Wednesday, November 11, 2026. The Chump economy continues to falter, did ICE lose an eight-year-old boy, with over 10,000 attorneys in the Justice Dept having quit under Chump there are no longer enough attorneys to send to all court proceedings, Senator Patty Murray informs Chump that Congress is not his Customer Service Line, Priss Pot Pete survives the impeachment vote, that makes Hakeem Jeffries the real loser and begs questions of whether or not he's fit for the post of Speaker of the House.
REUTERS notes, "US consumer prices increased more than expected in October, leaving the Federal Reserve on course to raise interest rates next month. The Consumer Price Index rose 0.4% last month after advancing 0.6% in September, the Labor Department's Bureau of Labor Statistics said on Tuesday. Economists polled by Reuters had forecast the CPI climbing 0.3% over the month." Jeffry Bartash (MARKETWATCH) adds, "The cost of goods -- minus food and energy -- rose 0.7% in the 12 months ended in September. That might not sound like much, but goods prices fell in most years in the decade before the pandemic. Goods prices were also falling, not rising, before the Trump administration in the spring of 2025 put in place in the biggest tariffs since World War II." And zooming in on food prices, Jeff Cox (CNBC) explains, "Food costs accelerated 0.5%, pushed higher by increases of 1% for snacks, 0.9% for beef and 0.5% for meats, poultry, fish and eggs. Transportation services jumped 0.8%. New vehicle prices increased 0.2% but used cars and trucks fell 1.2%." Steve Benen (MS NOW) offers this context:
As Election Day got underway last week, Donald Trump conducted a phone interview with Fox News, apparently hoping to make one last pitch to voters who might make up their mind at the last minute. As part of the president’s message, he boasted, “The inflation is solved.”
The election cycle has largely run its course, though the economic problems that plagued the White House before ballots were cast continue to persist in the election’s wake.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ inflation report released Tuesday, the consumer price index showed consumer prices climbing 0.4% in October, which was slightly worse than expected. (Ordinarily, these reports show year-over-year changes, but a government shutdown from last fall makes this impossible.) What’s more, core prices, which strip out volatile food and energy items, increased 0.3%, which was also worse than expected.
Prices, in other words, are most certainly not “coming down,” and inflation does not appear to have been “solved.”
What do you know, Chump lied again. And it's the American people who are suffering. So it's not at all surprising to learn that Chump's approval ratings remain in the toilet. Sam Stevenson (NEWSWEEK) reports:
President Donald Trump is not only facing a more hostile Congress after his party’s midterm election drubbing but also fresh evidence of discontent among American voters, according to new national polling.
In its first post-election poll, the Economist/YouGov series has found the president 26 points underwater, with 36 percent approving of his job performance and 62 percent disapproving, a seven-point deterioration from the pollster’s final survey before Election Day.
That shift could be significant for Republican lawmakers deciding how closely to align themselves with a president whose core supporters remain loyal but whose broader standing could complicate the party’s recovery.
In a previous emailed response to Newsweek about Trump’s polling, White House spokesperson Davis Ingle pointed to the president’s 2024 election victory, calling it “the ultimate poll.”
But, Davis Ingle, that was two years ago. The new "ultimate poll" was the midterms -- excuse me, the historic midterms. If you're not familiar with them, Davis Ingle, Cameron Adams (DAILY BEAST) describes them like this, "Donald Trump and his administration received a stunning rebuke after last week’s elections, losing control of the House and the Senate and affecting the final term of his presidency." And, Davis Ingle, the American people have spoken. I noted this excuse of the 2024 vote being the national poll was going to have to come to an end -- noted it last week -- and it does have to come to an end.
Americans have the dimmest view of the U.S. economy — and how the federal government is handling it — in 48 years. That’s not good news for Republicans and President Donald Trump, who have been the stewards and strategists of the U.S. budget and economics for the past two years.
The data comes from the University of Michigan Consumer Sentiment Index, which labor economist Kathryn Anne Edwards shares in a recent social media post.
Edwards notes that, from 1978 through 2024, approximately half of Americans said the government was doing a “fair job” in running the economy. As of 2026, however, that outlook has changed. Edwards reports that “31% of Americans said the federal government is doing a poor job at economic policy [and] for the last two years, it has averaged 65% and is hanging out now in the 70s.”
