Floor Statements

Madam President, I would like to begin by reiterating where Democrats stand on government funding.

Our position remains this: We want to keep the government open by engaging in bipartisan negotiation where we can address some of the grave harms Donald Trump has caused to our healthcare system and help Americans with the cost of living.

We haven't seen that to date. Republicans, so far, have refused to have any conversations about issues we have clearly outlined-- healthcare, most of all.

Speaker Johnson said recently he hopes Democrats won't politicize the process, but Speaker Johnson has already done that by refusing multiple requests to sit down and talk and doing his own CR without consultation, without any inclusion of what the Democratic leader in the House or I are asking for--total, total partisan proposal. And so is President Trump.

When Donald Trump said on FOX News that Republicans ``don't even bother'' dealing with Democrats, then he is responsible for making a shutdown more likely. This afternoon, he doubled down again, posting online that Republicans should go at it alone in their partisan CR, instead of engaging with Democrats to keep the government open.

Now to pass a CR in the Senate, as everyone knows, requires votes from both sides. If one side refuses to negotiate, they are the ones causing the shutdown. Because, again, Democrats are happy to negotiate. We want to have a conversation with Donald Trump and Republicans about things we have been talking about for months, like healthcare, Medicaid, and the cost of living. And the American people know this.

They know that if Donald Trump refuses to talk--even to talk--with Democrats, it will be him shutting things down. They know he needs to negotiate. They know he needs to compromise. He is not a dictator, much as he thinks he would like to be. He needs to work with Democrats if he doesn't want to get blamed for shutting the government down.

And if Republicans follow Donald Trump's orders not to even bother dealing with Democrats, they, too, will be putting our country on a path to a shutdown.

And let me finish with this: I heard my friend the Republican leader come to the floor and cherry-pick some of my old quotes about keeping the government open with a CR. He zeroed in on the phrase ``clean extension.''

Well, the Republican leader glossed over the key point. I said in the past that Republican colleagues have to ``work with the Democrats in a bipartisan way'' to extend government funding.

I said they actually have to work with us, and it has to be bipartisan. That is not happening right now. It was happening then in 2023. That is the difference, and the majority leader conveniently forgets that extremely important point.

And it is not happening right now because Donald Trump is shutting down--shutting down--any hopes of negotiation. Leader Thune wants to wonder what has changed? A lot. A lot. Including Donald Trump's actions, which have dramatically harmed this country and undermined the appropriations process.

He has canceled congressionally appropriated funding. He is redirecting and stealing funds. Russell Vought says that he wants to see the appropriations process less bipartisan, and we know he is running the show. And now he says that Republicans shouldn't even bother to deal with Democrats. Meanwhile, the cost of people's healthcare has gone way up. Rural hospitals are already closing because of this Big Beautiful Bill. Job reports continue to show warning signs. Trump's tariffs are a mess, and the economy is headed in the wrong direction.

That is all because of the choices Donald Trump has made as President. We need to have a negotiation, which is what we are asking for right now--bipartisan, the only way you can get this done--and that is what we talked about back then as well.

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

Mr. President, 24 years ago today, September 11, 2001, started off like any other day in New York City. The weather was beautiful. People were out and about. It was primary day, and people were lining up to vote. Then, in an instant, everything changed.

At 8:46 a.m., Flight 11 crashed into the North Tower of the World Trade Center. There was chaos and confusion. Seventeen minutes later, flight 175 crashed into the South Tower. The reality of what was happening became clear: This wasn't a horrific accident. America was under attack. New York City was Ground Zero.

The course of American history was changed forever. Twenty-four years later, not a day has passed that I haven't thought about the people we lost that day, including three friends of mine: a guy I played basketball with in high school, a businessman who helped me on the way up, a firefighter I did blood drives with around the city. May their memories be a blessing.

I still think about the scenes when I arrived at Ground Zero in the aftermath of the attack the day after. The putrid smell of dead, burned flesh was in the air. I remember the rows upon rows of people holding up makeshift signs with photos of their missing loved ones because no one knew who was alive and who wasn't: Have you seen my brother Bill? Have you seen my daughter Mary? The anguish on their faces stays in my mind to this day. They are the kind of heart-wrenching images that will stay with me for a lifetime.

While 9/11 was America's darkest hour, I also saw New Yorkers in our finest moments. There were countless acts of kindness by strangers to help each other. In the midst of the tragedy that the world saw, the true strength of America and New York came through. The next day, I called on every American to display the flag on their clothes, outside their homes as a sign of solidarity. And ever since that

day, I wear this flag on my lapel. Every time I look at it, I think of those who were lost. It is a small but constant reminder of our sacred promise: Never, never forget.

