Charles E. Schumer
Senator for New York · Democratic · United States
“I am calling on Pete Hegseth, Marco Rubio, and Donald Trump to tell the entire Congress everything they are telling the Republicans about the Iran war--both Chambers, both parties. Everything they tell Republicans behind closed doors needs to be shared in public during today's testimony.”
“I am calling on Pete Hegseth, Marco Rubio, and Donald Trump to tell the entire Congress everything they are telling the Republicans about the Iran war--both Chambers, both parties. Everything they tell Republicans behind closed doors needs to be shared in public during today's testimony.”
“For the low price of $100,000 a month, an investor can turn a profit off early access to Trump's market-moving posts. Trump imposes new tariffs? Subscribers can short their stocks before anyone else. Trump announces a new contract? Subscribers know where to invest. Trump shakes up the Fed?”
“For the low price of $100,000 a month, an investor can turn a profit off early access to Trump's market-moving posts. Trump imposes new tariffs? Subscribers can short their stocks before anyone else. Trump announces a new contract? Subscribers know where to invest. Trump shakes up the Fed?”
“How many American families do you think can afford $100,000 a month to get a leg up in the market? Trump is doing what he always does: selling out America, American interests, and the American people to the highest bidder. Republicans ought to be up in arms about Truth API and the latest news about Trump's foreign jet.”
“How many American families do you think can afford $100,000 a month to get a leg up in the market? Trump is doing what he always does: selling out America, American interests, and the American people to the highest bidder. Republicans ought to be up in arms about Truth API and the latest news about Trump's foreign jet.”
The complete record
Every one of 375 lines we hold for Charles E. Schumer, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 7 of 8.
“It is infuriating that something so wrong, so callous, so detrimental to America could be right here on the Senate floor with the support of so many Republican Senators. I say to the Republican Senators: Listen to your constituents. Listen to your constituents. They don't want this. You know that. Are you going to get up on the floor and make a speech that says you are cutting Medicaid because you want to give tax breaks to billionaires? That is what you are doing. Get up and have the courage to say it. Get up and have the courage to say it. The senior centers I visited were represented, actually, by Republican Members of Congress on both Staten Island and Long Island.”
“[[Page S2161]] It is the same on Long Island as on Staten Island, and it is the same across all of America in poor communities, which, of course, depend on Medicaid. For so many people, Medicaid is their only lifeline to healthcare-- for middle-class communities and even well-to-do communities. All of them are nervous, scared, angry, furious at what these cuts would do to them. Why? people ask. Why are they doing this? Why are they being so mean? Why are they being so cruel? Why are they being so callous? We have to answer: For one reason--they want to give billionaires a tax cut. They want to take the money away from working families. They want to take things that working families need. They want to take them away so there are more tax cuts for the billionaires. It angers me.”
“For any of you--of the millions of Americans who have a parent who has struggled with dementia or physical disabilities--to those people, we know that our parents need the help of medical professionals to care for them properly. That is why Medicaid is so vital, so important, such a lifeline to tens of millions of families across America. The Republican Medicaid cuts would be a gut punch to these families. It was the same story on Long Island. Senior citizens are scared, nervous, angry about what these budget cuts would do to them that the Republicans are proposing, that Trump and Musk are proposing. Workers worried they might lose their jobs--and they have worked so hard in these facilities because they care about the patients they are caring for--are told ``No, no more funding'' for no reason. They are doing a great job.”
“Staten Island is a middle-class community, and so is Long Island--the two places I visited--but their kids would not be able to care for most of them. Most of them need more healthcare than just going back to their kids' homes. It is not adequate healthcare for so many of them. Others said their children had no extra room for them. What are even the kids going to do? On both Staten Island and Long Island, these are middle-class communities. They are going to be devastated by these cuts. Some of the residents said their children might be able to take care of them, but the burden would be immense. These families don't have the financial means to take care of their parents in their advanced ages. They don't have space at home. They don't have the medical know-how to meet the needs like a nursing home does.”
