Senator Chuck Schumer in his first speech as Democratic minority leader on Tuesday promised that Senate Democrats will hold Donald Trump and Republicans accountable.
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Senator Chuck Schumer Vows To Hold Trump And Republicans Accountable
“It is not our job to be a rubber stamp. It’s our job to do what’s best for the American people, the middle class, and those struggling to get there,” Schumer said.
Schumer continued, “What we will always do is hold the President-elect and his Republican colleagues in Congress accountable, accountable to the working people to whom the President-elect promised so much, accountable to the people of all colors and creeds and sexual orientations in this country for whom he is president, accountable to the millions of Americans who voted for him, even though many of the Republican policies he now post-election seems to be embracing are inimitable to their interests.”
“Constitutional duty” to hold Trump accountable
“Sometimes it will mean pointing out where his rhetoric and reality diverge. And sometimes it will mean resisting the President and Republicans in Congress when they propose legislation that we believe will hurt the American people. This will be an accountability congress, and we will be a caucus that makes sure the President-elect keeps his commitment to truly make America great again in its finest sense and tradition,” Schumer said.
Schumer continued by listing Trump’s campaign promises like reducing the unemployment rate and saving Social Security and Medicare, promising to hold Trump’s feet to the fire on those issues. And he also went after Trump for nominating billionaires and political insiders to his cabinet after promising to drain the swamp and bring change toWashington.
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Schumer continued, “He promised to change the way America operates, to oppose the leaks, drain the swamp, pay attention to working families. But my friends, since the election, he seems to have forgotten that. Looking at the cabinet, which is staffed with billionaires, corporate executives, titans of Wall Street and those deeply embedded in Washington’s corridors of power, it seems that many of his campaign themes are quickly being abandoned. He said he was going to unrig the system. So far, it still looks rigged. Too many of his cabinet picks support the same hard right, doctrinaire positions that many in the Republican party have held for years, policies that the American people have repeatedly rejected.”
Vowed to work with Trump where possible
“I believe the Democrats must take a hard look at what we can do better. It is clear that many Americans felt the economy was rigged against them and that their government wasn’t looking out for them. It was too beholden to big money and special interests. Democrats did not do enough to show American workers that we are the party that has their backs, that our positions are much more in line with their needs than the Republican positions. And so, as we look to this new Congress and a new presidency, Senate Democrats will once again recommit ourselves to a set of principles that has always been at the core of our party, what my beloved friend and mentor, Senator Ted Kennedy, called economic justice,” he said.
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