[Pages S2350-S2360]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Amendment No. 1646 to Amendment No. 1717

Mr. BENNET. Mr. President, I call up my amendment No. 1646 and ask
that it be reported by number.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report.
The senior assistant legislative clerk read as follows:

The Senator from Colorado [Mr. Bennet] proposes an
amendment numbered 1646 to amendment No. 1717.

The amendment is as follows:

(Purpose: To prevent any disruption in security assistance to Ukraine)

At the appropriate place, insert the following:

SEC. ___. DEFICIT-NEUTRAL RESERVE FUND RELATING TO
PRESERVATION OF SECURITY ASSISTANCE TO UKRAINE.

Mr. BENNET. Mr. President, with Russia rejecting President Trump's
proposed 30-day cease-fire and continuing to attack Ukraine and with
the administration briefly pausing military and intelligence assistance
to Ukraine last month, the Senate must send an unequivocal message. The
Ukrainian people did not ask for this war. They did not invite this
war. They have fought with everything they have and with the American
people's support. They have suffered 400,000 casualties and caused more
Russian casualties than in all the wars that Russia has had since World
War II.
Those of us serving in this Chamber have a duty to the American
people to demand moral and strategic clarity by making clear that any
steps by this administration to cut off military and security
assistance to Ukraine is unacceptable.
This is a simple question; it is not a partisan one. And the answer
is clear: This fight is not just for Ukraine. It is for democracy. It
is for freedom.
I urge my colleagues to stand with the Ukrainian people and vote yes.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Mississippi.
Mr. WICKER. Mr. President, I urge my colleagues to oppose this
amendment. We certainly need a cease-fire in the Ukraine war. We are
closer and closer to having an agreement between President Trump and
President Zelenskyy about a cease-fire, and it is quite obvious that
President Putin is not at all interested in peace.
But this budget resolution is about $150 billion of investment in our
military for shipbuilding, missile defense, munitions, innovation,
taking care of our troops, and more.
Passage of this amendment will make it harder to pass the budget, and
for that reason, I hope we will reject the amendment, and I urge my
colleagues to vote no.

Vote on Amendment No. 1646

The PRESIDING OFFICER. The question now occurs on adoption of the
amendment.
Mr. BENNET. I ask for the yeas and nays.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there a sufficient second?
There appears to be a sufficient second.
The clerk will call the roll.
The senior assistant executive clerk called the roll.
Mr. DURBIN. I announce that the Senator from Washington (Mrs. Murray)
is necessarily absent.
The result was announced--yeas 48, nays 51, as follows:

[Rollcall Vote No. 178 Leg.]

YEAS--48

Alsobrooks
Baldwin
Bennet
Blumenthal
Blunt Rochester
Booker
Cantwell
Collins
Coons
Cortez Masto
Duckworth
Durbin
Fetterman
Gallego
Gillibrand
Hassan
Heinrich
Hickenlooper
Hirono
Kaine
Kelly
Kim
King
Klobuchar
Lujan
Markey
Merkley
Murkowski
Murphy
Ossoff
Padilla
Peters
Reed
Rosen
Sanders
Schatz
Schiff
Schumer
Shaheen
Slotkin
Smith
Van Hollen
Warner
Warnock
Warren
Welch
Whitehouse
Wyden

NAYS--51

Banks
Barrasso
Blackburn
Boozman
Britt
Budd
Capito
Cassidy
Cornyn
Cotton
Cramer
Crapo
Cruz
Curtis
Daines
Ernst
Fischer
Graham
Grassley
Hagerty
Hawley

[[Page S2351]]

Hoeven
Husted
Hyde-Smith
Johnson
Justice
Kennedy
Lankford
Lee
Lummis
Marshall
McConnell
McCormick
Moody
Moran
Moreno
Mullin
Paul
Ricketts
Risch
Rounds
Schmitt
Scott (FL)
Scott (SC)
Sheehy
Sullivan
Thune
Tillis
Tuberville
Wicker
Young

NOT VOTING--1

Murray

The amendment (No. 1646) was rejected.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Kentucky.

Amendment No. 1760 to Amendment No. 1717

Mr. PAUL. Mr. President, I call up my amendment No. 1760.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report.
The senior assistant executive clerk read as follows:

The Senator from Kentucky [Mr. Paul] proposes an amendment
numbered 1760 to amendment No. 1717.

The amendment is as follows:

(Purpose: To modify the debt limit instruction for the House of
Representatives and the Senate)

On page 47, strike line 20, and all that follows through
page 51, line 7, and insert the following:
(c) Increase in Statutory Debt Limit.--The Committee on
Ways and Means shall submit changes in laws within its
jurisdiction that increase the statutory debt limit by
$500,000,000,000.

SEC. 2002. RECONCILIATION IN THE SENATE.

(a) In General.--
(1) Submissions.--In the Senate, not later than May 9,
2025, the committees named in paragraph (2) shall submit
their recommendations to the Committee on the Budget of the
Senate. Upon receiving all such recommendations, the
Committee on the Budget of the Senate shall report to the
Senate a reconciliation bill carrying out all such
recommendations without any substantive revision.
(2) Instructions.--
(A) Committee on agriculture, nutrition, and forestry.--The
Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the
Senate shall report changes in laws within its jurisdiction
that reduce the deficit by not less than $1,000,000,000 for
the period of fiscal years 2025 through 2034.
(B) Committee on armed services.--The Committee on Armed
Services of the Senate shall report changes in laws within
its jurisdiction that increase the deficit by not more than
$150,000,000,000 for the period of fiscal years 2025 through
2034.
(C) Committee on banking, housing, and urban affairs.--The
Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs of the
Senate shall report changes in laws within its jurisdiction
that reduce the deficit by not less than $1,000,000,000 for
the period of fiscal years 2025 through 2034.
(D) Committee on commerce, science, and transportation.--
The Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the
Senate shall report changes in laws within its jurisdiction
that increase the deficit by not more than $20,000,000,000
for the period of fiscal years 2025 through 2034.
(E) Committee on energy and natural resources.--The
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate shall
report changes in laws within its jurisdiction that reduce
the deficit by not less than $1,000,000,000 for the period of
fiscal years 2025 through 2034.
(F) Committee on environment and public works.--The
Committee on Environment and Public Works of the Senate shall
report changes in laws within its jurisdiction that increase
the deficit by not more than $1,000,000,000 for the period of
fiscal years 2025 through 2034.
(G) Committee on finance.--The Committee on Finance of the
Senate shall report changes in laws within its jurisdiction
that increase the deficit by not more than $1,500,000,000,000
for the period of fiscal years 2025 through 2034.
(H) Committee on health, education, labor, and pensions.--
The Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions of
the Senate shall report changes in laws within its
jurisdiction that reduce the deficit by not less than
$1,000,000,000 for the period of fiscal years 2025 through
2034.
(I) Committee on homeland security and governmental
affairs.--The Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental
Affairs of the Senate shall report changes in laws within its
jurisdiction that increase the deficit by not more than
$175,000,000,000 for the period of fiscal years 2025 through
2034.
(J) Committee on the judiciary.--The Committee on the
Judiciary of the Senate shall report changes in laws within
its jurisdiction that increase the deficit by not more than
$175,000,000,000 for the period of fiscal years 2025 through
2034.
(b) Increase in Statutory Debt Limit.--In the Senate, not
later than May 16, 2025, the Committee on Finance of the
Senate shall report changes in laws within its jurisdiction
that increase the statutory debt limit by not more than
$500,000,000,000.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Kentucky.
Mr. PAUL. This budget resolution proposes to raise the debt ceiling
$5 trillion. There is nothing conservative--absolutely nothing
conservative--about adding $5 trillion in debt. This $5 trillion
increase in the debt ceiling will be the largest increase ever in the
U.S. debt ceiling in one moment. It is reckless and irresponsible.
President Trump and DOGE are aggressively finding things to cut, but
the big spenders in Congress don't want to make these cuts permanent.
If we kick the debt deadline 2 years down the road, the cuts likely
will never happen. I propose that we cap the debt limit so that we take
3 months to ensure that the cuts are real, then address the debt limit
alongside the new cuts.
I ask for a ``yes'' vote on my amendment.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Wyoming.
Mr. BARRASSO. Mr. President, I rise to oppose the amendment. I
support the Senate Republican budget resolution. The Senate budget
resolution extends the debt limit into 2027.
The American people want to cut reckless Washington spending. They
want their government to be more effective and more efficient. That is
what our Senate Republican budget resolution delivers; therefore, I
urge my colleagues to vote no on this amendment.

Vote on Amendment No. 1760

The PRESIDING OFFICER. The question now occurs on adoption of the
amendment.
Mr. WICKER. I ask for the yeas and nays.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there a sufficient second?
There appears to be a sufficient second.
The clerk will call the roll.
The senior assistant legislative clerk called the roll.
Mr. DURBIN. I announce that the Senator from WA (Mrs. Murray) is
necessarily absent.
The result was announced--yeas 5, nays 94, as follows:

[Rollcall Vote No. 179 Leg.]

