[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 195 (Thursday, November 30, 2017)]
[House]
[Page H9537]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          LEGISLATIVE PROGRAM

  (Mr. HOYER asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute.)
  Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, I want to say to my friend, the majority 
leader, with all due respect we raise a lot of heat in this town. 
Unfortunately, on the cusp of a meeting that was convened to try to 
reach some agreements on very important issues to the American people, 
the heat was raised very, very substantially by the President of the 
United States. That was unfortunate.
  Anybody who thinks that the heat wasn't raised and was saying that 
there was not going to be a deal I think is incorrect.
  But that is not why I asked for the 1 minute. Why I asked for the 1 
minute is, Mr. Speaker, the American people are relying on us to come 
together and agree on things they know are very important to them: 
their families, their community, and their country.
  Let us not accuse one another back and forth of bad faith, and let's 
lower the heat and let's try to get that work done.
  Mr. McCARTHY. Will the gentleman yield?
  Mr. HOYER. The gentleman wouldn't yield to me, but I am glad to yield 
to him.
  Mr. McCARTHY. My friend is correct on a lot, but understand one 
thing. In this job and when we run, we are passionate about our 
beliefs. My parents always told me: If you can't handle the heat, you 
probably shouldn't run.
  But the one thing that should happen here is, if we want to come to a 
conclusion, just as you and I and my good friend sat yesterday in my 
office talking with the White House on our concerns about the hurricane 
that came to the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico, the only way you solve 
a problem is you come together. The only way you come together is you 
show up in the meetings and you can air your differences.
  But at the end of the day, when we walk into this House, we don't 
walk in as Democrats or Republicans. We walk in as an American. It is 
about time we put the people before politics.
  We have got a shorter time to do our job. I look forward to seeing 
people here Monday. I look forward to seeing us get our work done.
  Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

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