[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 167 (Wednesday, November 13, 2024)]
[House]
[Pages H5962-H5965]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF H.R. 8932, FAFSA DEADLINE ACT; PROVIDING
FOR CONSIDERATION OF H.R. 7409, HARNESSING ENERGY AT THERMAL SOURCES
ACT; AND PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF H.R. 8446, CRITICAL MINERAL
CONSISTENCY ACT OF 2024
Mr. BURGESS. Madam Speaker, by direction of the Committee on Rules, I
call up House Resolution 1568 and ask for its immediate consideration.
The Clerk read the resolution, as follows:
H. Res. 1568
Resolved, That upon adoption of this resolution it shall be
in order to consider in the House the bill (H.R. 8932) to
establish an earlier application processing cycle for the
FAFSA. All points of order against consideration of the bill
are waived. The amendment in the nature of a substitute
recommended by the Committee on Education and the Workforce
now printed in the bill 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 Education and the
Workforce or their respective designees; and (2) one motion
to recommit.
Sec. 2. Upon adoption of this resolution it shall be in
order to consider in the House the bill (H.R. 7409) to amend
the Geothermal Steam Act of 1970 to waive the requirement for
a Federal drilling permit for certain activities, to exempt
certain activities from the requirements of the National
Environmental Policy Act of 1969, and for other purposes. All
points of order against consideration of the bill are waived.
The bill shall be considered as read. All points of order
against provisions in the bill are waived. The previous
question shall be considered as ordered on the bill 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 Natural Resources 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 bill (H.R. 8446) to amend
the Energy Act of 2020 to include critical materials in the
definition of critical mineral, and for other purposes. All
points of order against consideration of the bill are waived.
The amendment in the nature of a substitute recommended by
the Committee on the Natural Resources now printed in the
bill 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 Natural Resources
or their respective designees; and (2) one motion to
recommit.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman from Texas is recognized for 1
hour.
Mr. BURGESS. Madam 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
Mr. BURGESS. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members
have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Texas?
There was no objection.
{time} 1215
Mr. BURGESS. Madam Speaker, last week, the American people spoke
forcefully against what we have seen for 4
[[Page H5963]]
years out of the Biden-Harris administration and their whole-of-
government assault over individual freedom, economic prosperity, and
limited government.
For 4 years, the Biden-Harris administration and their allies here in
Congress had the opportunity to show the American people their vision
of our country and their vision of what role the Federal Government
might play in shaping it, 4 years of drastic expansion of Federal
budgets, 4 years of regulatory regimes, and 4 years of hazy
interpretations of the constitutional separation of powers.
Look, votes are continuing to be counted, but it is already clear
that the American people spoke to the need for an equally drastic
course correction right here in Washington, D.C., and, subsequently,
the direction our country is headed.
This week is perhaps the opportunity to bind the wounds for a
nationwide healing experience over what has been suffered for the last
4 years: crippling inflation, rampant crime, and a bureaucratic state
that has squeezed out every ounce of productivity from this country. Do
you know what? We have left our adversaries a lot of room to run.
The good news for the gentleman from Massachusetts is that the
measure before us can and should be bipartisan. House Resolution 1568
provides for consideration of three pieces of legislation to make
targeted adjustments to a bureaucracy aimed at making American lives
better, less expensive, and more productive. Each piece has or should
receive bipartisan support. Each piece speaks to issues that have
received bipartisan praise or concern.
This week, we can unify under the mandate of the American people and
continue the body of work that will begin today and continue into next
year.
First, the rule provides for consideration of H.R. 8932, the FASFA
Deadline Act, under a structured rule, with 1 hour of debate equally
divided between the chair and the ranking minority member of the
Committee on Education and the Workforce and provides for one motion to
recommit.
Second, the rule provides for consideration of H.R. 7409, the
Harnessing Energy At Thermal Sources Act, or the HEATS Act, under a
closed rule, with 1 hour of debate equally divided between the chair
and ranking minority member of the Committee on Natural Resources and
provides for one motion to recommit.
Third, the rule provides for consideration of H.R. 8446, the Critical
Mineral Consistency Act of 2024, under a closed rule, with 1 hour of
debate equally divided by the chair and ranking minority member of the
Committee on Natural Resources and provides for one motion to recommit.
Madam Speaker, each of these bills takes a scalpel to the government
bureaucracy to make American lives easier, more affordable, and more
productive.
