Charles E. Schumer

“The latest jobs report shows that America lost jobs, and past job numbers were worse than we thought. President Trump's bad policies, tariffs, and war caused this damage. He claims the economy is great, but everyday Americans are losing their jobs and cannot afford rising costs. He needs to do his job so people stop losing theirs.”

“Mr. President, on the job numbers this morning, the alarm bells on the sorry state of Trump’s economy keep ringing and ringing. The jobs report this morning revealed America lost 23,000 jobs because of Trump’s disastrous agenda, his tariffs, and his failed war. But that is not all. It got even worse. This morning’s report also revealed that 103,000 fewer jobs were added in May and June than previously reported. So the total job loss reported is close to 130,000 jobs. The only person who ought to lose their job right now is Donald Trump. He is handling the economy so poorly with the chaos, the inconsistency, the lack of paying attention to the facts, the lying. It is all coming down to his doorstep. Trump sowed mayhem in our economy with his costly war, with his chaotic and inconsistent policies, and with his nonstop corruption, but he is not suffering the consequences; working Americans are. Donald, start doing your job so the American people stop losing theirs. Trump cost America 23,000 jobs last month, but he has the gall to call this ``the greatest economy we’ve ever had by far.’’ What planet is he on? Does he not care at all about the people, the 300-and- some-odd million Americans he represents? He just thinks by saying these things it is true. Trump, when you say it is the greatest economy we have ever had and we have lost over 130,000 jobs in the last few months, you don’t know what you are talking about. You are not in reality, and it is cruel and callous to the people who are no longer earning a salary. Americans are working multiple jobs just so they can feed and house their families. How are Americans supposed to afford Trump’s skyrocketing costs if they lose their jobs too? Last week’s news that economic growth is down and costs are up is a one-two gut punch to the American people, and this terrible jobs report is the uppercut that follows. Every red economic flag is waving; every warning light is flashing; and every alarm bell is ringing about Trump’s catastrophic handling of the economy, and he is in la-la land not even paying attention to it and saying we have the greatest economy ever.”

• Little substance
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  Speech in the House

  Signal 33 of 100

  Much of this statement went to praise, blame, greetings, routine procedure or general stories rather than reasons, requests or specific points.

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“I am asking to print the text of this water bill in the official record.”

“Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record. There being no objection, the text of the bill was ordered to be printed in the Record, as follows: S. 5352. A bill to amend the Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation Act and the Water Desalination Act of 1996 to reauthorize certain desalination programs, and for other purposes; to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.”

“Donald Trump wants to spend $275 billion on 15 new battleships that the Navy does not want. He just wants to put his name on them. That money should be used to help working families buy food and pay their bills instead.”

“Mr. President, on the Trump battleships, while American families can’t even keep their heads above water, Donald Trump is spending his time building himself a ``golden fleet’’ of battleships the Navy doesn’t want. Just get a load of this headline: ``Cost of Trump’s Namesake Warships Likely to Rise by 50 Percent or More.’’ Costs to rise by 50 percent or more. As the article in the New York Times says, his goal is building a ``golden fleet’’ of 15 battleships that cost $275 billion. Frankly, when Americans hear this, they have no idea whether they need the battleships. They know the only thing Trump cares about is having his name on things. So the fact that there is a fleet of Trump battleships--cost doesn’t mean anything; necessity doesn’t mean anything; that people are suffering and need help feeding their families, paying their electric bills, and paying the cost of gasoline means nothing to him. Having his name on a bunch of battleships-- expensive battleships--is all he cares about. Trump couldn’t handle renovating a reflecting pool or building a ballroom, and now he thinks he is ready to design and construct 15 ``Trump-class’’--I mean, this guy, he knows no limits--``Trump-class’’ battleships that will cost more than a quarter of a trillion taxpayer dollars--a quarter of a trillion dollars. He has had a lot of vanity projects. They have been very expensive. This is the most costly vanity project yet. The Navy never wanted these ships. The American people never asked for these ships. The only person who wants these ``golden’’ ships is Donald Trump so he can slap his name on them. Trump’s willingness to drop $275 billion on another vanity project but not a single penny to lower costs for working Americans just confounds the imagination. Trump could use the money for these battleships to offset the entire nearly $200 billion cut he made to SNAP. Feeding hungry kids or creating an unnecessary class of battleships to put your name on--which is more important, America? The answer is a lot different than what Trump thinks. But no. Trump would rather feed his own ego than feed the American people. He would rather feed his own ego than feed the American people by putting his name on a $275 billion, 15-battleship outlay. The ballroom, the Reflecting Pool, the arch, and now the battleships--these are the reasons why more than 7 in 10 Americans think Trump is not focusing on the top issues facing the country. Donald, the American people don’t need a fleet of golden Trump-class battleships right now; they need a life raft.”

“The Justice Department is dropping charges against people who attacked the Capitol on January 6 because they support Donald Trump. Now, Trump wants to give these criminals taxpayer money to repay them for their trouble. Senate Republicans should not promote the official who came up with this plan. These people belong in prison, not getting cash from the government.”

“Mr. President, Todd Blanche’s Department of Justice continues to let criminals off the hook so long as they are loyal to Donald Trump. Yesterday, Trump’s DOJ forced a judge to throw out the charges against eight members of the radical extremist Oath Keepers, who were convicted of seditious conspiracy for plotting the January 6 insurrection--horrendous. Doesn’t get any more un-American than this. Doesn’t twist America’s values into a tortured knot. Trump already gave the insurrectionists clemency. Now he is wiping their records clean, but there is no erasing what the Oath Keepers and the rest of the mob did at Trump’s command on January 6. I saw them in this building. They were not on a tour. They were aimed at destruction to maim and even in a few cases murder. We can’t afford to forget what happened that day. Now, Trump has sent the country a clear message: There are no consequences for sedition, no punishment for attacking police, no repercussions for ransacking the Capitol to steal an election, so long as you do it in Trump’s name. No wonder his numbers are so terrible. No wonder the American people are turning against him. No one in our history has done things as bad as this. Trump won’t just give you clemency for committing a crime on his behalf; he will give you a reward. The whole purpose of Trump’s $2 billion MAGA slush fund is to funnel taxpayer dollars to the Oath Keepers and other Trump cronies. Just the other day, Trump himself defended his slush fund describing it ``a reimbursement for the pain that [January 6th insurrectionists] suffered.’’ Donald, what pain have these insurrectionists suffered? You let them off scot-free. Republicans don’t get to yap about being the party of law and order when they are handing out pardons and cash rewards like candy to convicted cop beaters--convicted cop beaters. Do Senate Republicans want to give a promotion to Blanche, the same guy who came up with the idea of these reparations for rioters? There is still no legal guardrail stopping Trump and Blanche from giving payouts to January 6 insurrectionists at the taxpayers’ expense. That is unacceptable. The only thing these criminals deserve is a cold cell, not American’s hard-earned taxpayer dollars.”

