- 11 months ago
On Tuesday, members of Congress engaged in a debate on HRes 426.
Category
🗞
NewsTranscript
00:00thread all points of order against provisions in the joint resolution are
00:03waived the previous question shall be considered as order on the joint
00:07resolution and on any amendment thereto to final passage without intervening
00:11motion except one one hour of debate equally divided and controlled by the
00:15chair and ranking minority member of the committee on financial services or the
00:18respective designees in to one motion to commit section 2 upon adoption of this
00:24resolution it shall be in order to consider in the house the joint
00:27resolution Senate joint resolution 31 providing for congressional disapproval
00:31under chapter 8 of title 5 United States Code of the rules submitted by the
00:35Environmental Protection Agency relating to review of final rule
00:39reclassification of major sources as area sources under section 112 of the
00:44Clean Air Act all points of order against consideration of the joint
00:48resolution are waived the joint resolution shall be considered as read
00:51all points of order against provisions in the joint resolution are waived the
00:55previous question shall be considered as order on the joint resolution and on
00:59any amendment thereto to final passage without intervening motion except one
01:02one hour of debate equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking
01:06minority member of the committee on energy and commerce or the respective
01:09designees and to one motion to commit section 3 the requirement of clause 6a
01:15of rule 13 for a two-thirds vote to consider a report from the committee on
01:20rules on the same day it is presented to the house is waived with respect to any
01:24resolution reported through the legislative day of May 23rd 2025
01:28relating to a measure providing for reconciliation pursuant to title 2 of
01:32house concurrent resolution 14 the gentleman from New York is recognized
01:37for one hour for the purpose of debate only I yield the customary 30 minutes to
01:43the distinguished gentleman from Massachusetts mr. McGovern pending which
01:47I yield myself such time as I may consume during the consideration of this
01:52resolution all time yielded is for the purpose of debate only mr. speaker I ask
01:58unanimous consent that all members have five legislative days to revise and
02:01extend their remarks without objection house resolution 426 provides for
02:09consideration of SJ res 13 under a closed rule with one hour of debate each
02:14equally divided and controlled by the chair and the ranking minority members of
02:18the committee on financial services or their designees and provides for one
02:22motion to recommit additionally the rule provides for consideration of SJ
02:27res 31 under a closed rule with one hour of debate equally divided and controlled
02:32by the chair and the ranking member minority member of the committee on
02:35energy and commerce or their designees and provides for one motion to commit
02:40finally the rule provides for the flexibility to consider a rule related
02:45to the reconciliation on the same day it is reported from the rules committee in
02:50order to expeditiously enact President Trump's agenda mr. speaker I rise in
02:57support of this rule and in support of the underlying legislation the rule
03:01before us presents an important opportunity for Congress to continue its
03:06work to reverse the last-minute attempts at regulatory overreach by the former
03:11Biden and Harris administration the rule includes consideration of SJ res 13 to
03:18provide for congressional disapproval of a Biden era office of the controller
03:23of the currency regulation titled business combinations under the Bank
03:28Merger Act in September 2024 the OCC in the Federal Deposit Insurance
03:35Corporation FDIC revised their approach to evaluating bank merger applications
03:41the updated rule restricts banks abilities to scale manage risk
03:46effectively in broadened product offerings ultimately discouraging
03:51mergers altogether by dismantling a long-standing standard in eliminating
03:57automatic approval for certain applications the Biden administration's
04:01actions risk stifling competition and innovation in the financial sector these
04:07changes will delay strategic decision-making among financial
04:12institutions in limit access to innovative financial services for
04:16everyday Americans from small and mid-sized banks in particular the rule
04:21imposes additional red tape in bureaucratic hurdles that hinder their
04:25ability to merge and compete with larger financial institutions despite what my
04:30colleagues on the other side of the aisle may claim the Biden
04:33administration's rule strengthens the dominance of the largest market players
04:37while undermining smaller community focused institutions limiting consumer
04:42choice and consumer access we should strive for a regulatory environment that
04:47is streamlined balanced and rooted in practical oversight one that protects
04:52consumers without obstructing innovation and competition what we don't need are
04:58more Biden era regulations that distort the market and smother opportunity with
05:04overreach SJ res 13 will ensure that future bank regulators cannot repeat
05:10this ill-conceived rulemaking and that financial institutions can continue to
05:15make strategic innovative decisions that will ultimately benefit American
05:21consumers also the rule provides for consideration of SJ res 31 providing for
05:29congressional disapproval of the rule submitted by the Biden EPA relating to
05:34the review of final rule classification of major sources as area sources under
05:40the Clean Air Act section 112 of the Clean Air Act lays out stringent
05:46compliance standards for facilities emitting over 10 tons of a single
05:50hazardous air pollutant or 25 tons of an aggregate facilities below those
05:55thresholds are classified as area sources and subject to more flexible
05:59requirements in 2020 under President Trump the EPA adopted a more rational
06:04approach allowing facilities that significantly reduce their admission to
06:09be reclassified as area sources this common-sense change rewarded emissions
06:14improvements and reduced unnecessary regulatory burdens on American
