Jim McGovern

Mr. McGOVERN

Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Escobar) for the purpose of a unanimous consent request.

Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Washington (Ms. DelBene) for the purpose of a unanimous consent request.

Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Washington (Ms. Jayapal) for the purpose of a unanimous consent request.

Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Cohen) for the purpose of a unanimous consent request.

Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from North Carolina (Ms. Ross) for the purpose of a unanimous consent request.

Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from California (Mr. Whitesides) for the purpose of a unanimous consent request.

Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from New Hampshire (Ms. Goodlander) for the purpose of a unanimous consent request.

Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from California (Mr. Thompson) for the purpose of a unanimous consent request.

Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Schneider) for the purpose of a unanimous consent request.

Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Rhode Island (Mr. Magaziner) for the purpose of a unanimous consent request.

Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Casar) for the purpose of a unanimous consent request.

Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Stanton) for the purpose of a unanimous consent request.

Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the distinguished woman from California (Ms. Pelosi) for the purpose of a unanimous consent request.

Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, over 100 Democratic Members just asked to allow an amendment to protect Medicaid and SNAP, to just give us a vote. That is all I ask. I will say that we are here standing up for the American people, no matter where they live, and this is what it looks like to fight for the American people, to make sure that this administration and this Republican Congress don't rip away their healthcare and their food benefits. That is disgusting. In the gentlewoman from North Carolina's district alone, 142,000 of her constituents would lose some or all of their SNAP benefits, and five rural hospitals are at risk of closure. My Democratic colleagues and I are here to help people, not to screw them over. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, may I inquire as to how much time is remaining.

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

Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, I don't know if the gentleman has ever read the Medicaid statute, but undocumented immigrants are not entitled to receive Medicaid benefits, and they don't. Our solution to make sure that our children are not saddled with debt is to not give billionaires, millionaires, and corporations big tax cuts. Jeff Bezos doesn't need a tax cut. Why don't you come down here and explain to people why it is so important that you protect his tax cuts? We tried to go after the billionaire tax cuts in the Rules Committee last night, and every single Republican voted ``no.'' That is how we are going to do it. We are going to invest in people who need help. We are going to make sure people have healthcare. We are going to make sure people have food assistance. We are not going to screw them over. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from California (Mr. DeSaulnier).

Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, the big, ugly bill is going to throw 16 million people off of healthcare and give people like Jeff Bezos, millionaires and billionaires, a tax cut. If that is what you are about, I hate to tell you, that is not what the American people voted for. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Riley).

Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, I hope when the President comes here next, you will admonish him for the language he uses. Mr. Speaker, I yield one minute to the gentlewoman from Delaware (Ms. McBride).

Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from California (Mr. Khanna).

Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. I don't want to close, but I am prepared to close. Mr. Speaker, this bill is a moral failure. It rips healthcare away from millions. It pushes more families into hunger, and it leaves seniors stranded all so billionaires can keep more of what they will never spend. Republicans say: If you lose your job, too bad. If hospitals shut down, good luck. If you can't afford groceries or insulin, figure it out. But if you are Big Oil, a CEO, or trust fund baby, don't worry, we have got you covered. This bill is about who matters and who doesn't. Guess what. Working people didn't make the cut. I want my Republican colleagues to know they don't have to do this. They don't have to sell out their own communities. They don't have to vote for a bill that goes against fundamental things they claim to believe in. Crazy as it sounds, they don't have to hurt people to keep Trump happy. Find a spine. Find a conscience, for God's sake, because the American people are watching. They know the difference between real leadership and bootlicking. A vote for this bill is a vote for cruelty. It is a vote for fiscal irresponsibility and a vote to screw over your constituents to give more to the ultra wealthy. This bill is a middle finger to working people. We can still stop this. We can still do the right thing. Vote ``no.'' Go back to the table. Work with us on tax relief for people who are not making millions and billions of dollars. Don't let this be your legacy. That so many of you are blindly going along with this just to please the guy in the White House is shameful. You have a responsibility to care for the people in your districts, and you are voting for a bill that is going to throw millions off of healthcare and rip food off kitchen tables all across the country. It is shameful. It is shameful. I am disgusted that we are here debating this trash. Mr. Speaker, I urge a ``no'' vote on the rule and a ``no'' vote on the bill. I yield back the balance of my time.

