Floor Statements

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 President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.

Mr. President, it has been 4 days since Donald Trump launched America into a war that most Americans oppose, most Americans don't understand, and his own administration can't consistently explain.

I walked out of yesterday's intelligence briefing even more concerned than when I walked in because if the case for war were strong, the story would be consistent and steady. Instead, it changes by the hour.

First, Donald Trump suggested the goal was regime change. He said the people of Iran should rise up and take back their country.

Then it was about nuclear weapons--the same program he said was ``obliterated'' last summer.

Then, yesterday morning, Pete Hegseth said:

Iran had a conventional gun to our head.

He said:

This is not a so-called regime change war.

Then Secretary Rubio claimed it was about crippling Iran's missiles. Then it was about crippling Iran's navy. Then Rubio said it was about what Israel would do and the Iranian response. We heard that this attack was ``defensive'' in nature; then Rubio says it was ``preemptive.''

Which one is it, Donald Trump? Regime change? Nuclear weapons? Missiles? An imminent threat to the homeland? Or a preemptive strike to stop future attacks on the region?

When the rationale for war keeps shifting, the strategy is missing, and that is because there is no strategy. And when the strategy is missing, the risk grows. Six American servicemembers are dead. The conflict is widening. The State Department is telling Americans to leave the region. Oil prices have already jumped 7 percent in just a few days.

History teaches us a simple lesson: Wars without a clear objective do not stay small. They get bigger. They get bloodier. They get longer. They get more expensive.

This is not a defensive war. This is not a necessary war. This is a war of choice. The American people do not want another endless war of choice in the Middle East. They do not want to see our troops fight and die in a pointless war. Parents don't want to worry about whether or not their kids will be sent abroad to fight in a conflict Americans didn't ask for.

The American people want leadership that is focused on lowering costs here at home because, while this administration debates which justification to use for the war, American families are debating which bill to pay. Gas prices are rising again. Electric bills are through the roof. Groceries are still too high. Housing costs are crushing middle-class families. Health insurance premiums are rising. The President should be focused on lowering costs.

Instead of mission creep abroad, we need cost relief here at home. Instead of shifting rationales for war, we need a clear strategy for affordability. That is what Americans are asking for, and that is what Senate Democrats are fighting for.

Affordability

Mr. President, that is why, this week, the Senate is moving long- overdue housing legislation, the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act, and I want to thank Senator Warren for her incredible work bringing this package to fruition.

The ROAD to Housing Act is a good step, but Democrats know it is only the first step. We have much more work to do to fix the housing crisis--to restore the promise of homeownership and bring rents down. Democrats will continue to develop and push additional housing policies that build on the good work of this bill, including the ideas we laid out in our housing rollout and in our report on the housing crisis in January.

But Democrats are not stopping at housing. Later this week, I will join my colleagues to roll out our food prices legislation. Our bill will go straight to one of the core problems of the food industry: too much consolidation in America's food system, especially in meat and agriculture, where a handful of dominant players squeeze farmers on one end and squeeze consumers on the other.

Donald Trump acts like affordability is some kind of hoax, but Democrats understand it is the No. 1 thing people think about when they are paying the rent, filling up their tank, and especially when pushing a cart down the grocery aisle. We will keep fighting on this issue because Americans want us to bring their costs down.

I yield the floor.

I suggest the absence of a quorum.

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

Well, Mr. President, today the Senate grieves the deaths of four U.S. servicemembers who were killed in action this weekend. We hold their families in our hearts; we pray for all American families who have loved ones serving right now in uniform; and we pray for everyone across the Middle East who are right now in harm's way--many who have relatives here in America, including relatives who have fled the regime in Iran and all who are worried for their families and friends back home across the region.

Today, many Americans across the country and across the political spectrum are wondering: Why are our troops back in conflict in the Middle East? That is what Americans are wondering: Why has Donald Trump started a new war with Iran?

Let me be clear. I will not shed a tear for Ali Khamenei, the Supreme Leader

of Iran who was killed in the initial rounds of airstrikes over the weekend. For decades, Khamenei sponsored terrorist attacks against American troops. He called for the destruction of Israel and America. And under his rule, the people of Iran have suffered immensely.

But no matter how you feel about the Iranian regime, we stand at a dangerous moment for our troops and for the Middle East and even, perhaps, for the world. Donald Trump has just launched America into a full-scale conflict against one of our most fervent adversaries without a plan, without an endgame, and without authorization from Congress or even a debate in full view of the American people. The consequences are already mounting. As I have said, four American servicemembers have been killed, several others have been wounded, and the President says many more casualties are likely to come.

This is not what the American people want. The American people want more effective action to address the rising costs that are crushing them. They want more access to affordable healthcare and to buy homes and to get good-paying jobs. They don't want a war that leads to lost American lives and that costs billions and billions of taxpayer dollars. They don't want a war that raises the price of gas at the pump.

Make no mistake about it, this is a war of choice, not necessity. And regardless of whether you are a Democrat or a Republican or an Independent or even if you don't pay attention to politics, there is one thing almost everyone agrees on: We are sick and tired of endless wars in the Middle East. And there is real danger that this is the road we are on right now.

