Government Funding
Floor Speech
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
Mr. BARRASSO. Mr. President, 1 year ago today, the American people rejected high prices; they rejected open borders; they rejected the weakness of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris. One year ago today, the American people voted to get America back on track, and they did so by voting for a unified Republican government.
Republicans won a historic victory. President Trump won every single battleground State in America. He won the popular vote. He moved over close to 3,000 counties to the right. That is 89 percent of the counties in the United States. Senate Republicans won a 53-seat majority, and House Republicans maintained the majority as well.
Americans gave us a mandate to secure the border, to rebuild the economy, to unleash American energy, and to restore America's strength.
Here we are 1 year later, and America is back on track. The results are undeniable. For the first time in years, America's borders are secure. For the last 5 months, absolutely zero illegal immigrants have been released into our Nation. Gone are the days under Joe Biden when 10,000 illegal immigrants poured into our country each and every day. When Joe Biden was President, over 10 million illegal immigrants flooded into our Nation. Illegal immigrants were incentivized to come here with the promise of free healthcare, with the promise of free airplane tickets, with the promise of free hotel rooms and free food and free meals and free cell phones.
That era is over. President Trump is successfully removing illegal immigrant criminals from our Nation, taking them away from communities all across the country. Republicans in Congress are finishing the wall, hiring more border agents, and investing in Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The drug cartels are clearly on notice: The border is closed, and America is once again protecting our citizens.
Today, our communities are safer, and the economic turnaround has been equally dramatic. America's energy dominance is back. Gas prices have dropped to the lowest point in 4 years. AAA reports prices are expected to continue to fall and perhaps stay low over the busy Thanksgiving period that is upcoming. Inflation has cooled. Things are more affordable. Remember, under Joe Biden, prices soared by more than 21 percent. Under President Trump, private sector real wages are up over $1,100 a year. The economy grew 3.8 percent in the second quarter of this year. We are seeing strong economic growth, and more strong economic growth is expected. The Atlanta Federal Reserve predicts third-quarter growth could be 4 percent--even greater economic growth.
You might ask yourself, what is at the heart of this economic comeback? Well, let me tell you. The working family tax cuts, which passed the Senate, passed the House, and were signed into law by the President--that is at the heart of our economic comeback.
This is the most pro-worker, pro-family tax relief in years. In Wyoming alone, families could save $2,400 this year because of the tax cuts. Waiters, barbers, and bartenders keep $1,300 more by having to pay no tax on tips. In my home State and in the Presiding Officer's, nurses, firefighters, and police officers can keep $1,400 more by having to pay no tax on overtime. New parents get a $1,000 Trump account for every newborn child, to invest in their future, and parents get a bigger child tax credit: $2,200 more per child. Seniors are going to keep more as well. There is a new $6,000 deduction on Social Security income. Clearly, the Presiding Officer has heard it, and I have heard it at home as well: Farmers, ranchers, and small business owners are getting relief from the much-dreaded death tax. That is what it means to stand with working Americans.
Let's be clear. If the Democrats had had it their way, families would be paying much more in taxes--a lot more. Every single Democrat voted for the largest tax increase in American history. Every single Democrat voted for a $4 trillion tax increase. Had Democrats succeeded, families, seniors, and small businesses would have been financially crushed.
Every Democrat voted for the government to take more of people's hard-earned money. Republicans said people should keep their hard- earned money. Republicans voted for Americans to keep what they earned. That is the difference between Republicans and Democrats.
One year ago, American voters rejected a weak America and also rejected a dangerous world. Today, we see the resurgence of American strength. We are defending our interests and deterring our enemies around the world. Military recruitment has surged to its highest level in 15 years. Morale is high. Deterrence is back.
President Trump successfully crippled Iran's nuclear program. He strengthened the success of the Abraham Accords. He secured the release of the hostages in Gaza. He ended wars around the world not once, not twice, but eight times. President Trump is the President of peace, and he is achieving this peace through American strength and leadership.
These are the policies that Americans want, need, and voted for when they elected President Trump President of the United States once again.
Regrettably, Senate Democrats still can't bring themselves to support the success. They voted against securing the border, against lowering taxes, against strengthening Medicaid, and against everything that helps working families.
Here in the Senate, for months, they delayed hundreds of routine and bipartisan nominees. It was an unprecedented blockade.
Now Democrats have set a new, shameful record. Today, they broke the record for the longest government shutdown in American history. Let me repeat that. Today, the Democrats have broken the record for the longest shutdown in American history.
During the 36 days of the Schumer shutdown, Democrats have voted against reopening the government 14 times. That is 14 votes against paying our troops, 14 votes against paying our Federal workers, 14 votes against paying our air traffic controllers, 14 times against Border Patrol agents, and 14 times against paying our TSA agents.
The Democratic Party has been hijacked by socialists, and now they are holding the American people hostage. Why? Well, it is because the Democrats have become radical and extreme. Gallup pollsters tell us that only one in three Democrats is proud to be an American. Can you imagine that. Only one in three registered Democrats is proud to be an American. That is half the number it was last year.
The party of J.F.K. is gone, and it is now the party of AOC. Democrats are now the party of socialism and censorship, of weakness and wokeness. They even brag about it, as we saw last night in New York.
Yesterday, in New York City, they elected as mayor a socialist who wants to defund the police, abolish prisons, and give illegal immigrants free healthcare. That is who the Democrats have chosen as the mayor of New York City. That is the Democrats' vision of America's future. It is a dangerous vision. It is a destructive vision.
One year ago, Americans chose a better path. They chose safety, prosperity, and common sense. As a result, today, America is moving in the right direction, and we are going to continue to fight to get America back on track.
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
Source