Continuing Appropriations Act, 20201 and Other Extensions Act--

Floor Speech

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Mrs. SHAHEEN. Mr. President, I join my colleague in coming to the floor to talk about what is at stake as the Senate considers who will fill the Supreme Court vacancy left by the passing of Justice Ginsburg.

Justice Ginsburg was not only an extraordinary legal mind, but she was an unwavering advocate for equality under the law. I believe she epitomized what we should seek in any Supreme Court Justice: a respect for the rule of law coupled with an understanding that our Constitution was designed to protect the rights of the many, not just the few.

Unfortunately, President Trump and my colleagues across the aisle are doing a disservice to Justice Ginsburg's legacy by attempting to rush through a nominee when the election is already underway. And that is not being dramatic. The fact is, we have 31 States, including my home State of New Hampshire, that have already begun distributing their absentee ballots. In fact, I was at a UPS distribution center in the city of Dover yesterday--actually it was on Monday--and I talked to several people there who showed me their absentee ballots because they had filled them out, and they were getting ready to mail them.

So voting is already underway, and this is no ordinary election. It comes during a global pandemic, when cities and towns are struggling to stay afloat and Americans are trying to figure out how they are going to continue to pay the rent and put food on the table. With more than 200,000 Americans, including 439 Granite Staters who have died from COVID-19, we are still experiencing as many as 40,000 new cases each day in this country.

Our economy is struggling to get back on its feet. There are still 11.5 million fewer workers employed since the pandemic began, and many are unable to go back to work because the majority of our childcare centers remain closed out of safety concerns. We still have so many schools, at least in New Hampshire, where the students are working from home. If they are lucky, they are going to school part time and working from home part time, but most of them are not back in school full time.

Treatment and recovery centers are reporting that the overdose crisis has worsened because of the pandemic. In New Hampshire, where we saw in 2019 for the first time in a number of years the overdose death rate began to fall, we are now seeing an increase again. We are also facing a looming eviction crisis and housing shortage that has been exacerbated by COVID-19.

Yet, given this reality, what we are seeing in the Senate is not an effort to pass a bipartisan COVID-19 relief package that is actually going to help the millions who have been impacted by this pandemic. Instead, what we are seeing from the Republican leadership here is a focus on quickly ramming through a nominee to serve on the Supreme Court in just a few short weeks.

While that is going on, we have seen Republican leadership in the Senate blocking bipartisan negotiations on a COVID-19 relief bill. That has been going on since May, when we received the House bill called the Heroes Act. During those last 4 months, businesses have been shuttered in New Hampshire and across this country; families have been evicted; hospitals have laid off staff. All of this is going on while the pandemic continues--more than 40,000 new cases a day.

Yesterday, I was in Nashua, the second largest city in New Hampshire, and I met with leadership from St. Joseph Hospital there. It is one of two hospitals in Nashua, and it is one of the four hospitals that has treated the most COVID cases of any of the hospitals in New Hampshire. Nashua is one of the communities in New Hampshire that has been hardest hit by the coronavirus.

What I heard at the hospital was that COVID-19 has had a huge impact on their facility. Despite the very much needed injection of funds from the CARES Act and assistance from the Medicare advance payments loan program, they are still forecasting significant losses. They have had to furlough employees, many of whom rely on their jobs at St. Joseph not just for their healthcare but also for their childcare benefits.

They shared that they have concerns with the lack of availability of testing capability. They have had orders that never arrived at their facility, despite commitments from the companies who are selling the tests.

But the leadership and the staff at St. Joseph remain committed to serving their community, as do all of the hospitals across New Hampshire, so many of whom are facing similar financial difficulties and need additional help from the Federal Government.

I am hearing from people across my State who urgently need Federal help. I have had letters from people all across New Hampshire, representing different industries in the State and different segments of our communities. I want to read an excerpt from a letter that I received from Pamela Keilig, who works with the New Hampshire Coalition Against Domestic Violence. She says:

The pandemic has had grave consequences on the health and safety of survivors as they encounter ongoing barriers to accessing the support they need. . . . Overall, the statewide hotlines have seen a 7 percent increase in call volume compared to this time last year.

Pamela's letter goes on to highlight what is at stake if Congress refuses to act. She says:

[P]rolonged inaction in providing additional funding places survivors and their families in increased jeopardy. . . . [T]he time to intervene is now.

