Legislative Program

Floor Speech

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Mr. CANTOR. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Maryland, the Democratic whip, for yielding.

On Monday, the House will meet at noon for morning-hour and 2 p.m. for legislative business. Votes will be postponed until 6:30 p.m. On Tuesday and Wednesday, the House will meet at 10 a.m. for morning-hour and noon for legislative business. On Thursday, the House will meet at 9 a.m. for legislative business. Last votes of the week are expected no later than 3 p.m. On Friday, no votes are expected.

Madam Speaker, the House will consider a few suspensions next week, a complete list of which will be announced by close of business today.

In addition, the House will consider three bills to increase domestic energy production, create American middle class jobs, and lower the cost of energy for our families. These bills are H.R. 2728, the Protecting States' Rights to Promote American Energy Security Act, sponsored by Representative Bill Flores; H.R. 1965, the Federal Lands Jobs and Energy Security Act, authored by Representative Doug Lamborn; and H.R. 1900, the Natural Gas Pipeline Permitting Reform Act, sponsored by Mike Pompeo.

Together, these bills represent our continuing commitment to energy independence and putting more money in the pockets of working middle class families.

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Mr. CANTOR. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman.

I would say to the gentleman we certainly have three conference reports we are looking at hopefully completing with the Senate. One is the WRRDA conference report that we voted on in the House this week to go to conference. The other is the farm bill conference report, as well as the NDAA, the National Defense Authorization Act.

I would say to the gentleman, Madam Speaker, those are certainly the conference reports we would like to see resolved so we can have a vote in the House. The gentleman correctly points out that the sustainable growth rate program and its formula expires at the end of the year. Certainly, our committees are at work trying to see a way forward, as well as trying to seek out the proper budgetary pay-fors necessary for the plan that has been put forward by Energy and Commerce, as well as the Committee on Ways and Means. I know there have been some bicameral discussions on that as well. I am hopeful we can resolve that, but certainly knowing full well we have to act prior to the end of the year.

I would also point out to the gentleman that there is considerable work being done on the issue of patent reform, and we hope that comes to the floor prior to the end of the year. And obviously, the larger item having to do with the Budget Committee conference, headed up by Chairman Paul Ryan and in the other body Senator Patty Murray, and we look forward to a resolution there. That is certainly the intention, Madam Speaker.

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Mr. CANTOR. I thank the gentleman for yielding and would say the gentleman is correct. Certainly, the sooner, the better, as far as I am concerned. I am concerned as well about any resolution on the Budget Committee conference. I know the gentleman has spoken to both Chairman Ryan as well as the other body's chairman. In speaking to Chairman Ryan, he tells me that there has been a lot of discussion, not only public discussion in meetings, but certainly his meeting with the chairman from the Senate, in trying to find a way forward.

The gentleman knows that the issue that is central to these discussions is not unlike the issue that has been under discussion for some time here, and that is how do we go about seeking reform of some of the mandatory programs and trying to reach resolution there in exchange for a commensurate relief on the across-the-board budget cuts that are currently in place.

I don't know, Madam Speaker, whether they are going to meet the deadline next week or not that the gentleman says will be preferable. I know that our chairman is very mindful that the quicker, the better, so we can get on about our work here in the House.

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Mr. CANTOR. As the gentleman knows, we have had the discussion before about the majority's position on the Senate bill. We don't support the Senate bill. The Speaker I think spoke out on that this week. Our Members don't support the Senate bill. We have said all along Chairman Goodlatte and his committee are going about a much more deliberative process, a step-by-step approach in trying to address the problems with a broken immigration system. I do think, and I will tell the gentleman that there is consensus on our side of the aisle as well as his, that the system is broken and needs to be fixed. Certainly there are differences on how to go about doing that.

We remain committed, as does the chairman, in trying to move in a step-by-step manner to address the various issues involved with immigration reform, but not to do it the way the Senate did because, as we have seen, many of those who actually voted for the Senate bill in the other body now say they regret that vote or they perhaps would do some differently. I guess it is up to the House to try to address it much more deliberatively and try to fix the problems that exist so we don't see them happen again.

I would say to the gentleman, the House will continue its work; and, as the gentleman knows, the news of this week, unfortunately, has been many, many Americans very unhappy with the work product coming out of this town as far as health care is concerned. I would posit to the gentleman that a bill like ObamaCare or a bill like the Senate immigration bill produces the kind of impact and effect that we are seeing this week and last week and the prior. We don't want to commit that same kind of mistake. We want to be smarter about it.

As the gentleman knows, our committees are hard at work in trying to identify how we can help people with their health care right now since they are facing the very real prospects of not having the health care insurance plans that they like, contrary to the promises that were made when that comprehensive bill was passed a couple of years ago in the same way the Senate bill, the immigration bill, was passed, with not a lot of focus on the detail.

We intend to try and focus on the details of immigration reform, try to come together, see if we can actually have some positive reception on the gentleman's side of the aisle both in this House and the one across the way as well as the White House to actually work together finally to produce a bipartisan outcome that will be satisfactory because none of these partisan bills have ended up working. As you see, ObamaCare, case in point. That is why we have the train wreck that is upon us. It was a strictly partisan bill that came out of the Congress, House and Senate, and look what has happened.