Americans are sick of Donald Trump paying so much attention to military escapades while costs keep going up here at home--Venezuela, Somalia, Iran, and on and on. Where is Donald Trump going to strike tomorrow? He is one of the most trigger-happy Presidents in all of American history.

Donald Trump ran for office on the promise to wind down America's endless wars. What he is doing is exactly--exactly--the opposite. He is picking military fights all over the world and not taking care of business here at home. One year into office, Donald Trump has broken his promise to end forever wars again and again and again, from Venezuela to threats against Greenland to, now, a new war with Iran.

Congress must act to rein in Donald Trump's belligerence. Very soon, the Senate will vote on a bipartisan War Powers Resolution I am leading with Senators Kaine and Schiff and Paul. Our resolution affirms what the Constitution already says: The President cannot send U.S. forces to fight a war in Iran without congressional approval. As soon as our resolution comes to the floor, Senators need to pick a side: Stand with Americans who don't want war, or stand with Donald Trump as he singlehandedly starts another war.

I urge my colleagues to support our resolution. The American people will be watching how Senators vote, and they will remember those whose thumbs pointed yea and whose thumbs pointed nay.

I yield the floor.

I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. President, today, U.S. and Iranian officials are holding talks in Geneva as America stands at the brink of another potential conflict in the Middle East.

Earlier this week, Senate leaders and I met with Secretary Rubio. Everyone is asking what the plan is with respect to Iran, and we are all looking for answers that the administration has refused to give.

The issues we discussed in our classified briefing were very serious, and the American people deserve to hear it directly from the President and his administration. The administration should come clean and tell the American people exactly what the goal is in Iran.

I have always said that confronting Iran and halting its nuclear ambition requires a strategy, clarity, and transparency. Thus far, we are getting none of that from the administration. The American people deserve answers.

Epstein Files

Mr. President, on Epstein, the way Pam Bondi and the Justice Department handled the release of the Epstein files has all the stench of a coverup.

Yesterday, news outlets reported that several memos detailing a woman's accusation against the President from when she was a minor have been withheld from the public. We know

these memos exist. An index of all the investigative materials confirm their existence, and under law--the law we passed unanimously here in the Senate--they need to be made public.

Pam Bondi does not have the right to pick and choose which Epstein files to release to the public. Protecting the President from embarrassment is not her job. The American people were promised the truth, and Pam Bondi's job is to give Americans full access to the truth.

What else is the administration keeping behind a lock and key? Is this incompetence, or is it a full-blown coverup? Pam Bondi owes the American people some answers.

Remember, the law Congress passed had very specific criteria for withholding the Epstein files: protect victims' identities, protect the integrity of an ongoing investigation, or avoid duplication. Protecting Donald Trump's image does not--does not--fit any of these buckets.

So I ask Pam Bondi: Whose side are you on, the victims or the perpetrators?

State of the Union Address

Mr. President, on the ``State of Delusion'' and Democrats' plan to lower costs, there has never been a State of the Union where the President spoke for so long but had so little substance, so little truth.

Tuesday night was 2 hours of Donald Trump's ``State of Delusion.'' He is in a bubble. He doesn't know what is going on with the American people. All he wants to do is stroke his own ego. Donald Trump told the country that everything is great, that costs are coming down, that manufacturing is up, that he is going to fix healthcare, and that we are going to win so much that we don't know what to do. That is what he said. It is amazing.

I ask very seriously: Who else in America feels this way, that we are winning so much we don't know what to do? Maybe billionaires, but that is it.

Today, I want to talk about a couple of things that Donald Trump didn't mention during his 2-hour ``State of Delusion.''

For one, Donald Trump didn't talk about how he will bring down the cost of living. Ground beef is up 11 percent. Coffee is up 14 percent. Rent is up. Thanks to Donald Trump's tariffs, American families are spending over $1,700 more this year--$1,700 out of the average working family's pocket. That is a heck of a lot of money when people are struggling to pay the bills.

Where is Donald Trump's plan to fix any of this? He said nothing.

In a moment, I will talk about what Democrats plan to do about this.

Donald Trump also talked about manufacturing, but he failed to mention that America is not creating manufacturing jobs. We are bleeding them.

So many lies--he says we are growing manufacturing jobs? Well, look at this chart.

These are the numbers of manufacturing jobs that were lost in the last year--in May, in June, in July, in August, in September, in October, in November, and in December. We lost in every month. We lost manufacturing jobs, and Donald Trump just lies about it.

This is the state of manufacturing in the United States. Manufacturing jobs are down by 100,000. We shed manufacturing jobs every single month--every single month--right after Trump's ``Liberation Day.'' Yet he lies about it. He just makes it up.

Donald Trump has this uncanny ability which misserves human beings and which particularly misserves Presidents. He thinks that by saying it is so, it is true and that everyone will just believe him. Well, his minions believe him, no matter what he says, but no one else. He talks past America.

Again, we lost manufacturing jobs, Donald Trump. We didn't gain them.

