our military security and international security and protection from enemies, foreign and abroad and we have never really talked about domestic security in this country. we never really thought of protecting our citizens day in and day out and i think we all come away from this virus and were not done with it. thinking generally about domestic security, what does it mean to have a secure supply chain of newer than 2020 ppe, personal protective equipment? how do we make sure that we manufacture in the united states or stockpile in the united states enough personal protective equipment that you would never be an issue and would never be a newsworthy -- >> relieve us from here to keep our ears long commitment to a live coverage of the u.s. senate. senate lawmakers to date baiting

the nomination of the white house budget director. a vote on that is exacted at 5:30 p.m. eastern today. this week senate lawmakers are expected to continue work on the defense authorization for 2021. this is live coverage of the senate here on c-span2. the president pro tempore: the senate will come to order. the chaplain, dr. black, will open the senate in prayer. the chaplain: let us pray.

o lord, as our lips are open in prayer, so may our hearts be open to receive your holy spirit. help us to bow to your will and live lives devoted to your providential leading. lord, we thank you for your providence that brought us the gift of representative john lewis. we're grateful he was a drum major for justice, truth, and righteousness. may his exemplary life and legacy remind us of the

transformative impact one dedicated person can make on our nation and world. today, please our senators in their work. let faith, hope, and love abound in their lives. may they seek to heal the hurt in our world and to be forces for harmony and goodness. we pray in your holy name. amen. the president pro tempore: please join me in reciting the pledge of allegiance. i pledge allegiance to the flag of the united states of america, and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under god,

indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. mr. grassley: mr. president. the presiding officer: the senator from iowa. mr. grassley: one minute for morning business. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. grassley: representative government is a two-way street. to hold up my part of that commitment, i'm on my 40th year of holding at least one q a in every county every year. over the past two weeks, i had a q & a in 29 counties.

iowans raised their concerns about the virus, unemployment insurance, the rising costs of prescription drugs, china, and access to rural broadband. iowans applauded congress' swift actions on programs like the paycheck protection program and getting much-needed resources to our rural health care workers. as always, i will continue to bring iowans' voices to the policy-making tables, and i look forward to finishing my annual 99-county meetings later this year. i yield the floor and suggest the absence of a quorum. the presiding officer: the clerk will call the roll. quorum call:

mr. mcconnell: mr. president. the presiding officer: the majority leader. mr. mcconnell: on friday, the nation lost -- the presiding officer: the senate is in a quorum call. mr. mcconnell: i ask consent that further proceedings under the quorum call be dispensed with. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. mcconnell: on friday, the nation lost a monumental figure, someone who made huge personal sacrifices to help our nation move past the scent of racism and align more with the principles of our founding. john lewis had secured his place among the giants of american

history before his career in congress had even begun. from a sharecropper's farm with no electricity or running water, john lewis rose to share the stage with dr.dr. martin luther king jr. as a founding leader of the mid-century civil rights movement. his unwavering example of nonviolent resistance became a powerful rallying cry, swelling the ranks at marches and sit-ins, and commanding the attention of the nation. as a young student, john demonstrated wisdom beyond his years and unimaginable patience and dignity in the face of harassment and brutal assaults from the champions of segregation. from boycotts and sit-ins to bloody sunday in selma, he suffered and suffered and suffered. but he kept working. he was unshaken in the belief

that our nation could do better. and he was willing to pay for that progress with his own blood. because of justice -- the cause of justice called john lewis to the vanguard. from organizing the lunch counter sit-ins that made nashville the first southern city to begin desegregating public places to leading the first historic freedom riders across the south to chairing the student nonviolent coordinating committee that helped mobilize a generation. to addressing the march on washington from the lincoln memorial. by the time he turned 25, john had already lent his voice and his body to a full lifetime's work. but he wasn't finished yet. that same spirit of urgency followed him here to washington. whether the day's issues found

him on your side of a policy debate or the opposite side, his warmth, friendliness, and dedication to his neighbors in georgia's fifth district made an impact on everyone. i'm reminded particularly of joining hands with him at a ceremony here in the capitol honoring his friend, dr. king, in 2008 as members of congress sang "we shall overcome." it was humbling to reflect on what the man standing next to me had suffered and sacrificed so that those words could be sung at such an occasion in that place. so, mr. president, the memory of our colleague brings to mind dr. he famously said, quote, the arc of the moral universe is long, and it bends toward justice. it would be a mistake to read those words and assume that he meant this bending is

inevitable. our society has only marched towards justice because great figures like congressman john lewis took it upon themselves to lead the way. so the nation mourns his passins passing, and we celebrate the life of this american hero. now, on an entirely different matter, it's been a half a year since the deadly coronavirus began to spread from china throughout the world. 3.7 million cases have been recorded on american soil. more than 140,000 lives have been lost. today, our nation stands at a challenging crossroads. states and localities are trying to balance the need to reopen and foster economic recovery with the need to stay on offense against the virus. back in march, the american people began a period of historic disruption and heroic

sacrifice in order to stunt the spread of the virus. life as we had known it was simply put on ice. daily routines were reinvented. not as a permanent solution but as a short-term emergency measure to save our health care system. the american people stepped up. they sacrificed to save lives nowhere in the united states did hospitals suffer the fate of the medical systems in places like italy. our nation met new kinds of american heroes, doctors, and nurses who worked double shifts, washed their hands raw, and endured physical separation from their loved ones so they could continue to treat ours. essential maintenance, delivery, and grocery store workers who kept clocking in to keep families, communities, and entire industries supplied and functioning. teachers and parents who tried their best to keep school in session for our nation's

children from virtual classrooms and kitchen tables all across our country. no generation before us has ever had to pull the emergency brake on national life in quite this way. and this historic challenge required historic support. so the senate wrote and passed the largest rescue package in history. the cares act put financial assistance in the pockets of american families. it sent hundreds of billions of dollars so that employers could keep paying workers. it mobilized unprecedented resources for the medical response. economists and experts across the spectrum agreed that the senate's bold bipartisan policies have made a tremendous difference these past months. so, mr. president, the question before the senate this week is, where are we now? where are we now? on the one hand our health care fight against the virus itself

is very obviously unfinished. new spikes in large and economically central states show that we are nowhere near out of the woods. at the same time, neither economics nor our nation's sanity would sustain an indefinite total lockdown until there's a vaccine. so even as we continue to fight the health care battle, cautious reopenings will need to proceed in ways that are as smart, safe, and data driven as possible. this is the situation facing the senate as we discuss and consider the possibility of another recovery package. it would neither be another multitrillion dollar bridge loan

to make up for a totally shut down economy nor an ordinary stimulus for a nation ready to get back to normal. the need now lies somewhere in between. we need to continue supporting our health care system and harbor no delusion that this virus is behind us because it isn't while also taking strategic steps to help laid off american workers get rehired and american families get their kids back in school this fall. that is why senate republicans will be putting forward a strong starting point for additional recovery legislation hopefully as soon as this week. it will take a good-faith bipartisan cooperation from our democratic colleagues to

actually make a law. that productive spirit is what got the cares act across the finish line unanimously. but last month that spirit was absent. a political determination from our democratic colleagues led them to block, block the justice act and block the senate from even turning to the subject of police reform even as millions had taken to the streets demanding change. so for the sake of our nation, if we want to continue helping the american people the next several weeks, we'll need to look a lot more like march and a lot less like june. senate republicans will put forward our proposal soon. i hope our democratic colleagues will be ready to work together to get an outcome. but first, mr. president, this