``Never forget'' especially means honoring the countless brave first responders who ran toward danger, not away from it, to save lives. In our darkest hour, these heroes--police officers, firefighters, EMTs, so many others--risked their lives--construction workers--to rescue others. Many of the finest first responders became sick because of the toxins in the air. Many were diagnosed with rare, deadly cancers and diseases, and many--far too many--succumbed to their illnesses, including my great friend Ray Pfeifer. May he rest in peace.

That is why I have fought to secure nearly $1.71 billion for the World Trade Center Health Program to help sick first responders get the care they need. Sadly--sadly--it has been such a struggle to get that money.

It has been a difficult few months for many 9/11 first responders and others now sick due to exposures at Ground Zero. Cuts to this program are wrong, immoral, and I have fought in a bipartisan way, with fellow Republicans and Democrats, to oppose them.

I have also fiercely opposed the firing of thousands of HHS staffers who support the World Trade Center Health Program. The heroes who rushed to their towers, the families who have lost loved ones and have sick loved ones don't deserve this kind of chaos, uncertainty, and uncaringness. They don't deserve to have their treatment put on hold because of a backlog or because of disorganization.

I repeat. This is not a Democratic or Republican issue. Taking care of 9/11 families is an American issue to its core.

One of the best ways to never forget is ensuring the World Center Trade Center Health Program is fully funded, is fully staffed, and is fully operational.

So may God bless--God bless--the memories of those who perished on 9/ 11. May God bless all of our first responders and families.

And, now, in memory of the 2,977 people killed on September 11, in honor of their families, and in honor of all those who have sacrificed since then to keep our country safe, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate observe a minute of silence in honor of those who died on 9/11.

The ACTING PRESIDING pro tempore. Without objection, it is so ordered.

The Senate will observe a moment of silence.

(Moment of silence.)

May we never, never forget the memories of those whom we lost.

Mr. President, now on another awful subject, I was shocked and horrified to learn about the murder of Charlie Kirk yesterday afternoon. All of us in the Senate pray for Charlie's family--his wife, his kids. The loss they feel today is incomprehensible.

We thank all of the first responders who were on the scene yesterday, who continue to work until the murderer is brought to justice.

We also pray for all those hurt yesterday in another act of senseless gun violence in Evergreen High School in Colorado, where two students were critically injured at the hands of a lone gunman. We pray for their recovery.

These tragedies--these tragedies--are a constant reminder to all of us of the immense destruction of gun violence and of inaction.

Now, no matter your political views, yesterday's attack was heinous, cowardly and ought to make everyone sick to their stomachs. Political violence is the enemy of democracy, and we have an obligation on all sides to fight it at every turn. We must condemn it whenever it arises, wherever it arises, including this heinous murder of Charlie Kirk, but also the politically motivated shootings of House Members at a baseball practice and the politically motivated murders of Melissa Hortman and her husband earlier this year in Minnesota, as well as the attacks on former Speaker Pelosi and her husband, and the murder of business executives, and the storming of the U.S. Capitol, and so many other incidents of politically motivated barbarity.

These attacks are attacks on all of us--all of us--all of America. If we fail to quell the fires of political violence, regardless of where it comes from, it will become the norm. There should be no finger- pointing because this is an attack on our democracy itself. And if we fail to quell those fires, our democracy will be doomed.

We can disagree with our ideas but not with weapons and bloodshed and killing.

So we mourn the murder of Charlie Kirk and pray for his family. We pray for those injured in Colorado. And we must work together to bring political violence and the scourge of gun violence to a quick end.

Mr. President, let me finally say a brief word on appropriations, after those two sad, sad subjects. I want to say a brief word on keeping the government open in a bipartisan way.

I just met with House and Senate Democratic leadership to talk about appropriations. House and Senate Democrats are in total agreement: What the Republicans are proposing is not good enough for the American people and not good enough to get our votes.

The American people are hurting with high costs, particularly healthcare, and Leader Thune and Speaker Johnson have an obligation to sit down with us, the Democratic leaders, in bipartisan negotiations if they want our votes.

The American people are hurting. Healthcare is being decimated on all fronts. People are losing jobs. People are seeing costs go through the roof. People are losing healthcare. People are going to die because of these cuts.

So Democrats' position is clear, and we are united: Republicans have to come to meet with us in a true bipartisan negotiation to satisfy the American people's needs on healthcare and lower people's costs. Without that, they won't get our votes, plain and simple.

Mr. President, I just want everyone here and in the country to understand what our Republican colleagues just did.