06:19manufacturers and energy producers to no one's surprise the Biden administration
06:24reversed course by reimposing the outdated and rigid always once in always
06:31in policy this framework permanently locks facilities into a strict major
06:36source status even if they make substantial efforts to reduce harmful
06:41emissions it's not only unfair but it in it discourages environmental progress in
06:47who did the Biden administration hurt they hurt the chemical manufacturing
06:51sector which includes thousands of mid-sized companies represented
06:56representing hundreds of thousands of jobs these companies have invested
07:00millions into cleaner technologies and equipment upgrades and under this Biden
07:05era EPA rule their investments will not be rewarded with a lighter regulatory
07:11touch in fact despite upgrades to reduce emissions they will continue to face the
07:16same higher regulatory costs there's and there's the pulp and paper industry
07:22a critical employer in states like Georgia and Wisconsin and Maine mills
07:27that switch to cleaner fuels or have to implement advanced scrubber systems will
07:32receive no regulatory relief under the Biden era EPA's once in always in rule
07:39in a sector that already faces stiff foreign competition and very narrow
07:44margins the Biden administration heap further unnecessary burdens onto this
07:49industry jeopardizing the jobs of thousands of Americans that work in the
07:54process and then there's the independent and smaller scale refiner that often
07:58lack the scale of larger competitors but serve critical regional fuel markets
08:04they may have made substantial environmental progress in reducing
08:08hazardous air pollutant emissions but the Biden era once in always in rule
08:13locks them into compliance regimes that do not reflect their improvement of
08:19their emissions profile and finally let's not forget our small and rural
08:25manufacturing facilities in communities across this country including in my own
08:28district in New York Southern Tier these facilities include metal fabricators and
08:32food processors many of whom have taken proactive steps to cut emissions in very
08:38good faith under the Biden era once in always in rule these improvements to
08:43reduce hazardous emissions do not matter they will still be treated with
08:47the same costly burdensome regulatory regime simply put the Biden EPA and it's
08:53once in always in rule not only disincentivizing innovation and cleaner
08:58operations but it also threatens plant closures and kills jobs mr. speaker you'd
09:03have you have to be more concerned with appeasing environmental extremists than
09:08protecting American workers to support this punitive and counterproductive
09:12regulatory framework through SJ res 31 House Republicans stand up for the
09:18American workers and job creators the CRA ensures regulatory fairness and
09:23restores real incentives for emissions reduction without this CRA even the most
09:29environmentally responsible facilities are punished trapped under heavy-handed
09:33rules that do not reflect their cleaner operations since returning to office
09:38President Trump and House Republicans focused on restoring common-sense
09:42governance prioritizing American jobs economic strength and practical
09:48solutions SJ res 31 like other measures undoing ill-advised Biden era policies
09:53represents a decisive step in the right direction let's get back to smart
09:58forward-thinking policies that actually serve the American people not far-left
10:03activists in DC bureaucrats I urge my colleagues to support this rule and I
10:08reserve the balance of my time the gentleman from New York reserves the
10:12general from Massachusetts is recognized well thank you mr. speaker and I want to
10:17thank the gentleman from New York for yielding me the customary 30 minutes and
10:20I yield myself such time as they may consume the gentleman is recognized mr.
10:26speaker we are here today for a rule on two measures two lousy measures doubling
10:32down on Republicans agenda to help big banks and big polluters SJ res 13 is a
10:38gift-wrapped giveaway to Wall Street plain and simple it would make it easier
10:43for big banks to get even bigger hurting small businesses and communities in the
10:48process SJ res 31 is even worse a blatant handout to big polluters putting
10:55corporate profits ahead of our constituents health and safety and this
10:59isn't new mr. speaker that's been the Republican playbook all Congress long
11:04help the polluters help the banks help Wall Street help CEOs help everyone
11:10except the working people who actually need it and you may ask why I would say
11:16follow the money look at the donations one of the things we need to get serious
11:21about in this Congress and hopefully when Democrats take control of the house
11:26after the next election this will be a priority and that is campaign finance
11:30reform all this excessive money from from from big industry from big banks
11:37from corporations from people like Elon Musk pollute this chamber in a way where
11:45the needs and the wants of regular people get put to the side it is
11:49disgraceful if we are being honest here mr. speaker but as bad as these two
11:55bills are and don't you know I can't emphasize enough they're really bad
11:59they're just a warm-up act in fact this is filler we weren't even supposed to be
12:05dealing with these bills we were supposed to be dealing with the budget
12:08reconciliation bill and because of the disarray within the Republican
12:13conference all of a sudden these bills appeared because in just over 13 hours
12:20mr. speaker the House Rules Committee will meet starting at 1 o'clock in the
12:27morning to debate a bill that steals from the American people so they can
12:32help out the billionaire donors who write them big checks now let me ask if
12:36this bill is so great so big so beautiful as Donald Trump says it is
12:42then why the hell are we debating it in the middle of the night why not debate
12:49it in broad daylight where the American people can tune in and hear what it's
12:53really about well we all know the answer we all know the answer and I encourage
13:00the American people to pay attention to what's happening very very very early in
13:04the morning here in the United States Capitol watch what happens in the Rules
