Government Spending (Cong. Rec., June 15, 2021)
Summary
This is S4525 of the Congressional Record, Senate, June 15, 2021, with interleaved columns. The Senate proceeds to executive session to consider the nomination of Lina M. Khan to be a Federal Trade Commissioner, and Mr. McConnell speaks on the nomination of Kiran Ahuja to head the Office of Personnel Management. Under the heading Government Spending, Mr. Thune says the American Rescue Plan has led to negative economic effects, and that under the President's plan the Federal budget would be $6 trillion for fiscal year 2022, rising to $8.2 trillion for fiscal year 2031, compared with $4.4 trillion in 2019. The views and figures are attributed to the speakers.
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“Government Spending (Cong. Rec., June 15, 2021).”
Original at www.govinfo.gov. Archived at Pandemic Darlings, https://pandemicdarlings.com/source-documents/crec-crec-2021-06-15-crec-2021-06-15-pt1-pgs4525-4-05407e86bb/
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June 15, 2021 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S4525
and another directing funds to farmers Senate will proceed to executive ses- years. Under the President’s plan, the
on the basis of race. So we are talking sion to resume consideration of the fol- Federal budget would be $6 trillion for
about blatantly unconstitutional dis- lowing nomination, which the clerk fiscal year 2022, rising to $8.2 trillion
crimination. will report. for fiscal year 2031. Now, to put those
Fortunately, the independent judici- The senior assistant legislative clerk numbers in perspective, the entire Fed-
ary has stepped in to stop it. Over the read the nomination of Lina M. Khan, eral budget for 2019 came to $4.4 tril-
last few weeks, multiple Federal courts of New York, to be a Federal Trade lion. The President is proposing to
have struck down these provisions, in- Commissioner for the unexpired term nearly double that by 2031.
cluding an appeals panel led by Judge of seven years from September 26, 2017. It is disturbing that the overspending
Amul Thapar from my home State of Mr. MCCONNELL. I suggest the ab- in the American Rescue Plan hasn’t
Kentucky. But these are hardly the sence of a quorum. made Democrats think twice about fu-
only instances in which Washington The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- ture government sprees, but it is not
Democrats have tried to impose their pore. The clerk will call the roll. all that surprising because in the
own radical preferences on ordinary The senior assistant legislative clerk Democratic Party these days, dogma
Americans. proceeded to call the roll. tends to triumph over reality—or prac-
f Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, I ask ticality. Democrats are ever more fa-
unanimous consent that the order for natically committed to expanding gov-
NOMINATIONS the quorum call be rescinded. ernment and taxing Americans, and
Mr. MCCONNELL. Mr. President, The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. they are not slowed down by little de-
later today, the Senate will vote on the HICKENLOOPER). Without objection, it is tails like damaging the economy.
nomination of Kiran Ahuja, President so ordered. Take the increased unemployment
Biden’s choice to serve as head of the GOVERNMENT SPENDING benefits situation. Congress provided a
Office of Personnel Management. This Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, unfortu- Federal increase in unemployment ben-
is the position responsible for making nately, predictions about the negative efits early in the pandemic when busi-
hiring, payroll, and training decisions economic effects of the so-called Amer- nesses were closed and workers had few
that affect literally millions of Federal ican Rescue Plan seem to be coming alternatives to keep their families
employees. true. afloat, but as early as last fall, there
The President’s nominee has made In March, Democrats pushed through were signs that our economy was re-
statements expressing sympathy for this massive partisan spending bill. bounding. And with the arrival of the
the discredited, ahistorical claims They claimed it was urgently needed COVID vaccines, it became clear that
about our Nation’s origins that form COVID funding. In reality, the bill was America would be able to get fully
the backbone of so-called critical race filled with unnecessary spending, from back to work sooner rather than later.
theory. One major organization of Fed- a staggering $350 billion slush fund for But Democrats insisted on con-
eral employees expressed its concern States, a majority of which didn’t need tinuing the increased unemployment
about the nominee’s capacity for ‘‘neu- any more government money to weath- benefits until September of 2021, and
trality, fairness, and impartiality.’’ I er the rest of the pandemic, to almost the effect has been predictable. Despite
share those concerns, and I will be vot- $129 billion for schools, even though record-high job openings, many people
ing against this nomination. schools had spent just a tiny fraction are declining to return to work because
Still elsewhere in the Biden adminis- of the tens of billions of dollars Con- they can make more money staying
tration, efforts to subvert the basic un- gress had already given them. home and drawing unemployment ben-
derstanding of our founding principles At the time, Republicans warned efits.
