Consideration of Certain Resolutions Reported From the Committee on Rules

Floor Speech

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Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from North Carolina (Ms. Foxx) for yielding me the customary time, and I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, this bill, effectively, lets the majority bring a bill from the Rules Committee straight to the floor in the same day, which would not normally be in order.

Mr. Speaker, what could be such an emergency that Republicans need to pass a special rule to give themselves the authority to jam through at lightning speed? Could it be affordability? No, nothing on affordability.

Could it be lower gas prices or ending the war in Iran? No, nothing there.

Could it be a bill to bring down housing or healthcare costs? Nope. Guess again.

They are passing a special rule to help them jam through billions of dollars more for ICE and CBP, what amounts to yet another blank check for agencies that have violated court orders, terrorized communities, killed American citizens in cold blood, and operated with virtually no accountability.

These agencies already got a massive payday in Trump's big, ugly bill. In fact--and get this--they have more money than they know what to do with. They still have $100 billion--billion with a b--sitting in the bank that they haven't spent yet. These are lawless agencies already flush with cash. For some reason, now Republicans are rushing to give them even more?

I mean, around here, that is what has become an emergency. It is not the cost of groceries and not the cost of gas. No. The emergency is that Donald Trump's immigration policies might have to wait for another blank check.

I mean, give me a damned break. This majority moves at lightning speed when Trump wants something. They move at lightning speed when billionaires want another tax cut. They move at lightning speed when corporate donors want another giveaway. Yet, when regular people need help, suddenly everything is impossible. Can't do it.

When families needed affordable healthcare, Republicans went home. When people demanded that the Epstein files be released, Republicans stalled, they delayed, and they obstructed. That continues.

When working people asked Congress to do something about Trump's tariffs that are driving up prices, Republicans blocked the vote. When we tried to force a debate on Trump's illegal war, Republicans tried to shut that down, too.

That is the pattern, Mr. Speaker. That is the pattern. When Trump says jump, they ask how high. Yet, when the American people ask for affordability, this place grinds to a halt.

This is about priorities, Mr. Speaker. Republicans want to hand tens of billions of dollars to lawless agencies that already have tens of billions of dollars, but they cannot find the same urgency for a mom trying to afford groceries, for a senior rationing medication, or for a family trying to keep a roof over their heads. Isn't that something?

Well, I think this is a rotten, lousy, immoral thing to jam through with same-day authority. I urge a ``no'' vote, and I reserve the balance of my time.

It is hard to take this debate seriously. As I said, and I will say it again, and my Republican colleagues know this, you gave them a whole bunch of money in the big, ugly bill that you all celebrate.

In fact, they still have $100 billion that they haven't spent, $100 billion, that is billion with a b. You just debated the Agriculture appropriations bill to cut WIC by $200 million. ICE and CBP still have $100 billion, and here we are with a bill to give them another $70 billion? I mean, there are countries in the world whose military budgets don't even equal what you have given ICE and CBP.

I mean, the priorities around this place are all screwed up. I mean, you talk about America First. Well, this is America last. This is America last. You are cutting programs that help feed pregnant mothers and their kids. You are cutting programs that make sure people don't go hungry and have enough to eat and enough access to nutrition. You are cutting programs that help working people. You are cutting programs that cut healthcare. Here we are, giving an additional $70 billion to agencies that already have $100 billion that they haven't spent.

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Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, I would just simply say, my Republican friends, when you talk about America First, you are putting America last.

Your constituents are hurting. They are suffering right now. Prices have never been higher. Gas is through the roof. The cost of groceries is through the roof. The cost of everything is through the roof.

Inflation is up, and you can blame Joe Biden. He hasn't been President for a year and a half. That is the usual bs excuse we hear all the time.

The bottom line is, you are intentionally doing this. You are taking money away from people in need in this country, and you are giving it to agencies that have violated the law, that have killed American citizens, and that have not been held accountable. This is outrageous.

What we just heard is the same tired, old set of grievances and talking points that Republicans bring out here all the time because they don't have any solutions to any of the challenges.

It is the same old playbook: Prices are up, blame immigrants. Gas is up, blame immigrants. Trump starts an illegal war in Iran, blame immigrants. Greedy healthcare companies rip off people and overcharge people for their basic healthcare, let's blame immigrants. Grocery prices are up, blame immigrants.

This party has no solutions to any of the problems. It is just blame immigrants, blame Joe Biden, blame somebody else. They don't want to take any responsibility.

Here is the deal: The agencies that we are talking about have $100 billion that they have not spent--$100 billion. What could you do with $100 billion? You can help a lot of people in this country get through this lousy Trump economy, but, no, $100 billion is not enough. We have a bill to bring another $70 billion to these agencies--$170 billion.

