[Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 15 (Thursday, January 22, 2026)]
[House]
[Pages H1177-H1183]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF H.R. 7148, CONSOLIDATED APPROPRIATIONS
ACT, 2026; AND PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF H.R. 7147, DEPARTMENT OF
HOMELAND SECURITY APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2026; AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES
Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, by direction of the Committee on Rules, I call
up House Resolution 1014 and ask for its immediate consideration.
The Clerk read the resolution, as follows:
H. Res. 1014
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. 7148) making further consolidated
appropriations 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. The amendment printed
in part A of the report of the Committee on Rules
accompanying this resolution shall be considered as adopted
in the House and in the Committee of the Whole. The bill, as
amended, shall be considered as read. All points of order
against provisions in the bill, as amended, are waived. No
further amendment to the bill, as amended, shall be in order
except those printed in part B of the report of the Committee
on Rules. Each such further amendment may be offered 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, and shall not be
subject to a demand for division of the question in the House
or in the Committee of the Whole. All points of order against
such further amendments are waived. At the conclusion of
consideration of the bill 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. 2. Upon adoption of this resolution it shall be in
order to consider in the House the bill (H.R. 7147) making
further consolidated appropriations for the fiscal year
ending September 30, 2026, 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
Appropriations or their respective designees; and (2) one
motion to recommit.
Sec. 3. The chair of the Committee on Appropriations may
insert in the Congressional Record not later than January 23,
2026, such material as he may deem explanatory of H.R. 7148
and H.R. 7147.
Sec. 4. The Clerk shall not transmit to the Senate a
message that the House has passed H.R. 7148 until H.R. 7147
is passed by the House.
Sec. 5. In the engrossment of H.R. 7148, the Clerk shall--
(a) add the text of Divisions A, B, and C of H.R. 7006, as
passed by the House, as new matter to follow Division D of
H.R. 7148, redesignated as Divisions E, F, and G,
respectively;
(b) add the text of titles I through V of H.R. 7147, as
passed by the House, as new matter designated as Division H,
to follow the text added pursuant to subsection (a);
(c) redesignate Divisions E and F of H.R. 7148 as Divisions
I and J, respectively;
(d) assign appropriate designations to provisions within
the engrossment;
(e) conform cross-references and provisions for short
titles within the engrossment; and
(f) be authorized to make technical corrections, to include
corrections in spelling, punctuation, page and line
numbering, section numbering, and insertion of appropriate
headings.
Sec. 6. House Resolution 375, as amended by the amendments
printed in part C of the report of the Committee on Rules
accompanying this resolution, is hereby adopted.
.The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Yakym). 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.
{time} 0920
General Leave
Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may
have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentlewoman from North Carolina?
There was no objection.
Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the rule and of the
underlying legislation.
This morning, the Rules Committee met and produced a rule, House
Resolution 1014, providing for consideration of H.R. 7147 and H.R.
7148.
The rule provides for consideration of H.R. 7148, the Consolidated
Appropriations Act, 2026, under a structured rule with two amendments
made in order.
The rule further provides that H.R. 7147, the Department of Homeland
Security Appropriations Act, 2026, will be considered under a closed
rule.
The rule provides each bill 1 hour of general debate divided equally
between the chair and ranking minority member of the Committee on
Appropriations or their respective designees and one motion to
recommit.
Additionally, in the engrossment of H.R. 7148 after final passage in
the House, the text of H.R. 7006, the Financial Services and General
Government and National Security, Department of State, and Related
Programs Appropriations Act, 2026, and H.R. 7147 will
[[Page H1178]]
be added to the bill. The Clerk will redesignate the sections and be
authorized to make technical and conforming changes.
Mr. Speaker, with consideration of this rule and its two underlying
measures, the House stands firmly upon the 1-yard line. We are, indeed,
ready to move forward and complete the appropriations process. We are
ready to lock in the final components of our 12 fiscal year 2026
appropriations bills.
Additionally, we are ready to further cement our long-overdue return
to regular order in this legislative body. It will be a welcome return,
indeed, Mr. Speaker.
Here is the simplest of truths that all of us here understand and
need to be reminded of regularly: There will never be such a thing as a
perfect piece of legislation or a perfect package of bills.
Perfection is a phantom. Many may seek it with the best of
intentions, but in the end, it is unattainable. That is just a fact of
life that we must understand.
I can imagine that there are Members who want to see more within
these measures, and there are some who want to see less. Both positions
are to be expected, but here is the bottom line: We should never let
the perfect be the enemy of the good.
The two appropriations measures under consideration here today, as
well as the ones this body has passed previously, all bear the
hallmarks of the America First agenda. They meet the priorities of the
President and the priorities of the American people. They make sizeable
contributions to America's strong posture of defense, our Nation's
systems of infrastructure, national security, and research and
innovation within health.
