Richard J. Durbin
Senator for Illinois · Democratic · United States
“(c) Duties of the Commission.--The Commission shall-- (1) conduct pursuant to subsection (a) a comprehensive study that examines and assesses the adequacy of laws addressing child marriage and the extent of child marriage across the country, including making specific findings relating to-- (A) barriers to and gaps in services for minors f…”
“(c) Duties of the Commission.--The Commission shall-- (1) conduct pursuant to subsection (a) a comprehensive study that examines and assesses the adequacy of laws addressing child marriage and the extent of child marriage across the country, including making specific findings relating to-- (A) barriers to and gaps in services for minors f…”
“(4) Qualifications.--Members appointed under paragraph (1) shall have demonstrated experience or expertise in-- (A) providing services to survivors of child marriage in the United States; (B) providing services to immigrant survivors of child marriage in the United States; (C) working with State governments to limit child marriage; (D) th…”
“(4) Qualifications.--Members appointed under paragraph (1) shall have demonstrated experience or expertise in-- (A) providing services to survivors of child marriage in the United States; (B) providing services to immigrant survivors of child marriage in the United States; (C) working with State governments to limit child marriage; (D) th…”
“(3) Rule of construction.--The amendments made by this subsection may not be construed to preclude, limit, or modify eligibility of any noncitizen spouse subjected to battery or extreme cruelty and otherwise eligible for relief as a VAWA self-petitioner (as defined in section 101(a)(51) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C.”
“(3) Rule of construction.--The amendments made by this subsection may not be construed to preclude, limit, or modify eligibility of any noncitizen spouse subjected to battery or extreme cruelty and otherwise eligible for relief as a VAWA self-petitioner (as defined in section 101(a)(51) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C.”
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“(2) Written approval required before license renewal.-- Section 923(d)(1) of title 18, United States Code, is amended-- (A) in subparagraph (F), by striking ``and'' at the end; (B) in subparagraph (G), as amended by paragraph (1), by striking the period at the end and inserting ``; and''; and (C) by adding at the end the following: ``(H) in the case of an application to renew a license to deal in firearms-- ``(i) the license is not suspended; ``(ii) no license issued to the applicant under this chapter has been revoked; and ``(iii) the Attorney General has inspected the premises and provided written approval of the security plan submitted by the applicant under subparagraph (G)(ii)(I).''.”
“SEC. 5. PHYSICAL SECURITY OF LICENSEE PREMISES. (a) Security Plan Submission Requirement.-- (1) In general.--Section 923(d)(1)(G) of title 18, United States Code, is amended-- (A) by striking ``, the applicant'' and inserting the following: ``-- ``(i) the applicant''; (B) by striking the period at the end and inserting ``; and''; and (C) by adding at the end the following: ``(ii) the applicant-- ``(I) submits with the application a security plan that describes how the applicant will secure, in accordance with the regulations issued under section 926(d), the premises from which the applicant will conduct business under the license (including in the event of a natural disaster or other emergency); and ``(II) certifies that, if issued such a license, the applicant will comply with the plan described in subclause (I).''.”
“(a) In General.--Section 922 of title 18, United States Code, is amended by striking subsection (s). (b) Conforming Amendments.--Chapter 44 of title 18, United States Code, is amended-- (1) in section 922-- (A) in subsection (t)-- (i) in paragraph (3)(C)(ii), by striking ``(as defined in subsection (s)(8))''; and (ii) by adding at the end the following: ``(8) For purposes of this subsection, the term `chief law enforcement officer' means the chief of police, the sheriff, or an equivalent officer or the designee of any such individual.''; and (B) in subsection (y)(2), in the matter preceding subparagraph (A), by striking ``, (g)(5)(B), and (s)(3)(B)(v)(II)'' and inserting ``and (g)(5)(B)''; (2) in section 924(a)(5), by striking ``subsection (s) or (t) of section 922'' and inserting ``section 922(t)''; and (3) in section 925A, in the matter preceding paragraph (1), by striking ``subsection (s) or (t) of section 922'' and inserting ``section 922(t)''.”