I mean, this is crazy, Mr. Speaker. What the hell is wrong with these people, Mr. Speaker, that this is where their priorities are, putting more money into agencies that do not obey the law, that have killed American citizens, that have basically set up concentration camps in some of our States in which immigrants are being mistreated?

We have American citizens who are being picked up and detained by ICE. We all agree that if people commit crimes--I don't care whether they are an undocumented immigrant or a legal citizen. If you commit a crime, you ought to be held accountable. Nobody disagrees with that.

That is not what this is about. This is about pouring billions and billions of dollars into agencies that already have more than enough.

Where is the compassion? Where is the outrage when my friends bring an appropriations bill to the floor to cut $200 million from WIC? I mean, not a word, not a word. I mean, where is the concern about the fact that people cannot afford their groceries? Nothing. Or that people can't afford to fill up their cars with gas? Nothing. Nothing.

Blame immigrants, and then, for good measure, throw in Joe Biden. I mean, that is what we hear all the time.

Again, these agencies have $100 billion already, and we are cutting programs that help provide people with nutrition and housing. We are cutting programs to help communities rebuild their infrastructure. We are cutting moneys and programs that help people with protecting open- space land.

I should say, they are cutting, not we. We are opposing those cuts, Mr. Speaker, because we think they are immoral, and we think they are outrageous.

But here we are, moving Heaven and Earth, again, not to bring a bill to the floor to help lower costs for anybody, but bringing a bill to the floor beyond the normal process to give agencies that have $100 billion, $70 billion more. I mean, really? I mean, this is outrageous.

If we defeat the previous question, I will offer an amendment to the rule to bring up H.R. 8914, which prohibits the use of taxpayer money to create a slush fund to compensate January 6 rioters, MAGA sycophants, senior government officials, and members of the President or Vice President's family.

Mr. Speaker, following President Trump's settlement of his bogus lawsuit against his own IRS, he tried to commandeer nearly $1.8 billion in taxpayer funds to bankroll a slush fund for January 6 insurrectionists and other aggrieved MAGA loyalists.

After the obvious outcry at this ludicrous use of taxpayer dollars, Acting Attorney General Blanche said yesterday they weren't moving forward with this fund. Then later, the same day, President Trump, when asked if the fund was dead or just on hold, said: ``I don't know. I don't know.''

I don't know? Really?

He also said: ``I love it. I think it's so important.''

So it is now clear that the only way to end this corrupt scheme--and it is a corrupt scheme--for good is for Congress to act.

And as the newly free-to-speak-his-mind Senate Whip Senator Cornyn said: ``The way to ensure the Trump retribution fund is more than mostly dead would be for Congress to put a stake through it.'' That is Republican Senator John Cornyn.

That is exactly what I am offering every Member of this House today, a chance to vote on if they want to kill this slush fund for good or not.

Do my Republican colleagues want millions of dollars to go to the January 6 rioters? I mean, I was here that day. Many of my Republican colleagues were here that day. I was in the Speaker's chair that day. I was the last person off the House floor. I saw those maniacs beating up cops. I will never, ever forget it.

And the fact that they have been pardoned by this President is outrageous. But the idea that they would be financially rewarded? Oh, my God, what is wrong with this place?

So with the vote we are calling for here right now, we can end this slush fund once and for all. And maybe we could take that money and put it toward issues to deal with the affordability crisis, maybe to make law-abiding Americans' lives a little bit easier.

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Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, this debate boils down to priorities. Republicans have shown that they are willing to move mountains when they want to. They can move mountains for Donald Trump. They can move mountains for billionaires. They can move mountains for corporate donors. And today, they are moving mountains to spend $70 billion more on ICE and CBP.

But for regular people, they are doing nothing. They have done nothing, and they are doing nothing. Families are getting crushed by grocery prices. Workers can't afford rent. Parents are struggling to pay for childcare. Seniors are worried about healthcare. Kids are hungry. Republicans don't care. That is the story of this majority. They have all of the urgency in the world for the worst priorities and no urgency at all for people who actually need help.

They will rush to fund agencies that separate families, that violate rights and bow down to Donald Trump's illegal orders; but they refuse to lift a finger to ease the burdens on working people. It is everything and anything for those at the top, and to hell with everyone else.

So vote ``no'' on this rule. Vote ``no'' on this blank check. These agencies already have $100 billion--$100 billion, billion with a b. They don't need an additional $70 billion. I would urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to vote ``no'' on these rotten priorities. Let's get back to work and do the work that the people actually sent us here to do. Let's try to do things that actually improve people's lives, not screw them over.

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Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

The yeas and nays were ordered.

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