As Chairman Cole has noted multiple times over, this process has been
Member-driven and deliberate, and I wholeheartedly agree with that. I
will also add that this process and the monumental victories that we
have achieved thus far signal a fundamental, positive change within
this legislative body, a change we should take note of and celebrate.
Let's finish out this process and deliver this final tranche of
appropriations bills across the finish line.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding me
the customary 30 minutes, and I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
First, Mr. Speaker, let me thank the staff on the Rules Committee,
both the majority and the minority staff, because they put up with an
awful lot. The way this House is being run, the process and procedures,
are absolutely awful.
Mr. Speaker, I would say that this is a clown show, but that would be
an insult to actual working clowns who probably lost their healthcare
in the big, ugly bill that Republicans passed, but whatever. This is
not the way this House of Representatives should be run.
Out of the four appropriations bills before us, only one, the Defense
bill, was given an amendment process, where the majority issued a call
for amendments.
Overall, 9 out of the 12 appropriation bills this cycle did not
receive any call for amendments. In other words, nobody was asked to
offer amendments to participate in this process. They were told that
their views and their opinions didn't matter.
Last week, Republicans made in order 2 out of 78 amendments submitted
to the two-bill minibus that we considered. Again, neither of those
amendments had a call for amendments prior. The week before,
Republicans made zero amendments in order on a three-bill minibus out
of 40 submitted. Only one of those bills had an amendment process
prior.
Today, they are making 2 amendments in order out of the 164
amendments submitted to the final appropriation bills before us. They
were submitted by Democrats and by Republicans, so 99 percent of those
amendments that were offered have been blocked.
The Republicans went on last night about regular order, but they only
solicited amendment ideas on 3 out of the 12 appropriation bills that
fund our government. Give me a break. This is not the way this place is
supposed to be run.
Again, I get it. They are worried about pleasing the rebels within
the Republican Conference who always threaten to bring down a rule if
they don't get what they want, so I assume that is what happened by
making two Republican amendments in order today.
{time} 0930
Here is another thing that I noticed in this bill. There is this
creation of an ethanol domestic energy council, aimed at kind of buying
off people from Iowa, I guess. In the rule, it says this council will
be appointed by the Speaker of the House to develop legislative
solutions to address the crisis facing our Nation's farmers and
refiners.
I asked in the Rules Committee whether the Speaker would only appoint
Republicans. The answer was that you can submit whatever you want to
the Speaker. It is his decision, but we don't know. So, I don't know
whether this is a bipartisan council or just a partisan council.
A question was asked in the Rules Committee: Will it only be Members
of Congress on this council, or could members of industry or the energy
companies be on this council? We were told that they think it is just
Members of Congress, but we don't know.
I mean, I don't know. Those are pretty relevant questions, and this
is kind of being tossed in here essentially to buy people's votes.
Here is the deal: To those Republicans who are being bought off by
this creation of this new council, let me recall back in September when
we were having a debate on whether to kind of extend the pause on
Trump's terrible tariffs. All of a sudden, we were told that we had to
pause the vote. We went on and on and on for a while, waiting and
waiting and waiting, and then we were told that there would be a
special trade working group established. The press reported that
Congressman Adrian Smith, who is the head of the Ways and Means Trade
Subcommittee, would be the head of that working group, and they would
address the issue of tariffs. They said it would be a thoughtful
process.
Mr. Smith was before the Rules Committee the other day, and I asked
him about this trade working group that apparently bought off
Republican votes, Republicans who were concerned about the tariffs. I
asked him who the Members are on this trade working group. He said that
he talks to all Members. I asked who the Members are on this trade
working group, and he didn't have an answer. Do you know why? They
never appointed anybody to be on the trade working group.
I asked him how many hearings, gatherings, and meetings this trade
working group has had. He couldn't answer that because they never had
any meetings. I asked if there were any publications or reports that
have been produced by this trade working group, and he couldn't answer
that because there were none.
Now, we are being told--now, Republicans who are kind of concerned
about the issue of ethanol are being told that we are going to create
this council for you, this new working group for you, and you should be
happy.
I am just going to say this, with all due respect to my Republican
colleagues: Those of you who are bought off by this in order to vote
for this rule, where I come from, we have a name for that, and that is
``cheap date'' because that is what this is. At the end of the day,
nothing--nothing--will end up happening.
I am just going to say one other thing before I get into the
substance of these bills. When I was the chairman of the Rules
Committee, I made nearly half of all amendments in order. This
Republican majority has blocked 80 percent. That means Democrats--and,
by the way, a lot of Republicans, a majority of Republican amendments
have been blocked. Let me say that one more time. A majority of
Republican amendments have been blocked.
I don't know what is wrong with Members over there, but come on, a
majority of Republican amendments have been blocked, and you continue
to go along to get along. They are not just blocking us. They are
blocking their own Members. There have been 106 closed rules so far in
this Congress, more than Democrats had in the entire Congress the last
time we were in charge.