Trump also failed to speak about his plan to fix healthcare because he has none. Donald Trump claims he will always protect Medicare, but that is false. The CBO found that, thanks to Donald Trump's ``Big Ugly Bill,'' the Medicare trust fund will run out 12 years sooner than before. In other words, Donald Trump has accelerated Medicare's demise by more than a decade with one single bill which every Republican voted for in this Chamber but no Democrat because we knew the damage to healthcare he was doing.

Donald Trump also failed to mention anything about China. It is the second leading power in the world. The United States has lots of issues with China, but when was the last time a President of the United States avoided talking about America's biggest rival on the world stage during his State of the Union?

The way Donald Trump has handled China is an embarrassment. He has promised to be tough on China, but he is playing with them with kids' clothes, giving them critical American technology, and his tariffs have failed to win any meaningful concessions.

It doesn't have to be this way. Americans deserve better than a President and a Republican Party that think ``affordability'' is a made-up word. Later this morning, I will join my colleagues--Senators Cantwell, Lujan, Booker, and Welch--and experts from across the country to talk about how we lower food costs, how we make trips to the grocery store less painful for families, and how we fix the structural problems that keep prices high, like the consolidation of the food industry.

Today's roundtable is part of a larger Senate effort by Senate Democrats to, all year long, talk about how we will drive costs down, because we don't believe affordability is some kind of hoax. He called it a hoax. That was insulting to America. He seems to have fun insulting people. That is what it seemed like up there on the ``State of Delusion'' stage that he occupied. Affordability is the most real thing in the lives of the American people economically.

In the weeks and months ahead, we are going to go issue by issue, taking the time to dig in and roll out serious, practical battle plans to bring costs down. We started a month ago with housing, and I am proud of the work Democrats are doing to lower housing costs. We will soon take on energy and electricity. We will take on childcare, and we will take on healthcare.

Lowering costs will be Senate Democrats' North Star in 2026. Let me repeat that so America and our Republican colleagues hear it: Lowering costs will be Senate Democrats' North Star in 2026.

The conversations we have today about high food prices will lay the groundwork for real legislation so that, when Democrats have the majority, we can deliver real relief and bring down the cost of living.

I yield the floor.

I suggest the absence of a quorum.

I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be dispensed with.

Mr. President, last night was not America's State of the Union. It was Donald Trump's state of delusion. For 2 long hours the President stood in the House Chamber congratulating himself, inflating his own ego, but offering no solutions to our country's many problems.

He is in a bubble. He doesn't even have a clue about what the average American family is going through. Donald Trump patted himself on the back so many times I thought he would fall down. While Donald Trump kept claiming that ``America is back'' and that we are winning so much we don't know what to do about it, that is only half true. We are not winning so much, but he sure has no idea what to do about the problems in America, and he admitted it right there himself.

People back home were asking something different than what the speech addressed. They are asking: What about my electricity bill? How am I going to pay for my groceries? How am I going to afford a doctor? Donald Trump ignored all these things during his speech last night. Frankly, I have never heard a State of the Union speech--and I have heard quite a few--where the President's rhetoric and the country's reality were so far apart. Instead, Donald Trump spent most of his speech focused on the accomplishments, not of his administration, but on the accomplishments of other Americans whose accomplishments he has nothing to do with.

We are all proud of the men and women hockey teams that just won gold in the Olympics. We are all proud of and grateful for our veterans. They deserve honor. But Donald Trump didn't have anything to do with these accomplishments. He had so little to say about what he accomplished that he had to just go on and on about accomplishments of others, and folks back home want to hear about what the President is doing to help with their problems. They don't want to hear a fantasy that everything is going great.

But it got worse. Trump didn't simply ignore the affordability crisis. He mocked it yet again. The average American sitting at their table trying to figure out how they are going to pay that damn bill was furious that he said it doesn't matter. It is truly stunning to watch a billionaire like Donald Trump make fun of people's financial struggles during a State of the Union speech. The guy doesn't have a clue. He is in a bubble so thick, he can't hear what people are going through.

And of course, he lied about the economy. This man is an inveterate liar.

Everyone knows that. He said last night that manufacturing jobs have gone way up. That is a lie. Manufacturing is down by 100,000 jobs since he took office. He bragged last night about job creation. Well, job creation is at its lowest point in over 20 years outside of a recession--its lowest point in 20 years, and he brags about it.

Donald Trump claimed that the fight against inflation is over. That is a lot of BS. Just go to the grocery store, and you will see. Donald Trump's speech was filled with fluff and hype. When was the last time Trump bought a cup of coffee? When is the last time Trump walked into a grocery store? His speech shows that he never has.

It was also rich last night to hear Donald Trump announce that he will put JD Vance in charge of investigating corruption. Now, I think putting JD Vance in charge of corruption is actually something that might work out because he is right in the midst of it; he is all around it. And I have some suggestions for where he can begin.

If Vice President Vance wants to investigate corruption, he should look into the billionaires who are donating to Donald Trump's fancy ballroom. He should look into how so many within the administration are making a killing--a personal killing--off crypto deals. He should investigate why Donald Trump pardoned the ex-President of Honduras, who was convicted of drug trafficking. If he wants to look into corruption, let him investigate the luxury jet Donald Trump received as a gift from the Middle East. He has got a lot to do right around him if he wants to investigate corruption because this is the most corrupt administration I think ever--certainly in decades and in maybe over a century. If JD Vance wants to get to the bottom of corruption in government, the good news is that all he has to do is walk down the hall into the Oval Office.