Chump's also done a lousy job at the Iran War. Starting it for this reason or that reason -- never sticking with one reason for very long; refusing to go before the American people and press and take questions (he taped a video that then aired in the early morning hours). The American people do not support this ongoing war. Mira Bhakta (THE HILL) notes, "A majority of Republicans in a recent survey said they want Congress to end the Iran war, which has stretched into its eighth month and increased gas and grocery prices. The Reuters/Ipsos poll, released Tuesday, found that 71 percent of respondents support legislation to end the Middle East conflict. This included 93 percent of Democrats and 51 percent of Republicans." And Priss Pot Pete Hegseth has been the face of the war for the administration. This has led to US House Rep Thomas Massie introducing articles of impeachment. Harry Thompson (THE DAILY BEAST) notes:
No voice has been louder in calling for Hegseth to go than Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky, who initiated impeachment proceedings against the former Fox News host in September and renewed them Monday.
He filed eight articles of impeachment, linked to various incidents including the destruction of alleged drug boats and the treatment of Sen. Mark Kelly. Hours later, Massie appeared on CNN’s The Source with Kaitlan Collins, where he broke down the articles and made his bold prediction: that Hegseth will be gone by the end of the year.
Trump has said he will stand by Hegseth regardless of the impeachment, and when Collins asked Massie what he thought of that, he said, “They stand by them until the day they don’t. You can’t expose any weakness in these press conferences. And I still put it at a high probability that Pete Hegseth won’t make it until December 31 of this year.”
He added, “I think there’s a high probability he will not make it to the end.”
In an attempt to save his own hide, Priss Pot Pete held a press briefing yesterday -- his first in 189 days. Before the press briefing, Prissy Pete had his flunkies hand down rules. Nick Hilden (ALTERNET) reports:
On Tuesday, reports emerged that journalists had received vague threats in the minutes before embattled Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth delivered a press briefing at the Pentagon. According to online posts from reporters, the context of the threat was so unclear that even the official delivering it seemed embarrassed by the situation.
“At Pete Hegseth’s briefing this morning, an official came out to tell reporters that if anyone ‘gets out of line’ they will be ‘removed physically,’” posted Vanity Fair Washington Correspondent Aiden McLaughlin. “Reporters shouted back ‘what does that mean?’ Official said it meant to maintain ’decorum’ and added he was just relaying orders.” McLaughlin added, “A few minutes later, DOD press aide Joel Valdez walked out and said he would explain the orders off the record. Reporters asked for it to be on background. Valdez looked down at the floor and then walked out of the room without saying anything.”
Washington Post reporter Tara Copp backed this account, posting, “A security agent for Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth just warned the reporters here — for Hegseth’s first press conference in 6 months — that we will be physically removed from the briefing room if we are not professional and maintain decorum. We asked if that meant no shouted questions and got no clarity. It’s the first time any of us could ever remember being threatened like this. Shouted questions are normal. ‘This is crazy town’ one journalist said, noting the White House has never threatened reporters like that.”
The reaction to the threat was swift. “An inauspicious start to the first Pentagon press briefing in six months,” noted CNN Chief Media Analyst Brian Stelter. Journalist Nancy Yousseff joked, “No beardos. No weirdos. No uncomfortable questions?” referencing one of Hegseth’s favorite tough-guy taglines. “Nothing says ‘warrior ethos’ like having your flunky threaten to remove reporters from a press conference when they ask you hard questions,” jibed Third Way cofounder Matt Bennett. “This is how fascists operate,” asserted one journalist.
And then came the press conference.
Pentagon Flack Douglas E. Jessmer typed away like the toughest priss in the steno pad opening with, "Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, facing the threat of impeachment, detailed a record of successful operations on his watch today during a press briefing at the Pentagon." He's the Secretary of Defense. Congress would have to change that and they'd have to change The Department of Defense to the Department of War. Chump signing an executive order really doesn't change anything and the executive order will be overturned as soon as he leaves office. But look at that first sentence, not only does he get the title wrong, he also has Priss Pot "detail[ing] a record of successful operations on his watch" -- huh? The Iran War has not been a success. It was supposed to last a few weeks but instead it's gone on for months. He's as stupid as Chump who earlier this week claimed no US service members have died in the Iran War.
