Hakeem Jeffries

Mr. JEFFRIES

Mr. JEFFRIES. Mr. Chairman, I also thank the distinguished top Democrat on the House Budget Committee, Representative Brendan Boyle, for yielding and for his incredible leadership. Mr. Chairman, I rise today in strong opposition to this America-last Republican budget that will provide billions of additional dollars to Operation Epic Fury in the Middle East, which has been a complete and total disaster for the American people. Donald Trump's reckless and costly war of choice in Iran has skyrocketed gas prices on everyday Americans who are already suffering from the failed Republican economy and drowning in its poor management. Now, Donald Trump has made several promises to the American people upon his return to the White House, all of which it appears to me he has failed to keep. Donald Trump promised to lower the high cost of living on day one, but costs in America haven't gone down. Costs have gone up, in part as a result of the reckless Trump tariffs that have increased costs on everyday Americans by thousands of dollars per year. Donald Trump promised to love and cherish Medicaid, but instead turned around and, as a result of the Republicans' one big, ugly bill, cut Medicaid by $1 trillion, costing more than 14 million Americans' access to health insurance and causing hospitals, nursing homes, and community-based health centers, particularly in rural America, to close. Donald Trump promised the American people that ICE enforcement would be focused on the worst of the worst and would only target violent felons. That is not what has happened. Donald Trump and his violent masked deportation machine are spending billions of dollars for ICE to brutalize and kill American citizens or to violently target law-abiding immigrants, as we just saw in Maine and in Houston. Donald Trump, of course, promised that he was elected not to start endless wars in the Middle East but to stop them, and then turned around and has gotten us involved in a potentially endless war in Iran, a reckless war of choice that has made life more expensive for the American people while making us less safe, with Iran being stronger now, having a stranglehold over the Strait of Hormuz, a stronger Iran now than they were before Donald Trump's reckless and costly war of choice. I stand in strong opposition to this America-last, reckless Republican budget, this effort to waste tens of billions of dollars more on operation epic failure in the Middle East. Mr. Chairman, we express our heartfelt condolences to the additional family members of those soldiers and members of the Armed Forces who have lost their lives needlessly in the Middle East, and we all have a responsibility to continue to stand with them in their time of mourning and their time of great need but simultaneously make sure that no additional heroic, patriotic, brave American servicemen or -women need to die overseas in Donald Trump's reckless and costly war of choice. We stand in strong opposition to this America-last budget. One of the most important things Members of Congress are solemnly given by the Framers of the Constitution is the responsibility to determine issues of war and peace. One of the most important things that we can do is stand against this reckless war of choice in the Middle East so no more servicemembers have to be sent home dead to their families who have been left behind. What we should be doing in this Congress is actually using our taxpayer dollars to make life more affordable for the American people, and that is our commitment as House Democrats. Unfortunately, Donald Trump and our Republican colleagues don't share that commitment. That is not a hypothetical. It is not hype. It is not hyperbole. Look at their own words. Donald Trump, of course, has said: Because we are fighting wars, we can't prioritize things like daycare, Medicaid, or Medicare. That is exactly what is happening right now. Republicans, in their one big, ugly bill, enacted the largest cut to Medicaid in American history, ripping healthcare away from more than 14 million Americans all across the country, in rural America, urban America, small-town America, the heartland of America, and Black and Brown America. No one has been untouched by the Republican assault on healthcare. Why is this happening? It is so that Donald Trump can fund this reckless and costly war of choice in the Middle East. The reality is, in his own words, he doesn't give a damn about the economic well-being of the American people. How do we know that? Donald Trump, in his own words, said that the affordability crisis is a hoax. Donald Trump, in his own words, said: I don't think about the personal financial situation of the American people. Donald Trump, in his own words, said: ``I love the inflation.'' Mr. Chair, we don't have to wonder why things aren't going well for everyday Americans in the United States right now. It is because, in my humble opinion, President Trump and Republicans in this House continue to act indifferent to the economic well-being of the American people and to actively do things that are hurting everyday Americans financially like this reckless and costly war of choice, which is why we stand aggressively against it. On issue after issue throughout this Congress, Republicans have adopted extreme policies to make life worse for everyday Americans and to actively hurt the American people. The Trump tariffs are actively hurting the American people, raising costs, including on farm country, by thousands of dollars per year. The refusal to extend the Affordable Care Act tax credits raised health insurance premiums on everyday Americans, more than 20 million people across this country, some by as much as $1,000 in additional expense per month. People are suffocating and drowning in this Trump economy. Donald Trump and Republicans in the one big, ugly bill enacted the largest cut to nutritional assistance in American history, a $186 billion cut at the same time that they are funding this reckless and costly war of choice. Republicans have literally ripped food from the mouths of hungry children, seniors, and veterans to sustain the Trump war machine. Republican extremists apparently have money for wars but can't feed the poor. Our message to the American people is: Don't lose faith. Help is on the way. Regime change is coming to the House of Representatives in November, so keep your head up.

Mr. JEFFRIES

Mr. JEFFRIES. Madam Speaker, I thank my good friend and colleague Representative Brendan Boyle from the great Commonwealth of Pennsylvania for yielding and for his leadership. Madam Speaker, I rise today in strong opposition to this Republican scheme to waste $70 billion in taxpayer money to give a blank check to ICE without any guardrails, any oversight, or any accountability. Immigration enforcement in this country should be fair, it should be just, and it should be humane. That is not what is going on right now as it relates to Donald Trump's violent mass deportation machine. Donald Trump promised America that he would target violent felons who are here illegally. Instead, taxpayer dollars are being used by ICE and his violent mass deportation machine to target and brutalize American citizens--in some cases, killing them, as was the case in Minneapolis with Renee Nicole Good and Alex Pretti--or to violently target law- abiding immigrant families, children, and in some cases, veterans who have served this country. As Democrats, we believe that taxpayer dollars should be used to make life more affordable for the American people as opposed to what the one big, ugly bill represented and continues to represent in this Congress. Republicans are making a decision to rip away healthcare and nutritional assistance from the American people: the largest cut to Medicaid in American history, alongside the largest cut to nutritional assistance in American history. They are literally stealing food from the mouths of hungry children, veterans, and seniors, in order, through the one big, ugly bill, to give ICE and Donald Trump's violent mass deportation machine a $140 billion blank check. As if that wasn't enough--ripping healthcare and nutritional assistance away from vulnerable Americans, hardworking Americans, taxpayers, working-class Americans, middle-class Americans, and those who aspire to be part of the middle class--as if ripping away healthcare and nutritional assistance in the one big, ugly bill wasn't enough, Republicans have now come back for more: to give ICE and Donald Trump's violent mass deportation machine another $70 billion blank check with no oversight, no accountability, and no guardrails. We believe immigration enforcement should be fair, just, and humane. But ICE needs to be brought under control, and ICE needs to conduct itself like every other cop, every other police officer, and every other law enforcement agency in this country. Instead, Republicans have decided to continue to waste taxpayer dollars to jam Donald Trump's extreme, rightwing ideology down the throats of the American people. As Democrats, we rise in strong opposition to this Republican scheme: waste of taxpayer dollars. Donald Trump promised that the cost of living, Madam Speaker, would go down on day one. Donald Trump promised to lower costs on day one, but costs in the United States of America haven't gone down. They have gone up. The cost of living is totally out of control. Why? Because of Republican policies: First, the Trump tariffs raised costs on everyday Americans by thousands of dollars per year. Second, in the one big, ugly bill, in order to fund the Republican violent mass deportation machine, they ripped away healthcare and nutritional assistance from the American people at a time when health insurance costs are already out of control and grocery prices are through the roof. Third, Donald Trump and Republicans have gotten this country into a reckless and costly war of choice that has skyrocketed gas prices through the roof, burdening everyday Americans who are already struggling to survive, who certainly can't thrive, are living paycheck to paycheck with high rent, high groceries, high gas prices, and high health insurance costs. When I look at the Republican scheme that this budget represents, there is not a single sentence about making life more affordable for the American people. Republicans want to cut healthcare and nutritional assistance, send us to a reckless and costly war of choice, impose tariffs that are raising prices on everyday Americans by thousands of dollars per year, and then use taxpayer dollars to give a $70 billion blank check to ICE so that the Republican violent, mass-deportation machine can continue to brutalize or kill American citizens, like Alex Pretti and Renee Nicole Good, or to violently target law-abiding immigrant families. Democrats here are not simply a ``no.'' We are a ``hell no'' on this legislation, and we are going to continue to fight to make life better for the American people. We believe that America is far too expensive. We believe that far too many people are working hard, playing by the rules, can't thrive, and can barely survive. We believe that in this great country, when you are doing the right thing, when you are working hard, you should be able to live an affordable life. That is not happening right now. A comfortable life is not happening right now for far too many people. You should be able to live a good life with a good-paying job, good housing, good healthcare, good education for your children, and a good retirement, which, by the way, means we will always defend Social Security and Medicare. As a warning to the American people, the Speaker of the House recently said, in part, as a result of what Republicans have done to skyrocket the debt and the deficit by trillions of dollars in order to give your MAGA donors massive tax breaks that they don't need and do not deserve, the Republicans are coming next for the Social Security and for the Medicare of the American people. Madam Speaker, the Republican majority has failed. This Congress has failed. Life hasn't gotten better over the last 18 months. Life has gotten worse and more expensive because of policy choices that the Republicans have made to inflict policy violence and cruelty on the American people. This toxic piece of legislation is just another example of how Republicans have failed the American people, so we will be voting ``no'' against this Republican scheme. We will continue to fight to drive down the high cost of living, fight to lower and fix our broken healthcare system, fight to get ICE under control, fight to end Donald Trump's reckless and costly war of choice, and fight for an America where everyone can afford a high-quality life for themselves and for their families. That is not the America that we have right now because of Republican policy failures and continued schemes like this Republican budget reconciliation bill to waste another $70 billion on their extreme immigration policies that have failed America.

Mr. JEFFRIES

Mr. JEFFRIES. Mr. Speaker, it is with a heavy heart that I rise today to pay tribute to the life, leadership, and legacy of an incredible mentor, a Clinton Hill legend and someone who provided tremendous support to me throughout the entirety of my public service journey, the iconic Marilyn D. Mosley. Marilyn was born and raised in Brooklyn. She is a proud graduate of New York City Public Schools, including Girls High, where she was voted in 1959 ``Most Likely to Succeed.'' That proved to be a prophetic observation. Marilyn went on to obtain a bachelor's degree from Morgan State University, where she became a proud member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated. She then returned home to City College, where she received two master's degrees in education and went on to serve for over 25 years as a transformational public school teacher and public school administrator. She also held a variety of positions throughout local government, serving with distinction in the Brooklyn Borough President's Office, the City Comptroller's Office, and as a special adviser to the New York City Council Speaker. Though she never served as a legislator herself, she founded the Progressive Association for Political Action and was responsible for the election of political giants decade after decade after decade, including former Congressman Ed Towns, Assemblyman Roger Green, State Senator Velmanette Montgomery, City Comptroller Bill Thompson, and New York State Attorney General Tish James. Her work was instrumental in making sure that Mary Pinkett in 1973 became the first African-American woman ever elected to the New York City Council and opened the door for future generations of Black women, 12 of whom now serve in the 51-member body that is the city council. I can unequivocally say that the people of New York City are better off because of decades of Mama Mosley laboring in the vineyards of our community. I would not be standing here today as a Member of Congress or as House Democratic leader without her love, mentorship, and support. I am so thankful for all of her wisdom, her guidance, her friendship, her mentorship, and her leadership throughout her incredible journey. It is a classic Brooklyn story, and we are eternally grateful for all that she has done. May Mama Mosley forever rest in power.

