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16 public bills, H.R. 7323- 7338; 1 private bill, H.R. 7339; and 4 resolutions, H. Con. Res. 73; and H. Res. 1033-1035, were introduced.
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Reports Filed
Reports were filed today as follows: H. Res. 1032, providing for consideration of the Senate amendments to the bill (H.R. 7148) making further consolidated appropriations for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2026, and for other purposes; providing for consideration of the joint resolution (H.J. Res. 142) disapproving the action of the District of Columbia Council in approving the D.C. Income and Franchise Tax Conformity and Revision Temporary Amendment Act of 2025; and providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 4090) to codify certain provisions of certain Executive Orders relating to domestic mining and hardrock mineral resources, and for other purposes (H. Rept. 119-478); and H.R. 7008, to amend chapter 131 of title 5 to require certain restrictions on stocks for Members of Congress and their spouses and dependents, and for other purposes, with an amendment (H. Rept. 119- 479).
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Speaker
Read a letter from the Speaker wherein he appointed Representative Ezell to act as Speaker pro tempore for today.
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Recess
The House recessed at 11:06 a.m. and reconvened at 11:15 a.m.
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Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2026
The House agreed to the Senate amendments to H.R. 7148, making further consolidated appropriations for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2026, by a yea-and-nay vote of 217 yeas to 214 nays, Roll No. 53.
Pages H1951-59, H1959-60, H1960-67
H. Res. 1032, the rule providing for consideration of the Senate amendments to the bill (H.R. 7148) and providing for consideration of the joint resolution (H.J. Res. 142) and the bill (H.R. 4090) was agreed to by a recorded vote of 217 ayes to 215 noes, Roll No. 52, after the previous question was ordered by a yea-and-nay vote of 212 yeas to 210 nays, Roll No. 51. Authorizing the President to award the Medal of Honor to John W.
Pages H1951-59, H1959-60
Ripley for acts of valor during the Vietnam War
The House agreed to discharge from committee and pass H.R. 7211, to authorize the President to award the Medal of Honor to John W. Ripley for acts of valor during the Vietnam War.
Page H1967
Authorizing the President to award the Medal of Honor to James Capers, Jr., for acts of valor as a member of the Marine Corps during the Vietnam War
The House agreed to discharge from committee and pass H.R. 3377, to authorize the President to award the Medal of Honor to James Capers, Jr., for acts of valor as a member of the Marine Corps during the Vietnam War. Kareem N.
Page H1967
Dockery Medal of Honor Act
The House agreed to discharge from committee and pass H.R. 7194, to authorize the President to award the Medal of Honor to Kareem N. Dockery for acts of valor as a member of the Army while serving in Afghanistan, as amended by Representative Bacon.
Pages H1967-68
Agreed to amend the title so as to read
``To authorize the President to award the Medal of Honor to Nicholas Dockery for acts of valor as a member of the Army while serving in Afghanistan.''. Quorum Calls--Votes: Two yea-and-nay votes and one recorded vote developed during the proceedings of today and appear on pages H1959-60, H1960, and H1967. Adjournment: The House met at 10 a.m. and adjourned at 3:06 p.m.
Every speech and line is the Congressional Record's own text, read from GovInfo. Speakers are matched to members by GPO's own metadata. Referandom places each turn on the Clerk's video by matching its words: 94 of 141 spoken turns were found. Turns without a time are still listed; they just can't seek.
Providing for Consideration of Senate Amendments to H.R. 7148, Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2026; Providing for Consideration of H.J. RES. 142, Disapproving the Action of the District Of...
Mr. Speaker, for the purpose of debate only, I yield the customary 30 minutes to the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. McGovern), pending which I yield myself such time as I may consume. During consideration of this resolution, all time yielded is for the purpose of debate only.
Mr. Speaker, last night, the Committee on Rules met and granted, by a recorded vote of 8-4, a rule providing for consideration of three measures.
First, the rule makes in order to a motion offered by the chairman of the Committee on Appropriations that the House concur in the Senate amendments to H.R. 7148, the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2026. The rule provides 1 hour of debate on the motion equally divided and controlled by the chairman and ranking minority member of the Committee on Appropriations or their respective designees.
The rule further provides for consideration of H.J. Res. 142 under a closed rule. The rule provides 1 hour of general debate equally divided and controlled by the chairman and ranking minority member of the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform or their respective designees.
Finally, the rule provides for consideration of H.R. 4090, the Critical Mineral Dominance Act, under a closed rule. The rule provides 1 hour of general debate equally divided and controlled by the chairman and ranking minority member of the Committee on Natural Resources or their respective designees and provides one motion to recommit.
This rule advances a motion to concur in the Senate amendments to H.R. 7148, the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2026. Specifically, the Senate amendments to H.R. 7148 strike the Homeland Security Appropriations division, replacing it with a CR through February 13, 2026, and make other conforming changes to the text of the bill.
Mr. Speaker, by concurring in the Senate amendments to H.R. 7148, the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2026, we will end the Democrats' second government shutdown and fully fund the following departments and agencies for the remainder of fiscal year 2026:
President Trump's Department of Defense, President Trump's Department of Labor, President Trump's Department of Health and Human Services, President Trump's Department of Education, President Trump's Department of Transportation, President Trump's Department of Housing and Urban Development, President Trump's Department of State, President Trump's Department of the Treasury, and many agencies related to each of these departments.
Simply put, a ``yes'' vote on House Resolution 1032 enables us to consider legislation that pays our soldiers in the United States Army, providing $54.5 billion in military personnel funding to support Active-Duty soldiers, 172,000 reservists, and 328,000 National Guard members.
A ``yes'' vote enables us to consider legislation that pays our sailors in the United States Navy, delivering $40.5 billion to support 344,600 Active-Duty sailors and 57,500 reservists who keep our sea- lanes open and our country secure.
A ``yes'' vote enables us to consider legislation that pays our marines in the United States Marine Corps, investing nearly $17 billion to support 172,300 Active-Duty marines and 33,600 reservists sustaining the readiness of our most forward-deployed force.
A ``yes'' vote enables us to consider legislation that pays our airmen in the United States Air Force, providing $38.7 billion to support 321,500 Active-Duty airmen, 67,500 reservists, and 160,300 guardsmen defending our skies.
A ``yes'' vote enables us to consider legislation that pays our guardians in the United States Space Force, investing $1.49 billion to support 10,400 Active-Duty guardians, a growing force critical to modern national security.
A ``yes'' vote enables us to consider legislation that gives the brave men and women who are defending our country a well-deserved pay raise of 3.8 percent to ensure their compensation reflects the value of their service and sacrifice.
A ``yes'' vote on House Resolution 1032 enables us to consider legislation that funds the Department of Labor's Veterans' Employment and Training Service, otherwise known as VETS, a program that serves America's veterans and separating servicemembers by preparing them for meaningful careers, providing employment resources and expertise, and protecting their employment rights.
A ``yes'' vote on House Resolution 1032 enables us to consider legislation that funds the Department of the Treasury's Office of Terrorism and Financial Intelligence, a critical component of our national security that disrupts and disables terrorists, criminals, and other direct threats to American citizens, and protects our country's financial systems from abuse by illicit actors.
A ``yes'' vote on House Resolution 1032 also enables us to consider legislation that funds the Department of Transportation's Federal Aviation Administration, the FAA, and our country's air traffic controllers, who keep our skies safe.
Given my district's proximity to Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, I proudly represent more air traffic controllers than any other Member of Congress. During the Democrats' previous shutdown, our Democratic colleagues used our air traffic controllers and their families as political pawns, forcing them to go without pay for 43 days.
Mr. Speaker, I hope the Democrats do not subject our country to yet another long government shutdown, but only time will tell, as we will vote on House Resolution 1032 within the hour.
Mr. Speaker, the rule before us also provides consideration for H.J. Res. 142, a joint resolution disapproving the action of the District of Columbia Council in approving the D.C. Income and Franchise Tax Conformity and Revision Temporary Amendment Act of 2025.
On December 20, 2025, the District of Columbia Council enacted, without the Mayor's support, legislation to decouple areas from the Federal tax code and deny District residents and businesses the local tax conformity impacts of several tax benefit provisions of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.
Simply put, the District of Columbia Council doesn't want its citizens to benefit from the largest working families tax cut in American history.
Specifically, the District of Columbia Council wants to deny its citizens the ability to enjoy the increased standard deduction. The District of Columbia Council wants to deny its citizens the ability to enjoy no taxes on tips. The District of Columbia Council apparently wants to deny its citizens the ability to enjoy no tax on overtime. The District of Columbia Council apparently wants to deny its citizens the ability to enjoy no tax on auto loans. Finally, the District of Columbia Council wants to deny its citizens the ability to enjoy additional deductions during tax season.
Mr. Speaker, I would ask my Democratic colleagues why the District of Columbia took these actions, but I think we already know the answer. It is politics because this happened following the various tax cut packages during President Bush's administration. This happened yet again after Congress passed the Trump Tax Cuts and Jobs Act in 2017. When a Republican President enacts tax cut legislation, the District of Columbia Council swiftly seems to act to deny its citizens the benefits.
I applaud my colleague, Representative Brandon Gill, for introducing this legislation. Representative Gill is a rising star in our Conference, our freshman class president, and a very good friend.
Mr. Speaker, the rule further provides for consideration of H.R. 4090, the Critical Mineral Dominance Act, legislation that codifies certain provisions of three executive orders by President Trump relating to domestic mining and hardrock mineral resources.
During our last election, voters across our country overwhelmingly voted to unleash America's energy potential, and this legislation fulfills that mandate.
This legislation requires the Department of the Interior to annually report on the dollar value of the overall economic impact of each mineral commodity for which our country is import-reliant.
This legislation requires the Department of the Interior, in consultation with the Department of Agriculture, to identify priority mining projects on Federal lands that can be immediately approved and expedited for completion.
This legislation directs the Secretaries of the Interior and Agriculture to identify all Federal lands in their broad jurisdictions that may be suitable for hardrock mineral exploration, development, and production.
Finally, this legislation targets legal and regulatory bottlenecks that impede domestic mining by directing the Department of the Interior to revise or repeal rules and regulations that hinder mining projects.
Rolling back burdensome regulations is what Americans want and is precisely what this legislation delivers.
I commend my colleague, Representative Pete Stauber, for introducing this legislation. Representative Stauber is a natural leader of the Committee on Natural Resources who continues to swiftly deliver for his constituents and all Americans.
Mr. Speaker, passage of this rule enables our House of Representatives to debate and consider legislation that ends Democrats' second Federal Government shutdown, unleashes America's energy potential, and lowers taxes for working families, seniors, and small businesses within our Nation's Capital.
Mr. Speaker, I urge all of our colleagues to vote ``yes'' on House Resolution 1032, as it allows for our House of Representatives to govern, just as the American people deserve.
Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Georgia for yielding me the customary 30 minutes and for his riveting presentation, and I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, before I say a word about the rule or the bills in front of us, this is the first full day that we have convened since two Federal officers shot and killed another American citizen in Minneapolis, Alex Pretti, an ICU nurse who took care of our Nation's veterans.
Alex was on a public street. He was exercising his First Amendment rights while filming Federal agents. He was exercising his Second Amendment rights as a law-abiding, concealed-carry gun owner. He was doing what any decent person would do: helping a woman off the ground after she had been shoved down by a Federal officer. For that, he was punished with death, shot by his own government.
This wasn't an isolated tragedy, Mr. Speaker. It was the second public killing of an innocent American in Minneapolis tied to Homeland Security. Renee Good, a mother of three, was shot by ICE on January 7, mere weeks before the murder of Alex Pretti.
Mr. Speaker, as co-chair of the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission, named after our former colleague, the only Holocaust survivor to serve in the United States Congress, I have spent years documenting and standing up to human rights abuses carried out by authoritarian regimes against their own people.
Let me say this plainly: A functioning democracy does not execute people in the street. That is the kind of thing you see in North Korea, Mr. Speaker, or Iran; not in the United States of America.
It is beyond the pale. In my view, this administration and those at the Department of Homeland Security, in particular, should not get another cent until there are some serious actions taken. I personally believe we should abolish ICE and start all over. At a minimum, there needs to be some serious, systemic reforms made, which brings us to today's rule debate.
Over the weekend, the Senate acted on the government funding bills House Republicans sent them 2 weeks ago, except for a short-term CR that continues DHS funding at the current levels for the next 1\1/2\ weeks.
I want to be crystal clear about where I stand: I am voting ``no''. I will not stand by and give any more money to Stephen Miller and Kristi Noem to bankroll an out-of-control operation that is terrorizing communities and shredding the Constitution.
We are watching masked, armed agents force their way into homes without judicial warrants. We are seeing blatant violations of the Fourth Amendment. We are witnessing agencies act with impunity. We are hearing about kids getting kidnapped on their way to school and grandparents dragged from their homes. We are listening as government officials smear dead Americans as domestic terrorists instead of answering basic questions about what happened.
Mr. Speaker, I am not interested in business as usual, not for 2 more weeks, not for 2 more seconds.
