[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 75 (Tuesday, May 2, 2017)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E583]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]





         PRESIDENT TRUMP'S FIRST 100 DAYS LEAVE AMERICA WEAKER

                                  _____
                                 

                          HON. BETTY McCOLLUM

                              of minnesota

                    in the house of representatives

                          Tuesday, May 2, 2017

  Ms. McCOLLUM. Mr. Speaker, this past Saturday marked President Donald 
Trump's 100th day in the White House. Over the last 100 days, Mr. 
Trump's policy proposals, irresponsible rhetoric, and controversial 
appointments have made our families and communities less secure, our 
businesses less confident about the future, and our nation more 
isolated in the world.
  Despite total Republican control of Congress, President Trump has 
been incapable of governing responsibly. Just this week--because of 
Republican dithering--Congress was forced to pass another stopgap 
spending bill to keep the government open for just seven days, denying 
Americans the certainty they deserve.
  The first 100 days have revealed a President who is proposing 
legislation and taking executive actions that hurt working Americans at 
every turn.
  TrumpCare, the Republicans' disastrous health care bill, leaves 24 
million Americans uninsured and causes out-of-pocket costs to 
skyrocket. It forces older Americans to pay higher premiums, rations 
health care for vulnerable children, seniors, and people with 
disabilities, and weakens the solvency of Medicare.
  Huge opposition from Democrats and active, engaged citizens has 
stopped this legislation for now, but Mr. Trump is still working to 
sabotage the Affordable Care Act. He has even threatened to cause the 
total collapse of our health care system and undermine the coverage we 
all depend on for purely political purposes. That is despicable.
  If working families were unsettled by Mr. Trump's threat to their 
health care, his proposed budget shows just how far backwards he wants 
to take our country. He wants to slash job training programs, hurt 
American seniors by cutting Meals on Wheels, slow down our communities 
by gutting infrastructure funding, and eliminate important investments 
in health research, education, and the arts and humanities. And Mr. 
Trump's backwards budget strips the Environmental Protection Agency of 
the resources it needs to protect public health and safety.
  As the Ranking Member of the House Interior-Environment 
Appropriations Subcommittee, I know that the attack on the EPA's budget 
is just one part of Mr. Trump's all-out war on clean air, clean water, 
and our public lands. In his first 100 days, Mr. Trump and EPA 
Administrator Scott Pruitt have undone protections for clean water, 
allowed the continued use of dangerous neurotoxins, and reversed clean 
air rules that help stem the threat of climate change. In doing so, 
they have repeatedly ignored the findings of their own scientists.
  Mr. Trump and Mr. Pruitt's denial of climate science and pledges to 
withdraw the United States from the Paris Climate Agreement are 
transforming our nation from the global leader in combating climate 
change into an environmental rogue state. The only winners? 
Billionaires, the fossil fuel industry, and polluters that profit at 
the expense of our families, our communities, and our planet.
  Billionaires and big corporations are also the big winners in Mr. 
Trump's so-called tax reform plan. His proposal amounts to a massive 
giveaway to the wealthiest Americans adding trillions to the federal 
debt and leaving working families holding the bag. Since Mr. Trump has 
broken with precedent and kept his tax returns secret, we can only 
speculate about how much he and his family businesses will benefit from 
his tax plan.
  In fact, until Mr. Trump releases his tax returns, a cloud of 
suspicion will hang over his entire White House. Given that Russia 
interfered in our electoral process to help Mr. Trump win the election 
and his first National Security Adviser, Michael Flynn, left amid a 
Russia-related scandal, Americans deserve a complete and independent 
investigation. Yet Congressional Republicans continue to cover up for 
President Trump and are still blocking accountability and transparency.
  Every time President Trump has made alarming decisions, from an 
unconstitutional ban on immigrants and refugees to attacks on women's 
health care at home and abroad, millions of engaged Americans have 
spoken up and spoken out against his dangerous and divisive policies.
  In Minnesota, I have seen engaged citizens make their voices heard at 
my town hall meetings and vibrant demonstrations, like the Women's 
March, the Tax March, and the March for Science. There is a consensus 
among the tens of thousands of Minnesotans I have spoken to: We want 
America to move forward and we will work to resist and stop Trump 
administration policies and proposals that take our nation backwards.
  After President Trump's first 100 days, it is clear that we must join 
together to hold his White House accountable. In the next 100 days, and 
all the days that follow, I will keep standing alongside my 
constituents fighting for the values we believe in.

                          ____________________