Trump's First 100 Days

Floor Speech

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Ms. CROCKETT. Mr. Speaker, I thank so much my amazing colleague from the great State of California for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today with a simple but clear message. First of all, I just have to clear up a few things. Instead of the President cosplaying as the next Pope, he may want to try to cosplay as an actual President of these United States. That means that he may have to do a little bit of research and decide that he wants to understand that he swore an oath, and this oath was to protect and defend the Constitution. That is the oath that he was supposedly taking on January 20.

We may want as well that the President look into what the Declaration of Independence was about. We may want him to understand that there was a foundational document as relates to self-determination of those who had recently gained their independence from Great Britain.

I hoped that he would maybe spend a few of these days in his first 100 days doing that. It is sad to say it is his second term, and he doesn't understand that the Declaration of Independence is about this idea that we are entitled to the rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, and that is for all of us that are here.

Let's go through some of the things that he did manage to do and some of the havoc that he has managed to wreak.

In the first 100 days of the Trump administration, we have had to, unfortunately, endure a lot of pain. This administration clearly is not ready to lead. They are only here to tear down.

In just 100 days, we have witnessed an administration hell-bent on dismantling the very systems designed to protect the most vulnerable amongst us. For Black Americans, those of us who have always carried the weight of a broken system and bad policies, the danger is real, it is tangible, and it is urgent.

Let me be clear: The last 100 days have not been an accident or a fluke. He has done exactly what he said he was going to do. He gave us the blueprint in Project 2025. Some tried to warn us of the dangers and, well, here we are.

Let's talk about education. Within weeks of taking office, the Department of Education quietly rescinded guidance encouraging schools to teach honest, inclusive Black history. Instead, they are attempting to whitewash history and have begun promoting so-called patriotic education, a sanitized version of history that skips over slavery, Jim Crow, redlining, and systemic racism.

He signed an executive order reinstating ``commonsense discipline practices in school,'' rolling back previous administrations' attempts to address racial disparities in school discipline practices. Make no mistake: These decisions have a direct impact on Black children, children who deserve a fair shot to learn in safe and supportive environments.

Let's talk about housing. HUD announced plans to gut fair housing rules meant to fight discrimination. Those are the same ones that he violated back when he was a landlord so many years ago. Yeah, those same rules that were supposed to fight discrimination in lending and zoning. This means there will be even more roadblocks for Black families trying to buy a home and yet another generation locked out of building wealth.

Let's talk about public safety. While they are cutting afterschool programs and community violence prevention, they are pouring millions of dollars into militarizing police departments. They are criminalizing our communities while stripping away the very resources that keep us safe.

Finally, money talks, so let's talk money. This administration slashed funding of seven government agencies that provide Black communities with educational materials and economic opportunities, including the Minority Business Development Agency, the only Federal agency dedicated to uplifting minority businesses. This agency helped entrepreneurs all across the country, including in my own district, keep their doors open and their workers employed. Now, it is under attack.

While all of this is happening, they are dismantling environmental protections in environmental justice, slashing funding for HBCUs, and rolling back civil rights enforcement across Federal agencies. Let me repeat what that means. To roll back civil rights enforcement across Federal agencies, this is the so-called DEI attacks that we continue to endure in this country. This is their way of trying to roll back the Civil Rights Act of 1964 that so many died and bled for.

Mr. Speaker, this is not just about policy disagreement. This is about direct attacks on Black futures, Black prosperity, and Black freedom. This is about right versus wrong, point blank. But here is what they don't understand. We have seen this playbook, and every time they have attempted to silence us, erase us, and hold us down, we have resisted and we have pushed this country closer to the ideals it claims to hold.

They are trying to bury us, but what they don't realize is that we are seeds and still we rise. I stand here a proud Black woman and a proud member of the Congressional Black Caucus, and I refuse to stand by while this administration tries to turn back the hands of time. We will resist. We will continue speaking truth to power, and we will keep organizing until everybody is free because, in the words of Fannie Lou Hamer, nobody is free until everybody is free.

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