Providing Emergency Assistance and Health Care Response for Individuals, Families, and Businesses Affected By the 2020 Coronavirus Pandemic

Floor Speech

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Mr. WICKER. Mr. President, I agree with so much of what the distinguished Democratic leader has just said. I was coming from one building to the other when the distinguished Senator from Iowa was speaking, but I know he was making the point that I would make at this time, too.

If the distinguished Democratic leader wants to call this a Marshall Plan for the coronavirus crisis, I will subscribe to it. I think it is that serious.

I agree with what the Democratic leader said about this economic crisis. It is something like we have never seen before, and it calls for dramatic action. I think that is what the majority leader, Senator McConnell, has proposed.

I agree with this from my friend from New York--that when we try to rescue the large corporations, we need to put workers first and not be concerned about the CEOs and the executives. We need to take care of small business.

So let's do a Marshall Plan, and let's do it on a bipartisan basis, as Americans, because this economic crisis knows no party.

You know, in some instances, when there is a crisis we are told to carry on, and, in this case, that really isn't what the healthcare professionals have told Americans to do. Americans have been told and people around the world have been told: Stay at home; don't congregate.

That is the way our economy operates.

So Americans are doing what they have been asked to do. We are not flying. We are not staying in hotels. Occupancy is down to single digits. Restaurants are closed. Stores are closed. Americans are keeping their children home from school. Schools are not opening in most areas. Again, the American people are acting responsibly, according to what they have been told to do by health professionals. The public is taking guidance, and this is having an enormous toll on our economy.

We hope the virus will end soon, but we need a rescue package. I am happy to join the distinguished Democratic leader in calling it a Marshall Plan, he would like to.

The American people bear no responsibility for this act of nature-- this act of God--that has overtaken much of the globe.

So I have come here today just to say that I have been honored to participate in the drafting of what Senator McConnell, the distinguished majority leader, has rolled out today--the Coronavirus Economic Stabilization Act.

I was part of a task force that the distinguished majority leader asked us to work on. That task force dealt with the airline industry. It consisted of Chairman Shelby and Majority Whip Thune. We were happy to develop a plan that involves $208 billion, giving the Secretary of the Treasury the ability to provide loans and loan guarantees to eligible businesses that are enduring financial hardship, including the domestic airlines, including the domestic cargo carriers, if they can make the case that there is a hardship there.

During this time of unprecedented economic uncertainty, it is critical that the airlines and other impacted industries have the resources they need to continue operations vital to the transportation of passengers and supplies, including food and medical equipment. The plan that I participated in drafting, which the distinguished majority leader put forward today, would prohibit the Federal funds from being used to increase compensation or provide golden parachutes or that sort of thing for the leaders of these distressed companies.

So, again, I subscribe to what Senator Schumer said: Protect the workers. This is no bailout. These are loans that we expect to be paid back when times are flush again.

This legislation would take an important step in putting our economy back on track for the American people. A great deal of work has gone into the draft, and much work is going to be required in the future-- tonight, tomorrow, tomorrow night, Saturday, and Sunday. We are in the midst of severe economic crisis, and I am determined to work, on a bipartisan basis, with people like my friend who just spoke, and with Senator Cantwell of Washington, my distinguished ranking member. We have penciled in 10 a.m. tomorrow morning. I have already been on the phone with her, and we are going to be dealing with the legislation under the jurisdiction of our committee, the Commerce Committee, and I think we are going to be able to work as we have on so many other issues--as Americans, not as Republicans and Democrats--as teammates rising to the occasion and answering this crisis as Americans have done so many times in the past.

So I simply rise today to say: This is a time for us to come together as patriots, as Americans, and take on the task that is before us. I look forward to a hard weekend of work and a product that all Americans can be proud of.

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