[Pages S465-S478]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Trump Executive Orders

Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, it is good to see you sitting up there.
As a recent former Governor--I say that as a former Governor myself--
I won't ask you what you are hearing in West Virginia, but I have to
tell you, I rise to the floor today amongst a huge amount of confusion.
Two days ago, the Trump administration, without warning to any
States, to any Governors, without warning to Congress, late at night,
put out an order freezing all Federal spending for 90 days.
Earlier today, less than 48 hours later, that order was formally
rescinded. But hold it. The good news--entirely good news--lasted about
30 minutes, 45 minutes, because 45 minutes later, the Press Secretary
in the White House says: No, the freeze will actually stay in place and
be rigorously enforced.
So--I don't know--as a Governor, which one do you follow? Because, as
the Presiding Officer knows, an awful lot of our State programs are
actually Federal dollars passing through our capitals into these
programs. So I ask, which one is it?
Unfortunately, I am not the only one asking the question, and I have
an awful lot of stressed Virginians to prove it.
In Virginia, as in West Virginia or any other State, Federal funding
supports countless programs that serve kids, seniors, community
infrastructure, and a whole lot more. Yesterday alone, my office was
literally flooded with outreach from organizations and local
governments.
I heard from firefighters from Southwest Virginia. They are worried
they won't be able to replace their tanker truck with Federal funding
that was supposed to be coming pretty soon.
I heard from an affordable housing organization in Northern Virginia
that if they go 90 days without Federal dollars, they might have to
shut down their organization. People would have to find different jobs.
That organization--you can't turn on or off the flow of these
resources.
I heard from law enforcement in the Shenandoah Valley and from the
greater Richmond area that a lot of these localities depend on Federal
dollars to pay police officers. If they don't have those funds for the
next 90 days, this will take cops off the street.
I heard from a number--not just one but a number--of domestic
violence shelters across the Commonwealth that without this funding,
because they don't have huge reserves, they will have to leave women
and children without housing support.
Listen to this one. We have a little town called West Point, VA. It
was an old mill town. They have a very good Head Start Program. Head
Start gets funded by the Federal Government. Their Head Start funding
runs out on Friday, January 31. They had been told--they can't get any
answer--that their next round of funding was in process and there would
be no break in the action. What do the Head Start moms and dads who
have kids in that program in West Point, VA, do starting next Monday?
Senator Kaine and I probably had 8 to 10 Head Start Programs here. As
a matter of fact, there is a gag order put in place right now so that
people can't talk about these things inside the administration, and the
Head Start directors were trying to call their contact, kind of their
resource person, and they got no response.
So whether you care about meals for low-income seniors, whether you
care about Head Start for vulnerable kids, whether you care about teens
who need that mental health support oftentimes coming from Federal
dollars, that all is up in the air at this point. What do we tell these
folks?
Many of these folks voted for President Trump because they thought he
was going to bring grocery prices down.
Like the Presiding Officer, I have not only been a Governor, but I
was a business guy. I can claim still that I was in business longer
than in politics. This is not the way you run an operation. The truth
is, this is unbelievable. I was so proud when I was Governor of
Virginia. We got named the best managed State. This is management
malpractice 101.
The most important enterprise in the world is the American
Government, not only in terms of safety and security but in terms of
how we treat our people.
The truth is, rescinded or not, these chaotic antics have real
consequences. I know of an organization in Virginia that had to call an
emergency board meeting yesterday to see if they should go out of
business. I have heard from folks who are worried that they will have
to lay off their employees. Without this Federal funding, they are just
not going to be able to make payroll. One Virginian wrote to me and
said that ``the mental and physical damage is already immense.'' It is
not right to play with people's lives in such a grossly irresponsible
way.
I have been doing this for a while. I have never heard of some kind
of arbitrary freeze on all Federal spending. It was bad enough what
happened when they put a freeze on Federal assistance to folks around
the world.
I commend Secretary Rubio. One of the reasons why I was proud to
support him was that he has actually tried to back off from that order,
making sure that humanitarian aid is not going to disappear.
The story has been out. I have been very interested in the conflict
in Sudan. There is a ship in Port Sudan right now with American
medicine on it. The aid group was going to take that out--the
medicine--to save people's lives. That medicine will go to rot if those
funds are not flowing.
It is bad enough, this issue of how we are treating Americans who
depend on these Federal funds--these are real programs with real
people--you take that and layer on the other whammy. In Virginia, we
have a disproportionate number of Federal workers. You have quite a few
in West Virginia I know as well due to great former West Virginia
Senators. Suddenly, in an, again, unprecedented and I believe
potentially illegal move, every Federal employee is offered this chance
to quit and get paid for 6 months, until September 30, if you quit.

Now, nothing like this has ever been done before. Maybe this is the
way you do business in the tech world, and I used to be in the tech
world, but if you manage a good company, you don't go out and basically
say to all your workers: Quit.
Of course, the problem is--and I urge my Federal workers to think
about this--unfortunately, this President has a record of not only
sticking it to Federal workers, but he has a record of sticking it to
all the business contractors he did business with by not paying the
bills.
So I worry because not only is there very much a legal question of
whether the President can offer this buyout offer to all these Federal
workers, but I can assure you, there is nothing in the budget--there is
nothing in the budget--that we still haven't negotiated for the balance
of this fiscal year that has got this X-billion-dollar number next to
it that is going to pay for all of these buyouts.
We know where this comes from. It comes from the fellow that is being
put up to be head of the OMB, Russell Vought, who wrote Project 2025,
the very project that President Trump as a candidate said: Don't worry.
I didn't read it. I don't know anything about it.
In that document, it goes on at length about how the goal of Project
2025 and Mr. Vought, who wants to be head of OMB, which kind of
controls the management and budget of the Federal Government, was that
he wanted to traumatize Federal workers. He wanted them not to go to
work. He wanted to classify them as villains--his words, not mine.
I can tell you this: For a whole lot of Federal workers, they have
already hit that goal. They are traumatized. And I worry like heck.
You say: Gosh, I don't know what I should do. Maybe I will take the
offer.
But before you sign that and send it back--what may be an illegal
offer that is not funded, that chances are you are not going to get
paid--think a little bit about it. If this becomes another kind of
passing fad where there is not any enforcement and not a payment, if
you sign that and send it back, chances are you have made an indication
that you

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are going to be the first person that gets RIFed, maybe without that 6-
month severance.
I also have to wonder. You know, we are a couple thousand air traffic
controllers short right now. If air traffic controllers--who, by the
way, take about a year to get trained--if 5,000 of them say ``You know
what, I am going to take that offer,'' what happens to air traffic
safety? We don't have a fallback. We don't have a reserve of air
traffic controllers to make sure that when you climb on an airplane, it
is safe. Yet we have made that offer, to my understanding, to all the
air traffic controllers in America: Sign here. We are going to pay you.
You don't have to work for the next 6 months.
Again, how many Americans are going to be happy with the fact that we
are paying folks without them working for 6 months?
What happens as well--are we going to really say to all the folks who
do bird flu research and are trying to seek it out--we have a lot of
poultry and turkeys and chickens both in the Shenandoah Valley and on
the Eastern Shore of Virginia. One of the things people are
experiencing most now is the rising cost of eggs. If suddenly all the
folks who are working on bird flu quit, maybe people won't buy eggs,
but I actually think it will drive up the already high cost of eggs
two, three times. I thought President Trump was hired to try to bring
down grocery prices.
What happens as well with the folks who are the food inspectors--
salmonella? Are you going to really feel all right about going to the
grocery store and buying something if a whole lot of folks have taken
this buyout offer? This is not the way to run an operation.
I think about earlier today. I asked a question of Mr. Kennedy, who
wants to be head of HHS. He had told me in his earlier comments in my
office that he wanted to get rid of 2,200 people in HHS. I asked him:
What is your plan? Who are those 2,200?
No answer.
I know he has got strong feelings about NIH, where, candidly, we have
the best researchers in the world that have taken years for us to
recruit. If suddenly, based on President Trump's offer, all these NIH
researchers quit because they can make two, three, four, five times as
much in the private sector, but all that basic research is done at NIH,
who are we going to fill those back in with? Not with as qualified
people.
The list goes on and on and on.
Again, I would say this is management malpractice 101. You want to
change your workforce. You want to make them more effective, more
efficient. You don't try to traumatize them. But that is what has
happened so far.
To Americans across the country and to my fellow Virginians, if there
are ways to find more efficiency, if there are ways to logically--
business-minded--think through the efficiency of our Federal
Departments and maybe save some money and maybe cut back staff in a
rational way, sign me up. But don't sign me up for something that looks
like it is a flimflam con job where people are being potentially
suckered into sending an email back when there is no assurance that
that email or that whole offer is legal in the first place. There is no
money in the till. And if you go back to the case of the current
President, look at his record from when he was in the private sector.
Did anybody get paid 100 cents on the dollar?
So I know other Senators are going to be coming up. But I just think
that, in many ways, President Trump got hired because they thought we
could bring down consumer prices; they thought we could bring down
grocery prices. None of this is bringing down grocery prices. None of
this is bringing down consumer prices.
None of this, I think, is going to make our Federal Government more
efficient or effective or, in the long term, save money. If our most
talented people quit, it is going to cost more to rehire them. Anybody
knows that who has been in the private sector. And we are not going to
get people with the same experience.
What it feels like, and I know what I have been thinking, is one of
the things that was the most troubling about the first Trump
administration was this sense of chaos that people kind of got
exhausted with. My goodness gracious, this is day 10--day 10--of the
Trump administration. We have chaos on steroids.
What I would hope is that my Republican colleagues in Virginia, in
the legislature, in statewide elected office, and I would hope my
Republican colleagues in the Senate and in the House would say: Hey,
better efficiency, count me in. Across-the-board freezes of programs
without regard to the people's lives that are going to be changed or
affected, that doesn't make sense.
State budgets--all the State legislatures are in right now doing
their budgets. How do you plan with those Federal dollars that are
maybe going to be suspended for 90 days or then maybe arbitrarily
suspended forever? How do you plan that?
And to the Federal workforce: I tell you, the idea of what
potentially is illegal--a nonfunded buyout offer with no guarantee and,
if anything, the opposite being true--I would urge people to think long
and hard and not take this offer, not set you up for being fired,
riffed, or eliminated.
And I would appeal again: There is a better way to do all of this.
And I say this as somebody who has now voted for five of President
Trump's nominees for Cabinet positions. I have gotten a lot of grief
from that already. From somebody who was a chief executive, I feel like
a Governor or the President ought to get most of their choices but for
people that I think fall outside the norm and don't have the
credibility or judgment, and I will make those decisions.
I have a very important hearing tomorrow, as the former chairman of
the Intelligence Committee and now the vice chairman, on Tulsi Gabbard.
But I want to reach out and work with this administration. Let's get
back to lowering costs. Let's get back to driving grocery prices down.
Let's not put people in fear not just for their jobs but for their
lives, if you are that victim of domestic abuse, if you are that kid
who needs Head Start, if you are that senior that is dependent upon
Meals on Wheels.
Those programs don't last for 90 days. And if they suddenly shut down
and we decide after 90 days, ``Oh, we want to start them again,'' the
cost is going to be double or triple.
There is a better way to do this. So I appeal to my Republican
friends. Maybe we need a gang on this to try to think about this in a
more bipartisan way. But in the meantime, I implore the administration:
Get your act together. Don't put out two separate statements totally
contradicting each other on the same day about your intentions--two
totally opposite. It just makes chaos and the stress go up, and,
ultimately, later in this week, the services disappear.
With that, Mr. President, I yield the floor.
I suggest the absence of a quorum.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
The senior assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for
the quorum call be rescinded.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, on Monday night, President Trump threw
America into chaos when he abruptly announced a freeze on trillions of
dollars in Federal grants and loans that so many communities, States,
and Americans depend on.
The reaction across the Nation has been uniform. We have a phone
ringing off the hook, computers busy and buzzing. Everybody wants to
know: What does this mean? What has happened?
Even members of the press were confused. Members of Congress were
confused. Members of the American public were confused. And even
members of the President's own administration were confused about the
intent and scope of the freeze.
Rightly so, Americans from across the country took to calling our
offices and the offices of their Congressmen and asked what was going
on. They needed clarity, and they wanted to know what the freeze on
funds would mean to them--in agency after agency across the State of
Illinois and the Nation.
Toni is a woman from Woodstock, IL. She shared with my office that
her

