[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 18 (Tuesday, January 28, 2025)]
[Senate]
[Page S440]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         TRUMP EXECUTIVE ORDERS

  Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, first, I thank my friend from Rhode 
Island. He has been laser-like focused on corruption. Whether it is the 
Supreme Court, the executive branch, or anywhere else in the 
government, he has done a great job.
  Mr. President, I just finished doing a little TV taping to the people 
of New York to tell them how evil, how horrible this plan that Trump 
has put into effect will be.
  The plan will shut off billions of dollars, maybe trillions of 
dollars. For what? For things average working families need. They will 
be less safe because police will be cut and fire will be cut. Their 
kids will be less educated because schools will be cut. In places where 
there is a school tax, like Long Island and Westchester, it could make 
your taxes go up. They will be less safe because food inspectors who 
keep our food safe could be cut. It will go across the board. Housing 
will become more expensive. We desperately need housing. Everything. 
This is going to affect everything. The radius will expand and expand 
and expand of what Donald Trump can do.
  Make no mistake about it, Project 2025 proposed slashing everything--
cut, cut, cut--all to give one thing: tax breaks to very wealthy 
people. This is Project 2025 by another name. It is the same stuff. 
They couldn't call it Project 2025 because when the public found out 
about that, they were outraged.
  Well, make no mistake about this, President Trump. When the public 
finds out about this, they will be outraged.
  I got on TV tonight and asked my constituents--particularly those in 
Republican House and Senate districts--to call their Congressmen and 
Senators and tell President Trump to drop this evil plan, which will 
hurt them so badly.
  The fact that Mr. Vought will be head of OMB, which is the Agency 
that is in charge of all of this spending, is frightening. It is like 
putting the fox in the chicken house, and all the chickens, which are 
the average American taxpayers, are going to be susceptible to the 
sharp fangs of Mr. Vought.
  By the way, speaking of chickens, here is another little reason--
there are so many. Right now, the price of eggs is through the roof--
$5, $6 a dozen. It was $2 a year ago. It was $4 in November. Why? 
Because there is something called bird flu that is killing off millions 
of chickens. When you have fewer chickens, you have fewer eggs--fewer 
hens, fewer eggs--and fewer eggs means prices go up.
  But there is a program. We actually, when we were still in charge in 
November, put $300 million into the budget to help our farmers deal 
with bird flu, with avian flu. It helps them get the PPE they need. It 
helps them isolate the diseased chickens because you need to build 
different types of facilities. It helps them learn what to do. That 
could be cut. That could be cut, and the price of eggs will go up to $8 
or $10.
  All of these things have an effect in one way or another on average 
working people.
  How about all the hundreds of thousands of workers who have now 
gotten jobs in clean energy? It is a great thing. For the first time--
good-paying jobs with a future for so many people could be gone out the 
window if this plan goes into effect.
  Now, I know that a court has stayed this until Monday. America, don't 
be fooled.
  Trump and his henchman Vought will keep at it and keep at it and keep 
at it until Project 2025 is implemented, even though they don't call it 
Project 2025. He will go to a different court, maybe in a very 
conservative, red district. They will do whatever they can to continue 
to squeeze the middle class, cut the things that the middle class 
needs, and then--and then--cut the taxes on the wealthiest people in 
America.
  Any organization--we have heard--I have heard hospitals are worried 
in not providing the care that they need. Head Start is going to close. 
What do the parents do? The Agencies that deal with mental illness, 
they depend on government funding. So much--so much--is at stake.
  In my State, we are getting thousands of calls: How is this going to 
affect us?
  And even if the cut hasn't come through yet, people are worried. And 
they say: We better save money for a rainy day and cut back on this and 
cut back on that.
  It has frightened people. Now, maybe that is what Trump likes doing: 
frightening average middle-class folks. But it is really a terrible 
thing to do.
  Meals on Wheels--that is a hot meal every day for people who don't 
have food--in danger. Rural hospitals and community health--in danger. 
New York subway maintenance and mass transit throughout the country--in 
danger. Money for housing--in danger. Everything. Everything.
  And so, Mr. President, we Senate Democrats are doing all we can to 
stop this--not just today, not just tomorrow, but in the long-range 
plan. But we are also urging Americans to call their Senators, call 
their Congressmen--particularly Republicans--and get them to tell 
President Trump to stop it--cut this out, cut out these cuts--because 
you are going to hurt us. The only people who will get hurt by this are 
average American middle-class families, and that is just about 
everybody.
  I yield the floor, and I thank my colleague from Illinois for taking 
up the cudgels here.
  Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, I thank my leader from New York and glad 
he gave us his little seminar on chickens.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Democratic whip.

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