“I want the Senate to reject Todd Blanche for Attorney General. He is Donald Trump's lawyer, helped him avoid taxes, and is not ethical enough for the job. I support the temporary spending bill to keep the government open and protect federal grants from Trump's political cuts. I also oppose Trump's plan to lower quality standards for Head Start, which will hurt poor children. Finally, Trump wasted tax money by giving a bad contract to his pool cleaner to fix the Reflecting Pool.”

“Mr. President, Senate Republicans seem to think Todd Blanche became a different person somewhere between the confirmation hearing and today’s vote. It is obvious he didn’t. Blanche remains Trump’s personal lawyer--same client, same corrupt record, same playbook. He is the same guy. Nothing has changed. Thanks to Blanche, Trump and his family still have a permission slip from the IRS to take in tens of millions of dollars through tax fraud--tens of millions of dollars--and they exempt him from tax fraud even though he has had so many brushes with the law before. How can we appoint this man to such an important position when he is the one who facilitated the President avoiding any tax liability, which an overwhelming number of Americans despise? It is crazy. It is amazing how our Republican friends just tie themselves in pretzel knots to allow Trump to do illicit things, to allow the country’s morals to go down the drain when it comes to finance ethics. Blanche still hasn’t put up any meaningful guardrails to Trump’s $2 billion MAGA slush fund. We all know what that was--one of the grossest things any President has ever done. He sues the government as a private citizen and then asks the government for $10 billion and then shakes hands with the government that he gets $2 billion to do whatever he wants. It makes you nauseous, what he is doing to the morals of this country. Let’s not forget that Blanche still hasn’t released 3 million pages of the Epstein files. Make no mistake, if you had to line up every American, lawyer or not, who should be Attorney General, he would be at the back of the line because he is so unethical. Ethics matter in this job more than just about any other. So make no mistake, Blanche still has no business becoming Attorney General. Todd Blanche hasn’t changed, and neither should the votes of anyone who plans to oppose his nomination. Mr. President, on the CR, from the start, Senate Democrats said we wanted to keep the government open and keep politics out of the appropriations process. This CR gives us the time we need to continue hashing out a budget that helps make life more affordable for the American people while crushing the chaos and the corruption of the Trump administration. Senate Democrats will always be willing to work across the aisle and negotiate in good faith to deliver results for working Americans. Thanks to Senator Murray’s efforts, we have staved off Trump’s efforts to withhold Federal grants from vital projects. Trump wanted to pick grants in the States and politicians he liked and eliminate them from others. Nothing could be more against the Constitution, more against the government, more against fairness, more against bipartisanship than that. He wanted to do all that. People were amazed. Oh, I like this project in a red State. Go for it. I don’t like the very same project paid by the same money in a blue State. Cut it out. No rationale, no reason other than political malignance. People were really revolted by what he was trying to do. Taxpayers fund these grants. Taxpayers deserve to see that the money is invested in their communities, not withheld by Trump because of partisan retribution. Senate Democrats have stood up for working Americans at every step, and we are going to continue to fight for the American people in the weeks and months ahead. Mr. President, now on Head Start, Donald Trump believes the Federal Government exists to serve him and no one else. Even though he acts like a toddler three-quarters of the time, he is not eligible for Head Start, so if the program doesn’t benefit him, what does he care? Trump will soon announce plans to gut Head Start without any thought of how it will hurt hundreds of thousands of children. After trying and failing to defund it altogether, Trump is putting the program to the torch by rolling back Federal standards that ensure Head Start will be high quality. That means no math or literacy requirements, no health or safety screenings, no guarantee that children can access medical and dental services. Trump’s changes will hurt America’s most vulnerable children and leave their families in the lurch. Donald Trump, the parents of some of these kids are working two or three jobs, knocking themselves out almost 24/7 just to help their kids by making ends meet. Does Trump really think these families can afford to spend more on finding care for their kids? The gutting of Head Start is the Trump administration’s disastrous approach to governing laid bare. Better outcomes for Trump, worse outcomes for our kids--that is Trump’s America. Donald Trump uses his office to help himself and his billionaire friends get ahead while holding back our children, while holding back our working families. Every single Senator who cares about Head Start needs to stand up to this effort that undercuts our children, particularly the most vulnerable. Early education works. It gives kids a headstart. It makes America more prosperous as a whole. Trump doesn’t give a damn. Mr. President, Trump’s Reflecting Pool saga continues to show how his corruption comes back to bite him. Last Friday, Jeanine Pirro, the FOX News host turned U.S. attorney-- he loves these television hosts to have places in his administration whether they are qualified or not. Look at the Defense Department. Well, this host is U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia, and she admitted in court that Trump’s own grifting caused the Reflecting Pool renovation to fail. How dare she. How dare she speak the truth against Donald Trump when one of the requirements of being chosen by Trump for any important office is that you just go along with him. I will tell you this: If we had serious people leading the DOJ and serving as U.S. attorney, we never would have had these nonsense legal cases in the first place. You know Trump is living in an alternate reality when not even Pirro, an ardent Trump loyalist, will defend his lies. What did Trump expect? Shoddy work is inevitable when you award a multimillion-dollar, no-bid contract to your personal pool guy at the taxpayers’ expense. Trump’s Reflecting Pool debacle is so unbelievably stupid, it would be funny--except we American taxpayers are paying for it. Some nearly faced jail time for it. Trump is so delusional, he would rather prosecute innocent Americans than own up to his own failure. Is it any wonder that 80 percent of Americans think Trump doesn’t have the right priorities? Trump keeps spending his time and American tax dollars on these vanity projects. Donald, Americans want you to lower their costs, end your war, stop your corruption. The Reflecting Pool can wait. I yield the floor. I suggest the absence of a quorum.”

• Off topic
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  Speech on a bill

  Relevance 0 of 100

  None of this speech addressed the bill under debate and what it would change.

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“I am introducing a bill to stop presidents from selling pardons. Donald Trump uses pardons to help his friends, criminals, and himself. This bill makes clear that federal bribery laws apply to the president. It also forces anyone who gets a pardon to report any money they gave to get it.”

