Floor Statements

Mr. President, earlier this month, the State of Hawaii officially designated September 2025 as Hawaiian History Month. Designated on September 2, 2025, the 187th anniversary of the birthday of Hawaii's last ruling monarch Queen Liliuokalani, Hawaiian History Month aims to recognize, reflect, and share Hawaii's true history. I had the honor of recognizing the accomplishments of two pivotal Native Hawaiian leaders, Edith Kanakaole and Mary Kawena Pukui. Both women were chosen to be included in the U.S. Mint's American Woman Quarters Program and Native American $1 Coin Program, respectively. Having celebrated these pioneering women in their respective fields of Native Hawaiian education and culture, I come to the floor to celebrate Hawaiian History Month by highlighting three more Native Hawaiian leaders that shaped Hawaiian history. These biographies are necessarily brief, and I encourage my colleagues and all Americans to take the time to learn more about these revered leaders.

Hawaii's last reigning monarch Lydia Liliu Loloku Walania Wewehi Kamakaeha--Liliuokalani--was born in Honolulu on September 2, 1838. Liliuokalani was an avid scholar and a talented musician, eventually composing more than 150 songs throughout her lifetime including the beloved ``Aloha Oe.'' When her brother, King David Kalakaua, was appointed to the throne in 1874, Liliu--then granted the title Liliuokalani--was named his heir.

Upon King Kalakaua's death in 1891, Queen Liliuokalani assumed the throne and sought to amend the Bayonet Constitution--a document King Kalakaua was forced to sign under threat of violence from a group of predominantly American and British businessmen, which significantly reduced the monarchy's power and disenfranchised most Native Hawaiians. Fearing the Queen's desire to restore power to the monarchy and the Hawaiian people, those same businessmen--supported by U.S. marines-- orchestrated an illegal overthrow of the Queen in 1893 and formed a provisional government.

All the while calling for peace among her people, Liliuokalani traveled to Washington, DC, to seek assistance in undoing the overthrow from President Grover Cleveland. Despite her efforts, President William McKinley signed into law a joint resolution of Congress annexing Hawaii as part of the United States. Through the adversity she faced, Queen Liliuokalani continued to petition Congress and advocate for the restoration of the Hawaiian monarchy. Her commitment to the people of Hawaii and her dignified resistance serve as examples of courage and resilience for all Native Hawaiians.

Prince Jonah Kuhio Kalanianaole was born into royal lineage on March 26, 1871. After his parents' death, his uncle King Kalakaua took him in as hanai son and gave him the title Prince. An avid scholar during his youth, Prince Kuhio was also a notable athlete in football, rowing, track, cycling, horsemanship, and marksmanship. He later studied abroad in California and England. During his travels, he was hosted as a guest of the Japanese Government. Following the illegal overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom in 1893, Prince Kuhio joined an unsuccessful attempt to restore the monarchy.

Years later, Prince Kuhio entered public service, representing Hawaii in the House of Representatives from 1902 until his death in 1922. Despite his nonvoting status, Prince Kuhio played a significant role in shaping Hawaii's future and was a tireless advocate for the

Native Hawaiian community. He secured Federal dollars for the dredging and construction of Pearl Harbor, helped establish Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, and laid the foundation for Hawaii's modern government structure and its county system, which remain in place today. Prince Kuhio also established Hawaii's Hawaiian Civic Club, beginning a movement of advocacy within the Native Hawaiian community which had been literally decimated from a pre-contact number of 800,000 to 1 million, to 40,000 by 1920.

Most notably, Prince Kuhio championed the Hawaiian Homes Commission Act, HHCA, landmark legislation that serves as the first expression of the United States trust relationship with the Native Hawaiian community. Enacted in 1921, the HHCA set aside approximately 200,000 acres of land to create a permanent homeland for Native Hawaiians, who had suffered from diseases, the overthrow of their kingdom, and the loss of their lands. Through the HHCA, Prince Kuhio sought to return Native Hawaiians to their land and promote self-sufficiency through homesteading on these leased, trust lands.

Prince Kuhio's persistence and effectiveness in advocating for the Native Hawaiian community continues to impact the Native Hawaiian community, especially through the Hawaiian Homes Commission Act. His legacy lives on in the many Native Hawaiian families who have benefited--and will continue to benefit--from his vision and leadership.

Daniel Kahikina Akaka was born in Honolulu, HI, on September 11, 1924. Senator Akaka graduated from the Kamehameha School for Boys in 1942. Upon completing high school at the height of World War II, he served in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers from 1943 to 1945 and the U.S. Army from 1945 to 1947, with deployments to Saipan and Tinian. Following his military service, Mr. Akaka earned both a bachelor's and master's of education from the University of Hawaii. He went on to serve as a teacher, vice-principal, principal, and chief program planner within the Department of Education. He later became the director of the Hawaii Office of Economic Opportunity and served as a special assistant for Human Resources, as well as director of the Office of Progressive Neighborhoods Program.

Mr. Akaka was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1976, where he served until May 16, 1990. He was appointed to the U.S. Senate in 1990 to fill the vacancy caused by the passing of Senator Masayuki ``Spark'' Matsunaga. After winning a special election later that year, Senator Akaka became the first and only Native Hawaiian to serve in the U.S. Senate, where he represented Hawaii until his retirement. During his tenure, Senator Akaka served on the Committee on Armed Services, Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, Committee on Veterans' Affairs, Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, Committee on Indian Affairs, and Committee on Ethics.

Throughout his distinguished career, Senator Akaka was a tireless advocate for Native Hawaiians and worked to ensure that the U.S. Government fulfilled its trust responsibilities. In 1993, he helped pass the Apology Resolution, which acknowledged the U.S. Government's role in the illegal overthrow of the Kingdom of Hawaii and issued a formal apology to Native Hawaiians. The resolution also committed the United States to a process of reconciliation. Senator Akaka also championed the Native Hawaiian Government Reorganization Act, which sought to establish a pathway for Federal recognition of Native Hawaiians and their right to self-governance, based on their unique political and historical relationship between the United States. Although the bill did not pass, it laid critical groundwork for ongoing discussions about Federal recognition and justice for Native Hawaiians.

