[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 73 (Friday, April 28, 2017)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E564]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




             REFLECTING ON PRESIDENT TRUMP'S FIRST 100 DAYS

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                          HON. TERRI A. SEWELL

                               of alabama

                    in the house of representatives

                         Friday, April 28, 2017

  Ms. SEWELL of Alabama. Mr. Speaker, as you may know, this week marks 
the end of the first 100 days of the Trump Administration. It's an 
important time to reflect on the legislative progress of a new 
President and the path forward for our country. Today, I'm disappointed 
to report that this President has broken every important promise that 
Candidate Trump made to the American people.
   As a Member of Congress, my top priority is to represent the best 
interests of my constituents. When leaders from either party, 
Republican or Democrat, propose REAL solutions to the challenges my 
constituents face, I want to work with them. So when President Trump 
said he had a plan to improve our healthcare system with more 
affordable ``insurance for everybody,'' I was ready to see what he had 
to offer. When President Trump promised to create 25 million jobs 
across the country, I wanted to see his plans on day one. When the 
President said he would restore a government by the people, I wanted to 
believe him.
   I am truly disappointed to report today that President Trump not 
only failed to follow through on any of his biggest promises, but he 
has failed to make any real effort to even address the big issues he 
promised to tackle.
   After 100 days in the White House, President Trump has not put forth 
a single job-creation bill. Instead of draining the swamp, President 
Trump has filled his cabinet with lobbyists and insiders. Instead of 
offering a healthcare plan to insure everybody, President Trump has 
proposed a plan that would eliminate insurance coverage for 24 million 
Americans.
   For Americans struggling to pay their bills or afford their health 
premiums, empty rhetoric is not going to cut it. Not when my 
constituents' health, their jobs, and their futures are on the line.
   In the state of Alabama, ten hospitals have closed in the past six 
years as residents struggle to afford care for themselves and their 
families. When it comes to healthcare reform, the stakes for my 
constituents could not be higher.
   But instead of following through on his promise of healthcare for 
everybody, President Trump has pushed a plan in Congress that asks my 
constituents to pay more for less. The Congressional Budget Office 
estimates that TrumpCare would increase premium costs in some of the 
counties in my district by thousands of dollars. That's not healthcare 
for everybody--that's healthcare for the privileged few.
   My district has a 10 percent unemployment rate. So when the 
President said he had a plan to create 25 million jobs over the next 
decade, the stakes, again, could not be higher.
   But rather than helping to find employment for those Americans who 
want to rejoin our workforce, President Trump's proposed budget slashes 
jobs training and guts funding for infrastructure programs.
   I come from a district where most constituents have never been to 
Washington, D.C. So when a candidate promises to bring their voice to 
our nation's capital, it means something.
   But instead of working to drain the swamp, President Trump is 
leading the least transparent administration since the days of Richard 
Nixon. Rather than opening up our democracy, President Trump has become 
the first President in decades to keep his tax returns hidden, leaving 
the public in the dark when it comes to any potential conflicts of 
interest.
   So what has President Trump's administration accomplished in its 
first 100 days in office? In his budget, President Trump has proposed 
cutting programs that seniors rely on like Meals on Wheels, and he has 
eliminated programs our rural areas depend on for infrastructure 
investment like the Appalachian Regional Commission.
   In his first 100 days, President Trump has put the programs and 
policies most important to working families on the chopping block. I 
want the President to deliver on his promises to increase employment 
and reduce the cost of healthcare for everyone. But what our nation has 
witnessed so far is an assault on working families and policies that 
undermine our core democratic values.
   Mr. Speaker, as we mark the President's first 100 days in office, I 
implore my colleagues to put aside the empty promises and actually work 
with Democrats to put forth smart and sensible legislation that moves 
our country forward and benefits all Americans. I truly hope that after 
100 days of broken promises, this Administration will refocus its 
agenda on helping America's families rather than Washington's special 
interests. My constituents can't afford another three years of big talk 
and no action.

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