Leader Schumer Floor Remarks Slamming DOGE For Slashing Vital Government Programs And Wreaking Havoc On American Citizens

Washington, D.C. – Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) today spoke on the Senate floor to condemn the actions of DOGE and Donald Trump, who have wreaked havoc on average Americans through the destruction of vital government programs. Below are Senator Schumer’s remarks, which can also be viewed here:

Day by day, Americans are getting more alarmed by the slash and burn approach DOGE is taking to basic government programs.

Americans certainly want a more efficient government. But what DOGE and Donald Trump are doing is not efficiency.

Instead, it’s chaos. Americans did not sign up for chaos, that’s for sure.

Americans did not sign up for DOGE to take a chainsaw, for instance, to aviation safety.

There was a near miss, this time in Chicago, in the air yesterday. Thank God no one was hurt, but this shows you the immense importance of having a fully staffed FAA.

How on Earth is it efficient to fire aviation safety assistants, or maintenance mechanics, or people who help with safety inspections and repairs?

But that’s just what DOGE did. I can't imagine any American thinks that's efficiency.

The only thing that’s going to accomplish, of course, is make flying less safe. It’s going to lead to delays and mix ups at airports.

And not even 9/11 families – who lost loved ones or were hurt as they rushed to the towers right after 9/11 – were safe from the DOGE buzz-saw.

DOGE tried to axe the workforce for the World Trade Center Health Program.

Well, I’m glad we pushed Donald Trump and DOGE to reverse.

Later today, I will join Senator Gillibrand and Representatives Goldman and Garbarino to reintroduce the bipartisan 9/11 World Trade Center Health Program Reintroduction, two months after Elon Musk killed this program when he tanked the bipartisan funding bill in December.

9/11 families deserve to be treated with dignity, with respect, not with the contempt we see from DOGE.

And no good business operator would take the slash-and-burn approach DOGE is taking.

People’s Social Security benefits are also at risk. Their ability to see a doctor is at stake. Their ability to put kids in daycare is at stake.

The longer DOGE is allowed to rein chaos on the American people, the stronger the backlash will become.

Let's not forget: even by their most optimistic projections – and they've had to reduce them – the amount of money that DOGE will cut is far less than the amount of the deficit created by the huge Republican tax cut. So, all this talk that they need to do this for deficit reduction is belied by their clinging to a deficit-creating, whopping deficit creation by the tax cut.

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