[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 29 (Wednesday, February 12, 2025)]
[Senate]
[Page S873]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
Trump Administration
Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, let me begin with a quote from President
Trump during his campaign for the Presidency.
He said:
When I win, I will immediately bring prices down, starting
on Day 1.
Well, today is day 23, and prices are up 3 percent. Let me reiterate
that Donald Trump said during his campaign that prices would come down
starting on day 1. It is day 23, and prices are up 3 percent.
Donald Trump is already breaking his promise to the American people.
Inflation is the No. 1 concern of most Americans, and Donald Trump said
he would fight inflation, but he hasn't. Groceries are up 0.5 percent.
Chicken, pork, steak are all more expensive. Egg prices are up 15
percent from last month. Gas prices are up 2 percent from last month.
The prices of used cars are up. The price of heating your home is up.
Housing costs are through the roof even though Republicans are racing
to privatize Fannie and Freddie.
Well, welcome to the age of Trumpflation. Donald Trump is breaking
his promise to lower costs. This was the No. 1 issue in the campaign to
most people. Donald Trump said: Starting on day one, prices are going
to start coming down. Well, they are up 3 percent, and it is day 20.
Welcome, again, to the age of Trumpflation.
Donald Trump knows that he doesn't have real solutions to bring costs
down despite his campaign promises. So what is he doing?
He is distracting and diverting the American people or trying to--
with issues that have nothing to do with bringing prices down. He is
distracting and diverting with issues like changing the name of the
Gulf of Mexico; talking about changing the chairman of the board of the
Kennedy Center; talking about building hotels in Gaza; talking about
the Panama Canal; talking about annexing Canada.
These are not the things Americans signed up for. No way. If there is
one mandate Donald Trump had, it was to fight inflation on day one like
he promised to do, but he is not doing that. He is focused on
everything else except what Americans want most.
Meanwhile, Americans woke up this morning to bad news for their bank
accounts. They woke up to the grim reality that Donald Trump is not
going to keep his promise to lower costs. They woke up--Americans woke
up--to an era of Trumpflation, and, unfortunately, this is only the
beginning.