YouSaid · the spoken record
Brian Schatz
We hold 37 passages that may be Brian Schatz’s. We do not publish them until we can confirm who spoke. See the correction.
On the record 2021–2026
congress · podcast
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“And the reason I voted no yesterday is because I am not voting for a defense bill until this war is over, and I am not voting for a defense bill until we get to debate the most important thing happening in terms of our national defense. We are at war, and we are being prevented from even overseeing it. We are just asked to fork over tens and tens of billions of dollars without so much as weighing in on this is an authorization of the use of military force. The President, as the Commander in Chief of our military, may engage kinetically with another country. We have decided that. We have been elected. We have decided that. None of that happened. Why? Because they don't have the votes for that. Why do they not have the votes for that? Because this war is stupid, and the public knows it. I yield the floor. I suggest the absence of a quorum.”
Senate15 July 2026Source ↗
“If you want to claim that the ICBM array that the IRGC had was a danger to the United States, come down, at least testify before the Foreign Relations Committee and the Armed Services Committee, and then at least have a debate on the damn floor of the U.S. Senate. And it is worse than that because to the extent that we have had any votes at all, we actually have prevailed. A majority of Members of this body have said that this war should come to a conclusion. And so my Republican colleagues are saying: Hey, why don't we pass the Defense authorization? After all, it is a big bipartisan bill, and we always do it. That is true. We always do it. And I think 13 out of 14 years or 12 out of 13 years, I voted for the National Defense Authorization Act.”
Senate15 July 2026Source ↗
“It is a war, but we have 60 days.'' ``Oh, the war is off because the MOU for the cease-fire is now being implemented.'' And now the war is back on, and they are acting as if, as a legal matter, this new kinetic engagement is a second and separate war and the clock starts again and you have got 60 days again to delay Congress from weighing in. And this is not some procedural nicety. This isn't me as a politician, like, protecting my prerogatives. The reason this matters is the people's representatives in the Congress have to vote before we go to war. And there are some narrow exceptions. If we are in danger, you don't want to have to, like, assemble Congress if we are in immediate danger. Fine. We are not in immediate danger. We were never in immediate danger.”
Senate15 July 2026Source ↗
“There was no buildup; there was no explaining; and most importantly for us as U.S. Senators, there was no vote on the authorization of the use of military force. Now, they are going to say that under the War Powers Resolution, they have this ability to basically take military action if there is an imminent threat to the safety of the United States of America. And then they would have 60 days, and it is kind of complicated exactly how it works. But what they have said now is that ``No, this isn't a war.'' That is No. 1. ``Oh, yeah. Sorry.”
Senate15 July 2026Source ↗
“Freedom of navigation is a basic principle that we enforce around the world, but we don't have to bomb anybody to get it. And so now the endgame is: Let's try to get the strait open and pretend that the reasons that we went to war were not the reasons that we went to war. And I think what is the most disgusting about all of this--you know, someone used to say: Armies don't go to war. Countries go to war. Now, why does that matter? You cannot go to war without the support of the American public. You cannot go to war without explaining to the American public what you are up to. And what happened many months ago was Donald Trump woke up one morning and said: I guess we are taking kinetic action against Iran. And people are finding: OK, sorry, what? What exactly are we doing and why?”
Senate15 July 2026Source ↗
“We went to war to eliminate their nuclear program; and not only did we not do that, but Donald Trump himself is kind of characterizing it like it is no big deal. And so now we are negotiating not for any of the reasons that were stated to put our servicemembers in harm's way and to spend tens of billions of dollars of taxpayer funding for this war and to raise the price of gasoline by a buck, buck fifty a gallon, to raise the price of fertilizer and plastics and natural gas and electronics--to raise the price of almost everything. We met none of our objectives, and now our objective is just to keep sea lanes open. Sea lanes were open. Sea lanes are always open. That is not a foreign policy objective of the United States of America in the sense that we have to work really hard to do it.”