YEAS--5

Curtis
Lee
Paul
Sanders
Van Hollen

NAYS--94

Alsobrooks
Baldwin
Banks
Barrasso
Bennet
Blackburn
Blumenthal
Blunt Rochester
Booker
Boozman
Britt
Budd
Cantwell
Capito
Cassidy
Collins
Coons
Cornyn
Cortez Masto
Cotton
Cramer
Crapo
Cruz
Daines
Duckworth
Durbin
Ernst
Fetterman
Fischer
Gallego
Gillibrand
Graham
Grassley
Hagerty
Hassan
Hawley
Heinrich
Hickenlooper
Hirono
Hoeven
Husted
Hyde-Smith
Johnson
Justice
Kaine
Kelly
Kennedy
Kim
King
Klobuchar
Lankford
Lujan
Lummis
Markey
Marshall
McConnell
McCormick
Merkley
Moody
Moran
Moreno
Mullin
Murkowski
Murphy
Ossoff
Padilla
Peters
Reed
Ricketts
Risch
Rosen
Rounds
Schatz
Schiff
Schmitt
Schumer
Scott (FL)
Scott (SC)
Shaheen
Sheehy
Slotkin
Smith
Sullivan
Thune
Tillis
Tuberville
Warner
Warnock
Warren
Welch
Whitehouse
Wicker
Wyden
Young

NOT VOTING--1

Murray

The amendment (No. 1760) was rejected.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Georgia.

Amendment No. 2186

Mr. OSSOFF. Mr. President, I call up my amendment No. 2186 and ask
that it be reported by number.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the amendment by number.
The senior assistant legislative clerk read as follows:

The Senator from Georgia [Mr. Ossoff] proposes an amendment
numbered 2186 to amendment No. 1717.

The amendment is as follows:

(Purpose: To establish a deficit-neutral reserve fund relating to
reversing cuts to the Social Security Administration, which may include
cuts ordered by the Department of Government Efficiency or any other
cuts to seniors' services).

At the appropriate place, insert the following:

SEC. ___. DEFICIT-NEUTRAL RESERVE FUND RELATING TO REVERSING
CUTS TO THE SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION,
INCLUDING SERVICE CUTS ORDERED BY THE
DEPARTMENT OF GOVERNMENT EFFICIENCY.

The Chairman of the Committee on the Budget of the Senate
may revise the allocations of a committee or committees,
aggregates, and other appropriate levels in this

[[Page S2352]]

resolution, and make adjustments to the pay-as-you-go ledger,
for one or more bills, joint resolutions, amendments,
amendments between the Houses, motions, or conference reports
relating to reversing cuts to the Social Security
Administration, which may include cuts ordered by the
Department of Government Efficiency or any other cuts to
seniors' services, by the amounts provided in such
legislation for those purposes, provided that such
legislation would not increase the deficit over the period of
the total of fiscal years 2025 through 2034.
Mr. OSSOFF. Mr. President, this amendment will reverse Elon Musk's
cuts to the Social Security Administration. And before it is denied
that this is happening, today, yet another mass firing was reported
when service quality is already at a tailspin. Phone services are being
terminated, offices are being closed, seniors are waiting on hold for
hours, office managers are manning the phones because receptionists are
fired, and the website is crashing repeatedly under the strain.
Mr. Musk calls Social Security a Ponzi scheme but refuses to testify
before Congress. I know he is rich and powerful, but where are the
subpoenas? American seniors deserve transparency.
Secretary Lutnick said his mother-in-law wouldn't complain if she
missed a Social Security check. Maybe that is because her son-in-law is
a billionaire. But Georgia seniors don't have that luxury.
Support this amendment. Stand with America's seniors over the richest
man in the world.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Idaho.
Mr. CRAPO. Everybody knows the reconciliation bill cannot deal with
adjustments to the Social Security trust fund.
As to efforts to try to deal with the management of the Social
Security Administration, I recommend that what we do is to confirm the
President's nominee to run the Social Security Administration, who
stated in our committee hearing that he was going to be focused on
making sure that Social Security worked efficiency and effectively so
that it delivered the proper benefits to all beneficiaries. That is
what we ought to do, is to expeditiously move President Trump's nominee
to be the next Administrator of the Social Security Administration.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Georgia.
Mr. OSSOFF. How much time is remaining?
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Two seconds.

Vote on Amendment No. 2186

The PRESIDING OFFICER. The question now occurs on adoption of
amendment No. 2186.
Mr. OSSOFF. I ask for the yeas and nays.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there a sufficient second?
There appears to be a sufficient second.
The clerk will call the roll.
The senior assistant executive clerk called the roll.
Mr. DURBIN. I announce that the Senator from Washington (Mrs. Murray)
is necessarily absent.
The result was announced--yeas 49, nays 50, as follows:

[Rollcall Vote No. 180 Leg.]

YEAS--49

Alsobrooks
Baldwin
Bennet
Blumenthal
Blunt Rochester
Booker
Cantwell
Collins
Coons
Cortez Masto
Duckworth
Durbin
Fetterman
Gallego
Gillibrand
Hassan
Heinrich
Hickenlooper
Hirono
Kaine
Kelly
Kim
King
Klobuchar
Lujan
Markey
Merkley
Murkowski
Murphy
Ossoff
Padilla
Peters
Reed
Rosen
Sanders
Schatz
Schiff
Schumer
Shaheen
Slotkin
Smith
Sullivan
Van Hollen
Warner
Warnock
Warren
Welch
Whitehouse
Wyden

NAYS--50

Banks
Barrasso
Blackburn
Boozman
Britt
Budd
Capito
Cassidy
Cornyn
Cotton
Cramer
Crapo
Cruz
Curtis
Daines
Ernst
Fischer
Graham
Grassley
Hagerty
Hawley
Hoeven
Husted
Hyde-Smith
Johnson
Justice
Kennedy
Lankford
Lee
Lummis
Marshall
McConnell
McCormick
Moody
Moran
Moreno
Mullin
Paul
Ricketts
Risch
Rounds
Schmitt
Scott (FL)
Scott (SC)
Sheehy
Thune
Tillis
Tuberville
Wicker
Young

NOT VOTING--1

Murray

The amendment (No. 2186) was rejected.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Colorado.

Amendment No. 2107 to Amendment No. 1717

Mr. HICKENLOOPER. Mr. President, I call up my amendment No. 2107 and
ask that it be reported by number.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report.
The assistant bill clerk read as follows:

The Senator from Colorado [Mr. Hickenlooper], for himself
and others, proposes an amendment numbered 2107 to amendment
No. 1717.

The amendment is as follows:

(Purpose: To establish a deficit-neutral reserve fund relating to
preventing the use of proceeds from public land sales to reduce the
Federal deficit)

At the appropriate place, insert the following:

SEC. ___. DEFICIT-NEUTRAL RESERVE FUND RELATING TO PREVENTING
THE USE OF PROCEEDS FROM PUBLIC LAND SALES TO
REDUCE THE FEDERAL DEFICIT.

The Chairman of the Committee on the Budget of the Senate
may revise the allocations of a committee or committees,
aggregates, and other appropriate levels in this resolution,
and make adjustments to the pay-as-you-go ledger, for one or
more bills, joint resolutions, amendments, amendments between
the Houses, motions, or conference reports relating to land
conservation, which may include preventing the use of
proceeds from public land sales to reduce the Federal
deficit, by the amounts provided in such legislation for
those purposes, provided that such legislation would not
increase the deficit over the period of the total of fiscal
years 2025 through 2034.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Colorado.
Mr. HICKENLOOPER. Mr. President, in the West and across America,
national parks and public lands are our pride and joy. They are also a
huge part of our economy. Colorado's public lands power a $17 billion
outdoor recreation economy, which employs more than 132,000 Coloradans.
Recently, the Trump administration has taken aim at our national
parks and other public lands. They illegally fired thousands of people
who are responsible for wildland mitigation, for habitat conservation,
and outdoor recreation management, among other things.
Some Republicans are adding fuel to the fire by pushing to sell off
public lands to pay for these tax cuts for the ultrawealthy. The tax
handouts for the wealthy are so large and so important that some are
willing to plunder our public lands. So let's be clear. Our public
lands are not for sale.
Senator Heinrich and I have introduced a simple amendment--a ``yes''
or ``no'' vote--to prevent this reckless fire sale of our campgrounds,
our forests, and our national treasurers. How could one vote against
that?
I yield the floor.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Utah.
Mr. LEE. Mr. President, do not let the false hype from these sponsors
fool you.
All this amendment does is to stop the proceeds for any land sales
from being used to pay down the deficit. It doesn't stop land sales. In
fact, just last year, the author of this amendment passed a law to
dispose of Federal land in Colorado. If you are from a State like mine,
where the Federal Government owns two-thirds of the land and restricts
our ability to do anything, everything--develop land; build houses,
which we desperately need; even to fund our schools, our search and
rescue, our police services--then, all of a sudden, we are told that
when land sales occur, as they routinely do, we cannot use that to pay
down our $36 trillion debt.
This is disgraceful. We must vote it down. I encourage my colleagues
to vote, emphatically, no.

Vote on Amendment No. 2107

The PRESIDING OFFICER. The question now occurs on adoption of the
amendment.
Mr. PETERS. Mr. President, I ask for the yeas and nays.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there a sufficient second?
There appears to be a sufficient second.
The clerk will call the roll.
The legislative clerk called the roll.
Mr. DURBIN. I announce that the Senator from Washington (Mrs. Murray)
is necessarily absent.

[[Page S2353]]

The result was announced--yeas 48, nays 51, as follows:

[Rollcall Vote No. 181 Leg.]

