Coronavirus

Floor Speech

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Mr. BARRASSO. Madam President, I come to the floor today as the Senate works on the next phase of pandemic relief and recovery legislation. The country is united in combating the coronavirus.

The Senate's top priority is protecting the American people, and we are working together to save lives.

America is fighting a war--a war against a deadly disease. There is no retreating, no giving up the American fighting spirit. We will finish the fight.

The key to victory is to control the virus spread until we have a vaccine. A successful vaccine is vital to beat the virus and to return to normal life. The race for a COVID-19 vaccine is as important as putting a man on the Moon. We have made incredible progress. Vaccine development is well ahead of schedule. The administration's public- private partnership, Operation Warp Speed, has started phase 2 and phase 3 vaccine trials much sooner than expected. These are human trials. If all goes well, we hope to have a vaccine ready by the end of this year.

Senate Republicans will make sure Americans have a safe, effective vaccine as soon as possible. It will be the most accessible vaccine in the history of the United States. Meanwhile, we should all do our part to slow the spread, and we know what that means. That means socially distancing, using good hygiene, and wearing a mask.

This is the time for all of us to come together. But instead of fighting the virus, Democrats are waging a never-ending bidding war for more government spending. People want and people need and people deserve real leadership. They expect us to slow the spread of the virus and to protect the vulnerable.

We have made tremendous progress on testing. We have tested over 50 million people already, and we are close to conducting 1 million tests--1 million tests--every day. We also have better treatments for the disease, and we are taking care of our most vulnerable citizens-- seniors and people with chronic medical conditions.

At the same time, the economy is bouncing back. We had record job growth in May, as well as in June. That is because the Senate responded quickly to the health and economic crisis. The Senate's historic CARES Act rescue package has helped this country weather the storm. We have come far since the spring lockdowns. Still, some believe that the worst of the virus may be yet to come.

The Senate has put together a commonsense plan to aid the recovery. This week, Senate Republicans introduced a framework bill for the next coronavirus relief legislation. It is the capstone to our pandemic rescue operation. Our plan focuses on getting people back to work and kids back to school and doing it safely, as well as, of course, defeating the disease. The Senate proposal provides even more resources for testing and healthcare. This means more for hospitals, more for treatment, and more for vaccines.

Our package includes over $100 billion for schools to open safely, plus funding for childcare. The Senate plan provides liability protection. We shield the medical community, K-12 schools, colleges, universities, and small businesses from frivolous lawsuits. Our plan includes another round of PPP loans, helping the hardest hit small businesses. We also send a targeted second round of direct payments to individuals. The Senate package extends unemployment benefits in a way that encourages, not discourages, work. We cannot continue to pay people more to stay home than they would make at work. So we end the $600 weekly benefit bonus. That is in contrast to Nancy Pelosi's $3 trillion-and-growing bill, her so-called Heroes Act. Her package actually makes it easier for the economy to stay closed and much harder for the economy to reopen fully.

The Senate is focused on healthcare, on kids, and on jobs. Democrats, it seems, have other priorities--endless bonus checks for staying home, bloated bailouts for mismanaged cities and States, and runaway spending unrelated to the challenge before us.

Pre-pandemic, we had a booming economy. We had record job growth, and we had record low unemployment. We are working to restore Americans' confidence. A solid majority of Americans now say they see their finances as stable.

I urge my Senate Democratic colleagues to come to the table. It is time to find common ground and to finish the fight.

Together, Madam President, we will make sure that America wins the war.

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