Waiving Requirement of Clause 6(a) of Rule XIII With Respect to Consideration of Certain Resolutions
WAIVING REQUIREMENT OF CLAUSE 6(a) OF RULE XIII WITH RESPECT TO CONSIDERATION OF CERTAIN RESOLUTIONS -- (House of Representatives - September 28, 2006)
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Ms. MATSUI. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Florida for yielding me the customary 30 minutes, and I yield myself such time as I may consume.
(Ms. MATSUI asked and was given permission to revise and extend her remarks.)
Ms. MATSUI. Madam Speaker, Democrats and Republicans agree in the primacy of national security issues. But Democrats also recognize that middle-class Americans are worried about several other things as well, all of which affect a different type of security: Their economic security. And Democrats are prepared to remain here until the full scope of problems facing our constituents is addressed.
H. Res. 1046 is a martial law rule suspending the rules of the House. It would allow the majority to bring several bills to the floor the same day the Rules Committee meets to report those bills. Two of the three items allowed to come immediately to the floor were made public late last night. The third bill may be passed by the Senate today.
What this means is that, yet again, it will be almost impossible for Members to read the bills before being asked to vote on them. This abbreviated approach to legislating is not new. However, the 109th Congress seems likely to have taken this to a new level. We are on track to set a record for the fewest days spent voting in our lifetimes.
This is beyond being unreasonable to the American people. They sent us all here to do a job, to vote, and to do our part to fix the problems they face each and every day. They pay the price for our inaction at the pharmacy, at school, and in their paychecks. So it is worth taking a look at what remains undone when Congress works so little.
We still need to fully implement the 9/11 Commission recommendations here. We have not passed a comprehensive national energy policy that puts us on the path to energy independence by focusing on alternative and renewable sources of energy. We should allow the Federal Government to negotiate lower prescription drug prices for seniors and people with disabilities. We should restore the massive cuts to Federal student financial aid that Congress made earlier this year. And we have not had a clean vote to raise the minimum wage.
Democrats want to address each of these issues before we go home for the elections, but the majority has made it clear, through this rule, that the House leadership will not consider these priorities before leaving town.
This martial law rule would allow us to consider a conference report for homeland security funding. But even after this agreement passes, massive holes will remain in our homeland. The majority has not taken action to make sure that first responders can talk to each other, a key problem on September 11, 2001. According to legislation passed by this majority, the issue will not be fixed until 2009. That is unacceptable.
According to the 9/11 Commission, the Federal Government still does not have a consolidated terror watch list at our airports, and without proper funding, TSA cannot implement the full range of security measures necessary to protect us.
Finally, we do not have 100 percent screening of cargo coming into our ports. These holes are the reason that the 9/11 Commission gave Congress failing grades late last year.
The majority has defeated multiple Democratic attempts at fixing these problems. Democrats want to fix these holes before we leave town.
Let us consider another of the issues that I mentioned. The need to create a forward-thinking energy policy that places us on the path to energy independence. Energy touches the core of our national security during a time of global upheaval, so it affects the economic security of every person across this country and it affects the ability of businesses to compete. We cannot afford to be dependent on volatile regions of the world, and it is impractical and unwise to believe we can drill our way out of this problem.
It is long past due for the Federal Government to make an unprecedented commitment towards energy independence. We need to drive the development and deployment of renewable and alternative sources of energy. We also need to encourage the use of energy efficient technologies to help our families and businesses reduce their energy consumption.
Achieving energy independence will not happen overnight. It will require a long-term sustained effort of government, businesses, and families. But America has always been up to challenges like this, and Democrats want that effort to start now, before we go home for the elections.
Another issue we failed to address is the need for the Federal Government to negotiate lower prescription drug prices for seniors. Almost eight out of every 10 seniors who signed up for the new Medicare prescription drug benefit in California have a plan with a so-called donut hole. This means that almost 300,000 seniors and disabled workers will see a gap in coverage. Even though these individuals will receive no help with their prescriptions, they are required to keep paying premiums to the Federal Government.
And those drug prices are higher than they need to be. Congress already allows the Veterans Administration to negotiate prices directly with the drug companies. As a result, veterans get the prescriptions they need for less. It is a great program. But when Congress passed the Medicare prescription drug bill, it specifically prohibited the Federal Government from doing the same price negotiation for seniors. That is wrong, and Democrats will fight to fix this problem before we leave town.
Madam Speaker, also as a result of working only 88 days thus far, we have also neglected to fix the misguided cuts in student aid that Congress approved earlier this year. In February of this year, the majority voted for the largest cut in student aid in history: $12 billion. Congress took this vote despite the fact that parents and students all across the country are struggling to access this doorway to opportunity.
With the cost of college skyrocketing, the average college student is now more than $17,000 in debt. Many are paying above-market interest rates in order to finance their education. Madam Speaker, a college education should be an opportunity, not a burden. Democrats are committed to reversing these terrible cuts before we leave town so that every student has the opportunity to succeed.
In closing, Madam Speaker, Democrats are interested in addressing the full range of problems that worry the American people. As I have mentioned, we should start by allowing the Federal Government to negotiate prescription drug prices, we should also reverse the cuts to student aid, and we are prepared to stay at work until we do so.
Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
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Ms. MATSUI. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.
Mr. Speaker, I urge all Members to vote ``no'' on the previous question. If the previous question is defeated, I will amend the rule so the House can immediately take up five important bills that actually do something to help Americans and make them safer.
Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to insert the text of my amendment and extraneous materials immediately prior to the vote on the previous question.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the gentlewoman from California?
There was no objection.
Ms. MATSUI. Mr. Speaker, my amendment provides for immediate consideration of the following five bills.
One, a bill to implement the recommendations of the 9/11 Commission.
Two, legislation to increase the minimum wage to $7.25.
Three, a bill to give authority to the Secretary of Health and Human Services to negotiate for lower prescription drug prices for senior citizens and people with disabilities.
Four, a bill to repeal the massive cuts in college tuition assistance imposed by the Congress and would expand the size and availability of Pell Grants.
Five, a bill to roll back tax breaks for large oil companies and invest those savings in alternative fuels to achieve energy independence.
Mr. Speaker, every one of these bills will make important changes to help hardworking Americans and their families. These bills should have been enacted a long time ago. But there is still time and opportunity to do something today. All it takes is a ``no'' vote on the previous question. For once, let's do the right thing and help the people we were sent here to serve.
Again, vote ``no'' on the previous question.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
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