[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 22 (Monday, February 3, 2025)]
[Senate]
[Pages S531-S532]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                                TARIFFS

  Mr. SCHUMER. Finally, Mr. President, on tariffs, this weekend, 
President Trump kick-started a golden age of higher costs for American 
families with his 25-percent tariffs on Canada and Mexico--two of our 
four biggest trading partners.
  By issuing his tariffs, Donald Trump is yet again rigging the game 
for his billionaire friends while doing nothing to lower costs for 
American families. Thankfully, President Trump got immense blowback, 
and for now, he has decided to back off his nonsensical trade war with 
Mexico, but President Trump's retreat is not enough. He must also back 
off his tariffs on Canada or everyday Americans will see prices going 
up.
  Listen to this: Economists predict that President Trump's tariffs are 
going to raise prices on American families by as much as $1,200 a year. 
Let me say that again. President Trump's tariffs are going to raise 
prices on families by as much as $1,200 a year.
  To President Trump and his billionaire buddies, $1,200 may be chump

[[Page S532]]

change, but to most Americans, a $1,200 increase cost would be 
devastating. For most families, $1,200 could be the difference between 
putting food on the table or not, between affording medications or 
doctors' appointments or having to skip them.
  Americans, do you worry about car prices? The Trump tariffs will 
raise your car prices. Do you use a car to get to work? The Trump 
tariffs will make gas prices go up.
  And we should not listen at all to Donald Trump when he says it is 
about stopping fentanyl. That is nonsense. There are other ways to stop 
fentanyl without making inflation worse and raising costs on the 
American family. But Donald Trump clearly doesn't care. He said the 
American people need to suck it up and to accept that there would be 
``some pain'' after his tariffs go into effect. That is outrageous. 
That is what an out-of-touch billionaire says.
  Meanwhile, both sides of the ideological spectrum know the damage of 
these tariffs. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce--hardly a liberal group--
said President Trump's tariffs ``will only raise prices for American 
families and upend supply chains.''
  Even The Wall Street Journal Editorial Board--again, no friend of 
liberals--said that President Trump's tariffs will result in ``the 
dumbest trade war in history.'' That is what this would be, as The Wall 
Street Journal Editorial Board said, ``the dumbest trade war in 
history.''
  This is not what the American people want. Senate Democrats are not 
going to stand quiet as Donald Trump makes inflation worse. We will 
push legislation soon to protect people's bottom lines and stop the 
President from unilaterally plunging us into a trade war with our own 
allies.
  I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Democratic whip.

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