Chuck Schumer

Mr. SCHUMER

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 President, I ask unanimous consent that the quorum call be rescinded.

Mr. SCHUMER

Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, well, every day, Americans see headlines about rising prices. Just this week, The Economist said: ``America faces another grocery- price shock.'' CNN: ``America is in for yet another long spell of price pain.'' PBS News: ``Iran war hits home as gasoline prices fuel significant U.S. inflation jump.'' Trump will surely try to brush aside these reports of higher costs as ``fake news,'' but Americans don't need to see the headlines to know we are in an affordability crisis. Americans feel the crushing weight of higher costs caused by Trump's disastrous war and failed economic policies every time they walk through the grocery aisle and step up to the gas pump. What Americans do not see is any sympathy, any support, or any plan from Trump and congressional Republicans to lower costs. In fact, they see the opposite. The other day, Trump said: I don't think about Americans' financial situation. I don't think about [anyone]. Trump's clueless comments make my blood boil. ``I don't think about [anyone]?'' They make Americans' blood boil. Americans can't understand how a President can be so cold, so callous, and so proud of it. Donald Trump doesn't think about how every time Americans go to the pump, they are paying over $4.50 for a gallon of gasoline--up more than $1.50 since Trump started this war. Donald Trump doesn't think about how a family's weekly trip to the grocery store got even more expensive, with food prices going up in April more than in any month in the past 4 years. Trump certainly doesn't think about how wholesale inflation just hit 6 percent--the highest it has been in nearly 4 years. Donald Trump doesn't think about you, America. Trump is really wrong when he says he doesn't think about anyone. He thinks about himself and only himself, as his past comments have shown. Donald Trump thinks about how badly he wants the American people to bankroll his $1 billion ballroom. If ``ballroom Republicans'' won't think about the economic suffering of the American people, then they had better start thinking long and hard about their own political futures.

Mr. SCHUMER

Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, on China, we are just a day into Trump's trip to China, and he hasn't done anything to ease concerns that he might sell out America. He arrived with a posse of billionaires in tow, including his own son, who oversees the family business. This kind of stuff is just incredible. So much for fighting against how China is hurting American workers and poisoning our communities with fentanyl. That would get in the way of Donald Trump and his family profiting off of doing business with the Chinese Communist Party--just hours in, and Xi Jinping has already threatened to ``collide or even clash'' with the United States if we continue our support for Taiwan. Trump, apparently, didn't say anything in response. He was just mute. For the sake of democracy and the stability of the global economy, Trump must not sell out Taiwan. Trump must also safeguard the interests of American workers, families, and businesses. Trump is continuing to roll forward on selling AI chips to Chinese companies that are linked to the Chinese military. Giving China access to this premiere American technology--something we developed with our know-how, our entrepreneurship, our ingenuity--and just giving it away to China? That is dangerous and threatens the United States' lead in the AI race that is going to shape the global economy for decades. And chips aren't the only way Trump is selling out America. Trump is undermining American autoworkers by letting Chinese vehicles flood the market, and that is something he is very much considering. Communities across this country continue to suffer as Trump fails to secure real meaningful action from Xi to stem the tide of fentanyl that is flowing into our country from China. If Xi outnegotiates Trump--and that has happened almost every time he has negotiated with him in the past--it will undercut American manufacturers and workers who have long been hurt by the CCP's predatory trade practices. When Trump does these negotiations, the only thing he is looking for is a headline so he can see himself on the front page of the newspaper. He doesn't think of what will happen a day after, and it hurts America every time. If Xi outnegotiates Trump and if America emerges from these negotiations weaker than it was before, there will be only one person to blame: Donald Trump.

Mr. SCHUMER

Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, on Iran, every day the costs of Trump's disastrous handling of his illegal war with Iran mount up. The most dire cost is human: 13 American servicemembers killed, nearly 400 wounded. They served with valor. We owe a tremendous debt of gratitude to them, their families, and their brothers and sisters in arms who remain in harm's way. But that is not the only way the war has cost us, as bad as that is. Trump's war has cost the American taxpayer at least--at least--$29 billion--billion dollars. The war with Iran has cost American families financially, causing inflation to spiral out of control, gas prices to skyrocket, grocery costs to climb. Trump's reckless war has also cost America strategically. Hundreds of installations in the region have been damaged. America's reputation on the world stage has been further tarnished. American munitions stockpiles are shrinking at a time when we need them to deter other aggressors around the world. All for what? What is his goal here? He hasn't achieved any of them. Americans have paid dearly for Trump's blunder in Iran in exchange for little or no gain. The American people may not be benefitting from Trump's war, but our competitors, our rivals across the globe, certainly are. Vladimir Putin couldn't be happier with the Iran war, as Russia rakes in record profits from its energy exports, and the Americans use up munitions that could go to Ukraine. As Trump drags America's reputation through the mud, China now presents itself as a source of stability and reason on the world stage. According to press reports, the Chinese have planned secret arms sales to Iran and now look to Taiwan with greater eagerness, since America has devoted so many of our military resources to Iran. If we want to make sure America stays on top, we need to end Trump's illegal war as soon as possible.

