changed over time. it requires a healthy imagination to anticipate what the soviets, the russians might do, to decide what rational people or interactions between countries might be almost to the level of a james bond villain but they go to lengths not only of private quarters but the gardens. they anticipate if westerners go outside they deliberately clear certain paths in the garden, make it easier for fdr to move around in his wheelchair and to listen. stalin also sends doctors to the airfield where the british and americans first land in crimea. >> we are breaking away from booktv programming to fulfill our 40 plus your commitment to congressional coverage. you can finish watching this, booktv.org. the senate is about to gavel in.

more debate today on overriding donald trump's veto of the 2021 defense program and policy bill. the next vote on that could take place later tonight or very early tomorrow, new year's day. now live to the senate floor on c-span2. the presiding officer: the senate will come to order. the chaplain dr. barry black will lead the senate in prayer. the chaplain: let us pray. eternal lord god, as the new

year beckons, our souls rise to meet you, for you are the source of our strength and the hope of our lives. we put our lives in your hands, trusting you with all our tomorrows. lord, you bless us with your peace, even in the midst of life's storms. uphold our senators. give them hours that sustain rather than stress. permit the rhythm of your truth to free them from the bondage that debilitates. may they find strength in you as

they give you their restlessness and doubts. we pray in your wonderful name. amen. the presiding officer: please join me in reciting the pledge of allegiance to the flag. 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. the presiding officer: the clerk will read a communication to the senate. the clerk: washington d.c., december 31, 2020. to the senate: under the provisions of rule 1, paragraph 3, of the standing rules of the senate, i hereby appoint the honorable deb fischer, a senator from the state of nebraska, to perform the duties of the chair. signed: chuck grassley, president pro tempore.

mr. mcconnell: madam president? the presiding officer: the majority leader. mr. mcconnell: i move to proceed to calendar number 480, s. 3985. the presiding officer: the clerk will report. the clerk: calendar number 480, s. 3985, a bill to improve and reform policing practices, accountability and transparency. the presiding officer: under the previous order, the leadership time is reserved. mr. mcconnell: madam president? the presiding officer: the majority leader. mr. mcconnell: yesterday the senate was finally able to proceed to this year's national defense authorization act. a few of our democratic colleagues have pulled out all the stops to hold back this crucial bill. but last night a big bipartisan majority of 80 senators voted to proceed. there should be nothing controversial about giving our brave men and women in uniform the tools and training they need to stay safe. there should be nothing controversial about continuing the work of rebuilding and

modernizing our capabilities. it should be a nonpartisan proposition that america should keep pace with russia and china rather than slip behind. we've enacted an annual ndaa for 59 straight years and counting. in the next few days, the easy way or the hard way we're going to do our job once again. this body will fulfill our responsibility to the men and women who protect our country. so the senate will be here until we finish this bipartisan legislation. now, for several days we've heard some senators say congress must send more cash to high-earning households who haven't seen any income disruption during covid-19. our colleagues who purport to be the champions of vulnerable americans now say that what struggling people really need is for congress to stop focusing on targeted relief for them specifically and to instead send thousands of dollars to people who don't need the help.

experts from across the political spectrum agree that our colleague from vermont is dead wrong on this. socialism for rich people is a terrible way to help the american families that are actually struggling. so let me say that again. borrowing from our grandkids to do socialism for rich people is a terrible way to get help to families who actually need it. washington democrats took president trump's suggestion and secured it so -- skewed so the checks would benefits high-earning households. imagine a family of five where the parents earn $250,000 and have not seen any income loss this past year. speaker pelosi and senator sanders want to send them $5,000 from uncle sam. they make a quarter of a million dollars. nobody is out of work but our so-called progressive friends say the household need, quote, survival checks. in fact, they believe a family

of five should have to earn $350,000 before the spigot of government money would stop intoirly -- entirely. socialism for rich people. that's what speaker pelosi and senator sanders have sketched out. a terrible way to help those who need it. experts across the political spectrum agree. the liberal editors of "the washington post" have blasted so-called progressives demanding a nontargeted giveaway that would -- huge amounts to perfectly comfortable families. larry summers who ran the treasury department for president clinton in the national economic council for president obama says there is, quote, no good economic argument, end quote, for more nontargeted checks with no linkage to need. the liberal "new york times" reported this morning that a majority of the households that get nontargeted checks do not end up spending them on urgent

needs but rather just add to their savings. quote, we know where the pockets of need are, end quote, said one economy i.r.s. and, quote, put -- economist, and, quote, putting money there would be much more efficient use. fortunately, madam president, though some of our colleagues seem to have forgotten, that is exactly what we did only a week ago. it's been less than five days since president trump signed into law another historic bipartisan rescue package targeted to americans who actually need the help. we passed an entire second round of p.p.p. loans to save small business jobs targeted to the hardest hit. we renewed multiple kinds of additional federal benefits for unemployed workers including an extra $300 supplement every week. there are billions for targeted food assistance, billions for targeted rental assistance, and many billions of dollars for vaccine distribution so we can timely beat this virus and

reopen the economy in full. these are the kinds of targeted emergency programs that directly help the most vulnerable, and we just poured almost another trillion dollars into them, less than five days ago. along with more direct checks that are already arriving in households' accounts. that, madam president, is what we did just five days ago. this crisis has not affected everyone equally. the data show that many upper middle class americans have kept their jobs, worked remotely, and remained totally financially comfortable. on the other hand, some of our fellow citizens have had their entire existences turned upside down and continue to suffer terribly. we do not need to let the speaker of the house do socialism for rich people in order to help those who need help.