Mr. JEFFRIES

Mr. JEFFRIES. Mr. Speaker, I thank my good friend, the distinguished gentleman from the great State of New York (Mr. Meeks), the once and future chair of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, for yielding and for his leadership, for his courage, his character, his conviction, and his patriotism. How dare anyone on this floor question the patriotism of Greg Meeks or any Member on our side of the aisle. What often happens with my Republican colleagues is they can't defend the merits of a particular situation. They can't defend the fact that Donald Trump, as candidate, promised not to start any wars, but to stop them--his words, not ours. You can't defend the fact that billions of dollars are being spent every day to drop bombs in the Middle East, but Republicans are unwilling to spend a dime to make life more affordable for the American people. You can't defend the things that have taken place under this administration, the fact that the American people know life hasn't gotten better for them, life has gotten worse. Life has gotten more expensive, less affordable. When you can't defend your policies, you question the patriotism of Democratic Members of Congress. There are patriots on both side of this conflict and this issue. As a matter of fact, we know there are combat veterans on the Republican side and combat veterans on the Democratic side who may share different views about the nature of this conflict. Jason Crow is a combat veteran. He opposes this reckless war of choice. Are you going to question his patriotism? Pat Ryan is a combat veteran who opposes this reckless war of choice. Do you question his patriotism? Mike Thompson, who served in Vietnam, a combat veteran, opposes this reckless war of choice. Do you question his patriotism, as well? Why don't you just argue the merits of your position as opposed to attacking the patriotism of people on the Democratic side of the aisle, when as far as I am concerned, the most patriotic thing we can do is stand up to ensure that our men and women in uniform aren't being recklessly sent into a costly war of choice, more than 12 of whom have already lost their lives and hundreds of whom have been seriously injured. Let's just argue the merits of Donald Trump's reckless and costly war of choice and stop the ad hominem attacks, which aren't a sign of strength. It is just a sign of Republican weakness in terms of your ability to persuade the American people as to why Republicans are on the right side of this unpopular war. Now, this war of choice, this reckless and costly war, was entered into without any plan, any objective, any exit strategy, any public support, and any approval of the United States Congress. Those are five different objective reasons to have a problem about what is going on in the Middle East right now. In fact, we are just trying to help Donald Trump bring to life his own words that, as President, he wasn't going to start wars in the Middle East. He was going to stop them--Donald Trump's own words. Do you question his patriotism? The reality is this war is costing the American people, taxpayers billions of dollars a day at the same time when Republicans are ripping healthcare away from the American people. This reckless war of choice is costing the American people billions of dollars a day at the same time when costs are going up because of the Trump tariffs, thousands of dollars a year in additional expense that everyday Americans are paying. This reckless war of choice is costing the American people billions of dollars a day when at the same time Republicans aren't willing to spend a dime to extend the Affordable Care Act tax credits. This reckless war of choice is costing the American taxpayer billions of dollars a day at the same period of time when grocery bills in this country are out of control. Far too many people are working hard. They are playing by the rules, but they are struggling to live paycheck to paycheck, can't thrive, and can barely survive. We are standing up for the American taxpayer in expressing support for this War Powers Resolution so we can put an end to this costly and reckless war of choice. These are just some of the reasons why we oppose what is taking place right now. In fact, there are many who are now arguing in the public domain that as a result of what Donald Trump and Republicans have done over in the Middle East, Iran, in some instances, is stronger now than they were before. They have effective control of the Strait of Hormuz. They didn't have that before, but now they do. As a result, Americans are paying increased gas prices that are soaring to more than $4 a gallon, the largest, in fact, monthly increase in gas prices from March to April that the country has seen in more than six decades. That is just another reason to have a problem with Donald Trump's reckless war of choice. I ask my Republican colleagues to debate us on the merits. Enough with the ad hominem attacks. It is a sign of weakness, not strength. Take your position. We take our position. We feel very comfortable that we are standing on the side of the American people, standing on the side of the Constitution, and standing on the side of the principle that if we are going to spend billions and billions of taxpayer dollars, it should actually be spent to make life more affordable for the American people, not plunge us into a reckless and costly war of choice that is actually making life more expensive for the American people in provable and tangible ways. Vote ``yes'' on the Meeks resolution so we can stop this reckless and costly war of choice and actually get back to doing the business of the American people, making their lives better, not worse.

Mr. JEFFRIES

Mr. JEFFRIES. Mr. Speaker, I thank my good friend and colleague, the distinguished gentleman from the great State of California, Representative Mike Thompson, for yielding and for his leadership. We are here on the House floor debating this resolution that Republicans have introduced on tax day to celebrate themselves. This is an extraordinary thing. I have seen a lot during my time here in the United States Congress for more than 10 years. I have never seen a resolution introduced by Members of Congress, let alone a party, the Republican Party, to celebrate themselves for a bill that has damaged the American people. However, if you are around this town long enough, I guess you see it all. I am confused with H. Res. 1156 because the first clause says: Whereas, on July 4, 2025, the President signed Public Law 119-21, commonly known as the ``Working Families Tax Cuts.'' It is commonly known to whom? Let's be clear with the American people: Republicans have made up that name. Why? It is because the bill, the actual name of the bill in Public Law 119-21 is the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. It is deeply unpopular with the American people, who know it has been a disaster. Now, I have respect for the chairman of the Ways and Means Committee. He recently just called it the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. I am not sure he is allowed to do that because Donald Trump has made clear: Walk away from that name that he gave to the bill himself. Why? It is because the American people understand it has been a disaster. The American people know that this resolution is not worth the paper that it is written on. It does nothing. It doesn't have the force of law and does nothing to keep the promises that Donald Trump made to the American people that on day one of his Presidency, he was going to lower costs. However, here in America, Mr. Speaker, costs haven't gone down, costs have gone up because of decisions that Donald Trump and Republicans have made to hurt the American people. The Trump tariffs have cost everyday Americans thousands of dollars in additional expense per year. That is an affirmative decision to hurt the American people. Mr. Speaker, Republicans have refused to extend the Affordable Care Act tax credits. As a result of that very decision, more than 20 million Americans are experiencing dramatically increased health insurance premiums, in some cases costs having increased by over $1,000 per month. That is an affirmative decision that Republicans have made to increase costs. Now, there is a reckless war of choice that has been raging in the Middle East. More than a dozen brave American heroes have already lost their lives. Hundreds have been seriously injured. Billions of taxpayer dollars are being spent per day to drop bombs in the Middle East, and yet Republicans are unwilling to spend a dime to make life more affordable for the American people. In fact, this reckless war of choice, this Trump Republican war over in the Middle East has skyrocketed gas prices. All across America, more than $4 a gallon, largest increase in gas prices on a monthly basis in more than 60 years. Republicans have done that to the American people. In the face of such policy failure and the one big, ugly bill being such a disaster, we have this resolution in front of us, not worth the paper that it is written on. It doesn't even reference the name of the bill that was passed. Why is that? Because Republicans are trying to hide what has been done to the American people. Let me just briefly talk about five different things that are in the one big, ugly bill that have caused real harm. One, the one big, ugly bill contained the largest cut to Medicaid in American history, almost a trillion dollar cut to Medicaid. As a result of that, almost 14 million Americans are at risk of losing their health insurance because of the bill that Republicans are celebrating on the floor here today. As a result of that Medicaid cut, the largest in history, hospitals, nursing homes, and community-based health centers are at a risk of closing all across the country, including in rural America, as a result of the legislation that Republicans are celebrating here on the floor today, though they are running away from the name of the bill because it is such a disaster. The second problem with the legislation that Republicans are celebrating on the floor today is in that one big, ugly bill, they cut $186 billion, Mr. Speaker, Republicans cut $186 billion in nutritional assistance, the largest cut to SNAP in American history, literally ripping food from the mouths of hungry children, seniors, and veterans in this one big, ugly bill. Now my Republican colleagues have the nerve to come on the floor today with this resolution and celebrate that? The third problem with the bill, amongst many, is that after cutting Medicaid, ripping healthcare away from the American people, stealing food from the mouths of hungry children, seniors, and veterans, $75 billion in taxpayer money was set aside in a slush fund so that ICE can brutalize and in some cases kill American citizens. There is a $75 billion slush fund for ICE in this one big, ugly bill that Republicans are on the floor celebrating today, with active harm being done to the American people, including resulting in the deaths, the cold-blooded killing of two American citizens, Renee Nicole Good and Alex Pretti. The fourth problem with this bill on tax day is who the beneficiaries of this legislation include. Every economist who has studied this legislation knows that it overwhelmingly and disproportionately benefits the wealthy, the well-off, and the well-connected. In fact, the American people know it, which is why this resolution doesn't even make mention of the official name of the bill, because Republicans are running away from it. The bottom line is, Medicaid was cut. Nutritional assistance was cut. ICE was given this slush fund of $75 billion; and billionaire donors to the Republican Party were given massive tax breaks that they did not need and do not deserve in an environment where working families, everyday Americans, middle-class Americans, working-class Americans are struggling to make ends meet, can't thrive, and can barely survive. Yet, what was done in this one big, ugly bill that Republicans are celebrating on the floor today? Massive tax breaks to Republican billionaire donors, not making life more affordable to the American people, because the American people know that life has become more expensive, not less under Donald Trump's Presidency and failed Republican policies. The fifth problem, amongst many, is that for years Republicans have portrayed themselves, Mr. Speaker, as the party of fiscal responsibility. This is one of the most fiscally irresponsible bills being celebrated on the floor today by Republicans ever to pass the United States Congress, going all the way back to 1789. It is legislation that increased the debt by more than $4 trillion to give ICE a $75 billion slush fund to cut Medicaid, to rip food from the mouths of children, and to subsidize the life-styles of the rich and shameless. This is nothing to celebrate here on the floor today. I am thankful to Mike Thompson, my colleague, and distinguished members of the Ways and Means Committee for communicating to the American people the truth. We will be opposing this resolution, a resolution not worth the paper that it is written on, something that doesn't even have the force of law, because as Democrats we are committed to actually solving problems for the American people, for making life more affordable for the American people, for ending this reckless war of choice in the Middle East that has skyrocketed gas prices, to fix our broken healthcare system, reverse these Medicaid cuts that are part of this one big, ugly bill. Extend the Affordable Care Act tax credits and actually commit to doing things, legislating-- not pontificating--legislating in ways that make life better for the American people.

