Chuck Schumer

Mr. SCHUMER

Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, I move to reconsider the vote on passage of S. 2882.

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

Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, in a few minutes, the Senate is going to vote on the Republican partisan, status quo bill--partisan, status quo bill. The Republican CR was the wrong option for America a week ago. It remains the wrong option today because it does nothing--absolutely nothing--to solve the biggest healthcare crisis in America. As we speak, tens of millions of Americans are getting letters in the mail informing them that their healthcare premiums are about to shoot up by an average of 114 percent. For a working-class family that needs healthcare, this is a huge increase. It is going to dramatically hurt them. And our Republican colleagues want to do nothing about it. Four million people are about to lose coverage, and 24 million people will see their healthcare costs go up. And even if you don't have ACA, the insurers are going to raise rates on you because they are getting so much less money because of all the cuts my colleagues made. This is a crisis. Now I know the leader is going to show a poll that says that Democrats will be blamed for the shutdown. There are many more polls that show Republicans are blamed. The question in that poll is biased-- biased--in the New York Times, but it is biased. That is true. I don't always believe the New York Times; you can be sure of that. Neither do you. OK? But in any case, here is a poll from Morning Consult today: 75 percent of Americans support extending the tax premium credits; 63 percent of Republicans support it. Forty-five percent of voters say they will blame Republicans in Congress for a government shutdown, and only 32 percent blame Democrats. It is natural that people understand that Donald Trump and the Republicans want a shutdown and Democrats do not. We need to deal with this healthcare crisis now, not later, but the Republican bill fails to do that. I urge my Republican colleagues instead to join with us and work in good faith to keep the government open, keep costs down. This is a totally partisan bill. Not once were we approached about what our input should be. When I was majority leader, 13 different times, we passed CRs. Why? Because every single one of those 13 times we negotiated with Republicans to keep the government open. We still want to have those negotiations today. Democrats remain ready to get to work to negotiate a bipartisan agreement--a truly bipartisan agreement--to keep the government open, but we need to fix our healthcare system now. We need to stop premiums from going up dramatically. We need to be on the side of the American people because they are on our side in terms of getting this healthcare crisis fixed--one created by the so-called Big Beautiful Bill, which they now want to change the name of because they know it is so unpopular. In fact, Republican leaders are saying ``Don't talk about healthcare'' because they know that we are on their side and Republicans are not. The issue can't wait. It must be dealt with now, not November, when it will be too late. The Republican CR is silent on healthcare and the wrong option for the country. It is as simple as that. I yield the floor.

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. I move to proceed to Calendar No. 167, S. 2882.

Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, I send a cloture motion to the desk.

Mr. SCHUMER. I withdraw the motion to proceed.

