Floor Statements

Mr. President, if there is no further business to come before the Senate, I ask that it stand adjourned under the previous order.

Mr. President, with June 1 only 21 days away, the most important thing congressional leaders can do to protect the well-being of Americans is to say, loud and clear, default is off the table.

That is the assurance the President gave 2 days ago when he met with congressional leaders. It is the assurance Leader Jeffries and myself gave that day at the meeting, as well. Even Leader McConnell said the United States will not default on the national debt.

Speaker McCarthy, however, continues on a path to drive the country toward disaster. Instead of taking default off the table, Speaker McCarthy is taking default hostage.

Let me say that again because that sums up what is happening right now.

Instead of taking default off the table, Speaker McCarthy is taking default hostage.

The strategy of the hard right remains ``our way or the highway.'' Either Americans accept devastating

cuts to veterans, law enforcement, and even cancer research, or the hard right will allow default--what a terrible choice.

And that is what makes this default fight uniquely dangerous: The hard right is dominant in the House, and they seem to be ready--seem to be perfectly willing--to let the United States default.

Speaker McCarthy realizes his hard-right agenda--as embodied in their ``Default on America Act''--cannot win support from the American people on the merits. So he and the hard right are holding the country hostage to default.

And if anyone doubts that the hard right is in control, all they have to do is watch last night's CNN town hall, where former President Donald Trump openly called on Republicans to ``do a default'' if they cannot enact their hard-right agenda.

Never mind that, under Donald Trump's watch, Republicans agreed to avoid default three times without ever getting hung up about unrelated partisan priorities. And never mind that 25 percent--a quarter--of the national debt was actually accumulated while President Trump was in office.

He is openly calling on his party to destroy the economy if they can't pass their radical agenda.

By now, of course, it is old news that Donald Trump is about as qualified to run the country as a broken brick, but the danger here is he holds enormous sway over Speaker McCarthy and the hard right.

If Donald Trump says that it is better for the United States to default than it is for Republicans to compromise, that, unfortunately, only makes default more likely.

Donald Trump's demand for default would cause tens of millions of Americans to suffer.

This isn't difficult: Can we all clearly and unmistakably take default off the table? Will Speaker McCarthy take default off the table? He is the only one of the five of us who met at the White House who has not answered that.

Speaker McCarthy, will you allow the hard right to keep pulling the strings and push our country off a cliff, or will you make it clear that, no matter what, we will preserve the full faith and credit of the United States?

Look, we recognize that Republicans have objections about certain policies, certain spending, certain investments. We do not agree with them, but these discussions are a normal part of the budget process that both sides have engaged in for a long time. This is too important for brinksmanship and reckless ultimatums.

White House staff, along with my office, the Speaker's office, Leader McConnell, and Leader Jeffries, will continue to meet in an attempt to find a constructive way forward on the budget, appropriations priorities.

If Speaker McCarthy is willing to state that, despite what Trump says, default is off the table, there can be real progress on the budget. Obviously, as the Speaker of the House, McCarthy will have some real influence in that. But that progress should not and cannot be tied to default.

I hope Americans take a moment to listen to the dangerous things President Trump has said last night about default, because he exposed just how unfit MAGA Republicans are for governing and how serious they are about their threats.

(Ms. ROSEN assumed the Chair.)

Military Nominations

Madam President, now, on military holds, I want to talk about the profane and dangerous things a colleague of ours recently said on the radio. For the past couple of months, hundreds of senior military officers and their families have had their lives unnecessarily put on hold because of a Senator from Alabama.

Senator Tuberville's actions are endangering our military readiness, provoking reaction not just from the current Secretary of Defense but from seven--seven--former Defense Secretaries from both parties.

And, earlier this week, new comments of his came to light where he not only doubled down on his obstruction but also, apparently, bemoaned the military's efforts to root out White nationalism from our Armed Forces.

Let me read the exchange with Senator Tuberville because it is shocking. During the interview, the Senator was asked:

Do you believe [the Defense Department] should allow White

nationalists in the military?

The Senator's response:

Well, they call them that. I call them Americans.