Senate15 July 2026Source ↗
“So all of the stated objectives of this war have not been met. Finally, how are they doing on keeping the Strait of Hormuz open and free? Well, it is closed again, and Trump and Iran are back and forth going at it over who gets control and who gets to charge tolls. To be clear, this was never a problem prewar. And so now the objective in ending this war is just to get to the status quo before the war. We went to war to eliminate their ballistic missile capability--not on the nuclear side. Not a success. We went to war to change the regime. Not only not a success, but a terrible failure. We have got a younger and more radical and entrenched Ayatollah in the regime of Iran. And now they know they can withstand our best hit.”
Senate15 July 2026Source ↗
“To that point, having repeatedly ruled out allowing any uranium enrichment and demanding that Iran turn over its uranium stockpile, Trump has changed his tune on both: ``It is a little hard''--``it is a little hard''--``when other people have it, other adjoining states have it, and you're not letting them have it for purposes of electricity and things like that.'' This is Trump on uranium enrichment. On acquiring stockpiles, he said: You could make the case, why even bother? It's not very valuable stuff. Why even bother? And that is the story of this war in a nutshell. Trump sets before us an impossible goal. And when it fails, he then moves the goalposts or backs down completely. The next goal, obliterating Iran's missiles: We're going to destroy their missiles and raze their missile industry to the ground. It will be totally . . .”
Senate15 July 2026Source ↗
“Now, it is true that heavy strikes last summer and the first phase of the war this spring have set back Iran's nuclear program. It is also true that in the memorandum of understanding--that has since fallen apart--Iran agreed to the same thing it agreed to under the JCPOA. Under the Obama nuclear agreement, we got all of this without having to go to war. And the criticism of the Obama agreement--and I was on the floor defending it--was that it didn't last long enough--not that it wasn't any good, but that it didn't last in perpetuity; that it was only good for 10 years. Now we have got nothing. Now we have got nothing.”
Senate15 July 2026Source ↗
“Mr. President, Donald Trump is dragging us back into war again, and no one is exactly sure why. He achieved almost none of his objectives that he set out at the beginning of war, while spending tens--if not hundreds--of billions of dollars and forcing Americans to pay more for everything, especially gas and groceries. It has been only a few days since the fighting resumed, and gas is already up to $4.89 nationally and $5.44 in Hawaii. And the President can't be bothered to explain why we are at war again and what we are supposed to be getting out of it. So let's just go through his own stated objectives at the start of the war and see where we stand today. No. 1, regime change: ``There will be no deal with Iran except UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER''--all caps--Donald Trump said in the first week of war.”
Senate15 July 2026Source ↗
“Marie Canal; (12) the State identified and selected, among other land, a minimum of 1,333.25 and up to 2,720 acres within the exterior boundaries of the Reservation; (13) the Department of the Interior approved the land selections of the State, including the Reservation Canal Lands, after ratification of the 1854 Treaty; (14) the Secretary noted that the approval described in paragraph (13) was ``subject to any valid interfering rights''; (15) the 1854 Treaty set apart from the public domain all unsold land within the Reservation to the Community as of September 30, 1854, which preceded the date on which the State established legally effective title to the Reservation Canal Lands; (16) the Community made claims to the Department of the Interior with respect to the Reservation Swamp Lands and the Reservation Canal Lands, providing legal analysis and ethnohistorical support for those claims; (17) in December 2021, the Department of the Interior stated that ``We have carefully reviewed pertinent documents, including the Tribe's expert reports, and have determined that the Tribe's claims to the Swamp Lands and Canal Lands have merit''; (18) the United States, through the actions of the General Land Office, deprived the Community of the exclusive use and occupancy of the Reservation Swamp Lands and the Reservation Canal Lands within the Reservation, without just compensation as required under the Takings Clause of the Fifth Amendment to the Constitution of the United States; (19) the loss of the Reservation Swamp Lands and the Reservation Canal Lands without just compensation has-- (A) impacted the exercise by the