For the third time this year, Republicans just resorted to the so- called nuclear option in the Senate, weakening the Senate even further and turning this Chamber into a conveyor belt for unqualified Trump nominees--a conveyor belt for unqualified Trump nominees.

Make no mistake. This move by Republicans was not so much about ending obstruction, as they claim; rather, it was another act of genuflection to the executive branch.

Democrats have shown very clearly we are willing to negotiate. We did that at the end of the last work period. We were doing it today. But what Republicans have done is chip away at the Senate even more to give Donald Trump more power and to rubberstamp whomever he wants, whenever he wants them, no questions asked. That is not the Senate's job.

We are supposed to debate and take votes on nominees, especially when the executive branch is grossly breaking norms by sending us woefully unqualified, unscrupulous, and, in some cases, deeply dishonest individuals for powerful and important positions.

By going nuclear today, Republicans are saying: We don't want to do our jobs. They are saying: Whatever Trump wants, we will do it.

Make no mistake. Because of the harmful step Republicans took today, the historically bad nominees Donald Trump has sent to the Senate all year long will get even worse.

Republicans now own even more than they had before: the terrible nominees who are about to sail through this Chamber, the special interests will get even richer, and the American people will be the ones who are hurt the most.

This is a sad, regrettable day for the Senate, and I believe it won't take very long for Republicans to wish they had not pushed the Chamber further down this awful road.

I yield the floor.

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

Mr. President, first, it is my honor to welcome my good friend Rabbi Dr. Ari Berman to the Senate and thank him for offering the morning's opening prayer.

Dr. Berman is president of Yeshiva University in New York and a longtime partner in the fight against anti-Semitism. We have worked together over the years to help upgrade Yeshiva's campus to remain a world-class institution. And as we approach the Jewish New Year, a time for renewal and recommitment for Jewish families around the world, I thank him for sharing his words of wisdom.

Foreign Policy

Mr. President, now, on foreign policy, bad news for you, Donald Trump: The Nobel Prize is slipping away from your grasp. Crises over the last 24 hours have escalated to dangerous levels, and President Trump, you seem to be leading from behind.

Donald Trump promised that he would end the war in Ukraine on day one. He said he would put an end to the conflict between Israel and Hamas on day one. It is so easy, he said. Well, it is now day 234, and war rages around the world. In the last 24 hours, we have seen dangerous escalation on multiple fronts. Yesterday, Israel launched a strike against Hamas in the capital city of a key American ally in the middle of cease-fire negotiations.

Despite being handed a cease-fire by the previous administration, 234 days later, a cease-fire deal is further off than ever. Meanwhile, hostages remain in captivity, and innocent Palestinian civilians in Gaza continue to suffer.

In Europe, Vladimir Putin sent drones into Poland, a NATO ally, which required NATO military action to shoot down those drones. What was the point, President Trump, of your meeting in Alaska where you snuggled up to Putin?

And Donald Trump is hesitating now to say any strong words against Putin, even after they did this. NATO safety has been at risk, and it is being put at risk even more so, and Donald Trump is leading from behind.

The latest aggression by Putin should send a shiver down the spines of every American. I warned of this scenario as the Senate debated sending more military support to Ukraine, and I warned at that point that any division, any hesitation of our resolve against Putin would be taken by him as weakness. And I fear Donald Trump's anemic weakness against Putin and other strongmen has only pushed the world closer to the brink of chaos and even war.

People don't take him seriously. People don't take Trump seriously on the world stage. That is a great danger to the United States and to peace because he bluffs and backs off. He sucks up to people, and then he doesn't do anything when they hurt him and hurt us.

I warn all Senators: History will not look kindly upon us if we stand back as Donald Trump acquiesces to Putin and cements himself as the Neville Chamberlain of our time.

Tariffs and the Economy

Mr. President, now, on tariffs and the bad Trump economy, yesterday, the Supreme Court agreed to hear arguments on the legality of Donald Trump's tariffs as soon as next month. Legally, there is no doubt the Supreme Court should strike down Donald Trump's tariffs decisively. That is the role that the Court should play, and we hope our Supreme Court Justices realize that. They are not there just to serve Donald Trump; they are there to rein in the Executive when the Executive steps over the lines and tries to circumvent the Constitution.

And tariffs are a responsibility of the Congress in the Constitution. Not only are these tariffs the definition of Executive overreach, but the tariffs are wreaking havoc on the American people and businesses. The average American may not care who is responsible; they just don't like these tariffs, and they know Donald Trump is doing them. The longer these tariffs are in place, the more damage they will cause to our economy. So the Court must act and apply the law, which clearly states the President cannot act alone.

As a result of his economic policies, it has been several days of bad economic headlines for Donald Trump. And the deluge keeps coming.

