Providing for Consideration of Conference Report on S. Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act of and for Other Purposes
Floor Speech
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Mr. POLIS. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me the customary 30 minutes, and I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to the rule today providing for consideration of the National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal year 2017, a bill that the President has said he would veto, and the conference report to accompany S. 524, the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act of 2016. Many of us support the underlying bill, but, unfortunately, it doesn't allow for--despite nine times having funding being waived--any funding to deal with defeating the cycle of addiction or the health issues around opioid abuse. So while it is an innocuous bill and might help a little bit, it is in no way commensurate with the challenge that families across our country face in dealing with opioid addiction.
Mr. Speaker, if we defeat the previous question, I will offer an amendment to the rule that would require the House to consider the bipartisan no fly, no buy legislation which would bar the sale of firearms and explosives to those on the FBI's terrorist watch list.
My amendment would not prevent the House from considering either of the underlying measures of this rule. It would simply give the House an opportunity to finally vote on keeping terrorists from assembling arsenals of weapons legally in our country.
Mr. Speaker, we can't wait any longer for Congress to take meaningful action.
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Mr. POLIS. Without question, the NDAA is a very important and serious bill. However, the bill before us today is one that the President has said he would veto. I have argued on this floor in an amendment that I supported a 1 percent cut to the authorization levels. By spending more on the military than we can afford as a country and plunging ourselves deeper into debt, we make ourselves less secure, not more secure. By making ourselves economically beholden to countries like China and Saudi Arabia, we are less secure rather than more secure. Frankly, this bill is more of the same, and if it passes and were to become law-- which it won't because the President would veto it--it would also make it less secure.
But this rule and this day it is notable for what we are not doing rather than what we are doing. We are not under this rule considering two simple, plain, commonsense pieces of legislation that everybody knows will help protect American lives and prevent terrorist attacks in our Nation. One is simply to require a background check when a person obtains a gun. Another would prevent terrorists from assembling arsenals of weapons.
In my home State of Colorado, we already have universal background checks, and they have led to law enforcement arresting 114 fugitives since the beginning of the year.
It is our duty to simply vote on these bills that strengthen and enhance our Second Amendment rights by ensuring that law-abiding gun owners will continue to be able to purchase guns and keeping guns out of the hands of violent criminals and those who don't have the legal right to own them. Both of these bills do this, and each has over 100 cosponsors, including Members on both sides of the aisle.
As we stand here today, we are still reeling from the deadliest mass shooting in our country's history nearly 1 month ago. Pulse nightclub in Orlando was a targeted act of terror against the gay community, our allies, and the entire Nation.
In my home State of Colorado, we have been hard hit with mass shootings: Columbine, Aurora, and the Planned Parenthood center in Colorado Springs to name a few. It is time for action, and the simple, commonsense measures before us offer a good first step to ensure that we get that done.
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Mr. POLIS. Mr. Speaker, I would like to yield to the gentleman from California----
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Mr. POLIS. Kelly) for the purpose of a unanimous consent request. She is a leader on the issue of reducing gun violence.
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Mr. POLIS. I ask the gentleman from Alabama: How many of us have to come down requesting this until you grant it?
Well, your silence speaks words.
Hahn) for the purpose of a unanimous consent request.
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Mr. POLIS. Esty) for the purpose of a unanimous consent request. She is a leader on the issue of reducing gun violence.
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Mr. POLIS. Judy Chu) for the purpose of a unanimous consent request.
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Mr. POLIS. Lee) for the purpose of a unanimous consent request.
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Mr. POLIS. Mr. Speaker, I want to inquire of the gentleman from Alabama how many people we need to have more come down here until our request is granted? Parliamentary Inquiry
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Mr. POLIS. You are. It is my time. I am yielding for an answer.
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Mr. POLIS. Reclaiming my time, the parliamentary inquiry in his asking about the time should not be detracted from my time, so that, as well as this, need to be subtracted.
Now, we go back to my time, and I yield to the gentleman to ask him how many people we need to come down here so we can have our vote?
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Mr. POLIS. Reclaiming my time, that is not an answer. It is a simple question with a number.
