[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 108 (Tuesday, June 24, 2025)]
[House]
[Pages H2900-H2905]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF H.R. 3944, MILITARY CONSTRUCTION,
VETERANS AFFAIRS, AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2026;
PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF H.R. 275, SPECIAL INTEREST ALIEN
REPORTING ACT OF 2025; PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF H.R. 875, JEREMY
AND ANGEL SEAY AND SERGEANT BRANDON MENDOZA PROTECT OUR COMMUNITIES
FROM DUIS ACT OF 2025; AND PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF H. RES. 516,
CONDEMNING THE VIOLENT JUNE 2025 RIOTS IN LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA
Mr. AUSTIN SCOTT of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, by direction of the
Committee on Rules, I call up House Resolution 530 and ask for its
immediate consideration.
The Clerk read the resolution, as follows:
H. Res. 530
Resolved, That at any time after adoption of this
resolution the Speaker may, pursuant to clause 2(b) of rule
XVIII, declare the House resolved into the Committee of the
Whole House on the state of the Union for consideration of
the bill (H.R. 3944) making appropriations for military
construction, the Department of Veterans Affairs, and related
agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2026, and
for other purposes. The first reading of the bill shall be
dispensed with. All points of order against consideration of
the bill are waived. General debate shall be confined to the
bill and shall not exceed one hour equally divided and
controlled by the chair and ranking minority member of the
Committee on Appropriations or their respective designees.
After general debate the bill shall be considered for
amendment under the five-minute rule. An amendment in the
nature of a substitute consisting of the text of Rules
Committee Print 119-5 shall be considered as adopted in the
House and in the Committee of the Whole. The bill, as
amended, shall be considered as the original bill for the
purpose of further amendment under the five-minute rule and
shall be considered as read. Points of order against
provisions in the bill, as amended, for failure to comply
with clause 2 of rule XXI are waived.
Sec. 2. (a) No further amendment to H.R. 3944, as amended,
shall be in order except those printed in the report of the
Committee on Rules accompanying this resolution, amendments
en bloc described in section 3 of this resolution, and pro
forma amendments described in section 4 of this resolution.
(b) Each further amendment printed in the report of the
Committee on Rules shall be considered only in the order
printed in the report, may be offered only by a Member
designated in the report, shall be considered as read, shall
be debatable for the time specified in the report equally
divided and controlled by the proponent and an opponent,
shall not be subject to amendment except as provided by
section 4 of this resolution, and shall not be subject to a
demand for division of the question in the House or in the
Committee of the Whole.
(c) All points of order against further amendments printed
in the report of the Committee on Rules or against amendments
en bloc described in section 3 of this resolution are waived.
Sec. 3. It shall be in order at any time for the chair of
the Committee on Appropriations or his designee to offer
amendments en bloc consisting of further amendments printed
in the report of the Committee on Rules accompanying this
resolution not earlier disposed of. Amendments en bloc
offered pursuant to this section shall be considered as read,
shall be debatable for 20 minutes equally divided and
controlled by the chair and ranking minority member of the
Committee on Appropriations or their respective designees,
shall not be subject to amendment except as provided by
section 4 of this resolution, and shall not be subject to a
demand for division of the question in the House or in the
Committee of the Whole.
Sec. 4. During consideration of H.R. 3944 for amendment,
the chair and ranking minority member of the Committee on
Appropriations or their respective designees may offer up to
10 pro forma amendments each at any point for the purpose of
debate.
Sec. 5. At the conclusion of consideration of H.R. 3944
for amendment the Committee shall rise and report the bill,
as amended, to the House with such further amendments as may
have been adopted. 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 one motion to recommit.
Sec. 6. Upon adoption of this resolution it shall be in
order to consider in the House the bill (H.R. 275) to require
the Secretary of Homeland Security to publish on a monthly
basis the number of special interest aliens encountered
attempting to unlawfully enter the United States, 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 Homeland Security
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 Homeland Security
or their respective designees; and (2) one motion to
recommit.
Sec. 7. Upon adoption of this resolution it shall be in
order to consider in the House the bill (H.R. 875) to amend
the Immigration and Nationality Act to provide that aliens
who have been convicted of or who have committed an offense
for driving while intoxicated or impaired are inadmissible
and deportable. 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 Judiciary 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 the Judiciary or
their respective designees; and (2) one motion to recommit.
Sec. 8. Upon adoption of this resolution it shall be in
order without intervention of any point of order to consider
in the House the resolution (H. Res. 516) condemning the
violent June 2025 riots in Los Angeles, California. 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
[[Page H2901]]
except 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.
