Appropriations

Floor Speech

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Mr. SCHUMER. This week, the Senate is expected to take up the first set of appropriation bills for fiscal year 2026.

On the substance, a number of the bills negotiated in committee make significant reversals of DOGE's horrible cuts. Of particular importance are the reversals these bills make to DOGE's cuts to veterans programs, which were so vicious and so mean and hurt so many veterans. And it also makes reversals on other important Democratic priorities.

We will see how Republican leaders plan to move forward with these bills and other bipartisan bills on the floor.

Yet, yesterday, the Republican leader gave an interview where he said he would like to see more bipartisanship when it comes to appropriations. He said, rightly, that it takes cooperation from both sides to move things through the Senate, in the appropriations bills.

But, frankly, the Republican leader is talking a bit out of both sides of his mouth. On the one hand, he talks about bipartisanship and wanting to see both parties come up with an appropriations process. On the other, he is putting on the floor rescission packages with cuts demanded by Donald Trump and Russell Vought that retract many of the bipartisan agreements, with the promise by Russell Vought of more to come.

When Donald Trump and Russell Vought insist on rescissions, and an obedient Republican Congress goes along--even though many of them know how wrong it is--it makes the spending process totally partisan.

The leader's words and his actions are a complete contradiction. He can't have it both ways.

Again, not 1 week ago, Republicans jammed a rescissions package through this Chamber, axing billions in bipartisan funding to public broadcasting and foreign aid, purely on a party-line vote. Less than a day later, Russell Vought comes out and says the appropriations process should be ``less bipartisan.''

Frankly, I don't want to hear Republicans grouse about Democrats if they are going to give people like Russell Vought a free pass to trash the good work that takes place in this Chamber.

And now, of course, there are reports that Donald Trump and Russell Vought want Congress to agree on another rescissions package in the near future.

Then, there is Donald Trump's ``Big Ugly Betrayal''--a purely party- line vote, a partisan giveaway to billionaires and special interests-- paid for with the biggest cuts to healthcare, food funding, and good- paying energy jobs we have seen in our lifetimes.

Leader Thune says he wants to see bipartisanship. That is all well and good. But Leader Thune can't have it both ways. If Leader Thune wants to talk about bipartisanship, he should focus on keeping his side of the street clean first, because Donald Trump and Russell Vought have made clear they want to continue launching partisan broadsides that will inflict deep harm on the American people, raising costs, unleashing chaos, inviting even deeper corruption across the Federal Government.

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