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, today, all of America can see the glaring contrast between Republican and Democratic priorities, as shown by the bills each party introduced late yesterday. Senators will have to choose to stand with Donald Trump and keep the same lousy status quo and cause the Trump healthcare shutdown or stand with the American people, protect their healthcare, and keep the government functioning. Today, we have a rare moment in the Senate where two bills come to the floor that truly crystallize the contrast between the two parties. On the Republican side, Americans will see more of the same high costs, especially on healthcare, more of the same failures of the last 9 months or, instead, Republicans can vote to undo the destruction Donald Trump has inflicted on American healthcare and instead work on a bipartisan bill--the only bipartisan bill that can win--to keep the government open. That is what Democrats offer the American people. The choice is clear. Our Republican colleagues seem to think Americans are happy with the direction of this country. They are voting like they think the status quo is good enough even though they have heard from so many of their constituents about the fear of hospitals closing, of healthcare being diminished, of premiums going way up, hundreds of dollars each month. They have heard that from their constituents, but they stick with Donald Trump, who doesn't give a hoot about them. Republicans are voting like the status quo is good enough. They are wrong. Americans are tired of the status quo. They are tired of Donald Trump's chaos and inflationary policies. By not even negotiating, by trying to make this partisan, Donald Trump and Republicans are shutting the government down. People are paying more for groceries, more for their electric bills, more for rent. Even a cup of coffee every morning has gotten more expensive under Donald Trump. Healthcare in America has been plunged into crisis. Fifteen million Americans will lose their healthcare. Premiums are set to go through the roof--hundreds of dollars each month, thousands of dollars each year. The American family--average family--can't afford that. Republicans--what do they say? Well, let's kick the can down the road. Republicans say: Let's put it off. Let's do it later. But for Republicans, ``later'' means ``never.'' We should solve this healthcare crisis now. People are already getting letters in the mail saying their premiums are about to go up next year by $300, $400, $500--God forbid, even more. A new report today showed that if we extend these tax credits, the vast majority of the benefits will go to the working- and middle-class families--the families who need help. That is what Democrats want to do here today. Also, hospitals from Virginia to Nebraska, from Maine to California, are shutting down right now--not next year; now. You know what that means. If you live in rural America, the closest hospital to you might be hundreds of miles away. You might not be able to see a doctor. Even if you can, you are going to pay more to see the doctor. If you are an adult with parents who live in a nursing home, what is going to happen if that nursing home closes due to budget cuts? Hundreds--hundreds--of nursing homes will close because they depend on Medicaid, which has been slashed. Most people, most average families, can't afford to take their parents in, and there is no way they could provide the same care and expertise that a nursing home could. I have talked to long-term care centers--in Republican districts no less--where doctors and nurses and healthcare workers and parents are frustrated or worried--worried their jobs are imperiled and worried even more that their patients are imperiled. They cannot understand how Donald Trump and Republicans are so OK with cutting their funding. In short, it is a betrayal. That is what the status quo looks like under Donald Trump. Also, let me speak to my own colleagues here in the Senate who care about this institution and who, in normal times, would love to work together with the other side to make good things happen for the country. Donald Trump and his little minion Russell Vought have made a total mockery of the congressional appropriations process. He has trampled over Congress's power of the purse. He has illegally frozen, canceled, and redirected--unilaterally misappropriated--hundreds of billions in funding. Why the heck should the Senate vote on a budget if Russell Vought singlehandedly, with Donald Trump's support, can undo it all? And that includes NIH research. It includes public broadcasting and so much else. It is all illegal. It cannot be tolerated. Why pass a budget if Russell Vought can unilaterally rescind it? Every Senator should not stand for it, including our Republican colleagues. Democrats will certainly not stand for it. Will Republicans? Republicans cannot expect that another take-it-or-leave-it extension of government funding that fails to address healthcare costs is going to cut it for the American people. What we should do instead is move forward with our Democratic proposal to work to keep the government open, to lower people's premiums, to protect people's healthcare. Finally, both sides should at least talk. Donald Trump does not want to talk. He has said to Republicans: ``Don't even bother'' to deal with Democrats. That is Donald Trump saying he--he--wants a shutdown. You have to have two parties to pass a bill. If you say ``Don't deal with Democrats,'' you are saying you want a shutdown. That is what Trump has said. He either doesn't know the Senate procedure, where you need 60 votes--that is obvious--or he doesn't know math, because he only has 53. Donald Trump is saying he wants a shutdown, and Leader Thune and Speaker Johnson should resist Trump's bullying. They know the only way to pass a budget is with bipartisan negotiation. In the 4 years when we Democrats had a majority, there was never a shutdown. Why? We talked to our Republican colleagues and created bipartisan proposals. We sat down and talked, which was normally what happened, except our Republican colleagues--Leader Thune and Speaker Johnson--are too afraid to buck Donald Trump. Well, the American people won't stand for Donald Trump's status quo. They don't like the Republican partisanship. They expect both sides to come together and address the real needs they face, from healthcare to the cost of living. This is what Democrats offer the American people with our bill today if Senate Republicans heed their call.

Mr. SCHUMER

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

Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, I would just make one point to my good friend from Wyoming. When we were in the majority for 4 years, there was not a shutdown--not one. Why? Because we did what you are supposed to do: talk in a bipartisan negotiation and each side has input. The reason we are having a shutdown now is you and your leadership refuse to talk to Democrats and have input and want only your imprimatur on the bill, which we believe hurts Americans badly with healthcare. Never a shutdown when we were in leadership. You can quote all the things you want. We did it the right way. You are not.

