Mazie Hirono

Ms. HIRONO

Ms. HIRONO. Mr. President, in just a few moments, the Senate will take a strong stand against anti-Asian hate in our country. Passing the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act sends a clear and unmistakable message of solidarity to the AAPI community, and this moment would not be possible without the collective efforts of so many people, including, of course, my Republican colleagues--one person in particular who just spoke before me. But I want to especially thank Majority Leader Schumer for making this bill a priority for the Senate and working closely with us to shepherd its passage. I also want to thank my colleagues in the House, especially Congresswoman Grace Meng for being the dogged advocate for our community during this process, as well as Members of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, led by Congresswoman Judy Chu. I urge all of my colleagues to vote for this legislation.

Ms. HIRONO

Ms. HIRONO. Mr. President, I echo the sentiments expressed by my colleague from Minnesota, and I rise today in support of the nomination of Vanita Gupta to be Associate Attorney General of the United States. Today, I am focusing my remarks on Ms. Gupta, but I will have some words of support for Kristen Clarke later. For 4 years, Donald Trump treated the Justice Department like his personal law firm. He ordered that the Department's attorneys drop charges or reduce sentencing recommendations against his friends and cronies. He ordered investigations and prosecutions against his political enemies. He even had the Department step in to defend him against the defamation claim relating to an allegation of rape. By the end of the Trump administration, the Justice Department's reputation was tarnished and the morale of its employees was lower than at any point since Watergate. Thankfully, President Biden has named a professional, highly qualified team to lead the Justice Department and to restore its place of prominence and moral authority in following the rule of law. It is significant that the Senate confirmed Merrick Garland as Attorney General and will shortly confirm Lisa Monaco as Deputy Attorney General with strong bipartisan support. I am disappointed that Vanita Gupta, a similarly well-qualified nominee, is not receiving the same bipartisan support. A few weeks ago, I sat in the Judiciary Committee for nearly 2 hours, listening to my Republican colleagues smear Ms. Gupta with lies about her record--lies like that she wants to decriminalize all drugs, that she wants to defund the police, that she is somehow responsible for the production of crystal meth in Mexico. When Chair Durbin finally called for a vote, not a single Republican supported Ms. Gupta's nomination. As I sat there listening to these lies and smears, I asked myself a question, and I am still pondering that question today: What exactly are Republicans afraid of? Unlike many of President Trump's nominees, Vanita Gupta is actually qualified to help lead the Justice Department. Throughout her career, Ms. Gupta has shown the strategic acumen, dogged determination, and coalition-building skills necessary to navigate the challenges facing our country. As a young attorney with the ACLU, she worked to exonerate 38 wrongfully convicted men and women in Tulia, TX. Mostly people of color, these individuals had been convicted of drug crimes based on the testimony of a single undercover police officer and sentenced to prison for periods of up to 434 years. Ms. Gupta was able to show that the officer was racially biased and had a reputation for dishonesty. She demonstrated that he falsified reports and misidentified defendants. In light of this evidence, the court found that the officer ``may be the most devious, non-responsive law enforcement witness this Court has witnessed in 25 years on the bench in Texas.'' The case was so compelling that then-Texas Governor Rick Perry pardoned 35 of the defendants. It was such a miscarriage of justice that those pardoned individuals ultimately received a $6 million settlement. Ms. Gupta later went on to lead the Justice Department Civil Rights Division. In this role, she stood up to the rights of transgender students and prisoners, fought discrimination against servicemembers, and defended the right to vote. From there, Ms. Gupta served as President and CEO of the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights where, among other things, she played a key role in passing the most significant criminal justice reform package in years. Ms. Gupta's qualifications are borne out in this experience and in the widespread support that she has received. Conservative leaders and longtime Republicans like Michael Chertoff, Grover Norquist, and Michael Steele have praised Ms. Gupta as a consensus builder on critical issues like voting rights and criminal justice reform. Every major law enforcement organization, including the Fraternal Order of Police and National Sheriffs' Association, has endorsed Ms. Gupta's nomination. In light of this widespread support, it is tough to take the criticisms I hear from my colleagues on the other side seriously. If Ms. Gupta supported defunding the police or decriminalizing all drugs, how did she manage to get universal support from the law enforcement community? If she is such a radical progressive, why are people like Grover Norquist and the former general counsel and senior vice president of Koch Industries endorsing her nomination? Republican criticism of Ms. Gupta is also hard to take seriously after they spent the past 4 years--4 years, and I was there--pushing through some DOJ and judicial nominees who were either wholly unqualified, openly supported disenfranchisement of Black Americans, or were even credibly accused of sexual assault. After 4 years of permissive deference to Donald Trump, it is rich to hear my Republican colleagues attacking and demeaning a strong, smart, and highly qualified woman of color like Vanita Gupta to serve in the Justice Department. Their attacks aren't an exercise of the Senate's constitutional duty to provide advice and consent. It is pure partisan politics at its worst. President Biden nominated Vanita Gupta to serve as Associate Attorney General because she is the best person for the job, and the Senate should confirm her without further delay. I yield the floor. I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Ms. HIRONO