week the senate will complete two other important pieces of the people's business. first, we'll continue the president's -- we'll confirm the president's choice to head the office of management and budget. then we'll finish and pass the annual national defense authorization act for a 60th consecutive time. as covid-19 captured our nation's attention, we knew our adversaries around the world would not ease up. we knew that those who seek to harm america, our interests, and our allies would use the commotion to show even more of their true colors. and sure enough, the russian military has flirted even closer to the boundaries of u.s. air space. iran has stepped up its meddling in regional conflicts. china has escalated both its international bullying and its domestic repression, such as in hong kong. so i'm particularly encouraged

that chairman inhofe, ranking member reed, and our committee colleagues have put forward a robust, bipartisan bill. it will invest in the training and technology that will keep our fighting forces on the cutting edge. it will strengthen our alliances and partnerships with shared systems for containing threats. it will honor our service members and their families with the pay raises and topnotch services they deserve here at home. that means new investments and 5g systems and hyper sonic weapons, the establishment of european and pacific defense initiatives for greater cooperation to check russia and china, and improving military family housing, education, and health care. the ndaa will build on the success of the last three years and rebuilding and modernizing the world's greatest fighting forces. it will continue to advance our

new national defense strategy putting aside the naive recess of the past administration and continuing to invest in strength instead. so i'll be proud to vote to advance and pass the ndaa and i would hope all of our colleagues will join me. now, mr. president, i understand there's a bill at the desk due a second reading. the presiding officer: the leader is correct. the clerk will read the title of the bill for the second time. the clerk: h.r. 7120, an act to hold law enforcement accountable for misconduct in court and so forth. mr. mcconnell: in order to place the bill on the calendar under provision of rule 14, i would object to further proceedings. the presiding officer: the objection having been heard, the bill will be placed on the calendar. under the previous order, the leadership time is reserved. morning business is closed. under the previous order, the senate will proceed to executive

session to resume consideration of the following nomination which the clerk will report. the clerk: nomination, executive office of the president, russell vought of virginia to be director of the office of management and budget. mr. mcconnell: i suggest the absence of a quorum. the presiding officer: the clerk will call the roll. the presiding officer-- quorum call:

quorum call:

mr. schumer: mr. president? the presiding officer: the democratic leader.

schumer $. mr. schumer: i ask unanimous consent that the quorum be dispensed with. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. schumer: now, mr. president, on friday, july 1, after six decades as one of our nation's most preeminent civil right leaders, congressman john lewis, the conscience of the congress, pass way at the age of 80. his trials and tribulations and triumphs are well known to all of us. at the ripe old age of 25 he led thousands of marchers across a bridge in alabama risking their liberias -- lives for the right to vote. on that fateful sunday, his head dizzy and bleeding, he found the courage and strength to reach the other side of the bridge and he never stopped marching. from the freedom rides to selma, from his leadership of the sncc, for his four decades in congress, he never stopped marching.

his actions as a young man helped change the trajectory of a nation and brought about the voting rights act. then he went to congress and renewed that law again and again. he sat in against segregation at lunch counters in the jim crow south and over 40 years later led another sit-in on the house floor against gun violence. he spoke out for major equality long before it was popular. he challenged those who walk the corridors of power and then trod those corridors himself to bring quality health care, fair wages and social justice to georgians and americans everywhere. it is one thing in fleeing with the passion of youth to join in brave endeavors and it a good thing but even beyond that to sustain that activism and vision and efforts and, yes, that good trouble he talked about getting into over the steady and persistent dedication of a lifetime.

but that's who john lewis was deep in his soul, man on a mission who forcefully but gently led us all to do more and do better, who loved his country so much that he risked his life and then spent his life trying to change it. we're an imperfect nation for sure but we have an ability to reinvent ourselves. the story of america is one of constant renewal. but that renewal has never been preordained. it is because americans have pushed and brooded, used their voices and their votes. -- to force our country to change over time, move ever closer to our highest ideals. in the story 6 america, there are certain heroes whose moral clarity shone out like a beacon for others to follow. north stars who have inspired their fellow americans to join them in the glorious work of bending the moral arc of the universe towards justice. john lewis was one of those

special heroes. he paved the road and lit the path, pointed the way towards another bridges for us to cross. it wasn't by always being the loudest voice or the most intemperate. he led by the moral force of his example. whether he would admit it or not, inspired millions. at president obama's inauguration, john asked the new president to sane a commemorative photo of the event. president obama simply wrote, because of you, john. i don't know how many people must have said that over the years -- because of you, john. and i never could guess the number who didn't even know to say it but whose lives were forever altered, whose dignity and freedom was made whole because of you, john. as a new generation of young people lift up their voices to claim black lives matter, the memory and legacy of john lewis lives on in each and every one

of them. there are very few people who have changed the world for the better. john lewis is one of them. his life is a reminder of all that's the best in us and that we are all capable of doing that best. as we mourn his loss, i'd ask my fellow americans, including my colleagues in this body, to take up his mission. many of the old enemies john faced down have not been veining wished. racial disparities persist in the fabric of our society. so does the police violence that met a young john lewis and thousands of law-abading americans on that bridge over 50 years ago. the bridge he crossed is still named for the confederate officer, not for the righteous man who led the right for equality. the law he fought for has been gutted by the supreme court. congress has the ability to restore it but only one political party seems interested in doing so. at the 50th anniversary of the

march on selma, congressman lewis acknowledged that his mission was not yet complete. there is still work left to be done, he said. we must use this moment to recommit ourselves to finish the work. he told us to get out there and push and pull. until we redeem the soul of america. as we confront our turbulent past, a pernicious disease, vast economic hardship and inequality, the ancient evil of racial injustice, the loss of john lewis feels even more devastating and leaves many searching for answers. but john lewis has already pointed the way. there is still work left to be done, he said. finish the work. get out there. push and pull until we redeem the soul of america. may he forever rest in peace. now, on another matter, it's rare we gather at the start of a work session with so much to do in so little time.

as we speak, our country faces the greatest public health crisis since 1918 and the greatest economic challenge since the great depression. earlier this year, covid-19 exploded through the northeast and the pacific northwest before finally subsiding. the economic pain of those first few months, over 40 million newly unemployed, was incomprehensible. now states throughout the south and west are experiencing a similar surge in cases, hospitalization, and sadly deaths at the economic -- as the economic pain deepens. while all of us have watched in horror as this crisis unfolds, senate democrats have repeatedly called for action on crucial issues like aid for state, local, and tribal governments, hazard pay for essential workers, funding for coronavirus testing and tracing, rental assistance, support for our nation's child care and education systems. each time we sought to pass legislation on these issues, senate republicans blocked our

attempts. senate republicans said that we should, in the words of leader mcconnell, quote, hit the pause button. our republican friends said they wanted to, quote, assess the conditions in the country, unquote, before providing any more relief. our house colleagues passed the heroes act over 60 days ago. it's been well over three months, three long months since we passed the cares act, and what has happened in those three months? three months ago, on april 20, the united states reported 775 total cases of covid-19 with 42,000 deaths. today we have nearly 3.8 million confirmed cases and 140,000 deaths. just over three months ago, 30 million americans have filed unemployment claims, and today that figure is nearly 50 million. more unemployment claims were filed in the last 17 weeks than in the entire 18-month stretch

of the great recession. today the state of florida has more infections per week than china, japan, korea, vietnam, thailand, malaysia, philippines, australia, and the european union combined. that is what has happened while senate republicans have been, quote, assessing the conditions in the country. that's what's been happening while senate republicans have hit the pause button. and now we know the real reason for republican inaction, why they have hit the pause button. they can't come to agreement among themselves. the nation is raging in crisis. the republican party has been paralyzed, stopping and blocking action the democrats have sought to deal with the problem. we may never know the true cost of republican inaction over these past three months, but we know the time for waiting is over. we must consider another major