Mr. JEFFRIES

Mr. JEFFRIES. Mr. Speaker, I thank my distinguished colleague, the top Democrat on the Rules Committee, Jim McGovern, for yielding and for his leadership. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong opposition to this partisan political stunt that Republicans have brought to the floor masquerading as legitimate legislation. There is a bipartisan bill that, if brought to the floor today, can end the 42-day Trump-Republican shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security, but Republicans have concluded that they would rather continue to force TSA agents to work without pay, inconvenience millions of Americans all across the country, and create chaos at airports. Why is this happening? It is because Republicans have chosen to continue to authorize spending billions of taxpayer dollars to brutalize or kill American citizens, like Renee Nicole Good or Alex Pretti, or to violently target law-abiding immigrant families. Mr. Speaker, we believe that immigration enforcement in this country should be fair, just, and humane. That is not what is happening right now. ICE is out of control. The American people know it, which is why changes need to be made that are bold, meaningful, dramatic, transformational, and common sense at the same period of time. Instead, Republicans have chosen to double and triple down on their extremism, on their brutality, and on their violence that has been unleashed on everyday Americans all across the country. There is a bipartisan bill sent over from the Senate. Every single Senate Democrat and every single Senate Republican supported that legislation. It would reopen the TSA, reopen FEMA, reopen the Coast Guard, and reopen the ability for our cybersecurity professionals to do their job while at the same time allowing for discussions, tough negotiations, to continue. On one side of those negotiations are my Republican colleagues who want to continue to spend taxpayer dollars to brutalize and kill American citizens; unleashing masked, untrained ICE agents, in some cases storming homes of everyday Americans, ripping them out of their beds in the middle of the night, ripping children away from their families, detaining people in inhumane conditions, and refusing to allow State and local authorities to investigate ICE's violence and brutality in ways that will be designed to bring about accountability. This debate, at the end of the day, is really all about: Do you want to compel ICE to conduct themselves like every other cop, police officer, or law enforcement agency in the country, or do you want to continue to spend billions of taxpayer dollars to violently target American citizens and law-abiding immigrant families? We choose the American way: fair, just, and humane. Mr. Speaker, many of my Republican colleagues have come to the floor to suggest that this legislation is about defunding ICE. That is a stone-cold lie because we know that the Republican one big, ugly bill ripped away Medicaid from 14 million Americans, the largest cut--almost $1 trillion--to Medicaid in American history. At the same period of time, extremist Republicans in their one big, ugly bill enacted a $186 billion cut to nutritional assistance, literally ripped food from the mouths of hungry children, seniors, and veterans. Why did Republicans do that in their one big, ugly bill? In part, it was to provide their billionaire donors with massive tax breaks that they did not need and did not deserve and, at the same period of time, gave the Department of Homeland Security $191 billion--watch this--$75 billion in a slush fund to ICE. Is that defunding? No. The one big, ugly bill defunded Medicaid. It defunded nutritional assistance for everyday Americans. It defunded some affordable housing programs. It defunded the ability for everyday Americans who are struggling under Republican policies to actually afford their utility bills. That was the defunding that has taken place in this Chamber during this Congress. Defunding ICE--how do you stand up here as Republicans and say that to the American people with a straight face when you gave ICE a $75 billion slush fund and then turned around and gave CBP a $65 billion slush fund in the same one big, ugly bill? The reality is that we can end this shutdown--this 42-day, extreme Trump-Republican shutdown--today. If Republicans had the courage and the patriotism to actually bring a bipartisan Senate-passed bill to the floor, it would pass this Chamber with Democratic and Republican votes. Maybe not the extremists, but it would pass with Democratic and Republican votes. Mike Johnson has chosen to say ``no'' to a bipartisan bill so that he can say ``yes'' to continuing to force TSA agents to work without pay. Mike Johnson has said ``no'' to a bipartisan bill so that he could say ``yes'' to continuing to inconvenience millions of the American people across the country. Mike Johnson has said ``no'' to a bipartisan bill so that House Republicans could say ``yes'' to chaos at airports all across the country. Mike Johnson has said ``no'' to a bipartisan bill so that House Republicans could continue to say ``yes'' to ICE brutality. Mike Johnson has said no to a bipartisan Senate-passed bill so House Republicans could continue to say yes to ICE violence. Mike Johnson has said no to a bipartisan Senate-passed bill so House Republicans could continue to say yes to the corruption that we have seen at the Department of Homeland Security. Mike Johnson has said no to a bipartisan Senate-passed bill that would reopen the Department of Homeland Security so House Republicans could say yes to the Freedom Caucus, which is clearly driving the train here. It was amazing to me that at the Rules Committee, you had some Republican Members trying to lecture America about Article I and separate and coequal branches of government. Really, you want to talk about the House and the Senate? I am not interested in that debate. Let's talk about the difference between Article I and Article II, because the Framers of this Constitution designed the Article I branch, the Congress, to be the first amongst equals. That is not how House Republicans have been acting from the very beginning of this Congress. Instead, House Republicans are running around this town acting like nothing more than a reckless rubberstamp to Donald Trump's extreme agenda. That is what is happening right now. What House Republicans want to do is to continue to fund Donald Trump's violent, extreme, mass deportation machine that has resulted in the death of at least three American citizens. Lecture us about Article I and Article II, you have got to be kidding. Mr. Speaker, I am going to continue to speak truth to power on this floor as a duly-elected Member, and the more you stand, the longer I will speak. So our view is very clear. We can reopen this government today if you bring to the House floor a bipartisan, Senate-passed bill. As Democrats, we believe that immigration enforcement in this country should be fair, it should be just, and it should be humane. Donald Trump promised to target violent felons who are here illegally. That is what Republicans promised. You have broken your word. It is American citizens and law-abiding immigrant families who are being targeted violently by untrained and masked ICE agents. Our position is pretty clear: Let's pay TSA. Let's fund FEMA. Let's fund the Coast Guard. Let's fund our cybersecurity professionals. Stop holding the American people hostage to an extreme rightwing agenda. Taxpayer dollars should be spent to make life more affordable for the American people. That is what Democrats will continue to focus on, in an environment where life has become more expensive under the extreme policies that President Trump and House Republicans continue to jam down the throats of the American people: the Trump tariffs, increasing costs on everyday Americans by millions of dollars in totality, thousands of dollars per year for everyday Americans as a family. House Republicans have refused, Senate Republicans have refused, and Donald Trump has refused to do anything to make life more affordable. Housing costs are out of control. Healthcare costs are out of control. Grocery bills are out of control. Gas prices are out of control because Republicans have decided to get us into a reckless war of choice in the Middle East, spending billions of dollars to drop bombs in Iran. Mr. Speaker, we are here dealing with a partisan spending bill that the Senate has already indicated is dead on arrival. Republicans have taken the decision to own this shutdown decisively. There is no doubt. As Ranking Member Jim McGovern stated earlier, there is no doubt as to why we are still facing a shutdown that is inflicting pain, chaos, and uncertainty on the American people. I rise in strong opposition to this so-called spending bill that is dead on arrival, that will do nothing, accomplish nothing, other than continuing the shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security and the chaos that Republicans have unleashed in airports all across America. House Democrats are going to continue to fight for what is right. We are going to continue to fight to lower the high cost of living, fix our broken healthcare system, clean up corruption, stop this reckless war of choice in the Middle East, get ICE under control, pay TSA, end the chaos at these airports, and end this national nightmare that Donald Trump and Republicans are inflicting upon the American people. Vote ``no'' against this partisan political stunt. Let's say ``yes'' instead to a bipartisan bill that would reopen the Department of Homeland Security, end the chaos at airports, and stop the inconvenience of the American people.

