Cancer. Of savannah wart journalism, unbelievably wtoc, ed to his craft at and largely responsible for southeast news leader. He began at the news station 40 in s ago while a Student College with a parttime job answering the phone. By the end of his career, he had up to become wtocs creative director and at held nearly nts every position at the station. His colleagues remember that he to get to the heart of the story and that he was interested in doing everything could to help shine a light on what made our community so special. It was this effort and talent that he put into his stories, hich made our area a better place to live and exemplified true rney as a savannahian. His vibrant personality, always search of stories to highlight, is simply irreplaceable. Will be ts and prayers with his family, friends and olleagues at wtoc during this most difficult time. Thank you, mr. Speaker, and i yield back. The speaker pro tempore for what purpose does the gentleman from california seek recognition . Without objection, the gentleman is recognized for one minute. Mr. Speaker, i rise today to congratulate two high schools from my district on their c. I. F. Southern section football championships. I offer my con sere congratulations to Sunny Hills High School lancers from fullerton for their win in the division 8 final and i also want to congratulate the aztecs for their win in the Southern Section Division 13 final. Were all especially proud of both schools for their amazing run through the playoffs. Mr. Cisneros this is both sunny hills and esperanzas first championships since 1972. Their championships speak to the leadership of their head coaches, pete and wes, and their respective coaching staffs. But more importantly, these championships were possible due to the dedication, commitment and teamwork of the players. I have no doubt that this is just the beginning of the continued success for both programs. Again, on behalf of the 39th congressional district, i want to congratulate both sunny hills and esper nambings, za high schools doctor esperanza high schools for two outstanding championship seasons. Thank you, mr. Speaker. I yield back the balance of my time. The speaker pro tempore for what purpose does the gentleman from florida seek recognition . I ask unanimous consent to address the house for one minute, to revise and extend my remarks. The speaker pro tempore without objection, the gentleman is recognized for one inute. Thank you, mr. Speaker. I rise to honor a local police officer, husband, father and respected community member. Mr. Spano ken foley. In 1990, officer foley joined the Lakeland Police Department Following eight years with the United States marine corps. Last week, on december 4, after 29 years of distinguished service, his career and his life here on this earth came to an end as he died unexpectedly while on duty. Police chief ruben garcia shared that foley was a, quote, everyday First Responder and definitely one of our local heroes. Officer foley was active in the community and he knew it well. And lakeland residents flooded social media with anecdotes about officer foleys infectious smile, his compassion, and his unique ability to connect with people. Officers like ken foley make me proud, proud of my community and grateful for the daily sacrifices of our First Responders. So to officer foleys family, his friends and the entire Lakeland Police department, our prayers are with you all. May god bless, comfort and keep you during this difficult time. I yield back. The speaker pro tempore for what purpose does the gentleman from new jersey seek recognition . I ask unanimous consent to address the house for one minute and to revise and extend my remarks. The speaker pro tempore without objection, the gentleman is recognized for one inute. Mr. Van drew today i want to acknowledge the township aces program, a School District in south jersey, and its an initiative started by barbara roe. That provides academic aid and enrichment to students after school hourls. The aces program started in the township in south jersey 12 years ago. Thanks to grant funds for a 21st Century Community Learning Center from the new Jersey Department of education. This Afterschool Program is vital to south jersey, because it provides afterschool care to students that balance academic opportunities and recreational activities. At aces, students have aces, students have time to complete their homework and participate in sports, or other games and activities, which cultivates both their academic and cultivates their social development. Aces also offers additional tutoring, counseling and Health Safety education so every student has access to whatever they need to achieve success. Thank you to the aces program, barbara roe, and the township School District for providing the educational experience for our youth. Im proud of them. And i yield back. The speaker pro tempore for what purpose does the gentleman from louisiana seek recognition . I seek unanimous consent to address the house for one minute, revise and extend my remarks. The speaker pro tempore without objection, the gentleman is recognized for one minute. Mr. Speaker, i rise today to pay tribute to a true louisianan louisiana icon, dr. Similar kins sr. , a doctor, veteran, distinguished Public Servant and civil rights leader who passed away last week. Dr. Similarkin simkins, leaves behind a wonderful legacy of service to his fellow louisianans. He defended our nation as a captain in the United States air force, he treated our families as a beloved dentist and he served honorably as a member of the louisiana house of representatives. Mr. Johnson his greatest impact was in the fight for civil rights. He was a friend and contemporary of the reverend dr. Martin luther king jr. He was a founder of the southern christian Leadership Conference and he was tireless advocate for freedom, justice and equality. Today im honored to join my colleagues from the louisiana delegation to introduce legislation to designate a post office in his name and his in his hometown of mansfield. Its a small but sincere gesture of our appreciation for a very good man. Whose legacy lives our in our on in our nation, our state and our communities. God speed. I yield back. The speaker pro tempore for what purpose does the gentleman from ohio seek recognition . I ask unanimous consent to address the house for one minute. The speaker pro tempore without objection, the gentleman is recognized for one minute. Thank you, mr. Speaker. I rise this evening to congratulate my alma mater, la salle high school, for winning their fourth Ohio Division ii football championship in the last six years. Mr. Chabot they defeated a tough team 3417. I was particularly pleased to see la salle bring home another championship, since i played defensive line for the lancers back in the day, and my brother, dave, 10 years later, played defensive back. Congratulations to coach mclove land, his coaching staff, mclaughlin, his coaching staff, the players, students and fans. You made the school and all of cincinnati proud. Lancers roll deep. Mr. Speaker, id also like to congratulate the cincinnati elder panthers who had a great season as well but came up just short of winning the Ohio Division i championship. My nephews, joey and mikey delprince, played for elder a few years back. Dont get too down, guys. Youll get them next year. Go panthers. And i yield back. The speaker pro tempore the chair lays before the house the following personal requests. The clerk leave of absence requested for mr. Aderholt of alabama for december 9 and 10. The speaker pro tempore without objection, the request s granted. Under the speakers announced the of january 3, 2019, gentleman from kentucky, mr. Barr, is recognized for 60 minutes as the designee of the minority leader. Mr. Barr thank you, mr. Speaker. Tonight we find ourselves at a crossroads in the history of our great nation. A nation founded upon the simple selfevident truth that we are endowed by our creator with certain inalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. And that to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. With those words the declaration of independence gave birth to a new