YouSaid · the spoken record
Patty Murray
We hold 73 passages that may be Patty Murray’s. We do not publish them until we can confirm who spoke. See the correction.
On the record 2017–2026
congress · podcast
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“The American people--the ones who are paying the price of Trump's tariffs, the ones who are paying the price of his war with Iran, the moms and dads who are struggling to find childcare, the patients who are struggling to find healthcare, the families who are struggling to pay rent--they are the ones who will pass final judgment later on this year on Trump's economy. I have no doubt that, in the meantime, Trump will continue making out-of-touch statements and bizarre AI videos. But here is a reminder to all of my colleagues who are afraid to stand up to this President: Even if Trump has lost touch with reality, he is going to have to face all of that this fall. I yield the floor.”
Senate22 September 2026Source ↗
“A- plus-plus-plus-plus-plus.'' A plus? That is more like BS. Maybe the high prices and chaos are working great for corrupt billionaires like Trump. After all, he has made more stock trades as President than all of Congress combined; he is raking in billions through crypto scams; and his family is cashing in through highly conflicted foreign business deals. However, Trump's rigged economy is not working for working families, but here is the thing: We live in a democracy. At the end of the day, Trump's final grade on the economy won't come from himself.”
Senate22 September 2026Source ↗
“Meanwhile, he has put forward a completely war-bloated budget calling for $1.5 trillion for war spending. That is ``trillion'' with a ``t.'' We are talking about 12 zeroes here. I know what you are thinking. It is the same thing most Americans are thinking. We cannot afford another forever war. We have investments right here that we need to be making: childcare, healthcare, energy, roads, housing, and more. But Trump, who once promised no more forever wars, has actually done a complete 180. Not only did he launch a new war, he wrote online about his belief that ``wars can be fought forever and very successfully.'' So, to recap, Trump thinks wars can be fought forever, but we can't afford childcare at all. He wants to spend trillions on bombs and weapons but doesn't care about housing and healthcare.”
Senate22 September 2026Source ↗
“He literally said: I don't want to drive housing prices down. I want to drive housing prices up. Spoken like a true slumlord. And let's not forget that while Trump doesn't know words like ``affordability'' and ``groceries'' and loves inflation and tariffs and while he doesn't care about healthcare or housing and doesn't think we need money for childcare, there is one issue Trump is ready to throw trillions of dollars at--war. He started a pointless war with Iran, with no plan and no concern for how it would explode gas prices. Even now, he is saying $4 gas is OK. He doubled down recently and said: You have a higher gas--it's a very inexpensive price to pay for what we've done. Remember that. It's a little more. Frankly, even if it was a lot more.”
Senate22 September 2026Source ↗
“One of the most outrageous things Trump has said about the economy was something he actually said behind closed doors. According to Punchbowl News earlier this year, Trump told Republican leaders: No one gives a [bleep] about housing. How ridiculous. We have an enormous housing shortage in this country, especially when it comes to affordable housing. The rising costs from Trump's tariffs and the Iran war have made it harder for people to make rent. And because Trump has done so much damage to the economy, Federal interest rates are on the rise, meaning mortgage rates are going higher and higher, and millions of families are watching as Trump pulls the rug out from under them--putting their dream of owning a home further and further out of reach, but Trump doesn't care. Worse than that, Trump sees high housing costs as a good thing.”
Senate22 September 2026Source ↗
“So I was floored when I heard Trump say: The United States can't take care of day care. That has to be up to a state. We can't take care of day care. . . . It's not possible for us to take care of day care, Medicaid, Medicare, all these individual things. Talk about out of touch. That is exactly backward. We have a childcare crisis in this country. It is holding our country back. A billionaire like Trump may not understand that working parents are the backbone of this economy, and if Mom and Dad cannot find childcare, then Mom and Dad can't go to work. That is a big problem for parents who are trying to make ends meet and for small businesses that are trying to find workers. Trump says we can't afford childcare. The truth is, we cannot afford to ignore childcare.”