our duty both to struggling americans and to taxpayers is to focus on targeted relief that will have the maximum impact and help the people who need it the most. that's what the experts say we should do. that's where there is broad bipartisan support, and that's exactly what we did less than one week ago when nearly $900 billion in more targeted relief was signed into law for our people. mr. schumer: madam president? the presiding officer: the democratic leader. mr. schumer: now, the senate today meets for a rare new year's eve session for one reason, one reason only. the republican leader has

refused to allow us to vote on legislation to provide the american people $2,000 checks. he has twice objected to my requests to set a time for a vote on the measure, claiming yesterday that direct stimulus checks were, quote, poorly targeted bemoaning the idea that some of the checks might go into, quote, the hands of democrats' rich friends who don't need the help, unquote. senator toomey said much the same thing. well, funny, i don't remember the republican leader and senator toomey complaining about how a $2 trillion across-the-board corporate tax cut was poorly targeted because some large companies didn't need the help. no. when corporations get a blanket tax break, that's fine by the republican majority. when the average american gets a little help from their government, it's poorly targeted. i hope that every american heard the objections by these republican senators.

i hope every american who has their water or heat or electricity shut off or had eviction notices stapled on top of one another to their door or had to choose which meal to skip on a given day. i hope they all heard the reason they will not receive $2,000 checks is because leader mcconnell thinks it could wind up in the hands of, quote, democrats' rich friends. now, let's be very clear. there is one way and only one way to pass $2,000 checks before the end of the year, and that's to pass the house bill. it's the only way to get the american people to $2,000 checks they need and deserve. the house is gone for the session. any modification or addition to the house bill can't become law. either the senate takes up and passes the house bill or struggling americans will not get $2,000 checks during the worst economic crisis since the great depression. and leader mcconnell knows this. so he has said that the senate

can only vote on a bill that combines the checks with other unrelated partisan policies. repeal section 230, an investigation into the president's dishonest and bogus claims of election fraud. the republican leader claims that president trump insist that all three issues must be addressed in one bill. but, of course, the president has made no such demand. president trump couldn't care less about how the bills are packaged in congress. so the republican leader has invented an excuse to prevent a clean up or down yes or no vote on $2,000 checks coming to the floor. this maneuver to combine all three issues is intended to kill the possibility of $2,000 checks ever becoming law. just to prove it, let me make this offer to the republican majority. we're willing to vote on the other issues that president trump mentioned. all the issues the republican leader says must be addressed so long as we vote on them separately. that way $2,000 checks could

become law and we could debate all the president's supposed concerns. we can vote on setting up a commission to look at the president's roundly rejected claims of voter fraud. we'd also have the commission look at voter suppression and gerrymandering. that's completely unrelated to help americans paying their bills. but we're willing to take a look at the whole picture. just give us a vote on the house-passed bill so we can get help now to people who desperately need it. heck, we can also have a vote on repealing 230. we can do it today. we'll use leader mcconnell's exact language but he won't agree to that because he knows his caucus wouldn't actually support such an act. unlike the president, some members of this body understand what 230 means. they understand that section 230 which certainly needs change actually enables the president to spew his lies. we all know the 117th congress will have to take a close look at the relationship between liability and reckless speech on

the internet. but if leader mcconnell wants a vote on these issues, we're here for it. just give us a vote on the house-passed bill and we can vote on whatever right-wing conspiracy theory you'd like. we can even vote to set up a special blue ribbon commission to determine whether georgia's secretary of state has a brother named ron if that would make our republican friends happy. just don't let these conspiracy theories and presidential fantasies get in the way of helping actual people, people whose livelihoods have been torn apart by this pandemic. people whose lives have been torn apart by the administration's mismanagement of this pandemic, people who need just a little direct assistance. now, the president's term, thankfully, will end in 20 days. it's a term that's been marked by hate and division and turmoil. he has so far used his term to enrich himself and the wealthy. let's close out the term on a good note.

