Chuck Schumer

Mr. SCHUMER

Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, on the Trump media ban, you can tell Trump's desperate, repressive media ban is flagrantly unconstitutional when it gets blocked by a judge he appointed. Trump can attack the First Amendment all he wants, but the roots of our democracy run deeper than he could ever fathom. No President should be able to use censorship to escape accountability, to deprive Americans of the truth, and to take our country down the path to authoritarianism. Is Trump so fragile, so thin-skinned, so desperate that he can't handle reporting that reflects the truth that he doesn't want to hear? If Trump's Presidency and economy are going as well as he claims they are, then he should have nothing to fear from the cameras. We all know what this media ban was about. Trump himself told the real truth when he said he was trying to protect his reputation with this ban. To protect his reputation--can you believe it? The chutzpah of a President to say, ``I am going to shut down the media because I don't like what they are saying,'' when he knows that 250 grand years of freedom of speech has been the hallmark of this country. Of course, his statements were so out of line--and even his supporters criticized it--that Trump had to backtrack by trying to label these news outlets a so-called ``national security risk.'' No one bought that excuse for a second. The only thing Trump was trying to defend was himself. Trump knows he is in rough shape. He knows the American people are furious with him and his party. He knows just how much of a disaster his record is. And since Trump can't clean up his mess, he tries to sweep it under the rug, and he failed miserably. Trump can't outrun the press, and he can't outrun his record. You hear that, Donald? You can't outrun the press, and you can't outrun your miserable record. China Mr. President, on the Xi Jinping visit, Trump's soft-handed treatment of the Chinese Communist Party is on full display this week during Xi Jinping's visit. No sooner had Xi landed yesterday, than the Trump administration announced it is extending its trade relief to China for another 2 months. Really? Trump ought to take that trade war truce up north to Canada, instead of giving it to China and Xi and his authoritarian regime. As usual, Trump acts based solely on who flatters him at the moment, where the nearest photo-op is, and what headline he covers. If you are foreign or authoritarian, Trump just won't invite you to America; he will greet you planeside. That is what Trump did, sort of as a supplicant for Xi yesterday. That is what Trump did for Putin in Alaska last year. This man has an atavistic attraction to dictators, to bad people. Something is so wrong up there with him. And now Trump and Rubio want to roll out the red carpet for Putin again at the G20 in Florida this year. Trump needs to finally show some backbone. America can't afford for Trump to roll over on blocking China's access to our advanced AI tech, stopping the flow of fentanyl, protecting oil workers, strengthening American innovation, and holding the CCP accountable for aiding our adversaries or any of the other pressing issues we face with the PRC. Meeting an authoritarian at the bottom of the stairs is easy. Standing up to them at the negotiating table is the hard part. So far, Trump hasn't managed it. Iran Mr. President, on the Iran war, as Trump tries to tread water as his disastrous war with Iran gets worse by the day, the American people are drowning in costs. Gas is nearly $4.50 a gallon, and diesel is still breaking highs at $6.51 a gallon because of Trump's war. It is madness. Americans are getting crushed at the gas pumps. Working families are getting cleaned out at the grocery store counters. And family farms are going under because Trump took this country to war without authorization, without a plan, without a second thought to the consequences. We have lost at least 19 brave servicemembers. Hundreds are wounded or maimed, and tens of thousands remain in harm's way. That is just what we know, since this administration keeps withholding information from Congress and the American people about the true number of casualties in this war. All the while, Iran's grip on the Strait of Hormuz and other key chokepoints has grown tighter, and the entire situation in the Middle East has gotten worse. Trump's war has been one of the biggest foreign policy catastrophes in the history of this country. And, of course, as I said, the price of gasoline and the price of diesel keep going up. From the start, I have said this war is bigger than politics, and Senate Republicans--if they knew what was good for them--would have joined us in pushing for an end to Trump's war 7 months ago. Well, Senate Democrats will force a vote on another War Powers Resolution to end Trump's disastrous war and bring our troops home, at last, very soon. Americans will remember who votes to end Trump's war today just as they will remember who voted for the war to continue, time and time and time again, for 7 long months. Big Oil Mr. President, and on the Trump Big Oil corruption report, Donald Trump's flagrant corruption costs the American people dearly every single day. We all know that. Just this morning, I joined Senator Whitehouse to unveil our Anti- corruption Working Group's staggering new report on how Trump's corrupt dealings with Big Oil billionaires are costing the American people a fortune. It is a tale as old as time in Trump's America. In 2024, this then was brazen. I knew we were headed for trouble when I saw it back then in the papers, because in 2024 Trump invited Harold Hamm and all those Big Oil guys down to Mar-a-Lago and asked them for a $1 billion--$1 billion--for his campaign in exchange for political favors to boost their bottom line. It was appalling then--pay-to-play--and openly done, bragging boldly. I mean, that shows these people have no shame. They have no worries about the strictures of democracy, of morality, of what America has always been all about. No, they brag about it: We will give you $1 billion. Help our oil companies, ho ho ho. But the American people paid the price. Big Oil paid up and, boy, did Donald Trump deliver. Trump blocked clean energy projects that would have brought down families' energy costs and powered millions of homes. The administration shut down the cheapest and fastest source of energy to build and get--the cheapest source of energy, the fastest source; it is the one that goes quickest on the grid--just so billionaires, Big Oil billionaires, could get even richer. Many of the same people making these policies are profiting off them. Trump appointed numerous fossil fuel industry leaders to his administration. Trump's corruption is not a victimless crime; it never is. Every time Americans see the skyrocketing costs on their electric bill or at the gas station, they know who to blame: Donald Trump and his Big Oil billionaire cronies. Trump's greed isn't just costing Americans more for energy; it is costing them their health. A report found that the pollution from Trump's Big Oil blitz is driving up Americans' healthcare costs too. I want to salute Sheldon Whitehouse, who had a strong hand in putting together this report. He has been steadfast, brilliant, and hard-nosed on fighting this corruption, and I salute him again. Americans--all Americans--should salute him for his efforts. Trump may think he can hide his corruption in the shadows, but we, Democrats in the Senate, will continue turning over every rock to expose how his greed is costing the American people. I yield the floor. I suggest the absence of a quorum.