Mr. JEFFRIES

Mr. JEFFRIES. Madam Speaker, I also thank my distinguished colleague, the top Democrat on the House Appropriations Committee, the Honorable Rosa DeLauro, for yielding and for her tremendous leadership. Madam Speaker, I rise today in strong opposition to this Republican budget that prioritizes ICE brutality over the American people. We are now more than 40 days into a Trump Republican shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security. Why are we here? Republicans are trying to convince the American people that Democrats should be blamed. Wait a second. Last time I checked, Republicans control the House, the Senate, and the Presidency. You spent the last 15 months trying to lecture the American people that you have some historic mandate. If, in fact, that is the case, when the Government shuts down in its entirety, or partially, it is because Republicans have decided to shut the Government down and, in this particular instance, to prioritize ICE brutality over the American people. There is legislation that is available for Republicans to bring to the floor that would pass overwhelmingly to fund the entirety of the Department of Homeland Security, with the exception of ICE and the Trump extreme mass deportation machine, which has unleashed incredible and unspeakable brutality on the American people and on law-abiding immigrant families. Why have Republicans chosen to prioritize ICE brutality over the American people when it is not that complicated? We should be paying TSA agents. Instead, Donald Trump and Republicans have sent ICE agents to airports all across the country. Watch this: ICE agents are sitting around, standing up, doing nothing to address the airport crisis right now. ICE agents, however, at these very airports, are doing nothing and are being paid at the same period of time TSA agents who are doing the work have been forced by Republicans to work without pay for more than 40 days. Why? Because Republicans have decided that they don't want to get ICE under control and, instead, are forcing TSA agents to work without pay, inconveniencing millions of Americans all across the country and causing chaos at airports throughout the land. Unacceptable. Enough is enough. Mr. Speaker, Republicans can simply bring a bill to the floor to reopen every other aspect of the Department of Homeland Security, pay ICE agents, support FEMA, stand up for the Coast Guard, and make sure that this country can continue to function. Instead, as we have repeatedly seen, Republicans have decided they would rather jam their rightwing extreme ideology down the throats of the American people. We haven't been complicated in the point that we have made to our Republican colleagues about what needs to happen when it comes to ICE. We are standing on the side of the American people. Yes, we will always support securing the border, today, tomorrow, and forever. At the same period of time, immigration enforcement in this country should be fair, just, and humane. If you have something to say to me, you can say it right now. That is what I thought. Immigration enforcement in this country should be fair, it should be just, and it should be humane. Instead, you are unleashing brutality on the American people and using taxpayer dollars, in some instances, to kill American citizens, like Renee Nicole Goode and Alex Pretti, a nurse who was dedicating his life to be there for veterans who serve this country. We believe, in America, taxpayer dollars should be used to make life more affordable for the American people, not brutalize or kill them--to make life more affordable for the American people. Here is what we have put on the table: yes, we believe dramatic changes to ICE should be bold and transformational and meaningful, but there are also commonsense changes vastly supported by the American people that includes ensuring judicial warrants are required before masked ICE agents can storm the homes of the American people and rip them out of bed in the middle of the night. There should be independent investigations by State and local authorities so that ICE agents, who violently break the law, can be held accountable, just like every other American. We believe that ICE agents should be compelled to conduct themselves like every other cop, police officer, or law enforcement agency. That is not what is happening right now. We need an end to roving patrols that are violently targeting law-abiding immigrant families and brutalizing the American people. The masks need to come off and body cameras need to come on. Yes, we also need to protect sensitive locations like houses of worship, hospitals, schools, and polling sites. These are commonsense reforms that, at the same period of time, are bold, meaningful, and transformational. They are designed to accomplish one chief objective: make sure that ICE conducts itself like every other law enforcement agency in the country, like every other cop, every other police officer, and every other State trooper. That is not what is happening in this country right now. This Republican budget that is before us prioritizes ICE brutality over the American people, and that is why House Democrats are strongly opposed to it. What is interesting, to make matters worse--because this is all about priorities and choices and the choices that Republicans have made--the priorities that Republicans are emphasizing are all hurting the American people. They are using taxpayer dollars to brutalize them and at the same period of time spending billions of dollars in a reckless war of choice in the Middle East. They are dropping bombs in the Middle East but won't spend a dime to make life more affordable for everyday Americans? What kind of choice is that? That is where their priorities are, Madam Speaker. It is extraordinary to me. We think taxpayer dollars should be used to make life better for the American people, and there are a variety of ways to do it. We should be focused on that because America is too expensive right now. Donald Trump promised to lower costs on day one. Costs aren't going down. They have gone up. Housing costs are out of control. Health insurance premiums are out of control. Grocery bills are out of control. Childcare costs are out of control. Utility bills are out of control. America is too expensive, and it is getting more expensive because of failed Republican policies. Donald Trump promised to lower costs on day one. Costs aren't going down, Madam Speaker, in the United States of America. Costs are going up as a direct result of failed Republican policies. The Trump tariffs have increased costs on everyday Americans by thousands of dollars per year. Republicans have refused to extend the Affordable Care Act tax credits. As a result, more than 20 million Americans are experiencing dramatically increased health insurance premiums, making it unaffordable for everyday Americans, working-class Americans, and middle-class Americans to go see a doctor when they need one. That is policy violence that Republicans are inflicting on the American people. Republicans have launched a reckless war of choice in the Middle East, dropping bombs, spending billions of dollars, but they can't find a dime to make life more affordable for the American people. What kind of choice is that? Republicans continue to lean in to their one big, ugly bill, which Democrats will continue to expose. It is policy violence being inflicted on the American people. In that one big, ugly bill, Republicans ripped healthcare away from more than 14 million Americans. That is what Republicans have done. It was a $1 trillion cut, the largest cut to Medicaid in American history. My Republican colleagues are choosing ICE brutality over the healthcare of the American people. In the same period of time, in that one big, ugly bill, which every single Democrat in the House and the Senate opposed on behalf of the American people, in that one big, ugly bill, Republicans cut nutritional assistance by $186 billion, the largest cut to SNAP in American history. Republicans literally ripped food from the mouths of hungry children, seniors, and veterans, and then turned around in that same bill and gave the Department of Homeland Security--watch this--$191 billion, including creating a $75 billion slush fund for ICE to unleash brutality and violence on the American people, to kill American citizens in at least three instances, and to violently target law- abiding immigrant families. This is policy violence that Republicans are inflicting on the American people. Then, they present this budget in front of us today that again prioritizes ICE brutality over standing up and making life more affordable for the American people? These are challenging times that we are living through here in the United States of America. Republicans are unleashing extremism and policy violence each and every day of this Presidency. These are challenging times in the United States of America, but help is on the way. We are seeing that in elections all across the country, including, most recently, in the district where Mar-a-Lago sits. Help is on the way, and so I promise to the American people that we are going to fight as hard as we can. We are going to show up, stand up, and speak up for the American people. We will lower the high cost of living. We will fix our broken healthcare system. We will clean up corruption. We will get ICE under control. We will stop this reckless war of choice in the Middle East. We will end this national nightmare. One day soon, we will continue America's long, necessary, and majestic march toward a more perfect Union.

Mr. JEFFRIES

Mr. JEFFRIES. Mr. Speaker, I thank my good friend, the distinguished gentleman from Queens and the great State of New York, the once and future chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee, Mr. Meeks, for his leadership and for yielding. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of the American people, in support of our men and women in uniform, in support of the United States Constitution, and in support of this War Powers Resolution. As we gather here today on the floor of the House of Representatives, there are mothers and fathers across this country who are in mourning, confronting the heartbreaking loss of their loved ones in uniform. My prayers are with the families of the six American servicemembers who have been killed overseas in Donald Trump's war of choice. We are thankful for their heroism, their bravery, and their patriotism. May their memories always be a blessing. Mr. Speaker, every Member who serves in this Chamber has sworn an oath of office. It seems as though many of my Republican colleagues have forgotten that. Let me remind them, in part, as to what it says: ``I do solemnly swear that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic . . . so help me God.'' In this remarkable country, the greatest Nation in the history of the world, we don't swear an oath to a king, to a political party, or to a man bent on desecrating the Oval Office. In the Congress, in the courts, and in the military, we swear an oath to the United States Constitution. Mr. Speaker, when the Framers drafted that glorious document, they feared the rise of a monarch, a demagogue, a tyrant. Today, we are here on the House floor because the Constitution, the binding document that makes us all Americans, is being trampled on by a wannabe king. As Members of the House of Representatives, the branch of government that the Framers decided would be the closest to the American people, to reflect the hopes, the dreams, the aspirations, the fears, the concerns, the anxieties, the life experiences, and the passions of the American people, we have a solemn obligation. Democrats and Republicans alike, we are all guardians of the American people and of the Constitution. We swore an oath that compels us to ensure that this President's modern-day injuries and abuses come to an end. We are at war now in the Middle East, spending billions of dollars to bomb Iran, when Republicans refused to find a dime to make healthcare affordable for the American people and to make sure that everyday Americans can go see a doctor when they need one. This war has not been authorized by the people's Representatives here in this glorious House. Article I of the Constitution explicitly provides Congress with the sole authority to declare war. There is nothing ambiguous about that. The Framers made that decision because they were concerned about kings who, throughout time, plunged their people into unnecessary wars, impoverishing them, or imperiling their lives by sending them off to a foreign conflict, often to pillage the resources of others for the benefit of a tyrant and his family. Sound familiar? That is why the power to declare war was given explicitly to the House and to the Senate. It was given to the people's Representatives. Abraham Lincoln, as a Member of this House in 1848, once profoundly observed: ``The provision of the Constitution giving the warmaking power to Congress, was dictated, as I understand it, by the following reasons--Kings had always been involving and impoverishing their people in wars, pretending generally, if not always, that the good of the people was the object. This, our convention understood to be the most oppressive of all kingly oppressions; and they resolved to so frame the Constitution that no one man should hold the power of bringing this oppression upon us.'' That is from then Republican Congressman Abraham Lincoln, 1848. That is why we have advanced this War Powers Resolution today. Donald Trump intentionally refused to get authorization from Congress for this war of choice, a war that has now exploded to more than 10 countries across the Middle East. Mr. Speaker, the President has not even bothered to offer a coherent answer to the most basic questions that any Commander in Chief should address when making the solemn decision to take us to war: Why are we doing this? What are our objectives? How will this all end? Mr. Speaker, if this military action, this war, is so principled, why is the President unwilling or unable to make his case directly to the American people? If the tremendous cost to American taxpayers in terms of sacred human lives and our Nation's precious resources is so justified, why does the President's rationale and the administration's rationale change every single day? Mr. Speaker, make no mistake. Iran is a bad actor. They must be confronted for their nuclear aspirations, painful human rights abuses, and repression of its own people, including the slaughter of thousands of civilians during the recent protests. It is the leading state sponsor of terrorism. It is a brutal regime that presents a serious threat to our allies in the Middle East, including Israel, Jordan, and the Gulf states. Yet, the President has a responsibility to justify plunging America into another war that will cost more American lives and billions of dollars, if not trillions of dollars, in taxpayer resources. That is the President's obligation, and he has fallen woefully short of that responsibility. Mr. Speaker, the Trump administration has offered at least five different reasons to justify the war, all of which are built on deception and misdirection. First, Donald Trump claimed that the U.S. would attack Iran to protect the demonstrators who were risking their lives to demand democratic change. He even urged them weeks ago to rise up and seize state institutions. As the regime cracked down brutally, killing tens of thousands of their own citizens, the President did nothing. Even as Donald Trump urged ordinary Iranians to take greater risks, there was never a viable military option for defending unarmed protesters against a brutal police state without sending hundreds of thousands of American troops into Iran. It was an empty pledge to the Iranian people that the current bombing campaign does nothing to undo. Second, Donald Trump and his advisers claimed that Iran's unwillingness to negotiate away its nuclear program left no choice but for us to attack. Mr. Speaker, this is the very same person who told the country last summer that Iran's nuclear program was completely and totally obliterated. This is the same administration whose Department of Defense has said that the Iranian nuclear program was set back several years and whose State Department has said that Iran isn't even enriching uranium today. Mr. Speaker, was the Commander in Chief confused in June, or is he confused right now? It was not long ago when America could be sure that we were preventing Iran from pursuing a nuclear weapon. The Iran nuclear agreement successfully did that until Donald Trump recklessly decided to pull the plug because he suffers from Obama derangement syndrome. The President has spent much of the past year trying and failing to restore the same negotiated safeguards that he abandoned for partisan political reasons, and because of his failure to negotiate the guardrails that he destroyed, he has now taken us to war. Third, President Trump claims that Iran poses an imminent threat to the United States through its development of intercontinental ballistic missiles that could perhaps someday reach our shores. If Iran is actually on the verge of having that capability, the President should provide the evidence, but no such evidence has been presented to this Congress or to the American people. We could only assume that it does not exist. Fourth, Donald Trump said that he wanted to achieve regime change. Donald Trump is an individual who promised Americans on the campaign trail that launching regime-change wars in the Middle East has been one of the most foolish and costly things that the United States has ever done. Those are Donald Trump's words on the campaign trail. Candidate Trump said that, if elected, he would never get our country into an endless regime war. President Trump has now done the exact opposite. Regime-change wars are among the most expensive things that we can undertake. And yes, Secretary Hegseth, for decades, they have failed to accomplish their objective. Vietnam was a regime-change war. Afghanistan was a regime-change war. Iraq was a regime-change war. Despite the incredible bravery of our heroes and patriots, due to failed policy decisions, they didn't work out. Even if the Iranian regime were to fall, we have no way to control what comes next, which most experts believe would be the Iranian Revolutionary Guard-led government rising up and being just as repressive and antagonistic as the current theocracy and perhaps even more committed to the acquisition of nuclear weapons. Fifth and most recently, Donald Trump said: I ``had a feeling'' Iran would attack first, as some sort of rationale for going to war. Donald Trump had a feeling that Iran would attack. The United States Government has initiated a war and put American lives at risk. Six patriots have already been killed. Thousands of American citizens are stranded in the Middle East, and he has plunged the entire Middle East into a war and chaos over a feeling. It is outrageous. It is unacceptable. It shocks the conscience. In the last few days, six servicemembers have died, and the Trump administration has acknowledged that more of our heroes are going to be killed. We have no concrete justification for why we are putting American troops in harm's way and spending billions of dollars on a foreign war while the affordability crisis rages here at home--a crisis Donald Trump said he would fix on day one but, instead, Republican policies have made worse. Taxpayer dollars should be used to drop grocery prices, drop housing costs, and drop health insurance premiums. Instead, Donald Trump is spending billions of taxpayer dollars to drop bombs in the Middle East. Mr. Speaker, the President's war is unwise. It is unpopular, unauthorized, unlawful, and unconstitutional. In the United States, we serve the rule of law, not the rule of man. James Madison once wrote in 1788: ``The accumulation of all powers, legislative, executive, and judiciary, in the same hands . . . may justly be pronounced the very definition of tyranny.'' Our Constitution requires the President get approval from Congress before launching a war. That has not happened, and that is why this bipartisan resolution, led by Democrats, is on the floor of the House of Representatives today. In their wisdom, the Framers believed that they had made it impossible for a President to do what Donald Trump has just done and that no other President has done before: launched a major war in the Middle East without the approval of Congress. That is what Donald Trump's time in office has been all about: failure after failure, betrayal after betrayal, disaster after disaster. In his return to the Presidency, Mr. Speaker, Donald Trump has left America less prosperous, less safe, and less free. He has hurt us again and again, failed us again and again, and now, by launching this unauthorized war of choice, he is setting fire to our Constitution. The American people deserve better. Democrats are committed to continuing to fight to use American taxpayer dollars to lower the high costs of living, to fix our broken healthcare system, and to clean up corruption. I stand on the floor here today to make sure that those taxpayer dollars are being used in ways that are designed to make life better for the American people, not launching another endless war in the Middle East that is destined to cost more American lives and waste billions, if not trillions, in taxpayer dollars. Democrats are here to stand up for the American people. Democrats are here to stand up for our men and women in uniform. Democrats are here to stand up for the rule of law and the United States Constitution. Democrats will not rest until this national nightmare has ended and America can continue to march toward a more perfect Union. Vote ``yes'' on this War Powers Resolution.

