Chuck Schumer

Mr. SCHUMER

Mr. SCHUMER. Madam President, I understand there is a bill at the desk due 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 proceedings.

Mr. SCHUMER

Mr. SCHUMER. Madam President, on Friday, the city of Memphis released the brutal, truly sickening body cam footage of the murder of Tyre Nichols. I am heartbroken, horrified, and appalled by this heinous murder. This should have just been a routine traffic stop. It never, never should have ended the way it did, in unnecessary violence and bloodshed. The repetitiveness of unjust murders like Tyre Nichols' is a stain on America. The five police officers who betrayed their oath to serve and protect should be prosecuted to the full extent of the law. We should remember Tyre for who he was and for the life he lived. By all accounts, he was a beautiful and gentle soul. He was creative, he was energetic, and he was deeply passionate about the things he loved most: sunsets, skateboarding, and, above all, his family. He was a father, a son, a friend, a talented young man with his whole life ahead of him, and he should still be alive today. So let us honor his memory by bringing lasting, meaningful change to create a more just and a more fair America, our long-trodden path to try and make this country--this beautiful country--a more perfect place and a more perfect nation.

Mr. SCHUMER

Mr. SCHUMER. Madam President, on the debt ceiling, one of Congress's top priorities this year is ensuring the United States does not default on its debt for the first time in our history. Even approaching a default would be disastrous for American families. The damages will show up on everything from people's credit card bills, their mortgage rates, and when applying for things as basic as a car loan. It risks thousands of dollars lit on fire for millions of American families. Everyone's life in this country will take many steps backward if we default. Now, Republicans have done a lot of talking about cuts, but when it comes to actually showing us a plan for avoiding default, they are playing a dangerous game. Republicans, it is time to come out of hiding, put pen to paper, and show us your plan. Republicans, show us your plan. According to some reports, Republicans want significant cuts across the board. But from where? Is funding for our troops safe? We don't know. Republicans, show us the plan. Is funding for police and firefighters and first responders safe? Republicans, show us the plan. Is funding for Social Security and Medicare safe, which some in that party, particularly on the MAGA wing, think should be cut? We don't know. Show us the plan. The silence is unacceptable because the American people have a right to know whether they are going to see crucial services suddenly dry up. And if Republicans don't get their way, Americans have a right to know whether or not the hard-right GOPers are really prepared to lead the House Republican conference to push the United States to default and whether the Republican House, led by McCarthy, will follow them over that devastating cliff, sending costs spiking on everything from credit cards to auto loans, to mortgages. We have seen in realtime how dangerous it is for Speaker McCarthy to have empowered the most extreme elements of the GOP to set the agenda in the House. The MAGA wing of the GOP, which has set the rules on how the House should run, has left no doubt that, under their watch, no form of funding, however necessary, is safe. Democrats, meanwhile, have been very clear about our position. When it comes to the debt ceiling, there can be no brinksmanship, no threats, no hostage-taking. This is simply too important. It has to get done. Republicans need to show their plan to the American people. The clock is ticking on the debt ceiling every day. We must make sure that a first-ever default doesn't occur. Yet Republicans are making it more and more likely.

Mr. SCHUMER

Mr. SCHUMER. On a final note, Madam President, last Thursday, I announced the slate of committee members for the 118th Congress on the Democratic side. I want to thank every one of my colleagues for their continued good work and readiness to make life better for the American people. I expect that, by the end of this week, we will have the full slate of all the committees fully locked in, enabling us to move forward on the important work we have before us. We got a good deal--a tremendous amount--of bipartisan work done last year, and I am optimistic and hopeful that we can likewise continue this year in a productive, bipartisan spirit whenever possible. I look forward to having all committee memberships announced in full really soon. I yield the floor. I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. SCHUMER