Here, look at these. Look at these, folks. Look at these charts. From your coffee in the morning to your soup at dinner, your prices are going up because of Trump's tariffs. When the American people complain about higher costs for everyday things they always need and use and consume, here it is.

Campbell's Expects Dropoff in 2026 Earnings as Tariffs Hit

Soup Cans.

The tariffs hit everything. You wouldn't think--well, soup, tomatoes; maybe they are made here in the United States. But the cans come from aluminum: Trump's tariffs.

Tariffs Are Hitting Your Morning Brew. Folgers Maker Says

Prices to Rise Further.

We don't grow coffee in the United States. There is not a competition or an unfair competition, but he raised tariffs on coffee. Everyone is paying more. My morning cup of coffee costs more. I have seen the prices rise when we shop for grounds in the supermarket.

Hormel to Raise Prices, Citing Costlier Pork, Beef and

Nuts.

So, again, every meal--from your coffee in the morning, to your soup at lunch, to your meat at dinner--your prices are going up because of Donald Trump and his tariffs. The headlines go on and on and on.

And here is the sad thing I say to my colleagues and the American people: It didn't have to happen. This is self-inflicted. This didn't happen because of the world economy. This happened because Donald Trump imposed an idiotic bunch of tariffs--unthought-out, chaotic--on the American people. And he loves them. He doesn't care that your price of coffee or soup or meat goes up. Somehow, he got it stuck in his head that tariffs are a good thing, and he is hurting average Americans. It is a self-inflicted wound, as I said. It is economic sabotage, orchestrated from the command center of dunderheads over at the Oval Office. Hardly any economist of repute knows what the heck they are doing and why.

Higher costs, rampant confusion, factories slowing--all because Trump's economic agenda boils down to chaos. He is like the drunk captain of a ship driving straight into an iceberg; and we, the American people, are beginning to take on water as our prices go up and up and up.

Government Funding

Mr. President, on government funding, the clock is ticking to keep the government open, and Republicans are sleepwalking their way through another critical week. A government shutdown once again hangs over this Chamber and this country like an ugly shadow. So what are we going to do about it? Well, it is up to our Republican colleagues to decide. They are in charge.

Democrats know where we stand. We want bipartisan negotiations, input from both sides of the aisle, and we want to undo much of the damage that Trump has inflicted on the American people, particularly when it comes to healthcare. Leader Jeffries and I have asked Leader Thune and Speaker Johnson, on multiple occasions, to sit down and talk so we can have a bipartisan agreement and avoid the Republican shutdown, but we have heard nothing for weeks. The Republican silence is concerning because if they think Democrats are going to show up at the last minute to bail them out with the clock approaching zero, that would be a big mistake on their part.

Democrats don't want to see a Republican shutdown. What we want is a bipartisan negotiation, a bipartisan bill where Democrats have input to tangibly undo the carnage Donald Trump has done to America.

And make no mistake, the carnage Donald Trump has unleashed upon this country over the last 9 or so months is devastating. He has savaged America's democratic institutions. He has defied the rule of law, defied the order of judges, and directed Russell Vought--an evil man who came up with Project 2025--to steal or cancel congressionally approved funding; hundreds of billions of dollars illegally blocked for things that Americans want--for cancer research, for programs that aid kids after school, for veterans. That and so much more gone, canceled, dead because of Russell Vought's whim and Donald Trump's desire to just do what he wants and what Vought wants.

Healthcare

Mr. President, of course, let's talk about healthcare. It is people's livelihoods. And thanks to Donald Trump, the livelihood of tens of millions is being stolen from them in broad daylight, all so Donald Trump can pay for tax breaks for the megarich.

Donald Trump's signature achievement, the one he claims is great--he calls it the Big Beautiful Bill--well, this so-called Big Beautiful Bill--which they won't even name anymore, they are so afraid of the American people knowing what is in it--is systematic starvation of our healthcare system. Let me repeat that. The so-called Big Beautiful Bill is systematic starvation of our healthcare system. That is what Russell Vought has always stood for; that is what he said he would do; and that is what Trump is aiding and abetting him to do.

Republicans want to rebrand their bill. They say: Well, Trump said maybe it was a mistake to call it the Big Beautiful Bill. That is because they are seeing that the American people hate it. But they can change the name; it is not going to change anything. You are not going to get your healthcare back because they change the name of a bill that was so mislabeled to begin with. Because it sure ain't beautiful; it is ugly.

Well, maybe Donald Trump can call it the ``Starve and Die Act.'' That would be more accurate than big and beautiful. That is what happens when health insurance is taken away from you. That is what happens when SNAP is taken away. People starve, and it is estimated that people will actually die because if you can't get healthcare, if you can't get prevention, life expectancies of people go down.

