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20260806 233000 UTC
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[00:00:00] BROADEN ACCESS TO INVESTING IN CERTAIN PRODUCTS. SO MAIN STREET
[00:00:04] INVESTORS ARE CAPITAL PROVIDERS
[00:00:06] THEMSELVES. AND IF CONGRESS CONSIDERS LEGISLATION THAT
[00:00:09] BROADENS ACCESS TO INVESTING, WHAT GUARDRAILS DO YOU BELIEVE
[00:00:13] THAT CONGRESS SHOULD INCLUDE >> THANKS FOR YOUR QUESTION, SENATOR. I THINK ANYTIME YOU'RE
[00:00:16] TALKING ABOUT BROADENED ACCESS OR PROVIDING INFORMATION OR
[00:00:20] PROVIDING ACCESS TO ALL, I THINK THE FOUNDATION QUESTION SHOULD
[00:00:24] BE THAT WE SHOULD NOT PROVIDE
[00:00:26] ACCESS TO EVERYONE WITHOUT INVESTMENT PROTECTION,
[00:00:29] DISCLOSURE, AND TRANSPARENCY. I THINK THAT WHAT CONGRESS CAN DO IS THINK OF ANY TYPE OF
[00:00:33] LEGISLATION. BUT THE FIRST THING YOU SHOULD THINK ABOUT IS, WILL
[00:00:36] THIS LEGISLATION COST? IS IT
[00:00:38] SOMETHING THAT HAS A HAS A DETRIMENT TO, TO PEOPLE WHO
[00:00:42] ACTUALLY TRYING TO PROVIDE. SO I THINK THAT WHEN ANYTIME YOU'RE TRYING TO THINK OF ACCESS OF
[00:00:45] POLICIES, YOU ALSO, IN THE BACK OF YOUR MIND, THINK ABOUT INVESTMENT PROTECTION,
[00:00:49] TRANSPARENCY, AND THINGS OF THE SUCH.
[00:00:53] >> THANK YOU. >> THANK YOU, SENATOR ALSOBROOKS. THANKS TO ALL FOUR WITNESSES FOR BEING WITH US
[00:00:56] TODAY. WE REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR INSIGHT, YOUR PERSPECTIVE, AND
[00:00:59] YOUR EXPERTISE. WE LOOK FORWARD
[00:01:01] TO CONTINUING TO ENGAGE ON THIS VERY IMPORTANT TOPIC FOR
[00:01:04] SENATORS WHO WISH TO SUBMIT QUESTIONS, FOR HEARING, FOR THE
[00:01:07] HEARING, RECORD. THOSE QUESTIONS
[00:01:09] ARE DUE ONE WEEK FROM TODAY, AUGUST 13th. WITNESSES HAVE 45
[00:01:13] DAYS FROM THAT DAY TO FOLLOW UP
[00:01:15] WITH ANSWERS. THANK YOU. THE
[00:01:19] COMMITTEE IS NOW ADJOURNED.
[00:01:35] >> AND WE'RE LIVE HERE IN THE US SENATE, WAITING FOR A
[00:01:38] LAWMAKER TO SPEAK ON TODAY'S SCHEDULE. MORE WORK ON A GROUP
[00:01:42] OF 74 OF PRESIDENT TRUMP'S
[00:01:44] EXECUTIVE AND JUDICIAL NOMINEES, INCLUDING TSA AND FEMA
[00:01:48] ADMINISTRATORS, THE U.S. ARCHIVIST AND WHITE HOUSE BUDGET
[00:01:52] DEPUTY DIRECTOR. WE MAY ALSO SEE FURTHER ACTION TODAY ON
[00:01:55] LEGISLATION FUNDING. THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT PAST THE SEPTEMBER
[00:01:58] 30th DEADLINE TO DECEMBER 11th,
[00:02:01] AND A BILL TO IMPOSE ADDITIONAL SANCTIONS AGAINST RUSSIA AND
[00:02:05] IRAN, NAMED AFTER THE LATE SOUTH CAROLINA SENATOR LINDSEY GRAHAM.
[00:02:08] AND, OF COURSE, THE NOMINATION OF TODD BLANCHE CONTINUES TO
[00:02:11] AWAIT A FULL SENATE VOTE, WITH
[00:02:14] MAINE REPUBLICAN SUSAN COLLINS DECLARED NO VOTE. THE MARGIN FOR
[00:02:18] PASSAGE IS SLIM. HOWEVER, ARIZONA DEMOCRAT RUBEN GALLEGO
[00:02:22] LEFT TOWN TO ATTEND TO HIS WIFE,
[00:02:24] WHO HAD AN EMERGENCY APPENDECTOMY SURGERY. WHILE
[00:02:27] ORIGINALLY SAYING HE WOULD MISS VOTES TO CARE FOR HER, HE POSTED
[00:02:31] EARLIER TODAY THAT HE WOULD NOT MISS THE VOTE ON MR. BLANCHE.
[00:02:35] YOU'RE WATCHING LIVE COVERAGE OF THE SENATE HERE ON C-SPAN.
[00:02:38] TWO.
[00:02:42] >> MR. PRESIDENT, I COME TO THE
[00:02:45] FLOOR TODAY BECAUSE YESTERDAY I HEARD THE MINORITY LEADER ON THE
[00:02:49] FLOOR SPEAKING ABOUT THE
[00:02:51] ECONOMY. HE SOUNDED UPSET,
[00:02:54] SOUNDED UPSET TO HEAR THAT
[00:02:56] AMERICANS WERE KEEPING MORE OF
[00:02:58] THEIR HARD EARNED MONEY. HE
[00:03:03] ACTUALLY CALLED IT DISASTROUS. 97% OF AMERICANS BENEFITED FROM
[00:03:07] THE WORKING FAMILIES TAX CUTS
[00:03:09] LAW. THIS IS A BENEFIT. THIS IS
[00:03:12] NOT A DISASTER. WHAT I SEE AS DISASTROUS IS THE DEMOCRATS
[00:03:16] DEMAND TO RAISE TAXES. THEY WANT TO RAISE TAXES ON HARDWORKING
[00:03:19] AMERICANS ALL ACROSS THE COUNTRY. DEMOCRATS CONTINUE TO
[00:03:23] THINK THAT THEY KNOW HOW TO
[00:03:25] SPEND YOUR MONEY BETTER THAN YOU
[00:03:28] DO. I THINK IT'S BEEN A LIFELONG
[00:03:31] OBSESSION WITH THEM. IT'S PART OF THEIR DNA. IT'S BEEN GOING
[00:03:34] ON FOR YEARS TAX RATES FELL
[00:03:39] SIGNIFICANTLY THIS PAST YEAR,
[00:03:41] AND IT'S BECAUSE REPUBLICANS
[00:03:44] CUT TAXES. SO WHO ARE THE PEOPLE THAT BENEFITED THE MOST? WELL,
[00:03:46] THERE ARE PEOPLE, FAMILIES THAT
[00:03:49] MADE LESS THAN $200,000 A YEAR. THAT'S WHERE THE BENEFITS REALLY
[00:03:52] HIT HOME. HAPPENED ALL ACROSS THE COUNTRY, FROM CONNECTICUT TO
[00:03:56] CALIFORNIA. EVEN THOUGH THOSE
[00:03:57] STATES ARE REPRESENTED BY
[00:04:00] DEMOCRATS. PEOPLE ALL ACROSS THE COUNTRY BENEFITED. FAMILIES KEPT
[00:04:03] MORE OF WHAT THEY EARNED, AND THEN THEY COULD MAKE THEIR OWN DECISIONS ABOUT WHAT TO SAVE,
[00:04:06] WHAT TO SPEND, WHAT TO INVEST.
[00:04:09] YOU KNOW, WHO KNOWS IT? PEOPLE ON SOCIAL SECURITY KNOW IT. THEY
[00:04:12] GOT TO KEEP MORE OF THEIR HARD
[00:04:14] EARNED MONEY. PEOPLE WORK OVERTIME, KNOW IT BECAUSE OF NO
[00:04:17] TAX ON OVERTIME. PEOPLE WHO WORK
[00:04:20] FOR TIPS KNOW IT BECAUSE THEIR
[00:04:22] TIPS WEREN'T TAXED. PEOPLE UNDERSTOOD AND FELT THE
[00:04:26] IMPROVEMENT. ONE RESIDENT OF
[00:04:30] NEVADA RECENTLY SAID, I RECEIVED THE LARGEST TAX RETURN IN MY
[00:04:32] ENTIRE LIFE THIS YEAR. WHY NO
[00:04:37] TAX ON TIPS? EVERY SINGLE DEMOCRAT IN THIS CHAMBER VOTED
[00:04:41] AGAINST THESE THEY WANTED PEOPLE
[00:04:46] WHO EARN TOP TIPS TO PAY MORE IN TAXES. DEMOCRATS WANTED. PEOPLE WANT SOCIAL SECURITY TO PAY MORE
[00:04:50] IN TAXES. DEMOCRATS WANTED
[00:04:52] PEOPLE WHO WORK OVERTIME TO PAY
[00:04:54] MORE IN TAXES. AND THAT'S A
[00:04:56] DEFINING DIFFERENCE. MR.
[00:04:59] PRESIDENT, THE AMERICAN PEOPLE
[00:05:03] CLEARLY UNDERSTAND THIS. THE AMERICAN PEOPLE ARE TIRED AND SICK OF SEEING THEIR MONEY,
[00:05:07] THEIR TAXPAYER MONEY WASTED ON FRAUD, ABUSE, AND CORRUPTION.
[00:05:10] AND WE'RE SEEING THOSE THINGS
[00:05:12] ACROSS THE COUNTRY. PEOPLE WANT
[00:05:14] TO KEEP MORE OF WHAT THEY EARN,
[00:05:17] AND THEY KNOW THEY'RE THE BEST JUDGE. HOW TO SPEND IT THAT'S
[00:05:21] WHAT REPUBLICANS ARE FIGHTING FOR. WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO FIGHTING FOR THAT. THAT'S THE
[00:05:24] DIRECTION OUR COUNTRY IS HEADED.
[00:05:26] AND IN NOVEMBER OF 2024, PEOPLE
[00:05:29] MADE A CLEAR CHOICE. THEY CHOSE
[00:05:32] TO VOTE FOR REPUBLICANS BECAUSE
[00:05:36] THEY WANTED AMERICA TO BE SAFER,
[00:05:38] STRONGER, AND MORE PROSPEROUS.
[00:05:41] AND WE ARE TODAY. OVER THE PAST
[00:05:43] 18 MONTHS, REPUBLICANS HAVE UPHELD THAT COMMITMENT. WE'VE
[00:05:47] DELIVERED FOR THE AMERICAN PEOPLE. WE'RE MAKING SURE
[00:05:50] PEOPLE KEEP MORE OF WHAT THEY
[00:05:53] EARN. MORE THAN 60 MILLION
[00:05:56] AMERICANS BENEFITED FROM THE NEW TAX BENEFITS. SINCE REPUBLICANS
[00:05:59] PASSED THE WORKING FAMILIES TAX
[00:06:02] CUTS LAW. LET ME REMIND YOU
[00:06:04] ABOUT THE TRUMP ACCOUNTS. MORE
[00:06:06] THAN 7 MILLION AMERICAN CHILDREN
[00:06:09] ARE NOW SIGNED UP THIS YEAR FOR
[00:06:11] THIS SPECIAL NEW INVESTMENT
[00:06:16] ACCOUNT. IT'S AN ASTONISHING THING. FAMILIES, FRIENDS,
[00:06:19] COMMUNITY GROUPS, AND EVEN
[00:06:21] BUSINESSES ARE ALREADY INVESTING
[00:06:24] IN THEM. THIS IS CLEARLY
[00:06:26] STRENGTHENING THE AMERICAN DREAM FOR THE NEXT GENERATION. MR.
[00:06:29] PRESIDENT, I ALSO WANT TO TALK ABOUT THE BORDER, BECAUSE TODAY,
[00:06:32] OUR NATION'S IMMIGRATION LAWS
[00:06:35] ARE BEING STRONGLY ENFORCED.
[00:06:38] NATIONAL SECURITY BEGINS WITH
[00:06:42] BORDER SECURITY. ABSOLUTELY. ZERO ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS HAVE BEEN RELEASED INTO OUR COUNTRY
[00:06:46] IN OVER 14 MONTHS. ABSOLUTELY
[00:06:48] ZERO. BECAUSE REPUBLICANS HAVE ENDED THE RECKLESS JOE BIDEN
[00:06:52] CATCH AND RELEASE PROGRAM. AND
[00:06:54] WHAT A DISASTER THAT WAS.
[00:06:57] HUNDREDS AND THOUSANDS OF
[00:06:59] HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT CRIMINALS HAVE NOW
[00:07:02] BEEN ARRESTED AND DEPORTED SINCE
[00:07:05] PRESIDENT TRUMP TOOK OFFICE. AND WE'RE SEEING THE MOST SECURE
[00:07:09] BORDER AND THE MOST SUCCESSFUL
[00:07:11] DEPORTATION OPERATION IN ALL OF
[00:07:14] AMERICAN HISTORY. THIS YEAR, REPUBLICANS ALSO PASSED THE
[00:07:17] SECURE AMERICA ACT. THIS LAW ENSURES THAT IMMIGRATION
[00:07:21] OFFICIALS HAVE THE RESOURCES THAT THEY NEED TO KEEP OUR
[00:07:23] COUNTRY SAFE, AND TO KEEP OUR
[00:07:26] COMMUNITIES SAFE FOR YEARS TO
[00:07:29] COME. THIS ONE MENTIONED
[00:07:32] AFFORDABILITY, MR. PRESIDENT, BECAUSE TODAY, CONGRESS IS
[00:07:35] HAVING IS MAKING IT EASIER TO
[00:07:37] BUILD AND EASIER TO INNOVATE.
[00:07:40] THE LARGEST HOUSING REFORM BILL IN HISTORY IS NOW THE LAW OF THE
[00:07:44] LAND. WE ELIMINATED BURDENSOME REGULATIONS, REGULATIONS THAT
[00:07:48] MADE IT TOO COSTLY TO BUILD A
[00:07:50] NEW HOME IN AMERICA. AND WE'RE
[00:07:54] UNLOCKING THE AMERICAN DREAM OF HOME OWNERSHIP FOR A NEW
[00:07:57] GENERATION OF AMERICANS.
[00:08:00] CONGRESS ALSO PASSED THE FIRST MAJOR DIGITAL ASSET BILL IN
[00:08:03] AMERICAN HISTORY. IT'S CALLED THE GENIUS ACT. MY COLLEAGUE,
[00:08:06] CYNTHIA LUMMIS FROM WYOMING HAS
[00:08:08] BEEN A LEADER ON THE ISSUE.
[00:08:10] IT'S TIME FOR THE SENATE TO BUILD ON THAT BY PASSING THE
[00:08:15] CLARITY ACT. AMERICA IS SAFER
[00:08:19] AND STRONGER WHEN WE INNOVATE. I ALSO WANT TO TALK ABOUT SOME OF THE THINGS WE'RE DOING HERE TO
[00:08:23] MAKE SURE THE PRESIDENT HAS HIS
[00:08:24] TEAM FULLY IN PLACE, AND THAT'S
[00:08:29] CONFIRMATIONS. TODAY, REPUBLICANS ARE GETTING THE PRESIDENT'S TEAM FULLY IN
[00:08:32] PLACE. VERY SOON, WE WILL
[00:08:34] CONFIRM AN ADDITIONAL 74
[00:08:36] NOMINEES. THIS WILL BE NEARLY
[00:08:39] 600 PEOPLE CONFIRMED IN THE
[00:08:41] SECOND TRUMP ADMINISTRATION. THAT'S 60 MORE NOMINEES THAN HE
[00:08:44] HAD AT THIS POINT IN THE FIRST
[00:08:48] TRUMP ADMINISTRATION. AND WE'VE
[00:08:49] DONE IT IN THE FACE OF HISTORIC
[00:08:52] OBSTRUCTION BY THE DEMOCRATS NOW
[00:08:55] WE SEE THESE SAME DEMOCRATS ARE TRYING TO TEAR DOWN OUR COUNTRY,
[00:08:58] AND THEY'RE TRYING IT ALL
[00:09:00] ACROSS THE NATION. THE DEMOCRATS
[00:09:03] AGENDA IS NOT FOR A BETTER AMERICA, NOT FOR A BETTER FUTURE
[00:09:05] FOR OUR CHILDREN. NO, NO. THEY ACTUALLY, IT'S NOT EVEN AN
[00:09:09] AGENDA. IT'S A MANIFESTO. THE DEMOCRATS HAVE COME UP WITH A
[00:09:13] MANIFESTO. THAT'S THEIR LABEL FOR IT, NOT MINE. THEIR LABEL,
[00:09:16] THE DEMOCRATS, THE MANIFESTO.
[00:09:20] AND I SEE IT AS A ROADMAP TO DESTROY AMERICA FROM PEOPLE THAT
[00:09:23] HATE AMERICA. WHEN YOU LISTEN TO
[00:09:24] MANY OF THEIR CANDIDATES, IT
[00:09:28] CERTAINLY DOESN'T SEEM LIKE THE
[00:09:30] THING THAT MOST AMERICANS WOULD
[00:09:32] WANT TO SEE IN THEIR FUTURE.
[00:09:35] THESE PEOPLE, IN THEIR MANIFESTO
[00:09:37] ARE RADICAL. IT'S EXTREME. IT'S DANGEROUS. IT'S SCARY. THAT'S
[00:09:40] WHAT OUR NATION IS FACING TODAY.
[00:09:44] THE DEMOCRATS, EVERY ONE OF THEM, WANTS TO RAISE TAXES ON
[00:09:46] AMERICAN FAMILIES. THE DEMOCRAT
[00:09:49] MANTRA CALLS FOR OPENING THE
[00:09:52] BORDERS. THEIR MANIFESTO WANTS TO DEFUND THE POLICE. THE
[00:09:55] MANIFESTO WANTS TO ABOLISH PRISONS. THE MANIFESTO WANTS TO
[00:09:58] RELEASE CONVICTED CRIMINALS INTO OUR COMMUNITIES ALL ACROSS THE
[00:10:01] COUNTRY THE DEMOCRAT MANIFESTO
[00:10:05] WANTS TO ELIMINATE IMMIGRATION,
[00:10:08] CUSTOMS ENFORCEMENT UNDER THE
[00:10:11] EXTREME DEMOCRAT MANIFESTO, THE AMERICAN PEOPLE WOULD BE FORCED
[00:10:13] TO PAY MORE, EARN LESS AND BE
[00:10:18] LESS SAFE AND SECURE. THAT'S WHAT WE'RE FACING NOW, MR.
[00:10:21] PRESIDENT, DEMOCRATS HAVE TURNED IN FROM A PARTY OF THE
[00:10:24] EXTREMISTS NOW TO A PARTY OF RADICALS. REPUBLICANS ARE GOING
[00:10:28] TO CONTINUE TO BE THE PARTY OF RESULTS THAT IS THE CHOICE
[00:10:32] PEOPLE ARE FACING. WHAT DO YOU
[00:10:35] WANT? RESULTS. SAFETY, SECURITY,
[00:10:39] PROSPERITY. RADICALS. OPENING
[00:10:42] THE PRISONS, OPENING THE BORDERS, RAISING YOUR TAXES. MR.
