What Jeff Merkley said, and what was done

“Thank you. The Senator appreciates your pronunciation of my home State, which people across America have a hard time often figuring out. Mr. President, I am here tonight joining my colleague from Wisconsin on a very serious topic: that our Nation is at war; that our servicemembers are dying; that for every one who dies, so many are injured--a war that is absolutely hurting us in every possible way.”

“We did have a concurrent resolution under the War Powers Act that directed the President to remove United States forces from hostilities with Iran, but the majority has acted like we didn't actually pass it, and the President has acted like it wasn't passed.”

“Mr. President, Americans are worried that the money in their pockets will not cover the increasing costs of gas and groceries and housing or healthcare. Meanwhile, the President of the United States, Donald Trump, is worried that the money in Americans' pockets doesn't currently have his face or his signature on it.”

“Mr. President, I so enjoy working with my colleague from Wyoming. But I did notice that her speech had nothing to do with my point that sitting Presidents don't belong on coins because it is an authoritarian symbol.”

“Mr. President, I am pleased to welcome Senator Armstrong from Oklahoma in his delivering his maiden speech. It is an important part of this institution, and I hope all of my colleagues on both sides of the aisle who weren't able to hear him in person will have a chance to listen to it and to get to know him during his stay here.”

“Mr. President, I want to make a few remarks now about the Congressional Review Act vote we will be taking later tonight. And here is the thing. This is so straightforward, in terms of, here in the United States of America, pursuit of an education to serve the people of this country should never be a privilege reserved only for the wealthiest Americans.”

“But if you are from a family that doesn't have the ability to pay that cash and you have to borrow, we are going to force you to borrow loans that are 9, 10, 11, 12 percent because we don't want that avenue of opportunity for you.”

“My colleague has got it completely wrong. There are less expensive ways to get a nursing degree. Indeed, my wife is a nurse, and she got her 2-year nursing degree at a community college.”

“Mr. President, Donald Trump's Operation Epic Fury has become ``Operation Epic Failure.'' He started a war of choice. It turned out, Iran had a lot more leverage than he ever anticipated.”

“Mr. President, I rise to address an issue of importance to our commercial fisheries and to our weather and to scientific studies. Specifically, that is the issue of sustaining the Ocean Observatories Initiative.”

“Mr. President, I would like to very much thank my colleague from Alaska. We were both shocked to hear about this plan to remove these sensors. The sea off Alaska and certainly off the coast of the Northwestern United States--Oregon, Washington--are incredible assets that we need to understand.”

“Mr. President, I submit this statement on behalf of Senator Durbin, Ranking Member of the Judiciary Committee; Senator Peters, Ranking Member of the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs; and myself.”

“Mr. President, Americans are pressed to the wall. I have been holding townhalls throughout Oregon. I have held 36 this year--1 in every single county. Most of my Oregon counties are what you would call very red counties.”

“Mr. President, I applaud my colleague from North Carolina and other Members on the other side of the aisle who wish to end the massive corruption of the so-called anti-weaponization fund, better known as cash for--well, folks who are--``cash for cronies'' would be a good name for it.”

“Mr. President, colleagues, Americans love our iconic monuments, from the Lincoln Monument to the White House. And major changes to these beloved places are done in accordance with a congressional authorization.”

“Mr. President, payday loans are notorious short-term loans, often with interest rates of 100, 300, or 500 percent. They put families into a vortex of debt they often cannot escape.”

“Some colleagues have said that imminent threat was real, and therefore the President has 60 days to conduct a war before he is in violation of the Constitution.”

“Mr. President, my colleague from Idaho made a few points in his presentation on why he would oppose exercising the War Powers Resolution, and I think it is worth noting those points and considering whether or not they hold water.”

“Mr. President, reserving the right to object. As the Washington Post has pointed out, this is an all-consuming, favorite project of the President. It is a massive, giant ballroom to be built on the ruins of the East Wing, the ``People's House.'' I certainly agree that security for the President is absolutely essential, but this project was not conceived as a security project.”

“Mr. President, we are here tonight because our Republican colleagues have introduced a budget resolution. It is a budget resolution that unlocks the reconciliation process. But before we examine this next reconciliation bill, let's recognize that it has been just 10 months since we passed the last one.”

“Mr. President, my colleague from Kentucky is right that this bill is unfunded, that it adds to the deficit and adds to the debt. And maybe the best way to address that is not to send $70 billion to two Agencies that are sitting on top of $103 billion right now of unobligated funds.”

“Mr. President, the bill cuts $16 billion from education. It doesn't say specifically where, but that is a good example of the type of thing that could happen.”

“Mr. President, in the State of the Union, President Trump has told the story of Rachel Wiggins who had lost out to private equity 20 times in trying to buy a house.”

“Mr. President. I would like to thank the Democratic staff of the Senate Budget Committee for all their hard work on this resolution, both through extensive preparation and diligent staff work during floor consideration.”

“Mr. President, we are here at this moment to defend the Constitution, and the constitution of any nation is incredibly important in creating the vision of the checks and balances between the judiciary and the executive and the Congress.”

“Where is that insistence right now? Where is the leadership of this Chamber defending the constitutional role of the Senate? Why are they not on the floor at this moment saying: We took an oath to the Constitution, and, damn it, we are going to follow it.”

“Mr. President, I rise today because our Republican colleagues have introduced a new budget resolution to yet again utilize a special process called reconciliation. We just voted a short while ago on a motion to proceed.”

“How about investing in first-time home ownership to help restore the dream of home ownership because that dream has been dying? No, it doesn't address that either. How about helping the United States prepare for unexpected disasters--wildfires? floods? hurricanes?”

“Mr. President, on February 28, in coordination with and at the urging of Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu, President Trump attacked Iran without congressional authorization--that is, without the authority required under our Constitution.”

“Mr. President, let us today, all 100 Senators, uphold our oath to the Constitution. The indiscriminate use of American bombs in Iran and Lebanon and Gaza that targets civilians and infrastructure by Israel must end.”

“Mr. President, I appreciate that my colleague from Ohio has come to the floor and said: Wouldn't it be great if we ensure that a paycheck is written for 2 weeks?”

“Not until I finish my remarks, but thank you. And so there are going to be two proposals by my colleague. And in response to one, I am going to suggest that we free TSA as a hostage.”

“Madam President, and so I will just put forward the fact. I am not impugning anyone, just the fact that nine times Members of this body have come to the floor and asked unanimous consent to fund TSA.”

“Thank you, Madam President. I will just cut to the chase here. Just as my colleague's heartfelt desire is to get those paychecks written, so I, too, want to see them written.”