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

Ms. HIRONO

Ms. HIRONO. Madam President, on March 29, Vilma Kari was walking to church near Times Square in Manhattan when a man pushed her to the ground and violently assaulted her in broad daylight. A silent video of the incident captured by a security camera inside a luxury apartment building showed the attack in vivid detail. In it, we can clearly see the assailant pushing Ms. Kari to the ground and kicking her repeatedly in the head and torso before leaving the scene. This video, which has gone viral, is disturbing enough to watch, but it doesn't capture the full picture of what happened. Witnesses to the attack recounted the assailant's repeatedly yelling ``You don't belong here'' to Ms. Kari--an immigrant from the Philippines who has lived in our country for decades. Now recovering from multiple injuries, including a broken pelvis, Vilma Kari has become one of the latest victims in a surging wave of hate crimes targeting the Asian-American, Pacific Islander community during the COVID-19 pandemic. Over the last year, we have seen businesses defaced with anti-Asian graffiti, elders verbally accosted on the street, women assaulted, and eight people murdered in cold blood at Asian-owned businesses in Georgia during unprovoked attacks. All told, people of Asian descent have reported more than 3,800 hate incidents across all 50 States and the District of Columbia. These attacks are disturbing and horrifying, but they are, in many ways, a predictable and foreseeable outgrowth of the use of racist and inflammatory language, like ``Chinese virus,'' ``Wuhan virus,'' and ``Kung flu,'' to describe the COVID-19 pandemic. Last year, as some political leaders, including the former President, started using this language, the FBI warned of a potential surge in hate crime incidents targeting people of Asian descent. At the same time, public health experts warned of the danger of singling out the Asian-American community as being responsible for the virus. These warnings proved prophetic. A study recently published by the American Journal of Public Health found there was a dramatic increase in tweets using anti-Asian phrases after the first time the former President tweeted using the hashtag ``China virus'' on March 16, 2020. This rise in hate crimes targeting AAPIs over the past year has shown the extent to which this inflammatory rhetoric has normalized racist attitudes toward and the stigmatization of Asian Americans with devastating consequences. The Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism, for example, assessed that, in 16 of the Nation's largest cities, hate crimes targeting AAPIs spiked nearly 150 percent during the pandemic. The current dramatic rise in hate crimes targeting Asian Americans might be a recent development, but we all know that racism is never far below the surface in our country, sadly. Asian Americans have always been targeted as the ``other'' in our country--considered the perpetual ``foreigner.'' It is what drove the passage of the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 and is what led to the incarceration of 120,000 Japanese Americans during World War II. It is also what drove two Detroit autoworkers, during the height of hysteria about Japan's growing economic strength, to murder a Chinese-American man named Vincent Chin in 1982 because they thought he was Japanese. Outrageously, neither of Vincent's killers received prison time. Nearly 40 years later, we can see clear parallels between the racism that motivated Vincent Chin's murder and the ongoing surge in anti-Asian racism and hate crimes. We can also see the parallels in the wave of activism both unleashed. Today, the AAPI community is uniting, once again, to confront this epidemic of racism, discrimination, and hate. We are marching, speaking out, and demanding action in cities and States across the country. As part of our activism, we are working to dispel the model minority myth that all Asians are successful and integrated in society. This racist and discriminatory stereotype devalues the struggles and experiences of an extraordinarily diverse community. The AAPI community is comprised of people from more than 48 distinct ethnic groups who speak over 300 languages. Some of these groups have been in this country for over 100 years. Others have grown in size through waves of immigration in recent decades. Like other communities of color, elements of the AAPI community have traditionally suffered from a variety of health, economic, and other disparities for years, and the COVID-19 pandemic has only made them worse. AAPIs are contracting and dying from COVID-19 at much higher rates than White Americans and at comparable rates with Black and Hispanic Americans. Our community has suffered too much over the past year from the two epidemics of racism and COVID, and confronting both will continue to present challenges, but it has been a relief to have a President capable of demonstrating care and empathy and who shares our sense of urgency in confronting this wave of hate. In his first week as President, Joe Biden issued an executive memorandum that condemned racism, xenophobia, and intolerance targeting the AAPI community and directed the Federal Government to actively combat it. In recent weeks, following the brutal murder of eight people, including six Asian women in Georgia, President Biden took additional action. He announced new investments for research into anti- Asian xenophobia through the National Science Foundation, directed $50 million in support for victims of hate crimes, and established a COVID- 19 equity task force to combat anti-Asian hate. Members of President Biden's administration have followed his lead. Attorney General Merrick Garland, for example, pledged to prioritize hate crimes enforcement during his confirmation hearing and has taken additional steps to help local law enforcement agencies investigate bias crimes. Under President Biden's leadership, the executive branch is doing its part. Now it is time for us--it is time for Congress to act. I am encouraged that in just a few minutes, the Senate will vote to proceed to the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act on a strong bipartisan vote. This is not a controversial bill. It would focus Federal leadership to investigate and report hateful acts of violence and provide resources for our communities to come together to take a stand against intolerance and hate. The COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act directs the Attorney General to designate a person whose responsibility it will be to expedite review of anti-Asian hate crimes and report them. It also instructs DOJ to issue guidance to State and local law enforcement on culturally appropriate public education campaigns and on the collection of data on hate crimes or incidents. Such culturally-sensitive, in-language outreach is an important element for strengthening trust and awareness in impacted communities, and it will help overcome established hesitancy to report hate crimes or incidents to law enforcement. At a time when the AAPI community is under siege, this bill is an important signal that Congress is taking anti-Asian racism and hatred seriously. Significantly, Democrats and Republicans are working together in good faith to come to consensus to pass this bill. For example, I wholeheartedly support a bipartisan amendment from Senators Blumenthal and Moran to attach their NO HATE Act to this bill. Their amendment improves the data collection and reporting of all hate crimes so that we can better understand their prevalence and implement effective policies to prevent them. Senator Collins and I are also working on additional language to broaden support for the bill. The ongoing wave of anti-Asian violence and hate crimes has touched virtually every single member of the AAPI community. We are talking about millions of people in the AAPI community. Many of us are changing our daily routines. Until recently, I usually have my earbuds in, listening to an audio book whenever I leave my apartment to go for a walk. I don't do that now. An attack on one group in our country is truly an attack on all of us. By passing the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act, we can come together on a bipartisan basis to show that the U.S. Senate will not be a bystander to the wave of racist, anti-Asian violence in our country. So let's get it done together. I yield the floor.

Ms. HIRONO

Ms. HIRONO. Madam President, I ask for the yeas and nays.

Ms. HIRONO

Ms. HIRONO. Mr. President. I rise today to condemn violence and discrimination against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) that has surged during the COVID-19 pandemic. Since March 2020, Stop AAPI Hate has received nearly 3,800 reports of discrimination and hate incidents nationwide. Unfortunately, the recent surge in xenophobia and hate specifically targeted against AAPIs is not new. More than 180 years ago, when the first Asian immigrants came to the United States, members of the AAPI community experienced prejudice and legalized discrimination. Xenophobic policies such as the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 and the Federal government's incarceration of more than 120,000 Japanese Americans during World War II, were born from fear, ignorance, and anti-immigrant hostility. More recently, after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, Arab, Muslim, Sikh, and South Asian Americans faced a wave of hate incidents and blame similar to what AAPI individuals are experiencing today. As George Santayana said, ``Those who do not remember the past are condemned to repeat it.'' The former president espoused and amplified virulent intolerance using slurs such as the ``China virus'' and ``kung flu'' to characterize the COVID-19 virus, putting the lives of 23,000,000 AAPIs at risk, including more than 2,000,000 AAPI frontline workers. Every day, these heroic individuals put their personal health and safety on the line to serve other Americans as health care professionals, first responders, transit operators, and in supermarkets and other essential service industries. However, AAPI frontline workers are not immune from discrimination and hate, which impacts both their personal and professional lives. Some AAPI nurses and doctors have reported workplace harassment from other staff and patients who refuse their care, while others have experienced terrifying encounters, including being violently shoved, spit on, and called racial slurs during their evening commute. The rise in attacks against older AAPI individuals are both alarming and unconscionable. In January 2021, three AAPI elders were violently attacked in separate incidents in California. Tragically, one of these individuals, Vicha Ratanapakdee, died from injuries he sustained during an unprovoked assault, which his family believes was racially motivated. This discrimination which includes acts of physical violence is an additional threat elders now face as a result of the pandemic. Older adults are at higher risk of contracting severe COVID-19 and AAPI elders, particularly those who are recent immigrants or have limited English proficiency, may face additional challenges in obtaining health care, enduring economic insecurity, and suffering from language isolation. Recently, on March 16, 2021, eight people, including six women of Asian descent, were shot to death at three Atlanta-area businesses. During a year of increasing racism and attacks targeting AAPIs, this latest senseless act of violence adds to the pain and fear felt by many in the AAPI community. Our leaders must step up and confront racial hatred and violence. At Merrick Garland's hearing to be Attorney General of the United States, I highlighted the surge in discrimination and hate crimes against the AAPI community. In contrast to the Department of Justice under the Trump administration, then-Judge Garland recognized the harm and fear that these incidents have caused and pledged that under his leadership, the Civil Rights Division would vigorously review and prosecute these cases. This is the kind of leadership we need in order to combat these crimes. I will continue to raise the issue of anti- Asian hate with other nominees and officials to call attention to the alarming rise of hate crimes against AAPIs and the critical need for action. The legislation that I have introduced, the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act, will help to address the ongoing surge in violence against AAPI communities. It will focus federal leadership to investigate and report hateful acts of violence, and provide resources for our communities to come together and take a stand against intolerance and hate. The actions of our leaders matter, and I call on my colleagues in the United States Senate to condemn anti-Asian racism, and swiftly pass the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act during the 117th Congress. I yield the floor.