[00:10:46] PRESIDENT, REPUBLICANS HAVE WORKED FIERCELY TO MAKE AMERICA SAFER, STRONGER, AND MORE
[00:10:50] PROSPEROUS. REPUBLICANS ARE GOING TO CONTINUE TO FIGHT FOR
[00:10:54] FREEDOM, FOR LIBERTY, AND A
[00:10:55] CONTINUATION OF AMERICAN
[00:10:58] GREATNESS. BECAUSE THAT'S THE FUTURE THAT I BELIEVE THE
[00:11:01] AMERICAN PEOPLE WANT AND DESERVE.
[00:11:04] >> SO ON THE TRUMP BATTLESHIPS,
[00:11:08] WHILE AMERICAN FAMILIES CAN'T EVEN KEEP THEIR HEADS ABOVE
[00:11:12] WATER, DONALD TRUMP IS SPENDING
[00:11:15] HIS TIME BUILDING HIMSELF A
[00:11:20] GOLDEN FLEET OF BATTLESHIPS. THE NAVY DOESN'T WANT. JUST GET A
[00:11:22] LOAD OF THIS HEADLINE COST OF
[00:11:25] TRUMP'S NAMESAKE WARSHIPS
[00:11:28] LIKELY TO RISE BY 50% OR MORE.
[00:11:30] COSTS TO RISE BY 50% OR MORE. AS
[00:11:33] THE ARTICLE IN THE NEW YORK TIMES SAYS, HIS GOAL OF BUILDING
[00:11:37] A GOLDEN FLEET OF 15 BATTLESHIPS
[00:11:41] COULD COST 275 BILLION. FRANKLY, WHEN AMERICANS HEAR THIS, THEY
[00:11:45] HAVE NO IDEA WHETHER THEY NEED THE BATTLESHIPS THEY KNOW. THE
[00:11:49] ONLY THING TRUMP CARES ABOUT IS HAVING HIS NAME ON THINGS. SO
[00:11:52] THE FACT THAT THERE'S A FLEET OF TRUMP BATTLESHIPS COST DOESN'T MEAN ANYTHING. NECESSITY
[00:11:56] DOESN'T MEAN ANYTHING. THAT PEOPLE ARE SUFFERING AND NEED
[00:11:59] HELP FEEDING THEIR FAMILIES, PAYING THEIR ELECTRIC BILLS,
[00:12:03] PAYING THE COST OF GASOLINE MEANS NOTHING TO HIM. HAVING HIS
[00:12:06] NAME ON A BUNCH OF BATTLESHIPS,
[00:12:09] EXPENSIVE BATTLESHIPS IS ALL HE
[00:12:12] CARES ABOUT. TRUMP COULDN'T
[00:12:15] HANDLE RENOVATING A REFLECTING
[00:12:18] POOL OR BUILDING A BALLROOM. NOW HE THINKS HE'S READY TO DESIGN
[00:12:21] AND CONSTRUCT. 15 TRUMP CLASS. I
[00:12:24] MEAN, THIS GUY, HE KNOWS NO
[00:12:27] LIMITS. TRUMP CLASS BATTLESHIPS
[00:12:29] THAT WILL COST MORE THAN A QUARTER OF A TRILLION TAXPAYER
[00:12:33] DOLLARS, A QUARTER OF $1
[00:12:35] TRILLION. HE'S HAD A LOT OF
[00:12:38] VANITY PROJECTS. THEY'VE BEEN
[00:12:41] VERY EXPENSIVE. THIS IS THE MOST COSTLY VANITY PROJECT YET. THE
[00:12:45] NAVY NEVER WANTED THESE SHIPS.
[00:12:48] THE AMERICAN PEOPLE NEVER ASKED FOR THESE SHIPS. THE ONLY PERSON
[00:12:51] WHO WANTS THESE GOLDEN SHIPS IS
[00:12:54] DONALD TRUMP, SO HE CAN SLAP HIS
[00:12:56] NAME ON THEM. TRUMP'S
[00:12:59] WILLINGNESS TO DROP $275 BILLION
[00:13:03] ON ANOTHER VANITY PROJECT, BUT
[00:13:05] NOT A SINGLE PENNY TO LOWER
[00:13:10] COSTS FOR WORKING AMERICANS, JUST CONFOUNDS THE IMAGINATION.
[00:13:13] TRUMP COULD USE THE MONEY FOR
[00:13:15] THESE BATTLESHIPS TO OFFSET THE
[00:13:18] ENTIRE NEARLY TO THE ENTIRE
[00:13:21] NEARLY 2 TRILLION, $200 BILLION
[00:13:24] CUT HE MADE TO SNAP FEEDING
[00:13:26] HUNGRY KIDS OR CREATING AN
[00:13:28] UNNECESSARY CLASS OF BATTLESHIPS
[00:13:31] TO PUT YOUR NAME ON THEM. WHICH IS MORE IMPORTANT, AMERICA? THE
[00:13:34] ANSWER IS A LOT DIFFERENT THAN
[00:13:36] WHAT TRUMP THINKS. BUT NO, TRUMP
[00:13:39] IS WOULD RATHER FEED HIS OWN EGO
[00:13:42] THAN FEED THE AMERICAN PEOPLE. HE'D RATHER FEED HIS OWN EGO
[00:13:45] THAN FEED THE AMERICAN PEOPLE BY
[00:13:48] PUTTING HIS NAME ON $275
[00:13:52] BILLION, 15 BATTLESHIP OUTLAY.
[00:14:00] THE BALLROOM, THE REFLECTING POOL, THE ARCH, AND NOW THE
[00:14:03] BATTLESHIPS. THESE ARE THE REASONS WHY MORE THAN 7 IN 10
[00:14:07] AMERICANS THINK TRUMP IS NOT
[00:14:10] FOCUSING ON THE TOP ISSUES
[00:14:17] FACING THE COUNTRY. DONALD, THE AMERICAN PEOPLE DON'T NEED A
[00:14:20] FLEET OF GOLDEN TRUMP CLASS BATTLESHIPS RIGHT NOW. THEY NEED
[00:14:23] A LIFE RAFT ON MORTGAGE RATES.
[00:14:26] AS TRUMP FOCUSES ON HIS EXORBITANT VANITY PROJECTS,
[00:14:30] AMERICANS CAN TELL WHAT HE'S
[00:14:32] IGNORING, LOWERING THEIR COSTS,
[00:14:34] AS IF AMERICANS WEREN'T STRUGGLING ENOUGH ALREADY. THEY JUST SAW MORTGAGE RATES HIT
[00:14:38] THEIR HIGHEST LEVEL IN A YEAR
[00:14:40] BECAUSE OF TRUMP'S DISASTROUS
[00:14:43] WAR AND FAILED ECONOMIC AGENDA,
[00:14:45] TRUMP HAS TURNED THE AMERICAN
[00:14:49] DREAM OF OWNING A HOME INTO A
[00:14:50] PIPE DREAM. LET'S NOT FORGET
[00:14:54] WHEN TRUMP CALLED OUR BATTLESHIP OUR SORRY. LET'S NOT FORGET
[00:14:57] WHEN TRUMP CALLED OUR BIPARTISAN BILL TO LOWER HOUSING COSTS, A
[00:15:01] JOKE AND REFUSED TO SIGN IT, HE
[00:15:04] WAS BELITTLING THE NEED FOR
[00:15:06] HOUSING. THE PRESIDENT ACTS LIKE HE'S ALLERGIC TO HELPING
[00:15:09] AMERICANS. WHAT DOES TRUMP HAVE TO SAY TO THE MILLIONS OF
[00:15:13] FAMILIES JUST TRYING TO MAKE IT THROUGH THE WEEK AS THEY DROWN
[00:15:17] IN HIGHER GAS PRICES AND GROCERY
[00:15:19] BILLS? TRUMP SAID YESTERDAY THAT AMERICANS ARE LIVING, QUOTE, IN
[00:15:22] THE GREATEST ECONOMY WE'VE EVER
[00:15:25] HAD. BY FAR, THOSE WHO ARE. HIS
[00:15:27] WORDS IN NEVADA YESTERDAY, IN PRACTICALLY THE SAME BREATH,
[00:15:31] TRUMP SAID, WE MAY HAVE TO SEND
[00:15:33] OIL PRICES UP THE PRESIDENT'S
[00:15:36] LOST ANY GRIP ON REALITY. HE SAW
[00:15:38] IN HIS OWN WORLD OF CREATING
[00:15:40] MONUMENTS TO HIMSELF THAT HE'S
[00:15:43] FORGETTING THE AMERICAN PEOPLE
[00:15:45] ALL THE TIME, NOT JUST. IT'S NOT JUST HE DOESN'T THINK OF THEM
[00:15:49] ENOUGH. HE HARDLY THINKS OF THEM
[00:15:51] AT ALL. THE GREATEST ECONOMY
[00:15:55] WE'VE EVER HAD. TELL THAT TO THE FAMILY. THAT'S DECIDING. BETWEEN FILLING UP THEIR TANK
[00:15:59] AND FILLING UP THEIR FRIDGE. TELL THAT TO THE VETERAN I MET
[00:16:02] WHO SAID THAT HE SOMETIMES HAS TO CHOOSE BETWEEN FEEDING HIS
[00:16:06] CHILD AND FEEDING HIS SERVICE
[00:16:07] DOG. WHATEVER FANCY FANTASY WORLD TRUMP IS LIVING IN SOUNDS
[00:16:11] A WHOLE LOT NICER THAN THE
[00:16:14] ECONOMIC HARDSHIP AMERICANS ARE
[00:16:16] STRUGGLING WITH RIGHT NOW.
[00:16:20] TRUMP'S PLAYBOOK HAS ONLY ONE PAGE DENY REALITY UNTIL THE BILL
[00:16:23] COMES DUE, AND THEN SEND IT TO
[00:16:27] YOU. AMERICA. AND FINALLY, ON
[00:16:29] NOMINATIONS, TRUMP'S MAIN
[00:16:32] PRIORITY IS HIS POINTLESS VANITY PROJECTS. BUT HE HAS ANOTHER.
[00:16:35] PACKING OUR GOVERNMENT TO THE
[00:16:37] RAFTERS WITH FAR RIGHT WING
[00:16:41] EXTREMISTS. SENATE REPUBLICANS ARE RAMMING THROUGH A NOMINATIONS PACKAGE THAT WILL
[00:16:44] PUT A GRAB BAG OF CHARLATANS AND
[00:16:47] MAGA FOOT SOLDIERS INTO THE
[00:16:49] HIGHEST POSITIONS OF POWER. THE SENATE GOP KNOWS HOW ABSURD SOME
[00:16:53] OF THESE NOMINEES ARE, WHICH IS WHY THEY'RE TRYING TO FLOOD THE ZONE AND PUSH THEM THROUGH WITH
[00:16:57] A SINGLE VOTE. THEY COULDN'T WITHSTAND SUNLIGHT. THEY
[00:17:01] COULDN'T WITHSTAND SPOTLIGHT. THEY COULDN'T WITHSTAND THE
[00:17:03] SCRUTINY THAT INDIVIDUAL
[00:17:07] NOMINATIONS PROCESS WOULD HAVE
[00:17:12] DONE TO THEM. ALL THESE NOMINEES WILL HAVE DIFFERENT JOBS, BUT
[00:17:15] THEY SHARE THE SAME
[00:17:18] QUALIFICATION. ABSOLUTE LOYALTY
[00:17:20] TO DONALD TRUMP, NO MATTER HOW
[00:17:22] RIDICULOUS HIS POLICIES ARE. THE AMERICAN PEOPLE EXPECT MORE FROM
[00:17:26] THEIR GOVERNMENT THAN JUST BLIND
[00:17:28] LOYALTY TO DONALD TRUMP. I YIELD
[00:17:32] THE FLOOR AND NOTE THE ABSENCE
[00:17:36] OF A QUORUM. >> I RISE TODAY TO SPEAK ABOUT A BROKEN PROMISE, A PROMISE THAT
[00:17:40] THE PRESIDENT MADE TO THE COUNTRY WHEN HE TOOK OFFICE.
[00:17:44] TIME AND AGAIN, THE PRESIDENT PROMISED THAT, QUOTE, STARTING
[00:17:47] ON DAY ONE, CLOSE QUOTE OF HIS
[00:17:50] ADMINISTRATION, HE WOULD END
[00:17:53] INFLATION. HIS WORDS, A YEAR AND
[00:17:57] A HALF INTO HIS TERM, IT IS CLEAR THAT THE PRESIDENT NOT
[00:18:00] ONLY HAS BROKEN HIS WORD, BUT THAT HE DISDAINS THE VERY NOTION
[00:18:04] THAT HE SHOULD EVEN TRY TO MAKE
[00:18:06] GOOD ON HIS PLEDGE. NOW, FOR THE
[00:18:09] VAST MAJORITY OF AMERICANS OF
[00:18:11] ALL AGES AND WALKS OF LIFE, OF
[00:18:16] ALL POLITICAL STRIPES, COSTS AREN'T A PARTISAN THING, AND IT IS SIMPLY CLEAR IT COSTS MORE TO
[00:18:20] BE AN AMERICAN. WITH DONALD
[00:18:21] TRUMP AS PRESIDENT. PART OF WHY
[00:18:24] I'M SPEAKING TODAY IS BECAUSE,
[00:18:28] AS A NEW JOINT ECONOMIC COMMITTEE, MINORITY REPORT
[00:18:31] DETAILS, AMERICAN LIFE HAS BECOME MORE EXPENSIVE UNDER THIS
[00:18:35] ADMINISTRATION. AS OF JUNE, IN MY HOME STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE,
[00:18:39] THE AVERAGE GRANITE STATE FAMILY
[00:18:41] HAS HAD TO PAY AN ADDITIONAL
[00:18:45] $4,400 FOR GOODS AND SERVICES SINCE PRESIDENT TRUMP TOOK
[00:18:49] OFFICE. THIS TOLL IS EXACTED
[00:18:51] FROM VIRTUALLY EVERY PART OF
[00:18:55] EVERYDAY LIFE IN DONALD TRUMP'S
[00:18:57] AMERICA. WHEN A PERSON WAKES UP
[00:19:00] AND STARTS THEIR DAY, THEY NOW DRINK COFFEE. THAT COSTS AROUND
[00:19:04] $10 A POUND, A 25% INCREASE
[00:19:06] SINCE THE PRESIDENT LAUNCHED
[00:19:10] SENSELESS TRADE WARS LAUNCHED WITHOUT THE SUPPORT OF THE
[00:19:13] AMERICAN PEOPLE. AFTER THEY FINISHED THEIR COFFEE AND DRIVE TO WORK, OR TO DROP THEIR
[00:19:17] CHILDREN OFF AT SCHOOL, THEY DO SO IN A CAR THAT NOW COSTS MORE
[00:19:21] TO FILL UP EVERY TIME THEY STOP
[00:19:23] AT THE PUMP. EACH GRANITE STATE
[00:19:25] FAMILY HAS SPENT $596 MORE ON
[00:19:31] GAS. IN FACT, SINCE PRESIDENT TRUMP LAUNCHED HIS RECKLESS, ILLEGAL WAR AGAINST IRAN, A WAR
[00:19:35] HE LAUNCHED WITHOUT A PLAN TO
[00:19:39] WIN. NOW, LET'S SAY OUR TYPICAL AMERICAN HAS A DOCTOR'S APPOINTMENT THAT DAY. ASSUMING
[00:19:43] THAT THEY ARE ABLE TO AFFORD HEALTH INSURANCE, THEY WILL
[00:19:46] RECEIVE CARE COVERED BY A PLAN
[00:19:48] WHOSE PREMIUMS ROSE AS MUCH AS
[00:19:53] 50% UNDER PRESIDENT TRUMP. WHY? BECAUSE THE PRESIDENT LET
[00:19:56] AFFORDABLE CARE ACT INSURANCE PREMIUMS SURGE. AND AT THE END
[00:20:00] OF THE DAY, THE AVERAGE GRANITE
[00:20:03] STATER RETURNS TO A HOUSE OR APARTMENT THAT IS ALSO MORE
[00:20:06] EXPENSIVE. AS FAMILIES IN OUR
[00:20:08] STATE HAVE SO FAR SPENT $1,100,
[00:20:13] $1,108 MORE ON RENT OR MORTGAGE
[00:20:16] PAYMENTS. SINCE PRESIDENT TRUMP
[00:20:18] STARTED HIS TERM, ALL BECAUSE
[00:20:20] THE PRESIDENT REFUSES TO ADDRESS
[00:20:25] OUR COUNTRY'S HOUSING CRISIS. AND AFTER MY CONSTITUENT GETS HOME AND GOES TO PICK UP HER
[00:20:27] MAIL, SHE OPENS ANOTHER ELECTRIC
[00:20:30] BILL. ELECTRICITY HAS GOTTEN SO
[00:20:33] EXPENSIVE THAT PEOPLE IN NEW HAMPSHIRE HAVE HAD TO PAY $194
[00:20:37] MORE SO FAR THIS YEAR THAN LAST
[00:20:39] YEAR, BECAUSE THE PRESIDENT
[00:20:42] CAUSED A WORLDWIDE ENERGY CRISIS
[00:20:44] AND CANCELED CLEAN ENERGY PROJECTS. NEXT ON THE LIST, MY
[00:20:47] CONSTITUENT GOES INTO THE KITCHEN TO MAKE DINNER, WHERE,
[00:20:49] YOU GUESSED IT, THE INGREDIENTS
[00:20:52] COST MORE THAN THEY DID BEFORE
[00:20:53] TRUMP TOOK OFFICE. GRANITE
[00:20:56] STATERS PAID $310 MORE FOR GROCERIES LAST YEAR THAN THEY
[00:21:00] DID THE YEAR BEFORE. SO WHAT HAS
[00:21:02] BEEN THE COST OF THE TRUMP
[00:21:04] PRESIDENCY? A PRESIDENCY WHERE
[00:21:07] FOOD, HEALTH CARE, GAS, RENT AND
[00:21:09] MORE HAVE ALL BECOME MORE EXPENSIVE? THE COST CAN BE
[00:21:12] SUMMED UP BY THE FIGURES IN THIS
[00:21:14] REPORT, BUT IT CAN ALSO BE, PUT
[00:21:18] MORE SIMPLY FOR MANY IN OUR COUNTRY, THE COST HAS BEEN
[00:21:21] NOTHING LESS THAN SEEING THEIR
[00:21:24] CHANCE AT THE AMERICAN DREAM
[00:21:26] FADE BEFORE THEIR VERY EYES. A
[00:21:30] YEAR AND A HALF INTO HIS PRESIDENCY, MY REPUBLICAN
[00:21:33] COLLEAGUES ARE MAKING EXCUSE AFTER EXCUSE FOR THE
[00:21:37] PRESIDENT'S FAILURE TO ADDRESS THE AMERICAN PEOPLE'S BASIC
[00:21:40] NEEDS. THEY NEED TO STOP. STOP
[00:21:43] TRYING TO ADVANCE THE FICTION
[00:21:46] THAT THE PRESIDENT CARES ABOUT. LOWERING COSTS, OR PERHAPS IS
[00:21:49] TRYING TO LOWER COSTS, BUT IS
[00:21:51] GETTING SOME BAD COUNSEL FROM
[00:21:54] HIS ADVISERS. IF THE PRESIDENT ACTUALLY WANTED TO HELP THE AMERICAN PEOPLE, HE WOULD LISTEN
[00:21:57] TO THEM. HE WOULD HEAR THAT THIS
[00:22:00] ECONOMY ISN'T WORKING FOR THEM. AND FOR SOME, WELL, IT IS
[00:22:04] BREAKING THEM. IF HE CARED, THIS
[00:22:07] MAN WHO IS SUPPOSED TO UNDERSTAND THE ECONOMY, AS WELL
[00:22:10] AS THE HOPES AND DREAMS OF THE AMERICAN PEOPLE, WOULD
[00:22:13] ACKNOWLEDGE THAT HE NEEDS TO TAKE ACTION TO LOWER COSTS. AND
[00:22:17] EVEN IF HE DOESN'T CARE, IF THIS PRESIDENT BELIEVED THAT IN
[00:22:20] AMERICA, PRESIDENTS ARE ACCOUNTABLE TO THE AMERICAN
[00:22:24] PEOPLE, HE'D BE WORKING TO MAKE
[00:22:27] LIFE MORE AFFORDABLE. BUT THIS
[00:22:29] PRESIDENT NEITHER CARES NOR THINKS HE IS ACCOUNTABLE TO
[00:22:32] ANYONE OTHER THAN HIMSELF, AND
[00:22:35] PERHAPS HIS BILLIONAIRE BACKERS.
