Charles E. Schumer
Senator for New York · Democratic · United States
“I am calling on Pete Hegseth, Marco Rubio, and Donald Trump to tell the entire Congress everything they are telling the Republicans about the Iran war--both Chambers, both parties. Everything they tell Republicans behind closed doors needs to be shared in public during today's testimony.”
“I am calling on Pete Hegseth, Marco Rubio, and Donald Trump to tell the entire Congress everything they are telling the Republicans about the Iran war--both Chambers, both parties. Everything they tell Republicans behind closed doors needs to be shared in public during today's testimony.”
“For the low price of $100,000 a month, an investor can turn a profit off early access to Trump's market-moving posts. Trump imposes new tariffs? Subscribers can short their stocks before anyone else. Trump announces a new contract? Subscribers know where to invest. Trump shakes up the Fed?”
“For the low price of $100,000 a month, an investor can turn a profit off early access to Trump's market-moving posts. Trump imposes new tariffs? Subscribers can short their stocks before anyone else. Trump announces a new contract? Subscribers know where to invest. Trump shakes up the Fed?”
“How many American families do you think can afford $100,000 a month to get a leg up in the market? Trump is doing what he always does: selling out America, American interests, and the American people to the highest bidder. Republicans ought to be up in arms about Truth API and the latest news about Trump's foreign jet.”
“How many American families do you think can afford $100,000 a month to get a leg up in the market? Trump is doing what he always does: selling out America, American interests, and the American people to the highest bidder. Republicans ought to be up in arms about Truth API and the latest news about Trump's foreign jet.”
The complete record
Every one of 375 lines we hold for Charles E. Schumer, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 4 of 8.
“Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded. The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Without objection, it is so ordered. Recognition of the Minority Leader The Democratic leader is recognized. Iran”
“Under the previous order, the clerk will read the title of the joint resolution for the third time. The joint resolution was ordered to be engrossed for a third reading and was read the third time. Vote on S.J. Res. 49 The PRESIDING OFFICER. The joint resolution having been read the third time, the question is, Shall the joint resolution pass?”
“Mr. President, this resolution presents Republicans with a choice: Stand with Donald Trump or stand with American families hurt by the trade war. The dismal GDP numbers today should be a wake-up call to Republican Senators now more than ever. Donald Trump is doing with the economy and tariffs what he did with his own business: Drive them under. It is terrible. We hope that Republicans will join us because the devastation of the tariffs is apparent. Families are paying more. IRAs are going down. The country is on the edge of a recession because businesses are paralyzed. The only solution: Pass our legislation, have Johnson pass it in the House, and tell President Trump his tariff policies are chaotic and plain dumb. I yield the floor. The PRESIDING OFFICER.”
“Democrats will never, never allow the SAVE Act to become law. I once again thank my colleague from Rhode Island for sponsoring this act. I yield the floor. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Colorado.”
“So if you are one of the 50 percent of Americans without a passport or one of the 21 million American citizens who don't have access to your birth or citizenship certificate, Republicans wants to make it harder--not easier, harder--for you to vote. If you are one of the 69 million Americans who changed your name after you got married and your certificates don't [[Page S2701]] match your current name or if you have currently moved recently and changed addresses, Republicans want to make it harder for you to vote. It is one unnecessary hurdle after another. We know the SAVE Act is not about securing our elections. It is about suppressing voters. It is about making it harder to vote and easier to cheat. It is despicable. It is damaging--beyond damaging. It goes against the very foundations of our democracy.”
“It is done with one purpose in mind: voter suppression. What they have in mind is they think those that vote Democratic are less likely to vote than Republicans if this passes. It is trying to slant the elections away from free and fair. Every single State already prohibits noncitizens from voting in State elections. So Republicans are trying to strip our democracy down to its studs, all to fix a problem that doesn't exist. Under the SAVE Act, if you want to register to vote or if you want to simply update your registration, it would be harder than it is right now because on top of your ID card, you will need to provide either your passport, birth certificate, or citizenship certificate.”
“Every Senate Democrat, every single one of us, is united against it. They need 60 votes. The SAVE Act is dead on arrival. I would like to say it louder so my friends in the House and the rightwing over here can hear: The SAVE Act is dead on arrival. Democrats and Americans see this bill for what it is--a nasty, vicious attack on our democracy. The SAVE Act reads more like a how-to guide for voter suppression rather than a serious attempt to secure our elections. The SAVE Act would make easy methods of voter registration--like online registration, registration by mail, and registration drives--a thing of the past. Massive purges would inevitably remove many American citizens from the voter rolls, and it is already wholly unnecessary. Federal law prohibits noncitizens from voting in Federal elections.”
