Trump Administration

Floor Speech

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Ms. WARREN. Thank you very much.

I just want to go back to this point as I tee up the question for Senator Merkley here, and that is, Donald Trump right now is sending $40 billion to Argentina, and I just want to go through the list again about what could we do with that $40 billion if we kept it right here in the United States.

Forty billion dollars would stop health insurance premiums from doubling. Forty billion dollars would restore food assistance for families that will be hurt by Donald Trump's cuts. Forty billion dollars would cancel a chunk of student loan debt for nearly 4 million borrowers. Forty billion dollars would fund public media.
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Ms. WARREN. OK. I am almost there.

Am I recognized to do that, Mr. President?

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Ms. WARREN. As I was saying, I was talking about what this $40 billion that Donald Trump is sending to Argentina could be used here at home, and that is to stop the doubling of health insurance premiums, to restore food assistance for families that the Trump administration is cutting, to cancel student loan debt, to fund public media, and to restore humanitarian aid and USAID.

To put it in a different perspective, that same $40 billion could fund childcare for military families for nearly 20 years; it could fund the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau to stop big banks and giant corporations from scamming people, for almost 50 years; and it could pay for 100 Qatari jets--one for every Governor in the United States, plus a spare jet for them.

So there you have it.

Remember Donald Trump's promise to lower costs for Americans on day one? Well, instead, Donald Trump is bailing out his ``favorite President'' and bailing out rich Wall Street investors who invested in Argentina debt.

The American people are begging us to do something about the skyrocketing cost of living. They are crying out for help. But Donald Trump can't hear them over the sound of the bulldozers that are demolishing a chunk of the White House to build his brandnew ballroom, a $250 million ballroom--a monument to Donald Trump himself, paid for by big corporations that are trying to suck up to the administration for special favors.

The American people told Donald Trump to cut the cost of living. Instead, he is cutting off part of the White House for his new billionaires' ballroom.

Families are missing car payments, but Donald Trump is too busy building his ballroom to notice.

The price of coffee is up nearly 30 percent, but at least Donald Trump will have a fancy, new ballroom in the White House. The price of coffee is up nearly 30 percent, but at least Donald Trump will have a fancy, new ballroom where the White House is supposed to be.

Farmers are going bankrupt, but Trump is too worried about the construction of his ballroom to help.

The cost of baby strollers--or, as Donald Trump calls them, the things you carry babies around in--those are going up, but Trump is too busy building his fancy ballroom to notice.

So my friend Jeff Merkley is exactly right. We are not in normal times. All of us need to stand up, speak out, and push back.

My question for you, Senator Merkley, is, How is the fight to lower costs for families all around this country linked to the fight against Donald Trump's authoritarianism?

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