[Page S583]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                          Trump Administration

  Ms. ROSEN. Mr. President, it has now been more than 2 weeks since 
President Donald Trump took the oath of office, and there have been 
virtually no actions--virtually no actions--to lower costs at the 
grocery store.
  On the campaign trail, Donald Trump made promises, over and over, 
that he would address rising costs. In fact, he said, ``On day one, we 
will end inflation and make America affordable again.'' On day one.
  And he said, ``When I win, I will immediately bring prices down, 
starting on day one.''
  Well, way past day one, it is now day 16 of his Presidency, and so 
far, the Trump administration has failed to meet the President's own 
goal and promise to hard-working families.
  Just look what it costs to buy milk, bread, and eggs. When Nevadans 
are going to the grocery store, many are seeing empty shelves where the 
eggs are supposed to be. And the eggs people do find, well, they cost 
an arm and a leg.
  So just look at this picture here from Reno, NV, a grocery store 
there, empty shelves, that is where the eggs would be. And meanwhile, 
the Trump administration is doing nothing to help fix this or stop 
corporations from jacking up the prices. Instead, President Trump has 
been cozying up to billionaire CEOs and taking actions that will hurt 
families and drive prices up and up. Trump's first actions were to push 
through a whirlwind of Executive orders, including to roll back actions 
to lower prescription drug prices.
  So I want to repeat that. One of President Trump's first actions was 
to stop efforts to lower your prescription drug costs. And just this 
past weekend, President Trump announced reckless tariffs on Mexico and 
Canada. This is essentially a new tax on hard-working families for 
products from these two countries--our biggest trading partners, by the 
way.
  While he has promised to delay his tax on Canadian and Mexican goods 
for a month, ultimately these tariffs will hurt our economy. Canada is 
Nevada's biggest export partner. They provide us with chicken, with 
grain, sugar, and livestock. And the impact of these tariffs, well, 
they don't just stop at the grocery store shelves; they will also 
increase what you pay at the fuel pump. They will increase the price of 
construction materials, making housing even more expensive.
  And so I ask everyone in this Chamber, I ask everyone across the 
Nation: How does that help you? How does that help you? How does it 
help lower costs? How does it help provide financial relief for 
families? How does it make your paycheck go farther? How does it put 
more money in your pocket? It doesn't.
  President Trump, he is now even saying that inflation is no longer 
his No. 1 issue. He has flipped on his promise to you. He has flipped 
on his promise to you. And the fact is as Americans work hard every 
day, Nevada families, the finest families in our Nation, they work hard 
every day, and many are struggling to get by because prices have 
skyrocketed over the last few years.
  It is why I have been taking action to lower costs for families and 
reduce their financial burden to give folks some much-needed breathing 
room, to make their paycheck go even farther. I am working to lower 
housing costs by investing in our construction workers to increase our 
housing supply. I helped lead the charge, last year, against the 
proposed Kroger-Albertsons megamerger that would have let grocery 
stores jack up prices even higher than they already are.

  And there are steps we in Congress can take and have been taking to 
tackle inflation.
  I urge the President to take this issue seriously and tackle it head 
on, and I am willing to work with him and work with anyone else if it 
means lowering costs for hard-working families.
  But we need to get going right now. So I urge my colleagues, 
Democrats and Republicans, to come together and prioritize solving 
kitchen-table issues, instead of pushing extreme wedge issues. It is 
what the American people need us to do for them. That is what the 
American people are counting on us to do for them. We need to get busy 
and do that.
  I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for 
the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.