[Pages S2539-S2540]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                                Tariffs

  Mrs. MURRAY. Mr. President, when it comes to new tax breaks for 
billionaires, Republicans are going to work around the clock and stay 
through the night. But when it comes to stopping Trump's trade war for 
good, when it comes to stopping a tax increase aimed squarely at 
working families, when it comes to stopping the complete uncertainty 
that is chipping away at confidence in our economy, most Republicans 
can't be bothered, never mind that Trump is now pushing us into a 
recession and sending the markets whipsawing back and forth every time 
he tweets.
  Trump may be retreating now from some of his most outlandish tariffs, 
but make no mistake, his trade war is far from over. First of all, he 
is still taxing goods from every country, across the board, at 10 
percent, at least. That means higher prices and serious pain for 
families and small businesses across our country; not to mention, he is 
only escalating his boneheaded trade war with China with 145 percent 
tariffs.
  There is no question we are in fierce competition with China. I 
chaired a committee hearing focused on this. We need to be competing to 
win. But that is not what Trump is doing.
  Do my Republican colleagues understand it is not setting America up 
for success to launch an all-out trade war with the second largest 
economy in the world on a whim?
  While people might be temporarily relieved by this so-called pause on 
the even higher tariffs, the fact of the matter is that Trump is only 
delaying them. The threat of even larger taxes, which American families 
simply cannot afford, is still like a timebomb, set to blow up our 
economy in 90 days. If Congress does not defuse that economic bomb, 
there is a real threat that it will blow up balance sheets for small 
businesses and farms, college savings accounts for our students, and 
your retirement savings, along with a lot more.
  I have to emphasize the uncertainty and the constant, by-the-hour 
reversal of Federal policy. That alone is already causing massive harm.
  How on Earth are you supposed to build your business if your costs 
skyrocket on a tweet?
  How are you supposed to plan for retirement when the President is 
sending your 401(k) on a roller-coaster ride every time he is in a bad 
mood?
  How are we ever going to rebuild trust--trust--with our trading 
partners across the world when the message the United States is sending 
right now is that our trade relationships are built on sand, and there 
is no logic to the tariffs the United States will impose?
  How are they supposed to feel good about negotiating with a country 
where one man can totally burn down the economy and Congress will not 
lift a finger to stop him?
  Instead of building stronger trade agreements, Trump is pushing our 
partners away and pushing them toward striking deals with China and our 
other adversaries.
  Mark my words, this chaotic chapter is not over, as much as 
Republicans want to pretend otherwise. I have been hearing from small 
businesses that are in an absolute panic because of Trump's tariff 
threats.
  Car dealerships are seeing sales plummet because Trump is sending 
prices higher. Restaurants are trying to stock up on any goods they can 
because their ingredients are about to get more expensive. Our growers 
are bracing for rising operating costs and retaliatory tariffs, and 
that will drive up prices at our grocery stores.
  Ten percent, across-the-board tariffs are still bad enough to ruin 
families' finances.
  While Republicans are showing with their own actions that they 
couldn't

[[Page S2540]]

care more about shuffling trillions--and, yes, that is ``t,'' 
trillions--at billionaires, Trump has said, in his own words--in his 
words--that he ``couldn't care less'' about the pain his tariffs are 
already causing for Americans.
  I am not kidding. He actually said that about automobile tariffs.
  This is what happens when you only have billionaires in charge 
because, of course, Trump doesn't care if the car prices go up by a 
couple thousand dollars. Of course, Elon Musk doesn't care if your 
groceries are getting more expensive--at the same time Republicans are 
cutting nutrition programs, by the way. Of course, the richest people 
in the world don't care if your nest egg is crushed or your small 
business shutters or your house gets foreclosed on or your kid can't go 
to college. Billionaires are going to be fine. After all, they are 
still getting a tax cut.
  But I wasn't sent here to fight for billionaires. Actually, none of 
us were. We are here to fight for families back home, and they are 
already starting to get crushed by Trump's tariffs. And they are 
bracing for impact if Trump doubles down in 90 days. Or who knows, 
maybe Trump changes his mind again tomorrow. It is anyone's guess at 
this point, which is, by the way, the problem here.

  Another thing, if this is about American manufacturing, tell us: Why 
are plants and new investments being canceled? Why has Trump been 
freezing and outright canceling grants that we passed to support chips 
manufacturing or clean energy, and more, killing American jobs?
  Let's keep in mind, these tariffs affect building and construction 
too. Trump is actually making it more expensive to build those 
factories in America.
  And don't forget, President Trump is still promising more tariffs. He 
said this week--this week--he wants to put tariffs on medicine.
  I have got to tell you, one thing I have never heard--not in a single 
meeting, not once in my entire career as a Senator--is someone saying: 
Gee, I really wish my prescriptions were more expensive.
  Drug costs are out of control. Families are already skipping meals or 
rationing doses. There are real stakes here, there is real damage 
already happening in this country because of Trump's new taxes and this 
ongoing chaos. We here cannot ignore this harm, especially when the 
threat is still there.
  When you are putting out a fire, you don't say: Oh, great, it is 
smaller; I am done. You keep going until the fire is put out.
  This fire--this fire--is still raging, and if we don't act here, 
folks back home are the ones who are going to get burned. And before 
too long, in 90 days, we could see even more price increases come 
roaring back, because, let's be real, Trump has no exit strategy. That 
much is already painfully clear.
  It was clear when he announced tariffs that were calculated using 
ridiculous math. It was clear when he repeatedly doubled down on these 
threats against our allies. And it was clearer than ever when he 
backtracked on the most absurd tax hikes.
  This does not have the hallmarks of a grand strategy, and it is all 
the more reason why Congress--us--needs to step in and put this mess to 
an end.
  Trump's trade war is all pain and no plan. We could be passing 
legislation right here to reject this chaos.
  Here is what everyone--my colleagues, my constituents, the markets 
around the world--all need to understand: This chaos will not be over 
for good unless we here in Congress vote to end it, because whatever 
Trump tweets today, he can reverse tomorrow. Whatever deal he may 
strike one minute, he may rip up the next. We know this about him. He 
proves it at every opportunity.
  We here in Congress, we are the off-ramp if Republicans decide to be. 
We are the check on Presidential power. We are the kill switch for 
Trump's trade war.
  And, by the way, we are about to be out of town for 2 weeks. I cannot 
understand why any Republican would want to leave this business 
unfinished, want to leave this economic timebomb ticking, want to hand 
over our constitutionally granted power to impose tariffs.
  But I can tell you, for the next 2 weeks, I am going to be going 
across my home State of Washington raising this alarm. I am going to be 
meeting with families, small businesses--people who are paying the cost 
of Trump's new tax increase and who are going to see their world turned 
upside down if we do not take action to stop this from getting worse.
  And when we get back here in 2 weeks, you can bet your bottom dollar, 
I will lift those stories up as high as I can. I will call for action 
as loud as I can. I am going to keep a bright and burning spotlight on 
all of the chaos Trump has caused, and I will keep the pressure on all 
of our colleagues. I will not let Republicans off the hook on this.
  We can put an end to this. The costs are just going to be adding up. 
The carnage is going to continue to pile higher.
  How long do you want to wait? My vote--not one more second.
  I yield the floor.
  I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The senior assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Ms. MURKOWSKI. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order 
for the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The Senator from Alaska.