Category: US Senate

Source: United States Senator for South Dakota John Thune

U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) today discussed President Biden’s budget, which would raise taxes by $3.6 trillion over 10 years. The budget would raise taxes on middle-class families by allowing the tax relief Republicans passed in 2017 to expire. It also proposes at least 30 separate tax increases, including a hike in the capital gains tax, a hike in the top income tax rate, and a new death tax. 
Full text of Sen. Thune’s speech below (as prepared for delivery):
 “Mr. President, I’m grateful to Senators Klobuchar, Blunt, Peters, and Portman and the two Senate committees they lead for their bipartisan investigation into the events of January 6 and for producing a detailed report in a short amount of time. 
 “The report makes clear that there is more work ahead for the committees.
“More importantly, it also highlights the immense bravery of the men and women of the U.S. Capitol Police who defended the Capitol complex on January 6.
“In the coming days, after a thorough review of the 100-page report, I will discuss its recommendations with my colleagues and work to institute reforms that will make a meaningful change to better protect the U.S. Capitol.
“Mr. President, on a different topic, in his 1996 State of the Union address, Bill Clinton famously declared that “The era of big government is over. 
“Well, after taking a look at the Biden budget, it’s clear that the era of big government is back.
“And it’s bringing big government’s usual companions:
“Big taxation.
“Big spending.
“Big deficits.
“And, it seems likely, big inflation.
“Mr. President, the Biden budget, which the administration quietly slipped out the door before the holiday weekend, would raise taxes by $3.6 trillion over 10 years.
“$3.6 trillion.
“All told, the Biden budget proposes at least 30 separate tax increases, ranging from a hike in the capital gains tax to a hike in the top income tax rate to a new death tax.
“And it would raise taxes on middle-class families by allowing the tax relief Republicans passed in 2017 to expire.
 “Under the Biden budget, in just a few short years working Americans could be facing thousands of dollars in higher taxes.
 “All these hikes, of course, are an attempt to pay for the Biden administration’s new spending.
 “Under the Biden budget, government spending would exceed $6 trillion every year.
“To put that in perspective, the total federal budget in 2019 was $4.4 trillion.
 “An increase to $6 trillion-plus per year – $8.2 trillion by 2031 – is a massive hike.
“Over the course of the Biden budget, government spending would equal around 25 percent of our gross domestic product – far exceeding the average of the past five decades.
 “So what would the consequences of all this spending look like?
“Well, I’ve already mentioned $3.6 trillion in new tax hikes.
 “And then there would be the deficits – which would exceed $1.3 trillion every year for the next 10 years.
 “By 2031 – the end of the Biden budget window – our debt would be $39 trillion.
 “Our debt would equal 117 percent of the U.S. economy: the highest level in our nation’s history.
 “The interest payments on the debt would triple over the next 10 years – to $914 billion.
 “Yes, by 2031 we would be paying nearly $1 trillion a year just in interest.
 “That’s more money than our nation will spend on Medicare this year.
 “So, Mr. President, let’s review: The Biden budget equals taxes, spending, and debt.
 “And here’s the real kicker, Mr. President.
 “The Biden budget hikes taxes and hikes spending and drives up the debt … for pretty much nothing.
 “That’s right.
 “After an initial good year or two, the Biden budget projects permanently weak economic growth.
 “For a majority of the next 10 years, economic growth wouldn’t even hit 2 percent.
 “All that government spending and debt isn’t going to result in prosperity – it’s going to result in permanent economic stagnation.
 “And that means permanently diminished opportunities for American families.
 “Fewer jobs.
 “Lower wages.
 “Weaker career prospects.
 “Mr. President, Democrats like to talk as if government can provide security and salvation.
 “But the truth is, government is not an engine of prosperity.
 “Government might serve as a safety net in difficult circumstances.
“But government will never make you prosperous.
 “It’s a robust economy, not a robust government, that will produce prosperity – that will produce good jobs and good salaries and good benefits and good careers.
 “And that’s why one of the most important jobs of government is creating the conditions that will allow the economy to flourish.
 “That’s what Republicans worked to do with the tax relief we passed in 2017.
 “And as we saw before the pandemic hit, it was working.
 “The Biden budget, on the other hand, focuses on creating a flourishing government.
 “And the economy would pay the price.
 “And working Americans would face a future of diminished earnings and reduced opportunity.
 “Mr. President, there’s a lot more that could be said about the Biden budget.
 “I haven’t even mentioned the diminished investment in our national defense, which could have very serious consequences for our national security.
 “Less than three years ago, the bipartisan National Defense Strategy Commission released a report warning that our readiness had eroded to the point where we might struggle to win a war against a major power like Russia or China. 
 “And while we’ve made some real progress since then, we still have a lot of work to do to ensure our military is prepared to defend our nation and meet the threats of the 21st century.
 “The Biden budget would send us right back to the situation we faced three years ago.
 “I guess it’s not surprising that a budget that fails to be serious about fiscal realities would fail to be serious about national security realities. 
 “But it’s deeply concerning that the president doesn’t seem to understand the importance of investing in our national defense.
 “Mr. President, President Biden has made the priorities of liberal interest groups the top priorities for his administration – whether that’s canceling Keystone XL’s good-paying jobs and economic growth to please the environmental left, or overturning the Mexico City Policy so that taxpayer dollars can go to fund abortions overseas.
 “On the question of abortion, President Biden’s budget abandons decades of bipartisan compromise and eliminates the Hyde amendment, which protects taxpayers from having their tax dollars used to fund abortions here at home.
“You would think that if we can’t agree that the human rights of unborn children should be protected, we could at least agree that taxpayers shouldn’t be forced to pay for the killing of unborn children.
 “Almost 60 percent of Americans oppose using taxpayer dollars to pay for abortions.
 “But President Biden has made it clear that his allegiance to the radical abortion left trumps the opinions of the American people.
 “And so his budget eliminates the Hyde amendment and imposes a number of other pro-abortion measures – like additional government funding access for the nation’s largest abortion provider, Planned Parenthood.
“Mr. President, the Biden budget might be good news for liberal interest groups.
 “But it’s bad news for the American people and bad news for our country.
 “And I hope my Democrat colleagues will think twice before forcing this massive government expansion onto the American people.
“Mr. President, I yield the floor.”
 

