Chris Van Hollen
Senator for Maryland · Democratic · United States
“Congressional Record, Volume 172 Issue 115 (Wednesday, July 15, 2026) [Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 115 (Wednesday, July 15, 2026)] [Senate] [Page S4105] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] TRIBUTE TO COLONEL YOLANDA D. GORE Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Mr.”
“Congressional Record, Volume 172 Issue 115 (Wednesday, July 15, 2026) [Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 115 (Wednesday, July 15, 2026)] [Senate] [Page S4105] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] TRIBUTE TO COLONEL YOLANDA D. GORE Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Mr.”
“She brought modernization to Fort Meade and the surrounding community by implementing a barracks renovation project, helping break ground on a child development center, and reforming physical security across the installation.”
“She brought modernization to Fort Meade and the surrounding community by implementing a barracks renovation project, helping break ground on a child development center, and reforming physical security across the installation.”
“She earned a bachelor's degree in family and consumer science business and later went on to earn a master of arts in leadership and management from Webster University and a master of arts in strategic studies from the Army War College.”
“She earned a bachelor's degree in family and consumer science business and later went on to earn a master of arts in leadership and management from Webster University and a master of arts in strategic studies from the Army War College.”
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“It is a sales tax on the products that everyday Americans use, especially groceries and clothing and building supplies, for farmers, the cost of fertilizer that they need as they are engaging in spring planting. Trump's worldwide tariffs are nothing but a new sales tax. And the analysis, as this chart shows, of who the tariffs raise taxes on, like every other form of sales tax, tariffs are regressive. They hit lower income people the most. The average tax change as a share of income if the Trump tariffs are implemented, it is essentially on the poorest 20 percent of the American population, the equivalent to an additional 6.2 percent sales tax. For the next wealthiest quintile up, it is a 5.5-percent increase on the sales tax.”
“Businesses that import natural products to turn into finished products have to pay a tariff on the import. Businesses who sell their product abroad are losing markets as nations put retaliatory tariffs on the United States. And so these businesses are pausing their investment decisions. Businesses in Virginia that are connected to multinational businesses are saying that their headquarters are deciding, well, we can invest in the United States or we can invest in another country. It is not wise to invest in the United States when everything is so chaotic. Let's be clear, and I spoke about this with my colleagues when I talked [[Page S2692]] about the Canada tariff provision that we successfully rebuked the President on a month ago. A tariff is nothing more than a sales tax.”
“And as my colleagues have said, it is a tariff war that gets announced and then suspended and then delayed and then announced again and then exceptions might be granted if we like you or not. It is chaos. Last week, I traveled around the Commonwealth of Virginia, and I talked to businesses everywhere in my State. And they talked about the layoffs and they talked about the spending cuts and they talked about the tariffs and they added those three together and said what those three add up to is chaos--the chaos of unpredictability. Many businesses told me that they want to make investments. They want to make investments to grow their businesses in Virginia, but they are unwilling to make a decision to invest as long as the rules of the road are chaotic and up in the air.”
“That is what he had just 100 days ago. And we know this morning that strong economy, which was growing for 3 years at a very solid pace, is now contracting. It is not only the contraction of the economy, it is chaos in the stock market; it is declining consumer confidence; it is projections of recession by Federal Reserve districts and major economists. All of this is happening because Donald Trump has pursued a three- step strategy of his own: massive layoffs of employees, contrary to congressionally passed appropriations bills, massive slashing of Federal spending programs, including those relied upon by everyday Americans in contravention of congressionally appropriated spending bills, and the waging of a tariff war against the entire planet.”
“But President Trump finds Congress an inconvenience, and he has decided to take both of these powers onto his own shoulders by imposing a national sales tax--that is what his global tariff regime is--without any vote in Congress, purely on his own say-so, and to engage every nation in the world in a trade war on his own say-so without involving Congress. President Trump has said in the past: ``I alone can fix it,'' and we know that that statement is false. No one alone can fix the big challenges facing our Nation. But I think if he were to say, ``I alone can break it,'' the results of the last 100 days would have proven him correct. President Trump, on Inauguration Day, inherited the strongest economy on the planet Earth--not a perfect economy but the strongest economy, the envy of other industrialized nations.”
