Chuck Schumer

Mr. SCHUMER

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

Mr. SCHUMER

Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, former President Trump reminded us just a few days ago that he--he--is to blame for the grotesque reversal of women's personal freedom. He said it himself. He said he is ``proudly the person responsible'' for the annihilation of Roe v. Wade. Let me repeat those words because the American people need to hear it over and over again. Donald Trump said he is ``proudly the person responsible'' for ending Roe. Yesterday, we saw another consequence of a post-Roe America. The Arizona Supreme Court upheld a Civil War-era law banning abortion almost entirely, without exceptions for rape or for incest. The Arizona Supreme Court's decision goes as far as to suggest that doctors can be prosecuted for assisting in an abortion. All of these regressive MAGA judges on the Supreme Court, in some of the other Federal courts, and in the State courts--all come from Donald Trump and he, appointing MAGA judges, and his goal to restrict women's freedoms and to have Roe v. Wade be annihilated. Make no mistake about it. Donald Trump and MAGA Republicans own the consequences of the Arizona Supreme Court decision. Does anyone seriously doubt that, should Trump become President again, he won't try to add even more extreme jurists to the bench so he can continue his assault on women's reproductive freedoms? Of course, they will. If Trump and MAGA Republicans get into power they would see to it that reproductive freedoms are curtailed even more, from the local level to the national level. Even in his remarks the other day, when he was trying to cover up what he did, he couldn't resist saying he is ``proudly the person responsible'' for the annihilation of Roe v. Wade. He couldn't resist because that is where he is at. We know that. And don't take it from me. House Republicans included a national abortion ban in the Republican Study Committee budget. And remember, the Republican Study Committee includes a majority of House Republicans and their leadership, and they came out for a national abortion ban. On IVF, Republicans try to talk a good game about supporting access to reproductive services, but not 1 month ago--not 1 month ago-- Republicans blocked legislation in this Chamber that would have preserved IVF protections under Federal law. And, while Donald Trump hopes people forget, he himself is on record supporting a national abortion ban when he was President. So, unsurprisingly, Donald Trump and MAGA Republicans are now trying to hide their antiabortion records because they know how dangerously out of step their views are with the public. But they can't help themselves, as the President's speech showed 4 days ago. Again, he had to repeat that he was responsible--the one responsible--for the abolition of Roe. Make no mistake, that is what they will do. And, make no mistake, Donald Trump and MAGA Republicans will have to answer to the American people for what they have done to fundamental liberties in this country--today, tomorrow, and in November.

Mr. SCHUMER

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

Mr. SCHUMER

Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, yesterday, former President Trump reminded the entire country that, if there is anyone to blame for the annihilation of Roe v. Wade and the grotesque reversal of women's personal freedoms, it is Donald Trump and the Republican Party. On Truth Social, yesterday, the former President said he was ``proudly the person responsible'' for putting radical jurists on the Supreme Court for the explicit purpose of overturning Roe. Let me repeat that so all of America knows the real truth. Former President Trump said, yesterday, he was ``proudly the person responsible'' for putting radical jurists on the Supreme Court for the explicit purpose of overturning Roe. Does anyone think that, should Trump become President again, he won't try again to add even more extreme jurists to the bench so he can continue his assault on women's reproductive freedoms? To this day, Donald Trump continues to boast of his extreme views on the right to choose, and we all remember his support for a national abortion ban. No matter how much he might want people to forget, people won't. The president of the Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, a major anti- abortion rights group, reminded everyone, yesterday, that they will still support Donald Trump because, when push comes to shove, they know, should former President Trump return to office, he will continue supporting a Federal abortion ban and continue to erode women's rights. After all, this is the Donald Trump who, when he was President in the past, said women who seek reproductive care deserve to be punished. That is what he said: They deserve to be punished. And that is the bottom line. If Republicans get into power, they will not hesitate to push for a national abortion ban. Many Republicans in both Chambers have been on record supporting a national abortion ban for years. A national abortion ban, for instance, was included in the Republican Study Committee budget released just 2 weeks ago--an organization that counts the majority of House Republicans, including their leadership, as members. So Republicans cannot hide from this. Republicans know that their views are dangerously out of step with the public. Here in Congress, Republicans have claimed to support access to IVF and paid lip service to supporting women's access to reproductive services. But Americans know actions speak louder than words. Not 1 month ago, Senate Republicans blocked legislation to preserve IVF, and Speaker Johnson has publicly opposed Federal action protecting it. So Republicans and Donald Trump can try to hide their anti-abortion records all they want, but the American people will see right through it today, tomorrow, and in November.

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 the President of the Senate be authorized to appoint a committee on the part of the Senate to join with a like committee on the part of the House of Representatives to escort His Excellency Kishida Fumio, Prime Minister of Japan, into the House Chamber for the joint meeting on Thursday, April 11, 2024.

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.

