FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 4, 2025
CONTACT: Unai Montes, press@peoplesaction.org, 202-660-0605 (bilingual)
People’s Action Executive Director Denounces Lies Told by President in Address to Congress
WASHINGTON, D.C. – People’s Action Executive Director Sulma Arias issued the following statement in response to President Trump’s speech to a special joint session of the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate:
“In less than two months, Trump has caused unemployment and inflation to rise, driven up the cost of eggs and energy, caused a steep decline in home sales, and driven consumer confidence, stocks and retirement funds down. These are bad things that harm every family, no matter what Trump says.
“Americans have made it clear they oppose the actions of Trump’s DOGE to destroy our federal workforce, and oppose slashing essential programs like Medicaid to pay for a smash-and-grab tax cut for billionaires and greedy corporations.
“Trump told lie after lie tonight to cover up a simple truth: there’s enough in this country for everyone to thrive, if billionaires and corporations don’t steal it. This is thanks to dedicated office, service and retail workers, immigrants who grow our food and build our homes, and civil servants who sort our mail, teach our children, and heal the sick. This is thanks to everyone who shows up to work every day and contributes to the common good
“Who doesn’t pay what they owe? Billionaires like Elon Musk and the massive corporations they control. Billionaires often pay next to nothing in taxes, yet want to pay even less. This is wrong.
“It’s We The People, working together, of all races, genders, and backgrounds, who made the United States the richest country in history. We built what’s good about this country, and we can take care of each other, if billionaires and greedy corporations don’t steal our wealth and keep it for themselves.
“Americans love what we have built together. We do not want to see Social Security and the National Parks Service destroyed, or deep cuts to food and health. That’s why People’s Action Institute brought its members from 60 congressional districts across 27 states to meet with legislators in Washington last week, and led protests at the offices of three corporate actors driving our housing, healthcare, and climate crises: Blackstone Inc., UnitedHealthcare, and the American Gas Association.
“We have learned from corporations’ failed attempts to replace reliable programs like Medicare with privatized scams like Medicare Advantage that no matter where we live or who we vote for, we all need services we can count on. We pay for programs like Medicaid, Medicare and Social Security with our tax dollars because we want them to be there for our loved ones. When private corporations gut these programs to reward their CEOs and shareholders, we all lose.
“President Trump loves praise, but no amount of false praise can change the fact that Americans do not want to pay the price for his reckless actions. Tonight, Trump lied about cuts to Medicaid and other essential services. He lied about the costs we will have to pay because of his trade wars and attacks on allies around the world. And he lied about the damage he and Musk are doing to our water, air, and national security.
“We do not want to pay for corporate landlords to destroy affordable housing, for private insurers to deny health care, and for fossil fuel companies to create climate catastrophes and raise our utility bills. We do not want to pay more to rebuild our homes after hurricanes and wildfires because of Trump’s tariffs, or drink poison because Trump has fired the scientists who keep our water safe. We do not want the dollars we set aside to care for veterans, seniors, and families to pay for billionaires’ yachts while we go hungry.
“People’s Action wants what every American wants – to make billionaires and giant corporations pay what they owe in taxes. And we want leaders who will be good stewards of the prosperity working people create by working with, not against us.”