John Barrasso

Mr. BARRASSO

Mr. BARRASSO. Madam President, I come to the floor today as the Senate works on the next phase of pandemic relief and recovery legislation. The country is united in combating the coronavirus. The Senate's top priority is protecting the American people, and we are working together to save lives. America is fighting a war--a war against a deadly disease. There is no retreating, no giving up the American fighting spirit. We will finish the fight. The key to victory is to control the virus spread until we have a vaccine. A successful vaccine is vital to beat the virus and to return to normal life. The race for a COVID-19 vaccine is as important as putting a man on the Moon. We have made incredible progress. Vaccine development is well ahead of schedule. The administration's public- private partnership, Operation Warp Speed, has started phase 2 and phase 3 vaccine trials much sooner than expected. These are human trials. If all goes well, we hope to have a vaccine ready by the end of this year. Senate Republicans will make sure Americans have a safe, effective vaccine as soon as possible. It will be the most accessible vaccine in the history of the United States. Meanwhile, we should all do our part to slow the spread, and we know what that means. That means socially distancing, using good hygiene, and wearing a mask. This is the time for all of us to come together. But instead of fighting the virus, Democrats are waging a never-ending bidding war for more government spending. People want and people need and people deserve real leadership. They expect us to slow the spread of the virus and to protect the vulnerable. We have made tremendous progress on testing. We have tested over 50 million people already, and we are close to conducting 1 million tests--1 million tests--every day. We also have better treatments for the disease, and we are taking care of our most vulnerable citizens-- seniors and people with chronic medical conditions. At the same time, the economy is bouncing back. We had record job growth in May, as well as in June. That is because the Senate responded quickly to the health and economic crisis. The Senate's historic CARES Act rescue package has helped this country weather the storm. We have come far since the spring lockdowns. Still, some believe that the worst of the virus may be yet to come. The Senate has put together a commonsense plan to aid the recovery. This week, Senate Republicans introduced a framework bill for the next coronavirus relief legislation. It is the capstone to our pandemic rescue operation. Our plan focuses on getting people back to work and kids back to school and doing it safely, as well as, of course, defeating the disease. The Senate proposal provides even more resources for testing and healthcare. This means more for hospitals, more for treatment, and more for vaccines. Our package includes over $100 billion for schools to open safely, plus funding for childcare. The Senate plan provides liability protection. We shield the medical community, K-12 schools, colleges, universities, and small businesses from frivolous lawsuits. Our plan includes another round of PPP loans, helping the hardest hit small businesses. We also send a targeted second round of direct payments to individuals. The Senate package extends unemployment benefits in a way that encourages, not discourages, work. We cannot continue to pay people more to stay home than they would make at work. So we end the $600 weekly benefit bonus. That is in contrast to Nancy Pelosi's $3 trillion-and-growing bill, her so-called Heroes Act. Her package actually makes it easier for the economy to stay closed and much harder for the economy to reopen fully. The Senate is focused on healthcare, on kids, and on jobs. Democrats, it seems, have other priorities--endless bonus checks for staying home, bloated bailouts for mismanaged cities and States, and runaway spending unrelated to the challenge before us. Pre-pandemic, we had a booming economy. We had record job growth, and we had record low unemployment. We are working to restore Americans' confidence. A solid majority of Americans now say they see their finances as stable. I urge my Senate Democratic colleagues to come to the table. It is time to find common ground and to finish the fight. Together, Madam President, we will make sure that America wins the war. I yield the floor. I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. BARRASSO

Mr. BARRASSO. I ask for the yeas and nays.

Mr. BARRASSO

Mr. BARRASSO. Mr. President, at the 108th Wyoming State Fair, Senator Enzi and I will have the pleasure of introducing Brad Boner as one of the 2020 inductees of the Wyoming Agriculture Hall of Fame. He is a man of honesty, hard work, and strong leadership. I am proud to say Mr. Boner exemplifies the ideals of the Wyoming way of life through his immense contributions to Wyoming agriculture. Mr. Boner has demonstrated his deep-rooted commitment to the Wyoming community and, above all, his family. He is supported by his wife Laurie and three children, Braden, Meghan, and Ryan. After graduating from the University of Wyoming with an ag business degree, Brad returned to Glenrock, WY, where he still ranches at the M Diamond Angus Ranch alongside his two brothers, Rob and Jeff, and their father, Bob. Mr. Boner's involvement in agriculture goes far beyond production. In fact, his dedication and passion for the industry are evident through his active involvement in both cattle and sheep industries on local, State, and national levels. Brad is the current American Sheep Industry Association secretary and treasurer, as well as president of both the Wyoming Wool Growers and Wyoming Angus Association. Brad has served in various capacities whenever he has been called upon, often sacrificing valuable time on his home ranch. Brad serves as the supervisor of the Converse County Conservation District, Wyoming Animal Damage Control Board, and American Sheep Industry ``Let it Grow'' committee. Brad's dedication to the State and the industry has not gone unnoticed. In 2014, he was recognized as a University of Wyoming College of Agriculture ``Outstanding Alumni.'' In addition to serving in many capacities to the benefit of Wyoming's sheep ranching community, Brad steps up and serves as an articulate spokesman on moving the sheep industry forward. One of the most noteworthy accomplishments is Brad's active role in forming the Mountain States Lamb Cooperative, including serving as MSLC's first chairman and current chairman. Mr. Boner is not only a leader in Wyoming's strong agriculture community, but a wonderful mentor to the youth across our State. He believes sharing his love for agriculture with students is the best way to ensure the continuation of this great industry for generations to come. I would agree. I think that the greatest accomplishment is the mentorship that we can provide to the young folks of this country, and this is exactly what Mr. Boner continues to do. Through the Future Cattle Producers of Wyoming program, he donates a heifer to a student applicant that wants to learn about the industry. This program assists students in becoming involved in cattle production and helps them establish their own herds. In addition to assisting many students on the agriculture front, for more than 30 years, Brad has dedicated his time to his community by refereeing basketball games from middle school to intermural college games. He also helped coach the boys and girls traveling teams to support his children. As Peter Camino, former president of the Wyoming Wool Growers Association, observed, ``He has worked diligently to solidify a future not only for himself, but the future of generations to follow.'' Brad's humble character and dedication to agriculture have truly made an impact and helped grow our agriculture community. I think I speak for many when I say I am truly grateful for his leadership, contributions, and caring demeanor that has so graciously blessed our State in many ways. With Brad Boner's constant diligence to improve and impact his community, it is with my great honor to induct him into the Wyoming Agriculture Hall of Fame. He represents every positive attribute of a leader in Wyoming agriculture and the Code of the West. He has represented Wyoming's interests with dedication and honor. It is because of people like him that the agricultural community in Wyoming has a bright and productive future. My wife Bobbi joins me in congratulating the outstanding individual, Brad Boner, who is a 2020 inductee into the Wyoming Agriculture Hall of Fame.

