Joint Session of Congress

Floor Speech

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Mr. SCHUMER. So, Mr. President, tonight, Donald Trump will address the Nation before a joint session of Congress. This will be the fifth time Donald Trump speaks from the House Chamber, and by now, the American people know just what to expect.

They can expect Donald Trump to launch a deluge of mistruths and falsehoods. But tonight, we won't hear one peep from Donald Trump about his broken promise to bring inflation down on ``day one.'' We won't hear one syllable about how Donald Trump's policies are making inflation and the costs that average American families pay worse.

So this morning, let's start with that here, starting with tariffs. Last night, for the first time in decades, the President of the United States imposed 25 percent tariffs on nearly all goods coming from Canada and Mexico.

What does this mean for the American people? What do Donald Trump's tariffs mean for the American people? They are going to pay more. Everyday costs are about to become more expensive. It means, according to the CEO of Target, to take one example, consumers could see higher prices within days. This is not something 6 months out. That includes everything: the price of gas, produce, cars, cheese, dairy products, coffee, even chocolate.

American farmers will pay more for fertilizer, which means food prices go up. New furniture will become more expensive, as Canada is a major supplier of lumber. Refrigerators, washers, microwaves, laptops, smartphones, clothing, and shoes all will likely see increases.

Hold on to your hat, Mr. and Mrs. America. When you bring it all together, the average U.S. household could see $2,000 in increased expenses a year, and that is a conservative estimate. Let me repeat that. The average American family--$2,000 more out of their pockets, their hard-earned dollars that they are struggling to stretch. And now another added increase, all that didn't have to happen, because Donald Trump is imposing tariffs on Canada and Mexico.

It has been clear that in the past, when applied intelligently and precisely, tariffs can be a useful tool against adversaries that engage in unfair trade practices that harm American workers. The tariffs against China years ago are one example of this. But the situation today is completely different. It makes no sense to start a trade war with America's closest trade partners because the casualty of that trade war will be consumers and American households.

So let's get it straight: Donald Trump's tariffs are a tax on working Americans to the tune of $2,000 or more a year.

Why are they doing this? Why are they doing this? Well, he says fentanyl, but less than 1 percent of the fentanyl that comes into the country comes from Canada.

It is one of the ways they can close that budget hole when they take huge tax breaks for billionaires. This is another place--another place--where Donald Trump and the Republicans are raising your costs so they can cut taxes for billionaires. It is unbelievable. I don't think this is going to be seen very positively by the American people.

Now let's talk about 1 month into the Trump administration. So, on his first day in office, Donald Trump promised a golden age was coming over the horizon. But when Donald Trump speaks tonight, his promise of a golden age will feel like ancient history.

So this morning, let's talk about Donald Trump's many broken promises. As a candidate, Donald Trump promised, ``When I win, I will immediately bring prices down, starting on day one.''

``Grocery prices will come tumbling down,'' he said, when he gets elected.

Instead, what has happened? Inflation has gone not down but up. Gas prices were 2 percent up from the previous month. Chicken, pork, beef-- all more expensive. Eggs, 15 percent higher than last month.

And what is Donald Trump's solution to all of this? The Secretary of Agriculture said yesterday Americans should just buy their own chickens to lay their own eggs. Is he serious? This is the Agriculture Secretary? Americans should buy their own chickens to lay their own eggs? Whom are they kidding?

As a candidate, Donald Trump also said, ``Vote Trump and your incomes will soar. Your net worth will skyrocket.''

Now, to be fair, if you are a billionaire, he is telling you the truth. But if you are not rich, Donald Trump and Republicans' signature legislation is to cut Medicaid and Social Security and other programs by hundreds of billions of dollars in order to pay for tax breaks for the billionaires club.

Let's look at another claim by Donald Trump:

The next economic boom will begin the instant . . . Donald J. Trump has won 4 more years.

That is his quote. He said:

The next economic boom will begin the instant . . . Donald J. Trump has won 4 more years.

Well, let's look at what has actually happened. Last month, consumer confidence took its biggest nosedive in years. Retail sales dropped unexpectedly by 0.5 percent. Unemployment filings hit their highest levels since last fall. The S&P 500, one of Donald Trump's favorite measuring sticks, has erased all the gains this year, and now Donald Trump has started a trade war with our closest trading partners. That is not what an economic boom looks like.

This is economic anemia created by Donald Trump's own policies.

