Floor Statements

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 President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.

Mr. President yesterday, Democrats released our bill to extend government funding and meet the needs of the American people. The contrast between the Republican bill and the Democratic bill is glaring.

The Republican bill is more of the same failed status quo of Donald Trump's failed policies: more high costs, healthcare cuts, and premiums up.

Democrats have a different option. We address the crises Americans face in healthcare, in Medicaid, in inflation, and in higher costs.

The House is expected to vote on their partisan, status quo bill either later today or tomorrow. If the bill passes the House, the Senate should take up the issue immediately afterward. We could do it quickly so we don't interfere with anyone's travel plans to Arizona.

We would ask for limited debate and just two votes: the House status quo bill, which delays any sort of healthcare relief; and the Democratic alternative, which would lower healthcare costs for millions of Americans.

I urge Republican leaders to speed up these votes.

One of the oldest sayings in politics is from the great Abraham Lincoln. He said that ``public sentiment is everything.'' That is certainly true in this debate. The American people will look at what Republicans are doing and what Democrats are doing, and it will be clear that public sentiment is on our side.

Public sentiment will be on our side for at least three reasons:

First, the American people want both sides to work together. We have made

it clear we want a bipartisan negotiation, but Republicans don't. The American people detest seeing Republicans being so intransigent. Republicans are governing like their view is the only view. That is, of course, not true. We are a split country, half and half. And to cut one half out entirely--no talk, no negotiation--is unacceptable for the American people. That won't win public sentiment in any way.

The second reason public sentiment is on our side: Americans are tired of the failed, chaotic, high-cost status quo, which decimates their healthcare, which raises their costs, and which Republicans are defending in their bill.

Tens of millions of people are going to lose coverage. Starting in October, millions will receive notices that their healthcare insurance premiums are going to go up $400, $500, $600--not a year; a month. The average working family can't afford that. Premiums are skyrocketing. Hospitals from Virginia to Nebraska, from Maine to California are shutting down now--not later. People won't be able to see a doctor or access affordable medication.

I met a woman whose daughter had cancer. She said to me that they depend on Medicaid for her recovery. What is she going to do? Wait? Delay? See what the Republicans want to do, if anything, when they haven't said they would do anything at all and they decimated healthcare themselves?

Now nursing homes are going to close down, and many, many American families are not going to know what to do about taking care of their elderly parents. They may not have room at home to have them move in, and even if they did, they can't give them the kind of healthcare their parents got in nursing homes. But nursing homes, one after the other, are going to close. They depend on Medicaid.

This is all chaos. This is suffering.

Medical research, which can cure cancer or Alzheimer's--millions are alive because we invested in medical research--cut it off? stifle it? don't send the money out for it? This is chaos. This is suffering.

These are the results of Donald Trump's policies, which the status quo, partisan Republican bill maintains, and Americans are tired of this status quo. All the data shows it. Even Leader Thune called the Republican bill status quo--the status quo option--on the floor yesterday.

America, do you want the status quo on healthcare? Leader Thune says his bill is status quo.

Today, I was amazed to hear that Leader Thune called our bill filthy. Is it filthy to provide healthcare for sick Americans? Is it filthy to prevent premiums from going up $400 or $500 a month? Is it filthy to prevent rural hospitals from closing? That is why Republicans are so out of touch. That is why.

The American people desperately want change. They don't think our country is headed in the right direction, and they need help in bringing healthcare costs down, providing better healthcare. They need help maintaining coverage. They need help for the essentials. The Republican status quo bill doesn't do any of this, but the Democratic bill does--the second reason that public sentiment is on our side, not theirs.

Finally and just as importantly, it is unacceptable that Donald Trump has told Republicans not to negotiate with Democrats, and Donald Trump is heading America toward a shutdown by not negotiating.

Look. Here is what he said. These are Trump's words, not mine. I will remind everybody of his words last week: ``Don't even bother'' to deal with Democrats. When Donald Trump says ``don't even bother'' to deal with Democrats, he says he wants a shutdown, plain and simple. And again, that is the last thing the American people want--a President who says: My way or the highway, and shut the government down if I don't get my way. That is what he said.

The public is on our side. The public is on our side. Public sentiment is everything. They don't like Republican partisanship, they don't like the status quo bill, and they certainly don't like Donald Trump refusing to even have Democrats be part of the decision.

He says he doesn't need us? Well, Donald Trump either doesn't know how to count or doesn't understand a modicum of Senate procedure, which most Americans do.

You need 60 votes, Mr. President, Donald Trump. You have 53. You need our votes. To say not to bother with us is saying you want a shutdown, plain and simple. The American people see that.

