Mary Scanlon

Ms. SCANLON

Ms. SCANLON. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of this rule and the underlying resolution. Mr. Speaker, there are moments in our country's history when we are presented with stark choices, choices between right and wrong. And the violence of January 6 has made it clear that we are at such a moment. January 6 was a shocking assault on our government. On the orders of the former President, thousands of rioters destroyed public property, gravely injured police officers, terrorized lawmakers, and invaded the Capitol to halt the certification of the electoral college required by the Constitution. That day cannot be minimized or swept under the carpet because the forces that inspired that attack are still stoking the fires of chaos and conspiracy. Congress has tasked a bipartisan select committee with investigating the January 6 attack, and that committee has outlined why it needs Steve Bannon's testimony to fully understand the events leading up to that attack. However, when subpoenaed to testify, Mr. Bannon told the select committee to pound sand. Mr. Bannon is a private citizen; he is not above the law and cannot refuse to obey a subpoena any more than you or I or any American can. Neither Mr. Bannon nor the former President has made any credible legal arguments to shield his testimony. Patriotism demands that anyone with knowledge of that dark day come forward, and the rule of law and our Constitution demand that everyone in this Congress support this investigation. I am incredibly disappointed that Republican leadership and so many of their colleagues continue to oppose any attempt to investigate the January 6 attack. They opposed legislation to create a bipartisan commission. They opposed the creation of the select committee. And they are now trying to prevent the committee from carrying out its work. This is not a time for games or delays, all of which have allowed the former President and his allies, like Mr. Bannon, to escape accountability thus far. This is a time for courage, the courage to protect our Constitution and our national integrity. I am grateful to the members of the select committee for having the courage to put loyalty to country over partisan politics. Mr. Speaker, I strongly urge all of my colleagues to support this rule.

Ms. SCANLON

Ms. SCANLON. Mr. Speaker, I rise to speak to the urgency of passing the Freedom to Vote Act, which the Senate is considering today. The events of the past year have exposed the fragility of our democracy, and Congress must act now to protect that most fundamental of American freedoms: the freedom to vote. In 2020, we lived through the most challenged and scrutinized election in American history. But now, even after the result is beyond all reasonable debate, radical right-wing extremists and would-be dictators are still trying to overturn the 2020 election; stoking the flames of conspiracy, hate, and chaos in order to create a dark and twisted vision of America that these agents of chaos have embraced. Unless Congress acts now, the radical right will keep using the big lie told by the former President and endorsed by his supporters to enact damaging voting restrictions and prevent Americans who have rejected their dark vision for our country from participating in our representative democracy. In the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, where I live, the majority in our State legislature has embraced these lies and conspiracy theories about election fraud to propose a raft of new laws that would make it more difficult for eligible voters to actually vote. We have an opportunity to put an end to these anti-democratic tactics and Congress must seize it. Today, the Senate will take a crucial vote on the Freedom to Vote Act, important legislation that is necessary to ensure that our government remains by the people and for the people, not politicians. Similar to the For the People Act, which the House has passed both this term and last, the Freedom to Vote Act sets basic nationwide standards for how elections are conducted and ensures that the voices of everyday American voters are heard in Washington. It will work in tandem with the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act to restore critical protections of the 1965 Voting Rights Act and combat racial discrimination in voting. Together, these two bills will safeguard our democracy from both current and future threats. Ultimately, the Freedom to Vote Act is about ensuring that people, not politicians, hold the power in our government. Let's talk for a moment about what this bill is and what it isn't. The Freedom to Vote Act would set national standards to protect the freedom to vote, end partisan redistricting, ensure sound election administration, and fix our broken campaign finance system. These key provisions are widely supported by the American people, including majorities of Democrats, Republicans, and Independents. People are tired of cycles of chaos, followed by inaction, when it comes to our elections. The most basic foundational element of our democracy deserves to be treated with seriousness, urgency, and care. We cannot stand by as discriminatory voter laws, partisan gerrymandering, and dark money drowns out the voices of American voters. As for what this bill does not do, contrary to what some of our colleagues across the aisle--and particularly Mitch McConnell--have claimed, the Freedom to Vote Act is not an unconstitutional power grab. Our Founding Fathers may not have anticipated all the ways our country would change over the centuries and the ways in which we would need to adapt, but they were really, really good in anticipating the evil that men might do in pursuit of power, including anticipating efforts to undermine the most precious value enshrined in the Constitution, the right to a government chosen by, for, and of the people. One of the ways the Framers did this was in Article I, Section 4 of the Constitution, which allowed States, in general, to regulate the time, place, and manner of elections to Federal offices, like Congress, but with a really important exception. The second half of that section says, ``Congress may at any time make or alter such State regulations.'' Why did the Framers do this? Because they already knew of instances in which State legislators might try to corrupt the election process in order to impact the Federal Government, even as they were drafting the Constitution. And isn't that where we are today? We have States that are trying to make it harder for people who live in cities and people of color to vote. We have State legislatures proposing to overturn the results of the last election and future elections if the party in power in that State doesn't like the candidate that the people voted for. We have State legislatures proposing to politicize professional election staff and procedures with bills that would allow partisan legislatures to overthrow the Presidential electors chosen by the people and substitute electors who will vote for another candidate. That is why it is so important that Congress act to fulfill what may be its most sacred obligation under the Constitution to protect the right of the American people to chose their own representatives rather than letting elected officials manipulate that process to stay in power. If the Senate again fails to fulfill its responsibility with the filibuster intact, then it is time for the filibuster to go.

