Leader Schumer Floor Remarks Slamming President Trump For His Increasingly Costly War Of Choice In Iran

Washington, D.C. – Today, Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) spoke on the Senate floor on reports the White House will request $200 billion to fund Trump’s war of choice in Iran, highlighting the skyrocketing costs for Americans and slamming Republicans for their role in supporting this largely unpopular war. Below are Senator Schumer’s remarks, which can also be viewed here:

Donald Trump promised an easy and quick war with Iran. He promised overwhelming victory. Three weeks later in Iran, just the opposite of what Trump promised is happening.

Last night, a stunning report in The Washington Post revealed that the Pentagon has reportedly discussed with the White House requesting $200 billion from Congress to bankroll Donald Trump’s war with Iran.

$200 billion so Donald Trump can go to war with Iran is preposterous, unacceptable. Even a fraction of that is unacceptable for a war without a plan, without a goal, without the support of the American people.

Let’s be very clear, if President Trump wants $200 billion, that means he believes we might be in a war with Iran for a long time.

$200 billion is more than what we spent even at the height of the war in Iraq. It’s more than we have spent in Ukraine.

It is an indefensible number, one of the most wasteful and unthought out budget requests I’ve ever heard of in my time in the Senate.

For $200 billion, we could lower health care premiums for tens of millions of Americans.

For $200 billion, we could educate a generation and unleash the immense potential of our students.

For $200 billion, we could cut hunger in this country in half or more for many years.

For $200 billion, we could invest in jobs, in science, in manufacturing. We could begin fixing our power grid.

But instead, instead, the Trump administration reportedly wants $200 billion to go to war with Iran.

It is unacceptable. It is ridiculous. It is beyond the pale. Such a large amount of money for a war that no one knows the goal, no one knows the conclusion, no one knows the path. Trump changes these things, the goal, the path, the cost, every day and he wants us to spend all this money?

And meanwhile, the consequences of Donald Trump’s war are mounting every hour.

I hope America will look at this chart.

In four weeks, gas prices have surged by twenty seven percent here at home.

It is the second largest four week jump in thirty-five years. The second largest jump in thirty-five years.

And Donald Trump doesn’t care. Here’s what Trump said about this huge increase, plus 27% in gas prices. He said, “They’re not bad,” “I thought it would be worse.” Well, if you’re a billionaire you don’t care. If you’re a billionaire you don’t think such a large increase every time you pull up at the pump isn’t bad.

Tell that, Donald Trump, to the people paying four dollars a gallon.

And then, look at what Kevin Hassett—Donald Trump’s top economic adviser—said on live television.

He said, Americans’ pain is “the least of our concerns right now.” What an outrage. Hassett take that back. Because it sure is one of the biggest concerns of the American people. The least of our concerns right now? What kind of bubble are they living in? When the average American has to figure out how to pay for gas to get to work or pay for lunch.

America, every time you fill up the tank, know this: Donald Trump and his advisors do not care that you’re hurting! It is the least of their concerns.

They do not care that Trump’s war is taking money out of your pocket.

They do not care that rising gas prices are making it harder to pay rent, pay for groceries, pay for health care.

They does not care. Shameful, disgraceful, cold-hearted, and so out of touch.

But it doesn’t stop there. This morning, Reuters reported that Donald Trump is thinking about deploying thousands more troops to the Middle East as the Pentagon prepares for the next stage of the war.

You know what that sounds like to most Americans, what Trump said? Sounds like Donald Trump is getting closer and closer to putting boots on the ground. Sounds like Donald Trump is thinking about expanding this war. Mission creep on a massive scale. Seems like an oxymoron, mission creep on a massive scale, but they’re creeping and creeping and creeping every day and bungling us into war.

Boots on the ground of course could inevitably mean a surge in casualties. A surge in costs. A surge in chaos.

This is not what the American people want. And Republicans know it.

They know this war goes against the wishes of the American people.

And they refuse, Republicans here in the Senate refuse to stand up to Trump even though they know the war is wrong. Wasteful. Putting lives at risk.

Last night, we gave Republicans another chance to assert Congress’ constitutional authority, to tell Donald Trump he cannot drag this country into war without authorization.

Once again, Republicans opposed it, when they opposed Senator Booker’s motion.

Where is their courage? Where is their loyalty to the Constitution?

Where are the public hearings with Secretaries Rubio and Hegseth under oath? You want to spend $200 billion and you won’t even let your cabinet people show up at hearings to answer questions? What an outrage. Americans’ pain is “the least of our concerns,” you hear that America? That $4 gas, Americans' pain is “the least of our concerns.”

This is not the end of the matter in the Senate. This issue ain’t going away.

Republicans can try to wash their hands of Donald Trump’s war with Iran, but they will not escape responsibility.

The American people and Democrats will hold Republicans accountable for willingly supporting Donald Trump’s reckless, aimless, chaotic war in Iran.

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