nation rooted in the principles of limited government, individual freedom, and the rule of law through selfgovernment. And it set into motion the greatest experiment in human freedom and prosperity the world has ever known. That is largely because our constitution protected those principles through separation of powers, federalism and the bill of rights, and just as the constitution protected political freedom, it also protected our Economic Freedom. And enabled the American People to flourish through entrepreneurship, business and private enterprise operating in a free market. In short, mr. Speaker, american capitalism, as enabled by the United States constitution, has delivered the most free, prosperous and successful country in the history of the world. But today those principles of Free Enterprise and capitalism are under attack and that experience and that experiment in liberty is threatened by leftwing politicians who are openly embracing socialism, defenders of Central Planning and the media and in the academy and even some business lead horse are calling for a redefinition of the leaders who are calling for the dreffnition of the purpose. So today we join the debate. We join the debate between staying on the road of capitalism, prosperity and freedom, versus going down a much different path. What austrian british economist and philosopher Friedrich August vanhaic called the road to servedom, in which he spelled out serfdom in which he spelled out a warning that an experiment with socialist policies would result in the same disastrous outcomes that had destroyed liberty in germany and russia. The experience of history is clear. Whenever and wherever socialism has been tried and put into place, it has resulted in a loss of individual freedom, economic stagnation, diminished productivity, department are a ration and deprivation and shortages, misery and death. Central planning in germany, italy and japan before world war ii, and in the soviet union and china in the postcold war era invariably resulted in souldestroying and libertycrushing totalitarianism. To paraphrase, fascism, communism and socalled democratic socialism are merely variants of the same totalitarianism which Central Control of all Economic Activity tends to produce. Socialist parties may not deliberately aim for a totalitarian regime, but the experience of history teaches us that the unforeseen but inevitable consequences of socialist planning create a state of affairs in which if the policy is to be pursued, totalitarian forces will get the upper hand. Economic planning necessarily requires coercion and uses of compulsion upon individuals in ways that deprive them of freedom of choice. As Arthur Charles c. W. Cook recently wrote, socialism is not democratic. Ascend dent elements within the asent dent elements within the american left are in an attempt to reintroduce and rehabilitate the word socialism. In part by prepending to it a word that has a much better reputation reputation and an infinitely better historical record democratic. Voters should not be fooled by the rebranding. For there is no sense in which socialism can be made compatible with democracy. At worst, socialism eats democracy and is swiftly transmuted into tyranny and deprivation. But at best socialism stamps out individual agency, places Civil Society into a straightjacket of uniform size, and turns Representative Government into a shmira. The u. S. Constitution is Crystal Clear on the appropriate role of government. And the government that it permits is incompatible with and insufficient to sustain socialism. Just as the individual right to free speech is widely comprehended as part of what we mean by democracy, rather than as an unacceptable abridgement of majority rule, so the individual rights protected in property and by markets are necessary to the maintenance of a democratic order, in this deeper sense of the word. In the west, choosing to trade with a person in another country is itself a democratic act. Electing to start a company in your garage with no need for anothers input is in itself a democratic act. Banding together to establish a cooperative is in itself a democratic act. Selecting the vendor from which you source your goods and services and choosing what to buy from it is itself a democratic act. Keeping the lions share of the fruits of your labor is itself a democratic act. So when the government steps in with their bayonets and say, no, they are in effect keeping your choices off the ballot. Democratic socialism to me is about democratic control of every single facet of our life. Thats one way of putting it. Certainly another is tyranny. So during the last three years, through tax cuts, deregulation, unleashing Americas Energy and easing restrictions on credit markets by rolling back doddfranks onesizefitsall rules, we have witnessed a rebirth of freedom. And Free Enterprise. We have witnessed a einvigration reinvig ration of americas First Principles and a move away from socialism. The result has been an American Worker boom. If we retreat from these hardfought gains we will return to the road to serfdom. The socialist policies of today with populist names like medicare for all, the Green New Deal, the lower drug costs now act, the wall street tax act, the stop wall street looting act, these piece of legislation are all a danger to a free society. They are nothing more than Central Planning schemes that accumulate power in the government at the expense of the people. And in ways that rely on administrative coercion, force, and discrimination. And through measures which are entirely incompatible with a free society. If you think that a transition to socialist policies wont pose a danger to our economy, i would urge you to review the socalled accountable capitalism act offered by senator and candidate for president elizabeth warren. Its a wish list of socialist ideas, aimed to shackle private enterprise with government control. The bill would require any company over 1 billion in revenue to be chartered by the federal government and allow the federal government to relinquish that charter at any time through oop paycheck rule. The bill gives control to the government to determine who serves on a companys board and whose interests that board must satisfy. Senator warren went so far as to send letters to c. E. O. s of some of americas largest and most successful businesses stating that she, quote, expects them to support her bill. With this burden of government control over its operations, where is the incentive for business to expand . Where is the incentive for americans to innovate . Where is the incentive for americans to risk their capital in entrepreneurship . Where is the incentive to increase revenue or create new jobs . President ial candidate Bernie Sanders said we should, quote, wage a moral and political war against corporate leaders, unquote. The gentlelady from new york, our colleague, ms. Ocasio cortez, called capitalism, quote, irredeemable, unquote. These arrogant attitudes of our nations elected representatives threaten the principles of limited government and individual freedom on which our country was funned and they compromise the path to prosperity that a capitalist system creates. Tonight, mr. Speaker, we will explore the extent to which socialism destroys freedom and crushes the human soul. And we will examine how socialism, far from delivering on its promise to help people struggling in poverty, that socialism itself produces poverty. It produces famine and misery and corruption. And we will also on the flip side in contrast, we will examine capitalism. And how Free Enterprise and the benefits that it creates helps individuals and businesses thrive. How it is the American Dream. And how progrowth, free, and mare market policy best gatt innovation, prosperity and opportunity. With that, i want to yield time to my colleagues beginning with the gentleman from louisiana, the chairman of the republican study committee, a champion of Free Enterprise, and a proud opponent of socialism, my friend, mr. Johnson. Mr. Johnson thank you. I truly thank my friend, congressman barr, for hosting this special hour. I applaud the sentiment he is just share. I associate