Mr. SCHUMER

Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, I must speak for another moment about the FCC. We are in a moment of peril--dire peril--in America because yesterday Donald Trump said he intends to put a dagger through the heart of what America is about when he said that he doesn't believe in free speech, that maybe the licenses and ability to speak of people and broadcast companies that disagree with him should be taken away. When Donald Trump says the FCC should consider revoking licenses of networks with shows and hosts who are ``against me'' and who ``give me only bad publicity,'' he is talking about a dictatorship. That is what dictatorships do--they shut down anyone who has any disagreement with them. But that is what he is threatening to do today through Brendan Carr. He said: I would think maybe their licenses should be taken away. It will be up to Brendan Carr. That is censorship. It is disgusting. It is a violation of the First Amendment. What Trump is doing comes right out of Xi and Putin's playbook. He is launching in broad daylight a naked attack on perhaps the most basic freedom in America: free speech. For hundreds of years, America has been proud to be a land of free speech, and Donald Trump is the first President who really attempts to put a dagger through its heart. Where are our Republican colleagues? They know this is wrong. Silence; obeisance to Donald Trump's destruction of free speech and democracy. He is launching in broad daylight an attack on one of the most basic freedoms in America, which is free speech, and it is being challenged through his flack at the FCC, Brendan Carr, who coerced ABC to suspend Jimmy Kimmel for his comments that he or Trump didn't like. Donald Trump's attack on free speech is despicable. It is anti- American. It is the road to dictatorship. And it is not the first time Donald Trump has done this. He is launching investigations into companies to bully them into submission. And it is not just late-night talk show hosts; Donald Trump and MAGA have said they will try to silence others. When Carr goes on a podcast and says the FCC ``can do this the easy way or the hard way'' to make sure Kimmel is silenced, that is an attack on every single media outlet, whether it is traditional or digital. That is an attack on every single American. So today I am, with Senators Markey and Lujan, calling on Chairman Carr to demand to know how the FCC defines ``public interest'' under Carr, which networks must adhere to; to ask Carr did his staff communicate--he or his staff--with Disney, ABC, or their affiliates. We all know the murder of Charlie Kirk was abhorrent and evil, plain and simple, but it is repulsive that the Trump administration is exploiting this tragic death as an excuse to go after anyone they don't like politically, including by silencing free speech. While Donald Trump tries to take away people's freedoms, Republicans in Congress are bowing in obeisance to his throne because they are too scared to stand up to him. They know he will cast retribution on them, as he has on networks and people in the press. In conclusion, freedom is as fundamental as it gets in America. Everyone knows that. Republicans know that. Conservatives know that. For the longest time, everyone--Ronald Reagan on down--has defended free speech. But if you lose freedom of speech, it is the road to autocracy. Mr. Carr is one of the greatest threats to free speech in American history. He must resign immediately, and if not, Trump should fire him. I yield the floor.

Mr. SCHUMER

Mr. SCHUMER. Madam President, I enter a motion to reconsider with respect to the failed vote on S. 2882.

Mr. SCHUMER

Mr. SCHUMER. I announce that the Senator from Illinois (Mr. Durbin) and the Senator from Utah (Mr. Sanders) are necessarily absent.

