Chuck Schumer

Mr. SCHUMER

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 President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.

Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, this morning, Democrats sent Republicans our counteroffer on legislation to reopen DHS, pay TSA workers, while at the same time rein in ICE with commonsense guardrails. Our offer is a reasonable, good-faith proposal that contains some of the very same asks Democrats have been talking about now for months. Leader Jeffries and I have spoken about this agenda, and he agrees we need these strong reforms. Now, over the last day, Republicans have made the outrageous and bad- faith claim that Democrats are somehow moving the goalposts back in these negotiations. They are saying Democrats changed the ask. They are saying Democrats are backtracking and suddenly introducing new demands at the last minute. This is nonsense--nonsense. Democrats and the American people have been very clear from the beginning about what we need in order to move forward. We have been talking about ICE reforms from day one. These are not new demands. These are not surprise demands. They are not things we came up with yesterday. They are commonsense reforms, reasonable reforms, reforms that police departments across America follow every day. These are reforms the American people overwhelmingly support and things that Republicans know perfectly well we have been seeking since these negotiations began-- since these discussions began as well. So for Republicans to now act as though Democrats have changed our position as though we have moved the goalposts is poppycock, bad faith. And for Republicans to send us a proposal that has no reforms is bad faith as well and will only slow things down. They know it is bad faith. In fact, over the weekend Democrats had constructive conversations in person with our Republican colleagues. They--the Republican colleagues--conceded that some of the reforms, verbally, that we have been looking for, they said: These make sense. We thought there might be a path forward on some of the ways to reform ICE and to get some of the things everybody knows ought to be in Federal legislation. We thought there had been some progress. But then Republicans sent us their offer yesterday, and it contained none of what had been talked about, none of the reforms we had been discussing. So if anyone is slowing down negotiation and hurting TSA workers, it is the Republican leadership who did not include one single reform. Republicans, frankly, are struggling to get on the same page among themselves. That is probably why they have been so erratic here. Moderates in the Republican caucus say one thing; conservatives say another. Donald Trump is all over the place, seemingly without a clue of what is going on. They are still worried about and afraid of what he might say or do. That is what this is all about. So let me say this: We are ready to discuss these issues at a moment's notice with Republicans. We will not walk away. We are not walking away, and we want to get to a solution. We now have given Republicans our response. It is a serious offer, and time is of the essence, I say to my Republican colleagues. The Easter holiday is coming. Families are going on spring break. TSA lines are literally stretching out the door at airports. People are exhausted. And our TSA agents need to be paid. Enough is enough. It is time for Republicans to drill down and work with us to solve this thing. We have asked the Republicans nine times already to support TSA. We have told Republicans: Just support TSA while we settle these disputes with ICE, and they have refused nine times. They say they want their position on ICE met first before they do anything to fund TSA and pay our workers. The way to pay TSA is to vote to send their paychecks now while we settle this dispute regarding ICE. We can and must do both--negotiate reforms to ICE but vote to pay our TSA workers now. That is why, today, for the 10th time--10th time--Democrats will go to the floor so that we can pay TSA immediately as we negotiate ICE. We hope our Republican colleagues will finally see the light and join us. Let me say it again: Enough is enough. It is time for Republicans to drill down and work with us to solve this thing. SAVE America Act Mr. President, finally, on the SAVE Act, which seems to have now been intertwined in these negotiations because of Donald Trump and Republican obeisance to him, let me say this to our Republican colleagues: If you want to shove the SAVE Act into reconciliation, then have at it. We are going to fight you tooth and nail throughout the reconciliation process every step of the way. You are going to find it very difficult to jam massive changes to the American election system, to turn the American election system inside out, as it were, by using a process that was never designed for that purpose. Reconciliation was not, is not, and will not be intended to be a backdoor for sweeping election law; that is not what it is for. So if Republicans want to head down that road, they should understand it will be a hard road. Democrats will fight them every--every--step of the way on that road, and it will not go the way they think or want. I yield the floor.