covid relief package this work period. enhanced unemployment benefits expire at the end of the month. protections against evictions expire this week. and schools are preparing for the fall without the necessary guidance and resources to open safely. the country is crying out for relief. the needless delays, the partisan politics, the infighting between the president and senate and house republicans has got to stop. but it seems that leader mcconnell has still not received that message. the republican leader has said he's writing the next bill behind the closed doors of his office, and he will present it to his party first before dropping it on the senate's lap. this one-party approach is the same approach that delayed the passage of the cares act, delayed the passage of the subsequent emergency relief legislation, utterly failed on

policing reform where the republican bill was opposed by 136 civil rights organizations. for leader mcconnell to then get up and talk about that bill, when the people were marching for a much stronger bill, the justice in policing act, when civil rights organizations were urging that we not move forward on that bill, it's twisting history in a way that no one is going to believe and history will never accept. each time congress passed covid relief, all four times, we did it by coming together in a bipartisan fashion between our two parties, between our two chambers. leader mcconnell three times tried to force a partisan bill down the senate's throat, and it backfired every time. leader mcconnell, it won't work this time either. lead mcconnell called for my

bipartisanship this morning. that's great, but leader mcconnell, sitting in your own office, writing a bill, and demanding the other side support it is not anyone's idea of bipartisanship. and even worse, it appears that the republican proposal is unlikely to meet the moment. from what we understand from press reports, mcconnell's bill will prioritize corporate special interests over workers and main street businesses. it will fail to adequately address the worsening spread of the virus. there are currently between 20 million and 30 million unemployed americans, and from all accounts, the republican bill will not do nearly enough for them. as americans struggle to keep up with the rent, we are facing an avalanche of evictions. from all accounts, the republican bill will not address that. according to reports, the republican bill will come up short on hazard pay for essential workers, aid to state and local and tribal governments, investments in

communities of color ravaged by the virus. if the reports are accurate, the republican bill will not come close, not even come close to meeting the moment of this great crisis. the truth is we have a good product to start with, the heroes act. it's already passed the house, and by the way, leader mcconnell, we need the house to make a law. and unlike the bill leader mcconnell is preparing, it actually matches the scale of the crisis and will put workers and small businesses and our health needs before special interests. just to give you an example of where republican priorities are right now, late last week it was reported the trump administration wants to block tens of billions of dollars in the next covid bill for states to conduct testing and contact tracing. let me repeat that. when every expert says our lack

of testing and contact tracing has led to the crisis being much greater in the u.s. than in most other countries, trump wants to block that money for testing, for contact tracing, and have passed this prologue on republican colleagues so afraid of defending donald trump, even when they know he's wrong, let him win the day or at least greatly whittle down the needs that we have on tracing and testing. this report came days after we heard the administration ordered hospitals to stop reporting covid data to the c.d.c. and instead report them to state health departments or other portals more easily controlled by the white house. if there was ever positive proof that the president's more worried about his image and political interests than the health and safety of the american people, this is it.

hiding data from the centers for disease control. it's hard to believe. this man is not a leader. you can't hide from the truth. the coronavirus will continue to ravage us whether the reports are public or not, but if the reports are public, we will all know more what to do. has not president trump learned, have not the republican senators learned that from -- that hiding from the truth just makes things worse? that's why so much of the blame, according to the american people, for what has happened falls on the shoulders of the president and the republican senators who follow him blindly and obese -- obese ently. this is hardly the only example of the president's abject failure to lead our nation through this awful crisis. i yield the floor, note the absence of a quorum. the presiding officer: the clerk will call the roll.

quorum call:

quorum call:

quorum call:

mr. cornyn: madam president? the presiding officer: the senator. the presiding officer: texas. mr. cornyn: i'd ask consent the quorum call be dispensed with. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. cornyn: madam president, during this last couple of weeks, like the rest of my colleagues, i was glad to get back home. and spend some time talking to the men and women who are continuing to deal with the hurdles brought on by this pandemic. as our battle against covid-19

has waged on, i've looked to folks across different industries in texas to provide us an honest readout about the challenges they're facing and whether what we have done for them is working. and over these last three months, like -- again, like all of us, i've heard from medical professionals on the front lines of this fight, researchers and scientists that are racing to find treatments and vaccines, small business owners just hanging on by the skin of their teeth trying to keep their businesses afloat and their employees' jobs intact as well as countless other men and women who are doing everything in their power to support their neighbors and to protect their communities. their feedback has been invaluable as always to the work of the senate as we have worked to pass four coronavirus bills to support them during this challenging period.

as we prepare to work on the next response package, i was glad to hear from them about what they would like us to include in that. i've spoken with faculty and staff from community colleges across the state who are working to keep their students healthy while continuing to provide them with quality education. like students from k-12 to colleges and universities that are constantly evaluating the situation and preparing to make decisions to returning to online working and learning. i know these are difficult conversations that are happening across the country, and i'm grateful for the hard work and dedication of incredible educators who are figuring out how to keep our children safe while continuing to give them the education they deserve and they need. last week i spent some time hearing from mental health

advocates who are fighting to ensure that texans have the support and resources they need amid so much stress and uncertainty. over the last cephal months, everyone in our -- over the last several months, everyone in our country has experienced some shift in their daily routine. no matter how major or minor these changes, this is all taking a toll on americans' mental health. i was glad to hear from more leaders with the meadows mental health insult about how funding from the cares act has strengthened access to mental health care and how we can continue to support mental health services in texas and across the country. i also valued my time with texas veterans and talked to them about how the cares act can help them and their families and their businesses. we discussed the v.a.-specific

funding that is strengthening section to health care for many veterans and i appreciated the opportunity to hear more about the challenges they are facing and how we can do more in the senate to support them. over the last few weeks i've enjoyed connecting with these texans virtually, but i was also glad to be able to join agriculture secretary sonny perdue for in-person visits with some of the men and women keeping america fed and clothed during this time of increased need. this pandemic has dealt a serious blow to texas agriculture, and i would dare say to the presiding officer i'm sure it is true in her state as well, from livestock to row crops to dairy, produce verse seen their market shrink and nearly disappear. last thursday secretary perdue, congressman john carter and i participated in a roundtable in copeland to discuss the pandemic on texas agriculture. the cares act provided $16

billion in agricultural assistance and so far texans have received more than $300 million to support our providers. -- our producers. i was glad to be able to learn more about how this funding is helping them through these difficult times and learning more about what should be included in the next bill. secretary perdue and i also had the chance to see how two incredible organizations in texas are keeping families fed. first we visited the houston food bank, which is the largest food bank in the nation. under normal circumstances, the houston food bank and its volunteers provide food to families across 18 counties in southeast texas. but as the impact of covid-19 has grown, so has the need for assistance. so much so that our national guard troops have been lending a hand for months, but this week that will come to an end. compared to the same time last

year, the houston food bank has seen up to a 171% increase in the need for food assistance. in june alone, houston food bank delivered more than 27 million pounds of food. it was a pleasure to join secretary perdue in volunteering for this incredible organization and being able to thank the men and women who are keeping our families fed in person. we were also able to visit one of the homes of the usda's meals-to-you program which provides nutritious meals to low-income students in rural areas across the nation. these are two incredible examples of how organizations throughout the state are supporting those who have been hardest hit by the pandemic. support for our farmers, our ranchers, producers, food banks and other organizations keeping texas fed was a big part of the cares act, and i hope we'll continue to strengthen that

