Supplemental Funding

Floor Speech

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Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, today, the Senate gavels in on a Sunday to continue our work on the national security supplemental. In about an hour, we will take the next procedural vote--on cloture on the substitute amendment. I can't remember the last time the Senate was in session on Super Bowl Sunday, but as I have said all week long, we are going to keep working on this bill until the job is done.

Even though we are keeping the process moving on the floor, Democrats still hope we can reach an agreement with our Republican colleagues on a reasonable list of amendments. We are happy to have fair and reasonable amendment votes on the floor, so we will see if there is any possibility for speeding this process up. But at the same time, it is essential we finish the work on this bill.

It has been years, perhaps decades, that the Senate has taken up a stand-alone bill that so significantly impacts not just our national security, not just the security of our allies, but the very security of Western democracy and our ideals.

As we speak, Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine has rendered parts of Eastern Europe a war zone, the likes of which we have not seen in those regions since the Second World War. Ukraine is dangerously low on supplies, including ammo and air defenses. If America doesn't assist Ukraine, Putin is all too likely to succeed, as President Zelenskyy repeatedly has reminded us. The only right answer to this threat is for the Senate to face it down unflinchingly by passing this bill as soon as we can.

Again, Democrats are ready to work with the other side in the spirit of bipartisanship. I know many of my Republican colleagues are working in good faith to get this done. I thank them for their dedication, for their good work, and for doing the right thing by voting yes yesterday. Let us move forward.

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