Mr. SCHUMER

Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, finally, on the shooting anniversary of 4 years in Buffalo, before I close today, I want to say that my heart is with Buffalo as we mark 4 years since the horrific, mass racist shootings that took place at Tops supermarket in 2022. In an instant, 10 beautiful, innocent lives were cut short, and 3 were wounded. They were grandparents and sons and daughters, mothers, fathers, friends, people who deeply loved their community and whose absence we feel every single day. But in the face of hatred and tragedy, Buffalo lived up to its reputation as the city of good neighbors. The families of the victims and the whole community pushed Congress to come together in a way it hadn't for decades, beating back the dark forces of the NRA and passing the first major gun safety bill in more than a quarter century. I worked hand in hand with the families of those we lost in Buffalo to pass the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, and their work has undoubtedly saved many lives. We owe it to the victims to not just remember their names but to build a future where no community has to endure the kind of tragedy that Buffalo did back then in 2022. So may God bless the families and all of Buffalo as we remember those we lost 4 years ago today: Ruth Whitfield; Roberta Drury; Aaron Salter, Jr.; Heyward Patterson; Pearl Young; Geraldine Talley; Celestine Chaney; Kat Massey; Margus Morrison; and Andre Mackneil. 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. President, yesterday, Donald Trump told a reporter: ``I don't think about Americans' financial situations.'' I don't think of anyone. I repeat: Donald Trump actually said this. He said: ``I don't think about Americans' financial situations.'' Can you believe it? You wouldn't believe it coming from any other President. But, sadly, from this President, it smacks of reality. He says almost anything, and he doesn't care. Clearly, Donald Trump doesn't care about Americans' financial situations, considering that, just this morning, we saw wholesale inflation skyrocket to 6 percent, the highest it has been since December of 2022--wholesale inflation, 6 percent. As those costs trickle down to Americans, Americans are going to be paying more and more and more, and they hate it. Now, what is Donald Trump thinking about instead? Himself, especially his new ballroom, at a time when 77 percent--that is 77 percent--of Americans say that Donald Trump's policies have increased their cost of living. Trump and the Senate GOP try to force through a bill that would spend $1 billion taxpayer dollars on a gilded ballroom and not one penny on bringing down American costs. Trump may be trying to build a ballroom, but, clearly, he is living in the theater of the absurd. Really? Do Americans want a ballroom when wholesale inflation just hit 6 percent--the highest level in 4 years? Do Americans want a ballroom when food prices just went up more in April than in any month in nearly 40 years? Do Americans want a ballroom when the cost of a gallon of gas has increased a dollar and a half since March? Of course not. I would say Trump has completely lost touch with the American people, but that would assume that Trump was ever in touch with the American people to begin with. And on this issue, he sure as heck isn't. Iran Mr. President, on Iran, Trump was talking about his disastrous Iran war when he said: I don't think about Americans' financial situations. Trump launched this war without a plan, without a clear objective, and without any thought to how it might affect the American people. When Hegseth and other Pentagon officials came to testify, at the end of April, they said this war cost American taxpayers $25 billion. Well, yesterday, they revised that figure to $29 billion. Trump has forced American taxpayers to sink at least $29 billion into a war that still has no end game. And $29 billion is just the sticker price and doesn't include the hundreds of additional dollars American families will have to pay this year just to fill up their tanks. Americans are paying over $4\1/2\ a gallon at the pump--more than a dollar and a half above what it was when Trump started this war. If Senate Republicans care about Americans' financial situations, which they should, they need to vote for our War Powers Resolution today to limit Trump's ability to continue this war without authorization. Senator Merkley will be introducing that War Powers Resolution, which I am proud to cosponsor, in a little while. Today's vote will be the Republicans' seventh--seventh--opportunity to support our resolution to withdraw our troops from hostilities with Iran and stop the economic fallout from this historic blunder. Americans' financial situation is dire, and Republicans don't think about anyone other than Donald Trump. China Mr. President, on China, Donald Trump may have no interest in helping the American people get ahead, but he certainly seems willing to give China a leg up. We all ought to fear what Donald Trump may concede to China just so he can claim a headline. Trump has fantasized about $1 trillion in Chinese investments in America that would give the Chinese a stranglehold on our economy, threaten our supply chains, our economic independence, and our national security. This is Trump empowering Xi's ``Made in China'' ambitions--selling out American manufacturers and workers, giving CCP businesses an edge in undermining America building the industries of the future here at home. He is opening the door. He is saying: China, you come here. Use all American innovation and technology and everything else; and then send it back to China, and let China take the lead over America on industry over industry. What a disgrace. The American people--American businesses--aren't going to fall for this bunk. And then there are many other things we all worry about that Trump would or could do to weaken American workers, families, and businesses when he gets outnegotiated by Xi. And that has happened time and time again. Here are some of the things that Donald Trump could do that we all worry about--American workers, American families, American people, American companies worry about. Donald Trump could sell out American autoworkers by allowing Chinese EVs to flood our markets and crowd out domestic manufacturing. Donald Trump could sell out America on chips and AI, allowing the sale of our AI chips and semiconductor equipment to China so they can catch up in the technology race that will define the global economy for the next decade. This is a clear and present threat, not just to American jobs but to our national security. Donald Trump could sell out on fentanyl, failing to use American leverage to extract real and meaningful concessions from the Chinese Communist Party to prevent the deadly flow of fentanyl poisoning our communities. This is an issue I brought up directly with Xi years ago. We were making some progress. Will Donald Trump sell it out? We all worry about it. Donald Trump could sell out Taiwan, whose people want to continue living in freedom, instead of under the jackboot of the Chinese Communist Party. Any threat Trump allows Xi Jinping to make against the Taiwanese is a threat to the global democracy. It is also a threat to the global economy, given how many semiconductor chips are made in Taiwan. So in all of these things, forget the ``Art of the Deal.'' Trump is practicing the ``art of the duped.'' Forget the ``art of the deal.'' Donald Trump is practicing the ``art of the duped.'' Nomination of Kevin Warsh Mr. President, on Mr. Warsh, Donald Trump has made it clear he will stop at nothing--nothing--to undermine the independence of the Federal Reserve at the expense of the American economy and the American people. As the Senate prepares to vote on Kevin Warsh's confirmation as Fed chair, Donald Trump has shown no sign he intends to stop his crusade against an independent Fed. Trump undermined the central bank with his attempt to oust Lisa Cook and his sham investigation against Chairman Powell. Those attacks on the Fed ought to concern everyone who is worried about the cost of living and interest rates going up. The more Donald Trump interferes with an independent Fed, the more chaos he injects into the markets. And the more chaos he injects into the markets, the more the interest rates go up. Markets like certainty. Donald Trump doesn't offer that. With this administration's disastrous war and failed economic agenda driving up costs, Donald Trump will only seek to exert more pressure on the Fed to manipulate interest rates to his own political advantage. Appointing a new Fed Chair amid this chaos and coercion could further undermine the independence of the Fed. I urge Senate Republicans to join Democrats in protecting the Fed and restoring some stability to our economy. Congressional Review Act Mr. President, on CRAs, later today, the Senate will have a series of votes on the Trump administration's undermining of key protections for the American consumer against predatory corporate practices that raise costs and limit opportunity. The CFPB, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, has played a critical role on the side of people to help them avoid junk fees, predatory medical debt, and payday lenders who take advantage of people in need, including military servicemembers. The Trump administration has chosen to prioritize undermining these critical protections, and, today, Senate Democrats stand up and say ``enough.'' As someone who helped authorize the CFPB, years ago, I feel strongly that we cannot let Trump undermine and constrain this vital Agency. So I thank Senator Warren and so many of my Democratic colleagues for leading these joint resolutions of disapproval to fight on behalf of the American people, of the American consumer. The joint resolution of disapproval that I am leading is against the Trump administration's decision to reverse CFPB protections on mortgage lending called ``contract for deed'' transactions, that without the proper guardrails can be predatory to people trying to live the American dream in purchasing a home. For millions of Americans who can't access a traditional mortgage, a contract for deed can seem like a lifeline, but all too often these arrangements are traps. The buyer takes on every obligation of home ownership immediately--taxes, repairs, risk--but doesn't receive the deed until they have paid every last dollar. You miss a single payment, and you can lose everything--no equity, no recourse, evicted like a tenant. Over 200,000 New Yorkers are in these arrangements right now. The CFPB has heard reports of many unfair, deceptive, and abusive practices in ``contract for deed'' transactions and took action in 2024 to crack down on these practices by applying the same lending protections to these loans as other consumer and mortgage loans. What does Trump want to do? Of course, he wants to give a green light to the bad actors, that they are free to exploit American potential homeowners in this way by eliminating the protections of CFPB. Apparently, Trump wasn't paying attention during the 2008 financial crisis. Giving these predatory lenders free rein only hurts the American people and the American economy. I call on all of my colleagues--Democrats and Republicans alike--to join me in protecting Americans who just want a fair shot at the American dream. I yield the floor.

