Making another stab at commonsense, reasonable governance, Congressmen Tom Suozzi (D-NY) and Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA) have offered bipartisan legislation to break the impasse that has led to the longest government shutdown, caused extraordinary difficulty for Homeland Security federal workers, for travelers, left the country vulnerable after climate disaster and emergencies and exposed the nation to terror attacks at a time of war. House Speaker Mike Johnson, doing Trump’s bidding, refused to take up the compromise bill that was passed by the Senate by unanimous consent, prolonging the national misery, while Trump tried to make himself the White Knight by paying TSA (but not the others). The Coast Guard, FEMA, and counter-terrorism agents remain unpaid after more than 40 days – Karen Rubin, editor@news-photos-features.com
Washington, D.C.—Today, Congressmen Tom Suozzi (D-NY) and Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA) unveiled their Reforming ICE and Protecting America Act, bipartisan legislation to fully fund the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for Fiscal Year 2026 while enacting targeted, enforceable reforms to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
The legislation comes after weeks of deadlock in Washington over immigration enforcement, during which no serious proposal emerged that both kept DHS fully funded and delivered real ICE reform.
The Reforming ICE and Protecting America Act meets both imperatives: fully funding DHS while bringing ICE in line with the standards of every other law enforcement agency in the United States.
“Government should never be brought to a standstill—certainly not when homeland security is on the line and the consequences are borne by TSA agents, Coast Guard servicemembers, FEMA personnel, frontline DHS employees, and the American people. This debate began with a legitimate call for real ICE reform, yet after weeks of political deadlock, no serious solution emerged. The right course was clear from the start: keep the Department of Homeland Security fully funded and confront the problem before us with real reform. That is precisely what this bill does. It is time to do what should have been done from the beginning: govern, reform, and protect,” said Fitzpatrick.
“The American people are fed up. The chaos at our airports was awful, the Department of Homeland Security has not been fully funded during these very dangerous times, and the people are demanding that ICE live up to the standards of all other federal law enforcement. They are sick and tired of the endless blame game and they are demanding that we work together to solve the very real problems we face,” said Suozzi. “This legislation cuts through the dysfunction. It’s rooted in common sense; let’s fund DHS, keep our country safe, and hammer out real reforms of ICE.”
Drawing on Fitzpatrick’s more than 15 years as an FBI Special Agent and Suozzi’s experience overseeing the nation’s 11th largest police department as Nassau County Executive, the legislation was developed with direct input from federal law enforcement officials and in consultation with Members of the Problem Solvers Caucus and Senate partners, including the Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee.
The Reforming ICE and Protecting America Act would:
Fully fund DHS for FY26 and keep the Department operational across its core security, disaster response, and public safety missions.
Bring ICE in line with standardized law enforcement policies through body cameras, a limitation on masks, visible identification, standardized uniforms and training, and independent investigations of officer-involved shootings.
Focus enforcement where it belongs—on violent offenders and the most serious threats to public safety.
Protect due process and prevent abuse through probable-cause and warrant requirements in key enforcement contexts, including protections against the knowing detention of U.S. citizens without probable cause.
Establish clear guardrails for sensitive locations by limiting civil immigration enforcement at schools, health care facilities, places of worship, polling places on election day, childcare facilities, and private home residences absent a warrant, except in exigent circumstances.
Protect law enforcement personnel and their families by strengthening penalties for doxxing and expanding protections for sensitive personal information.
Ensures CBP remains focused on its intended mission: securing the border.
Last week, Fitzpatrick and Suozzi announced they were developing a bipartisan path to fully fund DHS while advancing real ICE reform. The bill introduced today is the product of that effort.
Watch the Congressmen talk about their efforts here and here.
More than 100,000 gathered in New York City – they were among at least eight million nationwide at a record 3,300+ protest events in big cities and small hamlets in all 50 states, participating in the nationwide No Kings 3, the largest single day peaceful protest in America’s 250 years since achieving independence from monarchy.
What was remarkable as people crowded together for the slow, mile-long march down Seventh Avenue was how polite, kind, good humored everyone was.
There was joyfulness, a sense of release that comes after waking each day depressed and awaiting the inevitable three-punches-to-the-gut that occur with the latest outrage and offense inflicted by this deranged, demented dictator wannabe sociopath and his enablers.
There was the comfort of joining together in community and mutual commiseration, reinforcing the sanity of opposing this corrupt administration, that in just 15 months, has managed to overturn and upend every value that America was founded upon. Living with the feeling of having your world turned upside down, like being tossed into the Red Queen’s domain of Alice in Wonderland. More than one carried a sign saying, “Make Orwell Fiction Again.”.
Each of the three No Kings protests and the “Hands Off” protest before, has been larger than the one before as the grievances pile up and are layered on.
This, No Kings 3, brought out at least an additional one million – more than 8 million people in 3,200+ No Kings events – by adding the anti-war layer. No money for healthcare, but $200 billion ($1 billion a day) for an illegal, unprovoked war that seems only to serve his Big Oil donors and his buddies Putin and Netanyahu. (Meanwhile, he continues to undermine Ukraine, actually giving Putin a new lease on life to wage his war despite aiding Iran against the US, while insulting Zelensky who has tried to help the US combat Iranian drones). In the process, Trump has undermined our alliances – NATO, the European Union – already fraying with his unhinged tariff policy, threats to take over Greenland, Panama, now Cuba (“I can do anything I want”), and unleashing the war against Iran without so much as a heads-up for the allies he now chides as “cowards”.
Meanwhile, he is letting the nuclear testing treaty lapse and announcing new testing, only reinforcing recognition by North Korea and Iran and anyone else of the necessity of having a nuclear weapon as the only real deterrent against this new imperialism by a leader of a former superpower with ambitions of being not just a dictator, but Emperor. Rather than America as the Superpower and the beacon of democracy for the world, Trump has turned USA into America Alone, a pariah.
His tariff policy had already undermined the US economy which (no surprise) was the strongest on the planet (thanks to Biden’s policies getting us out of a deadly pandemic, restoring supply chains and domestic manufacturing), re-triggering inflation. But now, the Iran War is triggering a global oil and food crisis of historic proportions. Trump’s reaction? “Hormuz doesn’t affect us. Doesn’t concern us. I don’t care.” But he has taken to calling it the “Strait of Trump.”
The climate action people were out in force, recognizing that everything this corrupt administration has done has been to force the US off the track to clean, renewable energy and back into dependency on dirty fossil fuel (and back into wars for oil) – not just rescinding the tax credits, but actually trying to shut down wind power projects already well under construction. Most recently, he has turned the Environmental Protection Administration into a misnomer, unilaterally repealing the “Endangerment Finding,” basically saying they don’t care how many people will sicken or die because of air or water pollution, contract cancer from chemical toxins, or the health, economic and geopolitical impacts of global warming that will produce some 200 million climate refugees due to sea level rise, drought and famine.
The Epstein files and Trump’s unaccountability seem also to have inspired many first-time protesters, pushed to the breaking point of “enough is enough.”
But probably what pushed many more over the edge in the growing list of unconstitutional, illegal actions was embroiling the United States (and the world) in an illegal, endless war without any discussion, let along authorization of Congress or collaboration with allies or even an explanation (that makes sense) to Americans. In fact, the administration deceived the Congress and betrayed the Iranians who mediators said were making progress in good faith negotiations. Trump blithely said that Cuba was next on his hit list (after Venezuela and Iran, a war he has already become “bored” with (“I can do anything I want”).
If the first No Kings had much to do about yielding over to the oligarchs, the Trump Crime Syndicate’s Putin-style kleptocracy has become obvious, as Trump has managed to personally profit by over $1 billion in just this first year, his family enterprise billions of dollars more. They don’t even hide it, with their cybercurrency scams, the boys’ “new” drone factories getting federal contracts, their donors getting 2 and 3x the market rate to purchase warehouses to detain migrants, terrified children (without due process) in inhumane conditions that mass murderers on death row don’t experience.
Add on the obvious efforts at voter suppression, purging voter rolls, likely election subversion, and extorting Congress to pass his SAVE Act which will disenfranchise millions of women, minorities, disabled, homeless and the most vulnerable most in need of salvation from this tyrannical kleptocracy, because, as he admits, he and his enablers are desperate to keep power to prevent Democrats from taking control of Congress and impeaching him for an unprecedented third time and holding his cabinet of criminals accountable)
As several posters wrote: “All my outrage can’t fit on this sign.”
In all, those waving the placards that say “No Kings since 1776,” are right to be concerned. This is an inflection point. In just this brief time, Trump and his thugs have pushed America back before the 1960s (the Golden Age toward civil and human rights and the first glimmer of a true democracy), before the 1860s (they are re-writing history to make slavery a noble endeavor).
“This regime has used threats, intimidation, and a constant deluge of atrocities to heighten fear and cynicism so that the American people would not fight back as it shreds our Constitution, disappears our neighbors, steals from us, and turns our country into a pariah rogue state,” write Indivisible co-directors leaders Leah Greenberg and Ezra Levin.
“But the people are fighting back — and in larger numbers than ever before. We can now estimate that at least 8 million people protested today, making this the largest protest in US history. That means that over a million new people joined us this time around — and we’re hearing stories from all over of people who didn’t just attend their first No Kings protest — they attended their first-ever protest.”
Organizers point to the building of a movement that goes beyond showing up on a day and waving a sign.
Now they point to continuing to build the grassroots infrastructure to overcome the voter suppression and election subversion aimed at preventing an overthrow of MAGA rule, and retake at least the one “co-equal” branch of government and make it do its job of checks-and-balances and oversight of a corrupt administration.
Despite bringing the protests to their doorsteps (rather than concentrating protest in Washington DC when the lawmakers are not even there), clearly, the Republicans in Congress are more fearful of Trump (who has taken control of the war chest) than they are of their voters, smug in their confidence in their voter suppression, gerrymandering, election subversion will keep them in their jobs.
In this 250th anniversary year of the beginning of the march toward a “more perfect union,” we are either looking at a revived “We the People” revolution or the restoration of rule by a deranged, demented tyrant.
Some 400 organizations coalesced to support the No Kings protests including Indivisible, Moveon, ACLU, May Day Strong, 50501,
“Because here is the truth: No single day—not even the largest day of protest in U.S. history—stops authoritarianism. What stops authoritarianism is what comes after the march. The sustained organizing. The community building. The first-time marcher who felt something shift in them yesterday but doesn’t know where to go,” says Moveon.org.
Indivisible, which has spearheaded the No Kings events, announced nationwide organizing meetings to welcome protesters into ongoing political organizing. “We’ll be launching nationwide community meetings — hosted by protest organizers and attendees — to help people politically awakened by No Kings get involved with sustained local actions around ICE monitoring, election protection, and noncooperation. They’ll be a great way to connect folks with Indivisible groups and existing networks and foster new groups and leadership building.
Gearing up for a national day of economic disruption on May Day. “We always say mass mobilizations are just one tactic. Economic disruption is another tactic. And it’s most successful when you’ve done the work to build a large, broad-based coalition of folks ready for higher-level actions. So now, the ground is laid for May Day Strong’s national day of ‘No school, no work, no shopping’ to put the oligarchs enabling Trump’s power grabs on notice.”
Proposal Would Fix Chaos at American Airports, Mandate ICE Standards Consistent with Other Federal Agencies, Target Enforcement on “Worst of the Worst”
Senate Democrats have tried 10 times to pass legislation to fully fund TSA so the officers could get paid and relieve the abominable lines at airport security, to fully fund FEMA, the Coast Guard, and cybersecurity, more important than ever in light of heightened terror threats since Trump’s unprovoked, illegal Iran War. But each time, Republicans have blocked it.
Think of it. When Americans are most vulnerable, Trump and the Republicans are willing to let national security collapse in order to continue to allow ICE illegally detain, arrest, incarcerate in inhumane concentration camps, without any accountability.
And now, when Republicans are ready to say “uncle,” Trump has told them he does not want them to work with Democrats. Think of it – that’s more than half the country that he doesn’t care about, especially since his approval rating is now around 36%.
What is more, since he came up with the brilliant idea (like a paper clip!), which actually came from a woman calling in to a talk show, to install the ICE thugs at airports, under the pretense of relieving the burdens of the TSA agents who remain on the job despite not being paid in a month, he has actually fallen in love with the fact that the ICE agents aren’t helping relieve travelers’ misery at all (in fact, they are like SCABs in a union action), but are in place to continue extra-judicial, unconstitutional arrests, detentions, deportations.
Trump has also tied passing any new legislation to the Congress passing his SAVE Act, whose singular purpose is to suppress voting by disenfranchising potentially millions of women, Blacks, seniors, college students, and anyone else who tends to vote for Democrats. So Trump has little incentive to adopt this legislation proposed by Congressmen Tom Suozzi (D-NY) and Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA). But good try, guys.
