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Click Here for Rep. Arrington's Full Remarks
Full Remarks
"I appreciate Ms. Murphy's honest and candid remarks, and I'm sympathetic that I bet she would support some of this. I may not support some of the things she supports, but I think it is hurried. I think it is irresponsible. We're talking about the largest tax hike in the history of the United States of America. We're talking about the biggest spending proposal on the heels of $2 trillion of the so-called American Rescue Plan, which had some COVID relief and assistance, but the majority of it was bailouts for union pensions and bailouts for states and local districts that were horribly, fiscally irresponsible prior to COVID. So, I don't think it's too much to ask. I harken back to some of the comments that my colleague from Illinois said, the fundamental issue here at hand, because I don't think the motives of any of my colleagues on the other side of the aisle – my Democrat friends – I think that their intentions are good. I think they probably want to help their fellow Americans. But the road to serfdom, ladies, and gentlemen, is paved with good intentions. And what we're witnessing and what we may experience if we can't get some Democrats to peel off of this deal is the most radical reimagination of the role of the federal government in the lives of its citizens. Plain and simple.
"And I'm deeply concerned on the tax side, that we will never see the day we recover to pre-COVID levels. To start, we've already hamstrung the country for the last several months because my colleagues, my Democrat friends on this committee, against the warnings of their Republican colleagues, passed policies that had nothing to do with COVID, spent so much money, and distorted the economy. Now we're dealing with a spike in inflation, which is the everyman tax. We also warned, 'don't pay people more to be on unemployment than they made in their previous job.' That is a moral hazard. That is a disaster. That will keep people sidelined, and it will ruin any genuine effort to get our country back on its feet. But y'all did it anyway, and when you did, we saw a horrible side effect of this medicine that we force-fed the country in the name of, 'We want to help you. We want to help you.' We've got small businesses who'll never come back. They poured their whole life savings into these dreams, but they can't hire employees, they can't pay their bills, and they've had to shutter. Now we're going to put a three and a half-trillion-dollar tax on top of that? That's going to be lower wages, folks, it's going to be higher costs and higher inflation. We're going to destroy farming with the death tax supercharge. We're going to destroy the lifeblood of this economy, which is oil and gas, because of the punitive provisions in there.
"And this "cradle-to-grave" concept? It's true. Childcare, universal pre-K, universal college, free housing, free health care, free paid medical leave – it ain't free, ladies and gentlemen! It ain't free. My children and your children are going to pay for this. It is the Damocles Sword hanging over their head. This is the way great nations die. It's not China. It's not the border. It's not the debacle in Afghanistan – the embarrassment of the way that went down – it is the way we implode under the weight of these bad decisions. Maybe with some good intentions, but this is all going to be paid for on the heads of our children and grandchildren. I don't have to go over the numbers of the debt deficit that will be accelerated and exacerbated as a result of these policies. I'll end there, and I appreciate the time. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and I yield back."
Earlier today, Congressman Arrington also joined CNBC's Squawk Box to discuss Democrats' radical $3.5 trillion spending package and to preview today's hearing.
Click Here to see the Full Interview
Full Interview
"Well, surprise, surprise, the socialist who is the chairman and self-ascribed, that's not to be pejorative, socialist, who chairs the Senate Budget Committee thinks that $3.5 trillion is a good number to take from the American taxpayers, who are already struggling because of the pandemic and government shutdowns. We have 10 million jobs openings, and too many people sidelined because they are getting paid by the government more than they made in their previous job. Listen, the best anti-poverty program and the best recovery strategy are the same – create more jobs. $3.5 trillion of taxes are going to take us the other way. They are going to chase jobs back overseas and make us less competitive. By the way, most of this is going to be passed down in lower wages and higher costs of goods and services as if we don't already have an inflationary crisis – which is a tax on every American. Most of this going to be borne by middle-class and working people. This is one in a long line of disasters. I think this one will stick with our country, unfortunately, a lot longer than the border disaster or the disaster and debacle that we have seen in Afghanistan. So, I am very concerned, with all due respect to my friend, Representative Moore; I am very concerned about not only the taxes but the unionization of the workforce in every state – the PRO Act – amnesty and citizenship, which has been stuffed into this turkey – just like they filled the last covid relief so-called plan with a bunch of progressive policies. So, across the board, Joe, this is the biggest disaster I think we have seen yet from our Democratic colleagues."
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