Leader Schumer Floor Remarks On Republican Hypocrisy On The Need For Bipartisanship In Appropriations After Passing A Partisan Rescissions Package

Washington, D.C. – Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) today spoke on the Senate floor ahead of consideration of the first set of appropriations bills for Fiscal Year 2026, highlighting Republican hypocrisy on the need for bipartisanship and condemning the influence of Donald Trump and Russell Vought in pushing partisan rescissions. Below are Senator Schumer’s remarks, which can also be viewed here:

This week, the Senate is expected to take up the first set of appropriations bills for Fiscal Year 2026.

On the substance, a number of the bills negotiated in committee make significant reversals to DOGE’s cuts. Of particular importance are the reversals these bills make to DOGE’s cuts to veterans programs, which were so vicious and so mean and hurt so many veterans. And they contain other important Democratic priorities.

We will see how Republican leaders plan to move forward with these bills and the other bipartisan bills on the floor.

Yesterday, the Republican Leader gave an interview where he said he’d like to see more bipartisanship when it comes to appropriations. He said, rightly, that it takes cooperation from both sides to move things through the Senate in the appropriations bills.

But, frankly, the Republican Leader is talking a bit out of both sides of his mouth.

On the one hand, he talks about bipartisanship, and wanting to see both parties come up with an appropriations process.

On the other, he is putting on the floor a rescissions package with cuts demanded by Donald Trump and Russell Vought that retract many of the bipartisan agreements, with the promise by Russell Vought of more to come.

When Donald Trump and Russell Vought insist on rescissions, and an obeisant Republican Congress goes along – even though many of them know it’s wrong – it makes the funding process totally partisan.

So, the Leader’s words and his actions are a complete contradiction. He can’t have it both ways.

Again: not one week ago, Republicans jammed a rescissions package through this chamber axing billions in bipartisan funding to public broadcast and foreign aid, purely on a party line vote.

Less than a day later, Russell Vought comes out and says the appropriations process should be “less bipartisan.” Frankly, I don’t want to hear Republicans grouse about Democrats if they’re going to give people like Russell Vought a free pass to trash the good work that takes place in this chamber.

And now, of course, there are reports that Donald Trump and Russell Vought want Congress to greenlight another rescissions package in the near future.

Then there’s Donald Trump’s “Big, Ugly Betrayal,” a purely partisan giveaway to billionaires and special interests paid for with the biggest cuts to healthcare, food funding, and good paying energy jobs we’ve ever seen in our lifetimes.

So, Leader Thune can say he wants to see bipartisanship. That is all well and good.

But Leader Thune can’t have it both ways. If Leader Thune wants to talk about bipartisanship, he should focus on keeping his side of the street clean first, because Donald Trump and Russell Vought have made clear they want to continue launching partisan broadsides that will inflict deep harm on the American people – raising costs, unleashing chaos, and inviting deep corruption across the federal government.

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