[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 5 (Wednesday, January 10, 2024)]
[House]
[Pages H25-H29]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF H.R. 788, STOP SETTLEMENT SLUSH FUNDS
ACT OF 2023; PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF H.J. RES. 98, PROVIDING FOR
CONGRESSIONAL DISAPPROVAL UNDER THE RULE SUBMITTED BY THE NATIONAL
LABOR RELATIONS BOARD RELATING TO ``STANDARD FOR DETERMINING JOINT
EMPLOYER STATUS''; AND PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF S.J. RES. 38,
PROVIDING FOR CONGRESSIONAL DISAPPROVAL UNDER THE RULE SUBMITTED BY THE
FEDERAL HIGHWAY ADMINISTRATION RELATING TO ``WAIVER OF BUY AMERICA
REQUIREMENTS FOR ELECTRIC VEHICLE CHARGERS''
Mrs. HOUCHIN. Mr. Speaker, by direction of the Committee on Rules, I
call up House Resolution 947 and ask for its immediate consideration.
The Clerk read the resolution, as follows:
H. Res. 947
Resolved, That upon adoption of this resolution it shall be
in order to consider in the House the bill (H.R. 788) to
limit donations made pursuant to settlement agreements to
which the United States is a party, and for other purposes.
All points of order against consideration of the bill are
waived. In lieu of the amendment in the nature of a
substitute recommended by the Committee on the Judiciary now
printed in the bill, an amendment in the nature of a
substitute consisting of the text of Rules Committee Print
118-18 shall be considered as adopted. The bill, as amended,
shall be considered as read. All points of order against
provisions in the bill, as amended, are waived. The previous
question shall be considered as ordered on the bill, as
amended, and on any further amendment thereto, to final
passage without intervening motion except: (1) one hour of
debate equally divided and controlled by the chair and
ranking minority member of the Committee on the Judiciary or
their respective designees; (2) the further amendment printed
in the report of the Committee on Rules accompanying this
resolution, if offered by the Member designated in the
report, which shall be in order without intervention of any
point of order, shall be considered as read, shall be
separately debatable for the time specified in the report
equally divided and controlled by the proponent and an
opponent, and shall not be subject to a demand for division
of the question; and (3) one motion to recommit.
Sec. 2. Upon adoption of this resolution it shall be in
order to consider in the House the joint resolution (H.J.
Res. 98) providing for congressional disapproval under
chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule
submitted by the National Labor Relations Board relating to
``Standard for Determining Joint Employer Status''. All
points of order against consideration of the joint resolution
are waived. The joint resolution shall be considered as read.
All points of order against provisions in the joint
resolution are waived. The previous question shall be
considered as ordered on the joint resolution and on any
amendment thereto to final passage without intervening motion
except: (1) one hour of debate equally divided and controlled
by the chair and ranking minority member of the Committee on
Education and the Workforce or their respective designees;
and (2) one motion to recommit.
Sec. 3. Upon adoption of this resolution it shall be in
order to consider in the House the joint resolution (S.J.
Res. 38) providing for congressional disapproval under
chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule
submitted by the Federal Highway Administration relating to
``Waiver of Buy America Requirements for Electric Vehicle
Chargers''. All points of order against consideration of the
joint resolution are waived. The joint resolution shall be
considered as read. All points of order against provisions in
the joint resolution are waived. The previous question shall
be considered as ordered on the joint resolution and on any
amendment thereto to final passage without intervening motion
except: (1) one hour of debate equally divided and controlled
by the chair and ranking minority member of the Committee on
Transportation and Infrastructure or their respective
designees; and (2) one motion to commit.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentlewoman from Indiana is recognized
for 1 hour.
Mrs. HOUCHIN. Mr. Speaker, for the purpose of debate only, I yield
the customary 30 minutes to the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr.
McGovern), pending which I yield myself such time as I may consume.
