Washington, D.C. – Oregon’s U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley tonight issued the following statement after President Trump addressed a joint session of Congress:
“We cannot have business as usual while Trump and his unelected billionaire co-president Elon Musk are gutting many parts of the government that help working families thrive. The President tonight had the chance to change course, but instead, he came before the American people and doubled down on reckless plans to dismantle key federal agencies, disregard our laws, and dishonor our Constitution.
“Trump and Musk’s authoritarian administrative takeover knows no limits. They started by tearing apart the agency in charge of countering our adversaries’ influence and strengthening democracy abroad, and now, they are gutting staff at the agency that oversees your Social Security checks. This was never about ‘efficiency.’
“At every possible moment tonight, Trump made it clear that his top priority is protecting his billionaire friends. This is Trump’s Great Betrayal—a reckless plan to explode the deficit with tax giveaways for the ultra-rich that will be paid for by slashing vital programs, like Medicaid. American families are already feeling economic pain, and Trump offered no real plans to bring down the costs of everyday essentials, including eggs and gas.
“While Trump ran on a promise to lower prices ‘on day one,’ President Trump’s reckless blanket tariffs and trade wars with our allies will only drive-up costs for families in Oregon and across the United States. From energy to housing to food, Trumpflation will leave hardworking Americans out in the cold.
“This is all the real Trump agenda: families lose, billionaires win. I refuse to accept this contempt for American values, law, and democracy, and we will fight like hell to restore government of, by, and for the people.”
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