Mitch McConnell

Mr. McCONNELL

Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record.

Mr. McCONNELL

Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, if there is no further business to come before the Senate, I ask unanimous consent that it stand adjourned under the previous order, following the remarks of Senator Braun.

Mr. McCONNELL

Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today, it adjourn until 12 noon, Friday, March 20; further, that following the prayer and pledge, the morning hour be deemed expired, the Journal of proceedings be approved to date, and the time for the two leaders be reserved for their use later in the day; finally, that following leader remarks, the Senate be in a period of morning business with Senators permitted to speak therein for up to 10 minutes each.

Mr. McCONNELL

Mr. McCONNELL. Madam President, we just passed the bill that came over from the House, and it is on its way to the President. It is a very important first step, which we are calling phase 2. We continue to work on the next bill to respond to the crisis. I want to repeat again that the Senate is going to stay in session until we finish phase 3, the next bill, and send it over to the House. Now, Republicans hope, shortly, to have a consolidated position along with the administration. Then we intend to sit down with our Democratic colleagues to see what we can agree to. I would recommend that Senators stay around, close. Just how long it will take to get through these steps is unclear, but as everyone knows, we are moving rapidly because the situation demands it.

Mr. McCONNELL

Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of H.R. 6201; further, that the only amendments in order be amendments to be offered by Senators Paul, Johnson, and Murray or their designees, the text of which are at the desk; further, that at 12:10 p.m., the Senate vote on the Paul amendment subject to a 60-affirmative vote threshold for adoption; further, that following the disposition of the Paul amendment, the time until 2 p.m. be equally divided between the two leaders or their designees and that at 2 p.m., the Senate vote on the Murray and Johnson amendments, in the order listed, with a 60-affirmative-vote threshold for adoption of each; further, that upon disposition of these amendments, the bill as amended, if amended, be read a third time and the Senate vote on passage of the bill with a 60-affirmative-vote threshold for passage; finally, that if passed, the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table and that all votes be 30 minutes in length.

Mr. McCONNELL

Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, we continue to work on the next bill, which is generally referred to as phase 3. This will be needed to respond to the crisis, and the Senate is going to stay around until we finish the bill and send it over to the House. I recommend Senators stay close. While we don't know exactly how long it will take to get this done, everyone knows that we need to do it as quickly as possible because the situation demands it. So we will keep Senators posted. I hope they don't go too far away

Mr. McCONNELL

Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, if there is no further business to come before the Senate, I ask unanimous consent that it stand adjourned under the previous order.

Mr. McCONNELL

Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today, it adjourn until 12 noon, Thursday, March 19; further, that following the prayer and pledge, the morning hour be deemed expired, the Journal of proceedings be approved to date, the time for the two leaders be reserved for their use later in the day; finally, that following leader remarks, the Senate be in a period of morning business, with Senators permitted to speak therein for up to 10 minutes each.

