Chuck Schumer

Mr. SCHUMER

Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, DOGE--day by day, Americans are getting more alarmed by the slash-and-burn approach DOGE is taking to basic government programs. Americans certainly want a more efficient government, but what DOGE and Donald Trump are doing is not efficiency. Instead, it is chaos. Americans did not sign up for chaos, that is for sure. Americans did not sign up for DOGE to take its chain saw, for instance, to aviation safety. There was another near miss, this time in Chicago, in the air. Thank God no one was hurt, but this shows you the immense importance of having a fully staffed FAA. How on Earth is it efficiency to fire aviation safety assistance or maintenance mechanics or people who help with safety inspections and repairs? But that is just what DOGE did. I can't imagine any American thinks that is efficiency. The only thing that is going to accomplish, of course, is making flying less safe. It is going to lead to delays and mixups at airports. And not even the 9/11 families who lost loved ones or were hurt as they rushed to the towers right after 9/11, not even these folks were safe from the DOGE buzz saw. DOGE tried to ax the workforce for the World Trade Center Health Program. I am glad we pushed Donald Trump and DOGE to reverse. Later today, I will join Senator Gillibrand, Representatives Goldman and Garbarino to reintroduce the bipartisan 9/11 World Trade Center Health Program reintroduction, 2 months after Elon Musk killed this program when he tanked the bipartisan funding bill in December. Mr. President, 9/11 families deserve to be treated with dignity, with respect, not with the contempt we see from DOGE. And no good business operator would take this slash-and-burn approach DOGE is taking. People's Social Security benefits are also at risk. Their ability to see a doctor is at stake. Their ability to put kids in daycare is at stake. The longer DOGE is allowed to rain chaos on the American people, the stronger the backlash will become. And let's not forget, even by their most optimistic projections--and they have had to reduce them--the amount of money that DOGE will cut is far less than the amount of the deficit created by the huge Republican tax cut. So all this talk that they need to do this for deficit reduction is belied by their clinging to a whopping deficit creation by the tax cut.

Mr. SCHUMER

Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, I want to thank Senators Kaine and Heinrich for introducing this resolution and for taking the floor to highlight Donald Trump's energy emergency gimmick. We Democrats are using every tool available to expose Republican hypocrisy, revealing the so-called energy emergency for what it is. It is a shameless power grab by Republicans to pay obeisance to Big Oil, plain and simple--nothing more, but nothing less. Republicans are raising prices by excluding clean energy from their emergency, meaning families could see electricity bills go up by $500 a year. Republicans are killing jobs by gutting domestic energy investments that we made, that have created so many new good-paying jobs. Republicans are rewarding China by weakening our economic competitiveness and ceding American energy leadership to our adversaries. The hypocrisy is simple. On the one hand, they say we need more energy for AI and for everything else, but then, on the other hand, they greatly curtail the cheapest form of electricity we could make, which is solar and then wind, because, really, what they are doing is just hugging Big Oil because Big Oil hates clean energy because they know clean energy eventually means the great reduction of polluting oil and gas and what they put into our atmosphere. Senators Kaine, Heinrich, and all Democrats will continue to shine a spotlight on Republican attacks on domestic energy in the weeks and months ahead. I yield the floor.

