What Richard Blumenthal said, and what was done

“Mr. President, I appreciate my colleague from Alabama's strong support of this bill. She has been instrumental in our reaching this point, and I thank her and Senator Graham of South Carolina.”

“Mr. President, I want to thank my colleagues in advance for their overwhelming bipartisan support for this bill that shows we can still work together for the right causes to accomplish the right results.”

“Mr. President, shortly, we will vote on the Russia sanctions bill as we have come to call it. I want to begin by thanking my colleagues for their overwhelming support for this measure, and in particular to thank Senators Shaheen, Britt, Wicker, Risch, Coons, Whitehouse, Durbin, and, of course, Senators Schumer and Thune.”

“Mr. President, I begin with a quote: ``I am his lawyer.'' ``I am his lawyer'' is what Todd Blanche said in the course of his confirmation hearing for the Judiciary Committee of the U.S.”

“Election deniers have no place on the bench or in the Department of Justice. And, in fact, in response to my submitted question relating to the 2020 election, Todd Blanche refused to state that Joe Biden won the 2020 election, and he stood by his prior statements perpetuating the Big Lie.”

“Madam President, 2 weeks ago, House Republicans failed to advance the Take Care of America's Veterans Act. That failure in the House was the latest example of broad bipartisan opposition to the Republican proposal to cut more than $50 billion--that is $50 billion--in benefits for disabled veterans over the next 10 years.”

“Act, but it is only 17 percent of the money that they are taking away from these disabled veterans. The rest of it, of the $56.2 billion that they would save by, in effect, inflicting harm on these veterans--who knows.”

“Mr. President, for all the reasons that I have stated, this bill has all the right measures that I can support except taking away benefits in the expectation that the VA Secretary is going to promulgate a rule that has been beaten back in a prior administration, that we should be united in opposing.”

“Mr. President, I am going to be really charitable because I know my colleague's heart is in the right place, and I know we share an objective here, which is to care for our veterans.”

“Mr. President, I am here today with a very straightforward, simple resolution. It is about enforcement. For most of my career, I was an enforcer: a Federal prosecutor, U.S. attorney for Connecticut, and then attorney general of the State of Connecticut for 20 years.”

“Mr. President, I am back again after Republicans have blocked my effort for a vote--a vote--on the Major Richard Star Act. Six times Republicans have blocked benefits for combat-injured veterans.”

“I think this point is very important. This bill, the Major Richard Star Act, is a standalone bill to do justice. And the Republican solution is to take away benefits from veterans who have suffered combat injuries that those benefits are designed to address.”

“Mr. President, I want to thank my colleague from North Carolina for making my argument for me. We should not make empty promises. Those veterans are due their retirement benefits fully.”

“I regret again that we have been blocked now for a seventh and eighth time, but I will continue to fight for the Major Richard Star Act. It represents the will of 80 Members of the U.S.”

“Mr. President, I am honored to join my colleagues this afternoon in celebrating the Deferred Action for Children Arrivals, or DACA, Program and its absolutely historic impact on our country, but also to mourn and to express outrage at the all-out assault launched against this program by the Trump administration.”

“Mr. President, I am here to talk about the costs of war. The United States is at war at this moment. I am here to talk about the costs of war that should include the costs of caring for our veterans because they are the ones who fight our wars and keep our Nation strong and free.”

“Mr. President, reserving the right to object, I understand that my colleague from Kentucky is offering an amendment--or perhaps not. In any event, if there is no request to modify, I just want to say that there should be no need to modify.”

“Mr. President, we can agree or disagree with what my colleague from Kentucky has just said. It is entertaining, but it is deeply irrelevant to what I have asked to be done here.”

“Mr. President, I am honored to follow my colleague from Illinois on the topic of paramount interest to this body and to the American people. You know, future generations of Americans will read the Supreme Court's decision in Louisiana v.”

“Mr. President, in a remarkable gift to Big Tech, President Trump eliminated the digital marketing rule, which means they are not subject to the same kind of consumer protection laws or rules that apply to traditional advertisers and other kinds of interests.”

