Floor Statements

Mr. President, let me be clear: Shutdowns do not require Presidents to fire people en masse. They actually do not require Presidents to cancel projects and raise energy prices; nor do they give Presidents new magical powers to destroy programs they don't like or to target political opposition.

You don't have to take my word for it because this is not our first government shutdown. It is just the first time that a President has blatantly and gleefully tried to use a shutdown against the American people.

So when President Trump fires hundreds of public health workers at CDC without thinking twice about if it would put lives in jeopardy, that is a choice he is making. When President Trump puts at risk special education programs through mass layoffs, that is a choice he is making to abandon students with disabilities and their families and weaken their access to rights under our special education laws. When Trump outright shutters a key community development fund, which has strong bipartisan support and finances housing and healthcare and other community projects in our country, that is a choice he is making.

President Trump is choosing to fire as many people as he thinks he can get away with to break as much of the government, as is possible, to hurt the American people as much as he can, because he thinks he can use regular people as leverage.

That is the cold, hard reality, and it is plain as day. That is why Trump is governing by a principle of maximum pain. It is not because he had to; it is because he wanted to. It is not because he is following any law; it is because he is ignoring countless laws. It is not because he held off on layoffs; it is because he is eager to continue to break our government, bend it to his will, and enrich himself in this process.

President Trump knows perfectly well--just as my Republican colleagues know--that shutdowns don't give him any new power, and they don't just let him fire people with reckless abandon. After all, Trump was President for the longest shutdown in American history. And guess what. Trump didn't have to fire thousands and thousands of workers when he caused that longest shutdown in history. He didn't get to run roughshod over our laws when he kept the government shut down for over a month. So don't let any Republican tell you he simply had to now.

And let me put another obvious falsehood to rest. Leader Thune keeps saying Democrats are ``enthralled to the radical left.'' But here is the thing: We actually are the ones talking to Republican voters, because the majority of Republicans--and the overwhelming majority of the American people--do not want to see their premiums double, triple, or even quadruple for millions of families.

And many Republicans are starting to realize that too. Look at Marjorie Taylor Greene, who has made clear she thinks Republicans need to look at how to stop these premium hikes. Just look at the growing chorus of Republican Members begging Speaker Johnson to bring them back so we can solve this issue.

Clearly, Republicans are feeling the heat. That is why we are suddenly hearing Republican leaders absurdly pretend they have always meant to focus on healthcare, even if they would never talk about it before and even if the only thing they are saying right now is: No, no, no. We can't do anything on this right now. We can just think about it, possibly talk about it; potentially, maybe, do something someday. So House Republicans may not be here in DC to talk about this issue with Democrats, but here is the thing: They are still hearing about this back at home. Families are staring down massive premium hikes, and they want Republicans to return and finally work on solutions.

Look, the Republican leader can shut down the government if he is really that desperate to avoid addressing the healthcare crisis Republicans caused. He can shut down the debate, but he cannot shut down the voices of families who are speaking out about how their premiums are about to skyrocket.

I have been constantly hearing from folks back home in Washington State. Letters and calls are pouring into my office from families who are worried about how their premiums will double if Republicans refuse to act.

A woman called in to my office to share that her husband already received notices that their insurance is going to double in cost.

A mother whose son has a traumatic brain and spinal cord injury called. She is terrified that she has no idea how they are going to afford the care he needs if healthcare gets more expensive.

Last week, I spoke with a freelancer in Seattle who is worried that their monthly payments will increase--monthly--by $1,300.

A video producer told me his premiums are going to more than double and be 60 percent of his mortgage payment.

The week before that, I spoke with some small business owners. They have no idea what they are going to do if these tax credits expire and their healthcare costs go up. Many of them are rethinking whether they can even afford to keep their small businesses or if they choose to just go for catastrophic coverage instead. One small business owner will see his premiums triple, his wife told me, and that is simply not affordable.

This is not just happening in Washington State; this healthcare crisis is about to hammer families across the country in red and blue States alike. In fact, the biggest rate increases are all in red States, and three-fourths of the people who rely on these tax credits are too.

Why don't Republicans go home and talk to their constituents? If the Republican leader doesn't want to sit down with Democrats to work on a solution, how about he sits down and listens to folk back home who are getting notices this month with massive price hikes for their health insurance?

If the Republican leader won't sit down with Democrats to save people from losing their healthcare coverage,

how about he sits down with small business owners since nearly half of the people on the marketplaces are small business owners, employees or self-employed.

If he won't sit down with Democrats to stop premiums from tripling for some families in his State, how about he sits down with farmers since over a quarter of farmers in this country are covered through the ACA changes?

Does Leader Thune think farmers are now the radical left? Does he think small businesses are the radical left? Because that is who is about to get crushed by these higher premiums. That is who is watching this debate and hoping and praying for action.

It is unbelievable that the best the Republican leader can offer to families who are worried about their Affordable Care Act crisis is ``wait.'' ``Later.'' That is really out of touch with families and with reality. Rates are being set right now. Massive hikes are being announced right now. Open enrollment is in a few weeks.

In fact, by the way, Idaho's open enrollment starts today. Every single Senator needs to watch what is happening in Idaho today because folks in Idaho are in for a very rude awakening when they log in today and see the rates for the coming year. And that rude awakening is coming to the rest of the country on November 1 if Republicans keep refusing to act.

So every single Senator needs to listen to the families who speak out about these massive rate hikes that are becoming reality. I actually spoke to some Idahoans last week. One retiree told me about how her premiums are going to jump 173 percent. That is almost triple. If you think that is bad, another retiree I spoke with had learned that with the tax credits, his premium will be $367 a month; without those tax credits, a whopping $2,232 a month. That is astounding. Yet, if Republicans refuse to act, that is the reality that is going to come crashing down on families across our Nation.

This is not an end-of-the-year problem, like Speaker Johnson keeps saying; it is a right-now problem. There is a train coming. Families are tied to the tracks. Why on Earth would Republican leaders insist on standing by? Why are they twiddling their thumbs? Why do they want to wait until those rates are locked in? For all the talk of ``later,'' why on Earth wouldn't Republican leaders work with us earlier on this?

This is not some surprise. We have been raising the alarm on this issue for months. Republican leaders just didn't care earlier, and apparently they still don't care now. What a contrast to Republicans' billionaire tax breaks just a few months ago. Republicans were full speed ahead when it came to shoveling money at some of the richest people on the planet. Remember that? They moved heaven and earth. They used magic math. They slashed over a trillion in healthcare for patients and hospitals. They used every trick in the book for billionaires. But now, nothing when it comes to working families; nothing when it comes to healthcare.

Republicans can either go back home and explain to their own constituents why they think their premiums should double or they can come to the table, where Democrats have been this whole time, and work with us to reach a serious deal that reopens the government in response to this healthcare crisis. Democrats are not going anywhere. We are staying at the table.

Right now, Republican leadership is refusing to take the shutdown or the healthcare crisis seriously. Speaker Johnson is still refusing to bring his Members back from vacation despite the growing mutiny among Republicans. Leader Thune is still refusing to do anything other than vote on the same failed partisan CR over and over. And President Trump is still creating a government shutdown like his own personal jamboree, tweeting out sombreros and promising to cut ``Democratic programs.''

