Kent Conrad: “Senator Burr will be offering an amendment at the same time as mine. What he is offering is a reserve fund that is…”

“Senator Burr will be offering an amendment at the same time as mine. What he is offering is a reserve fund that is deficit neutral but has no money attached to it. But later in the process, if funding were provided, that reserve fund would provide a receptacle. That is an empty vessel. There is nothing there. It has value. I will support Senator Burr's amendment. It has value because at least there is a receptacle, at least there is a vessel, at least there is a way of taking funds that might be provided for later. But I want colleagues to know there is no new funding provided for in the Burr amendment. The only amendment being offered here that is going to have additional resources to meet a possible pandemic is this one. So I hope colleagues think very carefully before they cast this vote. With that, Mr. President, I note that Senator Lieberman is in the Chamber. He is next up to offer an amendment on homeland security. Senator Lieberman, of course, is the ranking member of the authorizing committee. He is, I think all would acknowledge on this floor, a leading voice on the question of homeland security. Mr. President, I ask the Senator, how much time would he require?”