report for the majority leader about the agenda that brings us here this week ready to work and readyhe to address the crisis tt faces the country. the clerk will call the roll. >> the senate was canceled out about six weeks ago now. we passed the $2.2 trillion act on the 25th and here it is, may force. esince that time the battle to defeat the virus is only intensified. there've been some have questioned the wisdom of the senate coming back to washington and convening but i think we need to be here and we need to do our jobs. we know how to do this safely and how to social distance, how

to wash your hands, not touch or face. those are the responsibilities we dare to one another and want to spreadea this virus. but if there is such a thing as essential and non- essential workers, and i don't think that the distinction is one that we should discuss because 26 million americans are knocking on the essential workers o but they are absolutey essential to the economy and to the way of life. but make no mistake cost the government is essential under any construction or any definition of that word. our system wasn't made to run on roautopilot. it's essential that we show up and do our job and protect the american people and do everything we can to defeat from a public health standpoint but

also to do what is necessary to maintain a lifeline to the tieconomy and the workers that e an essential component of it. and so, when we defeat the virus that they will be prepared for people to go back to work in full and keep the economy and jobs growing again. .5we know about 3.5 million cass have been confirmed worldwide and roughly one third of the cases were here in the united states. tragically, we have lost 65,000 americans to this virus but here are likely are healthcare workers have been on the job each and every day like law enforcement and like grocery clerks doing their part to help provide us the healthcare of the law enforcement and the food that is feeding our families. we know for weeks on end,

doctors, nurses, first responders that put themselves in harms way to save the lives of those that have been affected by covid-19 they are offered in more than life-saving care. these men and women are a hand to hold, a friendly voice and source a of comfort to patients isolated from friends and family because of this disease. our health care workers are physically and mentally exhausted from this fight, yet they continue to serve day in and day out. i want to express my gratitude when i say thank you for the heart you've put into the sacrifices you've made so that you can help us, that i'm president, at the same time we are seeing tremendous progress in the race to develop treatments and a vaccine, and while there are plenty of

reasons to be optimistic about how this story ends, i know of a lot of work remains to be done. in addition to the physical toll that it's taken on the american people, it has reaped economic havoc. in order to slow the spread of the virus, stores and restaurants have closedd their doors and travel plans abandoned, events canceled and millions of americans suddenly or without a way to earn a living. and the fact he hasee to succee, 30,000 have filed unemployment, and absolutely staggering figure. so far the congress has passed for separate bills to address this crisis from the public health standpoint as well as to ease the economic impact. we have provided billions of dollars and can anticipate the hospitals, increase testing capacity and ramp up the production and acquisition of the personal touch of equipment

or medical workersio rely on as well as the ventilators that many of the patients will need. we have provided unprecedented assistance for the american small businesses which employ about half of americans workers, the patient protection program enables businesses to keep their employees on the payroll and cover expenses until the smoke clears. we also send vital funding to the state and local governmentst about $150 million provided relief to the student loan borrowers and send financial assistance to the american people in the direct payments. members of congress came together to act quickly and decisively to address the pandemic and i'm very proud of the work that we have done together so far. over the past several weeks like every senator, i've had the privilege of speaking with my

constituents all across the state of texas about the impact as well as congress's response. i've spoken with doctors, nurses, hospital administrators about the strain on the personnel and the need for the personal protective equipment. i've talked with small-business owners across the state about the growing list of expenses and the lifeline provided. listened to the mayors and county judges from the biggest cities in the smallest towns who talked about the mounting financial burdens that they are facing. i talked with our farmers and ranchers about the impact on everything from cattle to cotton and the need to protect the food supply chain. i'm grateful for the men and women i've spoken with have shared their perspectives and feedback about congress's response to the coronavirus. anytime any time a piece of legn moves as quickly as these bills

did, they are bound to be gaps that are to be filled and the stakes that needs to be corrected and tweaks that need to be applied. those that i'ved talked to have pointed out some of those gaps and provided ideas for the discussions that we are having now about what comes next. a few weeks ago i spoke with representatives from the texas council on family violence and the texas association against assaults andau more than a dozen organizations across the state that support the survivors of domestic violence. when you think about the impact of the pandemic or any other major crisis of the matter, domestic violence is not typically one of the first that comes to mind. but the circumstances we are facing today make these cases all too common.

people are spending more time isolated at home. they are dealing with the new range of stresses brought on by this virus, more time with their partner, financial struggles from teaching their childrenn at home and it's taken a devastating toll. when the stay-at-home order was first announced, many organizations saw a spike in the hotline calls. but what is more frightening once these orders were in place, the number of calls to assure they claimed. where fort worth is located, call numbers dropped by almost half with so much time isolated at home with an abuser may be more difficult to reach out to friends or family to contact the national domestic violence hotline for assistance. deciding whether or not to leave, to go to the shelter come there's also the risk of the virus itself and many are faced with a lose lose scenario.

do you continue living under the same as your abuser or do you go to a shelter where you or your children may come in contact with the virus? these are not the only silent victims of the crisis. the fear and anxiety brought on has taken its toll on america's mental health. most of us have never gone through something like this. our daily routines have been turned on their head, isolated from friends and family between social media and the 24 hour news cycle it can be difficult to find a way to escape the constant barrage of bad news and anxiety. compounding the problem even further is the financial strain and many that support these

individuals. a recent survey by the national council for behavioral health showed more than 60% of mental health providers have already been forced to close one or more. 60%. and 62% of providers cannot survive more than three months without emergency financial. as we continue working to help the american people through this difficult time, w we cannot fort those who are suffering in silence. madam president, we had a big job ahead of us and that is whyr it is so important that we are here doing our job on behalf of the 330 million people in this country. i've returned to the senate with a long list of ideas and feedback from those that have been generous enough to spend time talking with me over the past few weeks is. ai know all 100 members of the

senate or in a similar position, and i hope that we can retain the same sense of bipartisanship that has guided us through the legislation. if we are going to win this fight, it won't be because the republican idea or democratic one. it will be because every single person in the chamber checked the political priorities at the door. we've done it before, let's do it again.

due to the pandemic the supreme court for the first time in history occurred oral argument by teleconference. it involved a reservation company and its fight to trademark its website booking.com or via the online company filed in 2011 and 2012

trademark applications with ridiculous patent trademark office, but they were denied with the agency fighting that booking.com is too generic for legal protections. if i don't suit in federal court and one. the patent and trademark office filed an appeal to the supreme court. >> the chief justice and the associate justices of the supreme court of the united states. all persons having business before the honorable supreme court of the united states are admonished to get their attention where the court is now sitting. we will hear an argument this morning on case 1946 united states patent and trademark