myself with them and the conviction that he has. I certainly share it, i know so many of my colleagues on this side of the aisle do as well. In 1923 there was an average middle class family man named roy otis martin who bought a run down lumber hill many in alexandria, louisiana. He worked hard, expanded it and transformed it into one of the largest economic generators for our state. This is what makes america great. This is true freedom. This is real opportunity. It is a story that has been repeat sod many countless times throughout our nations rich history. However, many americans, particularly our younger generation, seem to be losing hold of these values. There was a survey that just came out this past march, we all lmented lamented the find, 49 ppt 6 , almost 50 , of millenials and members of generation z, responded to this poll and said they would prefer living in a socialist country, unquote. Its shocking. Just last month there was another poll that came out, it found that 70 of millenials say they are likely to vote sobalist 15. of millenials think the world would be a better place the soviet union still existed. Only 57 of millenials believe that the declaration of independence better guarantees freedom and equality over the communist man midwesto. These are shocking numbers. And theyre really frightening. Because its this mindset thats the antithesis of everything our founders fought for. What do we stand for in america . We stand for core american principle the principles of individual freedom and limited government and the rule of law, things like peace through strength, fiscal responsibility, free markets, and human dignity. Those are all of the values that socialism steam rolls. Those are the ideals that this country was funned on and they have to remain the foundation for everything we do. It is central to our identity. Unfortunately now more than ever, theres a false message taking root. One that says government is better. That more government is even greater. That most of those running for president in 2020 on the democrat side of the aisle are promising Free Health Care and Free Education and some are going as far as actually promising free money to every american on a monthly basis for those who put their trust in the government. The problem is, the government was never intended to be our savior our Founding Fathers bill this republic on strong convictions that every american is entite told individual freedom and should never be controlled or owned or dictated to by the government. In fact, Thomas Jefferson said the following during his first inaugural address. Quote, what more ises me to make us happy and a prosperous people . Still one thing more, fellow citizens. A wise and frugal government which shall restrain men from injuring one another shall leave them otherwise free to regular lit their own pursuits in triand improvement and shall not take if the mouth of labor the bread it has earned. There are two competing visions for America Today, and thats the bottom line. The contrast is becoming ever more Crystal Clear. You simply cannot be for individual freedom and liberty and also be for socialism. Those are mutually exclusive pursuits. You simply cant have both. Socialism is the an tist sis of everything we stand for is the antithee soifs everything tostand for in antithesis everything we stand for. You know why socialists sneer at in god we trust . Because as Vladimir Lenin explained there is nothing more abominable than religion. Every socialist is, as a rule, an atheist, unquote. Now is the time for us to articulate with clarity, conviction, and consistency exactly what our founders stood for, what america is for. Who we are. And why we are exceptional. I close by just thanking again the gentleman from kentucky for putting this special order together at such a critical hour in our nations history. We will cant to fight whole heartedly against socialism so all americans have the same opportunity our forefathers had to turn lumber mills into legacies. With that, i yield back. Mr. Barr i thank think i thank my friend, the chairman from louisiana, for that stirring story. I appreciate what he had to say. Every generation in america has had to fight for freedom and fight for Free Enterprise and i re i am reminded by a couple of generations after the Founding Fathers when our 16th president , abraham lincoln, in fighting for capitalism freedom said this, quote, you cannot help the poor by destroying the rich. You cannot strengthen the weak by weakening the strong, you cannot bring about prosperity by discouraging thrift, you cannot lift the wage earner up pulling the wage payer down. You cannot further the brotherhood of man by inciting class hatred. You cannot build character by taking away Peoples Initiative and independence. You cannot help people permanently by doing for them what they could and should do for themselves. Abraham run in abraham lincoln. Now im proud to invite to say a few words my friend from the commonwealth of virginia, a great patriot, congressman rob wittman. Mr. Wittman id like to thank the gentleman from kentucky for his stout and devout effort to highlight the differences between socialism and capitalism. Just as youve heard, this really is a stark difference. It is about what was this nation founded upon . What was it that our Founding Fathers had in mind that was so important to who we are . What were they doing to escape other systems of government to come here to create what has been and will continue to be the most accommodating and perfect form of government ever created . And why has it survived longer than any other form of government . Its because it highlights and allows the human spirit to prevail. In all situations. If you look at just what the definition of socialism is, it does, i think, for anybody out there who looks at this, it does give them pause. If you look at merriam webster, the definition of socialism is any of the various economic and political theories advocating collective or governmental ownership and administration of the means of production and distribution of goods. So rather than individual saying i have an idea, im willing to risk my resource, willing to put everything i have into this, to succeed under a system of capitalism, under a system of socialism would be no, no, no, sorry, the government will be in control of this and the government sees this as a good thing it will allow it to go forward. Another definition. A system of society or group living in which there is no private property. Think about that. I want all of everybody out there to think about this. Millenials and otherwise. A system where there is no private property. Think about what your life would be if there was no private property. Your home. Your automobile. All this idea of collectivism is the underpinnings of socialism. Another definition, a system or condition of society in which the means of production are owned and controlled by the state. So if you have a business and youre very good at with what you do, just as mr. Johnson pointed out, the business in louisiana thats very good at building a company that met the needs of folks that need building supplies, sorry if its under socialism, the production there at that company will be controlled and owned by the state. Think about that. Think about those elements and what has made this nation great. This nation has not been made great by having things under government control. Its the innovation, its the creation, its the willingness to take risk by individuals across this nation that have provided for the nation we are today and i believe is the greatest provider of human needs. In fact, our system of capitalism which operates in a free market system and what we know as the fee enterprise system is the most productive supplier of human needs and Economic Justice you hear a lot today about Economic Justice. Has to be Economic Justice. Economic justice is provided by the will and creativity of individuals in being able to pursue what falls within their realm of talents. How can they take what they have as individuals, whether resources or talents, and make the most of those . Thats what made our nation great. Thats the system of government