Providing for Congressional Disapproval Under Chapter 8 of Title United States Code, of the Rule Submitted By the Secretary of the Treasury and the Secretary of Health and Human Services Relating to ``State Relief and Empowerment Waivers''

Floor Speech

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Mr. COONS. Madam President, I come to the floor as a proud Member of this Chamber of the Senate and as someone who believes earnestly in our role in our country's constitutional order. I am on the floor because a real and significant challenge to this body and each of our Members is potentially in the very near future.

Right now, the House of Representatives is holding an impeachment inquiry, focused on grave and significant charges against our President related to the very threats to our democracy of foreign interference that our Founders feared the most. I am not here to argue over whether President Trump's actions deserve impeachment or perhaps even removal from office. It is, I think, inappropriate to reach that point. Instead, I am here today, as the inquiry proceeds in the House, to urge my colleagues in the Senate--Republicans, Independents, and Democrats-- to take seriously the moment we are in and the tests we may have soon ahead as a Senate when we will need to uphold and defend the role of this institution.

I am on the floor to issue a challenge to all of my colleagues. If an impeachment trial does take place in the Senate, all of us must decide to approach it as Americans--less as people representing any parochial or partisan or particular interest, less as Democrats or Republicans or Independents, and instead as Senators. If we are called to serve as jurors in an impeachment trial, all of us must show our Nation and the world that this body--that this institution--has not been completely overtaken by the divisive political era in which we live. Nothing less than the Senate's very legitimacy will be at stake.

Our Founders warned about the challenge of this moment. They warned specifically that foreign powers improperly influencing our American Government were, in the words of Alexander Hamilton, ``the most deadly adversaries of republican government.'' This is why our Constitution entrusts Congress with the enormous power of potential removal through impeachment.

James Madison called impeachment ``indispensable . . . for defending the Community [against] the incapacity, negligence or perfidy of the chief Magistrate''--a reference to the President. Alexander Hamilton argued that the Senate was the proper body to hold an impeachment trial. The Founders entrusted us to protect our country from ``the misconduct of public men'' and ``the abuse or violation of some public trust.''

George Mason put forward the precise language that appears in our Constitution, the language of ``high crimes and misdemeanors'' and urged that impeachment must be a remedy to remove even a President, asking: ``Shall any man be above Justice?'' Our Founders insisted that no one--no one--in our Nation, in our constitutional order, not even our President, is above the law. This fundamental principle remains the very linchpin of our government.

Based on what we know today from press reports about the President's actions and from notes of a conversation, I believe it is critical that the House conduct a thorough impeachment inquiry. If the House does vote impeachment articles, Members of the Senate will have to live up to the responsibilities which the Framers of our Nation entrusted to us. The eyes of history will be upon us.

Let me be clear. I am not saying that if the House should vote articles of impeachment, it will be the Senate's duty to vote to remove him. It will be, instead, the responsibility of every single Senator to carry out their duty to serve as impartial jurors with their principle focus--their oath--to uphold and defend the Constitution and nothing else informing our decisions.

This is a challenge to all of my colleagues. Both Republicans and Democrats must appreciate the gravity of this process as we call on our colleagues to do the same. Democrats, equally with Republicans, must not allow our vigorous disagreements with this President and our colleagues to influence our judgment and cloud it. We have to understand that this process--this likely future moment--is far more important than our own individual political fortunes. An impeachment trial of a President would be a true test of the integrity and capabilities of the Senate--our commitment to follow the facts, to consider the evidence, and to apply the rule of law. It will be a test that we, as a body, cannot afford to fail.

It is important to begin the process of establishing what that process might look like as soon as there are impeachment articles, if that is the direction the House takes. The basic rules are clear as stated in the Constitution: The House is given the ``sole power of impeachment,'' and the Senate ``the sole power to try,'' as jury, ``all impeachments.'' If the House votes to impeach, the Senate must conduct a trial and either convict by two-thirds or acquit on whatever counts are presented.