Jessmer quotes one inane statement from Hegseth after another including this on the troops, "They are the best of our nation. Like our president, I will defend them with every fiber of my being every single day. That includes having their back no matter what."
He will defend them every single day? With every fiber of his being? He will have their back no matter what?
He has the gall to tell that lie after the USS ABRAHAM LINCOLN? After he covered it up and ignored it when the stories first surfaced in April? After he continued to dismiss the stories as they grew louder and louder? After he penalized one of the service members on board?
Nicholas McKelvey had been aboard the U.S.S. Abraham Lincoln for 255 grueling days.
As the war with Iran raged, the 19-year-old Navy airman — anaviation mechanic in a helicopter squadron — was working 12-hour shifts in the blazing sun, checking and guiding helicopters on the flight deck. He had missed the birth of his daughter. His in-laws were battling cancer. Food on the aircraft carrier was in short supply.
Then he reached his breaking point.
At about 10 a.m. on a Monday in early August, he sprinted along the flight deck then leaped from the ship’s edge and plunged 67 feet into the Arabian Sea, according to Navy records reviewed by The New York Times. He was rescued by a helicopter crew and returned to the ship 50 minutes later.
“I didn’t want to be there anymore,” Mr. McKelvey said in an interview, speaking publicly for the first time. “If I was going to die because of it, then that’s just how it is.”
On Thursday, the Navy effectively fired him — moving to discharge Mr. McKelvey after accusing him of “malingering,” or faking a mental health crisis to end his deployment, according to Mr. McKelvey’s wife, Samantha Larry. Under the terms of his removal — a general discharge under honorable conditions — he will become ineligible for education assistance under the G.I. Bill, cutting off a pathway to college that his family was counting on, Ms. Larry said.
The case offers a rare glimpse into how the Navy has handled mental health issues aboard ships under pressure from sustained deployments during the war with Iran. And it raises questions about whether officers treated Mr. McKelvey’s jump overboard as misconduct without sufficiently examining what led a sailor to take such an extreme, life-threatening step.
The Lincoln, which returned to San Diego this month after a near-record 322-day deployment, became a symbol of the food shortages and mental health challenges facing Navy ship crews after Iran destroyed a key supply hub in the region.
There were eight suicide attempts during the long deployment among sailors in the Lincoln strike group, according to a letter the Navy sent to lawmakers last month. The letter did not name Mr. McKelvey, but the description of a sailor who “went overboard from the ship” matches his story.
8 attempted suicides? Then let's not pretend that Priss Pot Pete has their back.
Mika Brezinski shared her thoughts on the speech and those of a Republican who'd texted her.
“It is a little embarrassing, I have to say, to hear him talk and to hear him talk about members serving in uniform,” she added. “I got a text from a Republican who served in the DoD and worked on Capitol Hill.”
Reading from her phone, she said, “Hegseth’s speech summarized this way: ‘Mr. President, please don't let me go. Pathetic to see him cowering behind those in uniform.’”
The MS NOW host added, “And that is the big point here. This was not for the media. I don't even think it was for the American people. I think it was for one person and that would be Donald J. Trump. What's going to matter here is, is the president going to think this performance was anything but embarrassing and desperate and groveling, almost? It was childish at times. The language he used, the way he described some of the actions that the department took.”
The vote was 211 to 204 to refer the charges to a committee, which would allow Republicans to slow the process indefinitely. Only one Republican, Representative Thomas Massie of Kentucky, who spearheaded the effort, voted with Democrats against doing so.
[. . .]
The 11 Democrats who did not vote were Representatives Julia Brownley, Lou Correa and Nancy Pelosi, all of California; Laura Gillen of New York; Steven Horsford of Nevada; Jonathan L. Jackson of Illinois; Brittany Pettersen of Colorado; Melanie Stansbury of New Mexico; Haley Stevens of Michigan; Marilyn Strickland of Washington; and Frederica Wilson of Florida.
Impeachment could be attempted in the new Congress that, in January, will be sworn in.
This is a very poor reflection on Hakeem Jeffries leadership.
A car accident blocked traffic!!!! Oh, we missed it because of that!!!
I don't care why you missed it. That was the most important vote in this lame duck Congress. Nancy Pelosi, you know, from your years in the House, that traffic can be a problem. You know what time you should have been there and knew how to plan. But you didn't.
And Hakeem, it was your job to ensure everyone was there for that vote.