for once he wants to help regular people to give americans a leg up. let's allow him to do that. we have a chance at the end of this painful year to give americans a reason to have some hope in 2021. the only thing standing in the way is the republican senate majority. in a moment, i will once again ask consent that the senate set a time for a vote on the house bill to provide $2,000 checks to the american people. remember, democrats are willing to vote on all the other issues the republicans say the president supposedly cares about. just let us vote on a clean bill for the $2,000 checks. so, mr. president -- madam president, excuse me, i ask unanimous consent that the senate proceed to the immediate consideration of calendar 645, h.r. 9051, a bill to increase the recovery rebate amount to $2,000 for individuals, that the bill be read a third time, and the senate vote on passage, and if passed, the motion to

reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table with no intervening action or debate. the presiding officer: is there objection? mr. mcconnell: i object. the presiding officer: objection is heard. the senator from vermont. morning business is closed. under the previous order, the senate will resume consideration of the veto message on h.r. 6395, which the clerk will report. the clerk: veto message to accompany h.r. 6395, an act to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2021 for military activities of the department of defense and so forth and for other purposes. the presiding officer: the senator from vermont. mr. sanders: thank you, madam president. let me briefly respond to some of the points that majority leader mcconnell has made, his inaccurate statements. now, i am delighted that after talking on the floor of the senate for years about socialism

for the rich, apparently that has gotten across to my republican friends. of course that's what we do every single day. that's why we have the level -- incredible level of income and wealth inequality that exists in this country because decade after decade, we have used this body to provide massive tax breaks to the risk, providing corporate welfare to corporations who don't need it. that is socialism for the rich. the majority leader is right. but let's talk about in fact what is in this bill. according to the tax policy center, less than 1% of the benefits of the direct payments -- that's the $2,000 for working class adults that senator schumer and i are talking about, less than 1% would go to the top 5% of americans. virtually nothing goes to the

very, very rich. an overwhelming majority of those funds go to the middle class, the working class, low-income people who in the midst of this pandemic are in desperate economic condition. now, again, i am delighted to hear the majority leader talking about socialism for the rich, and i hope we will continue that discussion in the next session, so let me talk about the socialism for the rich that the majority leader is enthusiastically supportive of. the majority leader helped lead this body to pass trump's tax bill. now, do you want to talk about socialism for the rich, mr. majority leader? under that bill, charles koch, one of the very richest people in america, he has a net worth of $113 billion. that bill gave mr. koch a

$1.4 billion tax break. majority leader, that sounds to me like socialism for the rich. ahh, that's not all. in nevada, we have a gentleman named sheldon adelman, a major contributor to the republican party, big funder for donald trump. under that same tax bill led by the majority leader, sheldon adelson received a $560 million tax break. a guy who is worth $34 billion, desperately needed that tax break, $560 million. want more tax breaks for the rich? do you want to talk about socialism for the rich? senator mcconnell had no problem giving $104 million tax refund to amazon over the past three years despite the fact

that that company made $30 billion in profits. so the argument that this bill in any significant way benefits the rich is just not accurate. let us talk about who this bill does benefit. this bill benefits tens of millions of americans who as a result of this pandemic have lost their lives, lost their jobs -- i'm sorry, lost their jobs, they have lost their incomes and some, in fact, have lost their lives. these are people who are going hungry today. we are seeing, madam president, a record-breaking level of hunger in america today in the richest country in the history of the world. all over this country -- and i receive e-mails from people all over this country -- people are

frightened to death that they are going to be evicted from their homes. and think about what a $4,000 check or a $5,000 check would mean for those struggling families, husband, wife, kids. in fact, let me give you an example. this is a problem taking place all over this country, taking place in vermont, taking place in senator schumer's state. it is taking place in kentucky. in fact, in the state of kentucky, a very beautiful state of being there a number of timet kentucky is the state where ten out of the 25 poorest counties in america exist. and i am sure senator mcconnell is aware that throughout his state, you have got thousands and tens of thousands of people living in economic desperation. and i'm talking about counties where 30% to 40% of people are

living in poverty and where many thousands of residents are trying to survive on less than $20,000 a year. i'm talking about a state, the state of kentucky. i'm just using kentucky as an example because that's the state senator mcconnell represents. true all over this country. but in kentucky, over 22% of the children are living in poverty. do you think they might need a little bit of help? more than the state of kentucky, more than 190,000 workers are making extremely low wages, and where over half a million people earn less than $15 an hour. somebody might want to ask those people what a $2,000 check per adult would mean. and i'm talking in kentucky -- and i don't forget this because i visited kentucky and talked to some of the people there. kentucky has suffered a particular opioid crisis. i will never forget talking to a

football coach who told me that a bunch of the kids on his football team were living with their grandparents or on couches because of the opioid epidemic. in other words, for the people in kentucky, the people of new york, the people in vermont are hurting. they need help. so i say today to senator mcconnell, the leader here, let us address the horrendous economic crisis facing tens of millions of americans. the pandemic today is worse than it has ever been. hopefully, hopefully the vaccine will make a profound difference, but right now, people are hurting, and they are looking to this institution, they're looking to congress and the house did the right thing. they are now looking to the senate. they are looking to senator mcconnell. and after all the senate is

done, after all the legalese, and i will be introducing some legalese in a moment, it comes down to one thing. senator mcconnell disagrees with the proposal that senator schumer and i are making. i got it. that's fine. it's a democracy. he has the right to his point of view. i would love to have the debate on the floor with senator mcconnell about this legislation. all that we are asking is give us the opportunity to vote up or down on whether or not working families in this country should be able to receive a $2,000 check. senator mcconnell disagrees. come to the floor. tell us why you disagree. then we will do what this institution is supposed to do. we will have a vote. now, the truth is that in the house, senator mcconnell knows 44 republicans voted for the house bill which won, by the way, by a 2-1 majority. two-thirds of the house voted to

