Bill Cassidy

Mr. CASSIDY

Mr. CASSIDY. How many seconds do I have left?

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

Mr. CASSIDY. This is the exact same language that we used in December. It targets children with private schools. To say that you are going to restrict it further than that is merely a way to keep the kids from having it. Seven percent of kids in poverty go to private schools. About 7 percent of this money will go to private kids. We should support the children. Vote on Amendment No. 1161

Mr. CASSIDY. I ask unanimous consent for 10 seconds, please.

Mr. CASSIDY. Mr. President, I call up my amendment No. 1162 and ask that it be reported by number.

Mr. CASSIDY. Mr. President, I rise on behalf of myself and Senators Cotton and Cruz. Our amendment prevents $1,400 stimulus checks from going to inmates. You heard that right. This bill sends $1,400 stimulus checks to people incarcerated for heinous crimes. Prisoners have all their living and medical expenses paid for by the taxpayer. They don't pay taxes. They don't contribute to the tax base. They can't be unemployed. In other words, inmates are not economically impacted by COVID, and inmates cannot stimulate the economy. But under this bill, Democrats are giving prisoners--again, sometimes incarcerated for heinous crimes--a $1,400 stimulus check. If we eliminate these, we save taxpayers $1.9 billion. Now, I know my Democratic colleagues aren't going to agree, but this spending should be on real needs. Stimulus checks for inmates is nontargeted, inappropriate, and is a total waste of money. I ask my colleagues to support the amendment.

Mr. CASSIDY. Mr. President, on a bipartisan basis, the December COVID relief bill included emergency assistance to private and parochial schools, reimbursing for things such as disinfectants, technology, and PPE. Guidelines prioritize schools serving low-income students. The current bill has money for private and parochial schools but, incredibly, does not allow reimbursement for COVID-related expenses in a COVID relief bill. It does allow arbitrary guidelines restricting which schools are eligible. My amendment goes back to the bipartisan language agreed to in December, prioritizing schools with low-income students and addressing COVID expenses. I urge colleagues to support these schools serving 10 percent of America's children, 7 percent of children in poverty, to support their families. Please support this amendment. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. CASSIDY. I ask unanimous consent for 2 minutes of debate, equally divided.

Mr. CASSIDY. I call up my amendment No. 1161 and ask that it be reported by number.

Mr. CASSIDY. I ask unanimous consent for 2 minutes of debate equally divided.

Mr. CASSIDY. I will reply, it only applies to people incarcerated for a year. That is not true. Vote on Amendment No. 1162 I call for the yeas and nays.

Mr. CASSIDY

Mr. CASSIDY. Mr. President, I send a question to the desk.

Mr. CASSIDY

Mr. CASSIDY. Mr. President, pursuant to section 904 of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974, and the waiver provisions of applicable budget resolutions, I move to waive all applicable sections of that act and applicable budget resolutions for purposes of Senate amendment No. 483. I ask for the yeas and nays.

Mr. CASSIDY. Mr. President, I rise in support of my amendment which would prevent taxpayer dollars from going toward economic impact payments for prisoners. You may not realize it, but the first $1,200 checks we sent went to every inmate in the United States. And I am thinking: That can't be right. And I am told it was a drafting error. Well, then we sent out the last checks, and I said: We have got to stop this. And I was told that there were those who wished that those checks go to inmates. When my constituents hear about that, they think it is a total example about how Congress is incontinent in spending money. Now, prisoners do not contribute to the tax base. Taxpayers are already paying the entirety of their care, and they cannot reasonably stimulate the economy, and still they are eligible for stimulus checks. I argue that all spending on COVID relief must be targeted toward real needs. This is a perfect example of untargeted, inappropriate spending. I ask that my colleagues support this commonsense amendment.

Mr. CASSIDY. Mr. President, I call up my amendment, No. 483, and I ask that it be reported by number.

Mr. CASSIDY

Mr. CASSIDY. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent to complete my remarks before the scheduled rollcall vote.

Mr. CASSIDY

Mr. CASSIDY. I yield the floor.