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

Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, today's vote is simple. Will Republicans join us to save good-paying energy jobs, strengthen our grid, and undo the damage from Donald Trump's war on clean energy; or will they bow before the throne of Big Oil once again? This CRA vote is a necessary step to reverse the damage from Donald Trump's anti-clean energy vendetta. It will overturn the IRS's eleventh-hour rule change that makes it harder for wind and solar companies to claim tax credits needed to expand investment, increase output, and put Americans to work. This IRS rule does nothing but raise taxes on energy producers. Experts have warned this could raise electricity by 10 percent. Do you hear that, America? What Trump has done is going to raise your energy costs 10 percent just on this alone. It is going up higher because of other things. It also hurts local communities that rely on jobs. It is nothing but another front in Donald Trump's war on affordable American energy, and in this case--this is a harsh word, but it is a corrupt giveaway to his Big Oil and Big Gas donors. It was public. It was in the newspapers. They said: If you give us a billion dollars in campaign contributions, we will get rid of all the deregulation and giveaways they could possibly imagine. It is a crooked, corrupt scheme that is raising people's energy costs along the way. If you are a Senator and you care about good-paying jobs, care about our grid, and want to lower people's energy costs, support this resolution. I thank Senators Cortez Masto, Wyden, and everyone who has shown leadership on this issue, and I want to thank my Democratic colleagues for leading the way. Last week, Senate Democrats released our newest ``Broken Promises'' report, exposing how Donald Trump is driving up people's energy bills. Trump made a promise to the American people on the campaign trail: I will cut your energy bill in half. But has he done that? Of course not. Energy prices are up. And they aren't just up; they are rising and at triple the rate of inflation. Some States are seeing double-digit increases over the last year. And now, thanks to Donald Trump's idiotic war with Iran, gas prices are at $4 a gallon. We must put a stop to all of this today, and that is what this vote is all about. I yield the floor.