[[Page H1179]]
Again, I know you have a slim majority, but here is another fact that
you ought to let sink in: We have had the fewest votes on the floor in
35 years. I mean, that is what this Congress is all about.
Again, I would just say, as somebody who loves this institution, who
believes in this institution--and I know many of my Republican
colleagues feel the same way--I mean, things have to change.
This place has become an institution where trivial issues get debated
passionately and important ones not at all. All the issues that I hear
about in my townhalls--the high cost of healthcare, rising food prices,
the high cost of utilities--we don't talk about those things here.
We are dealing with messaging bills. When it comes to anything of
substance, like these appropriations bills, we are basically told to
take it or leave it, that our views don't matter. Again, this is not
just Democrats, but Republicans, as well.
Mr. Speaker, again, I am grateful for the hard work of the
appropriators and their staffs. These bills are complicated, and the
hours are brutal. In this political climate, getting anything done, let
alone in a bipartisan way, is no small thing.
While no bill is perfect, I agree with the chairwoman that there are
provisions in this package that would make a difference in people's
lives, and I think, in some cases, in a positive way. The three-bill
minibus--Labor-HHS-Education, Defense, and Transportation-HUD--rejects
President Trump's proposed $163 billion in cuts. It continues funding
for priorities like medical research, NIH, opioid response grants,
childcare, and Head Start. It includes badly needed funding to hire
more than 2,500 air traffic controllers.
Democrats blocked more than 40 poison-pill riders that Republicans
tried to jam in on reproductive care, vaccines, sanctuary cities, and
more. I thank Ranking Member DeLauro for holding the line and keeping
that garbage out.
I want to talk about something bigger than the line items because, in
my view, these bills are being written as if we are still operating
under rules that, let's be honest, this current administration does not
recognize. The President has shown over and over again that he
won't follow the rules. He treats the law like a suggestion. He treats
Congress like an obstacle. He treats the Constitution like it is
optional.
When we respond with business as usual, that isn't responsible. It is
naive. If we don't build in real guardrails, strong, enforceable
guardrails, then we are not just funding programs, but we are handing
over power. We are writing checks and crossing our fingers that an
administration that is proud of breaking the rules will suddenly decide
to behave.
Here is the perfect example: This three-bill minibus increases
defense spending by more than $8 billion above the President's own
budget request, yet it does nothing to rein in this administration's
recent illegal military actions around the world, nothing that makes
clear that Congress and not the President decides when America goes to
war.
The same kind of blank-check governing is also present in the
Homeland Security bill. Let's not mince words: ICE is out of control.
We are watching Federal agents roll through communities like they are
above the law: stopping people, harassing people, intimidating them,
and, yes, shooting them.
That is not America. That is not freedom. It sure as hell is not what
our parents and our grandparents fought for.
We have history in this country. We know exactly where ``show me your
papers'' leads. We know what it looks like when a government decides
that certain people don't belong and then builds an enforcement machine
to terrorize them into submission.
Yet, here we are, being asked to hand DHS more money with nowhere
near the due diligence or the ironclad accountability that this moment
demands. Hell, Republicans already supercharged DHS with $75 billion in
their big, ugly bill last year. Now, we are supposed to keep feeding
the beast? I say hell no. I don't think ICE deserves a single cent
more, which is why I am voting ``no.''
I will acknowledge the work that went into these bills. I will
acknowledge some provisions that could help people, but I do not trust
this President. I do not trust Trump's OMB. I do not trust this
administration, which has made lawlessness a habit, to follow the
intent of Congress just because we typed it into statutory language.
Call it Trump derangement syndrome, as some of my Republican friends
have labeled it. I call it learning from experience. I call it paying
attention. This is our last real leverage point. Once we fund it, once
we sign the checks, the power shifts. With this President, that is
terrifying because he is erratic and lawless.
{time} 0940
We tried to put up guardrails. We offered amendments to rein him in.
The Republicans all voted them down, every single one of them. They
voted against accountability, and they voted against constraints. It is
crazy. It tells you everything you need to know, Mr. Speaker. They
would rather give him a blank check than do their job as a coequal
branch.
Mr. Speaker, I urge a ``no'' on this rule, and I reserve the balance
of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Members are reminded to refrain from
engaging in personalities toward the President.
Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, this is the most targeted process in two
decades. We got the Senate to do its job. I will stack this process up
against that of the Democrats when they controlled the process and let
the public decide.
Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Florida (Mr.
Webster).
Mr. WEBSTER of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for
yielding time.
Mr. Speaker, we are on the brink of a historic moment. This is a day
I have worked toward for a long time. Throughout my time here, I have
fought for legislative reforms that will restore a Member-driven
process. This is the most Member-driven, principled process in Congress
in my time here.