Let's be clear. Republicans control the White House and both Chambers of Congress, and they are basically missing in action when it comes to finding a real solution to reopen the government and save millions of Americans from healthcare bills that will break the bank.

When will President Trump get serious about a solution? When will Speaker Johnson and Leader Thune do their jobs and get to the negotiating table? When will House Republicans end this monthlong vacation? Today? Tomorrow? Next week? The American people are waiting.

But, of course, Republican leadership isn't the end all, be all because Republican voters have made clear they do not want to see their premiums skyrocket, and Republican Members of the House and Senate alike are hearing from those families back home who will not let them ignore this and starting to realize that we actually do need to address this healthcare issue now. But the clock is ticking. Rate hikes are going out in the mail. Open enrollment is starting today in Idaho. Time is running out, and that message is breaking through.

I think even Republican leaders are starting to realize there is no spinning their way out of premiums doubling in our country. If they want to get serious about stopping that and ending the shutdown, all they have to do is say so.

Mr. President, our doors are open.

I yield the floor.

Mr. President, we are just over a week into Republicans' shutdown and just over 3 weeks from open enrollment, when massive premium hikes become a stone-cold reality for our families. Yet Republican leaders refuse to sit down and talk with us about addressing both of those challenges.

President Trump and Russ Vought are just openly--gleefully--plotting how they can make this shutdown as painful as possible. House Republicans are not even here for the third week in a row, and Leader Thune has refused to do anything other than vote on the same, failed, partisan CR over and over and over. The clock is ticking. Republicans would rather sit on their hands than sit down at the table.

When we ask to talk about healthcare, the only word that the Republican leader seems to know is ``later.'' Excuse me. But why couldn't we have addressed this challenge any earlier? The Republican leader bent over backward to shovel new tax cuts at billionaires earlier this year. He did not tell CEOs to wait when it came to Republican tax breaks that expire at the end of this year. Why is he telling families now to wait when rates are being set now? when price announcements will be in the mail any day now? and when open enrollment is right around the corner? Why do Republicans want to wait until higher rates are locked in and families are priced out of healthcare? We have to tackle this before those rates are locked.

I have been warning for months about what this will mean for Washington State and for our country. Maybe the Republican leader needs to hear about what this means for his constituents.

In South Dakota, there are 50,000 people who rely on the healthcare tax credits to get their health coverage. On average, those South Dakota families will see their premiums more than triple if Republicans refuse to save the tax credits. These are hard-working families, including many farmers. And it is not just a challenge in South Dakota. Over a quarter of farmers in our country are covered through those exchanges. Do any of my colleagues think we should do nothing while farmers lose their healthcare? Do any of my colleagues want to stand by while families across the country see their premiums double?

You know, we have common ground here, but that doesn't do any good when Republicans refuse--outright refuse--to come to the table and negotiate. It doesn't do a lot of good when House Republicans are out on vacation for the third week in a row. You know, this clock has been ticking all year long, and the time to avoid those massive premiums is just about up. There is no waiting. There is no later. You can either start talking with us now to reopen the government and act to stop premium hikes before the open enrollment or you can talk to your constituents about why you decided to sit on your hands and do diddly- squat as their premiums went through the roof. The choice is yours.

The Democrats are here. We are still at the table. We have always been here. We have never left. We are ready today--today--to work out a serious deal to address the healthcare crisis and reopen the government.

I yield the floor.

I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. President, let me just start by giving our lawless President and OMB Director a little primer on the letter of the law because this morning, we learned they are plotting to try to rob furloughed Federal workers of backpay at the end of this shutdown.

This flies in the face of the plain text of the law, which could not be more clear. President Trump should actually know this. He has caused more shutdowns than any other President, after all, and he signed the law that guaranteed their pay. It is not new, it is not surprising, and, in fact, OPM guidance that the administration actually issued last month reaffirmed that furloughed employees will be paid.

Trump doesn't get to change the rules and rob workers just because he is worried his shutdown is backfiring. Scaring and intimidating workers will not work. He is not fooling anyone.

I know Republican leaders desperately want to ignore the looming healthcare crisis they caused. They have put their heads in the sand for months. They have spun wild lies to try to bury the truth, and they are hoping people stop talking about it. But every day, that gets just harder because every day, another warning light goes off showing just how devastating it will be if Republicans refuse to extend the ACA tax credits and let people's premiums skyrocket.

A new Kaiser Family Foundation poll found that 7 out of 10 families would not be able to afford their coverage if premiums doubled, and 4 in 10 would likely just go uninsured. That means that people will skip their basic care, they will skimp on their prescriptions, and they will miss lifesaving treatments. The hard reality is that people will die-- people who otherwise would have sought the care they needed.

To every Republican who thinks they can keep sitting on their hands and waiting this out, you need to understand this is not some distant crisis you can ignore. Premiums are being locked in right now. Letters are going out to families announcing shocking price increases this month. In Idaho, open enrollment actually starts next week.

How is that not urgent to every Republican who keeps trying to say ``We can talk about this later''? ``Later'' is simply too late.

By the way, why wouldn't Republican leaders talk about this earlier? We have been asking to fix this for months and months and months.

For all the talk of ``Oh, we can't discuss healthcare while government is shut down,'' well, you didn't discuss it while government was open either. Where have you been? And where are you right now, for that matter?

House Republicans are not even here, and they have not been here for 3 weeks. I cannot help but note the stark contrast between how little House Republicans seem to care about opening up the government and preventing massive healthcare hikes and how much they cared about shoveling trillions in tax breaks at some of the richest people in the world earlier this year. Where is that urgency now?

I mean, when the tax breaks for billionaires were set to expire in December, that was the same time as these healthcare credits expire. Republicans made that priority No. 1. You can bet they fast-tracked relief for the bigwigs and fat cats because heaven forbid billionaires like Trump have to worry about filling up their private jets.

But families worried about healthcare? Republican leaders refuse to talk about it. They voted down efforts to save these tax credits three times before government funding was even in question, and they have spent the last few weeks saying that our insistence on preventing people's premiums from doubling is ``unreasonable.'' Unreasonable?

Even now, the best Republicans can offer is that later we can maybe, possibly, talk about potentially doing something someday. That is pretty cold comfort to families who are staring down thousands upon thousands in higher healthcare costs next year. Those premium hikes aren't maybe happening someday; they are for real, and they are getting finalized right now.

If the Republican leader would rather send us home for the weekend than have a serious conversation; if House Republicans want to keep hiding as far as they can from the negotiating table; if you are going to not talk with us, then I beg my colleagues to at least talk to your constituents and see what this healthcare crisis looks like for them, because here is the thing Republicans seem especially keen to ignore: This is a problem where inaction will overwhelmingly hurt their own constituents.

News flash for my colleagues: Over three-quarters of the families with healthcare coverage through the ACA marketplace are in red States.

