Floor Statements

Mr. President, I thank my great friend from Connecticut who cares about these issues so much and is one of our most effective advocates in the whole country for things like this. I thank him and thank all of my colleagues who have come to the floor--Senator Whitehouse, Senator Markey, and so many others who are just eloquent spokespeople for helping people with healthcare.

Today, Democrats are holding the floor on the 60th anniversary of Medicare and Medicaid being signed into law to talk about the Republican all-out assault on our healthcare system.

Look, the American people are just fed up--fed up, up to here--with the soaring costs of healthcare. They are fed up with Donald Trump and Republicans cutting their healthcare to help the billionaire class. But, unfortunately, Donald Trump and Republicans seem to live in a bubble because while they brag about how big and beautiful their bill is, the American people feel the opposite.

The more Americans learn about the Republican bill, the more they are realizing that Donald Trump and Republicans sold them a raw deal--a raw deal.

The Republicans' ``Big Ugly Betrayal'' is one of the most devastating bills for American healthcare that we have ever seen. The largest cut to Medicaid in American history, $1 trillion in healthcare cuts, 15 million people at risk of losing their healthcare coverage--why? To pay for tax breaks for billionaires; telling a mom whose daughter has cancer that she can no longer afford treatment, and the child may die because some billionaire needs more money? I don't have anything against the billionaires. God bless them. They made a lot of money. They don't need a tax break at the expense of middle-class, working- class American families, poor American families who desperately need healthcare.

What is big or beautiful about what they are doing? Nothing. It is even nervy to call it big and beautiful.

They listened to Donald Trump who just makes it up as he goes along, and they say: Yes, whatever he says, no matter how bad it is for the American people.

The American people don't want their healthcare cut to help out the ultrarich. It is a nasty proposition from our Republican colleagues.

If I may add an aside--I want to be clear. It is not just healthcare that is in danger. It is not just healthcare.

Today, we got a rather stunning admission from the administration on Social Security, another part of the safety net that deserves some mention now before I give up the floor.

Today, Secretary Bessent admitted in a podcast that the so-called Trump accounts that the Republicans snuck into the ``Big Ugly Bill'' are, in Secretary Bessent's eyes, a ``backdoor for privatizing Social Security.'' Let me repeat that. These are Bessent's words. What they put and snuck into the reconciliation bill that they call BBB, and we call the ``Big Ugly Betrayal,'' is a ``backdoor for privatizing Social Security.''

America, do you hear that? From one end of the country to the other, probably the most popular Federal program ever passed, and they want to privatize it. Do you know what ``privatize'' means? It means you are in trouble, Mr. or Mrs. Senior Citizen, because when they privatize it and the big boys get ahold of it, it is going to be much less money for you, if any at all.

But now we have it. Bessent actually slipped and told the truth: Donald Trump and his government want to privatize Social Security.

Another great lie from Donald Trump--he just lies at will--he promised that Social Security, under his watch, ``would not be touched,'' while, at the same time, his administration has strangled the program behind the scenes, laying off staff, shutting down offices, making it harder to claim benefits. And now they are openly talking about privatizing it.

Rarely is the end game for Republicans so obvious. They are ramming historic cuts down Americans' throats to help their billionaire buddies.

So in light of the attacks, as we mark the anniversary of Medicare and Social Security--it was a proud, proud day 60 years ago, when America finally understood that we were a wealthy country, and we had to use some of it to give people healthcare, the most important thing in their lives. If you ask the average American: What do you want most? I want to live long and healthy.

And the reason we are living longer and healthier, with all the troubles in the system, is because we have Medicare and Medicaid. And this is the anniversary.

This morning, I was proud to introduce legislation to reverse the disastrous healthcare cuts in the ``Big Ugly Betrayal.'' The bill is simple: It repeals the entire healthcare subtitle of the Republicans' bill and permanently extends the ACA premium tax credits that Republicans let expire.

Extending these tax credits should be a no-brainer. It will save Americans on the ACA hundreds--if not thousands--of dollars a year on their health insurance. Anyone who objects to this wants Americans to pay more for healthcare, plain and simple.

The Senate should take up our legislation as soon as possible because the worst of the Republican cuts are already starting to take effect.

It is not going to happen. Republican colleagues who thought: Oh, we can delay it so no one will know until after the 2026 elections. Bunk. It is starting already. Healthcare premiums are going to start spiking very soon.

Hospitals and clinics are at great risk of closing now, not after 2026. Some have already shut their doors in Maine, Nebraska, and other States. People in rural communities are worried sick that they will have to travel even farther to get healthcare.