During consideration of this resolution, all time yielded is for the
purpose of debate only.
General Leave
Mrs. HOUCHIN. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members
may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentlewoman from Indiana?
There was no objection.
Mrs. HOUCHIN. Mr. Speaker, last night, the Rules Committee met and
produced a rule, House Resolution 947, providing for the House's
consideration of several pieces of legislation.
The rule provides for H.R. 788, the Stop Settlement Slush Funds Act,
to be considered under a structured rule. It provides 1 hour of debate
equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking minority member
of the Committee on the Judiciary, or their designees, and provides for
one motion to recommit.
Additionally, the rule also provides for H.J. Res. 98, a joint
resolution related to a rule submitted by the National Labor Relations
Board relating to the ``Standard for Determining
[[Page H26]]
Joint Employer Status.'' H.J. Res. 98 would be considered under a
closed rule, and it also provides 1 hour of debate equally divided and
controlled by the chair and ranking minority member of the Committee on
Education and the Workforce, or their designees, and provides for one
motion to recommit.
Finally, the rule provides for consideration of S.J. Res. 38, a joint
resolution nullifying the final rule of the Federal Highway
Administration relating to ``Waiver of Buy America Requirements for
Electric Vehicle Chargers.'' It also provides 1 hour of debate equally
divided and controlled by the chair and ranking minority member of the
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, or their designees, and
provides for one motion to commit.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this rule and in support of the
underlying pieces of legislation.
Beginning with H.R. 788, the Stop Settlement Slush Funds Act, Mr.
Speaker, we have picked up right where we left off in the first session
of the 118th Congress, stopping this administration from overstepping.
During the Trump administration, the Department of Justice went about
ending the practice of allowing these third-party settlement
agreements. Because the focus of the Justice Department should be
delivering justice and doing so under equal application of the law, the
Justice Department should not be picking winners and losers. The DOJ
should not be in the business of choosing parties far removed from the
taxpayer and not directly related to the case at hand to be benefiting
from a settlement.
Sadly, from the very onset of the Biden Presidency, this
administration has been laser focused on undoing the progress of the
previous administration. This administration has consistently and
simultaneously overstepped their authority in rulemaking and
underdelivered for the American people. That is why we are here.
Following the President's day-one directive to review reinstating
Obama-era policies, the Biden administration began rescinding Trump-era
policies.
{time} 1215
I think most Americans would agree that the Federal Government should
not be requiring settling parties to make donations to unrelated third
parties.
I think most Americans would be shocked that these settlement
payments don't go to the U.S. Treasury but to liberal wish-list
recipients.
Justice is not best served by this practice and it is why the Trump
administration ended the process.
Just as important, ending this practice ensures accountability from
the government by preventing those in power from rewarding political
allies, as well as protecting this body's constitutional
responsibilities.
We have seen this practice used to push funds to far-left
organizations that use the money to support out-of-touch or woke
ideologies. We should put an end to this egregious practice by the
Biden administration.
Moving on to the workforce. As a member of the Committee on Education
and the Workforce, I am glad to see consideration of H.J. Res. 98, of
which I am an original cosponsor.
This legislation is meant to protect small businesses, particularly
franchisees from the Biden administration's assault.
This resolution is meant to preserve the job opportunities these
leaders create and to protect their freedom to run their businesses as
they see fit. It also preserves choice and flexibility for prospective
employees. This joint resolution will ensure a predictable and rational
legal standard for what qualifies as a joint employer.
For an administration that can't seem to put far-left ideology aside
long enough to get our economy on track, I suppose this rule fits in
with a larger pattern of stifling economic growth and driving the cost
of doing business even higher.
We should be taking up policies that empower employers, not finding
ways to make it more difficult to do business in America.
Finally, on to S.J. Res. 38. Similarly, and it seems there is a
pattern here, Mr. Speaker, this joint resolution fights back against
the Biden administration's policies that hurt American manufacturers in
favor of the Communist Party of China.