“It is time for us--Democrats, Republicans, and Independents--to step up and head off a crisis before millions more American families are hurt. We have the power. We just need the courage to use it. I yield the floor. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Virginia. Mr. KAINE. Mr. President, the Constitution of the United States puts two powers clearly--clearly--within the hands of Congress: the power to tax and the power to conduct trade policy, including the imposition of tariffs. These are powers for Congress, not the Executive.”
“Unless we take action now, millions of people will lose their jobs, families will be destroyed, and our economy will take years to recover. But this time, it will be the President of the United States who destroyed our economy, and it will be congressional Republicans who helped him do it because they didn't have the spine to stand up to Donald Trump. So I say to my Republican colleagues: Let's get this done. You have a choice. You can either continue to enable Donald Trump's tariff chaos, or you could actually stand up for our constituents. It is truly that simple. The chaos and corruption of Trump's first 100 days can be curbed. The President is no King, and he only has as much power as Congress is willing to let him keep.”
“This is the moment for Congress to step up. And where are the Senate Republicans? Watching? Waiting? Hoping it doesn't get worse? Hoping that maybe somebody else will step up? Well, I am here to say: It is up to us in the U.S. Senate. No one else is coming to save us. We are the ones who have to act. If Republicans care about the American people, they will vote yes on our resolution today and turn off the fake emergency that Donald Trump is using to impose his on-again, off-again red-light, green-light tariffs--the tariffs that are pushing our economy off a cliff. Let me repeat: Congress can end this economic threat today. All we need are some Republican Senators to join us to vote down the President's abuse of emergency authorities.”
“We have seen this before, but this time our economy is teetering on the edge not because of a mortgage meltdown or a one-in-a-century virus but because of one man alone: the President of the United States. Unless we reverse course quickly, many economists believe that a recession is inevitable. And like in all recessions, the pain will fall hardest on working families. Many Americans will face the one-two punch of job losses on top of overwhelming debt burdens. A cascade of defaults and foreclosures and personal bankruptcies could follow. With so many indications that American families are in serious trouble, our government should be throwing them a lifeline. Instead, President Trump is throwing them an anchor, while he carves out exceptions for a few well-connected billionaires who have bent the knee.”
“history, which is already increasing costs for American households and damaging our economy. So let's take a step back and talk about what has happened since Trump started this trade war. The stock market took the biggest plunge since the early days of the pandemic, sinking millions of Americans' retirement accounts. Businesses have begun hiking prices and laying off workers. Americans are worried that they won't be able to survive a cratering economy. And, just today, Americans woke up to the news that Donald Trump single-handedly shrunk our economy in 3 months and raised the cost of their groceries. The warning lights are all flashing red.”
“Support this resolution. I yield the floor. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Massachusetts. Ms. WARREN. Mr. President, President Trump took a strong American economy and broke it in less than 100 days. Right now, Republican Senators are at a crossroads. Will they vote to stop Trump's chaotic tariffs and save our economy, or will they continue bending the knee to Donald Trump? That is the vote that we are forcing tonight. When he ran for office, Donald Trump promised, over and over and over, that he would lower costs on day one. Those were his words: Lower costs on day one. In fact, he said after he was elected that it was one of the main reasons that he won. But as soon as the election was over, he ignored that promise. Instead of working to lower costs on day one, he has decided to start the dumbest trade war in U.S.”
“It is not other countries, as the President [[Page S2691]] would like you to believe, and those costs get passed on to the consumer. Meanwhile, the world is moving on without us, as I explained a minute ago. So let's be clear about the stakes of what we are debating today: A vote against this resolution is a vote to maintain Trump's tariffs that are so clearly devastating our economy already. It will move us closer to a recession solely of Trump's doing. You can't blame it on anybody else. And it is a vote against the American worker, a vote against the American economy, a vote against American competitiveness. Is that what you want to go back and tell your constituents? Colleagues, I urge you to listen to your constituents, to small businesses in our respective States, the State and local governments. It is not too late to turn back.”