Meanwhile, I’m sick of people blaming Democrats or “Congress,” instead of putting the blame for the chaos, confusion, misery, suffering, and impending collapse of our economy, democracy, national security by Trump and his Republican enablers. –Karen Rubin, editor@news-photos-features.com
Washington, D.C.— Congressman Tom Suozzi (D-NY) and Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA) announced that they are working on bipartisan legislation to immediately re-open the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) while advancing commonsense reforms to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
At a moment when Washington remains deadlocked, the Suozzi-Fitzpatrick effort offers a serious bipartisan path to restore full DHS operations while pairing that action with targeted reforms to improve public trust and strengthen accountability within ICE.
“People are standing in long lines at our airports, TSA agents are not getting paid, FEMA is going unfunded, and Americans are becoming increasingly frustrated that instead of solving problems, politicians in Washington are pointing fingers. Congressman Fitzpatrick and I are trying to cut through the dysfunction, isolate the problem areas where negotiations have stalled, and work together to get things done,” said Congressman Suozzi.“Ultimately, ICE is a law enforcement agency that needs to be held to the same professional standards as every other law enforcement agency in the United States. Unfortunately, ICE has been operating in a fashion I believe is illegal and immoral. It’s not a radical idea to ask them to answer to the same safety and transparency requirements as every other police officer and federal agent in the country.
“Protecting the American people is among the first obligations of government, and that means ensuring the Department of Homeland Security is fully funded and fully operational. It also means ensuring that those entrusted with enforcing the law operate under clear, consistent standards that preserve public trust. I have long believed that, at its core, law enforcement is a social contract built on trust on both ends. This effort would restore DHS operations, reinforce clear and uniform standards across federal law enforcement, and keep enforcement focused on the most serious threats to public safety. That is how we restore the mission, strengthen enforcement, and renew public confidence in the institutions charged with protecting the American people,” said Congressman Fitzpatrick.
The proposed reforms are being developed to fully restore DHS operations while establishing ICE standards consistent with those of other law enforcement agencies. In shaping this effort, the Congressmen have engaged directly with federal law enforcement officials, while drawing on Congressman Fitzpatrick’s more than 15 years as an FBI Agent and Congressman Suozzi’s experience overseeing the nation’s 11th largest police department as Nassau County Executive.
The legislation would require that all federal law enforcement agencies, including ICE, are held to the same high standards and policies as it pertains to training requirements, the use of body cameras, independent investigation of use-of-force at scenes, clear outer identification of the agency engaged in the enforcement action, cooperation with local law enforcement, and a prohibition of masks during enforcement actions coupled with tougher penalties for doxxing. It would also lay out stronger warrant requirements and rules governing activity in sensitive locations to ensure enforcement resources are focused on the “worst of the worst.”
Last week, the Senate failed to advance DHS funding for the fifth time, extending a stalemate that has left the Department unfunded since February 13 and is taking a serious toll on TSA staffing, airport operations, and DHS’s ability to fully carry out its mission. At the same time, the deadlock has made clear that any durable solution must not only reopen DHS, but also address the need for credible, commonsense reforms that strengthen accountability within ICE.
WASHINGTON—The Century Foundation and Nate Schenkkan, Freedom House’s former director of research, announced the development of a new democracy index, United States Democracy Meter, which finds that the U.S. government under Trump in 2025 “slid well into authoritarianism.” While other established indices have previously found the United States to be gradually declining over the past twenty years, no measure has yet tracked the historic collapse of U.S. democracy on the scale we’ve seen in the last 12 months.
Based on in-depth analyses of the health of state institutions, non-state sectors, individual rights and elections, Century’s Democracy Meter scored the U.S. at a 57 out of 100 this year, down from 79 in 2024—an astonishing 28 percent drop in just one year, a decline so large that it’s typically only seen when countries have coups, our researchers say. To put this in context, our analysis suggests U.S. democracy is at greater risk than at any time since Watergate, and it may even be approaching its pre-Civil Rights Movement lowpoint.
“It’s no secret to anyone watching the world around them that America is suffering from a surge in authoritarianism,” said Nate Schenkkan, the report’s lead author. “But seeing it all laid out—especially against the backdrop of what’s happened in 2026 so far—is staggering and should force everyone to think about how seriously we take preserving and restoring our democracy.”
“Our democracy is not self-executing. Failing to vigorously defend and improve it only sows the ground for authoritarian movements and actors,”said Thanassis Cambanis, Director of Century International and coauthor of the report. “While it’s clear that authoritarianism has taken hold in America, we are not without recourse through elections and mass mobilization.”
The report reveals that the core problem for the United States is the expansion of the executive branch’s powers, aided by a Republican-controlled Congress’s acquiescence and abetted by a highly ideologically aligned Supreme Court. More than half of America’s overall drop in score was in the evaluation of the category “state institutions,” which covers the executive branch, Congress, the judiciary, and grand corruption. This category fell from 22/30 points to 10/30.
The only category that did not have a decline was elections, with the score holding at 12/15 both years, as the lack of federal authority over election administration has so far prevented the Trump administration from changing the rules of the game. Elections can still be a means of contesting and changing power.
“American democracy is at greater risk than at any time since Watergate, and it may even be approaching its pre-Civil Rights Movement lowpoint.
“The U.S. government has become authoritarian in its intentions and its practices, even if it cannot always achieve its authoritarian goals.”
Alarming but Not Irreversible
“The swift decline of U.S. democracy this year is alarming. It is the result of choices by the right wing of American politics, which is committed to transforming the state from the inside out, and complacency, particularly from elite institutions, about the risk of authoritarianism. Importantly, however, the right wing has not yet succeeded in consolidating an authoritarian system. The United States’ size and diversity, tradition of independent civil society, its wealth, and its decentralized electoral system all make it difficult to keep power.
“The typical post-World War II democracies to which the United States is most often compared—Canada, Japan, and those in Europe—have not had these sorts of democratic declines. Other less healthy democracies have experienced similar collapses, but only after coups, attempted coups, or major shocks. The democratic decline in the United States over the last year is remarkable in modern history.
“The first priority for action is to defend the areas that are still robust, and will be needed for democracy to make a comeback. Media, civil society, and the protection of individual rights are essential to halting and then reversing democratic decline. For the opposition to have a chance of winning power, the electoral system needs to be sustained. These institutions need to be protected through legal campaigns, but also through protests, donations, and individual choices.
“The second priority—possible to pursue if there is a change in political power—must be to remedy the gaping structural weaknesses in the U.S. system. The executive’s ability to enact such rapid and extralegal changes in such a short time has been conditional, first and foremost, on the Supreme Court’s highly partisan tilt and the Republican Congress’s abdication of its role. Neither branch has acted to check the executive, and have mostly supported it running roughshod over the law and the constitutional order. When even federal judges are no longer extending to the government the “presumption of regularity,” and are expressing frustration that the Supreme Court operates without clear reasoning, the system is broken.
“Democracy is not self-implementing. Without decisive action to address these issues, it will remain vulnerable to concerted efforts to undermine it. The first responsibility is to defend democracy, and the second one is to rebuild it.”
See the report: https://tcf.org/content/report/centurys-new-democracy-meter-shows-america-took-an-authoritarian-turn-in-2025/
Here’s the deal: New Yorkers will hardly notice a government shut down because the trump administration has effectively cut off funding, has already effectively shuttered agencies and government services, canceled investments, fired so many federal workers and experts so that important agencies like Social Security, Medicare and the IRS are barely able to function. (Unlike President Biden whose biggest investment legislation like the Bipartisan Infrastructure Act, sent 2/3 of funding into Red states – for which he got no credit.) Now trump and the MAGA Republicans are barreling toward their wet dream of repealing Obamacare without actually having to go through the process of voting, while shoving a budget down the throats of Americans that will upend health care and public health – moving back to making access to health care a privilege, not a right.
After cutting Democrats out of actual budget negotiations for months, their claim to just pass the CR and have weeks more to negotiate is pure deception, they are blaming Democrats for the shutdown by lying (as usual) that Democrats want “Cadillac health benefits for illegal immigrants.” Not at all. Democrats are fighting to prevent the hike in health insurance premiums coming as soon as this month – a 60-year old couple earning $85,000 will see their health insurance premium increase to $27,000 – making insurance unaffordable. This is part and parcel of a trump administration “whole of government” plan to make Americans weaker, sicker, poorer, and if possible die off sooner rather than be a financial burden.
Moreover, Trump has already defied the Constitution and clawed back Congressional appropriations, while Republicans have proven to be untrustworthy. The Democrats have learned their lesson and heard their constituents who are pleading for them to stand up to this lawless, cruel administration.– Karen Rubin, news-photos-features.com
Governor Kathy Hochul and New Yorkers rallied today to call out President Trump and Washington Republicans for turning their backs on Americans and shutting down the federal government. After bending the knee to Trump’s reckless trade war and devastating Big Ugly Bill, Republicans in Congress are once again abandoning their constituents to enact further pain and chaos at the behest of the Trump Administration.
“After voting to gut food assistance and healthcare for millions of New Yorkers, Republicans in Congress – including seven members from New York – are once again recklessly siding with Donald Trump to shut down the federal government. Republicans were given another chance to stand up for their constituents, yet they chose to leave town rather than work in good faith to avoid a government shutdown,” Governor Hochul said. “The GOP shutdown will have devastating effects on workers, small businesses and families throughout our state. Washington Republicans need to do their damn jobs, actually stand up for the people they serve, and come to the table to end this shutdown.”
Trump and Congressional Republicans have already inflicted pain on New York. Their agenda:
Strips 1.5 million New Yorkers of their health coverage
Puts 300,000 New Yorkers at risk of losing SNAP benefits
Burdens hospitals with over $3 billion annually in uncompensated care costs
Slashes $8 billion from the State health system per year
Threatens an $11 billion hit to overall economic activity, including agriculture and food industries, due to the loss of SNAP benefits
And this shutdown will cause even more destruction:
With more than 115,000 federal employees in New York State, tens of thousands will be furloughed, while essential federal employees, including air traffic controllers and TSA employees, will be forced to work without pay
Pauses or delays in the processing of applications for Social Security, veterans benefits, and other federal benefits
Critical programs, such as SNAP and WIC, are at risk of running out of funds and pausing benefits in the event of an extended shutdown
Threatens funding for Head Start programs across the state, jeopardizing childcare and early education for thousands of New York families
Hospitals across the state will be left waiting for federal reimbursements
Creates uncertainty for hundreds of thousands of families and seniors with housing vouchers or that reside in public housing who will be worried whether their rent will be paid
Farmers left without emergency aid while facing detrimental trade policies
Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins said, “Today’s government shutdown is the direct result of ongoing chaos in Washington and a lack of leadership. This shutdown will have a rippling effect, and it is the Republican Party who must be held responsible, including the seven GOP members of Congress from New York, and the party infrastructure here at home that enables them. This is not about smart governance, this is about their insensitivity to the cruelty and pain they are inflicting on their fellow Americans. This shutdown will force workers to go without paychecks, seniors to go without food, veterans to go without healthcare, and countless communities to suffer in numerous ways because of their political games. While here in New York, we will continue to do everything in our power to stand up for our people. The truth is that the effects of this shutdown will be devastating, and no state will have enough resources to undo every wrong that Washington Republicans are committing. I implore New York’s Republican Representatives to stop enabling this cruelty, to stand up for America, and to put people over party. The people of New York, and this country, deserve nothing less.”
State Senator Toby Ann Stavisky said, “I know how many working families depend on basic needs—putting food on the table, having health care they can count on, and having access to housing they can afford. President Trump, meanwhile, is more concerned with escalators, fake science, and Jimmy Kimmel more than the millions of New Yorkers about to lose their healthcare and SNAP benefits. Republicans control both houses of Congress, and this reckless shutdown robs families of security. We must hold them accountable for preferring chaos over common sense.”
State Senator Liz Krueger said, “This MAGA Shutdown is just the latest example of the damage being done to regular New Yorkers by Donald Trump’s policies that put his billionaire donors first and the American people last. While Democrats in Washington are standing up for families about to lose their health insurance, Republicans are doing their utmost to take it away and make life harder, all while Trump’s reckless flailing drives up inflation and puts the economy on the edge of recession. Enough is enough.”
New York State AFL-CIO President Mario Cilento said, “I want to thank Governor Hochul for consistently demonstrating the kind of leadership we urgently need, a stark contrast to the void of leadership in Washington. To be clear, this shutdown and all the pain it will cause lies squarely on the Administration and Congressional Republicans. Their calculated, cruel, and chaotic decisions will harm every American as healthcare costs soar. In addition, this will lead to the loss of jobs for countless dedicated public servants, whom we deeply respect and appreciate, and put at risk the vital services they provide to the American people. We need united leadership that will bring people together and prioritize the needs of everyday working people. The Union Movement in New York State stands together. We will fight this outrageous assault on working people with all the strength of our collective resolve.”
