On the recordAugust 4, 2020
Mr. President, I wanted to join my colleagues on the floor today to support legislation that would address the needs that we are hearing from State and local governments and that would support bipartisan legislation to address this pandemic. That is what we have had to date, and there is no reason why we can't get there this time. As you know so well, last week the United States crossed a devastating milestone. More than 150,000 Americans, including 417 Granite Staters, have died due to complications from COVID-19. Sadly, as we all know, those numbers keep increasing. The coronavirus pandemic has also wreaked havoc on our economy. The Commerce Department reported on Friday that our gross domestic product had shrunk to nearly 33 percent--the sharpest economic decline in modern American history. For months, my colleagues and I have been coming to the floor, week after week, urging the majority to take up proposals that would provide critical changes to our healthcare system and comprehensive relief for our economy, but what we have gotten is a package that fails to address many of the concerns I have heard from Granite Staters. The bill that was presented to this Senate by the Republican majority doesn't provide dedicated funding to help nursing homes and long-term care facilities, which are the most vulnerable to COVID-19.…





