[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 64 (Wednesday, April 9, 2025)]
[House]
[Pages H1525-H1530]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF SENATE AMENDMENT TO H. CON. RES. 14,
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION ON THE BUDGET FOR FISCAL YEAR 2025
Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, by direction of the Committee on Rules, I call
up House Resolution 313 and ask for its immediate consideration.
The Clerk read the resolution, as follows:
H. Res. 313
Resolved, That upon adoption of this resolution it shall be
in order to take from the Speaker's table the concurrent
resolution (H. Con. Res. 14) establishing the congressional
budget for the United States Government for fiscal year 2025
and setting forth the appropriate budgetary levels for fiscal
years 2026 through 2034, with the Senate amendment thereto,
and to consider in the House, without intervention of any
point of order, a motion offered by the chair of the
Committee on the Budget or his designee that the House concur
in the Senate amendment. The Senate amendment and the motion
shall be considered as read. The motion shall be debatable
for one hour equally divided and controlled by the chair and
ranking minority member of the Committee on the Budget or
their respective designees. The previous question shall be
considered as ordered on the motion to adoption without
intervening motion.
Sec. 2. Each day during the period from April 9, 2025,
through September 30, 2025, shall not constitute a calendar
day for purposes of section 202 of the National Emergencies
Act (50 U.S.C. 1622) with respect to a joint resolution
terminating a national emergency declared by the President on
April 2, 2025.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentlewoman from North Carolina is
recognized for 1 hour.
Ms. FOXX. 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.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentlewoman from North Carolina is
recognized for 1 hour.
General Leave
Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have
5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks.
[[Page H1526]]
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentlewoman from North Carolina?
There was no objection.
Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this rule and in support
of the underlying legislation.
This morning, the Rules Committee met and produced a rule, House
Resolution 313, providing for the House's consideration of the Senate
amendment to H. Con. Res. 14.
This rule makes in order a motion offered by the chair of the
Committee on the Budget or his designee that the House concur in the
Senate amendment to H. Con. Res. 14. The rule provides for 1 hour of
debate for the chair and ranking minority member of the Committee on
the Budget or their respective designees.
Additionally, the rule tolls the day count for National Emergencies
Act disapproval resolutions related to the emergency declared by
President Trump on April 2, 2025, until September 30, 2025.
This budget resolution marks the next step in the reconciliation
process to advance President Trump's America First agenda and deliver
upon the American people's mandate from November.
We have certainly heard our fair share of fear-mongering and flat-out
falsehoods from Democrats and their bedfellows in the mainstream media
about what our budget resolution entails. Let me be clear: This
resolution unlocks the path forward to deliver upon our commitments to
the American people.
Over the next hour, I will bet you dollars to doughnuts, Mr. Speaker,
that you will hear all manner of identity groups that Democrats will
claim the budget resolution will hurt. You will hear them say that
Republicans are abandoning the middle class and cutting benefits. None
of that is even remotely true.
We heard some wild, wild conjecture in the Rules Committee this
morning that Republicans would cut off your limbs and let you bleed to
death if you had a cold. Notch that as another textbook example of
Democrat fear-mongering that we have heard over the past few months. It
is disappointing but far from surprising.
Here is the truth: There are no programmatic cuts or assumptions in
the House-passed budget resolution. Not a single Democrat can back up
his or her own claims that there are cuts to specific programs in the
budget resolution. That is because, again, there are no programmatic
cuts or assumptions.
Let's set the record straight about what this budget resolution
actually accomplishes. It will provide funding for border security,
provide for our national defense, and restore American energy
independence.
On border security, the Biden-Harris administration's open-border
policies resulted in over 10 million encounters at the southern border
from 2021 to this year, a 500 percent increase in illegal crossings,
and over $115 billion in costs to State and local governments. This
wide-open border allowed deadly fentanyl to flood into our communities,
killing over 100,000 Americans. Even worse, known gang members and
violent criminals from across the globe have walked right into our
country.
Because of the Biden administration's abject failure, innocent
Americans have been raped, assaulted, and murdered by illegal
immigrants who never should have been here in the first place.
Enough is enough, Mr. Speaker. We must and we will secure the border
and put the safety of the American people first.
