Deb Fischer

Mrs. FISCHER

Mrs. FISCHER. Mr. President, I would thank my colleague from Texas for sharing the Texas letter with us again this year. It is always inspiring to hear those words, to remember the sacrifices that were made in Texas. It reminds us all of the sacrifices that are made daily across this country by people who love this country and stand for its unity. Thank you, Mr. President, to my colleague from Texas.

Mrs. FISCHER

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 Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.

Mrs. FISCHER

Mrs. FISCHER. Madam President, I come to the floor today to discuss the administration's decision to extend the New START treaty by 5 years. Supporters hailed the move, with the New York Times reporting that the President's decision ``avoided a renewed arms race.'' Meanwhile, critics, who believed the question of extension had given the United States leverage to extract concessions from Russia, as well as China, described the move as a wasted opportunity and a giveaway to Putin. As the last bilateral arms control agreement between the United States and Russia, perhaps it shouldn't be surprising that the debate over extending New START took on outsized importance, with parties on both sides seeing it as the vehicle to accomplish all of their goals. Now, with the extension decided, it comes with an opportunity to regain our perspective and consider the way forward. This begins with a clearer understanding of what the New START treaty accomplishes and what it doesn't. To begin with, the New START treaty is not a panacea, and extending the agreement does not prevent an arms race with just the stroke of a pen; nor is it an unfair agreement that locks in Russian advantages. It is simply an agreement between the United States and Russia to limit some but not all of the categories of nuclear arms. China is not a party to this agreement. As critics have pointed out, the treaty's counting rules obscure the true number of deployed nuclear weapons, and it has not prevented Russia's buildup of other kinds of nuclear arms not covered by its limits. Some have described these as ``loopholes'' for Russia, but they are well-known limitations that also apply equally to both sides. Since the treaty was signed, the United States has chosen not to invest in new nuclear weapons outside of the treaty's limits. Well, Russia has done the opposite, and they continue to expand their nuclear arsenal. I disagree with my colleagues who see that as a failure of the treaty. It is a failure in the Russian Government for continuing to build up its nuclear arsenal instead of matching our restraint and lowering those tensions. But it would also be a failure on our part if we had assumed Russia would refrain from building these systems out of the goodness of their heart. Indeed, Russia's behavior since the New START treaty was signed reminds us that it continues to seek a competitive advantage, and in order to achieve its goals, it will go around the limits, as it has done with the New START treaty, or it will go straight through them, as it did with the INF Treaty. So Russia's nuclear capabilities continue to expand, as does China's buildup of nuclear arms. That New START hasn't prevented these from occurring reflects the fact that the New START treaty simply does not account for the full spectrum of nuclear challenges, and thus, with the agreement to extend the treaty in place, serious threats still remain that really demand our attention. The growth of both Russia's and China's arsenals must be addressed. Some have called for the Biden administration to immediately pursue talks to this end. While hurrying to convene another diplomatic summit may have a reassuring appearance to some, diplomacy is not an end unto itself. It is a means to an end. It is important to remember that negotiating limits on Russia's tactical weapons and bringing China into the arms control process have long been U.S. diplomatic objectives. Indeed, the Obama-Biden administration sought these goals, as did the Trump administration, which deserves credit for elevating them to the highest levels. However, the consistent refusal of both Russia and China to engage in serious talks demonstrates that neither nation feels sufficient incentive to negotiate. New attempts at negotiations without addressing this wouldn't achieve a different result. In truth, what is needed isn't another conference in a European capital; it is a serious effort here at home to create incentives for both Russia and China to halt their nuclear buildups and to have them choose a different path. Congress and the administration should work together to strengthen the hands of our negotiators. To that end, we can start by rejecting calls being made by some advocates to cut our nuclear forces unilaterally or allow them to age into obsolescence by delaying their much needed modernization. These calls are not new; however, our senior military leaders have consistently advised against such courses of action, and the past two administrations have rejected them as well. They should be rejected again. As most in this Chamber know, our nuclear forces have aged far beyond their designed lifetime. After delaying and deferring the modernization of our nuclear forces for decades, we are now at an inflection point. As Admiral Richard, the current STRATCOM commander, testified last year, ``Many of the modernization and sustainment efforts necessary to ensure the deterrent's viability have zero schedule margin and are late-to-need.'' His point is clear. Further delay will result in capabilities aging- out with no replacements available. Our nuclear deterrent would literally wither on the vine. This would have a number of disastrous consequences for our security at a time when nuclear threats are growing, and it would also dramatically undermine future diplomatic efforts to negotiate limits with Russia and China on their arsenals. After all, why would either nation agree to new rounds of arms reductions if they knew that the United States was cutting its forces anyway, regardless of whether they agreed to do likewise? We must keep this in mind when we hear calls to dismantle the triad or cancel our modernization programs. Doing so would make our country less safe by cutting the forces needed to deter aggression, and it would make the world less safe by ensuring that the United States is never in a position again to push for real reductions to Russian and Chinese nuclear forces. Instead of reducing incentives for Russia and China to negotiate, Congress and the administration should work together to strengthen them and set the conditions for successful diplomatic efforts in the future. Thank you, Madam President. I yield the floor. I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mrs. FISCHER

Mrs. FISCHER. Mr. President, I would like to take a moment to recognize the 70th anniversary of KRVN, a longtime Nebraska radio station. KRVN was founded in 1951 to bring the news to Nebraska's rural communities, and they have remained committed to that mission throughout their existence. From the very beginning, Nebraska's farmers and ranchers have depended on their straightforward approach to the stories that matter most, and their outstanding reporting continues to be a crucial part of our agriculture industry's success. As everyone who has listened to KRVN knows, they have achieved 70 years of success because they put their audience first. That is no accident--KRVN is one of the only radio stations in the country that is owned by a cooperative of farmers and ranchers. As a cattle rancher myself, my family, friends, and neighbors have listened to their daily livestock reports for decades, and I always enjoy stopping by their studios when I am in Lexington, NE. As a lifelong Nebraskan, I am immensely proud of all they have done for our State. I congratulate them on reaching this historic milestone. Here is to 70 more years.