13:09Committee at one o'clock in the morning to all the insomniacs out there tune in
13:15at one o'clock in the morning and watch what unfolds in that committee
13:21Republicans do not want you to pay attention to their tax scam hell Trump
13:26doesn't even want Republicans to pay attention to what's in this bill he told
13:31you guys to close your eyes and vote for this garbage Republicans were ordered
13:37not to say a word in committee just fall in line and rubber stamp it and now
13:44listen to this now they're sneaking a change into the rules buried in the fine
13:49print of this rule to give themselves same-day authority to bring the bill to
13:54the floor with a moment's notice this bill this bill is over a thousand pages
14:00long they want to ram it through the Rules Committee potentially changing it
14:06and we know that there are changes coming and then vote on it just hours
14:10later a bill that adds trillions to the deficit and kicks millions of people off
14:16their health care now you guys once bragged about requiring 72 hours to
14:21review legislation remember that now you're ready to toss that promise in the
14:27trash to serve Trump's demands and if my colleagues in the Freedom Caucus vote
14:32for this rule they will have reached a new height of hypocrisy it is
14:38unbelievable to me that they cry and whine about passing bills without the
14:43time to read them and then they come down here and support ramming through a
14:48bill ramming a bill through committee in the middle of the night and bringing it
14:52straight to the floor unbelievable hypocritical let's be real this bill
15:00that we will be debating this budget reconciliation bill is a disaster it is
15:05unpopular it is indefensible this is all about massive huge tax breaks to
15:14billionaires paid for by stealing from working Americans that's not hyperbole
15:20that is just the truth it rips away Medicaid from parents and
15:25grandparents it slashes food assistance for children the biggest cut in food
15:30assistance in history is contained in this bill it drains resources from the
15:36moms and dads all to fund giveaways for those at the very very top and any
15:43backroom deals made in the next few hours to twist arms and to buy votes
15:47well they're only going to make this terrible bill even worse and that's this
15:52is not what democracy looks like this is what corruption looks like and shame on
15:59every single person who votes to advance this awful process by torching
16:04any semblance of a fair process a vote for this rule is a vote to allow
16:09Republican leadership to jam this bill through the house without enough time to
16:14even read it zero transparency zero respect for this institution or the
16:20members here just close your eyes and vote for it that's what Trump told you
16:25to do close your eyes and vote for it mr. speaker the American people deserve
16:31a hell of a lot better than this rushed reckless process they deserve leaders
16:37who work for them not for the billionaires and I urge a no vote and I
16:42reserve the balance of my time the gentleman from Massachusetts reserves
16:46members are reminded to address their remarks to the chair the gentleman from
16:50New York is recognized thank you mr. speaker the budget reconciliation bill
16:55is the work of 11 committees that have gone through a full markup that went
17:01through the full bipartisan process I sat through 27 hours in the Energy and
17:07Commerce Committee so I know full well I had a front seat to the longest markup
17:11just as my colleague did with his service on the Agriculture Committee but
17:17that's not what we're here debating despite what some of my colleagues
17:20across the aisle are saying the CRA that we're discussing right now is
17:24addressing standards for major and area sources that will actually promote
17:29cleaner and more environmentally conscious operations among
17:33manufacturers refiners and energy producers the rule implemented by the
17:38Biden administration reflects a flawed approach one that eliminates incentives
17:42for voluntary admissions reductions and imposes excessive regulatory burdens
17:47without delivering clear environmental benefits under this policy facilities
17:52that successfully reduce their actual or potential hazardous air pollutant
17:56emissions below the major source threshold are still prohibited from
18:01reclassifying as area sources this means that even after substantial improvements
18:06these facilities remain subject to the strictest and costliest regulatory
18:11framework forever indefinitely this not only increases operational costs but
18:17also removes a key incentive for companies to invest in cleaner
18:20technologies and practices something we should all be encouraging take for
18:25example a chemical plant that emits hazardous air pollutants like benzene or
18:29formaldehyde under the Biden era rule if they invest millions in cutting-edge
18:33emissions control systems that reduce their pollution both below the
18:37regulatory threshold they get no relief from the major source permitting burdens
18:42the Biden era rule entangles them in permanent red tape discouraging
18:47innovation in undermining progress under the Trump era rules at SJ res 31 would
18:53pave the way for companies would have a financial incentive to invest in
18:58pollution controls since doing so will actually reduce their compliance cost
19:03and regulatory delays the result is cleaner air a cleaner environment the
19:09reality is that most of these companies in the people who run them live in the
19:12very communities affected by emissions they have every reason to care about
19:17cleaner air and healthier environments what they need is smart flexible policy
19:22not arbitrary and capricious restrictions that stifle growth and
19:26reduce competitiveness and rewards emissions reductions it allows
19:31regulatory classifications to reflect the facilities current environmental
19:35impact not a legacy status based on past emissions this flexibility fosters
19:41continuous improvement and aligns environmental goals with economic
19:45incentives this is not about weakening protections the contrary actually it's
19:50about applying regulation in a way that actually works delivering clean air
19:54encouraging innovation and maintaining the strength of America's industry mr.