“This shrinking of the economy, by the way, follows 3 years of robust growth of our economy under President Biden. I don't think our Republican colleagues will recognize that, but it is true. The numbers do not lie. So 100 days of chaos, increased costs, and corruption are shrinking our economy. To my Republican colleagues: Are you hearing this? Are you listening? Are you prepared to act? American businesses are going to be forced to take on some of these higher costs for materials, to cut back on production, to try to make ends meet, to delay investment. That is the opposite of what we need. We need more investment, not to delay or postpone investment because of tariff uncertainty. And, certainly, they are going to raise prices, because, again, when American companies have to import, it is American companies that pay the tariffs.”
“My point is this. Other markets and consumers abroad who have purchased from the United States are going to purchase elsewhere, and they are not going to revert immediately back, even if we get the President to make the right decision in the next couple of months. Now, like I said, Americans are already feeling the pain. It is going to get worse. Just this morning, the Commerce Department reported our Nation's gross domestic product for the first quarter. The results: Our quarterly GDP declined by 0.3 percent. It wasn't a reduction in growth. It was a decline of 0.3 percent in his first 100 days alone. Donald Trump's reckless policies actually shrank the American economy. Is that what he bragged about? Is that what he campaigned on? Is that what people voted for?”
“Now, when those markets are shut off to them and those countries respond to these unnecessary tariff wars provoked by President Trump, they don't stop consuming. Whether it is fruit, vegetables, electronics, or otherwise, they just find somewhere else to get it. When those other countries, those other markets, find a replacement for their supply, they are not going to give it up in 2 months, maybe, if Donald Trump wakes up in a better mood and sees the error of his ways when it comes to these tariffs--because there is that deadline, right? We are in a 90-day postponement of a lot of these tariffs, but we don't know what is coming on day 91. Tariffs are imposed. Tariffs are not imposed. More significant tariffs are imposed. I hope it has nothing to do with his poll numbers because the American public will continue to feel more pain.”
“It is also bad news for U.S. farmers and businesses that rely on the export of goods to other countries. Trump's tariffs are already damaging important supply chains in ways that will be difficult and very expensive to reverse. And, in the meantime, China and others are all too happy to fill in the void. I just had a group of growers from California in my office, just yesterday, and they were sharing with me their very specific experiences--fears--that are playing out. You see, U.S. companies, not just agricultural companies, depend on markets in China and elsewhere in Asia, India, and Europe for sales, for profits that they can, in turn, invest in their own companies and hire more employees.”
“The over $300 billion in cargo coming through what we know as the San Pedro Bay port complex is tied to nearly 1 million jobs in the region alone and 2.7 million jobs across the country. That is nearly one job for every four containers. When the richest President in history decides on his own, unlawfully, to haphazardly apply an across-the-board tax on goods--because that is what these tariffs are--the goods-moving industry is going to take a hit. It will mean fewer jobs for port workers, for truckers, and for communities across the country. It will mean more Americans out of work. While the western port communities may be the first to feel the pain, it won't be long before the effects of these tariffs reach the east coast and the gulf coast. As I mentioned, this isn't just bad news for American consumers who rely on imports.”
“I call your attention to my home State, the great State of California, home to two of the largest ports in the Nation in southern California alone, the neighboring Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, that truly power our Nation's economy. It is not an exaggeration. The Port of Los Angeles, which is the largest port in the United States, expects imports to drop by 35 percent in just 2 weeks' time, as Trump's tariffs and his manufactured chaos bring global trade to a halt. The Port of Long Beach is expecting similar declines. Take a minute to think about the magnitude of that drop in cargo volume. That decline, at the end of the day, will mean empty shelves and higher prices.”
“That means that we exercise authority over tariffs; we don't give that away to an executive branch decision. I yield the floor. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from California. Mr. PADILLA. Mr. President, as the American people can clearly see, President Trump's new tariffs have become a massive tax hike on consumers--a tax on the food we eat, a tax on the clothes we wear, the cars we drive, every cup of coffee we have in the morning. These rising costs are not just hurting consumers, actually; they are hurting American businesses and our workforce too. We are already seeing the impact. It is not a hypothetical.”
