Unanimous Consent Request--S. 3811

Floor Speech

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Mr. SCOTT of Florida. Mr. President, a few days ago, the Senate heard directly from President Zelenskyy. The bravery and leadership we have seen from President Zelenskyy and the Ukrainian people is incredible.

And during this call, he was very clear about what the Ukrainian people need to defend themselves against Russia's unjustified invasion. What is unbelievable is that even after seeing horrifying images on the news and hearing from the Ukrainian President himself, the Senate has done nothing to get the aid they so desperately need approved and on its way. Why? Because Senator Chuck Schumer is holding it hostage.

Senator Schumer is keeping this body from voting on and passing the Ukrainian aid package because he is holding it hostage to include it in the $1.5 trillion omnibus. People are dying. Yesterday while the Senate floor was closed at Senator Schumer's direction, Putin's evil forces bombed a children's hospital.

What in the world are we doing here? It is heartless. It is shameful. It is a stain on the integrity of the Senate and the United States that aid for Ukrainians is being used as a political tool.

We could have voted on the weekend. We could have voted on Monday or Tuesday or yesterday.

But Senator Schumer closed the floor and made it impossible to vote. Ukrainians are dying. It is time to end these games. These are stupid games. That is why I am asking that we immediately take a vote to pass the aid to Ukraine.

And I am thankful that many of my colleagues have joined me to make this request. Senators Marsha Blackburn, John Boozman, Tom Cotton, Steve Daines, Joni Ernst, Chuck Grassley, Cynthia Lummis, and Roger Marshall have all cosponsored my proposal.

What I am asking is to pass the exact text--the exact text--that both the Democrats and Republicans, they have already agreed to this. We can send this to the President's desk today. By holding this hostage in the omnibus, Senator Schumer is forcing even further delays. The omnibus won't go to President Biden's desk until next week.

The people of Ukraine are in the fight for their lives and their freedom. Every day the Senate waits to send American aid, weapons, and resources to help them is another day that their fighting against this Russian invasion is even made more difficult.

There is no reason we can't vote on this aid package now and pass it today. Waiting even 1 more day puts more lives at risk. Let's act now to protect global freedom from Putin's tyranny.

Now, I will turn it over to Senator Roger Marshall.

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Mr. SCOTT of Florida. Mr. President, I want to thank my colleague from Wyoming. I want to thank my colleagues from Kansas and from Tennessee for their interest in making sure that we get Ukraine aid to the citizens of Ukraine today.

3811, which is at the desk; that there be 2 hours for debate, equally divided in the usual form; and that upon the use or yielding back of time, the bill be read a third time and the Senate vote on passage of the bill without intervening action or debate.

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Mr. SCOTT of Florida. Mr. President, it is hard to express my anger and frustration.

What in the hell are we doing here?

I asked for the Senate to do a very simple thing: vote today on desperately needed aid for Ukraine, and Senate Democrats have blocked it.

This is the exact text--the exact text--that both Democrats and Republicans have already agreed to.

People need to know exactly why Democrats have blocked this commonsense bill. I know. It is because they are following orders from Senator Schumer to block passage of aid to Ukraine so we can continue to hold it hostage in the omnibus.

That is what we are dealing with here.

We could send this to the President's desk today, but Senate Democrats have said no because they are insisting that it be passed with the omnibus.

The omnibus is $1.5 trillion, 2,700 pages; as my colleague from Wyoming said, 4,000 earmarks. Senator Schumer alone has 150 earmarks, $600,000 for a greenhouse in New York, $3 million for museum galleries in Brooklyn.

I mean, to him, the omnibus is just a joke. It is a way to send some money home.

Today, inflation just hit 7.9 percent--another 40-year high. And contrary to what President Biden just said this morning, that is just for February. That massive spike in inflation doesn't reflect the big price hikes we have seen in March. The truth is, we have no idea how the omnibus will impact inflation, and we haven't anywhere near the time we need to actually read it.

This whole process is broken, and it reminds me of a truth here in Washington: In Washington, compromise means that both sides get everything they want, and no one has to make a tough choice. Put simply, when Washington settles, taxpayers all across this country lose.

Americans should be furious with Congress. Ukrainians should be absolutely furious with us. While Russian bombs are being dropped on their homes, cities, and hospitals, Democrats in the Senate are blocking the approval of American aid so that they can play politics. Every day that Senator Schumer refuses to allow a vote is a big gift from Senate Democrats to Putin.

I am actually disgusted by what happened here today. To see aid for Ukraine used as a political tool is heartless. It is a stain on the integrity of the Senate and the United States. A fight for freedom and democracy rages in Europe, and Senate Democrats should be ashamed by what Senator Schumer has forced each of you to do today.

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