I could go on because there are so many people being hurt and such policies of foolishness. Donald Trump promised to take care of veterans. Yet DOGE tried to fire hundreds of critical staffers from the VA, including crisis hotline staff and funding for cancer treatments. Housing costs are up. Electricity bills are up.

If there is any golden age to be had under Donald Trump, it is a golden age for lawlessness; it is a golden age for billionaires and their club. It is not a golden age for Americans who work hard every day to live an honest life to make ends meet. But I doubt we will hear any of that from Donald Trump tonight.

Finally, I am proud to welcome seven New Yorkers to tonight's joint meeting of Congress. These New Yorkers are examples of some of the very people whom Donald Trump promised to help but whom he has left behind.

First, I am honored to welcome Emma Larson, a 12-year-old middle school student from Long Island with a rare genetic disease which has been treated thanks to NIH-funded research. Emma was diagnosed with spinal muscular atrophy as a 1-year-old. At the time, there was no cure. Her parents were anguished. But thanks to research at an NIH- funded lab in Cold Spring, NY, Emma received a breakthrough drug that changed SMA's prognosis.

Emma's story shows why NIH funding is lifesaving, and we should stand up against efforts to slash funding. Imagine slashing funding to NIH, which helps people like Emma live, so you can give a tax break to billionaires who are already doing very well, thank you.

I am also proud to welcome Alissa Ellman, a disabled Army veteran recently fired from the VA in Lockport, NY, in Western New York. Alissa served honorably in Afghanistan and was diagnosed with a rare cancer associated with toxic burn pit exposure.

Even while receiving treatment, she wanted to work; she wanted to serve her fellow veterans. She got a job at the Buffalo VA.

But guess what, last week, Alissa found herself locked out of her computer and later found out DOGE eliminated her position. This woman served in Afghanistan, got sick after serving our country, working in the Veterans Administration to help other veterans. All of a sudden--no word, no notice--locked out of her computer, and found that DOGE eliminated her position.

Is that the golden age? For whom? Alissa is 1 of 2,500 VA employees who were fired by DOGE, putting the care of our Nation's veterans at risk.

Tonight, I also welcome Tiffany Ramos from Rome, NY, who worked at the USDA office in Syracuse and was fired from her job helping rural farmers and businesses across Upstate New York. Tiffany is just one of many USDA employees fired with no notice despite years of service, leaving farmers across America wondering who is left to help.

It is amazing. These people worked hard. There was nothing against them. They didn't get a notice saying: You didn't do this, this, this; you can improve this way, this way, that way. They were just fired. It is cruel. It is heartless. It is nasty. It is lacking knowledge and fact-based, and it hurts America--in this case, our farmers.

I am also proud to welcome two Medicaid recipients, Jessica Martinez and Ana Medina Garcia. Jessica and Ana are both cancer survivors who depended on Medicaid to afford their medication and receive treatment.

And, finally, it is truly my honor to welcome Oran Neutra, mother of Omer Neutra, and Ruby Chen, father of Itay Chen. As we all know now, Omer and Itay were tragically murdered by vicious Hamas thugs right on October 7, the day of the massacre, the day of the invasion of Israel.

In the case of Omer's family, it wasn't until a year later they learned he was murdered by Hamas on October 7--how cruel. Hamas let them worry. I met with them numerous times: Is our son alive? Is he dead? Is he OK? Is he wounded? Viciousness of Hamas-- the viciousness.

As for Itay, he was taken hostage and tragically murdered by Hamas on the border of Gaza on October 7. After months of fighting for his return, Itay's family learned that he was also murdered that terrible day.

This is the depths of Hamas' cruelty. For months, they refused to even acknowledge that Omer and Itay had been murdered. They kept these families in anguish, in the dark. What a horrible feeling to wonder if your child is alive or dead. Hamas knowing it, dangled cruelly the possibility of maybe they are alive when they weren't.

The families wondered over and over again: Are our children alive? Are they dead? And, of course, tragically, their worst fears happened. What Omer and Itay's family have endured is beyond comprehension.

I am inspired by their perseverance, by their resolve to keep calling for the safe return of remaining hostages, even though their loved ones are gone, and for the return of the bodies of their loved ones, which is essential by Jewish law.

There is no time to waste. I will continue working for as long as it takes to finally bring every last hostage and the remains of the hostages no longer with us home to us. It is an honor to welcome all my guests to the Capitol.

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