Floor Statements

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 President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to waive the mandatory quorum call with respect to the Schwartz nomination and the en bloc nominations.

Mr. President, today's Democrat Party has been taken over by extremists. It is happening all across the country. Extremists are winning Democrat primaries all across the country, from east to west.

The minority leader, who spoke a little earlier today, seems to be very happy about it. Just yesterday, when talking to the press, the minority leader said this. He said these extreme candidates make their party stronger.

Well, Senator Schumer may be thrilled with the direction that his party is taking, and now look what happened last night in Michigan. The Democrat candidate for Senate winning the primary yesterday in Michigan is truly an extremist--radical, extreme, dangerous, and, in my opinion, scary. He has been endorsed by Senator Bernie Sanders, and just recently he hit the campaign trail with a leftwing activist, a political activist who blamed 9/11--we are almost near the 25th anniversary of the attacks on 9/11 on the United States of America-- blamed those attacks on America and the American people.

This is a Democrat Party that has a manifesto and a mantra. They have a radical set of beliefs, and they are clearly those of the Democrat nominee in Michigan.

The driving force in the Democrat Party today wants to abolish prisons. The driving force in the Democrat Party today has endorsed any and all efforts to release dangerous prisoners from the jails onto the streets of communities all across the country. The driving force in the Democrat Party is calling to defund the police. The driving force in the Democrat Party is calling to eliminate Immigration and Customs Enforcement in this country. They don't want borders, don't think we ought to have borders. They want ICE completely eliminated. Democrats want to go back to the dangerous Biden years when it comes to protecting our borders, and 10 million illegal immigrants flooded into this country. The Democrats want millions and millions more to come into America.

What do they want to do in terms of funding for these things? Well, the Democrats want to have hard-working taxpayers pay for healthcare for all the illegal immigrants who come here. Radical ideas like that were once the fringe of the Democrat Party. No longer. No, no. That fringe now controls the Democrat Party.

As a senior Senator who is a Democrat said, who sits right over there--he said it is a sign that the Democrat Party is ``alive and well.'' Senator Schumer said yesterday it makes their party stronger. It doesn't make America stronger. It makes America weaker. It makes America more vulnerable.

That is where we are today. Democrats seem willing to tear up the Constitution and tear down America. If you listen to some of these candidates, it sounds like they hate America. They want America to fail. That seems to be what they are aiming for.

Well, Republicans are not going to allow that to happen--no. We are going to continue to fight the extremists, and we are going to continue to fight for freedom, for liberty, and for continued American greatness.

The following Senators are necessarily absent: the Senator from Wisconsin (Mr. Johnson), the Senator from Kentucky (Mr. McConnell), and the Senator from North Carolina (Mr. Tillis).

Further, if present and voting: the Senator from North Carolina (Mr. Tillis) would have voted ``yea.''

Mr DURBIN: I announce that the Senator from Arizona (Mr. Gallego), the Senator from Hawaii (Ms. Hirono), and the Senator from Minnesota (Ms. Klobuchar) are necessarily absent.

The following Senators are necessarily absent: the Senator from Tennessee (Mrs. Blackburn), the Senator from Wisconsin (Mr. Johnson), and the Senator from Kentucky (Mr. McConnell).

The following Senators are necessarily absent: the Senator from Tennessee (Mrs. Blackburn), the Senator from Mississippi (Mrs. Hyde-Smith), and the Senator from Kentucky (Mr. McConnell).

The following Senators are necessarily absent: the Senator from Tennessee (Mrs. Blackburn) and the Senator from Kentucky (Mr. McConnell).

Mr. President, I move to proceed to executive session.

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

Mr. President, the American people deserve a government that is open and is functioning. The American people know that government shutdowns cause significant pain to them personally and harm to our Nation.

We have had two painful shutdowns in the last year, and the Democrats--and the Democratic leader just left the floor--have caused both of them. Democrats have proven that they are willing to make life harder for Americans, and they do it every time they shut down the government. They think it helps them politically.

Actually, that is what Senator Schumer had said in the past--because in October of 2025, Schumer and the Senate Democrats chose to shut down the entire government, shut it down for 43 days. That is a record--a record--in the history of our Nation. And Senator Schumer actually said at the time--he said:

Every day gets better for us.

I am not sure who the ``us'' was. It is not the American people, not the people who were suffering in the long lines at the airport, and with TSA and the flights that were canceled and people that weren't getting paid. Every day got worse for the American people. It might have been better for Senator Schumer but not for people at home in my State and in the Presiding Officer's.

It seemed to the Democrats that the American families were just collateral damage as they tried to make a political message. Servicemembers weren't able to pay their mortgages, as they had to wait for their paychecks to come in. Flights canceled, airport screening lines stretched--I remember the video. They stretched for hours. Park rangers, TSA agents all missed paychecks. Democrats said it got better for them every day. Government employees living paycheck-to-paycheck had to struggle to make ends meet, to pay the bills. We saw people lining up at food banks. The American people responded and offered help to their neighbors. The Democrats said it got better for them every day. People on food assistance lost that assistance.