{time} 1230
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman from Georgia is recognized for
1 hour.
Mr. AUSTIN SCOTT of Georgia. 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
Mr. AUSTIN SCOTT of Georgia. 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
gentleman from Georgia?
There was no objection.
Mr. AUSTIN SCOTT of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, last night, the Rules
Committee met and reported a rule, House Resolution 530, providing for
consideration of four measures, including H.R. 3944, the Military
Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations
Act, 2026, under a structured rule. The rule provides 1 hour of debate
equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking member of the
Committee on Appropriations or their respective designees, provides for
one motion to recommit, and makes 32 amendments in order.
Additionally, the rule provides for consideration of H.R. 275, the
Special Interest Alien Reporting Act of 2025, under a closed rule. The
rule provides 1 hour of debate equally divided and controlled by the
chair and ranking member of the Committee on Homeland Security or their
respective designees and provides for one motion to recommit.
Further, the rule provides for consideration of H.R. 875, the Jeremy
and Angel Seay and Sergeant Brandon Mendoza Protect Our Communities
from DUIs Act of 2025, under a closed rule. The rule provides 1 hour of
debate equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking member
of the Committee on the Judiciary or their respective designees and
provides for one motion to recommit.
Lastly, the rule provides for consideration of H. Res. 516,
Condemning the Violent June 2025 Riots in Los Angeles, California,
under a closed rule. The rule provides 1 hour of debate equally divided
and controlled by the chair and ranking member of the Committee on the
Judiciary or their respective designees.
Mr. Speaker, we are here today to debate the rule on four pieces of
legislation, beginning with H.R. 3944, the Military Construction,
Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act of 2026.
Mr. Speaker, H.R. 3944 supports those who have sacrificed for our
country and maintains our commitment to the well-being of both
servicemembers and veterans.
It provides a total of $453 billion in overall funding, including a
discretionary allocation of more than $152 billion, which is nearly $5
billion above the previous year's enacted level.
It fully funds veterans' healthcare programs, including medical care
for toxic exposure. It fully funds veterans' benefits and VA programs
and supports President Trump's effort to combat veteran homelessness by
investing in the new bridging rental assistance for the veteran
empowerment program.
It protects the Second Amendment rights of veterans by preventing the
VA from sending information on veterans to the FBI without a judge's
consent.
Further, it syncs with President Trump's executive order on no funds
for DEI or gender-affirming care and protects the Hyde-like language at
the VA.
Additionally, Mr. Speaker, H.R. 3944 continues support for the Guard
and Reserve, providing more than $1.2 billion for Guard and Reserve
facility construction.
It includes $2 billion for military family housing, with a focus on
child development centers to improve the quality of life of our
military families.
It provides robust funding for military construction, which enables
continued investment in the Indo-Pacific region and the infrastructure
necessary to support U.S. advanced weapon systems.
Furthermore, it prohibits the VA from purchasing resources directly
or indirectly from the People's Republic of China.
Mr. Speaker, this bill provides significant investments and support
for our veterans, servicemembers, and their families, and it should
pass in a bipartisan manner.
Moving on, Mr. Speaker, the rule also provides for the consideration
of H.R. 275, the Special Interest Alien Reporting Act of 2025.
It goes without saying, Mr. Speaker, that the situation at our
southern border has improved significantly under the Trump
administration. However, under the previous administration, illegal
aliens from over 170 different countries, including Iran, the People's
Republic of China, and Russia, came across our borders.
H.R. 275 would require the Secretary of Homeland Security to publish
a monthly report on the number of special interest aliens--people who
pose a significant threat to our national security based on analysis of
travel patterns--who have been encountered while attempting to
illegally enter the United States.
This bill is common sense, and the American people have a right to
know.
Additionally, Mr. Speaker, the rule provides for consideration of
H.R. 875, the Jeremy and Angel Seay and Sergeant Brandon Mendoza
Protect Our Communities from DUIs Act of 2025.
This bill is simple and necessary. It closes a loophole in U.S.
immigration law and ensures that aliens who endanger communities by
driving while intoxicated are inadmissible to and deportable from the
United States.
All three of the individuals included in the title lost their lives
in automobile crashes caused by illegal aliens who were driving under
the influence. We should honor their memory and work to keep the
American people safe by passing this bill in a bipartisan manner.
Finally, Mr. Speaker, the rule provides for consideration of H. Res.