Mr. JEFFRIES

Mr. JEFFRIES. Mr. Speaker, I thank the distinguished gentleman who is my friend from the great State of Colorado, Representative Neguse, for yielding time and for his leadership. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong opposition to this rule, another reckless effort by the Republican majority to stop this House from doing something to stop the reckless Trump tariffs. Mr. Speaker, the House of Representatives, part of this Congress, is a separate and coequal branch of government. We don't work for Donald Trump. We don't work for J.D. Vance, and we don't work for Republican billionaire donors. We work for the American people. The Constitution, Mr. Speaker, gives this House the explicit authority with respect to tariffs. Yet because apparently my Republican colleagues have been ordered by the current President not to allow an up-or-down vote on whether his tariffs are harmful to the American people, once again, we find ourselves discussing a rule to limit the ability of this Congress to act on behalf of the American people. This is consistent with what we have seen from the Republican majority, Mr. Speaker, from the very beginning of this Congress, which, unfortunately, continues to act like nothing more than a reckless rubberstamp for Donald Trump's extreme agenda, an agenda that is not helping the American people. It is hurting the American people. Yes, we have a cost-of-living crisis in this country, and I know the President doesn't want to talk about it. He thinks it is a Democratic hoax. No, the affordability crisis in this country is not a hoax. It is very real. Working-class Americans, middle-class Americans, and everyday Americans are suffering because of the failed Trump Republican economy. Donald Trump, his words, promised to lower the high cost of living on day one. More than 1 year later in the United States of America, Mr. Speaker, costs haven't gone down. Costs have gone up. Housing costs are out of control. Healthcare costs are out of control. Childcare costs are out of control. Electricity bills are out of control, and the price of groceries and everyday goods are completely out of control. One of the reasons why the cost of living continues to crush the American people is because of the Trump tariffs which have imposed thousands of dollars in additional costs on everyday Americans, making life even more expensive than it had been when this Presidency began. Why is it so complicated for Donald Trump to keep his promise to the American people to lower costs and to focus on making life more affordable? Instead, he has gone the opposite direction, imposing tariffs on our allies in Canada and Mexico, in Europe and across the world, without any clear strategy, having an adverse effect on the pocketbook of everyday Americans. This Congress is charged constitutionally with the ability to say yes or no as it relates to tariffs that have been imposed. In fact, the President should have sought our authorization. Instead, he is using a fake emergency authority that hopefully the Supreme Court will make clear he does not have, and we certainly await that decision. However, we don't need to wait for that decision. We don't work for the Supreme Court either. The House is the Article I branch of government, the institution that the Framers decided should be the part of government that is closest to the American people, that reflects the hopes, the dreams, the aspirations, the fears, the concerns, the anxieties, the passions, and the life experiences of the American people, who are suffering right now in this failed Trump Republican economy. That is not just my simple observation. FOX News, the President's favorite news source, in a recent public opinion survey concluded that more than 70 percent of the American people believe, correctly, the economy is a disaster under this President. One of the reasons why it is a disaster is because of the reckless Trump tariffs. The Republican majority, Mr. Speaker, won't even allow an up-or-down vote. That is what this rule is about--silencing debate and the will of the people's Representatives to do something meaningful to make life more affordable for the American people. I asked some of my colleagues on the other side of the aisle who know that this so-called mandate that Republicans apparently believe they had in the aftermath of the November 2024 elections--parenthetically, by the way, what mandate do they really think they have in this House when they have the narrowest majority that any party has had since 1930 during the Great Depression? In fact, we also know they wouldn't even be in the majority right now had they not stolen three seats from the people of North Carolina with mid-decade gerrymandering in 2024. Therefore, we don't want to hear anything about mandate. The only mandate we have collectively is to make life more affordable for everyday Americans, to drive down the high cost of living, to stop burying your head in the sand, to stop being a reckless rubberstamp for Donald Trump's extreme agenda, to stand up to him every now and then as part of a separate and coequal branch of government. Stop the cult-like behavior, Mr. Speaker. It is hurting your very constituents. We have an opportunity, if we vote down this rule, to actually take up for consideration the resolution put forward by Congressman Meeks that would wipe out the unnecessary tariff imposed on our ally to the north in Canada. It is a step that should have been taken a long time ago, but Republicans have been blocking this vote. I just hope that a handful of Republicans will join every single House Democrat in opposing this rule so we can get to a debate on the actual substantive effort to stop the reckless, dangerous, and harmful Trump tariffs as part of our commitment as Democrats to do what is necessary to lower the high cost of living and to make sure that every single American in this country, when they work hard, when they play by the rules, they should be able to live an affordable life, a comfortable life, and live the good life. It is not too much to ask for in the wealthiest country, America, in the history of the world. Work hard. Play by the rules. Live the good life. Good-paying job, good housing, good healthcare, good education for the children, and a good retirement--which means backing off extreme attacks on Social Security and Medicare--that is a Democratic commitment. In order to help bring about that good life, Mr. Speaker, one of the most meaningful things that we can do as a body is to stop the harmful Trump tariffs. Vote ``no'' against this rule.

Mr. JEFFRIES

Mr. JEFFRIES. Mr. Speaker, I thank the distinguished gentleman from the great Commonwealth of Massachusetts for yielding and for his tremendous leadership on behalf of protecting the healthcare of the American people. I rise today, Mr. Speaker, in strong support of this bipartisan effort to protect the healthcare of the American people and ensure that we extend the Affordable Care Act tax credits, to make sure that tens of millions of Americans do not experience dramatically increased premiums, copays, and deductibles. From the very beginning of this Congress, House Democrats have made it clear that we will find bipartisan common ground with any of our Republican colleagues in order to address the affordability issues that are making life more expensive for everyday Americans, working-class Americans, and middle-class Americans. That has been our commitment from the very beginning. Today, we are able to take a substantial step forward to address the healthcare crisis that does exist in the United States of America and was made worse by the one big, ugly bill. Medicaid was cut by the largest amount in American history. As a result of the policies that were part of that legislation, hospitals, nursing homes, and community- based health clinics are closing all across America. We have also seen an extraordinary assault on the Centers for Disease Control and the National Institutes of Health and the Food and Drug Administration, on vaccine availability, on public health, and on healthcare of everyday Americans here in the United States of America. Today, we have an opportunity to push back against that assault and do it in a bipartisan way. That is what the American people have been calling for: Democrats and Republicans working together to address the affordability crisis in this country. It is not a hoax. It is very real. Housing costs are out of control. Grocery costs are out of control. Electricity bills are out of control. Childcare costs are out of control. Healthcare costs are out of control. What we do here today will not be the end of the effort that is necessary, but we can begin the effort that is necessary and extend the Affordable Care Act tax credits. Several things that were mentioned earlier by some of my colleagues are completely and totally inaccurate. The Affordable Care Act tax credits benefit working-class Americans, middle-class Americans, and everyday Americans. That is why we are waging this fight. We know that over 90 percent of the people who benefit from the tax credits that we are working to protect today make on average $63,000 a year. That is working-class America. That is middle-class America. That is the heartland of America. That is rural America. That is urban America. That is small-town America. That is what we are protecting when we extend the Affordable Care Act tax credits. This is not a partisan issue for us. This is an American issue. In fact, we know that the 10 States that will be most adversely impacted by the lapse in the Affordable Care Act tax credits are all, Mr. Speaker, run by Republicans. We are standing up for the American people. We are talking about States like West Virginia, Wyoming, Alaska, Tennessee, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Alabama, South Dakota, and North Dakota will be the States most impacted by the lapse in the Affordable Care Act tax credits. This is not a partisan issue for us. It is a patriotic one, and we will always defend the healthcare of the American people. That is exactly why. This is an important moment for everyday Americans. It is what they want to see out of this Congress, the people's House, the Article I branch of government, the House of Representatives, the first amongst equals coming together today, every single House Democrat and at least 10 House Republicans to extend the Affordable Care Act tax credits. Now, we believe as House Democrats that in this great country of ours you work hard, you play by the rules, you should be able to live a comfortable life, an affordable life, live the good life. You should have a good-paying job, good housing, good education for your children, good healthcare, and a good retirement. That is not too much to ask for in the wealthiest country in the history of the world. There is a lot of work that needs to be done to make that aspiration, the American Dream, the good life, a reality. Today, we take an important step forward in that regard by extending the Affordable Care Act tax credits. When we get this done, we can send it over to the Senate, and, hopefully, get it out of that Chamber and to the President's desk. It will be part of our continuing commitment to lower the high cost-of- living, fix our broken healthcare system here in the United States of America, and ensure that in every single part of this country, for working-class America, urban America, rural America, suburban America, exurban America, the heartland of America, and small-town America, we can bring the American Dream to life. We will protect the healthcare of the American people today, but our commitment doesn't end today. We will protect it tomorrow, this week, next week, this month, this year, and next year. We will protect the healthcare of the American people always and forever, and we will always fight to bring the great American Dream to life. Vote ``yes'' on extending the Affordable Care Act tax credits.