“Mr. President, on the pardons bill, justice is supposed to be blind. Under Donald Trump, justice is for sale. Today, I am introducing legislation with Senators Blumenthal, Hirono, Cortez Masto, and Schiff to stop Trump from abusing his pardon power for personal gain. Our No Payoffs for Pardons Act will expose, deter, and prosecute corrupt pardons. Trump sees his pardon power as just another opportunity for grift, for graft, or personal profit. The only thing Trump cares about in granting clemency is how much money you have and where do your loyalties lie. Trump has wiped the slate clean for thousands of January 6 insurrectionists, Medicare fraudsters, white-collar criminals, and other crooks convicted of swindling the American people. The American people always pay the price for Trump’s corruption, and pardons are no exception. Trump’s pardons have wiped out nearly $2 billion in repayments owed to the victims of these crimes. It is the same old grift: Trump picks the pocket of law-abiding Americans to enrich criminals, his cronies, and himself. In Trump’s America, if you have enough money or if you have the President’s ear, then you are above the law. Our bill reaffirms that Federal bribery laws apply to the President and that trying to buy your way out of a prison cell is a crime itself. Our legislation would also require anyone who receives a pardon to disclose financial gifts they made in connection with their clemency. We need to bring these corrupt pardons out of the shadows and into the light so that we can stop them for once and for all. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record. There being no objection, the text of the bill was ordered to be printed in the Record, as follows: ``227A. Financial disclosure reports by recipients of executive”

“I am introducing a bill to stop presidents from selling pardons. Donald Trump uses his pardon power to help his friends and make money. This bill makes clear that federal bribery laws apply to the president. It also requires people who get pardons to report any money they gave to get them.”

“Mr. President, on the pardons bill, justice is supposed to be blind. Under Donald Trump, justice is for sale. Today, I am introducing legislation with Senators Blumenthal, Hirono, Cortez Masto, and Schiff to stop Trump from abusing his pardon power for personal gain. Our No Payoffs for Pardons Act will expose, deter, and prosecute corrupt pardons. Trump sees his pardon power as just another opportunity for grift, for graft, or personal profit. The only thing Trump cares about in granting clemency is how much money you have and where do your loyalties lie. Trump has wiped the slate clean for thousands of January 6 insurrectionists, Medicare fraudsters, white-collar criminals, and other crooks convicted of swindling the American people. The American people always pay the price for Trump’s corruption, and pardons are no exception. Trump’s pardons have wiped out nearly $2 billion in repayments owed to the victims of these crimes. It is the same old grift: Trump picks the pocket of law-abiding Americans to enrich criminals, his cronies, and himself. In Trump’s America, if you have enough money or if you have the President’s ear, then you are above the law. Our bill reaffirms that Federal bribery laws apply to the President and that trying to buy your way out of a prison cell is a crime itself. Our legislation would also require anyone who receives a pardon to disclose financial gifts they made in connection with their clemency. We need to bring these corrupt pardons out of the shadows and into the light so that we can stop them for once and for all. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record. There being no objection, the text of the bill was ordered to be printed in the Record, as follows: ``227A. Financial disclosure reports by recipients of executive”

“I oppose Todd Blanche's nomination to the Department of Justice. He is Donald Trump's lawyer and will not stop Trump's corruption. He will let Trump cheat on his taxes and use public money to reward his supporters.”

“Mr. President, well, make no mistake, Todd Blanche has no intention of stopping Trump’s corruption. He has spent his career enabling it. Instead of seeing Todd Blanche’s so-called deal for the sham that it is, Senate Republicans are, once again, taking Trump’s personal attorney at his word. All Blanche’s deal does is accept the reality that Trump’s MAGA slush fund is never getting through the courts. Blanche’s so-called deal does nothing--nothing--to stop the IRS sweetheart deal that lets Trump and his family cheat their way out of tens of millions of dollars in taxes. Let me repeat that. Blanche is still perfectly fine with giving Trump a permission slip to commit tax fraud to the tune of tens of millions of dollars. Is the Senate GOP willing to go along with Trump’s tax fraud? Blanche certainly is. Senate Republicans keep pretending that Blanche made real concessions on the slush fund. The truth is he just gave up a fight he had already lost in court. And there is no guardrail preventing Trump and Blanche from using taxpayer dollars to give cash payouts to violent January 6 insurrectionists, MAGA billionaires, and the Trump family. Trump won’t even hide his intention to resurrect his MAGA cash rewards program. Just last night, Trump said: ``A lot of people like’’ the slush fund. Those were his words. He said it. He said it ``would be a reimbursement for the pain that’’ January 6 insurrectionists ``suffered.’’ Where is the reimbursement for the economic pain Trump has inflicted on the American people with his rampant corruption and his disastrous agenda? No one wants this slush fund, other than Trump and his cronies. There has never been a more clear-cut case of self-dealing in American history. Trump sued himself, settled with himself, and then gave himself tax immunity for life and $2 billion to either pocket--in his own pocket--from the Federal Treasury or pass out to bad people, all at the taxpayers’ expense. Senate Republicans, if you truly care about ending this corruption, then work with us to ban it by law. Don’t put the architect of Trump’s grifts in charge of the Department of Justice. (The remarks of Mr. SCHUMER pertaining to the introduction of S. 5212 are printed in today’s Record under ``Statements on Introduced Bills and Joint Resolutions.’’)”

“I am introducing a bill to fight government corruption. It lets regular citizens sue officials who use their public office to enrich themselves. It also creates an independent agency to investigate and punish corrupt leaders.”

