Mitch McConnell

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 have 4 requests for committees to meet during today's session of the Senate. They have the approval of the majority and minority leaders. Pursuant to rule XXVI, paragraph 5(a), of the Standing Rules of the Senate, the following committees are authorized to meet during today's session of the Senate: Committee on Armed Services The Committee on Armed Services is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Wednesday, June 10, 2020, at 9:30 a.m., to conduct a hearing. Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions The Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Wednesday, June 10, 2020, at 10 a.m., to conduct a hearing. Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs The Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Wednesday, June 10, 2020, at 9 a.m., to conduct a hearing on nominations. Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship The Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Wednesday, June 10, 2020, at 2:30 p.m., to conduct a hearing.

Mr. McCONNELL

Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Veterans' Affairs be discharged from further consideration of S. 3637 and the Senate proceed to its immediate consideration.

Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the bill be considered read a third time and passed, and that the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table.

Mr. McCONNELL

Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today, it adjourn until 10 a.m., Thursday, June 11; 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 and that morning business be closed; finally, that following leader remarks, the Senate resume consideration of Calendar No. 75, H.R. 1957.

Mr. McCONNELL

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

Mr. McCONNELL

Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of Calendar No. 393, S. 149.

Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the committee-reported substitute amendment be agreed to; the bill, as amended, be considered read a third time and passed; and the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table.

Mr. McCONNELL

Mr. McCONNELL. Madam President, several times now I have praised the peaceful demonstrations protesting racial injustice and the killings of Black Americans. I am grateful that after several harrowing days of looting and riots, law enforcement restored order and helped these peaceful protests be heard. Notwithstanding the far-left calls to disband the police altogether, I believe most Americans are ready to consider how the memories of Black Americans like George Floyd and Breonna Taylor can move us to continue combating residual racism. Today, I need to discuss a different pressing problem that concerns Americans' constitutional rights. It is becoming clear to many Americans, including many who appreciate and applaud the recent protests, that our national life during this pandemic has slid toward a double standard. For weeks, State and local leaders put normal American life totally on ice and asked citizens to prioritize fighting the virus. For weeks, the mainstream media heaped scorn on any small citizen protest, outdoor gathering, or even the suggestion that other important values might require a reappraisal of certain restrictions. Well, the American people did their part. They made necessary sacrifices that clearly helped the country, and they are ready to continue doing their part as our reopening carefully proceeds. But now, many Americans feel they have just seen those fastidious regulations and that puritanical zeal disappear in an instant because a new cause has emerged that powerful people agree with. A month ago, small protest demonstrations were widely condemned as reckless and selfish. Now, massive rallies that fill entire cities are not just praised but, in fact, are called especially brave because of the exact same health risk that brought condemnation when the cause was different. People just spent the spring watching their small businesses dissolve or canceling weddings or missing religious observances for the longest spells in their lives or missing the last days of a loved one's life and then missing the funeral. Never were the American people told about any exemption for things they felt strongly about. I have no criticism for the millions of Americans who peacefully demonstrated in recent days. Their cause is beyond righteous. It is the inconsistency from leaders that has been baffling. The same Governor of Michigan who argued that letting people carefully shop for vegetable seeds--vegetable seeds--would be too dangerous during the pandemic, now poses for photographs with groups of protesters. Here in the District of Columbia, the mayor celebrates massive street protests. She actually joins them herself. But on her command, churches and houses of worship remain shut. I believe even the largest church buildings in the District are still subject to the 10-person limit for things the mayor deems inessential. The rights of free speech, free assembly, and the free exercise of religion are all First Amendment rights. They have the same constitutional pedigree. Apparently, while protests are now permissible, prayer is still too dangerous. Politicians are now picking and choosing within the First Amendment itself. Last week, one county in California's Bay area seriously attempted to issue guidance that allowed protests of 100 people but still--still capped all other social gatherings at 12 people and banned outdoor religious gatherings altogether--banned outdoor religious gatherings altogether. Figure that one out. These governments are acting like the coronavirus discriminates based on the content of people's speech, but, alas, it is only the leaders themselves who are doing that. It is now impossible to avoid the conclusion that local and State leaders are using their power to encourage constitutionally protected conduct which they personally appreciate while continuing to ban constitutionally protected conduct which they personally feel is less important. In New York City, Mayor de Blasio makes no effort to hide this subjectivity. At one point, he recounted our Nation's history with racism, compared that to ``a devout religious person who wants to go back to religious services'' and concluded, ``Sorry, that is not the same question.'' Well, the American people's constitutional liberties do not turn--do not turn on a mayor's intuition. Politicians do not get to play red light, green light within the First Amendment. The Bill of Rights is not some a-la-carte menu that leaders may sample as they please. It is hard to see any rational set of rules by which mass protests should continue to be applauded, but small, careful religious services should continue to be banned. These prominent Democrats are free to let social protests outrank religion in their own consciences if they choose, but they do not get to impose their ranking on everyone else. This is precisely the point of freedom of conscience. That is precisely the point of the First Amendment. Weeks ago, citizens sued the mayor of Louisville, KY, when he tried to ban drive-in Easter services while imposing no restrictions on the parking lots of secular businesses. A brilliant district judge had to remind him and the whole country that in America, faith can never be shoved into second class. It seems at least a few local leaders still need to learn that lesson. I hope they learn it soon. The American people's response to the coronavirus was courageous and patriotic. On the advice of experts, our Nation sacrificed a great deal to protect our medical system. Politicians must not repay that sacrifice with constitutionally dubious double standards.