Senator Akaka's unwavering commitment to the people of Hawaii and the Native Hawaiian community serve as an inspiration. His legacy reminds us of the importance of humility, service, and steadfast dedication to the communities we are called to represent.

Every day, but particularly during this month, we honor and thank Queen Liliuokalani, Prince Kuhio, and Senator Akaka for their extraordinary vision, leadership, and commitment to the Native Hawaiian community.

Mr. President, I rise today to celebrate Medicare and Medicaid, two programs that have enabled millions--millions--of Americans to get the healthcare they need.

Sixty years ago today, President Johnson signed into law a bill creating these two critical programs. At the bill signing, President Johnson said:

This great nation cannot afford to allow its citizens to

suffer needlessly from the lack of proper medical care.

Together, Medicare and Medicaid have helped generations--60 years, generations--of Americans stay healthy, get to work, pay their bills, and care for their families. Today, nearly 40 percent of Americans rely on Medicare and Medicaid.

Over the years, Democrats have fought to expand and strengthen Medicaid even further, including in the 2010 Affordable Care Act. But while the Democrats have worked to strengthen and expand Medicaid, Republicans have waged war on Medicaid and the Americans who depend on it.

Just this month, they passed a nearly thousand-page bill. They have the audacity to call it a Big Beautiful Bill. I call it the ``Thousand Pages of Pain Bill'' that will devastate communities across our country by stripping healthcare access--including Medicaid access--from some 15 million Americans, including more than 40,000 people in Hawaii.

There are a lot of States that have more people on Medicaid than are on Social Security, so this is a critically important program to our communities.

Frankly, Medicaid coverage literally keeps people alive. Without this coverage, millions of Americans won't be able to get the care they need--annual wellness visits, prescription medication, long-term care, and the list goes on.

Inevitably, more people will end up in emergency rooms as a last resort because if you don't have healthcare, you are not going to go to the doctor for wellness checks and et cetera--preventive care out the window. So you wait until you are very sick, you end up in emergency rooms, and then you overwhelm the hospitals--hospitals that are already facing higher costs and tight margins, especially in rural communities.

The Republicans' big--we call it the ``Big Bad Bill''--their ``Big Bad Bill'' also implemented new work reporting requirements for Medicaid. See, this comes from the attitude that people who are on Medicaid somehow don't deserve it, and so we are going to place all kinds of requirements because we think that people are just taking advantage of these programs--not that they need it, not that they use it so they can actually go to work.

These reporting requirements are so burdensome that it results in people being kicked off this care, their Medicaid care, even if they meet the new requirements.

So they are going to impose all these work requirements. For example, in 2018, Arkansas implemented work requirements for their Medicaid recipients. It flowed, again, from this idea that somehow people on Medicaid should have to come forward and tell, you know, the bureaucrats on a regular basis that they are trying to find work, that they are working, et cetera.

Well, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation, 18,000 people--or 25 percent of the population--in Arkansas subject to the work requirements, et cetera, lost healthcare coverage as a result.

Here is what happened. The vast majority of those who lost coverage met the underlying requirements but were unable to overcome the bureaucratic reporting process the State required--a process that cost the State millions of dollars to implement because they had to create an entire bureaucracy to keep track of everybody.

So, unsurprisingly, those who lost Medicaid coverage in Arkansas were less likely to be able to afford medication, delayed needed care, and struggled to pay off medical debt as a result. So without healthcare coverage, they ended up going to emergency care, straining the hospitals providing such care. That is common sense. Don't you think that that would happen?

The negative experience in Arkansas didn't stop the Senate Republicans recently from imposing similar requirements on Medicaid recipients nationwide. See, they didn't learn from the experience in Arkansas that you create this massive bureaucracy and kick out thousands of people who actually met the requirements to become Medicaid recipients but couldn't meet really the continuous bureaucratic requirements--but no lesson learned there.

Now the Republican Senators decide they should impose these kinds of requirements nationwide. So thanks to Senate Republicans, millions of Americans will lose their Medicaid coverage, which is what happened in Arkansas. Republicans know that thousands of their constituents will meet this fate.

In fact, one of my Republican colleagues said that his constituents were going to lose their Medicaid coverage, and he thought that was unconscionable, so he is not even running for reelection. But his colleagues didn't learn from what happened in Arkansas, didn't listen to their colleague. But what they did do while they imposed this work requirement, they delayed the implementation of the majority of the Medicaid cuts until after the 2026 midterms.

I wonder why. I think they are hoping that by the time the pain of these cuts actually hurts their constituents, they are hoping their constituents will have forgotten who caused the pain--Republicans.

But the people are paying attention. They see that we have a regime hellbent on dismantling government from Medicaid to Social Security. You heard my colleague from Rhode Island talking about what is going to happen to Medicare, cuts to the Department of Education, USAID, the National Weather Service, so much more. Trump and his Republican allies are attacking programs that our American people rely upon.

They are, in the words of President Johnson, allowing Americans to suffer needlessly, all to line the pockets of their billionaire buddies. And note that while they want Medicare-Medicaid recipients to have work requirements, I mean, they have to do something in order to get these benefits, the billionaires who are going to get these massive tax credits don't have to do a damn thing to line their pockets. It is shameful. And it will result in real harm to millions of Americans.

For 60 years, Medicaid and Medicare have made our country and our communities stronger. When you have healthy people, your community is stronger, it stands to reason.

So when Republicans wage war on Medicare and Medicaid, they are waging war on our communities, on us. So we need to fight back. We all need to stand up to this regime and stop them from dismantling the programs that our communities rely on.

I yield the floor.

Mr. President, we have an administration that is flouting the law at every turn. Since being sworn into office, Donald Trump has signed dozens of Executive orders attempting to do everything from ending birthright citizenship and eliminating the Department of Education to invoking the Alien Enemies Act to deport individuals without due process.

In the months since, lawyers defending these lawless actions in court have been rebuffed time and again by judges across the country, including judges nominated by Donald Trump himself. Note that. Even Donald Trump's nominated judges have said you can't keep making these kind of arguments before me.