In many rural counties, including some of mine in New York, the local hospital is the biggest employer. Those jobs will go by the wayside.

Again, this is not what the American people want. People want healthcare that is easy to access, easy to navigate, easy to afford. Seniors, kids, people with disabilities, people who rely on Medicare and Medicaid don't want to see their coverage ripped away. Republicans should be working with Democrats to strengthen these programs, not slash and burn them to the ground.

Don't go home and tell people lies, that your healthcare won't be affected by this bill. Of course it will. Even the Republican gurus say: Oh, talk about other things; don't talk about healthcare--because they know how bad it is.

It isn't too late. It is not too late for Republicans to reverse course. Democrats, meanwhile, will never, never, never--Senator Whitehouse, Senator Markey, Senator Hickenlooper, and all of my other Democratic colleagues will never stop fighting to fix our broken healthcare system.

I yield the floor.

Mr. President, just about an hour ago, the President announced a tariff agreement with South Korea. But if past is prologue, this so-called deal with South Korea is one where U.S. families will pay more. It will increase their costs with the rise in tariffs of 15 percent. It is one where bold promises are made that billions in investments will come our way but with no substance to back it up. It seems to be just another one of these so-called deals that hurt the American people.

Earlier this morning, we got more warning signs that Donald Trump's foolish trade war is taking its toll on the U.S. economy. According to the New York Times, the ``U.S. Economy Slowed in [the] First Half of 2025 as Tariffs Scrambled Data.'' ``Scrambled'' is precisely the right word or you might call it chaos because from the moment that Donald Trump announced his so-called ``Liberation Day,'' his tariffs have ushered a season of pandemonium for markets, small businesses, retailers, and families.

Just today, Ford, one of the biggest American car manufacturers, announced that these tariffs will end up costing the company $2 billion a year. Big retailers like Walmart or Amazon and others have at one point or another warned of price hikes for everyday goods like clothes, appliances, and toys. The American people are worried about the increased costs of the things they buy, and yet these tariffs even raise those costs higher.

This sure doesn't sound like a golden age to me, and nor does the $2,400 that households will pay extra on average under this tariff scheme by the President. Instead, do you know what this sounds like? It sounds like a national sales tax on the American people, plain and simple. That is what Donald Trump's tariffs are--a national sales tax on families and small businesses.

On August 1, if Donald Trump doesn't change course, a whole new slew of tariffs on dozens of countries will come into effect and tax the living daylights out of households and businesses even more.

Look, nobody is fooled by Donald Trump's ruse. My Republican colleagues in their private moments know that Donald Trump is a BS artist when it comes to tariffs. His pattern is always the same: He makes wild promises, he talks a big game, but he never seems to follow through. He lies about what he says. He blames others.

Just look at the so-called deal with Japan. Donald Trump hailed it for supposedly delivering $550 billion in investments, but almost immediately--almost immediately--the Japanese Government said the real investments would be less than 2 percent of that figure.

What nerve for Donald Trump to mislead the American people on these tariffs, but he does it over and over again.

What about his supposed deal with the European Union? Again, Donald Trump howled from the mountaintops, saying that Europe would buy $750 billion worth of American energy and would make $600 billion in new investments in the United States, but immediately, typically, after the announcement was made, it was painfully obvious that those numbers were essentially made up. The EU stated publicly that the agreement was nonbinding and they had no real plan to back it up.

Tonight, the South Korea deal doesn't sound much different--a big increase, a sales tax on the American people--15 percent is a lot--and bold promises of investments that are made that never materialize, that almost vanish the day after they are announced.

The only parts of these deals that are real are the real costs Americans will pay out of their pockets. Grocery prices will go up. Everyday goods prices will go up. But savings, earnings, and prosperity in this country for American families will go down.

Meanwhile, is Donald Trump being tough on China like he wants people to think? Of course not. On the contrary, he is giving the Chinese Government greater access to U.S. semiconductors that are vital-- vital--for our national security. Where it counts the absolute most, which is getting tough on China, Donald Trump is acting like a pushover. By sending them these sophisticated chips, they are going to allow China to catch up to us in things like AI and many other new technological advances. A few years back, we worked hard to see that these vital chips were not sent to China, but in one fell swoop, without any real explanation as to the damage it will do, Donald Trump reversed it.

Democrats have been fighting back against these catastrophes from the start. I am disappointed. Just a few minutes ago, our Republican colleagues chose fealty to Trump over relief to the American people by blocking Senator Shaheen's bill and also Senator Welch's bill that would have halted many of Donald Trump's tariffs and would have protected so many American small businesses.