YEAS--48

Alsobrooks
Baldwin
Bennet
Blumenthal
Blunt Rochester
Booker
Cantwell
Coons
Cortez Masto
Daines
Duckworth
Durbin
Fetterman
Gallego
Gillibrand
Hassan
Heinrich
Hickenlooper
Hirono
Kaine
Kelly
Kim
King
Klobuchar
Lujan
Markey
Merkley
Murphy
Ossoff
Padilla
Peters
Reed
Rosen
Sanders
Schatz
Schiff
Schumer
Shaheen
Sheehy
Slotkin
Smith
Van Hollen
Warner
Warnock
Warren
Welch
Whitehouse
Wyden

NAYS--51

Banks
Barrasso
Blackburn
Boozman
Britt
Budd
Capito
Cassidy
Collins
Cornyn
Cotton
Cramer
Crapo
Cruz
Curtis
Ernst
Fischer
Graham
Grassley
Hagerty
Hawley
Hoeven
Husted
Hyde-Smith
Johnson
Justice
Kennedy
Lankford
Lee
Lummis
Marshall
McConnell
McCormick
Moody
Moran
Moreno
Mullin
Murkowski
Paul
Ricketts
Risch
Rounds
Schmitt
Scott (FL)
Scott (SC)
Sullivan
Thune
Tillis
Tuberville
Wicker
Young

NOT VOTING--1

Murray

The amendment (No. 2107) was rejected.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from New Jersey.

Amendment No. 1441 to Amendment No. 1717

Mr. BOOKER. Mr. President, I would like to call up my amendment No.
1441 and ask unanimous consent to speak for up to 25 hours.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Permission denied.
Mr. BOOKER. OK. I just ask that it be reported by number.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report.
The legislative clerk read as follows:

The Senator from New Jersey [Mr. Booker] proposes an
amendment numbered 1441 to amendment No. 1717.

The amendment is as follows:

(Purpose: To establish a deficit-neutral reserve fund relating to
stopping the Department of Agriculture from not honoring contracts made
with farmers and farm-serving organizations)

At the appropriate place, insert the following:

SEC. ___. DEFICIT-NEUTRAL RESERVE FUND RELATING TO PROTECTING
AMERICAN FARMERS FROM BROKEN CONTRACTS.

The Chairman of the Committee on the Budget of the Senate
may revise the allocations of a committee or committees,
aggregates, and other appropriate levels in this resolution,
and make adjustments to the pay-as-you-go ledger, for one or
more bills, joint resolutions, amendments, amendments between
the Houses, motions, or conference reports relating to
agriculture, which may include prohibiting the Department of
Agriculture from withholding funds in accordance with a
signed contract, by the amounts provided in such legislation
for those purposes, provided that such legislation would not
increase the deficit over the period of the total of fiscal
years 2025 through 2034.
Mr. BOOKER. Mr. President, farmers already deal with so much
uncertainty from prices. They should not have to deal with the
uncertainty that our government won't follow through on its contracts.
Farmers who apply for grant programs are awarded funding on their
merits. They make legally binding agreements. As a result, they spend
tens of thousands of dollars on projects in accordance with those
agreements. But with little notice, President Trump stopped paying
those contracts. No one is telling the farmers or even Congress here
when or if this money will be released, as legally required. It is
really unacceptable.
Farmers operate on tight margins and cannot be left waiting for weeks
and months without the funding they rightfully plan for and need to
keep operating. I urge all of my colleagues to vote for this amendment
to prohibit Trump's USDA from continuing to illegally withhold funding
from our farmers.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Arkansas.
Mr. BOOZMAN. Mr. President, I rise in opposition to amendment No.
1441. I appreciate the concerns of my colleague from New Jersey;
however, this amendment is not necessary.
Secretary Rollins is conducting a thorough and timely review of the
USDA contracts. Upon the final conclusion of those reviews, the
Secretary has released the funds for various programs for USDA.
It is the standard practice for new administrations to come in and
review contracts and obligations made by prior administrations. I have
full confidence in Secretary Rollins to continue down this path.
I urge my colleagues to vote against this amendment.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from New Jersey.
Mr. BOOKER. Out of the kindness and generosity of my colleague there,
instead of asking for a rollcall vote, I ask for a voice vote.

Vote on Amendment No. 1441

The PRESIDING OFFICER. The question is on adoption of the amendment.
The amendment is not agreed to.
The amendment (No. 1441) was rejected.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Hawaii.

Amendment No. 2180 to Amendment No. 1717

Ms. HIRONO. Mr. President, I call up my amendment No. 2180 and ask
that it be reported by number.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report.
The legislative clerk read as follows:

The Senator from Hawaii [Ms. Hirono] proposes an amendment
numbered 2180 to amendment No. 1717.

The amendment is as follows:

(Purpose: To prevent DOGE from closing Social Security offices,
preserving access to benefits for seniors and people with disabilities)

At the appropriate place, insert the following:

SEC. ___. DEFICIT-NEUTRAL RESERVE FUND RELATING TO PRESERVING
ACCESS TO SOCIAL SECURITY BENEFITS.

The Chairman of the Committee on the Budget of the Senate
may revise the allocations of a committee or committees,
aggregates, and other appropriate levels in this resolution,
and make adjustments to the pay-as-you-go ledger, for one or
more bills, joint resolutions, amendments, amendments between
the Houses, motions, or conference reports relating to
preserving Social Security benefits, which may include
prohibiting the closure of regional and field offices by the
Social Security Administration or reduction of Social
Security Administration regional or field office personnel,
by the amounts provided in such legislation for those
purposes, provided that such legislation would not increase
the deficit over the period of the total of fiscal years 2025
through 2034.
Ms. HIRONO. Mr. President, Social Security is essential to millions
of Americans, including nearly 300,000 in Hawaii, but Donald Trump and
Elon Musk see Social Security as nothing more than a Ponzi scheme. They
have already cut Social Security staff, and now they want to close
field offices that people rely on--all in their continuing attack to
cripple government services and all to fund massive tax cuts for
billionaires.
We were told that we should expeditiously confirm President Trump's
nominee to be Social Security Administrator. Why? So that we confirm
another ``yes'' person to do President Trump's bidding to destroy
government services? That is not what we should be doing.
My amendment would prevent any reduction in services for Social
Security beneficiaries, including through the closure of regional and
field offices and the reduction of regional personnel, field office
personnel.
When people need help with their Social Security, which they paid
for, they should get it. If my Republican colleagues care about Social
Security, this is their chance to vote aye.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator's time has expired.
Ms. HIRONO. A vote against this amendment is a vote to screw the most
vulnerable people in our country.
I yield.
I ask for the yeas and nays.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Louisiana.
Mr. KENNEDY. Mr. President, with respect, this amendment is all Henry
and no Kissinger. It is exquisitely dumb. Even a cursory examination of
the statutory authority shows that this body does not have the
authority to address the Social Security trust fund in reconciliation.
Even a cursory examination of the media reports will show that
Republicans do not support cutting Social Security.
If my colleagues are concerned about the way Social Security is being
run,

[[Page S2354]]

as we all are, they should support the President's nominee to run
Social Security.
All this amendment will do is add ambiguity to this resolution. If
you are foolish enough to vote for it, you will never own your own
home.

Vote on Amendment No. 2180

The PRESIDING OFFICER. The question is on adoption of the amendment.
Mr. LUJAN. I ask for the yeas and nays.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there a sufficient second?
There appears to be a sufficient.
The clerk will call the roll.
The assistant bill clerk called the roll.
Mr. DURBIN. I announce that the Senator from Washington (Mrs. Murray)
is necessarily absent.
The result was announced--yeas 48, nays 51, as follows:

[Rollcall Vote No. 182 Leg.]

YEAS--48

Alsobrooks
Baldwin
Bennet
Blumenthal
Blunt Rochester
Booker
Cantwell
Collins
Coons
Cortez Masto
Duckworth
Durbin
Fetterman
Gallego
Gillibrand
Hassan
Heinrich
Hickenlooper
Hirono
Kaine
Kelly
Kim
King
Klobuchar
Lujan
Markey
Merkley
Murphy
Ossoff
Padilla
Peters
Reed
Rosen
Sanders
Schatz
Schiff
Schumer
Shaheen
Slotkin
Smith
Sullivan
Van Hollen
Warner
Warnock
Warren
Welch
Whitehouse
Wyden

NAYS--51

Banks
Barrasso
Blackburn
Boozman
Britt
Budd
Capito
Cassidy
Cornyn
Cotton
Cramer
Crapo
Cruz
Curtis
Daines
Ernst
Fischer
Graham
Grassley
Hagerty
Hawley
Hoeven
Husted
Hyde-Smith
Johnson
Justice
Kennedy
Lankford
Lee
Lummis
Marshall
McConnell
McCormick
Moody
Moran
Moreno
Mullin
Murkowski
Paul
Ricketts
Risch
Rounds
Schmitt
Scott (FL)
Scott (SC)
Sheehy
Thune
Tillis
Tuberville
Wicker
Young

NOT VOTING--1

Murray

The amendment (No. 2180) was rejected.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The majority leader.