are already well underway. The Depart- about the bill’s level of spending. More Businesses hit hard by the pandemic
ment of Education’s latest ‘‘proposed than just one liberal economist warned are desperate to return to full oper-
priorities’’ run roughshod over existing about the size of Democrats’ spending ating capacity, but they are being
history and civic programs—estab- plan, with former Obama adviser Larry slowed down by the fact that they can’t
lished with bipartisan support—in Summers noting that the bill could find workers. In response to the worker
order to push critical race theory on ‘‘set off inflationary pressures of a kind shortage, a number of Governors
public school students and keep pace we have not seen in a generation.’’ around the country decided to stop ac-
with ‘‘woke’’ sensibilities. Well, it turns out he was right to be cepting the Federal increase in unem-
American students deserve a rock- worried. Last week, the Bureau of ployment benefits. They wanted to
solid civics education grounded in ac- Labor Statistics released its report on help businesses in their States and get
tual facts, not divisive propaganda that May’s consumer prices, and the news their residents back to work.
tells them they are little more than a was not good. Inflation reached its And how did Democrats respond to
product of their racial background. highest level in nearly 13 years, with that? Well, more than one Democrat
That is the basis of new legislation I consumer prices up 5 percent from a responded by suggesting that the Fed-
was proud to help introduce this week. year ago. Core inflation, a measure of eral Government step in to make sure
Schools that choose to trade in fact- inflation that excludes food and energy these payments continue. That is
based curricula for activist propaganda prices, soared to its highest level in right. Despite evidence that the in-
like the 1619 Project forfeit their right nearly three decades. creased unemployment benefits were
to receive Federal education grant And what does that mean? Well, discouraging workers from going back
funding for those teachings. higher prices for Americans. The price to work, some Democrats wanted to
The current administration came to of everything from bikes to bacon has prevent Governors from halting these
power on the promise to unify a divided shot up. Auto insurance costs 17 per- payments.
nation. It will be judged closely and cent more than it did a year ago. Used Nowhere is Democrats’ devotion to
carefully on how that power is used. cars cost 30 percent more. Shoes and dogma over reality more notable than
f whole milk cost 7 percent more. Infla- in their proposed capital gains tax
CONCLUSION OF MORNING tion is starting to look like it could be- hike. Now, I don’t need to tell anyone
BUSINESS come nontransitory, or what most that ‘‘tax the rich’’ has become the ral-
Americans call a serious problem. lying cry of the Democratic Party. And
The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem-
And Democrats’ government spend- one of the ways that the President
pore. Morning business is closed.
ing spree is contributing, but, of plans to tax well-off Americans is by
f course, that is not causing Democrats doubling the top capital gains rate to
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EXECUTIVE SESSION to hit pause on the economic over- almost 40 percent.
stimulation. Democrats are looking at The problem is that a 40-percent cap-
--- more trillion-plus-dollar spending bills. ital gains rate substantially exceeds
EXECUTIVE CALENDAR The President just released a budget the revenue-maximizing rate. In non-
The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- proposing to hike government spending accountant speak, what that means is
pore. Under the previous order, the by trillions of dollars over the next 10 that Democrats could collect more
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S4526 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE June 15, 2021
government revenue if they raised the of control and hard-working Americans of serious illnesses in their families,
capital gains tax less. Let me repeat end up paying the price. and therefore we are going to delay the
that. Democrats could collect more I yield the floor. vote on Kiran Ahuja.
government revenue if they raised the I suggest the absence of a quorum. I ask unanimous consent that the
capital gains tax less. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The cloture motion with respect to the
Now, you would think that the Presi- clerk will call the roll. nomination of Kiran Ahuja to be Direc-
dent would want to maximize the rev- The legislative clerk proceeded to tor of the Office of Personnel Manage-
enue the government could collect, es- call the roll. ment be withdrawn.
pecially with his plans for 10 years of Mr. HEINRICH. Mr. President, I ask The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without
massive government spending, which I unanimous consent that the order for objection, it is so ordered.
alluded to earlier. But in today’s the quorum call be rescinded. Mr. SCHUMER. We will return to
Democratic Party, taxing the rich is The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without that vote as soon as these Members can
more important than maximizing gov- objection, it is so ordered. return.
ernment revenue, just like tax hikes on VOTE ON KHAN NOMINATION f
corporations are more important than The question is, Will the Senate ad-
making sure our economy grows and vise and consent to the Khan nomina- LEGISLATIVE SESSION
that American companies can compete tion? ---
on the global stage—or raising taxes is Mr. HEINRICH. I ask for the yeas and MORNING BUSINESS
more important than passing legisla- nays.
tion to boost American infrastructure. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there a Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, I ask
That is right. The President would sufficient second? unanimous consent that the Senate
have reached an agreement with Re- There appears to be a sufficient sec- proceed to legislative session for a pe-
publicans on a substantial infrastruc- ond. riod of morning business, with Sen-
ture bill, but he tanked negotiations The clerk will call the roll. ators permitted to speak therein for up
because he was insistent that any bill The legislative clerk called the roll. to 10 minutes each.