Mr. SCHUMER

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

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, over the last month, it has become clear how Donald Trump and Republicans govern. Donald Trump and Republicans have focused on things most Americans don't care about or don't like while refusing to focus on things Americans actually do care about. Donald Trump and Republicans have focused on things most Americans don't care about or don't even like while refusing to focus on things Americans actually do care about. Exhibit A of these things that Americans don't like is what is happening today in the House of Representatives. As soon as today, House Republicans will advance a budget resolution clearing the way for perhaps the most draconian cuts to Medicaid in American history, all so Republicans can cut taxes for their billionaires club and have the American people pick up the tab and pay the price. This is in the category of things Americans really don't like. There is only one proper way to describe the Republican plan that is moving through the House this week: radical. Radical. The Republican plan radically hurts American families while radically helping the billionaires club. Republicans are so eager to cut taxes for billionaires that they would increase the deficit by a trillion dollars or more to make room for their sweetheart-deal tax cuts for billionaires like Elon Musk. Republicans are also pushing for trillions in cuts for working- and middle-class Americans, endangering everything from Medicaid to nutrition programs, to housing assistance, and so much more. The Republican bill could cut as much as $880 billion from Medicaid alone. That means 80 million Americans--kids, veterans, people with disabilities, rural Americans, the elderly--are all at risk. And why? Why are Republicans putting these people at such risk and hurting things that benefit them--not waste; things that actually go to people and help them? They are doing it to make life easier for the billionaires club. They are doing it to cut taxes for the ultrawealthy. Last week, here in the Senate, during vote-arama, I pushed an amendment that said we should have no tax breaks for billionaires. I pushed an amendment calling for no billionaire tax breaks if even one dollar of Medicaid spending was cut. What is more important: helping people get healthcare, helping the elderly stay in nursing homes, helping our veterans--especially those who may be out of work--get the healthcare they need? What is more important--that or a tax break for someone who is very wealthy already? Well, on both amendments--the one that said no tax breaks for billionaires and the one that said no tax breaks for billionaires if even one dollar of Medicaid spending was cut--both times, Republicans overwhelmingly said no. Let us hope--let us hope--it may be a distant hope, but let us hope that House Republicans show more courage, more compassion, and more common sense to reject these horrible, harmful, radical cuts. This is not what the American people signed up for in this election. Billionaire tax cuts is a clear example of things Americans don't like. Just look at all the backlash Republicans are seeing in their townhalls. And Republicans know this. Republicans know that cutting taxes for wealthy billionaires is something most Americans don't like at all. They didn't campaign on it. Oh, no. I didn't hear any of our Republican colleagues who were running go home and say ``I want to cut taxes for the billionaires,'' although that is the first thing they are doing when they get here. Yet Republicans seem to be full steam ahead all the same. This, of course, is part of the pattern I am talking about. Over the last month, Donald Trump and Republicans have spent their energy focused on things Americans don't like while refusing to focus on things Americans actually do care about--like inflation, rising prices. We already see that Americans are upset with the Trump administration because prices continue to rise, as they have over the last many years. Donald Trump promised to bring down costs on day one. He said that the first day he is elected, he is going to start bringing costs down, but instead, inflation has gone up, grocery prices are up. Chicken, pork, steak--all more expensive. Eggs are up 15 percent from last month. All the while, Republicans are focused on things that Americans either don't like or don't care about. Americans don't like, for instance, pardoning violent insurrectionists. It was one of the least popular things we have seen; a recent poll in the Washington Post is clear. But that was the first major decision Donald Trump made as President, the first major decision. Most Americans don't care whether you call it the Gulf of Mexico or the Gulf of America or something else. Most Americans don't care about building hotels in Gaza or annexing Canada. Yet these are the things that Donald Trump is focused on to distract people from the fact that he doesn't actually have real solutions to the things Americans really worry about. Of course, there are things that Republicans are focused on that make things actively worse. Most Americans don't think it is a great idea to get into a trade war with our closest allies. That is going to make trips to the grocery store even more expensive than they are now. Of course, most Americans do care about making government more efficient. While everyone certainly supports cutting waste, Americans don't like the harmful chaos that Elon Musk and DOGE have unleashed. They don't want to see a rich billionaire treat Federal workers with immense disrespect. And make no mistake, Americans did not sign up for DOGE to endanger their Social Security and Medicare and Medicaid benefits. That is not government efficiency; that hurts the American people. What DOGE is doing is chaos, and Americans know that the chaos being unleashed by DOGE is causing a lot of harm to the country. Americans don't want to see their air traffic safety personnel fired in droves, no questions asked. That is not government efficiency; that is chaos and danger at the airports and in airplanes, at security checkpoints. Our veterans don't want to see the VA starved of resources. Someone came over to me the other day and said: My brother is in a VA hospital. He has a rare