Mr. BARRASSO

Mr. BARRASSO. Mr. President, reserving the right to object, the CARES Act provides an additional $600 per week to those who are receiving, through their States, unemployment insurance. In Wyoming we have a generous unemployment insurance program to help people who are out of work, and the CARES Act adds to that, essentially, a bonus payment of $600 additional per week. For a 40-hour workweek, that comes down to an average of about a $15-an-hour bonus for not being able to go back to work, and that is on top of their regular unemployment benefits. Well, since the CARES Act has passed, what we have seen is that this additional $600 per week means that most recipients are paid more for not working than they would make if they actually were on the job working. This fact has been confirmed by news reports, by academic researchers, and by the Congressional Budget Office. Even former Obama administration Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner, along with President Obama's Chair of the Council of Economic Advisers, agrees that $600 per week on top of unemployment insurance through the States is too much. We have ``help wanted'' signs all around my State. I talked to the people at unemployment insurance, who run the program. They tell me that they are having many people who are getting paid much more than if they would work, if they would take the jobs where you have employers out there hoping, looking for employees to come and work. You can't continue to pay people more to not work than to work. Yet instead of trying to address this identifiable and correctible problem, today my colleagues are asking that we vote to extend the $600-per-week bonus payments and continue these untargeted payments for many months into the future. As a matter of fact, Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the House, living on Fantasy Island, wants to extend these for 6 more months, all the way until the end of January. The CBO and other researchers and economists have looked at this and said this would be a heavy wet blanket on the economy. It would prevent 10 million people from going back to work-- going all the way until the end of January. It is likely that such a proposal would cost $1 trillion--$1 trillion--and much of that is we are talking about paying people to not work instead of helping people work. So I hope my colleagues will join me in better targeting help to the unemployed in a way that doesn't pay people more when they are sitting at home not working than they would make at work. We are working on a plan now to provide additional help for the unemployed if they can't go back to work because their job isn't there, isn't available; if, for health purposes, they can't go back to work; but do it in a way that the Democrats have claimed that they want to do but haven't even proposed. We need to make it much more closely aligned with lost wages. So we are going to be introducing this plan shortly, and I hope my colleagues on the other side of the aisle will engage with us in that effort. For these reasons, I object.

Mr. BARRASSO

Mr. BARRASSO. Madam President, I would like to take the opportunity to express my appreciation to Delaney for her hard work as an intern in my Rock Springs office. I recognize her efforts and contributions to my office as well as to the State of Wyoming. Delaney is a native of Green River. She is a student at Western Wyoming Community College, where she is studying biology and mathematics. She has demonstrated a strong work ethic, which has made her an invaluable asset to our office. The quality of her work is reflected in her great efforts over the last several months. I want to thank Delaney for the dedication she has shown while working for me and my staff. It was a pleasure to have her as part of our team. I know she will have continued success with all of her future endeavors. I wish her all my best on her next journey.

Mr. BARRASSO

Mr. BARRASSO. Madam President, I would like to take the opportunity to express my appreciation to Miranda for her hard work as an intern in my Casper office. I recognize her efforts and contributions to my office as well as to the State of Wyoming. Miranda is a native of Casper. She is a student at Brigham Young University, where she is studying international relations. She has demonstrated a strong work ethic, which has made her an invaluable asset to our office. The quality of her work is reflected in her great efforts over the last several months. I want to thank Miranda for the dedication she has shown while working for me and my staff. It was a pleasure to have her as part of our team. I know she will have continued success with all of her future endeavors. I wish her all my best on her next journey.

Mr. BARRASSO

Mr. BARRASSO. Madam President, I would like to take the opportunity to express my appreciation to Malachi for his hard work as an intern in the Senate Republican Conference. I recognize his efforts and contributions to my office as well as to the State of Wyoming. Malachi is a native of Casper. He is a student at the University of Wyoming, where he is studying economics. He has demonstrated a strong work ethic, which has made him an invaluable asset to our office. The quality of his work is reflected in his great efforts over the last several months. I want to thank Malachi for the dedication he has shown while working for me and my staff. It is a pleasure to have him as part of our team. I know he will have continued success with all of his future endeavors. I wish him all my best on his journey.