So, now, Trump has gone even further by nominating to a lifetime judgeship a man who makes no secret of his disregard for our courts and the rule of law. And that man is Emil Bove.

Based on his nomination hearing and a review of his background and the record before us, Mr. Bove is unfit to be a Federal judge because of his disregard for the rule of law and his temperament. There are so many red flags regarding this nominee, as articulated by my colleagues before me.

Mr. Bove has no respect for the rule of law or the courts that uphold it. This was made all too clear by a whistleblower, a man who had the courage to point out certain things about this nominee. This courageous whistleblower is Erez Reuveni.

Mr. Reuveni was a career attorney at the DOJ before he was fired by the Trump administration for not lying to the court that the administration made a mistake in deporting Kilmar Abrego Garcia to El Salvador. Note this. He was fired because he told the truth to the courts. He was expected to lie to the court and say: Oh, the Trump administration did not make a mistake in Mr. Garcia's case.

The facts prove otherwise.

Far from being a rogue partisan, Mr. Reuveni spent 15 years at the Department of Justice, including during the first Trump administration, where he received awards for his work defending the administration's policies in court. Mr. Reuveni shared with the Judiciary Committee that Mr. Bove, the nominee before us, casually discussed ignoring court orders at a meeting attended by not just Mr. Reuveni but by a bunch of other AGs in the Department of Justice.

So while Mr. Bove and my Republican colleagues would like us to focus on whether Mr. Bove actually directed the government to ignore a court order at this fateful meeting, that focus misses the point. According to Mr. Reuveni, Mr. Bove said the Justice Department would need to consider telling the courts ``f you'' if the court ordered the administration--the Justice Department--to stop what they were doing. Neither Mr. Bove nor anyone else has denied the sequence of events.

Mr. Reuveni produced 100 pages of documents and text messages supporting his statement that under Bove, DOJ lawyers were directed to prioritize the President's political agenda over their legal and ethical obligations.

My Democratic colleagues and I tried to ask Mr. Bove about these revelations, but, unsurprisingly, he refused to answer nearly all of the questions on these points. As noted, he even cited privileges that don't even apply to him. So we didn't get much in the way of responses from Mr. Bove. As for the committee, rather than hold a hearing to hear from this whistleblower under oath, Republicans on the Judiciary Committee chose to rush through Mr. Bove's nomination, breaking precedent by refusing to allow Democrats to even speak on his nomination in committee.

I am sure people saw that the Democrats on that committee walked out in protest.

Beyond his disregard for the rule of law, Mr. Bove also lacks the temperament to be a Federal judge. We expect our Federal judges to be fair, to be objective. We don't expect them to have political axes to grind. But that is not what we are going to get with Mr. Bove.

One issue that is particularly important to me is harassment and abuse of law clerks and court staff by Federal judges. Those with nearly absolute power, like a Federal judge in their Chambers, can do great harm to those who work for them. That is why I introduced a bipartisan, bicameral bill aimed at addressing workplace harassment in the Federal Judiciary. We know this happens.

So this issue arises with regard to Mr. Bove because of reports that he was an abusive supervisor at the Southern District of New York. In other words, he is a supervisor who abuses his power. When questioned, Mr. Bove confirmed that a group of office leaders recommended to the U.S. attorney that he be removed as a supervisor of the unit that he was leading. According to reports, this came after an investigation and Mr. Bove only kept his job after he pleaded to keep it.

It is, frankly, astounding that these very busy prosecutors in the office that he was in considered Mr. Bove's behavior so concerning that they went so far as to investigate his behavior and recommend his removal. To clarify things, I asked Mr. Bove, in questions for the record, to send us copies of his personnel file. He refused.

Far from an independent, fairminded jurist, Mr. Bove is willing to use whatever means he deems necessary to meet the ends sought by Donald Trump. There is absolutely no question that the reason Mr. Bove came to President Trump's attention was his complete loyalty to President Trump, which he manifests clearly. This is a concern. Don't take my word for it.

I want to show you, Mr. President, this is a letter signed by nearly 1,000--1,000--former DOJ lawyers urging this body to reject Mr. Bove's nomination. They wrote:

We, the undersigned, proudly defended the rule of law as

attorneys at the U.S. Department of Justice. We are all

alarmed by DOJ leadership's recent deviations from

constitutional principles and institutional guardrails.

These almost 1,000 wrote--the letter continues:

Emil Bove has been a leader in this assault. Despite that,

he now stands before you as a nominee for a lifetime seat on

the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. . . . It is

intolerable to us that anyone who disgraces the Justice

Department will be promoted to one of the highest courts in

the

land, as it should be intolerable to anyone committed to

maintaining our ordered system of justice.

They went on to remind us that each of us in this body was elected by a democratic process anchored by the rule of law and urged us to protect the rule of law by voting our conscience and rejecting Mr. Bove's nomination.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the letter I referred to be printed in the Record.

Mr. President, for all the reasons provided by me and my colleagues before me on the Democratic side, I urge my colleagues to join me in defending the rule of law by not putting into a lifetime appointment somebody who thinks that he can ignore court orders and certainly not by saying ``f you'' to the courts; that that person not be confirmed by this body. We need to do our jobs by rejecting this nominee.

I yield the floor.

Mr. President, I have a motion to recommit at the desk.

I ask that further reading be dispensed with.

Mr. President, public broadcasters are essential to rural communities, often serving as the only emergency alert system when disasters or emergencies occur. These alerts can mean the difference between life or death.

Public broadcasters around the country, especially those in rural communities, rely on significant funding from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which is why Congress has consistently provided CPB funding on a bipartisan basis.

By cutting funding from public broadcasting, this bill will jeopardize public broadcasters and the lifesaving service they provide. My motion to recommit will ensure that no public broadcasting station that participates in the emergency alert system would lose funding as a result of this bill.

As natural disasters increase in frequency across our country, this motion will help protect our communities and ensure they can get timely, lifesaving information--

--when disasters strike. I urge my colleagues to vote yes on this motion.

This bill endangers the public.

Vote on Motion to Recommit

I ask for the yeas and nays.