Order of Business

Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the following
amendments be in order; that the amendments be reported by number, with
no amendments in order prior to a vote in relation to the amendments:
The first amendment is No. 1690, Cortez Masto; No. 2 is No. 1693,
Baldwin; No. 3 is No. 1661, Welch; No. 4 is No. 1529, Markey.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
The Senator from New Jersey.

Amendment No. 1644 to Amendment No. 1717

Mr. KIM. Mr. President, I call up my amendment No. 1644 and ask that
it be reported by number.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the amendment by number.
The legislative clerk read as follows:

The Senator from New Jersey [Mr. Kim] proposes an amendment
numbered 1644 to amendment No. 1717.

The amendment is as follows:

(Purpose: To establish a deficit-neutral reserve fund to prevent
increased barriers to American caregivers, including individuals caring
for seniors, children, home care workers, and individuals engaged in
the care economy.)

At the appropriate place, insert the following:

SEC. ___. DEFICIT-NEUTRAL RESERVE FUND RELATING TO HEALTHCARE
COVERAGE, WHICH MAY INCLUDE LEGISLATION
PROHIBITING A REDUCTION IN MEDICAID AND
MEDICARE FUNDING.

The Chairman of the Committee on the Budget of the Senate
may revise the allocations of a committee or committees,
aggregates, and other appropriate levels in this resolution,
and make adjustments to the pay-as-you-go ledger, for one or
more bills, joint resolutions, amendments, amendments between
the Houses, motions, or conference reports relating to
healthcare coverage, which may include legislation
prohibiting a reduction in Medicaid and Medicare funding, by
the amounts provided in such legislation for those purposes,
provided that such legislation would not increase the deficit
over the period of the total of fiscal years 2025 through
2034.
Mr. KIM. Mr. President, I rise today in support of the millions of
Americans who rely on Medicaid for their caregivers and in support of
those caregivers in whose arms we entrust those we love the most.
This morning, I needed to rush up to my father as he took a bad fall.
His leg, muscles atrophied by polio, won't heal and must be immobilized
fully.
My father has no capacity to be able to dress himself, no ability to
care for himself, and I had a long and emotional conversation with his
caregiver about caring for and tending to his wounds and about his
limitations.
I will be honest with you. It is hard leaving his side to drive
straight here to the Capitol tonight for votes that could very well
determine if aging seniors like my father will get the care they need.
My amendment will ensure that caregivers are protected from efforts
to gut and cut Medicaid.
I could only be here voting today because a caregiver is there
looking after my father right now. These caregivers deserve someone
looking after them. I cannot--we cannot--abandon those who give so much
to care for those whom we love. Let's pass this amendment and protect
caregivers from these dangerous cuts.
I yield back.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Louisiana.
Mr. KENNEDY. Mr. President, please read section 3003 of the budget
resolution. It says, bigger than Dallas, that the Republicans have no
intention of cutting Medicare or Medicaid benefits.
This is a bad amendment. Please vote against it.

Vote on Amendment No. 1644

The PRESIDING OFFICER. The question now occurs on adoption of the
amendment.
Mr. KIM. I ask for the yeas and nays.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there a sufficient second?
There appears to be a sufficient second.
The clerk will call the roll.
The legislative clerk called the roll.
Mr. DURBIN. I announce that the Senator from Washington (Mrs. Murray)
is necessarily absent.
The result was announced--yeas 49, nays 50, as follows:

[Rollcall Vote No. 183 Leg.]

YEAS--49

Alsobrooks
Baldwin
Bennet
Blumenthal
Blunt Rochester
Booker
Cantwell
Collins
Coons
Cortez Masto
Duckworth
Durbin
Fetterman
Gallego
Gillibrand
Hassan
Hawley
Heinrich
Hickenlooper
Hirono
Kaine
Kelly
Kim
King
Klobuchar
Lujan
Markey
Merkley
Murkowski
Murphy
Ossoff
Padilla
Peters
Reed
Rosen
Sanders
Schatz
Schiff
Schumer
Shaheen
Slotkin
Smith
Van Hollen
Warner
Warnock
Warren
Welch
Whitehouse
Wyden

NAYS--50

Banks
Barrasso
Blackburn
Boozman
Britt
Budd
Capito
Cassidy
Cornyn
Cotton
Cramer
Crapo
Cruz
Curtis
Daines
Ernst
Fischer
Graham
Grassley
Hagerty
Hoeven
Husted
Hyde-Smith
Johnson
Justice
Kennedy
Lankford
Lee
Lummis
Marshall
McConnell
McCormick
Moody
Moran
Moreno
Mullin
Paul
Ricketts
Risch
Rounds
Schmitt
Scott (FL)
Scott (SC)
Sheehy
Sullivan
Thune
Tillis
Tuberville
Wicker
Young

NOT VOTING--1

Murray

The amendment (No. 1644) was rejected.
The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The Senator from Vermont.

Amendment No. 2126 to Amendment No. 1717

Mr. SANDERS. Mr. President, I call up my amendment No. 2126 and ask
that it be reported by number.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report.
The assistant bill clerk read as follows:

The Senator from Vermont [Mr. Sanders] proposes an
amendment numbered 2126 to amendment No. 1717.

The amendment is as follows:

(Purpose: To make sure the Senate can increase the Federal minimum wage
to $17 an hour by a simple majority vote)

At the appropriate place, insert the following:

SEC. ___. INCREASING THE FEDERAL MINIMUM WAGE TO $17 AN HOUR.

[[Page S2355]]

joint resolutions, amendments, amendments between the Houses,
motions, or conference reports to increase the Federal
minimum wage to at least $17 an hour over 5 years by the
amounts provided in such legislation for those purposes.
The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The Senator from Vermont.
Mr. SANDERS. Mr. President, this amendment is simple and
straightforward. Millions of Americans today are working for starvation
wages. What this amendment does is raise the Federal minimum wage from
an embarrassingly low $7.25 an hour to a living wage of $17 an hour
over a period of 5 years. In other words, 5 years from now, everybody
in America would make at least $17 an hour. That is not a radical idea.
Quite unbelievably, the average American worker today makes $42 a
week less than he or she did 52 years ago. Almost all of the new wealth
that has been created has gone to the top 1 percent--a massive transfer
of wealth from the bottom 90 percent to the people on top.
It has been 16 years--16 years--since the Federal minimum wage has
been raised.
The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The Senator's time has expired.
Mr. SANDERS. Now is the time to address the crises facing working
Americans.
I ask for a ``yes'' vote.
The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The Senator from Louisiana.
Mr. CASSIDY. Mr. President, this is a one-size-fits-all inflationary
amendment. Increasing the wage by more than 230 percent even over 5
years will destroy jobs, impacting rural areas and low-margin small
businesses that cannot afford such an increase. A law mandating a
higher minimum wage doesn't mean much to a worker who loses his or her
job because of this.
I urge my colleagues to vote no on this amendment.

Vote on Amendment No. 2126

The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The question now occurs on adoption
of the amendment.
Mr. SANDERS. I ask for the yeas and nays.
The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Is there a sufficient second?
There appears to be a sufficient second.
The clerk will call the roll.
The assistant bill clerk called the roll.
Mr. DURBIN. I announce that the Senator from Washington (Mrs. Murray)
is necessarily absent.
The result was announced--yeas 47, nays 52, as follows:

[Rollcall Vote No. 184 Leg.]

YEAS--47

Alsobrooks
Baldwin
Bennet
Blumenthal
Blunt Rochester
Booker
Cantwell
Coons
Cortez Masto
Duckworth
Durbin
Fetterman
Gallego
Gillibrand
Hassan
Hawley
Heinrich
Hickenlooper
Hirono
Kaine
Kelly
Kim
King
Klobuchar
Lujan
Markey
Merkley
Murphy
Ossoff
Padilla
Peters
Reed
Rosen
Sanders
Schatz
Schiff
Schumer
Shaheen
Slotkin
Smith
Van Hollen
Warner
Warnock
Warren
Welch
Whitehouse
Wyden

NAYS--52

Banks
Barrasso
Blackburn
Boozman
Britt
Budd
Capito
Cassidy
Collins
Cornyn
Cotton
Cramer
Crapo
Cruz
Curtis
Daines
Ernst
Fischer
Graham
Grassley
Hagerty
Hoeven
Husted
Hyde-Smith
Johnson
Justice
Kennedy
Lankford
Lee
Lummis
Marshall
McConnell
McCormick
Moody
Moran
Moreno
Mullin
Murkowski
Paul
Ricketts
Risch
Rounds
Schmitt
Scott (FL)
Scott (SC)
Sheehy
Sullivan
Thune
Tillis
Tuberville
Wicker
Young

NOT VOTING--1

Murray

The amendment (No. 2126) was rejected.
The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Cassidy). The Senator from Nevada.

Amendment No. 1690 to Amendment No. 1717

Ms. CORTEZ MASTO. Mr. President, I call up my amendment No. 1690 and
ask that it be reported by number.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report.
The senior assistant legislative clerk read as follows:

The Senator from Nevada [Ms. Cortez Masto] proposes an
amendment numbered 1690 to amendment No. 1717.

The amendment is as follows:

(Purpose: To create a point of order against legislation that would
increase drug costs for seniors and people with disabilities on
Medicare)

At the appropriate place, insert the following:

SEC. ___. POINT OF ORDER AGAINST LEGISLATION THAT WOULD
INCREASE DRUG COSTS FOR SENIORS AND PEOPLE WITH
DISABILITIES ON MEDICARE.

