John Thune

Mr. THUNE

Mr. THUNE. The following Senators are necessarily absent: the Senator from Georgia (Mrs. Loeffler), the Senator from Georgia (Mr. Perdue), and the Senator from South Dakota (Mr. Rounds).

Mr. THUNE

Mr. THUNE. The following Senators are necessarily absent: the Senator from Georgia (Mrs. Loeffler), the Senator from Georgia (Mr. Perdue), and the Senator from South Dakota (Mr. Rounds).

Mr. THUNE

Mr. THUNE. The following Senators are necessarily absent: the Senator from Georgia (Mrs. Loeffler), the Senator from Georgia (Mr. Perdue), and the Senator from South Dakota (Mr. Rounds).

Mr. THUNE

Mr. THUNE. Madam President, I rise today to recognize and pay tribute to two Senators whom I had hoped to serve with longer: Cory Gardner and Martha McSally. One of the first things that became clear about Cory Gardner when he came to the Senate is that he is an incredibly hard worker. He is tireless. Cory has not only a great sense of humor; I remember back during impeachment when we were working some really late nights, he left 5-hour ENERGY drinks for all of us in our mailboxes. I have to say, you kind of need a 5-hour ENERGY drink to keep up with Cory. Seriously, though, Cory has a tremendous amount of energy and focus and drive, and he has left it all on the field during his time in the Senate. I think he knew when he was elected that he might not be here forever, and he has made every moment over the past 6 years count. He is a results-oriented person. He is interested in getting things done, and he has built an impressive record. Serving the people of Colorado has been the first thing on his mind every day. He spent a lot of time working on Colorado priorities, from protecting our public lands to improving wildfire preparedness, to expanding healthcare access for veterans by ensuring the completion of the VA hospital in Aurora, CO. He has also been a leader on foreign policy issues, specifically on the issue of holding North Korea and China accountable for their lack of freedom and their human rights violations, such as China's mass incarceration of Uighurs and its targeting of Chinese citizens who dissent from the Communist Party line. Cory has also been a great friend to Taiwan. Among other things, he authored the TAIPEI Act, which the President signed into law earlier this year, legislation that makes it U.S. policy to support Taiwan's efforts to strengthen its relationships with countries in the Indo- Pacific and around the world. A free, prosperous, and safe Taiwan is in the interest of the United States, and Cory understands this well. In addition to being one of the hardest working people you will ever meet, Cory is also one of the most pleasant. He has an upbeat personality and a contagious cheer, and committee hearings and meetings are always more enjoyable when he is around. He has been called a happy warrior. I think it is a fitting title. He is an eternal optimist. I don't mean that in a naive, wide-eyed sort of way. Cory is well aware of the challenges we face in our Nation and around the world, but he genuinely believes in our country and in our ability as citizens and as Members of Congress to make life better for our fellow Americans. And over his 6 years here in the Senate, he has helped make life better for his constituents in all four corners of his State and for the American people. Nobody could have worked harder for Colorado over the past 6 years--nobody--and he has done more for his State in a single term than many have managed to do in twice as long a time period. We were fortunate to have Cory here in the U.S. Senate. I will miss serving with him, but I look forward to seeing what he does next. Whatever it is, I am confident of one thing: It will be great

Mr. THUNE

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

Mr. THUNE

Mr. THUNE. The following Senators are necessarily absent: the Senator from Georgia (Mrs. Loeffler), the Senator from Georgia (Mr. Perdue), and the Senator from South Dakota (Mr. Rounds).

Mr. THUNE

Mr. THUNE. The following Senators are necessarily absent: the Senator from Georgia (Mrs. Loeffler), the Senator from Georgia (Mr. Perdue), the Senator from South Dakota (Mr. Rounds), and the Senator from Pennsylvania (Mr. Toomey).

Mr. THUNE

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

Mr. THUNE

Mr. THUNE. The following Senators are necessarily absent: the Senator from South Carolina (Mr. Graham), the Senator from Georgia (Mrs. Leoffler), and the Senator from Georgia (Mr. Perdue).

Mr. THUNE

Mr. THUNE. The following Senators are necessarily absent: the Senator from South Carolina (Mr. Graham), the Senator from Georgia (Mrs. Loeffler), and the Senator from Georgia (Mr. Perdue).