Next, the resolution enables us to protect tax relief. President
Trump's Tax Cuts and Jobs Act provided critical relief to middle-class
families and small businesses. Americans are still experiencing high
prices because we are still recovering from Bidenomics.
Real wages under President Biden declined by more than 3 percent.
Mortgage rates skyrocketed. Credit card delinquencies rose by over 50
percent. Bidenomics cost American families more than $11,000 every year
for the last 4 years.
Mr. Speaker, these are facts. They are documented. This is so
different from what our colleagues on the other side of the aisle are
doing in their fear-mongering when they are projecting what they think
will happen if we get through our reconciliation.
This budget resolution also puts American energy dominance first.
Under President Trump's first administration, America achieved energy
freedom for the first time in 40 years. We were producing more than we
consumed. Gas prices were low and families were thriving.
That all changed the day Joe Biden walked into the Oval Office.
President Biden waged an all-out assault on American energy. He shut
down production, blocked development on Federal lands, and recklessly
drained our Strategic Petroleum Reserve, all the while begging foreign
dictators for oil. The result was skyrocketing prices and American
families clutching their wallets in fear.
Again, these are facts, Mr. Speaker, proven facts.
This budget resolution is our roadmap to take this country back. It
secures the border, slashes wasteful spending, delivers tax relief for
working families, and begins to rebuild the economy that the Biden-
Harris administration shattered.
It is time to put America first again, and the budget resolution is
how we get it done. Once adopted, our committees and the entire House
will begin detailed work to achieve these important goals for the
American people.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from North
Carolina for yielding me the customary 30 minutes, and I yield myself
such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, this is a lousy budget. It is a budget that will hurt
working families. It is a budget that will especially hurt families who
are struggling in poverty.
Republicans have succeeded in putting together a Marie Antoinette
budget, helping the richest of the rich while hurting the poorest of
the poor. Let them eat cake. That is the Republican motto.
I have never seen such cruelty contained in a budget in all my years
here. This budget would force the biggest cut to Medicaid in American
history.
The idea and the audacity of somehow pretending like it isn't going
to hurt people is just insane. It is simply not possible mathematically
to cut Medicaid by almost a trillion dollars and not hurt people.
By the way, for the record, that is not fear-mongering. It is what is
in the text of this resolution.
I just want to say that this budget directs the Committee on Energy
and Commerce to come up with at least $880 billion in cuts within their
jurisdiction. Republicans want to be able to claim that there is no way
to know at this point in the process where those cuts will come from,
and they are saying that they are not going to cut any benefits in
Medicaid or Medicare.
Guess what, Mr. Speaker. If you don't cut Medicaid, if you don't cut
Medicare or CHIP, there is only $381 billion left to cut in E&C's
jurisdiction. Even if you cut literally every single other dollar, you
are still at least $500 billion short, half a trillion dollars short.
I guess I understand why President Trump suggests that you all close
your eyes before voting on this steaming pile of Medicaid cuts.
I would also say it is not mathematically possible to tell the
Agriculture Committee to cut $230 billion without cutting SNAP
benefits. You just can't do it. You have to kick people off of food
assistance if this budget passes. That means children, seniors, and
Americans with disabilities are cut off.
In my opinion, that is the reality that Republicans are trying to
hide from the American people.
We had a hearing in the Agriculture Committee yesterday where
Republicans were bragging about how they wanted to put more hurdles in
place for people to be eligible for SNAP. The majority of people on
SNAP are children, are senior citizens, are people who are disabled. We
don't expect them to work, unless you want to repeal the child labor
laws, unless you want to send grandma back to the factory. That is the
overwhelming majority of people who are on the program.
Of those who are able-bodied and expected to work, the majority of
them work. The majority of them work. That is the program Republicans
want to target? Give me a break.
I will go right through the list.
[[Page H1527]]
We can debate waste, fraud, and abuse all day. The money that DOGE
has supposedly found in waste, even if you believe that number, is
totally offset by the tax breaks for billionaires in this resolution. I
mean, with all the chaos in our economy right now, does anybody really
believe that we have to help out billionaires, that they are the ones
who are hurting, not average working families but billionaires?