Senate22 September 2026Source ↗
“Maybe a billionaire like Trump does not find healthcare interesting because Trump has never had to ration his prescription and hope it would be OK, and he has never had to delay a needed checkup until the next paycheck. He has never debated whether to go to urgent care or not because he was worried about the bill or wondered how on Earth he could afford a lifesaving cancer treatment. But that is the reality millions of patients face every day, and they deserve leaders here in Washington who are interested in the challenges they face and who are focused on solutions so that everyone can get the care they need without worrying about the cost. I, of course, have to talk about childcare. I got into politics fighting for childcare, and it is something I push hard on every day.”
Senate22 September 2026Source ↗
“In their ``Big Ugly Bill,'' Republicans gutted Medicaid with changes that are, right now, kicking families off their healthcare coverage. And while Trump and Republicans are plenty interested in tax cuts for billionaires and while they will bend over backward to help keep the private jets fueled, they did not lift a finger to save families from exploding insurance premiums. They stood by as tax credits for working families expired and as people saw their monthly premiums double, triple, or even worse. We know millions of people lost their coverage because of Trump and Republicans. And don't forget: Trump put tariffs on pharmaceuticals--of all things.”
Senate22 September 2026Source ↗
“They are all facing serious hardship because of Trump's tariffs. They are losing customers for produce that they ship abroad. They are having to raise prices in their stores. They are having to pay their employees less and let people go or even shut their doors entirely--all because Trump chose to pursue some of the biggest tax hikes in American history while Republicans cheered him on. Let's not forget Trump is also totally out of touch on healthcare. As Trump put it, ``I've found health care sort of like . . . not of tremendous interest.'' That explains why he has done absolutely nothing to lower healthcare costs. Worse than that, Trump and Republicans passed the largest cut to healthcare in our Nation's history and then stood by and cheered as patients faced some of the largest healthcare price hikes in history.”
Senate22 September 2026Source ↗
“Trump said: I always say ``tariffs'' is the most beautiful word to me in the dictionary. Now, as a reminder, since Republicans keep trying to put their heads in the sand on this, tariffs are taxes. Our Republican President is saying his favorite thing is a tax increase. Reagan must be spinning in his grave. And not only are tariffs taxes, they are taxes that hurt working families especially hard. We have seen that time after time. Trump's tariffs have rocketed grocery prices through the roof. Trump's tariffs have made baby items--strollers, car seats, toys--more expensive. Trump's tariffs have put a strain on back-to-school shopping. They have squeezed our local coffee shops. And Trump's favorite word is crushing small businesses too. I have talked to local restaurants and sporting goods stores and farmers and a lot more.”
Senate22 September 2026Source ↗
“I talk to moms and dads all the time who are struggling to get by and to families who are already stretching their budgets and pinching their pennies. People are not struggling because they are blowing their savings on dolls. The problem is not their pencil budget. Good Lord! It is everything. It is their healthcare costs, which Trump has sent higher. It is childcare, which is out of control. It is goods across the border, which are up due to Trump's insane trade wars. It is gas, which Trump launched to new heights with his Iran war. Trump just does not get it. He has no idea what Americans are going through. Trump has already told us that he views ``groceries'' as an old- fashioned word. He has already said he thinks the word ``affordability'' is made up. But what has he said about tariffs? You almost have to hear it to believe it.”
Senate22 September 2026Source ↗
“And I would bet my bottom dollar that he has never in his life bought the generic brand to save a few bucks. He probably doesn't even know they exist. Groceries may seem old-fashioned to Trump, but for everyone else, whether or not we can afford groceries is the difference between being able to put a healthy dinner on the table, scraping by on the cheapest junk, or just going hungry. Now, if you were wondering why President Trump doesn't seem to care at all about rising prices, well, it may just be that a billionaire like Trump literally doesn't understand the idea of struggling to pay for something. The word ``affordability'' is practically a new concept for him. He doesn't believe in it. He thinks it was made up. In his own words: First time I heard it was a word, you know, made up by the Democrats: affordability.”