Mr. SCHUMER

Mr. SCHUMER. I move to proceed to Calendar No. 396, S.J. Res. 149.

Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau--CFPB--has played a critical role on the side of people to help them avoid junk fees, predatory medical debt, payday lenders who take advantage of people in need, including so many of our military servicemembers. So it should come as no surprise that Donald Trump is no fan of the CFPB--he has always sided with big special interests over average folks--and he has undermined its protections for the American people. Senate Democrats have made clear time and time again: Donald Trump's policies are one big broken promise in lowering costs to the American people. Trump undermining consumer protections is just another example of Trump's betrayal--betrayal--of working people. So today I am defending the CFPB for the same reason I helped authorize it years ago: American consumers need to have someone-- someone--in their corner. This is a critical tool to reducing people's everyday costs from healthcare and banking to housing. So I am heading up this joint resolution of disapproval with many of my colleagues against the Trump administration's decision to reverse CFPB protections on mortgage lending called contract for deed transactions that without the proper guardrails can devolve into predatory practices against Americans trying to buy a home. For millions of Americans who can't access a traditional mortgage, a contract for deed can seem like a lifeline, but too often, these arrangements are simply traps. The buyer takes on every obligation of home ownership immediately-- the taxes, the repairs, the risks--but doesn't receive the deed until they pay every last dollar. This is a formula for failure. Miss a single payment, and you can lose everything--no equity, no recourse, evicted like a tenant. Mr. President, 200,000 New Yorkers are in this position. We must stop it, and I urge a yes vote. I yield the floor. Vote on Motion to Proceed

