[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 16 (Wednesday, January 25, 2023)]
[House]
[Pages H289-H290]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      PUTTING PEOPLE OVER POLITICS

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from 
Texas (Ms. Garcia) for 5 minutes.
  Ms. GARCIA of Texas. Madam Speaker, I rise to sound the alarm. 
Extreme MAGA Republicans have an economic plan that will hurt working 
families. For 2 years House Democrats have delivered for everyday 
Americans.
  The economic progress that House Democrats and President Biden have 
led is simply remarkable. So let's talk about this significant growth 
Democrats have made possible by President Biden's economic plan.
  We created 11 million jobs. Under Trump we lost 2.9 million jobs.
  The unemployment rate is at 3.5 percent--one of the lowest rates in 
our history. Under Trump it was 6.3 percent.
  We lowered healthcare costs for working families. Under Trump, 3 
million more people lost their insurance.
  We capped insulin at $35 for our seniors on Medicare.
  We expanded Medicare and Social Security benefits.
  This is progress, but this progress is threatened by extreme MAGA 
Republicans.

                              {time}  1100

  While most Americans are worried about post-COVID prices at the 
grocery store, the extreme MAGA Republicans in charge of the House GOP 
want to increase the average family's costs for groceries and everyday 
essentials by hundreds of dollars every month. That is right, Madam 
Speaker, raising it by hundreds a month.
  They are doing this by championing a new 30 percent national sales 
tax. The House MAGA Republicans would jack up the prices on the 
products that we rely on. Imagine paying in my district 30 percent more 
when you go to HEB for your groceries.
  This kind of blanket tax increase is failed economic policy that 
attacks the foundation of our economic growth and hurts working 
families.

[[Page H290]]

  My Republican friends all talk about responsible spending and 
balanced budgets. Families will not be able to balance their own 
budgets if the extreme MAGA wing gets its way.
  Madam Speaker, we have already witnessed what this so-called 
leadership looks like. The very first bill the GOP put before the House 
will make it easier to hand tax breaks to the wealthy and well 
connected.
  They are not just trying to make it easier for the ultrapowerful to 
pay even less in taxes. Sadly, extreme Republicans want to gut Social 
Security, eliminate Medicare, and reverse new lower drug prices House 
Democrats just fought hard to get for working families.
  If they have their way, Social Security and Medicare as we know it 
will end. Working families will lose the benefits they have earned by 
paying into a system for decades.
  In my home district, there are more than 80,000 people living on 
their Social Security income. That is more than 10 percent of my 
constituents. These are retired workers, disabled workers, widows, and 
children who need these critical funds to survive.
  Let me repeat: They earned their benefits by paying into the system 
for many, many decades.
  When extreme MAGA Republicans fight and say they don't want to raise 
the debt limit, I want everyone to know what that really means. It is 
not economic theory; it is political posturing.
  They raised the debt limit every time Trump was in office, and in 
fact, Trump is responsible for 25 percent of our current debt.
  When they say they are going to fight, it really is about hurting 
people. It would mean Social Security payments won't be sent, and 
people already living hand to mouth won't get the money they earned. 
This is totally unacceptable.
  The full faith and credit of the United States means more than paying 
our government's bills on time. It means keeping groceries in the 
refrigerator and medicine in the cabinet for many people in my 
district.
  House Democrats will continue to fight for working families. It is 
the middle class that makes our country strong.
  We will always put people over politics. We will always put people 
first.

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