[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 157 (2011), Part 4]
[Senate]
[Pages 5736-5737]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                      PRESERVING AMERICA'S FREEDOM

  Mr. JOHNSON of Wisconsin. Mr. President, it is my honor to represent 
the good people of Wisconsin in the Senate. It is an awesome 
responsibility--a responsibility I take very seriously.
  Today it is my distinct privilege to address this historic body for 
the first time. It is a moment in time when our Nation is in peril. Not 
only do we continue to face the very real threat of international 
terrorism, but we also face a threat of our own making, one that 
challenges the very foundation of this Republic.
  Our Nation was founded on the basis of God-given rights and 
individual liberty. The genius of our Founding Fathers' vision was 
rooted in their recognition that more often than not government was 
something to fear. Government necessarily limited individual freedom 
and, therefore, government itself must be limited--its potential for 
growth highly constrained.
  During America's first century, this vision was largely upheld. The 
last century, however, has been an entirely different story. In 1902, 
the Federal Government spent 2 percent of the Nation's gross domestic 
product; State and local governments spent 5 percent. Government was 
close to the governed. The size, scope, and cost of the Federal 
Government was constrained by the Constitution's enumerated powers. The 
individual was preeminent, and government's role was modest and 
pedestrian.
  This body played a key role in limiting Federal Government expansion. 
Debate in the Senate was unlimited. The cloture vote did not exist. As 
George Washington had said, the Senate was the saucer that cooled the 
tea.
  All that changed in the 20th century's second decade. The Senate 
adopted the cloture vote and America adopted the 16th amendment. The 
Federal Government now had the power to tax income, and the Senate had 
made it easier for government to grow. And guess what. Government grew.
  It did grow in reaction to real problems. Trusts had been formed that 
concentrated power and created monopolies that threatened free markets. 
Capital did exert too much power over labor. Balance was needed. As our 
Nation's prosperity grew, the elimination of poverty and retirement 
insecurity became a public responsibility. Private charity was simply 
deemed not up to the task. So government acted and government grew.
  From 2 percent in 1902 to today, where the Federal Government spends 
25 percent of our Nation's economy, and combined all levels of 
government in the United States now consume 39 percent. By comparison, 
the size of government in Norway is 40 percent; in Greece it is 47 
percent; and in France, 53 percent. In the end, I don't believe 
Americans want to be like France or Greece. We haven't reached that 
tipping point yet, but we are extremely close.
  There is a reason America holds 5 percent of the world's population 
and yet accounts for 24 percent of the world's GDP. It is because of 
freedom, the free market system and the American people. America became 
a land of

[[Page 5737]]

unlimited opportunity because we were a nation of self-reliant people. 
Hard work was valued, personal responsibility expected, and success was 
celebrated, not demonized. I grew up in that America.
  I am very sad to say what I have witnessed during my lifetime is a 
slow but steady drift and, I would argue, over the last 2 years a lurch 
toward a culture of entitlement and dependency. This is not an America 
I recognize. It is not an America that will work.
  Even worse, we have granted entitlements and encouraged dependency 
with little thought as to how we would pay for it. We have racked up 
enormous debt, and now the bill is coming due. Time is running out.
  Last week, the government almost shut down because we were arguing 
over a few billion dollars, but our debt and deficits are measured in 
the trillions. Our problem is a thousand times larger than the current 
debate. Most of us recognize this is simply unsustainable. Most of us 
know what programs need to be reformed. Most of us want to fix the 
problem. So let's start addressing these issues now before it is too 
late.
  These are enormous problems and it is easy to become pessimistic, but 
there is reason to be hopeful. I have done a fair amount of traveling 
throughout Wisconsin over the last year, speaking to all kinds of 
people--Republicans, Democrats, union members, tea party folks. I 
talked about America, about how incredibly precious and exceptional it 
is, and how I fear we may be losing it.
  What I will never forget is how many people came up to me after my 
speeches with tears in their eyes or tears running down their cheeks--
not because I am a great public speaker but because people love this 
country. Their political affiliation makes absolutely no difference. 
Americans want this Nation preserved, and they are counting on us to do 
just that.
  The good news is they will support us if we make the hard choices 
together. So together let's roll up our sleeves and do what needs to be 
done.
  Mr. President, I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Republican leader is recognized.
  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I congratulate our new Senator from 
Wisconsin, a very important addition to our caucus and to the Senate--a 
man who has actually run a business, actually employed people and 
created wealth in his State and our country. Having someone in the 
Senate who knows how to do that at this critical moment is absolutely 
essential, and I congratulate the new junior Senator from Wisconsin.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The senior Senator from Wyoming.
  Mr. ENZI. Mr. President, I would like to congratulate the other 
accountant in the Senate. It is nice to have additional help with 
numbers. It will make a tremendous difference.
  He has had both the business experience and the accounting 
experience, and he understands a lot of things that to us in the Senate 
are pretty simple but to the person working on the ground it is very 
difficult. He is good at expressing himself and, as I said, 
particularly good with numbers. So I congratulate him on his maiden 
speech.
  I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Tennessee.
  Mr. ALEXANDER. Mr. President, I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The assistant editor of the Daily Digest proceeded to call the roll.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Franken). The Senator from Vermont.
  Mr. SANDERS. Mr. 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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