Mr. BARRASSO

Mr. BARRASSO. Madam President, I would like to take the opportunity to express my appreciation to Kiara for her hard work as an intern in my Casper office. I recognize her efforts and contributions to my office as well as to the State of Wyoming. Kiara is a native of Casper. She is a student at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, where she is studying accounting and finance. She has demonstrated a strong work ethic, which has made her an invaluable asset to our office. The quality of her work is reflected in her great efforts over the last several months. I want to thank Kiara for the dedication she has shown while working for me and my staff. It was a pleasure to have her as part of our team. I know she will have continued success with all of her future endeavors. I wish her all my best on her next journey.

Mr. BARRASSO

Mr. BARRASSO. Madam President, I would like to take the opportunity to express my appreciation to Vinny for his hard work as an intern in the Environment and Public Works Committee. I recognize his efforts and contributions to my office as well as to the State of Wyoming. Vinny is a native of Thermopolis. He is a graduate student at the University of Wyoming, where he is studying business administration and mechanical engineering. He has demonstrated a strong work ethic, which has made him an invaluable asset to our office. The quality of his work is reflected in his great efforts over the last several months. I want to thank Vinny for the dedication he has shown while working for me and my staff. It is a pleasure to have him as part of our team. I know he will have continued success with all of his future endeavors. I wish him all my best on his journey.

Mr. BARRASSO

Mr. BARRASSO. Madam President, I would like to take the opportunity to express my appreciation to Brooke for her hard work as an intern in my Washington, DC, office. I recognize her efforts and contributions to my office as well as to the State of Wyoming. Brooke is a native of Pinedale. She is a student at Stevenson University, where she is studying biochemistry. She has demonstrated a strong work ethic, which has made her an invaluable asset to our office. The quality of her work is reflected in her great efforts over the last several months. I want to thank Brooke for the dedication she has shown while working for me and my staff. It was a pleasure to have her as part of our team. I know she will have continued success with all of her future endeavors. I wish her all my best on her next journey.

Mr. BARRASSO

Mr. BARRASSO. Madam President, I would like to take the opportunity to express my appreciation to Maggie for her hard work as an intern in my Cheyenne office. I recognize her efforts and contributions to my office as well as to the State of Wyoming. Maggie is a native of Cheyenne. She is a student at Christendom College, where she is studying political science and economics. She has demonstrated a strong work ethic, which has made her an invaluable asset to our office. The quality of her work is reflected in her great efforts over the last several months. I want to thank Maggie for the dedication she has shown while working for me and my staff. It was a pleasure to have her as part of our team. I know she will have continued success with all of her future endeavors. I wish her all my best on her next journey.

Mr. BARRASSO

Mr. BARRASSO. Madam President, I come to the floor today to discuss our economic recovery. Let me be clear. Our economy will not shut down again. Government will not forcibly close businesses for a second time. Yes, America is coming back from the coronavirus. The prepandemic economy was strong; it was healthy; and it was growing. Every part of the economy had record job growth. Unemployment was at a 50-year low. Shutting down the economy slowed the spread of the virus, but it did not eliminate it. It saved lives, and it bought us time. Reopening was never conditioned on having a vaccine, nor was it conditioned on eliminating the virus entirely. Businesses, large and small, are today continuing to reopen, and they are opening in a safe, scientific, and sensible way. I saw it all across Wyoming the last 2 weeks as I traveled the State In Casper and Cheyenne, Main Street is busy again. Mom-and-pop businesses are bringing back workers. Cody was full of activity over the Fourth of July. Yellowstone is welcoming thousands of visitors, and people are heading to all of the activities in Thermopolis. The rodeos have been a huge success. Wyoming is literally back in the saddle again. Businesses all over the country are bouncing back and bringing back workers. In June, the economy added nearly 5 million jobs. It shattered all forecasts. This was by far the largest ever monthly jobs gain in U.S. history. More than 7 million people have been hired back in the last 2 months. May and June job creation set records. The recent rise in new COVID-19 cases, to me, as a doctor, is troubling. Still, it is no reason to stop reopening, as long as we open in a responsible way. Now, people have made great sacrifices. We all did what the experts said we needed to do. Now Americans are ready to get back to business and get back to work. People don't want another shutdown, and you know that. You have seen that in your own home State, and they most assuredly don't want laws coming out of Congress that make it easier to stay closed and harder to reopen. As a doctor, I know we can flatten the virus curve without flattening or flatlining the economy. People can resume normal life and stay healthy. The key, of course, is for all of us to do our part and take the proper precautions, and we know what they are: Social distancing, good hygiene, and, of course, wearing masks. As a doctor, I know masks help lower the infection spread, especially indoors when we can't socially distance. Together, we can manage the risk, and, as a nation, we can move forward. Millions of Americans are returning to work and doing it safely. Congress's rapid response to the pandemic back in March set this recovery in motion. Medical workers now have better tools for virus testing, for treating the disease, and for developing a vaccine. Americans are doing everything they can to protect the most vulnerable. We are taking care of seniors and people with chronic medical conditions. The country is conducting a record number of tests. More than 45 million people have been tested. I think the number is now close to 50 million. There are well over 700,000 tests each day. Widespread testing allows us to pinpoint virus hotspots so we are able to surge aid where it is most needed. Hospitals now have more effective COVID-19 treatments. I talked to doctors around the State of Wyoming and around the country. We are seeing incredible progress in vaccine trials. A successful vaccine is vital to beating the virus. Now, it is key to the economic comeback as well. Scientists hope to have a vaccine ready in record time--actually, before the end of this calendar year. All this progress has given businesses the confidence to reopen and to put people back to work. A solid majority of Americans now will tell you that they see their finances as being stable. Consumer spending the last 2 months has been way up. Manufacturing has started to take off again. Simply put, the pro-health, pro-jobs policies that this Senate has put in place, those policies are working. We are only getting started. Now Congress must build on the CARES Act successes. The next bill, the one that we are working on now, cannot be a bloated bailout bonanza. We will not pass Speaker Pelosi's bill from Handout Heaven. No, the next aid measure must be focused. It must be focused on healthcare and safety and schools and jobs. Here is my three-part test for the next pandemic package. Will it save lives? Will it save lives with testing, treatment, and vaccines? I am very optimistic of what I have seen about the research with the new vaccine. Will it protect our medical community and small businesses and schools from frivolous lawsuits? There are 3,500 that have already been filed across the country by sue-and-settle lawyers focused on coronavirus. And will it get people back to work and children back to school safely? We must help schools reopen in a safe way. Children need to get back to school. It is essential for their well-being. That is why the Nation's pediatricians--the American Academy of Pediatrics--is urging schools to reopen, and they say with the children physically present-- with the children physically present. Remote learning, we know, for very young people, has not worked. Children cannot lose another year of school. To lose a full year of school for these young people would be devastating. It would be a learning loss, as well as a loss of the ability to learn and making it that much harder to pick up further down the line. And if kids aren't in school, many parents can't go back to work. Most people with their jobs cannot work from home. So I urge my colleagues on the other side of the aisle, my Democratic colleagues, to join us, to join our effort to reopen our economy and reopen our schools. I yield the floor. I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. BARRASSO