The FASFA Deadline Act ensures that the Biden-Harris administration--
man, their rollout of the updated FASFA forms has been a disaster. We
are going to make sure that that does not happen again. The delays, the
mistakes, and the glitches resulted in 430,000 fewer students filling
out a student aid application for the 2024 fall semester and the
steepest drop in first-year college enrollment since the pandemic.
Madam Speaker, it begs the question: How are you going to forgive
student loans if you don't allow them to be made in the first place?
The FASFA Deadline Act would force future administrations to
prioritize this important process over illegal and constitutionally
questionable student loan bailout schemes.
The HEATS Act eliminates the redundancy in Federal permitting for
clean, geothermal energy production, lessening the paperwork burden for
developers, lowering energy costs, and hastening a growing and
important part of our domestic energy portfolio.
Finally, the Critical Mineral Consistency Act resolves a disparity
between two agencies responsible for green-lighting our domestic
mineral production, ensuring that we can mine the minerals for
vehicles, cell phones, and lifesaving technology, not just for today
but for generations to come.
Affordable energy, abundant natural resources, and economic
opportunity, what is not to like? That is what these bills achieve, and
in doing so, they make commonsense, targeted reforms to fix real
problems the American people face.
That is what the House majority has promised to the American people.
That is what this body can do today. That is what Republicans can work
toward in the years to come.
Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support the rule and the
underlying bills, and I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. McGOVERN. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume. I thank the gentleman from Texas for yielding me the customary
30 minutes.
Madam Speaker, before we begin, I want to address the results of last
week's election. I congratulate the gentleman from Texas and my
Republican colleagues on the results of the Presidential election.
For them, this election was a reason to celebrate. For half the
country, it was awful. Like so many people, I am deeply concerned--
concerned about our democracy, concerned that the man who was elected
does not care about helping regular people, concerned that people are
going to be hurt by his bad policies, concerned that vulnerable
populations will become targets, concerned by the President-elect's
fascination with Vladimir Putin, concerned that in the face of such a
tough reality, many in this country will become disillusioned and
disengaged from politics altogether.
Like many people, I am worried, but let me tell you what I am not
going to do. I am not going to complain and whine like Republicans. I
am not going to deny facts or reality and pretend that the election was
rigged against us. I am not going to create fake stories about poll
workers stuffing ballot boxes that result in people getting death
threats and having to leave their homes.
Democrats aren't going to violently storm the Capitol Building. We
are not going to go on TV and spread lies about voter fraud. We are not
going to elevate conspiracy theories that point the finger to blame
others for the outcome. We sure as hell would have no interest in
pardoning people who attacked cops, desecrated this building, and
treated our country like garbage.
The truth is that the election this year was free and fair, just like
the election in 2020 was free and fair. Republicans were already
getting ready to sow the seeds of another big lie until they won. Then,
their claims of voter fraud evaporated into thin air.
What you will not see is Democrats try to overturn the election like
sore losers. We are not going to act like babies. We are going to take
responsibility, and we are going to move forward.
I think the most important thing we can do right now is listen to our
friends, our neighbors, and our fellow Americans because obviously
things need to change, but I also want to say this loud and clear to
everyone listening who is upset by the outcome of this election: Please
don't give in to despair. We cannot change the past. All we can do is
to help shape the future, and the hard work of protecting this country
from the potentially devastating effects of a second Donald Trump
Presidency starts today.
We can take heart in our small victories. We have new voices joining
our ranks in the Senate and in the House, many of them historic and
ready to push for change. As our party recalibrates--and let me be
clear, we must recalibrate--we will need every one of these new voices
on our side.
While we still await the final determination on who will be in charge
of the House of Representatives, let me just say that if Republicans
hold onto control, we will show up. We will show up for every single
fight and every single vote. We will minimize the damage where we can,
and while we may not always win, we will slow down the destructive
forces that could arise from total Republican control in Washington.
Madam Speaker, if the Republicans keep the majority and the next 2
years are like the last 2, maybe we will have little to worry about.
This Republican majority has been the most ineffective body in history.
They have accomplished nothing. They don't know how to govern.
[[Page H5964]]
It really has been a disgrace, a national disgrace, but rest assured,
we will raise our voices, the voices of the people who sent us here to
speak for them, the people who do not agree with Republican policies
and who voted for us to make sure someone would fight back.
Democrats may have lost some races, but we are not defeated. Our
values are strong. We know what to fight for because we know what we
stand for: an economy that works for working people, a government that
serves everyone regardless of their background, and a vision for a
brighter future that addresses the urgent challenges that people care
about, like the cost of living, hunger, and climate change.