I yield to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Meeks) for the purpose of a unanimous consent request.
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Mr. POLIS. Schakowsky) for the purpose of a unanimous consent request.
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Mr. POLIS. Edwards) for the purpose of a unanimous consent request.
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Mr. POLIS. Doyle) for the purpose of a unanimous consent request.
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Mr. POLIS. Mr. Speaker, I just received devastating news in a story that was just broken by Politico: House Republicans indefinitely delay gun control votes. They have indefinitely postponed a vote on the antiterrorism package leaving Congress with no legislative response to last month's massacre in Orlando.
I would hope that this new information will lead the gentleman from Alabama to consider this very important request from my colleague, Mr. Huffman.
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Mr. POLIS. Mr. Speaker, given the new information that I entered, with regard to what has just broke a the Politico article, I think it would be important to hear from Mr. Byrne again about whether he would entertain a unanimous consent request at this time, understanding his previous answer was no.
So I would like, Mr. Speaker, if you will, you to pose that question to him for consideration.
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Mr. POLIS. I am not yielding. I am asking the Chair to confirm that, in fact, his stated preference is still valid, and if he would ask the gentleman from Alabama if that is still the case.
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Mr. POLIS. Clark) for a unanimous consent request.
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Mr. POLIS. Mr. Speaker, I would like to inquire of the gentleman from Alabama how many people we need to have come down until the gentleman from Alabama would be willing to simply entertain a unanimous consent request to have the vote?
I understand that the gentleman from Alabama is opposed to the underlying measures. If a majority of the House is, so be it. But at least I would like to know how many requests we need to make until we can simply have this vote.
I am happy to yield to the gentleman from Alabama for an answer.
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Mr. POLIS. Mr. Speaker, I am happy to yield the gentleman from Alabama from my time to ask how many more unanimous consent requests we need to have until we can have this vote.
Reclaiming my time, his silence continues to speak volumes, as does the silence of the Republican majority and the Speaker in the wake of an unprecedented wave of violence and terrorism in our country.
Miss RICE of New York. 1217, the bipartisan expanded background checks legislation, to honor the memory of Natalie, Sienna, and MJ Srinivasan with the shooter Jeremy Srinivasan, three victims of gun violence who never received a moment of silence on the House floor.
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Mr. POLIS. Lee) for the purpose of a unanimous consent request.
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Mr. POLIS. Hahn) for the purpose of a unanimous consent request.
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Mr. POLIS. Brownley) for the purpose of a unanimous consent request.
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Mr. POLIS. Mr. Speaker, I would like to inquire again of the gentleman from Alabama how many more requests we need to make until this very simple request is granted to allow us a vote on these bills.
I am happy to yield for an answer as to how many more people we need to request a vote on these bills.
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Mr. POLIS. Reclaiming my time, I am in control of the time. I yielded for an answer. The gentleman from Alabama didn't give it.
DeLauro) for the purpose of a very important unanimous consent request that would save lives and prevent terrorism.
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Mr. POLIS. Pelosi), the Democratic leader, for the purpose of a unanimous consent request.
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Mr. POLIS. Mr. Speaker, now that, in addition to so many rank-and- file Members having made this request, the Democratic leader and the Democratic whip have joined in this request personally and have come down here, I would like to ask the gentleman from Alabama if he would be willing to consider the unanimous consent request at this point.
I am happy to yield for an answer.
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Mr. POLIS. Reclaiming my time, again, I think no matter how the gentleman from Alabama says it, the simple translation of that is: no, we won't consider that request.
So at this point, we have a very important request that would save lives and help prevent terrorist attacks in our country.
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Mr. POLIS. Davis) for the purpose of a unanimous consent request to save lives. Announcement by the Speaker Pro Tempore
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Mr. POLIS. Mr. Speaker, I have a parliamentary inquiry.
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Mr. POLIS. Mr. Speaker, I want to be clear that the various speakers have not embellished to this point; is that correct?
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Mr. POLIS. Davis) for the purpose of a unanimous consent request.