that beyond all others has shown through history to be extraordinarily successful. It has made us the nation we are today. And its our job as legislators to point that out to make sure we enable this system of government to do even more. We look at our Economy Today and we understand that government needs to get out of the way. Government needs to be an enabler. Government needs to make sure that we allow for the creativity and innovation that again make this is nation great. Its our job to encourage those businesses to thrive instead of subjecting them to additional regulations. This element of deregulation has been phenomenal. If you talk to businesses today they love it. They said listen, you unleashed that entrepreneurial spirit you unleash the willingness for us to take a riff. You unleash us being innovators and creators doing things that wouldnt be possible under a system of socialism. We just saw here recently the jobs report. We have a record Unemployment Rate being at record low levels. We look at employment in all sectors of our society being at record highs. We look at wage growth increasing. All those things happening in under our system of Free Enterprise. Ill go to virginia and look at whats happening in virginia. Virginia was named one of the top places to do business in 2019. Its because the state legislature has enabled businesses to prosper. They created the right mix of leveling the Playing Field through regulation for businesses. S no being not being overregular willer to but being sure to create fair and level Playing Field. Thats role of government. That will not happen under a system of socialism where a government is in complete control. Thats counter to what has made our nation great. We know that the proposals being made by the other side, that espouses these elements and underminnings doff underpinnings of socialism include things like medicare for all, a taxpayerfunded governmentrun Health Care System that would cost tens of trillions of dollars and force 15 million americans off their private or employerbased health care plans. As i as i talk to folks they say, hey, give me that choice. They want that liberty and freedom which comes to them under the constitution. They want to be able to choose. They dont want the government in control. Yet under socialism, the government is in control. Other measures that include the Green New Deal and a plan to require taxpayers to subsidize federal elections put the government in control. The government in the drivers seat. To the ability to selfdetermine, the ability to say, listen, theres some things that i can do if the government would just make sure that in the regulatory realm they level the Playing Field, make sure they dont take too much of what i earn in order to run the government so they can indeed be successful, those are the underpinnings of a successful government, a successful system of Free Enterprise. A system of capitalism that provides for the needs of citizens of our nation. The Green New Deal would dictate that americans can eat and where they can travel, ex cue me, what americans can excuse me, what americans can eat and where they can travel and how they can power their homes and what they can do to make a living and what they can buy and so much more. It controls that. Again, the idea under the Green New Deal is the governments under control. If we are going to be a nation where we have energy independence, where we look at having cleaner air, where we look at making sure that we do things that are environmentally responsible, it is unleashing the innovation and creation that comes to us under a system of Free Enterprise that will do more than, i argue, any governmentdictated system. The Green New Deal saying the government is going mandate this and that i think takes us longer to get to the place where we need to be, to make sure that our environments clean, and we are doing the best job possible in using our energy resources. In total, the cost of the tax to the taxpayer is unbelievable. 9 93 trillion or 600,000 per family across the nation. That is not the highest and best provider of human needs. And i understand human needs. Socialism threatens to destroy the very foundation of our great republic. The foundation that men and women, since our birth, have fought and died for, that idea, that idea that has made our nation great and will continue to make our nation great is the idea about individual liberties and freedoms. That is unleashing the power of the individual to pursue their dreams, to take their innovative and creative skills and do more. And they have made this nation what it is today. It is through this capitalist idea of limited government, of limited regulation, of unlimited opportunity that creates Economic Prosperity. As all of us look at where this nation goes, we ought to be looking at enabling individuals. And the system of capitalism does that. Our constitution, the greatest governing document ever put together, is the roadmap for that continued greatness. You wont find anywhere in the declaration of independence, anywhere in our u. S. Constitution, any mention of any principle of socialism. You will find throughout that, though, preserving individual liberties and freedoms, making sure that we are meeting the needs of individuals and making sure the government is there to protect those individual liberties and freedoms that we receive from our creator, thats whats made our nation great, thats what will continue to make it great, thats what we all need to make sure that we communicate so that we can continue what is and will continue to be the greatest nation the world has ever known. Mr. Barr, thank you so much for the opportunity this evening to speak about what truly is a contrast between the principles of our republic, that operates within a democracy, that system of Free Enterprise versus or system of capitalism versus socialism, and why we know it is made and will continue to make this nation great. Thank you. Mr. Barr i thank my friend from georgia for his passionate defense of Free Enterprise. Illuminating the true cost of socialism. And not just the 93 trillion price tag that he mention 93 trillion price tag that he mentioned, but the true cost, which is the cost of our very freedom by empowering government at the expense of the people. At this time, to continue our discussion, mr. Speaker, id like to recognize a true capitalist. Who better to defend the system of capitalism than a man who is himself a businessman, an entrepreneur, a risk taker, a capitalist, my good friend and a terrific member of the Financial Services committee, congressman Roger Williams of texas. Mr. Williams i want to thank congressman barr for yielding time to me and for being here today with us so we can talk about what really makes this country so great. I rise today to make the case against socialism because it is not compatible with freedom. If you got it, they want it. Socialists want the free stuff. Capitalists want the good stuff. Lets look back in history at the divide between those who destroyed Human Potential and those who empowered others to stand on their own feet and make a difference. You know, ive created an allstar team tonight, and the socialist allstar team, youll recognize names like joseph lenin, karl marx, hugo chavez and if i dell castro. All proponents of fidel castro. All proponents of socialism who things if eir people small amounts of individual liberty were given up. These failed socialist regimes drove their countries into the ground, some of which have never recovered. On the capitalist allstar team youll recognize names like adam smith, ronald reagan, george bush, jack kemp, henry ford, and donald trump. All proponents of cal tapism who promoted the ideas of individual responsibility and free interprice. Now, this team recognized that what sets america apart from the rest of the world is the drive to reach our fullest potential, coupled with a free market economy. Risk and reward are a big deal to capitalists. They want to hand a hand up. Guarantees are a big deal to socialists. They want a handout. Capitalism is about taking responsibility for what you create and making even greater. It even greater. We are