Katherine Clark

Ms. CLARK of Massachusetts

Ms. CLARK of Massachusetts. Mr. Speaker, I demand a recorded vote.

Ms. CLARK of Massachusetts. Mr. Speaker, I have a motion at the desk.

Ms. CLARK of Massachusetts

Ms. CLARK of Massachusetts. Madam Speaker, I have a motion at the desk.

Ms. CLARK of Massachusetts. Madam Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Ms. CLARK of Massachusetts

Ms. CLARK of Massachusetts. Madam Speaker, I am joined by over 80 of my Democratic colleagues to say the quiet part out loud: MAGA Republicans want us to default. They want to run out the clock. They want to lead our government by chaos. By sending us home, by refusing to do their jobs, they are making that crystal clear. Unless we give in to devastating cuts, they will push us into a devastating default. It is the American people who will suffer--teachers, seniors, kids, families, veterans, the hungry, and the sick. To my Republican colleagues this Memorial Day weekend: It is time to be a patriot. Now is the time to sign our discharge petition and end this catastrophe in the making.

Ms. CLARK of Massachusetts

Ms. CLARK of Massachusetts. Madam Speaker, I don't know how my colleagues across the aisle who voted for the default on America act are going to look our veterans in the eye this Memorial Day. You have presented our country with an impossible choice: devastating cuts or devastating default, hungry families or homeless seniors, kids without classrooms or parents without jobs, empty VA clinics or empty savings accounts. Now you are sending us home with no resolution. That is the plan: to default, to run out the clock. Well, I have some good news for you. Madam Speaker, 213 Members of the Democratic Caucus have signed the discharge petition. So before you go home, it only takes five patriots to join us in the fight for the American people. Join us. Sign the petition. Stay here and fight for American families. Fight for their American security.

Ms. CLARK of Massachusetts

Ms. CLARK of Massachusetts. Mr. Speaker, 1 year ago today, the American people were reeling from a white supremacist terror attack in Buffalo, New York. Families were grieving 10 Black Americans who had been targeted by an ethno-nationalist and murdered for the color of their skin. Loved ones were still organizing funerals for the victims of America's latest mass shooting, and then we saw the breaking news from Uvalde, Texas--another active mass murder; another crowd of desperate, panicked parents surrounding a school under siege; another statistic, 21 shot and killed.

Ms. CLARK of Massachusetts

Ms. CLARK of Massachusetts. Madam Speaker, today, I rise with a heavy heart, a heart of grief. I grieve for a Nation where 111 Americans are shot and killed every single day. I grieve for a generation of kids growing up surrounded by violence. I think of William Cho, 6 years old, who lost his parents and his younger brother, not living in a war zone but going to a shopping mall in our country. I grieve for the parents who have suffered the inconceivable pain of losing a child, a beloved family member, parents like Patricia and Manny Oliver, who are here with us today, whose son, Joaquin, was murdered alongside 16 classmates and staff in Parkland, Florida. Ahead of Mother's Day weekend, Patricia and Manny published a children's book, a book that illustrates the horror of America's gun epidemic from the perspective of its youngest victims. Madam Speaker, I would like to read from ``Joaquin's First School Shooting.'' May it give some pause to all of us, especially my colleagues who continue to prioritize guns over our children. ``Joaquin's First School Shooting.'' The end of the day, was also my own. Bled out on the floor, and never got home. We heard a loud bang! Then off went the alarm. My classmates freaked out, but I tried to keep calm. Out in the hall, a killer had a gun. He shot into a class, then came right for us. He took aim and fired--again, and again, and again. One life at a time, my friends met their end. He came up the stairs, hunting for more. That's when we all panicked, and ran for the door. We tried to get clear, but it was a bit late. It was his machine gun, that decided our fates. Our country is numb, to violence like this. Politicians don't care. They still keep their seats. We must not forget, or I've died in vain! Enough is enough. Please . . . never again! Let us remember all of the victims and remember that this is a choice. We have solutions. We can end gun violence in this country.

