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16Senate Resolution 432: To Designate September 9, 2025, as "National World War II Italian Campaign Remembrance Day", and to Recognize the Sacrifices Made by American and Allied Soldiers Who...
17Senate Resolution 433: Expressing Support for the Contributions and Achievements of Student Parents in Seeking and Completing a Postsecondary Education and Designating September 2025 as "National...
19Senate Resolution 435: Honoring the Life of Brian Douglas Wilson as a Rock-N-Roll and Pop Icon, a Musical Genius, and One of the Greatest Composers, Songwriters, and Innovators in the History Of...
21Senate Resolution 437: Honoring the Pilots, Maintainers, Analysts, Sailors, Support Aircraft, and Families, Among Various Other Essential Groups Involved in the Success of Operation Midnight Hammer
Two bills and six resolutions were introduced, as follows: S. 2975-2976, and S. Res. 432-437.
Pages S6955-56
Measures Reported
S. 254, to amend the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 to protect the cultural practices and livelihoods of producers of Alaska Native handicrafts and marine mammal ivory products, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. (S. Rept. No. 119-73)
Page S6956
Measures Passed
Impact Aid Recognition Day: Committee on the Judiciary was discharged from further consideration of S. Res. 406, designating September 30, 2025, as ``Impact Aid Recognition Day'' to recognize and celebrate the 75th anniversary of the establishment of the Impact Aid program, and the resolution was then agreed to.
Page S6959
PCOS Awareness Month
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions was discharged from further consideration of S. Res. 422, recognizing the seriousness of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and expressing support for the designation of September 2025 as ``PCOS Awareness Month'', and the resolution was then agreed to.
Page S6959
National World War II Italian Campaign Remembrance Day
Senate agreed to S. Res. 432, to designate September 9, 2025, as ``National World War II Italian Campaign Remembrance Day'', and to recognize the sacrifices made by American and Allied soldiers who liberated Italy from German occupation during World War II.
Page S6959
National Student Parent Month
Senate agreed to S. Res. 433, expressing support for the contributions and achievements of student parents in seeking and completing a postsecondary education and designating September 2025 as ``National Student Parent Month''.
Page S6959
National 4-H Week
Senate agreed to S. Res. 434, expressing support for the designation of October 5 through October 11, 2025, as ``National 4-H Week''.
Page S6959
Honoring the life of Brian Douglas Wilson
Senate agreed to S. Res. 435, honoring the life of Brian Douglas Wilson as a rock-n-roll and pop icon, a musical genius, and one of the greatest composers, songwriters, and innovators in the history of the United States.
Page S6959
National Prostate Cancer Awareness Month
Senate agreed to S. Res. 436, expressing support for the designation of September 2025 as ``National Prostate Cancer Awareness Month''.
Page S6959
Operation Midnight Hammer
Senate agreed to S. Res. 437, honoring the pilots, maintainers, analysts, sailors, support aircraft, and families, among various other essential groups involved in the success of Operation Midnight Hammer.
Page S6959
Measures Considered
National Defense Authorization Act: Senate resumed consideration of S. 2296, to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2026 for military activities of the Department of Defense, for military construction, and for defense activities of the Department of Energy, to prescribe military personnel strengths for such fiscal year, taking action on the following amendments and motion proposed thereto:
Pages S6943-44
Pending
Wicker/Reed Amendment Modified No. 3748, in the nature of a substitute.
Page S6943
Wicker (for Ernst) Amendment No. 3427 (to Amendment No. 3748), to require the Comptroller General of the United States to conduct a study on casualty assistance and long-term care programs.
Page S6943
Thune Amendment No. 3863 (to Amendment No. 3427), relating to the enactment date.
Page S6943
Thune Amendment No. 3864 (to the language proposed to be stricken by Amendment No. 3748), relating to the enactment date.
Page S6943
Thune Amendment No. 3865 (to Amendment No. 3864), relating to the enactment date.
Page S6943
Motion to recommit the bill to the Committee on Armed Services, with instructions, Thune Amendment No. 3866, relating to the enactment date.
Page S6943
Thune Amendment No. 3867 (to (the instructions) Amendment No. 3866), relating to the enactment date.
Page S6943
Thune Amendment No. 3868 (to Amendment No. 3867), relating to the enactment date.
Page S6943
Continuing Appropriations and Extensions and Other Matters Act
By 45 yeas to 50 nays (Vote No. 544), three-fifths of those Senators duly chosen and sworn, not having voted in the affirmative, Senate rejected the motion to close further debate on the motion to proceed to consideration of S. 2882, making continuing appropriations for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2026.
Page S6951
During consideration of this measure today, Senate also took the following action
Senator Schumer entered a motion to reconsider the vote by which cloture was not invoked on the motion to proceed to consideration of the bill.
Page S6951
Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act
By 52 yeas to 42 nays (Vote No. 545), three-fifths of those Senators duly chosen and sworn, not having voted in the affirmative, Senate rejected the motion to close further debate on the motion to proceed to consideration of H.R. 5371, making continuing appropriations and extensions for fiscal year 2026.
Page S6951
During consideration of this measure today, Senate also took the following action
Senator Thune entered a motion to reconsider the vote by which cloture was not invoked on the motion to proceed to consideration of the bill.
Page S6951
Mascott Nomination: Cloture
Senate began consideration of the nomination of Jennifer Lee Mascott, of Delaware, to be United States Circuit Judge for the Third Circuit.
Page S6944
A motion was entered to close further debate on the nomination, and, in accordance with the provisions of rule XXII of the Standing Rules of the Senate, a vote on cloture will occur on Wednesday, October 8, 2025.
Page S6944
Prior to the consideration of this nomination, Senate took the following action
Senate agreed to the motion to proceed to Executive Session to consider the nomination.
Page S6944
En Bloc Consideration of Certain Nominations: Agreement
Senate resumed consideration of the following en bloc nominations, pursuant to the provisions of S. Res. 412 (119th): Paul Atkins, of Virginia, to be a Member of the Securities and Exchange Commission for a term expiring June 5, 2031. James Baehr, of Louisiana, to be General Counsel, Department of Veterans Affairs. Patrick David Davis, of Maryland, to be an Assistant Attorney General. Leah Campos, of Virginia, to be Ambassador to the Dominican Republic. Brandon Judd, of Idaho, to be Ambassador to the Republic of Chile. Joseph Popolo, of Texas, to be Ambassador to the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Catherine Jereza, of Maryland, to be an Assistant Secretary of Energy (Electricity). Ned Mamula, of Pennsylvania, to be Director of the United States Geological Survey. David Fink, of New Hampshire, to be Administrator of the Federal Railroad Administration. Pierre Gentin, of New York, to be General Counsel of the Department of Commerce. David Fogel, of Connecticut, to be Assistant Secretary of Commerce and Director General of the United States and Foreign Commercial Service. Devon Westhill, of Florida, to be an Assistant Secretary of Agriculture. Kirsten Baesler, of North Dakota, to be Assistant Secretary for Elementary and Secondary Education, Department of Education. Wayne Palmer, of Virginia, to be Assistant Secretary of Labor for Mine Safety and Health. Julie Hocker, of Virginia, to be an Assistant Secretary of Labor. Marco Rajkovich, Jr., of Virginia, to be a Member of the Federal Mine Safety and Health Review Commission for a term of 6 years expiring August 30, 2030. John Busterud, of California, to be Assistant Administrator, Office of Solid Waste, Environmental Protection Agency. Stanley Woodward, Jr., of the District of Columbia, to be Associate Attorney General. Janet Dhillon, of Virginia, to be Director of the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation for a term of 5 years. David Keeling, of Kentucky, to be an Assistant Secretary of Labor. Kimberly Richey, of Texas, to be Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, Department of Education. Jonathan Berry, of Maryland, to be Solicitor for the Department of Labor. Andrew Rogers, of Virginia, to be Administrator of the Wage and Hour Division, Department of Labor. Marc Andersen, of Virginia, to be an Assistant Secretary of the Army. James Woodruff II, of Florida, to be a Member of the Merit Systems Protection Board for the term of 7 years expiring March 1, 2032. Kevin Rhodes, of Florida, to be Administrator for Federal Procurement Policy. Usha-Maria Turner, of Oklahoma, to be an Assistant Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency. Hung Cao, of Virginia, to be Under Secretary of the Navy. John Dever, of Illinois, to be General Counsel of the Office of the Director of National Intelligence. Joseph Barloon, of Maryland, to be a Deputy United States Trade Representative (Geneva Office), with the rank of Ambassador. Brian Morrissey, Jr., of Virginia, to be General Counsel for the Department of the Treasury. Craig Trainor, of Virginia, to be an Assistant Secretary of Housing and Urban Development. Francis Brooke, of Virginia, to be an Assistant Secretary of the Treasury. David Peters, of Virginia, to be an