Finally, Leader Thune has spent a lot of time talking about the past. He has quoted me. I want to remind Leader Thune--I want to remind my Republican colleagues--when Democrats were in the majority and I was majority leader, every year, we did not see a shutdown. I was majority leader for 4 years--no shutdowns. Why? Because we sat down with the other side and negotiated. We knew that the majority had to work with the minority. Like now, we knew then we had to get 60 votes. And bipartisanship ruled the day. It had to if you wanted to avoid a shutdown.

Why is that not happening now? Well, frankly, Leader Jeffries and I were befuddled for about a month because in late July, we asked Thune and Johnson to sit down with us--late July. We heard nothing from them, crickets. We asked again in early September; nothing, crickets.

But now it has become clear why they wouldn't sit down with us. Here is the reason: Donald Trump. Donald Trump made it clear: ``Don't even bother'' dealing with the Democrats. Thune and Johnson listen to Trump. They are not independent actors. They don't represent an independent Congress, an independent House, or an independent Senate. And when Donald Trump says don't negotiate with Democrats, they don't and come up with 20 excuses why.

The single biggest reason that we are on the brink of a shutdown is Donald Trump's refusal to let Republicans even negotiate.

I yield the floor.

I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. President, tomorrow, the Senate will hold votes on two bills: the status quo continuing resolution from the Republicans, which will lead to a shutdown, and the Democrats' plan to prevent a shutdown while avoiding a catastrophe in rising healthcare costs.

Tomorrow, Americans will see the glaring contrast, the contrast between the Republican plan continuing the status quo of Donald Trump's healthcare cuts and high costs and the Democratic plan to avoid a shutdown while lowering premiums, fixing Medicaid, and protecting funds for scientific and medical research.

The latest studies, in fact, show that the impacts of the Republican healthcare cuts are quickly getting worse and worse than first imagined. This is an oncoming train that must be stopped.

So tomorrow, Republicans can choose: Either listen to Donald Trump and shut the government down or break this logjam by supporting our bill and keeping the government open. The votes tomorrow will tell all.

I yield the floor.

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

Mr. President, yesterday, Speaker Johnson and House Republicans released a partisan CR that failed to meet the needs of the American people.

Republicans have been calling their bill a clean CR, but ``clean'' is the wrong word. It is a partisan bill; it has had no input from Democrats; and, most importantly, because it has had

no input from Democrats, it is a status quo bill. It is a status quo bill.

Americans don't want the status quo. With tens of millions being kicked off of health insurance, with healthcare premiums set to skyrocket next year, with people paying more for groceries, for energy costs, for rent and struggling because of Donald Trump's tariffs, people need help.

That is what they are telling us from one end of the country to the other. They are not happy with the direction America is going. American people want their leaders to address their needs, and that is just what Democrats are fighting for. The last thing the American people want is a status quo bill that continues the chaos and high costs of the last 9 months.

But the Republican bill, not only is it partisan, but it is a status quo bill. It changes nothing. It continues the chaos and high costs of the last 9 months.

Democrats say: No way. We need to answer people's needs. When they tell us prices are going through the roof, when they tell us their healthcare is at risk, they want us to be there. So we need to sit at the table and talk to our Republican colleagues so the American people's needs can be taken into account in a bipartisan negotiation.

But the Republican CR is certainly not the right answer. Republicans are causing a shutdown, creating it by not negotiating and by not being willing to answer the country's needs.

The American people deserve better than the Republicans' failed agenda. They deserve better than keeping the status quo because there has been such, such damage done in the last months.

Soon, Senate and House Democrats will release our own proposal to keep the government open with a short-term extension that properly meets the needs of the American people. Our bill will represent the right path to avoid a shutdown crisis by addressing healthcare costs and cuts, by preventing premiums from going up, by restoring and extending congressional funds for things like NIH that Donald Trump and Russell Vought are illegally halting.

Once both sides put forth proposals--and ours will be coming shortly--Republicans will face a choice: to keep following Donald Trump into a reckless shutdown that he seems to want or to finally come to the table and work with us.

Remember, it takes 60 votes to get anything passed in the Senate. That means Democratic input is a necessity to improve the lives and lower costs for the American people because Republicans are not doing a thing to make things better.

This is not optional; it is necessary. Republicans know that. Yet Donald Trump has told Republicans: Don't even bother. He said ``Don't even bother negotiating with Democrats.'' And they have, unfortunately, dutifully, obeyed.