“They don't understand the sacredness of elections and keeping them fair. The kind of legislation, the kind of Executive orders which are so jaundiced, so slanted on the side of one party, are the antithesis of democracy. On the one side, Donald Trump recently issued an Executive order that would coerce States to prevent millions of Americans from voting. On the other, Republicans in Congress are pushing the SAVE Act--one of the most destructive, dangerous voter-suppression bills in recent memory. It is very reminiscent of Jim Crow. That is what Republicans want to do--they want to not only restore Jim Crow in the South; they want to have Jim Crow spread from one end of this country to the other. It will not happen. It will not happen. Let me be clear. I will not let this noxious bill, the SAVE Act, become law.”
“Mr. President, first, I want to thank Senators Padilla and Reed for holding the floor on such a vital issue to our country, our democracy, and who we are as a people. I thank Senators Klobuchar and Bennet for participating as well and all the others who did as well. Well, we know that free and fair elections are the very wellspring of American democracy. When you ask people around the world ``What is great about America?'' this is one of the first things they say: ``They have elections, real elections, free elections.'' But unfortunately--deeply unfortunately--no administration has come closer to destroying that wellspring than the Trump administration. Donald Trump and Republicans are putting our elections in a vice grip-- Executive orders from the President on one end and dangerous legislation from Congress on the other.”
“So today they have to choose: Stick with Trump, or stand with your States and the people of America. I thank my colleague and yield to the Senator from Oregon, the ranking member of Finance, who has done such a great job on this issue. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Oregon.”
“The only thing Donald Trump's tariffs have succeeded in is raising the [[Page S2688]] odds of recession and sending markets into a tailspin. I have talked to business owners in New York. I was in Suffolk County at Tandy's, a well-known dress seller there. Her costs are going up 30 percent because of tariffs, and she is faced with two awful choices: raise prices or lay off employees. And she doesn't want to do either. Small businesses, medium businesses, big businesses--they are all frozen because they don't know what Donald Trump will do next. They can't plan for the future. Their costs are rising. They can't hire new workers. It is happening all over America. Senate Republicans know deep down that Donald Trump's tariffs are awful for their States.”
“If the Senate passes this bill, Speaker Johnson and House Republicans should immediately drop their opposition or else they will be complicit in pushing America into a recession. One thing is clear, Donald Trump's tariffs have been a total failure. Instead of isolating China, Donald Trump's tariffs are isolating us. Instead of spurring American manufacturing, Trump's tariffs are raising costs and driving us into a recession. There is no strategy with Trump's tariffs, only chaos. One day, Donald Trump says yes to tariffs; the next day, no to tariffs; one day, tariffs on this country; the next day, tariffs on that country. Even Donald Trump's own policy advisers are struggling to explain his flip- flopping.”
“Mr. President, later this afternoon, Senators Wyden, Kaine, and I will force a vote here in the Senate to put an end to Donald Trump's stupid and reckless trade war. I thank Senators Wyden and Kaine for their leadership on this issue. We will have now more than 3 hours of debate on it, and that begins now. Our resolution presents Republicans with a choice: stand with Donald Trump or stand with American families hurt by his trade war. The dismal GDP numbers today should be a wake-up call to Republican Senators now more than ever. Four Republicans joined us last time to pass a resolution blocking tariffs on Canada because they knew how bad those tariffs were for people back home. Many more Republicans should join us today as the disastrous economic consequences of Trump's reckless trade war gets worse every single day.”
“Donald Trump is deporting American citizens with no due process, and the American people don't like it. One of the traits of a dictator is someone hostile to all forms of accountability, to all forms of criticism. That is Donald Trump to a tee. He is scared of debate. He is scared of opposition. He can't stand the idea of others disagreeing with him. So, instead, he tries to crush anything he views as opposition. That is not strength; that is a sign of deep, deep, deep insecurity. The more Donald Trump tries to take America down this ominous road, the more he will face resistance. Democrats will oppose his agenda. The courts will oppose his attacks. Most of all, the American people will resist his hostile takeover of our democracy. I yield the floor. Recognition of the Majority Leader The PRESIDING OFFICER.”
