House of Representatives - Congressional Record

Congressional RecordUNUM

E PLURIBUS

United Statesof America PROCEEDINGS AND DEBATES OF THE 116th

CONGRESS, SECOND SESSION

b This symbol represents the time of day during the House proceedings, e.g., b 1407 is 2:07 p.m.Matter set in this typeface indicates words inserted or appended, rather than spoken, by a Member of the House on the floor.

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H5727

Vol. 166 WASHINGTON, MONDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2020 No. 191

House of Representatives The House met at 10 a.m. and was

called to order by the Speaker.

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PRAYER

Monsignor Stephen J. Rossetti, Catholic University of America, Wash-ington, D.C., offered the following prayer:

Good and gracious God, as we look forward to a new Congress and a new day, may we be filled with hope, a hope inspired by confidence in You.

No matter what the challenges, we trust in Your providential love and lov-ing care. We know that You will walk with us, guiding our steps and leading us safely home. We make this prayer with grateful hearts.

Amen.

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THE JOURNAL

The SPEAKER. Pursuant to section 4(a) of House Resolution 967, the Jour-nal of the last day’s proceedings is ap-proved.

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PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE

The SPEAKER. The Chair will lead the House in the Pledge of Allegiance.

The SPEAKER led the Pledge of Alle-giance as follows:

I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America, and to the Repub-lic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

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ADJOURNMENT

The SPEAKER. Pursuant to section 4(b) of House Resolution 967, the House stands adjourned until 10 a.m. on Thursday, November 12, 2020.

Thereupon (at 10 o’clock and 2 min-utes a.m.), under its previous order, the House adjourned until Thursday, No-vember 12, 2020, at 10 a.m.

EXECUTIVE COMMUNICATIONS, ETC.

Under clause 2 of rule XIV, executive communications were taken from the Speaker’s table and referred as follows:

EC-5583. A letter from the President and Chairman, Export-Import Bank, transmit-ting a report involving U.S. exports to var-ious countries, pursuant to 12 U.S.C. 635(b)(3); July 31, 1945, ch. 341, Sec. 2 (as added by Public Law 102-266, Sec. 102); (106 Stat. 95); to the Committee on Financial Services.

EC-5584. A letter from the Secretary, De-partment of Health and Human Services, transmitting that, as a result of continued consequences of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, a renewal, effective October 23, 2020, that a public health emer-gency exists and has existed since January 27, 2020, nationwide, pursuant to 42 U.S.C. 247d(a); July 1, 1944, ch. 373, title III, Sec. 319(a) (as amended by Public Law 107-188, Sec. 144(a)); (116 Stat. 630); to the Committee on Energy and Commerce.

EC-5585. A letter from the Secretary, De-partment of the Treasury, transmitting a six-month periodic report on the national emergency with respect to the situation in or in relation to the Democratic Republic of the Congo that was declared in Executive Order 13413 of October 27, 2006, pursuant to 50 U.S.C. 1641(c); Public Law 94-412, Sec. 401(c); (90 Stat. 1257); to the Committee on Foreign Affairs.

EC-5586. A letter from the Secretary, De-partment of the Treasury, transmitting a six-month periodic report on the national emergency with respect to Sudan that was declared in Executive Order 13067 of Novem-ber 3, 1997, pursuant to 50 U.S.C. 1641(c); Pub-lic Law 94-412, Sec. 401(c); (90 Stat. 1257); to the Committee on Foreign Affairs.

EC-5587. A letter from the Secretary, De-partment of the Treasury, transmitting a six-month periodic report on the national emergency with respect to South Sudan that was declared in Executive Order 13664 of April 3, 2014, pursuant to 50 U.S.C. 1641(c); Public Law 94-412, Sec. 401(c); (90 Stat. 1257); to the Committee on Foreign Affairs.

EC-5588. A letter from the Secretary, De-partment of the Treasury, transmitting a six-month periodic report on the national emergency with respect to significant mali-cious cyber-enabled activities that was de-

clared in Executive Order 13694 of April 1, 2015, pursuant to 50 U.S.C. 1641(c); Public Law 94-412, Sec. 401(c); (90 Stat. 1257); to the Committee on Foreign Affairs.

EC-5589. A letter from the Secretary, De-partment of State, transmitting a letter re-garding an opportunity to ensure compensa-tion is finally provided to victims of the 1998 al-Qa’ida-backed terrorist attacks on the U.S. Embassies in Kenya and Tanzania, in-cluding U.S. national victims who have long advocated for settlement of their claims; to the Committee on Foreign Affairs.

EC-5590. A letter from the Deputy Assist-ant Attorney General, Department of Jus-tice, transmitting four (4) notifications of the designation of acting officer or dis-continuation of service in acting role, pursu-ant to 5 U.S.C. 3349(a); Public Law 105-277, 151(b); (112 Stat. 2681-614); to the Committee on Oversight and Reform.

EC-5591. A letter from the Chairman and Chief Executive and Administrative Officer, Federal Labor Relations Authority, trans-mitting the 64th Semiannual Report of the Federal Labor Relations Authority Inspector General for the period April 1, 2020 through September 30, 2020; to the Committee on Oversight and Reform.

EC-5592. A letter from the Chairman, Na-tional Transportation Safety Board, trans-mitting the Board’s final list of activities performed by federal government sources for the executive agency that are not inherently governmental functions for 2020, pursuant to 31 U.S.C. 501 note; Public Law 105-270, Sec. 2(c)(1)(A); (112 Stat. 2382); to the Committee on Oversight and Reform.

EC-5593. A letter from the Administrator, Environmental Protection Agency, transmit-ting the Great Lakes and Lake Champlain Invasive Species Program 2019 Report to Congress, pursuant to 16 U.S.C. 4730(6)(A); Public Law 115-282, Sec. 903(g)(6)(A); (132 Stat. 4360); to the Committee on Transpor-tation and Infrastructure.

EC-5594. A letter from the Assistant Sec-retary for Legislation, Department of Health and Human Services, transmitting the De-partment’s Child Welfare Outcomes 2017: Re-port to Congress, pursuant to 42 U.S.C. 679b(a)(5); Public Law 105-89, Sec. 203(a); (111 Stat. 2127); to the Committee on Ways and Means.

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CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSEH5728 November 9, 2020 REPORTS OF COMMITTEES ON

PUBLIC BILLS AND RESOLUTIONS

Under clause 2 of rule XIII, reports of committees were delivered to the Clerk for printing and reference to the proper calendar, as follows:

Mr. SCOTT of Virginia: Committee on Edu-cation and Labor. H.R. 8294. A bill to amend the National Apprenticeship Act and expand the national apprenticeship system to in-clude apprenticeships, youth apprentice-ships, and pre-apprenticeship registered under such Act, to promote the furtherance of labor standards necessary to safeguard the welfare of apprentices, and for other pur-poses, with an amendment (Rept. 116–567, Pt. 1). Referred to the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union.

DISCHARGE OF COMMITTEE

Pursuant to clause 2 of rule XIII, the Committee on the Judiciary discharged from further consideration. H.R. 8294 referred to the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union.

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PUBLIC BILLS AND RESOLUTIONS

Under clause 2 of rule XII, public bills and resolutions of the following titles were introduced and severally re-ferred, as follows:

By Ms. CASTOR of Florida (for herself and Mr. MCKINLEY):

H.R. 8732. A bill to modify reporting re-quirements under the Controlled Substances Act; to the Committee on Energy and Com-merce, and in addition to the Committee on the Judiciary, for a period to be subse-quently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.

By Mr. GOTTHEIMER (for himself and Mr. MAST):

H.R. 8733. A bill to authorize the President to take actions to ensure Israel is prepared for all contingencies if Iran seeks to develop a nuclear weapon, and for other purposes; to the Committee on Foreign Affairs.

By Mr. STEWART: H.R. 8734. A bill to amend the Congres-

sional Accountability Act of 1995 to prohibit the imposition of a nondisclosure agreement as a condition of the payment of any award or settlement in connection with a violation of such Act; to the Committee on House Ad-ministration.

By Mr. STEWART: H.R. 8735. A bill to prohibit certain Federal

agencies from using or purchasing certain firearms, and for other purposes; to the Com-mittee on Oversight and Reform.

CONSTITUTIONAL AUTHORITY STATEMENT

Pursuant to clause 7 of rule XII of the Rules of the House of Representa-tives, the following statements are sub-mitted regarding the specific powers granted to Congress in the Constitu-tion to enact the accompanying bill or joint resolution.

By Ms. CASTOR of Florida: H.R. 8732. Congress has the power to enact this legis-

lation pursuant to the following: Article 1, Section 8 of the United States

Constitution By Mr. GOTTHEIMER:

H.R. 8733. Congress has the power to enact this legis-

lation pursuant to the following: The constitutional authority on which this

bill rests is the power of Congress to ‘‘pro-vide for the common Defence’’, ‘‘to raise and support Armies’’, and ‘‘to make Rules for the Government and Regulation of the land and naval Forces’’ as enumerated in Article I, section 8 of the United States Constitution.

By Mr. STEWART: H.R. 8734. Congress has the power to enact this legis-

lation pursuant to the following: Article I, Section 5, Clause 2 and Article I,

Section 8 Clause 18 of the Constitution By Mr. STEWART:

H.R. 8735. Congress has the power to enact this legis-

lation pursuant to the following: Article I, Section 8, Clause 1

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ADDITIONAL SPONSORS

Under clause 7 of rule XII, sponsors were added to public bills and resolu-tions, as follows:

H.R. 12: Mr. BABIN. H.R. 1185: Mr. COOPER. H.R. 1471: Mr. TRONE. H.R. 1713: Mr. PHILLIPS. H.R. 2350: Ms. WILSON of Florida, Mr. DUNN,

Mr. BILIRAKIS, Mr. PHILLIPS, Ms. CASTOR of Florida, and Mr. HASTINGS.

H.R. 3867: Mr. CARTWRIGHT. H.R. 4512: Mr. SIRES. H.R. 4515: Mr. COHEN. H.R. 4540: Mr. BROWN of Maryland and Mr.

CARSON of Indiana. H.R. 4681: Mr. EMMER. H.R. 5091: Mr. LEVIN of California and Ms.

NORTON. H.R. 5297: Mr. STIVERS. H.R. 5613: Mrs. NAPOLITANO. H.R. 5689: Mr. COHEN. H.R. 5845: Mr. EVANS. H.R. 6144: Mr. COHEN. H.R. 6499: Mr. CARTWRIGHT.

H.R. 6626: Ms. OCASIO-CORTEZ. H.R. 6958: Mr. CASE. H.R. 7357: Ms. FOXX of North Carolina. H.R. 7525: Mr. DESAULNIER. H.R. 7777: Mr. CARSON of Indiana. H.R. 7819: Mr. STEUBE and Mr. CRIST. H.R. 7848: Mr. POCAN. H.R. 7876: Ms. LEE of California, Ms.

MUCARSEL-POWELL, Mr. DEFAZIO, Mr. MCGOVERN, Mr. LEVIN of California, Ms. ADAMS, Ms. MENG, Mr. RASKIN, and Ms. CAS-TOR of Florida.

H.R. 8038: Mr. WILSON of South Carolina. H.R. 8178: Mr. SARBANES. H.R. 8219: Mr. FITZPATRICK, Mr.

BALDERSON, and Mr. CARSON of Indiana. H.R. 8242: Mr. CICILLINE, Ms. JOHNSON of

Texas, and Ms. SPANBERGER. H.R. 8245: Mr. CARSON of Indiana. H.R. 8270: Mr. YARMUTH, Mr. GREEN of

Texas, Mr. HORSFORD, Mr. SHERMAN, Mr. GOMEZ, and Ms. SHALALA.

H.R. 8380: Ms. WILD, Mr. CARDENAS, Ms. CASTOR of Florida, and Mr. RASKIN.

H.R. 8409: Mr. SHERMAN and Ms. BASS. H.R. 8433: Mr. CRIST, Mr. RUIZ, and Mr.

LEVIN of California. H.R. 8454: Mr. JOYCE of Ohio. H.R. 8465: Mr. FOSTER. H.R. 8468: Mr. LEVIN of California and Mr.

DESAULNIER. H.R. 8544: Mr. SOTO and Mrs. TRAHAN. H.R. 8595: Mr. CASTRO of Texas and Mr.

CARDENAS. H.R. 8598: Mr. HUFFMAN, Mr. BLUMENAUER,

Mr. CUELLAR, Ms. SPEIER, Mr. MCGOVERN, Mrs. TRAHAN, Mr. FOSTER, and Ms. SCHA-KOWSKY.

H.R. 8626: Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. H.R. 8632: Mr. DESAULNIER. H.R. 8662: Mr. GUTHRIE, Mrs. CAROLYN B.

MALONEY of New York, Mr. KHANNA, and Mr. MALINOWSKI.

H.R. 8687: Mr. EVANS and Mr. COHEN. H.R. 8695: Mr. STEIL. H.R. 8696: Mr. LARSON of Connecticut, Mr.

SUOZZI, Mr. THOMPSON of California, Mr. BEYER, Ms. SEWELL of Alabama, Mr. PA-NETTA, Mr. KILDEE, Mr. DANNY K. DAVIS of Il-linois, Mrs. MURPHY of Florida, Mr. KIND, Mr. EVANS, Ms. MOORE, Mr. MARCHANT, Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania, Mr. SCHWEIKERT, Mrs. WALORSKI, Mr. LAHOOD, Mr. HOLDING, Mr. FERGUSON, Mr. ESTES, Mr. SMITH of Ne-braska, Mr. WENSTRUP, Mr. KING of New York, and Mr. COLE.

H.R. 8702: Mr. FITZPATRICK. H.R. 8718: Ms. CASTOR of Florida. H.J. Res. 48: Ms. SPEIER. H. Con. Res. 27: Mr. JACOBS. H. Res. 114: Ms. LEE of California, Mr.

ADERHOLT, and Mrs. DEMINGS. H. Res. 190: Ms. BROWNLEY of California. H. Res. 1173: Mr. MORELLE. H. Res. 1207: Ms. STEFANIK and Mr. COHEN.

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Congressional RecordUNUM

E PLURIBUS

United Statesof America PROCEEDINGS AND DEBATES OF THE 116th

CONGRESS, SECOND SESSION

∑ This ‘‘bullet’’ symbol identifies statements or insertions which are not spoken by a Member of the Senate on the floor.

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Vol. 166 WASHINGTON, MONDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2020 No. 191

Senate The Senate met at 3 p.m. and was

called to order by the President pro tempore (Mr. GRASSLEY).

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PRAYER

The Chaplain, Dr. Barry C. Black, of-fered the following prayer:

Let us pray. Sovereign God, You are wisdom with-

out end and mercy without limit. We worship You.

Lord, have compassion on our Na-tion. Heal our physical, mental, and spiritual wounds. We are worn out from this challenging season. Restore us to the vision of a liberating freedom that enables justice to flourish. Hear the prayers of our Senators, and give them Your peace. And, Lord, thank You for the degree of resolution that has oc-curred in our Nation’s election process. Remind us all of the wisdom of Mark 3:25 that says, ‘‘A house divided against itself cannot stand.’’

We pray in Your sovereign Name. Amen.

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PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE

The President pro tempore led the Pledge of Allegiance, as follows:

I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America, and to the Repub-lic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. BOOZMAN). The Senator from Iowa.

Mr. GRASSLEY. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to speak for 1 minute in morning business.

The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

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PFIZER VACCINE TRIAL

Mr. GRASSLEY. Mr. President, this morning, Pfizer announced positive re-sults from its eagerly awaited coronavirus vaccine trial, with early data suggesting the vaccine is 90 per-cent effective.

This trial is taking place at over 120 sites, including at the University of Iowa’s medical school. The University of Iowa’s portion is being led by Dr. Pa-tricia Winokur, an infectious disease expert and associate dean. The trial in-volves about 250 Iowans who have vol-unteered to participate. The trial is not yet complete, but this is exciting news and an important step to halting the virus.

I am proud of Iowa’s role in making sure the vaccine will be safe and effec-tive.

I yield the floor. I suggest the absence of a quorum. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The

clerk will call the roll. The legislative clerk proceeded to

call the roll. Mr. GRASSLEY. Mr. President, I ask

unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.


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NATIONAL ADOPTION MONTH

Mr. GRASSLEY. Mr. President, No-vember is National Adoption Month.

Each November, families across the country finalize adoptions and cele-brate the creation of new families and connections. On National Adoption Day, which is celebrated on the Satur-day before Thanksgiving, a special ef-fort is made to finalize as many pend-ing adoptions as possible. Last year, over 4,000 adoptions were finalized on that day. While I am sure that this day will look a little different this year due to the coronavirus, I am confident that family courts and child welfare agen-cies will still make it a special day for many, many families—happy families— because they will be able to bring new ones into their families.