So I say to the gentleman, we do care about the immigration issue and want to go about reform in a smart way.

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Mr. CANTOR. I would say to the gentleman, Madam Speaker, it is under consideration as to the timing when we bring that bill to the floor.

I would again reiterate that Chairman Goodlatte is trying to take a holistic approach to the immigration reform issue--the bill that the gentleman mentioned is obviously one of the pieces in trying to figure this out--and do so in a way that we can effect a positive result, not just result for result's sake. And I again direct the gentleman's attention, Madam Speaker, to what is going on with ObamaCare right now and how many millions of Americans are extremely disappointed in their government and certainly in the representations that were made by the White House and President insofar as that law is concerned. I don't think that we ought to be engaging in those kinds of commitments when you can't deliver.

So again, we want to be working together. We want to be deliberative about this process, and hopefully we can move forward in a way that is expeditious and thoughtful.

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Mr. CANTOR. Madam Speaker, I would say to the gentleman if he recalls that in the not too distant past, it was his side that opposed that bill when it was brought to the floor.

My response will be the same. We want to bring bills together. We can work in a cooperative fashion to effect a result. Unfortunately, as the minority opposed stapling green cards to diplomas on that bill that was brought in the past, we are trying to figure out a way where we can bring something forward and actually get it across the finish line with the other body.

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Mr. CANTOR. Madam Speaker, I would say to the gentleman that the purpose is not just to make sure that a vote occurs and then nothing happens. The purpose is to pass bills and then allow for the bicameral effort to get a result. That is the frustration.

If the gentleman would also note, on the farm bill, we actually have a conference committee ongoing now. So the reason we employed the process we did was to get in a position that we could actually get a result and not just say we did something and fail to deliver for the people.

I would say to the gentleman again, these bills that he is bringing up all fit into a larger puzzle. We need some indication from the White House and from the majority in the Senate that they will actually work with us. Given the track record that this administration has amassed since 2009, there is not a lot of indication they are willing to work together.

Again, I would point to the prospects of that being what is key, because this week is demonstrative of what happens when you just move without bringing everyone together. The effects of this health care law are going to be lasting on people. They are scared to go to the exchanges. They are worried they are not going to have insurance. This is the impact and result of passing laws by just one body and expecting the other body to just go along. We can't do that now because we are two separate bodies, and we need the White House and the Senate to cooperate with the majority in the House.

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Mr. CANTOR. Madam Speaker, I will say to the gentleman again, the track record of this administration and the majority in the Senate has indicated an unwillingness to sit down and talk. They have not done so. Certainly, the White House has not done so on the immigration issue, did not do so on the health care issue. Again, it doesn't help the American people for this insistence on ``my way or the highway'' kind of mode of operation.

We have gotten the message now. If it is going to be my way or the highway, we will try to do whatever we can to help people, as we did today on the floor with a bipartisan vote. The gentleman continues to say that we don't like the health care bill. That is true. I think the American people have spoken out pretty loud and clearly over the last 10 days or so, as indicated by the White House and the President's move yesterday. Obviously, the law is not working.

We don't want to get into another situation like that. We want to make sure we work together comprehensively because there are step-by-step actions that need to be taken, but we need results. We need the White House to sit down and talk to us. We don't need any more speeches, and we don't need any more press conferences by the President. We need some actual talk.

On the immigration issue, they have just not come forward. They have said ``my way or the highway.'' I say to the gentleman that is not how you work in a bipartisan process.

The gentleman complains about partisan action on the floor. Well, there is an inherent partisanship when you have a majority versus a minority, and the will of the House is reflected in the votes here. The Senate is controlled by the gentleman's party, and so is the White House. So to get any kind of result, such as the farm bill, we are going to need a bipartisan result. He is correct on that. It doesn't mean that if we pass something in the House it automatically has to be something the Senate will support.

Again, I would say to the gentleman, let's all try to work together. I think our side has indicated a willingness to do that. Obviously, we want to go and get these conference reports out, but we have not seen a willingness on the part of the gentleman's party, this President, to say we can work together to effect positive immigration reform--not just my way or the highway.

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Mr. CANTOR. Madam Speaker, I would just say to the gentleman that we don't want a repeat of what is going on now with ObamaCare. That bill constructed as it is by the Senate is a last-minute effort to get it across the finish line. I think there is a lot that could be done a lot better in that bill. The gentleman, I believe, knows that, as well. If he doesn't share my opinion, then we can agree to disagree on that.

I would just say again, let's be mindful, Madam Speaker, of what happens when you put together a bill like ObamaCare. There are real consequences for millions of Americans right now, and they are scared that they are not even going to have health care insurance that they have today come January 1. There are plenty of reasons for that: the mishaps with the Web sites, the call centers, the stolen identities. All the things that don't seem to be working right now are scaring people out of even considering in a rational way what is going on. How could they? There are no answers being given. I would say to the gentleman it is largely due to the unfortunate architecture of that bill, some of which can be blamed on the process by which it was put together. We don't want to the make that mistake again.

I would say to the gentleman that I look forward to working with him in a deliberate and thoughtful approach. We are not bringing up the Senate bill. We are not going to do that. I have said that to the gentleman. Hopefully, we can work in a much more positive way.

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