Mr. SCHUMER

Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, finally, I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today, it stand adjourned until 10 a.m., Wednesday, April 10; 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 upon the conclusion of morning business, the Senate proceed to executive session to resume consideration of the Allen nomination postcloture; further, that all time on the Allen nomination be considered expired at 12 noon and, if confirmed, the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table and the President be immediately notified of the Senate's action; that following the disposition of the nomination, the Senate resume legislative session and proceed to the consideration of Calendar No. 359, S.J. Res. 61; that at 2:45 p.m., the joint resolution be considered read a third time and the Senate vote on passage; further, that upon disposition of S.J. Res. 61, the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of H.J. Res. 98, which was received from the House and is at the desk; and that at 5 p.m., the joint resolution be considered read a third time and the Senate vote on passage.

Mr. SCHUMER

Mr. SCHUMER. Madam President, I understand there are three joint resolutions at the desk due for a second reading en bloc.

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

Mr. SCHUMER

Mr. SCHUMER. Madam President, the Senate gavels back into session today to pick up right where we left off in March: confirming more of President Biden's outstanding nominees and advancing legislation that protects and serves the American people. There is much the Senate has to accomplish in the coming weeks, and getting anything done--anything--will require bipartisan cooperation. It is not easy but nevertheless essential. Today, the Senate will commence by voting to invoke cloture on the nomination of Susan Bazis to be a U.S. district court judge for the District of Nebraska. I have also filed cloture on the nominations of Robert White to be a district judge for the Eastern District of Maryland and the nomination of Ann Marie McIff Allen to be a district judge for the District of Utah. On the legislative front, Congress has until April 19 to pass an extension of FISA's national security authorities. That is the next major deadline we face on the calendar. Preventing FISA from lapsing will take bipartisan cooperation and swift action. The House is currently working on the best path forward on FISA, and the Senate stands ready to jump into action to prevent this important national security authority from lapsing. We must get FISA done this work period. As the Congress gavels back into session, I also urge Speaker Johnson and House Republicans to snap out of their paralysis and pass the Senate's national security supplemental. The situation in Ukraine is desperate. Speaker Johnson has now sat on his hands for 55 days as the national security supplemental has collected dust in the House. That is 55 days of America standing on the sidelines while our friends in Ukraine fight and die on the battlefield with no support; 55 days of our European allies wondering when the United States will step up. With each passing day, Ukraine continues to run out of ammo, continues to run out of soldiers, and continues to run out of hope that it can successfully expel the Russians from their borders. Let's be blunt. The biggest reason Ukraine is losing the war is because the hard right in Congress has paralyzed the United States from acting. That is it. That is the reason. Speaker Johnson has to decide for himself whether or not he will do the right thing for Ukraine, for America, and for democracy, or if he will allow MAGA Republicans to hand Vladimir Putin a large victory. I am confident that if the Speaker puts the Senate's national security supplemental on the floor, it will pass. It remains the best, quickest, and most realistic way to get Ukraine the help it needs. So, again, there is a lot that the Senate must do in the coming weeks and months, and to get anything done will require bipartisan cooperation. I thank my colleagues for their good work so far in 2024 and look forward to working with all of them to keep delivering for the American people.

Mr. SCHUMER

Mr. SCHUMER. Madam President, now on student loan debt, since the day the President took office, I have urged him to use every tool available to cancel as much student debt as possible. Yesterday, the American people received some exciting news. President Biden, to his credit, announced a new Executive action to provide student debt relief to nearly 30 million more Americans. Specifically, the President's plan will automatically forgive interest accrued on existing student loans for 25 million borrowers. The President's plan will also automatically cancel the full amount of debt for over 4.5 million Americans who have already qualified for forgiveness through a decade in a repayment program, and it will provide more than 10 million borrowers with at least $5,000 in debt relief. This announcement is a clear sign that the President is listening. He is listening to Congress's call to take action, which I have done for years, and he is listening to the pleas of millions of borrowers who want to get their lives back on track. So today's announcement is good news. It is good news for everyone, particularly for young people and people of color. Democrats will continue exploring every option under the Sun to lower costs and make college more affordable. Already, the President's plan has removed the total debt burden for over 4 million Americans. This plan goes much further. But, on the other hand, unfortunately, our Republican colleagues continue to oppose student debt relief and have wrapped their arms firmly around the MAGA Supreme Court's cruel decision to block student debt cancellation for millions of Americans, and Democrats are going to make sure the American people won't forget it.

Mr. SCHUMER

Mr. SCHUMER. Madam President, now on the Ryan Corbett resolution, it has sadly been over 600 days since Ryan Corbett, a New York native, has been unjustly detained by the Taliban. Ryan traveled there to renew his visa and pay the local staff of his nonprofit when he was taken without cause, without explanation, without any semblance of process. Later this afternoon, I will meet with the Corbett family to talk about our efforts to bring Ryan home. His wife Anna and their three children have been so brave. I have met them already a few times. They have been brave through this tragic situation, and I am in constant awe of their strength and resolve. Today, I am introducing a resolution, alongside Leader McConnell, calling for Ryan's immediate and unconditional release. I urge the Senate to pass this resolution before Ryan's birthday, which is April 13. Throughout this process, I have worked closely with the Corbett family, the White House, the State Department, and other high-ranking officials to make sure that Ryan's safe return remains a top priority. We made progress last September when Ryan was designated as ``wrongfully detained'' by the State Department, giving his case a higher diplomatic priority, but we are still working. Anna has spoken with Ryan a few times, and he has been reportedly being held in terrible conditions, which has caused his health to deteriorate rapidly. So time is of the essence to get him back. As long as Ryan is held by the Taliban, I will never stop fighting to bring him back home and reunite him with Anna, his children, and his family as quickly as possible. I want to thank Leader McConnell for joining me in this resolution and everyone on both sides who has supported this resolution.