516, Condemning the Violent June 2025 Riots in Los Angeles, California.
The First Amendment to the Constitution protects the right to
peacefully protest. However, it does not protect against riots and
violence. This resolution recognizes the right to assemble and protest
peacefully while condemning the riots and violence against law
enforcement.
Mr. Speaker, I look forward to consideration of these pieces of
legislation. I urge passage of this rule.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, that was riveting. I thank the gentleman
from Georgia (Mr. Austin Scott) for yielding me the customary 30
minutes, and I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, contained in this rule are two immigration bills, one of
which Congress has already passed, another of which directs the
administration to do something they already have the power to do.
There is a nonbinding resolution here to condemn rioting. We had an
interesting conversation in the Rules Committee last night, and I don't
remember Republicans offering a nonbinding resolution to condemn the
riots that occurred outside this building on January 6, 2021.
We can't even get the Speaker of the House to hang the plaque
expressing gratitude to the law enforcement officers who protected us
that day that a law says he has to hang, so please forgive me if I
think this one rings a bit hollow.
Then, we have an appropriations bill that continues this trend toward
privatizing VA services and blocks women who are veterans from being
able to get abortion services at the VA in most cases. Republicans are
trying to restrict the freedoms of the people who are willing to fight
and die for our freedoms. Republicans are unbelievable.
I am glad that we are here on the floor debating, Mr. Speaker. I just
don't think we are debating what 90 percent of Americans want us to be
talking about right now, which is the chaos and confusion that this
administration has created and the real fear
[[Page H2902]]
that Americans have about this country being dragged into another
quagmire in the Middle East.
The bottom line is that this administration is acting insane. The
President yesterday said there was going to be a cease-fire forever
between Israel and Iran. They are back to bombing each other this
morning. The cease-fire he bragged about didn't even last a day.
He has inserted us into this war with zero thought to the
consequences. We are bombing Iran. Iran is bombing us. The risk of
miscalculation is massive, and the entire Republican Party is just
going along for the ride.
Stephen Miller, a top administration official, is on TV talking about
Donald Trump like he is Kim Jong-un. It is creepy.
The majority says they are not in a cult. Now is their chance to
prove it.
Trump is doing literally the exact opposite of what he promised to do
in his campaign. Instead of having the courage to say something, 99
percent of these guys suddenly decided they are in favor of endless
wars. The mental gymnastics that takes is nuts.
Mr. Speaker, if it looks like a cult, if it acts like a cult, maybe,
just maybe, it is a cult.
I thought Republicans said they were going to lower food prices. Food
is just as expensive as it was 6 months ago, and now, we are dragged
into another war in the Middle East. This isn't America First. This is
not even normal. It is nuts.
This is an administration in way over its head that thought ending a
war was as easy as ranting on Truth Social. Now, American troops and
taxpayers are paying the price for their stupidity and carelessness.
Let's be crystal clear. These strikes were illegal, unauthorized, and
unconstitutional. No debate, no vote, no evidence of an imminent
threat--that is not how this should work. If we are going to drop bombs
and put American lives in danger, Republicans in Congress should be
willing to come down here and have the courage to vote ``yes'' or
``no'' so that people know where they stand.
Meanwhile, while families are bracing for gas prices to go up and
dealing with food prices that never came down, these guys want Congress
to ignore all of that and rubberstamp their big, ugly tax scam, a scam
that hands tax breaks to billionaires while ripping food off kids'
tables and healthcare out of seniors' hands.
Mr. Speaker, these guys do not know what the hell they are doing, and
America is paying the price. Trump said there would be a cease-fire
forever, and it lasted 1 day. He said the big, ugly bill won't touch
Medicaid and won't screw over middle-class families, but the bill cuts
16 million people off their healthcare and ransacks the food budgets of
working people.
Guess what. You can't trust him. You can't trust a word this
administration says. We should be debating a War Powers Resolution. We
should be talking about their awful, ugly bill that is working its way
through the Senate. Instead, Republicans want business as usual,
endless wars, and tax cuts for the rich.
Enough is enough. I urge a ``no'' vote.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. AUSTIN SCOTT of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I thank the President of
the United States, Donald J. Trump--I know it pains my colleagues to
say that, ``President of the United States Donald J. Trump''--for his
decisive action. I thank him for calling both sides out on the cease-
fire.
I point out to my colleagues on the other side of the aisle that, as
of right now, the cease-fire is holding, and most of the world wants
that cease-fire to hold.