Community of cultural, religious, and subsistence rights on the land; (B) caused a harmful disconnect between the Community and its land; (C) impacted the ability of the Community to fully exercise its economy within the Reservation; and (D) had a negative economic impact on the development of the economy of the Community; (20) certain non-Indian individuals, entities, and local governments occupy land within the boundaries of the Reservation-- (A) acquired ownership interests in the Reservation Swamp Lands and the Reservation Canal Lands in good faith; and (B) have an interest in possessing clear title to that land; (21) this title allows the United States-- (A) to secure a fair and equitable settlement of past inequities suffered by the Community as a result of the actions of the United States that caused the taking of the Reservation Swamp Lands and the Reservation Canal Lands without just compensation; and (B) to ensure protection of the ownership of the Reservation Swamp Lands and the Reservation Canal Lands by non-Indian occupants of the Reservation, through the settlement of the claims of the Community to that land, and through that action, the relief of any clouds on title; (22) a settlement will allow the Community to receive just compensation and the local landowners to obtain clear title to land, without long and protracted litigation that would be both costly and detrimental to all involved; and (23) this title achieves both justice for the Community and security for current landowners through a restorative and non-confrontational process.”
Senate13 July 2026Source ↗
“``I don't think about Americans' financial situation.'' This is not making a partisan accusation; those are his words. People all across the country are eating less and driving less and saving less and seeing the doctor less because of his actions--wars, tariffs, tax cuts for billionaires paid for by cutting working people's healthcare--and yet all he can think about is where his next military adventure might be or what new monument he can build for himself. It is not hard to imagine a focused and energetic President who exerts their authority to make people's lives better, easier, more affordable, more fulfilling. And in the past, even when we didn't agree with the President from the other party on solutions, at least we agreed on the problems; at least we agreed on what a Presidency was for--but not this President.”
Senate18 June 2026Source ↗
“But that is not the point. This is a President who is so thoroughly distracted with his own personal pet projects that he has no time to do anything to lower prices and fix people's actual problems. It is not that these are events that have overtaken his agenda--this is his agenda. These are his initiatives that he came up with that he is excited about. It is plainly obvious that Donald Trump is distracted with things that have nothing to do with regular people's lives, but you don't have to take my word for it. Last week, after inflation reached the highest level in 3 years, he said: I love the inflation. After a few weeks, as a war of his own making was ravaging people's paychecks, he said: I don't think about Americans' financial situation.”
Senate18 June 2026Source ↗
“Mr. President, $600 million to build a ballroom at the White House, $100 million to build a triumphal arch, $250 million to renovate the Kennedy Center, $60 million to host a UFC fight on the south lawn of the White House--these are the things Donald Trump is putting his time and energy into right now, along with a whole lot of taxpayer money. Meanwhile, gas is more than 4 bucks a gallon nationally and $5.58 in Hawaii, grocery prices keep going up, electricity bills are through the roof, millions of Americans don't have health insurance at all this year, and rents and mortgages are almost impossible to keep up with. This is not a question of whether you like sports or monuments. I like sports. I like UFC. I think the Capital City of the most powerful Nation in the history of the world should be beautiful and modern and vibrant.”
Senate18 June 2026Source ↗
“Chef Magbitang, who was born and raised in the Philippines and now lives in Waimea on the Big Island, paid tribute to her roots, sharing her take on classic Filipino dishes that she grew up eating. Meanwhile, Chef Wong completed 24 challenges in 24 hours, winning with an ahi tuna dish prepared in a French-Japanese fusion style. Chef Wong's restaurant, Papa'aina at the Pioneer Inn in Lahaina, was destroyed in the fires 3 years ago, but her cooking, infused all over with local ingredients and produce, lives on at Koko Head Cafe on O'ahu. We are so lucky to have her and Chef Magbitang and so many other outstanding chefs who make Hawaii, Hawaii. Congratulations on your wins. You have made Hawaii proud.”