Mrs. FISCHER

Mrs. FISCHER. Mr. President, next Thursday is Thanksgiving, and we are here today because, even during a tough year like this one, we have so many things to be thankful for. In that spirit, I would like to tell a short story about a Nebraskan whose contribution to the history of our country is pretty extraordinary. In 1886, Andrew Jackson Higgins was born in the small town of Columbus, NE. He spent most of his childhood in Omaha, and he served in the Nebraska Army National Guard after the turn of the 20th century before moving to Alabama at the age of 20 to work in the lumber industry. He worked a wide variety of jobs, hoping to learn enough to eventually start his own business. He succeeded in his dream in 1922 when he founded Higgins Lumber and Export Company, which quickly grew to become one of the largest lumber companies in North America. Four years later, his company designed the Eureka boat, a 36-foot- long boat that was able to sail in just a few feet of water. At the time, lumber could only be loaded onto ships at port, but a craft that could operate in such shallow water could run on and off of riverbanks, enabling Higgins Lumber and Export Company to load and unload its lumber just about anywhere. In short, Andrew Higgins built the Eureka boat simply to make his employees' lives easier, and that was an honorable goal. But throughout the next decade, as it became clear that Hitler decided to plunge the world back into war, the U.S. military began to search for a way to land soldiers directly onto beaches. They turned to the Eureka boat, which beat the Navy's design in a head-to-head test in 1939. There was just one problem: The only way to get on or off the boat was by jumping over the sides, and this would leave soldiers exposed to enemy fire in combat. To get around this, the Navy asked Higgins to add a ramp door to the boat's bow. He returned with the final design just a month later, and the Higgins boat was born. Andrew Higgins' company went on to produce over 23,000 of these boats, and his design worked so well that the Allies trusted them to carry our soldiers across the English Channel on D-Day. Without the Higgins boat, we may not have turned the tide of World War II at Normandy. We may never have liberated Europe from Hitler's grasp. In fact, President Dwight Eisenhower, who was the Supreme Allied Commander in Europe on D-Day, went as far as to say that Andrew Higgins was ``the man who won the war for us.'' It was an honor to attend the 75th anniversary of D-Day last year at Omaha Beach, to see firsthand the beach where the ``greatest generation'' jumped out of those boats that Andrew Higgins built to save the world from Naziism. I am thankful for them, and I am thankful for the sacrifices that all of our veterans and Active-Duty servicemembers make each and every day. We all know that Thanksgiving is going to be a little different this year. As important as it is to spend time with our extended family, many of whom we only see once a year, it is just as important to do what we can to protect those we love from this virus. I won't pretend that it is easy to spend Thanksgiving apart from these large gatherings of loved ones, but I hope the far greater sacrifices our soldiers and veterans have made will help us to keep this hardship in perspective. This Thanksgiving, let's give thanks for our military; let's give thanks for Andrew Higgins and the Higgins boat, which saved the lives of so many of our soldiers on D-Day; and let's give thanks for our veterans and those currently serving this country in the Armed Forces. Without the sacrifices that they have made and continue to make every day, our country wouldn't be as great as it is today. Their service makes Thanksgiving possible, this year and every year. I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mrs. FISCHER

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

Mrs. FISCHER

Mrs. FISCHER. Mr. President, less than 2 weeks ago, this country lost one of its most brilliant legal minds--Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Her passing has left a void that can be felt all across our Nation from Nebraska to Washington. Sadly, Nebraska recently lost another great jurist--Judge Laurie Smith Camp. Judge Smith Camp was the first woman to serve my State as a Federal judge, a position she had held since 2001. This body voted 100 to 0 to confirm her just 6 weeks after President George W. Bush nominated her. That doesn't happen very often anymore, and her unanimous approval was a testament to her incredible talent. Judge Smith Camp grew up in Omaha, but she left Nebraska to attend college at Stanford University. She graduated with distinction. And I am glad to say that she came back home to attend the University of Nebraska Law School where she distinguished herself again as editor-in- chief of the Nebraska Law Review. Before becoming a Federal judge, she served her State through a series of jobs that spanned the legal profession. She began her career in private practice but soon moved on to become general counsel for the Nebraska Department of Correctional Services, the head of the Nebraska attorney general's civil rights section, and then the chief deputy attorney general for criminal matters for the Nebraska attorney general. These wide-ranging experiences were part of what made her an exceptional Federal judge. Another part was her love for the law and the compassion that flowed from it. She was well known for her dedication to equal treatment for all, regardless of background, and for a sentencing philosophy that preferred rehabilitation to punishment. She also understood that success isn't just about achieving your professional goals. She was profoundly generous with her time and, when she wasn't leading Nebraska's district court, she could be found promoting women's participation in the legal profession or mentoring young Nebraska attorneys. This was in addition to recently being elected president of the Omaha Bar Association--a job that she had held since June. Laurie was also my friend. She spoke at an event I held in 2016 called Bridging the Gap, which aims to encourage women to engage in their communities at the local, State, and Federal level. I am lucky to have known her personally and to have seen up close the wise advice and the quick wit that made her famous among her colleagues and those she mentored. Through her example, she inspired a generation of young women in Nebraska and beyond to pursue careers as attorneys, advocates, and community leaders, just as Justice Ginsburg did. Both of these extraordinary women blazed a trail that today's young women and girls can follow. I join with both their families in mourning their passing and celebrating their lives. I yield the floor. I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mrs. FISCHER