DC37 Executive Director Henry Garrido said, “Our members are the backbone of this city and this country — dedicated public workers who care for the sick, educate our children, keep our streets safe, and ensure our communities thrive. President Trump’s reckless government shutdown disrespects the very people who make this nation work. Shutting down the government is not leadership — it’s a failure to value working families and protect them from harm. At DC 37, we stand united with all public workers across this country. We demand respect, dignity, and an end to using our livelihoods as political pawns. Social justice is a union issue — and this injustice will not go unanswered.”
32BJ SEIU President Manny Pastreich said, “The Republicans who control the House, Senate and White House are playing with the health and livelihoods of millions of Americans. Over 22 million Americans are about to see their health care premiums skyrocket by an average of 75 percent because Republicans will not extend Affordable Care Act premium tax credits, and direct and contracted government workers are at risk of losing their much-needed paychecks. 32BJ SEIU represents approximately 2,400 hard-working federally contracted security officers, office cleaners, and food service workers across multiple states and D.C. – workers who would bear the brunt of a Republican-created government shutdown. Not only do 32BJ members earn less than direct federal employees, but they also would be ineligible to receive backpay. A government shutdown would turn their lives upside down, forcing many to risk eviction, have their utilities turned off and leave them unable to feed themselves and their families. In New York, we represent hardworking security officers and cleaners at the Statue of Liberty, the Federal Reserve and other federal offices who would be impacted.
State Senator Brad Hoylman-Sigal said, “Donald Trump and his minions recklessly shut down the federal government, and its ordinary New Yorkers who will pay the price. As Trump holds the federal budget hostage and demands cuts to vital health care funding, nearly 3 million New Yorkers face losing access to the SNAP benefits that provide them groceries, New York federal courts may be unable to administer justice, New York housing project approvals may grind to a halt because of a housing loan application freeze, New York small businesses may face closure because they are unable to obtain federal loans, New York travelers may face undue delays at airports because of staffing shortages, and the 16 million annual visitors to New York national parks and historic sites will be shut out. All this to say nothing of the nearly 185,000 federal workers in New York who may go without pay. I stand with Governor Hochul and other elected officials to demand that Donald Trump and his cronies stop selling out New Yorkers and re-open the government as soon as possible.”
State Senator Roxanne J. Persaud said, “Putting politics over people with a reckless shutdown threatens the health, food security, and livelihoods of millions of New Yorkers. This is a cruel betrayal of working families, and we should not stay silent while our communities are left to suffer.”
State Senator Peter Harkham said, “In just nine months, President Trump and the Republicans in Congress have inflicted immeasurable damage to the health, safety and security of New Yorkers. Their chaotic and cruel governance ignores the rule of law and serves the ultra-rich while life becomes more precarious each day for too many statewide. True to their character, the administration and its allies are already blaming everyone except themselves for the wreckage they will be causing and lives being severely impacted with a government shutdown.”
State Senator Brian Kavanagh said, “The reckless, destructive actions of the Trump administration and Republican majorities in both houses of Congress over the past nine months have threatened the housing stability, healthcare, and food security of countless Americans. Their decision to shut down the federal government will only cause more pointless harm. I am proud to stand with Governor Kathy Hochul and our colleagues here in New York to oppose these destructive actions and to work to ensure that the government we’ve been elected to lead continues to provide critical resources and offer solutions to the big problems we face.”
State Senator John Liu said, “After slashing healthcare funding in the Big Ugly Bill and terrorizing immigrants across the country with ICE attacks, President Trump’s Republican-controlled government is doubling down on its reckless and dangerous behavior by shutting down the government. This Republican-led shutdown will have devastating impacts on the institutions, programming, and services affecting all New Yorkers, from our hospitals to our farmers and families struggling to make ends meet. It’s abhorrent that New Yorkers, along with working people across the country, are being forced to pay the price for the GOP’s chaos and disorder.”
State Senator Shelley B. Mayer said, “A government shutdown will have significant adverse consequences for New Yorkers and Americans across our country. We need to be clear: to avoid a shutdown, there needs to be an agreement that protects New Yorkers from the disastrous impacts of the Trump agenda. And yet so far, the Administration will not agree to such an agreement. The Trump Administration and Congressional Majority have spent the last nine months pursuing an agenda that harms all New Yorkers ––stripping Medicaid coverage from 1.5 million New Yorkers, cutting SNAP benefits that feed thousands of our neighbors, threatening funding for our education system, and tearing apart immigrant families. A government shutdown will only cause further harm. I urge our Republican colleagues who represent New York to step up and reach a meaningful agreement that protects New Yorkers from this imminent harm.”
State Senator Jeremy Cooney said, “Because of reckless decisions in Washington, New Yorkers are suffering devastating consequences. More than 1.5 million New Yorkers have already lost access to health care. Nearly 3 million more are at risk of losing SNAP benefits, hospitals are strained, and farmers are being denied emergency services. Our communities deserve better, and we won’t stop fighting until they get exactly that.”
Assemblymember Rebecca A. Seawright said, “As Chair of the Committee on Aging, I am deeply concerned about the devastating impact this reckless shutdown will have on older New Yorkers. Seniors across our state depend on SNAP, housing assistance, and access to health care to live with dignity. Stripping away these lifelines is not only irresponsible — it is cruel. I stand with Governor Hochul and my colleagues in calling out Trump and Washington Republicans for putting politics over people and endangering the health, safety, and well-being of millions, especially our most vulnerable neighbors.”
Assemblymember Andrew Hevesi said, “President Trump and Washington Republicans, including New York’s GOP delegation, have led our country to the brink of a disaster. The last nine months have been a failure of leadership, and now as their party argues over petty grievances, millions of vulnerable New Yorkers will suffer. Today, the cost of their inability to govern will be 2.8 million New Yorkers losing SNAP benefits; hundreds of thousands of women and children left without the WIC nutrition program; tens of thousands of federal workers going without pay; and countless hospitals and farms facing financial ruin. Congressional Republicans must stay in Washington until they reach a deal that keeps the government funded and open, and does not destabilize access to healthcare, or food and nutrition programs.”
Assemblymember Linda B. Rosenthal said, “For someone who boasts about knowing the art of the deal, Donald Trump has proven completely feckless in running the government. We are just nine months into Trump’s presidency and the federal government has already shut down, millions are bracing for the loss of food assistance and over one million New Yorkers are preparing for the loss of their health insurance. Donald Trump and his Congressional puppets have made it clear that they have no interest in serving the needs of the American people, just using their power to benefit themselves and their billionaire friends. New Yorkers, and voters across the country, will remember this when Congressional elections are held next year. I am glad that Governor Hochul is once again fighting back and protecting New Yorkers against the dangers of this administration.”
Assemblymember Ron Kim said, “This federal administration has already cut funding for vital programs that keep New Yorkers safe and healthy, and a shutdown of the government for any length of time will cause devastating harm to countless people. I stand with Governor Hochul in urging our leaders in Congress to pass a funding measure that ensures the government can continue providing its indispensable services to all Americans while protecting their health care and other essential benefits.”
Assemblymember Michaelle C. Solages said, “The Trump Administration is gutting services, and Republicans in Congress are cheering it on with a reckless shutdown. Healthcare, SNAP, and WIC are lifelines, not political toys. If they keep choosing Trump over their own constituents, families will pay the price. I stand with Governor Hochul in demanding these funds stay protected.”
Assemblymember Harry B. Bronson said, “The attacks on the American people from President Trump and his administration have now come to a head with the federal government shutting down. I am proud to stand with my democratic colleagues at all levels of government to protect New Yorkers’ healthcare, jobs, and safety. This shutdown is the fault of President Trump and his accomplices. Their unwillingness to negotiate a fair budget and their commitment to eliminating healthcare for so many will have devastating financial impacts on our friends, families, and neighbors. Thank you, Governor Hochul, for your leadership to support New Yorkers when our President will not.”
Assemblymember Rodneyse Bichotte Hermelyn said, “President Trump and Washington Republicans are once again putting politics over people with this reckless shutdown. Here in Brooklyn, where so many families are already struggling, and now millions shall stand to lose food assistance, health care, and housing support. These cuts would be devastating for women, children, immigrants, New Yorkers who rely on SNAP and working families. I stand with Governor Kathy Hochul and my colleagues to demand an end to this crisis and protect our most vulnerable communities.”
Assemblymember Latrice Walker said, “If the government shutdown goes beyond a week, the WIC program will likely run out of money. It’s the nation’s signature nutrition program for low-income mothers and babies, servicing more than 440,000 New Yorkers – including constituents in my district. A prolonged shutdown would also cause nearly 3 million New Yorkers to lose their SNAP benefits. Housing vouchers will be delayed, putting people’s stability at risk. The shutdown will have a devastating impact on the most vulnerable Americans – a sadly predictable continuation of cruelty coming from President Trump and the GOP-controlled Congress. I urge lawmakers in Washington to come to an agreement before irrevocable damage is done to people who need the most help.”
Assemblymember Alicia L. Hyndman said, “This shutdown is not just reckless; it’s deeply harmful. New York families are bearing the brunt of Washington Republicans’ political maneuvering, with millions at risk of losing food assistance, health coverage, and housing support. I stand firmly with Governor Hochul and my Democratic colleagues in calling out this failure of leadership. We were elected to protect our constituents, not to play politics with their lives. It’s time to reject chaos and recommit to fighting for the dignity and stability every New Yorker deserves.”
Assemblymember Manny De Los Santos said, “As an Assembly Member for the 72nd District, I stand with Governor Hochul and New York Democrats in condemning Donald Trump and Washington Republicans for causing a government shutdown. This is more than politics — it hurts working families in Northern Manhattan and across New York State. Cutting health care, food, and housing support will devastate our communities. Families deserve stability, not chaos, and I’ll keep fighting to make sure every New Yorker has the resources they need to thrive.”
Assemblymember Al Taylor said, “A government shutdown isn’t an abstract headline, it’s an immediate hit to families in our communities who depend on food assistance, health care, and housing support. When Washington Republicans choose chaos over solutions, New Yorkers pay the price. From Harlem to Inwood, we know what’s at stake: it rips food off tables, puts health care out of reach, and takes stability away from families right here in New York. I am proud to stand with Governor Hochul in demanding that people’s needs come before partisan politics.”
Assemblyman Charles D. Fall said, “As a legislator committed to protecting and improving the lives of New Yorkers, I am appalled by the reckless, callous, and reprehensible actions of Republicans in Washington. This government shutdown is nothing short of immoral—it is cruelty disguised as politics from people who are supposed to serve the public. It renounces millions of Americans who rely on essential programs like SNAP, WIC, and housing vouchers—programs that prevent families from going hungry and keep them from sleeping on the streets. It denies emergency aid to hardworking farmers who feed this very nation. Rather than serving people Republicans swore an oath to protect, they have chosen political gamesmanship that inflicts real harm on vulnerable communities. Standing alongside this manufactured crisis is not leadership—it is cowardice, negligent, and a betrayal to the American people.”
Assemblymember Alex Bores said, “Trump’s disastrous agenda has harmed millions of New Yorkers and this shutdown will only exacerbate the problems he has caused. With Congress controlled by powers that would harm our state, New Yorkers should feel confident that their state government will continue to provide the everyday services they rely on, with or without help from Washington.”
Assemblymember Jenifer Rajkumar said, “The lives of millions of New Yorkers are at risk today due to an ideological game of brinkmanship playing out in Washington. Continuity of government is essential to our democracy, yet this shutdown is taking food out of the mouths of our fellow New Yorkers, pulling the plug on our healthcare system, picking the pockets of women and children, and giving the boot to people needing housing assistance. For the sake of New York and our nation, we must rise above the extremism permeating politics, and orient our moral compass to common sense, unity, and problem-solving. I am proud to partner with Governor Hochul to deliver real solutions to uplift New Yorkers. Together, New York will stand up to Washington extremists and be the epicenter of the unifying, practical leadership our Nation needs.”
Assemblymember Grace Lee said, “Trump and Republicans in Washington are once again putting politics before people. This reckless shutdown will harm millions of New Yorkers, stripping away food assistance, health care, and critical support for women and children. I stand with Governor Hochul to hold Republicans accountable for the damage they are causing to our communities.”
Assemblymember Nikki Lucas said, “A government shutdown is not only reckless, but completely irresponsible on the part of Washington Republicans and President Trump. This is just another example of them putting the people of these United States last. I urge House Democrats to stay strong and continue fighting back. The residents of district 60 in East New York, Brownsville and Canarsie, like communities across our city and country, are relying on all of us to be responsible stewards of their present and future.”
