Whether we like it or not, our colleagues in the Senate have input in this process.
To date, the Senate has yet to pass a single fiscal year 2025 appropriations bill across the floor.
As time went on, it became clear that we would not conclude the FY25 process by the deadline of December 20th, meaning another extension is necessary.
I know there's great frustration that a second continuing resolution is necessary, and quite frankly, I share in that feeling.
But a government shutdown is never a good alternative.
So today's bill funds the government through March 14th.
This will allow Republicans to engage President Trump as we negotiate final year funding bills that fulfill the mandate of the American people and our America First agenda.
Further, this route ensures that there are no undue disruptions to our national security and the vital programs that our constituents rely on.
Today's bill also extends out the debt limit for a further two years, to January 20, 2027.
This will allow President -elect Trump to begin his term without needing to immediately address our national debt limit, allowing us to move forward on the many other pressing concerns of the American people.
Finally, the legislation also provides much needed relief to Americans struggling to recover from recent natural disasters.
This includes destruction in my own district, which faced tornadoes that ripped through Oklahoma.
From floods and droughts to wildfires and other storms, communities across the United States have suffered.
These realities have been grim.
I recently visited North Carolina at the invitation of my good friend and fellow Appropriations Committee member Chuck Edwards and saw with my own eyes the devastation and damage caused by Hurricane Helene's catastrophic flooding.
Months after the storm, countless people remain without basic necessities of life, and the region will remain affected for years to come.
My takeaway from these experiences is clear: Congress must act.
We need to provide the necessary disaster recovery aid for states and communities as our fellow citizens rebuild and restore.
The relief efforts are ongoing.
It will be months, if not years, before life returns to normal.
Additional investments necessary to provide needed assistance to our fellow Americans.
Today's measure fully funds our existing relief requirements, ensuring that help and resources can get to those who desperately need them.
Rural communities, particularly our farmers and ranchers, are facing a tough farm economy and the aftermath of multiple disasters.
Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
I rise in strong opposition to this continuing resolution.
We had a strong, bipartisan, bicameral agreement among the leadership of both parties at both ends of the Capitol to avert a disastrous and pointless government shutdown,
to provide desperately needed disaster aid and emergency assistance, and to provide Congress with the time required to enact full -year bills, funding bills, for fiscal year 2025.
That bill There were things in it that Democrats liked and Republicans did not.
And there were things in it that Republicans liked and Democrats would have preferred to leave out.
But that is the nature of government funding bills.
They require compromise.
And the support of Democrats and Republicans that we in the House and Senate need to have in order to become a law.
That was true throughout the 118th Congress, despite Republicans repeated and failed efforts to write extreme and partisan funding bills, and that will be true in the 119th Congress as well.
Yes, we were on the cusp of an agreement to move this country forward.
Yesterday, a multi -billionaire With apparently no working knowledge of government or of appropriations, a self -appointed president of the United States, Elon Musk,
issued a marching order for House Republicans to go against their own elected leadership and shut down the government.
Soon after, Congress was on a fast track to a government shutdown.
We're good to go.
An unelected contractor reaping billions, billions in government contracts is calling the shots in the Republican Party.
I think?
Who is in charge?
And at the behest of the world's richest man, who no one voted for, the United States Congress has been thrown into pandemonium.
We had a bill on Tuesday that was the result of a year and a half of work.
A year and a half of work in which had the input of Republicans and Democrats, their interests, their concerns, the needs of their constituents.
This bill has no such bipartisan input and we are considering in mere minutes after it was released.
It removed key provisions to limit the power of pharmaceutical companies.
It abandons our bipartisan efforts to ensure American dollars and intellectual property are reinvested in American businesses and workers instead of fueling the Chinese Communist Party's technology and capabilities.
It includes a two -year raising of the debt limit.
What does that do?
That serves to allow Republicans to cut taxes on the ultra -wealthy like Elon Musk, raise deficits on the backs of the American people.
We must immediately return to considering the bipartisan, bicameral compromise legislation that Speaker Johnson, Leader Schumer, Leader Jeffries, Leader McConnell,
and the four corners of the Appropriations Committee reached earlier this week.
We must unequivocally reject the illegitimate oligarchy that seeks to usurp the authority of the United States Congress and of
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from North Carolina, a member of the Appropriations Committee and a good friend and valued colleague, Mr. Edwards, for five minutes.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I rise in strong support of the American Relief Act.
The basis of this bill, we all know, is a continuing resolution to fund the government to prevent us from shutting down until sometime into the first quarter.
Now, I admit, I think we all know a continuing resolution is not the best way to fund our government, nor to be responsible for our taxpayers' dollars.
We have an appropriations process that should work.
