Providing for Consideration of H.J. Res. Providing for Congressional Disapproval of the Rule Submitted By the Department of Energy Relating to ``Energy Conservation Program: Energy Conservation Standards for Walk-In Coolers and Walk-In Freezers''; Providing for Consideration of H.J. Res. Providing for Congressional Disapproval of the Rule Submitted By the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Department of Energy Relating to ``Energy Conservation Program: Energy Conservation Standards for Commercial Refrigerators, Freezers, and Refrigerator-freezers''; Providing for Consideration of H.R. Defending Education Transparency and Ending Rogue Regimes Engaging in Nefarious Transactions Act

Floor Speech

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Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, today House Republicans are wasting time talking about walk-in freezers and refrigerators. That is what Republicans think is urgent, commercial freezers and refrigerators.

Do you know what I think that is?

I think that is insane. I think it is unhinged. It is not what I am hearing at my townhalls. I have done six townhalls, and thousands of people have shown up. Maybe if Republicans actually held townhalls and listened to people, they would know what the hell is going on right now. People are not worried about commercial walk-in freezers or refrigerators, Mr. Speaker. They are pissed at Elon and his unelected, un-appointed bureaucrats for blowing up the Department of Education. That is what they are worried about.

They are demanding resignations because Trump's national security team recklessly mishandled classified information on unsecured phones. They might as well have mailed a copy to the Kremlin, for God's sake.

People are mad as hell that you guys are going to try to kill Social Security.

Mr. Speaker, you can say whatever you want, but that is what Republicans want to do. They want to kill Social Security. That is a fact.

They want to raid Social Security like a piggy bank so Elon can steal people's money and give more tax breaks to billionaires.

I was at a retirement community in my district on Friday, and seniors are scared out of their minds. They are not stupid. They know what is happening. It is crystal clear. They see through all the BS, and they know Elon and Trump are trying to sabotage Social Security so they can start kicking people off.

The Social Security website crashed four times this month. Millions of Americans couldn't log into their accounts. Elon fired so many people that there is nobody to answer the phones at some Social Security offices. The lines keep ringing and ringing and ringing.

We don't even know how long wait times are because, get this, they eliminated the program to track customer satisfaction. Elon is still lying saying that millions and millions of dead people are collecting Social Security checks and calling Social Security a Ponzi scheme.

Mr. Speaker, that is a lie. It is not true, and he knows it is not true. We heard Donald Trump parrot that same propaganda in this Chamber because president Elon told him to and because they want an excuse to cut seniors off of Social Security. These guys are rich and out-of- touch billionaires who just don't get it. They are having champagne and caviar at Mar-a-Lago while senior citizens wait for hours on the phone to talk to somebody.

Trump's Commerce Secretary said that if Social Security didn't send out checks for a month, his 94-year-old mother-in-law would not complain. That is good for her, but he is a billionaire, for God's sake. It must be nice to have one in the family.

Guess what, Mr. Speaker. Most people are not so lucky.

When I talk to seniors, they tell me that one missed Social Security check means going hungry. It means falling behind on rent. It means skipping medications.

People out there can't afford groceries, but Trump's team is telling them to go buy Tesla stock. That is their retirement plan. These people are nuts, Mr. Speaker.

The bottom line is that for Republicans, Social Security is just another thing they can cut to pay for billionaire tax breaks.

Guess what, Elon. We are not letting you get your greedy, grubby, billionaire hands anywhere near Social Security. It is not a handout. It is not a giveaway. It is a benefit that 70 million Americans paid into for their entire lives expecting that it would be there when they needed it. It is a promise, and we are going to fight like hell to keep that promise for the people who built this country.

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