[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 41 (Tuesday, March 4, 2025)]
[Senate]
[Pages S1466-S1468]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
JOINT SESSION OF CONGRESS
Mr. SCHUMER. So, Mr. President, tonight, Donald Trump will address
the Nation before a joint session of Congress. This will be the fifth
time Donald Trump speaks from the House Chamber, and by now, the
American people know just what to expect.
They can expect Donald Trump to launch a deluge of mistruths and
falsehoods. But tonight, we won't hear one peep from Donald Trump about
his broken promise to bring inflation down on ``day one.'' We won't
hear one syllable about how Donald Trump's policies are making
inflation and the costs that average American families pay worse.
So this morning, let's start with that here, starting with tariffs.
Last night, for the first time in decades, the President of the United
States imposed 25 percent tariffs on nearly all goods coming from
Canada and Mexico.
What does this mean for the American people? What do Donald Trump's
tariffs mean for the American people? They are going to pay more.
Everyday
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costs are about to become more expensive. It means, according to the
CEO of Target, to take one example, consumers could see higher prices
within days. This is not something 6 months out. That includes
everything: the price of gas, produce, cars, cheese, dairy products,
coffee, even chocolate.
American farmers will pay more for fertilizer, which means food
prices go up. New furniture will become more expensive, as Canada is a
major supplier of lumber. Refrigerators, washers, microwaves, laptops,
smartphones, clothing, and shoes all will likely see increases.
Hold on to your hat, Mr. and Mrs. America. When you bring it all
together, the average U.S. household could see $2,000 in increased
expenses a year, and that is a conservative estimate. Let me repeat
that. The average American family--$2,000 more out of their pockets,
their hard-earned dollars that they are struggling to stretch. And now
another added increase, all that didn't have to happen, because Donald
Trump is imposing tariffs on Canada and Mexico.
It has been clear that in the past, when applied intelligently and
precisely, tariffs can be a useful tool against adversaries that engage
in unfair trade practices that harm American workers. The tariffs
against China years ago are one example of this. But the situation
today is completely different. It makes no sense to start a trade war
with America's closest trade partners because the casualty of that
trade war will be consumers and American households.
So let's get it straight: Donald Trump's tariffs are a tax on working
Americans to the tune of $2,000 or more a year.
Why are they doing this? Why are they doing this? Well, he says
fentanyl, but less than 1 percent of the fentanyl that comes into the
country comes from Canada.
It is one of the ways they can close that budget hole when they take
huge tax breaks for billionaires. This is another place--another
place--where Donald Trump and the Republicans are raising your costs so
they can cut taxes for billionaires. It is unbelievable. I don't think
this is going to be seen very positively by the American people.
Now let's talk about 1 month into the Trump administration. So, on
his first day in office, Donald Trump promised a golden age was coming
over the horizon. But when Donald Trump speaks tonight, his promise of
a golden age will feel like ancient history.
So this morning, let's talk about Donald Trump's many broken
promises. As a candidate, Donald Trump promised, ``When I win, I will
immediately bring prices down, starting on day one.''
``Grocery prices will come tumbling down,'' he said, when he gets
elected.
Instead, what has happened? Inflation has gone not down but up. Gas
prices were 2 percent up from the previous month. Chicken, pork, beef--
all more expensive. Eggs, 15 percent higher than last month.
And what is Donald Trump's solution to all of this? The Secretary of
Agriculture said yesterday Americans should just buy their own chickens
to lay their own eggs. Is he serious? This is the Agriculture
Secretary? Americans should buy their own chickens to lay their own
eggs? Whom are they kidding?
As a candidate, Donald Trump also said, ``Vote Trump and your incomes
will soar. Your net worth will skyrocket.''
Now, to be fair, if you are a billionaire, he is telling you the
truth. But if you are not rich, Donald Trump and Republicans' signature
legislation is to cut Medicaid and Social Security and other programs
by hundreds of billions of dollars in order to pay for tax breaks for
the billionaires club.
Let's look at another claim by Donald Trump:
The next economic boom will begin the instant . . . Donald
J. Trump has won 4 more years.
That is his quote. He said:
The next economic boom will begin the instant . . . Donald
J. Trump has won 4 more years.
Well, let's look at what has actually happened. Last month, consumer
confidence took its biggest nosedive in years. Retail sales dropped
unexpectedly by 0.5 percent. Unemployment filings hit their highest
levels since last fall. The S&P 500, one of Donald Trump's favorite
measuring sticks, has erased all the gains this year, and now Donald
Trump has started a trade war with our closest trading partners. That
is not what an economic boom looks like.