Mr. SCHUMER

Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President yesterday, Democrats released our bill to extend government funding and meet the needs of the American people. The contrast between the Republican bill and the Democratic bill is glaring. The Republican bill is more of the same failed status quo of Donald Trump's failed policies: more high costs, healthcare cuts, and premiums up. Democrats have a different option. We address the crises Americans face in healthcare, in Medicaid, in inflation, and in higher costs. The House is expected to vote on their partisan, status quo bill either later today or tomorrow. If the bill passes the House, the Senate should take up the issue immediately afterward. We could do it quickly so we don't interfere with anyone's travel plans to Arizona. We would ask for limited debate and just two votes: the House status quo bill, which delays any sort of healthcare relief; and the Democratic alternative, which would lower healthcare costs for millions of Americans. I urge Republican leaders to speed up these votes. One of the oldest sayings in politics is from the great Abraham Lincoln. He said that ``public sentiment is everything.'' That is certainly true in this debate. The American people will look at what Republicans are doing and what Democrats are doing, and it will be clear that public sentiment is on our side. Public sentiment will be on our side for at least three reasons: First, the American people want both sides to work together. We have made it clear we want a bipartisan negotiation, but Republicans don't. The American people detest seeing Republicans being so intransigent. Republicans are governing like their view is the only view. That is, of course, not true. We are a split country, half and half. And to cut one half out entirely--no talk, no negotiation--is unacceptable for the American people. That won't win public sentiment in any way. The second reason public sentiment is on our side: Americans are tired of the failed, chaotic, high-cost status quo, which decimates their healthcare, which raises their costs, and which Republicans are defending in their bill. Tens of millions of people are going to lose coverage. Starting in October, millions will receive notices that their healthcare insurance premiums are going to go up $400, $500, $600--not a year; a month. The average working family can't afford that. Premiums are skyrocketing. Hospitals from Virginia to Nebraska, from Maine to California are shutting down now--not later. People won't be able to see a doctor or access affordable medication. I met a woman whose daughter had cancer. She said to me that they depend on Medicaid for her recovery. What is she going to do? Wait? Delay? See what the Republicans want to do, if anything, when they haven't said they would do anything at all and they decimated healthcare themselves? Now nursing homes are going to close down, and many, many American families are not going to know what to do about taking care of their elderly parents. They may not have room at home to have them move in, and even if they did, they can't give them the kind of healthcare their parents got in nursing homes. But nursing homes, one after the other, are going to close. They depend on Medicaid. This is all chaos. This is suffering. Medical research, which can cure cancer or Alzheimer's--millions are alive because we invested in medical research--cut it off? stifle it? don't send the money out for it? This is chaos. This is suffering. These are the results of Donald Trump's policies, which the status quo, partisan Republican bill maintains, and Americans are tired of this status quo. All the data shows it. Even Leader Thune called the Republican bill status quo--the status quo option--on the floor yesterday. America, do you want the status quo on healthcare? Leader Thune says his bill is status quo. Today, I was amazed to hear that Leader Thune called our bill filthy. Is it filthy to provide healthcare for sick Americans? Is it filthy to prevent premiums from going up $400 or $500 a month? Is it filthy to prevent rural hospitals from closing? That is why Republicans are so out of touch. That is why. The American people desperately want change. They don't think our country is headed in the right direction, and they need help in bringing healthcare costs down, providing better healthcare. They need help maintaining coverage. They need help for the essentials. The Republican status quo bill doesn't do any of this, but the Democratic bill does--the second reason that public sentiment is on our side, not theirs. Finally and just as importantly, it is unacceptable that Donald Trump has told Republicans not to negotiate with Democrats, and Donald Trump is heading America toward a shutdown by not negotiating. Look. Here is what he said. These are Trump's words, not mine. I will remind everybody of his words last week: ``Don't even bother'' to deal with Democrats. When Donald Trump says ``don't even bother'' to deal with Democrats, he says he wants a shutdown, plain and simple. And again, that is the last thing the American people want--a President who says: My way or the highway, and shut the government down if I don't get my way. That is what he said. The public is on our side. The public is on our side. Public sentiment is everything. They don't like Republican partisanship, they don't like the status quo bill, and they certainly don't like Donald Trump refusing to even have Democrats be part of the decision. He says he doesn't need us? Well, Donald Trump either doesn't know how to count or doesn't understand a modicum of Senate procedure, which most Americans do. You need 60 votes, Mr. President, Donald Trump. You have 53. You need our votes. To say not to bother with us is saying you want a shutdown, plain and simple. The American people see that. Finally, Leader Thune has spent a lot of time talking about the past. He has quoted me. I want to remind Leader Thune--I want to remind my Republican colleagues--when Democrats were in the majority and I was majority leader, every year, we did not see a shutdown. I was majority leader for 4 years--no shutdowns. Why? Because we sat down with the other side and negotiated. We knew that the majority had to work with the minority. Like now, we knew then we had to get 60 votes. And bipartisanship ruled the day. It had to if you wanted to avoid a shutdown. Why is that not happening now? Well, frankly, Leader Jeffries and I were befuddled for about a month because in late July, we asked Thune and Johnson to sit down with us--late July. We heard nothing from them, crickets. We asked again in early September; nothing, crickets. But now it has become clear why they wouldn't sit down with us. Here is the reason: Donald Trump. Donald Trump made it clear: ``Don't even bother'' dealing with the Democrats. Thune and Johnson listen to Trump. They are not independent actors. They don't represent an independent Congress, an independent House, or an independent Senate. And when Donald Trump says don't negotiate with Democrats, they don't and come up with 20 excuses why. The single biggest reason that we are on the brink of a shutdown is Donald Trump's refusal to let Republicans even negotiate. I yield the floor. I suggest the absence of a quorum.