Ms. HIRONO

Ms. HIRONO. Mr. President, during the last year we have all experienced the impacts of the coronavirus on everyday life. The coronavirus has shuttered businesses, closed schools, cancelled events, and overwhelmed hospitals and other health care facilities. It has fundamentally changed how we live our lives. I can think of few better examples of where this has been the case than in our K-12 schools. Hawaii public school students, parents, and teachers have told me about how they have been impacted by the coronavirus. I have learned about the challenges they have faced with school closures, and heard about how they have adjusted to distance and hybrid learning--two terms that were pretty unfamiliar just a year ago. They are ready to return to the classroom. But they need to return safely. That's why Congress recently provided an additional $130 billion for K-12 schools--to make sure that when they do reopen, they have the necessary resources to provide healthy and safe learning environments for students. If nothing else, the coronavirus has demonstrated how important these environments are for student success. Unfortunately, however, we know that even before the coronavirus many students lacked access to these environments--including students in federally impacted school districts. In many ways it comes down to school facilities. A recent survey identified $4.2 billion in school facility needs in federally impacted schools. These were basic health and safety needs to address issues like lead and mold remediation; electrical, HV AC, and plumbing upgrades; leaky roofs; expired boilers; outdated technology; and others--hardly conditions where students can be expected to succeed. We need to make bold investments. We need to make them now. That's why I am reintroducing the Impact Aid Infrastructure Act (or ``IAIA'') for the 117th Congress. IAIA provides $1 billion in supplemental funding for Impact Aid Construction Grants in FY2022. Specifically, the bill provides funding for competitive and formula grants that would help our federally impacted schools build, renovate, repair, and otherwise improve their facilities. With these funds, federally impacted schools that are severely disadvantaged when it comes to raising revenue to finance projects would receive much-needed assistance. We can certainly do more for these districts, but this investment is a start. I urge my colleagues to support this important legislation. I yield the floor.

Ms. HIRONO

Ms. HIRONO. Mr. President, I rise today to introduce a bill that will help to improve adult vaccination rates throughout this country. I am thankful to Senators Capito, Whitehouse, and Scott of South Carolina for their partnership on this important legislation. Before there were vaccines, nearly everyone got measles, and diseases like whooping cough, polio, and rubella were commonplace among children and adults. Luckily for us, vaccines are now a cornerstone of our nation's disease prevention efforts. They have a demonstrated record limiting the spread of debilitating and potentially deadly conditions-- from measles to flu to pneumonia--saving lives and reducing health care costs. A successful vaccination campaign is also essential to fully reopening society and preventing future COVID-19 outbreaks. Unfortunately, adult vaccines rates are not nearly as high as they could and should be. Prior to the pandemic, more than 50,000 adults per year died from vaccine-preventable diseases in the United States, while millions more became ill as a result, causing them to miss work and leaving some unable to care for those who depend on them. The health care costs associated with low adult vaccine rates are enormous--each year, the U.S. spends $15 billion treating Medicare beneficiaries alone for these vaccine-preventable diseases. Because the immune system deteriorates as people age, adults 50 and over are especially susceptible to many vaccine-preventable diseases and account for a disproportionate number of deaths and illnesses from these disease. As Americans age, the impact of these diseases and their complications is likely to grow--unless we quickly and substantially improve use of and access to adult vaccines, especially among Medicare beneficiaries. By increasing vaccine access, we can save thousands of lives and potentially billions of dollars. Unfortunately, older adults seeking access to and coverage for vaccines encounter many barriers. They may not know where or how to get vaccinated and cost can be an obstacle for both patients and providers. That's why we've introduced the Protecting Seniors Through Immunization Act of 2021. The bill improves vaccine information and education for Medicare beneficiaries, including the risks and consequences of vaccine-preventable disease, and ensures older adults know what vaccines are right for them at the right time. The bill also eliminates the cost burden of vaccines on our nation's aging population. Vaccines are available for free under private insurance, but under Medicare, vaccine coverage is split between Medicare Part B and Medicare Part D. Seniors can access vaccines covered under Part B--such as flu, pneumonia and Hepatitis--with no cost-sharing. However, vaccines covered under Part D, such as shingles (herpes zoster) and pertussis (Tdap), can include a wide range of cost- sharing requirements. For seniors, many of whom live on fixed incomes such as Social Security benefits, these additional costs may preclude them from being vaccinated. A 2018 study of Tdap and herpes zoster vaccine claims under Medicare Part D demonstrated that higher out-of-pocket cost-sharing is associated with higher rates of cancelled vaccination claims--in other words, when the costs of vaccines are too high, seniors can't or won't get them. The study found that cost-sharing of $51 or greater is associated with a 2 to 2.7-times greater rate of cancelled vaccination claims compared with $0 cost-sharing. There are more than 300,000 cases of shingles reported in the U.S. each year. About 50 percent of people who experience shingles will have postherpetic neuralgia, a debilitating, painful, and long-lasting disease. This is just one example of the types of conditions that vaccines can prevent. We have a lot of room for improvement for uptake of these vaccines. Passing the Protecting Seniors Through Immunization Act of 2021 will help us to do so. By reducing cost barriers and improving access and raising awareness, we can implement these vaccines better and set the stage for healthy aging.

