Providing for Consideration of H. Res. 676, Authorization to Initiate Litigation for Actions by the President; Providing for Consideration of H.R. 935, Reducing Regulatory Burdens Act of 2013; and Providing for Proceedings During the Period From August 1, 2014, Through September 5, 2014

Floor Speech

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Mr. WELCH. Mr. Speaker, I have been kind of scratching my head as to why it is we are filing this lawsuit. Why is it that the independent House, the Speaker of the House, second in line for the Presidency, instead of passing a bill, is filing a lawsuit? I think I have kind of figured it out. The power of the majority is being used in a way to make that power useless and impotent.

They can pass any laws they want in this House. They can repeal any laws they want in this House, in fact, have repealed health care 55 times. But once it goes across this hall into the Senate, it dies. It is not taken up. If it were taken up, it would never be signed by the President.

I have got another idea. Instead of filing a lawsuit, let's do our job. We have got some disagreements. We think--and I think the American people believe, and I know the President agrees--we should raise the minimum wage. You don't. Let's work it out.

We believe--and the President believes, the American people believe--we need comprehensive immigration reform. Let's take it up and have a vote.

We believe it is time for equal pay for equal work.

What are we afraid of? Why don't we take it up?

Is the judge going to help us decide this, or should we have an out-of-court settlement, which, in our case, would mean we actually have a discussion, a discussion that includes the members of the Republican Party who have different points of view, as opposed to simply the narrowest views from the most gerrymandered of districts. It means we talk to Democrats on the House side of the floor. It means we work with our counterparts in the Senate. It means we do our job.

So, Mr. Speaker, you have got a job to do that can't be done by a judge. You have got a job to do that won't be resolved in a court of law. It will be resolved here in the United States House of Representatives. And the fact that we disagree and the fact that the issues between us are difficult and contentious is no excuse for us to not do our job.

The Republicans represent a lot of Americans, but the Democrats represent at least half of America. And never in the history of this country have we made progress by refusing to legislate.

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