“``(C) For purposes of this paragraph, the term `variant' means a weapon utilizing a similar frame or receiver design irrespective of new or different model designations or configurations, characteristics, features, components, accessories, or attachments. For example, an AK-type firearm with a short stock and a pistol grip is a pistol variant of an AK-type rifle, an AR-type firearm with a short stock and a pistol grip is a pistol variant of an AR-type rifle, and a revolving cylinder shotgun is a shotgun variant of a revolver. ``(43) The term `semiautomatic shotgun' means any repeating shotgun that-- ``(A) utilizes a portion of the energy of a firing shell to extract the fired shell casing and chamber the next round; and ``(B) requires a separate pull of the trigger to fire each shell.''. SEC. 4. REPEAL OF TEMPORARY BRADY PROVISION.”
“``(42)(A) The term `frame' means the part of a handgun, or a variant thereof, that provides housing or a structure for the primary energized component designed to hold back the hammer, striker, bolt, or similar component prior to initiation of the firing sequence (such as a sear or the equivalent), even if pins or other attachments are required to connect such component to the housing or structure. ``(B) The term `receiver' means the part of a rifle, shotgun, or projectile weapon other than a handgun, or a variant thereof, that provides housing or a structure for the primary component designed to block or seal the breech prior to initiation of the firing sequence (such as a bolt, breechblock, or the equivalent), even if pins or other attachments are required to connect such component to the housing or structure.”
“``(39) The term `occasional' means, with respect to transactions, fewer than 5 transactions in a 12-month period. ``(40) The term `personal collection' includes any firearm obtained only for the personal use of an individual and not for the purpose of selling or trading, except that a firearm obtained through inheritance shall not be considered part of a personal collection until the firearm has been possessed for 1 year. ``(41) The term `business inventory firearm' means, with respect to a person, a firearm required by law to be recorded in the acquisition and disposition logs of any firearms business of the person.”
“Section 921(a) of title 18, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following: ``(38) The term `facilitator' means any person engaged in the business of hosting a commercial marketplace in which offers for firearm sales, purchases, or other transfers are allowed to be made, except that such a person shall not be considered to be a facilitator with respect to any transaction that is made through the use of a website or mobile application owned or operated by the person if-- ``(A) the transaction violates the terms of service of the website or mobile application; and ``(B) the person has made a good faith effort to enforce the terms of service by, at a minimum, auditing firearms transactions on a quarterly basis to ensure compliance with this chapter.”
“(4) Additionally, Federal law imposes no requirements that firearm dealers physically secure their highly valuable and lethal inventory. The number of firearm thefts from licensed firearm dealers has increased more than the number from any other source. Between 2013 and 2017, the number of firearms stolen in firearm-dealer burglaries more than doubled and the number of firearms stolen in firearm-dealer robberies tripled. SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.”
“(3)(A) The Tiahrt Amendments, for one-- (i) severely limit the authority of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (commonly known as the ``ATF'') to disclose crime firearm trace data to the public; (ii) prevent-- (I) the collection of valuable information; and (II) the establishment of effective policies to prevent illegal firearms from being used in crimes; and [[Page S2176]] (iii) impede enforcement of the firearm laws by-- (I) requiring most background check records to be destroyed within 24 hours; and (II) barring the Government from requiring owners of firearm shops to conduct annual inventory audits. (B) Repealing the Tiahrt Amendments would support law enforcement efforts and give the public vital information needed to craft the most effective policies against illegal firearms.”
“(2) Federal laws governing firearm dealers-- (A) have not been updated in more than 30 years; (B) contain safeguards that protect dealers who engage in illegal practices from adverse enforcement action; (C) frustrate law enforcement efforts to curb firearm trafficking and violence; and (D) are, thus, inadequate to meet the realities of the 21st century.”
“Dealer and employee background checks. Sec. 22. Liability standards. Sec. 23. Civil enforcement. Sec. 24. Removal of bar on civil proceedings if criminal proceedings terminated. Sec. 25. Repeal of certain limitations. Sec. 26. Authority to hire additional industry operation investigators for Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. Sec. 27. Report on implementation of this Act. Sec. 28. Annual licensed dealer inspections report and analysis. Sec. 29. Deadline for issuance of final regulations. SEC. 2. FINDINGS. Congress finds the following: (1) A growing body of evidence demonstrates that firearm dealers' sales practices affect the probability of firearms getting to criminals and that policies designed to hold firearm sellers accountable can curtail the diversion of firearms to criminals.”
