YouSaid · the spoken record
Alex Padilla
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On the record 2022–2026
congress · podcast
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“As I mentioned on Monday, the Republican Governor of Ohio vetoed a similar bill because he saw no benefit in it and that the measure would be a ``significant burden'' on voters. So that is truly the point of the bill: to make it harder for some people to vote. Now, let's get back to the title of the bill: Stop Insider Trading. If we are genuine about doing that, then there is a bipartisan solution that is available to us today, a bipartisan solution on stock trading. Everybody watching at home, there is a bill that has been pending before the Senate for nearly a year. The Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee voted it out on a bipartisan basis. Senator Hawley is the lead sponsor; Senator Moreno is a cosponsor, along with a number of Democrats--S.”
Senate29 July 2026Source ↗
“What the SAVE Act proposal does do is it sows distrust in our system and seeks to cause chaos in an election cycle that is already underway--a midterm election, by the way, where Republicans are afraid of voters holding them accountable for failing to do anything about rising costs and increased corruption, let alone this unauthorized war with Iran. How do we know that? Because the SAVE Act, as written, is far more restrictive than the voter ID laws that exist in the States that already have a voter ID law. The House Republican bill would go further and require a photocopy of your ID in your absentee or mail ballot. Now, that violates the fundamental premise of a secret ballot, which is a sacred right; and, therefore, it would undermine mail voting itself.”
Senate29 July 2026Source ↗
“Let's talk about the other big poison pill in this bill because the title of it seems like it is about insider trading--Stop Insider Trading Act--but the way it is before us includes the SAVE Act, a bill that we have debated for months and months and months on this floor. Republicans don't have the votes to pass it--a bill that would make it harder for eligible Americans to participate in our democracy. We have debated this bill for months, and it has gotten nowhere because the Republican caucus isn't even united on this measure because the bill--it is not about voter fraud. The massive voter fraud they claim simply doesn't exist. There is no evidence of massive voter fraud across the country.”
Senate29 July 2026Source ↗
“Last year alone, Donald Trump made over 21,000 stock trades--an average of 85 trades per day--85. Does that sound like somebody that is singularly focused on bringing costs down for hard-working Americans? I don't think so. As I also said on Monday, Donald Trump is clearly the ``Trader in Chief.'' So you cannot be serious about reining in public officials' stock trading if you present a bill that gives the biggest stock trader in Washington a free pass. My colleague from Nebraska spoke to the virtues of disclosure and advanced notice. Well, on the surface, that seems very attractive, but let me tell you what is really going on.”
Senate29 July 2026Source ↗
“Reserving the right to object. Mr. President, it is a shame that Senate Republicans seem particularly focused on scoring political points instead of passing real policies that can actually make a difference because, yes, all Americans--Democrats, Republicans, and Independents alike--are rightly concerned about insider trading by government officials. But the bill before us cannot address these concerns because, just like as was the case on Monday--that is right, 48 hours ago--we were having the same discussion, the same debate. This measure contains two giant poison pills. First, it exempts the President and the Vice President of the United States, for that matter. But it exempts the President from the ban on stock trading, and I can list at least 21,000 reasons why we should not exempt the President from the ban on insider trading.”
Senate29 July 2026Source ↗
“They pay nearly $8 billion in taxes every year. If more than 300,000 Haitian workers suddenly drop out of the workforce, the impacts are going to be very real and very sudden. And we can't forget that many are raising American children, not only as caregivers for other people's children but as parents to nearly 400,000 U.S. citizen children. And that impact is only magnified when you pull back and consider the more than 1 million people who had TPS as of early 2025 and have been targeted by this administration and its cruel mass detention and mass deportation agenda. So, colleagues, I am going to say something that I don't say very often: I agree with Governor Mike DeWine, the Republican Governor of Ohio, who has called ending TPS a ``mistake'' that is going to bring a steep economic toll with it.”
Senate29 July 2026Source ↗
“More than that, most Americans recognize how much TPS holders and immigrants, more broadly, contribute to our country--the economic, social, and cultural benefits they have provided us, as they have worked and lived among us for years, developing strong roots in our communities. Yes, over time, TPS holders become our neighbors, our coworkers, and our friends. The more than 94 percent of TPS holders who participate in the labor force, as of 2017, are nurses and construction workers--vital jobs for the people of the United States and for our economy. They are home health aides, hotel workers, and entrepreneurs. Collectively, they contribute around $29 billion to the U.S. economy every year and pay more than $7.8 billion in Federal, payroll, State, and local taxes annually as well. That is right.”