“Mr. President, we are at a critical moment. It is a crossroads for the American people. The President is waging a war of choice. It is really a war of impulse, a war of whim and illusion without the support of the American people and without approval from the U.S.”

“Mr. President, I am here on tax day to highlight how the Trump administration has made filing taxes more costly, more complicated, and more time-consuming for working Americans.”

“Mr. President, as we stand here in the comfort of the U.S. Capitol on this beautiful spring day, men and women are in harm's way, serving this country, sacrificing for our defense in the Middle East.”

“Mr. President, in just minutes, we will vote on Calendar No. 338, S.J. Res. 103, which will reverse the indecent, unjust policy that this administration implemented secretively on New Year's Eve.”

“Mr. President, I am on the floor today to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the death of Sergeant Stubby, Connecticut's first-ever military working dog and an icon in our Nation's history.”

“Mr. President, I am honored to follow my very eloquent colleague from Vermont in the common cause that brings us to the floor tonight, which is to say no--no--to a bill that so fundamentally and far-reachingly would undermine--in fact, destroy--our democracy.”

“Mr. President, I just left a hearing involving the Veterans of Foreign Wars before the Veterans' Committee. In fact, it was a joint hearing of both the House's and the Senate's Veterans' Committees, where I am the ranking member.”

“Mr. President, I am saddened, I am angered, and I am heartbroken for the veterans across this great country that the Senate is failing to match their courage and dedication and failing to keep faith with them.”

“Mr. President, we have regular order in the Senate, and there is regular order in the military. I will have a hard time looking in the eye of those soldiers, sailors, airmen, marines, and Coast Guard members who are in conflict, in harm's way, right now in the Middle East, defending the national security of this great Nation.”

“Madam President, I received a text just a couple of hours ago from a Connecticut serviceman, serving in the Middle East directly in harm's way, who asked me a very simple question: What is the vision of success?”

“Mr. President, I am here to mark a solemn anniversary. Yesterday marked the fourth anniversary of Vladimir Putin's unprovoked, unjustified, brutal, full-scale invasion of Ukraine. He sought to extinguish a democracy.”

“Entire cities have been reduced to rubble. Tens of thousands have been killed. Millions have been displaced. Families sleep under the threat nightly of drone and missile attacks.”

“Mr. President, something really extraordinary happened in the U.S. Capitol yesterday. It wasn't a floor speech. It wasn't a formal committee meeting or a hearing. It wasn't a press conference.”

“Mr. President, I rise today to recognize two extraordinary public servants whose leadership has helped sustain and strengthen public media at a pivotal moment for our Nation: Patricia Harrison, president and chief executive officer of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and Mark Contreras, president and chief executive officer of Connecticut Public.”

“Mr. President, the American people can be forgiven for wanting to turn off their computers or TVs and feeling a sense of abhorrence and repulsion at what they are seeing again and again and again as the video of Renee Good's killing is replayed for them.”

“Mr. President, I rise today to recognize and celebrate the remarkable career of Richard A. Silver. Rick has long been recognized as a model of excellence in Connecticut's legal profession and as a national leader and champion for victims of wrongful harm and injustice.”

“Mr. President, as we all remember if we were here 5 years ago, this building was attacked. The Capitol was stormed. Democracy was under siege, not just the physical structure, but our lives, literally.”

“Do not forget, 5 years ago, rioters, incited by President Trump, tried to destroy our democracy. Trump pardoned, glorified them, even empowering some of them in key administration offices.”

“Madam President, first, my thanks to Senator Graham for his steadfast advocacy and eloquence and his partnership. It has been bipartisan from the start. It involves Senators Britt and Klobuchar, as well as Senator Shaheen, who is with us today, and Senator Coons and so many others.”

“Mr. President, earlier today, Senator Cornyn came to the floor and asked for unanimous consent to pass the ENFORCE Act. I am proud to have co-led that bill with him, and he has been an excellent partner in this work.”

“Mr. President, I rise today to recognize and celebrate the remarkable career of Dr. James E. Shmerling. Dr. Shmerling has dedicated nearly five decades to serving the needs of children, their families, and their communities across the Nation.”