Source: United States Senator for Arkansas – John Boozman

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators John Boozman (R-AR), Tom Cotton (R-AR), Jim Inhofe (R-OK) and James Lankford (R-OK) recognized 50 years of commerce on the McClellan-Kerr Arkansas River Navigation System (MKARNS). The MKARNS is a key inland waterway navigation system for freight movement extending 445 river miles from Tulsa, Oklahoma through Arkansas and connecting to the Mississippi River.  

“Over the last 50 years, the MKARNS has had a tremendous impact on navigation, flood control, power generation, habitat conservation and economic development in Arkansas and regionally,” Boozman said. “This ambitious and visionary project has resulted in an inland waterway that allows low-cost, fuel-efficient transportation for more than 10 million tons of cargo each year, connecting people and goods throughout the U.S. and to the rest of the world. I join my colleagues in celebrating this milestone and will continue working to ensure the corridor is functional and vibrant well into the future.”

“The MKARNS functions as a gateway from the Mississippi River through Arkansas and Oklahoma—allowing easy transport of goods and commodities,” Cotton said. “I’m grateful for the many Arkansans and Oklahomans who keep this navigation system running, and I look forward to many more successful years of service to come.”

“Since its creation, the MKARNS has promoted freight mobility, expanded agricultural exports and enabled the cost effective movement of iron, steel, and other products—empowering economic development and job growth across Oklahoma,” Inhofe said. “This vital economic engine and freight corridor was the largest Army Corps of Engineers civil works project undertaken at the time of its construction and is most deserving of celebration. It has been a top priority of mine to work with a vast array of stakeholders, including the five public ports, 50 private terminals and over 90 industries that use the MKARNS, to ensure our inland waterway remains a key navigation channel. As we look to the next 50 years of operations, we will work together to modernize and deepen our marine highway so it can continue to anchor economic growth and prosperity for the entire region over the next 50 years.”         

