John Thune

Mr. THUNE

Mr. THUNE. The following Senators are necessarily absent: the Senator from Tennessee (Mr. Alexander), the Senator from Colorado (Mr. Gardner), the Senator from Iowa (Mr. Grassley), and the Senator from Florida (Mr. Scott). Further, if present and voting, the Senator from Tennessee (Mr. Alexander) would have voted ``yea,'' the Senator from Iowa (Mr. Grassley) would have voted ``yea,'' and the Senator from Florida (Mr. Scott) would have voted ``yea.''

Mr. THUNE. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the mandatory quorum call with respect to the Mizelle nomination be waived.

Mr. THUNE

Mr. THUNE. The following Senators are necessarily absent: the Senator from Tennessee (Mr. Alexander), the Senator from Colorado (Mr. Gardner), the Senator from Iowa (Mr. Grassley), and the Senator from Florida (Mr. Scott). Further, if present and voting, the Senator from Tennessee (Mr. Alexander) would have voted ``yea,'' the Senator from Iowa (Mr. Grassley) would have voted ``yea,'' and the Senator from Florida (Mr. Scott) would have voted ''yea.''

Mr. THUNE

Mr. THUNE. The following Senators are necessarily absent: the Senator from Tennessee (Mr. Alexander), the Senator from Colorado (Mr. Gardner), the Senator from Iowa (Mr. Grassley), and the Senator from Florida (Mr. Scott). Further, if present and voting, the Senator from Tennessee (Mr. Alexander) would have voted ``yea,'' the Senator from Iowa (Mr. Grassley) would have voted ``yea,'' and the Senator from Florida (Mr. Scott) would have voted ``yea.''

Mr. THUNE. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table and the President be immediately notified of the Senate's action.

Mr. THUNE

Mr. THUNE. The following Senators are necessarily absent: the Senator from Tennessee (Mr. Alexander), the Senator from Colorado (Mr. Gardner), the Senator from Iowa (Mr. Grassley), and the Senator from Florida (Mr. Scott). Further, if present and voting, the Senator from Tennessee (Mr. Alexander) would have voted ``yea,'' the Senator from Iowa (Mr. Grassley) would have voted ``yea,'' and the Senator from Florida (Mr. Scott) would have voted ``yea.''

Mr. THUNE

Mr. THUNE. Madam President, I think it is important to point out that as we discuss the issue of coronavirus relief, that Senate Republicans have now not once but twice brought a bill to the floor of the U.S. Senate that enjoyed the support of a majority of U.S. Senators. There were 52 Senators who voted for coronavirus relief not once but twice-- once in September and once in October. Not a single Democrat voted for it. The Democratic leader was just talking about the House of Representatives, where they passed a bill. Yes, they passed a bill. It didn't have a single Republican on it. It was a massive multitrillion- dollar bill, liberal wish list, that included all kinds of things like bailouts for blue States the taxpayers would have to finance, including tax cuts for millionaires in places like New York and California, and left a lot of the American people who are really suffering from the coronavirus holding the bag. We believe that there are things that need to be done, and just because we can't do everything that the Democrats want to do on their liberal wish list, that we should do something, and Republicans came together behind a bill. They increased the support above and beyond what unemployed workers would normally get through unemployment insurance--increased that benefit by $300 a week. It also provided a significant amount of funding for schools as they continue to deal with the cost of trying to stay open safely. It put significant investments into vaccines, testings, therapeutics, support for providers, and all the things that will help on the healthcare front to defeat this virus. And, of course, it provided infusion of additional dollars for the Paycheck Protection Program, which has been so successful in assisting our small businesses as they weather and survive this crisis to try and keep their workers employed and keep their businesses up and operating and keep our economy operating in this country. Those are all things--all things--for which there is bipartisan support and on which there should be votes, not just among Republicans in the Senate but among Democrats as well, but unfortunately the Democrats have opted not to sit down in a reasonable way and come up with a reasonable proposal. The bill that came over from the House of Representatives that they continue to tout is something that would never pass in the Senate, and it would never get signed into law. The bill that Senate Republicans passed--I shouldn't say passed but got majority support for here in the Senate not once but twice--would, in fact, get signed into law and is something that could pass here in the Senate and I believe in the House of Representatives, too, because they are all things that enjoy broad bipartisan support. The difference is that our bill was targeted to those areas which need the support the most. It was fiscally responsible, recognizing that we have a $26 trillion debt growing by the day and that every dollar we spend is a borrowed dollar from our children and grandchildren. It is so important that when we do this, we do this in a way that is thoughtful, deliberative, reasonable, and with an eye toward making sure we are getting a good return for the American taxpayer and delivering assistance in a targeted way to those folks who need it the most--unemployed workers; those who are employed; the small businesses that employ them; the healthcare frontline workers who are out there every day fighting this fight against this virus, making sure they have the PPE to protect them--and then, of course, the important investments we are making in vaccines and therapeutics and testing and all the things that will help defeat this; money for schools, colleges, universities, elementary and high school students and faculty and administration--those who are trying to keep our kids in school, keep them educated by dealing with a lot of additional costs related to providing that education in a safe way. Those are all things on which there is broad bipartisan agreement. We could pass it today. We could pass it today in the Senate, but the Democrats insist on a liberal wish list, which includes a multitrillion-dollar proposal--multitrillion-dollar proposal--with a liberal wish list, an agenda that in many cases has nothing to do with combating or fighting the coronavirus but simply is an attempt to deliver on a liberal agenda for their political base. So let's just make that point very clearly here when we talk about what we should be doing. I believe what we should be doing is sitting down and working on a reasonable bill, a targeted bill, a fiscally responsible bill. Republicans have been more than willing to do that and more than willing to compromise, but the Democrats both in the House and the Senate continue to insist upon a multitrillion-dollar bill that consists, again, of a bunch of liberal wish list items--taxpayer bailouts for blue States, tax cuts for millionaires across this country, putting money into diversity studies on cannabis--instead of the targeted things, the things that are really going to be necessary to help the American people and our economy recover from the coronavirus.