“We have the heads of major hospitals there--many of them not the same party as mine--telling us what would happen if these devastating cuts to Medicaid went through. On Staten Island, we estimated 18,000 people would lose their jobs. Tens of thousands would no longer get healthcare. It would cause a recession on Staten Island--like that. Seniors at the centers--new seniors who are getting out of hospitals or have a new illness that they are just encountering--would be turned away. There would be no funding. There would be no beds. There would be no place for them to go. It is not just the residents at these nursing homes; it is their children who now can breathe easy for their parents who helped raise them and worked so hard through the years to provide for them.”
“They help seniors with dementia, with postsurgical rehab, with physical disability support, and so much more. My visit to these communities was clouded by a shadow of fear and anger. I talked to senior citizens who knew that if Medicaid were cut, they would lose their healthcare. In fact, the owner of Silver Lake-- one of the most esteemed healthcare facilities on Staten Island--told me that if the cut were even half what the Republicans are proposing, his home would close. Hundreds of senior citizens would have no healthcare, and 300 people would lose their jobs. They were frightened. They were scared. They were angry. There is no question about it: Even if Republicans pass a fraction of the cuts they are pushing, it will devastate these communities.”
“Seventy million--seventy million--people rely on Medicaid in one way or another to provide medical care, and tens of millions more are their families and friends. That includes not just seniors who are within the 70 million but also newborns, parents, Americans with disabilities, rural communities that have access, perhaps, to a single hospital or clinic if they are fortunate. Medicaid--Medicaid--makes all these things possible. I want to focus on a truly sobering experience I had earlier this week when visiting two nursing homes in New York: the Silver Lake Specialized Care and Rehab Center on Staten Island and the Carillon Nursing and Rehab Center on Long Island. These institutions alone-- there are just 2 of them--serve over 600 residents together and employ 600 people. They are the lifeline to local communities.”
“The investments that unlock America's future now stand on the edge of a knife. Why? Why? Why are Republicans doing this? Why are they being so cruel? so callous? so thoughtless? Why are those in the billionaire bubble who seem to run Donald Trump and Elon Musk--why are they doing this? It is very simple. They are trying to give the ultrarich another tax break. The Republicans are enthralled with these very wealthy, very greedy people, and all they want is a tax break. When Donald Trump became President, they got control of the Republican Party, and Elon Musk and Donald Trump are in the billionaire bubble. And when Democrats expose all of these cuts to healthcare and veterans' aid and benefits for the American people to see, the American people will think it is sickening. So, tonight, let us begin with Medicaid.”
“Tomorrow, we will be focused, likewise, as we debate this bill, on Republicans' morally bankrupt tax breaks for billionaires and on Donald Trump's dumb and costly tariffs, on the need to stand up for our veterans and our national security, on the unprecedented corruption Donald Trump has unleashed in our government, and finally on the existential fight to protect Social Security from the chain saw of Elon Musk. These are the themes we will cover today and tomorrow. This is the fight the American people need to see because people's lives and livelihoods are at stake. The healthcare that protects our kids is in danger--our children. Their healthcare is in danger. The benefits that keep our seniors whole are at risk. Senior citizens, in their golden era, could have Medicaid--the rug--pulled out from under them, leaving them in dire straits.”
“It is my honor to join my fellow Democrats to lay the case before the American people for how Republicans plan to destroy Medicaid as we know it and harm millions and millions and millions of Americans. We will share the stories of people back home. We will illustrate the full scale of the destruction these cuts would do. And we will make it clear to the American people that while Republicans work like hell to eliminate Medicaid to cut taxes for the rich, Democrats are fighting to protect the healthcare the American people deserve and need. Medicaid will be the first--the first--of six different themes that we will focus on here on the floor.”
“Well, if Republicans won't be straight with the American people about their agenda, Senate Democrats are glad to do it for them. Tonight, my colleagues and I will begin to put the Republican agenda on trial before the court of public opinion here on the floor of the Senate. It is going to be a long few days for Senate Republicans. Democrats will expose the dark corners of the Republican plan. We will explain the devastating consequences, highlight the many injustices that Republicans will inflict on people's healthcare, on their financial security, on their children's futures, and on the very future of the American dream itself. We begin tonight with a topic close to home for all of us: Medicaid.”