I ran for office pledging to restore fiscal responsibility and
Congress is embracing it.
For years, I have urged my colleagues to reject the Washington
presumption that nothing can be cut from the budget in order to fund
priorities without increasing the deficit.
Mr. Speaker, by the end of this week, Congress will have passed 12
individual appropriation bills that both fund critical priorities while
also reducing spending. This is a great moment.
Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from
Texas (Mrs. Fletcher).
Mrs. FLETCHER. Mr. Speaker, as the House considers this rule and the
legislation it advances, I rise to remind all who are present in the
Chamber, all Members of this body, and every person in this country
that the Fourth Amendment to the United States Constitution states:
``The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses,
papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall
not be violated, and no warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause,
supported by oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place
to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.''
Yet, all across America, from Maine to Minnesota to California and
everywhere in between, hardworking, law-abiding people in the United
States, American citizens, are living in fear of exactly this. They are
afraid to go to work, afraid to go to church, afraid to go to school,
afraid to go to the hardware store because unidentified, masked agents,
often in plain clothes and unmarked cars, are breaking down doors to
their homes, are pulling people from their cars, are stopping people on
the street, and asking them to show their papers and prove they belong
here.
This is not only unconstitutional. It is un-American, and this
Congress must do something to stop it. Brave Americans are standing up
and saying no all across this country. We have to do that here, we have
to do it now, and it starts by voting ``no'' on this rule.
Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, Democrats continue to attack ICE agents in their
operations.
[[Page H1180]]
Instead of debating the complexities of arrest or the nuances of
reasonable suspicion, Democrats are instead attacking their authority,
their dignity, and their work at large. That is beyond unfortunate as
ICE agents are arresting some of the worst criminals imaginable.
During the first year of the Trump administration, ICE arrested 7,000
gang members from America's streets. This includes a criminal illegal
alien from Venezuela, an active gang member. The perpetrator's rap
sheet includes arrests for homicide, assault, cruelty toward children,
domestic violence, and damaged property. He entered the U.S. in 2022
and was released by the Biden administration. ICE arrested him on
February 28, 2025, and the Trump administration removed him on
September 12, 2025.
ICE arrested a criminal illegal alien from Cambodia, a Crips gang
member, who was convicted of homicide, robbery, and battery. He was
released into the U.S. by the Biden administration. ICE arrested him on
March 4, 2025, and removed him on April 2, 2025.
ICE also arrested a criminal illegal alien from Cuba and Bloods gang
member, who was convicted for multiple homicides and burglary. ICE
arrested him on October 27, 2025, and removed him on January 6, 2026.
Beyond gang members, ICE has arrested some of the worst perps
imaginable, including a 20-year-old citizen of Guatemala who was
filming a child being raped.
Mr. Speaker, despite all of this, ICE law enforcement is facing a
1,300 percent increase in assaults against them, a 3,200 percent
increase in vehicle attacks, and an 8,000 percent increase in death
threats.
If Democrats want to debate the new Supreme Court interpretations of
reasonable suspicion, let's do it. If they want to debate the very
authorities of ICE stretching back decades over both Republican and
Democrat administrations, let's do that. If they want to have concrete
debates about the authorities or changes of laws, let's do that. But we
should not attack the operational decisions that are directed to one
goal and one goal only: keeping Americans safe and upholding our
immigration laws.
We enforce our immigration laws, or they are meaningless. We either
grant ICE the mission of fulfilling its mandate, or we don't. We either
give them the support they need to confront, stand face-to-face, and
arrest the world's worst criminals, or we don't.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the gentlewoman just listing off a bunch of
criminals, and we don't take issue with arresting violent criminals.
Violent criminals should not be on our streets no matter where they are
born, and they should face justice. But the issue is that ICE is
terrorizing communities and attacking people, including U.S. citizens.
In Minnesota, a U.S. citizen said ICE took him at gunpoint in his
underwear, without a warrant, in front of his 4-year-old grandchild.
In another instance, a U.S. citizen went on his lunch break, and
masked Federal agents detained him in a choke hold.
In Miami, Federal agents ripped a woman from her car as she screamed
that she was a U.S. citizen.
ICE agents in Minnesota ate lunch in a small-town Mexican restaurant.
When they were done enjoying their meal, they detained two workers who
served them.
In California, a U.S. citizen on his way to work at a food bank
pulled over to warn Federal agents that they should wrap up their stop
of another individual before school-age children gathered for the bus.
Moments later, an ICE officer shot him in the back.
In Chicago, ICE agents stormed an apartment complex by helicopter as
families slept and deployed chemical agents near a public school.
Mr. Speaker, ICE is wreaking havoc on people all over this country,
trampling over the constitutional rights of U.S. citizens at every
turn. U.S. citizens across the country are carrying their passports out
of fear of being detained without cause.