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

Mr. SCHUMER

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

Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, let me say a few words about a great leader who has just retired--AFSCME president Lee Saunders. Today, I will pay tribute to a dear friend and a juggernaut for labor who recently began a well-deserved retirement--AFSCME president Lee Saunders. On Monday, there will be a celebration of Lee and all his work for the labor movement over the years. It will be quite a party. I am grateful to have known Lee for decades and have always been in awe of his steadfastness in defending working people. For nearly 50 years, you could find Lee on the frontlines for every labor issue imaginable--equal pay, better benefits, safer working conditions. You name it, Lee fought for it. That includes these past 14 years that Lee has served as president of AFSCME. He also made history as the union's first African-American president. As Lee steered this mighty union, I have had the privilege of standing shoulder to shoulder with him on issue after issue after issue. Together, during the COVID-19 pandemic, we fought hard to secure $350 billion for frontline workers and State and local governments, keeping communities afloat with public servants on the payroll. Many, if not most, of these workers would have lost their jobs had it not been for these dollars. We had real opposition from many on the other side of the aisle, but we fought hard and prevailed. Together, we worked tirelessly to ensure that over 2 million public servants received their hard-earned Social Security benefits. Together, we continue to fight for the PRO Act so that workers can better organize and bargain for fair wages and benefits, and we have applied that PRO Act in companion legislation for public workers. I couldn't have asked for a better partner in the trenches, and AFSCME's members couldn't have elected a better president to stand up for their rights in the face of some of the greatest challenges to organized labor for generations. In my own city of New York, city workers get paid a much better wage than they used to, better benefits, better pensions--all because of the AFSCME and fight Lee Saunders led. It is nice to see that hard-working public servants are actually being paid a decent wage, although obviously many of us think it should be greater. Lee was always rising to meet the moment, unafraid to take on the hardest fights, and Lee's example will continue to inspire future efforts to support American workers. Lee, you lit an eternal flame in the heart of the labor movement, and it will long endure no matter how hard corporate interests and union busters try to stamp it out. I wish this great American the very best in his retirement and congratulate him on such a historic career. China Mr. President, now on the Xi Jinping visit, as Donald Trump hunts for a headline and photo-op with Xi Jinping today, he is at risk of losing sight of what is at stake for the American people. Trump risks giving China a leg up on a variety of issues if he bends the knee to Xi. As I have been warning not only for weeks but actually for years, Trump cannot let the Chinese Communist Party get its hands on our most advanced AI chips and manufacturing equipment. If Trump truly wants to preserve America's lead in the AI race, the answer is to prohibit the sale of this cutting-edge technology to China, not to let AI develop and continue without guardrails. We all ought to be concerned by Trump handing over this tech to China, which is why Senator Warren and I, along with Senators Slotkin and Kim, will be holding a press conference today on the urgent need to tighten export controls and cut off the flow of AI technology to the CCP. AI is just one area where there is a risk of Trump selling out America. We will be closely watching what Trump does across the spectrum of challenges that the United States faces with the PRC. Trump has already undermined America's competitiveness by gutting Federal R&D and technical training and making it harder for American companies to recruit top talent from abroad. His actions have forced much of our best talent to flee this country and go to Europe and go to China--the best