Senate29 July 2026Source ↗
“But the fact of the matter is, the American people do not support the President's goal of kicking these men, women, and children out and forcing them back to a nation steeped in danger and turmoil, because the American people recognize the fundamental fact that TPS holders-- who are legally granted protection in the United States, who registered with the Federal Government, who passed background checks and received authorization to live and to work here--are human beings--human beings that deserve respect and dignity, and we have a moral obligation to help when we can.”
Senate29 July 2026Source ↗
“Yet the same administration wants to force over 300,000 Haitian nationals--who, until very recently, held temporary protected status--to go there. Now, the President has made it very clear for years what he thinks about immigrants from Haiti. And we received reports in the past few days that the Department of Homeland Security is preparing for a mass roundup and swift deportation of these families in the coming days. So now, thanks to the President's hostility toward immigrants, TPS holders from countries in turmoil--many of whom have lived in the United States for years, if not decades--are now in danger and at the mercy of this cruel administration.”
Senate29 July 2026Source ↗
“Mr. President, I am pleased to join my colleagues today in support of Senator Van Hollen's SECURE Act. Across the country right now, hundreds of thousands of Haitian men, women, and children are terrified. They are terrified for their futures, for their children's futures. They are terrified about being forced back to a country that is gripped by a catastrophic humanitarian crisis. Nearly 1.5 million Haitians have been displaced by gang violence. Food insecurity is widespread. Basic services have collapsed. It is a country that the State Department--the State Department--warns Americans not to travel to because of the risk of kidnapping, violent crime, and civil unrest. Think about that for a second. The Trump administration itself is warning Americans not to travel to Haiti because of how unsafe it is.”
Senate29 July 2026Source ↗
“Her remarkable journey reminds us that it is never too late to pursue a new dream and that some of our greatest contributions come only after we find the courage to reinvent ourselves. California is richer for the risks she took, the business she built, and the example she set. Now, as Barbara prepares for retirement, she is looking toward new adventures--traveling to places like Iceland and Azerbaijan with cameras and drones in hand, pursuing the travel photography that has become her newest passion with the same curiosity and determination that defined her career as a brewer. On behalf of the people of California, I thank Barbara Groom for her vision, perseverance, and extraordinary contributions to our State. I congratulate her on an exceptional career and wish her every success and happiness in the adventures that lie ahead.”
Senate28 July 2026Source ↗
“Barbara never let expectations--or the fact that she was entering a male-dominated industry--dictate what she could accomplish. When others questioned whether a woman belonged in the brewing business, she simply kept building. ``I never really worried about being a woman,'' she said. ``I just did what I wanted to do.'' Her success opened doors for future generations of women entrepreneurs and helped demonstrate that innovation and leadership know no gender. Over the past three and a half decades, Barbara has created jobs, supported her community, welcomed visitors from around the world to Eureka, and helped establish California as a global leader in craft brewing.”
Senate28 July 2026Source ↗
“It was a fateful stop on her way home from the pharmacy one day that changed Barbara's future and finally give her the chance to unleash her creativity and entrepreneurial spirit. Seeing a sign for one of California's earliest craft breweries in the rural town of Hopland, Barbara was intrigued and decided to stop and check it out. She later recalled thinking to herself as she walked in the door, ``This is what I want to do for the rest of my life.'' She spent the next 6 years studying brewing techniques, learning the business, and preparing to take a giant leap of faith before buying a century-old former lodge in downtown Eureka, transforming it, and finally opening the doors to Lost Coast Brewery in 1990--becoming one of the Nation's first female microbrewery owners at a time when women brewers were almost unheard of in the industry.”
Senate28 July 2026Source ↗
“Mr. President, I rise today to honor a remarkable California entrepreneur, trailblazer, and pioneering small business owner whose retirement marks the culmination of an extraordinary career but leaves behind an enduring legacy in the world of California craft brewing: Ms. Barbara Groom. After more than three decades as the owner and founder of Lost Coast Brewery--one of the most recognizable brands of beer in Humboldt County--Barbara has chosen to retire at the young age of 80 to travel the world.”