Mr. President, when the Senate considers the rescissions bill, H.R. 4, it is my intention, along with Senators Peters, Blunt Rochester, and Reed, to make a motion to recommit the bill to the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate with instructions to report the same back to the Senate in 3 days, not counting any day on which the Senate is not in session, with changes that--(1) are within the jurisdiction of such committee; and

(2) would ensure that no recipient of funds from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting that is designated as a Primary Entry Point, National Primary, State Primary, State Relay, State Relay Network, Local Primary, or Participating National (as those terms are defined in section 11.18 of title 47, Code of Federal Regulations) in the Emergency Alert System would lose funding as a result of the rescissions in the bill.

Mr. President, I call up my amendment No. 2382 and ask that it be reported by number.

Mr. President, nearly 90 percent of K through 12 students attend public schools. Yet Republicans are pushing a plan in this bill to undermine support for public schools through the first-ever nationwide Public-Private School Voucher Program.

Republicans claim vouchers are about expanding school choice, but evidence shows these kinds of programs do little to meaningfully increase choice for families, especially low-income families and those who live in rural communities.

When it comes down to it, this plan does not help students. It does not promote choice. It does not support public schools. We should be investing in public education for all Americans, not diverting tax dollars to private schools. That is why my amendment with Senator Van Hollen would strip this provision from this bill.

Stand up for our Nation's students, teachers, and families by rejecting this provision and supporting our amendment.

I yield the floor.

Mr. President, do I have time left?

I ask for the yeas and nays.

Madam President, Democratic Senators have been on the floor for hours today pointing out what is in this thousand-page bill that took over 16 hours to read. I call it the thousand pages of pain and the billionaires' gain.

It is bad enough that my colleagues have been on the floor talking about how this bill is going to hurt people on Medicaid, taking food away from our children and families through major cuts to the SNAP program--healthcare, food, housing, energy support, you name it, the pain is in this bill--but one of the areas that people don't know about is that this bill actually has provisions that would take away support for our public schools. Let that sink in. It is not enough that this bill has a thousand pages of pain in just about every aspect of our lives that you can think of, but now they are coming after support for our public schools.

So today, I am rising as an advocate for the 49 million children who are enrolled in public schools across our country. Nearly 90 percent of K through 12 students go to public schools, including 95 percent of children with disabilities. Yet we have a regime that is actively working to end Federal support for public schools. We have a President who tried to totally eliminate the Department of Education, and, sadly for him, he can't do it through Executive order because only Congress can do that. But they are doing a lot of other things that withhold support for public schools.

So, as you know, Republicans in Congress are trying to undermine support for public schools through the first-ever national private school voucher program. Let that sink in--the first-ever national private school voucher program. That is taking money away from public schools and basically turning it over to private schools through a voucher program.

So let's be clear. The school voucher program provision isn't about money for schools; it is about even more money for billionaires because they are the folks who are going to get the most out of this voucher for private schools program.

Under this program, wealthy donors would receive large handouts for supporting school vouchers. This is a Washington Post headline:

GOP voucher plan would divert billions--

Four billion a year--

in taxes in perpetuity to private schools.

So, specifically, the plan would provide a dollar-for-dollar tax credit. We are not talking about tax deductions; we are talking about a tax credit. This is money that comes right off your taxable amount. So what this bill would do is provide a tax credit of $5,000 or 10 percent of a taxpayer's adjusted gross income, whichever is greater. So a taxpayer making $10 million--we do have people who make $10 million a year--could contribute $1 million and receive a credit for that full amount. How do you like that? You can get a million dollars off your tax bill by contributing to this private school voucher program.

So rather than calling this plan what it is--and I tell you, the word ``scam'' comes to my mind; it is like scamming the public schools-- Republicans are deceitfully trying to sell this plan as an expansion of school choice for families. Oh, isn't this voucher program great? More families can send their kids to private school.

Here is the reality: Based on what we know about school voucher programs, they do not promote school choice. Let me give you two examples of why this argument does not hold water. For one thing, school vouchers do not cover the full cost of private school tuition. When was the last time anybody thought about how much private schools cost? You know, schools in Hawaii--private schools can cost something on the order of $15 to $20,000 a year, starting from kindergarten. A voucher program will not support that full amount. That means that families who want to send their kids to these private schools will have to make up the cost difference. Well, how many middle-income, low- income families will be able to exercise that choice to send their child to a private school that costs that much?

Not only that, as we have seen in States that have passed voucher programs, private schools often raise their tuition when they become eligible for vouchers. Iowa is an example. After they approved vouchers in 2022, private schools there increased their prices by over 20 percent for kindergarten and by over 10 percent for other grade levels.

Here is another example on this argument that this program promotes choice. There are fewer private schools in rural communities. So many families do not have access to private schools if they live in rural communities. How does this expand choice for these families?

The reality is the majority of vouchers have gone to wealthy families and to subsidizing school tuition for students who already attend private schools. Under this bill, Republicans will make that even worse by prioritizing scholarships for these students.

I am going to repeat that because not only is it bad enough that we are going to divert all of this money, basically, to private schools, but this bill actually has a provision that says people who will get these scholarships are students who already go to private schools.

In Louisiana, for example, the 99 percent of voucher tax credits there went to families with annual incomes above 200,000. In Virginia, the number was 87 percent of vouchers in that State going to wealthy families. In Arizona, it was 60 percent.

Americans have consistently rejected school voucher programs and initiatives. Nebraska, Kentucky, and Colorado have all voted against voucher programs within the last year.

In Nebraska, school vouchers were put on the ballot last November, and they were soundly defeated for the fourth time. This is not a Democratic or Republican issue. Nebraska is a red State. They voted for a Republican President by a 20-point margin, and yet they rejected school vouchers with 57 percent of the vote.

The bottom line is this: Vouchers take money away from public schools, and Americans of all political stripes understand that.

According to All4Ed, over two-thirds of voters would rather increase funding for public schools than increase funding for voucher programs.

That is not a new sentiment. In all 17 State referendums on school vouchers since 1967, voters have rejected these programs.

