Kevin McCarthy

Mr. McCARTHY

Mr. McCARTHY. Mr. Chair, I thank the gentleman for yielding. Mr. Chairman, I recently read a headline about the President's budget. Do you know what it said? ``Budget proposal is Obama's map back to Big Government.'' Think about that for a moment. There used to be a time, Mr. Chairman, in the White House where they said, ``The era of Big Government is over.'' Now, it is as if we are heading back in time. Everyone knows why the era of Big Government should be over. It is because Big Government has big costs. Mr. Chairman, large, inefficient programs cost a lot of money which mean higher taxes and more debt, but there are other costs to Big Government, too. As government grows, so does bureaucracy; and more bureaucracy means more regulations. These regulations--tens of thousands of pages--get put on the backs of every single individual in business that works hard and tries to get by. In fact, for small businesses, regulations add almost $1,000 per employee per month--think of that, $1,000 per employee per month. That makes it much harder for our economy to grow and for small businesses to create jobs. America needs a full-scale regulatory reform, so that bureaucracy is held accountable for all these costs. I know that is a big goal, but Representative Chabot's bill is a step realizing that goal. This bill forces agencies to consider the least costly options for getting something done, just like every American has to do in a tough economy, and it makes agencies actually have to think about the impact the regulations have on small businesses. Mr. Chairman, President Clinton said, ``The era of Big Government is over.'' It should be over. America simply cannot afford to tie down small businesses and hardworking people with more red tape, so let's take a step forward. Let's move forward, ending the era of Big Government, and vote ``yes'' on the bill.

Mr. McCARTHY

Mr. McCARTHY. I thank the gentleman for yielding. And if you looked at our committees, we are working on it, just as we say this body should. It should go through committee, have debate on both sides, and be open. I believe this immigration system is broken, and I think that is the process we should take, not the action that the President took.

Mr. McCARTHY. I thank the gentleman for yielding. Mr. Speaker, on Monday, no votes are expected in the House. On Tuesday, 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 Wednesday and Thursday, the House will meet at 10 a.m. for morning-hour and noon for legislative business. On Friday, the House will meet at 9 a.m. for legislative business. Last votes of the week are expected around noon. Mr. Speaker, the House will consider a number of suspensions next week, a complete list of which will be announced by close of business tomorrow. In addition, the House will consider S. 1, the Senate Keystone bill. After 6 years of waiting, this bipartisan bill, which will create more than 40,000 jobs, will finally be placed on the President's desk. I do sincerely hope he considers his longstanding veto threat and sides with the American people by signing this important jobs bill. Mr. Speaker, the House will also consider two critical tax packages next week that will provide much-needed certainty for Americans and small businesses. H.R. 644, the Fighting Hunger Incentive Act, sponsored by Representative Tom Reed, will make charitable giving tax provisions permanent. This will also include provisions authored by Representatives Erik Paulsen, Aaron Schock, and Mike Kelly. Together, this package will make a real difference in the lives of Americans by encouraging donations of property for conservation and enhancing deductions for food contributions for those in need. Finally, Mr. Speaker, the House will consider H.R. 636, America's Small Business Tax Relief Act, sponsored by Representative Pat Tiberi, with additional provisions authored by Representative Dave Reichert. This bill is essential to creating stability for our Nation's best job creators, small businesses, by making increased expensing permanent.

Mr. McCARTHY. I would ask that you yield

Mr. McCARTHY. I thank the gentleman. We were talking about looking into the mirror. Twenty-two times the President said he did not have the power to take the action that he did. From the time he said that to the time he took that action, what changed? The Constitution did not. I will remind the gentleman, because he was at the lunch that I was at with the President. I reminded the President, after the election but prior to being sworn in, we had this discussion with him, with Senate and House leaders. The President had the opportunity, when you were majority leader, he was President, and the Democrats controlled the Senate, to deal with immigration. They did not. We asked the President: Would you even give us 1 day in the majority to deal with it? He did not. So when we look into the mirror, I will gladly look into the mirror because I think the idea should win at the end of the day. But if the Senate Democrats will not even allow you to bring the bill up to debate, I think it is very hard for your argument to stand ground. This is a time that we want to make sure Homeland Security is funded. We took the bill up early. Just as the Constitution says, the House has their position, the Senate can have theirs. It doesn't say whatever the Senate says they can and cannot do we should just follow. No, we should lead, and we have. And I look forward to solving this problem before the 27th.

