[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 206 (Thursday, December 14, 2023)]
[Senate]
[Page S5970]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                       Business Before the Senate

  Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, today, negotiators from the White House, 
Senate Democrats, and Senate Republicans will continue negotiations on 
a national security supplemental package. Yesterday, we had another 
round of productive conversations, and there was more progress. But of 
course, there is more work to do, and we are going to keep at it and 
keep at it.
  Last night, I filed cloture on a couple of nominations to the Federal 
bench and the Department of Justice, with possible votes on these 
nominees as soon as tomorrow.
  To my Republican colleagues who have said action on the border is 
urgent: Let's keep working to find a solution instead of rushing for 
the exits. If Republicans are serious about getting something done, 
they should not be so eager to go home. This may be our last best 
chance to get this legislation done.
  After weeks of deadlock, we have seen significant progress over the 
past few days, and we should take advantage of the opportunity because 
we may not get one for quite a while. It is not easy to reach an 
agreement on something this complicated. But so much hangs on our 
success, so we need to try with everything we have.
  The world is watching what Congress does right now. Our friends are 
watching. Our adversaries are watching even more closely. And most of 
all, Vladimir Putin is watching closely. He is eager to see us abandon 
Ukraine and thinks he is getting that done, working, in part, through 
Donald Trump.
  Here is what Putin said a few hours ago about American aid to the 
Ukraine:

       [T]he free stuff is going to run out someday, and it seems 
     it already is.

  That, Mr. President, is Vladimir Putin taunting the Senate, taunting 
America. While Congress is mired in gridlock, Putin is on the other 
side of the world mocking our resolve.
  In generations past, this would have been a no-brainer. Democrats and 
Republicans would have bent Heaven and Earth to stand up to Russian 
dictators. We spent half a century, spent billions and billions and 
billions of dollars, lost lives to safeguard the free world against the 
malicious spread of communism, against tyranny, and against those who 
undermine our values. Now we find ourselves at another moment in 
history when democracy is under siege.
  We heard directly from President Zelenskyy 2 days ago about what is 
at stake if we fail. So fail we must not. There is too much on the line 
for Ukraine, for America, for Western democracy to throw in the towel 
right now. We must keep talking. We must keep working.
  Our Republican friends must be reasonable. They must show they are 
serious about getting something done, and we have had serious 
discussions in the last few days. Democrats are willing to keep trying. 
I urge my Republican colleagues to do just the same.