We have billionaires in this country who pay an effective tax rate
that is lower than the effective tax rate for teachers, police
officers, and firefighters.
What the hell is wrong with this place? I mean, the priorities here
are all screwed up. Let's have a debate about our values and our
choices, but, please, let's not pretend like this budget isn't going to
hurt people.
Let's at least have an intellectually honest conversation and admit
what this is about. Just like the devastating DOGE cuts to NIH and CDC,
they are going to hurt people, just like Trump's tariffs are hurting
people.
By the way, on tariffs, if I may, Republicans are once again rigging
the rules to protect Donald Trump and hide from accountability.
{time} 1430
Republicans know his tariffs are economic poison and know voters hate
them, but House Republicans are too cowardly to go on record. The
majority is trying to sneak around with a procedural gimmick in this
rule to block a vote on the tariffs instead of facing the truth.
Mr. Speaker, to be clear, a vote for today's rule is a vote for
Trump's disastrous trade war, period. There is no hiding from it.
Mr. Speaker, I know that Trump just announced on social media, of all
ways, that he is partially backing down and putting a temporary pause
on some of the tariffs he announced last week.
Mr. Speaker, I don't know whether it is idiocy or incompetence, maybe
both, but that means that Trump tanked the market nearly 20 percent and
put the entire American economy on the line so that countries would
give him a phone call? Is that what this is all about? Give me a damned
break.
Rightwing pundits are going to act like pausing the tariffs was some
kind of stroke of genius, that recouping only one-third of our market
losses is somehow a brilliant move. Now, I wasn't very good in
arithmetic, but that doesn't sound like a brilliant move to me. That
sounds like a stupid move.
First, let me remind my colleagues across the aisle that this is just
a pause.
Second, 10 percent tariffs across the board are still in place, plus
the increased Chinese tariffs.
Third, all of this chaos is horrible for the economy. Small
businesses cannot plan or operate under this level of uncertainty.
What big business would want to invest in any new manufacturing if
there is no telling what policy is in place tomorrow? How can our
trading partners believe what we say when we are changing policy every
3 days? The swinging back and forth is making Americans worse off for
no apparent reason.
Maybe Republicans think that some people need to be hurt in order to
fix our country. I love it when Trump puts up all of these billionaires
to tell working families: You have to just deal with the pain. It is no
big deal. You should sacrifice. These are billionaires lecturing
hardworking, middle-class Americans.
If Republicans at least admitted what the impact of these tariffs
really were on average working families, we could have an
intellectually honest conversation about what this budget and Trump's
tariffs do. Yet, we can't because that would force the other side to
acknowledge the truth.
The truth is that this budget was written by the rich, for the rich,
to help the rich get richer. That is what this is: a massive transfer
of wealth from those at the bottom to those at the top. It is Robin
Hood in reverse, and the American people will pay the price for the
Republicans' billionaire-first budget.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I warned everybody that this is what we were going to
hear. We were going to hear these outrageous claims that are simply not
true.
The fact is that the rhetoric coming from the other side has reached
an appalling level. We have heard the scare tactics for weeks now, but
it has taken a dark turn, Mr. Speaker, that is literally instilling
fear into the hearts of blameless, everyday Americans.
We heard in the Committee on Rules this morning of how Democrats
brought people to tears in meetings by telling them lies about what was
in our budget resolutions. Mr. Speaker, that is shameful. That is
shameful.
We can have disagreements about policy decisions. We can have
disagreements about the effects of mismanagement of tax-dollar funds,
for example, or what amount of tax relief is appropriate. Yet, the
Democrats have now impugned Republican motivations and put blood on our
hands.
A Democrat in the Committee on Rules this morning stated that:
Republicans would cut off your limbs and let you bleed to death, in the
context relating to a patient asking for help with a cold.
It was an absolutely disgusting remark that has no place in this
debate. Is this what Leader Jeffries wants to come to the floor to
state, that we are cutting the limbs off of people to watch them bleed
out?
Does Leader Jeffries want to stoke fear in this way and terrorize
Americans?
Instead of recognizing the sickening, repulsive rhetoric for what it
is, this Member doubled down and posted it on her social media
accounts, instilling fear in and terrorizing those people who she
claims to care for.
