Senator John Thune, Republican of South Dakota, is on the list of candidates everyone wants to see run for president. But he never does. He seems to prefer the Senate. He is of great use in leadership there. But his image and conservative credentials are outstanding and would make him a fine presidential aspirant, as he proves with this warning of the socialist intentions of the Democrat Party.

When I was governor, I worked with Democrats who still believed in America. I didn’t share their views on policy, but at least we agreed on some basic principles. Those days are over. The Democratic Party has become the Socialist Party.

— Nikki Haley (@NikkiHaley) December 5, 2021

Thune: You may not realize it, but Congress is in the midst of a consequential debate about the future of our country. We’re debating your future. Your family’s future. The outcome could affect generations of Americans to come.

You’ve probably heard arguments about the magnitude of the Democrats’ latest partisan spending bill and the justifiable concerns about dumping trillions of dollars (on top of the trillions that have already been spent this year) into the economy. Economists, including former Obama administration officials, have warned about the effect it would have on the already painful inflation that’s being felt by everyday families in all corners of our country.

My Republican colleagues and I believe the bill is a reckless tax-and-spending spree, and it is. But, aside from the staggering price tag and the immediate consequences of inflation-driven pain in your pocketbook, there’s more to what Democrats are trying to ram through Congress this holiday season.

The debate now is a fundamental fight about the future of our country, and an almost evenly divided Congress is about to decide how far the long arm of federal government will reach into your everyday life. Beyond hyperbole, Democrats want to increase the federal government’s reach into nearly every step of a person’s life from cradle to grave. And if they’re successful in passing their reckless tax-and-spending spree, there will be no turning back.

The Democrats’ vision for America involves monthly allowances from the government, even to illegal immigrants. It involves Uncle Sam taking charge of your child care, which will lead to fewer options to choose from and higher costs for families. Faith-based child care providers, which 53% of working families use, would be discriminated against for government funding and put at a serious disadvantage. Taxpayers would be on the hook for paying for union membership dues, and consumers would be discriminated against if buying nonunion assembled electric vehicles.

More and more Americans would rely on an expanded welfare state, receiving handouts without work requirements. Entitlement programs that are already facing insolvency would be expanded even further, jeopardizing the safety net millions of Americans rely on and our country’s long-term financial stability.

If Democrats have their way, workers can expect slower wage growth as job-creators are forced to pay more in taxes. Families can expect higher taxes, higher prices and a more intrusive IRS that would loom large over law-abiding Americans as Democrats scramble to try and pay for this unneeded spending spree. Imagine that – purportedly paying for a partisan tax-and-spending spree by making the IRS bigger and more powerful than it already is…

And at a time when businesses are struggling to find workers, Democrats want to provide government jobs, tuition and loan assistance, and other benefits for climate activists. Billions of taxpayer dollars would be spent on “tree equity,” “urban agriculture,” “environmental justice programs” for schools and other progressive pet projects that amount to slush funds for cities. This vision for our country runs counter to everything Republicans – and I believe a majority of Americans – stand for, which is why not one single Republican will support the Democrats’ down payment on socialism.