ms. collins: this is important. we've agreed on the price tag, the scope and how to pay for it. it was not easy to get agreement on all three. but it was essential. it was essential to show the american people that the senate can function, that we can work in a bipartisan way, and it sends an important message to the world as well that america can function, can get things done, and particularly on an issue that, as rob mentioned, we've been talking about the need for a large infrastructure package for decades. today we are delivering. >> let me just say very quickly, i'm just proud to be part of a bipartisan group which i know has always been there, always can be there and always will be there if we work together like we did. we have an infrastructure pack ac that -- package that really meets the needs of the needs of this country for the 21st century and i think it's a tremendous opportunity for us to show the rest of the world that we can still get big things done in a bipartisan way and lead the rest of the world. reporter: can you walk us through the timeline? >> i want to c

ms. collins: madam president? the presiding officer: the senior senator from maine. ms. collins: madam president, i ask unanimous consent that the quorum call be vitiated. the presiding officer: without objection. ms. collins: madam president, i suggest -- the presiding officer: under the previous order, the question is on the fox nomination. ms. collins: i ask for the yeas and nays. the presiding officer: is there a sufficient second? there appears to be. the clerk will call the roll. vote: vote: vote: vote: the presiding officer: have all senators voted? does any senator wish to change his or her vote in if not, the yeas are 5, the nays are 43. the nomination is confirmed. the question now occurs on the griggsby nomination. a senator: i ask for the yeas and nays. the presiding officer: you have is sufficient? -- is there a sufficient second? there is. the clerk will call the roll. vote: vote: the presiding officer: we have 59 yeas, 39 nays. the nomination is confirmed. under the previous order, the motion to reconsider is considered made and laid upon the table, and the

ms. collins: madam president? the presiding officer: the senator from maine. ms. collins: thank you, madam president. first let me thank my colleague from new hampshire, senator shaheen, for her extraordinary commitment and leadership as my fellow cochair of the senate diabetes caucus. we are introducing a bill to improve access to innovative diabetes technologies for our seniors and other medicare beneficiaries. our bill would create a special task force at the department of health and human services to examine and resolve barriers that seniors face in accessing the latest diabetes management technologies. new diabetes technologies, such as the artificial pancreas and implantable continuous glucose monitoring systems, allow those who are living with diabetes to better manage their glycemic levels, assess needed therapy on a timely basis, and adhere better to treatment regimes. these technological advances make diabetes easier to manage and, therefore, improve the health of people with diabetes. the market arrival of cutting can-edge diabetes technologies -- of cut

ms. collins: mr. president. the presiding officer: the senator from maine. ms. collins: thank you, mr.sident. mr. president, the right to the vote is the hallmark of a democracy. it is what distinguishes us from authoritarian regimes where elections have tainted if they are held at all, where the free and fair elections that define america do not exist. president abraham lincoln once said elections belong to the people. voting is an action we choose to take to exercise a fundamental freedom our constitution grants to the people. so when we hear of a bill entitled for the people, we naturally would assume at first that it must be enhancing our democracy, but a closer examination suggests otherwise. in fact, s. 1 would take away the rights of people in each of the 50 states to determine which election rules work best for their citizens. let's start with some indisputable facts. this legislation was first introduced in 2019, prior to last year's presidential election. it was not considered in the senate. it did not become law. nevertheless, according to the census bureau, the 2020 electio

ms. collins? >> yes. >> thank you. ms. lam? ms. lam? >> yes. >> thank you. mr. moliga? >> yes. >> thank you. mr. sanchez, and ms. lopez? >> yeah. >> ms. heinz-foster? >> yes. >> thank you, and ms. -- >> yes. >> thank you. that's six ayes. >> thank you. item two, superintendent's report. i call on superintendent matthews. >> thank you, president lopez. good afternoon, everyone. this year the san francisco unified school district has the honor of having two schools that have been announced as california distinguished schools, lowell high school and roosevelt middle school. congratulations to both of these schools. this is especially remarkable in the uncertainty and hardship of this last year. the california department of education identifies and awards eligible schools based on performance and progress on state indicators specified on the california school dashboard. the state's accountability and continuous improvement system. indicators include test scores, suspension rates and conditions and climate. congratulations to both of these schools. san francisco unified scho

ms. shelley spires. misfires? we cannot hear you. you are on mute. >> i am so sorry. good morning chairman sanders, ranking members collinsand members of the committee pay thank you for inviting me to it speak to you today on three important topic written here today on behalf of thehe association of clinicians for the underserved there is a sea of her as a member of its board of directors. the ac iso a nonprofit transdisciplinary organization of clinicians, advocates and healthcare organizations united in common mission to improve the health of america's underserved populationsfe and to enhance the development and support of the healthcare clinicians serving same populations by the ceo for the area primary health care in albany georgia we serve 45000ea patients. prior to serving ceos butor most of my career in human resources which has allowed me to it haveon experience at delivering care to the underserved in recruiting and retaining the workforce to support these needs. three things i would like to talk s about today the people who do this work are committed, they are mission driven and they are dedicated by the patient

