[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 109 (Wednesday, June 25, 2025)]
[Senate]
[Page S3524]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                                  Iran

  Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, the Trump administration has failed 
miserably--miserably--in its responsibility to inform Congress about 
what is happening right now in the Middle East. Before the strikes, 
leaders in Congress got virtually no heads up. Then the administration 
delayed the briefing scheduled yesterday. It was scheduled a week ago. 
Now they are trying to get away with sending only the Secretary of 
State and Defense for tomorrow, instead of the usual intelligence 
officials that attend the briefings.
  Let's be very clear: A briefing from only the Secretaries of State 
and Defense would be woefully insufficient. If they are the only ones 
in attendance, they will only parrot whatever the President wants them 
to say.
  Sending intelligence officers to briefings in Congress is a 
longstanding bipartisan practice, and Congress is entitled, as the 
representatives of the American people, to hear from the administration 
about matters of national intelligence and national security.
  Refusing Congress like this would be egregious, troubling, and a 
violation. It would make Americans wonder: Why would Donald Trump 
prefer to send two talking heads to meet with Congress instead of 
intelligence analysts and policymakers.
  Intelligence officials have an obligation to seek the truth, to speak 
the truth. Perhaps that is why Donald Trump does not want to send the 
intelligence officials to talk to us. Maybe Donald Trump doesn't want 
Congress or even America to know the truth about what is going on.
  We know there have been a lot of confusing reports--some from 
intelligence sources--over the last days, suggesting the strikes in 
Iran were not as successful as the President initially claimed. There 
may be questions about the accuracy of these reports. I have no idea if 
these reports are accurate.
  And, today, the President said, earlier this morning, that ``the 
intelligence was very inconclusive. The intelligence says we don't 
know.''
  All of this only underscores the need to hear from intelligence 
analysts and to hear from them directly.
  What is the administration hiding? Were the strikes successful? How 
much enriched uranium does Iran still have? How many months will it 
take them to make a nuclear device? Are they locating centrifuges in a 
new place, and what is our knowledge of that? Are our troops safe? Are 
Americans in the region safe? Is the conflict contained? What happens 
next? And how will the administration achieve the critical national 
priority of preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon?
  Both parties, by and large, agree that Iran cannot have a nuclear 
weapon. I do. But if the President is misrepresenting the impact of our 
military strikes and these reports have some accuracy--we don't know if 
they do--and if the President is turning away from diplomacy with Iran, 
as his recent post suggested, then what the hell is going on? What is 
Donald Trump's plan?
  We really don't know the answers to any of these critical questions. 
The administration refuses to be transparent. All we get are talking 
points and tweets. We know that Donald Trump makes things up, day to 
day, and then has to retract and turn around.
  And tomorrow, all we are going to get are talking points from Rubio 
and Hegseth, because that is what we know they are trained to do.
  On top of that, today, it was reported the administration may 
actually start limiting intelligence sharing with Congress. The 
administration should immediately undo this decision, if it is true.
  Are they afraid of the truth? Do they want to hide the truth?
  The intelligence Agencies are known to tell the truth. Is that why 
they are so afraid to get their information out--the information of the 
intelligence Agencies out?
  As I said yesterday, the administration's stonewalling of Congress is 
outrageous, evasive, and derelict. The administration has no right to 
stonewall Congress on matters of national security. Senators deserve 
information, and the administration has a legal obligation to inform 
Congress precisely about what is happening right now abroad.
  I yield the floor.
  I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The bill clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. BARRASSO. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order 
for the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.