Virginia's Law

Mr. President, the clock is ticking for Republicans to sit down with Democrats in a serious way to rein in ICE and end the violence.

Last Saturday, we sent Republican leadership and the White House a detailed proposal of legislative text for how Congress can put necessary guardrails on ICE that America, from one end of the country to the other, is demanding. We got the Republican response last night, but it included neither details nor legislative text. We need to see more from Republicans very soon.

As I have said, what Democrats proposed is the definition of common sense. We simply want ICE to follow

the same standards that most law enforcement agencies across America already follow. We must end roving patrols. We must have a code of conduct. We must end secret police who are not identified.

I want to be very clear about something else. These guardrails on ICE must apply across the board, including to operations funded through the Republicans' so-called One Big Beautiful Bill. We can't have ICE agents claiming they don't need to follow the law because they are being funded by this pot of money instead of that pot of money. That would be absurd. Our reforms must apply to all ICE operations.

The American people proudly support law enforcement, but most agree the status quo with ICE cannot continue. What ICE has been doing in Minneapolis and other cities is the antithesis of law enforcement. It is intimidation, coercion, and puts people in danger.

Later today, the heads of ICE, Border Patrol, and other enforcement Agencies will testify in the House for the first time since the killing of Alex Pretti and Renee Good. Today's testimony will make one thing very clear: For all the administration's talk of lowering the temperature, little meaningful change has happened in Minneapolis. Thousands of agents are still roaming the streets. People are still being assaulted by Federal law enforcement. And it is only a matter of time before someone else gets seriously hurt or, God forbid, killed.

If heads of ICE and Border Patrol are genuine about lowering the temperature, they should tell Congress that the only real answer is commonsense bipartisan legislation. Nothing else will suffice.

In the meantime, here in the Senate, Democrats await the next answer from our Republican counterparts. We hope they bring us legislative text very soon, just as we sent legislative text to them on Saturday.

Environmental Protection Agency

Mr. President, in terms of the permit announcement, this week the Trump administration is set to take one of its most nakedly corrupt steps since Donald Trump returned to office--and that is saying a lot-- a wholesale reversal of essentially all greenhouse gas regulations. Specifically, the administration is set to repeal the EPA's endangerment finding, basically the bedrock scientific determination that says greenhouse gas emissions pose a threat to our public health and, therefore, should be regulated under the Clean Air Act.

Trump is making a radical move that will send shock waves across the economy--uncertainty for manufacturers, States, regulators everywhere-- and it flies in the face, of course, of basic science.

Let's be very clear what this announcement represents. It is a corrupt giveaway to Big Oil, plain and simple. When Big Oil calls a tune, the Republican Senators dance. They are just in their pockets, as we have seen over and over again with clean energy regulations and so much else. Big Oil has worked tirelessly for decades to undermine rules that protect against emissions. And now that they have their guy in the White House, they are taking the biggest swing yet.

Remember, in the spring of 2024, Donald Trump invited top oil executives to Mar-a-Lago and told them, if you raise me $1 billion to get elected, I will cut regulations so you can make more money. That Devil's bargain is now coming true.

I never thought it would be this way in America, in this bald, disgusting way that so hurts people's health. But there it is.

Who will pay the price for Donald Trump's corruption? Quite literally, every single community in this country. The repeal will hurt kids with asthma. The repeal will hurt homeowners and destabilize insurance markets as extreme weather gets worse and worse.

The blast radius of this reckless decision will span from San Diego to Portland, ME, and from Seattle to Miami. Never in American history have we had a President who promised to fight for everyday Americans so boldly only to betray so nakedly that promise in broad daylight time and time and time again.

This is quite literally one of the biggest giveaways to Big Oil that you could come up with. The economic and health consequences for everyone else will be severe.

Americans are tired of Donald Trump's limitless corruption, and they will bring a reckoning to all Republicans who stand with Donald Trump when they go to the ballot box later this fall.

(The remarks of Mr. Schumer pertaining to the introduction of S. 3815 are printed in today's Record under ``Statements on Introduced Bills and Joint Resolutions.'')

I yield the floor.

I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. President, finally on Virginia's Law, in a few minutes, I will go to a press conference where I will be joined by some truly courageous and inspiring individuals.

This morning, I will join with over half a dozen women who endured unimaginable horrors because of Jeffrey Epstein. I will also join with Sky and Amanda Roberts, the brother and sister of Virginia Giuffre, the late Epstein survivor who spoke out on behalf of so many.

I am wearing this blue butterfly to show solidarity with them.

Today, we will introduce Virginia's Law, a simple but essential piece of legislation eliminating the statute of limitations that has shielded horrific criminals like Jeffrey Epstein and denied survivors of the ability to hold them accountable.

I thank Representative Teresa Leger Fernandez of New Mexico for working with me on this bill.