There are reports of Native Americans who are U.S. citizens being
detained by ICE. Thirty-two people have died in ICE custody in 2025--
32. It was ICE's deadliest year in over two decades.
In just the first 9 months of Trump's second term, over 170 U.S.
citizens were detained by ICE, and nearly 20 were children. Two dozen
were held without being able to call lawyers or their family. These
citizens have been dragged, tackled, beaten, tased, and shot by
immigration agents.
{time} 0950
Mr. Speaker, I can go on and on and on. Let me be clear. This is an
out-of-control agency at war with communities around the country. They
don't give a damn if you are a U.S. citizen. The silence on the other
side of the aisle is outrageous, as if this is no big deal. Wait until
it happens to you or a loved one.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from North
Carolina (Mr. Edwards).
Mr. EDWARDS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the rule. The
appropriations bills need to be passed for fiscal year 2026 Defense;
Homeland Security; Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education; and
Transportation, Housing, and Urban Development.
For the first time in years, Congress is approaching the finish line
of passing all 12 appropriations bills in a transparent and timely
manner, reclaiming our constitutional power of the purse.
As we approach our Nation's 250th anniversary, this body can take
pride in governing as our Founders intended and building a future that
is more secure, resilient, and prosperous.
Last November, the American people sent us here with a clear mandate
to put America first. This package delivers through critical
investments in border security, national infrastructure, and stronger
support for our servicemembers and their families.
In North Carolina's 11th District, these funds support essential
water and public safety projects including a new EMS base in Swannanoa,
water and sewer upgrades at Swain Middle School, an emergency services
hub in Madison County, upgraded water lines in Robbinsville, and a new
taxiway on the west side at Asheville Regional Airport.
Following Hurricane Helene, these investments aid recovery, eliminate
the uncertainty of short-term extensions, and give local leaders the
confidence to plan ahead. This is a return to responsible governance,
and I am proud to support it. I ask Members to please support this
rule.
Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
I urge we defeat the previous question. If we do, I will offer an
amendment to the rule to bring up S.J. Res. 88, which would allow for
an up-or-down vote on whether to terminate President Trump's global
tariffs.
Mr. Speaker, on April 2 of last year, President Trump announced he
was opposing tariffs on virtually all countries, including our closest
allies like the United Kingdom, the European Union, Japan, Norway, and
Taiwan--the list goes on--based on a bogus national emergency.
He called it ``liberation day.'' Let me tell you that the only
liberation my constituents have felt is money being liberated from
their hard-earned paychecks because the price of basically everything
has gone up since Donald Trump took office.
The price of beef has risen 16.4 percent over the last year. The
price of coffee is up a whopping 19.8 percent. The price of lettuce is
up 7.3 percent. Frozen fish is up 8.6 percent. In total, families paid
$310 more for groceries during President Trump's first year in office
compared to 2024.
It is now abundantly clear that President Trump broke his promise to
lower costs on day one, in large part due to his cost-increasing
tariffs. Although the President and his cronies claim that these
tariffs are paid by foreign governments, in reality, it is the American
people who pay the tariffs.
According to a newly published study, which analyzed $4 trillion in
shipments over the past year, American consumers and importers paid 96
percent of the cost of tariffs, while foreign companies shouldered a
measly 4 percent of the cost.
[[Page H1181]]
Last October, more than 2\1/2\ months ago, the Senate sent to the
House on a bipartisan basis this joint resolution to terminate the
global tariffs. In this House, our Republican majority has continued to
block a simple up-or-down vote. They have basically endorsed the
increase in the cost of living for average people.
Speaker Johnson promised his Members that he would create a working
group to address the tariffs. We now know this tariff policy working
group is a mirage. It doesn't exist. You got taken.
When I ask the Republican chairman of the Ways and Means Subcommittee
on Trade about the working group, which he was supposedly in charge of,
he said he didn't know who was on it or whether or not it had ever met.
Are you serious? Are you serious? Most Republicans, even the ones who
oppose the tariffs in private, are continuing to go along to get along
with this.
When are Republicans who know better going to stand up against this
crazy tariff policy that is raising costs at home and destroying our
alliances? It is never too late to do the right thing. By voting to
defeat the previous question, we can finally have an up-or-down vote in
this body on whether to terminate President Trump's disastrous global
tariffs.
Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to insert the text of my
amendment into the Record, along with any extraneous materials,
immediately prior to the vote on the previous question.
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Goldman of Texas). 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 minutes
to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Meeks), the ranking member of the
Committee on Foreign Affairs.
Mr. MEEKS. Mr. Speaker, we should vote today to end these tariffs and
lower costs for everyday Americans. Instead, this House majority is
paralyzed by fear, making it one of the least effective in modern
American history.
The American people sent us to Washington to address affordability
and to lower the cost of healthcare, housing, and groceries. Yet, this
Congress has taken fewer votes in 2025 than in any nonpandemic year
this century.
