let's put this in realistic terms. I have been here through eight Presidents. I am now in my 45th year. I have never seen anything like the Trump shutdown from the day it began 34 days ago until now. I hear from people every day about the…

Article I, Section 27 of the Pennsylvania Constitution reads: ``The people have a right to clean air, pure water, and to the preservation of the natural, scenic, historic, and esthetic values of the environment. Pennsylvania's public…

I hope the country has heard what the distinguished senior Senator from Maryland said. He sees this every day. He sees it when he goes home to Baltimore. He sees it when he talks with his neighbors. He sees it when he is in the grocery…

We have a President Who Is A 'Racist'

Today we talk about justice and today we talk about racism. And I must tell you, it gives me no pleasure to tell you that we now have a President of the United States who is a racist.

--and I welcome the distinguished Presiding Officer, who has probably presided before, but this is the first time I have been on the floor and have seen him preside. I realize he cannot respond, but I welcome him to the Senate. Government…

A concerned constituent recently sent me this hand-written letter about President Trump's shutdown: ``As an air traffic controller . . . I want you to know how the partial government shutdown is affecting me. For the last 2 weeks, we have…

let me tell you about the impact the Trump shutdown is having on one couple from my home State of Vermont. Kelly and Ricky Klein own Groennfell Meadery in Colchester, VT. In fact, this is Kelly with her very pretty little daughter, Nora…

I want to read part of a letter from Charles from Vermont: I am a Marine Corps veteran and have spent the last 15 years guarding the national borders as a CPB officer. The government shutdown is unacceptable. January in Vermont is pretty…

it is interesting--we have entered the 24th day of the Trump shutdown. That means that for 24 days, hundreds of thousands of Federal workers have lived with the uncertainty of when they will get their next paycheck. Tens of thousands…

I am honored to stand as a Member of Congress for my first floor speech. I purposefully rise to speak about the issue of gun violence and, specifically, H.R. 8. Last year, 40,000 people in America died of gun violence, over half to…

now, President Trump is right about one thing. There is a crisis in America, and I want the President to know I agree with him, but I would note it is not fictitious hordes of illegal immigrants crashing into our southern border. That is…

It is now day 19 of the Trump shutdown, 19 days that the Federal Government of the oldest democracy and the world's only superpower has been functioning on only half of its cylinders. I have spoken multiple times about the devastating…

I just note parenthetically that virtually every Republican and every Democrat in this body has voted for the bills that would open the government. Every single Democrat in this body is willing--if the Republican leader would bring those…

The President may not care about the impact the shutdown is having on millions of Americans, but the U.S. Senate--a body that should be the conscience of the Nation--should care. Stoking fear through misinformation in order to promote a…

the Appropriations Committee has worked extremely hard to get these bills through. We passed them almost unanimously. Every single bill to keep this government open has been passed by this Senate or the Senate Appropriations Committee and…

But to say to the president, look, we're all part of the team. But you're not the dictator.

And I think that while Trump told the American people he wanted this shutdown, I think he has got to understand that is not in the best interests of this country.