Mr. McCARTHY. I thank the gentleman for yielding. This has been the slowest recovery. If you compare the recession during Ronald Reagan's time and how fast we came out of it, there is no comparison. The participation rate in America today is 62.7 percent, the lowest it has been since 1978. When you give up on participating, you give up on your future; you give up on your dreams. That is not an economy that we want. When you look at the tax package that we are bringing forward, charitable contributions, maybe people on your side of the aisle think government should solve that problem. I see charitable contributions back home in my own community solving a lot of problems locally very fast and very direct. And I think these are things that could be bipartisan, so I look forward to it. As you talk about the deficit, yes, I want to work on it. I looked at the President's budget. I do not believe government needs an 11 percent increase. That is how much new in taxes that he would give to the Federal Government. I think people keeping that would be better. And I think that lowering how we spend our money here in Washington would go a long way, and I welcome the opportunity to work with you on that.

Mr. McCARTHY. I thank the gentleman for yielding. I share the gentleman's frustration. Knowing the timeline of dealing with funding of Homeland Security, Republicans want to make sure it is funded. That is why we took up legislation. I agree with the gentleman. Why is it being held hostage by the Democrats in the Senate? As my good friend knows, the Senate has changed hands. In watching what has happened on Keystone, you get open debate. I know you didn't have amendments for the last number of years, but now, you have the opportunity. If people disagree with the House bill, all they have to do is take the bill up. As my good friend knows, what is happening in the Senate day after day is the Senate Democrats are voting now to allow the bill to come up. If you disagree with the bill, you can't offer amendments, you can't change the bill. I would say to my friend: I share your frustration. I think our direction should be at the Senate Democrats and getting them to allow the bill to come up because nobody wants Homeland Security not to be funded. That is why we took the bill up very early, so the Senate could have time. It is unfortunate that they play these actions in a time and place-- as you said, the American people want to see this done, and we want to see it done in a bipartisan manner as well.

Mr. McCARTHY. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding because I listened a long time.

Mr. McCARTHY. But you also very well know, the votes in the Senate that just took place for the last 2 days were to bring the bill up. And that quote you gave from John McCain? He is frustrated because he would like to get on to the bill. There are two different Chambers. If it is, as you say, a strong bipartisan vote over there, the only people holding up bringing this bill to the floor are the Senate Democrats. It is unfair to claim anything other. They have denied for 2 days straight. If they want to make an amendment, if they want to change the bill--but they deny the American people the chance to even bring the bill up. So let's be honest with the American people on where we are because nobody on this side of the aisle wants Homeland Security in any trouble. We passed the bill early. We sent it to the Senate early. For 2 days in a row, the majority has asked to allow the bill to come to the floor, and for 2 days straight, the Democrats have said ``no,'' not even to debate it. That, to me, is unacceptable. If you have a difference of opinion, you debate the opinion. But to deny the American public the chance to have that debate, that is unacceptable, and I will not stand for it.

Mr. McCARTHY. I thank the gentleman for yielding. As the gentleman brought up about how we bring the bills to the floor, the gentleman remembers that there was a bipartisan agreement toward the end of last year with the Senate and with the House. It gave greater certainty, and it was going to be into one package. Unfortunately, the White House disagreed, so we did not get that work done. In essence, it got stopped, saying it was too big. Our intention next week is to bring them up individually, have the opportunity for the debate, listening to the White House. Whether they want a bill too big, too small, I am just trying to get the American public moving forward, so I took that advice and did it individually.

Mr. McCARTHY. No, they will be in the two packages.

Mr. McCARTHY. Consistency.

