[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 49 (Monday, March 26, 2012)]
[Senate]
[Page S2018]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                           FACING THE ISSUES

  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, as Americans filled up their cars with 
gas this weekend, I am sure a lot of them wondered how much higher gas 
prices could actually go. Well, today the Democratic-controlled Senate 
plans to send these folks a message: If they had their way, gas prices 
would be even higher.
  Today Democrats will propose raising taxes on America's energy 
manufacturers, something common sense and basic economics tell us will 
lead to even higher prices at the pump. This is the Democratic response 
to high gas prices, and, frankly, I cannot think of a better way to 
illustrate how completely and totally out of touch they are on this 
issue. That is why Republicans plan to support moving forward on a 
debate over the legislation because it is a debate the country 
deserves.
  We are going to use this opportunity to explain how out of touch 
Democrats are on high gas prices and put a spotlight on the commonsense 
ideas Republicans have been urging for years--ideas that reflect our 
genuine commitment to the kind of ``all of the above'' approach the 
President claims to support but actually doesn't.
  Look, this isn't terribly complicated. Americans from Maine to 
California are frustrated at high gas prices. What do they see in 
Washington? They see Democrats pushing legislation that even they admit 
doesn't have a thing to do with lowering gas prices. At least seven 
Democrats are on record saying this bill doesn't do a thing to lower 
gas prices. Last year its own sponsor said nobody has made the claim 
this is about reducing gas prices--all of which raises an obvious 
question: What are we doing it for? How does this help the American 
people now?
  Of course it doesn't. In response to record-high gas prices, 
Democrats in Congress want to raise taxes on the very people who 
produce it. Meanwhile the President is blocking a pipeline that would 
decrease our dependence on Middle East oil and create literally 
thousands of American jobs.
  Americans see the Democratic response to high gas prices to make them 
even worse. That is the Democrats' response to high gas prices, to make 
them even worse. They are starting to wonder if this might as well be 
the Democrats' official slogan: Vote for us, and we will make things 
worse. Because whether it is jobs or debt or spending or gas prices, 
that is the Democratic record, which leads me to health care.
  Today, as we all know, the Supreme Court began hearing arguments on 
the President's health care law. Among other things, the Court will 
consider whether the mandate at the core of this law is constitutional. 
As one of the many public officials who filed a brief before the Court 
opposing this law, I believe strongly the law is, in fact, 
unconstitutional, and I hope the Court agrees.

  Even if the Court ends up disagreeing with me, the case for repeal 
becomes increasingly difficult to refute. The President was right to 
seek reform, but the bill he gave us and the Democrats forced through 
Congress on a party-line vote is not working. Instead of lowering 
costs, it is increasing them. Instead of strengthening Medicare, it 
raided Medicare. Instead of helping States, it has created financial 
burdens they cannot even bear. Instead of lowering insurance premiums, 
it has caused them actually to go up.
  When it comes to jobs, some have called the law the single biggest 
detriment to job creation in America right now, and most Americans 
believe it is unconstitutional. This law is a mess, an absolute mess, 
and regardless of what the Court decides, it needs to be repealed and 
replaced with commonsense reforms that actually lower costs and that 
Americans really want.
  So we will keep one eye on the Supreme Court this week, and we are 
basing our opinion on something simpler than the legal arguments we 
will hear this week. We are looking at whether this law helped or hurt. 
On that question the verdict is already in, just like so much else this 
President has done over the past few years.
  Look, we need health care reform, but this law has made things worse. 
On that basis alone it should be repealed and replaced. That is what 
Americans want, and that is what we plan to do.
  I yield the floor.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The Senator from Michigan.

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