Apparently, the majority doesn't think affordability is important
enough to vote on. Instead of focusing on prices, the White House has
spent the past week talking about invading Greenland or using our
taxpayer dollars to buy an island that isn't for sale.
To advance this fantasy, President Trump threatened yet another round
of tariffs that would raise prices even further, only to walk back the
threats after the stock market tanked yesterday.
Regardless of what the President does, we are a coequal branch of
government. We should be addressing affordability right now by passing
the resolutions I have offered and resolutions that have already passed
the Senate to terminate these tariffs.
When asked to explain why we are not doing everything we can to lower
costs for American families, the Speaker responded that the President
is exercising Article II powers to impose tariffs. There is only one
problem. The President has no Article II powers to tax or tariff. Those
powers are explicitly assigned to the United States Congress under
Article I of the Constitution.
The Republican majority is more interested in providing cover for
Donald Trump than honoring their oath to the Constitution of the United
States and deliberately avoiding doing its job to lower costs for
Americans.
Mr. Speaker, the American people are watching. The camera of history
is recording. I urge my colleagues to defeat the previous question and
demand a vote on terminating the tariffs.
Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, President Trump has reset our standing in the global
market after decades of failed and unfair trade deals put the American
economy last.
Swift and decisive action has brought scores of countries to the
negotiating table and numerous new trade deals including with the U.K.,
the EU, Japan, Australia, Korea, El Salvador, Vietnam, Guatemala, and
Malaysia, just to name a few. These trade deals will help grow the
economy, protect the American workers, and reassert our global
standing.
Our friends have selective memory. Let's remember: When President
Biden took office about 5 years ago, he left President Trump's tariffs
from his first term largely in place. We didn't hear a peep from our
colleagues then. In fact, many of them advocated for keeping those
tariffs and embraced the Biden decision.
President Trump is simply doubling down on that successful approach.
It seems the deciding factor for Democrats' newfound opposition is
grounded in Trump derangement syndrome.
Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Oklahoma (Mrs.
Bice).
{time} 1000
Mrs. BICE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of the rule to
consider the final four fiscal year 2026 appropriations bills.
These appropriations bills, like the previous eight that came before
it, are fiscally responsible and represent a return to regular order.
The deliberate and Member-driven approach of this process is a
testament to the leadership of my friend and fellow Oklahoman, Chairman
Tom Cole.
This package will strengthen American military superiority and fund
the E-7 Wedgetail program at Tinker Air Force Base. It also ends open-
border policies of the Biden era, champions measures to make America
healthier, and allows the Nation to build stronger, travel safer, and
support future growth.
Through late nights and long markups, the Appropriations Committee
has done its job, reduced spending, delivered wins for our
constituents, and codified the priorities of the Trump administration.
Mr. Speaker, I am proud of the work that the Appropriations Committee
has done, and I encourage my colleagues to support the rule.
Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from
Texas (Ms. Johnson).
Ms. JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to the
Department of Homeland Security funding bill. I cannot support funding
for a Department that has shown repeated disregard for the
Constitution, the rule of law, and the safety of the people it is
supposed to protect.
Mr. Speaker, I remind the American people and this body: Every Member
of Congress has sworn an oath to uphold the Constitution. That means
all aspects of it--the Fourth Amendment, the Fifth Amendment, the
rights of due process, and the rights of unwarranted search and
seizure. Yet, we are failing at this moment because ICE is terrorizing
the American people and violating constitutional rights every single
day.
We have seen ICE agents and the Department of Homeland Security
detain and arrest American citizens without any justification, enter
homes without warrants, use excessive force when it wasn't required,
and ignore constitutional rights.
They are even weaponizing children in this country, kidnapping them
from schools and using them as weapons against their parents. It is
morally wrong, outrageous, and not who we are as a common people.
This is a Department that is out of control, going rogue, and needs
to be reined in. These are not isolated incidents. They are the result
of unchecked power and a complete lack of accountability.
Last night, I offered commonsense amendments to impose basic
constitutional guardrails: accountability for abuse, due process
protections, and civil recourse when rights are violated. Republicans
refused to even consider them.
Without these amendments, this bill gives DHS and ICE free rein to
operate unchecked and unaccountable while Republicans in this body
continue to look the other way.
The American people deserve better. They deserve safety without fear,
enforcement without lawlessness, and a government that follows the
Constitution.
Mr. Speaker, until the Department of Homeland Security is willing to
operate within the rule of law, I cannot
[[Page H1182]]
support continued funding without meaningful reform. I urge my
colleagues to vote ``no.''
Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Iowa
(Mr. Nunn).
Mr. NUNN of Iowa. Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairwoman Foxx for the
incredible work of the Rules Committee. I know we worked through the
night on something that is very important. That is ethanol--E15, to be
specific.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today on behalf of the farmers, families, and
small businesses in Iowa's Third District and, really, rural
communities across America right now who need someone to be a fighter.