Mr. McCARTHY. I thank the gentleman for yielding. I know you are concerned with the deficit. I am very concerned, especially with this administration adding more debt than all the other Presidents combined. That is why we are trying to spur the economy. I firmly believe that if government takes less, that is more in the hands of the public, and they are able to spend, and more revenue will come in, and history has shown that. So I firmly believe that our actions taking place will actually bring greater revenue, greater job creation, and help lower the deficit.

Mr. McCARTHY

Mr. McCARTHY. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that when the House adjourns today, it adjourn to meet at 1 p.m. on Monday next.

Mr. McCARTHY

Mr. McCARTHY. I thank the gentleman for yielding. Mr. Chairman, there are many parts of government that like to act in secrecy. In particular, many agencies like to hide the true costs of their regulations from the American people. After all, it is easier to add more pages to the Federal Register if nobody is sure exactly what the pricetag is, but that is not the way our democracy should work. For government to work, it needs to be accountable to the people. To be accountable to the people, government needs to be honest and open with what it is doing. Washington needs reform, and a good place to start is to make sure that people know the true cost of what Washington is doing--no gimmicks, no hidden fees. That is why I support Representative Foxx's bill, which demands transparency on unfunded mandates. Mr. Chairman, this bill says a simple thing. It says we trust the people. It says if the bureaucracy is afraid of telling the people how much a regulation costs, then it shouldn't impose the regulation. If bureaucracy isn't following the rules and giving the people the information they need, this bill allows the courts to review the agency--no more hiding. The people have the right to know as much as possible, and Washington has an obligation to tell them.

Mr. McCARTHY

Mr. McCARTHY. I thank the gentleman for yielding. Mr. Speaker, today the House will vote on a bill that we have voted on many times in this Chamber. Mr. Speaker, you want to know why? The answer is very simple. The law is a disaster. We still can't afford its costs, and the American people still don't want it. The House, on both sides, is intimately tied to the will of the people. We talk to, we listen to our constituents every day. In our districts, we listen to them at meetings, in the grocery store, at the gas station, and in our houses of worship. And every 2 years our neighbors either send us back to Washington to fight for them or send someone else. In the most fundamental way, their priorities are our priorities because we directly represent them. When it comes to ObamaCare, the people could not be clearer. Mr. Speaker, you know what they have said? They said, We don't want it. We don't want higher premiums. We don't want to be forced to buy all sorts of coverage that we don't need and can't afford. Mr. Speaker, they have also said, We don't want to lose our doctors, as millions have. We don't want to give control over our health care decisions to Washington bureaucrats. They have simply said, We don't want it. But for years, the President hasn't listened. Now, House Republicans have three priorities. We want to increase freedom, promote opportunity, and hold government accountable. ObamaCare is against all those goals with its outdated, top-down approach. It limits opportunities by destroying the 40-hour workweek and saddling Americans with more costs. It empowers a government that mismanaged the VA and gives them even more control over American health care systems. We need a new system. We need a system that puts the patients first, one that controls costs through competition and expands coverage by choice, not coercion. That is the system the House is developing right now. So if you ask why we are voting to repeal this law again, we are doing it for the people. Mr. Speaker, I ask that every Member of this House who has a direct relationship with their district to listen. But, at the end, have the wisdom to listen but the courage to lead and vote ``yes.''

Mr. McCARTHY

Mr. McCARTHY. I thank the gentleman for yielding. Mr. Speaker, the President likes to talk about infrastructure. In his State of the Union Address, he said that there is bipartisan support for infrastructure legislation and that Republicans and Democrats need to ``set our sights higher than a single oil pipeline.'' We have listened, and we have done that. After passing a bill to approve Keystone, this House passed another bill last week to reform the natural gas permitting process. Now the House is on its third energy infrastructure bill with Representative Bill Johnson's LNG Permitting Certainty and Transparency Act. I know the President doesn't pay much attention to what goes on here on Capitol Hill, but three infrastructure bills in 3 weeks is hard to miss. Here are some other numbers, Mr. Speaker, that I think the President really should remember: though the Department of Energy has received 37 permits in the past 5 years, it has only approved five permits in that time. That is one a year. If the President cared about infrastructure as much as he says, I think he would get his administration to process the rest of them now. Passing this bill would also lead to the creation of an estimated 45,000 jobs. More permit approvals mean more opportunity. More opportunity requires more infrastructure. More infrastructure means more jobs. Delay has become a hallmark of this Presidency, but Americans are done delaying job creation by ignoring America's energy abundance. American energy supports American jobs. It supports a strong economy. It also gives our friends--like Ukraine, our allies--an alternative source of energy, diluting the power countries like Russia and Iran who use their oil to coerce and even oppress. Mr. Speaker, the President should know that here in the House we have set our sights very high; but, Mr. Speaker, the question is: Will the President set his sights higher than his veto pen?