Mr. McCONNELL

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

Mr. McCONNELL

Mr. McCONNELL. Madam President, every day our country grows more affected by the continued spread of the coronavirus. Every American is feeling the anxiety and uncertainty of this national challenge--older Americans and young Americans, healthy Americans and those with underlying medical conditions, parents, teachers, working Americans, and small business owners, certainly, our first responders and healthcare professionals. Everyone--everyone--is impacted in different ways and to different degrees, but all Americans are affected. All of us have seen our daily lives transformed in what feels like the blink of an eye. That is the bad news, and it is the good news too. We are all in this together--all in it together. Our Nation faces this serious challenge, but working together we can take bold steps to combat it. Earlier this month, Congress passed billions in urgent funding for public health and small businesses, and this Senate majority remains committed to taking further bold steps to preserve and protect the economic foundations of our country. Later today, the Senate will vote on a House proposal that seeks to address one small piece of the problem before us. It is a well- intentioned, bipartisan product assembled by House Democrats and President Trump's team that tries to stand up and expand some new relief measures for American workers. I will vote to pass their bill. This is the time for urgent, bipartisan action, and, in this case, I do not believe we should let perfection be the enemy of something that would help even a subset of workers. However, the House's bill has real shortcomings. It does not even begin to cover all of the Americans who will need help in the days ahead. And, more specifically, it achieves one of its signature policies by imposing a new, untested mandate on small businesses without--without--guaranteeing they will have sufficient funds in advance to finance this new employee benefit. Everyone agrees that workers need relief. The Republicans are working on bold solutions to help individuals and families as we speak, but small businesses need relief as well. This is literally the worst time in living memory to pile even more burdens and costs onto small businesses, which are, themselves, fighting to stay alive unless--unless--we back it up with major assistance. We all know what small businesses are up against. Just this week, New York City joined the list of towns and cities across the country where local officials have shuttered every bar and every restaurant for the sake of public health. At 5 p.m. today, all public-facing businesses in my home State of Kentucky will do the same. These job creators are literally being taken offline by their own governments for the public good. It is not only bars, restaurants, and entertainment businesses we need to worry about. Nobody expects Main Street small businesses of any sort to hold the kind of cash buffer they would need to remain in business and wait out a national economic disruption that could last for weeks or months. Men and women who pour their entire lives into small businesses do not need even more obstacles. They need help. They need a lifeline. They need to know that Congress understands the historic obstacles they are facing and that we have their back as well. There is no moral hazard here. This is not some rescue following risky business decisions. Nobody thinks any of this is the fault of small businesses. So while I will support the House bill in order to secure emergency relief for some American workers, I will not adjourn the Senate until we have passed a far bolder package that must include significant relief for small businesses all across our country. As we speak, Chairman Rubio, Senator Collins, and others are assembling a historic level of assistance for small businesses across America. We want to help them survive this disruption, absorb the new mandate in the House bill, and continue to make payroll and avoid layoffs as much as they can and emerge this storm in the best shape possible. That means a historic injection of liquidity and access to credit, and it means Washington working directly with the lenders who already work with these small businesses to minimize the new bureaucracy so the assistance can flow as fast as possible. So we are going to pass the House's bill, but its imperfections will just make our more comprehensive package even more urgent. So we aren't leaving. So everybody understands, we aren't leaving until we deliver. The Senate is not going to leave small business behind. This will be just one component of our work. As we speak, Chairman Grassley and others are determining the best pathway to put money directly in the hands of the American people--those who are employed, those who may be laid off, retirees, disabled Americans, families--as quickly as possible. Of course, Chairman Alexander and a number of our colleagues are working on further steps in our public health fight against the virus itself, such as getting more tools in the hands of healthcare providers, removing barriers to treatment, and helping researchers develop therapeutics and vaccines. Chairman Wicker and several Senators are considering the possibility of targeted relief for key industries that are shouldering an outsized burden from the public health directives and which our Nation will need to be operational on the other side of this. We are crafting bold and significant legislation to meet this crisis head-on and to strengthen our Nation. The Congress has an enormous role to play in responding to this challenge, and we are determined to do that duty. But, at the same time, never in our Nation's history have Americans looked solely to Washington for answers. That is not who we are. This is no different. Even amidst the uncertainty, the American people are stepping up and reminding everyone what solidarity and citizenship look like. In my home State, Kentuckians are going out of their way to stand with their neighbors. Stay-at-home parents are volunteering to help neighbors with childcare when parents are unable to telework. Grocery stores in the Louisville area are setting aside the first hour they are open each day, right after their cleaning, so older shoppers and those with underlying conditions can shop first and with less exposure. One local restaurant is distributing free meals to service industry workers whose hours have been cut. This is what makes the United States of America what it is, and it is what we are today: generosity, friendship, resolve, and strength. This is not a challenge anyone wanted for our Nation, but it is a challenge we will overcome. Someday--hopefully, soon--our Nation will have this virus on its heels, mainstream small businesses will be thriving again, and families will be flying around the country again to reunite and catch up. We will have gotten through this together. In part, it will be because the Federal Government and Congress did our part, but, just as important, it will also be because every single American did theirs.