19:59speaker this is a common-sense path forward to a cleaner more sustainable
20:03future one that supports jobs growth in the environment this should be a
20:08no-brainer for my colleagues who claim to be the champions of effective
20:13environmental policy but let's not be fooled by their rhetoric the reality is
20:17that many on the other side of the aisle are beholden to a vocal and
20:20uncompromising wing of the environmental lobby groups that would
20:24rather see American workers laid off manufacturing plants shut down in entire
20:29communities economically gutted than support balanced common-sense regulatory
20:35reforms and mr. speaker I reserve the balance of my time the gentleman from
20:38New York Reserves gentleman from Massachusetts is recognized Thank You
20:41mr. speaker just a couple of things first of all I want to correct the
20:44record the gentleman said that this budget reconciliation bill reflects a
20:48full and fair and open process and all the committees of jurisdiction I hate to
20:53tell him I was I'm on the Agriculture Committee and the chairman actually cut
20:58off debate when there were dozens of amendments still yet to be offered so
21:02that's not a full and open and fair process maybe by Republican standards it
21:07is but by most people's standards it isn't and the gentleman is on the Rules
21:12Committee and and we are debating the rule and so I have a question for my
21:19Rules Committee colleagues this rule contains a fast-track process for the
21:25Republican tax scam the so-called budget reconciliation bill but we all
21:31know we all know that deals are being made behind closed doors changes are
21:36still being negotiated big changes were told big changes so I'd like to know if
21:43the majority will commit to ensuring a congressional budget office score is
21:48available on the final bill before it moves forward because we need to know
21:54the impact on our constituents not only how much it will cost how many people
21:59will lose their health care and how quickly they will lose their health care
22:03those are legitimate questions that quite frankly are you know Democrats not
22:08only want to know but Republicans should want to know as well so I guess I mean
22:14can we get some can I just get the the gentleman to kind of give us an
22:21assurance is that will will we know the impact will he commit to ensuring a
22:27congressional budget office score is available on the final bill before it
22:31moves forward? I'm happy to yield to him.
22:37Well I guess we're not gonna get an answer I mean I I guess we all know why
22:43they don't want the nonpartisan expert analysis to be made available before a
22:49vote on this bill because this vote is a monstrosity this vote is going to
22:54throw off at least 14 million people off of their health care this is going to
23:00constitute the largest cut in food assistance in history people are going
23:06to see their nutrition benefits reduce which will impact children which will
23:10impact senior citizens veterans and those with disabilities and again I mean
23:15and and it's relevant to what we're talking about here today is because in
23:18this rule you provide the authority to just immediately bring the budget
23:25reconciliation bill to the floor with not giving anybody without giving people
23:29time to debate the bill you know to be able to analyze the bill for CBO to do
23:35their work on this for us even know what the impacts are going to be on our
23:39constituents I mean this is I mean on something this big and by the way you
23:45know I hear Republicans talking a lot about oh we have this deadline we have
23:49this deadline there's no deadline there's nothing magic about having to
23:54pass this bill by tomorrow the next day you could do this right you could
23:58actually have a Rules Committee hearing in markup in the light of day and you
24:04could do when you come back after the Memorial Day recess but there has to
24:08people should ask the question why are they rushing so quickly why are they
24:13doing everything they can to jam this through before people have a chance to
24:18understand the full impacts of this bill the reason why is they don't want the
24:23American people to know what they're doing they're ashamed of what is in this
24:26bill again throwing people off of health care throwing people off of food
24:30assistance why to give a tax cut to billionaires give me a break we're here
24:37to help lift up people in this country to be there for people who are
24:43struggling and instead this Republican Congress is about enriching those who
24:48are well-off and well-connected I reserve my time
24:51general from Massachusetts Reserves gentleman from New York is recognized
24:55mr. speaker you know we're hearing a lot of dramatic words from my my friend and
25:00colleague across the aisle about the reconciliation process but let's take a
25:04moment to remind them of what they did when they were in the majority you know
25:08during the hundred and seventeenth Congress when a Democratic-led House
25:12considered the last week and reconciliation bill also known as the
25:15build back better act the process was a little messy to say the least and the
25:20gentleman talks about CBO scores and it's certainly something that you know
25:24we're working very hard on but you know as mr. McGovern in a meeting on the
25:304th of November of 21 was reading the managers amendment to be self-executed
25:37his response to not having a CBO score was I know my colleagues on the other
25:42side of the aisle will do everything they can to slow this process down I
25:45will also assure the gentleman as he knows that this cannot become law and
25:50will not move forward in the Senate without a CBO score and that will have
25:54to happen regardless if we do have a JCT score or a CBO score or what that score
26:00says I don't think any of my colleagues on the other side of the aisle will vote
26:04for this bill at the end of the day so you know people in glass houses really
26:08shouldn't throw stones here you know in fact this this process on their side of
26:12the aisle was so messy that two separate rules had to be passed out of the rules
26:16committee each one self-executing a new managers amendment as negotiations were
26:21ongoing and changes continued to be made it was constantly a shifting landscape
26:27and frankly chaos at times now I know that the gentleman from Massachusetts
26:31won't let facts get in the way of good story and he pounds the table over the
26:35use of same-day authority but the reality is the first rule for build
26:39back better extended what is essentially a martial law procedural lockdown of the
26:44house floor granting broad same-day authority that allowed the majority to
26:49jam through changes without proper scrutiny and let's not forget the second