Mr. JEFFRIES

Mr. JEFFRIES. Madam Speaker, Madam Speaker Emerita, Senator Mark Kelly, the Arizona delegation, and to all of my colleagues who are present here today, I rise on the 15th anniversary of the tragic mass shooting in Tucson, Arizona, that took 6 lives and injured 13 others, including our former colleague, our good friend, Congresswoman Gabby Giffords, an extraordinary American leader who I am pleased to say is here with us in the Chamber today. At 10:10 a.m. mountain standard time, in Tucson, Arizona, during a Congress on Your Corner event being held by Representative Gabby Giffords to serve her constituents, a gunman opened fire on this peaceful gathering. We mourn for those whose lives were lost on that fateful day: John Roll, a Federal judge and public servant; Gabe Zimmerman, a dedicated congressional staffer; a precious 9-year-old girl named Christina- Taylor Green; and beloved community members Dorothy ``Dot'' Morris, Phyllis Schneck, and Dorwan Stoddard. At the same time, we are thankful to God for the survival, the resilience, the courage, the strength, the persistence of Congresswoman Giffords and all those who survived on that fateful day. Prior to this assassination attempt, Congresswoman Giffords served this body and the people of Arizona's Eighth District with great distinction, dedication, and determination. Her policy interests were diverse, spanning from immigration reform, economic opportunity, and promoting solar and clean energy. After experiencing firsthand, in the most horrific fashion possible, the horror of a mass shooting, she refocused her efforts on ending the gun violence epidemic in America once and for all. We honor her and celebrate her for the transformational work that she has done in the years that have followed. House Democrats stand with Gabby and with all Americans who say enough is enough. Enough with the gun violence epidemic being the leading cause of death for the children in this country. Enough with mass shootings being as frequent as the common cold. Enough with the text messages to parents saying ``I love you'' because there is another active school shooter. Enough with the mass-casualty incidents at concerts, grocery stores, movie theatres, nightclubs, churches, mosques, synagogues, and other gathering places. Enough with weapons of war flooding our communities, while merchants of death rake in record profits. Enough unnecessary loss of life due to preventable, senseless gun violence. This is the cause to which Congresswoman Giffords has now dedicated her life, and we all join her in proclaiming enough is enough. It is time to end the gun violence epidemic in America once and for all. While the challenges to address this crisis may feel insurmountable at times, we cannot and will not give up hope, inspired by the perseverance of our dear leader, Congresswoman Giffords. I am heartened by the work that has been done despite the considerable forces that have been arrayed against us. That progress includes, under the leadership of then-Speaker Nancy Pelosi, passage of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act in 2022, which represented the strongest new Federal gun safety legislation in 30 years. Our job, of course, as Gabby makes clear, is far from finished. Every day an average of 327 people are shot in this country, including 23 children shot on average every day. Over 65 million Americans say at least one person in their family has been fatally shot, their lives extinguished by gun violence in this country. There are 393 million guns in the United States of America, more guns than people, and law enforcement can't tell you where a majority of those guns are because of barriers that have been erected keeping criminals protected. It does not have to be this way. We know there are commonsense solutions to stop the gun violence and keep the American people safe. We can start by closing the gun background loophole that allows dangerous people to buy firearms without background checks. We need to ban assault weapons in the United States of America to prevent these weapons of war from continuing to destroy the lives of everyday Americans. Led by our distinguished appropriators like Rosa DeLauro, we are continuing to fight for robust funding for community violence intervention programs and appropriate funding for the ATF and gun violence research. Breaking the devastating cycle of gun violence that has a choke hold on this country is one of our Caucus' highest priorities and will be a high-priority issue when we take back control of the majority after the November election. Democrats are continuing to maintain our commitment to keep everyday Americans safe from the scourge of gun violence, and we will not stop fighting for proven policies that we know will reduce gun violence in every community throughout our Nation. I encourage my colleagues to support the resolution introduced by Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz to commemorate the tragic event that occurred on January 8, 2011. I once again thank our colleague, our fearless leader, our distinguished champion, Congresswoman Giffords, for her presence here today on this solemn anniversary and for her tireless, matchless, incredible advocacy to end the scourge of gun violence in the United States of America once and for all. I now ask everyone in the Chamber to stand, and for everyone throughout the campus to join us in a moment of silence to commemorate the lives lost and the lives forever changed by the tragic shooting that occurred on January 8, 2011.

Mr. JEFFRIES

Mr. JEFFRIES. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the distinguished gentleman from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts (Mr. McGovern) control the remainder of my time.

Mr. JEFFRIES. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. JEFFRIES. Mr. Speaker, we have an opportunity in this Congress in a bipartisan way to address the healthcare crisis in this country and to make sure that tens of millions of people have the ability to go see a doctor when they need one in this great country of ours. We have an affordability crisis in the United States of America. We know that healthcare costs are out of control, housing costs are out of control, and grocery costs are out of control. There is an affordability crisis that needs to be addressed decisively, and we have an ability to take meaningful action today. Vote ``yes'' on advancing this motion to discharge. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. JEFFRIES. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to call up a bipartisan motion to discharge legislation to extend the Affordable Care Act tax credits to make sure that tens of millions of everyday Americans do not experience dramatically increased premiums, copays, and deductibles that will prevent them from being able to go see a doctor when they need one. I strongly urge a ``yes'' vote on this bipartisan motion so that we can take a meaningful step forward in this Congress to address the healthcare crisis in the United States of America. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. JEFFRIES. Mr. Speaker, pursuant to clause 2 of rule XV, I call up the motion to discharge previously noticed.

Mr. JEFFRIES

Mr. JEFFRIES. Yes, Mr. Speaker, I did.

Mr. JEFFRIES. Mr. Speaker, pursuant to clause 2(c) of rule XV, I rise to provide notice of my intent to offer a motion to discharge the Committee on Rules from the further consideration of House Resolution 780.

Mr. JEFFRIES

Mr. JEFFRIES. Mr. Speaker, let me first thank Richard Neal, the once and future chairman of the powerful Ways and Means Committee, as well as Frank Pallone, Bobby Scott, all my colleagues in government on the Democratic side, and the Republicans who have joined us now to make sure that we extend the Affordable Care Act tax credits which are scheduled to expire at the end of this month. For months now, Democrats have made clear that we have a broken healthcare system that Republicans continue to destroy. They have exacerbated our healthcare crisis month after month after month, including with the one big, ugly bill, with the largest cut to Medicaid in American history, ripping healthcare away from 14 million Americans. Hospitals, nursing homes, and community-based health centers are closing all across the country, including in rural America because of the Republican healthcare crisis. Republicans, Mr. Speaker, continue to attack the National Institutes of Health, the Centers for Disease Control, the FDA, and vaccine availability. Republicans have launched an all-out assault on the healthcare of the American people, and it continues today with this toxic piece of legislation that will rip healthcare away from an additional 4 million people and jam junk health insurance plans down the throats of the American people. Democrats are strongly opposed to this legislation, and the American people know Republicans have zero credibility on fighting to protect their healthcare. In this great country of ours, the wealthiest country in the history of the world, it should be the case, we believe, that access to high- quality healthcare should not simply be a privilege available only to the wealthy, the well-off, and the well-connected. Access to high- quality healthcare should be a right available to every single American. That is what House Democrats are continuing to fight hard to achieve. One of the ways we can make sure that we strive to achieve that principle is to extend the Affordable Care Act tax credits, which are scheduled to expire in 15 days. That means that tens of millions of Americans, working-class Americans, middle-class Americans, people in urban America, rural America, small-town America, suburban America, the heartland of America, Black and Brown communities all throughout America, tens of millions of people, Americans of every stripe, in every region, are about to experience their health insurance premiums increase in some instances by $1,000 or $2,000 per month. That is unacceptable. Now, we have a bipartisan coalition here in the House of Representatives, at least 218 votes, to extend the Affordable Care Act tax credits for 3 years, to provide everyday Americans with the certainty they deserve in terms of being able to afford to go see a doctor when they need one. Mr. Speaker, Republicans need to bring the Affordable Care Act tax credit extension bill to the floor today. Under no circumstances should we leave this Capitol this week before voting on an extension of the Affordable Care Act tax credit bill that we know will pass, that the votes exist, in a bipartisan way, to protect the healthcare of everyday Americans. House Democrats have made clear we are in this fight until we win this fight, to cancel the cuts, lower the costs, save healthcare, and extend the Affordable Care Act tax credits.

Mr. JEFFRIES

Mr. JEFFRIES. Mr. Speaker, I thank, of course, the distinguished gentleman from the great State of California, Representative Garcia, for his leadership, and, of course, I thank Representative Golden for his leadership in pushing this legislation forward. I rise today in strong support of the Protect America's Workforce Act, legislation that will restore the collective bargaining rights of more than a million hardworking Federal employees, patriotic public servants who have been targeted viciously by the Trump administration from the very beginning of his time in office unnecessarily and in ways that undermine some of the core promises, Mr. Speaker, that Donald Trump made to the American people last year. Donald Trump and Republicans promised that they would focus on lowering costs on day one. Costs have not gone down in the United States of America. Costs have gone up. Inflation is on the way up. Housing costs are out of control. Childcare costs are out of control. Electricity bills are out of control. Grocery costs are out of control. Healthcare costs are skyrocketing out of control because of the Republican refusal to extend the Affordable Care Act tax credits. Instead of Donald Trump and Republicans, Mr. Speaker, keeping their core promise to the American people to make their life better, they have been focusing on a variety of other things that relate simply to jamming their extreme rightwing ideology down the throats of the American people, including by targeting organized labor, hardworking men and women, including those who are part of the Federal workforce. What is it that Federal employees do each and every day to make sure that they are providing services to the American people? The list is too numerous to mention, but we know that hardworking Federal employees, our public servants, each and every day are working hard to make sure that hard-earned Social Security benefits are delivered to the American people, that Medicare benefits are delivered to the American people, that the food we eat is disease-free, that we can enjoy our national parks all across the country, and that aviation safety and the ability to get from your point of departure to your point of destination, flying in airplanes in order to see your loved ones, is safe. Of course, our hardworking Federal employees are working hard to make sure that veterans receive their earned benefits. Instead of being targeted by Donald Trump and Republicans, these people should be supported for the work that they do on behalf of the American people. We also know that when it comes to improving the quality of life of everyday Americans, there is a lot of repair work that must occur to restore the American Dream that is disappearing from folks all across this country. The American people know that the Trump administration and Republican policies have been a disaster. In this great country, as Democrats, we believe that when you work hard and play by the rules, you should be able to live an affordable life, a comfortable life, and live the good life. What exactly does that mean: good-paying job; good housing; good healthcare; good education for your children; and at the end of the day, a good retirement. That is the good life. That is the American Dream. For far too many people, it is out of reach, but we know that perhaps no force has been more proactive in delivering access to that American Dream than the men and women of organized labor, decade after decade after decade. Why would Donald Trump and Republicans focus, Mr. Speaker, on targeting hardworking public employees, targeting unions, and targeting the men and women of organized labor? Is it because my Republican colleagues are too consumed with enacting massive tax breaks for their billionaire donors, which is what the one big, ugly bill was all about, but have zero interest in lifting up the quality of life of hardworking American taxpayers, including, but not limited to, the men and women of our Federal workforce? It was my understanding, Mr. Speaker, that my Republican colleagues believe in freedom. Well, collective bargaining, essentially, is the freedom to negotiate the best possible work environment to allow these public employees to continue to deliver services that are effective and efficient for the American people. Yet, instead of focusing on driving down the high cost of living in America, which is out of control--yes, there is an affordability crisis in the United States of America, notwithstanding the fact, Mr. Speaker, that Donald Trump apparently believes it is a hoax. The American people know it is not a hoax. Instead of focusing on trying to find commonsense solutions to make life better for the American people, Donald Trump and my Republican colleagues continue to just jam their extreme ideology down the throats of the American people while working overtime to benefit their billionaire donors. That is why I am thankful for this bipartisan effort to restore collective bargaining rights for more than 1 million public servants who are part of the Federal Government, and I urge a ``yes'' vote. Do the right thing by the Federal workforce. Do the right thing by the men and women of organized labor and do the right thing when it comes to ensuring that everyone has a path to experiencing the American Dream.

