Schumer Floor Remarks on the Republican Healthcare Bill, President Trump’s Continued Public Criticism of AG Sessions and the Russia Sanctions Bill

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer today delivered remarks on the Senate floor regarding the Senate GOP version of TrumpCare, President Trump’s continued public criticism of Attorney General Jeff Sessions as well as the Russia, Iran and North Korea sanctions legislation. Below are his remarks:

Now as the Senate continues debate on the Republican healthcare bill, it seems the Republican majority is no clearer on what the end game is – because there is no good way out of this.

Last night, the Senate Republican TrumpCare bill, after months of backroom negotiating and provisions aimed at all kinds of individual states and members, died, with 9 Republicans voting against the measure and many others who voted for it, gritting their teeth unhappily.

Later today, we’ll vote on a bill to repeal the Affordable Care Act without replacing it. I know that you Mr. President have championed that bill. Based on the public comments and public criticism from the other side of the aisle, repeal without replace will fail as well.

It’s becoming clearer that, in the end, the Majority Leader might push a much-scaled back version of repeal in the hopes of passing something – so-called “skinny repeal” – just to get to conference.

But my colleagues, make no mistake about it: “skinny repeal” is equal to full repeal. It’s a Trojan Horse designed to get the House and Senate into conference, where the hard-right flank of the House Republicans – the Freedom Caucus -- will demand full repeal or something very close to it.

They’ll demand all the things – deep cuts to Medicaid, generous tax breaks for the wealthy, elimination of pre-existing conditions, slashing the kinds of things that people need for nursing homes, opioid treatment, and disabled kids – that many of my Republicans colleagues here in the Senate have very sincerely tried to undo.

So, there is no such thing as “skinny” repeal; it’s a ruse to get to full repeal, with all the concomitant cuts to Medicaid and tax breaks, which are so unpopular and which so many of my Republican colleagues here on the other side have opposed.

It is clear that House and Senate Republicans are miles apart. They are divided on major issues – on Medicaid, tax breaks, pre-existing conditions. The differences between House Republicans and Senate Republicans are virtually irreconcilable. So what is the point of a conference?

You can imagine a conference that turns into an endless game of hot-potato. The Republican Leader in the Senate passing the potato to the House. The Republican Leader of the House passing the potato back to the Senate. Because neither wants to be responsible for what is inevitable – the demise of TrumpCare. 

And of course, it’s likely that a conference would probably produce no agreement at all, keeping the incredibly toxic and unpopular TrumpCare bill the topic of conversation for another three months, stalling the legislative agenda for another three months, and in the end, getting nothing done.

My Republican colleagues should consider that. Many of them want to work with us on so many issues. Above all NDAA, which my dear, dear friend John McCain, who we pray for every day, wants to get to right away. An energy bill, which my colleague from Washington and her chair, the senior member from Alaska could bring to the floor and get moving in a bipartisan way. And nominations. Leader McConnell has made it clear he wants to move nominations. If we stop playing this game with TrumpCare and sent it back to committee and did regular order – as John McCain preached so well yesterday--  we could move on to all these other things in a good, strong, bipartisan way and start to get things done.

My Republican colleagues should consider that carefully, carefully.

We Democrats want to start working with our Republican colleagues on the issues I mentioned. And we also want to work on improving ACA. No one has ever said Obamacare was perfect. And I have called five or six of my Republican colleagues on the other side and said, if we stop this effort with TrumpCare, we can go back to committee and improve the present healthcare system. Get premiums lower, get healthcare better. Stabilize the system so there is more competition. We’ll do that. And you know my good friend, the Senator from Wyoming, not the senator sitting here but his colleague, I heard he was saying to some members “oh the Democrats will never negotiate. Schumer will never negotiate”. So I saw him last night on the floor and I assured him we will. That’s our goal. And he accepted that in good faith, which I very much respect.

So the bottom line is simple. I would say to my Republican colleagues, when you find yourself in a hole, the first rule is stop digging. By continuing this process -- trying to send something, anything to conference with the House – Republicans are just digging a deeper and deeper hole for themselves and for this body. I’d implore my Republican colleagues to stop digging and come work with Democrats.

We can work to improve our nation’s healthcare system – but Republicans have to turn back soon. And they are running out of chances.

And one more thing I’d add. I heard my friend the Republican Leader say, well we’re going to have a full amendment process. He’s trying to convince the folks on the other side that oh we’ll do a bunch of amendments and then we have no choice. We’ll have to send something to conference because we couldn’t get anything major done. That is a lot of bunk. We have had no hearings. We have had no amendments. We have had no bipartisan discussions, and we won’t even be able to have debate on many amendments on one of the most major bills affecting us, that affects tens of millions of people’s health and effects one-sixth of the economy. So don’t fall for this, ‘oh we’re having a full process’.

I like my friend the Republican Leader. We get along well, but sometimes he says things, when I hear them I get a little twit in the stomach. “We’ve had a full and open amendment process.” He said it three or four times. Everyone in this chamber knows that’s not the case. Everyone in this chamber knows that’s not the case. And don’t be deluded into thinking well we tried. We haven’t tried until we go back to regular order.

Now on another matter, Mr. President.

President Trump continues to find new ways to humiliate his own Attorney General, Jeff Sessions, a man who stuck his neck out for the President before any other Senator would.

Now I heard President Trump say, oh I was already popular. As I remember it, when Jeff Sessions supported him he was an underdog. And everyone said wow Jeff Sessions is doing that out of loyalty and friendship with Donald Trump. Not because he was jumping on a train that was headed down the track. Maybe he saw that, but no one else did. And now the President humiliates him. I would say to my fellow Americans, Democrat, Republican, liberal conservative, every American should be troubled by the character of a person who humiliates and turns his back on a close friend after only six months.

We are already far beyond the dangers of a “chilling” effect at the Dept. of Justice. The President is taking almost every opportunity in public to demonstrate an open hostility for the Attorney General.

It seems clear the President’s intention is to make life unbearable for the Attorney General, hoping to prompt his resignation.

All Americans should be wondering: why is the President publicly, publicly demeaning and humiliating such a close friend and supporter, a member of his own cabinet? They should wonder if the President is trying to pry open the office of Attorney General to appoint someone during the August recess who will fire Special Counsel Mueller and shut down the Russia investigation.

Let me say, if such a situation arises, Democrats would use every tool in our toolbox to stymie such a recess appointment.

And second, I can’t imagine my friends on the Republican side and particularly my friends in Republican Leadership – the Majority Leader and Speaker Ryan – I can’t imagine that they would be complicit in creating a constitutional crisis. They must work with us and not open the door to a constitutional crisis during the August recess.

And one final point. I know my colleagues are waiting. Sanctions. Finally, a word on them. Yesterday the House of Representatives passed, nearly unanimously (419-3), a sanctions bill that was a product of bicameral, bipartisan negotiations and includes strong sanctions against Russia, Iran, North Korea.

The Senate must act quickly on the legislation from the House.

Earlier today, I understand the Chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee indicated he plans to strip out a section of this package that relates to North Korea.  This is yet another delay generated by Republicans to prevent this bill from landing on the President’s desk before we leave for the recess.   

Even as we debate other items here on the floor, we should not delay this legislation any longer. I will work with the Majority Leader to schedule another vote on the sanctions bill so that we can send the legislation to the President’s desk before the recess.

And I expect the vote will constitute a veto-proof majority, just like the vote in the House.

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