Assistant Secretary of Commerce. Mary Riley, of the District of Columbia, to be Assistant Secretary for Legislation and Congressional Affairs, Department of Education. Brian Christine, of Alabama, to be an Assistant Secretary of Health and Human Services. Jonathan Snare, of Virginia, to be a Member of the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission for a term expiring April 27, 2029. David Brian Castillo, of Washington, to be Chief Financial Officer, Department of Labor. David Barker, of Iowa, to be Assistant Secretary for Postsecondary Education, Department of Education. Brittany Panuccio, of Florida, to be a Member of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission for a term expiring July 1, 2029. Michael Boren, of Idaho, to be Under Secretary of Agriculture for Natural Resources and Environment. Audrey Robertson, of Colorado, to be an Assistant Secretary of Energy (Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy). Lanny Erdos, of Ohio, to be Director of the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement. Taylor Jordan, of the District of Columbia, to be an Assistant Secretary of Commerce. Derek Barrs, of Florida, to be Administrator of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. Michael Rutherford, of Florida, to be an Assistant Secretary of Transportation (New Position). Gregory Zerzan, of Texas, to be General Counsel of the Department of Transportation. Christopher Fox, of Virginia, to be Inspector General of the Intelligence Community, Office of the Director of National Intelligence. Alex Adams, of Idaho, to be Assistant Secretary for Family Support, Department of Health and Human Services. Jonathan McKernan, of Tennessee, to be an Under Secretary of the Treasury. Macon Hughes, of Texas, to be an Assistant Secretary of Defense. Philip Weinberg, of Virginia, to be an Assistant Secretary of the Air Force. Timothy John Walsh, of Colorado, to be an Assistant Secretary of Energy (Environmental Management). Gustav Chiarello III, of Virginia, to be an Assistant Secretary of Health and Human Services. Michael Stuart, of West Virginia, to be General Counsel of the Department of Health and Human Services. William Kirkland, of Georgia, to be an Assistant Secretary of the Interior. Laura Swett, of Virginia, to be a Member of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission for a term expiring June 30, 2030. David LaCerte, of Louisiana, to be a Member of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission for the remainder of the term expiring June 30, 2026. Arch Capito, of West Virginia, to be United States Attorney for the Southern District of West Virginia for the term of 4 years. David Dunavant, of Tennessee, to be United States Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee for the term of 4 years. Matthew Harvey, of West Virginia, to be United States Attorney for the Northern District of West Virginia for the term of 4 years. John Heekin, of Florida, to be United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida for the term of 4 years. Leif Olson, of Iowa, to be United States Attorney for the Northern District of Iowa for the term of 4 years. Adam Sleeper, of the Virgin Islands, to be United States Attorney for the District of the Virgin Islands for the term of 4 years. David Toepfer, of Ohio, to be United States Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio for the term of 4 years. Kurt Alme, of Montana, to be United States Attorney for the District of Montana, for the term of 4 years. Nicholas Chase, of North Dakota, to be United States Attorney for the District of North Dakota for the term of 4 years. Bart McKay Davis, of Idaho, to be United States Attorney for the District of Idaho for the term of 4 years. David Metcalf, of Pennsylvania, to be United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania for the term of 4 years. Lesley Murphy, of Nebraska, to be United States Attorney for the District of Nebraska for the term of 4 years. Ronald A. Parsons, Jr., of South Dakota, to be United States Attorney for the District of South Dakota for the term of 4 years. Kurt Wall, of Louisiana, to be United States Attorney for the Middle District of Louisiana for the term of 4 years. David Charles Waterman, of Iowa, to be United States Attorney for the Southern District of Iowa for the term of 4 years. Daniel Rosen, of Florida, to be United States Attorney for the District of Minnesota for the term of 4 years. Somers Farkas, of New York, to be Ambassador to the Republic of Malta. Nicole McGraw, of Florida, to be Ambassador to the Republic of Croatia. Leandro Rizzuto, of Florida, to be Permanent Representative of the United States of America to the Organization of American States, with the rank of Ambassador. Herschel Walker, of Georgia, to be Ambassador to the Commonwealth of The Bahamas. Stacey Feinberg, of California, to be Ambassador to the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. Kenneth Howery, of Texas, to be Ambassador to the Kingdom of Denmark. Richard Buchan III, of Florida, to be Ambassador to the Kingdom of Morocco. Bill Bazzi, of Michigan, to be Ambassador to the Republic of Tunisia. Lynda Blanchard, of Alabama, to be U.S. Representative to the United Nations Agencies for Food and Agriculture, with the rank of Ambassador. Howard Brodie, of Florida, to be Ambassador to the Republic of Finland. Arthur Fisher, of North Carolina, to be Ambassador to the Republic of Austria. Melinda Hildebrand, of Texas, to be Ambassador to the Republic of Costa Rica. Michel Issa, of Florida, to be Ambassador to the Lebanese Republic. Nicholas Merrick, of Texas, to be Ambassador to the Czech Republic. Roman Pipko, of Florida, to be Ambassador to the Republic of Estonia. Thomas Rose, of Florida, to be Ambassador to the Republic of Poland. William White, of New York, to be Ambassador to the Kingdom of Belgium. John Giordano, of Pennsylvania, to be Ambassador to the Republic of Namibia. Anjani Sinha, of Florida, to be Ambassador to the Republic of Singapore. Sean O'Neill, of Virginia, to be Ambassador to the Kingdom of Thailand. Julie Stufft, of Ohio, to be Ambassador to the Republic of Kazakhstan. Dan Negrea, of Connecticut, to be Representative of the United States of America on the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations, with the rank of Ambassador, and to serve concurrently and without additional compensation as an Alternate Representative of the United States of America to the Sessions of the General Assembly of the United Nations. Sergio Gor, of Florida, to be Ambassador to the Republic of India. Stephanie Hallett, of Florida, to be Ambassador to the Kingdom of Bahrain. James Holtsnider, of Iowa, to be Ambassador to the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. Jacob Helberg, of Florida, to be an Under Secretary of State (Economic Growth, Energy, and the Environment). Benjamin Black, of New York, to be Chief Executive Officer of the United States International Development Finance Corporation. Thomas DiNanno, of Florida, to be Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security. Paul Kapur, of California, to be Assistant Secretary of State for South Asian Affairs. Sarah Rogers, of New York, to be Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy. Michael DeSombre, of Illinois, to be an Assistant Secretary of State (East Asian and Pacific Affairs). Riley Barnes, of Texas, to be an Assistant Secretary of State (Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor). Todd Wilcox, of Florida, to be an Assistant Secretary of State (Diplomatic Security). Neil Jacobs, of North Carolina, to be Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere.
Page S6952
During consideration of the nominations en bloc, today, Senate also took the following action
By 50 yeas to 45 nays (Vote No. EX. 546), Senate agreed to the motion to close further debate on the en bloc consideration of nominations under S. Res. 412 (119th).
Page S6952
A unanimous-consent agreement was reached providing for further consideration of the nominations en bloc provided for under the provisions of S. Res. 412, post-cloture, at approximately 10 a.m., on Tuesday, October 7, 2025; and that all time during recess, adjournment, Leader Remarks and Morning Business count post-cloture on the nominations.
Page S6960
Statements on Introduced Bills/Resolutions:
Pages S6957-59
Record Votes
Three record votes were taken today. (Total--546)
Pages S6951-52
Adjournment
Senate convened at 3 p.m. and adjourned at 7:28 p.m., until 10 a.m. on Tuesday, October 7, 2025. (For Senate's program, see the remarks of the Majority Leader in today's Record on page S6960.)
Every speech and line is the Congressional Record's own text, read from GovInfo. Speakers are matched to members by GPO's own metadata. Referandom places each turn on the Clerk's video by matching its words: 26 of 78 spoken turns were found. Turns without a time are still listed; they just can't seek.
Legislative Session
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Under the previous order, the Senate will resume consideration of S. 2296, which the clerk will report.
Mr. President, there is a not-so-perfect storm brewing for farmers in my State of Iowa and in agricultural States generally. Many factors are coming together--and all at once--like low grain prices, high input costs, consolidation in the industry, and uncertainty from trade and tariffs. It is beginning to look more and more like the 1980s to me.
One thing that concerns me is the lowering of land values in Iowa. Land value has gone down 3 percent since last year and down 5.4 percent since the same time in 2023. That is not as bad as it was in the 1980s. There was a very catastrophic drop in prices compared to what I just quoted you for now. And in the 1980s, that didn't happen overnight; it kind of crept up on us very slowly. We don't want to let that happen again, so we need to be vigilant today.