disease. Seven of the people were let go. Who is going to take care of him? They don't want to hear about cuts to the Veterans Crisis Line, where veterans who may have come back from Iraq or Afghanistan with PTSD or other problems have a place to go and a place to call. That is not government efficiency, cutting the Veterans Crisis Line; that is just more chaos, more harm, more hurt. Can you imagine the callousness of firing personnel who operate the veterans suicide crisis line, as was reported by the staff at the VA? It is a cruel and vindictive way to treat America's heroes. Of course, our 9/11 families did not sign up for DOGE trying to cut the 9/11 survivor health program--the people who rushed to the Towers, the brave heroes, police, fire, first responders, and others who rushed to the Towers in the days after that horrible day of 9/11 and got illnesses in their lungs and gastrointestinal tracts and now are getting some help. The 9/11 families didn't sign up to cut that, but that is precisely what DOGE tried to do. We pushed back, and I am glad that President Trump and DOGE reversed themselves on that issue. They should be reversing themselves on many other issues also that hurt people so badly. But the takeaway is they are very clear: What DOGE is doing is not making government more efficient; it is creating more chaos. And if there is one thing Americans don't want in these turbulent times, it is more chaos. Rather than actually cut waste in government in a smart way, a careful way, an efficient way; rather than putting the needs of working people first, Donald Trump, Elon Musk, and the Republican Party have plunged basic government services into chaos and taken a meat ax at programs that help workers, middle-class families, and low-income Americans, all for the sake of cutting taxes for billionaires and mega corporations. Republicans are focused on the wrong things. They are helping the wrong people, and they are ignoring the vast majority of Americans they promised to serve. Under Donald Trump's Republican Party, billionaires win, American families lose. So let me say it once again. Over the last month, it has become clear how Donald Trump and Republicans govern. Donald Trump and Republicans have focused on things Americans don't care about or don't like while refusing to focus on things Americans actually do care about. 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, 3 years ago, Vladimir Putin brought war and destruction to the free people of Ukraine. Three years ago, a powerful, hungry autocrat broke the peace in Europe, violated the sovereignty of an independent democracy, and rolled tanks and weapons and troops across the Ukrainian borders without provocation or justification. Vladimir Putin has sealed his place in history as an enemy to democracy, to freedom, and to peace. He has killed tens of thousands of innocent civilians. His rockets have destroyed homes and churches and schools and hospitals--deliberately, in many cases. A year ago, I was there. I saw the destruction. I saw parking lots being turned into mass graves. I spoke with soldiers near the border trying to defend their homes. And I felt the deep resolve of the Ukrainian people. I felt the value of America's leadership and the international struggle to push back against Putin's evil aggression. Today, we remember Bucha, we remember the atrocities in Mariupol, and we remember everywhere where Putin's horrors have touched. We honor the lives lost at the hands of Russia's war of aggression, and we will not let Vladimir Putin and his thugs off the hook. For 3 years, the United States has been clear on where we stand. We have stood on the side of democracy, the inviability of borders, and the freedom of nations--and against Vladimir Putin. We passed in this Chamber robust, bipartisan security assistance. The United States united the leaders of the West, and for years we succeeded in turning Putin into a pariah. But today, on this third anniversary of Putin's war, Donald Trump is turning his back on the values that America stands for of democracy, of security, and of liberty. Instead of standing up to Putin, Donald Trump is siding with him and against our own allies. Instead of condemning Putin's lies, Donald Trump is parroting Russian misinformation and propaganda, in defiance of all evidence, without regard to any facts, and with utter contempt for the truth. Today, President Trump met with President Macron. President Macron is advising Donald Trump not to show weakness--not to show weakness--to Putin at this pivotal moment. Donald Trump should heed President Macron's warning, or else Putin is going to eat his lunch, and America is going to suffer in the long term. American support of a pro-Western democracy under attack is not charity. It is about our own long-term security. For Donald Trump to show weakness to Putin is to endanger America's security tomorrow. If history tells us one thing about autocrats, it is that their hunger is never satiated. It is never enough. They will keep going one way or another until they are halted. What are Poland and Latvia and Lithuania and Estonia supposed to think about Putin's belligerence next door to them? What is NATO supposed to make of Donald Trump's eagerness to deal with autocrats instead of our own allies? If Donald Trump sells out democracy in Europe today, what will Donald Trump sell out tomorrow? Democracy in America? Our national security, which he is already starting to do? The way Donald Trump is engaging with Vladimir Putin right now is not going to make America any safer in the long run. This all goes back to a pattern we have seen from Donald Trump from the very beginning. He has always admired autocrats, strongmen, and bullies; always shown contempt for the rule of law, for truth, for accountability, for facts--because his ultimate goal is to skew things in favor of the wealthy and corrupt few at the expense of everybody else. Just like his push for taxes, just like his empowering DOGE, Donald Trump's modus operandi is to trample on safeguards and basic accountability--values central to any free democracy--in order to allow corrupt billionaires, the wealthy few, and cronies to fill in the void. This is exactly the world Vladimir Putin wants, and little by little, Donald Trump is helping him make it happen.