26:53rule for that bill was brought to the floor and voted on the very same day it
26:57was reported from the rules committee exactly the kind of tactic our
27:01colleagues now are clutching their pearls opposing the fact is governing is
27:06hard the process is rarely a smooth one but the American people elected
27:11President Trump a Republican majority in the House of Representatives in a
27:14Republican majority in the United States Senate and gave us unified government
27:18with a clear expectation for Congress to deliver on this agenda the rules
27:22committee will continue to use the tools at its disposal to facilitate the
27:26passage of historic legislation just as our colleagues did when they were in
27:31charge and I reserve the balance of my time gentleman from New York reserve
27:34gentleman from Massachusetts is recognized yeah I'm really confused was
27:38a speaker after listening to the gentleman from New York complain about
27:40same-day authority and then in this bill the Republicans put in same-day
27:45authority to be able to jam this tax scam through and the gentleman didn't
27:49answer my question I guess he's basically saying that no the Republicans
27:55will not commit to a CBO score for people to be able to know what in fact
27:59the the bill will do and the impacts the bill will have yeah I mean this bill
28:05is so awful I can't imagine any Democrat voting for it but it's so awful that I
28:08would like to think some Republicans who have a conscience wouldn't vote for it
28:12either and I would like to think it would matter to Republicans we now know
28:15that 14 million Americans will lose their health care what if that number
28:18went up to 20 million or 30 million I mean is there any number that will be so
28:23high that maybe some Republicans might not pause and say wait a minute maybe we
28:28should not go down this road I mean I mean this is this is this is crazy and
28:33by the way the difference in legislation that we're talking about the build back
28:36better bill I would remind the gentleman was about helping people this bill is
28:40about screwing people and there's a difference here mr. speaker if we defeat
28:45the previous question I will offer an amendment to the rule to bring up HR 27
28:4953 the hands-off Medicaid and SNAP Act which would block the Republican budget
28:54from cutting Medicaid or SNAP benefits and kicking people off these
28:59lifesaving programs while we vote on two measures that would give even more power
29:04to big banks and large industrial polluters Republicans are trying to jam
29:08their multi-trillion dollar budget scam down our throats in the dead of night by
29:14holding a hearing at one o'clock in the morning in the Rules Committee hoping
29:19the American people won't notice shame on my Republican colleagues well the
29:24American people are noticing and they are pissed off that working families are
29:29going to have to foot the bill for massive tax cuts for multi millionaires
29:33wealthy heirs and corporations Republicans claim they don't want to cut
29:37critical benefits for working people I've heard many of you do press
29:41conferences and sign up the letters well now here's the chance to prove it by
29:45voting for my amendment to bring up the hands-off Medicaid and SNAP Act mr.
29:51speaker I ask unanimous consent to insert the text of my amendment into the
29:55record along with any extraneous material immediately prior to the vote
29:59in the previous question without objection and mr. speaker to discuss our
30:03proposal I yield three minutes to the distinguished gentleman from
30:06Pennsylvania mr. Boyle from Pennsylvania is recognized thank you
30:12mr. speaker and thank you to the ranking member late Sunday night the House
30:19Budget Committee on which I serve as ranking member passed out with only
30:25Republican votes a draconian tax bill that cuts almost 14 million Americans
30:33off their health care and insurers a few million more lose their food assistance
30:39they might ask yourself why the reason is in order to help pay for tax cuts for
30:47billionaires interestingly we were originally supposed to pass this on
30:53Friday but on Friday around lunchtime enough hard-line conservative members on
31:01the Budget Committee withheld their votes and voted no not because they
31:05objected to 14 million Americans losing their health care not because they
31:10objected to millions more losing their food assistance but because they looked
31:15at those numbers and said well that's a good start we want those numbers to go
31:19up we want even more people to lose their health care and more people to
31:23lose their food assistance so the vote went down Friday we come back Sunday
31:29night and suddenly the vote is called again I raised the question as a
31:33parliamentary inquiry I simply asked what has changed what deals have been
31:39made the American people deserve to know we as members on both sides of the aisle
31:44deserve to know before casting our votes I was assured that nothing had
31:49changed there were no agreements made then the very next Republican speaker
31:55who's one of those hard-line conservatives gave the game away and
31:58said he was flipping his vote because of the agreements that were made backroom
32:04deals deny the American people the transparency that they deserve now one
32:10of the things we keep hearing on the other side of the aisle is that we need
32:14to get this done otherwise taxes will go up on the American people apparently the
32:19president said that today while he was here in this building it's completely
32:22false just this past week Democrats introduced an amendment that would
32:28ensure the extension of the tax cuts for every American making under a billion
32:33dollars every Democrat voted yes every Republican voted no so you see this
32:40really is about the tax cuts for billionaires now the president has also
32:45said and I quote he would love and cherish Medicaid well my Republican
32:53friends have an opportunity all of those included who have said that they would
32:57protect Medicaid they have an opportunity to prove it right now at the
33:02well of the House chamber is a discharge petition that would force a vote on my
33:08legislation the hands-off Medicaid and snap act it would stop permanently these
33:16outrageous cuts from happening it would preserve health care
33:22thank you it would ensure these cuts do not happen right now we have 211
33:30signatures all from Democrats we just need a few Republican members to sign
33:37that discharge petition and we will be able to love and cherish Medicaid as
33:42well as snap that's all it would take just a few Republican members to save
33:49health care for millions and millions of Americans and save food assistance for
33:55millions more I think it is clear Mr. speaker the difference in the priorities
34:02between this side of the aisle and the other side it is the members on this
