Chuck Schumer

Mr. SCHUMER

Mr. SCHUMER. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today, it stand adjourned to convene for a pro forma session with no business be conducted at 9:30 a.m. on Friday, March 10; that when the Senate adjourns on Friday, it stand adjourned until 3 p.m. on Tuesday, March 14; that on Tuesday, following the prayer and pledge, the morning hour be deemed expired, the Journal of proceedings be approved to date, the time for the two leaders be reserved for their use later in the day, and morning business be closed; that following the conclusion of morning business, the Senate proceed to executive session and resume consideration of the Neiman nomination; further, that the cloture motions filed during today's session ripen on 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, March 14.

Mr. SCHUMER

Mr. SCHUMER. Madam President, if there is no further business to come before the Senate, I ask unanimous consent that it stand adjourned under the previous order, following the remarks of Senator Cardin.

Mr. SCHUMER

Mr. SCHUMER. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the consideration of S. Res. 102, submitted earlier today.

Mr. SCHUMER. I ask unanimous consent that the resolution be agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, and that the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table with no intervening action or debate.

Mr. SCHUMER

Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, last night, additional new evidence came to light that Rupert Murdoch and FOX News knew Donald Trump lied about the 2020 election. Yet they allowed the Big Lie to air on their network all the same. More and more evidence keeps pouring out that these are the undisputed facts. I have never heard of a news organization push a story with such intensity while acknowledging, very candidly behind the scenes, that what they were peddling was total balderdash. In one email just revealed last night, Mr. Murdoch admitted sometime after January 6 that ``maybe Sean and Laura went too far,'' referring to prime-time hosts Sean Hannity and Laura Ingraham. In another instance published in last night's Washington Post, Mr. Murdoch speculated that after losing the election, Donald Trump was going ``increasingly mad.'' Murdoch said Donald Trump is going ``increasingly mad,'' and then Murdoch worried that President Trump's allies' plans to overturn swing State results ``sound ridiculous'' and could lead to ``riots like never before.'' Murdoch, the head of FOX News, allowing these lies to continue, worries that they could lead to ``riots like never before.'' But it is not enough for Mr. Murdoch to express doubt and regret in private, which is continuing to be documented, because today, after he makes these expressions of doubt and regret and is very pejorative of his own newscast and newscasters, the Big Lie still has a home at FOX News, Mr. Murdoch's station--news network. Just look at Carlson's segments this week. Members on the Republican side of the aisle should drop the pretenses and say it plainly: FOX News lied to the country about the 2020 elections and, in doing so, eroded the public's trust in American democracy. For their own sake and for the sake of the country, Mr. Murdoch and FOX News leadership should put a halt to the spread of the Big Lie on their network. This is about preserving trust in our 200-year-old system of government. When enough people believe elections are not on the level, that is the death knell of democracy. Of course, the fault also lies with the person who shared Capitol security footage with FOX News to begin with-- Speaker McCarthy. Speaker McCarthy has held a gavel for less than 3 months and already he has done more than any party leader in Congress to enable the spread of Donald Trump's Big Lie. While the Speaker can't undo his decision to share security footage with FOX News, he should denounce them for the way that FOX News manipulated that footage to rewrite the history of January 6. The Speaker should not delay because his decision to share sensitive security footage with FOX News has made our democracy weaker because millions--millions--of people, sadly, believe Mr. Carlson when he says January 6 was a legitimate protest. And the more people who believe that January 6 was legitimate, the more they will accept the lie that Donald Trump won the 2020 election. Bewilderingly--bewilderingly--Speaker McCarthy said yesterday that he didn't regret his decision to share Capitol security footage. He said he didn't see what FOX News aired; that people can make their own conclusions. Then, for some reason, he started pointing the finger at CNN. For Speaker McCarthy not even to watch the spoiled fruits of his labor, it shows a callousness and unconcern far beneath the dignity of his office. Speaker McCarthy, rescue your office from that indignity by finally speaking out. If you are dealing with a burglar, Speaker McCarthy, the last thing you should do is give them your house keys. If you are dealing with an arsonist, Speaker McCarthy, the last thing you should do is give them a box of matches. And if you are dealing with FOX News, Speaker McCarthy, the last thing you should do is give them security footage of January 6 because, as we have seen, their hosts will lie to the American people--baldly lie about what happened. So, once again, Speaker McCarthy can't undo his decision to share security footage with FOX, but he should at least denounce FOX News for the way they have manipulated the footage to rewrite the history of January 6.

