Floor Statements

Mr. President, on healthcare, let me start with a shockingly candid quote from a senior House Republican on their plan to fix healthcare. This senior House Republican, when it came to healthcare, said about the Republicans in the House:

We're nowhere on healthcare.

That is what a senior House Republican said. It is a grim thing to say, but it is the truth. There has never been a clearer divide on what Democrats want on healthcare and what Republicans want on healthcare.

Democrats want to lower healthcare costs for families. We want to make healthcare cheaper, more effective, more accessible. We are united on that issue from one end of the party to the other.

Republicans, meanwhile, are a total mess when it comes to healthcare. Republicans don't know what to do. One day Trump floats a so-called healthcare plan. The next day, Speaker Johnson forces him to shoot it down.

Some Republicans say they want to dismantle the ACA--probably a majority of them in the House and a large number in the Senate--just dismantle it altogether. Other Republicans seem more focused on eradicating reproductive care in every State than helping people afford healthcare.

The bottom line is, Republicans are in total disarray on healthcare. And while Republicans continue the infighting, who is paying the price? The American people, the people whose premiums are going up by $500 to $1,000 a month. These people know that Trump and the Republicans are to blame.

America, we all know, is in a healthcare crisis, and Republicans are only adding fuel to the fire.

Democrats have been clear from the start: The first step--the first step--to solve this crisis is extending the ACA tax credits. Democrats are ready to do so. We are united, and we are committed to lowering the cost of healthcare.

Republicans, however, by their own admission, are nowhere on healthcare, and that is a disastrous message to send to the American people who are suffering from skyrocketing healthcare costs.

I yield the floor.

I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. President, this morning, I was informed by New York law enforcement of multiple bomb threats made against my offices in Rochester, Binghamton, and Long Island. The bomb threats against my offices came with the email subject line ``MAGA'' and from an email address alleging the ``2020 election was rigged.''

Local and Federal law enforcement responded immediately and are conducting full security sweeps, and investigations are ongoing. Everyone, thank God, is safe, and I am grateful for the quick and professional response of Federal and local law enforcement to ensure that these offices remain safe and secure for all New Yorkers.

As I have said many times, these kinds of violent threats have absolutely no place--no place--in our political system.

No one--no public servant, no staff member, no constituent, no citizen--should ever be targeted for simply doing their job.

Mr. President, now on Venezuela, Donald Trump has turned the Caribbean into a dangerous tinder box. Today, we have more troops off the coast of South America than we have had in decades. U.S. forces have struck at least 20 alleged drug boats with zero independent evidence, no transparency, and no concrete legal justification.

On Saturday, Donald Trump proclaimed that the airspace above and surrounding Venezuela to be closed in its entirety. What does this mean? We have no clue because Donald Trump said a few hours later not to ``read anything into it.''

The erraticness of his foreign policy is dangerous in itself--saying one thing one day and one thing the next. So Americans are right to wonder, what on Earth is Donald Trump planning in Venezuela? Is Donald Trump nudging America into another war? Is he seeking regime change for Maduro? Will he put U.S. troops in harm's way? Nobody knows. All we have is a bunch of contradictory statements from Trump.

Donald Trump seems to be planning a war totally in secret--without congressional authorization, without any transparency, without any explanation for what his goals even are. And all it takes--all it takes--is one mistake, one miscalculation, one lapse in judgment from either side, and suddenly our troops could find themselves in armed conflict with Venezuela. Lives could be lost. American security could suffer.

So I want to be very, very clear. If Donald Trump proceeds with his plan to conduct strikes against Venezuela, Senators Kaine, Paul, and I will immediately file a War Powers Resolution to force congressional action to block the use of troops in Venezuela. The power to declare war lies in the hands of Congress, and we intend to exert that authority should the need arise.

Now, I urge my Republican colleagues to work with us to advance this resolution if it becomes necessary because the thought of another forever war makes Americans sick to their stomachs. Americans are tired of seeing troops bogged down in one country after another. Americans do not want a pointless war in Venezuela.

Donald Trump does not have the authority to send our troops into harm's way without authorization from Congress. Should Donald Trump proceed, the Senate will immediately respond. Should a strike occur, we will force a debate in Congress and force a vote to prevent the U.S. troops from being in hostilities against Venezuela. Our troops' safety and our national security are at stake.

I urge both sides to stand ready to assert the powers of Congress on matters of war and peace should the need arise because the rules of the Congress allow us to require a vote on this issue should the need arise.

Mr. President, on Hegseth, I want to say a word about Secretary Hegseth. I don't think we have ever seen someone so unserious, so childish, so obviously insecure serving as Secretary of Defense as Pete Hegseth, and that should alarm every single one of us.

Secretary Hegseth loves to look tough. He loves to boast about the lethality of our forces. He wants to be taken seriously, but yesterday he posted a ridiculous tweet of a cartoon turtle firing on alleged drug traffickers--a sick parody of a well-known children's book. This man is a national embarrassment. Tweeting memes in the middle of a potential armed conflict is something no serious leader would ever even think of doing. The only thing this tweet accomplishes is to remind the world that Pete Hegseth is not up to the job.

But, of course, this is much more serious than memes on twitter. A few days ago, the Washington Post reported that Secretary Hegseth gave a spoken directive to kill all the occupants of the first alleged drug boat struck by U.S. forces. If the reports in the Washington Post are accurate, this may expose those involved to legal consequences.

What we need right now more than anything else is the truth, the facts, which is precisely what Secretary Hegseth has refused to give.

There are tapes in the possession of the Department of Defense that would show exactly what happened during these military strikes. Secretary Hegseth has an obligation to be truthful, so he should release those tapes. He says the Washington Post account is not correct, so why not release the tapes and prove it? If he refuses to release these tapes, it calls into question the truthfulness of his account.

