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Floor Speech
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Mr. KENNEDY. Mr. President, I have a resolution that I have talked about before. I want to emphasize that it is not a bill.
Could I ask for order in the Chamber?
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Mr. KENNEDY. I want to emphasize that it is a resolution; it is not a bill. I also want to emphasize, at the outset, that it only applies to the Senate. It only applies to the U.S. Senate.
And here is what my resolution would do: It would change Senate rules to provide that, when we are in a shutdown, Senators cannot be paid, cannot receive their salaries. Their checks would be--think of it this way--locked in a vault. And once the shutdown is over, the Senators could pick them up.
Now, I think everybody in the Congress knows what I am about to say. It is maybe a bit cynical, but it is true. If I were King for a day--I am not, and I don't aspire to be--and I wanted to avoid shutdowns, I would do two things. I would provide that Members of Congress can't be paid during a shutdown, and I would provide that Members of Congress can't leave Washington, DC, during a shutdown.
Now, I can't pass the second part of that, so I am going to try to pass the first part of that.
This resolution--again, it is not a bill--is about shared sacrifice. And I am not doing it to punish anybody. I am not doing it to try to embarrass anybody. I recognize that there are varying degrees of wealth among U.S. Senators and their ability to go without a paycheck.
I know and like every Member of this body, and every Member of this body who has a substantial amount of wealth has achieved that wealth through their own hard work, and most, if not all, of them started with nothing. And do you know what I say? God bless them. More power to them. That is America.
So I want to put that up front because I am sure some are going to point out that some of our Members are wealthier than others, and it is true. I mean, not to single anybody out, but I have seen Senator Rick Scott's house. It is bigger than a Costco, OK? More power to him. He earned that. I have seen Senator Mark Warner's house. It is bigger than a Target. More power to him. He earned that money. He started from nothing. So did Rick.
But this bill isn't about that. It is about shared sacrifice and sending a message. We have about a squillion employees at the Department of Homeland Security that aren't being paid, and there is no prospect of them being paid.
Before I yield to my colleague Senator Moreno, I want to point this out. I said it yesterday, but I am going to say it again. The party line among us is that we are ``that close'' to reaching a deal to get government back open, to which I respond respectfully: Dream weaver. OK? I don't believe it. I hope I am wrong.
I know Mr. Homan is now involved. He is good, but he can't work miracles. I do not believe, because of the faction of my Democratic friends' party that is in control, that my Democratic colleagues can vote for anything--anything--that could be interpreted as helping ICE. I just think that is political and policy reality. This is America; they are entitled to their opinion.
What I think we should do, as I said yesterday--and Senator Cruz has talked about this eloquently. I want to give him full credit. The Democrats have offered to open every part of DHS except ICE. I would gratefully accept their offer. Let's get them open immediately, and then the very next day, we should start a budget resolution. Through reconciliation, we should pass a budget for the rest of ICE--the rest of DHS that is not open.
Now, I would welcome my Democratic friends' involvement with that, but I know they can't vote for it. But we could do this through reconciliation, as we passed the One Big Beautiful Bill. We have two more shots under the rules of reconciliation. It would easily be sustained in a Byrd bath. It would not take 60 votes; it would take 50 votes plus the Vice President. That is how we passed the One Big Beautiful Bill.
So before I call on Mr. Moreno and return to the subject, I really think we ought to surprise ourselves and do something intelligent if we really want to get this government back open. We could have it open within a week. The Democrats, I think, will find that acceptable, and I believe Republicans will find that acceptable if we would just do it.
I would like to yield a few minutes to my good friend Senator Moreno about my resolution.
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Mr. KENNEDY. Of course.
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Mr. KENNEDY. Sure.
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Mr. KENNEDY. Here, Mr. President and my good friend Senator Moreno, is the message that we send if we do not pass this resolution: If it weren't for double standards, we wouldn't have any standards at all. If it weren't for double standards, we wouldn't have any standards at all.