The right answer here was so glaringly obvious, but Republicans elected to worship at Donald Trump's altar yet again, even though they know these tariffs are terrible for people back home. Republicans are going to have to explain to the people back home why they are so OK with increasing their costs and abandoning them to Donald Trump's endless tariff chaos.

I yield the floor.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record.

Madam President, I come to the floor this morning not as Democratic leader, not even as the senior Senator from New York, but simply as a New Yorker, as a kid from Brooklyn, as someone who has walked that stretch of Park Avenue a thousand times.

Yesterday, my city--the greatest city on Earth--was shattered when a gunman took the lives of four innocent New Yorkers in cold blood just four blocks from my office in Midtown Manhattan. I actually worked in the building where the shooting took place for one summer as a summer associate at a law firm.

One of the victims, Officer Islam, was a husband and a father of two, with a third baby on the way. He was the best of who we are--a proud Bangladeshi American, a proud cop from the 47th Precinct, and a proud New Yorker. He died doing what NYPD officers do every day--running toward danger, protecting others, putting his own life on the line. That is what he did, and he paid--he paid the ultimate price.

When an NYPD officer is killed doing his duty, it is not just a tragedy; it is a rupture in the soul of our city, our beloved city, and it requires that we mourn and honor all those we lost.

I have lived in New York my whole life. I know this city, I know the people, and I know how we carry pain like this, how it lingers--I still remember the officers who had been shot in the line of duty months, even years and decades ago--because that is what happens when innocent lives are taken in the heart of your home.

This happened just four blocks from my office, in broad daylight, in one of the busiest, safest, most iconic parts of Manhattan, right across from where New Yorkers pour in and out of work, pick up lunch or stop to say a prayer at St. Bart's or St. Pat's or Central Synagogue or at the Muslim Community Network mosque, all of which are in Midtown Manhattan, very close to the location where the shooting occurred.

We also grieve for another victim--Wesley LePatner, killed in the building. She was a brilliant executive from Blackstone, a beloved wife and mother of two.

We know there are two other victims as well whose names have not yet been made public, and we mourn them as well.

When something like this happens, every single New Yorker feels it. It is felt in every precinct, every kitchen table, and it is etched in the hearts of the families left behind, who will always have a hole in their hearts for the rest of their lives.

I want those families--especially Officer Islam's wife and kids and the families of Wesley LePatner from Blackstone and the other victims not yet named due to family notifications--to know this: You are not alone. All of New York grieves with you. We ache for you.

We will always remember the sacrifice Officer Islam--a husband, a son, and a father--made for all of us.

To the other victims--people just trying to make a living, do their jobs--our hearts are broken, and we, too, grieve with your families.

The city will carry their memories forward. We will continue to pray for those still recovering and in critical condition.

I want to thank the first responders who ran toward the gunfire--all the cops, EMTs, and firefighters that got there fast and prevented even more bloodshed. They are heroes, every one of them. That is New York-- courage under fire, grace in the face of horror. It is who we are.

As we mourn this awful day in New York, we must remember that we cannot keep meeting these moments with thoughts and prayers alone. We owe these families more than silence; we owe them action. For now, we mourn, but we mourn as New Yorkers--together. We will carry on, yes. That is who we are. But we will never, never be the same.

I ask for the yeas and nays.

Madam President, I want to be very clear about what Senate Republicans are doing.

Tonight, Senate Republicans vote to put Emil Bove--a January 6 sympathizer--on one of the highest courts in the country. They reward a man--credibly accused of wanting to lie to judges--with a black robe and a gavel of his own. And they are confirming him for one reason only: Mr. Bove is loyal to Donald Trump. Therefore, Donald Trump wants him on the bench. The calculus is as simple as that--as simple as that.

It is unfathomable that, just over 4 years after the insurrection at the Capitol--when rioters smashed windows, ransacked offices, and desecrated this Chamber--Senate Republicans are willingly putting someone on the bench who shielded these rioters from facing justice, who said their prosecution was a grave national injustice.

To my colleagues who were here on January 6 and who are now putting him on the bench, shame on you. To confirm Mr. Bove is a sacrilegious act against our democracy, a deep violation against the spirit of our oaths of office.

But this is not just about January 6. Mr. Bove has been accused by multiple whistleblowers of telling DOJ lawyers to intentionally mislead judges about the administration's policy. Mr. Bove denied these claims, but we have text messages, emails, and other documents saying otherwise. Recently, another whistleblower has come forward, sharing evidence with Senators, suggesting Mr. Bove misled the Judiciary Committee during his sworn testimony.

