On Senate Floor, Murray Slams Republicans for Cutting a Blank Check for ICE While Costs Skyrocket for Families Across the Country

Murray: "Republicans are making clear, their biggest priority is not lowering prices or helping families with the basics, not stopping Trump's warmongering, it's giving tens of billions of dollars more of your hard-earned tax dollars to ICE and Border Patrol."

***WATCH: Senator Murray's full floor speech***

Washington, D.C. - Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, spoke on the Senate floor on Republicans' efforts to provide at least $70 billion-but as much as $140 billion-in new funding for ICE and CBP without any strings attached or basic reforms.

Senator Murray's remarks, as delivered, are below:

"Right now, Trump is waging a war in Iran. He is threatening war crimes, he is threatening an end to an entire civilization and mentally deteriorating in front of our eyes.

"Meanwhile, costs for our families are going through the roof.

"Grocery costs and everyday expenses are going up because of inflation and fueled by Trump's tariffs. Estimates show Trump's trade war cost families well over a thousand bucks last year.

"Health care costs are skyrocketing for families, as Republicans refused to extend the tax credits and prevent the MAGA health care hike. People have seen their premiums double, triple, and even worse. We now know that millions of families were completely priced out of their health coverage and millions more switched to a worse plan, often still at a higher price.

"And, of course, energy costs, energy costs are going through the roof because Trump has also chosen, all on his own, to start a reckless war with Iran, that is putting servicemembers at risk and jeopardizing our national security. Gas is up to four, five, six, even seven bucks a gallon in some places.

"The challenges that we are facing right now are many, and they are major. But Republicans can't be bothered with any of them. Republicans aren't trying to rein in Trump's absurd tariffs, they are not trying to address soaring health care costs, and they are certainly not lifting a finger to stop Trump's war, and bring down gas prices.

"Instead, Republicans' top priority right now is shoveling $70 billion, billion, at ICE and Border Patrol, covering multiple years and cutting another blank check for Stephen Miller's deranged mass deportation dreams without ensuring any sort of accountability, none, whatsoever!

"After providing over $190 billion to DHS last year-without any real strings attached-Republicans are now, again, pushing to give ICE and Border Patrol tens of billions of dollars more.

"And they plan to do it without any new accountability steps like the ones Democrats have been demanding for months, without any of the accountability steps Republicans themselves agreed to during negotiations and even without the same basic accountability steps we have long included in our annual funding bills.

"I really want to underscore that! Not only have Republicans refused even the most basic accountability measures for DHS. Things like displaying their IDs, or taking off masks, or requiring judicial warrants, basic use of force standards. In choosing to send these agencies more money through this process, through reconciliation, Republicans are planning to proceed without the basic accountability requirements we put in place every year in our spending bills.

"Republicans are making clear, their biggest priority is not lowering prices or helping families with the basics, not stopping Trump's warmongering, it's giving tens of billions of dollars more of your hard-earned tax dollars to ICE and Border Patrol.

"Republicans want to supercharge Stephen Miller's budget to harass communities with no restraint, smash in car windows with no warrant, detain Americans with no reason, and mass deport members of communities with no criminal record whatsoever; we're talking about firefighters, and grandpas and grandmas, and caregivers for our seniors, parents and spouses of veterans, and veterans themselves.

"And to anyone thinking this sounds familiar. Well, you're right! Because guess what Republicans were doing last summer? The exact same thing! Ignoring the needs of working families while hurling billions at ICE.

"Last year, Republicans moved heaven and earth to cut taxes for billionaires and hand tens of billions of dollars to ICE and Border Patrol. They passed that big ugly bill-shoveling money at ICE and Border Patrol, shoveling money at billionaires, and cutting health care and SNAP to do it.

"And now here we are, a year later, after Republicans unleashed chaos on our streets by cutting a $75 billion blank check to ICE, after the American people were outraged by ICE and Border Patrol teargassing and tackling peaceful protesters, and after Republicans themselves admitted DHS had gone way too far following the outrageous and horrifying shootings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti.

"After all of that, Republicans refused commonsense reforms that we put forward. And now, they are choosing to deliver even more money for ICE and Border Patrol, with exactly zero steps to rein them in. So, if you're watching this Republican farce, and wondering why this feels pretty darn familiar, don't worry, you don't have déjà vu-Republicans are just faking amnesia. Republicans are choosing, choosing, to ignore the violence we have seen unleashed on our streets by a rogue federal agency that they threw tens of billions of dollars at.

"They are choosing to ignore the shocking killings we saw this year, and the parade of injustices we're seeing every single day and instead of lifting a finger to lower prices, or to exercise their constitutional responsibility over the power to declare war, Republicans are spending this week working hard to send ICE more money, no strings attached.

