Floor Statements

Mr. President, I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. President, I rise today in recognition of Filipino American History Month. Throughout the month of October, people across the United States come together to pay tribute to the rich culture, history, and heritage of Filipino Americans.

Since the first permanent Filipino settlement in the United States was established more than 250 years ago, Filipino Americans have played a notable role in the development of our country. As the third largest Asian American and Pacific Islander group in the United States, Filipino Americans add to the fabric of our society through contributions in healthcare, the arts,

business, journalism, and in government and military service.

Filipinos and Filipino Americans have a longstanding history of serving in the U.S. Armed Forces. In 1915, Fireman Second Class Telesforo Trinidad was awarded the Medal of Honor for his extraordinary heroism in rescuing two shipmates after a boiler explosion on board the USS San Diego. He survived and continued serving during WWI and WWII until his retirement in 1945. Today, Telesforo Trinidad holds the distinction of being the first Filipino American and the first and only Asian American in the U.S. Navy to receive a Medal of Honor.

Filipino Americans have also contributed as leaders in important workers' rights and civil rights movements. In 1965, Larry Itliong, Peter Velasco, and Philip Vera Cruz led Filipino American farm workers to strike, demanding better pay, benefits, and working conditions. The Delano Grape Strike was one of the most pivotal civil rights and labor movements in American history.

Earlier this month, Maria Ressa, a Filipino-American journalist and author, became the first person born in the Philippines to win a Nobel Peace Prize. Maria, a ``fearless defender of freedom of expression,'' was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for working to expose the abuses of power and growing authoritarianism in her native country. She also founded Rappler, a digital media company for investigative journalism that has documented how social media is spreading fake news and manipulating public views.

While Filipino American History Month is a time of celebration and commemoration, we must also recognize the disparate impact that the COVID-19 pandemic has had on communities of color, including the Filipino-American community. Approximately one in four Filipino- American adults serve as frontline healthcare workers. High representation in essential work and other socioeconomic factors like living in multigenerational homes, poverty, limited English proficiency, preexisting health conditions, and a lack of health insurance, put these communities at higher risk for COVID-19 transmission. As a result, Filipino-Americans comprise an estimated 32 percent of COVID-19 deaths among nurses despite representing only 4 percent of registered nurses nationwide. In spite of the emotional and physical toll of the pandemic on these frontline workers and their families, the Filipino-American community has continued to show its strength and resilience.

During Filipino American History Month, we reflect on the great sacrifices and contributions of generations of Filipino Americans who have helped to shape our Nation. This resolution reminds us that as the United States forges ahead, it is crucial to ensure that future generations can learn from and appreciate the legacies of Filipino Americans, as well as other immigrants and people of color.

I suggest the absence of a quorum.

I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. President.

Mr. President, I rise today in strong support of Dilawar Syed's nomination to serve as Deputy Administrator of the Small Business Administration.

I have a letter of support from the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus that I would ask unanimous consent to have printed into the Record.

In the midst of the pandemic, what is normally a very bipartisan small business committee, Republicans are blocking Mr. Syed's nomination. This is particularly egregious behavior by Republicans on the committee because Mr. Syed is exceptionally qualified to hold this position and is widely supported by business groups and communities across the country.

In fact, let me read a paragraph from the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus letter that I just mentioned.

I am reading from the letter:

Mr. Syed's nomination has the support of more than 150

civic, government, higher education and business leaders and

organizations, including endorsements from the U.S. Chamber

of Commerce, U.S. Black Chambers, National Asian/Pacific

Islander American Chamber of Commerce & Entrepreneurship,

Small Business Roundtable, Anti-Defamation League, American

Jewish Congress, and many others. Upon confirmation, Mr. Syed

would become the highest ranking Muslim American in the Biden

administration to date, as well as one of the highest ranking

AAPIs.

Republicans have continued to block this nomination for months. Earlier this summer, they disputed the results of a meeting the committee had to advance the nomination. Since then, they have refused to show up for three other meetings, including one we held last week, denying the necessary quorum for a vote to be taken.