We have a good group here in Washington on both sides of the aisle
who are championing the importance of renewable biofuels, giving
Americans the freedom to choose cleaner, more affordable, American-made
fuel at the pump.
That fuel is E15. E15 is simply gasoline blended with up to 15
percent ethanol, or corn. Ethanol is grown, produced, and refined right
here in the United States, often in towns and communities where
agriculture is the backbone of the local economy, where every dollar
spent at the co-op, in the grain elevator, and at the plants and
refineries that support it is directly invested back into the families
and communities that produce it.
Authorizing year-round E15 nationwide, a free market approach that is
American-made, benefits not only farmers but consumers, the
environment, and our national security.
Approximately 33 percent of all U.S. corn produced is used for
ethanol, so imagine this the next time you drive down the road: a
cornfield where every third row goes toward helping to fuel this
Nation.
Permanent E15 could boost corn demand by up to 2.4 billion bushels
annually. It would increase our domestic market access for corn farmers
and support viability for farmers, manufacturers, and our community.
E15 clearly saves up to 30 cents per gallon. E15 provides higher
octane for better engine performance. E15 is vital for national
independence, especially in light of national conflicts.
The Nationwide Consumer and Fuel Retailer Choice Act of 2025 aims to
authorize year-round E15 sales nationwide to eliminate the annual
uncertainty of whether it can be completed.
This legislation that we are leading adds to the billions of dollars
that could be grown right here in the U.S. economy. It saves every
American, and if you come to Iowa right now, at the local Casey's, it
is $1.85 per gallon. That is a pretty good return on investment for
your family's minivan or your truck.
Mr. Speaker, right now, Iowa farmers see this not as an abstract
policy but a direct threat. This is about demand for their crops,
stability for markets, and the ability to plan for the next season
without wondering whether Washington will pull them out of their
challenges or pull the rug out from under them by failure to act. For
Iowa families, this is about affordability.
E15 consistently costs less than standard gasoline. At a time when
families are watching every dollar, and this House is supposed to be
focused on affordability and cost savings, this is a direct win. For
our country, this is energy independence, but what is more, it is
national security for all of us.
Every gallon of ethanol blended in our fuel supply is a gallon that
we don't have to buy from overseas. It means less reliance on unstable
foreign markets and more reliance on American farmers, American
workers, American innovation, and American families.
It is good for our economy. It is good for our Nation. E15 is a must-
pass bill.
Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself 2 minutes.
Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for raising an issue that he got a
working group on--a working group that may meet or not meet, may have
members or may not have members, and may do something or may not. Boy,
wow, that is something.
Mr. Speaker, today, I recognize someone who has quietly made this
place work day after day and vote after vote. Ray Salazar is leaving
the House after more than 11 years of service to this institution and
to the Democratic Caucus. I want to say plainly and on the record that
we are thankful for his service.
Ray started here the way that a lot of great public servants start:
by showing up, doing the work, and earning trust. From an internship
with Congresswoman Colleen Hanabusa, to Whip Hoyer's AmeriPAC, to
becoming a special assistant to the Office of the Democratic Whip, Ray
learned this place from the ground up.
Ray then served as floor assistant for Whip Hoyer, floor director for
Leader Hoyer, and deputy floor director and senior adviser. Most
recently, he has been floor director for the Democratic Whip, Katherine
Clark, helping Members to navigate the toughest moments, the longest
days, and the most important votes.
For the Rules Committee specifically, Members and staff relied on Ray
for many, many years. Whether it was getting information about the
floor at 1 o'clock in the morning or helping to solve tricky procedural
problems, he has been a reliable and valued part of the Rules family.
He is a graduate of Hawaii Pacific University with a background in
international relations, national security, and advanced military
education focused on joint warfare. He understands the world. He
understands the institutions. He understands that democracy runs on
people who do the hard work, the unglamorous work.
Mr. Speaker, I thank Ray for his professionalism, his steadiness, and
his service. We will miss him on the floor, and we wish him nothing but
success as he begins his next chapter.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I also thank Mr. Salazar for his work and,
actually, all the staff who work so hard around this Capitol. We are
very blessed.
Mr. Speaker, I understand that Mr.--I am going to say this in a
second--Mr. McGovern is ready to close, and I am ready to close. I
reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.
Mr. Speaker, after all the time that we spend together, the
gentlewoman can just call me Jim.
Mr. Speaker, let me close with this: Republicans are running this
place like a clown show. Over and over again, House Republican
leadership shuts down the amendment process. Over and over again, they
limit debate. Over and over again, they tell Members to take it or
leave it.
Mr. Speaker, 80 percent of all amendments were blocked. We had to
have the Speaker up in the Rules Committee this morning because,
apparently, the only way Republicans can get their amendments made in
order around here is by blackmailing the Speaker and threatening to
take down the rule.