Mr. McCONNELL

Mr. McCONNELL. Madam President, on an entirely different matter, yesterday our colleagues voted overwhelmingly to advance the Great American Outdoors Act. Thanks to the guiding leadership of colleagues like Senators Daines and Gardner, we have a rare opportunity to take a huge step forward with some of our Nation's most cherished treasures. Every year, America's national parks, forests, wildlife refuges, battlefields, and public lands draw hundreds of millions of visits from across the country and around the world--hunters and anglers, backpackers and climbers, bird watchers and road trippers, school groups and scientists. Across hundreds of millions of acres, there is room for recreation and conservation alike. Where our Nation makes its natural wonders possible, local communities thrive. According to the National Park Service, park visitors contribute to more than $40 billion in economic output in adjacent towns. From local hotels and restaurants to the outdoor recreation industry itself, they supported nearly 330,000 jobs. So it would be difficult to overstate the importance of our public lands in the lives of the American people. When the Senate passes legislation to secure permanent funding for keeping them safe and accessible, we will be ushering in a bright future for American recreation and conservation. At the same time--and just as importantly--we will be addressing the areas where decades of funding levels for routine maintenance have not kept pace, leaving some of our parks and public lands inaccessible and potentially unsafe. This is where the rubber meets the road. This is where all of our love for the great American outdoors needs to be backed up with some sober accounting. In Senator Gardner's backyard, in the U.S. Forest Service's Rocky Mountain region, last year's totals put the costs of backlog maintenance projects at nearly half a billion dollars. From upkeep of roads, bridges, and dams to updates of wastewater and drinking water systems, we are talking about projects with real consequences for recreation, conservation, and local economies. In Kentucky, we know all too well what happens when urgent maintenance is neglected. At Mammoth Cave National Park, for example, untreated sewer leaks in past years have restricted access to portions of the largest cave system in the world and even threatened some of its native species. Today, more than $90 million in maintenance is still outstanding at that particular park. We are still waiting on funding to rehabilitate cave trails that haven't seen major investment since the 1930s. At the Forest Service's London district office, Kentucky rangers are still waiting for funding for critical security and accessibility updates. Like any prized asset, public lands need regular maintenance. We shouldn't let key infrastructure languish for decades and then fight uphill to make up for lost time. This is a familiar problem that is felt in different ways in every corner of our Nation, so the solution will need to be just as sweeping. Fortunately, as last night's lopsided vote demonstrates, our colleagues have assembled a deeply bipartisan set of solutions that our country deserves. I am proud the work led by our colleagues from Montana and Colorado have received the endorsement of hundreds of national and local advocates for American recreation and conservation. I urge all Senators to join the experts and support the bill.