Mr. BARRASSO. Madam President, I would like to take the opportunity to express my appreciation to Karryn for her hard work as an intern in my Cheyenne office. I recognize her efforts and contributions to my office as well as to the State of Wyoming. Karryn is a native of Carpenter. She is a student at the University of Wyoming, where she is studying political science. She has demonstrated a strong work ethic, which has made her an invaluable asset to our office. The quality of her work is reflected in her great efforts over the last several months. I want to thank Karryn for the dedication she has shown while working for me and my staff. It was a pleasure to have her as part of our team. I know she will have continued success with all of her future endeavors. I wish her all my best on her next journey.

Mr. BARRASSO

Mr. BARRASSO. Madam President, I would like to take the opportunity to express my appreciation to Sydney for her hard work as an intern in my Sheridan office. I recognize her efforts and contributions to my office as well as to the State of Wyoming. Sydney is a native of Colorado. She is a student at the University of Wyoming, where she is studying political science. She has demonstrated a strong work ethic, which has made her an invaluable asset to our office. The quality of her work is reflected in her great efforts over the last several months. I want to thank Sydney for the dedication she has shown while working for me and my staff. It was a pleasure to have her as part of our team. I know she will have continued success with all of her future endeavors. I wish her all my best on her next journey.

Mr. BARRASSO

Mr. BARRASSO. Madam President, I would like to take the opportunity to express my appreciation to Paige for her hard work as an intern in the Environment and Public Works Committee. I recognize her efforts and contributions to my office as well as to the State of Wyoming. Paige is a native of New Mexico. She is a student at New Mexico State University, where she is studying chemical engineering. She has demonstrated a strong work ethic, which has made her an invaluable asset to our office. The quality of her work is reflected in her great efforts over the last several months. I want to thank Paige for the dedication she has shown while working for me and my staff. It was a pleasure to have her as part of our team. I know she will have continued success with all of her future endeavors. I wish her all my best on her next journey.

Mr. BARRASSO

Mr. BARRASSO. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that Macy Tipton, an intern in Senator Paul's office, be granted privileges for the day.

Mr. BARRASSO. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that Brooke Hornberger, an intern in my office, be granted floor privileges for the day.

Mr. BARRASSO

Mr. BARRASSO. Mr. President, as I come to the floor today, we have just seen incredible record-setting job numbers. It is wonderful news for American workers, for families all across the country. It is a stellar June jobs report. The U.S. economy added 4.8 million jobs, shattering all expectations. It is the largest monthly jobs gain in our Nation's history. So if you flip through the channels this morning, Mr. President--and I did see you on one of the morning shows, doing a wonderful job, as you always do, talking about your home State, talking about our Nation--but these were some of the comments today about the jobs numbers: CNBC's Jim Cramer said: ``There's an optimism in the country . . . people are hiring.'' Ed Lawrence at FOX Business said: ``This is amazing. A good report anywhere you look at it.'' Becky Quick, CNBC, said it was a ``trend from across the board of pretty strong numbers.'' Stephanie Ruhle of NBC said it was a ``big positive.'' Charles Payne, FOX Business, said: ``Even though the economists keep saying it's impossible,'' the numbers are terrific. Steve Liesman, CNBC, said: ``Bringing a lot of folks back.'' Christine Romans of CNN: ``Big hiring.'' Rick Santelli of CNBC: ``Really solid numbers.'' So good news. Americans are getting back to work, and we need to make sure that we reopen responsibly, smartly, safely--the sorts of things you were talking about--knowing what to do, how to do it, how to do it right because the health and safety, as you mentioned, of our families is important, and it includes economic health as well, and we have that report today with a stellar jobs report

