Providing for Consideration of Senate Amendment to H.R. 2608, Continuing Appropraitions Act, 2012

Floor Speech

Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, today the Republican majority has made a mockery of both the process for and the content of this short-term continuing resolution.

Over the past several weeks, wildfires, floods, tornados, and earthquakes have brought tragedy to so many Americans, and, as it always has, the United States Government is responding with vitally needed resources and support. The Senate has already passed a disaster relief bill twice as large as the package contained in this CR and with the appropriate emergency designation. But House Republican leaders have decided to cut the Senate amount in half and tie it to an ideologically driven offset that takes modern technology off the table for U.S. car and vehicle manufacturers and which could cost thousands of current and future jobs.

And please don't tell me that it's all about balancing the budget and ending emergency spending that isn't paid for. The continuing resolution that we're debating today includes money to continue the misguided war in Afghanistan to the tune of $10 billion each month. None of it is paid for, not a penny. It's never been paid for. It's always been borrowed money that each week adds billions to the deficit. If my Republican friends believe we don't need to offset billions of dollars for war, then why are they demanding that we offset disaster aid for families who were flooded out by a hurricane or whose homes were burnt to the ground by a wildfire?

Mr. Speaker, we've been in Afghanistan for 10 years. We know how much it costs. Its funding is as predictable as it gets, yet each and every year money for the war receives a so-called ``emergency'' designation, but responding to unpredictable natural disasters does not? It makes no sense. And if the Republican leadership has figured out a way to accurately predict the next tornado or earthquake, I would like to hear it.

The American people are tired of the hypocrisy and tired of the Republican priorities that make it easier to invest overseas and nearly impossible to help people here at home.

I urge my Republican friends to put the American people first. I urge my colleagues to oppose this closed rule and oppose the underlying bill.

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