Providing for Consideration of H. Con. Res. Expressing the Sense of Congress That A Carbon Tax Would Be Detrimental to the United States Economy
Floor Speech
(Mr. McGOVERN asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)
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Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentleman from Washington (Mr. Newhouse), for yielding me the customary 30 minutes for debate.
Mr. Speaker, we are here today to debate a Republican sense of Congress resolution proclaiming that a carbon tax would be bad for the U.S. economy. That is it. That is how this majority is choosing to spend its precious legislative time. I mean, this is a big nothing burger.
Instead of considering legislation to address the administration's horrific child separation policy at the border or addressing the surging cost of prescription drugs or taking action to address gun safety, or finally, finally holding Russia accountable for their interference in the 2016 election, something the President himself has trouble acknowledging, we are here considering a sense of Congress stating that a carbon tax would be bad for America.
You know, I don't know how many of my Republican colleagues are scientists, but you might want to meet some and talk to some of them. They are smart people. They deal in facts. They deal in evidence. They deal in results.
Look, Mr. Speaker, as any third grader knows, the Earth revolves around the Sun, and if I drop a pen, it will fall to the table because of gravity. We know that smoking causes cancer, and we know that the Earth is not flat. We also know that climate change is real and that 97 percent of climate scientists agree that humans are the main cause. But Republicans are burying their heads in the sand with this glorified press release attacking a potential tool to combat it.
But even worse than what we are doing is what the Republican majority is blocking from consideration. This week they blocked an amendment that would have provided much needed funding to the Election Assistance Commission to protect our elections from further Russian interference. This is outrageous. Just days after President Trump sided with Putin over our own intelligence community, Republicans blocked funding to protect our elections. Essentially, the President sold out America in Helsinki.
So Republicans want to vote on a sense of Congress, let's consider the resolution reiterating Speaker Ryan's statement in response to the President's terrible performance in Helsinki. It acknowledges Russia's role in interfering in our election, and it affirms our support for the intelligence community. But, of course, the majority has blocked that resolution.
Instead, we are now debating our 92nd closed rule this Congress. This is the most closed Congress in history, with zero open rules. And for those in the gallery, the reason why this is important is because the majority of bills that have come to this floor have come in a way that nobody can amend them. Nobody can change even a word in the bill. I mean, this is supposed to be the people's House, not the Russia house.
Mr. Speaker, this, what we are doing today, is a waste of time. We have real issues to address--substantive issues to address. The American people deserve more than show votes that throw red meat to the oil lobby. I would say to my Republican colleagues: Do your job. Listen to the American people. Start addressing some of their concerns, like the fact that we need to protect our election system from more Russian interference. That is a serious matter. All of our intelligence agencies have said it is a serious matter, that it happened.
And what is your response? You zero out money in an appropriations bill to help protect our election system. Then you block an amendment that would allow us to put the money back in.
All we want is a fair fight. If you want to vote ``no'' on it, vote ``no'' on it. But the American people are concerned, even if you are not. Do your job.
Mr. Speaker, I tried to get the gentleman from Kentucky to yield, but I guess he didn't want to get into an exchange. But he said that he is worried about Kentucky jobs. There is nothing in this bill that will protect one job anywhere.
We are not debating a carbon tax. This is a sense of Congress. This is a press release. This is not going to protect anybody's paycheck. This is ridiculous. Are you going to go home to your constituents and say, ``Oh, I did something for you. I passed a press release''? I mean, give me a break.
The gentleman talks about the poor. If he is worried about the poor, then stop cutting Medicaid. If he is worried about the poor, stop cutting food assistance from people struggling in poverty, because that is what the Republican majority has been doing consistently in this Congress. So I don't need any lectures about that.
To the gentleman from Washington (Mr. Newhouse), my colleague, let me again say, because I think people need to have this sink in, this is the most closed Congress in the history of our country: 92 closed rules. That means that the majority of bills--I want my Republican colleagues to listen to this as well--the majority of bills have come to the floor where nobody, even Republicans, are allowed to offer any amendments--nothing.
Is this the people's House? Is this what you came to Washington to do, to shut out debate, to shut out good ideas?
It is a disgrace. My hope is that the people of this country are watching and that they will send you a message in November.
Mr. Speaker, I am going to ask my colleagues to defeat the previous question. If we do, I will offer an amendment to the rule to bring up H.R. 12, the Voter Empowerment Act, introduced by my colleague, Representative John Lewis, which would ensure equal access to the ballot, modernize the voter registration system, and take steps to eliminate deceptive practices that deter voters from casting their ballots.
Mr. Speaker, this week, Republicans have brought to the floor a bill that zeros out funding for a grant program to the Election Assistance Commission to help States and local governments secure our elections.
Now, a news flash, Mr. Speaker--I hope my Republican friends are listening--Russia was just caught meddling in our election. In fact, meddling is not strong enough. They attacked our country.
When we discovered this, Mr. Quigley offered an amendment to restore this critical funding, and it was blocked in the Rules Committee. My friends in the Rules Committee won't even let us vote on it.
People may ask why, why can't we have a vote on putting money back in to secure our election system. Well, the reason why, I think, is because we might win and that Democrats--and there are probably a lot of Republicans--would join with us in supporting the amendment.
They denied it because it makes sense. It is common sense.
We should be funding this program and, instead, we are debating a press release that my friends on the other side are so passionate about, that will do nothing for anybody. It is just a press release. We are not debating a carbon tax. We are debating a press release. We ought to be protecting our election system.