Senate22 September 2026Source ↗
“If you are not a billionaire like Trump, you are probably very familiar with groceries and the fact that costs have been going up, up, and up. If you are Trump, well, then you are saying things like this: It is a ``very simple word, groceries. Like almost--you know, who uses the word?'' or ``It's such an old-fashioned term, but a beautiful term. Groceries. It sort of says a bag with different things in it.'' For most of us, the grocery trip is a weekly errand, it is everyday life, but the way Trump talks about groceries, he may as well be from another planet. It is very clear that Trump has no idea what it is like to clip coupons for discounts on milk and bread. He does not know what it is like to compare cereal boxes to see what size has the best value or to check the clearance aisle in hopes of finding a deal.”
Senate22 September 2026Source ↗
“I love the inflation. Do my Republican colleagues agree? Do they love inflation? Because I will say they have not lifted a finger to help us stop the Trump policies driving inflation through the roof. Republicans have not helped rein in Trump's absurd trade wars. Republicans have not stood up against Trump's war with Iran. They have not helped reject Trump's cuts to programs that lower energy costs. They did not stop the MAGA healthcare hike that caused insurance premiums to skyrocket. I know Trump is out of touch with everyday Americans when he says he loves inflation. I know it because I hear directly from people back in Washington State about this all the time. But what about Republicans here in Congress? They may not be as blunt about it as Trump, but their actions--or, rather, their inaction to lower prices--speak pretty darn loudly.”
Senate22 September 2026Source ↗
“[is] not of tremendous interest.'' Get a load of this: Trump said that he loves inflation and that $4 for a gallon of gas is ``okay'' and that ``when oil prices go up, we make a lot of money.'' Well, that may be true for his buddies--the billionaires and the oil robber barons--but it sure is not true for working families. Of course, I know it is hard to keep track of all of Trump's wackadoodle claims about the economy, especially with the constant stream of new nonsense spewing out of this President's brain, so today, I want to take a trip down memory lane and discuss what I consider Trump's craziest quotes about the economy and working families. It is no secret that Americans are fed up with inflation--at least all Americans except for one. President Trump said: I love it. The numbers were great. You know what I really love?”
Senate22 September 2026Source ↗
“Mr. President, as President Trump himself has admitted-- his quote--``I am not so careful with what I say'' and ``Americans' financial situation? I don't think about anybody.'' No kidding. We noticed. When it comes to the economy, President Trump's statements could not be more divorced from reality, let alone the experience of everyday Americans. Yes, in a shock to no one, the billionaire who gets advice from a trillionaire is way out of touch today with everyday people. Trump said last year that he never even knew the word ``affordability'' until recently. He said that ``tariffs''--the taxes he raised on working families--is his ``favorite word.'' Trump said that we can't afford childcare. He said, ``No one . . . [cares] about affordable housing.'' He said, ``Health care . . .”
Senate22 September 2026Source ↗
“I yield the floor. I suggest the absence of a quorum.”
Senate16 September 2026Source ↗
“Congress needs to put a stop to this and leave this money where it belongs, with our hard-working families. So, today, we are going to try and pass a bill that will revoke Trump's latest Canada tariffs and end his ability to continue these trade wars. Today, we are forcing the question: Do Republicans really think they need to let Trump jack up prices on their constituents just because he is mad at Canada? Do Republicans really think the average family is happy paying $2,000 in new taxes because Trump's ego is hurt? Is Trump's ego really that important to Republicans? Well, we are about to find out. And you had better believe that families are watching this debate today just as they have been watching prices go up all year long, and they are keeping close track of who is putting Trump first and who is putting our families first.”