Mr. CASSIDY

Mr. CASSIDY. Madam President, I rise today to recognize and thank three long-serving aides who have served my office but more importantly served our Nation proudly, and they are now moving on to the next chapters of their lives. First, Chris Gillott. Chris Gillott was my legislative director and for 8 years has been my right-hand person on policy. He never failed to take the ideas we discussed together and craft the actual policy needed to make a meaningful difference in the lives of folks in Louisiana and the lives of all Americans. He was a master at navigating the partisan divide to find areas of consensus upon which we could build to advance real solutions. I was always struck that he was on a first-name basis with the legislative director of--and fill in the Democratic Senator's or the Republican Senator's name. You have a sense that in the era before Zoom calls, they would go out and have a beer on a regular basis, and that helped us tremendously. We saw this fully on display recently as Chris was a central figure in the so-called 908 Coalition, which jump-started stalled COVID relief packages. And it wasn't just the relationships between the Senators but, again, as I said, between the different legislative directors from both parties in all offices. His efforts were also central to passing legislation to ban surprise medical billing--a more than 2-year effort that will have a direct and positive impact on the pocketbooks of American families. He was crucial in our effort to make healthcare more affordable and pass generational tax reform. For every major legislative pursuit, I could rely upon Chris. What many in Louisiana may not know is that he has also been a central figure engaged in some of the most pressing issues affecting our State, including offshore energy production, revenue sharing, energy regulation and permitting, the National Flood Insurance Program, and public works related to flood protection. These are all important to the well-being of our State and the folks who live there, as well as our entire country, and all these were regularly under assault. Chris was a fearless advocate for energy production and for the jobs that energy production creates to not only help meet America's energy needs but to meet the individual families' financial needs. He has been on the frontlines to prevent changes to revenue sharing that would gut the money used in my State for hurricane protection, flood mitigation, and coastal environmental renewal. He has defended the National Flood Insurance Program to ensure that this critical lifeline remains accessible to people across the country and, importantly, to those in Louisiana. Thank you, Chris, for all you have done for me and for those of Louisiana.

Mr. CASSIDY

Mr. CASSIDY. Mr. President, Mr. Emile Oestriecher, known in the Scouting community as ``Mr. O,'' has served the community of Alexandria as Boy Scout scoutmaster for almost 50 years. Troop 6, sponsored by St. Frances Cabrini Church, has been in existence since 1967. When Mr. O became. scoutmaster, it had about 12 Scouts; today that number is between 60 and 70. Mr. O, the founding partner in the Alexandria CPA firm Oestriecher & Company, CPAs, has received the Distinguished Public Service Award by the Louisiana CPA Society and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. He has been honored with many awards from the Scouting community as well as other local organizations. Mr. O has led trips to destinations like Philmont Scout Ranch and Canada Canoe trips, as well as taught other adult leaders across the Nation and represented the area at four national Scout jamborees. Now, his oldest scouts are in their 60s, but he is still there as scoutmaster. He has several ``grandscouts,'' whose fathers were members of troop 6 under him, and one ``great-grandscout,'' who shared the same scoutmaster as his grandfather. Troop 6 has had over 160 Eagle Scouts during his tenure scoutmaster and six of his Scouts have been ordained as Catholic priests. He certainly lives the Scout Law every day and epitomizes the troop 6 motto ``Optimus Optimorum''-- Best of the Best. We thank Mr. O for his dedication to being scoutmaster and being a good influence on so many young men in his community.

Mr. CASSIDY

Mr. CASSIDY. I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. CASSIDY

Mr. CASSIDY. Madam President, Donna Villere will make 70 years old on December 1, 2020. Donna was born at Touro Hospital in New Orleans; Donna has lived her whole life in Jefferson Parish, except for 1 year in New Orleans when she was first married. Donna grew up in Harahan; her maiden name was Gunckel. Donna attended St. Rita's Church and was the first person to be baptized, make their first communion and confirmation, and be married at St. Rita's. Donna attended Chapelle High School and LSUNO College. She is married 51 years to Roger Villere; they have 3 sons Roger, III, Mark, and Jacques; four granddaughters Madison, Masey, Victoria, and Shelby; and 2 great-grandsons Isaiah and Myles. Donna is co-owner of Villere's Florist, which she opened when she was only 18 years old on the corner of Focis Street and Metairie Road. Donna is Secretary/ Treasurer, Villere Corporation. Donna's hobby is volleyball; she is a great volleyball player, and she started varsity as a freshman at Chapelle HS. Donna has been a volleyball coach for over 35 years at Lakeshore playground in Metairie and has coached at Metairie playground and Harahan playgrounds. Donna likes to attend volleyball tournaments, one of her favorite is Fudpuckers in Destin, FL, and she has attended for over 20 years. Donna supports local tournaments at both Coconut Beach and White Sands Beach volleyball locations in Jefferson Paris. Donna loves to babysit with her two great-grandsons and her nephew Jaxon.

