American Energy
Madam President, now let's talk about American energy. America's future depends on abundant energy resources. We know what happened under Joe Biden: Energy prices rose 31 percent in just 4 years. Today, thanks to Republican leadership,…
Madam President, now let's talk about American energy.
America's future depends on abundant energy resources. We know what happened under Joe Biden: Energy prices rose 31 percent in just 4 years. Today, thanks to Republican leadership, America is producing energy much more again and prospering again.
We are producing energy onshore, offshore, and in Alaska. My home State of Wyoming is America's energy breadbasket. We are drilling; we are mining; we are powering data centers and factories.
More production at home lowers prices, it creates more jobs for energy workers, and it restores America's energy dominance.
Moreover, Republicans are strengthening Medicaid with reasonable work requirements. Currently, 4.8 million able-bodied adults who will not work still receive Medicaid benefits. Our law changes that. If you can work, you should work. That is fair to everyone else. It strengthens our safety net for those who truly need it.
Democrats are fearmongering about Medicaid. I am a doctor. Let me set the record straight. Under our law, single mothers keep their coverage. Children keep their coverage. Disabled Americans keep their coverage.
On national security, Republicans are reversing 4 years of weakness and woke distractions. We are restoring America's peace through strength. Our new law includes $150 billion to rebuild our military. Our military will once again be lethal, ready, and respected.
Of course, national security starts with border security, and that is why Republicans secured the border. President Trump ended Joe Biden's disastrous open border policy. Under Joe Biden, 10 million illegal immigrants flooded across our border. Ten thousand illegal crossings every day was the standard for the Democrats and the Biden administration with their open border policy. Illegal border crossings are at a record low.
We ended the Biden policy of catch-and-release. In the last 2 months, the number of illegal immigrants who were released into this country is zero--zero. That is right. Think about what that means. I mean, think about what it means for our communities, for families. Zero releases means zero communities overwhelmed by an influx of illegal immigrants, zero schools overcrowded, zero hospitals overrun, zero new cases like Laken Riley's and Rachel Morin's. Our new law provides $46.5 billion to finish the wall at our southern border. It also invests significantly in Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Additionally, Republicans cut billions in wasteful Washington spending around the world. Under Joe Biden, Democrats planned to spend taxpayer dollars on--listen to this--$500,000 on electric buses in Africa, $880,000 on social media mentorship in Europe, and $6 million for net zero cities in Mexico. The list goes on.
Republicans passed a rescissions bill that saved taxpayers $9 billion.
Here is the bottom line: These are commonsense reforms. At one time, they were bipartisan. In 1986, 30 Senate Democrats voted for President Reagan's tax cuts. One of the 30 was then-Senator Joe Biden. Today, every Democrat in Congress voted to raise taxes on working Americans. Every Democrat voted for open borders and to give free healthcare to illegal immigrants.
The Democratic Party today is the party of high taxes, high prices, and open borders. Democrats are more than just liberal; they are radical, they are extreme, they are dangerous, they are scary, and they are terribly out of touch.
A Wall Street Journal poll this weekend found Democrats' favorability at a 35-year low. The American people see what we see and what I have just talked about in terms of what the Democrats are trying to do to this country and continue to push.
On critical issues like the economy, inflation, immigration, and national security, Americans trust Republicans more, and they are right to do so because Republicans are lowering costs, we are securing our borders, we are rebuilding our military, we are getting America back on track, and we are just getting started. The American comeback is real. The Republican majority is delivering, and America's best days are still ahead.
I yield the floor.