Mrs. FISCHER. I want to thank my colleague from North Dakota. It is so appropriate, Madam President, that you are in the chair right now presiding because you are a cattle farmer from the great State of Mississippi, and we have many, many discussions on the importance of livestock and on the importance of agriculture to our States. Nebraska is an ag State. In 2018, Nebraska generated around $21.3 billion in agricultural cash receipts. Agriculture and ag processing accounts for 9.4 percent of the State's GDP. The agriculture production complex accounts for approximately one-quarter of our GDP workforce. By these measures, agriculture plays a greater role in my State of Nebraska than it does in the economy of any other State in the United States. When agriculture suffers, Nebraska suffers. Over the last several years, our farmers and ranchers have done their fair share of suffering. As my colleague mentioned, USDA's most recent farm income projections forecast that cash receipts will be at their lowest level in more than a decade. As a rancher, I know it is difficult to plan for the future when you are facing so many factors that are outside of your control, whether it is low commodity prices or retaliatory tariffs or natural disasters that we have gone through and also a global pandemic. Nebraska's farmers and ranchers have maintained their patience in these tough times, but they deserve to know without any kind of doubt that amidst all of this unpredictability they are experiencing, we here in Congress are going to hold up our end of the bargain. For decades, the Commodity Credit Corporation has been routinely replenished to fund the programs that the Senator from North Dakota spoke about--those programs that are so important to the farm safety net. Producers count on programs like the agriculture risk coverage, price loss coverage, marketing assistance loans, the important conservation programs, and so many more. For PLC alone, U.S. farmers are expected to receive $4.7 billion in October. Out of that total, Nebraska farmers are anticipating $180 million in program payments. Without that immediate CCC reimbursement, these payments and these programs are going to be significantly delayed. That will jeopardize the nearly 46,000 farms and ranches in my State of Nebraska. We have seen more than 40 agriculture and commodity groups who have stepped forward and written congressional leadership this week with a very, very clear message: Blocking the inclusion of that CCC reimbursement in a CR will hurt farmers and ranchers, no question. We need to come together. We need to come together and fund the programs that we, Republicans and Democrats alike, have voted on in countless farm bills. Our farmers and ranchers rely on them, and they rely on them now more than ever. Congress must keep its commitment to these hard-working men and women. I urge my colleagues in the House and here in the Senate not to allow politics to stand in the way of upholding our commitment to those hard- working men and women who get up every morning and work tirelessly day in and day out to put food on our tables. Our producers aren't thinking of just themselves; they are planning for future generations that will proudly carry on their life's work and continue feeding our world. Let's make sure we continue to fund these programs so that we can ensure that they can do that. My thanks to my fellow ag State colleagues who know the importance of agriculture, not just to the States we represent but to this country as a whole. Thank you to the Senator from North Dakota for organizing us to come to the floor so that we as a group can stress that importance

Mrs. FISCHER

Mrs. FISCHER. Mr. President, I rise today to speak about our Nation's independence. Some 244 years ago this Saturday, the Founding Fathers of this country voted to declare our independence from Great Britain. All Americans know the basics of this story, but not everyone knows the story behind one of our Nation's founding documents. Thomas Jefferson was just 33 years old when the Second Continental Congress commissioned him to draft a declaration of independence. When he sat down in a rented room in the heat of the Philadelphia summer to write it, the American Revolution had already begun. On one level, he was simply putting the reasons for independence into words. The first shot had been fired over a year earlier, after decades of increasingly tyrannical British abuses had culminated in open revolt in Massachusetts. Even so, it was not yet clear whether the delegates from all 13 colonies would put their names to a formal document declaring our independence. They had to be persuaded. After 17 days of writing and rewriting, struggling to find the right words, Jefferson presented his work to Benjamin Franklin and John Adams. He then submitted a draft to the Congress on July 1, which officially adopted it three days later. Each year on the Fourth of July, we celebrate this moment--the moment that we declared our independence from the British Empire and began to see ourselves as our own nation. I love Independence Day celebrations in Nebraska. Like many people, my family often spends the day enjoying the great outdoors before hosting friends and neighbors for a barbecue. But the Fourth of July is about more than food and fireworks or parades and pancake feeds. It is an opportunity to reflect on the nearly two and a half centuries of our nation's history and remember what it means to be an American. To me, America is a nation based on an idea. It is the idea, as Jefferson wrote, that ``all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.'' Belief in this creed is what unites us as Americans. And while we may not always live up to this idea, we can never stop trying. We should count ourselves fortunate to live in the greatest nation on earth, where the notion of equal justice for all first came into the world. I was touched to see that on June 22, 36 people became American citizens in the first naturalization ceremony held in Lincoln since February. This diverse group of people renounced their loyalty to their former countries and took an oath of allegiance to the United States. Family and friends in attendance brought homemade banners, red, white, and blue balloons, and other patriotic displays. These 36 people, despite being citizens for only a few weeks, are just as American as you or me. And these new citizens chose to be Americans. They weren't born here, but they saw America for what it is: a shining city upon a hill, where our institutions, though they sometimes falter, strive to honor Jefferson's promise of God-given rights and equal treatment before the law for all citizens. We are not perfect, but neither can we forget our founding purpose. The United States was the first nation in history to set this lofty standard for ourselves, and we remain its best example. This Independence Day, as our country wrestles with both a pandemic and national unrest in the wake of the killing of George Floyd, I urge you to remember that we remain, as President Abraham Lincoln said during the Civil War, ``the last best hope of earth.'' Thank you, Mr. President. I yield the floor and note the absence of a quorum.