[00:22:37] JUST CONSIDER HE HAS ATTACKED AND DISMISSED ANYONE WHO SAYS
[00:22:40] THAT THERE IS A PROBLEM AT ALL.
[00:22:44] HE'S CALLED INFLATION A HOAX AND DISMISSED THE COST OF LIVING
[00:22:48] CRISIS AS HIS WORDS MADE UP. HE
[00:22:52] SAYS THIS DESPITE THE FACT THAT
[00:22:54] VIRTUALLY EVERY AMERICAN OF EVERY POLITICAL PERSPECTIVE, AT
[00:22:57] LEAST THOSE WHO LIVE OUTSIDE THE SPLENDOR OF MAR-A-LAGO, KNOW
[00:23:00] THAT AMERICAN LIFE HAS BECOME
[00:23:02] MORE EXPENSIVE UNDER PRESIDENT
[00:23:06] TRUMP. SO WHEN THE AMERICAN PEOPLE SAY THAT THEIR COSTS HAVE
[00:23:09] GONE UP AND THE PRESIDENT
[00:23:11] DISMISSES INFLATION AS A HOAX, IS HE SAYING THAT AMERICAN
[00:23:15] FAMILIES ARE LYING? IS HE SUGGESTING THAT THEY SHOULD NOT
[00:23:18] BELIEVE THEIR OWN EYES, THEIR OWN UNDERSTANDING OF MATH? WHEN
[00:23:22] THEY LOOK AT THE NUMBERS AT THE
[00:23:24] CASH REGISTER OR THE GAS PUMP?
[00:23:27] BECAUSE IT'S ONE THING NOT TO
[00:23:29] SOLVE A PROBLEM FOR AMERICAN
[00:23:31] FAMILIES. IT'S QUITE ANOTHER TO
[00:23:34] ESSENTIALLY SAY THAT THE
[00:23:36] AMERICAN PEOPLE ARE LYING. WHAT HAVE AMERICAN FAMILIES DONE?
[00:23:40] WHAT HAVE THE PEOPLE WHO GAVE THE PRESIDENT THE PRIVILEGE OF
[00:23:44] SERVING IN THE HIGHEST OFFICE IN OUR COUNTRY, DONE TO HAVE THEIR
[00:23:47] BIGGEST CHALLENGE, THEIR GREATEST ANXIETY AND FEAR,
[00:23:50] DISMISSED BY THE PRESIDENT AS A
[00:23:55] HOAX? AND SHOULD WE BE SURPRISED
[00:23:58] THAT A PRESIDENT WHO INCITED A MOB TO STORM THE CAPITOL AND TRY
[00:24:01] TO OVERTURN THE VOICES AND VOTES OF THE AMERICAN PEOPLE,
[00:24:05] DISMISSES, YET AGAIN WHAT THEY
[00:24:06] HAVE TO SAY? MAYBE THE PRESIDENT
[00:24:10] WOULD BE MORE INCLINED TO HELP
[00:24:14] THE AMERICAN PEOPLE IF THEY WERE A LITTLE LESS DECENT AND A LOT BETTER CONNECTED. AFTER ALL,
[00:24:17] THIS IS PRESIDENT TRUMP'S
[00:24:19] WASHINGTON, AND WE KNOW WELL WHO THIS PRESIDENT IS. HE WILL SAVE
[00:24:22] ONE OF HIS CORRUPT CAMPAIGN
[00:24:25] DONORS ASKING FOR A PARDON, BUT
[00:24:28] HE WON'T LIFT A FINGER TO SAVE
[00:24:30] AMERICAN FAMILIES A DIME ON
[00:24:33] THEIR GROCERIES. AND SO I RETURN
[00:24:35] TO THE PRESIDENT'S PROMISE WHEN HE SOUGHT OUR COUNTRY'S HIGHEST
[00:24:39] OFFICE. YET AGAIN, DONALD TRUMP
[00:24:41] TOLD THE AMERICAN PEOPLE TO PUT
[00:24:45] ASIDE HIS CORRUPTION, HIS SELF-DEALING, HIS POOR CHARACTER, HIS WILLINGNESS TO
[00:24:49] FAN THE FLAMES OF DIVISION AND
[00:24:51] EXTREMISM TO FORGET THE WAY HE
[00:24:56] DISRESPECTS OUR VETERANS. HE WANTED US TO EVEN FORGET THE
[00:24:58] ATTACK ON THIS CHAMBER, TO FORGET THE SCARS OF THE CAPITOL
[00:25:02] POLICE OFFICERS, FORGET ALL OF
[00:25:03] THIS AND MORE, BECAUSE HE SAID
[00:25:07] HE WOULD BRING DOWN COSTS. AND
[00:25:12] NOW HE IS DISMISSIVE AND CONTEMPTUOUS OF ANYONE WHO ASKS
[00:25:16] HIM TO MAKE GOOD ON HIS PLEDGE.
[00:25:19] HE EVEN UNDERMINES MY REPUBLICAN COLLEAGUES WHEN THEY DO TRY, IN
[00:25:23] GOOD FAITH TO LOWER COSTS. HE
[00:25:26] ACTUALLY THREATENED TO BLOCK A BIPARTISAN BILL TO BRING DOWN
[00:25:29] THE COST OF HOUSING, A LAW THAT
[00:25:30] WE WERE EVENTUALLY ABLE TO PASS.
[00:25:35] NOW, DONALD TRUMP HAS MADE HIMSELF VERY, VERY CLEAR. HIS
[00:25:39] PRESIDENCY WILL BE DEFINED NOT
[00:25:40] BY LOWERING COSTS FOR FAMILIES,
[00:25:44] BUT BY RAISING MONUMENTS TO
[00:25:47] HIMSELF. IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE
[00:25:50] THIS WAY. THE AMERICAN PEOPLE RIGHT NOW WANT AN AMERICAN DREAM
[00:25:53] THAT THEY CAN AFFORD A DREAM THAT DOESN'T BELONG JUST TO A
[00:25:56] PRIVILEGED FEW, A DREAM THAT'S BIGGER THAN SELF-DEALING,
[00:26:00] KICKBACKS, AND SELF-ENRICHMENT
[00:26:03] SCHEMES IN THE GILDED ROOMS OF
[00:26:06] MAR-A-LAGO. THE DREAMS OF THE AMERICAN PEOPLE AREN'T FOCUSED
[00:26:09] ON GOLDEN LUXURY TRAPPINGS. THEIR DREAMS ARE LESS GILDED
[00:26:13] THAN ALL OF THAT, BUT THEY ARE
[00:26:15] ALSO FAR MORE NOBLE AMERICANS
[00:26:18] WANT THEIR CHILDREN TO LIVE BETTER LIVES THAN THEY DID WITH
[00:26:22] QUALITY, AFFORDABLE HEALTH CARE THAT CAN HELP THEM REST EASIER
[00:26:25] AT NIGHT. A DECENT EDUCATION FOR
[00:26:28] THEIR CHILDREN, A PLACE TO BUILD, NOT A GILDED BALLROOM,
[00:26:32] BUT A HOME. A HOME IN A COUNTRY
[00:26:35] WHERE WE DON'T LIVE FEARING ONE
[00:26:38] ANOTHER. DIVIDED OVER POLITICS, BUT INSTEAD UNITED AS FREEDOM
[00:26:40] LOVING AMERICANS WHO KNOW THAT WE'RE LUCKY TO LIVE IN THE
[00:26:44] GREATEST COUNTRY ON EARTH, WHO
[00:26:46] LOVE THIS COUNTRY TOO MUCH TO
[00:26:48] EVER HATE OUR FELLOW AMERICANS,
[00:26:51] AND WHO WON'T LET THE MIRACLE OF SELF-GOVERNMENT DIE. NOT IN
[00:26:54] THE SERVICE OF ONE MAN'S EGO,
[00:26:56] NOT FOR ANYTHING. THE AMERICAN
[00:27:00] PEOPLE WANT AN AMERICA THAT IS
[00:27:02] AS GOOD AS THIS NATION'S PROMISE. THEY DESERVE A
[00:27:05] PRESIDENT WHOSE WORD IS AS GOOD
[00:27:07] AS OUR PEOPLE.
[00:27:10] >> I RISE TODAY TO SPEAK ABOUT
[00:27:14] THE CRITICAL NEED FOR DISASTER RELIEF IN MY HOME STATE OF TEXAS. FOR A TEXAS COMMUNITY
[00:27:17] THAT WAS DEVASTATED BY HISTORIC
[00:27:22] WILDFIRES, I WILL SEEK TO IMPROVE THE PENDING DISASTER TAX
[00:27:25] RELIEF ACT BEING CONSIDERED BY
[00:27:27] THE SENATE TO ADDRESS THAT ACUTE
[00:27:30] NEED IN TEXAS. NO DOUBT THE
[00:27:35] CURRENT VERSION PROVIDES RELIEF THAT IS ALSO BADLY NEEDED
[00:27:38] ELSEWHERE. I WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK DIRECTLY TO THE FAMILIES OF
[00:27:41] SPOKANE, WASHINGTON, WHO HAVE LOST THEIR HOMES, THEIR
[00:27:43] LIVELIHOODS, THEIR SENSE OF SECURITY. THE PEOPLE OF TEXAS
[00:27:47] STAND WITH YOU, AND WE ARE
[00:27:51] PROFOUNDLY GRATEFUL TO THE FIREFIGHTERS AND FIRST
[00:27:53] RESPONDERS RISKING THEIR LIVES TO PROTECT THEIR NEIGHBORS. THAT
[00:27:57] IS A PAIN. FAMILIES IN TEXAS
[00:28:00] KNOW ALL TOO WELL. IN 2024,
[00:28:05] TEXAS WITNESSED A TRULY HORRIFIC
[00:28:08] WILDFIRES. THE SMOKEHOUSE CREEK
[00:28:12] FIRE WAS THE SINGLE LARGEST WILDFIRE IN THE HISTORY OF THE
[00:28:14] STATE OF TEXAS. IT KILLED TWO
[00:28:19] PEOPLE. IT BURNED MORE THAN 1
[00:28:22] MILLION ACRES. IT DESTROYED MORE
[00:28:24] THAN 500 HOMES AND BUSINESSES.
[00:28:26] AND IT KILLED APPROXIMATELY
[00:28:29] 15000 CATTLE. THE WINDY DEUCE
[00:28:32] FIRE WAS AMONG THE MOST
[00:28:34] DESTRUCTIVE AND FAST MOVING
[00:28:36] WILDFIRES EVER TO STRIKE THE
[00:28:38] TEXAS PANHANDLE. IT BURNED MORE
[00:28:44] THAN 140,000 ACRES, DESPITE THE
[00:28:48] HORROR AND THE DESTRUCTIVENESS OF THESE FIRES, THEY WERE NOT
[00:28:52] TREATED AS QUALIFIED. WILDFIRE
[00:28:54] DISASTERS. UNDER FEDERAL LAW ONE
[00:28:58] RESULT IS THAT ANY RELIEF
[00:29:00] PAYMENTS ARE SUBJECT TO FEDERAL
[00:29:02] INCOME TAXES, WHICH DRAMATICALLY REDUCES THE SCOPE AND
[00:29:05] EFFECTIVENESS OF THE BADLY
[00:29:06] NEEDED RELIEF VICTIMS OF OTHER
[00:29:11] CATASTROPHIC WILDFIRES DO NOT INCUR SUCH PENALTIES ON THE
[00:29:14] RELIEF THEY RECEIVE. DISASTER
[00:29:19] RELIEF IS IMPORTANT. I AM PROUD TO SUPPORT DISASTER RELIEF.
[00:29:22] AMERICANS STEP IN AND HELP THEIR
[00:29:25] FELLOW AMERICANS IN TIMES OF
[00:29:27] CRISIS, BUT DISASTER RELIEF MUST
[00:29:30] BE FAIR. DISASTER RELIEF CANNOT
[00:29:37] DEMONSTRATE FAVORITISM. CHOOSING
[00:29:41] SOME RECIPIENTS AS MORE WORTHY
[00:29:43] OR LUCKIER THAN OTHERS. MY
[00:29:46] AMENDMENT DOES SOMETHING VERY
[00:29:49] SIMPLE. IT INCLUDES, IN THIS
[00:29:54] DISASTER RELIEF BILL, THE WORST
[00:29:56] WILDFIRE IN THE HISTORY OF THE
[00:30:00] STATE OF TEXAS ON ANY REASONABLE
[00:30:03] ARGUMENT ON THE MERITS, THE
[00:30:06] TEXAS PANHANDLE WILDFIRES
[00:30:10] DESERVE TO BE INCLUDED I WOULD
[00:30:14] NOTE ALSO THAT THE SCORE OF THIS
[00:30:18] PROVISION IS, IN CONGRESSIONAL
[00:30:19] TERMS, QUITE SMALL. $31 MILLION
[00:30:24] IS WHAT THIS ADDITION COSTS IN
[00:30:29] THIS BODY. $31 MILLION IS A SUM THAT IS USUALLY TOO SMALL EVEN
[00:30:33] TO BE WRITTEN DOWN MOREOVER, THE
[00:30:37] HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, AND IN PARTICULAR, THE CHAIRMAN OF THE
[00:30:39] WAYS AND MEANS COMMITTEE, IS
[00:30:42] EXPLICITLY COMMITTED THAT IF AND WHEN WE ADD THIS PROVISION TO
[00:30:45] THE DISASTER BILL, THAT THE HOUSE IN SEPTEMBER, WHEN THEY
[00:30:48] RETURN, WILL TAKE IT UP AND PASS
[00:30:52] IT. SO THIS IS THE PATH, NUMBER
[00:30:55] ONE, TO PASSING THIS DISASTER BILL, WHICH I VERY MUCH WANT TO
[00:30:58] DO. BUT NUMBER TWO, TO DOING SO
[00:31:01] IN A WAY THAT DOES NOT UNFAIRLY
[00:31:04] LEAVE OUT THE TEXANS, THE
[00:31:06] VICTIMS OF THE LARGEST WILDFIRE
[00:31:09] IN THE HISTORY OF TEXAS. WE'VE
[00:31:13] GOT TO DO BOTH. AND SO I WILL NOW PROPOUND A UNANIMOUS CONSENT
[00:31:16] REQUEST TO TAKE UP AND PASS MY
[00:31:19] AMENDMENT TO THE DOUG LAMALFA FEDERAL DISASTER RELIEF TAX ACT,
[00:31:23] TO DESIGNATE THE SMOKEHOUSE CREEK FIRE AND THE WINDY DEUCE FIRE AS QUALIFIED WILDFIRE
[00:31:27] DISASTERS, ENSURING THAT RELIEF
[00:31:29] PAYMENTS TO THOSE AFFECTED
[00:31:31] RECEIVE THE SAME FEDERAL TAX
[00:31:34] TREATMENT AS VICTIMS OF OTHER
[00:31:36] QUALIFYING WILDFIRES. I URGE MY COLLEAGUES TO PASS THIS COMMON
[00:31:40] SENSE AMENDMENT TODAY SO THAT
[00:31:42] TEXANS RECEIVE THE SAME TREATMENT AS OTHER VICTIMS OF
[00:31:45] WILDFIRES, AND I WOULD NOTE THAT
[00:31:47] IF MY COLLEAGUES CHOOSE NOT TO
[00:31:51] ACCEPT THE AMENDMENT, THE ALTERNATIVE IS GOING TO BE THAT
[00:31:55] NOTHING PASSES. THAT'S NOT AN ALTERNATIVE THAT IS GOOD FOR
[00:31:59] ANYBODY. AND SO MY HOPE IS THAT
[00:32:01] COMMON SENSE WILL PREVAIL MR.
[00:32:06] PRESIDENT, AS IF IN LEGISLATIVE
[00:32:09] SESSION AND NOTWITHSTANDING RULE 22, I ASK UNANIMOUS CONSENT THAT
[00:32:12] THE FINANCE COMMITTEE BE DISCHARGED FROM FURTHER
[00:32:15] CONSIDERATION OF H.R. 5366 AND
[00:32:19] THE SENATE PROCEED TO ITS IMMEDIATE CONSIDERATION. I FURTHER ASK THAT THE CRUZ
[00:32:23] AMENDMENT AT THE DESK BE CONSIDERED, AND AGREED TO THE
[00:32:26] BILL, AS AMENDED, BE CONSIDERED, READ A THIRD TIME AND PASSED,
[00:32:30] AND THAT THE MOTIONS TO RECONSIDER, BE CONSIDERED, MADE
[00:32:33] AND LAID UPON THE TABLE. >> IS THERE OBJECTION? >> RESERVING THE RIGHT TO
[00:32:36] OBJECT. >> SENATOR MORGAN?
