Floor Statements

Next is the EEOC CRA. Today, the Senate will vote to overturn yet another terrible regulation approved during the final days of the Trump administration, a rule that actually makes it harder for victims of employment discrimination to get justice.

For decades, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, or EEOC, has protected employees against workplace discrimination. If a worker believes they were targeted by their employer because of their age, their sex, their religion, their disability, or any other unlawful basis--their race--the EEOC can conduct an investigation and begin a conciliation process.

Rather than force employees to sue in court, where well-heeled corporations can afford high-priced lawyers and the plaintiff almost has no chance of winning, conciliation gives the EEOC the power to fight on workers' behalf against discriminatory behavior and win some speedy and effective results.

So, of course, the Trump administration, in another example of their callousness, another example where they talk about working people but don't care about them and do things to help them, sort of nastily-- almost viciously--changed the rules on conciliation at the EEOC to put a large thumb down on the scale in favor of corporations and against individuals who were discriminated against or at least who allege discrimination, making it easier for corporations to slow down investigations and even retaliate against workers.

Today's vote will use the Congressional Review Act process to immediately repeal this rule change.

At every opportunity, the Trump administration seemingly relished in making life harder for working Americans, while stacking the deck in favor of unscrupulous corporations. Now that Donald Trump is President no more--thank God, I say--we have a chance to undo this terrible rule and give workers the confidence that the Federal Government is in their corner.

Finally, on Asian hate crimes, I am delighted the House will pass the Anti-Asian hate crimes bill today, which passed the Senate last month with overwhelming bipartisan support. Once the legislation is approved by the House, it will go directly to the President's desk. I expect it will be signed into law later this week.

Discrimination against Asian Americans is, sadly, not a new phenomenon in our Nation's history, but the pandemic brought old biases and prejudices back to the foreground.

This legislation will strengthen law enforcement's ability to detect, deter, and prosecute hate crimes of all varieties, especially hate crimes involving Asian Americans. It sends a powerful message of solidarity to all our friends in the Asian American community. It is so important, so vital, so strong, and an important piece of the puzzle of how we build a better future in America.

I thank my colleagues from both Chambers, from Senators Hirono and Duckworth in the Senate to Representative Meng in the House and all those who improved the legislation through the amendment process here in the Senate.

Today, we are another step closer to making progress in the fight against racial discrimination and violence aimed at Asian Americans in recent months. The Senate can be proud it took the lead.

I yield the floor.

I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Good afternoon.

I am adding a little stability and friendship to these august proceedings, I hope you realize.

Vote on Motion

Mr. President, I know of no further debate on the motion.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to withdraw the committee-reported substitute amendment.

Mr. President, I call up amendment 1502.

Mr. President, I am going to speak on this amendment for a minute, then we will move to the motion to discharge Kristen Clarke.

Mr. President, I have just filed a substitute amendment to the Endless Frontier Act that will pull together bipartisan legislation from across the Senate committees into a single comprehensive bill to restore America's competitive edge.

This new bill will be called the U.S. Innovation and Competition Act, and it will include bipartisan legislation from the Foreign Relations Committee to strengthen our alliances and hold China accountable for predatory trade practices; bipartisan legislation from the Homeland Security committee to invest in AI, cyber security, and policies to make sure American taxpayer money is used to buy American products; bipartisan legislation from the HELP Committee to protect our research and invest in STEM; bipartisan legislation from the Judiciary Committee to bolster antitrust enforcement; bipartisan legislation from Banking to sanction predatory behavior from the Chinese Communist Party. And, very importantly, the substitute amendment will now include a historic $52 billion investment to make sure the United States stays on the cutting edge of chip production--semiconductor chip production--which is essential for this country's economy, including our auto industry, our tech industry, and our military.

Again, this legislation will now include a historic and immediate infusion of Federal money in the semiconductor industry to boost domestic production and shore up critical supply chains.

This is a very big deal. It fits in with the concept of the Endless Frontier Act, and I am very pleased it will be in the bill.

American manufacturing has suffered rather dramatically from a chip shortage. We have all heard about auto plants in our States that are closed or operating in reduced capacity because they can't get the chips. The shortage in our tech industry shows how vulnerable our supply chains are.

We simply cannot rely on foreign processors for chips. This amendment will make sure we don't have to.

America invented the semiconductor chip. We are still at the cutting edge of research, but fewer than 12 percent of them are made in America. And if this bill doesn't pass, it will go down to 6. Other countries--notably, China--will become the leaders, not just in chip manufacturing and chip production but in the many industries that depend on chips. We cannot let that happen.

The best way to do that is to add this amendment to the bill, which I have just done, and make sure it passes.

The substitute amendment is dramatic not only in terms of chips but in terms of American investment in research, in science, and innovation. When we invest in research and science and innovation, millions of good-paying jobs follow, and the American economy leads the world. Our failure to invest will displace us from that position and all too soon.

All told, the substitute amendment will mean that the legislation we are about to debate is the product of a half a dozen Senate committees, with input from just about every Member of the Senate. This legislation, I am proud to say, is thoroughly bipartisan, and it shows. When our colleagues will work with us, we want to work together whenever we can.