“Mr. President, now, today, on anti-corruption and the Anti-Corruption Bureau Creation Act--today, I am introducing the Anti- Corruption Bureau Creation Act, the biggest, boldest, and broadest proposal ever put forward to revitalize our anti-corruption institutions. The scope and scale of Donald Trump’s corruption dwarf anything we have ever seen in American history, which is why Congress has to respond more strongly than ever before. In just 18 months, the Trump family has cashed in on the influence of the Presidency to the tune of more than $4 billion--billion. The same corrupt practices that Trump is using to rake in billions are also causing Americans to pay an extra $3,100 in higher costs each year. Trump profits; Americans pay. Our ``Grifter in Chief’’ has tried every scam in the book and invented new ones we never imagined. The bill I am introducing today with my colleagues Senators Padilla, Merkley, and Kim is designed to stop Trump’s ``Art of the Steal.’’ The first goal of our bill is to get the American people their money back. The bill will create, for the first time, a private right of action that allows Americans, including State attorneys general representing the public, to sue to recover the money Trump and his family have taken from them. Now, the False Claims Act already allows citizens to file lawsuits against people who defraud the government and share part of the civil penalty if they win. So it only makes sense that we are expanding that ability so citizens can sue people who use government influence to defraud the public. If Donald Trump or one of his lackeys, sons, cronies uses government influence to steal from you, you deserve your day in court. The second goal of our bill is to stop this corruption from happening again. Instead of draining the swamp, Trump blew our anti-corruption institutions to smithereens. He installed MAGA loyalists at the Office of Government Ethics and the U.S. Office of Special Counsel, watchdogs whose whole mission is to stop the same type of corruption Trump is now committing. Trump also neutered the Federal Elections Commission, which Congress created to stop the corruption Watergate exposed. My bill would establish a new, independent Anti-Corruption Bureau that brings all the guardrails Trump has weakened under one roof. The Anti-Corruption Bureau is a sum greater than its parts. The Bureau would have subpoena power to give it real investigative strength, meaningful enforcement authority, and the ability to disgorge ill- gotten gains. We want to create a one-stop shop to catch the corruption and make them pay up, an Agency with real teeth and real independence. It will be led by seven Senate-confirmed Commissioners--three Republicans, three Democrats, and one Independent. Trump won’t be able to commandeer the Bureau because our bill explicitly outlaws trying to weaponize it, with fines and jail time for people who try. Congress can’t defund the Bureau because our bill establishes a self- sustaining funding source for the Agency, much like the Fed. And the President can’t dismantle the Bureau by purging its members, since our bill requires a panel of judges to appoint temporary replacements so the Bureau always has a quorum. The bill is just common sense--a basic, straightforward way to make sure all facets of government serve the people and no one else. Americans are demanding we go back to a government they can actually trust. This legislation tells them that we hear them and that we are going to fight for them with the strongest measures we have ever proposed. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record. There being no objection, the text of the bill was ordered to be printed in the Record, as follows: Sec. 1. Short title. Sec. 2. Table of contents. Sec. 3. Findings and purpose. Sec. 4. Definitions. Sec. 101. Findings and purpose. Sec. 102. Definitions. Sec. 103. Civil liability for corruption-related violations. Sec. 104. Private right of action. Sec. 105. Award to plaintiffs. Sec. 106. Severability. Sec. 201. Establishment of Bureau. Sec. 202. Membership. Sec. 203. Terms of service. Sec. 204. Chair; Vice Chair. Sec. 205. Blue Ribbon Advisory Panel. Sec. 206. Removal; notice to Congress. Sec. 301. Powers and duties of the Bureau. Sec. 302. Transfer of functions. Sec. 303. Personnel. TITLE IV--APPOINTMENT OF TEMPORARY MEMBERS TO THE ANTI-CORRUPTION Sec. 401. Assignment of judges to division to appoint temporary members Sec. 501. Freedom From Influence Fund. Sec. 502. Authorization of appropriations. Sec. 503. References. Sec. 504. Regulations. Sec. 505. Technical and conforming amendments. TITLE IV--APPOINTMENT OF TEMPORARY MEMBERS TO THE ANTI-CORRUPTION ``50. Assignment of judges to division to appoint temporary members to”

“I am introducing a bill to fight government corruption. It lets regular citizens sue officials who use government power to enrich themselves. It also creates a new, independent anti-corruption agency to investigate and punish corrupt leaders.”

“Mr. President, now, today, on anti-corruption and the Anti-Corruption Bureau Creation Act--today, I am introducing the Anti- Corruption Bureau Creation Act, the biggest, boldest, and broadest proposal ever put forward to revitalize our anti-corruption institutions. The scope and scale of Donald Trump’s corruption dwarf anything we have ever seen in American history, which is why Congress has to respond more strongly than ever before. In just 18 months, the Trump family has cashed in on the influence of the Presidency to the tune of more than $4 billion--billion. The same corrupt practices that Trump is using to rake in billions are also causing Americans to pay an extra $3,100 in higher costs each year. Trump profits; Americans pay. Our ``Grifter in Chief’’ has tried every scam in the book and invented new ones we never imagined. The bill I am introducing today with my colleagues Senators Padilla, Merkley, and Kim is designed to stop Trump’s ``Art of the Steal.’’ The first goal of our bill is to get the American people their money back. The bill will create, for the first time, a private right of action that allows Americans, including State attorneys general representing the public, to sue to recover the money Trump and his family have taken from them. Now, the False Claims Act already allows citizens to file lawsuits against people who defraud the government and share part of the civil penalty if they win. So it only makes sense that we are expanding that ability so citizens can sue people who use government influence to defraud the public. If Donald Trump or one of his lackeys, sons, cronies uses government influence to steal from you, you deserve your day in court. The second goal of our bill is to stop this corruption from happening again. Instead of draining the swamp, Trump blew our anti-corruption institutions to smithereens. He installed MAGA loyalists at the Office of Government Ethics and the U.S. Office of Special Counsel, watchdogs whose whole mission is to stop the same type of corruption Trump is now committing. Trump also neutered the Federal Elections Commission, which Congress created to stop the corruption Watergate exposed. My bill would establish a new, independent Anti-Corruption Bureau that brings all the guardrails Trump has weakened under one roof. The Anti-Corruption Bureau is a sum greater than its parts. The Bureau would have subpoena power to give it real investigative strength, meaningful enforcement authority, and the ability to disgorge ill- gotten gains. We want to create a one-stop shop to catch the corruption and make them pay up, an Agency with real teeth and real independence. It will be led by seven Senate-confirmed Commissioners--three Republicans, three Democrats, and one Independent. Trump won’t be able to commandeer the Bureau because our bill explicitly outlaws trying to weaponize it, with fines and jail time for people who try. Congress can’t defund the Bureau because our bill establishes a self- sustaining funding source for the Agency, much like the Fed. And the President can’t dismantle the Bureau by purging its members, since our bill requires a panel of judges to appoint temporary replacements so the Bureau always has a quorum. The bill is just common sense--a basic, straightforward way to make sure all facets of government serve the people and no one else. Americans are demanding we go back to a government they can actually trust. This legislation tells them that we hear them and that we are going to fight for them with the strongest measures we have ever proposed. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record. There being no objection, the text of the bill was ordered to be printed in the Record, as follows: Sec. 1. Short title. Sec. 2. Table of contents. Sec. 3. Findings and purpose. Sec. 4. Definitions. Sec. 101. Findings and purpose. Sec. 102. Definitions. Sec. 103. Civil liability for corruption-related violations. Sec. 104. Private right of action. Sec. 105. Award to plaintiffs. Sec. 106. Severability. Sec. 201. Establishment of Bureau. Sec. 202. Membership. Sec. 203. Terms of service. Sec. 204. Chair; Vice Chair. Sec. 205. Blue Ribbon Advisory Panel. Sec. 206. Removal; notice to Congress. Sec. 301. Powers and duties of the Bureau. Sec. 302. Transfer of functions. Sec. 303. Personnel. TITLE IV--APPOINTMENT OF TEMPORARY MEMBERS TO THE ANTI-CORRUPTION Sec. 401. Assignment of judges to division to appoint temporary members Sec. 501. Freedom From Influence Fund. Sec. 502. Authorization of appropriations. Sec. 503. References. Sec. 504. Regulations. Sec. 505. Technical and conforming amendments. TITLE IV--APPOINTMENT OF TEMPORARY MEMBERS TO THE ANTI-CORRUPTION ``50. Assignment of judges to division to appoint temporary members to S. 5194. A bill to amend title 28, United States Code, to improve the maintenance, alteration, and construction of United States courthouses, and for other purposes; to the Committee on Environment and Public Works.”