Mr. JEFFRIES

Mr. JEFFRIES. Mr. Speaker, I thank the distinguished gentleman, my good friend from the great State of Maryland, the ranking Democrat on the Judiciary Committee, for yielding. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong opposition. This resolution, this effort to censure Delegate Plaskett and to rip away her membership on the Intel Committee, is nothing more than a political stunt by a desperate, failed candidate for Governor trying to pander to the people back in South Carolina. It is nothing more than that. You want to make the statement about who has brought disgrace to the House. The actions of this House Republican majority have brought disgrace to the House of Representatives from day one of this Presidency. The reality is, if you want to talk about fealty to the Constitution and things of that nature, the House is a separate and coequal branch of government. You don't seem to understand that. You have functioned from the very beginning of your so-called majority, Mr. Speaker, not as a check and balance on an out-of-control administration, but as a reckless rubber stamp for Donald Trump's extreme agenda, and you are failing the American people. You failed to keep your core promise. Your core promise to the American people was that you were going to lower costs on day one. Costs haven't gone down here in the United States of America. Costs have gone up. The Trump economy is a complete and total failure. It is a disaster. The American people are hurting, and so every week, you come to the House floor now that you have returned from your 7-week, taxpayer- funded vacation and come up with another stunt to try to distract the American people. Or perhaps you were ordered by your puppet master, Donald Trump, who wants to distract the American people today. That is because his effort to suppress the Jeffrey Epstein files has failed spectacularly. We believe in transparency, we believe in accountability, and we believe in due process. That is the opposite of what is happening on the floor today. Let me be very clear about Stacey Plaskett. She is a woman of great intelligence and a woman of great integrity, and she deserves better than what she is receiving from House Republican extremists. She deserves the opportunity to be heard. She deserves due process. She deserves the ability to make her case, not to be prosecuted by pettifoggers playing lawyer on the floor of the House of Representatives. Google that if you don't know what it means. The so-called Freedom Caucus wants to lecture us about proceeding at this moment. The actions that you continue to engage in will have consequences: consequences today, consequences tomorrow, consequences next week, consequences next year, and certainly consequences when the American people throw this House Republican majority out in the aftermath of the election next November. Be very careful about the extreme actions that you continue to engage in. Now, it is extraordinary to me week after week, censure after censure, and I wonder: Is it just coincidence that the last three censures we have had on the House floor happened to involve--first you tried to censure LaMonica McIver, and then, Mr. Speaker, Republicans tried to censure Ilhan Omar. Now we are on the floor, and you are trying to censure Stacey Plaskett. What is it exactly that those three individuals have in common? House Republicans are going to have to answer for the extreme things that you continue to do. The American people know this is a phony majority. It is a fake majority. It is not a real majority. Republicans aren't doing anything to make life better for the American people, and that is why we are on the floor right now. There is nothing that House Republicans can do to disgrace Stacey Plaskett because House Republicans continue to disgrace themselves. So whatever happens later on this evening, the American people will hear from Delegate Plaskett beyond this making her case. The people of the Virgin Islands, I am confident, will continue to stand behind her. We will never be lectured on issues related to accountability, transparency, principle, and ethics from this group of extreme House Republicans who continue to visit a national nightmare on the American people, bending the knee to a wannabe king and doing real harm in real time. At the end of the day, your time is coming as well.

Mr. JEFFRIES

Mr. JEFFRIES. Mr. Speaker, I thank the distinguished gentlewoman, the top Democrat on the House Appropriations Committee, for yielding and for her steadfast leadership on behalf of working families and hardworking American taxpayers in the great State of Connecticut, and all across America. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong opposition to this woefully inadequate spending bill that fails to decisively address the Republican healthcare crisis and fails to extend the Affordable Care Act tax credits for tens of millions of Americans. Mr. Speaker, before I say anything further, let me thank our men and women in uniform, our Active-Duty troops, our hardworking Federal employees, our civil servants, our TSA agents, our Capitol Police, our staff here in the House of Representatives, and our air traffic controllers for their service, their sacrifice, and for the work that they do on behalf of the American people each and every day. It is our promise to all of them that we will continue to work hard to make sure they are treated with the dignity and respect that they deserve in a year in which the Trump administration has gone after hardworking Federal employees relentlessly, including firing more than 200,000 Federal employees prior to the start of the Trump Republican shutdown. Republicans control the House, the Senate, and the Presidency. Donald Trump and Republicans made the decision to shut the government down, the longest shutdown in American history. They would rather do that than provide healthcare that is affordable to working-class Americans, middle-class Americans, and hardworking American taxpayers. All across the country, I am certain that there are people in America asking the question: Where do we go from here? House Democrats have a simple answer. We will continue to fight to lower the high cost of living. House Democrats will continue to fight to address the healthcare crisis that Republicans have created, and House Democrats will continue to fight to extend the Affordable Care Act tax credits for tens of millions of Americans. This fight is not over. We are just getting started. We will fight today. We will fight tomorrow. We will fight this week. We will fight next week. We will fight this month. We will fight next month. We will fight until we win this battle for the American people. That is our commitment as House Democrats. There are only two ways that this fight will end. There are only two ways, Mr. Speaker, that this fight will end: Either Republicans finally decide to extend the Affordable Care Act tax credits this year or the American people will throw Republicans out of their jobs next year and end the speakership of Donald J. Trump once and for all. That is how this fight ends. Mr. Speaker, during this painful Trump Republican shutdown, what we have seen is two different philosophies in terms of how to govern for the American people. The Democratic Party philosophy is clear. We are ready, willing, and able to find bipartisan, common ground, anytime, anyplace, to enact spending agreements that actually make life better for the American people. However, in order to do that, we need to have partners on the other side of the aisle who are actually willing to find the bipartisan path forward. What we have seen from Republicans from the very beginning of this Presidency is a my-way-or-the-highway approach. That has been the Republican philosophy. Jam your extremism down the throats of the American people. That is what we have seen from day one of this Presidency. That is the reason why the government has been shut down by Republicans and Donald Trump for the longest period of time in American history. What have we seen from Donald Trump and Republicans during this shutdown? A consistent unwillingness to actually find common ground in order to make life better for the American people. Donald Trump, during the shutdown, found the time to play golf week after week after week. Donald Trump found the time to pardon serial fraudsters like George Santos and Rudolph Giuliani. Donald Trump found the time to meet with the Chinese Communist Party. Donald Trump found the time to destroy the east wing of the White House. Donald Trump found the time to extort $230 million from the Department of Justice so he could line his pockets. Donald Trump found the time to bail out Argentina with $40 billion. Donald Trump found the time to rip away SNAP benefits from 42 million Americans. Mr. Speaker, these extremists are not like us. They are not like us. They have zero interest in fighting hard to make life better for the American people. Their philosophy: My way or the highway. Our response: Get lost. We are going to continue to fight hard on behalf of the American people in the midst of a healthcare crisis and a cost-of-living crisis that is very real, despite what Donald Trump, the leader of the Republican Party, has to say. He claims there is no affordability crisis in the United States of America. However, why would anyone believe anything that Donald Trump or Republicans have to say on this issue? Throughout 2024, before the election, Republicans in the House and the Senate and Donald Trump on the campaign trail spent all of their time saying that costs were going to go down on day one. Mr. Speaker, costs haven't gone down. Republicans haven't done a damn thing to lower the high cost of living. Costs haven't gone down in this country. Costs have gone up. Inflation is on the way up. Housing costs are out of control. Grocery costs are out of control. Electricity bills are out of control. Healthcare costs are skyrocketing and out of control. In the midst of this affordability crisis, seeing this, Democrats said we have got to fight to make sure we extend Affordable Care Act tax credits so that tens of millions of people--working-class folks, middle-class folks, people in rural America, working-class America, small-town America, the heartland of America, Black and Brown communities all throughout America--don't experience premium increases that in some cases will go up by $1,000 or $2,000 per year. In many cases, month after month after month, it will go up $1,000 or $2,000 per month. That is tens of thousands of dollars per year. It is unacceptable in this country, the wealthiest country in the history of the world. This is in the midst of a Republican healthcare crisis. Republicans enacted the largest cut to Medicaid in American history. They ripped health insurance away from 14 million Americans. As a result of Republican policies, hospitals, nursing homes, and community- based health centers are closing all across America including in rural parts of this great country of ours. Now because of the Republican refusal to extend the Affordable Care Act tax credits, tens of millions of Americans are at risk of being unable to afford to see a doctor when they need one. It is happening in this country, the wealthiest country in the history of the world. It can't be the case that healthcare is simply a privilege for the wealthy, the well-off, and the well-connected. Mr. Speaker, that is the Republican perspective. As Democrats, we believe that healthcare has to be a right and a right that is affordable and available to every single American in the United States. That is what this fight is all about, and that is what the fight will continue to be about as we move forward. Many of my Republican colleagues have suggested that they want to deal with the healthcare affordability issue. They want to address the Republican healthcare crisis that is devastating people all across this country. We have an opportunity for them to do so. There is a discharge petition connected to legislation that House Democrats have introduced to extend the Affordable Care Act tax credits for 3 years. We believe that working-class Americans, middle-class Americans, and everyday Americans deserve the same level of certainty that Republicans always provide to the wealthy, the well-off, and the well-connected donors. Working-class Americans deserve that level of certainty. We ask our Republican colleagues to join us in extending the Affordable Care Act tax credits. It is not too late. We are in the midst of open enrollment. The tax credits expire on December 31. We will stay on this issue until we get this issue resolved for everyday Americans. Mr. Speaker, as I close, I have had the opportunity, as many of us do, to serve in the United States Congress with legendary figures, too numerous to mention. Some of those legendary Members include, of course, Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi, Steny Hoyer, the great Jim Clyburn, Maxine Waters, Elijah Cummings, and Charlie Rangel. Our own Marcy Kaptur is the longest serving woman in the history of the United States House of Representatives. We have all had the opportunity to serve with legendary Members like John Dingell. As I said, they are too numerous to mention. Mr. Speaker, one can't call that roll without calling the name of the great John Lewis. I had the distinct honor of serving with John Lewis for several terms. Many of us here in the House of Representatives did. I will never forget on my first day in Congress that I had the opportunity to meet John Lewis for the first time in person. He called me over to see him on the House floor. He just asked me a simple question. He said: Are you the new guy? I said: Yes, sir, Mr. Lewis, I am. He said: Well, we are colleagues now. You don't have to call me Mr. Lewis. You can call me John. I said: Yes, sir, Mr. Lewis, I understand. Then he said to me: You are from Brooklyn, right? Mr. Speaker, I have to be honest. I was tempted to say that Brooklyn is always in the House. Instead, since my mother, Laneda Jeffries, raised me with some sense, I said: Yes, sir, I am from Brooklyn. Then he said something to me that I have never forgotten. He said: Well, I hear some positive things about you from your predecessor, but Washington, D.C., young man, can be a rough place. I don't want you to get into any trouble unless it is good trouble. Mr. Speaker, I wanted to stop by on the House floor to make sure it is clear to the American people that the spirit of John Lewis lives amongst House Democrats. We will continue to get into good trouble to make their lives better. That is our commitment to every single American all across this country, from this day and for every day, moving forward. It was John Lewis who said to us that ours is not the struggle of one day, one week, or one year. Ours is the struggle of a lifetime and maybe even many lifetimes. Each one of us in every generation must do our part. Mr. Speaker, we love Mr. Lewis. We were blessed by our opportunity to serve with him. House Democrats are here to do our part. We are in this fight until we win this fight for the American people.