And to the credit of Chairman Cole, that did work through the Appropriations Committee, and I certainly appreciate the Chairman's strong leadership in getting us through that.
And it's noteworthy that he pointed out the Appropriations Committee by itself does not get to determine how we fund our government.
We've got many needs and necessary reasons to keep our government The American people are counting on us.
Our military, our border guards are counting on us.
Our enemies are watching.
We all know North Korea, Russia, China and others do not have to face issues such as a government shutdown.
And also, keeping the government open is critical to the district that I represent in Western North Carolina.
But I'd like to just take a moment and speak specifically to the disaster relief portion of this bill.
As most of you are aware, North Carolina was hit by Hurricane Helene on September the 27th of this year, and we experienced unprecedented disaster and destruction.
It's going to cost North Carolina about $58 billion to rebuild.
This storm was the most deadly in North Carolina's history.
We lost 126 ,000 homes that were either damaged or destroyed.
Countless people are now homeless.
I want to thank Speaker Johnson for personally visiting western North Carolina, getting his boots muddy, and seeing what we were dealing with there.
I'd like to thank Leader Scalise.
We're good to go.
I think?
We're good to go.
We're good to go.
I can promise you not one single one of those is a coastal Elite.
Those are hard -working, tax -paying Americans that deserve the help of this body at this time, and I urge passage of this bill.
I must also say that I'm disappointed.
Even though there's $110 billion in here to help begin to rebuild my great state, there is a provision For some reason in the last moments of pulling this bill together.
The folks from FEMA in western North Carolina have told me the most significant difference that they see in this disaster.
Versus those they've dealt with in other areas are the number of private roads and bridges that we have.
And so I'm hoping and I appreciate Chairman Cole offering to help me get this provision back in with some other vehicle at some other point in the future.
So members, I urge your support of this bill.
North Carolina deserves and needs the respect and the help to rebuild.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back.
Gentleman yields.
Gentleman from Oklahoma Reserves.
Gentleman from Connecticut.
Mr. Speaker, I yield one minute to the gentleman from New York, the distinguished Democratic leader, Mr. Jeffries.
Gentleman from New York is recognized.
Thank the distinguished General Lady from the great state of Connecticut, our top Democrat on the Appropriations Committee for yielding, and for her incredibly strong and steadfast leadership during this process.
House Democrats, House Republicans, Senate Democrats, and Senate Republicans reached a bipartisan agreement to fund the government, prevent a shutdown,
and meet the needs of the American people.
We reached a bipartisan agreement to provide disaster assistance to people who had their lives turned upside down by extreme weather events, hurricanes, tornadoes, floods,
And wildfires all across America.
We reached a bipartisan agreement to be there for farmers and families, children, seniors, working class Americans all across the country.
The men and women who serve this country in uniform and are veterans.
House Republicans have abandoned that bipartisan
And then one or two puppet masters weigh in and the extreme MAGA Republicans decide to do the bidding.
Of the wealthy, the well -off, the well -connected, millionaires and billionaires.
Not working class people all across America.
The bill that is before us today is just part of an effort to shut down the government.
Unless we as representatives of the American people bend to the will of just a handful of millionaires and billionaires because the provisions in this bill,
particularly as it relates to suspending The debt ceiling for two years are designed to bring about a massive tax cut, unpaid for,
for wealthy donors and for wealthy corporations.
For millionaires and billionaires who clearly some in this Congress are working for.
And this bill is validation for it.
Now what's been interesting to me is that for decades the Republican Party has lectured America About fiscal responsibility.
About the debt and the deficit.
It's always been phony.
This bill proves it.
The one thing we do know is that every time a Republican president comes into office, the one thing we can count on Republicans to do is to pass a massive tax cut for wealthy Americans and in the process stick Working class Americans with the bill.
By raising the deficit and the debt.
That's what happened in the 1980s when Ronald Reagan was president.
The biggest thing that he did was pass a massive tax cut for the wealthy and the well -off.
Paid for by working families and middle class folks all across the country.
Didn't do anything for middle class Americans.
Didn't do anything to stimulate This whole notion of trickle -down economics.
Come to the conclusion that trickle -down economics simply means that middle -class families, that working -class Americans may get a trickle, but they're guaranteed to stay down.
That's what your economics are all about.
Massive tax cuts for the wealthy and the well -off under President Reagan continued into President Bush.
Bill Clinton comes to office.
Inherits a significant deficit and under his stewardship, President Clinton turns a deficit into a surplus and passes that surplus to President George W. Bush,
the so -called party of fiscal responsibility.
And once again, we see the same exact playbook.
Republicans inherit a surplus.
And they immediately blow it to pass massive tax cuts for the wealthy, the well -off, and the well -connected, not provide relief to working class Americans.
