Floor Statements

Mr. President, on the slush fund, Trump's slush fund, anyone who seriously thinks Trump has any intention of dropping his plans for a MAGA slush fund that will funnel billions of tax dollars to him and his cronies clearly hasn't been paying attention.

Trump hasn't even intended to promise that he is done with this slush fund and saying instead that the corrupt scheme is ``a beautiful thing.'' That is what Trump said. Republicans said he is going to end it, some of them. He says it is ``a beautiful thing.'' Whom do you believe?

Trump said it is ``a beautiful thing. I love it. I think it's so important.'' That is what he said about the slush fund.

So anyone who thinks Trump is ready to forgo it is sadly mistaken. They are not listening to his words; they are not listening to who he is.

The only way to ensure Trump's corrupt taxpayer-funded slush fund never sees the light of day is to ban it permanently by law and also ban Trump's sweetheart tax deal that gives Trump and his family a permission slip to commit tax fraud for a lifetime.

That is why I will force Republicans to answer for Trump's slush fund and IRS sweetheart deal today. I am going to force the Republicans to answer for this Trump slush fund and the IRS sweetheart deal by asking to ban it by law on the floor.

Senate Republicans have already refused to outlaw the fund, and now they will have to show the country whom they stand for once again: American taxpayers or Donald Trump; working families or cop-beating insurrectionists.

It is unbelievable. Republicans seem to think that a promise from Todd Blanche, who built his career on bending the truth in service to Trump, and a hope and a prayer that Trump will suddenly find a conscience are enough to stop the slush fund. It makes no sense.

Republicans won't be able to wash their hands of Trump's effort to defraud the American people at a time when they are struggling to make ends meet as costs skyrocket.

Mr. President, today Senators Murray, Warren, and I are releasing the most comprehensive Senate report to date on Trump's broken promise to make childcare more affordable.

A couple months ago, Trump said:

Don't send any money for day care because the United States

can't take care of day care. . . . It's not possible for us

to take care of day care, Medicare, Medicaid, all these

individual things.

That is what Trump said. Really, Trump?

Trump thinks it is fine to stick working Americans with the bill for his gilded ballroom, his costly war in Iran, $2 billion of slush fund payouts for him and his MAGA loyalists, and trillions of dollars of tax cuts for the wealthy, but helping families afford childcare is just too much? What a disgrace.

Trump isn't just refusing to lower costs of childcare; he is actively making it more expensive and harder for families to find, and they are desperate for it.

Trump has removed caps on childcare costs, frozen $2.4 billion in childcare funding for five States that didn't vote for him, and made numerous other changes that have driven up the cost of childcare.

Is it any wonder families paying 5 percent more for childcare now than before Trump took office in 2025 are angry? Of course, they are angry. When I was majority leader and Democrats were in charge, we made a historic $39 billion investment in childcare that lowered childcare costs by 10 percent, added 63,000 new childcare workers, and increased the supply of available childcare slots by 7 percent.

America, that is what Democrats did when we had the majority; we helped people with childcare. What does Trump do? He slashes it and then proposes billions of dollars for a slush fund for him and his family. What callousness, what hard-heartedness, and how out of touch with the American people can Trump be?

Mr. President, on our Spotlight Forum, later today, Senator Padilla and I will hold a Spotlight Forum on State and local efforts to protect free and fair elections from the chaos coming out of the Trump administration.

This Spotlight Forum is because the Republicans will not hold hearings on this important issue: protecting our elections. So we have our own Spotlight Forum, where people can testify, and the American people can learn the truth.

As Trump gears up to interfere in our elections and discount the votes of the American people, Senate Democrats' Election Protection Task Force is preparing to protect the independence of American elections.

Trump's anti-democracy agenda has left local and State election officials vulnerable to cyber attacks, intimidation from Trump loyalists, and Federal seizure of election equipment and ballots.

Today, we are going to discuss what we can do to counter Trump's interference efforts and uphold the sanctity of our elections.

Donald Trump, listen to this: You may not know it because you sure don't act like you know it, in America, voters pick their leaders; leaders don't pick their voters. And Democrats will ensure that remains the case in 2026.

I yield the floor.

I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that Senator Padilla and I be permitted to speak prior to the scheduled recess.

Mr. President, we are going to speak on eliminating Trump's slush fund.

Now, the only way--the only way--to ensure Trump's $2 billion taxpayer-funded MAGA slush fund and his family's sweetheart tax fraud deal with the IRS--the only way we are going to ensure that they never see the light of day is to ban them permanently by law. Republicans need to stop playing dumb and realize Trump has absolutely zero intention to table his slush fund.

Just listen to him. Just this month, Trump said:

Personally, I think the weaponization fund is a great idea,

and so do many other Republicans.

``So do many other Republicans.''

I repeat. Trump said:

I think the weaponization fund is a great idea, and so do

many other Republicans.

I invite Republicans to prove Trump wrong, support this bill, outlaw this corruption, say it is a terrible idea on the floor so that we can eliminate it permanently, once and for all.

Republicans have passed up opportunity after opportunity to ban these corrupt cash handouts for Trump, his billionaire friends, and his cop- beating January 6 insurrectionists.