“The MKARNS is a key interstate commerce component to Oklahoma and the region, and its economic impact has been vital to Oklahoma businesses and industry for half a century now,” Lankford said. “We should continue to invest in infrastructure modernization in and around the ports and waterways, maintain any safety and security needs, and ensure workers have what they need to keep MKARNS moving forward and thriving for the next 50 years and beyond.” 

Background:

• One June 5, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon officially dedicated the McClellan-Kerr Arkansas River Navigation System (MKARNS) at a ceremony at the Tulsa Port of Catoosa, Oklahoma.

• The MKARNS moves, on average, 11 million tons of commodities worth more than $4 billion every year and supports more than 56,000 jobs, driving economic growth and efficiency for a 12-state region consisting of Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Texas, Colorado, Montana, Nebraska, Minnesota, South Dakota, North Dakota, Missouri and Idaho. 

• In 2015, the Corps upgraded the classification of the MKARNS from “Connector” to “Corridor” on the National Marine Highway, designated the MKARNS as a high-use waterway system and labeled the MKARNS as Marine Highway 40. 

• In addition to navigation, Congress authorized additional uses for the MKARNS, including flood control, hydropower, recreation, water supply and wildlife conservation – all of which continue to contribute to the economic viability of the MKARNS for Arkansas, Oklahoma and surrounding states. 

• The Senate passed S.Res.195 last week to honor 2021 as the 50^th anniversary of the MKARNS; to recognize that investments in our inland waterways system support our economy; and to commit to completing the deepening of the MKARNS to its fully authorized, 12-foot depth.

Source: United States Senator for California – Dianne Feinstein

Washington—Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) today released the following statement on a staff report released by the Senate Rules and Administration Committee and the Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee on the January 6 attack on the Capitol:

“The report released today on the January 6 attack on the Capitol reveals dangerous gaps in how the Capitol Police and other security agencies operate, particularly how they share information internally and externally on potential threats.

“Although the Capitol Police knew about the possibility of violence weeks ahead of the attack, that information wasn’t shared within the Capitol Police chain of command or with outside law enforcement groups. The ensuing attack left five dead, 140 injured and posed one of the biggest threats to our democracy in nearly 200 years. Further, neither the FBI nor DHS produced a specific warning to the Capitol Police, even though they both had information about violent threats that day.

“I’ve served on the Senate Intelligence Committee for 20 years and I’ve seen how dangerous it can be when critical information is stovepiped from others who have a vital need to know. Changes are needed so this doesn’t happen again.

“I look forward to working with members of the Rules Committee and the Homeland Security Committee on legislation to close these dangerous gaps in how the Capitol Police operates and how the intelligence community issues warnings. It’s critical to our democracy that we address this problem quickly and forcefully.”

###

Source: United States Senator for Tennessee Bill Hagerty

Hagerty Statement on Bipartisan Senate Rules and Homeland Security Committees Joint Report on January 6

Source: United States Senator for Kentucky Mitch McConnell

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) delivered the following remarks today on the Senate floor regarding China:

“Today the Senate will wrap up consideration of a broad, bipartisan effort to update our approach to competition with China.

“This bill has accelerated an important conversation on a topic we all know deserves our full attention. From critical supply chains to intellectual property to counterespionage, it touches on key issues that will help determine our strategic footing for decades.

“That’s why an overwhelming majority of us, myself included, voted to proceed to the measure here on the floor.

“Not because this bill was already perfect. In fact, as the Ranking Member of the Commerce Committee noted when it was reported out, this legislation was ‘not ready for prime time.’

“Rather, we took it up precisely because it deserved robust debate and amendment.

“So I was glad that several of our colleagues were allowed to offer substantial revisions here on the floor. In particular, I’m glad the Democratic Leader thought better of blocking Chairman Wyden and Ranking Member Crapo from including their bipartisan provision on combating illicit trade practices.

“But I was disappointed that he proceeded with an effort to end this important debate without allowing the Senate to consider a number of other outstanding Republican amendments.

“There’s no practical reason our consideration of this important issue should have to compete for sufficient space on Senate Democrats’ dance card.

“We’re talking about making America more competitive with its biggest and fastest-growing rival. If any issue demands thorough, exhaustive debate, it’s this one.

