Waiving Requirement of Clause 6(a) of Rule XIII With Respect to Consideration of Certain Resolutions, and Providing for Consideration of Motions to Suspend the Rules

Floor Speech

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Mr. McGOVERN. Madam Speaker, I regret that the gentleman from Texas will not support this rule so that we can move our legislative business forward, but I'm not surprised because, quite frankly, his party, the Republican Party, has had one goal since President Obama became President of the United States, and that is to obstruct and delay everything, and that's what they've tried to do.

The gentleman talks about democracy. Well, I think the American people are scratching their head as they see what's happening over in the Senate where a minority, not a majority, but a minority determines the agenda. A minority can hold legislation from coming to the floor. That's not the democracy that most people believe our government is about.

I'd also say to the gentleman that we look forward to the next legislative year, and we look forward to the gentleman and his party becoming the leaders of this House. And as someone who has been on the Rules Committee, both in the majority and minority, I don't recall a single instance when the gentleman, when his party was in power, ever voted against a closed rule proposed by the Republican then-majority, but we will see what happens.

And I will also say, Madam Speaker, that one of the things I think that the American people are now beginning to realize is that the Republicans are not at all serious about fiscal discipline. You know, I remind everybody that when Bill Clinton was President, we had record job creation and we had historical fiscal restraint. We actually eliminated the deficit and started paying down the debt.

When George Bush and the Republicans then took over, what ended up happening is they took this record surplus and turned it into historic debt. And how did they do it? Well, they did it through a number of things. Unpaid-for wars is one of them. The other is a Medicare prescription drug bill that, by the way, nobody here had a chance to read, that was voted on in the middle of the night. They kept the vote open 3 hours so that people's arms could be twisted, but it cost twice as much as anybody thought it was going to cost, not paid for.

But the thing that really broke the bank was their unprecedented tax cuts and giveaways to the wealthiest individuals in this country, not paid for, not paid for. And sadly, Madam Speaker, the Republicans in the Senate held unemployment compensation, benefits to the millions of people in this country who are unemployed through no fault of their own, held that hostage so they could get their tax cuts for the rich. And those tax cuts for the rich, by the way, Madam Speaker, are not paid for, not a single offset to pay for those tax cuts for the rich.

Donald Trump gets another tax cut, unpaid for; and guess what, that debt gets piled on the backs of my kids and the kids of every American in this country. It is just not right.

I think the American people are beginning to realize that their real goal is to go after domestic spending in an unprecedented way--Social Security, Medicare, programs that benefit the most vulnerable in our country. They will launch an unprecedented war against the poor in this country. We are going to see early on what their real agenda is. And I bet, Madam Speaker, as polls will reveal, it is not what the American people had in mind. So, again, I regret that the Republicans continue to want to do the same old, same old which is to delay and obstruct and put off and put off. But I think we need to pass this rule.

I urge a ``yes'' vote on the previous question and on the rule.

I yield back the balance of my time, and I move the previous question on the resolution.

The previous question was ordered.

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