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brother has Down syndrome, and the care he receives is funded by a
Federal grant. His health and safety would be at risk if this freeze is
allowed to be implemented.
Or take Dr. Kay, a professor and scientist at the University of
Chicago. Her work depends on funding from the National Institutes of
Health and other Federal grants. She shared that the freeze would
``interrupt crucial biomedical research, stopping progress, destroying
sometimes years' worth of research that cannot be undone.'' And it
could hurt the retention of our Nation's future scientists.
Or Sarah, a supporter of community-based organizations that serve
youth experiencing homelessness in the city of Chicago. If this freeze,
in fact, takes place, the organization will not be able to access the
Federal funding it needs to provide services for youth, help them
escape violence, or help to reunify their families.
Yesterday, Americans across the country faced disruptions in
accessing critical funds and services in popular programs like Head
Start, Medicaid, and so many more. These are just a few of the many
messages my office and others have received from Americans confused,
outraged, and impacted by this freeze.
Then, last night, a Federal judge in DC ordered the freeze to be
paused from going into effect until Monday, February 3. In response to
the backlash from the American public, the organized efforts of many
Democratic lawmakers, and the court ruling, President Trump's Office of
Management and Budget today rescinded the memo outlining the funding
freeze.
But that isn't the end of the story. The President's Press Secretary
now claims that while the memo ordering the freeze has been rescinded,
the freeze itself still stands.
Who is on first? How does this make sense, you ask? Well, the honest
answer is it doesn't. The policy is as poorly thought out and
communicated as can be.
In true Trump fashion, his administration has made clear that it
doesn't intend to abide by the will of the American people, the letter
of the law, or the Constitution. It will do whatever it takes to push
through this policy, even if it means hurting Americans across the
country.
Let me be clear. We are going to continue to fight this
unconstitutional, devastating, and grossly unpopular freeze in Federal
spending. I want every American to know that your voice and
participation in our democracy means more now than ever. The President
is betting that you won't notice when he abuses power or breaks the
law; that amidst the chaos that surrounds him, you will be too
confused, jaded, or just too tired to fight back.
But I urge America to continue monitoring the actions of this new
administration, particularly when they touch you and your family
personally, and to report to our offices--both political parties--any
Federal funding that your communities and organizations are unable to
access.
This will not be the last time, I am afraid, that this administration
defies our Nation's laws to show a position of power, and we will be
watching closely, ready to stop him if he tries again.
Some think this freeze was a mistake, a blunder by the new
President's team. Others think this was exactly what they wanted:
chaos, confusion, a show of force. Today, we even don't know exactly
what the motive is or what the status is. The courts have to sort it
out because the administration can't even explain it. The best thing
now, at this point, is to watch closely because programs that mean a
lot are at stake.
I have a particular affection for the National Institutes of Health,
the premier medical research Agency in the world. For their researchers
to call in a panic over this decision is to me a litmus test of why it
is the wrong thing to do for America.
Want to make America great again? Hook your star to one of the
greatest Agencies in our government, the National Institutes of Health.
Don't suspend their funding, don't stop their research. I watched
closely as the story unfolded this afternoon, and with a lot of my
friends, I thought, well, the Trump administration has realized they
just made a mistake and they put everything back on track.
And then Karoline Leavitt, who is the new Press Secretary, issued a
statement, and she said:

This is not a rescission of the Federal funding freeze. It
is simply a rescission of the OMB memo. Why? To end any
confusion created by the court's injunction. The President's
[executive orders] on federal funding remain in full force
and effect, and will be rigorously implemented.

That was her quote to try to clarify the situation; she couldn't have
made it worse. At this point, America doesn't know what the future will
hold. The judge in the case that is pending is the one who may have the
last word, the important word on where this is headed.
I want to commend those who are in the courtroom trying to sort out
the mess that has been created here in Washington for the good of this
country to make it great again. We certainly need to have some
understanding of what the policy of our government is.
I yield the floor.
I suggest the absence of a quorum.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
The senior assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
Ms. ROSEN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for
the quorum call be rescinded.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
Ms. ROSEN. Mr. President, my State of Nevada is unique. We are big in
physical size, but relatively small in population. We are independent
people, but have a strong allegiance to our Nation. After all, we are
the Battle Born State, born during the Civil War. And while we don't
like Washington telling us what to do, Nevadans depend on Federal
resources to help our communities.
Now, it is simple. By coming together to form our Union and paying
taxes, Nevadans deserve to receive our fair share of funding from the
Federal Government. It is hard not to be affected by what goes on in
Washington when more than 80 percent of your State--of our land--is
owned by the Federal Government, more than any other State. Think about
that. Eighty percent of Nevada is owned by the Federal Government. That
is why I take my responsibility as representative of the people of
Nevada incredibly seriously. It is why I rise today to speak on behalf
of the reckless, cruel, and illegal action that President Trump took to
freeze virtually all Federal grants and loans.

While this administration has now rescinded the memo from the Office
of Management and Budget that announced the freeze, they have been
clear that the funding freeze continues, adding to the chaos and
confusion. Lack of clarity as to which programs will be affected and
which ones would not be has been having devastating effects in States
like my own and so many others. In fact, more than 30 percent of the
Governor's budget for the next 2 years relies on Federal funding, which
is why this issue is critical for our State.
Since President Trump's administration issued the guidance on Monday
night, my office has received hundreds of calls and emails from
Nevadans who are rightfully concerned just about what this would mean
for them, for their families, for their jobs. We also received
additional emails and calls from nonprofits, from service providers,
from community stakeholders who depend on this funding and support
Nevadans.
One of the messages my office received was from the Nevada
Partnership for Homeless Youth. This partnership helps get young
people, kids--kids--off the streets. And while many in this Chamber
disagree about a lot of things, I think all of us agree that helping
homeless kids is important work.
So I want to read part of their letter because I think it
encapsulates what a lot of organizations that provide critical
services--well, just what they have been feeling. They said this:

This decision will have an immediate and severe impact on
organizations like ours, as well as countless others in
Nevada and across the country.
Much of this funding has already been allocated and
committed through contracts, and the sudden halt creates
chaos and uncertainty for agencies that provide critical
services.
Many organizations in our community simply do not have the
financial reserves to

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operate for more than a few months without these funds.

It is not just the Nevada Partnership for Homeless Youth that we
heard from. My office also heard from Northern Nevada HOPES, a
community health center based in Reno, NV. Northern Nevada HOPES
provides affordable, high-quality healthcare services to people in our
community, those who need it the most. In fact, 56 percent of their
patients live at or below the Federal poverty level, and 10 percent
experience homelessness.
This is what Northern Nevada HOPES told my office. I am going to
quote again:

At Northern Nevada HOPES, this pause has significant
implications for the services we provide to over 17,000
patients . . . many of whom are children and families.
As we assess the situation, we have been forced to take
immediate actions, including implementing a hiring freeze and
preparing to limit care for patients who rely on our sliding
fee scale, including those who are uninsured or underinsured.

Think about that. Think about these children. Think about these
families. President Trump's chaos and reckless actions have put the
health of Nevada's families in jeopardy. That that means kids who need
to go see a doctor, women who need to get a cancer screening--take a
point off the script here. My mom passed away from cancer. No one
should miss their cancer screenings.
It is impacting older people who need lifesaving medication, and all
of them could be affected by this terrible, terrible action.
Many seniors also rely on other vital programs like Meals on Wheels
to access the nutrition they need to live independently and with
dignity. I have seen this critical work up close.
A few years ago, I joined an organization to deliver meals to seniors
in Boulder City, NV. Seeing the joy on the faces of the seniors we
visited is something I won't forget. They know the folks who come on
their route to deliver to them. It is not just a meal for them, Meals
on Wheels. It is a lifeline. They don't just provide nutritious foods
for seniors who might be housebound, isolated, or living on a fixed
income. These people become their friends, their lifeline.
For thousands of seniors in Nevada, this program is also their
primary source of nutrition. In 1 year alone, Federal funding allowed
Meals on Wheels to serve more than 2.5 million meals to seniors across
Nevada.
In Nevada--I am sure in your State, too, Mr. President--we take care
of our seniors. President Trump's proposed freeze on Federal funding
threatens them all--threatens them all. Pausing the funding to this
critical program means denying our seniors, our elderly, their access
to something so essential, so comforting, a meal--a meal.
And the possibility of an interruption to this service, even
temporarily, means seniors in Nevada and across the country lose the
certainty of knowing where their next meal will come from and the
comfort of the visit of the person who brings it to them and oftentimes
sits with them, listens to them, and gives them that comfort care that
is so important to all of us.
I just want everyone to think about that. Is this who we are, taking
meals away from seniors--Meals on Wheels? I hope not.
Another essential service under threat of this Trump funding freeze
is public safety, something everybody worries about. And this action
will make our communities less safe and stop critically needed Federal
funding from reaching law enforcement officers, firefighters, and other
first responders who look out for our communities each and every day.
These heroic men and women depend on the funding from Federal programs
to do their jobs safely and to protect our communities effectively.