Mr. Speaker, Democrats are injecting fear into the lives of countless
Americans, stoking their anxieties, disinforming them, dragging them
into the muck of the worst of political discourse, and for what? For
what?
Mr. Speaker, it is for political gain. It is sickening.
Let's be clear. This is a budget resolution. It doesn't have a shred
of force of law outside internal procedures in this body. Yet, the
Democrats would make us believe that we are targeting people.
There isn't any targeting. There aren't any assumptions about
programs. Just read the resolution. It is a framework, and my
colleagues won't find any of what the Democrats are discussing here
today. Those things are not here.
With respect to what Republicans have been articulating outside of
this resolution, we are aiming to ensure that Medicaid is targeted to
the most vulnerable.
Mr. Speaker, we need to beef up Medicaid that is going to the most
vulnerable. We want to rid the program of waste, fraud, and abuse that
is robbing the American public of tax dollars that could better care
for the sick.
Mr. Speaker, we truly care for those people, which is why we are
trying to root out waste, fraud, and abuse which has not been
acknowledged at all by our colleagues.
We want to create better patient outcomes through innovation. We want
to rightsize State implementation so the truly needy are getting
relief, and we want to focus assistance to those who are truly on the
margins.
As Shakespeare said: ``What's past is prologue.'' The Democrats
continue their campaigns of lies just as the minority has in the past.
My Democratic colleagues famously got four Pinocchios from The
Washington Post, hardly a conservative enclave, for their clearly false
facts about the Trump tax cuts.
Democrats said they were targeted toward the rich and corporations
that pay no taxes, but we factually know that the share of taxes paid
by the top 1 percent of earners actually reached new heights, Mr.
Speaker, after President Trump's tax cuts went into effect. The
outcomes got more progressive.
Mr. Speaker, more recently, it has been publicly reported that ads
placed by Democratic-aligned groups had to be taken down because of the
same inaccuracies. What was their message?
Their message was that Republicans voted to cut Medicaid and give tax
cuts to billionaires. That sounds exactly like what we are hearing on
the floor. It wouldn't be able to be run on a billboard. It doesn't
pass the simple test of scrutiny.
[[Page H1528]]
Mr. Speaker, the American public deserves better. Let's deal with
facts, and let's not scare the American people.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, the gentlewoman said that we need to deal with facts. I
agree.
Yet, we also need to deal with math. I understand that President
Trump told the gentlewoman and other Republicans ``to close your eyes''
and vote for this budget. That is a direct quote, by the way.
Did he tell Republicans to hide their calculator, too?
I just went through my concerns about the cuts in Medicaid. This
budget actually has instructions to the Committee on Energy and
Commerce to cut $880 billion at a minimum. They were instructed to find
$880 billion at a minimum in savings.
There is no way to do that when doing the math without cutting
Medicaid. That is just a fact. The math is undefeated here.
I am sorry that my friends don't want to appear like Republicans are
insensitive to the plight of those who are struggling in the lower
income brackets and who need Medicaid and for whom it is a lifeline. It
is just the truth. There is no way. Again, do the arithmetic. Do the
math. There is no way to get those cuts without going into Medicaid.
That is going to hurt people.
Mr. Speaker, again, I tried in the Committee on Rules to have an
amendment saying that we won't give tax cuts to people who have a net
worth of over a billion dollars. That was rejected on a party-line
vote.
We want to give more benefits to people at the top, but the way we
are going to do it is we are going to cut people's healthcare benefits
who are on Medicaid. By the way, Medicaid is also the program that
helps provide long-term care for a lot of middle-income families in
this country.
Mr. Speaker, the notion that we can make all these cuts and don't
worry, be happy, come on. Come on. People can figure this out. The math
is undefeated.
Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Rhode Island
(Mr. Magaziner).
Mr. MAGAZINER. Mr. Speaker, I thank the ranking member for yielding
me time.
Mr. Speaker, Donald Trump's tariffs are the biggest tax increase on
the middle class in this country in generations. Even with today's so-
called pause announcement, he is still putting a 10 percent tax on
food, on energy, and on essentials that Americans need, while keeping
up with the high cost of living.