And less than 4 months later, the Democrats did it again. That time, they blocked funding for the Department of Homeland Security. That shutdown lasted 75 days for the Department of Homeland Security.

Democrats voted to defund America's law enforcement Agencies. That seems to be their mantra: defund the police; get rid of ICE, get rid of Immigration and Customs Enforcement; open the borders; let anybody in. That is who that party is now, and we are seeing it even today in the Michigan primary, where they have radical, extreme, dangerous, scary people running and who may win primaries and have been winning primaries in the Democrat Party across the country. These are people that put the safety and security of the American people at risk. They do it because they think it may give them a political advantage. It doesn't help the American people.

Recall that during the last shutdown, the shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security, we in this country faced terrorist threats. In Texas, there was a man wearing clothing that said ``Property of Allah.'' He was arrested. He shot into a crowded restaurant, just shot into the restaurant. People were killed. ``Property of Allah.'' Apparently, that is OK in some people's minds. Most Americans don't think so.

In Michigan, a man whose family member was tied to Hezbollah rammed a truck full of explosives into a synagogue. Over 100 children and their teachers were inside. This is the threat we face.

By shutting down the Department of Homeland Security, Democrats put the safety of illegal immigrants--and specifically illegal immigrant criminals--above the safety and security of American citizens. That is whom the Democrats choose to prioritize, and we are seeing the Democrats do that in campaign ads and in campaign speeches all across the country as the most radical of the radicals seem to be winning Democrat primaries this year.

So the question is, Are Democrats going to choose to shut down the government a third time?

We were able to get on the bill yesterday. The onus is on them. The Republicans are ready to move forward.

We have an appropriations process. That is the way that government funding is supposed to work. Right now, the Democrats are stonewalling every single Appropriations Committee right here in the U.S. Senate, and it is shameful.

Senator Susan Collins, our colleague and friend from Maine, is the chair of the Appropriations Committee. She has a history of working with bipartisanship, and integrity is so much a part of her leadership style. Democrats have rejected every good-faith measure that she has put forward in terms of the Appropriations Committee.

Recall that when the Democrats were in charge of Congress and Joe Biden was in the White House, Senator Schumer blocked 11 of the 12 appropriations bills from even coming to the floor, even coming here for debate. He didn't want any of them--none.

Republicans are committed to repairing the damage that has been done to the process by the Democrats.

Senator Collins has carefully crafted a reasonable continuing resolution. That is what we voted to get on last night. It keeps the government open. So that was just the first step. Now we have to move forward. We will see what the Democrats say today.

Here is the choice facing every Senate Democrat this week: Vote to keep the government open or force the Nation into another painful shutdown. We are going to find out.

People have already lived through these two painful Democrat shutdowns over the last year. People don't want a third. They have suffered enough. Senator Schumer this morning said he wants to avoid a shutdown. Time for them to prove it.

The question is, Do Democrats in this body have the courage to stand up to the extremists who have taken over their party? We are going to find out.

I yield the floor.

I suggest the absence of a quorum.

The following Senators are necessarily absent: the Senator from Tennessee (Mrs. Blackburn), the Senator from South Carolina (Ms. Graham), and the Senator from Kentucky (Mr. McConnell).

Mr. President, at the 114th Wyoming State Fair, Senator Lummis and I will have the pleasure of introducing Mark Eisele as a 2026 inductee to the Wyoming Agriculture Hall of Fame.

Mark Eisele comes from a long line of Wyoming ranchers, dating back generations. However, Mark built his livestock operation on his own from the ground up.

Mark has long been an iconic leader for Wyoming agriculture. His career

led him to the historic King Ranch near Cheyenne. This is where he first worked as an employee before acquiring the historic ranch.

Today, Mark and his wife Trudy, along with their three children, raise Red and Black Angus cow/calf pairs and retained yearlings through branded beef programs. The family also manages a custom haying operation and harvests alfalfa and native grass hay.

Throughout his career, Mark has valued maintaining healthy rangelands. He has long believed that a healthy rangeland is the foundation of a successful cattle operation. Through Mark's leadership, the King Ranch has partnered with the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Agricultural Research Service Rangeland Resources and Systems Research Unit for over 20 years.

Mark has led the King Ranch to embrace research and innovation through projects on livestock production, economic efficiency, flexible stocking strategies for erratic and variable precipitation, adaptive grazing management for poisonous plants, targeted grazing for invasive cheatgrass, soil carbon responses to grazing management, and habitat conservation.

The Eisele family's stewardship efforts have earned widespread recognition. They received the Wyoming Stock Growers Association Environmental Stewardship Award and the Leopold Conservation Award in 2015.

More recently, the ranch received the 2023 Kurt Bucholz Conservation Award. This was followed by the 2025 Chuck Jarecki Rancher Land Stewardship Award presented by the International Society for Range Management.

Along with receiving many accolades, Mark has committed his career to serving the agriculture industry as an advocate. Mark has been a longtime member of the Wyoming Stock Growers Association and served as the president from 2011 to 2013. After years of committee work within the National Cattlemen's Beef Association, Mark was elected president for the 2024 to 2025 term. He has become one of the Nation's leading voices for beef producers.

