[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 101 (Thursday, June 12, 2025)]
[Senate]
[Page S3371]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              ALEX PADILLA

  Mr. KIM. Mr. President, I have no words to describe just the 
absurdity of this moment and the dangers to our country and our Union. 
For us to be able to stand here on the floor of the Senate in this 
Chamber that many such important decisions have been made in, a place 
of deliberation--it is not only in this room that we as Senators should 
be able to voice the concerns that we have about the direction of our 
country and the problems that our Nation faces, that we get to be sworn 
in as U.S. Senators, that we try to do our best, that we are U.S. 
Senators--United States Senators--that we represent this entire Nation 
as a body.
  And the idea that just--as I just saw the video--one of my colleagues 
here is thrown to the floor, handcuffed, humiliated--it is not a 
humiliation of that individual Senator; it is a humiliation of this 
body.
  The shamefulness by which that was perpetrated, that the Secretary of 
the Department of Homeland Security--shame upon those that instigated 
this, that followed through on this.
  It is something that all of us collectively need to stand against. 
This isn't about partisanship. It is about what does this institution, 
what does this body mean and whether or not our words and our actions, 
as dictated by our oath that we swear to the Constitution of article I, 
as well, that lays out what our job is, that that is very much under 
threat right now.
  I feel for my colleague. I don't know what is happening right now. I 
hope that we are able to get greater clarity about that, but what we 
see and what we saw on that video transpire, I hope that is something 
that every American in this country sees, that they see the actions 
that have taken place.
  As someone who has worked in other nations--I worked in diplomacy and 
national security; I worked in nations with authoritarian leadership--I 
never thought I would see anything like this here at home--transpire 
here in the way that we saw it unfold.
  Again, the humiliation befalls our body as a whole. Now the question 
is, What will the Senate do to stand up for ourselves? That is 
something that I hope every single Senator is thinking about right now.
  This is not a time to put your finger up in the air and figure out 
which way the wind is blowing, to try to think through what type of 
reaction might come from the White House if we speak out against this.
  This is a time for us to stand up together and stand up for each 
other and for this institution. And not just right now. It is about: 
What credibility do we have as a body going forward?
  And I know, I get it. I am new here. I am one of the newer members 
here. I came here--I wanted to serve in this body because of what it 
stood for. I wanted to serve in this institution because I believe that 
this is an institution of incredible honor, integrity.
  And even at this challenging moment in this country's history, we 
need this body to be able to come together.
  So I call on all of my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to 
condemn this action, to stand united with one voice, standing up for 
ourselves. Otherwise, we will just cast ourselves to the margins of 
irrelevance in this Nation right now.
  What point is it for us to stand up and show up to work every day if 
this is the kind of treatment that can befall any of us in this day, 
right now, in this country? I am outraged, and I hope others are too.
  This is not a time to be silent. This is a time for us to be united 
and show the rest of the country what this institution means. 
Otherwise, we might as well go home. I, for one, want to fight for my 
colleague, fight for each other, fight for the Senate, and fight for 
our democracy.
  I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Arizona.

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