[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 184 (Wednesday, October 20, 2021)]
[Senate]
[Pages S7105-S7106]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                          Biden Administration

  Ms. ERNST. Mr. President, life, liberty, and the pursuit of 
happiness--our Nation was founded upon this set of inalienable rights 
that are provided to each one of us not by government, but by our 
Divine Creator who made us all equal. It is the role of the government 
to secure these blessings.
  Regardless of our differences and disagreements, these principles 
outlined in our founding documents have always united us and made 
America exceptional. They are the framework of the American dream, the 
promise that through self-determination, hard work, and opportunity, we 
can all achieve a better life for ourselves and for our families.
  Yet, whether you are pursuing a career, attending school, starting a 
business, or shopping for a dream home, DC politicians and government 
bureaucrats are increasingly dictating when you may exercise your 
rights and how you can live your life, and then spying on you to make 
sure that you are following the rules. This ``Washington knows best'' 
approach is negatively impacting nearly every aspect of your life, and 
you may not realize it.
  To demonstrate the point, let's walk through a few common scenarios 
and the real-life consequences you could face as a result of the Biden 
administration's policies. For each, ask yourself: In this situation, 
is the government acting to secure or subvert your rights to life, 
liberty, and the pursuit of happiness?
  You work hard and probably put some of your earnings away in a 
savings account to pay your monthly bills

[[Page S7106]]

or to be prepared for an unexpected emergency. And, folks, that is just 
a smart thing to do.
  Well, if you deposit or withdraw more than $10,000 over the course of 
a year, the Biden administration wants the IRS to be able to spy on 
you. To put this number into perspective, if you were renting an 
apartment in Iowa, the average annual cost to do so is just over 
$10,000 per year. That is the threshold, folks.
  Why does Washington even need to know this information about you?
  The Treasury Department says this is necessary to make sure ``the top 
one percent . . . can't evade'' paying taxes.
  You heard that right. The Biden administration thinks you are rich 
if, over the course of an entire year, you either save or spend 
$10,000. They might even have the IRS audit you for tax evasion.
  Treating American citizens like criminal suspects for the innocent 
act of using a bank account is, quite frankly, un-American.
  The Biden administration has been up front about its motive here. 
Washington Democrats are looking to collect as many tax dollars as 
possible to finance their never-ending reckless spending spree. And as 
a direct result of these budget busting bills, government inflation is 
driving up prices and limiting availability of everyday essentials.
  Let's take a look at life in Joe Biden's America. The cost of food, 
the cost of rent, the cost of nearly everything just keeps going up and 
up. Meanwhile, the size of many products is shrinking, which means you 
have to work harder, pay more, and get a heck of a lot less. It is even 
costing more just to get to the grocery store. Gas is now more than $3 
a gallon, the highest price in 6 years. And this really shouldn't come 
as a surprise.
  Remember, on his first day on the job, President Biden signed an 
Executive order to end the Keystone XL Pipeline, killing thousands of 
jobs and limiting our access to oil and gas supplies. And while costs 
keep going up, just finding what you need or want has become yet 
another ordeal.
  As a result of Biden bucks, which paid people not to work for most of 
the year, many products are in short supply or unavailable altogether. 
Shipping companies are even facing equipment shortages and, of course, 
they remain understaffed.
  And, folks, this crisis isn't ending anytime soon. The upcoming 
holiday season is already being referred to as ``Biden's Blue 
Christmas.'' The White House is even warning there will be items people 
can't get for Christmas. So let's just hope for the sake of the kids 
who have been good all year that Biden's broken supply chain problems 
don't extend all the way to the North Pole.
  And speaking of kids, let's take a look at what might happen to 
parents who take a vocal role in their children's education. It is a 
good thing for parents to be active in their children's education, and 
it comes as no surprise that they can often get very passionate about 
the subject.
  So imagine going to a school board meeting and exercising your right 
to express your concerns about a new policy or proposed curriculum at 
your child's school, but instead of having your issue addressed, you 
find yourself labeled as a domestic terrorist.
  Yeah, folks, you heard that right--a domestic terrorist under 
investigation by our Nation's chief law enforcement agency.
  It sounds insane, right?
  But it is a crazy reality today. President Biden's Attorney General 
is mobilizing the FBI against parents who make their voices heard at 
school board meetings.
  Let me be very clear about this. Violence or even threats of violence 
against school board members, teachers, or any public official should 
never ever be tolerated; but neither should threats of intimidation by 
the government to coerce parents to surrender control over their 
children's education.
  This is happening at the same time the FBI announced the largest 
spike in homicides ever recorded. I am not talking about this year, 
folks. I am not talking about last year, 4, 5, 6 years past. We are 
talking about the largest spike in homicides ever recorded.
  With murder and violent crimes increasing, the President's liberal 
allies in Congress are threatening to defund the police. That approach 
certainly is not going to secure life, liberty, or the pursuit of 
happiness.
  Folks, all of these disturbing trends we just talked about are stark 
reminders that the principles our Nation was founded upon are not 
guaranteed. Every generation of Americans owes it to the next 
generation to preserve and strengthen the blessings of liberty we were 
fortunate enough to inherit.
  I'd expect government coercion, State snooping, empty shelves, and 
out-of-control inflation in nations with socialist regimes, like China, 
Cuba, and Venezuela. But regardless of who our President may be, we 
must never ever accept any of these as part of life in America.
  Mr. President, I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Minnesota.
  Ms. KLOBUCHAR. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to speak for 10 
minutes on the matter at hand.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.