Mr. SCHUMER

Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, first, on inflation and the inflation ballroom, inflation is skyrocketing at the fastest pace in 3 years. The American people are hurting, and Donald Trump is to blame. Inflation rose to 3.8 percent in April because of Donald Trump's costly tariffs, his disastrous war with Iran, and failed economic agenda. So much for Trump's promise to bring down costs on day one--3.8 percent, the highest in 3 years. And, again, it is all because of Trump's tariffs, his war with Iran, his failed economic agenda. The American people are furious about how Donald Trump and his MAGA majorities in Congress have turned a blind eye to the No. 1 issue facing the American people: their rising costs. A CNN poll this morning found that 77 percent of Americans say that Trump's policies have raised costs in their community, and that includes a majority of Republicans. Seventy-seven percent, including a majority of Republicans, blame Trump for their higher costs. Only 30 percent of Americans approve of his handling of the economy. That is a record low. Among the most common words the poll's respondents used to describe their economic situation right now were: uncertainty, stress, dread. Donald Trump, are you hearing that? The American people look at your economic policies and describe them as filled with uncertainty, fill them with stress, fill them with dread. That is a pretty strong word. Instead of listening to the American people, Donald Trump and the GOP put forward a reconciliation bill that will force Americans to pay for Trump's billion-dollar ballroom and tens of billions more for Trump's masked agents, while including zero--zero dollars--to bring down American costs. Ask Americans how many people want to see a billion dollars for a ballroom and no money to help reduce the cost of food, the cost of electricity, the cost of housing, the cost of childcare. When will Republicans take the hint? When will they realize that Americans want lower costs, not a gold-plated ballroom for our billionaire President. It seems all the President is concerned with these days are vanity projects, not things that make the American people's lives better. Democrats will fight Republicans' ballroom bill tooth and nail. And Republicans here in the Senate should do the same, if they have any sense. Can you believe it? You guys are walking off a cliff. Funding a billion-dollar ballroom when people are hurting? It makes no sense. No sense at all.

Mr. SCHUMER

Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, if you want to understand Republicans' priorities right now, just look at the $72 billion reconciliation bill they revealed last week. The Republican bill would pump tens of billions of dollars into ICE and Border Patrol without any guardrails to prevent these rogue Agencies from continuing to unleash violence on American streets. But that is not all. To add insult to injury, the Republican bill charges American taxpayers $1 billion to build Trump's gilded ballroom, while including zero dollars to help Americans with rising costs. Their billion-dollar bill has zero dollars to help Americans deal with groceries, and their prices are going up. Gas prices are going up. Zero dollars to bring down Americans' healthcare, housing, and electricity bills. At a time when Americans are struggling to put food on the table, Republicans say, ``Let them eat cake,'' and demand American taxpayers build Trump a palace, while they are at it. Keep in mind, Donald Trump said, just a few months ago, that ``not one penny is being used from the Federal Government'' for the ballroom--``not one penny,'' said Trump. Well, give me a break. He has put a billion dollars in the budget for it. This staggering waste of taxpayer dollars has nothing--nothing--to do with security and everything to do with Trump's ego. How long before Trump asks for his name to be emblazoned in gold on the side of the ballroom? The American people are calling out for help, but these ballroom Republicans have a constituency of one: Donald Trump's ego. That is a disgrace. Democrats will use every tool in our arsenal to fight this bill. We will bring challenges. We will bring challenges under the Byrd rule. We will offer floor amendments. We will force Republicans to take vote after vote, showing that instead of helping working families, Republicans are forcing Americans to pay for Trump's billionaire ballroom. Americans don't want this ballroom blitz. They want Congress to bring down costs.

Mr. SCHUMER

Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, on the hantavirus, earlier today, 17 Americans--including 3 New Yorkers--who were on the cruise ship at the center of the hantavirus outbreak arrived in Nebraska, where they remained in quarantine. One has since tested positive for hantavirus. They should know that all of us here in the Senate are thinking of them and praying for their health. No one should have to go through such an ordeal. The hantavirus outbreak reminds us of what happened during COVID-19. We need to invest in public health and pandemic preparedness. Sadly, the Trump administration has not learned that lesson. The Trump administration gutted our public health defenses. The public may not know it, but Trump fired the workers whose job it is to protect us from outbreaks like hanta. Donald Trump, Russell Vought, and now Elon Musk purged hundreds of Federal workers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Department of Health and Human Services including--here is who Trump fired--cruise ship inspectors, port health station staff, disease detectives, and others. He cut all those, and now we have the hantavirus. They were there for a purpose. Blindly swinging their DOGE chainsaw through the Federal Government, Trump, Vought, and Musk also hamstrung the CDC's Vessel Sanitation Program--a program that didn't cost the taxpayers any money. The cruise ships paid for it, but, of course, they didn't care. The solution is a simple one. I put out a plan that calls on the Trump administration to rehire these fired outbreak-response experts, to restore funding to protect Americans from infectious diseases, and to rejoin the World Health Organization and other groups that track outbreaks and provide early warning. Rehire, restore, rejoin--that is how we keep the American people healthy and safe. Diseases like hantavirus and COVID don't care what your politics are. They threaten everyone. Donald Trump needs to stop politicizing public health and start investing in it.

