[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 214 (Thursday, December 18, 2025)]
[Senate]
[Page S8879]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                          Trump Administration

  Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, last night, Donald Trump gave a speech 
about how supposedly great his first year has been. So, of course, his 
speech was short because there is really not much to say about how 
great Trump has been.
  For 18 minutes, the President, last night, tried to convince 
Americans the sky is green and that trees can walk. He yelled at the 
camera and said that things are somehow going great even though costs 
are up. He said he is doing a great job in office--all of which is, 
obviously, false. And the American people didn't buy it.
  It was clear, in watching the speech, that the President didn't want 
to be there. The only thing Americans saw last night was a very rich 
President trapped in a bubble, forced by his advisers to give a speech 
he didn't want to give. It is like your cousin who can't sit still for 
a Christmas photo, only this is the President of the United States.
  Our country is in a lot of trouble right now, but instead of giving 
Americans a plan on how we will lower their costs, Donald Trump played 
the blame game. That is so typical of him. Instead of solving a 
problem, which is what a good President is supposed to do, he just 
points fingers at other people, and that doesn't do a bit of good to 
get the American people back on the right track. It is never a good 
sign when the President begins a speech by saying, ``I inherited a 
mess,'' because that is just another way of telling people: I don't 
want to be responsible for any of this.
  Again, President Trump's speech showed he lives in a bubble--a 
billionaire bubble--completely disconnected from the reality that 
everyday Americans are seeing and feeling. People are feeling squeezed 
harder and harder every day, and Donald Trump, last night, took a 
victory lap.
  Now let's talk about one of the most important issues for Americans 
when it comes to costs: healthcare.
  Last night, Donald Trump offered exactly zero solutions for how we 
are going to lower Americans' healthcare premiums. He kept blaming 
Democrats. He kept saying the healthcare crisis is not his fault.
  But here are the facts--the immutable facts--Donald Trump: No amount 
of finger-pointing, lying, hyping it up, or patting yourself on the 
back is going to undo the fact that the American people are going to 
pay a lot more for healthcare come January 1.
  On January 1, the ACA enhanced premium tax credits are going to 
expire because Donald Trump chose to let them die.
  Even our Republican colleagues have told us time and time again that 
if Trump would do something here and support an extension of the tax 
credits, as we Democrats are fighting for, then maybe they would be 
able to do something. But he doesn't.
  Now tens of millions are going to see their insurance premiums double 
on average. Four million people will lose insurance because Donald 
Trump let it happen, and he is there, sitting in front of the TV 
camera, patting himself on the back--unbelievable. Millions more with 
private insurance will see their premiums go up because Donald Trump 
let it happen. Our emergency rooms are going to be even more overrun. 
People are going to be kicked out of nursing homes. Rural hospitals 
will close. And there is Donald Trump congratulating himself on how 
great he is.
  Look, because of Republicans' total inaction on healthcare, huge 
damage has already been done, and nothing we do after January 1 can 
undo so much of that damage. As I have said before, the toothpaste is 
out of the tube.
  However you want to say it, the point is this: Because of 
Republicans, it is now impossible, sadly, to prevent people from having 
to pay hundreds, if not thousands, more on their premiums next year. It 
is going to start January 1.
  Even if we can figure out a way to stop the bleeding next year--that 
is a very big ``if''--Republicans are still in shambles and have no 
plan themselves. For too many people, it is going to be too late 
because Republicans chose to let these ACA tax credits expire. They had 
an easy opportunity to join us in our 3-year, clean extension of the 
ACA credits, and they refused.
  Well, Americans heard none of what they wanted to hear last night 
during Trump's speech--nothing about how he will lower premiums, 
nothing about how he will lower their cost of living, nothing about how 
Republicans could have fixed this crisis but didn't. Donald Trump kept 
playing the blame game. Many a President has tried to do that--all with 
disastrous results. People want solutions; Donald Trump gave them none.
  Democrats, meanwhile, are not going to stop fighting to lower 
people's premiums, and we are not going to stop fighting to lower costs 
across the board and help Americans pay for the things they need and 
avoid those moments on Friday night when families sit around the 
kitchen table and say: How the hell am I going to pay this bill? I 
don't have the money for it. I need what the bill has asked me to pay 
for.
  Look, we Democrats will not stop fighting to lower costs and help 
Americans pay for the things they need. These will be our watchwords in 
2026: lower costs and lower healthcare costs in particular.
  That issue ain't going away, Republicans. We are going to keep on it 
and on it and on it until maybe you join us to really solve the 
problem.
  Republicans, healthcare is not going away. People need help to afford 
premiums, and Democrats are going to keep fighting and pushing this 
issue for all of 2026 and beyond.