While the Republicans in this Chamber may not give a rip about public schools, the vast majority of Americans get it. Democrats, Republicans, Independents alike support strengthening our public schools, not taking money away from our public schools, because they know that strong public education is fundamental to a strong country.

Well, undeterred by public sentiment, Republicans are trying to create, as I mentioned, a nationwide school voucher program. It is not enough that some States have voucher programs, but now the Republicans, through this misguided, almost-thousand-pages-of-pain bill, want to provide $4 billion per year for a private school voucher program, with no accountability.

Remember, early on, I said that a huge percentage of children with disabilities go to public schools. Well, private schools do not have any responsibility to make sure that they are providing education for children with disabilities. So there is no accountability.

Let's just provide $4 billion per year, in perpetuity, in tax credits for private school programs that have no accountability along these lines.

We all know that this kind of funding could be used for rural and low-income schools, for students with disabilities, for other programs that actually support and strengthen public schools.

Instead, under the Republicans' plan, that funding would go to wealthy donors who will receive large handouts, up to $4 billion a year for supporting school vouchers.

Again, this plan will enable a taxpayer making $10 million a year to contribute 1 million and receive a dollar-for-dollar credit for that full amount. And even worse, the taxpayer could contribute appreciated stock and avoid capital gains on their appreciation.

And there is all kinds of data on who owns stocks in this country, and generally it is the people with a lot of wealth.

So this bill had a provision that enabled people to donate appreciated stock so that they could escape capital gains taxes on that stock contribution totally.

So this Republican voucher proposal, outlandish as it is, was briefly delayed after it was deemed noncompliant with budget rules earlier this week. Republicans remain undeterred. They have decided to plow forward with a nearly identical plan.

When it comes down to it, this plan does not help students. It does not promote choice. It does not support public schools, where the majority of our kids go. We should be supporting our public schools, not taking resources away from them.

So my Democratic colleagues and I will continue to fight to fund quality public schools, to improve public education in this country-- foundational.

This voucher plan is yet another wrong-headed proposal that should be called out for what it is: a handout for the wealthy at the expense of hard-working American families.

I urge my colleagues to reject this idea.

I yield the floor.

Mr. President, when the Senate considers the reconciliation bill, H.R. 1, it is my intention to make the following motions to commit to the bill:

A motion to commit the bill, H.R. 1, to the Committee on

Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs of the Senate with

instructions to report the same back to the Senate in 3 days,

not counting any day on which the Senate is not in session,

with changes that--(1) are within the jurisdiction of such

committee; and (2) would strike provisions that reduce or

eliminate grants or loans under the Green and Resilient

Retrofit Program of the Department of Housing and Urban

Development.

A motion to commit the bill, H.R. 1, to the Committee on

Finance of the Senate with instructions to report the same

back to the Senate in 3 days, not counting any day on which

the Senate is not in session, with changes that--(1) are

within the jurisdiction of such committee; and (2) would

strike provisions that make it hard for children to access

health care.

A motion to commit the bill, H.R. 1, to the Committee on

Finance of the Senate with instructions to report the same

back to the Senate in 3 days, not counting any day on which

the Senate is not in session, with changes that--(1) are

within the jurisdiction of such committee; and (2) would

strike provisions that make it harder for small business

owners, employees, or families covered under the Medicaid

program or a qualified health plan offered on an Exchange to

access health care.

Mr. President, I was absent for one rollcall vote on June 9, 2025.

On June 9, had I been present, I would have voted nay on the Nomination of Brett Shumate, of Virginia, to be an Assistant Attorney General, rollcall vote No. 297.

Mr. President, we are witnessing one of the most anti- small business administrations in our Nation's history.

Since day one, Donald Trump and his administration have sown chaos in our country and our economy, disregarding the impacts of their mayhem on the American people, including the nearly 35 million small business owners in our country.

From freezing Federal funds to enacting tariffs that harm small businesses and consumers, Donald Trump is taking a wrecking ball to the American economy and the small businesses that fuel it. Now the Trump administration has taken to gaslighting business owners and the American people about the impacts of their recklessness.

Just today, Small Business Administrator Kelly Loeffler--a billionaire herself--testified before the Small Business Committee on which I sit. To call her remarks Orwellian would be an understatement. In her testimony before the committee, Administrator Loeffler claimed that thanks to the President's economic agenda, ``demand for American goods is rising and small manufacturers are stepping up to meet it.''

On the contrary, President Trump's tariffs are harming U.S. businesses--especially small businesses--and increasing their costs. As a result, business confidence is plummeting.

According to the National Small Business Association, only 59 percent of small business owners are confident in the financial future of their businesses. This is a new low in this organization's survey. It is a new low in the 16-year history of this survey.

According to another organization, Small Business for America's Future, 80 percent of business owners feel concerned or pessimistic about their economic outlook, 79 percent of businesses are concerned about a recession in the next 12 months, and 86 percent are concerned about navigating current economic conditions.

Normally, the SBA would be there for small businesses in moments of pain and uncertainty like this, but this anti-business administration has wasted no time in basically gutting the SBA. To date, nearly 800 SBA employees have been fired or resigned, and the Administrator has a goal to shed another 1,900 employees in the months ahead. The SBA is the smallest entity in our Federal bureaucracy, and they are shedding all these employees. When I asked the Administrator about these employees, the majority of whom are gone, she had a hard time giving me a straight answer.

Already, we have heard from small businesses that have noticed a significant decline in customer service since January when the SBA began shedding all these employees. If the SBA goes ahead with this disastrous plan to shed more employees, nearly half--nearly half--of the Agency's workforce will have been eliminated, leaving small businesses across the country basically to fend for themselves, not to mention all of the programs that the SBA supports on behalf of small businesses.

Gutting the SBA is hardly what I would call, to quote Ms. Loeffler in her testimony today, ``meeting the moment.'' Despite the Administrator's bluster, the numbers are clear: Our small businesses are suffering; they are not prospering. They are suffering under the weight of Trump's actions, especially his tariffs.