Do you know which five States will see the highest healthcare rate hikes next year? West Virginia is looking at a 387-percent rate hike for families that rely on ACA tax credits; Wyoming, 382 percent; Alaska, a 346-percent rate hike; Tennessee, 320 percent; and Mississippi, 314 percent. Those are five red States where premiums are going to more than quadruple for families that rely on those tax credits.

But do you know what? Let's keep going. Let's do the next five. These are States where the average premium will more than triple for families relying on the tax credits: Texas, a 289-percent increase; South Carolina, 285 percent; Alabama, 284 percent; South Dakota, 235 percent; and North Dakota, 234 percent.

So there you have it, the 10 States facing the biggest healthcare increases if Republicans refuse to act, all red States.

And you know what--I can still go on--premiums are going to more than double for families relying on the tax credits for States like Florida, North Carolina, Ohio, nearly every other red State. So the bottom line is, a lot of people are going to be hurt if Republicans refuse to save healthcare, and they are represented by Republicans. At least, they would be represented by Republicans, but our House colleagues are nowhere to be found. They have been gone for 3 weeks.

So my message to Republican leaders: You need to get serious about opening up the government and addressing the healthcare crisis before those premiums double for families across the country. You need to get serious now before those higher costs are locked in and before families back home decide they can't afford to stay healthy.

And, you know, even if Republicans want to hide from the negotiating table, they are not going to be able to hide from this issue because if they stay home and refuse to come back to DC to hammer out a solution, the people they represent back home are going to make their voices heard about this. They are going to say: Hey, my monthly premium is going up by over a thousand bucks--monthly premium. What are you doing about that?

They are going to say: Hey, I am going to lose my healthcare. What am I supposed to do?

They are going to say: Hey, if you care so much about opening the government like you say, if you care so much about lowering costs, why don't you get back and go to work?

When that message breaks through to all the Republicans who are just trying to ignore it, as I think it is very clear it is beginning to, here is another message for them: Democrats are still here. We are still at the table. And we are still ready to work together on a bipartisan deal to reopen the government and address this healthcare crisis.

I yield the floor.

Mr. President, we are 3 days into a government shutdown, and we are in the middle of a healthcare crisis entirely of Republicans' making. A new poll shows that nearly 80 percent of Americans--that is 4 in 5--want Republicans to work with us to stop their premiums from doubling.

So what is the holdup? After all, as we speak, health plans are in the middle of locking in massive rate increases, and those notices will be in the mail any day now.

These are two serious issues facing our country. Yet Trump and Republican leaders are refusing to take any of them seriously. On healthcare, they have decided to shut down the government rather than work with us, and they have decided they would rather make up lies about illegal immigrants than to talk about the actual issue at stake: the reality that Republicans are letting premiums more than double.

News flash: Republican areas are actually going to face some of the biggest price jumps if they refuse to save healthcare.

Small businesses are going to take a hit, not to mention farmers. One-quarter of our farmers are covered on the ACA exchanges, so this healthcare crisis is a big concern for them.

Millions of families across the country are about to see their monthly healthcare costs jump by hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars, and the Republicans' plan here seems to be, I hope no one notices.

That is out of touch. Maybe a couple thousand dollars here and there seems like no big deal when you take your marching orders from billionaires like Donald Trump, but if Republicans talked to everyday families and fewer rich billionaires, they would understand that the healthcare crisis Republicans are ignoring is going to devastate folks back home.

Millions of people are going to be priced out of their insurance. They will skip their basic healthcare. They will skimp on their medication. They will miss out on lifesaving treatments. It is no exaggeration to say people will die. There is no avoiding that reality, although Republicans seem determined to try.

On the shutdown, Trump and Republican leadership are not taking this seriously. President Trump has made clear that he doesn't see this shutdown as a problem to solve; he sees a shutdown as an opportunity to hurt people. He sees a shutdown as an opening to make good on even more of the awful promises of Project 2025. Trump sees a shutdown as an excuse to harm whoever he wants and do whatever he wants, even and maybe especially if it hurts folks back home.

The Trump administration actually isn't even trying to hide that fact. They are targeting their cuts at blue States, they are talking about canceling Democratic priorities, and they are threatening our constituents if we do not bend the knee.

No one can believe President Trump is serious about ending this shutdown when he is more focused on tweeting out fake sombrero pictures and showing Russ Vought as the Grim Reaper than he is on working on a deal.

No one can believe President Trump seriously cares whether he is hurting everyday Americans when the only thing he is focused on is taking the opportunity to punish the American people with cruel cuts and cruel firings, which don't just hurt Democrats, they hurt his own voters as well.

I should mention that no one can believe Republican leadership is serious about ending the shutdown, either, when Senate Republicans are holding the same vote over and over while refusing to start serious negotiations.

By the way, House Republicans are not even here in town. Instead of talking about addressing healthcare, they are just saying ``wait'' or ``later.'' Democrats have been waiting. We have been trying to save the healthcare tax credits for months. We cannot wait any longer. ``Later'' is too late.

The irony of Republicans telling us to wait on healthcare is as rich as the people they shoveled tax breaks on earlier this year, because, let's not forget, earlier this year, Republicans chose to spend a lot of time here and a lot of effort extending the tax cuts for wealthy CEOs.

Those tax cuts were set to expire at the end of this year, just like the ACA tax credits we are talking about now. What did Republicans do? Did they tell the billionaires to wait? No. Republicans moved Heaven and Earth to save

the tax cuts for those billionaires, but now they won't move a muscle to save families from skyrocketing healthcare costs.

Republican leaders can't be bothered. When billionaires have a tax cut expiring at the end of the year, it is all hands on deck for Republican leadership, even if it means throwing working families overboard with a trillion dollars in healthcare cuts families will need to cover out of their own pocket or go without coverage.

But when healthcare is on the brink, when healthcare premiums are being locked in right now--right now--and when they are going to double for our families, Republicans are nowhere to be found. I mean that literally. House Republicans have not been here all week. They are missing in action. They should be rushing back to work on a solution. But Republican leaders seem to be moving in the opposite direction, forcing a vote on the same failed partisan bill for the fourth time.

Mr. President, we are at the table. We want to be here. We want to find a solution. We want to reopen the government. We want to prevent families' costs from skyrocketing. I hope Republicans decide they are ready to join us.

I yield the floor.

Mr. President, well, it is not even 1 day after Republicans

chose to shut down the government instead of making any sort of progress on stopping healthcare premiums from skyrocketing, and it is already painfully clear that Republican leadership is not taking any of this seriously.

Republican leadership doesn't care if millions of Americans lose their health insurance. Republican leadership does not care if your healthcare costs go through the roof. And despite a lot of showboating yesterday, Republican leadership obviously doesn't care how long this shutdown goes on.

Just consider, if Republican leadership and President Trump actually cared about reopening the government, Trump would not be tweeting AI deepfakes and mariachi music or bragging about how he can't wait to use a shutdown as an excuse to inflict more pain on the American people.

If they actually cared about reopening the government, Russ Vought wouldn't be saying he will fire everyone he can no matter if firing them is necessary or not and no matter how harmful it is or not.