Mr. SCHUMER

Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, well, I would first like to talk about the voter ID amendment that Senator Thune talked about on the floor. Today, Leader Thune is going to appease the MAGA far right with another amendment Republicans claim is about commonsense voter ID. But let's be very clear: This amendment is a giant coverup. It was never in the original bill. The bill--98, 99 percent of it--is about suppressing voters, about taking them off the voter rolls, unbeknownst to them, so they cannot vote. The bottom line is very simple: 99 percent of this bill has nothing to do with voter ID--what a voter does when they arrive at a polling place to vote. The vast majority of this bill, the overwhelming bulk, is about suppressing people on the voter rolls--taking them off, not even knowing about it. And it is a coverup. When the Republicans saw that everyone saw through their so-called voter ID amendment, which is not about voter ID but about suppressing the vote, they got worried. So they added this amendment to the original bill, and now Leader Thune is going to ask for a vote on it. But it is a coverup to cover up what is a giant voter suppression bill. That is the real purpose. That is what 99 percent or so of this bill does, but they can't say that because it is so devastatingly wrong, unconstitutional, and unpopular with the American people. So they are trying to cover up with this amendment. Let me talk about the amendment. Republicans say their amendment is a reasonable approach to voter ID. It is not. It is not true when you look under the hood. What Republicans won't tell you is that, first, this MAGA voter ID proposal is more sweeping and restrictive than every State--every State-- Democrat or Republican. So Republican Senators, this will make it even harder for people to identify themselves in your States. This amendment would preempt all State laws and was drafted by a MAGA think tank expert who was part of the Trump 2020 fake elector scheme. Second, MAGA's voter ID provision would block student, veteran, and other State and Federal IDs. Can you imagine? You can't use your--under this amendment, you can't use your veteran ID, after you served the country and you want to come back and vote, and you show your voter ID, which has been used for so many different legitimate purposes. And they say: Nope, it doesn't meet this new law. Third, Democrats support commonsense voter ID standards. States require varying forms of voter ID, either at registration, at the polls, or both. We support both. We support those. Democrats' Freedom to Vote Act, from a few years ago, set flexible, comprehensive standards based on West Virginia's then-law for voter ID requirements. It was something I think that Senator Manchin talked about and helped get written into the bill. Ours is supposed to help people vote by making ID within reach. Theirs is very limiting. It doesn't even allow a soldier's ID as a mechanism. Our bill--our proposal in the Democratic Freedom to Vote Act--from a few years back, provides flexibility for States and inclusive options for voters. That is a commonsense approach to election integrity and voter access. This Republican amendment, however, does not. As I said, this is a giant coverup to disguise the real purpose of the SAVE Act, which is to kick 20 million people off the voter rolls, most of them not even knowing that it has happened to them. Department of Homeland Security Mr. President, now, talking about this bill, Senators continue negotiations to reach an agreement to fund TSA, fund the Coast Guard, FEMA, and CISA, and fund other critical Agencies, while at the same time securing real reforms to rein in ICE. We had made some modest progress over the weekend, before Donald Trump threw a temper tantrum yesterday, demanding that the SAVE Act be part of any deal to pay TSA workers. Attaching voter suppression to TSA paychecks was an outrageous demand from the start. Democrats knew it. Republicans knew it. And we wasted a day of negotiations because of Donald Trump's temper tantrum. A day may not seem like a lot to the President, but that is another day TSA workers are needlessly waiting for checks, another day of travelers standing for hours at a time at security. Fortunately, it seems like things are getting back on track this morning. Donald Trump, perhaps realizing that Democrats will block voter suppression in the Senate--the SAVE Act--seems to have gotten over his temper tantrum--we hope, for a little while. With him, you never know. Republicans can, hopefully, now come back to the table and get serious about reaching a solution to pay TSA workers ASAP. We await to hear from them in a written proposal that we will review, because, right now, the situation at our airports is untenable. TSA wait times in Houston reached 6 hours at one point over the weekend. And what does Donald Trump do? He sends ICE agents to the airports. ICE agents don't know the first thing about airport security. They aren't trained to screen travelers. They don't know the layout and protocols of the airports they have been sent to. And it sounds like ICE agents aren't really doing anything once they get to the airport--many of them. They are just paid to stand around, posted by exits and baggage claims, just people watching. What is the point? What is the point? As Americans are waiting hours in line at the airport, they are asking each other: Why is Trump paying these ICE agents, who seem to have little to do, instead of using those dollars to pay TSA agents so the lines can go much more quickly? Americans waiting in line are asking those questions. Just because something popped into Donald Trump's head--put ICE agents at the airports--and his administration just says, ``Yes, sir,'' even though they know it is a ridiculous idea, doesn't mean we should continue. We should have the TSA paid. Of course, perhaps, it may not be that security is Donald Trump's main goal in sending ICE to the airports. Listen to this. Yesterday, in a podcast, former Trump adviser Steve Bannon said Trump should use these agents ``as a test run . . . to really perfect ICE's involvement in the 2026 . . . elections.'' Again, Bannon: Trump should use these agents ``as a test run''--his words--``to really perfect ICE's involvement in the 2026 . . . elections.'' This is bone-chilling. Steve Bannon is saying the quiet part out loud, calling ICE's deployment to airports ``a test run'' for the midterms. This is how authoritarians turn law enforcement into intimidation forces. This is why Democrats are so intent on reining ICE in. The disease of undermining elections is rampant in the rightwing of the Republican Party, and it seems they will use any means they can to achieve that goal. They know that Donald Trump and Republicans are in trouble this November, and they will do whatever it takes--legal or not--to prevent a legitimate election. ICE needs to leave the airports now. Trump needs to pay TSA workers now and push Republicans to reach a deal. No intimidation forces at our airports, no more chaos at checkpoints--enough is enough. Mr. President, let me just finish with this on vote-by-mail. This morning, the New York Times reported that Donald Trump--who constantly complains about vote-by-mail, who says it is rife with fraud--used vote-by-mail himself in a special election in Florida. Can you believe it? According to Donald Trump, vote-by-mail is cheating when other people use it, but perfectly fine when he does it himself. What a hypocrite this man is--what a hypocrite. Maybe Donald Trump should ask for another amendment to the SAVE Act to create a Presidential exception for mail-in ballots because, apparently, his own rules do not apply to him. And, of course, the White House is now offering ridiculous excuses, saying: The President is a busy man. He obviously lives in the White House. This is all nonsense. A single mom with three kids and two jobs is just as busy as Donald Trump, and he is doing everything he can to stop her from voting, while voting by mail himself because he is busy. Donald Trump goes to Mar-a-Lago almost every weekend. His polling location is less than 15 minutes away by car. If he wanted to vote in person, he easily could. His decision to vote by mail shows just how hypocritical Donald Trump is about fraud and cheating. That is who he is, I am afraid. That tells you everything. It shows not only Donald Trump's hypocrisy but the complete baselessness of his claims about voter fraud. It shows that the whole point of pushing this bill is to make it harder for people to cast a ballot. And as I mentioned in the beginning, voting for the Thune amendment along those lines is just a coverup to hide what the bill, the SAVE Act, really does. I yield the floor.

