signed: patrick j. leahy, president pro tempore. the presiding officer: under the previous order, the leadership time is reserved. mr. schumer: madam president. the presiding officer: the majority leader. mr. schumer: now first and foremost, i want to thank everyone, everyone on the floor staff who worked late into the night and into the wee hours of the morning to finish reading the senate amendment to the american rescue plan. the folks who sit up here on the dais come to work every day with a very serious job to do -- helping the senate come to life and fulfill its purpose under the constitution. i'm sure you all didn't expect that part of your job this week would entail standing on your feet and reading dense legislative language for more than ten hours straight. i can't imagine that's anyone's idea of a good time. but as usual, our staff took their additional duties in stride and carried them out with professionalism and grace, finishing around 3:00 in the morning. and you're all right back on your posts this morning. thank you

signed: patrick j. leahy, president pro tempore.he presiding officer: under the previous order, the senate stands adjourned until 10:00 a.m. on thursday, april 1, 2021.

1, paragraph 3, of the standing rules of the senate, i hereby appoint the honorable signed: patrick j. leahy, brian schatz, a senator from the state of hawaii, to perform the duties of the chair. signed: patrick j. leahy, president pro tempore. mr. schumer: mr. president. the presiding officer: the majority leader. mr. schumer: i move to proceed to calendar number 1, smst 11. the clerk: prp the clerk will report. the clerk: a bill to provide for exception to limitation against apappointment of persons as secretary of defense and so forth. mr. schumer: mr. president, i ask unanimous consent that the senate be in a period of morning business with senators permitted to speak therein for up to ten minutes each. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. schumer: mr. president, as the senate prepares to take up the american rescue plan today, i want to remind everyone why we're here. this country is in the midst of a once-in-a-century crisis. not once in a decade, not once in every 50 years. once in a century. it's a crisis that is still very much with us, and it is deadly, deadly serious. it

signed: patrick j. leahy, president pro tempore. the presiding officer: under the previous order, the national will proceed to leftionz -- legislative session. under the previous order, the leadership time is reserved. mr. schumer: mr. president. the presiding officer: the majority leader is recognized. mr. schumer: thank you, mr. president. now today the senate continues its steady progress in approving highly l qualified nominees to serve in the executive branch. last night the senate confirmed dr. miguel a. cardona as the secretary of education, fulfilling president biden's promise to elevate someone with public school experience. gina marie raimondo will soon become the former governor of rhode island as she prepares to take the top job at the commerce department. and pending the senate's approval, dr. cecilia elena rouse will soon become the chair of the council of economic advisors. this morning i want to pause for a moment to recognize the historic nature of the nominees that president biden has nominated and that the senate

signed: patrick j. leahy, president pro tempore. the presiding officer: under the previous order, leadership time is is reserved. mr. schumer: mr. president? the presiding officer: the majority leader is recognized. mr. schumer: thank you, mr. president. now, i understand that there is a joint resolution at the desk that is due for a second reading. the presiding officer: the leader is correct. the clerk will read the title of the joint resolution for the second time. the clerk: house joint resolution 17 is removing the deadline for the ratification of the equal rights amendment. mr. schumer: in order to place the joint resolution on the calendar, under the provisions of rule 14 is i would object to further proceeding. the presiding officer: objection is heard. the joint resolution will be placed on the calendar. mr. schumer: thank you, mr. president. now, this morning the nation grieves with the people of boulder, colorado, the site of another mass shooting. a depraved gunman opened fire in a grocery market killing ten people, incl

signed: patrick j. leahy, president pro tempore. the presiding officer: under the previous order, the leadership time is reserved. mr. schumer: mr. president. the presiding officer: the majority leader. mr. schumer: are we in a quorum? i understand there is a bill at the desk due for a second reading. the presiding officer: the clerk will read the tietlez of the bill for the second time. the clerk: s. 937, a bill to expedite review of hate crimes and for other purposes. mr. schumer: in order to place the bill on the calendar under the provisions of rule 14 i would object to further proceedings. the presiding officer: objection having been heard the bill will be placed on the calendar. mr. schumer: now on to my remarks, mr. president. a week ago the nation reeled in horror as a deranged gunman shot and killed eight people at three different locations across the atlanta area. six of them were asian american women. just six days later another shooting. ten people shot and killed by a gunman who entered a grocery store in boulder, color