S.J. Res. 38 will ensure Buy America requirements are applied and
that this misguided Biden rule does not strengthen China over American
companies.
We understand the administration wants to force electric vehicles on
the American people, and that in order to make these chargers less
expensive and to meet their unrealistic green goals, they want to rely
on Chinese manufacturers, but we cannot let those political objectives
hurt our own American manufacturing while strengthening China at the
same time.
Mr. Speaker, as we all have said and highlighted before on the floor,
we know the Biden administration's priority is to pour billions into
green energy and clean cars. By rushing to reach arbitrary green and
climate agendas, the United States is more likely to solidify China's
control of our energy future rather than save the planet.
Mr. Speaker, we must be strengthening our American manufacturers. I
hope my colleagues will join me in supporting S.J. Res. 38 as the
Senate, including Senate Democrats, have already done.
If the President really wants to veto this bill, despite his
administration's flawed approach, then we should give him that
opportunity.
I look forward to consideration of all of these three pieces of
legislation, and I urge the passage of this rule.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from Indiana (Mrs.
Houchin) for yielding me the customary 30 minutes, and I yield myself
such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, you would think that for the very first week back of the
new year, House Republicans would try to correct course and fix their
failing majority.
You would think that after presiding over one of the most
unproductive, ineffective, incompetent sessions of Congress in history,
certainly since I have been here, that Republicans would use the new
year as a fresh start to reset their priorities and to actually work
with Democrats to get stuff done.
You would think that they would bring to the floor some big,
important piece of legislation to follow through on their promises, or,
I don't know, a bill to stop the government shutdown that is right
around the corner.
You would think all of that, but you would be wrong.
Today, we are here for the first meeting of 2024 to consider more
junk, more filler, more nonsense messaging bills that do nothing to
help everyday people--bills that seek to help their billionaire friends
and corporate sponsors.
First is H.R. 788, the so-called Stop Settlement Slush Funds Act.
This bill stems from a fruitless Republican-led investigation based on
meritless allegations of political bias when the Obama administration's
Justice Department held big banks accountable for their predatory
lending practices.
After a full year in the majority, Republicans still have no new
ideas or real agenda to help the American public, so they want to pass
off this solution in search of a problem from 10 years ago as some big,
important new bill.
It is not big, it is not new, and it is definitely not important. It
is a waste of our time.
Then we have S.J. Res. 38. This joint resolution is House
Republicans' attempt to weaken President Biden's Buy America
requirements, allowing Federal dollars to be spent on chargers made in
competitor countries like the People's Republic of China. While
Democrats and President Biden work to bring jobs back from China,
Republicans are eager to do the bidding of billionaire corporations and
ship jobs overseas to China.
Now let that sink in.
Finally, is H.J. Res. 98, a resolution that blatantly attacks
workers. This bill would weaken their ability to organize and
collectively bargain. These three bills have one thing in common, Mr.
Speaker: They will not become law. They are going nowhere, and they are
a waste of our time.
The way this place is being run is just so absurd. It is pathetic.
We are facing a partial government shutdown by the end of next week.
The extreme MAGA Freedom Caucus is once again eager to shut it down.
[[Page H27]]
Now maybe they think a shutdown will help crash the economy, like
Donald Trump has said he wants. The leader of the Republican Party
spent the week praying for the economy to collapse because he thinks it
will help him win the election in November. Imagine that.
Mr. Speaker, that really illustrates the difference between Democrats
and Republicans.
We want America to succeed, no matter who is in charge, because we
love this country and we put people over politics. Republicans led by
Trump are cheering for America to fail and for everyone to suffer
because they think it will help them politically.
What a sick, twisted, messed up ideology. They are literally cheering
for America to fail. I guess they think that maybe if they shut down
the government that that will help.