a nation of opportunity and incentive and because of those principles we are a nation of hope where everyone can benefit. Capitalists believe in individual integrity and the dignity of reaping reward from hard work. It is the greatest force in the history of our world for lifting people out of poverty and we must instill this value in future generations. Now, the version of a shiny progressive socialism that we see touted by democrats who promise equality and prosperity , they sell these lies to everyone, that everyone can succeed if there is a Central Power regulating fairness. Well, that Central Power, remember, runs amtrak and it runs the post office. Now, fairness could not be further from the truth. The government should never, ever be in the business of picking winners and picking losers. I serve on the Financial Services committee and i ask most witnesses who testify before us if they are socialist or are you a capitalist . And can you guess the results . They are overwhelmingly capitalists. Because under capitalism individuals own their work because they are incentivized by greater gain. It is a system that rewards innovation because it maintains demand for the best products and demand for the best price. These ideals translate into the core of the american economy. Capitalism is the American Dream. Socialism is the american scheme. Neighborhoodowned businesses like bakeries, coffee shops, they are the lifeblood of our communities. In short, they are simply called main street america. And it was built by men and women who wanted to reach for more, because at the end of the day, we inherently possess a desire to dream bigger and to dream bolder. Socialism doesnt work in our small towns. Whats happening in venezuela is not what we want in texas. And in the end, socialism fails because its based on the false promise of certainty. It is a failed system because it is unable to excite the human spirit. The bottom line is it is a downer, it is a total loser. America will never be a socialist country because the fabric of our nation is soaked in the moral imperatives of responsibility, pride and discipline. In closing, i want to ask this body and the millions of people we represent, which team do you want to be on . Do you want to be on Ronald Reagans team . Or do you want to be on Fidel Castros team . Lets take the days on, not take the days off. May god bless texas, my state, and may god continue to bless the land of opportunity, the greatest country in the world, the one we love to call home, the United States of america. I yield my time back. Thank you. Mr. Barr i thank my friend from texas for his terrific statement in defense of the American Dream and capitalism and freedom. And if i could inquire with the speaker how much time we have remaining . The speaker pro tempore 25 minutes. Mr. Barr thank you, mr. Speaker. At this time id like to recommend a true patriot to his country, a veteran who has served his country, a man who has fought communism and socialism in southeast asia, a Great American hero from the great Hoosier State of indiana, jim baird. Mr. Baird i thank you and i thank you for the opportunity to express my thoughts about the rising trend in socialism. You know, weve seen the effects of socialism and you need not look very far to see the disastrous results that socialism has brought to countries around the globe. From the collapse of the soviet union in 1991, to the political and humanitarian crisis unfolding in venezuela, socialism has brought about mass suffering, Human Rights Violations and rampant corruption. No other form of government has brought about such tragedy such tragic results. Capitalism has stood the test of time. Fueled by individual freedom and free market competition, the United States has flourished because of capitalism. Becoming the Worlds Largest economy and providing Economic Opportunity for hundreds of millions of citizens. We must stand for capitalism. Without it, humanity will recede and our progress will slow. I call your attention to the thousands of men and women who have served in uniform and some who gave all in an effort to protect the freedoms that we enjoy. Mr. Speaker, i never thought that id be feel the need to speak out against socialism before this great body. But i will do so so that generations to come will enjoy the same opportunities for prosperity that my generation was afforded. And i thank you again for this opportunity. I yield back the balance of my time. Mr. Barr congressman baird, before you leave, i want to just personally thank you and millions of americans for your generation and for those service men and women who answered the call and served their country and fought to defend our freedom and future generations of americans are eternally grateful for your service and sacrifice. At this time i look forward to hearing from my good friend from the state of texas, congressman arrington, who once again joins us in defense of freedom and traditional American Values of limited government and Free Enterprise and stands firmly in opposition to the bankruptcy of socialism. Mr. Arrington i want to thank my dear friend from the commonwealth of kentucky, and a stalwart when it comes to freedom, a champion of free speech, free states and free markets. And i appreciate my dear friend for hosting this very important and timely discussion, to articulate the virtue and the values of freedom. Its hard to believe we can , nd in this Great Chamber with any need to distinguish between a free system and a free country and what happens when you lose those freedoms. America is the most powerful, most the pro prouse and most general prosperous and most generous nation in the world. And its because america is the freest nation in the history of the world and on the face of the planet, and the quickest way for america to lose her shine, her brilliance, her exceptionalism is for her to lose her freedoms. Mr. Speaker, when our Founding Fathers were framing the more perfect union, they made the central determination that our Constitutional Republic would limit the federal governments role in our lives. They believed that if they limited government they would unleash the limitless potential of the American People, free people, created in the image of god. While we recognize the challenges of our fallen human condition in any system of government, nothing has been agreater force for good save and except the love of god than freedom. Indeed, nothing has elevated and empowered the human spirit in this country and across the globe like the Free Enterprise system. Over the course of the 20th century, we can see the profound impact of free markets on the lives of americans. In 1900, the average Life Expectancy of americans was 47 years. By the end of the century, it was 78 years. Beginning of the 20th century, 56 of American Families were considered poor. By 1967, before the expansion of the american welfare state through the Great Society programs, the number of American Families considered poor was only 13 . I would also insert there that weve spent trillions of dollars since the advent of Big Government welfare programs, well intended, of course, trillions, over 20 trillion since the 1960s. We spent 16 times today what we spent in the 1980s on welfare programs and we havent moved the needal bit. The poverty rate is the same. So if we look at the 20th century alone we can see the free markets have given americans the most opportunities. The highest standard of living and the best quality of life anywhere in the world. Now, contrast this with venezuela. Previously one of the wealthiest nations in the western hemisphere, blessed with an abundance of oil and gas reserve, basis of their Economic Prosperity today, 82 of venezuelans live in poverty thanks to the legacy of socialist policies implemented by the late dictator hugo chavez and his successor, nicholas maduro. Contrast that with what weve been doing recently with President Trump over the last few years and in my first term in the 115th congress. We have promoted freedom. And freer markets. Fair trade. Weve put in place this progrowth free market policies that have unleashed even greater economic potential of these United States. Weve seen historic unemployment, his tore historic wage increases. Weve seen trillions of dollars in wealth created and the stock in the stock markets, those who need pensions, 401ks, folks save for retirement, the list is long. But the message is that if you get off the backs and out of the way of our entrepreneurs, our innovator, our risk takers that they will do what they do best, and thats create opportunities. All of these opportunities, the record growth, these benefits for American Families, are at isk. Our country, my dear friend mr. Barr, is at an ideological inflection point. We can continue to build on the success and prosperity of free markets or we can go down the road to serfdom that you mentioned. And i dont think we need to look any further than the poll that mr. Johnson mentioned, where seven out of 0 millenials are, quote, somewhat or extremely likely to vote for a socialist candidate. 