Mark's dedication and service to Wyoming's agriculture industry makes him an outstanding choice for the Wyoming Agriculture Hall of Fame. It is a great honor to participate in Mark's induction. I congratulate Mark Eisele as a 2026 inductee into the Wyoming Agriculture Hall of Fame.

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

Mr. President, today's Democrat Party is being driven by extremists, and there is actually an extreme group that is driving the party further and further to the left. It is called the Democratic Socialists of America. Its membership is growing, its radical candidates are winning, and its far-left vision is spreading. You may see it happening in Michigan this coming Tuesday with their primary election.

This organization has issued a manifesto. That is right--a manifesto. In a recent interview with FOX News, the cochair of the Democratic Socialists of America admitted that this manifesto is filled with policies and politics that are extreme. She admitted it. Let me say it again. The cochair of the Democratic Socialists of America admitted on national television that their manifesto is filled with extreme policies. She has now become the face of today's Democrat Party all across the country.

She was asked whether her organization wants to abolish the U.S. Senate.

She said, ``True.''

She was asked whether they want to replace the Presidency and the Supreme Court.

She said, ``Yep.''

She was asked whether they want to abolish ICE, Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

She said, ``Absolutely.''

She was asked whether they want to abolish borders and give amnesty to every illegal immigrant in America, including illegal immigrant criminals.

She said, ``As a long-term plan, yep.''

She was asked whether they want to defund our military.

She replied, ``Absolutely.''

She was asked whether they want to abolish prisons.

She said, ``Yeah.''

She was asked whether they want government control of private companies.

She said, ``Yeah. Absolutely.''

There you have it. Those are some of the policies of the liberal left.

Today's Democrat Party is being driven by its activist wing. These are people who are radical, extreme, dangerous, and scary. They have put it in writing--they include it in their manifesto--and they are admitting it out loud on television.

Here in the U.S. Senate, Democrat Senators are embracing these radical policies. They are campaigning and will be campaigning this weekend for extremists in their parties. One sitting Democrat Senator, whose desk is right over there, said, clearly, we are seeing ``the future of the Democrat Party.''

Their manifesto is being reflected in the votes of the Democrats on this floor of the U.S. Senate.

For 65 years, the National Defense Authorization Act has passed with bipartisan support in the Senate. This month, every single Democrat in this body voted to block funding for our military. Our servicemembers are paying the price, and they are paying the price because the Democrats have turned to the radical left. Even the New York Times admits Democrats have crossed a red line by blocking defense funding.

The same radical agenda that targets America also targets our closest ally, Israel. One of the leaders of this anti-Israel campaign is the current mayor of New York City. He has called for the arrest of Israel's Prime Minister. This is exactly what their radical manifesto demands. The liberal, extreme mayor of New York City wants to hand over the Prime Minister of Israel to an unaccountable group called the International Criminal Court. It is not a real court. It lacks legitimacy. It lacks credibility. In its 24 years of existence, it has never charged a single leader of Iran for Iran's atrocities against the world. Yet this group claims the right to arrest and punish America's men and women in uniform.

The United States is not a member of the so-called International Criminal Court nor is Israel.

The mayor of New York City is a loyalist of the United Nations, not the United States.

From the campaign trail to the cloakroom of Congress, the far left has revealed its radical beliefs. Democrats are determined to tear down our country and tear up the Constitution. They want to open the borders and control the economy. They want to weaken our military and abandon Israel.

These policies would be disastrous for our Nation. There is no part of America that they do not want to destroy.

The American people reject Democrats' radical policies. The American people demand and deserve better.

Republicans are going to continue to fight for freedom, for liberty, and for continued American greatness.

As long as there is a Constitution, Republicans will not abolish the Senate. No State will lose its equal voice without its consent, and we will not silence the voice of the people who we represent.

Republicans will not end immigration enforcement. Our priority is safety for law-abiding citizens, not illegal immigrant criminals. Republicans will never allow America to become a sanctuary country. Republicans will not abolish prisons. Republicans will not release criminals back into our communities.

Democrats' pro-crime policies are dangerous, and they are dangerous all across the country.

We have a Constitution, and that Constitution and secure borders and law and order and military strength and economic freedom--they are not optional. They are the foundation of a free society, one that Democrats want to tear down.

Without these fundamental foundations of a free society, there really is no safety, no security, no prosperity, and no self-government. Republicans and most Americans know that. Without them, there is no United States of America.

Let me end where I began. Today's Democrat Party is being driven by the radical left. They have a movement. They have a manifesto. And they mean to do great harm to our country. We cannot allow it to happen.

I yield the floor.

I suggest the absence of a quorum.

The following Senator is necessarily absent: the Senator from Kentucky (Mr. McConnell).

The following Senator is necessarily absent: the Senator from Kentucky (Mr. McConnell).

The following Senators are necessarily absent: the Senator from Tennessee (Mrs. Blackburn), the Senator from Kentucky (Mr. McConnell), and the Senator from North Carolina (Mr. Tillis).