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Floor Speech

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Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, last night, while Americans were asleep, Senate Republicans gutted critical funding for local TV and radio, for foreign aid that keeps America safe, all to keep paying for their billionaire tax cuts.

On the very same day that communities in Alaska turned to public radio and TV for tsunami warning updates, Republicans in Washington voted to take that funding away. It is senseless, it is cruel, and just defies common sense. Republicans have become the party of ``cut, cut, cut now, ask questions later; cut healthcare for 17 million Americans; cut food assistance for hungry kids; cut good-paying energy jobs, let Beijing get ahead of us.'' Never mind that kids will go hungry or that families will lose insurance or that people get sick and die.

Make no mistake--make no mistake--just like with the ``Big Ugly Bill'' the more Americans learn about what Republicans just did in this rescission package, the more they won't like it and the more Republicans will squirm. We saw a lot of squirming last night.

When parents see Republicans just axed educational programming, when people see Republicans just axed ``Sesame Street'' to pay for tax cuts for billionaires, when rural Americans see Republicans not just betrayed them and defunded public radio--sometimes the only source in rural areas so vital to natural disasters, it is the only news source there--the consequences will be severe. Americans will remember. Democrats will ensure that they don't forget.

We will make sure Americans don't forget what Republicans are doing, just like we are doing with the ``Big Ugly Bill,'' just like these taxes for billionaires, just like these massive Medicaid cuts.

Last night's vote axing PBS, axing local TV will haunt Republicans as the damage sets in. Today, tomorrow, next month, next year, Americans will be talking about these cuts at their diners, at the grocery store, at dinner, at the park, because the cuts will be felt everywhere.

Here is what Americans don't want: They don't want Republicans to rubberstamp DOGE's awful and damaging cuts, no questions asked. Republicans never seem to challenge Donald Trump or DOGE--or both.

When you cut investments that actually make people's lives better, when you cut those investments like healthcare, local TV, and education, people get angry. So make no mistake, when Donald Trump and Republicans rammed the ``Big Ugly Bill'' through, Americans quickly saw how Donald Trump and Republicans betrayed them, and their popularity is already declining.

When families saw the consequences, when Americans saw the Medicaid cuts, when kids are getting food ripped from their mouths so billionaires can pay less in taxes, it is disastrous for Donald Trump and many Republicans, and we saw that on many faces across the aisle last night who didn't want to do what Trump wanted them to do but were forced into it because of threats or frailty or fear.

Well, the same thing has happened, as I speak. As I speak, Democrats are fighting in the Appropriations Committee to unwind the awful DOGE cuts against veterans, and that is just what is happening to our veterans through these DOGE cuts. What is happening to them is terrible.

Our veterans--these are the people who volunteered, who risked their lives. Many of them came back with injuries and PTSD. And when they get to the veterans hospitals, because there have been such cuts, their care is inadequate. They risked their lives for us, and Republicans and Trump and DOGE cut veterans' health and veterans' care. It is outrageous--outrageous--and they are doing it.

We have heard a lot of verbiage: Oh, we love our veterans. And then they cut what our veterans need and want.

The meeting today in the Appropriations Committee shows that there is a way Republicans can undo these awful DOGE cuts. Reversing DOGE cuts through the MILCON appropriations bill today is a direct rebuke to Donald Trump. It is saying to Trump: We don't like what you did, but we will see if Republicans come along, if they will defy Trump and vote to undo the DOGE cuts.

It is simple. Republicans have a choice to make as we move forward. They can put their constituents over Trump and work with Democrats to continue funding the government in a responsible way, or they can continue to go it alone and continue to bow in obeisance to Donald Trump and rubberstamp his awful cuts that do such harm to our Americans in uniform.

And if they go it alone, without undoing the terrible things that DOGE did here and elsewhere, Democrats will make them pay a price, just as we have made them pay a price on reconciliation.

Republicans can continue to bow in obeisance to Trump and rubberstamp whatever cuts he tells them to make, but you can't just push these awful cuts farther and farther down people's throats and not expect them--the people--to respond.

Republicans, for their own good and for the good of the country, need to be careful about making so many devastating cuts so quickly and just on party-line vote in reconciliation and rescission and whatever else they might come up with to avoid the process.

And if Republicans keep going down this road, if they choose to ignore the bipartisan process, if they keep reneging on funding agreements reached in committee, if they prefer to strike deals with Donald Trump and Russell Vought to use impoundment decisions and pocket rescissions to cut whatever they want on a party-line vote, the harms to the American people will be devastating.

It will be devastating in healthcare. It will be devastating to our farmers. It will be devastating to our veterans. It will be devastating to the millions of people who were promised jobs in healthcare and clean energy.

It will be Americans back home who will see even more cuts as they proceed on this road, if they do--more cuts to housing, more cuts to education, to research, to economic development.

It will be our farmers who see their costs go up. It will be our small businesses who get taken advantage of by special interests and by erratic tariff policies.

The consequences for this Chamber and our country will be stark--very stark, indeed.

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