Senate18 June 2026Source ↗
“Mr. President, I join everyone in Hawaii in congratulating chefs Rhoda Magbitang and Lee Anne Wong on their recent wins on ``Top Chef'' and ``Last Chef Standing.'' Both chefs displayed incredible skill and perseverance in their respective competitions and showcased what makes Hawaii's food scene so special, with our unique blend of cultures and cuisines. I continue to think Hawaii is among the best eating places on the planet. I am so proud of both of them.”
Senate18 June 2026Source ↗
“Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.”
Senate18 June 2026Source ↗
“You cast a ballot, and he becomes the President of the United States. It went very badly. This is the worst 100 days of a Presidency in American history. I yield the floor.”
Senate29 April 2025Source ↗
“For some, it was the price of everything. For some, it was Biden's being too old. A lot of people had a lot of reasons, and I am not here to judge. A good buddy of mine, a former Governor of Hawaii, used to say: You know, people vote for you for their reasons, not yours. So I am not here to try to be vindicated. I am saying, for even those people who voted for him, all of the reasons that you voted for him, unless you were enthused about corruption, unless you were enthused about lawbreaking, unless you really hated Medicaid, unless you really wanted veterans to be laid off, unless you really wanted our standing in the world to be diminished by massive proportions in a super short period of time--unless you love that stuff, it is OK to say: This guy is not working out. He doesn't own your vote. He doesn't own your support.”
Senate29 April 2025Source ↗
“One final point: Whether it is withholding funds that were enacted by Congress and made into law or deporting people without due process, including a 2-year-old--a 2-year-old--American citizen with cancer last week, Trump is breaking the law on a daily basis. Everyone is afforded due process in our system, and with good reason--because the moment some people are not provided due process, there is no telling who is entitled to it and who is not and, crucially, who decides who gets due process. It sure shouldn't be any individual elected official to determine whether you get due process. This has been the worst start to a Presidency in the history of the United States. People had their own reasons for voting for Trump last fall. I have got friends who voted for Trump. I understand, for some, it was COVID. For some, it was Gaza.”
Senate29 April 2025Source ↗
“It is the kind of thing that if you are on the Foreign Relations Committee or the Defense Committee or whatever it is and you are traveling abroad, you will have in your talking points to scold some counterpart of yours about corruption. This is the kind of thing that, up until about 100 days ago, we went around the world trying to prevent, but now our leader is doing it. While regular people are losing money every day because of Trump, he and his family continue to get richer--and worse, if Trump has his way with the tax bill, billionaires will get the biggest tax break in history while children, seniors, and families find it even harder to make ends meet because they can no longer get healthy meals or because they have been kicked off of Medicaid.”
Senate29 April 2025Source ↗
“Just days before his inauguration, he launched his own meme coin, which he encouraged supporters to buy. For those of you who are not super up on all the crypto stuff, this is the equivalent of basically saying: I have a Swiss bank account in case anybody wants to deposit money into the President of the United States' pocket. That is what this meme coin does. After he made close to $100 million from it, the coin quickly lost most of its value. And then just last week, after Trump announced a dinner with the coin's top holders, complete with a ``VIP White House tour''--let's be very clear. There are some things you absolutely can't do. One of them is to monetize the Presidency. The other thing is to use a government building, to use the White House as an inducement to pay the U.S. President is out-of-this-world corrupt.”
Senate29 April 2025Source ↗
“A lot of Trump's failures, whether in domestic or foreign policy, boil down to the simple fact that he and his people honestly don't know what they are doing. There is no grand strategy that we are all somehow missing. There is no brilliant, new way of looking at things. They are just kind of messing around in the most powerful positions on the planet--the Signal group chat, the forged DOGE savings receipts, the frantic firing and rehiring of nuclear weapons workers and disease detectives. The people currently in charge of the most powerful Nation in human history, moving trillions of dollars around, are just winging it, and their response to the frequent mistakes, no matter how serious or costly, is ``oops'' or sometimes they pretend it was their plan all along. Trump's ineptitude is matched only by his corruption.”