“I want the Senate to pass this resolution to end the war with Iran and bring American troops home. Most Americans do not want this war to continue. Republican senators should listen to the public instead of backing the President.”

“Mr. President, I will be brief. Nearly half a year into Trump’s ruinous war with Iran, the conflict is widening instead of winding down. More countries get dragged into the mix, more fronts open up, and more Americans get killed and injured. The American people have made it clear: No one wants this war to go on. A new poll, this morning, found only a fifth--a fifth--of the American people, including less than half of the Republicans, want the war to continue. Are our Senate Republicans listening? The country is clamoring for you to end this war and to bring our troops home--something you can do right now by voting for Senator Gillibrand’s War Powers Resolution. Is Trump so intimidating, so untouchable that Republicans will keep siding with him instead of the 80 percent of Americans calling for the fighting to end? The biggest thing standing between our troops and home is a Republican Party that is too afraid to cross the President. Congress can break this vicious cycle of escalation Trump started in Iran, and this War Powers Resolution is how we do it. I urge--I plead--with my Republican colleagues to listen to the American people. Vote to end this war. We are going to keep forcing Republicans to vote until you do. I yield the floor.”

“I want the Senate to pass a resolution to end the war with Iran and bring our troops home. President Trump said this war would last one week, but American troops are still dying five months later. The war is getting worse, and Republicans need to vote with us to end it.”

“Finally, on the Iran WPR, as Trump plays keyboard warrior on Truth Social in his war with Iran, our men and women in uniform are risking their lives on the frontlines. This aimless war has been one of the greatest foreign policy catastrophes in American history, and Trump’s mess only gets worse with every passing hour. Trump said the war would last a week, but American servicemembers are still getting killed 5 months later, and the war seems to be expanding with Iran’s latest attack in Egypt’s territory. Senate Republicans cannot sit on the sidelines as Trump’s war escalates out of control. Later today, Democrats will advance another War Powers Resolution so we can get our troops out of danger and end this war once and for all. Will Senate Republicans keep helping Trump dig himself into a deeper and deeper hole in Iran or will they finally show some backbone, grab a shovel, and help Trump get out of this hole? Republicans, do your duty to our servicemembers, to the American people, and to your own conscience. Vote for our War Powers Resolution to end this disaster. I yield the floor. I suggest the absence of a quorum.”

“Economic growth is down and prices are up for gas, groceries, rent, and power. President Trump has made this worse with tariffs, wars, and attacks on energy and healthcare while he enriches himself. Democrats will fight to lower costs for Americans.”

“Mr. President, today, the disastrous Trump economy delivered another one-two gut punch to the American people: Growth is down. Costs are up. The American people don’t need government reports and economists to tell them how sluggish Trump’s economy is or how high costs are. Americans see it at the gas pump. They see it at the grocery store. They see it whenever they pay the rent or for heating or for electricity. Trump, on the other hand, has no clue just how deep in the dumps his economy is. He keeps calling higher costs a ``hoax’’ and affordability a ``made-up word.’’ In the meantime, Trump has done nothing but make matters worse with his reckless and irresponsible war, with his chaotic tariffs, and with his crusade against American energy and assault on healthcare. And every day, while Trump’s failed Presidency makes life harder for American families, where does he spend his time and energy? Enriching himself. Democrats aren’t going to let this one-two economic punch turn into a knockout blow. We are going to keep fighting to bring down Americans’ costs and bring an end to Trump’s failed agenda that is driving those costs up and up and up. (The remarks of Mr. Schumer pertaining to the introduction of S. 5183 are printed in today’s Record under ``Statements on Introduced Bills and Joint Resolutions.’’)”

“Most Americans do not support President Trump's war in Iran, high gas prices, or his cuts to healthcare. Democrats want to work with Republicans to pass a fair budget and keep the government open. We will also force another vote to end the war in Iran and bring our troops home.”

“Well, Mr. President, the Trump Presidency is just a disaster, and more and more people know it. Just about everyone is getting to know it now. This morning’s CNN poll--right over my shoulder--is further confirmation that Trump has completely lost the trust of the American people. Americans can see it, smell it, feel it: Trump’s priorities are completely out of whack. He is concerned not with average citizens and making their lives better, just his own ego. Just look at some of these numbers: More than three in every four Americans say that Trump’s disastrous war on Iran hasn’t been worth the cost. The same numbers say they have experienced hardship because of gas prices: 79 percent. And when asked: Does Trump have the right priorities? Seventy-three percent say no. A record 73 percent of Americans think Trump hasn’t focused enough on the most pressing issues they face. Pick any poll. Pick any issue. You will come to the same conclusion: Trump is totally out of touch. He is hurting America and not listening to America. No one likes what you are doing. Are you listening, Donald? No one likes what you are doing. Look at those numbers. They should make Donald Trump hang his head in shame: 72 percent disapprove of how he is conducting the war in Iran; 79 percent disapprove of him on gas prices; 73 percent say you have the wrong priorities for them. When the overwhelming majority of Americans say you are taking the country in the wrong direction, you better change course. Trump and his party can either take the hint or take a hike when it comes in November. Democrats have been clear on appropriations. Democrats have been clear from the start: We want to fund the government, avoid a shutdown, pass strong appropriations bills that improve people’s lives. Bipartisan negotiations are ongoing, and Senate Democrats are working in good faith to reach an agreement to keep the appropriations process moving forward. We are fighting for a bipartisan funding package--not partisan bills that bankroll Donald Trump’s war agenda while leaving working families behind. Any CR must be bipartisan. We must keep the government open without abandoning the needs of working families or giving Donald Trump a blank check for his destructive agenda. There is a responsible path forward. Senate Democrats are ready to take it. Republicans must meet us to get that done. Mr. President, Trump’s crusade against Americans’ healthcare costs continues every single day. Listen to this: Yesterday, Trump doubled prescription drug costs for millions of seniors by making cuts to Medicare drug plans. Just 2 days before Medicare’s 61st anniversary, no less, he is cutting the dollars we need and doubling prescription drug costs for millions of seniors. Can Trump get any more heartless? We are talking about seniors splitting pills in half to ration life-saving drugs or skipping meals to afford their medication at the pharmacy counter. That is despicable. This is just the latest salvo in Trump’s war on Americans’ healthcare. A year ago, Trump ransacked over a trillion dollars from the healthcare system to bankroll tax giveaways to the wealthiest Americans and corporations. And since then, millions of people have lost their coverage altogether while tens of millions get slammed while premiums double, triple, even quadruple. But I guess that wasn’t enough for Donald. Now he is coming after seniors--millions of them--by raising their prescription drug costs. In Trump’s America, families are fighting for their lives while the rich get richer. Mr. President, Trump is more concerned about protecting himself from the repercussions of his failed war in Iran than protecting our troops who are in the line of fire. As Trump twiddles his thumbs without any plan for how to end his reckless misadventure, our servicemembers are facing down barrage after barrage of Iranian missiles and drones. Donald, posting another lie on Truth Social won’t stop the missiles from flying. Thumping your chest won’t bring down the crushing gas prices you have sent skyrocketing. And brushing casualties under the rug doesn’t get our men and women in uniform out of harm’s way. And those whose names were eliminated, before they put them back, do not come back to life when you just simply take their name off the roll. There is only one way to do that--to do all of that--bring our troops home. End the war. Democrats will soon force another vote on our War Powers Resolution to end this aimless war and bring our troops back home to their families. Every second Trump prolongs this war, our servicemembers’ lives are at risk. Senate Republicans, stand up for troops, not the President who sent them to war without a plan, without a mission, without an exit strategy. Senate Republicans, stand up with the American people and come join us in ending this war. I yield the floor. I suggest the absence of a quorum.”