The tapes will show one way or the other what happened and whether Hegseth is telling the truth. If Secretary Hegseth has nothing to hide, he should not fear being truthful.

In the meantime, Republicans in the House and Senate, including the chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, have promised ``vigorous oversight'' on these strikes. This is very encouraging, and I thank them for working in a bipartisan way on this matter. But now Republicans in both Chambers must follow through. We need congressional hearings. We need full and transparent briefings from the Pentagon. Most importantly, the committees should continue to demand that Secretary Hegseth release--release--the tapes.

This is such a serious matter that Secretary Hegseth himself should come before the Congress to testify under oath about the nature of his order, the evidence supporting the strikes, and an explanation for what the goals are in Venezuela.

With our troops standing on a knife's edge in the Caribbean, we need a Secretary of Defense who can prove himself to be serious, sober- minded, and someone of high character. Sadly, Hegseth has the opposite of each of these qualities.

Finally, Mr. President, on healthcare, so the holiday season is upon us, and this year, people are wondering how the hell they are going to afford their health insurance. The ACA tax credits the Republicans have refused to extend will expire, and as many as 20 million Americans will see their healthcare costs skyrocket. Many more than 20 million, even if they have private insurance, will see their costs skyrocket as well.

What are Donald Trump and Republicans doing to solve America's healthcare crisis? Absolutely nothing. Absolutely nothing. Donald Trump and Republicans seem to be in no hurry at all to prevent tens of millions of people's premiums from skyrocketing.

After waiting until the last minute to even talk about healthcare, Republicans are now in utter disarray. First, Trump said he would finally release his grand plan to fix healthcare. Then Republicans in Congress threw a tantrum and bullied the President into backing down. Now Republicans in the House and Senate can't seem to get on the same page about how they will fix this crisis that has been brewing under their watch.

So while Republicans are in complete disarray about healthcare, Democrats remain united to lower people's premiums and to bring their costs down.

Until Donald Trump and Republicans show they are serious about working with us to solve the healthcare crisis, Americans will continue to see their healthcare costs skyrocket, and they will know it is Donald Trump and the Republicans who are to blame.

I yield the floor.

Mr. President, earlier today, Donald Trump shared a post on Truth Social calling for Democratic Members of Congress to be hanged. He also posted a message that said:

SEDITIOUS BEHAVIOR, punishable by DEATH!

Let's be crystal clear. The President of the United States is calling for the execution of elected officials. This is an outright threat, and it is deadly serious. We have already seen what happens when Donald Trump tells his followers that his political opponents are enemies of the state. Every time Donald Trump posts things like this, he makes political violence more likely.

None of us should tolerate this kind of behavior. We all remember what January 6 was like. We lived through January 6. We have lived through the assassinations and attempted assassinations this year. We have Members whose families had to flee their homes.

When Donald Trump uses the language of execution and treason, some of his supporters may very well listen. He is lighting a match in a country soaked with political gasoline.

Every Senator, every Representative, every American--regardless of party--should condemn this immediately and without qualification, because if we don't draw a line here, there is no line left to draw.

Who would have thought the President of the United States would be saying his opponents should be hanged? It is outrageous. No President has ever stooped as low as Donald Trump--none. He has made political violence a feature of his politics, and if we don't draw a line here, there is no line left to draw.

And, today, he crossed yet another line that no democracy can afford to

tolerate. He must be condemned forcibly, loudly, and without excuses before someone takes his words as permission to do the unthinkable. Anything less enables the flames of hatred to grow and spread.

Affordability

Mr. President, on affordability, in less than a year, Donald Trump has gone from promising to bring costs down ``on day one,'' as he said, to claiming that the word ``affordable'' is some kind of ``new word'' and even a ``con job.'' That is right. Donald Trump doesn't even want to see the word ``affordable'' on his teleprompter because it will send him into a tailspin.

Poor guy, he can't reduce prices. He doesn't care about prices, but he doesn't want to see the word because it will send him into a tailspin. If there was ever ostrich-like behavior, that was it.

Here is what he said yesterday at the U.S.-Saudi Investment Forum:

That's the new word they use, ``affordability''. . . . We

are bringing prices down, but they came up with a new word:

``affordability.''

What the heck is Donald Trump talking about? Does he think ``affordable'' is some kind of new made-up fancy word? Doesn't he realize that working and middle-class Americans talk about affordability all the time: I can't afford this; I can't afford that.

Is he trying to hide the problem by denying the word?

Does he think that rising grocery prices, rising rent, rising healthcare are all some kind of lie invented by Democrats?

Does he think, if the word is abolished, that people will then automatically, magically, be able to afford all the things that they can't afford anymore?

When was the last time Donald Trump actually spoke to someone earning a middle-class income or someone who earned minimum wage?

If Donald Trump actually spent time talking to real people around the country, instead of bragging about ballrooms and jetting around the world in luxury, he would realize there is nothing made up about the affordability crisis.

These kinds of comments from Donald Trump give the game away. He has absolutely no conception of what everyday Americans are going through right now. He is on another planet.

It has gotten so bad that he doesn't even want to listen to people talk about rising costs.

Here is what he said just a few days after the recent election:

I don't want to hear about the affordability.

Well, he is going to hear about affordability from the American people, above all, because they can't afford a whole lot of stuff.

And when Donald Trump wants to know why his popularity is sinking, it is because of things like this.

The No. 1 crisis that the average American feels when they sit down and try to figure out how to pay bills is they can't afford them, and Donald Trump says he doesn't want to hear about affordability.

Do you hear that, America? Donald Trump doesn't even want to hear your worries about your high rent or high grocery costs. Don't even mention that they are ``affordable'' because that word sends him into a rage.

It is unbelievable. This President--unbelievable--he thinks that by saying you abolish a word, you abolish the problem.

And the magnitude of this problem is so large. Ask America, Trump: Is your healthcare too expensive?

They will say: Yes.