When it comes to land prices, as you know, if farmers lose too much land value, they won't be able to leverage against it for debt to cover their expenses. That happened in the 1980s, and as I said, it kind of crept up on us at that particular time, and Congress didn't see it coming soon enough. Congress waited too long to act. Farmers had been pleading with Congress for 2 or 3 years in the 1980s before Congress was able to pass some help for the farmers. In the meantime, farmers went bankrupt, and a lot of farmers were lost due to suicide.
Now, that may sound like everyday business, but if you have been operating a family farm and you were the fifth or sixth generation doing that and you lost it because of bankruptcy, low prices, land values going down, you become depressed and ashamed, and I am sure that is why a lot of people committed suicide.
Now we have a farm safety net in place. We have tried to be on top of farmers' mental health to a greater extent than in the past. So hopefully all these bad things that happened in the 1980s won't happen again. But I am here saying I don't want to see it happen again. We can't be complacent, knowing the history of Congress being too slow to act. So Congress ought to act now, before it is too late.
I yield the floor.
I suggest the absence of a quorum.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
Mr. President, we are now in day 6 of the Democrats' government shutdown--day 6--and I am wondering just what exactly Democrats think they are gaining from all of this. I guess they are getting points from the far-left interest groups that they have been coordinating their shutdown strategy with, but I highly doubt they are earning a lot of points with everyday, hard-working Americans, like the voters they lost in the last election.
A Reuters headline from Thursday noted ``US government shutdown threatens food-aid program for low-income Americans.''
Let me just read that again: ``US government shutdown threatens food- aid program for low-income Americans.''
The article noted that while the Trump Agriculture Department is doing its best to continue administering the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children--more commonly known as WIC--the program is ``critically low on funds.'' And it won't get new funds until Democrats agree to reopen the government.
Democrats own this. They own any lapse in funding for critical food aid programs, just as they own every other negative effect of the shutdown because--let's remember--the only reason the government is shut down is because Democrats refuse to accept a clean, nonpartisan funding extension--a clean, nonpartisan funding extension.
We didn't ask Democrats to swallow any new Republican policies. We didn't ask them to swallow any partisan riders. We simply asked them to agree to a clean, nonpartisan bill.
The same kind of bill, I might add, that they voted for 13 times--13 times--during the Biden administration. But Democrats said: No. And I should note that you don't have to take my word for it on the facts of the bill. Republicans aren't the only ones pointing out that this is a clean CR.
Here is what the president of the Teamsters Union had to say the other day:
``Senators should pass the House-passed clean short-term funding bill.''
Again, that was the president of the Teamsters Union.
Or, you know, you could take the word of a mainstream journalist who recently noted:
``It's clean.''
So to summarize, Democrats have shut down the government because they refuse to accept a clean, nonpartisan bill. And why are they refusing to accept it? After all, as I mentioned, they supported similar bills 13 times during the Biden administration.
The reason that they refuse to accept it is that Democrats still cannot get over the fact that the American people elected President Trump. And when their far-left base demanded a showdown with the President, the Democrats fell in line. And now it is the American people who are suffering the consequences.
I quote again. ``U.S. government shutdown threatens food-aid program for low-income Americans.''
``[T]hreatens food aid program for low-income Americans.''
Three Democrats have rejected their party's shutdown politics and voted with Republicans to reopen the government. All Democrats will get another chance to vote to reopen the government later today, and for the sake of the American people, I hope at least a few more Democrats will join us to pass this clean, nonpartisan CR and let the Senate get back to work.
Mr. President, today is the sixth day--the sixth day--of Donald Trump's government shutdown. Senate Democrats returned to Washington ready to negotiate. We are ready to work with Republicans to reopen the government and end the healthcare crisis that faces tens of millions of Americans.
But it takes two sides to have a negotiation. We need the Senate Republicans and the House Republicans and the President to come to the table. And, meanwhile, Donald Trump and Speaker Johnson seem to be on another planet.
Instead of trying to solve this shutdown crisis, Donald Trump spent the weekend golfing and posting memes and deepfakes on the internet. He seems to think this shutdown is some big joke.
He is wrong. People will lose their paychecks; seniors will see Social Security support services slow down; there will be chaos for travelers. This shutdown is all on Donald Trump's shoulders, and Americans agree, according to the polls.
Poll after poll after poll, from CBS to the Washington Post, to Marist, to Morning Consult, and many others, consistently showed that the public sees the President as most responsible for the shutdown. He is in charge. His party holds majorities across the government.
So Americans naturally and correctly believe the burden is on him to fix this mess. Speaker Johnson, meanwhile, has canceled yet another week of session for the House. Why? Because the Speaker knows House Republicans are bitterly divided on healthcare. He knows a large chunk of his conference doesn't want to fix people's premiums at all--the rightwing MAGA folks.
Meanwhile, some of his less-extreme Members feel a necessity to fix this mess. The Speaker knows these divisions in his conference are serious and deep.
So what does the Speaker do with these divisions in his conference, almost irreconcilable? He ducks. He chooses the politically expedient way out. He keeps the Congress out of session for weeks at a time, passes to the Senate a partisan bill with no Democratic input.
That is not leadership. That is derelict.
Even today, the Speaker said that we can deal with the ACA crisis sometime later. He said: Wait, kick the can down the road, to postpone any negotiation until the very last minute.
Speaker Johnson--I ask him the question--why the wait? Why not solve this crisis now?
If you are not ready to solve it now, how do we know you are going to solve it 45 days from now, when you won't even do it now, and the same reasons that hold you back now will exist then?
Insurers are waiting around to set rates for next year. They are doing it right now, not 3 months from now.
Delay has always been Speaker Johnson's MO. Speaker Johnson has survived by kicking the can down the road on every major issue under his speakership, promising everyone that the thing they wanted is just around the corner.
He did it repeatedly with the Freedom Caucus, for instance, and he is doing the same thing now with healthcare. If Speaker Johnson is serious about lowering costs and protecting the healthcare of the American people, why wait?
Most of America, when Johnson says ``later,'' they know he means ``never.''
Democrats want to deal with the healthcare problem now. A recent poll by KFF shows that 80 percent of Americans want to extend the ACA tax credits, including 60 percent of MAGA Republicans. That is where the people are.
A CBS poll also found that 75 percent of Americans don't think the administration is focused enough on lowering costs.
Well, lowering healthcare premiums would be one of the very best ways to lower costs because those costs are going through the roof. Many estimates show the average American will pay a thousand dollars more for healthcare.
Listen to this. If you are a 55-year-old couple who makes $80,000 a year, your premiums could go up $25,000 a year. How is anyone going to deal with that issue? Why is Johnson waiting?
But yet again, Speaker Johnson and MAGA Republicans continue to lie and change the subject. Donald Trump does the same thing. The Speaker today, once again, lied--that the Democrats' proposal would provide healthcare benefits to undocumented immigrants. He even cited page number and section within our proposal that he says supposedly proves the point.
Of course, our proposal doesn't say that, as the Sunday show talk commentators Johnson sat down with this weekend pointed out, and he had no real rebuttal. Saying that the Democrats' proposal provides health insurance to undocumented immigrants is, plain and simple, a blatant lie. It was a lie yesterday. It is a lie today. It will be a lie tomorrow.
Nothing in our proposal, not even the page the Speaker keeps citing, changes that, as fact-checkers have repeatedly pointed out--independent fact-checkers, not Democrats, not Republicans, just experts.
Undocumented immigrants are not eligible for Medicaid, Medicare, or ACA credits under current law or under the Democratic continuing resolution proposal. It has been the law for decades.
Instead, here is what Democrats want to do. We want to reverse the devastating cuts to American healthcare that Republicans passed in their ``Big Ugly Bill.'' We want to extend the ACA tax credits that lower costs for eligible Americans. These are the plain facts.
But Speaker Johnson and Republicans don't want to deal with the facts. They don't want to talk about healthcare because they know the American people are appalled by their healthcare policies. So, instead, they lie and change the subject. And Speaker Johnson and the House Republicans would rather duck out of town than come into session and do their jobs.
You know, when Leader Jeffries and I met with the President, he, of all people, seemed to at least somewhat appreciate the immense harm of letting these ACA credits expire. Of course, we had to walk the President through it first because it seemed he had no clue of the crisis before our meeting.
But, frankly, what should happen now is this. The President should lean on Speaker Johnson to relent on his extreme refusal to negotiate. It is not a sustainable position for the Speaker to literally shut the entire House down and not do anything to solve this crisis.
Again, why wait? Democrats are ready to solve this now. We urge Donald Trump to get Speaker Johnson and our Republican colleagues to come to the table with Leader Jeffries and me to negotiate and address this problem and fix it once and for all.