This is economic anemia created by Donald Trump's own policies.
I could go on because there are so many people being hurt and such
policies of foolishness. Donald Trump promised to take care of
veterans. Yet DOGE tried to fire hundreds of critical staffers from the
VA, including crisis hotline staff and funding for cancer treatments.
Housing costs are up. Electricity bills are up.
If there is any golden age to be had under Donald Trump, it is a
golden age for lawlessness; it is a golden age for billionaires and
their club. It is not a golden age for Americans who work hard every
day to live an honest life to make ends meet. But I doubt we will hear
any of that from Donald Trump tonight.
Finally, I am proud to welcome seven New Yorkers to tonight's joint
meeting of Congress. These New Yorkers are examples of some of the very
people whom Donald Trump promised to help but whom he has left behind.
First, I am honored to welcome Emma Larson, a 12-year-old middle
school student from Long Island with a rare genetic disease which has
been treated thanks to NIH-funded research. Emma was diagnosed with
spinal muscular atrophy as a 1-year-old. At the time, there was no
cure. Her parents were anguished. But thanks to research at an NIH-
funded lab in Cold Spring, NY, Emma received a breakthrough drug that
changed SMA's prognosis.
Emma's story shows why NIH funding is lifesaving, and we should stand
up against efforts to slash funding. Imagine slashing funding to NIH,
which helps people like Emma live, so you can give a tax break to
billionaires who are already doing very well, thank you.
I am also proud to welcome Alissa Ellman, a disabled Army veteran
recently fired from the VA in Lockport, NY, in Western New York. Alissa
served honorably in Afghanistan and was diagnosed with a rare cancer
associated with toxic burn pit exposure.
Even while receiving treatment, she wanted to work; she wanted to
serve her fellow veterans. She got a job at the Buffalo VA.
But guess what, last week, Alissa found herself locked out of her
computer and later found out DOGE eliminated her position. This woman
served in Afghanistan, got sick after serving our country, working in
the Veterans Administration to help other veterans. All of a sudden--no
word, no notice--locked out of her computer, and found that DOGE
eliminated her position.
Is that the golden age? For whom? Alissa is 1 of 2,500 VA employees
who were fired by DOGE, putting the care of our Nation's veterans at
risk.
Tonight, I also welcome Tiffany Ramos from Rome, NY, who worked at
the USDA office in Syracuse and was fired from her job helping rural
farmers and businesses across Upstate New York. Tiffany is just one of
many USDA employees fired with no notice despite years of service,
leaving farmers across America wondering who is left to help.
It is amazing. These people worked hard. There was nothing against
them. They didn't get a notice saying: You didn't do this, this, this;
you can improve this way, this way, that way. They were just fired. It
is cruel. It is heartless. It is nasty. It is lacking knowledge and
fact-based, and it hurts America--in this case, our farmers.
I am also proud to welcome two Medicaid recipients, Jessica Martinez
and Ana Medina Garcia. Jessica and Ana are both cancer survivors who
depended on Medicaid to afford their medication and receive treatment.
And, finally, it is truly my honor to welcome Oran Neutra, mother of
Omer Neutra, and Ruby Chen, father of Itay Chen. As we all know now,
Omer and Itay were tragically murdered by vicious Hamas thugs right on
October 7, the day of the massacre, the day of the invasion of Israel.
In the case of Omer's family, it wasn't until a year later they
learned he was murdered by Hamas on October 7--how cruel. Hamas let
them worry. I met with them numerous times: Is our
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son alive? Is he dead? Is he OK? Is he wounded? Viciousness of Hamas--
the viciousness.
As for Itay, he was taken hostage and tragically murdered by Hamas on
the border of Gaza on October 7. After months of fighting for his
return, Itay's family learned that he was also murdered that terrible
day.
This is the depths of Hamas' cruelty. For months, they refused to
even acknowledge that Omer and Itay had been murdered. They kept these
families in anguish, in the dark. What a horrible feeling to wonder if
your child is alive or dead. Hamas knowing it, dangled cruelly the
possibility of maybe they are alive when they weren't.
The families wondered over and over again: Are our children alive?
Are they dead? And, of course, tragically, their worst fears happened.
What Omer and Itay's family have endured is beyond comprehension.
I am inspired by their perseverance, by their resolve to keep calling
for the safe return of remaining hostages, even though their loved ones
are gone, and for the return of the bodies of their loved ones, which
is essential by Jewish law.
There is no time to waste. I will continue working for as long as it
takes to finally bring every last hostage and the remains of the
hostages no longer with us home to us. It is an honor to welcome all my
guests to the Capitol.
I yield the floor.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Wyoming.
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