Mrs. FISCHER

Mrs. FISCHER. Mr. President, I rise today to speak in support of the defense authorization bill for fiscal year 2021. I want to start off by thanking the chairman and ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee. I am grateful for their hard work, their leadership in crafting this bill, conducting a productive markup, and managing the floor process. We came together on this committee during these difficult times, and we passed a strong bipartisan bill, one that supports our servicemembers and provides for the defense of this Nation. I have said it many times before: Our warfighters are our greatest asset. The brave men and women who serve deserve our utmost respect, support, and gratitude. This year's bill authorizes a 3-percent pay raise for all members of the uniformed service. It reauthorizes over 30 types of bonuses and special pays and increases incentive pay for healthcare professionals. The bill also prioritizes support for military families through childcare and spouse employment opportunities. We need to ensure that our warfighters can stay focused on executing their mission and maintaining readiness. This is only possible if they know their families, especially their spouses and children, are taken care of. As countries like Russia and China rapidly modernize, we face a growing need for intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance capabilities despite having a limited fleet of resources. Over and over again, I have heard from combatant commanders who reiterate the need for ISR. They also note the significant shortfall in supply versus a demand the Department of Defense has called ``insatiable.'' This is a problem I know well, as I am proud to have the honor of representing the Air Force's 55th Wing, the No. 1 provider of large fixed-wing ISR in the Nation. To continue enhancing the capabilities of the 55th Wing, this bill would authorize nearly $200 million in funding for the continued modernization and upgrading of the RC-135 aircraft. This bill ensures that the platform remains a capable part of the Air Force's ISR system for decades to come. The RC-135 is a core component at the Air Force's ISR system and will be for the foreseeable future. But as we enter newly contested environments, we need to think creatively about integrating platforms like the RC-135 into new ISR networks. I included language in this year's NDAA that would require an assessment of the overall ISR's shortfall based on combatant commander demand, with details about the planned integration of the RC-135 aircraft into next-generation networks like ABMS. This provision would task the Department of Defense with exploring the conversion of retiring KC-135 aircraft into the highly sought after RC-135 to grow that ISR capability. Unfortunately, we also face a broader issue with the size and the age of our Nation's Air Force, which is why I included language encouraging growth to meet the Air Force We Need target of 386 operational squadrons. Offutt Air Force Base in Nebraska Houses the Air Force's fleet of E- 4B aircraft, which serves as the National Airborne Operations Center and plays a key role in our nuclear command, control, and communications architecture. The NAOC provides a highly survivable platform from which to direct U.S. forces, execute emergency war orders, and coordinate actions by civil authorities. The E-4B fleet, which first entered service in 1974, is aging rapidly and sustainment efforts have grown increasingly difficult and costly. The path forward for recapitalizing this vital strategic capability remains unclear. So I included language in this bill that would encourage the swift recapitalization of this important capability Nebraska is also the proud home of the world-class University of Nebraska Medical Center, which is among the Nation's leading specialized medical care and biocontainment units. This made UNMC the logical choice to be the first U.S. location to receive the COVID-19 patients for quarantine and testing. The first clinical trial of a drug to combat coronavirus was conducted there as well. COVID-19 has placed an exceptional strain on the Nation's healthcare infrastructure, and we need to address our limited capacity to respond to major events. For that reason, I championed language in the NDAA that would authorize $5 million to implement a pilot program on civilian and military partnerships to enhance the interoperability and medical surge capacity of the National Disaster Medical System. This program would improve future Federal responses to pandemics and to other threats while giving institutions with an established expertise in these areas, like UNMC, an opportunity to participate. Additionally, the Senate NDAA bill makes targeted investments to begin addressing the disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, including $46 million for coronavirus vaccine research and production, and the bill encourages faster adoption of telehealth services. We are all aware of the increasing effort by China and Russia to expand their influence, which has underscored the need to work with our partners and allies around the world. Engagement, development, training, and education with partner military forces is crucial to successfully strengthening alliances and attracting new partners, and it is important that we cement new ties in places where we have a lighter presence. The State Partnership Program, a Department of Defense program that encourages cooperation between National Guard units and partner militaries, is an excellent example of this. To encourage its continued development, I