A Federal judge recently described ICE's conduct in January as an extraordinary pattern of defiance of court orders. They said ICE ``has likely violated more court orders in January 2026 than some Federal agencies have violated in their entire existence.'' That should give every single Member of this House pause. It is certainly my red line, and I think it ought to be a red line for this whole body.
Mr. Speaker, it is not just DHS funding. This package also gives a massive increase in funding to the Pentagon. Why are we writing a blank check for the so-called Department of War while this administration threatens allies, breaks the law, and treats Congress like an afterthought? Why are we giving Pete Hegseth more money than the administration even asked for while we get fewer answers, fewer guardrails, and fewer constraints on reckless action?
On top of all of this, Republicans have jammed in a measure to repeal D.C.'s new tax law. Let me just tell my colleagues, this would blow a $600 million hole in D.C.'s budget, over half a billion dollars gone because Republicans in Congress want to meddle in local governance when they can't even manage a budget of their own.
I mean, they just added $4 trillion to the national debt in their one big, ugly bill. Let that sink in. I mean, it is ridiculous. The Mayor and the chairman of the D.C. Council warned that this would throw a huge wrench into D.C.'s current tax filing season and force people to refile their taxes. That is insane.
If this bill becomes law, they would be ripping away D.C.'s new child tax credit, money that would go directly to families to help them put food on the table and reduce childhood poverty. Republicans talk a big game about family values, and then they turn around and take money out of kids' pockets. It is shameful. By the way--you can't make this stuff up--this measure had no hearing and no markup. I say, so much for regular order.
When I asked the Oversight Committee chairman yesterday basic questions about D.C.'s budget, he had no answers. He had no idea how big D.C.'s budget is or how much D.C. spends on the Metro, schools, or infrastructure improvements. He had no idea how much money D.C. raises in local taxes and how much of a budget shortfall their outrageous bill would cause. These are the most basic questions
Let's be honest about what this is. It is powerful people in Washington telling local communities: Sit down and shut up. We know better. Then they leave working people to clean up the mess.
The final bill in this rule is another massive giveaway to mining CEOs and polluters that lets them gut their own regulations. It is the same pattern. It is the same pattern every single time: more power for the strong, more pain for the vulnerable, more protection for insiders, and more excuses for lawlessness. Enough is enough.
Mr. Speaker, I am voting ``no'' on this rule, ``no'' on this underlying package, and ``no'' on all these bills. I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
I enjoyed the passionate speech from the gentleman from Massachusetts, but I wonder aloud if the gentleman has such passion for some of the criminals who our Federal law enforcement have apprehended in Minnesota during their most recent operations.
For instance, our Federal law enforcement arrested a criminal illegal alien from Somalia with a record of multiple counts of credit card fraud, drug possession, controlled substance possession, and drug trafficking. By the way, this criminal was issued a final order of removal in 2022. Of course, that was never enacted under the previous administration. I wonder if the gentleman has as much passion about that illegal alien who has committed many, many crimes.
A criminal alien from Laos was also apprehended, with three prior convictions for selling drugs, as well as convictions for assault and contributing to a minor's delinquency. The criminal was issued a final order of removal in 2009, but here we are.
Likewise, law enforcement in Minnesota arrested a criminal illegal alien from Mexico previously arrested for child cruelty and battery. I wonder if the gentleman stands with that criminal illegal alien as well. We will surely see in further debate.
Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentlewoman from North Carolina (Ms. Foxx), the distinguished Rules Committee chairwoman.
Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from Georgia for yielding.
Mr. Speaker, yesterday in the Rules Committee, I offered my sentiments as to why we must pass all the underlying measures that are being considered under this rule. For our rule debate here today, I will touch upon the appropriations measure that is under consideration.
To make the record crystal clear, not once did the people's House court a government shutdown during the appropriations process. The various subcommittees of the Appropriations Committee did their jobs. They worked collaboratively to deliver to the full House their recommendations.
As Chairman Cole said more than once in the Rules Committee, these appropriators knew their subject matter better than anyone else and presented to the rest of us their best effort.
Then the House did its job. We passed all 12 appropriations bills and sent them to the Senate, which had negotiated with their House counterparts and agreed to take what had been produced in the House. In doing so, we plowed a path toward regular order that was sorely overdue.
Unfortunately, the Senate reneged on the agreement. The Senate did not pass what it had agreed to pass and, instead, made a change after the House completed its work. That delay on the part of the Senate caused the government to shut down.
Now, what the Senate should have done was approve the six-bill appropriations package that was negotiated in good faith. This process should have been over and done with by now. We don't have time to be playing games, Mr. Speaker.
Now, I wholeheartedly echo the sentiment offered by Chairman Cole that doing the right thing for the American people is something that does not get old.
Congress holds an explicit mandate that is outlined in our Article I responsibilities to appropriate funding for the missions of departments across the government. When we fail to uphold that mandate, we fail to serve the American people. We fail to do right by them.
We must bring the appropriations process to a close. We must move forward and complete more work in service to the American people.
Mr. Speaker, I support the rule and the underlying measures, and I encourage my colleagues to do the same.
Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
I want to respond to the gentleman from Georgia, who comes down here with the same old, tired MAGA talking points when it comes to ICE and Homeland Security.
He comes down here to confuse people, to somehow imply that Democrats don't want to lock up violent criminals. On the contrary, we do. That is what we were promised that the worst of the worst would be pursued and would be held accountable. However, that is not what is happening. That is not what is happening.
In Minnesota, ICE agents have been intimidating people in hospitals, forcing hospital management to issue protocols for employees on how to best engage. Our doctors and nurses ought to be focused on tending to patients and not dealing with ICE agents. It is despicable. I mean, agents showed up to a Minnesota hospital with a man who immigrated here legally. Just 4 hours after his arrest, he had at least eight skull fractures in addition to life-threatening brain hemorrhages.
When people have exercised their First Amendment rights to protest, ICE meets them with only more abuse, beating peaceful protesters and dousing them in pepper spray.
Mr. Speaker, we have all heard by now the horrifying story of Alex Pretti, an innocent American citizen, an intensive care nurse who was brutally murdered by Federal agents. This wasn't an isolated incident. The administration has shot 13 people during immigration enforcement operations since September.
I am going to say that again, 13 people have been shot by the Department of Homeland Security. Four of those shootings were fatal. Those are four people who would be with us today if not for the insane administration's cruel oppression of our communities. I mean, ICE agents are not protecting our borders. They are ambushing our communities, decimating our families, and taking innocent lives.
Mr. Speaker, Republicans nearly tripled ICE's budget last summer with their big, ugly bill; and all that money ought to be clawed back. As far as the appropriations package before us, again, I refuse to send another cent to Stephen Miller or Kristi Noem. She ought to be impeached, and he ought to be fired immediately. They are undermining our Constitution, and the Department that they run is murdering American citizens on the street.
We are hearing about young children being kidnapped. We are hearing about off-duty police officers being detained by ICE. We are hearing about ICE going after people because of the color of their skin. That is what we object to. Let's go after the criminals.
By the way, we are not the party that pardoned all the insurrectionists on January 6 and said that the slate is clean. By the way, those people go on to murder innocent people, to rape women, and molest children.
There is a difference here. We want to go after the violent criminals, those who have committed terrible crimes. That is what we were promised, and we were lied to. We have had it.
Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, it sure seems like the gentleman from Massachusetts is using a whole set of leftwing talking points himself, but I am curious and, rather, we should probably check the transcripts. I do appreciate the gentleman from Massachusetts for applauding Federal law enforcement's efforts to apprehend and prosecute and subject to our system of justice some of the worst criminals in our country. I do appreciate that sentiment.
Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Fine), who I may add is a champion debater, so I wish my colleagues on the other side of the aisle best wishes.
Mr. Speaker, I thank my good friend Representative Jack for asking me to do that. I think he has raised the expectations here, so we will see what I can do.
Mr. Speaker, I have been in Congress now for 10 months, and this is the second time the government has been shut down. What is similar in them both is the reason because Democrats have put the priorities of illegal immigrants over the priorities of the people that we swore an oath to protect; that is, the American citizens.
A few months ago, the shutdown was to try to give illegal immigrants free healthcare, and now the shutdown is simply over whether they should go home. What we are dealing with is a fetishization of illegal immigrants that I simply can't understand. Sometimes I think it is delusion, that they live in a world of sunshine and rainbows and pixie dust and unicorns where anyone who wants should be able to come to the United States; that everyone is good; that no one causes a problem; that they can get all the free stuff they want; that they can vote in our elections; and everything will work out just fine. That is not how it works.
We hear a lot about the two Americans who were killed. It is unfortunate that that happened. What I would note is, if they had been staying away from law enforcement while law enforcement was doing their job--which is to round up and send home people who are in our country illegally, who have been told to leave and refuse to do so--nothing would have happened to them.
Do you know who they don't talk about? They don't talk about the estimated 500 Americans that are killed each year by illegal immigrants. Why do we not know their names? What about their families? That is 500 families whose lives are destroyed, 500 spouses and mothers and fathers and children who are dead because of someone who should not have even been here. That is who I swore an oath to protect.
Mr. Speaker, let's make no mistake what this is about. Democrats do not care about illegal immigrants. They don't care at all. What this is about is political power. That is what this is about because the States that they run, real Americans, actual Americans, people who should be able to vote in our country, are fleeing in droves. U-Haul business is going through the roof in places like New York and California, and they are moving to my State of Florida.
As Americans leave these horribly run States that do not cooperate with law enforcement, where they release these criminals out on to the streets, the only way they can retain power is to import illegal immigrants to try to hold on to their seats in this House, to try to hold on to their Federal funding, and to try to hold on to their elections. That is what this debate is about.
I believe that we need to move forward today because all this vote is right now is a vote on whether to discuss and vote on whether to reopen the government.
I will be honest. There are things in the underlying appropriations bills that make my stomach churn, but I believe we have an obligation to the American people to have that debate and to have that vote. To vote against the rule means you do not believe the American people should even have the possibility of having the government reopened again.
I came here to fight to make sure there are not another 500 families next year and 500 the year after and 500 the year after. We need to get the government reopened. We need to get our folks back to work, and we need to be focused not on illegal immigrants, not on people who shouldn't be here, but those who should and have the right to be and have the right to be safe. That is why I will be voting for the rule today, and I hope all of my colleagues do, as well.
Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, the Florida man who just spoke characterized the murder of two Americans by ICE agents as unfortunate. It is not unfortunate. It is goddamned unacceptable, and everybody should be outraged by that.
He also bragged about the fact that he has been in Congress for 10 months, and the government has been shut down twice. I hate to be the one to remind the gentleman, but the last time I checked, his party is in control of everything: the White House, the Senate, and the House. You run the show. Maybe November will be a month of reckoning. Let's hope so for the sake of this country.
Mr. Speaker, if we defeat the previous question, I will offer an amendment to the rule to make in order amendment No. 47 to the Senate amendments to H.R. 7148, which would allow for an up-or-down vote on whether to cut the $75 billion Republicans gave ICE in their big, ugly bill and use those funds to undo some of the big, ugly bill's disastrous healthcare cuts.
Mr. Speaker, last year, Republicans voted to kick more than 15 million people off their healthcare--15 million Americans--through an over $1 trillion cut to Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act.
Republicans claimed that this was for deficit reduction, but we know that wasn't true. That was a lie. According to the nonpartisan budget experts at the Congressional Budget Office, their big, ugly bill added $4 trillion to the national debt, in part, by giving ICE boatloads of cash to run roughshod through American cities with zero safeguards. This must end.
If Democrats defeat the previous question, I will offer an amendment to repurpose these ICE funds toward lowering healthcare costs, which Republican Senators Lisa Murkowski and Susan Collins voted for just last week. I challenge my Republican colleagues in this body to do the same.
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.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the gentleman from Massachusetts?
Mr. Speaker, Republicans are trying yet again to write a blank check for ICE while American families struggle to afford the basics.
If we defeat the previous question, we can claw back the $75 billion in the ICE slush fund that Trump and Republicans established with their big, ugly law and redirect that money to where it belongs: lowering healthcare costs.
In that same bill, Republicans cut more than $1 trillion from our healthcare system, jeopardizing millions of Americans. Reclaiming this $75 billion from ICE would prevent 700,000 Americans from losing their health insurance. That is 700,000 Americans protected. That is 700,000 Americans being spared from choosing between seeing a doctor or paying rent or paying for their groceries. This is a simple question of our values.
Taxpayer dollars should be used to care for people, not to fund masked agents terrorizing our communities, spreading panic, making us less safe, and killing people.
Instead of lowering costs, Republicans poured billions into DHS, an agency spreading chaos and making choices with deadly consequences, all while ignoring the needs of working families. That tells you what their priorities are.
Mr. Speaker, everyone in this Chamber has a chance to decide today: Do we want to lower costs and protect 700,000 Americans receiving Medicaid or fund Trump's domestic mass army of terror? It is that simple.
Here is the kicker. This effort was bipartisan in the Senate when Senator Sanders introduced it. Democrats and Republicans agreed that we should cut the ICE slush fund to protect Medicaid. It should be bipartisan here, too.
I hope Republicans make the right choice, but my expectations are pretty low. I hope the American people are listening. They are most certainly watching on their screens every night.