“Madam President, a few minutes ago, for the second time this year, Senate Republicans began the process to pass legislation eviscerating Medicaid, abandoning our kids, failing our veterans, and squandering our future--all for the sake of tax cuts for the ultrarich. This is the Republican agenda: Billionaires win; American families lose. Billionaires win; American families lose in the Republican plan. Republicans have failed to be honest with the country about the true nature of their plans. They have tried to hide their Medicaid cuts. They have tried to hide their billionaire tax giveaways with budgetary gimmicks and distractions. They are tying themselves in knots. They don't want the American people to know what their agenda is.”
“And far worse than that, these billionaire tax breaks and the gargantuan deficit that they will create will haunt our children and our grandchildren with sky-high interest rates, a hobbled economy, and rampant inequality. It is not the world I want my grandchildren to grow up in. House Republicans must not go along with this dangerous plan by Senate Republicans. I yield the floor. I suggest the absence of a quorum. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll. The senior assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.”
“So Republicans in essence want to pretend like their trillion-dollar tax cuts are free, like magic, or, as Chip Roy, one of the most conservative Republicans around here, said, like ``fairy dust.'' A middle school math student could tell you this is ridiculous. House Republicans must tread carefully. I say that to them over there, particularly the ones on the hard right. If they go along with this dangerous gimmick hatched by Senate Republicans, they will pave the way to add $37 trillion to the debt. Republicans will forever incinerate any credibility they have to complain about debt and deficits. When you go home, Senate Republicans, don't tell your constituents that you want to cut the debt--$37 trillion.”
“Senate Republicans are so hell-bent on cutting taxes for billionaires, they seem ready to detonate the rules of the Senate and break their word to get it done. Republicans spent years preaching about preserving Senate rules and protecting regular order, but now that their billionaire tax cuts are on the line, the rules don't seem to matter for them. We all know what is going on here. We know. Senate Republicans don't want to admit that their plan to make these tax cuts permanent will add $37 trillion to the debt--$37 trillion. That more than doubles the totality of our national debt today--more than doubles it. It is reckless, and it is dangerous.”
“It is a brutal Republican pincer move, with American families trapped in the middle. Trump's tariffs raise costs and pick people's pockets on one side, and Trump's budget cuts are taking away healthcare and benefits and veterans' care on the other side. If Republicans pass their agenda, 80 million Americans will be at risk of losing coverage. Rural hospitals, community health centers, and nursing homes will be at the risk of closure. If Republicans proceed this week, Senate Democrats will expose their agenda for the American people to see. We will pick their bill apart. We will put them on record. We will force Republicans to explain in multiple ways again and again and again why they want to cut taxes for the rich at the expense of working people.”
“And Donald Trump said in his campaign that he would reduce prices on day one when he got elected. He is doing just the opposite. He is not reducing prices; he is dramatically raising them $5,000 a year on the average American family. And by his own omission, Donald Trump said ``I couldn't care less.'' Government Funding Mr. President, on the budget, this week, Donald Trump and the Republican Party are hitting Americans with a brutal one-two punch. On one side, Trump has hit Americans with a massive tax hike through his extremely dumb tariffs. On the other side--they are unfocused, just unfocused. On the other side, Senate Republicans are getting ready to take away vital programs, throw people off Medicaid--all so they can give massive tax breaks to billionaires.”
“So I am calling on the House and Speaker Johnson, given how bad Trump's tariffs are--they now know it--to come back into session and vote on the Senate's bipartisan bill undoing the tariffs on Canada, the bill we passed yesterday with bipartisan support because a few Republicans had the courage of their convictions and voted against the President and for Senator Kaine's very, very timely and needed bill. If the Speaker really cares about the American people and the costs they would bear by these tariffs, he should call back the House and take up the Senate bill immediately. The American people care about one thing above all--and they care about a lot of things, but at the top of the list is inflation. That is the No. 1 thing on people's minds. We heard that over and over again on last November's election day and ever since.”
