[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 107 (Tuesday, June 25, 2019)]
[House]
[Pages H5085-H5086]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 SIX-MONTH REVIEW OF THE 116TH CONGRESS

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Pennsylvania (Mr. Meuser) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. MEUSER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to offer some observations 
regarding my first 6 months as a new Member of the 116th Congress.
  2019 began with Democrat leadership denying the existence of an 
illegal immigration crisis at our southern border during a 35-day 
government shutdown. On 17 separate occasions since then, House 
Republicans have attempted to pass legislation that would provide $4.5 
billion in humanitarian assistance.
  While Democratic leadership is considering H.R. 3401 this week to 
discuss humanitarian aid at the southern border, their proposal will 
not direct funds toward expanding detention centers, nor will it 
provide resources to correct the crisis, which is precisely where this 
kind of funding is needed.
  While this bill is fundamentally flawed, at least, at this point, 
there is a bipartisan majority that admits we have a real crisis that 
requires action.
  Recent figures at the border are staggering. U.S. Customs and Border 
Protection announced officers have apprehended or turned back nearly 
700,000 migrants in the past 8 months. Further, apprehensions in May 
marked the highest monthly total in 13 years near the southern border, 
with U.S. authorities detaining or turning away more than 140,000 
people.
  It is our sworn duty to put the American people over politics, 
especially in the people's House. As elected Representatives, it is our 
responsibility to deliver on issues that are important to the American 
people.
  This year's Democratic leadership agenda has focused on policy 
proposals that incentivize illegal immigration. Democratic leadership 
thought H.R. 1 was important to pass, though refused to support a 
motion that would have expressed that allowing illegal immigrants to 
vote be prohibited as it devalues and diminishes the voting power of an 
American citizen.
  How would Democrat leadership expect this to pass in Congress, let 
alone get signed by the President?
  This is certainly not in the spirit of compromise but is most 
certainly a dead-end bill.
  Further, Democrat leadership passed H.R. 6, which includes various 
blanket amnesty provisions. Amnesty should never be passed by this 
House, especially when that bill includes no improvements to border 
security.
  Not only is putting illegal immigrants ahead of legal immigrants 
wrong, but to propose an amnesty bill is an obvious incentive for 
illegal immigrants to cross over the U.S. border.

  Another example is H.R. 987, a bill originally focused on lower 
prescription drug costs which was politicized so it, too, has no chance 
of becoming law.

[[Page H5086]]

The provisions of propping up failed aspects of ObamaCare and banning 
association health plans is contrary policy to what will drive down 
healthcare costs, which is choice, competition, innovation, and State's 
jurisdiction.
  Making the Federal Government a monopoly over healthcare is exactly 
the wrong thing to do if we want to achieve the goal of quality, 
affordable healthcare for all. This goal can be accomplished while 
assuring a safety net is in place, protecting preexisting conditions, 
and keeping Medicare strong.
  Additionally, bringing to the floor and passage of the proposed 
United States-Mexico-Canada agreement, known as the USMCA, is critical 
to our continued economic growth.
  I state this as an objective outsider. House Republicans and the 
President continue to focus on growing the economy for all Americans, a 
strong national defense, including orderly humanitarian border 
security, reducing healthcare costs, free- and fair-trade agreements, 
revitalizing our stressed communities, regulatory reform, and improving 
the quality of life of American families. We need bipartisan policy 
which puts Americans first, not America alone, but country first.

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