Mr. Speaker, this vote is about using taxpayer dollars to lower costs for Americans over fueling the fear that persists in our cities. It is about caring for our neighbors when they are sick over sending masked agents to terrorize our communities. It really is that simple.
Mr. Speaker, I hope, in the spirit of respectful discourse, the
Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Fine), since my colleague did invoke the gentleman from Florida with respect to procedure and as it relates to our ability to actually run the show, to use his words.
Mr. Speaker, I would just point out that we don't run the show. I wish we did. Perhaps the gentleman from Massachusetts wants to work with me to encourage the Senate to get rid of the filibuster because we have to tell the truth in this process.
If we could pass this budget with 51 votes, and we didn't, then that point would be valid and that criticism would be just. We don't have 60 votes in the Senate. We are relying on Democrats to join us in order to get it over the finish line.
A deal was cut, apparently, where we made a deal that we said we will pass all of these bills as one package. Republicans voted for things they didn't like because, allegedly, Democrats in the Senate would go along at the end. As sometimes happens, people don't keep their word.
That package that was negotiated, that was agreed upon, and that was a compromise between all parties failed to pass. What we must agree upon, what we must say, and what is absolutely true is that we don't control the show in the Senate.
The last thing I would say is this. It was brought up about how I spoke about those tragedies in Minnesota, and I did, but we need to be careful. When we talk about people being murdered in Minnesota because they were lawfully carrying a gun, using their Second Amendment rights, we are belying decades of concealed-carry classes that tell people who are carrying guns how they should behave around law enforcement.
Now, I know Democrats generally hate guns, and probably none of them carry concealed. As someone who does and who has many friends who do, we are told not to physically confront law enforcement when we are carrying that gun, which is exactly what happened here.
Do I wish he hadn't died? I absolutely do. We have to be careful because we don't want more of that to happen. When we say he did nothing wrong, we are setting the stage for more of that to happen. These words matter.
We have to tell the truth, whether it is the deaths of Pretti and Good or whether Republicans actually control the show in the Senate.
Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I am confused. I mean, the gentleman wants to say that the Republicans are not in control, even though they control the White House, the House, and the Senate. Yet, the Republicans were in control to throw 15 million people off of healthcare. Republicans were in control to add $4 trillion to the debt. The Republicans were in control to cut Medicaid by $1 trillion. The Republicans were in control to give ICE unlimited amounts of money with no guardrails. Now, they are telling us they are not in control? I am confused.
Let me just say this. My colleagues across the aisle can't have it both ways. Again, I hope that the Republican control of this House and of this Senate is short-lived because, quite frankly, this country cannot stand another 2 years of this, where if a person is rich and well-connected and a friend of the President, they get all kinds of sweetheart deals. If they are not, if they are a hardworking, middle- class family, they get screwed. People have had it. They see through this.
To say that my colleagues are not in control when they have been cutting programs that have helped poor children, that have helped middle-class families, when they have given tax breaks to multimillionaires and billionaires, give me a break.
Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Mississippi (Mr. Thompson), the distinguished ranking member of the Committee on Homeland Security.
Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Massachusetts for yielding time.
Mr. Speaker, Congress must not give ICE or CBP another dollar while they are killing Americans in our streets. We must protect our communities by demanding real change first. This is what our constituents elected us to do.
As a starting point, the Federal occupation of Minneapolis must end immediately. ICE must adhere to the Constitution and use only judicial warrants for its enforcement operations. Instead, just last week, ICE directed its officers to conduct more arrests without any warrants at all.
DHS law enforcement officers must be clearly identifiable and prohibited from hiding behind masks. Racial profiling in immigration enforcement must stop. Sensitive locations like schools, daycares, hospitals, and churches must be protected.
We must rein in the sweeping surveillance system DHS is using to crack down on Americans. CBP personnel must also go back to the border. The Federal Government must cooperate with State and local investigators in investigations, including on the murders of Renee Good and Alex Pretti.
Mr. Speaker, I have been an elected official, as you have, in the State of Mississippi. Never have I seen an opportunity where Federal, State, and local law enforcement didn't cooperate together on finding criminals. ICE has taken this to another level, and we are a better country than this.
Kristi Noem must go. She has endangered the security of the United States, its people, and our institution of government.
Mr. Speaker, again, vote ``no'' on the rule and the underlying bill so we can hold the Trump administration accountable.
Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, it is important to remember that we stand in the midst of a second government shutdown. I just have a question for the gentlemen from Massachusetts and Mississippi.
Because we are in a shutdown today and this is a vote that will help us end this shutdown later this afternoon, I am curious: For how long are they prepared to block our military members from receiving not just their salary but also the hard-earned pay raise? For how long are they willing to withhold the dues that are owed to the people who protect us?
Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I thought the gentleman was asking me a question and that we would have a conversation. I will tell him that we don't want a shutdown. We want them to reel in an out-of-control ICE agency that is killing American citizens right before our very eyes. That is what we want.
I don't understand for the life of me why that is such a heavy lift from my Republican friends, but that is what we are asking for. We don't want to shut the government down. That is not who we are.
By the way, again, Republicans are responsible for the last shutdown. They went on vacation rather than stay in Washington to try to negotiate a deal.
Here we are. All we are asking for is let's reel in this out-of- control agency, and my friends find that too difficult to comprehend.
Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Lois Frankel).
Mr. Speaker, let me be clear. I support the five bills that received bipartisan support, but I cannot vote for a package that includes funding for the Department of Homeland Security without immediate action to stop the ongoing violation of human rights and law by ICE. They have turned into thugs, and it has turned our country, America, into a place that many of us don't recognize.
Donald Trump promised to take violent criminals off the streets. Instead, his immigration enforcement has become a campaign of cruelty against peaceful people, tearing families apart, hollowing out businesses, and paralyzing neighborhoods with pepper spray and fear.
Mr. Speaker, the crisis is national in scope. It is not just the headlines of the cold-blooded murders in Minnesota.
The Department of Homeland Security has detained hundreds of thousands of decent people this year, often
We do need to take the time for bipartisan immigration reform, but today--today--we must rein in ICE. That includes ending masked enforcement with roving patrols, requiring judicial warrants, mandating body cameras, ending total immunity, and repurposing the billions of dollars that are being used to menace our communities.
Security does not require brutality. Enforcement does not require lawlessness, and our immigration policy should reflect our values, not force us to abandon them. We can secure our borders without terrorizing our neighbors, and I will not support funding that enables cruelty.
Congress must act now to impeach Kristi Noem and rein in ICE.
Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, again, I think it is important to note that the reason why we are here today is because Senate Democrats, along with some Senate Republicans, advanced legislation that enables us to fund the government.
I do find it interesting that our colleagues in the House here are so adamantly opposed to funding our government when 20 of their colleagues in the Senate, in their own party, not only support giving our troops a pay raise but support paying and funding our government, as it rightfully should be, because of all of the wins that President Trump has accomplished thus far.
Mr. Speaker, I am curious. With respect to this vote today, I hear commentary over and over again on ICE and operations therein, but no one has addressed the fact that we are voting today to pay our servicemembers. It is a very simple vote. You can either vote ``yes'' to pay them or ``no'' to withhold payment and funds to them. I am just waiting for somebody to answer why that seems to be a bargaining chip that some of our colleagues on the Democratic side of the aisle continue to deploy at the expense of our servicemembers.
Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, unfortunately, under the Republican rule, we don't have regular order anymore. We should be debating appropriations bills one at a time. They bunch everything together.
Mr. Speaker, not only do they bunch things together, but they don't even call for amendments anymore. This is the most closed Congress in history. The Rules Committee and this House of Representatives has become a place where democracy goes to die. My friends should be ashamed of what they are doing to this institution.
Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Texas (Mrs. Fletcher).
Mr. Speaker, in the nearly 2 weeks since the House last met, people across America witnessed the execution of another American citizen, Alex Pretti, by agents of the United States Government, Border Patrol agents operating far from the border in Minneapolis.
People across the country watched in horror as Federal agents executed him and then immediately tried to assassinate his character, lying about who he is and what he was doing.
The American people see through these lies, just as they see that this administration is taking action every single day against its own people that are unconstitutional, un-American, and unconscionable. People are talking about it everywhere. In our House Democratic Caucus, we are talking about what we can do about it.
The only place where we are not talking about it is here in this Chamber on the floor of the United States House of Representatives.
As Mr. McGovern just noted, once again, the Republicans, who control what comes to the floor, blocked any amendments to the bill, stopping not just the policy proposed but the policy debate about the potential solutions and the problems that they address altogether. Now they say we will address them in 2 weeks.
Mr. Speaker, we don't need 2 weeks. We don't have 2 weeks when Americans are being killed, detained, harassed, and silenced by their government. There should be no higher priority for the U.S. House of Representatives and for the entire Congress than protecting the people who we represent and protecting the Constitution that gives us all of our rights. It is being violated daily by this administration and by officials who have sworn an oath to protect it, just as we have, as Members of Congress.
Mr. Speaker, we are not doing that here today. That is why I am voting ``no'' on this rule, and I urge my colleagues to do the same.
Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, our Democratic colleagues have tried to distract from the historic achievements reached in 2025 by mischaracterizing the work of the House Committee on Rules with weaponized statistics taken out of context.
I will remind my colleagues that barely over one-third, or 37 percent, of rules this Congress have been closed at the discretion of the Committee on Rules. That means that for the vast majority of closed rules, there were not any amendments that could even be made in order.
My friends across the aisle, particularly my friend from Massachusetts (Mr. McGovern), know all too well the often Herculean tasks required of the Rules Committee and the difficult discussions when deliberating amendment decisions. The Rules majority believes in meaningful lawmaking, not partisan messaging exercises. We do not need to come up with partisan messaging amendments at the last minute in order to score political points or manufacture floor fights but, instead, focus on advancing thoughtful, substantive legislation like the measures before us today through a fair and transparent process.
Mr. Speaker, under my Democratic colleague's stewardship of the Committee on Rules--who mentioned abolishing tradition or what have you--I think it is helpful to note that under his leadership of the Committee on Rules, they abolished the centuries-old tradition of the motion to recommit with instructions. I think we would all benefit from an explanation of abolishing that centuries-old tradition and the right of the minority.
Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, that was a lot of words to justify the most closed Congress in history.
Mr. Speaker, 83 percent of the rules have been closed. That is 8 out of 10. Republicans don't even call for amendments anymore, and people know that it is a waste of time to come to the Rules Committee because they have already been tipped off that there are going to be no amendments in order.
Mr. Speaker, 90 percent of Democratic amendments have been rejected. A big chunk of Republican amendments have been rejected. I am sorry that Republicans' rank and file are such cheap dates when it comes to legislating, but they cave all the time and they vote for these crappy rules that are totally closed, so that is a bunch of bullshit. Let's be honest. That is what we are talking about here. That is not an accurate assessment of what is going on here.
This is the most closed Congress in history. Republicans should be ashamed.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Members are reminded to refrain from using profanity in debate.
Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, first and foremost, I think when your arguments are hollow, that is when you revert to foul language. I think that is evident, as we have seen today.
Mr. Speaker, again, I ask the question for the American people. I hope that they demand an answer. Under the gentleman from Massachusetts' stewardship of the Committee on Rules, they abolished a centuries-old tradition during the 117th Congress. We are debating, in fact, procedure today. I think we would all welcome an explanation of that horrific abolishment of committee procedure.
Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I remind my Republican friends, who kind of just go along to get along, that Mr. Arrington, who is a chairman, had 71 percent of his amendments blocked.
I will go right down the list.
Congresswoman Mace had 76 percent of her amendments blocked.
Congressman Steube had 79 percent of his amendments blocked.
I could go right down the list. These are all Republicans who just routinely get blocked.
Enough. Enough. This is a ridiculous argument. The bottom line is a lot of words to justify the most closed Congress in history.
Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from New Mexico (Ms. Leger Fernandez).
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak up against Kristi Noem's Department of Homeland Security. Speaking up is what we must do when we see that the Constitution is violated and the moral fabric of our Nation is brutalized the same way that they are brutalizing our communities and killing our citizens.
Whether it is in New Mexico or Minnesota, fear has become a policy for ICE and CBP, and cruelty has become their strategy. They take money that is taxpayer money that could be used for affordable housing, healthcare, and bringing down the cost of living, and they are spending it to terrorize our communities.
Following the Constitution, respecting the First, Fourth, and 14th Amendments should not be optional. It should never be up for negotiation. We should make it a requirement and make sure that they do not have immunity because then they act with impunity. We should not give another penny to the Department of Homeland Security until we get accountability.
Mr. Speaker, I urge that we vote against this rule.
Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.
Mr. Speaker, in closing, listening to the debate by my Republican colleagues, I know Republicans want to pretend like they are not in control because that absolves them of responsibility and accountability. They don't want to own their own record because they know their record sucks. They want to pretend like they are not in control because if they pretend like they are in control, if they acknowledge that they are in control, then they will be held accountable in November.
Look at what they have promised compared to what they have done so far:
Tax breaks for billionaires; they make sure their big donors are taken care of while they screw over regular people.