Mr. McCONNELL

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

Mr. McCONNELL

Mr. McCONNELL. Now, Madam President, some observations about how we will conduct the voting that will likely occur later today, for the information of all of our colleagues. What we will do is have a 30- minute rollcall vote. We want to avoid congregating here in the well. I would encourage our colleagues to come in and vote and depart the Chamber so we don't have gaggles of conversation here on the floor. That is particularly important for our staff here in the front of the Chamber. So I would encourage everyone to take full advantage of the full 30- minute rollcall vote. Come in and vote and leave, and be aware of the social distancing that Dr. Monahan and others have recommended as we come over to the Chamber and as we depart. With that, I think we will be able to get through the voting that will occur, in all likelihood, later today without violating any of the safety precautions that have been recommended to us by the Capitol physician and others.

Mr. McCONNELL

Mr. McCONNELL. Madam President, as the global outbreak of the new coronavirus continues to grow, its impact on American families and small businesses is continuing to scale up. School closures are challenging both parents and teachers. Childcare closures are complicating family life even further. Main Street small businesses and their employees are grappling with an unprecedented situation, where their local leaders are effectively winding down their businesses for a period of time through no fault of their own. Major industries that our Nation relies on have seen businesses virtually dry up overnight-- again, not due to any business decision they made but because of appropriate directives from public health experts. And most important of all, our healthcare system and our doctors, nurses, and other frontline professionals are gearing up for what seems very likely to be the most significant nationwide challenge they have faced in generations. At every level, this new challenge is testing or Nation and our institutions. Yesterday, my home State of Kentucky reported its first coronavirus- related death. Our thoughts are with the family, friends, and neighbors in Bourbon County, who are mourning. I spoke with Governor Beshear yesterday, and we are continuing to stay in close touch. The Bluegrass has now confirmed 25 total cases to date. And we are heeding the sober warning of Dr. Fauci. This is what Dr. Fauci said: ``Things will get worse before they get better.'' It is abundantly clear that our Nation cannot afford partisan politics as usual. This is a moment for bold and bipartisan action. That is what the Senate did earlier this month when we passed billions of dollars in targeted funding to assist medical professionals and responders in every State and to ease the initial shock to small businesses. And that is what the Senate needs to expand on this week-- bold and bipartisan action. Yesterday evening, the House finally completed its work on their coronavirus relief proposal, made a number of changes, and sent the paperwork over here to the Senate. I know Senators on both sides are eager to assist workers, families, and small businesses with the financial fallout of this extraordinary period. So, as I said yesterday afternoon, Senate Republicans are convinced that the House's noncomprehensive bill can only be the beginning--the beginning--of our efforts to support our health system, assist individual Americans and families, as well as stabilize the U.S. economy. So, last night, a group of Republican Senators conferred with Secretary Mnuchin. He is returning to the Capitol to meet with our entire conference today. We are continuing urgent talks on further legislation that will address head-on the three major priorities we have spent the last several days discussing in depth. No. 1, we need to provide more direct assistance for American workers and families. No. 2, we need further strong steps to secure our economic foundation, most especially our small businesses. In particular, it seems increasingly clear that the House's effort to mandate that small businesses provide new worker benefits, just as many small businesses themselves are in significant jeopardy, might even be actually harmful unless we urgently address a broader package that includes more and broader small business relief. And, No. 3, of course, the foundational priority is to continue providing all the support that our medical professionals need as they fight this new virus on the frontlines. These conversations are ongoing. We are making progress. The House of Representatives may have left town, but the Senate is right here at work. We are crafting the major legislation that the American people deserve in the face of this major challenge. It is my intention that the Senate will not adjourn until we have passed significant and bold new steps--above and beyond what the House has passed--to help our strong Nation and our strong underlying economy weather this storm. Now, before I conclude this morning, I wanted to take a moment to echo and amplify the updated guidance that our public health experts and the White House rolled out yesterday. As President Trump said yesterday, the next 2 weeks are an important opportunity. Our Nation will have a major say in how long the virus will spread within the United States before it is contained. Following the commonsense steps laid out by the White House Coronavirus Task Force can significantly reduce each American's risk of being exposed or spreading the virus within communities. First, obviously, those who feel sick, stay home. Those who feel sick, stay home. Unwell children should be kept at home. And anyone with questions about their symptoms should contact their medical provider. Wherever possible, Americans should engage in work or school from home. Those who cannot, including those whose in-person job functions are central to our government or our Nation, must take especially seriously the CDC's guidelines for health and hygiene, especially washing hands and social distancing. All Americans have been strongly urged to avoid eating or drinking out, to avoid discretionary travel, and to avoid visiting nursing homes or retirement facilities unless--unless--it is to provide critical assistance. Some of these recommendations sound like basic common sense. Others of them would have sounded almost unthinkable just a few weeks ago. It is almost impossible to exaggerate the pace of change over the past weeks and days, but Americans are strong. We are resilient. This is a proud Nation with a world-changing history, and we have come through far greater challenges than this. This is not a time for fear or panic. It is a time to follow the facts, listen carefully to the experts, and take precautions to protect not only ourselves but the most vulnerable in our society. Every single one of us can do our part.