“Donald Trump is everything the Founding Fathers worried about when they wrote the Constitution. They feared a man who would see the rule of law as a nuisance, who would consider the truth as an inconvenience, and who would regard his fellow citizens as little more than subjects. Either kiss the ring, bow before the throne, or watch your back--that is the ethos of Donald J. Trump. Republicans howled at the Moon for years about weaponizing government, but no President in American history has weaponized the government like Donald Trump has in 100 days. The Department of Justice has become his personal henchman. He is assaulting the freedom of the press. He is assaulting our education system and institutions of higher learning. His deportation force is expelling American citizens with no due process. Let me repeat that.”
“It is one big ``f'' word: ``failure.'' While our economy sinks in real time, while consumers get saddled with Donald Trump's tariffs, Republicans are complicit. They are coconspirators. They are aiding and abetting Donald Trump as he cuts taxes for billionaires. They are aiding and abetting Donald Trump as he wants to obliterate Medicaid. They are aiding and abetting Donald Trump as he wants to add $52 trillion to the national debt. They want to help the richest of the rich while telling the working people to get lost. The Republican agenda boils down to five dismal words: ``Billionaires win; American families lose.'' This is a recipe for failure if there ever has been one. Finally, as Donald Trump destroys our economy, the American people cannot and will not stand by as he also tries to destroy our democracy.”
“Rental housing is up. The price of a new car is up. Household appliances are up. Big retailers are warning that Donald Trump's trade war will make the problem far, far worse. Foreign policy? Total failure. Putin is emboldened. China is not coming to the table. Our allies are all losing trust. He is ready to break up the European alliance over Ukraine. DOGE? Total failure. Elon Musk talked a big game on cutting waste and reducing fraud, but DOGE is attacking Social Security, attacking veterans' care, attacking cancer research. That is not cutting waste, Mr. Musk. That doesn't make the government more efficient. That puts a dagger to the programs that America needs and which make our country strong. The list goes on. Rooting out corruption? Failure. Transparency? Failure. The rule of law? Failure. Economic optimism? Failure.”
“Our Republican colleagues have an opportunity to stop Donald Trump. Our resolution presents Republicans with a choice: Stand with Donald Trump or stand with American families. The GDP number today should be a wake-up call to Republican Senators now more than ever. Four voted with us the last time on tariffs about Canada. Many more should vote with us this time given the new numbers and given that this resolution covers all of the countries that Donald Trump has so failed on with tariffs. Senate Republicans know deep down that Donald Trump's tariff policies are awful for their States, so they have to choose today: Stick with Trump or stand with your States. But the failures don't stop there, just at tariffs. What about his promise to bring down costs? Again, failure--failure to bring down costs. Grocery prices are up. Housing is up.”
“As he is doing this, his policy advisers have different explanations for what he is doing and why he is doing it. Businesses pay the price for Donald Trump's failed policies. When businesses don't know what the President will do next, they can't plan for the future. They are not going to hire workers. I have talked to business leaders--small businesses, medium-sized businesses, and big businesses--in New York, and I am sure this is true around the country. They are holding off on any new spending because they don't know what Donald Trump will do next. His chaos is just totally impeding our economy. We are seeing it happen in real time. Because the tariff policy has been such a mess, such a failure, today, later today, Senators Wyden, Kaine, and I will force a vote here in the Senate to stop Donald Trump's trade wars.”
“Donald Trump's first 100 days have been defined by one big ``f'' word: ``failure.'' Donald Trump's first 100 days have been defined by the ``f'' word: ``failure''--failure on the economy, failure to lower costs, failure on foreign policy, failure on democracy, failure everywhere you look. Donald Trump must admit his failure and reverse course and immediately fire his economic team. Otherwise, we will see more of the same: failure and chaos and total incompetence. His tariff strategy?--total failure. China is not coming to the table. Manufacturing is not racing back to our shores. There is no strategy--only chaos. Every day, he changes his mind. One day, he says yes to tariffs; the next day, no. One day, this country is on the list; the next day, that country is on the list. No tariffs. Double the tariffs. On and on and on.”