Ms. SCANLON

Ms. SCANLON. Madam Speaker, even before the pandemic, American families struggled to cover the expense of childcare, with the cost of care for two kids consuming 20 to 30 percent of the income of most families. Since the pandemic began, the situation has worsened dramatically. Hundreds of Pennsylvania childcare agencies, which operated on the slimmest of margins to begin with, have closed permanently, and already scarce childcare spots have become harder to find. Since the pandemic, the lack of childcare and continuing school closures has resulted in millions of parents, mostly women, losing their jobs or being forced to leave work due to childcare obligations. Families need investment in childcare now. Women can't be asked to bear the cost of not funding these crucial programs any longer. The Build Back Better Act is our once-in-a-generation opportunity to meet the needs of working families. Access to affordable childcare will strengthen the financial standing of our families, make sure that women are not left behind in our recovery, and help parents enter or reenter the workforce and generate new economic activity. Let's get this done for the American people.

Ms. SCANLON

Ms. SCANLON. Madam Speaker, over the past 50 years, income inequality has exploded in our country. For decades, trickle-down economics has guided our country's fiscal policy, selling the American people a bill of goods about how cutting taxes for big business and the wealthy would eventually benefit society at large. Most Americans have experienced this policy failure firsthand. They have watched the rich and powerful accumulate wealth while the middle class shrinks and families struggle to stay afloat. Study after study has shown that instead of promoting jobs or growth, tax cuts for the rich have increased inequality. It is time to reject the failed theory of trickle-down economics and finally give everyday Americans a fair shot. The Build Back Better Act will provide one of the biggest middle- class tax cuts in history and invest in the American people to build a stronger, more inclusive economy. The best part? It is paid for by making those at the top finally pay their fair share. The system has been rigged against most Americans for far too long. We have a chance to fix it now. Let's get it done.

Ms. SCANLON

Ms. SCANLON. Madam Speaker, this weekend, I ran into a constituent whose story is a model for what we plan to deliver for more Americans through the Build Back Better Act. I met a mom in Media, from a solid middle-class family, and she was so excited to share the news about her son's new job. After completing the new maritime career development program at Delaware Community College, he attended a job fair and landed one of the new jobs at the Philadelphia shipyard, where he will be making $27 an hour and receiving full benefits. The Build Back Better Act will expand these kinds of opportunities and make them available to more Americans. It will expand job training programs and lower the cost of higher education by funding 2 years of tuition-free community college and increasing the value of Pell Grants. Using our Nation's network of community colleges as the pipeline, this bill will help connect more Americans to good paying jobs. The policies in the Build Back Better Act are urgently needed, they will strengthen our economy, and they are popular. It is time to deal working people back in.

Ms. SCANLON

Ms. SCANLON. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of this rule and its underlying legislation. Specifically, I want to highlight H.R. 3755, the Women's Health Protection Act. The passing of Ruth Bader Ginsburg just a year ago removed the last major impediment to an all-out assault by conservative extremists on the freedom of American women to make their own reproductive choices. With the culmination of a decades-long campaign to pack the Supreme Court with far-right abortion foes, championed by The Federalist Society and Mitch McConnell, we have seen a tidal wave of legislation and court cases designed to overturn the constitutional protections outlined in Roe v. Wade. Those efforts have included S.B. 8, the Texas bill outlawing abortion after 6 weeks and offering a bounty to vigilantes who seek to enforce that ban; the Supreme Court's refusal to block implementation of the Texas law; and the Court's scheduling of a December argument in a case that seeks to overturn Roe v. Wade. They all demonstrate a clear and present threat to women's reproductive rights in this country. The decision to have, or not to have, a child is deeply personal and may profoundly impact a woman's mental, physical, and financial health and, in some instances, her very life. Women should have the freedom to make personal healthcare decisions with those they love and the doctors they trust, free from undue State interference and invasion of the woman's privacy. With increasing attacks on women's reproductive freedom, we are once again seeing the urgent need for Federal legislation to codify Roe v. Wade. To ensure that Roe's protections remain, we must absolutely pass the Women's Health Protection Act and protect a woman's freedom to choose a safe and legal abortion, no matter where she lives.