“President Trump should reverse course on his disastrous tariffs immediately--immediately--or else he risks plunging America into a recession. Some of the leading banks, the leading financial analysts with no ax to grind, have greatly increased the odds that we will have a recession because of what Trump is doing. What President walks mindlessly into a recession, which means it is harder to get a job, harder to keep a job, harder to pay the bills? What President does that?”
“What are they doing firing tens of thousands of epidemic responders, healthcare workers, food inspectors, abandoning veterans? And now, on top of all of that--it has been bad enough before ``Liberation Day,'' which is tax day--Americans are going to pay $5,000 a year through his tariffs. For what? Why are they doing all this? Why would they do all this? Why would they hurt people, so many people in so many ways? Why would they have that pincer squeeze them? I will tell you why. One thing. One reason. Tax breaks for the billionaires. As I said, this is a coterie of billionaires running the government--Trump and Musk and Lutnick and so many others. You heard the net worth of his Cabinet; it is incredible. Cutting taxes for billionaires makes them squeeze the American people. It is utterly disgusting.”
“You are getting squeezed on both sides by his tariffs and his budget, and he says, ``I couldn't care less.'' The American people are learning quickly that Donald Trump is breaking all the promises he made in the campaign and he is not on their side. He couldn't care less. It is truly unbelievable to watch the sheer destruction Republicans are inflicting on Americans. We aren't even 100 days into President Trump's second term, and the Republicans this week will plow ahead to take away people's Medicaid. They are letting Elon Musk sabotage Social Security. He says it is a Ponzi scheme. He says he is OK if it is eliminated. What do these rich people know about how middle-class people struggle? It is a little coterie of billionaires that is running policy. As I said, the middle class is getting squeezed by the pincers on both sides.”
“In fact, Donald Trump slapped tariffs on penguins and not on Putin. Trump sanctioned the Heard and McDonald Islands, only inhabited by penguins. That is what happens when you don't have a clue as to what you are doing. You fire air traffic controllers, dismantle disease-outbreak monitoring, sabotage Social Security and VA operations, censor climate data, defund public schools, and declare a trade war on penguins. What is going on? Prices on groceries, prices on electronics, appliances, metal, beer, furniture, fertilizer, and so much more will go up. People's retirements are in peril as markets are in turmoil across the globe. And Donald Trump says, ``I couldn't care less.'' That is his quote, America.”
“American families are learning the hard way that Donald Trump has them right in the middle of a pincer and is squeezing them on both sides. On the one side, Donald Trump is pushing tariffs that will cost working families an extra $5,000 a year, and by his own admission, he ``could not care less.'' On the other side, Donald Trump is working with Republicans to gut vital programs working families rely on, like Medicaid, Social Security, veterans programs. So there is a pincer: Trump's tariffs raise costs and pick people's pockets on one side, and Trump's budget and his [[Page S2145]] budget cuts are taking away healthcare and benefits and veterans' care on the other side. Now, there are smart ways to use tariffs, and there are dumb ways to use tariffs. Donald Trump is using tariffs in the dumbest way imaginable.”
“Mr. President, yesterday, Donald Trump made one of the dumbest decisions he has ever made as President, and that is saying something. The tariffs Donald Trump approved yesterday are far, far worse than we thought. It is the largest tax hike on families since World War II. Yesterday was not ``Liberation Day''; it was tax day. ``Middle class, pay more taxes,'' Donald Trump is telling you. That is what the day is all about. This morning, naturally, the markets are plunging. The Dow is down 800 points, and the S&P is already on track for its worst day in years. Donald Trump has singlehandedly created a financial forest fire. Trump called yesterday ``Liberation Day.'' Nobody was feeling even close to liberated--quite the opposite.”
“Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered. Recognition of the Minority Leader The Democratic leader is recognized. Tariffs”
“(3) Chairperson.-- (A) In general.--During the first meeting of the Board, the members of the Board shall elect a Chairperson of the Board. (B) Limitation.--In addition to meeting the criteria under paragraph (2)(B), the Chairperson may not be an employee, or former employee, of the Executive Office of the President. ____________________”
“(C) Terms.-- (i) In general.--Each member appointed to the Board, including the Chairperson selected under paragraph (3), shall be appointed or elected, as applicable, for a 2-year term and members of the Board may be reappointed for additional terms of service as members of the Board. Members may continue to serve until they are either reappointed or replaced. (ii) Annual reports.--The Board shall submit to the congressional intelligence committees (as defined in section 3 of the National Security Act of 1947 (50 U.S.C. 3003)), in writing, an annual report which shall set forth the recommendations of the Board for improving security training, counterintelligence and insider threat awareness, and the protection of classified information and other sensitive information used by personnel of the Executive Office of the President.”
“(ii) One member appointed by the Republican leader of the Senate. (iii) One member appointed by the Democratic leader of the House of Representatives. (iv) One member appointed by the Republican leader of the House of Representatives. [[Page S2142]] (B) Criteria.--The members appointed under subparagraph (A) shall meet the following criteria: (i) Each member shall be a recognized expert in security, including expertise in cybersecurity, physical security, or counterintelligence. (ii) Each member shall be eligible to access classified information at the level of ``Top Secret'' and be eligible to access sensitive compartmented information.”
“(e) Advisory Board.-- (1) Establishment.-- (A) In general.--There is hereby established an advisory board to advise the President, the Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs, the Director of the Office, and such other personnel of the Executive Office of the President as the Board considers appropriate on best practices in security training, counterintelligence and insider threats, and protection of classified information. (B) Designation.--The advisory board established by subparagraph (A) shall be known as the ``Security Training and Counterintelligence Advisory Board'' (in this section referred to as the ``Board''). (2) Membership.-- (A) Composition.--Subject to subparagraph (B), the Board shall be composed of 4 members, appointed as follows: (i) One member appointed by the Democratic leader of the Senate.”
“(3) Protection of classified information.--Protection and preservation of classified information and other sensitive information, including with regard to the use by personnel of the Executive Office of the President of unclassified commercially available messaging applications, as well as preservation of such information through collaborative engagement with the National Archives and Records Administration.”
“(d) Functions.--The primary functions of the Office are to provide, within the Executive Office of the President, advice on the following: (1) Security training.--Training, education, and research activities to equip and prepare personnel of the Executive Office of the President through the development and management of on-line and in-person courses, curricula, conferences, and other products. (2) Counterintelligence and insider threat.--Activities to identify, assess, deter, and mitigate foreign and insider threats to the Executive Office of the President, both directly and through collaborative engagement with other intelligence and law enforcement organizations.”
“(2) From office of director of national intelligence.-- Subject to paragraph (3), the Director of National Intelligence may detail to the Office any of the personnel of the Office of the Director of National Intelligence to assist in carrying out the functions of the Office under subsection (e). (3) Clearance.--Any personnel detailed to the Office under this subsection shall possess a security clearance in accordance with applicable laws and regulations concerning the handling of classified information.”
“(2) Initial appointment.--The President shall make an initial appointment of the Director not later than the date that is 30 days after the date of the enactment of this Act. (3) Qualifications of the director.--The Director shall-- (A) be a recognized security expert, including expertise in cybersecurity, physical security, or counterintelligence; and (B) be eligible to access classified information at the level of ``Top Secret'' and be eligible to access sensitive compartmented information. (c) Detailees.-- (1) In general.--Subject to paragraph (3), the Office shall be staffed by career security and counterintelligence professionals detailed from Federal agencies.”
“1263 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 ``Operational Security Act of 2025''. SEC. 2. OFFICE OF SECURITY TRAINING AND COUNTERINTELLIGENCE OF EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT. (a) Office of Security Training and Counterintelligence.-- There is in the Executive Office of the President an Office of Security Training and Counterintelligence (in this section referred to as the ``Office''). (b) Director.-- (1) In general.--There shall be at the head of the Office a Director of the Office of Security Training and Counterintelligence (in this section referred to as the ``Director'') who shall be appointed by the President, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate.”