“I want Congress to pass this bill to put strong sanctions on Russia. We must support Ukraine and stop Vladimir Putin. Donald Trump has tried to please Russia instead of standing up to it, but tough actions are the only way to make Russia end the war.”

“Mr. President, first let me thank the Senator from Alabama for her poignant and strong and much needed words. Let me thank my colleague from New Hampshire, along with Senator Blumenthal, for leading the fight in this very important issue. Now, I just got back from a beautiful service honoring Lindsey Graham. The service honoring Lindsey Graham today was a tribute not only to our friend Lindsey but to his belief that America can act as a positive force on the global stage, especially in Ukraine. I didn’t agree with Lindsey on many things, but Lindsey understood something Trump has yet to learn: It takes resolve to earn respect. Instead of standing strongly behind Ukraine and squarely against Vladimir Putin, Trump has tried and failed to pander to Russia. At a time when Ukraine is turning the tide in the war against Putin, we must show the Ukrainians that our Congress and our country are fully behind them and show Putin that his war is a losing battle because the people of the United States and this Senate stand behind the Ukrainians. With this bill, we are going to show the Russians we mean business. We are going to impose steep, mandatory sanctions to clamp down on the Russian war machine, drain the Kremlin’s war chest, and truly cripple the Russian war effort. That is how you make a bully like Putin listen, by putting real pressure on him to end this devastating war. Words will not do; actions matter. This is strong action, strong medicine. And Trump should not pass up--better not pass up--this opportunity. If Trump tries to abuse these tools and continue kowtowing to Putin, he will only make himself and our country look weaker. Make no mistake, there is an overwhelming majority in this country that wants to see Russia defeated and Ukraine victorious in this fight against Putin’s authoritarian invasion. President Zelenskyy has reiterated that Ukraine is changing the tide in this war and gaining momentum every day. We are seeing it happen with our own eyes. Lindsey Graham spent his final days trying to help Ukraine achieve victory. We ought to do the same in the days, weeks, and months ahead.”

“Donald Trump is responsible for higher prices, lost factory jobs, and costly tariffs in Michigan. He is also using the presidency to make money for himself, and I will introduce bills to stop that corruption. Finally, the Senate will not pass the SAVE Act, and Republicans should stop threatening a government shutdown over it.”

“Madam President, Trump going to Michigan today to tout his economic record is like an arsonist returning to the scene of the crime and asking for a pat on the back. Trump has said over and over again that ``affordability’’ is a made-up word. He has said Americans’ skyrocketing costs are nothing but a hoax. Hey, Donald, ask any Michigander whether they think the higher costs that are crushing them are a hoax. Michiganders and Americans know that rising costs are all too real, and they know who is to blame--Donald Trump and the GOP. Over and over again, they have done things that have made it more expensive to live in Michigan. If Trump wants to tout his economic record in Michigan, so be it. Trump can brag about how Michiganders are forking over $4.23 for a gallon of gas on a car economy because of his failed war with Iran. Trump can take credit for the massive tariff tax he is forcing Michiganders to pay because of the whopping 50 percent tariff he just slapped on Canada--the State’s northern neighbor. The Michigan and Canadian economies are intertwined. How stupid to impose a tariff when the two economies depend on each other. Or maybe Trump wants to boast to Michigan’s factory workers about the 75,000 American manufacturing jobs he has lost in his second term. Everywhere you look, the Michigan economy is in shambles because of Donald Trump and his actions. So that is your record, Donald. Go ahead and own it. Trump thinks he is in for a warm reception in Michigan; he is in for a reckoning. Madam President, on corruption, the only people who think America is getting more affordable are Donald Trump and his cronies as they cash in on unprecedented corruption. We see a new con come out of the Trump administration almost every day, but the scheme is always the same: Americans pay; Trump profits. Last week, I announced Senate Democrats’ new effort to stop Trump from turning his Presidency into his personal ATM. We released a report detailing how the Trump family has defrauded the American people to the tune of more than $4 billion in the past 18 months. We also saw Republicans vote against my legislation to prevent Trump from wasting further taxpayer dollars on upgrades for his $400 million luxury jet. Our work to expose and stop Trump’s grift continues this week. In the coming days, I plan to announce new legislation to clean up the swamp Trump promised to drain a decade ago. We are unmasking the people who are swindling the American people, holding their feet to the fire, and advancing reforms to stop further corruption in the future. The Presidency isn’t a product to sell, a commodity to trade, or a grift to run--no matter how hard Donald Trump tries. Every American who has been forced to pay more this last year and a half is paying for Trump’s profit margin. We are done picking up his tab. Madam President, on the SAVE Act, it is a new week in Washington, but one thing remains the same: The SAVE Act is dead on arrival in the Senate. Trump keeps tiring himself out running the same play. Trump knows he can’t defend Republicans’ abysmal record--his abysmal record-- so he whines to the GOP to pass the SAVE Act to disenfranchise voters who want to hold him accountable in November. Give it up, Donald. The SAVE Act ain’t going to happen. The courts have rejected the SAVE Act. Congress rejected the SAVE Act. Even members of Trump’s own party have rejected the SAVE Act. Republican problems aren’t going to go away until Trump realizes how futile this brazen effort to rig our elections really is. Instead, Trump has said publicly that ``Republicans have to pass SAVE . . . otherwise we are going to have a shutdown in November.’’ That is Trump. He keeps threatening a shutdown. Are Republicans listening? Your President is threatening to shut down the government. It is not Democrats doing that. Donald, I keep trying to remind you, the last time you bragged about shutting down the government--back when Nancy Pelosi was in charge then--didn’t go so well for you, did it? And it definitely won’t now. Republicans either need to drop this frivolous and vicious effort to pass the SAVE Act or watch Democrats stop it dead in its tracks. I yield the floor. I suggest the absence of a quorum.”