I heard that the current Speaker was on the telephone with Donald
Trump basically begging him to support the deal to fund the government,
because let's be honest, that is who run this place: Donald Trump and
the MAGA extremists who worship him.
That is the guy, by the way, whose lawyers argued in court yesterday
that he can legally assassinate any of us and he can't be held
accountable because the President is above the law.
I mean, what the hell is wrong with these people? Not a peep, not a
whisper from any of my Republican colleagues. Not a single one of them
who is willing to stand up and display some courage and say that the
former President should not be above the rule of law.
We may be back, Mr. Speaker, and it may be a new year, but it is
clear it is the same old Republican majority trying to distract from
their own disarray and division and doing the bidding of Donald Trump
instead of working for the American people.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mrs. HOUCHIN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, these arguments merely are misdirection. The executive
branch has the power under the Constitution to enforce the laws.
When wrongdoers violate Federal law, any settlement with the
government should be focused on three things: compensating victims,
redressing harm, and punishing or deterring unlawful conduct.
Settlement agreements that require donations to outside parties do
not accomplish those goals. Required donations do not compensate
victims, as the funds go to outside third parties not involved in the
litigation, and they do not punish and deter unlawful conduct,
particularly as settling parties can reduce their fines from $2 to $1
for each dollar donated.
Moving on to criticisms against H.J. Res. 98 about franchisees. It is
a hysterical argument that broadly misses the mark.
Employees of franchisees are still entitled to protection under the
National Labor Relations Act. They are still able to organize labor
unions if they so choose. Franchisees are subject to collective
bargaining laws, worker safety laws, fair wage laws, and franchisors,
just as other large companies are.
One of the concerns that we have is that there will be disastrous
consequences under this rule. I just find that is not the case. We are
promoting small business owners and franchisees above these woke
policies that harm the American employer and the American worker.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, we can talk about these filler bills all
day, but the fact of the matter is they are going nowhere. We are
wasting our time doing this.
We should be focused on making sure that Republicans don't shut the
government down beginning at the end of next week.
Mr. Speaker, if we defeat the previous question, I will offer an
amendment to the rule to provide for consideration of a measure that
unambiguously states that the people's House will keep its promise to
the American workers and senior citizens. We will protect and preserve
Social Security and Medicare for future generations, two important
programs that my Republican friends are constantly attacking.
Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to insert the text of my
amendment in the Record along with any extraneous material immediately
prior to the vote on the previous question.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Massachusetts?
There was no objection.
Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2\1/2\ minutes to the gentlewoman
from Pennsylvania (Ms. Wild), to discuss our proposal.
Ms. WILD. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in opposition to the previous
question. Instead of focusing on policies that would make life better
and easier for Americans, my colleagues on the other side of the aisle
are constantly wasting time on legislation to disrupt longstanding
laws, to pass bills that would offshore American manufacturers, make it
more difficult for workers to receive a fair shake, and prevent the
Federal Government from holding big corporations accountable.
Rather than focusing on these issues, our time would be better spent
ensuring that our seniors have access to the benefits that they have
earned.
Social Security and Medicare are more than just important government
programs, they are commitments made by one generation to the next.
Since my first term in Congress, I have worked tirelessly to protect
these critical benefits, fighting back against extremist cuts that
would gut our Nation's cornerstone economic security programs. The
fight goes on because the GOP is still hell-bent on eliminating these
programs.
Social Security and Medicare are overwhelmingly popular because they
provide critically important benefits, not only to our seniors, but to
other vulnerable Americans, as well.
My constituents and all Americans have paid into these programs, and
they are counting on them for a dignified retirement and essential
healthcare.
It is also critical that we work to ensure that the Social Security
Administration and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services have
the resources that they need. Despite the fact that Social Security is
by far the most popular and necessary program in our country, the
Social Security Administration does not receive the funding that it
desperately needs to support many of the most vulnerable in our
community and across the Nation.
Mr. Speaker, ensuring that our seniors can receive the benefits they
have earned should not be a partisan debate.