Mr. BARRASSO

Mr. BARRASSO. Madam President, I come to the floor today to discuss Republicans' historic record on confirming judges and why it matters to our country. It is because the rulings of these judges affect all Americans. The Republican-led Senate has seated President Trump's highly qualified judicial nominees at lightning speed. These judges respect and uphold the rule of law. This week, the Senate marks a major milestone by confirming the 200th--200th--Trump judicial nominee. The appeals court nominations and confirmations are especially critical. These are the circuit courts, and they rank right below the Supreme Court. Their decisions have a major impact on our Nation. With the confirmation of Cory Wilson to the Fifth Circuit, we have now filled all 53 appeals court vacancies that existed in the United States. There is not a single vacancy at that court level in America. We have changed the makeup of powerful appeals courts like the Second, the Third, the Ninth, and the Eleventh circuits. Seven of the 12 U.S. circuit courts are now at a point where they have a majority of Republican-appointed judges. The 200 judges we have seated represent a sea change--a generational change in the Federal bench. I remind you that these are lifetime appointments, so they will decide cases for decades. Let me assure people who are tuning in today: These judges will apply the law as written. They will not legislate from the bench. We have had enough of that. Republicans are stemming this liberal judicial tide that we have lived with in the past. We are delivering on our promise to promote an independent judiciary. This concept is key to upholding our Constitution's separation of powers and our system of checks and balances. Simply put, it is the glue holding our democracy together. The Constitution limits the power of the judiciary. Only Congress makes law, not the courts. That is not the way some courts like to operate. The courts interpret the law as a separate, coequal, and independent branch of government. That is what the Constitution tells us. And the judges' job is to follow the law, period. Yet, for decades, Democrats have hijacked the courts. They have sought to make their preferred policies through something known as judicial activism. Activist judges have used the bench to make liberal laws or interpret laws in a very liberal way. Rather than decide cases impartially, liberal judges have a habit of favoring the left. The result has been a slew of radical reforms. These include promoting onerous overregulation that hurt farmers and blocking the President's efforts to secure the border. Republicans are replacing these liberal activist judges with Trump- appointed constitutional conservatives. These judges are ruling right now all across the Nation. If you ask ``How are they making a difference?'' they are doing it by protecting our constitutional rights, by safeguarding our individual freedoms, and by checking unbridled government power. These judges are blocking Federal overreach. They are preventing Washington bureaucrats from inventing endless rules. They are upholding pro-life precedent and recognizing the right to school choice. They are defending the Second Amendment, securing the border, and protecting our First Amendment rights, including free speech and religious liberty. Above all, Republican-appointed judges are applying the law as written; they are not making law from the bench. This has Democrats worried. You have seen it. You heard the comments on the floor and around the Nation. Democrats are worried they are losing control of the courts. Senator Schumer, the minority leader, is so worried, in fact, that he even threatened harm to Supreme Court Justices who don't rule his way. He recently stood outside the Supreme Court, and he yelled at the court building and the Justices inside. He mentioned Justices by name and said: ``You have released a whirlwind, and you will pay the price!'' ``You will pay the price!'' This is how the left tends to operate: intimidation. Do what we say, give us control, and then the intimidation will stop. They are threatening the independence of the judiciary in other ways as well. Democrats have announced their plans to pack the Supreme Court. They have announced they will pack the Court with Justices friendlier to their causes. The standard we all know for the Supreme Court is nine Justices. In fact, it has been nine Justices since 1869--for over 150 years. Yet they want to change this longstanding precedent by actually increasing the number of Supreme Court Justices, taking it from 9 to 11. Some are proposing going to 13 if a Democrat is elected President and they have control of the Senate. Let us be clear: Court-packing amounts to deck-stacking by the far left. Democrats want to regain power, tip the scales of justice, and deliver their leftwing agenda any way they can. If Democrats win the election, as they have threatened, they will pack and stack the Court with impunity. The stakes in this upcoming election could not be higher. The next President will appoint maybe more than 60 circuit court judges and possibly another Supreme Court Justice. This is about ensuring justice. It is about ensuring fairness. It is about ensuring freedom for all Americans. Republicans, through today confirming our 200th judge to the courts, are stemming this liberal judicial tide. We have delivered generational change on the bench. We must continue confirming well-qualified judges who will secure our freedoms and our future. I yield the floor. I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. BARRASSO