included language in this year's NDAA highlighting the SPP's success in cultivating positive relationships with partner forces. Nebraska has two such partnerships: a shared one with the Czech Republic and a newly penned partnership with Rwanda. This mil-to-mil training program allows National Guard units to conduct exercises and education with developing nations, cultivating partnerships that are vital to our success around the world. I also serve as chair of the Strategic Forces Subcommittee, which oversees the Department's nuclear forces and the U.S. Strategic Command, or STRATCOM, which is located in my State of Nebraska. It also has jurisdiction over national security space and missile defense programs, as well as the Department of Energy's defense activities. Across the subcommittee's jurisdiction, we reduced funding for underperforming programs in order to better support the priorities of our war fighters. For example, my subcommittee authorized an additional $76.8 million to begin development of a land-based missile defense capability for Guam. Not only is this a top priority for the INDOPACOM commander, but it is the single largest new activity undertaken as part of the Pacific Deterrence Initiative. The subcommittee also authorized an increase of $120 million in order to accelerate the development of the space-based Hypersonic and Ballistic Tracking Space Sensor at the Missile Defense Agency. Despite repeated testimony from DOD witnesses about the significance of this program, year after year, budget requests fail to fully fund it. While I am proud of the subcommittee's work to keep this program moving forward, I hope that next year the Department will take the initiative and fully fund this essential program. To meet additional missile defense priorities, this bill also provides $128 million to increase procurement of SM-3 IIA missiles and an additional $162 million to continue the development of the Homeland Defense Radar-Hawaii, a key unfunded priority of the INDOPACOM commander. The bill also authorizes an increase of $319.6 million to procure an eighth THAAD battery. As threats continue to increase, the need for THAAD's unique defense capabilities continues to grow. Most importantly, this year's bill authorizes full funding for the continued modernization of our nuclear deterrent. This includes critical programs such as the Ground Based Strategic Deterrent, which will replace our aging ballistic missile force, and the next-generation nuclear cruise missile, the long range standoff weapon. It also invests heavily in the modernization of the National Nuclear Security Administration's nuclear complex, a third of which dates to the Manhattan Project and early Cold War era. I would like to take a moment to remind my colleagues of why maintaining our modernization schedule is so very important. While still effective, our nuclear deterrent is aging. Every leg of our nuclear triad has been extended far beyond its originally planned service life, and we have reached a point where further life extensions are simply not possible. These systems must be replaced. To this end, the previous administration began the development of a number of programs to recapitalize our nuclear deterrent, including a new ICBM, a new submarine, and a new bomber. Yet these replacements are expected to be delivered just as the current systems are aging out, and as many STRATCOM Commanders have testified, there is no margin for error in this schedule. Take, for example, the Ohio-class submarines. Through life extensions, the submarines will be in service for 42 years--longer than any other submarine in our Navy's history. As the current STRATCOM Commander, ADM Charles Richard, who is a submariner by trade, eloquently explained during his confirmation hearing that it is simply not possible to keep them in service any longer. However, as a result of previous decisions to delay the development of the Ohio's replacement, these submarines will be retiring before the next generation--the Columbia class--is ready for service. Let me say that again. The submarines that form one-third of our nuclear triad will begin retiring before their replacements are ready. STRATCOM believes it can mitigate the risks associated with that schedule, but this reflects the high level of risk that has already been accepted in our planning. It also explains exactly why officials in both the Trump and the Obama administrations have repeatedly emphasized that there is no margin for additional delay. Admiral Richard testified earlier this year: ``I cannot overemphasize the need to modernize our nuclear forces and recapitalize the supporting infrastructure to ensure we can maintain this deterrent in the future.'' This is why fully funding these programs and maintaining our current modernization schedule is so important. We must continue preparing to meet and defeat the adversaries of tomorrow. In closing, I again stress that the Senate's NDAA bill gives our men and women in uniform the resources they need. More than this, it provides for their and their families' futures through much needed pay raises, employment opportunities, and other programs. This bill is good for the nuclear and strategic forces that protect our country. This bill is good for our Nation. This bill is the product of bipartisan consensus. Nearly all of my Republican and Democratic colleagues on the Committee on Armed Services voted for it. Let's provide for the defense of our Nation and the men and women of our Armed Forces by voting for the bill. I ask my colleagues to join me in supporting its swift passage. I yield the floor.