(a) Point of Order.--It shall not be in order in the Senate
to consider any bill, joint resolution, motion, amendment,
amendment between the Houses, or conference report that would
increase cost-sharing or out-of-pocket expenses for seniors
or people with disabilities who rely on Medicare for their
prescription drug coverage.
(b) Waiver and Appeal.--Subsection (a) may be waived or
suspended in the Senate only by an affirmative vote of three-
fifths of the Members, duly chosen and sworn. An affirmative
vote of three-fifths of the Members of the Senate, duly
chosen and sworn, shall be required to sustain an appeal of
the ruling of the Chair on a point of order raised under
subsection (a).
Ms. CORTEZ MASTO. Mr. President, amendment No. 1690 ensures that, if
Republicans want to lower taxes on the ultrawealthy, they can't pay for
it by raising drug prices on seniors and people with disabilities.
Seniors have been demanding lower drug costs, and Democrats delivered
with the Inflation Reduction Act. By empowering Medicare to negotiate
drug prices, the law cuts Medicare prescription costs and saves
taxpayers billions. It also, for the first time, caps annual out-of-
pocket costs for seniors with a Medicare drug plan, limits insulin to
$35 a month, and expands access to free vaccines.
You would think that President Trump, who promised to lower prices
for Americans, would want to protect the work we have done in the IRA
to do just that. But Big Pharma, right now, is pushing to weaken the
Democrats' prescription drug law in this reconciliation bill, and
Republicans and President Trump are helping them do it.
Making American seniors and people with disabilities foot the bill
for bigger tax breaks for billionaires like Elon Musk is just wrong,
and it is cruel. I hope my colleagues will agree and support this
amendment.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Kansas.

Point of Order

Mr. MARSHALL. Mr. President, I raise a point of order. It is outside
the jurisdiction of the Budget Committee and, therefore, not
appropriate for inclusion in the budget resolution.
Adopting this amendment would jeopardize the privilege of the budget
resolution.
Now, we all agree that drug prices remain too high for many patients,
and that is why Republicans and Democrats should come together to
reform how PBMs work. So let's bring those bills to the floor and save
some patients some real money.
But this amendment risks our ability to prevent a $4 trillion tax
increase on hard-working Americans and small businesses.

Point of Order

I raise a point of order against this amendment under section
305(b)(2) of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Nevada.

Motion to Waive

Ms. CORTEZ MASTO. Mr. President, pursuant to section 904 of the
Congressional Budget Act, I move to waive, and I ask for the yeas and
nays.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there a sufficient second?
There appears to be a sufficient second.

Vote on Motion

The question is on agreeing to the motion.
The clerk will call the roll.
The senior assistant legislative clerk called the roll.
Mr. DURBIN. I announce that the Senator from Washington (Mrs. Murray)
is necessarily absent.
The yeas and nays resulted--yeas 49, nays 50, as follows:

[Rollcall Vote No. 185 Leg.]

YEAS--49

[[Page S2356]]

Merkley
Murphy
Ossoff
Padilla
Peters
Reed
Rosen
Sanders
Schatz
Schiff
Schumer
Shaheen
Slotkin
Smith
Sullivan
Van Hollen
Warner
Warnock
Warren
Welch
Whitehouse
Wyden

NAYS--50

Banks
Barrasso
Blackburn
Boozman
Britt
Budd
Capito
Cassidy
Cornyn
Cotton
Cramer
Crapo
Cruz
Curtis
Daines
Ernst
Fischer
Graham
Grassley
Hagerty
Hoeven
Husted
Hyde-Smith
Johnson
Justice
Kennedy
Lankford
Lee
Lummis
Marshall
McConnell
McCormick
Moody
Moran
Moreno
Mullin
Murkowski
Paul
Ricketts
Risch
Rounds
Schmitt
Scott (FL)
Scott (SC)
Sheehy
Thune
Tillis
Tuberville
Wicker
Young

NOT VOTING--1

Murray

The PRESIDING OFFICER. On this vote, the yeas are 49, the nays 50.
Three-fifths of the Senators being duly chosen and sworn not having
voted in the affirmative, the motion is not agreed to.
The motion was rejected
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The point of order is sustained, and the
amendment falls.
The Senator from Wisconsin.

Amendment No. 1693 to Amendment No. 1717

Ms. BALDWIN. Mr. President, I call up my amendment No. 1693 and ask
that it be reported by number.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report.
The bill clerk read as follows:

The Senator from Wisconsin [Ms. Baldwin] proposes an
amendment numbered 1693 to Amendment No. 1717.

The amendment is as follows:

(Purpose: To establish a deficit-neutral reserve fund relating to
preventing a reduction in Medicaid funding that could lead to rural
hospital closures, cost increases for individuals with other kinds of
insurance, or higher rates of uncompensated care)

At the appropriate place, insert the following:

SEC. ___. DEFICIT-NEUTRAL RESERVE FUND RELATING TO PREVENTING
A REDUCTION IN MEDICAID FUNDING THAT COULD LEAD
TO RURAL HOSPITAL CLOSURES, COST INCREASES FOR
INDIVIDUALS WITH OTHER KINDS OF INSURANCE, OR
HIGHER RATES OF UNCOMPENSATED CARE.

The Chairman of the Committee on the Budget of the Senate
may revise the allocations of a committee or committees,
aggregates, and other appropriate levels in this resolution,
and make adjustments to the pay-as-you-go ledger, for one or
more bills, joint resolutions, amendments, amendments between
the Houses, motions, or conference reports relating to
healthcare coverage and costs, which may include preventing a
reduction in Medicaid funding that could lead to rural
hospital closures, cost increases for individuals with other
kinds of insurance, or higher rates of uncompensated care, by
the amounts provided in such legislation for those purposes,
provided that such legislation would not increase the deficit
over the period of the total of fiscal years 2025 through
2034.
Ms. BALDWIN. Mr. President, my amendment is straightforward. It would
prevent any cuts to Medicaid that could lead to rural hospital
closures.
When I travel around rural Wisconsin, the No. 1 challenge that I hear
about is access to healthcare. We absolutely must make it easier to get
healthcare for these folks, not take away their lifeline by cutting
Medicaid.
Make no mistake, these drastic cuts to Medicaid will force rural
hospitals and clinics to close. That means no regular checkups for
children, no prenatal care for expectant mothers, no timely emergency
care after stroke or heart attack.
The choice here is simple: Do you really believe that rural hospitals
should close so that Donald Trump can give big corporations and the
wealthiest a tax break? I certainly don't. But that is what this budget
from Senate Republicans is setting us up for.
I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to protect access to
healthcare for all rural Americans.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator's time has expired.
The Senator from Idaho.
Mr. CRAPO. Mr. President, once again, we have the politics of
threatening that some dire consequence is going to occur as a result of
this legislation, or at least these instructions.
Once again, President Trump has been clear: Any reforms to Medicare
or Medicaid must not reduce patient benefits.
In fact, section 3003 of the budget resolution reaffirms this
commitment. The budget resolution gives the Senate maximum flexibility
to meet this objective. This amendment is unnecessary, and I urge my
colleagues to vote no.

Vote on Amendment No. 1693

The PRESIDING OFFICER. The question now occurs on adoption of the
amendment.
Ms. BALDWIN. I ask for the yeas and nays.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there a sufficient second?
There appears to be a sufficient second.
The clerk will call the roll.
The assistant bill clerk called the roll.
Mr. DURBIN. I announce that the Senator from Washington (Mrs. Murray)
is necessarily absent.
The result was announced--yeas 49, nays 50, as follows:

[Rollcall Vote No. 186 Leg.]

YEAS--49

Alsobrooks
Baldwin
Bennet
Blumenthal
Blunt Rochester
Booker
Cantwell
Collins
Coons
Cortez Masto
Duckworth
Durbin
Fetterman
Gallego
Gillibrand
Hassan
Hawley
Heinrich
Hickenlooper
Hirono
Kaine
Kelly
Kim
King
Klobuchar
Lujan
Markey
Merkley
Murphy
Ossoff
Padilla
Peters
Reed
Rosen
Sanders
Schatz
Schiff
Schumer
Shaheen
Slotkin
Smith
Sullivan
Van Hollen
Warner
Warnock
Warren
Welch
Whitehouse
Wyden

NAYS--50

Banks
Barrasso
Blackburn
Boozman
Britt
Budd
Capito
Cassidy
Cornyn
Cotton
Cramer
Crapo
Cruz
Curtis
Daines
Ernst
Fischer
Graham
Grassley
Hagerty
Hoeven
Husted
Hyde-Smith
Johnson
Justice
Kennedy
Lankford
Lee
Lummis
Marshall
McConnell
McCormick
Moody
Moran
Moreno
Mullin
Murkowski
Paul
Ricketts
Risch
Rounds
Schmitt
Scott (FL)
Scott (SC)
Sheehy
Thune
Tillis
Tuberville
Wicker
Young

NOT VOTING--1

Murray

The amendment (No. 1693) was rejected.
The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Mullin). The Senator from Vermont.

Amendment No. 1661 to Amendment No. 1717

Mr. WELCH. Mr. President, I call up my amendment No. 1661 and ask
that it be reported by number.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the amendment by number.
The assistant bill clerk read as follows:

The Senator from Vermont [Mr. Welch] proposes an amendment
numbered 1661 to amendment No. 1717.

