Mitch McConnell

Mr. McCONNELL

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 President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.

Mr. McCONNELL

Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I understand there are two bills at the desk, and I ask for their first reading en bloc.

Mr. McCONNELL. I now ask for a second reading, and I object to my own request, all en bloc.

Mr. McCONNELL

Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today, it adjourn until 3 p.m., Wednesday, December 30; 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. Mr. President, for the information of all the Senators, we will have a live quorum call at 5 p.m. tomorrow, followed immediately by a rollcall vote on proceeding to the veto message on the NDAA. So Senators should be on the floor at that time. Again, that is 5 p.m. tomorrow.

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. I object.

Mr. McCONNELL. I ask unanimous consent that following leader remarks on Wednesday, December 30, the time until 1:15 be equally divided between proponents and opponents of the bill, with opponent time being controlled by Senator Paul or his designee; further, that upon the use or yielding back of that time, the Senate vote on passage of the bill, the objections of the President to the contrary notwithstanding; finally, if passed, the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table with no intervening action or debate.

Mr. McCONNELL. I object

Mr. McCONNELL. Madam President, Congress has returned to work this week to enact the 60th annual National Defense Authorization Act into law. Yesterday, a bipartisan supermajority in the House voted to reapprove the conference report of this must-pass legislation. Today, the Senate will set up a final vote for tomorrow, Wednesday, for this Chamber to follow suit. Soon, this important legislation will be passed into law. President Trump has rightly noted this year's Defense bill does not contain every provision we Republicans would have wanted. I am confident our Democrat colleagues feel the same way, but that is the case every year. Yet for 59 consecutive years and counting, Washington has put our differences aside, found common ground, and passed the annual Defense bill. Not once in six decades has a Congress let its differences prevent it from completing this work for our national security and our men and women who wear the uniform. This year's NDAA will continue our momentum in rebuilding and modernizing our Armed Forces. It will authorize the personnel, equipment, tools, and training we need to reinforce the national defense strategy and to deter great-power rivals like China and Russia. It will cement our advantage on the seas, on land, in the air, in cyber space, and in space. The bill will help us continue to recruit, retain, and support the men and women who keep us safe. It provides a pay raise for the troops, improvements for military housing, childcare, and more. For the brave men and women of the United States and our Armed Forces, failure is simply not an option. So when it is our turn in Congress to have their backs, failure is not an option either. I would urge my colleagues to support this legislation one more time when we vote tomorrow. Coronavirus

Mr. McCONNELL. On Sunday, President Trump signed into law another bipartisan rescue package that will provide major support to American families through what we hope will be the home stretch of our fight with the coronavirus. Congressional Republicans and congressional Democrats and President Trump's senior team had all worked together to pass hundreds of billions more dollars of urgent assistance to the people who need it most. This new law will set up a targeted second round of the Paycheck Protection Program to save jobs. It will renew and continue Federal programs that helped laid-off workers endure this crisis. It will send more cash to households. It will invest billions in vaccine distribution so the success of Operation Warp Speed kills this pandemic as fast as possible, and much more. This bipartisan compromise was our shot at getting help to working families on the urgent timeline that they need. Once again, I want to applaud President Trump for signing the bill and getting this much needed assistance into the pipeline. During this process, the President highlighted three additional issues of national significance, which he would like to see Congress tackle together. First, as he explained, the President would like further direct financial support for American households. Second is the growing willingness on both sides of the aisle to at least reexamine the special legal protections afforded to technology companies under section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, including the ways that benefit some of the most prosperous, most powerful ``Big Tech'' firms. And the third subject--since every American, regardless of their politics, should feel the integrity of our democracy beyond reproach-- is exploring further ways to protect the sanctity of America's ballots, while continuing to respect the Federal Government's limited role in standing behind State and local elections authorities who actually run elections. Those are the three important subjects the President has linked together. This week, the Senate will begin a process to bring these three priorities into focus Unanimous Consent Request--S. 3985

Mr. McCONNELL. Madam President, I move to proceed to Calendar No. 480, S. 3985.

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 the text of the bill be printed in the Record.