“Madam President, reserving the right to object, I propose we fund TSA for the rest of the year. My colleague, as I understand it, has refused to agree to that; and, therefore, he has essentially objected.”

“Madam President, my colleague is engaged in a dialogue here that I would be happy to resume at another moment. He has rejected both my proposal to fund TSA--he has rejected my proposal to fund FEMA and Cybersecurity and TSA and the Coast Guard.”

“I would be happy to answer the question. Twice when I have answered questions, my colleague has reclaimed the floor in the middle of it. Does he intend to actually let me answer the question this time?”

“Madam President, reserving the right to object, I appreciate the information from my colleague from Ohio and my colleague from Utah brought forward. But just minutes ago, another colleague from Alaska was on this floor laying out the enormous difficulties that this very proposal would create, disenfranchising a tremendous number of people across her State.”

“Yes. Reserving the right to object, I noticed my colleague didn't answer the fact that student IDs are not one of those five, that Tribal IDs are not one of those five, and that nobody in the country can say any system is better than Utah's, which has zero cases out of 2 million.”

“Back in 2022, Ghislaine Maxwell was convicted and sentenced to 20 years in prison for sex trafficking minors as Jeffrey Epstein's coconspirator in their horrific crimes against women and girls.”

“Mr. President, my colleagues across the aisle are presenting what they call the SAVE Act and are saying it is about stopping noncitizens from voting, but that is not true.”

“Mr. President, our Nation was founded on extraordinary ideals. Our Declaration of Independence said: We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”

“Madam President, I so much appreciate the studied and thoughtful words of my colleague from Virginia, and I appreciate his leadership on the War Powers Resolution that we will be voting on, as he put it, within the next 48 hours.”

“``hell, no'' at a minimum to say: Mr. President, if you want that power, come and put before us a proposal for the authorization for military force so that it will be properly debated in advance.”

“Mr. President, I compliment the minority leader for coming forth and saying what the Senate has agreed to do, which is to force the Epstein files to be released, which must be backed up by the force of law because we know that the administration failed to release half of the paperwork--some 3 million pages.”

“Mr. President, article I, section 9 of our Constitution puts the power of the purse here in Congress. Our Founders considered this the difference between a democratic republic where the people's representatives design and choose the programs and fund them and an authoritarian state where a King decides what the programs are.”

“Mr. President, pursuant to section 904 of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 and the waiver provisions of the applicable budget resolution, I move to waive applicable sections of the act and applicable budget points of order for the purposes of the pending measure because it is our responsibility to defend Congress and the Constitution and preserve a democratic republic.”

“I asked my colleague from across the aisle if he would pause for a question not to address all the lists of particulars he threw out to all 47 of his colleagues on this side of the aisle but to simply make one point.”

“Yes. When I complete my remarks, I will be happy to address the question. We are ready to vote now on those five bills. So, if there is a shutdown, it is clear where it is coming from.”

“Mr. President, I thank my colleague from Washington State for her fierce advocacy on healthcare and on so much more in terms of the affordability of living in America.”

“I thank my colleague Senator Whitehouse, who has been pointing out that we have a money and politics system that is corrupting the vision of government by and for the people and is replacing it with government by and for the powerful.”

“Conclusion Dark money spending in federal elections broke records in 2024, even as it became harder to track. Fueled by Citizens United, secretive political spending has eroded accountability and Americans' trust in the political process.”

“Dark money hit a record-high $1.9 billion in the 2024 races. That is a sixfold increase in 6 years. That is the rich and powerful buying their government.”

“Mr. President, 5 years and 2 days ago, the Capitol Police protected us as a team stormed the Capitol. Many other forces came and defended the Capitol as well.”

“Mr. President, I yield to my colleague from North Carolina. I will have some comments following his comments. We also have the Democratic lead on the Rules Committee here who would like to weigh in on the importance of this action.”

“I am so glad my colleague mentioned that because, for us to take action here, we have to have bipartisan work, including the leadership on both sides of the aisle.”

“Mr. President, Donald Trump has taken us back to the era of gunboat diplomacy over the last 4 months, back to that era when a powerful nation would station its gunships off the coast of another nation in order to compel them to do what we wanted to enable us to have access to their resources, to force them to enable our corporations to take over their economy.”

“And now we have the Trump administration with this big lie that this was about drugs, when it turns out that it is about regime change and it is about oil.”

“And it is at that moment that we journeyed back from the House of Representatives here, and those beautiful wooden boxes with straps and buckles were replaced on the table here before the dais of the Senate.”

“Capitol, this Capitol that represents article I of the Constitution, the people's representatives in the House and the Senate, forging the vision to be implemented by our Chief Executive.”

“Mr. President, the heart of our Constitution is the separation of powers. The Founders, having just won their freedom from the tyranny of a King, were determined that the most profound responsibilities of government--whether to go to war and how to spend taxpayer dollars--would be decided by the people.”

“I do appreciate your yielding because too often we have very little debate about these issues. My question is, if the President is trying to stop drugs from coming into the United States, why did he pardon the kingpin who built the cocaine superhighway that killed thousands of Americans?”

“Thank you to my colleague for sharing your thoughts, at least a little bit of perspective on a difference of our opinions here, but I do appreciate your presenting your thoughts on this topic.”

“Mr. President, I join my colleague the minority leader from New York in noting that principles matter. Equal justice under law matters. In fact, it matters so much that it is carved into the facade of the Supreme Court.”

“Mr. President, hallelujah. Equal justice under law just took an enormous stride forward in this Senate Chamber. It was back earlier this year in July when Senator Lujan and I introduced the Epstein bill--the same bill that just passed the Senate Chamber after passing through the House--and it had 25 sponsors, but we couldn't get a single sponsor from across the aisle, not one.”

“Mr. President, I want to provide an opportunity tonight for us all to stand up for the Constitution, one of the most important powers that we have here as a Congress, and that is the ability to design a program and to fund a program.”

“Mr. President, I will be happy to give a portion of that equally divided by saying simply this: None of us are well served by a situation where the President decides to cancel programs based on the President's preferences.”

“I really ask my colleagues, particularly on this side, to hear me out on this. The Senators from Kentucky and Oregon cooperated to create the first research on hemp.”

“I support my other colleague from Kentucky, who doesn't want intoxicated products produced from hemp. The definition that is in this bill does far more than that, and it has to be fixed.”

“Mr. President, during the course of tonight's debate, we will be voting on whether to table an item in the amendment lineup in order to submit an amendment that would ban pocket rescissions.”

“Madam President, I appreciate that my colleagues from Wisconsin and Michigan are striving to find a path to make sure that folks are paid. Folks who are working should be paid, and folks who are furloughed should be paid.”