The reasons for blocking Mr. Syed's nomination have changed over time. First, they were concerned about SBA loans his company received during the pandemic, even though these loans were lawful and fully repaid before he was nominated. Then they insinuated he was somehow anti-Jewish and anti-Israel--note the groups that I read that have supported him--despite his widespread support in these communities. And now, they are concerned about lawful SBA loans to Planned Parenthood Health Centers, something that Mr. Syed certainly had no control over.

Throughout the last several months, Mr. Syed has repeatedly made himself available to address any concerns my colleagues might have about his background or qualifications, things that clearly matter in his ability to do the job.

It boggles the mind that Republicans are blocking someone who is the very picture of the American dream: an entrepreneur, a job creator who was born in Pakistan and educated in America, who understands firsthand the challenges businesses have faced during this pandemic. Mr. Syed would be an asset to SBA and the businesses they serve, our own constituents.

Every day that Republicans continue their obstruction, they are doing a disservice to these businesses who can least afford this uncertainty and turmoil in this moment.

Mr. Syed deserves fair consideration.

Republican efforts to block not just this nomination but so many others for the simple reason that they want to slow the process so that this administration can have people in place who can actually do the job to help the American people--enough is enough.

I just say to the Republicans: You know, put your votes where your mouths are. You say you support small businesses; you say you support this, that, and the other thing; and yet you will not let this administration get on with their job to do what is necessary to help small businesses, to help our communities, in the midst of an ongoing pandemic. It boggles the mind. I say: Act like the Senators you are, who were sent here to do your job, and let's get on with this nomination.

I yield the floor.

Mr. President, I rise today to introduce the Coffee Plant Health Initiative Amendments Act, a bill that allows the Secretary of Agriculture to provide research and extension grants for the purposes of protecting coffee plants from outside threats such as invasive pests and weeds.

Coffee serves as a cornerstone of Hawaii's agricultural industry, both in terms of culture and economics. Coffee has been grown in Hawaii for almost 200 years and is revered all over the world for exceptional quality and taste. Coffee is grown on every main island in Hawaii, with half of the acreage on Hawaii Island and the other half spread across Kauai, Oahu, Maui, Molokai, and Lanai. Hawaii remains the largest grower of coffee in the United States, with over 27 million pounds produced and yielding just over $54 million during the 2019-2020 season.

Like all natural ecosystems in Hawaii, coffee production has experienced numerous threats from pests and weeds. These include the black twig borer, root-knot nematode, green scale, crab spider, coffee berry borer, and coffee leaf rust, to name a few. In response to the 2010 arrival of the coffee berry borer in Hawaii, I successfully included the coffee plant health initiative provision in the 2014 farm bill. This provision allowed the Secretary of Agriculture to provide research and extension grants to help the coffee community combat the coffee berry borer. The resulting Federal assistance provided has been instrumental in providing coffee producers the tools they need to protect their coffee crops from the coffee berry borer.

Within the past year another coffee pest has emerged in Hawaii, a fungus known as Coffee Leaf Rust. Like the coffee berry borer, Federal funds are needed to research and develop pest management strategies to equip coffee producers with the knowledge and tools necessary to safeguard their coffee yields.

This bill builds upon the 2014 farm bill coffee plant health initiative provision by expanding the scope of research and extension grants to all invasive pests and noxious weeds threatening the coffee industry, not just the coffee berry borer. While our researchers and coffee growers are currently battling coffee leaf rust, future pest and weeds not currently in Hawaii, like the Coffee Leaf Miner and Coffee Wilt Disease, are likely to emerge. This expansion of the coffee plant health initiative will provide much needed Federal resources to help our coffee community quickly respond to the myriad pests waiting in the wings.

This bill is supported by the University of Hawaii at Manoa College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources, the Hawaii Coffee Association, the Kau Coffee Growers Cooperative, Kauai Coffee Company, LLC, Puerto Rico Coffee Roasters, LLC, and the Puerto Rico Farm Bureau.

Mr. President, I rise today to introduce the Coffee Plant Health Initiative Amendments Act, a bill that allows the Secretary of Agriculture to provide research and extension grants for the purposes of protecting coffee plants from outside threats such as invasive pests and weeds.