Since it seems very likely Mr. Bove lied to Senators, he never should become a Federal judge, but Republicans

are rushing Mr. Bove through tonight, hoping the American people aren't paying attention. That includes the Judiciary chairman, someone who prides himself on standing up for whistleblowers but who rushed the process through in committee without fully vetting this nominee and without getting to the bottom of the facts underpinning these grave accusations.

Honestly, how have Republicans allowed the bar to fall so low--so dismally low--that they would confirm someone accused of lying to judges to the bench without turning over every stone and examining every lead before making this decision?

How have our Republican colleagues forgotten the horrors of January 6 so soon that they would let Mr. Bove--one of the great defenders of the insurrectionists--sail through this Chamber?

This is a dark, dark day, a dark vote, and a dangerous nominee Republicans are confirming.

I yield the floor.

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

Mr. President, while Senate Republicans have been focused on pushing partisan politics that would crush middle-class Americans all to pay for tax cuts for billionaires, while House Republicans are ignoring their responsibility to fund the government by leaving town early for the Epstein recess, and while the Trump administration continues to push policies that are sending costs up, chaos up, corruption up, Senate Democrats and House Democrats--myself, Leader Jeffries, and both of our caucuses--are fighting to build a new vision for America. I am working closely with Leader Jeffries, alongside Senator Klobuchar and Congresswoman Dingell, on a united vision.

The American people are fed up with the costs, chaos, and corruption of the Trump administration and the aiding and abetting Republicans have done at his behest.

Republican policies have sent the price of groceries, housing utility bills, essential goods, and more skyrocketing.

They have gutted healthcare and essential services for working families, like Medicare and Medicaid. They have spiked healthcare premiums and put hospitals around the country in crisis mode. Many are talking about closing, and a few have already closed, leaving people without the healthcare they need--all for tax cuts for billionaires.

They have unleashed rampant levels of corruption and warped our democracy, empowering the wealthy and well-connected to profit off the backs of working families. Donald Trump seems to be at the top of the list in using his government position to make personal profit.

But Senate and House Democrats are fighting back. Democrats are fighting to lower the high costs of living, which have become far too expensive for American families.

We are fighting to strengthen our communities, make our streets safer, and protect essential services that millions of people rely on every single day.

Instead of further breaking our healthcare system--ripping healthcare away from millions--we think the healthcare system should be easier, not harder, for Americans to access and navigate and to afford. We are also fighting to fix our broken healthcare system to make sure that people who need the care can get it and be able to afford it.

We are fighting to rid our government of the scourge of corruption. There is so much corruption and self-dealing and rich people-- billionaires--getting richer in terms of how they operate and what the government passes and doesn't pass. We are fighting to rid our government of that scourge. It has run rampant--the scourge of corruption has run rampant--under Donald Trump and Republicans. It is one of the most corrupt administrations in American history.

The bottom line is this: Senate and House Democrats are united in creating an America that works better for everyone, not just the wealthy, not just the well-connected, and we will use every tool at our disposal in the appropriations process and beyond to fight back against the disastrous Donald Trump and Republican agenda.

Mr. President, today marks the first day of the House embarking on their ``Epstein recess,'' and already the story Republicans hoped would quietly fade is growing louder by the hour. Just yesterday, the Wall Street Journal reported that Attorney General Pam Bondi and the Department of Justice informed President Trump back in May that his name appears multiple times in the Epstein files.

Let me remind my colleagues, only last week Donald Trump told a reporter that Attorney General Bondi never told him his name was in those files. Now we know that this was a lie, plain and simple, a red- faced lie.

And this revelation raises not just serious questions about President Trump but about Attorney General Bondi herself. Bondi has proven to do all of Trump's bidding. No matter what way you slice it, Attorney General Bondi lied to the American people. She told us we would see the report. She told us it is on her desk. Then we are told there is no report.

So you can understand the deep skepticism Americans have when they hear that today, Bondi's personal prosecutors--yes, the very ones under her direction--are preparing to interview Ghislaine Maxwell, Jeffrey Epstein's longtime accomplice, behind closed doors in Florida.

Let me repeat: Under no circumstances should anyone from Donald Trump's Department of Justice be allowed to privately interview Ghislaine Maxwell. The conflict of interest just stares you in the face, and it is unacceptable.

If you have been following this saga, and given how the White House and Speaker Johnson have so mishandled it--and who hasn't been following it--you know exactly why this moment is so dangerous. There is every reason to fear that Donald Trump could offer Ghislaine Maxwell a pardon in exchange for silence or, even worse, phony exoneration.