Mr. CASSIDY

Mr. CASSIDY. Madam President, I would also like to recognize New Orleans Police Officer Trevor Abney, who was shot in the face and fortunately has survived. Officer Abney and Officer Brooke Duncan were on patrol in New Orleans on October 30. Without warning and for no reason, somebody walked by and shot through the window, striking Officer Abney in the face. He was taken to the hospital. He is said to be in good spirits, but, let's face it, you get shot in the face, you have a road of recovery ahead of you. Officer Duncan received a graze wound during the encounter. Fortunately, both officers are expected to do well. Again, the motive for the attack remains unknown, and the suspects are in custody. These attacks are tragic reminders of the danger that law enforcement officers face every day when they report for duty. They know it. They accept the risk. Their family accepts the risk. Their children accept the risk. Their spouse accepts the risk. They accept this risk because it serves our greater good. We owe a debt of gratitude to our law enforcement officers for their willingness to put their lives on the line--even sacrificing it, as Officer Waters did--to keep us safe. I ask that all join in praying for Officer Waters' family as they grieve his loss, and I ask you to join me in prayer for Officer Abney's recovery. The road ahead will be difficult, but knowing that our country supports them during these partisan times can make the difference. With that, I yield the floor. I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. CASSIDY

Mr. CASSIDY. Madam President, I am here today to pay tribute to three brave law enforcement officers in Louisiana who were recently shot in the line of duty, and, sadly, one died. I begin with the man who died. While on duty, Mangham Police Officer Marshall Waters pulled over a stolen vehicle on October 17. He was shot by the person in the car, who fled the scene and eventually crashed the car. Officer Waters later died from that injury on November 5. Mangham Police Chief Perry Fleming says that Officer Waters was born a servant. He was a paramedic and previously served as a firefighter in nearby Franklin Parish. Officer Waters' death will be felt throughout Northeast Louisiana. Throughout his lifetime of service, he truly touched the hearts of many. His community honored him last night with a candlelight vigil. He will be laid to rest later this week.