Mr. SCHUMER

Mr. SCHUMER. On Iran, Donald Trump and members of his administration have referred to the fighting in Iran as a ``skirmish,'' a ``mini- war'', a ``little excursion,'' a ``blip'' and most recently ``a love tap.'' Let's call the ongoing hostilities with Iran for what they are-- a war. Let me repeat: Donald Trump dragged America into a war--an illegal, costly war--without any goals, without any endgame. It has been over a week since we hit the 60-day threshold under the War Powers Act, which means the hostilities must cease unless Trump gets authorization from Congress. Donald Trump and Pete Hegseth tried to skirt the deadline when they told us the timer had stopped because the fighting was over. Tell that to the American servicemembers who were dodging Iranian drones and missiles in the Strait of Hormuz last week. Tell that to the American people who just saw headlines the other day about Trump saying we are getting ready for a protracted blockade. The war is over? Bunk, poppycock, craziness to even say it, but Trump says anything that enters his head which he thinks will please him in the moment--even if he gets himself in trouble by the end of the day. And to this war, there is still no end in sight. Just today, the most recent round of negotiations with Iran fell apart. Trump keeps digging himself into a deeper and deeper hole. Meanwhile, Americans are now paying over $4.50 for a gallon of gas. Families need real relief at the pump, and Senate Democrats will support real action to lower costs, but let's not pretend $0.18 of gas tax relief per gallon makes up for the damage Trump created with this war. Mr. President, $0.18 cents isn't $1.50, which is how much the price of gas has gone up since this war started. Trump wants credit for handing the American people a glass of water to put out the fire he started--the massive fire he started--when he launched this war. Americans don't need just a few cents back--they need an end to the chaos that sent gas prices soaring in the first place. The best way to lower costs is to end this illegal war. Trump could end this war tomorrow and prices would plummet by far more than $0.18 a gallon. And Republicans know that this blunder didn't magically end when the 60-day clock ran out. It is time to do something about it, so Democrats are forcing a seventh vote on our War Powers Resolution this week to withdraw United States troops from hostilities with Iran. If Republicans care about preserving our War Powers, keeping our servicemembers safe, lowering Americans' costs, they need to support the War Powers Resolution and end this war. If Republicans vote against our resolution, they will continue to bear the blame for Trump's war. Not a skirmish, not a blip, not an excursion--it is a war. I yield the floor. I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. SCHUMER

Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, this morning, America received another gut punch about the rising costs that they have to pay because we learned that inflation rose to 3.5 percent in March--the highest rate in almost 3 years. Do you know what that means? A 3.5-percent increase in inflation means Americans are paying more and more and more; and it means, at a time of rising costs that people hate, Donald Trump is making things worse, not better. The historic blunder in Iran is compounding the increase in prices. There was an increase in prices before this bad war that Trump never should have called to begin with. Prices were going up for groceries. Prices were going up for electric rates. Prices were going up for healthcare. Prices were going up for childcare. Prices were going up because of tariffs--and then the war. Gasoline is over $4 a gallon, higher than it has been. The price of crude oil is higher than it has been in a very long time, all because of a war where Trump seems to have no direction, no aim, no purpose, no conclusion. Let me repeat: Inflation rose 3.5 percent. There are higher costs on everything. There are higher costs on groceries, on household essentials, on everything Americans need just to get by. When oil costs go up, so does fertilizer, so does food, so does anything that travels by truck or train. So these costs are hurting everybody, and it is getting worse. Donald Trump, do you see what the inflation number means? Costs are getting worse. Affordability is getting tougher. People are paying more, all because of you, Donald Trump. Trump said he would bring costs down on day one. Well, here we are-- 15 months after Trump took office--and costs are skyrocketing so fast they are breaking records. As to the war, which is compounding the increases in inflation, Trump has no plan to show us how to get out of this quagmire just as he had no plan when he got us into this mess. After weeks of leaving Congress in the dark about the state of Trump's disastrous war, Hegseth came to the Capitol to testify yesterday. What he said was disgraceful. Here is what he said: The biggest challenge, the biggest adversary we face at this point are the reckless, feckless and defeatist words of congressional Democrats and some Republicans. Give me a break. You caused the war and your boss Donald Trump. You got us into this mess, and you can't get us out of this mess, so you try to point a finger. People don't buy that. Maybe a few MAGA listeners of FOX News do but not anybody else. So I say to Hegseth, take a look in the mirror. Our greatest challenge in Iran is Donald Trump and Secretary Hegseth, and Americans know it. The war is unpopular. They blame Trump for it, of course. The greatest obstacle to peace is the incompetence of the Secretary of Defense and of the President of the United States. Hegseth said the war has been an astounding victory and that the American people support it. Your intel is off, Secretary Hegseth. Fewer than one in four Americans thinks this war has been worthwhile. Let me repeat that to you: Fewer than one in four Americans thinks this war has been worthwhile, and a huge number of Republicans and Independents, not just Democrats, agrees. So stop being partisan. Stop pointing fingers. Roll up your sleeves and come to an end with this mess, this quagmire. As for an astounding victory, of course, our servicemembers perform impressively--they always do--but they are saddled with the bad decision making of this President and his Cabinet, as 13 American servicemembers have been killed, nearly 400 have been wounded, and the Pentagon says it has spent at least $25 billion on this war so far. Meanwhile, American families are hurting every time they go to the gas station or grocery store, all with no strategic aim. Is that what Pete Hegseth thinks is an astounding victory? Are you going to take out a brass band and salute that inflation is up 3.5 percent? salute that the Strait of Hormuz is still closed? salute that we still haven't found the nuclear facilities and potential weaponry that Iran has? None of that has been advanced. So this is not an astounding victory. It is past time that Senate Republicans joined Democrats on our War Powers Resolution. We have forced votes on our resolutions five times and we are going to force it a sixth time today and it is going to come back week after week. Republican Senators, you can't escape this. You are culpable. You are preventing an end to this war, and Americans want to see an end to the war. Tomorrow marks 60 days since Donald Trump officially notified Congress about his attack on Iran. After we cross that 60-day threshold, there can be no more doubt that he is violating the War Powers Act. Republicans are out of hollow excuses. They are out of hiding places. End this war, Republicans. Bring our troops home. Stop bleeding taxpayers dry. Support our War Powers Resolution.

