Doug Collins

Mr. COLLINS of Georgia

Mr. COLLINS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I made a point of order that the gentlewoman's words were unparliamentary and request they be taken down.

Mr. COLLINS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I request that the gentlewoman's words are unparliamentary and request that they be taken down.

Mr. COLLINS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I have a motion at the desk.

Mr. COLLINS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. COLLINS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I demand a recorded vote.

Mr. COLLINS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from California (Mr. McCarthy), the minority leader.

Mr. COLLINS of Georgia. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. COLLINS of Georgia. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. COLLINS of Georgia. Madam Speaker, point of order.

Mr. COLLINS of Georgia. Madam Speaker, I make a point of order that the gentleman's words are unparliamentary, and I insist they be taken down.

Mr. COLLINS of Georgia. Madam Speaker, I now withdraw my point of order.

Mr. COLLINS of Georgia. Madam Speaker, I yield as much time as he may consume to the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Scalise).

Mr. COLLINS of Georgia. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. COLLINS of Georgia. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. COLLINS of Georgia. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. COLLINS of Georgia. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. COLLINS of Georgia. Madam Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. Madam Speaker, I will not belabor this. I have made many of the points that I have said before. I think this was rushed to the floor. I think this is what happens, unfortunately, when things are rushed. There are things that need to be done, and the decorum of this House is important. We have had a long lesson of that today. The very essence of the resolution, which has issues beyond, needs to be considered. When we do this, then I think, as I said in my opening-- and I will stick by what I said then--this needs to be voted down. This does not need to go forward. We need to get to a certain time when we are back to, literally, doing the people's business. This is the third time, Madam Speaker, that I have been on the floor doing this--third time--more time than I have done on immigration, more time than I have done on any other bills, bills that could actually get signed into law. As my whip said a few moments ago, there are things we could sit down and find common ground on, but it seems like common ground is gone. There are some of us willing to reach our hands across the aisle and say, ``Let's find common ground because people are hurting. Why don't we solve those?'' Instead, we continue, seemingly, to want to continue to go to the press release or to the political statement, which is frustrating. I understand, but we have to get better. We have to look at this and ask: What happens to the American people? What happens to the people who sent us here, who are looking at this and asking what they need to do to make their lives better, not the lives in this body? When we understand that, that is when we come together. That is when we take the decorum of this House. That is when we find ways to speak to each other as friends who have been elected to serve a common purpose. That is our higher aim. When we denigrate that, we are not being honest with ourselves. Let's get to the people's business. There are budget issues looming. There are caps looming. There is a debt ceiling looming. There are still problems at our border, which is a crisis. These need to be fixed. Let's take up those bills. Let's have honest debate. I will put a bill up; you put a bill up. Let's do what we are supposed to do here, have markups, run things through committee. Let's take seriously what we said to do. We both, at times, as parties, have been guilty of not doing that. Let's focus now--at least where we are now--and say this is not the way forward and this is not where we need to be because of the many problems inherent in the resolution itself but, also, the way it was brought to us. We have seen that play out on the floor today. Is that really how we are going to leave it with the American people, that rules can be broken and then nothing is done about it? Is that really where we are going to be, that we are not going to bring issues to the floor that can be discussed, that have been brought through committee, that actually affect people's lives? That is the frustration I have, Madam Speaker. Time for debate on this needs to be done. We need to vote ``no.'' We need to move forward. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. COLLINS of Georgia

Mr. COLLINS of Georgia. Madam Speaker, the attacks on 9/11, designed to murder as many innocent people as possible, were acts of war against the United States. It resulted in the deaths of almost 3,000 people and left a smoldering pile of toxic debris in New York. But thousands of noble and courageous first responders scaled that smoldering pile and exhumed the dead with dignity. Today, the site includes the National September 11 Memorial. It is fitting that Congress do more than memorialize. We must also provide. The 9/11 first responders, like all first responders, deserve to have their sacrifices recognized through programs that reasonably limit their damage to their own selves and families and the sacrifice they entailed. This legislation would reauthorize the current September 11 Victim Compensation Fund, the medical program covering needed healthcare for those affected by the 9/11 incident, which has already been extended to the year 2090 in legislation enacted many years ago. This legislation before us today would extend a separate program to 2090, namely, the program designed to compensate the same victims for lost earnings and other losses they suffered as a result of the 9/11 attack. The compensation will, of course, cost money, recognizing that it is not mean-spirited in any way, but simply a necessity in a responsible budgeting process where limited Federal dollars and specific funds must be allocated in a formal budget composed of specific dollar amounts divided up by a program. Sadly, this bill comes to the floor without any provision to pay for the program, in fact, no provision at all. This bill, according to the Congressional Budget Office, will cost $10.2 billion, and that is during the first decade of the seven decades that this bill extends. I, like the chairman, would have preferred never to have to touch this bill again because it is in honor of those who served us, but, unfortunately, his request that he made that this will be the last time is not going to be true because of, inherently, the way the bill is being passed today. We did not sit down and get this done. The Senate will then have to do that as we go forward. So the process is, frankly, unfulfilling, although we need to continue to move forward. So as we look forward to this, it is unfortunate that we have chosen today to put risk on this compensation, given the fact that the Senate has got to now be a part of this solution. While the fiscal impact of this legislation will have to be addressed before it is signed into law, what is clear, though, is our collective duty to see that our first responders are treated fairly and in accordance with what they have already given of themselves to a grateful nation. I look forward to supporting this legislation, and that is why I am a cosponsor of this legislation. I urge my colleagues to do so as well. But it is sad to know that we will have to touch this again. And time will pass before this happens because the Senate will have to take this up and have to do what we should have done here and find that pay-for in a bicameral and bipartisan way so that we don't have to touch this again and those who are suffering will know that this body is committed to them. I commend my chairman, and I am glad that we are on this bill together. I just wish that we didn't have to touch it again, but we are going to have to. But that is not going to stand in the way, today, of us honoring the names on this bill and honoring every face that this bill will help for those who served us and our Nation. I fully commend this bill to the body of this House as we move forward today, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. COLLINS of Georgia. Madam Speaker, it is my privilege to yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from New York (Mr. King).

Mr. COLLINS of Georgia. Madam Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Zeldin).

Mr. COLLINS of Georgia. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Fitzpatrick).

Mr. COLLINS of Georgia. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Cline).

Mr. COLLINS of Georgia. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. COLLINS of Georgia. Madam Speaker, I will inquire through the Chair, does the gentleman have any more speakers?

Mr. COLLINS of Georgia. Madam Speaker, I will reiterate. I know our staffs have talked. If he actually needs it, I will be happy to yield some time, if he happens to need it. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.