• Little substance
  ?

  Speech in the House

  Signal 44 of 100

  Much of this statement went to praise, blame, greetings, routine procedure or general stories rather than reasons, requests or specific points.

  See full analysis →

“I want the Senate to pass this resolution to end the war in Iran and bring our troops home. The war puts our service members in danger and drives up the cost of gas and everyday goods. Republicans need to vote with us to end it.”

“Mr. President, Trump got America into this mess in Iran, and he has made it clear he is both unwilling and unable to get us out. For the sake of our servicemembers, their families, working people from one end of the country to the other who are getting crushed by higher costs and gas prices, Senate Republicans need to join us and end Trump’s war in Iran. People across the aisle know--most everyone here knows--what a fiasco this war has been. Well, now we need a little courage and strength to end it. And we need to get our Republican colleagues to step up to the plate and do what that they know deep in their hearts is the right thing to do. How many servicemembers will die before Senate Republicans decide this war needs to end? How many of our troops will be wounded before Senate Republicans find a spine? How many times will Democrats have to force a vote on our War Powers Resolution to bring our troops home before Senate Republicans join us? And they are going to have to vote on it again and again and again until they join us in ending this war. Every time Republicans oppose our War Powers Resolution and vote against ending this war, they lose the faith of the American people. Senate Republicans keep trying to protect Donald Trump, but it is our men and women in uniform whose lives are in danger they should be protecting. Senate Republicans know how dearly this war is costing the American people: gas $4 a barrel, crude oil over $100, families shelling out hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars in extra costs on basic goods, but Senate Republicans just want everyone to be calm and carry on. But the American people are not calm. They don’t like this war-- Democrats, Republicans, Independents. So Senate Republicans need to wake up, not next week, not next month--now. Now is the time to wake up, Republicans. Now is not the time to keep bending the knee to Donald Trump, as he dizzies himself running around in circles chasing his own tail. It is time to stand up for the American people and declare in one voice that this war cannot and must not go on. Every Member of the Senate, whatever your politics, ought to be up in arms over this war, its lack of direction, its lack of conclusion, its lack of consistency. Every single Senator ought to support our resolution to end this war. We will keep forcing votes until Senate Republicans stop playing dumb and summon up the courage to do what is right. Mr. President, I ask for the yeas and nays.”

“I want the Senate to pass a resolution to end the war in Iran and bring our troops home. Most Americans oppose this war, and it is driving up gas prices. I also oppose Donald Trump's new taxes on imports, which are raising costs for families and have cost us 75,000 factory jobs. Finally, Senate Democrats are preparing to protect the upcoming election, and I want to honor the two Capitol Police officers killed defending this building in 1998.”

“Mr. President, the hole Donald Trump is digging himself into in Iran has turned into a crater. Somehow Trump has convinced himself that the American people are cheering him on on this blunder rather than crying out for him to bring our troops home. Today, Democrats are going to force another vote on our War Powers Resolution to end this war; to get our troops out of harm’s way; and to force Trump to face the reality of this catastrophe. Will our Republican colleagues join us, or are they just going to keep their heads in the sand? They know how bad this is. They are hearing it from one end of the country to another, but they are so afraid of speaking truth to power-- of telling Donald Trump he is wrong--that they almost time after time-- the vast majority of them--vote to go along with this war that is not achieving any goals and is raising our gas prices now to above $4. Yesterday, Trump said of the American people ``they’re not against the war.’’ Trump, wake up. No one wants this war but you and your cronies and the supine Republican Senators and Congressmen who go along. The American people are against this war. They are against seeing our men and women in uniform get killed and wounded for a war that seems to have no direction or purpose. They are against hearing Trump and Hegseth lie about casualties, and they are definitely against paying over 4 bucks for a gallon of gas. In fact, this morning, oil, once again, hit $100 a barrel as the war continues to spiral. Just this week, we saw polling that the war in Iran is America’s least popular war since polling began. Let me say that again so Donald Trump and my Republican colleagues can hear it. Just this week, we saw polling that the Iran war is America’s least popular war since polling began. So, when Donald Trump says the American people are not against the war, he has got his head deep, deep, deep in the sand. Even Trump’s MAGA supporters are starting to sour on the war. No one--no one--wants to watch Donald Trump keep pouring gasoline on a fire he claims to have put out weeks ago. Donald Trump’s war is ramping up, not winding down. If Donald Trump won’t listen to the American people and end this war, then Congress must. Bipartisan majorities in both Chambers of Congress have already passed legislation to end Trump’s aimless, illegal, ruinous war. We will keep demanding Donald Trump end this war with another vote today. We are going to keep the pressure on our Republican colleagues, and that is what we are supposed to be doing here because it is Congress that has the power to bring war; so it is perfectly appropriate and right and part of our obligation as the opposition party to force our Republican colleagues to vote again and again and again until they see the light. Senate Republicans need to stop indulging the President’s foreign policy of fantasy and support our War Powers Resolution to bring our troops home. When are Senate Republicans going to stand up? When will they say ``enough’’? The American people are watching. Senate Republicans will lose credibility with the American people with every vote they take against ending Trump’s war. Mr. President, on tariffs, as gas prices spike and families struggle with their grocery bills, Trump is tripling down on his chaotic tariff tax and pushing prices that Americans pay even higher. Just this week, Trump announced a new round of 50-percent tariffs on Canada--our big enemy, Canada, Trump might say--but that is not all. Trump is about to slap new 10-percent tariffs on 60 countries, including all of our major trading partners. He is also threatening 100-percent tariffs on generic medicines. That is more money coming out of the American people’s pockets for something they very much need-- low-cost generic drugs. Trump has bled the American people dry with these tariffs, and he is coming back for more. And Canada? Doesn’t he know that many of our countries on the Canadian border depend on commerce, whether it is Maine or New York or Michigan or Washington State or every State in between, and that his tariffs are helping to destroy the economies of those States in particular? So what will American families get in return for shelling out thousands of dollars extra for basic necessities? Nothing good. Trump has bled the American people dry with these tariffs, and now he is coming back for more. Trump claims a massive new wave of manufacturing, but the truth is we have lost 75,000 manufacturing jobs since Trump started his trade war. I repeat. Trump’s tariffs have cost our country 75,000 manufacturing jobs. Once again, Trump lies. He just lies. He doesn’t care what the facts are. If it suits his purposes, his big ego, his insatiable desire to pat himself on the back, he lies. Trump, we have lost manufacturing jobs since your tariffs--75,000 of them. Meanwhile, tariff rates mysteriously change, and new exemptions are announced every time Trump receives a gold watch, a diamond ring, or a phone call from one of his billionaire buddies. The story is always the same with this administration: Trump and his billionaire friends win; families lose. Trump corrupts the Presidency to enrich himself. Then he turns around and raises costs on Americans at every turn, and Senate Republicans are more than happy to help Trump every step of the way. Now, Mr. President, on the Election Protection Task Force that we Democrats have put together, Trump tries to corrupt everything he touches, and our elections are next. President Trump knows he can’t outrun the Republicans’ awful record, so he is trying to rig the race in November. Trump and the GOP would rather silence Americans than answer to them. We are going to make sure Republicans hear the American people loud and clear in November, which is why the Senate Democrats’ Election Protection Task Force gathered again yesterday to war-game our response to Trump’s all-out assault on our elections. Our task force is planning for every eventuality and looking at every tool to stop Trump from stealing the mid-term election. It doesn’t matter what Trump tries to throw at us. Exercises like the one we held yesterday will ensure we will be ready to respond. We are anticipating the trouble he might create--the evil he might do--and what our response should be in advance. Trump ignored Americans when they told him to lower his costs. Trump ignored Americans when they told him to end his wars. Now Trump wants to ignore Americans when they tell him they want Republicans gone. Trump may not want to listen to the American people, but he is going to have to face the music in November whether he likes it or not. Finally, Mr. President, on a sad note, it is the anniversary of the 1998 Capitol Police shooting. Tomorrow--tomorrow--will mark 28 years when Detective John Gibson and Officer Jacob Chestnut of the U.S. Capitol Police gave their lives while defending our Capitol. They showed tremendous heroism that day-- one I remember all too well. They faced grave danger with courage and made the ultimate sacrifice to protect our Capitol, the people within, and the democracy this building represents. For that, they will always have--always have--our gratitude, and so will all of our Capitol Police officers, who work so hard to keep us safe. I yield the floor. I suggest the absence of a quorum.”