I have defended Hakeem here repeatedly. But to oversea the failure of this vote, as Hakeem did, because all of his members were not present? That does not speak well of Jeffries' leadership abilities.
This was a very important vote. And it was a symbolic one. And what Jeffries as leader delivered was a loss that shouldn't have happened. Dems would have had the vote if the 11 who skipped the vote had been there.
Again, an important vote, people should have been there well before the voting began and then they wouldn't have been delayed. With them delayed, Jeffries should have done everything in his power to stall on the vote to buy more time for the 11 to arrive.
This reflects very poorly on Hakeem. Very poorly. Others should consider running for the post of Speaker of the House because there needs to be a pushback on this if only to ensure that a Speaker Jeffries will have gotten the message that he is responsible for House Democrats and he has to make sure that they deliver. He did not do that yesterday.
It was the first day since the midterms to show that he could deliver and he failed.
He failed.
There's no way to spin this or pretty it up.
He failed and if he wants to be known as a failure, he needs to step aside and let someone else be Speaker of the House.
A federal judge wrote that she knew of no precedent for the Justice Department declining to appear for ICE rather than formally telling the court it won’t contest a case, after prosecutors in Seattle told the court they lacked the resources.
U.S. District Judge Tiffany Cartwright wrote it Saturday in an order freeing Baljit Singh, an asylum seeker from India who was being held at the Northwest ICE Processing Center in Tacoma.
According to his petition, Singh had been released under supervision while his asylum claim was pending when, in September, he and friends traveled from California to Peace Arch Historical State Park and “inadvertently went to the exit at the Canada border.” He was then detained.
Last month, Singh filed a habeas petition to challenge his detention, but the government never answered.
Cartwright treated it as “intentionally unopposed” because no government lawyer appeared within seven court days, a window the U.S. Attorney’s Office for Western Washington laid out in an Oct. 26 letter to the court, her order said.
So the Justice Dept told Judge Cartwright that they didn't have enough staff to make it into court? Khaleda Rahman (NEWSWEEK) reports another judge has been told something similar:
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Washington said it does not have the resources to defend every case against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and will let judges rule on “many” petitions without government opposition.
In a letter to U.S. District Judge David Estudillo last month, Acting U.S. Attorney Charles Floyd said his office is dealing with a huge volume of immigration-related habeas corpus cases. These allow people to legally challenge their detention by the government, with dozens being filed each week.
As a result, he said his office will not defend “many” such cases going forward. His letter did not provide any details about how many cases could be affected.
In less than a week, Donald Trump’s Department of Justice has seen four high-profile resignations, amid a growing crisis for an administration addicted to prosecutions and mired in controversy.
The department’s head Todd Blanche, Trump’s personal criminal lawyer who became the US’s 96th attorney general in August, revealed the resignation on Monday of his assistant attorney general in the civil division, Brett Shumate.
The resignation – effective immediately – was “abrupt and unexpected”, department sources told CBS. There was speculation it was linked to the promotion of Stephen Miller to White House chief of staff.
Last week, the assistant attorneys general for the DoJ’s national security and civil rights divisions also quit. A key US attorney in Miami, who had overseen an unproductive investigation into Trump’s political enemies, also left last week.
[. . .]
And they’re just the tip of the iceberg. More than 10,000 federal lawyers have quit since Trump took office, and many were not replaced.
Imagine that, a Convicted Felon gets sworn in as president and over 10,000 attorneys quit the Justice Dept.
Democratic lawmakers in California are demanding answers from the Trump administration about the safety and whereabouts of an eight-year-old Haitian boy who they say was put in restraints and taken into custody by federal immigration officers at a check-in last week.
Video obtained by NBC News shows the third-grader being led away by three armed officials after he was summoned to what his family said was a routine immigration appointment in San Diego on 4 November.
On Tuesday, California’s US senators Alex Padilla and Adam Schiff joined four Democratic Congress members in sending an oversight letter to homeland security secretary Markwayne Mullin and health secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr, asking for an explanation.
“Video footage appears to show the use of restraints on a child who seemed to pose no threat to those around him, raising serious questions about the handling of this incident,” the lawmakers wrote. “We express concerns about the basis for this action and the harm it may cause a young child who appeared for his required hearing.”
