to friday at 2 p.m. for additional qutions, and i just want to thank you both. i look forward to working with you on this. we're going to provide you more resources, you just tell us where you think it's best utilized. thank you. >> mr. chairman, thank you very much and thank you for the attention. >> thank you. >> thank you. >> the hearing is adjourned, thank you. [inaudible conversions] the u.s. senate is about to gavel in. senators will work on judicial nominations for votes set for 11 eastern. and this afternoon after the caucus meetings they'll take a

procedural vote for the nominee for the credit administration board. now live coverage here on c-span2. the president pro tempore: t senate will co to order. the chaplain, dr. black, will the chaplain: let us pray.. eternal master, continue to be our shelter from life's storms and winds. you have provided us with your presence and a reminder in hebrews 13:5

that you will never leave or forsake us. may this knowledge of your watch-care sustain our senators through this challenging season. grant that their work will become more meaningful and effective as they cultivate a greater awareness of your divine companionship. we pray in your loving name. amen. the president pro tempore: please join me in the pledge of allegiance. i pledge allegiance to the flag of the united stat of america, and to the republic fowhich it stands, one nation under god, indivisible, with liberty

and justice for all. mr. grassley: madam president? the presiding officer: t senator from iowa. mr. graley: one minute for morning business. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. grassley: each 52 weeks of the year i do four telephone news conferences with different groups of journalists. most of the journalists are iowans. so each week without failure, a familiar voice opens one of my press calls with a very thoughtful question on some

matter of interest to folks in the heartland of america. for more than two decades at the "omaha world herald," joe morton has cut through the beltway noise to deliver real news to my constituents in iowa and those in nebraska. sadly his tenure at the paper ended just before thanksgiving. so i want to take this opportunity to thank joe for his decades of keeping americans informed about the work of their elected leaders. so i say best of luck to joe in wherever the future takes him. and if anybody in this area is looking for a dedicated journalist, you ought to consider joe. i yield the floor. mr. connell: madam president? e presiding officer: the majority leader. mr. mcconnell: the latest results of vaccine trials

continue to suggest that our victory over the coronavirus is on the horizon. but here in washington the additional relief that would help families, workers, schools, and small businesses cross the finish line has been held up for months while democratic leaders pursued an all-or-nothing approach. when the speaker of the house put forward the so-called heroes act back in may, multiple, multiple house democrats called it out for the political stunt that it clearly was. one democrat said it was not focused, rushed to a vote too fast. and it doesn't help us accomplish the core mission of helping struggling people. well, after several months of with no progress, the same democrat just said a few days ago that senate republicans' proposal, quote, is a bill we can pass.

we should negotiate that to the finish. even speaker pelosi's own members think our senate republican bill is better than hers. well, let's hope our democratic colleague will finally let us make law in all the enormously important areas where we do not even disagree. in the meantime, the senate will proceed with pressing business on the executive calendar. we'll vote to confirm several more well qualified nominees beginning today with taylor mcneel, the president's choice to serve as u.s. district judge for the southern district of mississippi. i hope each of my colleagues will join me in supporting this impressive nominee and those who will follow. now, on an entirely different matter, madam president, as the 116th congress draws to a close, i once again face a task that's among my favorite and least favorite jobs at this

particular time. bidding farewell to some of the people we proudly call colleagues and friends. but i'll take any excuse to brag about the impressive men and women we get to work alongside every single day. today i'll begin with the junior senator for arizona martha mcsally. for the last two years senator mcsally has held the seat formerly occupied by our dear friend john mccain. it'sen fitting our maverick was followed by a fellow veteran and pilot who has approached her service to the people of arizona with such unabashed pride. by her own account if you would ask a school-age martha mcsally who was apparently mote shy and prone to motion sickness where a career in cockpits and then in politics sounded appealing, she'd have looked at you like you were