make sure that working americans would get a $2,000 check. right here in the senate, there are a number of republicans. it's not clear how many -- who have already gone republic in saying they think it is a good idea. that we go forward with the house bill. so all that i am asking senator mcconnell is give us a vote. what is the problem? you could vote no. and by the way, we need 60 votes. a majority, no question to my mind, that a majority of the senators will vote yes, but because of house rules, we need 60 votes. so we're going to have to get 48 democrats -- that's what we got -- plus 12 republicans. can we get 12 republicans? i don't know. maybe we can, maybe we can't. but give us a vote. what is the problem? what is the problem with having the american people see how their senators vote on this

issue of such enormous importance? now, as senator schumer indicated, senator mcconnell has some other concerns, concerns about section 230 of the 1996 federal telecommunications act. i'm sure that that is absolutely on the minds of everybody in vermont, new york, and kentucky. it's probably all that they are talking about, the 1996 telecommunications act. but fine, he wants a vote on that, bring it to the floor. let's vote on it as a separate bill. if you want to talk about election security, senator schumer is right. a lot of issues out there. i'm concerned about voter suppression. i'm concerned about people waiting online five hours to cast a vote. i am concerned about voter intimidation. senator mcconnell has a different point of view. we'll have a discussion. no problem. bring that bill to the floor. but everybody understands that when you combine all three elements, this is a poison pill

designed to kill that legislation. so after everything is said and done, all of this comes down to one simple fact -- will senator mcconnell, the republican leader of the u.s. senate, allow this body to vote on a bill which will provide $2,000 per person to working class families all across this country? that's what this whole debate is about. it's not whether you like the bill, don't like it. we can have that debate. we have three days left in this congress. the house did the right thing. it's now time for the senate to have that vote. so, madam president, i ask unanimous consent that at 3:00 p.m. today, thursday, december 31, the senate proceed to the consideration of calendar number 645, h.r. 9051, to provide a $2,000 direct payment

to the working class, that the bill be considered read a third time, and the senate vote on passage of the bill, and that if passed, the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table. further, that following the vote on h.r. 9051, the senate resume consideration of the veto message on h.r. 6395, the national defense authorization act, and the senate vote on passage of the bill. the objections of the president to the contrary notwithstanding. all with no intervening action or debate. the presiding officer: is there objection? mr. mcconnell: i object. the presiding officer: objection is heard. mr. sanders: thank you, madam president.

the presiding officer: the clerk will call the roll. quorum call:

mr. durbin: madam president. the presiding officer: the assistant democratic leader. mr. durbin: i ask the quorum call be suspended. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. durbin: i'd like to reflect where we are at this session of the united states senate and the choices that have been made. i want to thank senator sanders, senator schumer for bringing this with clarity to the floor of the senate. we support $2,000 as a helping hand to people across the united states. there's a limitation on the amount that individuals receive receive, if they make more than $75,000 or if their family makes more than $150,000. but we are following the template that has been employed both with the cares act and with our own covid relief act of just a few days ago. we have been told by the department of the treasury that

if you want to put money into the hands of americans that desperately need it, this is the best way to do it, the quickest way to do it. there are better ways, i'm sure, but in time of crisis we need to respond and respond in a timely way. and so senator sanders and senator schumer have brought to the floor for consideration, we hope, a bill that has already passed the house of representatives. the significance in this is that the house is now in recess and not scheduled to return in this congressional session. so whatever happens over here cannot be a new bill. there is no house to send it to and no time to pass it. but rather has to be an up-or-down vote on a bill that has passed the house as is, and that's what they have come to the floor now for three straight days asking. senator schumer has asked repeatedly to senator mcconnell, the republican leader, a simple request --

whether you're for the house bill or against the house bill, allow the senate to be the senate. allow us to vote on the bill. for those of us who support it, to vote on. it isn't a lock that we're going to win. 48 democratic senators, and you need 60 votes, we need help from the other side. four or five republican senators say they support it as well but we don't know if we have the 12, if all our members can be here in this era of covid-19. sadly, even some of our senators have illnesses in the family which may make it impossible for them to be here. so there's no guarantee we win, but there will be a guarantee that we are recorded and our positions are known to the voters across america. that is a simple request, and yet time and time and time again the republican leader, senator mcconnell, has said no. i'm worried over what's happening to this institution not just with this instance but with what we've seen over the

past several years. we will conclude this calendar year having voted on the floor of this united states senate 29 times on amendments. 29 in the course of a year in what is supposedly the world's greatest deliberative body. i guess i shouldn't complain, it's a 30% increase over last year when we voted on 22 amendments in the entire calendar year. the senate is out of business and out to lunch when it comes to legislating. and that's a fact. and all we're asking for is the chance to legislate a $2,000 helping hand to families across america. i've heard over and over again we're trying to feather bed the rich, we're trying to get big checks to rich people. less than 1% of the money we're asking for is going to go to the top 5%. when it came time for tax policies and tax breaks many people complaining the loudest

