Jeff Merkley: “But here we have evidence of the President tearing down a symbol of our Republic and building a symbol that is really a…”

“But here we have evidence of the President tearing down a symbol of our Republic and building a symbol that is really a symbol about authoritarian power, about a government that serves the rich. Just the fact that we are spending money on a $300 million ballroom-- which I can't even imagine how it cost that much--when at the same time, the President will not come as requested by the minority leader in the House and minority leader in the Senate and sit down and work on it. I am sure they are willing to go to him, sit down, and work on the fact that we are facing 20 million people who are going to have their healthcare costs doubled. But instead of addressing that, the President is tearing down part of the symbol of our Republic, a President, and building a symbol of a King.”