Let me be clear, Trump is sending his personal lawyer, Todd Blanche, to try to execute a corrupt coverup, potentially offering leniency to a woman who also abused the victims.

Enough. Enough. Enough with the hiding; enough with the excuses; and enough with the coverup. The American people deserve transparency. They deserve answers.

And there are massive questions here, not just for the President but for the Vice President, the Attorney General, the FBI Director, and Republican leaders in Congress. What is in the files? When did they learn about it? And how long have they been misleading the American people?

So, today, on the heels of Speaker Johnson fleeing town to avoid accountability and following this damning report from the Wall Street Journal, I am calling on the administration to provide a closed-door briefing to all Senators on the Epstein files. The Senate deserves to hear directly from senior administration officials about Donald Trump's name appearing in these files and the complete lack of transparency shown to date.

Let me say it again. Donald Trump can't play ignorant anymore. He was caught red-handed in a lie, as were his lackeys. He reportedly knew for months that his name was in the Epstein files. He lied about it to the press, and now the truth is coming out.

Over the past few weeks, Trump has tried to change the subject-- throwing out wild accusations, attacking his critics, and calling the files a hoax run by Democrats. He has blamed ``foolish'' and ``stupid'' Republicans for taking it seriously. He even scolded the American people for caring too much.

Well, we now all know why he was so desperate to make it all disappear--because whenever Donald Trump points a finger, it is because he knows he is guilty of what he is accusing everyone else of. That is his MO. When he does something, when he knows he has done something wrong, instead of admitting it, instead of trying to make amends, he points the finger at someone else and accuses them of the very thing he has done. That is how he has lived his whole life. That is how he has conducted his Presidency. As I said, it is his MO.

Let us not forget, Donald Trump campaigned, just several months back, on releasing the Epstein files. Donald Trump is the only President or politician to ever campaign on releasing the Epstein files. And now, very simply, Americans are demanding he honor it.

A good number of people voted for Trump because he promised to be their voice against the so-called deep state. But now they have seen he is very much a part of that deep state. He is right in the middle of it.

People believed he would drain the swamp; now he is right in the middle of the swamp. And that is why Americans across the political spectrum--right, center, left, Democrats, Republican, Independents-- Americans across the political spectrum are angry with Donald Trump because they now are seeing his promise to drain the swamp was total fiction. He is in the middle of it. He is adding to it.

Trump promised transparency. He told his supporters he would expose the truth. He has done the opposite. He has smothered it more than ever before.

And meanwhile, House Republicans had the chance to show courage, to do the right thing and act, but, instead, Speaker Johnson ran for the exits, sending everyone home early and triggering what we now call the ``Epstein recess.''

But I would say to Speaker Johnson, I would say to Donald Trump and his minions, I would say to all of my Republican colleagues in the Senate: This issue isn't going away. It is only getting bigger and more dangerous the longer Republicans ignore it.

Instead of focusing on appropriations or national priorities like transparency for Americans or funding the government, Speaker Johnson and House Republicans will be left cleaning up this mess, a mess of their own making.

Republicans cannot escape the issue--not next week, not next month, not until the American people get answers and the transparency they were promised.

Mr. President, now on the Bove cloture vote, later today, Senate Republicans will hold the first procedural vote on one of Donald Trump's nastiest Judicial nominees to date, Emil Bove.

Mr. Bove is beyond unqualified and unworthy of the Federal bench. He is an existential threat to the rule of law and our democracy as we know it.

Mr. Bove is as far from the mainstream as any judicial nominee we have considered in this Chamber. He is a Trumpian henchman, the extreme of the extreme of the extreme. He is openly hostile to the rule of law. He is fundamentally opposed to democratic norms. He lacks the temperament to serve as a jurist.

Above all--above all--Bove is religiously obedient to Donald Trump. We all know that one of the only things that matter to this President is brazen, unyielding obedience to him no matter how wrong he is, no matter what lies he tells.

Mr. Bove made a name for himself by cleaning up Donald Trump's dirty laundry. That is what he did--he cleaned up Donald Trump's dirty laundry. He is a devout January 6 apologist who defended Trump as his personal attorney after Trump was charged with inciting the insurrection.

At the Justice Department, he wielded his power to fire prosecutors working on January 6 criminal cases and punish FBI agents--people who dedicated their lives to our country and were simply following the law. He goes out and tries to punish them because they stopped Donald Trump's insurrection.