about $2,000 were giving away millions of dollars to the richest people in america without any hesitation. well, today's another day and today's a different america. today we are facing a country that is in the depths of the crisis created by covid-19. the numbers coming back to us every night on the news are heartbreaking news. i understand, and most of us do, those wonderful women and men who are in the health care business usually are very stoic and calm in reporting the reality of their lives. not so anymore. more and more doctors and nurses are breaking down on television as they describe the scenes in emergency rooms across this country. they describe the reality of telling families that they cannot be by the bedside of one of their loved ones who is about to die. and they break down in tears and tell us they don't know how much more of this they can take.

that is the reality of america. it is not an america of people vastly rich sitting by the swimming pool hoping congress sends them more money. it's an america of those patients and their families and the people who are out of work and the business men and women who have lost everything, who need a hand from this government. if there is one thing about america, i hope it's clear no matter what your political per sway significance. we are -- persuasion. we are a caring people. if there is a hurricane that hits florida, i care about it. if there is a tornado that hits the state of nebraska, i care about it. and we come together on a bipartisan basis to help those families. now more than ever those families need us to do something significant in their lives. how can you see the scenes on television every night of the parade of cars lined up in texas, in kentucky, in illinois, hoping they can get some food to give to their families? are those grifters trying to get

a free meal? i don't think so. would you sit in your car for hours for food unless you really need it? i think they really need it. many are heart broken they're in this situation. some are embarrassed, and they shouldn't be, they are the victims of this economy. all we're saying is give us a chance to vote. you can vote no if you wish. give us a chance to vote for the $2,000 that can make a difference in a person's life. $4,000 for a husband and wife struggling to get by. rent checks, mortgage payments, car payments, utility bills, things that really are basic to family survival. we're trying to help, and i think we should be given that chance. we have tried time and again. we have the support of president trump in this effort, and i'm glad to have it. i think we have enough support in this chamber to come up with

60 votes. i pray that we will if we're given that chance. and i hope that the senate republican leader is not afraid of that outcome. he shouldn't be. he has two of his incumbent republican senators in a runoff election who have both publicly said they want to vote for this, and yet he stops them. he's the one who put an end to their opportunity. why? shouldn't he give them the opportunity to vote yes? he even refuses in this situation, with this looming election, to bring this matter to the floor for an honest up-or-down vote bipartisan vote. i listened to the stories that were told by senator sanders and others about the plight of people in this country and how much they count on us and, frankly, how many of them have given up on us. they just don't believe the congress of the united states is in touch with the reality of america. if we are in touch with the reality in our home states, in our hometowns, we should do

something, something significant to end this new year on the right note. i plead with the republican leader who has the power, the one, the sole member of congress of 100 members, he has the power to bring this matter to a vote and to do it immediately, within the hour. we could call the members who have returned to washington yesterday to gather, take a vote soon, in a matter of minutes and know once and for all whether we have 60 votes that are necessary to pass this measure. and then we can pass the override of the president's veto of the defense authorization bill, a critical piece of legislation. that will be the right way to end this year. let us not end it in suspense as to whether or not we're going to come to the aid and assistance of american families who rely on us time and again to be there when america needs a helping hand. let's do our job. let's fill this chamber with senators who actually vote on an issue that makes a difference in

the lives of americans. that's what we were elected to do. we have no excuse if we fail. i yield the floor and suggest the absence of a quorum. the presiding officer: the clerk will call the roll. quorum call:

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mr. blumenthal: mr. president. the presiding officer: the senator from connecticut. mr. blumenthal: thank you, mr. president. we are here in the waning hour -- the presiding officer: senator, we are in a quorum call. mr. blumenthal: i ask that the quorum call be lifted. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. blumenthal: we are here, mr. president, in the waning hours of 2020. speck -- expectant and hopeful about the coming year. i want to wish all of my colleagues a very healthy and happy new year in the hope that we will fulfill the promise of our constituents, our country, our constitution in moving forward to meet and conquer the pandemic that still ravages our nation and renew our economy

that still is failing. we are the greatest nation in the history of the world, and americans are hurting. this body has taken positive and important -- a positive and important step toward meeting this public health and economic crisis, as well as the hurt and harm that continue to plague americans. in a number of important relief packages, we have helped to meet those needs and enable the nation to bridge the gap created by this pandemic. an economic gap that has become a chasm, a cliff that seems without end, and for many of our

fellow citizens, a time of unfair related and unanticipated pain. the relief package that we have passed most recently, i think we can be proud to say it's the second largest in our nation's history, and it will provide a second round of paycheck protection loans, forgivable, becoming grants, so that small businesses can keep their doors open, more aid for our transportation and education system, money to distribute the vaccine that will be a lifesaver for so many americans. and other important aid, including a $600 stimulus