“Safety devices and warnings to purchasers. Sec. 11. Inspections. Sec. 12. Authority with regard to license issuance and renewal. Sec. 13. Increased licensing fees. Sec. 14. Elimination of obligatory stay of effective date of license revocation. Sec. 15. Elimination of relief for dealers indicted for a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year. Sec. 16. Elimination of relief while Federal disability relief application pending. Sec. 17. Presumption of knowledge of State law in sale of long guns to residents of another State. Sec. 18. Increased penalties for knowing transfer of firearm without conducting a background check. Sec. 19. Unlawful acts upon incurring Federal disability or notice of license suspension, revocation, or denied renewal. Sec. 20. Regulation of facilitators of firearm transfers. Sec. 21.”
“Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record. There being no objection, the text of the bill was ordered to be printed in the Record, as follows: S. 1294 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; TABLE OF CONTENTS. (a) Short Title.--This Act may be cited as the ``Federal Firearm Licensee Act''. (b) Table of Contents.--The table of contents for this Act is as follows: Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents. Sec. 2. Findings. Sec. 3. Definitions. Sec. 4. Repeal of temporary Brady provision. Sec. 5. Physical security of licensee premises. Sec. 6. Business inventory firearms. Sec. 7. Electronic records. Sec. 8. Notification of default transfers. Sec. 9. Multiple firearm sales records and reports. Sec. 10.”
“(2) Applicability.--The amendment made by this section shall apply to any sequestration order issued under the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 (2 U.S.C. 900 et seq.) on or after the date of enactment of this Act. (e) Budgetary Effects.-- (1) Statutory paygo scorecards.--The budgetary effects of this section shall not be entered on either PAYGO scorecard maintained pursuant to section 4(d) of the Statutory Pay As- You-Go Act of 2010 (2 U.S.C. 933(d)). (2) Senate paygo scorecards.--The budgetary effects of this section shall not be entered on any PAYGO scorecard maintained for purposes of section 4106 of H. Con. Res. 71 (115th Congress). ______ By Mr. DURBIN (for himself, Mr. Whitehouse, Mr. Blumenthal, Ms. Hirono, Mr. Booker, Mr. Padilla, Mr. Welch, Mrs. Shaheen, and Mr. Reed): S. 1294.”
“(5) Scientific and technical research and services of the national institute of standards and technology.--The term ``scientific and technical research and services of the National Institute of Standards and Technology'' means the appropriations accounts that support the various institutes, offices, and centers that make up the National Institute of Standards and Technology scientific and technical research and services. (d) Exemption of Certain Appropriations From Sequestration.-- (1) In general.--Section 255(g)(1)(A) of the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act (2 U.S.C. 905(g)(1)(A)) is amended by inserting after ``Advances to the Unemployment Trust Fund and Other Funds (16-0327-0-1-600).'' the following: ``Appropriations under the American Innovation Act.''.”
“(3) Office of science at the department of energy.--The term ``Office of Science at the Department of Energy'' means the appropriations accounts that support the various institutes, offices, and centers that make up the Department of Energy Office of Science. (4) Science mission directorate at the national aeronautics and space administration.--The term ``Science Mission Directorate at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration'' means the appropriations accounts that support the various institutes, offices, and centers that make up the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Science Mission Directorate.”
“(b) Availability.--Amounts appropriated under subsection (a) shall remain available until expended. (c) Definitions.--In this section: (1) Department of defense science and technology programs.--The term ``Department of Defense science and technology programs'' means the appropriations accounts that support the various institutes, offices, and centers that make up the Department of Defense science and technology programs. (2) National science foundation.--The term ``National Science Foundation'' means the appropriations accounts that support the various institutes, offices, and centers that make up the National Science Foundation.”