support with the next coronavirus response package. senator murphy and i have introduced the serve-and-carry act which will provide additional opportunities to help low-income and unemployed texans access food during the pandemic. it would establish three new programs to not only help but put food on the table of texans in need but also support the farmers, restaurants and their workers who are suffering as a result of the economic impact of this pandemic. this legislation has been endorsed by the national and texas restaurant associations, the california and texas food banks, and a number of other anti-hunger organizations. it's time we put our restaurants and their employees back to work and feeding people and let our men and women in uniform volunteering at the food banks go home to be with their families. the serve-and-carry act will do just that and i urge my

colleagues to look at it and hopefully support t as we dive into discussions on the next coronavirus response packages the feedback and ideas provided by these texans during these last two weeks 00 could -- could not have been more timely. i want to thank each of them. i come back to washington with fresh ideas and am eager to get to work so we can provide additional support for the texans who have been affected so dramatically by this virus. madam president, on another matter, before the senate begins consideration of the next coronavirus response package, we'll finish our work on the national defense authorization act. if we're able to get this bill to the president's desk, which i hope we will, it will mark the 60th consecutive year in which congress has passed bipartisan legislation to fund and support our nation's military. each year this is how we

maintain our military basings, modernizing our equipment and invest in the next generation of weaponry. it's how we strengthen our relationships with old allies and forge new partnerships with new ones. it's how we take stock of the global threat landscape and ensure our troops have the training, equipment, and resources to counter even our most aggressive adversaries. in recent years china and russia have emerged as two of the greatest threats to the world order. china in particular has been increasingly belligerent and well resources and continues to demonstrate a lack of respect not only for the u.s. and our closest allies but for basic human rights. a few weeks ago china moved quickly and under a veil of secrecy to pass a law taking aim at the freedoms and autonomy of hong kong. what they're calling a national security law is nothing more than an effort to extinguish

opposition to the chinese communist party in hong kong. they're using this law to silence protesters and proscribe harsh penalties for those who have the temerity to speak out against the communist party. while devastating, this is certainly not surprising, given china's repeated human rights violations. the chinese communist party continues its disturbing ethnic cleansing campaigns against the uighur people. the so-called political reeducation camps are nothing more than detention camps where the uighurs are tortures. recent reporting found that the treatment in these camps often includes forced abortions, birth control and sterilizations. i've spoken and will continue to speak out against the methods and motivations of the chinese government operating through the communist party to disrupt the world order. but china does not stand alone as one of the great threats

facing our country today. russia has become increasingly aggressive with its efforts to wreak chaos and sow discord. since their attempts to intersphere with the 23016 election, we've witnesses aggression after aggression from russia. state-launched cyberattacks to its hybrid warfare and assassination campaigns in europe, russia continues to undermine the united states and our allies. just last week we learned that russian hackers have attempted to steal coronavirus vaccine research. it's become increasingly career that china and russia adhere to no rules and no principles but their own. as the national defense strategy-out lined, the threats posed by china and russia are only growing more important by the day and countering these

threats requires a clear and concerted effort from congress and the united states government. that is precisely why passing a strong national defense bill is so important. this legislation prioritizes strategic competition with china and russia and takes a strong approach to counter the threats posed by adversaries around the world. it will build on progress we've made in recent years to strengthen our military and achieve peace through strength. as we work to counter increasingly sovieted adversaries around the -- world, we will pass the ndaa this week. i want to thank chairman inhofe and ranking member reed for working to get this passed with broad bipartisan support and the provisions that will prepare our military for the threats both of today and of tomorrow.

madam president, i yield the floor. i would note the absence of a quorum. the presiding officer: the clerk will call the roll. quorum call: .

quorum call:

the presiding officer: the senator from tennessee. a senator: are we in a quorum call? i ask that we distense with the quorum call. the presiding officer: without objection. mrs. blackburn: thank you, madam president. it has been so wonderful to be in tennessee over the past couple of weeks and to have the opportunity to listen to tennesseans, and we have listened and talked with local elected officials and teachers and parents from one corner of the state to another. they are very aware and are truly focused on the challenges that we are going to be facing

this fall in just a few weeks. madam president, for some of our school systems in tennessee, they are going to be going back to school the first week of august. they have a lot of questions as to whether they are going to end up with classes meeting in person or online. up until now, students have relied on virtual schooling platforms to stay connected to their teachers, and it's likely that in many communities, this system will continue at least through the fall semester. relying on google and other educational software providers keeps teachers and families safe from covid-19, but these programs come with their own brand of hazards. our increased reliance on big tech has highlighted just how

vulnerable we are when things go awry. even the platforms that have become commonplace over the years pose risk, and not only just risk to children. you need look no further than last week's twitter meltdown for evidence of how quickly a hacker or even an insider can turn a few tweets into a threat. so i will tell you this. in tennessee, i say we have a lot of security moms, and those security moms you hear so much about are really back in full force. they are concerned and they are paying close attention, and they are not going to back off of the googles and the facebooks and

the instagrams, and they want to see these companies held accountable and to be transparent about how they follow, how they use data, because when they see their children spending hours staring at tiktok or youtube, they are beginning to see or fear a vulnerability. when they see their children using their classroom software, they began to see and fear a vulnerability. they haven't forgotten that back in 2015, the electronic frontier foundation filed a complaint with the f.t.c. against google alleging that their google for education platform was exploiting students' personal

information and potentially exposing it to third parties. a 2017 report confirmed and expanded on these concerns. these programs have continued, but big tech has left parents with more questions than answers about what is happening with their children's data. how are they pulling this information in? how are they tracking these children? what are they doing with the chromebook in schools program? who has this information on their children, and what are they doing with it? what kind of files are they building about our children? you know, madam president, i have said one of the questions

we should ask and work until we can find an answer is who owns the virtual you. who owns it? because the virtual you is you and your information online. it is you and your presence online. this is what parents fear. and i will tell you that fear is complicated because of the rise in mandatory use of technology by students, and it has prompted me, along with several of our colleagues here, to ask the f.t.c. to launch a major investigation into how these platforms protect student privacy. that's the question, madam president, they have to

answer. are you protecting it? if not, why not? if not, are you selling it to the highest bidder? are you profiting by this educational information? but these security moms know it's not just their kids' safety and privacy at risk. they do their banking online, their shopping online, and they have had to deal with the nightmare of having their identity stolen during one of the many infamous retail hacks. they also know that these risks aren't just a domestic problem. they have seen bombshell reports about consumer data flowing freely between popular apps and servers in china. of course, china. they have heard about how

chinese companies, all beholden to the chinese communist party. and again, madam president, as i say so often to american businesses, if you are in business with a company in china, you are in business with the chinese communist party. they know that these companies, all beholden to the chinese communist party, steal intellectual property, build vulnerabilities into their hardware, and tempt tech junkies with flashy mobile apps. the entanglement doesn't end there. i have spoken on multiple occasions about the clear danger posed by our stifling and overall permissive relationship

with china. we have a duty to address the threats we have uncovered so far and anticipate future problems before they reach our shores. this year's national defense authorization legislation does this by targeting problems in both the public and private sectors. we know and have known for some time that the agenda of the chinese communist party poses an existential threat to the west. this year's ndaa includes funding and other resources for the specific deterrence initiative, which is a comprehensive strategy focused on confronting beijing's influence on other countries and maintaining a u.s. and allied presence in the region. we also authorized a pilot program that will allow cyber

specialists from the national guard to participate in information sharing and analysis between federal, state, and local officials. now, we can use our military and our allies to control a threat that lives half a world away, but how do we stop that threat from reaching our shores? back in march, i worked with senator menendez to introduce the bipartisan sam-c act to secure or fawrmt supply chain and protect american consumers from shady chinese manufacturers in this year's ndaa, i expanded on that idea and fought for language that will require a percentage of what we call critical technology to be assembled in the united states or by a close ally.