Are your groceries too expensive?

They will say: Yes.

Can you afford your healthcare?

They will say: No.

Can you afford your groceries? Can you afford the cost of electricity? Can you afford to buy a new car?

They will say: No.

And he doesn't want to hear about it.

He says extending the ACA premium tax credits, which would save people thousands a month, is nothing but a waste of time. This President is so out of touch with Americans, and, every day, more and more Americans are realizing how out of touch he is when he says things like this.

Healthcare

Mr. President, let me talk now about HSAs and the healthcare debate.

After Democrats pushed Republicans for months to fix ACA premiums, Americans are now about to fall off a healthcare cliff, and Donald Trump has no plans to fix it whatsoever.

Maybe he thinks healthcare is affordable for people. It isn't for most.

If Donald Trump were smart, he would have worked with Democrats at the drop of a hat to extend the ACA tax credits for at least another year. We offered him that. But, instead, he is telling Republicans to push half-baked ideas like health savings accounts and direct checks.

Let me say this very plainly. Donald Trump's Republican ideas about HSAs are nonstarters for Democrats because they are completely flawed and woefully insufficient for our Nation's healthcare problems. If Republicans push this flawed policy, they will go nowhere in the Senate.

First, neither HSAs nor a lump-sum check will do anything to help people afford insurance. If your insurance plan goes from $1,000 a month to $4,000, a one-time check isn't going to go very far. For cancer patients who pay thousands of dollars for lifesaving medications in one month, their HSAs will do nothing--nothing--to help them afford care.

Second, implementing changes this complex would be practically impossible before the end of the year. People are signing up for health insurance right now, and health savings accounts cannot be used to pay for premiums, period.

Third, Republicans talk about ``waste, fraud, and abuse'' and have railed on insurance companies. But the Republican policies will do nothing--absolutely nothing--about either problem. So either Republicans don't understand how healthcare works or their complaints about fraud and abusive insurance companies are cynical and disingenuous.

That is why Democrats insist that one of the best things we can do right now is extend the ACA premium tax credits, because when people talk about costs, healthcare is near the top of the list of their worries, if not at the very top.

It is shameful that Donald Trump and Republicans have given up entirely on solving the healthcare premium crisis. When people's monthly payments spike next year, they will know it was Republicans that made it happen. And more than that, they will know Democrats are the ones who are fighting on their behalf to lower costs and rebuild the sunny American optimism our country desperately needs.

Anti-Semitism

Finally, on anti-Semitism, anti-Semitism in America has reached a dangerous tipping point. Jewish Americans are facing threats, harassment, and violence at levels we have not seen in generations.

As I have said many times in this Chamber, anti-Semitism is the canary in the coal mine. Where there is anti-Semitism, there lurks White supremacy and other pernicious forms of hate.

Three days ago, the President of the United States declined to condemn Nick Fuentes' hateful views and defended Tucker Carlson's decision to give Fuentes a platform. The President was asked about his thoughts on the interview. He declined to condemn Nick Fuentes.

That is disgusting. For Donald Trump to excuse and protect the spread of Nick Fuentes' ideology confirms what many of us have long said: White supremacy and anti-Semitism are taking deep roots, unfortunately, within the Republican Party.

Just as we saw from the leaked texts of young Republicans, just as we saw from text messages of administration officials, the Nick Fuentes saga on the right reveals that anti-Semitism and White supremacy have been growing with disturbing currency within the rightwing and within the rightwing of the Republican Party.

But I know this is not true of everyone on the Republican side, especially not for many Republicans in this Chamber. Therefore, I will soon lead a resolution, here in the Senate, rejecting Nick Fuentes and his White supremacist views and condemning Carlson's platform of hate and condemning White supremacy whenever and wherever it occurs.

In the coming days, I will work to grow support for my resolution so the Senate can take a clear stand against hatred and anti-Semitism. I hope my

Republican colleagues will join me in this effort and cosponsor this resolution.

Calling out anti-Semitism should not be a partisan issue. In fact, when we refuse to condemn anti-Semitism, when we stay silent and fail to reject anti-Semitic rhetoric, when we normalize hateful figures spewing disgusting anti-Semitism, that is when anti-Semitism spreads throughout society like a poisonous wildfire.

Americans don't want to see that happen. So my resolution will give every Senator--every single Senator--a chance to make an important stand against hatred. The country must see us unite and fight this awful form of bigotry.

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.

Mr. President, yesterday, with near unanimity, the House and Senate agreed to pass legislation to compel Donald Trump to release the Epstein files. A few hours after the House voted, I came to the floor and got unanimous consent for the Senate to immediately pass this bill, and a few moments ago, the Senate received the Epstein bill from the House. We are glad the House has sent us the bill, and this means it will get to the President's desk quickly.

After months of waiting, months of Republican delay, after so many failed attempts from Donald Trump to hide the truth, the Epstein Files Transparency Act is headed to his desk. And, again, this is a very important moment for so many people whose lives have been destroyed by Jeffrey Epstein and his circle of abusers and monsters.

So I want to thank, again, all the advocates, the survivors, and the victims groups who raised their voices, who spoke courageously about the need for accountability, and pushed Congress to take action.

It is a shame that so many Republicans, Donald Trump, and Republican leaders in Congress tried for months to prevent the truth from coming out. Republican leaders had to be dragged kicking and screaming to get this bill over the finish line. Left to their own devices, these Republican leaders would have never let the bill see the light of day. But that shows you how powerful this issue is, and it shows you that when a strong group of people--they may be a small group, but with moral right on their side, with great conviction--they can get to the truth and move that desire forward.

But I want to be very clear: The job is not done. The vote is not the end. It is only the beginning. Once the President signs the bill, he must apply and execute it faithfully. There must be no funny business from Donald Trump. He must not use the excuse of frivolous investigations to release some Epstein documents while intentionally hiding others that deserve to be seen by the American public.