“Mr. President, I thank my colleagues for this unified support for a measure that is eminently reasonable, and I thank the leader of our side, Senator Schumer, for advancing this proposal.”

“Mr. President, I appreciate the Senator from Louisiana yielding to me, and I am here with Senator Padilla because we are leading a group of colleagues to talk on the floor of the Senate about a right of the American people that was exercised in overwhelming numbers yesterday: the right to vote.”

“But in this instance, there is no excuse and no precedent that permits the President of the United States to take over our election system, and I call on my colleagues in this body to stop rubberstamping his usurpation of our authority.”

“Mr. President, I am proud to begin a series of speakers and to be leading off this bloc of colleagues who are going to talk about an issue that is so much on our minds these days, and actually healthcare is always on our minds.”

“Do the right thing for the American people. Come to the table and reinstate these credits, because we are going to stand strong and stand firm on this side of the aisle.”

“Mr. President, thank you to all of my colleagues, most recently the Senator from Wisconsin, but also Senators Durbin, Murphy, Klobuchar, Whitehouse. And, yes, we are here to stand up for working families, as my colleague from Wisconsin has so powerfully said, and others of our colleagues who have told the stories.”

“Mr. President, the Trump administration is making history today but not in a good way--in fact, in a reprehensible and irresponsible way. In one sentence, for the first time in history in the United States of America, SNAP benefits have been stopped.”

“Mr. President, I rise today to recognize and celebrate the 350th anniversary of Derby, CT. It may be our State's smallest city by square mileage, but Derby's role in our Nation's history is truly larger than life.”

“Mr. President, what has always separated America from other nations around the world is the right to vote. It is a right that everybody in this body cherishes, as do the American people.”

“Missouri, sending a request to ``access, physically inspect and perhaps take physical custody of election equipment used in the 2020 November general election.'' In March 2025, President Trump issued an Executive order--another Executive order--that attempted to mandate that the independent, bipartisan Election Assistance Commission rescind all previous certifications of voting equipment and recertify systems under amended guidelines.”

“Mr. President, as everyone in this Chamber knows and everyone in our great Nation knows, we are in the midst of a healthcare crisis. Now, the word ``crisis'' probably is the most overused term in the political lexicon, but the American people know that this crisis is real and urgent because they know, if you don't have your health, you don't have anything.”

“Very bluntly, these rates will not just impact people enrolled in the ACA marketplace. If Republicans have their way, the entire healthcare system will feel the effects, and every individual trying to receive care, regardless of what kind of insurance they have, will be impacted.”

“I think he is absolutely right to call attention to the extraordinary professionalism of the National Guard, which, hopefully, will avoid the provoked violence that President Trump, unfortunately, would welcome, apparently, here.”

“Mr. President, Americans are watching members of the military patrolling the streets of major cities in the United States of America. I never thought I would utter those words anywhere, let alone on the floor of the U.S.”

“Mr. President, before I turn to my distinguished colleague Senator Welch from Vermont I have a few quick points in response. First, I would note that my friend from Texas has not mentioned at all the Insurrection Act.”

“Mr. President, I thank the Senator from Vermont for being here. We will be followed by others who have not yet come to the floor. I expect them momentarily.”

“Forty-five of the planned 65 wind turbines were already installed when the Trump administration, just months ago in late August, issued a stop work order, grinding this project to nearly a complete halt--men and women on the job in New London, offshore, onshore, stopped from going to work, out of jobs; investors, construction companies, supply chain suppliers, all of them grinding to a nearly complete halt.”

“Mr. President, I am here to talk about a bill that is a matter of fundamental fairness to our veterans and most especially to our combat-injured veterans--a group that should evoke the sympathies and support of our Nation as no other.”

“Mr. President, today we mark 2 years since the horrific attack in Israel on October 7, 2023. Two years ago, Israel was the victim of one of the most vicious, vile, terrible crimes in recent memory--maybe in all of history.”