34:06side of the aisle that are fighting to save health care for the American people
34:10and is that side of the aisle who are fighting for the billionaire class with
34:15that I yield back to the gentleman from Massachusetts Reserves from New York is
34:20recognized Mr. speaker our friends on the other side of the aisle they love to
34:24cherry-pick the facts when it comes to the timing of committee proceedings
34:28especially in reference to the rules committee's upcoming meeting they bemoan
34:32the late start the timing of tonight's meeting yet they actively ensured one
34:37committee markup after another for the legislation before us tonight ran hours
34:42and hours if not days on end and why did those markups run as long as they did
34:48because Democrats engaged in the legislative process which is their right
34:53the same principle applies to the rules committee on this committee we have a
34:57long tradition of meeting late into the evening to complete our work this isn't
35:01new and it's not unique to our current majority it's simply how the legislative
35:06process operates when the house has its full agenda we need only look to the
35:11committee's operations under Democratic control to see a long history of
35:15meetings in the dark of night under Democratic control of the rules
35:19committee we've seen things like HJ res 587 which the report was filed at 346
35:27a.m. HJ res 481 the report was filed at 209 a.m. HJ res 597 the report was filed
35:35at 343 a.m. H res 903 the report was filed at 225 a.m. and for H res 445 in
35:44116th Congress the committee adjourned at 1220 a.m. late-night sessions are not
35:49partisan anomalies meant to out you know in unique to the Democrats these are
35:56precedents that Democrats themselves have helped maintain for years so let's
36:00be clear this is the way the rules committee has operated when necessary
36:04regardless of which party holds the gavel it's about getting the work done
36:08in fact tonight we may not be reporting in the dark of night at all but rather
36:12as the new day has begun and I expect mr. McGovern to take full advantage of
36:18our unlimited debate rules in the rules committee to make sure that that happens
36:22and I see my second sunrise in a couple of weeks here I invite my colleagues to
36:27set aside the theatrics and focus on the work at hand and I encourage my
36:30colleagues on the other side to prove me wrong but once again my colleagues
36:36across the aisle are spreading and doing what they do best they spread
36:39misinformation and they try to sow fear into the hearts of the most vulnerable
36:43in this country about Republicans work through the budget reconciliation
36:47process so let's set the record straight President Trump and House Republicans
36:51are working working to strengthen and secure and sustain Medicaid Democrats
36:57through their reckless spending and unwillingness to enact common-sense
37:01guardrails themselves have worked to undermine this critical program we are
37:07laser focused on protecting the absolute most vulnerable among us Americans with
37:12disabilities pregnant women children our beloved seniors by putting in place
37:17common-sense guardrails to ensure that those truly in need always get the care
37:22that they deserve and that means making sure that precious Medicaid resources go
37:27to the living breathing Americans who actually need the care not bureaucratic
37:32bloat fraud or people that have come into this country illegally and have
37:36been put on this system we are also ensuring Medicaid's long-term
37:40sustainability by rolling back costly Biden era regulations that are driving
37:45up the program's price tag by hundreds of billions of dollars let's be clear
37:50Medicaid should always serve American citizens first and foremost and that's
37:54why reinforcing citizenship verification another common-sense step that the
37:59American people believe in not only protects the program but saves the
38:04taxpayers tens of billions of dollars and yes we are reintroducing Clinton
38:10era work requirements one of the most popular things Bill Clinton achieved in
38:14his presidency and he worked with Congress to get it done was bringing
38:18common-sense work requirements to social welfare programs it would only apply to
38:24able-bodied adults without dependents it's something that we should all be
38:28able to agree on if you can work you should work it's a step that that was
38:35once broadly bipartisan but today our Democratic colleagues would rather let
38:40Medicaid spiral into insolvency with no solution in sight then support a basic
38:46principle that if you're able to work you should now mr. speaker we've heard
38:50noise from across the aisle words like cruel and harsh and all of the hyperbole
38:55you could expect thrown around to score political points from their base but let
38:59me be clear those labels belong not to those fighting for reform but to those
39:04who would refuse common-sense changes today and instead allow this critical
39:08safety net program to become fiscally unsustainable leaving behind the very
39:14people that depend on it every single day if we want Medicaid to be there in
39:19its entirety for the next generation for those that truly need us that we need to
39:24be working for every day we must act now House Republicans are committed to doing
39:29just that and I reserve the balance of my time gentleman from New York Reserves
39:33gentleman from Massachusetts is recognized first of all mr. speaker can
39:38the gentleman name for me one meeting that the Rules Committee had when
39:47Democrats were in control where the hearing portion began at one o'clock in
39:52the morning well I thought you were you were you were intimating that that was
40:00the case I I don't know of a single me where we began that taking testimony and
40:04we may have reported our rules late at night but be taking testimony and
40:09secondly let me just say to the gentleman with all due respect I don't
40:15view it as theatrics to stand up for people's health care and food assistance
40:21I feel that that is my job and if he thinks that somehow that people are not
40:30going to be adversely impacted read the CBO score read the CBO score on the
40:38the current draft of the bill again it's going to get worse on the current draft
40:42of the bill we're told that because of the changes in this bill and because of
40:46the inactions by Republicans CBO estimates right now 14 million
40:51Americans will lose their health care that's not me that's the nonpartisan
40:55Congressional Budget Office Republicans rely on that Democrats rely on that and
41:02somehow that you know that people aren't going to be adversely impacted by the
41:06cuts in nutrition I don't think you understand the nutrition title if that's
41:10what you believe under this bill if a mother of a seven-year-old loses her job