“It is not just about how they infect our economy with corruption, where it is who you know rather than how hard you work that is going to get you ahead. It is about the basic structure of our constitutional order, and every single one of us has the responsibility to protect that because that is not about us. It is not about who we represent. It is about how our country can operate with a democratic system where every single person, through their representatives, has a seat at the table. So I urge all of us to take a look at what our constitutional responsibility is. Whether we agree or not on so many different issues of vital concern to the future of this country, we each have a responsibility to act in a way that protects the constitutional system.”
“We have delegated that authority to the President, and it is wrong of us to do that. So we can have different views about whether there should be a tariff or what the rate should be, but we have a collective responsibility to do everything we can to maintain the constitutional structure of three independent branches of government, each a counterweight to the other. That is not just an abstract concept; that is the wisdom that has served us well for well over 200 years, that those checks and balances give all our citizens an opportunity to have a seat at the table when major decisions about their lives and their futures are being made. So that is why this decision that we are about to make is not just about the tariffs. It is not just about, in my view, how recklessly they are being applied and imposed.”
“There is no authority greater than the power to tax, and that is why, in the Constitution, the power to impose tariffs resides in the House of Representatives and the Senate. And shouldn't it be that way? Because in the imposition of the tax, there has to be a decision that--in asking our citizens, who we represent, to turn over hard-earned money to the government, we have to be able to justify the purpose for which those funds are being expended. By allowing the President to take over, in effect, the taxing authority that occurs when the tariff is imposed, we have ceded that responsibility to him or that authority to him, and we have abandoned our responsibility to look our constituents in the eye if and when we say a tax should be imposed. None of us like to do that, but a government has to collect revenues for the common good.”
“So there is no coherent rationale connected to the imposition of this enormous economic pain and cost increase that is being imposed on American businesses and American consumers. [[Page S2690]] The other question here that is profoundly important for this institution--every single one of us is proud to be a Member of the U.S. Senate, and I think our pride is about our pride in the Constitution as citizens where, under the Constitution, this Congress plays a role as a coequal branch of government. And I think every single one of us here is wary of the accumulation of excessive power in any one person or in any one institution. Congress has steadily over the years been ceding much of its responsibility and authority to the executive branch.”
“Another thing is there is a casual disregard for how hard it is for everyday families in the Presiding Officer's State and mine and in the ranking member's State to pay the bills because inflation has been here. Instead of arguing about who is at fault for that, let's solve the problem, not aggravate the problem. And these tariffs aggravate the problem. There is absolutely no denying that. This is just the wrong thing at the wrong time for the wrong reasons. Another element of this is, what is the purpose of these tariffs? President Trump won't give a clear answer. It is to make us rich. They will pay; we won't. It is to bring manufacturing back here. Or it is to punish folks that he deems unworthy. It depends on the day, and it depends on who is asking.”
“Do you know Bessent? Do you know the President? Oh, and by the way, if you contributed a couple million dollars to the inauguration, you probably do know them and they give out the phone number. That is absolutely outrageous. People work hard. They produce a good product. They give good service. Shouldn't they be entitled to the reward for the labor that they have done; whereas, what we are seeing now is that if you are connected, you can be rewarded regardless of how good your product is or how lousy your service is. That is offensive-- and should be--to every single one of us here, and that is absolutely what is happening in the White House.”
“It was going to increase the cost of iPhones. Well, no problem. Tim Cook was at the inauguration, sitting on the throne of honor, and he had the telephone number, made the call, and the tariffs on iPhones vanished. You know that snow globe manufacturer that I mentioned from Vermont? She does not have Howard Lutnick's phone number. She does not have Scott Bessent's phone number. She does not have President Trump's phone number. She is out of luck. So now, with these tariffs and the way they are being implemented without any congressional engagement whatsoever, we are turning our economy from one where it is based on a good product, really good service, where you compete in the marketplace and if your product is better and your service is better, you succeed, to an economy that is more based on access. Do you know Lutnick?”