Let me just say, Madam Speaker, this is the beauty of democracy. No
defeat is final, and where we can find common ground with our
colleagues across the aisle and with the President-elect, we will work
together to make progress because our side is interested in helping
improve the quality of life for the people of this country. Where we
cannot find common ground, we will stand firm in defense of our values.
The work goes on, and we will fight for all those who placed their
hopes and dreams in our hands.
Now, if we are talking about the bills that this rule would bring to
the floor, H.R. 8446 politically interferes in a science-driven process
and potentially siphons needed resources away from at-risk supply
chains. H.R. 7409 undermines our environmental laws and blocks public
input in the permitting process, which could lead to irreparable damage
to our lands.
While H.R. 8932 offers a pragmatic solution to ensure student aid
reaches those who need it, let us pray that, despite Trump's promise to
dismantle the Department of Education, the agency that oversees FASFA
survives the next 4 years so that this measure can actually benefit
American families.
Madam Speaker, if we defeat the previous question, I will offer an
amendment to the rule to bring up H.R. 12, a bill that would ensure
that every American has full access to essential reproductive
healthcare, including abortion care.
Since the Dobbs decision, every State in the Union has taken action
on abortion in some way. Many enacted laws to either ban some or all
abortion. Republicans have reiterated time and time again that this is
their goal. They want to take away women's reproductive freedoms.
The abortion access landscape is more fractured since the Supreme
Court overturned Roe v. Wade. We continue to face the devastating
consequences of abortion bans and restrictions on both patients' health
and the greater healthcare ecosystem. We have heard in recent weeks the
heartbreaking stories of women who have died because of these abortion
bans.
H.R. 12 ensures every American has full access to vital reproductive
healthcare and will stop the devastating health consequences for women
when abortion access is banned or limited.
Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to insert the text of my
amendment into 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. Madam Speaker, I yield 2\1/2\ minutes to the
gentlewoman from Colorado (Ms. Pettersen) to discuss that proposal.
Ms. PETTERSEN. Madam Speaker, since the Supreme Court's unthinkable
decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, women face countless attacks on our
reproductive healthcare and desperately need Congress to act now.
Despite an overwhelming majority of Americans supporting reproductive
healthcare, 14 States have enacted total abortion bans, and many others
have brought partial bans or restrictions. This is resulting in
devastating consequences across this country.
Millions of women are losing the right to critical, lifesaving care,
and some States are actively attempting to stop emergency rooms from
providing lifesaving abortions and miscarriage care.
These bans do not just threaten the health and safety of women
seeking abortions. They jeopardize all pregnant people. In States with
abortion bans, we have seen maternal death rates increase by 300
percent compared to States without abortion protections.
In States where abortions remain legal, like my home State of
Colorado, people are facing longer wait times, delays in care, and a
strained medical workforce.
{time} 1230
We have seen maternity wards even shut their doors because they can't
navigate what might happen in a medical emergency and how they would
navigate the liability.
In response to this assault on women's healthcare, Americans across
seven States, including my home State of Colorado, voted to protect
access to reproductive healthcare in their State's constitution.
Choosing how and when to start a family is one of the most personal
decisions somebody can make, and nobody should make that for you. These
choices should be between women, their families, and their doctors.
I am a proud mother of a 4-year-old, and I am also 27 weeks pregnant.
While we are very excited to welcome our second boy, with every
pregnancy comes so much uncertainty. At our first appointment, I was
told that I faced a high-risk pregnancy because of my age and that the
heartbeat wasn't where they wanted it to be.
In a moment that should be filled with joy and excitement, you are
faced with anxiety. I remember reminding myself that I am so lucky to
live in Colorado because no matter what happened, I knew that I would
be taken care of.
I am grateful that every single day since then, every appointment and
milestone I have made I have had positive news, but far too many women
are not as lucky and they also don't have access to the critical care
they need.
Women across this country deserve more, which is why we must pass
H.R. 12, the Women's Health Protection Act, to codify a woman's right
to abortion federally.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The time of the gentlewoman has expired.
Mr. McGOVERN. Madam Speaker, I yield an additional 1 minute to the
gentlewoman from Colorado.
Ms. PETTERSEN. Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to defeat the
previous question so we can bring up H.R. 12, the Women's Health
Protection Act, because we cannot afford to wait and not address the
urgent needs of women across the Nation.
Mr. BURGESS. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. McGOVERN. Madam Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.