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Mr. POLIS. Mr. Speaker, that strikes close to home, I would say to Mrs. Davis. That is the name of my daughter as well, Cora; so that is particularly emotional to me as a father.
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Mr. POLIS. Mr. Speaker, I inquire of the gentleman from Alabama how many more motions for unanimous consent we need to make until it is granted and we, simply, allow an up-or-down vote on this issue?
Again, the silence speaks volumes not only from the gentleman from Alabama but from the Republican majority that continues to prevent a vote on these commonsense measures to reduce deaths and violence and terrorism.
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Mr. POLIS. He is the chair of the Democratic Caucus.
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Mr. POLIS. Schakowsky) for a very important and timely unanimous consent request.
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Mr. POLIS. 1217, the bipartisan expanded background checks legislation.
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Mr. POLIS. Clarke) for the purpose of a unanimous consent request.
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Mr. POLIS. Boyle) for the purpose of a unanimous consent request that would save lives and prevent terrorist attacks in our country.
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Mr. POLIS. Edwards) for the purpose of a unanimous consent request.
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Mr. POLIS. Mr. Speaker, given that not only have we had so many Members from across the country make this unanimous consent request but that they have been joined by every member of the Democratic leadership, I inquire of the gentleman from Alabama if he would be willing to entertain the next unanimous consent request that will be made shortly by the gentlewoman from California.
I yield to the gentleman from Alabama.
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Mr. POLIS. Loretta Sanchez), who has a very important unanimous consent request that would save lives and prevent terrorist attacks.
I point out, on my own time, that granting this request does not take away from considering the other two underlying bills. They, too, will be considered, but it simply means that these additional two bills to reduce gun violence, preventing terrorists from assembling arsenals legally in our own country, and making sure that convicted felons can't legally acquire firearms, are common sense. I think they would pass this House fairly overwhelmingly.
We are simply saying, in addition to the bills that are already being considered--which some of us may personally be opposed to in the case of NDAA, but we are not standing in the way of those. We are simply allowing for the consideration of these additional bills.
Mr. Speaker, for the purpose of a unanimous consent request only, I yield to the gentlewoman from Connecticut (Ms. Esty).
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Mr. POLIS. Titus) for a unanimous consent request that would prevent terrorists from assembling arsenals that they would use to cause harm to our fellow Americans.
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Mr. POLIS. Mr. Speaker, I was truly hoping that the motion by Ms. Titus would be accepted because, frankly, Ms. Titus' unanimous consent request would have saved lives, prevented convicted felons from acquiring firearms and would have prevented people on the terrorist watch list from silently assembling arsenals for them to commit terrorist acts in our country.
While I am disappointed that Ms. Titus' unanimous consent request was rejected out of hand, I yield to--and I am hopeful that the gentleman from Alabama will accept--the gentleman from California (Mr. Thompson) for the purpose of a very important unanimous consent request.
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Mr. POLIS. Mr. Speaker, a point of parliamentary inquiry.
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Mr. POLIS. Mr. Speaker, a point of parliamentary inquiry.
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Mr. POLIS. Mr. Speaker, a point of parliamentary inquiry.
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Mr. POLIS. Mr. Speaker, a point of parliamentary inquiry.
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Mr. POLIS. Mr. Speaker, how is the gentleman from Alabama able to seize my time before I have even made my opening statement and simply speak on his own time while I control the time?
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Mr. POLIS. Mr. Speaker, we have a gentleman with us here today from the great State of Missouri, who has a very important unanimous consent request that would save lives and prevent terrorists from doing harm to our fellow countrymen.
I yield to the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Clay) for the purpose of a unanimous consent request.
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Mr. POLIS. Mr. Speaker, I would like to point out on my own time.
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Mr. POLIS. The gentleman from Alabama mentioned the word ``obstruction.'' And, Mr. Speaker, I would like you to consider--and, Mr. Speaker, I would like the American people to consider--who and which party is obstructing here when there is a very simple request for a vote that so many Members of this body feel fervently about.
Those who stand in the way of that vote are those who are obstructing, not those who simply seek a vote to prevent terrorists from acquiring explosives and firearms.
Roybal- Allard) for the purpose of a unanimous consent request.
