Leader Schumer Floor Remarks On Senate Democrats Forcing A Vote To End Trump’s Reckless Trade War With Brazil And Lower Costs For American Families

Washington, D.C. - Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) today spoke on the Senate floor urging his colleagues to vote for Democratic legislation to end Donald Trump's tariffs on Brazil, which passed 52-48, highlighting the economic harm these tariffs have caused to American families. Below are Senator Schumer's remarks:

Now, this week, the Democrats are forcing, as you can see, a series of votes here in the Senate to put an end - an end - to Donald Trump's reckless tariffs. Six months ago, Trump promised liberation. Then he started a disastrous trade war that's brought chaos to the economy, confusion for small businesses, and higher costs for American families.

A recent analysis showed that Americans are eating 90% of the total cost of Trump's tariffs. Ninety percent is going right out of the pockets of the American family. That's not liberation - it's a national sales tax. That's what these tariffs are. It's a financial nightmare for working and middle-class households.

So today, Democrats will present Republicans with a simple vote: do you want lower costs for families or retire yourself to Donald Trump as he runs our economy into the dirt with his trade war.

The first vote happening tonight is to end Trump's tariffs on Brazil. And once again, I thank Senator Kaine for his leadership on this resolution and for speaking so urgently on the floor today.

In July, Trump declared a national emergency to increase tariffs on Brazil to 50%, using a totally bogus and ridiculous justification. The tariffs had nothing to do with improving trade relations with Brazil. We, in fact, have a trade surplus with Brazil. They had nothing to do with trying to lower costs for the American people. This was Trump. This is the kind of bull that comes out of his administration, led by him. These tariffs were simply an attempt to bully Brazil into dropping corruption charges against Trump's MAGA buddy, former President Bolsonaro. And it has hurt Americans.

Brazil is our largest importer of coffee. We import more coffee from Brazil than any other place. The cost is now 40% higher. Every American wakes up in the morning to get a cup of Java, paying a price for Donald Trump's reckless, ridiculous, and almost childish tariffs.

While Donald Trump uses his trade war to meddle in other countries' politics, families at home are paying more and more for goods as commonplace as coffee and lots of other produce as well. Because of Trump's tariffs, everyone is paying more for their morning cup of coffee. But Trump doesn't care that you're paying more for your coffee. He's more interested in helping corrupt foreign leaders get out of jail than he is in helping lower costs for Americans.

And Americans know Donald Trump is stabbing them in the back. He promised lower costs on day one, and instead costs have continued to go up, and it's one of the biggest reasons why his trade war is so unpopular. A recent CNBC poll showed 56% of Americans disapproved of Trump's tariffs - 56%.

Today and through the rest of the week, we'll give our Republican colleagues a choice: stand with Trump's idiotic, disastrous, and often juvenile-inspired tariffs, or stand with American families and vote to lower costs for the people back home. Because the longer these tariffs are in place, the more damage they will cause for our economy, and the more money families back home will pay.

So, I urge my colleagues to vote yes on Tim Kaine's fine resolution and end Donald Trump's tariffs on Brazil.

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