If they actually cared about reopening the government, Republican leaders would not be pressing ahead with the same failed bill as yesterday and refusing to finally work with Democrats to finalize a solution.

If Republican leadership actually cared about reopening the government, House Republicans would actually be here. Let me say that again: House Republicans are not even here. Are we supposed to believe they are taking this seriously? I guess not.

And if Republican leadership actually cared about reopening the government, they would be talking with us about how the actual issues we want to address, how to stop skyrocketing health prices, hospital closures, and millions of patients from losing their health insurance. Instead, they are screaming ``illegal immigration'' and telling bold- faced lies about Democrats' proposal to try and talk about anything but healthcare. That really gives away the game Republican leaders are playing with the American people, doesn't it?

Democrats want Republicans to sit down at the table for a serious negotiation about really serious issues. But Republican leadership is off playing make-believe in la-la land. How are we supposed to negotiate with President Trump when he is busy frying his mind in an AI fantasy world of mariachi bands and science fiction medbeds and who knows what next? And how are we supposed to negotiate with Republican leaders when they are refusing to work on a bipartisan path out and just making lies up about our Democratic proposals?

For everyone who has only heard the Republican nonsense, let me make our agenda clear. Here is what Democrats actually want to do: We want to stop your healthcare premiums from doubling next year. We want to stop millions of people from getting priced out of their insurance and getting sick or going without care.

We want to stop hospitals from closing. I wonder why Republicans have such a hard time being honest about that? Well, maybe because they caused this healthcare crisis in the first place. And let's be crystal clear, it is not honest for Republicans to try and just say: Oh, well, we can just talk about healthcare later. We pinkie promise.

Rate hikes are being finalized right now. Notices for massive price increases will land in our families' mailboxes this month. Open enrollment starts in a matter of a few weeks. That means families are going to start seeing their premiums double. People are going to get priced out of coverage; that is, unless we act now.

There is no waiting; we have been waiting. There is no later; that is too late. Are Republicans saying they will not talk about solutions until the damage is done? Are they saying they want to lock in the high healthcare rates first?

You know, the best time to put out a fire is before it burns down the house. Surely, Republicans don't need me to tell them that. But if Republicans insist on asking why we can't address healthcare later, I have got a few questions for them.

First off, why the heck couldn't we talk about healthcare sooner, huh? Where in the world have you been? You moved Heaven and Earth to pass new tax breaks for billionaires by cutting over $1 trillion from Americans' healthcare. Why won't you move a muscle to save healthcare for our working families?

I mean, my goodness, why is it not until there is a shutdown that Republican leaders will even say we can at least talk about healthcare? Oh, but not yet.

If a shutdown is the first time Republican leaders will even acknowledge in the slightest whisper the looming healthcare crisis, why should we trust for one second you will keep your word later?

Republicans have been choosing to ignore this healthcare crisis for months, and now they face another choice: How much longer are they going to insist on this partisan path? How much longer are they going to stick their heads in the sand? Because I will warn them: The American people cannot wait.

One family in my State of Washington is about to see their premiums jump from $283 a month to as high as $1,800 a month if Republicans insist on inaction, and I know they are not the only ones.

To my Republican colleagues who don't think this is a crisis, to anyone who thinks healthcare can wait: Go out and talk to people, talk to insurance companies in your State or doctors or hospitals or patients, and then come to the table and talk with us. We are here. We are ready to work on real solutions to address this healthcare crisis and reopen the government. I have been at the table the whole time. I am here. I am ready. I am willing to work out a real solution to get this done.

I yield the floor.

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

Mr. President, Democrats do not want a shutdown. Democrats also do not want millions of American families to go bankrupt next year because their healthcare premiums more than doubled. Democrats do not want people to get kicked off their healthcare, get sick, or even die. Democrats want to stop our rural hospitals from closing and laying off more staff.

We have been clear about this for weeks and weeks and weeks. All along, Democrats have made clear we are ready to hammer out a solution to prevent a shutdown and save people's healthcare. But I am afraid that at every step of the way, Republican leadership has made clear they would rather shut down the government than make sure people can afford healthcare. Apparently, working with Democrats to save American families money and keep the government open is too much for Republican leadership because their plan so far has been to let healthcare premiums double--double--next year and insist that Democrats swallow a bill that does nothing on healthcare.

President Trump and Republicans in Congress would rather shut down the government than have serious negotiations to lower costs, save healthcare, and prevent a shutdown.

Unfortunately, Republicans decided on the shutdown track weeks ago and have done nothing to steer away from that cliff. This is not hard to understand. Republican leadership has not been subtle.

If Republicans were serious about avoiding a shutdown, they would not have skipped town last week, and Speaker Johnson wouldn't be refusing to return lawmakers until after the funding deadline.

If Republicans were serious about avoiding a shutdown, they wouldn't be holding a vote on a bill that already failed and that, I should say, actually got fewer votes than Democrats' bill since eight Republican Senators didn't even bother to show up to take that vote.

If Republican leadership was serious about avoiding a shutdown, they wouldn't be refusing to hold the vote until the last minute.

If Republican leadership was serious about avoiding a shutdown, Trump wouldn't say:

Don't bother dealing with Democrats.

He wouldn't shrug his shoulders and say:

If it has to shut down, it will shut down.

If Republican leadership was serious about avoiding a shutdown, they would not have waited until the last possible moment to hold the meeting that could have happened weeks ago, and they would have listened and negotiated at that meeting instead of just saying ``my way or the highway.''

Ask yourself this: If Donald Trump and Republican leadership were serious about preventing a shutdown, would Trump be tweeting out completely unserious, AI videos riddled with lies, debunked conspiracies, and mariachi music? Would they be toying with the lives of public servants and threatening to fire more of them when they know the vital role that they all play in providing services to the American people? Come on.

The President is thrilled to be shutting things down and sowing division, not working to solve the problem. He is showing every day how unserious he is in this moment.

Let's look at this another way. What would the Trump administration and Republicans be doing if they wanted a shutdown? Well, if President Trump and Republicans wanted a shutdown, they might be planning how to cause as much damage as possible, planning how they would hurt women and children who need vital nutrition assistance.

The administration might be planning to conduct a shutdown as a pretext to conduct more of the mass firings we have seen for months and inflict more pain. Republicans might openly talk about how Trump ``welcomes'' a shutdown and how they will use it to advance their extreme agenda--exactly like Russ Vought and his team at OMB are doing and have been doing.

If President Trump wanted a shutdown, he might be scheduling meetings with Democratic leaders, only to cancel them and finally reschedule them at the last possible moment--exactly as he just did.

If Republican leadership wanted a shutdown, they might mischaracterize what Democrats' position is because they know that refusing to lower costs and protect people's healthcare, which is what they have been doing, is not popular. And, of course, mischaracterizing Democrats' positions is exactly what Republican leadership has been doing.

I swear, the only way President Trump knows how to compose a sentence is noun, verb, illegal immigrant. And hey, why not throw in ``transgender'' for good measure? That is how he aims to sow division and hatred.

