Floor Statements

Mr. President, reserving the right to object, I do have good news for my colleague and everyone looking for information about the safety of vaccines: The CDC already collects and publicly releases data like what this bill proposes. So anyone who is curious about whether they should get a COVID-19 vaccination can go to the CDC website right now at cdc.gov.

And some more good news: The data overwhelmingly shows these vaccines meet FDA's rigorous standards of safety and effectiveness.

So now that that has been cleared up, I hope instead of wasting any more time on bills like this--bills which threaten to undermine public confidence in vaccines and trust in our public health experts by ignoring the thorough work they already do to provide clear, scientific data--we can instead focus on what we can all do to finally end this pandemic, which has now killed over 730,000 people and counting, and rebuild our country stronger and fairer.

I object.

I ask for the yeas and nays.

Madam President, I ask unanimous consent to print the following letter in the Congressional Record.

Mr. President, I rise today to commend the confirmation of Tana Lin--a trailblazing civil rights lawyer and former public defender--to serve as U.S. District Court judge for the Western District of Washington in the Seattle courthouse.

Ms. Lin has led a tremendous career fighting for civil and human rights, and I am very proud to have recommended her to President Biden.

There are many reasons to be excited about Tana Lin's confirmation. One of them that is extremely important to me is she will be the first- ever public defender serving as U.S. District Court judge in Washington State, and that really matters.

It matters when we put a former public defender and civil rights lawyer on the Federal bench. It matters quite a bit, I think, when a Federal judge has represented clients who couldn't afford to hire their own lawyer. It matters that Ms. Lin has represented Washington State farmworkers dealing with wage theft. It matters that Ms. Lin stood up for refugees and immigrants against unconstitutional Executive actions, and that she had successfully challenged discriminatory hiring practices, and has a long career of standing shoulder to shoulder with working people at every turn in her career.

Ms. Lin's legal qualifications are excellent. She graduated from Cornell University and New York University School of Law, working multiple jobs during both college and law school. She began her career as a public defender in the District of Columbia. She went on to work at the Civil Rights Division at the Department of Justice, and later the United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. She spent multiple years at the Michigan Poverty Law Program until she finally moved to Seattle.

In Washington State, Ms. Lin currently serves as president of the Board of Directors of the American Civil Liberties Union, and also works in private practice where she fights for the rights of employees and consumers.

She is deeply involved in our local community, mentoring the next generation of lawyers and dedicating her time to a range of pro bono projects in the region.

Ms. Lin's legal experience is unquestionable, but I also believe it is important that judges who sit on our Federal bench are reflective of the communities that they serve.

Our State is home to more than 1 million immigrants and nearly 1 million Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, and Ms. Lin, who emigrated here with her family from Taiwan at the age of 3, will proudly serve as Washington State's first-ever Asian-American judge to sit on the Federal bench. That is a big deal.

Ms. Lin will bring integrity, independence, and compassion to the Seattle courthouse. Americans deserve a justice system that will uphold the rights of everyone, not just the wealthy and well-connected. Let's build a more fair court system and let's do that by appointing more public defenders and more civil rights lawyers like Ms. Lin as Federal judges.

Mr. President, I would also like to speak about President Biden's nominee to serve as Assistant Secretary of Occupational Safety and Health, Doug Parker.

This pandemic has put OSHA's critical work in the spotlight and underscored the Agency's responsibility to act and keep our workers safe. I am so glad President Biden has called on the Agency to take the critical step of setting forward an emergency temporary standard to require large employers to use appropriate tools, like vaccines and testing, to keep our workers safe from COVID-19.

I hope to see progress on this front soon. Actions like that can save countless lives and are a reminder of why it is so critical we have an experienced leader at OSHA who will do everything in their power to champion worker safety.

Mr. Parker's record shows he has been doing that his entire career. Mr. Parker has worked to protect workers in his State throughout this pandemic as chief of California's Division of Occupational Safety and Health, starting with his move to swiftly issue health guidance back in February of 2020, when there were only 13 cases of COVID-19 in the entire country.

Even well before this pandemic, he had an established record fighting for worker safety as an attorney of the United Mine Workers, a partner at a labor and employment law firm in Washington, DC; and senior official at the Department of Labor's Mine Safety and Health Administration during one of the best streaks of safety in the industry's history.

When he previously left the Department of Labor, he went on to serve as the executive director of Worksafe. That is a legal aid nonprofit focused on worker health and safety.