The amendment is as follows:

(Purpose: To create a point of order against legislation that defunds
essential services for children, families, and seniors, including
programs that feed hungry seniors like Meals on Wheels, Head Start and
other child care assistance that allows parents to work and pay their
bills, and programs that keep children safe from abuse and neglect, to
give massive tax cuts to billionaires)

At the appropriate, insert the following:

SEC. ___. POINT OF ORDER AGAINST LEGISLATION THAT CUTS
ESSENTIAL PROGRAMS FOR CHILDREN, FAMILIES, AND
SENIORS TO GIVE TAX CUTS TO BILLIONAIRES.

(a) Point of Order.--It shall not be in order in the Senate
to consider any bill, joint resolution, motion, amendment,
amendment between the Houses, or conference report that gives
tax cuts to billionaires while cutting meals for starving
seniors and eliminating child care services for working
families, including any legislation that--
(1) cuts taxes for taxpayers with adjusted gross income
above $1,000,000,000;
(2) reduces or eliminates federal funding for the Temporary
Assistance for Needy Families program;
(3) reduces or eliminates federal funding for the Social
Services Block Grant;
(4) reduces or eliminates federal funding for Meals on
Wheels;
(5) reduces or eliminates federal funding for Head Start;
(6) reduces or eliminates federal funding for programs that
support prevention services to keep vulnerable families
together whenever possible;
(7) reduces or eliminates federal funding for programs that
support child care;
(8) reduces or eliminates federal funding for programs that
support kinship caregivers, guardianship assistance, adoption

[[Page S2357]]

services and assistance, foster care services, and child
protective services; or
(9) reduces or eliminates federal funding for programs that
support legal services for children and families in foster
care.
(b) Waiver and Appeal.--Subsection (a) may be waived or
suspended in the Senate only by an affirmative vote of three-
fifths of the Members, duly chosen and sworn. An affirmative
vote of three-fifths of the Members of the Senate, duly
chosen and sworn, shall be required to sustain an appeal of
the ruling of the Chair on a point of order raised under
subsection (a).
(1) defunds essential services for children, families, and
seniors, including programs that feed hungry seniors like
Meals on Wheels; Head Start and other child care assistance
that allows parents to work and pay their bills; programs
that keep children safe from abuse and neglect; to give
massive tax cuts to billionaires
Mr. WELCH. The Social Services Block Grant was a program set up by
President Reagan. It was a Republican proposal for funding social
services, and it was embraced by Democrats. It is in danger of being
killed.
This is an anchor for communities across the Nation, especially if
States continue to suffer significant budget shortfalls. It is flexible
funding that allows local decision making about how best to meet the
needs of citizens in need in your State and in mine. You can tailor the
services to 18 different social service areas, but it is the backbone
of Meals on Wheels, the backbone of Head Start, the backbone of Adult
and Child Protective Services, and the Foster Care System. It has a
huge impact on many people. We have to save it.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator's time has expired.
Mr. WELCH. It should not be put on the block to be a funding source
for tax cuts for billionaires. I ask for a ``yea'' vote.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Idaho.
Mr. CRAPO. Mr. President, once again, I would urge my colleagues to
oppose this amendment.
Once again, it is a list of dire consequences that are not happening
and are not in this legislation. The creation of such a point of order
is outside the jurisdiction of the Budget Committee and, therefore, not
an appropriate item for inclusion in a budget resolution.
Adopting this amendment would jeopardize the privilege of the budget
resolution. It is another example of the kind of things that are being
brought up that are not included in the bill.
I urge my colleagues to vote no.

Vote on Amendment No. 1661

The PRESIDING OFFICER. The question is on adoption of the amendment.
The amendment (No. 1661) was rejected.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The majority leader.

Order of Procedure

Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the following
amendments be the final amendments in order; that the amendments be
reported by number; that following disposition of the amendments
listed, the Graham substitute amendment No. 1717, as amended, be agreed
to and that the Senate vote on the concurrent resolution, as amended,
with no intervening action or debate; finally, if agreed to, the motion
to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table: No. 1,
amendment No. 2177, Warnock; No. 2, No. 1602, Shaheen; No. 3, No. 1989,
Wyden; and No. 4, No. 2152, Rosen.
I would ask that we remain at our desks and that we make these 7-
minute votes.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Massachusetts.

Amendment No. 1529 to Amendment No. 1717

Mr. MARKEY. Mr. President, I call up my amendment No. 1529 and ask
that it be reported by number.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report.
The assistant bill clerk read as follows:

The Senator from Massachusetts [Mr. Markey] proposes an
amendment numbered 1529 to amendment No. 1717.

The amendment is as follows:

(Purpose: To preserve access to Social Security's phone service)

SEC. ___. DEFICIT-NEUTRAL RESERVE FUND RELATING TO ENSURING
SENIORS CAN ACCESS SOCIAL SECURITY OVER THE
PHONE.

The Chairman of the Committee on the Budget of the Senate
may revise the allocations of a committee or committees,
aggregates, and other appropriate levels in this resolution,
and make adjustments to the pay-as-you-go ledger, for one or
more bills, joint resolutions, amendments, amendments between
the Houses, motions, or conference reports relating to
preserving Social Security benefits, which may include
prohibiting DOGE from limiting access to the Social Security
phone service, by the amounts provided in such legislation
for those purposes, provided that such legislation would not
increase the deficit over the period of the total of fiscal
years 2025 through 2034.
Mr. MARKEY. Mr. President, in just over 1 week, Elon Musk has vowed
to use his DOGE chain saw to hang up all of the telephone services at
the Social Security Administration that Grandma and Grandpa use to
access Social Security benefits. That would be OK if computer-savvy Gen
Xers were the Social Security recipients, but they are not. It is
Grandma and Grandpa in their eighties and nineties, who didn't take a
computer course 30 years ago.
That is right. Musk and Trump are going to force Grandma and Grandpa
to go online or drive to a field office if a field office is still even
open. What if they can't use a computer? What if they can't drive
themselves to a distant field office? How are they going to get their
benefits?
So my amendment just says: No. We are going to keep the phone lines
open to answer the call when Grandma and Grandpa are on the line. The
phone line is the lifeline for Grandma.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator's time has expired.
Mr. MARKEY. They will permanently disconnect her from her Social
Security benefits.
I urge an ``aye'' vote for Grandma.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Idaho.
Mr. CRAPO. Mr. President, once again, President Trump has repeatedly
stated he opposes cuts to Social Security. Section 3003 of this
resolution also underscores Republicans' commitment to protect and
preserve Social Security. The phone line issue is one related to
scammers seeking to fraudulently obtain Social Security benefits to
continue using their tactics unabated.
The SSA needs to continue adapting as well. Based on stakeholder
feedback, the SSA is taking steps to ensure its efforts to prevent
fraud do not impede Social Security beneficiaries from receiving the
benefits they have earned.
President Trump's nominee to lead the Social Security Administration
has also committed to improving the Agency's phone service and ensuring
that individuals can interact with the SSA. What we need to do is to
stop delaying the nomination and move forward.
I urge a ``no'' vote.

Vote on Amendment No. 1529

The PRESIDING OFFICER. The question occurs on adoption of the
amendment.
Mr. MARKEY. Mr. President, on that, I ask for the yeas and nays.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there a sufficient second?
There appears to be a sufficient second.
The clerk will call the roll.
The senior assistant legislative clerk called the roll.
Mr. DURBIN. I announce that the Senator from Washington (Mrs. Murray)
is necessarily absent.
The result was announced---yeas 48, nays 51, as follows:

[Rollcall Vote No. 187 Leg.]

YEAS--48

Alsobrooks
Baldwin
Bennet
Blumenthal
Blunt Rochester
Booker
Cantwell
Coons
Cortez Masto
Duckworth
Durbin
Fetterman
Gallego
Gillibrand
Hassan
Heinrich
Hickenlooper
Hirono
Kaine
Kelly
Kim
King
Klobuchar
Lujan
Markey
Merkley
Murkowski
Murphy
Ossoff
Padilla
Peters
Reed
Rosen
Sanders
Schatz
Schiff
Schumer
Shaheen
Slotkin
Smith
Sullivan
Van Hollen
Warner
Warnock
Warren
Welch
Whitehouse
Wyden

NAYS--51

Banks
Barrasso
Blackburn
Boozman
Britt
Budd
Capito
Cassidy
Collins
Cornyn
Cotton
Cramer
Crapo
Cruz
Curtis
Daines
Ernst
Fischer
Graham
Grassley
Hagerty
Hawley
Hoeven
Husted
Hyde-Smith
Johnson
Justice
Kennedy
Lankford
Lee
Lummis
Marshall
McConnell
McCormick
Moody
Moran
Moreno
Mullin
Paul
Ricketts
Risch
Rounds
Schmitt
Scott (FL)
Scott (SC)

[[Page S2358]]

Sheehy
Thune
Tillis
Tuberville
Wicker
Young

NOT VOTING--1

Murray

The amendment (No. 1529) was rejected.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Georgia.

Amendment No. 2177 to Amendment No. 1717

Mr. WARNOCK. Mr. President, I call up my amendment No. 2177 and ask
that it be reported by number.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report.
The legislative clerk read as follows:

The Senator from Georgia [Mr. Warnock], for himself and
others, proposes an amendment numbered 2177 to amendment No.
1717.

