WHAT THEY ARE SAYING: Headlines from the Real World Costs of Trump’s Chaos
Note from New Democrat Coalition Vice Chair for Communications Marc Veasey (TX-33):
“Instead of making good on his promises to lower costs for hardworking families, President Trump is wreaking havoc on the lives of millions of Americans. Partnered with Elon Musk, an unelected, self-serving billionaire, they are eliminating jobs, raising prices, and hurting the economy.”
RISING COSTS
Inflation picks up speed after Trump promised to ‘rapidly’ bring down prices
Inflation ticked higher in the US in January as Donald Trump returned to office with a pledge to rapidly reduce prices.
Inflation Rises Unexpectedly, Complicating Picture for the Fed
The Consumer Price Index jumped more than expected, data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics showed on Wednesday, rising 0.5 percent from December in what was the fastest monthly increase since August 2023. Last month, the annual pace was 2.9 percent.
Ford CEO: Trump is creating "costs and chaos" for automakers
President Trump's early tariff moves have one thing in common: No matter the target, they all threaten to "blow a hole" in the auto industry, Ford CEO Jim Farley said Tuesday.
Inflation around breakfast staples like eggs, orange juice, and coffee are hitting shoppers' wallets.
JOBS
Ford Chief Executive Says Trump Policies May Lead to Layoffs
The executive, Jim Farley, said President Trump’s tariff and auto policies would raise costs and could force the automaker to cut jobs.
January Jobs Report Reveals Weaker Growth Than Predicted—Weakest Start To Year Since 2016
The first jobs report since President Donald Trump’s inauguration came out Friday morning, falling short of headline expectations in the weakest start to a year for overall job growth since before the COVID-19 pandemic, though other data points revealed a resilient labor market.
USAID
Abandoned in the Middle of Clinical Trials, Because of a Trump Order
The stop-work order on U.S.A.I.D.-funded research has left thousands of people with experimental drugs and devices in their bodies, with no access to monitoring or care.
Aid organizations were already battling to address the country's devastating hunger crisis, and those organizations warn President Trump's 90-day suspension of U.S. foreign aid now threatens to turn the Sudanese disaster into an all-out catastrophe.
Trump administration to keep only 294 USAID staff out of over 10,000 globally, sources say
President Donald Trump's administration plans to keep fewer than 300 staff at the U.S. Agency for International Development out of the agency's worldwide total of more than 10,000, four sources told Reuters on Thursday.
Almost $500 million in food is at risk of spoilage after USAID pause, report says
Almost $500 million in food aid is at risk of spoilage as it sits in ports, ships and warehouses after funding for the U.S. Agency for International Development, or USAID, was paused by the Trump administration, according to a Feb. 10 report from a government watchdog.
The inspector general of the US Agency for International Development was fired on Tuesday, a day after his office released a report critical of the Trump administration’s efforts to dismantle the agency, a source familiar with the matter told CNN.
ELON MUSK AND DOGE
Legal and constitutional experts warned Sunday that the United States could be headed toward a "constitutional crisis" or a "breakdown of the system" after Vice President JD Vance suggested judges don't have jurisdiction over President Donald Trump's "legitimate power."
Employees at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau were abruptly informed Sunday afternoon that the watchdog agency’s Washington, DC, headquarters will be closed this week.
NIH cuts billions of dollars in biomedical funding, effective immediately
Researchers say it would hurt facilities that work on medical issues such as cancer research and heart disease.
Enjoying the Pinnacle of Power, Musk Holds Court on Trump’s Stage
Three weeks into this administration, hardly a day seems to go by that does not produce a norm-busting moment at the White House. But the scene that played out in the Oval Office on Tuesday afternoon was among the wildest yet.
Elon Musk is barreling into government with DOGE, raising unusual legal questions
Musk, the world's richest man and an adviser to President Trump, is leading a team called the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE. Despite the name, DOGE is part of the White House and not a Cabinet agency. In recent days it has gained access to the Treasury Department's payment systems, which are responsible for processing trillions of dollars of spending every year.
A US Treasury Threat Intelligence Analysis Designates DOGE Staff as ‘Insider Threat’
An internal email review by WIRED calls DOGE staff’s access to federal payments systems “the single greatest insider threat risk the Bureau of Fiscal Service has ever faced.”
Musk’s DOGE Teen Was Fired By Cybersecurity Firm for Leaking Company Secrets
Edward Coristine posted online that he had retained access to the firm’s servers. Now he has access to sensitive government information.
Elon Musk is waging war on a key check on his business empire
Elon Musk bought Twitter in 2022 with the hopes of turning it into “the everything app” that will let users zap money to each other and where they could eventually conduct their “entire financial world.”
FUNDING FREEZE
Farmers on the hook for millions after Trump freezes USDA funds
Farmers report missing millions of dollars of funding they were promised by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, despite promises from the Trump administration that a federal funding freeze would not apply to projects directly benefiting individuals.
Trump Attacks Child Care for the Most Vulnerable
It had been nearly two weeks since the government turned all federal funding off and then back on again, but many Head Start child care providers across the country still couldn’t get their money until the past few days. Some, in Wisconsin, started taking out lines of credit. Others came close to shutting their doors, at least temporarily, which would leave hundreds of low-income families without child care.
New Dem Floor Speeches
New Democrat Coalition members spoke on the floor to discuss Trump’s first few weeks of confusion and chaos, and how New Dems will continue to focus on what matters: lowering costs.
Rep. Madeleine Dean (PA-04) spoke on the floor to share stories from her constituents who have been impacted by Trump’s actions.
Rep. George Latimer (NY-16) spoke on the floor to highlight the fact that placing tariffs on Canada and Mexico will actually raise costs for American consumers.
Rep. Julie Johnson (TX-32) spoke on the floor to express her outrage with Trump’s disregard for the constitution and urged Republicans to speak up.
Rep. Sean Casten (IL-06) spoke on the GOP House floor to offer a motion to help ensure Elon Musk no longer has unlawful access to Federal Government systems and Americans’ private, sensitive data. All but one House Republican voted No and defeated the motion.
New Dems on National TV
Rep. Suhas Subramanyam (VA-10) joined MSNBC to discuss ways in which Democrats are fighting back against Trump’s efforts to lay off millions of federal workers
Rep. Johnny Olszewski (MD-02), a former public school teacher, joined CNN to discuss the legality of Trump’s efforts to shut down the Department of Education.
Rep. Suhas Subramanyam (VA-10) joined MSNBC’s Way Too Early to discuss the legitimacy of the “buyout” offers given to millions of federal employees.
Rep. Angie Craig (MN-02) joined MSNBC’s Morning Joe to discuss how tariffs – or even the threat of them – will raise prices for America’s family farmers and consumers.
Reps. Glenn Ivey (MD-04) and Gerry Connolly (VA-11) joined MSNBC’s The Saturday Show to discuss how Trump’s tax on American consumers will raise prices on everyday goods for working families across the country.
Rep. Suhas Subramanyam (VA-10) joined CNN to discuss the negative impacts of pushing out thousands of federal employees, many of whom have been in their positions for decades.
Next Article Previous Article