Majority Leader Schumer Floor Remarks On President Biden’s FY2023 Budget

Washington, D.C. –  Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) today spoke on the Senate floor regarding the release of President Biden’s proposed budget for FY2023 that would benefit American families, while the Republican agenda caters to the ultra-wealthy. Below are Senator Schumer’s remarks, which can also be viewed here:

Yesterday, President Biden released the second budget of his Administration: a strong, forward-looking, and optimistic vision of our country’s potential.

It’s a budget calling for greater investments in the things that make the biggest difference in the lives of middle class families and in those working to get to the middle class: more support for our schools, increased funding for child care and health care services, stronger investments in clean energy and climate-change mitigation, support for our farmers and small businesses, as well as relief for our strained supply chains.

The Republican Leader asserted yesterday that the President’s budget is “fundamentally disconnected” from what America needs right now. This begs the question: just how does the Republican Leader think the recovery of the past 12 months came to pass? We’ve seen the greatest jobs recovery in history, the strongest economic surge in years, and a steady return to normal after the worst health crisis of modern times—does he think it happened by magic?

Of course not—these were the results of the right leadership pursuing the right policies at the right moment for our country: robust investment in vaccines, aid for families trying to feed their kids through a crisis, help for businesses and local communities struggling to stay open.

And as our recovery continues under President Biden, Republicans seem to think the right answer is to shortchange the American people and cut off vital resources that help our country grow. Republicans can’t stand the thought of asking the ultra-rich to pay their fair share, and as a result any effort to strengthen the middle class – which would be paid for by taxes on those at the very top – is anathema to them.

Keeping the wealthy wealthy is more important for Republicans than strengthening the middle class.

Republicans indeed seem to think it’s “fundamentally disconnected” to increase investments in things like public education, Pell Grants, and Title 1, which helps kids most in need.

Republicans believe it’s somehow wasteful or far-left to dare help families afford child care and Pre-K, which never have been pricier than they are today.

And beholden as they are to corporate polluters, Republicans seem to think it’s radical for the federal government to dedicate resources to a clean energy future: more renewables, more clean cars from right here in America, and a more prosperous planet for our kids and our grandkids.

But of course, Republicans think it’s perfectly fine to try and rip away health care from millions of Americans and push trillion-dollar tax cuts that overwhelmingly benefit the wealthy. But helping the middle class with child care and education and healthcare is a bridge too far for our Republican friends. Sad.

For all these reasons, the contrast between President Biden’s budget and the vision we are seeing coming from Republicans is stark and glaring. One budget – ours – is for the working and middle class; the other – the Republican budget – is an offering entirely for the ultra-wealthy.

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