[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 158 (2012), Part 4]
[Senate]
[Page 5299]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                           CHALLENGES REMAIN

  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, over the past several months, President 
Obama has kept a pretty busy schedule of campaign events. But as the 
President heads out for more campaign-style events this week, let's not 
forget that what he is actually doing here in Washington is far more 
important than what he is saying out on the campaign trail because when 
the speeches are over and all the chairs and posters are put away, 
great challenges remain.
  Millions of Americans are still looking for work. The Federal debt 
continues to cast a shadow over the American dream. Despite assurances 
made last year, there is no budget in sight from the Democratic-
controlled Senate. As the Associated Press reported today, about half 
of college graduates can't even find a decent job in this country. I 
understand why the President wouldn't want to talk about these things, 
but that doesn't change the fact that he should, and it doesn't change 
the fact that his policies are the problem.
  The American people elected this President to change direction, not 
to change the subject. They elected the President to change direction, 
not change the subject. Yet, day after day, week after week, as our 
Nation's challenges deepen and another economic crisis draws nearer, 
this President wants to change the topic. He wants people to either 
focus on something else or to overlook the things he is actually doing 
to make the situation worse.
  Let's take, for example, gas prices. Gas prices have more than 
doubled under this President. Yet, rather than doing something about 
it, he blames it on speculators and energy companies. Instead of 
increasing domestic production, he is focused on a plan to tax American 
energy manufacturers--a plan that would increase the cost of energy 
rather than lower the cost of gas.
  The national debt has skyrocketed more than $5 trillion under this 
President. Yet, rather than actually doing something about it, he 
pretends that we should erase it, that we could somehow erase it by 
just whacking millionaires.
  Look, millions are looking for work. Yet, rather than doing something 
about it, he passes a health care bill that would impose massive new 
costs, he continues to threaten new taxes, and he empowers Federal 
bureaucrats to cook up new rules and regulations that make it even 
harder for businesses to grow and to hire. Unless Congress acts, one 
such rule goes into effect next week. Most people haven't heard about 
it because the President hasn't been talking about it. But I am happy 
to because it says all you need to know about this President's approach 
to jobs and the economy.
  As a favor to big labor, the President is right now rushing a plan 
that would restrict an employer's ability to educate workers about 
unionization efforts, as well as increase their legal bills and the 
already high cost of complying with Federal regulations. And get this: 
The administration hasn't even provided an analysis of the cost 
involved in moving forward with this proposal.
  Tomorrow, Senators, led by Senator Enzi, will have an opportunity to 
vote on this effort to make it even harder to do business in this 
country. We will have a chance to stand up against what the President 
is doing to the economy, and in the process we will be reminding people 
to focus on what the President does rather than what he says.
  Look, at a time when America's corporate income tax is now the 
highest in the world, we should be looking for ways to make it easier 
for businesses to hire, not harder. At a time when unemployment is 
above 13 percent for young people between the ages of 20 and 24 in this 
country, we should be finding ways to make it more likely they can find 
work, not less likely. But this is the Obama economy. This is the 
President's approach. This is the painful legacy of his failed economic 
policies. The President may not want to discuss it, but Republicans 
will.

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