Are they serious?

American citizens across the country are starting to get letters now warning that their premiums are set to double. Hospitals are already closing or laying off staff and not for no reason in particular--this healthcare crisis is happening explicitly because of Republican policy decisions.

Instead of talking with us about addressing healthcare from the start, Republicans decided to pass a partisan CR. They decided they would do nothing about the fact that healthcare premiums are about to skyrocket. They decided they preferred a shutdown because they don't want to act in time to prevent families from paying dearly with exploding healthcare costs.

Good luck explaining that to the American people.

Good luck arguing: Sorry Republicans left town until the eleventh hour and shut down the government, but, you see, we wanted to make sure you couldn't afford healthcare.

Good luck saying that to your constituents.

Good luck saying: You don't understand, those radical Democrats demanded we stop your premiums from more than doubling next year.

It is not going to fly. The American people are a whole lot smarter than that.

Despite all this, Republican leadership is pretending they want to talk about healthcare later. The reality Republicans won't talk about is that higher premiums are being announced right now. Let's be clear about that because it underscores why addressing healthcare is so urgent.

The reason we need to start this conversation right now is because people will receive letters in the mail with

their new rates next month. In Idaho, open enrollment will begin October 15. We already know those rates are going to be much higher if Republicans insist on inaction. We already know millions of people are going to start losing their insurance. They will be priced out if we don't get this dealt with soon.

It is worth noting that according to the Kaiser Family Foundation, a quarter--a quarter--of our farmers and ranchers are enrolled through the healthcare marketplace, and nearly one-half of marketplace enrollees are small business owners, small business workers, or self- employed.

Why do Republicans want to price farmers out of healthcare? Why don't they care about small businesses and their workers?

I heard about one family in my home State of Washington who learned that if Republicans get their way on this, their healthcare premium could jump from $278 a month to as much as $1,800 a month. And they are far from alone in staring down a huge, huge healthcare increase if Republicans refuse to act now. Millions of families are going to see their healthcare costs jump by thousands of dollars. That is why we have to act. That is what Democrats want to avoid. That is what we want to avoid, and we know we have to do this now, but still, Republican leadership has refused to start that conversation.

Meanwhile, Democrats are at the table. We have ideas ready to go. Democrats put forward our proposal for funding the government--not, as Republicans are pretending, as a ``take it or leave it'' demand but a proposal, one with several key issues we want to discuss with Republicans.

We want to talk about how we stop Republicans' Medicaid cuts before our families get kicked off their healthcare and before Republican cuts shutter many of our rural hospitals.

We want to talk about how we can stop Russ Vought from stealing money for cancer research.

We want to talk about how we save the healthcare tax credits that tens of millions depend on before those higher premiums kick in and get locked in, before families decide they just can't afford their coverage--in short, before it is too late--because if Republicans insist on sitting on their hands, if they decide to wait until the last minute to finally work with us to save these credits, 1\1/2\ million Americans will lose their healthcare. Again, that is if we do pass an extension at the last minute. If Republicans never get serious about this at all, it is going to be even worse. But even delay has a real cost and one that is paid for by our families. So it is time for Republicans to get serious.

Despite what Republicans are pretending, Democrats are not asking for the Moon here. We are literally just insisting that Congress take action to address the looming healthcare crisis that they themselves caused. It is shocking that Republican leaders are digging in so deep against doing this now. If nothing changes, that is a pretty ominous sign.

I hope, despite the completely partisan path Republicans are on right now, they will come to their senses and come to the table because I don't just want us to keep the government open with a deal brokered by both sides; I want to stop the enormous price increase that is about to hit families. I want us to ultimately get those full-year funding bills that help people--I want those to get signed into law.

Here we are. I have to say that right now, what we see is Russ Vought trying to hold government workers hostage. Right now, we have House Republicans refusing to even come back here to DC to do their jobs until next week. Right now, we have Senate Republicans replaying a failed vote.

Look, if Republicans want to avoid a shutdown like Democrats want to avoid a shutdown, then stop spending so much time saying you will sit down with us on healthcare later. Spend that time working with us right now. But if Republicans insist on writing a bill without any Democrats, they better pass it without Democrats, too, because I am a no.

Democrats will continue to work to keep government open and to save your healthcare. I am ready to keep the government open, as I said many times over the last several weeks, and I am ready and I am willing to stay at the table for as long as it takes. The question here remains, will Republican leadership get serious and negotiate?

I yield the floor.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that there now be 2 minutes of debate, equally divided, prior to this cloture vote.

Mr. President, this bill has a very nice-sounding name, but that is about the only good thing you can say about it because what it really does is hand over Congress's power of the purse to Donald Trump and Russ Vought.

If this bill passes, it won't just be Democrats' voice in funding that gets squashed; Republicans will be cutting themselves out of funding decisions because the bill extends government funding indefinitely so Donald Trump and Russ Vought never have to worry about Congress again.

If this bill were to pass, Trump could quite literally refuse to sign every funding bill--even a bipartisan bill--unless it met all of his demands. And Congress would then have to override his veto with a two- thirds vote in both Chambers if we ever wanted to get off the ``forever CR'' this bill would put in place. No way.

There is a very simple way to avert a shutdown. It starts with Republicans working with Democrats to hammer out a solution. It is time to do that.

I yield the floor.

Mr. President, in just a short bit, we are going to vote on a bill that Democrats introduced earlier this week that does a couple of critical things. First of all, it prevents a needless shutdown at the end of this month,

and it gives us more time to hammer out the funding bills that help get families by and ensure Congress--not Donald Trump or Russ Vought-- decides how our taxpayer dollars are spent.

Secondly, this bill takes critical steps to prevent Russ Vought from stealing money from cancer research or Trump deciding unilaterally he is going to cut off funding he doesn't like.

Third, it provides critical new security resources to keep Federal officials safe and help ensure political violence does not tear further at the fabric of our democracy.

And, fourth, this bill addresses the looming Republican healthcare crisis to stop healthcare costs from rocketing up and our rural hospitals from shutting down. These are four priorities that I think every single Member of Congress should be able to agree with.

I am afraid that while some of my Republican colleagues say they want to address the healthcare tax credits, they are quick to caveat that now is not the right time. Republican leaders said as much.

So I have to ask: When is the time? It seems to me the time is now. When Republicans say they don't want to talk about healthcare yet, what they are saying is, they don't want to talk about it until a lot of the damage has been done because premium hikes are already being announced and people will receive letters in the mail with their new rates next month.

So the time to act, really, is now. The clock is ticking, but Republicans don't want to even have a conversation about that yet. Well, Democrats are forcing a conversation. Our bill will not only avoid a government shutdown and give us time to continue working on our funding bills, it would address the imminent healthcare crisis, preventing premiums from skyrocketing by extending healthcare tax credits before those higher premiums kick in and are locked in and reversing Republicans' massive Medicaid cuts that will kick millions off of their insurance and shutter hospitals.

This vote will show America who seriously wants to help our families afford healthcare and keep those hospitals open and who is content to let those costs skyrocket and hospitals to close.