“(5) National aeronautics and space administration science mission directorate.--For the Science Mission Directorate at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration-- (A) for fiscal year 2026, $7,880,000,000; (B) for fiscal year 2027, $8,457,000,000; (C) for fiscal year 2028, $9,070,000,000; (D) for fiscal year 2029, $9,727,000,000; (E) for fiscal year 2030, $10,431,000,000; (F) for fiscal year 2031, $11,186,000,000; (G) for fiscal year 2032, $11,995,000,000; (H) for fiscal year 2033, $12,864,000,000; (I) for fiscal year 2034, $13,796,000,000; (J) for fiscal year 2035, $14,796,000,000; and (K) for fiscal year 2036 and each fiscal year thereafter, the amount appropriated under this paragraph for the previous fiscal year, increased by the percentage increase (if any), during the previous fiscal year, in the Consumer Price Index for all urban consumers published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.”
“(4) National institute of standards and technology scientific and technical research and services.--For the scientific and technical research and services of the National Institute of Standards and Technology at the Department of Commerce-- (A) for fiscal year 2026, $1,244,000,000; (B) for fiscal year 2027, $1,335,000,000; (C) for fiscal year 2028, $1,431,000,000; (D) for fiscal year 2029, $1,535,000,000; (E) for fiscal year 2030, $1,646,000,000; (F) for fiscal year 2031, $1,765,000,000; (G) for fiscal year 2032, $1,893,000,000; (H) for fiscal year 2033, $2,030,000,000; (I) for fiscal year 2034, $2,177,000,000; (J) for fiscal year 2035, $2,335,000,000; and (K) for fiscal year 2036 and each fiscal year thereafter, the amount appropriated under this paragraph for the previous fiscal year, increased by the percentage increase (if any), during the previous fiscal year, in the Consumer Price Index for all urban consumers published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.”
“(3) Department of defense science and technology programs.--For the Department of Defense science and technology programs-- (A) for fiscal year 2026, $23,109,000,000; (B) for fiscal year 2027, $24,799,000,000; (C) for fiscal year 2028, $26,259,000,000; (D) for fiscal year 2029, $28,525,000,000; (E) for fiscal year 2030, $30,590,000,000; (F) for fiscal year 2031, $32,803,000,000; (G) for fiscal year 2032, $35,178,000,000; (H) for fiscal year 2033, $37,725,000,000; (I) for fiscal year 2034, $40,459,000,000; (J) for fiscal year 2035, $43,392,000,000; and (K) for fiscal year 2036 and each fiscal year thereafter, the amount appropriated under this paragraph for the previous fiscal year, increased by the percentage increase (if any), during the previous fiscal year, in the Consumer Price Index for all urban consumers published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.”
“(2) Department of energy, office of science.--For the Office of Science at the Department of Energy-- (A) for fiscal year 2026, $8,854,000,000; (B) for fiscal year 2027, $9,501,000,000; (C) for fiscal year 2028, $10,191,000,000; (D) for fiscal year 2029, $10,929,000,000; (E) for fiscal year 2030, $11,720,000,000; [[Page S2175]] (F) for fiscal year 2031, $12,568,000,000; (G) for fiscal year 2032, $13,477,000,000; (H) for fiscal year 2033, $14,453,000,000; (I) for fiscal year 2034, $15,501,000,000; (J) for fiscal year 2035, $16,624,000,000; and (K) for fiscal year 2036 and each fiscal year thereafter, the amount appropriated under this paragraph for the previous fiscal year, increased by the percentage increase (if any), during the previous fiscal year, in the Consumer Price Index for all urban consumers published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.”
“(a) In General.--There are hereby authorized to be appropriated, and appropriated, out of any monies in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, the following: (1) National science foundation.--For the National Science Foundation-- (A) for fiscal year 2026, $9,735,000,000; (B) for fiscal year 2027, $10,447,00,000; (C) for fiscal year 2028, $11,205,000,000; (D) for fiscal year 2029, $12,016,000,000; (E) for fiscal year 2030, $12,886,000,000; (F) for fiscal year 2031, $13,818,000,000; (G) for fiscal year 2032, $14,818,000,000; (H) for fiscal year 2033, $15,892,000,000; (I) for fiscal year 2034, $17,043,000,000; (J) for fiscal year 2035, $18,279,000,000; and (K) for fiscal year 2036 and each fiscal year thereafter, the amount appropriated under this paragraph for the previous fiscal year, increased by the percentage increase (if any), during the previous fiscal year, in the Consumer Price Index for all urban consumers published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.”
“Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record. There being no objection, the text of the bill was ordered to be printed in the Record, as follows: S. 1276 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. This Act may be cited as the ``American Innovation Act''. SEC. 2. APPROPRIATIONS FOR INNOVATION.”
“Donna Kelley Eastman believed that a wise and compassionate government could help people live better lives and that she had a personal responsibility to help make that happen. She loved being in her garden and orchard in the springtime and witnessing the promise of another new beginning. She loved her country and community and, most of all, her family. Loretta and I offer our deep condolences to Barry, Donna's beloved husband of 62 years; their children Teresa, Matthew, and Melanie; and their families, including Donna and Barry's six grandchildren and three great-grandchildren; to Donna's sister Pam; and to her countless friends. We will all miss her. I couldn't have asked for a better ambassador. ____________________”
“He was a World War II veteran and, at various times, an Illinois State trooper, long-distance truck driver, gas station owner, and board member of the local bank. Her parents taught Donna to be tenacious, work hard, and pursue her passions. They also taught her to be generous to others in need. The Kelleys were committed Democrats, and in 1960, Donna and her parents were all dazzled by John F. Kennedy. Her parents were awed by his charisma. Donna was captivated almost equally by JFK's idealism and Jackie's elegance. She decided that she wanted to be part of Camelot; she wanted to work for a common cause and a greater good. And she spent the rest of her life doing just that.”
“You couldn't miss the orchard's big red barn as you drove down Route 37. Donna and Barry knew each other their entire lives. They were a year apart in school. When Donna was a junior in high school, she was prom queen, and Barry was her escort. Three years later, they were married. Like Donna, Barry relishes new challenges, like grafting together two different trees to produce a better-tasting, heartier fruit. In the early 1970s, he ran successfully for sheriff of Johnson County. Donna Kelley Eastman came from good, strong stock. When she was a young teen, she watched her mother Juanita swing a hammer as she helped Donna's grandfather build the Kelley family home. Donna's father Bill Kelley was a person of many interests and accomplishments, like Donna.”
“She also was a woman of many interests and seemingly inexhaustible energy. She was active in her women's club, her church, and in the civic and political life of her community. She was a gifted ``best of show'' painter of portraits and still lifes and an award-winning gardener with a magnificent flower garden. For a few years, when she was a young mother, she wrote a humorous column for her local paper, the Goreville Gazette. And those were just her hobbies. In addition to her public service work, Donna's primary occupation was co-owner with her husband Barry of Eastman's Orchard in Goreville, an 80-acre farm that produced some of the most delicious peaches and apples anywhere. Their secret was to wait until the fruit was perfectly ripe before picking it and selling it quickly to loyal customers.”
“She worked for Paul Simon for the 18 years he served in this body. And when he retired in 1996, it was my good luck that Donna agreed to join my staff. She ran my southern Illinois district office in Marion until she retired in 2008. Donna loved helping people and making their lives better, like so many of the dedicated Federal employees who are being fired illegally today. No case was too hard for Donna. She knew how to cut through redtape and how to calm people who were frustrated, frightened, or angry. She treated every person with dignity and respect. If you were lucky enough to meet Donna Eastman, you would not forget her. She was tall--5 feet, 11 inches--with a firm handshake, a warm smile, and an infectious laugh. She was quick-witted, caring, generous, and genuine.”
“The first of these two Pauls was Senator Paul Douglas, the brilliant economist and World War II hero who served in this Senate--in the same seat I now hold--and gave me my start in government when he hired me as a college intern to work in his Washington, DC, office. The other Paul was Senator Paul Simon, my greatest political teacher and dear friend. When he retired, he encouraged me to run to succeed him in this body. Paul Simon was the most decent public servant I have ever known--a man of uncommon integrity, vision, and accomplishment who was gifted with a capacious intellectual curiosity. And he was helped by a staff of men and women who shared his compassion and tireless work habits. Donna Eastman was one of those helpers. She was also my friend. And I was sad to learn that she passed away this past Saturday.”