talent who come here to work and prosper, and he cuts off their grants, and they leave. What does that do for America? It certainly makes us weaker in scientific endeavor and makes our rivals-- even friendly rivals--stronger. It is almost like China is trying to sabotage American industry for decades to come. He gets these stupid bugs in his head that research is bad, that science is bad, that they are all a big bunch of liberals or something. He is so hurting America--Trump is--and strengthening China. Decades from now, historians will look back and say this may have been a turning point because we had such bad, stupid, ignorant leadership. Let's not forgot the implications Trump's meetings with Xi could have for American autoworkers. If Trump lets China flood the market with Chinese EVs--an idea he has flirted with before--he will put even more manufacturing workers out of a job than he already has. China also needs to stem the flow of fentanyl to the United States that is devastating our communities. I met with Xi on this very issue face to face 3 years ago. I told President Xi that he ought to stop the flow of these precursor chemicals to the United States. Well, Trump must push the PRC to do more to crack down on these synthetic opioid precursors. Our first discussions with Xi got some action but not close to enough. Trump ought to take legal action against those opioid precursors that have already been scheduled to come in here and crack down on illicit financing schemes keeping this deadly trade going. As I said, after our meeting with Xi, China made some steps in the right direction, but it needs to do more. Trump also needs to explain why on Earth he continued providing tariff relief to China, our main competitor, while escalating his costly trade war with Canada, one of our closest allies. Square that circle for us, Donald. Crucially, there is real risk that Trump could let Xi off the hook for helping Russia and Iran evade sanctions, even helping Iran target American troops in the Middle East. All of this and Trump has the gall to call Xi Jinping ``a great gentleman.'' Trump, stop fawning over strongmen like Xi, and put your foot down. Put your American foot down, and defend our country and our workers. Standing up for the American people means standing up to Xi. (The remarks of Mr. SCHUMER pertaining to the introduction of S. 5461 are printed in today's Record under ``Statements on Introduced Bills and Joint Resolutions.'')

Mr. SCHUMER. I yield the floor.

Mr. SCHUMER

Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, on the fertilizing bill, Trump's terrible economy has been anything but fertile ground for American farmers. Today, along with Senator Klobuchar, I am announcing the Strategic Fertilizer Reserve Act to ensure farmers have access to the resources they need to feed our Nation's people and our economy. Our farmers are getting crushed from all sides by this administration. Trump's blunder in Iran has jacked up the price of fertilizer and diesel to record highs, making it harder for farmers to do their jobs, from planting to harvest. Meanwhile, Trump's costly trade wars and tariffs have raised the cost of farm equipment and, worst of all, closed off markets for our farmers to sell their products. Farm bankruptcies are increasing because of the tariffs and the markets that Trump closed off. Many farmers were already struggling to get by, and now 70 percent of them say they haven't been able to afford the fertilizer they need, all because of Trump's Iran war. Our bill directs the USDA to explore creating a strategic fertilizer reserve to help American farmers weather supply chain shocks by Trump's Iran war. Farmers already have to deal with enough uncertainty as it is: unpredictable weather, inconsistent crop yields, unforeseen blights. They shouldn't have to factor in the chaos coming out of Trump's White House, on top of it all. Soaring fertilizer costs squeeze farmers first, but it doesn't take long for that pain to hit American families at the grocery store. Every Senator who cares about lowering costs, every Senator who cares about helping farmers in rural communities, every Senator, period, ought to get behind this legislation. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record.