Mr. SCHUMER

Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, I call up my amendment No. 454 and ask that it be reported my number.

Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, now, in a few moments, Senators will begin voting on amendments to the Republican plan that cuts taxes for the ultrarich. Everything--everything that Donald Trump and the Republicans have done over the last month--all the chaos, all the lawlessness that we have seen--serves one crooked goal. Donald Trump, Elon Musk, and Republicans are trying to give their billionaire buddies a tax break and have you--the American people--pay the cost. It can be summed up very simply in this wonderful chart that my friend from Oregon has put together. What the chart says, under the Republican plan: ``Families lose, billionaires win.'' What could be further from what Americans want? What could be further? Tonight, Democrats are going to force Republicans to defend their tax cuts for billionaires like Elon Musk. We are going to be here all night. We are going to put forward amendments forcing Republicans to defend their unpopular agenda, exposing the Republican plan for what it is: a massive, massive billionaire giveaway, paid for on the backs of working-class and middle-class Americans. The Republicans know they want to hide this. They know it is not popular. They know 80 percent of the American people dislike this plan. So Donald Trump and others obfuscate. They want us to pay attention to Gulf of America, building hotels in Gaza, annexing Canada. Why? Why are they doing these bits of foolishness? They don't want the American people to see that the Republican plan has families lose and billionaires win. Our amendments will come in three categories: One focused on tax cuts for the billionaires, trying to undo those; one focused on the damage Republicans will inflict on American families in order to pay for their tax cuts; and one bucket--the final bucket--focused on lawlessness and corruption done in service to create chaos so they can cut taxes for billionaires. Those are the categories: one focused on tax cuts for billionaires, one focused on damage Republicans inflict on American families to pay for those tax cuts, and one on Trump's lawlessness and corruption done in service to create chaos, so they can cut taxes for billionaires. Let me repeat: Tonight, Democrats will force Republicans to defend their cuts for billionaires, and tonight will just be the first time. We will be doing this over and over again. Because we know that they don't want the American people to know that that is their North Star. Almost everything they do is aimed at getting those tax breaks for the billionaires. We are also going to force Republicans to defend their cuts on American families, cutting healthcare and Medicaid and education and housing and more. All to pay for the tax cuts of their billionaire buddies. Finally, Democrats will force the Republicans to defend Donald Trump's scorched earth assault on the rule of law, an assault he is waging in order to put more money in the pockets of billionaires. That is what tonight is all about, how Republicans want to help billionaires win, American families lose, and the rule of law burned to the ground. I thank my colleagues for bringing the amendments to the floor. We are going to be here all night. We have lots of amendments that are in these three categories. It will be a long night, but it is a debate the American people need to see, deserve to see. And that is why we are here. We Democrats are glad to have this debate. Let's have it two, three more times, when they come up with this new reconciliation and that, when the House and Senate Republicans finally get their act together. Bring it on. I am proud to offer tonight's very first amendment, one that makes a simple proposal: Nobody, nobody, nobody making more than a billion dollars should get yet another tax break. That is it. That is the amendment. If you make a billion dollars, God bless you, you are doing fine, but you don't deserve a tax break. I would love to hear the Republicans argue why of all people who need a tax break right now, it is the billionaire class. In this era of high inflation and growing inequality, billionaires aren't the ones who should be getting the massive tax giveaway. They are doing just fine. Instead, we should be helping working- and middle- class Americans get better jobs, earn higher paychecks, and pay lower costs. So, tonight, the very first question Republicans must answer is this: Do you agree--Mr./Mrs. Republican Senator, Ms. Republican Senator, all the Republican Senators--do all the Republican Senators agree that billionaires should not be getting another tax break? Yes or no? And if you don't think they should get a tax break--that billionaires should get a tax break--just vote with us in supporting this amendment. We are going to get our answer very, very soon, and that answer, the American people are going to see over and over and over again, over the next hours, the next days, the next weeks, the next months. The second amendment will be offered by Senator Klobuchar to prevent Republicans from lowering taxes for billionaires if the price of food keeps going up. Donald Trump said, when he was campaigning, he was going to bring inflation down on day one, but inflation is going up. Donald Trump--Mr. President Trump--it is going up. What about your promise--it is going to go down on day one? Grocery prices are up: chicken, pork, steak--more expensive--eggs, up 15 percent from last month. While Americans continue to struggle paying for groceries, feeding their kids, the last thing we should be doing is cutting taxes for the richest of the rich in this country. And I will offer the third amendment of the evening, one that stops Republicans from kicking people off Medicaid to pay for their billionaire tax breaks. Eighty million Americans, a little less than a quarter of all Americans--80 million--get health insurance through Medicaid, from newborn kids to working moms, to seniors in nursing homes and assisted living homes. Republicans have made it crystal clear that gutting Medicaid is one of their main strategies for paying for their massive tax cuts. Look no further than the House Republican proposal: a huge amount of the cuts to Medicaid. What do you tell people who need healthcare who are working people who use Medicaid? What do you tell people who use community health centers, which give efficient healthcare, Mr. Musk--efficient healthcare? What do you tell a family who has a mom in a nursing home and that nursing home will get cut so mom has to come home and live with that family? Build a new room in the house? But wood prices are going up if Trump puts in his tariffs. What do you tell them? And remember, I would remind my Republican colleagues, when you tried this in 2017--tax cuts for the rich, cutting healthcare, in that case the ACA--America didn't like it. They are not going to like it again. My amendment will ask Republicans: Do they really want to cut taxes for billionaires so badly that they are willing to take healthcare away from kids, that they are willing to kick grandparents out of nursing homes and abandon Americans with disability and take away healthcare from rural America? We will see what they do. Now, Republicans can spin their agenda however they want. They certainly will try to change the subject. They won't admit that their tax breaks are aimed at the wealthiest. They can try to pass one bill. They can try to pass two bills. They can try to pass 50 bills. It doesn't matter. They can slice and dice their policies in whatever order they wish. It doesn't matter in the end. Republican's North Star is singular, unchanging. They are trying to give their billionaire buddies a tax break and have you--the American people, American families--pay the cost. I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, I am proud to offer tonight's very first amendment. It makes a simple proposal: No billionaire should get another tax break. I ask my Republican colleagues, yes or no, do you believe billionaires should get another tax break or not? Vote yes on this amendment if you think billionaires should not get another tax break. I yield the floor.

Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, pursuant to section 904 of the Congressional Budget Act, I move to waive and ask for the yeas and nays. Vote on Motion

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

Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, I call up my amendment No. 776 and ask that it be reported by number.

Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, this amendment is very simple. It allows no billionaires to have any tax cuts if a single dollar of Medicaid funding is cut. The American people need to know where Senate Republicans stand on Medicaid. On Tuesday, Donald Trump claimed he is opposed to Medicaid cuts. Then, Wednesday, he supported it. And, today, he doubles down and even opened the door to Medicare. He is flip-flopping left and right. So the American people deserve to know: What about Senate Republicans? Where do they stand? Cutting Medicaid to pay for billionaire tax cuts would be a gut punch to working people. Medicaid serves nearly 80 million people across the country in States red and blue, from our sickest kids to our infirm in nursing homes and vulnerable seniors. These are the people we should focus on--kids, seniors, and rural Americans--not billionaires. They are doing well enough already. My amendment will ask Republicans: Do they really want to cut taxes for billionaires so badly they are willing to take healthcare away from kids and kick grandparents out of nursing homes? How are you going to vote, colleagues?

Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, pursuant to section 904 of the Congressional Budget Act, I move to waive and ask for the yeas and nays.

Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, tonight, one amendment at a time, Democrats exposed Republicans' true colors here on the Senate floor. For the first time this year, Senate Republicans were forced to go on record and defend their plans to cut taxes for Donald Trump's billionaire friends. What happened tonight was only the beginning. This debate is going to go on for weeks and maybe months. Democrats will be ready to come back and do this over and over again because Americans deserve to know the truth. And what is the truth? Under Donald Trump's Republican Party, billionaires win and American families lose. Billionaires win and American families lose. That is it. That is the Republican agenda. Tonight, we gave Republicans one chance after another to do the right thing and put the needs of American families first. We voted on amendments to prevent any tax cuts for billionaires paid for with cuts to Medicaid. Republicans said no. We voted on an amendment to protect maternal and children's healthcare from draconian cuts. Republicans said no. We voted on an amendment to make it easier for Americans to rent or own a home. Republicans said no. Again and again and again, Republicans sent a clear and consistent message from the Senate floor: Under their agenda, billionaires win and American families lose. If Republicans continue with this reckless plan to help their billionaire buddies at the expense of American families, Democrats will make sure the American people know the truth at every opportunity. 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. Well, Mr. President, the Senate is in for a very long day and a very long night. Over the next day or so, Senate Republicans will try to advance a budget resolution that clears the way to cut taxes for Donald Trump's billionaire friends. Democrats are going to hold the floor all day long and all night long to expose how Republicans want to cut taxes for billionaires while gutting things Americans care about most: healthcare, jobs, public safety, national security, housing, education. This is going to be a long, drawn-out fight. This reconciliation budget bill is only the first step, albeit an important one. Days like today, where we vote on amendments late into the night, go a long way in revealing where each party stands and whom each party is fighting for. Democrats are glad to have this debate. We are happy to have it a few more times if the Republican leader so wants. Democrats will show, in each of these debates, where Republicans truly stand deep down--not with working people but on the side of billionaires like Elon Musk. If you become wealthy fairly and squarely, we don't begrudge you, but you are doing fine, and you certainly don't need a massive tax break. And yet that is precisely what Republicans are getting ready to do-- give billionaires another tax break and make the American people pay the cost. If Senate Republicans really think the best solution for inflation is to put more money into the pockets of the billionaire class, Democrats will make sure the American people know it. We will expose the Republicans' plan to cut healthcare so that billionaires can have another tax break. We will expose Republican plans to gut housing, to defund the NIH--stop cancer research? Stop research into diseases that are hurting, harming, and even killing our loved ones? Uh-uh. To cut nutrition? To make housing costs go up? To hurt food inspection? To stop the fight against bird flu here or Ebola overseas so that they don't harm us? Doing all those things that make no sense so they can cut taxes for billionaires? No way, we say. That is wrong for the American people, and the more they learn about it, the less they are going to like the Trump agenda that Republicans in the Senate are following. Republicans can spin their agenda however they want. They can try to pass 1 bill, 2 bills, 50 bills. It doesn't matter. They can slice and dice their policies in whatever order they wish. It doesn't matter in the end. The end game is the same of Donald Trump and the Republican majority: tax cuts for billionaires paid on the backs of working and middle-class Americans. That is not--absolutely not--what the American people signed up for. The American people want to see inflation go down. It has gone up in the last month, even though Donald Trump said it would go down starting on day one. They want to see their paychecks go up. They want to see more jobs. They want to see better jobs. They want to see more ladders to the middle class, and they want to find ways to stay in the middle class once they get there. Republicans, meanwhile, have abandoned the working and middle class. In just 1 month, Donald Trump and Republicans have eviscerated so many of our institutions in order to cater to the whims of billionaires. Donald Trump has defied the rule of law. He has ignored court orders. He has even fancied himself a King, while all his billionaire friends spread through the government like locusts and put public services that serve tens of millions of people at risk. When Elon Musk holds court in the Oval Office and meets heads of state, Head Start programs and community health centers have seen their funding shut off. Donald Trump preaches about corruption and fraud, all the while ridding the government of its independent watchdogs and letting DOGE go through people's Social Security numbers and even their private tax and health data with virtually no guardrails, no check. All this chaos is by design. All this lawlessness has a goal. Everything we have seen over the last month from Donald Trump and Republicans has one endgame in mind: Undermine the rule of law in order to put more money in the pockets of billionaires like Elon Musk. Nothing criticizes the broken core of the Republicans' agenda better than their tax cuts for the ultrawealthy. 