repeal parts of the 2017 tax reform leg- Mr. DURBIN. I announce that the The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without
islation, the same legislation that had Senator from New Jersey (Mr. BOOKER) objection, it is so ordered.
driven up wages and boosted our econ- and the Senator from Michigan (Mr. f
omy before the pandemic hit. PETERS) are necessarily absent. RECESS
Democrats are so committed to tax- Mr. THUNE. The following Senator is
ation that they included a provision in necessarily absent: the Senator from Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, I now
the bloated COVID legislation that Florida (Mr. RUBIO). ask that the Senate recess until 2:15
they passed specifically prohibiting The result was announced—yeas 69, p.m.
State governments from using COVID nays 28, as follows: The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without
relief money to cut taxes. Apparently, [Rollcall Vote No. 233 Ex.] objection, the Senate stands in recess
Democrats are fine with government YEAS—69 until 2:15 p.m.
payments to Americans, but allowing Thereupon, the Senate, at 12:22 p.m.,
Baldwin Hassan Ossoff
them to keep more of their own money Bennet Hawley Padilla recessed until 2:15 p.m. and reassem-
is off the table. Blumenthal Heinrich Portman bled when called to order by the Pre-
Democrats have long been interested Blunt Hickenlooper Reed siding Officer (Ms. SINEMA).
Braun Hirono Rosen
in higher taxes to pay for more govern- Brown Hoeven Rounds f
ment spending, but to today’s Demo- Burr Hyde-Smith Sanders
MORNING BUSINESS—Continued
crats, taxation is rapidly becoming a Cantwell Johnson Schatz
Capito Kaine Schumer The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen-
good in itself. Democrats are no longer Cardin Kelly Shaheen
just interested in raising taxes to raise Carper King Sinema
ator from Texas.
revenue. If they were, they wouldn’t be Casey Klobuchar Smith f
planning to jack up the capital gains Cassidy Leahy Stabenow
Collins Luján Tester BORDER SECURITY
tax rate to over 40 percent. They are Coons Manchin Thune
interested in raising taxes because Cortez Masto Markey Van Hollen Mr. CORNYN. Madam President, the
they believe that success should be Duckworth Marshall Warner American people are counting on Con-
Durbin Menendez Warnock gress to act on some of the biggest
punished. Feinstein Merkley Warren
In the increasingly socialist Demo- Fischer Moran Whitehouse
issues facing our country.
cratic Party, it doesn’t matter how Gillibrand Murkowski Wicker For starters, there is a border crisis.
hard you work to get where you are, Graham Murphy Wyden Since January, more than 630,000 mi-
Grassley Murray Young grants have come to our southern bor-
how many people you have created jobs
for, or how much good you are doing NAYS—28 der, including more than 65,000 unac-
with your money; if you have been suc- Barrasso Hagerty Sasse companied children. In May, Customs
cessful, you should be heavily taxed for Blackburn Inhofe Scott (FL) and Border Protection had their busi-
Boozman Kennedy Scott (SC) est month in 21 years, with more than
your efforts, even if those heavy taxes Cornyn Lankford Shelby
actually cost the government money or Cotton Lee Sullivan
180,000 encounters in May alone, and we
hamstring the American economy. Cramer Lummis Tillis are on track to see some of the highest
The growing commitment in the Crapo McConnell Toomey numbers in yearly border crossings in
Cruz Paul
Democratic Party to an increasingly Daines Risch
Tuberville decades.
rigid, socialist dogma is deeply dis- Ernst Romney Well, the alarm bells are sounding,
turbing, and it is certainly not limited NOT VOTING—3
but amid this crisis, the Senate Judici-
to a fanatical commitment to taxation ary Committee held a hearing this
Booker Peters Rubio
or spending. It embraces everything morning on a partisan bill that has
from a social agenda that is increas- The nomination was confirmed. nothing to do with the extant border
ingly hostile to freedom of religion and The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. crisis.
freedom of speech to a fundamental be- LUJÁN). Under the previous order, the Make no mistake, I believe Congress
lief that government knows best when motion to reconsider is considered should absolutely take action to allow
it comes to how Americans run their made and laid upon the table, and the current DACA, or Deferred Action for
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lives. President will be immediately notified Childhood Arrivals, recipients to re-
But, for today, I am just going to of the Senate’s actions. main in the United States, but a par-
limit myself to taxes and spending. The majority leader. tisan bill that would provide a pathway
Let’s hope that Democrats rethink UNANIMOUS CONSENT AGREEMENT to citizenship for 4.4 million adults and
their planned government spending Mr. SCHUMER. We have two of our other unrelated issues has simply no
sprees before inflation really gets out Members who couldn’t be here because chance of passing in the Senate.
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