Ms. HIRONO. Mr. President, I rise today to introduce the COVID-19 Disinformation Research and Reporting Act. I thank Representative Jennifer Wexton for working with me on this important piece of legislation, which will help shine a light on the ways social media and other online platforms amplify and spread misinformation and disinformation about the coronavirus pandemic to the detriment of public health. I also thank my colleagues--Senators Booker, Blumenthal, Klobuchar, Warren, and Reed--for cosponsoring this bill. As I stand here today nearly 30 million Americans have been diagnosed with COVID-19 and over 540,000 have died from the virus. The numbers alone are staggering. But when you hear and read the personal stories of individuals and families who are suffering, it is truly tragic. It makes you mournful that for many of the individuals who died, they died alone in the absence of their loved ones. While many things contributed to this massive loss of life, I am here to talk about one in particular: the insidious spread of coronavirus- related misinformation and disinformation online. This ``infodemic'' has undercut the efforts of public health officials at every turn, and threatens to prolong the virus's impact on the health of our people and economy long after a safe and effective vaccine is available. The online spread of misinformation about public health is nothing new. Claims that the 2014 Ebola epidemic was a form of population control spread across social media. Anti-vaccination groups have long used Facebook and YouTube to share junk science and recruit new members. However, social media platforms' response to coronavirus was supposed to be different. Early in the pandemic, the major social media platforms announced new measures to combat misinformation while making sure users had access to accurate, authoritative information about the virus. Facebook added a COVID-19 Information Center to the tops of users' News Feeds and announced it would remove misinformation that could contribute to imminent physical harm. Twitter verified accounts that provided credible updates on the pandemic and committed to removing false or misleading content that contradicted information from health authorities. YouTube began directing users who searched for COVID-related information to the WHO or other health authorities and banned false information contradicting health authorities on treatment, prevention, diagnosis, or transmission of COVID-19. Unfortunately, these measure proved lacking and insufficient. The conspiracy film Plandemic was viewed more than 8 million times across social media platforms, and the sequel was viewed over 100,000 times on YouTube during its first week alone. An August 2020 study by advocacy group Avaaz found that misinformation about vaccines and other health topics had been viewed an estimated 3.8 billion times on Facebook in the previous year--four times more than factual, authoritative content from institutions like the WHO and CDC. The study found that only 16% of previously fact-checked health misinformation on Facebook carried a warning label. Spend even a small amount of time on the internet or social media and you will find rampant misinformation and conspiracy theories about COVID-19. Some examples of these falsehoods include: Bill Gates created the virus to use a vaccine as cover to implant microchips into Americans. No, actually, Dr. Fauci created the coronavirus to seize political power. You shouldn't wear a mask to protect against the coronavirus, because wearing a mask actually weakens your immune system. And do not worry if you catch the coronavirus--you can treat it by drinking bleach. These claims might seem ridiculous, but they have real word consequences. A study published in the American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene found that 5,800 people had been hospitalized and at least 800 people died in the first three months of 2020 alone as a direct result of coronavirus-related misinformation. As recently as August, the Georgia Department of Health and the Texas Poison Control Center had to warn people not to drink bleach to treat COVID. A recent poll found that only 51 percent of people wear a facial covering in public, despite its proven efficacy in preventing the spread of COVID. And, perhaps must troubling, polls suggest that over 30% of the U.S. population will not get a COVID vaccine. If we hope to get past the coronavirus and avoid similar public health crises in the future, we must understand where misinformation originates, how it spreads, and strategies to stop it. This is exactly what the COVID-19 Disinformation Research and Reporting Act will do. It directs the National Science Foundation to partner with the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine to conduct a study on the spread of COVID-19-related disinformation and misinformation on the internet and social media platforms. This study will provide critical information on the roles disinformation and misinformation have played in the public response to COVID-19, including public acceptance of and demand for COVID-19 vaccines; the sources of COVID-19-related disinformation and misinformation and the ways it has influenced the public debate; the role social media plays in the disseminating and promoting this disinformation and misinformation; and potential strategies for combatting misinformation and disinformation in the future. This information will not stop the next pandemic from coming. And, it will not force the next Administration to take it seriously and follow the advice of doctors and scientists. But it can give us the knowledge and tools necessary to avoid another infodemic and ensure the American public receives accurate and authoritative information when it is most needed. I therefore encourage my colleagues to support the COVID-19 Disinformation Research and Reporting Act.

Ms. HIRONO

Ms. HIRONO. Madam President, I rise today in support of the nomination of my friend and former colleague Xavier Becerra to lead the Department of Health and Human Services. Xavier and I served together in the House of Representatives from January 2007 to January 2013. While we sat on different House committees, we were both very involved in one of Congress's most significant achievements during that time--passage of the Affordable Care Act, ACA. The ACA promised to greatly shrink the number of uninsured Americans and rein in health care costs that were increasing rapidly. It also led to false, harsh, partisan accusations by Republicans that the law was going to ration health care and death panels were inevitable. Despite years of sabotage and dozens of attempts to repeal it, the Affordable Care Act has lived up to its promise: more than 20 million Americans gained health insurance thanks to the ACA, and the ACA reduced health care spending a total of $2.3 trillion between 2010 and 2017. As a senior member of the Health Subcommittee of the House Ways and Means Committee, Xavier Becerra played a significant role to help write and pass the ACA and defended the law from near continuous Republican assault as California's attorney general. Most recently, he has been leading litigation at the Supreme Court to reinstate the ACA after an ideologically-driven district court judge struck down the law in its entirety. These efforts demonstrate the leadership, experience, and health policy expertise Xavier will bring to the Department of Health and Human Services. Despite these bona fides, Republican Senators are actively smearing Xavier's reputation and misrepresenting his qualifications to prevent him from becoming the first Latino to serve as HHS Secretary. First, they claim Xavier isn't qualified because he isn't a doctor. Republicans clearly didn't believe this was a deal breaker when all but one of them voted to confirm Alex Azar--a former executive at Eli Lilly--as Donald Trump's HHS Secretary. I think most Americans would rather have an HHS Secretary like Xavier Becerra, who successfully sued hospitals to lower healthcare costs, than a person in charge of running a pharmaceutical company. Republicans have also claimed that Xavier lacks ``extensive health care experience.'' This is particularly rich coming from the same people who voted to confirm Betsy De-Vos to become Education Secretary. She not only had never worked in a public school, she had never even attended one. These same Republicans voted to confirm Rick Perry to become Energy Secretary, when he didn't even know the Department of Energy was responsible for the Nation's nuclear arsenal. Throughout his 12 terms in the House of Representatives, Xavier Becerra was a leader on health policy issues. He helped write the most sweeping change to our healthcare system in more than a generation, and now, as the California attorney general, he is defending that law in court. He has the experience needed to lead the Department of Health and Human Services. Republicans are also attacking Xavier's nomination on the grounds that he is somehow ``extreme'' and ``a radical'' because he supports a woman's right to have an abortion. The Supreme Court first recognized a woman's constitutional right to an abortion in 1973. That is nearly 50 years ago. Supporting this fundamental right is anything but radical, it is a position shared by almost 70 percent of the American people. But that hasn't stopped attacks on a woman's right to seek and have one. What is ``extreme'' and ``radical'' are Republican efforts to undermine this right--if not completely eliminate it. Just last week, the Republican Governor of Arkansas signed a law that bans all abortions unless they are necessary to save the life of the mother. This law is directly contrary to the Supreme Court's command that States cannot prohibit abortion prior to viability. It does not even include an exception for pregnancies that are the result of rape or incest. The junior senator from Arkansas has called Xavier Becerra ``extreme'' and ``a radical'' for defending a woman's constitutional right to an abortion, while his State wants to force women who have been raped to carry their pregnancies to term. What planet are we living on? On Thursday night, Xavier Becerra will be confirmed to become the next Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services. In any normal world, the vote would be bipartisan and it would be overwhelming. I strongly support his nomination and call on my colleagues to do so as well. (At the request of Mr. Schumer, the following statement was ordered to be printed in the Record.)

Ms. HIRONO

Ms. HIRONO. Madam President, I was necessarily absent for votes on March 18, 2021, so I could return to Hawaii to tend to a family matter. On March 18, had I been present, I would have voted yea on confirmation: Xavier Becerra, of California, to be Secretary of Health and Human Services, rollcall vote 125. Madam President, I was necessarily absent for votes on March 18, 2021, so I could return to Hawaii to tend to a family matter. On March 18, had I been present, I would have voted yea on cloture motion: Martin Joseph Walsh, of Massachusetts, to be Secretary of Labor, rollcall vote 126.

Ms. HIRONO

Ms. HIRONO. Mr. President, I was necessarily absent for votes on March 17, 2021, so I could return to Hawaii to tend to a family matter. On March 17, had I been present, I would have voted yea on confirmation: Katherine C. Tai, of the District of Columbia, to be United States Trade Representative, Rollcall vote 123. Mr. President, I was necessarily absent for votes on March 17, 2021, so I could return to Hawaii to tend to a family matter. On March 17, had I been present, I would have voted yea on cloture motion: Xavier Becerra, of California, to be Secretary of Health and Human Services, Rollcall vote 124. (At the request of Mr. Schumer, the following statement was ordered to be printed in the Record.)