So instead of working to hold the January 6 rioters accountable, Bove sided with the rioters, who desecrated the building and violently attacked our police officers. Imagine Republicans going after people who attacked police officers all because Donald Trump incited an insurrection that he now lies about.

Well, that is who Mr. Bove is, and it is not even the all of it. While at the Justice Department, Mr. Bove reportedly told DOJ lawyers to ignore court orders and even deliberately mislead judges. That is what he said. That is what he reportedly told DOJ lawyers--to ignore court orders and mislead judges.

Can you believe we are trying to put this guy on the bench? How low can our Republican colleagues go in obeisance to Donald Trump when so many of them--not all of them, not all of them, but so many of them know he is wrong?

If there is even a shred of truth to these allegations, that is enough to disqualify Mr. Bove from ever holding Federal office and Federal judgeship above all.

My Republican colleagues don't seem to want to get to the facts. Republicans are so afraid of Donald Trump, so willing to do whatever he says, that many of them are going along with Bove's nomination without a whisper, without so much as a whisper of scrutiny. All the signs are pointing towards Bove being a disastrous judge who will take advantage of his power on the Third Circuit to settle scores and advance the Trump agenda.

Republicans have a decision to make. If they still have any respect left for the Senate as a check on the Executive, if they still have any respect for our judiciary and the rule of law, then Republicans should join Democrats and vote no on Mr. Bove's nomination.

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

Now, Madam President, we have a little over 20 legislative days left for Republicans to get serious about funding the government. That is not very much time. As always, the best way forward is this: bipartisan cooperation.

Senate Democrats, for our part, are working in good faith to counter the devastating actions of the Trump administration on the American people, and in this case, the bill reverses DOGE cuts to veterans. That is a very good thing. These DOGE cuts were so cruel to our veterans.

Ultimately, Senate Republicans will have to join us to save all of our constituents from the proposals we have seen from the administration and from the House Republicans.

Now, yesterday, the Senate took the first vote on the MILCON-VA bill. This bill is not perfect, but it is a good step forward. It reverses some of the terrible cuts from DOGE against our veterans--our veterans who defend us, who risk their lives for us, who volunteer to serve their country, and, then, when they need help, cut, cut, cut--cruel, mean, un-American. The Senate version, thank God, is significantly stronger than the House version in protecting our members.

My colleague from Georgia has done good work shepherding this legislation on the Democratic side. We hope to have a good process for this bill on the floor. Republicans should allow amendments and a robust floor process. This bill shows the process can still work, but much, much more needs to be considered.

But Senate Democrats know we can't take anything for granted and will expect our colleagues to show their commitment to bipartisanship on all future appropriations bills, because for weeks--for weeks--they have tainted the Senate with their partisan reconciliation tax bill and the rescissions package.

This process won't work if they listen more to Donald Trump and Russell Vought than to the needs of the American people back home.

Jeffrey Epstein

Mr. President, now, meanwhile, yesterday was truly a sorry sight in the House of Representatives. The ghost of the disgraced Jeffrey Epstein is haunting our Republican colleagues, so much so that Speaker Johnson decided to cut bait and send the House home to escape discussions about Epstein, instead of doing their jobs like grownups and making progress on appropriations.

By shutting Congress down early, Speaker Johnson has assured that August has become the ``Epstein recess,'' because this issue is going to grow and grow and grow the longer House Republicans dodge this issue. Now, maybe they declared the ``Epstein recess'' to give Trump time to prepare papers for the pardon of Ghislaine Maxwell. Speaker Johnson shouldn't be skedaddling out of town early. If the Speaker thinks he can make the Epstein escapade disappear by sending folks home early, he has got another thing coming. So, again, the Speaker should not send people home early to avoid dealing with the Epstein issue.

The American people have a right to know what happened, but, instead, Speaker Johnson created the ``Epstein recess.'' Speaker Johnson created that ``Epstein recess.'' It is an awful decision. It is derelict of their job in terms of keeping the government funded.

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

Mr. President, later today, the Senate will take a procedural vote on the MILCON-VA funding bill. The Senate version of this legislation took some important steps to reverse a number of the awful cuts posed by DOGE and Russell Vought, particularly cuts against our Nation's veterans--people who served us, who risked their lives for us--and they want to cut their healthcare and cut what the VA does for them. That is a bad thing, and I am glad this bill undoes a lot of that.

It is also, for now, a positive thing that the Senate version's funding number is significantly higher than the House's. That is thanks to the push Democrats made in committee, and I thank my colleagues for their work to date.

