ICYMI: In Floor Speech, Warren Slams Trump’s War in Iran, Exposes 10 Ways Big Beautiful Bill Increases Costs
“American families don’t need another war – they need good jobs and lower prices, and that is what we should be focused on.”
Video of Floor Speech (YouTube)
Washington, D.C. — In a speech on the floor of the U.S. Senate, Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) underscored the recklessness of President Trump’s decision to bomb Iran and highlighted ten ways Republicans’ ‘Big, Beautiful Bill’ raise costs for American families.
“We all agree that Iran should not and cannot have a nuclear weapon…But the only successful strategy for preventing Iran from developing a nuclear weapon is diplomacy, something Trump had been pursuing right up until Netanyahu began bombing Iran,” said Senator Warren.
“American families don’t need another war – they need good jobs and lower prices, and that is what we should be focused on,” she continued.
Senator Warren also called out the hypocrisy of President Trump’s promise to lower costs “on Day 1” while instead he has been working to rip health care away from over 16 million people to pay for tax cuts for the wealthy. She then highlighted ten ways the bill would raise costs for families, from rent to groceries to prescription drug prices.
“But what makes the bill worse is that the money you lose doesn’t pay down the national debt or help us rebuild our roads and bridges. The money you lose will be handed directly to a handful of giant corporations and billionaires in the form of new tax giveaways,” said Senator Warren.
Senator Warren called for her Republican colleagues to stand up for American families and say no to the dangerous bill.
“We still have time to stop it—and that’s exactly what we should do. Democrats will vote NO. We just need a few courageous Republicans, people who care more about working people instead of billionaires, to join us and stop the Big Beautiful Betrayal from passing,” she concluded.
Transcript: Floor Speech on Iran, ‘Big, Beautiful Bill’
U.S. Senate Floor
June 24, 2025
As Prepared for Delivery
Senator Elizabeth Warren: Bombing another country is an act of war.
And last week, Donald Trump launched an attack that could spin the United States into another endless war in the Middle East.
What followed from that decision can only be described as pure madness.
Trump declared total victory. Iran threatened retaliation. Americans in the region were forced to shelter in place. Trump’s own team admitted no one knows where the nuclear materials are and what nuclear capacity Iran may still have. Trump called for regime change. And then last night, for a moment, we hoped and believed there was a ceasefire, only for us to wake up to frantic posts on social media by the president begging both sides to stop shooting missiles and rockets at each other.
Today the Deputy commander of Central Command could describe nothing about what kind of contingency plans the Defense Department was making or even whether they did—or didn’t—have plans for U.S. boots on the ground. And the classified briefing scheduled for right now so that all the senators can ask questions about what has happened and what is currently happening in Iran has just been scrapped for another 48 hours.
There is no grand plan. There is no careful effort to develop a responsible U.S. foreign policy to keep us all safe. Once again, Trump serves up chaos—dangerous chaos that threatens the long-term security of the American people.
New reporting by CNN and the New York Times suggest Donald Trump’s bombing of Iran failed to destroy its nuclear program. The media reports highlight that the strikes only set back Iran’s nuclear program by a few months.
A few months - while risking another war in the Middle East.
We all agree that Iran should not and cannot have a nuclear weapon. We are committed to that. But the only successful strategy for preventing Iran from developing a nuclear weapon is diplomacy, something Trump had been pursuing right up until Netanyahu began bombing Iran.
That is what we need right now: for all sides to come to the table to build an agreement that’s sturdy and that cements lasting peace.
But Trump’s reckless action, backed by many Republicans in Congress, makes it more likely this crisis escalates into a deadly cycle of violence.
Trump’s reckless action puts American lives at risk.
Trump’s reckless action risks initiating another endless war that could last months – or even decades – as it did in Iraq and Afghanistan.
We have the power to put a stop to this madness now. Senator Kaine has introduced a War Powers Resolution to stop Donald Trump from turning these Iran bombings into another endless war in the Middle East.
American families don’t need another war – they need good jobs and lower prices, and that is what we should be focused on.
When Donald Trump ran for President, he promised over and over that he would lower costs “on Day 1.” His words—on Day 1. After he was elected, and he was told that his policies would drive up costs, Trump said he “couldn’t care less.”
Now we’re at Day 154, and costs are up. Families are paying more for gas. More for housing. More for electricity. Prices are even going up on baby strollers -- or as Donald Trump calls it, “the thing you carry the babies around in.” Yes, Donald Trump, the man of the people.
So logically, right now, Republicans in Congress are ramming through Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill.” A bill that’s not designed to bring down costs, but that will rip health care away from over 16 million people and hand that money over to every billionaire CEO who paid to be in the front row of Trump’s inauguration.
