Gulf of America Act

Floor Speech

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Mr. JEFFRIES. Mr. Speaker, I thank the distinguished gentleman, my good friend from the great State of California (Mr. Huffman), for his tremendous leadership and for pushing back against this bill.

Mr. Speaker, I urge a strong ``no'' against this silly, small-minded, and sycophantic piece of legislation. When the American people woke up this morning, they could reasonably ask the question: What are their elected Representatives on the floor of the House of Representatives going to be debating?

In an environment where the Trump tariffs are costing them thousands of dollars more per year, Republicans are crashing the economy in real time, costs are being raised on hardworking American taxpayers, and Republicans are driving us toward a painful recession, what might Members of Congress under this temporary Republican majority be debating on the floor today?

Would it be legislation about the economy? Would it be something about healthcare? Would it be anything about Social Security? Perhaps it is something on public safety. Maybe it is national security matters. It could be anything to bring the American Dream to life for hardworking American taxpayers. No, what Republicans have decided to spend this entire legislative day doing is to debate a bill to rename the Gulf of Mexico.

In some ways, I guess the American people can be thankful. This week, what Republicans were going to try to do was visit upon the American people the largest Medicaid cut in American history. Mr. Speaker, because Republicans were on the run, they were forced to take that hearing down. That battle is not over.

In the absence of their ability to actually jam up hardworking American taxpayers, and instead of focusing on things that would make a difference in the lives of the American people, we are here on the House floor, more than 400 years after the fact, debating legislation to rename the Gulf of Mexico.

It turns out there is a lot more foolishness than this particular bill. Apparently, it is not enough simply to try to rename the Gulf of Mexico. Republicans have introduced an act of Congress to express support for the designation of the first-ever Gulf of America Day. That ingenious piece of legislation was introduced by Representative Mark Alford of Missouri.

At a time when Americans are struggling to live paycheck to paycheck, and when we are grappling with the high cost of living, don't worry because Republicans have a solution. Congressman Brandon Gill of Texas has our back with a bill to require the $100 note to include a portrait of Donald J. Trump. No, thank you.

Not to be outdone, Representative Joe Wilson of South Carolina has the Donald J. Trump $250 Bill Act. Really? That is a hard pass.

Flight travel has become more dangerous. We have an ongoing air traffic control crisis this week at a major airport in the northeast. It is central to a lot of the commerce and the functioning of the economy, an economy that Republicans are breaking in real time.

What would be the Republican response to the situation in our skies? Representative Addison McDowell of the great State of North Carolina has a bill to designate Washington Dulles International Airport in Virginia as the Donald J. Trump International Airport. Did Virginia even vote for Donald Trump?

Families are confronting thousands of dollars more per year in higher costs, thanks to Donald Trump's reckless tariffs. Instead of pushing back the President, instead of Congress asserting our constitutional authority as it relates to tariffs and trade in the best interest of the American people, no, Republicans have a different approach.

Here is a gem from Representative Anna Paulina Luna from the great State of Florida. She has introduced legislation to arrange for the carving of the figure of President Donald J. Trump on Mount Rushmore.

Are we living in the times of King Nebuchadnezzar? What are we doing? There are serious issues that the American people want us to confront.

From the very beginning of this Congress, Democrats have said: We will work with anyone to lower the high cost of living, to secure the border, to fix our broken immigration system, to protect communities, to stand up for the healthcare, for the safety, for the well-being, and for the national security of the American people.

Republicans have no agenda other than the toxic agenda connected to their big, ugly bill that they are trying to jam down the throats of the American people. When they have to run away from that and push it back, this is what we are left with. We are left with renaming the Gulf of Mexico, which 70 percent of the American people reject. That is according to Fox News, that bastion of progressive politics.

Mr. Speaker, I strongly urge a ``no'' vote against this small-minded, silly, and sycophantic bill. I can say without hesitation, reservation, or need for clarification that America is not down with MTG.

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