“Mr. President, I am honored to follow my colleague from Connecticut and to build on some of the arguments that he has made so well. We are here because our democracy is in crisis.”

“Mr. President, I rise today to recognize and celebrate the 150th anniversary of Community Partners in Action, one of Connecticut's foremost criminal justice organizations, and the invaluable work of its staff.”

“Mr. President, I rise today to commemorate the centennial celebration of Albertus Magnus College and honor the hard work and dedication of its many faculty and other staff.”

“Mr. President, I rise today to celebrate the 100th annual Bethlehem Fair and recognize the steadfast stewardship of the Bethlehem Fair Society. Connecticut is known for its many fall fairs, a symbol of the State's strong agrarian roots.”

“Mr. President, in just a little while, later this afternoon, we will consider confirmation of Jeanine Pirro as U.S. attorney for the district of Washington, DC. Now, I have a particular feeling about appointments as U.S. attorney, having served as one in Connecticut and having seen how profoundly impactful it can be on the lives of everyday Americans.”

“U.S. Attorney's Office. Her record should preclude her from receiving even an interview for an assistant U.S. attorney position. Instead, her loyalty at the expense of truth has won her a nomination for one of the most powerful Department of Justice positions in the whole country.”

“Mr. President, the American people have been treated to an extraordinary spectacle. It is the spectacle of a President of the United States trying to stonewall and stall the disclosure of a file from the U.S.”

“Mr. President, as we know, inspectors general in our Federal Agencies--and every Agency has one--have a really unique role in our Federal Government. They are responsible for rooting out waste and fraud, uncovering wrongdoing.”

“Mr. President, I am honored to add my voice to others we have heard already expressing grave concern about President Trump's misguided, mistaken, harmful tariff regime. Actually, it dignifies what the President is doing on tariffs to call it a regime, which implies that there is a strategy and a conceptual consistency and constancy to it.”

“Tariffs are already eroding job growth and reducing incomes. They are already felt in the supply chain. American businesses, especially our essential small businesses and those in the manufacturing sector, are already facing supply chain chaos.”

“Mr. President, today, marks the 60th anniversary of the day that President Lyndon Baines Johnson signed the Social Security Amendments of 1965, establishing Medicare and Medicaid--cornerstones of American healthcare.”

“Mr. President, I rise, sadly and reluctantly, to oppose Richard Topping as the next VA Financial Officer, and I say ``sadly and reluctantly'' because the VA really needs leadership now at a time of mass firings, freezes on hiring, cuts, and the kinds of chaos that we are seeing at this great institution that serves our Nation's heroes.”

“Mr. President, I am here with a number of colleagues on probably one of the most important decisions we are going to make with respect to the future of justice in America: the nomination of Emil Bove to be a judge on the court of appeals for the Third Circuit, the second highest panel in our judiciary.”

“Mr. President, as we close this colloquy, I want to thank my colleagues who have come to the floor: Senators Durbin, Kim, Welch, Whitehouse, Hirono, Schiff, and now my great friend and colleague Senator Booker.”

“Mr. President, I rise today to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Pratt & Whitney, a pioneer and titan in the field of aviation. The Pratt & Whitney Aircraft Company was founded in 1925 in Hartford, CT, by Frederick B.”

“Mr. President, I was unable to vote on Executive Calendar No. 81, Scott Kupor, of California, to be Director of the Office of Personnel Management for a term of four years, due to my participation at the Ukraine Recovery Conference in Rome, Italy, on July 10, 2025.”

“Mr. President, I am here to sound the alarm--to make my colleagues aware--of the crisis that faces us. It challenges all veterans. It faces the United States of America because of the chaos and confusion that continues at the Veterans Health Administration and the sliding downward of service that is available to our Nation's heroes.”

“Mr. President, I make this motion to commit the reconciliation bill to the Armed Services Committee on behalf of myself and Senator Schumer because President Trump, earlier this year, solicited and accepted a $200 million gift from the Government of Qatar, a Boeing 747 jet to be retrofitted supposedly for use as Air Force One.”

