Supreme Court

Floor Speech

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Mr. CORNYN. Mr. President, yesterday our colleague, the senior Senator from New York, headed across the street to join a pro-abortion rally outside the Supreme Court Building, where he made deeply disturbing comments about two of the Justices sitting on the Supreme Court. He said these words:

I want to tell you, Gorsuch. I want to tell you, Kavanaugh. You have released the whirlwind, and you will pay the price. You won't know what hit you if you go forward with these awful decisions.

He certainly didn't mince words. The minority leader of the U.S. Senate threatened two sitting Supreme Court Justices based on the potential outcome of a case they are considering. That is the only way to interpret what he said.

It is no surprise to any of us that the Senator from New York is no fan of the two most recent additions on the Court, but a fiery floor speech and a downright threat of violence are two very different things.

We have heard some of our Democratic colleagues voice their misgivings about the Court, but no one, to my knowledge, has sunk so low as to threaten sitting Justices. As you would expect, the shock and outrage were immediate. Liberal legal scholar Laurence Tribe denounced Senator Schumer. Even Chief Justice Roberts issued a rare public rebuke, calling the comments not only inappropriate but dangerous.

The simple end to this story would be that our colleague would apologize to Justice Gorsuch, Justice Kavanaugh, and to the American people, but instead of doing that, he has doubled down. His office has accused the Chief Justice somehow of bias and said Senator Schumer was referring to Republican lawmakers, not the Associate Justices, as if inciting violence against Republican lawmakers is somehow acceptable, too, in the wake of what happened to Steve Scalise and other Members of Congress just a short time previously. But the minority leader did not fumble over words. He clearly named Justices Gorsuch and Kavanaugh in his threat, and when it caught the inevitable firestorm, his office deliberately tried to mislead the American people about what he said.

``[P]ay the price. You won't know what hit you''--those are not the types of statements we need from any elected official, let alone one of the highest ranking Democrats in the country, nor are they a good example because others--maybe vulnerable persons--who hear words like that may become incited to take things into their own hands in innumerable ways that we can't anticipate.

Unfortunately, some of our colleagues on the other side, including the junior Senator from Rhode Island, fell in line and chose to echo the minority leader in criticizing the Chief Justice.

It doesn't matter what case is before the Supreme Court or what ruling is ultimately handed down; congressional leaders must set an example for the American people and respect the independence of the judiciary and the three coequal branches of government. We have had innumerable discussions about hate speech and threats of violence against our leaders and politicians. The last thing we need is one of the most powerful men in the country making a threat against Supreme Court Justices. It doesn't matter whether you are a fourth grader on the playground or a U.S. Senator--our lesson should be that violence is never the answer and that words matter.

The simple end of this would be for Senator Schumer to apologize to the Justices for his attacks, by name: Justice Gorsuch, Justice Kavanaugh, and Chief Justice Roberts. Coronavirus

Mr. President, on another matter, at the beginning of February, the Air Force announced that my hometown, San Antonio, would be one of the quarantine sites for Americans evacuated from China due to the coronavirus. Lackland Air Force Base is home to an incredibly dedicated and talented group of airmen, and I thank the Air Force for their assistance in housing these American evacuates during their quarantine period. Also, the State of Texas and the city of San Antonio have many hard-working medical professionals, and I have no doubt that these patients who developed symptoms have received top-notch care while at Methodist Hospital and the Texas Center for Infectious Disease.

But there was and still is serious concern about the larger public health impact this virus could have. A couple of weeks ago, I brought together the city of San Antonio officials, like the mayor and two members of city council, for meetings with the Department of Health and Human Services and the Defense Department to discuss the ongoing mission concerns and challenges. The mayor and the city council had some legitimate questions and concerns they needed answered.

I felt like, at the time, the meeting was a positive step to help encourage coordination between local officials and their Federal partners, but now there is even higher concern after we learned one patient was released only to later find out the test result indicated her virus was still active. At the end of her treatment, in accordance with CDC guidelines, the patient was tested on two occasions with a 24- hour intervening period, which was protocol at the time, and she was ultimately released. Following her release, though, a test that the CDC was unaware was conducted returned results indicating the patient was still a weak positive for the virus. At that point, she was returned to isolation, after spending about 12 hours in the broader San Antonio community, including time at a shopping mall and a hotel.

While I am glad this mistake was caught and corrected, it raises serious questions that need to be answered to ensure the continued protection of the American people.

Earlier this week, Senator Cruz and I sent a letter to the Director of the Centers for Disease Control, Dr. Robert Redfield, asking him to explain how this incident happened and how it could be avoided in the future. Now that the majority of the individuals who had been evacuated from the Diamond Princess cruise ship, as well as from Wuhan Province-- repatriated Americans--have been released from quarantine, what steps is the Centers for Disease Control taking to ensure they are truly clear of the virus? How are they monitoring those released from quarantine, and what public health risks does the larger population face after their release?

After a lot of conversations, we also asked Director Redfield if additional evacuees will be brought to Texas for quarantine and what will happen if San Antonio's health resources reach their maximum capacity.

I think it is fair to say that my hometown is carrying more than its fair share of this international outbreak, and its residents deserve answers. As we continue to see headlines about the spread of the virus in Washington State, New York, California, and others, it is clear that time is of the essence.

As we seek those answers, I encourage all of my constituents and all Americans to read the best guidance on how to keep themselves and their families safe. While this is a new virus, the same old techniques that your mother taught you while you were growing up apply: Wash your hands, disinfect commonly touched household surfaces, and avoid contact with those who are sick. That is just common sense. Try to avoid touching your face, be sure to cover your cough or sneeze, and stay home if you are not feeling well. Those are the commonsense ways we can protect ourselves.

I am incredibly grateful to the healthcare workers around the world who are battling this virus and the dedicated scientists who are working hard to develop a vaccine.

In the past few days, I have spoken with President Trump, Secretary Azar, and my colleagues on the Appropriations Committee--who did good work on this supplemental appropriations we just voted on--about the need for additional coordination and resources, and I thank each of them for their commitment in keeping Americans and Texans safe.

In this supplemental appropriations bill that we just voted on, I requested funding for State and local communities--including San Antonio--which have been at the forefront of this battle, and today we delivered a big win for them. The supplemental funding bill we just passed will make $950 million available for reimbursement for the costs Texas and other States across the country have incurred while monitoring and treating individuals exposed to the coronavirus.

I want to thank Senator Shelby and the ranking member, Senator Leahy, for their work on this, and I am glad this much needed relief is now on the way.

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