The Congressional Record is a unique source of public documentation. It started in 1873, documenting nearly all the major and minor policies being discussed and debated.
“Coronavirus (Executive Session)” mentioning the U.S. Dept of Agriculture was published in the Senate section on pages S7021-S7022 on Nov. 17, 2020.
The Department is primarily focused on food nutrition, with assistance programs making up 80 percent of its budget. Downsizing the Federal Government, a project aimed at lowering taxes and boosting federal efficiency, said the Department implements too many regulations and restrictions and impedes the economy.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
Coronavirus
Madam President, of course, while there is much to be hopeful about, the virus is still very much with us, and cases are surging. My home State of South Dakota has been hit hard, as have many other areas of the country.
While we wait for final approval of vaccines, it is essential that we keep following best practices and do what we can to slow the virus's spread, like social distancing, wearing masks, washing hands frequently, avoiding large gatherings, and more.
While the money Congress has already invested in COVID relief has gone a long way toward meeting the country's needs, we should pass additional targeted relief to help Americans weather the rest of the pandemic.
Senate Republicans have introduced additional COVID relief legislation that would provide the hardest hit businesses with a second round of Paycheck Protection Program loans, help schools and colleges operate safely, and provide additional healthcare resources to fight the virus.
Our legislation would also provide for an additional $300 per week over and above regular unemployment benefits for those who have lost their jobs as a result of the pandemic.
I am very pleased that our legislation includes an additional $20 billion in funding to allow the Department of Agriculture to continue to assist ag producers and processors.
We have also made sure to include liability protections for schools and businesses that are doing their best to protect others from the virus. Predatory trial lawyers are already lining up to exploit the COVID crisis for financial gain. We need to protect our economic recovery by ensuring that schools, businesses, and medical professionals aren't subjected to frivolous lawsuits for coronavirus infections that were beyond their control.
I would love to be able to say that Republicans will pass our coronavirus bill in the next couple of weeks, but, unfortunately, that depends on my Democratic colleagues. The Democratic leadership hasn't shown much inclination to work with Republicans. In fact, it has shown the opposite.
Speaker Pelosi spent more than 3 months--3 months--supposedly negotiating a coronavirus relief package that never arrived. Why? Because Democrats refused to put a reasonable offer on the table.
Members of the Speaker's own party pleaded with her to arrive at an agreement, but the Speaker wouldn't listen, and she is still not listening.
Despite the fact that her party lost a number of seats in the House in the election, the Speaker and the Democratic leader in the Senate are still refusing to come to the table to work with Republicans. In fact, the Speaker and the leader have doubled down--doubled down--on their unreasonable demands.
I get that Democratic leaders would like to able to design their own coronavirus bill with no input from anyone else, but that is not what happens in a divided government.
In a divided government, both sides have to compromise in order to pass legislation. Republicans know that, and we are willing to compromise to get relief into the hands of the American people, but Democrats are not. Even as the coronavirus surges around the country, Democrats continue to insist on their way or the highway.
It is hard not to think that the Democratic leadership is more interested in exploiting this crisis for political gain than in actually getting relief to Americans.
We could have another COVID relief bill ready for passage tomorrow if Democrats would just come to the table. It is inexcusable that they haven't. But Republicans aren't giving up. We will continue to invite our Democratic colleagues to work with us to develop compromise legislation.
I hope that at least some of my colleagues from the other side of the aisle will decide that a pandemic is not the time to play politics and will work with us to deliver a bill to the American people.
I yield the floor.
I suggest the absence of a quorum.
The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The clerk will call the roll.
The bill clerk proceeded to call the roll.
Mr. THUNE. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.
The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mrs. Loeffler). Without objection, it is so ordered.