Mr. THUNE. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the mandatory quorum call be waived.

Mr. THUNE

Mr. THUNE. The following Senators are necessarily absent: the Senator from North Carolina (Mr. Burr), the Senator from Oklahoma (Mr. Inhofe), the Senator from Georgia (Mrs. Loeffler), the Senator from Georgia (Mr. Perdue), and the Senator from Ohio (Mr. Portman).

Mr. THUNE

Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, I was pleased that the Senate unanimously agreed yesterday to proceed to conference on the 2021 National Defense Authorization Act. The NDAA is one of the most important pieces of legislation that we pass here every year. It is the bill that authorizes funding for our troops and lays out our defense priorities. Like the last two NDAAs, this year's bill focuses on restoring military readiness and ensuring that our Nation is prepared to meet threats posed by major powers like Russia and China. In November of 2018, the bipartisan National Defense Strategy Commission released a report warning that our readiness had eroded to the point that we might struggle to win a war against a major power like Russia or China, and the Commission noted that we would be especially vulnerable if we were ever called on to fight a war on two fronts. Over the past 2 years, we have made real progress on restoring military readiness, but we still have more work to do. This year's National Defense Authorization Act continues our investment in ensuring that our military is prepared to meet current and future threats in any domain. Of course, no matter what weapons or tanks or planes we have, our greatest military resource will always be our men and women in uniform, and this year's NDAA invests in improving the quality of life for our military members and their families. The bill supports a 3-percent pay raise for our troops, and it builds on previous measures to improve military healthcare and housing. It will also provide support for our military families in areas like childcare and professional development for military spouses. As I said, this bill is one of the most important measures that we pass every year, and we need to make sure that we pass the final version of this legislation before Christmas. Failing to pass this legislation would send the wrong message to our troops and our allies and to our adversaries. While this may not be a perfect bill, it contains a lot of important provisions to rebuild our military and to give our men and women in uniform the tools they need to defend our Nation. We need to pass it as soon as possible.