[00:32:38] >> MR. PRESIDENT, EARLIER THIS
[00:32:40] WEEK, MY HOME STATE SET A NEW
[00:32:42] DEVASTATING RECORD. OVER 2
[00:32:45] MILLION ACRES IN OREGON HAVE
[00:32:47] BURNED IN WILDFIRES ACROSS OUR
[00:32:49] STATE THIS SUMMER. THAT'S THE
[00:32:51] MOST IN RECORDED HISTORY, WITH
[00:32:55] TWO MORE MONTHS OF FIRE SEASON
[00:32:57] TO GO. THOUSANDS OF OREGONIANS HAVE BEEN UNDER EVACUATION
[00:33:01] ORDERS OR ARE PREPARING TO BE. OUR WHOLE STATE IS BLANKETED IN
[00:33:04] THICK SMOKE, MAKING FOR SOME OF
[00:33:07] THE WORST AIR QUALITY IN THE WORLD. MANY HAVE LOST THEIR
[00:33:11] HOMES, THEIR LIVESTOCK, THEIR BUSINESSES AND LIVELIHOODS. WHEN
[00:33:14] YOU LOSE YOUR HOME IN A WILDFIRE, THE LAST THING YOU
[00:33:17] SHOULD BE WORRIED ABOUT IS BEING
[00:33:19] HIT BY A MASSIVE TAX BILL. THE
[00:33:22] BIPARTISAN DISASTER RELIEF BILL BEING CONSIDERED ON THE FLOOR
[00:33:25] TODAY WOULD GIVE THE PEOPLE OF
[00:33:27] MY STATE AFFECTED BY THESE
[00:33:30] BLAZES SOME PEACE OF MIND. IT WOULD LIFT A MASSIVE TAX BURDEN
[00:33:34] AND DELIVER FINANCIAL RELIEF TO
[00:33:36] EVERY AMERICAN IMPACTED BY A
[00:33:38] FEDERALLY DECLARED NATURAL DISASTER. IT'S GOING TO GET RID
[00:33:41] OF A TOTALLY UNFAIR TAX ON
[00:33:44] SETTLEMENT PAYMENTS AND ENSURE
[00:33:46] DISASTER VICTIMS CAN DEDUCT
[00:33:48] LOSSES AFTER DISASTERS. THIS IS
[00:33:50] AN ISSUE THE REPUBLICANS CREATED
[00:33:53] UNDER DONALD TRUMP IN 2017. BUT
[00:33:56] SENATOR CRUZ'S AMENDMENT WOULD
[00:33:59] DERAIL A BIPARTISAN PROPOSAL
[00:34:02] ENTIRELY. HIS AMENDMENT THREATENS THE LIFELINE
[00:34:05] ASSISTANCE IN THIS BILL FOR AMERICANS THAT LOSE THEIR HOME
[00:34:08] DURING A NATURAL DISASTER. THE
[00:34:10] SENATOR FROM TEXAS HAS
[00:34:13] REPEATEDLY OPPOSED FUNDING FOR
[00:34:15] FEDERALLY DECLARED DISASTERS LIKE HURRICANE SANDY. NOW HE
[00:34:19] COMES TO THE FLOOR TO HOLD A
[00:34:22] BILL HOSTAGE IN ORDER TO SEND MONEY TO HIS ESTATE FOR HIS OWN
[00:34:25] PRIORITIES. WHILE DONALD TRUMP HOLDS UP DISASTER FUNDING FOR
[00:34:29] OREGON WILDFIRE VICTIMS. THE HOUSE HAS ALREADY PASSED THIS
[00:34:32] BILL THAT WAS NEGOTIATED ON A
[00:34:35] BIPARTISAN BASIS. NOW, THE SENATE MUST DO ITS JOB. AND
[00:34:38] THAT'S WHY I'M OFFERING UP THIS VERSION OF THE LEGISLATION THAT
[00:34:42] HAS ALREADY PASSED THROUGH THE HOUSE. SO, MR. PRESIDENT,
[00:34:45] THEREFORE, I ASK THE SENATOR TO MODIFY HIS REQUEST SO THAT THE
[00:34:49] FINANCE COMMITTEE BE DISCHARGED FROM FURTHER CONSIDERATION OF
[00:34:53] H.R. FIVE THREE, SIX SIX IN THE
[00:34:54] SENATE, PROCEED TO ITS IMMEDIATE CONSIDERATION. FURTHER, THAT THE
[00:34:58] BILL BE CONSIDERED, READ A THIRD TIME AND PASSED, AND THAT THE
[00:35:01] MOTION TO RECONSIDER, BE CONSIDERED, MADE AND LAID UPON
[00:35:04] THE TABLE. >> IS THERE OBJECTION TO THE
[00:35:07] MODIFICATION. >> RESERVING THE RIGHT TO
[00:35:09] OBJECT. >> SENATOR OF TEXAS.
[00:35:12] >> I WOULD NOTE THAT I AGREE WITH VIRTUALLY EVERY WORD THAT
[00:35:16] WAS SAID FROM THE SENATOR FROM OREGON. I AGREE THAT THIS TAX
[00:35:20] TREATMENT. TAXING SOMEONE ON A DISASTER RELIEF ON A SETTLEMENT
[00:35:24] FROM, SAY, THE POWER COMPANY
[00:35:25] THAT CAUSED THE FIRE DEPARTMENT
[00:35:30] GIVING SOMEONE A BIG TAX BILL FOR THAT RELIEF, THAT THEY ARE
[00:35:31] ENTITLED TO. IT IS UNFAIR. IT IS
[00:35:34] WRONG. I AM ENTHUSIASTIC ABOUT
[00:35:37] PASSING THIS BILL AND PASSING IT
[00:35:41] NOW. WHAT I'M NOT ENTHUSIASTIC
[00:35:44] ABOUT IS LEAVING THOUSANDS OF
[00:35:46] TEXANS OUT BECAUSE JUST LIKE THE
[00:35:49] CITIZENS OF OREGON, WHO SUFFERED DEVASTATING LOSSES, JUST LIKE
[00:35:53] THE CITIZENS OF CALIFORNIA, JUST LIKE THE CITIZENS OF WASHINGTON
[00:35:57] STATE, WHO SUFFERED DEVASTATING LOSSES, THERE WERE ALSO
[00:36:00] THOUSANDS UPON THOUSANDS OF TEXANS WHO SUFFERED, SUFFERED
[00:36:04] DEVASTATING LOSSES. AND MY PROPOSAL IS VERY SIMPLE. LET'S
[00:36:06] BE FAIR. LET'S NOT EXCLUDE THE
[00:36:09] TEXANS LET'S PROVIDE THE RELIEF
[00:36:13] THAT IS RIGHT. AND JUST TO
[00:36:16] EVERYONE WHO HAS BEEN IMPACTED BY THESE DEVASTATING WILDFIRES.
[00:36:20] I WILL POINT OUT ALSO, THE SENATOR FROM OREGON SAID
[00:36:24] THERE'S AN URGENCY TO PASS
[00:36:26] THIS. I WANT YOU TO UNDERSTAND THAT EVERYONE WATCHING, THERE
[00:36:29] ARE TWO PATHS THAT WE CAN GO
[00:36:33] DOWN. ONE PATH IS WHEN I DECLINE
[00:36:36] TO MAKE THIS MODIFICATION. THE
[00:36:38] SENATOR FROM OREGON COULD SAY
[00:36:40] NOTHING, COULD JUST BE QUIET.
[00:36:44] AND THEN THE PRESIDING OFFICER WOULD SAY, NO OBJECTION IS
[00:36:47] HEARD. AND THIS BILL WOULD PASS
[00:36:50] THE SENATE WITH TEXANS >> INCLUDED. SO IT WOULD BE FAIR. IT WOULD NOT BE EXCLUDING
[00:36:54] PEOPLE WHO ARE SIMILARLY SITUATED. IT WOULD BE TREATING
[00:36:57] EVERYONE FAIRLY, AND IT WOULD GO TO THE HOUSE. THE HOUSE WILL BE
[00:37:00] BACK IN SEPTEMBER, AND WE HAVE A COMMITMENT FROM THE CHAIRMAN OF
[00:37:04] THE WAYS AND MEANS COMMITTEE, THE COMMITTEE THAT HAS JURISDICTION OVER THIS, TO TAKE
[00:37:08] THIS UP AND PASS IT. SO IF THE SENATOR FROM OREGON CHOOSES
[00:37:11] SIMPLY TO SAY NOTHING, THIS BILL
[00:37:13] MOVES ON ITS WAY, AND IT IS
[00:37:16] SUBSTANTIALLY CLOSER TO BEING
[00:37:17] SIGNED INTO LAW AND GIVING
[00:37:21] ACTUAL RELIEF TO THE VICTIMS OF THESE WILDFIRES. HOWEVER, THE
[00:37:25] OTHER PATH AND FOLKS IN THE
[00:37:27] GALLERY SHOULD LISTEN FOR TWO
[00:37:29] WORDS. THE SENATOR FROM OREGON
[00:37:32] SAYS, I OBJECT. WHAT WILL HAPPEN
[00:37:36] IS THE BILL DIES. IT DOESN'T
[00:37:40] PASS. THE VICTIMS IN TEXAS GET NO RELIEF. THE VICTIMS IN OREGON
[00:37:44] GET NO RELIEF. THE VICTIMS IN CALIFORNIA GET NO RELIEF. THE
[00:37:46] VICTIMS IN WASHINGTON STATE GET
[00:37:48] NO RELIEF. I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY THAT'S A GOOD OUTCOME. I
[00:37:51] THINK THAT'S A TERRIBLE OUTCOME. BUT THE SENATOR FROM
[00:37:54] OREGON HAS COMPLETE CONTROL OVER
[00:37:56] WHICH OF THOSE TWO PATHS WE GO
[00:38:01] DOWN. I WILL NOT MODIFY MY REQUEST
[00:38:04] >> OBJECTION TO THE MODIFICATION
[00:38:05] IS HEARD. IS THERE OBJECTION TO
[00:38:08] THE ORIGINAL REQUEST, SENATOR OF CALIFORNIA.
[00:38:11] >> THANK YOU, MR. PRESIDENT.
[00:38:14] COLLEAGUES, THIS DISASTER BILL,
[00:38:17] THIS DISASTER TAX BILL INCLUDES
[00:38:19] IMPORTANT BIPARTISAN LEGISLATION
[00:38:21] THAT I INTRODUCED WITH SENATORS LUMMIS, WYDEN AND SHEEHY TO
[00:38:25] EXTEND A CRITICAL TAX PROVISION
[00:38:28] FOR DISASTER SURVIVORS THAT WE
[00:38:31] ENACTED INTO LAW LAST CONGRESS
[00:38:34] TWO YEARS AGO. MY PROTECT
[00:38:37] INNOCENT VICTIMS OF TAXATION
[00:38:39] AFTER FIRE ACT MADE AN APPOINTMENT. AN IMPORTANT UPDATE
[00:38:42] TO OUR TAX CODE. IT MADE SURE
[00:38:44] THAT INDIVIDUALS, FAMILIES, AND
[00:38:47] ENTIRE COMMUNITIES WHO SUFFERED
[00:38:49] FROM UTILITY CAUSED WILDFIRES
[00:38:52] RECEIVED THE FULL COMPENSATION
[00:38:54] THAT THEY WERE AWARDED IN COURT
[00:38:57] TO REBUILD THEIR LIVES BUT
[00:39:00] UNFORTUNATELY, EVERY YEAR, MORE
[00:39:03] DEVASTATING DISASTERS TAKE
[00:39:04] PLACE. AND SO CONGRESS MUST
[00:39:10] EXTEND THE SAME IMPORTANT FINANCIAL PROTECTION TO SURVIVORS OF MORE RECENT
[00:39:14] WILDFIRES. THAT'S WHAT THE
[00:39:15] HOUSE PASSED. VERSION OF THE
[00:39:20] BILL WOULD DO. NOW, TO BE CLEAR, DISASTER SETTLEMENT FUNDS ARE
[00:39:23] NOT INCOME. THEY'RE NOT A
[00:39:25] FINANCIAL WINDFALL. THEY'RE CERTAINLY NOT WINNING THE
[00:39:28] LOTTERY. WHAT THEY ARE IS
[00:39:33] COMPENSATION, PARTIAL COMPENSATION IN MOST CASES, FOR
[00:39:36] WHAT'S BEEN LOST. THEY'RE MEANT
[00:39:38] TO GIVE SURVIVORS AN OPPORTUNITY
[00:39:41] TO BEGIN TO REBUILD, NOT JUST
[00:39:42] THEIR HOMES, BUT THEIR LIVES.
[00:39:46] AND THIS BILL IS NOT JUST FOR MY CONSTITUENTS IN CALIFORNIA THAT
[00:39:50] HAVE BEEN IMPACTED BY THE ETON
[00:39:53] AND PALISADES FIRE. A YEAR AND A
[00:39:58] HALF AGO. IT'S ALSO FOR THOSE VICTIMS IN OREGON AND HAWAII AND OTHER COMMUNITIES ACROSS THE
[00:40:01] COUNTRY THAT HAVE EXPERIENCED
[00:40:04] SIMILAR DISASTERS. NOW, OUR BILL
[00:40:07] WOULD ENSURE THAT ALL RECENT WILDFIRE VICTIMS THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY HAVE ACCESS TO THE FULL
[00:40:11] VALUE OF THEIR SETTLEMENT,
[00:40:12] WITHOUT ANY UNFAIR TAX BURDEN.
[00:40:16] IT'S COMMON SENSE, AND IT'S A BIPARTISAN SOLUTION TO PROTECT
[00:40:20] AMERICANS AT THE MOST DIFFICULT
[00:40:21] TIME OF THEIR LIVES. AND SO WE
[00:40:25] SHOULD PASS THIS LEGISLATION. NOW. LET'S NOT KEEP SURVIVORS
[00:40:29] WAITING, WORRYING, AND WONDERING ABOUT THEIR FINANCIAL FUTURE ANY
[00:40:33] LONGER. I WANT TO THANK SENATORS LUMMIS, WYDEN, AND SHEEHY FOR
[00:40:37] THEIR PARTNERSHIP, AS WELL AS MY COLLEAGUE, REPRESENTATIVE MIKE
[00:40:41] THOMPSON, IN THE HOUSE, FOR HIS STEADFAST LEADERSHIP ON THIS
[00:40:44] ISSUE. I ALSO WANT TO RECOGNIZE
[00:40:48] THAT THE LATE REPRESENTATIVE DOUG LAMALFA WAS SUCH A CRITICAL
[00:40:51] PART OF THIS EFFORT. THE HOUSE
[00:40:54] FITTINGLY NAMED THIS BILL IN HIS HONOR BECAUSE IT REFLECTS THE
[00:40:58] TIRELESS LEADERSHIP HE BROUGHT TO THESE ISSUES IMPACTING
[00:41:01] DISASTER STRICKEN COMMUNITIES
[00:41:03] THROUGHOUT HIS CAREER. HE AND I FIRST SERVED TOGETHER IN THE CALIFORNIA STATE SENATE, AND
[00:41:07] THEN AGAIN HERE IN THE HOUSE, ME
[00:41:10] IN THE SENATE. I WOULD URGE ALL
[00:41:14] OF OUR COLLEAGUES TO SUPPORT THE
[00:41:16] HOUSE PASSED VERSION OF THE
[00:41:18] MEASURE AND ALLOW SURVIVORS TO
[00:41:20] BEGIN TO REBUILD THEIR LIVES
[00:41:23] WITHOUT UNNECESSARY FEAR OR DELAY. THANK YOU.
[00:41:26] >> MR. PRESIDENT. >> IS THERE OBJECTION TO THE
[00:41:29] ORIGINAL REQUEST?
[00:41:32] >> I OBJECT TO THE CRUZ REQUEST, AND I.
[00:41:36] >> MORGAN. >> I WANT TO TAKE NOTE OF THE
[00:41:37] FLOOR RIGHT NOW, BECAUSE OUR
[00:41:42] PROPOSAL HAS BIPARTISAN SUPPORT
[00:41:44] ON THE FLOOR THIS MORNING. IN OTHER WORDS, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT
[00:41:48] WHO'S BEEN TRYING TO BRING PEOPLE TOGETHER AND THE LIKE.
[00:41:51] OUR PROPOSAL ON THIS FLOOR, THE SENATOR FROM FLORIDA, SENATOR
[00:41:54] FROM CALIFORNIA, SENATOR FROM
[00:41:58] OREGON, A BIPARTISAN PROPOSAL, THE SENATOR FROM TEXAS IS NOT ON
[00:42:01] THE FLOOR WITH BIPARTISAN
[00:42:03] SUPPORT. I HOPE THAT HE'LL WORK WITH US OVER THE COURSE OF THE
[00:42:06] MORNING TO GET THIS WORKED OUT.
[00:42:09] AND THAT'S WHY I OBJECT TO THE
[00:42:11] CRUZ PROPOSAL. AND I OBJECT AGAIN.
[00:42:14] >> THE OBJECTION IS HEARD.
[00:42:30] SENATOR, FLORIDA. >> SO, FIRST OFF, I RISE TO RECOGNIZE ALL MY COLLEAGUES THAT
[00:42:34] HAVE SPOKEN ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF DISASTER RELIEF. AND I THINK
[00:42:37] WE ALL WANT TO MAKE SURE WE HELP
[00:42:38] OUR STATES. RIGHT NOW, I RISE IN
[00:42:41] SUPPORT. THE. DOUG LAMALFA DISASTER TAX RELIEF CERTAINTY
[00:42:45] ACT. FLORIDA IS NO STRANGER TO NATURAL DISASTERS. AS WE SPEAK.
[00:42:48] WE'RE IN THE MIDDLE OF HURRICANE SEASON. STARTED JUNE
[00:42:51] 1st. WHEN I WAS GOVERNOR, I WON FLORIDA FOR THE NATIONAL MODEL
[00:42:55] FOR DISASTER RELIEF. WE PRIORITIZE PREPAREDNESS, SAFETY,
[00:42:57] QUICK ACTION. BUT ONCE THE
[00:43:00] STORMS PASS, YOU KNOW, ANY PLACE ELSE, FLORIDA IS IN THE SAME POSITION. FLORIDIANS HAD TO BE
[00:43:04] REBUILT, FAMILIES LOST HOMES, SOME LOST EVERYTHING THEY HAD.
[00:43:07] WHEN YOU'RE IN THAT POSITION, ONE OF THE WORST MOMENTS OF YOUR ENTIRE LIFE, YOU SHOULDN'T HAVE
[00:43:11] TO WORRY ABOUT A RISING TAX BILL. THAT'S WHY I HELPED LEAD
[00:43:14] THIS BIPARTISAN BILL IN PREVIOUS BILLS, TO PROVIDE NOT JUST
[00:43:17] FLORIDIANS, BUT ALL AMERICANS ALL ACROSS THIS COUNTRY. TAX
[00:43:21] RELIEF AND DISASTER STRIKES,
[00:43:23] INCLUDING TEXAS AND OREGON'S
[00:43:26] OREGONIANS. OUR CITIZENS NEED CERTAINTY WHEN THEY ARE PIERCING
[00:43:29] THEIR LIV, PLACING, PIERCING THEIR LIVES BACK TOGETHER. THEY
[00:43:33] DON'T NEED THE GOVERNMENT TAKING A CUT OF THE MONEY. THEY NEED. THIS BILL JUST GIVES THEM
[00:43:36] CERTAINTY OF NECESSARY TAX RELIEF TO VICTIMS OF NATURAL DISASTERS, SO THEY CAN FOCUS ON
[00:43:40] GETTING BACK ON TRACK AND NOT WORRYING ABOUT THE IRS. THIS
[00:43:43] THIS BILL IS VERY CRITICAL TO MY STATE. IT'S ALSO MORE ABOUT
[00:43:47] HURRICANES. THIS BILL IS NOT JUST ABOUT HURRICANES. THIS BILL
[00:43:50] HELPS FAMILIES AFFECTED BY ALL NATURAL DISASTERS, INCLUDING WILDFIRES, TORNADOES,
[00:43:54] EARTHQUAKES, ANY OTHER SCENARIO THAT CAN BE DESCRIBED DECLARED A
[00:43:57] FEDERAL DISASTER. IT'S GOOD FOR THE ENTIRE COUNTRY. IT'S A
[00:44:00] BIPARTISAN BILL, AND IT'S A TRIBUTE TO DOUG LAMALFA, WHO
[00:44:03] PASSED AWAY EARLIER THIS YEAR.