“Mr. President, all across our country, in every congressional district, in every corner of every State, families are suffering. They are taking a look at what it is going to cost to buy healthcare for this coming year.”

“Mr. President, President Donald Trump has a new MAHA strategy, but it is no longer ``Make America Healthy Again.'' It is now the ``Make America Hungry Agenda.'' The President is weaponizing food against America's most vulnerable families.”

“But what is happening now? Well, the Department of Agriculture administers this program, the SNAP program. Back in September, the Department of Agriculture posted a notice saying: Don't worry.”

“Mr. President, President Trump has developed a new MAHA strategy. Instead of Make America Healthy Again, his new strategy is ``Make America Hungry Agenda.'' He is weaponizing food against America's most vulnerable families.”

“We cannot fund--we choose not to fund the full benefits for November. Well, this results in two problems. The first is that, instead of about $6 a day--which is the standard, average SNAP benefit--it will be about $3 a day.”

“November SNAP payment, because shifting $4 billion dollars to America's SNAP population merely shifts the problem to millions of America's low income children that receive their meals at school. 23.”

“Mr. President, I had really hoped that given the five basic planks of this resolution, which had been expressed on both sides of the aisle, that we would have something other than arguments that sound like, I don't know, moldy bread, stale cheese; arguments we heard time and time again about a shutdown.”

“Thank you very much, Mr. President. I see that my colleague from Massachusetts is here and has gotten half of her question out. If you would like to continue the question, I would invite you to give me a question.”

“I thank so much my colleague from Massachusetts for the question of how the price of goods around the country is linked to Trump's authoritarian undertakings. It kind of boils down to this--and a colleague came to the floor and used this term a little while ago, a colleague from New Hampshire.”

“I really appreciate the question from my colleague. It is quite an interesting moment right now because unless there is a decision that has been made while I have been speaking--and that is certainly possible due to the amount of time--there has not yet been a decision by the district judge to dissolve the second temporary restraining order.”

“The reforms that my colleague speaks of are incredibly important because we have a standard under title 10. Under title 10, which is the federalization of the National Guard, the standard is there has to be a rebellion and there has to be an invasion.”

“I note that my colleague from Oregon, following proper protocol here, has arrived on the floor. I would be happy to answer a question, should you have one. (Mr.”

“Thank you so much to my colleague from Oregon. And I so appreciate so many folks coming down to echo and amplify that we have to ring the alarm bells now so the American people will be very clear as to what is going on.”

“I say to my colleague from Rhode Island that, when an authoritarian President starts collecting data in this fashion, they probably have a plan for it, and that plan is not going to be one to enhance liberty for the American people.”

“I appreciate that clarification of the question. It is absolutely concerning. You can imagine the many ways in which it can be weaponized. Any hostile agent from outside the United States can use that data in all kinds of ways.”

“Yes. In regard to your question, I am extremely worried about the Trump administration's effort to pave the path with the courts and with the discipline of the military and have them in the practice of being deployed to, if you will, in theory, quell unrest.”

“I so appreciate the question from my colleague from Wisconsin. Part of the discussion earlier was you can detect a difference between a democracy and an authoritarian government in the following fashion: Are the decisions about which programs are funded, how they will operate, and how they are funded decided by the Congress or by the President?”

“Thank you so much for the question. When I hear that word ``corruption''--and I admit, I am starting to feel a little dazed after these many hours on the floor--my head goes, first, to the financial corruption of the President, but there are always other forms of corruption he has engaged in, in terms of corrupting the basic balance of the separation of powers and the checks and balances.”

“I so much appreciate the good report and question from my colleague from New Hampshire and appreciate her leadership on the Foreign Relations Committee as the top Democrat, working hard to partner across the aisle for the common cause of international security.”

“Ukraine and more supportive of Russia, I have tried to send him magical vibes--no--understand the difference between standing with a nation fighting for freedom and snuggling up with a dictator.”

“Mr. President, for the first time in several hours, I don't have a colleague who is asking me a question, and so I am going to return to the conversation that I was holding forth on regarding the Department of Justice.”

“Thank you very much, Mr. President. Here is how that reads: We are 292 former career employees who proudly served our country at the Department of Justice. From prosecutors, special agents, and intelligence analysts to immigration judges, grant managers, civil rights attorneys and more, we all carried out our duties faithfully, regardless of who occupied the White House.”

“Journalists found themselves at the front lines, exposing-- but also provoking--the president's norm-breaking behavior. A study by the Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics, and Public Policy found that the major news outlets were ``unsparing'' in their coverage of the Trump administration's first hundred days.”

“The first special event was the passage of the 1964 and 1965 bills, led by Democrats that converted the anti-civil rights party into the pro-civil rights party. And the flip on the Trans-Pacific Partnership being driven by Trump's effort as a Republican candidate to become an opponent of the TPP, rather than the traditional position of Republicans to be for it.”

“Thank you so much to my colleague from Arizona for your question. I so appreciate the decades of experience and knowledge you bring in regard to the services.”

“I will yield for a question. Ms. BLUNT ROCHESTER. First let me say thank you, Senator Merkley, for your tenacity, your energy, your compassion, and your love for this country.”

“Well, thank you so much to my colleague from Delaware. That question rather answers itself after listening to all the points you were making, which were right on.”

“And the connection I have been drawing between Trump's authoritarian personality and tendencies is that an authoritarian feels that people are accountable to him so he can do any damn thing he wants and control anything without advice or controls or checks from anyone.”

“I will yield for another question. Thank you. Ms. BLUNT ROCHESTER. As you talked about the small businesses, Senator, I was reminded that, as we look at who is actually purchasing this healthcare in the marketplace--a lot of people don't even know they are on ACA and receiving the tax credit--that half of them are small businesses.”

“Well, there is, absolutely, such a powerful connection because the authoritarian doesn't care about the fundamental programs for the people because they don't feel they are accountable to the people.”

“My colleague from New York, the minority leader, is absolutely right. The Trump priorities are absolutely perverse. Well, here we are in a structure of the Senate, and what is the Senate about?”

“Thank you to my colleague from Vermont. I appreciate your points, and I do share them, yes. You expressed them thoroughly and compassionately. And thank you for your advocacy.”

“Thank you so much, my colleague for Virginia, for laying out this story, which is then quite presented because of its extraordinary nature, to have U.S. attorneys basically fired in short order because they stood up for the principle of the rule of law, rather than agree to be part of a political persecution or prosecution team.”

“The attack on due process and free speech and free press, the weaponization, in general, of the Justice Department--which is kind of a facet of it--and then the effort to get court decisions that enable the President to deploy the military in the streets, when there is no insurrection, no rebellion, and no invasion.”

