[Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 122 (Monday, July 27, 2026)]
[Senate]
[Pages S4276-S4278]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
LEGISLATIVE SESSION
Mr. THUNE. I ask unanimous consent that the Senate resume legislative
session.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection.
Nomination of Walter Clayton
Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, this afternoon, we are going to move on the
nomination of Jay Clayton to be Director of National Intelligence.
Amid a heightened threat environment, having a proven leader in this
role is especially important, and Jay Clayton fits this mold.
During the first Trump administration, Jay Clayton served as Chairman
of the Securities and Exchange Commission for almost 4 years, and under
his leadership, the SEC went after financial crimes and fraud and aimed
to protect Main Street investors.
He also worked with the intelligence community on national security
issues that intersected with our financial system. That included
efforts to address Chinese influence and exploitation of our markets.
And, of course, he worked to maintain economic stability after the
onset of the pandemic, as well.
So, Mr. President, with that record, it is no wonder that President
Trump wanted Jay Clayton to serve in his second administration, this
time as U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, an
important law enforcement post.
And for the past year and a half in that role, Mr. Clayton has been
busy. He has supervised the prosecution of terrorists and the drafting
of the indictment against Nicolas Maduro on drug trafficking and
terrorism charges. Now President Trump has nominated him for a Cabinet
post to lead our Nation's intelligence community.
Jay Clayton's record inspires confidence in the type of DNI he will
be, and Democrats have previously recognized his abilities. He has
earned bipartisan support in the past. The Democrat vice chair of the
Intelligence Committee even said after Mr. Clayton was nominated for
this position ``I have known and respected Jay Clayton for many years
and believe he is a capable public servant''--that, again, from the
Democrat vice chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee.
So one might think that we would be seeing some bipartisanship from
Democrats on this nominee, but Democrats are playing the same partisan
games with this qualified nominee as they have with so many of
President Trump's picks. And it is a funny thing because Democrats have
made no secret of their disdain for the current Acting Director of
National Intelligence. In fact, Democrats were so worked up over the
President's temporary choice for this position that they allowed our
Nation's most important counterterrorism tool to go dark for the first
time ever. That is right.
Now Democrats have the opportunity to replace that acting official,
but they are in no apparent rush to confirm a permanent Director of
National Intelligence. They have opposed his nomination in committee.
They have delayed things here on the floor, and I don't expect we will
see a lot of Democrat support for him in the final rollcall. It doesn't
matter how qualified the nominee or even that Democrats supposedly want
to see the current Acting Director replaced. For our colleagues across
the aisle, everything--everything--takes a back seat to the political
games.
Well, I have run out of words. It is shameful.
We are going to move forward with the Clayton nomination this week.
We will have a permanent Director of National Intelligence in place
shortly, and I hope this will encourage my colleagues to stop blocking
the reauthorization of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act.
I yield the floor.
I suggest the absence of a quorum.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
The senior assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for
the quorum call be rescinded.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
Political Prisoners
Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, you often wonder if the speeches you give
on the floor of the Senate are heard by anyone. Most of us have spent
some time working with staff to prepare remarks to state a position or
to make a plea, and you wonder if anyone is listening. Well, every once
in a while, something happens which renews your faith that perhaps
there are people listening who can make a difference.
Late last week, I had an amazing visit in my office upstairs, here in
the Capitol, from China--Pastor Ezra Jin Mingri. He had been jailed for
266 days in a Chinese prison. His crime? He had been operating a
church, a Christian church. At least eight of his congregants remain in
prison. Pastor Jin's daughter Grace and his 7-week-old grandson--also
named Ezra--joined our meeting upstairs as well. Grace worked
tirelessly to draw attention to her father's case, and it was a joy to
see them reunited. In our meeting, Pastor Jin told me that his prison
conditions were very stark. While in jail, in China, he was cut off
from communications with his family. His lawyers were harassed and
threatened as well.
President Trump raised the case with Chinese President Xi, and here
in the Senate, Senator Cruz and I, on a bipartisan basis, passed a
resolution calling for his release and the release of several other
political prisoners in China.
I welcome the Chinese Government's release of Pastor Jin, and I call
on them to release the remaining eight members of his church as well as
the following who are mentioned in my Senate resolution: Dr. Gulshan
Abbas, Jimmy Lai, Gao Quanfu, and his wife Pang Yu, and Epkar Asat. All
of these people are noted on this poster that I presented on the floor
several weeks ago. Here is Pastor Jin with a smile on his face--the
same thing in my office
[[Page S4277]]
upstairs with his beautiful daughter and grandson.