Mr. SCHUMER. Madam President, now, on Gateway, tomorrow is a big day for New Yorkers, as we welcome President Biden to celebrate progress on the most important infrastructure project in America, the new Gateway rail tunnel. This day has been a decade in the making. The Northeast corridor is the busiest passenger rail line in the country, and the crossing under the Hudson is its most important nexus point. But for far too long, these two single-track tunnels have been badly in need of repairs. After Hurricane Sandy devastated New York and the experts said there is limited time in which they will be operable, fixing the tunnel became one of my greatest passions, a labor of love, because I love New York and, without it, New York's economy would come screeching to a halt. For years, I worked hard, bringing together public and private partners from New York, New Jersey, and Amtrak to get everyone on the same page on Gateway. We met a lot of resistance along the way. When President Trump was in office, he tried to freeze progress on the Gateway project altogether, going as far as holding it hostage in negotiations over the border wall. Still, I was proud that, even during the Trump administration, I was able to double, triple, quadruple, and, in one case, increase tenfold the funding for various Federal spending accounts pertaining to Gateway because I knew that one day--one day-- President Trump would no longer be in office. Now, thanks to our bipartisan infrastructure bill and with great help from President Biden, Gateway is moving forward. Under our infrastructure law, tens of billions of more dollars have been dedicated to Federal accounts, which will support Gateway and many, many other large projects in the country, and this is something I am very, very proud to celebrate. I will have more to say in New York tomorrow, but, today, I want to affirm once again that progress on Gateway is a very important example of how our infrastructure bill is making life better for millions of everyday Americans. Building two new tunnels and updating the existing tunnels will lead to work with good-paying union jobs--tens of thousands of jobs--and lead to a burst of economic activity for decades to come. I want to thank President Biden for making the trip to New York tomorrow, and I am happy to say that, after a lot of hard work and a lot of stubborn persistence, our efforts are finally paying off.

Mr. SCHUMER

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

Mr. SCHUMER

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

Mr. SCHUMER

Mr. SCHUMER. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to executive session to consider PN62, Roger Israel Zakheim; that the time until 5:30 p.m. be equally divided in the usual form on the nomination; that upon the use or yielding back of time, the Senate vote on the nomination without intervening action or debate; that if confirmed, at a time to be determined by the majority leader, in consultation with the Republican leader, the Senate proceed to executive session to consider PN61, Joseph Lee Falk; that there be 10 minutes for debate, equally divided in the usual form on the nomination; that upon the use or yielding back of time, the Senate vote on the nomination without intervening action or debate; that if either nomination is not confirmed, all action with respect to both nominations be vitiated.

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., on Tuesday, January 31; 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 the Senate be in a period of morning business, with Senators permitted to speak therein for up to 10 minutes each; further, that the Senate recess from 12:30 p.m. until 2:15 p.m. to allow for the Republican caucus meeting.