Coffee serves as a cornerstone of Hawaii's agricultural industry, both in terms of culture and economics. Coffee has been grown in Hawaii for almost 200 years and is revered all over the world for exceptional quality and taste. Coffee is grown on every main island in Hawaii, with half of the acreage on Hawaii Island and the other half spread across Kauai, Oahu, Maui, Molokai, and Lanai. Hawaii remains the largest grower of coffee in the United States, with over 27 million pounds produced and yielding just over $54 million during the 2019-2020 season.

Like all natural ecosystems in Hawaii, coffee production has experienced numerous threats from pests and weeds. These include the black twig borer, root-knot nematode, green scale, crab spider, coffee berry borer, and coffee leaf rust, to name a few. In response to the 2010 arrival of the coffee berry borer in Hawaii, I successfully included the coffee plant health initiative provision in the 2014 farm bill. This provision allowed the Secretary of Agriculture to provide research and extension grants to help the coffee community combat the coffee berry borer. The resulting Federal assistance provided has been instrumental in providing coffee producers the tools they need to protect their coffee crops from the coffee berry borer.

Within the past year another coffee pest has emerged in Hawaii, a fungus known as Coffee Leaf Rust. Like the coffee berry borer, Federal funds are needed to research and develop pest management strategies to equip coffee producers with the knowledge and tools necessary to safeguard their coffee yields.

This bill builds upon the 2014 farm bill coffee plant health initiative provision by expanding the scope of research and extension grants to all invasive pests and noxious weeds threatening the coffee industry, not just the coffee berry borer. While our researchers and coffee growers are currently battling coffee leaf rust, future pest and weeds not currently in Hawaii, like the Coffee Leaf Miner and Coffee Wilt Disease, are likely to emerge. This expansion of the coffee plant health initiative will provide much needed Federal resources to help our coffee community quickly respond to the myriad pests waiting in the wings.

This bill is supported by the University of Hawaii at Manoa College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources, the Hawaii Coffee Association, the Kau Coffee Growers Cooperative, Kauai Coffee Company, LLC, Puerto Rico Coffee Roasters, LLC, and the Puerto Rico Farm Bureau.

Mr. President, I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. President, I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. President, I rise today to introduce the ``Korean War Divided Families Reunification Act'' with my colleague Senator Sullivan. This bipartisan piece of legislation would open opportunities for Korean Americans to be included in reunions with their relatives who remain in North Korea. Many first generation Korean Americans, now in their 80's and 90's, are waiting to be reunited with their parents, spouses, children, siblings, and cousins. They should not have to wait any longer.

One of the tragic legacies of the Korean War is the permanent separation of Korean families. Sixty-eight years ago, the United States, People's Republic of China, North Korea, and South Korea agreed to an armistice which drew a new border between North Korea from South Korea. Since then, there has been little contact between South Koreans and their family members who remained in North Korea, and almost no contact between Korean Americans and their loved ones in North Korea.

North and South Korea first agreed to hold reunions of divided families in 1985. There have been 21 face-to face reunions and multiple video-link reunions, which have given approximately 24,500 Koreans the opportunity to briefly reunite with loved ones. There is no official channel, however, for Korean Americans to participate in these reunions.

Many Korean Americans long for an opportunity to meet their North Korean relatives. My constituent, Carol Li from Honolulu, wants to reconnect with her family's past and learn more about where her grandparents were from. Carol's maternal grandparents fled from North Korea to the South during the Korean War, leaving behind their siblings. Unfortunately, her grandparents passed away before they were able to reconnect with their siblings who remained in North Korea. While she was teaching English in South Korea, she grew more curious about her North Korean relatives and the war that divided them. With passage of this legislation, Carol hopes she can participate in future reunions to meet her North Korean relatives. She deserves the opportunity to do so.

The legislation I am introducing would open official channels between Korean Americans and their families in North Korea by directing the U.S. Secretary of State to consult with his counterpart in South Korea to identify opportunities for Korean Americans to participate in future family reunions. It also directs the State Department's Special Envoy on North Korean Human Rights Issues to consult the Korean American community on efforts to reunite families, including opportunities for video reunions.