Mr. President, it is very obvious that Democrats are losing the Schumer shutdown. Even their media allies are turning against them.
Here is an editorial from today's Washington Post. The headline is ``The shutdown conversation no one wants.''
The Washington Post editorial board, today, wrote this:
They go on to say:
Now, that is the Washington Post talking, not Republicans. So it is no surprise that Democrats are avoiding this conversation.
Obamacare is broken. Obamacare is a failure. And now Democrats are holding the American people hostage to prop it up.
The Biden bonus COVID payments are a bait and switch. Democrats created them in 2021, but they did it as a temporary COVID program. They extended them temporarily to 2022. They set an end date from this year, when they extended them once again.
Now, these same Democrats are demanding that they become permanent, at a cost of $350 billion. It is unacceptable. This is a system that is riddled with waste, with fraud, abuse, and corruption.
Big insurance companies are rewarded with direct payments from the Federal Government to the insurance companies. Hard-working taxpayers are left holding the bill. In many of these policies, there are no premiums, no deductibles, no income limit, no accountability. Even families making a half million dollars a year, they still qualify for these Biden bonus COVID payments.
This is reckless, permanent new spending. The American people can't afford it. The American people know it. And even the Washington Post knows it and has reported on it today.
Democrats lost the election. They have lost their media allies, and now they have lost the argument.
On a related matter, here we are on day six of the Schumer shutdown. Senate Democrats have now voted four separate times to keep our government closed. Radical Democrats are shutting down the government with an outlandish list of demands, and the Presiding Officer has seen them. Included in that list is giving free healthcare to illegal immigrants.
When the interests of Americans and illegal immigrants collide, Democrats always seek to benefit the latter at the expense of the former. Think back to the last Democrat primary for President, back in June of 2019, when they were having a big debate on live television. There were so many candidates that they actually had to do it on two separate nights to get them all on the stage.
Every running candidate for President was asked in that one debate if their platform would give free healthcare to illegal immigrants. Every single Democrat candidate on the debate stage that night raised their hand and said yes. Every one of them promised to give free healthcare to illegal immigrants.
Senator Bernie Sanders was on the stage that night; he raised his hand. Senator Gillibrand of New York was on the stage that night; she raised her hand. Yes, free healthcare to illegal immigrants.
Those are current Members of the U.S. Senate who voted to shut the government down. They voted four times in the last 6 days.
And it is more than talk. When Democrats get power, that is exactly what they are going to do.
Look at California. In 2024, Governor Gavin Newsom expanded State- sponsored healthcare to illegal immigrants. He actually bragged about it. So there is no hiding from this.
One year later, the Los Angeles Times reported that, by doing this, costs had tripled. It was a headline dated March 13 of this year. It says:
They go on to say--
Instead of $3 billion a year, the California healthcare system costs taxpayers $9.5 billion, by providing healthcare to illegal immigrants.
California financed its healthcare for illegal immigrants through a money laundering scheme aimed at the Federal Government. They used it to increase the State's Medicaid payments from the Federal Government directly to the State of California. This is money vacuumed away from hard-working Americans and from the vulnerable people in this country, our friends and neighbors, who need Medicaid the most. What did California do with it? They used it for illegal immigrants, not for U.S. citizens.
President Joe Biden and the Democrats--they went even further. Apparently, they weren't liberal enough in doing that. Joe Biden created multiple illegal parole programs when he was President. It was a blatant attempt at amnesty by the sleight of hand. Parole is supposed to be rare, it is supposed to be temporary, and it is supposed to be case by case. And I am talking about the flood of illegal immigrants that have come into this country across our southern border. People saw them on television. Joe Biden abused Presidential parole authority and turned our law on its head.
Democrats made noncitizens who were paroled eligible for free healthcare. Look no further than the illegal immigrant who murdered 22- year-old nursing student Laken Riley in Georgia. He crossed the border illegally in 2022. The Biden administration released him into our country instead of removing him. The Biden administration paroled him for what they claimed were ``urgent humanitarian reasons of significant public benefit.'' And then he murdered a nursing student. Joe Biden made Laken Riley's killer eligible for taxpayer-funded healthcare.
Democrats even promised free healthcare as an enticement to attract illegal immigrants to our southern border. It was a magnet.
Well, Democrats have now shut down the government. Why? To defend a system where Laken Riley's killer can get taxpayer-funded, free healthcare. That is who they are. Those are their beliefs. That is their commitment--not to the American people but to the illegal immigrants.
Well, Republicans closed the loophole. Our working-families tax cuts put in place strong eligibility verification requirements. So that person can't qualify anymore or anyone like him. It also ended the gimmicks that allowed California to fund healthcare for illegal immigrants through higher Federal Medicaid payments, the way they syphon money from the Federal Government into California to pay for illegal immigrants.
Meanwhile, what we have seen is that President Trump and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem rightfully terminated all of these Joe Biden categorical parole programs. He should have never let them in in the first place. Now we have terminated it.
The Supreme Court was called into play in an action here. The Supreme Court upheld this decision by the Trump administration after several rounds of leftwing lawfare.
President Trump is securing our border. He is putting American citizens first, not illegal immigrants. That is the difference between our parties. Democrats want to undo all of that. That is why they are holding the Nation hostage by shutting down the government. That is what this fight is all about.
Let's be clear. By shutting down the government, Democrats are putting illegal immigrants ahead of American citizens--ahead of our veterans, ahead of our military, ahead of our seniors, ahead of our children. It is reckless, it is radical, and it is wrong. It is time for it to end.
So today, the Senate is going to vote for a fifth time on our bipartisan continuing resolution, and we want to reopen government. It passed the House with bipartisan support. The Senate this evening will have a simple choice once again: vote to reopen the government and put America first and Americans first or vote with Senator Schumer to put illegal immigrants ahead of the American people.
Voting with Chuck Schumer tonight will keep the government closed.
I yield the floor.
I suggest the absence of a quorum.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
Madam President, on Friday, in the midst of a Republican- led government shutdown, President Trump revealed his priorities. It isn't to protect the healthcare, the health insurance of millions of Americans who are about to lose their insurance or see premiums skyrocket. No, that is not it.
The President's priority is to deploy militarized immigration agents and National Guard troops to more American cities. Why? Purely for political theater and to advance his extreme agenda.
In the early morning hours of Tuesday last week, while this government barreled toward a shutdown, President Donald Trump launched a military law enforcement assault on the city of Chicago. In the city's Southside neighborhood, hundreds--hundreds--of Federal agents, many hiding their faces with masks, rappelled from Black Hawk helicopters, darted out of disguised moving trucks, armed with military-grade weapons, to descend on a targeted apartment building in the city of Chicago. They swarmed through the building, knocking down doors, tearing up homes.
It appears these agents knew nothing in advance about the residents whose homes they were destroying. In fact, in the dead of night, Federal agents reportedly started checking on the residents as they brought them out of the building, residents that included American citizens and children. They checked on them to see if maybe they had an outstanding warrant for their arrest or were undocumented.
Picture this, if you will: You are with your family in an apartment building, a helicopter lands on the roof, Federal agents with masks on batter down your doors, drag you and your children out of their beds into the street, and start an interrogation as to whether there is any undocumented person present.
America.
Many were yanked from their homes and their beds and detained shirtless and without clothing. Some were detained using zip ties, including children. Here is what one witness of the events said:
In the middle of the night in the city of Chicago, an assault on an apartment building in America. The witness continued:
Four U.S. citizen kids with undocumented parents were separated from their parents who were taken into custody.
Secretary Kristi Noem's Department of Homeland Security posted to social media a highly produced video of the raid--her version of the story--because that is all this is to them, a promotional video, political theater. But the human toll has been immense.
What if it were your child yanked out of his bed in the middle of the night, hands zip-tied behind him, brought down with few, if any, clothes on, standing in the street, while all this is happening, watching his parents be arrested in America?
In another case, ICE agents fired a pepper ball into CBS Chicago reporter Asal Rezaei's car. What was her crime? Driving by the Broadview ICE facility to report on the protests there. It is known in the Constitution as freedom of the press. It doesn't seem to impress Kristi Noem.
I have long fought for humane reforms on our immigration system on a
These actions have accomplished, I believe, the President's true intention here: spreading fear in America, especially among immigrant communities.
And he has been very successful. I go to these communities virtually every weekend when I return to Illinois. I meet with the people who live there. They are scared to death, people who have been here for years, no criminal record, no reason to be removed, working and paying taxes are afraid to shop and afraid to go to church.
Last week, on the floor, I warned about this, and I have for some time now. The President's decision to unleash military personnel against the city of Chicago and American communities is another pillar in his master plan to weaponize the Federal Government against those he views as ``the enemy within.'' Where did that phrase come from? From the mouth of the President of the United States speaking to the military leaders of the United States. He told them to be fearful of ``the enemy within'' and to use American cities as their training ground.
