Leader Schumer Floor Remarks On Donald Trump And The Republicans’ Plans To Cut Taxes For Their Billionaire Buddies At The Cost Of Working Americans
Washington, D.C. – Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) today spoke on the Senate floor on Donald Trump and the Republicans’ plans to provide tax cuts for the ultra-wealthy paid for on the backs of working and middle class families. Below are Senator Schumer’s remarks, which can also be viewed here:
Yesterday, every single Senate Republican signed their name onto Donald Trump’s plan to cut taxes for their billionaire buddies.
Republicans and pundits all seem to be focused on this dispute between one bill or two bills. Donald Trump keeps changing his mind – one day he says two bills is okay, and then just this morning he wants one bill.
Donald Trump and Republicans have been all over the lot, and this morning the confusion continues. But frankly, this is all a sideshow. Republicans could do two bills, ten bills, fifty bills, a hundred bills – it doesn’t make a difference.
Because Donald Trump, and House and Senate Republicans are united where it matters most: they want to give their billionaire buddies a tax break and have the American people pay the cost, no matter how many bills.
This is going to be a long, drawn out fight. The debate we begin this week will spill into next week, and the week after, and go on possibly further.
We will have late nights here on the floor exposing Republicans’ hypocrisy on health care, on national security, on job creation, on inflation, and most of all, where their main focus is, their north star – tax breaks for their billionaire buddies.
Democrats are glad to have this debate with the Republicans.
We are glad to expose the truth here on the Senate floor.
No matter how Republicans spin it, their number one goal is tax cuts for their billionaire buddies.
They are laying the groundwork to defund Medicaid and raise health care costs for tens of millions of working families, all so Republicans can help their billionaire buddies with another tax break.
Republicans are preparing to cut nutrition programs that feed hungry kids, so they can help their billionaire buddies with another tax break.
Republicans are making it harder for Americans to own a home, all so they can help their billionaire buddies with another tax break.
Republicans are preparing to slash NIH funding and reduce the chances that we get cures for so many illnesses that affect tens of millions. They’re slashing NIH funding even as a measles outbreak is breaking out in Texas, all so they can help their billionaire buddies with another tax break.
Republicans are getting ready to kill thousands – if not hundreds of thousands – of clean jobs in order to put more money in the pockets of Big Oil executives, all so they can help their billionaire buddies with another tax break.
Of course, Republicans know how unpopular these tax cuts are. I don't hear them on the floor saying we need to cut the taxes on the richest people in America.
They keep trying to divert and change the subject – just like when Donald Trump tries to change the subject by talking about the Gulf of Mexico, or annexing Canada, or building hotels in Gaza.
These are all distractions to hide Donald Trump, Elon Musk, and the Republicans’ real goal: Donald Trump, Elon Musk and Republicans are trying to give their billionaire buddies a tax break and have you pay the cost.
Republicans can do it in one bill, they can do it in two bills, they can do it in a whole bunch of bills, it doesn’t matter.
The end game is the same: tax cuts for billionaires paid for on the backs of working and middle class families.
We will not relent. We are going to continue to expose Republicans for what they are doing in giving tax breaks for billionaires.
We're going to do it in reconciliation, in the budget, and throughout the months and years ahead because the American people don't want it. The Republicans are trying to hide it. We won't let them hide it. It's going to be front and center as we go through these debates.
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