we have all -- we are also going to invest even more in machine and advanced manufacturing research at oak ridge national laboratory. scientists at oak ridge will work directly with researchers at the university of tennessee to develop new technology that the make american companies more competitive. i will tell you, the oak ridge ridge -- university of tennessee oak ridge institute, that is a wonderful partnership. and, madam president, as we work toward 21st century capabilities for warfare, this is exactly the type of partnership that we need to see more of. it's the type innovation that we need to see more of. now, being from tennessee, which is home to multiple military installations, i know that national defense starts and ends

at home. so i secured increased funding that is desperately needed to repair and update army deployment infrastructure. i know that my friends at fort campbell will be able to put that to good use on their runway ramps. the defense little will also fully fund new mission-essential aircraft, including 47 chinook helicopters for our posts in tennessee and technologies that will allow those famous reapers to one day be stationed in the volunteer state. we are also finally going to secure some properly fitting body armor for servicewomen who unbelievably is still unheard of in 2020. we will likely spend the rest of this week hashing out the finer details of the ndaa before we

bring up the final bill for a vote, and i encourage my colleagues to consider just how interconnected we are with both our allies and our adversaries. i want them to think about great power competition and the threat that exists -- china, russia, north korea, iran, as i call those four the new axis of evil. and i would encourage them to remember that the threats we face require action at every single level, whether they surface at home or half a world away. i yield the floor and note the absence of a quorum. the presiding officer: the clerk will call the roll. quorum call: quorum call:

quorum call:

a senator: madam president. the presiding officer: the senator from arkansas. mr. boozman: are we in a quorum call? the presiding officer: we are, senator. mr. boozman: i ask unanimous consent that it be vitiated. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. boozman: thank you, madam president. i rise today in support of the fiscal year 2021 national

defense authorization act. congress has a constitutional duty under article 1, section 8, to provide for the common defense, and the ndaa is one of the key tools that we have to ensure that the united states is capable of defending ourselves and our interests. this is hopefully the 60th consecutive year congress will pass the ndaa. in a time of intense partisanship and national defense, it's a true testament to the significance of this responsibility and the fact that we've been able to come together in support of the united states military for decades, even when the spirit of bipartisanship and compromise is elusive in many other areas. we all want to ensure that america's service members have the tools and resources they

need to perform their duty and to protect our nation. as we are all aware, threats against the u.s., our allies and interests persist at a time of increasing risks and dangerous challenges to global security, the united states must lead in creating stability through a strong and modernized military. peace of strength is a proven concept that produces greater global security that's why it is so important to yet again come together to advance this important bill, the ndaa. we need to strengthen our military posture and that policy that encourages deterrence, project leadership and deploy innovative strategy to maximize

advantages that serve our national security. reassure our allies and help defend our freedoms and ideals at home and abroad. the fiscal year 2021 ndaa does this by strengthening american deterrence through investing in greater capabilities in support of priorities listed in the national defense strategy and ensuring america's service members are ready so when challenged they will prevail in any conflict. this ndaa maintains readiness gains made over the previous years while making significant investments in modernization and enhancing resources to better support and care for service members and their families. it provides a 3% pay raise for our troops and reemphasizes a focus on training to ensure that our service members can conduct

missions safely. it also serves the interest of our family -- of our military at a time when they need vital support and assistance. i'm especially pleased that the legislation continues a push made to military spousal employment and also provides another step in the right direction to ensure service members' families have options for high quality and accessible child care. the continued commitment to reforms in the military's privatized housing and health systems reflect in this legislation and are also wins for our service members and their loved ones. additionally, this year's ndaa goes further to increase manning levels in order to better support the demand for our forces around the world.

i'm pleased this bill includes a few of my priorities aimed at supporting our deployed service members in the state of arkansas. after my recent oversight visit to iraq, i worked to ensure that the army has a plan to evaluate and deploy all resources to protect our service members in this theater from any kind of attack. some of this capability is also built in my home state, and i think my -- i thank my colleagues for including my measure which i believe will bring many benefits to our war fighters and the defense industry in arkansas. after meeting with leaders of the 98th wing, it's clear to me our service members need more support when it comes to options for child care and assistance. that's why i've worked on a provision to direct the department of defense to research, report, and provide

recommendations to congress on how to provide 24-hour child care to military families who are assigned to around-the-clock rotational units here at home. i welcome the inclusion of this initiative in this year's ndaa, and i'm grateful to the armed services committee which also recognizes this real and urgent need for our military families. i've also filed an amendment to this year's ndaa focused on meeting the needs of our service members who are undergoing routine quarantines due to covid-19 pandemic. many of our service members are required to quarantine when they are relocated to another military installation leaving them with days to weeks of inactivity and isolation. my amendment requires the department of defense to develop measures to ensure the personal and professional development of our service members while in quarantine, including physical activity and educational

resources. defending our nation, allies and interests means providing the department of defense with the tools and authorities it needs to carry out that mission. this is the federal government's most basic function and responsibility. so it's important to get this work done in a bipartisan way and with broad agreement. our colleagues on the armed services committee under the leadership of chairman inhofe and ranking member reed have provided a great example in sending this bill out of committee with an overwhelming vote of support. their work has helped to ensure that the fiscal year 2021 ndaa establishes and builds on policies that strengthen the united states' ability to safeguard our nation and provide the support and assistance that our allies have come to depend on. doing so helps make us and the rest of the world safer. the fiscal year 2021 ndaa

supports the national defense strategy, our service members, and the broader military community. it deserves wide support in this body, and i encourage my colleagues to join me in approving the ndaa and building on the united states' legacy of unmatched military leadership, capability, and superiority. and with that, madam president, i suggest the absence of a quorum. the presiding officer: the clerk will call the roll. quorum call:

quorum call: quorum call:

mr. inhofe: mr. president? the presiding officer: the senator from oklahoma is recognized. mr. inhofe: mr. president, i ask unanimous consent that the quorum call in progress be vitiated. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. inhofe: mr. president, i want to make a couple of comments. this is going to be a very significant week. we know pretty much what we're going to be doing with the defense authorization bill which i believe and most people believe is the most significant bill each year. and we have things that need to be done. we came to great agreement prior to the 4th of july in terms of the numbers of amendments and the things that we had to get accomplished. and i think there's total agreement with that. we had a tragedy that took place during this -- the last two weeks that we were in recess. one affected a friend of mine, john lewis. we had a real interesting -- the 100th congress we went in, i think, in 1987, i think it was,

and the 100th congress had a lot of really great people. john lewis was one. john lewis and i -- you couldn't get two guys further apart than john and me, philosophically. we were always close. i watched how peacefully he could do things and get things done. he was someone i got to know quite well. but we had a lot of others. john -- jon kyl has been coming back from retirement and he was in that class. we had ben cardin. he and i became close friends at that time. he came out from being the -- well, he was in the state legislature first. lamar smith was one very, very helpful to me all those years. lamar smith is from south texas.

