Jim McGovern

Mr. McGOVERN

Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. Mr. Speaker, this debate has made one thing very clear. Republicans are not the victims of this chaos. They are the perpetrators of this chaos. There is only one party that controls this floor and all three branches of government. Republicans set the agenda. Republicans write these awful rules. Republicans control the schedule, and Republicans have chosen to spend week after week fighting with one another while regular working people are getting squeezed. News flash to my Republican colleagues: The American people know the difference between working and pretending to work. They know that passing the same voter suppression bill again and again will not lower their rent. They know that stapling the SAVE Act onto yet another piece of legislation will not bring down the price of groceries. They know that threatening the VFW will not improve veterans' care. They know that changing or not changing the clocks will not change what is in their bank account. Mr. Speaker, if Democrats were in the majority, we would begin every day with one simple question: How do we make life more affordable for working people in this country? We would work to build more housing. We would work to lower rents and stop giant Wall Street firms from bidding families out of the market. We would take on corporate consolidation and price gouging that are driving up the cost of food. We would lower health insurance premiums and prescription drug prices instead of ripping coverage away to pay for more billionaire tax breaks. We would make childcare more affordable. We would lower utility bills and end these stupid tariff taxes that show up in the price of nearly everything that people buy. In addition, we would stay here and we would keep working until the job was done. Now, I am not saying that every problem would be solved overnight, but we would put real solutions on this floor. We would allow debate. I mean, we don't debate anything anymore. Most of the bills that come to this floor are completely closed, where nobody can offer an amendment, take it or leave it. I mean, you know, and when something did not pass, we would keep trying. We would keep trying until we got it right, until we helped people in this country. I mean, that is our job. That's what we are supposed to do. When it comes to veterans, Democrats would fund the benefits that these veterans earned. We would not pit one generation of disabled veterans against another, and that is what my Republican colleagues are doing. It is really not only frustrating; it is unconscionable. That should not be a partisan statement, by the way, in terms of helping our veterans. That is basic decency. The American people deserve a Congress that is focused on affordability, not on Donald Trump's long list of petty grievances and attempts to rehash old conspiracy theories from 6 years ago. They deserve a majority that understands that power is not about controlling the floor. It is about using the floor to help people, to improve the quality of life for the people that we represent. Republicans have had their chance. They blew it. They have wasted it. I urge my colleagues, vote ``no'' on the previous question. Vote ``no'' on this rule. Let us end the chaos and get back to work for the American people. Mr. Speaker, 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, WIC provides pregnant and postpartum moms and their babies with healthy food. It increases nutrition, reduces premature births, and improves access to healthcare for moms and babies. That is why, Mr. Speaker, I find it unconscionable that Republicans in this Chamber passed a bill earlier this month that slashes funding for the program by $200 million. The bill takes away money for nutritious fruits and vegetables and would force WIC providers to turn away eligible families for the first time in 30 years. Then, 1 week later, Republicans gave $70 billion to make a slush fund for ICE and CBP. When it comes to giving $200 million, that is less than 0.1 percent of that number, to hungry kids, Republicans said that we ran out of money. What the hell is wrong with these people, Mr. Speaker? I thought they wanted to make America healthy again. You can't be healthy if you are hungry, Mr. Speaker, and the Republican Agriculture appropriations bill will make hunger worse. I will fight tooth and nail for the Senate to restore the fruit and vegetable voucher and reverse these cuts to WIC. Let's work together to actually make America healthy and end hunger now.

