Trump Administration and Department of Government Efficiency

Floor Speech

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Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, this week will mark 1 month since Donald Trump was sworn in as President. In his first month, Donald Trump has waged a scorched-earth campaign against the rule of law and against the very system of checks and balances that kept America together for two- and-a-half centuries. Why? Why are they doing this? Donald Trump, Elon Musk, and the Republicans are doing it all for one simple goal: They are trying to give their billionaire buddies a tax break and have you, the American people, pay the cost.

This week, Senate Republicans will take the next major step to achieving Donald Trump's agenda here on the Senate floor. Senate Democrats will expose Republicans' reconciliation budget bill for exactly what it is: a sinister front for clearing the way to cut taxes for Donald Trump's billionaire friends. This is going to be a long, drawn-out fight. This reconciliation budget bill is only the first step, albeit an important one.

Democrats are glad to have this debate with the Republicans. We will show the hollowness of Republicans' arguments on cutting waste. We will expose Republican attempts to cut healthcare, to cut Medicaid, to cut housing, to cut NIH, and to empower DOGE so it incinerates basic services that help tens of millions of people--all so Republicans can help their billionaire buddies with another tax break.

Of course, Republicans will deny all of this and try to change the subject just like when Donald Trump tries to change the subject by talking about the Gulf of Mexico or hotels in Gaza or annexing Canada. These are all distractions so people don't see the Republicans' real goal. And what is that goal? It is worth repeating again and again and again, and we will: Donald Trump and Republicans are trying to give their billionaires a tax break and have you pay the cost. They can do it in one bill. They can do it in two bills. They can do it in 50 bills. It doesn't matter. The endgame is exactly the same: tax cuts for billionaires paid for on the backs of working and middle-class Americans.

In fact, everything we have seen so far in Donald Trump's Presidency has been about rigging the game for the billionaire class, from firing independent government watchdogs to illegally freezing trillions for veterans' care and Head Start and community health centers, to giving Elon Musk Americans' Social Security numbers and even, potentially, private tax and health records, to defying court orders, to demonizing judges. Everything Donald Trump has done so far is meant to dismantle the rule of law so that billionaires can run the show in Donald Trump's America.

If you don't believe me, Elon Musk is already holding court in the Oval Office and meeting one on one with heads of state all the while DOGE is taking a meat-ax to healthcare and education and aviation safety and so many other services without thinking about the consequences for American families and for America.

DOGE talks on and on about cutting wasteful spending, but look what is actually happening: FAA workers who keep our skies safe are being fired in droves even as accidents increase. Apparently, DOGE thinks that is government waste.

The VA, meanwhile, has fired over 1,000 staffers, including people who manage the Veterans Crisis Line. Apparently, DOGE thinks that is government waste.

The FDA, under Robert Kennedy, Jr., is firing staffers who keep our food safe and review medical devices. Apparently, again, DOGE thinks that is government waste. No one else does. They do.

Donald Trump and DOGE even tried to fire hundreds of staffers who safeguard America's nuclear stockpiles. Imagine firing people who guard our nuclear stockpiles all to help their billionaire buddies with another tax cut.

Can you believe how dangerous and foolish this is? Donald Trump and Elon Musk were willing to risk the safety of America all in the name of tax cuts.

This example shows clear as day that DOGE doesn't actually care about increasing efficiency. DOGE is simply taking a meat-ax at government in defiance of the law and without thinking of the consequences--all so that Donald Trump and Republicans can give their billionaire buddies a big tax break.

I want to close on a particularly profane example of how Donald Trump and DOGE are taking a meat-ax to public services--the 9/11 survivors' health program. I would have thought that some things would have been out of bounds for Donald Trump and DOGE, like axing services to 9/11 families. Sadly, I was wrong because last week Donald Trump slashed the workforce for the World Trade Center Health Program, which I helped to create years ago to support our 9/11 first responders, survivors, and families. Apparently, serving 9/11 families--those who have been hurt by 9/11, who have lost loved ones in 9/11--is just more wasteful spending in the eyes of Donald Trump and DOGE. It is utterly disgusting.

Because of these barbaric cuts, 9/11 families, including sick first responders and survivors, will now face longer wait times to receive often desperately needed care. Families will worry more about whether or not their loved ones will be able to afford lifesaving treatment. Donald Trump and DOGE's decision to cut funding for the heroes of 9/ 11 is outrageous; it is un-American; it is insulting to every 9/11 first responder, survivor, and family.

So, today, I sent a letter, with Senator Gillibrand, to Secretary Kennedy, urging him to immediately reverse the cuts that impacted the World Trade Center Health Program. Donald Trump, Secretary Kennedy, and DOGE have betrayed our sacred promise to never, never forget.

And what is the point of these cruel cuts? So Donald Trump and DOGE can give their billionaire buddies a tax break and have the 9/11 families pay the cost.

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