The pandemic has created significant challenges for the children and families in our child welfare system. With trav-el restrictions and limits on visitors in hospitals, adoptive parents are meeting

their children for the first time ever over video chat instead of in person. Kids in foster care are having to wait longer for placements, and foster par-ents are facing the added stress of school closures. Court proceedings are taking place over Zoom. Despite the challenges, both new challenges and old challenges that can accompany adoption, parents in Iowa and across the country are still making the choice to open their hearts and homes to chil-dren in need.

Congress has worked in the past to reduce barriers that would-be adoptive parents face. I will continue my efforts of making sure adoption remains an option for children in foster care who can’t be reunited with their families, women who are facing unexpected preg-nancies, and all parents who are will-ing and able to provide safe and loving homes for kids in need. There were over 100,000 children in the foster care system who were waiting for adoption in 2019. That 100,000 was approximately one-fourth of the number of kids in fos-ter care. Congress must work in a bi-partisan way, as it has for many years, to make sure adoption can become a reality, not just a dream, for all of these kids. We must also make sure that child welfare agencies have the tools and flexibilities they need to serve the families in their commu-nities.

For years in the Senate, I have worked to elevate the voices of youth in the foster care system. These young people are their own best advocates, and they can tell you that the thing they want the most is a caring and lov-ing family and a permanent home. What would you expect from any of these young people who are moved from home to home maybe two or three times in a given year?

As I continue to work in Congress to-ward the goal of helping all children find their forever families, I will al-ways keep the best interests of chil-dren at the forefront.

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CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATES6616 November 9, 2020 I yield the floor. I suggest the absence of a quorum. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The


call the roll. Mr. LEAHY. Mr. President, I ask



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RESERVATION OF LEADER TIME

The PRESIDING OFFICER. Under the previous order, the leadership time is reserved.

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CONCLUSION OF MORNING BUSINESS

The PRESIDING OFFICER. Morning business is closed.

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EXECUTIVE SESSION

EXECUTIVE CALENDAR

The PRESIDING OFFICER. Under the previous order, the Senate will pro-ceed to executive session to resume consideration of the following nomina-tion, which the clerk will report.

The legislative clerk read the nomi-nation of James Ray Knepp II, of Ohio, to be United States District Judge for the Northern District of Ohio.

The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen-ator from Vermont.

Mr. LEAHY. Mr. President, I see the majority leader on the floor, and while I have the floor, of course, as a matter of courtesy, I will yield to him if he has some comments he wants to make and ask that I then be recognized.


Mr. LEAHY. Mr. President, before I do yield, I understand Senator SCHU-MER is coming. So I will yield the floor to accommodate our two leaders, but then I would ask I be recognized.


RECOGNITION OF THE MAJORITY LEADER The PRESIDING OFFICER. The ma-

jority leader is recognized. ELECTIONS

Mr. MCCONNELL. Mr. President, last week record numbers of Americans ex-ercised the right which generations risked everything to hand on to us. I want to spend a few minutes this morn-ing talking about what we saw last week, where we are now, and where our great country will go from here.

There is one aspect of last week that has gotten lost that I want to single out right at the start. By every indica-tion, the 2020 election appears to be have been free from meaningful foreign interference. There is no suggestion that our foreign adversaries were al-lowed to undermine the integrity of our process.

According to the Director of the Cyber Security and Infrastructure Se-

curity Administration, ‘‘we have no’’— no—‘‘evidence any foreign adversary was capable of preventing Americans from voting or changing vote tallies.’’

GEN Paul Nakasone, the head of the NSA and U.S. Cyber Command reported Tuesday night, ‘‘The actions we have taken against adversaries . . . have en-sured they’re not going to interfere in our elections.’’

The Trump administration and the Senate spent 4 years supporting the State and local election authorities on the frontlines: new tools and informa-tion-sharing partnerships; unprece-dented coordination; hundreds of mil-lions in new funding; new, painful con-sequences for bad actors, like Russia, if they interfere.

The absence of any reports of foreign interference is a ringing endorsement— a ringing endorsement—of our bipar-tisan work, and it slams the door on the embarrassing, irresponsible rhet-oric that some Washington Democrats spent 4 years broadcasting.

Too many voices tried to talk down our progress, urged Americans actually not to have confidence, and smeared anyone as unpatriotic who opposed far- left proposals to rewrite election laws.

Well, the people who pushed this hysteria could not have more egg on their face than they do right now. None of their demands became law—none of them. The Speaker of the House did not get to personally rewrite election law. And yet, because of the sensible, bipartisan steps that some of us cham-pioned, our defenses and counter-measures proved to be in radically bet-ter shape than back in 2016.

So let’s talk about where we are now. According to preliminary results, vot-ers across the Nation elected and re-elected Republican Senators to a de-gree that actually stunned prognos-ticators. Likewise, the American peo-ple seemed to have reacted to House Democrats’ radicalism and obstruction by shrinking the Speaker’s majority and electing more Republicans.

And then there is the Presidential race. Obviously, no States have yet certified their election results. We have at least one or two States that are already on track for a recount, and I believe the President may have legal challenges underway in at least five States.

The core principle here is not com-plicated. In the United States of Amer-ica, all legal ballots must be counted, any illegal ballots must not be count-ed, the process should be transparent or observable by all sides, and the courts are here to work through con-cerns.

Our institutions are actually built for this. We have the system in place to consider concerns, and President Trump is 100 percent within his rights to look into allegations of irregular-ities and weigh his legal options.

Let’s go back 20 years ago. Twenty years ago, when Florida came down to a very thin margin, we saw Vice Presi-dent Gore exhaust the legal system and wait to concede until December.

More recently, weeks after the media had ‘‘called’’ President Bush’s reelec-tion in 2004, Democrats baselessly dis-puted Ohio’s electors and delayed the process here in Congress.

In 2016 election laws saw recounts or legal challenges in several States.

If any major irregularities occurred this time of a magnitude that would af-fect the outcome, then every single American should want them to be brought to light. And if the Democrats feel confident they have not occurred, they should have no reason to fear any extra scrutiny.

We have the tools and institutions we need to address any concerns. The President has every right to look into allegations and to request recounts under the law, and, notably, the Con-stitution gives no role in this process to wealthy media corporations.

The projections and commentary of the press do not get veto power over the legal rights of any citizen, includ-ing the President of the United States.

Now, more broadly, let’s not have any lectures—no lectures—about how the President should immediately, cheerfully accept preliminary election results, from the same characters who just spent 4 years refusing to accept the validity of the last election, and who insinuated that this one would be illegitimate too, if they lost again— only if they lost. So let’s have no lec-tures on this subject from that contin-gent.

In late August, Secretary Hillary Clinton said: ‘‘Joe Biden should not concede under any circumstances . . . I think this is going to drag out, and . . . he will win it if we don’t give an inch.’’

That same month, Speaker PELOSI and the Democratic leader both stated: ‘‘[President Trump] needs to cheat to win.’’

In October, when Speaker PELOSI was shopping some conspiracy theory about the Postal Service, she recklessly said—listen to this: ‘‘I have no doubt that the president . . . will lie, cheat, and steal, to win this election.’’

Now, does this sound like the chorus that has any credibility whatsoever to say a few legal challenges from Presi-dent Trump represent some kind of cri-sis?

At this time last week, small busi-ness owners in cities across America were boarding up their windows in case President Trump appeared to win and far-left mobs decided to reprise their summer rioting.

Suffice it to say, a few legal inquiries from the President do not exactly spell the end of the Republic.

Here is how two professors from Fordham Law School and New York Law School put it: ‘‘For centuries, we have asked people who are unhappy with their fellow citizens or govern-ment agencies and institutions to bring their claims to court.’’ President Trump’s is ‘‘a traditional response that affirms rather than undermines Amer-ican institutions.’’

This process will reach its resolution. Our system will resolve any recounts

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CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S6617 November 9, 2020 or litigation. In January, the winner of this election will place his hand on a Bible, just like it has happened every 4 years since 1793.

What we know for sure is that the outcome is guaranteed to delight tens of millions of Americans and dis-appoint tens of millions of Americans. But we also know that we will wake up on January 21, still blessed to live in the greatest Nation the world has ever seen. And in no small part, that is be-cause we respect the rule of law, we trust our institutions, and neither of those things is outweighed by pro-nouncements from partisans or the press.

CORONAVIRUS Now, on an entirely different matter,

Mr. President. The last several days have brought huge good news in our fight to beat this terrible virus.

This morning, one drug manufacturer announced that ongoing trials suggest their candidate for a COVID–19 vaccine may be more than 90 percent effec-tive—90 percent effective.

This is a huge testament to the inge-nuity of the American private sector and their global partners and to the historic efforts of Congress and the Trump administration. We flattened regulatory roadblocks, we sped up trials, and laid ground work to buy and distribute a vaccine as fast as possible.

Last week, we learned the unemploy-ment rate has fallen to 6.9 percent—6.9 percent—with more than 630,000 new jobs added just in the month of Octo-ber. Now, remember back in the spring-time, many experts estimated we would still be saddled with double-digit joblessness through the end of this year. It turns out the news is a whole lot better, another testament to the strong economic foundations that Con-gress and the Trump administration spent 3 years laying before the pan-demic struck and most of all to the re-silience—the incredible resilience of the American people.

So, to be clear, our work is not fin-ished. Too many Americans are still suffering economically, and infections are climbing across the country. We cannot give up on commonsense meas-ures like wearing masks just because we have grown tired of them.

The Senate is going to have a busy few weeks. I hope our Democratic col-leagues will finally put aside their all- or-nothing obstruction and let the tar-geted pandemic relief—targeted pan-demic relief is what we need—let it move forward.

In any event, we will need to fund the government, reach agreement with the House on the National Defense Author-ization Act, and confirm more thor-oughly qualified nominees.

So I welcome all my colleagues back to the Chamber, and I look forward to finishing this year strong. Our States and our country are counting on us.

I suggest the absence of a quorum. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The


call the roll.

Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.


RECOGNITION OF THE MINORITY LEADER The PRESIDING OFFICER. The

Democratic leader is recognized. 2020 ELECTIONS

Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, last Tuesday, our country conducted the most sacred process in our democratic system of government, a national elec-tion.

It was an election unlike any other in modern history. Much of the voting was done before election day itself, as the global pandemic forced States to adjust their balloting and voting proce-dures. The counting of the vote took a little longer than most Americans might have expected or hoped. Indeed, some of the final tabulations are not yet complete. It is still to be deter-mined which party will hold the major-ity in this Chamber.

But we do know a few things. First and most importantly, former Vice President Joseph Robinette Biden will become the 46th President of the United States. Our dear colleague, the distinguished Senator from California, KAMALA HARRIS, will be the next Vice President of the United States. And on January 20, the country will finally— finally—turn the page on one of the most divisive and chaotic chapters in our history.

President-Elect Joe Biden has told the country that it is time to come to-gether and heal, to unify once again to fight not our political opponents but our common enemies: disease and pov-erty and injustice. There is no person better suited to the task than the former Vice President. He will be a great President for all Americans.

Vice President-Elect HARRIS, mean-while, has just made history four times over. She will be the first African- American woman, the first Asian- American woman, the first biracial woman, and the first woman, period, to ever serve as Vice President of the United States.

I congratulate the former Vice Presi-dent, his wife Jill, our colleague Sen-ator HARRIS, and her husband Doug on their hard-fought victory.

More Americans voted for President- Elect Biden and Vice President-Elect HARRIS than any ticket in our Nation’s history. They have given them an enor-mous burden and a decisive mandate to take the reins of the executive branch and marshal this government into ac-tion—for they will assume the high of-fices of the Presidency and the Vice Presidency at a time of unprecedented challenge.

Our great Nation faces the greatest economic crisis in 75 years and the greatest public health crisis in a cen-tury. Extraordinary inequalities of wealth and income strike at the heart of the idea of America as a land of equal opportunity. Racial disparities in our society strike at the heart of the

idea of America as a place of equal jus-tice. Climate change threatens the very future of our planet.

The American people have placed their faith in President-Elect Biden to confront those challenges head-on: to relieve their suffering, to repair our de-mocracy, to recover our economy, and rebuild the country and a planet for this generation and for the next. I have no doubt their faith will be rewarded, but I also have no doubt that the task ahead is daunting.

CORONAVIRUS While the country prepares for a

change in administration, it must also brace for the darkest days of the COVID–19 pandemic. Over the weekend, the United States recorded its 10 mil-lionth case. We are now confirming nearly 100,000 new cases of COVID per day, on track to eclipse more than a million cases per week.

As exhausted and impatient as we all are for our lives and livelihoods to re-turn to normal, experts are warning us that the worst phase is still ahead. The quickest way to turn the tide, crush the virus, and get back to normal is to do what we should have been doing all along: take the virus seriously, listen to the scientists, and dedicate the nec-essary resources to get the job done.

President-Elect Biden is already pre-paring to do just that. Today, he named several health experts and sci-entific advisers to serve on a COVID–19 task force. It sends the right signal that while the President-elect will not assume office for another few months, his administration will hit the ground running, and its policy on COVID–19 will refreshingly be dictated by facts and by science.

It is a major turning point that soon we will have an administration that ac-tually acknowledges that this is a healthcare crisis; that knows our econ-omy won’t fully recover until we solve it. I am confident that a Biden admin-istration will do that, but Congress must play its part too.

Nearly 15 million Americans have lost health insurance through their employer. Democrats have a solution to that problem. Let’s get it done and make sure those families have health coverage.

Medicaid Programs across the coun-try are experiencing a huge influx of new enrollees, while State budgets struggle to bear the added costs. The Heroes Act ensures that Medicaid is strengthened and secured for the dura-tion of this pandemic. Let’s get that done too.

And today, we received news that the entire world has been waiting for. A U.S. company has developed a vaccine for COVID–19 that, according to the preliminary research and the news re-ports, is 90 percent effective. The FDA said it would approve a vaccine that was 50 percent effective. So while the FDA needs to review the vaccine, to have a vaccine that is 90 percent effec-tive is about as good as it gets.

We Democrats will do everything we can to make sure this vaccine or any


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CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATES6618 November 9, 2020 vaccine is distributed quickly, fairly, equitably, and the challenge is now one of scale and one of delivery. Congress should fund a national vaccination pro-gram, and the administration, whether it is the Trump administration or the Biden administration, must do every-thing to reach minority and under-served communities, combat vaccine hesitancy, and ensure that the vaccines are free to everyone. This will be a massive and complex undertaking un-like anything that our country has seen, and we must all work together— from the President to Congress, down to local community health depart-ments—to ensure that it gets done right and it gets done fairly and it gets done equitably.

So while the incoming administra-tion prepares to take on the surge of COVID–19, Congress should pass a strong, comprehensive COVID relief bill that actually meets the needs of the American people.

When it comes to health care, edu-cation, testing, tracing, unemployment benefits, and many other critical issues, this Republican majority has proposed totally inadequate solutions. As the disease surges across our coun-try once again, there is no time for in-adequate solutions.

I hope, now that the election is be-hind us, our colleagues are ready to come together in a search for an ade-quate bipartisan solution rather than the partisan, stunt-voting legislating we have suffered these past few months.

2020 ELECTIONS Now I must spend a moment on

something that will garner too much attention over the next few weeks: baseless claims by the President and his supporters that there has been widespread voter fraud and that the election was somehow rigged or stolen from President Trump.

That kind of rhetoric is extremely dangerous and extremely poisonous to our democracy. As in any campaign, the President has a right to bring legal challenges or request recounts where State law allows. However, there is no legal right to file frivolous claims. Lawsuits must have a basis in facts and evidence. And make no mistake, there has been no evidence of any sig-nificant or widespread voter fraud.

Joe Biden won this election fair and square. The margins of his victory are growing by the day, and former Presi-dent George W. Bush, commendably, acknowledged that fact when he con-gratulated President-Elect Biden and Vice President-Elect HARRIS on their victory.

Now Republican leaders in Congress should also do the right thing. Repub-lican leaders must unequivocally con-demn the President’s rhetoric and work to ensure the peaceful transfer of power on January 20. I have been heart-ened to see a few of my Republican col-leagues—it is three, I believe—con-gratulate the winning ticket, but too many, including the Republican leader,

have been silent or sympathetic to the President’s fantasies.

Even some nonpartisan members of the current administration have re-fused to move forward with the formal process for the incoming administra-tion. According to the Washington Post, the Administrator of the General Services Administration has declined to sign a letter allowing President- elect Joe Biden’s transition team to formally begin its work.

It does not matter whether the Presi-dent is happy about the results of the election. The peaceful transfer of power is a hallmark—the bedrock—of our democracy, and it must proceed unimpeded. The GSA Administrator should sign the paperwork imme-diately in order to allow the important work of the Presidential transition to proceed.

