[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 181 (Thursday, October 30, 2025)]
[Senate]
[Pages S7855-S7856]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
ORDERS FOR MONDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2025
Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that when the
Senate completes its business today, it stand adjourned until 3 p.m. on
Monday, November 3, 2025; that following the prayer and pledge, the
Journal of proceedings be approved to date, the morning hour be deemed
expired, the time for the two leaders be reserved for their use later
in the day, and the Senate be in a period of morning business, with
Senators permitted to speak therein for up to 10 minutes each; finally,
that the cloture motion with respect to the Tung nomination ripen at
5:30 p.m.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there an objection?
Ms. ROSEN. Reserving the right to object.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Nevada.
Ms. ROSEN. Reserving the right to object.
This is truly outrageous. After doing absolutely nothing all year to
prevent a massive spike in healthcare costs, Senate Republicans now
want to go home for yet another weekend and do nothing, just like the
House Republicans have been doing for the past month while families
find out how much their healthcare costs are going up for the next
year.
Senate Republicans are just acting as if it is business as usual.
Well, I am here to tell you why it is not business as usual.
This Saturday, the day after tomorrow, is November 1, the beginning
of open enrollment for families who buy their healthcare through the
Affordable Care Act Marketplace.
Many hard-working families rely on the ACA's enhanced premium tax
credits just to be able to afford their healthcare policy. But,
unfortunately, they will expire this year and must be extended to keep
healthcare costs from rising for everyone.
It is not a handout. It is not welfare. It is a tax cut that helps
lower the costs of healthcare for families in all of our States--all of
our States. And without these, healthcare costs are going to go up for
everyone, and many will be priced out of care.
I implore my colleagues on the other side of the aisle to see reason,
to understand that this is not a partisan issue. Americans--well, all
of us--are one medical diagnosis away from catastrophe. Strokes,
cancer, heart attacks don't care if you are a Democrat or a Republican.
It is why we need to make sure all of our constituents are able to
afford a healthcare policy. It is not unreasonable.
But if an appeal to humanity doesn't work, maybe an appeal to your
political instincts will. Six of the ten States that have the most
amount of people receiving the enhanced premium tax credits are States
with two Republican Senators, including Florida, which is at the top of
the list; Texas; North
[[Page S7856]]
Carolina; Tennessee; South Carolina; and Ohio. So this isn't just good
policy; it is critical for your own constituents.
Isn't that why we were all elected? Not to go have gold-plated
dinners at the White House to celebrate not taking action on American's
healthcare, protecting American's healthcare. We were elected to help
families, to stand up for them, and make sure that they could thrive
and reach the American dream, and it is about damn time we remembered
all of that.
So, no, we should not act like this is business as usual. We should
work to find a path forward that protects healthcare access. And if
that means we need to be here all weekend, so be it. And if you
disagree, I want you to be on the record saying you want to go home for
the weekend right as families are confronted with higher healthcare
costs.
Everybody here knows me. I am usually pretty mild-mannered. I am
willing to work with anyone, and I remain willing to work with my
colleagues on both sides of the aisle to prevent healthcare costs from
going up in the future.
But I am fed up. The dysfunction in this place is going to have real
consequences when people lose their healthcare coverage. And I am done.
I am just done. We need to figure this out, work in a bipartisan way--
not next week but right now.
Therefore, while I do not object to the Senator's motion on
housekeeping matters for the Senate, I will not provide my consent to
adjourning the Senate today without a vote so that Members of this
Chamber can make clear whether or not they are willing to give up one
weekend to roll up their sleeves and work together to prevent a massive
spike in healthcare costs.
Thank you.
____________________