Mr. Speaker, when you talk about a cult, the cult would be the people
who hate Donald Trump so bad that they want the cease-fire to fail.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, let me just remind my colleagues again about what is
happening here. Trump said he would end the war in Ukraine on day one.
He didn't. Last time I checked, it is still going on.
He said he wouldn't get us into another war. He just did. He said
there was a cease-fire that would last forever. There wasn't.
He said his bill won't kick people off of Medicaid, and it will.
Sixteen million people are about to lose their healthcare, and it is
going to adversely impact rural areas even more so because of what he
is doing.
Mr. Speaker, do you know what he has been doing since midnight? He
has been on Truth Social. He has posted nearly 30 times since midnight
on Truth Social, first of all declaring victory and that everything is
beautiful and then retweeting posts calling for him to get the Nobel
Peace Prize.
He is more interested in getting an award than he is in protecting
people's healthcare and making sure that people in this country have
enough to eat and that children don't go hungry.
I mean, these priorities, maybe they are the majority's priorities.
They are not my priorities. I think they are all screwed up.
Mr. Speaker, if we defeat the previous question, I will offer an
amendment to the rule to bring up H.R. 2753, the Hands Off Medicaid and
SNAP Act of 2025, which would block the Republicans from cutting
Medicaid or SNAP benefits and kicking people off these lifesaving
programs as part of their reconciliation bill.
Last month, House Republicans jammed through their multitrillion-
dollar tax scam by a one-vote margin. As a reminder, this bill includes
the largest ever cut to food assistance and will strip healthcare from
16 million Americans, all while adding $3.3 trillion to the debt.
{time} 1245
Mr. Speaker, some Republicans didn't even know what was in the bill
when they voted for it. Yet when they had the chance for a revote 2
weeks ago, because they screwed it up the first time, they voted to cut
Medicaid and SNAP again.
As we stand here, debating unrelated immigration measures, Senate
Republicans are moving forward with their version of the big, ugly
bill. Because House Republicans broke so many rules when they passed
their bill the second time, they are going to have to vote on it a
third time when it comes back from the Senate.
Miraculously, due to their own ineptitude, Republicans have given
themselves yet another opportunity to protect healthcare and SNAP for
millions of Americans. Let's see if they vote this time to bring up the
Hands Off Medicaid and SNAP Act.
Mr. 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. Mr. Speaker, to discuss our proposal, I yield 2\1/2\
minutes to the gentleman from Alabama (Mr. Figures).
Mr. FIGURES. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak on the critical
importance of both SNAP and Medicaid, not just to Alabama's Second
District but in every congressional district across this country.
When I took this position, like all of my colleagues, I took an oath
not just for this position but I took an oath to the people that I
represent. That is to not forget where I come from.
I took an oath to places like Mobile, Montgomery, Phenix City,
Evergreen, and Greenville. I took an oath to the neighborhood I grew up
in, in Toulminville, to not forget the type of district that I come
from.
For me, what that district looks like is about one in four households
rely on SNAP benefits. Over 200,000 people, almost a third of the
population in the State of Alabama, are enrolled in Medicaid.
The individual median income in my district is just about $31,000 a
year. I come from a district that is not the wealthiest in this
country. It is not even close to the wealthiest or well-off.
These aren't just statistics. These are real people I see when I go
home to my district. These are children, seniors, working parents, and
people with disabilities. These are neighbors. These are people who I
grew up with in church. These are people I went to school with. These
people depend on these programs to survive, not because they want to
but because they have to.
[[Page H2903]]
Cutting these benefits would force impossible choices amongst some of
these people between food, medicine, utilities, housing, and overall
stability.
It wouldn't reduce the need because the need would still be there.
The hunger would still be there. The poverty would still be there. It
would shift the cost onto our hospitals, our schools, and emergency
services.
Alabama SNAP does more than just provide food for people. It also
supports, as it does across this country, our local grocers and grocery
stores. All of the statistics show that SNAP is a net positive return
on the local economy.
We have to recognize that Medicaid keeps working families healthy.
Mr. Speaker, 61 percent of Medicaid recipients in the State of Alabama
are working. The majority or remainder are either children or people
with disabilities. These programs are not luxuries. They are lifelines
that people need to get by.
Let's stop pretending that these are just numbers in a budget and
these are not real people. Protecting SNAP and Medicaid is not about
politics. It is not about priorities. We are not in a position where we
can't afford it. We spend almost $4 million every trip Donald Trump
takes to Mar-a-Lago. It is not a question of resources. It is a
question of priorities.