Mr. McCONNELL

Mr. McCONNELL. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that notwithstanding the provision of rule XXII, the postcloture time with respect to the motion to proceed to H.R. 1957 expire at 12:15 tomorrow.

Mr. McCONNELL

Mr. McCONNELL. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today, it adjourn until 10 a.m., Wednesday, June 10; 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, and morning business be closed; further, that following leader remarks, the Senate resume consideration of the motion to proceed to Calendar No. 75, H.R. 1957, under the previous order.

Mr. McCONNELL

Mr. McCONNELL. Madam 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 Lee.

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, all across our Nation, the past few days have seemed to mark a turn for the better. On Friday morning, new data showed that the economic fallout from this pandemic may have bottomed out and begun to turn around weeks earlier than had been predicted. Instead of losing millions more jobs in the month of May, our Nation had already begun adding back millions of jobs. Lockdowns are easing, and businesses are reopening. The greatest country in world history is coming back online, and our citizens are getting their jobs back by the millions. Now, there is no question our national comeback is just beginning. The coronavirus is still with us. We have a long way to go to rebuild and recover from the historic layoffs of this spring, but already, even in these early days of our careful reopening, the American people are trouncing the predictions and starting to come back strong. What is more, this weekend saw millions of Americans, once again, take to the streets and town squares to protest the deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and other Black Americans at the hands of law enforcement. Yet, unlike what our Nation faced about a week ago, this weekend's demonstrations seemed to have been almost entirely peaceful-- no more rampant looting, no more police precincts set on fire. By and large, there had been just peaceful protests in our great American tradition. In my home State of Kentucky, in Louisville, just like around the Nation, hundreds gathered to remember Breonna Taylor on what would have been her 27th birthday and to continue to call for answers. In Lexington, a moment of silence was held at an historic former slave market. Then a group marched to police headquarters. Police officers, including the chief, came out and met them in civil discourse. And, while a lot of ink has been spilled recently about our big cities, we cannot miss that this moment is echoing throughout smalltown America as well. In Henderson, in western Kentucky, 200 people--protesters, law enforcement, and local leaders alike--gathered for an interfaith prayer vigil. In southeastern Kentucky, in Corbin, more than 100 gathered for a peaceful demonstration that included a prayerful moment of silence. The police officers keeping watch joined in. In Hazard, a town of about 5,000 people in eastern Kentucky, citizens gathered for what they called a ``march of love.'' It was the same story in Benton, in Danville, in Morehead--all around the Commonwealth and all around the country. Our country has remembered that peace and protest can and must coexist. The vast majority of the men and women in law enforcement across our country are not evil, are not racist, do not wake up every morning looking for violence. We are reminded of their bravery every time a citizen needs to dial 9-1-1, and they rush toward danger. We were all reminded again this past weekend, as these professionals bravely kept watch over demonstrations, including ones where they themselves had been called racist or evil or were denigrated in the worst ways because of their uniforms and their badges. So, if peaceful protesters rightly do not want to be lumped in with a subset of looters and rioters who seek destruction, then the vast majority of brave police officers cannot be lumped in with the very worst examples of heinous behavior. It is that simple. But, instead, we are already seeing outlandish calls to defund the police or to abolish the police take root within the leftwing leadership class. The president of the City Council in Minneapolis has proclaimed she can ``imagine a future without police.'' One of her fellow council members put it even more clearly: ``This council is going to dismantle this police department.'' To be clear as to what this effort is about, one of the local groups informing this push in Minnesota has literally stated that arts programs and mental health resources will be more effective at stopping crime than will be armed cops. Instead of ``strangers armed with guns,'' they say other professionals like social workers should be the ones to ``respond to crises in our community.'' I am all for social work and mental health, but call me old- fashioned--I think you may actually want a police officer to stop a criminal and arrest him before we try to work through his feelings. Well, even if some leftwing leaders fall for this nonsense, I have a feeling the American people are too smart for that. They know that what happened to George Floyd was totally abhorrent. They also know that riots and looting are unacceptable. They also know that well-trained law enforcement officers are an important part of creating safe communities, not something to defund or abolish. So I am proud that Americans across the country can protest in safety and peace. I am proud that their neighbors continue to answer the call to protect and to serve, and I am hopeful that, with unity and mutual respect, we can continue this important national discussion to ensure justice and equal protection under the law

