[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 62 (Monday, April 7, 2025)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2451-S2452]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       BUSINESS BEFORE THE SENATE

  Mr. THUNE. Madam President, on Saturday morning, we took a major step 
forward on the Republican agenda by passing a budget resolution to lay 
the groundwork for a permanent extension of tax relief for American 
families and a transformational investment in our border, energy, and 
national security.
  And while I think Republicans' goals are obvious, for the sake of my 
Democratic colleagues who still seem to be operating under the delusion 
that we are here to hand out tax cuts to billionaires, let me review 
what we are doing and why we are here.
  First, we are here to ensure that hard-working Americans don't see 
their tax bills rise next year. In 2017, Republicans delivered tax 
relief to the American people, but that relief is expiring this year. 
If we don't act, American families making less than $400,000 a year 
will see a $2.6 trillion tax hike next year. Tax rates will rise. The 
standard deduction will shrink. And the child tax credit will--will--be 
cut in half. That is not acceptable, so we are here to prevent tax 
hikes on American families and permanently extend the 2017 tax relief.
  Second, we are here to address the remains of the Biden border 
crisis, bolster our military readiness, and unleash American energy 
production. After 4 years of chaos at our southern border under 
President Biden, President Trump has taken action to secure the border 
and take criminal illegal immigrants off America's streets. But the 
administration needs additional resources from Congress if this 
progress is going to continue, and we need a serious investment in our 
military to restore readiness and ensure that our men and women in 
uniform are equipped to deter and to defeat threats.
  We also need to take action to unleash American energy production. 
The Biden administration put us on a dangerous trajectory by seeking to 
stifle domestic conventional energy production, and we need to recommit 
to domestic production to protect our Nation and ensure that the 
American people have a reliable and affordable energy supply both now 
and in the future.
  And finally, we are here to take a hard look at how taxpayer dollars 
are being spent. We saw an incredible growth in government spending 
under the Biden administration. Federal spending in 2024 was 54 percent 
higher than in 2019--54 percent. So Republicans are going to take a 
good, hard look at how taxpayer dollars are being spent and work to 
return us to a more sustainable spending and fiscal trajectory.
  As I said, the resolution we passed this weekend--I might say, over 
the objections of my Democratic colleagues, who are apparently 
perfectly OK with allowing taxes to rise for working families--was a 
major step forward on delivering on our agenda, and I am looking 
forward to arriving at a final bill. Discussions on that will continue 
off the floor. Meanwhile, on the floor, we will continue to deliver on 
other priorities, including building out the President's administration 
and lifting burdensome Biden regulations through Congressional Review 
Act resolutions.
  We have kept up a very brisk pace on confirming nominees, and that 
will continue. By the end of this week, I expect to have added several 
more to our

[[Page S2452]]

total, and I also expect to consider a resolution this week to roll 
back a heavyhanded Department of Energy rule.
  Democrats will continue to distract. Republicans will continue to 
act.
  I yield the floor.
  I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The bill clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. DAINES. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the order 
for the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

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