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



                          Government Spending

  Madam President, now on a totally different matter, in recent years, 
Washington Democrats have shown an alarming willingness to invent 
crises to justify radical ideas. They have tried to vilify our 
independent judiciary and exhume the concept of court-packing from the 
ash heap of history. They have tried to sell a 50-State Federal 
takeover of election laws by fearmongering about mainstream and 
reasonable State decisions. When it came to an actual crisis, a once-
in-a-century pandemic, Democrats didn't even try to conceal their 
intentions. As the House majority whip put it back in March of 2020, it 
was all ``a tremendous opportunity to restructure things to fit our 
vision.''
  With unified control of government, they bragged this spring about 
passing the most progressive legislation in American history. This 
first spending spree expanded Federal supplements to unemployment 
insurance so massively that the best choice for huge numbers of skilled 
American workers was simply to stay home--stay home. The whole thing 
was an avalanche of cash that stunted our economic recovery and, of 
course, accelerated inflation.
  Now Washington Democrats are behind closed doors again, assembling an 
even bigger reckless taxing-and-spending spree. It is meant to be a 
Trojan horse for permanent socialism--conclusive proof that the radical 
left is calling the shots in today's Democratic Party. I have talked 
about the laundry list of leftwing boondoggles that our colleagues are 
packing into this plan. At the heart of it all is one simple and 
dangerous assumption: that American families ought to be more reliant 
on the Federal Government.
  Democrats' plans would chase more Americans off of the private health 
insurance plans they chose and onto government rolls. They would shred 
a decades-old consensus about the importance of work and massively 
expand cash grants to families without any employment requirements--
without any employment requirements. They want to reinvent welfare 
without welfare reform. There is giveaway after giveaway that isn't 
even means tested. Their plans have literally proposed to have 
taxpayers fund free school lunch for the kids of millionaires and 
billionaires--no means testing whatsoever. None.
  In addition, Washington Democrats want to insert themselves into the 
middle of the most personal family decisions about childcare and family 
structure, redistributing huge amounts of money only to households that 
arrange their lives the way Democrats want.
  In area after area, Democrats want to implement far-left policies 
that would make the economy worse for working families and then 
clumsily try to make it up to citizens with socialism that is 
disconnected from work. This is a frontal assault on the nature of 
employment and work itself in American life.
  They are out to, as one economist put it, ``fundamentally change the 
relationship between the state and its citizens.'' Even the New York 
Times last month called what Democrats are hammering out ``a cradle-to-
grave reweaving'' of the government's role. Lower wages. Fewer jobs. At 
least American workers will have cradle-to-grave socialism.
  It is one vision for the future, all right, but it is not one that 
Americans want, and it is one that Senate Republicans will fight every 
step of the way.
  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. MORAN. 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.