Executive Session

Floor Speech

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Mr. SCHUMER. Madam President, last night, President Trump's Justice Department issued a letter to the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals calling for the elimination of healthcare coverage for tens of millions of Americans.

Up until last night, the Trump administration had said one aspect of the Affordable Care Act was unconstitutional, but last night, the Department of Justice declared that the entire law and all of its vital healthcare protections must go.

Make no mistake about it--this is an escalation of the Trump administration's and Republicans' attacks on protections for people with preexisting conditions. All the protestations for keeping preexisting conditions--President Trump said it as recently as this past campaign--out the window. This court case says get rid of preexisting conditions, and the Trump administration is pursuing the case. What are they saying to the 52 million Americans who are dependent on protections for preexisting conditions? What are President Trump and his Justice Department saying to a mom whose son or daughter has cancer and the insurance company says ``We are not covering it'' and they have to watch their child suffer because they can't afford it?

The move by the Trump administration is a slap in the face to American families, a devastating blow to Republicans who promised to protect people with preexisting conditions. How many of our Republican colleagues will go to the floor today and condemn the Trump administration? I will bet, not one. I will bet, not one. I hope I am wrong, but I will bet, not one.

In two short sentences, the Trump administration crystalized its position that the healthcare coverage enjoyed by nearly 20 million people, as well as the protections for tens of millions more with preexisting conditions, should be annihilated. That is now the official position, full stop. And the Trump position ties a 2-year anchor around the neck of every Republican for the next 2 years. Yet again, they will be forced to defend the indefensible. It is a stark reminder of the difference between our two parties. Democrats are fighting to expand and improve healthcare coverage and lower costs, while Republicans are trying to take it all away and raise costs.

The bottom line: From the moment this administration and this Republican majority came to power, they waged a wholesale attack on our healthcare system. They have pushed policies that would rip away people's healthcare coverage, spike their premiums and prescription drugs costs, slap older Americans with an age tax, and reverse protections for people with preexisting conditions like cancer, asthma, and diabetes.

Democrats condemn, in the strongest possible terms, this attack against the American people and demand we take action to protect our healthcare.

I know that the administration is very happy with the Mueller report, and so are our Republican friends. This move by the Trump administration to take away healthcare will prove far more detrimental to the administration and the Republican Party than any gains they might have made by the issuance of Mr. Barr's letter. Mark my words. It is far more important to the American people--far more important to the American people--because it involves their lives and the lives of their families. The Trump administration is hurting them badly. Climate Change

Madam President, on another matter, today, Leader McConnell will follow through on one of his specialties, ``gotcha'' politics, by forcing a vote of the Republicans' version of the Green New Deal.

Make no mistake--Republicans want to force this political stunt to distract from the fact that they neither have a plan nor a sense of urgency to deal with the threat of climate change. With this exercise, the Republican majority has made a mockery of the legislative process. It is a political act, a political stunt.

Everyone here knows it is a stunt, including the majority leader himself, who will put something on the floor and then vote no. What is the point of that, other than showing how hypocritical this act is?

With this exercise, they have also elevated the issue in a way, I am sure, they never intended, and, for that, I want to thank them because now we are finally talking about climate change.

For 5 years, the leader hasn't brought one bill to the floor that will deal with the issue of climate change. He may not agree with what some people are for. What is his plan? What is his plan?

Leader McConnell and every Republican, with one exception, has refused to sponsor a resolution.

Leader McConnell has refused to answer these questions, which he has been repeatedly asked. One, is climate change real? Do you believe that, Leader McConnell? Do you believe that, Republican Members?

Two, climate change is caused by humans. Do you believe that? Say it. Come to the floor and do something about it.

And this is three: Congress must act on climate change. This is a simple resolution. Every Democrat is for it. Will Leader McConnell sign it? Will any other Republican sign it? No. It shows where the party is.

We are going to continue asking these questions over and over again because our Republican colleagues want to play a stunt and vote no on another bill, but they don't want to say what they are for.

The scientific consensus is clear. Disasters are getting stronger and stronger. The great irony here is that right after this bill goes down and the McConnell stunt bill goes down, we are going to vote on disaster relief.

Do you know what has made disaster relief so much more necessary and so much more expensive? Climate change. The warmer the air, the warmer the globe and the wilder the weather gets, as the people in Iowa, Nebraska, and Kansas have just experienced.

So this idea that we are voting for disaster relief after a stunt, a sham vote on climate change--and the Republican leader and the Republican Senators have nothing to say on climate change--reveals in bright lights their ostrichlike behavior, putting their head in the sand, ignoring reality, doing nothing about it, and playing games.

Every single Democrat and a few of our Republican colleagues have joined in the resolution that says these three simple things. We will not rest until we have most every Republican joining because the public is on our side, science is on our side, and the need to help protect America--farmers, urban dwellers, suburban dwellers--from the devastating changes that climate is bringing upon us is very real.

Let's stop the nonsense. Let's get serious. Our children's future depends upon it. Our planet depends upon it. Mueller Report

Madam President, now there is one final matter. Yesterday, I came to the floor and asked unanimous consent on a very simple matter--that the report completed by Special Counsel Mueller and all of the corresponding evidence and documentation be made publicly available for the American people.

There was a request, above all, to achieve the greatest level of transparency possible into the very serious matters of Russian interference in our elections. Transparency--that is all we want.

I am hardly alone. It is the same resolution that passed the House unanimously, with the President's strongest defenders voting for it. They want transparency.

Why has Leader McConnell objected to making the report public? What in the world is he hiding? He got up and objected when we asked to make it public. If he had not gotten up, it would have passed.

President Trump has called for the report to be made public. So why is the leader, the Republican leader, blocking all attempts at transparency? There is no conceivable reason for the Mueller report to remain hidden from public view. It is a shame--a darn shame--that Leader McConnell thinks otherwise.

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