Reconciliation

Floor Speech

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Mr. MANN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to discuss the gross misuse of a noble process called reconciliation and the President's apparent lack of concern for the well-being of rural and middle-class Americans.

The reconciliation process exists to do exactly what its name suggests--to direct Congress with a tool of compromise to reduce the national deficit with a simple majority vote in both Chambers. President Biden, Speaker Pelosi, and House Democrats are, instead, using this process to jam partisan legislation through a deadlocked Congress. This is shameless, and American taxpayers will bear the cost in both their wallets and their consciences.

The reconciliation package is chock-full of policy moves that will damage our country and compromise our integrity as a nation. Among them are the expansion of welfare without work requirements. At a time when our supply chains are in crisis and we have help wanted signs at every corner, this will only worsen the issue. Another troubling provision would give the IRS $80 billion to hire 87,000 new agents and ramp up audits on individuals and small businesses.

Just a few other terrible provisions include increasing penalties for businesses who don't comply with OSHA vaccine mandates which are an egregious Federal Government overreach, imposing new fines on the oil and gas industry, and punishing States like Kansas who have opted not to expand Medicaid.

Perhaps the worst part of the entire reconciliation package, though, is what is not included. Democrats have excluded the Hyde amendment, a longstanding bipartisan amendment that protects Americans who oppose abortion from being forced to pay for these abortions from their tax dollars.

While the President is on a tax-and-spend spree for his party's leftist wish list, the price of nearly everything is skyrocketing in this country. Americans are heading into the holiday season more financially insecure because of this administration's policies. Consumer prices have increased over 6 percent since last year--the highest rate of inflation in over 30 years. Should this massive spending package become law, Mr. Speaker, you can expect prices to keep going up.

While the White House has stated this bill will cost $1.75 trillion, the true cost of the reconciliation package could be as much as $3.98 trillion according to some models. As if adding to our Nation's already enormous debt wasn't enough, this bill will drive up inflation and end up taxing the middle class.

This bill is twice as long as the Bible, it is toxic for the American people, and it is a gross misuse of a usually noble process. I stand in opposition to it on numerous counts.

Mr. Speaker, the BBB is bad, bad, bad for America, and I urge this Congress to join me in strongly opposing it.

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