[00:44:08] THIS PASSED THE HOUSE UNANIMOUSLY EARLIER THIS YEAR. SO IF WE PASS THIS TODAY, IT
[00:44:11] WILL BECOME LAW. AMERICANS DON'T NEED EXTRA WORRIES WHEN
[00:44:15] THE WORST HAPPENS, AND WE SHOULDN'T BE AN OBSTACLE TO THEIR RECOVERY. BY PASSING THIS
[00:44:18] BILL, WE WILL MAKE IT EASIER TO REBUILD THE AMERICAN DREAM. WHEN
[00:44:22] HARDSHIP STRIKES. I'M NOT GOING TO GIVE UP. I LOOK FORWARD TO CONTINUING TO WORK WITH MY COLLEAGUES, INCLUDING WITH MY
[00:44:26] FRIEND FROM TEXAS, TO GET THIS BILL ACROSS THE FINISH LINE FOR
[00:44:30] EVERY FLORIDIAN, EVERY AMERICAN. AND I RECOGNIZE THE ISSUE HE'S DEALING WITH, AND I LOOK FORWARD
[00:44:33] TO WORKING WITH HIM TO TRY TO SOLVE THE ISSUE THAT TEXANS ARE
[00:44:36] LOOKING, LOOKING AT RIGHT NOW. WITH THAT, MR. PRESIDENT, I
[00:44:38] YIELD BACK.
[00:44:41] >> COLLEAGUES, THE TRUMP
[00:44:44] ADMINISTRATION HAS US STUCK IN A
[00:44:46] HUMILIATING QUAGMIRE, A TOTAL
[00:44:49] DEADLOCK IN IRAN. WE ARE WASTING
[00:44:54] BILLIONS OF TAXPAYER DOLLARS
[00:44:57] DROPPING BOMBS AND FIRING
[00:45:02] MISSILES AT IRAN. IRAN RESPONDS WITH WITH ESCALATION. THEY KEEP
[00:45:05] THE STRAIT CLOSED. THEY ATTACK
[00:45:06] OUR BASES. THEY ATTACK OUR
[00:45:09] ALLIES IN THE REGION. THE WAR
[00:45:13] JUST EXPANDS AND EXPANDS AND
[00:45:15] EXPANDS. IN THE LAST WEEK, FOR
[00:45:18] INSTANCE, A NEW WAR IS
[00:45:21] THREATENING TO BREAK OUT BETWEEN YEMEN AND SAUDI ARABIA, WHICH
[00:45:25] WOULD LIKELY RESULT IN THE OTHER
[00:45:29] STRAIT AT THE BOTTOM OF THE RED
[00:45:32] SEA BEING CLOSED AS WELL TRUMP
[00:45:36] PERSONALLY PAYS NO PRICE FOR
[00:45:38] THIS STALEMATE. HIS CORRUPTION
[00:45:42] SCHEMES, HIS CRYPTOCURRENCY, HIS
[00:45:46] INSIDER TRADING, THE CONTRACTS
[00:45:48] TO HIS SONS, ALL OF THAT HAS
[00:45:51] PRACTICALLY TRIPLED HIS NET WORTH IN JUST 18 SHORT MONTHS IN
[00:45:55] OFFICE. KNOW THE PRICE OF THIS
[00:46:00] WAR IS BEING PLAINLY PAID, FIRST
[00:46:03] AND FOREMOST, BY OUR SOLDIERS,
[00:46:07] WHO ARE BEING PUT IN HARM'S WAY FOR A WAR THAT IS MAKING AMERICA
[00:46:11] WEAKER EVERY DAY. THEY'RE
[00:46:14] GETTING KILLED THEY'RE
[00:46:19] SUSTAINING LIFE ALTERING INJURIES. MANY OF OUR SOLDIERS
[00:46:22] AND SAILORS AND AIRMEN HAVE BEEN
[00:46:25] IN THE REGION FAR PAST THEIR SCHEDULED DEPLOYMENT. THEY
[00:46:29] HAVEN'T SEEN THEIR FAMILIES IN
[00:46:31] YEARS AND, OF COURSE, AMERICAN
[00:46:35] CONSUMERS ARE PAYING THE PRICE
[00:46:38] AS WELL. HERE'S THE MOST RELEVANT CHART. THIS IS FAMILIAR
[00:46:41] TO YOU. THIS IS WHAT GAS PRICES
[00:46:44] WERE DOING UNTIL THE WAR. THEY
[00:46:50] ARE CREEPING BACK WELL ABOVE $4
[00:46:52] A GALLON RIGHT NOW. THAT IS NOT
[00:46:56] AFFORDABLE FOR REGULAR AMERICANS, ESPECIALLY AMERICANS
[00:46:57] WHO HAVE TO TRAVEL GREAT
[00:47:00] DISTANCES FOR WORK, ESPECIALLY
[00:47:02] SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS WHO RELY
[00:47:05] ON REASONABLE GAS PRICES IN
[00:47:08] ORDER TO BE ABLE TO MAKE THEIR
[00:47:10] BILLS WORK. DIESEL PRICES ARE THROUGH THE ROOF AS WELL.
[00:47:14] FERTILIZER PRICES ARE THROUGH THE ROOF AS WELL, ALL BECAUSE OF
[00:47:18] THIS WAR. NO OTHER REASON. THE WAR, THE PRICES ARE THIS HIGH
[00:47:22] BECAUSE OF THE WAR. IT'S FARMERS. IT'S SMALL BUSINESS
[00:47:26] OWNERS. IT'S THE AMERICAN PUBLIC WHO ARE PAYING THE PRICE,
[00:47:29] NOT DONALD TRUMP. AND SO THAT'S
[00:47:31] WHY THE WAR IS JUST WILDLY
[00:47:34] UNPOPULAR. LIKE, EXCEPT FOR
[00:47:39] TRUMP'S SORT OF HARD LINE SUPPORTERS, THE FOLKS WHO JUST DON'T BELIEVE HE CAN EVER DO ANYTHING WRONG. NOBODY WANTS
[00:47:43] THIS WAR. IF YOU'RE IN A RED STATE OR A BLUE STATE, THIS WAR
[00:47:47] IS DEEPLY UNPOPULAR BECAUSE THE AMERICAN PUBLIC ARE SMART.
[00:47:51] THEY'RE SMARTER THAN A LOT OF MY COLLEAGUES GIVE THEM CREDIT FOR. THEY KNOW THAT A WAR WITH
[00:47:55] IRAN IS UNWINNABLE. THEY DON'T
[00:47:57] WANT AMERICA STUCK AGAIN IN A
[00:48:01] QUAGMIRE, A STALEMATE IN THE MIDDLE EAST. SO HOW DOES TRUMP
[00:48:04] HANDLE THIS? A DEEPLY UNPOPULAR
[00:48:08] WAR, A WAR THAT HE IS LOSING, A
[00:48:12] WAR THAT IS DRIVING UP PRICES
[00:48:17] FOR THE AMERICAN PUBLIC? WELL,
[00:48:17] THIS IS HOW HE HANDLES IT. HE
[00:48:24] GASLIGHTS. HE TELLS LIES. AND
[00:48:31] THE ESSENTIAL GASLIGHT IS THAT
[00:48:34] THE WAR IS ABOUT TO END. DON'T
[00:48:38] WORRY. YES, IT APPEARS THAT
[00:48:39] THERE IS NO END. IT APPEARS THAT YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO
[00:48:43] CONTINUE TO PAY THESE PRICES
[00:48:46] FOREVER. IT APPEARS THAT AMERICA
[00:48:48] HAS NO END GAME. BUT DON'T
[00:48:50] WORRY, THE WAR IS ABOUT TO END.
[00:48:52] AND SO I JUST WANT TO GO THROUGH
[00:48:57] THIS PATTERN FOR YOU, BECAUSE IT IS REALLY IMPORTANT TO TALK ABOUT THE FACT THAT THE WHITE
[00:49:01] HOUSE IS JUST NOT BEING STRAIGHT WITH THE AMERICAN PUBLIC ABOUT
[00:49:05] WHAT'S GOING ON IN THIS WAR OVER AND OVER AGAIN. THE
[00:49:08] PRESIDENT DECLARES THAT THE WAR
[00:49:10] IS ABOUT TO BE OVER. HE'S NOT
[00:49:13] TELLING THE TRUTH. HE NORMALLY
[00:49:16] DECLARES THAT THE WAR IS ABOUT TO BE OVER ON SUNDAY NIGHT OR
[00:49:20] MONDAY MORNING, RIGHT BEFORE THE
[00:49:23] MARKETS OPEN. BUT NOW THAT WE
[00:49:25] ARE SIX MONTHS INTO THIS WAR, WE
[00:49:31] CAN SEE THE PATTERN. LET ME GO
[00:49:34] THROUGH IT WITH YOU QUICKLY. ON
[00:49:38] MARCH 23rd, TRUMP ANNOUNCES A DEAL. I'M JUST GOING TO GIVE
[00:49:42] YOU HIS QUOTES HERE. THESE ARE HIS WORDS. HE SAYS, THE UNITED
[00:49:45] STATES OF AMERICA AND THE COUNTRY OF IRAN HAVE HAD OVER
[00:49:47] THE LAST TWO DAYS, VERY GOOD AND PRODUCTIVE CONVERSATIONS
[00:49:51] REGARDING A COMPLETE AND TOTAL RESOLUTION OF OUR HOSTILITIES IN
[00:49:55] THE MIDDLE EAST. THE MARKET IMPACT IS IMMEDIATE. THAT POST
[00:49:59] SENDS OIL PRICES TUMBLING NEARLY
[00:50:02] 11%, BUT THERE IS NO DEAL. HE
[00:50:05] JUST MADE IT UP TWO DAYS LATER, THE UNITED STATES MILITARY IS
[00:50:09] BACK TO CONDUCTING STRIKES.
[00:50:12] STRIKES, QUOTE, ABRAHAM, THE
[00:50:14] U.S. ABRAHAM LINCOLN CONTINUES FLIGHT OPERATIONS AGAINST
[00:50:17] MILITARY TARGETS IN IRAN WHILE
[00:50:19] SAILING IN REGIONAL WATERS. ON
[00:50:21] MARCH 30th, TRUMP ANNOUNCES ANOTHER DEAL. THIS IS MONDAY
[00:50:25] MORNING, RIGHT BEFORE THE MARKETS OPEN. HE SAYS, THE
[00:50:28] UNITED STATES OF AMERICA IS IN SERIOUS DISCUSSIONS WITH A NEW
[00:50:32] AND MORE REASONABLE REGIME TO
[00:50:34] END END OUR MILITARY OPERATIONS
[00:50:37] IN IRAN. GREAT PROGRESS HAS BEEN
[00:50:41] MADE. ONE WEEK LATER, THERE'S NO
[00:50:43] DEAL. THE OPPOSITE. ONE WEEK
[00:50:47] LATER, TRUMP POSTS THAT HE'S GOING TO WIPE OUT THE ENTIRE
[00:50:50] CIVILIZATION OF IRAN A WHOLE
[00:50:52] CIVILIZATION WILL DIE. TONIGHT,
[00:50:55] HE POSTS, NEVER TO BE BROUGHT BACK AGAIN. THAT'S A WAR CRIME.
[00:50:58] THE PRESIDENT IS PROMISING, IS
[00:51:00] PROMISING TO KILL MILLIONS OF
[00:51:03] CIVILIANS. HE TRIES TO DIAL IT
[00:51:09] BACK BUT LATER ON THAT SAME DAY,
[00:51:10] HE'S BACK TO ANNOUNCING A DEAL.
[00:51:13] LITERALLY, I'M GOING TO WIPE OUT A WHOLE CIVILIZATION. THAT
[00:51:17] MORNING. THAT NIGHT, ON APRIL 17th, HE SAYS, WELL, WE RECEIVED
[00:51:19] A TEN POINT PROPOSAL FROM IRAN,
[00:51:21] AND I BELIEVE IT IS A WORKABLE BASIS ON WHICH TO NEGOTIATE. A
[00:51:25] TWO WEEK PERIOD WILL ALLOW THE
[00:51:26] AGREEMENT TO BE FINALIZED AND
[00:51:29] CONSUMMATED FIVE DAYS LATER.
[00:51:32] THERE'S NO DEAL. TRUMP
[00:51:35] ANNOUNCES A RESUMPTION OF THE
[00:51:37] WAR WITH IRAN NOW, LET'S FAST
[00:51:39] FORWARD TEN DAYS LATER TO APRIL
[00:51:41] 17th. HE POSTS THAT A DEAL WITH
[00:51:47] IRAN IS IMMINENT. THIS PROCESS SHOULD GO VERY QUICKLY. MOST OF
[00:51:50] THE POINTS ARE ALREADY
[00:51:52] NEGOTIATED, HE POSTS TWO DAYS
[00:51:55] LATER, THE STRIKES START AGAIN.
[00:51:58] ON MAY 5th. TRUMP SAYS GREAT
[00:52:02] PROGRESS BEING MADE TOWARD A COMPLETE AND FINAL AGREEMENT
[00:52:05] WITH THE REPRESENTATIVES OF
[00:52:07] IRAN. COMPLETE IS CAPITALIZED.
[00:52:09] FINAL IS CAPITALIZED. AGREEMENT IS CAPITALIZED. REPRESENTATIVES
[00:52:12] IS CAPITALIZED. IRAN IS CAPITALIZED. TWO DAYS LATER, THE
[00:52:16] DEAL IS OFF. SURPRISE, SURPRISE.
[00:52:20] EVERY TIME TRUMP ANNOUNCES A
[00:52:21] DEAL IS IMMINENT, IT JUST
[00:52:26] DISAPPEARS. U.S. FORCES INTERCEPTED UNPROVOKED IRANIAN
[00:52:30] ATTACKS AND RESPONDED WITH SELF-DEFENSE STRIKES. CENTCOM
[00:52:33] ANNOUNCES. TWO DAYS LATER, ON MAY 25th, RIGHT BEFORE THE
[00:52:37] MARKETS OPEN, A DEAL IS IMMINENT. QUOTE, NEGOTIATIONS
[00:52:40] WITH THE ISLAMIC REPUBLIC OF IRAN ARE PROCEEDING NICELY RIGHT
[00:52:44] BEFORE THE MARKETS OPEN. THAT
[00:52:46] SAME DAY, THE UNITED STATES MILITARY STRIKES ON IRAN, QUOTE,
[00:52:49] THE U.S. FORCES CONDUCTED SELF-DEFENSE STRIKES IN SOUTHERN
[00:52:52] IRAN TODAY TO PROTECT OUR TROOPS
[00:52:53] FROM THREATS POSED BY IRANIAN
[00:52:57] FORCES. NEXT MONDAY, RIGHT
[00:52:59] BEFORE THE MARKETS OPEN TRUMP'S POSTS, IRAN WANTS TO MAKE A
[00:53:02] DEAL. IT'LL BE A GOOD ONE. JUST
[00:53:05] SIT BACK AND RELAX. IT'LL WORK OUT WELL. IN THE END. IT ALWAYS
[00:53:09] DOES. HOW IS THIS WORKING OUT WELL FOR THE AMERICAN PUBLIC?
[00:53:12] HOW IS THAT WORKING OUT WELL FOR
[00:53:14] THE AMERICAN PUBLIC THE NEXT
[00:53:17] DAY? THERE'S NO DEAL. THE
[00:53:20] UNITED STATES CONDUCTS STRIKES
[00:53:21] AGAINST IRAN ON JUNE 17th. TRUMP
[00:53:25] ACTUALLY SIGNS A DEAL, BUT IT'S NOT A REAL DEAL. HE DOES THIS
[00:53:29] WHOLE POMP AND CIRCUMSTANCE
[00:53:31] SIGNING CEREMONY IN VERSAILLES.
[00:53:34] THAT DEAL WAS NEGOTIATED BY
[00:53:36] DIPLOMATIC AMATEURS. THERE WAS
[00:53:40] NOTHING ACTUALLY AGREED TO.
[00:53:41] THERE WERE WORDS ON A PAGE, BUT
[00:53:45] FROM THE LITERAL MOMENT, THE INK WAS DRY. NOBODY COULD EXPLAIN
[00:53:48] WHAT THEY HAD AGREED TO. MOST
[00:53:51] SIGNIFICANTLY, IRAN THOUGHT THAT THE AGREEMENT OBLIGATED ISRAEL
[00:53:55] TO STOP ITS MILITARY OPERATIONS
[00:53:57] IN LEBANON. ISRAEL DID NOT AGREE
[00:54:02] TO THAT. IRAN THOUGHT THAT IT HAD BEEN GIVEN CONTROL OF THE STRAIT IN THAT AGREEMENT.
[00:54:06] APPARENTLY, THE AMERICAN
[00:54:08] DELEGATION DIDN'T THINK THEY
[00:54:11] MADE THAT CONCESSION. ANYWAY.
[00:54:12] THAT AGREEMENT LASTS TEN DAYS.
[00:54:15] ON JUNE 27th, TRUMP POSTS THAT
[00:54:17] STRIKES ON IRAN HAVE RESUMED. LET'S JUST FAST FORWARD TO THE
[00:54:21] LAST WEEK, BECAUSE TRUMP IS
[00:54:25] DOING IT AGAIN ON AUGUST 1st.
[00:54:30] TRUMP POSTS THAT THE. I'M NOT SURE THAT THAT I THAT I TRANSCRIBED THIS WRONG OR NOT,
[00:54:34] BUT IT LOOKS LIKE HE SAYS THE PERIMETERS OF A DEAL. I'LL GIVE HIM CREDIT THAT HE SAID.
[00:54:38] PARAMETERS. THE PARAMETERS OF A DEAL HAVE BEEN AGREED TO ON
[00:54:42] AUGUST 1st. ON AUGUST 2nd, THE
[00:54:45] DEAL IS IMMINENT, HAVING TO DO
[00:54:48] WITH THE STRAIT OF HORMUZ AND ULTIMATELY, THE DENUCLEARIZATION
[00:54:52] OF IRAN. A DEAL IS IMMINENT ON
[00:54:55] THE DENUCLEARIZATION OF IRAN.
[00:54:56] AUGUST 4th. A NIGHT OR TWO AGO,
[00:55:01] TRUMP TELLS FOX NEWS. WE'RE
[00:55:04] HAVING VERY GOOD DISCUSSIONS MEANWHILE, THERE ARE REPORTS
[00:55:08] THAT IRAN ISN'T EVEN TALKING TO
[00:55:10] THE UNITED STATES. TRUMP SAYING A DEAL ON THE DENUCLEARIZATION
[00:55:14] OF IRAN IS IMMINENT. AND IRAN IS SAYING, WE'RE NOT EVEN IN THE
[00:55:17] ROOM I MEAN, WE SHOULD NOT
[00:55:22] ACCEPT THIS LEVEL OF
[00:55:25] GASLIGHTING. THE WORD OF THE PRESIDENT HAS TO MATTER OVER AND
[00:55:28] OVER AGAIN ON 11 DIFFERENT
[00:55:31] INSTANCES, TRUMP SAYS A DEAL IS ABOUT TO HAPPEN. DON'T WORRY.