And alarmingly soon, America, the Big Beautiful Bill is going to get even worse for you. In just a few weeks, unless Congress acts, millions of Americans will start getting letters in the mail telling them their health insurance costs are about to go through the roof; hundreds of dollars, thousands in some cases.

That is because the ACA premium tax credits will expire by the end of this year. People who get covered through the ACA--and there are tens of millions--will see their premiums spike by an average of 18 percent. There are millions, depends on how you count it.

Health insurance premiums are going up by 18 percent because of Republican inaction. We tried three times to get them to repeal it in the so-called Big Beautiful Bill, and three times they refused.

This would be a nightmare scenario for the American people on October 1 getting notice that your healthcare

costs will go up 18 percent for millions who are on ACA.

At a time of rising costs, as we have seen, at a time of a weakening job market, to then compound the injury by making you pay a lot more for healthcare, it is outrageous, and Republicans, again, blocked it three times.

We have heard plenty of lip service from Leader Thune and the other side about doing something to preserve these tax credits, but now Leader Thune says Republicans will walk away from the table and sit on their hands as Americans' health insurance shoots by 18 percent. Every Republican in this Senate Chamber will be responsible because all we need is a handful of them to join with us in making sure it is extended and that these costs don't go up.

And this also points to a larger theme. The Republican agenda is a profoundly broken agenda. It is a stunning betrayal of the trust the American people put in Donald Trump to fight for their interests.

So I want to be clear that Republicans--our Republican Senators--in the face of so much damage to our country, cannot just expect for Democrats to bail them out and sign on the dotted line.

What we will do is stand ready to meet Republicans and the Republican leaders face to face and negotiate a way to undo so much of Donald Trump's carnage.

That means we need to have real input into undoing a lot of the carnage that has been done by this administration. It is clear that Democrats don't want a shutdown, but Republicans who say they want to keep the government open have to show they are serious through their actions and not just craft a bill in the dark of night in a room and say, take it or leave it, because that will mean there will be a Republican shutdown.

They need to show up and work with us. That is the only way to get it done and to avoid a shutdown.

Amendment No. 3849 to Amendment No. 3748, As Modified

Mr. President, I send an amendment to the desk.

I ask consent that further reading of the amendment be dispensed with.

I have a cloture motion at the desk.

Mr. President, I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. President, this morning, I introduced a very simple amendment that directs the Attorney General to release the Epstein files. It is the same amendment as the one working its way in the House and the same one that my good friend from Oregon, who just spoke on another issue, has been so active in championing.

As soon as today--as soon as today--Republicans have a chance to take a step further in releasing the files, the same files that for years they have said they wanted released. If Republicans vote no, they will be saying to the American people: You should not see the Epstein files.

I ask my Republican colleagues: After all those years you spent calling for accountability, for transparency, for getting to the bottom of these awful crimes, why won't you vote yes?

Let me remind my colleagues of the things they have said for themselves on the Epstein issue.

Leader McConnell said:

There's no question that the accusations against Epstein

are horrendous, and I think it's good news that they are

being pursued further.

That is what McConnell said. Whatever happened to that?

The current majority leader, Senator Thune, said less than 2 months ago:

Yes. We're all interested in making sure that justice is

served and that there is full disclosure and there's

transparency.

And what about Senator Blackburn, who said:

It is imperative we figure out who was involved with

Jeffrey Epstein. That is the only way we are going to break

apart this $150-billion-a-year human trafficking, sex

trafficking ring.

Or Senator Kennedy, who said:

The alleged victims are entitled to know what happened. The

American people are entitled to know what happened.

Well, I could not agree more with all of them. To my Republican colleagues, I say, and to every Senator I say: This is your chance now. You can vote right now to give transparency to the American people and reveal the files or you can vote to hide the very files you have claimed to desperately want released for years.

The choice lies with our Republican colleagues today. If Republicans vote no, they will be saying the American people should not see the Epstein files. I say to my Republican colleagues again, I say to every Senator: If you vote no, you will be saying the American people should not see the Epstein files, plain and simple.

The American people deserve transparency. The American people are sick of Donald Trump's endless string of pathological lies and coverups when it comes to the Epstein files. Trump lied when he promised he would release the Epstein files. Trump lied when he said the FBI never told him if his name was mentioned in the files. Trump lied when he said he never wrote that gross, salacious letter to Epstein on his fiftieth birthday. And he lied last week when he called the whole thing nothing but a Democratic hoax.