Mr. THUNE

Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, the Senate is going to miss Lamar Alexander. Listening to his farewell address right now made the fact that he is leaving all too real. I don't like to think of a U.S. Senate without Lamar. He is a Senate institution and a Senate leader, and his leaving is a loss for this body and for the American people. Any tribute to Lamar has to mention his incredible career, which a lot has been alluded to already: his walk across the State of Tennessee, his 8 years as Tennessee Governor, his time as Secretary of Education under President George H.W. Bush, his stint as president of the University of Tennessee system, and his time as a professor at Harvard. Then, of course, are his 18 years in the U.S. Senate, marked by significant legislative accomplishments on everything from education to opioids. All that, and he makes a plaid shirt look good, although these days he has switched to a plaid face mask. I first met Lamar, like our colleague from Maine, Senator Collins, mentioned, when he attended a Lincoln Day Dinner in South Dakota in 1995, when he was running for President. I really started to get to know him a little bit when I came to the Senate in 2005. Lamar had already been here for a couple of years by that time. Of course, he already had an extraordinary career behind him. I know I was not the only young Senator who regarded him as something of a mentor and a role model. I share a couple of things with Lamar; one is the fact that we were both Senate staffers long before we came to the Senate as elected officials. We weren't here at the same time. He was a little ahead of me. I came to the Senate the year Howard Baker left, but, like Lamar, I have great appreciation for the contributions staffers make to the work that we do around here. I know many of Lamar's staffers are in the Gallery today. As he leaves, also we lose a tremendous amount of brain power and talent that has contributed so significantly to the successes and accomplishments that he has had as a U.S. Senator. The other is that he and I both have served as chairman of the Senate Republican conference, which is the messaging and communications office for Republicans in the Senate. I succeeded Lamar as chairman of the Senate Republican conference in 2012. I will tell you, he is a very tough act to follow but an inspiring one because he did such a tremendous job in leading our messaging in the conference. Lamar has an ability to break down complex subjects and communicate them clearly. He can sum up an issue in one succinct phrase. He mentioned earlier, in his remarks, the idea that there ought to be one column, one idea; one speech, one idea. He really did master that. I can recall his summary when we were talking a lot about the energy issue: We need to ``find more and use less.'' That is about as clear a summary of our energy priorities as you can get Many of us used a phrase he popularized around here, too, in describing policies of the other side that we thought would be harmful to the economy as casting a big wet blanket over the economy. I don't know how many times you heard that coming out of our mouths, but it all originated with Lamar Alexander. I think that ability to really break down complex issues and clearly explain them is one of the reasons he was such a good conference chairman and one of the reasons he has been so successful legislatively. And he has been successful legislatively. You already heard a number of my colleagues talk about his many successes. Yet he has managed to get things passed around here that I don't think anyone thought could get passed, particularly in the polarized political environment that we have been in. But Lamar has an ability to bring people together from across the aisle. You heard our colleagues on both sides speak to that. He is very practical about the business of legislating. He focuses on what is actually possible to do and he finds the common ground and he gets things done. You have heard of the America COMPETES Act, the Every Student Succeeds Act, the 21st Centuries Cures Act, the Opioids Crisis Response Act, the Copyright Act, the Great American Outdoors Act. I could go on and on. Those, ladies and gentlemen, are major, major pieces of legislation, tremendous accomplishments of the Congress by the U.S. Senate, signed into law by the President, all of which couldn't have happened without the leadership of Lamar Alexander. He has held multiple leadership positions in the Senate: chairman of the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee and, as I said, Senate Republican conference chairman, but he has always been a leader, whether or not in an official leadership position or simply by virtue of who he is. As I said before, Lamar has been a mentor and role model to me and I know to many others here in the Senate. But I also have to mention his personal warmth and hospitality to me and my wife when our daughter was studying at Belmont University in Nashville, TN. He and his wife Honey opened their home to us in Nashville. They hosted us. I am fortunate to be among those he mentioned were at their place in the Smokies, which was a fabulous experience. They took us to a Tennessee Titans game. They went above and beyond. And to this day, we are grateful for their warmth and generosity and for a chance to see Lamar in his element in his beloved Tennessee. Lamar has dedicated much of his life to his State, his country, and nobody could be more deserving of retirement. I will be surprised if he ever fully retires. I am pretty sure, even while sitting on his porch, he is still going to be dreaming up ways to make our country better. Lamar, thank you for your leadership and for your mentorship. Thank you for being a role model to so many of us. May God bless you in your retirement. I will miss you. I yield the floor.

Mr. THUNE

Mr. THUNE. The following Senator is necessarily absent: the Senator from Georgia (Mrs. Loeffler).

Mr. THUNE. The following Senator is necessarily absent: the Senator from Georgia (Mrs. Loeffler).

Mr. THUNE

Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the mandatory call be waived.

Mr. THUNE

Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that notwithstanding the provisions of rule XXII, at 2 p.m., the Chair lay before the Senate a certificate of election from the State of Arizona.

Mr. THUNE

Mr. THUNE. The following Senators are necessarily absent: the Senator from Oklahoma (Mr. Inhofe), the Senator from Georgia (Mrs. Loeffler), and the Senator from Arizona (Ms. McSally).

Mr. THUNE

Mr. THUNE. The following Senators are necessarily absent: the Senator from Missouri (Mr. Hawley), the Senator from Oklahoma (Mr. Inhofe), the Senator from Georgia (Mrs. Loeffler), and the Senator from Arizona (Ms. McSally).