America remains in the middle of a worsening health and economic crisis, and there is no excuse—none—for the outgoing administration to impede the new administration’s preparations to deal with these urgent challenges. There is no law or requirement that President Trump concede the election or leave the Office of the Presidency with grace, but as history prepares to write the final few sentences on the Trump Presidency, it will surely note how this President and his Republican allies here in Congress treated our de-mocracy on his way out the door.

I yield the floor. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen-

ator from Vermont. Mr. LEAHY. Mr. President, I believe

under our original agreement, I am rec-ognized next. Is that correct?

The PRESIDING OFFICER. Yes, sir. Mr. LEAHY. Mr. President, I appre-

ciate what the Democratic leader has said. I was willing to step aside earlier when I had the floor because I under-stood the two leaders were coming to speak. It was a matter of courtesy to them, and I know the Democratic lead-er, at least, appreciated that.

Let me agree with what he said. You know, when I came here, the President of the United States was an unelected President, and there was an unelected Vice President. It was Jerry Ford. And then, under the change in our law since President Kennedy’s death, he was able to pick an unelected Vice President. I remember Democrats and Republicans alike welcoming him and saying: Let’s go forward.

I have been here with each Presi-dent—some reelected, some not—and, in every instance, I see the outgoing President welcoming the incoming President, Republican or Democrat, and they have done it to try to make as smooth a transition not for their own political purposes but for the good of the United States of America. Every-one has done that.

I think it was George H.W. Bush wel-coming Bill Clinton, who defeated him. I remember Al Gore had more votes than George W. Bush, but after the Court had ruled, he graciously con-

ceded to George W. Bush. I remember Hillary Clinton, with well over 2 mil-lion more votes than Donald Trump, but saying that here is what the elec-toral college is and conceded.

Now we see Joseph Biden, with more votes than anybody has ever gotten in the history of the United States for President, and the incumbent Presi-dent goes off golfing again and again and pretends he doesn’t have to step back, and, in fact, actually does every-thing possible to make it difficult for the new President to handle the transi-tion.

That is wrong. Just as I have encour-aged both Democrats and Republicans as President, you help the incoming President with transition, not for your political reasons or their political rea-sons but for the good of all of us as Americans. They are saying: Oh, no, we are going to hold the key to the door of the transition office.

Every Republican and every Demo-crat voted for the money for that tran-sition office so that whoever is Presi-dent could step forward and not hurt the country by coming in without doing the necessary preparation. They are like a little child in a playground: No, we got the key; we got the key. We are not going to share the key.

Oh, come on. Do you know how this makes us look to the rest of the world? Do you know how it makes us look in my State of Vermont, where some Re-publicans voted for Donald Trump and some voted for Joe Biden? The major-ity voted, in this case, for Joe Biden. But I have been hearing from Vermonters all over from both parties: What is going on? It is over. It is done for the country.

In that regard, let me just speak briefly about the President-elect and the Vice President-elect. When I came to this body, I was the most junior Member of the U.S. Senate and the sec-ond youngest. The youngest was a Sen-ator from Delaware who had been elected just 2 years before, Joe Biden. I think of the fact that we were the two youngest, and we bonded over that, and I got to know his family.

I knew of the tragedy he had when his first wife and daughter were killed. He would go home every day to make sure that he could put his sons to bed and be there with them. I don’t know how many times we would be standing down there in the well, and he was looking at his watch, and he said: What time do you think the last votes are going to be, because the next train to Delaware is at such and such time? He was like a marathon runner going out the door to make sure he got the train, which he did, to be home to take care of his children.

I remember how happy Marcelle and I were when we met Jill—what a won-derful woman. Dr. Biden was every-thing you would want in a First Lady in this country. We had the privilege of traveling with both of them and seeing the love and the joy they had in each other’s company, the love and the joy


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CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S6619 November 9, 2020 they have shown in their children and grandchildren, and continue to. I watched Joe Biden, with a sense of dig-nity, as he ran for election to the Pres-idency, an office he had hoped to hold and probably thought he never would.

I know that he wanted to run 4 years ago, but it was too close to the time of losing his son Beau. I had the privilege of knowing Beau. In fact, the last time I talked to him was on one of the bat-tlefields in Iraq where he was serving in combat for our U.S. military. I told him at that time: You know, when I get back on the plane, I am going to call your father. I always do this when I meet a Vermonter in a war zone. I call their family and say they are doing well. I will call your dad and tell him.

When I got on the plane and con-nected with the White House operator, I remember then-Vice President Biden coming on. After a ways, he said: I know what you are going to say. I got an email from Beau.

I remember when Marcelle and I stood there and tears went down her face listening to President Obama eulo-gizing Beau at his funeral. We all felt as part of that family. So there was joy in the Leahy household when he was elected—not just a joy for the good of the country but the joy of seeing a per-son whom we know, love, and respect elected as President.

And added to that is the added ad-vantage of KAMALA HARRIS, one of our Senate colleagues here. I remember when Senator HARRIS came to the Sen-ate, and I was so happy to see her going on the Judiciary Committee because she had been such a good prosecutor and such a good attorney general. She was a woman who didn’t need to have much of an orientation. She knew ex-actly what she was doing.

We have gotten to know her and her husband and admire her so. Then, when she spoke—as they accepted the fact that they were President and Vice President-elect—she said how proud she was to be there with President- Elect Biden and how proud she was to speak about her background and her immigrant parents coming here, the different races shown in her back-ground, and what she was saying, as she said, to ‘‘women everywhere.’’ But I would say also what she shows to young women, those not old enough to vote, like my granddaughters, and they can look at that and say: That shows everything is open.

You know, I come from a State where it is unusual to be elected the first time because, well, I am the only Dem-ocrat ever elected to the U.S. Senate in Vermont’s history, and the youngest also. I wasn’t supposed to win. We were overwhelmingly a Republican State then. We have become now one of both parties. In the last election, for exam-ple, there was a Republican Governor. This year, in the last few days, our Re-publican Governor won overwhelm-ingly, and Molly Gray, a young woman that started out as an intern in my of-

fice and went to the University of Vermont, won comfortably and by a comfortable margin as a Democrat. But also, our Republican Governor said on election day that for the good of the country, to stop the dissension, to lower the kind of rhetoric we were hearing, he was going to vote for Jo-seph Biden.

Now, I mention that just as a micro-cosm in our State. But to go back to just a purely personal thing, Marcelle and I prayed for that day. We were so happy to see our friends. We were so happy to know they were there. And, as one who has known Joe Biden from the day I came into the Senate, I still re-member, to this day, his coming over to greet me on the floor and saying: I am glad to see us young people here. I was about a year or so older than he, and we were sitting kind of in the jun-ior role, and that friendship has lasted ever since.

I know Joe Biden. I know Jill Biden. I know the United States of America, and at a time when we are so torn apart, these are two people who can bring us back together.

I know KAMALA HARRIS. We know her wonderful husband. And here, my good-ness, what a broad spectrum right there. In one way, it is unique. In an-other way, it is not the least bit unique. It is the face of America. It is the face of America. The diversity in our country of race, religion, every-thing—it is reflected in this ticket. It couldn’t be better for the beginning of this century to have such a wide spec-trum shown in the President and Vice President of the United States.

I think of what the mayor of Paris said. She issued a statement sort of to the effect of ‘‘Welcome back, Amer-ica.’’ Well, this is an America that rep-resents all of us. We should all get to-gether to try to make it successful. If Senators disagree on a particular issue, vote up or down, but have the courage to vote. Have the courage to vote. Don’t do what we have done this past year, refusing to vote on COVID as thousands upon thousands upon thou-sands of people die in our country. Have the courage to get up and vote. Vote yes or no.

We are here with 6-year terms. We ought to at least have the courage to vote yes or no. And then let’s take a pause and say that these are the two who will be the face of America from noon, January 20.

From a personal point of view, that face reflects very much our family— our children and our grandchildren. I can see them in these four people, and I am proud of that.

I will admit that I have gotten a few emails from my Irish friends to say how much they are looking forward to a President Biden coming to Ireland, and they have forgiven me my Italian half with that. But I know that when I heard Joe Biden quoting Seamus Heaney during his campaign, I remem-ber that he knows those Irish roots. But he, like his family, are first and

foremost Americans. Like his late, wonderful son Beau, they are first and foremost Americans.

KAMALA HARRIS speaks of her family, her ancestors coming here, her mother and father coming here, coming not to be anything other than Americans. They are as American as she is. She is as American as any of us.

I will close with this. Isn’t it time the United States of America—a coun-try that has become as diverse as you can imagine—can show their face to the rest of the world and say: This is who we are. And my grandchildren— my White grandchildren and my Black grandchildren—can look and say: Yes, that is who we are.

Joe and KAMALA, in a few days I will call you Mr. President and Madam Vice President, and I will do it with great pride. But I say today to my dear friends Joe and KAMALA: Congratula-tions. This Vermonter is very, very happy.


clerk will call the roll. The bill clerk proceeded to call the

roll. Mrs. BLACKBURN. Madam Presi-

dent, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.

The PRESIDING OFFICER (Ms. ERNST). Without objection, it is so or-dered.

ISSUES FACING AMERICA Mrs. BLACKBURN. Madam Presi-

dent, we may be back to work carrying out what should be the normal business of the Senate, but from what I have ob-served, the American people really don’t see this as just another day. They are a little bit anxious, and I really think that it is because, over the past week, they have witnessed some of the most divisive news cycles in recent memory.

Allegations of voter fraud are run-ning rampant. These have been unan-swered and ignored by most media out-lets. Liberal operatives have sent up test balloons on the creation of official enemies lists. Think about that. We have them making enemies lists, want-ing to execute a campaign of personal destruction against people with whom they disagree. What does that say about treasuring free speech?

The most popular social media plat-forms—oh—have honestly just outdone themselves by making matters worse by slapping these scary labels on con-tent that is meant to inform and to spark bipartisan debate.

Then you have email services that are locking down access to email lists because the distribution is something with which they disagree. This is what has happened to millions of Americans. They gasp every time they see these markers on content, when they can’t get to an email list, when they hear about a group they belong to that they can’t hear from or communicate with.

Yes, it is censorship, and it is some-thing that has divided people, families,


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CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATES6620 November 9, 2020 neighbors, friends, coworkers, and col-leagues.

I will tell you, many of them remain divided, but I think we have to say they have been engaged. According to the Pew Research Center, Americans participated in this election cycle at the highest rate in 120 years. Election officials still haven’t finished their counts, and already we know that more than 144 million ballots were cast this cycle.

I would venture to say that many of those millions of individuals are watching us. They want to see what we are going to do next, how we are going to conduct ourselves. They don’t really care if it takes a little multitasking; they are saying it is time for Congress to do its job.

You can look at all of the exit polling on the favorability ratings of Congress. I will say it is discouragingly low—the regard in which the American people hold their elected representatives col-lective body. It is time for us to get some things done.

Judging by the footage of demonstra-tions in many of America’s major cit-ies, you might not remember that we are still dealing with the effects of a global pandemic. It seems that for a few days, people forgot there is a pan-demic.

Democrats in the House and the Sen-ate have wasted months of precious time obstructing the passage of tar-geted COVID relief legislation that Tennesseans and New Yorkers and Californians and every other American who owns a business or supports a fam-ily needs not tomorrow or today; they needed it yesterday, last week, last month.

I have spent the past several months coming to this floor to tell the stories of Tennesseans, Tennessee small busi-ness people, Tennessee employers who are desperately in need of relief, trying to help my colleagues on the other side of the aisle understand that there is fear and pain in certain sectors of our economy. It is really so inappropriate that those fears and that pain are something they have chosen to ignore. To be frank, it has been like talking to a brick wall. There has been no re-sponse.

Just last week, I met with the board of the Academy of Country Music for a very hard discussion about the future of their industry. Not one single venue or one studio musician or one sound engineer—their whole industry shut down. This is an industry that has shut down. They did nothing wrong, mind you. They showed up for work. They built businesses. They hired people. They used independent contractors. They paid their bills. They paid their taxes. They did nothing wrong. But the entertainment industry—live enter-tainment—is shut down.

This isn’t the huge record labels and big entertainment companies that many people think are the music in-dustry. These are the mom-and-pops. These are the small businesses, the sole

proprietors, the independent contrac-tors. These are the people who set up and tear down stages. They put on these amazing sound and light displays that people get so excited about seeing and that really make music and enter-tainment come to life. They produce the music that you walk around listen-ing to in your earbuds. The support staff at the venues clean up your beer cans and ticket stubs after you have enjoyed a show. I tell you, they also are the artists, the storytellers, and I really think our creative and cultural historians.

This industry is absolutely dying. They are not the only ones. There are so many other sectors of our economy that are at a standstill. They are suf-fering, and so many other people have been suffering. They are tired of what they see as posturing here in DC, using the hurt and the suffering of people as just a political bargaining chip. Do you know what? They have noticed. They have been watching over the past few months. They know that very little has been accomplished, and they think it is time to stop putting politics over peo-ple. It is time to stop saying ‘‘We want the issue if it is good for us’’ because people are looking for solutions.

They were waiting for a mandate— our friends over on the left—a mandate they were sure was going to come their way on November 3, but the American people refused to deliver them a man-date. You see it in elections that took place at the local and the State level. You see it in the congressional elec-tions and certainly here in this Cham-ber.

So far, Speaker PELOSI has refused any offer to compromise. Every offer and gesture that has been made by the White House or this Chamber has been refused. She has clung to that $3 tril-lion parody of a relief bill that she has stuffed to the brim with billions for lib-eral pet projects that have nothing to do with COVID recovery—nothing at all. Isn’t it interesting that her pet project is not the American people? Wouldn’t you think she would want to solve some of these problems? But no— she would rather play politics.

This absurd delay has come at great cost. We have so many Tennesseans, in-deed, across this country, millions of families and small businesses that will tell you they are in damage control mode because Democrats refuse to allow them the dignity of hope that targeted relief would provide. ‘‘Dig-nity’’—that is a nice word. And we have so many people who are grasping, trying to pay their bills, keep their businesses alive. I will say that our friends across the aisle twice—twice, twice—have declined to vote for tar-geted relief.

It is not too late to step up on behalf of those who have lost just about ev-erything and those who still have a shot at coming out on the other side of this pandemic with their livelihoods intact. It is not too late to pass legisla-tion that would provide better unem-

ployment insurance, more help for small businesses, resources for schools and universities, vaccine research fund-ing, testing funding, and liability pro-tection—targeted relief for millions of Americans who have said: This what we need in order to keep people em-ployed and to keep our businesses open.

The legislation is written. All that needs to happen is our friends across the aisle need to say: We are ready to vote on this package. Let’s do another round of PPP. Let’s do a plus-up in un-employment. Let’s do that money for vaccines and testing and resources for schools and universities. Let’s give companies the liability protection they need to open their doors. Let’s give these entertainment venues the liabil-ity protection they need in order to again get on the road, have concerts, play that music Americans love to lis-ten to. It is there.

To my friends, let’s have no filibus-ters, no more distractions, and no more extravagant wish lists of pet projects. For goodness’ sake, put your politics aside, and let’s put the people first. Let’s provide the relief they are seek-ing.


clerk will call the roll. The senior assistant legislative clerk

proceeded to call the roll. Mr. DURBIN. Madam President, I ask



REELECTION Mr. DURBIN. Madam President, be-

fore I make my remarks, I want to take a moment on the floor of the Sen-ate to formally and officially thank the people of the State of Illinois for electing me to another term in the U.S. Senate.

On election night, when the results were apparent, I went and stared into an iPad to announce my victory speech. It was unlike anything I had ever been through in a campaign, and I said so. It was an extraordinary cam-paign experience, made even more dif-ficult and challenging because of the pandemic crisis. I want to thank the people of the State for standing by me and giving me this chance to serve again.

I am honored to serve my State in this body, especially during this time of transition in America and transition around the world. Together, with a trust in science with the Biden-Harris administration, we will return to our national agenda. I am eager to con-tinue working to help the families, small businesses, schools, hospitals, and constituents in my State and to help all of us in this country endure this pandemic together.

CORONAVIRUS Madam President, COVID–19 did not

take a day off for the election. While election week was brewing and all of us were glued to our television screens,


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CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S6621 November 9, 2020 most of the country was unaware of the fact that the COVID–19 pandemic was worsening. Cases of the virus and hos-pitalizations in the United States have been spiking for weeks now. On Satur-day, we hit the highest daily total of new cases—126,000 new cases on Satur-day. In Illinois, we are approaching half a million cases. The State has tragically seen more than 10,000 of our neighbors and friends die from this COVID–19. The country is on pace to hit 1 million new cases every week by the end of this year.

