[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 190 (Thursday, October 28, 2021)]
[Senate]
[Pages S7438-S7439]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                          Government Spending

  Mr. MORAN. Madam President, $28 trillion, $9,700 per person. It is 
common for Members of this Senate to stand on the Senate floor and 
debate the pricetag of spending bills and legislation that costs 
millions, billions, and even trillions of dollars. These numbers are so 
large that for many people--perhaps even for us--it is incomprehensible 
and unrelatable.
  Today, I would like to take a moment to talk about dollars and cents. 
In Kansas, the current average price for a gallon of gas is $3.09. Last 
year, the average cost per gallon of gas in Kansas was $1.93. This 
means filling up a 15-gallon tank will cost you an extra $17 every time 
you fill up your car at the pump. If you fill up your vehicle once a 
week, that is an additional $904 you spent on gas this year as opposed 
to just last year.
  Electricity prices are up 5.2 percent this year. The average monthly 
electric bill for a residence in Kansas last year was $113.52. A 5-
percent increase is an additional $68 per family.
  This winter is going to be expensive for American families, 
particularly in the Midwest, as households are expected to see their 
heating bills jump as much as 54 percent compared to last winter, 
making it the most expensive winter since 2008.
  Thanks to inflation, the price of eggs is up 9.9 percent. A used car 
is going to be about 24 percent more expensive. Chicken has a 7.2-
percent increase in cost, in price.
  In fact, these realities are being reflected by media across the 
country.
  Newsweek's headline: ``Your Thanksgiving Turkey Could Be the Most 
Expensive Ever.''
  MSNBC: ``Thanksgiving is now less than a month away and it's shaping 
up to be the most expensive meal in the history of the holiday.''
  CBS News: ``On the table for Thanksgiving this year? Higher food 
prices.''
  NBC News: ``This Thanksgiving, be prepared to fork over more dough 
for your feast.''
  And The New York Times: ``This Year's Thanksgiving Feast Will Wallop 
the Wallet.''
  This is horrible news for almost every Kansan and for every American, 
and it is especially damaging to those who are already struggling to 
pay the bills because their hard-earned dollars just don't go far 
enough now.
  An extra $17 at the gas pump or $68 on an electric bill and an extra 
50 cents here or there is quickly adding up, for middle-class and low-
income families, to be a major challenge.
  These dollars add up to tough decisions, like: Will we be able to 
make our mortgage payment this month? Do we forgo a Thanksgiving meal 
this year so we can keep the heat on? Can we afford to make the drive 
across the country to see the grandparents for the holidays?
  The current trajectory for inflation doesn't look good either. 
Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said on Sunday that the United States 
hasn't experienced the recent inflation levels in a ``long time'' and 
expects higher inflation to continue into 2022.
  Part of inflation--a significant portion of inflation is caused by 
government spending, and the Democrats' out-of-control spending and 
policies have sped up the rate of inflation, creating these higher 
prices for families.
  In particular, President Biden's effort to restrain American oil and 
gas production--this one is not about spending, but it is about policy. 
President Biden's efforts to restrain American oil and gas production 
while, oddly, hypocritically, strangely, appealing to OPEC to increase 
the global oil supply in the face of high gas prices at home has 
resulted in higher energy prices, which could drive inflation even 
higher in the months to come.
  It is time for Congress to turn off the spending spigot. The 
Democrats' nearly $2 trillion spending package that passed at the 
beginning of this session, in January, did nothing to help with our 
labor shortage or to improve the supply chain. It, instead, accelerated 
inflation around the country. We have been slow to turn that spigot 
off, and we have exacerbated it since the arrival of a Democrat 
majority and President Biden in the White House.
  The Democrats are awfully busy trying to fill their campaign promises 
by passing their tax-and-spending spree, and they are too busy to worry 
about the damage they are causing American families. More spending will 
only exacerbate our current inflationary circumstances, and the path 
that the

[[Page S7439]]

Democrats have charted involves massive amounts of spending that will 
lead to higher prices for everyone.
  As Americans face higher prices at the gas station and grocery store, 
we must work at fixing our supply chain issues, returning to being 
energy independent, helping Americans return to work, and reining in 
our spending to slow down the rate of inflation. This out-of-control 
spending is jeopardizing our economy and hurting Americans.
  To my colleagues--to my Democrat colleagues, in particular--rather 
than assuming a mandate by the voters and pushing the tax-and-spend 
spree legislation with 51 votes, let's work together. Let's work 
together to get government spending and borrowing in check. If this is 
done, it will be done for the well-being of all Americans.
  I yield the floor.
  I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The clerk will call the roll.
  The senior assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. THUNE. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the order 
for the quorum call be rescinded.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Without objection, it is so 
ordered.
  Mr. THUNE. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that I be allowed 
to speak for up to 15 minutes.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Without objection, it is so 
ordered.