Senate28 July 2026Source ↗
“San Francisco is a better city because he lived those values every day. Angela's and my thoughts are with Janet, their daughters Jill and Ava, and everyone whose lives were touched by Clint's generosity, leadership, and friendship. May they find comfort in knowing that his extraordinary legacy will live on in the institutions he strengthened, the people he mentored, the students whose futures he transformed, and the city he loved so deeply. ____________________”
Senate28 July 2026Source ↗
“Together with his beloved wife Janet, he dedicated extraordinary time, talent, and generosity to expanding opportunities for others. Through the Bay Scholars initiative he created, he helped open the doors of college-preparatory education to hundreds of students from low-income families. Through Clinic by the Bay and countless other charitable efforts, Clint and Janet demonstrated that giving back means more than writing a check; it means investing your time, your talents, and our heart in your community and helping others build brighter futures. Throughout his life--as a seminarian, political strategist, businessman, publisher, and philanthropist--Clint never lost sight of the values that first shaped him: faith, service, and a belief that each of us has a responsibility to leave our communities stronger than we found them.”
Senate28 July 2026Source ↗
“Born in Oakland and raised in San Leandro as the oldest of 10 children in a working-class Catholic family, Clint learned early what hard work looked like, watching his father deliver milk for Berkeley Farms and ice cream for Dreyer's to support their family. But just as importantly, he learned from his parents that success carried with it a responsibility to serve others. ``We didn't really have any money,'' he said in one interview, ``but they practiced charity in their daily lives, in their generosity to us kids, but also in their generosity to other families, other big families, other members of the community.'' Those values only grew stronger and more ingrained in Clint throughout the 9 years he spent studying and preparing to become a Catholic priest, earning a bachelor's degree in philosophy from St.”
Senate28 July 2026Source ↗
“Mr. President, I rise today to celebrate the life of Clint Reilly, a legendary San Franciscan who passed away on July 19 at the age of 79. Clint's influence on California politics and on the civic life of San Francisco helped shape our State for decades--and will continue to do so for generations to come.”
Senate28 July 2026Source ↗
“So why don't we try to do that? Mr. President, I ask that the Senator modify her request to instead proceed to the immediate consideration of Calendar No. 294, S. 1498; that the committee-reported substitute amendment be agreed to; that the bill be considered read a third time and passed; and that the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table.”
Senate27 July 2026Source ↗
“For all the talk about stock trading--and there is a way to address that, I will get to that in a minute--the true goal here is to somehow pass the SAVE Act, which, by the way, not only are you not going to get unanimous consent today, the Republican caucus in the Senate isn't even unified around it. It has come up for votes, procedural and otherwise. It keeps falling short. So why are we here? I believe if the proponents of the stock trading measure were sincere about wanting to ban stock trading by Members of Congress, then they would sit down with Democrats and negotiate or, better yet, let's take up and pass the measure that would achieve just that that came out of the Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee about a year ago, a bipartisan measure by Senators Ossoff, Merkley, Peters, Cortez Masto, Hawley, and Moreno.”
Senate27 July 2026Source ↗
“The American people see right through this bill. They see it for what it is. But that is not the only reason. If the House Republicans really do want this measure to become law, they wouldn't have tucked the so- called SAVE Act into it. Now, let me remind you, we have been debating the SAVE Act here off and on for, what, about 4 months now? This is the same SAVE Act that, in practice--in practice--would make it harder for eligible voters to register to vote, to stay registered to vote, to actually cast their ballot by imposing these standards across all 50 States. It would ban student IDs, certain Tribal IDs, other forms of government ID that in some States that do have their own voter ID law, people count on to be able to participate in our elections.”
Senate27 July 2026Source ↗
“And it is certainly not indicative of somebody focused on the cost of living for hard-working Americans. No, Donald Trump has earned the title of ``Trader in Chief.'' His portfolio is not only constantly trading stock, he is reaping huge profits and trading stocks of companies that he is actively promoting. If you think that sounds bad, it gets much worse. We all know that President Trump owns his own social media company, right? It is the platform that he uses to post his announcements on, and now it has been reported that his company is planning to sell early access to those Presidential statements to hedge funds, to Wall Street, for $100,000 a month. That is right, the price of inside information is now $100,000 per month to be paid to President Donald Trump. Could there be any clearer sign of corruption?”