Ms. HIRONO

Ms. HIRONO. Mr. President, I rise to support the nomination of Katherine Tai to serve as the next United States Trade Representative. When confirmed, Ms. Tai will be the first woman of color and first Asian American to lead the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative. Katherine Tai's story is America's story. Her parents came to the United States as graduate students and remained here to make a better life for themselves and their family, her father as a researcher at the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center and her mother as a scientist for the National Institutes of Health. Given her parents' background, Katherine is no stranger to public service, and through her parents' hard work and dedication to make a better life for their daughter, she was able to attend Yale University and Harvard Law, became a talented trade lawyer, and was nominated by President Biden to lead the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative. I have a deep appreciation for the Tais, their work ethic and their commitment to family. Representation matters, and Ms. Tai will be a representative for the United States in more ways than one. Ms. Tai is a highly-qualified nominee with the experience to lead the U.S. trade policy at a critical time for our country, specifically as we continue to recover from the damage wrought by the coronavirus pandemic and rebuild our relationships with our allies abroad. She is a person who can help mend relationships and restore alliances. Supporters have described her as a knowledgeable, tenacious trade expert who will work with a cross-section of advocates and stakeholders with the goal of bettering the lives of the American people and strengthening our economy at all levels. They have described her willingness to build coalitions across party lines, highlighting her broad support from both Democrats and Republicans, and from the labor, business, and environmental communities. They have referred to her time as a trade lawyer at the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, where she worked to enforce trade agreements with China to hold that country accountable before the World Trade Organization. They have highlighted her time as a lawyer with the House Ways and Means Committee, where she built partnerships and crafted agreements that received broad bipartisan approval. These included the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Trade Agreement, which passed the Senate by an 89-10 vote and the House by a 385-41 vote. Ms. Tai played a key role in crafting the agreement, which speaks to her skills and experience. Perhaps more importantly, however, Ms. Tai will prioritize trade policies that promote workers, families, the environment, and local communities. I met with Ms. Tai just after President Biden nominated her, and during our conversation, it was clear she understands that trade policies have real world implications for everyday people. She knows that if trade deals are not working for people, then they need to change. People need to come first as we develop trade deals. At a time when people are still working to recover from the coronavirus, Ms. Tai is the Trade Representative we need for the United States. A family emergency has prevented me from being here for today's vote, but if I were present, I would have voted to confirm Katherine Tai as U.S. Trade Representative. I strongly urge my colleagues to support her nomination.

Ms. HIRONO

Ms. HIRONO. Madam President, I rise in support of the historic nomination of Deb Haaland to serve as the next Secretary of the Interior. When confirmed, Congresswoman Haaland will be the first Native American to serve in a Cabinet position. Deb Haaland's nomination to become Secretary of the Interior means so much to the future of this country. For the historically underrepresented and mistreated indigenous communities of these United States, it means that their experiences and perspectives will be valued and represented at the highest ranks of our Federal Government. This important milestone and this reflection of their stories cannot be overstated. It means that young Americans and perhaps especially young people in indigenous communities, who put themselves through school, take out student loans, raise children, and run a business, will see their struggles in this nominee and realize that they, too, can work their way to high-ranking government positions. Deb Haaland' s confirmation means that our country will, after 4 years of neglect and catering to the fossil fuel industry, work again to ensure that our natural resources are conserved for the next generation. It means that the Federal Government will take swift, meaningful actions to address climate change. It means that trust and relationships between local communities, Tribes, and the Federal Government will be restored and strengthened. My Republican colleagues have gone to great lengths to smear Congresswoman Haaland as an extremist. They point to the commonsense policies and positions that she took while representing her constituents as ``radical'' and framing her as ``outside the mainstream.'' They are adamantly opposed to President Biden's environmental agenda and, regardless of what Deb Haaland says in response to their concerns, oppose her because they simply oppose the President's agenda. If you took them for their word, you would believe that fossil fuels would disappear overnight. You would believe that workers in that industry would immediately lose their jobs, that our energy grids would become unreliable, that the sky would be falling. What they don't talk about is how the Department of the Interior is putting a pause on new, not existing, oil and gas leases. A pause. They don't mention how Deb Haaland, during her confirmation hearing, repeatedly assured them that the administration will not abandon workers and families in the fossil fuel industry as we transition to clean energy. They ignored and discounted her repeated commitments to working with Senators and stakeholders in their respective States on issues that they care about. They don't talk about the impacts of climate change on American communities, how climate change is an environmental justice issue, or the benefits of expanding our country's clean energy production. Instead, their message is simple--if the nominee is not beholden to the fossil fuel industry, they won't support them. Yes, President Biden's environmental agenda is bold. His commitments to addressing climate change, which he identified as a crisis, are strong. We as a country cannot afford to continue with the fossil fuel extracting, carbon emitting status quo. We cannot keep burying our heads in the sand and kicking the can down the road, expecting our children and grandchildren to clean up our messes. President Biden committed to tackling some of the greatest challenges of our lifetime, and he named climate change as one of the four great crises of our time. Major changes will need to happen including our old ways of thinking. We need to be bold, innovative, and think outside the box. As our country takes on these issues, challenges and opportunities are inevitable. By having Deb Haaland at the helm of Interior, I know that our local communities from Hawaii, to Alaska, to Maine, and everywhere in between, will have a Secretary willing to listen, a Secretary who will take the time to understand their issues. Our country can successfully transition from overreliance on fossil fuels, increase our clean energy production, protect our environment, and make real progress on climate change by working together. Mr. President, a family emergency has kept me from being in attendence for today's vote. If I were present, I would have voted to confirm Deb Haaland as Secretary of the Interior. It is not only a historic vote but one of hope. I urge my colleagues to join me in my support. (At the request of Mr. Schumer, the following statement was ordered to be printed in the Record.)

Ms. HIRONO

Ms. HIRONO. Madam President, I was necessarily absent for a vote on March 15, 2021, so I could return to Hawaii to tend to a family matter. On March 15, had I been present, I would have voted yea on the confirmation of Debra Anne Haaland to be Secretary of the Interior, rollcall vote 119.

