Leader Schumer Floor Remarks On President Trump’s Skewed Priorities: A Billion-Dollar Ballroom Instead Of Addressing Rising Costs

Washington, D.C. – Today, Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) spoke on the Senate floor condemning President Trump for his plan to use a billion-dollars of taxpayer money to build a ballroom instead of addressing rising costs amid record high inflation rates and low approval rates on the economy. Below are Senator Schumer’s remarks which can also be viewed here:

Inflation is skyrocketing at the fastest pace in three years, the American people are hurting, and Donald Trump is to blame.

Inflation rose to 3.8% in April because of Donald Trump’s costly tariffs, his disastrous war with Iran, and failed economic agenda.

So much for Trump’s promise to bring down costs on day one. 3.8% the highest in three years, and again: it’s all because Trump’s tariffs, his war with Iran, his failed economic agenda.

The American people are furious about how Donald Trump and his MAGA majorities in Congress have turned a blind eye to the number one issue facing the American people– the rising costs.

A CNN poll this morning found that 77% of Americans say that Trump’s policies have raised costs in their community, and that includes a majority of Republicans.

77% of Americans – including a majority of Republicans – blame Trump for their higher costs.

Only 30% of Americans approve of his handling of the economy – that’s a record low.

Among the most common words the poll’s respondents used to describe their economic situation right now were: “uncertainty,” “stress,” “dread.” Donald Trump are you hearing that? The American people look at your economic policies and describe them as filled with uncertainty, fill them with stress, fill them with dread. That’s a pretty strong word.

Instead of listening to the American people, Donald Trump and the GOP put forward a reconciliation bill that would force Americans to pay for Trump’s billion-dollar-ballroom and tens of billions of dollars more for Trump’s masked agents while including zero – zero – dollars to bring down Americans’ costs. Ask Americans how many people want to see a billion dollars for a ballroom and no money to help reduce the cost of food, the cost of electricity, the cost of housing, the cost of childcare.

When will Republicans take the hint? When will they realize that Americans want lower costs, not a gold-plated plated ballroom for our billionaire president? It seems all the President is concerned with nowadays are vanity projects, not things that make the American people’s lives better.

Democrats will fight Republicans’ ballroom bill tooth and nail, and Republicans should do the same if they have any sense. Can you believe it? You guys are walking off a cliff. Funding a billion-dollar ballroom when people are hurting- makes no sense, no sense at all.

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