Mr. SCHUMER

Mr. SCHUMER. Madam President, first, I want to thank Senators Murray, Baldwin, Blumenthal, and so many of the others who have spoken on this issue. It is so vital to our country, to the women of our country, and to all of us in this country. For nearly 50 years, Roe v. Wade safeguarded Americans' fundamental right to choose. From the moment Roe was decided in 1973, the most extreme elements of the Republican Party made it their mission to reverse Roe and eliminate the freedom of choice. Last summer, tragically, that doomsday scenario became true when the MAGA Supreme Court overturned Roe and declared that there was no constitutional right to access abortion. Eight months later, the consequences of the Court's decision have been severe. One in three women has lost abortion access, and over 17 million individuals can no longer access the full range of reproductive care. The MAGA Supreme Court's decision means our children will grow up in a world where they have fewer liberties than previous generations. Today, as I mentioned, Senators Baldwin and Blumenthal, along with many others of us, are reintroducing a salve to this terrible injustice: the Women's Health Protection Act. This legislation only dropped this morning, but Senate Democrats already have a record number of cosponsors, 49 in total. Let me say that again. The legislation only dropped this morning, but Senate Democrats already have a record number of cosponsors, 49 in total. This is the most united Senate Democrats have ever been on pro-choice legislation, while Republicans remain hell-bent on eliminating women's choice. After Americans rejected MAGA Republicans' anti-choice agenda last fall, you would think they would have gotten the message, but they have not. Today, 14 States have enacted near-total abortion bans. Florida Republicans, meanwhile, introduced a bill this week to ban abortions after just 6 weeks, before many women even know they are pregnant. How can you say the Florida bill is anything but cruel and inhumane? And for those who think Republicans' abortion hostility is about States' rights, nearly every Republican in the Senate sponsored and voted in favor of a nationwide abortion ban. That is what this is all about. Republicans, deep down, want to ban abortions for everyone, everywhere. As bad as all this is, the worst injustice is that those who suffer most are often low-income Americans, rural Americans, people of color, LGBTQ Americans, particularly the trans community, and especially Black Americans. In fact, research shows that States with the harshest abortion bans have some of the highest rates of Black maternal death, as much as 38 percent higher in States with abortion restrictions. There is only one word to describe this: shameful. It is a stain, a blot, a blemish on America's soil. So passing the Women's Health Protection Act is the right thing to do for our country. I want to thank all of the Senators who helped lead this bill--the women Members of our leadership and all of our women Senators and so many others, including Senator Blumenthal, Senator Whitehouse, and many more who worked so hard on this legislation. I will work with them to push this bill forward. I yield the floor.