So, in sum, last night, Donald Trump did what he does better than anyone else--one of the few things he does better than anyone else: He boosted his own ego and patted himself on the back. He didn't address the needs of Americans and just broke promise after promise after promise.

If anyone watching last night was hoping to hear about how Donald Trump is going to lower their costs and their economic pain, his speech was an anemic dud. So I suggest Americans who care about the high cost of living, about affordability, which Trump knocks, get a copy of Governor Spanberger's speech. She focused on it like a bull's eye. Her speech was so much more in tune with where the American people are than Donald Trump's. The contrast is glaring.

I also want to salute Senator Padilla. He gave an outstanding speech as well.

Compare Trump's speech to their speeches, and you will know why Trump is in such trouble with the American people; you will know why the Republican Party is panicking about what might happen in November of 2026.

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

Well, Mr. President, we are in for a long, tedious, and exhausting night as Donald Trump is set to deliver his fourth State of the Union.

Donald Trump said yesterday he is going to talk for a very long time tonight.

God help us.

I am not sure what he thinks there is to celebrate, because America, in short, is a mess thanks to him. American Presidents often talk about how they inherited a mess and turned things around, but in Donald Trump's case, he created a mess and then set the building on fire. High costs are still kicking Americans in the gut. Donald Trump's tariffs have unleashed chaos and confusion. ICE agents are patrolling our neighborhoods in masks like cartel thugs.

Isn't that right, Senator Lee?

Corruption is up; trust in America is down; and we still have no idea what is in the Epstein files.

If I were a Republican sitting in the House Chamber tonight, I would be squirming in my seat, praying to Heaven that the President wraps up things quickly because the American people are sick of his drivel, and the stench of his unpopularity is spreading across the Republican Party like a toxin.

Look, we know how tonight is going to work. Donald Trump will claim that everything in America is going great, but he is in a huge bubble. America is deeply unhappy with his leadership, and he will blame everyone else for all our country's troubles. He will blame Biden. He will blame the Supreme Court. He will point the finger at everyone but himself.

Tonight, the American people will see a President whose ego does not let him see reality. And what is that reality? I will give you three words: costs, chaos, corruption. That is the reality of Trump 2.0: costs, chaos, corruption. Democrats, of course, offer something different. This year, we are going to give the American people a choice--a choice to lower costs, to end the endless cycle of chaos, and to restore some sanity to our country.

And, as we speak, I am continuing to work with my colleagues to demand Donald Trump and Republicans listen to the American people and stop ICE from terrorizing our communities. The Democrats' position on Donald Trump's brutal ICE tactics haven't changed. Republicans need to work with Democrats to rein in ICE and end the violence. I am disappointed we have not gotten their counter yet, and it is time for them to stop playing games.

Finally, while none of us are excited about tonight's Trumpian endurance test, there are at least two things I look forward to tonight: First, I will be pleased to welcome five great New Yorkers as my guests for tonight's Address--each of them here to put a real face on the consequences of the administration's chaos.

First, we will have Dani Bensky, a survivor of Jeffrey Epstein and now a leading voice demanding transparency, accountability, and justice for survivors who have been failed for far too long.

Second, I will be pleased to welcome Raiza Contreras, a mother whose son Dylan entered the U.S. legally but who was still detained by ICE. Dylan did everything right--followed the rules, showed up to his hearing--and was still arrested by ICE in the middle of a courthouse lobby, if you can believe that; and Raiza is here tonight, fighting to bring her child home. It is amazing that Americans have to come and do this.

Third, we have Gearoid Keogh, a union construction worker on the Gateway Tunnel project who lost his job thanks to President Trump's cruel decision to cut off funding to this project.

Fourth, Aleshandra Fernandes joins us, a Long Island ironworker whose offshore wind job has been thrown into limbo again and again because of Trump's irrational, stupid hatred of offshore wind.

Finally, we have Ben Pearson, a Rochester small business owner who was forced to lay off more than a quarter of his workforce--a quarter of his workforce--hard-working people; he liked to pay them; they did good work--because of Donald Trump's tariffs.

To each of my guests tonight, you make New York proud, and thank you--thank you--for being here. Your presence is the reminder America

needs of the real-life harm that Trump's agenda has done to our country.

Finally, there is one more thing I am looking forward to tonight-- listening to my good friend Senator Padilla, who will offer Democrats a Spanish language response. His story of what he went through in the past year, after being assaulted by Federal agents, and his larger story of how his family built something of themselves in this country is inspiring and admirable. I thank Senator Padilla.

I thank Governor Spanberger as well, and I thank all Democrats who will spend time tonight correcting the lies that will waft out of the House Chamber from Donald Trump's mouth tonight. On Ukraine, 4 years ago the tanks, missiles, and infantry rolled in from Russian territory onto Ukrainian soil. Today my colleagues and I pause to honor the memory of the courageous dead in Ukraine. We reaffirm that the Senate and the American people stand with the Ukrainian people, even if our President's courage and resolve might waiver.