Mr. SCOTT of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I want the American citizens to
know that anybody under the age of 18 is exempt from the changes.
Anybody over the age of 64, meaning 65 or above, is exempt from the
changes. Anybody who is disabled is exempt from the changes.
If there is an able-bodied adult of working age not taking care of a
dependent, we believe that it is in their best interest to be at work.
That is what our policies do.
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 reality is that everybody is going to be adversely
impacted by the big, ugly bill. Senior citizens, children, and
everybody in between will be impacted.
In the gentleman's district in Georgia, it is estimated that a total
of 41,718 people will lose their insurance. It is estimated that 33,400
will lose Affordable Care Act coverage. Mr. Speaker, 8,318 will lose
Medicaid coverage.
Mr. Speaker, I don't know how Republicans go back to their districts
and meet with their constituents. I guess they don't meet with their
constituents anymore. I know the Speaker of the House said Republicans
shouldn't do townhalls.
At some point my Republican colleagues will have to face them. How do
they tell their constituents they voted for a bill that will adversely
impact them?
The cuts in SNAP alone will increase hunger in this country
substantially. We should talk about how we end hunger and, instead,
Republicans are moving legislation to increase hunger.
We should have a country where everybody has healthcare coverage.
Instead, they are pushing a bill that will throw people off of health
insurance. I don't know how people do that. I don't know how they go
home and talk to constituents about the fact that they are here
fighting on their behalf.
I thought our job, no matter whether Democrat or Republican, was to
fight for things to improve the quality of life for everybody in this
country. That is not what this big, ugly bill is about.
Mr. Speaker, I have to say the Senate has actually made the Medicaid
provisions worse, if that was possible. Even more people will lose it.
That is not me saying it. It is the CBO, the Congressional Budget
Office, saying that. It is not Jim McGovern or Democrats. The
Congressional Budget Office is saying it.
It talks about not only how many people will lose their healthcare
coverage and how many people will lose their SNAP benefits, but it
talks about how much this is going to add to the debt. It will add
trillions.
The people who are deficit hawks, they all talk a good game. They are
going to be tough on the budget. They are going to make cuts to make
sure we can balance the budget, except they don't. They add another
$3.3 trillion, basically to give tax breaks to billionaires.
Who does that? Who thinks that is a good idea? I don't think I know
any billionaires. I am hard-pressed to find somebody out there who is a
billionaire who says he really needs another tax cut.
We ought to reject this big, ugly bill that they pushed through the
House and that is on its way back from the Senate.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. SCOTT of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Mr. Speaker, I am laughing because I honestly don't even know if a
billionaire lives in my district.
The idea we would be up here, doing a bunch of tax cuts for
billionaires, as they have continued to repeat, I guess they think if
they say it enough times, then everybody will start to believe it.
Let me talk about Massachusetts-02. Massachusetts has 524,530
taxpayers. The average taxpayer in that district will see a 20 percent
tax hike if this piece of legislation is not passed.
A family of four, making $95,000 in the district, would see a $2,100
tax increase if this piece of legislation doesn't pass.
Mr. Speaker, 89,000 Massachusetts-02 families would see their
household's child tax credit cut in half and 89 percent of
Massachusetts taxpayers would see their guaranteed deductions cut in
half. There would be 64,380 small businesses in Massachusetts-02 that
would be hit with a 43.4 percent tax rate if the 199A small business
deduction expires.
Mr. Speaker, 22,427 of those citizens would be impacted by the return
of the alternative minimum tax, and 1,780 family-owned farms in
Massachusetts-02 would have their death tax exemptions slashed in half
next year.
Mr. Speaker, they keep using the word ``billionaires.'' The bottom
line is they are trying to raise taxes on everyday Americans that
deserve better. They work hard for their money. Candidly, the
government takes too much of it from them anyway. Let's give it back to
them. They earned it.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, my question to the gentleman is: If he doesn't represent
any billionaires, why is he for tax cuts for billionaires?
Why are Republicans for tax cuts for billionaires? Maybe it is
because they write out big campaign contributions. That is really a
cynical thing. That is what is at the heart of all of this.
The gentleman said that taxes will go up for middle-class families in
Massachusetts. We actually gave them a chance in the Rules Committee.
We are for middle-class tax cuts. We are for extending them. In the
Rules Committee, I offered a number of amendments to exempt
billionaires from the tax cut. Every Republican, the gentleman
included, voted ``no.'' They wanted to make sure that the billionaires
got the tax cuts.