crazy. but even then the future of full bird colonel and senator was already on her way to a life defined by service. when martha lost her father, a navy veteran at a young age, his final words to her were, quote, make me proud. make me proud. with this challenge in mind, the youngest of five children took her academic and athletic talents to the u.s. air force academy. the plan was to earn a trip to medical school through military service. back then a ground-base career must have sounded like a sensible plan. after all, being a combat pilot wasn't an option. back then for female officers. and besides she was on the wrong side of the height requirement for any pilot seat. no women and no people her size

were eligible at the time. but after a ride along training mission in an f-16 during one of her summer assignments, cadet mcsally realized that flying was just too cool to pass up. some doors were going to have to make -- to open to make it an option. but if those doors weren't open already, then martha mcsally was prepared to bust them down. that meant shaking off three straight rejections for a medical waiver of the height requirement. it meant inventing new tests to prove her exceptional aptitude not only among the female candidates but the entire pool. it meant not taking no for an answer and ruffling as many feathers as needed until she got to serve. of course none of these skills and talents would sound at all

familiar to us here in the senate, not at all. by the time our future colleague won her spot as the first woman behind the stick of a combat fighter mission, she was charting a unique course in more ways than one. her place in the squadron had made history and the jet she flew, the a-10 war hog had a unique place of its own. the a-10 flies low over the battlefield. it provides close air support, hunting and destroying threats to friendly forces on the ground. it's a machine gun on wings that holds special respect among combat military. now, many seasoned soldiers have a story or two about pilots like martha mcsally swooped in to

get them out of a bind. her flight hours were clearly clearing the way for her fellow service members in more ways than one. her trailblazing helped change the perception and treatment of women in our armed forces. in one instance she took the d.o.d. to court over unfair dress codes for female service members overseas and won an important change in policy. pretty quickly folks caught on to the fact that when colonel mcsally put her mind to something, it got done. so naturally when the then congresswoman was sworn in here in the senate, she dove right into tracking down answers for her fellow arizonans, solutions for american service members, and the care and justice her fellow veterans deserve. from her first day senator mcsally reminded everyone here that public service is personal.

that what we do here has a direct impact on the lives of millions of americans. so after swearing the oath on a bible, recovered from the bombing of the u.s.s. arizona at pearl harbor, she brought her experience and expertise to solving issues that are personal to her and to others who have worn the uniform. in solidarity with her fellow a-10 pilots and the forces they protect, senator mcsally fought to preserve and fund that unique weapon. using her role on the senate armed services committee, she let her own painful, personal experiences with sexual assault in the military fuel the pursuit of justice for fellow survivors. she authored, expanded protections for service academy students who experienced assault. she proposed new preservation requirements for service records to promote accountability.

and she made sure each was included when the senate passed defense authorizations. her service to men and women in uniform didn't stop with those on active duty. senator mcsally was also championing expanded care and services for our veterans as they transition back to civilian life. greater federal support for telehealth and suicide prevention, expanded veterans treatment courts, so many important changes have been enacted because martha mcsally made them happen. last year it came to her attention that one remarkable 95-year-old arizona veteran had not received the formal recognition h he deserved. she made sure he got that purple heart hand delivered and dozens of young airmen on hand to honor him. so, madam president, the junior senator from arizona has charted

a singular course. she has balanced respect for tradition with an eye toward the future. she opened countless new doors for others. at every single step our colleague has done it with dignity, faith, and a deep love of her state and her country that she cannot help but wear on her sleeve. she departs with a long list of accomplishments and every reason to hold her head high. whatever life after the senate takes her, wherever life after the senate takes her, i'm confident our colleague will continue to be the most enthusiastic advocate for her state, for its people, its prosperity, and its natural wonders. that includes all the interesting creatures that she and her four-legged wingman boomer meet when they're out hiking its trails. no, i'm pretty certain martha mcsally is not through fighting yet. so martha, on behalf of not just the senate but the nation, thank