This is not an invitation for Donald Trump to pick and choose his version of the truth. This bill is a command for the President to be fully transparent, to come fully clean, and to provide full honesty to the American people, even if he doesn't want to.

So I want to be clear: Anything less than full transparency will be unacceptable in the eyes of the American people.

If Donald Trump refuses to comply, if he refuses to obey the law, Senate Democrats will hold him accountable. We will exercise oversight. We will demand transparency. We will make it clear to the American people that Donald Trump has broken his promise to come clean on Jeffrey Epstein.

Inflation

Mr. President, now on costs and the high cost of living that American people are facing, 2 weeks ago, the American people, not only in New Jersey and Virginia but across the country, sent their loudest message yet that they are fed up--just fed up--with the high cost of living.

Nearly 6 in 10 Americans say Donald Trump's top priority right now should be lowering prices, and no other issue comes close. A Marist poll released this morning shows the American people know precisely who is fighting for them and who is making life more difficult, because the most important issue keeping Americans up at night right now can be summed up in one word: costs--or in three words: cost of living. And that is exactly the issue Donald Trump and Republicans have ignored and even made worse.

Now, just yesterday, Donald Trump posted on Truth Social that he will never sign an extension of the ACA enhanced premium tax credits, and we know, if they expire, people's cost for healthcare, so vital to American families, is going to go up--$500 a month, $1,000 a month, $20,000 a year. How are families going to pay for that? And faced with the Hobson's choice of cutting back on everything else dramatically or having no healthcare for their families, Americans will hate that choice. And that is why we are fighting so hard for them.

Donald Trump says to the American people: Drop dead. That is his message in the middle of the most stressful open enrollment period, perhaps ever--just incredibly out of touch.

So Republicans can ignore high costs at not just their own political peril but also to the immense detriment of American families.

That is who they are hurting, which is why Democrats will keep the fight going. It is why we Democrats have worked for months and continue to fight every day to do something about people's healthcare costs. It is why Democrats have fought relentlessly and continue to fight relentlessly against Donald Trump's ``Big Ugly Bill.'' It is why Democrats have demanded that Republicans work with us to extend the premium tax credits. We

will fight to lower people's healthcare costs. We will fight to bring down rent, bring down people's electric bill, and make groceries more affordable.

Donald Trump may think affordability is some kind of Democratic ``con job,'' as he derisively called it, but the opposite is true: Americans are fed up with high costs, and they need a lifeline while Donald Trump is tossing them an anchor.

Venezuela

Mr. President, on Venezuela, last week, Donald Trump said he is ``sort of decided'' on his military strategy on Venezuela. This follows Trump sending our largest U.S. aircraft carrier and thousands of U.S. sailors and marines to the Caribbean, as part of the largest military buildup in this hemisphere in decades. Yet Congress has gotten very few answers from the Trump administration about this rapid and potentially dangerous escalation.

In fact, on multiple occasions, I have directed Secretary Rubio to explain their escalatory actions toward Venezuela, but, so far, I have received very little from him.

So, today, I am renewing my call on Secretary Rubio to provide an all-Senators classified briefing on this military buildup and the reported plans for military operations in Venezuela.

To date, the Trump administration has failed its duty under the law to consult with Congress on preparations for military action in Venezuela. We have heard no clear goals. We have heard no clear timeline. We have heard no clear explanation for what Donald Trump's ultimate objective is in the region, and military action could risk the lives of thousands of U.S. servicemembers and destabilize the entire region.

Make no mistake, the Maduro regime is horrific, undemocratic, and the United States should be strong in using all legal tools against drug traffickers who poison Americans with deadly narcotics. But the last thing Americans want right now is another endless war. The last thing Americans need is Donald Trump bumbling the United States into a war with Venezuela.

So, again, I am calling on the Trump administration and Secretary Rubio to provide an all-Senators classified briefing on current military planning for operations in Venezuela.

I yield the floor.

I want to thank Senator Schiff and Ranking Member Whitehouse for leading the charge on such an important resolution.

Around the country, people's gas and electric bills are skyrocketing. More and more Americans are looking for every penny they can find to pay the bills, especially with the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays around the corner.

As families are trying to save, Donald Trump is making it easier for gas companies to waste--that is, waste as much natural gas as they want--by delaying an important rule that reduces leaks and waste from natural gas facilities.

Can we have some order please.

Extracting natural gas costs money, and the more natural gas is wasted, the more consumers end up paying. That means it gets even more expensive to heat your home during the winter. It means more stress for families trying to make ends meet.

It is bad enough that the Republicans cut off all clean energy. That is going to cause people's electric prices to go through the roof. But now this is even worse--insult to injury to the American consumer.

So the bottom line is simple: Americans are falling behind on their energy bills, and Donald Trump and Republicans are doing the bidding of the natural gas and oil lobby to drive up energy costs, destroying good-paying American jobs in the process.

That wasted natural gas is poisonous to our communities. It leaks out into our neighborhoods, causing asthma, lung cancer, heart problems, even reproductive issues. So Democrats have acted to reduce methane leaks and waste, saving consumers money and making our communities healthy. That is a win-win.

But Trump and Republicans, again--America, when your electric bill goes up, talk to your Senator, if they are Republican, about why they are cutting wind, cutting solar, and letting oil companies waste valuable methane.

They are doing it all, and it is going to hurt the American consumer.

I urge strongly that we support this resolution.

I yield the floor.

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

Mr. President, today, the House of Representatives finally voted to demand that the Justice Department release the Epstein files. The American people have waited a very long time for this.

The margin in the House was overwhelming. In fact, every single Member of Congress except one voted yes, and that now brings the focus to the U.S. Senate.

As soon as the House sends us the Epstein bill, the Senate should move, without delay, to pass it unamended and send it on to the President's desk to be signed into law. We should pass this bill as soon as possible, as written, and without a hint of delay.