“Mr. President, I am honored to follow my colleague Senator Reed, and he is absolutely right that this bill is almost un- American. In fact, I would say it is un-American because it is so destructive to the middle class, to healthcare, to education, to basic fairness and decency in our great country, the greatest country in the history of the world.”

“Senators plan to vote for these cuts. If my Republican colleagues do not want to highlight these harms, we will. In Louisiana, nearly 2 million people are enrolled in Medicaid.”

“Mr. President, all of us, in Connecticut, in Utah, and in Louisiana, are counting on them, too. Let's hope our commitment to shared values rises above partisan politics, and that this devastating bill can be voted down.”

“Mr. President, I am so honored to follow my colleague from Wisconsin, who has been such a steadfast and strong partner in this effort to advance the Women's Health Protection Act.”

“Mr. President, I rise today to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Frank Pepe Pizza Napoletana, a bona fide institution in Connecticut. Frank Pepe was born in the foothills of Maori, Italy, near Naples.”

“Mr. President, I rise today to celebrate the 95th birthday of Rabbi Philip Lazowski and the 90th birthday of his wife Ruth, both extraordinary Holocaust survivors and towering figures of Hartford's Jewish community.”

“Act and was inspired to pursue advocacy work. She is now part of an organization in Connecticut called Connecticut Students for a Dream, working to help other Dreamers like her.”

“Mr. President, the purpose and effect of these resolutions, very simply, is to provide votes. That is what we do in the U.S. Senate--we vote. And on these votes, the Constitution is involved.”

“Mr. President, I want to thank my colleagues Senator Durbin and Senator Welch for being here today. I know my resolutions reflect unanimity on our side, and I believe sincerely the reservations and doubts on the other side as well.”

“Reserving the right to object, I appreciate my colleague from Florida asking for a competent team of professionals at the Department of Defense. We all want the Department of Defense to be managed efficiently and effectively.”

“Reserving the right to object, I, once again, agree with my colleague from Florida that we worked together in a bipartisan way for years now, and I appreciate his leadership on the C Power Subcommittee where we share a number of interests.”

“Mr. President, on this one, I think the stakes are particularly high. At the Department of Energy, the DOGE-Musk cuts led to hundreds of employees being fired. They were responsible for overseeing our nuclear weapons stockpile.”

“Mr. President, I wish I could agree to the unanimous consent on this nominee. As my colleague from Florida obviously understands, the issues here are bigger than any one of these nominees.”

“What I hear from the other side is, essentially, ``Give the President whatever he wants in the name of his having the prerogative.'' He should name his own team, but we have a responsibility.”

“Mr. President, I respect the points that my colleague from Kansas has just made as chairman. We have worked together in a bipartisan way. I hope we will continue to work together to make sure that the National Cemetery Administration is given the resources it needs and the personnel that are required to make sure this Nation honors our veterans.”

“Mr. President, I rise today to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Town & County Club in Hartford, CT, a remarkable organization dedicated to advancing the interests of women.”

“Mr. President, a lot of Americans are watching this spectacle: a $400 million gift from Qatar, which President Trump has called a ``palace in the sky.'' It would be for his personal use now and then afterward when he is a private citizen.”

“Mr. President, if President Trump is everything that my colleague has just said, he never would have suggested this $400 million boondoggle. He never would have thought that the American people should pay billions of dollars to retrofit the plane.”

“Mr. President, I am here to speak against S.J. Res. 7. This resolution would prevent millions of students, educators, and families from getting online--literally from enjoying the vast benefits and resources of the online world.”

“Mr. President, of all the thrills of living in a democracy, none is more meaningful than walking into a voting booth and casting a ballot. I can remember the first time I did it when I came of age.”

“Mr. President, earlier today, I was unable to vote on Executive Calendar No. 80, David Perdue to be Ambassador to the People's Republic of China, due to my attendance as ranking member at a Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee hearing on mental health care for veterans.”

“Mr. President, I am honored to follow the ranking member on the Foreign Relations Committee and to be followed by another distinguished member of that same committee and to focus on these first 100 days.”