Assemblymember Larinda C. Hooks said, “This shutdown is more than a government issue, it’s a family issue. It means parents worried about whether they can take their child to the doctor, seniors questioning if they can afford their medicine, and neighbors wondering how they’ll put food on the table. In times like these, our communities deserve stability and peace of mind. As a democrat, I will stand firm and not bend to the will of the Washington Republicans who intend to take away the people’s ability to survive.”
Assemblymember Tony Simone said, “Donald Trump and Congressional Republicans have betrayed the American people. This stunning refusal to ensure our hard earned tax dollars be used to keep our hospitals and farms running, to keep children from going hungry, to keep housing aid from the most vulnerable among us, all in the name of tax cuts for the wealthy and an ego-driven trade war, is shameful and outright theft from our pockets.”
Assemblymember John Zaccaro, Jr. said, “President Trump’s government shutdown is nothing short of a dereliction of his duty and his oath of office. New Yorkers, many of whom live in the Bronx, have already been devastated by the President’s reckless agenda. Now, the President wants to shut down the government—forcing nearly 2.8 million New Yorkers to lose SNAP benefits, putting 442,000 women and children who rely on WIC at risk, delaying housing vouchers, stalling hospitals waiting for federal reimbursements, and leaving farmers without emergency aid. The President is willing to decimate the working class and shut down the government simply to hand his billionaire and millionaire cronies a tax break.”
Assemblymember Micah Lasher said, “Trump and Congressional Republicans have hijacked the federal government and stripped it for parts. They’ve robbed 1.5 million New Yorkers of their health coverage and taken food stamps from hundreds of thousands more — all while making billions for Donald Trump and his family and giving tax breaks to Trump’s rich friends. They now seek to pass the most unfair, unconscionable spending bill we have ever seen. No one who is a patriot should go along for this ride,” said Assemblymember Micah Lasher. “We in New York believe in making sure working families have the basic necessities, not bigger yachts for Trump and his pals. We demand that Congress put an end to the cruelty and the corruption.”
Assemblymember Emerita Torres said, “New Yorkers deserve leaders who will fight for them, not politicians who undermine their livelihoods. A federal government shutdown will strip vital services and programs from millions of New York families, including healthcare and food programs, as well as veteran support. As a former federal worker who was furloughed during Trump’s first government shutdown, I know firsthand the stress and financial uncertainty these reckless political stunts can cause. While Republicans continue to follow Trump’s dangerous agenda, I stand with the Governor and New York Democrats in putting our communities first.”
$14.4 Billion in Lost Hospital-Generated Economic Activity, Resulting From $8 Billion in Cuts Targeting New York Hospitals and Health Systems
65,000 Jobs Lost Due to Cuts to Hospitals and Community Health Centers Serving Low Income New Yorkers
1.5 Million New Yorkers Will Lose Health Care Coverage
As the Senate voted to pass the Trump Administration and Washington Republicans’ “Big Ugly Bill,” Governor Kathy Hochul today sounded the alarm about the potential devastating consequences of the Bill on New York hospitals, health systems and patients statewide. These reckless cuts to Medicaid and the Essential Plan will significantly impact health care providers across the State, endangering the health and finances of many New Yorkers who rely on these providers.
“I’ve said it several times and I’ll say it again today — all New Yorkers deserve access to high-quality health care, it’s that simple,”Governor Hochul said. “Republicans in Washington, including seven representing New York, are trying to rip away this basic human right from New Yorkers and I will not stand by and watch it happen, I’m standing up for our hardworking hospitals and families who rely on this care to survive.”
Hospitals and other health care providers across New York rely on Medicaid and Essential Plan funding to provide needed care to patients and maintain their operations.
Hospitals and health systems play a vital role in driving local economies. They often serve as the largest employers in their communities, creating numerous other jobs and ranking among the top 10 private employers in every region of New York. When hospitals are stronger, their communities thrive. GNYHA and HANYS estimate that the hospital cuts will lead to 34,000 lost hospital jobs and an additional 29,000 lost related jobs, and create a cumulative $14.4 billion in lost hospital-generated economic activity, devastating communities across New York.
Unfortunately, many New York hospitals are already financially distressed. The collective impact of the GOP reconciliation bill in Washington, D.C., could force hospitals to curtail critically needed services such as maternity care and psychiatric treatment, not to mention to downsize operations, and even close entirely. These impacts will be devastating across the State, and especially in rural communities. These consequences will not only affect Medicaid enrollees, but also harm everyone who requires hospital care, leading to longer wait times and less access to critical services.
In addition to hospitals, every kind of health care provider in New York State will be impacted. The Community Health Care Association of New York State estimates a direct loss of $300M for the State’s Community Health Centers, resulting in almost 2,000 layoffs. Community Health Centers are a vital lifeline that provide care to one in eight New Yorkers, regardless of their ability to pay.
In June, a letter signed by Yale and University of Pennsylvania scientists warned that more than 51,000 preventable deaths could occur annually if the provisions in the House-passed budget reconciliation bill are enacted. The letter, addressed to Senator Ron Wyden and Senator Bernie Sanders, estimates the potential nationwide death toll that would result from the bill’s provisions including restricting Medicaid and Affordable Care Act coverage, repealing nursing home staffing regulations, and allowing Enhanced Affordable Care Act Premium Tax Credits to expire. These estimates would make the GOP bill a top ten cause of death in the United States, on par with kidney disease and liver disease.
Estimated Impact of Hospital Cuts by New York Economic Region
Member
Hospital employment losses
Total employment losses
Lost economic activity ($)
New York City
17,551
32,571
(7,405,661,000)
Long Island
3,514
6,521
(1,482,704,000)
Mid-Hudson
3,623
6,723
(1,528,578,000)
Capital District
1,042
1,933
(439,512,000)
North Country
759
1,409
(320,385,000)
Mohawk Valley
774
1,437
(326,619,000)
Southern Tier
856
1,588
(360,983,000)
Central New York
1,355
2,515
(571,928,000)
Finger Lakes
2,442
4,532
(1,030,506,000)
Western New York
2,130
3,954
(898,943,000)
Statewide total
34,047
63,183
(14,365,818,000)
Estimated Impact of Hospital Cuts by Congressional District
District
Member
Hospital employment losses
Total employment losses
Lost economic activity ($)
1
Nick LaLota (R)
976
1,811
(411,868,000)
2
Andrew R. Garbarino (R)
605
1,122
(255,206,000)
3
Thomas R. Suozzi (D)
1,927
3,576
(812,998,000)
4
Laura Gillen (D)
933
1,731
(393,628,000)
5
Gregory W. Meeks (D)
563
1,045
(237,515,000)
6
Grace Meng (D)
1,876
3,481
(791,359,000)
7
Nydia M. Velázquez (D)
862
1,599
(363,593,000)
8
Hakeem S. Jeffries (D)
790
1,466
(333,226,000)
9
Yvette D. Clarke (D)
1,178
2,187
(497,231,000)
10
Daniel S. Goldman (D)
1,457
2,705
(614,953,000)
11
Nicole Malliotakis (R)
654
1,213
(275,762,000)
12
Jerrold Nadler (D)
2,803
5,201
(1,182,612,000)
13
Adriano Espaillat (D)
2,520
4,677
(1,063,292,000)
14
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D)
980
1,819
(413,640,000)
15
Ritchie Torres (D)
2,942
5,460
(1,241,482,000)
16
George Latimer (D)
1,278
2,372
(539,332,000)
17
Michael Lawler (R)
1,462
2,713
(616,822,000)
18
Patrick Ryan (D)
810
1,503
(341,631,000)
19
Josh Riley (D)
797
1,479
(336,292,000)
20
Paul Tonko (D)
1,002
1,860
(422,977,000)
21
Elise M. Stefanik (R)
871
1,616
(367,481,000)
22
John W. Mannion (D)
1,536
2,850
(648,033,000)
23
Nicholas A. Langworthy (R)
759
1,409
(320,347,000)
24
Claudia Tenney (R)
1,009
1,873
(425,748,000)
25
Joseph D. Morelle (D)
1,899
3,524
(801,274,000)
26
Timothy M. Kennedy (D)
1,558
2,892
(657,525,000)
–
Statewide total
34,047
63,183
(14,365,818,000)
Greater New York Hospital Association President Kenneth E. Raske said, “This bill’s massive Medicaid cuts and health insurance eligibility restrictions will do enormous damage to New York State and its hospitals. The numbers are hard to comprehend—an estimated $8 billion cut to our hospitals, 34,000 lost hospital jobs and 1.5 million individuals losing their health insurance. Some financially fragile institutions will cease to exist. All patients will be impacted. There is no rationale for this. The bill is a clear example of ‘if you break it, you own it.’ I am grateful to Governor Hochul for defending New York’s hospitals and the patients we serve, and the entire hospital community is proud to stand with her in opposing this terrible bill.”
Healthcare Association of New York State President Bea Grause, RN, JD. said, “The One Big Beautiful Bill Act is a reckless assault on our healthcare system and our local economies, as evidenced by these projections. Lost coverage, care, jobs – it is astonishing to me that there is such determination to put so many people’s health and financial security at risk. This bill will not only harm individual New Yorkers. Its impact will ripple out to their families and communities, leaving almost no one untouched in its wake.”
Community Health Care Association of New York State President & CEO Rose Duhan said, “New York’s Community Health Centers provide access to primary and preventive care that keep people healthy and save money. Cutting Medicaid will put that care at risk for 2.4 million people across the State. Losing Medicaid will mean communities will lose CHCs that provide primary care, behavioral health, dental services, and more. Cuts of this magnitude will force impossible choices: reduce services, scale back hours, or turn patients away. Congress must protect Medicaid and the patients and health centers that depend on it.”
Speaker Carl E. Heastie stated: The administration in Washington can call this a “Big Beautiful Bill” all they want, but Americans know the truth. It is ugly and cruel and will be devastating for families across New York and across the country. They are taking an axe to Medicaid and cutting off access to healthcare for low income families, children and people with disabilities. They’re restricting access to the ACA for low- and middle-income Americans. It would make almost 12 million Americans lose their health insurance. All to make sure their billionaire donors get to keep their tax cuts. I’m disgusted and disappointed that they are willing to sell out their constituents like this. I am calling, once again, on New York’s seven Republican members of Congress to stand up for New Yorkers and for all Americans and vote against this travesty when it goes back to the House.
Here is edited and highlighted transcript of President Biden’s fiery State of the Union Address, as delivered, ad libs and all, in which he trolled and baited Republicans, laid out the stakes of the 2024 election, and contrasted his record and his vision of the future with “my predecessor.” –Karen Rubin, editor@news-photos-features.com
THE PRESIDENT: (The President presents his prepared remarks to Speaker Johnson.) Your bedtime reading.
Tony! (Applause.) Thank you. (Applause.) Looking for Jill. (Applause.)
Good evening. (Applause.) Good evening. If I were smart, I’d go home now. (Laughter and applause.)
Mr. Speaker, Madam Vice President, members of Congress, my fellow Americans.
In January 1941, Franklin Roosevelt came to this chamber to speak to the nation. And he said, “I address you at a moment unprecedented in the history of the Union”. Hitler was on the march. War was raging in Europe.
President Roosevelt’s purpose was to wake up Congress and alert the American people that this was no ordinary time. Freedom and democracy were under assault in the world.
Tonight, I come to the same chamber to address the nation. Now it’s we who face an unprecedented moment in the history of the Union.
And, yes, my purpose tonight is to wake up the Congress and alert the American people that this is no ordinary moment either. Not since President Lincoln and the Civil War have freedom and democracy been under assault at home as they are today.
What makes our moment rare is that freedom and democracy are under attack at — both at home and overseas at the very same time.
Overseas, Putin of Russia is on the march, invading Ukraine and sowing chaos throughout Europe and beyond.
If anybody in this room thinks Putin will stop at Ukraine, I assure you: He will not. (Applause.)
But Ukraine — Ukraine can stop Putin. (Applause.) Ukraine can stop Putin if we stand with Ukraine and provide the weapons that it needs to defend itself. (Applause.)
That is all — that is all Ukraine is asking. They’re not asking for American soldiers. In fact, there are no American soldiers at war in Ukraine, and I’m determined to keep it that way. (Applause.)
But now assistance to Ukraine is being blocked by those who want to walk away from our world leadership.
It wasn’t long ago when a Republican president named Ronald Reagan thundered, “Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall.” (Applause.)
Now — now my predecessor, a former Republican president, tells Putin, quote, “Do whatever the hell you want.”
AUDIENCE: Booo —
THE PRESIDENT: That’s a quote.
