[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 156 (2010), Part 1]
[House]
[Pages 708-709]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                     THE AMERICANS WHO DRIVE TRUCKS

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Texas (Mr. Poe) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, freedom and liberty have always been 
the American ideal. Core American values have not changed over the 
centuries. Take a look at the Declaration of Independence and the Bill 
of Rights, and America's values are written down for us. The 
Declaration acknowledges that our rights come from God, not from 
government. Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness are manifested 
in the Constitution, not granted by the Constitution.
  The government doesn't give us our rights, and they can't take them 
away. Government has no rights. People have rights. Government has 
power. Government gets power when we give up our rights to government. 
The American people have made it plain they don't want the government 
taking over health care. That's not compatible with liberty. America 
does believe in freedom, that includes freedom of religion and the 
freedom to exercise our religion. They believe in freedom of the press 
and the right to peaceably assemble and speak their minds to a 
government that is not allowed to stop them, especially if the 
government doesn't like what the people are saying. Americans believe 
in the God-given right to defend themselves, their families, their 
homes and their property. We have a right to be free from illegal 
search and seizure. And the American people believe in fair trials, 
fair courts, and fair play. These are all core American values. They 
are in the Constitution. Most Americans believe these rights don't 
change with time. And most of the Americans I represent in Texas 
believe all these values are fairly well set in stone.
  Now, some of these Americans drive trucks, or pickups as we call 
them. Recently, there have been some derogatory, disrespectful 
statements made by those who arrogantly dismiss truck owners. However, 
there are a lot of vocal truck owners in America. The Ford F-150 pickup 
is the most popular vehicle sold in the United States for the last 28 
years; 25 percent of all vehicles sold in America are pickups. And if 
you add SUVs to the mix, 40 percent of all truck sales, including 
pickups, are sold to women. Over 40 percent consider their truck more 
important than their home. As one truck owner told me, ``You can sleep 
in your truck, but you can't drive your house.''
  Not surprisingly, Texas is America's biggest pickup market, and you 
don't see too many Volvo station wagons where I come from. These 
Americans who drive trucks, in my opinion, are fiercely independent, 
outspoken and will tell you they don't belong to a party but they vote 
for the person. These drivers are of every race and age, and 64 percent 
say their truck is a manifestation of their character, their 
personality, and their politics.
  Truck owners are one voice in America that government would do well 
to listen to. Contrary to current Washington wisdom, the Americans I 
know and represent, like truck drivers and others, do not look forward 
to a day when government, in the name of progressive politics, makes 
all our decisions for us. This is not a country of weak, timid souls 
who think government is the answer to every problem and has a better 
solution than the individuals it rules over. This is not a people of 
sheep who are afraid to control their own lives and believe government 
knows best. This is a country of high-spirited individuals that want to 
be left alone.

[[Page 709]]

  Many people I represent believe government is a wolf seeking what 
liberties it can devour from the people. Americans don't believe our 
health should be turned over to the Federal Government and made a 
budget item. We don't want some government bureaucrat deciding we can't 
have the pacemaker surgery, just take pain killers. That will not work 
for America. After all, we're not some nanny state, European-style.
  Truck owners and other Americans believe in transparent government, 
not smoky back-room deals that have an odor of corruption, payoffs, and 
paybacks. The Americans I know believe in hard work and a private 
economy that rewards hard work with jobs open to every citizen. They 
believe in enjoying the fruits of their own labor, and they know how 
better to spend their money than Big Government. Americans believe in 
giving people a helping hand when they need it, but don't believe in 
creating a dependent class of people.
  Truck owners don't believe in an elite ruling class of D.C. insiders 
making decisions for the rest of us. Mr. Speaker, I think most 
Americans believe in the American Dream which is simply this: freedom. 
This Nation was founded on freedom, and we don't want the government 
micromanaging our lives. The Americans I know, especially those that 
drive trucks, want government to remember the beginning of the 
Constitution, which says, ``We, the people.'' After all, it doesn't 
say, we the subjects. And as one bumper sticker on a pickup stated, ``I 
love America. It's government I continue to worry about.''
  And that's just the way it is.

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