I hope that my Republican colleagues agree and that we can find
bipartisan commonsense solutions to this pressing issue.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote ``no'' on the previous
question so that we can focus on more pressing legislation, like
funding our government and reaffirming our commitment to seniors and
the more vulnerable members of our society, and reaffirming our
commitment to Social Security and Medicare.
Mrs. HOUCHIN. Mr. Speaker, if I had one word to describe what I hear
from my colleagues on the other side of the aisle, including the
administration, it would be gaslighting.
My colleagues claim that we don't want to help everyday Americans. My
colleagues claim that we are offshoring American jobs when the very
bills we are considering here today are trying to fight against doing
precisely that.
They claim that we are trying to hurt businessowners.
We are trying to help businessowners by giving them more flexibility
to engage in employee relationships as they see fit. We are trying to
bring American jobs back by supporting our American manufacturers over
Chinese manufacturers. We are trying to compensate victims over woke
ideological groups.
It is more gaslighting from our colleagues on the left. I hope that
my colleagues on both sides of the aisle will recognize that and will
join us in support of this legislation.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
{time} 1230
Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I would just respond to the gentlewoman that one of the
differences between Democrats and Republicans is the Democrats have
historically been and continue to be on the side of workers and on
behalf of small businesses in trying to bring as
[[Page H28]]
many jobs back from places like China as possible, and we would be
doing that no matter who is in charge in the White House because we put
people above politics.
I contrast that with my friends on the other side of the aisle who
seem to be cheering for America to fail and who work overtime to try to
demean our workers.
Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to include in the Record an
article that appeared in The New York Times titled: ``Trump says he
hopes any economic crash happens in 2024 so he isn't blamed.''
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Molinaro). Is there objection to the
request of the gentleman from Massachusetts?
There was no objection.
[From the New York Times, Jan. 9, 2024]
Trump Says he Hopes Any Economic Crash Happens in 2024 so he isn't
Blamed.
(By Maggie Astor)
Former President Donald J. Trump said in an interview on
Monday that he believed the economy would crash--and that he
hoped it would happen in the next year so the blame would
fall on President Biden's administration.
We have an economy that's so fragile, and the only reason
it's running now is it's running off the fumes of what we
did,'' Mr. Trump told the conservative commentator Lou Dobbs
in an interview broadcast Monday evening on the MyPillow
founder Mike Lindell's platform. ``It's just running off the
fumes. And when there's a crash, I hope it's going to be
during this next 12 months, because I don't want to be
Herbert Hoover.''
President Hoover presided over the 1929 stock market crash
that started the Great Depression.
Mr. Trump is hoping to capitalize on voters' economic
concerns, as a number of polls have shown that voters trust
him and other Republicans more than they trust Mr. Biden to
handle the economy. In the interview, he criticized Mr.
Biden's and congressional Democrats' spending on
infrastructure and renewable energy.
The Biden campaign has been frustrated by a disconnect
between positive economic indicators--including strong G.D.P.
growth, increasing jobs and higher wages--and negative public
opinion. Many Americans are still struggling to get by,
mortgage rates are high, and while inflation has fallen
significantly from the peaks of 2022, those price increases
still weigh heavily on voters' minds.
Andrew Bates, a White House spokesman, condemned Mr.
Trump's comments hoping for a downturn and said the former
president's policies ``would worsen inflation with tax
giveaways to rich special interests.''
``A commander in chief's duty is to always put the American
people first, never to hope that hard-working families suffer
economic pain for their own political benefit,'' Mr. Bates
said. ``Republican officials should welcome the economic
progress President Biden is delivering, instead of revealing
twisted true colors that would shrink the American middle
class in the name of their own cynical self-interests.''
Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, let that sink in. The leader of the
Republican Party, the person whom they are all falling over each other
to try to support, is cheering for our economy to crash because it
might help him politically.