Mr. McCARTHY

Mr. McCARTHY. I thank the gentleman for yielding. Madam Speaker, we are here today, taking a step forward towards a simple goal--to save innocent lives from abortion and to make sure no woman ever has to make that decision to end the life of her child. We all know that this is more than just some debate or social disagreement. These are human beings we are talking about. This is about pregnant mothers facing hardship and tough choices. It is about a culture of telling people that human life is expendable. But most importantly, this is about human beings--more than 56 million children since Roe v. Wade--who have been denied a chance to live. We are here today for them, to make sure every person has the most fundamental right of all: the right to life. Today, on the anniversary of Roe v. Wade and during the March for Life, the House will vote on a bill to stop all Federal funding from being used to pay for abortion. At the very least, the American people should never be forced to pay for abortions or abortion coverage with their tax dollars. I urge my colleagues to stand with the hundreds of thousands of people out on The Mall right now by voting for this bill. Stand up and commit to creating an America that values every life, especially the lives of innocents who cannot stand up for themselves.

Mr. McCARTHY

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. On Wednesday, the House will meet at 9 a.m. for legislative business. Last votes for the week are expected around noon. On Thursday and Friday, no votes are expected. The House will consider a number of bipartisan suspensions next week to combat human trafficking. A complete list will be announced at close of business today. In addition, the House will consider H.R. 351, authored by Representative Bill Johnson. This bipartisan bill will expedite liquefied natural gas exports to our allies. In order to boost our economy here at home and encourage global energy security, we must help clear the backlog of export applications currently pending at the Department of Energy, and I thank the gentleman from Ohio for sponsoring this important bill. Finally, Mr. Speaker, the House will consider H.R. 399, the Secure Our Borders First Act, authored by Chairman McCaul, which requires the Department of Homeland Security to achieve operational control of our border. The bill also ensures that we are using the latest technologies to assist with border enforcement and takes the commonsense step of allowing greater access to the border region--specifically, Federal lands--to Customs and Border Patrol officers. I thank the gentleman.

Mr. McCARTHY. If the gentleman will yield?

Mr. McCARTHY. I thank the gentleman for yielding. We have made no decisions on February and notification yet, but as soon as we do, we will give ample time for all to know.

Mr. McCARTHY. I thank the gentleman for yielding. First, I want to thank the gentleman. If you quoted my book, I hope you bought it, so I thank you for that. Proceeds went to help the veterans. I listened to what the gentleman said. As the gentleman knows, any new Congress, when you start, the committees are just beginning to organize. That is why, when we look to legislation, we look to those that the American public wanted. You had brought up Keystone. Twenty-eight Members on your side of the aisle voted for it. I would consider that bipartisan. You have a large majority of Americans who want it and waited 5 years. I know you bring up that we had a debate on the border, but we just now organized, and we were just now sworn in, but they have been debating this issue for quite some time. It is our intention to run this House in a very open manner. I have been here when it has not been, and just as we said in our book, I think the American public wins when we go through regular order and we have greater transparency. I look forward to working with the gentleman as we progress throughout the term.

Mr. McCARTHY. I expect the type of rule--and I leave that up to the Rules Committee and Chairman Sessions--but I do expect to have debate from both sides of the aisle.

Mr. McCARTHY. If the gentleman will yield, I didn't even hear you bring it up when you say we weren't bipartisan.

Mr. McCARTHY

Mr. McCARTHY. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that when the House adjourns today, it adjourn to meet on Monday, January 26, 2015, when it shall convene at noon for morning-hour debate and 2 p.m. for legislative business.