payment for every american who is making less than $75,000. that's real assistance for a family of four, $2,400 because every child as well as adult receives that money. but all of that $906 billion is only a down payment. it is a life raft, and it has to be followed by an even more robust, bigger, bolder package to provide real relief and sustenance for the survival of our economy. and literally the survival of americans who are struggling to put food on the table and to buy medicine, pay rent and mortgages, clothe their children. we have all told our stories on

the floor of the senate during 2020 about constituents waiting in food lines, hurting for the funds needed to stay in their homes or apartments, and to pay for the medicine that is literally a matter of life and death. we've told those stories. we have talked about americans who are struggling. we have the opportunity now to do something about it. and so i appeal to my republican colleagues very bluntly and simply, give us a vote on the cash act. let us vote on a stand-alone $1,200 -- $2,000 stimulus payment bill, allow every one of

us to go on record on that $2,000 stimulus payment bill that would add $1,400 to that $600 already provided. not to minimize the importance of the $600, but it is inadequate. it is insufficient. it is unacceptablacceptable bect fails to provide the basic need to meet the desperate and dire straits of so many americans. we're talking about families that need that money to buy bread and milk, paper towels and toilet paper. goods and services that are necessary to the survival of their families.

$600 is simply not enough. and is that is why i call on my fellow colleagues to persuade their leader that we should be permitted this vote because i believe that if there's a vote, it will pass. having spoken to republican colleagues here, i have no doubt, none that that staindz a-- stand-alone $2,000 stimulus payment measure, the cash act, would pass overwhelmingly just as did the $600 payment as part of a larger bill. and the simple fact is that measure is the only viable vehicle.

any other measure loaded with other provisions, whether it's the section 230 reform or a commission to investigate the last election on fictitious fraud is doomed. it is doomed logistically. it is doomed legally and physically. there is no way for the house to pass it. only the house bill if passed can provide americans with the $2,000 stimulus payment that they so desperately need. only the house bill provides that relief. any other measure will be doomed because house -- because the house cannot come back to pass it in the time that we have left in this session.

and so the majority leader is essentially blocking a step that will literally save lives supported by the vast majority of the american people. a significant part of his own conference and every democrat, and have no doubt every democrat will vote for t. we've clamored for it -- for it. we've clamored for it, a higher stimulus payment for months when the majority leader refused to come to the table. and then when the president of the united states failed to lift a finger -- he was on the golf course -- when it might have made a difference in raising that $600 amount higher during the negotiation. but there is a way forward to provide relief to americans without leaving here in a

contest of blame but in a new year of mutual congratulation. pass the $2,000 stimulus payment plan as a stand-alone clean bill. i just want to say i'm possibly the only senator who has supported two measures, one of them actually passed by the congress and signed by the president to reform section 230 and the other unanimously voted out of the judiciary committee. they reform section 230 and i support reforming section 230. i have hardly been uncritical of section 230. and there should be major reform of section 230. but it has to be done in a

careful, deliberate, and considered way as a spat measure -- as a separate measure, not as a meat ax in a totally unrelated bill, the $2,000 payment bill that provides real relief to americans. loading the cash act with poison pills is obstruction. it is not constructive legislating and it fails to meet the test of this moment. it is vital that we move forward to provide struggling americans with this relief and scuttling the $2,000 stimulus payment bill with a half-baked meat act

evisceration of section 230 is cruel and downright stupid. it betrays the mission and obligation that we have in these waning days of 2020. americans need more help. and they hope. help and hope are embodied in the vaccine. unfortunately the rollout of this vaccine, despite the $8 billion contained in the latest pandemic relief bill, has been hopelessly behind schedule. the number of doses distributed is roughly a tenth of what it should be, even under the

scaled-back schedule that this administration has adopted. 20 million vaccinations were promised by the end of the year. that number was way below the initial promise. and only a tenth them, probably about two million will be actually provided. instead of taking responsibility or taking control, president trump is still tweeting instead of action, more talk. only action will save lives. and either he doesn't care enough or he doesn't really see what is necessary to do in order to save these lives. because the distribution of this vaccine is a matter of life and death. and so using the defense

production act, mobilizing america, making sure states have the resources they need, providing money to hospitals, and making sure there are the vials, syringes, training for workers as well as the facilities to transport, store, and distribute this vaccine are essential now. they are missing at this moment and the president is where the buck stops. now, i look forward to a 2021 when a new president will expand the stimulus payments to individuals and when many of the other gaps left unfinished, action that still is necessary, will be fulfilled by another more robust, bigger, bolder pandemic relief program.

i hope we'll have the same bipartisan support that we saw at the end of in year -- end of this year for the latest. i hope we will overcome the divisions that have prevented us from doing what is really necessary and adding $1,400 to the $600 already provided. we need to do more for small businesses. yes, there will be another round of p.p.p. payments but this chasm faced by restaurants, retailers, small businesses struggling to keep their doors open, keep their people on payroll during the holiday, we've seen them all and talked to them. their stories are rivetting and heartbreaking. business people who have poured their souls and hearts and lives into these businesses only to see them threatened with

extinction. and this crisis has a racial justice aspect that cannot be ignored because disproportionately the businesses that have failed are black and brown owned. disproportionately the lives lost have been in black and brown communities. dispoe portion natalie -- disproportionately the jobs lost have been in those same communities, black and brown communities that have suffered more than any other as a result of this pandemic. and so we need to make sure that they receive the vaccines as well as therapeutics and testing that is necessary to save lives.

