[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 92 (Tuesday, June 5, 2018)]
[Senate]
[Page S2983]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



             Accomplishments of the Republican-Led Congress

  Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, the May jobs report came out last Friday, 
and here are some of the headlines.
  This is from Bloomberg: ``U.S. Payrolls Rise 223,000; Jobless Rate 
Matches 48-Year Low.''
  This is from CNN: ``Unemployment rate matches lowest point in half a 
century.''
  From the New York Times: ``We Ran Out of Words to Describe How Good 
the Job Numbers Are.''
  In other words, the May jobs report was more good news for American 
workers. The economy created 223,000 jobs in May. The unemployment rate 
dropped to 3.8 percent--the lowest rate since April of 2000. That is 
right. The last time unemployment was this low, the iPod hadn't even 
been invented.
  When the Republican-led Senate passed tax reform in December, there 
were estimates that this historic legislation would create nearly 1 
million jobs for the American people. Well, the economy has already 
created more than 1 million jobs since tax reform was passed and 3.6 
million jobs since President Trump was elected. The Republican pro-
growth, pro-jobs agenda is working.
  Government cannot create prosperity. It can't create the jobs and 
opportunities that Americans need for a secure economic future. Only 
businesses can do that. But government can create the conditions for 
economic prosperity. It can make sure businesses are free to create 
jobs and opportunities by making sure they are not weighed down with 
burdensome taxes and regulations.
  As everyone knows, the economy stagnated during the last 
administration. Recovery from the recession was historically weak. 
Wages were stagnant, and opportunities were often few and far between. 
A big reason for that was the fact that businesses large and small were 
weighed down by burdensome regulations and an outdated Tax Code. So 
when President Trump took office, Republicans and President Trump made 
reversing our economic decline a priority. We rolled back burdensome 
regulations, and in December, we passed a historic reform of our Tax 
Code.
  Before the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, the Tax Code was not helping 
businesses grow and create jobs. In fact, it was doing just the 
opposite, and that had real consequences for American workers. A small 
business owner struggling to afford the hefty annual tax bill for her 
business was highly unlikely to be able to hire a new worker or to 
raise wages. A larger business struggling to stay competitive in the 
global marketplace, while paying a substantially higher tax rate than 
its foreign competitors, too often had limited funds to expand or 
increase investment here in the United States.
  So when it came time for tax reform, we set out to improve the 
playing field for American workers by improving the playing field for 
businesses as well. To accomplish that, we lowered tax rates across the 
board for owners of small- and medium-sized businesses, farms, and 
ranches. We lowered our Nation's massive corporate tax rate, which up 
until January 1 was the highest corporate tax rate in the developed 
world. We expanded business owners' ability to recover investments they 
make in their businesses, which frees up cash that they can reinvest in 
their operations and their workers. We brought the U.S. international 
tax system into the 21st century so that American businesses are not 
operating at a disadvantage next to their foreign competitors.
  Now we are seeing results. Company after company has announced higher 
wages, better retirement benefits, bonuses, increased investment, new 
jobs, and more.
  A recent survey from the National Association of Manufacturers 
reported that 77 percent of manufacturers plan to increase hiring as a 
result of tax reform, 72 percent plan to increase wages or benefits, 
and 86 percent report that they plan to increase investments, which 
means new jobs and opportunities for workers. Meanwhile, a recent 
survey from the National Federation of Independent Business reports 
that 75 percent of small business owners think the Tax Cuts and Jobs 
Act will have a positive effect on their businesses.
  The Republican economic agenda is working, and Republicans are going 
to keep working to ensure that American businesses can thrive and that 
American workers have access to the jobs and opportunities they need 
for long-term economic security. While we are doing that, we are also 
going to continue to focus on the rest of the work the American people 
elected us to do. As I have said before, Congress can walk and chew gum 
at the same time.
  While we have been laser-focused on removing obstacles to economic 
growth and job creation, we have also accomplished a lot of other 
things so far this Congress.
  By the end of the Obama administration, our Nation's military was 
facing a serious readiness shortfall. So this year we made the most 
significant investment in our military in 15 years, and we are going to 
continue to make sure that the men and women of our military have the 
resources they need to meet and defeat the threats of the 21st century. 
We recently passed legislation that makes much needed reforms to ensure 
our veterans have access to the healthcare they need, when and where 
they need it.
  We also took action to preserve healthcare for children in need by 
enacting the longest extension of the Children's Health Insurance 
Program in history, and we repealed ObamaCare's burdensome individual 
mandate which forced many, many Americans to buy health insurance they 
didn't want or couldn't afford.
  We passed legislation to fight sex trafficking, to combat opioid 
abuse, to help community banks, to increase school safety, to keep 
energy affordable, and more. Of course, we confirmed a number of highly 
qualified judges to fill vacancies in our judicial system.
  Republicans are working to honor the trust the American people have 
placed in us. We are fighting to make life better for hard-working 
Americans. We have accomplished a lot so far this Congress, but we know 
there is a lot more work to be done. We are up to the challenge.
  I yield the floor.
  I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Flake). The clerk will call the roll.
  The bill clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for 
the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Johnson). Without objection, it is so 
ordered.
  Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to speak as in 
morning business.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.