Mr. THUNE

Mr. THUNE. The following Senators are necessarily absent: the Senator from Tennessee (Mr. Alexander), the Senator from Iowa (Mr. Grassley), and the Senator from Florida (Mr. Scott). Further, if present and voting, the Senator from Tennessee (Mr. Alexander) would have voted ``yea'', the Senator from Iowa (Mr. Grassley) would have voted ``yea'', and the Senator from Florida (Mr. Scott) would have voted ``yea''.

Mr. THUNE

Mr. THUNE. The following Senators are necessarily absent: the Senator from Tennessee (Mr. Alexander), the Senator from Iowa (Mr. Grassley), and the Senator from Florida (Mr. Scott). Further, if present and voting, the Senator from Tennessee (Mr. Alexander) would have voted ``yea,'' the Senator from Iowa (Mr. Grassley) would have voted ``yea,'' and the Senator from Florida (Mr. Scott) would have voted ``yea.''

Mr. THUNE

Mr. THUNE. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the mandatory quorum call with respect to the Shelton nomination be waived.

Mr. THUNE. The following Senators are necessarily absent: the Senator from Tennessee (Mr. Alexander), the Senator from Iowa (Mr. Grassley), and the Senator from Florida (Mr. Scott). Further, if present and voting, the Senator from Tennessee (Mr. Alexander) would have voted ``nay,'' the Senator from Florida (Mr. Scott) would have voted ``yea,'' and the Senator from Iowa (Mr. Grassley) would have voted ``yea.''

Mr. THUNE

Mr. THUNE. The following Senators are necessarily absent: the Senator from Tennessee (Mr. Alexander), the Senator from Iowa (Mr. Grassley), and the Senator from Florida (Mr. Scott). Further, if present and voting, the Senator from Tennessee (Mr. Alexander) would have voted ``yea,'' the Senator from Iowa (Mr. Grassley) would have voted ``yea,'' and the Senator from Florida (Mr. Scott) would have voted ``yea.''

Mr. THUNE

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

Mr. THUNE

Mr. THUNE. Madam President, for the second Monday now in a row, we have received tremendous news about the prospects for a COVID vaccine. Last week, Pfizer announced that the initial results of its COVID vaccine showed a greater than 90-percent rate of effectiveness. And yesterday, Moderna announced its COVID vaccine is showing a similarly high effectiveness rate, raising the possibility that not one but two COVID vaccines may be available in the very near future. This success is a tribute to the innovative power of the private sector and the efforts of Congress and the Trump administration to expedite development of COVID vaccines. Operation Warp Speed has helped fund development of Moderna's vaccine and will help fund distribution of both Moderna's and Pfizer's products. While vaccine trials and development continue, so does research into new COVID treatments. Drugmaker Eli Lilly just received emergency use authorization for an antibody drug that will be used to treat COVID in patients with mild or moderate illness. Another company, Regeneron, has also filed for emergency use authorization for a potential antibody treatment. And there are a lot of other clinical trials going on right now for COVID vaccines and therapeutics, meaning there may be more good news to come. Meanwhile, we are also strengthening domestic production of personal protective equipment for medical personnel and other essential workers. And 3M, which manufactures N95 masks, received two contracts under the Defense Production Act to expand N95 production. I recently visited the 3M plant in Aberdeen, SD, to celebrate the opening of the plant's new N95 manufacturing lines. These new lines will help 3M's N95 production increase from 22 million to more than 95 million respirators per month. That is critical progress on the PPE front, not to mention the jobs that are being created.

