Kevin McCarthy

Mr. McCARTHY

Mr. McCARTHY. Have you seen a scheduled markup? I didn't have it in my list. I don't announce markups, but apparently this is another rumor you may have heard.

Mr. McCARTHY. I thank the gentleman for yielding. The gentleman knows we are working, in part, under the continuing resolution short-term; but it is my intention, once we pass the FY 2017 defense bill, I will keep Members updated on the further floor schedule of appropriations bills. It would be my goal to continue to pass the rest of the appropriations bills.

Mr. McCARTHY. I thank the gentleman for yielding. I always look forward to your quotes.

Mr. McCARTHY. It is similar to every other bill we move. They will post it before they mark it up so everybody can see it and debate it.

Mr. McCARTHY. Now you have gone beyond. You now bring in rumors. I give you credit there. You have been here quite some time, much longer than I. I agree with you, this is a very big issue. That is why, for the last 6 years, we have had hearings because all those hearings you reported, I would have wished you would have listened during those hearings. I would have wished you would have been able to do a healthcare bill that actually works. The essence of what the ACA did, it was about exchanges and the expansion of Medicaid. So my dear friend here tells me that was a big success. What do you tell all those people across this country? In fact, one-third of every county in this country now only has one health insurer. Humana just announced they are pulling out. Because you love quotes so much, let me read what the CEO of Aetna says: ObamaCare is failing. It has entered a ``death spiral.'' With Humana pulling out, that gives 16 counties in Tennessee that have no one to care for them. The expansion of Medicaid--I know you are concerned about the budget, as am I--says within this 10-year window, in the tenth year, it will cost us $1 trillion. You know as well as I do that that is about the exact amount of money we spend for all discretionary spending in government today. We watched the ACA create 23 CO-OPs. They were provided more than $2 billion. Eighteen of those 23 have collapsed. So, yes, for the last 6 years, we have been holding hearings, we have been listening to the public, and we have been working on this bill. Yes, we will go regular order. We will have a markup in committee. When the bill comes out of committee, we will take that markup, we will go to the Committee on the Budget because it is reconciliation, and we will bring that bill to the floor, just as the rules state we will do that. We have waited 6 years to do this, just as we moved one last year to the President as well, and he vetoed it. We cannot sit and wait for this failure to continue any longer. The health of this country deserves something much better. That is why we have been spending our time, that is why we have been working on it, and that is why we have been listening. We have had the wisdom to listen, but now I promise you we will have the courage to lead.

Mr. McCARTHY. That is very accurate. This is a bipartisan, bicameral agreement based upon the 2017 NDAA bill, which, if you watched, had 375 votes in the House, 92 in the Senate. As you know as well as I do, and we have talked many times together about this, we cannot continue to have our military continue further with just the CR. If you have a continuing resolution, you now are saying that you have to fund what was last year. You can't go through with what the future needs without putting together the appropriations process. And this is what we are going through right now.

Mr. McCARTHY. Yes.

Mr. McCARTHY. Well, I would only like to end with this: I was here at the same time. I know you have your history, and I have the history that I remember. I remember seeing the Speaker at that time, now your leader, say we need to pass the bill to find out what is in it. I remember being here late that night. I remember a lot of people, citizens around this building complaining. You know what? The saddest part of all that, their fears became true. They didn't get to keep the doctor or the health plan that they were promised. The premiums they were told would go down $2,500, that didn't happen. They now find that they don't have the care that they were promised. We have spent our time. You did make a statement that there are a lot of new people in this building. I would argue that is a reason why there are a lot of new people in this building, the ACA and the way you carried it out. That is why we did not do that. You stipulated a little earlier, trying to state about a 3-day rule. That wasn't your rule. That is a rule we instituted and changed when we became the majority, Mr. Speaker. So we will have regular order. We will have regular order. We will take it through committee, we will have it open for debate, and we will bring it to the floor because we promised the American people, and we will keep our promise, just as the President, as you heard just this week, talked about the reform. We will protect preexisting conditions. We will make sure those who are 26 or younger can stay on their parents' plan. The bans or lifetime limits, we will protect those like we have always said we would. We will create a healthcare bill that actually empowers the individual, not more government. We will actually lower the premiums. That is the difference between us. We can have those debates, and I welcome them, because I think history will show your hearings and our hearings. But, at the end of the day, I want the history to show who actually did a better job of providing health care to the American people at a lower cost.