Senate27 July 2026Source ↗
“Back to the stock trading piece, this is something that we absolutely ought to be addressing. But there are two obvious reasons why this bill from the Republican House is nothing more than a political gimmick that was never truly intended to become law. First, it exempts the President--the President, who without a doubt is the person with the single greatest ability to impact a company or an entire industry on any given day. It also exempts the Vice President. Why not include them? Why should they be exempt? Well, maybe it has something to do with the fact that President Donald Trump, the leader of the Republican Party, has made over 21,000 stock trades across 8 separate accounts, and if you do the math, that amounts to 85 trades per day--85 trades per day. That is not normal.”
Senate27 July 2026Source ↗
“By prioritizing equity and accountability across the healthcare system, HEAA would help build a more resilient, inclusive, and effective system that better serves communities that have historically faced barriers to care. I would like to thank the Congressional Hispanic Caucus and Congressman Raul Ruiz for leading this legislation in the House of Representatives, and I look forward to working with my colleagues to enact the Health Equity and Accountability Act as soon as possible. ____________________”
Senate22 July 2026Source ↗
“The bill also lays out additional investments and policy changes to improve the health and well-being of underserved communities, address systemic health inequities, and ensure access to high-quality and affordable healtcare for all. At a time when access to healthcare is under increasing threat for our most vulnerable communities, including through recent Federal policy changes and the implementation of H.R. 1, which has already resulted in significant coverage losses for millions of low-income families and communities of color, the Health Equity and Accountability Act is more important than ever. Rather than allowing existing inequities to widen, this legislation reaffirms a commitment to ensuring that all people have a fair opportunity to access the care and services they need.”
Senate22 July 2026Source ↗
“Mr. President, I rise to introduce the Health Equity and Accountability Act of 2026. This comprehensive piece of legislation would eliminate racial and ethnic health inequities and increase access to healthcare for vulnerable communities across the entire spectrum of care by taking a comprehensive approach to health equity.”
Senate22 July 2026Source ↗
“By prioritizing equity and accountability across the healthcare system, HEAA would help build a more resilient, inclusive, and effective system that better serves communities that have historically faced barriers to care. I would like to thank the Congressional Hispanic Caucus and Congressman Raul Ruiz for leading this legislation in the House of Representatives, and I look forward to working with my colleagues to enact the Health Equity and Accountability Act as soon as possible. ____________________”
Senate22 July 2026Source ↗
“The bill also lays out additional investments and policy changes to improve the health and well-being of underserved communities, address systemic health inequities, and ensure access to high-quality and affordable healtcare for all. At a time when access to healthcare is under increasing threat for our most vulnerable communities, including through recent Federal policy changes and the implementation of H.R. 1, which has already resulted in significant coverage losses for millions of low-income families and communities of color, the Health Equity and Accountability Act is more important than ever. Rather than allowing existing inequities to widen, this legislation reaffirms a commitment to ensuring that all people have a fair opportunity to access the care and services they need.”
Senate22 July 2026Source ↗
“Mr. President, I rise to introduce the Health Equity and Accountability Act of 2026. This comprehensive piece of legislation would eliminate racial and ethnic health inequities and increase access to healthcare for vulnerable communities across the entire spectrum of care by taking a comprehensive approach to health equity.”
Senate22 July 2026Source ↗
“I want to thank my colleague Senator Cassidy for introducing this bill with me. I hope our colleagues will join us in taking a step towards improving the resiliency of our nation's housing stock. ____________________”
Senate16 July 2026Source ↗
“These homes are significantly less expensive than traditional site-built homes and will play a key part in how we address our country's affordable housing crisis and increase home ownership. I was proud to work with my colleagues across the aisle to pass the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act, which includes provisions to increase the supply of America's manufactured housing. Yet manufactured housing is disproportionately located in areas that are the most exposed to climate hazards. As we continue to see a pattern of increased extreme climate events, we need all our housing to be resilient in areas at high risk of natural hazards and weather extremes. Congress should be aware of what strategies industry leaders are currently employing and understand potential options to increase the performance of manufactured homes in high-risk areas.”