Ms. HIRONO

Ms. HIRONO. Mr. President, I rise today to introduce the Inventor Diversity for Economic Advancement Act of 2021. I thank my colleague from North Carolina, Senator Tillis, for working with me on this important piece of legislation, which serves as a first step to closing the diversity gap in our patent system by collecting demographic data on patent applicants. Women and racial minorities have made some of the most significant inventions in this Nation's history. The $75 billion home security industry grew from an initial home security system invented by Marie Van Brittan Brown. The computer would never have become the multimedia device it is today without the microcomputer system invented by Mark Dean. The genetic revolution would still be science fiction if not for the CRISPR gene-editing tool discovered by Jennifer Doudna--raised on Hawaii's Big Island. We should celebrate these inventors and the many others like them who have contributed to innovation in this Nation. But we must also recognize the hard truth that women, racial minorities, and many other groups are greatly underrepresented in the U.S. patent system. The Patent and Trademark Office's recent report on women inventors shines a spotlight on one part of this problem. The PTO found that only 22 percent of U.S. patents list a woman as an inventor and that women make up only 13 percent of all inventors. This is true even though women held 43 percent of all full-time jobs in 2016 and 28 percent of STEM jobs in 2015. Other reports highlight racial patent gaps. For example, a report by the Institute for Women's Policy Research found that the percentage of African American and Hispanic college graduates who hold patents is approximately half that of their white counterparts. Closing these gaps would turbocharge our economy. According to a study by Michigan State University Professor Lisa Cook, including more women and African Americans in the ``initial stage of the process of innovation'' could increase GDP by as much as $640 billion. Another study by the National Bureau of Economic Research found that eliminating the patent gap for women with science and engineering degrees alone would increase GDP by over $500 billion. It's simply good policy and good business to want to fully integrate people of all types into our innovation economy. But if we have any hope of closing the various patent gaps, we must first get a firm grasp on the scope of the problem. Studies of the demographic makeup of patentees, like the ones I described, are few and far between. The reason is a simple one. A lack of data. The PTO does not collect any data on applicants beyond their first and last names and city, State, and country of residence. As a result, those wishing to study patent gaps between different demographic groups are forced to guess the gender of an applicant based on his or her name, determine the race of an applicant by cross- referencing census data, or explore a number of other options that are time-consuming, unreliable, or both. The IDEA Act solves this problem. It would require the PTO to collect demographic data--including gender, race, and military or veteran status--from patent applicants on a voluntary basis. It would further require the PTO to issue reports on the data collected and, perhaps more importantly, make the data available to the public with appropriate protections for personally identifiable information. Outside researchers could therefore conduct their own analyses and offer insights into the various patent gaps in our society. Let me be clear. Closing the information gap facing researchers alone will not solve the patent gap facing women, racial minorities, and so many others. But it is a critical first step. I therefore encourage my colleagues to support the IDEA Act.

Ms. HIRONO

Ms. HIRONO. Mr. President, I rise today to introduce a bill that requires the Secretary of Agriculture to conduct a study on the establishment of, and the potential land that could be included in, a unit of the National Forest System in the State of Hawaii. The U.S. Forest Service currently oversees more than 150 National forests that receive Federal funding for watershed protection, wildlife conservation, enhancement of recreational access, wildfire prevention, among other things. Despite having unique forest ecosystems found nowhere else in the Nation, Hawaii is currently among the few States that do not have a National Forest. If warranted, a National Forest designation in Hawaii could provide additional Federal research and management resources. This bill directs the U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary, acting through the Chief of the U.S. Forest Service, to conduct a study in coordination with the Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources, and in consultation with the Hawaii Department of Agriculture as well as other State and local stakeholders, on the islands of Hawaii, Oahu, Kauai, Molokai, Lanai, and Maui. This study would, among other things, assess unique vegetation types, opportunities to improve and protect forest resources, secure favorable water flows, and opportunities for visitor use. The Secretary of Agriculture is given three years to conduct the study and report the results to Congress. Information from that report will then inform which lands in Hawaii, if any, would be suitable for inclusion in a National Forest. This bill is supported by the Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources.

Ms. HIRONO

Ms. HIRONO. Mr. President, I rise today to introduce a bill that requires the Secretary of Agriculture to conduct a study on the establishment of, and the potential land that could be included in, a unit of the National Forest System in the State of Hawaii. The U.S. Forest Service currently oversees more than 150 National forests that receive Federal funding for watershed protection, wildlife conservation, enhancement of recreational access, wildfire prevention, among other things. Despite having unique forest ecosystems found nowhere else in the Nation, Hawaii is currently among the few States that do not have a National Forest. If warranted, a National Forest designation in Hawaii could provide additional Federal research and management resources. This bill directs the U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary, acting through the Chief of the U.S. Forest Service, to conduct a study in coordination with the Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources, and in consultation with the Hawaii Department of Agriculture as well as other State and local stakeholders, on the islands of Hawaii, Oahu, Kauai, Molokai, Lanai, and Maui. This study would, among other things, assess unique vegetation types, opportunities to improve and protect forest resources, secure favorable water flows, and opportunities for visitor use. The Secretary of Agriculture is given three years to conduct the study and report the results to Congress. Information from that report will then inform which lands in Hawaii, if any, would be suitable for inclusion in a National Forest. This bill is supported by the Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources.

Ms. HIRONO

Ms. HIRONO. Mr. President, reserving the right to object, the majority of the minors who become pregnant tell their parents about the pregnancy even when they plan to seek an abortion. But it is not always possible or even advisable that a parent be informed. For some minors, telling their parents that they were sexually active, let alone pregnant, can lead to physical abuse. It can lead to those minors being thrown out of their homes. One study found that 45 percent of young people who did not seek advice from their parents about a pregnancy experienced significant negative consequences--such as punishment, abuse, being forced out of their home--when their parents found out. By requiring that parents of minors seeking an abortion be notified and setting the bar for an exception to this rule at a nearly insurmountable level, this bill ignores this reality of what might happen to these young people. In doing so, it turns an already difficult decision for a young person into an almost impossible one. It puts minors' health and safety at risk while doing nothing to strengthen families. This is made clear by the fact that all of the major medical organizations, including the American Medical Association, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the Society for Adolescent Medicine, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, and the American Public Health Association--all of these groups oppose laws like this one that mandate parental involvement in minors' abortion decisions. Let's be clear. This is yet another partisan attack on a woman's constitutionally-protected right to choose. It is completely unnecessary and distracts from the important work the Senate is doing right now to deliver urgently needed COVID relief. For these reasons, I object.