Mr. SCHUMER

Mr. SCHUMER. Madam President, now on forum shopping, last month, I wrote a letter to the chief judge of the Northern District of Texas urging the district to apply new reforms adopted by the Judicial Conference to limit the practice of judge shopping. I was disappointed to learn that the chief judge and his court have decided to ignore the Judicial Conference's reforms and allow judge shopping to continue to run rampant in his district. The bottom line is this. It is very simple. Judge shopping jaundices the fairness of our entire legal system. No one, regardless of ideology, should tolerate when interest groups cherry-pick judges of their choice to get a favorable outcome. If courts like the Northern District of Texas refuse to adopt commonsense reforms to limit judge shopping, Congress should consider legislation to end this dangerous practice and restore trust in our Federal judiciary.

Mr. SCHUMER

Mr. SCHUMER. Madam President, now on Capital One and Discover, nearly 2 months ago, Capital One and Discover quietly announced plans for an unprecedented, multibillion-dollar merger that in the long run could risk higher costs for consumers and small businesses alike. Capital One and Discover are two of the largest credit card-issuing institutions in America. If they merge, the new company would likely become the largest credit card issuer in the United States, with over 400 million customers. That could risk higher interest rates, bigger fees, and diminished competition. But even so, most Americans today have no idea that this merger is coming, so yesterday I sent a letter to both Capital One and Discover asking them to share with my office more information regarding antitrust and consumer protections. I want to know more about market shares in this industry. We have already had plenty of consolidation throughout the economy. I want to know about a potential increase in fees. I want to know if workers will be laid off. I would like to hear how consumers are being made aware of this deal. One thing is certain about credit card companies: Much of their bread and butter is a myriad of fees and sometimes--sometimes--eye-popping interest rates. That is why the proposed merger of Capital One and Discover is such a concern. History is very clear that when big financial institutions get even bigger, the American consumer usually gets the short end of the stick. So before a credit card merger takes a potential swipe at consumers, every question should be answered.

Mr. SCHUMER

Mr. SCHUMER. Madam President, finally, I have these glasses today, which were given to me by the president of Fordham University--special Fordham eclipse glasses--so now I am going outside to my balcony to take a look at the eclipse, which is reaching its peak at about 87 percent right now. I yield the floor.

Mr. SCHUMER

Mr. SCHUMER. Madam President, on Chips, well, this morning, another good announcement from President Biden. He and Commerce Secretary Raimondo announced the preliminary agreement with TSMC Arizona to provide billions in Chips and Science incentives to support more than $65 billion in investments for three leading-edge fabs in Phoenix, AZ. Just like the announcement of GlobalFoundries, Intel, and others, today's announcement proves Democrats are delivering in a big way on our promise to bring manufacturing back to the United States, to strengthen our national security, and to get ahead of rising costs from supply chain shortages. Today's announcement is precisely the kind of economic good news we have worked for for years in the Senate. Five years ago, I approached my friend Senator Young and told him we should work together on bipartisan legislation to boost U.S. investment and innovation in advanced manufacturing. I knew that if America wanted to remain No. 1 in terms of scientific might and industry, we had to get serious about getting the Federal Government to invest. Thanks to the efforts of people like Senators Kelly and Brown and Cantwell and Wyden and Warner and many more, we passed Chips and Science into law, and we are now delivering these historic investments to power a new generation of American manufacturing. And there is yet more to come, with further investments in projects like Micron's proposed $100 billion project in Upstate New York. So I am thrilled to see that Chips and Science is delivering as intended and congratulate President Biden and Secretary Raimondo on this tremendous effort.

Mr. SCHUMER

Mr. SCHUMER. Madam 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. Madam President, if there is no further business to come before the Senate, I ask that it stand adjourned under the previous order.

Mr. SCHUMER

Mr. SCHUMER. Madam President, this is a very short one tonight. I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today, it stand adjourned until 10 a.m. on Tuesday, April 9; 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 upon the conclusion of morning business, the Senate proceed to executive session to resume consideration of the Bazis nomination postcloture; further, that all time on the Bazis nomination be considered expired at 11:30 a.m. and that following the cloture vote on the White nomination, the Senate recess until 2:15 p.m. to allow for the weekly caucus meetings, with all time during recess counting postcloture; 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 action.

Mr. SCHUMER

Mr. SCHUMER. I ask unanimous consent that further reading of the amendment be waived.

Mr. SCHUMER. I yield the floor.

Mr. SCHUMER

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

Mr. SCHUMER

Mr. SCHUMER. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent to modify the previous order so that the Lee motion to concur be first in the order.

Mr. SCHUMER

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