Mr. SCHUMER

Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, if the 118th Congress is going to do its job and raise the debt ceiling later this year, there is one very big, very important question that all of us need to answer: Republicans, where is your plan? It is the first question that must be asked, so let me ask it again. Republicans, where is your plan? For weeks, we have heard lots of howling at the Moon from House Republicans on the MAGA fringe about sabotaging the credit of the United States but little in the way of actual solutions. Republicans in the House, especially the MAGA ones, seem disturbingly at ease with taking our economy hostage in exchange for gutting vital programs, but when asked to explain to the American people what kind of cuts they want, suddenly these Republicans seem stumped. This is reckless. Few issues require more bipartisanship, more cooperation, and more serious-mindedness than protecting the full faith and credit of the United States. We have never failed to pay our debts on time, and the debt ceiling has consistently been a bipartisan endeavor. The radical MAGA crowd running the show in the House seems unable to grasp this truth. So let me try it again. House Republicans, where is your plan? You want to gut Federal spending, so show us what that means. Show us what it means to the average American family in specific detail. It is your responsibility on such a weighty issue to do just that. Speaker McCarthy. Speaker McCarthy has an obligation--an obligation-- to explain to the American people what Republicans actually plan to do about raising the debt ceiling. Until we get a clear answer from House Republicans about what their plan is, there is no point in speculating about anything else, because if Republicans really want to starve the American people of vital services, the American people have a right to know what that will mean for their daily lives. Otherwise, the American people will be left with only questions and no answers. Republicans say they want cuts. Do Republicans want to cut Social Security and Medicare? Do Republicans want to cut military funding? Do they want to cut aid to veterans? Do they want to cut funding to police and firefighters and first responders? Do they want to cut education, public health, science and research? Saber-rattling about the debt and grandiose statements without any specifics are not going to cut it. They have been doing that for a while. It doesn't work. Lay out the plan. Show us your plan. Republicans need to show us the math. They need to level with the American people. They need to show us their plan. Now, here in the Senate, some Members from the MAGA faction-- particularly Senator Rick Scott--have taken it upon themselves to fill the void that House Republicans have created. The bad news is, the plan they came up with is about as unhinged as they come. Yesterday, the junior Senator from Florida--the very same Senator who thought that tax hikes on middle-class families was a winning formula for Republicans last November--released a proposal that would put the interests of the Chinese Communist Party before the needs of American families. Senator Scott calls it the Full Faith and Credit Act, but it is legislation that does not even deserve partial credit. Bondholders in Beijing would get their money, while Floridians, Alabamians, Wisconsinites, and so many other American citizens would be left out to dry. Does he want to pay China before he pays schoolteachers? Does he want to pay the Chinese Communist Party before he pays our police officers? There is no end to the negative impacts of this piece of legislation, and it is no substitute for real action to avoid default. Worse yet, reports suggest that Speaker McCarthy has promised MAGA radicals in the House that he will hold a vote on a similar proposal to this one. Seriously, Mr. President, just when we thought we had seen the limits of MAGA extremism, Senator Scott has swooped in and reminded us that when it comes to MAGA insanity, there is no bottom. And who--who--is going to pay the price? The American people. Now on the national sales tax--I mean, you can't make this stuff up, but it goes on and on and on, these really ludicrous, way out of line, way over to the extreme Republican plans. They keep coming at us. Another one they put out is a national sales tax. While Republicans refuse to show what they plan to do about the debt ceiling, they spend a lot of time talking up one of the worst policy proposals in existence--a 30-percent national sales tax on all consumer goods. The House Republicans just can't seem to get out of their own way. House Republicans call it the Fair Tax Act, but let's call it what it really is--a disaster for middle-class families. There is nothing fair about a tax that punishes average families for buying essential goods while giving the rich another chance to lower their tax burdens. That is what is behind most of these Republican plans--a desire to help the very wealthy. And if it comes out on the middle class and most Americans, they don't give a hoot. They don't give a hoot. The Fair Tax Act is truly foul stuff. The Republican tax plan would raise the cost of buying a house by $125,000. It would raise the cost of buying a car by $10,000. It would raise your average grocery bill by $3,500 a year at a time when people are already worried about the high price of groceries. How can they do this? Things like eggs are already too expensive, but Republicans want to slap another $1.50 on that price. The plan would make a gallon of milk cost another $1.70 more. The shock waves go way beyond trips to the grocery store, as painful as those have been. The Republican tax would erode the value of retirement plans, Social Security, pensions and 401(k)s by nearly one- third, an insulting way--insulting--to treat people who have spent their entire lives saving up in order to retire with some degree of dignity. In all my years in office--in all my years in office--I have rarely seen such an extreme proposal be taken seriously by a governing majority. It is another reminder of how radical, how out of touch, how unserious MAGA Republicans are about governing. All they want to do is help their very ultrarich friends. And the fact that the House leadership is catering to the delusional whims of MAGA extremism should send a shiver down every one of our spines.

Mr. SCHUMER

Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, first, before I get to my remarks and housekeeping, I understand there are three bills at the desk due for a second reading, en bloc.

Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, in order to place the bills on the calendar under the provisions of rule XIV, I would object to further proceedings, en bloc.