Ms. SCANLON

Ms. SCANLON. Madam Speaker, in 1787, Benjamin Franklin was asked what type of government our founders had created with the U.S. Constitution, and his response was: ``A republic, if you can keep it.'' Why? Because representative democracy is not for the lazy or the faint of heart. American democracy relies upon an informed, engaged citizenry. We require immigrants to pass a difficult test when they become citizens, but we currently require little to ensure that our children are prepared for that role. I have been a proponent of civics education for my entire life, and it is more important than ever to help our schools provide high quality civic education. Our young people need to understand how government works; how they can effectively advocate for themselves and their communities; and how to navigate the masses of disinformation found online. Last Friday, on Constitution Day, I introduced a bipartisan bill with Representative Meijer, the Teaching Engaged Citizenship Act, to promote high-quality, evidence-based civic education and service learning programs in K-12 public schools. Our Constitution has a rich, complicated history. If we want to keep it, we need to teach it.

Ms. SCANLON

Ms. SCANLON. Madam Speaker, since the founding of our country, our quest for a more perfect union has featured measures to expand, not contract, the right to vote. In 1965, activists, including a young John Lewis, put their lives on the line to pass the original Voting Rights Act. For decades, that law enjoyed broad bipartisan support, but in recent years, State legislatures have passed hundreds of laws to restrict voter access. In 2020, our system held. It held because voters turned out in overwhelming numbers. It held because election officials did their jobs faithfully, regardless of party. It held because brave officers of the U.S. Capitol and Metro Police defended our Constitution. But let's be clear, the assault on voting rights continues, inspired by corrupt and cynical efforts to hold power at all costs. We must do our job to protect and reinforce our democratic system against these new threats because it won't hold indefinitely. Madam Speaker, I urge all Americans to hold the line to protect and defend our democracy. I urge swift passage of the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act by the House and the Senate.

Ms. SCANLON

Ms. SCANLON. Madam Speaker, I rise today in enthusiastic support of this rule and the underlying legislation. H.R. 4, the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, is essential to ensuring that every American voter has equal access to the ballot box, and the freedom to make his or her voice heard. Ever since the Supreme Court's decision in Shelby v. Holder opened the door, we have seen State legislatures pass hundreds of laws to restrict voter access while claiming, falsely, to protect our elections from voter fraud that doesn't even exist. Now, the unjustified attacks on the 2020 election results by the former President and his supporters have produced a wave of anti- democratic bills. But it doesn't have to be this way. In Shelby, the Supreme Court invited Congress to amend the Voting Rights Act to address its concerns. For 8 years, our Republican colleagues refused the Court's invitation to reinvigorate the Voting Rights Act, while extremist politicians worked overtime to close polling locations, limit voting hours, purge voter rolls, and erect barriers to the ballot box. We can't continue down this path if we want America to remain a functional democracy. Congress needs to do its job. I urge all of my colleagues and all Americans to support this bill. I would also like to speak briefly about the bipartisan infrastructure bill and the Build Back Better Act, which today's vote will move forward. Together, they are the key to helping Americans and American businesses succeed in the 21st century. Our country is facing multiple, interconnected crises: the COVID pandemic, a deeply unequal economy, long-neglected infrastructure needs, underfunded public services that often fail to serve those most in need, and climate disasters that are impacting our communities more often. The Build Back Better agenda is simple: make major investments in physical infrastructure and working families to create a fairer, more productive, and sustainable economy. We need the bipartisan infrastructure deal to enable America to compete in the 21st century, but we also need the Build Back Better Act to create jobs and lower costs and taxes for working families. These bills have the power to improve the lives of millions of Americans. Madam Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to support the rule.