Mr. CASSIDY

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

Mr. CASSIDY

Mr. CASSIDY. Mr. President, I had the privilege to speak on the nomination of Amy Coney Barrett a couple of days ago, for her qualifications and the uniqueness she will bring to the Court, which will serve our country well. Today, I would like to speak on a different topic. October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and I rise to pay respect to those who have lost their lives, to those who currently have disease, and to those who work so hard to save these patients. A little personal--my wife, Dr. Laura Cassidy, is a retired breast cancer surgeon, so it is an issue which has always been very near to our house. This year, it is estimated there will be almost 280,000 new cases of invasive breast cancer among women and about 2,600 among men--often not realized that men are affected as well. About 49,000 women are estimated to contract ductal carcinoma in situ, or so-called DCIS. About 43,000 Americans every year will die from breast cancer. Breast cancer, of course, is hardest on the patient, but the diagnosis has a ripple effect through the family. I mentioned that my wife Laura is a retired breast cancer surgeon, and she would tell me that when she would deliver the diagnosis to a patient, she would look at the woman and say: ``You have breast cancer.'' The patient would be stoic, and her husband would cry. It points to the fact that while cancer is a terrible diagnosis for anyone, when that ``anyone'' happens to be the center of a family, it radiates out from her diagnosis to touch everybody in her immediate family, in the generation above, and perhaps the generation below. We have been inspired to make gains against cancer in general but against breast cancer in particular for the centrality that women play in our society and, of course, the deadliness of breast cancer. So it takes courage to address the disease if you have a diagnosis, and resiliency and determination just seem to develop in those who are so diagnosed. The support of family and friends means a lot more to the patient than the family will ever know, so I encourage those who know somebody with breast cancer in particular that I am speaking of but any form of cancer to reach out. Simply being there could make a tremendous difference in the fight to survive. Let me say, there is always hope. In addition to early detection, there are steps that people can take to reduce their risk of contracting breast cancer. Age is the primary risk--no, the primary risk factor, my wife used to say when speaking to a crowd, the primary risk factor for breast cancer is being a woman, to emphasize that all women have a risk for breast cancer. So don't just say that because I am not this or that, I am not at risk. Recognize that all women have a risk Age would be the next risk factor, being that the older you are the more likely that you can develop it. Women who have children after age 35 may be at higher risk. The more children a woman gives birth to may lower risk. But, again, the primary risk of breast cancer is being a woman. So every woman should take the disease seriously and take steps to reduce her risk for developing breast cancer, increasing the chances that it is detected if she does develop it, and increasing the chance for a successful treatment if it does develop. There are steps you can take to reduce the risk. Regular exercise can reduce the risk by as much as 20 percent. Breast feeding lowers the risk of breast cancer. Eating fruits and vegetables, especially carotenoids, which are in carrots, as you might guess from ``carotenoids,'' avoiding obesity, moderation in drinking alcohol--all can reduce risk, and all should be practiced. Although a cancer diagnosis can be shocking, again, you can do things to detect it at an earlier stage and improve the chance of a successful outcome. The American Cancer Society advises women 40 to 44 to consult with their doctor for regular clinical exams and on guidance as to when it is best to have a mammogram. Women who are 45 to 54 should have an annual mammogram, and those older than 54 and in good health should have a mammogram every 2 years. But, again, check with your doctor. All of these need to be customized for the patient. Patients should also do self-exams for warning signs. This could be a change in the look or feel of the breast or possible discharge from the nipple. The presence of a lump, swelling, discoloration, and changes in size and shape are common signs. If these are present, she should consult with her healthcare provider. If someone doesn't know how to do a breast self-exam, look on the internet. There are all kinds of resources that can help somebody know if they are just not sure how to do it. Lastly, the treatments for breast cancer continue to improve. The surgical radiation therapy and medical therapies are improving every year. A diagnosis of breast cancer is not a death sentence; it is the beginning of a treatment regimen which can cure. Now, by the way, let me diverge just a second from October being Breast Cancer Awareness Month to the contemporary thing we are speaking of. My Democratic colleagues on the floor have been imagining how a Justice Amy Coney Barrett would rule on various topics--frankly, saying things that are designed to cause fear, and they are doing it for political gain. But I think everybody on this side of the aisle--all Republicans have a commitment to make sure that all Americans have healthcare and that they have coverage for preexisting conditions. I am a doctor who worked in the public hospital system for many years, but some stories particularly stand out. This is a patient of my wife's, and she was probably about 45 and had three children. Her husband had died or they divorced--I forget which. They lived in a very nice neighborhood in my hometown of Baton Rouge. She drove a nice car. But when her husband left, however he left, she had decisions to make, and she made the decision to go without health insurance so she could afford other things for her family. At some point along the way, she felt a lump in her breast, but without health insurance, she didn't know what to do. My wife was a breast cancer surgeon in private practice, but eventually someone connected this patient with my wife. When she came to see my wife, she had waited so long for evaluation that the cancer was growing out of her skin. It is called fungating, like a mushroom grows out, except it wasn't a mushroom; it was cancer eating through the skin. She had everything otherwise--great house, good car, wonderful kids in parochial school. It is that sort of example that touches us all, that lets us all realize that there is a personal reason why we all care about everyone having access to healthcare, why we all care about folks having coverage for preexisting conditions. I give congratulations to my colleague sitting in the chair, the Senator from North Carolina, who brought a bill up that would address preexisting conditions. But on several occasions, my Democratic colleagues have objected to your bill being passed that would protect those with preexisting conditions. So I will end this paragraph where I began it. As I digress a little bit from Breast Cancer Awareness Month in October, I will point out that my Democratic fellow Senators raising the issue of preexisting conditions in the setting of Amy Coney Barrett seem to be doing it more for political gain because the bill that my colleague from North Carolina offered would have addressed the issue, but they opposed it uniformly, as if they want an issue to campaign on but not a solution to the problem. So let me conclude. As October comes to a close, let us reflect on breast cancer victims not only in the final days of Breast Cancer Awareness Month but throughout the year. Know the risk factors, know the warning signs, and screen regularly to catch early. Doing so saves lives. It is important for the person who may have breast cancer. It is important for us all. I yield the floor.