Mrs. FISCHER

Mrs. FISCHER. Madam President, I ask for the yeas and nays.

Mrs. FISCHER

Mrs. FISCHER. I ask for the yeas and nays.

Mrs. FISCHER

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

Mrs. FISCHER

Mrs. FISCHER. Madam President, I rise today to speak about the unprecedented crisis our Nation is facing. In a matter of just a few months, COVID-19 has completely changed our daily lives. This virus has forced us to close schools, shut down restaurants, cancel major events, and temporarily shutter businesses across our economy. The sacrifices have been necessary for the sake of public health, to help ``flatten the curve'' so our medical facilities don't become overwhelmed, but they have also been disruptive, frustrating, and in some cases, scary. Despite the emotional and economic toll this crisis has taken, we have seen countless acts of compassion, generosity, and selflessness all across the country. Americans have stepped up to help each other to fight this new threat. I want to make sure the American people know that since the very beginning of this crisis, Nebraskans have been on the frontlines. When 13 Americans were evacuated from a cruise ship in Japan in late February, they were taken to the National Quarantine Unit at the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha. As the Nation's only Federal quarantine unit, they were also trusted to care for Americans recovering from Ebola in 2014. Beyond treating those exposed to or infected with coronavirus, UNMC is also working to test new treatments for this virus. In late February, the National Institutes of Health announced that the country's first clinical trial for coronavirus therapy had begun at UNMC. Our world-class medical center has been active from the very beginning of this crisis. The Nebraska National Guard--our citizen soldiers--has also played an important role in our response. They have been deployed as distributors at food banks, as healthcare workers assisting with testing, and as drivers bringing ventilators to where they are most needed. One of the first State Department evacuation flights out of China brought 57 Americans to Nebraska, where they were quarantined at Camp Ashland, a Nebraska National Guard training site. It is easy to forget that these first evacuations happened just back in February. Since that time, we have relied on our amazing healthcare workers and first responders. These heroes have been working around the clock to keep all of us safe. They get up every day to fight this virus in hospitals and in clinics across this country. I can't imagine how hard it must be for them to see the effects of this new sickness day in and day out. Yet I know we are in good hands. We have also relied on our food heroes, many from my home State, where one in four jobs is tied to production agriculture. If you raise cattle or grow soybeans, you can't stay inside and work from your couch. If you package beef or pork, you can't work from a laptop. Americans should be incredibly grateful for our essential workers throughout the food supply chain. They are working so that we can continue to put healthy, safe food on our tables. Nebraskans and all Americans are making daily sacrifices to slow the spread of this virus. We have drastically reduced our contact with others, knowing that short-term sacrifice will lead to long-term public health. But despite our best efforts, over 8,000 Nebraskans have contracted the virus, and 96 have died since COVID-19 arrived in the United States. These people were loved by their families and by their communities. I grieve for their loved ones. These tragic losses underscore the seriousness of this virus. They demonstrate to all of us that we need to keep up the fight. The changes we have made in our national life, while necessary, have been difficult. They have come at the cost of the economic security of many people in the heartland of this Nation. We are seeing record numbers of unemployment claims, and many people who have never faced unemployment before now find themselves out of work. More Nebraskans are now dealing with food insecurity due to unemployment and the effects of COVID-19. I have been inspired by the work nonprofits across my State are doing to address this. The local chapter of the Salvation Army in Hastings has started a mobile food unit, which they drive from neighborhood to neighborhood, and they serve hot meals. The Central Nebraska Community Action Partnership has begun to box up food and leave it on people's doorsteps. This has allowed them to reduce person-to-person contact while helping those who are in need. The Food Bank of Lincoln, which serves Southeast Nebraska by acting as a distribution center for food pantries in 16 counties, has seen a huge surge in demand. They have been able to keep up with this demand in large part thanks to the innovation of a partnership of Lincoln business, philanthropy, and government leaders, who together formed the Lincoln COVID-19 Response Fund. These are major problems, and there is no easy fix. Even so, it is our job in Congress to respond to this national crisis and do what we can to provide relief. That is why I was proud to support the CARES Act, the relief package this body passed unanimously at the end of March. A big part of this legislation was the Paycheck Protection Program, which was designed to help America's small businesses keep their employees on payroll by offering forgivable loans. Upon the creation of this program to provide relief, Nebraskans hit the ground running. By mid-April, the Paycheck Protection Program had provided nearly 25,000 loans worth just under $3 billion to Nebraska's small businesses. This funding was enough to cover more than three- fourths of Nebraska's eligible payrolls--the highest percentage in the Nation. I think it is important to note that none of this would have been possible without Nebraska's community banks and our credit unions. While some national banks hesitated, Nebraska's local institutions stepped up to provide these loans and make sure small businesses in their communities received assistance. To our community banks and credit unions, Nebraskans applying for these loans are not just statistics halfway around the country. The people hurting are their friends, their families, and their neighbors. The people who need their help live just down the street. One of these banks is Union Bank & Trust in Lincoln. This family- owned bank is not in the top 200 banks by assets nationally, but after the first 72 hours of the Paycheck Protection Program, they ranked second in the Nation for the number of loans approved. Like many other lending institutions, Union Bank & Trust accomplished this while adjusting to working from home for the first time. Their remarkable efforts and those of another Nebraska institution, Pinnacle Bank, were covered in a recent Washington Post story for leading the way nationally with this program. It is good to see the Paycheck Protection Program working well in my State. I am pleased that Congress came together to further fund this program so that more small businesses can receive assistance. The drive to support one another, help out, and deliver relief to others is something we are seeing all across my State. Along with grief, we have seen resilience. Along with sadness, we have seen hope. I read a story about young children in Omaha who wanted to visit their grandfather. They couldn't go into his nursing home, so they connected a microphone to a speaker inside so that they could talk to him and sing to him. I have seen schools that stopped holding in-person classes weeks ago still serving their students. On top of instituting remote learning, many are also offering free meals. In Gering, teachers organized an impromptu drive-by parade through their students' neighborhoods. In Hastings, Longfellow Elementary School has converted old newspaper vending machines into learning material dispensers. Students walk up to the dispenser for their grade level, and they take out their weekly learning packet, just as you would a newspaper. In short, I have seen neighbors helping neighbors. I have seen Nebraskans helping Nebraskans. Much remains uncertain about our future. We don't know how many more lives will be lost, how long we are going to have to wait for a vaccine, or how long it will take for Main Street to fully open for business once again. I think we may have a long and tough road ahead of us, but I take great pride in the way Nebraska has responded to these difficult circumstances. The inspiring stories of kindness and humanity in my State don't come as a surprise to me. I have seen our people respond to other disasters, including the widespread flooding that we faced just last year. I have seen Nebraskans respond the same way to COVID-19 as we did to that flood--by putting others first. It is just who we are. Nebraskans will continue to adapt, to help others, and to lead the way in addressing and responding to this crisis. We will get through this, and we will come out stronger than ever before nomination of Brian D. Montgomery

Mrs. FISCHER. I yield the floor.

Mrs. FISCHER. I ask for the yeas and nays.