Republicans must not try to change this bill or bury it in committee or slow-walk it in any way. Any amendment to this bill would force it back to the House and risk further delay. Who knows what would happen over there.

The American people have waited long enough, and they cannot take the risk.

We have an opportunity to get this bill done today and have it on the President's desk to be signed into law tonight. We should seize that opportunity. That is why later today, I will ask unanimous consent for the Senate to hold a vote to pass the House Epstein bill.

The Epstein victims groups have made it clear they do not want amendments to the bill. In fact, just this morning, Epstein survivors stood right in front of the Capitol demanding that Congress pass this version of the bill.

The House has now spoken in an overwhelming fashion, and Senate Republicans must step up because the public is fed up with waiting around to get to the bottom of the Epstein files. Americans are fed up with Donald Trump's lies, they are fed up with the coverups, and they are fed up with Republican leaders who keep siding with Donald Trump instead of siding with the American people, who demand transparency when it comes to Jeffrey Epstein.

There is only one right answer for the Senate: Pass this bill as written today.

Let me say something else. This could not have been possible without the courage and advocacy of Jeffrey Epstein's survivors. They made this vote possible. They risked their safety coming out of the darkness to share their stories and tell the truth. We thank them. We thank them and everyone who has pushed for transparency.

Let me also add this: This will go down as one of the most damaging moments of Donald Trump's Presidency. In trying so hard to hide the truth, Donald Trump has provoked the fiercest rebellion he has ever faced among his own supporters, both in Congress and around the country. All the lying, all the broken promises about transparency, all the bullying and threats to Members of Congress who wanted these files released--it has all blown up in Donald Trump's face. His usual methods of intimidation and dishonesty have failed spectacularly in this instance.

But make no mistake, today's vote is just one step. Once the Senate sends this bill to the President's desk, Donald Trump must obey the letter of the law and ensure full transparency regarding the Epstein files. No ``We will give you some of this but not that''; ``Maybe you should see this''; ``There is a reason you can't see that.'' Anything less than full transparency will be unacceptable in the eyes of the American people. If the President tries to manipulate his way into releasing just some of the Epstein files while deliberately hiding others, the public will see right through it, and their frustration, their distrust in Donald Trump will grow even worse.

Before we get to that step, the Senate must finish this job first. We must pass this bill unamended as soon as humanly possible.

I yield the floor to my colleague Senator Merkley, who has been a great partner as we have pursued finding full transparency with the Epstein files.

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

Well, Mr. President, Donald Trump has tried to cover up for Jeffrey Epstein long enough. It is time that the Senate finish the job to finally compel the Department of Justice to release the Epstein files.

A few hours ago, the House of Representatives passed their Epstein bill with as lopsided a vote as you can get, 427 to 1. It is now the Senate's turn.

In a few moments, I will ask unanimous consent for the Senate to pass the Epstein bill as soon as it comes over from the House. My unanimous consent request guarantees that the Senate will immediately pass the Epstein Files Transparency Act without any further action as soon as it comes over from the House. We will pass the House's bill without changes, without delay, and we will finally get this done.

Epstein victim groups have made clear that they support this bill as written, without amendments. We should listen to them and pass this bill quickly. They have worked so hard and long to make this happen and deserve tremendous--tremendous--credit that we have arrived at this moment.

This isn't about Democrats versus Republicans or about Congress versus the President. This is about giving the American people the transparency they have been crying for. This is about holding accountable all the people in Jeffrey Epstein's circle who raped, groomed, targeted, and enabled the abuse of hundreds of girls for years and years.

The American people have waited long enough. Jeffrey Epstein's victims have waited long enough. Let the truth come out. Let transparency reign. And I urge my Republican colleagues: Let the Senate act today.

And so, Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate receives H.R. 4405, the Epstein Files Transparency Act, from the House, the Senate proceed to its immediate consideration, the bill be considered read three times and passed, with no intervening action or debate, and the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the stable.

Mr. President, the Senate has now passed the Epstein bill as soon as it comes over from the House.

I yield the floor.

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

Mr. President, the last 41 days have exposed the depths of Donald Trump's cruelty. He shut the government down longer than any President in American history. He took innocent kids, veterans, and Federal workers as hostages--political hostages--all because he refuses to do anything--anything--to fix the healthcare crisis and instead keeps pushing policies that will cut people's coverage even more.

Look no further than Donald Trump's war on SNAP. Last night, the First Circuit reaffirmed what lower courts have already said: Donald Trump cannot take 42 million hungry people as hostages. He cannot withhold the benefits they need for food for their families.

Even now, Donald Trump isn't satisfied. Today--even more cruel--he appealed to the Supreme Court yet again to try to get out of paying full SNAP benefits. The President has done a lot of cruel, nasty, mean things over the years, but going all the way up to the Supreme Court-- not once but twice--to ensure kids go hungry is about as cruel a thing as he has ever done. Donald Trump would rather make hungry Americans suffer--make kids suffer, make veterans go hungry, and disabled individuals suffer--than do anything to lower healthcare costs for the American people. The American people will not forget Donald Trump's cruelty and heartlessness over the last 6 weeks.

Let me say something else: The American people have now awoken to Trump's healthcare crisis. Healthcare is once again at the forefront of people's minds. People now see their premiums are about to skyrocket. They are terrified about how they are going to pay for their insurance.

Democrats demanded that we find a way to fix this crisis and quickly, but Republicans have refused to move an inch. So I cannot support the Republican bill that is on the floor because it fails to do anything of substance to fix America's healthcare crisis.

The healthcare crisis is causing millions of families back home sleepless

nights because they don't know how they are going to afford health insurance that is so much needed by their families.

Doing nothing is unacceptable, but that is the choice the Republican side made in obeisance to Donald Trump. Republicans now own this healthcare crisis. They knew it was coming. We wanted to fix it. Republicans said no, and now it is on them.