$40 billion to Argentina; hurting our farmers and ranchers, importing more beef from South America.
Bombing Venezuela, threatening to invade NATO allies.
Meanwhile, prices are not down. Prices are up because of the stupid tariffs and lousy economic policies.
They promised to release all of the Epstein files. They still haven't done that. In fact, they are covering up for the President of the United States.
People are struggling more than ever because Trump's economy sucks. They are making it easier for the elites, easier for the billionaires, easier for the Epstein class, and harder for everybody else.
Maybe that is why even Republicans are finally acknowledging MAGA was all a lie. Of course, their members only acknowledge that after they leave. Let's listen to Trump's former top ally, Marjorie Taylor Greene. Here is what she said: ``I think people are realizing it was all a lie. It was a big lie for the people. What MAGA is really serving in this administration, who they are serving, is their big donors.''
Look at who Republicans have helped. They have been in charge for a year. They have helped Big Oil. They have helped Big Banks. They have helped Big Tech.
Look who was in the front row at Trump's inauguration: billionaires. That is all he cares about. Look at their promises to go after ``the worst of the worst'' when it comes to immigration, another broken promise. Stephen Miller and Kristi Noem are not going after the worst of the worst. They are going after kids, VA nurses. They are deporting veterans, for God's sake.
We are sick and tired of the broken promises and the lies. Enough. I talk to Republican colleagues all the time who privately confess to me that this is a disaster, and then they come on the floor and talk to the press and say everything is beautiful. That is just not reality.
This President and this administration are taking this country in the wrong direction. We have people that are being murdered in our streets by U.S. Federal agents. When is enough going to be enough? I can't believe this. Go along to get along, I get it. Everybody over there is afraid of the guy in the White House, but maybe you should be more afraid of your constituents. Maybe you ought to listen to your constituents because they are sick and tired of this BS. They have had it. They want Congress to be a body that fights for them, that fights to improve the quality of life for average people. They want this body to be a place where we debate important issues passionately, and we skip all the crazy debates we have on trivial matters.
We can do so much better, but it requires my friends on the other side of the aisle to kind of grow a spine, to stand up and to say and do the right thing.
This is nuts what is happening: People being murdered in our streets; Federal agents crashing into people's homes without a judicial warrant; former off-duty police officers being detained by ICE; people with brown and black skin being detained routinely by ICE. This has to stop.
Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to vote ``no'' on this rule. Let's get to the negotiating table. Let's do something to reel in this out-of-control agency. Going along to get along is no longer an option.
Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.
Mr. Speaker, I would first say that screaming doesn't make up for substance.
In closing, the rule I presented today, H. Res. 1032, enables the House of Representatives to carry out its responsibilities and to govern in an orderly and fair manner for the American people.
As a reminder, a ``yes'' vote on this rule enables us to consider legislation that ends the Democrats' second government shutdown and ensures that our government remains fully open. It ensures that our soldiers, our sailors, our marines, our airmen, and our guardians are paid on time and receive the pay raise they so rightly deserve.
A ``yes'' vote on this rule enables us to consider legislation that protects working families, seniors, and small businesses in the District of Columbia by allowing the House to address actions that deny them the benefits of historic tax relief enacted by Congress.
A ``yes'' vote on this rule enables us to consider legislation that strengthens America's economic and national security by advancing domestic mineral production--something we didn't talk about enough today--which reduces our reliance on foreign sources and supports job creation here at home.
Finally, a ``yes'' vote on this rule enables us to consider legislation that preserves equal debate, protects the rights of the minority, and allows Members on both sides of the aisle to fully participate in the legislative process.
Mr. Speaker, this rule allows the House of Representatives to govern and to deliver on the responsibilities entrusted to us. I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on this rule.
Mr. Speaker, I hope those watching enjoyed our lively debate with the gentleman from Massachusetts and his colleagues, although for any families watching, I hope they edited out the gentleman's foul language and his taking the name of the Lord in vain.
Let's see which arguments prevail because we are about to vote.
The material previously referred to by Mr. McGovern is as follows:
Providing for Consideration of Senate Amendments to H.R. 7148, Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2026; Providing for Consideration of H.J. RES. 142, Disapproving the Action of the District Of...
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, the unfinished business is the vote on ordering the previous question on the resolution (H. Res. 1032) providing for consideration of the Senate amendments to the bill (H.R. 7148) making further consolidated appropriations for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2026, and for other purposes; providing for consideration of the joint resolution (H.J. Res. 142) disapproving the action of the District of Columbia Council in approving the D.C. Income and Franchise Tax Conformity and Revision Temporary Amendment Act of 2025; and providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 4090) to codify certain provisions of certain Executive Orders relating to domestic mining and hardrock mineral resources, and for other purposes, on which the yeas and nays were ordered.
The Clerk read the title of the resolution.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on ordering the previous question.
The vote was taken by electronic device, and there were--yeas 212, nays 210, not voting 10, as follows:
Mr. CARSON changed his vote from ``yea'' to ``nay.''
Mr. JOHNSON of South Dakota changed his vote from ``nay'' to ``yea.''
So the previous question was ordered.
The result of the vote was announced as above recorded.
Madam Speaker, pursuant to House Resolution 1032, I call up the bill (H.R. 7148) making further consolidated appropriations for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2026, and for other purposes, with the Senate amendments thereto.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Clerk will designate the Senate amendments.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Clerk will designate the motion.
The text of the motion is as follows:
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to House Resolution 1032, the motion shall be debatable for 1 hour, equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking minority member of the Committee on Appropriations or their respective designees.
The gentleman from Oklahoma (Mr. Cole) and the gentlewoman from Connecticut (Ms. DeLauro) each will control 30 minutes.
Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the measure under consideration.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the gentleman from Oklahoma?
Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time that I may consume.
Madam Speaker, the House has done a tremendous job these last few months as we have finalized true bipartisan, bicameral bills to fully fund our government in a Member-driven, district-focused way.
Six of those bills have been signed into law by President Trump, fully funding those departments and agencies through the end of the fiscal year.
While the remaining six bills have all passed the House, we are dealing with a partial government shutdown that could have and should have been avoided.
Funding the government is not an optional exercise. It is the most basic duty we have in Congress. Two weeks ago, the House and the Senate struck a bipartisan and bicameral deal to move forward on these remaining appropriations bills for fiscal year 2026.
The House acted expeditiously to pass these bills, marking historic progress for our appropriations process and the return to regular order that every Member of this Chamber wants to see.
I share the frustrations of many that the Senate altered our deal at the last minute. However, our obligation is not to these emotions. It is to the American people.
While we all worked hard, especially our cardinals, to ensure that all 12 bills would be signed into law before the January 30 deadline, the Senate has put us on a different path. The best choice before us is to pass these five bills and the short-term stopgap for the Department of Homeland Security.
This approach delivers full-year funding to more than 95 percent of the government and avoids the consequence of inaction. To continue the government shutdown would be to repeat all the same mistakes my friends across the aisle made in October of last year, throwing Federal employees into chaos and confusion while they are forced to work without pay, wreaking havoc on our airports while TSA and FAA are unfunded, putting undue stress on our military families, and causing further instability to the United States economy.
Shutdowns are never the answer. They don't work. They only hurt the American people.
Today, lawmakers in this Chamber have an opportunity to avoid repeating past mistakes. I encourage everyone on both sides of the aisle to do the right thing and close out five of our remaining six appropriations bills for FY 2026 while enacting funding for core priorities, including: strengthening America's defense and providing a well-earned pay raise to our troops; advancing lifesaving biomedical research and critical education programs; enhancing the safety and reliability of our skies and infrastructure; supporting small businesses and strengthening cybersecurity; restoring American deterrence on the world stage and reinforcing economic and community strength across the country.
The package also includes a 2-week continuing resolution for our sixth and final bill, the Department of Homeland Security, which will give the White House additional time for negotiations.
President Trump is leading by example and engaging directly with Democrats in good-faith conversations on that front. He also has been explicitly clear that holding the government hostage is wrong. I wholeheartedly agree with him.
As he stated just yesterday: We need to get the government open, and I hope all Republicans and Democrats will join me in supporting this bill, and send it to my desk without delay.
I say to this Chamber: Let's get it done. The American people deserve stability, and they expect results. These bills deliver both.
For anyone consulting their conscience, these measures have already passed the House with strong bipartisan support. The work has been carried out, and the responsibility now is to get it across the finish line. This vote is about governing responsibly and doing our jobs.
I look forward to us nearing the completion of our FY26 duties. I urge all Members to support this bipartisan package.
Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
There are two paths before us today: one if this bill passes and another if it fails. If we take the first path, if the bill passes, here is what will happen: The Departments of Defense, Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, State, Treasury, Transportation, and Housing and Urban Development will be fully funded through the end of September.
The Democratic wins we secured in this bill will be locked in. We will reject $163 billion in cuts to public services proposed by President Trump. We will increase funding for the National Institutes of Health biomedical research by $450 million. We will provide over $66 billion for rental assistance programs.
We turn back in the Labor-HHS bill 47 programs that the administration had slotted for elimination. In the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, 24 programs were slotted for elimination. We reversed that.
We will increase funding for childcare and Head Start by $170 million, secure an additional $5.5 billion for humanitarian assistance, and boost funding for Federal Public Defenders by $350 million.
We will establish meaningful constraints on the Trump Administration's ability to abuse the budget process, take expansive power over Federal funding, Federal spending away from Russ Vought, and reclaim it for the Congress. If not, the President and Russ Vought will be in charge of the funds, and we will have no say.
At the same time, funding for the Department of Homeland Security will continue at its current level for 10 days. It is important to note that is about 6 legislative days. If we do not pass another bill by next Friday, the Department will shut down. Having passed the other full-year funding bills
If we are not satisfied with where we are in those 10 days--6 legislative days--we can withhold our votes without jeopardizing all of the important Democratic priorities I just laid out and more. We will be in the strongest possible position to fight for and win the drastic changes we all know are needed to protect our communities: judicial warrant requirements, no more detentions or deportations of United States citizens, an enforceable code of conduct, taking off the masks, putting the badges on, requiring body cameras, and real accountability for the egregious abuses we have seen.
If we choose the second path, however, if this bill does not pass, none of that happens. Instead, we enter a prolonged government shutdown. Workers across broad swaths of the Federal Government would be furloughed, public services would be scaled back, paychecks would be missed.
My Republican colleagues will only talk about those not getting paychecks--and you can hear it already--instead of my Republican colleagues having to defend the Department of Homeland Security with what is happening across the country with these lawless, reckless, out- of-control agencies marauding over our cities and towns and striking people where they work and where they live.
Instead of increasing funding for the National Institutes of Health, new research grants would be frozen, interrupting efforts to treat and prevent deadly diseases.
Instead of providing funding for rental assistance, payments would be delayed and families would face the prospect of eviction.
Instead of increasing funding for Head Start, Health and Human Services would be unable to issue new grants, jeopardizing access to early education for countless children across this country.
Instead of reclaiming Congress' power of the purse, we would concede even more discretion to Russ Vought and the White House to abuse the budget process for their own partisan gain, which they would certainly exploit, as we have seen.
In 10 days--6 legislative days--we would be in the same place with regard to Homeland Security. We would have had the bill passed; except we will have lost all of the Democratic priorities I have laid out.
I have no illusions about ICE and CBP. We must rein in these rogue agencies. We need to protect our communities. We need to protect the people and the children in our communities. We must have accountability for the egregious abuses we have seen. It is understandable the rage and the fear in the outrageousness of what these activities have been all over this country.
The only way we can get these things is to fight for them, win them, and let the public know what we are fighting for. Passing these five, full-year funding bills today puts us in the best position to win that fight over the next 10 days--the 6 legislative days--and beyond, if need be.
I strongly encourage my colleagues to support this bill today and continue to fight to protect our communities in the coming weeks.
Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Arkansas (Mr. Womack), the distinguished chairman of the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Subcommittee of the Appropriations Committee, and my very good friend.
Madam Speaker, I rise in support of the consolidated appropriations package before the House today.
Passage of this legislation means that Congress will have provided full-year funding to more than 90 percent of the Federal Government. This marks an important departure from the unfortunate norm in which Congress too often fails to meet its Article I responsibility.
There are many highlights worth noting in this package.
In providing for the common defense, this legislation strategically increases funding to ensure that our military continues to be the most lethal in the world, while also ensuring that our allies have the tools they need to help us defend democracy.
The package also makes investments in biomedical research and small business development. Together, these measures and more support a more prosperous America.
Madam Speaker, as chairman of the Transportation, Housing, and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Subcommittee, my division of this legislation cuts back unfocused spending and reduces bureaucratic bloat.
Before I get into specifics, let me thank my Subcommittee Ranking Member Jim Clyburn for his partnership. He has been a great friend, and he has been an invaluable asset and partner through this process. I appreciate his dedication to crafting this division of the bill and to advancing the entire package.
The T-HUD division invests in what matters to the American people: economic growth, safe and efficient mobility, and housing affordability.
We prioritize aviation safety by allocating over $22 billion for the Federal Aviation Administration. These dollars will fully fund air traffic control operations and enable the hiring of 2,500 new controllers. It will jump-start the modernization of outdated facilities and equipment, strengthening the safety and reliability of our national airspace system.
