[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 158 (2012), Part 6]
[House]
[Page 8019]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                          GETTING THINGS DONE

  (Mr. HIMES asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. HIMES. Mr. Speaker, like so many of us, I am back from 10 days in 
my district and the constant question of: Why can't Congress come 
together to get some things done?
  I was thinking about that because the Republican majority says we 
passed the Violence Against Women Act. We passed an extension of the 
lower student interest rate bill. But when you look at those bills, you 
really have to scratch your head. The Violence Against Women Act that 
they passed was opposed by not dozens but by hundreds of women's 
organizations. Let me say that again: the Violence Against Women Act 
was opposed by women's organizations from one coast to the other.
  I say all of this not to strike partisan points, but because on July 
1, student loan interest rates double, putting $1,000 of additional 
cost on each and every student in this country. The Republicans said 
let's pay for that by removing preventive health care. To my mind, 
health care and education are what create jobs. It is time for this 
institution to act intelligently and help the true job creators in this 
country.

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