Mrs. FISCHER

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

Mrs. FISCHER. Mr. President, yesterday, I came to the floor to talk about the need to provide relief for families across this country who are hurting because of this coronavirus crisis. I said that people are frightened, that they are stressed, and that they are looking to us to take action. Many people have lost their jobs. Many are watching their hard-earned savings evaporate. Many don't know when they will be able to go back to work. Here in this body, my colleagues and I are trying to move forward on a bill that would provide relief to individuals, to families, to small and medium-sized businesses, and to our agriculture producers. Our bill would help to stabilize our economy in this downturn. The Senate bill offers reasonable, sorely needed solutions that will help families. Yet, while the anxiety and frustration around this country rises, the other side is obstructing and delaying the relief that the American people need. Let's look at what is happening here and on the other side of this building. The House Democrats ceased bipartisan negotiations on COVID-19--the relief package that we have been working on--so that they could write their own bill. What are the provisions that Speaker Pelosi and the House Democrats think are critical right now during this crisis of unprecedented proportion like we have never seen before? It is a wish list about which many of my colleagues have spoken. It is a wish list that has nothing to do with the crisis at hand--nothing to save lives and no serious, new effort to provide relief. Yesterday, I also spoke about the fact that, in our bill, we have relief for agriculture. It is the only effort to provide relief for agriculture producers, and it was facing a Democratic effort to be removed from the bill. I don't often agree with the chair of the Nebraska Democratic Party, but she was right when she said recently, in an interview with The Hill, that the Democrats don't have a plan for rural America. According to the article, she said that the Democrats only address rural voters directly--people in rural communities--when they show up in Iowa to campaign for votes. To the hard-working men and women of rural America, I say to you: Take note. Take note on who recognizes your vital role in our country and who is fighting for you. People are sick and people are scared. As of this morning, my home State of Nebraska now has 62 confirmed cases of COVID-19. Addressing these Democratic priorities will not help our healthcare workers, who are on the frontlines in this fight against this virus. It will not help our small businesses that might have to lay off people or shut their doors for good if they don't get this assistance. It doesn't help our ag producers in Nebraska and all across the heartland who are working tirelessly to feed the world during these tough times. I will say again what I said yesterday: We don't have a lot of time here. I urge all of my colleagues to work together and save the debate on a wish list for another day. Today, let's give the American people what they need, and that is relief--relief for the families who are at home, caring for their children, and doing everything they can to make ends meet; relief for our amazing healthcare workers and community hospitals that are combating this disease, caring for their patients and saving lives; relief for small Main Street businesses--the backbone of America--that make our communities vibrant and prosperous. Let's give all of these great Americans the critical relief to help carry them through this crisis. I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to work in a productive way to get this next phase of relief passed and send it to the President's desk as soon as possible. I yield the floor. I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mrs. FISCHER

Mrs. FISCHER. Mr. President, I wish to thank my colleague from North Dakota for really being a leader and recognizing the needs that we have across rural America, the needs that we are facing in the heartland for farmers, ranchers, rural communities, and rural hospitals. When we are looking at this pandemic and the effects it has all across this country, we need to be cognizant of the fact that we are a very diverse nation. We are a nation of condensed urban areas, and we are a nation with extreme vastness. I happen to live in a county that is in the middle of cattle country here in the United States, where we have less than one person per square mile and there are over 6,000 square miles in my county. We understand what being rural means. We understand the differences that exist, not just within the State of Nebraska but that exist here in this country. We believe that diversity needs to be recognized when we are talking about providing relief to families, relief to small businesses, and recovery. First, we have to get to the relief. We can't get on this bill right now. What I hear from my constituents, and I know all of you do--it doesn't matter if you are a Republican or a Democrat. I know all of you are hearing from your constituents about how ridiculous we look because we can't get on a bill for political reasons. I hope that, as we move forward, we are able to provide relief to families. People are in need. People are hurting. People are scared. And we are here talking--which is a good thing, if we come to a positive outcome--but we don't have much time. We have small businesses across this country that are hurting. I have heard from my dentist. I have heard from my neighbors who are very concerned about what is going on and whether they are going to be able to provide for their employees, their families and have a business to come back to. Yet, when you talk about livestock, I think Nebraskans have a good understanding of that because livestock is the economic engine in the State of Nebraska. It is the biggest revenue provider in agriculture in the State of Nebraska. It is a part of that ag economy that drives our State's economy, which is why working on provisions that are going to help producers will help every single person in my State. My office reached out to numbers of my friends and neighbors who are family ranchers and family farmers, and we asked them what is going on. The Senator from North Dakota talked about the losses--the extreme losses--that we are looking at. When I talk about farmers and ranchers, I am talking about family farmers and family ranchers and how people are looking at their families, their neighbors, and their communities. The coronavirus is adding another dimension to an already battered agriculture economy. This disease has been driving down crop and livestock prices. Therefore, I am adamant that, in this bill, we have to provide relief to address that. As for my colleague from North Dakota, who has led on this and come up with a solution that will help families, neighborhoods, communities, and my State, I thank him, for we have seen ag futures that have been dropping since February. Prices that have been offered for ranchers' cattle have been dropping. Ethanol plants are starting to idle, and they are starting to close down across the country. There is a lot of unsold grain that is sitting out in the countryside or that is in farm storage right now. As for the cattle--and I can speak to this--we have seen large volumes of negotiated cattle being procured at lower prices. We have seen a sharply rising boxed beef market both in volume and in price. As of last Thursday, cattle volume at live auctions declined by 75 percent, which is due to the folks who are practicing social distancing. That, in turn, has caused a $10 to $15 drop in the market price. Feeder cattle sales have slowed down. If you drive around counties in my State, where we see a lot of fed cattle, you will see empty pens. Feeders are getting hit twice and, arguably, the hardest. Suppliers, which include ethanol plants, are telling feeders that they have, maybe, 1 to 2 weeks max in which they can provide feed to them, and then those family farms are going to be in trouble because those ethanol plants are going to idle or they are going to shut down, which is going to cause feeders to worry about supply. The panic buying that we are seeing in the news can be correlated back to that high volume of beef that is being sold. We can see packers that are selling large volumes of beef with outstanding consumer demand. As a cattle rancher, you want to see that consumer demand but not in these times that are so uncertain. We have had packers communicate that they are going to continue to ramp up production. We are grateful for that, and it is needed to meet that high demand. Beef sales are increasing, as are boxed beef prices, and producers need to be able to share in the price gains of this unexpected surge in demand. In reality, the opposite has been happening. I have been working with my colleagues on measures that are in the CARES Act that will provide some relief to people in my State and across the heartland who are working to keep the world fed during this pandemic. The provision that we have in this current version of the bill will help to provide relief to cow-calf producers and feeders through the Commodity Credit Corporation, the CCC, which we have talked about, so we can have that increase so that livestock--beef, pork, poultry--can be included, which can also assist other commodities. This provision is needed. These dollars are the vehicle that we can use to help our producers get the relief they need during these tough times. There are so many times I hear from my neighbors that we leave agriculture out all the time; that we don't think about rural America. We do. We always do. Yet to listen to colleagues on the other side put off a vote is appalling. People are suffering, and people must be helped. We need to be here to provide relief and to have a plan for recovery. We have that. We worked in a bipartisan way to have it. Agriculture must be a part of that.

