[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 128 (Monday, July 29, 2019)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5148-S5149]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    SENATE RESOLUTION 289--EXPRESSING THE SENSE OF THE SENATE THAT 
SOCIALISM POSES A SIGNIFICANT THREAT TO FREEDOM, LIBERTY, AND ECONOMIC 
                               PROSPERITY

  Mr. DAINES submitted the following resolution; which was referred to 
the Committee on the Judiciary:

                              S. Res. 289

       Whereas Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines socialism as--
       (1) ``any of various economic and political theories 
     advocating collective or governmental ownership and 
     administration of the means of production and distribution of 
     goods''; and
       (2) ``a system of society or group living in which there is 
     no private property'';
       Whereas socialism and the policies advocated by self-
     described ``democratic socialists'' have an underlying 
     historical connection to the Marxist theory;
       Whereas history has witnessed countless failed Marxist-
     inspired regimes;
       Whereas, because of the perverse incentives and inherent 
     flaws of the Marxist theory, socialism inevitably leads to 
     societal rot, resulting in devastation, economic poverty, and 
     destruction;
       Whereas prominent elected officials in the Senate and the 
     House of Representatives are self-described socialists and 
     espouse socialist proposals;
       Whereas socialist policies such as the Green New Deal and 
     socialized medicine would--
       (1) eliminate the private property rights of all people of 
     the United States; and
       (2) force taxpayers to pay trillions of dollars to 
     implement;
       Whereas Alexis de Tocqueville wrote, ``Democracy and 
     socialism have nothing in common but one word, equality. But 
     notice the difference: while democracy seeks equality in 
     liberty, socialism seeks equality in restraint and 
     servitude.'';
       Whereas Margaret Thatcher once stated, ``Socialist 
     governments . . . always run out of other people's money'', 
     and thus the way to prosperity is for the state to give ``the 
     people more choice to spend their own money in their own 
     way'';
       Whereas free-market capitalism is the greatest engine for 
     human advancement in the history of the world, bringing more 
     people out of poverty and into prosperity than any economic 
     model in the history of mankind;
       Whereas the United States is the single greatest country in 
     the history of the world, due in large part to its system of 
     government that secures the private property rights of all 
     citizens through the genius of the Constitution of the United 
     States; and
       Whereas, on February 5, 2019, in the State of the Union 
     address, President Donald J. Trump declared--
       (1) ``We are alarmed by new calls to adopt socialism in our 
     country''; and
       (2) ``America will never be a socialist country'': Now, 
     therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) acknowledges that Marxism and socialism are failed 
     ideologies;
       (2) recognizes that socialism poses a significant threat to 
     the freedom, liberty, and economic prosperity of all 
     countries and people around the world;
       (3) accepts that socialism is a failed experiment of 
     governance that inevitably ends in misery and suffering;
       (4) declares that, throughout the history, tradition, and 
     national civic spirit of the United States, the United States 
     has been a beacon of light shining like a lighthouse to the 
     rest of the world, demonstrating that freedom and liberty are 
     the surest foundation of government; and
       (5) affirms that the United States should never be a 
     socialist country.

  Mr. DAINES. Mr. President, we are at a pivotal time in our great 
Nation's history. America was founded upon the principles of liberty, 
the free enterprise system, the promotion of national sovereignty, and 
a strong national defense. Under these principles, we have built the 
greatest country in the history of the world. We have shown the world 
time and again the genius of American ingenuity and the grit of 
American determination.
  What makes America so great is not that we are bonded by one 
ethnicity or one race but that we are bonded together by the idea of 
liberty. Montanans agree. Montanans want less government. Montanans 
don't want the hand of Big Government and Washington, DC, in their 
pockets, making decisions on their behalf or limiting their freedoms. 
In Montana, we understand the principles of freedom.
  However, a radical, socialist, far-left movement is growing across 
this country and has taken root as the new voice of the Democratic 
Party. My Grandpa was a Democrat from Billings, MT. I spent many days 
out with Grandpa fishing and hunting in certain places in Montana. I 
love my Grandpa dearly. But if he were around today, he would be 
appalled as a Democrat at some of the things the far left are saying 
and advocating for. The words and the actions of certain radical 
Members of the Democratic House highlight this new standard for the 
Democratic Party.
  It was renowned economist Milton Friedman who once said, ``One of the 
great mistakes is to judge policies and programs by their intentions 
rather than their results.''
  Radical Democrats are advocating for disastrous policies that would 
wreck our economy under the guise of cleaning up the environment. 
Fantasy policies, like the Green New Deal, would be a disaster for 
Montana and the American people. Under this socialist wish list, 
Montanans and millions of the American people would have to give up 
their cars and air travel. Montana truckers, our ag haulers, our 
pilots, and the industries that rely on them would be wiped out. What 
the socialists are calling for is a disbanding of our coal plants, 
leaving countless Montana communities in the dark and in the cold and 
putting many more out of good-paying jobs and putting a diverse energy 
sector out of business.
  Above all else, to fund this disaster of a policy, it is estimated it 
would take $93 trillion--that is with a ``t.'' Who do they think is 
going to pay for that? It would be Montanans, Americans, our moms and 
dads, our children.
  Just last week in Berkley, CA, their city council banned natural gas 
in new homes. Whatever happened to supporting all of the above energy 
agenda? They are banning natural gas in new homes in Berkley, CA.
  Another disastrous policy that the radical left is pushing for is 
this so-called Medicare for All or rather socialized medicine. They are 
calling for a complete takeover of our healthcare system by the Federal 
Government, eliminating private insurance and eliminating choice.
  This so-called plan will cost the taxpayers another $32 trillion over 
10 years--$32 trillion with a ``t.'' Combine this cost with the cost of 
the Green New Deal proposal, and the country you and I know will cease 
to exist. Our economy will be destroyed.
  We are also seeing far-left, radical Democrats normalize crime and 
the blatant disregard of the law with their push for open borders. We 
are a sovereign nation with established borders. We are a nation based 
on the rule of law.
  Lost in this heated immigration debate taking place at our southern 
border are the stories of the law-abiding, legal American immigrants 
who have fled socialist regimes for a chance at freedom. Some of these 
immigrants include the Vietnamese boat people, the Cuban refugees who 
fled Castro's murderous regime, and Chinese Christians persecuted for 
practicing their faith. You see, in talking to these immigrants--these 
legal immigrants--they will tell you what socialism looks like. They 
will also tell you how grateful they are to have freedom here in 
America. They are proud to be Americans.
  So we, as Americans, have a choice. One path leads to complete 
government control, undermining our Constitution and our American way 
of life. The other path is the path of freedom. You see, capitalism and 
the free enterprise system has done more than any other system in the 
world to lift people out of poverty.
  As a former technology executive, I can speak to the wonders of the 
free enterprise system because I saw it happen firsthand in my hometown 
of Bozeman, MT. What was once a small startup cloud computing business, 
grew into a billion-dollar company headquartered in Bozeman, MT, and it 
transformed Bozeman into becoming one of the tech hubs now of the West. 
It is all because the American free enterprise system thrives in 
innovation, and it rewards

[[Page S5149]]

entrepreneurs and employees who pursue their dreams and take that leap 
of faith. That is what freedom looks like.
  In the face of this extremism we see bubbling up right over in that 
other Chamber, the U.S. House of Representatives, we must stand strong 
for the values that made America what it is today.
  Therefore, today I introduce a resolution--my resolution condemning 
the growing socialist movement in our country. I ask my Senate 
colleagues to join me in renouncing this ideology taking root in our 
country and to stand for freedom.
  Today we make a choice--freedom or socialism. I choose freedom.

                          ____________________