Can you believe that? Revolting--utterly revolting. Does Senator Tuberville honestly believe that our military is stronger with White nationalists in its ranks? I cannot believe this needs to be said, but White nationalism has no place in our Armed Forces and no place in any corner of American society. Period. Full stop. End of story.

I urge Senator Tuberville to think about the destructive spectacle he is creating in the Senate. His actions are dangerous. His words are gravely damaging, and his refusal to think about the consequences of his actions on our military personnel and families is a stain upon this Chamber.

Senators are called to a higher standard of conduct, but our colleague from Alabama is dragging all of us down. And for what? To push the hard right's party line on banning freedom of choice.

Senator Tuberville needs to do two things. He needs to come out and state clearly and unequivocally that White nationalism is un-American, and he needs to drop his destructive holds on hundreds of our senior military leaders. This farce is endangering our national security and putting the lives of men and women who have served our country for decades in real trouble, and it needs to end.

Business Before the Senate

Madam President, now on Senate business, it has been a very, very busy week on and off the Senate floor. There is so much going on in the country that it may have overshadowed the fact that it has been an extremely busy week and much is being accomplished this week.

On the floor, we confirmed more of President Biden's appointees to important positions across the government. And today, we will vote to advance Bradley Garcia to serve as a circuit court judge for the DC Circuit, one of the most important Federal courts in the country, teeing up his nomination for Monday when the Senate returns.

Off the floor, our committees are hard at work holding hearings and advancing important nominees and legislation. The Commerce Committee yesterday moved the Railway Safety Act, sponsored by Senators Brown and Vance of Ohio, out of committee and with bipartisan support. I thank the Senators from Ohio and Senators Casey around Fetterman from Pennsylvania and other cosponsors for their work on this bill after the derailment in East Palestine.

I look forward to working with them to bring it to the floor for a vote. Today, the HELP Committee is holding a hearing on our bipartisan cannabis legislation, the SAFE Banking Act. We made a lot of good bipartisan progress on SAFE Banking last Congress, and the work is continuing. And there is also a markup today in the HELP Committee on legislation for PBM reform, which could lead to lower costs of insulin for non-Medicare Americans.

It has been a very busy week in the Senate on very important issues that affect us all: rail safety, SAFE Banking, making growing and selling marijuana safe, and PBM reform, which can lead to reduction of insulin costs for non-Medicare people. We will keep moving ahead with our work to support the American people and reward the trust they placed in us.

Anniversary of Buffalo, New York, Shooting

Madam President, finally, on the shooting in Buffalo a year ago, this weekend, the hearts of every single American will be with the ``City of Good Neighbors,'' Buffalo, NY. At 2:30 in the afternoon on Saturday, May 14, of last year, in a predominantly Black neighborhood on Buffalo's east side, 10 lives were cut short from the worst shooting in Buffalo history--10 beautiful Americans. We will never get them back. They were parents, they were sons and daughters, friends, security guards, a policeman--all taken away from us in just minutes.

I am going to read their names: Ruth Whitfield, Roberta Drury, Aaron Salter, Jr., Heyward Patterson, Pearl Young, Geraldine Talley, Celestine Chaney, ``Kat'' Massey, Margus Morrison, Andre Mackneil.

God bless their memories.

I don't know what could possess someone to bring violence to a place like that. But I do know that the Buffalo shooting was a manifestation of the original sin of this Nation, the legacy of slavery and the centuries of racial hatred that continue to poison our society.

It is also one of the worst examples in recent memory of another terrible epidemic in this Nation, the epidemic of gun violence. We have made important progress in the area of gun violence. Last year, in the wake of what happened in Buffalo and Uvalde, the Senate came together in a way that it hadn't for decades, beating back the dark forces of the NRA and passing the first gun safety bill in more than a quarter century. Some of the friends and relatives of those who passed away in Buffalo were instrumental in importuning us to pass this legislation, and I thank them for it, for lighting that candle.

But we have a long way to go and a lot of work to do before our job is done. Gun violence is a shameful blemish on this Nation. We cannot allow ourselves to tolerate it. Indifference on this subject has been a death sentence for too many Americans.