We provide more than $64 billion for highways, taking care to send the overwhelming majority of these dollars back to the States because it is at the State level where the best decisions are made, not here in Washington.
We also provide funding to address our Nation's shortage of safe and available truck parking. America's truckers work tirelessly to keep our grocery stores stocked, our packages delivered, and our supply chains moving. Ensuring they have a safe place to park between long drives is common sense, and this bill delivers on that promise.
At the same time, we preserve housing assistance for the most vulnerable, such as youth aging out of our Nation's foster care system, while promoting affordability through flexible, locally driven programs that allow communities to expand housing supply without the micromanagement of the Federal Government.
It does all these things while saving millions of hard-earned American taxpayer dollars.
I thank my subcommittee staff: Avery, Andrew, Doug, and Mary Beth for their hard work and diligence. They have been indispensable throughout this process. Please know that I am deeply grateful to have each one of them on my team.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The time of the gentleman has expired.
Madam Speaker, I am going to take that 30 seconds and brag on this guy right here, Tom Cole. He has reengineered, somewhat reinvented a lost appropriations process, and I am eternally grateful. I know I speak for the American people in thanking Mr. Cole for his leadership.
I thank my colleagues for this bipartisanship that has been exhibited by this package. A ``yes'' vote today takes us one step closer to restoring the confidence that the American people should have in this Congress.
Madam Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Hoyer), the distinguished ranking member of the Financial Services and General Government Subcommittee.
Madam Speaker, I thank the ranking member of the Appropriations Committee for yielding.
Madam Speaker, there are five of these bills which are not controversial. I urge my colleagues to vote for them to keep the government operating, to make sure that our Federal employees come to work and do their job for the American people and get paid for it.
There is one bill in this package that is very controversial. There is one bill in this package that the overwhelming majority of our side thinks should not be in the bill, but I remind my colleagues that bill is funded for the next 10 days or 6 legislative days. During that period of time, we intend to raise very substantial concerns about the operations that are being carried out not only in Minneapolis but in other parts
The Constitution calls upon us to establish justice and ensure domestic tranquility. Many of my colleagues I know believe that voting against this bill will make a strong statement about the conduct that we see being carried out by the agencies I just mentioned.
Let me suggest to them, we need to focus on that issue because the other five issues that we face, the five appropriations bills that have yet to have been signed by the President of the United States and will fund about 76 percent of the government, are things that we have agreed upon.
After they pass, after they are signed by the President, there will be a lot of time to debate the operations of Homeland Security and, in my view, the laws that they are breaking, the Constitution that they are not respecting, and the human rights that they are undermining. There will be time for that debate. There will be time for that action. Today, is a time to fund the majority of government for the American people.
Minneapolis has shocked the conscience of America. We ought to be shocked, angry, and disgusted by the taking of life of Renee Good and Alex Pretti. We the people want to end this violent occupation of our cities. We the people deserve answers. The Congress needs to rein in the Department of Homeland Security.
That is why I and so many of my colleagues voted against funding the Department of Homeland Security--not because we don't need Homeland Security; we do--but we need it done within the context of the Constitution and the laws of this country and of our States.
This Congress needs to ensure the Federal Government can continue to provide vital services to the American people.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The time of the gentleman has expired.
Voting for this bill does that, and voting for this bill also gives us the opportunity to constrain 6 days, essentially, of funding with the Department of Homeland Security. Unfortunately, out of the regular order, they are funded for the balance of the year in many respects.
This compromise bill serves the interest of funding our government for the American people and giving us the opportunity to constrain and to ensure that there are meaningful, substantive, substantial reforms and restraints placed upon the operations of the Department of Homeland Security as it must be.
It is essential that we unmask Trump's Federal immigration agents, force them to abide by the local law enforcement standards for use of force and use warrants.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The time of the gentleman has expired.
Mr. Speaker, throughout this year's appropriations process, we have seen Donald Trump and Russell Vought trample on this Congress' power of the purse. Some will admit that. Some will say it silently.
If there were ever a time for this Congress to exercise that power, it is now. Let us pass five bills on which we have agreement and substantially restrain and stop the funding of DHS a week from this Friday. Then, let us come to an agreement on honoring the Constitution, the laws of this country, and the conduct of law enforcement.
Mr. Speaker, let's pass this bill and then focus on that which the country wants us to focus on, like a laser, for them, for the people.
Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Alabama (Mr. Aderholt), my very good friend and the distinguished chairman of the Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Subcommittee of the Appropriations Committee.
Madam Speaker, I rise today, as my colleagues are, in support of the FY26 appropriations package. As has been said, it provides the full-year funding for five out of the remaining six appropriation bills.
Unfortunately, funding these bills is not optional. It is part of our constitutional requirements, and we must act on our commitment to the American people. With this bill before us today, the government will continue operating effectively and provide stability for the American people.
The path forward in this legislation reflects President Trump's negotiations and direction to avoid a long-term partial shutdown and keep the government operating without further disruptions.
As chairman of the Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Subcommittee, I am honored to work with the ranking member of this subcommittee, Ms. DeLauro, who also serves as ranking member of the full committee, in making sure that what we do in this legislation provides funding for critical projects that support jobs and local growth in our districts.
The Labor-Health and Human Services bill on the floor today balances the need for responsible fiscal stewardship while maintaining key investments in biomedical research, schools, and public health.
Thanks to the negotiations on a bicameral, bipartisan level, funding decisions have moved through a deliberative, Member-driven process that emphasizes transparency, accountability, and timely consideration.
The Labor-HHS bill before us demonstrates the will of the American people who want new priorities and accountability in government, including priorities to Make America Healthy Again and Make America Skilled Again.
Investments in this bill are directed to where they matter most: into lifesaving biomedical research and resilient medical supply chains, classrooms and training that prepare the next generation for success, and rural hospitals and primary care to end the chronic disease epidemic.
These measures are part of an agreement that keeps the FY26 spending levels below the level projected under the current continuing resolution, delivering real savings for the American taxpayers. Enactment and passage of full-year appropriations are vital.
Madam Speaker, in conclusion, I thank the staff on both sides, the majority and the minority, for all of their hard work in getting this bill across the finish line. Once again, I urge my colleagues to support the underlying bill.
Madam Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. Clyburn), the distinguished ranking member of the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Subcommittee.
Madam Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding time.
Madam Speaker, as ranking member of the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Subcommittee, I rise in strong support of this bipartisan legislation in large measure because it freezes funding for the Department of Homeland Security at its current level while allowing for several days, 10 to be exact, for us to continue to zero in on that segment of the legislation and hopefully reach a bipartisan agreement.
We have already reached bipartisan agreements on five other sections, and one of those in this bill includes $113 billion in discretionary spending for transportation and housing programs and reflects a renewed commitment to addressing the affordability crisis and improving the safety of our transportation systems.
For housing, the bill prevents the eviction of more than 4 million low-income households served through HUD's rental assistance programs, including those currently served by Section 8 and public housing.
The bill reinforces efforts to combat homelessness by increasing funding for homeless assistance grants by $366 million.
It protects investments for mayors and Governors by providing $3.3 billion for the popular Community Development Block Grants program.
It includes $58 million for housing counseling assistance for renters and first-time home buyers and $8 billion to continue legal aid for evictions assistance.
For transportation, the bill invests in the safety of the flying public by increasing FAA operations by nearly $230
The bill also protects investments for continuing Amtrak service along the Northeast Corridor and national network by providing $2.4 billion.
The bill also includes $100 million for the 2026 World Cup and $94 million for the 2028 Olympics to help transit agencies manage local transportation in support of games across the country.
Madam Speaker, this year's Transportation-Housing bill will provide greater economic certainty to communities across the country and improve the day-to-day lives of everyday people. I urge my colleagues to support this legislation.
Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. Calvert), my very good friend and distinguished chairman of the Subcommittee on Defense of the Committee on Appropriations.
Madam Speaker, I thank my good friend from Oklahoma, Chairman Tom Cole, for a job well done.
Madam Speaker, I rise today in strong support of the Senate amendment to H.R. 7148, which includes my bill, the Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2026. This legislation was a true bipartisan effort by all four corners of the Defense Subcommittee of the Committee on Appropriations.
The world is more dangerous than ever. China continues its rapid military expansion. Russia and Iran remain persistent threats. Illicit drugs continue to harm Americans here at home. This bill answers that challenge.
It provides $839.2 billion to strengthen deterrence, support the administration's America First defense agenda, and modernize our force.
It invests in next-generation aircraft, the nuclear triad, critical munitions, missile defense, and naval power, funding 17 new ships and sustaining fleet readiness.
The bill also drives innovation and efficiency, delivers a 3.8 percent pay raise for our servicemembers, strengthens counterdrug efforts, and invests in our defense industrial base and infrastructure.
Madam Speaker, these are strategic investments to protect the American people and to project strength abroad, and I urge all of my colleagues to support this bill.
Madam Speaker, I rise in support of this as a member of the Appropriations Committee, as well as of our Subcommittees on Defense and Homeland Security.
Madam Speaker, I join the vast majority of Americans in condemning the actions of Immigration and Customs Enforcement. There is brutality and death in our streets, so-called leaders trashing victims and their grieving families, warrantless searches, and fear in our own citizens. I had a State senator in my own district tell me this last week that she was fearful of going out to talk to her constituents in her district without her passport.
This is unacceptable. This is un-American, and ICE must be reformed. Until it is, neither it, nor its parent entity, the Department of Homeland Security, should be fully funded.
The best way for us to reform ICE is to keep laser focused on ICE reform, and this measure does exactly that. It gives this administration and my majority colleagues 10 days to work with us all to do the right thing. Unless the right thing is done, we should not fund the Department of Homeland Security
This measure also funds 70 percent of our Federal Government, rather than shut it down again. I will focus on just a few areas where this is critical. Let's start with defense, half of our total budget.
It is a time when it is critical to our national security that our Defense Department be fully operating, be fully focused, be nimble, be quick, and have the ability to adjust. Yet, we have kept our Defense Department essentially crippled for 16 months now since the last time that we funded it in regular order and gave it direction through funding and oversight. That was fiscal year 2024.
They have been operating on a continuing resolution for 16 months now, and that cripples national security. That is a national security risk. No new programs are possible, and procurement is excessively expensive because it cannot function over multiple years without effective system-wide modernization. Any military leader will say that the worst thing going for it right now, at a time when it has to adjust to the PRC and Russia across a variety of focuses, is that it now needs full flexibility.
In Financial Services and General Government, this bill funds the Federal courts. Can we envision a time in our history when it was not more important that the Federal courts be fully staffed and funded? I don't think so.
This bill funds Social Security. It enables Social Security to continue to function for the millions of Americans who depend on it at a time when Social Security is being crippled by staff cuts.
In Foreign Affairs, this bill provides continued security assistance to our friends and allies throughout the world. It maintains some effective projection of presence out there into the world. It funds the Countering PRC Influence Fund that is so important to us.
In transportation, the Federal Aviation Administration, it funds the FAA so that our air transportation system can continue to function.
For Federal workers overall, who have borne the brunt of our failure to appropriate in regular order, it will help millions throughout our country by assuring them that they can continue without great doubt.
We must pass this measure now.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The time of the gentleman has expired.
Madam Speaker, it must not be, need not be, and will not be at the expense of ICE reform.
We sacrifice none of that mandate to reform ICE by passing this bill today.
Finally, I say to our Department of Homeland Security employees out there who have served us so well through so much difficulty, to the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Homeland Security Investigations, Customs and Border Protection, Transportation Security Administration, they do critical work for us, and we apologize to them that we must create uncertainty to them for the foreseeable future, but we ask them to understand that reforming ICE is critical not just to those who are suffering at the hands of ICE, but it is critical to our country.
They will be paid. They will be paid because this continues their pay. But because of the uncertainty that they must live with until we get this resolved, we appreciate their cooperation.
Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Diaz-Balart), my very good friend, my classmate, the co- chairman of the full committee, and the chairman of the Subcommittee on National Security, Department of State, and Related Programs.
Madam Speaker, I am going to reserve what I am going to say about Chairman Cole until the end, but I thank the ranking member of the full committee, Congresswoman DeLauro, and the subcommittee ranking member, Congresswoman Frankel, for their work on this bill.
Madam Speaker, this full-year funding really refocuses our Nation's foreign policy in historic ways. It focuses on the United States' national security, but it does so while also restoring fiscal sanity. In the foreign policy arena, it actually reduces spending by 16 percent. Within those really historic reductions, the bill does more to counter our adversaries like China and Iran, the cartels in our hemisphere, and support our allies and friends. It does a lot more while spending a lot less money.
Madam Speaker, the bill increases funding to counter fentanyl. It increases support for religious freedom and to address religious persecution around the planet. It maintains our longstanding pro-life provisions, and this bill removes controversial funding directives like the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change. It makes double-digit reductions to the U.N. funding. More importantly, or equally as important, it gives the Secretary of State the tools and leverage to demand much-needed reforms.
These are historic changes, and this approach, again, protects American taxpayers but also the national security interests of the United States.