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, tomorrow, the Senate will hold votes on two bills: the status quo continuing resolution from the Republicans, which will lead to a shutdown, and the Democrats' plan to prevent a shutdown while avoiding a catastrophe in rising healthcare costs. Tomorrow, Americans will see the glaring contrast, the contrast between the Republican plan continuing the status quo of Donald Trump's healthcare cuts and high costs and the Democratic plan to avoid a shutdown while lowering premiums, fixing Medicaid, and protecting funds for scientific and medical research. The latest studies, in fact, show that the impacts of the Republican healthcare cuts are quickly getting worse and worse than first imagined. This is an oncoming train that must be stopped. So tomorrow, Republicans can choose: Either listen to Donald Trump and shut the government down or break this logjam by supporting our bill and keeping the government open. The votes tomorrow will tell all. 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, Speaker Johnson and House Republicans released a partisan CR that failed to meet the needs of the American people. Republicans have been calling their bill a clean CR, but ``clean'' is the wrong word. It is a partisan bill; it has had no input from Democrats; and, most importantly, because it has had no input from Democrats, it is a status quo bill. It is a status quo bill. Americans don't want the status quo. With tens of millions being kicked off of health insurance, with healthcare premiums set to skyrocket next year, with people paying more for groceries, for energy costs, for rent and struggling because of Donald Trump's tariffs, people need help. That is what they are telling us from one end of the country to the other. They are not happy with the direction America is going. American people want their leaders to address their needs, and that is just what Democrats are fighting for. The last thing the American people want is a status quo bill that continues the chaos and high costs of the last 9 months. But the Republican bill, not only is it partisan, but it is a status quo bill. It changes nothing. It continues the chaos and high costs of the last 9 months. Democrats say: No way. We need to answer people's needs. When they tell us prices are going through the roof, when they tell us their healthcare is at risk, they want us to be there. So we need to sit at the table and talk to our Republican colleagues so the American people's needs can be taken into account in a bipartisan negotiation. But the Republican CR is certainly not the right answer. Republicans are causing a shutdown, creating it by not negotiating and by not being willing to answer the country's needs. The American people deserve better than the Republicans' failed agenda. They deserve better than keeping the status quo because there has been such, such damage done in the last months. Soon, Senate and House Democrats will release our own proposal to keep the government open with a short-term extension that properly meets the needs of the American people. Our bill will represent the right path to avoid a shutdown crisis by addressing healthcare costs and cuts, by preventing premiums from going up, by restoring and extending congressional funds for things like NIH that Donald Trump and Russell Vought are illegally halting. Once both sides put forth proposals--and ours will be coming shortly--Republicans will face a choice: to keep following Donald Trump into a reckless shutdown that he seems to want or to finally come to the table and work with us. Remember, it takes 60 votes to get anything passed in the Senate. That means Democratic input is a necessity to improve the lives and lower costs for the American people because Republicans are not doing a thing to make things better. This is not optional; it is necessary. Republicans know that. Yet Donald Trump has told Republicans: Don't even bother. He said ``Don't even bother negotiating with Democrats.'' And they have, unfortunately, dutifully, obeyed. By not even bothering to talk to Democrats, Republicans are paving the road that leads to a shutdown. That is deeply troubling for the American people. They expect Donald Trump and Republicans to do their jobs and to address their needs and to keep the government open by working like adults with the other side, not just saying: It is my way or the highway, particularly when their way represents a status quo that the American people abhor. Mark my words, the American people will blame Donald Trump if a shutdown happens. Finally, I will say it again because it is important: Democrats don't want a shutdown, but Republicans cannot shut Democrats out of the process and pretend like the last 9 months have been business as usual. There is nothing business as usual about kicking 16 million people off healthcare. There is nothing business as usual about Donald Trump illegally stealing and canceling Federal investments approved by Congress, even for NIH research, which may save the lives of children with cancer. There is nothing business as usual about Donald Trump tearing up budgets, ignoring the law, picking winners and losers for things as vital as disaster relief. Republicans know that these abuses can't just continue as if everything is just fine. Everyone knows that Americans are frustrated with the status quo, frustrated with costs going up and up and up, frustrated with Donald Trump injecting so much chaos into their lives. And Republicans think that that is OK, no questions asked, no negotiation or discussion? Give me a break. In the Senate, it takes 60 votes. So that means Republicans will need to work with us. If they can't even bother to have a conversation with Democrats, it is Republicans, then, the American people will know, are causing the shutdown in 2 weeks. We still have some time. I pray it doesn't happen. I yield the floor. I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. SCHUMER

Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, I want to be very clear about something. When Donald Trump goes on FOX News and says to Republicans ``Don't even bother to deal with Democrats,'' when he says out loud that he doesn't need or want our votes, that means Donald Trump wants a shutdown--make no mistake about it. Trump can say a million times he doesn't want a shutdown, but he is acting as if he absolutely wants one. His words say one thing, but his actions say another. He is ordering Republicans not to even bother working with Democrats. He is telling Republicans to ``fight back'' against ``the radical left democratic demands.'' He is telling them to vote yes on a partisan CR that fails to meet the needs of the American people and had no Democratic input. These are the kinds of actions a President takes when he wants a shutdown: closing negotiations; forcing partisan votes; ignoring the needs on healthcare, on costs, and on so many other issues of the American people. It is the same story with Leader Thune and Speaker Johnson. They are doing exactly what Donald Trump wants. They say they want a vote on a partisan CR as soon as possible here in the Congress, but they have refused even to sit down at the table with Leader Jeffries and me, despite repeated requests. So, look, our Republican colleagues can say whatever they want, but it is clear as could be that they want a shutdown. They can say they don't; they are acting as if they do. They can try to play the blame game, but their actions tell a different story. Their actions show clearly they want to shut things down because they don't want to negotiate with Democrats. And it is more than that. It means Republicans don't want to help the American people with the crisis they have created, raising people's costs, particularly their healthcare costs. They don't want to do anything about the crisis they have created for their hospitals despite the outcry from hospitals, hospital workers, and patients from one end of the country to the other. They don't want to do anything about the fact that people's premiums are going to shoot through the roof. They don't want to stop the rampant and illegal abuses of Donald Trump when he steals or cancels congressional-approved funding for medical research--medical research--or other things. By refusing to sit down with Democrats, Republicans are telling the American people that they are happy to help Donald Trump burn this country down; they are happy to let the government shut down. The American people don't want Republicans to shut the government down. The American people expect Republicans who are in charge to sit down and negotiate, as any responsible leaders would do. They expect Republicans to do their jobs. On Friday, Donald Trump said on ``Fox & Friends'' that he all he needs is Republican votes. He is wrong. He doesn't know how to count. It takes 60 Senate votes for anything to pass. That means you need Democratic votes. That is a plain fact. To get those votes, he needs some input from Democrats. We particularly want to talk about people's high costs--particularly in healthcare--created by the Republican Big Beautiful Bill. Those are the plain facts. If Donald Trump says no negotiations at all, then it is Donald Trump's shutdown. Welcoming Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew Mr. President, now on a happier note--His All-Holiness Patriarch Bartholomew I. I would like to welcome this morning to Washington His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I, the spiritual leader of all the world's orthodox Christians. It is an honor to have His All- Holiness with us this week in our Nation's Capital. He is a great example not only to the world's Christians but to people of all faiths and to everyone who seeks peace, justice, and unity in a world in desperate need of all three. I particularly commend the patriarch for his legacy as an advocate for protecting our planet, for interfaith dialogue, and for justice for every corner of the Earth. We welcome Patriarch Bartholomew I to Washington this week. We thank him for his leadership, and we wish him the best during his stay here. I yield the floor. I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. SCHUMER