you so much for your service to our country in uniform and here in the senate. we wish you all the best in the bright days to come. the presiding officer: 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, the judiciary, taylor b. mcneelf mississippi to be unit states district judge for the southern districtf mississippi. mr. mcconnell: i suggest the absence of auorum. the presiding officer: the clerk will call th roll. quorum call: quorum cal

mr. schumer: madam president. the presiding officer: the democratic leader. mr. scmer: i ask unanimous consent the quorum be dispensed

with. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. schumer: now, madam president, yesterday, i mentioned the several big-ticket items left on the congressional agenda before the end of the year. over the next few weeks, the senate must pass an appropriations bill to keep the government funded. we must pass the annual defense bill, a piece of legislation that congress has passed every year for nearly 60 years in a row. and a top priority as well is a major covid relief bill. we are in a moment of genuine national catastrophe. the rates of new cases, of hospitalizations and deaths are the highest or near the highest at any point during this awful pandemic. the economic fallout of the pandemic spreads and spreads. november saw the largest single two-week jump in unemployment benefit applications since early april. enhanced job benefits are only a few weeks from expiration. the time has come for congress to pass a bipartisan covid

relief bill that meets the needs of our workers, our families, our schools, and our businesses. the republican leader of this chamber knows very well that the only way to pass legislation in the senate is with a measure of bipartisanship. but time and time again, the republican leader's idea of action on covid has been to bring partisan legislation to the floor and then demand everyone accept it. every single iteration has included poison pills designed to ensure that the bills fail, not consensus proposals. that's not what these poison pills are at all, and he knows darn well that democrats don't agree to them. well, that's no way to do business around here. the leader's view seems to be that the only things that should be considered in the next covid relief bill are items that republicans approve of, even if the needs of the country go way beyond what's on their narrow list. so i would plead again to the republican leader and to my colleagues on the other side, we

need to come together. both sides, both sides must be willing to compromise. while the republicans in this chamber enjoy a majority, they must grapple with the fact that democrats hold a majority in the house. we cannot make a law without democrats in the house and, frankly, democrat votes in the senate, because there are a good number of republicans who won't vote for any proposal. so we need a true bipartisan bill, not another round of partisan republican proposals put forward by the leader, and then he makes take it or leave it demands and that's it. we need to come together and come to agreement that not -- that will not satisfy any one of us completely but gets the job done. i hope that as we get closer to the end of the year, the partisan posturing on the republican side will give way to some genuine compromises. now on another matter, president-elect biden continues to roll out an impressive slate

of candidates he intends to nominate to his cabinet and other key administrative positions. they provide an incredibly stark contrast to the caliber of the nominees the senate considered over the past four years. not only are president-elect biden's nominees exceptionally qualified and familiar with the institutions to which they are nominated, but they have a broad range of backgrounds and experiences. they actually look like america. today i will be meeting with president-elect biden's intended secretary of state tony blinken and his intended director of national intelligence avril haines, who is the first woman to be nominated to serve in that position. like most americans are doing these days, our meeting, quote-unquote, will take place over a video chat, and i'm looking forward to asking both of them about their views on a range of issues concerning american diplomacy, foreign policy, national security. and how to repair some of the damage to america's reputation

and relationships abroad done by the past administration. now after what all we went through over the past four years, i would expect that almost all of president-elect biden's nominees would be widely acceptable to the senate. senate republicans -- after all, senate republicans confirmed several trump nominees who lack the necessary qualifications, who are mired in ethics scandals, and who made outrageous and inflammatory comments in the past. republican senators often argue a president deserves broad deference when it comes to appointments and will past controversy that at any other time would be disqualified. president-elect biden's nominees of course are in a different universe. we're already starting to see the flip start to -- the switch start to flip now. to take one example. senate republicans reacted to