“Congressional Record, Volume 171 Issue 59 (Wednesday, April 2, 2025) [Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 59 (Wednesday, April 2, 2025)] [Senate] [Pages S2141-S2142] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] By Mr. SCHUMER (for himself, Mr. Schiff, and Mr. Kim): S. 1263. A bill to establish the Office of Security Training and Counterintelligence in the Executive Office of the President, and for other purposes; to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. Mr. SCHUMER. 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.”
“(3) Chairperson.-- (A) In general.--During the first meeting of the Board, the members of the Board shall elect a Chairperson of the Board. (B) Limitation.--In addition to meeting the criteria under paragraph (2)(B), the Chairperson may not be an employee, or former employee, of the Executive Office of the President. ____________________”
“(C) Terms.-- (i) In general.--Each member appointed to the Board, including the Chairperson selected under paragraph (3), shall be appointed or elected, as applicable, for a 2-year term and members of the Board may be reappointed for additional terms of service as members of the Board. Members may continue to serve until they are either reappointed or replaced. (ii) Annual reports.--The Board shall submit to the congressional intelligence committees (as defined in section 3 of the National Security Act of 1947 (50 U.S.C. 3003)), in writing, an annual report which shall set forth the recommendations of the Board for improving security training, counterintelligence and insider threat awareness, and the protection of classified information and other sensitive information used by personnel of the Executive Office of the President.”
“(ii) One member appointed by the Republican leader of the Senate. (iii) One member appointed by the Democratic leader of the House of Representatives. (iv) One member appointed by the Republican leader of the House of Representatives. [[Page S2142]] (B) Criteria.--The members appointed under subparagraph (A) shall meet the following criteria: (i) Each member shall be a recognized expert in security, including expertise in cybersecurity, physical security, or counterintelligence. (ii) Each member shall be eligible to access classified information at the level of ``Top Secret'' and be eligible to access sensitive compartmented information.”
“(e) Advisory Board.-- (1) Establishment.-- (A) In general.--There is hereby established an advisory board to advise the President, the Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs, the Director of the Office, and such other personnel of the Executive Office of the President as the Board considers appropriate on best practices in security training, counterintelligence and insider threats, and protection of classified information. (B) Designation.--The advisory board established by subparagraph (A) shall be known as the ``Security Training and Counterintelligence Advisory Board'' (in this section referred to as the ``Board''). (2) Membership.-- (A) Composition.--Subject to subparagraph (B), the Board shall be composed of 4 members, appointed as follows: (i) One member appointed by the Democratic leader of the Senate.”
“(3) Protection of classified information.--Protection and preservation of classified information and other sensitive information, including with regard to the use by personnel of the Executive Office of the President of unclassified commercially available messaging applications, as well as preservation of such information through collaborative engagement with the National Archives and Records Administration.”
“(d) Functions.--The primary functions of the Office are to provide, within the Executive Office of the President, advice on the following: (1) Security training.--Training, education, and research activities to equip and prepare personnel of the Executive Office of the President through the development and management of on-line and in-person courses, curricula, conferences, and other products. (2) Counterintelligence and insider threat.--Activities to identify, assess, deter, and mitigate foreign and insider threats to the Executive Office of the President, both directly and through collaborative engagement with other intelligence and law enforcement organizations.”
“(2) From office of director of national intelligence.-- Subject to paragraph (3), the Director of National Intelligence may detail to the Office any of the personnel of the Office of the Director of National Intelligence to assist in carrying out the functions of the Office under subsection (e). (3) Clearance.--Any personnel detailed to the Office under this subsection shall possess a security clearance in accordance with applicable laws and regulations concerning the handling of classified information.”
“(2) Initial appointment.--The President shall make an initial appointment of the Director not later than the date that is 30 days after the date of the enactment of this Act. (3) Qualifications of the director.--The Director shall-- (A) be a recognized security expert, including expertise in cybersecurity, physical security, or counterintelligence; and (B) be eligible to access classified information at the level of ``Top Secret'' and be eligible to access sensitive compartmented information. (c) Detailees.-- (1) In general.--Subject to paragraph (3), the Office shall be staffed by career security and counterintelligence professionals detailed from Federal agencies.”