“I want the Senate to pass this bill to protect Haitian immigrants from deportation. Donald Trump wants to end their temporary protected status and send them back to dangerous conditions. Haitians work hard, pay taxes, and fill important jobs in healthcare and business. Forcing them to leave will hurt our economy and make the crisis in Haiti worse.”

“Mr. President, I am beginning a series of Senators who are speaking about Haiti and TPS. The Haitian community is woven into the fabric of our great American family, but Donald Trump is trying to tear it apart by terminating Haiti’s temporary protected status. As someone who takes great pride in representing the State that is home to the largest Haitian population in the country, I know just how important the Haitian community is to the American economy, to culture, to society. But, unfortunately, Donald Trump clearly doesn’t. Trump has vilified Haitians with his bigoted attacks and stereotypes, over and over again. Now, Trump is trying to force Haitians who are here legally to return to the dangerous conditions they fled in Haiti. Let’s be clear: Revoking Haitians’ temporary protected status will not only hurt them; it hurts our entire country. In New York, you can’t go into a hospital, a nursing home, or a clinic without seeing scores of dedicated healthcare professionals who are fiercely proud of their Haitian heritage. That is true in cities and towns throughout the country. We have heard warnings that if Trump expels our Haitian TPS holders, it will strain our health system and create a gap in our caregiving workforce that will be difficult to fill. These people are our friends. They are our neighbors. They take care of the elderly and people with disabilities. They are entrepreneurs and small businessowners. They work hard and pay taxes. Let’s not forget Haitian TPS holders add nearly $6 billion to the U.S. economy each year. Ending TPS doesn’t fix our broken system; it only makes things worse. It is cruel. It is counterproductive. Sending 300,000 people to Haiti with little or no support will further destabilize an already severe humanitarian and security crisis on our country’s doorstep. I urge all of my colleagues to support our legislation and preserve Haitians’ TPS status. I will keep fighting for Haitian Americans in New York and beyond--any time, any place. I yield the floor.”

“I want the Senate to pass my bill right now. It stops taxpayers from paying around $1 billion to upgrade Donald Trump's new luxury jet. The plane is unsafe, and we already paid for safer government planes for him to use.”

“Mr. President, Trump’s corruption has no ceiling, and it apparently doesn’t have an altitude limit either. Trump’s $400 million luxury jet is the single biggest bribe an American President has ever accepted from another country in all of American history--the single biggest bribe in all of American history. And make no mistake about it, Trump’s so-called palace in the sky is a boondoggle at 40,000 feet. If you thought this illegal gift was bad before, it is even worse now. We just learned that this new jet wasn’t safe enough for Trump to make the return flight from the NATO summit in Turkiye, a country that borders on Iran. It doesn’t have the countermeasures for heat-seeking missiles and the other security equipment that it needs to keep the President safe. The rest of the Air Force One fleet had all these security features, but Trump left them in the hangar back at home. So I call on Senate Republicans to pass my Presidential Airlift Security Act so Americans don’t have to pay to upgrade Trump’s luxury jet when he already has access to a fleet of U.S. planes that are far safer and far less expensive to maintain. The luxury jet may have come wrapped in a bow for Donald Trump, but it came with a massive price tag for the American people. Trump is asking taxpayers to fork over an estimated $1 billion to retrofit and max out his flying palace so it can meet the security standards of the existing Air Force One fleet that, of course, we already paid for. Americans can’t afford gas, can’t afford groceries, can’t afford the electric bill, but Trump thinks they can afford to fly him in style. Trump’s luxury jet also poses a great risk to our national security. All the experts agree: no matter how many modifications are made or how much is spent or how intensely it is retrofitted, there will never be 100 percent confidence that the plane is secure. This is not a gamble anyone should be willing to take. I introduced this legislation last year, but every single Republican Senator voted against the bill. Now, with this new information, hopefully they will see the light, what a boondoggle this is. Why do they back up Trump on every one of his boondoggles that is as plain as can be for Americans to see is a gross waste of taxpayer dollars and gross corruption? Why don’t they ever stop him? Whether it is the slush fund, the ballroom, the family tax exemption deal, or this Air Force One nonsense, we see a new grift coming out of this administration every day. Where are the Republicans? Senate Republicans need to stop letting Trump off the hook for fleecing the American people. And so, as if in legislative session and notwithstanding rule XXII, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Armed Services be discharged and the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of S. 1804; that the bill be considered read a third time and passed, and the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table.”