They need help now.

I also want to read a letter from Chris Coates, who is the county administrator for Cheshire County in New Hampshire over in the western part of our State that borders Vermont. Chris's letter describes the important role local governments are playing in mitigating the spread of COVID-19. He says:

We are providing essential support and guidance to small businesses, record numbers of unemployed individuals, and those suffering from mental illness and substance abuse disorders.

State and local leaders like Chris are facing severe budgetary shortfalls. They desperately need help from Congress. The State of New Hampshire alone expects to experience a budget shortfall of nearly $540 million if Congress doesn't provide additional support.

In his letter Chris Coates goes on to say:

Cheshire County is not looking for a special handout. My request reflects the simple reality that county governments, along with our state and local partners, are dealing with immense challenges at the community level.

Then I also heard from the Seacoast Chamber Alliance, which represents chambers of commerce in the communities of Hampton, Exeter, Portsmouth, Dover, Somersworth, and Rochester. The Chamber Alliance says:

The Seacoast Chamber Alliance respectfully requests you and your colleagues in the Senate work together in a bipartisan effort to approve a comprehensive funding relief package to support our businesses.

They go on to say:

Although we--and our members--are grateful for the support already allocated through previous CARES Act funding relief packages, we know this economic crisis caused by COVID-19 is far from over. And for many, the worst is yet to come.

They finally conclude by saying:

It is clear that without another round of assistance, many businesses will not survive into 2021.

Hon. Jeanne Shaheen, U.S. Senate, Washington, DC.

Dear Senator Shaheen: On behalf of the New Hampshire Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence and our 13 member programs, we are writing with the urgent request for additional COVID-19 relief funding to meet the continued and escalated needs of survivors of domestic and sexual violence in our state. Such funding is imperative to further the life- saving work of our crisis centers, keep the lights on in our shelters, and help prevent violence in our communities.

Over the last 6 months we have witnessed the full impact and extent of the pandemic unfold before us, and it is has become increasingly evident that we have transitioned into a sustained crisis in New Hampshire, where every intersection of our work has been interrupted. Annually, our member programs serve more than 15,000 survivors through prevention education, court and hospital accompaniment, crisis counseling, and housing support. Crisis centers have worked tirelessly to adapt service delivery and transform their advocacy efforts under incredible circumstances. Despite the resilience and innovation of crisis centers, long-term support is needed to maintain the work and respond effectively to the needs of survivors and their families.

The pandemic has had grave consequences on the health and safety of survivors as they encounter ongoing barriers to accessing the support they need, while simultaneously experiencing more severe and lethal cases of violence and abuse. Crisis centers remain inundated with service demands as abusers continue to utilize new ways to leverage power and control, noting an increase in calls from Child Advocacy Centers, male survivors of domestic violence, and individuals experiencing mental health crises. Overall, the statewide hotlines have seen a 7 percent increase in call volume compared to last year. Moreover, victims of domestic violence and sexual assault have a higher vulnerability to homelessness, substance abuse, and poverty compared to the general population, requiring a greater number of interventions.

New Hampshire's housing crisis has made it increasingly difficult to place survivors in transitional or permanent housing, and this has been exacerbated since March. In 2019, well before a global pandemic was on our radar, crisis centers provided shelter for over 400 survivors, accounting for more than 40,000 bed nights, and even then, had to turn away more than 3,000 adult and child survivors due to the lack of available services.

Advocates have reported an increased need for housing support, as survivors experience job loss and threat of homelessness due to violence at home. Most shelters across the state have remained at capacity since the start of the pandemic, utilizing hotels to house additional victims, often for extended stays lasting several weeks at a time. Crisis centers remain deeply concerned about the consequences of not having enough housing support, especially as we move into winter.

Despite added efforts to help domestic violence and stalking victims access the legal system, there has been a severe decrease in the number of protective orders filed compared to last year. In a state where over 50 percent of Lethality Assessment screenings represent high risk of fatality, and where domestic violence is a factor in nearly half of all homicides, there is an essential need to ensure that survivors are able to access every resource available to them, and receive the support needed to navigate the legal system during a public health crisis.