A tax cut in 2001, unpaid for, and then a tax cut in 2003, unpaid for.
And they continue to run up the debt and the deficit, prosecuting two failed wars.
The so -called party of fiscal responsibility.
I want to lecture America when your record speaks for itself.
President Obama comes in after mismanagement related to the prior administration, including helping to trigger the Great Recession, inherits a deficit from a Republican president of $1 .5 trillion,
as well as the Great Recession.
And working under the leadership of President Obama, Democrats, And the House and the Senate get the situation turned around and over an eight -year period of time reduce the deficit by a trillion dollars from $1 .5 trillion to $500 billion.
Progress under Democratic leadership as it relates to getting America's fiscal house in order.
And then Donald Trump comes to office and again follows the same exact playbook.
After failing To take healthcare away from millions of Americans, the Republicans turned their attention to the GOP tax scam, where 83 % of the benefits went to the wealthiest 1%.
Why?
To subsidize the lifestyles of the rich and shameless.
And in the process of doing that, borrow $2 .3 trillion added to our debt.
Explode the deficit.
So -called party of fiscal...
In fact, this debt that we're dealing with, that Democrats are taking seriously, that Republicans have no interest in being responsible around,
that's what this two -year suspension of the debt ceiling is all about.
In our nation's 248 -year history, 25 % of our nation's debt was accumulated during the four years Of the former president.
25%.
How dare you lecture America about fiscal responsibility.
Ever!
And then President Biden comes to office, gets big things done for the American people on infrastructure, on the Chips and Science Act, standing up a clean energy economy,
rescuing America from a once -in -a -century pandemic, gets all of these big things done, partnering with House Democrats and Senate Democrats.
And in the process, in his first two years, reduces the deficit by $1 .7 trillion.
And so we see a very clear pattern.
The facts speak for themselves.
Democrats are the party of getting things done and fiscal responsibility.
Republicans are the party of massive tax cuts for the wealthy, the well -off.
That's what this bill today fundamentally is all about.
That's why...
Republicans are suspending the debt ceiling for two years.
The so -called party of fiscal responsibility.
And in addition to these massive tax cuts, we know how you want to pay for it.
Many Republicans have said this in the public domain.
That we want to end Social Security as we know it.
End Medicare as we know it.
End Medicaid as we know it.
End nutritional assistance as we know it.
Not support our veterans.
These are all the reasons why Democrats are opposed to this legislation.
Because you're trying to jam working class Americans again.
As you have repeatedly done over and over and over again.
Those are the facts.
The other problem with this bill is that we negotiated in a bipartisan, bicameral way, real progress.
For working class Americans, for middle class Americans, for everyday Americans who aspire to be part of the middle class.
That has been cut out of this legislation.
Why would you do that?
Why would you eliminate funding for community health centers?
That impacts the heartland of America, urban America, rural America, suburban America, small town America, Appalachia.
Why would you cut out funding?
For community health centers, we're fighting for those everyday Americans.
That's why we're opposed to this legislation.
Why would you cut funding for nutritional assistance for children in America?
For seniors in America?
For veterans in America?
Why would you do that?
This bill cuts funding for nutritional assistance that had previously been agreed upon, and that's why we're opposed.
To this legislation.
This legislation actually cuts a program that was designed to help children and their parents detect cancer.
Cruelty is the point.
Why would you eliminate that program?
We're going to fight for the children of America.
And so the reasons are too numerous to articulate.
Though with my magic minute, I could do that.
But we've laid out the challenges with this bill, the phoniness in claiming that extreme MAGA Republicans are about working -class Americans or the party of fiscal responsibility.
Nothing could be further from the truth.
When you run up the debt and the deficit middle -class families pay, We're good to go.
I think?
For the children of America, for the seniors of America, for the unions in America, for the veterans of America, for the least, the lost, and the left behind, for the poor, the sick, and the afflicted.
We are going to continue to fight for everyday Americans.
That is why we are voting no on this bill and to stop this reckless, regressive, and reactionary Republican shutdown.
Vote.
No.
The House will be in order.
Members are reminded to direct their comments to the chair.
The gentlewoman from Connecticut reserves.
Yes.
Gentleman from Oklahoma is recognized.
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, I recognize my very good friend, the distinguished gentleman from Missouri, Mr. Alford, for two minutes.
The gentleman is recognized for two minutes.
Thank you, Mr. Chair, and thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I did not bring any fancy signs with me today.
Those take hours to prepare, but I will tell you, if a shutdown occurs, because we do not pass this continuing resolution today, it will not be a Republican shutdown.
It will be a Democrat shutdown.
And when it goes over to the Senate, it will be the Schumer shutdown.
We'll suspend.
The gentleman will suspend.
The house will come to order.
