Leader Schumer Floor Remarks Beginning Debate On The Republicans’ “Big, Ugly Bill”

Washington, D.C. – Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) today spoke on the Senate floor as the Senate begins to debate the “Big, Ugly Bill,” which will gut critical programs, explode the debt by $3.3 trillion and skyrocket costs for Americans. Below are Senator Schumer’s remarks:

First, let me thank everyone who stayed overnight to take part in the reading of this bill—my colleagues, the cloakrooms, the floor staff—everyone who made it possible.

I will say this to the cloakroom and in particular, our great floor staff: you are all amazing, the unsung heroes of what goes on here— without you none of us could do our work.

So thank you all for your dedication, your excellence, your perseverance, your strength.

Now, Senate Democrats will now commence four parliamentary inquiries to show the hypocrisy of what Republicans are trying to do here in the Senate, and to expose how they’re trying to hide the true cost of their billionaire giveaways from the American people

I thank my colleagues who will speak momentarily, as well as all my colleagues who will come to the floor, as we debate this bill before vote-a-rama.

So before I yield to them, I just want to hammer home exactly what is going on here in the Senate, for the people back home.

Republicans are about to pass the single most expensive bill in US history to give tax breaks away to billionaires while taking away Medicaid, SNAP benefits, and good-paying jobs from millions of people.

CBO just this morning said it will explode the debt by $3.3 trillion.

And they said it will likely cost more over time, more than that, closer to $4 trillion.

Rather than be honest with the American people about the true costs of their billionaire giveaways, Republicans are doing something the Senate has never, never done before, deploying fake math and accounting gimmicks to hide the true cost of their bill.

Look, Republicans can use whatever budgetary gimmicks they want to try and make the math work on paper, but you can’t paper over the real-life consequences of adding trillions to the debt.

Sky high interest rates.

Higher borrowing costs—for cars, for homes, for credit cards.

Americans are going to feel this, unfortunately, everywhere they look.

Americans’ household wealth will be permanently hobbled.

There aren’t enough budgetary gimmicks in the world to change that fact.

And for what? Why are Republicans doing this?

So that billionaires today can pay less in taxes, while tens of millions lose their healthcare benefits and pay more for everyday expenses.

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