It is not a hoax; it is real, and Americans want to get to the bottom of it. Americans want transparency.

From Trump, we are hearing one brazen lie after the other. From Trump, we are hearing a massive coverup.

Americans are wondering: What the heck is Donald Trump hiding?

Well, we can take back that veil. We can take a big step to releasing those files by voting yes on my amendment.

It is clear: Donald Trump can't be trusted to tell the truth to the American people, so it should be up to the Senate to do so. The Senate must force the issue.

And I say to my Republican friends: As long as you keep voting no, America is going to lose trust in government and lose trust in you.

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, a few moments ago, we got more news that the economy Donald Trump is sabotaging is in worse shape than we imagined. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that the economy added about 900,000 fewer jobs than originally thought through the early part of this year. This report shows one thing: The job market was already struggling when Donald Trump took office, and he has made it much worse.

His tariffs are raising prices. His tariffs are making factories slow down. His ``Big Ugly Bill'' is kicking 16 million people off healthcare; unemployment is going up; health insurance premiums are going up; and people are less optimistic about the future as they struggle to make ends meet.

When Donald Trump came in, he said he would start the golden age--he was criticizing Joe Biden. But he is doing worse and worse and worse every month. Under Donald Trump--since Donald Trump has taken office, as these numbers show, there are fewer jobs, there are higher prices, and there is less opportunity for the American people.

The economy is clearly getting worse under Donald Trump's stewardship. His policies are leaving the American people holding the bag, and they don't like it.

Mr. President, on nominations, the story of this Republican majority has been a story of surrender--a surrender of the Senate's power over to Donald Trump. That is especially true of the nominations process.

What is going on right now with nominations is beyond the pale. Donald Trump has nominated, as a whole, some of the worst, some of the most unqualified, some of the most unscrupulous loyalists ever to serve in the Federal Government.

These nominees are just horrible, one after the other, and now Republicans don't even want to vote on them. I understand why. They know how bad these nominees are, and they don't want to be held accountable. They know the American people would be appalled if they knew the kind of people Trump is trying to confirm and bring into the government.

So what do they do? Do Republicans send these terrible nominees back to Donald Trump and say: Try again, try someone better--which previous Republican Senators have done, even under Republican Presidents? Nope. Of course not, not these Republicans. Oh, no. They would rather go nuclear, change the way the Senate confirms nominees to make the confirmation process easier, faster, more hidden with virtually no scrutiny or accountability.

Republicans don't want to be forced to vote on some of these awful people. They don't want to go on record one at a time, so they would rather turn the Senate into a conveyor belt and escape accountability.

Just look at the kinds of nominees that have already gone through this Chamber and tell me if you think this is normal, that Senate Republicans have already approved anti-vaxxers and pseudoscientists to serve as public health officials to lead American health policy--not just quacks like R.F.K., Jr., but people like Jay Bhattacharya, who opposed healthcare guidelines during COVID and policies meant to keep our kids safe in school. Thanks to Republicans, he is now leading America's healthcare system. God help us.

And if Republicans go nuclear, it is going to get even worse. It is insane that Republicans have allowed the Department of Justice to be staffed by Donald Trump's own personal lawyers who prosecute his enemies, exonerate his friends, regardless of the law. It is a disgrace. That is a mark of dictatorship when that happens, when there is no rule of law in prosecutorial Agencies.

Thanks to Republicans, we now have podcasters and influencers in senior leadership at the FBI, people like Dan Bongino, someone with zero experience at the Agency. And if Republicans go nuclear, it is going to get even worse because nominees will be hidden; there won't be accountability; there won't be votes on individual nominees.

Finally, it is utterly insane that every Trump nominee has had to pass a litmus test about denying the legitimacy of the 2020 election when everyone knows that Donald Trump made up a whole bunch of lies about the 2020 election and keeps talking about it unproven. But you have to pass this litmus test: Was the election faked? Did Trump really win?

They have to say yes. That means they are willing to lie for Donald Trump.

And so Republicans are going nuclear to hide people like this from the public eye because they don't want to be forced to take a vote on them. Well, sorry, Republicans. In the Constitution, voting on nominees is our job. And when we have a President like this, one which you know--you know he has no sense of integrity or honesty or fidelity to the truth, you know he is a President who doesn't care about acting corruptly--look what he is doing with his own personal wealth--then the Senate's job is to scrutinize and review nominees, and it is doubly important under a President like this.

I warn my Republican colleagues. They will come to regret this move because what goes around comes around. They may not like being on the receiving end of the changes they will bring to bear this week. After all, when Democrats were last in charge, we were able to confirm a record number of judges to the bench.