For years, survivors who were abused, trafficked, and exploited by Jeffrey Epstein were ignored by the justice system. They were told nobody believes them. They were told to be silent.

When the truth about Jeffrey Epstein finally started to come out, when the world started listening to their stories, oftentimes, the laws on the books said: Sorry, it is too late. The deadline to bring your case has passed.

Virginia's Law will change that because justice for victims of abuse should not have an expiration date.

Congress should pass this law immediately. We know when Congress has the will, it can pass legislation with lightning speed. We passed the Epstein Files Transparency Act through both Chambers in a day. There is no reason to delay this bill, which I will introduce later today.

I will have more to say later this morning. But for now, I simply want to thank all the survivors and family members who are here today at the Capitol. Their courage is inspiring. They have come a long way from across the country, taking red eyes and flying overnight so they can be here for this important moment. Their decision to be here today, to push Virginia's Law, will ensure others get the justice that they have been wrongly denied for far too long.

Again, I want to thank Virginia Giuffre's family who will also attend today. What they have gone through is unimaginable. Virginia was courageous and an inspiration to every single one of us. After facing unimaginable horrors, she spoke out--spoke out for

those who could not speak for themselves.

Advancing this bill will help her legacy live on by ensuring justice for all survivors.

Mr. President, finally on Virginia's Law, in a few minutes, I will go to a press conference where I will be joined by some truly courageous and inspiring individuals.

This morning, I will join with over half a dozen women who endured unimaginable horrors because of Jeffrey Epstein. I will also join with Sky and Amanda Roberts, the brother and sister of Virginia Giuffre, the late Epstein survivor who spoke out on behalf of so many.

I am wearing this blue butterfly to show solidarity with them.

Today, we will introduce Virginia's Law, a simple but essential piece of legislation eliminating the statute of limitations that has shielded horrific criminals like Jeffrey Epstein and denied survivors of the ability to hold them accountable.

I thank Representative Teresa Leger Fernandez of New Mexico for working with me on this bill.

For years, survivors who were abused, trafficked, and exploited by Jeffrey Epstein were ignored by the justice system. They were told nobody believes them. They were told to be silent.

When the truth about Jeffrey Epstein finally started to come out, when the world started listening to their stories, oftentimes, the laws on the books said: Sorry, it is too late. The deadline to bring your case has passed.

Virginia's Law will change that because justice for victims of abuse should not have an expiration date.

Congress should pass this law immediately. We know when Congress has the will, it can pass legislation with lightning speed. We passed the Epstein Files Transparency Act through both Chambers in a day. There is no reason to delay this bill, which I will introduce later today.

I will have more to say later this morning. But for now, I simply want to thank all the survivors and family members who are here today at the Capitol. Their courage is inspiring. They have come a long way from across the country, taking red eyes and flying overnight so they can be here for this important moment. Their decision to be here today, to push Virginia's Law, will ensure others get the justice that they have been wrongly denied for far too long.

Again, I want to thank Virginia Giuffre's family who will also attend today. What they have gone through is unimaginable. Virginia was courageous and an inspiration to every single one of us. After facing unimaginable horrors, she spoke out--spoke out for

those who could not speak for themselves.

Advancing this bill will help her legacy live on by ensuring justice for all survivors.

For the majority leader, I move to proceed to Calendar No. 311, H.R. 7147.

Mr. President, on December 28, last year, merchants in Tehran's Grand Bazaar took to the streets, protesting high inflation, protesting currency devaluation, and protesting a worsening economy in Iran. Accompanied by frustrations of constant political repression, then thousands of Iranian citizens have gone to the streets to protest.

So what would you think is the normal thing in an authoritarian government? These Iranian government authorities responded with more repression and violence against their own people--their own Iranian people.

On January 8, 2026, the regime also implemented a complete internet blackout. That made it, obviously, harder for Iranians to communicate with one another and to share evidence of the regime's abuses with the outside world.

The same internet blackout has made it also more difficult to confirm how many protesters have been injured or killed. These reports suggest that thousands of protesters have been killed, and more than 41,000 have been arrested. And that happens to be more than double the number arrested in previous protests. The latest were in 2022, when Mahsa Amini was murdered, and the protests that followed that murder.

The violence and lethal force used against Iranian citizens is alarming, and if you saw it on the streets on our own television, you would say it is outrageous. That is why I was glad to see President Trump out in front, speaking out against this violence and supporting the Iranian citizens who were doing nothing more than fighting for their freedom and liberty.

It was also encouraging to see the Department of Treasury and the Department of State announce sanctioning of Iranian individuals who are involved in the violence against their own people.

So it is obvious the United States is not an enemy of the Iranian people. I stand with the protesters in Iran and will continue to support their fight for freedom, for dignity, and for a future free from fear and repression.

I yield the floor.

Recognition of the Minority Leader

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.