On the recordOctober 21, 2020
I join my Democratic colleagues today to voice my frustration with the Senate Republicans' drive to manufacture votes on anemic half measures instead of focusing on enacting robust and comprehensive COVID-19 relief for the American people. With over 220,000 deaths, positive cases surging throughout the country, and flu season right around the corner, it is unconscionable that we are not taking up legislation to address the health and economic needs facing this Nation. Simply put, this week's votes have been engineered as political theater. They were designed to feign action, while failing, and to further divide this body along party lines while making no progress on another bipartisan coronavirus relief package. Earlier this summer, I took to the Senate floor to address the ongoing impacts of COVID-19 on our Nation's health and economy. The majority of the $8 billion in CARES Act relief funding had barely gotten out to Tribes by then, thanks to the administration's delay and fumbled distribution. Now the administration wants Indian Country to believe it championed that funding for Tribal governments, but the truth is the administration and Senate Republican leaders offered nothing for Tribes in coronavirus relief. Tribes didn't see progress until Senate Democrats fought back, demanding targeted relief for Tribal governments. We ended up securing over $10 billion to fight the virus, stabilize Tribal economies, and support Native health systems.…
