[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 169 (Tuesday, September 28, 2021)]
[House]
[Pages H5466-H5467]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
HEARTFELT CONDOLENCES TO FAMILY OF CORPORAL HUNTER LOPEZ
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from
Texas (Mr. Arrington) for 5 minutes.
Mr. ARRINGTON. Mr. Speaker, to my colleague, my Democrat colleague:
From west Texas, our heartfelt condolences to Corporal Lopez and his
family for that ultimate sacrifice.
I am about to really launch into the debate over the tax-and-spend
bill, but we stand united for our troops and for those who are willing
to give up their tomorrow, or their today, so that we can have a future
in this country.
God bless the Lopez family, and I thank the gentleman for his
remarks.
Congratulating Wylie Little League Baseball Team
Mr. ARRINGTON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate a few
outstanding members of the next generation of west Texans.
The Wylie Little League baseball team from Abilene, Texas,
represented not only District 19 well but the whole State of Texas in
the Little League World Series there in Williamsport, Pennsylvania.
This team knows what it is like to compete in true west Texas
fashion. The success of this team is unprecedented, winning against
teams from Washington, New Jersey, and Nebraska.
To the Wylie All-Stars, their proud parents and coaches, and
especially Manager Reggie Regala, west Texas is so proud of you, all of
your achievements, and your outstanding representation of west Texas
and Congressional District 19. Thank you.
Go All-Stars. And God bless west Texas.
A Tax on Every American
Mr. ARRINGTON. Mr. Speaker, we are, as a Nation, looking down the
barrel of the largest tax-and-spend proposal in the history of the
United States, this while our Nation suffers from a recession and major
runaway inflation on account of policies from my Democrat colleagues to
sideline labor by paying people more to be on unemployment than to go
to work. So you have labor sidelined, which distorted supply and
demand.
You also had a bill that was $2 trillion, with the flag of COVID
relief wrapped around it, to bail out union pensions and blue States
and blue cities that were broke before COVID ever hit our shores. This
has created inflation, a tax on every American.
The answer from my Democrat colleagues is to tax the middle class, to
chase jobs back overseas. After the tax cuts lifted 6 million people
out of poverty, gave us the largest wage increase in 20 years, the
largest household income increase on record, we want to tax our job
creators. We want to load the working man and woman and families with
lower wages, with higher cost of goods and services. That is what the
tax will translate into for these folks.
This is not only the largest tax increase; it is not only the largest
spending boondoggle; it is the largest redistribution of wealth, the
largest expansion of government, the most radical reimagination of our
government's role in the American people's lives in the history of our
country. I believe that. I don't think that is hyperbole.
{time} 1015
What are we taxing? To make America less competitive and to put more
burden on the American people? To what end? To pay for the green new
[[Page H5467]]
disaster, in my humble opinion, their extreme environmental policies
based on the premise that we will have an apocalyptic end of the Earth
in 10 or 15 years, trillions of dollars, while we cede economic
leadership to the likes of China and Russia. We give them the keys to
the kingdom, and we end up defaulting our energy independence, which is
such an important part, not only of our economic prowess, but of our
national security. We are racking up debt that is completely
unsustainable.
Mr. Speaker, this bill represents $27,000 per household on top of
$200,000 per household already of the $28 trillion in debt. This bill
will not be paid for. We continue to put a deferred tax on our
grandchildren, and we rob them of their freedom and their future in
this great country. All of this is because of an income inequality
crisis or a climate crisis. Before, it was the COVID crisis.
Let me tell you the crises the American people are concerned about:
the chaos and lawlessness at the southern border, along the border of
my home State.
They are concerned about the runaway inflation and the crisis of
being able to make ends meet.
They are concerned about the crisis of the debt that will be borne by
their children and grandchildren.
They are concerned about the sustainability of the safety net for our
seniors, Medicare and Social Security. Both are insolvent in less than
10 years, and my Democrat colleagues didn't spend a dime, not a dime,
of the trillions of dollars, to make sure that wasn't the case and that
we could fulfill that promise.
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