Senate16 September 2026Source ↗
“Mr. President, in the face of the skyrocketing prices Trump has caused with his own policies, he has been trying to sell voters a new, empty promise about $5,000 checks that everyone knows are never coming. But we have a bill today that could actually save families thousands of dollars. All we need is for Republicans to join us, to stand up to Trump, and to pass this bill that will end Trump's deranged trade wars. It is, quite literally, a bill to cut taxes so Republicans should all be for it, and it will save families big time. After all, we know Trump's tariffs cost the average family nearly $2,000 last year-- $2,000. Think about that. That is money families should have in their pockets. It could help with months of groceries or cover rent. It could help fund home or car repairs in a pinch. It could be a family vacation.”
Senate16 September 2026Source ↗
“Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.”
Senate16 September 2026Source ↗
“His goal was to make the Dobbs decision ``permanent in every single state''--``every single state''--not just in Texas or Idaho. He wants to ban abortion in Washington State, in California, in New York--in every State. He told them: We will have victory, and victory will be soon, and it will be permanent. Victory over what exactly? Victory over women who just want to make their own healthcare decisions? Victory over patients in States where abortion is legal--where voters have said over and over at the ballot box: Keep your hands off our rights? A DOJ spokesperson tried to clean up Blanche's words, saying he was only focused on restricting access to medication abortion in all 50 States, as if that is somehow better. I am here to say: I will believe the tape. I believe Todd Blanche's own words.”
Senate5 August 2026Source ↗
“This is a man who wouldn't meet with survivors until Senators put him under a tremendous amount of public pressure. When the meeting eventually got on the books, the survivors made it crystal clear Blanche didn't listen to them. He was more interested in checking a box than in hearing their stories or bringing them justice. All of that is, of course, absolutely unacceptable and disqualifying, but I come here today to sound the alarm on some of the most disturbing comments I have ever heard from the Nation's top law enforcement official. I guess Todd Blanche thought no one was listening because, on a private call with anti-abortion activists, Mr. Blanche told us all exactly what he plans to do if Senators confirm him.”
Senate5 August 2026Source ↗
“Mr. President, I was never going to come out here and support Todd Blanche for a long list of reasons. I do believe he is one of the most corrupt Justice Department officials in our country's history, for one. He was Trump's former personal lawyer, and it seems that he never quit. The only difference now is that taxpayers are signing his checks instead of Trump. He was the one who negotiated a $1.8 billion slush fund to pay off violent insurrectionists and who cut a backroom deal to give the President and his entire corrupt family immunity from IRS investigations, not to forget that Todd Blanche is the guy who botched the Epstein file so badly that survivors had their names and faces exposed while the names of alleged abusers were hidden.”
Senate5 August 2026Source ↗
“There is not a single dollar I won't pursue if it means helping Spokane and communities across the State as they rebuild from these devastating fires. Whatever it takes, for as long as it takes. Spokane has been hurt and is being badly hurt by these fires, but Spokane is not broken. A community that takes care of each other in the way we have seen cannot be broken. Spokane will rebuild; Eastern Washington will recover; and I will be standing with them every single step of the way. I yield the floor. I suggest the absence of a quorum.”
Senate4 August 2026Source ↗
“The next few days will no doubt be difficult as local fire crews do their best to try and contain these fires. Looking ahead, it is important to say: Spokane's recovery will not be measured in days or weeks; it will be measured in months and years. Rebuilding homes, rebuilding businesses--it will take a long time, and it will not be easy. But as vice chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, I want the people of eastern Washington to know they have a voice in the U.S. Senate who will speak up for Spokane. I am not someone who will simply write letters to this administration asking for support. I help write the bills that fund the government across every Department and every Federal program, and I will make sure Spokane's recovery is a priority at every opportunity.”