Mr. BARRASSO. Madam President, I come to the floor today on the eve of what should be a routine vote in the U.S. Senate. Tomorrow the Senate is scheduled to vote on a motion to proceed to the justice reform legislation that we ought to be considering in the U.S. Senate. It is important to point out to the American people what that means. This isn't a vote yet on passage of the bill. It is not a vote to end debate. It is not a vote to amend the debate. Any Senator can amend, vote no, or offer different substitutes for the bill. This isn't any of those things. The motion to proceed is a simple and rather routine agreement to begin debate on a bill. Yet, here we are. It has turned out to be anything but routine. Senators on the other side of the aisle in this very Chamber are threatening to filibuster the motion to proceed--filibuster even allowing us to debate a bill of great importance to the Nation. In terms the American public might better recognize, the Democrats are threatening to filibuster the very issue--the very issue--that they claim to care about. If you listen to them on television, if you see them in the streets, talking to groups, they claim to care about it. Welcome to the bizarre world of partisan politics and bankrupt leadership on that side of the aisle. On the same day that the minority leader will come to the floor to urge the Senate to pass justice reform legislation, he will also attempt to rally his Democratic caucus to block even starting a debate, and they seem to be following him, refusing to even debate an issue which is so key in the minds of the American people. He is telling his Members to filibuster the bill. Madam President, the JUSTICE Act deserves a debate. It deserves a debate for the American people to see and to hear and to watch on television. The American people deserve that. What they don't deserve is partisan obstruction. What they don't deserve is a filibuster. They need a debate. Amend the bill if necessary and then pass it. We want to try to stop what happened to George Floyd--a murder that we all witnessed--from ever happening again in America. The American people know that. They took to the streets, and now they are turning their heads to Washington, to the Capitol, and saying: What can you do to make sure that something like this never happens again? We have a bill that addresses all of these issues, a bill that is ready to come for a debate. Yet, again, the Democrats are threatening and are likely tomorrow to vote one after another after another to go up and vote no to even beginning debate on the bill. Incredibly, they began knocking this bill authored by Senator Tim Scott of South Carolina with many of us as original cosponsors--they began knocking this bill before they ever read it, before they knew what was in it. They attacked it before it was released. While the bill was still in the process of being written, they were attacking it. Then Senator Tim Scott unveiled the legislation, and almost immediately the Democrats decided to agonize over whether to block it. They were agonizing over allowing a debate on the floor of the U.S. Senate-- agonizing over a debate. I mean, you could hear them in the halls: I don't know. Should we get on it? Shouldn't we get on it? What was the issue? Racial justice. We need to be focusing on that and discussing it and passing meaningful legislation that will make measurable progress. It shouldn't be a tough call. Senator Schumer came and said: We should have a bill on the floor by July 4. Here we are; it is before July 4. We brought the bill. It has a 70-percent overlap and agreement with what the House has to offer. Here we are, yet Senator Schumer is telling his Democrats to line up, one by one by one, and say: No, we don't want to debate or even discuss your bill even though it has a 70-percent overlap in agreement with what the House of Representatives is offering as a meaningful solution to a concern that all of us have. I don't say this often, but Senator Schumer ought to listen to Nancy Pelosi because the Speaker knows we are not that far apart. The Pelosi and the Scott bills share many of the same goals--much of the same underlying legislation. Senator Scott says that they agree 70 percent of the time on the issues. At one point, Speaker Pelosi said that she would love to go to conference with what we have going on in the Senate. The Wall Street Journal, last Wednesday, published a chart, and it showed just how similar the two bills are--the JUSTICE Act in the Senate and the bill that the House is working on as well. The Scott bill ensures that both African-American communities and law enforcement communities are protected. This is precisely why the JUSTICE Act can and should become law. Without a doubt, this is our Nation's best chance for change--best chance in 25 years. It is the best chance to put the 1994 Biden crime bill in the rearview mirror. It is a chance to pass meaningful reforms and a chance to make a law that actually makes a difference--a difference in communities all across the country and in the lives of people all around America. So Democrats will be asked to vote tomorrow, and they have a choice to make. They can continue to filibuster, to say ``No, no, no, we don't even want to get on the bill to debate it'' or to offer amendments to improve upon it, to look for common ground. Or they can do what apparently they want to do, which is to continue the status quo, which is not what we need in America today. They ought to be embracing bipartisan reform. The JUSTICE Act is not--as one Democrat on this very Senate floor sadly described--a token. That is what he said on this Senate floor. This reform bill is serious. This reform bill is significant. This reform bill is substantial, and we should pass it. At a minimum, we should at least debate it on the floor of the U.S. Senate. Democrats plan to filibuster simply debating the bill. They should be held accountable by the very American people that they claim they are looking to help--claim they are looking to help. Well, they have an opportunity to help all American people when we vote tomorrow. So I urge my Senate Democratic colleagues: Do not filibuster this historic bill. This is a wonderful opportunity to move our country ahead. We can build on the progress of the last 4 years--opportunity zones, permanent funding for historically Black colleges and universities, the FIRST STEP Act. Let's build on this record. Let's debate it. Let's amend it as we see fit, and then let us pass the JUSTICE Act and send it to the conference committee that Speaker Pelosi talks about, and then send a bill to the President of the United States and have it signed into law and help our country move ahead. Thank you, Madam President. I yield the floor. I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. BARRASSO

Mr. BARRASSO. Mr. President, I ask for the yeas and nays.

