Leader Schumer Floor Remarks On The Harm Of Trump’s Chaotic Trade War, Promising Senate Democrats Will Block Any Extensions To His Global Tariffs

Washington, D.C. - Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) today spoke on the Senate floor to affirm Senate Democrats' commitment to blocking any Congressional effort to extend Donald Trump's Section 122 tariffs. Below are Senator Schumer's remarks:

Americans breathed a brief sigh of relief last week when the Supreme Court knocked out Trump's harmful tariff proposals. Americans are suffering because Donald Trump is raising tariffs. People pay more for so many daily goods-so many groceries, for cars, for homes, for everything. And the American people hate the tariffs because they know it's raising their costs. And so, for a brief moment, there was a sigh of relief that you heard from one end of America to the other, because the Supreme Court correctly said the president can't raise tariffs on emergency basis, only the Congress can.

But Donald Trump, who is in a bubble, has no understanding of what the American people need, feel, or want. He reimposed the tariffs right away, and then he one-upped it, doubled down on it, and raised them again. And now Americans are back in the same position they were before the Court decision-higher prices, more inflation, harder to afford things, harder to pay the bills. And a good chunk of that increase, the difficulty in paying the bills, is because of Trump's tariffs.

Democrats will not stand for it. And in fact, the new tariff regime that Trump put in must expire in a few months and needs Congressional approval. I am here to tell Donald Trump and the American people that we will not extend those tariffs, and they will expire in a few months. And hopefully, then, Republicans will join us in not allowing Trump to raise tariffs, which raise costs for the American people.

Tariffs are highly unpopular among Democrats, Independents, and Republicans. Donald Trump, in his bubble, does not understand the burdens he is imposing on American families. But we Democrats do. And we will do everything we can to stop these odious tariffs that are causing so much harm, so much pain on American families.

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