Mr. SCHUMER

Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, last night, millions of Americans tuned into one of the most shameful hours we have ever seen on cable television. With contempt for the facts, disregard of the risks, and knowing full well he was lying--lying--to his audience, FOX News host Tucker Carlson ran a lengthy segment last night arguing the January 6 Capitol attack was not a violent insurrection. By diving deep into the waters of conspiracy and cherry-picking from thousands of hours of security footage, Mr. Carlson told the bald-faced lie that the Capitol attack--which we all saw with our own eyes--was somehow not an attack at all. He tried to argue it was nothing more than a peaceful sightseeing tour--can you imagine--a nonviolent demonstration, a perfectly fine and appropriate instance of people expressing their opinion. I and so many others who were here in the Capitol and millions and millions of Americans are just furious with Tucker Carlson and Kevin McCarthy today. Many of my staff were here at the Capitol on January 6. Their lives were put in danger, as were the lives of many of my colleagues, as well as police, maintenance staff, reporters, countless others. At one point, I was within 30 feet of the rioters. One of them, I was told, shouted out ``let's get him'' before my detail pulled me away and we ran in the other direction. To say January 6 was not violent is a lie--a lie, pure and simple. I don't think I have ever seen a prime time cable news anchor manipulate his viewers the way Mr. Carlson did last night. I don't think I have ever seen an anchor treat the American people and American democracy with such disdain. And he is going to come back tonight with another segment. FOX News should tell him not to. FOX News, Rupert Murdoch, tell Carlson not to run a second segment of lies. You know it is a lie. He has admitted it is a lie. And Speaker McCarthy is every bit as culpable as Mr. Carlson. Speaker McCarthy's decision to share security footage with FOX looked like a mistake from the very beginning. But after last night, it looks like a disaster. Speaker McCarthy has played a treacherous game by catering to the hard right. He has enabled the Big Lie and has further eroded away at our precious democracy. When people don't believe elections are on the level, that is the beginning of the end of this bold experiment in democracy that has gone on for more than 200 years. It is all the more shameful because Speaker McCarthy knows precisely what kind of customer Mr. Carlson is. He is not surprised by this outcome. What a low point for Speaker McCarthy. What a low point for FOX News. As reporting on the Dominion lawsuit shows, Mr. Carlson had no problem admitting behind the scenes that the Big Lie is pure garbage. When Sydney Powell went on the air to push the stolen election narrative, Mr. Carlson told fellow anchor Laura Ingraham that ``Sydney Powell is lying''--his words by the deposition. Mr. Carlson's own producer texted him that ``I don't think there is evidence of voter fraud that swung the election.'' They know. They know full well they have been lying, and they are doing it anyway. We all, Americans of all types and stripes and corners of this country--Democrats, Republicans, Independents--need to take a stand and call out Mr. Carlson's conduct for what it is: a dangerous, unforgivable attempt to destabilize our democracy and rewrite the history of the worst attack on our Constitution since the Civil War. It is an insult to every police officer who was on the scene that terrible, fearful day. It is an insult to the memory of every single person who perished in connection with the attack, especially to the memory of Brian Sicknick. Nonviolent? Ask the Sicknick family. It makes me sick just thinking about what his family must be going through this morning. And it is an insult to everyone who cares about our democracy and wishes to preserve the dream of our Founders in our day, in our age. I hope every Member of this Chamber will call out FOX and Mr. Carlson for defending the insurrectionists. And, again, I am disappointed and angered in Speaker McCarthy's decision to share sensitive security footage with Mr. Carlson. Speaker McCarthy was here that day. He knows what actually happened. His staff and members suffered like everyone else, but he chose cheap political expediency over truth and preservation of democracy. I condemn Mr. Carlson for siding with the enemies of democracy. I strongly condemn Speaker McCarthy's actions and fiercely oppose his decision to share this footage with Carlson. I urge FOX News to order Carlson to cease propagating the Big Lie on his network and to level with their viewers about the truth--the truth--behind the efforts to mislead the public. Conduct like theirs is just asking for another January 6 to happen.