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

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

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

Mr. McGOVERN

Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to talk about the United States' policy toward Cuba. There are many crises in the world, like Iran. One crisis that does not get enough attention is the humanitarian one in Cuba today, with its hunger and deprivation. To many, the word ``Cuba'' invokes politics. Oftentimes, a topic that politicians use to demagogue in U.S. elections for political advantage. However, Cuba is an island of 10 million human beings. They are people like you and me with families and with hopes for a better future. There is no doubt that the aspirations of the people of Cuba are stymied by their own government. It denies them fundamental human rights. It does not meet their basic needs. It must do better, much better, to listen to what people are asking for and address their concerns in a real way, and our government in the United States isn't helping. In fact, we make the lives of the Cuban people worse, a lot worse. I have visited Cuba many times as a Member of Congress. I have met with Cubans in their homes and have talked to them in their own communities. I can tell you firsthand that the U.S. embargo is harmful to the people of Cuba. It denies them food, medicine, and basic goods. It contributes to hunger and human misery. It is a driver of migration from the island. U.S. policy toward Cuba fails to see the Cuban people as human beings. Too often, politicians here treat Cubans as commodities, as props in their political arguments. This is dehumanizing. It has gotten worse under President Trump. Cubans were once welcomed with open arms into the United States, even given preferential treatment not available to others fleeing dire conditions. No more. Cuban immigrants are equally at risk under the Trump administration's cruelty-first policies. A half million Cuban immigrants are currently in the United States under parole. An additional 110,000 Cubans entered the U.S. legally under the CHNV humanitarian parole program, but the Trump administration eliminated CHNV. Most Cubans are not eligible to adjust their status and are at risk of being sent back to Cuba. The Trump administration is adding to the humanitarian crisis. I am disappointed in many of my colleagues on the other side of the aisle. They continue to defend the U.S. embargo and the status quo. They claim that they want to force the Cuban Government to treat its own people better, yet now when they have a chance to speak out against the Trump administration's callous indifference to the welfare of the Cuban people or even advance policies that will improve the lives of Cubans on the island, these same people are silent. I find that shameful. In the past, whether our policy was more relaxed or tightened, our government maintained consultations with Cuban officials to manage migration, but the Trump administration has closed even that door, turning off a basic level of dialogue. None of this makes sense. Tightening sanctions increases suffering, which drives people to our shores and to the border, but the administration won't even talk to Cubans about migration. How do they plan to return those they want to deport? Do they think they can hold Cubans in detention indefinitely? Conditions in Cuba are far more desperate than during Trump's first term. To be frank, President Biden disappointed me. He didn't do enough to help. Food and medicine shortages and power blackouts are causing more suffering. Mr. Speaker, 1 million people, one-tenth of the population, have left the island. If the Trump administration wants to stop migration, it should not be contributing to its root cause. The Cuban people are caught in a vise. They don't have a government that adequately responds to their needs, and they can't look to America to help them, either. A better approach to Cuba starts with seeing each other on a human level. We should promote exchange between artists, musicians, writers, filmmakers, scientists, and students. We can nurture understanding, build relationships, foster trust, and diplomacy will follow. President Obama understood this. He knew that insanity was doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results, so he loosened restrictions, relieved tensions, and advanced cooperation. We were on the road to helping create a new future for Cuba. However, Trump takes us backward. He unjustifiably added Cuba to the state sponsor of terrorism list, purely for political reasons. They ought to be removed from that list. He banned travel and blocked remittances. He has cut off our ability to negotiate for the release of political prisoners. He continues to insist on sanctions to economically starve the country. We should instead lift the embargo. By closing off American engagement, he has opened the door for greater Russian and Chinese influence. Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to consider a human-focused approach to Cuba. Our policy should not add to their suffering. We should hear their aspirations and never doubt the power of the people to create change. Our Cuba policy is on the wrong track. It is a throwback to the Cold War. It is ineffective, and it makes us look petty and vindictive in the eyes of the world community. We need to do much better.