Providing for Consideration of H.R. American Dream and Promise Act of 2019

Floor Speech

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Mr. WOMACK. Madam Speaker, I rise in strong opposition to H. Res. 415, a rule providing for House consideration of H.R. 6, the American Dream and Promise Act of 2019.

According to the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), H.R. 6 increases the deficit by at least $30 billion over ten years. CBO indicates that this is additional mandatory spending. Under current projections, mandatory spending is set to increase from 69 percent to 78 percent of the federal budget over the next decade. Adding to this already unsustainable projected growth, mandatory spending threatens to crowd out necessary spending on defense, homeland security, veterans, infrastructure, public health, education, and other discretionary priorities. Absent the waiver made by this rule, H.R. 6 would be vulnerable to a PAYGO point of order.

The rule providing for consideration of H.R. 6 waives all points of order against the bill, including clause 10 of rule XXI, the House PAYGO, or ``Pay-As-You-Go,'' rule, which requires any legislation increasing the deficit to be offset with spending cuts or tax increases.

Unsurprisingly, this rule was met with strong objections at the start of the 116th Congress by many progressive lawmakers who viewed PAYGO as an impediment to costly proposals such as the ``Green New Deal'' and ``Medicare-for-All,'' which is projected to cost at least $32 trillion on top of what the federal government is already spending. After much debate, the PAYGO rule was adopted by the new House majority on January 3, the first day of the 116th Congress. Immediately after this new House rule was adopted, a number of stories circulated in the press indicating that my colleagues in the Democratic Leadership intended to waive the PAYGO rule any time they needed to. In a sign of more division on that side of the aisle, Democrats introduced bills to repeal the Statutory Pay-As-You-Go Act, even though they had just voted for PAYGO in the House rules package.

From a budget enforcement perspective, it's clear Democrats continue to circumvent their own rules. l hope this waiver does not continue the practice that the House PAYGO rule will be waived by the House Rules Committee whenever a bill is non-compliant, feels inconvenient, or stands in the way of advancing their costly agenda.

I oppose the rule for H.R. 6, since it enables a fiscally irresponsible bill to move forward without following House rules. Budget enforcement should be an important priority of the House Budget Committee. I hope the House will limit the extent to which future legislation increases already unsustainable budget deficits.

The material previously referred to by Mrs. Lesko is as follows: Amendment to House Resolution 415

At the end of the resolution, add the following:

Sec. 2. That immediately upon adoption of this resolution, the House shall resolve into the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union for consideration of the bill (H.R. 3056) to provide supplemental appropriations relating to border security, and for other purposes. The first reading of the bill shall be dispensed with. All points of order against consideration of the bill are waived. General debate shall be confined to the bill and shall not exceed one hour equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking minority member of the Committee on Appropriations. After general debate the bill shall be considered for amendment under the five-minute rule. Points of order against provisions in the bill for failure to comply with clause 2 of rule XXI are waived. Clause 2(e) of rule XXI shall not apply during consideration of the bill. When the committee rises and reports the bill back to the House with a recommendation that the bill do pass, the previous question shall be considered as ordered on the bill and amendments thereto to final passage without intervening motion except one motion to recommit with or without instructions. If the Committee of the Whole rises and reports that it has come to no resolution on the bill, then on the next legislative day the House shall, immediately after the third daily order of business under clause 1 of rule XIV, resolve into the Committee of the Whole for further consideration of the bill.

Sec. 3. Clause 1(c) of rule XIX shall not apply to the consideration of H.R. 3056.

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