The continued challenges that survivors face in accessing vital services cannot be overstated; prolonged inaction in providing additional funding places survivors and their families in increased jeopardy. At the onset of the pandemic, crisis centers quickly identified the immediate loss of funding due to COVID-19 as annual fundraisers had to be cancelled. It is projected that the total loss of revenue for all 13 member programs will be over one million dollars. This has required member programs to tap into unrestricted funding in order to meet the increased service demands and needs of survivors, leaving crisis centers with limited funding to cover basic operating costs. Crisis center staff have been running an endless marathon over the last six months and are in great need for Congress to rally behind them.

As we continue to acknowledge the full impact of COVID-19 on our field, we would be exceedingly grateful for further federal funding to help us weather this storm. Centering the needs and experiences of survivors in future relief packages would be instrumental to the individuals that crisis centers serve throughout the country. Survivors will feel the impact of this pandemic on their lives for months to come; the time to intervene is now.

Thank you for your continued dedication to supporting survivors in New Hampshire, and throughout the United States. Sincerely, Pamela Keilig, Public Policy Specialist. ____ September 22, 2020. Senator Jeanne Shaheen, U.S. Senate, Washington, DC.

Dear Senator Shaheen: The Seacoast Chamber Alliance respectfully requests that you and your colleagues in the Senate work together in a bipartisan effort to approve a comprehensive funding relief package to support our businesses.

Although we--and our members--are grateful for the support already allocated through previous CARES Act funding relief packages, we know this economic crisis caused by COVID-19 is far from over. And for many, the worst is yet to come.

As we head into the winter months, many are seeing continued declines in business over concerns about a surge in coronavirus cases during what is typically the season for flu and other illnesses.

Our restaurants and hospitality industry in particular are seeing a lack of consumer confidence in dining indoors. Restaurants are often `destination businesses' that attract patrons not just to their own business but serve as an attraction for other businesses located nearby. Downtown business districts rely heavily on restaurants to bring customers to the area and help to support numerous other businesses such as retailers and service-oriented businesses. The loss of restaurants will create a ripple effect that will be catastrophic to downtown business districts resulting in the closing of many other small businesses, loss of jobs and empty buildings.

Although hospitality businesses are facing an urgent need due to the change of season, many other businesses are still in need of assistance as well. Supply chain delays, slower mail and shipping services and lower customer spending are resulting in businesses seeing lower revenues and higher costs for materials across all sectors. A great many of our businesses are not able to operate at full capacity and are furloughing employees as a result.

Feedback from some of our members is below. It is clear that without another round of assistance, many businesses will not survive into 2021. Please urge the Senate to vote on a bipartisan bill and send the relief needed to ensure our business community's survival.

Thank you for your consideration. John Nyhan,

President, Hampton Area Chamber of Commerce. Jennifer Wheeler,

President, Exeter Area Chamber of Commerce. Valerie Rochon,

Chief Collaborator, Chamber Collaborative of Greater Portsmouth. Margaret Joyce,

President, Greater Dover Chamber of Commerce. Allison St. Laurent,

Executive Director, The Falls Chamber of Commerce. Laura Ring,

President, Greater Rochester Chamber of Commerce. Feedback From Members

From a small independent restaurant: Most people are getting to a point that even if congress needs to piecemeal a deal, we need to get some funding. Those parts of the package that everyone agrees upon should be funded, leaving aside that which is contentious. MUST be funded now. To hold up the funding to small business, while the other funding is being debated, isn't helping anyone at all. Could help many small businesses by getting the funding out as quickly as possible. At the end of the day, stop holding out for everything, agree on common ground, get it done, and get the funds out to those who desperately need it.

From a downtown Retail & Commercial Real Estate: I'm concerned that the level of additional funding that Sen. Shaheen is supporting may be more than necessary for most circumstances and, more importantly, will certainly add even more to the huge debt that we are already leaving on the shoulders of the younger generations. I suggest that they stop holding out to get everything, but get SOMETHING--those things they agree upon now--so our businesses can stay in business. They can argue about the contentious items later, which may or may not happen.

From a Historic Museum: By our interactions, based here at the historic museum, on common interests in our past and our cultural heritage, we have played a significant part in creating and maintaining a vibrant economy. With our physical distance, though, our places in the economy have evaporated. In the absence of the PPP loan program, it seems doubtful that our organization would have been able to cover our payroll costs this summer, and our prospects are looking increasingly dim if the federal government does not provide additional funding to ensure the sustainability of essential community organizations like ours. Cultural and historic nonprofits are key to the local tourism economy, and to the economy of the region. We urge New Hampshire's legislators to support additional federal support for our community, and our economy.

