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Floor Speech

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Mr. KIM. Mr. President, I rise today to try to make some sense of it all. Why are we seeing nothing but chaos coming from the White House? Why are people feeling a sense of fear and confusion? Why should Americans be paying attention to any of this?

I want to start by saying to the American people: You are not alone in feeling overwhelmed by what is going on right now.

Just yesterday, my office received more than 700 calls asking questions about the Trump administration's unconstitutional and brazen decision to take money away from them, to freeze programs that help people in every corner of our State and country. That translates to a call every 2 minutes.

I am going to share some of the stories of concern that I received yesterday, but before I do, I want to try to explain what exactly is going on.

On Monday, the Acting Director of the Office of Management and Budget sent a memo ordering Federal Agencies to ``temporarily pause all activities related to obligations or disbursements of all federal financial assistance.''

I know that sounds complicated, so let me put it another way. The Trump administration said that taxpayer money going to help people across the country was stopped. That is money that you have paid through your taxes that goes to do important things. It helps provide meals to seniors. It keeps roofs over people's heads. It helps combat the fentanyl crisis. It helps get veterans healthcare. It keeps childcare programs open and schools funded. It helps small businesses get back onto their feet after disasters.

That is just a small example of what the Trump administration attempted to take away from you. And let's be clear: This is your money, and they tried to take it away.

What happened next was they got caught, and the backlash was fast. The outrage was real. Their actions were stopped last night when a judge issued an injunction and questioned the constitutionality of the administration's actions.

Then today, in the span of an hour, the Trump administration rescinded their directive, only to contradict that with a tweet from the White House Press Secretary:

This is NOT a rescission of the federal funding freeze.

It is simply a rescission of the OMB memo.

Why? To end any confusion created by the court's injunction.

It goes on to say:

The President's EO's--

Executive order--

on federal funding remain in full force and effect, and will be rigorously implemented.''

In short, the first time we tried to take away your money, it was probably unconstitutional, but we are going to keep trying in different ways until we get it right.

If this feels like your head is spinning, I get it. We have seen nothing but mass confusion and chaos for the past week and a half since Donald Trump reentered the White House. It is not governance; it is whiplash.

If you are watching me on C-SPAN or catching a clip on social media, there is one thing I want you to take away: The chaos is just a smoke screen for corruption. It is quite clear. They want to take away your money and give it right to the billionaire donors and corporate interests.

The Trump administration isn't taking this money away from you because they are serious about making government more effective or efficient. They are not doing this because they want to help more people and target our resources where they can do the most good. They are doing this because they are getting ready to gut programs you rely on every day and use that money for another round of tax cuts for those at the very top. They are doing this because the big corporate interests want to dismantle the public servants who work every day to make sure that your water is clean, that your kids get a good education, and that your parents are able to safely get to their doctor's appointments.

We should not lose sight of what is at stake here. We shouldn't get wrapped into the noise and confusion and chaos that the White House throws at us because behind that chaos, there are real victims of this corruption. There are real lives on the line when people are left behind. Let me share just a few stories.

I heard from a lot of seniors and people who support seniors about their fears about what this means.

Yesterday morning, I got an email from someone who helps operate senior living facilities in Edison, NJ. They said the freeze was ``obviously alarming'' for those ``who rely on federal funding to help people with disabilities become more independent.''

One of my staff received an email from a leader of senior services organizations in Hackensack and Jersey City who said:

Those in most need of services in New Jersey will lose all support.

Another staff received a message from Frank in Toms River. Frank said:

I am paralyzed and use Ocean Ride to get to all my doctors appointments. . . . I am unable to travel in a regular vehicle and without the significant discount of Ocean Ride, I could not afford to get to the doctor. Ocean Ride is essential to my daily life.

Now, you may never have heard of Ocean Ride, but for people like Frank, it is their lifeline. These actions by the Trump administration to take away money could force Ocean Ride to close their doors.

It is not just our seniors who lose out in this corruption and chaos; it is our kids.

I got a call from Kelly, a nurse from Parsippany.

I work with children who need food from free school programs, babies who need WIC, children who are bullied in school, children with disabilities.

She told me that the Trump administration should ``quit playing games with politics.''

I heard the same thing from Manny from Bergen County, a public school teacher who said that he had ``students that benefit directly from programs'' that are on the chopping block. Manny said that this moment makes it hard to look at his 3\1/2\-year-old and think about the future. It is a feeling that so many of us have right now.

I heard from Susan from Hudson County who works in a nonprofit that helps the homeless. She said in a call to our office yesterday:

Our funds have been frozen. We are not going to be able to serve our clients or our staff. This is going to have a significant impact, not only with my agency, but the entire community of those we serve.

I am sharing these stories with you because it is important to remember that the impact of the decisions made at the White House go beyond the feeling of hopelessness and helplessness. If the White House continues down this path, those at the very top--the well-off and the well-connected--will get their tax cuts and whatever else they want. They will get it at the expense of a senior who will have to miss a doctor's appointment because their ride support program has been cut. They will get it at the expense of a young kid whose aftercare was cut or free school lunch was eliminated. And they will get it at the expense of the person who just needs a helping hand to put a roof over their head.

Mr. President, this isn't just about ending this chaos; it is about protecting our neighbors, our communities, and our families. We know this fight is not over. The White House was very clear about that today. This was just the beginning.

We have seen these freezes for infrastructure spending that could impact big projects like the Gateway Tunnel and small projects like paving the road you drive on to take your kids to school.

These freezes could make America less competitive on a global stage by cutting research for AI and other next-generation technologies. In a week where we are seeing China make gains, we can't take our own foot off the gas.

And these freezes could stop critical research into diseases that impact Americans across the country. We should be supercharging our efforts to cure Alzheimer's and cancer, not cutting them.

Meanwhile, we have seen nearly 20 inspectors general fired from government Agencies, trying to hide what is happening. The American people want more accountability, not less. And making it harder for watchdogs to call out bad behavior could result in a golden age of corruption.

But when it comes to standing up against attempts to take away your healthcare, your childcare, your eldercare, the basic protections that your government provides because you pay into it, we will be with you every step of the way to fight back.

This is just the beginning. We hear your concerns, your frustrations, your anger. Your voice still matters. Your story stills matters. And Democrats in this Chamber will lead the way. But together, we will push back and make sure that it is the people's priorities that win the day.

Mr. President, I ask the American people to see the chaos for what it is: a smoke screen to benefit the ultrawealthy. And although I know this chaos is unnerving and it is frightening, the American people can rest assured that we will fight this chaos and focus on what matters most here: protecting you from the blatant corruption that is the administration's attempt to take money from our working families and give handouts to those at the very top. Let's get to work.

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