At that trial, the Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court will preside; the House managers will present the case; the President's counsel presents his defense; and the Senators serve as the jury. The manner in which our leaders, Leader McConnell and Leader Schumer, direct the Senate in the event of a trial will be the most important test in a generation of whether our Senate remains capable of enforcing the law, living up to the Constitution, and upholding the responsibilities our Founders bestowed upon us.

I will remind you of the opening vote in the Senate of the impeachment trial for President Clinton. The vote that set the rules under which that trial would proceed was unanimous. It was 100 to 0. An impeachment trial, should it come in the near future here, must not be gamed or politicized or subjected to brinksmanship, and any trial should be governed by rules that are passed on a broad and bipartisan basis, animated by justice over partisanship.

In many ways, an impeachment trial would mean that our institution of the Senate would itself also be on trial. We as a body need to show the American people and the world that we are more than just 100 elected politicians who have been brought here by partisan whim or by a bare majority of our States but, instead, by a body whose sum is much more than its individual parts. We must act as stewards together for our democracy. History is watching us, all of us--Democrats, Independents, Republicans. How we respond will shape and impact our Senate and our Nation for years to come.

In the days, weeks, or months to come, I hope my colleagues will rise to the challenges we face, deliberate with an eye toward history, an ear toward our constituents, and a heart focused on our Constitution, and prove that, in this body, we answer to the Constitution, not to any particular or partisan loyalty to our President or to any other elected official. The health of our very institutions and of democracy itself is at stake. Remembering Sonia Schorr Sloan

Madam President, in my home State of Delaware, we have just lost a dear friend and a remarkable leader.

Sonia Schorr Sloan was a force of nature. ``Sonny,'' as we affectionately called her, dedicated her life to confronting social injustices, and her activism, her philanthropy, her mentorship, and her public service made my home State of Delaware a better place for everyone. So I rise to celebrate and honor her work, her spirit, and her impact on so many of us.

Her story began on April 1, 1928. She was born in Wilmington, DE, to parents Sigmund and Rosalia Schorr. Sigmund Schorr was a well-known Wilmingtonian haberdasher, who was elected to the Delaware General Assembly and later served for many years as president of the New Castle County Board of Elections. Rosalia, her mother, worked as a public schoolteacher and was very active with community and civic groups, like the Young Women's Hebrew Association and the Gardeners Guild of the Arden Club. Sonny credited her parents for raising her in an atmosphere of active community involvement.

Throughout her life, she was exceptionally bright and gifted. As an honors graduate of Wilmington High School, she pursued a bachelor's degree in bacteriology and graduated magna cum laude from Syracuse University in 1949. She was accepted to Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia, where she earned her master's degree in microbiology. She was the very first woman to graduate from Jefferson in its 125-year history and was the first student to complete graduate work there. After teaching several years at Temple University School of Medicine, she became the very first woman hired by DuPont to work in the prestigious central research department in Wilmington, which is where many great inventions were made.

While at DuPont, she got involved with the Young Democrats and met fellow scientist Gilbert Jacob Sloan of nearby Fairfax. Sonny and Gil, who were, frankly, inseparable for the rest of their lives, fell in love. A few years later, they were married at Temple Beth Emeth on Memorial Day of 1957. Together, they raised two wonderful sons, Victor and Jonathan.

During this period, Sonny became more and more involved with local community groups and political organizations. Sonny's commitment to public service was a hallmark of her life. She was a skilled and forceful advocate, a tireless campaign organizer, and a relentless fundraiser for community groups and campaigns alike. Whether it seemed doable or not, when she saw a need, she would fill it.

When people felt like Delaware needed a more active advocacy organization or they were concerned about civil liberties and civil justice and civil rights, Sonny and others founded and launched the Delaware Chapter of the ACLU. When she became increasingly concerned about the restrictions on access to reproductive rights, she launched and ran a capital campaign to build a brandnew facility for Planned Parenthood of Delaware. She was involved in the creation and launch of an AmeriCorps program, Public Allies of Delaware, and the Cancer Support Community of Delaware. She was involved in so many different civic and community organizations and in so many campaigns that they are more than I could relate in my time on the floor.

