Mr. President, I come to the floor to talk about the problem for which Senator Casey asked unanimous consent, which is of the terrible plague of deaths in nursing homes across the country. We just heard the chairman say that he is not sure what the air traffic controllers have to do with his proposal on school safety. I am not sure what his proposal on school safety has to do with nursing homes. We came here to talk about nursing homes. There are over 30,000 residents of nursing homes in this country who have been killed by the COVID virus. If Senator Casey's numbers are accurate, that is another 20,000 of stats. It is one in four deaths from COVID-19 in the United States. Out of the 1.3 million Americans residing in nursing or intermediate care settings, 30,000-plus have passed away, and in some States, it is much worse. Senator Hassan is here from New Hampshire, and she will talk about her State. Senator Casey is here from Pennsylvania. In Rhode Island, 60 percent of our deaths have occurred in long-term care facilities. I know it is not just us but that it is going on around the country. One in five nursing homes nationwide has reported a COVID-related death, and as the disease explodes across parts of California, explodes across Florida, and explodes across Arizona, you know that this disease will have many more opportunities to attack many more Americans in many more nursing homes.…
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Would the Senator care to engage in a brief colloquy? I ask unanimous consent that we be allowed to do so. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Rhode Island is recognized. Without objection, it is so ordered.