Today, I am disgusted that the United States made a mockery of itself for the whole world to see by voting to abstain from a resolution in the United States on a peaceful and just end to this war. Can you believe it? Putin brutally invades Ukraine, the whole world sees it and knows it, and Donald Trump, out of obeisance, sucking up to Putin, abstains from a resolution simply on a peaceful and just end to this war. What, does Donald Trump want the war to continue and more people to die? I guess so.

On this anniversary of the Ukrainian war, it is shameful that this administration has chosen to mark it by turning its back on the Ukrainian people at the UN. Let's be clear: Any peace that Donald Trump gives into, any peace made on Putin's terms, will be no peace at all. It would rather be a reward for Putin for his belligerence, a reward that autocrats around the world--including here at home--will take note of.

When I was majority leader, I led this Chamber to pass historic defense packages to help Ukraine defend themselves, and 4 years later, despite all the loss and bloodshed the people of Ukraine have endured, they have held the line, but the conflict, sadly, is far from an end.

American support remains indispensable and perhaps the most important factor to determine the outcome of this awful conflict.

I yield the floor.

Mr. President, Americans breathed a brief sigh of relief last week when the Supreme Court knocked out Trump's harmful tariff proposals.

Americans are suffering because Donald Trump is raising tariffs. People pay more for so many daily goods, so many groceries, for cars, for homes, for everything. And the American people hate the tariffs because they know it is raising their costs.

And so, for a brief moment, there was a sigh of relief that you heard from one end of America to the other because the Supreme Court correctly said: The President can't raise tariffs on an emergency basis, only the Congress can.

But Donald Trump, who is in a bubble, has no understanding of what the American people need, feel, or want, reimposed the tariffs right away, and then he one-upped it--doubled down on it--and raised them again, and now Americans are back in the same position they were before the Court decision: higher prices, more inflation, harder to afford things, harder to pay the bills. And a good chunk of that increase, the difficulty in paying the bills, is because of Trump's tariffs.

Democrats will not stand for it. And, in fact, the new tariff regime that

Trump put in must expire in a few months and needs Congress' approval. I am here to tell Donald Trump and the American people: We will not extend those tariffs, and they will expire in a few months. And hopefully then Republicans will join us in not allowing Trump to raise tariffs, which so raise costs for the American people.

Tariffs are highly unpopular among Democrats, Independents, and Republicans. Donald Trump, in his bubble, does not understand the burdens he is imposing on American families, but we Democrats do, and we will do everything we can to stop these odious tariffs that are causing so much harm, so much pain, on American families.

I yield the floor.

Mr. President, Americans are crystal clear about how they feel about ICE. The status quo cannot continue. We hear it from people back home and all over the country. People are angry. They are afraid. They want accountability and an end to the chaos. The White House and congressional Republicans must listen and deliver.

Democrats have been very clear: We will not support an extension of the status quo, a status quo that permits masked secret police to barge into people's homes without warrants, with no guardrails, with zero oversight from independent authorities, a rogue police force that doesn't obey the rules that every local police force and sheriff's office must obey. It is out of control. No American, regardless of party, supports having their taxpayer dollars fund a secret police force that operates without transparency or accountability. Democrats agree: We demand commonsense solutions, practical solutions--solutions that every police department in America abides by--to rein in ICE and stop the violence.

Now, today, Tom Homan held another press conference in Minneapolis, claiming that the surge in that city is going to soon conclude. He says a significant drawdown has been underway. But let me be very clear: Regardless of what Tom Homan says, ICE's abuses cannot be solved merely through Executive fiat alone. We, first and foremost, need legislation, and that is what Democrats have said from the start. We need legislation to rein in ICE and to end the violence. Without legislation, what Tom Homan says today could be reversed tomorrow on a whim from Donald Trump.

He could say: Go into that city. Put your masks back on.

``You don't need a warrant,'' Trump could tell them. Without legislation, Donald Trump could choose to put a rogue force in any city they want and have them operate without any guardrails.

So, again, Democrats have been clear. We need legislation to truly halt ICE's abuses. We need legislation to rein in ICE and stop the violence. Otherwise, this administration could go right back to what they were doing.

After weeks and weeks of the American people watching the horrors in Minneapolis, the administration felt the heat. So now they are claiming they are pulling ICE out of that city, but the administration doesn't actually want to reform ICE. They will never do it on their own. That is why we are fighting for legislation to rein in ICE and stop the violence.

And, look, there is no reason why Republicans should reject what Democrats in the Senate and the House are proposing. We simply want ICE to be required to follow the same standards that law enforcement agencies across the country already follow and, effectively, obey. We need legislation on warrants. We need legislation on codes of conduct. We need legislation to stop secret, unidentified police. Masks off, cameras on, and basic identification is a must. All of this happens in every other police department--just about every police department in the whole country.

So why do the Republicans resist? Because ICE was created as a rogue force to terrorize people, and the American people really don't like that.

Republicans should ask people back home: Do they think it is OK for Federal agents to wear masks and run around our neighborhoods without any identity as to who they are? Do they think it is OK for ICE to tail schoolbuses and use kids as bait to arrest their parents?

