Raising A Question of the Privileges of the House

Floor Speech

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Mr. ARMSTRONG. Mr. Speaker, let's be clear why we are here: Because the incentive structure in this town is completely broken.

We no longer value loyalty, integrity, confidence, or collaboration. Instead, we have descended to a place where clicks, TV hits, and the never-ending quest for the most mediocre taste of celebrity drives decisions and encourages juvenile behavior that is so far beneath this esteemed body.

Kevin McCarthy has done more in 9 months to restore the people's House than any Speaker in decades. We have done regular order. We have had open amendments. Every single Member of this Chamber has the right, the ability, and the opportunity to be heard on the floor.

It has been messy. It has been raucous, and at times, it has been chaotic. God bless every minute of it, because democracy is supposed to be hard. The alternative is a closed-door process where 2,000-page bills come out of the Speaker's office at midnight and are forced to the floor the next morning.

Kevin McCarthy has broken that cycle. That alone is enough for him to remain our Speaker, but that doesn't deliver his opponents what they crave the most: attention.

We shouldn't stand for it. I won't stand for it. I will stand here with our Speaker, with our leader, that the overwhelming majority of our Conference supports. You need to look no further than where the opponents are sitting today in this Chamber.

They are not over here. They are over there.

Mr. Speaker, we are going to face these challenges together. I say bring whatever comes next because we believe in the job our Speaker has done. We believe in his vision, and, most importantly, we are proud to call Kevin McCarthy our friend and our Speaker of the House.

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