The amendment is as follows:

(Purpose: To establish a deficit-neutral reserve fund relating to
access to health care, which may include legislation preventing
reductions in funding for Medicaid that could lead to benefit cuts,
coverage loss, or slashed provider payments)

At the appropriate place, insert the following:

SEC. ___. DEFICIT-NEUTRAL RESERVE FUND RELATING TO ACCESS TO
HEALTH CARE, WHICH MAY INCLUDE LEGISLATION
PREVENTING REDUCTIONS IN FUNDING FOR MEDICAID
THAT COULD LEAD TO BENEFIT CUTS, COVERAGE LOSS,
OR SLASHED PROVIDER PAYMENTS.

The Chairman of the Committee on the Budget of the Senate
may revise the allocations of a committee or committees,
aggregates, and other appropriate levels in this resolution,
and make adjustments to the pay-as-you-go ledger, for one or
more bills, joint resolutions, amendments, amendments between
the Houses, motions, or conference reports relating to access
to health care, which may include legislation preventing
reductions in funding for Medicaid that could lead to benefit
cuts, coverage loss, or slashed provider payments, by the
amounts provided in such legislation for those purposes,
provided that such legislation would not increase the deficit
over the period of the total of fiscal years 2025 through
2034.
Mr. WARNOCK. Mr. President, I know that we say this a lot around
here, but I really rise to offer a very simple amendment: no cuts in
Medicaid benefits; no cuts in Medicaid coverage.
My colleagues have claimed that their proposal to cut up to $880
billion from Medicaid is just cutting waste, fraud, and abuse, so here
is their chance to back up their words with action. If they are so
confident that they can cut $880 billion from Medicaid without
children, without seniors, or the severely disabled losing benefits and
coverage, then they should vote for my amendment.
If my amendment is voted down, it is a sad admission that my
colleagues value the financial health of the richest of the rich over
the physical health of millions of children and seniors.
I urge my colleagues to support my amendment with Senator Kelly and
others.
I reserve the balance of my time.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Idaho.
Mr. CRAPO. Mr. President, President Trump has been clear: Medicare
and Medicaid must not reduce benefits in this bill. Section 3003 of the
resolution confirms that commitment.
I urge a ``no'' vote.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Georgia.
Mr. WARNOCK. How much time do I have remaining?
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Georgia has 4 seconds.
Mr. WARNOCK. Mr. President, I noticed that my colleague from Idaho
did not say that they would not cut coverage. If the Senator believes
that they can do this--
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator's time has expired.
Mr. WARNOCK.--without kicking a single person off of Medicaid, he
should vote for my amendment.

Vote on Amendment No. 2177

The PRESIDING OFFICER. The question occurs on adoption of the
amendment.
Mr. WARNOCK. Mr. President, I ask for the yeas and nays.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there a sufficient second?
There appears to be a sufficient second.
The clerk will call the roll.
The legislative clerk called the roll.
Mr. DURBIN. I announce that the Senator from Washington (Mrs. Murray)
is necessarily absent.
The result was announced--yeas 48, nays 51, as follows:

[Rollcall Vote No. 188 Leg.]

YEAS--48

Alsobrooks
Baldwin
Bennet
Blumenthal
Blunt Rochester
Booker
Cantwell
Collins
Coons
Cortez Masto
Duckworth
Durbin
Fetterman
Gallego
Gillibrand
Hassan
Hawley
Heinrich
Hickenlooper
Hirono
Kaine
Kelly
Kim
King
Klobuchar
Lujan
Markey
Merkley
Murphy
Ossoff
Padilla
Peters
Reed
Rosen
Sanders
Schatz
Schiff
Schumer
Shaheen
Slotkin
Smith
Van Hollen
Warner
Warnock
Warren
Welch
Whitehouse
Wyden

NAYS--51

Banks
Barrasso
Blackburn
Boozman
Britt
Budd
Capito
Cassidy
Cornyn
Cotton
Cramer
Crapo
Cruz
Curtis
Daines
Ernst
Fischer
Graham
Grassley
Hagerty
Hoeven
Husted
Hyde-Smith
Johnson
Justice
Kennedy
Lankford
Lee
Lummis
Marshall
McConnell
McCormick
Moody
Moran
Moreno
Mullin
Murkowski
Paul
Ricketts
Risch
Rounds
Schmitt
Scott (FL)
Scott (SC)
Sheehy
Sullivan
Thune
Tillis
Tuberville
Wicker
Young

NOT VOTING--1

Murray

The amendment (No. 2177) was rejected.
The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mrs. Britt). The Senator from New Hampshire.

Amendment No. 1602 to Amendment No. 1717

Mrs. SHAHEEN. Madam President, I call up my amendment No. 1602 and
ask that it be reported by number.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report.
The senior assistant legislative clerk read as follows:

The Senator from New Hampshire [Mrs. Shaheen] proposes an
amendment numbered 1602 to amendment No. 1717.

The amendment is as follows:

(Purpose: To establish a deficit-neutral reserve fund relating to
extending vital enhanced advance premium tax credits)

At the appropriate place, insert the following:

SEC. ___. DEFICIT-NEUTRAL RESERVE FUND RELATING TO EXTENDING
HEALTH CARE ACCESS AND AFFORDABILITY FOR
BENEFICIARIES OF ENHANCED ADVANCE PREMIUM TAX
CREDITS.

The Chairman of the Committee on the Budget of the Senate
may revise the allocations of a committee or committees,
aggregates, and other appropriate levels in this resolution,
and make adjustments to the pay-as-you-go ledger, for one or
more bills, joint resolutions, amendments, amendments between
the Houses, motions, or conference reports relating to
securing health care access and affordability for Americans,
which may include extending enhanced advance premium tax
credits that will avoid catastrophic insurance premium hikes
for 22,000,000 Americans or the loss of insurance coverage
for an additional 4,000,000 Americans, or ensuring that any
changes would not result in lower coverage rates, reduced
benefits, or decreased affordability for beneficiaries
receiving coverage through private insurance markets, by the
amounts provided in such legislation for those purposes,
provided that such legislation would not increase the deficit
over the period of the total of fiscal years 2025 through
2034.
Mrs. SHAHEEN. This bipartisan amendment supports extending vital
healthcare tax credits for working families.
Twenty-two million Americans rely on premium tax credits to get the
healthcare they need, but those tax credits are supposed to expire this
year. Without our action, people will see the cost of their premiums
increase by $3,000 next year, and millions will lose their healthcare.
I want to thank my colleague Senator Murkowski for her work on this
issue.
I urge adoption of this amendment and ask for a voice vote only if
everybody votes yes--just seeing if you are awake.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Idaho.
Mr. CRAPO. Madam President, unfortunately, my colleague's amendment
is not necessary. We have the maximum flexibility in this resolution to
do the appropriate tax policy once we are able to get these
instructions. I look forward to working with her to get the right kind
of tax policy into the bill as we move forward in working on it.
Because of that, this amendment is unnecessary, and I urge my
colleagues to vote no.

Vote on Amendment No. 1602

The PRESIDING OFFICER. The question is on adoption of the amendment.
The amendment is not agreed to.
The amendment (No. 1602) was rejected.

[[Page S2359]]

The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Oregon.

Amendment No. 1989 to Amendment No. 1717

Mr. WYDEN. Madam President, I call up my amendment No. 1989 and ask
that it be reported by number.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report.
The legislative clerk read as follows:

The Senator from Oregon [Mr. Wyden], for himself and Mr.
Hawley, proposes an amendment numbered 1989 to amendment No.
1717.

The amendment is as follows:

(Purpose: To strike section 2001(b)(4) relating to reconciliation
instructions to the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House of
Representatives to cut $880,000,000,000 from Medicaid)

Strike section 2001(b)(4).
Mr. WYDEN. Colleagues, this amendment offered by Senator Hawley and
myself says that $880 billion in Medicaid cuts have no place in this
resolution.
Right now, those cuts can be found on page 46, lines 3 through 7, and
we ought to get rid of them.
The Modern Medicaid Alliance, which includes AARP, the Federation of
American Hospitals, and dozens of provider health plan and patient
advocacy groups agree with Senator Hawley and me and support us in this
effort.
Protecting Americans' healthcare ought to go beyond party lines.
Protecting families who count on Medicaid ought to go beyond party
lines. Protecting seniors who count on Medicaid for nursing home care
ought to go beyond party lines. Protecting kids with disabilities who
count on Medicaid ought to go beyond party lines. And protecting
working Americans who are walking an economic tightrope--all of that,
colleagues, should go beyond party lines.
In that spirit, I hope the Senate will join Senator Hawley and me on
a bipartisan basis to finally take Medicaid off the chopping block.
I urge my colleagues to vote aye.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Idaho.
Mr. CRAPO. Madam President, once again, a long list of fearful, dire
consequences that aren't in the bill. President Trump has been clear
that any reforms to Medicare and Medicaid must not reduce patient
benefits. Section 3003 of the budget resolution reaffirms this
commitment.
I urge my colleagues to vote no.