Mr. McGOVERN

Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Georgia for yielding me the customary time, and I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, let me begin by asking: Do Republicans even have the votes to pass this rule? Because, if not, what on Earth are we doing here? Wasting more time? Even your own Members are fed up, Mr. Speaker--every week wondering if someone is going to throw a fit; if Donald Trump is going to post something crazy and blow everything up; if Mike Johnson is going to bring something to the floor when he doesn't have the votes. The chaos and the dysfunction around here is unhinged. We wasted hours and hours at the Rules Committee last week debating and voting on a rule that never came to the floor. And for what? Because Congress passed a bipartisan housing affordability bill, and the President had a temper tantrum, refused to sign it, and derailed everything? I mean, really? And why? Because he is still busy trying to fraudulently claim that the 2020 election was stolen, and now he wants to use that as an excuse to try to rig the midterms. Let me remind my colleagues: This is the United States of America. It is still the United States of America. We are not China, or Russia, or some two-bit dictatorship. This is insane what is going on here. Families cannot afford rent. Folks are priced out of buying a house. Donald Trump is asked about the bipartisan housing bill yesterday, and he says: `` . . . it's so unimportant . . . `' he says: `` . . . it's so unimportant . . . `' then he says: ``I made a lot of money with housing.'' The American people are not asking whether Donald Trump made a lot of money in housing. They are asking why they cannot afford it. They are asking why his economy sucks, why their prices are going up, and nobody in this Republican administration seems to give a damn. So, now, we are back with another rule. Maybe it passes. Maybe it doesn't. Who knows anymore. This rule includes a National Defense Authorization bill with a trillion--that is with a t--dollar price tag. I should tell my colleagues that we already spend more on our military than the next six countries combined. It is an astronomical amount. Over another trillion dollars on our military budget? Boy, that is so wild and extravagant, even Dr. Strangelove would be impressed. Now, Mr. Speaker, let me get this straight: Republicans want to give Donald Trump over a trillion dollars for the Pentagon? Donald Trump who started an illegal war? Donald Trump who got 13 American servicemembers killed because he started a war to distract from the Epstein files? That is who they want to give a trillion dollars to? I mean, get real. The State and Foreign Operations bill is a mess, too. It guts all the programs that actually prevent crises before they explode. When the next war, famine, pandemic, or global breakdown knocks on our door, just remember it was Republicans who set the stage, just like they did when they cut funding for screwworm protection. There is the Social Security disability bill that hands more authority to an administration already targeting programs that working people rely on. Then, we get to this Republican self-esteem exercise, yet another nonbinding resolution, praising Republicans for the big, ugly bill. Mr. Speaker, I have a secret for you. I checked with my staff. Not a single person has called my office saying: Congressman, I think Republicans should spend time congratulating themselves on a bill they passed last year that took away my healthcare and is directly responsible for raising my bills. I haven't got a single call about that. What exactly is it that my Republican friends are congratulating themselves for anyway? You passed the big, ugly bill a year ago. Since then, gas prices have gone up. Grocery prices have gone up. There is a new war in the Middle East. Healthcare is more expensive, and fewer people have it. Child hunger has gone up. The tariffs are crushing farmers and driving up costs. That is what you guys are doing a victory lap over? Really? I mean, really? Never have we seen so much inequality between the rich and the poor in this country. Regular people are getting screwed while the top 0.001 percent saw their incomes go up by--get this--$20 million last year. You guys could not be more out of touch if you tried, Mr. Speaker. There might be hours of floor debate on these crummy bills this week, but right now we are here to talk about the Republicans' agenda, their plan for the week. The truth is that their bills are just more of the same old status quo nonsense that people back home are sick and tired of. The Republican agenda is a nightmare for this country. The American people are in an economic crisis right now. They are getting screwed by the policies of this administration. Their wallets and their pocketbooks are getting cleaned out by this President and this majority's billionaire-forced agenda. Then, they turn on C-SPAN today--and God help them if they do--and what do they see Republicans bringing to the floor? Not a bill to help deal with rising inflation and economic uncertainty--no, no, no. Their focus this week is a resolution to congratulate themselves on a bill that they already passed last year. In case they haven't noticed, for most people, things have gotten worse since then, not better. People are looking to this place and wondering whether anybody at all on the Republican side has any idea what their life is actually like. They believe that this Republican majority is just out of touch, out of sync with where regular people are. If people look at these awful, lousy bills, the answer is obviously no. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. McGOVERN. Boy, that was a good retort. 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 strike the section adding the SAVE America Act to the NDAA during engrossment. Mr. Speaker, let me be clear. I think the SAVE Act is an awful bill. It is not about election security. It is about relitigating Donald Trump's loss in 2020--and he did lose. He lost big. It will make it harder for American citizens to vote if this SAVE Act ever becomes law. Here is another thing that is clear to everyone, or should be. This little maneuver by the Speaker is a nothing burger. It is a shell game. It is the Wizard of Oz behind the curtain pretending to do magic. Here is the truth: The SAVE Act will not become law. Even if this rule manages to pass, the Senate will not pass an NDAA with the SAVE Act included. They have already said that, and Leader Thune, 5 days ago, already filed cloture on the Senate's own version of the NDAA without the SAVE Act. At the end of the day, it is very simple. Republicans are using procedural tricks to try to make it harder for people to vote because they can't win elections the old-fashioned way. They can't win them fair and square. It is offensive. In the case of this MIRV scheme, it is downright stupid. 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, to discuss our proposal, I yield 5 minutes to the gentlewoman from Alabama (Ms. Sewell), the sponsor of this amendment.

Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I remind the gentleman and others that we already spend more than six of our nearest competitors in terms of military spending combined. We are talking about $1.5 trillion--trillion with a t--going to the defense budget this year. I have to tell you that I really think we ought to have a debate in this Congress about the definition of national security, and I think it ought to include things like healthcare. My Republican friends cut $1 trillion from healthcare. People are losing their healthcare left and right, but if you don't have healthcare, you don't feel very secure. The definition of national security also ought to include the quality of education we provide our young people. It ought to include things like ending hunger in this country. We are the richest country in the history of the world, and we have 48 million Americans who don't know where their next meal is going to come from. It ought to include housing and whether people can afford housing. We have an affordability crisis right now that we tried to address in a bipartisan way, but Donald Trump had a meltdown. It ought to include supporting our veterans and cleaning up our environment. It ought to include things like investing in our workforce. All of those things are sources of our national strength that are getting shortchanged here, so forgive us if we are not getting excited about this massive increase in military spending at a time when the average American is getting screwed. Enough. Enough. When you go back to your districts and you talk to people in coffee shops, they are not worried about whether we are spending $900 billion or $1.5 trillion on our military spending, most of which goes to defense contractors. What they are worried about is whether they can afford their groceries, whether they can afford their rent, and whether they can afford the gas for their car. Those are things that are real. Whether they can send their kids to college, all of those things matter. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from Rhode Island (Mr. Magaziner).

Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I have to admit I was taken a little bit aback by the gentleman's statement earlier when he said the economy is doing ``pretty good.'' I think those are his exact words. I am kind of stunned by that because inflation is up. The price of groceries is up. The price of gas is up. The price of housing is up. The price of everything is up. People, by every poll that has been conducted, whether it is on the left, on the right, or in the center, say the same thing: People are not satisfied with this economy. They do not think it is pretty good, no matter what their party affiliation is. They do not think it is good. Now, maybe if you are Republican in the House of Representatives and you hang around with the Mar-a-Lago class, maybe they think it is pretty good. I mean, Elon Musk is now the first trillionaire. I guess he thinks it is pretty good. If you are the average worker, whether it is in Massachusetts or Georgia or California or South Dakota, you don't share that view because it isn't. Things are actually pretty bad. Things are pretty bad. The gentleman said that poor kids are not losing their SNAP benefits. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to include in the Record an article titled: ``Over 700,000 Poor Kids Across 12 States Have Lost Food Aid Under Trump-GOP Budget Law.''

Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, this article appeared in May 2026. That number is now estimated not at 700,000 but at 800,000 in this country. Think about it. The economy is doing pretty good, and in this country that we live in right now, the United States of America, we have close to 50 million Americans who don't know where their next meal is going to come from, who are hungry. I don't think they think the economy is pretty good. In fact, the majority of these people are working families. They are working harder than ever, but because everything is going up, they can't afford groceries. Go to any grocery store in this country, and you will see people actually putting groceries back on the shelves because their paychecks don't stretch as far as they used to because prices are going up. By the way, it is not just the big, ugly bill. It is the President's stupid tariff policy, which is raising prices all across this country, and the war in Iran that--I don't even know if he knows what the hell he is doing. It just goes on and on and on. Again, we are spending countless dollars on this war, again, which is resulting in energy prices going through the roof. No, people do not think the economy is pretty good. They do not. I suspect that that is what is behind this effort by Republicans to try to rig the midterm elections, because they know that the American people are not happy with where things are. It is not just Democrats, not just independents, but a whole bunch of Republicans. A whole bunch of Republicans are also dissatisfied. I urge my colleagues on the other side of the aisle to go to coffee shops, to go to diners, to go to grocery stores, and to go to VFW halls in their districts and listen to what people are saying. They are not happy. They are very concerned about the state of the economy. They are not confident that things are going to get better. They do not think that the person running this country right now has any clue about what the reality is for working families. He lives in a different sphere altogether. He is worried about reflecting pools, building monuments in his honor, and redoing the East Wing that he said would cost nothing but is going to cost us billions when it is all said and done--cost the taxpayers billions. That is what he is consumed about. They want a Congress and a government that cares about them. 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 am not yet prepared to close, but I do want to remind the gentleman that it was the Republicans that put into this rule a bill to congratulate yourselves on the big, ugly bill, and it was the gentleman who said that people think this economy is doing pretty good, and I take issue with that. There are people who are losing their healthcare. Republicans like to pretend that their big, ugly bill, which cut Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act by more than $1 trillion, didn't actually hurt anyone. I mean, there are lots of real stories of people being hurt. Kathy and Jeffrey Many, who live in Brandon, Vermont, are owners of a garage door installation repair business. They said that their premium was jumping up from $625 a month to nearly $2,670 per month, and the cheapest alternative they could find was still nearly $2,000. Kathy and Jeffrey ended up dropping their coverage. The economy is not working good for them. Eric and Lisa Frankenfeld, a chiropractor and his wife, who live in Point Pleasant, New Jersey, said their premium was set to skyrocket to $1,928 per month, up from $340 per month, so they decided to go without coverage this year. Lisa said: We are healthcare providers who cannot afford benefits. Oh, the irony. Katelin Provost, a 37-year-old single mom and social worker from Henderson, Nevada, saw her premium jump from $85 to $750 a month. She said she would likely drop her own coverage in order to keep insurance for her 4-year-old daughter. I mean, these are real-life stories. I can go on and on and on and read them here. The economy is not pretty good for them. The economy is lousy for them, and there is nothing that is in this rule that we will consider that will help any of them. In fact, there is nothing that this Republican Congress has done to help any of them. Instead, you have made their lives worse. The economy is not doing pretty good. The idea that you are going to congratulate yourselves on the passage of the big, ugly bill, well, I just have a difference of opinion. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, it is rich to be lectured about healthcare from my Republican friends. Let me tell you what Democrats did with the Affordable Care Act. By passing it, it stopped health insurance companies from charging sick people more premiums than healthy people. It kept health insurance companies from denying coverage to pregnant women and people with preexisting conditions. It demanded insurance companies cover more preventive services. It allows young adults to stay on their parents' insurance until they are age 26. I could go on and on and on. What did my Republican friends do? They cut $1 trillion from healthcare. By the way, I should remind the gentleman that Republicans control the House, Republicans control the Senate, Republicans control the White House, and healthcare prices are going through the roof under your watch. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, may I inquire as to the time remaining.

Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time to close. Mr. Speaker, I could go on and on about healthcare all day. I just urge those who are in the gallery and those who are watching, I mean, look at your own healthcare bills, look at your own healthcare coverage now after nearly 2 years of Republican control of the government. The bottom line is: People are losing their healthcare benefits. In this country, that is unconscionable. Mr. Speaker, I have served here a long time, and I have seen majorities struggle before. I have seen close votes. I have seen disagreements. This is something else entirely. This is a majority that cannot function unless Donald Trump is lucid and in a good mood, and even then it is a coin flip. I mean, Americans need cheaper housing. They need a raise. They need healthcare that doesn't break the bank. They need a government that lowers prices and brings down inflation and protects them. Instead, what they are getting is a Republican administration that raises prices, increases inflation, and protects the Epstein pedophiles. Republicans promised they would lower prices on day one. It is now year two. They have been in complete and total control for almost 18 months. They run Washington. If you go home and ask people in small towns, in big cities, in suburbs, in rural communities, and in States across this country how things are going with Trump and Republicans in charge, they will tell you the truth, which is that things are getting worse because Trump's economy sucks. He swore he would end inflation--end it. Those are his words, not mine. He said he would end wars. He is starting them. He promised gas would be cheap. The national average is nearly $4 a gallon. The only people who are doing great right now are the billionaires, and now a trillionaire, and the greedy corporations that helped Republicans get elected because that is whom they work for. I think people are sick and tired of it. They are sick of watching Congress lurch from crisis to crisis. They are sick of Republicans spending more time managing their own egos than lowering anybody's bills. Let me just end with this. As we celebrate our country's 250th birthday this weekend, we have so, so much to be proud of as Americans. We have so much to celebrate and be thankful for. Each new generation that has fought to expand the circle of our democracy and make real the promise of our founding has brought us closer to the dream of a more perfect Union. That is what makes America great. I am looking forward to spending this Fourth of July with families and friends back up in Massachusetts, the birthplace of America, where our citizens came together to overthrow the most powerful army in the world and establish a government of, by, and for the people. However, the truth is that right now too many people feel as if this country is run by, of, and for the powerful, the wealthy, and the well- connected. Do you know what, Mr. Speaker? They are right. People see the corruption, the greed, the self- dealing, and the self-enrichment of this President's family and his crooked administration, and they are fed up with it. I believe that patriotism means calling your country to a higher standard. Patriotism means telling the truth, Mr. Speaker, and the truth is that Americans are hurting, costs are too high, and our democracy and freedoms are under assault by an out-of-control, lawless administration run by a President who thinks he is a king. Republicans are either too busy pledging allegiance to Trump to notice or too distracted fighting with each other to care. We can do better than this, we should do better than this, and we must do better than this. Reject this rule. Stop acting like a cult. Let's bring back bills that actually help people, and, for God's sake, let's start acting like America. Again, Mr. Speaker, I urge a ``no'' vote on this rule, a ``no'' vote on the underlying bills, and 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, I demand a recorded vote.

