Ranking Member Scott Statement on the Joint Session of Congress Presidential Address
“Tonight, President Trump made it abundantly clear what his priorities are and will always be; his own self-interest - and he wants Americans pay for it.”
WASHINGTON – Today, Ranking Member Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03) released the following statement after the Joint Session of Congress Presidential Address.
“Four years after inciting a mob to attack the United States Capitol, President Trump returned to these historic halls to continue his mission: sow chaos and enrich himself and his billionaire friends at cost to the American people.
“To date, President Trump has yet to offer any reasonable or concrete solutions to the real problems Americans are facing. Through all the chaos and confusion, President Trump has saved no money, nor made government more efficient. Instead of lowering costs, Trump is raising costs by starting a trade war with our neighbors, ensuring that groceries, gas, home construction, and the costs of other goods will go up. Simultaneously, he is cutting programs that Americans rely on and have already paid into, threatening health care access, and undermining the future of public education – all to pay for tax cuts for the wealthy and well-connected.
“Over the course of six weeks, President Trump has empowered Elon Musk – an unelected billionaire – to take a chainsaw to the core functions of the federal government, leaving thousands of civil service workers jobless. These workers, many of whom were fired without notice or cause, are not ‘nameless bureaucrats’ – they are disproportionately veterans, and provide important services in their positions such as park rangers, law enforcement, and medical personnel.
“That is why I invited Alexzandria Hunt, a retired Army veteran who was a supply technician at the Hampton V.A. Medical Center, as my guest to the address. She is a constituent of mine who was working hard to ensure other veterans in Hampton Roads received the care they earned; and she was fired last week without notice or cause. She and thousands of veterans and other civil servants have had their lives upended and Americans have had services denied because of President Trump and Elon Musk’s cruel policies.
“President Trump has also weakened our national security and our standing on the world stage by abandoning Ukraine, doing the bidding of Vladimir Putin.
“I will always stand up for American workers, students, and families. And I will fight back against Republicans’ proposal to increase the cost of student loans and cut the school meal program to pay for tax cuts for their wealthy donors. Tonight, President Trump made it abundantly clear what his priorities are and will always be; his own self-interest – and he wants Americans pay for it.”
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