Mr. SCHUMER

Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, first, I appreciate what the Senator from Ohio has done. It is a good thing that the Senate is moving swiftly to prohibit Senators and staff from playing around in prediction markets. Since this is a resolution, it is immediately going into effect for Senators. That is a great thing. Speaker Johnson should immediately do the same thing in the House and prohibit House Members from playing around in prediction markets as well. We must never allow Congress to turn into a casino where Members representing the public can gamble on wars or economic crises or elections. That would destroy the very principle of representative government. Just the possibility that Members could have their votes influenced because of betting is reason enough to prohibit Members from meddling in the prediction markets. Of all the issues we debate in Washington, this falls squarely in the category of a no-brainer. Then we should go further. This is a good start but not enough. The administration and its employees must apply these very same rules too--particularly this administration, which shows such a troubling affinity to corruption and self-dealing. When we come back in May, I will work with my colleagues to ensure that the administration can't get rich off betting markets. But today's resolution is a very good first step, and I thank my colleague the Senator from Ohio and my colleagues on both sides of the aisle for working quickly to approve this legislation, which I am proud to support. I yield the floor.

Mr. SCHUMER

Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, in just a few hours, it will be 60 days since Donald Trump officially notified Congress he was dragging us into one of the most foolish foreign misadventures in American history. Pete Hegseth can't just hit the pause button on that countdown, not when American troops are in harm's way. For 60 days, Trump has blundered, stumbled, and straggled through this mess of his own making. For 60 days, prices on everything from gas to groceries have soared at a rate not seen in years. For 60 days, military families have stayed up at night, praying their loved ones won't join the ranks of the brave 13 American servicemembers killed and nearly 400 wounded. And after 60 days, Republicans have sat idle. Well, I say to my colleagues: Time is up. Republicans, stop sitting out. Start speaking up. The American people have had enough. They have been calling for peace for weeks. Americans literally cannot afford this war to drag on, not when gas costs $4.30 a gallon--$4.30 a gallon--and inflation just hit a record for over 3 years for 3.5 percent, higher inflation than we have had in a long time. And that means people pay more for just about everything. This sixth vote on the Democrats' War Powers Act is different than the first five. The 60-day threshold for war powers is upon us. No more dodging. No more hiding. No more shirking. Republicans need to help us end this illegal, costly war. They should have done it long ago. The most important vote a Senator can take is on matters of war and peace. I hold our Republican colleagues to show an ounce of courage our brave members are showing in the field every day as this war continues and to do what is right. Do your duty. 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, earlier this morning, the conservative majority on the Supreme Court took another step toward resurrecting the Jim Crow South. In a decision that for all practical purposes upends half a century of precedent, defies the spirit of the American Civil Rights Movement, and reverses generations of progress toward racial justice, the rightwing Court today essentially declared it valid and appropriate for States to discriminate against racial minorities in drawing districts. The Voting Rights Act--a law written in the blood, sweat, tears, and sacrifice of Americans who marched, who fought, and died for the right to vote and to prevent racial discrimination--has been diminished once again. The consequence of this decision is as clear as it is dangerous: fewer protections for voters, more power for politicians to draw maps that silence them--particularly historically disenfranchised voters. The conservative Court has tried to make it seem like its decision today was narrow and tailored. But let's be very clear. In the words of Justice Kagan, this decision is a ``demolition''--a ``demolition''--of section 2 of the Voting Rights Act. It opens the floodgates for States across the South to redraw their congressional districts and make voters of color essentially invisible in our democracy. By some estimates, this decision could lead conservative State legislatures to draw as many as 19 additional seats that favor Republicans in the House. So, far from being a narrow decision, this MAGA Court is trying to give Republicans a leg up--an illegitimate leg up--in future elections. Let me say it again: This case is the MAGA Court trying to give Republicans a leg up in future elections. It is a knife to the heart of some of the most important civil rights legislation that past generations marched for, organized for, and bled for. It will bring back the old, sinister practices long discarded to the dustbin of history: State legislatures diluting, erasing, and overpowering voters of color. Shame on the High Court. Shame on the MAGA Justices for rigging our elections. This did not happen all at once. For years, this Court--beginning with the Roberts decision in the awful Shelby County decision--has chipped away at the Voting Rights Act, decision by decision. Chief Justice Roberts bears a lot of the blame for this awful decision. The commitment of equal representation has been broken before, but every time, Americans have forced it back into the law. Senate Democrats will fight it, once again, to reverse this awful, awful decision. Even before this wretched decision, we knew the MAGA far right was hell-bent in trying to undermine our democracy.

