Floor Statements

Mr. President, Trump's actions last night make it crystal clear that he is the one standing in the way of FISA.

It was already clear that Trump was the one blocking FISA, but the fact that he withdrew Jay Clayton should erase anyone's doubts. Trump wants FISA to stay expired. Trump is twisting himself up in knots and jumping through hoops to make it impossible to reauthorize FISA right now, and he is embarrassing his Republican colleagues in the process.

Trump can blame Democrats all he wants, but no one is going to believe him. Trump just got caught redhanded undermining America's national security.

Withdrawing Clayton even shocked Trump's closest Republican allies. Trump also reasserted his demand to tie FISA to his radical SAVE Act, which would strip millions of Americans of their voting rights and resurrect the ghost of the Jim Crow south.

Trump is just so, so off base and should get it out of his mind that he can save SAVE by attaching it to FISA. It ain't happening; it ain't passing.

The SAVE Act is perhaps the most vicious piece of anti-voting rights legislation Trump has ever come up with and has absolutely nothing-- nothing--to do with FISA whatsoever.

So every time Republicans find a path to negotiate on FISA, Trump slams the door shut on them. Every time the Republicans find a path to negotiate FISA, Trump slams the door shut on them, and you can hear the howls.

Trump is taking America's national security hostage to serve his own personal interests. This is Trump's hostage note. Here is what he said:

I will not approve FISA . . .

He said:

We are cancelling the Senate hearing . . .

He said:

[B]ill Pulte will remain as the acting Director of National

Intelligence.

Trump should know national security is not a pawn. It is not a pawn, and yet it is clear that he is holding our national security hostage, and it is absolutely disgraceful.

Trump is gleeful about undermining national security and leaving America vulnerable, saying it is simply to add a ``slight bit of intrigue'' when Americans' safety is at stake in a dangerous world with dangerous countries? And he says he is adding a ``slight bit of intrigue?'' Are you kidding me? Intrigue when it comes to America's national security, intrigue when it comes to the safety of our people?

Trump ought to add a slight bit of common sense as he does this. But, again, just to repeat what he said, he said:

I will not approve FISA . . .

We are cancelling the Senate hearing . . .

[B]ill Pulte will remain as the Acting Director of National

Intelligence.

All three sentences show that Trump is making national security a pawn to his own political and off-base interests.

There can be no other explanation for the choices Trump is making and his insistence on having a political hack like Bill Pulte serve atop our Intelligence Committee, other than he plans to order Pulte to abuse his powers as Director of National Intelligence.

The question for oversight now is: What exactly will Trump ask Pulte to do? Expose intelligence sources? Alter analysis? Target political opponents? Mess with elections?

Pulte has shown that he knows no limits and will do whatever Trump asks, legal or not, ethical or not, in American people's interests or not. Make no mistake, all of the consequences that come from undercutting our national security will fall on Trump and any Republicans who go along with his dangerous, partisan games.

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

Mr. President, this is one--one--happy moment. It is an honor to offer this resolution with Senator Gillibrand to pay tribute to the great New York Knicks. With their historic victory in the NBA finals, the Knicks reminded the country and the world that it is never a good idea to bet against New York.

We just witnessed perhaps the greatest playoff run in history and finals series in history as well. Coming off the second longest playoff win streak in the NBA history, the Knicks achieved the first, fourth, and sixth biggest comeback wins in the history of the NBA finals, and they did it all in a single series--absolutely extraordinary coming off that second longest playoff win streak in NBA history.

We are so, so proud--so, so proud--of our New York Knicks. This team has joined the ranks of DeBusschere and Bradley, of Willis Reed, of Earl ``the Pearl'' and Clyde, and the rest of the 1973 legendary Knicks who last brought the title home. I admired that team as a young man, and we have been waiting and waiting and waiting, and here we are again.

For their efforts, this championship team will be honored tomorrow with what many are excepting to be the largest ticker-tape parade in New York history. In fact, the Knicks' victory goes beyond the team itself; it brings such honor, such pride, such joy to New York and has united our diverse city in a way that maybe nothing else could.

It is truly an honor to introduce and pass this resolution to congratulate the Knicks for winning the championship and to thank them for the dedication they showed to our city both on and off the court throughout the season.

I speak for the Senate--perhaps with the exception of one or two Spurs fans--when I say: Let's go, Knicks!

Mr. President, as if in legislative session, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of S. Res. 771, congratulating the Knicks, which was submitted earlier today.

I ask unanimous consent that the resolution be agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, and that the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table with no intervening action or debate.

``Go Knicks!''

I yield the floor.

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

Mr. President, for months--for months--Senate Democrats and I have said that Trump's blunder of a war with Iran can't end soon enough.

We have been told dozens of times that the war is over, and dozens of times we have been disappointed.

Trump has yet to give Americans a reason to believe that this latest peace deal won't leave them disappointed again. It has been 2 days since Trump claimed he had reached an ``understanding'' with Iran, and he still hasn't released any details, an MOU--memo of understanding-- about what it actually is.

We keep hearing inconsistent statements from different members of the administration. So I am asking three things: First, I am calling on Donald Trump to hold a classified Gang of 8 meeting to disclose this so-called MOU, this memo of understanding. Second, I am calling on Trump to brief the whole Congress on this MOU, this memo of understanding. And third, and most importantly, I am calling on Trump to inform the American people on whatever his understanding with Iran involves, and he should do it immediately so we all know what the heck is going on.

We are in the middle of a war. No one quite understands what Trump is up to, and now he is keeping everybody in the dark. Americans need to know whether their loved ones in uniform will remain in harm's way.

Americans need to know what Trump has promised to Iran and what the United States will get out of it. Americans need to know how and when this war will truly end. They need to know what is the deal on the Strait of Hormuz, which has caused gas prices to go through the roof, and we need to know what the projected end time is and what Iran will be doing with its nuclear capabilities.

After more than 100 days of bloodshed, 13 Americans killed, hundreds more wounded, and tens of billions of dollars spent, the American people are, rightfully, wondering, What exactly did we get out of Trump's failed war?

Trump's Iranian misadventure has left America worse off than when he started it, worse off by every measure. The Iranian regime is more extreme than before Trump launched this disastrous war.

Iran has more control over the Strait of Hormuz than before Trump's disastrous war. Gas prices are dramatically higher than before Trump took us to war, and it is going to take months and months to go back to normal, given the destruction of the supply chains for oil and gas.

Trump asked the Americans to pay the immense cost to shoulder the burden of a war they did not ask for and gives them nothing in return. Democrats will soon force a vote on a War Powers Resolution to end Trump's war because every minute this blunder goes on is a minute too long.

Trump needs to reveal the deal and end this war once and for all.

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.