That is what he wants to do, Americans. Instead of using money to reduce your healthcare costs, instead of using money to reduce your electric costs, your housing costs, your food costs, he wants to give it to his corrupt friends and probably, somehow, to himself.

Will Republicans listen to the empty promises of Trump's personal fixer, Todd Blanche, or to the outraged cries of the American people, who despise--despise--this corruption?

Will Republicans help Trump and family cheat on their taxes or will they stand up for American taxpayers?

Will Republicans funnel billions of dollars to Trump, MAGA billionaires, cop beaters, convicted criminals; or will they work with Democrats to lower costs for working families?

That is the question before us today, plain and simple. Trump's slush fund,

his permission slip for tax fraud, and his nonstop grifting are a running tally of corruption's cost and proof that Trump hasn't drained the swamp; he has just slapped a pool liner on it. In short, Trump isn't draining the swamp. He is swimming in it, and he likes it.

So, Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of S. 4791, submitted earlier today. Further, I ask unanimous consent that the bill be considered read three times and passed, and that the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table.

My colleague from Tennessee talked about things being swept under the rug. Nothing--nothing--sweeps under the rug this statement of Donald Trump's:

Personally, I think the weaponization fund is a great idea,

and so do many other Republicans.

He is going to do it unless we stop it. The objection is so unfortunate. It allows Trump to continue with his slush fund.

I yield the floor to my colleague from California.

Mr. President, I have come to address our ROAD to Housing bill, which we will vote on in a few minutes.

At the top of the list, I want to thank Senator Warren for her diligence, her hard work, her intelligence, and her ability to reach out and take good ideas and synthesize them into outstanding legislation. I want to thank all of my colleagues--my Democratic colleagues in particular on the Banking Committee--who worked so hard on this bill, and there are inputs from every one of them that make housing more affordable and easier to afford for so many people across the country. I want to thank Senator Scott for cooperating, and I want to thank all of the leaderships for getting this bill to the floor.

This is such a crucial issue for Americans, and it had been forgotten and neglected for too long until our Banking Committee Dems turned their attention to it, until our caucus turned its attention to it. For too long, Americans have struggled with rising housing costs. It hurts renters and homeowners alike.

Most Americans don't know this tragic fact--that the median age for a new home buyer in America is now 40 years old--40 years old. The housing shortage is nothing less than an existential threat to the American dream. Americans feel financially stuck as renting and buying a home keep getting more and more expensive, more and more out of reach.

Lowering housing costs is absolutely essential to ending the affordability crisis plaguing working families across the country. The ROAD to Housing bill is a very important and good, strong first step to making housing more affordable. The bipartisan package includes, as I said, many bills led by Senate Democrats over the years to expand housing supply and lower costs.

The bill tackles local zoning and permitting that have kept housing supply from growing. I have long spoken out against the NIMBYism that kills so many projects in our communities that are desperately needed.

Our legislation supports new manufactured and modular housing so we can build more, faster, and it will revitalize blighted properties and convert these buildings into new housing. That includes building more housing in rural communities that need more housing than ever before. The bill also increases housing fairness and access, including addressing housing needs for veterans and reducing homelessness. Crucially, our bill will bring more certainty in our disaster response to help communities recover. This bill makes sure people are not squeezed out of the market of buying a home by institutional investors.

I want to reiterate that this isn't the end of the road--far from it; it is just the start. In future years, we need to do even more to make that dream of owning a home a reality for more and more and more Americans. We need to do so much more, and much more will be needed to address the Nation's housing cost crisis as well.

Senate Democrats will continue to make this a priority. We have wanted this to be a priority for a long time, and finally, we have taken that first step with the cooperation of our Republican colleagues. We need to make a priority downpayment assistance, reducing mortgage insurance costs, and doing even more to expand housing supply as well as to lower costs.

So congratulations once again to Senator Warren, to the many Senate Democrats who have led crucial pieces of this bill, and to the whole Chamber, Democrats and Republicans, for finally taking a much needed step in reducing costs of housing and increasing its supply.

I yield the floor.

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

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.

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, Senate Democrats have been unwavering in calling for an immediate end to Trump's war with Iran, and we will continue to do so until his blunder is well and truly over.

For more than 100 days, I have come to this floor to denounce Trump's reckless and dangerous Iran war and demand its end. Now, it has been nearly 24 hours since Trump announced there was a potential deal with Iran, and we still don't know the details.

We have been told dozens of times that this war is over, and dozens of times we have been disappointed. There have been divergent statements from a variety of people in the administration. In these high-stakes negotiations, the devil is in the details. But Trump hasn't even revealed the text of his ``understanding'' with Iran. The American people need to know exactly what is in the deal. Trump must brief Congress and the public on the details of his understanding with Iran immediately and end this war once and for all.

Instead, Americans still have more questions than answers: Will our troops remain in harm's way? How does Trump plan to achieve any of the stated goals of his reckless war? What is the plan for the proposed ``60 days of negotiations''?