signed: patrick j. leahy, president pro tempore. the presiding officer: under the previous order, the leadership time is reserved. s mr. schumer: mr. president. the presiding officer: the majority leader. mr. schumer: mr. president, today the senate has a packed schedule. by the end of the day, the senate will have confirmed another three members of president biden's cabinet. first up is representative marcia louise fudge to serve as secretary of the housing and urban development. she represented congress and served as the first african american and first mayor of warrenville heights in ohio. three million homeowners are in forbearance at the same time we're on the verge of passing major assistance for renters and for homeowners. i know that marcia louise fudge will help and i will focus on public housing, which i know she cares about a great deal as well. later this afternoon, we'll move to the confirmation of merrick garland to become attorney general. after donald trump spent four years -- four long years subverting the powers of

signed: patrick j. leahy, president pro tempore. the presiding officer: under the previous order, the leadership time is reserved. mr. schumer: mr. president. the presiding officer: the majority leader. mr. schumer: are we in a quorum? the presiding officer: we are not. mr. schumer: thank you. first, mr. president, in a second i will move the p.p.p. bill to the floor. i hope and i would ask our republican colleagues to cooperate, that we can move this bipartisan p.p.p. proposal without delay. it passed the house overwhelmingly. a vast majority of democrats and republicans voted for t. i hope we can move quickly here in the senate. it expires on march 31. and there are some changes that were made in the arp that we need that people need time to adapt to and implement. to allow an elapse would not be the right thing to do for many of our small business people across the country. so i'm hoping that our republican colleagues will move the bill with the same alacrity it passed in the house with an overwhelming bipartisan -- with that, mr

signed: patrick j. leahy, president pro tempore. presiding officer: under the previous order, the leadership time is reserved. mr. schumer: mr. president. the presiding officer: the majority leader. mr. schumer: are we in a quorum? the presiding officer: no. mr. schumer: okay. mr. president, first i understand that there is a bill at the desk that is due for a second reading. the presiding officer: the clerk will read the title of the bill for the second time. the clerk: h.r. 1799, an act to amend the small business act and the cares act to extend the covered period for the paycheck protection program and for other purposes. mr. schumer: in order to place the bill on the calendar under the provisions of rule 14, i would object to further proceedings. the presiding officer: objection having been heard, the bill will be placed on the calendar. mr. schumer: thank you, mr. president. now, mr. president, the asian american community is still reeling from the senseless murder of eight people near atlanta, six of whom were women of asian d

signed: patrick j. leahy, president pro tempore. mr. schumer: mr. president. the presiding officer: the majority leader. mr. schumer: i move to proceed to calendar number 1, s. 11. the presiding officer: the clerk will report. the clerk: motion to proceed to s. 11, a bill to provide for an exception to a limitation against appointments of persons as secretary of defense within seven years of relief from active duty as a regular commissioned officer of the armed forces. mr. schumer: thank you. mr. president. the presiding officer: the majority leader. mr. schumer: mr. president, i begin this morning with a very exciting announcement about critical leadership roles in the senate chamber. three outstanding individuals are set to resume new responsibilities -- lieutenant general karen gibson will serve as the next senate sergeant at arms while kelly fado will serve as deputy sergeant at arms and jennifer hemingway chief of staff. the senate sergeant at arms was established 223 years ago as an outgrowth of the office of the senate doorkeeper back when one of thing

signed: patrick j. leahy, president pro tempore. the presiding officer: under the previous order, the senate stands adjourned until 10:00 a.m. on thursday, april 1, 2021. that senate next meets monday as well to be expected on by administration nominees. what's the senate live on c-span2 and now we resume our live coverage of the trial of derek chauvin for the death of george boyd >> something was concerning to them and when that doesn't work you see a number of them pulling out their cameras to document what was happening. said that it would be memorialized and it would not be misrepresented such that it could not beforgotten . what we will see this morning will be the footage taken from one of these bystanders in a moment. and as you will learn with respect to these bystanders that none of them knew who george love floyd was area they didn't know his history, didn't know anythingabout him . all he knew was they came upon an individual who was in serious distress under the knees of mister chauvin. let me show youwhat the scene look

signed: patrick j. leahy, president pro tempore. the presiding officer: under the previous order, the leadership time is reserved. mr. schumer: madam president? the presiding officer: the majority leader. mr. schumer: madam president, first i understand that there are two bills at the desk due for a a second reading en bloc. the presiding officer: the leader is correct. the clerk will read the titles of the bill for a second time. the clerk: s. 963, a bill to authorize dedicated domestic terrorism offices within the department of homeland security and so forth and for other purposes. h.r. 1868, an act to prevent across-the-board spending cuts and for other purposes. mr. schumer: in order to is mr. the bills on the calendar, under the provisions of rule 14, i would object to further proceeding en bloc. the presiding officer: objection having been heard, the bills will be placed on the calendar. mr. schumer: thank you, madam president. now, madam president -- excuse me. mr. schumer: madam president, despite unprecedented obstacles, th