Madam Speaker, there is no way to sugarcoat this. We have 2 long
years ahead of us. For Republicans, that likely means facing the
challenges of governing. I wish them luck. I hope they can figure out
how to govern. They haven't been able to demonstrate that up to this
point. For Democrats, it will mean we will have time to reflect, learn,
and grow stronger from this election.
We know we need to become better listeners and better communicators,
and we know we need to engage more with people on the issues that
matter most to them. We will do that.
It also means finding common ground with those we disagree with when
it comes to helping regular people. I hope that there will be occasions
when there can be common ground achieved and reached so we can actually
move things forward. If, in fact, the Republicans win the House and
they control this Chamber, I hope that they will move away from the
practice of constantly leaning on the most extreme Members in their
Conference for guidance on what should be discussed on the House floor.
When it comes to when our values don't align, it will mean us calling
out poor policy for what it is and pushing back with every single tool
at our disposal to slow the damage.
We will show up. We will show up. We will use our voices. We will
stand up for the people and against anything that would do them harm.
It will be a long 2 years, but we are in this fight. I have never
felt a greater sense of purpose than I do at this moment because so
much is at stake. Things that matter to the people I represent are
under threat by the President-elect and his policies.
[[Page H5965]]
We will stand up for our values. We will stand up for the people in
this country who now feel threatened because of the election results.
We will stand up, as Ms. Pettersen just talked about in her remarks,
for women's reproductive freedoms. Women should decide what is best for
them, not Members of this Chamber, and not the President of the United
States.
Again, we have a lot of challenges ahead, but I will tell my friends
on the other side of the aisle, we are ready. We are ready to come
together when we can find common ground.
This is just a promise, but we will fight you with every ounce of
energy we have if you bring up policies that we have strong
disagreements with. We will not rally or roll over in the face of
policies that we deplore.
Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. BURGESS. Madam Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.
Madam Speaker, prior to coming to Congress, I was a medical doctor.
In fact, I still have an active medical license. I feel like I should
go back and seek a designation as a specialist in treating Trump
derangement syndrome, because after 10 years on the Rules Committee, I
really feel that I have earned that.
Several years ago, the columnist George Will opined that--this was in
the Clinton administration. I was just a regular guy. I wasn't in
political office, had no aspirations to be in political office. George
Will opined that the country was evenly divided, he said, but
fortunately it is not sharply divided.
Now, since then, we have seen a country that has evolved and become
more and more and more sharply divided. That is too bad. That is a
shame. It robs us of some of the ability we have to get things done
when our divisions are so deep and divisive that we simply cannot
overcome them.
Last week, I felt as if the national fever had broken. It broke
because President-elect Donald Trump won the election. He won it
decisively. There is no further contest that is to be had over the
Presidential election because it is done. The American people spoke and
they spoke clearly.
Why did they speak clearly? They spoke clearly because they felt they
had not been listened to and they had not been heard. I mean, the
gentleman brought up that the country had been hurt by the policies.
Oh, my gosh, your own Democratic economic expert said don't do the
American Rescue Plan, don't do the Inflation Reduction Act, you are
going to kill people with crippling inflation, Steve Rattner, the
former Secretary of the Treasury, when you were doing your
reconciliation bills last Congress, and it all fell on deaf ears.
Then what happened? Inflation shot up to 9 percent. Although in
recent months you say, oh, well, it is back down to 2 percent, I am
sorry, eggs are still at their peak that they were at the time of that
9 percent inflation. You don't get to walk the prices back down just
because you have kept the inflation rate down for a particular month.
Madam Speaker, the American people did speak, and they spoke the need
for a new direction, a direction for this country where economic
prosperity, limited government, and opportunity are once again the
three cornerstones of the American Dream.
Today begins a new chapter by considering measures that thoughtfully
solve the very real challenges created by the Federal bureaucracy.
Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this rule and the
underlying legislation. Let's get back to work on improving the lives
of the American people. Our long national fever has broken. Let's get
to work. Let's get on with the future.
The material previously referred to by Mr. McGovern is as follows:
An Amendment to H. Res. 1568 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
bill (H.R. 12) to protect a person's ability to determine
whether to continue or end a pregnancy, and to protect a
health care provider's ability to provide abortion services.
All points of order against consideration of the bill are
waived. The bill shall be considered as read. All points of
order against provisions in the bill are waived. The previous
question shall be considered as ordered on the bill 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 Energy and Commerce or their respective
designees; and (2) one motion to recommit.
Sec. 5. Clause 1(c) of rule XIX shall not apply to the
consideration of H.R. 12.
Mr. BURGESS. Madam 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. Madam 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 are postponed.
____________________