Let's move over to Chump's old buddy Jeffrey Epstein. Prior to Epstein's death in jail in 2019, he and Chump had roll dogged it around for decades -- plural. The sex trafficker was best buds with Chump. And Chump is accused of assaulting women and girls provided to him by Epstein in a report released a week before the midterms by the Democrats on the House Judiciary Committee. Yesterday, the Republicans on the House Oversight Committee issued the following press release:
WASHINGTON—The House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform today released a majority staff report titled, “A Review of the Federal Government’s Mishandling of the Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell Criminal Investigations.” The report culminates the Committee’s 15-month investigation, which included 19 transcribed interviews and depositions with key witnesses, the release of documents from the Department of Justice and the Epstein estate, and an extensive review of financial records.
The report details how Epstein and Maxwell’s network facilitated the recruitment, control, and abuse of young women. It also exposes how Epstein cultivated relationships with powerful individuals and leveraged those connections to establish financial and social legitimacy. Additionally, the report documents the federal government’s decades-long failure to hold Epstein accountable for his crimes and deliver justice for survivors.
The report offers several recommendations to deliver long-overdue justice for survivors and prevent the federal government from repeating these failures. Among its recommendations, the report calls on Congress to pass Chairman Comer’s legislation, which would ensure survivors can speak freely about sexual abuse, even if they previously signed confidentiality agreements. The report also recommends that the Department of Justice interview or re-interview key witnesses, further investigate allegations of criminal activity involving Epstein’s associates, and provide survivors with unredacted access to their records.
“The federal government has failed the survivors of Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell’s horrific crimes for decades. The House Oversight Committee conducted a review of the federal government’s mishandled investigations to bring transparency to the American people and accountability for survivors. Epstein operated with impunity, shielded and enabled by powerful connections and a justice system that repeatedly failed his victims. Governments at every level and powerful institutions must meet their legal obligations to identify these crimes, stop perpetrators, and deliver justice for survivors,” said Chairman Comer.
“The evidence we uncovered makes clear that the Department of Justice must interview or re-interview key witnesses, investigate Epstein associates accused of criminal activity, and ensure survivors have access to their records. Congress must also pass legislation protecting the ability of individuals with knowledge of sexual abuse and survivors to speak freely about these crimes, regardless of nondisclosure agreements. We cannot undo the horrific harm inflicted on these women. But we must ensure that allegations of criminal activity are thoroughly investigated, survivors are protected, and those responsible are held accountable. The failures of the past must not be repeated,” concluded Chairman Comer.
Read the report here. Key findings and recommendations include:
The federal government has failed survivors for decades.
The Committee finds that the crimes Epstein committed after 2005 could have been prevented—and justice served—if not for failures by federal investigators and prosecutors in South Florida and Washington, D.C.
Rather than pursue a federal indictment and fully investigate allegations in other states, the U.S. Attorney’s Office (USAO) for the Southern District of Florida entered into a non-prosecution agreement (NPA) with Epstein in 2007, allowing him to evade federal prosecution in exchange for pleading guilty to lesser state charges. Epstein was sentenced to 18 months in jail, received extensive work-release privileges during which he continued to abuse women, and was released early. Federal prosecutors also failed to inform survivors of the NPA, undermining their ability to pursue civil claims or publicly expose Epstein’s crimes.
While some of these failures reflected poor judgment by the USAO, others appeared to stem from Epstein’s pervasive influence and far-reaching connections, potentially including two attorneys employed by the office.
After Epstein was arrested in 2019, he died in custody at a Bureau of Prisons facility in New York. Understaffing and systemic dysfunction contributed to correctional officers on both shifts missing at least 12 rounds and three inmate counts on the night of his death. This resulted in nearly eight hours without adequate supervision of Epstein and other inmates.
Following enactment of the Epstein Files Transparency Act in 2025, the Department of Justice (DOJ) failed to adequately communicate about document releases and failed to sufficiently protect survivors. Deficient redactions exposed survivors’ sensitive personal information.
The Department of Justice must take further action to advance transparency and justice for survivors.
DOJ should ensure investigators interview or reinterview key witnesses to advance justice for survivors of Epstein’s and Maxwell’s crimes. For example, DOJ should further question and investigate Epstein’s assistant, Lesley Groff, regarding her potential knowledge of and role in facilitating Epstein’s criminal activity.