Ms. CLARK of Massachusetts

Ms. CLARK of Massachusetts. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong opposition to this reckless default on America act. I have got to say, I see why the Republicans put this together in the dead of night. I wouldn't want Americans to see this plan, either. It is the same GOP playbook: Give more to the rich and elite, stick hardworking Americans with the bill, and threaten economic disaster if we don't go along. Why exactly is the GOP endangering American livelihoods? They want to help a few rich friends dodge their taxes. What is the cost to the American people? Here are just a few: 2,400 Border Patrol agents off the job, 300,000 kids out of childcare, 400,000 families evicted from their homes, a million seniors kicked off of Meals on Wheels, $2 billion taken away from veterans' healthcare; that is 30 million doctors' appointments stolen from veterans. It is disgraceful. Mr. Speaker, there is one responsible path forward--a clean, unconditional vote to avoid default, something the GOP did three times under Donald Trump. As Trump put it himself, we cannot use the debt ceiling to negotiate. Stop the madness. Deliver a resounding ``no'' vote on this dangerous piece of political theater.

Ms. CLARK of Massachusetts

Ms. CLARK of Massachusetts. Mr. Chair, I thank the gentleman for yielding. I am from Boston. If you want to talk about sports, I am all in. If you want to talk about equality for women and girls, if you want to talk about Title IX and ensuring fairness in sports, sign me up. As far as kids in sports go, as a mom of three, I can't tell you how many hours I have spent cheering on my kids. It is lacrosse, basketball, and baseball. It has been soccer, rugby, cross-country, and track. We have seen in my family championship teams through T-ball teams where our entire goal was to just get the outfield to stop digging for worms. All of this is about kids and their experience, about learning, growing, forming friendships, knowing what it means to work hard, to practice, to see results, and to be a team. I was very interested when this bill was filed to see what it was, what the problem was that the NCAA in Massachusetts and across this country, the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association and its counterparts around the country, the Olympics, the International Track and Field Association, what they were missing. I read this bill, and what they are missing is nothing. This is not a problem in our communities, on our sports fields, for our children. I think it was articulated so well by the Republican Governor of Utah when he pointed out numbers that were important to his decision to veto a similar bill: 75,000 kids play high school sports in his State, just four of them are trans kids, and one of them plays girls' sports. Mr. Chair, 86 percent of our trans youth will have suicidal ideation, and 56 percent will attempt suicide. What are we doing here? What are we doing here as Members of Congress? As the Governor said, we are expending so much fear and division on so few, on kids. Think about what we are doing as Members of the United States House of Representatives. I keep thinking about the mom who told me about her rural community where her concern was the grief because they were losing their children, losing them because there wasn't economic opportunity for them in their hometown and losing them because they are dying of opioid overdoses.

Ms. CLARK of Massachusetts. Mr. Chair, let's think about this. We need to be working on the issues that matter to families and kids. To make these children responsible for all of that and to incite fear, discrimination, and hatred, you should hang your heads in shame.

Ms. CLARK of Massachusetts

Ms. CLARK of Massachusetts. Mr. Chair, I thank the ranking member for yielding me time. Mr. Chairman, I rise in opposition to the majority's polluters over people act, a massive handout to some of the world's most profitable and most powerful corporations. It is a Big Oil giveaway that would hike the deficit instead of helping families, instead of protecting our planet, and instead of lowering costs for consumers and slashing energy bills. Republicans seem to have just one priority, and that is helping the rich get richer. Through price gouging and war profiteering, Big Oil has doubled their profits to record levels. They are hoarding millions of acres of our public land, and they are using these unprecedented resources to line their pockets. Exxon just announced $35 billion in stock buybacks, and Chevron shareholders are pocketing $75 billion. Yet, what is the Republican plan? It is to triple down on allegiance to Big Oil, give away more Federal land, invite more offshore drilling, unleash more pollution into our water and our air and our land, and leave the taxpayers footing the bill. Climate change is here. We don't have time to wait. Americans know that securing our future means investing in clean energy. Families know their health depends on it; economists know our prosperity depends on it; and the Pentagon knows our national security depends on it. It is only MAGA Republicans who don't understand our future depends on a thriving clean energy economy. Last year, we proudly enacted the largest climate investment in history, and now we are proudly voting ``no'' on the polluters over people act.