freddie upton, as we refer to him, little freddie upton, he's probably the most recent one who has -- who is no longer in that same position. but, anyway, john lewis was. and i had the honor of coming to congress and being in the same freshman class with him. ultimately he was a courageous fighter in every part of his life. he fought for the civil rights movement on the -- on the bridge to selma as a freedom rider and through his work on the student nonviolent coordinating committee. he did consistently a great and peaceful job. he fought for his constituents and the causes he believed in. i mean, he was a fighter. he would not take no for an answer and up until the very end, he fought cancer, like everything else, he fought it with courage and honor and the conscience of congress may no

longer be here but his legacy for selfless service has been imparted to every one of us who served with him and got to know him well. it seems like the ones who knew him the best were those of us who served over in the other body in the house. now, this week we're going to be in the senate resuming consideration, hopefully completing the national defense authorization act for fiscal year 2021. of course, this is not the end. it's not the completion. all this does is get it out of the senate. hopefully we can do that this week and -- and then get on -- we have some other -- we have quite a few confirmations that we have to do in the senate that are very timely and we have them all lined up and i think it's all going to work, but this national defense authorization act is the one that is -- is -- is going to be -- our attention for quite a while after today. of course, the house has to do

theirs and then we go into conference and they have a conference between the house and the senate which we will do and participate in. then, as normally is the case, it goes to the big four and the big four, and the two leaders from the house, the two leaders from the senate. i've been in the big four i think four years in the past and it -- it ends up getting done. i mean -- any time a bill has passed for 59 years, you know it's going to pass, which is one of the problems. everyone says, that is going to pass, therefore let's go ahead and load on anything ri have that i've -- i have that i've not been able to get past before because that bill is going to pass. we had a lot of that going on. we've been through that and we had many, many amendments on this, and i think we all are reflecting on the true meaning of independence day and no bill -- bill is more important to protecting our freedoms than

the national defense authorization act. how do i know that? there's a document that not many people read anymore. it's called the constitution, than tells us what we're supposed to be -- what we're supposed to be doing here and that's what we're supposed to be doing, primarily defending america. i want to highlight the work of the comprehensive nature of the legislation we already adopted over 140 bipartisan amendments to the national defense authorization act. one of the reasons for this is that we had an experience last year and we had it in the past where one member wants to get his or her amendment adopted but they don't want to take it -- they don't want to have -- they will use the leverage that they can have and that is to object to any other amendments coming up. we thought in the event that that happened again, we would put every amendment we could put on there that we solicited amendments to come from members,

they came, and -- and the number is now 140 bipartisan amendments. and that's equally divided between -- i have to say that the -- the group, john bonso -- bonzo and liz did a great job in making this a bipartisan bill so we have the same number of amendments on each side and those amendments don't even include the hundreds of amendments considered in markup or member-interest provisions, we included that in the base text. that was about 90 amendments. this bill was truly written by the members, the democrats and republicans, both in the house and the senate. it is my hope that senator reed, that he greece with me, that we pass another managers' package if possible and speaking of senator reed there is not a committee out there that enjoys more bipartisan support in this

senate than this bill does. senator reed, we've disagreed on some things, but we've always resolved our problems. this week we're also going to vote on six amendments. some of those amendments i support and some i don't. but these are the amendments that we agreed to when we departed here right before the 4th of july. and regardless of my feelings on specific amendments, i want to thank my colleagues for coming together so we were able to have these amendment votes. it's been at least a few years since we've been able to vote on this many amendments on the floor. now, what we need to have right now, and i know that members aren't in here now, but their staff is watching, and their staff needs to know that we need members to come down and present their amendments. we -- and to speak on amendments. we've got six amendments that are all lined up. the ones, a lot of members of the senate want to be heard, but

if you're not down here, you're not going to be heard. we're planning on doing six of those, probably four of those tomorrow and then a couple of the -- a couple the next day but then that's going to be essentially the end of it. i don't want them to come and complain to us saying they want to be heard on amendments. this shyour opportunity to do that. it's the -- this is your opportunity to do that. the important thing is that we are doing it now. we are coming together to get this must-pass bill done. things can get petty and decisive around here sometimes -- but the national defense authorization act is something that we always come together to do because it has to be done. it has been happening for 59 years and it's going to be 60 years in just a few days. senator reed and the armed services committee, and i, we worked hard to make this a bipartisan bill. the base text and the committee mark with amendments and with the votes. we listened to what our

colleagues asked for in their member interest letters. we requested letters. this goes all the way back to january we were requesting letters from individuals as to what their interests were going to be as the year pressed on. and so we had a bipartisan markup where we adopted over 200 amendments from both republicans and democrats on -- on its own. this is a good bipartisan bill and we're trying to make it better on the floor as we adopt or reject additional amendments, which we're going to be doing tomorrow and the next day. we're about to make 60 straight years by passing it. we don't want to jeopardize that. we saw what happened in the house last year when they tried to write a partisan bill, and it didn't go anywhere. everything they wanted had nothing to do with the military. every liberal party was a part of it and nothing happened.

remember, some of those items, they wanted to restrict arms sales they wanted to block our modernization and block funds for the wall and other things. i commend chairman smith for returning to the bipartisanship that has long been the tradition of the armed services committee on both sides of the capitol. the house is taking up their bill on the floor this week and i wish them well. i hope they too block some of the worst amendments and the ones that would cut funding for our troops and hamstring the ability to defend our nation. i'm glad they are prioritizing getting this done. i'm also glad they returned to regular order, that is considering the authorization bill before the appropriations bill. that's the order that's supposed to be done and that's what's going to be done this time, and that's the way things should work around here. we authorize first and then we appropriate. so what we'll do is -- what

we've done every year for the last 59 years, we will come together, the senate and the house, republicans and democrats, and conference our bills, and our votes this week are the next step to this goal and that is going to happen. there's really nothing else around here that has the 60-year success street, the ndaa is it, and that's it. this is our sacred and profound responsibility to the 2.1 million men and women who have volunteered to serve and their families. you know, i remember when the idea of a full volunteer force -- volunteer force was something that was not really something -- that could be done. when i was in the military, we didn't have it. it was the days of the draft. frankly, i think there's a lot of merit to that. it means a lot right now to the more 700,000 civilian employees at the department of defense and

thousands more who support our nuclear enterprise and to all americans that we protect them, their families, and their livelihoods. so i thank my colleagues for their contributions and look forward to our continued debate on this important bill, the most important bill of the year and keep in mind that we've got to -- this is something that we are going to get done and the next important step this week and i appreciate all the help and ask all members, this is your time to speak on amendments. i yield the floor. and suggest the absence of a quorum. the presiding officer: the clerk will call the roll. quorum call:

quorum call: the presiding officer: the senator from oklahoma. mr. inhofe: i ask that the quorum call in progress shall vicioused. the presiding officer: so if without objection. mr. inhofe: i ask for the yeas and nays. the presiding officer: under the previous order, the question now occurs on the nomination. is there a sufficient second? there appears to be.

the clerk will call the roll. vote:

vote:

vote:

the presiding officer: are there any senators in the chamber wishing to vote or wishing to change their vote? if not, the ayes are 51, the nays are 45. the nomination is confirmed.

a senator: mr. president. the presiding officer: the senator from utah. mr. romney: i ask unanimous consent the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table and the president be immediately notified of the senate's action. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. romney: i ask unanimous consent that the senate be in a period of morning business with senators permitted to speak therein for up to ten minutes each. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. romney: mr. president, i rise to address the administration's plan to withdraw some 10,000 troops from germany, and i rise to advance a bipartisan amendment to slow that process down or potentially even to stop it. the administration explains that germany needs to get 2% of its spending on military matters, a direction i support. germany is already at 1.5% is on track to getting to 2%. by all appearance, the withdrawal of 10,000 troops from germany is a very bad idea. first of all, it's a slap in the

face at a key ally, a friend, and a great country. this country is an economic powerhouse, is a dynamic and productive people that have created that economic vitality. it has been driven to global leadership, not by virtue of having cheap labor or polluting the air with pollutants or co2. china buys more from germany than germany buys from china? why? not because jrm any threatens china but germany is making products that china wants. it's a democracy known for its strong, steady and strong leader. germany pays the same share as the united states and nato has preserved peace for over 70 years. now is also a time to draw our friends closer to link arms with our allies in part because of

