[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 157 (2011), Part 4]
[Senate]
[Page 4766]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                               TEA PARTY

  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, anyone who follows national politics 
knows that when it comes to a lot of the issues Americans care about 
most, Democratic leaders in Washington are pretty far outside the 
mainstream. That is why we have one Democratic leader coaching his 
colleagues to describe any Republican idea as extreme, and that is why 
other Democrats are attempting to marginalize an entire group of people 
in this country whose concerns about the growth of the Nation's debt, 
the overreach of the Federal Government, and last year's health care 
bill are about as mainstream as it gets.
  I am referring, of course, to the tea party--a loosely knit movement 
of everyday Americans from across the country who got so fed up in the 
direction they saw lawmakers from both parties taking our country a 
couple years ago that they decided to stand up and make their voices 
heard. Despite the Democratic leadership's talking points, these folks 
are not radicals. They are our next-door neighbors and our friends. By 
and large, they are housewives, professionals, students, parents, and 
grandparents. After last fall's election, a number of them are now 
Members of Congress.
  Later on today, we will hear from many of them outside the Capitol. 
These are everyday men and women who love their country and who do not 
want to see it collapse as a result of irresponsible attitudes and 
policies that somehow persist around here despite the warning signs we 
see all around us about the consequences of fiscal recklessness. They 
are being vilified because, in an effort to preserve what is good about 
our country, they are politely asking lawmakers in Washington to change 
the way things are done around here. So this morning I thought we could 
step back and take a look at some of the things they are proposing and 
then let people decide for themselves who they think is extreme.
  At a time when the national debt has reached crisis levels, members 
of the tea party are asking that we stop spending more than we take in. 
In other words, they are asking that Washington do what any household 
in America already does. They want us to balance our budget, and they 
do this because they know their history and that the road to decline is 
paved with debt. Is that extreme?
  They want us to be able to explain how any law we pass is consistent 
with the Constitution. This means that as we write new laws, they want 
us to be guided by the document that every single Senator in this 
Chamber has sworn to uphold. Is that extreme?
  They want us to cut down on the amount of money the government 
spends. This year, the Federal Government in Washington is projected to 
spend about $1.6 trillion more than it has. That means we will have to 
borrow it from somewhere else, driving the national debt even higher 
than it already is. What is more, the Obama administration plans to 
continue spending like this for years, so that within 5 years, the debt 
will exceed $20 trillion. Given these facts, you tell me: Is it extreme 
to propose that we cut spending?
  What else? Well, a lot of people in the tea party think the health 
care bill the Democrats passed last year should be repealed and 
replaced with real reforms that actually lower costs. Is that extreme?
  Here is a bill that is expected to lead to about 80,000 fewer jobs, 
which will cause Federal health care spending to go up, compel millions 
to change the health care plans they have and like, and which is 
already driving individual and family insurance premiums up 
dramatically. Businesses are being hammered by its regulations and its 
mandates. A majority of States are working to overturn it. Two Federal 
judges have ruled one of its central provisions violates the U.S. 
Constitution.
  None of this sounds extreme to me. In fact, if you ask me, the goals 
of the tea party sound pretty reasonable. These folks recognize the 
gravity of the problems we face as a nation and they are doing 
something about it for the sake of our future. They are engaged in the 
debate about spending and debt, which is a lot more than we can say 
about the President and many Democrats here in Congress. They are 
making their voices heard and they have succeeded in changing the 
conversation here in Washington from how to grow government to how to 
shrink it.
  In my view, the tea party has had an overwhelmingly positive impact 
on the most important issues of the day. It has helped focus the 
debate. It has provided a forum for Americans who felt left out of the 
process to have a voice and make a difference. It is already leading to 
good results.
  It may take some time, but thanks to everyday Americans like these 
getting involved, speaking their minds, and advocating for commonsense 
reforms, I am increasingly confident we will get our fiscal house in 
order. Republicans are determined to do our part to advance the goals I 
have mentioned. That is why we have been fighting to cut spending in 
the near term, and that is why we will soon be proposing a balanced 
budget amendment. American families have to balance their budgets; so 
should their elected representatives in Washington. It is not too much 
to expect that lawmakers spend no more than they take in, unless you 
think it is extreme to balance the books.
  That brings us to the heart of the matter. The last time the Senate 
voted on a balanced budget amendment, in 1997, the Federal deficit was 
a little over $100 billion. Today, it is about $1.6 trillion. Back 
then, the national debt was about $5.5 trillion. Today, it is closer to 
$14 trillion. Back then, the amendment failed by just one vote--just 
one. Today, Democrats are already lining up against it.
  What is extreme is the thought that government can continue on this 
reckless path without consequence. What is extreme is thinking we can 
blithely watch the Nation's debt get bigger and bigger and pretend it 
doesn't matter. What is extreme is spending more than $1.5 trillion 
than we have in a single year. This is the Democrats' approach. That is 
what is extreme.
  The sad truth is, as our fiscal problems have become deeper, 
Democrats in Washington and many others in statehouses across the 
country have become increasingly less concerned about the consequences. 
Look no farther than the ongoing spending debate in which Democrats 
have fought tooth and nail over a proposal to cut a few billion dollars 
at a time when we are borrowing about $4 billion a day and our national 
debt stands at $14 trillion; the President has set the debate out 
entirely; and Democrats have the nerve to call anyone who expresses 
concern an extremist. If you are wondering where the tea party came 
from, look no further than that.
  Mr. President, I yield the floor.

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