“Mr. President, Americans woke up this morning to some [[Page S2680]] very troubling news. The economy shrank in the first quarter of 2025 by 0.3 percent. It shrank. It was growing until now. It shrank. It is the worst quarter in years. Businesses, families, and consumers are bracing themselves for the hammer blow of Donald Trump's tariffs, and it is sending the economy into a tailspin. Today's GDP numbers show that Donald Trump is running America the same way he ran his businesses--into the ground. Before our very eyes, Donald Trump's policies of tariffs and tax hikes are strangling the economy.”
“Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered. Recognition of the Minority Leader The Democratic leader is recognized. Trump Administration First 100 Days”
“As America marks the first 100 days of the worst President of our lifetimes, I ask Americans to look at this administration for what it is--a full frontal attack on the core elements of what makes America truly great: The rule of people over kings and oligarchs; the rule of law, not the dictates of an authoritarian; respect for the rights of all people, respect for all people; and a commitment to promoting the general welfare for the whole, not cruel and cheapskate voting. Let us commit ourselves, all of us--Democrats here in the Senate-- against this administration and to uphold the core values and principles of this beautiful Nation which we must fight to preserve and protect. I yield the floor. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Minnesota.”
“And the American people will not tolerate--will not tolerate--your disruption, your threat, your trying to end, in a sense, our democracy. Good news is this: Donald Trump's destructive agenda has one great weakness--the American people themselves. Most Americans vehemently reject the path which he is trying to take our country on costs, on chaos, on corruption, on democracy. The American people are not giving up. They are standing up. They are organizing. They are resisting, and Democrats are standing with them shoulder to shoulder and with our country.”
“When the Founders drafted our Constitution, they feared a man like Donald Trump who sees the rule of law as a nuisance, considers the truth an inconvenience, regards his fellow citizens as little more than subjects: Kiss the ring, bow before the throne, or watch your back. That is the ethos of Donald Trump. He has moved with lightning speed to weaponize the Federal Government against anyone he thinks might oppose him. He doesn't believe in democracy, debate, or honest disagreement. He simply wants to crush his opponents. That is what dictators do. What is so interesting, Madam President, Americans are as angry about that as they are about their higher costs because the roots, Donald Trump, of democracy go deep in the American people.”
“We are not just hearing it from Democrats. We are not just hearing it from people who are out on the streets protesting. We are hearing it from average folks who don't really care about politics but are getting hurt, and it is making them look at Donald Trump and say: Whoa, this is not what I bargained for. And, of course, last but not least is the threat to our democratic republic. He is acting like a King, a mob boss, a wannabe dictator. He said he wanted to be a dictator on day one; it looks like he is extending it. Any quarter of opposition that might say something in our tradition of free speech and debate, he tries to crush--crush the law firms, crush the universities, go after the judges which have been a foundation of our Republic. The judges are independent and are able to stop an executive that is going too far.”
“Whatever he thinks will appeal to people that moment, he says. And he [[Page S2640]] doesn't even know what appeals to people. It is really what appeals to his own ego, which seems to be governing this country more than any rational policies or caring. The chaos makes Americans' heads spin--firing people who manage our nuclear arsenal, then saying: Never mind, oops. But, you know, when you fire people, they don't all come back. Of course, their morale is shaken. These are good people who worked so hard for so long. The long and short of it is this: Donald Trump's 100 days is 100 days of corruption, cronyism, of higher costs--much higher costs to the American people. It really is awful. The poll numbers show it. But we don't need the poll numbers to tell us. We have all been back in our districts. We are hearing it.”
“Oh, no, maybe I am not. This tariff is going to stay in place. This one will be reduced. Then he flips it. Again, no sound businessperson is going to plan ahead. That is why, not Democrats, but places like the big banks and big analysts say chances of a recession could be as high as 60 percent. What does a recession mean to the average family? You could get laid off. If you need to find a job, it is harder. Costs go up. Stagflation is likely to occur. It is nasty, brutal to people. So chaos is there; and chaos, of course, is in foreign policy. I was amazed last week on one day when Donald Trump was over at the Vatican, he says he had a great talk with Putin and acted like there was going to be a deal. Next day, he says: I had a terrible talk with Putin, and he didn't even talk to Putin in between. He makes it up.”