“Madam President, I am here today in the hope that our colleagues will join me in condemning actions taken by President Trump and Elon Musk that are devastating to the healthcare of our veterans, as well as their disability benefits under the PACT Act, and most especially, deeply harmful to mental health care and suicide prevention for veterans, and to engage in this call for action restoring the doctors, counselors, psychiatrists, all who are essential to veterans' healthcare and have lost their jobs--thousands of them.”

“Whereas the mass terminations of employees of the Federal Government are damaging the mental health and economic security of veterans and their families; and Whereas veterans and employees of the Department have expressed concerns regarding the effect of terminations and attacks on the mental health workforce already carried out by the Department, including-- (1) terminating employees of the Veterans Crisis Line established under section 1720F(h) of title 38, United States Code; (2) requiring employees of the Veterans Crisis Line to take calls in open cubicles intended for claims processors of the Veterans Benefits Administration; (3) forcing mental health staff to conduct counseling sessions while in open cubicles; (4) cutting or postponing suicide prevention training courses; (5) terminating employees performing critical research at the Department on mental health and substance use disorders among veterans; (6) cancelling employee assistance program and mental health support contracts for employees of the Department; (7) terminating staff of Vet Centers (as defined in section 1712A(h) of title 38, United States Code); and (8) an increase in call volume on the Veterans Crisis Line from veterans who were terminated from the Federal workforce, or who are concerned about losing their health care and benefits: Now, therefore, be it Resolved, That it is the sense of the Senate that-- (1) actions taken by President Trump and Elon Musk are negatively impacting mental health care and suicide prevention for veterans and should be condemned; and (2) all mental health and suicide prevention efforts at the Department of Veterans Affairs should be fully staffed and resourced.”

“Madam President, I want to respond very quickly by saying, first of all, I think we share a lot of goals, but we need action. The VA is in crisis impending right now, in real time, affecting real lives in real time, people who need mental health care now, who need the Veterans Crisis Line now, who need those counselors and psychiatrists now.”

“Madam President, I thank Senator Schumer for opening this tremendously important segment of our argument, our case, against this budget resolution. I am here to talk about veterans--what they deserve and what they are being denied, what they have earned and what is being taken away.”

“Now, I know disability benefits processing is a complicated abstract term, but what that means is, as every veteran knows, the compensation you deserve for injuries you have sustained is not just some hypothetical check in the distant future.”

“Mr. President, I am honored to follow my colleague from Maryland, who has described so well the reasons we should oppose these tariffs. I thank my colleague from Virginia, Senator Kaine, who has demonstrated once again his leadership that makes him such a great Member of this body.”

“Thank you, Senator. Unlike Senator Schiff who said that he didn't know of your stamina before now, I knew well the stamina of Cory Booker. I have always admired it--not just physical stamina, but moral stamina, the courage of conviction, the stamina to stand up and speak truth to power, which has become now one of the most common phrases that is used in public life.”

“In 2023, the EPA released its final Good Neighbor Plan, which would ensure 23 States meet the Clean Air Act's good neighbor requirements by reducing pollution that significantly impacts downwind States, like Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island.”

“I would add a footnote to that important conversation, which is they teach economics, and they teach that those externalities are, in effect, a subsidy if they aren't charged to the consumer and made transparent.”

“Mr. President, I am honored to follow my friend and colleague from New Jersey, whom I salute for his passion and his eloquence. And thank you to Senator Warren for her leadership in bringing us together today and to my colleagues who are rising today in opposition to S.J.”

“Thirty percent of all the fired workers are veterans because 30 percent of the workforce there is veterans. In fact, the newer employees may be veterans in a higher percentage.”

“Mr. President, but we did learn in this legislative hearing that, in fact, there is no plan. The 80,000-worker target for firing is in the absence of any plan.”

“But the numbers fail to adequately tell the story because it is a story of heartbreaking loss as a result of heartless decisions--loss of healthcare on a timely basis, loss of benefits, fear from people who have earned the right to security when it comes to healthcare or the PACT Act.”