41:20for whatever reason she has three months to find a new job otherwise she loses
41:28her food assistance so you've lowered the age of you know of when work
41:34requirements are mandatory and it's a cruel thing to do because I mean this is
41:41about children and I don't know I mean but if you're a single parent and you
41:46got a seven-year-old by the way some schools end the day at 2 or 2 30 how do
41:51you how do you pay for child care how do you how do you try to make ends meet you
41:56know what about what about the summer vacation I mean whatever what school is
42:00not a session I mean my Republican friends are so in the pockets of
42:06billionaires and the well-off and the well-connected I don't think they know
42:11what real life is like for so many people in this country how difficult it
42:16is and when we talk about programs like SNAP let me I have a news flash for you
42:20the majority of people on SNAP who are able to work work they earn so little
42:26they still qualify for the benefit and by the way the benefit is on average of
42:30about two dollars per person per meal you can't buy a cup of coffee in the
42:35United States Capitol complex for two dollars you know and then what my
42:42friends don't talk about is how they're shifting some of the cost burdens onto
42:45the states and now all of a sudden states are going to be required to come
42:50up with hundreds of millions and in some cases billions of dollars in order to
42:55prevent people from losing their food assistance like who does that who does
43:00that all why giving tax breaks to billionaires it just makes no sense to
43:08me I mean look all we're asking for and I think I think some Republicans may
43:14agree with me on this all we're asking for is before you bring the bill to the
43:18floor and I appreciate the gentleman saying that there'll be a CBO score by
43:22the time it gets through the Senate but I mean don't House members deserve to
43:25know what the hell they're voting on before they vote on it we ought to we
43:30ought to insist that we all go into this with our eyes wide open that we know in
43:35fact what the impact is going to be on our constituents I don't think that
43:40that's a radical thing to demand or to ask for and yet my Republican friends
43:45seem to think that that's unrealistic yeah this bill it's going to take major
43:50changes for me to even take another look at this bill it's so the priorities
43:54don't represent my values we don't share the same values it's clear when I look
43:58when I look at this bill but the bottom line is the process right now and what's
44:04relevant to this rule that we're debating right now I mean you you put in
44:07the same day rule authority to expedite this so people won't even have adequate
44:13time to be able to find out how it impacts their constituents and with that
44:17I reserve my time gentleman from Massachusetts Reserves gentleman from
44:20New York is recognized well we had to go and do a little research but in 110th
44:25Congress on August 1st 2007 when considering HR 3162 the Democrats did
44:34indeed convene a Rules Committee meeting at 1 a.m. and they gaveled out
44:39at 307 a.m. so they've done exactly the same thing that you've heard the ranting
44:44and raving and the waving of arms about here today what's what's good for the
44:48goose is good for the gander but it rules for thee and not for me is
44:52typically the way this works we will do the work of the Rules Committee we will
44:57continue on to pass this legislation and deliver the real relief for working
45:07families in this country I mean I we've listened to a lot of rhetoric about how
45:12millionaires and billionaires it sounds like Bernie Sanders is in the chamber
45:16but really this is about the working people of this country and if we do
45:21nothing in the tax cuts expire in this country it will be a four and a half
45:27trillion dollar tax increase on the American people it will cut the child
45:32tax credit in half it will cut the standard deduction in half that puts
45:36real money into the pockets of working families in my district it's about
45:41seventeen hundred dollars a month at the current tax cut and Jobs Act delivers we
45:45deliver even more in this reconciliation package that might not sound like a lot
45:50to some of the people on the other side of the aisle but for my constituents
45:53that's a couple of mortgage payments that means real relief for working
45:59families in Western New York but at this point I I have no further speakers if
46:06the gentleman's prepared to close yeah no I don't reserve you reserve I reserve
46:12yeah first of all mr. speaker that's not the right way so we I got to go back and
46:16look 20 years ago but I could tell you this Democrats never ever ever did
46:21anything like you were doing here today never and I mean I don't even remember
46:28what you maybe you could invite us what the bill was but on a major budget
46:32reconciliation bill you're jamming this through you Jimmy you know it's gonna
46:37add to the deficit it is gonna throw people off of food assistance it's gonna
46:41throw people off a health care assistance that's not me saying that
46:43that's the Congressional Budget Office nothing nothing like this has ever been
46:48done nothing like this has ever been done and you're doing it with a straight
46:52face as if it's no big deal as if if people lose their food assistance who
46:56cares you know and the gentleman talks about you know that you know that we
47:01that if we don't do something that taxes will be increased the reason why taxes
47:07are going to be increases because when my friends passed this tax bill when
47:11Trump was last in office they made all the tax cuts for middle-class families
47:17temporary they all expired but you know what they didn't make temporary the tax
47:22breaks for corporations those are permanent those are perfect and that
47:27says it all there that's the difference between the two parties is that I don't
47:33know I just I think we have different priorities we have a different set of
47:37values and yeah I I am really deeply concerned about those who will go
47:43without food and I am deeply concerned about those who will go without without
47:46health care yeah those are my priorities I'm sorry it makes the gentleman and the
47:51Republicans uncomfortable but that's where I'm coming from I don't give a
47:54damn about whether Elon Musk gets another tax break or not maybe my
48:00friends do because he poured so much money into the last campaign again
48:04that's why we need campaign finance reform we need to get this place to
48:07focus in on what regular people are concerned about not what billionaires and
48:12corporations are concerned about mr. speaker before Republicans try to cut
48:17Medicaid and SNAP benefits in the dead of night I should also point out that