“The tariffs on Colombia have resulted in this: A container that cost $700 last month--that container now costs $13,000. How do you deal with that? A hit to the margin is--no business can absorb that. Vermont is also home to one of two businesses in the world that produce these unique snow globes, and they have been in business for 25 years. It is a modest business, but it is one that was created by a Vermont entrepreneur, and it has been really successful. They are going to have to close their doors at the end of the summer with these increased tariffs, basically, on China. A second point that I think is relevant to these tariffs is the arbitrariness of their implementation and the arbitrariness of how and who is affected. We have a situation where we supposedly have these tariffs on China. Apple Computer, quite understandably, was upset.”
“Canada, by the way, happens to be our biggest trading partner, and 34 States have Canada as their major trading partner. In these tariffs--in Canada, we are a 2.1 billion import partner with Canada--20 percent tariff. China--a lot of input from China that our manufacturers use--54 percent tariff, plus who knows how many more tariffs depending on the day and how President Trump feels when he wakes up. Trinidad and Tobago: 81 million, 10 percent tariff. Germany: 75 million. Mexico: 77 million. Very frustratingly for all of us, the sweeping global tariff order unnecessarily increases prices and taxes on countries that have trade surpluses with America. I recently heard from a Vermonter who imports coffee and has a niche business that has become extremely successful.”
“Those costs are going to be increased, especially with the expected retaliatory tariffs that are imposed on us by countries subject to the arbitrary action of President Trump. Farmers are really hit hard. Most of our farmers in Vermont import their fertilizer from Canada. There is about a 25-percent increase that they are going to be paying. And these are farmers, as the Presiding Officer knows, that operate on the thinnest of margins in the most uncertain of activities, subject to weather and price fluctuations and so many other things that make our farmers courageous entrepreneurs. But why add 25 percent to the cost of fertilizer when that input cost is already so high? It is mind-boggling to think that this is a voluntary action by the President.”
“Today's information about the gross domestic product shrinkage is evidence in and of itself. In Vermont, Trump's tariffs are estimated to cost Vermont households more than $1 billion. More than 18,000 Vermonters work in industries that are targeted by retaliatory tariffs, but virtually every Vermonter is going to be impacted by increased costs--inflation--as a result of the tariffs. As an example, food, fuel, energy--all of these things are going to be impacted and really affect people in their day-to-day and month-to- month budgets. We get a lot of our electricity, a lot of our home heating fuel, and a lot of our petroleum from Canada, especially in the northern part of our State.”
“I want to make two points about the tariffs--one, the tariffs themselves, and then second, the congressional failure to assert its own authority on policies that it has the constitutional responsibility for when our failure results in economic pain and insecurity for the American people. First of all, the tariffs. When the history of this decision is written, President Trump's imposition of these wild and reckless tariffs is going to be seen as one of the greatest economic blunders in a century. It is that bad. What is happening in Vermont is happening in every State across this country. First of all, these tariffs are a tax. Second, they are paid for by consumers, by manufacturers, and by producers. Third, it is having a negative impact on trade and on our economy already.”
“Listen to what you are hearing from home, because what I heard was, overwhelmingly, Oregonians and the people I ran into in airports and the like said it is time to bring some certainty and predictability back to making these urgently needed trade policies. I urge this body to vote for jobs and prosperity rather than unending trade conflict that leaves our country as a loser. I urge every Senator to support this crucial resolution. I yield the floor. The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Banks). The Senator from Vermont. Mr. WELCH. Mr. President, I want to support everything that my colleague, the ranking member of the Finance Committee, just said about these tariffs.”
“Article I, section 8 of the Constitution grants Congress power ``To regulate Commerce with foreign Nations'' and ``To lay and collect Taxes, Duties, Imposts and Excises.'' In other words, this is our job. It is not always pretty, but Congress can provide stability and certainty on trade that last beyond a single President's administration. This body has already signaled bipartisan support for reversing pointless tariffs. We did that when we passed Senator Kaine's bill to end the tariffs on Canada. Today, the Senate can take another powerful step--a powerful step in the right direction--by voting to repeal the global tariffs on a bipartisan basis. I would just close by saying: Listen to your constituents.”
