Democrats’ Reckless Tax and Spending Spree Meant to Turn Temporary Pandemic into Permanent Socialism

U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) delivered the following remarks today on the Senate floor regarding the Democrats’ reckless tax and spending spree:

“Over the past year and a half, senior Democratic leaders decided the upheaval and hardship of a once-in-a-century pandemic was really a chance to justify radical, left-wing change.

“This isn’t me conjecturing. It’s what they keep saying.

“Right at the start of the crisis, March 2020, the House Democratic Whip said the pandemic offered, ‘a tremendous opportunity to restructure things to fit our vision.’

“Just last week, President Biden said, quote, ‘this pandemic has been godawful for so many reasons… but it does present us with an opportunity.’

“Points for honesty, at least.

“The reckless taxing and spending spree that Democrats are writing behind closed doors is designed to leave Americans with a socialist country they never voted for. A country that working families, in many ways, would barely recognize.

“Last night, one of those many efforts hit a stumbling block. Senate Democrats were reminded the rules of this institution will not permit them to shove a massive amnesty for illegal immigrants into the reckless taxing and spending spree they want to ram through on party lines.

“Our Democratic colleagues cannot pretend that massive, transformational policy changes are mere budgetary tweaks. As no less an authority than our colleague now-Chairman Bernie Sanders said just a few years ago, quote, 'the function of reconciliation is to adjust federal spending and revenue, not to enact major changes in social policy.'

“That’s a lesson he and his caucus need to re-learn.

“Even with the border as insecure as it’s ever been, the far left wanted sweeping amnesty — and Democratic leaders dutifully tried their best. It just goes to show how radical this legislation is going to be.

“Democrats want to tamper with Americans’ Medicare and stretch the program even thinner — while it already faces fiscal challenges.

“They want to interfere massively with the states that chose not to bow to Obamacare mandates on Medicaid.

“They want to use healthcare dollars to line the pockets of special interests with big union giveaways.

“And they want to impose socialist price controls on Americans’ medicines that would leave us with fewer new treatments and new cures in the future.

“It all adds up to a massive leap towards socialized medicine.

“But somehow this still only scratches the surface.

“Democrats are also trying to force through an unprecedented federal takeover of American families’ childcare options that may leave faith-based childcare providers high and dry.

“They want an all-out assault on affordable, reliable, homegrown American energy — so the entire country can be marched toward California utility prices, California gas prices, and California electricity blackouts. Just what families want.

“I could go on all day. The reckless taxing and spending spree that Democrats are writing behind closed doors is shaping up to be exactly what they promised:

“An effort to exploit this terrible but temporary pandemic as a Trojan horse for permanent socialism.”