Mr. SCHUMER

Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, on the fertilizing bill, Trump's terrible economy has been anything but fertile ground for American farmers. Today, along with Senator Klobuchar, I am announcing the Strategic Fertilizer Reserve Act to ensure farmers have access to the resources they need to feed our Nation's people and our economy. Our farmers are getting crushed from all sides by this administration. Trump's blunder in Iran has jacked up the price of fertilizer and diesel to record highs, making it harder for farmers to do their jobs, from planting to harvest. Meanwhile, Trump's costly trade wars and tariffs have raised the cost of farm equipment and, worst of all, closed off markets for our farmers to sell their products. Farm bankruptcies are increasing because of the tariffs and the markets that Trump closed off. Many farmers were already struggling to get by, and now 70 percent of them say they haven't been able to afford the fertilizer they need, all because of Trump's Iran war. Our bill directs the USDA to explore creating a strategic fertilizer reserve to help American farmers weather supply chain shocks by Trump's Iran war. Farmers already have to deal with enough uncertainty as it is: unpredictable weather, inconsistent crop yields, unforeseen blights. They shouldn't have to factor in the chaos coming out of Trump's White House, on top of it all. Soaring fertilizer costs squeeze farmers first, but it doesn't take long for that pain to hit American families at the grocery store. Every Senator who cares about lowering costs, every Senator who cares about helping farmers in rural communities, every Senator, period, ought to get behind this legislation. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record.

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, let me talk about Trump's AI comments at the U.N. Trump continued to downplay the dangers of AI during his speech at the General Assembly today, completely ignoring the concerns of the American people and the people of the world. After rambling on about how he wants to rename artificial intelligence ``superintelligence,'' Trump said he will oppose--oppose--any global effort to regulate AI. Trump said: We will only encourage superintelligence. We're going to encourage it, not rein it in. Seriously? Talk about a formula for disaster. Let's be absolutely clear, stepping away from the table on AI governance, at the same time the administration has defunded and withdrawn from countless international organizations, is a massive gift to China, who would be thrilled to fill the gap Trump is creating. China is already doubling down on maximizing its influence at the U.N. and creating its own international organizations on AI so it can set the rules of the road for this new technology. That is what America should be doing, Donald Trump. You are creating vacuums, letting the Chinese fill them, and then ranting against them. Even industry leaders building AI are calling for guardrails. Everybody seems to recognize the potential dangers of unchecked AI development except Donald Trump. What does Trump know that we don't? What makes Trump think that AI is harmless? America is asking that big, looming question. More than a week after I called for the Trump administration to provide a classified briefing to the Senate on AI risks, including cyber threats and sending technology to China, we still haven't heard anything-- crickets--on the most important issue of our day. Maybe Trump isn't worried because his family has hundreds of millions, if not billions, of dollars tied up in the AI economy. Trump doesn't care about protecting the American people, just his personal bottom line. We have all learned that through the years, and it disgusts most Americans. The President just refuses to get up off the bench, and that is unacceptable. Will Republicans continue to sit with their President on the sidelines? This week, Democrats will continue to push Congress and the administration to act on AI. Republicans have to join us in reining in an unchecked AI before it is too late. Please, please, Trump, wake up. The world is changing rapidly, and if we don't change and adapt to it and protect ourselves from the excesses of it, we are all going to be in big trouble.