I wish the Chinese Government would release the remaining individuals
here whom I have spotlighted in this presentation: Dr. Abbas, Jimmy
Lai, Gao Quanfu and Pang Yu, and Epkar Asat. This would be a welcomed
move before President Xi's visit in September as there is simply no
reason to fear these people who have done nothing but otherwise
exercise the peaceful freedom of religion and expression.
Appropriations
Now, Mr. President, on a separate topic, last week the Senate
Appropriations Committee held a hearing on President Trump's
supplemental request to pay for the war in Iran.
At the hearing, I asked Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to give us the
latest accounting of the financial cost of this war. The Secretary
estimated that it had cost $37.5 billion. I might remind those who are
following this statement that we are in the fifth month of the first
year of this war in Iran. The cost so far, at least, is $37.5 billion.
I don't know how the Secretary arrived at that figure, especially
considering the fact that it does not include the cost of repairing
heavily damaged United States bases in the Middle East which have been
attacked by Iran--all of this to say nothing of the cost to our
servicemembers who shoulder the burden of lengthy deployment and, most
importantly, to say nothing of the cost of the 18 brave--brave--
Americans who have been tragically killed in Iran. We owe them and
their families a debt of gratitude that can never be repaid.
So now the White House is coming to Congress with an $88 billion--
that is right--$88 billion request for more money for the war in Iran
and a few other items. To those of you watching at home who don't
follow the ins and outs of Congress, this is a funding request outside
the normal annual government funding process. This is usually reserved
for serious emergencies and unexpected costs. This is despite the fact
that the administration already has more than $75 million in unspent
money for the Pentagon--$75 million unspent--and they are coming and
asking us for another $88 billion. They are leaving a lot of change on
the dresser.
Moreover, if funding is needed for the war in Iran, the
administration, at a minimum, owes Congress and the American people a
plan to end this self-inflicted mess. Make no mistake, Iran is a
troubling actor that has, for decades, threatened American and allied
interests. It terribly represses its own people and has not given up on
its pursuit of a nuclear weapon, but President Trump's war with Iran
has not resolved either of these issues. All it has done is to have
drawn us into a messy foreign entanglement with no clear endgame, and
now a growing number of American troops have been killed and wounded.
Allies in the region are facing repeated missile attacks, and the
global economy has been held hostage by Iran's totally predictable
stranglehold of the Strait of Hormuz.
So, before this Congress provides billions of dollars more, there are
some questions that need to be answered.
I might add, I want to return--we have lost 18 brave servicemen. They
can, obviously, never be replaced, and we owe them a debt of gratitude
for their service to our Nation, but the administration is virtually
silent with the number of troops--our troops--who have been wounded in
this war with Iran--some of them seriously wounded. The numbers are
over 400--400 casualties--along with the 18 who have given their lives.
This is a costly venture of a war that the President initiated
without going to the American people or to Congress, as required by the
Constitution, or to our allies or to the public at large.
The President did this on his own, believing it would be quick and
over. We are learning again what we have learned so many times in the
recent past: It is far easier to start a war than it is to end one, and
we are seeing that to this day.
Ukraine
Mr. President, on another unrelated topic--well, it is related, but
it is different. The war in Ukraine has turned a good corner for us,
with the real possibility for the first time in over 4 years that
Russia will be finally forced to negotiate.
I was at the NATO summit in Ankara, Turkiye, earlier this month with
several colleagues, including Senators Shaheen and Coons, the late
Lindsey Graham, and Senator Rounds, and the message was clear: Momentum
is with Ukraine, and this is the time for American and European support
to step up.
But amid this shift, Ukraine desperately needs more air defenses to
protect civilians from brutal Russian attacks. Unfortunately, too many
of these air defenses have been needed in the gulf for President
Trump's other war in Iran, and Ukraine still has not received $400
million we appropriated in last year's appropriations bill, signed into
law by the President. They are still waiting on it for air defense.
I asked Secretary Hegseth why the Pentagon is taking so long to send
this critical aid to Ukraine. He didn't have a good answer.
President Trump needs to send the $400 million in funds immediately.
They are desperately needed in Ukraine to stop the Russian advances.
Doing so will help bring President Putin to the negotiating table.
Secretary Hegseth also needs to move the $200 million we appropriated
and the President signed into law for the Baltic Security Initiative to
help frontline NATO allies prepare for Russian intimidation and
retaliation.
My last point is this: It is overdue for this Chamber to act on
Russia and Ukraine and the legislation which Lindsey Graham was
passionate about. The last time I met with him--just 3, 4 days before
he passed away--he brought this issue up, this idea of sanctions
against Russia. I think it is a valuable investment of our time, and I
am happy to cosponsor this measure.