“Congressional Record, Volume 171 Issue 60 (Thursday, April 3, 2025) [Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 60 (Thursday, April 3, 2025)] [Senate] [Page S2168] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] MORNING BUSINESS ______ REMEMBERING DONNA EASTMAN Mr. DURBIN. Madam President, when people ask me to describe my politics, I sometimes say that I try my best to follow the Gospel of St. Paul. By that, I mean I try to follow the examples of two good and wise men who showed me that politics, at its best, can solve real problems and advance our common good.”
“I plead with my colleagues on the other side of the aisle: Please, there has got to be someone over there who will step up and have a McCain moment that will save healthcare for millions of Americans, and I am praying that it happens. I yield the floor. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Wisconsin.”
“How did Sophia of Palatine afford the lifesaving care for her son? He was covered by Medicaid. She wrote to my office. She said: I don't want Medicaid. My son needs [Medicaid]. I could not be able to afford the thousands of dollars of medical care [to keep him alive without it]. Amber from Springfield, IL, told my office in no uncertain terms: You cut Medicaid, you endanger my sick child's life. That is what it is. It is a life and death issue. It is not how many dollars you have leftover when you file your taxes. It is a life and death issue that we are debating. I want to thank those who have spoken this evening already--Senator Schumer and Senator Merkley--for their leadership on this issue.”
“Madam President, I am going to close by saying that this is an issue that is near and dear to my heart, and I think a lot of other people too. They have gone through experiences much like my own. I know they realize that we have few moments of opportunity of service in the Senate to really make a difference in the lives of American families, to give hope to people who have given up because of a mother who is in a nursing home or because of a child with an illness. I received letters. Sophia, a single mom from Palatine, IL--17 years of age, she gave birth to a baby boy. Her son was born with many medical complications. He had to undergo two surgeries in his first day of life. Can you imagine? By the age of 4, he had undergone eight separate surgical procedures to address ongoing medical challenges.”
“I am praying to God there is going to be one or two John McCains who are going to step forward and lift their hand enough to vote and save health insurance for Americans across the board. I know some people would be unhappy; in fact, some may threaten to defeat you politically because of it. But I am sure that after John voted no to save the Affordable Care Act despite President Trump's telephone call in his first term, John had the satisfaction of knowing that, for millions of Americans, he was the man and his [[Page S2165]] vote was the vote that made the difference. It might have denied some tax breaks for some wealthy people, but for others, it gave them peace of mind. John was just enough of a maverick to be willing and able to do it. He will be fondly remembered in history as a result of it.”
“All of us want good health insurance, and to cut the programs for no reason other than to give tax breaks to the wealthiest people makes no sense whatsoever. It is not sensible. It is not thoughtful. It is not humane. That is what this debate is all about. Are we going to protect health insurance for Americans so that they have some peace of mind that they have access to good care, or are we going to cut them off, and tell them they are on their own, whether it is mental health counseling, addiction counseling, or the birth of a child, or basic healthcare? That is what is at stake here. That is what is at stake. So I would plead with my colleagues--and I know that it is unlikely. I have seen the votes. I know the party discipline. I have seen it on my side of the aisle. I am sure it is on the other side of the aisle.”
“And then a few weeks after she was born, we learned she had a serious congenital heart defect. I was a law student. I didn't have much income, and I had no health insurance. So my wife and I took our baby girl over to Children's Hospital here in Washington, DC. We sit in the charity ward, and we waited until our name was called. And we saw a doctor who I prayed to God would be able to save our baby's life. I never felt more helpless in my life than I did at that moment, to have this little girl come into this world and her father couldn't provide health insurance. Luckily, she survived. Great people did great favors for our family that I will never forget. I have never forgotten when there is a health crisis or health issue that is debated on this floor.”