Mr. McGOVERN

Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, we have given Republicans several chances to defeat the previous question so we can kill Trump's insurrectionist slush fund. They have refused time and time again. We are giving them another chance. Let's defeat the previous question so we can consider Ranking Member Raskin's amendment to prevent taxpayer dollars from being used as a payout for anyone who assaulted a police officer on January 6. Trump wants to turn convicted cop beaters into MAGA millionaires. It is disgusting. These aren't people who supposedly got caught up in the crowd and somehow found themselves in the Capitol. They are people who assaulted police officers, seriously injuring many of them. They pled guilty or were convicted. Donald Trump not only pardoned them, but now he wants to give them your taxpayer money, America. This is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to corruption coming out of this administration: a super pardon for Trump and his family, bribes to pardon well-connected fraudsters, crypto schemes, pump-and-dump stock purchases, weaponizing the Department of Justice to go after his political opponents and a sexual assault survivor, handing out massive contracts to his wealthy friends, appointing unqualified lackeys to important National Security and Department of Justice jobs, and the list goes on and on and on. Mr. Speaker, I am ashamed at what Republicans have done to this House of Representatives. We are not debating issues on affordability. We are not debating lowering gas prices, controlling healthcare costs, or anything that matters to people. Instead, they have turned the Committee on Rules into the Protect Donald Trump Committee. Last night in the Committee on Rules, I offered three amendments to go after this slush fund, $1.8 billion. I offered three amendments, and every single Republican, including the gentleman from New York, voted ``no.'' They voted ``no'' to allow us on the House floor to have a debate and to vote on this matter. This is a pattern that Republicans have. Remember the Epstein files? Do you know how we ended up getting a vote on the Epstein files? It wasn't because Republicans wanted one. Democrats offered a gazillion amendments in the Committee on Rules to bring a bill to the floor to release the Epstein files, and the gentleman from New York and every Republican on the Committee on Rules voted ``no.'' It wasn't until we had a discharge petition and we forced a vote that all the sudden Republicans saw the light, and they came down here, and they voted with us. It wasn't until we had a supermajority where the President couldn't veto it that the President signed it into law, but here we are, the President still isn't releasing the files, and there is silence from the other side. People are sick and tired of this President's corruption and his lying. They are sick and tired of Republicans going along to get along. We are talking about $1.8 billion going to cop beaters. I hope my Republican friends will vote with us and defeat the previous question and do the right thing for a change.