“One foreign diplomat told the press that countries are worried that any [[Page S2689]] deal they make with the Treasury or Commerce Secretaries will be contradicted by Trump. Other trading partners said they don't want to make a deal now only to have Trump decide on a unilateral tariff in the future. Donald Trump has trashed America's credibility. He hasn't just made it unlikely for his administration to get a good deal for American workers. My view is he has hurt every future president who wants to strike a good trade deal. The best way to restore our Nation's good name is for Congress to step in and assert, finally, our constitutional authority over trade.”
“If nobody in this administration can even agree on what is happening right now, how can they negotiate smart trade deals with nearly every nation on Earth? Anonymous White House aides continue to say that Donald Trump is working to deescalate his trade war, but Donald Trump doesn't sound like he is willing to admit he got it wrong. He told Time magazine that if tariffs are at 20 percent or even 50 percent a year from now, that would be a ``total victory.'' So, once again, no one can tell what his administration wants or what the end game is. I believe it is hard to see how any foreign country right now would make concessions to Donald Trump. That is because he has proven himself to be both untrustworthy and incapable of sticking to a position on tariffs for more than a few weeks at a time.”
“Earlier this month, Donald Trump claimed he would have 200 deals completed within 3 or 4 weeks. Then he said: No, that is ``physically impossible'' to have all of the meetings needed to seal the deals. He should have thought of that before he started a trade war against the entire world. Now, he claimed that he was already negotiating with China to lower tariffs and calm trade tensions, but China and Secretary Bessent said that talks have not even started. This weekend, the Agriculture Secretary said 100 countries had reached out to start trade talks, and almost at the same time, Secretary Bessent said there are actually 18 so-called priority countries, and those talks would take about 90 days.”
“That is because other countries put their own tariffs on Bob's flour and other Oregon ag products in retaliation for Trump's aimless war. Oregon grass seed growers estimate that about half of their exports-- nearly $200 million in sales--are being canceled, thanks to the global tariffs. Donald Trump and his advisers claim there is nothing to worry about. They say the economists and the pundits are overreacting, and everything is going according to plan. Secretary Bessent is on cable news so often, trying to calm investors, that it is a wonder that he has got any time to do a bit of negotiating. But, as usual, it is not clear at all what the plan is, what their tariffs are supposed to accomplish, or when, if ever, American families and workers will see the relief.”
“My state knows how Donald Trump's tariff chaos is already hurting real people, and we know how it is drying up markets for ``red, white, and blue'' products. About one in five jobs in Oregon depends on trade, and the trade jobs often pay better. Speaking with small businesses and workers all over Oregon--I did it just last week--every single one warned of damage from tariffs, and soon. Bob's Red Mill, for example, sells delicious flour and grains, mostly made from wheat and other crops in Oregon. But some of their ingredients--like coconut or tapioca, which just aren't grown here-- come from outside the country. The cost of those products goes up because of tariffs. Worse, foreign markets for Bob's goods are drying out.”
“For the products that are still available, prices are going up--a fact that Donald Trump flails about trying to hide. When Amazon was rumored to list the impacts of tariffs on prices, Donald Trump threw a fit, reportedly threatening Jeff Bezos and calling it a hostile act. God forbid that Americans actually know what the real costs of his tariffs are. Meanwhile, Donald Trump and Republicans are charging ahead with plans to go forward with their tax bill, which features more bailouts for billionaires, paid for by kicking millions of people off their health insurance and gutting programs that kids and families rely on to stay safe and healthy. Donald Trump, meanwhile, puts higher taxes on groceries, clothes, and cars for working families, while he puts his extra time in to pass tax cuts for the wealthy. That is his agenda.”
“We are going to examine the administration's own claims about what their plan is and make the case for why every Member of this body should vote to assert the powers of Congress to trade and to end the tariffs, and they should do it no matter their party or which State they represent. I already mentioned the shocking economic news this morning. By every single forecast, by every measure, Donald Trump's self-defeating tariffs are actively making Americans poorer, and they are doing it now and for years to come. Economic growth, gone. Inflation, rising. Unemployment projections, up again. Experts estimate Trump's tariffs will cost average families about $4,000 a year. Many products from China won't even be available soon, and that is thanks to the tariffs.”