When people's out-of-pocket costs double or triple very soon, Americans will know Republicans made it happen. When 60-year-old couples start paying $20,000 a year for health insurance, they will know Republicans made it happen. When 4 million Americans lose insurance, when kids with cancer are priced out of coverage, when families face financial ruin, they will know Republicans made it happen.

The pain will only get worse as more and more people on ACA and with private insurance see their premiums go up and up and up. People out there are struggling. It is harder to make ends meet. Rent is up, groceries are up, people's electricity bills are going up, and now, thanks to Republicans, healthcare costs will spike dramatically.

The past few weeks have exposed with shocking clarity how warped Republicans' priorities truly are. While people's healthcare costs have gone up, Republicans have come across as a party preoccupied with ballrooms, Argentina bailouts, and private jets.

Republicans' breach of trust with the American people is deep and perhaps irreversible. Now that they have failed to do anything to prevent premiums from going up, the anger that Americans feel against Donald Trump and the Republicans is going to get worse.

Republicans had their chance to fix this, and they blew it. Americans will remember Republican intransigence every time they make a sky-high payment on health insurance.

I yield the floor.

I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. President, America is in the midst of a Republican- made healthcare crisis--worse than anything the American people have seen in decades. Republicans have spent the past 10 months dismantling the healthcare system, skyrocketing costs, and making every day harder for American families. Because of Republicans, Americans are going to suffer immensely as this healthcare crisis gets worse.

Democrats have been fighting to end this crisis over and over again. Democrats have wanted to lower costs, but Republicans fought us every step of the way. We gave Republicans not one, not two, but three chances this year to extend the ACA premium tax credits. Republicans said no every time. On Friday, we offered Republicans a compromise, a proposal that would extend the ACA tax credits for a year and open up the government at the same time. They once again said no. And when they said no on our compromise, they showed that they are against any healthcare reform.

Instead, they passed the biggest healthcare cuts in our Nation's history just to give tax breaks to billionaires. And even then, they weren't satisfied with merely closing hospitals and community health clinics; they callously did nothing to deal with the looming crisis of ACA credits.

Premiums will spike by thousands of dollars a month. Millions will lose insurance. Democrats have sounded the alarm. We have demanded for months to meet with the Republican leadership, but Republican leaders refused to even discuss the issue, let alone negotiate it. We have asked them to meet in the summer and throughout the shutdown. To this day, Republicans still say no.

We asked President Trump to step in and meet with us to deliver lower healthcare for Americans, and instead, Donald Trump has taken the American people hostage--from cutting off food aid to hungry families and vets and seniors and kids, to manufacturing flight cancellations, to cutting off home heating aid--while he builds a billion-dollar ballroom with gold-plated toilets.

Therefore--therefore--I must vote no. This healthcare crisis is so severe, so urgent, so devastating for families back home that I cannot in good faith support this CR that fails to address the healthcare crisis.

But let me be clear. However this vote turns out, this fight will and must continue. Democrats must fight because millions of families will lose healthcare coverage. We must fight because children who are dying of cancer will not get healthcare coverage. We must fight because a senior citizen cannot afford to pay $25,000 a year just for health insurance. We must fight to keep millions from financial ruin.

And make no mistake about it, the American people know who is inflicting this healthcare trauma on them: Donald Trump and the Republicans. Americans will remember Republican intransigence every time they make a sky-high payment on health insurance.

So we are going to fight legislatively, fight back home, fight in the courts, and bring this fight in the elections. Healthcare costs made a major impact on the 2025 election, and they will certainly have an even greater impact on the 2026 election.

So in conclusion, the contrast between the two parties is crystal clear: Republicans are the party hell-bent on taking people's healthcare away--all to bow to the billionaire elite and special interests. Democrats are united as the party of lower healthcare costs and improving our healthcare system.

We will not give up this fight. We will deliver for the American people.

I yield the floor.

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

Madam President, the blast radius of the Republican shutdown grows even larger. This morning, tens of millions of Americans remain in limbo as this administration continues its crusade against SNAP. The Supreme Court has allowed the administration to withhold benefits as the case makes its way through the lower courts.

For this administration to go all the way to the Supreme Court just to get out of having to pay SNAP benefits for hungry kids is pathological levels of vindictiveness.

This crisis is in the administration's hands. It is all them. Not anyone else. The minute the administration wanted to, it could find a fix for SNAP and ensure that people don't go hungry. But they are not choosing to act, in what is really a nasty act of hostage-taking against the most vulnerable people in our society.

Let me read what the Rhode Island judge said earlier this week about this case:

People have gone without for too long, not making payments

to them for even another day is simply unacceptable.

Now, the administration could have said: OK. We will have to pay it. But that wasn't good enough for them. Of course not. This administration, again, is viciously cruel and will use anybody for a hostage.

But the chaos doesn't end with SNAP benefits. Thirty-nine days into the crisis, the FAA has ordered a 10-percent cut of flights at America's busiest airports, and Secretary Duffy warned it could soon reach 20 percent. As of this morning, over 1,000 flights have been canceled. Travelers are standing in line for hours just to get through security. Parents traveling to see their kids have had their plan turned upside down. People traveling for funerals, family reunions, business trips have all too often been met with chaos.

But what is happening in America's airports right now is not an accident. It is a stunt. Look at the way the order was designed. Four percent of flights canceled yesterday at 40 major airports, with plans to ramp up day to day until it hits 10 percent and maybe 20. How much more transparently political can you get? This isn't about safety; it is about politics masquerading as safety.

When air traffic controllers are working without pay, when the system is strained to its limit--the solution isn't to cancel flights; it is to pay the workers and open up the government, which the administration could do right now.

As I understand it, under previous shutdowns, airports were never shut down. But, again, the level that this administration--the level that they will go to, putting the American people in discomfort and worse, is unprecedented.