“Only an administration that exhibits a meanness--almost a viciousness--would do it. But that is what Trump, DOGE, and Musk and all their henchmen who work there are doing. This is just a terrible, terrible 100 days for anyone who depends on Medicaid. And that is a huge number--tens of millions of people in America. And there is also chaos in so many other places. Every single day, Donald Trump's administration lurches from one crisis to the next. For all their talk of bringing back meritocracy, their administration seems addicted to chaos and incompetence--hardly meritocratic. Every day, there is a new decision, new reversal, new course correction, only to give way the next day to whatever impulsive decision comes next. Tariffs are a great example. One day he says yes to tariffs. The next day he says: No, I am negotiating with countries.”
“And when they are cutting the healthcare of veterans, these people who served us are told: ``Go away.'' And the cruelty with which they are firing people in the VA and other Agencies--I know one woman who was a former veteran. She served our country, risked her life, got injured. She was helped by the VA, then decided to work there. She saw the good work they were doing. She loved her job. She didn't get paid that much, but she loved helping her fellow veterans. One night, Friday night, she comes home and on her computer is: You are fired. Don't show up to the office until further notice. This woman was distraught. Why was she fired? What did she do wrong? What of her services serving the veterans at the Buffalo VA home--what services were not needed, were superfluous, were waste? There were none. She was just cruelly fired.”
“And even if Donald Trump ended Trump's tariffs tomorrow, the damage is already done because leaders don't know what he is going to do next. It is not just the tariffs, the prices, and recession. Americans are worried about the costs of cutting to their healthcare, cutting their Social Security, cutting Medicaid. They are going to slash Medicaid. I was in six of the Republican districts in New York State last week. All six had Democrats, Republicans, Independents frightened to death about what will happen if Medicaid is cut. They could lose their jobs. Elderly people could be kicked out of nursing homes. Healthcare would diminish for everybody.”
“She proudly voted for Donald Trump but told me she is seeing her costs rise 30 percent. She is frustrated--frustrated that the President she supported put her whole business, which she put everything into, at risk. Donald Trump's tariffs are a MAGA double whammy. Not only are they eating the people's bottom lines, his chaotic approach makes it harder for people in businesses to plan ahead at all. If you are a business, you don't know what he is going to do 2 weeks from now or 5 weeks from now, so you don't spend. You don't build a new plant. You don't hire the new worker. Small businesses have to cut back because they don't have a cushion. Every business is getting clobbered by Donald Trump's chaotic tariff policies.”
“We urge national retailers to be honest with their constituents, with their customers. I urge national retailers, when you post prices online for your products, show the consumer exactly how much tariffs are added to the total price. Cars would have been X dollars, but now they are X plus Y dollars. Show it to the American people because it is hurting you, retailers. Don't let them blame you. They should be blaming Trump. Be honest with your customers. Show them exactly how Donald Trump's tariffs are making prices go up. Americans deserve to know who is picking their pockets. And smaller businesses shouldn't take a downfall of Donald Trump either. His policies are forcing them to an impossible choice: hike your prices or risk shutting down your doors. On Long Island, a small business owner told me she is losing sleep over tariffs.”
“The stock market is on pace for its worst 100 days of any Presidential term since Nixon. What happened to Donald Trump bragging about the stock market like he always liked to do? There is not much to brag about these days. No President in history has promised more on day one and delivered less by day 100 than Donald Trump. In record time, the President has turned his golden promise into an economic ticking time bomb. It gets worse every day. He is trying to call it progress. He says to people: Americans won't mind paying more. That is the arrogance of a billionaire--the arrogance of a billionaire. Thanks to Donald Trump's stupid trade wars--which have failed to rein in countries like China--CEOs and small business owners are warning about rising prices, empty shelves, disrupted supply chains.”
“They are destroying the guardrails of government. They are destroying every part of anything that opposes them, all so they can take more money away from working people and give it to themselves. Let's talk about it. First and most urgently, maybe--they are all very urgent; that is the only reason I say ``maybe.'' But the first 100 days of Donald Trump have meant 100 days of rising costs. For months before he became President, Trump promised that if elected, costs would go down, that America would be affordable again. Well, prices haven't gone down. Quite the opposite. Groceries up; gas and energy prices up; clothing, cars, homes up. What about retirement savings? Down. What about consumer confidence? Down. In fact, consumer expectations are at their lowest level in over a decade.”
