[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 81 (Thursday, May 12, 2022)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2469-S2470]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                            Democratic Party

  Mr. THUNE. Madam President, if Democrats have made one thing clear 
over the past 16 months, it is that they think that the Federal 
Government--or maybe just Democrats--knows best. It is evident in just 
about everything they do. And there is pretty much no end to the things 
they think the Federal Government should be in charge of--healthcare, 
childcare, education, elections, and the list goes on.
  Take the current debate over abortion. There is one thing Democrats 
are clearly terrified of is putting this issue in the hands of the 
American people. Overturning Roe v. Wade would return the issue of 
abortion back to the people and their elected representatives. 
Democrats are keen to make sure that doesn't happen, probably because 
they know the American people are not in agreement with Democrats' 
extreme abortion agenda.
  And so the news that the Supreme Court might overturn Roe and return 
the issue of abortion to people has been met with hysteria from 
Democrats. More than one has responded by calling for packing the 
Supreme Court so the Democrats can ensure they get the abortion 
decisions they desire.
  Of course, yesterday, Democrats responded to the Supreme Court's 
pending decision by holding a vote on what has to be the most extreme 
abortion legislation ever considered by the U.S. Congress--a bill that 
would rip away even the smallest protections for the unborn and make 
abortion-on-demand, at any time, for essentially any reason, the law of 
the land.
  Meanwhile, today, the Senate Budget Committee is holding a hearing on 
a favorite Democratic proposal--putting the Democrats in charge of 
Americans' healthcare. Under Medicare for All, Americans can look 
forward to a future in which the government decides what healthcare 
Americans can access and what medications and procedures will be 
covered.
  Never mind the nearly 180 million Americans who have access to health 
insurance through their jobs, many of whom are satisfied with their 
coverage. No, that coverage would be decimated in favor of Democrats' 
preferred ``one size fits all'' approach. I am not sure what Democrats 
have seen that makes them think government can efficiently run 
healthcare. Maybe they never had to deal with the IRS.
  Oh, and let's not forget about the part where it has been projected 
that this government-run system could cost taxpayers more than $30 
trillion. So what is the problem with that attitude the Democrats have? 
Why should all of us be concerned by the fact Democrats think the 
Federal Government--or maybe just the Democratic Party--knows best?
  For starters, it is clearly apparent that government does not always 
know best. Take our current inflation crisis. A big reason we are 
currently dealing with the worst inflation in 40 years is the 
Democrats' decision to flood the economy with unnecessary government 
money with their American Rescue Plan spending spree.
  This legislation was billed as critical COVID relief that was going 
to help families and our economy recover. Instead, it helped plunge our 
economy into a massive inflation crisis that has left individuals and 
families struggling to afford necessities like gas and food.
  To give another example, the President's Department of Homeland 
Security recently created a so-called Disinformation Governance Board. 
And the individual who has been chosen to head up this disinformation 
board is someone who, herself, has been a purveyor of online 
disinformation, as well as being hostile to what she apparently 
considers excessive free speech. Yet, apparently, the Biden 
administration thinks we should trust her to rule on disinformation.

  Of course, this is not to say that we should distrust every move the 
government makes or whether the government can never do anything good. 
Assuming the government always knows best is to vastly overestimate the 
government's abilities. The Federal Government, like society, is made 
up of flawed human beings. Being a Member of Congress or a Presidential 
administration does not come anywhere close to conferring 
infallibility.
  Another big problem with ``Democrats' knows best'' attitude is it 
usually involves a plan for government to take over ever-greater areas 
of American life. More government control usually involves less 
individual freedom.
  Take the childcare plan Democrats included in their Build Back Better 
legislation. First, of course, Democrats take the opportunity to add a 
lot of new childcare mandates and regulations. But more than that, 
Democrats' government subsidy program is set up to favor certain kinds 
of childcare and childcare providers. It is set to favor institutional 
childcare rather than home care or other models, like neighborhood co-
ops. And it is set up to place religious providers at a disadvantage. 
That is right. Despite the fact that more than half of working families 
who use center-based care opt for faith-based centers, Democrats' 
program is set up to put these providers at a disadvantage.
  Democrats obviously think childcare is better conducted in secular, 
institutional settings, so they set up their legislation to favor that 
kind of childcare, no matter--no matter--what parents actually prefer.
  That is pretty much par for the course for Democrats, of course, who 
have made it very clear that they have their doubts as to whether 
parents are the best decisionmakers for their children.
  Who can forget the Democrat candidate for Governor of Virginia who 
memorably said:

       I'm not going to let parents come into schools and actually 
     take books out and make their own decision . . . I don't 
     think parents should be telling schools what they should 
     teach.

  This is a view that President Biden seemed to echo just days ago. I 
would love to hear the reasons why Democrats think government can make 
better decisions for children than parents who know their children as 
individuals and raise them and love them.
  But to get back to my main point here. The childcare program in 
Democrats' tax-and-spending spree is a perfect example of what happens 
when government starts taking over. The government, instead of the 
individual, starts making decisions. The more substantial the 
government involvement, the larger the government's role in decision 
making is likely to be.
  Again, that is not to say that the government has no role to play in 
American life. We need the Federal Government. Our national defense, 
for example, is most practically handled at the Federal level. But the 
Federal Government should be and is meant to be limited.
  And allowing the government to take over ever-larger aspects of 
American life--whether it is childcare, healthcare, or anything else--
is a recipe for the loss of individual liberty.
  Finally, Democrats' ``government knows best'' attitude is a problem 
because, as we have clearly seen, it quickly leads to an attitude of 
``Democrats know best,'' which quickly leads to pushing for special 
privileges for Democrats.
  Take recent conflicts involving the Supreme Court. Democrats have 
made it abundantly clear that they believe the only legitimate Supreme 
Court is a Supreme Court that hands down decisions in line with 
Democrats' policy

[[Page S2470]]

preferences. And they haven't just implied this. More than one Democrat 
has actually straight-out called this Supreme Court illegitimate, 
despite the fact that every single Justice on the Supreme Court was 
duly nominated and confirmed in accordance with the Constitution of the 
United States.
  And the Senate, despite having the slimmest possible majority, in 
fact--a merely technical majority and absolutely no mandate for radical 
change--Democrats have pushed to abolish the legislative filibuster so 
they can steamroll through far-left Democratic legislation, including a 
partisan takeover of election law and, of course, the most extreme 
abortion legislation ever considered in Congress.
  Just imagine the howls that would have resulted if Republicans had 
announced that we were going to abolish the legislative filibuster to 
institute a 20-week abortion ban--a ban that is much more in line with 
the sentiments of the majority of Americans than Democrats' far-left 
abortion legislation.
  Or take the protests that have been going on at the Supreme Court 
Justices' homes. The President and other Democrats have made it clear 
they are perfectly fine with demonstrators congregating at the private 
homes of Supreme Court Justices to try and intimidate them into 
changing their vote.

  I have to ask, would Democrats be fine with pro-life activists 
appearing at the homes of Justice Breyer, Justice Kagan, and Justice 
Sotomayor to try to intimidate them into changing their votes? I think 
we all know the answer to that. But because abortion is one of 
Democrats' pet issues, clearly, the usual rules don't apply. 
``Government knows best'' quickly becomes ``Democrats know best,'' 
which leads to one rule for Democrats and one rule for everyone else.
  ``Government knows best'' is not a vision Republicans share. We 
believe that individuals, not Washington bureaucrats, are the best 
judges of what they and their family and children need. The government 
should be a backstop, not Big Brother.
  We also know the more government expands, the more individual liberty 
shrinks, which is why we are firmly committed to a philosophy of 
limited government. Our country is founded to safeguard individual 
liberty and preserving that liberty it a sacred trust, which is why 
Republicans will continue to oppose Democrats' ``Washington knows 
best,'' Big Government philosophy, and why we will continue to fight to 
make sure that Americans' right to run their own lives and shape their 
own destinies is protected.
  I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Mississippi.