Mr. McCARTHY. You are not on that committee, so you can look at it when we mark it up.

Mr. McCARTHY. No.

Mr. McCARTHY

Mr. McCARTHY. Mr. Speaker, I move that the message of the President be referred to the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union and ordered printed.

Mr. McCARTHY

Mr. McCARTHY. Mr. Speaker, I move that the House do now adjourn.

Mr. McCARTHY

Mr. McCARTHY. Mr. Speaker, I have a motion at the desk.

Mr. McCARTHY

Mr. McCARTHY. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentlewoman from Wyoming for her hard work on this bill and bringing it here today. Most people don't realize just how much land the Federal Government controls, and it is just a fact that someone thousands of miles away in an office in D.C. won't understand those land issues as much as the people who live on the land do. Now, the sponsor of this bill, Ms. Cheney, knows that in her great State of Wyoming, they constantly struggle with the Federal Government over land policies, just as California and many Western States do. Federal regulators restrict how we can build, what our farmers can grow, where our ranchers can graze, and how our people can enjoy the beauty of our land. The Bureau of Land Management's new rule, the innocently named Planning 2.0 rule, imposes Washington's vision on land management over vast areas of the West. This was devised by people who don't live on our land and who don't know our land, and they just try to dictate how to use our land. They are undermining the very idea of multiple use of Federal lands by making the lands entirely off limits for any type of economic purposes. Under this rule, the Bureau will cut out local and county officials even more. They will consolidate control over 175 million acres of land in 11 States out West, and that is not a small amount of land. Just to put that in perspective, that is over 261 times the size of Rhode Island. Using the Congressional Review Act today, we will be able to overturn this last-minute power grab from the Obama administration and bring some power back to the people. The American people should have the power back again to write their own future. I want to thank Congresswoman Cheney for keeping her word and for standing with Wyoming and all those out west who care for their land and want those locals to be able to control and to understand where it is best to graze, to care, and to build, not somebody in Washington to dictate what to do with it.

Mr. McCARTHY

Mr. McCARTHY. My kids don't tweet.

Mr. McCARTHY. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding. Mr. Speaker, on Monday, the House will meet at noon for morning-hour and 2 p.m. for legislative business. Votes will be postponed until 6:30 p.m. On Tuesday, the House will meet at 10 a.m. for morning-hour and noon for legislative business. Last votes of the week are expected during the evening hours on Tuesday. Mr. Speaker, the House will consider a number of suspensions next week, a complete list of which will be announced by close of business today. Mr. Speaker, the House will also continue our work under the Congressional Review Act to undo onerous Obama administration regulations through three more joint resolutions. The first, sponsored by Representative Brett Guthrie, will stop a rule that significantly expands the Federal Government's involvement in teacher education. Without our action this could result in fewer teachers serving some of our Nation's most vulnerable children, and it could make it harder for schools to recruit the best teachers. That is the exact opposite of what Americans want for their children. The second, sponsored by Representative Todd Rokita, would address how the accountability provisions of the Every Student Succeeds Act are being implemented. This bipartisan law empowered States to hold schools accountable, but somehow, when the regulation came out, there was an expanded Federal role. This was not what Congress intended nor what is best for our students. And the third, Mr. Speaker, sponsored by Representative Liz Cheney, addresses how the Department of the Interior regulates resource management plans. These plans guide how BLM manages all Federal lands. But the rule only addresses how BLM must deal with the public, as well as State and tribal governments. We are rightfully concerned that there is no process or procedure for local governments in these new rules. Finally, my friend may notice that a familiar face is not sitting next to me today, but Ben Howard is up in the gallery today. After serving 8 years on Capitol Hill, the last 6 in my office, our friend Ben has left the job. He is now working in the White House Office of Legislative Affairs. Ben was one of the first people we hired when I was elected majority whip. It was here that most people around the Hill got to know Ben through his always witty floor updates and always constant Penn State football commentary. When I was elected majority leader, I asked Ben to be the floor director, a position in which he has served well for the past 2-plus years. My friend would be happy to know that Ben is from Maryland. He was born and raised and currently resides in Olney with his wife, Amy, and their two young sons, John and Daniel. So on behalf of myself, our entire team, and the entire Republican Conference, I want to thank Ben for his years of service and for his hard work, and wish him many years of happiness.

