[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 118 (Monday, July 18, 2022)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3326-S3327]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                              The Economy

  Mrs. BLACKBURN. Madam President, when we look back at the many 
failures of the Biden administration, what I believe is going to stand 
out is really their commitment to doing things that sound good to other 
Washington Democrats but really are not serving we the people well. In 
fact, after spending another weekend working with local leaders back in 
Tennessee, I will take it one step further and say that all Joe Biden 
and the Democrats have managed to do is find new ways to frighten we, 
the people.
  Yes, indeed, they are afraid of what this administration is going to 
do next because everything the White House has done over the past 18 
months seems to make their lives worse each and every day. And the 
thing that is so interesting, as I talk to Tennesseans, this is 
something where there is bipartisan agreement, whether it is crime in 
the streets or the drug situation--much of that caused by this open 
border that is out of control--inflation, the price at the pump, the 
price at the grocery store. It is quite a stunning record on how to 
make the lives of the American people worse.
  Joe Biden and the Democrats have spent us into 9.1 percent inflation, 
and now, they want to tax us into a recession. The latest scheme is 
terrifying. Democrats are proposing a trillion dollars in new tax 
increases. This includes a crippling new tax on small businesses as 
well as a tax increase on low- and middle-income Americans, which, if 
you recall, is something that President Biden said he would never do.
  The Democrats are prepared to push the economy off a cliff on behalf 
of a radical and radically unpopular agenda that the American people 
have repeatedly said they did not vote for and they do not want. 
According to recent polling by the New York Times, 77 percent of 
Americans believe that the country is heading in the wrong direction, 
and only 33 percent of Americans approve of the way Joe Biden is doing 
his job. If that is not an indictment of this latest inflationary 
spending spree, I do not know what is.
  The American people understand that one man and one party are in full 
control of the Federal Government and that Joe Biden and the Democrats 
are responsible for the uncertainty and fear that is now driving their 
decisions. Thank God Tennessee has strong, smart local and State 
leaders who take their jobs seriously, who work hard every day to 
represent the people of our great State.
  I am about to wrap up my annual 95-county tour, and I can tell you 
that none of the county mayors and city managers that I have spoken to 
are worried about methane or proper pronoun usage. They just want to 
know

[[Page S3327]]

what we plan to do about inflation, energy costs, supply chains, crime, 
drugs, and the open border.
  Jackson Mayor Scott Conger recently described for me the nightmare 
that is planning for the future of a midsize city in Joe Biden's 
America. Healthcare costs for police and firefighters are up half a 
million dollars. Between public works and public safety, fuel costs 
alone are projected to beat last year's total by $450,000. And utility 
and sanitation costs are already 10 percent over budget.
  Now, Jackson and other cities in Tennessee don't operate like 
Washington. They are very conservative with how they spend the 
taxpayers' money, and they budget for the worst-case scenario. But even 
when they do have money to spend, Joe Biden's supply chain crisis gets 
in the way.
  In Jackson, delays on new orders of police cars, trucks, construction 
supplies have put growth on hold. They even have had to delay and scale 
back plans for a new homeless shelter. City officials in Dayton told me 
that the cost of a foot of pipe has gone up $10 in a year, from $4 to 
$14 a foot. I would ask my Democratic colleagues how they expect local 
government to handle a 200-percent increase in something as basic as 
pipe. We know that is a trick question because there is no planning for 
instances like that. Covington Mayor Justin Hanson also had a message 
he wanted me to pass on for the record. Here is what he said:

       The rising cost of goods and services is really hitting 
     municipal pocketbooks, especially at the gas pump. The rapid 
     inflation combined with supply chain issues are really 
     hurting cities like Covington. Parts, chemicals, fleet 
     vehicles . . . the list goes on. Some items ordered over a 
     year ago still aren't in our inventory.

  But I think the most shocking example of how localities have suffered 
under these reckless policies is happening right now in McNairy County. 
Now, McNairy County is a rural county, and it has fewer than 30,000 
people. But the county still had to pad their budget by $700,000 to 
cover fuel for the sheriff and other county-owned vehicles. That is 
almost a million dollars just to keep the police on patrol and the 
potholes filled.
  We used to have such bright prospects. When Joe Biden and the 
Democrats took power, the economy was recovering. We were energy 
independent. And there was a plan to protect our supply chains. Now, 
instead of planning for the future, local leaders are working overtime 
just to keep their budgets from imploding.
  Just a few short years ago, these same Tennessee leaders were focused 
on innovation and growth. Now, they are focused on survival. They know 
that the only way we will pull this country back on track is to halt 
inflationary spending, prioritize supply chains, and ramp up an 
Operation Warp Speed for energy independence.
  But Joe Biden has taken us backwards. So, yes, the people are fearful 
of what this administration will do next. But they continue to say they 
will not be frightened into submission.
  I would urge my Democratic colleagues to remember that.
  I yield the floor.
  I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The senior assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. BENNET. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the order 
for the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.