The number one thing that I hear in my district and that I know
everybody hears in their districts is the cost of living is too high.
Why in the world is this President increasing the cost of living for
millions of middle-class Americans?
At the same time, the stock market has tanked. Even after today's so-
called pause, which is not a pause because it is still a 10 percent
tax--the S&P is down 10 percent since Trump took office, and trillions
of dollars of people's retirement savings are wiped out.
Mr. Speaker, what are our Republican colleagues doing to respond to
this insanity? The majority is trying to pass a rule that says that
Congress cannot overturn these tariffs even though the Constitution
gives Congress and not the President the sole authority to levy
tariffs.
Why are my Republican colleagues even bothering to show up to work?
My colleagues on the other side of the aisle are just giving the
executive branch all of the powers that the Constitution had originally
given to the Congress.
Why are Republicans even bothering to show up if my Republican
colleagues are just going to give all of our constitutional authority
to the executive to levy these taxes on middle-class Americans who
can't afford it?
I will say why Republicans are still showing up. As Mr. McGovern
said, this rule also includes the next step in a budget plan that would
cut taxes for billionaires at the same time that it cuts healthcare for
working people. The math doesn't lie. This budget plan requires $880
billion of cuts under the Committee on Energy and Commerce.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The time of the gentleman has expired.
Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, I yield an additional 30 seconds to the
gentleman from Rhode Island.
Mr. MAGAZINER. Mr. Speaker, the majority could cut literally every
program under the Committee on Energy and Commerce except for Medicare
and Medicaid and only get to $200 billion. Where does the other $600
billion-plus come from?
It can only come from kicking people off of their health insurance so
that Elon Musk and the billionaires can get another tax cut that they
don't need. It is unconscionable.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote ``no.''
Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I am not very happy about the fact that I am a good
predictor of what the Democrats were going to say on the floor today,
that the minority was going to lie about what is in this budget
resolution. I expect every single one of them to come down here and do
that. I predicted it, Mr. Speaker. Here it is, coming true.
Let me talk a little bit about the tariffs. The tariffs announced by
President Trump on April 2, 2025, are a response to our economy that
will strengthen the international economic position of the United
States and protect American workers.
Access to the American economy is a privilege, and these tariffs are
a starting point to bring other nations to the negotiating table. They
are intended to reduce reciprocal tariffs and achieve global free
trade, decouple developing countries from competitive nations like
China, or for national security purposes.
{time} 1445
As we are seeing, President Trump and America are winning. Over 75
countries have reached out to representatives of the United States to
negotiate a solution on the subjects being discussed relative to trade:
trade barriers, tariffs, currency manipulation, and nonmonetary
tariffs. These will mean wins for the American worker.
President Trump is taking decisive action, pausing tariffs for 90
days, except for China, as nations have come to the table.
As I have made clear multiple times now, when it comes to the pause
on the National Emergencies Act disapproval resolutions, this is a tool
utilized by both majorities, and my Democrat colleagues had no qualms
with supporting it in their last majority on a much broader and open-
ended scale as it related to COVID.
This is why delaying the NEA disapproval resolution is prudent.
President Trump must be given the leeway to negotiate on a global scale
parameters that will make good on his promises of securing the border,
protecting our communities, and leveling the global playing field to
ensure fair trade for American producers.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, the gentlewoman essentially, once again,
called me a liar, so I am going to be a little less polite than normal
and say that the gentlewoman doesn't understand basic math. I am not
going to waste my breath to try to explain it to her again, but math
doesn't lie. It is undefeated.
Mr. Speaker, I am going to urge that we defeat the previous question.
I will offer an amendment. My amendment will simply strike section 2 of
the rule. That section, tucked in the rule by Republicans this morning,
prevents the House from voting on Trump's disastrous worldwide tariffs,
the ones destroying the economy and raising prices on regular
Americans.
Just before I came down here, I guess Trump said on social media that
he is partially pausing some of the reciprocal tariffs for 90 days. Oh,
cool, a 90-day pause. That is the certainty that the business community
is looking for. How is any company supposed to forecast for their
future, build a plant, and hire workers if they have no idea what the
hell this President is going to do in his next tweet?