Senate29 April 2025Source ↗
“I have a friend of a friend who just texted me. They were doing good work in Fiji, and they were sent home. China came in within 2 weeks and is performing the same work. I cannot imagine anybody making the argument that that is good for the United States. You do not counter China's growing regional influence or outcompete its economy by walking away from the world and insulting all of your friends. You don't bring peace to Gaza and Ukraine by making false promises and empty threats, nor do you win the future on issues like AI and clean energy by pretending that America, as strong and powerful as we are--and we are strong and powerful--that we can solve any of these global challenges alone.”
Senate29 April 2025Source ↗
“An earthquake hit Myanmar, and the United States sent three aid workers to assist with the disaster response, who were then fired while they were on the ground. We have three people there to help people in Myanmar, where there was a catastrophic earthquake. The ``United States'' logo is on their armbands, and they are fired and told to come home. Guess what happened next. China sent 600 workers and has committed to delivering close to $14 million in supplies. I think that is catastrophic for humanitarian reasons. I think that is catastrophic for moral reasons. I think it is bad that the United States is causing death on purpose. But even if you don't care about that, we can at least see the geopolitical downside to vacating the scene when another country is in trouble and letting China go into the breach.”
Senate29 April 2025Source ↗
“We used to be the good guys that would respond to disasters and treat diseases around the world, but Trump has decimated one of the most successful global health programs in history--PEPFAR--leaving an estimated 1 million newborns to contract HIV from their mothers--1 million newborns contracting HIV from their mothers. What possible purpose could there be behind that? One note to my former colleague Secretary Rubio: There is not a waiver program in place that allows lifesaving aid to flow. These organizations that provide aid are absolutely shutting down. I was just talking to a colleague who was in Africa over the recess period, and he said kids are on half rations. Kids are half the size they are supposed to be because of what America is doing--because of what America is doing.”
Senate29 April 2025Source ↗
“The national parks, the VA, the NIH, the CDC--these are the kinds of American institutions that have made us strong for generations, and they are being trashed on purpose. A proposed downsizing at the Postal Service will keep people waiting longer to get their packages and their mail and their prescriptions and their bills, especially in rural and remote areas. And none of this is saving any money. It is absolutely making people's everyday lives harder. OK, so the economy is not doing great, support services are being cut left and right, but are we at least safer and stronger and more respected globally? The answer is no. Since his first hours in office when he froze all foreign assistance, Trump has undermined our safety and national security at every single turn.”
Senate29 April 2025Source ↗
“Here we are, and the American economy is in a free fall, threatening to drag the entire world down with it. But it is not just the economy that is hurting. Trump, aided by his band of rogue advisers, including Elon Musk and Russ Vought, has broken basically everything, forcing seniors and disabled people to wait for hours just to get help with the benefits they have already earned. Veterans are being laid off by the thousands and facing even longer delays in getting the care they need. Trash is piling up at national parks with fewer park rangers to look after them. Drastic cuts to medical research and staff mean fewer discoveries and potentially lifesaving treatments for conditions like cancer and Alzheimer's.”
Senate29 April 2025Source ↗
“You will recall that there was a global pandemic that caused people to have a low level of consumer confidence. But this is not a global pandemic; this is a self-imposed recession by one person who has a very weird idea about economic policy and nobody willing to stand up to the mad King. This is not what people voted for. And if you voted for Donald Trump--look, a lot of people voted for Donald Trump. Most people voted for Donald Trump. I am not here to scold anybody. But people thought that whatever his other faults, Trump was going to be good for the money side of things--he was going to be good for your money; he was going to be good for entrepreneurship; he was going to be good for your 401(k); he was going to be good for the stock market; he was going to be good for investments.”