“So tonight, Senate Democrats come to the floor to expose this administration for what it is: a full-frontal attack against the fabric of America, a full-frontal attack on our economy and on people's pocketbooks, and a full-frontal attack, finally, on working people in the middle class to take away people's Medicaid, their Social Security, veterans' care, healthcare, and more--all to give tax cuts to the very wealthy. Another way to describe this administration: Billionaires win, American families lose. There is a cabal of very greedy people who run the White House. They are rich. They have no understanding of what average Americans go through. And they plunder the government, then slash programs we so desperately need for average families--all for tax cuts for the rich. And there is a second thing they are doing.”
“Maybe most of all, it has been 100 days of costs--costs going up and up and up because of tariffs; costs to working people because programs vital to them--Medicaid, Social Security, Medicare, veterans' benefits, housing, SNAP--are being threatened or even already taken away to some extent, and it will be a greater extent once we see their reconciliation bill. So Donald Trump promised a golden age on the day he took the oath of office. What Americans are learning instead is it is fool's gold. Americans got corrosion, erosion, and rot--corrosion across this administration, erosion across this economy, and rot within the foundations of our democracy.”
“Nobody ever seems to know which way is up, and many of them just lie outright to the American people. It is corruption. Donald Trump, Elon Musk, and Republicans are highjacking the government, raiding the public's piggy bank, and picking the pockets of the American people to enrich themselves. These billionaires are using the [[Page S2639]] government to even make more money. It is despicable. We have never seen anything like it, the level of corruption and self-dealing, in America before. MAGA grifters are getting rich off meme coins, and the White House lawn has been turned into a Tesla dealership. It makes Americans cringe. This is not the American way. This has not been a hallmark of our history.”
“Madam President, first, I thank my colleagues, the ones I have heard so far--Senator Blumenthal, Senator Coons. I know Senator Klobuchar will be great as always, as will Senator Baldwin. But I thank them all for coming. Democrats are holding the floor late tonight to expose the disaster of Donald Trump's first 100 days in office. We will be speaking for several more hours. This week marks the 100th day of Donald Trump's second term as President of the United States. It has been 100 days from hell, and people are fed up. One hundred days in, the legacy of Donald Trump's second term is already set: chaos, corruption, costs. It is chaos, one fiasco after another. One minute, Donald Trump and his people say one thing, and then they say it is the opposite, and then they say something else entirely.”
“So as America marks 100 days of the worst President of our lifetimes, I ask America to look at this administration for what it is: a full frontal attack on the core elements of what has made America truly great--the rule of people over kings and oligarchs, the rule of law and not the dictates of an authoritarian, respect for the rights of all people, and a commitment to ``promoting the general welfare'' for the whole of society--not cruel, cheap, and lying scapegoating. So let us commit ourselves, America. Let us commit ourselves to continue to struggle against this administration and to uphold the core values and principles of this great Nation. I yield the floor. I suggest the absence of a quorum. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll. The senior assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.”
“If you thought something like this could never happen in America, then unfortunately you were wrong. It is happening right in front of us. And what did Donald Trump have to say about the risk of deporting U.S. citizens? He said: Let me tell you that nothing will ever be perfect in this world. That is what he said. That is disgusting--just disgusting. If it was a member of his family trapped in such a calamity, would he say, ``Tough luck; nothing is perfect''? Donald Trump's inability to feel empathy for people who do not look like him is shocking to the core.”
“He has fired public workers by the tens of thousands and illegally paralyzed Agency after Agency that helps everyday Americans. He has attacked the free press. He has attacked our education system. He has attacked our scientists. He is systematically attempting to weaken any political opposition, anyone who might hold him accountable. In the name of security, which is a favorite justification for many of history's despots, Trump is arresting people with little due process and, in some cases, without even regard to immigration status. Last week--just look at last week--four American citizens, all of them children, two of them battling life-threatening cancers, were deported from the U.S., from their homeland--they are citizens like we are--and sent to places like Honduras. Let me repeat: These are American citizens, Donald Trump.”
“They feared a man who sees rule of law as a nuisance, who considers the truth an inconvenience, who regards his fellow citizens as little more than subjects. Either kiss the ring, bow before the throne, or watch your back: That is the ethos of Donald Trump. Kiss the ring, bow before the throne, or watch your back: the Trumpian ethos. In 100 days, Donald Trump has moved with lightning speed to weaponize the Federal Government against anyone he thinks might oppose him. Plain and simple, Donald Trump does not believe in democracy or debate, nor do the people around him. He doesn't believe in honest disagreement. He simply wants to crush his opponents. And that is what dictators do. He wiped the government clean of its independent watchdogs and rid the government of most measures of transparency.”
