WATCH: On Senate Floor, Kelly Slams Trump Plan to Pay for Tax Giveaways for Rich by Slashing Manufacturing, Infrastructure

“This is a handout for rich people, paid for by you, your families, your children”

Tonight, Arizona Senator Mark Kelly took to the Senate floor to call out the Trump administration’s plan to pay for tax giveaways to the rich by going after critical programs that support American manufacturing and Arizona families. 

Kelly pointed to decisions by Trump and Elon Musk that are already hurting Americans, including the firing of Department of Agriculture staff responsible for stopping the bird flu outbreak as the cost of eggs skyrockets.  

“This is having a serious impact on family budgets. The Safeway down the road from my house in Tucson is charging $9.49 for a dozen eggs. I can’t remember ever seeing it that high,” said Kelly. “Some grocery stores are rationing eggs, only allowing customers to buy two cartons at a time. And if you go to Waffle House, you’re paying a surcharge for each egg you get. I’ve never seen that before. So, where are Donald Trump and Elon Musk? ” 

But the damage goes far beyond the grocery store, Kelly said. He detailed how the administration’s cuts are derailing major job-creating projects, gutting infrastructure investments, and undermining programs that are growing our country’s clean energy and manufacturing industries—all while setting the stage for another massive tax break for the wealthiest Americans.  

“They’ve set their sights on the very incentives that are making this happen, especially when it comes to clean energy manufacturing. What’s that going to do? Ship these jobs back overseas to other countries,” Kelly argued. “China and other countries are more than happy to fill this vacuum and flood the market with cheap solar panels and batteries. Who does that hurt? Working Americans who depend on these jobs to support their families.” 

Kelly ended his speech with a clear message: Congress should be focused on solving real world problems for working Americans—not giving away trillions of dollars in tax cuts to billionaires while gutting the programs that make life better for everyday people. 

“We should be focused on the things that matter, lowering prices for people, and solving real problems. Helping rich people get richer? That’s not a real problem. When I’m at home in Arizona, you know what folks want us to be working on here in DC: The cost of groceries. The cost of healthcare. Better paying jobs. Safer communities. Better schools. What you did not hear on that list is making sure rich people have more money in their pockets,” Kelly concluded.  

Click here to view and download Sen. Kelly’s remarks.