Floor SpeechNeutral2026-05-21

COST OF LIVING

Charles E. Schumer

DNY · Senator

Foreign Policy

Context

On 2026-05-21, Senator Charles E. Schumer (D-NY) delivered a floor speech titled "COST OF LIVING" in the Senate.

Full Text

COST OF LIVING

Congressional Record, Volume 172 Issue 87 (Thursday, May 21, 2026) [Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 87 (Thursday, May 21, 2026)] [Senate] [Pages S2434-S2435] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] COST OF LIVING Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, on costs, ahead of the Memorial Day weekend, Americans drive to the grocery store and can't believe the prices they are seeing for beef, for propane, for the gas to get there. It is hard to enjoy a barbecue when rising costs are stretching your budget to the breaking point. Just look at costs for the menu compared to last year: a pound of beef, up nearly 20 percent; hot dogs, 12 percent; a rack of ribs, 8 percent; buns, up 20 percent; ketchup, up 14 percent; watermelon, 17 percent; lettuce, 19 percent; tomatoes, up 22 percent. And the price of gasoline is up 42 percent compared to this time last year, thanks to Trump's disastrous war with Iran. At a time when Americans should be gathering together in celebration, they are getting crushed by surging costs. And Republicans don't include a single bent penny in their reconciliation bill to bring down prices--outrageous, clueless, and it will come back to bite Republicans. While Republicans have been working around the clock to line Trump's pockets, Democrats are fighting every second of the day to lower Americans' costs. And since millions of Americans won't be able to grill this weekend, Democrats are going to grill Republicans over and over again during the vote-arama with amendments to lower Americans' costs. 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. Mr. RICKETTS. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered. [[Page S2435]] ____________________

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COST OF LIVING Congressional Record, Volume 172 Issue 87 (Thursday, May 21, 2026) [Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 87 (Thursday, May 21, 2026)] [Senate] [Pages S2434-S2435] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] COST OF LIVING Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, on costs, ahead of the Memorial Day weekend, Americans drive to the grocery store and can't believe the prices they are seeing for beef, for propane, for the gas to get there. It is hard to enjoy a barbecue when rising costs are stretching your budget to the breaking point. Just look at costs for the menu compared to last year: a pound of beef, up nearly 20 percent; hot dogs, 12 percent; a rack of ribs, 8 percent; buns, up 20 percent; ketchup, up 14 percent; watermelon, 17 percent; lettuce, 19 percent; tomatoes, up 22 percent. And the price of gasoline is up 42 percent compared to this time last year, thanks to Trump's disastrous war with Iran. At a time when Americans should be gathering together in celebration, they are getting crushed by surging costs. And Republicans don't include a single bent penny in their reconciliation bill to bring down prices--outrageous, clueless, and it will come back to bite Republicans. While Republicans have been working around the clock to line Trump's pockets, Democrats are fighting every second of the day to lower Americans' costs. And since millions of Americans won't be able to grill this weekend, Democrats are going to grill Republicans over and over again during the vote-arama with amendments to lower Americans' costs. 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. Mr. RICKETTS. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered. [[Page S2435]] ____________________