Moore) for the purpose of a unanimous consent request.
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Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, I am now proud to yield to the gentleman from my home State of Massachusetts (Mr. Kennedy for the purpose of a unanimous consent request.
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Mr. McGOVERN. Gabbard) for the purpose of a unanimous consent request.
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Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, I am happy to yield to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Lofgren) for the purpose of a unanimous consent request.
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Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, I don't know what the hell else we can do over here. I mean, I appreciate the fact that the gentleman from Washington only wants to yield for debate only, but how about yielding so that we can act?
I mean, I think the American people want us to do something. I mean, what happened in the 2016 election, what Russia did to our country, was a serious matter. And I am going to tell you, it is not just Democrats that are concerned. I know Republicans and Independents are concerned as well.
This is an American issue, and when our Nation is attacked, we come together. We put partisanship aside. We act. We just don't talk. We act.
We have been trying, using every procedural means we know. We have been appealing in the Rules Committee. We have been trying to bring these issues to the floor, and we get shut down every single time. This is unbelievable.
I mean, history is going to look back on the inaction of this Congress with great shame.
Mr. Speaker, sometimes I can't believe what is said on this House floor.
Mr. Speaker, I would say to my friend, the distinguished chair of the Rules Committee, if he is so sure of his arguments on this issue, then bring the amendment to the floor, present your case, and let the majority of this House determine what we should do. I guarantee you the majority of this House would vote to provide the money to the States and to local communities, because they are hearing from their constituencies about how concerned they are about potential Russian meddling in our election.
They are doubly concerned after the President's horrific performance in Helsinki where he seemed to go out of his way to cozy up to Putin. So people are concerned.
So the vote that we lost in the Rules Committee was not to enact this amendment, the Quigley amendment, to put the money back in so that the grants could go to States and local communities, the vote we lost-- people need to understand this: the vote we lost was to have the ability to debate it and vote on it.
This is the United States House of Representatives. That is what we are supposed to do. Stop the obstructionism, especially on an issue like this.
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Mr. McGOVERN. Will the gentleman yield?
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Mr. McGOVERN. That is correct, we cannot vote on that.
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Mr. McGOVERN. If the gentleman will continue to yield, when I offered the Quigley amendment, which would have allowed us to have this vote, all the Republicans voted ``no.''
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Mr. McGOVERN. We can try one more time. We have been trying and trying and trying, but they are insistent on blocking this amendment from even being considered.
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Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the gentleman's comments. What this House needs is a little democracy.
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Mr. McGOVERN.
Mr. Speaker, all these excuses. As the gentleman knows, hundreds of Members of this House don't sit on the Appropriations Committee. Should they not have a voice on this issue?
And, by the way, since that vote in the Appropriations Committee, a lot has changed in this country. If you are reading the news, 12 Russians were indicted for meddling in our election. The President of the United States went over to Helsinki and made nice with Vladimir Putin. That shocked not only the citizens of the United States, but the entire world.
So I disagree with the gentleman when he says there is no crisis. There is a crisis and we need to address it. We need to do everything we can to prepare ourselves for another attack. All we are asking for is a vote.
If the gentleman doesn't think there is a crisis, doesn't want to vote for this, he can vote ``no,'' that is his right, but for the hundreds of Members of this Chamber who would like a debate and a vote on this, give them that opportunity.
The Rules Committee ought not to be a place where democracy goes to die, especially on issues like this.
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Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, may I make an inquiry of the gentleman from Washington?
I know the gentleman said he has no further speakers, but we are being inundated with speakers on this side. Does the gentleman want to maybe send a few minutes our way?
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Mr. McGOVERN. I yield to the gentleman from Washington.
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Mr. McGOVERN. I thought I would ask.
Pingree).
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Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, may I inquire how much time I have remaining.
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Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, can I just double-check and inquire of the gentleman whether he has any additional speakers over there?
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Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, is my understanding correct that I have 1\1/2\ minutes remaining?
Mr. Speaker, I cannot believe that we are here debating a press release. We are not debating a carbon tax. We are debating a press release.
I would say to my friends on the other side of the aisle: If you are against the carbon tax, go back to your office and issue a press release and send it to your local newspapers, because that is what this is.
We are wasting precious time on this floor when there are other issues. We have children being separated from their parents at the border. We have prescription drug prices that are skyrocketing. We need an infrastructure bill. We have gun violence in this country that is out of control, where there are massacres occurring on a regular basis. And what are we doing? We are doing a press release. This is shameful.
And on the issue of Russian interference in our elections, we ought to be having a debate on an amendment to provide more funds to States and local authorities to protect their election systems.
The gentleman from Washington says: Oh, there is still 39 percent of the money left. They don't need it. I think his information is old, because we are told that every single State has put in a request for additional assistance. Why don't we debate that and vote on it and do the right thing?
I am looking at a New York Times article that just appeared today where the President of the United States, Donald Trump, says Russia is no longer targeting the U.S. I mean, is this for real? What is wrong with him?
It is time for Congress to stage an intervention with him and tell him to listen to his intelligence agencies who contradict what he has just said this morning. This is urgent.
We can't count on the President of the United States to do the right thing. Congress needs to stand up. Congress needs to be counted.
Vote ``no'' on the previous question. Vote ``no'' on this rule.
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Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
The yeas and nays were ordered.
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