That is why I was proud to join Senator Markey in introducing legislation which he will talk about soon to exempt small businesses from Trump's tariffs, tariffs that may well force many of these businesses to shut down altogether. While the massive corporations controlled by President Trump's billionaire buddies may be able to weather this economic storm, our small businesses don't have the same luxury.

Republicans think our Tax Code makes our economy great; that if they

keep giving massive tax breaks to their billionaire buddies, some of these tax breaks, this money that is concentrated at the top, will eventually trickle down to working people. We already know that is not so. Democrats know that small businesses, entrepreneurs, and their hard-working employees are the powerhouses of the American economy. We should be making it easier for hard-working people to start and run businesses--not harder--so that they can unleash a wave of innovation and prosperity rather than waiting and hoping for a trickle that may never come. And in fact, it hasn't. It doesn't. But the Republicans keep hoping that we are going to continue to buy this argument.

So, for these reasons, if Republicans are serious about supporting small businesses, they will join us in passing our commonsense bill. On behalf of the nearly 35 million small businesses across our country, I urge my colleagues to join us in passing the Markey bill.

I yield the floor.

Mr. President, I rise in recognition of educators in Hawaii as well as across the Nation who are dedicating--have dedicated--their lives to the benefit of the children of our country.

This week is Teacher Appreciation Week. And as this administration attacks education and educators, it is more important than ever that we recognize our educators and thank them for all that they do on behalf of our children.

I have spoken before on the floor of this body on the fundamental importance of public education in my own life, having come here as an immigrant speaking no English from very humble beginnings.

I thank my teachers at Kaahumanu Elementary School, Koko Head Elementary School, and especially the librarian at Koko Head Elementary School who awakened my love of reading. They helped me to learn English and helped set me on a course that ultimately led to the U.S. Senate.

Today, teachers like Chayanee Brooks, an English teacher at Ka'u High School and Pahala Elementary on Hawaii Island, continue to educate and inspire Hawaii's youth. Chayanee, a Thai immigrant, is a nationally board-certified teacher. And, believe me, to become a nationally board- certified teacher, one must go through a lot of steps. But this certification indicates what an exceptional teacher she is.

She has been recognized as her complex area's Teacher of the Year, as Hawaii State teacher fellow, and as a Pulitzer Center teacher fellow. Just last month, she was recognized by the Hawaii State Teachers Association for her work to engage with and uplift the work of the voices of her students in her rural community.

Chayanee has said that her philosophy as an educator is simple:

Empower students to connect with their community and their

own potential through storytelling.

Chayanee has created a welcoming space for her students to express themselves and share their stories through creative avenues like journalism and documentary storytelling, where they highlight topics such as family separation and mental health. You know that these are areas that the students not only care about but have experienced in their own lives.

In addition to supporting her own students, Chayanee helps train other teachers to use storytelling as a tool to engage students in their own classrooms.

She is just one of the many teachers in our country who go above and beyond for their students and their communities. Teachers like Chayanee do more than educate students. They are role models and mentors, providing a safe, nurturing space for our children to learn and to grow. That is why it is so important that we support teachers and the vital--often underappreciated work--that they do.

We all remember during the COVID times that suddenly all our kids were at home. Believe me, there were a lot of people appreciating teachers particularly during that time. But it shouldn't just be at a time such as COVID. It should be all the time that we appreciate the exceptional work and commitment that so many of our teachers have to our students' education.

But Trump and his administration are hell-bent on doing everything they can to eliminate the U.S. Department of Education and undermine public education in our country. He and his Republican buddies want to take away Federal support for local schools, hundreds of millions of dollars--in fact, billions of dollars--money that provides services for students and parents, supports students with disabilities, and helps keep our children fed.

Trump is also threatening to cut funding from schools that won't comply with his draconian Executive orders--his obsession to stamp out diversity, equity, and inclusion in our public schools; Executive orders that direct our schools to stop teaching entire chapters of our Nation's history like the Civil War, African-American history, and the history of immigrants in our country.

That is just a part of the obsession that this administration has to stamp out diversity, equity, and inclusion in every arena.

We heard from teachers, parents, and students in Hawaii and across the country about the consequences of Trump's actions--the firing of people, what they are trying to get our schools to not teach--and they have told us in two words: ``It's chaos.'' Much like everything else Trump touches and does, chaos follows.

Just this week, Homeland Security agents terrorized a group of teachers from the Philippines living and working on Maui. They were invited to come to Maui to teach in our schools for a period of time. And despite these teachers being here legally in our country, the teachers were detained by Homeland Security and targeted before being allowed to go about their business. That is called terrorizing people, plain and simple. So instead of supporting teachers, Trump is making it even harder for them to do their jobs, and our children will be the ones stuck paying the price.

A strong education system is fundamental to building a strong democracy, a strong economy, and a strong middle class. At the heart of our education system is, of course, our educators. That is why I and my Democratic colleagues are committed to supporting our educators, strengthening our schools, and ensuring every child--every child--has the opportunity to

learn and grow regardless of where they come from, their income, their disability--whatever their background. Every child should have that opportunity to grow and, you know, really seek their dreams.

Teachers can make a lasting impression in the lives of their students. In fact, I just had lunch with some of my interns in my office, and one of them said that she will never forget the encouragement from one of her college professors when she expressed some doubts about her success at her school, which happened to be Berkeley. This teacher said: You have a lot of years ahead of you. You know, believe in yourself. You can take risks, but go forward. She had a lot of years ahead of her to determine what she wanted to do with her life. So this intern in my office found this to be very encouraging.

That is what I mean about teachers having a profound impact on the life choices that their students make and how they think about themselves in this world. So I extend my gratitude to every teacher in Hawaii and across the country who continues to provide the kind of teaching experience that enables our students to have faith in themselves, to learn, and to understand that, you know, life has a lot in store for them.

I hope that a lot of these students will become teachers themselves, will become educators, and will be the kinds of teachers who will provide the kind of support that every student needs and deserves.

So ``mahalo'' to all of our educators across our country for all that you do both in and out of your classrooms and for the commitment that you have to our Nation's children, our families, and our communities.

I yield the floor.