Of course, Americans don't think this is OK. It is simply not law enforcement.

And I want to make something else very clear: A lot of attention has been focused on Minneapolis--rightfully so--but ICE's abuses are happening all over the country, including in my city of New York.

A few months back, there was an outrageous, violent raid on Canal Street, where ICE swept vendors and residents, indiscriminately, asking random people on the street to show their papers and detaining people in droves, including U.S. citizens. ICE agents in New York are patrolling around subway stations. A video recently circulated of ICE agents seemingly barging into someone's home in Queens--without warrants. They are lurking around courthouses, waiting to arrest people who show up for legally mandated hearings.

I heard a heart-wrenching story of a young man in Port Chester who was on his way to church when he got pulled over. At the station, he was about to be released when two Federal agents showed up, asked to see his papers, lied to his wife. What started out as a Sunday drive to church ended up as a trip to a detention center in Louisiana-- sickening. That doesn't make America any safer. That only destroys the trust between law enforcement and the communities they serve.

So enough is enough. Enough is enough. Democrats will keep pushing the administration and our Republican colleagues to rein in ICE and stop the violence through a smart, commonsense, practical legislative proposal. We must get it done, and we are waiting for Republicans to join us.

Indictments

Mr. President, now, on what happened in the last 2 days on indictments, we gaveled into session 2 days after learning Donald Trump's Justice Department tried and failed to push criminal charges-- meritless criminal charges--against two Members of this body and four Members of the House of Representatives. The President of the United States tried to throw two U.S. Senators in jail--Senators of the opposite party--simply because Trump didn't like what they said.

It is good these indictments failed. The grand jury--average citizens--in a rare moment, saw through these attacks on free speech and rejected what the prosecutors asked them to do, but the mere fact that these indictments were attempted should terrify every one of us. That is what happens in a dictatorship. The Chief Executive arrests people who speak out against him--legislators who speak out against him. It should not, cannot, must not happen here in America. Unfortunately, we all know Donald Trump will keep trying.

A lot of Members on this side of the aisle came to the floor yesterday as angry as I have ever seen them, and they were right to be angry, but both sides of the aisle should be angry. This is an attack on America. This is an attack on democracy. This is an attack on the legislative branch. This is an attack on free speech. If this happened to one of our Republican colleagues, they would want us to speak out, and they would be right because when a President tries to jail Senators for speaking their minds just because he disagrees with them, that is not a Democrat or a Republican problem; it is a constitutional crisis of the highest order. It is an assault on everyone who cares about free speech, who cares about basic freedoms, who cares about how our democracy has functioned for close to 250 years.

Look, this isn't just about six Members of Congress being indicted for one video; this is about Donald Trump destroying our democracy-- destroying our democracy--from top to bottom. His goons are arresting journalists and peaceful protesters. Masked agents are patrolling the streets of Minneapolis, launching raids in New York, shooting citizens in the streets. He is raiding election offices in Georgia and demanding the States turn over the voter rolls. He says there is fraud but has no evidence of it. It is a political heavy hand crushing our democracy.

Enough is enough. The American people are tired of this chaos. They are tired of corruption. They are tired of being lied to by this President.

When he asks himself why he is so unpopular, it is not Democrats attacking him, and it is not the press going after him. It is what he does.

The American people, Donald Trump, do not like what you are doing. They do not like what you are doing on costs. They do not like what you are doing on chaos. They do not like what you are doing on corruption.

If Republicans and Democrats don't take a stand in this Chamber, the lawlessness--the chaotic lawlessness--we have seen so far is not going to end. It is going to get worse and swallow all of us up.

I yield the floor.

Mr. President, Americans' views on ICE are crystal clear: The lawlessness, the violence, the chaos must end, and the only real way to do it is through legislation.

Today, Senate Democrats will vote no because we will not support a bill that fails to make any progress on reining in ICE and stopping the violence. Americans are sick of their taxpayer dollars going to masked Federal agents, warrantless searches, and violence--violence--in their communities.

Democrats have been clear. We need legislation to truly halt ICE's abuses. Otherwise, what Tom Homan says today could be reversed by Donald Trump, on a whim, tomorrow. Without legislation, Donald Trump could choose to put a rogue force in any city he wants and have them operate without guardrails at all.

The proposals that Senate and House Democrats presented last week and keep pushing for are very reasonable. We want ICE simply to follow the same standards that law enforcement agencies across the country already follow.

I ask every Republican Senator: Go home. Ask your police officer or ask your sheriff what rules they must abide by.

They are very similar to the rules that we are asking ICE to obey, but right now, ICE is a rogue force. Lawlessness prevails when ICE arrives.

If Republicans want to claim our proposals are nonstarters, they should ask the people back home what they think of masked agents, warrantless searches, and using kids as bait to arrest their parents. These are not actions of real law enforcement. This is thuggery.

The American people need to see meaningful change, and our Republican colleagues must work with us to make that change happen. No more rogue police forces roaming through our cities. Support this legislation.

I yield the floor.