Mr. SCHUMER

Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, we know that the MAGA right is trying to rig our democracy. We knew it long before this decision. Donald Trump knows and his party knows that they are going to lose this election in 2026, which is why they are working around the clock to tilt the scales unfairly in their favor. Trump issued another Executive order, a month ago, to subvert our elections. Last week, they took aim at the Southern Poverty Law Center to chill speech and suppress actions from organizations that protect democracy. Trump continues to push for his SAVE Act to disenfranchise tens of millions of Americans, and he stacked his administration with election deniers. So, today, I am launching the Democratic Party's most expansive effort, to date, to protect the 2026 midterm elections and to shield them from the direct threats posed by Trump and MAGA Republicans. This afternoon, a group of Senators and I will meet with former Attorney General Eric Holder, Mark Elias, and some of the country's top election experts to talk about how we can be ready for any and all threats that might come against our elections this fall. I want to thank my Senate Democratic colleagues for joining in today's meeting. We know that some on the extreme right will try to rig the system. Donald Trump said it. He said he can't win the election except by rigging it. That is more or less what he said. Donald Trump's Justice Department sought to seize States' voter rolls. Rightwingers raided election offices in Georgia. They pressed election officials in Arizona to turn over documents. Online radicals are threatening poll workers and are spreading lies about voter fraud. And, here in Congress, hard- right Republicans are trying to pass Jim Crow 2.0 in the SAVE Act. These threats are only going to intensify the closer we get to election day. So our election fraud task force represents the most aggressive and coordinated effort to date to make sure our elections this fall are protected. The goal of our task force is to ensure that every vote counts and every American can participate in our democracy without coercion, intimidation, or threats from Trump or anyone else.

Mr. SCHUMER

Mr. SCHUMER. Now, Mr. President, on DHS--a lot is happening today-- last night, Donald Trump confirmed what I have been saying for weeks: Speaker Johnson and House Republicans are holding up funding for the Department of Homeland Security. They are holding it up--the Republicans, not Democrats. The White House said it, in effect. The White House put out a memo urging House Republicans to stop dithering and pass the DHS bill that every Democrat and every Republican in the Senate passed unanimously not once but twice. For weeks, Republicans have tried to pin the blame for their shutdown on Democrats. The Trump administration just exposed how preposterous that lie is. Republican dysfunction is endangering our national security. House Republicans have been so busy fighting one another in the House that FISA may expire. Republicans, get your act together. Our national security depends on it. While Democrats have been trying to fund the Secret Service, the TSA, the Coast Guard, CISA, FEMA, and other crucial Agencies, Republicans have been trying to jam through as much as another $140 billion for Trump's rogue Agencies. And while Democrats have been working diligently and assiduously to try and lower Americans' costs, Republicans want to splurge on a $400 million gold-plated ballroom for the President. The last thing Americans want us spending their tax dollars on is a gilded palace for Donald Trump. What will Trump ask Americans to pay for next--a moat? What else could $400 million get Americans? A year of childcare for 30,000 families; skills for training 50,000 new electricians, plumbers, and welders; disaster loans for 10,000 households; and so much more. Keep in mind that, just 1 month ago today, Donald Trump said: There's not one dime of government money going into the ballroom. Then put your money where your mouth is, President Trump. Stop trying to waste Americans' hard-earned tax dollars on this extravagance, and get your party to work with Democrats to keep the American people safe.