Now, these policies may sound complicated, but they are propelled by a simple motivation--making sure the United States stays the global economic leader. In the 20th century, American prosperity was anchored in our unmatched capacity for innovation and invention. Researchers at American universities and laboratories fashioned marvels that changed the way we work, the way we communicate, and the way we live. American workers and businesses brought those innovations to a global market, producing the largest middle class in the world and an almost innate optimism about the future.

Here, unfortunately, in the 21st century, America is falling behind. Other countries are investing more in their economies and training their focus on beating the United States to the key technologies of the future. If we don't step up now--now, not 2 years from now--and if we don't step up in a big and bold way, we risk missing out on a generation of good-paying jobs, millions and millions of them. We risk ceding the mantle of global economic leadership to our adversaries. We risk losing the sunny optimism that has defined the American character for generations.

This is an issue where we can unite our country behind the goal of keeping America No. 1 in science and in technology, and this bill puts us a giant step closer to keeping America one step ahead for decades to come.

Mr. President, I move to proceed to executive session. We are now on the motion to discharge.

Mr. President, pursuant to S. Res. 27, the Committee on the Judiciary being tied on the question of reporting, I move to discharge the Senate Committee on the Judiciary from further consideration of the nomination of Kristen M. Clarke, of the District of Columbia, to be an Assistant Attorney General.

I ask unanimous consent that all time be yielded back.

I ask for the yeas and nays.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate be in a period of morning business, with Senators permitted to speak therein for up to 10 minutes each.

Mr. President, I have 10 requests for committees to meet during today's session of the Senate. They have the approval of the Majority and Minority leaders.

Pursuant to Rule XXVI, paragraph 5(a), of the Standing Rules of the Senate, the following committees are authorized to meet during today's session of the Senate:

Committee on Armed Services

The Committee on Armed Services is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Tuesday, May 18, 2021, at 9:30 a.m., to conduct a hearing on nominations.

Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs

The Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Tuesday, May 18, 2021, at 10 a.m., to conduct a hearing.

Committee on Energy and Natural Resources

The Committee on Energy and Natural Resources is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Tuesday, May 18, 2021, at 10 a.m., to conduct a hearing on nominations.

Committee on Finance

The Committee on Finance is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Tuesday, May 18, 2021, at 10 a.m., to conduct a hearing.

Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

The Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Tuesday, May 18, 2021, at 10 a.m., to conduct a hearing.

Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs

The Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Tuesday, May 18, 2021, at 10 a.m., to conduct a hearing.

Select Committee on Intelligence

The Select Committee on Intelligence is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Tuesday, May 18, 2021, at 2:30 p.m., to conduct a hearing.

Subcommittee on Cybersecurity

The Subcommittee on Cybersecurity of the Committee on Armed Services is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Tuesday, May 18, 2021, at 2:30 p.m., to conduct a hearing.

Subcommittee on Consumer Protection, Product Safety, Insurance, and

Data Security

The Subcommittee on Consumer Protection, Product Safety, Insurance, and Data Security of the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Tuesday, May 18, 2021, at 10 a.m., to conduct a hearing.

Subcommittee on Tourism, Trade, and Export Promotion

The Subcommittee on Tourism, Trade, and Export Promotion of the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Tuesday, May 18, 2021, at 3 p.m., to conduct a hearing.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the consideration of S. Res. 222, submitted earlier today.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the resolution be agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, and the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table with no intervening action or debate.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the consideration of S. Res. 223, submitted earlier today.

I ask unanimous consent that the resolution be agreed to; that the preamble be agreed to; and that the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table with no intervening action or debate.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today, it adjourn until 10:30 a.m., Wednesday, May 19; that following the prayer and pledge, the morning hour be deemed expired, the Journal of proceedings be approved to date, the time for the two leaders be reserved for their use later in the day, and morning business be closed; further, that upon the conclusion of morning business, the Senate resume consideration of Calendar No. 33, S.J. Res. 13; finally, that all time on the joint resolution be considered expired at 12 noon.

Mr. President, if there is no further business to come before the Senate, I ask unanimous consent that it stand adjourned under the previous order.

Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.

Madam President, the Senate will consider three important measures this week. Senators will vote on whether to repeal a Trump-era rule that made it harder for victims of discrimination in the workplace to pursue justice. It is another example of the sheer malice, the nastiness of the Trump administration. It actively sought to make it harder--harder--for workers to win employment discrimination claims. The Senate should reverse the Trump-era rule this week.

Second, the Senate will also vote on whether to discharge the nomination of Ms. Kristen Clarke from the Judiciary Committee. Ms. Clarke would be the first Black woman ever to serve as the Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division. She is immensely qualified, and I look forward to putting her nomination on the floor after the Senate takes action this week.

But first, throughout the week--this is the third thing, very important as well--the Senate will debate a very important piece of legislation. This evening, the Senate will vote on whether to take up the Endless Frontier Act on the Senate floor, a once-in-a-generation investment in American science and American technology.