DOJ must further investigate sexual assault allegations Sarah Kellen, a longtime Epstein assistant and survivor, made against two powerful men—Philip Levine, the former Mayor of Miami Beach from 2013 to 2017, and Frédéric Fekkai, a French celebrity hairstylist—during her transcribed interview with the Committee.
DOJ should establish an appropriate process for Epstein survivors and their representatives to access their personal files and records in unredacted form.
Non-prosecution agreements must be subject to rigorous scrutiny to ensure they serve the interests of justice rather than enable and empower criminals.
DOJ and the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices must rigorously enforce policies designed to prevent conflicts of interest in federal investigations and prosecutions.
Financial institutions failed to act on clear indicators of human trafficking and immigration fraud.
U.S. and foreign government authorities failed to identify indicators of human trafficking and immigration fraud. Institutions such as American Express enabled this activity, with company agents allowing Epstein to use fraudulent decoy flights and refundable or dummy itineraries to transport foreign women across borders directly to his residences.
Financial institutions possessed substantial information about Epstein’s criminal history and repeatedly identified transactions and activities presenting heightened compliance risks. Yet they failed to adequately address those risks, in some cases reporting them years later after Epstein’s 2019 arrest, due to Epstein’s personal connections, wealth, and influence.
The U.S. Department of the Treasury and the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) should review whether financial institutions are meeting their reporting obligations designed to detect and prevent suspicious activities, including money laundering and human trafficking.
Congress must pass legislation to prevent the weaponization of nondisclosure agreements (NDAs) to silence survivors of sexual abuse.
Epstein and powerful individuals in his orbit weaponized NDAs to silence survivors and conceal criminal activity.
Congress should pass the Survivor’s Voice Protection Act (H.R. 10389), introduced by Chairman Comer, to ensure witnesses and survivors of sexual crimes are not deterred from speaking freely by nondisclosure agreements. The legislation also establishes accountability for trusted individuals by requiring them to report suspected grooming behavior to law enforcement to help protect minors. This bill would also define grooming behavior for the first time in federal law.
September 3, 2026: Leon D. Black, Deposition (Failed to appear)
We've omitted James Comer's paean to Chump's 'innocence.' The committee didn't interview any survivors. In addition, they did not do open hearings and they did not record video on every witness that appeared before them. Heres' the statement issued by the Democrats on the Committee:
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Today, Rep. Robert Garcia, Ranking Member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, issued the following statement after Chairman James Comer released a partisan report on the mishandling of the Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell investigations.
“Oversight Republicans have released a report based on an incomplete investigation and zero public hearings on Jeffrey Epstein. The Department of Justice continues to illegally withhold over 2.5 million pages of documents, there’s been no investigation of Ghislaine Maxwell’s transfer, and Attorney General Todd Blanche has yet to testify about his role in the largest government cover-up of the modern era.
“We will not allow the President and his allies to dismiss this investigation. We intend to hold real public hearings uplifting survivors and asking tough questions of the powerful men who associated with Epstein, including Donald Trump. Our work is just getting started,” said Ranking Member Robert Garcia.
###
Let's wind down with this from Senator Patty Murray's office:
Murray: “Congress is a co-equal branch of government—not Donald Trump’s customer service line. Republicans may have forgotten that, but the American people just sent them a reminder that will echo for years to come.”
Murray: “We are fighting a deeply entrenched and lawless Administration. So, it is not going to be easy or quick. The only way to accomplish our goals is the hard way. We are going to have to roll up our sleeves, and grind it out. It’s going to take hard work, sustained pressure, and sharp political strategy. Building something is always going to be harder, slower work than burning it down.”
Washington, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, spoke on the Senate floor on how the incoming Democratic Congress will fight to lower costs, help families get by, put an end to Trump’s reckless war of choice with Iran, and fight the rampant corruption coming out of every corner of this administration.
Senator Murray’s remarks, as delivered, are below:
“Last week the American people used their voices. They used their votes. They did their job. Now, it is time for Congress to finally get back to its job. We are here to be a voice for the American people, not a rubber stamp for the President.
“Look, Congress is a co-equal branch of government—not Donald Trump’s customer service line. Republicans may have forgotten that, but the American people just sent them a reminder that will echo for years to come.