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. President, yesterday, every single Senate Republican signed their name onto Donald Trump's plan to cut taxes for their billionaire buddies. Republicans and pundits all seem to be focused on this dispute between one bill or two bills. Donald Trump keeps changing his mind. One day, he says two bills is OK, and then just this morning he wants one bill. Trump and Republicans have been all over the lot, and this morning the confusion continues. But frankly, this is all a sideshow. Republicans could do 2 bills, 10 bills, 50 bills, 100 bills. It doesn't make a difference because Donald Trump and House and Senate Republicans are united where it matters most: They want to give their billionaire buddies a tax break and have the American people pay the cost, no matter how many bills. This is going to be a long, drawn-out fight. The debate we begin this week will spill into next week and the week after and go on possibly further. We will have late nights here on the floor, exposing the Republicans' hypocrisy on healthcare, on national security, on job creation, on inflation, and most of all on where their main focus is, their North Star: tax breaks for their billionaire buddies. Democrats are glad to have this debate with the Republicans. We are glad to expose the truth here on the Senate floor. No matter how Republicans spin it, their No. 1 goal is tax cuts for their billionaire buddies. They are laying the groundwork to defund Medicaid and raise healthcare costs for tens of millions of working families all so they can help their billionaire buddies with another tax break. Republicans are preparing to cut nutrition programs that feed hungry kids so they can help their billionaire buddies with another tax break. Republicans are making it harder for Americans to own a home so they can help their billionaire buddies with another tax break. Republicans are preparing to slash NIH funding and reduce the chances that we get cures for so many illnesses that affect tens of millions. They are slashing NIH funding even as a measles outbreak is breaking out in Texas. All--all--so they can help their billionaire buddies with another tax break. Republicans are getting ready to kill thousands, if not hundreds of thousands, of clean jobs in order to put more money in the pocket of Big Oil executives all so they can give their billionaire buddies another tax break. Of course, Republicans know how unpopular these tax cuts are. I don't hear them getting on the floor and saying we need to cut the taxes on the richest people in America. Oh, no. They will keep trying to divert and change the subject, just like when Donald Trump tries to change the subject by talking about the Gulf of Mexico; we are annexing Canada; we are building hotels in Gaza. These are all distractions--distractions--to hide Donald Trump, Elon Musk, and the Republicans' real goal: Donald Trump, Elon Musk, and Republicans are trying to give their billionaire buddies a tax break and have you--you--pay the cost. Republicans can do it in one bill. They can to it in two bills. They can do it in a whole bunch of bills. It doesn't matter. The endgame is the same: tax breaks paid for on the backs of working and middle-class families. We will not relent. We are going to continue to expose Republicans for what they are doing in giving tax breaks for billionaires. We are going to do it in reconciliation, in the budget, and throughout the months and years ahead because the American people don't want it. The Republicans are trying to hide it. We won't let them hide it. It is going to be front and center as we go through these debates. Ukraine Mr. President. In a FOX News interview released last night, President Trump spoke about the war in Ukraine, and some of his comments sounded straight from a Russian propaganda playbook. Rather than speak the truth, rather than acknowledge Vladimir Putin's role in starting this war, President Trump amazingly blamed Ukraine for Putin's invasion. To quote the President: ``You should never have started it,'' he said. He was saying that to President Zelenskyy. This is disgusting-- disgusting--after how this man has fought so hard and so valiantly, and it deliberately distorts the truth. It is just awful to see an American President--it is disgusting to see an American President turn against one of our friends and openly side with a thug like Vladimir Putin. It is shameful to hear the President repeat Putin's propaganda while laying the groundwork for negotiations that favor Russia at Ukraine's expense. The people of Ukraine did not start this war. Vladimir Putin did. Ukrainians have fought and died on the battlefield to defend their home. The suffering and destruction of the Ukrainian country and the Ukrainian people that they have endured is staggering all because of Vladimir Putin. Let's not forgot, America--maybe there are some who say enough already--if we give in to Putin now, America will inevitably pay the price later. That is what history has shown. When you give in to thugs, when you give in to dictators, you pay the price. Hasn't Donald Trump and his allies learned the lessons of history? This is not just about the security of another nation. This struggle is, in every way, about the ultimate security of the American people. Make no mistake, right now the Kremlin is overjoyed by what Donald Trump is saying and what he is doing. Every single Republican must be put on record for President Trump's dangerous and false statements about the war in Ukraine. We have an obligation in the Senate to take a stand for the truth and take a stand against autocrats, and we will do it shortly. The American people deserve to know, Will Republicans take a stand for democracy and freedom around the world or will they cater to Putin and Russia like Trump is doing with ultimately bad consequences for all of us?