I urge all of my colleagues to join me in voting yes on our bill that we would introduce this week on the Democrat side so we can act with the urgency this moment requires.

Let me be clear: Do I strongly urge my Republican colleagues to join me in voting for this funding bill that we introduced? Absolutely. But if they choose not to, the Senate will move to consideration of the partisan House-passed CR.

I want to be crystal clear here. There was and still is, in fact, a path to preventing a shutdown, and it starts with the Republican leadership finally sitting down with our Democratic leadership, something they have refused, for literally weeks, to do.

You want Democratic votes on a funding bill? A good place to start is by actually trying to win those votes. But instead of so much as talking to Democrats about how to stop millions of Americans from losing their healthcare or seeing their premiums double or worse, the Republican leadership has decided to follow Trump's orders, blow off Democrats, and risk a Republican shutdown.

I have had productive conversations with my fellow appropriators, but those conversations only mean so much when Republican leadership choses to pull the rug out from under us. Four-corner negotiations were positive, but leadership has to be involved to wrap those negotiations and at least discuss healthcare.

If Republican leadership refuses to even speak with our Democratic leadership, where does that leave us? Instead of meeting us at the table to hammer out a bipartisan short-term CR, advance the critical work on those bills, and kick off serious talks on healthcare, House Republicans went off alone. They released a bill that utterly fails to address priorities that are top of mind for so many families.

That is a choice Republicans have made, and it is downright callous. After all, if Republicans insist on inaction, higher premiums are going to be locked in for people across our country. That is the cost of delay.

But Republicans are, essentially, saying the American people should just accept massive price increases for healthcare. And they expect Democrats to just simply go along. And even if Republicans decide to wait until the last minute for an extension, 1.5 million Americans will still lose their healthcare.

Republicans are trying to act like just cutting one party out of those talks and then trying to demand their votes is somehow business as usual--no way; no thanks.

I will be voting no on the Republican funding bill because there is a better way here. Why not sit down with our Democratic leadership to talk about how we pass the short-term CR, how we make progress, critical progress on our full-year funding bills, and how we handle this healthcare crisis?

After all, Republicans are willing to say to the press, they want all of these things, they say it in front of the cameras. Why aren't they willing to say it in a room with Leader Schumer and Leader Jeffries? Why aren't they willing to just meet and actually start charting a course on how we move forward on that?

I think the main reason is Donald Trump. Again, he told Republicans don't even bother dealing with Democrats. Seems like Republican leaders are just afraid to cross the aisle and have a simple meeting, a mere conversation, if it risks losing Donald Trump.

That is wrong, and it is dangerous because with rare exception, just about every bill we pass here in the Senate takes 60 votes. So to get things done for our families back home, Republicans need to work with Democrats. And if Republican leadership cannot find the courage to do that on what should be low-hanging fruit here, if they can't sit down with our Democratic leadership to talk about a short-term CR, what does that mean for the work we have been doing on our full-year spending bills? What does it mean for extending those healthcare tax credits? And what does it mean for any of the other challenging issues we would all like to work together on to address?

It is deeply disappointing to me that the Republican leaders have chosen to go down the partisan route we are here on today. But there is still time to do the right thing. They should come to the table.

I am a ``no'' on the Republican CR, but my colleagues should know I am committed to this process. After all, there is so much at stake in all of our annual funding bills. It matters tremendously that we fully fund WIC to make sure moms and babies don't go hungry; it is hugely important that we fund the VA to make sure our veterans are getting the quality of care we promised them when they come home.

Families in my State and across the country are counting on us here in Congress to protect funding for childcare and Head Start so our kids can learn and grow. There are students and parents at school districts across America counting on us here in Congress to protect funding for kids with disabilities; for schools in some of our poorest communities.

There are patients everywhere in the country who are desperately counting on us to do our job to federally fund cancer research in hopes of a cure or for a clinical trial that might give them some more time with their loved ones.

I could go on--funding to replace lead pipes or to treat opioid addiction. The work we do in our Appropriations Committee matters. The outcomes that this Congress dictates over how we spend taxpayer dollars matter. It is hugely consequential for millions of Americans, and I am so glad that there is strong bipartisan support for so many of those programs because when we can all agree on something good, that is a win for all of our constituents.

So, yes, I want us to find a way forward so we can keep working on our full-year spending bills that will actually help people. We have already passed eight of those spending bills out of our committee; three on the floor that we are working right now really hard to conference so they can be signed into law.

These are all bills that help people and solve problems. None of us should want to hand the pen over to Russ Vought and give him or Trump or anyone else at the White House more power of our Federal spending. That is

what another year-long continuing resolution would do.

There is a better path forward. I would ask Republican leadership: Simply come to the table. Compromise is a very basic principle. Every American understands it. And if Republicans don't bother working with the Democrats just because Donald Trump told them to, this would be a Republican shutdown.

The Republicans control all of government: the House, the Senate, the White House. The American people know who will be to blame. I ask that we work to move forward to choose a different path, work together and avert this shutdown.

I yield the floor.

I ask for the yeas and nays.

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

Mr. President, this week, there are advocates here in Congress with the American Cancer Society to advocate for cancer research and prevention. This is lifesaving work, and no one does it better than our researchers.

In my home State of Washington, we have a lot of incredibly smart people who have been making a lot of incredible breakthroughs for patients, and we have a lot of passionate advocates who have been fighting to support their work. I have lost track of how many times I have visited the Fred Hutch Cancer Center, but every time, I am just blown away by the work they are doing. And they aren't the only ones.

This isn't just about advancing science though. It is about saving lives and finding new treatments and therapies and cures that give hope to help patients fighting for their lives.

Cancer research has a long history of bipartisan support here in Congress. But some of my colleagues across the aisle seem to need a reminder and a wake-up call because under President Trump, we have seen some reckless moves to undermine medical research, including cancer research. Research funding has been pulled without reason, without warning, and without any thought for the consequences.

This administration has tossed clinical trials into chaos, promising cures into limbo, and threatened to abandon our historic global research and leadership in medical research. Just this week, a new report in the New York Times detailed how research into a rare pediatric brain cancer was totally upended because Trump yanked the funding. That research is halted and that researcher is forced to move on to topics that don't rely on NIH funding.

It is worth remembering, for many of our rare, deadly diseases, cures are not viewed as a payday for private investors, which makes NIH not just the best hope for finding a cure but the only hope for desperate patients, at least before Trump came along and stopped funding.

And that new article, which details other research Trump has sidetracked as well, is just scratching the surface of how bad this is. I have heard firsthand from researchers who have seen their work disrupted and students who are considering leaving the United States to continue their studies.

I have also received heartbreaking updates from patients, like a mom in my State fighting colon cancer who had her shot at a critical clinical trial taken away by Trump's chaotic, illegal funding cuts. And now, R.F.K., Jr., has cut off all Federal funding for mRNA research, one of the most promising new technologies for cancer treatments. This is so damaging.

In addition to supporting the research that finds new cures, we also need to make sure patients can actually access and afford those cures. That means we have to protect health coverage that helps cancer patients get care. That is why I am fighting to undo damaging Medicaid cuts Republicans passed and to extend the healthcare tax credits that are helping millions of families afford coverage right now.