Mr. SCHUMER

Mr. SCHUMER. Finally, Mr. President, on Iran and gas prices--as I said, there is a lot going on--just hours ago, Pentagon officials told Congress that Trump's disastrous war has cost taxpayers $25 billion. Can you believe it? At least $25 billion and we are less than 2 months into this war. And $25 billion is just the sticker price. Americans are also paying for this war at the pump. This morning, average gas prices in America hit $4.23 a gallon. That is a record high since the start of the war. Let me repeat: U.S. gas prices are at their highest level since the beginning of the war in Iran. It is now $4.23--up 40 percent since Trump started his costly war with Iran. The price of gas is the highest it has been in 4 years. There is only one person to blame--Donald J. Trump. Trump says he is bleeding Iran economically. But he is draining the pockets of American families. And for what? The Strait of Hormuz is still closed. The Iranian regime is still radical. Our servicemembers are still in harm's way. Trump still has no idea how to end this blunder. Instead, we hear reports that Trump is telling his aides to prepare for a protracted blockade. This morning, Trump warned that Iran better get smart soon. Well, it is Donald Trump who had better get smart soon and end this war unless he wants Americans to continue paying $4.23 at the pump. This week, Democrats will force a vote on our War Powers Resolution for the sixth time. We will continue to force votes every week as this war rages on. I urge my Republican friends to help bail Donald Trump out of his mess. Vote with us to end this war, or you, Republican Senators, will continue to face the outrage of the American people. This Friday marks 60 days since Trump officially notified Congress that he had launched this reckless war. Under the War Powers Act, Trump must seek authorization for his war to continue beyond 60 days. After that deadline, Republicans will have no place to hide and no more hollow excuses to let this fighting continue. Republicans know Trump's handling of this war has been a disaster. They see how much the American people are hurting right now. How many War Powers Resolutions do Democrats need to put before Senate Republicans until they do what is right? How many Americans will have to go bankrupt? How many days do our service members have to spend apart from their families? How many people will have to die before Trump realizes that this war must end? 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, as our Nation wages Donald Trump's reckless war with a dangerous and erratic enemy and as the Department of Homeland Security is still not funded because of the high jinks within the President's own party, Donald Trump has decided to focus on a taxpayer- funded, gold-plated ballroom instead of focusing on these important national security issues: the war in Iran--dangerous for the United States; the fact that we haven't funded Homeland Security--dangerous for the United States. Does Donald Trump roll up his sleeves and say ``Let's solve these problems''? No. He is focused on this ballroom--his gilded, gold-plated, taxpayer-funded ballroom--instead of focusing on the important national security issues facing the country. Trump's values are perverse--just perverse. If the President and House Republicans truly care about our national security, fund DHS, fund the Secret Service, fund CISA, fund the Coast Guard, fund all the crucial, law-abiding Agencies that every Democrat and every Republican in the Senate unanimously voted to fund not once but twice. Now House Republicans say they are tinkering with technical changes to our legislation. Speaker Johnson, our bill--our bipartisan bill--doesn't need any changes. Just pass the damn thing. Pass the damn thing. We desperately need it. Democrats chose to fund national security and keep Americans safe. For 32 days, House Republicans have blocked the funding for DHS. Donald Trump and Republicans' fixation on the ballroom just shows how out of touch--how very out of touch--they are. Let us not forget that last year, Karoline Leavitt said Trump's gilded ballroom ``is not going to cost the taxpayers a dime.'' Well, rewind. Instead, the ballroom is going to cost the taxpayers a pretty penny, to the tune of $400 million. Let me repeat: $400 million for Trump's walled palace--that is how much his acolyte Senator Graham wants to authorize for the project in this new bill. He has also floated potentially forcing through ballroom funding with Republicans' partisan reconciliation process. Rush it through without debate and without amendment--$400 million for a ballroom? Seriously? Apparently, Donald Trump wasn't satisfied with forcing Americans to foot the bill for a war they do not want and $1 trillion in tax cuts for millionaires and billionaires that Americans eschew. It is absolute absurdity. What happened to funding the ballroom with tens of millions of dollars in shady donations Trump received from billionaires and corporations or with the billions his family has made off the Presidency? What happened to that--ignoble as that was? Instead of spending $400 million to build a walled palace for Donald Trump, Republicans should use that money to lower housing, food, gas, and healthcare costs for the American people. I am putting out a framework today on how to bring down healthcare costs. Republicans ought to follow it--helping the American people for once. Unfortunately, holding up DHS funding isn't the only way Republican infighting is threatening America's national security. Speaker Johnson, Donald Trump, and national Republicans: America's national security is at stake. Get your act together on FISA. America cannot afford for you to continue dithering on FISA. Get your act together, Speaker Johnson. Run the House of Representatives like it should be run--dealing with the problems America faces.

Mr. SCHUMER

Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, on King Charles, today is a great honor for both the House and Senate to welcome His Majesty King Charles III to address a joint meeting of Congress. It has been 35 years since a British monarch addressed the elected representatives of the American people. In that time, the world has changed dramatically, but in many ways, the same tests remain before us. Conflict still grips regions across the globe, Russia grows more aggressive, the Middle East remains unstable, and the future of the transatlantic alliance hangs in the balance. Today, the visit of King Charles III should serve as a reminder to the President of the United States and to every elected official in this country: Friends and allies matter, and most of all, for the security of Europe, NATO matters. I encourage His Majesty to impress upon the President the absolute importance of NATO. I hope he is able to get Trump to listen and understand the stakes. NATO must endure. It must stay strong. Our national security depends on it. The security of much of the world depends on it. To walk away from NATO would be a terrible mistake that will reverberate for generations and make Americans far less safe. Trump must listen and understand the stakes. I yield the floor. I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. SCHUMER

Mr. SCHUMER. Now, Mr. President, on Cuba, since launching his disastrous war with Iran, Donald Trump has said that ``Cuba's going to be next'' and that ``we may stop by Cuba'' after we are finished. The last thing working Americans need right now is another war, let alone one that is 90 miles south of the United States. Republicans must get out in front of the looming catastrophe in Cuba before it gets even worse, as they should have done with Trump's war in Iran. Today, Senate Democrats will advance a War Powers Resolution to give Republicans an opportunity to stop a looming catastrophe in Cuba. Republicans, do Trump a favor: Support our War Powers Resolution so he doesn't get messed up in another foreign adventure that hurts America.