Mr. President, in June, we will welcome Hawaii businesses and entrepreneurs to Washington, DC, for the ninth annual ``Hawaii on the Hill,'' an event for local businesses to showcase their products and hear from government leaders about the issues affecting their lives. Now in our ninth year, I am grateful for the continued partnership with the Chamber of Commerce Hawaii, specifically President Sherry Menor-McNamara and her team, to ensure another successful event this year. Since 2014, our work together has brought dozens of local businesses to Washington, DC, and attracted thousands of participants. We expect to have another successful event this year.

Every year, the event is special. But this year's event is particularly special because it also marks the 175th anniversary of the Chamber of Commerce Hawaii, which was originally formed in 1850. With the 175th anniversary in mind, I would like to reflect on the history of the Chamber of Commerce Hawaii and the important impact it has had on our State.

In 1849, following an increase in trade between the Kingdom of Hawaii and the United States, Honolulu businesses experienced a period of significant growth. The following year, after King Kamehameha III declared Honolulu to be the capital of the kingdom, the Hawaii Chamber of Commerce was formed.

In its early years, the Chamber of Commerce Hawaii worked to facilitate improvements to business and government operations, including through reports on business imports and exports, the creation of an immigration society, and the installation of lights in Honolulu Harbor. At the turn of the century, the chamber expanded its work to address public health issues through a public health committee, an anti-mosquito league, a tuberculosis association, a cancer society, and a mental health association. Its efforts through these organizations played a significant role in reducing infectious and other diseases to the point that the State experienced a 43 percent improvement in disease control and a 20 percent increase in health education by 1935. Perhaps most notably, the chamber was responsible for creating the Blood Bank of Hawaii, which subsequently saved many lives after the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941.

Following the war, as Hawaii grappled with the question of full representation within the United States, the chamber played a substantial role in advocating for statehood which, as we know, was approved on August 21, 1959. After Hawaii became the 50th State in 1959, the chamber worked to reinvent itself. Many services previously provided by the chamber were now under the jurisdiction of the State. The chamber therefore refocused its efforts on promoting the interests of businesses, especially in legislative and governmental affairs. Today, the chamber continues to play this role through forums like Hawaii on the Hill's policy summit, which has become a key component of the event.

Without a doubt, the Chamber of Commerce Hawaii has played a significant role in the history of our State. It is responsible for many of the important developments that have led us to where we are and has had a positive impact on the State. So today, we recognize the chamber for its long history and thank it for its continued partnership on efforts like Hawaii on the Hill.

Mahalo to Sherry and her team for continuing to uphold the legacy of the chamber.

Mr. President, I call up my amendment No. 2180 and ask that it be reported by number.

Mr. President, Social Security is essential to millions of Americans, including nearly 300,000 in Hawaii, but Donald Trump and Elon Musk see Social Security as nothing more than a Ponzi scheme. They have already cut Social Security staff, and now they want to close field offices that people rely on--all in their continuing attack to cripple government services and all to fund massive tax cuts for billionaires.

We were told that we should expeditiously confirm President Trump's nominee to be Social Security Administrator. Why? So that we confirm another ``yes'' person to do President Trump's bidding to destroy government services? That is not what we should be doing.

My amendment would prevent any reduction in services for Social Security beneficiaries, including through the closure of regional and field offices and the reduction of regional personnel, field office personnel.

When people need help with their Social Security, which they paid for, they should get it. If my Republican colleagues care about Social Security, this is their chance to vote aye.

A vote against this amendment is a vote to screw the most vulnerable people in our country.

I yield.

I ask for the yeas and nays.

Madam President, in January, the U.S. Mint released a dollar coin featuring Mary Kawena Pukui, the renowned Native Hawaiian scholar, anthropologist, ethnographer, author, composer, dancer, and teacher who has influenced generations of individuals through her work on Native Hawaiian language preservation, history, and culture. Mary is being featured through the U.S. Mint's Native American $1 Coin Program. I had previously called for her to be featured in another similar program, so I am excited to see her recognized for her accomplishments.

Mary Kawena Pukui was born in Ka`u, HI, on April 20, 1895, to father Henry Nathaniel Wiggin and mother Pa`ahana Kanaka`ole. From an early age, Mary was raised by her maternal grandmother, who taught her valuable lessons about Hawaiian language, history, and culture. Shortly after her grandmother's passing in 1904, she returned to live with her parents. But she carried those early lessons from her grandmother with her for the rest of her life.

Mary was not only dedicated to maintaining her personal connection to heritage, but was also passionate about educating others and raising awareness of Hawaiian culture within her community. In 1921, her passion led her to the start of what would be a long relationship with the Bishop Museum, the celebrated historical, cultural, and environmental institution established in Honolulu, HI, in 1889, and designated as the Hawaii State Museum of Natural and Cultural History in 1988. At the Bishop Museum, she taught various classes and collaborated with museum scholars on matters concerning the Hawaiian language. These collaborations led to several books that she co- authored over the years, like ``Hawaiian Stories and Wise Sayings,'' ``Hawaiian Folktales,'' and ``The Legend of Kawelo and other Hawaiian Folktales.'' Perhaps her greatest collaboration during that time, though, was the English-Hawaiian Hawaiian-English Dictionary, which was crucial to the revitalization of the Hawaiian language.

Later in life, starting in the 1950s, Mary also dedicated a significant amount of her time to traveling throughout Hawaii to make recordings of Hawaiian elders. During this time, she collected a wide variety of recorded materials, from everyday conversations, to songs and chants. Today, these recordings are preserved at the Bishop Museum in Honolulu.

In addition to her role as a scholar, educator, and author, Mary was also a skilled musician and dancer. Throughout her lifetime, she composed over 150 mele and oli, or Hawaiian songs and chants. Furthermore, to ensure the retention of this practice within her own ohana, she shared her knowledge of hula with her three daughters Patience, Faith, and Pele.

Mary's work had a direct impact on the revitalization of Hawaiian language and culture during the 1960s and 1970s, which is referred to as the Hawaiian Renaissance for the cultural resurgence that occurred during this period and that continues today. She was an important force in the resistance against the erasure of Hawaiian culture and ensured the preservation of

the Hawaiian cultural identity for generations to come. Her work was critical then and remains so now.