[00:55:34] THE WAR IS ABOUT TO BE OVER.
[00:55:36] THERE'S NO DEAL IS REAL. THESE
[00:55:43] PROMISES, I WISH IT WERE REAL. I WANT TO BE CLEAR ABOUT THAT. I
[00:55:47] WANT THE WAR TO END. I WOULD
[00:55:50] BASICALLY SUPPORT ANY AGREEMENT
[00:55:52] AT THIS POINT TO END THIS WAR. I
[00:55:56] WAS GLAD THAT THE PRESIDENT GOT A CEASE FIRE, BUT I COULD TELL
[00:56:00] BY THE TERMS IT WASN'T GOING TO
[00:56:03] LAST. IT WASN'T A REAL
[00:56:05] AGREEMENT. BUT AT THIS POINT,
[00:56:07] MANY OF US ARE WILLING TO SUPPORT ALMOST ANY AGREEMENT.
[00:56:10] IT'LL BE A HUMILIATING AGREEMENT. IT WILL BE ONE IN
[00:56:14] WHICH IRAN WILL ESSENTIALLY
[00:56:15] DECLARE VICTORY. BUT THIS WAR IS
[00:56:19] A DISASTER. AMERICA IS LOSING.
[00:56:24] CONSUMERS CAN'T AFFORD TO PAY
[00:56:25] THESE PRICES. BUSINESSES ARE
[00:56:28] GOING UNDER. WE HAD A RECORD OF FARM BANKRUPTCIES IN THE LAST
[00:56:32] YEAR. WE LOOK LIKE A LAUGHING
[00:56:39] STOCK. AND WE'RE RUNNING OUT OF
[00:56:40] MUNITIONS. WE DON'T WE DON'T
[00:56:45] HAVE WHAT WE NEED TO PROTECT
[00:56:48] OURSELVES ANYMORE. REPORTS ARE
[00:56:50] THAT WE'VE GONE THROUGH HALF OF
[00:56:53] OUR TOMAHAWKS, OUR ALLIES IN THE
[00:56:57] REGION HAVE FIRED 70 TO 80% OF THEIR PATRIOT MISSILES. THIS IS
[00:57:00] A CRISIS. IT HAS TO END. BUT
[00:57:04] MAYBE THERE'S AN EXPLANATION FOR
[00:57:09] WHY TRUMP CONTINUES TO DO THIS
[00:57:12] GASLIGHTING, PARTICULARLY RIGHT
[00:57:14] BEFORE THE MARKETS OPEN TRUMP
[00:57:19] ANNOUNCED NOW, A WEEK OR SO AGO,
[00:57:23] THAT IF YOU PAY HIM $100,000 A
[00:57:29] MONTH, HE WILL GIVE YOU ADVANCE
[00:57:34] NOTICE OF AMERICAN FOREIGN
[00:57:36] POLICY DECISIONS I DON'T I
[00:57:43] DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY THAT IS ACCEPTABLE TO ANYBODY IN THIS
[00:57:46] CHAMBER. IF YOU PAY DONALD TRUMP
[00:57:49] $100,000, HE WILL GIVE YOU
[00:57:53] ADVANCE NOTICE OF AMERICA'S
[00:57:55] FOREIGN POLICY DECISIONS. IF WE
[00:57:59] ARE ABOUT TO SIGN A PEACE TREATY, AND YOU GIVE HIM
[00:58:03] $100,000 A MONTH, HE WILL GIVE YOU ADVANCE NOTICE OF THAT. IF
[00:58:06] STRIKES ARE GOING TO RESUME
[00:58:08] AGAINST IRAN, IF YOU PAY HIM $100,000 A MONTH, HE WILL GIVE
[00:58:12] YOU ADVANCE NOTICE OF THAT. THAT
[00:58:18] IS A SUBSCRIPTION SERVICE FOR
[00:58:21] INSIDER TRADING, AND IT IS
[00:58:25] UNQUESTIONABLY LUCRATIVE ON
[00:58:27] AUGUST 1st, TRUMP POSTS THAT A DEAL IS IMMINENT. REMEMBER,
[00:58:31] PEOPLE STILL TAKE HIM SERIOUSLY.
[00:58:34] NOT EVERYBODY KNOWS ABOUT THIS HISTORY OF GASLIGHTING. ON
[00:58:38] AUGUST 1st, TRUMP SAYS A DEAL IS IMMINENT, AND THE MARKET IMPACT
[00:58:42] IS IMMEDIATE. OIL PRICES FALL BY
[00:58:46] 5%, RIGHT AS THE MARKETS OPEN
[00:58:50] THE NEXT DAY, RIGHT BEFORE THE
[00:58:52] MARKETS OPEN, TRUMP SAYS AGAIN,
[00:58:55] THE DEAL IS IMMINENT. ANOTHER 5%
[00:59:02] DROP. AND SO YOU SEE HOW HIS STATEMENTS MOVE THE MARKET. AND
[00:59:05] YOU CAN SEE HOW IF YOU GET
[00:59:09] ADVANCE NOTICE OF THOSE STATEMENTS, EVEN BY A FEW
[00:59:12] SECONDS YOU CAN CAPITALIZE ON
[00:59:18] THAT MARKET MOVEMENT. IF YOU KNOW THAT IF TRUMP SAYS A DEAL
[00:59:21] IS IMMINENT AND THE MARKETS ARE GOING TO MOVE 5%, AND YOU PAY
[00:59:25] $100,000 TO DONALD TRUMP TO GET THAT INFORMATION EARLY, YOU CAN
[00:59:29] MAKE A BOATLOAD OF MONEY. AND SO
[00:59:33] MAYBE THE WAR CONTINUES, BECAUSE
[00:59:35] TRUMP HAS FOUND A WAY TO
[00:59:45] MONETIZE THE WAR IN A DISGUSTINGLY CORRUPT WAY. I GET THAT AT SOME POINT, WE BECOME
[00:59:47] IMMUNE TO ALL OF THIS. BUT CAN
[00:59:52] ANY OF MY REPUBLICAN COLLEAGUES
[00:59:55] DEFEND THE PRESIDENT SELLING ANNOUNCEMENTS FROM THE WHITE
[00:59:58] HOUSE FOR $100,000 A MONTH IN
[01:00:01] THE MIDDLE OF A WAR? IS ANY
[01:00:06] REPUBLICAN SENATOR WILLING TO COME DOWN TO THIS FLOOR AND
[01:00:10] DEFEND THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, SETTING UP A
[01:00:14] SUBSCRIPTION SERVICE FOR PUBLIC POLICY ANNOUNCEMENTS FROM THE
[01:00:17] WHITE HOUSE, SO AS TO ADVANTAGE CERTAIN PLAYERS IN THE
[01:00:21] MARKETPLACE WHO ARE WILLING TO
[01:00:22] PAY THAT AMOUNT OF MONEY. OF
[01:00:28] COURSE NOT. KNOW IN YOUR HEART
[01:00:31] THAT IT IS CORRUPT, THAT IT IS
[01:00:35] WRONG, THEN YOU SHOULD SAY
[01:00:38] SOMETHING ABOUT IT. BECAUSE THE
[01:00:44] WAR MIGHT BE CONTINUING, NOT JUST BECAUSE OF INCOMPETENCE,
[01:00:48] BUT BECAUSE THE PRESIDENT HAS
[01:00:50] FOUND A WAY TO MAKE MONEY. MORE
[01:00:53] PEOPLE ARE GOING TO PAY HIM $100,000 FOR THESE ANNOUNCEMENTS
[01:00:57] IN THE MIDDLE OF A WAR. FRANKLY, PEOPLE WOULD BE WILLING TO PAY
[01:01:00] IT ABSENT A WAR, BUT HE'LL MAKE
[01:01:03] MORE MONEY DURING A WAR BECAUSE
[01:01:05] HIS ANNOUNCEMENTS CLEARLY MOVE
[01:01:08] THE MARKET IN THE MIDDLE OF A
[01:01:09] VERY COMPLICATED CONFLICT WHERE
[01:01:14] THE DECISIONS OF THE UNITED
[01:01:17] STATES GOVERNMENT IMMEDIATELY
[01:01:21] CHANGE OIL MARKETS. REASON THAT
[01:01:24] THIS WAR IS DRAGGING ON
[01:01:26] ENDLESSLY, IT DOES MATTER. AND
[01:01:33] MY COLLEAGUES SHOULD CARE ABOUT TRUMP'S INSIDER TRADING
[01:01:36] SUBSCRIPTION SCHEME. IT'S JUST
[01:01:39] SO DISCOURAGING THAT NOBODY ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE AISLE SAYS
[01:01:41] ANYTHING ABOUT THIS. WHEN THE CREDIBILITY OF THE WHITE HOUSE
[01:01:45] AND OF OUR COUNTRY IS JUST
[01:01:47] GETTING DESTROYED AND SULLIED.
[01:01:53] BUT MY REPUBLICAN COLLEAGUES
[01:01:54] SHOULD ALSO CARE THAT THE WAR IS
[01:01:57] BEING WAGED WITH A LEVEL OF
[01:02:02] EMBARRASSING INCOMPETENCE. THAT
[01:02:06] IS MAKING AMERICA WEAKER.
[01:02:07] THAT'S GETTING US NOWHERE. THIS
[01:02:11] BODY WORKS BEST WHEN THE
[01:02:13] PRESIDENT'S PARTY STANDS UP TO
[01:02:16] HIM AND SAYS, ENOUGH. WHETHER
[01:02:21] IT'S CORRUPTION OR INCOMPETENCE, THAT'S WHAT PRESIDENT JOHNSON'S
[01:02:24] PARTY DID DURING THE VIETNAM
[01:02:28] WAR. IT IS ACTUALLY WHAT THE
[01:02:30] DEMOCRATIC PARTY DID WITH
[01:02:34] PRESIDENT OBAMA DURING THE LATE STAGES OF THE AFGHANISTAN WAR,
[01:02:37] WHEN MANY OF US DECIDED THAT
[01:02:41] AMERICA HAD TO WITHDRAW AND OPPOSED PRESIDENT OBAMA'S PARTY.
[01:02:44] IT'S WHAT MANY OF US DID HERE DURING THE EARLY STAGES OF THE
[01:02:47] WAR IN YEMEN THAT PRESIDENT
[01:02:52] OBAMA WAS BRINGING THE AMERICAN MILITARY INTO. AND MANY OF US
[01:02:56] OPPOSED. IT, GOT UP ON THIS FLOOR, EXPLAINED WHY WE OPPOSED
[01:02:59] IT REPUBLICANS CAN DO THAT, TOO.
[01:03:05] YOU CAN SAY, THIS WAR HAS TO
[01:03:08] END. YOU CAN SAY THAT THE
[01:03:10] PRESIDENT SHOULD NEVER, EVER
[01:03:12] PERSONALLY BENEFIT FROM A
[01:03:15] CONFLICT OVERSEAS. YOU CAN SAY THAT THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED
[01:03:18] STATES SHOULD NOT SELL ACCESS TO
[01:03:23] WHITE HOUSE STATEMENTS. IT WOULD
[01:03:26] MAKE A BIG DIFFERENCE FOR OUR
[01:03:29] DEMOCRACY AND FOR THE AMERICAN
[01:03:34] PEOPLE WHO ARE PAYING THROUGH THE NOSE FOR THE COSTS OF THIS
[01:03:36] WAR. IF YOU DID.
[01:03:41] >> I'VE BEEN TOLD THAT I AM A LOUSY POLITICIAN, BUT A GOOD
[01:03:45] SENATOR, I CONSIDER THAT A COMPLIMENT. WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF
[01:03:49] EVERYONE IN THE SENATE STOPPED BEING A GOOD POLITICIAN FOR A
[01:03:52] MOMENT, AND STROVE TO BE A GOOD
[01:03:55] SENATOR? WHEN IT COMES TO ADDRESSING THE ISSUE ASSOCIATED
[01:03:58] WITH SOCIAL SECURITY, OVER 70
[01:04:01] MILLION AMERICANS DEPEND UPON SOCIAL SECURITY AND ULTIMATELY,
[01:04:04] ALL AMERICANS WILL. WHEN THEY
[01:04:07] REACH THE AGE OF RETIREMENT,
[01:04:10] EVERYONE IN THE SENATE AND MOST OF THE PEOPLE IN THE COUNTRY
[01:04:14] KNOW THAT THE SOCIAL SECURITY
[01:04:15] SYSTEM IS GOING INSOLVENT. WHEN
[01:04:18] THAT OCCURS. BY LAW, THERE WILL
[01:04:20] BE A CUT. IF WE WAIT FOR SIX
[01:04:24] YEARS OF 22 TO 28%, 28 TO 20 2
[01:04:28] TO 28% CUT IN BENEFITS FOR
[01:04:33] EVERYONE ON SOCIAL SECURITY, AND EVERYONE WHO WILL BE NOW MEMBERS
[01:04:37] OF CONGRESS SAY THEY CARE ABOUT SOCIAL SECURITY. THEY SAY THEY
[01:04:39] CARE ABOUT THE SENIORS. THEY
[01:04:42] CARE ABOUT PRESERVING PROMISED BENEFITS FOR CURRENT RETIREES
[01:04:46] AND FUTURE GENERATIONS, AND
[01:04:48] WE'VE HAD A BILL BEFORE US CALLED THE PROMISE ACT BY
[01:04:51] SENATOR DICK DURBIN. MY
[01:04:53] COLLEAGUE, DEMOCRATIC SENATOR, COLLEAGUE FROM ILLINOIS, THAT
[01:04:56] WOULD HAVE BEEN A BILL THAT WOULD HAVE SET UP A COMMISSION,
[01:04:59] IF YOU WILL, OF THE SOCIAL
[01:05:02] SECURITY ADVISORY BOARD, TO PUT
[01:05:04] FORWARD A PROPOSAL. BUT THE
[01:05:07] HOUSE IS OUT OF SESSION. THAT
[01:05:09] COULD NOT PASS. AND SO NOW I PUT
[01:05:12] UP A SENATE RESOLUTION, AND WE TAKE OUT THE INVOLVEMENT OF THE
[01:05:15] SOCIAL SECURITY ACTUARIES, AND
[01:05:19] WE ASK THAT A GROUP OF SENATORS
[01:05:21] AND REPRESENTATIVES, REPUBLICANS AND DEMOCRATS, COME TOGETHER
[01:05:25] OVER THE NEXT TWO MONTHS IN A
[01:05:27] PROCESS TO PRODUCE A POTENTIAL
[01:05:30] IDEA. THIS WHAT I'M ABOUT TO
[01:05:32] PROPOSE IS NOT ABOUT A
[01:05:35] PARTICULAR SOLUTION. THIS. WHAT
[01:05:37] I'M ABOUT TO PROPOSE IS ABOUT A
[01:05:40] PROCESS BY WHICH A SOLUTION CAN BE CONSIDERED, GIVEN TO THE
[01:05:43] SENATE FINANCE COMMITTEE AND
[01:05:45] HOUSE WAYS AND MEANS FOR REGULAR
[01:05:48] ORDER CONSIDERATION, AND THEN WITH A TIME AGREEMENT, SO THAT
[01:05:51] THERE WILL BE, AFTER THAT CONSIDERATION BY THE SENATE
[01:05:55] FINANCE COMMITTEE, IN WHICH ANY MEMBER CAN REPLACE THE BILL
[01:05:58] THAT'S BROUGHT TO THEM WITH AN AMENDMENT IN THE NATURE OF A
[01:06:01] SUBSTITUTE THAT ANY MEMBER COULD BE BERNIE MORENO. IT COULD BE
[01:06:05] ELIZABETH WARREN, IT COULD BE RON WYDEN, IT COULD BE BERNIE
[01:06:09] SANDERS, IT COULD BE BILL CASSIDY PUTTING UP THEIR OWN
[01:06:12] PROPOSAL. IF THEY DON'T LIKE WHAT THIS BIPARTISAN, BICAMERAL
[01:06:16] GROUP OF ELECTED OFFICIALS COMES
[01:06:18] UP WITH. NOW, THIS IS MERELY A
[01:06:21] PROCESS. IT DOES NOT ATTEMPT TO
[01:06:24] POINT IN ANY DIRECTION TOWARDS A SOLUTION. ALL IT ASKS IS THAT WE
[01:06:28] BE GOOD SENATORS, PUTTING
[01:06:30] POLITICS ASIDE, RECOGNIZING THAT
[01:06:32] IF WE DON'T DO SOMETHING SOONER
[01:06:35] THAN LATER TO FIX THE PROBLEM OF
[01:06:38] SOCIAL SECURITY, THAT FUTURE
[01:06:41] THAT SOCIAL SECURITY BENEFICIARIES CAN GET AS MUCH AS
[01:06:46] A 28.5% CUT IN BENEFITS UNDER
[01:06:49] CURRENT LAW. SO I'M PUTTING THE
[01:06:53] TEST. WILL THE SENATE TAKE UP
[01:06:55] THE CHALLENGE? WILL WE PUT
[01:06:57] POLITICS ASIDE, STEP FORWARD ON
[01:06:59] A BIPARTISAN, BICAMERAL BASIS TO
[01:07:02] ACTUALLY WORK FOR THE AMERICAN
[01:07:04] PEOPLE? IN A WAY WHICH CAN
[01:07:07] ENSURE THAT SOCIAL SECURITY EXISTS? SO I ASK UNANIMOUS
[01:07:10] CONSENT ON A PATH FORWARD THAT
[01:07:12] ALL COLLEAGUES SHOULD BE ABLE IT
[01:07:17] MERELY, ONCE MORE CREATES A PROCESS TO DO WHAT THE AMERICAN
[01:07:20] PEOPLE SENT US HERE TO DO.