There are still many unknowns about Trump's negotiations with Iran, but we know this for certain: We are worse off than before Trump began this foolish war of choice. The Iranian regime is more radical than before Trump began his war. Iran has more control over the Strait of Hormuz today than before the war began. Gasoline prices are still dramatically higher than before the war and will remain so for a long time.

Americans are scratching their heads wondering what we have accomplished in Iran. Make no mistake, the longer this war drags on, the worse all of this will get.

The biggest question Americans had at the beginning of this war was, What would Donald Trump get out of it and at what cost? But Trump answered that question: Thus far, nothing and at an enormous cost.

Madam President, now on Pulte and FISA and the SAVE Act, Senate Democrats have made it clear that however long Trump wants Bill Pulte to serve as Acting Director of National Intelligence is too long. Every minute Pulte spends as DNI is a minute he could spend undermining our national security and politicizing our intelligence community. No one wants his eyes or hands on this document, given his recklessness, his attack-dog stance whenever it comes to Trump.

The 18 U.S. intelligence Agencies are simply too important to entrust to someone as inexperienced, as blindly loyal to Trump, and as blind to facts as Bill Pulte, and that is not what we need in a DNI.

Trump's absurd demand to tie his radical SAVE Act--restricting Americans' voting rights--to FISA is also deeply reckless and demonstrates his true motives. The SAVE Act is perhaps the most vicious piece of anti-voting rights legislation Trump has ever come up with and it will not pass and it will not save FISA, Donald Trump.

Once again, Trump proves he has no problem undermining America's national security if he thinks it will help him politically.

(The remarks of Mr. SCHUMER pertaining to the introduction of S. 4781 are printed in today's Record under ``Statements on Introduced Bills and Joint Resolutions.'')

Madam President, Trump's Eighth Circuit nominee, with his nomination of Justin Smith to the Eighth Circuit Court, Donald Trump continues--continues--to stack our courts with judges whose only qualification is their complete loyalty to him and his extreme far- right agenda. Smith checks all of Trump's boxes.

Smith currently serves as Trump's lead counsel in his case against E. Jean Caroll, who received $90 million after jurors found Trump liable for sexually assaulting and defaming her.

Smith also helped prepare Trump's lead counsel for the Supreme Court case to grant the President absolute immunity to break the law.

A longtime Republican operative, Smith once wrote in 2007 that ``abortion is murder, gay marriage is a sin . . . and on these principles of our party, there must be no equivocation.''

In keeping with Trump's efforts to undermine America's elections, Smith also supported efforts to challenge the results of the 2020 election. Trump's nomination of Smith to the Eighth Circuit is part of his effort to undermine the rights of American people and to turn our justice system into a rubberstamp for his egregious crimes. I strongly urge a ``no'' vote from my colleagues.

Mr. President, the Make More in America Act--if we have learned anything from the past few years, it is that the American people will pay the price when wars, pandemics, and other shocks disrupt America's supply chains.

Today, I led Senate Democrats in introducing the Make More in America Act, which will invest in American manufacturing to create jobs, lower costs, strengthen our national security, and build a more resilient economy. The Make More in America Act is going to help us face the challenges that China and other countries present, and we should move it as quickly as we can.

If the United States is going to continue to outcompete China, we need to make sure that the technologies that will define the 21st- century economy are made in American factories by American workers.

The U.S. Export-Import Bank has long helped American businesses stay competitive, and our bill will empower the Ex-Im Bank to provide even more support to building here at home the industries critical to our economy and our national security.

From COVID-19 to Trump's disastrous war with Iran, to China weaponizing our reliance on them for certain products, America cannot afford to depend on the unreliable when the security and prosperity of our people are at stake.

Our bill would rebuild American manufacturing, strengthen our supply chains to lower costs, and give us an edge over the Chinese Communist Party, all of which--all of which--should be bipartisan priorities.

For the good of the country, we can and must make progress on these issues as we reauthorize the Export-Import Bank this year.

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

Mr. President, the Make More in America Act--if we have learned anything from the past few years, it is that the American people will pay the price when wars, pandemics, and other shocks disrupt America's supply chains.

Today, I led Senate Democrats in introducing the Make More in America Act, which will invest in American manufacturing to create jobs, lower costs, strengthen our national security, and build a more resilient economy. The Make More in America Act is going to help us face the challenges that China and other countries present, and we should move it as quickly as we can.

If the United States is going to continue to outcompete China, we need to make sure that the technologies that will define the 21st- century economy are made in American factories by American workers.

The U.S. Export-Import Bank has long helped American businesses stay competitive, and our bill will empower the Ex-Im Bank to provide even more support to building here at home the industries critical to our economy and our national security.

From COVID-19 to Trump's disastrous war with Iran, to China weaponizing our reliance on them for certain products, America cannot afford to depend on the unreliable when the security and prosperity of our people are at stake.

Our bill would rebuild American manufacturing, strengthen our supply chains to lower costs, and give us an edge over the Chinese Communist Party, all of which--all of which--should be bipartisan priorities.

For the good of the country, we can and must make progress on these issues as we reauthorize the Export-Import Bank this year.

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 order for the quorum call be rescinded.