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Mr. POLIS. Matsui) for the purpose of a unanimous consent request.
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Mr. POLIS. Mr. Speaker, I would like to inquire of the gentleman from Alabama how long he plans to continue obstructing this body and preventing this body from going about its business to vote on these underlying bills by objecting to these very simple, commonsense, unanimous consent requests to prevent terrorists from acquiring explosives and firearms.
Again, the silence speaks volumes. It sounds like the Republicans and the gentleman from Alabama plan on continuing to obstruct this body from going about their business.
However, luckily, thanks to the gentlewoman from New Jersey, there is another chance for this body to accept a very important unanimous consent request.
I yield to the gentlewoman from New Jersey (Mrs. Watson Coleman) for the purpose of a unanimous consent request.
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Mr. POLIS. Moore) for the purpose of a very important unanimous consent request to prevent terrorists from silently acquiring arsenals that they would kill our fellow Americans with.
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Mr. POLIS. Mr. Speaker, we are joined by the ranking member of the Rules Committee, and I hope that my colleague from Alabama will be willing to grant her very important request that she is about to make that will prevent convicted felons from acquiring guns legally and also help keep explosives and weapons out of the hands of terrorists.
I am proud to yield to the gentlewoman from New York (Ms. Slaughter) for a unanimous consent request.
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Mr. POLIS. Eddie Bernice Johnson) for the purpose of a critical and timely unanimous consent request.
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Mr. POLIS. Mr. Speaker, in the face of Republican obstructionism on this important issue, I am joined by a colleague from the great State of California. I yield to the gentleman from California (Mr. Takano) for the purpose of a unanimous consent request in an attempt to break through this gridlock.
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Mr. POLIS. Mr. Speaker, would that we run out of victims. Mr. Speaker, would that we run out of victims, but, tragically, that is not the case.
I yield to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Norcross) for the purpose of a unanimous consent request.
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Mr. POLIS. Mr. Speaker, I would like to yield to the gentleman from California (Mr. Huffman) for the purpose of a very important unanimous consent request that would save lives.
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Mr. POLIS. Brownley) who has a very important and timely unanimous consent request that would save lives.
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Mr. POLIS. Mr. Speaker, I would like to inquire of the gentleman from Alabama (Mr. Byrne) how many more Members need to make this very simple request until it is a simple courtesy they agree to simply hold these votes.
I would be happy to yield for an answer.
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Mr. POLIS. Reclaiming my time, I hear nothing but silence.
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Mr. POLIS. Not to yield for an answer--absolutely. How many more----
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Mr. POLIS. I did. You were standing----
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Mr. POLIS. How many more requests----
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Mr. POLIS. Do we need to make?
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Mr. POLIS. Reclaiming my time, Mr. Speaker.
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Mr. POLIS. Mr. Speaker, the gentleman is out of order.
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Mr. POLIS. The gentleman is out of order. I reclaim my time, Mr. Speaker.
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Mr. POLIS. Yes. And yet the gentleman from Alabama continues to obstruct the consideration of those very underlying measures by not granting this simple request, this very simple request to consider these two bills.
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Mr. POLIS. Hahn) for the purpose of a unanimous consent request.
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Mr. POLIS. Clark) for the purpose of a timely, important, and critical unanimous consent request.
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Mr. POLIS. Mr. Speaker, would that we ran out of victims. Sadly, that is not the case.
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Mr. POLIS. Mr. Speaker, again, I would like to inquire of the gentleman from Alabama: When will the Republican obstructionism end?
I am happy to yield for an answer.
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Mr. POLIS. Reclaiming my time, I yield to the gentlewoman from Connecticut (Ms. DeLauro) for the purpose of a unanimous consent request.
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Mr. POLIS. Maxine Waters) for the purpose of a very important unanimous consent request that will save lives.
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Mr. POLIS. Mr. Speaker, I wish that we had the time to adequately remember all of these victims like Doris Dooley and so many others, but given the limited time we have, I think our priority at this point is breaking through the Republican obstruction and achieving a simple up- or-down vote on these commonsense, bipartisan bills.
