Rescissions Act of 2025

Floor Speech

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mr. JEFFRIES. Mr. Speaker, I thank the distinguished gentlewoman from the great State of Connecticut for yielding and for her tremendous leadership in pushing back against this reckless Republican rescissions package.

It is extraordinary to me that, once again, we are on the floor of the House of Representatives not debating legislation that Republicans bring forward, Mr. Speaker, that is designed to lower the high cost of living in the United States of America, a promise that Republicans repeatedly made last year to the American people and now have repeatedly broken.

Throughout this Congress, not a single bill has been brought to the House floor by my Republican colleagues that addresses the high cost of living in the United States of America--not a single bill.

House Republicans and President Trump promised that costs were going to go down in the United States of America. In fact, the majority has said that costs were going to go down on day one. Yet, we know that costs haven't gone down in this great country, Mr. Speaker. Costs have gone up.

America is too expensive. Housing costs are too high. Grocery costs are too high. Utility costs are too high. Childcare costs are too high. Insurance costs are too high. America is too expensive.

Republicans have decided that, in the face of this affordability crisis in the United States of America, the majority is going to undermine America's ability to protect our national security through the exercise of soft power and addressing in a bipartisan way the HIV and AIDS epidemic, a program that was first put into place by President George W. Bush and has saved the lives of millions of people across the world and, of course, people here at home by fighting against this epidemic.

America is made safer when we are able to invest in diplomacy, development, and democracy across the world, particularly in the face of aggressive efforts by China, Russia, and other malignant actors to move the world in a different place.

Mr. Speaker, this reckless Republican rescissions package will undermine America's national security and undermine public health here in this country and across the world. It actually represents an attack on children.

This is extraordinary to me. We are on the floor of the House of Representatives not debating legislation that is designed to make this country and our economy more affordable but actually debating legislation that targets Elmo, Big Bird, Daniel Tiger, and ``Sesame Street.'' That is what we are doing by going after public broadcasting in the United States of America.

``Sesame Street'' has a letter of the day. I believe the letter of the day today is C. How appropriate because this Republican bill is cruel, and it cuts children's programming all across the country.

How can this be that Republicans' priority right now does nothing on the economy, nothing to make life more affordable, and nothing to address the high cost of living? Instead, Republicans are attacking Elmo, ``Sesame Street,'' Big Bird, and Daniel Tiger. Republicans' priorities are all wrong.

This is on top of a GOP tax scam, Mr. Speaker, where Republicans are trying to visit on the American people the largest cuts to healthcare in American history, targeting Medicaid, Medicare, the Affordable Care Act, the Children's Health Insurance Program, and women's health by trying to defund Planned Parenthood. That is what Republicans in this Congress are trying to do through the GOP tax scam, this disgusting abomination, the one big, ugly bill.

My Republican colleagues are going after school lunch programs for children, supplemental nutrition assistance for children, and now children's programming.

That doesn't suggest to me that my colleagues on the other side of the aisle are actually trying to strengthen families. This legislation would weaken families. It would weaken our ability to lead throughout the free world and weaken public health and safety for everyday Americans and people all across this country.

Mr. Speaker, I urge a ``no'' vote.

Also, I am hopeful that my colleagues on the other side of the aisle will at some point actually decide to focus on the issues that matter, to lift children up, not target them; to lift families up, not target them; to lift older Americans up, not target them; to lift veterans up, not target them; and to lift healthcare for everyday Americans up, not target them. That is what House Democrats will continue to do on behalf of the American people. It is high time that our Republican colleagues join us.

Vote ``no'' against this reckless Republican rescissions package.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Source