Mr. SCHUMER

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

Mr. SCHUMER

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

Mr. SCHUMER

Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, today, the Senate confirms a first-rate legal mind, someone I was proud to champion to the President for a lifetime appointment to the Federal bench, Arun Subramanian of New York. Mr. Subramanian is the epitome of the American dream and a historymaker: The child of hard-working immigrants from India, he will become the first South Asian to preside in the Southern District, which has one of the largest South Asian populations in the country. Mr. Subramanian's resume tells a very clear story. He is excellent. He is accomplished. He has dedicated his entire career fighting for average Americans. He served as a law clerk to Judge Dennis Jacobs on the Second Circuit, Judge Gerard Lynch in the Southern District of New York, and the late, great Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. He is an expert in consumer protection, with years of experience defending those injured by unfair, illegal practices. He also defended victims of child trafficking and pornography. Our courts need more people like Arun Subramanian. I am proud to support his confirmation. I thank my colleagues on both sides of the aisle for supporting him today. Once we confirm Mr. Subramanian, this U.S. Senate majority will have confirmed 114 judges to the bench: 30 circuit court judges, 83 district court judges, and 1 incredible Supreme Court Justice in Ketanji Brown Jackson. Of those 114 nominations, 82 are women, 78 are people of color, and, again, Mr. Subramanian is the first South Asian judge confirmed to the Southern District of New York. Because of the work done by this majority, our Federal judiciary is far more balanced, far more diverse, far more experienced than the one we just had 2 years ago. It is something every American can be proud of. I yield the floor.

Mr. SCHUMER

Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate consider the following nominations en bloc: Calendar Nos. 58 and 59; that the Senate vote on the nominations en bloc without intervening action or debate, the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table, and the President be immediately notified of the Senate's action.

Mr. SCHUMER

Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to legislative session and be in a period of morning business, with Senators permitted to speak therein for up to 10 minutes each.

Mr. SCHUMER

Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today, it stand adjourned until 10 a.m., Wednesday, March 8; that following the prayer and pledge, the morning hour be deemed expired, the Journal of proceedings be approved to date, the time for the two leaders be reserved for their use later in the day, and morning business be closed; that following the conclusion of morning business, the Senate proceed to executive session and resume consideration of the Kunesh nomination postcloture; further, that all postcloture time be considered expired at 10:45 a.m. and the Senate vote on the confirmation of the nomination, followed by the motion to invoke cloture on the Werfel nomination; that if cloture is invoked on the Werfel nomination, the vote on confirmation be at a time to be determined by the majority leader in consultation with the Republican leader; further, that following the cloture vote on the Werfel nomination and notwithstanding rule XXII, the Senate resume legislative session and Senator Hagerty or his designee be recognized to make a motion to discharge the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs from further consideration of H.J. Res. 26; that if the motion is made, all the time on the motion be considered yielded back and the Senate vote on the motion to discharge; that if the motion is agreed to, Senator Hagerty or his designee be recognized to make a motion to proceed; finally, that if any nominations are confirmed during Wednesday's session, the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table and the President be immediately notified of the Senate's action.

Mr. SCHUMER. For the information of the Senate, the confirmation vote on the Werfel nomination is expected to occur immediately upon the disposition of the joint resolution. Therefore, Senators should expect two rollcall votes at 10:45 a.m. and two votes later in the day.

Mr. SCHUMER

Mr. SCHUMER. Madam President, I have six requests for committees to meet during today's session of the Senate. They have the approval of the Majority and Minority Leaders.

Mr. SCHUMER

Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, if there is no further business to come before the Senate, I ask that it stand adjourned under the previous order, following the remarks of Senators Graham, Boozman, and Lankford.

Mr. SCHUMER

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

Mr. SCHUMER. I ask unanimous consent that the mandatory quorum call for the cloture motion filed today, March 6, be waived.

Mr. SCHUMER

Mr. SCHUMER. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to legislative session for a period of morning business, with Senators permitted to speak therein for up to 10 minutes each.

Mr. SCHUMER

Mr. SCHUMER. Madam President, I move to proceed to legislative session.

Mr. SCHUMER

Mr. SCHUMER. Madam President, I move to proceed to executive session to consider Calendar No. 61.