Mr. SCHUMER

Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, I just wanted to add another word for Pastor Bernard before he leaves. He is such an extraordinary leader to so many, not just the thousands who are--tens of thousands who are members of his church, Christian Cultural Center, but for the Nation. And he has been a great spiritual guidance for me during times of difficulty. We have shared our joys and our sorrows together--but for the whole country. He has done an amazing thing, as CCC, Christian Cultural Center, has been a beacon for so many different congregations throughout the country, as a way to lead, as a way to combine the temporal and the secular. He has done an amazing, amazing job. So I just wanted to, again, thank him for being here but, more importantly, thank him for all he is doing. Pastor Bernard is a blessing--a blessing to CCC, a blessing to our borough of Brooklyn, to our city, our State, our Nation, and our world. May God give him strength to continue in his ministry. 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, now finally on guns, it is another tragic week of mass shootings, but gun manufacturers continue to stoop to disgusting and morally bankrupt new lows. I am talking about a weapon currently for sale that is actually being marketed by one gunmaker to children. It has a disgusting, horrifying name: the JR-15. The JR-15. You heard me right. That is what they call it. The JR-15 is a spinoff, a child-sized version of an AR-15, which, according to the company marketing it, ``functions like a modern sporting rifle'' but is ``geared to smaller enthusiasts.'' Smaller enthusiasts? That is a code for ``young children.'' Look at what just happened a few weeks ago in Virginia, where a 6- year-old student shot his teacher at school. We are talking about a kid in the first grade who looked at his teacher and pulled the trigger. When weapons are marketed to children, it makes horrors like what happened in Virginia more likely. Even if the weapons are marketed to adults to give to their children, it creates these terrible, terrible, terrible situations. So later today, I and a group of my colleagues will ask the FTC to investigate the company that makes and advertises the JR-15. I want to be clear that this probe is not intended to be a cure-all for gun violence. We have a lot more to do in that regard. But we must shed more light on the prevalence of guns in our society, and regulators must take stronger steps to keep guns out of the hands of children. I hope it will pave the way for future action in Congress. I can't believe I have to say this: The last thing we need to be doing is reducing in size deadly weapons of war and marketing them to young children. Every parent in America, every citizen in America should be outraged and demand the FTC to take action. I yield the floor. I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. SCHUMER

Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, on the Republican national sales tax, the House Republicans keep churning this stuff out. It is unbelievable. In the 118th Congress, it is already a tale of two parties: Democrats united on one side, Republicans in chaos on the other. While Democrats are laser-focused on making life better for everyday families, Republicans are making it clear they want to help the very, very wealthy--the ultrarich. While Democrats want to embrace collaboration and bipartisanship wherever possible, Republicans seem to be trapped by MAGA extremism. That is the contrast in a nutshell: Democratic unity versus Republican chaos, Democratic unity versus Republican chaos. Yesterday, I joined with President Biden, the Vice President, Leader Jeffries, and Democratic colleagues from both Chambers to talk about how we Democrats can maintain our unity and turn it into action in order to help the American people. Later today, I will join with Leader Jeffries to further highlight the contrast between Democrats' ``people first'' agenda and Republicans' radical plans--radical plans--for a national sales tax. Multiple extreme-right Republicans say that Speaker McCarthy has promised them a vote on their national sales tax bill, which they guilefully refer to as the ``FairTax Act.'' Nothing could be less fair to the American people. In a universe of bad ideas, a Republican national sales tax reigns supreme. This proposal, pushed by the MAGA fringe, who now controls the House Republican conference, would impose a 30-percent tax on every single purchase Americans make just as inflation is beginning to drop. This so-called FairTax is truly foul legislation for American families. For young families who want to buy a home, well, the Republican tax plan would add nearly $125,000 extra on top of the price you pay for your house--an impossible sum for many young people struggling to get their start in life. And what about Americans out there thinking of buying a car? Under the Republican tax plan, the average American would pay $10,000 more on that single purchase alone. What about seniors getting ready for retirement? A Republican national sales tax means people's life savings would suddenly lose 30 percent of their value. Imagine working your entire life, playing by the rules, paying your taxes, saving a little of each paycheck only to have Republicans swoop in and erase nearly a third--a third--of what you have saved up. And it doesn't end there. Under the Republican tax plan, a mere trip to the grocery store would be torture. Eggs are high enough right now at $4.25 a dozen. They would be $5.50 under the Republican plan. Milk, right now, is $4.40. It would cost $5.70 under the Republican plan. The same holds true for everything else: bread, produce, canned goods, cleaning supplies, soap, shampoo, toothpaste, diapers--you name it. All of it would go up by a third for millions of families--millions, tens of millions, probably hundreds of millions. It would be a devastating blow. But do you know who wouldn't mind a Republican national sales tax? The ultrarich, the ultrawealthy. The top 1 percent of our earners wouldn't notice much change in expenses. That is who would win under the Republicans' proposal--the very, very rich--because their taxes would be greatly reduced even further, even worse than under the Trump tax cuts. No wonder, then, that even Grover Norquist--no friend of the Democrats--calls this bill a ``terrible idea'' and an ``assault on your retirement savings.'' Look, if Republicans want to start their majority with a debate on their national sales tax bill, Democrats would welcome it. Let the American people see which party is fighting for everyday folks and which party is trying to rig the game in favor of the ultrarich. It is a debate the American people need to see. I yield the floor. I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. SCHUMER

Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, first, I believe this is the first time our new Senator from Vermont is sitting in the Chair. Congratulations. There will be many more opportunities just like this.