“Well, thank you for the question. I thought when you were going to hand me this I was going to have a Rorschach test or something of that nature.”

“You are asking such a cerebral and philosophical question here as I am in the 20-whatever hour of the day. But here we have evidence of the President tearing down a symbol of our Republic and building a symbol that is really a symbol about authoritarian power, about a government that serves the rich.”

“My stamina is getting a little shaky. I see my colleague from California standing behind me. I will get out of the way. I ask if you would care to ask a question.”

“Well, thank you for that question. I am on the verge of falling over. Mr. WELCH: And the staff. Mr. MERKLEY: But I have got an hour more before we are going to wrap up this effort.”

“Well, I appreciate the question from my colleague from Vermont. I must say soybeans have come up several times today, as has Argentina, and this is so troubling.”

“I think I would get zero takers. By the way, where is the legislation that gives the President the power to give $20 billion or $40 billion to Argentina?”

“Well, thank you for that question. I must say it reminds me of a townhall because, every now and then, I realize I am way over my head in what I actually know to be the facts.”

“Thank you. I notice my colleague from Illinois has returned to the floor. If he would like to, I would be happy to entertain a question, should he have one.”

“I am going to interrupt you for just a moment because the protocol team is not sure whether you asked me if I would yield for a question.”

“I thank the Senator of Illinois for the question. As you are telling this story, I was thinking about a story from Oregon in which a woman who has been there for a long time--she has legal status in the United States.”

“Honduras, and her sister lives in Canada. There is a park on the border between Washington State and Canada where people can go into the park and meet.”

“Or more. And this body can't even come together and address children brought here through no fault of their own, who know no other country, who speak no other language, who grew up here and are productive citizens.”

“And I will yield for a question. Mr. DURBIN.--in the nature of a question. Just a few feet away from where we are in the Chamber is my Capitol office, and on my credenza behind my desk is my mother's naturalization certificate for all to see.”

“I must say, Senator, I don't think there is an individual we have in the Senate who is not the descendent of immigrants. So shouldn't we all be able to identify with our family stories and bring those to bear to solve this challenge and actually restore a framework?”

“I yield for the question. Mr. DURBIN.--does the Senator believe that these unaccompanied children need to have humane treatment at all times? You told the story earlier of going down to the border and watching what happened under previous administrations.”

“Yes. I think you asked me to recount the story. The story involved the fact that I read a speech by Attorney General Sessions. Attorney General Sessions was delivering this speech at I think it was called Freedom Park in Southern California, on the border.”

“Thank you very much, to my colleague from Illinois. Thank you for being a champion. And I noticed that we have a Senator from Washington State? No, we do not.”

“I thank my colleague. As long as that discussion is not taking place in the hours that I might be sleeping tonight, absolutely. And I do feel like this is so fundamental to our Nation.”

“Before you go any further, can you just say these magical words: Would you yield for a question? And I will say that I will yield for a question.”

“I just shook my head. I am like, that can't possibly happen. But what happened just a short time ago? A piece of this went to the Court and in their shadow docket.”

“We saw on day one of this administration Trump down there in the Rotunda with the billionaires standing behind him, and from that moment, it was apparent that is what his government was about--by and for the wealthy and the powerful.”

“America failed the first test in November 2016, when we elected a president with dubious allegiance to democratic norms. Again, I am reading from a book by these two scholars.”

“So the Supreme Court found something in our Constitution that no one else has been able to find over almost 250 years--of course, our Constitution came 11 years after our Declaration of Independence, so let's say 240 years.”

“Vice President in passing that bill--convincing them to pass a law that hurts Americans. And now, Republicans have shut down the government in order to preserve that attack on healthcare.”

“Palace. Rome was filled with rumors of unrest. Bands of Fascists--many in mismatched uniforms--roamed the city's streets. Mussolini, aware of the power of the spectacle, strode into the king's marble-floored residential palace and greeted him, ``Sire, forgive my attire.”

“Nowhere has his efforts been more effective, however, than in stealing the congressional power of the purse. Article 1 of our beloved ``we the people'' Constitution says: Congress will decide what programs should be funded and how much.”

“And they were programs for nutrition. Without nutrition, people are in trouble. There is a tracker that has been set up by experts in international economic development to try to understand how many programs were shut down and how they affected the folks who benefited from those programs.”

“I so appreciate the question from my colleague from New Jersey and thank you for coming down here at this late hour to share in this discussion to help ring the alarm bells about the authoritarian takeover of our government.”

“I so appreciate my colleague from New Jersey coming down to share this conversation. In your original question, you posed the question: What must we do to restore our democracy in the moment?”

“Now, ``apportionments'' basically means how much money is going in different payments out to the Agencies or the programs that have been funded. The reason you would want those posted is because then you know the administration isn't essentially stealing the power of the purse by slow-walking the distribution of funds or freezing the distribution of funds or impounding the funds.”

“In this novel-- Lindbergh arrives by plane at the 1940 Republican Party convention in Philadelphia . . . as a packed hall finds itself deadlocked on the twentieth ballot.”

“Here is reporting by the Associated Press from Hungary, where another authoritarian regime is using similar tactics. This is a PBS article titled ``Trump's moves against media outlets mirror authoritarian approaches to silencing dissent'' from September 18 of last month.”

“Hang a lantern aloft in the belfry arch Of the North Church tower as a signal light,-- One, if by land, and two, if by sea; And I on the opposite shore will be, Ready to ride and spread the alarm Through every Middlesex village and farm, For the country folk to be up and to arm.'' Then he said, ``Good night!'' and with muffled oar Silently rowed to the Charlestown shore, Just as the moon rose over the bay, Where swinging wide at her moorings lay The Somerset, British man-of-war; A phantom ship, with each mast and spar Across the moon like a prison bar, And a huge black hulk, that was magnified By its own reflection in the tide.”

“But Citizens United changed a lot of that. Citizens United said: Hey, if you are an ordinary citizen and you make a donation, it has to be disclosed if it is over $200, and you are limited as to how much you can give.”

“Donald Trump word for word: If it's a homegrown criminal, I have no problem. Now, we're studying the laws right now. Pam is studying. If we can do that, that's good.”

“Now gazed at the landscape far and near, Then, impetuous, stamped the earth, And turned and tightened his saddle-girth; But mostly he watched with eager search The belfry-tower of the Old North Church, As it rose above the graves on the hill, Lonely and spectral and sombre and still.”

“Take this entire collection, and what you have is a massive, broad, intense assault on our democracy. So ring the alarm bells and listen to others who are ringing alarm bells.”

“The authoritarian tries to rig the elections. And if you don't win the next election, they have too much time to rig the system and leave you stranded in a strongman state that can endure for decades.”