Mr. JEFFRIES

Mr. JEFFRIES. Mr. Speaker, I thank the distinguished gentlewoman from the great State of Connecticut for her leadership and for yielding as we debate this partisan, reckless Republican spending bill that continues to gut the healthcare of the American people. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong opposition to legislation that continues the relentless Republican attack on the healthcare of the American people. What we have seen throughout this year--notwithstanding Republican promises to lower the high costs of living, which Republicans promised to do on day one of the Trump Presidency. We know costs aren't going down. Here in the United States of America, they continue to go up. Inflation is going up. Life is becoming more expensive for the American people, in part, as a result of Donald Trump's tariffs that House Republicans continue to rubberstamp. Democrats recognize that the cost of living in the United States of America is far too high. We have to fix our broken healthcare system, and we also have to clean up corruption in this town so that we don't have a government of the elites, by the elites, and for the elites. We deserve a government of the people, by the people, and for the people. That is why we oppose this reckless Republican spending bill. The Republican assault on healthcare has been relentless: the largest cut to Medicaid in American history, and millions of Americans losing their healthcare as a result of the Republican one big, ugly bill. Hungry children have had food stolen from their mouths as a result of the one big, ugly bill. That is going to make them vulnerable to sickness, illness, and disease. Mr. Speaker, all of this was done so that Republicans could reward billionaire donors with massive tax breaks. In addition to the unprecedented assault on Medicaid, as a result of the Republicans' one big, ugly bill, the American people are confronting the possibility that Medicare could be cut by $536 billion this year, the largest cut to Medicare in American history, as a result of what Republicans have done and as part of their relentless assault on the healthcare of the American people. Premiums, copays, and deductibles are skyrocketing. Over the next few weeks, tens of millions of Americans are about to confront dramatic increases in their healthcare. They will confront thousands of dollars, and in some cases, tens of thousands of dollars, in additional expense per year because of what Republicans have unleashed on the American people as part of this unprecedented assault on healthcare. Mr. Speaker, I heard earlier today some of my colleagues on the Republican side say that the healthcare issue was not germane and that we are raising issues around Medicaid or the Affordable Care Act or increasing premiums, copays, and deductibles. The fact is that Republicans are dramatically ending medical research in the United States of America including as it relates to research for children with cancer. Who does that? The fact is that all across this country, as a result of actions Republicans have taken and are continuing to take in targeting the healthcare of the American people, hospitals, nursing homes, and community-based health clinics are closing including in all of my colleagues' districts and throughout rural America. Mr. Speaker, don't come and argue to us that these issues are not germane. I will tell my colleagues what is germane. Protecting the healthcare of the American people is germane. That is what Democrats are doing in fighting back against this partisan Republican spending bill. There is an alternative. It has been introduced by Senator Patty Murray and Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro. It is supported by Democrats in the House and the Senate. It keeps the government open. It allows for bipartisan negotiations as it relates to a spending bill that would actually meet the needs of the American people in terms of their health, their public safety, and their economic well-being. It will actually try to make progress on lowering costs in America, which my Republican colleagues promised to do, Mr. Speaker, and failed to do. That is the legislation that we should be taking up. Republicans know that this partisan, reckless, dirty spending bill is dead on arrival in the United States Senate. Yet Republicans continue to refuse to even discuss protecting the healthcare of the American people in the face of a relentless Republican assault that will actually harm people and cause Americans, children, families, seniors, and veterans to lose their lives. We have a choice to make here in the House of Representatives. It appears that Republicans believe that healthcare should simply be a privilege available only to the wealthy, the well-off, and the well- connected. We strongly disagree. Access to high-quality and affordable healthcare is a right; and Democrats are on the floor of the House of Representatives vindicating that right at all times. That is why we are voting ``no.'' Some have suggested that our principled opposition to the partisan Republican spending bill may result in a government funding lapse. We have heard all year how Republicans have a mandate, how Republicans have the Presidency, how Republicans control the House, and how Republicans control the Senate. If that, in fact, is the case, as is the moment, temporarily, Republicans will own a government shutdown. Period. Full stop. It is the Republicans' shutdown. We are fighting for the healthcare of the American people. We will do that today. We will do that tomorrow. We will do that next week. We will do that next month. We will do that this year. We will do that next year. We will do that at all times. We are standing up for the healthcare of the American people. Mr. Speaker, cancel the cuts. Lower the costs. Save our healthcare.

Mr. JEFFRIES

Mr. JEFFRIES. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate Bob Fischer, a proud product of South Buffalo and the incredible manager of the Democratic Cloakroom, on his well-deserved retirement after almost four decades of serving the people's House. In 1987, Bob came to Congress not knowing how long he would stay or what kind of mark he would leave on this institution. But the Lord works in mysterious ways, and we are here today as Members of Congress to express our sincere gratitude and appreciation for his distinguished contributions and dedication to this institution, the people's House, for nearly four decades. In fact, after almost four decades of service here in the people's House, it is clear to me that other than his family, the only entity that Bob loves more than the House of Representatives is the Buffalo Bills, who, in fact, are playing tonight. The work that we do as Members of Congress exists in the public domain, but the American people don't often get to see folks like Bob who keep this place running and who support the hundreds of Representatives and our staff with whatever we need. Whether providing updates to our offices, wrangling Members to make sure we are present for votes, or sharing information in real time, we can't do our jobs on behalf of the people without the Cloakroom. Bob has been the one who has kept the Cloakroom humming, with a steady hand, patience, expertise, professionalism, and heart and soul. Even through the terror and chaos of January 6, Bob was a calm and comforting presence, bravely helping to ensure that Members of Congress were safely evacuated off the floor. Mr. Speaker, I thank Bob for his courage and his heroism on that fateful day. Bob is one of the unsung heroes of the United States Congress, so it is especially fitting that he shares a name with one of the greatest unsung heroes in NBA history, Robert Horry, who was known as Big Shot Bob. Robert Horry was not a flashy player, but he was someone who played the game the right way and had an uncanny ability to make the right plays at the right moment, including in the NBA championships when all was on the line. He never made an All-Star game, never was elevated along with folks like Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, or LeBron James. What is interesting is that Michael Jordan had six championships, Magic Johnson had five championships, LeBron James had four championships, but Robert Horry had seven, more than any of them, because he was always at the right place, at the right time, with the right moves, the glue that made these teams into champions. Mr. Speaker, that is what Bob has done for the House Democratic Caucus. He made the right play at the right time to ensure that the team delivered results for the American people. I know I speak for all of us as members of the House Democratic Caucus when I say that Big Shot Bob Fischer will be missed by all of us. Bob's family is here with us, including his wife, Julie; children, Christy and Emily; and parents, Robert and Kathy. We thank them for sharing their husband, their dad, and their son with us for the last 39 years. We congratulate Bob on a well-deserved retirement. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Pelosi), our great Speaker Emerita.

Mr. JEFFRIES

Mr. JEFFRIES. Mr. Speaker, I thank the distinguished gentlewoman from Connecticut (Ms. DeLauro), the top Democrat on the Appropriations Committee, for yielding and for her strong leadership. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of the Motion to Instruct. From the very beginning of this Congress, Democrats have made clear that we are willing to work with anyone in this town who is committed to lowering the high cost of living. America is too expensive. Far too many people in this country are working hard and playing by the rules, but they are unable to get ahead and can barely get by. Yet, what we have seen from this Congress is that our colleagues on the other side of the aisle have consistently made life harder for everyday Americans. That is what the one big, ugly bill was all about. It was to hurt everyday Americans in order, Mr. Speaker, to reward billionaire donors with massive tax breaks. Why was this done? The one big, ugly bill rips healthcare away from millions of Americans. Hospitals, nursing homes, and community-based health clinics will close. The American people are now confronting dramatic increases in healthcare premiums, copays, and deductibles. America is already too expensive. President Trump and House Republicans are making things worse. Democrats are prepared, under the leadership of Rosa DeLauro, to sit down anytime and anyplace to negotiate a bipartisan spending agreement that meets the needs of the American people in terms of their health, public safety, and economic well-being. What Democrats will not do, Mr. Speaker, is support partisan spending legislation put forth by Republicans that continues to gut the healthcare of the American people. Enough is enough. We need to reverse the damage that has been done, not do more. The big, ugly bill steals food from the mouths of hungry children, seniors, and veterans. Why? Once again, it is to pay for massive tax breaks to Republican billionaire donors. This is unacceptable and unconscionable. This motion to instruct will help ensure that in a conference between the House and Senate, between Democrats and Republicans, we are actually protecting women, infants, and children here in the United States of America, all over, in urban America, rural America, small- town America, suburban America, exurban America, and the heartland of America. The assault on the social safety net that Republicans have engineered this Congress, Mr. Speaker, has been completely and totally unacceptable, hurting everyday Americans and exploding the debt and the deficit at the same period of time. Nothing has been done by this Republican-led Congress to lower the high cost of living. Donald Trump promised that costs would go down on day one. Costs have not gone down. They are going up. Inflation is on the way up. Life has gotten more expensive. Electricity bills are skyrocketing and out of control. Now, healthcare premiums are on the verge of increasing by thousands of dollars a year for 20 million Americans unless Republicans choose to join us and act with respect to the tax credits that will expire at the end of this year connected to the Affordable Care Act. There is much work that needs to be done. Again, Democrats are ready to sit down anytime and anyplace to work out a spending bill on a bipartisan basis that actually makes life better for the American people, but we will not allow this administration and the Republican Congress to continue to hurt everyday Americans. That is why I strongly support this motion to instruct. That is why we have made clear that under no circumstances will we support a partisan Republican spending bill that continues to rip away healthcare from the American people. Vote ``yes'' on this motion to instruct.