Madam Speaker, we would not be here debating this if it wasn't for the brilliant, persistent leadership of the full committee chairman. A lot of folks said that we would never get here and that we would end up with another long-term CR, which would have been so detrimental to our country, but I will tell you that it was Tom Cole--yes, with his partners--but Tom Cole who brought us this far, who is going to actually get these bills passed and sent to the President for his signature.
Madam Speaker, the country owes Chairman Cole a debt of gratitude.
Madam Speaker, I thank my friend, Chairman Cole, for the great work he has done on the appropriations. That is why I rise today in support of the measure before us.
Madam Speaker, the Senate amendment preserves the bipartisan funding bills that this Chamber has agreed to while giving us the necessary time to come to an agreement on Homeland Security funding.
We simply cannot allow our troops or Federal employees to miss another paycheck. If we fail to send this bill to the President's desk today, the shutdown will continue to drag on and limit access to the programs that Americans across the country rely on for healthcare, education, and national security.
In Guam, where the enlistment rate is the highest in the Nation, many of our families rely on a timely paycheck for everyday needs. This bill strengthens support for our servicemembers and includes a 3.8 percent pay raise for all military personnel and continues the pay rate increases for our junior enlisted servicemembers.
Madam Speaker, I strongly agree with and urge my colleagues to support this measure and to support the American people.
Mr. Speaker, the passage of this legislation will kick off a 10-day negotiation around an issue that is causing deep divisions throughout the country. I do believe we can come together around a set of reforms that will advance and focus the mission of Immigration and Customs Enforcement while protecting our officers and protecting the public.
However, such reforms must go hand in hand with a commitment to stop jurisdictions like Minnesota and California from releasing dangerous, wanted individuals as some sort of act of defiance, thereby forcing immigration authorities to go into communities rather than have an orderly transfer in a custodial setting.
I want to read a quote on this topic. It reads as follows: ``I do not consider it in the service of public safety to release an individual into the community when that individual can be released to Immigration and Customs Enforcement for prompt removal.''
That statement comes not from President Trump, not from Secretary Noem, but from Alejandro Mayorkas, President Biden's Secretary of Homeland Security.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The time of the gentleman has expired.
Mr. Speaker, if even Secretary Mayorkas can recognize the folly of these so-called sanctuary policies, then all of us on both sides of the aisle should be able to as well.
Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.
Mr. Speaker, I just would outline for a moment the impacts of the failure to pass the five bipartisan, House-passed spending measures and what that would do.
For military personnel, an extended shutdown will harm both military and civilian personnel at DOD who could not legally receive pay during a shutdown.
Federal courts would no longer have funding to sustain full-paid operations, and the courts can only carry out limited functions.
The Community Development Financial Institutions, if that lapses, the money will be withheld in funding for almost 1,500 credit unions, banks, and community financial institutions.
The SBA would be unable to approve $170 million per day in loan assistance.
For the Social Security Administration, thousands of Social Security Administration employees would likely be furloughed, there would be delays on the SSA's 800 number and limited hours of operation.
At the National Institutes of Health, it would freeze funding for new research grants, including research on cancer, Alzheimer's, ALS, heart disease, diabetes, kidneys, mental health, maternal mortality, infectious diseases, genetic diseases, and the list goes on and on.
Community health centers would receive only partial funding to provide healthcare services for low-income patients.
For Head Start, if funding lapses, thousands of low-income children would be at risk to losing access to Head Start programs.
Senior nutrition grants are at risk, Meals on Wheels as well as congregate meals.
Worker protection agencies would likely furlough Federal staff who are responsible for investigating wage theft and safety and health hazards in high-risk areas.
That is just a small smattering of the impact of the failure to pass these five bipartisan bills, where we had 341 ``yes'' votes in this Chamber not 3 weeks ago.
Now, some might say: Well, what do you think about what ICE and the CBP are doing? I am not unaware of that. I share the anger. I share the outrage of what they have done. Yes, it is Minnesota, but it is also what is happening all over this country.
People are being beat up. They are being pulled out of schools, pulled out of churches, and people are so frightened to death that they carry their passports with them. They are American citizens, and they are frightened.
What have we proposed in this area? This is when we were doing the appropriations bill: Prohibition on detaining or deporting U.S. citizens, reducing funding for ICE, prohibition on the use of Border Patrol and CBP officers, a requirement for DHS law enforcement to use body-worn cameras, require reporting on the use of force, training standards--they should be trained in de-escalation, and that is what ought to be happening instead of fomenting escalation--requiring ICE warrants, and there are other things.
I might add, just so that the people on the committee here understand, in June of 2025, the House Committee on Appropriations advanced the fiscal year 2026 Department of Homeland Security appropriations bill. It included bipartisan reforms and safeguards designed to protect U.S. citizens and vulnerable communities.
However, when the bill was renegotiated in January 2026, these critical reforms were removed. Democrats and Republicans voted for these reforms, and they must do it again.
The list goes on: No funds if DHS violates the First Amendment, the Fourth Amendment, the Fifth Amendment; no funds for detaining and deporting U.S. citizens; no prohibition on video recording for ICE. This was all passed in the Committee on Appropriations and then stripped out.
The fact of the matter is we need to focus like a laser in these 10 days--6 legislative days--on DHS. Let's not have to focus on five agencies where there is agreement on what we do. There is agreement on our side of the aisle. Despite what the press may report, there is not a single Democrat in this body who believes what ICE and the CBP are doing is acceptable. I cannot believe that a number of my Republican colleagues don't feel the same way.
Let us focus in on the Department of Homeland Security. Let the public understand the nature of the fight. Quite honestly, let my Republican colleagues at the administration defend the Department of Homeland Security and its lawlessness and recklessness when the majority of this country are seeing what they are doing.
We all want the same thing. We want to keep our constituents safe. We want to stop the violence in our streets. We want to end chaos in our communities that these out-of-control agencies have created.
The simple truth is we have a better chance of imposing real constraints on ICE and the CBP if this bill passes than if it fails. We have a better chance at securing justice, justice for Renee Good, Alex Pretti, and all of those people all over this country who have been harassed, who have been beaten, who have been taken out of their homes, 5-year-old children being detained. That is the reality. Nobody wants that.
However, we have a better chance of justice for these folks if this bill passes rather than if it fails. We have a better chance of putting an end to what has become a season of terror if this bill passes than if it fails.
I am asking my colleagues to understand the moment and meet the moment. We have an opportunity over these next several days to lay out the arguments against what the Department of Homeland Security, its leadership, and what this administration has wrought on the American people.
We serve in this body to be responsive to the American people. They are clamoring, and they are crying out for help. We can help them with passing five bills that meet their needs, and we can help them by gaining control and focusing our ire and our anger over an agency that is run, in my view, by incompetence, by lies, and by terror. That is not who we are. Those are not the values of the American people. Those are not the values of the people in this body.
Everyone sees what is happening. We can't let go of the gains that have been made that make a difference in people's lives, in the education of their kids and their health and their safety, of looking at substance abuse and opioid addiction and how we can deal with that, transportation, rent assistance, homeless assistance, maternal mortality, childcare, and Head Start.
There are two paths that we face today. One: If we pass the bills and see what our opportunities are to make a difference and make changes in an agency so needed to be changed--and I do believe we all recognize that--and at the same time to save the American people. We understand the crisis of the cost of living that you have.
We are there to defend you and your family and to make life and make government work on your behalf. That is our responsibility. I view that as my responsibility as the ranking member of the Appropriations Committee. This is the way our government functions, and we have a better chance to end this season of terror.
Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.
Mr. Speaker, when you reach a point like this, there are a lot of people to thank. I will begin by thanking the President of the United States. He supported each and every one of these tranches of bills that have been brought to the floor during this critical month where we completed the appropriations process. We would not be here today without him. We would probably not be voting on this bill without him. He has been working today tirelessly to make sure we followed our own procedures and brought this bill to the floor. I personally thank President Trump for his contribution to funding the government.
People forget around here that he has to sign the bills. If he doesn't sign them, believe me, he can sustain any veto he cares to cast. He has used his influence and his power constructively to bring us together across partisan lines and to pass what are bipartisan, bicameral bills. I am eternally grateful for that.
Mr. Speaker, I thank my own leadership. I don't know where Speaker Johnson got his patience from, but it must be God-given, because his support throughout this process working with us, never giving up, trying to restore regular order, has been incredible and I think unparalleled in the history of the speakership, in my view.
I thank the other members of our leadership: Leader Scalise, Whip Emmer, and Conference Chair McClain. They all worked really hard to make sure that we could come together and work across the lines. They gave us the freedom and flexibility that we needed, but they also provided the persuasion that is necessary both within our own ranks and across the aisle.
I thank especially the cardinals and the ranking members of the subcommittees. The ranking member and I agree, and we have tried to force decisionmaking down because we trust our cardinals and ranking members. They know their subjects. They know one another. They work together. Without them--and they solved most of the issues that were before us--we wouldn't be here. That model worked well because the people that we relied on, our chairmen and our ranking members, are people that we know and trust and that, frankly, know one another and trust one another and work well together. I am extraordinarily proud of this committee for what it did.
I also particularly thank my friend, the ranking member across the aisle. Now, we don't always agree. As a matter of fact, once our mutual friend and former colleague Ambassador Rahm Emanuel called us the odd couple. That may be true. We don't usually start in the same place, but we are here today able to fund the government, 76 percent of the Government of the United States, because of the ranking member and because of her leadership and her hard work to find common ground. I admire her tremendously as a person, and I appreciate her as a working partner.
We also have working partners in the United States Senate. If we didn't have Chairwoman Collins and if we didn't have Ranking Member Patty Murray, we wouldn't be here either.
Again, this is not just a bipartisan or a House agreement. This is a bicameral agreement. Those institutional lines are sometimes more difficult than the partisan lines to negotiate, but we managed to do that. I am proud of each and every one of my ranking members but particularly the ranking member of my committee, the Appropriations Committee, in the House.
We have had a lot of folks who have worked hard. We may have some disagreements in the coming days. We probably will. I would be surprised if we don't. But I know if we work hard, we can work through them and get to a successful conclusion.
My friend, for instance, mentioned body cameras. I couldn't agree more. It is something we added in the bill but something she advocated for and championed. We agree on the need for additional training. There is lots we can find in common as we try to work through this, and I hope we are able to do that.
The important thing today, Mr. Speaker, is to finish the task, to take these bills, which represent the vast majority of things where we have found common ground and agreement in a process of give and take and good faith efforts and compromise and debate, and make sure that they pass and reach the President's desk so we do not put American Federal workers and American soldiers and American public servants out of work. We let them do their job on behalf of the American people.
Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to support what is genuinely a bicameral and bipartisan product and one that the President will sign and has urged us to pass.
Mr. Speaker, again, I urge passage of this legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. All time for debate has expired.
Pursuant to House Resolution 1032, the previous question is ordered.
The question is on the motion by the gentleman from Oklahoma (Mr. Cole).
The question was taken; and the Speaker pro tempore announced that the ayes appeared to have it.
Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Armed Services be discharged from further consideration of the bill (H.R. 7211) to authorize the President to award the Medal of Honor to John W. Ripley for acts of valor during the Vietnam War, and for other purposes, and ask for its immediate consideration in the House.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the gentleman from Nebraska?
There was no objection.
The text of the bill is as follows:
The bill was ordered to be engrossed and read a third time, was read the third time, and passed, and a motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Armed Services be discharged from further consideration of the bill (H.R. 3377) to authorize the President to award the Medal of Honor to James Capers, Jr., for acts of valor as a member of the Marine Corps during the Vietnam War, and ask for its immediate consideration in the House.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the gentleman from Nebraska?
There was no objection.
The text of the bill is as follows:
The bill was ordered to be engrossed and read a third time, was read the third time, and passed, and a motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to dispense with the reading of the amendment.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the gentleman from Nebraska?
There was no objection.
The amendment was agreed to.
The bill was ordered to be engrossed and read a third time, was read the third time, and passed.
The title of the bill was amended so as to read: ``A bill to authorize the President to award the Medal of Honor to Nicholas Dockery for acts of valor as a member of the Army while serving in Afghanistan.''.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the Susquehanna Regional Emergency Medical Service, which recently received the 2025 Dick Ferneau Career EMS Service of the Year Award.
This is one of the top national awards in emergency medical services and highlights organizations that exemplify outstanding care, innovation, and commitment to the people who they serve.
The Susquehanna Regional EMS covers a 3,000-square-mile region covering townships across four counties. Their EMS has a team of over 170 EMTs and responds to over 20,000 calls annually.
Susquehanna Regional EMS is dedicated to serving the community and has worked to ensure that patients beyond the hospital are protected. The service has donated over 100 AEDs to various counties and has helped to train residents in critical lifesaving skills.
Representatives from Susquehanna Regional EMS will accept the award on stage at the EMS World Exposition in Indianapolis, Indiana, later this year.
Mr. Speaker, I am grateful for the care that the Susquehanna Regional EMS provides for the community and for all of the workers who are committed to serving others.
Mr. Speaker, Donald Trump promised that he would cut prices. Instead, his administration is killing people.