china's trying to displace the west. china brutally represses its minorities, the uighurs are being forced into labor. china invades sovereignty lands. it is a propagandizing our children her through confucius institutes and it attacks on cyber basis relentlessly day in and day out its military procurement is equal to that or nearly so of the united states even though we spend far more money on the military, our procurement budgets procure about the same amount of military hardware. and, of course, the tip of its spear is its economic predation. china attacked one industry

after another and through predatory price techniques has driven western businesses out of business. to divert china from that dangerous path, we need allies, allies like germany. now there's a second reason i'm opposed to this idea of withdrawing troops from germany, and it is because it is a heck of a time to give a gift to russia. they may have been paying bounties for killing americans. they stepped in to support some of the world's worst actors, it invaded georgia and ukraine and violates nearly every arms agreement it enters into. it is a wounded and declining nation. it has an unexcessivity economy, senator mccain used to joke that russia is a gas station pretending to be a country. it's declining population, of course, contributes to its

decline. nations in decline may lash out and that is what we have seen time and again. this is a time not to give a gift to russia but to show solidarity with our dear friends like the people of germany. and one final reason. germans welcome american troops in our country and our presence there is of enormous aid to our own military. we have a hospital there that cares for some 250,000 military personnel and their families across europe. we also care for those that come in injured from afghanistan and iraq. it is a staging area for training exercises done with nato. it is a central hub for our troops in the e.u. and the middle east and stuttgart, the african american command, the -- the african command and ramstein

, and it hosts airport maintenance moving from those facilities would be expensive and wasteful to abandon them. finally, we are so welcomed by the german people that the leaders of their various states, their state premiers wrote a letter to the senate and it said this and i quote, do not sever the bond of friendship, end of quote, between the united states and germany. i also got a personal letter from leaders in germany saying do not do this. this sends exactly the wrong message at the wrong time. to slap an ally, a great friend, a great country like germany and at the same time give a gift to me lev -- to an adversary is ill conceived. i implore the senate to consider an amendment to slow the process down and to study it.

there's a real question as to whether there will be a chance for a vote of such a nature. in my view, the senate needs to speak on something of such magnitude. this is a matter of extraordinary significance to american foreign policy. how could we possibly allow the administration to make a decision like this without the input of the united states senate. we must vote on this. i'll be satisfied if we come together as a body and vote no and people say no, let the president take out the 10,000 troops. but i won't be satisfied if we don't even get a chance to vote on this. we have a national defense authorization amendment coming forward. this is a time for this amendment to be seen on the senate floor or in the managers' package and barring that i don't see how i can support the managers' package, i don't know how i can support as a senator proceeding without taking up this vital provision of our

support for our friend, germany, of our support for our interests in nato, the interest of our military as well as our desire not to give russia a gift particularly at a time when america has been silent as russia has been supporting the taliban and potentially even paying hostages to kill america. mr. president, i suspect the absence of a quorum. the presiding officer: the clerk will call the roll. quorum call:

quorum call:

quorum call:

mr. alexander: mr. president in.

the presiding officer: the senator from tennessee. , will lockbox i ask that the quorum call be vitiated. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. alexander: thank you. our great country has developed a dangerous habit when this comes to pandemics. public health experts call it panic, neglect, panic. in 2007, after the emergence of the asian flu, formate governor mike leavitt, then the secretary of health and human services, put it this way, everything we do before a pandemic seems alarmist, governor leavitt said. everything we do after a pandemic will seem inadequate. this is the dilemma we face, but it should not stop us from doing what we can to prepare. governor mike leavitt. 15 years ago, then-majority leader of the united states senate dr. bill frist told me -- and he told our committee -- he made 20 speeches predicting that

a viral pandemic was no longer a question of if but a question of when. now, this is in the 2005-2006 area, 15 years ago. he recommended then, dr. frist did, what he called a six-point public health prescription to minimize the blow -- communication, surveillance, antivirals, vaccines, research, stock pile surge capacity. four presidents of the united states, several congresses have done some of what needed to be done to prepare for pandemics but not enough of it. there is substantial agreement on all sides about what to do and there's even more agreement that if we wait until this pandemic is over to do it, we will fall into the familiar cycle of panic, neglect, panic. so the obvious thing, mr. president, for this congress to do now, this month, while we're in the middle of the

pandemic, while we have our eye on the ball, about of we lose our focus, while we're spending $4 trillion or more, mostly to repair the damage caused by this pandemic, we should authorize and spend the few billions that it takes to be prepared for the next pandemic. that's why i'm introducing today the preparing for the next pandemic act, and that would take three of the most obvious steps about which there is near universal agreement -- one, make certain that we have and maintain sufficient manufacturing capacity within the united states toss produce tests, treatments, and vaccines so that we don't have to rely on manufacturing plants in china and india or any foreign country. now, how difficult is that to decide, mr. president? do we really want our vaccines made it china or india or any other foreign country? so shouldn't we do something now to make sure that for the next

pandemic, as well as this one, that we produce them here? number two, make sure that federal and state stockpiles have sufficient protective equipment -- masks, government shutdowns, ventilators, other absolutely essential supplies -- so that we don't run out during this pandemic or the next one. now, how controversial could that be, mr. president? do we really want to run out of masks, protective equipment in the next equipment or in what remains of this one? and, three, create more authority for the federal government to work with private companies to maintain more supplies and manufacturing capacity for products that are needed during a public health emergency. we have the strongest, best, most creative private sector in the world. why would we not want our government working with it as much as it possibly could to save our lives during this pandemic and the next pandemic?

the act also does the one thing that all of the experts with whom we have talked say is essential -- make sure there is a steady stream of money for the next ten years so there's no lapse in preparedness. i would propose that we do this with ten years of advance appropriations. in other words, we appropriate this year $15 billion, spend it over ten years -- that's $1.5 billion a year -- so congress will be able to continue its oversight and make certain that our manufacturing plants on-shore are kept up to date and that state stockpiles in alaska and tennessee and every state, and the federal stockpile are not depleted during tough budget times, which we know will surely come, just as surely we know the next pandemic will come.

mr. president, on june 9, i release add white paper on steps i thought congress should take before the end of the year in order to get ready for the next pandemic. i am not a medical expert, so the main purpose of my white paper as chair of the senate's health committee, with as to elicit recommendations to congress from the experts that we could consider and act on this year. we asked the experts to get their ideas in by june 26. i asked recommendations in five areas -- tests, treatments, and vaccines, how do we accelerate development? number two, disease surveillance. expand our ability to detect, identify, model, and track emerging infectious diseases. three, stockpiles, distribution, and surges, rebuild and maintain the federal and state stockpiles and improve the medical supply surge capacity and distribution.

in other words, make sure we have masks and government shutdowns and ventilators so the hospitals are ready, if something happens. public health capabilities -- improve state and local capacity to respond. most of our public health is taken care of not here but by our state and local public health departments. and then finally, who's on the flag pole? and that's improving coordination of federal agencies during a public health emergency. our committee, the senate's health committee, received 350 responses from leading public health experts around the country. they had many recommendations for short-term and long-term proposals to address future pandemics. as my staff and i reviewed these proposals and other feedback, i asked to focus on targeted ideas that would generate broad bipartisan consensus and help address some of the most pressing issues that we're

facing today. that led us to three strategic areas -- one, sustaining on-shore manufacturing. 22 responses mentioned that. two, creating and sustaining the state stockpile. 23 mentioned that. improving the federal stockpile. 24 mentioned that. these are recommendations from public health experts and bipartisan leaders who've convened the experts. some of those from whom we heard included dr. frist, governor ridge, who is he's cochair of the bipartisan commission on biodefense, former senator joe lieberman, cochair of that same commission, dr. julie livreding, andy slavitt, who during the obama administration was the acting administrator of the center for medicare and medicaid services. they all said basically the same thing when it came to these three priorities.

