Leader Schumer Floor Remarks On The True Reality Of Donald Trump’s First Year In Office: Skyrocketing Costs, Unaffordable Health Care, And Tariffs That Are Crushing American[...]

Washington, D.C. - Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) today spoke on the Senate floor ahead of Donald Trump's address to the nation, noting the reality is that American families are being crushed by his failed economic agenda. Below are Senator Schumer's remarks, which can also be viewed here:

Tonight, President Trump will address the nation on what he claims is a speech on his supposed victories this year.

President Trump can say whatever he wants on camera, but the reality for Americans across the country is: that costs are up, unemployment is rising, the holidays are more expensive and stressful than ever, and tariffs are taxing people to no end.

If Donald Trump had any shred of honesty and self-respect and self-insight he'd look into the camera tonight and say to the American people "I have failed you."

I mean, just last week Donald Trump seriously suggested that one way families can lower costs is for parents to buy their kids fewer toys! What kind of Christmas is that? Donald Trump is like the Grinch, just with a lot more bronzer.

Now, today, Senate Democrats will hold a special caucus lunch to roll out a new initiative to lower costs for the American people, and show precisely how Donald Trump and Republicans have made life far more expensive for Americans.

Recently a report came out that Americans will pay 13% more this year on energy costs than they did last year. Why? In part because Donald Trump and his obeisant Republicans cut out the cheapest way to get new power and new electrons on the grid, solar energy. They cut it out in obeisance to [Big Oil]. It was disgraceful. And that's what's wrong with this government, the corruption. The oil industry promises Donald Trump, Harold Hamm, they'll raise him a ton of money, so Trump cuts out clean energy and these guys went right along with it.

Cost of groceries are up, rent is up, housing foreclosures are up.

And health care is about to soar through the roof while Republicans refuse to do anything about it. Leader Thune said he doesn't want to extend the ACA tax credits at all, and Americans will pay the price.

Donald Trump and his billionaire buddies and the Republican Senators just don't get it. They don't understand what it's like to struggle to pay for groceries or struggle to keep a roof over your heads. They don't know what it like if your car breaks down and you don't have enough money to fix it and you wonder how am I going to get to work.

Donald Trump, after all calls affordability a hoax. Well, if anything is a hoax, Donald Trump, it's been your promise to "lower costs on day one." The biggest hoax on affordability was Donald Trump's promise to lower costs on day one.

So, today Democrats are going to come together to do precisely what Republicans refuse to do: fight on behalf of the American people to lower their costs. We are going to focus on five major issues: health care, energy, housing, groceries, and Donald Trump's tariffs. When Americans think about lowering costs, these are five things they think about most, and these are the issues that will be our focus.

Senate Democrats will focus on these five issues like a laser. We will come back to them again and again and again in the coming weeks, just like we came back to health care over and over and over again this fall, and the American people know who's on their side when it comes to health care costs.

Americans are tired of feeling like the cost of living is a constant crisis. Americans are tired of hearing Donald Trump call their struggles a hoax. Americans didn't sign up for higher grocery costs and more expensive health care, but that's what the Republicans and Donald Trump have given them in just one year in office.

So, Democrats will show the American people another way forward-a way focused on lower costs, more prosperity, and an agenda focused on the working and middle class families, not the billionaires, not the special interests, not the huge lobbyists who seem to dictate what the Republicans do.

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