we are in the midst of a racial justice movement. it affects policing and criminal justice, but it also affects our schools where the zip code of a child's resident -- residence can mean the difference it a quality education or not, where black and brown communities suffer twice or three times the death rate of others as a result of this pandemic, where job discrimination still exists and in housing redlining still afflicts these communities. and where environmental quality, rivers, lakes, air still can be disproportionately contaminated and polluted in communities

inhabited by black and brown people. we are here in the last day of an unprecedented and catastrophic year. more than 342,000 of our fellow americans are dead as a result of this insidious virus. over 342,000 gifts unwrapped, places at tables left open, and many of them without final goodbyes. this past year will go down as one of the hardest in our history. i think we all hope for a better year. but it will come only if we take the kind of action that apparently my republican colleagues are failing to provide today, which is to meet

the needs to match the moment of these desperate and dire straits of so many americans. the failure to approve an additional $1,400 and pass the cash act is a haunting omission. and my hope is that -- the hopes of a hurting nation will be met in this new year, that the calls for justice and relief will be heard, and that the ailing and sick, not just physically but emotionally will be met. this crisis has been one of

physical health care but also mental health care. and the emotional strains can be seen in the rising rates of domestic violence, substance abuse disorder and addiction, and so many other areas where mental and emotional stress and anxiety have taken a toll. the hopes of a fearful and grieving nation rests on our shoulders, and we cannot let them down. thank you, mr. president. i yield the floor. mr. lee: mr. president? the presiding officer: the senator from utah. mr. lee: mr. president, i stand today to honor my friend, gary herbert, governor of the state of utah for the last 12 years who after a long career in

public service is now embarking on a really well deserved hard-earned retirement. he served in the state of utah and done so with great enthusiasm and dedication and spirit. i'm grateful to have worked alongside him throughout his tenure in our great state. gary herbert was born in utah and grew up in the state also. he served a two-year mission in the church of the latter-day saints on the east coast and later attended brigham young university, my alma mater. he served in the utah army national guard for six years, eventually becoming a staff sergeant. after his time in the national guard, he set up a real estate firm. he was very successful, eventually becoming the

president of the utah association of realtors. he also served as president of the utah association of counties, by the way. starting in 1990, he served as a commissioner on the utah county commission. he served there for 14 years. it was at that point that he began his statewide conversations within utah. you see, in 2004, when john huntsman ran for the governor's seat, gary became his running mate, running alongside huntsman as his lieutenant governor. with the pair going on to win the race in november. it was then that i first got to know gary herbert personally when i was hired to be governor huntsman's general counsel. one of my first memories of gary herbert, which to me seems like it was the day before yesterday, occurred when we all began moving into the governor's

office suite just the day before herbert and huntsman were sworn into office. gary came in and provided us all with a warm welcome, but he didn't stop at the welcome. he offered really sound and heartfelt advice about the importance of staying grounded as we were entering the political fray. he explained that long after our service in the huntsman-herbert administration that expired, we would want to be able to look back and be pleased about the relationships that we had formed with each other, but especially the relationships that we had maintained with our families, our children, and god. i soon learned that governor herbert, in addition to being wise and in addition to being a skilled and valuable statesman,

was also a formidable athlete. right after he and governor huntsman were sworn in, the staff got together as a team several times in the governor's mansion where we soon discovered there was a ping-pong table in the basement. i then learned the hard way that governor herbert's athletic skills, including his ping-pong skills, are off the charts. while serving governor huntsman, i always found gary to be friendly, approachable, and always willing to tackle every single assignment with eagerness and poise. whatever governor huntsman's -- whenever governor huntsman's schedule became chaotic or changed unexpectedly -- it happens in every senator's office or governor's office -- lieutenant governor herbert would be routinely dispatched to speak on huntsman's behalf, often sending him to remote corners of the state and often

at really inconvenient times. he never once complained. he was not only willing, but he was always eager and happy. he felt fortunate for the opportunity to help. that's the kind of enthusiasm that the people of the state of utah have benefited from for so long as a result of gary herbert's service. you see, he's never lost that. not during his entire time as lieutenant governor, not during his entire time as governor. you can tell that he is exactly where he wants to be and that he feels privileged and even blessed to be able to serve the people of utah. likewise, whenever there was an issue that needed to be addressed by the governor, even within the office or on the capitol compound but where the governor was unable to meet with the particular group in question, gary was always assigned to the case. he would meet with, as he described it, all the different

stakeholders. he would get together the legislators, county commissioners, citizens from this or that part of the state, lobbyists, lawyers who may have been involved, in addition to other members of governor huntsman's administration. he'd bring them all in together, and he'd wade through all the intricate and often pedestrian details of the matter. you see, he wanted to get to the bottom of the issue. he wanted to understand it. what's more, he had the skill of figuring out the best path forward for all parties involved, and for making everyone feel heard and understood. if ever, whenever there was a way to achieve a win-win, gary found it, and he brought people to it and they were always grateful as a result. the same traits that i saw in him as lieutenant governor would go on to make him an effective and beloved governor himself. in office now as governor since