“Unfortunately, the final bill we’ll be voting on today will remain incomplete.

“It includes several smart, targeted measures, but leaves many more on the table. And so it will advance as an imperfect approach to an extremely consequential challenge.

“One thing this legislation did demonstrate extremely well, however, was that the rules of the Senate don’t stand in the way of bipartisan legislating.

***

“Needless to say, final passage of this legislation cannot be the Senate’s final word on our competition with China. It certainly won’t be mine.

“As I’ve warned repeatedly, soft power is only as strong as the hard power underpinning it.

“The Chinese Communist Party doesn’t hesitate in investing the proceeds of its predatory trade practices and influence campaigns directly into modernizing its hard power arsenal.

“Over the past two decades, defense spending in Beijing has increased astronomically.

“Meanwhile, the Biden Administration’s proposal for defense spending puts forward such a meager year-on-year increase, it fails to keep pace with inflation – let alone with our rivals.

“The White House request would degrade our ability to project power quickly in the Western Pacific.

“It would cannibalize Pacific Deterrence Initiative funds intended to build infrastructure and enhance interoperability with our partners in the region just to cover shortfalls elsewhere in the budget. And it would cut procurement of critical munitions that are already in short supply.

“The Administration is playing a dangerous shell game. And the potential consequences aren’t lost on either side of the Pacific.

“The perception that the United States might be any less than fully committed to prevailing in great power competition has left China emboldened and our friends in the region worried.

“Here at home, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs sounded the alarm, warning that great power peace was, quote, ‘fraying at the edge.’

“Preserving that peace will require more than the action we’ll take today.

“It will require this Administration to get serious about funding our national defense.

“It will require major investment in the sorts of cutting-edge capabilities that deter those who intend harm on America and our allies.

“So in the coming weeks, we’ll see whether Democrats’ talk about rebuilding alliances has any substance to it.

“In the annual defense authorization and the appropriations process, the Senate will embrace this essential debate about restoring America’s hard power head-on.

“This is a pivotal moment. Not a time for half-measures on America’s national security.”

###

Source: United States Senator for Kentucky Mitch McConnell

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) delivered the following remarks today on the Senate floor regarding January 6^th: 

“Today the Homeland Security and Rules Committees released the conclusions of their months-long joint investigation into the circumstances of the unprecedented breach of security here at the Capitol on January 6^th.

“I am grateful to our colleagues on both committees whose hard work made this invaluable report possible.

“My assessment of the terrible events of the 6^th has been consistent from the beginning.

“I’ve condemned the perpetrators as well as those who enabled and encouraged them. And I’ve given full-throated support to our colleagues’ bipartisan inquiry, along with the work of federal investigators and prosecutors to ensure that every criminal participant faces justice.

“The Rules and Homeland Security report identifies a number of serious shortcomings in Capitol security that were exposed and exploited on the 6^th. It directs our attention to the most glaring gaps that could leave the complex vulnerable to future incidents.

“Through the efforts of the Capitol Police, the Senate Sergeant-at-Arms, and other institutional partners, the Senate’s work to close these gaps is already well underway.

“The committees’ inquiry into January 6th is ongoing. And the nationwide search for a new chief of the Capitol Police is making progress.

“Our colleagues’ latest findings should guide the entire institution’s ongoing security review.

“Today’s report is one of the many reasons I am confident in the ability of existing investigations to uncover all actionable facts about the events of January 6^th.

“I’ll continue to support these efforts over any that seek to politicize the process. And I would urge my colleagues to do the same.”

Source: United States Senator for Mississippi Roger Wicker

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., a member of the Senate Rules Committee, today released the following statement upon release of a joint report from the Senate Rules Committee and the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, which have been investigating the security, planning, and response to the invasion of the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021.

“This report details what many have known all along. A series of preventable intelligence and security failures allowed rioters to break into the U.S. Capitol building in an attempt to disrupt a Joint Session of Congress. As a direct consequence of this lawless invasion, seven people, including three law enforcement officers, lost their lives and hundreds more were injured. I look forward to considering the recommendations included in this report and providing the U.S. Capitol Police the tools they need to continue keeping our Capitol safe for visitors, staff, and lawmakers alike.”