Senate Democrats highlight failures, economic anxiety, and privacy risks
Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) blasted President Donald Trump’s administration on the Senate floor Monday, describing Trump’s first 100 days of his second term as “the worst start of any presidency in modern history.” Schumer cited record-low approval ratings, economic instability, and rising threats to American democracy.
“This has been 100 days of hell for American families, for our economy, and for our democracy,” Schumer said, calling Trump’s promises of a “golden age” laughable in light of trade wars, rising costs, and attacks on democratic institutions.
Senate Democrats plan to continue their criticisms with a series of floor speeches exposing broken promises, threats to civil liberties, and the growing divide between Trump’s rhetoric and actions.
Economic fears and voter remorse rise
During the Easter recess, Schumer traveled across New York and spoke with constituents, including small business owners and veterans. Many expressed frustration about rising tariffs, inflation, and threats to Social Security.
Schumer described a business owner from Suffolk County who had voted for Trump but now feared her business could not survive the economic turmoil caused by his policies. “From Republicans, I heard a lot of buyer’s remorse,” Schumer said.
He warned that Republican lawmakers are increasingly nervous about voter dissatisfaction but remain hesitant to oppose Trump publicly.
Schumer demands FTC action on brain data privacy
Schumer also led a new push for federal action on brain-computer interface (BCI) technologies, sending a letter with Senators Maria Cantwell (D-WA) and Ed Markey (D-MA) to Federal Trade Commission Chair Andrew Ferguson.
The letter urges the FTC to investigate and regulate how companies like Neuralink handle sensitive neural data collected through BCIs. The senators emphasized the extreme personal and national security risks if brain data is misused or transferred to foreign adversaries.
“With the market for consumer neurotechnologies growing quickly, we urge the Federal Trade Commission to act decisively,” the senators wrote. They called for new rules to protect Americans’ neural data, enforce strict disclosure standards, and prevent exploitation.
The senators cited Department of Commerce findings that foreign governments have already sought to weaponize biotechnology, underscoring the urgency of protecting Americans’ brain data.
This content is brought to you by the FingerLakes1.com Team. Support our mission by visiting www.patreon.com/fl1 or learn how you send us your local content here.