Mr. SCHUMER. Madam President, I would like to begin by reiterating where Democrats stand on government funding. Our position remains this: We want to keep the government open by engaging in bipartisan negotiation where we can address some of the grave harms Donald Trump has caused to our healthcare system and help Americans with the cost of living. We haven't seen that to date. Republicans, so far, have refused to have any conversations about issues we have clearly outlined-- healthcare, most of all. Speaker Johnson said recently he hopes Democrats won't politicize the process, but Speaker Johnson has already done that by refusing multiple requests to sit down and talk and doing his own CR without consultation, without any inclusion of what the Democratic leader in the House or I are asking for--total, total partisan proposal. And so is President Trump. When Donald Trump said on FOX News that Republicans ``don't even bother'' dealing with Democrats, then he is responsible for making a shutdown more likely. This afternoon, he doubled down again, posting online that Republicans should go at it alone in their partisan CR, instead of engaging with Democrats to keep the government open. Now to pass a CR in the Senate, as everyone knows, requires votes from both sides. If one side refuses to negotiate, they are the ones causing the shutdown. Because, again, Democrats are happy to negotiate. We want to have a conversation with Donald Trump and Republicans about things we have been talking about for months, like healthcare, Medicaid, and the cost of living. And the American people know this. They know that if Donald Trump refuses to talk--even to talk--with Democrats, it will be him shutting things down. They know he needs to negotiate. They know he needs to compromise. He is not a dictator, much as he thinks he would like to be. He needs to work with Democrats if he doesn't want to get blamed for shutting the government down. And if Republicans follow Donald Trump's orders not to even bother dealing with Democrats, they, too, will be putting our country on a path to a shutdown. And let me finish with this: I heard my friend the Republican leader come to the floor and cherry-pick some of my old quotes about keeping the government open with a CR. He zeroed in on the phrase ``clean extension.'' Well, the Republican leader glossed over the key point. I said in the past that Republican colleagues have to ``work with the Democrats in a bipartisan way'' to extend government funding. I said they actually have to work with us, and it has to be bipartisan. That is not happening right now. It was happening then in 2023. That is the difference, and the majority leader conveniently forgets that extremely important point. And it is not happening right now because Donald Trump is shutting down--shutting down--any hopes of negotiation. Leader Thune wants to wonder what has changed? A lot. A lot. Including Donald Trump's actions, which have dramatically harmed this country and undermined the appropriations process. He has canceled congressionally appropriated funding. He is redirecting and stealing funds. Russell Vought says that he wants to see the appropriations process less bipartisan, and we know he is running the show. And now he says that Republicans shouldn't even bother to deal with Democrats. Meanwhile, the cost of people's healthcare has gone way up. Rural hospitals are already closing because of this Big Beautiful Bill. Job reports continue to show warning signs. Trump's tariffs are a mess, and the economy is headed in the wrong direction. That is all because of the choices Donald Trump has made as President. We need to have a negotiation, which is what we are asking for right now--bipartisan, the only way you can get this done--and that is what we talked about back then as well.