the historic nomination of neera tanden to run the office of management and budget by calling her, quote, a nut job and expressing alarm over critical tweets in the past. after spending four years pretending they didn't see the latest insane tweet from president trump, senate republicans seem to have found a newfound interest in the twitter feeds of biden's cabinet selections. with respect the office of management and budget, senate republicans lined up to approve russell vought after he was at the heart of the scandal that led to president trump's impeachment, withholding security aid to an ally at war, ukraine. if senate republicans are worried about someone with a partisan background at o.m.b., perhaps they shouldn't have voted to confirm russell vought who used to work not just at the heritage foundation, but for its partisan advocacy arm. if senate republicans are

concerned about someone who made comments, controversial commence running o.m.b., perhaps they shouldn't have qirnd russell vought who once said muslims do not know god because they have rejected jesus christ his son and they stand condemned, unquote. that was the previous o.m.b. director. the republican majority confirmed him despite these inflammatory comments and despite his conduct as interim director and despite his career as a partisan warrior. but a few critical tweets about substantive policy positions have caused senate republicans to label ms. tanden's nomination, quote, radio active. she is an imminently qualified nominee who would be the first woman of color to run the office of management and budget. as biden p continues to name his team, i'm sure we'll hear more

of these overblown complaints from republican senators. but after the caliber of nominees that this republican majority confirmed over the past four years, it will be impossible, impossible to take them seriously. the senate committee should prepare to hold hearings on president-elect biden's nominees in january immediately after the georgia election. the senate committees should prepare to hold hearings on president-elect biden's nominees in january immediately after the georgia elections. that's customerary for a new president. the senate holds several hearings in january so that key cabinet officials can be confirmed on january 20 and shortly thereafter. that's what the senate did for president trump and president obama. that's what the senate must do for president-elect biden as well. i yield the floor.

madam president, is the is in a in a quorum call? the presiding officer: we are not.

mr. thune: madam president, yesterday drugmaker moderna filed for emergency use authorization from the f.d.a. for its covids vaccine. the f.d.a.'s vaccine advisory committee is scheduled to discuss pfizer's covid vaccine next week and expected to review moderna shortly thereafter. that means it is entirely possible that by the end of december the f.d.a. will have authorized not one, but two covid vaccines that have so far shown more than 90% effectiveness in preventing the disease. this is very hopeful news. and it's a tribute to the innovative power of the private sector and the efforts of congress and the trump administration to expedite the development of covid vaccines. the light at the end of the tunnel looks like it's on the way. at the same time, madam president, it's essential that we not minimize what's happening with covid right now.

cases are surging and are likely to surge further. and doctors and hospitals are struggling. it's essential that we maintain key safety measures until those vaccines arrive. now more than ever we need to keep wearing masks, washing our hands, and maintaining social distance. the more responsibly that we act, the more we can protect vulnerable members of the population and keep our doctors and hospitals from being overrun. acting responsibly can also help avert further economic shutdowns which will be a blow to a lot of struggling businesses. it's been a long, hard year and everyone is tired of the additional safety measures we've had to take, but the beginning of the end is in sight, and we need to hold on for a few months longer and keep doing everything we can to prevent further virus spread. at the same time, madam president, it's important that state and local governments use their authority responsibly and think carefully about the impact of the health and safety

measures they're putting in place. it's also essential that elected officials ensure that they are respecting our constitutional rights, notably, the right of assembly and the free exercise of religion when imposing coronavirus restrictions. i was pleased to see the supreme court uphold this principle in its decision in the new york measure targeting houses of worship. new york city is not the only place. early here in washington,d.c., the mayor celebrated masked protests that vastly exceeded recommendations for gathering size even as she maintained strict restrikses on houses -- restrictions on houses of worship. i was pleased to join the d.c. district court in support of capitol hill baptist church's lawsuit against the d.c. government asking that the church's constitutional right to free exercise of its faith be respected in the same way as the protesters' right to freedom of speech. throughout this pandemic, we've

