Nomination of Amy Coney Barrett
Floor Speech
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Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, well, for more than year and a half, Leader McConnell and Senate Republicans have refused to take action on the House-passed For the People Act at a time when our democracy is under siege in so many ways. The For the People Act is a bold proposal that will restore people's trust in our democratic system, a trust that is fading. It is for the people. In order to make a more perfect Union, it would shore up our elections from threats from abroad. That is something we have just recently read more and more about. Why aren't we doing more on that?
In fact, when Senator Van Hollen, a few days ago, put on the floor a UC of an act that would say Russia should have sanctions imposed on it if they interfere with our elections, the other side blocked it. I hope they are not following Donald Trump's obeisance to Russia and his view that Putin is just OK.
It would also dismantle systematic hurdles that discourage voter participation. One of the worst things the Supreme Court has done--and there are quite a few under this conservative majority--is the Shelby decision, where Justice Roberts, leading the charge, said: We can dismantle the toughest protections under the Voting Rights Act. He said: States aren't going to discriminate anymore.
And within a year, 20 States passed laws making it harder to vote. That is despicable. That is an awful case.
It would help beat back decades of loose finance rules that empowered special interests at the expense of the American people. We all know about the dark money that is cascading into our system. In fact, Sheldon Whitehouse yesterday asked to make that public, to disclose those kinds of contributions when it came to the Supreme Court, where rightwing money pours in to make sure that rightwing nominees get on the Court and move to pull the American agenda so much further to the right than the American people ever would.
Well, in general, there is too much dark money, too much special interest money. This would undo it. As election interference remains an urgent threat, as efforts to disenfranchise voters--especially voters of color, young voters, and low-income voters--persist, and as powerful special interests continue to exercise outside influence in our elections, the need for this legislation couldn't be more clear.
Unfortunately, the Republican leader has other priorities. Rather than strengthen our democracy, rather than protecting our right to vote, rather than fighting big money or tackling corruption, rather than addressing any of the myriad of problems in our democracy that this country faces, Leader McConnell is undoing democracy by rushing through a lifetime appointment to the Supreme Court mere days before an election.
You couldn't find a more different set of priorities from that of everyday Americans if you tried. I urge Leader McConnell to stop this unprecedented and nakedly partisan process and instead put this important legislation on the Senate floor for a vote now. Let's discuss it. Let's debate it. Let's not just reject it at a time when we need to do so much of this.
In order to proceed to the consideration of H.R. 1, For the People Act, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to legislative session.
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Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, I have another request.
As Americans face job loss, health crises, isolation, and enormous daily stress during the pandemic, the risk of suicide has tragically gone up. The CDC found that since the pandemic began, twice as many Americans report serious consideration of suicide. The rate of suicide risk is especially high among young Americans, minorities, essential workers, and caregivers.
Unfortunately, this is hitting our Armed Forces, as well. The Army's Chief of Staff, General McConville, stated that he sees a correlation between COVID and a rise in military suicides. My office recently received a note, a tragically sad note, from a veterans group in Rochester, NY, about a veteran in their region, 50 years of age, unemployed, and struggling during the pandemic. When he stopped receiving the $600 unemployment assistance, he was unable to make his mortgage payments and, unfortunately and sadly, very recently committed suicide.
I have no doubt that there are more American veterans out there who are going through the same struggle. Each one is a separate and heartbreaking tragedy. These men and women who risked their lives for us are taking their own lives. It is incumbent upon us to do something about it.
Congress can implement suicide prevention initiatives. We may be able to make a difference. The House has passed a number of bills to get suicide prevention funding and new resources out to communities.
I am going to ask that we go into legislative session to consider four of those House-passed bills. This pandemic has taken so many lives, and we sometimes forget that it is not just those who contracted COVID, but those who are pushed to unimaginable stress and devastation because of what COVID has done to our economy, our friends, and our way of life. The Senate should be passing these bills and helping out those who may be hiding in the shadows but crying out for help.
There are four bills. I think I will ask for consideration on the four of them en bloc; is that permitted?
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Mr. SCHUMER. In order to proceed to the consideration of H.R. 5619, Suicide Prevention Act; H.R. 5572, Family Support Services for Addiction Act of 2020; H.R. 4861, Effective Suicide Screening and Assessment in the Emergency Department Act of 2020; and H.R.
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Mr. SCHUMER. The emaciated bill filled with poison pills that the Senator from Wisconsin talks about was never intended to pass. In fact, the Republican majority leader waited 5 months before doing anything while people were suffering. The bill does not contain close to what is needed.
Basically, his analogy is incorrect. The analogy would be saying: You have a series of serious illnesses; let's treat one because we don't want to pay for the others--even though we were willing to increase the deficit by close to $2 trillion by giving a tax break to the wealthy.
So this cry about deficit, when it comes to helping middle-class people, hurting people, unemployed people, people who can't feed their kids, no, it is the deficit. When it comes to giving a big tax break to wealthy corporations and wealthy people, that is fine.
As much as I respect my colleague from Wisconsin, I don't really take his words very seriously. Our Republican friends put this emaciated bill on the floor at the last minute because they got such pressure for doing nothing. They know it can't pass the House. They know it is totally inadequate.
This is the greatest economic crisis since the Great Depression, the greatest healthcare crisis for 100 years since the Spanish pandemic flu, and our colleagues do next to nothing in terms of the crisis. This is loaded with poison pills so they know it can't pass. They know it can't pass the House, and they waited 5 months.
The American people know it. When they are asked: Who wants to solve this problem, they know that it is the Democrats in the Senate and House who want to and the Republicans have resisted. There is no question about it.
The bills I just asked for are small bills, not very expensive, that deal with suicide. Of course, the answer is no again. It is sad and unfortunate. Fortunately, the American people will be able to have a real say, not on the Supreme Court Justice they are rushing through but on who will be the next administration and who will do more. We will see what their answer is.
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Mr. SCHUMER. I would be happy to yield.
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Mr. SCHUMER. I would add one final thing. The bill that the Senator from Wisconsin talks about was totally partisan, which they know can't pass. Then, when Leader McConnell put it on the floor, he filled the tree so it couldn't even be amended.
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