Mr. SCHUMER

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

Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, first on China and AI, the evidence for the potential dangers of unchecked AI continue to grow and grow, but Donald Trump keeps brushing off America's concerns about AI's risks. Trump justifies his support for unregulated AI by saying that is how we beat China in the AI race, but his refusal to join us in blocking the sale of the most advanced chips to China does the opposite: It lets China get ahead of us. The best tool we have to outcompete China and curb the CCP's AI ambitions is by prohibiting their access to the most advanced AI chips and manufacturing equipment. I have been saying it for years. A group of us have introduced bipartisan legislation to the NDAA to stop it. National security experts agree that we have to stop the sale of these chips to China. Many of my Republican colleagues agree. But Trump doesn't, and he is the biggest barrier standing in the way. Trump keeps saying he wants to curb China, but he keeps standing in the way of the best method we have to make sure China doesn't get ahead of us and beat us in this competition over what to do with AI. Stop selling them the most advanced chips, Donald. Donald, listen already, because you are hurting America and making the world more dangerous by what you are doing on these chips. Donald, if you want to get a leg up on China over AI, join us in stopping them from getting our chips, plain and simple. Trump could protect this technology and America's lead in the AI race today. Before Trump meets with Xi Jinping next week, he needs to draw a line in the sand and say that blocking the Chinese Communist Party's access to our cutting-edge AI technology is nonnegotiable. This was a longstanding policy of the America Government, of both parties, until Trump started listening to his cronies that America's security was up for negotiation with our enemies. We need to reject the false choice Trump keeps presenting. We can both maintain our lead in the AI race by restricting China's access to our technology, and we can put up guardrails to mitigate AI's risk at the same time. These goals are not mutually exclusive. In fact, they are fundamentally intertwined. AI development that leads to a catastrophic event and the loss of public trust will undermine America's leadership. Democrats are working on measures to accomplish both these priorities, and Republicans need to get on board before it is too late. Make no mistake, without guardrails to ensure safe, sustainable AI innovation--and there is a lot of good that can come from the transformational innovation of AI--the AI race will become a race to the bottom, and that is no victory for the American people. Interest Rates Mr. President, on interest rates, every day, we see how much the chaos Donald Trump injects into our economy costs the American people. Yesterday, the Federal Reserve increased interest rates for the first time in 3 years to fight Trumpflation fueled by the President's tariffs and the disastrous war against Iran. Everything is going to become more expensive because Donald ``I love inflation'' Trump is doing everything he can to drive up costs. Every time an American takes out a loan for a house, a car, a credit card, or anything else, they are going to get settled with higher interest payments. Trump indulges in his chaos and corruption; Americans pay more. It is as simple as that. Instead of doing anything to bring down costs, to stop his tariffs, to end his war, Trump does what he always does and calls ``affordability'' a ``made up'' word. This man doesn't get it. He said it again in North Carolina just yesterday. Does Donald Trump think North Carolina voters think that ``affordability'' is a made-up word? Does Donald think that when North Carolina families sit around the kitchen table and figure out which bills they can afford to pay and not afford to pay, that that is made up? When he says these things in North Carolina, he may be saying it to a few hundred of his MAGA supporters, but the rest of North Carolina hears it and says: I don't want this guy, and I don't want a Senator who is going to go along with it. Only Trump could look at this economic pain he has inflicted on the American people and claim he is the victim. Donald, if the word ``affordability'' bothers you so much, then do something about it. Stop with the pity party. Trump also bashed the Federal Reserve Board for simply doing its job and renewed his threat to cut off a vast swath of U.S. trade if the Fed refuses to lower interest rates. Donald Trump wants to hold the American economy hostage and demand the Fed pay the ransom. Trump isn't doing anything to lower costs, and neither are Senate Republicans. Just yesterday, I pushed to pass my legislation to end Trump's tariff tax and deliver some relief to American families. Who blocked it? Senate Republicans, of course. That was the Republicans' first chance to lower costs for Americans since we have been back from our State activities for 5 weeks, and based on their schedule, it is also likely Republicans' last opportunity to stop Trump's costly tariffs before election day. Instead of lowering families' costs, Republicans voted against us. Again, the bottom line: This may have been the last opportunity to get rid of these tariffs, which are raising Americans' costs, before Leader Thune calls the session to a close. Republicans better get ready to pay a political cost in November on par with the economic costs they have inflicted on the American people. America doesn't like it. Iran Mr. President, finally, on the Iran war, well, Trump continues to downplay the severe costs of his failed war in Iran. This week, we learned that the war has cost the Pentagon at least--at least--$38 billion and American motorists over $100 billion in extra gas costs. I saw on TV this morning that the price is approaching $4.40 a gallon, and it keeps going up. And the $38 billion is just a minimum estimate. But, yesterday, campaigning in North Carolina, Trump said the hundreds of billions of dollars he is burning on this war is ``a very inexpensive price''-- those are his words--``to pay for what we've done'' in Iran--spoken like a billionaire who has never filled his own gas tank 1 day in his life. Earth to Trump: $4.50 a gallon for gas and a record $6.40 a gallon for diesel isn't inexpensive for working Americans. What exactly does Trump think this cost has gotten the American people? Is it the Iranian regime in Tehran that is even more radical than before the war? Is it Iran's tightening grip on the Strait of Hormuz and other key shipping choke points. How about the 18 brave U.S. servicemembers killed, hundreds more wounded, tens of thousands kept in harm's way for months and months on end? The only thing Trump has done in Iran is make everything worse. How can my Republican colleagues go along with this? Senate Democrats--make no mistake about it--Senate Democrats will push for another vote on a War Powers Resolution next week to bring our troops home and will continue to force votes until Trump ends his Iranian blunder. Senate Republicans have a choice: Keep forcing Americans to pay the cost of Trump's forever war or stop kissing the ring and join us in it. 