“1263 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 ``Operational Security Act of 2025''. SEC. 2. OFFICE OF SECURITY TRAINING AND COUNTERINTELLIGENCE OF EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT. (a) Office of Security Training and Counterintelligence.-- There is in the Executive Office of the President an Office of Security Training and Counterintelligence (in this section referred to as the ``Office''). (b) Director.-- (1) In general.--There shall be at the head of the Office a Director of the Office of Security Training and Counterintelligence (in this section referred to as the ``Director'') who shall be appointed by the President, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate.”
“Congressional Record, Volume 171 Issue 59 (Wednesday, April 2, 2025) [Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 59 (Wednesday, April 2, 2025)] [Senate] [Pages S2141-S2142] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] STATEMENTS ON INTRODUCED BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS By Mr. SCHUMER (for himself, Mr. Schiff, and Mr. Kim): S. 1263. A bill to establish the Office of Security Training and Counterintelligence in the Executive Office of the President, and for other purposes; to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. Mr. SCHUMER. 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.”
“Tariffs on Canada and all the other countries he has now added to the list have everything to do with more tax breaks for billionaires. [[Page S2134]] I strongly, strongly urge a ``yes'' vote. This is worse than what we had thought. He made it worse when he announced what he was doing a few hours ago. I yield the floor. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Massachusetts.”
“A few of you have already said you can't vote for this. Please don't be intimidated by Donald Trump, who said he couldn't care less if prices go up on your constituents, my Republican colleagues. Don't listen to him. This is a disaster--a disaster for working families, a disaster for the Nation's economy, a disaster for our alliances and relationships around the world--all doing so much to hurt America for one darn reason: cutting taxes for the billionaires. This is a government by the billionaires. Everything they do--whether it is this budget they came out with today or this tariff bill--is in obeisance to the very few wealthy people who seem to control the Republican Party and want another tax cut. I urge everybody to vote against these horrible, horrible tariffs. Tariffs on Canada have very little to do with fentanyl; we know that.”
“He is raising prices through the roof and strangling American families. My colleague in Connecticut alluded to Smoot-Hawley. The new Smoot- Hawley is Trump-Musk. These taxes could create a global trade war. Our allies--previous allies--are aligned together at how they are going to get back at Trump and what he has done to the country. This is not ``Liberation Day,'' as Trump called it. This has made a few-weeks-earlier, in effect, tax day--huge taxes through tariffs on American families. It is a gut punch. It is a gut punch to the average American. So right now, I know Donald Trump is pressuring Senate Republicans to vote this resolution down. He is treating this like a loyalty test. But my plea to my Senate Republican colleagues: Stand with the American people. You know how bad this is.”
“When told that it would raise the costs on the American family, Trump himself said he ``couldn't care less'' if prices go up. What kind of bubble is he living in? These billionaires who are running the country--Trump, Musk, Lutnick--they are in such a bubble, they don't know how the average family is hurting. Yeah, they are billionaires. God bless them. They made a lot of money. But don't think that average people are in the same boat. The cost of groceries, the cost of prescription drugs, the cost of gasoline, the cost of buying a car, the cost of buying a house, the cost of furniture, the cost of clothing--everything people buy--is going to go up. Donald Trump said he would reduce prices on day one when he got elected. He is doing just the opposite with these tariffs.”
“Navarro and he have said it over and over again, that they want to reduce those taxes. It is outrageous. It is outrageous. The average family, sitting at the kitchen table on Friday night, is saying to themselves: Whoa, boy. We had better cut back on our purchases. Maybe we ought to not go out to the restaurant. Maybe we ought not take that vacation we have been saving up for for a year. Maybe we ought not to buy that new car. Consumer confidence is lower than it has been in many, many years. The average business, because of the chaotic nature--Trump says one thing one day and another thing the next day--are holding back. Businesses, small and large, need certainty, but there is no certainty here with the chaos Donald Trump has created. Listen to this.”