Leader Schumer Floor Remarks Pressing Senate Republicans To Vote With Democrats To Halt Trump’s Illegal War And Help Lower Costs, As Trump’s Suspension Of The Gas Tax Will Not Be Enough

Washington, D.C. – Today, Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) spoke on the Senate floor, urging his Republican colleagues to vote for Senate Democrats’ seventh War Powers Resolution. Leader Schumer argued that Trump’s suspension of the federal gas tax is simply not enough to help American families, who are suffering from costly effects of this administration’s mishandling of the war. Below are Senator Schumer’s remarks, which can also be found here:

Trump recently signaled to American motorists to buckle up, saying that the ceasefire with Iran is quote, “on life support.” The American economy is also on life support because of Trump’s mishandling of his illegal war. Americans are paying over four and a half dollars for a gallon of gas because Donald Trump refuses to end this war – a dollar and a half more than when this war started.

Americans need every cent they can get right now, and Senate Democrats will work with whomever it takes to bring down costs, but Republicans need to realize that Donald Trump’s proposal to suspend the gas tax simply is not enough.

Eighteen cents of gas tax relief a gallon doesn’t even come close to the buck-fifty gas price increase from this war, and Republicans need to stop pretending that it does. Offering Americans literal pennies on the dollar to cope with skyrocketing gas prices just won’t cut it – eighteen cents is not a dollar fifty. If Republicans want to get serious about lowering costs, they will support Democrats’ War Powers Resolution, coming up once again this week, to withdraw American troops from the hostilities with Iran.

This week, Republicans will have their seventh opportunity to vote for our War Powers Resolution, get our servicemembers out of harm’s way, and rein in these skyrocketing costs.

I urge Republicans to join Democrats – and the American people – by supporting the resolution. Americans can’t afford for their economy to be left on life support, which is why we need to end this war and get our economy back on track.

###