[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 80 (Monday, May 10, 2021)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2398-S2399]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
BUSINESS BEFORE THE SENATE
Mr. SCHUMER. Madam President, the last time we observed Mother's Day,
most of the country could not spend time with their parents or have
their kids spend time with them. Standing outside of a window and
waving to mom was the closest you could get. I remember that. So this
year, I was beyond grateful to celebrate with my mother and my
daughters in person. I know the same was true for Americans across the
country. As COVID-19 continues to recede--and more than half of
eligible adults have received at least one shot of the vaccine after a
very painful and difficult year--it was another sign that our country
is turning the corner. Praise God.
Now, as we begin this work period, the Senate will continue working
to help the country recover and build back stronger than ever. That
includes filling vacancies in the executive branch with highly
qualified public servants.
This week, the Senate will consider the nomination of Andrea Palm for
Deputy HHS Secretary and Cynthia Marten, a teacher of 17 years, to
serve as the next Deputy Education Secretary. There will be additional
nominations on the floor as the week goes on. At the committee level,
at least half a dozen other nominees will have their markups.
There will be plenty of legislative action off the floor as well.
Discussions continue on a potential, bipartisan infrastructure bill,
gun safety legislation, and policing reform.
On Wednesday, the Senate Commerce Committee will begin to mark up the
Endless Frontier Act, bipartisan legislation that would invest in our
scientific and technologic capabilities and help the United States
outcompete China and other nations in a number of emerging industries.
There have been extremely constructive bipartisan talks over the last
week, and I am fully supportive of the product that will be considered
in Wednesday's committee meeting.
In addition, a number of other Senate committees are working on
bipartisan legislation to improve our competitiveness and make the
United States a world leader in advanced manufacturing, innovation, and
supply chains.
It is my intention to have the full Senate consider comprehensive
competitive legislation during this work period.
This week, the Senate Rules Committee will also mark up S. 1, a bill
to strengthen our democracy, increase transparency in our campaign
finance system, and make it easier for all Americans to vote. The
Senate Democratic majority named this bill ``S. 1'' because it is a
very top priority. The majority gets to name the first five bills of
any new Congress. We picked the For the People Act to be S. 1 for a
reason. Make no mistake, we are moving forward with S. 1 in the Rules
Committee this week. I will attend the markup tomorrow.
As a reminder to my colleagues, I have committed to bring S. 1 to the
floor of the Senate. As the Rules Committee prepares to amend and
advance S. 1, our Republican colleagues face a critical choice between
working with Democrats in good faith to pass law to protect our
democracy or siding with Republican State legislatures that are
orchestrating the largest contraction of voting rights in decades.
There is no reason our two parties can't work together on S. 1. In
fact, the legislation has already been updated and improved. It now
includes input from election officials across the country, including
Republican election officials.
I am sure we will see additional amendments to mark up tomorrow. For
example, I understand my colleague from Georgia, Senator Ossoff, will
offer an amendment to ban States from restricting volunteers from
giving food and water to Americans waiting in line to vote. You would
think such a provision would be unnecessary, but, sadly, giving voters
food or water while they are waiting in long lines has just been
criminalized by the State of Georgia.
Look, we know our Republican colleagues don't like every aspect of S.
1, but will they work in good faith to improve it? Will they offer
revisions or new ideas to protect voting rights, or,
[[Page S2399]]
through uncompromising resistance to commonsense voter protections,
will they side with Republican legislatures across the country that are
restricting the voting rights in a way that hurts African Americans,
Latinos, and younger and poorer Americans? The choice is theirs.
Two final points on this. No. 1, Donald Trump spread the ``big lie.''
We all know it was a big lie that there was massive fraud in the
elections. Instead of resisting that lie--so harmful to our democracy
because when people don't have faith in the electoral process, it
withers faith in our very democracy--so many Republicans in State
legislatures and here in the Senate, unfortunately, are spreading that
lie.
Second, what has been the tradition of America? It has been to
improve the right to vote. At the time of the Constitution, in many
States, you had to be a White male Protestant property owner to vote.
We have improved on that. We have improved on that beginning in many
different ways through the years. What the Republican legislatures are
taking is a giant setback--a giant step back in the progress we have
made to making this a more perfect union.
Will the Republican Senate, in the Rules Committee tomorrow and later
on the floor of the Senate when they bring the bill forward,
participate in improving on democracy or in helping, aiding, and
abetting the big lie and the giant step backward?
Finally, on State and local aid, today the Treasury Department
launched a $350 billion program to deliver aid to State and local
governments--funding that Democrats in Congress provided through the
American Rescue Plan. After fighting this pandemic on the frontlines,
State and local governments in New York and across the country needed
help, and they needed it quickly to keep frontline workers on the job
and prevent brutal service cuts. Thanks to the American Rescue Plan and
the Treasury Department's announcement this morning, we can finally say
that help is on the way to State and local governments.
Eligible State, territorial, city, county, and Tribal governments
will be able to access funding directly from the Treasury Department in
the coming days. State and local governments now need to file
applications with Treasury. Once they are processed, money will begin
flowing. Let me say that again. State, local, and Tribal governments
should prepare to file applications with the Treasury Department for
assistance, and I am told the assistance will be quickly forthcoming.
And, State and local government, it is not only available, it is
flexible. The Biden administration deserves credit for providing clear
guidance in broad categories for spending the money, letting States
make their own decisions about how to allocate funds to recover from
the pandemic and address immediate needs. Whether it is to support
public health systems, small businesses, necessary infrastructure,
hard-hit industries like tourism, or premium pay for essential workers,
States can use the funding we passed in the American Rescue Plan to
help their constituents and their economy recover in a variety of ways.
The Treasury Department's announcement today begins the process of
delivering the resources our States and municipalities need to prevent
layoffs, keep essential services running, and boost Main Street
businesses from one end of the country to the other.
I was proud to successfully push for robust State and local funding
in the American Rescue Plan, and I will continue to work with the Biden
administration as this funding is distributed.
I yield the floor.
No, I don't yield the floor. I finished my speech, but I have another
activity or two to do.
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