From a Catering Company: Our challenges lie in people not being able to gather. Limits on indoor get-togethers and events are our main difficulty. Our corporate catering accounts have all but dried up due to people working remotely and not going into their offices. Our wedding business is about half of what it was last year and that will all end in early November. Previous events that we had scheduled, like being an in house caterer for a private club in Portsmouth, will not be gathering and thus a loss of over $45,000 for the winter season. We have come up with some creative ways to bring in revenue but we will likely fall far short of the $20,000 we need monthly for occupancy and to pay our full- time staff. When we discuss our outlook for the next 6 months, it's looking for ways to survive that next 6 months. It will be very challenging and will likely cause us to go further into debt to maintain everything. catering service and function hall.

From a History Museum/Attraction: The museum's fiscal year ends on March 31st--we project a $180,000 operating deficit. Up to this point we have been able to keep year-round staff [27] fully employed and a reasonable amount of programming, mostly focused on serving the schools. To reduce costs we hired far fewer seasonal employees [last year we had about 65 part-time seasonal staff, this year a dozen.] Looking to 2021--I anticipate that we will continue to run a significant deficit. This may result in some furloughing of some staff and reduction in programs, especially special events that draw such large crowds to the city. No matter if the pandemic is under control with a vaccine or better treatments, tourism will be down and philanthropy will be depleted for the most part because of donor fatigue and significantly reduced funds. I think 2021 will be much harder for tourist--based businesses and cultural organizations. Unless there is a significant change, older and middle age people [a major part of our audience] will not travel in great numbers because of reduced funds or their reluctance to spend because of the fluctuating economy.

From a 501(c)(6) Membership Art Association: As a non- profit organization, we really need all the help we can get to stay in existence. As an art oriented organization, we are finding it extremely challenging to get grants and do other fund raising because much of the money available in grants, (other than the governor's main street funds), and from individuals, seems to be prioritized to more social oriented non-profits--such as food banks, homeless shelters, etc. We certainly realize these are very important at this time, but we also have to have the ability for other nonprofits to get funding assistance. We have had to reinvent the way we do business by moving more of it online, which has meant increased staff costs, and software expenditures so things remain a challenge for us.

From an Amusement Attraction: Thank you for spearheadng this. I have to tell you, this may be the most important battle we have had to wage collectively. This is the first time I've stopped and put what we are dealing with and what it could very well mean for my family and our business into words. The result? I cried for an hour. Please fight for us.

From a Cultural/Tourist destination: We were closed for our 2020 season (this weekend would have been our closing weekend!). This resulted in the loss of over $3 million in income, and while we were able to reduce our expenses by $1.7 million, we still face a massive challenge this year, and uncertainty about the status of our 2021 season. We did receive both a PPP loan (which we anticipate will be fully forgiven) and a NERF grant, which made a big difference for us--but even this amazing support (totaling over $800K!) didn't cover our losses for this fiscal year. However, nobody knows what is going to happen next year. We are in the process of considering benefit reductions, furloughs, and possibly even layoffs for early 2021, depending on what happens. If an effective vaccine is widely available and administered by May or June (which is seeming less and less likely, we will be able to open safely. Having said that, we can't wait till June to make tough decisions--so even if we can open, we need additional support in the winter months. And if we can't open, we need even more support. I can't imagine where we would be without the PPP loan and NERF grant this year. If a vaccine isn't forthcoming, we could be in the exact same position next year, and would be looking for a similar amount of funding. Star is open to the public and welcomes nearly 20,000 people a year. We consider ourselves stewards of this NH treasure, we are grateful with the funding we received in 2020, and we know that without continued support, our ability to continue to welcome guests and protect this important NH resource would be in jeopardy. Senator Shaheen has been an effective advocate for our nonprofit organization (and many others), and I am happy she is continuing this fight. County of Cheshire, September 25, 2020. Hon. Jeanne Shaheen, U.S. Senate, Washington, DC.

Dear Senator Shaheen: I write to you today in my position as County Administrator for Cheshire County to first and foremost thank you for your leadership, guidance and advocacy on this seemingly never-ending COVID-19 journey.