Time is of the essence for those who have been seeking the opportunity to reconnect with their loved ones for nearly seven decades. Thanks to the leadership of Rep. Grace Meng of New York, the House of Representatives passed this legislation on July 19, 2021 by a vote of 415 to 0. It is time for the Senate to act. I call on my Senate colleagues to swiftly pass this bill. Thank you.

Mr. President, I rise today to introduce the ``Korean War Divided Families Reunification Act'' with my colleague Senator Sullivan. This bipartisan piece of legislation would open opportunities for Korean Americans to be included in reunions with their relatives who remain in North Korea. Many first generation Korean Americans, now in their 80's and 90's, are waiting to be reunited with their parents, spouses, children, siblings, and cousins. They should not have to wait any longer.

One of the tragic legacies of the Korean War is the permanent separation of Korean families. Sixty-eight years ago, the United States, People's Republic of China, North Korea, and South Korea agreed to an armistice which drew a new border between North Korea from South Korea. Since then, there has been little contact between South Koreans and their family members who remained in North Korea, and almost no contact between Korean Americans and their loved ones in North Korea.

North and South Korea first agreed to hold reunions of divided families in 1985. There have been 21 face-to face reunions and multiple video-link reunions, which have given approximately 24,500 Koreans the opportunity to briefly reunite with loved ones. There is no official channel, however, for Korean Americans to participate in these reunions.

Many Korean Americans long for an opportunity to meet their North Korean relatives. My constituent, Carol Li from Honolulu, wants to reconnect with her family's past and learn more about where her grandparents were from. Carol's maternal grandparents fled from North Korea to the South during the Korean War, leaving behind their siblings. Unfortunately, her grandparents passed away before they were able to reconnect with their siblings who remained in North Korea. While she was teaching English in South Korea, she grew more curious about her North Korean relatives and the war that divided them. With passage of this legislation, Carol hopes she can participate in future reunions to meet her North Korean relatives. She deserves the opportunity to do so.

The legislation I am introducing would open official channels between Korean Americans and their families in North Korea by directing the U.S. Secretary of State to consult with his counterpart in South Korea to identify opportunities for Korean Americans to participate in future family reunions. It also directs the State Department's Special Envoy on North Korean Human Rights Issues to consult the Korean American community on efforts to reunite families, including opportunities for video reunions.

Time is of the essence for those who have been seeking the opportunity to reconnect with their loved ones for nearly seven decades. Thanks to the leadership of Rep. Grace Meng of New York, the House of Representatives passed this legislation on July 19, 2021 by a vote of 415 to 0. It is time for the Senate to act. I call on my Senate colleagues to swiftly pass this bill. Thank you.

Mr. President, I rise today to introduce the Judiciary Accountability Act of 2021. I thank Representatives Johnson, Speier, Nadler, Torres, and Mace, along with my cosponsors, Senators Whitehouse, Murray, and Durbin, for working with me to finally ensure that employees of the Federal judiciary have strong statutory rights and protections against discrimination, sexual harassment, retaliation, and other forms of workplace misconduct.

More than 30,000 people work in the Federal judiciary. As with any organization of this size, the judiciary is not immune from workplace misconduct.

Over the years, however, a variety of factors have worked together to prevent instances of workplace misconduct within the judiciary from coming to light. There is a unique power imbalance between the Federal judges who sit atop this vast organization and the clerks, staffers, and other employees who rely on connections and recommendations to advance their careers. The cloak of confidentiality ensures what happens in chambers stays in chambers. And, perhaps most important, there is a lack of legal recourse available to judicial employees who are denied even the most fundamental workplace protections. Indeed, the Federal judiciary is one of the few employers--private or public--whose employees are not protected by state or federal civil rights laws.

Despite all these reasons to keep quiet, a number of victims have bravely come forward to report serious harassment by Federal judges over the past several years. In December 2017, six former law clerks and staffers accused Ninth Circuit Judge Alex Kozinski of subjecting them to a range of inappropriate sexual conduct and comments. In September 2019, the Tenth Circuit Judicial Council issued an order finding that District Court Judge Carlos Murguia had harassed multiple employees over a period of years, including by subjecting them to sexually suggestive comments; inappropriate text messages; and excessive, non-work-related contact. In February 2020, a former law clerk to the late-Ninth Circuit Judge Stephen Reinhardt accused the judge of a months-long harassment campaign.