Mr. SCHUMER

Mr. SCHUMER. I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, I noted the absence of a quorum. I ask unanimous consent that I speak for 1 minute.

Mr. SCHUMER. I thank the leader for his courtesy.

Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, with this next rollcall vote, the Republicans are tabling my motion to suspend the Senate rules to provide a path to pay TSA workers. I will vote against tabling because I want to see the TSA workers paid. I yield the floor.

Mr. SCHUMER. I ask for the yeas and nays.

Mr. SCHUMER

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

Mr. SCHUMER. Now, I thank Senator Murphy for his great leadership on this issue, for speaking so clearly and fiercely about the need for this resolution. This war has dragged on for long enough. It is long past time for it to come to an end. And, today, with this resolution, the Senate must assert its power on matters of war and peace. This is the third time--the third time--that Republicans have been given a chance to do the right thing and end this war. It is the third time, though, they stick their heads in the sand and pretend this war does not exist. But the war is expanding. The Senate has an obligation to step in. I say to my Republican colleagues: If there was ever a time to stand up for the authority of the Senate, stand up for the powers given to us through the Constitution, the time is now. Thirteen American servicemembers have been killed and thousands more injured. Energy prices are above $100 a barrel. And now the Wall Street Journal reports the Pentagon will deploy another 3,000 soldiers from the 82nd Airborne. Enough. The War Powers Act allows questions to be asked, allows the public to be drawn into the discussion. That is the way to end endless wars, not to tell no one what is going on, not to keep it secret, not to give anyone else any authority. That is a loser, and it will be a loser for the American people. The American people are tired of sending our sons and daughters to fight endless wars. Americans are exasperated every time they go to the gas station and pay $4 a gallon. They are tired of Donald Trump making outrageous and deluded statements like saying he does both have a plan and does not have a plan. This is who is leading the war effort-- someone who changes his mind every day, who can't answer the question of what is the goal here? what is the endgame? how much does it cost? So enough is enough. Donald Trump does not have the authority to wage this war without the explicit authority from Congress. I thank Senator Murphy for pushing this resolution. I am proud to support it. I urge some of my Republican colleagues to vote yes. I yield the floor.