unfortunately seen a significant degree of hypocrisy from many on the left who called for or imposed strict restrictions on activities that they deem nonessential while celebrating activities that they approved of but that posed a significant risk of coronavirus transmission. madam president, the first amendment cannot be applied selectively. when imposing coronavirus restrictions lawmakers need to exercise the greatest respect for our first freedom, the free exercise of religion and ensure that churches are not subjected to disproportionately severe measures. more than that, politicians should do everything they can to ensure that religious worship is supported as far as possible during the pandemic. worship is an essential activity and it should be accorded the same respect and deference governments have accorded liquor stores, bike shops and nail salons. madam president, in the next couple of weeks congress will be passing key legislation including a bill to fund the

government. i am hoping that we'll be able to add a covid relief bill to that list. while the money has gone a long way there's more we need to do. republicans put forward an additional targeted relief package months ago that democrats spent the fall delaying relief by insisting on bloated legislation with unreasonable demands. it's been impossible to negotiate with democrats for the reason that democrats have made it clear that exrois is -- compromise is not an option, a multitrillion-dollar bill or nothing at all. democrats have to know they don't have a chance of getting their bill through both houses of congress and the president's desk. so the reasonable thing for them to do if they really want to help americans would be to work with republicans to pass a bill that delivers at least some of

what they wanted. republicans and democrats agree on a number of things, for more money for schools, testing and vaccines to another round of paycheck protection relief to small businesses. we should be able to arrive at compromise legislation that both sides can agree to. and we should pass that compromise legislation before the end of the year. i was encouraged to hear a few democrats are looking to develop bipartisan coronavirus legislation, and i hope that we'll be able to convince the speaker and the democratic leader here in the senate that working with republicans really working with them, and not pretending to negotiate while refusing to actually compromise, is the right thing to do for the american people. it's been a rough year for the country, madam president. let's close it out by working together to deliver the additional relief that americans need to weather the rest of this pandemic. madam president, i yield the

floor. mr. durbin: madam president. the presiding officer: the senator from illinois. mr. durbin: madam president, how bad is the covid-19 pandemic? i'm sure we each look at it in personal and family terms. we've just gone through a thanksgiving like no other for my family and for many others who decided that safety was more important than being physically in the same room with the family members that we love. so we turned to face time and zoom and every other contrivance we can find to maintain a connection with children, grandchildren, and other people we love. but the situation is dire. the infection and death rate in my home state has been heart breaking in terms of the number of people who have had their lives changed and some have had their lives ended because of it. i can use one example of how bad

it is. it won't mean much to those who are listening, but the city of st. louis is a large metropolitan area with millions of people. i grew up nearby on the illinois side of the river. one day last week the st. louis hospitals were unable to take a covid-19 patient, and as a result that patient was transported almost 100 miles away to quincy, illinois, to a hospital so the patient could receive the care they needed. not available space in the city of st. louis. last month a dear friend of mine feeling ill went over to the st. louis area and went to the most outstanding hospital in the city. she was told she couldn't be admitted because there was no room for her. she went to the second most reputable hospital in the city with the same report.

finally with the third try, she was admitted to another hospital. three days later she passed away. in a desperate situation she was turned away from two major hospitals because they didn't have room. so we can argue long and hard about the danger of this covid-19, whether it's something to take seriously or not -- and there are still those who insist it is not -- but we can't escape the reality that 13 million americans have already -- 13.5 million have already been infected with the covid virus and over 267,000 american lives have been lost. my heart goes out to those families, their loved ones, some of whom were my friends, and one very close friend who have lost their lives. and for all of those who are fighting covid-19 today, including members of congress, i wish them well, godspeed, get well, come back and join us