Then we said: What about millionaires? Let's exempt millionaires.
Let's keep the tax cuts for the middle class and exempt millionaires.
Everyone on the Rules Committee, including the gentleman, voted ``no.''
By the way, if people want to know what is going on here, the cuts to
SNAP alone are $300 billion. The cuts to Medicaid in the Affordable
Care Act are $1 trillion. The tax cuts for people with incomes in the
top 5 percent are $1.6 trillion.
The numbers don't lie, but it kind of shows what this debate is all
about. This is about a transfer of wealth from those in the middle to
those at the top. It is about rewarding and enriching those who are
well-off and well-connected. It is about punishing those in the middle
and those fighting to be able to just get by, to put food on the table,
and to make sure they go to the doctor if they or their kids get sick.
Mr. Speaker, I yield 2\1/2\ minutes to the gentlewoman from
California (Ms. Simon).
Ms. SIMON. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr.
McGovern) for yielding time.
As the Representative of California's 12th Congressional District,
representing the East Bay, I rise today in opposition to H. Res. 516.
This resolution is a partisan, disproportionate response to the ICE
protest in Los Angeles. Republicans are intentionally misleading the
public on the scale of the
[[Page H2904]]
violence in an attempt to justify the blatant overreach of Federal
power.
I want to be clear. There was no doubt there was violence. I am from
California. I was present at some of the protests. The scale was
unworthy of Federal condemnation and certainly the scale was unworthy
of Presidential overreach.
It was the President who overstepped his authority and escalated and
instigated chaos, sending the National Guard and our Marines against
the will of my Governor, the mayor of Los Angeles, and the people of
California.
The Trump administration has made it clear that they do not believe
in the right of Los Angeles to exist, as it has done since its
founding, as a multicultural, vibrant, and working-class city. The
violence was in less than three to five blocks.
Mr. Speaker, I think the resolution is an attempt to rewrite history
in real time and to prescribe extreme violence onto the people of Los
Angeles, California, who were exercising their First Amendment right to
free speech. This resolution is in no way sufficient. It is a way to
roll back free speech.
Let's be clear. We do not have a democracy if we erode the right to
free speech. We will not have a democracy if the President of the
United States continues to abuse his power and push authoritarian
measures.
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. McDowell). Members are reminded to
refrain from engaging in personalities toward the President.
Mr. SCOTT of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, a picture is worth a thousand
words. Peaceful protests do not include assaults of law enforcement
officers or burning vehicles.
I would also like to point out to the American citizens that when
they hear the Democrats talk about the top 5 percent, the top 5 percent
are not billionaires. According to the Tax Foundation, the top 5
percent are people that make above $252,000.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
{time} 1300
Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
I, and I think everybody on the Democratic side, oppose violence and
criminality, and people who commit violence ought to be held to
account.
Mr. Speaker, I am happy to yield to the gentleman if he would join
with me in publicly condemning the pardon of all those who committed
such heinous crimes and so much violence here on the Capitol on January
6.
Mr. Speaker, I yield to gentleman if he wants to condemn the pardons.
I can tell you one thing, Mr. Speaker, Governor Newsom is not going to
pardon those who looted stores or committed violence or attacked law
enforcement, but Donald Trump pardoned the people who attacked the men
and women who were protecting all of us here, our staff, and all of the
people who work here.
Mr. Speaker, I am happy to yield to the gentleman if he wants to
condemn the pardons that Trump gave to all those who committed these
terrible crimes on that horrific day.
Silence.
We can't even get the Speaker of the House to hang a plaque honoring
the men and women in law enforcement who defended us.
What is wrong with this place?
Violence is wrong no matter whom it is committed by. The difference
here is that Governor Newsom will not pardon people who committed
violent crimes.
Again, Mr. Speaker, as we are gathered here today, we have a
President who all he seems to want to do is tweet. As I said before, he
has posted nearly 30 times since midnight. He took credit for a cease-
fire which, by this morning, was broken. He attacked Federal Reserve
Chair Powell. He attacked Representative Ocasio-Cortez, and he attacked
Representative Thomas Massie. Again, I think attacking Massie may
replace golf as the President's favorite pastime.
Of course, while talking about Representative Massie, Trump had to
pat himself on the back for winning elections in Kentucky. He also
posted multiple times about the Nobel Peace Prize. That is what he
cares about, getting an award. It is all about him, not saving
healthcare, not ending hunger, but getting an award.