Mr. BARRASSO

Mr. BARRASSO. Mr. President, I come to the floor today to discuss the Senate plan for justice reform. First, it is important to note that justice will not come from any community with lawlessness. It will not come from any community with a disregard for law and order. It will not come from any community with radical cuts in police budgets in cities like New York and Los Angeles. It will not come from any community that defunds the police. These are not the solutions that Americans are seeking. Yet I see headlines from around the country with pictures of those demonstrating and applauding Democrat politicians who are calling for defunding of the police--the Democrat politicians who are demanding not just defunding but also dismantling the police in their own communities. That will not work. That will not work, and the American people see it and they know it. In fact, a new ABC poll finds that 64 percent of Americans oppose these dangerous, liberal ideas like defunding the police, and 60 percent oppose police department budget cuts. Liberal leaders, meanwhile--look, they have let anarchists occupy part of Seattle. You turn on the TV, and you can see what is happening there. They have actually burned down a police precinct. They called this area CHAZ--C-H-A-Z--the Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone. Can you imagine such a thing? Well, now they have renamed it to CHOP, which stands for the Capitol Hill Occupied Protest. Whatever they want to call it, to me and to Americans all across the country, it is still criminal lawlessness. Democrats and Republicans need to stand up to these dangerous radicals. We must never defund or disband the police--never. Defunding police departments is a dangerous idea. Violent crime will spike. Call 911, and no one will be there to respond to your emergency. I believe that rather than defund, we must defend the police as appropriate and make sure that we invest more in law enforcement, not less. We need to improve police training, accountability, transparency, recruiting, and community engagement, and that is what the Republican bill does. House Democrats have written a very partisan bill, aimed at making over and taking over--not just making over but also taking over-- policing in America. The Democrats' plan would nationalize the police-- nationalize it--18,000 police units and 800,000 police officers-- nationalize the police and, of course, without adequate funding. The truth is that the House isn't even in session. Their plan was written in secret. House Democrats didn't consult Republicans and, apparently, didn't even consult a number of their own Members. They didn't plan to debate the bill and don't plan to debate it for a couple of weeks. As you know, Republicans, on the other hand, have been working and listening, and we are leading. Our effort, of course, is led by Senator Tim Scott of South Carolina. We have developed what I believe is a smart plan and a workable solution. The bill is called the JUSTICE Act. It is written to garner bipartisan support, and I hope some of our colleagues on the other side of the aisle will join in this effort. This is a sensible measure that will make bipartisan justice reform a reality that we need. It is not a political exercise. It is practical legislation, and it deserves to become law. So I hope Democrats will join in the effort. The JUSTICE Act includes a number of very important reforms. It provides for every police officer in the country to use body cameras to curb the unnecessary use of force. I will tell you that I believe that body cameras have made a difference in changing the hearts of Americans all across the country. It requires States that receive Federal grants to report details of all uses of force causing death or serious injury. For the first time, we will have real, actionable data. It promotes greater access to officer employment records to improve hiring practices. This prevents bad officers from moving from one department to another. It provides funds to help police departments recruit and hire officer candidates that better reflect the diversity of the communities in which they serve. It requires higher standards for police to obtain and use no-knock search warrants. These warrants will allow officers to enter homes without announcing their presence. Our bill creates two commissions to report back to Congress. A new commission on civil rights will study and report on ways to address issues affecting Black men and boys, and a criminal justice commission, modeled on the 9/11 Commission, will recommend criminal justice reforms. Now, the Senate has already passed this commission, and we have done it unanimously. We sent it to the House and they have failed to act. Our bill also requires police training on deescalation tactics and alternatives to the use of force. I believe the JUSTICE Act is important legislation. I would like to see it on the floor in the very near future. Still, there are limits to Federal action. Law enforcement is governed by State laws and is largely managed by local officials. State and local leaders must step up and do their part. With the JUSTICE Act, we have taken an essential step forward in what we all realize is a necessary process. So I urge all my colleagues--on both sides of the aisle--to support this plan for necessary justice reform. I yield the floor. I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. BARRASSO

Mr. BARRASSO. Mr. President, I come to the floor today having just heard the Senator from Vermont talking about the Nation in its effort to recover from the coronavirus crisis and the economic crisis as a result, and other important issues affecting our country. I heard him say that we have not done enough and need to do more, specifically with an economic recovery, with a coronavirus recovery, and it sounded like almost a liberal wish list of government providing for food, clothing, shelter, and income for every American. I come to the floor today to tell you what we have done, in a historic way, because we passed the largest economic rescue package in the history of this country--trillions and trillions of dollars. This Senate, the House, and the White House went all-in to respond to and help us as a nation to recover from the coronavirus crisis. Last week, the Senate passed and the President signed another bipartisan bill to help small businesses across our country. It is the Paycheck Protection Program Flexibility Act. That is what the people of Wyoming were asking for--this very successful Paycheck Protection Program, with flexibility, so it would be easier for our small businesses to use the relief funds. And 1,000 businesses in Wyoming took over $1 billion in loans, and it is keeping our economy alive, breathing life into the economy, and allowing paychecks to continue to be paid as our businesses reopen. All across the country, this jobs-saving effort is working, because last month the U.S. economy added 2.5 million jobs. It smashed all expectations. It was the largest single month of job growth in this Nation in the history of our great country. Americans literally ran out the front door and back to work. Unemployment was down in May. It defied all of the forecasts and defied what we just heard the Senator from Vermont talking about and what his expectations have been. We are headed for a faster economic rebound than anyone has imagined. Across the country, the State lockdowns have been ended. States have started to safely reopen. Small businesses are reopening. People are going back to work. I thought I heard the Senator from Vermont say that he was thinking that half of all the small businesses in America wouldn't be able to reopen again ever. Young people are going back to school. K-12 schools and colleges are planning to reopen this fall. Of course, I don't think any of us were surprised to see the University of California system say that they are going to stay closed until 2021--until next year, all 10 campuses-- because in California, one size fits all. But for the rest of our Nation, the schools and the colleges are reopening and students will be heading back to campus. There is a return-to-normal routine that is going to boost our communities. As the American recovery begins, we are going all in to keep people safe. That is a big part of it. That means more virus testing, more treatment, and better treatment and vaccines. Innovations are rapidly expanding testing. The country has now performed more than 22 million coronavirus tests. Nearly a half million tests are done every day, including today. Our researchers, our scientists, and our doctors are making record progress on a vaccine. We are calling this effort Operation Warp Speed. It is a public-private partnership with companies producing a vaccine for the American people that will then be used around the world. The private sector finalists will soon be announced. The government will support their vaccine work, will assist with clinical trials, and will prioritize review of the most promising vaccines. One of the companies, called Moderna, is in phase 2 trials and plans to start phase 3 in July. The Food and Drug Administration approval is then the final step. Another company, AstraZeneca, plans to end phase 2 and phase 3 trials over the next few months. AstraZeneca just announced a new partnership with the Biomedical Research Authority and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. So our military is joining in this public/private partnership. This project may deliver emergency vaccines as early as October, which would certainly be record-breaking. The pharmaceutical company Merck will conduct trials in July. Johnson & Johnson plans phase 1 and phase 2 trials for July as well. Pfizer hopes to have a vaccine ready by October. The goal is to make a safe, effective vaccine and make it available to all Americans by January of 2021. Operation Warp Speed partners want to beat this, and they want to make that their most ambitious goal--beating timelines that have never been beaten before, breaking the records. At the same time a number of other companies are pursuing a vaccine independently. America's researchers, scientists, and doctors have dropped everything and are working in overdrive. They have gone all in. One major drug company CEO said yesterday that there will be no big price for the coronavirus vaccine. Every company should make that same pledge. Every company should make that same pledge. This is a tremendous opportunity for companies to do the right thing, to make the vaccine as accessible as any vaccine in the history of our Nation. As we begin to recover from this crisis, the goal is clear, and it has been clear: We want to keep Americans safe and get them back to work. Together, that is what we must all endeavor to do. Thank you. I yield the floor.

