Providing for Consideration of H.R. Fafsa Deadline Act; Providing for Consideration of H.R. Harnessing Energy At Thermal Sources Act; and Providing for Consideration of H.R. Critical Mineral Consistency Act of 2024
Floor Speech
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
Mr. McGOVERN. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I thank the gentleman from Texas for yielding me the customary 30 minutes.
Madam Speaker, before we begin, I want to address the results of last week's election. I congratulate the gentleman from Texas and my Republican colleagues on the results of the Presidential election.
For them, this election was a reason to celebrate. For half the country, it was awful. Like so many people, I am deeply concerned-- concerned about our democracy, concerned that the man who was elected does not care about helping regular people, concerned that people are going to be hurt by his bad policies, concerned that vulnerable populations will become targets, concerned by the President-elect's fascination with Vladimir Putin, concerned that in the face of such a tough reality, many in this country will become disillusioned and disengaged from politics altogether.
Like many people, I am worried, but let me tell you what I am not going to do. I am not going to complain and whine like Republicans. I am not going to deny facts or reality and pretend that the election was rigged against us. I am not going to create fake stories about poll workers stuffing ballot boxes that result in people getting death threats and having to leave their homes.
Democrats aren't going to violently storm the Capitol Building. We are not going to go on TV and spread lies about voter fraud. We are not going to elevate conspiracy theories that point the finger to blame others for the outcome. We sure as hell would have no interest in pardoning people who attacked cops, desecrated this building, and treated our country like garbage.
The truth is that the election this year was free and fair, just like the election in 2020 was free and fair. Republicans were already getting ready to sow the seeds of another big lie until they won. Then, their claims of voter fraud evaporated into thin air.
What you will not see is Democrats try to overturn the election like sore losers. We are not going to act like babies. We are going to take responsibility, and we are going to move forward.
I think the most important thing we can do right now is listen to our friends, our neighbors, and our fellow Americans because obviously things need to change, but I also want to say this loud and clear to everyone listening who is upset by the outcome of this election: Please don't give in to despair. We cannot change the past. All we can do is to help shape the future, and the hard work of protecting this country from the potentially devastating effects of a second Donald Trump Presidency starts today.
We can take heart in our small victories. We have new voices joining our ranks in the Senate and in the House, many of them historic and ready to push for change. As our party recalibrates--and let me be clear, we must recalibrate--we will need every one of these new voices on our side.
While we still await the final determination on who will be in charge of the House of Representatives, let me just say that if Republicans hold onto control, we will show up. We will show up for every single fight and every single vote. We will minimize the damage where we can, and while we may not always win, we will slow down the destructive forces that could arise from total Republican control in Washington.
Madam Speaker, if the Republicans keep the majority and the next 2 years are like the last 2, maybe we will have little to worry about. This Republican majority has been the most ineffective body in history. They have accomplished nothing. They don't know how to govern.
It really has been a disgrace, a national disgrace, but rest assured, we will raise our voices, the voices of the people who sent us here to speak for them, the people who do not agree with Republican policies and who voted for us to make sure someone would fight back.
Democrats may have lost some races, but we are not defeated. Our values are strong. We know what to fight for because we know what we stand for: an economy that works for working people, a government that serves everyone regardless of their background, and a vision for a brighter future that addresses the urgent challenges that people care about, like the cost of living, hunger, and climate change.
Let me just say, Madam Speaker, this is the beauty of democracy. No defeat is final, and where we can find common ground with our colleagues across the aisle and with the President-elect, we will work together to make progress because our side is interested in helping improve the quality of life for the people of this country. Where we cannot find common ground, we will stand firm in defense of our values.
The work goes on, and we will fight for all those who placed their hopes and dreams in our hands.
Now, if we are talking about the bills that this rule would bring to the floor, H.R. 8446 politically interferes in a science-driven process and potentially siphons needed resources away from at-risk supply chains. H.R. 7409 undermines our environmental laws and blocks public input in the permitting process, which could lead to irreparable damage to our lands.
While H.R. 8932 offers a pragmatic solution to ensure student aid reaches those who need it, let us pray that, despite Trump's promise to dismantle the Department of Education, the agency that oversees FASFA survives the next 4 years so that this measure can actually benefit American families.
Madam Speaker, if we defeat the previous question, I will offer an amendment to the rule to bring up H.R. 12, a bill that would ensure that every American has full access to essential reproductive healthcare, including abortion care.
Since the Dobbs decision, every State in the Union has taken action on abortion in some way. Many enacted laws to either ban some or all abortion. Republicans have reiterated time and time again that this is their goal. They want to take away women's reproductive freedoms.
The abortion access landscape is more fractured since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. We continue to face the devastating consequences of abortion bans and restrictions on both patients' health and the greater healthcare ecosystem. We have heard in recent weeks the heartbreaking stories of women who have died because of these abortion bans.
H.R. 12 ensures every American has full access to vital reproductive healthcare and will stop the devastating health consequences for women when abortion access is banned or limited.
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
Mr. McGOVERN. Madam Speaker, I yield 2\1/2\ minutes to the gentlewoman from Colorado (Ms. Pettersen) to discuss that proposal.
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
Mr. McGOVERN. Madam Speaker, I yield an additional 1 minute to the gentlewoman from Colorado.
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
Mr. McGOVERN. Madam Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.
Madam Speaker, there is no way to sugarcoat this. We have 2 long years ahead of us. For Republicans, that likely means facing the challenges of governing. I wish them luck. I hope they can figure out how to govern. They haven't been able to demonstrate that up to this point. For Democrats, it will mean we will have time to reflect, learn, and grow stronger from this election.
We know we need to become better listeners and better communicators, and we know we need to engage more with people on the issues that matter most to them. We will do that.
It also means finding common ground with those we disagree with when it comes to helping regular people. I hope that there will be occasions when there can be common ground achieved and reached so we can actually move things forward. If, in fact, the Republicans win the House and they control this Chamber, I hope that they will move away from the practice of constantly leaning on the most extreme Members in their Conference for guidance on what should be discussed on the House floor.
When it comes to when our values don't align, it will mean us calling out poor policy for what it is and pushing back with every single tool at our disposal to slow the damage.
We will show up. We will show up. We will use our voices. We will stand up for the people and against anything that would do them harm.
It will be a long 2 years, but we are in this fight. I have never felt a greater sense of purpose than I do at this moment because so much is at stake. Things that matter to the people I represent are under threat by the President-elect and his policies.
We will stand up for our values. We will stand up for the people in this country who now feel threatened because of the election results. We will stand up, as Ms. Pettersen just talked about in her remarks, for women's reproductive freedoms. Women should decide what is best for them, not Members of this Chamber, and not the President of the United States.
Again, we have a lot of challenges ahead, but I will tell my friends on the other side of the aisle, we are ready. We are ready to come together when we can find common ground.
This is just a promise, but we will fight you with every ounce of energy we have if you bring up policies that we have strong disagreements with. We will not rally or roll over in the face of policies that we deplore.
Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
Mr. McGOVERN. Madam Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
The yeas and nays were ordered.
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
Source