Chris Coons: “I rise today to address the chaos that has been caused by this week's disastrous, unprecedented, and unconstitutional…”

“I rise today to address the chaos that has been caused by this week's disastrous, unprecedented, and unconstitutional funding freeze directive. Then-Candidate Trump said on the first night of the Republican National Convention: Starting on day one, we will drive down prices and make America affordable again. I don't think the actions of this week have contributed to making America affordable again or driving down prices at all. Instead, when the White House abruptly announced a complete halt to all domestic grants--grants that covered trillions of dollars of spending to thousands of organizations, from medical research to police and fire, from construction projects to daycares and senior centers--it caused great chaos and concern. I got calls, texts, and emails from hundreds of Delawareans--from the State and local governments, from nonprofits, from business leaders--saying: What does this mean? Meals on Wheels, school lunches for Delawareans in schools, opioid prevention programs and community healthcare centers, critical programs for military families stationed at Dover Air Force Base, and police and fire departments up and down the State raised their hands, digitally, to say: What does this mean, and where are we going? The Delaware delegation convened a conference call that day with 250 different participants to try and give them clarity on the path forward.…”