We have to make a strong case for cancer research and prevention with facts, science, patient stories, and our voices. And I believe speaking out can have a real impact here because when I talk to colleagues on both sides, it is clear there is consensus we should not let years of leadership fall to the wayside. In fact, in our Senate funding bill, the bipartisan bill that we passed through the Appropriations Committee, we were able to reject some of these damaging cuts and make serious investments in cancer research.

But we do have more work ahead to get these bipartisan medical research investments signed into law. I will not stop pushing for that.

I yield the floor.

I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. President, I rise today with a pretty simple message: Fire R.F.K., Jr. This man is burning down our public health system from the inside. We have got to take his matches and his keys away, and we need to do it now.

We need to make his latest attack on public health--firing a CDC Director, why? Because she stood up for science. The stakes are sky- high. Our medical research, our public health, our pandemic preparedness, our food safety--R.F.K. Jr., is putting all of that in jeopardy and putting communities across this country in danger.

We cannot put our heads into the sand. We absolutely need a Secretary of Health and Human Services--not a ``Secretary of Conspiracies,'' not a ``Secretary of Measles and Food Poisoning,'' certainly not a ``Secretary of Canceled Research and Chemtrail Nonsense.'' It does not take a shred of imagination to see how dangerous R.F.K., Jr.'s, leadership has been. It just takes two eyes and 2 seconds, if that.

I mean, one of the first things he did right off the bat was fan the flames of a measles outbreak by ignoring the science, peddling quack treatments, and spreading falsehoods about vaccines. The result, no surprise, was the largest measles outbreak we have seen in decades, one that tragically took the lives of two children.

Did that spark one iota of reflection from R.F.K., Jr.? Of course not. The largest measles outbreak since 1992, and do you know how R.F.K., Jr., described the response this week? Effective.

Effective? Are you kidding me? I shudder to think what it would take for a man like that to admit failure. We should all hope that we never find out. Instead of learning even a single lesson, all he has done now is doubled down on doing as much damage as possible.

When it comes to vaccines, he has not only spouted off nonsense and falsehoods to families who are looking to him for reliable guidance, he fired every single member of CDC's Vaccine Advisory Board, down to the very last one. And then he started replacing them with a who is who of anti-vax alarmists who have already started shaping Federal policy to fit their anti-science conspiracies.

And when the new CDC Director--nominated by Trump, endorsed by R.F.K., Jr., himself, confirmed by the Senate--dared to stand up and say: You know, I think we should follow the science instead of nonsense, R.F.K., Jr., pushed to fire her too. This is unbelievable.

Meanwhile, when it comes to medical research, he is tossing promising work and potential breakthroughs into the garbage. One example, mRNA research is on the cutting edge of medical innovation--not just for lifesaving vaccines, by the way, but for lifesaving cancer treatments. And you don't have to just take my word for it. President Trump's own health leaders championed mRNA research as groundbreaking scientific advancement.

But with all the lives hanging in the balance, R.F.K., Jr., pulled the plug on all Federal funding for mRNA research. Now, not only is this a massive blow to our researchers and to our patients, but it is a massive win, by the way, for China, which just has been handed a huge opening to now take the lead on biomedical innovation.

And mRNA research isn't the only cancer research R.F.K., Jr., has upended. He and Trump are cutting research grants across the board, across the country, and cutting patients off from clinical trials that were their last best chance at beating a deadly disease. They are now condemning some of these patients to death. They are killing their hope for a cure. And some of these patients are kids, are children.

Last month, in fact, the National Cancer Institute's Pediatric Brain Tumor Consortium stopped enrolling kids with brain cancer in clinical trials that could save their lives, all after Trump and R.F.K., Jr., ended Federal funding for that work.

What do my colleagues want to say to those parents? I don't even know what there is to say. Yes, we can fight to restore funding. Yes, we will fight here to restore funding, especially as so many of Trump's cuts are, in fact, outright illegal. But we cannot restore from here lost time--invaluable time--for kids fighting an incredibly deadly

disease. For some of them, it may be too late. And that is heartbreaking, and it is a direct result of R.F.K., Jr.'s, disastrous leadership at HHS.

To my colleagues, ``sorry'' does not cut it, especially if you aren't sorry enough to demand the person who is responsible to be fired. What happened to the accountability Republicans pretend to care so much about?

And that is not all. R.F.K., Jr., is sabotaging food safety. I am glad that some companies are now choosing to remove artificial dyes from some of their products. But when it comes to bedrock regulations that keep all Americans safe and prevent foodborne illnesses, R.F.K., Jr., may as well be pro-food poisoning because, on his watch, CDC is throwing in the towel on food safety monitoring.

This summer, our food surveillance network stopped monitoring requirements for all but two dangerous pathogens. I know R.F.K., Jr., doesn't like listening to public health experts, but I don't think it takes an expert to understand listeria will not go away just because States don't track it. It will not go away because nobody is looking. Shigella outbreaks will not go away if you ignore them.

Foodborne diseases sicken people. They actually kill people. This isn't about following the science. That is as plain as day. You don't follow the science by defunding it. You do not follow the science by shutting it down. And you don't follow the science by firing scientists. That is exactly how R.F.K., Jr., has been operating.

As I mentioned last week, we saw some of the most egregious examples yet when he fired the CDC Director, all because she chose to listen to science instead of falsehoods, all because she insisted on protecting lives instead of pandering to anti-vax conspirators.

As we continue to see the damaging aftershocks of R.F.K., Jr.'s, reckless decision to steamroll a CDC Director that refused to bow to his will, several other experienced, respected, trusted public health experts resigned from the CDC in protest. Some are now also sharing alarming allegations of the widespread culture of conspiracy and incompetence and willful ignorance of science that is now defining R.F.K.'s leadership. Just this week, 1,000--1,000--HHS workers demanded he resign because of how his actions are compromising the health of our Nation.

And it is clear R.F.K., Jr., has no intention of changing gears. Earlier today, he had a Senate hearing, and he continued to flaunt his ignorance like a badge of honor, not even knowing the COVID death toll, outright lying about established science, refusing to take any accountability for his actions.

Mr. President, great leaders leave behind a track record of accomplishments, but it is painfully clear R.F.K., Jr., will leave behind a body count. How high will it go? Well, that all depends on how long Republicans let him go around setting fires. How much damage will my colleagues let him do? How many children will die before they finally take action? We should not let him have one more day in power.

I know some of my colleagues understand the grave reality of the situation. What I don't know is how long they are going to be willing to stay silent. You can talk about oversight; what are you actually doing? You can talk about the need to follow science, but that is not the path we are on.

If you want to show us you are serious, if you want to save lives, you need to join us in talking about how important it is President Trump fire R.F.K., Jr. Anything less is lying to yourself, while R.F.K., Jr., lies to the American people about things as basic, as established, and as lifesaving as vaccine safety.

I yield the floor.