Mr. McCONNELL

Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that at a time to be determined by the majority leader in consultation with the Democratic leader, the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of H.R. 6172. I further ask that there be 10 hours of debate, equally divided between the proponents and the opponents of the bill, with an hour of debate under the control of the sponsors of each amendment, or their designees, and with Senators Leahy and Wyden controlling 1 hour each. I further ask that the only amendments in order be three amendments to be proposed by the following Senators or their designees: Lee, on amicus reforms and exculpatory evidence; Paul, on rights of Americans; Daines, on section 215 web browser/search history data collection prohibition; and three side-by-sides to be proposed by Senator McConnell, or his designee, on the same topics, with all amendments and the bill subject to a 60-affirmative vote threshold for passage; finally, that upon the use or yielding back of that time and upon disposition of the amendments in the order listed, the bill, as amended, if amended, be read a third time and the Senate vote on passage of the bill with no intervening action or debate.

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

Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of S. 3501, submitted earlier today.

Mr. McCONNELL. I ask that the bill be considered read a third time and the Senate vote on passage of the bill with no intervening action or debate.

Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table with no intervening action or debate.

Mr. McCONNELL

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

Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the cloture motion with respect to the motion to proceed to H.R. 6172 be withdrawn.

Mr. McCONNELL

Mr. McCONNELL. Now, Mr. President, on one other important matter, late last night, several critical authorities that law enforcement uses to keep Americans safe lapsed into expiration. Barring Senate action, these important tools, which help protect the homeland from terrorists and counter foreign intelligence activities on U.S. soil, will remain offline. Fortunately, in the weeks leading up to this deadline, the Attorney General engaged in extensive bipartisan talks with Members of the House--of both parties--to try to reach a solution. The resulting legislation, which the House passed last week by large margins within each party, strikes a key balance. It reauthorizes the tools which our national security requires, while also imposing a number of new reforms which basic accountability demands. We can't let the relative success of these tools at preserving the safety and security of our country mislead us to believe they are unnecessary. It is just the opposite. Terrorist organizations still search constantly for opportunities to strike on American soil. Hostile foreign intelligence services--whether Chinese, Russian, or Iranian-- still seek to conduct operations within our borders, to recruit assets and agents among our population. These threats will not wait around if the United States delays restocking our toolbox, so the Senate should not wait to act. I sincerely hope that even our colleagues who may wish to vote against the House bill will not make us prolong this brief lapse in authorities and that we will be able to get these tools back online this week.

Mr. McCONNELL

Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate be in a period of morning business, with Senators permitted to speak therein for up to 10 minutes each.

Mr. McCONNELL

Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record.

Mr. McCONNELL

Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today, it adjourn until 10 a.m., Tuesday, March 17; further, that following the prayer and pledge, the morning hour be deemed expired, the Journal of proceedings be approved to date, the time for the two leaders be reserved for their use later in the day; further, that following leader remarks, the Senate be in a period of morning business with Senators permitted to speak therein for up to 10 minutes each; finally, that the Senate recess from 12:30 until 2:15 p.m. to allow for the weekly conference meetings.

Mr. McCONNELL

Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, if there is no further business to come before the Senate, I ask unanimous consent that it stand adjourned under the previous order.