By not even bothering to talk to Democrats, Republicans are paving the road that leads to a shutdown. That is deeply troubling for the American people. They expect Donald Trump and Republicans to do their jobs and to address their needs and to keep the government open by working like adults with the other side, not just saying: It is my way or the highway, particularly when their way represents a status quo that the American people abhor. Mark my words, the American people will blame Donald Trump if a shutdown happens.

Finally, I will say it again because it is important: Democrats don't want a shutdown, but Republicans cannot shut Democrats out of the process and pretend like the last 9 months have been business as usual.

There is nothing business as usual about kicking 16 million people off healthcare. There is nothing business as usual about Donald Trump illegally stealing and canceling Federal investments approved by Congress, even for NIH research, which may save the lives of children with cancer. There is nothing business as usual about Donald Trump tearing up budgets, ignoring the law, picking winners and losers for things as vital as disaster relief.

Republicans know that these abuses can't just continue as if everything is just fine. Everyone knows that Americans are frustrated with the status quo, frustrated with costs going up and up and up, frustrated with Donald Trump injecting so much chaos into their lives. And Republicans think that that is OK, no questions asked, no negotiation or discussion? Give me a break.

In the Senate, it takes 60 votes. So that means Republicans will need to work with us. If they can't even bother to have a conversation with Democrats, it is Republicans, then, the American people will know, are causing the shutdown in 2 weeks. We still have some time. I pray it doesn't happen.

I yield the floor.

I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. President, I want to be very clear about something. When Donald Trump goes on FOX News and says to Republicans ``Don't even bother to deal with Democrats,'' when he says out loud that he doesn't need or want our votes, that means Donald Trump wants a shutdown--make no mistake about it.

Trump can say a million times he doesn't want a shutdown, but he is acting as if he absolutely wants one. His words say one thing, but his actions say another. He is ordering Republicans not to even bother working with Democrats. He is telling Republicans to ``fight back'' against ``the radical left democratic demands.'' He is telling them to vote yes on a partisan CR that fails to meet the needs of the American people and had no Democratic input.

These are the kinds of actions a President takes when he wants a shutdown: closing negotiations; forcing partisan votes; ignoring the needs on healthcare, on costs, and on so many other issues of the American people.

It is the same story with Leader Thune and Speaker Johnson. They are doing exactly what Donald Trump wants. They say they want a vote on a partisan CR as soon as possible here in the Congress, but they have refused even to sit down at the table with Leader Jeffries and me, despite repeated requests.

So, look, our Republican colleagues can say whatever they want, but it is clear as could be that they want a shutdown. They can say they don't; they are acting as if they do. They can try to play the blame game, but their actions tell a different story. Their actions show clearly they want to shut things down because they don't want to negotiate with Democrats.

And it is more than that. It means Republicans don't want to help the American people with the crisis they have created, raising people's costs, particularly their healthcare costs. They don't want to do anything about the crisis they have created for their hospitals despite the outcry from hospitals, hospital workers, and patients from one end of the country to the other. They don't want to do anything about the fact that people's premiums are going to shoot through the roof. They don't want to stop the rampant and illegal abuses of Donald Trump when he steals or cancels congressional-approved funding for medical research--medical research--or other things.

By refusing to sit down with Democrats, Republicans are telling the American people that they are happy to help Donald Trump burn this country down; they are happy to let the government shut down.

The American people don't want Republicans to shut the government down. The American people expect Republicans who are in charge to sit down and negotiate, as any responsible leaders would do. They expect Republicans to do their jobs.

On Friday, Donald Trump said on ``Fox & Friends'' that he all he needs is Republican votes. He is wrong. He doesn't know how to count. It takes 60 Senate votes for anything to pass. That means you need Democratic votes. That is a plain fact. To get those votes, he needs some input from Democrats. We particularly want to talk about people's high costs--particularly in healthcare--created by the Republican Big Beautiful Bill. Those are the plain facts.

If Donald Trump says no negotiations at all, then it is Donald Trump's shutdown.

Welcoming Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew

Mr. President, now on a happier note--His All-Holiness Patriarch Bartholomew I. I would like to welcome this morning to Washington His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I, the spiritual leader of all the world's orthodox Christians. It is an honor to have His All- Holiness with us this week in our Nation's Capital. He is a great example not only to the world's Christians but to people of all faiths and to everyone who seeks peace, justice, and unity in a world in desperate need of all three.

I particularly commend the patriarch for his legacy as an advocate for protecting our planet, for interfaith dialogue, and for justice for every corner of the Earth.

We welcome Patriarch Bartholomew I to Washington this week. We thank him for his leadership, and we wish him the best during his stay here.

I yield the floor.

I suggest the absence of a quorum.

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.