No Democrat should vote to give ICE another penny for public executions. ICE started by chasing people through the fields and factories where they work, then deporting U.S. kids with stage IV cancer, pulling women by their hair down the street, and now just murdering citizens in daylight. We have an unqualified, masked militia eager to escalate.
One lady who I met recently in San Jose asked me: We have only been through 1 year of this. How will we survive 4 years?
We won't. Not until we do the right thing. No other policy matters if we can't protect our people.
Today, let's send a message. That is why I voted to shut down their funding so that we never again see the murder of a nurse named Pretti or a mom named Good.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Members are reminded to observe proper decorum in the House.
Mr. Speaker, I voted today not to continue funding for the Department of Homeland Security without real oversight and constraints on ICE and Border Patrol.
Minnesotans are being racially profiled on a mass scale, assaulted on their streets, and kidnapped from their homes. Peaceful demonstrators are being threatened and detained for exercising their First Amendment rights. Two American citizens were killed on our streets by Department of Homeland Security agents.
This is not the America that we learned about in civics class. This is the behavior of a dictatorship. We live in a democracy, where even the President must follow the rule of law and the Constitution.
My vote against the funding today for DHS was to stand in solidarity with Minnesotans to demand changes that will protect our democracy. We are one Minnesota. We will continue to care for our neighbors and to stand up for our rights because they are your rights, too.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate my constituent, Alex Honnold, on his remarkable climb of one of the world's tallest skyscrapers, Taipei 101, without a rope.
Alex is a world-class athlete and perhaps one of the best athletes of our time. He is also known for being the first person to ever free solo El Capitan in Yosemite.
I am proud to say that Alex and I have worked together to promote outdoor recreation with my PARC Act, which helps protect climbers on our beautiful public lands. Alex also founded the Honnold Foundation, which partners with marginalized communities to expand equitable solar access around the world.
Nevada's Third District is honored to have such an accomplished athlete with a passion for outdoor recreation and making the world a better place. We are all looking forward to seeing what Alex will accomplish next.
Mr. Speaker, food costs are sky high, and millions of people across the country are losing their SNAP benefits due to Trump's big, ugly bill, which made the largest cut to food assistance and healthcare in American history.
Amazing organizations, like Lorraine's Soup Kitchen & Pantry in Chicopee, Massachusetts, are working to bridge the gap so that families don't go hungry amid these reckless Republican cuts.
Lorraine's, named after the first executive director of the soup kitchen, has been providing nutritious food and hope to families in western Massachusetts for 30 years. Under the incredible leadership of Kim Caisse, Lorraine's serves hot meals and provides nutritious pantry staples and produce to hungry families.
As part of my statewide End Hunger Now tour, I visited the pantry with my friend, Richie Neal, ranking member of the Ways and Means Committee. We learned about an increase in need due to Republican cuts and talked directly with pantry workers and people experiencing hunger.
As Congress prepares to consider the next farm bill, we must repeal the SNAP cuts enacted as part of the big, ugly bill and fully restore food assistance programs as we work to end hunger now.
Mr. Speaker, during the government shutdown last fall, OMB Director Russell Vought announced that the Trump administration would be pausing billions of dollars in funding for the Hudson River Gateway Tunnel project.
This critical project creates a much-needed passenger rail tunnel under the Hudson River, supplementing existing tunnels that were built over 100 years ago, and will deliver thousands of commuters in and out of New York every day in the busiest Amtrak corridor in the United States.
For several months, the White House has held these funds captive over misleading claims that the project's contracting policies violate administration policies on diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Last week, the Gateway Development Commission announced that construction will have to cease if President Trump does not swiftly restore the project's funding. If construction is delayed, thousands of union construction workers will lose their jobs, and timely completion of this project will be in jeopardy.
Mr. Speaker, I implore the President to end this vindictive quest to hurt people in the Northeast and immediately unfreeze project funds to allow for the construction to resume.
Mr. Speaker, the San Fernando Valley mourns the loss of Stephen Botsford.
Steve passed away on January 11 at the age of 75 after living a life filled with love, generosity, and impact. Steve was a successful businessman and philanthropist, who supported small businesses across the country, including in Los Angeles.
Steve deeply understood the importance of making sure that communities have what they need to thrive, which is why he set up a scholarship fund that allowed first-generation students across the San Fernando Valley to attend college. Steve's legacy lives on through the first-generation students who benefited from his scholarships and the dreams that were made possible through his support.
I send my condolences to his wife, Kathleen, and his children, Alexandra, Stephen Jr., and Victoria.
Mr. Speaker, I ask for a moment of silence in honor of Steve.
Mr. Speaker, this past year, more than 112,000 Federal employees retired, far more than last year. A lot of them retired because they took the DOGE buyout deal, the Deferred Resignation Program, where people were given a buyout if they resigned by October. Others had simply put in their time and were ready to leave and receive their earned retirement benefits.
We are here months later, and many of these Federal employees who have served our country well are still waiting for their benefits and the money that they are owed.
Our office has seen a huge spike in constituents experiencing delayed retirement processing at OPM, at Federal agencies, and at payroll providers across the government. These delays are not isolated. They are systemic.
The administration knew these retirements were coming. It was part of the DOGE plan, but once again, the administration was not prepared for what came next. As a result, Federal retirees faced delayed annuity payments, gaps in benefits, and real financial hardship.
These are families who are trying to pay mortgages, cover healthcare, and plan their next chapter. This backlog is completely unacceptable. We must fix it and restore trust in a retirement system that enables us to recruit the great people who we have in government.
Mr. Speaker, religious leaders from across the world are coming to Washington, D.C., this week to celebrate religious freedom.
It is hard to imagine that something we take for granted, like the right to worship, is denied to much of humankind across the globe.
Muslim Uyghurs are put in forced labor camps by the Chinese Communist Party. Hindu and Buddhist religious minorities are being persecuted in Bangladesh. Christians are being tormented in Syria, India, Egypt, Nigeria, and elsewhere. Jews worldwide are facing anti-Semitism. Sikh turbans are banned, and Muslim headscarves are not permitted.
Have you heard about the Ahmadis, the Rohingyas, the Druze? What about the Tibetan Buddhists in China and the Baha'is in Iran?
There must be a worldwide effort to celebrate our diversity, promote religious freedom, and stop the evil forces that try and divide us instead of seeking the common ground that we all share.
As we celebrate the 250th anniversary of our Nation, let us promote the religious freedom that we enjoy in our country, and let us serve as a beacon to the world once again.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor all the brave first responder men and women who braved the dangerous terrain and frigid temperatures to help provide food and shelter, as well as to restore power and water to my constituents in Monroe and Allen Counties.
Last week, south central Kentucky experienced a catastrophic snow and ice storm that left many thousands without power and water, some for as long as 5 days, all while temperatures remained below freezing.
I especially want to recognize the workers at Tri-County Electric Membership Cooperative who worked all day and night, often during temperatures in the single digits, to restore power which was lost from the hundreds of power lines that completely broke from the freezing rain. These workers, along with our water utilities, law enforcement, and volunteer fire departments, deserve a huge thanks for stepping up and delivering in our time of need.
Still I rise, Mr. Speaker, in mourning for the lives that have been lost at the hands and the color of law.
Mr. Speaker, Mr. Pretti and Ms. Good should not have lost their lives as they did. Yes, I stand for impeachment of Ms. Noem, the Secretary, but that is not enough. I believe that under these circumstances more is required than a simple impeachment. I think it is a good thing to do, and I support it. However, there is some question of criminality involved with this. In such cases of criminality, we must do more than impeach. We must convict. She should do time.
It is time for us to send a message to others that you cannot cover up and you cannot condone this kind of behavior when you hold public trust.
Mr. Speaker, still I rise, and I stand where I stand.
Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material into the Record on the subject of my Special Order hour.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the gentlewoman from California?
Mr. Speaker, just over a year ago, I was part of a talented and diverse group of 33 freshmen Members of Congress. We were veterans, doctors, engineers, lawyers, teachers, small business owners, and State legislators who were sent by our constituents to make their lives better. They sent us to Congress to protect their healthcare, lower the costs of their groceries, and make life more affordable.
Democrats are working on bills that would meaningfully help families deal with the affordability crisis. There are bills that have been introduced that stop price gouging at the grocery store, make housing more affordable, and make healthcare accessible for all, but Republicans have yet to take up any of these proposals.
We are in midst of an affordability crisis, and Republicans are refusing to work with us to address it. We are 13 months into our first term in Congress, and my colleagues and I have yet to see a meaningful piece of legislation from Republicans that makes life less expensive for our constituents.
Over the past year, Republicans chose to rename the Gulf of Mexico, redefine what a showerhead is, rename the Kennedy Center, look into annexing Greenland, regulate fridges and gas stoves, and perhaps the most egregious one is to make the largest cuts to healthcare in our country's history in order to give billionaires more tax breaks.
The fact that Trump and Republicans are prioritizing these bills over lowering the cost of living is insulting to our constituents. I fail to see how renaming the Gulf of Mexico, redefining the definition of a showerhead, or annexing Greenland will help families in our districts afford groceries or pay their rent.
Because of Donald Trump and Republicans' policies, families across the country paid an average of over $1,600 more due in everyday expenses. Californians are paying over $2,300. However, do you know who is benefiting from the Trump administration? Billionaires.
With the big, ugly bill, Trump and Republicans have implemented the largest cuts to healthcare in the history of our country and worsen the affordability crisis just to line the pockets of their billionaire donors.
The big, ugly bill is also the largest cut to food assistance in American history. The bill cuts SNAP benefits by 20 percent for all participants, or roughly $200 billion, jeopardizing SNAP benefits for more than 40 million people, including 16 million children and 8 million seniors who rely on this for nutritional assistance.
Republicans turn their backs on making life affordable for our most vulnerable in order to help billionaires afford another yacht.
My House Democratic Caucus freshmen colleagues and I are focused on making life better for the American people and driving down grocery prices, utility bills, rent and mortgage payments, and childcare and elder care costs so that hardworking people can breathe easier.
To help working families, especially multigenerational households, deal with the rising costs of living, I am introducing the Multigenerational Family Tax Credit Act. My bill gives multigenerational families a tax credit for expenses that they incur when they upgrade their houses to make them more accessible for their aging parents who live with them. This includes upgrades like grab rails in the shower, an additional bathroom or bedroom, or even assistance to go up and down stairs. This tax credit will help multigenerational families afford to make the upgrades necessary for seniors to age gracefully in one place.
Tonight, we will hear from some of the freshmen of the Democratic Caucus and the work that they are doing to
Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from California (Mr. Whitesides), my colleague and friend.
Mr. Speaker, every time I talk with constituents, I hear the same thing: Life is getting more and more expensive.
People are worried about making rent, paying for groceries, and dealing with gas prices that keep on climbing.
In just the past couple of weeks, we have received more proof of what our constituents are telling us. According to a recent report, California families saw their costs go up by more than $2,000 in 2025 due to inflation. That breaks down to $482 more going toward housing, like rent or a mortgage, and another $581 toward transportation costs, from buying a car to repairs and gas.
For food, families are paying even more because of the grocery tariffs from this administration. One trip through your local Stater Bros. or Vons is enough to feel the pinch. In 2025, families paid $76 more for ground coffee, $71 more for ground beef, and $51 more for eggs than they did in 2024.
Simply put, our economy is not serving hardworking families and the basic promises of the American Dream, like homeownership or putting a child through college, are harder and harder to reach.
Government works best when it is grounded in the needs of the people that it serves. Our constituents have been clear about what they sent us here to do, what they sent us here to fight for. We must stay focused on policies that make life more affordable. We are here to improve people's lives, and that responsibility should guide everything we do.
I will continue to fight every day to lower costs and keep the American Dream alive and within reach.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today because working people in St. Louis and across this country are getting squeezed from every direction. Groceries cost more. Rent costs more. Childcare costs more. Healthcare costs more. For too many families, every month feels like a math problem they can't solve.
For generations, the American Dream meant that if you worked hard, you could build a stable life, you could afford a home, you could raise a family, and you could retire with dignity. Today, that dream feels farther away for millions of people, not because they stopped believing in it but because it is becoming impossibly unaffordable.
Affordability is not just an economic issue. It is a trust issue. People don't just feel broke. They feel shut out.
Under President Trump, influence isn't just whispered behind closed doors; it is put up for sale. Money flows in and policy flows out. That is not normal. That is not acceptable. In this administration, access is bought instead of earned. If you are a billionaire or a special interest, you get a seat at the table. If you are a nurse, a warehouse worker, or a parent juggling two jobs, you are out of luck. That is how we end up with policies like tariffs that raise costs for Missouri families by $600 a year. It is how we end up with an economy that works great for the people at the top and barely works for everyone else.
When President Trump talks about a great economy, it is clear he is talking about an economy he has never had to live in, one where you don't worry about grocery bills, prescription costs, or childcare, because those concerns have never touched his life, and they don't guide his decisions.
When decisions are driven by money instead of the public interest, the result is higher costs, weaker protections, and a growing sense that the American Dream is slipping out of reach.