Mr. McGOVERN

Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from North Carolina (Ms. Foxx) for yielding me the customary time, and I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, this bill, effectively, lets the majority bring a bill from the Rules Committee straight to the floor in the same day, which would not normally be in order. Mr. Speaker, what could be such an emergency that Republicans need to pass a special rule to give themselves the authority to jam through at lightning speed? Could it be affordability? No, nothing on affordability. Could it be lower gas prices or ending the war in Iran? No, nothing there. Could it be a bill to bring down housing or healthcare costs? Nope. Guess again. They are passing a special rule to help them jam through billions of dollars more for ICE and CBP, what amounts to yet another blank check for agencies that have violated court orders, terrorized communities, killed American citizens in cold blood, and operated with virtually no accountability. These agencies already got a massive payday in Trump's big, ugly bill. In fact--and get this--they have more money than they know what to do with. They still have $100 billion--billion with a b--sitting in the bank that they haven't spent yet. These are lawless agencies already flush with cash. For some reason, now Republicans are rushing to give them even more? I mean, around here, that is what has become an emergency. It is not the cost of groceries and not the cost of gas. No. The emergency is that Donald Trump's immigration policies might have to wait for another blank check. I mean, give me a damned break. This majority moves at lightning speed when Trump wants something. They move at lightning speed when billionaires want another tax cut. They move at lightning speed when corporate donors want another giveaway. Yet, when regular people need help, suddenly everything is impossible. Can't do it. When families needed affordable healthcare, Republicans went home. When people demanded that the Epstein files be released, Republicans stalled, they delayed, and they obstructed. That continues. When working people asked Congress to do something about Trump's tariffs that are driving up prices, Republicans blocked the vote. When we tried to force a debate on Trump's illegal war, Republicans tried to shut that down, too. That is the pattern, Mr. Speaker. That is the pattern. When Trump says jump, they ask how high. Yet, when the American people ask for affordability, this place grinds to a halt. This is about priorities, Mr. Speaker. Republicans want to hand tens of billions of dollars to lawless agencies that already have tens of billions of dollars, but they cannot find the same urgency for a mom trying to afford groceries, for a senior rationing medication, or for a family trying to keep a roof over their heads. Isn't that something? Well, I think this is a rotten, lousy, immoral thing to jam through with same-day authority. I urge a ``no'' vote, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. It is hard to take this debate seriously. As I said, and I will say it again, and my Republican colleagues know this, you gave them a whole bunch of money in the big, ugly bill that you all celebrate. In fact, they still have $100 billion that they haven't spent, $100 billion, that is billion with a b. You just debated the Agriculture appropriations bill to cut WIC by $200 million. ICE and CBP still have $100 billion, and here we are with a bill to give them another $70 billion? I mean, there are countries in the world whose military budgets don't even equal what you have given ICE and CBP. I mean, the priorities around this place are all screwed up. I mean, you talk about America First. Well, this is America last. This is America last. You are cutting programs that help feed pregnant mothers and their kids. You are cutting programs that make sure people don't go hungry and have enough to eat and enough access to nutrition. You are cutting programs that help working people. You are cutting programs that cut healthcare. Here we are, giving an additional $70 billion to agencies that already have $100 billion that they haven't spent.

Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, I would just simply say, my Republican friends, when you talk about America First, you are putting America last. Your constituents are hurting. They are suffering right now. Prices have never been higher. Gas is through the roof. The cost of groceries is through the roof. The cost of everything is through the roof. Inflation is up, and you can blame Joe Biden. He hasn't been President for a year and a half. That is the usual bs excuse we hear all the time. The bottom line is, you are intentionally doing this. You are taking money away from people in need in this country, and you are giving it to agencies that have violated the law, that have killed American citizens, and that have not been held accountable. This is outrageous. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. What we just heard is the same tired, old set of grievances and talking points that Republicans bring out here all the time because they don't have any solutions to any of the challenges. It is the same old playbook: Prices are up, blame immigrants. Gas is up, blame immigrants. Trump starts an illegal war in Iran, blame immigrants. Greedy healthcare companies rip off people and overcharge people for their basic healthcare, let's blame immigrants. Grocery prices are up, blame immigrants. This party has no solutions to any of the problems. It is just blame immigrants, blame Joe Biden, blame somebody else. They don't want to take any responsibility. Here is the deal: The agencies that we are talking about have $100 billion that they have not spent--$100 billion. What could you do with $100 billion? You can help a lot of people in this country get through this lousy Trump economy, but, no, $100 billion is not enough. We have a bill to bring another $70 billion to these agencies--$170 billion. I mean, this is crazy, Mr. Speaker. What the hell is wrong with these people, Mr. Speaker, that this is where their priorities are, putting more money into agencies that do not obey the law, that have killed American citizens, that have basically set up concentration camps in some of our States in which immigrants are being mistreated? We have American citizens who are being picked up and detained by ICE. We all agree that if people commit crimes--I don't care whether they are an undocumented immigrant or a legal citizen. If you commit a crime, you ought to be held accountable. Nobody disagrees with that. That is not what this is about. This is about pouring billions and billions of dollars into agencies that already have more than enough. Where is the compassion? Where is the outrage when my friends bring an appropriations bill to the floor to cut $200 million from WIC? I mean, not a word, not a word. I mean, where is the concern about the fact that people cannot afford their groceries? Nothing. Or that people can't afford to fill up their cars with gas? Nothing. Nothing. Blame immigrants, and then, for good measure, throw in Joe Biden. I mean, that is what we hear all the time. Again, these agencies have $100 billion already, and we are cutting programs that help provide people with nutrition and housing. We are cutting programs to help communities rebuild their infrastructure. We are cutting moneys and programs that help people with protecting open- space land. I should say, they are cutting, not we. We are opposing those cuts, Mr. Speaker, because we think they are immoral, and we think they are outrageous. But here we are, moving Heaven and Earth, again, not to bring a bill to the floor to help lower costs for anybody, but bringing a bill to the floor beyond the normal process to give agencies that have $100 billion, $70 billion more. I mean, really? I mean, this is outrageous. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. If we defeat the previous question, I will offer an amendment to the rule to bring up H.R. 8914, which prohibits the use of taxpayer money to create a slush fund to compensate January 6 rioters, MAGA sycophants, senior government officials, and members of the President or Vice President's family. Mr. Speaker, following President Trump's settlement of his bogus lawsuit against his own IRS, he tried to commandeer nearly $1.8 billion in taxpayer funds to bankroll a slush fund for January 6 insurrectionists and other aggrieved MAGA loyalists. After the obvious outcry at this ludicrous use of taxpayer dollars, Acting Attorney General Blanche said yesterday they weren't moving forward with this fund. Then later, the same day, President Trump, when asked if the fund was dead or just on hold, said: ``I don't know. I don't know.'' I don't know? Really? He also said: ``I love it. I think it's so important.'' So it is now clear that the only way to end this corrupt scheme--and it is a corrupt scheme--for good is for Congress to act. And as the newly free-to-speak-his-mind Senate Whip Senator Cornyn said: ``The way to ensure the Trump retribution fund is more than mostly dead would be for Congress to put a stake through it.'' That is Republican Senator John Cornyn. That is exactly what I am offering every Member of this House today, a chance to vote on if they want to kill this slush fund for good or not. Do my Republican colleagues want millions of dollars to go to the January 6 rioters? I mean, I was here that day. Many of my Republican colleagues were here that day. I was in the Speaker's chair that day. I was the last person off the House floor. I saw those maniacs beating up cops. I will never, ever forget it. And the fact that they have been pardoned by this President is outrageous. But the idea that they would be financially rewarded? Oh, my God, what is wrong with this place? So with the vote we are calling for here right now, we can end this slush fund once and for all. And maybe we could take that money and put it toward issues to deal with the affordability crisis, maybe to make law-abiding Americans' lives a little bit easier. 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, this debate boils down to priorities. Republicans have shown that they are willing to move mountains when they want to. They can move mountains for Donald Trump. They can move mountains for billionaires. They can move mountains for corporate donors. And today, they are moving mountains to spend $70 billion more on ICE and CBP. But for regular people, they are doing nothing. They have done nothing, and they are doing nothing. Families are getting crushed by grocery prices. Workers can't afford rent. Parents are struggling to pay for childcare. Seniors are worried about healthcare. Kids are hungry. Republicans don't care. That is the story of this majority. They have all of the urgency in the world for the worst priorities and no urgency at all for people who actually need help. They will rush to fund agencies that separate families, that violate rights and bow down to Donald Trump's illegal orders; but they refuse to lift a finger to ease the burdens on working people. It is everything and anything for those at the top, and to hell with everyone else. So vote ``no'' on this rule. Vote ``no'' on this blank check. These agencies already have $100 billion--$100 billion, billion with a b. They don't need an additional $70 billion. I would urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to vote ``no'' on these rotten priorities. Let's get back to work and do the work that the people actually sent us here to do. Let's try to do things that actually improve people's lives, not screw them over. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

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