Mr. SCHUMER

Mr. SCHUMER. Madam President, so, this Thursday, President Biden will release the third budget proposal of his Presidency, one of the most important chances all year to emphasize the contrast between Democrats' and Republicans' vision for the country. When Americans see President Biden's budget proposal and compare it to the nasty plans coming from Republicans, the contrast will be glaring and unmistakable. First, President Biden's budget will focus on creating opportunity for average Americans. He will keep his promise not to raise taxes for anyone making less than $400,000 a year. He will show how Democrats will keep Medicare solvent for another two decades. And he will lay out a plan--a realistic, serious plan--for lowering the deficit by $2 trillion over the next 10 years. Republicans love to talk about cutting the deficit, but Democrats have actually done it. The Inflation Reduction Act lowered the deficit by hundreds of billions of dollars, and we cut the deficit while also cutting prescription drug costs and expanding tax credits for millions of middle-class families. Now, compare President Biden's budget to the nasty vision laid out by our Republican friends. While the President's budget will keep taxes and costs low for the vast majority of families, Republicans went on record wanting to raise taxes by 30 percent for millions of Americans through their recent national sales tax proposal. While the President promised no new taxes for people making under $400,000, the very first bill House Republicans passed helped rich tax cheats get away with paying little or nothing in taxes. And while President Biden and Democrats have been clear that Social Security and Medicare are not on the table, Republicans have proposed raising the retirement age and privatizing certain elements of Medicare. The result: fewer benefits for retirees, higher premiums for Medicare beneficiaries. We cannot overlook the threat Republicans also pose to Medicaid, which tens of millions of middle-class Americans rely on to ease the burden of paying for nursing homes and assisted living. Democrats want to preserve and strengthen Medicaid, but Republican proposals would cut Medicaid by $2.2 trillion and end coverage for millions of Americans. That average middle-class family--let's say they are 40, 50 years old, and they are worried about paying for the kids' college, but they also have a parent in a nursing home. Right now, Medicaid would pay for it if the parent doesn't have the resources. With these cuts, that burden will fall on tens of millions of American families in the prime of life. Finally, the President will make clear that in order to strengthen Social Security and Medicare and to lower the deficit responsibly, the ultrarich must pay their fair share. There is no--no--conceivable scenario where wealthy CEOs should ever pay a lower rate than nurses and teachers and firefighters, but that is precisely how Republicans preferred it when they cut taxes for the ultrarich under Donald Trump. It is as if Republicans care more about making sure the rich stay rich than they do about building ladders to the middle class, than they do about keeping middle-class people in that position. Now, when President Biden called out Republicans for targeting Social Security and Medicare, they erupted with feigned outrage during his State of the Union. But, to this day, Speaker McCarthy and House Republican leadership have failed to present their own plan to the American people. Speaker McCarthy, it is now March 6. Where is your plan? Speaker McCarthy, where is your plan? The President is about to release his budget. Are you going to release yours anytime soon? Enough with the dodging. Enough with the excuses. Show us your plan, and then show us how it is going to get 218 votes on your side of the aisle. Americans deserve to see for themselves what Democrats and Republicans propose for the future of the country. Republicans should come clean with the American people about what cuts they are pushing and explain how those cuts will cause unnecessary pain for millions of Americans across the country.

Mr. SCHUMER

Mr. SCHUMER. I understand there is a bill at the desk due for a second reading.

Mr. SCHUMER. In order to place the bill on the calendar under the provisions of rule XIV, I would object to further proceeding.

Mr. SCHUMER

Mr. SCHUMER. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today, it stand adjourned until 10 a.m., Tuesday, March 7; that following the prayer and pledge, the morning hour be deemed expired, the Journal of proceedings be approved to date, the time for the two leaders be reserved for their use later in the day, and morning business be closed; that following the conclusion of morning business, the Senate proceed to executive session and resume consideration of the Ballou nomination postcloture; further, that all postcloture time on the Ballou nomination be considered expired at 11:30 a.m. and that the Senate vote on confirmation of the nomination; that the Senate recess following the cloture vote on the Schopler nomination until 2:15 p.m. to allow for the weekly caucus meetings; further, that if cloture has been invoked, at 2:15 p.m., the Senate vote on confirmation of the Schopler nomination, and if cloture has been invoked on the Subramanian nomination, the confirmation vote be at 4:30 p.m.; finally, that if any nominations are confirmed during Tuesday's session, the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table and the President be immediately notified of the Senate's actions.