[01:07:24] DEBATE SOLUTIONS, CONSIDER PROPOSALS, AND VOTE. IT DOES NOT
[01:07:28] PREDETERMINE THE OUTCOME. IT
[01:07:29] JUST SAYS THAT CONGRESS MUST
[01:07:32] CONSIDER A SOLUTION. ANY ONE SOLUTION, DEMOCRAT OR
[01:07:35] REPUBLICAN, LEFT AND RIGHT. IT
[01:07:37] JUST ASKS US TO DO OUR JOB, TO
[01:07:40] CONSIDER THE SOLUTION, TO THEN GO THROUGH REGULAR ORDER ON
[01:07:45] SENATE FINANCE COMMITTEE, TO BE CONSIDERED BY ALL. SO WILL WE BE
[01:07:49] GOOD SENATORS, OR WILL WE BE GOOD POLITICIANS? WE DENY
[01:07:52] PROGRESS FOR THE SAKE OF
[01:07:55] POLITICAL SUCCESS. LET'S FIND
[01:07:58] OUT. MR. PRESIDENT, I NOW ASK
[01:08:01] UNANIMOUS CONSENT TO SET UP A
[01:08:03] PROCESS, ONLY A PROCESS, FOR
[01:08:07] CONGRESS TO CONSIDER SOLUTIONS. SO MY SCRIPT IS AS IF IN
[01:08:11] LEGISLATIVE SESSION. AND
[01:08:13] NOTWITHSTANDING RULE 22, I ASK UNANIMOUS CONSENT THAT THE
[01:08:16] SENATE PROCEED TO THE CONSIDERATION OF. S RES 832,
[01:08:19] WHICH IS AT THE DESK, I FURTHER
[01:08:23] ASK THE RESOLUTION BE AGREED TO, AND THAT THE MOTION TO RECONSIDER BE CONSIDERED, MADE
[01:08:27] AND LAID UPON THE TABLE, WITH NO
[01:08:29] INTERVENING ACTION OR DEBATE. >> IS THERE OBJECTION. >> RESERVING THE RIGHT TO
[01:08:33] OBJECT? >> SENATOR MORGAN? >> MR. PRESIDENT, FIRST OF ALL,
[01:08:36] LET ME SAY THAT FOR YEARS NOW,
[01:08:40] BILL CASSIDY AND I HAVE WORKED TOGETHER IN THE FINANCE
[01:08:43] COMMITTEE ON HEALTH CARE, TRYING TO FIND BIPARTISAN COMMON
[01:08:47] GROUND. AND I JUST WANT HIM TO
[01:08:50] KNOW HOW MUCH I'VE APPRECIATED WORKING WITH HIM. THIS IS AN
[01:08:54] ISSUE WE SIMPLY DISAGREE ON, AND THAT HAPPENS. PEOPLE HAVE
[01:08:57] DIFFERENCES OF OPINION. THE SOCIAL SECURITY CRISIS IS A
[01:09:01] FREIGHT TRAIN BARRELING TOWARDS
[01:09:03] OUR NATION. SOCIAL SECURITY WILL
[01:09:06] BE DEPLETED BEFORE THE END OF
[01:09:10] THE NEXT PRESIDENTIAL ADMINISTRATION. THE RESOLUTION
[01:09:14] ON OFFER NOW CLAIMS TO BE A QUICK SOLUTION TO ADDRESSING THE
[01:09:18] CRISIS. INSTEAD, THE RESOLUTION CREATES A FAST TRACK FOR
[01:09:22] REPUBLICANS TO CARRY OUT A LONG
[01:09:23] SOUGHT GOAL OF SLASHING SOCIAL
[01:09:26] SECURITY BENEFITS FOR RETIREES
[01:09:29] AND HELPING BILLIONAIRES AVOID PAYING THEIR FAIR SHARE. EACH
[01:09:33] TIME REPUBLICANS GET THEIR HANDS ON SOCIAL SECURITY, IT SEEMS
[01:09:36] THAT CUTS GET MADE. LIFE GETS
[01:09:39] WORSE FOR SENIORS. ESTABLISHING
[01:09:41] THIS COMMISSION WOULD BE A FAST
[01:09:45] TRACK TO CUTTING BENEFITS. THE
[01:09:48] PROPOSAL ON OFFER IS A SENATE
[01:09:50] ONLY PROCESS UNDER THE CONSTITUTION. BILLS RAISING
[01:09:54] TAXES MUST ORIGINATE IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.
[01:09:56] BECAUSE OF THIS CONSTITUTIONAL
[01:09:59] REQUIREMENT, ANY SENATE ONLY PASSAGE, ANY SENATE ONLY
[01:10:02] PROCESS, LIKE THE CASSIDY
[01:10:05] PROPOSAL, COULD NOT INCLUDE A
[01:10:07] TAX INCREASE. THIS MEANS UNDER
[01:10:10] THE CASSIDY PROPOSAL, BILLIONAIRES COULD NOT BE REQUIRED TO CONTRIBUTE. WE
[01:10:14] COULDN'T INCREASE THE PAYROLL TAX CAP OR INCLUDE ANY OTHER
[01:10:17] REVENUE INCREASE. IT WOULD MEAN THAT THE ENTIRE BURDEN OF SOCIAL SECURITY SOLVENCY WOULD FALL ON
[01:10:22] THE BACKS OF RETIREES, AND THE
[01:10:25] DISABLED THROUGH BENEFIT CUTS. THAT'S NOT A FAIR SOLUTION FOR
[01:10:27] THE VAST MAJORITY OF AMERICANS.
[01:10:30] HERE'S THE BOTTOM LINE. SINCE
[01:10:32] MY DAYS AS CO-DIRECTOR OF THE OREGON GRAY PANTHERS, I'VE GOT A
[01:10:35] LONG RECORD OF WORKING ON A
[01:10:37] BIPARTISAN BASIS TO FIX THIS PROBLEM AND PROTECT RETIRED
[01:10:41] PEOPLE FROM MISSING OUT ON THEIR
[01:10:42] HARD EARNED BENEFITS. WE CAN DO
[01:10:46] THAT BY UPDATING SOCIAL SECURITY TO REFLECT THE ECONOMY OF
[01:10:49] AMERICA TODAY, AND BY ENSURING THAT BILLIONAIRES PAY INTO
[01:10:53] SOCIAL SECURITY WITH EACH PAYCHECK. LIKE TEACHERS, NURSES,
[01:10:55] AND FIREFIGHTERS SUPPORTING A
[01:10:59] SCHEME LIKE THIS, A FAST TRACK TO RIP AWAY AMERICANS HARD EARNED BENEFITS WHILE SHUTTING
[01:11:02] THEM OUT OF THE DEBATE IS JUST
[01:11:04] PLAIN WRONG. IN MY JUDGMENT. IF
[01:11:07] REPUBLICANS HAD ANY REAL INTEREST IN WANTING TO SHORE UP SOCIAL SECURITY, THEY WOULD BE
[01:11:11] PUTTING FORTH THEIR OWN IDEAS AND WORKING WITH DEMOCRATS TO
[01:11:15] PROTECT THE PROGRAM, RATHER THAN
[01:11:17] TO UNDERMINE IT. DEMOCRATS HAVE
[01:11:20] SEVERAL CONCRETE PROPOSALS TO PROTECT AND STRENGTHEN AMERICANS EARNED BENEFITS WITHOUT RAISING
[01:11:24] THE RETIREMENT AGE, COST OF LIVING, HAIRCUTS, OR MEANS
[01:11:27] TESTING THE BENEFITS. AND IT ALL
[01:11:29] STARTS BY FINALLY REQUIRING
[01:11:32] BILLIONAIRES TO PAY WHAT THEY
[01:11:33] OWE, JUST LIKE THE REST OF US, BILLIONAIRE WEALTH HAS
[01:11:37] SKYROCKETED TO OVER $9 TRILLION
[01:11:38] THIS YEAR. WHILE WORKING PEOPLE
[01:11:41] STRUGGLE TO SCRAPE ENOUGH MONEY TOGETHER TO PAY FOR RENT, GAS,
[01:11:43] AND GROCERIES, THIS PROPOSAL, IN
[01:11:47] MY VIEW, IS EFFECTIVELY A WOLF IN SHEEP'S CLOTHING. IT DOES
[01:11:50] NOTHING TO PROTECT SOCIAL SECURITY AND INSTEAD HANDS
[01:11:54] REPUBLICANS THE KEY TO THE CASTLE TO START THEIR WORK OF
[01:11:57] RIPPING AWAY AMERICANS HARD EARNED BENEFITS. FOR THESE
[01:12:00] REASONS, I OBJECT, AND I YIELD THE FLOOR. >> OBJECTION IS HEARD.
[01:12:04] >> MR. PRESIDENT. >> SENATOR, LOUISIANA. >> [APPLAUSE] >> AGREES MY SOUL, THAT ONCE
[01:12:07] MORE, POLITICS AND POLITICAL RHETORIC TRUMPS THAT WHICH WE
[01:12:10] NEED TO DO FOR THE COUNTRY. LET ME ADDRESS THE NATURE OF THE
[01:12:14] OBJECTION. ACTUALLY, THIS IS A SENATE RESOLUTION, BUT IT INVITES THE HOUSE TO
[01:12:18] PARTICIPATE, AND THE
[01:12:20] CONSTITUTION REQUIRES THAT ANYTHING RAISING TAXES ORIGINATES IN WAYS AND MEANS IN
[01:12:24] THE HOUSE. AND SO THEREFORE, THEY HAVE TO PARTICIPATE. THAT
[01:12:27] IS THE PROTECTION OF OUR CONSTITUTION. IT IS A
[01:12:30] BIPARTISAN. BY THE WAY, THIS IS A BIPARTISAN PROPOSAL TO SET UP
[01:12:34] THIS PROCESS. THERE IS NOTHING PARTIZAN ABOUT IT. DICK DURBIN
[01:12:37] SET UP THE PROMISE ACT, THE HOUSE, UNFORTUNATELY, LEFT JULY
[01:12:41] 23rd, SO WE COULD NOT PASS IT.
[01:12:45] THIS IS THE BEST WE CAN DO WITH THE HOUSE OUT OF SESSION. IN A
[01:12:47] BIPARTISAN, INITIATED PROCESS,
[01:12:49] DICK DURBIN, WHO IS A SENIOR MEMBER OF THE DEMOCRATIC CAUCUS,
[01:12:53] IS THE ONE WHO IS MY
[01:12:55] COLLABORATOR. AND THERE'S NOTHING IN HERE TO CUT BENEFITS.
[01:12:59] THAT IS ABSURD IT SETS UP A
[01:13:03] PROCESS BY WHICH A SOLUTION IT
[01:13:09] DOES NOT DICTATE AN OUTCOME. AND
[01:13:12] TO SUGGEST THAT WHAT THIS DOES
[01:13:15] TODAY IS DICTATE AN OUTCOME, IS NOT TELLING THE TRUTH TO THE
[01:13:19] AMERICAN PEOPLE. THERE'S NO FAST TRACK HERE. THERE'S TWO
[01:13:23] MONTHS OF OPEN DIALOG WITH THE AMERICAN PEOPLE, AND THEN IT
[01:13:27] GOES TO THE SENATE FINANCE COMMITTEE AND TO WAYS AND MEANS
[01:13:31] FOR IT TO THEN BE CONSIDERED IN
[01:13:34] REGULAR ORDER. THIS IS BASICALLY A TIME AGREEMENT, AND TIME AGREEMENTS ARE WHAT WE DO ALL
[01:13:38] THE TIME AROUND HERE. I AGREE
[01:13:40] WITH UPDATING SOCIAL SECURITY, BUT WE'RE NOT GOING TO GET
[01:13:44] THERE. IF WE SAY EVERY TIME ONE SIDE OFFERS IT, OH, WE CAN'T DO
[01:13:47] IT, BECAUSE THE OTHER SIDE IS
[01:13:51] ANGLING FOR ADVANTAGE. LET'S BE
[01:13:54] GOOD SENATORS, NOT BE GOOD
[01:13:58] POLITICIANS. .
[01:14:02] >> SENATOR MORGAN.
[01:14:03] >> JUST FOR A BRIEF MINUTE, YOU
[01:14:07] CAN'T ORIGINATE TAXES IN THE SENATE. SO WHAT THAT MEANS IS
[01:14:10] THIS PROPOSAL WOULD GIVE THE BILLIONAIRES A FREE RIDE, AND I YIELD BACK.
[01:14:14] >> MR. PRESIDENT. >> RESPOND >> LOUISIANA.
[01:14:18] >> ONE MORE TIME THE RESOLUTION
[01:14:20] INVITES THE HOUSE TO
[01:14:23] PARTICIPATE. THE RESOLUTION
[01:14:25] SAYS, PLEASE, SPEAKER, PLEASE.
[01:14:28] MINORITY LEADER, APPOINT PEOPLE TO PARTICIPATE. WE RECOGNIZE
[01:14:32] THAT WAYS AND MEANS HAS TO ORIGINATE THIS BILL. I WISH WE
[01:14:36] COULD HAVE PASSED THE PROMISE
[01:14:37] ACT, BUT THERE'S OBJECTIONS TO PASSING THE PROMISE ACT, WHICH
[01:14:41] WOULD HAVE HAD TO HAVE BEEN PASSED BY THE HOUSE AS WELL. SO
[01:14:44] IN THIS WORKING AS WELL AS WE
[01:14:46] CAN, KNOWING THAT SOCIAL
[01:14:48] SECURITY IS GETTING WORSE AND
[01:14:50] WORSE BY THE DAY, WE INVITE THEM
[01:14:53] TO PARTICIPATE WITH THE
[01:14:56] UNDERSTANDING THAT THEY COULD PUT IN WHATEVER THEY WANT. THE
[01:15:00] ARGUMENT OF MY COLLEAGUE FROM
[01:15:03] OREGON IS THAT WE SOMEHOW HAVE A
[01:15:05] SOLUTION BAKED IN. THAT IS NOT
[01:15:11] TRUE. THIS IS ONLY A PROCESS,
[01:15:13] BILL. AND IF THE HOUSE WANTS TO
[01:15:16] ADVANCE A BILL WHICH TAXES BILLIONAIRES, BY GOLLY, THEY CAN
[01:15:20] DO IT. THEY CAN DO IT UNDER THIS BILL RIGHT NOW. THEY CAN'T,
[01:15:24] BECAUSE THERE'S NO MECHANISM FOR
[01:15:26] THAT BILL TO ADVANCE. WE ARE
[01:15:29] CREATING A MECHANISM BY WHICH IT CAN ADVANCE. AND SO IF YOU WANT
[01:15:32] TO TAX THE BILLIONAIRES, WE CREATE THE OPPORTUNITY. IF YOU
[01:15:35] WANT TO DO NOTHING, YOU AND I
[01:15:41] GOT LIMITED TIME LEFT, AND I DON'T FEEL LIKE SITTING BACK AND BEING A GOOD POLITICIAN WHEN
[01:15:44] I SHOULD BE A GOOD SENATOR,
[01:15:46] WORKING TO FIX SOCIAL SECURITY,
[01:15:49] BECAUSE EVERY DAY IT GETS WORSE.
[01:15:51] AND EVERY DAY THE LAW REQUIRED
[01:15:54] CUT IN BENEFITS. THE
[01:15:58] BENEFICIARIES INCREASES. IT DOESN'T GET BETTER. BY WAITING
[01:16:01] TWO YEARS. IT GETS WORSE. AND OPPOSING THIS RESOLUTION IS
[01:16:05] BASICALLY TURNING A BLIND EYE TO
[01:16:09] THAT DETERIORATION.
[01:16:10] >> THAT MR.. I MR. PRESIDENT, A
[01:16:16] FEW YEARS AGO, I MET A YOUNG
[01:16:20] WOMAN WHO LIVES IN THE CHICAGO
[01:16:22] SUBURBS. SHE TOLD ME A STORY OF
[01:16:25] HER COLLEGE CAREER AND WHAT IT
[01:16:28] LED TO. IT WAS SOMETHING I'D
[01:16:30] NEVER HEARD BEFORE. HER
[01:16:33] EXPERIENCE IN TRYING TO PURSUE A DEGREE, LEADING TO LAW
[01:16:37] ENFORCEMENT, TOOK HER NOT TO THE
[01:16:39] NORMAL, PREDICTABLE ACADEMIC
[01:16:42] SOURCES, BUT TO A NEW INDUSTRY, WHICH WAS OPENING UP IN OUR
[01:16:46] COUNTRY. FOR PROFIT COLLEGES AND
[01:16:49] UNIVERSITIES HERS WAS WAS A SAD
[01:16:53] STORY. SHE HAD BEEN ENROLLED IN
[01:16:55] ONE OF THESE FOR PROFIT COLLEGES
[01:16:59] AND PAID THE TUITION, TOOK THE COURSES, SOME OF THEM IN PERSON,
[01:17:02] SOME OF THEM ONLINE, AND
[01:17:05] ULTIMATELY WENT TO A COUNSELOR AND ASKED IF SHE WAS HEADED FOR
[01:17:09] A BACHELOR'S DEGREE BECAUSE OF HER COURSEWORK, AND HE ASSURED
[01:17:13] HER THAT SHE WAS. SHE WENT ON TO
[01:17:14] SAY THAT SHE HOPED TO BE ABLE TO
[01:17:17] GET INTO LAW ENFORCEMENT. THAT WAS HER ULTIMATE GOAL. HE GAVE
[01:17:21] HER ASSURANCES THAT THAT WOULD HAPPEN. SHE FINISHED HER DEGREE
[01:17:25] AT THIS FOR PROFIT COLLEGE AND
[01:17:27] UNIVERSITY IN CHICAGO, AND THEN
[01:17:33] TOOK HER CERTIFICATE SHOWING HER GRADUATION TO WOULD BE
[01:17:37] EMPLOYERS, POLICE DEPARTMENTS IN
[01:17:40] THE AREA. THAT'S NOT A REAL SCHOOL. THAT'S A FOR PROFIT
[01:17:44] SCHOOL. AND THE COURSES YOU TOOK DON'T COUNT. IF YOU WANT A
[01:17:48] DEGREE IN LAW ENFORCEMENT, THAT
[01:17:49] LEADS TO A REAL JOB, YOU CAN'T
[01:17:52] GET IT FROM A FOR PROFIT COLLEGE
[01:17:55] AND UNIVERSITY. WELL, THAT WAS A HEARTBREAK TO HER BECAUSE SHE
[01:17:57] SPENT YEARS WORKING ON IT. BUT
[01:17:59] WHAT WAS EVEN WORSE WAS SHE WAS
[01:18:02] SO DEEPLY IN DEBT FOR STUDENT LOANS THAT SHE BORROWED FROM
[01:18:07] THIS PHONY UNIVERSITY. SHE, WHEN I MET HER, WAS LIVING IN HER
[01:18:11] PARENTS BASEMENT, HAD NO FUTURE AHEAD OF HER FOR DOING WHAT SHE
[01:18:15] THOUGHT WAS THE RIGHT THING.
[01:18:17] GETTING A COLLEGE DEGREE. WHAT SHE DIDN'T KNOW, AND WHAT WE
[01:18:21] KNOW NOW, IS THAT THERE ARE TWO NUMBERS THAT TELL THE STORY OF
[01:18:24] FOR PROFIT COLLEGES AND
[01:18:26] UNIVERSITIES. YOU HEAR THEIR
[01:18:29] NAMES, LIKE THE UNIVERSITY OF PHOENIX. THAT'S PROBABLY THE
[01:18:32] MOST PROMINENT ONE. PEOPLE HEAR OVER AND OVER, AND YOU SEE THEIR
[01:18:36] ADVERTISEMENTS AND BROCHURES THAT ARE MAILED TO HIGH SCHOOL SENIORS, ENTICING THEM TO SIGN
[01:18:40] UP FOR THESE FOR PROFIT SCHOOLS. WHAT YOU DON'T KNOW IS THAT
[01:18:44] ALTHOUGH ONLY 8% OF HIGH SCHOOL
[01:18:48] GRADUATES GO TO FOR PROFIT
[01:18:51] COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES, 8%,
[01:18:54] 30% OF ALL STUDENT LOAN DEFAULTS ARE THE STUDENTS FROM THESE SAME
[01:18:57] SCHOOLS. WHAT'S GOING ON HERE?
