Warren Supports Merkley on Senate Floor, Slams Trump for Refusing to Protect Health Care

Warren Supports Merkley on Senate Floor, Slams Trump for Refusing to Protect Health Care

"The American people are begging us to do something about the skyrocketing cost of living. They are crying out for help. But Donald Trump can't hear them over the sound of the bulldozers that are demolishing a chunk of the White House to build his brand new ballroom."

Video of Floor Speech (YouTube)

Washington, D.C. - Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) joined Senator Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) in holding the Senate Floor to protest the Trump administration's anti-democratic actions and the looming health care crisis.

"Holding the floor to protest the Trump administration's lawlessness is patriotic. Standing up for what's right? That's patriotic. And I am proud to join my friend Jeff Merkley in saying this part out loud: Donald Trump is not a king. He will never be a king. And America does not bow down to kings," said Senator Warren.

Speaking about the Republican-created health care crisis, Senator Warren highlighted stories from American families across the country warning that they will be priced out of health care coverage entirely if their premiums skyrocket.

"Families hanging on by their fingernails cannot afford insurance premiums jumping by hundreds of dollars a month. Those are the families Democrats are fighting for right this minute-and Republicans won't even come to the table. Republicans are off on vacation," Senator Warren continued.

She also called out President Trump's hypocrisy for refusing to lower health care costs for Americans right now, while preparing to send $40 billion to bail out Argentina's president.

"The American people are begging us to do something about the skyrocketing cost of living. They are crying out for help. But Donald Trump can't hear them over the sound of the bulldozers that are demolishing a chunk of the White House to build his brand new ballroom," Senator Warren said.

She also listed out 8 alternative investments the U.S. could make domestically instead of sending money to Argentina, including:

• Stopping health insurance premiums from doubling next year;
• Restoring food assistance for families that will be hurt by Trump's cuts;
• Cancel a chunk of student loan debt for nearly four million borrower;
• Fund public media;
• Restore cuts to humanitarian aid and USAID;
• Fund child care for military families for almost 20 years; and
• Fund the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau for almost 50 years.

She noted he could even pay for 2 Qatari jets for each governor to match the jet he received from the government of Qatar as president.

"So my friend Jeff Merkley is exactly right - we are not in normal times," Senator Warren concluded. "All of us need to stand up, speak out, and push back."

Transcript: Floor Speech with Senator Jeff Merkley
U.S. Senate Floor
October 22, 2025

Senator Elizabeth Warren: My friend Senator Jeff Merkley is ringing the alarm bell. He is carrying the momentum of millions of peaceful protestors at No Kings Day directly onto the floor of the United States Senate. For all the spineless Republicans in Congress to see.

I want to be clear here: peaceful protest is patriotic. Holding the floor to protest the Trump administration's lawlessness is patriotic. Standing up for what is right? That's patriotic. And I am proud to join my friend Jeff Merkley in saying this part out loud: Donald Trump is not a king. He will never be a king. And America does not bow down to kings.

So, thank you, Jeff, for reinvigorating that energy and bringing it to the floor of the Senate today and every day. You are a true patriot.

So, let's talk for just a minute about what's going on here.

New reporting from the Wall Street Journal this morning says that the average cost of a family health insurance plan is now $27,000 a year. Wow-that's a stunner. $27,000. And that's after years of rising costs-the cost of health care is rising faster than inflation. Health care is too expensive, and families are barely hanging on.

So, what do we have to do? We have to protect Americans' health care and lower costs for families. Seems pretty obvious, right?

Not to Donald Trump! In fact, Donald Trump and Republicans are doing the exact opposite. Their genius plan was to pass legislation that will rip away health care from 15 million Americans. Jack up premiums for millions more. Force rural hospitals and community health centers to close down. And shut down the entire government instead of coming to the table to save health care and lower costs.

Now, Republicans just keep right on bowing down to Donald Trump. They seem to have lost their spines-every one of them needs to go to the doctor to get a spine transplant. But instead, they are willing to make it more expensive for everyone else to go to the doctor.

Make no mistake: our health care system is already broken. But Donald Trump and Republicans are making the problem so much worse.

Families in Massachusetts are now starting to get notices this week telling them that their health care premiums are going up next year. We are talking hundreds of dollars a month. Some families are seeing their premiums more than double. Others will get priced out of their plans completely, leaving them with no coverage at all.

