decades of senators have gotten information we need because of you. some people spend their whole careers wondering if they have ee difference. you have not needed to ask that for almost 40 years. and you will never need to ask is again. so mike, we will miss you. but old habits die hard and we simply aren't willing to sever all ties so this morning, the senate will officially designate mike senate securities director. the office first ever director will become his first ever director americans. don't worry mike, your new job description will just be a little bit lighter. if i have the biggest mystery they have to tackle for a while is whether to play nine holes on saturday rfid and 18.ne holes on the senate and your country thank you for everything you have done.

>> the senate banking committee this morning will give testimony from secretary and the federal reserve chairman help about the economic distress caused by the covid-19 pandemic. this testimony on the secretary and the chairman of the fed is one of the requirements the senate democrats have secured an estate care is actively have been pushing for it to happen for several weeks. the fact that is taken so long, is once again, one more indication the republicans senate colleagues are not focused on the tren covid-19 crs but otheris issues. it could not be more urgent that they are testifying. covid-19 pandemic, has thrown over 35 million people into sudden unemployment pretty the highest level since the great depression. and chairman powell has said, that further layoffs continue

for months. the anguish that so many will feel. and without further action, powell says, we have prolonged recession and weak recovery. with unemployment reaching 20 percent or even 25 percent. and chairman powell's words, it may be that congress has to do more. and the reason we have got to do more, is to avoid longer damage to the economy. that was chairman powell's word. a non- political appointee by president trump. mr. powell testimony this morning hopefully will jolt my republican colleagues into action. finally at the very least, his testimony should await them from their slumber. and compel some understanding of the scope and urgency of the problem at hand. maybe his speech will somehow galvanize our republican colleagues and coming forward and talking about covid-19.

you do an oversight of it and coming up with the kinds of plants that we saw and covid in the house. it is so well needed. maybe you don't talk about things like this. are they afraid of the state and local governments pretty other for so many things in the bill. mark money for the hospitals and more money for testing and ppe. more help for those who have lost their jobs. or are they not. all we hear s is silence. that's from our republican colleagues. now it's on the house and senaty banking committee for decades. and i may hold the record for attending the hearings. so i can tell you that tears of the federal reserve, whether appointed by democratic or republican presidents, do not previously suggest the more congressional action is taken. rarely do they do that. they try to avoid it.

as another reason why chairman powell's comments are so important. if he feels the need to push this congress and particularly this republican senate to act, the problems must be deep and real. and most americans know it but our republican senate colleagues don't seem to. were looking at an economic situation quote without modern presidents. powell's words. we can even take action to soften t the blow for businesse, families workers and average folks. or through inaction for longer recessions and hamstring our nations recovery. it seems our republican colleagues are unfortunately choosing the latter. no immediate needd for urgent actions. amazing. that the greatest crisis american has faced in decades and decades.

now my colleagues like to point out, the cost the house democratic failed to provide emergency relief . republican leadership is taking time to take parts of the democratic bill that account for .0003 percent of the bill. they're not expected to like every single piece. but they are expected by the market people to act and mark my words, the american people will force them to act. there are so many causes to inaction. and none other than the republican appointed chairman of the federal reserve is saying that those costs are likely greater than any relief bill. when will our republican senate colleagues start to get the message. because looking at the floor of the united states senate, you'd never guess that we are in the middle of a national economic crisis. delynn o'connell is not scheduld any legislation business related

to the coronavirus for three weeks. senate republican leadership, is not even discussed theirid response to covid in the house. instead, this week that republican leader has r scheduld five right wing judges to the floor of the senate and the republican chairman, the homeland security that he will hold a hearing tomorrow designed to slander the families of the presidents political opponent delving into an concocted conspiracy theory that is no truth. and he fell over dead in the impeachment hearing. endless night, the chairman of the judiciary committee and asked his committee will soon consider the subpoena related to another conspiracy theory pushed by president trump. this time to try to rewrite the history of russian interference in the 2016 election to match the fantasy and president trump's head. and what does leader mcconnell devote most of his remarks to

today. wild conspiracy theory. aimed at somehow sparing the fine reputation that president obama is well-deserved. it is amazing. there was the bulk of his speech. later mcconnell stop listening to president trump and his wild theories and listen to the market people, we need action. we need it now. every day, every week, and now almost every month we wait. the recession gets deeper and worse. more people are unemployed. more people lose their jobs. in jeopardy. and we are talking about the wild theory because president trump today's demanded when everyone knows that the presidents pensions for truth as at a bare minimum, as exemplified by his comments on