Ms. CLARK of Massachusetts

Ms. CLARK of Massachusetts. Madam Speaker, ahead of Trans Day of Visibility, I rise in honor of a community that is being forced to fight for its very existence. I rise in honor of trans voices that deserve to be heard, not silenced and not criminalized. I rise in honor of trans joy that deserves to be celebrated, not eradicated. I rise with unconditional love for my trans daughter, Riley. I rise in solidarity with every trans American seeking nothing less than their inalienable right to the pursuit of happiness. To stand in the way of that right is to stand against our most basic American values, but that is exactly what MAGA extremists are doing across this country--on school boards, in State capitals, and here in the Halls of Congress. Elected officials are using their power to undermine the freedoms and human dignity of trans Americans, and they are waging an especially vicious crusade on our kids. These attacks make me all the more grateful for the unconditional love that Mimi and Joe Lemay of Massachusetts have for their son, Jacob. Mimi and Joe have faced vitriol and cruelty from rightwing extremists, all because they heard, accepted, and embraced Jacob when he told them he is a boy. A few years ago, Mimi shared a letter she wrote to her son, and I would like to offer a few of her moving words: ``You have at the age of 9 years accomplished what many adults couldn't in a lifetime. In your courageous visibility, you have changed the course of your own history. You have turned strangers into allies and allies into advocates. Layered in my pride is my concern for you. I know your strength, but I also know how determined the forces are that have pitted themselves against you. The politicians and preachers who would rather see you languish in a dark closet than watch you engage the world as you do, cultivating joy and love wherever you go.'' Madam Speaker, Jacob's courage demonstrates a profound strength. Let's show that strength the respect it demands. Let's reject the forces of opposition and bigotry. Let's celebrate the bravery and beauty of our trans community. Let's follow Jacob's example and cultivate joy and love wherever we go.

Ms. CLARK of Massachusetts

Ms. CLARK of Massachusetts. Mr. Chairman, I am the proud mom of three. Altogether, I have 36 cumulative school years under my belt, and I served on a school board for 6 of those fighting for parents and for kids. I speak from experience when I call on this Chamber to oppose the GOP's politics over parents act. Once again, the majority is showing us how out of touch they are with American families. They are obsessed with wokeism, even as they struggle to define what that even means, but let me tell you, parents in this country are wide awake. They wake up every day and do the best they can to provide for their families. They wake up and they want great schools where every single child can learn and excel. Parents want affordable childcare. They know that is the beginning of a great education. Right now parents are spending nearly a quarter of their family budget on childcare and that is when they can find it at all. Congress had a chance to cut those costs for families. Every single House Republican voted no. That is politics over parents. Parents know that building a better future means teaching our country's history. They know we have to address our teacher shortage, but demonizing educators, banning books like ``To Kill a Mockingbird,'' that is politics over parents. Parents know that taking care of a sick child shouldn't cost them their paychecks. They should not have to send that child to school sick because they don't have paid leave. The United States remains one of the only developed countries in the world without paid family leave. Every single House Republican voted against this basic benefit. That is politics over parents. Moms and dads want schools and communities to be safe. They do not want their children shot while they are in school. Just yesterday, Denver families faced the horror of yet another school shooting. House Republicans refuse to enact commonsense reforms. Why? Politics over parents. How about something as basic as feeding our children? Nope. House Republicans voted against the child tax credit. They voted to slash food stamps and eliminate free school lunches. Once again, politics over parents. Then there is the shameless hypocrisy of talking about parents' rights as the GOP strips away American's rights to decide if and when they are going to have children. At every turn, House Republicans have undermined the rights, freedom, and well-being of our Nation's families. Let's say ``yes'' to parents and ``no'' to this shameful bill.