But we will see how the floor process evolves here on the floor. Given Republicans' recent actions undermining bipartisan appropriations, nothing is guaranteed. Senate Democrats will meet today at our weekly caucus lunch to discuss today's vote.

As recently as yesterday, though, I heard my friend the Republican leader come to the floor and talk about the need for bipartisanship in appropriations, and I heard him take issue with Democratic criticisms against the approach Republicans have taken over the last few months.

Look, we all would like to see bipartisanship. It has been a tradition in this Senate until that evaporated over the last decade. But Leader Thune is sort of talking out of both sides of his mouth. On the one hand, Thune says he wants bipartisanship. On the other, he is pushing rescissions packages here on the floor. He is allowing party- line votes to reverse bipartisan funding agreements.

Well, you can't have it both ways. What he is doing with rescissions is the opposite of bipartisanship because rescissions packages totally renege on agreements both sides reached on funding.

When Donald Trump and Russell Vought insist on rescissions, and an obeisant Republican Congress goes along, even though many of them knows it is wrong, it makes the spending process totally partisan.

So the leader's words and his actions are a complete contradiction. He can't have it both ways.

If Leader Thune hopes to see bipartisanship, he should tend to his own garden first and convince his Republican colleagues and the White House that bipartisanship is the way to go to do what is best for the American people.

Republicans sold their rescissions package as cutting wasteful spending, but we all know that it is not that at all; that it was about giving Donald Trump what he wanted and using partisan means to get it all done.

Meanwhile, we know that Russell Vought and Donald Trump want Congress to green-light yet another rescissions package for the near future. Russell Vought even says--openly--that the appropriation process should be ``less bipartisan.''

Frankly, right now, the biggest obstacle to a good-faith, bipartisan funding process is coming from the other end of Pennsylvania Avenue and from Republicans all too eager to give Donald Trump and Russell Vought whatever they want.

And, of course, Republicans, not even a month ago, pushed Trump's ``Big Ugly Betrayal'' on a completely partisan vote, passing devastating cuts to Medicaid, to healthcare, to good-paying jobs, especially in rural communities, all to fund tax breaks for billionaires. And they did it by breaking the norms of the Senate, by inventing fake math, by defying the concerns of even their own Members to get it done. That kind of legislative stunt only makes it harder-- harder--for bipartisanship to take root.

We will see how our Republican colleagues choose to proceed this week. They can either keep doing Donald Trump and Russell Vought's bidding or work with Democrats on funding priorities that will serve the American people well. They can't do both. They can't have it both ways.

Nomination of Emil J. Bove III

Mr. President, now, on Mr. Bove, we all know that Donald Trump has a history of pushing shockingly unqualified and politically motivated nominees to the Federal bench. But, today, Leader Thune will seek to file cloture on perhaps Donald Trump's worst--worst--judicial nominee to date, Emil Bove.

One look at Mr. Bove and you know he is bad, bad news. He is someone hostile to the rule of law, hostile to democratic norms, but religiously obedient to Donald Trump.

And Republicans aren't applying so much as a whisper of scrutiny. The Republican chair of the Judiciary Committee, in fact, cut off debate on Mr. Bove and refused to let Democrats speak or ask questions during Mr. Bove's hearing.

Let me take a moment to explain why this nominee is uniquely unfit, which the American people must hear, even though the Republican Judiciary Committee didn't want them to.

Mr. Bove's entire career has been built on one thing--one thing: fealty to Donald Trump. He made his name handling Donald Trump's dirty laundry. He handled Donald Trump's dirty laundry, first, as his personal attorney and,

then, as his hit man at the Justice Department. He defended Donald Trump when he was charged with inciting an insurrection on January 6, on mishandling classified documents and on falsifying business records, and more.

That got him a promotion to a senior role at DOJ. There, Mr. Bove weaponized the Department to carry out political retributions against people Donald Trump considered his enemies, with a complete disregard for free speech and due process. He punished FBI agents investigating the January 6 insurrection and fired prosecutors working on criminal charges for the January 6 rioters. He reportedly told DOJ lawyers to ignore court orders and even deliberately mislead judges.

Let me say that again. Bove, a man seeking to become a circuit court judge, himself, has reportedly told DOJ lawyers to deliberately mislead judges. That, if true, is disqualifying--end of story. Nobody who is ever suspected of misleading judges should even be considered for judgeships themselves, without first getting to the facts. Yet Republicans are trying to rush him through the process.

It is no wonder that over 75 former State and Federal judges, nominated by Democratic and Republican Presidents, joined together-- joined together, Democrats and Republicans--to oppose Mr. Bove's nomination.