So today, we honor and thank Mary Kawena Pukui for her work. Mahalo, Kumu Mary, for all your contributions to our State and this Nation.

Will the Senator yield for a question?

I am glad you mentioned M&M's. Both of us are lawyers. I remember I got through the study for the bar exam by eating mounds and mounds of M&M's. I thank the Senator from New Jersey for continuing to provide me with M&M's.

I want to thank you, Senator Booker, for standing here for hours on end to push back, to fight against this administration's lawlessness. In fact, a reporter asked me today: Do you think this is a good use by Senator Booker of his time to be on the floor to do this?

I said: Anytime any of us gets up and uses our voices to counter the fight against the lawlessness of this station, it is a good use of our time.

So, thank you, Senator Booker for yielding to me and for standing up for the American people. Is it making a difference? Millions of people are watching you, Senator Booker. Millions have watched and are watching you. It is making a difference.

I want to ask you a question about the lawlessness of this administration. As you yourself said last night, ``These are not normal times in our Nation.'' In fact, these are the very words that I often use when I meet with anybody who comes to see me from Hawaii-- individuals, organizations. I say, ``These are not normal times.''

So Donald Trump has made no secret of the fact that he fancies himself a King with total disregard for the rule of law. From day one, he and his administration have taken one illegal action after another.

On his first day in office, Donald Trump issued an Executive order purporting to end birthright citizenship, a right protected in our Constitution for more than a century--birthright citizenship.

He tried to unilaterally freeze Federal funding--funding for everything from cancer research to disaster aid, funding that had already been appropriated by Congress, and the executive branch is required by law to spend it. It is not as though it is up to the President to decide what programs he is going to release money for; Congress already made that determination. By law, he is supposed to expend these funds. But, again, he thinks he is the King and he can do whatever he wants. So he put a freeze on these funds.

He has enabled Elon Musk, an unelected billionaire--the richest person in the world, whose only qualification is the more than $200 million he spent to get Trump elected--to run roughshod through our government.

Together, they have attempted to shutter USAID and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, just for two examples. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has returned more than $21 billion to consumers through its enforcement actions--$21 billion going to our consumers. Apparently, King Trump can't stand that, and neither can Elon Musk. These are Agencies that do critical work at home and abroad. They represent just a miniscule part of the Federal budget.

But this doesn't stop either Trump or Musk from going after these programs. And Musk's so-called DOGE team has gained access to sensitive databases and payment systems across our government, containing the personal information of millions of Americans. So he has access to the Treasury Department database--all our Social Security numbers, our tax payments, all of that. He was running roughshod, until stopped by a court, on these databases.

They have done all this without any transparency or accountability whatsoever, meaning we still don't know the full extent of where DOGE has been or what they have done.

Trump has launched an all-out assault on our Federal workforce. He attempted to fire tens of thousands--he actually fired them--who are on probationary status overnight, only for courts to order them--these thousands and thousands of Federal employees on probationary status--to be reinstated weeks later. Talk about chaos. Talk about sowing fear.

So now he is attempting to reclassify whole swaths of Federal employees to strip them of civil service protections and in some cases eliminate their ability to bargain collectively.

He fired Department of Justice and FBI officers for seemingly no other reason than their involvement in January 6 cases--cases they were assigned to as rank-and-file officials.

It is not as though the people all at the DOJ and the FBI had a choice in the kind of cases they were going to be assigned. They were assigned January 6 cases, and the names of these people--there are some 6,000 FBI and DOJ employees who worked on January 6 cases, and there is a fear that those names will be disclosed.

He is going after schools, from kindergartners to universities, as part of his war on diversity, equity, and inclusion. There are many examples of the kind of government overreach that they are exercising through their effort to ferret out what they call diversity, equity, and inclusion, which, actually, that is a positive. Do we want to be inclusive? So I want to give you just one example.

There was a teacher in Idaho who had a poster in her classroom that said ``Everyone is welcome here,'' and there were handprints of different colors--white, black, yellow handprints. She was told she had to take this poster down. She was told that if the handprints were all white handprints, she could have kept the poster up, but she was told she had to take down this poster in her classroom that says ``Everyone is welcome here.''

She took it down at first, but she felt so bad about it that she put it back up. Then she was told by the powers that be at her school that she had a certain amount of time to take this poster down. Otherwise, there will be disciplinary action. That is the kind of government overreach that is a hallmark of this administration.

To date, the Trump administration has withheld millions of dollars from handpicked colleges and universities, conditioning the funding on unreasonable demands meant to bring these colleges to their knees. So he is starting with Harvard and Columbia. There is probably a whole long list of colleges that he has threatened to withdraw hundreds of millions of dollars from.

They have slashed funding and staffing of the Department of Education. In fact, they would like to dismantle the Department of Education, which is responsible for administering billions in funding for low-income students, students with disabilities, and something as critical as school lunch for kids. Every single State in our country relies on the funding they receive from the U.S. Department of Education. In Hawaii, we are talking about some $300 million in funding for our schools to help our kids with disabilities and to provide school lunches through the U.S. Department of Agriculture--the things that I mentioned.

As Senator Booker knows well, the list goes on and on.

This administration continues to abuse its power, acting with total disregard for the rule of law, so we have turned to the courts to stop these illegal acts. Now Republicans are calling to impeach these judges who are applying the law, who are doing what they are supposed to be doing and not just giving Trump whatever results he wants, but these judges are now deemed open to impeachment.

It is clear Trump and his cronies will keep on doing whatever they want regardless of the Constitution or the law. They are crippling government and sowing total chaos across our country while doing nothing to address the actual issues people care about.

I know my colleague from New Jersey is just as concerned about lawlessness as I am. We both sit on the Judiciary Committee. We know how important adherence to the rule of law is. In fact, I have said many times that it is the rule of law that separates a democracy from all other forms of government, and we now have a President who does not think that the rule of law applies to him. WTF comes to mind.

So, Senator Booker, my question to you is, What are the consequences of this total lawlessness on our government, our country, and the American people?