Senate29 April 2025Source ↗
“People's life savings and college plans for their kids are being gutted. Tens of thousands of jobs are getting cut. Investors are looking for more stable places to invest their money. The hallmark of the U.S. financial system and economy is that we are the most stable place, the most predictable place, the best place for rule of law, to park your money, for infrastructure, for higher education, and all of that has been lit on fire in 100 days. Unfortunately, the worst is yet to come. Trump's approach to tariffs--one day they are on, and the next day they are gone--is starting to make everything from groceries, to clothes, to cars and homes more expensive. And people are understandably worried about a recession. Consumer confidence is at its lowest point in 5 years.”
Senate29 April 2025Source ↗
“Mr. President, we are 100 days into Donald Trump's term, and it is time that we ask the most important question, the most obvious question, but it is a question, actually, that has not been asked enough--not ``How is he doing?'' not even ``What is he doing?'' That is important too. The most important question is ``How are we doing under Donald Trump?'' The answer is ``Terrible.'' It is going very badly. In 3 months, we have become less safe, less secure, and less prosperous, and it comes down to Donald Trump. People voted for him for all kinds of reasons, but as my friend Senator Chris Murphy said, people took him seriously when he said he would lower costs and didn't take him seriously when he said he would act like a dictator. It turns out that the opposite is true. We are paying more for everything. We are paying more for everything.”
Senate29 April 2025Source ↗
“In 2002, he was among a small group of Senators who voted against the invasion of Iraq, cautioning against the dangers of acting hastily on fear rather than fact. Years later, in the throes of the war on terror, Senator Durbin became an outspoken critic of the U.S. Government's use of torture in foreign prisons. In both instances, he was criticized and condemned at the time. In both instances, history has rendered his judgment as the right and patriotic one. It has been one of the true privileges of my career to serve as his chief deputy whip and to watch him work his magic during floor debates and in the Judiciary Committee. He is a gentleman of the Senate through and through. I will never forget the time he took to talk about my dad's legacy on this very floor.”
Senate28 April 2025Source ↗
“Those laws have since helped to reduce overcrowding in prisons, lower criminal recidivism, and revitalize communities across the country. Shocked by the plight of Dreamers who spent their lives calling America home but without the papers to prove it, Senator Durbin has been on the frontlines of the push to put them on a path to citizenship. It is a fight that still continues and one that I know Senator Durbin will keep at for as long as it takes. Anyone who has served in this body long enough knows that there are those votes that test your resolve and weigh heavily on your conscience. And for so long, Senator Durbin has been a uniquely consistent voice of moral clarity and conscience, not just when it is easy or when it is obvious but especially when it is hard and even when it is lonely.”
Senate28 April 2025Source ↗
“Madam President, everyone enters public service hoping that they can make a difference, but few have the ability or the fortune to do as much good as Senator Dick Durbin has over his long and storied career. Since stepping into these Halls of Congress more than 40 year ago, Senator Durbin has fought passionately for his constituents back home in his beloved Illinois and Americans all across the country. And while so many of us have already benefited from his extraordinary work, both knowingly and unknowingly, his legacy will continue to improve the lives of Americans for many years to come. To know Senator Durbin is to understand he is as decent and as principled as leaders come. He is dogged in his fight for fairness and justice but humble in sharing the credit for all of his successes.”
Senate28 April 2025Source ↗
“Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.”
Senate28 April 2025Source ↗
“I ask for the yeas and nays.”
Senate8 April 2025Source ↗
“Now that I am in the Senate, even more so do I have an obligation to not say anything that is untrue but also just to be careful not to be too provocative. So I say this advisedly: Millions of people will die because of the U.S. Government executive branch. This is a global humanitarian catastrophe about to happen on America's watch. When I became ranking member of the subcommittee, one of the first things I talked to Chairman Lindsey Graham about was: How do we make things work better? Where can we better align our priorities? I am open for business if the enterprise is lawmaking, and I am absolutely opposed if the enterprise is lawbreaking. I yield the floor.”