If Senate Republicans allow Mr. Bove to pass through this Chamber without a thorough examination, they will cause profound damage to this institution as a check on the executive.

Our judges should always be held to the highest ethical standards and should be individuals that can be trusted to apply the law impartially, even if we may not all agree on every one of their opinions.

Mr. Bove, however, is the extreme of the extreme of the extreme. He is not a jurist but, rather, a Trumpian henchman. His past shows he seeks not to be impartial but rather to settle scores. All of the accusations against him suggest he holds deep hostility against the very bench he will soon be considered for. To even consider someone like this for the circuit court is a dark, disturbing proposition.

I very strongly oppose his nomination.

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, today, we got the news that the Congressional Budget Office, the CBO, confirms Donald Trump's ``Big Ugly Betrayal'' is going to kick at least 10 million Americans off their health insurance and spike our national debt by another $3.4 trillion. In truth, the number of people who will lose health insurance could be much higher--as many as 16 million when you account for the cuts to ACA and other forms of insurance.

This finalized, independent analysis from the CBO confirms it: Republicans' signature bill is the ultimate--the ultimate--betrayal of the American people. It betrays every single family who will lose health insurance. It betrays our financial future. It is betraying our children and grandchildren, who will pay for these billionaire tax breaks as the debt rises and rises. It betrays every family worried about paying for groceries, the mortgage, the rent, prescription drugs. All are going up because of Donald Trump and his administration. Every price is going up. It betrays every rural community from the benefits of good-paying energy jobs. Republicans' supposed signature bill betrays everyone outside of the billionaire class and the special interests.

Now, Republicans are going to spin the mother of all propaganda jobs to sell this ugly bill to the American people. But today's report reminds us of something: Facts are stubborn, and the facts are clear. The ``Big Ugly Betrayal'' is a loser for the country and a loser for the Republicans.

The Republicans can yak, yak, yak when they go back home. But when people lose their jobs, when people's bills go up, when they are paying more, when they are losing their health insurance, that is reality; and no amount of propaganda, no amount of going home and telling people how great this is will undo the actual damage that will be done to the American people. And we know--we know--that they will realize the Republicans have betrayed them.

This week, the Senate is expected to take up the first set of appropriation bills for fiscal year 2026.

On the substance, a number of the bills negotiated in committee make significant reversals of DOGE's horrible cuts. Of particular importance are the reversals these bills make to DOGE's cuts to veterans programs, which were so vicious and so mean and hurt so many veterans. And it also makes reversals on other important Democratic priorities.

We will see how Republican leaders plan to move forward with these bills and other bipartisan bills on the floor.

Yet, yesterday, the Republican leader gave an interview where he said he would like to see more bipartisanship when it comes to appropriations. He said, rightly, that it takes cooperation from both sides to move things through the Senate, in the appropriations bills.

But, frankly, the Republican leader is talking a bit out of both sides of his mouth. On the one hand, he talks about bipartisanship and wanting to see both parties come up with an appropriations process. On the other, he is putting on the floor rescission packages with cuts demanded by Donald Trump and Russell Vought that retract many of the bipartisan agreements, with the promise by Russell Vought of more to come.

When Donald Trump and Russell Vought insist on rescissions, and an obedient Republican Congress goes along--even though many of them know how wrong it is--it makes the spending process totally partisan.

The leader's words and his actions are a complete contradiction. He can't have it both ways.

Again, not 1 week ago, Republicans jammed a rescissions package through this Chamber, axing billions in bipartisan funding to public broadcasting and foreign aid, purely on a party-line vote. Less than a day later, Russell Vought comes out and says the appropriations process should be ``less bipartisan.''

Frankly, I don't want to hear Republicans grouse about Democrats if they are going to give people like Russell Vought a free pass to trash the good work that takes place in this Chamber.

And now, of course, there are reports that Donald Trump and Russell Vought want Congress to agree on another rescissions package in the near future.

Then, there is Donald Trump's ``Big Ugly Betrayal''--a purely party- line vote, a partisan giveaway to billionaires and special interests-- paid for with the biggest cuts to healthcare, food funding, and good- paying energy jobs we have seen in our lifetimes.

Leader Thune says he wants to see bipartisanship. That is all well and good. But Leader Thune can't have it both ways. If Leader Thune wants to talk about bipartisanship, he should focus on keeping his side of the street clean first, because Donald Trump and Russell Vought have made clear they want to continue launching partisan broadsides that will inflict deep harm on the American people, raising costs,

unleashing chaos, inviting even deeper corruption across the Federal Government.