We went from the President saying on social media today ``be cool''
to then saying ``just kidding.'' We have a 90-day pause in a matter of
hours. I have whiplash. I need a neck brace to be able to get through
all of this.
Also, the President announced that he is hiking the tariffs on China
to 125
[[Page H1529]]
percent and keeping the 10 percent tariffs across the board. That is
great. Get ready to continue to pay more for almost everything.
What about the EU? They retaliated with tariffs against us this
morning, too. Are we going to treat them like China and punch back as
the White House Press Secretary says that we are doing? I guess we
don't have any clarity on that question.
Here is the worst part, Mr. Speaker. The Congress could stop this
madness and provide the certainty that is needed by voting on these
tariffs, but it seems like Republicans are fighting tooth and nail not
to stop the insanity but to keep Congress from having a say about these
tariffs, to hide from doing their jobs.
With this provision hidden in the rule, they are stopping the entire
House from bringing up legislation to put an end to these tariffs, not
pause them, end them, legislation which, under the law, any Member
should be able to bring to the floor 14 days from now.
Let's set aside that the stock markets are in chaos and having
volatile swings. Let's set aside that the business community--you know,
where people work--don't know where to buy supplies, where to build
plants, where to hire, or anything else with any certainty now. These
tariffs affect the cost of everything: the food at the grocery store,
electronics, the goods that are in most demand by our constituents. We
are in a trade war not just with China but with our own allies and
friends.
These tariffs are harmful and they will lead to a recession, one
caused not by any outside calamitous event, but by the ego of one man:
Donald Trump. We could stop this uncertainty. We could stop this chaos,
but Republicans are literally stopping us and themselves from even
having a vote on these tariffs.
I say to my Republican colleagues, stop hiding. Open your eyes
despite the President telling you to close them. Represent your
constituents, the people who elected you and the ones who are getting
hurt by these tariffs and strike this provision blocking a vote on
tariffs.
If you don't adopt my amendment, then a ``yes'' vote on this rule is
a ``yes'' vote for Trump's tariffs. A ``yes'' vote is for more chaos
and uncertainty in the market. With a ``yes'' vote, you will own the
pain that comes with these tariffs, the chaos and the uncertainty, and
you will have no one to blame but yourselves.
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.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Members are reminded to direct their remarks
to the Chair.
Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from
Minnesota (Ms. Craig), the distinguished ranking member of the
Committee on Agriculture, to discuss our proposal.
Ms. CRAIG. Mr. Speaker, President Trump changes his tariff policy
more than most people change their socks. One day he is picking fights
with Canada and Mexico, our friends, and the next day he is launching a
global trade war. Today, he is pausing tariffs on some countries while
also increasing them on China. What our farmers, ranchers, and
producers need is certainty.
I don't know how my Republican colleagues can say that any of this is
all according to plan with a straight face.
There is no plan. There is no art of the deal. Trump's reckless
tariffs are costing hardworking Americans $4,600 a year, hurting small
businesses, and absolutely tanking retirement savings.
Farmers are taking losses on days they go to market only to turn
around and see conditions improve a few hours later because of a tweet
from the President.
How is that strategic?
Trump alienated our trade partners and destroyed our credibility as a
country that foreign governments can do business with. House
Republicans are acting as his rubberstamp by banning the House from
taking action to stop it.
We need an adult in the room, and I cannot find a single one on the
other side of the aisle. This President's tantrums are causing economic
global panic. The House must be able to debate and vote on these
tariffs. You have the same farmers I do coming through your offices
right now to tell you it is not just the tariffs; it is the uncertainty
of the tariffs and the disappearing markets. Doing nothing allows
American families to be crushed by these reckless tariffs.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote to defeat the previous
question.
Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from
New York (Mr. Meeks), the ranking member of the Foreign Affairs
Committee.
Mr. MEEKS. Mr. Speaker, this is one of the most momentous votes of
this Congress. The President unilaterally imposed one of the largest
tax increases in American history. People's retirement accounts are now
in shambles. We all know these tariffs are a disaster, and that is why
Republicans are now trying to block a vote on whether to end these
tariffs so they don't have to go on the record. It is why a few minutes
before this speech, President Trump blinked, announcing a brief pause
but we will be doing the same dance again in a couple of months.