“And when the judge said ``no way,'' then, he said: I will just send in the National Guard that have already been federalized from Texas and California. And the judge said: Not so fast, because it isn't just the act of federalizing them.”

“And beneath him, tranquil and broad and deep, Is the Mystic, meeting the ocean tides; And under the alders that skirt its edge, Now soft on the sand, now loud on the ledge, Is heard the tramp of his steed as he rides.”

“Court records show a sharp decline in major firms challenging government policies, according to a Reuters analysis of dockets in the legal database Westlaw, a unit of Thomson Reuters.”

“But I will tell you we saw, with the previous threats, universities cut deals because, when millions and millions of funds are being held up by the government, that is an effective strategy of blackmail that forces university presidents to say: I have got a responsibility to keep this place functioning.”

“Urgent message: We are 292 former career employees who proudly served our country at the Department of Justice. From prosecutors, special agents, and intelligence analysts to immigration judges, grant managers, civil rights attorneys, and more, we all carried out our duties faithfully, regardless of who occupied the White House.”

“Well, I thank so much my colleague and friend from Minnesota and the expertise you bring on the Justice Department. As a lawyer, you have the background, and you serve on the committee that has this jurisdiction.”

“I thank so much the question my colleague from Minnesota has laid out--in fact, at least eight or so topics that I am going to enjoy addressing. But your final point, does Trump trump the Constitution?”

“I so appreciate the question from the minority leader from New York. One of the things that I certainly felt was: This can't happen here. Our institutions are too old.”

“Well, I believe it would make an astounding difference because when I come to the floor or any of my Democratic colleagues come to the floor and say: Look at this attack on due process.”

“Thank you very much to my colleague from New York for those two questions. One of the questions that my colleague from Minnesota asked about was mentioning $230 million in compensation that Trump is trying to get out of the government.”

“To my colleague from New Jersey, the message that is most important is that the tyranny has already arrived. It is not down the street. It is not around the corner.”

“The consequences of the failure of oversight are enormous. This is not only checks and balances people often talk about. We talked about Congress having a responsibility to define which programs will be funded and how much and under what rules they will operate on, and the President has to execute those programs--therefore, separation of powers.”

“My colleague from Illinois, I so appreciate the question, and certainly you feel it very personally when the target of the President's militarization or the sending of the military into our States is your own State.”

“Well, to my colleague from Illinois, the answer is absolutely yes. The President, as you mentioned, campaigned on the argument that there were violent criminals, and they were going be sent home who were here without documentation.”

“I so appreciate the question from my colleague from Washington State, and I am heartened to hear of your work across the aisle with Senator Grassley to try to address this question of tariffs.”

“I appreciate my colleague's question regarding particularly the soybeans. My understanding is that China was a major consumer of soybeans, and they have bought exactly zero beans--massive, massive amounts in the past.”

“My colleague from Minnesota, I appreciate the question, but I particularly appreciate the recitation of the preamble, and I grabbed my pocket Constitution here that I have been bringing up various points through the night.”

“I so appreciate the question from my colleague, who certainly laid out a lot of ways that it is going to have a huge impact across the country and in your State of Massachusetts.”

“As I start to respond to your question, I want to repeat my main mission statement for being here through the night, and that is to ring the alarm bells of alarm at this authoritarian takeover and at this strategy of doing authoritarian bills in which families lose and billionaires win.”

“My colleague has described very well the way this works. In the past, in general, you had military coups. People with guns stormed in, took over, shredded the constitution, tossed it out, had command of the armed forces.”

“I thank you for that question. I start with a strong thought: Let's not let this happen. Let's not have a standing military. It is expensive, and it is too big a temptation for our Executive to use it against people the way we had seen in so many other places.”

“Over time, because of the security demands of the country and a variety of various wars, we did pursue a standing Army and an Air Force, and we expanded and so forth.”

“I will yield for a question. Mr. VAN HOLLEN. I want to start my question by saluting the Senator from Oregon, Senator Merkley, for standing strong and long in defense of our democracy and our Constitution and ringing the alarm bells.”

“I very much appreciate your zeroing in on this question of how the President is violating the law and the Constitution by taking the power of the purse, but before I address that, I want to thank you for going to El Salvador to visit Abrego Garcia in prison, because if you had not taken that initiative to highlight it, I don't know that he would ever have gotten out of there.”

“I appreciate so much this passionate question from my colleague from New Hampshire. And there is no one here among 100 Senators who has spent more time working on issues of disability, bringing their own life understanding to bear to help millions of people across this country.”

“Thank you for posing this question which has not come up in the many hours I have been standing here but is very relevant to the question of what happens under authoritarian control and, worse, recognizes that Russia retained some trappings of democracy, but it is clearly a dictatorship, and that is the danger.”

“My colleague from New York, absolutely. Benjamin Franklin wrote that ``whoever would overthrow the Liberty of a Nation, must begin by subduing the freeness of speech.'' And I will just roll into that speech and the press.”

“I am so glad that you emphasized the issue of the freedom of press and amazingly how it is under attack in all these different ways here in the United States of America.”

“Mr. President, I have come to the Senate floor tonight to ring the alarm bells. We are in the most perilous moment, the biggest threat to our Republic since the Civil War.”

“Madam President, back in 2021, in the NDAA, we had a clause that said Federal military police who were responding to a civil disturbance need to wear visible identification, including an individual identifier, which could, in fact, be a number or a name, and the name of the armed services, but there are three points of confusion that exist in this 2021 law.”

“Madam President, let me just note that that provision now creates a conflict with the 2021 law that does require an individual identifier. So this amendment resolves that conflict and ensures there is trust by having that trust-building name or number on the uniform as well.”

“Mr. President, my colleague from Oregon has laid out the situation very well. An authoritarian President emboldened by a rubberstamp Congress, emboldened by a deferential Supreme Court, is sending military troops against American citizens who are peacefully protesting in city after city.”

“Agencies--that is freedom of speech; that is freedom of assembly. That goes to the core of who we are as Americans. Obviously, there is nothing approaching an invasion or a rebellion in the city of Portland.”

“Founders were that worried about the President becoming a King. So they did not give the President immunity from prosecution. But the Supreme Court did because they thought that is too big a burden for the President to bear.”

“Mr. President, my reason for coming to the floor now is to weigh in on Senator Rand Paul's proposed budget. Now, if we could turn the clock back to the beginning of July, Senate Republicans passed President Trump's so-called Big Beautiful Bill.”

“Why? To fund tax breaks for billionaires. Kicking 15 million Americans off their health insurance to fund tax breaks for billionaires. Slashing nutrition assistance for millions of children.”