Mr. SCHUMER

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

Mr. SCHUMER

Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, first, let me begin today by saying that my deepest prayers are with the families of the two pilots who were killed in a terrible collision at LaGuardia Airport this morning. The video and audio of the collision were heart-wrenching. It is like a punch to the stomach when you listen to it. It leaves you gasping for air. I spoke with Chairwoman Homendy of the National Transportation Safety Board, which has always done an outstanding job, impartial, in investigating these tragedies. I spoke to Chair Homendy earlier today, and she told me the situation is under investigation. She told me that over 25 investigators are on their way to LaGuardia right now to get to the bottom of what happened. We owe it to those pilots and their families to find out exactly how this accident was permitted to happen, and I will remain in constant communication with Chair Homendy and the NTSB as well as local authorities as the investigation unfolds. My heart goes out to all of those affected by this tragedy. My heart goes out to the two pilots who were killed and to all the passengers who were injured at LaGuardia.

Mr. SCHUMER

Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, the Senate is in session once again this weekend, and once again Republicans are doing nothing productive. Yesterday, instead of considering legislation to tackle inflation or end the war in Iran, MAGA Republicans wasted Senate floor time on a radical culture-war amendment that went nowhere. It failed, and it accomplished nothing--a total waste of time with nothing to show for it. And, yesterday, the Republicans once again blocked the Senate's ability to finally start paying our TSA workers. These workers have gone now for weeks without pay. They work around the clock. They keep our airports running. Republicans had the chance to pay them once again, and they refused. They refused. The bottom line is this was the first time we saw ``yes'' or ``no'' votes from Republicans on an amendment that simply said ``Pay them.'' Don't wait, as the Republicans are saying, until we resolve all the other issues in ICE. It simply said ``Pay them now,'' and they said no. And that shows you, when they are voting yes on amendments that won't actually pay them because it won't pass because it is tied to all the other complications in ICE--including the desire that American people have that we must have warrants when you bust into someone's home and that the police should not wear masks--they say they will only vote for TSA agents if we get rid of those things, if we don't make sure they have to wear masks. That is fake. That is not really helping TSA workers. Our amendment did. They all voted no. But we are going to keep at it. I say this to TSA workers. I say this to people at the airports who are waiting in line ungodly hours. We will keep doing this and doing this until the Republicans see the light and feel the pressure that they are holding up payment and relent. Now, today, Donald Trump and Homan are saying they will deploy ICE agents to airports starting on Monday. This is really disturbing. ICE agents--who are untrained and have caused problems everywhere they have gone--lurking at our airports? That is asking for trouble, and it will certainly make the chaos at the airports even worse. No one has any faith in ICE agents. They haven't received training. They don't know what it is to be a TSA person and do what you need to do there. The real problem here is they have no plan for using these ICE agents. Trump says send them there, they send them there, and Homan says they are still drawing up plans, with less than a day's notice. What is this? We know what it is. It is another impulsive action by Donald Trump. Some idea pops into his head, and he announces it, and then the people working for him, a few of whom do have some degree of talent and ability--not many--underlings--they have to rush to try to implement what they know is an idiotic plan. In this case, it is a plan that has no planning. It is another impulsive action from Donald Trump. When he acts impulsively, there is usually trouble. Whenever Donald Trump acts impulsively with no follow- through, there is trouble. ICE agents will be asked to do things they are not trained to do. They don't know how to perform core TSA screening functions. Travelers will be on edge with Federal agents looking over their shoulders. All they will do is worsen the situation at airports, which are already on edge. So I have an idea for Donald Trump: Instead of sending ICE agents to harass travelers at airports, why doesn't Trump get his act together and agree to pay the TSA workers and get the Senate Republicans to do so? Iran Mr. President, now let's talk about the disastrous war in Iran, causing so much havoc, so much chaos, and raising everybody's gas prices and prices on so much else. Here is what Donald Trump said on Friday about the war. Donald Trump said: You know, I may have a plan or I may not. For a war? Whoa. Here people's lives are at stake, billions are being spent on an almost daily basis, and he says: You know, I may have a plan or I may not. These are the words of the Commander in Chief in the middle of a war involving one of the most dangerous regimes on Earth: I may have a plan or I may not. That is unhinged and dangerous. Lives are on the line, and the President says he may not even have a plan. Tens of billions are being wasted. No plan. Troops being killed and injured. No plan. Civilians being killed and injured. No plan. Gasoline costs $3.94 a gallon on average. And Trump: I have no plan--or I may not have a plan, which means none. What does Donald Trump do? He lifts sanctions on two of the states that are enemies to us in so many ways--Iran and Russia--so they can go after our own troops and allies. Lifting sanctions on Iran and Russia so they can go after our troops and our allies--it is the dictionary definition of ``asinine.'' Donald Trump's military strategy is like watching a snake eat its own tail. This war needs to come to an end. Secretary Rubio, Secretary Hegseth, and other Cabinet officials must come before the Senate and testify under oath in public to explain why we are in this mess and what the goal even is. Even some Republicans are openly admitting they have no clue what the administration is trying to accomplish in the Middle East. Enough is enough. The American people do not want a war with Iran that has no end. They do not want to see our troops deployed again and again to the Middle East. They don't want to just have a knot in their stomach every time they pull up to the gas pump and, soon enough, the grocery store as well because of the higher prices caused by this war. It must come to an end. I yield the floor.