Senator Graham understood the timeliness of this legislation to help
force Russians to negotiate. He worked hard to find agreement on this
bill--months and months of work with Senator Blumenthal and others,
Senator Shaheen included.
I know the majority leader cares about helping Ukraine, so I am glad
the bill is set to move this week. I look forward to its passage. It is
truly a tribute to the kind of work which Lindsey Graham made his
career in the U.S. Senate and makes a difference in the world.
I yield the floor.
The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mrs. Britt). The Senator from North Carolina.
Waiving Quorum Call
Mr. BUDD. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent to waive the
mandatory quorum call with respect to the Clayton nomination.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
Recognition of the Minority Leader
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Democratic leader is recognized.
Trump Administration
Mr. SCHUMER. Madam President, Trump going to Michigan today to tout
his economic record is like an arsonist returning to the scene of the
crime and asking for a pat on the back. Trump has said over and over
again that ``affordability'' is a made-up word. He has said Americans'
skyrocketing costs are nothing but a hoax.
Hey, Donald, ask any Michigander whether they think the higher costs
that are crushing them are a hoax.
Michiganders and Americans know that rising costs are all too real,
and they know who is to blame--Donald Trump and the GOP. Over and over
again, they have done things that have made it more expensive to live
in Michigan.
If Trump wants to tout his economic record in Michigan, so be it.
Trump can brag about how Michiganders are forking over $4.23 for a
gallon of gas on a car economy because of his failed war with Iran.
Trump can take credit for the massive tariff tax he is forcing
Michiganders to pay because of the whopping 50 percent tariff he just
slapped on Canada--the State's northern neighbor. The Michigan and
Canadian economies are intertwined. How stupid to impose a tariff when
the two economies depend on each other. Or maybe Trump wants to boast
to Michigan's factory workers about the 75,000 American manufacturing
jobs he has lost in his second term.
Everywhere you look, the Michigan economy is in shambles because of
Donald Trump and his actions.
So that is your record, Donald. Go ahead and own it.
[[Page S4278]]
Trump thinks he is in for a warm reception in Michigan; he is in for
a reckoning.
Corruption
Madam President, on corruption, the only people who think America is
getting more affordable are Donald Trump and his cronies as they cash
in on unprecedented corruption. We see a new con come out of the Trump
administration almost every day, but the scheme is always the same:
Americans pay; Trump profits.
Last week, I announced Senate Democrats' new effort to stop Trump
from turning his Presidency into his personal ATM. We released a report
detailing how the Trump family has defrauded the American people to the
tune of more than $4 billion in the past 18 months. We also saw
Republicans vote against my legislation to prevent Trump from wasting
further taxpayer dollars on upgrades for his $400 million luxury jet.
Our work to expose and stop Trump's grift continues this week. In the
coming days, I plan to announce new legislation to clean up the swamp
Trump promised to drain a decade ago. We are unmasking the people who
are swindling the American people, holding their feet to the fire, and
advancing reforms to stop further corruption in the future.
The Presidency isn't a product to sell, a commodity to trade, or a
grift to run--no matter how hard Donald Trump tries. Every American who
has been forced to pay more this last year and a half is paying for
Trump's profit margin. We are done picking up his tab.
SAVE America Act
Madam President, on the SAVE Act, it is a new week in Washington, but
one thing remains the same: The SAVE Act is dead on arrival in the
Senate. Trump keeps tiring himself out running the same play. Trump
knows he can't defend Republicans' abysmal record--his abysmal record--
so he whines to the GOP to pass the SAVE Act to disenfranchise voters
who want to hold him accountable in November.
Give it up, Donald. The SAVE Act ain't going to happen.
The courts have rejected the SAVE Act. Congress rejected the SAVE
Act. Even members of Trump's own party have rejected the SAVE Act.
Republican problems aren't going to go away until Trump realizes how
futile this brazen effort to rig our elections really is. Instead,
Trump has said publicly that ``Republicans have to pass SAVE . . .
otherwise we are going to have a shutdown in November.'' That is Trump.
He keeps threatening a shutdown.
Are Republicans listening? Your President is threatening to shut down
the government. It is not Democrats doing that.
Donald, I keep trying to remind you, the last time you bragged about
shutting down the government--back when Nancy Pelosi was in charge
then--didn't go so well for you, did it? And it definitely won't now.
Republicans either need to drop this frivolous and vicious effort to
pass the SAVE Act or watch Democrats stop it dead in its tracks.
I yield the floor.
I suggest the absence of a quorum.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
The senior assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
Mr. CASSIDY. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the order
for the quorum call be rescinded.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
____________________