And here are just a few examples of how this freeze will impact them.
Nevada, unfortunately, is no stranger to the horrific impact of
wildfires and fires in general. Whether it is raging wildfires or the
standard fire emergencies that happen in communities, well, they happen
every day across our State. And the men and the women who make up our
fire departments, they rely in part on Federal grants to purchase that
equipment needed to do their job safely and effectively--equipment like
emergency vehicles they travel in, the protective suits they put on,
the helmets they wear, the oxygen tanks they carry so they can breathe
fresh air while they save someone's life, and the tools that they wield
to stop those fires from destroying people's lives, homes, and
livelihoods. Each and every part of this gear is critical for our
firefighters and for their safety.
Our firefighters also rely on Federal funding in order to make sure
they have the staffing levels they need. Firefighting, like much of the
work of our first responders, goes 24/7, 365 days a year. You never
know when the next emergency will happen; it just will. You must always
be ready. You must always be prepared. You don't know when it is going
to happen. But our firefighters, our first responders stand ready, at a
moment's notice, to run in to save the rest of us.
Let me tell you, when there is a fire in our State, our firefighters
aren't clocking in at 9 o'clock and clocking out at 5 o'clock. They
keep working around the clock until the fire is out and the job is
done, until everyone is safe and the emergency is passed. And when we
don't have the proper staffing levels, when our communities don't have
the numbers of firefighters they need, well, our State suffers, our
community suffers, families suffer. The damage is real, like I said,
not just lives--lives, livelihood, and communities. It is devastating.
Thankfully, there is Federal funding through the SAFER Program to
address this issue, to increase and maintain a number of trained
firefighters who are serving on the frontlines and are available to
respond in our communities when an emergency happens.
The bad news--not just bad; the sad news, the cruel news--is that
this kind of funding is the kind that President Trump's order could
freeze. This doesn't make us safer. It doesn't save us money. It just
puts us and our families and those we love and our communities in
greater danger.
Like I said, it is not just firefighters who feel the effects of this
freeze. Our law enforcement officers in Nevada could also be affected,
and that is going to have a direct impact on public safety.
So make no mistake, like all 50 States, my State relies on funding
from the Department of Justice's Office of Community Oriented Policing
Services, also known as the COPS program. At a time when we are facing
a national police shortage, this program allows Nevada to hire more
officers who serve in our communities and take part in community
policing efforts, building trust, engaging with Nevadans, combating
crime.
Who would oppose that?
Well, due to the President's Federal freeze, this money could now be
in jeopardy.
As Nevada and the rest of the Nation continue to deal with the deadly
impact of the fentanyl crisis, this freeze could rob us of critical
tools to combat this dangerous and deadly drug. Over the last few
years, fentanyl has fueled a crisis in Nevada. Families across our
State have seen loved ones face addiction and overdose. Hundreds of
Nevadans are losing their lives each and every year from fentanyl.
This isn't a red State problem or a blue State problem. It is a
national problem, and it is a crisis in Nevada. The State's opioid
response programs, which do depend on Federal grant funding, are
critical to reducing harm and preventing overdoses in our communities.
I have spoken with law enforcement officers in Nevada. I have spoken
with parents and family members and friends who lost loved ones to
fentanyl. It is clear that we need to be doing more to tackle this
issue. And this freeze--this cruel freeze--does nothing to help; it is
quite the contrary. If this funding were impacted, again, it would hurt
our communities. It would hurt our families, our friends, our
neighbors, those we love.
As long as we are talking about programs that are vital to community
safety and well-being, we can't forget about the potential impact on
our veterans. In Nevada, our veterans have always been top priority. I
can tell you, I am so worried about how this funding freeze would
jeopardize programs that support veterans' transition back to civilian
life, provide them critical services, preserving the legacy of those
who served, and so much more.

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Take for example, if you will, a program called the Homeless
Veterans' Reintegration Program, which provided $17 million to Nevada
to help homeless women veterans and veterans with children find secure
and stable housing and employment. The Homeless Veterans' Reintegration
Program is helping women veterans. For many of these veterans, this
program provides them with the resources that they need to rebuild
their lives.
These men and women signed on the dotted line, and they fought to
protect our freedom. And the very least we can do is make sure they
have the resources and support when they return home.
There is also the Veterans Legacy Grant Program, which provided more
than $2 million to Nevada to help preserve the history of our men and
women in uniform so that we can honor their service and show them how
grateful and thankful we are to them and to their families.
A pause in funding for something as critical as the Veterans Legacy
Grants Program would threaten a key resource for educating future
generations about the legacy and sacrifice of our veterans. The history
of our veterans matters, and a pause in this money would be a slap in
the face to those who literally, like I said, put their lives on the
line to protect all of us--you, me, all of us--every single day.
The Trump administration has said that their pause won't impact
programs for the VA, that all of the Agencies' programs pass their so-
called review. But the administration also said it was rescinding the
memo that started the pause. Then, not an hour later, they sowed
confusion and uncertainty by saying the funding freeze is back on. So
what is it? How can we believe them? It is one thing until it is not.
It is another thing until it is not. It is chaos. Why would we trust
them now with critical funding for our veterans? Why would we risk
that?
I can keep going on and on about all of the ways that President
Trump's freeze would hurt my State of Nevada. I could talk about how
this freeze led to a disruption on the Medicaid website, which was down
for hours, affecting Nevadans who rely on this critical program to
literally stay alive in many cases, and this is precisely--precisely--
the problem. The chaos and the disruption that this reckless action has
caused is just unnecessary, and it is harmful. It is helping no one.
So I want to ask everyone at home--I want to ask you at home--to
think about this: How is any of this actually helping you? Is it
helping you at the grocery store? Is it helping you at the gas pump? Is
it helping you get an affordable home?
It is not.
That is why I call on President Trump to fully and permanently
rescind this harmful Executive order to freeze Federal funds now.
Nevada families are watching. Nevada families are waiting to see if
President Trump thinks that they really matter.
I yield the floor.
I suggest the absence of a quorum.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
The legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
Mrs. SHAHEEN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order
for the quorum call be rescinded.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
Mrs. SHAHEEN. Mr. President, I come to the floor this evening to join
my colleagues to express my deep concerns about the Trump
administration's extreme decision to take away services that millions
of families and small businesses rely on. This is a decision that does
not lower costs, that does not create jobs, that does not enhance
public safety, or keep our communities safe. It is a decision that
actually will hurt people in my State of New Hampshire and too many
across the country who rely on services that are now in jeopardy.
On Monday night, more than 2,600 Federal programs were ordered to
cease activities with less than 24 hours' notice. They were given
little guidance on how this should be carried out, and in every State
across the country, confusion and panic among too many people followed.
Since that order, I have heard from countless Granite Staters who are
worried about what this means for them and their families--from
healthcare providers to nonprofit organizations to so many who are
doing essential, lifesaving work. Many of these organizations are
waiting on promised funding for projects that they have already
completed, funding for which they went through the process. They were
guaranteed they were going to get these awards, and now they are in
jeopardy.
The Trump administration claims it wants to lower costs for folks.
Well, let me be clear: This unprecedented decision does nothing to
bring down the price of food, the price of housing, the price of
childcare, the price of medications, or other lifesaving needs that
families have. So what we saw this afternoon is that the administration
tried to walk back their order; they rescinded the memo. Sadly,
uncertainty and confusion remains because the White House says that
they rescinded the memo but that the freeze wasn't rescinded.

So like a lot of people in New Hampshire, I am concerned, and I am
frustrated. In my State and across much of the country, there is an
affordable housing crisis. Because of the administration's action,
housing organizations across New Hampshire are not able to use Federal
funds. I heard from the executive director of the housing authority in
the city of Rochester. They said they have 170 families who are at risk
of being homeless if they can't get their operating funding--and that
is just one housing authority.
Despite what the administration said about rental assistance not
being affected, at no point yesterday did the Department of Housing and
Urban Development say that this money would continue to be available.
Housing funding that keeps all of these families and hundreds more
across New Hampshire in their homes is at risk of being cut off.
Yesterday, we also heard from the Mortgage Bankers Association. They
were asking for clarity because they couldn't be sure if they could
help families complete the purchases of their homes.
The person we talked to said:

Americans are going to the closing table tomorrow and
deserve to know that their loan will close on their home
purchase. Without this clear assurance that the Federal
Government will ensure new loans or pay claims under these
programs, there will be severe harm to borrowers and
disruption to the mortgage market.