Senate16 July 2026Source ↗
“Mr. President, I rise to speak in support of my legislation to require a study on how to improve the resiliency of manufactured homes in areas that are at high risk of natural hazards and weather extremes, which I introduced today. More than 22 million Americans, most of whom earn less than the median national income, call manufactured housing home.”
Senate16 July 2026Source ↗
“As we continue to see a pattern of increased extreme climate events, we need all our housing to be resilient in areas at high risk of natural hazards and weather extremes. Congress should be aware of what strategies industry leaders are currently employing and understand potential options to increase the performance of manufactured homes in high-risk areas. I want to thank my colleague Senator Cassidy for introducing this bill with me. I hope our colleagues will join us in taking a step towards improving the resiliency of our nation's housing stock. ____________________”
Senate16 July 2026Source ↗
“Mr. President, I rise to speak in support of my legislation to require a study on how to improve the resiliency of manufactured homes in areas that are at high risk of natural hazards and weather extremes, which I introduced today. More than 22 million Americans, most of whom earn less than the median national income, call manufactured housing home. These homes are significantly less expensive than traditional site-built homes and will play a key part in how we address our country's affordable housing crisis and increase home ownership. I was proud to work with my colleagues across the aisle to pass the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act, which includes provisions to increase the supply of America's manufactured housing. Yet manufactured housing is disproportionately located in areas that are the most exposed to climate hazards.”
Senate16 July 2026Source ↗
“And I will keep leading the fight to stop this cynical and dangerous bill and to stop Trump and Republicans' attempts to undermine our voting rights. I yield the floor to my next colleague.”
Senate30 April 2025Source ↗
“And if you make it harder to register, guess what, you have made it harder for eligible citizens to vote. That would be the result of the SAVE Act. Here in the Senate, I want people to know that together with my Senate Democratic colleagues, I will do whatever it takes to kill this bill, to stop it from passing, to keep it even from coming up, if we can, because we owe it to our constituents to fight every Executive order that undermines our democracy and to keep demanding answers on the firing of Federal workers entrusted with safeguarding our elections. So over the course of the next hour, Senate Democrats will lay down a marker. We will stand strong against the rising tide of attacks on our democracy.”
Senate30 April 2025Source ↗
“But if our Republican colleagues were to have their way, American citizens--American citizens--would feel the impacts of the SAVE Act, from the Active-Duty servicemember who has to move for a new deployment and has to work so much harder than they should have to, to update their registration with the new address at the local elections office, which could be hours and hours from the base where they are assigned, to think of a married woman who chose to change her last name when she got married, and now the name listed on the birth certificate and the name on their ID no longer match. They will have some explaining to do and hurdles to jump over simply to register to vote. These are just two small examples that impact millions and millions of Americans, should the SAVE Act pass.”
Senate30 April 2025Source ↗
“I bring to this body my 6 years of experience administering elections not just in any State but the most populous State in the Nation, with the largest number and the most diverse number of voters in the Nation. I understand the complexities of both keeping our elections free and fair but also secure. And I am happy to take time to meet with any of you to walk you through the security measures that are in place to ensure the integrity of our elections. I can tell you this, in case you didn't know already: It is already a crime for noncitizens to vote in our elections. To propose it as a new law is misleading. It is already against the law. And, by the way, it is also extremely, extremely rare.”
Senate30 April 2025Source ↗
“And what did so many of our Republican colleagues here in the Senate and the House of Representatives say? Nothing. But it is not just that the Republicans have gone silent, they have actually become Trump's enablers here in Congress by forgoing their responsibility to serve as a check and balance on the executive branch. Any day now here in the Senate, we could see Republicans take up the SAVE Act--the measure that recently passed the House of Representatives, a bill that, I should say, scapegoats immigrants simply to justify new barriers to voter registration. Not only is that wrong, it is un-American. And, again, it is based on a lie.”