We need serious people working to solve real problems, and what we
have is a reality TV show White House with a stream of consciousness
press operation, and it is supported by a Republican Congress that
thinks it is a debate club rather than an equal branch of government.
This Congress doesn't even debate real things. The President sent our
troops to bomb another country this week, and that is not what we are
here debating this week. We are debating a meaningless resolution and
bills to further demonize immigrants.
Enough, Mr. Speaker. Let's try work on something, anything, that will
help real people. This is not the way government is supposed to
operate. It is not working. People are being hurt.
While we are having this discussion here today, this big, ugly bill
is winding its way through the Senate to come back here to the House.
I predict that my Republican friends, as always, will say: Oh, I am
really concerned about the cuts in Medicaid. I am really worried about
people who will lose their healthcare. Yeah, I know, I wish they
weren't cutting SNAP so deeply. Oh, yeah, I really care about this and
care about that.
Do you know what they will do, Mr. Speaker?
They will come here, and they will cave. They get in line because
they are afraid of even asking a question about what this President is
doing and what this administration is advocating. We need to do so much
better around here.
I have to tell you, Mr. Speaker, this is ridiculous that this is what
we are doing this week when there is so much happening in the world. By
the way, again, let's make sure everybody understands this: This big,
ugly bill that is coming here is about a tax break for billionaires. I
just showed you the figures, Mr. Speaker. There is more money going to
billionaires than anybody else in the tax bill, and they are cutting
programs like SNAP and Medicaid. It really is shameful.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. AUSTIN SCOTT of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, may I inquire as to how
much time each side has remaining.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman from Georgia has 21\1/2\
minutes remaining. The gentleman from Massachusetts has 8 minutes
remaining.
Mr. AUSTIN SCOTT of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as
I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I don't think that the Military Construction, Veterans
Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act is ridiculous. I think
it is necessary. I think our veterans have earned it. I think it is a
good piece of legislation. Ultimately, Mr. Speaker, I expect it will
probably pass in a bipartisan manner.
I will say this: President Trump wants peace between Israel and Iran.
He took decisive action, and without that decisive action, that peace
would not have been possible. He wanted peace with India and Pakistan,
and he wants peace with Ukraine and Russia. He wants peace.
Now, Mr. Speaker, you may disagree with the way he goes about it, but
to attack him and say that he doesn't want a resolution that ends the
killing, you just don't know the man if you think that about him. He
wants peace.
Sometimes peace requires strength, and it requires a leader who has
the mental capacity to make the decisions to carry out the actions
necessary to bring about that peace. I am thankful that we have a
President who has the ability to make those decisions.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, a couple of things. The gentleman has had 30 minutes,
and he couldn't spend 30 seconds to condemn the Trump pardons of those
who viciously attacked our law enforcement on that terrible day on
January 6. We have a Speaker of the House who won't hang a plaque that
he is supposed to do under law honoring the law enforcement who were
here protecting all of us and who were beaten right outside that door.
It is crickets on the other side. They can't bring themselves to
condemn that. They can't say that the pardons were wrong. I don't get
it.
I have spent my entire life fighting for peace, and when Trump says
that he wants peace, where is the peace?
He said that he was going to bring peace to Ukraine on day one.
Instead,
[[Page H2905]]
what he has done is he is constantly giving comfort to the Russian
leader. He has lambasted Zelenskyy in the Oval Office and can't say
enough nice things about Vladimir Putin.
That is not my idea of peace. That is capitulation. That is giving in
to a vicious aggressor. I am sorry, if the gentleman thinks that that
is peace, then we have a very different opinion of that.
Again, we all hope and pray that things de-escalate in the Middle
East. Here is what we know: We don't know whether Iran still has
nuclear material, and we also know that they have been lobbing bombs at
each other still. We know there is tremendous unrest in the Middle
East, and we don't really know what the endgame is. That is why we
should have a debate, and that is why Congress has a role to play.
Again, Mr. Speaker, you may think that all that Donald Trump is doing
is fabulous, and that is great, but do you know what, Mr. Speaker?
You should also, as a Member of Congress, want to defend the powers
of the legislative branch and understand that we have a role in this
too, and that sometimes through debate, if people decide they want to
support the President's policies, well, that just strengthens his hand.
If people have real questions, then maybe we have to take a different
course.
I was around here when we rushed to war in Iraq. We did have a
debate, but we were given faulty information by the administration at
the time. We were lied to. There were no weapons of mass destruction,
and look at what that cost us in terms of life, treasure, and
credibility around the world.