To that end, I yield to the gentlewoman from Maryland (Ms. Edwards) for the purpose of a unanimous consent request.
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Mr. POLIS. Kaptur) for a very important unanimous consent request that will save lives.
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Mr. POLIS. Mr. Speaker, we have been eagerly awaiting the arrival of Mr. Kildee, and I am glad to say that he is not only here, but he has an excellent idea to break through this Republican obstruction and save lives.
I am honored to yield to the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Kildee) for a very important unanimous consent request.
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Mr. POLIS. Norton) who has a very important unanimous consent request.
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Mr. POLIS. Mr. Speaker, I would like to inquire of the gentleman from Alabama how many more unanimous consent requests we need to make until the Republicans stop this obstruction and allow the bill to come forward. I am happy to yield for an answer.
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Mr. POLIS. Well, Mr. Speaker, you know, I think it is clear that we will not allow the Republicans to continue to obstruct these commonsense, bipartisan bills to prevent terrorists from assembling arsenals to kill our fellow Americans and to prevent convicted felons from legally acquiring firearms.
We are joined by a leader from New York, and I yield to the gentlewoman from New York (Ms. Clarke) for the purpose of a unanimous consent request.
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Mr. POLIS. Jackson Lee) for a very important unanimous consent request that will save lives.
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Mr. POLIS. Wilson) for the purpose of a unanimous consent request only that would save lives.
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Mr. POLIS. Castor) for the purpose of a very important unanimous consent request.
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Mr. POLIS. Mr. Speaker, the definition of obstruction in the dictionary is ``a thing that impedes or prevents passage or progress; an obstacle or blockage.''
The only obstruction here is the failure of the Republicans to simply remove that blockage or that thing that prevents passage of this commonsense measure to keep guns out of the hands of convicted felons and prevent terrorists from quietly assembling arsenals to conduct their terrorist acts.
I hope that, now that my colleague from New York (Mr. Engel) has joined us and he will be making a very important unanimous consent request in just moments, that will finally allow this body an opportunity to break through this obstruction, move to consideration of both bills under this rule, and move to consideration of the bipartisan bill that will prevent convicted felons from acquiring weapons.
I yield to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Engel) for the purpose of a unanimous consent request.
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Mr. POLIS. DelBene) for the purpose of a very important unanimous consent request.
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Mr. POLIS. Brownley), who has a request that will break through this Republican obstruction and save lives, for the purpose of a unanimous consent request.
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Mr. POLIS. Point of parliamentary inquiry.
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Mr. POLIS. It is a new Speaker pro tempore, and I was wondering if the new Speaker pro tempore would be willing to pose a unanimous consent request to the gentleman from Alabama.
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Mr. POLIS. Very well.
Slaughter) who has a very important unanimous consent request.
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Mr. POLIS. Mr. Speaker, I would like to inquire of the gentleman from Alabama how many more unanimous consent requests we need to make until he agrees to allow for consideration of this bill.
I am happy to yield for an answer.
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Mr. POLIS. Sadly, the gentleman from Alabama is unable to reserve or stop criminals from legally acquiring weapons or terrorists from silently assembling arsenals to conduct terrorist acts in our country. The only way the gentleman from Alabama can prevent those acts is to prevent the obstruction of this body by granting this very simple unanimous consent request that is about to be made by the gentleman from Florida.
I yield to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Deutch) for the purpose of a unanimous consent request.
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Mr. POLIS. Clark) for the purpose of a very important and timely unanimous consent request.
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Mr. POLIS. Tsongas) for the purpose of a unanimous consent request.
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Mr. POLIS. Chu) for the purpose of a very important unanimous consent request that will save lives.
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Mr. POLIS. Mr. Speaker, I would like to inquire of the gentleman from Alabama how many more requests we need to make until the Republicans stop their obstructionism and allow a simple vote on the bill.
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Mr. POLIS. Mr. Speaker, in a just-breaking Politico article, it says that House leader infighting has forced GOP leaders to indefinitely postpone a vote on an antiterrorism package.