so i introduced today the preparing for the next pandemic act in three parts. one, on-shore manufacturing provides new sustained funding, $5 billion over ten years, that's half a billion a year, to maintain sufficient on-shore manufacturing for tests, treatments, and vaccines so when a new virus emerges, we have a facility in this country ready to manufacture these products as quickly as possible. number two, state stockpiles. provides new sustained funding -- $10 billion over ten years, a billion a year -- so states can create and maintain their own stockpiles of supplies like masks and ventilators with help from the federal government. now, this would be done with some reinstructions because p what really happened -- restrictions because what really happened before is a lot of the states and lomb of the hospitals

because they had budget shortages, they said, well, we can deplete our stockpiles and save some money. and so they saved some money but when the next pandemic arrived, we weren't ready. the stockpile wasn't full and people suffered because of that. and finally, federal stockpiles. this legislation improves the federal strategic national stockpile by allowing the federal government to work with private companies to maintain additional supplies of manufacturing capacity so we're even better prepared for the next pandemic. now, there's more to do, mr. president, to be ready for any future pandemic. but these are three steps that we ought to do right now. this month, as part of whatever covid-19 phase legislation we can agree on. this is what dr. bill frist had to say about the need for sustained funding to better prepare for the next pandemic.

quote, we do have to keep a revenue stream out there, dr. frist said, that is dependable, that is sustainable, that is long term and that is flexible. what we're really dealing with is a rare but certain event, said dr. frist, and the rarity is hard for congress to deal with because of the attention span of congress. and that's where it's important to have time lines that are 10 or 15 years out. markets tend to look day to day, said dr. frist. and, therefore, this means we're going to have to have some sort of public funding that will guarantee a market over that 10, sasse-year period when that certain event, that certain pandemic will occur. now, there's precedent for what i'm proposing today. in 2003 senator judd greg of new hampshire -- in fact, he used to stand at this-esque did and make excite and well-informed

speeches. one of our best united states senators. senator gregg was chairman of the same health committee that i am chairman of today. he then recognized -- 2003 -- the need for clear, long-term commitment from the federal government to prepare for public health emergencies like covid-19. that year congress passed what we called project bioshield with the leadership of senator gregg, congressman hal rogers, senator cochran of mississippi and others. the legislation provided $5 billion in advanced appropriations to be used over the next ten years to buy treatments and vaccines for threats like anthrax and smallpox. reflecting on that experience in an editorial earlier in year, senator gregg wrote, in this instance, congress actually anticipated the serious issue and began addressing it effectively. congress actually anticipated a

serious issue and began addressing it effectively. well, mr. president, why doesn't congress do that again? if it worked before, why don't we do it again? why don't we make sure that the next time we have a pandemic, that our manufacturing plants aren't in china or india? we can do that with a very modest amount of money compared to the trillions of dollars that we're talking about for other things. at our june 23 hearing, speaking about federal efforts to build manufacturing capacity to respond to a pandemic flu, governor leavitt said, quote, but i think we do not do adequately as a country over the course of time is maintain those manufacturing plants in a way that they were warm and could be stood up quickly. in other words, we've had this idea before. we supported building new manufacturing plants but we lost interest in it.

panic, neglect, panic. and they weren't warm, said governor leavitt, when the time qaim that we needed them. -- when the time came that we needed them. dr. frist said, we don't need the incremental improving improvement of stockpiles but the creation of great and secure stores and networks with every needed building, laboratory, airplane, truck, and vaccination station, no excuses, no exceptions, everywhered and for every one. that's what dr. frist said at our hearing, and he said it 15 years ago. former director of the center for disease control and prevention said at our hearing, in the face of an unprecedented public health crisis like the coronavirus, we have seen the strategic national stockpile deliver some promising innovations, while at the same time discovered areas where there is room for improvement. the covid-19 pandemic provides

us an opportunity to make pragmatic changes. we must act now to avoid becoming complacent and finding ourselves in the same position when the next pandemic occurs. panic, neglect, panic. there is also broad agreement about some additional steps congress needs to take to prepare for the next pandemic, including disease surveillance, restoring support for our state and local public health systems. governor leavitt said they have been seriously underfunded for the last 30 or 40 years. and better coordination of pandemic response. i don't propose to deal with those three things today, but i do intend to keep legislation to better prepare for future pandemics on the top of the congressional to-do list until it's done. in this internet age, mr. president, attention spans are short. even with an event as significant as covid-19,

memories fade, attention moves on quickly to the next crisis. that makes it imperative that congress act on needed changes this year in order to better prepare for the next pandemic which might be in 20 years or might be next year or next month. the only thing we know for certain is that it will come. let us not succumb to the familiar dangerous habit of panic, neglect, panic. at least congress can take these three steps to keep vaccine manufacturing on our shores and stockpiles supplied now while the pandemic has our attention while we have our eye on the ball. i ask consent to submit for the record a copy of the summary of

responses the health committee received in response to the white paper that i released on june 9. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. alexander: i thank the president. i yield the floor. the presiding officer: the clerk will call the roll. quorum call:

mr. mcconnell: mr. president. the presiding officer: the majority leader. mr. mcconnell: i ask consent that further proceedings under the quorum call be dispensed with. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. mcconnell: i ask unanimous consent that the senate proceed to executive session for the en bloc consideration of executive calendars number 605, 721 through 743, 745 through 749, 751, 752, 753, and all nominations on the secretary's desk, the nominations be confirmed, the motions to reconsider be considered made

and laid upon the table with no intervening action or debate, all en bloc, the president be immediately notified of the senate's action, and the senate then resume legislative session. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. mcconnell: i ask unanimous consent that at 11:45 a.m. tomorrow, all debate time with respect to the schatz amendment 2252 and the inhofe amendment 2411 expire and the senate vote in relation to those amendments in that order. i further ask that at 4:00 p.m. tomorrow, all debate time with respect to the shaheen amendment 1729, cornyn amendment 2244 expire and the senate vote in relation to those amendments in that order, with all other provisions under the order of july 2 remaining in effect with respect to these amendments. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. mcconnell: i ask unanimous consent that when the senate completes its business today, it

adjourn until 10:00 a.m. tuesday, july 21. further, that following the prayer and pledge, the morning business 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, following leader remarks, the senate resume consideration of calendar number 483, s. 4049, under the previous order. finally, the senate recess following the disposition of the inhofe amendment until 2:15 for the weekly conference meetings. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. mcconnell: so if there is no further business to come before the senate, i ask that it stand adjourned under the previous order. the presiding officer: the senate stands adjourned until 10:00 a.m. tomorrow morning. >> this week they will continue work on authorization for 2021 with the final

passage vote expected in the week by the live senate coverage here on cspan2. during the summer months recharge your elected officials with c-span congressional directory. contains all the contact information you need to stay in touch with members of congress, federal agencies and state governors. order your copy online at c-span store.org. >> tonight on the communicators california democratic congresswoman represent silicon valley talks about how twitter ceo jack dorsey and facebook ceo mark zuckerberg reacted differently to help president trump use their platforms to suggest mail in ballot voter fraud. >> i think jack dorsey had a little better. i don't think that's the main

issue the reality is he saying he's been doing that did not lead to less people reading probably lead to more people reading his tweets. so do i think dorsey took a better approach? the answer is yes. and some how are they handling donald trump's tweets are more broad how are they handling speech that is giving people false information? >> congressman tonight at 8:00 p.m. eastern on the communicators on cspan2. >> u.s. attorney general william barr appears before the house judiciary committee oversight hearing on the justice department. on tuesday, july 28, watch live coverage on c-span, watch anytime on c-span.org.