Well, HUD gave that clarity for single-family mortgage insurance but
not for multifamily properties, such as apartment buildings. That
affects 20 percent of the multifamily housing construction across the
country. Let me just say that again. It affects 20 percent of the
multifamily housing construction that is happening right now. We are
talking about 130,000 apartments nationally that are jeopardized by
this administration's actions.
Now, we know we need to build more housing. We are already millions
of units short of what we need. In New Hampshire last year, for the
first time, the average price of a house was over $500,000. And our
rental vacancy rate? In a healthy rental market, the vacancy rate is
about 5 percent. In New Hampshire, it is 0.6 percent. There is no
rental housing. This careless action means higher rents and home prices
in the future.
Our housing shortage is much of why the most recent point-in-time
count for homelessness found it up 18 percent across the country. We
have far too many people in this country who don't have a roof over
their heads, and that is especially dangerous during these winter
months. Meanwhile, even though 2 weeks ago New Hampshire's nonprofits
and State and local governments were awarded more than $14 million to
help shelter people and support them, today, they couldn't access that
money. That means they won't have the funding they need for rent or to
get reimbursed for supportive services.
I want to be clear: Even after a judge stayed the order, my
constituents still cannot access their funding. The Presiding Officer
is a former Governor. He knows what that means. People in our States
can't get the housing that they are counting on. If they can't get
their funding, that means more people are forced to live in their cars,
on the streets. It means more people can't get the help they need with
substance use disorders or in finding work. It means

[[Page S470]]

more people are stuck without permanent housing. These are veterans;
they are families; they are victims of domestic violence. They are all
placed at risk because of this order.
I heard from one constituent who has a mortgage from the U.S.
Department of Agriculture. She has owned her home for 20 years now. She
is almost at the point where she has paid off that mortgage, but
without the mortgage assistance that she gets from the USDA, she is
worried that she might lose her home entirely.
Another of my constituents, Kathleen, lives in housing for seniors.
She has debilitating medical issues that make it hard for her to leave
her home. She gets all of her food from a local food bank. She called
my office because she is worried, if this funding stops, she will be on
the street, and she doesn't know where her meals are going to come
from.
That is what this order and these cuts are threatening--leaving
seniors without a roof over their heads, not knowing where their next
meal is going to come from.
It is not just in housing that people are concerned. The effects on
communities are significant. The chaos of this order is hurting
communities that have been promised funding for improvements they have
made to their water infrastructure, to their energy use, and even to
city parks.
We heard from the town of Conway, which is in the heart of the Mt.
Washington Valley in the White Mountains. With help from the
Environmental Protection Agency, Conway has fixed an aging sewer pipe,
their sewer main, to keep sewage from leaking into the groundwater.
New Hampshire is really good at working at the local, State, and
Federal level to address critical infrastructure. This week, Conway
received word that, at least for now, they can't get paid, thanks to
this order from the Trump administration. Conway has already done the
work, they have already paid the contractors, and as of today, they are
waiting for reimbursement of about $400,000 from the Federal
Government. That is a big deal for a town in a rural area that has
fewer than 10,000 people. It affects their tax base. If the Federal
Government doesn't come through with the money that has been promised,
then taxpayers in Conway are going to have to make up that difference.
It is unacceptable for the administration to suggest that it won't
pay this bill, leaving families on the hook for unaffordable rate
hikes.
I have also heard from one town administrator who is not yet sure how
broad the scope of the administration's order is and how it is going to
affect their ongoing wastewater infrastructure project that is using a
mix of Federal and non-Federal funds.
Their pump station relies on tarps to keep out the elements. The
structure and equipment that keep the sewer system functioning face
imminent failure. Without the Federal funding--which, just to be clear
again, has already been committed--there is no way this town can
complete this project. That the whims of an unconfirmed budget director
can create this degree of uncertainty is maddening.
I have heard from Kristen Murphy, who is with the town of Exeter. She
is very concerned about the pause and the impact it will have on energy
efficiency funding.
The Energy Efficiency Community Block Grant Program was poised to
host a presentation in February for resident-owned manufactured housing
on funding opportunities for energy efficiency. That is particularly
important for those people who live in manufactured housing. And I did
when my husband and I were in graduate school. We lived in what we
called a mobile home; now it is manufactured housing. I know how
challenging it is to keep them heated and warm and comfortable for the
people who live there.
As Kristen pointed out, support for these manufactured housing
communities is essential because a greater percentage of their annual
income goes to home heating costs than it does for most people.
The administration's actions also threaten other projects in Exeter,
like a landfill solar array that is currently under construction,
improvements to critical stormwater infrastructure, and funding for a
multigenerational community center.
There are a dozen other small towns in my State--from Gorham in the
northern part of New Hampshire to Keene in the west over the
Connecticut River Valley along Vermont--that have made improvements to
their parks and community spaces through the Land and Water
Conservation Fund. These towns have matched Federal funding dollar for
dollar to improve quality of life in their communities, and as of
today, because of the uncertainty and the way this order is being
interpreted, taxpayers are left holding the bag.
In the area of childcare and nutrition, the chaos and confusion from
the White House over the past 2 days have created significant
uncertainty for early education programs, and it risks further fueling
the childcare crisis.
Again, like housing, we have a childcare crisis in New Hampshire. The
cost of childcare for the average family, if they have a toddler and an
infant, is over $30,000 a year.
While the administration claimed yesterday afternoon that Head Start
Programs wouldn't be affected, Head Start Programs have been frozen out
of their payment system. While, hopefully, that should have been made
available again, my office is still hearing reports of system delays
and reduced availability that is harming programs.
Fortunately, the timing of this uncertainty has not disrupted
services in New Hampshire so far, but I am hearing stories of programs
in other States that had to temporarily stop serving families because
they were not able to access the funds they needed.
It is unclear what the impacts of these shifting policies will be on
child care and development block grants, which working families rely on
to be able to afford care for their children while parents are at work.
My office has heard from the Childcare Network Collaborative in New
Hampshire with significant concerns that childcare providers may be
prevented from accessing community development block grant funding that
they have already been awarded. These funds are intended for the
purchase of a building that will prevent huge rent increases for
childcare providers and help fuel an expansion of childcare in the
rural parts of northern New Hampshire.
Childcare programs are also concerned about the potential impacts on
other Federal programs that the families they serve rely on. For
example, while the administration eventually said yesterday that SNAP
payments wouldn't be affected, programs are finding it hard to reassure
families about whether they will actually get their monthly payments on
time given the disruptions that we have already seen to programs that
were not supposed to be affected according to the administration's own
words. So more chaos and uncertainty.
That is why so many of my constituents are telling me they simply do
not trust what they are hearing from the White House.
Families relying on programs like SNAP for food and WIC for women,
infants, and children to keep from going hungry already struggle to
make their benefits last until the beginning of the next month. Any
payment delays, even if it is just a few days, will cause needless
suffering for hungry children. It is cruel to be putting struggling
families through this unnecessary anxiety.

When it comes to law and order, the President often speaks about his
commitment to law and order. In 2020, he criticized Democrats who
supposedly wanted ``to defund'' and ``abolish'' the police. Yet here we
are with the President stopping Federal funds from going to police and
law enforcement agencies. Make no mistake, this stoppage could place
lives and livelihoods in jeopardy.
I heard from Strafford County Sheriff Kathyrn Mone about how the
cutoff of funds will affect them. I live in Strafford County, so I know
the sheriff there very well. Strafford County was awarded a $715,000
COPS technology grant to buy much needed modern and interoperable
portable and mobile radios for first responders. The U.S. Department of
Justice notified the county on Monday that they are going to withhold
these funds, forcing the county to place a hold on the order of new,
updated radios.

[[Page S471]]

Now, this may not sound like a big deal to some, but this equipment
helps Strafford County first responders protect Granite Staters. If
first responders can't communicate effectively, by definition, they
can't respond to emergencies and crimes.
When I was Governor, we had a horrible shooting in northern New
Hampshire. Two State troopers, a judge, and a newspaper editor were
killed. As they were trying to get the perpetrator, our State police
couldn't talk to local police, they couldn't talk to the Vermont law
enforcement, they couldn't talk to the Canadians, and they couldn't
talk to Maine--all of whom were involved in trying to catch the
perpetrator--because they didn't have the communication, the radios
they needed to keep people safe.
In the same vein, the town of Newington on the seacoast was awarded
$80,000 to replace 20-year-old radios and technology that can't
communicate with modern equipment. The town was on the verge of
submitting its invoices to be reimbursed for buying this crucial public
safety equipment when the Trump administration stopped the flow of
Federal funds.
If they are in an emergency, like a natural disaster or a mass
shooter, Newington's police and fire departments would not be able to
communicate on their current radio equipment to coordinate an effective
response with Federal, State, and local partners. This lack of
coordination among first responders could result in Newington's police
or fire departments not arriving in time to fight a fire or to rescue
people in need of help. The lack of modern radio communications could
result in people not getting medical care quickly enough.
Again, this is much needed equipment that allows officers to
communicate quickly and effectively to not only protect the people they
serve but to protect each other.
Thanks to President Trump, Newington is being forced to pause its
upgrade of 20-year-old equipment.
It should also be noted that the White House payment freeze means
that the businesses who sold Newington the radios and associated
equipment are not going to get paid in a timely fashion.
So let's call it what it is: Stopping funds to law enforcement and
first responders puts lives and businesses in jeopardy.
It also affects defense contractors. New Hampshire has a strong
defense industrial base. We have a lot of companies that do great work
to protect our men and women who are serving. The Federal funding
freeze is hitting those small businesses and manufacturers that rely on
defense contracts to pay their workforce, which is critical to
maintaining our national security.
For example, the New Hampshire APEX Accelerator program relies on
grants from the Department of Defense to help small businesses navigate
Federal contracting. In New Hampshire, government contracts and
subcontracts totaled $4 billion last year. Now, that is not just some
number that helps fuel our economy. For people from big States, maybe
that doesn't sound like a lot of money in your economy, but in New
Hampshire's economy, that is a lot of money, and it is an investment in
our national defense. It is a manufacturing worker's ability to support
their family. So let's not lose sight of what and who we are talking
about here.
The freeze blocks funding under the Defense Production Act, which
expands the defense industrial base under national security
emergencies. Right now, we have a lot of businesses in New Hampshire
that are receiving funding under the Defense Production Act to support
their operations. These grants strengthen military readiness and
capacity.
In the area of health, this pause will also cause real harm to
healthcare providers and patients across our State. Everyone from our
largest hospitals down to individual patients is reaching out to my
office. They are confused, and they are scared.
The most immediate consequences will be felt by safety net providers
like community health centers. They are vital to caring for our most
vulnerable populations. Their patients are often uninsured for
healthcare. Sometimes they are homeless. Some of them suffer from
substance use disorders or mental illness. They rely on their community
health centers just to get through the day.
As much as 50 percent of community health center funding comes from
Federal grants, and their operating margins are slim.
Lamprey Health Care in Newmarket, in the southern part of New
Hampshire, tried and failed to draw down Federal funds yesterday. They
have another scheduled drawdown for early next week. This means that
Lamprey has a limited number of days before the Trump administration's
order limits the services they can provide to the community.
Amoskeag Health--another one of our community health centers--
provides services in Manchester, our largest city. It would also suffer
from a funding pause. Thirty-five percent of their funding comes from
Federal grants, and they only have 19 days of cash on hand, which would
cover just 1 week of payroll. They are scheduled to get funding on
Monday, and that is now in the lurch.
Federal funding to train the healthcare workforce is also being
threatened. New Hampshire struggles to retain and recruit healthcare
providers, and Federal funding is critical to ensuring we have enough
providers in rural and underserved areas.
Last week, Elliot Hospital--one of the largest hospitals in the
largest city in Manchester--received notice that $3 million in funding
for its nursing expansion grant program was put on hold. There are
currently 80 potential students enrolled in this program. The program
is designed to address the acute nursing workforce shortage by
attracting local applicants in the greater Manchester community. The
funding freeze now puts that effort in jeopardy.