“Thank you, and thank you to my colleague from Oklahoma. The issue we are addressing needs to be addressed. The nomination process is entirely broken. People are sick and tired of bringing their expertise to the Senate and basically being an automaton in a nomination factory.”

“Mr. President, just minutes ago, I was outside and was running up the steps to the Senate Chamber in order to cast a vote on the issue before the Senate, and the issue before the Senate was whether or not we would pass a bill to release the Epstein files.”

“U.S. Senate to move significant strides in the direction of saying: No one is above the law. The legislation that was considered was an amendment form of a proposal that I had drafted to say, ``Release the Epstein files,'' and my copilot Ben Ray Lujan of New Mexico saying, ``Release the Epstein files.'' And, indeed, many Members on both sides have believed in this vision of transparency and accountability.”

“Mr. President, I come to the floor to talk about the Senate process and specifically the challenge we have in exercising our constitutional responsibility to provide advice and consent on nominations.”

“If I understood your presentation right, this is, word for word, exactly the same--this bill--as the amendment you proposed in the appropriations meeting. Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Yes, that is exactly right.”

“Well, I can tell you I have read through it, and it looks like, to me, exactly the same. And we heard from our colleague from Wyoming that this was a Republican proposal, which you clarified that, actually, you introduced it but also observed that it was passed unanimously.”

“If I turn the clock back to that Appropriations Committee hearing where you presented your amendment and I was present, was that not voted out of committee on a voice vote?”

“So the Republicans in committee said we support the idea, but let's do it by voice vote because we don't want to have our names recorded, yea or nay; is that correct?”

“Had the Senator not objected, we could have passed this bill today by voice vote, not necessarily having a recorded vote. Mr. VAN HOLLEN. It would have passed immediately if he had not objected to it.”

“Well, I appreciate my colleague from Maryland bringing this forward. It seems like the absolute minimum we should do now is protect the evidence for the future. Certainly, it should be released, as both of us have spoken to.”

“Mr. President, I was hoping my colleague would stay on the floor to have a little bit of discussion about the topic he just raised because there seemed to be some missing elements in his discussion.”

“Did I understand you to say that the President of the United States has put forward the possibility of a favor to someone who could testify about Epstein's conduct over many years?”

“To my colleague from Maryland, did you also mention that the FBI redacted President Trump's name from certain documents? Mr. VAN HOLLEN. I did, indeed. This is a report that just came out.”

“I so much appreciate your amendment, which we advocated for, which you presented very well in the Appropriations Committee, that said that all the files have to be retained so that nothing is destroyed--no missing minutes on a White House tape or anything equivalent.”

“If that is accurate, I am just trying to understand why they would do so. If his name is in the files and it is simply in the context of he attended a certain event, something of that nature, or maybe Mr.”

“Absolutely. I so appreciate your bringing this additional information to bear. Our colleague across the aisle who objected noted the Republicans also voted for this amendment--your amendment--in committee.”

“Well, I do hope you will bring that back as a unanimous consent request later today based on your amendment to retain all of the files. We have already heard our colleague's objection to releasing the files, but, certainly, they should join us in a unanimous way in retaining all of the evidence.”

“Mr. President, nobody in our country should ever be above the law, certainly not powerful people who believe that they can perpetrate crimes on victims and get away with it because they have so much wealth and so many lawyers and so many friends in high places.”

“Mr. President, my colleague has come to the floor and said that there is a provision in a bill, but will he yield for a question about that provision?”

“Thank you. I will borrow his 15 as well as mine. Motion to Waive Mr. President, we do have the power to waive this. It does take 60 votes, but this would be all of us together saying we should defend the bipartisan work here now, just as we have through the entire history since 1974.”

“Mr. President, we will soon be voting on bipartisan appropriations bills. These represent the spending strategy that has been worked out between Democrats and Republicans on the committee.”

“Following the attacks on October 7, 2023, Israel had every right to go after Hamas, but how they do so matters. Indiscriminate bombing with massive casualties, women and children, is horrific, completely unacceptable.”

“Every detail should be brought to light, and anyone who committed egregious crimes should be held accountable no matter who they are. My colleague from Oregon Senator Ron Wyden and the Senate Finance Committee have been investigating Mr.”

“Mr. President, I appreciate the comments from my colleague from Colorado. I don't think it is unique to the States out West, be it Oregon or Colorado or California or Idaho or Nevada or so forth.”

“Mr. President, on July 1, 2025, the Senate passed H.R. 1, which is nothing more than one big, beautiful, betrayal for Americans across the country. This bill slashes healthcare for 17 million Americans by gutting Medicaid and dismantling the Affordable Care Act.”

“Colleagues, a bipartisan story: In 1984, four Senators came together to reduce the risk of war. All four were veterans of World War II: two Republicans--Mark Hatfield, a Navy lieutenant, and Ted Stevens, Army Air Corps pilot; and two Democrats--John Glenn, a Navy fighter pilot, and Sparky Matsunaga with the 100th Infantry Battalion.”

“My colleagues from Wisconsin and Michigan have spoken to the destructive nature of this rescission because of the programs that will be canceled midstream. I have seen, so often, the power of our international aid programs in assisting in nutrition and fighting tuberculosis and malaria and AIDS across the world.”

“So the responsibility shifted from the Finance Committee to the Appropriations Committee. But, over time, it has become more and more popular to spend money for programs through tax credits and deductions.”

“Mr. President. I would like to thank the Democratic staff of the Senate Budget Committee for all their hard work and dedication over this past month challenging the most egregious parts of this bill.”

“Mr. President, I rise today to cut any part of this ``Big Ugly Bill'' that would force rural hospitals to limit their services or actually close their doors.”

“Mr. President, I raise a point of order. The amendment violates the Byrd rule, section 313(b)(1)(D) of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974. Once again, Republicans have chosen the comforting embrace of partisan politics, but here are a few facts to cut through the noise: Zero Federal dollars are spent on health coverage.”

“Mr. President, pursuant to section 904 of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974, I move to waive section 313 of that act for the purpose of the pending amendment.”

“Mr. President, I wouldn't have much dispute for subsidizing the out-of-pocket expenses of our public school teachers. When I was a child, my dad, the mechanic, said: Son, because we are so fortunate to live in America, if you go through the doors of that public school and you study hard, you can do just about anything.”

“When the House bill was first laid before the Senate, was the operative baseline under which it would be considered the current law baseline under section 257 of the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985?”

“Mr. President, I want to share a couple comments with my colleagues, my Republican colleagues, because I have made these remarks on the floor. Generally, the floor is empty, but you are here now.”

