[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 38 (Monday, March 4, 2019)]
[Senate]
[Pages S1611-S1612]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                           The Green New Deal

  Mr. President, on one final matter, like many Americans, I have spent 
the past several weeks watching with interest as prominent leaders in 
the Democratic Party have engaged in a political footrace. They are 
sprinting--literally, sprinting--as far left as possible, as quickly as 
possible, trying to outdo one another. The result is that one of our 
two major political parties has begun embracing one radical, half-baked 
socialist proposal after another. It is really a sight to see.
  First came the Democratic Politician Protection Act, a sweeping 
Washington, DC, takeover of what Americans can say about politics and 
how they elect their representatives. Speaker Pelosi and her House 
colleagues were ready with that from day one in this new Congress. They 
chose it as their No. 1 ceremonial first bill of the year, H.R. 1. Let 
me say that this is quite a piece of legislation to hold up as the 
defining product--bear in mind, the defining product--of a new 
Democratic House majority.
  House Democrats are championing an unprecedented takeover of our 
Nation's electoral system--one that would overhaul campaign rules and 
make it harder for private citizens to exercise their right to 
political speech.
  It would replace private money in political campaigns with your tax 
dollars. Let me say that again. They take your private money 
contributed to a candidate of your choice out of the political process 
and replace that with your tax dollars--up to $5 million to any 
candidate that wants it--even, by the way, if it happens to be a 
candidate you disagree with. They are going to take your tax money and 
give it to candidates you don't agree with and swing the partisan 
balance of the Federal Election Commission, which has the final say in 
election regulations.
  Oh, and it all comes under the guise of--you guessed it--this is 
about restoring democracy. Now, of course, this sprawling 622-page 
doorstop is never going to become law. I certainly don't plan to even 
bring it to the floor here in the Senate. There are always improvements 
and reforms to be made, but this certainly isn't it.
  It does give us a useful signal of our Democratic colleagues' real 
goals--what they really want to do. Democrats look out over the 
landscape of America today, and everywhere they look, they see 
opportunity to seize money and power from American families and 
communities and pile it up in their own hands--you guessed it--right 
here in Washington. Taxing more, spending more, and Washington's 
seizing more power away from the people--that is the Democrat's hammer 
of choice. In every part of American life, they see a nail. In every 
part of American life, they see a nail.
  Just look at the Green New Deal. From what we understand, the 
American people can expect a government-mandated overhaul of every 
four-walled structure in America--a government-mandated overhaul of 
every four-walled structure in America--and, if that were not enough, 
an end to American fossil fuel and energy production from nuclear 
powerplants--of course, along with all the jobs that make both of those 
possible.
  According to background documents, there are plans for a government-
guaranteed income. Listen to this: a government-guaranteed income for 
those unwilling to work, all at the low price of an estimated--listen 
to this--$93 trillion.
  Of course, next came the massive one-size-fits-all government-run 
healthcare proposal--``Medicare for none.'' It strips everything from 
our seniors' Medicare Program but the name. It slaps that name on a new 
government-run plan, and they are so confident Americans will love 
their Democratic-designed insurance that they feel the need to outlaw 
competing private insurance altogether, just to make sure there is no 
competition.
  Democrats want to strip existing health plans away from middle-class 
families, even if they are happy with their current coverage, and, 
inevitably,

[[Page S1612]]

hike taxes on those very families to pay for it.
  As I have said, none of these things Democrats have pulled off their 
far-left wish list have a chance of becoming law in 2019. A lot of it 
almost sounds like standup comedy, but the underlying philosophy that 
all of this represents is no laughing matter whatsoever.
  I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. CORNYN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for 
the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.