Ms. HIRONO

Ms. HIRONO. Mr. President, I rise today regarding the second impeachment of Donald Trump. The House managers made their case. Based on the evidence they presented and the events we all experienced, Donald Trump should be convicted and prohibited for holding office ever again for inciting a violent insurrection at the U.S. Capitol on January 6. Through video, pictures, and quotes, they outlined how the President of the United States engaged in a months-long campaign to discredit the legitimate election results of the 2020 election--a deranged campaign that began before a single vote was cast. This unprecedented campaign of misinformation, pushing the ``Big Lie,'' infected a significant contingent of the President's supporters. They came to Washington, DC, at Trump's invitation and inciteful rhetoric. They followed his direction on January 6 to storm the Capitol and tried to stop us from carrying out our constitutional duty to certify the election for the lawful winner of the Presidential election, Joe Biden. The evidence presented by the managers is solid and irrefutable, and the President's lawyers made almost no effort to try. Given the jury they were facing, I don't blame them. Almost every Senator in this Chamber was there that day. Senators Ossoff, Warnock, and Padilla weren't sworn in until January 20. We all experienced the unthinkable that day, and we are all processing it differently. The violent insurrection shook many of us to the core. For some of us, the events of that day were so chaotic that the full magnitude of what was happening wasn't clear at the time. Both as part of the trial evidence and through interviews and statements, we have learned more fully the measure of danger we faced as Donald Trump's murderous mob assaulted the Capitol campus. The managers' case and other media has given us all a better picture of the terror. There are stories of bravery, like that of Officer Eugene Goodman and his U.S. Capitol Police colleagues. The footage of Officer Goodman misdirecting the mob marauding through these halls is remarkable. Put yourself in his shoes. How many of us would have acted as quickly in the face of a rushing wave of hate? He has rightly been commended for his decisive, nearly superhuman response. All across the complex, his colleagues battled with insurrectionists who assaulted them with bats, bear spray, and other weapons in close quarters--these were scenes from a war zone, not the heart of the U.S. Government. While their bravery is commendable, Capitol Police and the other law enforcement agencies that eventually assisted to restore order should never have been in that position. But for the President of the United States sending a mob of violent insurrectionists to the Capitol, they would not have. There are other chilling stories that should make every American's heart race. The audio of the Speaker's staff barricaded in their office, whispering into the phone, voices trembling, begging for help. The silent Capitol security footage showing just how close the Vice President, Senators, Representatives, and staff came to harm. The videos of chanting, gleeful, rioters demonstrating their horrifying fealty to Donald Trump's lies as they broke down doors and ransacked offices and the Senate floor. The story that my friend Senator Murray has told of being trapped in her office with her husband. The mob pounding on the door while he tried to hold it shut with his foot. The absolute terror she must have felt hoping that the door was locked and that help would come quickly. They were inches away. The rest of us there that day were at least feet away. I am sure that we all called, texted, and thought of loved ones. Trying to reassure them but not actually knowing if that was true. Feeling from far away their helpless anguish for us and the utter terror and disbelief that something like this could happen in our country. To the U.S. Capitol, of all places. The U.S. Capitol is the heart of our democratic system of government. While we may disagree vociferously, debate passionately, and represent people and communities with deeply divergent views, Congress exists to find common ground without resorting to violence. This simple fact-- that as a country we solve our problems through democratic institutions and debate--is a source of our strength and global leadership. I have strong disagreements with a number of my colleagues. I know many of them disagree with me. But each day we come to the Senate floor and voice those disagreements without fear for our safety. On January 6, that basic level of understanding--the very thing that separates our country from so many others--was shattered by the assault on the Capitol. And worst of all, that insurrection was incited by a sitting President of the United States. In some respects, it is difficult to know how best to move forward from that awful day. We came back. We did our jobs. And we are still here doing what our constituents sent us here to do. The Capitol may have been changed indelibly for many of us. Again, to turn to the words of my friend Senator Murray the bipartisan actions shown in Congress in the wake of the September 11 attacks helped to restore some semblance of safety and security. That common response is absent today. To begin to heal, we need accountability. We need to live up to our constitutional oaths and the sacred duty our constituents bestowed on us when we were elected: to uphold the law, to stand for their values, and, when necessary, to stand for our own. We can only start to heal when we have accountability and justice for what happened. To achieve this, we need those who are in leadership positions to lead. Republicans failed to lead last year when they voted to acquit Donald Trump for his corrupt actions in dealing with Ukraine by conditioning military assistance on receiving political dirt on Joe Biden. Their failure to lead, to hold Trump accountable, and frankly to constrain his mania, emboldened him to push the boundaries of our political discourse further. Republicans have another chance to stand up for our democracy and against authoritarianism. They have a chance to accept the reality that has been clearly outlined for them in video, audio, and their own experiences. They can make a strong statement that political violence is unacceptable in the United States. They can--and should--vote to convict Donald Trump and bar him from ever holding office again. This is the real first, meaningful step that we can take to achieve the unity that we all claim to want. I will vote to convict. I hope that this time, more than one of them will be brave enough to lead by standing up and doing what is right.

Ms. HIRONO

Ms. HIRONO. Mr. President, I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Ms. HIRONO

Ms. HIRONO. Mr. President, I rise today to introduce the Safeguarding Against Fraud, Exploitation, Threats, Extremism and Consumer Harms Act, also known as the SAFE TECH Act. I thank my colleagues, Senator Warner and Senator Klobuchar, for working with me on this important piece of legislation, which fulfills the promise of Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act by forcing internet companies to finally address the serious harms their platforms cause--harms like civil rights and human rights violations, stalking and harassment, and wrongful death. Section 230--often called the law that created the internet--was passed in 1996. For some context, in 1996, Google was two years from being founded. Mark Zuckerberg was in middle school. And, the internet effectively shut down for nineteen hours when a technical glitch took American Online offline. The law was passed with a noble goal in mind: to encourage operators of then-nascent internet message boards to act as ``Good Samaritans'' and voluntarily police illegal and harmful content posted by third parties. Section 230 accomplished this goal by declaring that ``[n]o provider or user of an interactive computer service shall be treated as the publisher or speaker of any information provided by another information content provider.'' These twenty-six words have effectively shielded internet platforms from liability for any harm caused by content posted by third parties for the past twenty-five years. Unfortunately, whatever incentive Section 230 was meant to provide to encourage internet platforms to police content has proven to be no incentive at all. The statute's broad immunity applies whether a platform carefully reviews each piece of content posted by a user or performs no content moderation whatsoever. It immunizes platforms that have actual knowledge illegal content has been posted. It even applies if the platform itself encouraged the user to post the content. The result has been internet platforms large and small turning a blind eye to the real-world harms they cause. Let me tell you about a few of those real-world harms. Over the course of five months in late 2016 and early 2017, Matthew Herrick was harassed and physically assaulted by men directed to his home and office by the gay dating app Grindr. These men--over 1,100 in total--were responding to a fake profile created by Mr. Herrick's ex- boyfriend. Grindr was on notice of both the fake profile and its harmful effects. Mr. Herrick and his friends filed approximately fifty reports with the company reporting the problem and seeking help. But the company did nothing while Mr. Herrick suffered. On October 21, 2012, Radcliffe Haughton walked into a Wisconsin spa and shot and killed three women, including his estranged wife, and wounded four others before turning the gun on himself. He had purchased the gun the prior day from a private seller he found on the online gun marketplace Armslist.com. He was able to purchase the gun even though his wife had recently obtained a domestic abuse restraining order that specifically prohibited Mr. Haughton from purchasing a gun. For all intents and purposes, Armslist was designed to facilitate such illegal sales. It precluded users from flagging illegal sales; it allowed people to anonymously purchase guns without a background check; and it enabled prohibited purchasers to search only for sellers that did not check criminal backgrounds or keep records. Mr. Haughton took advantage of these features and, as a result, three people are dead. On August 25, 2020, 17-year-old Kyle Rittenhouse shot and killed two people and injured a third on the streets of Kenosha, Wisconsin during a protest of the police shooting of Jacob Blake. Mr. Rittenhouse was one of many armed, right-wing counter-protesters encouraged to travel to Kenosha by a Facebook page run by a group called ``Kenosha Guard'' that asked if any followers would be willing to ``take up arms and defend [the city] from the evil thugs.'' Despite being flagged to Facebook at least 455 times as a call to violence, the company left the page up. In none of these cases did Grindr, Armslist, and Facebook act like ``Good Samaritans.'' They did not voluntarily police the content on their platforms. Instead, they either actively encouraged or turned a blind eye to dangerous and illegal content knowing full well Section 230 immunized them for any harm their platforms caused. Any attempt by victims to hold the platforms accountable for their roles would be blocked by Section 230. Under the SAFE TECH Act, this would no longer be the case. This bill would ensure that internet companies either address the serious problems they are causing or face potential liability. It does so by creating targeted exceptions to Section 230's broad immunity, including exceptions for advertisements and other paid content; claims for injunctive relief; civil rights, stalking, and harassment laws; wrongful death actions; and suits under the Alien Tort Claims Act. Introducing these exceptions to Section 230 does not guarantee that platforms will be held liable in all--or even most--cases where they cause real-world harm. But it will give victims the opportunity to make their case. By doing so, the SAFE TECH Act will punish those bad actors who are actively encouraging or turning a blind eye to dangerous and illegal content, while allowing true ``Good Samaritans'' to flourish online. That was the promise of Section 230. After twenty-five years, it's about time we realize that promise. I therefore encourage my colleagues to support the SAFE TECH Act.