Mr. Speaker, again, I think there are things that we should be
focused on here right now that are much more pressing than the items
that are before us here today.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. AUSTIN SCOTT of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I certainly have thanked
before, and I will thank again, all of the law enforcement and the men
and women who keep us safe in this Capitol. I appreciate what they do
for us.
Mr. Speaker, I am prepared to close if the gentleman is prepared to
close. I don't have any additional speakers. I reserve the balance of
my time.
Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, may I inquire how much time is remaining.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman from Massachusetts has 5
minutes remaining.
Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.
Mr. Speaker, let me just say to the gentleman: You say that you
support and respect the men and women who protect us here, the law
enforcement who protect us here, yet you can't bring yourself to
condemn the action that pardoned those individuals who viciously
attacked law enforcement. Also, nobody on the Republican side will
demand of the Republican Speaker of the House to hang the plaque that,
by law, he is supposed to hang honoring the law enforcement who
defended us on that day.
I think that is a lack of respect. That is a lack of respect to law
enforcement. The Republicans can't even condemn the rioters who were
here on January 6.
So what the hell is wrong with this place?
Mr. Speaker, I will close with this: Congress alone has the power to
declare war, not Donald Trump, not his Truth Social account, and not
his campaign donors. This administration cannot be trusted with that
power. They have no plan, they have no strategy and no clue. Just
follow him on Truth Social. Every day they stoke chaos abroad to
distract from the misery that they are causing at home.
Mr. Speaker, does anyone remember the last time a Republican
President misled the Nation about WMDs, using vague evidence to drag us
into a war in the Middle East? He stood under a mission accomplished
banner, and then we were at war for nearly a decade, and it cost
trillions of dollars and thousands of lives.
I guess the 2025 version of a mission accomplished banner is a Truth
Social post telling everyone that this was a spectacular military
success.
Give me a break. Mr. Speaker, 2003 called. They want their foreign
policy back.
Republicans want to keep everyone divided and distracted. They went
to distract us from their big, ugly bill, a tax scam so cruel and
corrupt that it actually makes working families poorer just to make
billionaires richer.
They want to distract us from the fact that under Trump's watch,
grocery bills are sky-high, farmers will suffocate under tariffs, and
now families are bracing for a spike at the pump because this President
started a war, and he has no clue how to end it.
Well, I won't be distracted. We see this chaos for what it is:
reckless, stupid, and dangerous. We see this tax bill for what it is:
greedy, immoral, and bad for working people.
Mr. Speaker, I urge this House to stop rubber-stamping chaos and to
stop rubber-stamping corruption. Let's do our constitutional duty: Stop
this illegal war, end this rotten tax scam, and stand up for the people
we work for.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. AUSTIN SCOTT of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance
of my time.
Mr. Speaker, this week, the House has the ability to advance four
pieces of legislation under this rule.
H.R. 3944 is the Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related
Agencies Appropriations Act of 2026, which provides significant
investments and support for our veterans, servicemembers, and their
families, as well as military construction. I expect and hope that it
will pass in a bipartisan manner.
H.R. 275 is the Special Interest Alien Reporting Act of 2025 which
provides transparency by publishing a monthly report on the number of
special interest aliens attempting to enter the U.S. and includes the
encounter location and their country of origin. This is information
that the public has a right to know.
H.R. 875 is the Jeremy and Angel Seay and Sergeant Brandon Mendoza
Protect Our Communities from DUIs Act of 2025, which works to keep the
American people safe by closing a loophole in U.S. immigration law to
ensure that aliens who drive intoxicated are inadmissible to, and
deportable from, the United States.
Again, Mr. Speaker, I hope and expect it will pass in a bipartisan
manner.
H. Res. 516 condemns the violent June 2025 riots in Los Angeles,
California, which recognizes the right to assemble and protest
peacefully while condemning the riots and violence against law
enforcement.
Mr. Speaker, I urge 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. 530 Offered by Mr. McGovern of Massachusetts
At the end of the resolution, add the following:
Sec. 9. Immediately upon adoption of this resolution, the
House shall proceed to the consideration in the House of the
bill (H.R. 2753) to amend the Congressional Budget Act of
1974 to provide for a point of order against reconciliation
measures that cut benefits for Medicaid or the Supplemental
Nutrition Assistance Program, 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 Rules or their respective designees; and (2) one
motion to recommit.
Sec. 10. Clause 1(c) of rule XIX shall not apply to the
consideration of H.R. 2753.
Mr. AUSTIN SCOTT of Georgia. 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 are postponed.
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