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, so let me comment on AI and Trump's comments on that. So the American people keep calling on their government to act on AI, which even its creators are saying is increasingly dangerous, but Donald Trump couldn't care less. Trump says that he has that issue covered, that ``the only control or `guardrails' that AI needs is a STRONG AND SMART (High IQ!) PRESIDENT.'' Well, we don't have one so let's do something, Senators. We know Trump is not going to step up to the plate here. He puts his head in the sand. He says there is no problem when every expert says there is a dramatic and dangerous problem that we should deal with. A high IQ President wouldn't call Americans' well-founded AI concerns a ``hoax'' or a ``sick conspiracy.'' Those aren't the words of someone with a high IQ, Donald Trump. The only thing that is sick is Trump's indifference to the legitimate, valid, strong concerns of the American people. And this is what Trump always does: Americans voice their concerns about a pressing issue--Trump dismisses them out of hand. Americans express their outrage about skyrocketing costs from Trump's failed agenda--Trump calls affordability a made-up word. Families say they are getting crushed at the gas pump because of Trump's war in Iran. The President calls soaring fuel prices fake, even though they are above $4.30 a gallon. Again, where is your IQ, Mr. President? Where is your perception of the world? I don't know if it is delusion or deception, but it doesn't matter. Trump is completely out of touch with the American people, and Trump is dead wrong about AI. We don't even know how the administration is testing the safety of these powerful models before they are released to the public. Is Trump favoring one company over another because of financial interests or because of his mood of the day? He has done that time and time again. He has favored one company, one interest, over another because they suck up to him. They give him contributions, who knows what. But it is usually not on the merits, and it is often corrupt. What kind of rigor is really being employed to protect the safety and security of the American people? What are they doing? How are they doing it? Who are they favoring? These are all legitimate, important questions that must be answered. And that is why I called on the Trump administration to hold a classified briefing with the entire Senate immediately about the potential severe risks that unchecked AI development poses to our country. We all know about it. We need transparency into how the administration is testing powerful frontier AI models, something they have been concealing from the public since announcing the framework months ago. AI is something we can come together on in the Senate. I say that to my colleagues. Democrats and Republicans can come together. We deserve to know how this administration is handling this consequential issue facing the American people. If there is ever a time for Republicans to break from their blind allegiance to Trump, it is now. The world is in danger, and Republicans are on the sidelines sucking their thumbs. It is time to get off the bench. And it is worth remembering that bipartisanship has happened on AI before. If you can believe it, it has been 3 years, almost to the day, since I convened the bipartisan AI Insight Forums. We brought together not just industry titans but leaders from across sectors--academia, civil society, labor--to steer the Senate to much needed action. We convened these forums to get ahead of the very crisis we are finding ourselves in today to prevent AI from getting on an unsustainable path that endangers our security, undermines the public's trust, jeopardizes American leadership. And out of these forums came a bipartisan comprehensive roadmap. It was strong; it was bipartisan; and the roadmap was turned into a bipartisan package of bills that we came close to passing into law at the end of the last Congress until Republican leadership, Donald Trump, Elon Musk, and an incoming Trump administration blocked it. We had a chance to do this. We nearly had it, and we had good bipartisan support. And Trump comes in, Musk comes in and says don't do it, and now look where we are. Ultimately, Republicans blocked our efforts to act at the end of last Congress, but, my Republican colleagues, we can come together again to take action. The American people are demanding it. We cannot let partisanship stand in the way of this, one of the most serious problems our country and the world has ever faced. Wedding of Donald Trump, Jr. Mr. President, on the Trump family's Russia corruption--there is so much of it--on the same day Trump decided to put pressure on Ukraine rather than Russia by blaming Ukraine--not his disastrous Iran war--for high gas prices, we continue to see evidence that the Trump family is in Putin's pocket. It came out yesterday that a Russian oligarch with close ties to Putin footed the bill for hundreds of thousands of dollars in wedding expenses for Donald Trump, Jr. Can you believe this? An oligarch of a country we oppose is paying for the wedding of the President's son. Have you ever heard anything like this--so corrupt, so venal, so endangering our national security? How can you, across the aisle, shrug your shoulders at this kind of outrageous, damaging, destructive behavior? And what did Donald Trump, Jr., say in his defense? [S]ometimes a wedding gift is simply a wedding gift. Not in this case, baby. You are dealing with a Russian oligarch, not just a cousin who is giving you a gift. Well, I say to Donald Junior, who said ``sometimes a wedding gift is simply a wedding gift,'' sometimes, Donald Trump, Jr., a wedding gift is a bribe from a foreign autocrat. The oligarch dropped hundreds of thousands to put on a fireworks display, host an extravagant party, and rent out a private island for Donald Junior. But what we know he was really buying is not to have a good time at a wedding but access to the Trump family. The corruption could not get any more shameless. The Trump family has already profited $4 billion off the Presidency this term alone. Did the Trumps really need a few hundred thousand more dollars? Is that what it takes for them to sell out America to the Russians? The American people have had enough of Trump's corruption. Have Senate Republicans?