Ms. SCANLON

Ms. SCANLON. Madam Speaker, the Build Back Better agenda is simple, it tackles the biggest challenges facing working families by investing in what Americans need, from physical infrastructure to education and child care. The feedback from my constituents has been clear, they need a hard infrastructure bill, but we can't stop there. Pennsylvania has more than 3,000 bridges and 7,500 miles of highway in poor condition. The infrastructure bill includes $11 billion for our highways and the largest bridge investment since we built the interstate highway system. It will provide good jobs and lower costs to businesses. But we can't stop with roads and bridges if we want America to succeed in the 21st century. Most Pennsylvanians can't afford quality child care. The budget resolution would provide access to safe, reliable, high-quality care. We need to rebuild our public schools and construct affordable housing. We need to lower prescription drug costs and expand Medicare to include dental, hearing, and vision. Each of these investments will help working families and allow everyone, not just the rich, to participate in the 21st century economy. Madam Speaker, I look forward to passing this historic legislation.

Ms. SCANLON

Ms. SCANLON. Madam Speaker, my community in southeastern Pennsylvania was deeply impacted by the terrorist attack of September 11, 2001. Members of our community were among the flight crews and passengers on the hijacked planes, others worked at the World Trade Center or Pentagon that day and were killed or had to flee for their lives. Airplanes headed to Philadelphia were diverted to Canada, and the high- rise offices were evacuated with bomb threats. Located between New York, D.C., and Shanksville, Pennsylvania, our area keenly felt like the geographic center of the three airplane attacks. I am proud to cosponsor H.R. 2278, which authorizes the National Park Service to designate the September 11 National Memorial Trail route linking the Memorial and Museum in New York to the Pentagon Memorial in Arlington, Virginia, and the Flight 93 National Memorial in Somerset County. The 9/11 Memorial Trail will allow us all not to just engage with the tragedy of that terrorist attack, but also to heal from it. In Pennsylvania's Fifth District, the Memorial Trail will link parts of the Schuylkill River Trail, Kingsessing, the John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge, and move on through Delaware County. This bill passed the House with great bipartisan support, and I urge the Senate to take it up before the 20th anniversary of September 11.

Ms. SCANLON

Ms. SCANLON. Mr. Speaker, House Democrats have shown up every day during the 117th Congress with one goal in mind: helping the American people. This week, we have been considering critical funding legislation, which gives us a chance to invest boldly in American families and America's future. With the funding bills put forth by House Democrats, we are investing in: job training, apprenticeship programs, and worker protection. Research, infrastructure, and technologies of the future. Childcare, education, healthcare, and housing. The bills we are considering would authorize 10 critical community projects in my district, providing more than $8.4 million in Federal funding to address some of the most pressing needs in our region, economic development, climate resilience, treatment for opioid use disorder, and expanding mental health resources. House Democrats have made our priorities clear: American jobs, opportunities, and working families. Budgets reflect values, and I am proud to see my community's values reflected in the fiscal year 2022 funding bills. We cannot go wrong by investing in America.

Ms. SCANLON

Ms. SCANLON. Mr. Speaker, I was walking from the House Administration Committee hearing room with my colleagues when I missed the vote. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea'' on rollcall No. 234. Stated against:

Ms. SCANLON

Ms. SCANLON. Madam Speaker, I rise today to share with you some of the important projects we have nominated as part of the community project funding process, 10 projects that will bring more than $8.4 million in critical funding to my district and which have now been included in the House Appropriations Committee's fiscal year 2022 funding bill. It is my honor to represent the residents of PA-05 in Congress, and I am thrilled to have secured funding for these projects that were submitted by nonprofit and government agencies in our region and that met the rigorous funding criteria laid out by Congress. The projects our office nominated for inclusion address some of the most pressing needs in our region: economic development, climate resilience, treatment for opioid use disorder, and expanding mental health resources. Each of these projects will also help deliver on House Democrats' and President Biden's promise to build back better, to set the table for success for the American people, now and in the future. Today, I would like to shine the spotlight on two projects I am particularly proud of. The Delaware County Mobile Crisis teams project will provide an alternative response for emergency calls involving people suffering from mental illness. For too long, our mental health system has been woefully underfunded. As a result, all too frequently, people living with mental illness or cognitive disabilities have ended up in our criminal justice system, often with fatal consequences. We can do better. Around the country, communities have begun to address this dearth of mental health resources and overreliance on the criminal justice system by developing programs to provide alternatives to and diversion from arrest, abuse, and incarceration. At the Federal level, I am proud to have introduced the Mental Health Justice Act, which would make it easier for State and local governments to develop these programs and send trained mental health professionals instead of police when someone calls 911 because an individual is experiencing a mental health crisis. At the local level, I am proud to support Delaware County's application to fund just such a project in this year's appropriations bill, a project to address the mental and behavioral health challenges of residents who might otherwise find themselves in the criminal justice system. The county proposal will create mobile crisis teams stationed with the county's Emergency Services Department. These teams will be dispatched in conjunction with law enforcement in response to requests for help for persons known or suspected to be suffering from mental illness with the goal of diverting them from the criminal justice system into treatment with access to prioritized admission and to properly address their underlying needs. This program is a collaboration among Delaware County's human services, health adviser, district attorney, and public defender. I commend these county leaders for looking forward, and I look forward to seeing the positive impact mobile crisis teams can have on our community. Another project that I was proud to secure funding for in the fiscal year `22 appropriations bill is for the restoration and reopening of the historic Lansdowne Theater. The 1927 Lansdowne Theater is an Art Deco gem that will be rehabilitated into a regional concert hall and spur investment in the surrounding community. The $1.5 million in Federal funding we have secured in the appropriations bill will be the final dollars for this $15 million project so that it can immediately start the restoration needed to bring this community treasure back to life. We anticipate the project will create 51 jobs to operate the theater and 100 permanent jobs in businesses nearby, in addition to over 100 jobs for the trades during construction. Once completed, the theater will breathe new economic life into the community and attract more arts and culture to PA-5. It will create opportunities for enhanced educational programs for area students through internships and access to different genres of music. This transformational investment is integral to a broader plan to create an anchor in the community to restore, enhance, and spur economic activity in this part of the Baltimore Pike commercial district. The community project funding program is a win for the American people. It gives our communities the opportunity to make their case directly to Congress for funding to make bold, progressive investments that are exactly what our community and communities across the country need to recover and rebuild. This is what keeping a promise looks like. I look forward to continuing to fight for the people with these new investments.

Ms. SCANLON

Ms. SCANLON. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of the rule under consideration today. Well before coming to Congress, I provided legal services for Iraqis and Afghans who had put their lives at risk as drivers, translators, and contractors to help our military abroad. They needed help to obtain the Special Immigrant Visas they were promised in return. From that experience, I know firsthand that the process is rigorous and time-consuming. Even before the pandemic, it could take years for these critical allies to receive the special visas they were promised. During that time, they and their families faced continual threats of injury and death. Many died, had to go into hiding, or had their relatives killed because they had assisted U.S. forces. As the U.S. leaves Afghanistan after almost two decades of unending war, we need to streamline the SIV process so that we can make good on America's promise to our Afghan allies who risked their lives to protect our troops. The ALLIES Act would ensure that the U.S. keeps its promise to protect those allies who worked with U.S. troops in Afghanistan. We must pass this bill quickly so that no one is left behind. Mr. Speaker, I also want to state my support for the other two bills in today's rule. My region knows just how pervasive and dangerous the PFAS chemicals are. Pennsylvania has multiple PFAS-contaminated sites, and my district is downstream from a couple of them. Uncontaminated drinking water should not be a debatable topic. For the health and safety our families, friends, and neighborhoods, we need to properly regulate and remediate PFAS chemicals, and this bill would do just that. Finally, we need to pass the Consumer Protection and Recovery Act to restore the ability of the FTC to protect consumers by forcing bad actors to return funds to consumers who have been defrauded, in the wake of a Supreme Court decision that took away that power from the FTC. It is estimated that Pennsylvania seniors lose about $1.2 billion a year to scammers. Forcing reimbursements has been a key tool in the FTC toolbox for almost 40 years, and it is probably the most important tool for the individual consumer. This bill will make clear Congress' intent to restore that power to the FTC. Mr. Speaker, I strongly support this rule and its underlying legislation, and I call on all my colleagues to do the same.

Ms. SCANLON

Ms. SCANLON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the important work being done by our former First Lady, Michelle Obama, through her Pass the Love campaign. In collaboration with the Partnership for a Healthier America, Mrs. Obama has been on a mission to distribute one million healthy meals to families in need. Last week, we learned that Philadelphia, part of my district, has been selected as the next city for this campaign. Pass the Love will work with Philabundance--a local leader in hunger alleviation--to deliver healthy meal kits to 5,000 families. Over the course of 4 weeks, they will provide 240,000 meals to families experiencing food insecurity. Children in Philadelphia and across America are hungry. Creative initiatives like this one from the former First Lady should be lauded for what they do, but they cannot solve this systemic issue on their own. Our country has every resource required to eradicate hunger. We can and must make the decision to end hunger in America now.