Her legacy of service to our State, which began more than 60 years ago, steadily grew over the next 50, 60 years. She eventually formed her own fundraising firm, and according to Sonny, it raised over $100 million for various nonprofits and agencies. She was able to pick and choose the causes she championed and didn't do anything for which she lacked passion. Her work touched our whole community, from the Food Bank of Delaware and the West End Neighborhood House to the YWCA of Delaware and the Delaware College of Art and Design.

Besides supporting these many causes, Sonny invested in the people in whom she believed. She was a mentor from the very first days of when a young, then-29-year-old Joe Biden launched his campaign first for county council and then for the U.S. Senate, and she played a central role in Joe Biden's first election in 1972 to this body. Sonia Sloan mentored countless other people and dozens of other elected officials, not just my predecessor and the Vice President. She was a mentor to this young candidate as well when I first ran for office.

Equally, if not more importantly, she was a tireless and engaged mentor for folks no one has heard of--folks not elected but folks in need. She was a mentor for a young man who had just been released from our local juvenile detention center. Sonny helped him get a State identification card, helped him get a new job, and helped him get a new bicycle--a reliable means of transportation. She helped him, mentored him, and supported him until he was able to get back on his feet.

She recorded books for the blind. At one point, she even agreed to put up the deed of her own home to bail out a Vietnam war protester from jail. These were the sorts of things Sonny did that many have never heard of.

She won too many awards in our State to name, but she was inducted into the Hall of Fame of Delaware Women. Yet she wasn't the sort of person to hold up these accomplishments. Aside from her civic engagements, she loved to run and was often seen jogging around Rockford Park, which is near my home. She adored cooking for her family; she collected stamps; she could play the flute and piano; and she loved to read.

Upon learning that Sonny had passed away at age 91, one friend remarked that Sonny still had so many stories to share and so much energy and passion to give.

Another friend called her a beacon of light and a pillar of courage whose light will shine for many years to come.

She never stopped taking a chance on young candidates and on first- time candidates.

A friend of mine, recently elected State Senator Laura Sturgeon, said: Sonny Sloan took a chance on me, even though I had no political experience, name recognition, or resources. Once people heard she was in my corner, endorsements and support poured in. I am who I am because of my parents, but I am where I am, representing the Fourth District in the State Senate, because of Sonia Sloan.

It is clear that she accomplished many firsts, broke many barriers, and paved endless paths for many people. She had strong and passionate feelings about countless issues, but the empowerment of women, the election of women to office, and the advancement of women in our society was absolutely at the forefront.

As she so often said, ``Women's issues are not just women's issues; they are everybody's issues.''

One of the last times I got to see Sonny was at a dinner in her honor in March of this year. It was there that I joined hundreds of friends and neighbors to recognize her legacy of service, from her efforts to end the Vietnam war to her advocacy for women's rights. She lived her life committed to a deep belief she shared with many of us--to focus on what you can do to change just one life for the better because, as the Talmud teaches, when you change one life, you can change the world. Sonny did that thousands of times.

She was tough and determined, funny and smart. She never hesitated to offer very direct input to those of us she knew needed correction or direction, but she could equally offer compelling and comforting advice. She has been and will continue to be that voice of conscience inside my head, challenging me not to settle for the easy but to push for what seems difficult or even impossible.

Her dedication for fighting for justice was rivaled only by her tireless love for Gil, Victor, Jonathan, her five granddaughters, and five great-grandchildren. She was the best of what we are as Delawareans. Her sharp intelligence, her fierce resolve, and her unwavering dedication to people and causes will be impossible to replace.

So, to Sonny, I wish to say: We will all miss you--family, friends, neighbors, and the thousands whose lives you have touched. You have affected the lives of countless Delawareans. I am truly grateful to have known you and to have been a part of your work to make our State and our world a better place. You will forever have my deepest thanks.

Back in October of 1969, in concluding an anti-war rally, Sonia read a Jewish prayer with some touching and, I think, fitting final words:

Bless our country, that it may always be a stronghold of peace, and its advocate among the nations. May contentment reign within its border, health and happiness within its homes. Strengthen the bonds of friendship among the inhabitants of all lands, and may the love of Your name hallow every home and every heart.

These are touching and fitting words.

Sonny, bless you and thank you.

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