Mr. THUNE. Madam President, yesterday drugmaker Moderna filed for an emergency use authorization from the FDA for its COVID vaccine. The FDA's Vaccine Advisory Committee is scheduled to discuss Pfizer's COVID vaccine next week and is expected to review Moderna's shortly thereafter. That means that it is entirely possible that by the end of December the FDA will have authorized not one but two COVID vaccines that have so far shown more than 90 percent effectiveness in preventing the disease. This is very hopeful news, and it is a tribute to the innovative power of the private sector and the efforts of Congress and the Trump administration to expedite the development of COVID vaccines. The light at the end of the tunnel looks like it is on the way. At the same time, it is essential that we not minimize what is happening with COVID right now. Cases are surging and are likely to surge further, and doctors and hospitals are struggling. It is essential that we maintain key safety measures until those vaccines arrive. Now, more than ever, we need to keep wearing masks, wash our hands, and maintain social distance. The more responsibly we act, the more we can protect vulnerable members of the population and keep our doctors and hospitals from being overrun. Acting responsibly can also help avert further economic shutdowns, which would be a devastating blow to a lot of struggling businesses. I know that it has been a long, hard year and that everyone is tired of the additional safety measures we have had to take, but the beginning of the end is in sight, and we need to hold on for a few months longer and keep doing everything we can to prevent further virus spread. At the same time, it is important that State and local governments use their authority responsibly and think carefully about the impact of the health and safety measures that they are putting in place. It is also essential that elected officials ensure that they are respecting our constitutional rights--notably, the right of assembly and the free exercise of religion--when imposing coronavirus restrictions. I was pleased to see the Supreme Court uphold this principle in its recent decision suspending draconian New York measures targeting houses of worship. New York City is not the only place where churches have faced disproportionately strict restrictions. Earlier this year in Washington, DC, for example, the mayor celebrated mass protests that vastly exceeded recommendations for gathering size, even as she maintained strict restrictions on houses of worship. I was pleased to join an amicus brief to the DC district court in support of Capitol Hill Baptist Church's lawsuit against the DC government asking that the church's constitutional right to free exercise of its faith be respected in the same way as the protesters' rights to freedom of speech. Throughout this pandemic we have, unfortunately, seen a significant degree of hypocrisy from many on the left who have called for or imposed strict restrictions on activities that they deem nonessential while celebrating activities that they approved of but that posed a significant risk of coronavirus transmission. The First Amendment cannot be applied selectively, and when imposing coronavirus restrictions, lawmakers need to exercise the greatest respect for our first freedom--the free exercise of religion--and ensure that churches are not subjected to disproportionately severe measures. More than that, politicians should do everything that they can to ensure that religious worship is supported as far as possible during the pandemic. Worship is an essential activity, and it should be accorded the same respect and deference that governments have accorded to liquor stores, bike shops, and nail salons. In the next couple of weeks, Congress will be passing key legislation, including a bill to fund the government. I am hoping that we will be able to add a COVID relief bill to that list. While the money Congress has already invested in COVID relief has gone a long way toward meeting the country's needs, there is more that we need to do. Republicans put forward an additional targeted relief package months ago, but Democrats spent the fall delaying additional COVID relief by insisting on bloated legislation filled with unrelated and unreasonable demands. It has been impossible to negotiate with Democrats for the simple reason that Democrats have made it clear that compromise is not an option. ``It is our way or the highway,'' Democrats have said. It is either a multitrillion-dollar bill or nothing at all. Democrats have to know that they don't have a chance of getting their bill through both houses of Congress and to the President's desk, so the reasonable thing for them to do, if they really want to help Americans, would be to work with Republicans to pass a bill that delivers at least some of what they want. Republicans and Democrats agree on a number of things, from more money for schools, testing, and vaccines to another round of Paycheck Protection Program relief for the hardest hit small businesses. We should be able to arrive at compromise legislation that both sides can agree to, and we should pass that compromise legislation before the end of the year. I was encouraged to hear that a few Democrats are looking to develop bipartisan coronavirus legislation, and I hope we will be able to convince the Speaker and the Democratic leader here in the Senate that working with Republicans--really working with them--and not pretending to negotiate while refusing to actually compromise is the right thing to do for the American people. It has been a rough year for the country. Let's close it out by working together to deliver the additional relief that Americans need to weather the rest of this pandemic I yield the floor.

Mr. THUNE

Mr. THUNE. The following Senators are necessarily absent: the Senator from Oklahoma (Mr. Inhofe), the Senator from Georgia (Mrs. Loeffler), and the Senator from Arizona (Ms. McSally).

Mr. THUNE

Mr. THUNE. The following Senators are necessarily absent: the Senator from Oklahoma (Mr. Inhofe), the Senator from Georgia (Mrs. Loeffler), and the Senator from Arizona (Ms. McSally).

Mr. THUNE. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the mandatory quorum call be waived.

Mr. THUNE

Mr. THUNE. The following Senators are necessarily absent: the Senator from Oklahoma (Mr. Inhofe), the Senator from Georgia (Mrs. Loeffler), the Senator from Arizona (Ms. McSally), and the Senator from Florida (Mr. Rubio). Further, if present and voting, the Senator from Florida (Mr. Rubio) would have voted ``yea.''