It is time to simply end the chaos. That is why I introduced a
resolution to end these tariffs, but Speaker Johnson and the majority
don't want to go on record. They are trying to dodge a vote. But guess
what. You can run, but you can't hide from the American people.
Speaker Johnson, again, ``is using Rules Committee Resolutions,
consummated by majority vote of the whole House, to declare that `a day
is not a day' in order to avoid the U.S. law that requires Congress to
vote.''
By the way, those aren't my words. That is a tweet from a Republican
House Member who just simply told the truth.
Let me be clear: A vote for this rule is a vote for tariffs. It is a
vote for raising the costs on everyday Americans.
Now, many Republicans I have worked with over the years can attest
that this should not be a partisan vote. I care about bipartisanship.
We should be bipartisan. That is why, in this Congress, I introduced an
AUMF repeal bill with Representative Roy. That is why this week, I co-
led a bill to claw back tariff powers from the executive with
Representative Bacon. That is why I did many bipartisan bills with
Representative McCaul in the Foreign Affairs Committee.
The Speaker pro tempore. The time of the gentleman has expired.
Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, I yield an additional 30 seconds to the
gentleman from New York.
Mr. MEEKS. Mr. Speaker, Republicans who have complained about
executive overreach and rules distortions for years, now is the chance
to put their money where their mouth is. This is the time. The American
people will hold them accountable if they don't.
Do you support the largest peacetime tax increase on American
families? Do you support raising the cost of groceries for them? If you
do not and you want to end America's largest economic self-sabotage
ever, then vote against this rule and stand up for the American people.
Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, can I inquire of the gentlewoman whether
she has any Republicans that want to come down here and defend these
tariffs and the tax hikes on average people? Does she have any other
speakers?
Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I do have some other Members who wanted to
come down and speak on the rule. They are tied up right now. If the
gentleman is prepared to close, then I am prepared to close.
Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.
Mr. Speaker, at the end of the day, this is a terrible, horrible
rule. Voting in support of this rule means voting to protect Trump's
reckless tariffs. Don't get me started about this budget resolution. It
is not just Democrats who think this budget resolution is terrible; it
is Republicans.
Mr. Norman, a member of the Rules Committee says: ``The Senate
version is dead on arrival.''
[[Page H1530]]
Mr. Roy, a member of the Rules Committee says: ``Adopting a policy
baseline does not change basic math.''
Mr. Ogles says: ``The Senate budget bill is really offensive.''
Don't worry. Donald Trump is on top of things. He says: ``Close your
eyes and vote for it.'' I would just add to that: Close your eyes,
cover your ears, and hide your calculators. That is what Trump wants
you to do.
Pass this quickly and move on so he doesn't get blamed for how much
it is going to screw people.
My answer to that is: We are going to fight back. If you support this
budget, we simply do not share the same values. I believe it is
fundamentally wrong to gut Medicaid. I don't want to kick moms and dads
and kids off their long-term healthcare. I think it is rotten to kick
kids and Americans with disabilities and veterans off of food
assistance. I think it is evil to give tax cuts to billionaires while
middle America struggles to get ahead.
I think that those are awful, mean, nasty things to do. We are the
richest country on Earth. Republicans don't have to hurt poor people to
help the rich. They are deciding to do that. They are deciding to steal
from the poor. They are making a conscious decision to betray their
constituents and sell out their best interests to MAGA billionaires.
At the end of the day, no matter what my Republican friends say,
because of this budget, more kids will go without food. More kids will
be malnourished. Because of this budget, parents and grandparents will
have to sell their houses to afford medical care. Because of this
budget, more consumers will get ripped off. Because of this budget, our
air and water will have more toxic chemicals. That is the truth. That
is the reality.
Most people in this country feel like the economy doesn't work for
them, and it hasn't for a long time. Do you know why? It is because of
budgets like this which were written for billionaires and not for
regular people. I think plain and simple, that is wrong.
{time} 1500
I reject this budget. I reject it not just mathematically, but I
reject it morally. I am reminded here of the Book of Matthew, where
Jesus says: ``Truly I tell you, whatever you did to the least of these,
you did to me.''