Mr. SCHUMER

Mr. SCHUMER. I announce that the Senator from New Jersey (Mr. Booker), the Senator from Delaware (Mr. Coons), the Senator from Illinois (Mr. Durbin), the Senator from Arizona (Mr. Gallego), the Senator from Virginia (Mr. Kaine), the Senator from Arizona (Mr. Kelly), the Senator from Michigan (Mr. Peters), and the Senator from New Hampshire (Mrs. Shaheen), are necessarily absent.

Mr. SCHUMER

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

Mr. SCHUMER. Well, Mr. President, today, every Senator must answer a very simple question: Senator, do you want chaos at our airports to come down--yes or no, Senator? Let me repeat the question: Republican Senator, do you want the chaos at our airports to come down--yes or no? If you have had enough of long lines, if you want TSA workers to get paid, then vote yes on the motion I am bringing before the Senate today. It is unacceptable for workers and travelers and entire airports to get taken hostage in political games, but that is what the Republicans are doing. It is unacceptable to say we will only pay TSA workers if it is attached to a bill that funds ICE with no reforms, but that is what the Republicans have been doing. Democrats want to pay TSA workers ASAP, with no strings attached. A ``yes'' vote will do that. That is the first time in this Chamber that we will have an opportunity to vote yes or no on whether you want to pay TSA workers ASAP, with no strings attached. Every bill they have brought before the Senate says: Oh, yes, we want to pay the TSA workers, we want to reduce the lines at airports, but only if you pass ICE funding with no reform. And the American people want reform. They know that, but you have got Stephen Miller up there in the White House and so many others who don't want any reform of ICE, and our Republican Senate friends are willingly going along with that and holding airports, travelers, and TSA workers hostage. We Democrats want to bring down the long lines at the airport, and a ``yes'' vote--plain and simple--would do just that. I urge Republicans to support my motion. The chaos at airports has reached a boiling point. People have been waiting for 2 hours, 3 hours--sometimes more--just to get through security. One couple in Austin said the lines stretched right out the door and into the grass outside the airport. Meanwhile, TSA workers are about to go a full month without pay. That is unacceptable. It means they cannot pay the rent or the mortgage, they cannot buy groceries, and they are digging into their savings just to get by--these hard-working, good people. And at the same time, they are being asked to work brutal hours. It is no surprise many of them have been calling in sick. It is not even a surprise that many are looking for other jobs. They have to support their families and themselves. We need to bring this to an end today--today--and that is what we can start doing with a ``yes vote'' on our motion. As I have said, we have seen a lot of rollcall votes over the past few weeks on the floor related to DHS funding, and they say they want to get up and fund TSA. But they want to fund all of DHS--even ICE, even Border Patrol--with no reform. This vote today is different from what our colleagues on the other side have offered. It is a breakthrough because it says: Fund TSA only. Vote ``fund TSA with no strings attached.'' Republicans, in essence, say they want to reopen all of DHS but only if there are no changes to ICE and Border Patrol when they vote. That is not acceptable, not just to us, not just to Democrats but to the American people. The American people feel very strongly that ICE's conduct needs to be reined in. Trump himself, the originator of these horrible ICE goon squads, has said they have gone too far. We can't just give ICE a blank check to keep operating without guardrails, as Republicans have proposed in their previous votes. So, today, Democrats offer to pay TSA without the anchor of demanding funding of ICE and CBP without any guardrails, which is what the Republicans are doing. We want to open TSA with no strings attached. Let me repeat: no strings attached. There is not one bill the Republicans have brought forward that doesn't have strings attached--strings that don't let it have a majority vote. Now, we are having productive conversations on reforming ICE and CBP, and Democrats remain committed to securing reforms. But that is an ongoing process. We are meeting today again, but we must fund TSA now. Let us keep negotiating the outstanding issues with ICE, but let us start sending paychecks to TSA workers now. Let us bring the long lines at the airports--let us end the long lines at the airport now. This is the logical, expedient, correct thing to do. So in conclusion, I urge my Republican colleagues: Vote yes if you want to pay TSA. Vote yes if you want to bring down the long lines at airports. Vote yes today. I yield the floor. I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. SCHUMER

