RECOGNITION OF THE MAJORITY LEADER

On 2026-06-04, Senator Angus S. King Jr. (I-ME) delivered a floor speech titled "RECOGNITION OF THE MAJORITY LEADER" in the Senate.

RECOGNITION OF THE MAJORITY LEADER

Congressional Record, Volume 172 Issue 95 (Thursday, June 4, 2026) [Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 95 (Thursday, June 4, 2026)] [Senate] [Pages S2545-S2571] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] RECOGNITION OF THE MAJORITY LEADER The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The majority leader is recognized. S. 2 Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, I expect there will be a lot of amendments today on a lot of topics. So I want to take just a minute to focus in on the essence of the bill that we are on that we will be considering and voting on today. It is a simple bill. It will do nothing more than fund Border Patrol and Immigration and Customs Enforcement for the next 3 years. And why are we doing this bill? Why are we doing appropriations for these Department of Homeland Security Agencies separately and for 3 years instead of the usual 1? Because Democrats have refused to fund border security or immigration law enforcement. [[Page S2546]] That is it. We are here today only--only--because Democrats refuse to appropriate a single dollar for our border and immigration law enforcement. They originally agreed to fund them, of course. Back in January, Democrats in both Houses, House and Senate, signed off on an appropriations bill that included multiple reforms. But shortly before passage, after the events in Minneapolis, Democrats reneged. They wanted more reforms, they claimed. And Republicans agreed to reopen negotiations. The White House implemented a number of reforms on its own. And then the White House repeatedly--repeatedly--offered Democrats a robust package of legislative reforms. The Democrats would not agree to anything. And eventually they walked away altogether, presumably, because they thought that it would serve them better to have an issue for November, although I would say it remains to be seen how well ``defund law enforcement'' and ``eliminate border security officers'' play for Democrats this fall because, let's be very clear, that is what Democrats have opted for: no--zero--no officers at our Nation's borders and no officers to remove dangerous criminal illegal immigrants from our country. If it weren't for Republicans, our Nation's borders might currently be thrown wide open to drug traffickers, cartel members, terrorists, criminals, human smugglers, and other dangerous individuals. And dangerous criminal illegal aliens could be living freely in our country. That is what no funding for border security and immigration enforcement means, and I can't emphasize that enough. If Democrats had their way, our Nation's borders would be completely--completely--unprotected and criminal illegal immigrants would be allowed to remain in our country and endanger Americans. Democrats' position is not just breathtakingly irresponsible, it is a betrayal of their obligations as members of our government. This is a national security issue, and Democrats have completely abdicated their national security responsibility. As I said, I expect there will be a lot of amendments today. Many will be intended to distract from Democrats' ``defund law enforcement'' position. Some may even echo the reforms the White House offered to Democrats-- that Democrats rejected, but which they will now attempt to use to score political points. When all of the political statements have been made, we will pass the underlying bill and be one step closer to funding border security and immigration law enforcement for the next 3 years. For the next 3 years--this is what Democrats have forced us to do. I am grateful for the law enforcement officers who have helped secure our Nation's border over the past 16 months and take criminal illegal immigrants off of our streets. And I am grateful to Secretary Mullin and border czar Tom Homan for their leadership and their work to refocus things at DHS and ensure that both Border Patrol and Immigration and Customs Enforcement are fully focused on their core mission of protecting our country. And Republicans are going to continue to ensure that these Agencies have the funding that they need to fulfill their national security responsibilities. I yield the floor. I suggest the absence of a quorum. The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The clerk will call the roll. The legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll. Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded. The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Without objection, it is so ordered. Recognition of the Minority Leader The Democratic leader is recognized. S. 2 Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, anyone--anyone--who still believes that Trump has any intention of stopping his effort to steal Americans' tax dollars to enrich himself, his family, and MAGA loyalists ought to listen to Trump's comments yesterday. Yesterday, Trump not only refused to commit ending his $2 billion taxpayer-funded MAGA slush fund permanently, he also said of the slush fund: I love it. I think it's so important. It's a beautiful thing. I repeat, here is what Trump said about this damn slush fund. He said: I love it. I think it's so important. It was a beautiful thing. Do you hear that, America? Do you hear that, Republican Senators? Do you hear it? Trump loves giving Americans' taxpayer dollars to his billionaire friends. Trump thinks forcing Americans to fork over their paychecks to line the pockets of his corrupt friends is ``so important.'' Trump says ripping Americans off to give kickbacks to convicted criminals who beat police officers to death on January 6 is a beautiful thing--that is what he said. Trump's slush fund is anything but beautiful. It is heinous, and it won't die until we permanently ban it by law--not by language, not by verbal promises which can just evaporate, but by law. And we have the chance to do that this morning on the amendment I will offer. The very first amendment I will offer in vote-arama today will be to outlaw the slush fund forever, so when Trump wakes up a week from now or a month from now and says: Why don't we try that slush fund again?-- he won't be able to. He won't be able to. With the whole country watching, Republicans will have to choose: either support the slush fund or ban it. They can come up with 10 excuses. It is a yes or no: support the slush fund or ban it. Americans want a big loud voice and vote to ban it permanently--to ban it forever. We are also going to force Republicans to vote on whether to let Trump keep the immunity he granted himself from audits so he can get out of paying his own taxes. This is what he put in the bill. This is what our Republican friends are putting in the bill. Donald Trump has a get-out-of-jail-free card. No audit ever of him and how he is evading taxes. And he has already tried do that a whole bunch of times. There have been court cases about it. Let him do it? Let this level of corruption rise so it is going to drown all of us? Throw away those good old American values that have served this country well for 250 years because Donald Trump wants to take this money in a corrupt fund and scare you into voting yes? Come on. You Republicans are better than that, I hope. Donald Trump is less trustworthy than a snake oil salesman, than a back-alley bookie, than the Nigerian prince in your email spam folder. Are Republicans blind? Are they so far removed from the American people? Do they not even know what corruption is anymore? That is what I think is happening over on that side of the aisle. Donald Trump has immersed so much of America in so much corruption you don't even get it. But that is what America--you are taking the great values of America on our 250th year and flushing them down the toilet because you are afraid of Donald Trump. And, listen, another point: Are Republicans really going to take Todd Blanche--a known liar--at his word? Do we believe that Donald Trump, who has lied to us day in and day out--do we believe that he will able to resist getting his sticky fingers in the slush fund when it would benefit himself and his family? No way. No way. Vote-arama Mr. President, on vote-arama, which is part of this bill, rather than let Republicans try to force through their radical reconciliation bill under the current cover of night, Democrats have made sure today's vote-arama happens in broad daylight because Americans deserve to see what Republicans are prioritizing instead of lowering their costs. Democrats will force Republicans to vote on Trump's MAGA slush fund, his lifetime tax exemption, his billion-dollar, taxpayer-funded ballroom--but that is not all. Amendment after amendment, vote after vote, Republicans are going to have to answer to the American people on tariffs, on skyrocketing costs, on the disastrous war with Iran, on the violence Trump's masked agents have unleashed on our streets. All of that they are going to have to vote on. Will Republicans vote for more affordable housing? Will Republicans require Trump's masked agents to wear [[Page S2547]] body cameras? Will Republicans join Democrats to lower gas prices? Democrats will ensure that every failed Republican policy--every failed Trump policy--that has driven up costs, unleashed chaos, and aided Trump's corruption will face a vote on the Senate floor today. And Democrats are going to show just how terrible this bill is from start to finish. Apparently, Republicans think we cannot afford a single penny to help Americans cover the skyrocketing costs of gasoline, of healthcare, of housing, of food, of energy--you name it--but somehow we can afford to give another $70 billion to Trump's rogue Agencies even though ICE and Border Patrol already have $100 billion cash on hand. Do you hear that, driver? When you pull up to the gas pump, and it is $4.50, or even higher in many places, ask yourself: Why don't Republicans vote to lower those prices instead of giving ICE and Border Patrol, already discredited, more money when they have $100 billion sitting th

Referenced legislation: S2, S2, HCONRES14