And it's not just Massachusetts. Americans across the country are counting on us to lower health care costs. I want to share some of their stories right now:

From a family who gets their health care through the Health Care Exchange: "If (our premium) doubles, we will simply not be able to afford it. Either my husband or I will have to scramble to find a job with benefits in a saturated market, or we will be going without insurance for the time being."

So that is the story of a family who could get kicked off of their insurance altogether because their costs will go through the roof. More uninsured people means more costs for everyone else. And that is a lose-lose for the American people.

Here's another one, from a teacher: "My health care costs are going up by 39%. How do I even live?!?"

Families across this country are asking themselves exactly the same question. Democrats are here right now fighting for every single one of those families.

Here's a story from someone else: "(If my premiums go up), I'd have to cancel my insurance (be)cause my check would be gone-and I have an autoimmune disease. It would be over for me. How could I raise my two boys and care for my parents? I'm the stronghold of the family." That is the reminder that this kind of increase that the Republicans are imposing on American families, this increase in health insurance, it has echo effects. It's not only the person who can't afford insurance for themselves. It's what happens to her two children. What happens to her older parents that she's taking care of?

Families hanging on by their fingernails cannot afford insurance premiums jumping by hundreds of dollars a month. Those are the families Democrats are fighting for right this minute-and Republicans won't even come to the table. Republicans are off on vacation.

Here's another story I received from a Type 1 diabetic: "I have an ACA plan that makes my insulin affordable. Without it, my insulin would be $1000 a month. Please don't give up this fight and please continue to stand for people just like me."

We will not stop fighting for you.

Here's another one: "Ours will go from $1300 monthly to $3600 monthly. It is harrowing."

Look, $1300 monthly-$1300 a month for health care-is already too much. But this family will now have to pay nearly triple. For families already struggling with the rising cost of everything, they cannot afford to shell out an extra thousands of dollars every month for health care.

So, you're hearing all of this right. Americans are struggling to get by. Republicans won't come to the table to fix it and end the government shutdown. And instead of working to lower health care costs for Americans right now, Trump is bending over backwards to dig up $40 billion to bail out his political buddy in Argentina and to help out Wall Street hedge fund investors. $40 billion.

So, what could $40 billion do for us at home for a whole year instead?

Well, $40 billion could stop health insurance premiums from doubling.

It could restore food assistance for families that will be hurt by Trump's cuts.

It would cancel a chunk of student loan debt for nearly four million borrowers.

It would fund public media.

It would restore cuts to humanitarian aid and USAID.

And to put it even more in perspective, that $40 billion Donald Trump is sending off to Argentina, it could fund child care for military families for almost 20 years.

It would fund the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau to stop big banks and giant corporations from scamming people for almost 50 years.

And it could pay for a hundred Qatari jets, meaning one for every governor of all fifty states and a backup plane for each and every one of them.

[Senate Suspends for Prayer by the Senate Chaplain]

So, there you have it. Remember Trump's promise to lower costs for Americans on Day One? Well instead, Donald Trump is bailing out his "favorite president" and bailing out rich Wall Street investors who invested in Argentina debt.

The American people are begging us to do something about the skyrocketing cost of living. They are crying out for help.

But Donald Trump can't hear them over the sound of the bulldozers that are demolishing a chunk of the White House to build his brand-new ballroom. A $250 million dollar ballroom-a monument to Donald Trump himself-paid for by big corporations that are trying to suck up to the Administration for special favors.

The American people told Donald Trump to cut the cost of living. Instead, he's cutting off part of the White House for his new billionaires' ballroom.

Families are missing car payments, but Donald Trump is too busy building his ballroom to notice.

The price of coffee is up nearly 30%, but at least Donald Trump will have a fancy new ballroom where the White House is supposed to be.

Farmers are going bankrupt, but Trump is too worried about the construction of his ballroom to help.

The cost of baby strollers-or as Donald Trump calls them, the things you carry babies around in-is going up, but Trump is too busy building his fancy ballroom to notice.

So, my friend Jeff Merkley is exactly right-we are not in normal times. All of us need to stand up, speak out, and push back.

My question for you, Senator Merkley, is how is the fight to lower costs for families all around this country linked to the fight against Donald Trump's authoritarianism?

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