“And now, Democrats are going to try something Republicans seem to have forgotten about: keeping our promises. We are going to hit the ground running by fighting to lower costs, to stop corruption, and to end Trump’s war with Iran. That’s what America voted for. And that’s what we will work to deliver.
[TRUMP’S TARIFFS AND TRADE WAR]
“A Democratic Congress means pressing to put an end to Trump’s stupid tariffs and trade wars. Nobody in America wants to pay more for groceries just so Trump can pick a fight with Canada.
[ACCOUNTABILITY FOR ICE]
“A Democratic Congress means real accountability for ICE. Republicans wrote ICE a blank check. We are going to be writing them subpoenas.
[CRACKING DOWN ON CORRUPTION]
“A Democratic Congress means cracking down on corruption: insider trading, selling pardons and access, crypto scams, no-bid contracts, war profiteering—all of it.
“If you thought Trump was your ticket to get rich quick by breaking laws, abusing power, and defrauding the American people, you thought wrong. When the gavels change hands, the days of rampant, consequence-free grifting will come to an end. Bet on that.
[ACCESSIBLE AND AFFORDABLE HEALTH CARE]
“And of course, when it comes to health care, a Democratic Congress means reversing health care cuts—just for a start. Every time Republicans take power, they make a mess out of health care.
“We have got to reverse the Medicaid cuts that are shutting down our hospitals. We have got to restore the ACA tax credits that make health care far more affordable for families. And we need to stop Trump’s plan to use AI to cut seniors off from their Medicare benefits.
“But we can’t stop there—because if Republicans’ health care strategy is ‘death by a thousand cuts,’ Democrats have to be more than the party of a thousand band-aids.
“We need a robust public option, and universal coverage. And we are going to have that conversation in the next Congress.
[PUBLIC HEALTH]
“We are also going to have a conversation about undoing all the damage RFK Jr. has done to our health in this country.
“A Democratic Congress means putting science back in public health.
“Right now, measles cases are at record levels. Instead of solving the problem, our nation’s highest health official is covering it up. Instead of championing vaccines, RFK Jr. has been championing conspiracies. He should be fighting viruses, not vaccines.
“Americans don’t want viruses that we eliminated roaring back and killing babies. Americans don’t want lettuce to give them diarrhea. They don’t want promising clinical trials cut off, or respected researchers sacked. They don’t want FDA’s gold standard overruled by Secretary Kennedy’s wildest conspiracies or Trump’s biggest donors.
“Chaos and corruption may have spread like a plague under Trump and RFK Jr, but you know what they say: sunlight is the best disinfectant. Accountability is coming. And RFK Jr. is far from the only person we will be holding accountable.
[HOLDING VOUGHT ACCOUNTABLE]
“A Democratic Congress means Russ Vought’s days of breaking our laws and extorting our communities without consequence are coming to an end. As incoming Chair of the Appropriations Committee, you better believe I am going to be demanding answers and accountability for the brazen robbery and illegality we have seen from Trump’s OMB director.
“I’m going to have hearings, and I’m going to use our funding bills to rein in the abuses and corruption of this administration while we invest in our American families. I will expose this administration’s corruption and the games Russ Vought and OMB have been playing with our American tax dollars.
“I am going to drag this Administrations’ crooked schemes into the light of day for every American to see—and you better believe I am going to stamp this president’s very ugly and very un-American brand of politics and corruption into the dust.
[MAKING CHILD CARE AFFORDABLE]
“Now let me just say: I am going to make certain a Democratic Congress means getting serious about the child care crisis. Child care is too hard for parents to find. It’s too expensive for families to afford. It is too tough for providers to keep their daycare facilities open. And this all is crushing our families and our economy.
“I have been fighting for child care since my first day in politics—and you can bet that next Congress I am going to be loud about beating the drum, pounding the pavement, and charting a course towards a future where every family in this country can get quality, affordable child care. And with so many new colleagues now coming who have young kids joining us, I know we are going to make progress.
[DEFENDING PUBLIC EDUCATION]
“That doesn’t just go for child care though—it also goes for defending public education.
“A Democratic Congress means Trump’s plan to demolish the Department of Education is dead in the water. We’ve been fighting these efforts since Trump’s first day in office—but with gavels in hand, we are going to have even more power to put an end to this nonsense once and for all.
