Providing for Consideration of H.R. Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, and Providing for Consideration of H.R. Department of the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2025

Floor Speech

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Mrs. FISCHBACH. Mr. Speaker, by direction of the Committee on Rules, I call up House Resolution 1370 and ask for its immediate consideration.

The Clerk read the resolution, as follows: H. Res. 1370

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. 8997) making appropriations for energy and water development and related agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2025, 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 118-42 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. All points of order against provisions in the bill, as amended, are waived.

Sec. 2. (a) No further amendment to H.R. 8997, as amended, shall be in order except those printed in part A of 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 part A of 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 part A of 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 part A of 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. 8997 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. 8997 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. 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. 8998) making appropriations for the Department of the Interior, environment, and related agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2025, 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 118-41 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. All points of order against provisions in the bill, as amended, are waived.

Sec. 7. (a) No further amendment to H.R. 8998, as amended, shall be in order except those printed in part B of the report of the Committee on Rules accompanying this resolution, amendments en bloc described in section 8 of this resolution, and pro forma amendments described in section 9 of this resolution.

(b) Each further amendment printed in part B of 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 9 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 part B of the report of the Committee on Rules or against amendments en bloc described in section 8 of this resolution are waived.

Sec. 8. 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 part B of 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 9 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. 9. During consideration of H.R. 8998 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. 10. At the conclusion of consideration of H.R. 8998 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.

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Mrs. FISCHBACH. 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. Speaker, we are here to debate the rule providing for consideration of H.R. 8997 and H.R. 8998. The rule provides for both bills to be considered under structured rules, each with 1 hour of debate equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking minority member of the Committee on Appropriations or their designees, and provides for one motion to recommit for each.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to support this rule and am in support of the underlying legislation.

I hear time and time again that Congress needs to get serious about addressing our debt. This rule provides for consideration of two measures that cut wasteful and unnecessary spending. They responsibly fund the Federal Government, and they support American production, pushing back on the ridiculous Green New Deal agenda under the Biden- Harris administration.

H.R. 8997 refocuses spending on things that matter. It eliminates wasteful spending on unnecessary and redundant climate change programs, reins in the out-of-control regulation being implemented by the executive branch, and prohibits funding from being used to promote DEI and CRT initiatives. I don't think I need to go into all the ways misguided DEI efforts are failing.

It removes the Department of Energy's role in the LNG export application review process, something that has bipartisan support, and this legislation counters the very real Chinese and Russian threat by investing in national security and American energy production.

It should come as no shock to anyone that the Biden-Harris administration has been attacking American energy production at every opportunity, giving up power to adversaries like China and Russia in the process.

H.R. 8997 counters these national threats, investing in U.S. energy security and strengthening our economic competitiveness. It funds key nuclear programs to regain America's leadership in the global market, and it safeguards our energy and technology assets from foreign threats.

H.R. 8998 right-sizes Federal Government spending, limiting burdensome and unnecessary regulations, respecting taxpayer dollars, and eliminating government waste. It strengthens our national security by encouraging domestic energy production, requiring the government to resume oil and gas leasing and expanding critical mineral access on public lands like those in northern Minnesota.

It respects the taxpayer by cutting government waste, including a 20 percent reduction in the EPA, reducing the Council of Environmental Equality to its authorized levels. It removes the gray wolf from the Endangered Species List, an issue that hits home with so many people across this country dealing with the menace of wolves, including in my home State of Minnesota.

Mr. Speaker, the Biden-Harris agenda does not achieve their stated goals. What it does do is it hurts our domestic producers and gives Russia and China a competitive edge. This legislation takes a serious step to address our debt, strengthen national security, and focus funding where the American people need it.

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Mrs. FISCHBACH. Mr. Speaker, in listening to the ranking member, I think we got way, way off topic. In some cases, people just tuning in may actually think it is a campaign rally.

Here to refocus us on what is actually in this bill and what we are talking about is our colleague from Texas--excuse me--our colleague from Missouri.

We are doing what the American people sent us to do. We are doing the work. We are introducing appropriations bills, hearing them in committee, sending them through the process in transparency. We are doing that.

We have actually passed four appropriations bills off the floor, and that represents the majority of spending. We are moving forward. We are doing the work.

If we want to look at who is not doing their work, that may be the Senate Democrats. We have sent bills over, and they just refuse to do anything. What have they been doing with appropriations bills? We have been passing these and sending them there. They have chosen to do nothing.

We can just take a look at the tax bill, a negotiated tax bill that had bipartisan support out of the Ways and Means Committee. We passed it off the floor, and they have done nothing, even though that was negotiated. They didn't even live up to the negotiations, the agreements. If we need to look at who is not doing their work, let's look at the Senate Democrats because we absolutely are passing bills, and we are doing our work in transparent ways through the committee process and on the floor.

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Mrs. FISCHBACH. Mr. Speaker, I am prepared to close, and I reserve the balance of my time.

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Mrs. FISCHBACH. Mr. Speaker, I am prepared to close, and I reserve the balance of my time.

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Mrs. FISCHBACH. Mr. Speaker, my colleagues on the left have accused Republicans of wasting time, and I take serious issue with that. Republicans are going through the proper and transparent process to pass these appropriations bills. We are doing serious work.

I applaud my colleagues on the Appropriations Committee for the work they have done and for listening to the needs of the American people. The Biden-Harris administration is hell-bent on imposing the radical far-left Green New Deal agenda, and they do not care how much damage they do to the country or to the economy or to the American people in the process.

The legislation under the rule today reins in reckless government spending, cuts harmful regulation, and restores independence putting us back in competition on the world stage.

As an example, the EPA spends too much of its time and resources creating new regulations to stifle the U.S. economy. When I go home to Minnesota--and I know many of the other Members hear this when they go home--I constantly hear about concerns with regulations largely due to EPA rulemaking. This includes regulations on light-, medium-, and heavy-duty vehicles, electric power plants, and the abuse of the Endangered Species Act. All of these burden businesses and consumers.

H.R. 8998 will make significant cuts to these regulations and take meaningful strides toward rightsizing our government.

I encourage my Democratic colleagues, particularly those in the Senate, to recognize that this legislation is the will of the people. My colleagues should take it seriously to responsibly fund our government, defend American producers, and address our Nation's debt.

My colleagues like to make it sound like Republicans are blindly hacking away at government programs. I, for one, applaud the Appropriations Committee for taking such a thoughtful look at where we can responsibly cut spending.

The fact is that we are trillions of dollars in debt, and Americans are facing the highest inflation rates in over 40 years. Families across this country are being forced to tighten their belts. For their sake, it is time for the Federal Government to do the same.

We must put a stop to reckless government spending. My Democratic colleagues are not willing to do it and were not willing to do it when the minority was in control, but we are. I call upon the other side to help us get the debt under control.

Mr. Speaker, I support the rule and the underlying legislation.

The material previously referred to by Mr. McGovern is as follows: An Amendment to H. Res. 1370 Offered By Mr. McGovern of Massachusetts

At the end of the resolution, add the following:

Sec. 11. Immediately upon adoption of this resolution, the House shall proceed to the consideration in the House of the bill (H.R. 12) to protect a person's ability to determine whether to continue or end a pregnancy, and to protect a health care provider's ability to provide abortion services. 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 Energy and Commerce or their respective designees; and (2) one motion to recommit.

Sec. 12. Clause 1(c) of rule XIX shall not apply to the consideration of H.R. 12.
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