Think of that. White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller ranted to law enforcement agents on the eve of their Memphis deployment that they were, ``unleashed.'' Stephen Miller's word, ``unleashed.'' Does that sound like law and order? Does that sound like the rule of law? ``Unleashed.''
In addition to Memphis and Chicago, this President has targeted cities like Los Angeles and Portland, reckless immigration raids, unnecessary deployment of military power over the objection of State and local officials. I fear these disturbing developments are the latest indicators that we are on a slippery slope into control by the Trump regime.
The President is attempting to overturn the Department of Justice, the FBI, ICE, and the military into his own personal police force. This not only erodes trust between communities and the people tasked with protecting them, it is an existential threat to civil liberty, the rule of law, and the core of values of who we are as Americans.
This is what is at stake. This is a defining moment we are in. In times like these, you have a choice. You can stand up and speak out or you can be silent or maybe you can cheer. It is your choice as Americans. But think about if it were your family in the middle of the night, people crashing through the doors yanking you and your children out of bed into the street, arresting people.
Remember what the goal was when we got started with this? The President made it very clear. We were after undocumented people, illegal people in the United States who were rapists, murderers, terrorists, criminally insane, and child predators. The President was very explicit. These are the people we are going after. We will tell you their names as we arrest them.
So what percentage of those that have been arrested with this mass deportation detained by ICE, what percentage of them have a criminal record? Fewer than 30 percent. By a 2-to-1 margin, innocent people are being dragged into this in the middle of the night in the city of Chicago in an apartment building. Children are being treated like pawns in the Trump political game.
Today, Illinois attorney general Kwame Raoul filed a lawsuit to block the administration's unconstitutional attempt to deploy troops in Illinois.
I join with all of my Democratic colleagues in the Illinois delegation who are calling on the President to immediately rescind this unnecessary and dangerous deployment of the military to Illinois.
I have spoken personally to the Governor of our State, JB Pritzker, several times this weekend amidst this development. He did not ask for the National Guard troops to be sent in from Texas or anyplace. There is no need for it to either protect Federal facilities or to protect the people living in the city of Chicago.
I am going to continue speaking out as the ranking member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and I appeal to my Republican colleagues who are watching this in silence: It could be you. You could have an opportunity soon for the President to send in troops.
It is not likely as much from the Republican side, as very few of their communities have been targeted, but if you happen to live in a State that didn't vote for Donald Trump, buckle up. He is coming down on you, whether it is California, Oregon, or Illinois.
I will close with this: At that Tuesday morning raid, videos taken at the scene showed detained immigrants being held in an adjacent parking lot across the street. A woman is seen and heard calling out in broken Spanish:
Where is the humanity in tearing families apart?
If there is a dangerous person, for God's sake, put him in a separate category, but families who are doing their best to get by and struggle, who work and pay taxes, and who have children who are citizens of the United States should never be treated like this in America.
In an interview recently, Secretary Noem was quoted as saying:
She said:
The Secretary is right. The administration certainly sent a message in Chicago on Tuesday night--a shameful message and one that shouldn't be part of American history.
Terrorizing families with midnight raids and troops in our streets is writing a shameful chapter in our Nation's history. This is going to make America great again?
President Trump is not intent on fighting crime; he is intent on spreading fear. In doing so, he is destroying the values which define us as Americans.
Madam President, it has been 6 days since Senate Democrats have shut down the Federal Government. They have done this by blocking a clean continuing resolution, as it is called around here, a stopgap spending bill that would take us to November 21 to provide enough time to try to work out appropriations bills for full-year funding, which are highly preferable to simply operating on autopilot, as a continuing resolution would do.
This has already passed the House of Representatives, so all we need to do to reopen the government is to have five Democrats--five Democrats--join three other Democrats and Republicans to vote to reopen the government--not forever but for the next 9 weeks or so.
Let's not forget that it was partisan antics on their part that brought us to where we are today. We have now voted not just once but four times on the House-passed, clean government funding bill. While three Democrats have seen the light, as I said earlier, and have joined Republicans in voting for a clean continuing resolution, they have routinely done this in the past. When President Biden was in office and when Chuck Schumer was the majority leader, we voted for, I think, 13 separate continuing resolutions, but so far, they have refused to do so out of pure spite and partisanship.
Government shutdowns have, unfortunately, become far too common in Washington, but I think it is important to take a minute to consider the impact--the real-world impact--on our constituents back home.
Since Texas is obviously one of the largest States in the country, it will suffer an outsized impact.
The Lone Star State is home to about 130,000 Federal civilian employees. This number includes 33,000 who work with the Veterans Health Administration. These are the folks who serve our veterans, whom we are dutybound and obligated--morally obligated--to support. But 33,000 of them will be negatively impacted by this shutdown. They already have been.
Almost 18,000 of this total number work for U.S. Customs and Border Protection. These are the folks who stop illegal drugs from entering into the
Close to 6,000 Texans work for the Transportation Security Administration, the folks you encounter at airports and various different ports that help manage the flow of travelers going to and from security screenings before they board flights.
Finally, the Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center in Texas has 3,000 employees but is expected to furlough about 70 percent of them due to the lapse in Federal funding.
What happens to these Federal employees during a government shutdown? Well, the most dramatic thing that happens to them is they don't get paid. Even those who are deemed essential and who have to work, they work without pay, just as those who are furloughed go without pay.
Before I came to the floor, I looked up a statistic, and I think it sounds about right, but 6 of out of 10 Americans live paycheck to paycheck. While it may be OK for Members of Congress--particularly wealthy Members of Congress, who don't have to worry about living paycheck to paycheck--to miss a paycheck is catastrophic to many, many Americans who live paycheck to paycheck, who don't have adequate savings to help them weather a government shutdown.
While each of these categories receives backpay once the government is reopened, they cannot receive a paycheck during the shutdown. This is extraordinarily unfair to these government employees, who, through no fault of their own, are being denied the pay that they have earned.
This will have a particularly serious impact on our military and Department of Homeland Security personnel, many of whom have been designated as ``excepted''--or we used to say that some were essential employees. But they have to stay on the job, in other words. But they don't get paid either.
Texas has 15 Active-Duty military installations, where personnel are required to continue reporting to duty throughout this shutdown. These Active-Duty personnel will not be paid, again, until a final funding deal is reached. And right now, we don't know how long this is going to go on.
I know most of us come to the floor and express our gratitude--our profound gratitude--to our men and women in uniform, and their families, who serve our country and keep us safe, but this strikes me as a very bad way to say thank you to them by saying: Yes, you have to continue to work, but, no, you are not going to be paid.
Senate Democrats, apparently, have made that calculation. This is how they thank them, by cutting off their pay, denying them their livelihood, and holding them hostage over petty, partisan demands.
In addition to Active-Duty military personnel, I mentioned Customs and Border Protection. All of them are expected to continue reporting for duty, day in and day out, during a government shutdown.
To our Border Patrol agents, who bore the brunt of Biden's open border policies, working hundreds of hours in some of the harshest of conditions, and who have processed millions of illegal aliens flooding into the United States, courtesy of President Biden, now we are telling them--or at least Senate Democrats are telling them: You are not going to get paid. This is how they have chosen to reward these patriotic men and women who keep our borders secure, shutting down the government and denying them their paychecks.
And why do Senate Democrats think this is so important? Well, they have told us what their demands are, what the ransom is that they are demanding. They want us to wipe out a $50 billion rural hospital stabilization fund that was part of the One Big Beautiful Bill.
Many of us represent rural States that have large rural areas, and access to healthcare is a big, big problem. We have tried to address that problem by providing a significant fund--this rural hospital stabilization fund--to help address those concerns. But Democrats want to take that away.
We also said in the One Big Beautiful Bill that no money can go to provide healthcare for illegal aliens. Access to free government services is one of the magnets that draw people to come to our country in the first place. This is one of the so-called pull factors that the Border Patrol talks about. And we said no more--no more free healthcare for illegal aliens, which is a magnet for people to enter the country the wrong way, not the right way. Democrats want to restore that free healthcare to illegal aliens as part of their demands for reopening the government.
This is simply unconscionable, but it is also profoundly dumb. Shutting down the government solves nothing. We have seen this movie before. And what happens, when you reopen the government, is the same problems, the same issues that caused you to shut down the government are there staring you in the face. So these shutdowns solve nothing.
I don't know how Senate Democrats can continue voting against a clean government funding bill, like they themselves have previously supported on a routine basis, knowing that the men and women who keep them and us safe are working for free, without a paycheck, for no other reason than that Senate Democrats refuse to give up on their partisan pipe dreams.