At every step in his career, Mr. Parker has been a dogged advocate for worker safety. I have no doubt he will continue when he is confirmed to lead OSHA. Given the urgency of this pandemic and the clear qualifications of this nominee, I hope all of our colleagues will join me in voting in support of Mr. Parker's nomination.

Madam President, reserving the right to object, once again, I am here to oppose a bill that would undermine our efforts to end this pandemic.

There are already State laws that address parental consent for vaccines, but this bill would trample on those laws and the rights of young adults across the country who are currently able to get vaccinated.

This bill does not take into account the rights of children who are experiencing homelessness but want to get vaccinated nor does it consider children who are emancipated and want to get vaccinated, and it could make getting vaccinated even harder for children who can currently make that decision for themselves under their States' laws.

We are trying to safely open schools, protect our communities, and end this pandemic that has killed over 700,000 people. Making it harder for anyone to get vaccinated and protect themselves is not helpful.

Therefore, I object.

Thank you, Madam President. It is good to see you here today.

I come to the floor today to support strongly the confirmation of Catherine Lhamon to serve as Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights at the Department of Education.

She is extremely qualified for this role. In fact, she has served in it before. In 2013, Ms. Lhamon was confirmed to the same role by voice vote. During her past tenure, she demonstrated her commitment to students across the country as she worked to combat sexual assault on college campuses, protect transgender students, reduce the use of seclusion and restraint, reduce disparities in school discipline based on a student's race or disability, and enforce civil rights laws to protect students.

Unfortunately, the previous administration took major steps backwards when it came to supporting and protecting students--for example, by significantly reducing efforts to enforce civil rights protections and rescinding important policies to address campus sexual assault.

Now, as we know, the pandemic has also done serious damage and worsened deep-seated inequities for students whose families earn low incomes, students of color, English learners, and students with disabilities.

We have a lot of work ahead to fix this and help our schools rebuild stronger and fairer, which is why I am especially glad to see Secretary Cardona and President Biden working so hard to right the wrongs of the last administration and support our schools through this pandemic.

I know Ms. Lhamon will be a critical, capable partner in those efforts because not only did she tackle many of these challenges in her past service as Assistant Secretary, but even after her service in the Obama administration, Ms. Lhamon continued fighting for civil rights through her time as the Chair of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, her work litigating civil rights cases with the National Center for Youth Law, and as legal affairs secretary to the Governor of California.

She currently serves the Biden administration as Deputy Assistant to the President and Deputy Director to the Domestic Policy Council for Racial Justice and Equity.

Ms. Lhamon is a highly qualified nominee. She has a long track record that proves she is a champion for students through and through, and that is exactly what our students need. I am thrilled to have her returning to the Education Department's Office of Civil Rights. I urge all of our colleagues to join me in voting for her confirmation.

Thank you.

I yield the floor.

Madam President, I rise today in defense of the most sacred right we have in this country, and that is the right to vote. This right is fundamental to our democracy. It is the right to make your voice heard in our government.

But this right is under attack by ultraconservative State lawmakers who are restricting access to our ballot boxes--the same people who continue to cast unserious, faceless and dangerous doubts on the results of the 2020 election.

I am not being hyperbolic when I say, if these attacks succeed, there will be grave consequences for our democratic system not just in those States, but throughout our country.

So as I have said time and again, we must pass strong Federal voting rights protections into law, because doing so is essential to making sure that our democracy stays a democracy. Democrats are rightfully exploring every potential avenue to ensure Americans' fundamental right to vote is not restricted.

We are voting on legislation this week--the Freedom to Vote Act--that has been the result of extended negotiations and discussions. And I appreciate all my colleagues who are working to craft a bill all of us can agree to, one that ensures that voters have equal access to the ballot box; that promotes best practices for voter registration and administration; and protects our elections from the very real threat of interference, both foreign and domestic.

This is a reasonable bill by any stretch of the imagination. And I challenge anyone to tell me what could be more controversial about making election day a public holiday or ensuring everyone has the opportunity to vote early, making sure everyone can request a vote-by- mail ballot.

These are simple measures to ensure that every American's voice can be heard. And I am glad that this bill includes protections so it will help give power back to the people in our government, making sure people pick their representatives rather than representatives picking their voters; by stopping special interest money from drowning out Americans' voices and votes; and by protecting and securing each American citizen's right to cast their ballot.