In the face of this egregious misconduct and Congressional pressure, the federal judiciary has taken only small, limited steps to protect its employees. It is not enough.

The Judiciary Accountability Act fills the void left by the judiciary's inaction and extends to judicial branch employees the same anti-discrimination rights and remedies other government sector employees and private sector workers have had for decades. It also goes further. Among other things, it would create an Office of Judicial Integrity to administer a nationwide, confidential reporting system; establish a Special Counsel for Equal Employment Opportunity empowered to investigate all workplace misconduct complaints; form an Office of Employee Advocacy to assist in judicial branch employees in matters relating to workplace discrimination and harassment; protect whistleblowers by prohibiting retaliation; and establish a comprehensive workplace misconduct prevention program.

These reforms are not only necessary, they are long overdue. I therefore encourage my colleagues to support the Judiciary Accountability Act.

Mr. President, I rise today to introduce the Judiciary Accountability Act of 2021. I thank Representatives Johnson, Speier, Nadler, Torres, and Mace, along with my cosponsors, Senators Whitehouse, Murray, and Durbin, for working with me to finally ensure that employees of the Federal judiciary have strong statutory rights and protections against discrimination, sexual harassment, retaliation, and other forms of workplace misconduct.

More than 30,000 people work in the Federal judiciary. As with any organization of this size, the judiciary is not immune from workplace misconduct.

Over the years, however, a variety of factors have worked together to prevent instances of workplace misconduct within the judiciary from coming to light. There is a unique power imbalance between the Federal judges who sit atop this vast organization and the clerks, staffers, and other employees who rely on connections and recommendations to advance their careers. The cloak of confidentiality ensures what happens in chambers stays in chambers. And, perhaps most important, there is a lack of legal recourse available to judicial employees who are denied even the most fundamental workplace protections. Indeed, the Federal judiciary is one of the few employers--private or public--whose employees are not protected by state or federal civil rights laws.

Despite all these reasons to keep quiet, a number of victims have bravely come forward to report serious harassment by Federal judges over the past several years. In December 2017, six former law clerks and staffers accused Ninth Circuit Judge Alex Kozinski of subjecting them to a range of inappropriate sexual conduct and comments. In September 2019, the Tenth Circuit Judicial Council issued an order finding that District Court Judge Carlos Murguia had harassed multiple employees over a period of years, including by subjecting them to sexually suggestive comments; inappropriate text messages; and excessive, non-work-related contact. In February 2020, a former law clerk to the late-Ninth Circuit Judge Stephen Reinhardt accused the judge of a months-long harassment campaign.

In the face of this egregious misconduct and Congressional pressure, the federal judiciary has taken only small, limited steps to protect its employees. It is not enough.

The Judiciary Accountability Act fills the void left by the judiciary's inaction and extends to judicial branch employees the same anti-discrimination rights and remedies other government sector employees and private sector workers have had for decades. It also goes further. Among other things, it would create an Office of Judicial Integrity to administer a nationwide, confidential reporting system; establish a Special Counsel for Equal Employment Opportunity empowered to investigate all workplace misconduct complaints; form an Office of Employee Advocacy to assist in judicial branch employees in matters relating to workplace discrimination and harassment; protect whistleblowers by prohibiting retaliation; and establish a comprehensive workplace misconduct prevention program.

These reforms are not only necessary, they are long overdue. I therefore encourage my colleagues to support the Judiciary Accountability Act.

Madam President, I rise in strong support of the nomination of Julie Su to be Deputy Secretary of the Department of Labor.

The U.S. Department of Labor is an important Federal Agency, but amidst a global pandemic that has left millions of Americans out of work, the Department's mission takes on outsized importance. The Department needs leadership with deep experience, knowledge, and a demonstrated ability to successfully lead an organization.