in a positive way. as a number of infected americans continues to rise, it is vital we continue to take safety precautions, social distance, wearing masks, staying home as much as possible. i'm worried about the health and safety of our country, but i'm also worried about the millions of americans who find themselves in dire straits as economic impact of this pandemic lingers. i think of some of the restaurants in chicago and in my own hometown that i visit with my wife from time to time. they're gone. they're not going to return. and sadly, every day decisions are being made by businesses just like those, that they can't continue to lose money. it clearly is a call to action for congress to do something. some choose to focus on the status of the stock market, indexes or monthly jobs report as proof the economy is recovering. in fact, i met with a group of

senators from the other side of the aisle who said it is the dominant opinion of the majority of republican senators that we don't need a stimulus, that we have recovered, we're on our way. i don't see it that way at all. i think we clearly need to breathe life into this economy that reaches families, neighborhoods, communities, and towns. the wal"the wall street journald dow jones average are interesting to read. but for most americans, it's not part of their regular life experience. it's just a question about whether or not they can keep their family-owned business open or whether or not that store or that restaurant that they always valued as part of their community is gone forever. we know the stock market or the single jobs report are not reliable measures of the economy's overall health. the fact is too many americans are still living life on the brink. look at the long lines of people in their cars waiting for food,

spending hours of their day trying to get a donation of food. some of them embarrassed by the experience though they should not be. it reflects the reality of what life is like for many people who just a short time ago were volunteers at that same food bank or contributed to it. they're waiting anxiously for relief and wondering if congress even knows it. we set a record of 88,000 americans hospitalized last tuesday, a week ago. one-quarter of our hospitals are reporting critical shortages of doctors and nurses who have been fatigued with months on the front lines. i can't help but be personally moved by these doctors and nurses who stand before us and talk about what it's like to be in that emergency room day after day after day. these are rock solid professionals who have given their life to the medical profession. how many times have we watched them break down in tears as they

tell us what they're going through. you talk about the emotional stress that we face, the depression that we face having to stay home and away from our friends and family. think about what they face every single day, plus the danger to their own personal health and the danger to their families that's part of this. it really begs for us to take this much more seriously here on the floor of the united states senate. in the weeks leading up to thanksgiving, one in eight americans, 26 million, didn't have enough to eat. millions of americans are claiming some form of unemployment insurance. if we do nothing, if we do nothing in the senate other than to act on the executive calendar which the republican leader referred to this morning, the day after christmas 12 million americans will be cut off entirely from unploirmt assistance -- unemployment assistance. 12 million. and if we don't do something, those families will be in a desperate situation.

if congress fails to act that day is going to be an ominous, dark day in our history. the issues facing our state and local governments who are at the forefront of combating this crisis continue to be a priority. their budgeters being hammered by shrinking revenues and without additional aid, many will have no choice but to either cut important services many rely upon or raise taxes on families already hard hit. we must take action to protect our state and local government workers, the firefighters, the teachers, the first responders. in the coming weeks as many as 30 million americans are facing the risk of eviction without additional help. merry christmas, you've been evicted. just a few weeks ago nearly 12 million americans indicated they would be unable to pay their rent or mortgage in december. where will they go? housing assistance that helps keep families in their homes during this public health crisis

and winter months has to be a top priority. for those who say we are out of the woods, we don't need a stimulus, look at the numbers on the dow jones index, i ask that you tell that to 20 million americans receiving unemployment today or the countless small businesses that are facing closure. there's still a lot of hurt out there and we need to get more relief out to those who need it. news of the covid vaccine development is promising, but we are many months from building up the immunity that we need. in the meantime we must confront the virus with investments in testing, tracing, and health care. i want to at this point say a word about an effort that was announced this morning that i've been part of for several weeks. there's a bipartisan group of senators in congress who have been talking about the very issues that i raised in this speech. i can't tell you how many hours they put into it. we have a group of eight senators, four democrats and