Ms. SCANLON

Ms. SCANLON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to share how the INVEST in America Act, which we just passed, will benefit residents of my district, as well as communities across the country. Year after year, the U.S. Congress has failed to muster the political will to properly fund American infrastructure. State and local authorities don't have enough money to meet basic maintenance needs, much less to make investments in modernization, expansion, or other improvements. Thankfully, the INVEST in America Act can change that. It provides $715 billion to repair and improve our Nation's infrastructure, create good-paying jobs, and lay the foundation for robust economic growth in the 21st century. I am proud to say that this package includes almost $21 million for projects to help communities in my district, small businesses, commuters, and residents. These projects include the redesign of dangerous rail crossings, upgrades to commuter transit stations, bike lanes, and safety improvements to areas like the Cobbs Creek Parkway, which is the site of hundreds of accidents--many of them fatal. We have more work to do to get an infrastructure package to President Biden's desk and signed into law, but passing the INVEST in America Act is an important step towards that goal.

Ms. SCANLON

Ms. SCANLON. Mr. Speaker, I yield back balance of my time, and I move the previous question on the resolution.

Ms. SCANLON. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my colleagues on both sides of the aisle for the lively debate today. I understand that there are some who have concerns with the rule and its underlying legislation, but these bills are vitally important to our country, and I am confident they would greatly benefit all of us. We should be able to support robust infrastructure spending that meets our Nation's current needs. We should all support a vigorous corps of inspectors general who can weed out fraud, waste, and corruption in the Federal Government. We should all support removing symbols of hate from the Capitol. These should be easy bills for us all to get behind. Lastly, I strongly support the creation of a select committee to investigate the January 6 insurrection and debunk the absurd theories and falsehoods that have infected our collective understanding of that day. While some of our colleagues may continue their denial, those of us in this Chamber who are committed to transparency and accountability and the well-being of the Nation can no longer afford to be held back by the sensitivities of those who put their fealty to the former President over their duty or obligation to the country. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote for the rule and the previous question. The material previously referred to by Mr. Reschenthaler is as follows: Amendment to House Resolution 504 At the end of the resolution, add the following: Sec. 9 Immediately upon adoption of this resolution, the House shall proceed to the consideration in the House of the bill (H.R. 471) to prohibit the Secretary of Health and Human Services from lessening the stringency of, and to prohibit the Secretary of Homeland Security from ceasing or lessening implementation of, the COVID-19 border health provisions through the end of the COVID-19 pandemic, and for other purposes. All points of order against consideration of the bill are waived. The bill shall be considered as read. All points of order against provisions in the bill are waived. The previous question shall be considered as ordered on the bill and on any amendment thereto to final passage without intervening motion except: (1) one hour of debate equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking minority member of the Committee on Energy and Commerce; and (2) one motion to recommit. Sec. 10. Clause 1(c) of rule XIX shall not apply to the consideration of H.R. 471.

Ms. SCANLON. Mr. Speaker, I think I have one more speaker. I am finding the argument a little bit hard to follow for my colleagues across the aisle because, as I understand it, it was a bad thing to shut down businesses in the U.S. to protect people when there was a virus rampant here. But we have to shut down the border because there is a virus rampant here. It is just a little hard to follow the logic sometimes. If the gentleman is prepared to close, then I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. SCANLON. Mr. Speaker, does the gentleman have additional speakers?

Ms. SCANLON. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, this bill is really straightforward. It increases money for surface transportation. It focuses on hard infrastructure. We need to fix the basics and then we can improve and expand them. This bill does include money specifically directed to our rural areas, and the crack about urban yuppies is kind of crazy. We know that in Pennsylvania, which both the gentleman and I represent, we know that we have businesses in western Pennsylvania that are losing money because of the state of our roadways. If you build a turbine in western Pennsylvania, in order to get it to the port in eastern Pennsylvania right now, those companies have to take an 800- mile detour because our roadways cannot support that turbine. So it is impacting their businesses. It is increasing energy costs. It is wasting time. But these kinds of things affect businesses across our entire Commonwealth and across our entire country. So these are much-needed, overdue by decades, bipartisan neglect. This bill addresses some of those issues. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. SCANLON. Mr. Speaker, by direction of the Committee on Rules, I call up House Resolution 504 and ask for its immediate consideration.

Ms. SCANLON. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. SCANLON. Mr. Speaker, does the gentleman from Pennsylvania have further speakers?