stand aid understand under the previous order. the presiding officer: the the presiding officer: the >> the u.s. senate gaveling out for the day, lawmakers are negotiating off the floor of the coronavirus economic aid package, here's what they had to say about the relief fund. >> first madam president i extend the condolences to the people of lebanon following the horrific explosion paid more than 100 have died in 4000 others were injured. the lebanese people have seen more than their share of tragedy, civil war, occupation, terrorism and assassination, secretary on balance, economic and political corruption, appearing for more refugees

fleeing syria. unfortunately once again in the wake of great tragedy the liberties will have to demonstrate they serve the state of lebanon and its people, not a political party. since the end of occupation laf has demonstrated it can be unified a national force largely free from secretary that corrodes other lebanese institutions, now it must do so again, the people of beirut are beginning hard work of rebuilding their city, their nation continues it's hard work to restore democracy and sovereignty. on these fronts, the senate and the american people stand within their journey, that's an entirely different matter, stop me if the story i'm about to tell sounds familiar. speaker of the house, the democratic leader, some in president trump's representative

edto the capital, they meet fora long while, the democrats emerge saying it had a few millimeters in progress but a deal is still far off leaving millions of americans in the lurch. but they continue to push the 3 trillion-dollar wishlist out even their d own democratic as absurd, we have had variations on the same day for more than a week now, yesterday the speaker of the house left a proposal quite a well developed strategic plan, but even members of her own caucus know that is not true. back on the speakers wishlist has rented the house, one member came right out and said the so-called heroes act in the plan, it's a wishlist, another said that members of the caucus have taken the bill as an opportunity to make political statements that go far beyond pandemic relief and has no chance of becoming law.

others said it was not focused and partisan games mentioned, these are democrats i am quoting, even the speakers own rank-and-file know it's comical to say your strategic plan for covid-19 involves sending taxpayer texts to people here illegally. paying people more not to work then essential workers earn by working. soil health programs, so-called environmental justices, grants. in a massive tax cut aimed directly at wealthy people in new york and california. the last point, need special attention, now in ordinary negotiations, members of congress like to bring things home to their course. it's a little too to notice the san francisco newark city to be holding up a trillion dollars in emergency aid for the entire country unless they get big tax breaks for millionaires in their

hometown. the political spectrum says this demand of theirs is a bad idea. 94% of the benefit would flow to people of $200,000 in the words of one progressive economist who opted to be on their side, this is not a good idea. it would not help the economy, would not benefit the people who need help. but my friends in the democratic leadership are not deterred, esre than a weekend of these talks, there still threatening to block any and all relief of struggling people and big-city penthouses to get these tax cuts, democratic leaders say yesterday he is still holding out for this. this is not the only bad policy that they are hung up on. the speaker in the democratic leader continue to insist that federal unemployment assistance should pay people more not to work then the essential workers who keep working. let me say that again, the

democratic position has been that these millions of laid-off people should get nothing unless they get a higher salary than the people who are still working. this is not just bad economics of your trade to reopen a country, it is also simply unfair in the simplest terms, republicans want to keep providing some supplemental federal unemployment, we just don't think it's remotely fair that the federal government to tax essential workers who kept working every day so that sam can pay their neighbors a higher salary to stay home. let me say that again, we just don't think it's remotely fair for the federal government to tax essential workers who kept working every day so uncle sam can pay their neighbors a higher salary to stay home. outside of the democratic leader in the speaker of the house, even democrats continue to bid to pay people more not to work,

last week the house democratic majority leader said it is not just $600, or colleague is senior senator from maryland has said we certainly understand, we don't want to have higher benefits and what somebody can make working. and just yesterday, the senator from west virginia stated that speaker pelosi's position was uncountable. i don't think we are going to stay at the 600. let's. mind, even 200 would be eight times what democrats put in place with unified control of the government during the last crisis in 2009. it is unthinkable they will hold every bit of relief hostage unless we land back to $600 anda pay workers a bonus if we do not help to reopen our country. maybe the speaker the democratic leader will get the memo to their colleagues sometime soon. and then there's democrat demand for a trillion more dollars to

handout state and local governments even though they've only spent one fourth, one fourth of the money that we sent them backe in march, yesterday i received an urgent letter from the city of malibu, california, i promise i'm not making this up, they asked congress for hundreds of billions of dollars for state and local government because they have had to delay their conversion to an all electric city sweep. i guess that's an emergency and malibu, when they keep buying brand-new electric cars as quickly as they would t like. this emergency is hitting most of america very differently, kentucky has bigger problems. they need actual relief, struggling families that needed it yesterday. not a trillion dollars from bureaucrats that have not spent what we sent them back in march. those are just some of the fantasy items that are in the

democrat demand, i haven't even gotten to all the important things that they left out. their bill cost three times as much as senateca republicans, bt they skip over major serious things that we took care of. democrats proposed fewer resources than republicans to the fund to help schools reopen safely. democrats completely shortchange the successful collins rubio paycheck protection program for our bill that would've fund a whole second round. democrats have no real equivalent to our proposal to strengthen domestic supply change for enter ppe and they propose no legal protection at all for the doctors and nurses who fought this unknown enemy or the schools, universities, churches and businesses trying to reopen, apparently those health experiments and diversity initiatives did not leave enough room for the critical policies that would actually help the

country. but remember our democratic colleague told us from the beginning, their goal was never a targeted plan for covid-19. in march 1 of the speakers said democrats should view this deadly disease and mass unemployment as a tremendous opportunity to restructure things to fit our vision. speaker pelosi herself called this crisis a wonderful opportunityy. it's fair that they view it that way because while americans are struggling, the democratic leaders have moved about 1 inch, in eight days and millions and millions who need more help, let's hope they try to get serious. >> madam president last week senate republicans did not reduce and