Washington, D.C.– U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell made the following statement on the Senate Floor Tuesday regarding the STOCK ACT and the need to expand it to the executive branch:
“Last night, the Senate voted to proceed to the Stock Act, a bill, incidentally, that was co-authored by two Republicans. And I’m glad the Majority Leader is allowing amendments for a change.
“Up until a few years ago, the Senate had been known as a forum for open-ended debate. The minority party may not have always gotten its way, but at least it knew it would be always heard. It’s something we haven’t done nearly enough of these past few years. I hope it doesn’t prove to be a false promise.
“I expect senators on both sides of the aisle will have a number of amendments to this legislation. But one thing that stands out is the fact that the President is calling on Congress to live up to a standard that he isn’t requiring of his own employees.
“So I think we can expect at least one amendment that calls on executive branch employees to live up to the same standards that they would set for others. If the goal here is for everybody to play by the same rules, that shouldn’t mean everybody — except those in the executive branch. After all, if anybody has access to privileged information at the moment it’s them.
“But let’s be very clear: President Obama isn’t interested in this bill because it would address the nation’s most pressing challenges. It won’t. He’s interested because it allows him to change the subject. The more folks are talking about Congress, the less they’re talking about the President’s own dismal economic record. And, frankly, for a President who has presided over a 43% increase in the national debt in just three years and the stain of the first-ever downgrade of America’s credit rating, I can understand why he’d want to change the subject.
“I can see why he’d rather be talking about Congress, or the Super Bowl, or the weather, or anything other than his own failed economic policies. But the problems we face are too grave and too urgent. And every day that the President spends trying to change the topic instead of changing the direction of our economy is another day he’s failing the people who elected him.
“The President can pretend he just showed up. He can try to convince people, as he tried to do this past weekend, that the economy is moving in the right direction. But he’s not fooling anybody. Americans know that we’re living in an economy that’s being weighed down and held back by legislation he passed with the help of big Democrat majorities in Congress. Americans know that we’re living in the Obama economy now. And they’re tired of a President who spends his time blaming others for an economy that he put in place. They want him to lead.
“I’ve yet to see a survey in the past year that shows Americans agreeing with the President on the direction of our country or our economy. The ones I’ve seen all say the opposite. Wide bipartisan majorities believe the country in on the wrong track. And for small business owners — the people we’re counting on to create jobs in this country — the numbers are even starker. According to a recent survey conducted by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, 85 percent of small business owners say the economy is on the wrong track.
“Eighty-four percent of them say the size of the national debt makes them unsure about the future of their businesses.
“Eighty-six percent worry that regulations, restrictions, and taxes will hurt their ability to do business.
“Just about three quarters of them say the President’s healthcare bill will make it harder for them to hire. In other words, it’s a huge drag on job creation.
“So if I were the President, I’d probably rather be talking about Congress too. I understand why he’d rather be talking about what Congress may or may not do rather than what he’s already done. But he’s got a job to do. He was elected to do something about the problems we face, not to blame others for them. He was elected to take responsibility for his own actions, not pretend they never happened.
“Today, the Congressional Budget Office releases an annual report on the nation’s finances.
“We don’t know all the particulars, but I can tell you this: it won’t paint a very rosy picture.
“Our fiscal problems are serious, and every day the President refuses to address them they become harder to solve.
“So my message to the White House this morning is simple: it’s time to lead.”