“Medicaid is the source of funding for that kind of counsel, and to cut back on that is to really sentence these people to a lifetime of fear and, sadly, cost many of their lives. In Illinois, 3.4 million people are enrolled in Medicaid, 1.5 million children. Under the Republican plans to slash Medicaid, 775,000 adults in Illinois who gained health insurance thanks to the Affordable Care Act, the same one that John McCain saved in the first Trump Presidency, would lose their coverage almost overnight. How would you like to be in a situation where you don't have health insurance at a critical moment? I know. I was there. I was a student at Georgetown Law School. I got married in my second year. God sent us a beautiful little baby girl right away. We were so happy.”
“Why in the world would it reach a point where we would cut that kind of coverage, that kind of protection, that peace of mind to give tax breaks to the wealthiest people? It makes no sense. Medicaid and the CHIP program cover nearly 40 million children, half of all the kids in America. Medicaid provides health coverage for 60 percent of seniors in nursing homes, the ones I mentioned earlier, and it is the largest funder of addiction and mental health treatment. I will tell you, I know the cases pretty well of people who are desperate for addiction treatment. They realize that they are addicted. They realize they have a problem, and they are anxious to get started and cleaning their lives up.”
“And I asked the hospital administrator in Taylorville, which is about 30 miles from Springfield, to come and invite other hospital administrators from the area and tell me what the Medicaid cuts proposed by the Republicans to give tax breaks to the wealthy will mean to these hospitals. To a person, they said the same thing: They may survive, but it is a big question. And what difference will it make? Well, in some of these hospitals, it means that, instead of 30 minutes' drive to the hospital to deliver the baby, it will be an hour and 30 minutes. I can still remember our first babies in my family. The thought of being in the car for an hour and a half with my wife in labor would scare me to death. That would be the reality for people, and alternatives are just not available.”
“Take away that hospital, and it not only endangers the people living around it, it also means a lot of jobs are lost, too, and businesses that the people frequent often are going to be threatened as well. So why would we cut Medicaid reimbursement and close these downstate hospitals, giving a tax break to the wealthiest people in America? It makes no sense. Where are our priorities? Where is our humanity to even consider that? I don't understand on the other side of the aisle how Republican Senators--many of whom represent smalltown America, too, and really care in their hearts about it--can stand by and let this happen. The net result of this is going to be the quality of life threatened by the people who live in those areas. I want to tell you a story about a community I visited 2 weeks ago-- two communities. One was Taylorville, IL.”
“I have lived in and represented the smaller communities downstate in the rural areas. That is how I got to Congress in the first place, and that is how I stayed in the U.S. Senate. What are these cuts Republicans are proposing in Medicaid going to do to rural and downstate Illinois and other rural and downstate areas around the Nation? The reality is very clear: Fewer resources to hospitals in sparsely populated areas mean that many of those hospitals will not survive. Today, more than half of those hospitals are hanging by a thread, operating in the red. To cut Medicaid reimbursement to those hospitals is literally going to close their doors and turn out their lights. How important is a little hospital in a community downstate? It is the economic engine. It is the hub of life for the economy of that area.”
“For goodness' sakes, Elon Musk does not need a tax cut. He is a multi-multibillionaire, the wealthiest man in the world. Why in the world would he cut back on any kind of healthcare for Americans to give a man in that station in life a tax break? That is what it is all about. But there is more to the story. I am honored to represent Illinois. I love the whole State. It is where I was born. And I am honored to represent the great city of Chicago. Oh, it is controversial. There are some people in downstate Illinois that say they ought to go off and be their own State, retire them. I am not one of those people. I am proud of the fact that Chicago is part of our State. But my roots are in downstate Illinois, born in St. Louis, raising my family in Springfield.”
“It means less prenatal care; the likelihood, I am sorry to say, that kids, some, will be born with problems that could have been avoided and, more seriously, whether or not these children will even survive birth. That is what Medicaid is all about. We are talking about cutting health coverage for those in care facilities, as well as those in hospitals or giving birth. Why? Why would the Republicans even suggest that we cut this just like they did years ago when John McCain cast that deciding vote? Why under a Trump Presidency do they go after healthcare first? Why is that their target? They believe that the vulnerable people who receive this kind of healthcare assistance won't be able to fight back--and they are desperate to raise more revenue for what purpose? To give tax cuts to the wealthiest people in the America.”