Senate4 August 2026Source ↗
“These are real- life heroes, and, on behalf of the people of Washington State, ``Thank you.'' But gratitude is not enough. The people of Spokane need action, and they deserve to know their government has their back. So here is where things stand as I see them: Our firefighters must have every resource they need to contain these fires--every aircraft, every bit of equipment, every dollar. So far our State has gotten the resources we need from the Federal Government, and I deeply appreciate that. That is how it should be. Yesterday, I led our congressional delegation in urging the President to approve the Governor's request for an expedited emergency declaration. The President has approved part of that request; that is good, and I will be watching closely to ensure the full request is approved.”
Senate4 August 2026Source ↗
“Smoke so thick over Spokane that the air itself has now become a health hazard. To every family in Spokane and across eastern Washington who has lost a home or a business or a lifetime of memories, hear me: I promise you I am with you today, tomorrow, and for as long as it takes to rebuild. And amid this devastation, I also want this Chamber to hear about the extraordinary courage on display in my State right now. Within hours of the evacuation orders, neighbors were opening their doors to strangers. Families who had room to spare simply said: Come stay with us. Volunteers worked through the night at the convention center, handing out blankets, serving hot meals, sitting with frightened kids. Local restaurants showed up with food for evacuees and for the fire crews who are coming off the line.”
Senate4 August 2026Source ↗
“Mr. President, I rise today with a very heavy heart because, right now, huge swaths of my State are being confronted by some of the worst fires that we have ever seen. This weekend, three fast-moving wildfires exploded across Spokane County. In a matter of hours, entire neighborhoods were told: Leave now. This may be your only notice. Over 65,000 people I represent have been forced to evacuate their homes. At least 700 homes, businesses, and buildings have been destroyed already. Families are sleeping in the Spokane Convention Center tonight, not knowing whether they even still have a home to go back to. And as of this morning, these fires are still not contained. The photos and videos tell the story: Houses reduced to ash, families embracing outside the burned remains of what they once called home. It is heartbreaking.”
Senate4 August 2026Source ↗
“Unfortunately, Republicans would not take action in this bill to protect our constitutional power of the purse and prevent Russ Vought from attempting another illegal pocket rescission, nor would they agree to our efforts to extend critical advanced appropriations for infrastructure, which were provided by the bipartisan infrastructure law. That runs out on October 1. Make no mistake--we will keep fighting to get those priorities done in the negotiations in the fall. We do have a lot of work ahead, and this CR provides us a reasonable runway to get it done. So I hope this CR sets us up to roll up our sleeves and focus on getting to a bipartisan top line so we can then write good, bipartisan spending bills. For all of those reasons, I will be voting yes tonight to advance this bipartisan bill.”
Senate3 August 2026Source ↗
“This new CR that we have written includes some really important extensions and language that House Republicans did not, and that includes extensions of authorizations for important health, veterans, and infrastructure programs and language to make sure that key housing programs and a program to help feed low-income seniors can continue serving Americans. This bill also rejects requests from President Trump for even more flexibility and funding for the Pentagon, including $1 billion for Trump-class battleships.”
Senate3 August 2026Source ↗
“Two weeks ago, House Republicans sent us an incomplete CR with several major issues. It is critical that we address those issues in any CR, and that is exactly what we have done. Perhaps most important, we closed a loophole in the House Republican CR that would have allowed the Trump administration to transfer funding provided for other programs to Border Patrol. That was a nonstarter. Until Republicans finally agree to enact desperately needed reforms to ICE and Border Patrol, we cannot approve another cent for them.”
Senate3 August 2026Source ↗
“I have been very clear from the start: We absolutely must prioritize helping families and lowering costs as we do that, and that means rejecting the President's astronomical defense request and instead delivering significantly more funding for our nondefense budget so we can invest in helping people here at home. It is clear that we will definitely need more time to get this done and reach bipartisan agreement on the funding levels, just as we have done in the Senate for the last 3 years, which then allows us to draft bipartisan bills for fiscal year 2027. So I am very glad we were able to craft a bipartisan CR to keep the government funded and to make sure we can avert a shutdown that no one wants, while giving us time to reach a bipartisan agreement on a top line in our funding bills.”