A former president actually said that — bowing down to a Russian leader. I think it’s outrageous, it’s dangerous, and it’s unacceptable. (Applause.)
America is a founding member of NATO, the military alliance of democratic nations created after World War Two prevent — to prevent war and keep the peace.
And today, we’ve made NATO stronger than ever. We welcomed Finland to the Alliance last year. (Applause.) And just this morning, Sweden officially joined, and their minister is here tonight. Stand up. (Applause.) Welcome. Welcome, welcome, welcome. (Applause.) And they know how to fight.
Mr. Prime Minister, welcome to NATO, the strongest military alliance the world has ever seen.
I say this to Congress: We have to stand up to Putin. (Applause.) Send me a bipartisan national security bill. History is literally watching. History is watching.
If the United States walks away, it will put Ukraine at risk. Europe is at risk. The free world will be at risk, emboldening others to do what they wish to do us harm.
My message to President Putin, who I’ve known for a long time, is simple: We will not walk away. (Applause.) We will not bow down. (Applause.) I will not bow down. (Applause.)
In a literal sense, history is watching. History is watching — just like history watched three years ago on January 6th — (applause) — when insurrectionists stormed this very Capitol and placed a dagger to the throat of American democracy.
Many of you were here on that darkest of days. We all saw with our own eyes the insurrectionists were not patriots. They had come to stop the peaceful transfer of power, to overturn the will of the people.
January 6th lies about the 2020 election and the plots to steal the election posed a great — gravest threat to U.S. democracy since the Civil War.
But they failed. (Applause.) America stood — (applause) — America stood strong and democracy prevailed. We must be honest: The threat to democracy must be defended [defeated].
My predecessor and some of you here seek to bury the truth about January 6th. I will not do that.
This is a moment to speak the truth and to bury the lies. Here’s the simple truth: You can’t love your country only when you win. (Applause.)
As I’ve done ever since being elected to office, I ask all of you, without regard to party, to join together and defend democracy. Remember your oath of office to defend against all threats foreign and domestic. (Applause.)
Respect — respect free and fair elections, restore trust in our institutions, and make clear political violence has absolutely no place — no place in America. Zero place. (Applause.)
Again, it’s not — it’s not hyperbole to suggest history is watching. They’re watching. Your children and grandchildren will read about this day and what we do.
History is watching another assault on freedom. Joining us tolight [tonight] is Latorya Beasley, a social worker from Birmingham, Alabama.
Fourteen months ago — fourteen months ago, she and her husband welcomed a baby girl thanks to the miracle of IVF. (Applause.) She scheduled treatments to have that second child, but the Alabama Supreme Court shut down IVF treatments across the state, unleashed by a Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v. Wade. She was told her dream would have to wait.
What her family had gone through should never have happened. Unless Congress acts, it could happen again.
So, tonight, let’s stand up for families like hers. To my friends across the aisle — (applause) — don’t keep this waiting any longer. Guarantee the right to IVF. (Applause.) Guarantee it nationwide.
Like most Americans, I believe Roe v. Wade got it right.
I thank Vice President Harris for being an incredible leader defending reproductive freedom and so much more. (Applause.) Thank you.
My predecessor came to office determined to see Roe v. Wade overturned. He’s the reason it was overturned, and he brags about it. Look at the chaos that has resulted.
Joining us tonight is Kate Cox, a wife and mother from Dallas. She’d become pregnant again and had a fetus with a fatal condition. Her doctor told Kate that her own life and her ability to have future in the fil- — children in the future were at risk if she didn’t act. Because Texas law banned her ability to act, Kate and her husband had to leave the state to get what she needed.
What her family had gone through should have never happened as well. But it’s happening to too many others.
There are state laws banning the freedom to choose, criminalizing doctors, forcing survivors of rape and incest to leave their states to get the treatment they need.
Many of you in this chamber and my predecessor are promising to pass a national ban on reproductive freedom.
AUDIENCE: Booo —
THE PRESIDENT: My God, what freedom else would you take away?
Look, its decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, the Supreme Court majority wrote the following — and with all due respect, Justices — “Women are not without electoral — electoral power” — excuse me — “electoral or political power.”
You’re about to realize just how much you were right about that. (Applause.)
Clearly — (applause) — clearly, those bragging about overturning Roe v. Wade have no clue about the power of women.
But they found out. When reproductive freedom was on the ballot, we won in 2022 and 2023. And we’ll win again in 2024. (Applause.)
If you — if you, the American people, send me a Congress that supports the right to choose, I promise you I will restore Roe v. Wade as the law of the land again. (Applause.)
Folks, America cannot go back.
I am here to- — tonight to show what I believe is the way forward, because I know how far we’ve come.
Four years ago next week, before I came to office, the country was hit by the worst pandemic and the worst economic crisis in a century.
Remember the fear, record losses?
Remember the spikes in crime and the murder rate? A raging virus that took more than 1 million American lives of loved ones, millions left behind.
A mental health crisis of isolation and loneliness.
A president, my predecessor, failed in the most basic presidential duty that he owes to American people: the duty to care.
AUDIENCE MEMBER: Lies!
THE PRESIDENT: I think that’s unforgivable.
I came to office determined to get us through one of the toughest periods in the nation’s history. We have.
It doesn’t make new, but in a — news — in a thousand cities and towns, the American people are writing the greatest comeback story never told. (Applause.)
So, let’s tell the story here — tell it here and now.
America’s comeback is building a future of American possibilities; building an economy from the middle out and the bottom up, not the top down; investing in all of America, in all Americans to make every- — sure everyone has a fair shot and we leave no one — no one behind.
The pandemic no longer controls our lives. The vaccine that saved us from COVID is — are now being used to beat cancer.
Turning setback into comeback. That’s what America does. That’s what America does. (Applause.)
Folks, I inherited an economy that was on the brink. Now, our economy is literally the envy of the world.
Fifteen million new jobs in just three years. A record. A record. (Applause.)
Unemployment at 50-year lows. (Applause.)
A record 16 million Americans are starting small businesses, and each one is a literal act of hope, with historic job growth and small-business growth for Black and Hispanics and Asian Americans.Eight hundred thousand new manufacturing jobs in America and counting. (Applause.)
Where is it written we can’t be the manufacturing capital of the world? We are and we will. (Applause.)
More people have health insurance today — more people have health insurance today than ever before.
The racial wealth gap is the smallest it’s been in 20 years.
Wages keep going up. Inflation keeps coming down. Inflation has dropped from 9 percent to 3 percent — the lowest in the world and tending [trending] lower. (Applause.)
The landing is and will be soft. And now, instead of aporting — importing foreign products and exporting American jobs, we’re exporting American products and creating American jobs — (applause) — right here in America, where they belong.
And it takes time, but the American people are beginning to feel it. Consumer studies show consumer confidence is soaring.
“Buy America” has been the law of the land since the 1930s. Past administrations, including my predecessor — including some Democrats, as well, in the past — failed to buy American. Not anymore.
On my watch, federal projects that you fund — like helping build American roads, bridges, and highways — will be made with American products and built by American workers — (applause) — creating good-paying American jobs. (Applause.)
And thanks to our CHIPS and Science Act — (applause) — the United States is investing more inresearch and development than ever before. During the pandemic, a shortage of semiconductors, chips that drove up the price of everything from cell phones to automobiles — and, by the way, we invented those chips right here in America.
Well, instead of having to import them, instead of — private companies are now investing billions of dollars to build new chip factories here in America — (applause) — creating tens of thousands of jobs, many of those jobs paying $100,000 a year and don’t require a college degree. (Applause.)
In fact, my policies have attracted$650 billion in private-sector investment in clean energy, advanced manufacturing, creating tens of thousands of jobs here in America. (Applause.)
And thanks — and thanks to our Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, 46,000 new projects have been announced all across your communities.
And, by the way, I noticed some of you who’ve strongly voted against it are there cheering on that money coming in. (Laughter and applause.) And I like it. I’m with you. I’m with you.
And if any of you don’t want that money in your district, just let me know. (Laughter.)
Modernizing our roads and bridges, ports and airports, public transit systems. Removing poi- — poisonous lead pipes so every child can drink clean water without risk of brain damage. (Applause.)
Providing affordable — affordable high-speed Internet for every American, no matter where you live — urban, suburban, or rural communities in red states and blue states.
Record investments in Tribal communities.
Because of my investment in family farms — (applause) — because I invested in family farms — led by my Secretary of Agriculture, who knows more about this anybody I know — we’re better able to stay in the family for the — those farms so their — and their children and grandchildren won’t have to leave — leave home to make a living. It’s transformative.
The great comeback story is Belvidere, Illinois. Home to an auto plant for nearly 60 years. Before I came to office, the plant was on its way to shutting down. Thousands of workers feared for their livelihoods. Hope was fading.
Then, I was elected to office, and we raised Belvidere repeatedly with auto companies, knowing unions would make all the difference. The UAW worked like hell to keep the plant open and get these jobs back. And together, we succeeded.
Instead of auto factories shutting down, auto factories are reopening and a new state-of-the-art battery factory is being built to power those cars there at the same. (Applause.)
To the folks — to the folks of Belvidere, I’d say: Instead of your town being left behind, your community is moving forward again. Because instead of watching auto ja- — jobs of the future go overseas, 4,000 union jobs with higher wages are building a future in Belvidere right here in America. (Applause.)
Here tonight is UAW President Shawn Fain, a great friend and a great labor leader. Shawn, where are you? (Applause.) Stand up.
And — and Dawn — and Dawn Simms, a third-generation worker — UAW worker at Belvidere.
Shawn, I was proud to be the first President to stand in the picket line. And today, Dawn has a good job in her hometown, providing stability for her family and pride and dignity as well.
Showing once again Wall Street didn’t build America. They’re not bad guys. They didn’t build it, though. The middle class built the country, and unions built the middle class. (Applause.)
I say to the American people: When America gets knocked down, we get back up. (Applause.) We keep going. That’s America. (Applause.) That’s you, the American people.
It’s because of you America is coming back. It’s because of you our future is brighter. It’s because of you that tonight we can proudly say the state of our Union is strong and getting stronger. (Applause.)
AUDIENCE: Four more years! Four more years! Four more years!
THE PRESIDENT: Tonight — tonight, I want to talk about the future of possibilities that we can build together — a future where the days of trickle-down economics are over and the wealthy and the biggest corporations no longer get the — all the tax breaks.
And, by the way, I understand corporations. I come from a state that has more corporations invested than every one of your states in the state — the United States combined. And I represented it for 36 years. I’m not anti-corporation.
But I grew up in a home where trickle-down economics didn’t put much on my dad’s kitchen table. That’s why I’m determined to turn things around so the middle class does well. When they do well, the poor have a way up and the wealthy still do very well. We all do well.
And there’s more to do to make sure you’re feeling the benefits of all we’re doing.
Americans pay more for prescription drugs than anywhere in the world. It’s wrong, and I’m ending it. (Applause.)
With a law that I proposed and signed — and not one of your Republican buddies work- — voted for it — we finally beat Big Pharma.
Instead of paying $400 a month or thereabouts for insulin with diabetes — and it only costs 10 bucks to make — they only get paid $35 a month now and still make a healthy profit. (Applause.)
And I want to — and what to do next, I want to cap the cost of insulin at $35 a month for every American who needs it — everyone. (Applause.)
For years, people have talked about it. But finally, we got it done and gave Medicare the power to negotiate lower prices on prescription drugs, just like the VA is able to do for veterans. (Applause.)
That’s not just saving seniors money. It’s saving taxpayers money. We cut the federal deficit by $160 billion — (applause) — because Medicare will no longer have to pay those exorbitant prices to Big Pharma.
This year, Medicare is negotiating lower prices for some of the costliest drugs on the market that treat everything from heart disease to arthritis. It’s now time to go further and give Medicare the power to negotiate lower prices for 500 different drugs over the next decade. (Applause.)
They’re making a lot of money, guys. And they’ll still be extremely profitable. It will not only save lives; it will save taxpayers another $200 billion. (Applause.)
Starting next year, the same law caps total prescription drug costs for seniors on Medicare at $200 — at $2,000 a year, even for expensive cancer drugs that cost $10-, $12-, $15,000. Now I want to cap prescription drug costs at $2,000 a year for everyone. (Applause.)
Folks, I’m going to get in trouble for saying that, but any of you want to get in Air Force One with me and fly to Toronto, Berlin, Moscow — I mean, excuse me. (Laughter.) Well, even Moscow, probably. (Laughter.) And bring your prescription with you, and I promise you, I’ll get it for you for 40 percent the cost you’re paying now. Same company, same drug, same place.
Folks, the Affordable Care Act — the old “Obamacare” — (applause) — is still a very big deal. (Laughter and applause.)