80 million strong. 70 of the generation that will make up the largest voting block in the next election is leaning toward voting for a socialist. Not in cue be or venezuela, right here in the United States of america. John adams told us youll never know how much it cost my generation to preserve your freedom. I hope youll make good use of it. Folks right now, were in grave danger of foresaking the freedoms for which our founders fought. We go down this ruinous road of socialism, the choice emake as americans will determine our nations identity for the remainder of the 21st century. Its a choice between whether our future will be forged by free dm and faith both in god and our founding principles, or whether were going to submit to the rise of socialism and the tyranny of Big Government. We have to be vigilant and do everything in our power to ensure the arc of the future bends toward freedom, not government control over every aspect of our lives. Because only if we do this, only if we protect these precious freedoms, will we give our children and grandchildren the freedoms and opportunities that every generation of americans have enjoyed. Thank you, mr. Barr, for the opportunity to join you in the special order. Thank you for your intentionality to bring this topic for discussion and for including me and i want to yield back to my friend from the commonwealth of kentucky. Mr. Barr i thank my friend from the great state of texas for his vigorous defense of freedom and limited government and capitalism and i certainly appreciate his words and friendship. Mr. Speaker, if i could inquire how much remaining time we have. The speaker pro tempore 16 minutes. Mr. Barr i thank the speaker. In the remaining time that we have i want to address a couple of additional topics, one is which that the defenders of socialism, and those who are trying to infect a new generation of the lie of socialism, that it somehow is good for the poor and that it is a system that is targeted to help the poor. This is the greatest, perhaps, of all of the lies of socialism. We talked about the lie of socialism that it could possibly be democratic and we talked about how it is totally incompatible with democracy. We talked about how its income pat wble a free society. But so many of the proponents of socialism and Central Planning say that we need to address income inequality. We need more equality, we need more social justice. But as an author recently pointed out, socialism has been terrible at helping the poor. Its been terrible at helping women advance. It has been terrible for Civil Liberties. It has been terrible at helping the environment. It has been terrible at attracting immigrants. It has been terrible at tolerating and protecting minorities. It has been terrible at fostering technology and architecture and art. It has been terrible at producing agriculture and worst of all, it has been terrible at sharing power and resources, indeed, it has done precisely the opposite, creating new ruling classes that are far less adept, far less responsive, farless responsible than the ones they replaced. Socialism is good at distributing poverty. Sharing poverty. Creating and producing poverty. It is the worst possible solution to curing poverty. My friend from texas made an allusion to venezuela and how good of an example that is to illustrate the moral bankruptcy of socialism when actually put into practice. The venezuelan president is now a rulteless dictator who has cracked dun on free speech, prohibited mass political protests, and confiscated firearms from anyone who is even remotely critical of him. 13 of the countrys population has fled. Those who have remained have been so degraded by the governments price controls that they have gone years without toilet paper, meat and other basic necessities and as a consequence take ton eating zoo animals for sustenance and scouring garbage bags for supplies. According to the pharmaceutical federation of venezuela, the country is suffering thru an 85 medicine shortage and 90 shortage of basic medical supplies. The Child Mortality rate has increased 140 . 90 of venezuelans now live in poverty. This year, the i. M. F. Predicts inflation will hit 10 million . All of this in a 10 million percent. All of this in a country with the Worlds Largest oil supplies, reserves greater than those of the United States by a factor of 10. Mr. Speaker, venezuela is the classic example of how socialism doesnt cure poverty, socialism produces gut wrenching poverty and misery and deprivation, deprivation and shortages in addition to the lack of liberty that it affords its subjects. Now look, i am certain that my colleagues on the other side, even those who profess an allegiance to socialism, share our goal of lifting up those who are struggling, to provide them with security and with an opportunity to live a happy, healthy, prosperous life. Those who say they want medicare for all because they care about the health of people or they want the Green New Deal because they believe in a environment worthy of our children. I dont question the sincerity but what i fear for my colleagues who advocate these disastrous policies is that they do not fully comprehend that the means that they are asking the government to employ to achieve those goals will produce the deprivation, the environmental degradation and the poverty which they believe can be cured by disrupting market forces. Indeed, the central planners believe prosperity is best achieved through government intrusion into the market. Socialization of industries and a model that disincentivizes personal achievement. We tonight, the republican study committee, come together in this debate to express that we believe the best way to achieve Economic Security is to expand opportunity, allow innovation to thrive and create an environment where hard work pays off. Its not about giving each person an equal piece of the pie. Its about growing the pie. As much as possible. So that more people may partake. A growing economy that produces a strong labor market is the best way to lift people up. This administrations current progrowth economic policies continue to produce blockbuster job creation, higher wages, strong Economic Growth and upward mobility, the American Dream. Last week we saw another string of positive jobs reports with unemployment falling to 3. 5 . A 50year low. Unemployment for africanamerican males is at a 50year low of 5. 