It doesn't have to be this way. We can build an economy where the American Dream is affordable again, where housing is within reach, healthcare is accessible, and childcare doesn't bankrupt you.
We can stop giving billionaires yet another tax break and start giving working families some breathing room. Because when government works for working people, the American Dream stops slipping away and starts feeling possible again.
That is what House Democrats are fighting for, not an economy built around pay-to-play politics or shady closed-door deals but one built around dignity, fairness, and that simple idea that the American Dream should be within reach for everyone, not just the well-connected.
Mr. Speaker, I thank Representative Rivas for her leadership on affordability and giving me the opportunity to speak today.
Across central New York and the Mohawk Valley, people are worried, and they have every reason to be. Grocery prices are going up. Healthcare costs are rising. Energy bills are spiking. Too many families feel like they are being asked to absorb the hit while Washington does nothing to make their lives better or more affordable.
On healthcare, the threat is real and urgent. Just this week, I met with leadership and toured Oneida Health, a rural hospital in my district that has been there for over a hundred years. They are feeling the largest healthcare cuts in the history of the country that were passed in the big, ugly bill, and they know firsthand that the deeply inadequate rural healthcare fund comes nowhere near making up for the lost revenue that happened in that bill.
You cannot cut nearly $1 trillion from Medicaid and decimate the foundation of our healthcare system, cutting at the knees our rural hospitals, and pretend that a one-time Band-Aid of $50 billion will hold the system together.
Many of my Republican colleagues continue to tout their votes in support of the largest healthcare cuts in our history while letting critical subsidies expire.
We should be doing the opposite. There is bipartisan support to extend the ACA premium tax credits. We should be working together to prevent premium spikes and make sure seniors and working families aren't forced to choose between prescription drugs, groceries, and keeping the heat on.
Healthcare should provide peace of mind, not financial anxiety, because when essential services are gutted, community health centers and rural hospitals face shortfalls, and people are forced to drop coverage. It impacts everyone through higher premiums, and all of us will be paying more and are paying more to get less. The House has wisely voted to extend the subsidies, and the Senate needs to do the same.
The same affordability crisis is playing out with energy costs. I hear it every day from families and small businesses who simply cannot afford another rate hike. That is why I helped found the Congressional Lowering Utility Bills Caucus, to push real, practical solutions that put consumers first.
Upstate New York knows extreme weather--long winters, hot summers-- but weather alone doesn't explain why utility bills have become unmanageable. Families in my district are projected to pay hundreds more each year, even when usage stays the same. I have heard from constituents whose bills jumped hundreds of dollars and more in just a matter of months. That is not sustainable, and it is not acceptable.
Part of the problem is growing demand from energy-intensive data centers. Regular Americans should not be forced to subsidize massive corporate energy use.
Another part of the problem is this administration's decisions that undercut long-term affordability, such as blocking transmission, canceling low-cost energy products--some of which are green energy projects--and slowing investments that would expand supply, stabilize prices, and give consumers the options they need and demand.
Republicans control the White House, Senate, and House, and it seems like big energy corporations control them. We see every day that their actions demonstrate that they are not interested in lowering the costs for hardworking Americans.
The good news is that solutions do exist. We need smart investments in generation and transmission, expanded energy-efficiency programs that help families use less and pay less, and a balanced approach to create more affordable energy options, including renewables and clean, reliable nuclear
Consumer affordability, not corporate profit, has to be the priority. Paying for groceries and healthcare, keeping the lights on, and heating your home are the basic expectations that should exist in the wealthiest country in the world, Mr. Speaker. They should not be luxuries.
This affordability crisis isn't just hitting hardworking families across central New York and the Mohawk Valley. It is squeezing our small businesses, our hospitals, and our schools. I will keep fighting to make sure Washington treats this crisis with the urgency that it demands.
Mr. Speaker, we are taking up time on the floor today because, from coast to coast, I guarantee that we are all hearing the same message from our constituents: The cost of living is just too high.
I feel it, too, as the daughter of a single mom who made everything work because of access to affordable childcare, as a millennial with student loan debt that I am still years away from paying off, and as a first-time homeowner who finally was able to buy a house in the district that I represent after renting for over two decades.
This is something I believe everyone in this Chamber, Republicans and Democrats alike, can agree on: Congress must do more to cover the crushing costs of electric bills, groceries, prescription drugs, housing, and more.
While I would love to take a full hour today running through what we can and should do on all these crises, I have only a few minutes to focus on one.
Mr. Speaker, from my very first conversations 9 years ago, when I first asked my neighbors to place their trust in me to represent them, to even just this weekend at the grocery store, I have heard from parents, grandparents, and small businesses alike that the childcare crisis is suppressing our economy and forcing families to make impossible decisions.
It is more expensive to send one infant to daycare than it is to send an 18-year-old to the University of Maryland.
Like every State, Maryland saw devastating losses in childcare providers after the pandemic. We lost 15 percent, or 1,135, home-based childcare providers, and that further pressured the market and limited options for families.
I come to this floor with good news. I am proud to share that, in our State, education and nonprofit leaders are working to find innovative solutions to help families afford childcare through scholarships and tax credits, but also, and this is crucial, to grow the supply of childcare providers and create critically needed seats.
The Growing Opportunities for Family Child Care program has opened nearly 300 daycares, or 2,000 childcare slots, in just 3 years by providing training, coaching, and resources to individuals who happen to be almost entirely women-based businesses in opening and operating family care childcare businesses.
Now, this is a win-win-win. We create more jobs in childcare, allow more parents to enter the workforce, and lower the cost of care through increased supply.
As a Congress, we need to work together to find commonsense policies that will make it easier for our neighbors not just to get by but to get ahead.
Mr. Speaker, I call on my colleagues to join me in tackling issues head-on together through difficult conversations as we seek to do the unfashionable thing here in Washington: find common ground. That is because that is the fundamental promise of our country: to be able to give our kids and the next generation a better life than we had. We can only do that by offering real, comprehensive, innovative solutions to the affordability crisis that families across this country are experiencing.
Mr. Speaker, I thank Representative Rivas for organizing today's Special Order hour.
Mr. Speaker, across Arizona, families are being squeezed from every direction. Groceries cost more. Rent and housing costs keep climbing. People can't afford their healthcare.
According to the Joint Economic Committee, Arizona families paid an estimated $1,569 more in 2025 due to inflation during Trump's first year back in office.
Yet, after running on lower prices, Trump now calls this affordability crisis a hoax. Just last week, he said plainly: ``I don't want to drive housing prices down. I want to drive housing prices up. . . .''
That tells us exactly whom he is fighting for: Wall Street speculators and billionaires, not our families living on Main Streets and in our barrios. He is not even trying to hide it anymore.
Meanwhile, utility bills are surging; electric bills are up 13 percent; and residential gas prices are up nearly 60 percent. This administration canceled clean energy projects that could have powered 13 million homes, destroying 165,000 jobs in the process.
Behind every statistic is a family that is now experiencing hardship due to these reckless and painful policies. I recently toured the Community Food Bank of Southern Arizona, where I heard directly from staff and volunteers about what these policies mean on the ground. Food banks are now being forced to serve more people with fewer resources because of the Republicans' so-called big, ugly bill.
Across Arizona, they are serving about 700,000 people every single month, a 30-percent increase in demand for services while dealing with a 50-percent cut in funding for some of our most vulnerable populations, including seniors, veterans, differently abled, families, and children.
That strain is only growing as this Republican law slashes SNAP, one of the most effective anti-hunger programs we have. Under the big, ugly law, up to 73,000 Arizonans could lose some or all of their benefits due to red tape and funding changes.
These cuts don't eliminate hunger. They push families to food banks that are already stretched thin. The burden falls hardest on women and caregivers, especially women of color who are overrepresented in low- wage and unstable jobs.
Let's be clear: This is an affordability crisis Republicans are perpetuating. Rising costs, shrinking safety nets, and tax breaks for billionaires are all at the expense of working families.
House Democrats are focused on driving down costs and making life more affordable. That is because affordability isn't a slogan. It is about whether families can live with dignity and peace of mind. That is what we should be fighting for.
Mr. Speaker, over the past year, Republicans have chosen to focus on nearly everything except addressing the affordability crisis.
One of those items includes renaming the Gulf of Mexico. As a member of the House Committee on Natural Resources, I saw this bill make its way through the committee thinking that it was a joke. I was correct to think that because the origin of renaming the Gulf of Mexico was from a joke.
In 2011, Stephen Colbert joked about renaming the gulf during the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill, stating that: ``I don't think we can call it the Gulf of Mexico anymore. We broke it; we bought it.''
When the big, ugly bill was being marked up in the Natural Resources Committee, I led an amendment that would make this unserious proposal more beneficial for working families in my district. My amendment made it so that the gulf cannot be renamed until Secretary Burgum can assess how the bill will actually lower grocery prices, improve the GDP, lower unemployment, and create jobs. Of course, Republicans rejected my amendment.
That seems to be the pattern that we are all seeing, and that is why we are here today to share the stories on how the affordability crisis is affecting our constituents.
Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Oregon (Ms. Dexter).
Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from California for leading this important discussion today and for her leadership in bringing this to the floor.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to talk about the affordability crisis and the reality the vast majority of American families are facing.
Across Oregon, people are doing everything they are supposed to do. They are working extremely hard and playing by the rules, and still they are falling behind. They are living paycheck to paycheck, unable to save for a vacation, retirement, or their children's education because the cost of living has outpaced what most people earn.
Rent keeps climbing. Childcare can cost more than a mortgage. Health insurance premiums, copays, and deductibles eat up paychecks before families ever get to groceries. Too many parents are lying awake at night running the numbers, wondering which bill they can delay paying this month.
A report from the Joint Economic Committee found that the average American family spent $1,625 more because of inflation than the year prior. In Oregon, families paid $1,791 more than the year before.
It doesn't have to be this way.
I grew up working class. I left home at 17, and with the security of a union job, I was able to be the first in my family to graduate college and then go on to medical school.
It was because this country chose to invest in families like mine that I had a shot at the American Dream. Well-funded public schools, safe neighborhoods, excellent transit, union jobs, accessible and affordable healthcare, housing and higher education are the building blocks that every family in this Nation deserves to count on.
Today, our kids cannot count on these things. They are cynical that the American Dream is even achievable. They don't believe government is trustworthy, let alone effective. That is a failure of leaders right here in this Chamber.
I came here to fight to make sure my district has the opportunities that I had for a better life. It is time that the Federal Government chooses working families. It is time for our government to work for working families, to empower people with opportunity and stability, not terrorize and undermine their dreams and hard work.
We must raise the Federal minimum wage. We must help seniors age with dignity and independence. We must ensure healthcare and housing are affordable and readily available. We must protect our air, water, and open spaces for all to enjoy health and the joy of getting outside in our beautiful State.
A better future is possible if we fight for it. I can assure you all, I came here to do just that. It is time for the Federal Government to stand up for working families and break up the monopolies and power circles that are holding them down.
Mr. Speaker, in July, Republicans voted to betray our values as a Nation and turn their backs on children, working parents, veterans, and our most vulnerable.
Under direct orders from the President, the big, ugly bill ignored the concerns of a majority of Americans to instead cater to billionaires. For over a year, Republicans have done nothing to save Medicaid, protect immigrant communities, provide food for needy families or children, or address the skyrocketing cost of living. Republicans voted to stand with billionaires and make life harder and more expensive for working families.
What Republicans somehow fail to see is how the big, ugly bill would harm their constituents. House Democrats all voted to save Medicaid and SNAP, protect our immigrant communities, and stand with working families across the San Fernando Valley and across the country.
As you heard from many of my freshmen colleagues who participated today, Republicans are turning their backs on everyday Americans. We all have constituent stories, constituents who have reached out to us to share the impact of these policies on their daily lives.
Just recently, I heard from an elderly couple in my district from Valley Village who are facing serious health concerns, including chronic heart problems and cancer. He and his wife make regular visits to the oncologist and are going through multiple rounds of chemotherapy. They live on a fixed income from Social Security. Between regular visits to the doctors and the monthly increase in their rent, they are struggling to make ends meet.
No one should have to make the choice of paying for their rent or a visit to the doctor that they need in order to survive. Unfortunately, these are the decisions that this administration is forcing everyday Americans to make. Republicans must work with House Democrats to bring these costs down for families in the San Fernando Valley and across the country.
Mr. Speaker, how much time do I have remaining?
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentlewoman has 30 minutes remaining.
Mr. Speaker, the work we do in Congress should improve the lives of our constituents, not focus on vanity projects for an egomaniac or line the pockets of people who don't need it.
We heard from several talented and dedicated Democratic freshmen tonight about the work that they are doing to make life more affordable for their constituents.
The true test of how great we are as a country is how we treat and care for our most vulnerable. Time and time again, Democrats are rising to the occasion to pass this test and make life more affordable for all. By doing literally everything except for addressing the affordability crisis that they created, Republicans are failing that test.
Mr. Speaker, I move that the House do now adjourn.
The motion was agreed to; accordingly (at 3 o'clock and 6 minutes p.m.), under its previous order, the House adjourned until tomorrow, Wednesday, February 4, 2026, at 10 a.m. for morning-hour debate.
