[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 163 (Wednesday, October 4, 2023)]
[Senate]
[Page S4923]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                           Government Funding

  Mr. President, on an entirely different matter, I spoke yesterday 
about the list of urgent and unfinished business Congress has to 
address in the coming weeks. We will start with resuming our work on 
full-year appropriations to invest in critical infrastructure, take 
care of America's farmers, and continue modernizing our military to 
contend with adversaries like China.
  But we will also need to make progress on supplemental resources for 
safeguarding America's direct interest in Ukraine's defense, for 
helping communities pick up the pieces after natural disasters, for 
restoring security and sanity to our southern border and to the streets 
of our cities. The Nation is watching closely for progress on each of 
these priorities.
  In the meantime, they are continuing to face the painful reality of 
Washington Democrats' historic inflation. Across the country, working 
families continue to report that soaring prices are their top concern. 
Among workers and small business owners alike, just 28 percent of 
Americans say they are satisfied with the state of the economy, and 59 
percent disagree with the President's policies behind it.
  Working Americans watched Washington Democrats pour trillions of 
taxpayer dollars into a wish list of liberal spending, driving up the 
prices of everything from groceries to housing. They watched the 
President's war on abundant American energy send home heating and gas 
prices, literally, through the roof.
  Meanwhile, the wave of violent crime I spoke about yesterday isn't 
just terrorizing citizens, it is shutting down Main Street businesses. 
According to one recent retail industry survey, increased violence 
makes it harder for retail stores to maintain inventory and inhibits 
hiring and staff retention. Across the country, 45 percent of retailers 
are reporting that they reduced store opening hours in response, and 28 
percent had to close stores outright.
  Of course, these nightmares come on top of the thicket of Biden 
administration redtape that has already made it as hard as ever to 
create and sustain a business here in America.
  Mr. President, this is Bidenomics in action. In the past week, a 
flurry of headlines have reported that even Democrats are beginning to 
worry that the President's decision to put his personal brand on this 
latest economy is turning out to be a political misstep. Well, it is a 
good thing they are finally recognizing what working Americans have 
known for almost 3 years now.
  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. Mr. 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.