Over 100 million of you can no longer be denied health insurance because of a preexisting condition. But my predecessor and many in this chamber want to take the — that prescription drug away by repealing Affordable Care Act.
AUDIENCE: Booo —
THE PRESIDENT: I’m not going to let that happen. (Applause.) We stopped you 50 times before, and we’ll stop you again. (Applause.)
In fact, I’m not only protecting it, I’m expanding it. The — we enacted tax credits of $800 per person per year [to] reduce healthcare costs for millions of working families. That tax credit expires next year. I want to make that savings permanent. (Applause.)
To state the obvious: Women are more than half of our population, but research on women’s health has always been underfunded.
That’s why we’re launching the first-ever White House Initiative on Women’s Health Research, led by Jill — (applause) — doing an incredible job as First Lady — (applause) — to pa- — to pass my plan for $12 billion to transform women’s health research and benefit millions of lives all across America.
I know the cost of housing is so important to you. Inflation keeps coming down. Mortgage rates will come down as well, and the Fed acknowledges that.
But I’m not waiting. I want to provide an annual tax credit that will give Americans $400 a month for the next two years as mortgage rates come down to put toward their mortgages when they buy their first home or trade up for a little more space. (Applause.) That’s for two years.
And my administration is also eliminating title insurance [fees] on federally backed mortgages. (Applause.) When you refinance your home, you can save $1,000 or more as a consequence. (Applause.)
For millions of renters, we’re cracking down on big landlords who use antitrust law — using antitrust — who break antitrust laws — (applause) — by price-fixing and driving up rents. (Applause.)
We’ve cut red tape so builders can get federally financing, which is already helping build a record 1.7 million new house u- — housing units nationwide.
Now pass — now pass [my plan] and build and renovate 2 million affordable homes and bring those rents down. (Applause.)
To remain the strongest economy in the world, we need to have the best education system in the world. (Applause.) And I, like I suspect all of you, want to give a child — every child a good start by providing access to preschool for three- and four-years-old. (Applause.)
You know, I think I pointed out last year — (applause) — I think I pointed out last year that children coming from broken homes where there’s no books, they’re not read to, they’re not spoken to very often start school — kindergarten or first grade hearing — having heard a million fewer words spoken.
Well, studies show that children who go to preschool are nearly 50 percent more likely to finish high school and go on to earn a two- and four-year degree no matter what their background is. (Applause.)
I met a year and a half ago with the leaders of the Business Roundtable. They were mad that I was ever — angry — I — well, they were discussing — (laughter) — why I wanted to spend money on education.
I pointed out to them: As Vice President, I met with over 8- — I think it was 182 of those folks — don’t hold me to the exact number — and I asked them what they need most — the CEOs. And you’ve had the same experience on both sides of the aisle. They say, “A better-educated workforce,” right?
So, I looked at them. And I say, “I come from Delaware. DuPont used to be the eighth-largest corporation in the world. And every new enter- — enterprise they bought, they educated the workforce to that enterprise. But none of you do that anymore. Why are you angry with me providing you the opportunity for the best-educated workforce in the world?”
And they all looked at me and said, “I think you’re right.” (Applause.)
I want to expand high-quality tutoring and summer learning to see that every child learns to read by third grade. (Applause.)
I’m also connecting local businesses and high schools so students get hands-on experience and a path to a good-paying job whether or not they go to college. (Applause.)
And I want to make sure that college is more affordable. Let’s continue increasing the Pell Grants to working- and middle-class families and increase record investments in HBCUs and minority-serving institutions, including Hispanic institutions. (Applause.)
When I was told I couldn’t universally just change the way in which we did — dealt with student loans, I fixed two student loan programs that already existed to reduce the burden of student debt for nearly 4 million Americans, including nurses, firefighters — (applause) — and others in public service.
Like Keenan Jones, a public educator in Minnesota, who’s here with us tonight. Keenan, where are you? (Applause.) Keenan, thank you.
He’s educated hundreds of students so they can go to college. Now he’s able to help, after debt forgiveness, get his own daughter to college. (Applause.)
And, folks, look, such relief is good for the economy because folks are now able to buy a home, start a business, start a family.
And while we’re at it, I want to give public school teachers a raise. (Applause.)
And, by the way, the first couple of years, we cut the deficit.
Now let me speak to the question of fundamental fairness for all Americans. I’ve been delivering real results in fiscally responsible ways. We’ve already cut the federal deficit — we’ve already cut the federal deficit by over $1 trillion. (Applause.)
I signed a bipartisan deal to cut another trillion dollars in the next decade. (Applause.)
It’s my goal to cut the federal deficit another $3 trillion by making big corporations and the very wealthy finally beginning to pay their fair share. (Applause.)
Look, I’m a capitalist. If you want to make or can make a million or millions of bucks, that’s great. Just pay your fair share in taxes. (Applause.)
A fair tax code is how we invest in things that make this country great: healthcare, education, defense, and so much more.
But here’s the deal. The last administration enacted a $2 trillion tax cut overwhelmingly benefit the top 1 percent — the very wealthy —
AUDIENCE: Booo —
THE PRESIDENT: — and the biggest corporations — and exploded the federal deficit. (Applause.)
They added more to the national debt than any presidential term in American history. Check the numbers.
Folks at home, does anybody really think the tax code is fair?
AUDIENCE: No!
THE PRESIDENT: Do you really think the wealthy and big corporations need another $2 trillion tax break?
AUDIENCE: No!
THE PRESIDENT: I sure don’t. I’m going to keep fighting like hell to make it fair. Under my plan, nobody earning less than $400,000 a year will pay an additional penny in federal taxes — (applause) — nobody — not one penny. And they haven’t yet.
In fact, the Child Tax Credit I passed during the pandemic cut taxes for millions of working families and cut child poverty in half. (Applause.)
Restore that Child Tax Credit. No child should go hungry in this country. (Applause.)
The way to make the tax code fair is to make big corporations and the very wealthy begin to pay their share. Remember in 2020, 55 of the biggest companies in America made $40 billion and paid zero in federal income tax. Zero.
AUDIENCE: Booo —
THE PRESIDENT: Not anymore.
Thanks to the law I wrote and we signed, big companies now have to pay a minimum of 15 percent. But that’s still less than working people pay in federal taxes.
It’s time to raise the corporate minimum tax to at least 21 percent — (applause) — so every big corporation finally begins to pay their fair share.
I also want to end tax breaks for Big Pharma, Big Oil, private jets, massive executive pay when it was only supposed to be a million bal- — a million dollars that could be deducted. They can pay them $20 million if they want, but deduct a million.
End it now.
You know, there are 1,000 billionaires in America. You know what the average federal tax is for those billionaires?
AUDIENCE MEMBER: Zero!
THE PRESIDENT: No. (Laughter.)
They’re making great sacrifices — 8.2 percent.
AUDIENCE: Booo —
THE PRESIDENT: That’s far less than the vast majority of Americans pay.
No billionaire should pay a lower federal tax rate than a teacher, a sanitation worker, or a nurse. (Applause.)
I proposed a minimum tax for billionaires of 25 percent — just 25 percent. You know what that would raise? That would raise $500 billion over the next 10 years. (Applause.)
And imagine what that could do for America. Imagine a future with affordable childcare, millions of families can get what they need to go to work to help grow the economy. (Applause.)
Imagine a future with paid leave, because no one should have to choose between working and taking care of their sick family member. (Applause.)
Imagine — imagine a future with home care and eldercare, and people living with disabilities so they can stay in their homes and family caregivers can finally get the pay they deserve.
Tonight, let’s all agree once again to stand up for seniors. (Applause.)
Many of my friends on the other side of the aisle want to put Social Security on the chopping block.
If anyone here tries to cut Social Security or Medicare or raise the retirement age, I will stop you. (Applause.)
The working people — the working people who built this country pay more into Social Security than millionaires and billionaires do. It’s not fair.
We have two ways to go. Republicans can cut Social Security and give more tax breaks to the wealthy. I will —
AUDIENCE MEMBER: (Inaudible.)
THE PRESIDENT: That’s the proposal. Oh, no? You guys don’t want another $2 trillion tax cut?
AUDIENCE MEMBER: Liar!
THE PRESIDENT: I kind of thought that’s what your plan was. (Laughter.) Well, that’s good to hear. You’re not going to cut another $2 trillion for the super-wealthy? That’s good to hear.
I’ll protect and strengthen Social Security and make the wealthy pay their fair share. (Applause.)
Look, too many corporations raise prices to pad their profits, charging more and more for less and less.
That’s why we’re cracking down on corporations that engage in price gouging and deceptive pricing, from food to healthcare to housing.
In fact, the snack companies think you won’t notice if they change the size of the bag and put a hell of a lot fewer — (laughter) — same — same size bag — put fewer chips in it. No, I’m not joking. It’s called “shrink-flation.”
Pass Bobby Casey’s bill and stop this. (Applause.) I really mean it.
You probably all saw that commercial on Snickers bars. (Laughter.) And you get — you get charged the same amount, and you got about, I don’t know, 10 percent fewer Snickers in it. (Laughter.)
Look, I’m also getting rid of junk fees — those hidden fees — (applause) — at the end of your bill that are there without your knowledge. My administration announced we’re cutting credit card late fees from $32 to $8. (Applause.)
Banks and credit card companies are allowed to charge what it costs them to in- — to instigate the collection. And that’s more — a hell of a lot like $8 than 30-some dollars.
But they don’t like it. The credit card companies don’t like it, but I’m saving American families $20 billion a year with all of the junk fees I’m eliminating. (Applause.)
Folks at home, that’s why the banks are so mad. It’s $20 billion in profit.
I’m not stopping there.
My administration has proposed rules to make cable, travel,utilities, and online ticket sellers tell you the total price up front so there are no surprises. (Applause.)
It matters. It matters.
And so does this. In November, my team began serious negotiations with a bipartisan group of senators. The result was a bipartisan bill with the toughest set of border security reforms we’ve ever seen.
AUDIENCE: Booo —
THE PRESIDENT: Oh, you don’t think so?
AUDIENCE: Booo —
THE PRESIDENT: Oh, you don’t like that bill — huh? — that conservatives got together and said was a good bill? I’ll be darned. That’s amazing.
That bipartisan bill would hire 1,500 more security agents and officers, 100 more immigration judges to help tackle the backload of 2 million cases, 4,300 more asylum officers, and new policies so they can resolve cases in six months instead of six years now. (Applause.) What are you against?
One hundred more high-tech drug detection machines to significantly increase the ability to screen and stop vehicles smuggling fentanyl into America that’s killing thousands of children. (Applause.)
This bill would save lives and bring order to the border. (Applause.)
It would also give me and any new president new emergency authority to temporarily shut down the border when the number of migrants at the border is overwhelming.
The Border Patrol union has endorsed this bill.
(Cross-talk.)
The federal Chamber of Commerce has — yeah, yeah. You’re saying “no.” Look at the facts. (Laughter and applause.) I know — I know you know how to read.
I believe that given the opportunity — for — a majority in the House and Senate would endorse the bill as well — a majority right now.
AUDIENCE MEMBER: Yes!
THE PRESIDENT: But unfortunately, politics have derailed this bill so far.
I’m told my predecessor called members of Congress in the Senate to demand they block the bill. He feels political win — he viewed it as a — it would be a political win for me and a political loser for him. It’s not about him. It’s not about me. I’d be a winner — not really. I —
REPRESENTATIVE GREENE: What about Laken Riley?
(Cross-talk.)
AUDIENCE: Booo —
REPRESENTATIVE GREENE: Say her name!
THE PRESIDENT: (The President holds up a pin reading “Say Her Name, Laken Riley.”) Lanken — Lanken [Laken] Riley, an innocent young woman who was killed.
REPRESENTATIVE GREENE: By an illegal!
THE PRESIDENT: By an illegal. That’s right. But how many of thousands of people are being killed by legals?
(Cross-talk.)
To her parents, I say: My heart goes out to you. Having lost children myself, I understand.
But, look, if we change the dynamic at the border — people pay people — people pay these smugglers 8,000 bucks to get across the border because they know if they get by — if they get by and let into the country, it’s six to eight years before they have a hearing. And it’s worth the — taking the chance of the $8,000.
(Cross-talk.)
But — but if it’s only six mon- — six weeks, the idea is it’s highly unlikely that people will pay that money and come all that way knowing that they’ll be — able to be kicked out quickly. (Applause.)
Folks, I would respectfully su- — suggest to my friend in — my Republican friends owe it to the American people. Get this bill done. We need to act now. (Applause.)
AUDIENCE: Get it done! Get it done! Get it done!
THE PRESIDENT: And if my predecessor is watching: Instead of paying [playing] politics and pressuring members of Congress to block the bill, join me in telling the Congress to pass it.