Ms. CLARK of Massachusetts. Mr. Chair, I thank the gentleman from Virginia for yielding, and I include in the Record a letter from the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights. The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, Washington, DC, March 23, 2023. Support the Rights of All Students and Parents Support H. Res. 219, Oppose H.R. 5 Dear Member of Congress: On behalf of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, a coalition charged by its diverse membership of more than 230 national organizations to promote and protect the civil and human rights of all persons in the United States, and the 228 undersigned organizations, we urge you to support the rights and inclusion of all students and parents in our public school system by supporting H.Res. 219, the Bill of Rights for Students and Parents, and opposing H.R. 5, the Parents Bill of Rights Act. As the civil and human rights community, we have fought for more than 100 years for the rights of all students and parents to attend and be fully included in well- resourced public schools that prepare them for their futures. The Bill of Rights for Students and Parents sets forth a vision respecting and honoring the dignity and worth of every child--a vision supported by the overwhelming majority of parents in the country. In contrast, H.R. 5 seeks to undermine the relationship between parents and teachers, to facilitate book banning, and to make our most marginalized children less safe. During this time in which proponents of discrimination and exclusion are creating policies and legislation to harm students and undermine the learning environment for everyone, support for developing supportive, inclusive, safe, and responsive public schools could not be more important. In a recent national survey, 80 percent or more of parents said that it was very or extremely important that their child be honest, ethical, hardworking, helpful to those in need, and accepting of people who are different from them. It is these parental values that are reflected in H.Res. 219. No matter our color, background, or zip code, we want our kids to have an education that imparts honesty about who we are, integrity in how we treat others, and courage to do what's right. Similarly, 80 percent of parents want to protect the ability of young people to have access to books from which they can learn about and understand different perspectives and help them grow into adults who can think for themselves. H.Res. 219 recognizes this near-universal view that censorship and book banning ``undermine the education of all students, take choices away from all students and their families, and limit the opportunities of parents, families, and children to access an education and think critically about the world around them.'' H.R. 5 seeks to create detrimental harm to our most marginalized children, erase the complicated and difficult history of our Nation, and damage parent and teacher relationships. Instead of promoting the values and priorities that the overwhelming majority of parents from all backgrounds and neighborhoods share, the bill would undermine important public health and child well-being data by effectively eliminating anonymous surveys of students; would harm those most vulnerable LGBTQ+ youth who are unable to come out to even their own parents by forcibly outing them, would embolden a small group of activists who are using book bans to selectively stamp out the perspectives of Black people, LGBTQ+ people, and other historically marginalized groups, and would bog schools down with reporting and commenting requirements that bear no relationship to proven parent and family engagement practices. We ask that you strongly support H.Res. 219, strongly oppose H.R. 5, and reject attacks on the rights of all students and parents to attend and be fully included in well- resourced public schools that prepare them for their futures. If you have any questions, please reach out to Liz King, senior program director at