Mrs. FISCHER

Mrs. FISCHER. Mr. President, reserving the right to object, this concept is also under discussion and the centerpiece of negotiations between House Democrats and Secretary Mnuchin, which are ongoing. This Chamber will be in session next week to ensure that we are taking needed actions to appropriately respond to the coronavirus. Therefore, I object.

Mrs. FISCHER

Mrs. FISCHER. Mr. President, reserving the right to object, we have a paid family leave provision in law already, and the rules are in place from Treasury. We received those in September. I worked on this provision during tax reform, and I would certainly be happy to work with the Senator from Washington and my colleagues on the other side of the aisle in a bipartisan manner to extend the program that we have in law already that will help families. This is a public health emergency. It is ready. It is there. We need to work on it together. Therefore, I object.

Mrs. FISCHER

Mrs. FISCHER. Mr. President, reserving the right to object, this concept is under discussion, and it is a centerpiece of negotiations between the House Democrats and Secretary Mnuchin, which are ongoing. This Chamber will be in session next week to ensure that we are taking needed actions to appropriately respond to the coronavirus. I object.

Mrs. FISCHER

Mrs. FISCHER. Mr. President, I rise today to call up and pass legislation to keep the American people safe. The number of coronavirus cases in the United States is now over 1,000, including 10 confirmed cases in my home State of Nebraska. In China, there are over 80,000 cases and over 3,000 people have died. The Hubei Province, which contains the city where the virus originated, has been under lockdown since last January, quarantining an unprecedented 56 million people. Italy, a country of 60 million people, is completely shut down. The World Health Organization has now declared that this outbreak is a pandemic, meaning it will likely spread to all countries on Earth. Dr. Fauci echoed this yesterday in his testimony before the House Oversight and Reform Committee. We will see more cases, and things will continue to get worse. As the virus spreads, our healthcare providers and emergency responders are at the forefront of this health crisis. When someone tests positive for this disease, our emergency responders are the first ones there transporting them to the hospital. At the hospitals, medical personnel, doctors, nurses, and technicians are all working around the clock to provide lifesaving care and treat this illness. These people-- our healthcare providers and emergency responders--need access to the proper equipment so they can stay healthy. We can take action right here right now to make sure that that happens. I introduced this bipartisan bill with the senior Senator from Arizona. It would update our current law to ensure healthcare workers and first responders have access to respiratory protective devices, specifically, standard N95s. Under current law, the Federal Government can give targeted liability protection to people and entities to make, distribute, and administer certain drugs and protective equipment that are needed in a public health emergency. While surgical N95s are eligible for this protection, standard N95s are not. That doesn't make sense, and it doesn't make sense for two reasons. First, these devices are the same when it comes to protecting against airborne contaminants like we are dealing with for coronavirus. Second, the CDC has issued guidance listing standard N95s among the recommended products for use in this emergency. That makes it more difficult for the people and entities supplying, distributing, and manufacturing this equipment to do so, and we need to change that. We need to make sure that these devices are readily available, and this legislation has bipartisan support in this body, and it has bipartisan support in the House. It was introduced by my colleague from Nebraska, Congressman Don Bacon. The White House supports it. Vice President Pence said on Tuesday this legislation is ``important . . . to ensure that our healthcare workers are properly protected and outfitted.'' I mentioned that this bill has bipartisan support. I want to be clear that our hard-fought progress on this legislation would not have been made if it weren't for the tireless work of my good friend, the senior Senator from Arizona. So I thank her for her efforts and her partnership. We know that coronavirus is moving fast, and we owe it to America's healthcare providers and our first responders who are fighting to stay ahead of this. Therefore, I ask unanimous consent that the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee be discharged from further consideration of S. 3372 and the Senate proceed to its immediate consideration. I ask unanimous consent that the Fischer substitute amendment at the desk be agreed to; the bill, as amended, be considered read the third time and passed; and that the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table.

Mrs. FISCHER

Mrs. FISCHER. Mr. President.

Mrs. FISCHER. Reserving the right to object, the legislation that is offered by my colleague is too narrow in scope. It does not cover all respirators currently recommended by the CDC for healthcare professionals who are treating patients with COVID-19. My colleagues know that. This is inadequate. The legislation that the senior Senator from Arizona and I have offered covers all CDC-recommended respirators. Moreover, our bill is not limited to this specific public health emergency but rather responsibly addresses future public health respirator needs. We are looking at what is going to happen in the future, and right here, right now, the Senate does have this opportunity to address these current emergencies and, yes, future emergencies by making sure that we can provide lifesaving equipment to the American people. So, accordingly, I object.