Mr. McCONNELL

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

Mr. McCONNELL

Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, on an entirely different subject, while the Senate remains the only Chamber in this Capitol with its lights on, we are going to continue with legislative work for the country. We will take our first vote today to advance the Great American Outdoors Act--a generational bill from Senator Daines and Senator Gardner--that will secure the future of our Nation's natural treasures. America is home to 419 national park sites, 567 national wildlife refuges, and hundreds of millions of acres of public lands. Every year, millions of Americans turn to these lands for recreation, inspiration, and for their livelihoods. These resources exist because of the visionary actions of prior Congresses. Now it is our turn to secure them for generations yet to come. Our colleagues' legislation does two big things: It improves access to parks and public lands by investing in maintenance and upkeep, and it secures permanent support for the missions of the Land and Water Conservation Fund. Their legislation has already persuaded 59 cosponsors here in the Senate. It has earned the bipartisan endorsement of the last six former Secretaries of the Interior, and a diverse coalition of independent advocates--from The Nature Conservancy to the Outdoor Industry Association to the American Battlefield Trust--have called on us to pass this bill. This bill has unusually broad, bipartisan, and vocal support because the issues at hand affect so many different communities so concretely. Every year, visitors to America's national parks bring more than $40 billion in economic impact to the gateway towns that surround them. The State and local parks, stewarded by the LWCF, help to generate another $166 billion in local economic activity and support more than 1.1 million jobs. My fellow Kentuckians and I know this firsthand. At least 120,000 jobs are supported by active outdoor recreation in the Commonwealth. From hunters and anglers in the Daniel Boone National Forest to tourists visiting Mammoth Cave, our State's natural treasures occasion nearly $13 billion in annual consumer spending. Yet Kentuckians also know that tight budgets for maintenance often mean that historic sites go without important repairs and upgrades that would ensure safe access and smooth operations. So we are acutely aware of the need to address the deferred maintenance backlog, which this legislation tackles head- on. So I am very grateful to our colleagues from Montana and Colorado for shepherding this legislation. I am proud of the stand they have taken in support of our Nation's natural wonders and the millions of American livelihoods that depend on them. I look forward to discussing this landmark legislation more in the days ahead, to supporting it here on the floor, and to urging every one of my colleagues to join in.

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 notwithstanding rule XXII, at 2:15 p.m., on Tuesday, June 9, the Senate proceed to executive session for the consideration of the following nomination: Executive Calendar No. 657. I further ask unanimous consent that the Senate vote on the nomination with no intervening action or debate; that, if confirmed, the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table and the President be immediately notified of the Senate's action.

Mr. McCONNELL

Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I ask that the Chair lay before the Senate the message to accompany S. 3084. The Presiding Officer laid before the Senate the following message from the House of Representatives: Resolved, That the bill from the Senate (S. 3084) entitled ``An Act to amend title 38, United States Code, to modify the limitation on pay for certain high-level employees and officers of the Department of Veterans Affairs.'', do pass with an amendment. Motion to Concur

Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I move to concur in the House amendment, and I ask unanimous consent that the motion be agreed to, and that the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table.

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, June 9; 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, and morning business be closed; further, that following leader remarks, the Senate resume consideration of the motion to proceed to Calendar No. 75, H.R. 1957; further, that the Senate recess from 12:30 p.m. until 2:15 p.m. for the weekly conference meetings; finally, that all time during adjournment, leader remarks, recess, and executive session count postcloture on the motion to proceed to H.R. 1957.