Now, the American people see what is going on. As I have said before, not every American reads Aristotle every day. They are too busy earning a living. They are too busy getting up, going to work, obeying the law, trying to do the right thing by their kids.
As usual, Senator Moreno makes very salient points. He is aware, as am I, that once again, this is a resolution that just affects the Senate. It doesn't affect the House.
Senator Moreno is well aware, as am I and every Member of this body, that this is a bipartisan resolution. To change the Senate rules, I had to go through the Rules Committee. My resolution--our resolution passed the Rules Committee unanimously. Every single Republican and every single Democrat voted for this resolution.
What I hear Senator Moreno saying in a very eloquent way: Yes, there are varying degrees of wealth in this Chamber, but we all make 170 grand a year, and that is a fortune for most Americans.
I am not saying that Senators don't earn that. This bill is not meant to punish anybody. I know some Senators who work so hard that that 170 grand a year is probably equivalent to about $11 an hour. I mean, they are working all the time. This isn't about that.
This is about shared values. This is about sending a message to our colleagues at TSA and elsewhere in DHS that we understand, that we are trying to get government back open. But in the meantime we are going to try in our small way to share your experience.
So I would ask my colleagues, please--I don't like to talk too much about doing the right thing because I think everybody in this body wants to do the right thing. We just disagree sometimes over what the right thing is. But honestly, I don't see how any one of my colleagues can disagree with either the spirit or the letter of this resolution.
296, S. Res. 526, which Senator Moreno and I have just talked about; further, that the resolution be agreed to and the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table.
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Mr. KENNEDY. Mr. President, with respect, I want to give my colleague Senator Schatz more time. He objected and left the Chamber. Is he coming back?
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Mr. KENNEDY. Just one second. Is he ill? What should I do, Mr. President? Should I give him more time?
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Mr. KENNEDY. Mr. President, can we get a ruling? I don't want to be unfair to anybody. My Democratic colleagues, I told them that--
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Mr. KENNEDY. So should we give Senator Schatz more time to come back? Should we give him more time to come back and explain?
I see the Parliamentarian giving some guidance.
Tony, trust me; I know what I am doing.
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Mr. KENNEDY. May I inquire why not?
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Mr. KENNEDY. Can you opine on why my colleague objected and then immediately left and whether he is coming back?
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Mr. KENNEDY. So I just want to be sure, Mr. President. I am not trying to put you on the spot, but I see our Parliamentarian is here, and they can give you able advice. Does that mean I can object to anything, at any time, without being recognized?
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Mr. KENNEDY. I don't even have to get the floor?
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Mr. KENNEDY. So I can walk in, in the middle of a debate, without the floor, right back here, in front of God and country, and say ``I object,'' and it shuts things down? I don't understand that.
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Mr. KENNEDY. Without having the floor?
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Mr. KENNEDY. And, again, with respect, Mr. President, is your ruling that Senator Schatz, who is my friend; I talked to him before I was coming down--that he did not have the floor but he can still object?
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Mr. KENNEDY. But did he have the floor?
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Mr. KENNEDY. Not to put too fine a point on it, but did he have the floor?
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Mr. KENNEDY. Senator Moreno, did you want to say something?
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Mr. KENNEDY. Mr. President, I think the Senator is right. You started out your comments by saying: Where are we? I think we are on Pluto.
I mean, I do not understand how the Chair has ruled that the Senator didn't have recognition but he could still object, and I don't understand how that is possible. I just don't understand how that is possible. In fact, our whole rule about the majority leader having control of the floor, whoever the majority leader is, is centered around the proposition that, at any time, the majority leader can assert his right--it is a custom, not a law--can assert his right to control this floor and that shuts down my recognition. But he has to get recognition.
He just can't come in here and say: Stop talking; I am the majority leader. And I don't understand how a Senator can object--I don't understand how a Senator can do anything in this body without achieving recognition. That is like--that is--I am no expert on the Senate rules like the President is and the Parliamentarian is, but you don't have to be an astrophysicist to understand that is one of our bedrock rules.