“There is no world where this former Pre-K teacher will let Trump bulldoze the programs that support our kids, because every student deserves to be able to get a great education—and afford college—no matter their zip code, or the size of their parent’s bank account.
[INVESTING IN INFRASTRUCTURE]
“And a Democratic Congress means building infrastructure for all Americans—instead of letting Trump build monuments to himself. Republicans have voted to cut off vital investments to create great jobs and rebuild America’s infrastructure. Well guess what? Democrats are going to fight to keep investing in the roads, and bridges, and ports, and airports that people use every day.
[FIGHTING FOR REPRODUCTIVE FREEDOM]
“We are also going to be pushing hard to fight back on abortion. A Democratic Congress means countering Republican attacks on abortion and clawing back the rights they have chipped away.
“Make no mistake, Republicans spent decades on their crusade to overturn Roe and rip away women’s rights. So I will spend every day of this majority fighting to win them back. Democrats will be relentless and tenacious.
“And that means putting abortion rights to a vote on the floor and making every senator say where they stand. It means protecting Title X, Planned Parenthood, and contraception access from this administration’s attacks. It means elevating the voices of women across the country about being investigated for miscarriages, or forced to death’s door before a doctor could treat them.
“I do not expect quick, easy victories—but I am in this fight for as long as it takes. We will claw back every inch we can at every opportunity we can. I will keep pushing until we have the trifecta we need to restore abortion rights in all 50 states.
[KILLING TRUMP’S BLANK CHECK FOR WAR]
“Now, when it comes to Trump’s wars, let’s be clear: a Democratic Congress means Donald Trump is absolutely not getting his $1.5 trillion war budget, or the nearly $70 billion he wants to bankroll the Iran war.
“There is no way on God’s green earth that I am going to let Republicans jam through a funding bill that blows war spending through the roof and at the same time cutting family priorities like child care, housing, and health care.
“This war with Iran should never have started. It is putting our service members in harms’ way. It is blowing gas prices through the roof. It is undermining our credibility on the world stage—not to mention weakening our position on other fronts. This administration is responsible for the deaths of nearly 200 Iranian school children, for God’s sake.
“Trump’s war has been a disaster from top to bottom. We are going to push to end this war as responsibly as we can, and we are going to hold Trump and Hegseth accountable for starting it in the first place.
[LOOKING FORWARD]
“Now, there’s going to be a lot more to say on these issues—and many other challenges where Republicans are going to have to accept reality and come to the table to work with us. Like: how do we develop a responsible framework for AI regulation that makes sure regular people are the ones reaping the benefits of this technology, not the ones bearing the burdens of it?
“The clock is ticking to get our arms around this. We cannot let this powerful technology—and the companies developing it—run amok.
“Or, how do we preserve Social Security in a way that keeps our promise to seniors, and prevents painful cuts to benefits? Social Security is projected to run dry in 2032—meaning every Senator just elected is going to have a say in how we solve this. Those conversations need to start now.
“Or, for anyone wondering if I can find common ground with Trump: Let’s pass the Sunshine Protection Act. Let’s give people a bit more sunshine. Let’s finally end the tyranny of changing the clock back and forth just to see the sun set before you leave work.
“There is no question we have got our work cut out for us in the Congress ahead. I think we all know this is not going to be easy. I’d like to say the overwhelming results sent an undeniable message to the White House, but we all know this President has no problem denying election results, or spitting in the face of Congress, or flouting our laws.
“Republicans forgot Congress is not a rubber stamp. Our challenge is to remember it is not a magic wand. We are a co-equal branch of government. We can check this President, but we still have to contend with his veto power, and we still have to face a conservative Supreme Court.
“We can bring down prices, but not with a wave of our hands. We can fight corruption, but not with a strong press statement. And we can end Trump’s war with Iran, but not with a snap of our fingers.
“We are fighting a deeply entrenched and lawless Administration. So, it is not going to be easy or quick. The only way to accomplish our goals is the hard way. We are going to have to roll up our sleeves, and grind it out. It’s going to take hard work, sustained pressure, and sharp political strategy. Building something is always going to be harder, slower work than burning it down.
“But I want to end with the good news. The American people turned out in a very big way last week. They sent a message as loud and clear as I have ever heard in politics. And as a result, next year Democrats will have more hands to take on that work than at any time in the Trump era.
“And we are—every single one of us—ready to meet this moment.”