In the early days of COVID-19 your voice of calm reassurance allowed us to know that we had a friend in Washington and you and your staff provided us valuable guidance in the early days of this virus. That guidance helped us deal with this tsunami of a pandemic that came down upon our communities and up-ended our lives.

Your leadership in Washington has helped Cheshire County receive funding for PPE, stipends for our nursing home, sheriff's deputies and Department of Corrections. We have received funding to cover for lost revenues at our nursing home and unemployment benefits for those in-need living in Cheshire County. This is just a short list of the work you have done on behalf of the citizens of Cheshire County and I thank-you.

When Cheshire County needed you, you were there, and continue to be today. As the impact of the pandemic endures, the residents of Cheshire County continue to feel the devastating impact on our health and economic structures. The Delivering Immediate Relief to America's Families, Schools and Small Businesses Act which was voted down yesterday, fell short in many areas but especially for counties due to the lack of providing direct flexible relief to counties, cities and towns of all sizes.

At a time when so many Cheshire County citizens are serving on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic, and as we move closer to 2021 with so many unknown fiscal realities, I was extremely disappointed that the new supplemental aid package being considered in the U.S. Senate left out new fiscal relief or flexibility for county governments.

As you look to the next stimulus or CARES Act funding, I urge you to work with the White House and leaders of both parties in the House and Senate to resume negotiations on a bipartisan relief package that provides this missing direct, flexible aid to counties, cities and towns. With national numbers showing that last week that 1.7 million Americans filed new jobless and unemployment claims, we now stand with 30 million Americans out of work.

If a new stimulus agreement is not reached prior to the seating of the new congress the fiscal ramification could be devastating. Counties could be looking at tax payments from towns and cities that may be substantial short of normal revenues and services that are dictated by state statute may need to be immediately reduced. A stimulus package that allows municipalities to utilize federal funding to offset lost revenue could advert what may be a pending catastrophe for not just Cheshire County but the country.

Cheshire County is not looking for a special handout. My request reflects the simple reality that county governments, along with our state and local partners, are dealing with immense challenges at the community level.

Local governmental bodies are playing a significant role in mitigating the spread of the COVID-19 virus. We are providing essential support and guidance to small businesses, record numbers of unemployed individuals, and those suffering from mental illnesses and substance use disorders. We remain steadfast in our focus to protect our most vulnerable residents such as at-risk children and seniors.

We understand the need for appropriate public accountability standards, and the oversight guardrails that are in place for the existing and proposed legislation, and we will meet those expectations.

Our goal is to always ensure that all federal resources are utilized wisely and responsibly at the local level to address the immediate and far-reaching impacts of the current pandemic, and to make our nation more resilient and safer at the individual community level.

I therefore request, with the utmost respect and gratitude for your tireless and steadfast work during this pandemic, that you continue to fight and advocate to your colleagues on both sides of the aisle.

The urgency to agree upon a stimulus bill prior to the new year that will address the needs of the counties, cities and towns in the State of New Hampshire cannot be stressed strongly enough. The ability to access flexible funding that allows municipal bodies to address revenue shortfalls will strengthen all of our communities, but especially Cheshire County.

Again, thank you for your voice in Washington, you make a difference. Christopher C. Coates, County Administrator.

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Mrs. SHAHEEN. So in the middle of this pandemic, the likes of which we haven't seen in more than 100 years, what we see here in the Senate is that Majority Leader McConnell has prioritized moving a nominee who would enable the Court to strip away critical health protections that keep Americans safe.

Instead of providing more resources for the businesses, the hospitals, the healthcare providers, and the people who have lost their jobs--instead of providing more resources for them, the majority is hoping to confirm a nominee who would strike down healthcare coverage for people, including those with preexisting conditions.

My colleague from Connecticut, Senator Murphy, was very eloquent in talking about what the impact of striking down the Affordable Care Act will be. But the fundamental concern is that, instead of working together here to help Americans who are struggling with this pandemic, what the majority has chosen to do, what the Republicans in this Chamber have chosen to do, is to ram through a nominee who threatens to erode these fundamental rights while in the Court.

Right now, Granite Staters and all Americans need the Senate to work for them, not for a partisan agenda to radicalize the Supreme Court.

I urge my colleagues on the other side of the aisle to set aside this effort and to work together for the American people to get people the help they so desperately need.

Thank you.

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