FEMA employees--the Federal Emergency Management Agency--who are first responders in the case of a natural disaster, are also expected to continue to be working without pay, during hurricane season, no less.
In addition, law enforcement and emergency personnel in a government shutdown affect all Americans, one way or another. It affects travel. It affects access to public lands.
TSA workers and air traffic controllers have to keep working. These are the people who make sure our airlines operate safely and on time. But they have to work without pay.
The hiring and training of any new air traffic controllers, which we know is a real problem and an important issue, all of that will stop during the time the Federal Government is shut down--no new hiring of new personnel to help make our air traffic safe.
All of this is because Senate Democrats can't work in a bipartisan manner to keep the government open, even for a few weeks.
The government shutdown also impacts our national parks and Federal lands. Texas boasts 3.2 million acres of federally operated public lands, including Big Bend National Park, Guadalupe Mountains National Park, and Padre Island National Seashore. National parks face a partial shutdown, meaning that some areas, such as open-air sites, will remain open to the public. But buildings that require staffing, like museums, will have to close.
My constituents--roughly 32 million Americans--like all Americans, have to pay the price because of this completely unnecessary government shutdown and the outrageous demands Democrats are making to reopen. All of this lies squarely at their feet.
I was reflecting over the weekend, after the last time we voted to reopen the government and the Democrats voted no, how this must reflect on the United States in the eyes of the world. I think most countries and most people around the world look at the United States as sort of that city on the hill, the place where they would like to live or at least visit because we have the largest, most successfully functioning democracy in the world, with high standards of living, the opportunity for people to work hard, provide for their family, start a business, and achieve their dreams. It is profoundly embarrassing--I think it should be embarrassing--to all Members of Congress that we simply cannot get our act together enough to fund the government for the next few weeks while these negotiations over long-term appropriations bills are occurring.
This kind of dysfunction is completely unworthy of what has been known--what used to be known--as the world's greatest deliberative body.
The unfortunate reality is it doesn't have to be this way. Many of our Democratic friends, from time to time, talked about various things being a threat to democracy. Well, being unable to pass a bill to fund the government to keep the lights on and keep government employees paid, that strikes me as a threat to our democracy.
Senate Democrats long preached the virtues of bipartisanship, especially when it comes to avoiding government shutdowns. And in the past, they have wagged their finger. We have seen it all on social media and on cable TV. They
The American people may not understand the ins and outs of what goes on here, but what they can smell from a mile away is hypocrisy. And that is all this is, sheer hypocrisy.
All our colleagues need to do, when we vote here shortly, is to vote for a clean continuing resolution. All of this can be reversed, and we can get back to working together to try to solve some of the issues that I know they care about as well.
We all care about access to healthcare. That is one of the items that we have to address, certainly, before the end of the year, with the expiration of certain subsidies for the Affordable Care Act. We are happy to have that conversation, and we will have that conversation, but not while the government is shut down.
The good news is--well, let me back up and say the bad news is the government is shut down. The good news is that could end today, this afternoon.
Democrats have an opportunity to vote with Republicans to pass a clean continuing resolution, as they have done many times in the past.
So I hope we can all join arms and say: Let's put an end to this nonsense and pass this legislation on what will now be the fifth opportunity.
The American people are counting on us, and we shouldn't let them down.
I yield the floor.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from New Jersey.
Madam President, I asked people back home in New Jersey how they have felt about this moment in our country. What I have heard falls into this category: They have said that they feel like things are spinning out of control, that every day feels like a new crisis, every day the anxiety grows deeper, and every day it seems like we move further from a solution.
And in order to find a solution to this moment, we need to understand the problem. The problem that we face and that I want to talk about with you today is that we have a government that has been hijacked at the highest levels by people who act like mob bosses.
Now, again, I am from Jersey. We know a thing or two about mob bosses.
But I want to be clear. This isn't pulling off a Lufthansa heist or having members of your crew getting lost in the Pine Barrens. This is about a Trump administration that is using the same tactics we have seen time and time again in movies and in real life: extortion, corruption, intimidation, and violence--all of these things that have become hallmarks of the Trump Presidency.
I bring them up today, 6 days into a government shutdown, because this is what the Trump administration is focused on. The Trump administration is not focused on lowering your costs. If they were, they would be here at the Capitol today, working to find a way to lower healthcare costs, as we are about to see them spike for millions of Americans, potentially kicking large numbers off their coverage who can't afford it.
The Trump administration is not focused on creating jobs or creating economic opportunities. If they were, they would be here in both the Senate and the House today, working to make sure that we are investing in the kinds of things only government can provide, things that make us more competitive, more innovative, more prosperous.
And the Trump administration is certainly not focused on keeping you and your family safer. If they were, they would be here at the Capitol today, in both Chambers, working to get our troops paid or to address the real challenges at home and abroad that threaten our security.
Instead, this administration and leaders here in this Capitol have shut down this government so they can focus on the things that they want: to use government to further corruption so that they can funnel money to their billionaire donors, to use government as a tool to extort the American people to bend to their will, to weaponize government to intimidate Americans through violence who dare oppose their actions by even just speaking up.
Corruption, extortion, and intimidation through violence--this is how the Trump administration wants to use your government against you.
Now, like every great mob movie, it is not just about the boss who plays a critical role. For every Don Corleone, there is a Tom Hagen and a Luca Brasi. Donald Trump plays the role of the mob boss, but it is his henchmen who are really running the show.
Russell Vought and Stephen Miller are not public servants. Public servants work to serve the public. They work toward the public good. Russ Vought and Stephen Miller are straight out of Scorsese. These two men are running an operation on corruption, extortion, and intimidation that would make Al Capone jealous.
Let's start with Russ Vought. Russ Vought's entire existence, his reason for being, is to cut every program the American people could possibly rely on so that the billionaires who fund his work can get another tax cut. Money goes to him; money goes back to them; none of it goes to you--pure corruption.
But it is not enough for Russ Vought to just funnel billions to his backers. He has to take from you just to remind you of his power, just to bring you to heel. That is why, last week, he announced that he was freezing $18 billion for critical infrastructure projects in New York and New Jersey. One of them is the Hudson Tunnel Project, which is critical to our region's economy. In fact, when I asked Secretary Duffy about this at his confirmation hearing, he said it was a project of national importance, critical for our Nation, not just our region. It is essential to our pursuit to bring infrastructure into the 21st century, and it supports tens of thousands of jobs. But Russell Vought decided to freeze that money out of nothing but political retribution. He decided to freeze this money because he thinks he can punish the people of New Jersey for demanding the government actually work for them, for demanding that we actually work to lower costs.
It doesn't just stop at New Jersey. He froze billions of dollars for transit projects in Chicago and more than $8 billion in Department of Energy projects in States across the country, just because those States voted for Democrats in the last election. He didn't try to stop those exact types of projects in States that voted for Donald Trump in the last election.
Russell Vought acts like a mob boss because he thinks he can use his levers of government to funnel money to his friends and take away your services when you have gotten out of line.
Last week, I went to New Jersey for a day and heard from my constituents about how they are seeing this shutdown, and one woman said something that really stuck out to me. I asked her: If you had a chance to be able to say one thing to Donald Trump and these Republican negotiators, what would it be?
This was an independent voter. She said: I would want to tell them that it is our money; it is the American people's money, not Trump's personal bank account.
She is absolutely right. This isn't Russell Vought's money to take away whenever he pleases. We have seen him do that through something called rescissions, something that completely ignores the framework our Founding Fathers put in place nearly 250 years ago that Congress--on behalf of you, the people--decides how your money is spent and when that decision is made on behalf of you--your will--your money can't be overturned and taken away simply because a single bureaucratic mob boss decides to exercise his power.
It is not just taking money away. We need to remember that this isn't Russ Vought's money to use as a tool to extort his imagined enemies into following his orders. We need to remember that this is your money. It is your government, and it should work for you.
But right now the Trump administration isn't working for you. It is working to grow and consolidate its own power.
That brings us to our second mob boss, Stephen Miller. Stephen Miller thinks he is the enforcer. He thinks it is his job to defeat Donald Trump's enemies. And again, like Russell Vought, he doesn't seem to see himself as a public servant. He is not even here to
Stephen Miller and this administration have taken the issue of our broken immigration system, and instead of working to actually fix it, they have used it as an excuse to rapidly militarize parts of our government and deploy them against our own people, in our own cities, in our own towns.
It starts with going after criminals, people who should actually be sought after and detained, but that is not where it stops. We have seen thousands of American servicemembers sent into American cities. We have as many Americans in uniform here in Washington, DC, as we do in Iraq. We have seen American weapons of war, including Blackhawk helicopters, used against Americans in places like Chicago, and we have seen Miller and other members of this administration effectively call anyone who simply disagrees with them terrorists, including the Democratic Party, while calling for the use of ``state power'' to ``dismantle'' them.