four republicans, on this side of the rotunda and a similar group on the other side, of house members, who have been trying to find a bipartisan path out of this current situation. i want to salute them. on the democratic side i want to thank mark warner robins of virginia -- warner robins of virginia, joe manchin of west virginia and gene shaheen -- jeanne shaheen of new hampshire. we've been on zoom calls hour after hour as we hash through some of the difficult choices that need to be made. on the republican side i want to thank susan collins, lisa murkowski, bill cassidy, and mitt romney. they have put as much time as i have and many times more in this effort to bring us to a point where we can offer a solution. they announced this morning that they have come to a conclusion that the spending part of this is going to be manageable, doable, on a bipartisan basis. it should be called on the floor

for passage. i will tell you that the 908 -- $908 billion package they put together is not what i wanted. i think there should be descra matically larger amounts put into this effort. but there are some on the other side of the aisle who believe that little or nothing is needed. they have tried to find a middle ground and i believe they have with the $908 billion. the way it's allocated across the board in a draft frame work hits the major elements that we need to act on before we go home for christmas in this month of december. i'm not happy with a lot of these figures, but that's what it's all about in this world of the united states congress. you come together willing to sit down, listen to the other side, and if necessary compromise so that at the end of the day you have something to show for their efforts. the reason i didn't participate in the press conference this morning is because at the very end, an issue came up which i believe is really so important that has to be resolved and resolved fairly.

and that's the issue of immunity from liability. many of us believe that businesses, most businesses are doing everything they can think of to keep their employees and their customers as safe as possible. and i salute them for that. but many of them as well believe that we need to have standards that they can live up to. so if they're ever challenged by an employee, by a customer, or even in court, they can turn to a standard of care and point that they did everything that they could be expected to do at that moment in time. i believe that that is a good defense and always has been to any accusations or wrongdoing. but there are some who believe that there should be a different standard, an unreasonable standard, one that i think goes too far in providing immunity from liability not just for good businesses but also for those who are not. and there are some. we need to have the courts available for those who have been treated badly. i think of the meat processing

plants and some of the activities that were involved in the earliest stages where the employees didn't receive the basic protection they needed. they came down with the covid virus and many had very serious consequences in their lives. i believe they deserve a day in court. but i want to make sure that we pass this covid-19 bill as the group has brought together, something like it for $908 billion. we shouldn't be delayed or diverted from this effort by a debate over immunity from liability. it's an important issue, but 38 states have already enacted laws relating to covid-19 liability. the others can certainly do it if they wish, if they think they need it. that has resulted in some things which are worth reporting. we are told that there is a tsunami of lawsuits, covid-19 lawsuits that are being brought against individuals and

businesses. it turns out nothing could be further from the truth. there is an organize station -- organization known as hundredton andrews kerth that monitors all lawsuits that are filed in the united states every day, and they have sought out how many lawsuits relate to covid-19 and the coronavirus. and the most recent report is this. out of the some 12.5 million to 13 million americans who have been infected with the covid virus, only 6,273 lawsuits have been brought in the entire nation in the year 2020 that mention the term covid-19 or coronavirus. you think, boy, that's a lot of lawsuits to be filed against doctors and nurses and hospitals. let me tell you, out of the total number 6,000 lawsuits, only 1 ten, ten nationwide have been filed for malpractice

claims, medical malpractice claims, ten lawsuits. i'd argue we ought to close the doors of the court to people who are seeking relief when so few lawsuits have been filed makes no sense at all. how many personal injury suits, how many people have sued some person or entity or business saying on your premises i contracted this covid-19? well, out of 13 million that have been infected, you think the number would be enormous. 22. that's the number. 22 personal injury lawsuits have been filed. 110 of these additional number 110 have been filed by employees for workplace situations. out of all of these lawsuits in the united states of america for malpractice, personal injure yirks and workplace -- juriy and workplace complaints, we aren't