“Mr. President, joining me on the floor are experts in the budget process, who are former chairs and ranking members: Senator Murray, who was the Senate Budget chair from 2013 through 2015; Senator Whitehouse, who was the Senate Budget chair from 2023 through 2025; and Senator Van Hollen, who was the ranking Democrat on the House Budget Committee from 2011 through 2017.”

“In the time that you were Budget chair, did you ever contemplate a situation in which you argued that renewing a tax break that was by law expiring would somehow have no impact on the deficit?”

“You mentioned the use of section 312, which gives some flexibility to resolve, as you put it, minor issues on a bipartisan basis to correct an issue, a technical issue.”

“No, they were not. In fact, that power has never been used on a reconciliation bill because the following section, 313, gives very specific instructions. It says each provision must be costed out for its impact on both outlays, the spending side, or revenue, should it be a revenue measure.”

“I find it very interesting that the Senator pointed out that these tax provisions for the middle class--that no tax on tips is phased out and no tax on overtime is phased out.”

“So I find two things very interesting. They are saying, if something was in the law that they passed in 2017 and it expires, they are pretending it doesn't expire and that, therefore, extending it doesn't cost anything.”

“Well, I thank the Senator from Maryland for also pointing out that President Trump--he did--when he was campaigning, say he was fighting for ordinary families. But at his inauguration, who did he have standing behind him?”

“Well, I must say, my impression is--and I hope the Senator will correct me if I am wrong--that the Republicans are embarrassed by the fact that they are proposing a bill that creates over $3 trillion in debt in 10 years and over $30 trillion over 30 years and that the vast bulk of it goes to billionaires.”

“I really appreciate that point from my colleague from Washington State because, in this bill, it creates so much necessitated borrowing that CBO estimates that that borrowing will cause interest rates to go up.”

“Mr. President, just a final word. Those votes, we are not sure when they will start because they are redrafting provisions of this bill right now. That is how little time this Senate will have to actually know what is in this 1,000-page bill with all kinds of special deals tucked into it for various Members.”

“Mr. President, I come to the floor to talk about debt and the challenge that confronts us. Over the last few decades, we have seen a lot of sources of red ink.”

“Fund--no, no--a bipartisan decision. In 2023 and 2025, Power Marketing Administration: bipartisan. They were solving a technical issue, both parties working on it together. Preventing double counting of a dairy program: bipartisan.”

“I appreciate the comments of my colleague from California and particularly appreciate that my colleague from Virginia Senator Kaine has proposed this War Powers Resolution, a resolution that reaffirms a basic principle: The decisions of war and peace belong under our Constitution to Congress, not to the President.”

“Mr. President, I have come tonight to the floor to talk about fiscal responsibility and how important it is that we preserve or, at least, advance a structure in which we engage with integrity in budgeting, so we don't run up massive debts that affect the opportunities for the generation to come.”

“What are we talking about now? We are talking about trying to hide $37 trillion in debt, new debt. Wow. To every colleague on either side of the aisle who has back home said we need to get our deficit under control, this is not the bill for you.”

“Mr. President, over the decades, there is a lot of conversation here in the Senate about deficits and debt. And every now and then, there is a significant bipartisan effort to take on that challenge in a responsible way.”

“Mr. President, when I was in grade school, my dad, the mechanic, would point to the schoolhouse doors and say: Son, if you go through those doors and you work hard, you can do almost anything because we are so fortunate to live here in the United States.”

“Mr. President, I enjoy working with my colleague from Louisiana, and he has made several points worth noting. He has noted that this strategy of enabling people to pay back their loan according to their income doesn't solve the large issue of why our colleges cost so much, and he has noted that it doesn't do anything about predatory college programs that charge a lot and deliver little.”

“Mr. President, I have come to the floor to talk about debt, and more precisely, how the Republican party has been driving massive increases in debt over the last couple decades, both in two ways.”

“You can think of Robert Byrd, who was the fiercest defender of the filibuster--that is the 60 votes required to close debate. Yet even he said: Yes, I am fine setting aside that power that gives strength and leverage to the minority for the purpose of reducing the deficit--that one purpose.”

“Mr. President, now, turning to an issue that has to be worked out in our U.S. Senate, is the challenge of having honest budget numbers for the conversation over the reconciliation bill.”

“I am going to talk about a different aspect of the reconciliation bill, but before I do so, my heart is with the people of Minnesota, who have lost Melissa and Mark Hortman.”

“Mr. President, I thank my colleague from Massachusetts for laying out how families lose and billionaires win on this not so beautiful bill that Trump has put forward.”

“Mr. President, I have come to the floor to say I am extremely outraged that the executive branch's security team has shoved a U.S. Senator out of a room, has proceeded to put that U.S.”

“Mr. President, my colleagues will remember the phrase ``Senate pay-as-you-go,'' or better known as pay-go. It was initiated by my colleagues across the aisle to say each bill should be paid for, and they created a point of order to that effect.”

“Colleagues, we are at an extraordinary time when there is a ``Government For Sale'' sign on the White House lawn. We have never seen this in the history of the United States of America.”

“Mr. President, on May 22, I missed rollcall vote No. 277, passage of H. J. Res 88. Had I been present, I would have voted no. Overturning California's Clean Air Act waivers is a climate setback of massive proportions that will delay much-needed actions to abate climate chaos.”

“Mr. President, I hear an objection from my friend and colleague, the head of the Banking Committee. Would my friend and colleague explain why we shouldn't, while we are on a cryptocurrency bill, consider and debate an amendment to honor the emoluments clause of the U.S.”

“Thank you. I could understand if my colleague was objecting because that amendment only covers one type of cryptocurrency that is being used in this fashion, and therefore I will present a different option, which is to say we should address both the sale of meme coins as a way to profit from people wanting to give us money and we should also cover the stablecoins as well.”

“Mr. President, I am disappointed. I was very present when the majority leader said that on this bill, there will be an open amendment process, and we made it very clear that this was one of the issues that we felt we should be debating while we are on a cryptocurrency bill.”

“Mr. President, we are living in a time of open government corruption that few of us thought could occur here in the United States of America. We sometimes recognize it and expect it in countries far away where authoritarian figures take a slice of every contract that moves through the government but not here in the United States of America, and yet here we are.”

“On April 1, 1 month into the blockade, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation said: Fear of famine looms after all Gaza bakeries run out of flour amid month-long Israeli blockade.”

“Mr. President, I so appreciate the comments of my colleague from Nevada. So many of us are so frustrated with the failure of this legislature to address this fundamental injustice to our Dreamers.”

“And he noted at the time that this was to be ``a temporary stopgap measure'' for Congress to be able to debate and vote on a permanent legislation, the Dream Act.”