Mr. SCHUMER

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

Mr. SCHUMER

Mr. SCHUMER. Madam President, on artificial intelligence, the warning signs about AI's rapid pace have never been clearer. But what is President Trump's response to the recent calls for the government to regulate AI--even from industry leaders? Trump says: The only control or ``guardrails'' that AI needs is a STRONG AND SMART (High IQ!) PRESIDENT. Well, even if we had a high IQ President right now--and we surely don't--it wouldn't be enough. Congress cannot afford to turn a blind eye to AI. Today, I am calling for an all-Senators classified briefing with top administration officials to address the dangers of unchecked AI development and hold the administration accountable for its lack of action to protect the American people. I have long argued that we need to ensure that the United States remain the global leader in innovation and security. We all know the transformational innovation that can come from AI for advances in medicine, science, education, research, and so much more. But I have also always said that if our economy and our society is to reap the potential benefits of AI, we need sustainable innovation as well. That means putting guardrails in to mitigate the risks of this technology and earn the public's trust, which is critical to American leadership. In the last few months, the importance of these strong guardrails has become more apparent. Just this weekend, leading voices from the AI industry came together to sound the alarm and embrace a slower development of AI to avoid damaging outcomes. This comes after weeks of revelations of AI going rogue and working together to hack websites, without human control, and of real concerns of the potential catastrophic risks of unchecked AI. The American people want to see action. Industry leaders want to see action. Many of us on both sides of the aisle want to see action. That is why the Trump administration needs to address three key points in our classified briefing. First, we need a full accounting of the administration's new framework for testing powerful frontier AI models, something that has been withheld from the public for weeks. We need to know exactly how this framework is identifying and countering potentially catastrophic risks before these AI models are released. Second, we need to hear how the administration plans to defend our country against increasingly AI-enabled cyber attacks on critical infrastructure. How are we going to protect our power grid, our hospitals, our water treatment systems, schools, telecommunications, banking, and election systems from this new threat? They don't have the sophistication of much larger institutions. They are susceptible to attack. Americans need to know how we are going to protect these systems. Finally, the administration needs to explain what it is doing to block China from accessing America's advanced AI chips, semiconductor manufacturing equipment, and other cutting-edge tech that the Chinese Communist Party is using to accelerate their own AI development. For years, I have stressed the importance of protecting this technology from being co-opted by the Chinese, and now there is growing bipartisan support in both chambers of Congress to do so. We need immediate action, and the President should take it. The administration cannot, in one breath, say we need unrestrained AI development to win the race with China while giving away our AI crown jewels to the Chinese. I believe preserving America's AI advantage over China and ensuring responsible AI development go hand in hand. We can--we must--do both. Unless all the facts come out and come out soon, it will greatly hamper our ability to get anything done. That is why this classified briefing is of the utmost importance. I urge the administration to provide a classified briefing on AI to the entire Senate immediately. Regardless, Senate Democrats will take further action on AI in the coming days and weeks. The U.S. Government cannot sit this one out.

Mr. SCHUMER

Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record.

Mr. SCHUMER

Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record.

Mr. SCHUMER

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

Mr. SCHUMER

Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, I yield back my time.

Mr. SCHUMER

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

Mr. SCHUMER

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

Mr. SCHUMER

Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record.

Mr. SCHUMER

Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record.

Mr. SCHUMER

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

Mr. SCHUMER

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