It is not about the American people, it is not about workers, and it
is not about businesses. It is about him.
What happened to the Republican Party?
The obsession with Trump and all of this is not only disappointing,
but it is scary. Again, I will go back to the way I began this debate.
The legislation we are considering today is three nothing burgers. None
of these bills are going to become law. They are just filler. They are
an excuse for us to be able to meet when what we should be doing is
making sure that the government remains open and that it doesn't shut
down at the end of next week.
Quite frankly, that business should have been done last year, but
Republicans continue to fight amongst themselves and can't seem to be
able to get anything done. Again, this is the most unproductive and
useless Congress, I think, in history.
So, again, I would just simply say that we all need to figure out a
way to pass legislation that will not adversely impact our economy and
to find areas of common ground where we can actually get stuff done,
but this is not what we are doing today.
Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from New Mexico
(Ms. Leger Fernandez), who is a distinguished member of the Rules
Committee.
Ms. LEGER FERNANDEZ. Mr. Speaker, Republicans are just at it again,
aren't they?
They keep bringing up bills that protect big corporations and banks
instead of helping Americans and protecting working families.
We saw it when Republicans tried to cut funding for the Consumer
Product Safety Commission and to weaken the Consumer Financial
Protection Bureau. These are agencies that the American people trust
and they want because these are agencies that stand with consumers.
Our consumers need and want someone in their corner. Republicans,
however, keep trying to restrain the Federal agencies who are charged
with defending and protecting our consumers, including today, the
Department of Justice.
H.R. 788 is another attempt to protect those same big banks and big
corporations, the ones that pollute our communities and put their own
profits over people's ability to stay in their homes.
For example, Bank of America made a lot of money by selling subprime
mortgages before the 2008 financial crisis. Bank of America hurt
regular peoples' ability to buy and stay in a home of their own. So the
Department of Justice went after Bank of America, and they entered into
a settlement agreement to hold that bank accountable. That settlement
required the bank to pay damages to the Americans who were directly
harmed by its actions.
We know that what the Bank of America and all those greedy
corporations did was to more than just hurt the consumers of that bank,
it hurt the housing market itself. It made it harder for families to
buy homes. Their actions led to the Great Recession.
So the settlement that the Department of Justice did made sure that
Bank of America had to pay nonprofits to address the larger systemic
harm the bank caused. Those settlement funds helped provide resources
for housing, counseling, homeownership, and more. In Iowa, nonprofits
provided down payment assistance and demolished decaying homes. In
Indiana, the bar foundation provided legal aid in foreclosure cases.
These are good things.
Why would we want to stop them?
Apparently, however, Republicans didn't like the fact that the
Department of Justice was standing up to bad actors because H.R. 788
would block that help.
H.R. 788 would handcuff the Department of Justice so it could not
demand a bad actor pay for the harm it caused to our society.
I must remind everybody that, just as we heard from our ranking
member, we are dedicating a whole week to this bill and some others
that would overturn actions that our Americans need to protect them to
move us forward in protecting our climate.
We are doing all of this instead of what?
We are not funding the government, are we?
Do any of these bills deal with any of the issues that Americans want
us to do?
These bills show us that Republicans cannot govern. Instead, they are
continuing to put profits over people, and we must reject this rule.
Mrs. HOUCHIN. Mr. Speaker, I am prepared to close, and I reserve the
balance of my time.
Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.
Mr. Speaker, again, this has been the most incompetent, ineffective,
and unproductive Congress in the history of the United States of
America. The fact that we are here considering these nonsense, do-
nothing bills is just the latest example.
This Republican majority has been a failure and a total
embarrassment. I could spend all day comparing our record with theirs.
Republicans have had pathetically few bills of substance enacted into
law, and on must-pass legislation, every single time it has been
Democrats who have had to step up to give Republicans the votes that
they needed to get things across the finish line. The gentlewoman can't
rebut that because there is nothing to rebut. Republicans have done
nothing of importance. I don't even know why they want to be in charge,
quite frankly, since they have wasted away their time in the majority.