“Mr. President, I rise today to discuss the critical need for regulation of artificial intelligence. This work period, the Senate is poised to take up the House's reconciliation package, a disastrous proposal that strips healthcare away from tens of millions of Americans and dismantles our country's clean energy revolution, all to deliver tax cuts to billionaires.”

“Mr. President, colleagues, using the Congressional Review Act to overturn waivers puts polluters in charge of government policy. In 1970, Congress passed the Clean Air Act. The law explicitly states that individual States like California can enact stricter emission standards to protect the environment if they receive from the Environmental Protection Agency a waiver.”

“Mr. President, the motto of the State of Oregon is ``She flies with her own wings.'' I can't think of a better description for my State director Jessica Stevens.”

“In your knowledge of American history, has there ever been a Presidential first 100 days that showed this level of corruption that we are witnessing with this administration?”

“Mr. President, I appreciate the Senator's speech in laying this out. I am going to address another aspect of the first 100 days, which is about the phenomenal strategy of President Trump to undermine our Constitution; to undermine the separation of powers, the checks and balances, for the purpose of creating a strong-man state, which is also just an extraordinary, extraordinary experience to be living through.”

“However often we have witnessed this happening elsewhere, however, we always thought that it could never happen here, not in the United States of America. It could never happen here because our commitment to the separation of powers is too secure, our 250 years of dedication to a democratic republic too established for it to ever happen here.”

“Mr. President, families lose, billionaires win. That is the Republican plan. The Republican plan slashes $2 trillion for the programs families depend on to thrive in order to give more tax giveaways to the very richest Americans.”

“Mr. President, throughout these 25 hours of debate, there has been one theme that no Member of this body should forget, that no American should forget because it is the heart of this bill.”

“So, colleagues across the aisle, turn back to your speeches and your election campaigns that said ``I am for fiscal responsibility,'' and come and join us and write a real bill in which families thrive and billionaires pay their fair share of taxes.”

“Mr. President, my colleagues, my good friend from South Carolina compared this bill with balancing the family budget. Well back in my neighborhood, balancing the budget means you only spend what you earn.”

“Madam President, what we don't like is $37 trillion in new debt hoisted on the next generation. This is throwing fiscal responsibility overboard to the bottom of the sea.”

“Madam President, families lose, and billionaires win. That is the Republican plan. It is a plan that slashes $1.5 to $2 trillion from programs that families depend on.”

“So my colleagues across the aisle, when we pointed this out, they said: Yes, we had better not do that. That is just wrong. OK. Thank you. Thank you for deciding not to put in a scoring rule that was completely wrong and designed to destroy the budget process.”

“Mr. President and colleagues, back in 1974, the Senate and the House were very agitated over the increases in the national annual deficit that was adding considerably to the national debt.”

“Schweikert then said: Anyone that says current policy baseline [is the right way to go] is engaging in intellectual and economic fraud . . . it's intellectually lazy.”

“Mr. President, today I commend the Friends of Mt. Tabor Park (FMTP) for its 25 years of unwavering dedication to preserving and enhancing one of Portland's most treasured urban green spaces.”

“Mr. President, colleagues, let me keep this very simple. We provided a lot of funding in the Inflation Reduction Act so that those who have very sophisticated finances and very powerful advisers that try to avoid ever paying their taxes don't get away with it, because it is a fundamental fairness all across America.”

“Mr. President, here is the question: Do we pursue the 20th century energy vision featuring dirty, expensive fossil fuels, or do we pursue the 21st century energy vision featuring inexpensive and clean, renewable energy?”

“Mr. President, families lose, billionaires win. That is the proposition at the heart of the Republican budget resolution. Now, this plan is going to be explored tonight through a series of amendments.”

“Madam President, colleagues, the dream of home ownership is dying, and this is a big deal. Your home is your castle. This is a major source of wealth for middle-class families.”

“In fact, ordinary families can't compete with their all-cash, no inspection offers. They are driving up the prices to buy homes. They are driving up the rent. So today, let's take a step toward restoring the dream of homeownership.”

“Mr. President, all evening we have been pointing out that, with this bill, families lose and billionaires win. That is certainly put onto steroids with this amendment because this amendment would add a quarter trillion dollars directed at the SNAP program.”

“Colleagues, this amendment encourages the opportunity for Americans to purchase prescription drugs at or near the lower prices that manufacturers charge to individuals in other similar, developed nations.”

“Mr. President, I so much appreciate the collaboration and cooperation and communication between the Budget team here on this side of the aisle and Senator Graham's team. We have had the chance to all be on the floor and have the discussion about issues that we rarely get to have.”

“Mr. President, my colleague from Connecticut is here past midnight. Why is he here past midnight? Because the health and welfare of our children and our families are at stake.”

“Mr. President, since yesterday afternoon, Democrats have held this floor to ring the alarm bells across the United States of America about the nomination of Russell Vought to lead the Office of Management and Budget.”

“Mr. President, our constituents, our country, and our Constitution are under attack by Donald Trump and Russell Vought. Democrats are fighting back. Russell Vought--also pronounced ``vote''--is the mastermind of Project 2025 and of all of the chaos and the lawlessness that Trump has unleashed across our country.”

“I say to you: Stop trembling in your boots. You are being threatened. You are being pressed. You are being extorted. Stand up and say: I am a Senator of the United States of America.”

“Mr. President, as much as President Trump desires it, the President is not a king. We are here tonight because, as much as President Trump desires it, the law is not a suggestion.”

“Mr. President, when I came out of graduate school, I was hired by Secretary Weinberger as a Presidential Management Intern--now called PMF, or Presidential Management Fellows--five of us who were brought in to do a series of rotations to bring, well, an injection of policy determination to the conversation in Secretary of Defense's Office.”

“My colleague laid out quite a set of factors there, but let's not blur the picture. The picture is this: A child came here when they were 2 months old.”

“There is a legal difference of opinion currently, so I am just going to describe that. It was sold on the House side by saying that there is a settlement called the Flores settlement which will continue to protect children and prevent this from happening--an innocent child indefinitely detained in prison with no review process.”

“I look forward to cooperating on many topics, but this is perhaps the most important one at the moment. A second amendment that I have creates some of the flexibility that exists in current law that doesn't exist under this bill.”

“Mr. President, I do disagree with my colleague because this bill eliminates the flexibility in the current system to consider the totality of the circumstances, and restoring the best interest standard that every State is intimately familiar with is remedying the lack of flexibility in the bill as it is written.”

“Mr. President, let's talk about Trump's betrayal of middle-class America. In 2017, many of us warned that Trump's tax giveaway was a disaster for working families. It was a giveaway to billionaires.”