Mr. SCHUMER

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

Mr. SCHUMER

Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, this week will mark 1 month since Donald Trump was sworn in as President. In his first month, Donald Trump has waged a scorched-earth campaign against the rule of law and against the very system of checks and balances that kept America together for two- and-a-half centuries. Why? Why are they doing this? Donald Trump, Elon Musk, and the Republicans are doing it all for one simple goal: They are trying to give their billionaire buddies a tax break and have you, the American people, pay the cost. This week, Senate Republicans will take the next major step to achieving Donald Trump's agenda here on the Senate floor. Senate Democrats will expose Republicans' reconciliation budget bill for exactly what it is: a sinister front for clearing the way to cut taxes for Donald Trump's billionaire friends. This is going to be a long, drawn-out fight. This reconciliation budget bill is only the first step, albeit an important one. Democrats are glad to have this debate with the Republicans. We will show the hollowness of Republicans' arguments on cutting waste. We will expose Republican attempts to cut healthcare, to cut Medicaid, to cut housing, to cut NIH, and to empower DOGE so it incinerates basic services that help tens of millions of people--all so Republicans can help their billionaire buddies with another tax break. Of course, Republicans will deny all of this and try to change the subject just like when Donald Trump tries to change the subject by talking about the Gulf of Mexico or hotels in Gaza or annexing Canada. These are all distractions so people don't see the Republicans' real goal. And what is that goal? It is worth repeating again and again and again, and we will: Donald Trump and Republicans are trying to give their billionaires a tax break and have you pay the cost. They can do it in one bill. They can do it in two bills. They can do it in 50 bills. It doesn't matter. The endgame is exactly the same: tax cuts for billionaires paid for on the backs of working and middle-class Americans. In fact, everything we have seen so far in Donald Trump's Presidency has been about rigging the game for the billionaire class, from firing independent government watchdogs to illegally freezing trillions for veterans' care and Head Start and community health centers, to giving Elon Musk Americans' Social Security numbers and even, potentially, private tax and health records, to defying court orders, to demonizing judges. Everything Donald Trump has done so far is meant to dismantle the rule of law so that billionaires can run the show in Donald Trump's America. If you don't believe me, Elon Musk is already holding court in the Oval Office and meeting one on one with heads of state all the while DOGE is taking a meat-ax to healthcare and education and aviation safety and so many other services without thinking about the consequences for American families and for America. DOGE talks on and on about cutting wasteful spending, but look what is actually happening: FAA workers who keep our skies safe are being fired in droves even as accidents increase. Apparently, DOGE thinks that is government waste. The VA, meanwhile, has fired over 1,000 staffers, including people who manage the Veterans Crisis Line. Apparently, DOGE thinks that is government waste. The FDA, under Robert Kennedy, Jr., is firing staffers who keep our food safe and review medical devices. Apparently, again, DOGE thinks that is government waste. No one else does. They do. Donald Trump and DOGE even tried to fire hundreds of staffers who safeguard America's nuclear stockpiles. Imagine firing people who guard our nuclear stockpiles all to help their billionaire buddies with another tax cut. Can you believe how dangerous and foolish this is? Donald Trump and Elon Musk were willing to risk the safety of America all in the name of tax cuts. This example shows clear as day that DOGE doesn't actually care about increasing efficiency. DOGE is simply taking a meat-ax at government in defiance of the law and without thinking of the consequences--all so that Donald Trump and Republicans can give their billionaire buddies a big tax break. I want to close on a particularly profane example of how Donald Trump and DOGE are taking a meat-ax to public services--the 9/11 survivors' health program. I would have thought that some things would have been out of bounds for Donald Trump and DOGE, like axing services to 9/11 families. Sadly, I was wrong because last week Donald Trump slashed the workforce for the World Trade Center Health Program, which I helped to create years ago to support our 9/11 first responders, survivors, and families. Apparently, serving 9/11 families--those who have been hurt by 9/11, who have lost loved ones in 9/11--is just more wasteful spending in the eyes of Donald Trump and DOGE. It is utterly disgusting. Because of these barbaric cuts, 9/11 families, including sick first responders and survivors, will now face longer wait times to receive often desperately needed care. Families will worry more about whether or not their loved ones will be able to afford lifesaving treatment. Donald Trump and DOGE's decision to cut funding for the heroes of 9/ 11 is outrageous; it is un-American; it is insulting to every 9/11 first responder, survivor, and family. So, today, I sent a letter, with Senator Gillibrand, to Secretary Kennedy, urging him to immediately reverse the cuts that impacted the World Trade Center Health Program. Donald Trump, Secretary Kennedy, and DOGE have betrayed our sacred promise to never, never forget. And what is the point of these cruel cuts? So Donald Trump and DOGE can give their billionaire buddies a tax break and have the 9/11 families pay the cost. I yield the floor.

