[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.
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