This is disastrous, and it demands ac-tion. Thankfully, President-Elect Biden has announced an extraordinary task force of respected public health and medical experts—truth tellers, real leaders. Like the NIH’s Dr. Fauci, I trust Dr. Kessler, David Kessler, whom I have known for decades; Dr. Morita, who served so admirably in the city of Chicago; Dr. Atul Gawande, one of my real heroes in medicine today—I have spent a lot of money on his books and have never regretted a penny of it; and former Surgeon General Murthy—what an extraordinarily talented man he is and the others who are part of the team.

Yet we need to continue to stay safe and remember that this virus is not anywhere near being gone. There are 10 million Americans who have now con-tracted the virus, and we have lost 238,000 American lives. My heart goes out to everyone who has lost someone in this pandemic and to those who are still suffering due to this virus.

In addition to the health and safety of the American people, we have also been struggling to deal with real eco-nomic uncertainty, job losses, food in-security, stress, and childcare. It is a long list. Despite these urgent needs of families, small businesses, workers, health providers, and unemployed Americans across the country, unfortu-nately, the leadership in this Chamber has dragged its feet and offered only a few very weak measures that barely address the overwhelming needs of this Nation. This is why Americans have not received another round of economic impact payments, rental assistance, or enhanced unemployment assistance, and it is why hospitals are not receiv-ing additional funding.

Speaker PELOSI and House Democrats passed the Heroes Act in May—a $3.4 trillion relief package. After negoti-ating with the White House, they then passed the second version of that—a $2.2 trillion package. Unfortunately, the Senate majority leader, Senator MCCONNELL, refused to consider either of these proposals and even refused to attend the negotiating sessions. The last Senate Republican response was inadequate—$500 billion. It may seem like a fortune until you look at a na-tion in the midst of a pandemic and at an economy struggling to survive.

If the Republicans are serious about negotiating a real package—if they want to demonstrate to the American people what leadership looks like, with

real solutions for real problems that families face—then I call on Senator MCCONNELL to show up to the negoti-ating table and give up these rogue at-tempts to pass empty, halfhearted measures.

The Chairman of the Federal Reserve Board, Jerome Powell, a conservative Republican economist, has repeatedly warned of potentially dire economic consequences if additional fiscal relief is delayed. As hiring begins to pick up in a few sectors—thank goodness—too many populations, including African- American workers, Hispanic men, and women with children, are being left be-hind.

We need to focus on helping the American people through this pan-demic. We need to do it now. This is the so-called lameduck session between the results of an election and the swearing-in of a new Congress and President, but shame on us if we don’t use this time together in Washington as an opportunity to do more than vote for a random Republican judge. Can’t we roll up our sleeves on a bipartisan basis and realize what is really hap-pening across America as this pan-demic heats up and more Americans die every day?

We need at least $75 billion for addi-tional testing and contact tracing to slow the spread of COVID–19—far more than the meager $16 billion that was of-fered in the Republican measure.

We also want to put $57 billion in for hospitals, clinics, and health providers. Just a couple of weeks ago, I was on the phone with these administrators. They are desperate. We are going to lose hospitals across this country and, I fear, maybe even in our own State if we don’t step forward and do some-thing.

What is wrong with increasing, at least to some degree, the amount avail-able for food stamps—the so-called SNAP program—so that hundreds of millions of Americans who go to food banks to survive get a helping hand? Is that too much to ask in the month of Thanksgiving and in the month of Christmas?

We must also include more economic support for households through a sec-ond round of economic impact pay-ments and through reinstating en-hanced unemployment benefits.

I continue to hear about struggles from hospitals that are on the brink, from workers who have lost their jobs, and from small business owners who are desperately trying to keep their heads above water. Unfortunately, the Senate continues to waste time on pro-posals that place the needs of Big Busi-ness ahead of the needs of small fami-lies. History will judge this body on how we respond—not on the best speech given on the floor—or on how we failed to respond to the worst pan-demic in a century and the deepest re-cession in 75 years.

The American people are looking for leadership. We cannot let them down.

PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION

Madam President, there is another aspect of this that I would like to ad-dress for just a moment.

After each Presidential election, there is a transition period when a new President is coming in and his team takes a look at the government as it stands and prepares for the day of Jan-uary 20, when that new President will be sworn in. All of the networks and major news sources have declared Joe Biden to be the President-elect and KAMALA HARRIS, our colleague here from the Senate, to be the Vice Presi-dent-elect. They are now bringing to-gether the people who are their experts to prepare for a smooth, orderly transi-tion.

Before that can take place, the Ad-ministrator of the General Services Ad-ministration must file something called an ascertainment that ascer-tains in fact there was an election and someone won. In most cases, it is very routine. It is just done automatically based on the reports from the States that we already have as we sat busily by the TV, day after day, doing our emails and texting to friends and fami-lies, waiting for the returns to come in. The announcement was made on Satur-day, and the reaction was all across the country.

You would think that the Adminis-trator of the GSA would have the as-certainment necessary to really pull the trigger for a transition from the Trump administration to the incoming Biden administration. These are rou-tine things that have gone on in past years without really much con-troversy. Yet, lo and behold, this year, there is controversy.

For the past 60 years, since Congress passed the Presidential Transition Act to ensure a smooth and orderly trans-fer of power, the GSA Administrator has usually ascertained the apparent winner within 24 hours of the election. By passing the Presidential Transition Act, Congress has acknowledged how critical this period is for the safety and well-being of the country. Once the GSA makes this ascertainment, the ex-ecutive branch can provide crucial services to the transition team to make sure there is a smooth transfer.

Remember when I mentioned earlier that we are in the midst of a pandemic, with thousands of people dying? Why would we want to see a delay or some bureaucratic indecision that might jeopardize a person’s health or a per-son’s life in the midst of this pan-demic?

Once the GSA makes that ascertain-ment to provide services, it includes access to classified information for in-coming national security officials; background investigations and security clearances for potential nominees; State Department-facilitated foreign leader calls; access to SCIFs and Fed-eral agencies for discussions on per-sonnel, budget, and policy; and access


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CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATES6622 November 9, 2020 to $6.3 million of congressionally ap-proved funds to support transition ac-tivities and to actually buy office equipment.

Delayed ascertainment, as I men-tioned, could also prevent the transi-tion team from meeting with agency officials who will be responsible for the COVID–19 crisis. Shouldn’t they get up to speed on Operation Warp Speed and on the announcement today by Pfizer that it is on the verge of announcing a successful vaccine? Don’t we want an orderly, peaceful, smooth, effective, and efficient transition when it comes to the manufacturing and distribution of that vaccine? Of course, we do.

A delayed ascertainment will cause major harm to this transition, to the new Biden administration, and to the American people. It could be a danger to our national security. Why would we ever risk that?

On November 27, 2000, when there was an actual controversy in the States and in the courts over 500 or 600 votes in Florida, for example, Vice Presi-dent-Elect Dick Cheney said about the transition being delayed at all: ‘‘We will pay a heavy price for the delays in planning and assembling the next ad-ministration.’’

It has been a bitter campaign, a tough campaign. People still have very strong personal feelings about its out-comes. Some people are euphoric, and others are angry and sad. I know that is natural in an election campaign, and I feel that way about some of the races back in my home State. Yet there comes a moment when we have to look after the best interests of this country, and the best interests of this country say we should move forward on the transition at this moment.

I believe that President-Elect Joe Biden will be sworn in on January 20 as our next President. I believe the num-bers are overwhelming. The margins in even the controversial States are so large, they are not likely to be over-turned by any recount. Why delay the transition? Why run the risk that we won’t have a smooth, orderly, and effi-cient passage from one administration to the other? Why, in the middle of a pandemic that has killed over 200,000 Americans and will threaten over 100,000 more before January 20, would we ever risk it over some bureaucratic delay? It is just unacceptable.

The American people know the elec-tion is over. Now it is time for us in Washington to concede that point. It is time for the Administrator of the GSA to do her job and announce the ascer-tainment and move forward in an or-derly, productive, and smooth transi-tion.

I yield the floor. I suggest the absence of a quorum. The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr.

BOOZMAN). The clerk will call the roll. The legislative clerk proceeded to

call the roll. Mr. MANCHIN. Mr. President, I ask



CLOTURE MOTION

The PRESIDING OFFICER. Pursuant to rule XXII, the Chair lays before the Senate the pending cloture motion, which the clerk will state.

The legislative clerk read as follows: CLOTURE MOTION

We, the undersigned Senators, in accord-ance with the provisions of rule XXII of the Standing Rules of the Senate, do hereby move to bring to a close debate on the nomi-nation of James Ray Knepp II, of Ohio, to be United States District Judge for the North-ern District of Ohio.

Mitch McConnell, James E. Risch, Joni Ernst, Marsha Blackburn, Mike Crapo, James Lankford, Thom Tillis, Roy Blunt, Roger F. Wicker, Pat Roberts, Mike Rounds, John Cornyn, John Hoeven, Jerry Moran, Lamar Alex-ander, Mike Braun, David Perdue.

The PRESIDING OFFICER. By unan-imous consent, the mandatory quorum call has been waived.

The question is, Is it the sense of the Senate that debate on the nomination of James Ray Knepp II, of Ohio, to be United States District Judge for the Northern District of Ohio, shall be brought to a close?

The yeas and nays are mandatory under the rule.

The clerk will call the roll. The legislative clerk called the roll. Mr. THUNE. The following Senators

are necessarily absent: the Senator from Tennessee (Mr. ALEXANDER), the Senator from Montana (Mr. DAINES), the Senator from Missouri (Mr. HAWLEY), the Senator from Kansas (Mr. MORAN), the Senator from Alaska (Mr. SULLIVAN), and the Senator from Indiana (Mr. YOUNG).

Further, if present and voting, the Senator from Tennessee (Mr. ALEX-ANDER) would have voted ‘‘yea.’’

Mr. DURBIN. I announce that the Senator from Washington (Ms. CANT-WELL), the Senator from Maryland (Mr. CARDIN), the Senator from Nevada (Ms. CORTEZ MASTO), the Senator from Cali-fornia (Ms. HARRIS), the Senator from New Mexico (Mr. HEINRICH), the Sen-ator from Washington (Mrs. MURRAY), the Senator from Hawaii (Mr. SCHATZ), the Senator from Arizona (Ms. SINEMA), and the Senator from Mon-tana (Mr. TESTER) are necessarily ab-sent.

The yeas and nays resulted—yeas 62, nays 23, as follows:

[Rollcall Vote No. 225 Ex.]

YEAS—62

Barrasso Blackburn Blunt Boozman Braun Brown Burr Capito Carper Cassidy Collins Coons Cornyn Cotton Cramer Crapo

Cruz Enzi Ernst Feinstein Fischer Gardner Graham Grassley Hassan Hoeven Hyde-Smith Inhofe Johnson Jones Kaine Kennedy

Lankford Leahy Lee Loeffler Manchin McConnell McSally Murkowski Murphy Paul Perdue Peters Portman Reed Risch Roberts

Romney Rounds Rubio Sasse Scott (FL)

Scott (SC) Shaheen Shelby Thune Tillis

Toomey Warner Whitehouse Wicker

NAYS—23

Baldwin Bennet Blumenthal Booker Casey Duckworth Durbin Gillibrand

Hirono King Klobuchar Markey Menendez Merkley Rosen Sanders

Schumer Smith Stabenow Udall Van Hollen Warren Wyden

NOT VOTING—15

Alexander Cantwell Cardin Cortez Masto Daines

Harris Hawley Heinrich Moran Murray

Schatz Sinema Sullivan Tester Young

The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mrs. HYDE-SMITH). On this vote, the yeas are 62, the nays are 23.

The motion is agreed to. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The ma-

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LEGISLATIVE SESSION

MORNING BUSINESS Mr. MCCONNELL. Madam President,

I ask unanimous consent that the Sen-ate proceed to legislative session and be in a period of morning business, with Senators permitted to speak therein for up to 10 minutes each.


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RECOGNIZING THE WYOMING AS-SOCIATION OF CONSERVATION DISTRICTS Mr. BARRASSO. Madam President, I

rise today to recognize a significant anniversary for the Wyoming Associa-tion of Conservation Districts. When they meet next week, the association will celebrate 75 years of service to Wy-oming’s natural resources. Without question, the forests, streams, and soils in the state have seen immense benefit from the important work conservation district employees do every day.

Conservation districts succeed through their work and partnerships with diverse stakeholders. Landowners, farmers and ranchers, government agencies, counties, towns, and other community organizations contribute to the conservation of land and water re-sources on private and public lands in Wyoming. Local conservation district boards perform as a liaison between local landowners, resource users, and State and Federal governmental agen-cies. The association helps individuals navigate programs and provides exem-plary technical assistance to cultivate productive lands and healthy eco-systems. Agriculture, industry, cities, forests, and wildlife all depend on strong and healthy watersheds.

Wyoming has 34 conservation dis-tricts in our 23 counties. Each district is run by staff and a board of five su-pervisors, who serve voluntarily. Con-servation districts direct programs pro-tecting local renewable natural re-sources at the local level. Each district


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CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S6623 November 9, 2020 puts its focus on issues important to resource concerns in the county. These range from water quality monitoring and watershed planning to seedling tree sales and living snow fence pro-grams, forest planning and rangeland management to wildlife habitat im-provement and endangered species issues.

I rely heavily on conservation dis-tricts for their expertise in water, con-servation, wildlife, forestry, and gen-eral land management. As their mis-sion statement says, in part, the Wyo-ming Association of Conservation Dis-tricts provides leadership for the con-servation of Wyoming’s soil and water resources and promotes and protects the quality of Wyoming’s waters through responsible conservation ethic.

People are the key to conservation district success, from local volunteers to dedicated staff and partners who dedicate themselves to the cause. The association provides valuable insight and expertise to countless projects and issues at the local, State, and national level. One of the best examples is in the recently retired, Bobbie Frank.

Bobbie Frank served as executive di-rector of the Wyoming Association of Conservation Districts for the last 29 years. Bobbie’s list of achievements is long. From being intimately involved in a myriad of water quality issues both at the State and national levels to developing and implementing programs at the local level. Bobbie has received the Wyoming Stock Growers Guardian of the Grassland Award and the Kurt Bucholz Conservation Award. She has also been inducted as a member of the Wyoming Ag Hall of Fame. I look for-ward to working with the Wyoming As-sociation of Conservation District’s new executive director, Hunter Petsch, moving forward.

It is without hesitation that I say Wyoming’s forests and plains would look much different today if the Wyo-ming Association of Conservation Dis-tricts had not unified in 1945. Each mu-nicipal water manager, rancher, hiker, forester, hunter, and miner owes a debt of gratitude for the good work of the Wyoming Association of Conservation Districts.

I would like to recognize several leaders within the Wyoming Associa-tion of Conservation Districts for their dedicated service to the State of Wyo-ming.

Board of Directors: Todd Heward, Presi-dent; Dan Rice, Vice President; Ryan Fieldgrove and Wayne Garman, Area I Direc-tors; Levi Clark and Stan Mitchem, Area II Directors; Keith Grant, Area III Director; Reg Phillips and Shanon Sims, Area IV Di-rectors; and Shaun Sims and Coke Landers, Area V Directors.

Staff: Hunter Petsch, Executive Director; Kelly Brown, Program Specialist; and Cathy Rosenthal, Watershed Coordinator.

Chairman and Vice Chairman, respec-tively, of each conservation district:

Campbell County Conservation District: Lindsay Wood, Casey Elkins

Clear Creek Conservation District: Ryan Fieldgrove, Luke Todd

Cody Conservation District: Russ Dwyer, Bobbie Holder

Converse County Conservation District: Stan Mitchem, Shelly Falkenburg

Crook County Natural Resources District: Wayne Garman, Ted Parsons

Dubois-Crowheart Conservation District: Reg Phillips, Todd Hirsch

Hot Springs Conservation District: Jim Andreen, Sonja Becker

Laramie County Conservation District: Thomas E. Farrell, Kevin Wells

Laramie Rivers Conservation District: Ruth Shepherd, Bob Shine

Lincoln Conservation District: Erick Esterholdt, Kenny Petersen

Lingle-Fort Laramie Conservation Dis-trict: Don McDowell, Joe Speckner

Little Snake River Conservation District: Jack Cobb, Meghan Lally

Lower Wind River Conservation District: Nick Biltoft, Richard Denke

Medicine Bow Conservation District: Shanon Sims, Ralph Brokaw

Meeteetse Conservation District: Tim Mor-rison, Joe Thomas

Natrona County Conservation District: An-drew Anderson, Dennis Scott

Niobrara Conservation District: Matt Dockery, Dale Jordan

North Platte Valley Conservation District: Art Davis, Mike Carney

Platte County Resource Conservation Dis-trict: Kerry Powers, Levi Clark

Popo Agie Conservation District: Tim Wil-son, Jeri Trebelecock

Powder River Conservation District: Bill Jones, George Renkert

Powell-Clarks Fork Conservation District: Floyd Derry, Regan Smith

Saratoga-Encampment-Rawlins Conserva-tion District: Arla Strasser, Dan Mika

Sheridan County Conservation District: Susan Holmes, Edith Heyward

Shoshone Conservation District: Brad Tippetts, Spencer Ellis

South Big Horn Conservation District: George Kelso, Walt Hibbert

South Goshen Conservation District: Dan Jackson, Boyd Yeik

Star Valley Conservation District: Rollin Gardner, Shane Crook

Sublette County Conservation District: Coke Landers, Darrell Walker

Sweetwater County Conservation District: Mary E. Thoman, Tom Burris

Teton Conservation District: Steve McDon-ald, Nate Fuller

Uinta County Conservation District: Kelly Guild, Dennis Cornelison

Washakie County Conservation District: Dave Slover, Dan Rice

Weston County Natural Resource District: Alicia Redding, David Tysdal

I rise today to honor the dedicated professionals who work to keep our ecosystems healthy. My wife, Bobbi, joins me in thanking them and wishing the Wyoming Association of Conserva-tion Districts another 75 years of suc-cess.