Mr. SCHUMER

Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, I rise today to recognize a momentous occasion for the U.S. Army and for the North Country. Today, February 18, 2025, marks the 80th anniversary of the Battle of Riva Ridge during World War II. During this battle, on the slopes of the northern Apennine Mountains in Italy, the 10th Mountain Division first ``Climbed to Glory'' and delivered one of the most amazing and decisive victories in U.S. military history. In the face of grave danger and extreme adversity, the 10th Mountain Division broke through German positions and paved the way for Italy's liberation. Each soldier of the 10th Mountain Division demonstrated extraordinary courage, resilience, and tactical brilliance, forcing the German Army to retreat and providing a major boost to Allied efforts in Europe. This anniversary comes only days after the 40th anniversary of the reactivation of the 10th Mountain Division at Fort Drum on February 13, 1985. Since 1943, the 10th Mountain Division has stood as a pillar of strength, resilience, and readiness, answering the call to serve in nearly every major conflict our Nation has faced. From the battlefields of World War II to the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, and now in support of Operation Atlantic Resolve and our NATO allies, the soldiers of the 10th Mountain Division have been at the forefront of protecting our national security. For more than two decades, they have been the most deployed unit in the U.S. Army, demonstrating unparalleled commitment and courage in defending our country and supporting our partners abroad. But their contributions go beyond their battlefield successes. The 10th Mountain Division is shaping the future of our military-- pioneering advancements in mobility, rapid deployment, counter-UAS, and the integration of cross-domain capabilities into training for large- scale combat operations to build the Army of the future and will strengthen our armed forces for years to come. With the activation of elements of the 2nd Multi-Domain Task Force at Fort Drum this summer, the installation's role in our national defense will continue to grow. Fort Drum is more than a military base; it is a cornerstone of our national security, and I am proud to have fought for the funding and resources necessary to ensure its continued success. As we mark this anniversary, let us reaffirm our commitment to the brave men and women who serve at Fort Drum, ensuring they have the tools, training, and support they need to defend our Nation. ``Climb to Glory!''

Mr. SCHUMER

Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, this morning the Senate will vote on the nomination of Robert F. Kennedy to serve as Secretary of Health and Human Services. By now, it is beyond clear that Mr. Kennedy is not remotely qualified to become the next Secretary of HHS. In fact, Mr. Kennedy might be one of the least qualified people that Donald Trump could have chosen for the job. There are so many others that would have been better. I am very proud that every single Democrat will oppose Mr. Kennedy's nomination, because Democrats know better than to elevate a conspiracy theorist to the top healthcare job in the country. I know some of my colleagues feel the same way privately. In fact, if the Senate held a secret ballot today, I would bet Mr. Kennedy would never come close to becoming confirmed and that many, if not most, Republicans would vote against him. I think, most likely, most Republicans would vote against him if there were a secret ballot. But, sadly and unfortunately for America, Republicans are being strong-armed by Donald Trump and will end up holding their nose and voting to confirm Mr. Kennedy--what a shame, what a travesty. I urge my Republican colleagues to think very carefully, one last time, before rolling the dice--before rolling the dice--on Mr. Kennedy. A vote to confirm Mr. Kennedy is a vote to make America sicker. Mr. Kennedy has made a living not by promoting public health but by actively fighting it. Mr. Kennedy is the face of the modern anti- vaccine movement. Mr. Kennedy has spent decades profiting off vaccine misinformation. Mr. Kennedy told me to my face that he would ``defer to the President'' on issues as personal, as deeply held, as important as abortion. How do we know that Mr. Kennedy won't defer to the President--who is far from an expert on healthcare--on other issues and healthcare issues as well? It is simple: We don't. But if he can change his view and defer to the President on something as deeply held as abortion, the likelihood is he will change his view on many other healthcare issues, to the detriment of the American people. One thing he won't change his views on is vaccines. I am sure because he has held that so deeply. My Republican colleagues should think very carefully before voting to elevate a vaccine skeptic and conspiracy theorist to oversee our healthcare system. If confirmed, I fear greatly that Mr. Kennedy will take steps that severely undermine public health, weaken safety standards, and put the needs of for-profit corporations ahead of the needs of American families. Sooner or later, public backlash is going to build, and Republicans will have wished they hadn't signed their names for such a troubled nominee. So one final time--one final time--I implore my Republican colleagues to reject the nomination of Mr. Kennedy to be Secretary of HHS. A vote to confirm Mr. Kennedy is a vote I truly believe many, many Republicans and most Americans will eventually very deeply regret.

Mr. SCHUMER

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