And Coos County Family Health, the northernmost county in New
Hampshire, up along the Canadian border, is another community health
center where access to healthcare can be extremely limited. Patients
frequently have to drive hours to get access to some of the most basic
services.
Coos County Family Health received a planning grant through the
Health Resources and Services Administration, HRSA, to establish a
rural medical residency program. Just this week, they received their
accreditation, which is so exciting. They were so excited. And now the
process begins to recruit and retain future doctors. The sole purpose
of this program is to train health providers in Coos County, an area
that struggles to attract talent. When we train these doctors in rural
areas, they are more likely to stay after residency and become core
members of the community. Any other week, this would be great news:
more doctors to treat patients in need. But, today, their future
funding through HRSA is at risk, thanks to the uncertainty created by
these Executive orders.
Training doctors to treat sick or injured patients shouldn't be a
controversial issue, but according to this administration, it is.
Coos County Family Health also uses Federal funding to support the
victims of domestic violence that come into their practice. Specialized
staff offer the victims counseling and support services--things like
access to shelter. The staff connects victims with law enforcement and
even offers prevention programs in local schools. Without Federal
funding, they will be forced to lay off these staff members.
I don't know. Does the administration think that domestic violence
survivors are unworthy of our support? Does this administration believe
that causing chaos is more important than protecting our most
vulnerable? Maybe this is what President Trump meant when he said he
wanted disrupters. I don't believe this is what the public wanted.
Mental health programs are also at risk. New Hampshire's suicide rate
is higher than the national average, and we need every available
resource to help address this issue.
Northern Human Services and the National Alliance on Mental Illness
use funding from the Garrett Lee Smith Suicide Prevention grant to
provide afterschool support to youth experiencing suicidal ideation or
those who have recently attempted suicide. We are literally talking
about taking away services from children who are thinking about
committing suicide. I heard

[[Page S472]]

from the folks at NAMI, the New Hampshire Alliance on Mental Illness.
They were almost in tears when they talked about what was going to
happen if they couldn't serve these kids who need help.
And there is also Navigating Recovery, offering around-the-clock
substance use disorder services in the city of Laconia. They are a
small nonprofit, and they make use of every dollar they get by offering
24/7 support for individuals that have just overdosed, and that
includes literally going into the hospital to be with the patient as
they recover. They offer wraparound services like connecting
individuals to housing, job opportunities, and childcare so they can
find stability as they go through recovery.
And 53 percent of Navigating Recovery's funding comes from Federal
sources, including the State Opioid Response grant program. I have
worked for years to get dollars to the State under that SOR program,
including last year when New Hampshire was awarded nearly $30 million.
And I have to say, in the first term of the Trump administration,
President Trump was very supportive of these dollars. We worked with
his administration to get additional funding to address the fact that
New Hampshire was one of the hardest hit States. So I don't know why,
suddenly, they are willing to put that funding at risk by this freeze,
because it has done more to prevent fatal overdoses and support
recovery services than any other Federal program. Navigating Recovery
uses those dollars on the ground. Without it, they would only have
weeks before they start laying off staff and stop offering services.
Despite what this administration claims, it is the individuals who
will pay the price of this uncertainty and chaos. This spending freeze
is yet another example of the administration ignoring how their
policies affect individuals' peace of mind, the livelihoods and the
health of Americans at risk.
And then we are seeing broader attacks by the Office of Management
and Budget on Federal employees. The Trump administration didn't stop
at ripping funding away from vulnerable Americans this week. While much
of the public's focus has been held by that order, they have continued
their relentless attack on Federal employees.
Over 2 million civil servants working in thousands of essential
fields--from healthcare to law enforcement to national security--who
keep our country running, are under attack. And listen, I think we need
to be more efficient and more effective, and we may have people who are
not doing their jobs the way we want them to, but what this order has
done is created confusion over the spending freeze--the hiring freeze
instituted by the President's Executive order.
The administration claims this is temporary, but thousands of
Americans who had job offers on the table saw those offers revoked--
even those who were ready to fill some of our most urgent vacancies,
like at the VA. Even though the Department of Veterans Affairs said it
would not apply this hiring freeze to many VA positions dedicated to
providing veterans' healthcare and benefits, many crucial programs that
veterans depend on will not be able to hire staff to serve our
veterans.
For example, the VA will not be hiring caseworkers who help veterans
get into permanent housing and related support. They won't be able to
hire the personnel that literally keep the lights on and buildings
running, such as fire protection, housekeeping, plumbing, boiler plant
operation, laundry services, and other essential roles.
And we should remember that, year after year, the VA has had
challenges in addressing these critical gaps. Last year, the VA
reported almost 3,000 severe occupational staffing shortages. But that
didn't stop this administration from pulling every pending job offer
the day they took office. And while some have been reinstated, others
are still in limbo. In just one example, VA employees at a facility
focused on research and care for veterans with late-stage cancer were
told their jobs were under review and they may be terminated
altogether.

Now, I know everybody in this Chamber believes that we have made a
commitment to those who have served this country in uniform, and we
don't want to fail our veterans when they return home and enter
civilian life. So how does this firing of people who take care of them
help us fulfill that commitment?
And then, if we want to talk about jobs that keep Americans safe,
let's talk about keeping planes from falling out of the sky or
colliding on runways. I worked closely with the National Air Traffic
Control Union and the FAA's Collaborative Resource Working Group to
adopt a new staffing model in last year's FAA reauthorization bill.
We have a significant number of air traffic controllers in New
Hampshire. They do a great job of keeping people in the flying public
safe as they enter North America, all the way down to New York, in some
of the most congested airspaces in the country. Now, the FAA made good
progress in hiring last year as a result. They are still more than
3,500 controllers, however, short of their staffing target, and the
controllers we do have work 6-day weeks, 10-hour days on a good week.
They are exhausted; they are overworked; and they face severe mental
health challenges as a result.
The FAA estimated that 10 percent of the Federal air traffic
controller workforce would depart last year as a result of these
conditions. And despite this, these air traffic controllers still
haven't been told conclusively whether or not air traffic controllers
are exempt from the hiring freeze.
Now, if preventing us from filling shortages and taking care of some
of our most vulnerable wasn't enough, OMB is actively trying to get rid
of the civil servants we do have. This week, millions of Federal
employees received emails offering to pay their salaries for the rest
of the fiscal year in exchange for resigning now--and that included
every single air traffic controller in the country.
Now, you might be asking yourselves why, when we are short more than
3,500 air traffic controllers, did we offer to pay the ones we have not
to work? Well, like the hiring freeze, this order is an irresponsible,
reckless, nontargeted effort that could have devastating consequences
for critical positions.
What is more, they are trying to convince us that this will save
money, making it clear that even if we lose thousands of employees with
no plans to replace them, we will be better off.
Well, that is bad news for tourism in New Hampshire, for those who
work closely with U.S. Forest Service personnel and depend on sound
management of the White Mountain National Forest, and it is bad news
for people who value clean air and clean water.
This message was also sent to more than 780,000 civilian employees
who work for the Department of Defense. In New Hampshire, we have
almost 8,000 civilians who work at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard that
we share with the State of Maine. There are four public shipyards in
the United States. Our employees in Portsmouth have the best on-time,
on-budget record of any of the public shipyards. These employees
contribute to the maintenance of our nuclear submarines, an essential
tenet of our national security and a crucial capability to deter major
conflict. Any impact to their workforce will strain a shipbuilding
industrial base that is already saturated with demand to meet the
requirements of our Navy.
The bottom line: If the shipyard can't get boats to the fleet on
time, our Nation is less safe.
The freeze on Federal assistance also affects critical programs that
support men and women in uniform, including DOD's financial assistance
and grant programs that support servicemembers and their families.
This administration has said repeatedly that it wants to ``restore
the warrior ethos'' at the Pentagon. I don't know about you, but
slashing our defense workforce doesn't help me sleep any better at
night. I don't think that restores the warrior ethos.
So in conclusion--I see my other colleagues here, and I know they are
waiting to speak--the actions this week have only created confusion,
chaos, and stress. That is the best-case scenario, if it ends right
now. But if not, if the Trump administration and Elon Musk get their
way and cut these programs, working Americans will be the ones to
suffer the most.
The need for housing, sewers, and childcare doesn't go away when this
administration says they don't want to

[[Page S473]]