Last week, the Senate Commerce Committee voted on an overwhelmingly bipartisan basis, 24 to 4, to advance the bill. The Endless Frontier Act will form the core of what will be a comprehensive bill to boost America's ability to compete, innovate, and win the technologies of the 21st century.

Over the course of the next week or two, the Senate will debate and amend the legislation. I look forward to having another open and bipartisan amendment process, just as we did on the Asian hate crimes bill and the bipartisan water infrastructure bill. There is no reason-- no reason--the Senate can't finish our work on this important legislation by the end of the month.

Members on both sides of the aisle know that decades of Federal underinvestment in science and technology have imperiled America's global economic leadership. When we invest in science, it inevitably produces millions of good-paying jobs.

So this comprehensive bill will boost funding for basic scientific research, tech development, and manufacturing. It will strengthen our alliances and partnerships abroad. It will fortify weak spots in our economy, like semiconductors, and will ensure that we hold the Chinese Communist Party accountable for its predatory economic practices. It is a forward-looking, comprehensive plan to preserve America's competitive edge.

The benefits will be manifold. When we invest in scientific research, the effect is diffusive. It helps our universities, our laboratories, and our businesses. And, again, it creates new, good-paying jobs-- millions of them--millions of them. So if you are looking for the future and our people want to have a brighter future and want to be assured that their children will have better paying jobs than they have, this is an answer--one of the most important answers we can come up with.

An American workforce will help bring American inventions to the global market, and the way we have been No. 1 in the economy for the last century will continue on into this one. So I am excited about this legislation.

Holding the Chinese Communist Party accountable for its years of rapacious economic policies and theft of American ingenuity will help create a level playing field that American workers have lacked for decades.

Investing in scientific research also hardens our national security. We can either have a world where the Chinese Communist Party determines the rules of the road for 5G, AI, and quantum computing or we can make sure the United States gets there first--few things that should bring this Chamber together faster than securing another century of American leadership than this.

I am proud to have worked with my colleagues Senator Young, Chairwoman Cantwell, Ranking Member Wicker, and others to get this bill to the floor of the Senate. And I greatly look forward to working with all of my colleagues during these next few weeks on amending, broadening, and passing this legislation before the month is out.

Madam President, one final matter. Tomorrow, President Biden will visit an electric manufacturing facility in Michigan, where a major American auto company is set to unveil its new electric-- electric--pickup truck.

Tomorrow's announcement is a significant breakthrough. Because it is one of the bestselling cars in America, the success of an electric pickup could hasten our Nation's transition to a cleaner, brighter, and stronger transportation future.

And personally, I am very happy to see the Biden administration put a spotlight on zero-emission vehicles. This is an issue I have been working on for a very long time, and something I am passionate about. No matter how you look at the data, there is no way that America can meet our targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions without looking at how we drive. Transportation accounts for nearly one-third of America's carbon outlook. And while the transition to electric vehicles is already underway, it is progressing too slowly.

That is why almost 2 years ago I developed and introduced an ambitious new proposal to rapidly phase out gas-powered vehicles and replace them with clean cars. All told, the object of the plan--called Clean Cars for America--is that by 2040, all vehicles on the road should be clean. I am delighted that President Biden has put this proposal in his build back America infrastructure plan.

Through a mixture of credits and investments, it would make electric vehicles affordable for all Americans, provide incentives to trade in older gas vehicles, build the necessary charging infrastructure, and, very importantly, create tens of thousands of good-paying union jobs in automaking, construction, and battery manufacturing.

What distinguishes this proposal is its ability to unite the environmental movement, the labor movement, and the large automakers.

Isn't that a great thing? We used to have the environmental proposals and work and union proposals conflict--no more because we are taking each other's needs into account. This bill has already earned the support of the Sierra Club, the Natural Resources Defense Council, the League of Conservation Voters, the UAW, and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, and car manufacturers like Ford and General Motors are supportive as well.

So you have the whole span. Something like this should pass with a lot of votes, I hope. And I was very proud to see President Biden put my Clean Cars for America proposal at the heart of his American jobs plan.

In recent weeks, the virtue of such a plan has been made apparent to millions of drivers and not just for climate-saving reasons. The gasoline shortages along the eastern seaboard, though temporary, revealed, once again, that electric vehicles can be more reliable. For EVs, the price and availability of fuel does not depend on the ebb and flow of fossil fuel discovery, the volatility of international markets, or panics, like the one we just saw.

On every front--on jobs, American economic leadership, protecting the planet--transitioning to a clean car future provides benefits. In the 20th century, America led the way in auto manufacturing. If we fall behind on electric cars, we will no longer lead the way. But this legislation has us staying No. 1 and producing lots of good-paying jobs--hallelujah.

So as the President prepares to go to Michigan for this important announcement, we should also be talking about making a larger scale, ambitious effort to speed our country's transition to zero-emission vehicles. Clean Cars for America is the way to do it.

I yield the floor.

I suggest the absence of a quorum.