We can do it together.
But that’s what he apparently — here’s what he will not do.
I will not demonize immigrants, saying they are “poison in the blood of our country.” (Applause.)
I will not separate families. (Applause.)
I will not ban people because of their faith.
Unlike my predecessor, on my first day in office, I introduced a comprehensive bill to fix our immigration system. Take a look at it. It has all these and more: secure the border, provide a pathway to citizenship for DREAMers, and so much more. (Applause.)
But unlike my predecessor, I know who we are as Americans. We’re the only nation in the world with a heart and soul that draws from old and new.
Home to Native Americans whose ancestors have been here for thousands of years. Home to people of every pla- — from every place on Earth.
They came freely. Some came in chains. Some came when famine struck, like my ancestral family in Ireland. Some to flee persecution, to chase dreams that are impossible anywhere but here in America.
That’s America. (Applause.) And we all come from somewhere, but we’re all Americans.
Look, folks, we have a simple choice: We can fight about fixing the border or we can fix it. (Applause.) I’m ready to fix it. Send me the border bill now.
AUDIENCE: Fix it! Fix it! Fix it!
THE PRESIDENT: A transformational his- — moment in history happened 58 — 59 years ago today in Selma, Alabama. Hundreds of foot soldiers for justice marched across the Edmund Pettus Bridge, named after the Grand Dragon of the Ku Klux Klan, to claim their fundamental right to vote.
They were beaten. They were bloodied and left for dead. Our late friend and former colleague John Lewis was on that march. We miss him. (Applause.)
But joining us tonight are other marchers, both in the gallery and on the floor, including Bettie Mae Fikes, known as the “Voice of Selma.”
The daughter of gospel singers and preachers, she sang songs of prayer and protest on that Bloody Sunday to help shake the nation’s conscience.
Five months later, the Voting Rights Act passed and was signed into law. (Applause.)
But 59 years later, there are forces taking us back in time: voter suppression, election subversion, unlimited dark money, extreme gerrymandering.
John Lewis was a great friend to many of us here. But if you truly want to honor him and all the heroes who marched with him, then it’s time to do more than talk. (Applause.)
Pass the Freedom to Vote Act, the John Lewis Voting Right[s] Act. (Applause.)
And stop — stop denying another core value of America: our diversity across American life. Banning books is wrong. Instead of erasing history, let’s make history. (Applause.)
I want to protect fundamental rights.
Pass the Equality Act. (Applause.)
And my message to transgender Americans: I have your back. (Applause.)
Pass the PRO Act for workers’ rights. (Applause.)
Raise the federal minimum wage, because every worker has the right to a decent living more than eig- — seven bucks an hour. (Applause.)
We’re also making history by confronting the climate crisis, not denying it. I don’t think any of you think there’s no longer a climate crisis. At least, I hope you don’t. (Laughter.)
I’m taking the most significant action ever on climate in the history of the world. (Applause.)
I’m cutting our carbon emissions in half by 2030; creating tens of thousands of clean energy jobs, like the IBEW workers building and installing 500,000 electric vehicle charging stations — (applause); conserving 30 percent of America’s lands and waters by 2030; and taking action on environmental justice — fence-line communities smothered by the legacy of pollution.
And patterned after the Peace Corps and AmericaCorps [AmeriCorps], I launched the Climate Corps — (applause) — to put 20,000 young people to work in the forefront of our clean energy future. I’ll triple that number in a decade. (Applause.)
To state the obvious, all Americans deserve the freedom to be safe. And America is safer today than when I took office.
The year before I took office, murder rates went up 30 percent.
MR. NIKOUI: Remember Abbey Gate!
THE PRESIDENT: Thirty percent, they went up —
MR. NIKOUI: United States Marines! Kareem Mae’Lee Nikoui!
THE PRESIDENT: — the biggest increase in history.
MR. NIKOUI: (Inaudible.)
THE PRESIDENT: It was then, through no — through my American Rescue Plan — which every American [Republican] voted against, I might add — we made the largest investment in public safety ever.
Last year, the murder rate saw the sharpest decrease in history. Violent crime fell to one of its lowest levels in more than 50 years.
But we have more to do. We have to help cities invest in more community police officers, more mental health workers, more community violence intervention. (Applause.)
Give communities the tools to crack down on gun crime, retail crime, and carjacking.Keep building trust, as I’ve been doing, by taking executive action on police reform and calling for it to be the law of the land.
Directing my Cabinet to review the federal classification of marijuana and expunging thousands of convictions for the mere possession, because no one should be jailed for simply using or have it on their record. (Applause.)
Take on crimes of domestic violence. I’m ramping up the federal enforcement of the Violence Against Women Act that I proudly wrote when I was a senator so we can finally — finally end the scourge against women in America. (Applause.)
There are other kinds of violence I want to stop.
With us tonight is Jasmine, whose nine-year-old sister Jackie was murdered with 21 classmates and teachers in her elementary school in Uvalde, Texas.
Very soon after that happened, Jill and I went to Uvalde for a couple days. We spent hours and hours with each of the families. We heard their message so everyone in this room, in this chamber could hear the same message.
The constant refrain — and I was there for hours, meeting with every family. They said, “Do something.” “Do something.”
Well, I did do something by establishing the first-ever Office of Gun Violence Prevention in the White House, that the Vice President is leading the charge. Thank you for doing it. (Applause.)
Meanwhile — (applause) — meanwhile, my predecessor told the NRA he’s proud he did nothing on guns when he was President.
AUDIENCE: Booo —
THE PRESIDENT: After another shooting in Iowa recently, he said — when asked what to do about it, he said, just “get over it.” That was his quote. Just “get over it.”
I say stop it. Stop it, stop it, stop it. (Applause.)
I’m proud we beat the NRA when I signed the most significant gun safety law in nearly 30 years because of this Congress. We now must beat the NRA again.
I’m demanding a ban on assault weapons and high-capacity magazines. (Applause.) Pass universal background checks. (Applause.)
None of this — none of this — I taught the Second Amendment for 12 years. None of this violates the Second Amendment or vilifies responsible gun owners.
(Cross-talk.)
You know, as we manage challenges at home, we’re also managing crises abroad, including in the Middle East.
I know the last five months have been gut-wrenching for so many people — for the Israeli people, for the Palestinian people, and so many here in America.
This crisis began on October 7th with a massacre by a terrorist group called Hamas, as you all know. One thousand two hundred innocent people — women and girls, men and boys — slaughtered after enduring sexual violence. The deadliest day of the — for the Jewish people since the Holocaust. And 250 hostages taken.
Here in this chamber tonight are families whose loved ones are still being held by Hamas. I pledge to all the families that we will not rest until we bring every one of your loved ones home.
We also — (applause) — we will also work around the clock to bring home Evan and Paul — Americans being unjustly detained by the Russians — and others around the world.
Israel has a right to go after Hamas. Hamas ended this conflict by releasing the hostages, laying down arms — could end it by — by releasing the hostages, laying down arms, and s- — surrendering those responsible for October 7th.
But Israel has a h- — excuse me. Israel has a added burden because Hamas hides and operates among the civilian population like cowards — under hospitals, daycare centers, and all the like.
Israel also has a fundamental responsibility, though, to protect innocent civilians in Gaza. (Applause.)
This war has taken a greater toll on innocent civilians than all previous wars in Gaza combined. More than 30,000 Palestinians have been killed —
AUDIENCE MEMBER: Says who?
THE PRESIDENT: — most of whom are not Hamas. Thousands and thousands of innocents — women and children. Girls and boys also orphaned.
Nearly 2 million more Palestinians under bombardment or displacement. Homes destroyed, neighborhoods in rubble, cities in ruin. Families without food, water, medicine.
It’s heartbreaking.
I’ve been working non-stop to establish an immediate ceasefire that would last for six weeks to get all the prisoners released — all the hostages released and to get the hostages home and to ease the intolerable an- — humanitarian crisis and build toward an enduring — a more — something more enduring.
The United States has been leading international efforts to get more humanitarian assistance into Gaza. Tonight, I’m directing the U.S. military to lead an emergency mission to establish a temporary pier in the Mediterranean on the coast of Gaza that can receive large shipments carrying food, water, medicine, and temporary shelters.
No U.S. boots will be on the ground.
A temporary pier will enable a massive increase in the amount of humanitarian assistance getting into Gaza every day. (Applause.)
And Israel must also do its part. Israel must allow more aid into Gaza and ensure humanitarian workers aren’t caught in the crossfire. (Applause.)
And they’re announcing they’re going to — they’re going to ca- — have a crossing in Northern Gaza.
To the leadership of Israel, I say this: Humanitarian assistance cannot be a secondary consideration or a bargaining chip. Protecting and saving innocent lives has to be a priority.
As we look to the future, the only real solution to the situation is a two-state solution over time. (Applause.)
And I say this as a lifelong supporter of Israel, my entire career. No one has a stronger record with Israel than I do. I challenge any of you here. I’m the only American president to visit Israel in wartime.
But there is no other path that guarantees Israel’s security and democracy. There is no other path that guarantees Pa- — that Palestinians can live in peace with po- — with peace and dignity.
And there is no other path that guarantees peace between Israel and all of its neighbors — including Saudi Arabia, with whom I’m talking.
Creating stability in the Middle East also means containing the threat posed by Iran. That’s why I built a coalition of more than a dozen countries to defend international shipping and freedom of navigation in the Red Sea.
I’ve ordered strikes to degrade the Houthi capability and defend U.S. forces in the region.
As Commander-in-Chief, I will not hesitate to direct further measures to protect our people and our military personnel. (Applause.)
For years, I’ve heard many of my Republican and Democratic friends say that China is on the rise and America is falling behind. They’ve got it backwards. I’ve been saying it for over four years, even when I wasn’t president.
America is rising. We have the best economy in the world. And since I’ve come to office, our GTB [GDP] is up, our trade deficit with China is down to the lowest point in over a decade. (Applause.)
And we’re standing up against China’s unfair economic practices.
We’re standing up for peace and stability across the Taiwan Straits.
I’ve revitalized our partnership and alliance in the Pacific: India, Australia, Japan, South Korea, the Pacific Islands. I’ve made sure that the most advanced American technologies can’t be used in China — not allowing to trade them there.
Frankly, for all his tough talk on China, it never occurred to my predecessor to do any of that. (Applause.)
I want competition with China, not conflict. And we’re in a stronger position to win the conflict [competition] of the 21st century against China than anyone else for that matter — than at any time as well.
Here at home, I’ve signed over 400 bipartisan bills. But there’s more to pass my Unity Agenda.
Strengthen penalties on fentanyl trafficking. You don’t want to do that, huh?
Pass bipartisan privacy legislation to protect our children online. (Applause.)
Harness — harness the promise of AI to protect us from peril. Ban AI voice impersonations and more.
And keep our truly sacred obligation to train and equip those we send into harm’s way and care for them and their families when they come home and when they don’t. (Applause.)
That’s why, with the strong support and help of Denis and the VA, I signed the PACT Act — (applause) — one of the most significant laws ever, helping millions of veterans exposed to toxins who now are battling more than 100 different cancers. Many of them don’t come home, but we owe them and their families support.
And we owe it to ourselves to keep supporting our new health research agency called ARPA-H — (applause) — and remind us — to remind us that we can do big things, like end cancer as we know it. And we will. (Applause.)
Let me close with this. (Applause.)
THE PRESIDENT: Yay! (Applause and laughter.)
I know you don’t want to hear anymore, Lindsey, but I got to say a few more things. (Laughter.)
I know I may not look like it, but I’ve been around a while. (Laughter and applause.) When you get to be my age, certain things become clearer than ever.
I know the American story. Again and again, I’ve seen the contest between competing forces in the battle for the soul of our nation, between those who want to pull America back to the past and those who want to move America into the future.
My lifetime has taught me to embrace freedom and democracy, a future based on core values that have defined America — honesty, decency, dignity, and equality — (applause); to respect everyone; to give everyone a fair shot; to give hate no safe harbor. (Applause.)
Now, other people my age see it differently. (Laughter.) The American story of resentment, revenge, and retribution.
That’s not me. I was born amid World War Two, when America stood for the freedom of the world. I grew up in Scranton, Pennsylvania, and Claymont, Delaware, among working-class people who built this country.
I watched in horror as two of my heroes — like many of you did — Dr. King and Bobby Kennedy, were assassinated. And their legacies inspired me to pur- — pursue a car- — a career in service.
I left a law firm and became a public defender because my city of Wilmington was the only city in America occupied by the National Guard after Dr. King was assassinated because of the riots. And I became a county councilman almost by accident.
I got elected to the United States Senate when I had no intention of running, at age 29.