The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights. Sincerely, National (133): The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights; A Way Home America; AACTE (American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education); Act To Change; Advocacy Institute; Advocates for Youth; All4Ed; American Association of University Women; American Atheists; American Civil Liberties Union; American Humanist Association; American School Counselor Association; Apiary for Practical Support; Arab American Institute (AAI); Asian Americans Advancing Justice I AAJC; Athlete Ally; Autistic Self Advocacy Network; Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law; Bend the Arc: Jewish Action. Campaign for Our Shared Future; Campus Pride; Care in Action; Catholics for Choice; Center for American Progress; Center for Applied Transgender Studies; Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP); Center for LGBTQ Economic Advancement & Research (CLEAR); CenterLink: The Community of LGBT Centers; Collective Power for Reproductive Justice; Council of Parent Attorneys and Advocates; Disability Rights Education & Defense Fund; EducateUS: SIECUS In Action; Education Leaders of Color (EdLoC); Education Reform Now; Empowering Pacific Islander Communities; End Rape On Campus; Equal Rights Advocates. Equality Federation; Equity Forward; Evaluation, Data Integration, and Technical Assistance (EDIT) Program; Family Equality; Feminist Campus; Fenway Institute; First Focus Campaign for Children; FORGE, Inc.; Girls Inc.; GLAAD; GLBTQ Legal Advocates and Defenders (GLAD); GLSEN; Grandmothers for Reproductive Rights; Hindu American Foundation; Hispanic Federation; Houston Area Urban League; Human Rights Campaign; Human Rights First; If/When/How: Lawyering for Reproductive Justice; Impact Fund. In Our Own Voice: National Black Women's Reproductive Justice Agenda; Indivisible; interACT: Advocates for Intersex Youth; Interfaith Alliance; Japanese American Citizens League; Juvenile Law Center; KIPP Public Schools; Labor Council for Latin American Advancement; Lambda Legal; LatinoJustice PRLDEF; Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law; Lawyers for Good Government; League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC); Matthew Shepard Foundation; MomsRising; Movement Advancement Project; NARAL Pro-Choice America; National Association of School Psychologists; National Black Justice Coalition; National Center for Learning Disabilities. National Center for Lesbian Rights; National Center for Parent Leadership, Advocacy, and Community Empowerment (National PLACE); National Center for Transgender Equality; National Center for Youth Law; National Council of Asian Pacific Americans; National Disability Rights Network (NDRN); National Domestic Workers Alliance; National Education Association; National Employment Law Project; National Hispanic Media Coalition; National LGBT Cancer Network; National Organization for Women; National Urban League; National Women's Law Center; New American Leaders Action Fund; New Generation Equity; Oregonizers; People For the American Way; PFLAG National; Physicians for Reproductive Health. Planned Parenthood Federation of America; Plume Health; Public Advocacy for Kids (PAK); Public Citizen; Public Justice; Red Wine & Blue; Reproductive Rights Coalition; School Board Partners; Sexual Violence Prevention Association (SVPA); SIECUS: Sex Ed for Social Change; Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund (SALDEF); SPAN Parent Advocacy Network; SPLC Action Fund; Stand for Children; Tahirih Justice Center; The Advocates for Human Rights; The Arc of the United States; The Education Trust; The Personal Stories Project; The Sikh Coalition. The Workers Circle; TransAthlete; True Colors United; Trust Women; UnidosUS; Unitarian Universalist Association; United State of Women (USOW); URGE: Unite for Reproductive & Gender Equity; VoteProChoice; Voto Latino; Wayfinder Foundation; We Testify; Whole Woman's Health; Whole Woman's Health Alliance; Woodhull Freedom Foundation; YWCA