Ms. HIRONO

Ms. HIRONO. Mr. President, I rise today to introduce legislation to posthumously award Fred Toyosaburo Korematsu with the Congressional Gold Medal. Fred challenged the illegal internment of Japanese Americans during World War II and devoted his life to expanding civil rights and liberties for all people. Awarding him the Congressional Gold Medal, Congress' highest civilian honor, would be a fitting tribute to his lifelong pursuit of justice and equality. Fred was born in Oakland, California on January 30, 1919, to Japanese immigrant parents. Although he was an American citizen, Fred was discriminated against due to his Japanese ancestry. As the United States entered World War II, Fred tried unsuccessfully to enlist in the U.S. military, and was fired from his job at the Oakland shipyard. In 1942, Fred was arrested and convicted of defying military orders issued under Executive Order 9066, a discriminatory presidential order that authorized the mass removal and incarceration of more than 120,000 Japanese Americans during World War II. Fred challenged the constitutionality of the government's order but was convicted in federal court of violating military orders issued under Executive Order 9066. After a federal appeals court upheld his conviction, he appealed his case to the U.S. Supreme Court. On December 18, 1944, the Court ruled against him in a 6-3 decision, finding the government's discriminatory policy to incarcerate Japanese Americans was justified due to military necessity. Decades later, legal historians discovered key information that the federal government did not share with the Supreme Court, including a report that concluded very few Japanese Americans represented a national security risk. After this evidence of government misconduct emerged and was presented to the court, Fred's conviction was overturned by a Federal court in San Francisco nearly forty years later, on November 10, 1983. Fred believed that the Supreme Court's decision was wrong, and stated, ``I would like to see the Government admit that they were wrong and do something about it so this will never happen again to any American citizen of any race, creed or color.'' Although the Supreme Court's infamous ruling in Korematsu v. United States has been widely rejected by historians and legal experts, it has never been formally repudiated, and stands as one of the Supreme Court's worst precedents. The internment of Japanese Americans was a shameful act, and it was not until 1988 that the Civil Liberties Act was passed and our Government formally apologized to Americans of Japanese ancestry who were incarcerated during World War II. Fred Korematsu fought for this redress legislation and continued working to expand civil rights throughout his life. He spoke out against prejudice directed at minorities and immigrants, and after September 11, 2001, filed amicus briefs with the Supreme Court, warning our nation not to repeat history by committing civil and human rights travesties. During his lifetime, Fred Korematsu did not choose the easy route. Instead, he chose to fight and speak out against injustice his entire life. He fought not just for himself, but for everyone, particularly minorities who could be discriminated against based on their ethnicity. However, many of these injustices remain, and can be reborn as we have seen with the rise in anti-Asian prejudice during the COVID-19 pandemic. Fred Korematsu reminds us that we must remain vigilant against discrimination, particularly when it is disguised in times of emergency or for reasons of security. On January 30, Fred Korematsu Day of Civil Liberties and the Constitution, we honor the life of this civil rights hero whose legacy continues to inspire people of all backgrounds to speak up and fight for justice. This day uses one of the most blatant examples of racial discrimination to educate individuals on the dangers of political scapegoating and works toward a future that guarantees civil rights for everyone. I am proud to introduce the Fred Korematsu Congressional Gold Medal Act in his memory, and I call on my colleagues in the United States Senate to swiftly pass this bill during the 117th Congress. I yield the floor.

Ms. HIRONO

Ms. HIRONO. Mr. President, I rise today to introduce legislation to posthumously award Fred Toyosaburo Korematsu with the Congressional Gold Medal. Fred challenged the illegal internment of Japanese Americans during World War II and devoted his life to expanding civil rights and liberties for all people. Awarding him the Congressional Gold Medal, Congress' highest civilian honor, would be a fitting tribute to his lifelong pursuit of justice and equality. Fred was born in Oakland, California on January 30, 1919, to Japanese immigrant parents. Although he was an American citizen, Fred was discriminated against due to his Japanese ancestry. As the United States entered World War II, Fred tried unsuccessfully to enlist in the U.S. military, and was fired from his job at the Oakland shipyard. In 1942, Fred was arrested and convicted of defying military orders issued under Executive Order 9066, a discriminatory presidential order that authorized the mass removal and incarceration of more than 120,000 Japanese Americans during World War II. Fred challenged the constitutionality of the government's order but was convicted in federal court of violating military orders issued under Executive Order 9066. After a federal appeals court upheld his conviction, he appealed his case to the U.S. Supreme Court. On December 18, 1944, the Court ruled against him in a 6-3 decision, finding the government's discriminatory policy to incarcerate Japanese Americans was justified due to military necessity. Decades later, legal historians discovered key information that the federal government did not share with the Supreme Court, including a report that concluded very few Japanese Americans represented a national security risk. After this evidence of government misconduct emerged and was presented to the court, Fred's conviction was overturned by a Federal court in San Francisco nearly forty years later, on November 10, 1983. Fred believed that the Supreme Court's decision was wrong, and stated, ``I would like to see the Government admit that they were wrong and do something about it so this will never happen again to any American citizen of any race, creed or color.'' Although the Supreme Court's infamous ruling in Korematsu v. United States has been widely rejected by historians and legal experts, it has never been formally repudiated, and stands as one of the Supreme Court's worst precedents. The internment of Japanese Americans was a shameful act, and it was not until 1988 that the Civil Liberties Act was passed and our Government formally apologized to Americans of Japanese ancestry who were incarcerated during World War II. Fred Korematsu fought for this redress legislation and continued working to expand civil rights throughout his life. He spoke out against prejudice directed at minorities and immigrants, and after September 11, 2001, filed amicus briefs with the Supreme Court, warning our nation not to repeat history by committing civil and human rights travesties. During his lifetime, Fred Korematsu did not choose the easy route. Instead, he chose to fight and speak out against injustice his entire life. He fought not just for himself, but for everyone, particularly minorities who could be discriminated against based on their ethnicity. However, many of these injustices remain, and can be reborn as we have seen with the rise in anti-Asian prejudice during the COVID-19 pandemic. Fred Korematsu reminds us that we must remain vigilant against discrimination, particularly when it is disguised in times of emergency or for reasons of security. On January 30, Fred Korematsu Day of Civil Liberties and the Constitution, we honor the life of this civil rights hero whose legacy continues to inspire people of all backgrounds to speak up and fight for justice. This day uses one of the most blatant examples of racial discrimination to educate individuals on the dangers of political scapegoating and works toward a future that guarantees civil rights for everyone. I am proud to introduce the Fred Korematsu Congressional Gold Medal Act in his memory, and I call on my colleagues in the United States Senate to swiftly pass this bill during the 117th Congress. I yield the floor.

Ms. HIRONO

Ms. HIRONO. Mr. President, I suggest the absence of a quorum.