Finally, Madam President, today the Senate will meet for a special caucus to talk about the next steps on gun violence. While nobody pretends progress will come easily, we have a moral obligation to keep pushing, keep fighting, keep working to rid this Nation of gun violence.

May God bless Buffalo and bless all the families impacted by the tragedy 1 year ago.

I yield the floor.

Recognition of the Minority Leader

Mr. President, before I do the wrap-up and lay down some stuff we are doing next week, I would like to talk about the week we just had.

As Democrats here in the Senate work to continue to avoid default, the No. 1 issue affecting our country has also been a very productive week in the Senate. So much has happened around the country over the past few days that it may have overshadowed just how busy things have been in the Senate this week and the kind of productive week that we have had on many important issues that affect the American people. I am very proud of what we were able to accomplish.

On the floor, with the return of Senator Feinstein, the Senate today advanced Bradley Garcia to serve as circuit court judge for the DC Circuit--one of the most important Federal courts in the country--and Members should be ready to vote on confirmation come Monday. That is probably the second-most important court in the country, and we are appointing a very good person as circuit court judge there.

Off the floor, the Judiciary Committee was busy as well. The Judiciary Committee just reported out six more judicial nominees for lifetime appointments to the Federal bench. Judges were a top priority last Congress, and they remain a top priority in this Congress. We are hoping to move forward on many more judges.

Also, yesterday, the Commerce Committee, under the able leadership of Maria Cantwell, also reported out the Railway Safety Act--sponsored by Senators Brown and Vance of Ohio--with bipartisan support. This is significant. After the derailment of East Palestine, the need for the rail safety reform became clear as day, and Americans are demanding that the Senate take action.

The Railway Safety Act is a major step forward for avoiding accidents similar to the one in East Palestine and improving rail safety across the country. It is going to make all our railroads safer. We have all seen so many of these derailments, often because the railroads weren't doing what they were supposed to. This act is a big step forward in requiring them to do so. I look forward to working with both sides to bring the Railway Safety Act to the floor.

And, today, the Senate Banking Committee also held a hearing, a big step on our bipartisan SAFE Banking Act that we have worked on together, Mr. President.

The SAFE Banking Act would ensure cannabis businesses have equal access to critical banking infrastructure in States that have legalized cannabis. We have all heard the tales of small businesses, and even larger ones, walking around with a huge amount of cash because they can't do banking. SAFE Banking would change that and allow them to bank as other businesses because it is legal in many States.

And I am working to ensure we include criminal justice provisions in SAFE Banking Plus--most importantly, the expungement of criminal records for certain low-level marijuana offenses.

We have made a lot of good bipartisan progress on SAFE Banking last Congress. And after today's hearing, we hope there will be a markup on this bill in the near future. We are really moving forward in a record way on a very important issue.

Finally, last, but certainly not least, the HELP Committee also advanced PBM and generic drug-pricing reform. It will reform the PBM system, which we know is one of the reasons the cost of drugs is so high. Hopefully, with the reform, the cost of prescription drugs like insulin for non-Medicare Americans will come down. We reduced insulin to $35 for those on Medicare, but we need to work on reducing insulin costs for everybody, and this bill is a major step forward in that direction.

So it has been a busy week--significant progress on many issues: judicial nominees; rail safety; SAFE Banking reform; and PBM reform, which can lower insulin costs for millions of Americans. It has been a good, strong week. And I thank my colleagues on both sides of the aisle for moving forward.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate consider the following nominations: all nominations placed on the Secretary's Desk in the Coast Guard; that the nominations be confirmed en bloc; that the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table with no intervening action or debate; that no further motions be in order to any of the nominations; and that the President be immediately notified of the Senate's action.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to legislative session and be in a period of morning business, with Senators permitted to speak therein for up to 10 minutes each.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the consideration of H. Con. Res. 35, which was received from the House and is at the desk.

I ask unanimous consent that the concurrent resolution be agreed to and the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table with no intervening action or debate.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions be discharged from further consideration and the Senate now proceed to S. Res. 195.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the resolution be agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, and the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the en bloc consideration of the following resolutions: S. Res. 210, S. Res. 211, and S. Res. 212.