I ask my Republican colleagues to think carefully--very carefully-- before moving forward on this awful, awful, provision that goes nuclear and blows up even worse the Senate rules.

Mr. President, I make a point of order that a motion to proceed to Executive Calendar No. 1, S. Res. 377, is not in order because legislation that provides for the en bloc consideration of individual nominations on the Executive Calendar is legislative business; therefore, such a resolution should be required to be considered in legislative session.

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

Mr. President, on Friday, we learned the U.S. economy added only 22,000 jobs for the month of August, a paltry number, an abysmal number, worse than even the already low expectations. Donald Trump has steered our economy straight into an iceberg, and the ``SS Trump'' is sinking before our eyes.

And I warned my Republican colleagues: The longer you remain aboard, the greater the danger you face of sinking with the ship--because if one thing is certain, it is that the American people don't want to be paying more for things as simple as coffee and beef, fruits, vegetables. They don't want to see their electric bills go up. They don't want to see their rent go up. And they don't want to see it harder to find a job. But that is exactly--exactly--what is happening right now. Senate Republicans remain on board this ship, the ``SS Trump,'' at their own peril. It is sinking.

And Republicans know perfectly well what Donald Trump is doing is without precedent. Oh, their favorite comeback is: Well, that is what the American people voted for. They shrug their shoulders; they can't do anything about it.

Well, that is nonsense. This summer, big American companies--Walmart, Target, Best Buy, Ace Hardware, and so many others--have said they are raising prices or that costs will go up because of the tariffs. Americans didn't vote for that. Oh, no. Americans are about to see their health insurance go up by the highest amount in 15 years. Do you think they voted for that? No. They didn't vote for more Americans to get sick, although that is what the Trump healthcare plan will do. They didn't vote for more Americans to die, and that will happen as a result of this Big Beautiful Bill.

Americans sure didn't vote for any of that. Americans want us to pass legislation that lowers healthcare costs, expands people's coverage. They do not want us to vote to boot millions off their health insurance. They do not want the closing of hospitals, particularly in rural areas where the hospitals don't have much cushion. They don't want the laying off of doctors and nurses and healthcare workers so they get less good coverage and it takes much longer to get it. Americans didn't vote for that, but that is what happened.

And here is what the data shows: Americans are fed up with Trump. NBC News Decision Desk Poll, September 7: 57 percent disapprove of Donald Trump's job performance, 43 percent approve; 60 percent believe America, under his leadership, is on the wrong track; 61 percent disapprove of the way he is handling inflation. CBS News, September 3 to 5: 56 percent disapprove of Donald Trump's job performance; 62 percent oppose new U.S. tariffs on imported goods.

So it is no wonder that Democrats are winning in State special elections, even in districts that Trump previously won by as many as 10 points, from one end of the country to the other. These

local elections show Americans reject Donald Trump just several months after he got into office.

To put this all together, the story is clear: Donald Trump is sabotaging our economy; he is sending healthcare costs through the roof; Americans are sick of his failures, which brings us to the work of Congress this month. It is less than 20 calendar days until government funding runs out, and a shutdown will happen if nothing is done.

How Congress proceeds is up to our Republican colleagues. They are in charge. They run the House. They run the Senate. They have the Presidency. Well, if our Republican colleagues know what is good for the country and good for them, they will realize that they should no longer remain aboard this sinking ship that Trump is commanding. The greater danger that they will face is sinking with their ship if nothing changes.

What Republicans should do, then, is commit to working on bipartisan legislation to undo some of the terrible things Donald Trump has done during his time in office. Working on bipartisan legislation that has real input from Democrats--that is the way to avoid a shutdown.

Of course, there is another path, a far uglier path. Republicans can continue to go at it alone. They can continue to bow down to Donald Trump. They can continue to surrender Congress's constitutional powers over to the Executive and enable Donald Trump and his evil minion Russell Vought as they illegally cancel and steal congressionally approved funding.

So if Republicans choose the path of ``do what we say or go to hell,'' then they will be the ones paving the bitter road that leads toward a government shutdown. And we Democrats will not accept that. We will not enable Republicans' carnage of this country. We won't bail Republicans out as the cost of healthcare, groceries, school supplies, rent, electricity, and automobiles all go up and up. We still have some time to avoid that dismal outcome.

We Democrats don't want to see a government shutdown, but avoiding one means Republicans have to show they are serious about having real, substantive, serious negotiation. This week, we need to see signs from Republicans that they are serious about avoiding a shutdown, or time will run out. And the American people will know Republicans will be responsible if a shutdown happens.