48:21they're giving gifts to big polluters in broad daylight and I asked unanimous
48:25consent to insert in the record a letter signed by nearly 100 public health and
48:30environmental organizations laying out the extreme risk of increased incidence
48:35of cancer and birth defects if SJ res 31 is enacted without objection mr. speaker
48:43the truth is that Republicans have betrayed the middle class of this
48:48country time after time after time and we're seeing that today with these CRA
48:54measures that uplift big banks and big polluters at the expense of our health
49:00safety and economic security I mean does anybody think that big banks need more
49:07help that we want big banks they get even bigger we want big banks to
49:12swallow up community banks like I don't know what planet is that a good idea
49:16it's a good idea only in the Republican controlled Congress here and we will see
49:21at the rest of this week you know Republicans priorities all twisted as
49:26they jam through Trump's one big awful tax scam the speaker has ordered
49:32Republicans on the Rules Committee to meet at 1 o'clock in the morning that's
49:37in the middle of the night and again here's what puzzles me we were supposed
49:41to meet at 12 noon yesterday and and we're meeting at 1 o'clock in the
49:47morning instead and there and that we know they're going to be changes they
49:51could have taken testimony and hearings from all the committees and waited to
49:55report out the rule until whenever they made their final deals with with their
50:00members but they deliberately choosing to meet at 1 o'clock in the morning I
50:05mean I it's something this consequential I you know and I think the gentleman
50:12thinks it's a good idea he says that I that I will use my time and try to take
50:17every moment I can to make my points I could say to the gentleman you bet your
50:21life I will be yeah I'm going to be fighting like hell for the people of
50:25this country I'm not going to sit back and I and I can say this for the other
50:29Democratic members and others who will come to testify we're not going to sit
50:32back and watch our constituents get screwed over we're just not going to do
50:35that so you could do it at 1 o'clock in the morning 2 o'clock in the morning
50:38we're going to be there and we're going to stay there and we're going to offer
50:42our amendments and we're going to make our points and so I would urge my
50:46colleagues to be prepared to be there for a very very very long time and I
50:50hope I hope that the gentleman could give us some assurance that unlike in
50:54the Agriculture Committee where the chairman cut off debate and cut off
50:59amendments even though there was many many amendments that were pending that
51:03we won't see the same thing happen in the Rules Committee clearly our debate
51:09on this bill is something Republicans don't want you the American people to
51:14see so I invite every American every single American doesn't matter if you're
51:18Republican a Democrat or Independent someone who doesn't follow politics to
51:23tune in to tune into the Rules Committee it will be up on our website I'll be
51:28live-streaming on YouTube it'll be on C-SPAN hell maybe even cable will carry
51:34us live but watch it watch it and judge for yourselves what this bill means for
51:40you and your family and your community and you'll see how Republicans are
51:44gutting regular order to jam this thing through you'll probably see them walk in
51:50with a huge amendment at the last minute one that could dramatically change the
51:54bill including accelerating the timeline for kicking millions of people off of
51:59their health insurance and as soon as next year people could start losing
52:03coverage that's what we're being told might be coming down the down the down
52:08the way and if today's rule passes that the one that we're talking about now
52:12passes they'll be able to rush that newly changed bill to the floor just
52:17hours later giving members of the American public zero time zero time to
52:23read it or to review it so make no mistake a vote for today's rule is a
52:29vote to give the Republican leadership a blank check to fast-track Trump's one
52:35big ugly bill through this house and here's what really gets me members of
52:41the House Freedom Caucus have said over and over again they're bringing a
52:44thousand-page bill to the floor without time to read it is corrupt and immoral
52:48they were the loudest voices demanding the 72-hour rule so let's see if they
52:54mean it let's see if they actually mean what they say or if they fold under
52:57pressure so mr. speaker I urge every member of this house every member of
53:02this house to vote no on the PQ and hell no on this rule and no on the underlying
53:08legislation and to send a strong message that we reject this Republican
53:13obsession with screwing over middle class the middle class to give tax breaks
53:17to billionaires and with that I yield back my time
53:20gentleman from Massachusetts Reserves gentleman from New York a gentleman
53:24yields back gentleman from New York thank you mr. speaker I am prepared to
53:30close and I yield myself back the balance of my time the gentleman is
53:34recognized we're here once again to protect Americans from the heavy hand of
53:39Biden era regulations the slew of midnight rules forced on the American
53:43people by the last administration pose a direct harm to our nation's economy in
53:48its threatened jobs the pieces of legislation before us today under this
53:53rule are not filler quite the opposite the resolutions passed by the Senate in
53:57here before the house are lawmaking exercises Democrats dismissal of these
54:02CRAs speak volumes as to their lack of care and compassion for the serious
54:07ramifications that the regulatory agenda has had on the economy on consumer
54:12choice and on the environment my Democratic colleagues certainly
54:15wouldn't want to focus our time today on these CRAs because they are part and
54:19partial to dismantling the regulatory agenda that they had wedded themselves
54:24to for four long years under President Biden what was the result of their
54:30commitment in the Biden era regulatory agenda 450 billion dollars in new
54:35regulatory costs on the economy that may just be numbers on paper for a DC
54:41bureaucrat but the amounts of jobs lost manufacturing shuttered and communities
54:46decimated for folks outside the beltway is what it's really all about the CRAs
54:51before us will allow Congress in the Trump administration to continue its
54:55important work of reversing harmful regulations in unleashing the promise of
55:01the American economy I strongly support the rule before us today and with that
55:05Mr. Speaker I yield back the balance of my time and I move the previous question
55:10on the resolution
Comments