Just as importantly, the Department needs leadership with an understanding of the unique challenges of this moment. As we are seeing with President Biden, leadership does make a difference. At this critical time in our Nation's economic recovery, we must ensure the President has the team he needs to move our country forward. Julie Su is a key member of that team. She is a highly qualified and proven leader.

As California's secretary of labor and workforce development, Secretary Su oversees and protects the workforce for the State of California, the fifth largest economy in the world. When you add her work as an attorney and a nonprofit executive, she brings a wide mix of experience to the table. Coupled with a collaborative work style that gives everyone a seat at the table, Secretary Su has not only delivered on her agency's mission but has also improved and transformed her agency.

Her success and effectiveness is best summed up in the words of her own staff at the agency she has led for more than 7 years:

During Ms. Su's seven years as California Labor

Commissioner, she remade the agency in ways that many would

have thought impossible.

She increased efficiency throughout the division and broke

down departmental silos that had stifled effective

collaboration and caused redundancy.

Moreover, under her leadership, the Labor Commissioner's

office reworked its investigative bureau into a cutting edge

labor enforcement team that dug deep into complex cases that

the Labor Commissioner's office had been previously

unequipped to handle.

Complex, high quality investigations that had previously

been rare--if not unthinkable--became standard operating

procedure.

Secretary Su is an excellent manager. Not only does she deliver results, she invests in her own staff by providing them with the resources and environment they need to get the job done. She builds diverse teams and then empowers them to do their best work--all while knowing who they are. I mean this literally.

Again, in the words of her staff:

She was legendary for having learned the names of every one

of the more than 600 staff within the Labor Commissioner's

office, from secretarial support staff to investigators,

deputies, and legal staff.

Julie Su will also bring diverse life experiences to the Department. She is the daughter of Chinese immigrants. Her immigrant background shaped Secretary Su personally and professionally. Her own lived experience offered her insight into how segments of our economy leave people behind or even exclude them from experiencing the benefits of economic growth and opportunities.

Her professional career reflects this life lesson as she has established a long and distinguished record of fighting for

worker rights and civil rights. From defending the rights of Thai garment workers to protecting low-wage workers against abuses, Secretary Su has worked tirelessly to help people and communities that might not otherwise have access to justice. This sense of fairness and the desire to fight injustice will be critical for the Department of Labor, particularly as the Department works to address the pandemic's disproportionate impact on women and minorities.

Given her proven track record and commitment to worker and fair labor rights, I have every confidence that Secretary Su will protect all sectors of our workforce and will work to lift everyone from this pandemic. Moreover, her experience in managing labor policy at the executive level for the State of California over the last decade will enable Secretary Su to hit the ground running immediately after she is confirmed.

In particular, through the COVID-19 pandemic, Secretary Su has dealt with the overwhelming demand for assistance from workers who are suffering or who are unemployed. She has helped her State combat the organized crime attacks and employment fraud that have affected all 50 States, including, of course, California, with its large economy. She has worked to address systemic shortcomings that bad actors have exploited during this pandemic. Secretary Su led an effort to stop fraudulent actors from taking advantage of the unemployment system, dating back to the beginning of the pandemic, and the State of California has already begun prosecuting these offenders. The U.S. Department of Labor ultimately advised all States to take the same steps Secretary Su took in order to cut down on fraudulent claims.

Despite the many challenges brought on by the pandemic, Secretary Su has never lost sight of her ultimate goal: to provide millions of workers access to unemployment benefits and other assistance. In these economic times, Secretary Su's leadership skills and proven track record of experience and effectiveness are just what we need.

Her nomination also proves something I believe deeply: When you look for the most qualified person, you get diversity, and when you prioritize diversity, you get the most qualified people--people who reflect all of America and who are able to serve all of America.

Secretary Su's nomination is supported by many who see their stories reflected in hers, including labor leaders from the AFL-CIO and SEIU, business leaders from the Small Business Majority, and civil rights leaders from the National Women's Law Center and the National Employment Law Project.

Secretary Su will be an outstanding Deputy Secretary of Labor. I am proud to support her nomination, and I urge my colleagues to do the same.

I yield the floor

I suggest the absence of a quorum.