This budget steals from those with the least. Let me repeat that.
This budget steals from those with the least. It is all so the rich can
get richer. I just find that awful. I find that awful. We don't share
the same values if you embrace this budget.
Years from now, Mr. Speaker, when we are all gone, we won't be judged
by the size of our bank accounts. We won't be judged by how many tax
breaks we gave to billionaires. We will be judged by our decency. We
will be judged by our compassion. We will be judged by our kindness,
and, yes, we will be judged by our work to build a society where
everybody has a chance and nobody is left behind.
This is an immoral budget, and I want the American people to know I
do not share these values. Democrats do not share these values. I
reject this budget. Democrats reject this budget.
Mr. Speaker, I urge a ``no'' vote, and I yield back the balance of my
time.
Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, it is good to hear our friends say they don't
share the values of trying to save hardworking Americans' money from
waste, fraud, and abuse, which are rampant in the Federal Government.
The American people know that, Mr. Speaker. They know that in their
hearts and in their minds. They understand it. They hear about it every
day.
It is curious to me that our Democratic colleagues do not want to
make Medicaid more effective, that they don't want to help the people
on Medicaid get better healthcare. How sad, Mr. Speaker, that that is
the case.
Mr. Speaker, this budget does not steal from the least of these. It
does not. What it does do is everything it can to stop fraudsters, to
stop bureaucratic waste, and to stop bad things from happening to those
least because those in the government are not serving them well.
Let's talk about these predictions. I started out by saying you are
going to hear these horror stories. They said we are going to cut
people's limbs off and watch them bleed to death.
Let's look at the predictions that were made when President Donald
Trump signed the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act around Christmas 2017. Then-
House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi infamously predicted Armageddon for
America--fear-mongering, plain and simple. The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act
led to historic growth and economic gains in this country.
Larry Summers, a well-known Democrat, described progrowth forecasts
as ``tooth fairies'' and predicted a long recession. That is fear-
mongering. We got the opposite, a historic economic expansion under
President Trump. Senator Chuck Schumer earned a ``mostly false'' rating
for claiming companies were laying off workers due to tax reform. That
is fear-mongering again.
Yesterday, I had in my office some businesspeople, and they talked
about what they did when the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act passed. They gave
all of their employees a raise. We know about that, Mr. Speaker, those
of us who were around. We saw that. There was lots of news about that
because of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act.
As a result of that bill, we got historic reshoring and more jobs, as
promised by President Trump.
Then-Senator Harris, later Vice President Harris, claimed there would
be a middle-class tax hike because average tax refunds were slightly
down as tax season began. One newspaper deemed her claim ``misleading''
and--surprise, surprise--``nonsensical.'' History now reveals it to be
false, and I would call it fear-mongering, the same we have been
hearing on the floor today.
In perhaps one of the greatest reveals, liberal Vox writer Matthew
Yglesias, after admitting that facts show ``a clear majority got a tax
cut,'' praised other liberals who ``did a really good job of convincing
people that Trump raised their taxes.'' Fear-mongering revealed.
Mr. Speaker, the fear-mongering needs to end, and the business of
this House needs to continue. Again, despite what our colleagues on the
left may claim, the American people know the truth. The Biden-Harris
administration was a relentless assault on our economy, our national
security, and our energy independence.
Today in Rules, one of our colleagues said they are always left to
clean up Republicans' mess. No. It is the Republicans who have to clean
up the Democrats' mess.
Under the Biden-Harris administration, they waged war on American
energy, opened our borders to chaos, and drove inflation through the
roof, all while families struggled to keep up.
That is exactly why Americans were fired up at the ballot box last
November. The American people had enough of Democratic dysfunction.
This budget resolution is the beginning of delivering on President
Trump's America First agenda. We are cutting waste, restoring our
economy, delivering relief to working families, securing the border,
and unleashing American energy like never before.
This is more than a budget. It is a blueprint to take our country
back, Mr. Speaker. We are done playing defense. It is time to lead,
fight, and win, all for the American people.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote ``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. 313 Offered By Mr. McGovern of Massachusetts
Strike section 2.
Ms. FOXX. 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.
____________________