Official Congressional Record
Mr. President, well, we have Trump Steaks, Trump University, Trump Airlines, Trump Coin, and the Trump Presidency--all cons. The product changes; the con stays the same. Donald Trump has turned the Presidency of the United States into the most profitable scheme of his life, and American families are being forced--forced--to pay the price. Today, I am launching a new effort to expose the corruption, show Americans exactly what it is costing them, and build reforms needed to stop any President from using public office for personal profit. Senate Democrats will be exposing this self-dealing, showing Americans exactly what it is costing them, and developing reforms to make sure no President can abuse the Office this way again. For the next 3 weeks, Senate Democrats are putting Trump's corruption under a microscope. Throughout the month, we will follow the money, expose the deals, name the people cashing in, and show how Trump's corruption reaches directly into the pockets of working people. This week, we are releasing a new report that lays out the staggering scale of the grift: how Trump has used the power of the Presidency to enrich himself, reward his family, protect his friends, and sell access to anyone--anyone--willing to pay. The report shows how Americans are struggling to afford groceries, healthcare, housing, and energy, while Donald Trump and his family have reportedly made more than $4 billion from the Presidency. We will also be hosting another tabletop exercise with the Democrats' Elections Task Force to prepare to counter Trump's efforts to rig the 2026 midterms. Next week, we will hold a roundtable on how Trump's corruption is directly driving up everyday costs for the American people, and average folks will testify to what they are going through. And the following week, we will release major legislation designed to rein in Trump's rampant corruption and to prevent any President from ever doing it again. You pay; Trump profits. That is the pattern of this administration, and we will highlight it everywhere we see it. No amount of gold leaf can conceal the rot spreading through this White House. Corruption is not a sideshow in the Trump administration; it is the whole business model. Trump guts protections for workers and consumers. His wealthy friends cash in. Trump cuts food assistance and healthcare. Billionaires get another tax break. Trump hands out pardons to the rich and well-connected, accepts lavish gifts from foreign governments, and arranges sweetheart deals for his family business. Trump uses the government. Trump gets richer. Americans foot the bill. His corruption is not victimless. It has a price, and working families are paying it every single day. The average American family is already spending more than $3,100 extra because of this administration's policies. And yet Trump still expects taxpayers to finance a MAGA slush fund they never approved, a golden ballroom they never asked for, and upgrades to a foreign luxury jet the President does not need. Donald Trump has turned the Oval Office into his personal ATM, the Federal Government into his family business, and the American taxpayer into the mark. A few months ago, Trump said: Of course, he doesn't. He is too busy thinking about his own. Donald Trump may believe the Presidency is simply another brand to monetize, another product to sell, another scam to run. But he is dead wrong. The Presidency belongs to the American people. It is not a license to steal, it is not a family business, and it is not Donald Trump's personal property. So throughout this month, Senate Democrats will expose the corruption that Trump wants hidden. We will follow the money and expose the deals. We will show who profits, who pays, and how Trump has rigged the government for himself and the people closest to him. And we will make one thing unmistakably clear: The White House is not for sale. Trump has spent his life betting that the con will always work. This time, the American people will see exactly how the scam works and exactly who has been handed the keys to the kingdom. Mr. President, on the Iran war, Donald Trump needs to reckon with the terrible cost of the disastrous war he has dared to call ``a skirmish,'' ``a little excursion.'' And once, he called it ``a lovely stay.'' There is nothing ``lovely'' or ``little'' about Trump's blunder in Iran--nothing. On Thursday, Trump insisted to the Nation that we are ``winning big in Iran, and you will see the fruits of that labor very, very shortly.'' But instead and sadly, we saw three more brave American servicemembers tragically lose their lives over the weekend because of Trump's reckless war in Iran. Dozens of other U.S. troops were wounded in Iranian strikes last week, and one servicemember remains missing. I am praying for their families in this difficult hour. I speak for the entire Senate when I say how much we appreciate their sacrifice. This carnage is the bitter fruit of Trump's ``labor'' in Iran. Every second Trump prolongs this war is another second that the lives of our men and women in uniform are in danger. In the coming days, we are going to make Senate Republicans take another vote on our War Powers Resolution to end this war and get our troops out of harm's way. Trump needs to stop this catastrophe and bring our troops home, and Senate Republicans can't let him off the hook until he does. Mr. President, now I want to briefly take a moment to recognize some guests from New York who are in the Capitol today. I guess I am a little late, but they were here. The Long Island Association, a storied regional business development group, is celebrating its 100th anniversary. Some of its members traveled here today to celebrate this occasion. Their century of work fighting to make Long Island a better place to live, work, and do business has accomplished much for the region. From affordability to energy, to infrastructure, to innovation, they have lit the road forward for Long Island's future. It has been my pleasure to work with them for several decades, and I know that under the leadership of their acting CEO and president Stacey Sikes--who once worked for me--we will continue our great tradition of delivering for Long Island together. I yield the floor. I suggest the absence of a quorum.
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