Jim McGovern

Mr. McGOVERN

Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, the gentleman wants to talk about the rule, so let's talk about the rule. What is frustrating to me, I think many of us--not just Democrats, but a good chunk of Republicans--are at the end of our rope. The Republican leadership is running this House like an authoritarian dictatorship. It is their way or the highway. There are six bills that are allowed to be considered under this rule. Every single one of them is completely closed. What does that mean? It means nobody can offer amendments. Democrats can't offer amendments. Republicans can't offer amendments. They didn't even ask for people to submit amendments. They like to say nobody offered amendments. Yeah, people did offer amendments. The gentleman talks about the SCORE Act. A Republican came to the Rules Committee last night and offered five amendments. I think they were reasonable. I think they were reasonable enough to be debated and for us to vote on them. All five were blocked. They are blocking members of their own party. That is how they run this place. A Democrat came up with an alternative, a good idea. You may not support it, but people like me thought it was a better way to approach this than the way the bill is written. That was blocked, too. Everything is blocked. Everything is blocked. I think they are being blocked because my friends are afraid they might prevail. By the way, all the players associations are against the SCORE Act the way it is currently written, every single one of them. This year alone, Republicans have issued 86 closed rules. That puts them on track to obliterate their previous record of the most closed rules in a single Congress. That is 86 times that this Chamber was kept from even considering amendments to approve bills. There is no debate, no votes, nothing. That is what an authoritarian dictatorship is like. Republicans have blocked nearly 8 out of every 10 amendments submitted to the Rules Committee. Get this: That is 2,700 amendments gone, tossed out by this leadership. They have blocked 60 percent of bipartisan amendments, most of their own party's amendments, and more than 90 percent of Democratic amendments. Apparently, the only ideas welcome in this Congress are the ones written by special interests or the ones that Donald Trump personally signs off on. We used to debate in this Chamber. We used to vote on amendments on the floor. Members had a voice. Legislation wasn't cooked up in the Speaker's office and rammed through with no chance to fix it. Here we are. Republicans have made fewer amendments in order at this point in the year than any Congress going back a decade. By decimating debate, House Republicans have turned themselves into a rubberstamp for Trump. They will fast-track giveaways to the wealthy and the well-connected, but they will block amendments that would protect care for millions or unrig our economy for working people. The real scandal here is that we can do something to control the rising costs of healthcare. We have been begging--by the way, not just Democrats; some Republicans have, too--for them to at least put something on the floor that we can debate and vote on to help alleviate the terrible burden that is about to fall on millions and millions of families in this country. The answer is we can't do it. They won't do it. They won't do it. You want to debate the rule? This rule is pathetic. Six completely closed rules on six completely different bills. Congress is supposed to work for the American people. I think my Republican colleagues have forgotten that. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2\1/2\ minutes to the gentlewoman from New Mexico (Ms. Stansbury).

Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, that is a lot of words to defend the most closed Congress in history. I say that this place is starting to look like an authoritarian dictatorship because this is what happens in authoritarian countries. People don't get an opportunity to be able to offer amendments or change bills or change legislation. It is take it or leave it. Mr. Speaker, people are silenced all the time, and the gentleman is trying to defend this process. Talk to the Republican Member who came to the Rules Committee and offered five amendments--all of them germane, all of them designed to improve the so-called SCORE Act--and he was denied not one, not two, but all five. Can't do it. Mr. Speaker, I will say again that when the gentleman says that, oh, people didn't offer amendments to all of these bills, I think people are getting to understand what is going on here. My Republican friends don't even ask for amendments anymore. They don't give people time to write them. Everybody kind of knows that the system is rigged. It is take it or leave it. People have had it. Every single Member here has ideas that maybe could improve some of this legislation, but the whole system is rigged in a way that you have to take it or leave it. This is not the way the House of Representatives should be run. There are a whole bunch of other issues that we should be dealing with. Mr. Speaker, on Friday, The Washington Post reported an egregious abuse of power by the Secretary of Defense. Back in September, an order was reportedly carried out to eliminate all remaining survivors on a suspected drug trafficking boat sailing through the Caribbean. Pete Hegseth, who now calls himself Secretary of War, issued an order to kill everybody who survived the first strike. Kill everybody. Those are the alleged words from the leader of our Defense Department. Just to be clear, killing defenseless people, regardless of whether they had been engaged in armed conflict, is a war crime, plain and simple. The administration is trying to brainwash the American people into thinking that cruelty and murder and war crimes are normal. Mr. Speaker, I have news for the Trump administration. This is not normal. Even if we were at war, attacking survivors of an airstrike, whether or not they pose a threat to the United States, is a war crime. It is unconscionable. It is an unconscionable act of aggression that violates the Department of Defense's own guidelines, U.S. law, and international norms and laws. Even President Trump is trying to distance himself from this unlawful attack, saying that he ``wouldn't have wanted that, not a second strike.'' Let me be clear. Secretary Hegseth has blatantly carried out illegal acts of violence and, right now, he is trying to convince the American people that these actions are okay. Mr. Speaker, the American people know better, and they deserve better. Mr. Speaker, in case anybody tuned in to the President's little press conference before we gathered here today, he said that the issue of affordability is a ``hoax.'' It is a ``scam,'' he said. Really? Anybody who is watching these proceedings, do you really think that the issue of affordability is a ``scam''? Prices are higher than ever. People will be paying more for their healthcare because of the inaction of the Republicans in the House, the Senate, and this White House. They will be paying so much that many of them are going to drop their health insurance. Mr. Speaker, he said that the issue of affordability is a ``scam,'' a ``hoax,'' and is not real. I mean, come on. Come on. I would urge my Republican colleagues to stand up for their constituents. Do the right thing. Say ``no'' to these closed processes that don't allow you--even you--to be able to offer amendments, and stand up for policies that are going to make life easier for all people in this country. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I have to tell you, I love my Republican friends. They just reach back. Now, we are going back to Obama. What they don't tell you is that Donald Trump has been in public life as President for 4 years, and he has been around for 10 years now. Yet, he has no responsibility for anything. It is always somebody else's fault. Donald Trump never had a plan to make healthcare more affordable or accessible. He didn't care about any of that stuff. I just want to point out, for the record, because I think it is important, that one-half of adults with the Affordable Care Act healthcare coverage are small business owners, small business employees, or self-employed people. We are talking about millions and millions of Americans. Many of them are going to see their healthcare costs rise so high that they are not going to be able to afford it. They will lose their healthcare. Many of them will have to choose between healthcare and paying their rent or mortgages and basically putting food on the table. The idea that that is not an urgent issue, that we are not addressing that, that it is kind of an afterthought, and, instead, we have a rule here that brings up a bill that creates a hotline that already exists, I mean, I would say to my Republican friends: Are you serious? Really, is this serious legislating? Again, despite Republicans spending years attacking the Affordable Care Act, it has gotten only more popular. Support for the ACA consistently polls at or above 60 percent. In September 2025, in fact, 64 percent of the people viewed the ACA favorably. Maybe support for it is so overwhelming because the ACA extended coverage to millions and millions of Americans, and its provisions help everyone, including people who were previously insured and many who were never insured. Currently, the Affordable Care Act stops health insurance companies from charging sick people more on premiums than healthy people. It keeps those same health insurance companies from denying coverage to pregnant women, people with preexisting medical conditions, or because of the person's medical history. It prohibits the health insurance industry from setting an annual or lifetime limit. It demands that insurance companies cover most preventative services. It gives States the flexibility to expand their Medicaid programs, which 40 States have done. It provides financial assistance to working people to make healthcare coverage more affordable. It allows young adults to stay on their parents' insurance plans until they are 26. These are just some of the provisions within the ACA that make it so popular with the American people. These are provisions that literally have saved people's lives and livelihoods. In addition, the last time Democrats were in control, we built on the progress we made in the ACA. We allowed Medicare to negotiate prescription drug prices for the first time in history, saving both Medicare and the American people billions of dollars. We capped the cost of insulin at $35. We made signing up for healthcare coverage easier and more affordable. We lowered premiums by an average of $800 per person. In over 4 years, nearly 12 million more Americans signed up for insurance in the ACA marketplace, bringing the total up to nearly 24 million in 2025. Taken together, Democratic policies brought the uninsured rate to a record low. Mr. Speaker, I don't know if we may have some other people coming in, so I will wait. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, if we defeat the previous question, I will offer an amendment to the rule to provide the consolidation of H.R. 6074, which would extend the Affordable Care Act enhanced premium-- Mr. Speaker, I am going to hold on. I am going to reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, this is a terrible bill, and I urge everybody to vote ``no.'' Again, this is an important topic. This is about whether or not people basically have their basic rights upheld and respected in this country. We are in the midst of a healthcare crisis, a crisis that Republicans are refusing to address, and more than 20 million Americans who get their healthcare on the ACA exchanges are going to see their premiums skyrocket in less than a month. There are only 12 legislative days left for this House to fix this problem before disaster strikes millions of American families. What are the Republicans focused on? They are focused on nonexistent foreign influence in kindergarten classes. You can't make this up. It is not for lack of an opportunity to do the right thing. Over and over, Democrats have offered the Republican majority in the House and the Senate a lifeline to vote to extend these credits and to get out of their own way. In fact, we have given them 19 separate chances to vote to extend the ACA credits. They have voted ``no'' on each and every one. This PQ vote today will be congressional Republicans' 20th opportunity to vote to prevent the health insurance costs of millions of Americans, their constituents, my constituents, from rising significantly. It is past time for them to do the right thing. For the sake of millions of Americans and their healthcare, I urge my Republican colleagues to support this extension and to vote on the previous question. I ask unanimous consent, Mr. Speaker, to insert the text of my amendment into the Record, along with any extraneous material, immediately prior to the vote on the previous question.

Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, may I inquire how much time I have remaining.

Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. Mr. Speaker, make no mistake, this Republican majority is failing spectacularly, and the American people know it. They have now had 12 months, a full year to do something, anything, to bring down prices, to lower costs, and to focus on housing, healthcare, food prices, or transportation. That is what I hear about when I talk to people back home. They want the government to focus on housing costs, healthcare, childcare, food, transportation. They want a Congress that makes it easier to buy a home, raise a family, and build a life. Instead, we get a bunch of absurd bills that nobody asked for. Republicans want to bring up legislation addressing foreign influence in our kids' classrooms. How about they start addressing foreign influence in the Oval Office? How about Qatar gifting a new Air Force One to Trump? What was that in exchange for? How about the $20 billion Trump gave to his friend in Argentina? How about the lavish dinner he just held for the Saudi Prince who murdered a U.S. journalist? No, no, no. Republicans don't want you to ask about that foreign interference. You need to worry about the Chinese Government getting involved with your kids' math class. That is what they say. Is this Republican majority for real? This is insane. These guys have had a full year to do something for working families, to bring down food prices, to reduce healthcare costs for regular people, to take on corporate greed, and to lower everyday expenses. They have done nothing. Instead, they have defended Trump's tariffs, passed tax cuts for billionaires, and protected the special interests while regular families are getting screwed. They have shoveled subsidies and giveaways to greedy CEOs while families struggle to pay for groceries and rent. Quite frankly, we don't share the same values. Democrats want a very different government. We want a government that stands up to corporate greed, a government that uplifts workers, powers consumers, and fights on the side of everyday people. We want a Congress that takes on special interests and doesn't reward them. We believe in passing big, bold, consequential bills that make life better for everyday people, not creating hotlines that already exist and certainly not going on a taxpayer-funded vacation for 8 weeks like Republicans did in October and November. The American people deserve so much better. They deserve leaders who fight for them, not a Republican majority that worships Donald Trump and rewards his wealthy friends. I urge a ``no'' vote on this rule, Mr. Speaker. It is pathetic that we are here talking about this stuff and not talking about ways to keep the government open and to make sure that people can afford their healthcare and can afford other things. There is too much attention being showered on those who are well-off and well-connected, those who are connected to this President, who give him gifts, and who write big checks to this administration. We have to put regular people first. Mr. Speaker, I again urge a ``no'' vote on the rule, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Mr. McGOVERN

Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, I demand a recorded vote.

Mr. McGOVERN

Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, under Donald Trump, America is joining the ranks of other countries in all the wrong ways. Freedom House now lists us among nations where judges and prosecutors face political attacks. Reporters Without Borders says that our press freedom has sunk to a historic low. Now, Trump has crossed a line that no U.S. President ever dared cross: He withheld food assistance that Americans were legally entitled to, blocking nutrition benefits not because the country can't afford them but because he thinks it helps him politically. In my work as co-chair of the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission, I have seen brutal regimes use food as a weapon and leaders starve their own people to hold on to power. I never ever thought I would see a U.S. President try to rip a page from the same playbook. What a shameful moment in our history, and I will continue to fight to end hunger now.

Mr. McGOVERN

Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, by direction of the Democratic Caucus, I offer a privileged resolution and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. McGOVERN

Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from North Carolina for yielding me the customary 30 minutes, and I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, Americans are working more and more for less and less. Almost every day, I speak with young people who can't afford to start a family, can't buy a house, and can't get ahead. I hear it from seniors who are struggling to survive on fixed incomes. I see it with my own eyes. Moms and dads are putting items back on the shelves in the grocery store because they can't afford them. Parents can't go back to work because they can't afford childcare. People's health insurance premiums are doubling and tripling because this majority has failed to act. During election season, we heard from Trump and Republicans who swore up and down they would bring down prices. They promised the American people they would reverse inflation and focus like a laser on affordability. They have broken that promise. They have betrayed the American people. If you want more evidence of that, look at the bills on the floor today: more garbage, more culture war crap, more bills written by this Republican majority of, by, and for the billionaire class. Republicans moved Heaven and Earth to give tax breaks to the rich and powerful. That got done in a nanosecond. If you are a regular person staring down next year's healthcare premium hikes and deciding whether to pay a thousand bucks more or put food on the table, the answer you get back from the Republicans is: Let them eat cake. We are barreling toward another shutdown at the end of January. We could have spent the last 2 months working on passing the nine appropriations bills Republicans still need to pass to stop another shutdown. Instead, they went on a taxpayer-funded paid vacation for 8 weeks. Let me just say, because we are debating a rule to consider these eight bills, this rule sucks. There are eight closed rules, no amendments, no changes allowed on the floor, take it or leave it. If you are keeping count at home, that is 80 completely closed rules this Congress, the most ever in a year. Mr. Speaker, I want to correct the gentlewoman because last night in the Rules Committee she said that five of these bills didn't receive any amendments. That is because she didn't ask for any. When you don't send an amendment deadline, everyone knows you are doing a closed rule. My Republican colleagues have been complicit in these 80 closed rules. Nearly 9 out of 10 times, the majority party has not been allowed to bring amendments to the floor. They are getting blocked by their own leadership time and time again. How does that feel? Again, this is a terrible rule, and I urge a ``no'' vote. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, those are a lot of words to justify the most closed Congress in history, the most authoritarian Congress in history. It would make Putin blush. Mr. Speaker, if we defeat the previous question, I will offer an amendment to the rule to provide for consideration of H.R. 6074, which would extend the Affordable Care Act enhanced premium tax credits for 3 years, through 2028. We are in the midst of a healthcare crisis. More than 20 million Americans who get their healthcare on the ACA exchanges are going to see their premiums skyrocket next year. That includes 250,000 people in my home State of Massachusetts, who are paying lower premiums and copays due to these tax credits, which Democrats created in 2021 and which are set to expire at the end of the year. Let me read you some of the stories from folks in my district: I just received my letter, and my monthly costs have gone from $1,287 to $3,026 for next year. As a working family with a daughter who has an autoimmune disease, we are struggling, and I am working 50-plus hours a week just to pay the insurance. Here is another one: With the Health Connector, I was paying $264 per month, acceptable seeing that I am healthy but not young. Without the advanced premium tax credit, my monthly premium will be just over $800 per month. I can't and I won't pay that. I will go without. This is happening across the country, and for the sake of millions of Americans and their healthcare, I urge my Republican colleagues to support this bill and vote ``no'' on the previous question. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to insert the text of my amendment into the Record along with any extraneous material immediately prior to the vote on the previous question.

Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, shortly on the floor, Republicans are about to finally bring up the Massie-Khanna bill to release the Epstein files. We had to drag this leadership here kicking and screaming. I appreciate their sudden and stunning change of heart on this issue, but I state for the record that the Republican leadership has tried to block this day for months and months and months. I also want to state for the record that Donald Trump could release these files on his own, today, right now, right this very second. He doesn't need to wait for Congress to pass the bill. He could release the files himself, but he won't. That is why we are here, because he refuses to act. Meanwhile, the Republican majority has blocked transparency at every turn. They stonewalled in committee. The gentlewoman from North Carolina and every Republican on the Rules Committee voted nine times to block my amendment to release the Epstein files, nine times. Republicans were so afraid of my amendment that Speaker Johnson shut down the Rules Committee and sent us home early in July, and then he refused to swear in a new Member of Congress for weeks because she promised to be the 218th signature to force this bill forward. Only four Republicans signed the discharge petition. Every single Democrat signed on. In a few moments, I am going to yield time to Representative Massie, who has been the Republican leader of this effort alongside Representative Khanna on the Democratic side. Here is why I am doing that: This bill should be getting a full hour of debate on the floor, but Speaker Johnson, I guess at Donald Trump's direction, is throwing every procedural gimmick at the wall to see what sticks, and he is trying to limit debate on the floor because for some reason he is very, very afraid of talking about this. That is why I am donating a significant chunk of my time to Members who have been silenced by the Speaker for the terrible crime of demanding truth and transparency. If I had to guess, most Republicans will probably vote in favor of releasing the files, but they are not voting ``yes'' because their conscience changed. They are voting ``yes'' because Donald Trump tells most of them how to vote, and he realized he has lost on this one. He says that people who support this bill ``betrayed the entire Republican Party.'' Really, really? How is accountability for a pedophile, something Donald Trump campaigned on, how is that now a betrayal? This was his issue, his idea. He ran on releasing the files. By the way, to those who say that Biden should have released these files, let me just address that right now. You are right, he should have, but he didn't make it his number one issue, and he is not the President right now. Donald Trump is. He could have released the files at any point over the last 11 months, but he has not. Republicans have had months to sign the discharge petition. They had months to bring this bill to the floor, but this leadership has chosen obstruction. They don't want to pass this bill. They don't even want to talk about it on the House floor, and so that is why debate matters. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, the gentlewoman doesn't oppose this? Boy, she has a funny way of showing it. I gave the gentlewoman nine opportunities in the Committee on Rules to bring this measure to the floor. I gave her nine opportunities. Every time I brought up an amendment, she voted it down. There were nine opportunities. To say that somehow this is always what they wanted, I don't know, but that doesn't pass the smell test. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. Khanna).

Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, I yield an additional 1 minute to the gentleman from California.

Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, the gentlewoman says that we should just trust her and Republican leadership. After what I saw unfold over these last several months, I can't. There was obstruction and the use of every maneuver possible to avoid this moment we have here today. I say for the record: It doesn't matter whether there are Republicans, Democrats, or Independents implicated in these files. We believe in accountability for everybody who abuses young women. We believe in justice. That is kind of what is uniting many of us on this side of the aisle here today. Mr. Speaker, I thank Representative Khanna for his leadership. I thank Representative Massie, Representative Greene, and Representative Mace for their courage and for their willingness to stand up for what is right. We don't agree on very much, but we do agree there ought to be accountability when young women are abused. That is what this is about. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Kentucky (Mr. Massie) to control the time.

Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, first, let me say how much I admire the courage of my Republican colleagues who are beside me here today. Mr. Speaker, at the end of the day, this is not about us, and it is not about politics. This is about the survivors, young girls who were exploited by powerful men. These were men who used money and power to take advantage of girls, some as young as 11 years old. The President of the United States calls it all a hoax. Can you imagine that? What an evil and disgusting thing to say. These young girls, now women, the survivors, what happened to them was horrific. They were sexually abused, many of them for years, and the President of the United States calls it all a hoax. What kind of messed up, sick-in-the-head, immoral person says something like that? This bill is about making sure that powerful men are held accountable. It is about demanding truth and transparency for the American people. Republican leaders in this House lost control of the story. They lost the ability to hide behind procedure, and they lost the luxury of pretending that they were ever on the right side. The American people see it. Survivors see it, and history will see it. Listening to the Speaker of the House's press conference today, it sounds like he basically wants to kill this whole thing. He is trying to obstruct and derail the process. Why the hell is he fighting so hard to do the opposite of what the survivors want? What an awful, awful thing to do. Let us release the files. Let's give survivors the transparency they have long been denied. Let us take back power from the rich, billionaire elites who think that they can do whatever they want with no justice or accountability. Let's remember exactly who had to be dragged here under duress and who stood up from day one to demand the truth. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. McGOVERN

Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, I demand a recorded vote.

Mr. McGOVERN

Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from Minnesota (Mrs. Fischbach) for yielding me the customary time, and I yield myself such time as I may consume. It is great to see you all, Mr. Speaker. We have been looking for you guys everywhere. Where the hell have you been? Imagine my shock when I found out that you guys went home. Republicans have been on 8 weeks of taxpayer-funded paid vacation. Why did Republicans do it? They did it because Democrats had the audacity to ask them to try to lower people's healthcare costs. While they sat on their couch for 8 weeks, we were working. We listened to people who told us their health insurance premiums are doubling and tripling. We heard from people who don't understand why you guys moved at the speed of light to give tax breaks to billionaires but won't lift a damn finger to extend the tax credits that help ensure people's health insurance premiums don't skyrocket. This CR, this dirty CR, which does nothing to solve the healthcare crisis, is one of the most immoral, unethical, evil things that I have ever seen happen in all of my time in Congress. It is just part of a larger pattern of indifference from Republicans that we have seen time after time after time. When the billionaire class needed another tax cut, when they wanted to funnel money to the people who write their campaign checks, boy, did Republicans deliver. They rammed through their awful, big, ugly bill in a nanosecond. What the hell is wrong with them? While regular people are struggling to pay bills, Donald Trump's net worth has gone up by $3 billion since he became President. People's health insurance premiums are doubling and tripling, but Republicans say there is no affordability crisis, even as their tariffs are costing people an extra 1,200 bucks per year. Regular people can't afford the rent, and Republicans are letting Trump gild his bathroom and build a ballroom to host the rich and powerful elites who own the GOP. These guys are bailing out Argentina. They are giving $40 billion to an entirely different country rather than helping the 42 million Americans who can't afford to put food on the table. Here is the clincher, Mr. Speaker: Buried in this CR is a corrupt kickback for eight Republican Senators, a million-dollar payday funded by taxpayers taken straight from the Treasury and deposited directly into their pockets. What the hell is wrong with this place? They promised to put America first. The only thing you guys put first is yourselves, yourselves and the rich and powerful people who pull your strings behind the scenes. These people don't care. They don't have to call the insurance company because their claim was denied. They don't buy their own groceries. If you have a private jet, an offshore bank account, and an invite to Mar-a-Lago, go ahead and support your Republican Representative. If you are a regular person who feels like you are getting screwed over, and if you are fed up with the status quo here in Washington that only works for those at the top, this majority is not fighting for you--but we are. Democrats are on your side, and we will fight with you every step of the way against the corruption, the lies, and the BS coming out of this administration. We will not back this so-called deal. It is not a real solution, and it is certainly not a clean CR. This CR leaves families twisting in the wind with zero guarantee there will ever, ever be a vote to extend tax credits to help everyday people pay for their healthcare. I urge my colleagues to vote ``no'' on this rule and ``no'' on the underlying legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, you have to love the Republicans. The gentlewoman from Minnesota says that they weren't on vacation. I want to remind her that they haven't voted for 8 weeks, and most people define ``vacation'' as you don't have to show up to work and you get paid. That is exactly what Republicans did. They didn't show up to work, and they got paid. It was a paid vacation. Mr. Speaker, I now yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Johnson).

Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I love my Republican colleagues. The majority is introducing legislation to repeal provisions in a bill that they are going to vote ``yes'' on. Figure that out. Mr. Speaker, the previous question is the House Democrats' last attempt to make a change to this rule before it gets voted on, and I use this opportunity to talk about a last-minute provision that was slipped into this CR in the Senate. It is an outrageous giveaway to pad the pockets of eight Republican Senators, and it is one of the most corrupt things that I have seen in my life. Mr. Speaker, if the House defeats the previous question, I will offer an amendment to the rule to consider as adopted an amendment to the continuing resolution, offered by Representative Subramanyam, which would strike the corrupt giveaway out of the text of this bill so that it does not make it into law. Mr. Speaker, this is a massive payday for Republicans. It would allow eight Republican Senators to shovel millions--millions--of dollars into their own wallets. I am talking about cash money. It is not for their States and not for their constituents. No, no. It is for their own personal bank accounts. Why should a United States Senator or any party get a special right that nobody else has? No State legislator, no Governor, no judge, and no citizen in the entire country has this right, but we are creating it for a handful of Republican Senators. It is immoral. I say it is unconstitutional. It is wrong, and it is probably the most brazen theft and plunder of public resources ever proposed in the United States Congress. It was tucked into this legislation, and I speak directly to Republicans who say that they can't vote with us because it will delay the reopening of the government. First off, that is exactly what these corrupt Senators were hoping they would say. Second, we absolutely can send this back to the Senate. They can quickly strip it and send the bill to the President. They finished this package in less than 2 days. This is one small thing that needs to be deleted. It is easy, and it could be done very fast. Mr. Speaker, please spare me the excuses that we will get this done next week with a new bill. Once this is law, that is it. It is signed into law forever. It will never change. It is permanent, and the majority voted for it. Republicans all know that. So they shouldn't say that they are going to pass some new bill next week to address this. That is just an excuse to do nothing that would fix it. Republicans moved at the speed of light to give tax breaks to billionaires, and the least that they could do is to give the same urgency to stop this shamelessly corrupt fleecing of the American people. Mr. Speaker, I get it. Trump is suing the U.S. Government for $230 million, and I guess these Senators want in on the action. They want their own payday. I have never seen this level of grift, shameless corruption, and theft of public money in my entire life, ever. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to insert the text of my amendment into the Record, along with extraneous material, immediately prior to the vote on the previous question.

Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, to discuss our proposal, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Subramanyam).

Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to include in the Record an article from ABC News titled: ``Inflation climbs to highest level since January, beef prices soar.''