Vote on Amendment No. 1989

The PRESIDING OFFICER. The question is on adoption of the amendment.
Mr. WYDEN. I ask for the yeas and nays.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there a sufficient second?
There appears to be a sufficient second.
The clerk will call the roll.
The senior assistant legislative clerk called the roll.
Mr. DURBIN. I announce that the Senator from Washington (Mrs. Murray)
is necessarily absent.
The result was announced--yeas 49, nays 50, as follows:

[Rollcall Vote No. 189 Leg.]

YEAS--49

NAYS--50

NOT VOTING--1

Murray

The amendment (No. 1989) was rejected.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Nevada.

Amendment No. 2152 to Amendment No. 1717

Ms. ROSEN. Madam President, I call up my amendment No. 2152 and ask
that it be reported by number.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the amendment by number.
The legislative clerk read as follows:

The Senator from Nevada [Ms. Rosen] proposes an amendment
numbered 2152 to amendment No. 1717.

The amendment is as follows:

(Purpose: To provide tax relief for the middle class)

At the appropriate place, insert the following:

SEC. ___. DEFICIT-NEUTRAL RESERVE FUND RELATING TO PROVIDING
TAX RELIEF TO THE MIDDLE CLASS.

The Chairman of the Committee on the Budget of the Senate
may revise the allocations of a committee or committees,
aggregates, and other appropriate levels in this resolution,
and make adjustments to the pay-as-you-go ledger, for one or
more bills, joint resolutions, amendments, amendments between
the Houses, motions, or conference reports relating to middle
class tax relief, which may include providing tax cuts for
the middle class and small businesses while ensuring
corporations and the ultra-wealthy pay their fair share of
taxes, by the amounts provided in such legislation for those
purposes, provided that such legislation would not increase
the deficit over the period of the total of fiscal years 2025
through 2034.
Ms. ROSEN. Madam President, middle-class families are being squeezed
by high costs, particularly now that President Trump has essentially
enacted a sweeping national tax through his tariffs.
Instead of giving billionaires more tax giveaways, we need to give
hard-working families financial relief.
My amendment is simple. It will level the playing field by cutting
taxes for the middle class and small businesses, while ensuring big
corporations and the ultrawealthy pay their fair share.
It is time we put hard-working families first, and it is about time
to give those tax breaks to middle-class families and small businesses
in each of our States.
I urge my colleagues to support my amendment.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Idaho.
Mr. CRAPO. Madam President, you have heard it before. It is probably
fitting that we end on this today before final passage. But contrary to
what you have heard today, extending the Trump tax cuts would prevent a
multitrillion-dollar tax hike on millions of middle- and working-class
Americans. To be clear, if the Trump tax cuts expire at the end of this
year, taxes will go up on families and small businesses across the
entire income spectrum, hitting middle-income earners hard.
The reality is the Trump tax cuts reduce taxes for the overwhelming
majority of Americans, and middle-class households receive the largest
proportional benefits of the cuts. The highest income earners,
actually, pay a greater share of the total taxes than they did before.
Because of that, I urge my colleagues to vote no on this amendment.

Vote on Amendment No. 2152

The PRESIDING OFFICER. The question now occurs on adoption of the
amendment.
Ms. ROSEN. I ask for the yeas and nays.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there a sufficient second?
There appears to be a sufficient second.
The clerk will call the roll.
The legislative clerk called the roll.
Mr. DURBIN. I announce that the Senator from Washington (Mrs. Murray)
is necessarily absent.
The result was announced--yeas 47, nays 52, as follows:

[Rollcall Vote No. 190 Leg.]

YEAS--47

Alsobrooks
Baldwin
Bennet
Blumenthal
Blunt Rochester
Booker
Cantwell
Collins
Coons
Cortez Masto
Duckworth
Durbin
Fetterman
Gallego
Gillibrand
Hassan
Heinrich
Hickenlooper
Hirono
Kaine
Kelly
Kim
King
Klobuchar
Lujan
Markey
Merkley
Murphy
Ossoff
Padilla
Peters
Reed
Rosen
Sanders
Schatz
Schiff
Schumer
Shaheen
Slotkin
Smith
Van Hollen
Warner
Warnock
Warren
Welch
Whitehouse
Wyden

[[Page S2360]]

NAYS--52

Banks
Barrasso
Blackburn
Boozman
Britt
Budd
Capito
Cassidy
Cornyn
Cotton
Cramer
Crapo
Cruz
Curtis
Daines
Ernst
Fischer
Graham
Grassley
Hagerty
Hawley
Hoeven
Husted
Hyde-Smith
Johnson
Justice
Kennedy
Lankford
Lee
Lummis
Marshall
McConnell
McCormick
Moody
Moran
Moreno
Mullin
Murkowski
Paul
Ricketts
Risch
Rounds
Schmitt
Scott (FL)
Scott (SC)
Sheehy
Sullivan
Thune
Tillis
Tuberville
Wicker
Young

NOT VOTING--1

Murray

The amendment (No. 2152) was rejected.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Under the previous order, amendment No. 1717,
as amended, is agreed to.
The amendment (No. 1717), in the nature of a substitute, as amended,
was agreed to.

Vote on H. Con. Res. 14

The PRESIDING OFFICER. The question occurs on the adoption of the
concurrent resolution, as amended.
Mr. TILLIS. I ask for the yeas and nays.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there a sufficient second?
There appears to be a sufficient second.
The clerk will call the roll.
The legislative clerk called the roll.
Mr. DURBIN. I announce that the Senator from Washington (Mrs. Murray)
is necessarily absent.
The result was announced--yeas 51, nays 48, as follows:

[Rollcall Vote No. 191 Leg.]

YEAS--51

Banks
Barrasso
Blackburn
Boozman
Britt
Budd
Capito
Cassidy
Cornyn
Cotton
Cramer
Crapo
Cruz
Curtis
Daines
Ernst
Fischer
Graham
Grassley
Hagerty
Hawley
Hoeven
Husted
Hyde-Smith
Johnson
Justice
Kennedy
Lankford
Lee
Lummis
Marshall
McConnell
McCormick
Moody
Moran
Moreno
Mullin
Murkowski
Ricketts
Risch
Rounds
Schmitt
Scott (FL)
Scott (SC)
Sheehy
Sullivan
Thune
Tillis
Tuberville
Wicker
Young

NAYS--48

Alsobrooks
Baldwin
Bennet
Blumenthal
Blunt Rochester
Booker
Cantwell
Collins
Coons
Cortez Masto
Duckworth
Durbin
Fetterman
Gallego
Gillibrand
Hassan
Heinrich
Hickenlooper
Hirono
Kaine
Kelly
Kim
King
Klobuchar
Lujan
Markey
Merkley
Murphy
Ossoff
Padilla
Paul
Peters
Reed
Rosen
Sanders
Schatz
Schiff
Schumer
Shaheen
Slotkin
Smith
Van Hollen
Warner
Warnock
Warren
Welch
Whitehouse
Wyden

NOT VOTING--1

Murray

The concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 14), as amended, was agreed
to.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Democratic leader.
Mr. SCHUMER. Madam President, Donald Trump has betrayed the American
people. Tonight, Senate Republicans joined him in that betrayal.
In voting for this bill, Senate Republicans sided with billionaires
against the middle class in total obeisance to Donald Trump. The odds
of a recession in America are surging because of Donald Trump's
tariffs, and Senate Republicans have gone along.
In fact, they are aiding and abetting it. It is a brutal Republican
pincer move: Donald Trump's tariffs raise costs on the one side, and
Senate Republicans are cutting Medicaid and pushing billionaire tax
breaks on the other.
Tonight, Senate Democrats gave Senate Republicans the chance to hit
the kill switch on Donald Trump's tariffs, on DOGE, on the attacks
against Social Security and Medicare and Medicaid. At each opportunity,
Republicans refused.
If Republicans ever chose to snap out of their Trump hypnosis for
even a minute, they could immediately use this Senate procedure to halt
the tariffs, halt DOGE, halt all of Donald Trump's chaos. They know
deep down his policies are a disaster. Instead, Senate Republicans are
chaining themselves to the MAGA anchor and leaping into the ocean.
But for all their difficulty in passing this bill over the past week,
the hardest part for Republicans is still in front of them. They are
going to even have more trouble in the weeks ahead.
Republicans' obeisance to Donald Trump's increasingly unpopular
agenda will cost them dearly in the future.
Madam President, I would like to thank the staffs for the great jobs
they have done, all the incredible staff for making this possible.
Thank you to the floor staff who has been with us many hours. Thank
you to the cloakrooms. Thank you to the doorkeepers, the Capitol
Police, the pages, the custodian and maintenance staff and everyone
else.
I want to thank, particularly, Nate Oursler in the Democratic
cloakroom who has been the hero of the past couple of days, working
relentlessly to keep things moving for Senate Democrats from the moment
we gaveled in to the moment we have adjourned.
And a particular thank-you to my great staff. They have done an
amazing, amazing job and made this very difficult effort run smoothly
as our Members depart at an earlier hour than they are used to, and we
accommodated as many amendments as we possibly could.
I would like to thank them all and a particular shout-out. It is a
great staff. I could name so many, but to Meghan Taira because she is
the chief cook and bottle washer on our side who gets this all done so
smoothly and so effortlessly.
This will be--and I am sure she is happy about this--her last
reconciliation, her last budget reconciliation--but we know what a
great job she has done not just for me, not just for Senate Democrats,
not just for the whole Senate but for the country over the decades. So,
Meghan, we wish you the best.
I yield the floor.

____________________