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. Madam President, yesterday evening, the Senate passed a few targeted changes so that Senator Collins' and Senator Rubio's historic Paycheck Protection Program will continue to protect American workers and small businesses through this pandemic. Back in March, these Senate leaders hand designed this plan to push unprecedented assistance to working families and Main Street businesses. Once again, in April, they led the charge to refill their popular and successful program with more money so it could help even more Americans. In the weeks since, our colleagues have continued to track the program's operation and recommend further tweaks where necessary. In recent days, both Senator Collins and Senator Rubio helped to strengthen and improve the House's proposed PPP modifications before it actually passed the bill and sent it over to us, and I know the senior Senators from Maine and Florida have already identified several more technical fixes for the new legislation that, I hope, Congress will address. Talk about legislation making a difference. Thanks to Senator Collins, Chairman Rubio, and our other colleagues who helped to make this program a success, the PPP has delivered more than a half a trillion dollars in relief and has literally saved tens of millions of American jobs. So, as we continue to stay nimble and continue our efforts, I just had to thank and recognize the architects of this historic program--the senior Senators from Maine and Florida--for helping to soften the blow of this pandemic for so many American families.

Mr. McCONNELL

Mr. McCONNELL. Madam President, on an entirely different matter, today marks the 31st anniversary of the Tiananmen Square massacre in Beijing. Because of China's censorship and disinformation, we still do not know how many brave Chinese people were killed by their own government on June 4, 1989. Conservative estimates say hundreds. Others say thousands--a burst of violence against peaceful democracy protesters, weeks of arrests, roundups, and executions, and then total silence. Never since have the Chinese people been able to freely and openly remember the atrocity. Never outside the oasis of Hong Kong has a single formal gathering on Chinese soil been permitted to commemorate the victims. Now even that oasis of freedom is at risk. We learned this week that, under new pressure from Beijing, Hong Kong is refusing to permit the annual candlelight vigil for the first time ever. This year, the Chinese Communist Party wants no candles lit even in Hong Kong-- just more darkness. It was 31 years ago that brave Chinese flooded that public square and others across their nation in the fervent hope that economic liberalization would also lead to a less authoritarian, more open society. What they got were bodies littering the ground. A shocked world sanctioned the PRC, but as time passed, the world relaxed somewhat and returned to a strategy of welcoming China into our global public square, bringing the PRC into international institutions in the hope that an included China would actually play by the rules. Time and again, those hopes have been dashed. The last few months have been their own tidy case study in what kind of global actor the so-called People's Republic has chosen to be. Their response to the coronavirus pandemic that started in their own country was to silence their own doctors, imprison their own people, shut down important research, and lie to the rest of the world while hoarding supplies for themselves. The CCP's selfishness and failures fueled a worldwide catastrophe, and, ever since, they have tried to use that catastrophe as a smokescreen for other aggression. While they thought the rest of the world was distracted, China has cracked down on Hong Kong; conducted provocative military exercises near Taiwan; expanded its bullying into the South China Sea; pressured the Philippines; and literally initiated physical fighting with India in the Himalayas. Oh, and according to press reports, China has also found the time to mount online disinformation campaigns to hurt America and divide us among ourselves. Bad actors linked to Beijing have reportedly flooded Twitter to exploit the death of George Floyd and increase hostility among Americans. Even in official channels, CCP leaders mock America and imply our society is no better than their tyranny. Now, as an aside, some Democrats here in Washington seem to have swallowed the Chinese propaganda and set out to amplify it themselves, including from right here on the Senate floor. Yesterday, right here in the Senate Chamber, the Democratic leader explicitly compared America men and women in uniform to the Chinese murderers who committed the massacre in Tiananmen Square. Leader Schumer said that, when he saw images of American men and women in uniform standing near the recently defaced Lincoln Memorial and protecting the right to peaceful protest, ``You cannot help but think of Tiananmen Square.'' That is what he said. I am sure Beijing was thrilled with this shameful comparison. A propaganda victory for Communist China, gift-wrapped with the compliments of the Democratic Party, delivered just in time for this bloody anniversary. Imagine being so consumed by partisanship that you deliberately link the brave American men and women who stop violence, protect peaceful protests, defend citizens' constitutional