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, 24 years ago today, September 11, 2001, started off like any other day in New York City. The weather was beautiful. People were out and about. It was primary day, and people were lining up to vote. Then, in an instant, everything changed. At 8:46 a.m., Flight 11 crashed into the North Tower of the World Trade Center. There was chaos and confusion. Seventeen minutes later, flight 175 crashed into the South Tower. The reality of what was happening became clear: This wasn't a horrific accident. America was under attack. New York City was Ground Zero. The course of American history was changed forever. Twenty-four years later, not a day has passed that I haven't thought about the people we lost that day, including three friends of mine: a guy I played basketball with in high school, a businessman who helped me on the way up, a firefighter I did blood drives with around the city. May their memories be a blessing. I still think about the scenes when I arrived at Ground Zero in the aftermath of the attack the day after. The putrid smell of dead, burned flesh was in the air. I remember the rows upon rows of people holding up makeshift signs with photos of their missing loved ones because no one knew who was alive and who wasn't: Have you seen my brother Bill? Have you seen my daughter Mary? The anguish on their faces stays in my mind to this day. They are the kind of heart-wrenching images that will stay with me for a lifetime. While 9/11 was America's darkest hour, I also saw New Yorkers in our finest moments. There were countless acts of kindness by strangers to help each other. In the midst of the tragedy that the world saw, the true strength of America and New York came through. The next day, I called on every American to display the flag on their clothes, outside their homes as a sign of solidarity. And ever since that day, I wear this flag on my lapel. Every time I look at it, I think of those who were lost. It is a small but constant reminder of our sacred promise: Never, never forget. ``Never forget'' especially means honoring the countless brave first responders who ran toward danger, not away from it, to save lives. In our darkest hour, these heroes--police officers, firefighters, EMTs, so many others--risked their lives--construction workers--to rescue others. Many of the finest first responders became sick because of the toxins in the air. Many were diagnosed with rare, deadly cancers and diseases, and many--far too many--succumbed to their illnesses, including my great friend Ray Pfeifer. May he rest in peace. That is why I have fought to secure nearly $1.71 billion for the World Trade Center Health Program to help sick first responders get the care they need. Sadly--sadly--it has been such a struggle to get that money. It has been a difficult few months for many 9/11 first responders and others now sick due to exposures at Ground Zero. Cuts to this program are wrong, immoral, and I have fought in a bipartisan way, with fellow Republicans and Democrats, to oppose them. I have also fiercely opposed the firing of thousands of HHS staffers who support the World Trade Center Health Program. The heroes who rushed to their towers, the families who have lost loved ones and have sick loved ones don't deserve this kind of chaos, uncertainty, and uncaringness. They don't deserve to have their treatment put on hold because of a backlog or because of disorganization. I repeat. This is not a Democratic or Republican issue. Taking care of 9/11 families is an American issue to its core. One of the best ways to never forget is ensuring the World Center Trade Center Health Program is fully funded, is fully staffed, and is fully operational. So may God bless--God bless--the memories of those who perished on 9/ 11. May God bless all of our first responders and families. And, now, in memory of the 2,977 people killed on September 11, in honor of their families, and in honor of all those who have sacrificed since then to keep our country safe, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate observe a minute of silence in honor of those who died on 9/11. The ACTING PRESIDING pro tempore. Without objection, it is so ordered. The Senate will observe a moment of silence. (Moment of silence.) May we never, never forget the memories of those whom we lost.

Mr. SCHUMER

Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, I just want everyone here and in the country to understand what our Republican colleagues just did. For the third time this year, Republicans just resorted to the so- called nuclear option in the Senate, weakening the Senate even further and turning this Chamber into a conveyor belt for unqualified Trump nominees--a conveyor belt for unqualified Trump nominees. Make no mistake. This move by Republicans was not so much about ending obstruction, as they claim; rather, it was another act of genuflection to the executive branch. Democrats have shown very clearly we are willing to negotiate. We did that at the end of the last work period. We were doing it today. But what Republicans have done is chip away at the Senate even more to give Donald Trump more power and to rubberstamp whomever he wants, whenever he wants them, no questions asked. That is not the Senate's job. We are supposed to debate and take votes on nominees, especially when the executive branch is grossly breaking norms by sending us woefully unqualified, unscrupulous, and, in some cases, deeply dishonest individuals for powerful and important positions. By going nuclear today, Republicans are saying: We don't want to do our jobs. They are saying: Whatever Trump wants, we will do it. Make no mistake. Because of the harmful step Republicans took today, the historically bad nominees Donald Trump has sent to the Senate all year long will get even worse. Republicans now own even more than they had before: the terrible nominees who are about to sail through this Chamber, the special interests will get even richer, and the American people will be the ones who are hurt the most. This is a sad, regrettable day for the Senate, and I believe it won't take very long for Republicans to wish they had not pushed the Chamber further down this awful road. I yield the floor.