“[[Page S2164]] If you cut the Medicaid reimbursement, it limits the opportunity for these people to get good, professional care--people you love, people who it has broken your heart because of their illness, but you want to give them the very best in the parting years of their lives. So when you cut Medicaid, which is going to be proposed by this Republican budget resolution, it is at the expense of families' peace of mind and resources they have saved for their own future, their own retirement. That isn't the only one. In the State of Illinois, half of the children who are born in the State are paid for by the Medicaid system. What happens if you cut back on Medicaid reimbursement in those cases?”
“But, for years now, she has survived physically while mentally she has deteriorated to the point where she cannot communicate with him or others. It is an expensive undertaking, that type of care facility. He can afford it, but many people can't. So what do they do? What happens when your mother or grandmother, when someone you dearly love in your family, reaches a point where they need this kind of care? Well, you do what you can, the best you can, with your own savings and your own resources. But, ultimately, the major source of funding for people who are in these facilities is Medicaid.”
“And here we come this evening, the same day as this Dow Jones plunge of 4 percent, to discuss--what?--healthcare, again, under President Trump. And this time it is connected to retirement and savings and the future of a lot of families. Let me tell you a story about one. I am going to try to mask the details because I don't want anyone to reflect on the actual person. But he is a friend of mine, and he is a professional in Illinois, a wonderful guy, a community leader. And he had a beautiful family--he still does, for that matter--but his wife developed Alzheimer's. This lovely woman reached the point where she had to be put into a care facility to take care of her day-to-day. It breaks my heart to even think about it, but it was a fact. He didn't see it coming. There is no way he could have.”
“The reaction of the stock market to the Trump tariff tax and the chaos that has been created since he announced we were going into a trade war with virtually every nation on Earth--they watched carefully as the stock market reacted to it today. The Dow Jones Average, which is supposed to be an indicator of the state of the economy, lost 4 percent of its value today. I don't know what that means for most people, but I know that most people watch it because it involves their own retirement plans: IRAs and 401(k)s and other plans that they have based on the value of stock. There has to be a sinking feeling--I am sure there is--in many households and families across America to see so much of the value that they have saved up for a lifetime disappear in one day reacting to the Trump tariff tax and what it meant across the country.”
“The Republicans under President Trump, in his second term, want to perpetuate his tax cut that he gave primarily to the wealthiest people in America and add to it at the expense of healthcare for America. When we talk about healthcare in America, one of the programs that is so critical is called Medicaid. In days gone by, Medicaid was a rarely used health insurance plan for the poorest and disabled people in America, but it has changed. It has become much different. And let me tell you why that is an interesting context for where we stand now. Many Americans from coast to coast followed the stock market today.”
“This was during Trump's first administration, and he had other priorities, and they certainly didn't include ObamaCare. He wanted to eliminate it. John McCain's courage came through that night. He broke with his party because he knew what was at stake. He knew that, for millions of Americans, there was no alternative when it came to health insurance--it was the Affordable Care Act or nothing--and he had the guts to vote no. Oh, he was pilloried and criticized by the Republican faithful from one end of the country to the other, but those of us who believe he did the right thing will never forget that moment of courage. In a strange way, today--Thursday, April 3, 2025--we are returning to that moment in history.”
“Donald Trump, President, in his first term, was asking John McCain to cast the deciding vote to eliminate the Affordable Care Act, health insurance coverage for millions of Americans. Madam President, I sat here, and I watched as John McCain came in from that phone call. And no one knew what he was going to do. Really, no one knew. John was the kind of person, you could never quite be sure. And he walked in the well near the table where the Republicans gather for votes, and he stood there. And he barely raised his left arm-- because it was broken while he was a prisoner of war--just enough to get his thumb up and go ``no.'' No. That was it. John McCain, with that ``no'' vote, saved the Affordable Care Act, and millions of Americans' health insurance was protected.”