Again, nothing in this bill should be controversial if you care about the health of our democracy. So I hope our Republican colleagues will join us in supporting it, because I strongly believe protecting every American's right to vote should not be a partisan issue. And my Republican colleagues will have a chance this week to inspire confidence in our elections and make sure they are secure by voting for this commonsense legislation.

But if there are some who want to stand between voters and their due right to the ballot box, we cannot, as public servants, simply throw up our hands and say: Oh, well, we tried.

So Republicans choose to look the other way on implementing Federal voting rights protections because voter suppression tactics might benefit them politically.

Democrats must use every legislative tool needed to get the Freedom to Vote Act to President Biden's desk, including an exemption to the filibuster, because, as I have said, of all the critical things we will vote on this Congress--and many are so important to our workers and families--this is the most important. It is about the future of our democracy.

And if our Republican colleagues are not willing to stand up for our democracy, we can't let them hide behind Senate rules and block Democrats from doing so on our own. The stakes are really simply too high to fail. One way or another, this Senate has to pass the Freedom to Vote Act.

I yield the floor.

Mr. President, first, before I object, I would like to thank the Senator for his consideration. I really do appreciate that.

Mr. President, reserving the right to object, here we go again. Even after 700,000 deaths and rising, Republicans are coming up with new ideas to undermine our vaccination efforts and make it harder for us to safely reopen our country; and in this case, even make it harder for us to respond to future pandemics.

Requiring basic precautions to keep people safe when traveling is nothing new in this country, nor are immunization requirements, for that matter.

And let's be clear and remember, the vaccine requirements President Biden has enacted so far include tailored exemptions for legitimate religious and medical conditions that have long been standard, and the emergency temporary standard he has envisioned would allow testing as an alternative.

Therefore, I would call on my Republican colleagues to remember this is a pandemic; it is not a political football. We need to treat it as a public health crisis.

And, therefore, I do object.

Mr. President, reserving the right to object, unfortunately, even though the Senate has had multiple exposures now to nonsense ideas like this bill, they keep coming back.

Now, Agencies like the CDC and NIH are already looking closely at data on COVID infection and natural immunity. They have been since the earliest days of this pandemic.

In an August ``Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report,'' CDC assessed data from Kentucky and found that out of a group of people who had been infected with COVID before, those who were unvaccinated were twice as likely to get COVID again than the people who were vaccinated. In other words, being unvaccinated puts you at higher risk of being reinfected, period.

Getting vaccinated is a necessary step to protect you but also to protect those around you.

We are in the middle of the deadliest pandemic in American history. It has now killed 700,000 people and counting. If we are going to end this thing, if we are going to reopen our economy, if we are going to save lives, we need to get everyone vaccinated when they are eligible.

We don't need politicians suggesting they know more than those experts and ignoring the data. We don't need bills meant to weaken one of our strongest tools to get this thing behind us, like the ones that Republicans have repeatedly been pressing for.

Workplace safety standards are nothing new in this country. Immunization requirements are nothing new in this country. And let's be clear. The vaccine requirements President Biden has enacted so far include tailored exemptions for legitimate religious and medical considerations that have long been standard. The emergency temporary standard he has envisioned would allow testing as an alternative.

People are dying every day. Families are scared, and they are tired, and they are angry that even as they try so hard to do the right thing so we can end this crisis, their hard work is being undermined.

So can the Republicans stop the theatrics and stop wasting our time? Can they stop pretending they know more than the experts about this disease? Is that too much to ask?

It isn't, and I object.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that I and Senator Hagerty be able to complete our remarks prior to the scheduled recess.

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

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

Mr. President, I rise today in support of the nomination of Lauren King to serve as U.S. District Court judge for the Western District of Washington in the Seattle courthouse.

Ms. King is an immensely talented and experienced practitioner of the law, whom I had the honor of recommending to the President for this position, and I am proud to be advocating for her confirmation here today.

Ms. King currently chairs Foster Garvey's Native American Law Practice Group and has served as a pro tem appellate judge for the Northwest Intertribal Court System since 2013. She has served as a commissioner on the Washington State Gambling Commission and taught Federal Indian law at Seattle University School of Law.

Her qualifications are exemplary, and Ms. King's confirmation will also be a historic one. She is a citizen of the Muscogee Nation, and she would be the first-ever Native American Federal judge in the history of my home State of Washington.

Out of the 890 currently confirmed Federal judges, only 3 are Native American. Ms. King would become the fourth, and she would be the sixth- ever Native American judge in U.S. history.

