-9999

Floor Speech

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mrs. BLACKBURN. Madam President, when we look back at the many failures of the Biden administration, what I believe is going to stand out is really their commitment to doing things that sound good to other Washington Democrats but really are not serving we the people well. In fact, after spending another weekend working with local leaders back in Tennessee, I will take it one step further and say that all Joe Biden and the Democrats have managed to do is find new ways to frighten we, the people.

Yes, indeed, they are afraid of what this administration is going to do next because everything the White House has done over the past 18 months seems to make their lives worse each and every day. And the thing that is so interesting, as I talk to Tennesseans, this is something where there is bipartisan agreement, whether it is crime in the streets or the drug situation--much of that caused by this open border that is out of control--inflation, the price at the pump, the price at the grocery store. It is quite a stunning record on how to make the lives of the American people worse.

Joe Biden and the Democrats have spent us into 9.1 percent inflation, and now, they want to tax us into a recession. The latest scheme is terrifying. Democrats are proposing a trillion dollars in new tax increases. This includes a crippling new tax on small businesses as well as a tax increase on low- and middle-income Americans, which, if you recall, is something that President Biden said he would never do.

The Democrats are prepared to push the economy off a cliff on behalf of a radical and radically unpopular agenda that the American people have repeatedly said they did not vote for and they do not want. According to recent polling by the New York Times, 77 percent of Americans believe that the country is heading in the wrong direction, and only 33 percent of Americans approve of the way Joe Biden is doing his job. If that is not an indictment of this latest inflationary spending spree, I do not know what is.

The American people understand that one man and one party are in full control of the Federal Government and that Joe Biden and the Democrats are responsible for the uncertainty and fear that is now driving their decisions. Thank God Tennessee has strong, smart local and State leaders who take their jobs seriously, who work hard every day to represent the people of our great State.

I am about to wrap up my annual 95-county tour, and I can tell you that none of the county mayors and city managers that I have spoken to are worried about methane or proper pronoun usage. They just want to know what we plan to do about inflation, energy costs, supply chains, crime, drugs, and the open border.

Jackson Mayor Scott Conger recently described for me the nightmare that is planning for the future of a midsize city in Joe Biden's America. Healthcare costs for police and firefighters are up half a million dollars. Between public works and public safety, fuel costs alone are projected to beat last year's total by $450,000. And utility and sanitation costs are already 10 percent over budget.

Now, Jackson and other cities in Tennessee don't operate like Washington. They are very conservative with how they spend the taxpayers' money, and they budget for the worst-case scenario. But even when they do have money to spend, Joe Biden's supply chain crisis gets in the way.

In Jackson, delays on new orders of police cars, trucks, construction supplies have put growth on hold. They even have had to delay and scale back plans for a new homeless shelter. City officials in Dayton told me that the cost of a foot of pipe has gone up $10 in a year, from $4 to $14 a foot. I would ask my Democratic colleagues how they expect local government to handle a 200-percent increase in something as basic as pipe. We know that is a trick question because there is no planning for instances like that. Covington Mayor Justin Hanson also had a message he wanted me to pass on for the record. Here is what he said:

The rising cost of goods and services is really hitting municipal pocketbooks, especially at the gas pump. The rapid inflation combined with supply chain issues are really hurting cities like Covington. Parts, chemicals, fleet vehicles . . . the list goes on. Some items ordered over a year ago still aren't in our inventory.

But I think the most shocking example of how localities have suffered under these reckless policies is happening right now in McNairy County. Now, McNairy County is a rural county, and it has fewer than 30,000 people. But the county still had to pad their budget by $700,000 to cover fuel for the sheriff and other county-owned vehicles. That is almost a million dollars just to keep the police on patrol and the potholes filled.

We used to have such bright prospects. When Joe Biden and the Democrats took power, the economy was recovering. We were energy independent. And there was a plan to protect our supply chains. Now, instead of planning for the future, local leaders are working overtime just to keep their budgets from imploding.

Just a few short years ago, these same Tennessee leaders were focused on innovation and growth. Now, they are focused on survival. They know that the only way we will pull this country back on track is to halt inflationary spending, prioritize supply chains, and ramp up an Operation Warp Speed for energy independence.

But Joe Biden has taken us backwards. So, yes, the people are fearful of what this administration will do next. But they continue to say they will not be frightened into submission.

I would urge my Democratic colleagues to remember that.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Source