Mr. President, now on judicial nominations, this one is hard to believe. It is hard to believe that the nominees for the Federal bench have gone so low, but under Donald Trump's leadership--his lack of morality, his total egotism, his total self-servingness--they have. Listen to this one, this nominee Mr. Artau. And this is why the Democrats are demanding historical levels of scrutiny, because that scrutiny reveals all of the corruption going on behind the scenes, just like what we learned about Mr. Artau, today's nominee. It is one of the most blatant cases of quid pro quo I have ever seen.

While Artau was begging Donald Trump and Republican Senators for a judgeship--he was begging them to make him a judge--he was, at the same time, part of a panel of judges in Florida hearing Donald Trump's defamation case against the Pulitzer Prize Board.

This guy sues everybody. That has been his MO for decades. He tries to scare people with idiotic lawsuits that have no basis in law. Well, in this case, he was suing the Pulitzer Prize Board in a case of defamation. Well, Artau was on the panel of judges to hear the case.

What would a normal person--you don't need a high degree of honesty, you don't need to be an Eagle Scout to know that this is a direct conflict of interest, and any judge with an ounce of integrity would recuse himself.

But, of course, Artau stayed on the case, didn't even tell anyone about the conflict of interest, and surprise, surprise, surprise, Artau ruled in favor of Trump.

These are the kind of sleazy people Donald Trump wants on the bench. He has no principles. He has no regard for the rule of law. He picks people with blind obeisance to him that will bow down to the King. That is not what judges are supposed to do. That is not what nominees to Departments are supposed to do.

He didn't care if the people he picks are corrupt. He doesn't care if they are biased. He doesn't care if they lack any principles, sense of integrity, fidelity to rule of law. One quality only: Are they pro- Trump? Will they do whatever he wants?

That is good enough for a gavel and a robe in this Trump world, and it is good enough for our Republican colleagues who just go along with all of this, knowing how wrong it is and shrugging their shoulders out of fear, obeisance, or some other untoward emotion.

The Senate should reject Mr. Artau today.

Reserving the right to object, first, let the public know what they are talking about as obstruction: 2 hours of debate and a vote on some of the worst nominees we have ever seen. They want to pile them all together. Some of these nominees are--the people who know them in their States are appalled that they would be nominated.

Trump has chosen his U.S. attorneys for one reason only: blind obeisance to him. That is it. No rule of law. No independence.

So of course our friends are afraid of 2 hours of debate and a vote because so many of these nominees are so bad. Historical bad nominees deserve a historical response.

So we wanted to come to an agreement with our colleagues to let some of the better ones through, but we couldn't--not because of our Senate colleagues. Senator Grassley was involved, and Senator Thune was involved. We were close to an agreement, and what happened? Donald Trump, who wants these horrible nominees--so many of them--said:

Go to hell.

That is what he said. So instead of our Republican colleagues telling Donald Trump ``No, we can work out an agreement that is fair,'' they said ``OK.'' They pedaled back.

Now what is their alternative? They are ready to detonate Senate precedent altogether and go nuclear on all the nominees. So much for oversight. And before they even do that, now they want to rubberstamp another round of nominees--no scrutiny, no debate.

Two hours of debate and a vote for someone as powerful as a U.S. attorney. Most Americans would agree that is the least we could do--the least we could do. So no scrutiny, no debate, and no consent from us.

I want to be very clear. If my colleague from Iowa, who is a good man, wants to resume our negotiations, which we were ready to do--and he knows it. He was part of it. If he is willing to back off threats to go nuclear, we will be open to having a conversation about a nominees package, including the ones on his list. We will be open to negotiations, just as we were at the end of July when we were in that room right across the hall from here and ready to have an agreement, when all of a sudden, Donald Trump says ``Go to hell'' and the Republican leadership says ``OK. We won't do it because he doesn't like it'' even though he has historically bad, reprehensible nominees.

So if Republicans are dead set on going nuclear, we will not grant consent today.

I object.

Reserving the right to object, I would with respect remind my colleague that all three of these people were on our list that we were negotiating and could have been passed with our agreement.

Donald Trump said:

Go to hell.

You and the Republican leader backed off. So you could have it done with an agreement, a bipartisan agreement--not a partisan agreement where the Republicans just choose whoever they want, no matter.

So the bottom line, once again, is simple: You want to get these things done? Negotiate an agreement in a bipartisan way. Don't bow down to Donald Trump, who, as I said, has nominated for U.S. attorney in many other places some of the worst nominees, the most conflicted nominees, the least qualified nominees we have ever seen.

I object.

Reserving the right to object, once again, negotiate in a fair, bipartisan way with us, and many of these things could be resolved. Do it in a partisan way. Bow down to Donald Trump--no way.

I object.