liberties, and defend against violent riots to the Chinese butchers who gunned down crowds of peaceful dissenters who were begging for the same rights our military defends. In America, the police help peaceful marchers march. Over there, they gun them down. If anyone is having trouble distinguishing these things, the problem is not with our Nation--it is with them. Now, these recent examples of Chinese hostility are just symptoms of a fundamental problem that has come into focus. Decades ago, the United States and the rest of the world made a calculated bet that welcoming China into the fold would cause it to mend its ways. It was 20 years ago that President Clinton argued for admitting China into the WTO because ``economic innovation and political empowerment . . . will inevitably go hand in hand.'' Many smart people made that wager--in both parties--but we should never have used words like ``inevitable.'' President Clinton also said: ``China has been trying to crack down on the internet. . . . Good luck!'' Back in the year 2000, the transcript says, that was greeted with laughter. Well, no one is laughing now. China's leaders have pounced on every inch of economic space the world has afforded them--and then some. They have cheated on trade and have stolen foreign technology. They have executed on long-term plans to dominate key global industries. They have weaponized foreign aid to bring developing countries under their thrall. So the Chinese economy has leapt forward. The Chinese people enjoy greater prosperity, which they sorely need after decades of Communist mismanagement, but all of this money and innovation have not brought the people any more freedom. They have given CCP elites better high-tech tools with which to oppress their own people and more leverage with which to undermine the international system. Rather than importing liberty into China, this economic integration seems to have been rather more successful at exporting its authoritarian preferences to the rest of us. Right here in the United States, we have seen Hollywood make a gross habit of self-censoring films to avoid offending the Chinese Communist Party. We have seen the NBA prioritize its profits in China and throw an employee under the bus who spoke out for Hong Kong. The same elites, institutions, and businesses that feel totally free to critique our own society--and rightly so--increasingly walk on eggshells around President Xi and his cronies. And free speech is hardly the only front where China poses an international threat. A recent major report from an interagency task force found that China's deliberate economic aggression and targeting of our industrial base is a significant national security vulnerability for the United States, and many other nations are awakening to that same reality. Back in March, a CCP-controlled newspaper threatened to cut off pharmaceutical exports to the United States and ``plunge'' Americans ``into the mighty sea of coronavirus'' if we did not play more nicely with Beijing. One month later, Chinese officials threatened a boycott of Australia because our Australian friends wanted to investigate the origins of the pandemic. Earlier this year, the Director of the FBI explained that China's criminal conspiracies against the United States and our companies make the CCP the ``greatest long-term threat'' to America's information security, intellectual property, and, by extension, our ``economic vitality.'' Once again, our allies and partners are being victimized by the very same tactics. One outside report found that the ``United States is losing between $400 billion and $600 billion per year in intellectual property theft as a matter of provable losses, and that figure does not account for second-order losses such as jobs and infrastructure.'' Let's put that in perspective. Congress has been working hard on the huge, historic Paycheck Protection Program. It has pushed out a half a trillion dollars for American workers. Well, by this estimate, China reaches into our country and steals the equivalent of that entire program every single year. China does not play by the rules, not in Hong Kong, not in the WHO, not in the WTO, not in international trade. Year after year, on issue over issue, it has chosen the path of aggression. So there will be consequences. Just this week, the U.K. is reportedly continuing to back away from plans to work with Huawei, and Prime Minister Boris Johnson is impressively preparing to offer visas so that Hongkongers who want to know their freedoms and liberties are secure can take refuge in the United Kingdom instead. In Japan, Prime Minister Abe is taking major steps to strengthen Japan and check China's economic aggression. It is a good thing, too, because defending American security, American interests, American prosperity, and the international system cannot be a go-it-alone operation. There will be steps the United States will take on our own, but just as the entire free world stands united today to remember Tiananmen Square, so we will need to stand together to prevent the world's public square from heading toward a similar domination by China. We will need to keep our friends and partners close. China can try to repress its own people, but the United States of America will never fall silent. We will never go dark. We will keep the candles lit. We will protect our people and their bright future.