Mr. THUNE

Mr. THUNE. The following Senators are necessarily absent: the Senator from Tennessee (Mr. Alexander), the Senator from South Carolina (Mr. Graham), the Senator from Iowa (Mr. Grassley), and the Senator from Florida (Mr. Scott). Further, if present and voting, the Senator from Tennessee (Mr. Alexander) would have voted ``yea,'' and the Senator from Iowa (Mr. Grassley) would have voted ``yea.''

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 Tennessee (Mr. Alexander), the Senator from Iowa (Mr. Grassley), and the Senator from Florida (Mr. Scott). Further, if present and voting, the Senator from Tennessee (Mr. Alexander) would have voted ``yea,'' the Senator from Iowa (Mr. Grassley) would have voted ``yea,'' and the Senator from Florida (Mr. Scott) would have voted ``yea.''

Mr. THUNE. Madam President, I request the yeas and nays.

Mr. THUNE

Mr. THUNE. The following Senators are necessarily absent: the Senator from Tennessee (Mr. Alexander), the Senator from Montana (Mr. Daines), the Senator from Florida (Mr. Scott), and the Senator from Indiana (Mr. Young). Further, if present and voting, the Senator from Tennessee (Mr. Alexander) would have voted yea and the Senator from Indiana (Mr. Young) would have voted yea.

Mr. THUNE

Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, this summer, Senator Smith and I introduced the Impact Aid Coronavirus Relief Act. If enacted, this bill would provide much needed relief to school districts participating in the Impact Aid Program. And given the many other strains they are feeling due to the ongoing pandemic, it can't come soon enough. By way of background, public school districts on military installations, Tribal land, and other Federal public property, or with students living on these Federal properties, can participate in the Impact Aid Program, which includes nearly 40 school districts in the State of South Dakota. This program is of vital importance to the financial well-being of these schools, as it reimburses them for revenue shortfalls due to the reduction or absence of a local tax base because of the presence of Federal property In order to determine grant awards through this program, school districts must annually calculate the number of federally connected students that they have enrolled. While generally a prudent exercise, during a pandemic, conducting this type of count has presented a new set of challenges for administrators. The Impact Aid Coronavirus Relief Act is a commonsense, bipartisan approach that would not cost a dime yet would provide financial stability to school districts by allowing them to use last year's student headcounts on impact aid applications that they are completing this fall. Doing so would prevent the reporting of noticeable, but likely temporary, declines in student enrollment, which would lead to student reduced impact aid payments next year. Distance learning has made collecting student data more challenging as well. Districts are also experiencing declines in student headcount due to parents choosing to temporarily homeschool their children during the pandemic. Unless Congress allows these school districts to use last year's student headcounts on this year's impact aid applications, schools will have the undue burden of collecting this data during an otherwise challenging time and could very well experience a reduced impact aid payment next fall. Our legislation will ensure that they have certainty in the near term. A companion of our bill passed the House by unanimous consent on October 2, and impact aid school districts are eager for the Senate to do the same. I hope we can get that done today. I yield to the Senator from Minnesota for some comments.

Mr. THUNE. 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. THUNE. I thank the Senator from Minnesota. Mr. President, as if in legislative session, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of H.R. 8472, which was received from the House.

Mr. THUNE

Mr. THUNE. The following Senators are necessarily absent: the Senator from Tennessee (Mr. Alexander), the Senator from Indiana (Mr. Braun), the Senator from North Carolina (Mr. Burr), the Senator from Georgia (Mrs. Loeffler), the Senator from Kansas (Mr. Moran), the Senator from Kentucky (Mr. Paul), the Senator from Idaho (Mr. Risch), the Senator from Alaska (Mr. Sullivan), and the Senator from Indiana (Mr. Young). Further, if present and voting, the Senator from Indiana (Mr. Young) would have voted ``yea'' and the Senator from Tennessee (Mr. Alexander) would have voted ``yea.''

Mr. THUNE

Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that I be able to conclude my remarks and that the Senator from Minnesota be able to conclude her remarks prior to the vote.

Mr. THUNE

Mr. THUNE. The following Senators are necessarily absent: the Senator from Tennessee (Mr. Alexander), the Senator from Indiana (Mr. Braun), the Senator from Georgia (Mrs. Loeffler), the Senator from Kansas (Mr. Moran), the Senator from Kentucky (Mr. Paul), the Senator from Idaho (Mr. Risch), the Senator from Alaska (Mr. Sullivan), and the Senator from Indiana (Mr. Young). Further, if present and voting, the Senator from Tennessee (Mr. Alexander) would have voted ``yea'' and the Senator from Indiana (Mr. Young) would have voted ``yea.''