Senate3 August 2026Source ↗
“Madam President, we have our work cut out for us as we work to fund the government for the coming fiscal year. As costs for our families go up and up and up, the President wants a $1\1/2\ trillion war budget, and he wants to cut programs working people depend on to pay for it. No. No way. And as his disastrous war with Iran rages on, Trump is even asking for another $70 billion on top of that to bankroll the war. It is really hard to imagine more backward funding priorities, especially as so many families today are struggling and being hurt by the cuts to healthcare and food aid. Congress is not an ATM to fund Trump's disastrous wars abroad, so, as I have said many times, we need to rip up the President's budget and write a new one.”
Senate3 August 2026Source ↗
“That is why I am calling on my colleagues to join me today and pass this resolution. Every Senator is going to cast a vote today on a simple question: Should working parents pay more for childcare or less? Donald Trump wants them to pay more--more at the pump, more at the grocery store, and now more to drop the child off at daycare. Now the Senate will give its answers, and I promise you this: Parents are watching and parents remember. To my colleagues: Vote for the moms. Vote for the dads. Vote for the kid in the back seat at the 7 a.m. dropoff. When childcare costs as much as the mortgage, whose side are you on? So, again, I urge my colleagues to vote yes to lower childcare costs. I yield the floor. I suggest the absence of a quorum.”
Senate30 July 2026Source ↗
“You are either voting to lower childcare costs or to increase them. Not too long ago, President Trump said openly that he believes--and I am going to quote him--we can't afford daycare; we have to pay for war. We can afford childcare. Trump just wants to use our taxpayer dollars to fund war and tax cuts for billionaires. Trump says we can't afford childcare, but he is wrong. The truth is, we can't afford to ignore childcare. I know that investment in childcare is an investment in our families and an investment in a stronger economy. To my colleagues: If you vote to let this rule stand, own it. Go home and tell the parents in your State you voted to raise their childcare bill. You cannot call yourself pro-family while voting to make it more expensive to raise one. You just can't.”
Senate30 July 2026Source ↗
“Now he is coming for commonsense childcare policies, taking us in the wrong direction at a time when families need affordable childcare more than ever. If Trump had simply done nothing and left the 7-percent cap in place, some of these families would have ended up saving as much as $15,000 a year for their family. This is really a slap in the face to moms and dads all over the country--and to childcare providers, who are already stretched thin to make their budgets work and keep their doors open and keep qualified employees in a field that has very high turnover. The good news: Congress can now force Trump to reverse course on this--today, right now. Very soon, we are going to be voting on my resolution to overturn Trump's anti-childcare rule and bring back that 7 percent income cap. This shouldn't be controversial.”
Senate30 July 2026Source ↗
“Right now, Trump's HHS ended a 7-percent copayment cap on childcare costs for the very low-income families who already receive Federal childcare support. This is already a very modest Federal program that needs to be supersized in order to meet the needs of every child who needs it. Even with this program, many households are paying more than 20 percent of their household income on childcare costs. When Democrats put forward this policy, we said no family who qualifies for this subsidy should pay more than 7 percent of their income for childcare. Trump tore that up. We should be having a debate about how we increase childcare funding. How about, instead of a $1.5 trillion war budget, we make sure every working family in America can afford childcare. Well, Trump's tariffs already tax diapers, formula, and the car seat.”
Senate30 July 2026Source ↗
“Mr. President, while President Trump's top priorities are $1.5 trillion in war spending and a golden ballroom, those are not the priorities that American families are focused on. Everywhere I go, I hear from families about the crushing cost of childcare, so it is no surprise to me that 80 percent of voters say the high cost of childcare is a major problem. This is at the beating heart of our economy. If Mom and Dad don't have affordable, high-quality childcare, Mom and Dad can't go to work. But while Trump has plunged us into an affordability crisis, a war that no one asked for, all while families are struggling to get by, he is hell-bent on making our country's childcare crisis even worse.”