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ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS

TRIBUTE TO BRIELLE PAQUETTE

∑ Ms. HASSAN. Madam President, I am proud to recognize Brielle Paquette of Salem as October’s Granite Stater of the Month. Brielle is using her creative talents as a videographer to help re-move the stigma around mental illness and to help inspire her friends and neighbors to open up about their men-tal health struggles.

Brielle grew up in a family of photog-raphers and filmmakers. From an early

age, she found her passion in filmmaking. As she got older, Brielle recruited her young cousins to partici-pate in music videos that she would di-rect and film, all with the hope of put-ting a smile on people’s faces.

Brielle also grew up in a family with loved ones who experienced mental health challenges. Brielle’s father struggled with alcohol abuse, and her mother lives with anxiety. Brielle de-veloped an anxiety disorder, which she did not talk about with anyone, that left her feeling isolated from her peers.

When she entered high school, Brielle decided to use her talents with a video camera to help break down the stigma around mental illness. In 2019, Brielle submitted a PSA to a competition held by New Futures, a New Hampshire or-ganization that seeks to promote health and wellness in the State.

Brielle wanted to highlight the high rate of mental illness in young adults. To film the video, Brielle went to a crowded area in Boston with a sign that read ‘‘20–50 percent of adolescents struggle with mental illness. Hug to show support for people who are strug-gling.’’ Brielle then tied a blindfold on herself and accepted hugs from strang-ers as her mom filmed from afar.

Brielle won the People’s Choice Award for that video and since then has filmed other PSAs aimed at destigmatizing mental illness and en-couraging people to open up about their struggles. She also uses her plat-form as Miss Londonderry to promote this important message. Additionally, as a member of her school’s women em-powerment club, she is working on the early stages of a new PSA on body positivity.

I am proud to recognize Brielle for her efforts to break down the barriers that too often prevent us from talking about mental illness. By using her tal-ents to help facilitate conversations about a difficult issue and raising awareness around mental health, Brielle exemplifies what it means to be a Granite Stater. I look forward to see-ing what she accomplishes next.∑

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TRIBUTE TO CORPORAL SEAY- PETER FLOYD AND OFFICER NATALIE EUCCE

∑ Mr. BOOZMAN. Madam President, I rise today to honor Fayetteville Police Department Corporal Seay-Peter Floyd and Officer Natalie Eucce for being awarded the Attorney General’s Award for Distinguished Service in Policing by the U.S. Department of Justice.

This is a well-deserved honor for their dedication, sacrifice, and bravery they demonstrated on December 7, 2019, when a gunman, armed with 100 rounds of ammunition, targeted law enforce-ment. Tragically, Fayetteville Police Officer Stephen Carr was killed while sitting in a patrol vehicle in the police station’s parking lot. Corporal Floyd courageously pursued the suspect and


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CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATES6624 November 9, 2020 fired in order to stop the assailant. Of-ficer Eucce joined in the pursuit and also fired her weapon. If not for their quick response, there could have been other victims.

This prestigious award is given to State and local law enforcement offi-cers who personify excellence while protecting others. Only 23 members of the law enforcement community from across the country earned this honor this year. Corporal Floyd and Officer Eucce are the first Arkansans to re-ceive this award.

Throughout their careers, Corporal Floyd and Officer Eucce have re-sponded to calls for help while not knowing what challenges they will face. They are heroic public servants who courageously face danger head on. It takes a special person to put their life on the line every day to safeguard the public. Corporal Floyd and Officer Eucce represent the men and women who make a difference in our commu-nities. I applaud their service and com-mitment to safety and the rule of law and congratulate them for receiving the fourth annual Attorney General’s Award for Distinguished Service in Po-licing.∑

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OZARK MEDIA ARTS FESTIVAL

∑ Mr. BOOZMAN. Madam President, I rise today to congratulate the Ozark Media Arts Festival on 10 years of suc-cess and recognize the pathway it is creating from education to employ-ment in the multimedia industry in Ar-kansas and throughout the region.

More than 8,000 students have par-ticipated in OMAF, helping these young minds make connections with others who have similar passions in filmmaking, broadcast journalism, pro-duction, photography, and other media platforms that keep citizens informed and entertained. The festival allows participants to explore their interests and learn from industry professionals on how to further develop their talents.

OMAF provides a venue for students to showcase their abilities, learn new skills, and compete against the bright-est up-and-comers in their field of in-terest. The recognition that comes with earning the top spot in the com-petitions hosted by the festival is cer-tainly something to be proud of, and the enthusiasm shared amongst all par-ticipants who put their creativity on display is what continues to make the Ozark Media Arts Festival a success and a place for students to foster rela-tionships that will help them transi-tion their skills from an educational setting to the communications indus-try.

The festival truly is investing in the future of the multimedia industry in the region. It is a good one-stop-shop for high schoolers to learn more about the programs offered at colleges and universities and other programs where they can continue to hone their skills. Just as importantly, it provides a valu-able networking opportunity with po-

tential employers and demonstrates how they can turn their passion into a future career.

It was a pleasure to participate in a virtual panel discussion for the 2020 festival as educators, industry leaders, and policymakers and talk about the importance of communication and how technology continues to shape how we get information and stay connected with each other.

Congratulations to Ozark Media Arts Festival on a decade of accomplish-ments and encouraging multimedia education and building relationships to help future generations of communica-tors realize their dream of a career in the multimedia industry.∑

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RECOGNIZING THE JOHN WILLIAM JACKSON FUND

∑ Mr. RISCH. Madam President, I am pleased to recognize and honor the 20th Anniversary of the John William Jack-son Fund and their contribution to the State of Idaho.

Bill ‘‘Action’’ Jackson, of Boise, es-tablished the John William Jackson Fund 20 years ago to honor his son, John, who died in a climbing accident in Central Asia. John William Jackson was known for his sense of adventure and passion for academic excellence, performing arts, and outdoor sports. He challenged himself and those around him to believe in themselves and take advantage of their full potential.

The John William Jackson Fund sup-ports Idaho youth through academic scholarships and grants for performing arts organizations, outdoor sporting experiences, and the purchase or rental of musical instruments. Just as John encouraged others to believe in them-selves and reach for their dreams, the John William Jackson Fund provides the support and assistance needed to make these dreams a reality. Since 2000, the fund has awarded more than 300 grants and given over $1 million to Idaho’s youth.

In addition to monetary donations, the Idaho Youth Education Recycling Partnership—(iYERP)—was established in 2007, creating a revenue stream for the Fund via metal recycling. This ini-tiative seeks not only to fund scholar-ships for Idaho’s youth, but also create a sustainable environment for these dreams to be met.

Bill Jackson, the fund’s cofounder, will be recognized at an upcoming Idaho Philanthropy Day celebration. He will be honored as an outstanding partner in the community as an ‘‘Out-standing Adult Philanthropist’’ on No-vember 13, 2020.

I am proud to recognize the John William Jackson Fund and their con-tribution to the State of Idaho. Your great commitment to inspire Idaho’s youth and honor the memory of John is commendable.∑

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MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT A message from the President of the

United States was communicated to

the Senate by Ms. Roberts, one of his secretaries.

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EXECUTIVE MESSAGE REFERRED

As in executive session the Presiding Officer laid before the Senate a mes-sage from the President of the United States submitting sundry nominations which were referred to the Committee on Rules and Administration.

(The message received today is print-ed at the end of the Senate pro-ceedings.)

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MEASURES PLACED ON THE CALENDAR

The following bills and joint resolu-tion were read the second time, and placed on the calendar:

S. 4800. A bill to provide Coronavirus relief. S. 4805. A bill to create a point of order

against legislation modifying the number of Justices of the Supreme Court of the United States.

S.J. Res. 76. Joint resolution proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States to require that the Supreme Court of the United States be composed of nine justices.

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EXECUTIVE AND OTHER COMMUNICATIONS

The following communication was laid before the Senate, together with accompanying papers, reports, and doc-uments, and was referred as indicated:

EC–5777. A communication from the Presi-dent of the United States to the President Pro Tempore of the United States Senate, transmitting, consistent with the War Pow-ers Resolution, a report relative to a success-ful operation in Nigeria to rescue a United States citizen, received during adjournment of the Senate on November 1, 2020; to the Committee on Foreign Relations.

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REPORTS OF COMMITTEES

The following reports of committees were submitted:

By Mr. JOHNSON, from the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Af-fairs, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute:

H.R. 542. An act to amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to establish the Na-tional Urban Security Technology Labora-tory, and for other purposes (Rept. No. 116– 285).

H.R. 2589. An act to amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to establish a homeland intelligence doctrine for the Department of Homeland Security, and for other purposes (Rept. No. 116–286).

By Mr. JOHNSON, from the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Af-fairs, with amendments:

H.R. 4727. An act to amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to establish a mentor- protege program, and for other purposes (Rept. No. 116–287).

By Mr. BARRASSO, from the Committee on Environment and Public Works:

Report to accompany S. 3591, A bill to pro-vide for improvements to the rivers and har-bors of the United States, to provide for the conservation and development of water and related resources, to provide for water pollu-tion control activities and for other purposes (Rept. No. 116–288).


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CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S6625 November 9, 2020 By Mr. WICKER, from the Committee on

Commerce, Science, and Transportation, with an amendment in the nature of a sub-stitute:

S. 2904. A bill to direct the Director of the National Science Foundation to support re-search on the outputs that may be generated by generative adversarial networks, other-wise known as deepfakes, and other com-parable techniques that may be developed in the future, and for other purposes (Rept. No. 116–289).

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INTRODUCTION OF BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS

The following bills and joint resolu-tions were introduced, read the first and second times by unanimous con-sent, and referred as indicated:

By Mrs. GILLIBRAND (for herself and Mr. SCHUMER):

S. 4881. A bill to extend the authorization for the Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor Commission; to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.

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ADDITIONAL COSPONSORS

S. 117 At the request of Mr. SCHUMER, the

name of the Senator from New Hamp-shire (Mrs. SHAHEEN) was added as a co-sponsor of S. 117, a bill to prohibit dis-crimination against individuals with disabilities who need long-term serv-ices and supports, and for other pur-poses.

S. 511 At the request of Mrs. GILLIBRAND,

the names of the Senator from Arizona (Ms. SINEMA) and the Senator from In-diana (Mr. YOUNG) were added as co-sponsors of S. 511, a bill to promote and protect from discrimination living organ donors.

S. 879 At the request of Mr. VAN HOLLEN,

the name of the Senator from Oregon (Mr. WYDEN) was added as a cosponsor of S. 879, a bill to provide a process for granting lawful permanent resident status to aliens from certain countries who meet specified eligibility require-ments, and for other purposes.

S. 1374 At the request of Ms. MCSALLY, the

name of the Senator from New Jersey (Mr. BOOKER) was added as a cosponsor of S. 1374, a bill to amend title II of the Social Security Act to eliminate the waiting periods for disability insurance benefits and Medicare coverage for in-dividuals with metastatic breast can-cer, and for other purposes.

S. 1421 At the request of Mr. COTTON, his

name was added as a cosponsor of S. 1421, a bill to award a Congressional Gold Medal to the 23d Headquarters Special Troops and the 3133d Signal Service Company in recognition of their unique and distinguished service as a ‘‘Ghost Army’’ that conducted de-ception operations in Europe during World War II.


the name of the Senator from Nevada

(Ms. CORTEZ MASTO) was added as a co-sponsor of S. 1789, a bill to amend title 10, United States Code, to reform pro-cedures for determinations on disposi-tion of charges and the convening of courts-martial for certain offenses under the Uniform Code of Military Justice, and for other purposes.

S. 2898 At the request of Mr. INHOFE, the

name of the Senator from Arkansas (Mr. COTTON) was added as a cosponsor of S. 2898, a bill to amend title 5, United States Code, to provide for a full annuity supplement for certain air traffic controllers.

S. 3398 At the request of Mr. GRAHAM, the

name of the Senator from Georgia (Mrs. LOEFFLER) was added as a cospon-sor of S. 3398, a bill to establish a Na-tional Commission on Online Child Sexual Exploitation Prevention, and for other purposes.

S. 3419 At the request of Mr. INHOFE, the

name of the Senator from Nebraska (Mr. SASSE) was added as a cosponsor of S. 3419, a bill to amend the Packers and Stockyards Act, 1921, to provide for the establishment of a trust for the benefit of all unpaid cash sellers of livestock, and for other purposes.


her name was added as a cosponsor of S. 3444, a bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to expand the list of dis-eases associated with exposure to cer-tain herbicide agents for which there is a presumption of service connection for veterans who served in the Republic of Vietnam, and for other purposes.

S. 3471 At the request of Mr. RUBIO, the

name of the Senator from Kansas (Mr. MORAN) was added as a cosponsor of S. 3471, a bill to ensure that goods made with forced labor in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of the People’s Republic of China do not enter the United States market, and for other purposes.

S. 3722 At the request of Mr. CRUZ, the

names of the Senator from California (Mrs. FEINSTEIN), the Senator from Minnesota (Ms. SMITH), the Senator from Louisiana (Mr. CASSIDY) and the Senator from Oregon (Mr. MERKLEY) were added as cosponsors of S. 3722, a bill to authorize funding for a bilateral cooperative program with Israel for the development of health technologies with a focus on combating COVID–19.

S. 4150 At the request of Mr. REED, the name

of the Senator from Maryland (Mr. CARDIN) was added as a cosponsor of S. 4150, a bill to require the Secretary of the Treasury to provide assistance to certain providers of transportation services affected by the novel coronavirus.

S. 4258 At the request of Mr. CORNYN, the

name of the Senator from Delaware

(Mr. CARPER) was added as a cosponsor of S. 4258, a bill to establish a grant program for small live venue operators and talent representatives.


her name was added as a cosponsor of S. 4406, a bill to amend the Federal In-secticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act to fully protect the safety of chil-dren and the environment, to remove dangerous pesticides from use, and for other purposes.

S. 4429 At the request of Mrs. BLACKBURN,

the name of the Senator from New Mexico (Mr. HEINRICH) was added as a cosponsor of S. 4429, a bill to direct the Secretary of Defense to conduct a study regarding toxic exposure by members of the Armed Forces deployed to Karshi Khanabad Air Base, Uzbek-istan, to include such members in the open burn pit registry, and for other purposes.


the name of the Senator from Montana (Mr. TESTER) was added as a cosponsor of S. 4572, a bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to provide for a presumption of service connection for certain diseases associated with expo-sure to toxins, and for other purposes.

S. 4658 At the request of Mr. LANKFORD, the

name of the Senator from Texas (Mr. CRUZ) was added as a cosponsor of S. 4658, a bill to amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to allow for great-er State flexibility with respect to ex-cluding providers who are involved in abortions.

S. 4661 At the request of Mr. COTTON, the

name of the Senator from Arizona (Ms. SINEMA) was added as a cosponsor of S. 4661, a bill to authorize the President to posthumously award the Medal of Honor to Alwyn C. Cashe for acts of valor during Operation Iraqi Freedom.

S. 4663 At the request of Ms. HASSAN, the

name of the Senator from Idaho (Mr. CRAPO) was added as a cosponsor of S. 4663, a bill to amend title 31, United States Code, to save Federal funds by authorizing changes to the composition of circulating coins, and for other pur-poses.

S. 4712 At the request of Mr. MENENDEZ, the

names of the Senator from California (Mrs. FEINSTEIN) and the Senator from Delaware (Mr. COONS) were added as co-sponsors of S. 4712, a bill to enhance the consideration of human rights in arms exports.

