John Thune Touts GOP Budget, Slams Dems For Planning To Block Bill With 'Everything They've Got'

Forbes Breaking News

During remarks on the Senate floor Monday, Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) spoke about the Republican budget currently under debate in the Senate.

Transcript

00:00We're rapidly approaching floor consideration of our reconciliation bill, and Democrats

00:07are melting down.

00:09I'm pretty sure the Democrat leader was on the floor every day last week, bemoaning

00:13the bill, and emphasizing how Democrats are going to fight with everything they've got.

00:19That's right, Mr. President, with everything they've got.

00:24Democrats are going to use every resource at their disposal to fight against extending

00:28tax relief for American families.

00:31They're going to fight against funding to secure our border, they're going to fight against

00:36funding to equip our military, they're going to fight against unleashing American energy,

00:42and they're going to fight against all our efforts to make America safer, stronger, and

00:48more prosperous.

00:49And I guess it's not that surprising, Mr. President, after all, Democrats' previous

00:54pledges not to raise taxes on anyone making less than $400,000 a year, often felt a little

00:59bit grudging.

01:02When you're constantly looking to expand government, I guess it makes sense that you'd be more interested

01:08in raising taxes than in allowing Americans to keep more of their hard-earned money.

01:14And if the Biden border crisis taught us anything, it's that Democrats have essentially no interest

01:20in securing our borders at all.

01:23And speaking of President Biden, after years of Biden budgets that deemphasize investing

01:29in our military, I guess it's no surprise that filling the gaps in our readiness is not

01:35a Democrat priority.

01:37Democrat hostility to conventional energy is also well known.

01:41And so, again, I guess it's no surprise that Democrats are opposed to unleashing America's

01:47energy resources.

01:49But it's worth thinking about, in essence, Mr. President, what Democrats are endorsing

01:55by fighting against this reconciliation bill.

01:59They're endorsing a $2.6 trillion tax hike on Americans making less than $400,000 a year.

02:07$2.6 trillion.

02:10Without our bill, a typical family of four making $80,000 will be sending an additional $1,700

02:16to Uncle Sam next year.

02:18$1,700, Mr. President.

02:21Apparently, Democrats are okay with that.

02:25Democrats are also implicitly endorsing a continuation of President Biden's tax policies at our border,

02:31along with an increasing and increasingly dangerous erosion in our military capabilities.

02:38The Air Force has the smallest fleet in its history, and a large proportion of that fleet is not mission-ready.

02:45Our Navy fleet is already smaller than China's.

02:48And without new investment, that problem will only get worse in the next few years.

02:52And in the defining technologies of tomorrow's wars, space, AI, hypersonics, and cyber, China is gaining quickly or already has an edge.

03:05On top of that, we're falling seriously behind when it comes to maintaining an adequate supply of munitions.

03:13But none of this, none of this, Mr. President, seems to matter to Democrats.

03:18In fact, nowhere in the hysteria that they're fomenting over this bill is any perceptible recognition

03:24of the importance of the priorities our bill is addressing from securing our border to bolstering our national defense

03:32to preventing a massive tax hike on American families.

03:37Indeed, judging from the Democrat leader's speeches last week, Democrats' biggest concern right now

03:43is ensuring that illegal aliens and able-bodied adults who refuse to work can stay on Medicaid.

03:50The leader certainly didn't put it that way, of course, but his obsession with the Medicaid provisions of our bill certainly suggests it.

03:58Mr. President, I think it's fair to say that Democrats lost last November because they didn't speak to the concerns of voters

04:04who were tired of the Biden inflation crisis and the Biden border crisis, I should say,

04:12and Democrats' focus on far-left ideologies.

04:17And judging by Democrats' opposition to our bill and their complete lack of interest in the issues our bill addresses,

04:25I think it's fair to say that Democrats haven't learned much since.

04:29Americans are looking for the things our bill will provide,

04:33from the economic benefits that will come with continued tax relief,

04:38to a secure border and a secure, stable, and affordable energy supply.

04:44Republicans, Mr. President, Republicans are going to deliver,

04:50no matter how hard Democrats fight to stand in the way.

04:55Mr. President, I yield the floor, and I suggest the absence of a quorum.

04:59The clerk will call the roll.

05:00Ms. Also Brooks.

05:02Mr. President, now who has a certain 16th,

05:03Using a mandator who东Α WHO were able to turn right down right before the office,

05:05many members had part of the meeting.

05:07And I

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