I ask unanimous consent that the resolutions be agreed to, the preambles be agreed to, and that the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table, all en bloc.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today, it stand adjourned until 3 p.m. on Monday, May 15; that following the prayer and pledge, the morning hour be deemed expired, the Journal of proceedings be approved to date, the time for the two leaders be reserved for their use later in the day, and morning business be closed; that following the conclusion of morning business, the Senate proceed to executive session to resume consideration of the Garcia nomination postcloture; that all time be considered expired at 5:30 p.m.; further, that if any nominations are confirmed, the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table and the President be immediately notified of the Senate's actions.

Mr. President, if there is no further business to come before the Senate, I ask that it stand adjourned under the previous order following the remarks of Senator Stabenow. And, knowing her, I am sure they will be excellent remarks.

I yield the floor.

Mr. President, now, on default, yesterday afternoon, I met with President Biden, Speaker McCarthy, Leader McConnell, and Leader Jeffries at the White House to discuss how we can take default off the table while making separate progress on an annual budget.

There was bad news and good news coming out of yesterday's White House meeting. The bad news: Speaker McCarthy refused--absolutely refused--to take default off the table. He was the only holdout during yesterday's meeting.

President Biden said that, no matter what, default should be taken off the table. Leader Jeffries said default is off the table. I committed to taking default off the table. Even Leader McConnell said unequivocally that, no matter what, the United States will not default.

But Speaker McCarthy--Speaker McCarthy alone--refused to take the threat of catastrophic default off the table. I asked him pointedly if he would join us, but, during yesterday's meeting, he was the sole holdout.

Instead of taking default off the table, Speaker McCarthy is taking default hostage. If anyone wonders what the biggest problem for avoiding default right now is, it is Speaker McCarthy insisting he will exploit default to push a hard-right agenda. Speaker McCarthy realizes his hard-right agenda would never become law on its own because the American people are so opposed. So, instead, he is holding the country hostage to default. It is dangerous. It is reckless.

Avoiding default should not be contingent on passing the GOP's hard-

right, partisan agenda, and the American people overwhelmingly agree. A recent Washington Post-ABC poll found that when Americans were asked if debt limit and Federal spending should be handled separately or together, 58 percent of Americans believe they should be handled separately, just as we are saying, just as President Biden is saying. Only 26 percent of Americans say they should be linked, as Speaker McCarthy is proposing to do.

Even 46 percent of Republicans said it should be handled separately. A plurality of Republicans, 46 to 40, is against what McCarthy is doing by tying the two together. They realize--Americans realize--how dangerous this is.

So, again, avoiding default should not be contingent on passing the GOP's hard-right agenda--certainly, not one that will make drastic cuts to veterans, to healthcare services, run a buzz saw through Federal law enforcement, and abandon our seniors and working families.

What is more, the GOP's extremist bill is riddled with unrelated hard-right policies. It would gut rules for corporations, hollow out environmental law, and cut healthcare for millions of our Nation's most vulnerable.

The cherry on top--not much of a cherry, a sour cherry--MAGA Republicans want to undo Democrats' marquee legislation to invest in America, advance energy security, and reduce the deficit. That is the agenda Speaker McCarthy believes is worth threatening default.

Now the good news: The good news is that President Biden has asked the four leaders and our teams to sit down and begin talking about where we can agree on budget and appropriations. Our staffs will be having conversations beginning today that are part of the regular appropriations process.

Now, Speaker McCarthy will have plenty of say over the budget in the appropriations process. That is the proper place to have these debates, not during conversations about the full faith and credit of the United States.

When President Trump was in office and I was minority leader, I hated the Trump tax cuts on the rich and what it did to my State and my country. I could have easily said: I am holding default hostage unless we repeal the Trump tax cuts, unless we undo the Republicans' signature issue.

But, of course, I didn't do that because I knew the consequences of default would be too severe.

But Speaker McCarthy is doing the same thing. He is taking our signature issue--one of the leading ones, the IRA--and holding it hostage, saying he is tying it to default.