You know, I don't know who is going to tell the terrorists that we are postponing a vote on an antiterrorism package. I would hope that the Republicans would join us Democrats in trying to prevent terrorists from quietly assembling arsenals of explosives and guns and weapons to conduct coordinated attacks on the people of our country--that is what we are hoping to do--and break through this Republican obstructionism on this issue.
Hopefully, there will be a new, breaking story based on the acceptance of a unanimous consent request that is forthcoming from my colleague from Ohio.
I yield to the gentlewoman from Ohio (Ms. Kaptur) for the purpose of a unanimous consent request.
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Mr. POLIS. Maxine Waters) for the purpose of a unanimous consent request.
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Mr. POLIS. Point of parliamentary inquiry, Mr. Chairman.
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Mr. POLIS. The Chair has stated the last several times that the unanimous consent requests cannot be received. Is it that it cannot be accepted or that it is willfully not accepted by the gentleman from Alabama?
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Mr. POLIS. Further parliamentary inquiry.
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Mr. POLIS. When a unanimous consent request is made, is it not at the discretion of the gentleman controlling the time, the gentleman from Alabama, to agree to that request?
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Mr. POLIS. Further parliamentary inquiry.
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Mr. POLIS. Can the gentleman from Alabama accept a unanimous consent request to yield for the purpose of a bill being brought forth?
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Mr. POLIS. Mr. Speaker, point of parliamentary inquiry.
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Mr. POLIS. Does the gentleman from Alabama have the ability to yield for that purpose?
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Mr. POLIS. Reclaiming my time, again, the gentleman from Alabama can agree to these unanimous consent requests. The way that the answer has been framed, he has not agreed to them.
The gentleman from Alabama and the Republicans are obstructing this body and preventing us from going about our business and getting to these bills, but it is certainly well within the authority under this rule for a unanimous consent request to be accepted.
With that, I am actually glad to say we have a unanimous consent.
I yield to the gentlewoman from California (Mrs. Capps) for the purpose of a unanimous consent request.
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Mr. POLIS. Well, Mr. Speaker, they could be entertained, if the gentleman from Alabama would simply agree to them.
We actually have a forthcoming unanimous consent request. I would hope, Mr. Speaker, that you are willing to pose it to the gentleman from Alabama to see if he would, in fact, agree to what I think is a very reasonable request, to bring forward a bipartisan bill.
I am glad to yield to the gentlewoman from New Jersey (Mrs. Watson Coleman) for the purpose of just such a unanimous consent request.
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Mr. POLIS. Mr. Speaker, would the Chair be willing to pose the question as to whether that unanimous consent request is accepted to the gentleman controlling the time?
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Mr. POLIS. Mr. Speaker, again, I know that the previous Speaker pro tempore had posed that question some time ago; but I was hoping, by this point, the gentleman from Alabama would have been moved to change his position.
I am not going to ask every single time, but I would appreciate if the Chair would pose that question to the gentleman from Alabama about whether he would be willing to accept the most recent unanimous consent request of the gentlewoman from New Jersey (Mrs. Watson Coleman) to save lives.
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Mr. POLIS. I would be happy to yield if the gentleman from Alabama would be willing to accept the unanimous consent request from Mrs. Bonnie Watson Coleman.
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Mr. POLIS. I will take that as no. And, sadly, we are not about to run out of victims, Mr. Speaker.
I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Pelosi), the Democratic leader.
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Mr. POLIS. Bordallo) for the purpose of a unanimous consent request.
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Mr. POLIS. Mr. Speaker, so many of us have made unanimous consent requests.
I have asked the gentleman from Alabama how many times we have to make this motion until the Republicans end their obstructionism. I have not received an adequate answer.
I was hopeful that the gentleman from Alabama would have accepted this unanimous consent request by now.
I was hopeful that the Chair would have posed a question to him multiple times, rather than accept his very first answer, now that the Democratic leaders and rank-and-file Members have all come forward in support of bringing forward this bill and breaking through the Republican obstructionism.
I yield the balance of my time to the gentleman from California (Mr. Thompson).
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Mr. POLIS. I yield back the balance of my time.
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Mr. POLIS. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
The yeas and nays were ordered.
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