Mr. SCHUMER. I announce that the Senator from Delaware (Mr. Coons), the Senator from Illinois (Mr. Durbin), the Senator from Pennsylvania (Mr. Fetterman), the Senator from Virginia (Mr. Kaine), the Senator from Arizona (Mr. Kelly), and the Senator from New Hampshire (Mrs. Shaheen) are necessarily absent.

Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, I have a motion today that asks every Senator a very simple question: Do you want TSA workers to get their pay--yes or no? Are you tired, like many Americans are, of seeing long lines at the airport--yes or no? If Senators want to pay TSA workers and end the airport chaos, they should support my motion. Our TSA workers cannot be taken hostage for political games, but that is what Republicans have done. It is unacceptable--unacceptable--to say we will only pay TSA workers if it is attached to a bill that funds ICE with no reforms, but that is what Republicans have done. Democrats want to pay TSA workers ASAP, no strings attached. A ``yes'' vote on my motion would start doing just that. This is the only vote--the only vote, not the others--that the Senate has taken that will fund TSA--no ands, ifs, or buts. This is the first time--the first time--the Senate holds a vote related to paying TSA workers that has zero strings attached to it. This is the only vote that says you are for supporting TSA families unconditionally. All the votes Republicans have pushed so far tie TSA paychecks to fully funding ICE without any reforms. Republicans say: Sure, we will pay TSA, but only if you keep funding ICE agents without any guardrails whatsoever. That is not acceptable to the American people. So, today, my motion makes the matter very simple: Let's pay TSA workers ASAP. That is it--nothing else. We can keep negotiating ICE and CBP separately. We are having some productive conversations on getting reforms to ICE, and Democrats are going to continue pushing for real, serious reforms through legislation. But that is an ongoing process that should not get in the way of funding our TSA workers. So let's keep negotiating the outstanding issues with ICE while sending paychecks to TSA workers now. Let us end the long lines at the airports now. This is the logical, expedient, and correct thing to do. I yield the floor.

Mr. SCHUMER. You bet.

Mr. SCHUMER. Would my colleague yield for a question?

Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, this is the only vote available to us because you have filled the tree and not allowed an amendment like this here. Would the Senator be willing to put this amendment to pay TSA immediately on the tree?

Mr. SCHUMER. Is the tree full, Mr. Leader?

Mr. SCHUMER. Like this past amendment was?