the last night. this is unbelievable in the midst of historic unemployment and economic and health tragedy, senate republicans are using their majority to simply blocking the path to the president's reelection campaign. senate republicans are using their majority not to tackle the covid-19 crisis but to block and 'stackle the presence reelection campaign in the midst of a public health crisis. senate republicans diving headfirst into the muck to smear the family of the presidents political opponent. it's such a gross misuse of the power of the majority. we were sent here to do the nation's business. and at the moment that means helping our constituents to it in a of immense challenge of

large hardships but senate republicans are using their committees to hold fishing expeditions dictated by the presidents twitter feed which even his supporters don't usually believe. if anyone doubts this is about politics, it's about senate republicans do that bidding of the present trump personal political agenda, just remember with house minority leader mccarthy said before the last presidential election, he went on "fox news" and read to the republicans put together a benghazi select committee to bring hillary clinton's whole numbers down. and now senate republicans are using the same playbook to smear president trump's political opponents once again. it will not work. the american people know if there is a crisis. they know the republicans are doing nothing right now.

they know that this is political stuff just to please president trump but not to solve the problems. and rightfully the americans are just furious. senate republicans using their majority to person the presidents political agenda at a time of national crisis. the president is tweeting insane conspiracy theories and demanding that is water carriers on capitol hill make them look with do the event. instead of focusing on testing capacity, and policies to safely reopen our country, help for so many individuals and businesses that are indu need, the presidet is telling the press, that he is taken an unproven treatment, hydroxychloquine for a disease he does not have braided that is reckless. please citizens of america, do

not take hydroxychloquine as a prevention for covid-19. it is not medical experts . in is risky, the fda has said it has risks. this is a medicine that experts say that best may not be effective in treating and preventing covid-19. and at worst, causes serious heart problems in patients with certain conditions. it's astonishing reckless. identify the president did it. maybe he has family and friends who stand to benefit from the popularity of this drug. and it would be unlike him to say a friendpu of his can take t pretty has no research or science or truth. just pops into his head and he thinks it sounds good. he thinks it's a diversion. from his failures, which so many. in dealing with covid-19 credit so he just hasn't . he doesn't care if it hurts people.

but you know this, the present trump is focused on testing with the production of ppe or the fashion by the careful plans to reopen the country. instead of pushing americans and inventing new conspiracies, the country would be in far better shape than it is today. in the country knows it . the majority of americans do not trust the president to handle this crisis. in senate republicans just say how high when he says jump. no matter how off-base or unrelated to covid-19's theories are. now on a very different subject. i would like to echo the kind words sent by the majority leader about mike. as he prepares to head into retirement on friday after 37 years of service to the u.s. senate braided mike served as everyone knows as the director of the office of senate security charge of the secure facility in the capital.

senators can receive classified briefings and review sensitive documents. there are very few individuals who have given as much time and attention to this institution is mike. with so little recognition. such is the nature of the job. but on the cusp of his retirement, i hope you will allow us to pay him a few compliments. mike's counsel is wise, his work can be trusted implicitly his focus is always on serving the institution. his judgment and guidance have always been excellent. and he did not rely on subtlety. when you walk into the senate secure facility, a poster might be reminding you that lips shrink and can't sink ships . his job had many different responsibilities mike was never or trusted in difficult times to track down absent senators on 911 pretty he comforted terrified staff need to determine or to be

decontaminated. and during the anthrax's incide, he donned a bio hazard suit and retrieved by adults documents. and even now, in the middle of the pump like health crisis he is faithfully reported to duty to make sure this institution is able to complete its constitutional work. i know his finding this on the sorry for all of the flattery but it is well deserved. as he's accustomed to working entirely outside of the limelight. he will never be quoted in the paper. i suspect it will never write a tell-all book about his time in the senate. but those of us here, senators and staffers like, we will long remember his sense of humor, his devotion to family, his work

ethic and his strong principle of leadership. there are only very few staffers both known and respected by every single senator. mike is one of thee' few. his absence will be felt by all of us. mike, i wish you well. i hope you finally get to play all of the golf you want. complete the trails and that you enjoy every day of your well earned retirement. congratulations. and i yield the floor. >> then-president, some of you at home, may be old enough to remember a distinct circular scar on your upper arm. you may remember the parent or grandparent who had one. that mark was probably one of the world's greatest public health excesses. if the of the deadly smallpox virus. somebody alive today no longer remember the depth and misery caused by