For anyone who is watching, I’m here today to read into the record ten ways Trump and Republicans’ “Big Beautiful Bill” will make your life more expensive:
One, your utility bills may go up. The Republicans’ bill will get rid of investments we’ve made in clean energy. We need that energy, and the Republican bill takes our country backwards. It also means that the price of electricity will go up for American families like yours.
Two, your rent could go up. How? Republicans are trying to block state and local governments from fighting schemes that predatory housing companies use to artificially jack up the price of rent.
Three, if you’re a kid from a working-class family and don’t have the money to write one check to pay for college, Republicans will make that even more expensive for you. That’s right – Republicans are cutting Pell Grants.
Four, Republicans are making your student loan payments go up. Independent experts explain that by changing how student loan repayment plans work, Republicans could raise your student loan payments by an average of $400 a month.
Five, Republicans are making it more expensive to go to medical school. I can’t believe I have to say this, but rich kids shouldn’t be the only people who can become doctors. But this bill would limit how much you can take out in loans to go to medical school.
Six, Republicans are making the cost of groceries go up. They are cutting food assistance – or SNAP – by nearly $200 per person per year. More than seven million people will have less help, including more than four million people who will lose their food assistance altogether.
Seven, Republicans are increasing the cost of prescription drugs for millions of Americans. By demanding that states require higher copays for prescription drugs – from $4 to $35 – the cost of a prescription will go up nearly 900% for low-income people on Medicaid.
Eight, Republicans will send your Affordable Care Act premiums skyrocketing, pushing them up by thousands – and in some cases tens of thousands – of dollars every year.
Nine, Republicans’ will drive up the cost of private health insurance. More than half of all Americans get their insurance from their employer. When a portion of the uncompensated care is shifted to private insurers, experts estimate that the costs to your family will increase by hundreds of dollars a year.
Ten, Republicans are ripping health insurance away entirely from 16 million people. For those people who will be uninsured, the cost of essential services like X-rays and blood tests will go up. A trip to the emergency room, if God forbid there’s an accident, could mean they go bankrupt.
That’s just ten ways this bill could raise your costs. That’s bad. But what makes the bill worse is that the money you lose doesn’t pay down the national debt or help us rebuild our roads and bridges. The money you lose will be handed directly to a handful of giant corporations and billionaires in the form of new tax giveaways. Yes, Republicans are stealing your health care to pay for Jeff Bezos’ third yacht.
And at the same time working families are worried about war and are scraping together enough money to put food on the table, Jeff Bezos is already celebrating by renting out Venice for his ten-million-dollar wedding.
With control of the White House, the Senate, and the House of Representatives, this is what the Republicans decided to do with their power: drive up your costs and rip health care coverage from millions of people.
Really, imagine that: the Republicans have virtually unlimited power, and they want to use it to kick newborn babies out of the hospital and take wheelchairs away from people with disabilities – all so they can give that money to their billionaire friends and corporate donors.
It’s sickening. And I am angry.
I’m angry because I believe that it isn’t just rich kids who should be able to afford a trip to the hospital when they fall down and break an arm.
Because I believe it isn’t just babies from wealthy families who should be able to see a pediatrician when they get an ear infection.
Because I believe it isn’t just parents who are Wall Street bankers who should be able to pay for cancer treatment for their kids.
Our nation is better than that.
My Republican colleagues should feel ashamed. Experts have run the numbers. Fifty-one thousand more people will die a year – unnecessarily – if the Republican bill becomes law.
The Republican reaction? Senator Joni Ernst proclaimed, “well, we’re all going to die.”
And as recently as today, Senator Mitch McConnell is telling Republicans behind closed doors that their party can take a sledgehammer to Medicaid and ignore people’s concerns because quote "they'll get over it."
Really?
Seniors in nursing homes who get kicked to the curb won't "get over it."
Little kids who find their mom or dad on the kitchen floor after they couldn’t afford insulin won’t “get over it.”
Parents who rely on Medicaid to take care of their kid with a disability won’t “get over it.”
Because make no mistake: people won’t stop getting sick—they’ll just stop getting care. And it doesn’t matter if you’re in a red state or blue state, either.
And no, if Senate Republicans cut Medicaid, we will not get over it. We will hold you accountable at the ballot box.
But this bill isn’t law. We still have time to stop it—and that’s exactly what we should do. Democrats will vote NO. We just need a few courageous Republicans, people who care more about working people instead of billionaires, to join us and stop the Big Beautiful Betrayal from passing.
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