Instead of negotiating with Democrats to lower costs, Republicans would rather let air traffic controllers go unpaid. Instead of negotiating with Democrats to reopen the government, they would rather ground flights. Instead of negotiating with Democrats to help families, they are punishing travelers. Instead of governing, Republicans are playing games with people's livelihoods.

And they have the ability to pay the air traffic controllers like they sent money, just as Trump sent money to Argentina, $20 billion. If they wanted to find the money, they could--absolutely.

So why? Why have Republicans dragged this shutdown on for so, so long? Because they don't want to lower healthcare costs. Because they seem happy to let 24 million Americans see their premiums double on average.

Yesterday, we offered Republicans a perfectly reasonable compromise to get out of this horrible shutdown that they installed on the American people. We offered three things: We all vote to reopen the government. We all approve a one-time, temporary extension of current ACA premium tax credits. And then after we reopen, we negotiate, as the Republicans say they want, for longer term fixes to ACA affordability.

No. Only after I finish.

I know many Republicans stormed out the gate to dismiss this offer, but that is a terrible mistake. Our offer is not a new policy. This is not negotiating in a shutdown; it is simply agreeing to maintain current funding levels. A 1-year extension is something many Republicans themselves have said they want. It is something a great many Americans support--55 percent of Trump supporters support it, after all. So it is alarming that Republicans even refuse to acknowledge we have an immediate crisis right now that needs fixing.

Listen to the arguments Republicans have been making on the floor. Just listen. Republicans are making it clear as day that they are happy to let premiums skyrocket. Behind me is the consequence.

Look at this. Across America, in States red and blue, the black areas are districts that insurance payments for people would increase 300 percent; dark blue, 200 to 300; and the list goes on and on.

Look how bad it is. Every single State is impacted--most of all, Republican States.

Look, if Republicans want to talk about long-term fixes to ACA affordability, Democrats are ready. We said so yesterday.

But in the meantime, doing nothing is derelict because people will go bankrupt. People will lose insurance. People will get sicker. And that is what will

happen if this Congress fails to act. Republicans must act.

I yield to my colleague from Ohio.

The answer is yes. As we spoke yesterday--

I will not be interrupted.

There is a proposal that is very simple. First, you haven't put your proposed fix to the ACA--the new one, which Leader Thune has spoken about on the floor--so we can't give you a counter in writing.

But it is very simple because we have two sentences we would add to any proposal which would extend the ACA benefits for 1 year. That is all. Plain and simple. The leader can put that in his proposal on opening up the government. It doesn't need a vote. It can't be blocked by anybody. It is the right thing to do.

As we said, if you would have listened to my speech yesterday, once we pass the 1-year fix so people right now aren't in difficulty, we would sit and negotiate that. The leader has said he won't negotiate before. We are willing to negotiate once the credits are extended, plain and simple, and we made that in our proposal yesterday.

No.

The bottom line is--the Senator from Ohio ignores that 99 percent of people--you want to hurt people making $10,000, $50,000, $90,000 and hold this up? We can fix what the gentleman said in a negotiation. But don't have people who are every day being hurt--hurt-- by paying thousands of dollars more that they can't afford.

I know that the Senator from Ohio cares about the billionaires. We care about average working people.

I yield the floor.

Madam President, first, after I finish my remarks, I ask unanimous consent that the following Senators be recognized for up to 5 minutes each: Peters, Baldwin, Kelly, and Welch.

Madam President, I will be brief. After so many failed votes, it is clear we need to try something different. What the Senate is doing isn't working for either party and isn't working for the American people.

Democrats have said we must address the healthcare crisis, but Republicans have repeatedly said they won't negotiate to lower the healthcare costs until the government reopens. So let's find a path to honor both positions.

Democrats would like to see an end to this shutdown, and we want to respect Leader Thune's desire not to negotiate on the ACA until after the government reopens. Therefore, we would like to offer a simple proposal that

would reopen the government and extend the ACA premium tax credits simultaneously and then have the opportunity to start negotiating longer term solutions to healthcare costs. Let's do all three.

I have spoken with my caucus, and Democrats are offering a very simple compromise. Democrats are ready to clear the way to quickly pass a government funding bill that includes healthcare affordability. Leader Thune just needs to add a clean 1-year extension of the ACA tax credits to the CR so that we can immediately address rising healthcare costs. That is not a negotiation. It is an extension of current law, something we do all the time around here, as we all know.

But we also offer this: Let's create a bipartisan committee on reforms that will continue negotiations after the government reopens, ahead of next year's enrollment period, to provide long-term certainty that healthcare costs will be more affordable.

This proposal reopens the government and ensures working families who are shopping right now for their healthcare get certainty and financial relief. While open enrollment has begun, insurers can update their rates after we pass a simple extension of the tax credits.

With this approach, we do not negotiate healthcare in the shutdown, as Leader Thune has maintained he wishes, and the American people get the tax credit extension they want. That is what many of our Republican colleagues have floated over the last 6 weeks as a compromise: a 1-year tax credit extension and reforms to the credits beyond that.

We will agree with the Republican request not to start negotiations until after the government reopens. All Republicans have to do is say yes to extend current law for 1 year. It makes sense. And since what we are proposing is only a simple extension of current law, the Senate could do this within a few hours. This is a reasonable offer that reopens the government, deals with healthcare affordability, and begins a process of negotiating reforms to the ACA tax credits for the future.

Now, the ball is in the Republicans' court. We need Republicans to just say yes.

I yield to Senator Peters.

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

Mr. President, Americans, plagued by high costs, fired a political torpedo this week at Donald Trump and Republicans. They spoke loudly and clearly: We are fed up with the high cost of living. We are fed up with the tax on healthcare. We are fed up with your broken promises.