pay the bills. These costs just get pushed down to towns and end up
coming out of people's paychecks. It ends up being paid on the backs of
our local taxpayers.
Now, again, the administration tried to walk this back by rescinding
Monday's memo, but then they added confusion by claiming that the
underlying funding freeze was still in place. And they are unable to
answer basic questions about who and what will be affected.
Maybe it is just me and the hundreds of Granite Staters whom I have
heard from, but if you are going to stop all the critical funding that
helps seniors, children, and families across this country, you need a
better answer than we are hearing from this White House.
Instead, what we heard during the White House briefing--when asked
one of these basic questions, Americans were told: We'll check on that
and get back to you.
So to Granite Staters who have called my office in distress,
wondering what this far-reaching, unprecedented move means for their
lives and their livelihoods: Don't worry. The White House is going to
get back to you.
That is outrageous--and this, despite not one but two Federal judges
who have ordered the White House to stop holding these funds. The
administration has made it clear that they intend to move forward with
vague, irresponsible Executive orders that jeopardize billions in
infrastructure, energy, healthcare, workforce, and educational
investments.
Hard-working families, businesses, and nonprofits have been calling
my office asking for clarity, and this administration hasn't been
willing to provide any.
Common sense calls for all of us to work on a bipartisan basis to
help our constituents to put an end to the chaos and uncertainty that
has been created by this administration in only its second week.
I hope we can do that.
I yield the floor.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Democratic leader.
Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, I want to thank my Democratic colleagues:
Senators Shaheen and Blumenthal, Senators Kim and Padilla, and so many
others; Senator Schatz, Senator Durbin, so many others who came on the
floor tonight. And why did we all come on the floor? To sound the alarm
of the reckless, lawless things Donald Trump is already doing to
American families.
Americans need to know what is happening. They need to know what kind
of damage people like Russell Vought will do to them. Tonight, we are
holding the floor to sound the alarm. And, to augment that, I just got
off the phone with a whole bunch of Democratic Governors from across
the country, and we talked about Trump's administration's Executive
orders, his erratic policies, and, most important, the impact on their
States.
In State after State, people are on edge, people are so worried,
because of what these executive orders would do: Head Start, rural
hospitals, police, firefighters, you name it; schools, local
governments. In every one of these States, people are angry and scared
because of the damage that President Trump's Executive order would do.
Our group, the Governors and I, discussed paths forward to best
respond and fight back. We are going to have a coordinated approach. We
talked about how these policies would hurt their States. The amount of
Federal money that is needed to support these States--and not just
State government, so to speak, but feeding people, building roads,
employing people, teaching kids, dealing with mental illness, helping
keep us safe in fire and police--these are real things. And every one
of these States could not provide the help that people need, provide
the decent life that people seek, if this Executive order was fully
implemented.
And so we talked about how we could inform them as to what is going
on. We talked about how we can coordinate. And I told them that thanks
to the Democrats' work here in the Senate, Donald Trump and Russell
Vought hit a speed bump today. But I told them, as you will hear from
my later remarks, we must keep fighting and working together to make
sure they don't succeed, because if they succeed, they are going to
hurt millions and millions of average working families. So we are
working together to do that.
Now, today, we saw what happens when Americans fight back against
disastrous policies. We saw what happens when Americans make their
voices heard. A few days ago, President Trump launched his most
reckless broadside yet against the American people here in his second
term. In the blink of an eye, OMB announced a universal freeze on all
Federal funding. The blast radius--the blast radius--of OMB's
announcement was seemingly limitless--States, cities, towns, schools,
small businesses, law enforcement, nutrition services, elderly care;
hospitals, rural and urban and suburban; communities, people helping
feed people, people helping people with mental illness, people helping
house homeless veterans were all just so, so put on edge by the
potential of these cuts.
Donald Trump's freeze can be boiled down to three Cs. You can talk
about it in many ways, but the three Cs are apt: chaotic, creating
chaos back home because there is chaos here in Trump's government;
careless, not even knowing and realizing how badly these cuts would
affect people; and cruel--cruel--outright economic sabotage against
working families.
Make no mistake, OMB's funding freeze was intended. It is precisely
what Project 2025 looks like in action--Project 2025 by another name.
When Project 2025 first was announced, it was during campaign season,
and it was amazing the reaction by the American people--Democrats,
Republicans, conservatives, liberals, Independents--against it. It was
strong, much stronger than I ever imagined. And as a result, it got a
very bad name. I think one poll showed 68 percent of Americans opposed
it.
So what did Donald Trump do? Typical in his fashion, he said: I never
heard of Project 2025. I don't even know what it is.
They were so afraid of it. You think they would have learned a lesson
during the campaign, but they didn't.
And, now, within a few weeks of his being inaugurated as President,
President Trump seeks to implement Project 2025. Well, Americans were
furious. Americans let Donald Trump know about it. They let their
Republican Congressmen and Senators know about it. They pushed back,
and today, after 24 hours of outrage from one corner of the country to
the other, Donald Trump backed off.
He rescinded the OMB memo--for now. Of course, the danger is not
over. Rescinding one OMB memo will not nullify all of the Executive
orders Donald Trump has issued, which will continue to pose a threat to
these funds. And we know damn well that if they can't do it this way
because they were caught redhanded, they will try to do it another way.
But I can assure the American people, we will be vigilant.
But I want to say to my colleagues and to my constituents in New York
and to my fellow citizens--American citizens--the roots of democracy
are real. So many of us are worried that Trump will try to upend them--
he and his cohorts--but they are real.
And this week was a good example. People heard how bad this was. They
raised their voices. And now Trump has backed off.
This won't be his last assay, his last attempt to do this. We know
that. But we also know that, when we raise their voices, and we will
again, he knows that he will lose ground with the American people in a
very severe and bad way, and if we keep fighting, he will back off and
back off and back off until he stops. And once and for all, this evil
scheme--this scheme that hurt so many American families--will be gone.
It is clear Donald Trump, with this freeze, seeks to violate the law,
seeks to help his billionaire buddies, and hurt the American people.
Violate the law, help his billionaire buddies, and hurt the American
people--that is what he is trying to do. But we won't let him, America.
We won't.
Now, let's talk about Mr. Vought, the chief cook and bottle washer of
2025. This episode, what happened today, should be a lesson to
President Trump that following Russell Vought and Project 2025 is a
loser--a loser, of course, for America, but a loser for him.

[[Page S474]]

Now that Donald Trump has rescinded the OMB order, he should rescind
the nomination of Russell Vought as well. If not, Mr. Vought will be
the architect of more losses for President Trump because the next time
this happens, Russell Vought will be the one calling the shots at OMB,
a nightmarish scenario for working people.
I sat down a few days ago with Mr. Vought in my office. Because he is
seeking nomination, he came to visit me. He told me, plain as day--
plain as day--if he is confirmed, these are the kinds of things he
wants to do at OMB.
The Senate must not confirm Mr. Vought to lead OMB. His views are way
too fringe for the majority of this country, and I am sure, if you
asked in a secret ballot, for a majority of the Republican Senators who
sit across the aisle from us.
But, tomorrow, the Senate Budget Committee is scheduled to hold a
markup of Mr. Vought's nomination. I join Ranking Member Merkley in
calling on the chair to delay this markup by at least 2 weeks. Why?
First, because of the devastation that these Executive orders will do
and that the funding freeze was prepared to do. But, second, because it
is clear that Mr. Vought was not honest during his hearings, and we
need more answers from him. When something this consequential is
launched by an administration, the person behind it all deserves--or
America deserves--to hear exactly his thoughts and exactly what he is
going to do.
During his testimony, Vought refused to answer direct questions
related to the impoundment, for instance, of congressional funds, of
which this is a related issue. And we now know why. He didn't want to
alert Congress about the incoming decision from OMB to freeze all grant
funding. Mr. Vought clearly withheld information that Senators were
entitled to know, that the American people were entitled to know, and
he needs to give us answers.
In the meantime, the American people also are learning just how
fringe Mr. Vought truly is. His North Star is very simple: He wants to
eradicate trillions in basic services that help American families so
Republicans can give tax cuts to their billionaire buddies.
The last time Vought led OMB, he pushed multiple budget proposals
that slashed Social Security and Medicare and public health. During the
last default crisis, Mr. Vought was a key adviser to hard-right
Republicans who pushed America to the brink of disaster by using a debt
ceiling as blackmail to cut trillions in funding for healthcare, for
seniors, for hungry kids, and for so many others.
Mr. Vought wants to eliminate the Department of Education, eliminate
education funding in many ways.
He has proposed to cut disability payments for retired veterans. He
wants to cut SNAP, feeding hungry children. He wants to raise drug
prices.
And he is also one of the chief proponents of a truly sinister theory
about the powers of the executive branch that calls for the impoundment
of congressional funds. That means, basically, that Russell Vought
thinks the President gets to pick and choose which laws he wants to
follow and which he doesn't.
Why have a Congress? If the President can say, ``Well, I will follow
this law but not that, and this one and not that,'' that is so
fundamentally against what the Founding Fathers believed, what
Americans have believed through centuries, and yet he wants to just
toss it away, again, so he can pay for the tax cuts his billionaire
buddies desperately want.
If Congress wants to pass legislation investing in infrastructure or
tech innovation or national defense, even, Mr. Vought thinks the
President can just say nope, an explicit assault on our checks and our
balances, which has served this Republic so well for centuries.
And, again, let me repeat so people understand clearly what is the
end goal: to cut the daylights out of funding for middle-class families
in order to line the pockets of the ultra-ultrawealthy--tax cuts for
Donald Trump's billionaire buddies, funding cuts for parents and kids
and seniors in healthcare.
I believe the Budget Committee tomorrow, because the chairman of the
Budget Committee has not granted the delay that is so desperately
needed, will not go to vote on Mr. Vought, because a vote without him
coming clean to the American people, what is it worth? It is not a
process that should be. And then they will explain to the American
people why this man doesn't deserve a vote in such an unfair hearing
practice and setting.
And now let's talk about President Trump's increasing lawlessness. It
may be tempting to think everything Donald Trump has been doing,
including halting Federal funding, is part of his chaotic, unthinking
approach to government, but we should not be so sure that it is just
that and nothing else, because beneath the surface, a very clear
pattern is emerging from Donald Trump's second term in office, a
pattern of sheer lawlessness--a pattern of sheer lawlessness. First, he
pardoned over 1,500 insurrectionists on his first day in office,
including people convicted of assaulting Capitol Police officers. These
were hooligans. I was within 30 feet of them. They were not peaceful. I
couldn't believe one Congressman said they were tourists. Give me a
break. They had hatred in their eyes, and they sought to stop our
government from functioning in its lawful way. Some of them were
violent, and Trump pardoned them--over 1,500 insurrectionists--on his
first day in office.

Can you image anyone, let alone a President, being proud that he
pardoned insurrectionists, some violent, all trying to overthrow this
government, on his first day in office? What does that say about this
President?
Then, in the dead of night, he got rid of over 17 independent
government watchdogs--people who report abuse and fraud and waste in
government--without any notice or justification.
Yesterday, he eliminated Commissioners sitting on the NLRB and the
Equal Opportunity Employment Commission. The NLRB, folks--you may not
have heard those initials, but it has been in place I believe since
Roosevelt's time to make sure workers are treated fairly, to make sure
that employers who don't want a union don't go beyond fairness in
preventing a union from occurring.
When Donald Trump gets rid of the Democratic Commissioner on the NLRB
who has always represented working people, he is saying to working
people: I don't care about you. I care about the people who employee
you but not you. And if they want to take advantage of you, Donald
Trump says when he gets rid of the NLRB member, I don't give a hoot.
Another example. By the way, again, almost certainly against the law.
The rule is, there should be a certain number of Democratic
Commissioners and a certain number of Republican Commissioners. Whoever
is President gets the Chairman, and then there are two Democrats and
two Republicans. But Donald Trump didn't fire a Republican member of
the Board. Maybe that would be less unfair. He fired the Democrat who
stands up for working people.
Then, after all this, he issues his sweeping OMB memo virtually
halting Federal grant funding.
These are actions of a lawless President, of a President who wants to
erode, eat away at the rule of law and our system of checks and
balances. And why? Why is Donald Trump storming right out of the gate
so lawlessly? Why is he breaking one law after another? Might be
because the Supreme Court said he can't be held accountable. Might be.
But it is simple. What is he trying to do? Before our very eyes,
Donald Trump is rigging the system and breaking the law to help his
billionaire friends at the expense--at the expense--of working
families. That is the goal.
Finally, let's talk about how awful yesterday was for so many people.
I heard from people in every corner of my State--frightened, worried,
concerned--that they, average New Yorkers, no different than average
Americans, were going to really suffer because of this funding freeze.
When I talked to the Governors, as I mentioned a little earlier, on
the phone, it was happening in every State. It could be a rural State,
it could be an urban State, a State that is large, a State that is
small, from one end of America to the other, people are just fearful
about what would be done.