Mr. McCARTHY. So you know the importance. What I would say to the gentleman is: let's work with this administration. As we sat in our meeting this week with leaders of other countries, I thought their advice to us was good advice: let's not say what this is not, because we may get political points with one another, but it puts them in harm's way, and they know what the truth of this is. I think you and I agree on a lot of different things, and we are cordial with one another when we disagree, and I think this is an area in which sometimes we may disagree, but sometimes we have shown we could agree. I know you want to keep America safe, and I know we want to keep America safe. I also know it is a brand new administration. I also know that when I go down to that White House--you have been there with me--there is not a lot of staff there. I know there are going to be a few hiccups along the way. I am going to work with them. I am going to help them, and I want you to help us help them as well.

Mr. McCARTHY. I thank the gentleman for yielding. I listened to the Speaker when he took office, too, and he also said ``regular order.'' In the schedule for next week, it is not on the list. The executive order signed by the President, really, as you know, is based on legislation that passed this House with overwhelming bipartisan support. It was following the attacks over the past 2 years. It was the SAFE Act that passed this House 289-137, and the Visa Waiver Program Improvement and Terrorist Travel Prevention Act that passed by 407-19. I will point out that these two bills received veto-proof majorities, and President Obama signed the visa waiver bill into law. President Trump's actions are temporary pauses and reassess our vetting procedures to keep our country safe. While there was, certainly, some confusion with how this was implemented over the weekend, the Secretary of Homeland Security is effectively addressing key issues to ensure legal permanent residents who are returning to our country are allowed entry unless our security services have a compelling reason to suggest otherwise. America remains a place of refuge for those seeking peace, freedom, and opportunity across the world. Now, my friend knows, because we have been in meetings this week, that our rhetoric matters. Other people listen to what we say. In these types of situations, especially with a new administration, I have always told my children: at any time in a situation, let's take a deep breath; let's not lose our heads. Especially with a brand new administration, I try to give them the benefit of the doubt. They don't have their Cabinet there yet. Let's let them get their footing. It is not a ban--it is a pause. It is based upon two pieces of legislation that passed this House. You love to quote people; so if I may: ``House Democrats and House Republicans have no greater priority than keeping Americans safe. This is neither a partisan issue nor is it a partisan difference. Many Americans are frustrated with the pace of progress against ISIS in Iraq and Syria. I want to see the administration and Congress working together to protect our Nation. The reforms in this bill are an excellent start. ``This legislation will make it easier for law enforcement to vet those visitors who are coming from Visa Waiver countries, such as in Europe, to ensure that we are not admitting those who have traveled to places like Iraq and Syria and link up with ISIS.'' That was said by you.

Mr. McCARTHY. I thank the gentleman for yielding. I am not sure if, in the beginning of your question, you want us to speed up or slow down, but I thank the gentleman for the question.

Mr. McCARTHY. Mr. Speaker, it is good to have these colloquies back.