S. 4757 At the request of Mr. DURBIN, the

names of the Senator from California (Mrs. FEINSTEIN) and the Senator from Pennsylvania (Mr. CASEY) were added as cosponsors of S. 4757, a bill to amend the Animal Welfare Act to establish additional requirements for dealers, and for other purposes.


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CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATES6626 November 9, 2020 S. 4860

At the request of Mr. PORTMAN, the names of the Senator from Connecticut (Mr. BLUMENTHAL) and the Senator from Nebraska (Mrs. FISCHER) were added as cosponsors of S. 4860, a bill to exempt payments made from the Rail-road Unemployment Insurance Ac-count from sequestration under the Balanced Budget and Emergency Def-icit Control Act of 1985.

S. 4875 At the request of Mr. LEE, the name

of the Senator from North Carolina (Mr. TILLIS) was added as a cosponsor of S. 4875, a bill to provide protections for good faith borrowers and lenders under the paycheck protection pro-gram, and for other purposes.

S. RES. 689 At the request of Mr. RISCH, the

name of the Senator from Oregon (Mr. WYDEN) was added as a cosponsor of S. Res. 689, a resolution condemning the crackdown on peaceful protestors in Belarus and calling for the imposition of sanctions on responsible officials.

S. RES. 709 At the request of Mr. GRAHAM, the

name of the Senator from Vermont (Mr. LEAHY) was added as a cosponsor of S. Res. 709, a resolution expressing the sense of the Senate that the August 13, 2020, and September 11, 2020, an-nouncements of the establishment of full diplomatic relations between the State of Israel and the United Arab Emirates and the State of Israel and the Kingdom of Bahrain are historic achievements.

S. RES. 754 At the request of Mr. MENENDEZ, the

names of the Senator from New Hamp-shire (Mrs. SHAHEEN) and the Senator from Michigan (Ms. STABENOW) were added as cosponsors of S. Res. 754, a resolution requesting information on the Government of Azerbaijan’s human rights practices pursuant to section 502B(c) of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961.

S. RES. 755 At the request of Mr. MENENDEZ, the

names of the Senator from New Hamp-

shire (Mrs. SHAHEEN) and the Senator from Michigan (Ms. STABENOW) were added as cosponsors of S. Res. 755, a resolution requesting information on the Government of Turkey’s human rights practices pursuant to section 502B(c) of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961.

S. RES. 760

At the request of Mr. MENENDEZ, the name of the Senator from Massachu-setts (Mr. MARKEY) was added as a co-sponsor of S. Res. 760, a resolution ex-pressing the sense of the Senate that the atrocities perpetrated by the Gov-ernment of the People’s Republic of China against Uyghurs, ethnic Kazakhs, Kyrgyz, and members of other Muslim minority groups in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region constitutes genocide.

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MEASURES PLACED ON THE CAL-ENDAR—S. 4800, S. 4805, S.J. Res. 76

Mr. MCCONNELL. Madam President, I understand there are three bills at the desk due for a second reading en bloc.

The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will read the bills by title en bloc for the second time.

The senior assistant legislative clerk read as follows:

A bill (S. 4800) to provide Coronavirus re-lief.

A bill (S. 4805) to create a point of order against legislation modifying the number of Justices of the Supreme Court of the United States.

A joint resolution (S.J. Res. 76) proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States to require that the Supreme Court of the United States be composed of nine justices.

Mr. MCCONNELL. In order to place the bills on the calendar under the pro-visions of rule XIV, I object to further proceeding en bloc.

The PRESIDING OFFICER. Objec-tion having been heard, the bills will be placed on the calendar en bloc.

ORDERS FOR TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 2020

Mr. MCCONNELL. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today, it adjourn until 12 noon, Tuesday, No-vember 10; further, following the pray-er and pledge, the morning hour be deemed expired, the Journal of pro-ceedings 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 and resume consider-ation of the Knepp nomination and re-cess until 2:15 p.m. to allow for the weekly conference meetings. Finally, notwithstanding rule XXII, the Senate vote on confirmation of the nomina-tion at 2:15 p.m. and, if confirmed, the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table and the President be immediately notified of the Senate’s action.


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ADJOURNMENT UNTIL TOMORROW

Mr. MCCONNELL. If there is no fur-ther business to come before the Sen-ate, I ask unanimous consent that it stand adjourned under the previous order.

There being no objection, the Senate, at 6:50 p.m., adjourned until Tuesday, November 10, 2020, at 12 noon.

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NOMINATIONS

Executive nominations received by the Senate Friday, October 30, 2020:

FEDERAL ELECTION COMMISSION

SHANA M. BROUSSARD, OF LOUISIANA, TO BE A MEM-BER OF THE FEDERAL ELECTION COMMISSION FOR A TERM EXPIRING APRIL 30, 2023, VICE ANN MILLER RAVEL, TERM EXPIRED.

SEAN J. COOKSEY, OF MISSOURI, TO BE A MEMBER OF THE FEDERAL ELECTION COMMISSION FOR A TERM EX-PIRING APRIL 30, 2021, VICE LEE E. GOODMAN, TERM EX-PIRED.


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EXTENSIONS OF REMARKS

∑ This ‘‘bullet’’ symbol identifies statements or insertions which are not spoken by a Member of the Senate on the floor.

Matter set in this typeface indicates words inserted or appended, rather than spoken, by a Member of the House on the floor.

CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — Extensions of Remarks E1007 November 9, 2020

IN RECOGNITION OF THE 75TH AN-NIVERSARY OF THE VETERANS OF FOREIGN WARS POST 4639

HON. ROBERT J. WITTMAN OF VIRGINIA

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Monday, November 9, 2020

Mr. WITTMAN. Madam Speaker, I rise today in recognition of the 75th Anniversary of the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 4639 in Williamsburg, Virginia. On November 16, 1945, 72 Veterans returning from World War II founded Post 4639, and this Post has honor-ably served the community ever since.

Post 4639 is named in honor of Sergeant John Taylor Blacknall, Jr. and 1st Lieutenant Philip Sheridan Chess, Jr. who were both killed in action during World War II. Sergeant Blacknall, who was a soldier in the 116th Regiment of the 29th Infantry Division, was killed in action on June 6, 1944 at Basse- Normandie, France. 1st Lieutenant Chess was killed in action on July 17, 1944 at Villamagna, Volterra, Pisa, Toscana, Italy. I want to ex-press my deepest gratitude to SGT Blacknall and 1LT Chess, and every American hero who has paid the ultimate price to service and pro-tect our nation.

The Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States is comprised of veterans that served in combat zones during our nation’s wars who return to continue to serve our nation’s com-munities. Post 4639 has been an All-American Veterans of Foreign Wars Post four times, and an All State Post eleven times.

As the United States Representative for Vir-ginia’s First District, I am honored to work with the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 4639. I am particularly inspired by the dedication and hard work of Post 4639, and the commitment to their core values including, but not limited to: promoting patriotism, honoring military service, ensuring the care of Veterans and their fami-lies, and serving their communities. The serv-ice men and women at Post 4639 are true American heroes and serve as an example of what makes our nation special.

Therefore, Madam Speaker, I ask that you rise with me to recognize the 75th Anniversary of The Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 4639. I am deeply grateful for the men and women not only who serve at Post 4639, but who dedicate their life to service for our great na-tion.

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HONORING THE LEGACY OF LIFENET PARAMEDIC SHON MAT-THEWS

HON. BRUCE WESTERMAN OF ARKANSAS



Mr. WESTERMAN. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize and remember the legacy of Shon Matthews. A paramedic with the

LifeNet Texarkana Division since October 2007, Shon was a wonderful example of serv-ice above self.

Shon passed away on Monday, November 2 after a battle with COVID–19. The Fourth Dis-trict of Arkansas will grieve not only the loss of a friend, but also an exemplary public serv-ant. For the past 23 years, Shon committed his life to working as a first responder, even volunteering for his local fire department in ad-dition to working as an EMT and, eventually, a paramedic.

Beyond his own service on LifeNet Air med-ical helicopters, he sought to teach others those life-saving skills as Operations Manager for the Texarkana Division. Later becoming an area manager, Shon is said to have done ‘‘whatever the company needed to take care of patients and to serve the community.’’

I first met Shon when he visited my office in 2019 for the American Ambulance Associa-tion’s Stars of Life event. He was dubbed ‘‘The Selfie King’’ during that trip to Wash-ington, and I am honored I had the chance to visit with him and learn more about his work in Arkansas. I take this time to honor Shon and his family for their selfless love of commu-nity and their sacrifice for the safety and well- being of their fellow man.

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IN HONOR OF DANIEL O’SULLIVAN

HON. JOHN JOYCE OF PENNSYLVANIA



Mr. JOYCE of Pennsylvania. Madam Speak-er, I rise today to honor Daniel O’Sullivan of Huntingdon County for his service in the United States Army. He is an outstanding Pennsylvanian, and I am grateful for his serv-ice to our nation, the Commonwealth of Penn-sylvania, and our community.

In Pennsylvania and across the country, our veterans have served and sacrificed for Ameri-cans’ freedom and our values. They answered the call to serve and fight for us—at a great cost. Truly, our veterans are the best of Amer-ica.

In Congress, it is my privilege—and my re-sponsibility—to stand up for those who have served our country in uniform, as well as to recognize these brave Americans. As a nation, we are indebted to them. On behalf of the 13th Congressional District, I thank Mr. O’Sullivan for his service to our nation and our community.

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HONORING THE LIFE OF ALFRED LLEWELLYN HOBGOOD III

HON. GEORGE HOLDING OF NORTH CAROLINA



Mr. HOLDING. Madam Speaker, I rise to honor the life of Alfred Llewellyn Hobgood, III.

Hobgood spent his entire life in North Caro-lina. He was a successful businessman, a fix-ture in the community and, above all, a loving husband and father of two.

Alfred Hobgood was born on December 3, 1946, in Kinston, North Carolina, to Alfred Llewellyn Hobgood, Jr., and Suefan Gooding Hobgood.

He was raised in Smithfield and attended Darlington High School before attending the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. His time at UNC was formative to his life and the lessons he learned set him up for a successful career in the business world.

After leaving UNC, he began his career under the arms of Jim Wheat of Wheat First Securities.

Then he went to Scott and Stringfellow in Eastern North Carolina. After that, he went on to work for RBC Wealth Management, where he served as Senior Vice President.

Alfred was a passionate UNC fan and an active alumnus, serving as an officer on sev-eral boards, including as president of the Co- Founders Club and chairman of the Excel-lence Fund.

Alfred was also an avid golfer. He was a founding board member of Old Chatham Golf Club and a board member of The Rex Hos-pital Open. And he passionately supported the First Tee of the Triangle as a past Director.

His weight as a member of the community was felt all over North Carolina as he sup-ported the Parrot Academy of Kinston, the LMH Foundation, the University of North Caro-lina at Chapel Hill, St. Mary’s School in Ra-leigh, Rex Hospital, and many other charitable causes.

Sadly, Alfred Llewellyn Hobgood, III, passed away on October 6, 2019, at the age of 72. He will be greatly missed by his family, friends, and the entire community.

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IN HONOR OF MICHAEL NORELL




Mr. JOYCE of Pennsylvania. Madam Speak-er, I rise today to honor Michael Norell of Hun-tingdon County for his service in the United States Army. He is an outstanding Pennsylva-nian, and I am grateful for his service to our nation, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, and our community.


In Congress, it is my privilege—and my re-sponsibility—to stand up for those who have served our country in uniform, as well as to recognize these brave Americans. As a nation, we are indebted to them. On behalf of the 13th Congressional District, I thank Mr. Norell

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CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — Extensions of RemarksE1008 November 9, 2020 for his service to our nation and our commu-nity.

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IN HONOR OF THE JED FOUNDA-TION’S 20TH ANNIVERSARY

HON. CAROLYN B. MALONEY OF NEW YORK



Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York. Madam Speaker, I rise to recognize the 20th anniversary of the Jed Foundation and to commend the Foundation’s cofounders, Donna and Phillip Satow, for their unrelenting dedica-tion to improving mental health among teens and young adults.

The Jed Foundation, which is headquartered in my district, has become a national leader in the development of policies, programs, and systems to nurture mental and emotional health and prevent suicide among teens and young adults. In the past 20 years, The Jed Foundation has provided programs and resources that have helped more than 3,000 high schools, colleges and universities across the country strengthen their mental health safety nets.

After the tragic loss of their son Jed, Donna and Phillip Satow established the Jed Founda-tion to better equip all teens and young adults to navigate mental health challenges, success-fully enter adulthood, and meet their full poten-tial. The Satows recognized the need for a uniform model for suicide prevention on col-lege and university campuses, and they un-derstood the importance of addressing the stigma and secrecy associated with mental health in these communities.

With this vision in mind, the Jed Foundation created JED Campus, a program that imple-ments a comprehensive approach to mental health and substance abuse. In the past two decades JED Campus has been utilized by over 300 colleges, representing nearly 3.7 mil-lion students, across the nation. Additionally, the Jed Foundation has partnered with over 1,600 colleges and universities to utilize the foundation’s ULifeline.org on line resource center, which provides students with informa-tion about mental health and how to seek help if they are struggling.

From ensuring that mental health resources are culturally responsive for Latinx teens, young adults, and their families, to conducting in-depth research on how communities can ef-fectively understand and support the mental health of LBGTQ+ teens and young adults, the Jed Foundation has gone above and be-yond to address the mental health needs of di-verse communities.

Madam Speaker, I recognize the Jed Foun-dation for its outstanding public service, and I laud Donna and Phillip Satow’s continued commitment to promoting the well-being of students, families, and schools. They have im-proved the lives and mental health outcomes of millions of students in their twenty years of service, and I wish them the best as they con-tinue their lifesaving work.

IN HONOR OF DONALD MILLER




Mr. JOYCE of Pennsylvania. Madam Speak-er, I rise today to honor Donald Miller of Hun-tingdon County for his service in the United States Army. He is an outstanding Pennsylva-nian, and I am grateful for his service to our nation, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, and our community.


In Congress, it is my privilege—and my re-sponsibility—to stand up for those who have served our country in uniform, as well as to recognize these brave Americans. As a nation, we are indebted to them. On behalf of the 13th Congressional District, I thank Mr. Miller for his service to our nation and our commu-nity.

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HONORING THE LIFE AND LEGACY OF THADDEUS W. GAY, SR.

HON. RICHARD HUDSON OF NORTH CAROLINA



Mr. HUDSON. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and legacy of Thaddeus W. Gay, Sr., a true American hero and inspiration to many throughout North Carolina’s Eighth Congressional District.

Mr. Gay was born on June 27, 1922 and after graduating from West Southern Pines ‘‘Rosenwald’’ School, he attended North Caro-lina A&T State University before enlisting in the U.S. Army during the height of World War II. A decorated military servant, Mr. Gay served our great nation in New Guinea and the South Pacific and received the Asiatic Pa-cific Service Medal with a bronze service star, Good Conduct Medal, and World War II Vic-tory Medal.

Mr. Gay represents the best our nation has to offer and served with honor and distinction until 1944. Following the war, he found suc-cess running various small businesses and even sought patents for several of his inven-tions. Mr. Gay’s service to our community ex-tended far beyond his military service and en-trepreneurial success. He was a tireless advo-cate on behalf of the West Southern Pines Civic Club, the Rufus L. McLaughlin American Legion Post No. 177, the Southern Pines Land and Housing Trust, and the NAACP.

Mr. Gay passed away on October 20, 2020 and left behind a legacy of extraordinary ac-complishment. My thoughts and prayers are with his family and all who knew and loved him. Mr. Gay will live on in the hearts and minds of all who felt his kindness and I join the entire community in honoring his extraor-dinary life.

Madam SPEAKER, please join me today in honoring the life and legacy of Thaddeus W. Gay, Sr.

IN HONOR OF RONALD MESAVAGE




Mr. JOYCE of Pennsylvania. Madam Speak-er, I rise today to honor Ronald Mesavage of Huntingdon County for his service in the United States Air Force. He is an outstanding Pennsylvanian, and I am grateful for his serv-ice to our nation, the Commonwealth of Penn-sylvania, and our community.


In Congress, it is my privilege—and my re-sponsibility—to stand up for those who have served our country in uniform, as well as to recognize these brave Americans. As a nation, we are indebted to them. On behalf of the 13th Congressional District, I thank Mr. Mesavage for his service to our nation and our community.

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HONORING THE LIFE OF FRANCES STAGG NICHOLSON SANDERS




Mr. HOLDING. Madam Speaker, I rise today to take pause and reflect on the life of Frances Stagg Nicholson Sanders.