Mr. BARRASSO

Mr. BARRASSO. Mr. President, I come to the floor today at a time that you and I have heard the Democrats' latest rallying cry. Astonishingly, the rallying cry is: Defund the police. Defund the police. That is what I am hearing from Democrats all across America. This comes on the heels of a previous battle cry: Abolish ICE. That is what the Democrats are calling for today. Leading Democrats--radical leftwing lawmakers like Alexandria Ocasio- Cortez--are pushing these very dangerous ideas. Let me say it again. Liberal Democrats all across the country are asking all of us to defund law enforcement in America. If we did that--if we did that--crime would go through the roof, school safety would cease to exist, and the most vulnerable in our society would have no one to turn to or call in case of an emergency. Yet Democratic mayors across the country seem to be on board. Last week, the Democratic mayor of Los Angeles said that he plans to slash the LA Police Department's budget. New York City Mayor de Blasio has vowed to cut funding for the New York Police Department. The Minneapolis City Council announced Sunday that it would vote to disband--disband--the city's police department and said they had a veto-proof majority. House Democrats have now just released a new bill that supposedly seeks police reform. This is from a party that just last month pushed a trillion dollar--the total bill was $3 trillion for the Heroes fund to support the police. Well, now funding for police has purposely been left out of the bill. As our economy begins to recover--and I will tell you the jobs numbers are very promising--we need to make sure that our communities are safe. This starts at the local level with Governors and mayors in cities like Minneapolis and New York and Los Angeles. Last week, the Wall Street Journal had an editorial that was titled ``Liberal Cities, Radical Mayhem.'' Democratic mayors and Governors seem unable to stop the lawlessness. It included a warning. It said: This isn't merely about damage to property. It's about destroying the order required for city life. They went on to say: Non-criminals are afraid to go into these cities in order to make a living. Now you have seen New York Governor Cuomo blaming Mayor de Blasio, as well as the New York Police Department, for failing to stop the violence in New York City. The Manhattan Institute says that the riots likely caused New York businesses tens of millions of dollars last week alone. This is in damages. Nationwide, at least 12 people have been killed in the riots last week, including police officers. The rioters have committed many acts of violence against police officers, as well as against innocent bystanders. In New York City alone, 292 officers have been injured last week. One New York police officer was stabbed in the neck, and two others were shot last Wednesday night in Brooklyn. In Los Angeles, 27 officers were injured during just one night of rioting. One officer suffered a fractured skull and another a broken knee. On Thursday, Attorney General Bill Barr gave a briefing on the administration's efforts to end the violence. The Attorney General also said that President Trump has directed him to spare no effort in seeking justice in the George Floyd case. The State has filed criminal charges against the four officers, and Federal authorities are investigating civil rights violations. The Attorney General is claiming and now has said that there is clear evidence that extremist groups like antifa were inciting the riots. The lawlessness, he said, must and will stop. Our free society depends on the rule of law, and the Attorney General has said that the rule of law will prevail. We need to continue to focus on social, economic, educational, and police reforms. Still, no sensible reform involves defunding the police. Police are civil servants. Their job is difficult, and their job is dangerous. They may need more resources, not fewer, as Democrats across the country are calling for defunding. I am saying they may need more. They may need more training. They may need more resources for body cameras. They may need more resources to help recruit officers who match their communities. There is much more that needs to be done, and defunding is not part of it. We can never abandon those who protect us. I yield the floor. I suggest the absence of a quorum.

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