Senate30 April 2025Source ↗
“Republican and Democratic elections officials throughout the country joined together to reject Donald Trump's demands under his first term. Even in Mississippi--hardly a woke, Democratic bastion, folks--even in Mississippi, then-Secretary of State and now-Lieutenant Governor Delbert Hosemann, a Republican, was outraged. He was so offended by the power grab that he responded to the White House's request with ``Go jump in the Gulf of Mexico,'' saying, ``Mississippi is a great state to launch from.'' Good for him. So you can imagine my disappointment when, fast-forward to this past March, Trump announced yet another anti-voter Executive order that would empower DOGE to access sensitive voter data--very reminiscent of the request from that first term but now on steroids.”
Senate30 April 2025Source ↗
“I do think back a few years to my days as the California secretary of state when, during the first Trump administration, he created a commission to investigate these unfounded claims of ``voter fraud''-- without evidence, baseless claims--but for him, it was important enough to set up a commission to investigate and uncover the truth. The commission set out to collect sensitive, private voter information from every State, demanding that States hand over not just the names of every voter on the voter rolls but their dates of birth, their voting history, their Social Security information, and more. It was a blatant power grab, long before Elon Musk started tapping into Federal servers, by the way. It was a blatant power grab which was responded to: 44 States, both Republican and Democratic, said no.”
Senate30 April 2025Source ↗
“Why would he and his administration and Republicans in Congress who support him want to make it easier for people to interfere with our elections? I am at a loss. I am at a loss for an answer. What I do know is that, by failing to counter, by failing to elevate the truth, Republicans in Congress have become complicit as they just sit back instead of pushing back. Believe it or not, there was a time, not that long ago, when even Republicans had the moral courage to speak out against Trump's attacks on our democracy.”
Senate30 April 2025Source ↗
“So, for Tina and so many others, that harassment grew worse with every lie spread by the Trump campaign about a so- called stolen election, with threats against election officials continuing in subsequent elections. There was no stolen election. That is a farce. But for those selfless election workers, Donald Trump hasn't even tried to lower the temperature of political rhetoric or combat the disinformation that leads to the threats and harassment. Instead, he has, actually, actively made it worse for those who are administering elections. Think of the election workers and all of the volunteers who work polling places to help our elections in our democracy thrive. He has made it worse for voters. He has fired Federal workers who combat election misinformation and disinformation.”
Senate30 April 2025Source ↗
“I think of the old horror movie where the person on the phone would say that the call is coming from inside the house. In State legislatures, in the Capitol, and in the Oval Office, radical Republicans are working hard--actively working hard--to make it harder for eligible Americans to exercise their constitutional right to vote. We see it in the endless lies and conspiracy theories about massive voter fraud. We see it in the new barriers being erected that would make it harder for eligible Americans to simply register to vote. And we see it in the Trump administration's firing of the hard-working and dedicated security officials who are tasked with protecting our elections.”
Senate30 April 2025Source ↗
“I rise today, with my colleagues, out of grave concern for the future of our democracy. I currently serve as the ranking member of the Senate Rules and Administration Committee. I also, as many of you know, am the former secretary of state for the State of California. So I have seen firsthand, not just through the last 4 years but for the last 8, 9 years, the growing threats to our democracy and the threats to the public confidence in our elections. Sadly, the truth in the year 2025 is that it is not just foreign actors who are trying to undermine our elections and the people's confidence in the elections. It is also so many Republican officials here at home, not just in the Capitol but in statehouses across America--but, yes, even here in the Capitol.”
Senate30 April 2025Source ↗
“Mr. President, I rise today with a number of my colleagues. I will speak for the next, probably, hour-plus on the topic of election integrity and the seemingly constant attacks on our election integrity by Donald Trump and our Republican colleagues. I am joined by a number of my friends and colleagues in our remarks here for the next block. Senator Welch will be speaking next, our colleague from Vermont, and then Senator Blumenthal, Senator Merkley, Leader Schumer, Senator Klobuchar, and Senator Bennet. And it will be wrapped up with my partner in organizing this group of Senators, Senator Reed, who is not only the ranking member of the Armed Services Committee but is the ranking member of the Appropriations subcommittee overseeing funding for this space.”
Senate30 April 2025Source ↗
“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. Support this resolution. I yield the floor.”
Senate30 April 2025Source ↗
“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? 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.”
Senate30 April 2025Source ↗
“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. 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.”
Senate30 April 2025Source ↗
“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. 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.”
Senate30 April 2025Source ↗