Madam Speaker, Frances Stagg was born on December 10, 1929, to Sterling Johnston Nicholson and Mary Washington Stagg. She was the youngest of five siblings and grew up in Durham, North Carolina. Shortly after at-tending Duke University, Mrs. Stagg married her childhood sweetheart, Bill Sanders.

Frances Stagg was a beloved pillar of her community. She joined the Raleigh Junior League in 1955, was a member of the first Docent class of the North Carolina Museum of Art, President of Rex Hospital Guild Board and served as the Chair of the Wake Committee of the North Carolina Society of Colonial Dames, an organization devoted to historic preserva-tion and patriotic services. She was also chair of the Girls Committee and honorary chair for the North Carolina Terpsichorean Club Debu-tante Ball. Stagg’s greatest joy was spending time with family and friends at her home in Morehead City. Always with a smile, Stagg had a full and vibrant life filled with love and laughter. She enjoyed the salt air and sun-shine, and loved boating on the Harem with Bill and their girls. She always loved having her dogs nearby as well as her many wonder-ful friends.

Sadly, Frances Stagg Nicholson Sanders passed away peacefully in her sleep on Au-gust 13, 2019. She was 89 years old. She will be greatly missed by her friends, family, and her entire community.


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CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — Extensions of Remarks E1009 November 9, 2020 IN HONOR OF ROBERT GRISWOLD




Mr. JOYCE of Pennsylvania. Madam Speak-er, I rise today to honor Robert Griswold of Huntingdon County for his service in the United States Navy. He is an outstanding Pennsylvanian, and I am grateful for his serv-ice to our nation, the Commonwealth of Penn-sylvania, and our community.


In Congress, it is my privilege—and my re-sponsibility—to stand up for those who have served our country in uniform, as well as to recognize these brave Americans. As a nation, we are indebted to them. On behalf of the 13th Congressional District, I thank Mr. Gris-wold for his service to our nation and our com-munity.

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RECOGNIZING EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR JOSE CAMACHO

HON. HENRY CUELLAR OF TEXAS



Mr. CUELLAR. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the career and service of Mr. Jose Camacho, who has retired after serving 37 years as the Executive Director of the Texas Association of Community Health Centers (TACHC).

Armed with his unwavering commitment to improving the lives of those less fortunate, Mr. Camacho earned his law degree from the Uni-versity of Texas in 1973 and worked in private practice until 1979 when he became the Direc-tor of the Farmworker Policy Impact Project at Texas Rural Legal Aid in Austin. In 1982 Mr. Camacho became the General Counsel for the National Migrant Referral Project and in 1983, he began his career with TACHC as General Counsel where he assisted in the develop-ment of the organization. Mr. Camacho be-came the Executive Director of the Texas As-sociation of Community Health Centers in 1984 and served in that capacity until his re-tirement in 2020. Mr. Camacho’s career was devoted to the development of grassroot, com-munity-controlled organizations in low-income communities whose purpose is to provide comprehensive health care services to medi-cally indigent residents. Mr. Camacho’s north star has been the Federally Qualified Health Care Program which affords low income com-munities the opportunity to mobilize residents around the need for culturally appropriate health care services and develop a system of health care that is responsive to local resi-dents.

TACHC is the federally designated primary care association for the state and is the link between federal, state, and local entities pro-viding health care for Texas’ most vulnerable populations. TACHC started with a member-ship of seven (7) community clinics in 1983

serving approximately 7,500 patients annually. While the organization had a humble begin-ning, Mr. Camacho’s forward-thinking and leadership helped grow it into the reliable and successful organization that exists today. Dur-ing Mr. Camacho’s tenure, TACHC exceeded expectations and extended service to over 100 organizations within Texas. As the largest net-work of primary care clinics in Texas, TACHC- member clinics have over 550 delivery sites, throughout Texas providing health care to over 1.6 million patients annually; approximately 80 percent are patients with incomes below pov-erty. Heavily involved with the Texas State Legislature, the United States Congress, local community action groups and the American Health Lawyers Association, he initiated nu-merous legislative proposals which improved how health services were provided in Texas. Additionally, he initiated cost-saving contracts which helped save money for community health centers and allowed them to increase and expand valuable services to patients.

Health centers serve communities suffering from shortages of primary medical, dental, or mental health providers. Their mission is to serve low-income and uninsured individuals who lack access to quality and affordable healthcare. With Texas continuously leading the nation in the number of uninsured, now estimated to be well over 5 million in 2019, Mr. Camacho made it his mission to advocate to the state and federal government to strengthen and preserve the health care safety net and assisted in the development of health centers in medically underserved communities. He negotiated and reviewed legal documents, conducted policy analysis, and drafted legisla-tive proposals on behalf of TACHC and the community health centers the association serves. In additional to his role of General Counsel to TACHC’s Board of Directors and members, Mr. Camacho provided steadfast support directly to Texas Health Centers, keeping them informed, designing and imple-menting training programs related to regu-latory requirements, legislative changes, in-dustry trends and available opportunities—all with the focus on expanding access to care and enhancing both the quality and scope of services provided to vulnerable populations across Texas.

Needless to say, Mr. Camacho has had a tremendous impact on health services in Texas, and his work will not be forgotten. His commitment to and vision for TACHC laid the foundation for its future success and set an example for community health centers throughout Texas. He cares deeply about the people he served and consistently showed what it meant to be a good leader. He guid-ed—he motivated—he inspired. The dedica-tion that he exhibited should be a constant re-minder of how we should live our daily lives. This recognition is to commemorate Mr. Camacho for his loyalty and devotion to oth-ers, and for ensuring the best quality of health care for all Texans, especially those with lim-ited resources.

As we move forward, let us take the time to also appreciate the service of heroes among our community like Mr. Camacho—all those individuals who spend their lives committed to service and ensuring health and safety of oth-ers. In the words of President John F. Ken-nedy, ‘‘As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them.’’ And

so, we take time today to express our grati-tude for Mr. Camacho’s work. His impact on the health status of Texans has been incred-ible. The example he set in his career serves as the model of commitment and dedicated service that many of his former colleagues now live by. We are so grateful for Mr. Camacho and his life’s work. His legacy of service to the less fortunate is truly remark-able.

Madam Speaker, please join me in recog-nizing the career and service of Jose Camacho.

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IN HONOR OF CLAIR GREENE




Mr. JOYCE of Pennsylvania. Madam Speak-er, I rise today to honor Clair Greene of Hun-tingdon County for his service in the United States Army. Clair is an outstanding Pennsyl-vania, and I am grateful for his service to our nation, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvanian, and our community.


In Congress, it is my privilege—and my re-sponsibility—to stand up for those who have served our country in uniform, as well as to recognize these brave Americans. As a nation, we are indebted to them. On behalf of the 13th Congressional District, I thank Mr. Greene for his service to our nation and our community.

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NATIONAL NURSE PRACTITIONER’S WEEK 2020

HON. GUS M. BILIRAKIS OF FLORIDA



Mr. BILIRAKIS. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize National Nurse Practi-tioner’s Week.

All over our nation, nurse practitioners serve as trusted health care providers for patients. They work tirelessly to diagnose and treat pa-tients with COVID–19 and to combat commu-nity spread nationwide, while grieving their col-leagues who have lost their lives during the pandemic.

Nurse Practitioners work to expand access to care in underserved communities, and end health disparities in health care. They provide high-quality primary, acute and specialty care services while focusing on health promotion, disease prevention, health education and counseling, guiding patients to make smarter health and lifestyle choices every day. They are highly skilled practitioners with advanced education and clinical training, building upon their initial registered nurse preparation. The confidence that patients have in Nurse Practi-tioner-delivered health care is evidenced by the more than one billion visits made annually to Nurse Practitioners across the country.


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CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — Extensions of RemarksE1010 November 9, 2020 This week I am proud to recognize and

honor the service of Nurse Practitioners in the State of Florida. During this International Year of the Nurse, it is imperative that we recognize the sacrifice that so many have made in order to keep us safe and healthy.

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IN HONOR OF WILLIAM B. MARTIN




Mr. JOYCE of Pennsylvania. Madam Speak-er, I rise today to honor William Martin of Hun-tingdon County for his service in the United States Navy. He is an outstanding Pennsylva-nian, and I am grateful for his service to our nation, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, and our community.


In Congress, it is my privilege—and my re-sponsibility—to stand up for those who have served our country in uniform, as well as to recognize these brave Americans. As a nation, we are indebted to them. On behalf of the 13th Congressional District, I thank Mr. Martin for his service to our nation and our commu-nity.

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HONORING THE RETIREMENT OF JAVIER ESTADES AND HIS SERV-ICE TO THE CIGAR ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA




Mr. HOLDING. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Javier Estades.

Javier was born in Spain, but went on to re-ceive his undergraduate degree from George Washington University right here in Wash-ington—his first real formal contact with the U.S.

Javier then went back to Europe where he went on to receive his MBA and start his ca-reer working for large, fast-moving consumer companies. Then, about 15 years ago, he was hired by Altadis to manage the mass market team in Spain. As he progressed through the company, he was eventually hired to run the Altadis team right here in the United States and he immigrated here nearly 10 years ago.

Javier Estades now serves as the president and chief executive officer of Tabacalera USA, which oversees Imperial Brands’ premium cigar businesses, including Altadis U.S.A., JR Cigar and Casa de Montecristo.

And for the past five years, Javier has head-ed the Cigar Association of America—a na-tional trade association representing cigar manufacturers, importers, and distributors, as well as other major suppliers of the industry. The CAA is proactive in defending its mem-

bers, their businesses and other like-minded associations. It also has an extensive network established to monitor and act on federal, state and local regulations that could have an impact on its members and the cigar industry at large. The organization’s bylaws have been amended several times to allow for Javier Estades to serve multiple terms as the organi-zation’s chairman—something which I think speaks directly to his unwavering leadership to build deep relationships and be an effective advocate for his industry.

Javier is deeply knowledgeable of every as-pect of his industry and is so well-versed he can go toe-to-toe with just about anyone on any issue.

His time as Chairman of the Cigar Associa-tion of America was marked by an almost overwhelming number of challenges, yet Javier seemed to navigate them all with ease, simply because of the type of person he is.

It has been a real honor and joy to get to know Javier over the last five years and I hope he enjoys his retirement from heading the CAA—maybe even with a cigar.

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IN HONOR OF LILLIAN JENNINGS




Mr. JOYCE of Pennsylvania. Madam Speak-er, I rise today to honor Lillian Jennings of Huntingdon County for her service in the United States Navy. She is an outstanding Pennsylvanian, and I am grateful for her serv-ice to our nation, the Commonwealth of Penn-sylvania, and our community.


In Congress, it is my privilege—and my re-sponsibility—to stand up for those who have served our country in uniform, as well as to recognize these brave Americans. As a nation, we are indebted to them. On behalf of the 13th Congressional District, I thank Ms. Jen-nings for her service to our nation and our community.

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TRIBUTE TO TOM KARLO

HON. SUSAN A. DAVIS OF CALIFORNIA



Mrs. DAVIS of California. Madam Speaker, on behalf of my fellow members of the San Diego Congressional Delegation, I would like to pay tribute to Tom Karlo, the General Man-ager of KPBS in San Diego.

After 47 years with the station, Tom is retir-ing. These days, very few of us can say we have been with the same organization for nearly 50 years. But when you have, as Tom says, the best job in the world, it’s not sur-prising.

While Tom has been a fixture at KPBS, KPBS is a longtime respected fixture when it comes to news in San Diego. And Tom de-serves credit for that.

We in San Diego are very proud of KPBS, and it is no surprise that it is the highest-rated public television station in America. Every week, more than 1.2 million people tune in on television or radio or click or stream KPBS content.

During Tom’s tenure, KPBS’s top-notch jour-nalists, producers, and crew have won numer-ous awards both locally and regionally, as well as nationally. I know my colleagues can attest along with me that when you are interviewed by KPBS you had better be prepared because they certainly would be.

Tom himself has won three local Emmy awards.

When I joined KPBS as a community pro-ducer in the late ’70s, Tom had already been there a few years. As a student at San Diego State University studying film and television, he was hired as a part-time assistant in 1973. We worked together during several years of public television auctions (some of us remem-ber those days) and he was truly a man of many disciplines.

He has done just about every job—director, producer, assistance cameraman. In 2009, he was elevated to General Manager and we find ourselves working together again as he would come to Washington, D.C., for what was a common goal for all of us: protecting vital fed-eral funding for public broadcasting.

Over the years, while his roles have changed, one constant has been Tom’s self- effacing manner.

His retirement will be our loss, but it will be his family’s gain. He is no doubt looking for-ward to spending more time with them, espe-cially his grandchildren.

My colleagues, Reps. SCOTT PETERS, JUAN VARGAS, and MIKE LEVIN, and I would like to wish Tom all the best in his retirement.

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IN HONOR OF DARLA HOMAN




Mr. JOYCE of Pennsylvania. Madam Speak-er, I rise today to honor Darla Homan of Hun-tingdon County for her service in the United States Army. She is an outstanding Penn-sylvanian, and I am grateful for her service to our nation, the Commonwealth of Pennsyl-vania, and our community.


In Congress, it is my privilege—and my re-sponsibility—to stand up for those who have served our country in uniform, as well as to recognize these brave Americans. As a nation, we are indebted to them. On behalf of the 13th Congressional District, I thank Mrs. Homan for her service to our nation and our community.


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CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — Extensions of Remarks E1011 November 9, 2020 RECOGNIZING THE LIFE OF BOBBY

MARTIN

HON. TRENT KELLY OF MISSISSIPPI



Mr. KELLY of Mississippi. Madam Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the life of Bobby Mar-tin, who passed away on November 4, 2020. Bobby was born on February 13, 1933 to Eli-jah and Valca Martin. As a 1956 agronomy graduate of Mississippi State University, Bobby was a lifelong Bulldog fan. He served as the Chairman of the MSU Foundation, the President of the Bulldog Club, and the Alumni Association’s 1999 National Alumnus of the Year. In 2002, he was awarded the honorary doctorate of business degree. Bobby served northeast Mississippi as Chairman of the Blue Mountain College Board of Trustees and as a member of the Board of Trustees for North-east Mississippi Community College.

Outside of serving his community, Bobby also served in the United States Army during the Korean War, then later began his career at The Peoples Bank. He held the positions of president and CEO for 42 years, roles now oc-cupied by his daughter. Bobby’s passion for his community was evidenced by his lifetime of service to his customers and his mentorship of countless students and employees. He served as Chairman of the Mississippi Bank-ers Association and the Mississippi Board of Banking Review. His generosity was em-bodied in his position as chairman emeritus of the CREATE Foundation. He spearheaded the effort to establish a CREATE affiliate in Tippah County in 1997, an organization dedicated to improving the quality of life in communities through investments.

Bobby was known as a pillar of faith in his community. He served as a deacon and mem-ber of the choir of First Baptist Church. He treated his associates like family. The Peo-ple’s Bank, as well as the countless organiza-tions and local industries he impacted, mourn his loss and will always remember his pro-found impact on the community.

He is survived by his wife of 64 years, Bar-bara Cook; his daughter, Mary Childs; and many beloved grandchildren. Bobby was pre-ceded in death by his parents and sisters Georgia Crook, Virginia Coombs, and Peggy Marvin.

Bobby Martin lived as an example of gen-erosity, faith, and service to his community and country. His impact on North Mississippi will endure, and he will be greatly missed.

HONORING THE LIFE OF MAR-GARET ANGELL SHIELDS VOLNEY


IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES Monday, November 9, 2020

Mr. HOLDING. Madam Speaker, I rise today to take pause and reflect on the life of Mar-garet Angell Shields Volney.

Madam Speaker, Margaret Angell Shields Volney was a proud graduate of East Carolina Teachers College where she received her BS degree in Home Economics. Her education gave her the foundation for a life filled with creativity and gourmet meals as she became a party planner extraordinaire with a driven desire to learn and explore new things.

Margaret was an active member of St. Paul Catholic Church, where she volunteered her decorating talents for various church and school fundraising events. And she was a pas-sionate member of The Old Saint Paul Preser-vation Guild, working towards preserving our oldest Catholic Church in North Carolina—a place where all of her family members had been baptized, married, and buried.

Madam Speaker, Margaret actively pursued the preservation of the Judge Gaston House, where the first recorded NC Catholic Mass was held in 1821. In 1959, on Tryon Palace’s opening day, Margaret was among the first docents under the guidance of Miss Gertrude Carraway. Margaret was an active Scout lead-er for many years; a founding member of the Trent Woods Garden Club; a Master Gar-dener; a member New Bern Golf & Country Club; and Trent River Artist Association. In 1978, Margaret and her daughter opened ‘Bal-loons Galore,’ an ever-evolving place to shop especially during the holiday seasons. Wheth-er it was a special decorating event, or a bou-quet of balloons delivered by ’Big Bird,’ Mar-garet brought smiles and memories for over 32 successful years in business.

