On the recordOctober 21, 2020
Mr. President, I come to the floor today to urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to come together to resume negotiations on a comprehensive relief package for Granite Staters and Americans across this country. Six million Americans have missed their rent or mortgage payments since September. The lines at food pantries in my State of New Hampshire and across the country are growing longer and longer. Yet the partisan Supreme Court nomination seems to be the only priority of the Republican leadership here in the Senate. The American public are tired of partisan posturing. They need relief, and they need it now. That is why Congress should pass a bipartisan, comprehensive package that addresses the challenges we are facing in the short and long term. Congress needs to provide assistance for our hospitals and healthcare providers, especially nursing homes and long-term care facilities, which account for 81 percent of COVID-19 deaths in New Hampshire. That is the highest percentage in the country. We should also provide additional support for childcare centers and schools that are working to safely reopen and operate during the fall term, and we shouldn't condition those education dollars on whether a school is physically open, as Republicans have repeatedly proposed. That decision should be made by State and local officials, and it should be based on safety.…