“The only thing historic about Donald Trump's golden age is how fast public confidence in him has collapsed, faster than any other President in modern history. Americans don't trust him on the economy, nor should they. They don't trust him on keeping America safe, nor should they. They don't trust him on his ability to fight for the interests of ordinary people because they know that the whole place is run by a small cadre of billionaires who don't really care about average folks at all. And we are only 100 days in. And, finally, on a related subject, let me say this: As Donald Trump races to sabotage the American economy, he has likewise already inflicted lasting harm to the foundations of American democracy. When our Founders drafted the Constitution, they feared precisely a man like Donald Trump.”
“Are Americans supposed to just take it when Donald Trump says families should be OK with prices going up, with experiencing some pain and disturbance? That is what he says: It is OK if prices go up. You will get some pain and disturbance. Pretty rich coming from a billionaire. American consumers are not supposed to take it. There is precious little, if anything, on the economic front to feel good about 100 days into Trump 2.0. And don't take it from me. Today, Donald Trump has lower approval ratings than he did at this point in 2017; [[Page S2616]] and, in fact, he has the lowest approval ratings of any President through 100 days in the last 80 years, when they started doing these polls.”
“The Dow Jones is on track for its worst April since 1932. Did you hear that, Donald Trump? Your beloved stock market is on track for the worst April since 1932, the last year of Herbert Hoover. I ask this Chamber, Mr. President: Is this what the golden age looks like? Are we supposed to feel good that Donald Trump has singlehandedly pushed us to the brink of a recession? This President, who governs chaotically and reverses himself like a weather vane in a windstorm, is driving the robust American economy into a ditch. I think if you asked Americans to pick one word that describes Donald Trump's economy and how he is handling it, it would be one word, a five-letter word: chaos, C-H-A-O-S. Another five-letter word is Trump, T-R-U-M-P. Chaos equals Trump; Trump equals chaos.”
“To the large businesses that sell to consumers, I say: Show your customers how much tariffs are hurting their pocketbooks. People deserve to know the impact tariffs have on their finances. And certainly, when people hear it, they will let their Congressmen and Senators know. And businesses, then you will have a chance to get rid of these tariffs, which are so stultifying your ability to move forward. And it is also small businesses. They don't want to get blamed for hiking prices when Donald Trump's tariffs have put them in a terrible position--in a position that says: Raise your prices or close your doors. They hate doing either. And, finally, let's not forget Donald Trump's favorite measuring stick, the stock market, which he has conspicuously been silent about over the last few months.”
“They are not thinking of buying the new car or new furniture because they are worried. And then businesses--seeing that, hearing that--they hold back. I have heard from business after business, large and small. Everything is on freeze. Everything is hold. And you know what that does? That leads to a recession. In fact, Amazon announced that they will begin displaying how much tariffs contribute to the total price of products to consumers. I urge more companies--particularly national retailers that compete with Amazon--to adopt this practice. If Amazon has the courage to display why prices are going up because of tariffs, so should all of our other national retailers who compete with them, and I am calling on them to do it now.”
“Americans are still paying more and more today for their groceries, their rent, their housing, their gas, their cars, auto parts, drugs, and household necessities. And Donald Trump's asinine trade war has made it all the worse. And 44 percent of families now believe they will be worse off financially a year from now--a level of pessimism not even seen during the Great Depression or the 1970s' stagflation. According to an AP-NORC poll, half of Americans are worried about a recession and expect inflation to keep going up. And these aren't just poll numbers. When I talk to New Yorkers, when I hear from Americans, that is exactly where they are at. Consumer sentiment is at a decades- long low. It has plunged by 30 percent. So the consumer is holding back. They are not spending. They are not planning that trip to see the grandkids.”
“The truth is this: No President in modern history has promised more on day one and delivered less by day 100 than Donald Trump. In record time, the President has turned a golden promise into an economic ticking time bomb. It is getting worse every day, and he calls it progress. Let's remember what Donald Trump said again and again on the campaign trail. Starting on day one-- He said-- we will end inflation and make America affordable again. A vote for Trump-- He said-- means your groceries will be cheaper. We are going to get your energy prices down by 50 percent. Well, the opposite is happening. The economic winds are pointing in the wrong direction and reaching hurricane speed.”