Mr. President, yesterday, something happened in America that should send a chill down the spine of every American. A grand jury rejected the Justice Department's attempt to indict six Democratic lawmakers over a video they posted telling military members not to follow illegal orders.

The President of the United States tried to use prosecutors to silence the free speech of sitting elected lawmakers because he didn't like what they said. That is a line no President--no President--in modern American history has ever crossed.

The video in question broke no laws. It simply urged members of our military to refuse unlawful orders, to honor the Constitution above any individual. What these Members of Congress said was not radical. It is embedded in the oath every servicemember takes. The only ``crime'' committed here was refusing to bend the knee to Donald Trump. And when this administration tried to dress up retaliation as prosecution, a grand jury of Americans rejected it.

Today, I just want to say how proud and grateful I am for my colleagues Senators Slotkin and Kelly, as well as Representatives Crow, Deluzio, Goodlander, and Houlahan. The entire Democratic caucus is proud of them--proud of their courage, their poise, their loyalty to our democracy and to our Constitution. Senate Democrats will not let this witch hunt go unanswered. The American people deserve to know whether prosecutorial power was misused--abused--for political ends.

And I say to my Republican colleagues: If the executive branch can merely attempt to prosecute Members of the legislative branch for simply exercising free speech, that is not a Democratic problem or a Republican problem; it is a constitutional crisis. If Republicans believe in the Constitution, if they believe in separation of powers, now is the moment--if there ever was one--to prove it.

Yesterday, the Constitution held because ordinary citizens in a grand jury upheld it. They upheld it when this administration refused and when Senate Republicans remained silent.

But we should not confuse failure with intent. Yes, this indictment failed, but the mere fact that it was even attempted is alarming. This indictment was a test--a test of whether Federal prosecutors could be weaponized to become political henchmen, a test of whether dissent could be smeared as criminality, a test of whether fear could suffocate freedom. That test should make our bones tremble.

Today, it was six Democrats. Tomorrow, it could be anyone--because if a President believes that he can even attempt to jail Senators over speech he dislikes, then the First Amendment is no longer a basic right. It becomes a privilege, one that some Americans get to have and others don't, depending on their political views.

And what would that mean for every journalist, every protester, every citizen who dares to dissent? It would mean more jailings, more investigations, more masked agents beating up unarmed, peaceful protesters in the streets. It is happening already, and if we don't halt it, it is going to get a lot worse.

The First Amendment is not optional. It doesn't depend on your political views, and it is not subject to the personal sensitivities of any President.

Finally, the failure of this indictment does not erase what it represents: a President willing to test whether the criminal justice system can be weaponized against his political democracy--something that, if he succeeded, would stab a dagger through the heart of this democracy and all it represents. The Founders wrote our Constitution precisely to prevent the kind of abuses Donald Trump and his Justice Department are doing. Thank God--thank God--that, today, the Constitution held firm. But we cannot always assume that that will be the case if we aren't willing to defend it.

So I am proud of Senators Kelly and Slotkin. I am proud of Representatives Crow, Deluzio, Goodlander, and Houlahan. They stood by their oath. Now, this Chamber must stand by ours.

It is a very good thing that these indictments failed, but these indictments go way beyond six Members of Congress recording one video. Donald Trump has declared war on free speech in America--the wellspring of our democracy, free speech--and he is using the vast powers of the Federal Government to go after anyone who tries to stand up to him.

To my Republican colleagues: Silence in moments like this is not neutrality. It is permission. It is submission. It is acquiescing to the possibility that our democracy may be dying.

I yield the floor.

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.

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

Mr. President, on Saturday, Senate and House Democratic leadership, including myself and Leader Jeffries, sent legislative texts detailing the 10 items we outlined in our letter, which has been public since Thursday, for reining in ICE. We sent them to our Republican counterparts, including Leader Thune, Speaker Johnson, and the White House.

So since Saturday, the ball has been in the Republicans' court. We have no idea which of our proposals they will accept and which they reject. And when I say the Democrats offered exceedingly reasonable proposals and have the support of the American people, I am not exaggerating. In fact, many on both sides who have seen our proposals say they are reasonable, and they are reasonable for one obvious reason: We are asking ICE to do nothing more than follow the standards that the vast majority of law enforcement agencies already follow. Why should ICE be different, especially when they have such a record of brutality?

We are simply saying no barging into people's homes without a judicial warrant. Who on the other side objects to that?

No secret police wearing masks with zero identification. Who has police officers in their own jurisdictions who don't have any identification and are not identifiable? Of course not. It is perfectly reasonable. That is how we do law enforcement.

I ask Republicans: When have they ever seen a traffic cop wearing a mask?

Democrats also say: no use of force without a code of conduct.

Well, I hope people listen to this. Our proposed language for use of force is based off language currently in effect in the State of Florida. If it is good enough for Florida law enforcement, it certainly should be good enough for Republicans in Congress. Florida hardly is a State run by Democrats.

We also cannot have unannounced raids in places like hospitals and elementary schools and polling places. Republicans should ask people back home if they think it is OK for ICE to tail schoolbuses or to have ICE ``surround the polls,'' like Steve Bannon and others say. Most Americans would say this has nothing to do with going after criminals and everything to do with intimidation, coercion, and trying to jaundice our election process.