2009, gary herbert is currently the nation's longest serving governor, and our state has seen exciting achievement and tremendous prosperity with governor herbert at the helm. in the last eight years, utah has seen continued steady growth in our economy, with improvement in our g.d.p., number of jobs, and unemployment rate. we have seen the boom of silicon slopes. we celebrated the centennial, the u.s.s. colloquy centennial of the driving of the golden spike when it was an honor to stand alongside governor and mrs. herbert at that celebratory reenactment. on that particular occasion, governor herbert and his wife jeanette showed their characteristic enthusiasm by arriving in their finest 1869

apparel just to recommemorate the moment, and it made all the difference. it made it all feel much more authentic. and so, too, it was an honor to join gary when president trump came to utah to announce his decision to shrink the bears ears national monument when we could all stand together and celebrate the fact that someone in washington had heard our concerns within the state and saw fit to redraw the boundaries in a manner more compatible with local interests and concerns. through his enthusiasm and his zeal, gary herbert has championed our state and the things that we stand for and has done so very consistently, very enthusiastically. he can rattle off figures and metrics about utah at the drop of a hat. i'm convinced the man can do it in his sleep and do so infectiously and persuasively. and he is a compelling spokesman

for our state's values. his spirit has helped utah to attract talent and investment, not only from throughout the united states but from throughout the world. and to make it the good place that it is to live. not only that, but gary has been an instrumental partner in supporting initiatives that reflect and strengthen the values of our state. to champion the reclamation of our lands, he signed into law the transfer of utah public lands act. he also signed into law innovative criminal justice reforms in utah. he was at the cutting edge of that movement, making a far-reaching impact across our state and that ended up having impacts elsewhere. in fact, his work in utah in criminal justice reform helped pave the way for the work that congress and president trump were able to achieve at the federal level through the passage of the first step act. he has been a strong supporter

of utah's family culture and was helpful in the senate's work promoting the child tax credit during our tax reform discussions just three years ago. and on a more personal note, gary herbert also had the wisdom to put my brother tom on the utah supreme court. in so doing, he has been a champion for textualism, the notion that judges are there who interpret the law based on what the law says rather than on the basis of what it might have said. for all of his public achievements, gary is perhaps most proud and always most conscious of and most aware of and most concerned about his own role as a husband, as a father, and as a grandfather. gary and his wife jeanette have six children together, as well as 16 grandchildren. he is known to encourage them to follow in his footsteps and

marry up. in myriad ways, governor herbert has been a champion and a spokesman for all that is good about our state. it's been an honor to serve the people of utah with him, and i wish governor herbert and his wife jeanette all the best as they embark on the next chapter of their lives together. thank you, mr. president. i yield the floor.

mr. mcconnell: mr. president. the presiding officer: the majority leader.

mr. mcconnell: as if in executive session, i ask unanimous consent that with respect to the soskin nomination, 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. mcconnell: i ask unanimous consent the senate be in a period of morning business with senators permitted to speak for up to ten minutes each. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. mcconnell: i ask unanimous consent the senate proceed to the immediate consideration of h.r. 4044, which was received from the house. the presiding officer: the clerk will report. the clerk: h.r. had 4044, an act to amend the federal water pollution control act to reauthorize the national estuary program, and for other purposes. the presiding officer: without objection, the senate will proceed to the measure. mr. mcconnell: i ask unanimous consent the bill be considered read a third time. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. mcconnell: i know of no

further debate on the bill. the presiding officer: if there is no further debate, the question is on passage of the bill. all in favor say aye. all opposed no. the ayes appear to have it. the ayes do have it. the bill is passed. mr. mcconnell: i ask unanimous consent the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. mcconnell: i ask unanimous consent the committee on energy and natural resources be discharged from further consideration of h.r. 1472 and the senate proceed to its immediate consideration. the presiding officer: the clerk will report. the clerk: h.r. 1472, an act to rename the homestead national monument of america near beatrice, nebraska, as the homestead national historical park. the presiding officer: without objection, the committee is discharged and the senate will proceed to the measure. mr. mcconnell: i ask unanimous consent the bill be considered read a third time and passed and the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table. the presiding officer: without

objection. mr. mcconnell: now, mr. president, i ask unanimous consent that when the senate completes its business today, it adjourn until 12:00 noon friday, january 1. further, that following the prayer and pledge, the morning business be deemed expired, the journal of proceedings be approved to date, morning business be closed, and the time for the two leaders be reserved for their use later in the day. finally, following leader remarks, the senate resume consideration of the veto message on h.r. 6395. 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 the presiding officer: the >> the senate today is continuing work on the overriding president trump's veto of the 2021 defense programs and policy bill. it will have more live in senate coverage with the back in two session here on "