While this number is still too low, Ms. King's confirmation will be an important step toward making sure the members of the Federal judiciary reflect the diversity of our Nation and have critical experience and insight into the unique relationship between our Federal Government and Native Tribes.

This is especially important in Washington State, which for those who don't know, is home to 29 federally recognized Indian Tribes.

So it is not just important but essential that our Federal judges understand the unique histories and perspectives of Native people and the legal principles that protect and preserve Native American standing under Federal law.

I believe this is a perspective that matters and one that has been missing for far too long. With her experience in the Northwest Intertribal Court System and representing Tribes in private practice, Ms. King has a deep understanding of these principles and the legal issues that Tribes in Washington State face. And she has the support of major Native voices in the space. She has been strongly endorsed by the National Native American Bar Association, the National Congress of American Indians, the Native American Rights Fund, and more.

She has earned the support by being a sharp legal mind and a fair and just arbiter of the law. I firmly believe Ms. King has the experience, knowledge, and perspective required to serve on our Federal judiciary with distinction.

I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting her nomination. We can confirm highly qualified judges, and we can make sure our Federal bench reflects the diversity of the people it serves.

And before I close, I also want to acknowledge the two historic U.S. attorneys for Washington State who were confirmed last week. Nick Brown, of Seattle, is the first Black U.S. attorney for the Western District of Washington, and Vanessa Waldref, of Spokane, is the first U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Washington.

I know that both of these historic appointees have the experience needed to be successful, and I am confident they will work diligently to pursue justice for the people of my home State.

I yield the floor.

Madam President, reserving the right to object, this is outrageous. On September 27, there were over 80,000 new COVID-19 cases and over 1,000 COVID-19 deaths in our country; and yet, the next day, I had to come to the Senate floor to explain why undermining our efforts to end this pandemic would be reckless. And now, 2 days, with thousands more cases and deaths later, I have to do it again. And this is the second time today Republicans have tried to do something like this.

This virus has killed over 685,000 people in our country. And if people do not get vaccinated, variants like Delta will continue to spread, undermine our economy, and take lives.

So why in the world, for the second time in a week, do I have to come down here and explain to some of my Republican colleagues that weakening one of our strongest tools to fight this virus is a dangerous and deadly idea?

Getting people vaccinated is one of the most important things we can do to stop COVID-19. And let's be clear, immunization requirements are nothing new in this country. So I hope we can stop with this political theater and focus on ending this pandemic, rebuilding our economy, and keeping people alive.

I object.

Mr. President, Senate Democrats just gave Republicans yet another opportunity to do the right thing--to make sure the U.S. Government pays its bills, like every working family in our country does.

Now, Senate Republicans have acknowledged that, even though default would be catastrophic for our economy, they would not vote to prevent it--no Republican votes or help to prevent an economic catastrophe. Now they have kicked their brinksmanship up another notch by blocking Democrats--Democrats only--from voting to avoid default with a purely Democratic vote.

This makes no sense if you truly care about our workers, about our families, about our hard-won economic recovery. It only makes sense if their goal is economic sabotage--if they are so willing to put politics first that you put the American economy on the line. That is, apparently, what the Republican Party stands for today until proven otherwise: economic sabotage and politics first, no matter who gets hurt.

This is a disgrace. It is an embarrassment. But it is not going to stop Democrats from fighting to protect our economy from the devastating consequences of default, because let me be clear: Republicans may think this is some obscure fight right now, but it will not be if it hits Americans' bank accounts, and they are fooling themselves if they think people won't know who is responsible.

I yield the floor.

Mr. President, reserving the right to object, this unnecessary bill will undermine our efforts to end a pandemic that has killed over 685,000 people and counting.

We are fighting a highly contagious virus. If people don't get vaccinated, variants like Delta will continue to spread, undermine our economy, and take lives. Getting people vaccinated is one of the most important things we can do to stop COVID-19.

And let's be clear. Immunization requirements are nothing new in this country. State and local governments and school districts have required vaccination against diseases like polio and measles for over a century. Taking similar steps against COVID is just commonsense.

Tailored exemptions for legitimate religious and medical considerations already exist in current law and are included in President Biden's policy.

This bill could undermine existing protections and create a massive loophole that would lead to more unnecessary and preventable deaths.

It is so frustrating to know how scared people are of this virus, to know how many people it has killed, to know how hard people are trying to do the right thing and how eager they are for this to end, only to have Republicans offer ideas that would create political division, prolong this crisis, and cost more lives, so I object.