{time} 1010
Last night, we had Members showing up with serious amendments,
amendments aimed at basic accountability, basic guardrails, basic
limits on a lawless administration. The leadership's answer is no, one
structured rule for the minibus making in order two Republican
amendments. Homeland is a closed rule entirely--no accountability, no
guardrails, no nothing.
That is not how the people's House is supposed to work, and it is
especially dangerous right now because this is not a normal
administration. This President has shown he will say one thing and then
do another. He will assure Congress and then ignore Congress.
Now, we are supposed to pass funding bills without ironclad
guardrails on what this administration can do with that money, whether
it is foreign adventurism, whether it is some half-baked scheme about
Greenland, or whether it is building out a domestic secret police force
that treats human beings like trash.
Let's be honest. If you cannot trust an administration to follow the
law, then you don't give them a blank check. That is exactly what this
process risks doing.
I want to see this House do its job. I want Members on both sides to
be able to offer amendments, to debate them, and to vote on them. I
want to see real constraints to prevent taxpayer dollars from being
used to violate rights, to trample the Constitution, or to fuel an
agency like ICE that is behaving like it answers to nobody.
I urge my colleagues: Do not rubberstamp a process that shuns
accountability. Don't enable an administration that ignores Congress.
Don't
[[Page H1183]]
pretend that normal rules can contain abnormal lawlessness.
Mr. Speaker, I urge a ``no'' vote on this rule, and I yield back the
balance of my time.
Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time, and I
thank the gentleman from Worcester.
Mr. Speaker, for months, bipartisan, bicameral negotiations and
collaboration have been underway. They have yielded consistent,
consecutive appropriations products that deliver upon the Nation's
highest priorities.
I applaud Chairman Cole and Ranking Member DeLauro, as well as other
appropriators, and especially their staff, for the time they have
invested in these 12 appropriations bills. It is time to get them
across the finish line and stamp our seal of approval on them.
In a moment, I will offer an amendment to the rule that would repeal
the Senate's Arctic Frost payout provision.
The House has previously considered this under suspension by a vote
of 427-0. This vote reflects a bipartisan consensus.
I cannot overstate how wholly inappropriate it was that the Senate
included this provision in the continuing resolution to reopen the
government late last year. We must strike down this provision
immediately. American taxpayers should not be on the hook for this
inappropriate payout.
Mr. Speaker, it is time to bring this process to a close. It is time
that we return this legislative body to regular order and move forward
with our work. I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on the previous
question and ``yes'' on the rule.
Amendment Offered by Ms. Foxx
Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I offer an amendment to the resolution.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Clerk will report the amendment.
The Clerk read as follows:
Strike section 2 of the resolution and insert the
following:
``Sec. 2. Upon adoption of this resolution it shall be in
order to consider in the House the bill (H.R. 7147) making
further consolidated appropriations for the fiscal year
ending September 30, 2026, and for other purposes. All points
of order against consideration of the bill are waived. The
amendment specified in section 7 of this resolution 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 Appropriations or their respective
designees; and (2) one motion to recommit.''.
At the end of the resolution, add the following:
``Sec. 7. The amendment referred to in section 2 of this
resolution is as follows:
`At the end of the bill (before the short title) add the
following:
SEC. __. REPEAL OF SENATE NOTIFICATION REQUIREMENTS RELATING
TO LEGAL PROCESS ON DISCLOSURES OF SENATE DATA.
Section 213 of title II of division C of the Continuing
Appropriations, Agriculture, Legislative Branch, Military
Construction and Veterans Affairs, and Extensions Act, 2026,
and the amendments made by such section, are hereby repealed
and shall have no force or effect.' ''.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentlewoman from North Carolina is
recognized on the amendment.
The text of the material previously referred to by Mr. McGovern is as
follows:
An Amendment To H. Res. 1014 Offered By Mr. McGovern of Massachusetts
At the end of the resolution, add the following:
Sec. 7. Immediately upon adoption of this resolution, the
House shall proceed to the consideration in the House of the
joint resolution (S.J. Res. 88) terminating the national
emergency declared to impose global tariffs. All points of
order against consideration of the joint resolution are
waived. The joint resolution shall be considered as read. All
points of order against provisions in the joint resolution
are waived. The previous question shall be considered as
ordered on the joint resolution and on any amendment thereto
to final passage without intervening motion except: (1) one
hour of debate equally divided and controlled by the chair
and ranking minority member of the Committee on Foreign
Affairs or their respective designees; and (2) one motion to
commit.
Sec. 8. Clause 1(c) of rule XIX and clause 8 of rule XX
shall not apply to the consideration of S.J. Res. 88.
Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time and move
the previous question on the amendment and on the resolution.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on ordering the previous
question on the resolution and on the amendment.
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.
____________________