-- why would we hold up the $1908 billion -- $908 billion relief over this. you want to know where most of the lawsuits are being filed? they're being filed between businesses as well as businesses versus our insurance companies and prisoners who are petitioning the court for release from what they consider to be dangerous circumstances. those are the lawsuits that make up the bulk of the cases that have been filed so far. there is no tsunami of lawsuits. the states are handling this matter responsibly and effectively, and there's no indication that our tort system in this country needs to be dramatically changed. that is why i really withheld my attendance this morning at this press conference. they have not agreed, the group has not agreed on the basic issue of liability but there were statements that were being made that i could not agree with, that i didn't want to suggest that i did. and that's why i didn't attend. i'm still ready to work on it.

i want to work on it and find a way, a bipartisan way to protect the rights of individuals who have been wronged for their day in court, not to extinguish or take away any rights from any people, to acknowledge the states have made decisions on covid-19 and are moving forward and doing a very fine job as those numbers indicate. let us not make the best the enemy of the good. for those republicans who believe the bill on liability is an essential part of this package do not deny unemployment insurance and help to small businesses across america because we need to fight out this battle. if the democrats had insisted that we would have no covid-19 bill unless we had minimum wage legislation or family leave related to economic circumstances, you'd say why don't you save that debate for another day. we don't need it at this moment. we do need it as a nation, but not at this moment. this moment we need to pass emergency assistance to the

families and businesses across america. i salute my friends who are part of this effort, this bipartisan effort. i'm glad i spent the time that i did and i'm still ready to work some more. we can come to a conclusion and we must. for the united states senate to finish this month without dealing with this very basic covid-19 relief package is fundamentally wrong. it is the highest priority for families and businesses across america, and we owe them nothing less. i yield the floor. the presiding officer: the senator from mississippi. mr. wicker: i ask unanimous

consent for the vote on the mcneel nominatio to begin now. the presiding officer: without objection. under the previous order, all postcloture time has expired. the question is on the nomination. is there a sufficient second? it appears to be. the clerk will call the roll. vote:

vote:

vote: vote:

vote:

the presiding officer: are there any more senators in the chamber who desire to vote or change their vote? if not, the vote is 53 yeas to 39 nays. the nominee is confirmed. under the previous order, the motion to reconsider is coidered made and laid upon the table and t president will be immediately notified of the senate's actions. the majority leader. mr. monnell: madam president, i ask unanimous consent that the mandatory quorumandatoryquorum call be wa. the presiding officer: without objection. the clerk will report the motion to invoke cloture.

the clerk: cloture mion, we, the undersigned senators in accordance with the provisions of rule 22 of the standing rules of the senate do hereby move to ing to a close debate on t nomination of j. philip states district judge for thed by 17 senators.ct of ohio signed the presiding officer: by unanimous consent, the mandatory quorum call has been waived. the question is, is it the sense of the senate that debate on the nomination of j. philip calabrese of ohio to be the united states district judge for the northern district of ohio shall be brought to a close. the yeas and nays are mandatory under the rule. the clerk will call the roll.

vote:

vote:

vote:

vote:

the presiding officer: are there any senators wishing to vote or change their vote? if not, the yeas are 58. the nays are 35. the motion is agreed to. the clerk will report the nomination. the clerk: nomination, the judiciary, j.hilip calabrese

of ohito be united states district judge for the northern district of ohio. the presiding officer a senator: i ask unanimous consent that notwithstanding the provisions of rule 22 if necessary and at a time to be determined by the majority leader in consultation with the democratic leader, the finance committee be discharged from further consideration of s. 578 and the senate proceed to its immediate consideration. mr. young: the only amendment in order be an amendment to be offered by senator grassley, the text of which is a the desk. further, i ask that the senate vote on adoption of the grassley amendment and upon disposion of the amendment, the bill as amended if amended be read a third time and the senate vote on passage of the bill as amended if amended. finally, that adoption of the amendment in passage of the bill require 60 affirmative votes and

if passed, the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table. the presiding officer: without objection. mr.oung: i ask unanimous consent that the senate recess until 2:15 p.m. the presiding officer: without objection. the senate stands in recess the senate stands in recess >> you can follow live senate coverage here on c