Mr. McCARTHY. I heard your question. Your question asked it both ways. Regardless of who won the election, the simple fact is ObamaCare is a failure. Regardless of who won the election, we would both be sitting here today having the same conversation about what we would replace it with. Let's just simply talk about the facts. There were 23 co-ops created in ObamaCare. They were given $2 billion. As of today, 18 of them have failed. There are roughly a little more than 3,000 counties in America; 1,022 of those counties, roughly one-third, now only have one insurance company. Five States only have one insurance company, thanks to ObamaCare. All of America knows the old quotes: if you like your health plan, you can keep it--we know that is no longer true--or if you like your doctor, you can keep it--that is no longer true. When the President said that our premiums would go down by $2,500, now we know that is not true. So, yes, we would have this discussion regardless of who won this election. ObamaCare has failed. So, yes, we are going to work together, just as, after the last election, I put a letter out to every Governor, Republican or Democrat, every insurance commissioner, Republican or Democrat, to provide us with their ideas. We welcome every idea on the other side of the aisle, too, because we will do this differently. We welcome your ideas as well. If you noticed in the Energy and Commerce Committee, they have the hearing schedule. We will begin, and it will be an open process. We welcome your participation because we want a system that works, we do not want a system that has failed, and I believe we have the ideas to make it work correctly.

Mr. McCARTHY. I thank the gentleman for yielding. Since ObamaCare has passed and now that we know what was in it, you would know that there are 1,400 pages in there that give a great deal, amount of power to the Secretary of Health and Human Services. Unfortunately, today, that Secretary has not been confirmed. That Secretary has not been confirmed simply because of politics. It is not on my side of the aisle. It is on the Democrats' side of the aisle over in the Senate. Do you know how far they have gone? How much do they really want to work on health care when you actually said it needed to be reformed? They wouldn't even show up in committee. So how much do they really care about Americans? They don't even show up in committee to ask the questions. They wanted to run and hide. So how much do they really want to work? If we want to go quote by quote, when we go back to what President Obama said when the premiums were going to lower by $2,500, what do we say to Arizona when they went up 116 percent or to Tennessee by 63 percent and then three-quarters of Tennessee counties only have one provider or to Minnesota by 59 percent or to Oklahoma by 59 percent or to Alabama, 58, or to Pennsylvania, 53, or to Nebraska, 51? Can we stop this rhetoric, and can we now get to work? Because I will tell you this: next month is when we begin because I am hopeful that we will no longer put up with the political games on the Senate side and that we will confirm the new Secretary because you have to have a Secretary in place if you want to reform ObamaCare, because you gave so much power to the Secretary. We all know that. So let's work together on behalf of the American people and end this pain. I will tell you this: the unfortunate reality, in today's system, is that coverage does not always mean care. The deductibles are so high that many people don't even go to their doctors. I can tell you that in States, prior to ObamaCare, their high-risk pools were cheaper then for their care than now in just buying ObamaCare. We all know it is a failure. So let's stop playing the political games, and let's put the people before politics, and let's put a system in that works. Our door is open, and the committee is open for all ideas. Let's work together to solve it.

Mr. McCARTHY. Yes, you do.

Mr. McCARTHY. Mr. Speaker, President Obama said that he was rooting for President Trump's success. I would also give the advice, let's not root against him. He still doesn't have his own Cabinet. When I watched and listened to what some on the other side of their own leadership say about some there, I could see where the rhetoric continues to rise. I think we should put that down. The election is over, and now is the time to govern. There are big problems out there. We can score as many political points as we want back and forth, but there are challenges. You and I have worked together on so many issues out here, from opioids, from the visa waiver so many different times. And we have disagreed others times. I think it would behoove us and the American public that we can show the leadership to do that, and I look forward to working with you on these issues.

Mr. McCARTHY

Mr. McCARTHY. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that when the House adjourns today, it adjourn to meet on Monday, February 6, 2017, when it shall convene at noon for morning-hour debate and 2 p.m. for legislative business.