel for americas innovators and visionaries. Let us resolve here today to pass it so that this generation of american doers and dreamers and their children can propel us forward and win the 21st century. Heres how and why we should act. The endless frontier act will bolster u. S. Leadership in science and Tech Innovation and boldly increase premarket investment in emerging tech. It will provide 100 billion in strategic investment in the National Science foundation to bolster science and Technology Research and development. It will deliver 10 billion to establish regional tech hubs across the country to launch innovative companies, revive american manufacturing, and create new jobs to jumpstart our local communities. And in coming years, it will strengthen american power, increase american prosperity, and carry on americas never ending quest to continue continuously improve the world through innovation. Let us pass this act. If we do another endless frontier will be before us and with it a stronger, freer, more prosperous nation and a world in which free men and women author this new century. Dating back to the cold war after china had developed military might, its leaders focused on science and technology as a means to reorder the global balance of power. Since then beijing has aimed to overtake america not with weapons but with innovation. Offensively china is investing gvesting5g, quantum computing, artificial intelligence, advanced Energy Systems all of which have the potential to fundamentally change this centurys economic and security environment for good or for ill r. Defensively china is shoring up Domestic Industries while exploiting our economic downturn and cynically using the pandemic to play the part of concerned Global Citizen to further its position in the world. And thats not a conspiracy theory. Its public knowledge. A new report from the Chinese Academy of sciences bluntly observes, quote, it is possible to turn the crisis of covid19 into an opportunity to increase the trust in the dependence of all countries around the world in made in china. Unquote. Tellingly, for china the search to find treatments for covid19 is not simply a race to stop the virus but a race for bragging rights and global superiority. The c. C. P. Is dedicating millions of dollars to research in drug development. Five out of the top ten vaccine candidates are coming from china. As they have in other fields of research, china has recently ramped up spending on pharmaceutical research no doubt with an eye on surpassing america in yet another field. The first covid19 vaccine could be the key. If all of these trends continue, chinas overall investments in research and development will surpass our own within ten years just as their economy becomes larger than our own. Until now weve primarily focused on defensive countermeasures to thwart the aggression of the c. C. P. Abolishing huawei, tightening export control, improving Foreign Investment rules, these are important. They must remain in place. But if america is to lead the world in the 21st century, its neither realistic nor practical to build an economic iron curtain around china. Were not in a 20th century cold war but we can learn and apply lessons from that cold war. Just as we did in the 20th century, we mustnt simply contain a competitor but instead outinnovate and outgrow them. Something else is in the balance here, too. China longs to become the worlds leader but lacks the attachment to human rights and dignity required of those who seek to fill that role. What becomes of liberty in a world led by such a power . However imperfectly, every american generation from the founding forward has labored to preserve and pass down the blessings of freedom here and wherever its friends may be found. In this current general and this current generation must carry this on and provide the world with a choice, a choice between a great power that defends freedom or one that tramples upon it. But we will be powerless to offer this alternative if we dont keep pace with china. And we will not have a shot at this unless we invest in ourselves. Implementing the endless frontier act will provide that investment. It will prevent us from being outflanked and it will pave the way for a second american century. One of the primary reasons why the 20th century was americas rather than russias was because we produced more prosperity. You see, wealth is a crucial weapon in global competition. Bold investment and premarket Research Like that proposed in our endless frontier act will generate more of it and make us a wealthier nation. The connection is undeniable and historic. When human beings began to apply science and technology to industry in pursuit of new goods and services, of greater efficiency and output, human wealth grew by historic bounds. Cognitive scientist Steven Pinker chartered this progress and it is staggering. Human wealth barely advanced in the millennium after the year 1 a. D. And had only doubled a half millennium later. Then the Industrial Revolution arrived. Between 1820 and 1900, the worlds income tripled. 