Now, I want to reflect on that phrase for a moment, ``state power.'' Stephen Miller isn't talking about using the power of our government to make your lives better or work for you. He is not talking about using it to make your neighborhoods safer. He is talking about using it against you if you get out of line. He is talking about using it against anyone who disagrees with this administration, for anyone who stands in their way.
We know that because Donald Trump has basically told us. He told a room of all of his Nation's top military officials--seemingly convened only to show he had the power to do so--that they had to prepare for a ``war from within.'' He told the leaders of the most powerful military in the history of the world to prepare to battle the ``enemy from within.'' That means Americans at home. And, again, we know that because Donald Trump has said it. In the same convening, he said he wants to use American cities as ``training grounds'' for the military. American cities--places where we live, where we go to work, where we bring our kids to school--that is where Donald Trump wants to exercise power over you.
We have the finest military in the world. The purpose of that military is to defend our Constitution, to defend the American people, to deter our enemies and be prepared to fight them if necessary. The American people are not that enemy, and deploying our military in America's streets weakens our readiness to defend against real threats.
Donald Trump and Stephen Miller and this administration will keep finding new excuses to seize power and threaten to use it against you. In the words of a Federal judge, one that Trump appointed, ours ``is a nation of constitutional law, not martial law,'' and the actions of the Trump administration ``risk blurring the line between civil and military federal power--to the detriment of this nation.''
We are seeing this administration launch military strikes against individuals from Venezuela with no legal authorization or justification. We are seeing this administration--Mr. Miller, specifically--call legal decisions that he doesn't like ``an organized terrorist attack.''
We are seeing this administration use intimidation and violence as tools not to make us safer, as if that was ever acceptable, but to make us submit. At the end of the day, that is this administration's aim: submission. Like every mob boss, they want you to kiss the ring. They want your loyalty--but not just that; they want your fealty.
And the thing they don't understand is that Americans don't bend the knee; we don't kiss the ring; we don't pledge loyalty to a boss.
This is the people's government. It is not a tool for corruption. It is not a tool for extortion. It is not a tool for intimidation and violence. It is a tool for growing opportunity and prosperity. It is a tool for providing security and freedom. And it is a tool for everyone, not just the bosses.
So, yes, we need to work to reopen our government, and in doing so, we need to make sure that people don't drown under a wave of rising healthcare costs. But we can't lose sight that this isn't the only fight we have got in front of us. President Trump has handed power to Russ Vought and Stephen Miller, and they have used that power to take away your opportunities, your security, and your freedoms.
When we reopen the government, we need to fight to make sure it is working for you, the American people, who deserve that better than to live under the thumb of mob bosses. We are going to fight every day to make sure that you can.
Madam President, for all ag producers, the word ``tariff'' makes us nervous, but earlier this year, I took a step back to look at the bigger economic picture, and I became one of the first Members of Congress to support the administration's effort to level the playing field on trade.
I have said many times that the administration deserves time to secure strong trade deals that benefit Americans; however, the reality is this: Farmers are targeted by other countries, like China. I have seen it firsthand back home in Nebraska.
Producers of corn, soybeans, and other top commodities are under crushing pressure. Rising input costs and uncertainty have driven farm finances to levels reminiscent of the 1980s crisis, which bankrupted thousands and hollowed out our rural communities.
Since 2020, seed costs have jumped 18 percent, fuel and oil are up 32 percent, fertilizer has spiked 37 percent, and interest expenses have surged an alarming 73 percent.
Our soybean producers are projected to lose about $100 an acre this year. On top of that, storage costs for soybeans and corn have risen steeply. For everybody, this is crippling, and it is happening during one of the largest harvests in memory.
Time is running out, and we need to turn this around. We need a strong and positive set of actions. Ensuring our farmers can weather tough economic times must be a national priority.
It is clear that farm aid is needed at this time. Congress has taken some steps toward this goal. We passed $10 billion in farm aid last December, and we included a major boost for producers in July's reconciliation law. However, that money is not going to reach any farmers until next fall, and producers need to have relief right now.
But here is the challenge: We also need lasting, long-term solutions that help provide stability and real opportunity for ag producers. That is why one of the fastest ways we can deliver results is by unlocking year-round access to E15--a clean, American-made biofuel. Permanent nationwide access would increase corn demand by 2.5 billion bushels a year. It would lower gas prices for families, and it would drive new revenue into rural communities.
President Trump's day one order to promote E15 through his national energy emergency declaration--that was a strong start, but temporary fixes don't cut it. That is why I reintroduced my Nationwide Consumer and Fuel Retailer Choice Act earlier this year.
When I first introduced this bill nearly a decade ago, it felt like an uphill climb. Well, today, momentum is finally on our side. We have strong bipartisan support. We have new industry partners, including members of the oil and refining sector, who are at the table.
This is a key piece of Republicans' plan to lower energy costs, to strengthen American production, and to give consumers more choices at the pump.
Trade--well, that is the other half of the equation. Former President Biden's lack of a clear trade agenda left America with a $49 billion trade deficit, undercutting farmers in Nebraska and all across this country.
President Trump, you can help reverse that deficit by holding China accountable and ensuring American-grown soybeans have access to global markets--a lifeline for farmers facing losses this harvest season.
President Trump has already made progress on this trade front. Take beef. Australia has sold nearly $29 billion worth of beef to U.S. consumers, while American ranchers have been locked out of their market. Do you know how much beef--American beef--Australia bought? Zero.
Now we need the same kind of breakthrough by opening up the market for soybeans and corn and every other American crop.
At the end of the day, farmers and ranchers want programs that work, and we want markets to sell our products. Simply put: We just want a fair shot.
By securing strong trade deals and building new markets through year- round E15, we can revitalize the farm economy, we can bolster U.S. energy security, and we can ensure that America's producers can keep feeding and fueling this Nation for generations to come.
Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that it be in order for the two leaders to enter motions to reconsider without being on the prevailing side with respect to the cloture votes on the motion to proceed to S. 2882 and H.R. 5371; further, that mandatory quorum calls with respect to S. 2882, H.R. 5371, and the en bloc nominations provided for under the provisions of S. Res. 412 be waived.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Pursuant to rule XXII, the Chair lays before the Senate the pending cloture motion, which the clerk will state.
The legislative clerk read as follows:
The PRESIDING OFFICER. By unanimous consent, the mandatory quorum call has been waived.
The question is, Is it the sense of the Senate that debate on the motion to proceed to S. 2882, a bill making continuing appropriations for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2026, and for other purposes, shall be brought to a close?
The following Senators are necessarily absent: the Senator from Utah (Mr. Curtis), the Senator from Louisiana (Mr. Kennedy), and the Senator from North Carolina (Mr. Tillis).
Further, if present and voting: the Senator from North Carolina (Mr. Tillis) would have voted ``nay.''
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Pursuant to rule XXII, the Chair lays before the Senate the pending cloture motion, which the clerk will state.
The bill clerk read as follows:
The PRESIDING OFFICER. By unanimous consent, the mandatory quorum call has been waived.
The question is, Is it the sense of the Senate that debate on the motion to proceed to H.R. 5371, a bill making continuing appropriations and extensions for fiscal year 2026, and for other purposes, shall be brought to a close?
The following Senators are necessarily absent: the Senator from Utah (Mr. Curtis), the Senator from Louisiana (Mr. Kennedy), and the Senator from North Carolina (Mr. Tillis).
Further, if present and voting: the Senator from North Carolina (Mr. Tillis) would have voted ``yea.''
I announce that the Senator from New Jersey (Mr. Booker), the Senator from New Mexico (Mr. Heinrich), and the Senator from Nevada (Ms. Rosen), are necessarily absent.
The yeas and nays resulted--yeas 52, nays 42, as follows:
The PRESIDING OFFICER. On this vote, the yeas are 52, and the nays are 42.
Three-fifths of the Senators duly chosen and sworn not having voted in the affirmative, the motion is not agreed to.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Pursuant to rule XXII, the Chair lays before the Senate the pending cloture motion, which the clerk will state.
The senior assistant legislative clerk read as follows:
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The mandatory quorum call has been waived.
The question is, Is it the sense of the Senate that debate on the en bloc nominations provided for under the provisions of S. Res. 412 shall be brought to a close?
The yeas and nays are mandatory under the rule.
The clerk will call the roll.
The senior assistant legislative clerk called the roll.
The following Senators are necessarily absent: the Senator from Utah (Mr. Curtis), the Senator from Louisiana (Mr. Kennedy), and the Senator from North Carolina (Mr. Tillis).
Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to legislative session for a period of morning business, with Senators permitted to speak therein for up to 10 minutes each.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
Mr. President, section 36(b) of the Arms Export Control Act requires that Congress receive prior notification of certain proposed arms sales as defined by that statute. Upon such notification, the Congress has 30 calendar days during which the sale may be reviewed. The provision stipulates that, in the Senate, the notification of proposed sales shall be sent to the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
In keeping with the committee's intention to see that relevant information is still available to the full Senate, I ask unanimous consent to have printed in the Record the notifications that have been received. If the cover letter references a classified annex, then such an annex is available to all Senators in the office of the Foreign Relations Committee, room SD-423.
There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in the Record, as follows:
Mr. President, section 36(b) of the Arms Export Control Act requires that Congress receive prior notification of certain proposed arms sales as defined by that statute. Upon such notification, the Congress has 30 calendar days during which the sale may be reviewed. The provision stipulates that, in the Senate, the notification of proposed sales shall be sent to the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
In keeping with the committee's intention to see that relevant information is still available to the full Senate, I ask unanimous consent to have printed in the Record the notifications that have been received. If the cover letter references a classified annex, then such an annex is available to all Senators in the office of the Foreign Relations Committee, room SD-423.
There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in the Record, as follows:
Mr. President, in 1925, business and government leaders from throughout New England came together in Poland Springs, ME, to develop a strategy to reverse the decline in our traditional industries and our communities. Today, we celebrate a century of accomplishments by the New England Council to foster prosperity and opportunity.
When Captain John Smith explored our rugged coast more than 400 years ago, he wrote in his journal that settling this untamed region would take, ``the best parts of art, judgment, courage, honesty, constancy, diligence, and industry.'' I know of no better description of the spirit that guides the New England Council. Congratulations and happy birthday.
Mr. President, I rise today to recognize the 100th anniversary of the New England Council, which was founded in September 1925 when the six Governors of New England gathered with business leaders in Poland Spring, ME, to better collaborate across our region's shared and intimately intertwined economic interests. Shortly after, the New England Council was founded as a nonpartisan and nonprofit entity to facilitate this work. For 100 years now, the council has been an indispensable partner advocating for the New England region.
The New England States--our economies, culture, and interests--have been interconnected since before the founding of our Nation. While we may have much in common, our States are often considered the most ``independent-minded'' states. At one time, this tendency may have predisposed our States to chart our own paths forward and work fervently to protect our individual interests. Indeed, this history of self-governance and independence led directly to the events that founded the United States and laid the foundation for the principles of the Nation that we cherish. Now, and for the past 100 years, the New England Council has helped carry our region's independent spirit forward by bringing our States' interests together and helping ensure that New England is heard on the ever-changing national stage.
To be sure, the New England Council's ability to be a convener of political leaders--on both sides of the aisle--business leaders, nonprofits, and academic and health institutions sets the council apart from many of its peers. Its ability to do so comes from the council's reputation as a nonpartisan, fact-driven organization that represents many diverse viewpoints embedded across our staunchly independent States. That is to say: when the Council speaks as one, we know the issue reflects consensus and is in service to its mission to promote New England's economic growth and safeguard a high quality of life for all New Englanders.
The council's mission becomes even greater in times of turbulence. Whether during shared national struggles, like World War II or the COVID-19 pandemic, or in times of sharp political debate, our region's shared economic interests become more pronounced. In these times, the council does more than bring people together and advocate for solutions; it amplifies the voice of a region. This ability again relies on its ironclad nonpartisan reputation. Because it is so well regarded, the council can ensure that all New Englanders, even those who may not be politically well connected, can be heard by their representatives and the Federal Government. That means that when the national environment is loud, when there are many different stakeholders making their perspectives clear, the New England Council can definitively speak in one voice to ensure that our region's priorities break through the noise.
On behalf of Rhode Island, I want to congratulate the New England Council, president and CEO Jim Brett, the entire board of directors, and all its members on a well-earned centennial. From working to address our region's housing shortage and infrastructure challenges to advocating for reliable and affordable energy, thank you for a century of working to advance Rhode Island's and New England's economic interests.
Mr. President, as the junior Senator from the great State of South Carolina, it is my honor to recognize His All Holiness Bartholomew, the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople. Throughout his life, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew has embodied the values of faith, justice, and unity, offering an inspiring example of what it means to lead with conviction and humility. His ministry has encouraged many around the world to pursue peace and to live lives grounded in purpose and hope.
Each year, I host the South Carolina Prayer Breakfast, a nonpartisan, multi-faith gathering where South Carolinians come together to reflect on our shared values and the vital role faith plays in public life. This tradition reminds us that, even in challenging times, faith has the power to unite communities, to heal division, and to call us toward reconciliation and renewal. That same spirit is at the heart of Patriarch Bartholomew's life and ministry. His steadfast call for dialogue, compassion, and reconciliation speaks directly to the challenges we face today as we work to remain one Nation under God.
I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew for his tireless efforts and leadership to build bridges of understanding across nations and faiths. May his example continue to inspire us to live with courage, to serve with compassion, and to remain committed to the good of our country and the world.
Mr. President, it is with great pride and gratitude that I rise to celebrate the public service career of Ms. Ronna Erin Beckmann, who is departing the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, EPA, after 21 years of service in congressional and intergovernmental relations, first at EPA Headquarters in Washington, DC, and then at the EPA Region 5 headquarters in Chicago, IL.
Ronna's dedication to EPA's mission, her extensive experience, and deep expertise was always evident in her ability to carry out meaningful, and often complex, engagement with diverse communities and congressional offices across the six States, including my State of Illinois, as well as Indiana, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Ohio, Michigan, and 37 Tribes.
Ronna shepherded our offices through endless challenges, such as devastating floods in East St. Louis and Cahokia Heights, IL, and the train derailment in East Palestine, OH, to comprehensive lead abatement and major regulatory milestones that helped protect the health of our residents.
Ronna handled each situation with incredible care, tailored to the specific needs of the unique issue and area. Ronna has always gone far above what was required of her, including attending endless community events and meeting with our offices weekly to ensure the people of Illinois felt seen, informed, and protected.
Simply put, Ronna's work changed people's lives, and because of her dedication and service, the people of Illinois and the entire Region 5 are closer to achieving our ultimate goal of ensuring environmental justice for all.
My staff and I cannot thank her enough for helping us fulfill our constitutional responsibility to oversee, and work with, EPA to better protect our constituents' public health against dangerous pollutants, toxic exposure, and other environmental harms.
Ronna's dedication, tact, and emotional investment in the Region 5 communities she served will be greatly missed. As an Illinois resident herself, I hope Ronna knows that her character and leadership had untold positive impacts on the people of Illinois and the Nation. I thank her for her over 21 years of dedicated service to EPA and wish her well on her next endeavor.
Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on the Judiciary be discharged from further consideration and the Senate now proceed to S. Res. 406.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the resolution by title.
The senior assistant legislative clerk read as follows:
There being no objection, the committee was discharged, and the Senate proceeded to consider the resolution.
I ask unanimous consent that the resolution be agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, and that the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
The resolution (S. Res. 406) was agreed to.
The preamble was agreed to.
(The resolution, with its preamble, is printed in the Record of September 18 (legislative day, September 16), 2025, under ``Submitted Resolutions.'')
Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions be discharged from further consideration and the Senate now proceed to S. Res. 422.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the resolution by title.
The senior assistant legislative clerk read as follows:
There being no objection, the committee was discharged, and the Senate proceeded to consider the resolution.
Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the resolution be agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, and the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
The resolution (S. Res. 422) was agreed to.
The preamble was agreed to.
(The resolution, with its preamble, is printed in the Record of September 30, 2025, under ``Submitted Resolutions.'')
Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the en bloc consideration of the following resolutions, which are at the desk: S. Res. 432, S. Res. 433, S. Res. 434, S. Res. 435, S. Res. 436, and S. Res. 437.
There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the resolutions en bloc.
I ask unanimous consent that the resolutions be agreed to, the preambles be agreed to, and the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table en bloc.
The resolutions were agreed to.
The preambles were agreed to.
(The resolutions, with their preambles, are printed in today's Record under ``Submitted Resolutions.'')
Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today, it stand adjourned until 10 a.m. on Tuesday, October 7; that following the prayer and pledge, the Journal of proceedings be approved to date, the morning hour be deemed expired, the time for the two leaders be reserved for their use later in the day, morning business be closed, and the Senate proceed to executive session and resume consideration of the en bloc nominations provided for under the provisions of S. Res. 412, postcloture; further, that all time during recess, adjournment, leader remarks, and morning business count postcloture on the nominations; finally, that the Senate recess from 12:30 p.m. until 2:15 p.m. to allow for the weekly conference meetings.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