So, again, Speaker McCarthy must commit to taking default off the table, and we will continue to have a separate conversation with Republicans about the budget. And, as I said and as everyone knows, the Speaker has plenty of say over the appropriations process. He won't be left out.

And if the Speaker wants to be honest, by the way, about the drivers of debt, he should take a cold, hard look at the damage caused by Republican tax cuts.

Next week, the Senate Budget Committee, led by Chairman Whitehouse, will hold a hearing focused precisely on how GOP cuts have been primarily responsible for increasing the debt-to-GDP ratio. I thank Chairman Whitehouse and members of the committee for their continued work on exposing the GOP's destructive policies. The committee will make it clear that much of the debt came at the insistence of a Republican President, the Republican Senators, the Republican House Members, but only now, with a Democratic President, does McCarthy do this awful, awful, dangerous gambit of holding default hostage.

I urge the Speaker and my Republican colleagues to come to their senses about avoiding default.

Mr. Speaker, you are standing alone in that meeting. Take the needless, reckless threat of default off the table. Time is of the essence, and there is nothing stopping us from coming together in a bipartisan way, as we regularly have, to ensure that America can continue to pay its bills.

Mr. President, first thing this morning, on a happy note, I join my fellow Senators in welcoming back our dear friend and esteemed colleague Dianne Feinstein. It is so good to see her back here at the Senate, ready to get back to work.

I have been in touch with Senator Feinstein over the past few weeks, and I can report she is exactly where she wants to be, ready to do the thing she loves most: serving the people of California.

So, Senator Feinstein, we are so happy to see you. Welcome back.

Mr. President, on military holds, the senior Senator from Alabama, Senator Tuberville, is continuing his dangerous and reckless hold of hundreds of routine, nonpolitical promotions of senior military officers.

This morning, Senator Warren, Senator Reed, and I released a new letter from Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin detailing how the Senator from Alabama's blanket holds pose a clear risk to our military readiness and directly impact and hurt military families. And since these are general officers, they have spent decades--they and their families--serving our country.

Secretary Austin's letter confirms what Democrats have been saying for weeks: Senator Tuberville's indefinite hold on the confirmation of our general and flag officers is reckless, unprecedented, and harmful to our military's readiness and sends the wrong message to our partners and allies.

In the letter, Secretary Austin warned that a prolonged blanket hold is creating unnecessary uncertainty in the chain of command that ``diminishes our global standing as the strongest military in the world.''

Let me say that again; it is so striking. The Senator from Alabama's blanket hold is creating unnecessary uncertainty that ``diminishes our global standing as the strongest military in the world.''

Secretary Austin's letter also laid out how the Senator from Alabama's hold is also harming our military families, preventing children from starting new schools, and spouses from starting new jobs. That is shameful--hurting these generals' and admirals' families in this unique attempt to try and get his way, which will not happen.

Finally, Secretary Austin's letter highlighted that, over the next several months, there will be hundreds more promotions requiring Senate confirmation, including the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Chief of Staff of the Army, Chief of Staff of Naval Operations, Commandant of the Marine Corps, Commander of U.S. Cyber Command, Director of the National Security Agency, and so much more. These are just some of the positions at risk of delay if the Senator from Alabama keeps his reckless holds.

Secretary Austin's letter follows a letter, last week, from seven-- seven--former Secretaries of Defense, Democrat and Republican, who served under Democrat and Republican Presidents, stating that blanket holds are both ``harming military readiness and risks damaging U.S. national security.''

And let's be clear-eyed about why the Senator from Alabama is carrying out this reckless act. He is doing it to advance the extreme MAGA Republican agenda. He is doing it because he fundamentally doesn't believe women have the right to make their own choice.

I hope Senate Republicans read Secretary Austin's letter, as well as the letter from the seven former Secretaries of Defense, and prevail on the Senator from Alabama to end this dangerous blockade and get our military operating to its full capacity. Destroying a Senate process that has been apolitical and pro forma throughout history should not fall victim to MAGA Republican politics.

I thank Senators Warren and Reed for continuing to bring attention to this issue.

I yield the floor.

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

Mr. President, I move to proceed to legislative session.