1 and wages continue to grow. In every category of demographics, people are doing better because theyve been liberated through policies that unleash the creative spirit of the American People and Free Enterprise. And if you care about the poor if you really care about about solving poverty, consider the words of Catholic Priest robert sirika of the action institute, he sums it nicely in his book defending the free market the moral case for Free Enterprise. If you want to help the poor, he says, start a business. Employ people. Give them a job. Allow them to achieve their godgiven potential by learning that work means its an opportunity for them to realize their godgiven potential and help other people through their own labor and their own creativity. Free markets not only increase Economic Prosperity in general but also provide better standards of living. This concept applies to the United States and jurisdictions around the world. Theres data to support this idea. Each year the Cato Institute and the Frazier Institute in canada copublish, in coordination with 70 think tanks across the world, the Economic Freedom of the world report. The report measures Economic Freedom via five metrics. The size of government, the legal system and property rights. This soundness of money. The freedom to trade internationally. And the amount of regulation. The United States ranked in the top five countries for Economic Freedom. While venezuela ranks dead last. The most recent report finds that the nations in the top 1 4 tile of Economic Freedom had an average per capita g. D. P. Of 36,000 in 2017 compared to 6,000 for bottom 1 4 tile nations. The poorest 10 of citizens in the most economically free nations actually have an income that is 2 3 higher than the average income in the leastfree nations. In the top 1 4 tile of economically free nations 1,. of populations experience extreme poverty compared to 27. 2 in the least free nations. If you want to cure poverty, unleash Free Enterprise. The benefits of Economic Freedom do not just apply to wage and employment metrics. Life expectancy in the most economically free nations is 14 years longer than the least economically free nations and infant mortality is significantly lower. Medicare for all . Is that what youre for . If youre for health you should be for capitalism they feel report also finds that gender equality and political and Civil Liberties are much higher in nations with high Economic Freedom than in nations with low Economic Freedom the ill effects of socialism and the impact on the people subjected to it are evident in country after country, venezuela is the example that i just gave but there are other examples as well. We probably dont have time to go through all of these examples but i do want to just say that it was Winston Churchill who famously said that, quote, those who fail to learn from history are condemned to repeat it. That is why as we debate the merits of capitalism versus socialism today, its important that we remember history. That we look to past actions of other countries and study their results. I wanted to get to three case examples, the united kingdom, india and israel, to show their experience with socialism and how disastrous it was for their people and when they changed course and they embraced capitalism and freedom, the prosperity that it delivered. Well get to that on another evening. But suffice it to say that when you have marketbased incentives, where you have by and large free trade, where you have low regulation, where you have less taxes, where you have people who are able to achieve their potential without undue interference from the government, where you have market forces, you produce more, you become more productive and you provide for people who need assistance. The u. S. Economy today remains a shining example of how opportunity, ingenuity and a marketbased economy with appropriately tailored regulation can drive prosperity for its citizens. As we said before, unemployment is at a 50year low. Why would we want to abond done abandon free Market Economics at a time when the country is benefiting from it . Industries from technology to energy to manufacturing to services, theyre booming. We are the leaders in innovation. We have an economy that draws people from around the world who hope to make a better life for themselves. Ill return to the wisdom of austrian british economist f. A. Haich when he said in a famous warning that political liberty is not enough. Quote, even a strong tradition of political liberty is no safeguard, if the danger is precisely that new institutions and policies will gradualy undermine and destroy gradually undermine and destroy that spirit. The consequences can be averted if that spirit reasserts it self in time and the people not only itself in time and the people throw not only not only throw out the party which leads them into a dangerous direction, but recognize the danger and the nature of the danger and resolutely change their course. What that warning says, what he means by that warning, is it may not come in the fullon proposal of socialism, it may come in incremental form. But we must abandon those parties which are leading us further and further down the road of serfdom in the dangerous direction, away from freedom and more towards Central Planning, reject it and move back towards freedom. Alexis, when he observed early america, he warned of the modern welfare state. In a nation that prides itself upon the idea that the people are sovereign, isnt it sad that the modern american left wishes to deprive the people of that very sovereignty . Of that very selfgovernment upon which this nation was founded . And instead impose upon the people an insidious form of serve tude to servitude to bureaucratic rules upon rules governing their every action and behavior. So much so until the will of the individual is shattered. Constantly restrained from acting as he or she normally would in a free state until the people are reduced to, quote, a flock of timid and industrial animals of which the government is the shepherd, unquote. Mr. Speaker, i dont think any of us want to go down that road to serfdom. I dont think any of us want to stamp out the freedom and the selfgovernment, the idea that we remain and must continue to be a government only through the consent of the governed. Tonight my colleagues and i defending freedom, defending capitalism, defending Free Enterprise, defending entrepreneurship, and opposing vigorously the corrupt and immoral idea of socialism. We appeal to the good sense of the American People at this time in our nations history, we appeal to the people that now is the time to reassert the spirit of liberty. To throw out the party of socialism. And Central Planning. The party which is leading america further and further in the dangerous direction with policies like medicare for all and the Green New Deal. To recognize the danger and to resolutely change their course, to embrace the cause of freedom and Free Enterprise. And for anyone who knows any american who is tempted by the lies of socialism, share with them this debate tonight. Share with them the truth. Share with them the truth that freedom and capitalism is the answer to democracy, it is the answer to upward mobility, it is the answer to poverty, it is the answer to soulcrushing deprivation and shortages. That the true way to care for those who are less fortunate is to give people opportunity and freedom to achieve their godgiven potential. And with that, mr. Speaker, we contend that we will continue this debate until we secure for our children and our posterity the blessings of liberty and with that, mr. Speaker, i yield back. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. Under the speakers announced licy of january 3, 2019, the chair recognizes the gentleman from wisconsin, mr. Grothman, for 30 minutes. Mr. Grothman thank you. Id like to talk about a little bit about the border, which is probably the most important issue facing America Today and it will determine what kind of country we have 10 or 15 years down the road. Im going to lead off by talking a little bit about the past topic of capitalism never suggestion socialism. Because i dont think a lot socialism versus socialism. But a i dont think a lot of people realize what socialism is about. Socialism is about absolute government control. People who are socialist want everybody to have to work for the government. They want because they control the means of production, they want to determine what we have the right to buy and they want to determine what we have the ability to invest in. Obviously if you have to work for the government, which you have to in socialism, they can determine who gets hired, who gets promoted, what job you get. In other words, they will eventually use that absolute power that comes with being everybodys employer or everybodys regulator to promote you or hire you based upon your feelings, based upon your ideas. Not long ago i went to berlin and i saw a museum where the wonderful socialist country of east germany the government kept track of how you