Ms. CLARK of Massachusetts

Ms. CLARK of Massachusetts. Mr. Speaker, when President Obama signed the Affordable Care Act, he told those gathered at the White House: ``I am signing this reform bill into law on behalf of my mother, who argued with insurance companies even as she battled cancer in her final days.'' In the 13 years since, the ACA has transformed healthcare in America, safeguarding the dignity of the sick, the security of families, and the health of us all. Perhaps nobody has benefited more from the ACA than women. Before the ACA, being a woman was a preexisting condition. Insurance companies were free to deny coverage for no reason other than being pregnant. Today, that kind of discrimination is a relic of the past. Today, women no longer have to pay more than men for insurance. Mr. Speaker, 13 years ago, 90 percent of market plans offered no maternity benefits. Today, they are offered by every single market plan in this country. Thanks to the ACA, every insurance plan empowers women to take control of their health: birth control, annual well-women exams, breast and cervical cancer screenings, breastfeeding support, maternal depression, and much more. What did Republicans have to say about this victory? One called it ``the most dangerous piece of legislation ever passed in Congress.'' Another called it ``downright evil.'' They voted more than 50 times to repeal the ACA. They did everything in their power to put politics over the health of the American people. Thankfully, they failed every single time. For 13 years, Democrats have proudly defended the ACA. Under President Biden, we haven't just held our ground. We have expanded access to quality, affordable health coverage. With our American Rescue Plan and with our Inflation Reduction Act, we built on the life-changing, lifesaving success of the ACA. Now, a record 16.3 million Americans are using the ACA marketplace to gain the security and peace of mind that comes with quality health insurance. As we celebrate all that has been achieved, I am grateful to those who made it possible. I am thankful for the leadership of President Obama and President Biden. I am thankful for the strength and unity of the House Democratic Caucus. I am thankful for the millions of Americans who have made their voices heard--voting, writing, calling, and marching to defend the Affordable Care Act. Our job is to lift up those voices, to put people over politics. I invite our Republican colleagues to reflect on the progress of the last 13 years and to work with us to defend that progress and strengthen and secure it for the next generation.

Ms. CLARK of Massachusetts

Ms. CLARK of Massachusetts. Mr. Speaker, the numbers are there, $8 trillion in deficit under the Trump administration; a direct correlation to a tax policy that only benefits the very wealthy. I thank the gentleman for joining me today and look forward to many more conversations to come. In the meantime, our caucus is thrilled to welcome the President back to this Chamber on Tuesday for his State of the Union Address. We hope the majority will draw some inspiration and work with us in service of the people who sent us here. Let's put people over politics; put them back on the table here in Congress.

Ms. CLARK of Massachusetts. Mr. Speaker, let's go over the basic facts here just briefly once again. What the House GOP did fight for in 2017 was a $2 trillion in tax giveaways for our largest corporations and for the wealthy because that is who they work for; the rich, the very rich, and the super rich. Under the Trump administration, we had record job loss of 3 million jobs. Mr. Speaker, I am prepared to close.

Ms. CLARK of Massachusetts. Mr. Speaker, I thank the majority leader, but I have to disagree. I think the majority is well aware that there is a big difference between our responsibilities around the debt ceiling and spending discussions. What we have seen being brought together, by all the quotes from Republicans, laying out that this is their leverage point, to cut spending for the basics for the American people. Those are your words, not the words of Democrats or President Biden. I would completely disagree with this idea that maintaining our full faith and credit for things that we have already agreed on is a blank check. That is not something that benefits President Biden. That is basic fiscal responsibility. What we have here is a case of hostage-taking, the willingness to risk global economic destruction, to put the full faith and credit of the United States in jeopardy, to be able to reduce investments we have made in the American people. What is it you would like to reduce? There is nothing we hear. When we point out the majority's own words, that it is entitlements we are coming after, now we are saying that is not our goal. But let's look at what happened under our last Republican administration. Donald Trump tacked nearly $8 trillion onto our deficit. If that had not occurred, we would not even be at our debt ceiling right now; that would be coming in several years. And $8 trillion on that deficit is a quarter of everything we owe. When that was occurring, when the spending was going to the very wealthiest of Americans, when my colleagues were last in the majority and Donald Trump would sign their bills, there was no mention of the debt ceiling. But now that we need to protect our seniors, those who are hungry in our communities, those who are still struggling to find health insurance, those who are needing to access security in their communities, to find affordable housing, the investments that we are making in fighting climate change, building resiliency, and protecting our planet, when those things that don't affect the very wealthy and privileged, those are the things we are willing to put on the chopping block and use the full faith and credit of the United States as leverage? That is a disservice to the American people and it is the reason we are seeing polls like I previously cited. The American people see they are not a part of the Republican agenda. This is about stunts and it is about building the economy that works only for the very wealthy in this country. Mr. Speaker, I would ask that the Republican majority leader look beyond the constituencies of the very wealthy. I hope that you will find in your agenda, in the coming weeks, room for our seniors, room for our families, room for joining us in putting people over politics and making sure that we are working; continuing the work that we started in rebuilding our infrastructure and making an investment in jobs. We have created over a million jobs in the infrastructure bill every single year for the next 10 years. Those projects are going to be rolling out across this country. We have seen it already with the President's trip to Cincinnati to make sure that we are not only rebuilding our roads and bridges and investing in the American people, but expanding broadband, creating great paying jobs, and creating opportunity to help the American people. Sham bills using our full faith and credit, using the debt ceiling to continue to rig the system for the very wealthiest Americans, that is not what we are about. I hope that we are going to begin to see an agenda from the GOP that has a glimmer of the American family reflected in it.

