John Barrasso Explains How The Big Beautiful Bill Will 'Restore' And 'Rebuild' The United States

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In remarks on the Senate floor last week, Sen. John Barrasso (R-WY) spoke about the Big Beautiful Bill.

Transcript

00:00Mr. President, I come to the floor today because for the last few years I think we

00:11can best describe the time in America as a time of record high prices and wide

00:16open borders. Prices soared by over 20 percent, which was a 40-year high. 10

00:23million illegal immigrants flooded across our nation's borders. American

00:28families struggled and communities were unsafe. So in November this past year the

00:35American people said enough. They rejected the chaos and the extremism of the

00:41Democrat Party and the Democrat leadership and they chose Republicans in

00:45order to get the country back on track. So the bill that we are voting on this week

00:50is the Republican plan, a plan for a safer and more prosperous America. It's a plan

00:57to cut taxes, lower prices, secure the border, and of course to strengthen our

01:04nation. It is the blueprint to renew, to rebuild, and to restore our nation. Here's

01:11how. First our bill stops a four trillion dollar tax increase. Now that would be the

01:18biggest tax increase in the history of the country. Every Senate Democrat has vowed

01:23to stop the bill. That's because the Democrats are the party of record high taxes. They want

01:32people's taxes to go up to a tune of four trillion dollars. If the Democrats have their

01:39way, every working family in America will pay more in taxes. They'll see a higher tax bill next year.

01:47So if you make between $30,000 and $80,000 a year, when our bill passes, you're going to get a 15% tax cut.

01:57We cut taxes on overtime, on Social Security, and on tips. If you're a waiter, a police officer, a nurse,

02:04you're going to keep more of what you earn. If you're on Social Security, you will see more money at the end

02:11of each month through a larger deduction. Now this is real relief for the American people who have been

02:18suffering through four years of record high prices. Additionally, and as a doctor, I think this is

02:24critically important. Our bill strengthens Medicaid. Medicaid exists for the vulnerable, for children, for

02:31pregnant women, for the disabled. That's who it was set up and established for. But right now, Medicaid

02:39is failing them. And the problem, of course, is the waste and the fraud and the abuse and the corruption

02:45that has been allowed to get into that system as a result of the last four years of liberal leadership

02:51in Washington. Experts tell us that over the past number of years, over $1.1 trillion has been wasted

02:59on improper payments alone. And Washington was happy to shovel the money out of this city

03:08to big states and big cities. State Justice California, money meant for the vulnerable was

03:16siphoned off. It was diverted for free health care for illegal immigrants. Well, our bill stops all of

03:23that. We also believe and add the fact that there needs to be work requirements. Work requirements for

03:30able-bodied, working-age people. If people can work, they should work. That's how you move people from

03:37poverty to a paycheck. Additionally, our bill secures the borders and deports illegal immigrants. The

03:45border has been wide open for the last four years. Over 10 million illegal immigrants have come into the

03:50country. We've seen the numbers. We've seen the videos, the crime, the chaos allowed by the previous

03:56administration. And we've seen how quickly things can change with real leadership in the White House.

04:02It's dramatic. It's the improvement that the American people have wanted. Our bill invests $160

04:12billion in public safety, hiring 10,000 new immigration and customs agents, hiring 3,000 new border patrol

04:20agents, finishing the wall, giving our officers a well-deserved bonus for keeping our communities safe.

04:25Additionally, the bill we have unleashes American energy. Under Joe Biden, energy prices rose 31% in

04:33four years. Well, we fix that by producing more energy right here at home in America. We open up energy

04:42production onshore, offshore, and in Alaska. That means affordable gas prices, lower energy bills,

04:49good-paying American jobs. It powers innovation here at home. America is an energy superpower. And once

04:58again, we're going to act like it. Additionally, our bill restores American strength. For four years

05:06under Joe Biden, the world saw American weakness. This bill, as well as our actions last weekend,

05:13send a clear message. America is strong again. We invest $150 billion in our military. We build 13 new warships,

05:23and we boost shipbuilding capacities. Remember, strength deters. Weakness invites aggression.

05:33A ready America is a safe and strong America. Well, that's what Americans want. It's what they need. And it's

05:40what Americans voted for in November. Lower taxes, safer communities, secure borders, strong economy.

05:49Leaders who put common sense ahead of chaos. And that's exactly what this bill delivers.

05:55This bill keeps the promises that we made to the American people. Well, a vote against the bill,

06:02and that's what the Democrats are coming to the floor, and they're promising, they're going to beat

06:05this thing. That would saddle hard-working Americans with the largest tax increase ever,

06:10with open borders, with a weaker economy, a weaker country. And that's what they come to the floor

06:17and say they are fighting for. I asked the American people, whose side do you stand on? What is it that

06:22you want for your future and your country? Because we know what works. In the 1980s, President Ronald Reagan

06:29tamed inflation, cut taxes, and stood strong. It was morning in America. And then in the 90s,

06:36in a bipartisan effort, Republicans worked with President Bill Clinton to reform welfare. Millions

06:42moved from poverty to paycheck. We need to do that again. In 2017, we cut taxes, we rolled back red tape,

06:50we unleashed American energy, and it created the best economy in my lifetime. Middle-class incomes rose by

06:58nearly $6,000 across the board, and energy was much more affordable. We did it before. With this bill,

07:05we will do it again. So today, Senate Republicans stand united. United to deliver lower prices, higher

07:13wages, and more jobs here at home. This bill that we will vote on this week opens the next chapter in our

07:20great American comeback story. Mr. President, Republicans are ready to get America back on track.

07:28Thank you, Mr. President. I yield the floor. Suggest the absence of a quorum.

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