The question now is, Will Donald Trump and Republicans listen to the American people? Will Republicans finally work with Democrats to reopen the Federal Government and negotiate a fix to the ACA premium crisis? Will Donald Trump finally take a break from his lavish ballrooms to help families who can't afford the rent and can't afford healthcare?

The American people are waiting. Democrats are ready. We want to have negotiations. It has been long enough.

Look, if Republicans were smart, they would get the message after Tuesday that their do-nothing strategy isn't working. Even Donald Trump knows Americans hold Republicans responsible for this mess. Here is what he said--he was talking about why they lost the elections. He said:

[T]he shutdown was a big factor, negative for the

Republicans.

Again, Donald Trump's words:

[T]he shutdown was a big factor, negative for the

Republicans.

That is what he said about the elections Tuesday.

This is probably the smartest thing President Trump has said in a while. Donald Trump clearly is feeling pressure to bring the shutdown to an end. Well, I have good news for the President: Meet with Democrats, reopen the government, and fix the ACA crisis. That is the best way to put this crisis behind us.

I will say something else about what happened on Tuesday. The single biggest worry Americans feel right now is the cost of living. If you boiled down the theme of Tuesday's elections, down to one word, it was ``affordability.''

Republicans absolutely whiffed on that by focusing on everything but affordability. In fact, Republicans have governed all year like drunken sailors. Instead of lowering costs, they plundered healthcare into oblivion. They have cut taxes for billionaires while kicking millions off healthcare. They have approved luxury jets for Cabinet officials and acted as if there were zero consequences for their actions.

After spending all year intoxicated on rightwing policies that do nothing to lower costs, Republicans shouldn't be surprised that Tuesday hit them like a bad hangover.

Now that Tuesday is over, we are suddenly reading all these stories about how Donald Trump is finally going to start getting serious about messaging on affordability.

One story says it is going to be the big focus for him next year. Wow. Where has this guy been? What fantasy

is he living in? Are we supposed to applaud Donald Trump now that he is finally going to focus more on affordability and, he says, on messaging. The American people want results, not a message that brings no results and produces no progress.

Apparently, Donald Trump even said on Bret Baier's show that Republicans aren't doing a good job talking about affordability. No kidding. That would be putting it kindly after everything they did this summer to make life affordable for billionaires.

Look, if Donald Trump really wants to get serious about affordability, here is a free tip: He should work with Democrats to actually make healthcare more affordable, not say he wants to do something vacuously.

We should extend the enhanced ACA premium credits, which Senate Republicans voted against three times.

If Donald Trump has any interest in keeping his promise to lower costs, he should maybe focus more on fixing healthcare than sending billions to Argentina and trying to win a Nobel Prize.

The American people have spoken. It is time Republicans finally listen and work with Democrats to bring this shutdown and healthcare crisis to an end.

I yield the floor.

Mr. President, first let me thank our great Senator from Virginia Senator Kaine. He has been the most vigilant watchdog against over-encroachment of the military. He has been the most rigorous watchdog in making sure Congress's power to make war and engage in acts of war are upheld.

There are many Presidents, as Senator Kaine pointed out, who try to push the boundaries, but no President has pushed the boundaries more than President Trump.

Americans need Kaine here to do just what he is doing.

Thank you, Senator Kaine.

I also want to thank Senator Paul and Senator Schiff for championing this resolution today because the Senate will vote to discharge a resolution that says two--two--simple things.

First, it affirms that the United States will always support our troops when they act to protect the American people and themselves from foreign attack.

But it also says that if Donald Trump wants to engage in military hostilities against Venezuela, he must seek authorization from Congress first.

As we speak, America's largest aircraft carrier, the Gerald Ford, is on its way to the Caribbean. It is part of the largest military buildup in our hemisphere that we have seen in decades.

According to press reports, Donald Trump is considering military action on Venezuelan territory. But it also sounds like nobody really knows what the plan is because, like so many other things with Donald Trump, he keeps changing his mind. Who knows what he will do tomorrow.

To date, we have heard no clear goals, no clear timetable, no clear explanation for what Donald Trump's objective is in Venezuela. This is unacceptable, and it is dangerous.

Even in our briefing with Secretary Rubio, yesterday, we walked out of the room with more questions than answers. We need a clear explanation.

I am demanding a full Senators' briefing on this issue of Venezuela and the intervention there, at once.

In the meantime, the Senate must act today to discharge this resolution because Donald Trump seems ready to lead our troops over the Rubicon with a blindfold over his eyes, and that is a recipe for catastrophe.

Congress must assert its authority on matters of war and peace, and time is of the essence. Multiple warships have been moved from other ports of the world to be just off the coast of Venezuela. By some estimates, 10 percent of the Navy's deployed assets are now in the Southern Command area of responsibility.

These actions certainly do not sound like mere drug enforcement against organized criminals--not even close. These are actions you take before you consider launching a major military operation against another country, and that authority--the Constitution is clear--must come from Congress.

Nobody here denies the Maduro regime is horrific and undemocratic, and we also agree drug traffickers and organized criminals who poison Americans ought to be tracked down and dismantled. That was why, when I was majority leader, Congress provided billions for counternarcotics operations and granted sweeping authorities to combat the flow of narcotics and opioids like fentanyl.

If we must do more, we should. We should help law enforcement, intelligence operators, and Federal agents to dismantle criminal networks and drug smugglers. But saber-rattling and military escalations are a poor substitute--a poor substitute--for a real counternarcotics strategy.

I ask my colleagues: Remember what Colin Powell used to say about military force? You break it; you own it.

It is the old Pottery Barn rule.

This is the danger of unilateral attacks against Venezuela. If we break it, we are going to own it. The mere thought of another endless war ought to make the American people sick to their stomachs.

So, today, the Senate must act to uphold the Constitution, uphold our national security, and reaffirm the authority of Congress to have its proper say on matters in war and peace.

I yield the floor.

Vote on Motion to Discharge