“March 3, the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, which is their Parliament, expressed its ``profound gratitude to President Donald Trump, Congress, and the American people for their firm and consistent support of Ukraine's independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity, as well as for the security assistance packages provided to Ukraine, which have helped stabilize the situation on the frontline.'' The people of Ukraine are beyond grateful.”

“Mr. President, like a number of my colleagues who are here today, I want to support the Senate resolution affirming the rule of law and the legitimacy of judicial review, and I thank Senator Durbin for bringing it to the floor.”

“Mr. President, we are considering today S.J. Res. 28. That sounds highly technical, complex, and difficult to understand, and some may consider it so; but, in fact, it would have the very simple, straightforward effect of undoing a rule that is vital to protecting consumers.”

“Mr. President, tragically and totally unnecessarily, what we are seeing in real time is an assault on the veterans of America. It is an assault that is part of a campaign by Elon Musk, who has been empowered by President Trump supposedly to eliminate waste in our Federal Government.”

“Mr. President, we are going to be joined by others of my colleagues, but I want to follow Senator Whitehouse's very eloquent remarks by just making a couple of quick points.”

“Mr. President, I am going to close this colloquy by, first of all, thanking my colleagues who have come today, especially veterans like Senator Kelly, who served for decades, and Senator Peters and all the veterans who have joined in this resolution--Senators Gallego and others who have served this country--Senator Slotkin, Senator Peters, who was here, and others.”

“Mr. President, I am pleased to follow my colleague and friend from Rhode Island and to join with the Senator from Virginia, Senator Kaine, in supporting S.J. Res. 10, which is a joint resolution to terminate President Trump's illegal Executive order declaring an energy emergency.”

“Mr. President, I want to begin where my wonderful friend and colleague Senator Whitehouse of Rhode Island ended in opposing the nomination of Kash Patel to be Director of the FBI.”

“Mr. President, I come to the floor with sadness and anger because we are here to consider the nomination of a person who, very practically and unfortunately, is unworthy and unqualified and unprepared for this position.”

“Mr. President, I am here to ask my colleagues to join me in a very simple truth: Tulsi Gabbard should not be the next Director of National Intelligence.”

“Mr. President, I have the bad fortune and audacity to follow one of our greatest speakers, one of the Nation's greatest orators and a preacher. I know we all appreciate the old wisdom: Never follow a preacher.”

“As I mentioned, one of his most concerning beliefs is that the executive branch--the President--in acting through OMB, has the authority to withhold funding that Congress has legally appropriated.”

“But he ducked it. He dodged it. It is astonishing. Time and again, Congress has come together on a bipartisan basis and passed vitally needed security assistance to support our allies in Ukraine, and Mr.”

“Mr. President, as my colleague Senator Schiff from California has just so powerfully stated, we are in the midst of a constitutional crisis--a crisis that would have been unimaginable just weeks ago, a crisis that involves a President disobeying the law.”

“Mr. President, I think it is fair to say that none of us expected a week ago to be here on the floor at this moment, talking about a massive, across-the-board freeze on Federal funding.”

“Mr. President, on January 6, many of us stood right here toward the beginning of the day. In fact, most of us can remember, almost minute by minute, what occurred as we learned that the Capitol was under attack.”

“Madam President, we are in the midst of considering Peter Hegseth to be the next Secretary of Defense. I don't think there is a more important office in this country, having power and responsibility for 3.4 million Americans, most of them in uniform, many of them civilians, all of them potentially putting their lives in harm's way.”

“Mr. Hegseth complained in our hearing that the military was lowering its standards for the men and women who serve in uniform. The only standards being lowered here are the standards for the Secretary of Defense if Mr.”

“Mr. President, I am proud to join my colleagues on the floor today in opposition to the Born-Alive Abortion Survivor Protection Act. If you are wondering whether that title to a legislation makes sense, the answer is, no, it does not.”

“Mr. President, I rise today to acknowledge the life and contributions of one of the Senate's truly outstanding staff persons: Elise J. Bean. Elise, who worked for almost 30 years for Senator Carl Levin on various subcommittees of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, died on January 14 at the age of 68.”