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Floor Speech

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Mr. PADILLA. Mr. President, I rise today to reiterate my objection to Donald Trump's EPA nominations and Republicans' unprecedented attacks not only on California's climate leadership but on the rules and procedures of this body. But before I do that, I want first to address what has unfolded in my hometown of Los Angeles over the last several days.

Now, in my opinion, it is not a coincidence, after one of the most embarrassing weeks, to be sure, of the Trump Presidency and as the public has continued to learn the truth about the budget reconciliation bill that would cut healthcare for so many working families across the country in order to pay for further tax breaks for the most wealthy in America--I am sure he didn't appreciate us shining a light on that--and as we continue to see the impact of his failed tariff wars and the increasing costs on those same working families and, of course, the attention that his breakup with Elon Musk got--it was not a good week for the President.

So, just as he has done so many times before, when things are going bad, when all else fails, what does he do? Classic Trump playbook: He turns to scapegoating immigrants. And he decided that this was the time to launch indiscriminate ICE raids throughout the Los Angeles region, clearly not just targeting criminals but so many others--ICE raids in workplaces--in an attempt to manufacture a crisis.

Colleagues, for the first time since 1965, the President federalized the National Guard without the Governor's approval, without the request of the Governor, in order to create chaos, in order to escalate tensions in the region and to create a pretext for more extreme actions in the future.

So let's be clear. What you are all seeing on the news about the Los Angeles region right now is a crisis that Donald Trump has created, and he is doing it to distract from his failed agenda.

To those back in California who are watching, I have a couple of messages. No. 1, please peacefully protest. You have a right to peacefully protest. No. 2, let's not give the President what he wants. There are two things he wants. He either wants us to be quiet and go away and let him continue to overreach and abuse his power--we will not stand for that. We have First Amendment rights. So let's peacefully protest.

Second, for those who think this is an opportunity to exploit and to turn violent, to vandalize, that is exactly what Donald Trump wants-- any excuse, large or small, to continue to escalate his use of force. Let's not give him that.

To the rest of the country, I urge you to see this for what it is, because when the headline turns on Donald Trump, Donald Trump turns on the American people. And the truth is, California is no stranger to Trump's playbook. We have seen it before--which brings me back to the point I have today about the EPA nomination.

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