[01:19:00] SUCH A LOW NUMBER? 8% GOING ON
[01:19:02] TO THESE SCHOOLS IN SUCH A HIGH
[01:19:05] NUMBER OF LOAN DEFAULTS. THAT'S
[01:19:07] BECAUSE THEY ISSUE WORTHLESS
[01:19:10] DEGREES AND ENTICE THESE STUDENTS INTO DEEP DEBT. MANY
[01:19:13] TIMES, A PARENT, OR EVEN A GRANDPARENT OR COSINE ON THE
[01:19:17] LOANS FOR THESE FOR PROFIT SCHOOLS. AND WHEN EVERYTHING
[01:19:21] FALLS APART, AS IT'S LIKELY TO,
[01:19:24] EVERYBODY IS HELD LIABLE AND RESPONSIBLE. THAT'S WHY WE'VE
[01:19:28] HAD AN ONGOING BATTLE HERE IN
[01:19:30] WASHINGTON FOR YEARS AGAINST THE
[01:19:33] FOR PROFIT COLLEGE AND UNIVERSITY INDUSTRY. THERE WAS A
[01:19:36] LEGAL BATTLE IN A CASE CALLED SWEATT VERSUS MCMAHON, WHICH HAS
[01:19:39] GONE ON FOR YEARS. IT FINALLY,
[01:19:42] THIS WEEK CAME TO AN END, AND
[01:19:45] IT'S IMPORTANT CASE ON THIS SUBJECT OF FOR PROFIT COLLEGES
[01:19:49] AND UNIVERSITIES. IT WAS THE
[01:19:51] LARGEST CLASS ACTION SETTLEMENT AGAINST THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT
[01:19:55] IN THE HISTORY OF OUR NATION.
[01:19:57] THAT'S LIFE CHANGING NEWS FOR
[01:20:01] NEARLY HALF A MILLION FEDERAL
[01:20:04] STUDENT LOAN BORROWERS, WHO WILL
[01:20:06] RECEIVE $23 BILLION IN RELIEF AFTER BEING MISLED AND DEFRAUDED
[01:20:10] BY BY FOR PROFIT COLLEGES. IF
[01:20:13] YOU LISTEN TO THE RADIO ON YOUR
[01:20:16] MORNING COMMUTE OR WATCH TV AFTER A LONG DAYS OF WORK, AND
[01:20:18] YOU HAVE NO DOUBT BEEN HIT WITH
[01:20:22] FLASHY ADVERTISING FROM INSTITUTIONS LIKE THE UNIVERSITY
[01:20:24] OF PHOENIX LOOKING TO LURE IN UNSUSPECTING STUDENTS. HERE'S
[01:20:28] THE CATCH. THESE INSTITUTIONS
[01:20:31] OFTEN RIP OFF THOSE STUDENTS LYING ABOUT THEIR PROSPECTS FOR
[01:20:34] A JOB, THEIR ABILITY TO HAVE CREDITS TO TRANSFER TO ANY OTHER
[01:20:38] SCHOOL, OR THEIR LIKELY SALARY
[01:20:41] AFTER GRADUATION. IN FACT, THESE SCHOOLS, AS I MENTIONED,
[01:20:44] ENROLLED ONLY 8% OF THE
[01:20:46] STUDENTS, BUT ACCOUNT FOR 30% OF ALL FEDERAL STUDENT LOAN
[01:20:50] DEFAULTS. TOO MUCH DEBT, TOO
[01:20:55] LITTLE EDUCATION. NPR RECENTLY
[01:20:57] HIGHLIGHTED THE STORY OF JESSICA FAINT OF MICHIGAN. SHE ENROLLED
[01:21:00] AT THE UNIVERSITY OF PHOENIX TO STUDY PSYCHOLOGY. SHE SAID SHE,
[01:21:04] QUOTE, PAID A LOT OF OUT OF
[01:21:06] POCKET AND THROUGH STUDENT
[01:21:08] LOANS. SHE REALIZED LATER THAT THE SCHOOL'S RECRUITMENT
[01:21:11] COUNSELOR HAD REPEATEDLY MISLED HER, INCLUDING BY TELLING HER
[01:21:15] THAT HER DEGREE WOULD BE ACCEPTED BY MICHIGAN GRADUATE
[01:21:18] PROGRAMS. THAT WAS FALSE. BY THE
[01:21:21] TIME SHE LEARNED HER DEGREE WAS USELESS, SHE WAS ALREADY
[01:21:25] UNDERWATER AND DEEPLY IN DEBT,
[01:21:27] SO SHE JOINED THIS CLASS ACTION
[01:21:29] LAWSUIT ORIGINALLY FILED DURING
[01:21:32] PRESIDENT TRUMP'S FIRST TERM TO GET RELIEF. FOUR YEARS LATER, IT
[01:21:35] TOOK FOUR YEARS. SHE'LL FINALLY SEE THE RELIEF, WHICH SHE WAS
[01:21:39] ENTITLED TO. THE FIRST TRUMP ADMINISTRATION. GO FIGURE.
[01:21:43] DENIED. NEARLY ALL OF THESE
[01:21:45] CLAIMS BY THE STUDENTS, WHICH A FEDERAL COURT DESCRIBED,
[01:21:49] DESCRIBED AS, QUOTE,
[01:21:52] DISTURBINGLY KAFKAESQUE. BUT IN
[01:21:55] 2022, PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN, HIS AND HIS ADMINISTRATION SETTLED
[01:21:59] THE CASE AND FORGAVE THE STUDENT
[01:22:00] LOANS DEBTS OF NEARLY 300,000
[01:22:03] BORROWERS WHO HAD BEEN DEFRAUDED. UNDER THE TERMS OF
[01:22:07] THAT SETTLEMENT, BORROWERS WHO WERE NOT PART OF THE ORIGINAL
[01:22:10] CLASS HAD FIVE MONTHS TO FILE
[01:22:13] CLAIMS. IF THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION HAD NOT ADJUDICATED
[01:22:16] THE ADDITIONAL CLAIMS BY EARLY
[01:22:19] 2026, BORROWERS STILL WAITING IN LIMBO WOULD BE AUTOMATICALLY
[01:22:23] ENTITLED TO RELIEF. BUT WHILE
[01:22:24] THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION CAN QUICKLY GREENLIGHT PERMANENT TAX
[01:22:28] BREAKS FOR THE WEALTHIEST AMERICANS, AS IN THEIR SO-CALLED
[01:22:30] BIG BEAUTIFUL BILL, THEY
[01:22:33] HESITATED WHEN IT CAME TO GIVING RELIEF TO THESE STUDENTS WHO
[01:22:36] JUST WANTED A FAIR SHOT. IN LATE
[01:22:38] 2025, THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION
[01:22:41] ASKED FOR AN ADDITIONAL 18 MONTHS TO REVIEW THE STUDENTS
[01:22:44] CLAIMS. STUDENTS WHO WERE DEFRAUDED BY THESE SCHOOLS. A
[01:22:48] FEDERAL DISTRICT JUDGE SAID ENOUGH. LAST MONTH, A PANEL OF
[01:22:52] THREE JUDGES FROM THE U.S.
[01:22:54] CIRCUIT COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE
[01:22:57] NINTH CIRCUIT UNANIMOUSLY UPHELD
[01:22:59] THIS DECISION. GOOD. LIKE THEIR TACTICS WITH DACA RECIPIENTS AND
[01:23:03] THE SLOW WALKING OF RENEWAL
[01:23:06] APPLICATIONS WITH USCIS, THE ADMINISTRATION WAS ASKING FOR
[01:23:09] MORE TIME SO THAT THEY COULD BLEED OUT THESE BORROWERS AND
[01:23:12] DENY RELIEF TO HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF STUDENTS DEEP IN
[01:23:16] DEBT, LIVING IN THEIR PARENTS BASEMENT, TRYING TO FIGURE OUT
[01:23:19] IF THEY HAD A FUTURE. THIS IS
[01:23:22] WHERE THE PRIORITIES LIE. I'M GLAD THESE BORROWERS, AFTER
[01:23:24] YEARS AND YEARS OF WAITING, WILL FINALLY GET THE RELIEF THEY ARE
[01:23:27] ENTITLED TO, MR. PRESIDENT, FOR
[01:23:31] THE LAST 15 YEARS OR MORE, I'VE
[01:23:34] SENT A LETTER TO EVERY HIGH SCHOOL COUNSELOR IN THE STATE OF
[01:23:38] ILLINOIS. I SENT IT ABOUT THE FIRST OF THE YEAR AND WARNED
[01:23:41] THEM, BE CAREFUL NOT TO LET YOUR
[01:23:45] STUDENTS BE LURED INTO THESE FOR PROFIT COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES. THEY'RE GOING TO
[01:23:48] SEND THEM BROCHURES. THEY'RE GOING TO TEAM THEM UP WITH ALL
[01:23:51] SORTS OF THINGS ON THE INTERNET.
[01:23:54] IT'LL BE A DAZZLING DISPLAY ABOUT A COLLEGE, WHICH IS NOT A
[01:23:58] REAL COLLEGE. IT'S A FOR PROFIT COLLEGE AND UNIVERSITY. BE
[01:24:02] CAREFUL. THE THE MONEY THAT YOU
[01:24:05] SPEND, THERE MAY BE A TOTAL WASTE OR WORSE. IT COULD BE A
[01:24:09] DEBT THAT TRAILS YOU FOR YEARS
[01:24:10] AND YEARS, IF NOT DECADES, IN
[01:24:13] YOUR LIFE. THANK GOODNESS FOR THESE STUDENTS, THESE THOUSANDS
[01:24:17] OF STUDENTS WHO WERE BENEFITED BY PRESIDENT BIDEN'S DECISION.
[01:24:20] THE COURTS FINALLY STOOD BY THEM
[01:24:22] AND GAVE THESE STUDENTS A SECOND CHANCE. IT'S BEEN A SITUATION
[01:24:26] I'VE RUN INTO TIME AND AGAIN, I HAVE THREATENED SOME OF THESE
[01:24:29] FOR PROFIT SCHOOLS AS A WAY OF
[01:24:31] GETTING THEM TO DROP THE LOANS
[01:24:34] THAT THEY WERE ENFORCING ON THESE STUDENTS, BECAUSE I KNOW
[01:24:38] WHAT HAPPENS IN THE END.
[01:24:39] STUDENTS NEED TO BE CAREFUL. YOU
[01:24:42] CAN'T GO WRONG. STARTING WITH
[01:24:44] CITY COLLEGES AND COMMUNITY COLLEGES IN YOUR COMMUNITY.
[01:24:47] IT'S AFFORDABLE. THERE ARE ALTERNATIVES THERE. MOST OF THE
[01:24:51] TIME, THESE HOURS THAT YOU EARN, THERE ARE GOING TO BE
[01:24:53] TRANSFERABLE TO REAL COLLEGES
[01:24:56] AND UNIVERSITIES. I BEG MY YOUNG STUDENTS IN ILLINOIS TO START
[01:24:59] THERE, AND THE STUDENT COUNSELORS TO DO THEIR JOB AND
[01:25:03] DISCOURAGE KIDS FROM GETTING INVOLVED WITH THESE FOR PROFIT SCHOOLS.
[01:25:07] >> I AM GRATEFUL FOR YOUR
[01:25:09] RECOGNITION, MR. PRESIDENT. UM.
[01:25:13] I'M TRYING TO WANT TO TRY TO GET THIS ORDER RIGHT, AS IF IN
[01:25:16] LEGISLATIVE SESSION. UM, I'M
[01:25:19] GOING TO GIVE SOME REMARKS AND THEN ASK FOR A UNANIMOUS CONSENT
[01:25:22] ON A BILL. UM, BUT I REALLY WANT
[01:25:26] TO FIRST TALK ABOUT SOMETHING REALLY CHALLENGING AND TRAGIC
[01:25:30] THAT HAPPENED IN THE STATE OF
[01:25:32] NEW JERSEY. UH, EDWIN LOPEZ
[01:25:36] CORNEJO DIED. HE IS DEAD. AND
[01:25:40] IT'S A DEATH THAT DID NOT HAVE
[01:25:41] TO BE. HE WAS DETAINED BY ICE ON
[01:25:46] JUNE 18th. HE WAS SENT TO
[01:25:47] DELANEY HALL IN MY HOME CITY IN
[01:25:51] NEWARK, NEW JERSEY, A DETENTION
[01:25:54] CENTER. AND HE NEVER CAME OUT
[01:25:57] ALIVE. 20 YEARS, 20 YEARS. EDWIN
[01:26:01] LIVED IN THE UNITED STATES OF
[01:26:03] AMERICA. 20 YEARS OF BUILDING A
[01:26:05] LIFE HERE, 20 YEARS OF BEING
[01:26:09] CONNECTED TO PEOPLE AND
[01:26:09] COMMUNITY. 20 YEARS OF. MAKING
[01:26:17] HERE IN AMERICA A WAY FORWARD. AND YET, IN LESS THAN TWO MONTHS
[01:26:20] OF DETENTION, THE IMMIGRATION
[01:26:24] SYSTEM IN OUR COUNTRY LED TO HIS
[01:26:30] DEATH. AND IN DELANEY HALL, HE'S THE THIRD PERSON IN NINE
[01:26:33] MONTHS TO DIE. THE 23rd PERSON
[01:26:36] TO DIE IN ICE CUSTODY THIS YEAR.
[01:26:40] NOT THE FIRST WARNING SIGN, NOT
[01:26:43] THE SECOND. THIS IS THE THIRD DEATH AT THE SAME FACILITY. AND
[01:26:46] YET, NOTHING CHANGES. LET ME
[01:26:49] TELL YOU EXACTLY HOW EDWIN LOPEZ
[01:26:53] CORNYN CORNEJO DIED, BECAUSE HIS
[01:26:57] FAMILY DESERVES TO HAVE HIS NAME SAID ON THE SENATE FLOOR, AND
[01:27:00] HIS STORY TOLD PLAINLY, EDWIN
[01:27:05] HAD DIABETES. HE HAD HIGH BLOOD
[01:27:07] PRESSURE. HE NEEDED HIS
[01:27:09] MEDICATION TO SURVIVE, AND
[01:27:12] DELANEY HALL DENIED IT TO HIM.
[01:27:14] THE DAY BEFORE HE DIED, HE TOLD
[01:27:17] HIS MOTHER THAT HIS ARM HAD GONE
[01:27:20] NUMB. HALF HIS FACE HAD GONE
[01:27:23] NUMB. AND UNDERSTAND THIS IS NOT
[01:27:26] A MINOR COMPLAINT. THIS WAS A
[01:27:29] MAN THAT WAS HAVING A MEDICAL
[01:27:31] EMERGENCY, TELLING SOMEONE
[01:27:33] EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENED TO HIS
[01:27:36] BODY. DID ANYONE COME TO HIS
[01:27:38] AID? NO. DID HE GET HIS
[01:27:43] MEDICATION? NO. LESS THAN 24
[01:27:45] HOURS. HE WAS DEAD. DOCTORS HAVE
[01:27:52] WARNED US. ATTORNEYS HAVE WARNED
[01:27:53] US. IN NEW JERSEY, FAMILIES HAVE
[01:27:56] WARNED US. A CHORUS OF PEOPLE IN OUR COMMUNITIES, NOT
[01:28:00] POLITICIANS, NOT POLITICAL
[01:28:03] ACTIVISTS, DOCTORS, LAWYERS HAVE BEEN WARNING US THAT DETAINEES
[01:28:06] WHO WALKED OUT OF THAT BUILDING
[01:28:12] WITH THEIR TESTIMONY AND THE FACTS AND THE EVIDENCE, PEOPLE
[01:28:15] HAVE SAID OVER AND OVER AGAIN
[01:28:17] THAT THIS FACILITY IS DANGEROUS.
[01:28:20] IT IS NOT WELL RUN, AND WITHIN
[01:28:22] IT IS A PATTERN OF DISREGARD FOR
[01:28:27] HUMAN DECENCY. DHS HAS KNOWN
[01:28:30] THAT DELANEY HALL IS NOTHING
[01:28:33] SHORT OF A TRAVESTY. SINCE THEY
[01:28:36] REOPENED IT OVER A YEAR AGO. SO
[01:28:40] WHO RUNS WHAT IS FOR SO MANY A HOUSE OF HORRORS? WHO RUNS THE
[01:28:43] INSTITUTION THAT I SAW WITH
[01:28:45] MYSELF WHEN I WENT THERE AND MET
[01:28:47] PEOPLE? THIS IS NOT FOR SERIOUS CRIMINALS. THIS IS NOT A PLACE
[01:28:51] FOR FOLKS WHO'VE DONE SERIOUS CRIMES IN OUR COUNTRY. THIS IS A
[01:28:55] DETENTION FACILITY FOR PEOPLE. MANY OF THEM HAVE BEEN IN OUR
[01:28:59] COUNTRY FOR DECADES. MANY OF
[01:29:03] THEM HAVE AMERICAN SPOUSES, AMERICAN CHILDREN. AND WHEN I, WHEN I WENT THERE, I SAW MOTHERS
[01:29:05] WHO WERE RECENTLY POSTPARTUM WHO WERE NOT GETTING THE SUPPORT. I
[01:29:09] SAW A WOMAN WHO LOST HER CHILD
[01:29:12] WHILE IN THAT DETENTION FACILITY, HAD A MISCARRIAGE
[01:29:15] THERE, AND DID NOT GET THE SUPPORT THAT SHE NEEDED. STORY
[01:29:18] AFTER STORY, PEOPLE TOLD ME OF
[01:29:21] WHAT IS GOING ON THERE, THE
[01:29:22] HORRORS THAT ARE GOING ON THERE,
[01:29:28] AND WHO RUNS IT. UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT DOES NOT RUN THAT
[01:29:31] CENTER. IT IS A PRIVATE GROUP
[01:29:34] CALLED THE GEO GROUP, A PRIVATE,
[01:29:38] FOR PROFIT PRISON THAT HAS HIGH
[01:29:42] LEVEL REPUBLICAN OFFICIALS AMONG
[01:29:45] ITS FORMER EMPLOYEES THIS GROUP
[01:29:49] WON $1 BILLION CONTRACT, NO
[01:29:52] COMPETITION, NO BIDDING, LOTS OF
[01:29:59] CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTIONS, A PHONE CALL, A SIGNATURE, AND THEY HAVE
[01:30:01] $1 BILLION OF TAXPAYER MONEY.
[01:30:04] NEW JERSEY HAD TO SUE THIS
[01:30:07] COMPANY JUST TO GET HEALTH
[01:30:09] INSPECTORS THROUGH THE FRONT
[01:30:12] DOOR OF A FACILITY OPERATING ON AMERICAN SOIL, FUNDED BY
[01:30:16] AMERICAN TAXPAYERS. AND OUR STATE COULDN'T EVEN DO BASIC
[01:30:20] HEALTH INSPECTIONS. THEY DID NOT
[01:30:23] GET THEY DID NOT GET THE PERMITS
[01:30:28] TO OPEN THAT PLACE. THEY DID NOT HAVE INSPECTIONS BEFORE THEY
[01:30:32] DID. SO THIS IS A PRIVATE
[01:30:35] COMPANY TAKING $1 BILLION OF
[01:30:38] AMERICAN TAXPAYER MONEY. THE LESS THEY PROVIDE SANITARY
[01:30:41] SERVICES, THE LESS THEY PROVIDE
[01:30:45] DOCTORS AND MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS, THE MORE PROFIT
[01:30:46] THEY MAKE OFF OF TAXPAYERS, AT
[01:30:49] WHOSE EXPENSE? AT THE DECENCY OF
[01:30:52] AMERICAN PEOPLE, AND THE EXPENSE
[01:30:55] OF THE LIVES OF THE PEOPLE WHO