[[Page S475]]

The American people did not deserve to endure this 24 hours of panic
and confusion, and they won't deserve to have to sit through that again
when Donald Trump seeks another way to do the same thing even though we
gave a speed bump, even though we thwarted him--not ``we.'' The
Democratic Senators didn't thwart Donald Trump. The Democratic
Senators, by our advocacy and our strength, alerted the American
people, and they thwarted Donald Trump.
So, America, congratulations. Congratulations. Let's keep doing it
when he is trying to hurt us.
Did Donald Trump consider for a moment the damage he was unleashing?
Did he know he was kneecapping cops and firefighters from purchasing
literally lifesaving equipment--bulletproof vests, breathing gear? Did
he know he was essentially shuttering community health centers that so
many people depend on for their health, that so many people bring kids
to when they have a fever and might get something more damaging, like
strep throat or influenza? Did he know that he was hurting rural
hospitals that had to turn people away because they didn't know if they
would get the funding? Did he know that he was telling food pantries:
You are not going to get food next week to feed the hungry.
Yesterday was absolute hell for so many Americans trying to
understand how Trump's order was going to hurt them; 24 hours of panic,
confusion, deep, visceral frustration--all unnecessary.
All 50 States reported that the Medicaid portal was frozen, and 7\1/
2\ million New Yorkers were shut out of Medicaid all together. That is
just in New York. Nobody knew what would happen next.
My office was smothered by an avalanche of calls from New Yorkers,
local leaders from every corner of the State in panic and fury.
I was getting calls from New Yorkers of both parties who were furious
that the administration would have the gall to launch this sneak attack
on them out of the blue.
I got calls from Republican town supervisors and mayors asking about
flood prevention and sewer construction.
I got calls from food banks like Feed More in Western New York,
fearful they wouldn't be able to make deliveries to hungry people.
I got calls from Rochester Head Start and other Head Start Programs
worried sick--worried sick--that they weren't going to be able to pay
the rent or pay their staff.
I got calls from the Roswell Cancer Center, which does some
groundbreaking research--they developed the PSA test up there in
Buffalo; Northwell Health on Long Island, one of the biggest hospital
providers; Churches United for Fair Housing; local leaders in places
like Syracuse; community health centers like Cornerstone Family
healthcare in the Hudson Valley--from one end of the State to the
other.
So we won't know what the administration will try to do next. An hour
from now, we could get a new memo outlining a new round of freezes.
They did the last one at night, in the evening. That is how this
administration under Donald Trump works--governing by chaos, governing
by confusion. And who pays the price? The American people--parents,
kids, doctors, teachers, healthcare workers, police, firefighters, and
so much more.
So, my friends, in conclusion, I see my colleagues waiting. I will
cut short my remarks. I could go on for a while because I am so
aggravated and angry about what he has done and will attempt to do.
Even though the Trump administration failed today, it is no secret
they will try to find another way to cut these funds. When they do, I
want to assure the American people that Senate Democrats will be there
not only to call it out but to fight back, to defend American families
and beat another evil proposal back--with you, the American people, as
our real sword and shield--making sure he doesn't do bad things to you.
So thank you to my colleagues for being here. I see we have four
colleagues waiting. Thank you for sounding the alarm on the terrible
things this administration is preparing to do, and thank you for being
true patriots who believe in our democracy.
I yield the floor.
The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Husted). The Senator from New Jersey.
Mr. KIM. Mr. President, I rise today to try to make some sense of it
all. Why are we seeing nothing but chaos coming from the White House?
Why are people feeling a sense of fear and confusion? Why should
Americans be paying attention to any of this?
I want to start by saying to the American people: You are not alone
in feeling overwhelmed by what is going on right now.
Just yesterday, my office received more than 700 calls asking
questions about the Trump administration's unconstitutional and brazen
decision to take money away from them, to freeze programs that help
people in every corner of our State and country. That translates to a
call every 2 minutes.
I am going to share some of the stories of concern that I received
yesterday, but before I do, I want to try to explain what exactly is
going on.
On Monday, the Acting Director of the Office of Management and Budget
sent a memo ordering Federal Agencies to ``temporarily pause all
activities related to obligations or disbursements of all federal
financial assistance.''
I know that sounds complicated, so let me put it another way. The
Trump administration said that taxpayer money going to help people
across the country was stopped. That is money that you have paid
through your taxes that goes to do important things. It helps provide
meals to seniors. It keeps roofs over people's heads. It helps combat
the fentanyl crisis. It helps get veterans healthcare. It keeps
childcare programs open and schools funded. It helps small businesses
get back onto their feet after disasters.
That is just a small example of what the Trump administration
attempted to take away from you. And let's be clear: This is your
money, and they tried to take it away.
What happened next was they got caught, and the backlash was fast.
The outrage was real. Their actions were stopped last night when a
judge issued an injunction and questioned the constitutionality of the
administration's actions.
Then today, in the span of an hour, the Trump administration
rescinded their directive, only to contradict that with a tweet from
the White House Press Secretary:

This is NOT a rescission of the federal funding freeze.
It is simply a rescission of the OMB memo.
Why? To end any confusion created by the court's
injunction.

It goes on to say:

The President's EO's--

Executive order--

on federal funding remain in full force and effect, and
will be rigorously implemented.''

In short, the first time we tried to take away your money, it was
probably unconstitutional, but we are going to keep trying in different
ways until we get it right.
If this feels like your head is spinning, I get it. We have seen
nothing but mass confusion and chaos for the past week and a half since
Donald Trump reentered the White House. It is not governance; it is
whiplash.
If you are watching me on C-SPAN or catching a clip on social media,
there is one thing I want you to take away: The chaos is just a smoke
screen for corruption. It is quite clear. They want to take away your
money and give it right to the billionaire donors and corporate
interests.
The Trump administration isn't taking this money away from you
because they are serious about making government more effective or
efficient. They are not doing this because they want to help more
people and target our resources where they can do the most good. They
are doing this because they are getting ready to gut programs you rely
on every day and use that money for another round of tax cuts for those
at the very top. They are doing this because the big corporate
interests want to dismantle the public servants who work every day to
make sure that your water is clean, that your kids get a good
education, and that your parents are able to safely get to their
doctor's appointments.
We should not lose sight of what is at stake here. We shouldn't get
wrapped into the noise and confusion and chaos that the White House
throws at us because behind that chaos, there are real

[[Page S476]]

victims of this corruption. There are real lives on the line when
people are left behind. Let me share just a few stories.
I heard from a lot of seniors and people who support seniors about
their fears about what this means.
Yesterday morning, I got an email from someone who helps operate
senior living facilities in Edison, NJ. They said the freeze was
``obviously alarming'' for those ``who rely on federal funding to help
people with disabilities become more independent.''
One of my staff received an email from a leader of senior services
organizations in Hackensack and Jersey City who said:

Those in most need of services in New Jersey will lose all
support.

Another staff received a message from Frank in Toms River. Frank
said:

I am paralyzed and use Ocean Ride to get to all my doctors
appointments. . . . I am unable to travel in a regular
vehicle and without the significant discount of Ocean Ride, I
could not afford to get to the doctor. Ocean Ride is
essential to my daily life.

Now, you may never have heard of Ocean Ride, but for people like
Frank, it is their lifeline. These actions by the Trump administration
to take away money could force Ocean Ride to close their doors.
It is not just our seniors who lose out in this corruption and chaos;
it is our kids.
I got a call from Kelly, a nurse from Parsippany.
I work with children who need food from free school
programs, babies who need WIC, children who are bullied in
school, children with disabilities.

She told me that the Trump administration should ``quit playing games
with politics.''
I heard the same thing from Manny from Bergen County, a public school
teacher who said that he had ``students that benefit directly from
programs'' that are on the chopping block. Manny said that this moment
makes it hard to look at his 3\1/2\-year-old and think about the
future. It is a feeling that so many of us have right now.
I heard from Susan from Hudson County who works in a nonprofit that
helps the homeless. She said in a call to our office yesterday:

Our funds have been frozen. We are not going to be able to
serve our clients or our staff. This is going to have a
significant impact, not only with my agency, but the entire
community of those we serve.

