Unanimous Consent Request

Floor Speech

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Ms. WARREN. Well, today is day 464 of Donald Trump's Presidency, and we are in a full-blown affordability crisis.

We are 2 months into Trump's illegal war with Iran, a war that, according to experts, is costing taxpayers over $1 billion a day. American families are getting flattened by rising costs on just about everything, from groceries, to rent, to gas. Just today, gas prices hit a new high since Trump started his war. People are stretching themselves to the brink just to pay their bills. But what is the biggest issue of the day, according to Republicans in Congress? Fast- tracking Donald Trump's gold-encrusted ballroom.

Another recent Republican plan would send $400 million to the White House--I guess to buy more gold leaf and onyx marble for the want-to-be King. But I want to be clear: It is common sense that we can, of course, protect the President without shoveling millions of dollars into Trump's ballroom in the middle of an affordability crisis.

This bill to rubberstamp Trump's latest vanity project is a giant slap in the face to American families, just plain and simple. Americans are selling their plasma to pay for groceries and gas. Think about that.

Americans right now today are selling their blood just to pay their bills. And what is the Republicans' solution? Dump more money into Donald Trump's golden-crusted vanity project, and let's do it on the fast track because it is that urgent.

Well, here are a few other ideas for things we could fast-track to actually help the American people: We could reverse Trump's and the Republicans' giant healthcare costs that kicked millions of Americans off their health insurance and jacked up insurance premiums for millions more; or we could deliver affordable childcare for every American family; or we could undo Republicans' cuts to food assistance for families; or we could put a stop to Trump's across-the-board tariffs; or we could end Donald Trump's war with Iran. And, look, the list goes on and on.

But nowhere on the list of ways to lower costs for American families is rubberstamping Donald Trump's lavish ballroom. Remember, Trump's ballroom has already become a tool for what looks like corruption in plain sight.

Since day one, giant corporations have lined up to dump millions of dollars into Trump's ballroom, and that includes Meta, Apple, Amazon, Google, Microsoft, Comcast, Coinbase, and Palantir.

And those are just the people and the entities that we know of. Others are being kept secret from the American people because Donald Trump has let them stay anonymous.

So what do they have to hide? And what are all these donors expecting in return? And by the way, if Congress bankrolls this ballroom for Trump's corporate donors like other Republicans are proposing, what happens to all those private donations?

So, by the way, I want to make that point again: If Congress bankrolls this ballroom for Trump's corporate donors like the other Republicans are proposing, what happens to all those private donations? If Trump is using his ballroom to facilitate a giant pay-to-play scheme, then the American people deserve to know.

Instead of dumping even more money into Trump's golden ballroom, we need to put an end to this corruption and focus on lowering costs for American families. That is what Democrats are laser-focused on. Republicans should join us and get it done.

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