It is not just me saying that. It is them. Congressman Chip Roy who
sits on the Rules Committee said: ``I want
[[Page H29]]
my Republican colleagues to give me one thing, one thing, that I can go
campaign on and say we did. One. Anybody sitting in the complex, if you
want to come down to the floor and come explain to me one material,
meaningful, significant thing the Republican majority has done. . . .
''
More recently, Congressman Andy Biggs said: ``We have nothing to go
out there and campaign on. . . . It is embarrassing.''
Congresswoman Debbie Lesko said: ``We can't get anything done around
here. It is very frustrating.''
What do Republicans say when they go home and voters ask: What have
you done? What have you done?
What do you tell them?
What do you say to somebody who asks: Why are you more concerned
about Hunter Biden than about our constituents?
You people need to touch the grass, get a grip, and get some help.
Republicans have turned this place into one big SNL skit, except this
isn't funny. We have serious business to get done around here, and they
are just openly admitting that they cannot govern.
They have no new ideas or problems that they want to solve. Their
whole platform is built around using division and anger to distract
from the unmitigated disaster that is this Republican majority. The
only hope around this place is that it is an election year and their
gross incompetence will probably lose them the House come November.
Mr. Speaker, we have to do better, and there needs to be more urgency
in this Chamber about making sure that the government doesn't shut down
next week.
The one job, that no matter who is in charge has, is to make sure
that the lights stay on here, that we don't stop the functioning of
Government, and that we don't turn our backs on the American people.
Yet, we are getting perilously close to that moment when there could
be a shutdown. It is disgraceful that we are here debating these filler
bills that are going nowhere and that we are not working on real
business that will help real people in this country and help pave the
way for a better future.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Members are reminded to direct their remarks
to the Chair.
Mrs. HOUCHIN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time to
close.
Mr. Speaker, I would note that with Republicans being in the
majority, one major accomplishment is that we have stopped a lot of bad
things potentially from happening that our colleagues on the other side
of the aisle might wish to push forward.
We have before us the opportunity to move legislation here that could
have a positive effect on the everyday lives of all Americans, whether
that is pushing back on overreach of the bureaucratic state or
protecting job creators. The choice before us in this rule is clear,
and we must take action.
We must be taking actions that improve this economy and fight
inflation, but, again and again, we see this administration making it
harder and not easier to do business in America. It defies logic.
Apparently, there is no cost too high for this administration or my
Democratic colleagues when it comes to this pursuit, not even the fact
that China stands to benefit from one of these rules and the American
manufacturer stands to lose. The American people know better.
Mr. Speaker, I look forward to moving these bills out of the House
this week. I ask my colleagues to join me in voting ``yes'' on the
previous question and ``yes'' on the rule.
The material previously referred to by Mr. McGovern is as follows:
An Amendment to H. Res. 947 Offered By Mr. McGovern of Massachusetts
At the end of the resolution, add the following:
Sec. 4. Immediately upon adoption of this resolution, the
House shall proceed to the consideration in the House of the
resolution (H. Res. 178) affirming the House of
Representatives' commitment to protect and strengthen Social
Security and Medicare. The resolution shall be considered as
read. The previous question shall be considered as ordered on
the resolution and preamble to adoption without intervening
motion or demand for division of the question except one hour
of debate equally divided and controlled by the chair and
ranking minority member of the Committee on Ways and Means or
their respective designees.
Sec. 5. Clause 1(c) of rule XIX shall not apply to the
consideration of H. Res. 178.
Mrs. HOUCHIN. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time, and I
move the previous question on the resolution.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on ordering the previous
question.
The question was taken; and the Speaker pro tempore announced that
the ayes appeared to have it.
Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
The yeas and nays were ordered.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, further
proceedings on this question will be postponed.
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