Mr. McCONNELL

Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, yesterday leaders in the Senate and the House and the Secretary of the Treasury reached a major agreement that struggling Americans have needed for months. We are going to pass another historic rescue package to help American families through this pandemic. We are going to pass full-year government funding so the Armed Forces and all Federal Departments have the resources and the certainty they need. And we are going to do both of these things as soon as possible. Senate Republicans have been trying since July--July--to get more targeted, bipartisan relief into the hands of the American people. Back in July, we proposed to send about $1 trillion to priorities including a second round of the Paycheck Protection Program, direct checks for households, and funding for healthcare providers, testing, and K-12 schools--back in July. Democrats said no. They said they would block anything short of their multitrillion-dollar leftwing wish list. Here was one headline that particularly underscores their view: ``$2 trillion or bust: Democrats draw red line in coronavirus spending battle.'' So, in July and in August, when Republican Senators tried to extend expiring Federal unemployment benefits, Democrats blocked us. Laid-off workers lost their benefits. In September and again in October, as people kept hurting, the virus kept spreading, and schools tried to find footing, every Republican voted for a multihundred-billion-dollar package. Both times Democrats blocked the relief. Their view was all or nothing. But a few days ago, with a new President-elect of their own party, everything changed. Democrats suddenly came around to our position that we should find consensus, make a law where we agree, and get urgent help out the door. In a few days of hard work, we have assembled another historic bipartisan rescue package: just under $900 billion of relief targeted toward our fellow Americans who need help the most. I will begin where this pandemic will end: vaccinations. Thanks to the genius of science and the leadership of President Trump, Operation Warp Speed has produced safe and effective vaccines. Now, we need to distribute them nationwide. This rescue package provides many billions more dollars to expand vaccine purchasing and vaccine distribution. Until we have won, we need to keep wearing masks and taking precautions. Even so, more Americans will fall ill, so this legislation continues to fund health providers and COVID testing. The pandemic has fallen especially hard on children and parents. Our legislation includes major funding--more than $80 billion--for K-12 schools to reopen safely and get kids' educations back on track. There are billions more for childcare providers to reopen safely as well, and new investments in rural broadband will improve both education and telehealth down the road. Then there are Americans' personal finances, the impossible kitchen table questions that millions of working families have faced this year through no fault of their own. Back in March, thanks to Chairman Rubio, Senator Collins, and Senator Cardin, we created a Paycheck Protection Program. It saved small businesses and helped millions of American workers keep receiving paychecks rather than pink slips. It would be insanity for us to have saved these jobs all this time only to drop the ball with the end in sight, so this bill will send more than $280 billion to reopen the PPP for a targeted second round, and we made sure churches and faith-based organizations will continue to be eligible. Of course, millions have already been laid off, so months after Republicans tried to stop benefits from expiring in the first place, this package will resume a temporary Federal supplement to unemployment insurance, and it extends other programs for the self-employed and gig workers that would have expired. Thanks to the particular leadership and direction of President Trump and Secretary Mnuchin, households will receive a second round of direct relief checks--$600 per adult and per child. This is just some of the aid that will be heading Americans' way in a matter of hours. No sprawling leftwing wish list, no unconstrained bailouts for State and local government with no connection to COVID needs--just smart, targeted, bipartisan policies, what Senate Republicans have been recommending since the summer. I cited a figure of $900 billion, but listen to this. The net new cost--new cost--is less than roughly $350 billion. We are recovering more than half a trillion dollars in unspent money that Congress had already set aside and channeling it to these urgent needs. Thanks to our colleague Senator Toomey, this legislation winds down some of the temporary emergency powers we lent the Federal Reserve to make sure our financial system survived last spring. A lot of talented leaders helped make this happen. Leader McCarthy has been an invaluable partner. White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows has been central. Colleagues such as Senators Collins, Murkowski, Romney, Cassidy, and Portman helped prod the Senate toward consensus with their bipartisan work. And I just mentioned Senator Toomey. I want to give particular thanks to the Secretary of the Treasury, Secretary Mnuchin. Before the pandemic, Steven was already a crucial partner for the Republican majorities in Congress. We enacted the most consequential tax reform in a generation. We helped create the conditions for explosive job growth, wage growth, and record-low unemployment. Our country had the strongest possible starting point to weather this storm This year, the Secretary has been even more essential. He helped Congress develop and pass the historic CARES Act in record time. It prevented a complete economic collapse at the hands of the virus. From drafting CARES to implementing it, to the intervening months, to this latest package, Secretary Mnuchin has been an extremely capable and patient partner. He helped guide our Nation through this dark period toward the daybreak that lies ahead. On behalf of the Senate and the country, I thank the Secretary for his countless hours of work and his incredible effectiveness in extraordinary times.

Mr. McCONNELL

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

Mr. McCONNELL

Mr. McCONNELL. I ask unanimous consent that there be 60 minutes of debate, equally divided between the leaders or their designees; and that following the use or yielding back of that time, the Senate vote on the motion to concur without further motions or amendments in order and that 60 affirmative votes be required to adopt the motion to concur.

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

Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I ask the Chair to lay before the Senate the message to accompany H.R. 133.

Mr. McCONNELL

Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to legislative session and 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 the Chair to lay before the Senate the message to accompany H.R. 1520. The Presiding Officer laid before the Senate the following message from the House of Representatives: Resolved, That the House agree to the amendment of Senate to the bill (H.R. 1520) entitled ``An Act to amend the Public Health Service Act to provide for the publication of a list of licensed biological products, and for other purposes.'', do pass with an amendment to the Senate amendment. Motion to Concur

Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I move to concur in the House amendment to the Senate amendment, and I know of no further debate on the motion.

Mr. McCONNELL. I ask unanimous consent that the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table.

Mr. McCONNELL

Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I move to reconsider the vote for which cloture was not invoked on the nomination of Eric J. Soskin, and I ask for the yeas and nays.

Mr. McCONNELL

Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I move to proceed to the motion to reconsider the vote by which cloture was not invoked on the nomination of Eric J. Soskin. I ask for the yeas and nays.