Senate12 March 2025Source ↗
“Foreign Aid Mr. President, it wasn't so long ago that a Senator stood on this floor and said the following: Foreign aid as a part of our overall budget is less than 1 percent of the total amount the US Government spends. I promise you it is going to be a lot harder to recruit someone to anti-Americanism and anti-American terrorism if the United States of America is the reason one is even alive today. The person who said that was not me. It wasn't another Democrat. It was then-Senator, now-Secretary of State Marco Rubio.”
Senate12 March 2025Source ↗
“Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the mandatory quorum with respect to the Miran nomination be waived.”
Senate12 March 2025Source ↗
“Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.”
Senate12 March 2025Source ↗
“Trump Administration Madam President, we are witnessing one of the worst starts to any Presidency in generations, and it is not even close. There is a possibility of negative growth in the first quarter of this year--which would have been unheard of--so bad economically that the Secretary of Commerce is trying to concoct another way to calculate GDP.”
Senate3 March 2025Source ↗
“Mr. President, the price of everything is going up. Outbreaks of measles and bird flu are killing people. Airplanes are almost crashing or actually crashing and falling out of the sky. Tens of thousands of Federal workers, including veterans, are being laid off in Donald Trump's government purge. So obviously it is a Monday, and we have two votes tonight, and so we are going to address one of those critical issues. Oh, no.”
Senate3 March 2025Source ↗
“Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.”
Senate3 March 2025Source ↗
“Madam President, I ask for the yeas and nays.”
Senate5 February 2025Source ↗
“I vote no for the 400,000 people in Hawaii who depend on Medicaid.”
Senate5 February 2025Source ↗
“A lot of bad stuff is about to happen. But the roots of democracy are deep; and like my friend Calvin Say says: ``Bend but don't break.'' I want everybody to understand, ``bend but don't break.'' I am so proud of Chris for coming here and staying from 2 to 5. I may go get a little more coffee and come and join you, or I may take a nap. I yield the floor.”
Senate5 February 2025Source ↗
“It used to be easier when I was on Hawaii time, but I have been here for a couple of weeks, so this is actually late for me. I just want to recognize that we have most Democratic Senators speaking at some point through this 30-hour period, but Murph decided to take the 2 a.m. to 5 a.m. shift. I hope you haven't had too much Mountain Dew at this point. I would be happy to yield to the Senator from Connecticut. With the permission of the Chair, I ask unanimous consent to engage in a colloquy without having to go through the Chair every time.”
Senate5 February 2025Source ↗
“What is happening right now is an attempt to reorder the whole damn system in a way that is going to make every individual citizen across the country less powerful, because when you elect someone--and I will yield to the Senator from Minnesota in just a moment--when you elect someone and you tell them your spending priorities and they come home and say ``Good news; I got this'' or ``Good news; I cut this'' and then you realize that is only a recommendation, it is the OMB Director whose name you have never heard of--his name is Russ Vought--who gets to decide. That is not our system of government, and that is why we are going to be fighting all night about this issue. I yield the floor.”
Senate5 February 2025Source ↗
“The Affordable Care Act has made insurance more expensive.'' Now, that is just flatly not true. You can hate it, and you can say it is an expansion of government, and you can say that it is an inefficient way to do it, but it is flatly not true that people are paying more in premiums. You might hate the fact that it is a big subsidy for people. I yield the floor to the majority leader.”
Senate3 February 2025Source ↗
“Project 2025 Mr. President, they really are implementing Project 2025. And I have to say, back in the campaign, I was wary about making that accusation that they are going to implement this book, right. And I was trying to figure out if I could read the whole Project 2025 into the Record, and at least one of the--well, I will just say it: ChatGPT told me it would take 119 hours. So I am not going to do that this evening. But I will tell you that, if you read it, you will understand that they are actually really implementing Project 2025.”
Senate3 February 2025Source ↗