Mr. SCHUMER

Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, as the debate over raising the debt ceiling continues, Leader McConnell said something yesterday that, I think, is right on the mark. He said that when it comes to moving a debt ceiling proposal through Congress, the House should go first. He is correct. Not only should the House go first, but they must quickly show the American people what their plan actually is for avoiding a first-ever default on the national debt. So far, we haven't heard anything beyond vague and troubling talking points about the need to cut Federal spending. That is not going to fly when you are in the majority, as Speaker McCarthy, of course, is. The substance and details make all the difference. The debt ceiling is not some political game, and Speaker McCarthy has an obligation to level with the American people on what precisely the new House plans to do in order to avoid a default. President Biden and the Speaker have reportedly agreed to sit down in the near future on this topic, and the Speaker is apparently heralding this development as some sort of big win or concession. But look, Speaker McCarthy sitting down without a clear plan is no win. Sitting down to talk about the debt ceiling without a plan is like coming to the table with no cards. President Biden, meanwhile, has a plan. He has cards. He has been clear that there must be no brinksmanship and no default on the debt ceiling. Speaker McCarthy, what about you? The House GOP is threatening spending cuts. Well, what are they? why the evasion? Why is your conference hiding from the American people? House Republicans, where are your cards? Again, I want to be clear that the debt ceiling is a subject of the highest consequence, and using it as a bargaining chip--using it as brinksmanship, as hostage-taking--as Republicans are trying to do, is exceedingly dangerous because if the House of Representatives continues on their current course and allows the United States to default on its debt obligations, every single American is going to pay a terrible and expensive price. The consequences of default are not some theoretical abstraction. If default happens, Americans will see the consequences in their daily lives. Interest rates will go soaring on everything from credit cards and student loans to cars, mortgages, and more. That is thousands of dollars for each American going right out the door. That will happen and through no fault of their own. Retirement plans, like 401(k)s, would lose their value, robbing people of their hard-earned livelihoods. For millions of Americans who one day dream of owning a home--their own piece of the rock--a default would add $130,000 to the lifetime cost of a new home. Imagine spending years putting a little bit of your paycheck aside every month in order to buy a house, only to find out that suddenly that dream is entirely out of reach because radical politicians in Washington bumbled their way into a financial catastrophe. That is precisely the danger we approach, thanks to the House GOP's reckless approach to the debt ceiling. None of this need be inevitable or even likely if only House Republicans would quit their radical posturing and work with Democrats in a serious way to raise the debt ceiling together, and we should do it soon, not months from now when America finds itself staring straight into the abyss of a financial catastrophe. I would remind my Republican colleagues they did it before, when Trump was President, three times, with no Democratic obstruction or hostage-taking, and we did it once together when Biden was President. Much of this debt comes from spending when Trump was President, voted on by a Republican House and a Republican Senate. So it is a bit of hypocrisy now to say that they can't do it again and are holding it hostage and are playing a dangerous form of brinksmanship. It shouldn't matter who is President. These are still bills we already incurred that must be paid for the good of all Americans.

Mr. SCHUMER

Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, before I get into my remarks, there is just some floor business.

Mr. SCHUMER

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

Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, I understand there are four measures at the desk that are due for a second reading en bloc.

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

Mr. SCHUMER

Mr. SCHUMER. Now, Mr. President, just a few moments before you assumed the Chair, Senator Murray opened the Senate as President pro tempore for the first time. Kudos, congratulations. She is a great, great Member. She is the chair of Appropriations and now PPT, and it was a wonderful thing to see her open up the Senate for the first time as PPT. So congratulations to Senator Murray and to all of us for having such a good President pro tempore.