thought, kind of the way they do in china today. How you thought. And if maybe you didnt say the right things, maybe the government becomes antichristian or doesnt like your other beliefs, youll get fired, you cant get the key job or get promoted or ore whatever. Thats why people who like to control lives more frequently become socialists. You look at the red flags under socialism that existed in the 1930s, and youll see those red flags all were adapted by leaders who liked absolute control of their populations. So if anybody out there wants to vote socialism, what youre voting for is to get rid of your freedoms. You are saying, i turn my life over to the government. I want the government to tell me where i can work, and what i can do when im working. I want the government to tell me what i can buy and if anybody accumulates wealth, i want to be able to tell them where they can invest. That is the mindset of the socialist. There are fears that someday america may go socialist. Actually, that shouldnt happen because socialism is unconstitutional under the u. S. Constitution. And any academic who pushes socialism should be aware of that. If you want to be, i guess it would amount to be a serf, if you want to be a surf and have the government tell you serf and have the government tell you where you can work and tell you what you can buy, you should go to another country. Because the people who put together our constitution, a goal was that we would never become anything like socialism. Now, lets talk a little bit about what was a major issue that used to be covered by the press, including the conservative press, before we tarted down the path to this impeachment. And that was the issue that was the primary reason why President Trump was elected, that issue is immigration and who we are going to let in this country. I dont think its been well publicized but just yesterday we got the information from the Border Patrol that they processed 42,000 people trying to come into this country either under asylum or inappropriately during the month of november. Thats down from 45,000 in october, so i suppose you could say were moving the ball in the right direction. Its down from 145,000 in may. Of those 42,000, under 5,000 actually had to come in the country. The vast majority were not let in immediately thanks to the work of President Trump, are currently being held in mexico pending hearings. This is something President Trump has done without any help from the people in this body. Hes done it by negotiating with mexico and negotiating with the triangle countries in central america. He has reached agreements or is receiving help from guatemala, from honduras, from el salvador and from mexico itself. He has to a certain extent through threat of tariffs, he has the Mexican Government patrolling its southern border. Not doing that great a job, but theyre patrolling the border. He has Central American countries doing what they can to hold onto their Current Population and allowing countries from which people are seeking asylum to settle in their countries. Which only makes sense. If you wanted to leave venezuela, you speak spanish, it doesnt make any sense that would you come to an englishspeaking country, it makes more sense if you really feel threatened at home to go to countries like guatemala and el salvador and honduras and mexico. So, these efforts by President Trump have dropped the number of processed from 145,000 down to 42,000 and the number of people being let in our country from over 100,000 to under 5,000 a month. But its always possible were going to have a Court Decision undoing some of the efforts of President Trump and god forbid its possible we might have an election. The future president may not agree with the efforts made by President Trump. So what should this body be doing . We have to remind this body that right now we are only two of the 40 wealthiest countries on the globe to allow birth right citizenship. If somebody went down the border, its obvious to the border, its obvious that women who are near having birth are coming into this country to have children, which would make their children u. S. Citizens and would create a situation in which, as a practical matter, they would stay there with them. We have a situation of chain migration in which people are coming here not because theyre qualified to work here, but because they have relatives who are here. We may be taking people who are not necessarily a good economic bargain for the United States. We need more i. C. E. Beds for single adults to be held right now. Its very difficult for ice to do their job without these i. C. E. To do their job without these beds and as were working through appropriation bills, its time to pass a bill with that in there. We need more Border Patrol agents. Can you imagine what its like at night doing the Border Patrol, finding 20 or 40 or 50 people coming across the border at once . And its 2 00 in the morning and youre the one expected to bring people in . We have to respect our Border Patrol. We have a huge problem that under current law we are encouraging separation of families. And thats not President Trumps fault. Hed be happy to change it. Right now we have a law in which if a child comes here from canada or mexico, they can be sent back. But children coming from central america, africa, latin america, other places in latin america, we have to let them in the country. Thats a horrible thing, we wouldnt like it if a 15yearold child let left the United States and wound up left the United States and wound up in nicaragua or honduras, we would expect them to be returned to their parents. We are asking this body to pass a law allowing the United States to return single children to their parents in other countries. The other countries would like it and it is very arrogant of the United States and arrogant of this body to continue the Current System in which a child unaccompanied by their parent comes here and we have to keep them. Right now under the flores settlement, we have to stop Holding People after 20 days near the border. Families with children. Its time that we statutorily change that and allow the holding of people for a longer period of time. We have to do something with sanctuary cities and we have to do something so that if people break the law and are being held in prisons and being held in jails, the federal government has the ability to remove these people from the country. For whatever motivation there are people in this country going down the path of having their city, and including people in this house, encouraging cities to not ask people about immigration status and forbidding our Immigration Service from removing criminals from this country. That is another thing that we ought to be doing now. Other things that President Trump is trying to do but we could use a little bit of help here, we currently have illegals in lowincome housing. Im not sure we need more lowincome housing in this country but a lot of people feel we do. Right now we have the rather bizarre situation in which people who are here illegally are sitting in lowincome housing while american citizens are on a waiting list, including people like homeless veterans. I want to point out that President Trump and myself are not antiimmigrant. It came to my attention that the number of immigrants sworn in is 830,000. The year or two years prior to that, we were under 700,000. President trump has presided over a dramatic increase, showing his compassion and understanding that we do need immigrants in this country. However its Time Congress stepped to the plate and do what is necessary to rein out of control illegal immigration. I encourage my colleagues not to forget about this crisis and i encourage the conservative media not to take their eye off the ball. I realize there are a lot of people who want the media to focus on only immigration but we cannot forget what is going on in the immigration front. I yield the remainder of my time. And move to adjourn. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. Pursuant to clause 12a of rule 1, the chair declares the house in recess subject to the call of the chair
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