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Mr. KENNEDY. Yes, Senator.
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Mr. KENNEDY. Well, I will do that, but I don't want to be unfair to my Democratic colleagues. I don't believe in surprising people. Senator Schatz told me--we had a conversation last night--he said he was going to object. I respect that. And if he has left the building, I don't want to go behind his back.
So I don't want to do that unless you can communicate with him. Is he still here? Mr. President, do we know if Senator Schatz is still here? Because I would like to urge reconsideration, but I don't want to blindside him.
Who should I ask that to? Tuck? Tuck says: Don't bring me into this. Gary? I mean, I would like to urge a reconsideration, but I am not going to do it and blindside Brian.
Can I bring it back later? Could I get a ruling on that? Could I ask that we contact Senator Schatz and tell him I am thinking about reconsidering but I don't want to blindside him, Mr. President?
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Mr. KENNEDY. What if I made a motion? Could I move that we contact Senator Schatz and tell him I would like to move to reconsider but I don't want to blindside him?
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Mr. KENNEDY. I just made it up. You are telling me I can't do that under the rules? Why not? I don't get it. I mean, I could move to reconsider and blindside him, but I don't want to do that. Can I do that?
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Mr. KENNEDY. Sure, there is. I just made it. Are you saying that the motion is out of order? Look, this is a serious matter.
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Mr. KENNEDY. This is a serious matter. Now, we have established that this resolution doesn't affect the House. It just says to the Senators: While we are in a shutdown, no Senator is going to be paid. You don't lose your money. You pick it up after it is over, after the shutdown is lifted.
We have established the fact that this went through the Rules Committee unanimously. Did I mention it went through unanimously, that every single Democrat and every single Republican said: Yes, Kennedy; let's do this.
We have established that even though there are varying degrees of wealth among Members of the Senate--and I say that is great--every single Senator makes at least $170,000 here. They are not going to lose a penny--not one single, solitary penny. Once the shutdown is over, they get their money. We have established that. We have established that there are 260,000--not 2,600, not 26,000--260,000 of our colleagues working in the department of health and hospitals that are not being paid.
And a lot of these people do not have immense wealth, but they are not being paid because of our conduct. And I think we have established that this is a chance to show, in a little bitty way--a minor way, a baby step--that we are going to share their sacrifice.
And there has been an objection. I heard that ruling from the Chair. But for the life of me, I don't know how you can object without seeking recognition, without having recognition. I have never heard that one, OK. We are getting into the foothills of la-la land here as far as I am concerned.
Now, I just made a motion. I want to bring this bill to be reconsidered. And all I am asking--I don't want to blindside my friend Senator Schatz. I don't play that way. I want to give him full opportunity. All I am asking is that somebody call Senator Schatz and let him know that I am going to move to reconsider and I don't want to do it behind his back. That is all I am asking. So I make that motion. Is there an objection?
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Mr. KENNEDY. Well, there you go. My good friend--the Senator didn't have--she didn't have recognition either. How is that possible?
All right. I am coming back, Mr. President. And I am coming back and I am coming back and I am coming back. Did I mention I will be back? And if a Member of this body disagrees with what I am doing, then, by God, they ought to come down here and stand up in front of the U.S. Senate and stand up in front of the American people and stand up in front of God and stand up in front of country and stand up in front of all these people--these good people that aren't being paid--and say: Here is why.
Maybe we need to change the Senate rules, Mr. President. I appreciate your patience.
And I would like to ask, Mr. President--this probably is an improper motion, too--I have got to delve a little bit more on this improper motion stuff.
I want to see the rule that says I can't do what I just tried to do, and I want to see it bigger than Dallas. I don't want to see that it is implied or is a penumbra, and I want to see the rule that says somebody can come into this body without recognition and be heard because I don't believe it, and anybody that believes that--no disrespect-- shouldn't be driving.
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Mr. KENNEDY. Mr. President, I move to have the quorum call be suspended.
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