[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 162 (2016), Part 10]
[Senate]
[Pages 14273-14274]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                 THE ELECTION AND REPUBLICAN PRIORITIES

  Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, there is no doubt that the election we have 
just been through was a bad one. Emotions ran high on both sides and 
are still running. But this is hardly the first time it has happened in 
our history, and it won't be the last.
  Take the election of 1800, for example. The campaign between John 
Adams and Thomas Jefferson was no picnic either. It was emotional, hard 
fought, and full of partisan attacks. Each side alleged that the other 
would bring about ruin to our young Nation.
  In his novel address, the new President, Thomas Jefferson, 
specifically referenced the contentious process that the Nation had 
just gone through, but then he said the following: ``[B]ut this 
[meaning the election] being now decided by the voice of the nation, 
announced according to the rules of the Constitution, all will, of 
course, arrange themselves under the will of the law, and unite in 
common efforts for the common good.''
  Let me repeat that: ``all will . . . arrange themselves under the 
will of the law, and unite in common efforts for the common good.''
  That is the key. That is what separates our Nation from tyrannies and 
other oppressive forms of government. In the United States, we may have 
contentious elections. But at the end of the day, we accept the 
results, and we move forward for the common good. That doesn't mean we 
give up fighting for what we believe in, of course, but we fight within 
the law, not outside of it.
  Our form of government endures because as a nation we respect the 
rule of law. But there is another thing to remember about elections--
not just the

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obligation that we have to accept the results and move forward, but 
something else, and that is what President Obama reminded us of the day 
after the election: We are all Americans, and at the end of the day, we 
are all on the same side.

       Everyone is sad when their side loses an election, but the 
     day after, we have to remember that we're actually all on one 
     team. This is an intramural scrimmage. We're not Democrats 
     first. We're not Republicans first. We are Americans first. 
     We are patriots first.

  That is from President Obama the day after the election. Indeed, we 
are Americans who believe in God-given freedoms, and what unites us is 
greater than what divides us. In the coming days, I look forward to 
working with my fellow Americans from both parties to meet the 
challenges that are facing our Nation.
  There is one thing that this election made clear: It is that this 
economy is not working for American families. In one CNN exit poll last 
Tuesday, 63 percent of voters rated the economy as poor. That result 
should not surprise anyone. The last few years have been tough for 
American workers. Job creation has been sluggish. Wages have been 
stagnant. Economic growth has lagged far behind the pace of other 
recoveries, and opportunities for workers have been few and far 
between.
  There is no wonder so many hard-working Americans feel that they have 
been left behind. To the millions of American workers who are 
discouraged by this economy I want to say this: We hear you. 
Republicans hear you. I promise you, we are going to act. Growing our 
economy is going to be our No. 1 priority next Congress.
  There are a number of things we can do to get the economy healthy 
again. We can reform our Tax Code to reduce the burden on American 
families and businesses. Right now our Nation has the highest corporate 
tax rate in the developed world. More and more American companies are 
focusing their business operations overseas because the tax situation 
is so much better abroad.
  That means American jobs are going overseas with them. We have lost 
our competitive edge in an increasingly global economy. Instead of 
pushing corporations out of our country, we should bring our Nation's 
corporate tax rate in line with those of other countries to keep more 
jobs here in the United States.
  Another big thing we can do is repeal some of the burdensome 
government regulations that are weighing down businesses. While some 
government regulations are necessary, every administration has to 
remember that regulations have consequences. The more resources 
individuals and businesses spend complying with government regulations, 
the less they have available to focus on the growth and innovation that 
drive our economy and create new opportunities for American workers.
  Over the past 8 years in particular, businesses have had to devote 
far too many resources to complying with government regulations. That 
has left them with few resources to dedicate to growing and creating 
jobs.
  Another thing we need to do is address our national debt, which has 
nearly doubled over the past 8 years. That debt is a drag on our 
economy. It slows growth and reduces economic opportunity. It is time 
to get our government back on a budget.
  Another way we can help lift the burden on American families is by 
repealing and replacing ObamaCare. The President's health care law is 
broken. The promise of lower premiums and affordable health care has 
given way to the reality of giant premium increases and massive 
deductibles. It is time to give the American people health care reform 
that actually works.
  Another priority of the new Republican Congress will be national 
security. Americans are rightfully worried about the threat posed by 
terrorist groups such as ISIS, which has spread violence and 
devastation not only in the Middle East but across Europe and beyond. 
We have even experienced ISIS-inspired terrorist attacks on American 
soil in San Bernardino and Orlando.
  More recently, there were attempted bombings in New York and New 
Jersey and an ISIS-inspired stabbing attack in Minnesota. Republicans 
are committed to defeating ISIS abroad and keeping Americans safe here 
at home. We intend to make sure that our law enforcement agencies and 
our Nation's military have the tools they need to defeat terrorist 
threats. We will make sure that our military men and women remain the 
best equipped and the most prepared fighting forces on the planet.
  Another key component to keeping Americans safe is securing our 
borders. We must have secure borders and policies that encourage legal 
immigration while discouraging illegal immigration.
  Then there are the other priorities we need to address: confirming a 
Supreme Court nominee who will judge based on the law and the 
Constitution, protecting religious liberty, encouraging investment in 
our Nation's infrastructure, and more.
  To all the Americans who voted for change in this election, to every 
worker who has felt left behind in this economy, I want to say again: 
We hear you. Republicans hear you. We are going to fight for your 
priorities here in Washington. We are committed to earning the trust 
that you placed in us on election day.
  The election is over, and it is time to take up the work of governing 
the Nation. Our Nation is facing many challenges. It is time for all of 
us--Democrat and Republican, liberal and conservative--to unite to 
address them. If we work together, I firmly believe we will once again 
be able to say, as President Ronald Reagan once said:

       American's best days are yet to come. Our proudest moments 
     are yet to be. Our most glorious achievements are just ahead.

  I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Daines). The Senator from Arizona.

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