50 years later it had tripled again. And again in 25 years and again 30 years after that. This represents a 100 fold expansion of the worlds Gross Domestic Product since the revolution. Thanks to advancements in science and technology. And the technologies that ushered in this era were the result of curiosity, experimentation, failure, and ultimately discovery. This is the formula for innovation and its something americans are particularly familiar with. We are a creative people with a pension for plunging ahead when we have an idea and searching for a solution when we see a problem. You know, it takes courage to be creative and in america, we encourage and honor that courage. We celebrate those who try and fail and courageously get up and dust off their trousers and try again. We venerate our inventors. Bell, edison, George Washington carver, jone that sauk, wright brothers, tesla, einstein, jobs, musk. We know and remember their names and we benefit daily from their contributions. Their lifes work is a monument to human potential. And also american greatness. And their work would not have been possible without a hallmark of American Culture breathing space. Yes, breathing space, space for the creative process, the very process required to connect things that already exist that no one ever thought of connecting. And to take new discoveries and turn them into new products and services. When we join research with american creativity, we do more than produce faster cars and tvs with clearer pictures. We do more than generate material wealth. You see, our innovators are part of something far more profound. And endless pursuit of Human Knowledge and progress, a quest that fulfills our deepest human needs as a people, thats what theyre part of. It is our builtin human belief, in the words of my friend, Walter Russell mead, that through change we encounter the transcendent and the divine. Passing the endless fron tours act will keep this quest going and the quest will make our lives richer in so many ways. That image of a falcon 9 taking off, the orange streak of its engines cutting the blue sky sparked a memory dear to so many americans. Over 10. 3 Million People worldwide watched that launch. For many, it was no doubt a reminder of an era, an era when rockets regularly setting out for space from that very same station where an aweinspiring symbol of american optimism and accomplishment. There were images too from indianapolis, there lils scientists rushed cases containing the potential covid19 treatment to the airport and sent them on their way to patients for trials. For those who saw these images, they expired hope and amazement, hope that we can soon stop this virus and amazement that our innovators have moved so quickly to find remedies. These are both inspiring moments for all americans, ones that transcend so many of the differences that threaten to divide us. They show us and they show the world what america is still capable of. They reveal the endless frontier still before us. Let us come together now. Let us accelerate boldly into the endless frontier. When life resumes as normal, this generation of americans must not be content with merely recovering our losses. Instead we must push ourselves to lead. Now is the time to pass the endless frontier act, to strengthen u. S. Leadership in science and Tech Innovation and to dramatically increase Public Investment in emerging technologies. Let us choose to lead for ourselves and for our children. Thank you. Mr. Young i note the absence of a quorum. The presiding officer the clerk will call the roll. Quorum call quorum call quorum call mr. Cotton mr. President . The presiding officer the senator for arkansas. Mr. Cotton i ask consent to end the quorum call. The presiding officer without objection. Mr. Cotton cancel culture. We hear that in the news allot these days. The idea a lot these days. The idea that we all need safe spaces from mean words, trigger warnings on opeds or tv shows that might constitute a microaggression. This is the language of the campus social justice seminar, but increasingly i. T. The language its the language of our workplace and our culture. We saw an instance of it just last week at the New York Times. I published and oped there. While we support Peaceful Protesters with have zero tolerance for looters. If the police are outnumbered, federal troops have to restore order. It got support from a large majority of americans if you believe the polls. The New York Times published it. The Editorial Page Editor defended it publicly. The publisher defended it publicly. But a woke child mob at the New York Times rose up and demanded heads on pikes. They demanded the oped be taken down. They demanded that the grownups maybe i should say the supposed joan grownups who run the New York Times. The publisher of the New York Times fired the Editorial Page Editor and reassigned the deputy page he had it the apologized, process straighting himself in front of the woke child mob and he said that well do much better. And the new Editorial Page Editor has told everyone tess times, if you see anything that gives you the slightest pause, contact me immediately. If you have any trigger warnings, dont worry, ill find a safe space for you. The New York Times has made itself a laughingstock. But this is no laughing matter. Because the cancel culture threatens the very principles of free inquiry and open debate upon which our society is based. And you see other manifestations of the cancel culture all across the country today. In many cases, they adopt they have adopted the spirit of a jack of the mob in the french revolution. The reign of terror trying to completely erase our culture and our history. Unfortunately, Many Democrats are vying to be the robss spear for this jack of the mob. Look at whats happening in seattle. Revolutionaries, an ar difficulties have taken over anarchists have taken over the city. The Democratic Party today, i suppose, is still the party of secession. But its not just in seattle. Look at whats happenings to statues and monuments all around our country. In several cities, statues to Christopher Columbus have been pulled down or theyve been defaced or destroyed. Statues that in most cases that were put up by Italian American immigrants who are proud of their part in the Great American story. This was not done in accordance with law. It was not done after thoughtful debate in City Councils or state legislatures. It was done by morse. Just last week the lincoln memorial, a temple to the great emans parity, was emancipator, was defaced. The world war ii memorial, a memorial to those who fought and liberated the world from fascism, was defaced. Now, across the atlantic, the ideological kin of this mob, defaced statues of churchill. Wait until they hear about what th o