collins. >> yes. so senator casey, my understanding is that miss allen is on, too? i don't see everybody here. >> yes. >> okay. great. >> hello, senator. >> my first question is for ms. allen. so good morning. sorry i showed up a little bit late here. ms. allen, so overall the economy is beginning to recover. we had incredibly strong economic growth here this last quarter, projection for the year is really -- is rather shockingly good. but we're talking about older workers here. nearly two million people aged 55 and above are out of work across the country. and we know based on historical data that it's likely going to be harder for them to reenter the work force than it will be for younger folks. are there employer incentives or actions that we could take to encourage businesses to hire and retain older workers? >> well, thank you so much for asking, senator. we have learned from the historical records on work force trends and older adults, they're often the longest in the rehiring, getting rehired at half or a third of previous wages. we saw that in the great recession. we've seen that over time. so we're particularly concerned and do want to invest in strategies

and i wanted to follow-up to commissioner collins and and i'm curious if in addition to the 14 schools that have been identified as a system wide and thank you to ms. smith recognizing there was a previous after school for all and curious in addition to doing that if a refresh of that k-5 if we know about other, right now as i directing, do we have that infrastructure to truly understand 102 school sites where our programming, what type of programming we offer and where do we want to catastrophe for? does that currently exist and how can we support that work over time, obviously, we're focused on returning to in-person but looking forward and looking ahead it alliance well with those education recovery plans. >> thank you, commissioner. i think what you are asking, do we have the ability to inventory and have a clear picture of what schools have programs and what types of programs they have and where there might be gaps? is that what you are asking and. >> yes, thank you. >> y. i mean we have some of that information. as i said, there's basically three three different ways a school has a before and after school program. there's the 89 schools that

and i wanted to follow-up to commissioner collins and and i'm curious if in addition to the 14 schools that have been identified as a system wide and thank you to ms. smith recognizing there was a previous after school for all and curious in addition to doing that if a refresh of that k-5 if we know about other, right now as i directing, do we have that infrastructure to truly understand 102 school sites where our programming, what type of programming we offer and where do we want to catastrophe for? does that currently exist and how can we support that work over time, obviously, we're focused on returning to in-person but looking forward and looking ahead it alliance well with those education recovery plans. >> thank you, commissioner. i think what you are asking, do we have the ability to inventory and have a clear picture of what schools have programs and what types of programs they have and where there might be gaps? is that what you are asking and. >> yes, thank you. >> y. i mean we have some of that information. as i said, there's basically three three different ways a school has a before and after school program. there's the 89 schools that

and i wanted to follow-up to commissioner collins and and i'm curious if in addition to the 14 schools that have been identified as a system wide and thank you to ms. smith recognizing there was a previous after school for all and curious in addition to doing that if a refresh of that k-5 if we know about other, right now as i directing, do we have that infrastructure to truly understand 102 school sites where our programming, what type of programming we offer and where do we want to catastrophe for? does that currently exist and how can we support that work over time, obviously, we're focused on returning to in-person but looking forward and looking ahead it alliance well with those education recovery plans. >> thank you, commissioner. i think what you are asking, do we have the ability to inventory and have a clear picture of what schools have programs and what types of programs they have and where there might be gaps? is that what you are asking and. >> yes, thank you. >> y. i mean we have some of that information. as i said, there's basically three three different ways a school has a before and after school program. there's the 89 schools that

and i wanted to follow-up to commissioner collins and and i'm curious if in addition to the 14 schools that have been identified as a system wide and thank you to msa previous after school for all and curious in addition to doing that if a refresh of that k-5 if we know about other, right now as i directing, do we have that infrastructure to truly understand 102 school sites where our programming, what type of programming we offer and where do we want to catastrophe for? does that currently exist and how can we support that work over time, obviously, we're focused on returning to in-person but looking forward and looking ahead it alliance well with those education recovery plans. >> thank you, commissioner. i think what you are asking, do we have the ability to inventory and have a clear picture of what schools have programs and what types of programs they have and where there might be gaps? is that what you are asking and. >> yes, thank you. >> y. i mean we have some of that information. as i said, there's basically three three different ways a school has a before and after school program. there's the 89 schools that have the after school program

ms. collins: thank you, madam president. madam president, i rise today to applaud the swift unanimous senate passage last night of the helping american victims afflicted by neurological attacks act, the havana act. this bill will provide much-needed assistance to the employees of the intelligence community, the state department, and other federal agencies who have suffered from often debilitating brain injuries at the hands of our foreign adversaries. too often, madam president, these injured public servants have had to battle the bureaucracy to receive the medical care they desperately require. i'm very pleased today to be joined on the senate floor by the chairman of the senate intelligence committee, senator warner. he has been relentless in his pursuit of care for these injured public servants who risk their lives for us, who serve in difficult and dangerous environments. senator warner and the vice chairman of the senate intelligence committee, senator rubio, and senator shaheen of new hampshire, worked with me to draft