Mr. President, I am so glad that we are moving on our first appropriations package of fiscal year 2026. It is a package of bipartisan funding bills that invest in our communities and reject damaging cuts from Trump and House Republicans.

I want to acknowledge the chair, my partner, Senator from Maine, who has worked really hard to get these bills to this point. And I appreciate the tremendous amount of effort she and the subcommittee chairs have put into this, as well as our ranking members.

If you think like I do that we cannot have another slush fund CR that gives away more power to Trump; and if you think like I do that we need to reject a budget that was so plainly written by political appointees who do not care or know what our States need, instead make the investments we all know are best for the people we represent, then let me be clear: Bills like this are the best chance we have to get the best outcome for folks back home.

In this package, we fully fund the WIC program and reject Trump's efforts to eliminate international food aid programs, rural housing support, and food boxes that feed hundreds of thousands of seniors. We reject Trump's call to cut FDA funding by hundreds of millions and slash ag research funding for universities across the country. And we make investments to support our servicemembers and their families and to keep our promises to veterans--funding VA healthcare, fighting for veteran homelessness, and more.

Crucially, we don't just have investments in this bill, but also new provisions to hold this and any administration accountable to deliver for our veterans--requiring VA maintains staffing levels to meet their own goals so we can stop the damage being caused by Trump's mass firing of our VA workers; requiring briefings and information so Congress--all of us--can actually get answers on how Trump's new discriminatory policies are affecting our veterans; and withholding some funding until Congress knows these programs are actually working, like for the Electronic Health Record program, where some research will be held until VA certifies new systems are safe and are effective for our veterans.

In addition to this package, we will vote on a Leg Branch bill that rejects Trump's efforts to gut the Government Accountability Office; invests in the Congressional Budget Office and the Congressional Research Service to keep government accountable to laws and facts; and in security for the Capitol and for our Members, something I know everyone here is concerned about.

We have written these bills under challenging circumstances. Russ Vought is illegally hiding the apportionments data we all need to have to do our jobs. And we all recognize he has been illegally blocking funding we all passed for our communities, at least until the courts step in or public pressure forces his hand.

If you are as mad as I am about an unelected bureaucrat like Russ Vought trying to overrule Congress and our constitutional role, you should support these bills.

This is--this is--how we exercise the power of the purse and make sure the voices of our constituents are heard

when it comes to Federal spending. We know his true motivations; it is pretty transparent. He wants Congress to be more partisan--he has said so--and less powerful. They want to gut programs left and right without giving us any say whatsoever.

So I believe we have to reject that path and assert our authority and fight for our communities. We will do that today by passing this bipartisan funding package and pushing ahead with the other bipartisan bills we have in the pipeline as well.

The bills we are moving today show bipartisan work is possible. And the cuts we were able to reject and investments we were able to secure show this to all of us: This is worthwhile.

I hope all of my colleagues join with me in voting for these bills and work with me to keep this progress going.

I yield the floor.

Mr. President, the Appropriations Committee takes very seriously the oversight and accountability of every CDS request. The project and certifications for each item are posted on both the committee website and Members' official website. Senators have to certify that neither they nor any immediate family member has a financial interest in the item request, and GAO, which is Congress's nonpartisan auditor, conducts an analysis of select projects every year.

The Johnson amendment would prohibit virtually any public communication about CDS and make the process less transparent.

This amendment states the remedy for breaking that new rule, for telling our constituents what we are doing is to rescind that CDS.

This is an important way for Senators to advocate for their States and communities through investments in local projects like improving transportation, drinking water infrastructure, workforce programs, childcare centers.

This amendment would take away your ability to be responsive to your communities. We absolutely should be letting our constituents know what we are doing here and what we are advocating for.

I strongly urge you to oppose this amendment.

Vote on Amendment No. 3428

Mr. President, I echo the thanks to all of our subcommittee and committee members and especially to the chair of our committee, Senator Collins, all of our staff--everyone who has worked really hard to get here.

These are good, bipartisan bills--bills that make crucial investments to help all of our farms and families and veterans and servicemembers thrive.

I urge a ``yes'' vote. I believe Congress should decide how to spend taxpayer dollars. This is how we do it. Vote yes.

Vote on Amendment No. 3411, as Amended

Mr. President, the National Counterterrorism Center plays a crucial role keeping our country safe. The Agency is responsible for collecting and analyzing intelligence to help protect our Nation from terrorist threats. It is sober, serious work that requires a level head and a commitment to putting the mission before politics, which is why I am deeply alarmed that Republicans are charging ahead to put it under the thumb of a conspiracy theorist who espouses White supremacist views and is patently unqualified for this important role in just about every way imaginable.

You are supposed to pick people with qualifications, but just about everything we know about Joe Kent is disqualifying for this role and alarming. There is his track record chumming it up with White supremacists, from discussing campaign strategy with avowed White supremacist Nick Fuentes to giving an interview to a guy who has defended Hitler, to rallying with the founder of a far-right paramilitary group. And let's not forget the Proud Boy that he hired as a consultant.

And it is not just his connections. There is his own bigoted statements, like claiming Islam is ``based on conquest at its core'' and pushing racist ``replacement theory'' rhetoric. That is alarming stuff. Let's be frank: These are White supremacist views, and they should have absolutely no place in our Federal Government.

And then there is his track record of politicizing intelligence, like when he was caught redhanded pushing to change intelligence reports-- facts be damned--so they would agree with Trump and attack Biden.

Joe Kent also has a track record of peddling conspiracies and attacking law enforcement, from saying our country is at war with a ``leftist cabal'' or calling to completely defund the FBI and ATF, Agencies that keep Americans safe from foreign and domestic threats, or pushing the offensive and false conspiracy that the January 6 insurrection was somehow a deep-state plot.

You want to know who in the Federal Government was behind the insurrection? How about we start with the man in the White House who promised to march to the Capitol with them. How about we start with the President who calls rioters patriots. How about we start with the guy who pardoned violent cop beaters en masse.

If you cannot be honest with the American people about January 6, you have no business being trusted with protecting our democracy. It should be that simple.

And let's not forget, Joe Kent was on the infamous Signalgate chat, where classified attack plans were discussed with no regard for security, for law, not to mention the safety of our servicemembers.

You know what he had to say about that? He said no classified information was discussed. That was the answer he gave at his Senate confirmation hearing.

Now, it is obvious that answer was a complete lie. Last week, the Pentagon's watchdog confirmed there was classified information in that Signal chat.

So was Kent being intentionally dishonest or does he not understand what classified information is? Either way, it is completely disqualifying, which, as I think I made clear, is pretty much the pattern here.

So here is my warning to Republicans. Confirming someone like Joe Kent to lead the National Counterterrorism Center makes about as much sense as putting Donald Trump in charge of releasing the Epstein files after all that we have learned. We have all the evidence we could ever need in the public record right now that he is not going to do the right thing, and we have no reason to believe he will do this important, high-stakes work in a serious, impartial manner, let alone a competent one.

So I am here to urge all my colleagues to join me in doing exactly what people back in Washington State have done each time they were asked to trust Joe Kent: vote no.

I yield the floor.