Majority Leader Schumer Floor Remarks On President Biden’s Proposed 2023 Budget That Benefits American Families While The Republican Party Caters To The Ultra-Rich

Washington, D.C. –  Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) today spoke on the Senate floor after President Biden released his proposed budget for Fiscal Year 2023. Below are Senator Schumer’s remarks, which can also be viewed here:

This morning, President Biden released his budget for Fiscal Year 2023.

When you compare the President’s agenda with the nasty Republican proposals like the one from the Senator from Florida, it’s clear that the contrast between the two parties is stark and glaring. One budget is for the ultra-rich, and the other budget for the middle class and those working to get there. 

President Biden’s vision for America is refreshingly bold, responsible, and taps into our nation’s greatest strength: the American people themselves. It is a good, strong budget that will help build on the historic growth of the past year.

For starters, the President’s budget zeroes in on fighting inflation: it calls, for instance, on increasing domestic manufacturing and relieving supply chain bottle necks, especially at our ports.

It increases help for American families to afford child care, pre-K, and provides more funding to help schools with the academic and mental health resources to help students thrive.

It builds on the President’s promise to expand health care and supports efforts to lower prescription drug costs.

Lowering prescription drug costs is one of the highest priorities of Senate Democrats, and we are eager and ready to work with the Administration on this front.

And after years of Trump Budgets that didn’t even mention the word “climate,” President Biden’s plan would boost investments in clean energy, lower the costs of energy for low-income Americans, and speed up our transition to clean cars made right here in America, which will create thousands and thousands of good-paying new jobs.

Critically the President’s budget will grow our country while making sure the richest Americans pay their fair share. Most Americans think it’s unacceptable for those at the top to pay less in taxes than teachers and firefighters. God bless the rich, I have nothing against then—but I applaud the President’s proposal for making sure the ultra-rich chip in to growing our country.

Finally, I commend the President for releasing a budget that honors our nation’s promise to Ukraine while keeping Americans around the world safe from harm.

Now, compare President Biden’s budget to the bewildering vision laid out by Senate Republicans in recent weeks.

While Democrats want to lower costs for American families, Republicans are openly calling on raising taxes on half of Americans. Yesterday the Junior Senator from Florida went on Fox News Sunday to deny this part of his plan, only for the anchor, the Fox anchor, to remind everyone watching “No, it’s in the plan!”

While Democrats want to strengthen Medicare and make health care more affordable, Republicans have resurrected calls to repeal health care and even possibly put Medicare on the chopping block!

And lest anyone forget, a few months ago, the Junior Senator from Florida, in another example, openly said inflation was a “gold mine” – a gold mine! – for the Republican Party. A gold mine. People are hurt; it's a gold mine for the Republican party.

Just how callous, how retrograde, how backwards is the Republican vision for America? Raising taxes on working people? Cheerleading inflation? Stoking divisions and even putting things like Medicare at risk while pushing tax breaks for the ultra-rich?

If that is their pitch to the American people, God help Republicans.

In the meantime, I thank President Biden for releasing a strong, optimistic, and responsible plan that will build on the historic recovery our nation has seen in the past year. Senate Democrats will work with the Administration to put these proposals into concrete legislation in the weeks and months to come.

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