Ms. CLARK of Massachusetts. Mr. Speaker, I have to say, I am disappointed. It seemed like a simple question: Would you support the cap on insulin at $35 a month when one in four Americans with diabetes didn't take their medication because they simply couldn't afford it? If the gentleman wants to talk about Social Security, though, I welcome that discussion. Speaker McCarthy was just at the White House yesterday talking with the President, who underlined the urgency of responsibly raising the debt ceiling, something that Republicans did three times under President Trump. However, the majority seems more than ready to hold our economy hostage, to risk a global recession, to risk the full faith and credit of the United States, to gut those very programs, Social Security and Medicare, and to put more money in the pockets of the rich. They are using this debt ceiling as a smokescreen. Let's get the facts straight. This is not about new spending. This is about money we already owe. If we want to go back to a place where Donald Trump really excelled, it was in driving up the deficit: $8 trillion in 4 years under the Trump administration. That is a quarter of our entire debt ceiling. Again, when Donald Trump was in office spiking our debt ceiling, the debt ceiling was raised three times without fanfare. Who benefits from that borrowing? The rich, the very rich, and the ultrarich. If we don't raise this debt ceiling, who do you think is going to take over those payments? Apparently you think it should be our seniors on Medicare and Social Security, families who are looking for affordable housing, our veterans, our children, our planet. You don't have to take it from me. The majority has made their position perfectly clear. One Republican Member said the debt ceiling is an obvious leverage point. Another said the focus of budget cuts has got to be on entitlements. The Republican chair of the Budget Committee has called for eligibility reforms to Social Security and Medicare. The Republican Study Committee has openly proposed raising the retirement age to 70, handing Social Security accounts over to Wall Street, transitioning Medicare to a voucher system. All the while, when they actually are taking action, we are back to the rich, the very rich, and the super rich. First bill passed, adding to the deficit so that billionaires and the very wealthy can avoid paying the taxes that we ask our teachers, our firefighters, our nurses, to pay. What is waiting on the agenda is a proposal to do away with the IRS. Let's do away with income tax and go to a system of a 30 percent sales tax? This would be devastating to families at home who are trying to put food on their table, a roof over their head, and have a basic quality of life. I ask the majority leader: Do you agree with your colleagues or will you join Democrats and keep our seniors and everyday Americans off the chopping block?

Ms. CLARK of Massachusetts. Mr. Speaker, I am hearing the exact same rhetoric, the exact same political posturing that I have heard for the last month. It doesn't give the American people any reason to think the GOP's priorities are going to focus on them. Let's just look at what we were able to do as Democrats, without a single Republican vote, in the Inflation Reduction Act: true cost savings that went and started to go into effect this past month. We delivered a historic victory for seniors. We capped out-of-pocket drug costs at $2,000 a year. We limited insulin copays to $35 a month. We empowered Medicare to negotiate drug prices, and we punished drug companies for predatory price hikes. Once again, every single Republican in the House voted against lowering seniors' pharmacy bills, lowering these costs for our Americans. A Republican Member even asked, How are we going to undo that when we get into the majority? Here we are, the House Republicans' campaign platform took direct aim at this historic legislation. So we can vote on sham bills. We can look at what the D.C. City Council is doing; that is up to the majority to set that agenda. Our agenda is going to remain on lowering costs for Americans; that the issues they talk around their kitchen tables and worry about are the issues we are going to remain focused on. Mr. Speaker, I would ask the majority leader, will you commit to defending these cost savings, these true victories for our seniors?