I am sharing these stories with you because it is important to
remember that the impact of the decisions made at the White House go
beyond the feeling of hopelessness and helplessness. If the White House
continues down this path, those at the very top--the well-off and the
well-connected--will get their tax cuts and whatever else they want.
They will get it at the expense of a senior who will have to miss a
doctor's appointment because their ride support program has been cut.
They will get it at the expense of a young kid whose aftercare was cut
or free school lunch was eliminated. And they will get it at the
expense of the person who just needs a helping hand to put a roof over
their head.
Mr. President, this isn't just about ending this chaos; it is about
protecting our neighbors, our communities, and our families. We know
this fight is not over. The White House was very clear about that
today. This was just the beginning.
We have seen these freezes for infrastructure spending that could
impact big projects like the Gateway Tunnel and small projects like
paving the road you drive on to take your kids to school.
These freezes could make America less competitive on a global stage
by cutting research for AI and other next-generation technologies. In a
week where we are seeing China make gains, we can't take our own foot
off the gas.
And these freezes could stop critical research into diseases that
impact Americans across the country. We should be supercharging our
efforts to cure Alzheimer's and cancer, not cutting them.
Meanwhile, we have seen nearly 20 inspectors general fired from
government Agencies, trying to hide what is happening. The American
people want more accountability, not less. And making it harder for
watchdogs to call out bad behavior could result in a golden age of
corruption.
But when it comes to standing up against attempts to take away your
healthcare, your childcare, your eldercare, the basic protections that
your government provides because you pay into it, we will be with you
every step of the way to fight back.
This is just the beginning. We hear your concerns, your frustrations,
your anger. Your voice still matters. Your story stills matters. And
Democrats in this Chamber will lead the way. But together, we will push
back and make sure that it is the people's priorities that win the day.
Mr. President, I ask the American people to see the chaos for what it
is: a smoke screen to benefit the ultrawealthy. And although I know
this chaos is unnerving and it is frightening, the American people can
rest assured that we will fight this chaos and focus on what matters
most here: protecting you from the blatant corruption that is the
administration's attempt to take money from our working families and
give handouts to those at the very top. Let's get to work.
I yield the floor.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from California.
Mr. PADILLA. Mr. President, colleagues, a little over a year ago
during a FOX News townhall, Sean Hannity gave Donald Trump, then-
candidate for President of the United States--the chance to assure the
American people that he would not abuse power or become a dictator if
he won a second term.
But instead of committing to the rule of law during that townhall, he
answered defiantly saying ``Except for day 1.''
Well, it has been 9 days since he was sworn into office, and as then-
candidate Trump promised, we are already seeing how hell-bent he is on
pushing the limits of his power. We see a President unburdened by the
rule of law after the Supreme Court handed him blanket immunity and a
President with a blatant disregard to the guardrails put in place by
the authors of our Constitution.
Over the last week and a half, here is what we have seen him do: He
has declared an end to birthright citizenship in clear violation of the
14th Amendment to the Constitution; he has illegally fired 18
inspectors general--individuals, professionals we count on to hold
departments and Agencies accountable; he has issued 1,500 pardons for
the January 6 insurrectionists, including many who attacked law
enforcement officers in an attempt to overthrow an election; and late
Monday night, almost 48 hours ago, he set off an actual constitutional
crisis.
The President ordered a sweeping freeze on ``all Federal financial
assistance,'' pending a review by his political appointees who have
passed his loyalty tests. Yes, those are documented.
Donald Trump has attempted to implement nothing less than a one-man
Presidential government shutdown. But, thankfully, the American people
would not stand for it. Communities in every corner of California and
every corner of the country have raised alarm bells and filed lawsuits.
They have not backed down.
President Trump's administration has backed down--at least for now--
because we are not naive enough to think that he is not going to try to
do it again. The vague document released by Donald Trump's budget
office threatened to withhold billions of dollars from social safety
net programs, for example, all to lay the groundwork to pay for his big
tax cuts for large corporations and billionaires--yes, like the
billionaires he surrounded himself with during his inauguration.
Working families--again, not just across California, but across the
country--knew immediately what the consequences and the impacts mean in
real life. Preschools closed, lifesaving cancer treatments halted, meal
programs for seniors threatened--I can go on and on with specific real-
world examples. But here is another dynamic I ask you to take to heart.
The billionaires who sat next to him and the billionaires who set to
benefit from the tax breaks he is hoping to achieve, of course, they
wouldn't have felt the impact of this at all.
As we stand here right now, we are told that he has rescinded the
order in order to avoid a court battle because, of course, this was
already challenged and tied up in court. But we know that the fight is
far from over. In fact, the

[[Page S477]]

White House Press Secretary threatened that his Executive order
blocking Federal funding that he issued day one in office is still in
effect: ``Remains in full force'' and ``will be rigorously
implemented.''
Let's be clear about what President Trump has tried. He has tried to
block hundreds of billions of dollars in aid to support families
recovering from catastrophic fires in California. He has attempted to
block aid to law enforcement agencies that we rely on to keep our
communities safe. He is trying to block aid to children and families
who depend on Federal childcare and nutrition programs. That is the
reality of what is going on here.
And, sadly, for the most part, my Republican colleagues have
obediently fallen in line. I have to believe you are getting the same
phone calls that I am--countless calls from constituents and community
groups and individuals searching for answers, searching for guidance,
asking for our help because the way these orders and memos are written,
nobody knew which specific programs were affected or for how long. The
executive Agencies that were supposed to implement the order didn't
even know how they were affected. And most glaringly, the White House
itself changed its story every few hours on what was supposed to be
affected by the Executive order that they themselves wrote.
So the Trump administration, through either their intent or their
incompetence--or maybe both--and a disregard for the law sowed chaos,
confusion, and fear amongst hard-working American families.
State Agencies and local governments, not just throughout California
but, again, throughout the country, were blocked from accessing
Medicaid and housing assistance grant portals. In case you thought
folks were exaggerating, yes, that really happened. Colleagues on both
sides of the aisle, I know you know about this.
The director of a grant-funded program with the district attorney's
office in Los Angeles supporting victims of violent crime was concerned
about the future of their work because of the uncertainty of Federal
assistance. Funding for research on cures for childhood cancer was
threatened. Local commuter rail officials in Sonoma raised concerns
about their ability to continue service if outstanding Federal funding
is frozen--service that workers need to get to work, to do their jobs,
keep our economy going. The city of Vacaville was worrying about the
potential impact to their housing authority and vouchers.
There is a housing affordability concern and homeless crisis in many
parts of the country. This is not helping. Head Start grantees were
frozen out of their Federal payment management system. And if those
kids can't go to Head Start, their parents have a tougher time getting
to work.
What are you doing?
Health centers in San Francisco met to assess their ability to
provide services if grant funding and Medicare reimbursements were
frozen. The Oakland Fire Department raised alarm bells about having to
cut staff if an outstanding FEMA grant to support pay for 35
firefighters were paused.
The impacts are real, colleagues.
Mr. President, as you know, my home State of California has been
devastated by historic fires these last few weeks. Fueled by wind gusts
of up to 100 miles an hour, the Southern California fires burned more
than 12,000 homes and businesses and more than 40,000 acres--nearly or
approximately three times the size of Manhattan. And over two dozen
Californians lost their lives.
Thanks to a swift major disaster declaration that President Biden
issued in his final days, Federal Agencies like FEMA and the EPA have
been instrumental in not just the response to the fires but in the
early stages of recovery and rebuilding efforts.
But in his typical, vindictive, and reckless fashion, President Trump
didn't stop to think about the actual impacts of a decision like this.
His OMB order shamefully put our disaster relief at risk. The freeze
would have delayed FEMA's public assistance programs supporting debris
removal, meaning--look, if you delay the debris removal, you are
delaying the rebuilding efforts. It threatens funding for emergency
shelters as well as the grant money that supports hiring firefighters
and firefighting equipment purchases.
Do you think these fires were devastating? We have all seen the
images on television. Some of you may have an appreciation for the
scale of the communities impacted. Let me remind us, folks, we are in
the middle of winter. Summer is just a few months away. The risk and
the threat will continue to grow, and we are going to delay the hiring
of firefighters and the purchasing of firefighting equipment?
After threatening to withhold Federal aid for disaster victims in
California as leverage to pass other elements of an unpopular agenda,
this was just another slap in the face to the thousands of Americans
who lost everything and are now counting on our collective support.
Just yesterday, after Federal firefighters returned home from working
24-hour shifts to battle unprecedented fires in dangerous, life-
threatening conditions and after risking their own lives to protect our
communities, Federal firefighters received a message from President
Trump. You would think that maybe--just maybe--it was a message, saying
``Thank you for your service. Thank you for your sacrifice. Thank you
for your time away from your family to help fellow Americans in need,''
but it was not. The message Federal firefighters received after being
gone for weeks--24-hour shifts, protecting lives--the message they
received was a request for their resignation. That is right. President
Trump offered them a buyout.
It was not just to them; he offered this to all career Federal
employees who are not beholden to his loyalty tests without having the
clear authority or funding to do so. We have seen this before from
President Trump and his co-President, Elon Musk.
I think it is important to share with everybody tonight, especially
to Federal employees who are watching: Anybody who received this offer
and thinks that maybe this is an offer that is too good to be true,
that maybe I should jump at it, let me assure you this offer is too
good to be true because there is no Federal funding to pay people who
do not show up to work.
Our Federal firefighters saw this attempted buy-off for what it was,
and I want to read for you, colleagues, some of the messages--just a
few of them--that I have received.
From one brave firefighter:

It's hard to put into words just how disrespectful this
feels to any civil servant but especially to someone who's
given so much--sacrificing precious time away from family,
risking everything for the greater good.

Another message reads as follows:

Today I returned home after a two-week fire assignment in
California. . . . A slew of executive orders over this last
week have put myself and a lot of others on edge. I am
worried for my livelihood and my future. A purge of federal
Wildland firefighters will have catastrophic outcomes. Our
fire seasons are only getting longer, neighborhoods continue
to expand well into wild landscapes. We cannot control when a
fire will choose to wreak havoc on a community, but we will
show up. We want to show up.

Colleagues, tomorrow, as some of the members of the Budget Committee
have recognized, we have an opportunity to show these brave Federal
workers that we hear them and that we are fighting for them and that we
will continue to fight for them.
The Senate Budget Committee will meet to vote on the nomination of
Russell Vought to lead the Office of Management and Budget.
By the way, this is the very office that is the source of much of the
chaos over the past 48 hours. During his previous tenure with OMB,
Vought tried on numerous occasions to withhold and slow the
distribution of congressionally appropriated disaster relief and
foreign aid based on political motives. During his confirmation hearing
last week in the Budget Committee, he continued to hedge on answers
that he would not politicize government assistance. He refused at every
opportunity to fully commit to following the law when it comes to the
distribution of Federal funding.
To any of my colleagues on both sides of the aisle who have worked
hard to secure funding for their constituents back home and who don't
want to see the money that families in their States are counting on
recklessly withheld, we must vote no on this nominee.
Here is where we stand at the moment: President Trump may have

[[Page S478]]

backed down for now thanks in part to so many of my Democratic
colleagues who have spoken out against these outrageous abuses of power
that will hurt our constituents, but the chaos over the last 48 hours
is only a sign of things to come throughout this administration that
has just begun.
I would like to speak to my colleagues on the other side of the aisle
for just a moment.
Yes, you all won the majority in this November's election. I respect
that. I am not an election denier. But for those of you who just won
your campaign, who were just elected, and who just joined the Senate--
actually, I think, to everybody, whether you were elected now, 2 years
ago, or 4 years ago, I will ask you this: When you ran for the Senate,
for the privilege to serve in this body, did you run on a platform of
cutting veterans' housing assistance? Did you reach out to voters who
are now your constituents and say ``Vote for me, and I will cut school
lunch programs''? Did you suggest during the courses of your campaigns
that, if elected, you would cut disaster relief?
As a colleague, I ask you this: Are you more loyal to your oath of
office, to your constituents, and the Constitution or are you more
loyal to a wannabe dictator--Trump? Are you just going to stand down
silently while he tramples all over your independent constitutional
authority and then race to either Mar-a-Lago or to the White House for
a picture and for him to thank you? Your silence over the last 48 hours
is deafening.
I yield the floor.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Nebraska.

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