Providing for Consideration of Motions to Suspend the Rules

PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF MOTIONS TO SUSPEND THE RULES -- (House of Representatives - September 28, 2006)

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Mr. McGOVERN. Madam Speaker, first let me thank the gentlewoman from New York, the ranking member of the Rules Committee, Ms. Slaughter, for yielding me time. Let me associate myself with her comments.

Normally a rule that would allow us to consider suspension bills today would not be controversial. Suspension bills, after all, are usually bills that if they do not pass unanimously, they pass pretty much close to unanimously. They are naming of post offices, there are things that quite frankly are nice but they are not crucial for this Nation.

And, you know, I come to the floor today, along with others, to object to this because this Congress is about to recess and it has not done the people's business. This Republican Congress has failed to make college education more affordable. This Republican Congress has failed on retirement security. This Republican Congress has failed on energy. It has failed on health care. It has failed on jobs and wages. And it has failed on Iraq and national security.

I mean, we are about to recess, and this Congress has not increased the Federal minimum wage. It is stuck at $5.15 an hour. I mean, Congress has not raised the minimum wage in 9 years. During that same period of time, Congress voted themselves a $31,600 pay raise. We do not have the time to increase the Federal minimum wage, but we have time to increase our salaries by $31,600? Please, give me a break. Where are our priorities?

We have the time right now to raise the Federal minimum wage. I think that is more important than naming a post office before we recess before the elections.

On the issue of energy, I mean where is our energy policy? Where is our commitment to renewable and safe and clean alternative sources of energy?

I mean, there is nothing. We have seen gas prices go way up. And, guess what? They are mysteriously coming down before the election. But I am going to make a bet with you that right after the election they will go back up again. You know, these oil executives, they are smart. They know where their bread is buttered. They do not want accountability. They do not want a Congress that is going to hold their feet to the fire when it comes to price gouging the American people.

On the issue of Iraq, a National Intelligence Estimate tells us that this war in Iraq has created more terrorists rather than decreased the number of terrorists. And yet what do we have going on here in this Congress? Nothing. There is no accountability with regard to this administration's policy.

President Bush tells us to stay the course, which is code for stay forever. This war began in 2003. And whether you supported it or opposed it, I think everybody can agree it has not unfolded as advertised. I mean, we are now a referee in a civil war.

We have spent hundreds of billions of dollars not on schools, not on senior citizens and retirement security, not on economic development, not on infrastructure, not even on reducing our enormous debt, we have spent it in a mistaken war in Iraq that gets worse and worse every day, and yet this Congress, this Congress refuses to hold the administration accountable, refuses to do the oversight necessary to try to take this failed policy and bring it to an end.

I mean, we have lots and lots to do before we recess. We have important matters that every single person in this country cares about, whether they are a Democrat or a Republican. Instead, we are told, no, we do not have the time, we are going to come here and we are going to spend more of our time doing suspension bills.

I mean, there is a reason why this Congress only has a 25 percent approval rating by the American people. People get it. People know that this is a do-nothing Congress. People are frustrated that this Congress has become a place where trivial issues get debated passionately and important ones not at all.

People understand that there is something wrong when Congress cannot find the time to increase the Federal minimum wage and when they try to do it they play politics with it by attaching it to a tax cut to wealthy people.

There is something wrong when Congress cannot increase the national minimum wage, but we have time to vote ourselves a pay raise. There is a disconnect. I think the people are way ahead of us here in Washington. People understand that this Congress has failed them time and time and time again.

It is time for a new direction. It is time for a change, and it is time to get this Congress to behave in a mature, responsible fashion. And that means dealing with issues like the affordability of a college education. It means dealing with issues that people care about.

With that, Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote against this rule.

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