Rep. Sewell Reflects on President Trump’s First 100 Days

WASHINGTON, April 29 -- Rep. Terri A. Sewell, D-Ala., issued the following speech, which was published in the Congressional Record on April 28, reflecting on President Trump's first 100 days:

Mr. Speaker, as you may know, this week marks the end of the first 100 days of the Trump Administration. It's an important time to reflect on the legislative progress of a new President and the path forward for our country. Today, I'm disappointed to report that this President has broken every important promise that Candidate Trump made to the American people.

As a Member of Congress, my top priority is to represent the best interests of my constituents. When leaders from either party, Republican or Democrat, propose REAL solutions to the challenges my constituents face, I want to work with them. So when President Trump said he had a plan to improve our healthcare system with more affordable "insurance for everybody," I was ready to see what he had to offer. When President Trump promised to create 25 million jobs across the country, I wanted to see his plans on day one. When the President said he would restore a government by the people, I wanted to believe him.

I am truly disappointed to report today that President Trump not only failed to follow through on any of his biggest promises, but he has failed to make any real effort to even address the big issues he promised to tackle.

After 100 days in the White House, President Trump has not put forth a single job-creation bill. Instead of draining the swamp, President Trump has filled his cabinet with lobbyists and insiders. Instead of offering a healthcare plan to insure everybody, President Trump has proposed a plan that would eliminate insurance coverage for 24 million Americans.

For Americans struggling to pay their bills or afford their health premiums, empty rhetoric is not going to cut it. Not when my constituents' health, their jobs, and their futures are on the line.

In the state of Alabama, ten hospitals have closed in the past six years as residents struggle to afford care for themselves and their families. When it comes to healthcare reform, the stakes for my constituents could not be higher.

But instead of following through on his promise of healthcare for everybody, President Trump has pushed a plan in Congress that asks my constituents to pay more for less. The Congressional Budget Office estimates that TrumpCare would increase premium costs in some of the counties in my district by thousands of dollars. That's not healthcare for everybody--that's healthcare for the privileged few.

My district has a 10 percent unemployment rate. So when the President said he had a plan to create 25 million jobs over the next decade, the stakes, again, could not be higher.

But rather than helping to find employment for those Americans who want to rejoin our workforce, President Trump's proposed budget slashes jobs training and guts funding for infrastructure programs.

I come from a district where most constituents have never been to Washington, D.C. So when a candidate promises to bring their voice to our nation's capital, it means something.

But instead of working to drain the swamp, President Trump is leading the least transparent administration since the days of Richard Nixon. Rather than opening up our democracy, President Trump has become the first President in decades to keep his tax returns hidden, leaving the public in the dark when it comes to any potential conflicts of interest.

So what has President Trump's administration accomplished in its first 100 days in office? In his budget, President Trump has proposed cutting programs that seniors rely on like Meals on Wheels, and he has eliminated programs our rural areas depend on for infrastructure investment like the Appalachian Regional Commission.

In his first 100 days, President Trump has put the programs and policies most important to working families on the chopping block. I want the President to deliver on his promises to increase employment and reduce the cost of healthcare for everyone. But what our nation has witnessed so far is an assault on working families and policies that undermine our core democratic values.

Mr. Speaker, as we mark the President's first 100 days in office, I implore my colleagues to put aside the empty promises and actually work with Democrats to put forth smart and sensible legislation that moves our country forward and benefits all Americans. I truly hope that after 100 days of broken promises, this Administration will refocus its agenda on helping America's families rather than Washington's special interests. My constituents can't afford another three years of big talk and no action.