“When the public outcry was so great, Donald Trump had to backtrack. Donald Trump imposed his global tariffs by declaring an economic emergency under a law call IEEPA. No President has ever imposed tariffs under this law. In my view, Trump's actions clearly go beyond what the law allows, which is why Senators Shaheen, Kaine, and I have offered a bill to make it clear that this law does not allow the President to issue tariffs. Members can vote today to repeal the so-called emergency Trump declared and end the harmful global tariffs. Now, I am going to talk for just a few minutes with respect to taking stock of the economic carnage that Donald Trump's trade chaos has already inflicted on our country.”
“The Congress has the power to set tariffs and regulate global trade, and Members can vote today--not do something in a month or some other time--but Members can vote today to put an end to Trump's global tariffs and the economic disaster they are creating. Earlier this month, Donald Trump slapped new 10 percent taxes on nearly everything Americans buy from overseas, 125 percent tariffs on nearly everything from China, and he promises even higher taxes in July on products from nearly five dozen countries. That is just the latest plan. I think we all understand goldfish have memories that last longer than Donald Trump's tariff promises. Before these global tariffs, there was the on-again, off-again trade war with China and Mexico; tariffs on steel, aluminum, and cars; and ad hoc exemptions for things like electronics and fertilizer.”
“As is becoming routine under this President, Americans were greeted with grim economic news this morning. After 3 years of strong growth and rising job numbers, the U.S. economy actually shrank in the first 3 months of 2025. The trade deficit hit a record $162 billion. The United States added only half as many jobs this month as expected. A major culprit is unquestionably Donald Trump and his senseless global tariffs. If this continues to be our tariff policy, every major economist and forecaster is, unfortunately, predicting recession, job losses, and the misery that was all over our news feeds this morning. The U.S. Senate cannot be an idle spectator in the tariff madness.”
“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. 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. Mr. WYDEN. Mr. President, before he leaves the floor, I just want to thank Leader Schumer for all the help. We are going to be focused today on something that really matters to people, and I thank him. Mr. President, we are beginning, as you can tell, to discuss the resolution to repeal the global tariff emergency.”
“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. 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.”
“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. 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.”
“We are the greatest Nation on Earth, and with strong leadership back in the White House, we can get this Nation back on track. I yield the floor. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Democratic leader. S.J. Res. 49 Mr. SCHUMER. 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.”
“They deserve the full sum of their Social Security income. However, nearly 66 percent of retirees are paying taxes on their Social Security benefits because Bidenflation pushed seniors' benefits into higher income brackets. To address this, I have introduced the RETIREES First Act. It would lower the tax burden on Social Security benefits for seniors by raising the provisional income threshold from $25,000 to $34,000 for single filers and from $32,000 to $68,000 for married filers. In effect, this legislation would eliminate income taxes for many of our Nation's retirees, leaving them with more money in their paychecks. As we work on these tax provisions and more, I am looking forward to working with President Trump to deliver relief for hard-working Tennesseans and, indeed, all Americans.”
“President Trump and my Republican colleagues believe that Americans should have more money in their pocketbooks, not less, which is why we are working to extend the President's 2017 tax cuts. These tax cuts delivered historic growth for the economy, and if we fail to extend them, families and businesses will face the largest tax hike in history. It would be a $4 trillion tax hike. That is why, earlier this month, Republicans in Congress passed a budget resolution that will enable us to extend these expiring cuts. At the same time, we are advancing other tax priorities that are championed by the President, including his proposal to cut taxes on Social Security. By taxing Social Security, the Federal Government is taxing a tax. It makes no sense. Social Security recipients have paid into this program for decades.”
“Electronics company ABB is investing $80 million in Selmer, TN, to expand manufacturing and to create new jobs. Later today, I am going to be joining President Trump at the White House as he welcomes many CEOs of these companies that are making these investments in our Nation. As the President works to usher in a new golden age, we are already seeing incredible results. In March, our economy added 228,000 jobs, beating expectations by almost 100,000 jobs. That same month, falling energy costs pushed inflation down to 2.4 percent. That is tied with the lowest inflation rate since February 2021. That was 1 month after President Biden took office and ushered in the worst inflation crisis since the 1970s.”