Then vice president to our first Black president. Now a president to the first woman vice president. (Applause.)
In my career, I’ve been told I was too young. (Laughter.) By the way, they didn’t let me on the Senate elevators for votes sometimes. They — not a joke. (Laughter.)
And I’ve been told I am too old. (Laughter.)
Whether young or old, I’ve always been known — I’ve always known what endures. I’ve known our North Star. The very idea of America is that we’re all created equal, deserves to be treated equally throughout our lives.
We’ve never fully lived up to that idea, but we’ve never walked away from it either. And I won’t walk away from it now. (Applause.)
I’m optimistic. I really am. I’m optimistic, Nancy. (Applause.)
AUDIENCE: Four more years! Four more years! Four more years!
THE PRESIDENT: My fellow Americans, the issue facing our nation isn’t how old we are; it’s how old are our ideas. (Applause.)
Hate, anger, revenge, retribution are the oldest of ideas. But you can’t lead America with ancient ideas that only take us back. To lead America, the land of possibilities, you need a vision for the future and what can and should be done. (Applause.)
Tonight, you’ve heard mine.
I see a future where [we’re] defending democracy, you don’t diminish it.
I see a future where we restore the right to choose and protect our freedoms, not take them away. (Applause.)
I see a future where the middle class has — finally has a fair shot and the wealthy have to pay their fair share in taxes. (Applause.)
I see a future where we save the planet from the climate crisis and our country from gun violence. (Applause.)
Above all, I see a future for all Americans. I see a country for all Americans. And I will always be President for all Americans because I believe in America. I believe in you, the American people. (Applause.) You’re the reason we’ve never been more optimistic about our future than I am now.
So, let’s build the future together. Let’s remember who we are.
We are the United States of America. (Applause.) And there is nothing — nothing beyond our capacity when we act together. (Applause.)
God bless you all. And may God protect our troops. Thank you, thank you, thank you. (Applause.)
By Karen Rubin, News & Photo Features, editor@news-photos-features.com
Glen Cove, NY – Former US Congressman Tom Suozzi today held a press conference to highlight his lifelong commitment to preserving and protecting our environment and lay out his plan to continue to do so when he returns to Congress after the February 13th special election.
At the press conference, held at a very cold and windy Sea Cliff Municipal Beach, Suozzi received enthusiastic and wholehearted endorsements from the New York League of Conservation Voters, the NRDC (National Resources Defense Council) Action Fund, and the Sierra Club Long Island Group.
“I am grateful to the New York League of Conservation Voters Federal Fund, the League of Conservation Voters Action Fund, the NRDC Action Fund, and the Sierra Club Long Island Group for recognizing my three-decades-long commitment to preserve, protect, and clean our air, land, and water,” Suozzi said. “Just a few days ago, we celebrated the 50th anniversary of the Endangered Species Act, and on that day, I saw an eagle fly across the sky in my hometown of Glen Cove. The hard work of a lot of dedicated people can produce results!”
When asked about the environment as a campaign issue, Suozzi emphasized his 30-year public service record of cleaning up pollution, dramatically reducing nitrogen, modernizing sewage treatment plants, remediating groundwater, and restoring shell fishing in our local waters.
“I’ve been a champion of the environment for my entire career. My opponent, on the other hand, parrots the talking points of the Conservative Party, which rejects the Paris Climate Change Agreement, denying that climate change is even real,” Suozzi stated. “Well, I know the people that live in this district very well, and they care about the environment. They want to make sure that we clean up pollution and that we protect our air, protect our land, and protect our water.”
“My whole adult life I have worked for these issues. I know how politics works, how government works….I know how to make government work for people, so they see real impact in their lives,” Suozzi said, flanked by a battalion of enthusiastic supporters despite the frigid wind.
“Our environment is a big part of my 10-point plan,” Suozzi said, citing his 10-point plan released in mid-December. “My opponent just put out a 10-point plan, which looks very similar to my 10-point plan, and there is nothing on it about the environment whatsoever.”
Joining Suozzi and speaking at the press conference were Julie Tighe, President of the New York League of Conservation Voters; Al Fredericks, Chair of the Political Committee of the Sierra Club’s Long Island Group; Kevin Curtis, Executive Director of the NRDC Action Fund; Danielle Fugazy Scagliola, member Glen Cove City Council; and Delia DeRiggi-Whitton, Nassau County Legislator and Minority Leader.
“It’s not partisan to want clean air, clean water,” said Julie Tighe, President of the New York League of Conservation Voters. “We are feeling the effect of climate change – the hottest year on the planet since records were kept. Leadership matters. …We’ve had a 30-year relationship with Suozzi…He fights tooth and nail for policies that all have real impact on the environment.”
Al Fredericks, Chair of the Political Committee of the Sierra Club’s Long Island Group , noted that Suozzi was one of the chief negotiators of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Act that dramatically increased funding for Long Island Sound and remediating Grumman. He cast a critical vote to pass the Inflation Reduction Act, the largest federal investment in the environment and climate action.
“His Republican opponent cannot match his knowledge or experience in issues that most concern District 3. She is a newcomer with a single two-year term as Nassau County Legislator. We cannot afford to gamble once again on an inexperienced candidate.”
Kevin Curtis, Executive Director of the NRDC Action Fund said that his committee unanimously voted to endorse Suozzi. “The Congressman is the real deal – he does the hard work on the environment.”
Minority Leader in Nassau County Legislature Delia DeRiggi-Whitton, who has served with Suozzi’s Republican opponent the past two years, noted that this coastal peninsula was one of the largest superfund sites in the nation, but Suozzi fought for and won funding to clean it up. “There are places all over the nation needing funding –the only way to bring money home is if you have someone fighting for it. His opponent has said she is ‘not a talker’. We need someone who understands the process, how the system works and is not just a talker, but can argue, fight for his local area.”
While Suozzi has regularly held press conferences and is out meeting people and taking questions, his Republican opponent has kept away and is refusing to debate.
“The voters need to know where she stands on the environment and every other issue. She refuses to tell us anything in detail, and she refuses to debate,” Suozzi asserted. “I give detailed policy descriptions and have a record of getting things done.”
RE: Congressional Republicans hurt America’s national security to go on vacation
Date: 12/14/2023
From: Deputy Press Secretary and Senior Communications Adviser Andrew Bates
As President Biden works hard to make American families safer every day, congressional Republicans are actively undermining our national security interests– both domestically and the world – because they’d rather go on vacation than do their jobs.
Months ago, President Biden released a concrete plan to address critical national security issues – including standing with Israel against the Hamas terrorists that just committed the worst massacre of the Jewish people since the Holocaust, continuing to help Ukraine defend its freedom and democracy against Russian tyranny, protecting our interests in the Indo-Pacific, and making our border more secure.
A wide range of these policies create good-paying jobs in the United States by bolstering our industrial base all over the country.
But congressional Republicans are blocking those national security proposals, all of which will make American families safer – and all of which are infinitely more affordable than the cost of dithering.
Why? Because even though Americans elected them to make hard decisions and work full-time, congressional Republicans would rather have a 3-week vacation than buckle down and meet the moment.
Here are the core American national security needs that would suffer without urgently-needed funding if congressional Republicans continue to prioritize their own recreation over the safety of their constituents:
Securing our southern border
President Biden’s national security plan would hire thousands of new border patrol officers and invest in new technologies that are essential for stopping fentanyl trafficking.
But congressional Republicans are choosing their own vacation over joining President Biden in fighting to make our southern border more secure.
Unfortunately, this fits a longstanding pattern: President Biden has delivered record funding for border security, yet House Republicans have voted against it. They even voted to eliminate 2,000 Border Patrol positions while demanding tax cuts for the wealthy.
Standing with Israel
President Biden is supporting Israel’s responsibility to defend itself against Hamas terrorists who want to annihilate Israel and just committed the deadliest massacre in its country’s history. We need to continue ensuring Israel can protect its citizens and the many Americans who live in and travel to Israel, including by replenishing its Iron Dome.
All the same, congressional Republicans have decided that their vacation time is somehow more important.
This comes after House Republicans took the unprecedented step of attempting to condition Israel aid on helping the rich cheat on their taxes.
Protecting Ukraine and the world from future conflicts
Vladimir Putin’s government is literally thanking congressional Republicans on Russian state TV for holding up vital defense assistance that Ukraine needs to continue the brave, successful defense of their democracy.
America’s leadership has been indispensable to Ukraine as they protect themselves from Russian forces, who have committed war crimes and crimes against humanity and regularly launch aerial barrages against Ukrainian cities — including with Iranian drones as Russia and Iran strengthen their military partnership.
Congressional Republicans like to talk a big game about countering Iran, but apparently Iran gets a pass if Republicans’ vacations are on the line.
And if Putin wins in Ukraine, he would be on NATO’s doorstep threatening our NATO allies that the United States is obligated to defend.
Advancing American interests in the Indo-Pacific
President Biden is committed to Taiwan’s self-defense capabilities. It’s also crucial for us to support allies facing a more assertive Peoples Republic of China. And to continue growing our submarine industrial base.
Yet again, apparently congressional Republicans consider these secondary priorities to going on a three-week vacation.
This is a statement from Concerned Citizens of NY-03 which has been fighting since January to have George Santos held accountable for defrauding voters and apparently, donors. He has already escaped two votes to expel, and now the House Ethics Committee has issued its report finding “unprecedented” corruption. Further, the Committee found that “the nature of the violations are fundamental ethical failings that go to the core of the legitimacy of the electoral process. And, most significantly, Rep. Santos’ fraud on the electorate is ongoing – he continues to propound falsehoods and misrepresentations.” There is now a third resolution to expel Santos.
In early January, as the litany of Santos’s lies emerged and the scale of his fraud on the electorate became clear, voters came together in a nonpartisan effort to seek his ouster. But even with the firehose of scandals that soon became fodder for late night TV and international media, Santos made it clear that he had no shame and would not resign. Unfortunately, former Speaker Kevin McCarthy was unwilling to force Santos out, promising that the Santos mess would be addressed once the House Ethics Committee report was issued, despite the tarnish that Santos’s scandals brought to the GOP.
Outraged NY-03 constituents, the victims of Santos’s fraud, with no voice in Washington, have been holding protest rallies and press conferences, conducting national letter-writing and postcarding campaigns, issuing press statements, signing petitions, andmore. For ten months, we have been calling on the House of Representatives to expel Santos.
We understand that the Constitution permits the House to expel a Member of Congress, and there is no limit on that authority, except that it requires a two-thirds majority. But we also understand that expelling a Member of Congress is momentous, with only five expulsions from the House of Representatives in the history of our country – and that the recent expulsions followed criminal convictions. (Santos’s criminal trial will not begin until September at the earliest, so he is unlikely to be convicted before the next election.)
Yesterday, the House Ethics Committee issued their long-awaited report on Santos, which found overwhelming evidence of unethical conduct and illegal activity. But the Ethics Committee chose not to opine on whether Santos should be expelled, instead leaving it up to the House of Representatives to decide if George Santos should become the sixth Member of Congress ever to be expelled from the House. Importantly, the House Ethics Committee found that the Santos case is “unprecedented in many respects.” Further, the Committee found that “the nature of the violations are fundamental ethical failings that go to the core of the legitimacy of the electoral process. And, most significantly, Rep. Santos’ fraud on the electorate is ongoing – he continues to propound falsehoods and misrepresentations.”
Rep. Michael Guest, GOP Chair of the House Ethics Committee, is expected to introduce a privileged Resolution to Expel Santos this morning, which will force a floor vote on November 28th or 29th. We are relying on the GOP leadership to whip votes so that the expulsion resolution passes this time. We are also looking to the NYGOP Five — Reps. Nick LaLota, Anthony D’Esposito, Brandon Williams, Mike Lawler, and Marc Molinaro — to fight to achieve Santos’s ouster. Together they have had the power all along to force the GOP leadership to remove Santos from his seat, but so far, they have chosen not to exercise it. They need to notify Republican leadership that they can no longer count on the NYGOP Five to vote in lockstep with the Republican agenda, until Santos is ousted from Congress.
The Ethics Report makes it clear that Santos’s egregious conduct “warrants public condemnation” and the unprecedented nature and scope of his deceits supports the case for expulsion. Indeed, it would set a dangerous precedent to leave George Santos in Congress for his two-year term after his unrelenting lies, theft, and fraud. Allowing Santos to stay would send the wrong message to future fraudsters: If you lie your way into elected office, there will be no consequences, and you can collect hundreds of thousands of dollars in salary and benefits on the public dime. You can also continue to grift as long as you can take the heat from the press and your constituents.
The residents of NY-03 should not have to spend one more day with Santos as our Congressman. Are Republicans up to the task of bringing some integrity back to the House of Representatives?