Sadly, Margaret Angell Shields Volney died peacefully surrounded by family and friends earlier this year on January 15, 2020. She was 93 years old.

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IN HONOR OF MICHAEL HOMAN


IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES Monday, November 9, 2020

Mr. JOYCE of Pennsylvania. Madam Speak-er, I rise today to honor Michael Homan of

Huntingdon County for his service in the United States Army. He is an outstanding Pennsylvanian, and I am grateful for his serv-ice to our nation, the Commonwealth of Penn-sylvania, and our community.


In Congress, it is my privilege—and my re-sponsibility—to stand up for those who have served our country in uniform, as well as to recognize these brave Americans. As a nation, we are indebted to them. On behalf of the 13th Congressional District, I thank Mr. Homan for his service to our nation and our community.

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SENATE COMMITTEE MEETINGS

Title IV of Senate Resolution 4, agreed to by the Senate of February 4, 1977, calls for establishment of a sys-tem for a computerized schedule of all meetings and hearings of Senate com-mittees, subcommittees, joint commit-tees, and committees of conference. This title requires all such committees to notify the Office of the Senate Daily Digest—designated by the Rules Com-mittee—of the time, place and purpose of the meetings, when scheduled and any cancellations or changes in the meetings as they occur.

As an additional procedure along with the computerization of this infor-mation, the Office of the Senate Daily Digest will prepare this information for printing in the Extensions of Remarks section of the CONGRESSIONAL RECORD on Monday and Wednesday of each week.

Meetings scheduled for Tuesday, No-vember 10, 2020 may be found in the Daily Digest of today’s RECORD.

MEETINGS SCHEDULED NOVEMBER 17

10 a.m. Committee on Banking, Housing, and

Urban Affairs To hold an oversight hearing to examine

the Securities and Exchange Commis-sion.

WEBEX


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Daily Digest HIGHLIGHTS

See Resume of Congressional Activity.

Senate Chamber Action Routine Proceedings, pages S6615–S6626 Measures Introduced: One bill was introduced, as follows: S. 4881. Page S6625

Measures Reported: H.R. 542, to amend the Homeland Security Act

of 2002 to establish the National Urban Security Technology Laboratory, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. (S. Rept. No. 116–285)

H.R. 2589, to amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to establish a homeland intelligence doctrine for the Department of Homeland Security, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. (S. Rept. No. 116–286)

H.R. 4727, to amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to establish a mentor-protege program, with amendments. (S. Rept. No. 116–287)

Report to accompany S. 3591, to provide for im-provements to the rivers and harbors of the United States, to provide for the conservation and develop-ment of water and related resources, to provide for water pollution control activities and for other pur-poses. (S. Rept. No. 116–288)

S. 2904, to direct the Director of the National Science Foundation to support research on the out-puts that may be generated by generative adversarial networks, otherwise known as deepfakes, and other comparable techniques that may be developed in the future, with an amendment in the nature of a sub-stitute. (S. Rept. No. 116–289) Pages S6624–25

Knepp II Nomination—Agreement: Senate re-sumed consideration of the nomination of James Ray Knepp II, of Ohio, to be United States District Judge for the Northern District of Ohio. Page S6622

During consideration of this nomination today, Senate also took the following action:

By 62 yeas to 23 nays (Vote No. EX. 225), Senate agreed to the motion to close further debate on the nomination. Page S6622

A unanimous-consent agreement was reached pro-viding for further consideration of the nomination, post-cloture, at approximately 12 noon on Tuesday, November 10, 2020; and that notwithstanding Rule XXII, Senate vote on confirmation of the nomination at 2:15 p.m. Page S6626

Nominations Received: On Friday, October 30, 2020, Senate received the following nominations:

Shana M. Broussard, of Louisiana, to be a Member of the Federal Election Commission for a term expir-ing April 30, 2023.

Sean J. Cooksey, of Missouri, to be a Member of the Federal Election Commission for a term expiring April 30, 2021. Page S6626

Measures Placed on the Calendar: Page S6624

Executive Communications: Page S6624

Additional Cosponsors: Pages S6625–26

Additional Statements: Pages S6623–24

Record Votes: One record vote was taken today. (Total—225) Page S6622

Adjournment: Senate convened at 3 p.m. and ad-journed at 6:50 p.m., until 12:00 noon on Tuesday, November 10, 2020. (For Senate’s program, see the remarks of the Majority Leader in today’s Record on page S6626.)

Committee Meetings (Committees not listed did not meet)

No committee meetings were held.

VerDate Sep 11 2014 03:46 Nov 10, 2020 Jkt 019060 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 0627 Sfmt 0627 E:\CR\FM\D09NO0.REC D09NOPT1SS

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CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — DAILY DIGEST D967 November 9, 2020

House of Representatives Chamber Action Public Bills and Resolutions Introduced: 4 public bills, H.R. 8732–8735, were introduced. Page H5728

Additional Cosponsors: Page H5728

Reports Filed: There were no reports filed today. Guest Chaplain: The prayer was offered by the Guest Chaplain, Monsignor Stephen J. Rossetti, Catholic University of America, Washington, DC. Page H5727

Quorum Calls—Votes: There were no yea-and-nay votes, and there were no recorded votes. There were no quorum calls. Adjournment: The House met at 10 a.m. and ad-journed at 10:02 a.m.

Committee Meetings No hearings were held.

Joint Meetings No joint committee meetings were held.

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NEW PUBLIC LAWS (For last listing of Public Laws, see DAILY DIGEST, p. D941)

H.R. 561, to amend title 38, United States Code, to improve the oversight of contracts awarded by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to small business con-cerns owned and controlled by veterans. Signed on October 30, 2020. (Public Law 116–183)

H.R. 1952, to amend the Intercountry Adoption Act of 2000 to require the Secretary of State to re-port on intercountry adoptions from countries which have significantly reduced adoption rates involving immigration to the United States. Signed on Octo-ber 30, 2020. (Public Law 116–184)

H.R. 2359, to direct the Secretary of Veterans Af-fairs to submit to Congress a report on the Depart-ment of Veterans Affairs advancing of whole health transformation. Signed on October 30, 2020. (Public Law 116–185)

H.R. 3399, to amend the Nutria Eradication and Control Act of 2003 to include California in the program. Signed on October 30, 2020. (Public Law 116–186)

H.R. 4183, to direct the Comptroller General of the United States to conduct a study on disability and pension benefits provided to members of the National Guard and members of reserve components of the Armed Forces by the Department of Veterans

Affairs. Signed on October 30, 2020. (Public Law 116–187)

S. 3051, to improve protections for wildlife. Signed on October 30, 2020. (Public Law 116–188)

S. 2330, to amend the Ted Stevens Olympic and Amateur Sports Act to provide for congressional oversight of the board of directors of the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee and to protect amateur athletes from emotional, physical, and sexual abuse. Signed on October 30, 2020. (Public Law 116–189)

S. 2638, to amend title 49, United State Code, to require small hub airports to construct areas for nursing mothers. Signed on October 30, 2020. (Pub-lic Law 116–190)

S. 3758, to amend the Klamath Basin Water Sup-ply Enhancement Act of 2000 to make certain tech-nical corrections. Signed on October 30, 2020. (Pub-lic Law 116–191)

S. 4075, to amend the Public Works and Eco-nomic Development Act of 1965 to provide for the release of certain Federal interests in connection with certain grants under that Act. Signed on October 30, 2020. (Public Law 116–192)

S. 4762, to designate the airport traffic control tower located at Piedmont Triad International Air-port in Greensboro, North Carolina, as the ‘‘Senator Kay Hagan Airport Traffic Control Tower’’. Signed on October 30, 2020. (Public Law 116–193)

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COMMITTEE MEETINGS FOR TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 2020

(Committee meetings are open unless otherwise indicated)

Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs: to

hold an oversight hearing to examine financial regulators, 2 p.m., WEBEX.

Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: to hold hearings to examine the nominations of Gregory Autry, of California, to be Chief Financial Officer, Na-tional Aeronautics and Space Administration, Daniel Huff, of Massachusetts, to be an Assistant Secretary of Commerce, Nathan A. Simington, of Virginia, to be a Member of the Federal Communications Commission, and other pending nominations, 2:30 p.m., SR–253.

Committee on the Judiciary: to hold an oversight hearing to examine the Crossfire Hurricane investigation, 11 a.m., SD–106.

Select Committee on Intelligence: to hold closed hearings to examine certain intelligence matters, 2:30 p.m., SVC–217.


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CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — DAILY DIGESTD968 November 9, 2020

House No hearings are scheduled.

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CONGRESSIONAL PROGRAM AHEAD Week of November 10 through 13, 2020

Senate Chamber On Tuesday, at approximately 12 noon, Senate

will continue consideration of the nomination of James Ray Knepp II, of Ohio, to be United States District Judge for the Northern District of Ohio, and vote on confirmation thereon at 2:15 p.m.

During the balance of the week, Senate may con-sider any cleared legislative and executive business.

Senate Committees (Committee meetings are open unless otherwise indicated)

Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs: No-vember 10, to hold an oversight hearing to examine fi-nancial regulators, 2 p.m., WEBEX.

Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: No-vember 10, to hold hearings to examine the nominations of Gregory Autry, of California, to be Chief Financial Of-ficer, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Daniel Huff, of Massachusetts, to be an Assistant Sec-retary of Commerce, Nathan A. Simington, of Virginia, to be a Member of the Federal Communications Commis-sion, and other pending nominations, 2:30 p.m., SR–253.

Committee on the Judiciary: November 10, to hold an oversight hearing to examine the Crossfire Hurricane in-vestigation, 11 a.m., SD–106.

Select Committee on Intelligence: November 10, to hold closed hearings to examine certain intelligence matters, 2:30 p.m., SVC–217.

House Committees Committee on Financial Services, November 12, Full Com-

mittee, hearing entitled ‘‘Oversight of Prudential Regu-lators: Ensuring the Safety, Soundness, Diversity, and Ac-countability of Depository Institutions during the Pan-demic’’, 12 p.m., Webex.


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CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — DAILY DIGEST D969 November 9, 2020

* These figures include all measures reported, even if there was no accom-panying report. A total of 95 written reports have been filed in the Senate, 200 reports have been filed in the House.

Resume of Congressional Activity SECOND SESSION OF THE ONE HUNDRED SIXTEENTH CONGRESS

The first table gives a comprehensive resume of all legislative business transacted by the Senate and House. The second table accounts for all nominations submitted to the Senate by the President for Senate confirmation.

DATA ON LEGISLATIVE ACTIVITY

January 3 through October 31, 2020

Senate House Total Days in session .................................... 156 133 . . Time in session ................................... 785 hrs, 33′ 449 hrs, 51′ . . Congressional Record:

Pages of proceedings ................... 6,609 5,717 . . Extensions of Remarks ................ . . 1,002 . .

Public bills enacted into law ............... 47 41 88 Private bills enacted into law .............. . . . . . . Bills in conference ............................... . . 1 . . Measures passed, total ......................... 289 380 669

Senate bills .................................. 86 46 . . House bills .................................. 38 249 . . Senate joint resolutions ............... 5 4 . . House joint resolutions ............... 4 6 . . Senate concurrent resolutions ...... 4 3 . . House concurrent resolutions ...... 6 8 . . Simple resolutions ....................... 146 64 . .

Measures reported, total ...................... *137 *189 326 Senate bills .................................. 106 2 . . House bills .................................. 20 160 . . Senate joint resolutions ............... . . . . . . House joint resolutions ............... . . 1 . . Senate concurrent resolutions ...... . . . . . . House concurrent resolutions ...... . . 2 . . Simple resolutions ....................... 11 24 . .

Special reports ..................................... 3 11 . . Conference reports ............................... . . . . . . Measures pending on calendar ............. 386 74 . . Measures introduced, total .................. 2,069 3,683 5,752

Bills ............................................. 1,732 3,191 . . Joint resolutions .......................... 14 18 . . Concurrent resolutions ................ 18 40 . . Simple resolutions ....................... 305 434 . .

Quorum calls ....................................... 4 1 . . Yea-and-nay votes ............................... 224 183 . . Recorded votes .................................... . . 34 . . Bills vetoed ......................................... 1 1 . . Vetoes overridden ................................ . . . . . .

DISPOSITION OF EXECUTIVE NOMINATIONS

January 3 through October 31, 2020

Civilian nominees, totaling 355 (including 87 nominees carried over from the First Session), disposed of as follows:

Confirmed ...................................................................................... 121 Unconfirmed .................................................................................. 218 Withdrawn .................................................................................... 16

Other Civilian nominees, totaling 1,503 (including 1 nominee carried over from the First Session), disposed of as follows:

Confirmed ...................................................................................... 1,148 Unconfirmed .................................................................................. 355

Air Force nominees, totaling 4,330, disposed of as follows:


Army nominees, totaling 6,216 (including 3 nominees carried over from the First Session), disposed of as follows:

Confirmed ...................................................................................... 6,204 Unconfirmed .................................................................................. 10 Withdrawn .................................................................................... 2

Navy nominees, totaling 2,683 (including 2 nominees carried over from the First Session), disposed of as follows:


Marine Corps nominees, totaling 1,453, disposed of as follows:


Space Force nominees, totaling 652, disposed of as follows: Confirmed ...................................................................................... 652

Summary

Total nominees carried over from the First Session ............................... 93 Total nominees received this Session ..................................................... 17,099 Total confirmed ..................................................................................... 15,765 Total unconfirmed ................................................................................. 1,409 Total withdrawn .................................................................................... 18 Total returned to the White House ...................................................... 0


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CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — DAILY DIGEST

Congressional Record The Congressional Record (USPS 087–390). The Periodicals postageis paid at Washington, D.C. The public proceedings of each Houseof Congress, as reported by the Official Reporters thereof, are

printed pursuant to directions of the Joint Committee on Printing as authorized by appropriate provisions of Title 44, UnitedStates Code, and published for each day that one or both Houses are in session, excepting very infrequent instances when

two or more unusually small consecutive issues are printed one time. ¶Public access to the Congressional Record is available online throughthe U.S. Government Publishing Office, at www.govinfo.gov, free of charge to the user. The information is updated online each day theCongressional Record is published. For more information, contact the GPO Customer Contact Center, U.S. Government Publishing Office.Phone 202–512–1800, or 866–512–1800 (toll-free). E-Mail, [email protected]. ¶To place an order for any of these products, visit the U.S.Government Online Bookstore at: bookstore.gpo.gov. Mail orders to: Superintendent of Documents, P.O. Box 979050, St. Louis, MO63197–9000, or phone orders to 866–512–1800 (toll-free), 202–512–1800 (D.C. area), or fax to 202–512–2104. Remit check or money order, madepayable to the Superintendent of Documents, or use VISA, MasterCard, Discover, American Express, or GPO Deposit Account. ¶Followingeach session of Congress, the daily Congressional Record is revised, printed, permanently bound and sold by the Superintendent of Documentsin individual parts or by sets. ¶With the exception of copyrighted articles, there are no restrictions on the republication of material fromthe Congressional Record.POSTMASTER: Send address changes to the Superintendent of Documents, Congressional Record, U.S. Government Publishing Office,Washington, D.C. 20402, along with the entire mailing label from the last issue received.

UNUME PLURIBUS

D970 November 9, 2020

Next Meeting of the SENATE

12 noon, Tuesday, November 10

Senate Chamber

Program for Tuesday: Senate will continue consider-ation of the nomination of James Ray Knepp II, of Ohio, to be United States District Judge for the Northern Dis-trict of Ohio, post-cloture, and vote on confirmation thereon at 2:15 p.m.

(Senate will recess after continuing consideration of the nomi-nation of James Ray Knepp II until 2:15 p.m. for their respec-tive party conferences.)

Next Meeting of the HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

10 a.m., Thursday, November 12

House Chamber

Program for Thursday: House will meet in Pro Forma session at 10 a.m.

Extensions of Remarks, as inserted in this issue HOUSE

Bilirakis, Gus M., Fla., E1009 Cuellar, Henry, Tex., E1009 Davis, Susan A., Calif., E1010

Holding, George, N.C., E1007, E1008, E1010, E1011 Hudson, Richard, N.C., E1008 Joyce, John, Pa., E1007, E1007, E1008, E1008, E1009,

E1009, E1010, E1010, E1010, E1011 Kelly, Trent, Miss., E1011

Maloney, Carolyn B., N.Y., E1008 Westerman, Bruce, Ark., E1007 Wittman, Robert J., Va., E1007


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House of Representatives - Congressional Record

Documents

Transcript of House of Representatives - Congressional Record