Well, Republicans, the clock is ticking. We have sent you our proposals, and they are exceedingly reasonable. I hope our colleagues on the other side, many who--at least here in the Senate--recognize that things need to change, show they are ready to act in a meaningful way.

SAVE Act

Mr. President, now, on the SAVE Act, as Americans struggle with high costs, fewer jobs, and endless chaos from Donald Trump, House Republicans are choosing to spend their time this week on federalizing Jim Crow. Republicans bristle--the rightwing bristles--every time that I say that the SAVE Act is Jim Crow 2.0. They don't like it because sometimes the truth hurts. While the specific policies may have changed since the days of the Jim Crow South, the goal of the SAVE Act is the same: disenfranchising American citizens and making it harder for eligible people to vote, particularly low-income Americans and people of color. This is the truth.

The SAVE Act is not a mainstream bill whatsoever. It is a fringe piece of legislation that has now taken over the Republican Party, masquerading as election security when it is really about laying the groundwork to meddle in the midterm elections and make it much harder for people to vote.

Here are just some of the nasty reasons the SAVE Act is as extreme as it gets: No. 1, the SAVE Act includes such extreme voter registration requirements that, if enacted, it could disenfranchise 21 million American citizens--21 million. That is more than 10 percent-- significantly more than 10 percent--of the people who vote.

No. 2, millions of American citizens--millions--don't have access to the paperwork that SAVE would require and would be in danger of getting shut out of our democracy. For example, if you are one of the 50 percent of Americans who doesn't have a passport or if you are one of the tens of millions of Americans who can't quickly access your birth certificate, the SAVE Act would, in effect, take away your right to vote.

No. 3, the SAVE Act would gut tried-and-true methods of voter registration, including registration by mail and registering online. That means our servicemembers overseas could get shut out. That means Americans who have trouble leaving their homes could get shut out. That means rural Americans could be shut out of our democracy.

The SAVE Act would introduce the 21st century equivalent of a democracy that tolerates literacy tests and asks people to guess the number of jellybeans in a jar. And for what reason? Because Donald Trump, to this day, lies about the 2020 election, and Republicans in the House--dutiful lemmings to the end--eagerly enable his lies and push radical bills pretending they care about election security.

The SAVE Act is dead on arrival in the Senate. Democrats will not sign our names to this radical piece of legislation that takes away the right to vote from tens of millions of American citizens.

Jeffrey Epstein

Mr. President, on Epstein, the most important ad that Americans saw during Super Bowl Sunday had nothing to do with a new product or a TV show. It was about justice for Jeffrey Epstein's victims. An ad, yesterday, championed by the organization World Without Exploitation reminded the American people of the ugly truth: Millions upon millions of files, roughly half of the Epstein files, are still being locked away by the Department of Justice, and they have failed to explain why in a way that the law requires.

The Senate passed legislation unanimously, last year, requiring these files to be released by December 19. That was more than 50 days ago. The American people are wondering, and they are still waiting: What is Pam Bondi hiding?

Earlier today, Ghislaine Maxwell came before the House Oversight Committee and refused to answer questions, instead invoking the Fifth Amendment for every single question. Later this week, Pam Bondi will testify before the House Judiciary Committee but to date has failed to show the American people the transparency Americans are demanding.

The American people aren't getting the answers they were promised about Jeffrey Epstein. Shame--shame--on the Department of Justice. While they continue to hide the truth, Jeffrey Epstein's victims continue to wait for their day of justice.

Nomination of Jeremy Carl

Mr. President, finally, on Trump nominee Jeremy Carl, this week, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee

will hear testimony about Jeremy Carl, Donald Trump's nominee to be the Assistant Secretary of State for International Organizations. To call Jeremy Carl a radical and a bigot and unqualified is all far too kind. Jeremy Carl has a long history of making violent, anti-Semitic, and openly racist comments in podcasts and on social media, which recently he has tried frantically to erase.

Of his political opponents he once said:

There is no `` `peaceful coexistence' . . . We either win

or die.''

He called Juneteenth a ``race hustling and white-shaming'' holiday and that ``if you're a white person celebrating Juneteenth, you've already surrendered.'' Do you believe a guy would say this?

He said that ``Jews often have loved to play the victim.'' And on a podcast a few years ago, he added:

Throughout history Jews chose some professions that made

them more oppressive and they can't be surprised that the

average descents of Cossack peasants would be resentful

towards them.

Can you believe this? What stereotypical garbage.

On the Holocaust, Carl simply says:

Everyone has traumas in their past.

In other words, he is saying: Get over it.

That is vile.

Jeremy Carl's long history of racist, White-supremacist and anti- Semitic views plainly disqualifies him from serving in a senior diplomatic post at the Department of State. No person who thinks Jews should get over the Holocaust and spreads pernicious Jewish stereotypes can claim to have the character or judgment to serve as a diplomat for this country. Jeremy Carl's nomination should go no further after this week, and he should be forced to answer during testimony for his long history of violent, racist, and anti-Semitic rhetoric.

I yield the floor and note the Senator from Washington State has arrived.