Ms. CLARK of Massachusetts. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman, and it is my privilege to join my first colloquy to stand here on behalf of the Democratic Caucus. It is a pleasure to be with him, and I thank him for the small promotion, however brief. I really do appreciate the insight into the week ahead, although it does seem to have a very local flavor to it. I have to express my dismay that, once again, the House Republican majority is putting forward an agenda designed to score points, rather than address the very real challenges faced by Americans. Next week, President Biden will return to this Chamber for the State of the Union. Under his leadership, House Democrats have lowered costs; we have created great-paying union jobs; and we have made communities safer. We have spurred a period of renewed opportunity: 10.7 million new jobs, the lowest unemployment rate in half a century, and wage growth that is outpacing inflation. But that work has seemed to have ground to a halt. Here is what we have seen from the majority over the last month. The first bill of the 118th Congress was a bill that helps billionaires dodge their taxes and added $114 billion to the deficit. They continued their assault on reproductive freedom and are threatening economic disaster in order to cut Social Security and Medicare, and filling our schedule with hollow, symbolic stunts. The American people are in the GOP's rearview mirror. It is politics over people, plain and simple, and our constituents and the American people are seeing this. A recent national poll found that 73 percent of Americans say House Republicans haven't paid enough attention to the country's most important problems. The American people don't see themselves in the Republican agenda, and I would ask the majority leader, what does he say to them?

Ms. CLARK of Massachusetts

Ms. CLARK of Massachusetts. Mr. Speaker, as they stack some of our most critical committees with election deniers? It is too late to inject integrity into this sham process, but we, as Members, can inject our own by voting ``no'' on this resolution.

Ms. CLARK of Massachusetts. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from Pennsylvania for yielding. The Speaker of the House wrote this week that removing Democrats from their committees was motivated by integrity. Integrity? Is that the quality of honesty and acting with moral principle? There is no integrity here. Congresswoman Omar is a committed, hardworking, and highly valued member of the Foreign Affairs Committee. A refugee and a survivor of war, she knows firsthand how much is at stake in its work. It is too serious of a subject to be subjected to partisan games by the Republican majority. But that is how the GOP has decided to govern: not with solutions, but with political stunts. How can my colleagues across the aisle talk about integrity and honor as they empower the most extreme voices in their party? As they claim due process has been added in when there is none? As they promote conspiracy theories?

Ms. CLARK of Massachusetts

Ms. CLARK of Massachusetts. Mr. Speaker, when Roe v. Wade was overturned, the impact on Americans was swift and devastating. Women were denied healthcare. Doctors were threatened with criminal charges. Hospitals were forced to put their own liability over patients' lives. As the GOP doubled down on its plan for a national abortion ban, the American people saw it for what it was: anti-women, anti-choice, anti- family, and anti-freedom. Kansas, California, Kentucky, Michigan, Montana, and Vermont--voters across the country rejected this extremism. With this anti-freedom agenda exposed, some of my Republican colleagues started to scrub their websites, rolled back their rhetoric, and dodged questions on abortion. But here we are again in this rules package, within days of taking over the House majority, Republicans are pushing legislation to limit women's rights. Let's see where you truly stand. Today, House Democrats offer the Women's Health Protection Act to make abortion access a Federal right, no matter your ZIP Code or your income. Do my colleagues across the aisle believe that families, in consultation with their doctors, with their faith, with their life circumstances, should decide when to have children, or do my colleagues think that is a decision for Republican politicians? Vote to make Roe v. Wade the law of the land. Vote for freedom.