Senate30 July 2026Source ↗
“I ask for the yeas and nays.”
Senate30 July 2026Source ↗
“Mr. President, I move to proceed to Calendar No. 533, S.J. Res. 199.”
Senate30 July 2026Source ↗
“Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate resume legislative session.”
Senate30 July 2026Source ↗
“Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.”
Senate30 July 2026Source ↗
“So what I say to my friend, let's work on our country, making sure that we are fighting our forest fires, which I outlined in my response to you, of some of the things we can do, and I believe that our Canadian friends are doing the same. But that is why I object at this time.”
Senate22 July 2026Source ↗
“Mr. President, let me just say to my friend, and he is a friend, and I do hear his quiet, calm tone. I appreciate it. It is not something we all often hear here. But I will say this, in the words that you hear from this resolution, if you are a Canadian, it is that we are insulting them by saying you are not trying to fight your forest fires. And I will tell you this, I am working my tail off to help us fight our wildfires; our Canadian friends are as well. And I think, in this very heightened time--when I know I don't live far from the border either; we have a lot of trade with our Canadian friends; we go back and forth--they feel very insulted by a lot that is going on. So I think this adds fuel to that fire.”
Senate22 July 2026Source ↗
“Mr. President, if I could respond quickly. If the Senator would just let me respond quickly before you pass it on.”
Senate22 July 2026Source ↗
“My door is wide open, and I hope we can all work together to do that. But I will tell you what I am not going to do: insult our Canadian friends to suck up to a President who does nothing but threaten our neighbors. Thank you, Mr. President, I object.”
Senate22 July 2026Source ↗
“He was a longtime dedicated employee. He was a former marine. He served our country in more ways than one, and he did an incredible job. He literally saved people's lives on forest trails, and he fought wildfires here and even saved a small rural town in my State from being burned to the ground. Know what happened to him? Trump and DOGE fired him. No cause, just fired him. That was a huge loss for our State and for our country. So I do want my colleagues to get serious about the wildfires. And I will just say this, the President should actually apologize to our Canadian neighbors for the many threats and insults and, of course, drop those absurd tariffs he is imposing on these wildfires. I am not holding my breath, so enough with gimmicks, Mr. President. You want to work together to prevent wildfires?”
Senate22 July 2026Source ↗
“Or how about we pass legislation to stop the Trump administration's so-called reorganization of the Forest Service, which would actually shutter offices across our country, including the research labs that helped us study the wildfires and pushed out even more Forest Service employees. Or maybe instead of entertaining Trump's outrageous requests for a $1.5 trillion war budget, Republicans could work with us to adequately fund our needs here at home. Our Forest Service, right here in the United States, is understaffed and underresourced. Maybe my colleagues don't realize it, but Trump's chaotic funding cuts and freezes, along with the chaotic mass layoffs, have actually hurt our public lands and leave us here less prepared to prevent and respond to wildfires here at home. I remember speaking with a Forest Service ranger last year.”
Senate22 July 2026Source ↗
“Mr. President, reserving the right to object. I am going to ask pretty bluntly, what on earth are my colleagues doing here? I don't know why Republicans are focused on making a really petty and offensive statement to Canada, saying they need to do a better job of containing wildfire smoke as if the Canadian Government is letting their forest burn and its own citizens inhale wildfire smoke just to spite us. This is a joke. Maybe my colleagues across the aisle don't realize this, but Canadian firefighters cross that border to help us fight our wildfires right here all the time. And guess what. Our firefighters do the exact same when they are able. In fact, for the information of all Senators, a firefighter actually just passed away who was helping us fight a wildfire in Colorado; he was from British Columbia.”
Senate22 July 2026Source ↗
“Would you want them to suffer in pain for weeks for care that they are entitled to? I know what my answer is. Let's maintain the promise of Medicare. Let's pass this resolution. I yield the floor.”
Senate16 July 2026Source ↗