"Families across the country are struggling to make ends meet. Gas prices, grocery prices are squeezing out moms and dads. Child care is hard to find. Housing is unaffordable. Health care costs are skyrocketing. But ICE? Border Patrol? Well, they are literally wasting billions of dollars from the Big Ugly Bill as we speak.

"Just consider this: There was plenty of money for former Secretary Noem to blow hundreds of millions to cut ridiculous ads and plaster her face on TV. There is plenty to blow hundreds of millions on new private jets. ICE was able to waste millions on souped-up SUVs with flashy paint jobs, which they can't even use! And throughout this shutdown, ICE has continued to acquire new warehouses-way above the asking price-and even buy more planes!

"So even after all of the waste, fraud, and abuse-funded by Republicans-ICE and Border Patrol still have billions upon billions of dollars on hand right now. Not even a year ago, Republicans gave them more funding than most militaries! Meanwhile, Republicans are acting like they have no idea why Democrats have been demanding accountability and reform.

"So, let me refresh your memory, the reason we want actual judicial warrants? ICE dragged off a kid who was working at Target only to release him when they realized he was a citizen. They dragged a woman out of her car, on her way to a doctor's appointment. They dragged a man out of his house, in the freezing cold, in his underwear-and didn't even check to see if they had the right guy. Another man, who was a U.S. citizen, got dragged off his work site and wrongly detained-not once, but twice.

"That's not 'targeted' law enforcement. It is unbelievable to me that any Republican can say that with a straight face. You want targeted law enforcement? That is what judicial warrants help ensure. Look at the use of force standards.

"Pastors have been shot in the head with pepper balls. A family on the way home from a basketball game was teargassed. We've seen peaceful protestors tackled to the ground. We've seen people pinned down, and pepper-sprayed in the face. And then, of course, we have seen several horrific, unjustifiable shootings.

"And I'm not just talking about Alex Pretti, and Renee Good-whose killings did send a shock through the nation. At least, until Republicans decided to move on and buy ICE more bullets. Last year, in Chicago, a federal agent rammed Marimar Martinez and shot her several times. They tried to blame her, until the video came out and showed the truth-the agent sharply turned his wheel and rammed her car. Just recently, new video footage showed ICE agents lied about another shooting, in Minnesota. The agent said he fired when he was attacked with a shovel. Turns out, that was a flat-out lie. He actually fired blindly through a door. ICE agents shot Ruben Martinez in March last year. His own mother didn't know how he died, until a year later. That video, by the way, also did not match the ICE version of events.

"M. President-I am all for laws. I want to see our laws followed and enforced. And that's why I want ICE and Border Patrol held accountable. These rogue agencies have been breaking our laws. They have been hurting our citizens. But what is the Republican response to the pattern of abuse? How are Republicans addressing this rogue agency? Well, here we are choosing to give it even more money, less oversight. That is a perversion of justice, and an utter rejection of responsibility. I don't know how you can pretend you are for law and order-while shoveling money at a lawless agency.

"But the important thing for everyone to remember is that it did not have to be this way.

"Despite what some Republicans are saying, this is not something they are forced to do-this is a policy choice that Republicans are making. Because there has been a straightforward bipartisan path available this entire time. Democrats have been ready, willing, and truly begging Republicans to work with us to enact some very basic reforms as part of a bipartisan funding bill.

"I have spent weeks working hard to land the plane on some common-sense steps-and we were having some productive conversations across the aisle and actually with the White House. But the White House publicly agreed to enact a set of steps into law. But ultimately, Republicans decided to walk away and end any talk of reforms. Even when we offered a narrower set of basic reforms in exchange for some funding, Republicans said 'nope, won't do it.' They ultimately refused to enact even the basic reforms that the White House itself agreed to! So, nobody's hand was forced here. Republicans just chose to walk away from basic reforms the American people were demanding.

"And what's more-they've decided-instead of spending their time working on urgent issues like oversight of Trump's war, addressing skyrocketing costs, instead of using taxpayer dollars to actually solve problems for families, who see health care costs rising, child care costs increasing, energy costs, housing costs-Republicans have chosen to waste their time, and waste your money writing Stephen Miller a $70 billion check, and turning a blind eye to the rights that he and ICE are trampling.

"This is not what America wants. It is not what America stands for. You can bet Democrats will be pushing every single minute to stop this massive waste of time and money, and focus on how we can help working families instead. And if Republicans decide that instead of cutting another enormous check for ICE, they'd like to resume conversations about a bipartisan path forward to enact some basic reforms-I'm right here where I've always been: at the table, ready to get it done."

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