The gentleman from Missouri has the floor.
The gentleman is recognized.
Mr. Speaker, this is not about millionaires.
This is not about billionaires.
This is about our farmers.
This is about our military getting the pay that they deserve through the Christmas and New Year's.
This is about the future of this nation.
This continuing resolution, Mr. Speaker, before us, it is not a perfect solution, but this is a bridge, a bridge that will allow us to continue the critical work of funding our troops, securing our borders, supporting our farmers, caring for our veterans,
and providing disaster relief for those.
In the Carolinas that we visited just last month, living in tents in freezing temperatures while illegal aliens are living at the Roosevelt Hotel in New York City.
The gentleman will suspend.
The house will be in order.
Allow the gentleman to be heard.
It is his time.
The gentleman from Missouri is recognized.
Mr. Speaker, Missouri has 87 ,000 farms.
We are losing a thousand farms in America each month.
Our food security is national security and the Democrats do not want to support our farmers because of the high inflationary cost that this administration has brought about and the low commodity prices.
Farmers are going out of business.
I don't understand this consolidation of farming in America and why the Democrats are in favor of that.
We have got to support our farmers through this bill.
We have got to support our disaster victims through this bill.
And most of all, we must support America.
We are not here for ourselves.
We are here for those that we represent.
The hardworking Americans who depend on us to set aside our differences and act with courage and responsibility.
They deserve a government that works for them and not against us.
And with that, I yield back.
The gentleman yields.
The gentleman from Oklahoma reserves.
The chair would remind my colleagues to allow speakers to be heard.
The gentlewoman from Connecticut is recognized.
I just remind my colleague and friend from Missouri that the compromise bill had support for the farmers, overwhelming support for farmers, and for American families as well.
At this time, I yield three minutes to the gentleman from Massachusetts, the distinguished ranking member of the Ways and Means Committee, Mr. Neal.
Without objection, the gentleman is recognized.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
We are in favor of every request that you asked for.
These were modest agreements that were reached and rendered by both parties in an honest and public agreement.
The Speaker of the House broke his word.
That's why we're here.
And to the gentleman from Missouri who just spoke, I've been here for a long time.
You have never won a government shutdown.
And you won't win this one either.
Your currency in this institution is your word.
We reached an agreement.
We came to modest achievements.
And a tweet changed all of it?
Can you imagine what the next two years are going to be like if every time the Congress works its will and then there's a tweet?
Or from an individual who has no official portfolio, who threatens members on the Republican side with a primary, and they succumb?
This institution has a separate responsibility based upon the separation of powers.
Members of Congress don't serve under presidents of the United States.
It's called the national principle.
I'm in favor of aid to North Carolina.
I'm in aid to the...
In support of the aid of the farmers in Missouri.
We come to the aid of the American family at moments like this, but you walked away from your word.
You walked away from an agreement.
That's what we're bothered by.
A simple suggestion from the president -elect that you ought to abandon that principle?
And this is what this is about.
This is trying to raise the debt ceiling.
We're good to go.
A government shutdown, but we're also trying to subscribe to the basic principle as outlined earlier.
I think?
We reached an agreement.
It was honorable.
It came to the aid of everything you've asked for.
And then you walk away from it?
What about your word going forward here?
What about the currency that I noted a moment ago?
And I want to tell you, you cannot win a government shutdown, and you won't win this one either.
We need to return to the original agreement and stick with it.
The last word here I'm going to offer is this.
It's expired.
The Speaker of the House needed to keep his word on this legislation.
The gentleman will suspend.
The gentlewoman from Connecticut reserves.
The chair would remind my colleagues to direct comments to the chair.
The gentleman from Oklahoma is recognized.
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, I yield to my good friend, a gentlewoman from Florida, Ms. Luna, for two minutes.
Gentlewoman from Florida is recognized for two minutes.
Mr. Speaker, I've never actually voted for a CR, but I'm here today because I realize that the plan that's on the table currently to keep our government open,
but also the promise from the only president in my lifetime who's ever followed through on all of his campaign promises to the American people.
Excuse me, I'm not done talking.
Give me the same respect we give you guys.
The House will come to order.
My colleagues are reminded.
The gentlewoman has the floor.
She has the right to be heard.
The gentlewoman has the right to be heard.
And the gentlewoman would be reminded to direct her comments.
From the only president in my lifetime who's fulfilled all of his campaign promises to the American people, has promised to cut hundreds of billion dollars in reconciliation, you want to talk about shutting down the government?
The deal that was negotiated was largely rejected by the American people, which to Speaker Johnson's credit, pulled it from the floor, which is why we are here today.
The deal on the table will keep the government open for the American people, and if you guys so choose...
The House will be in order.
The House will be in order.
The gentlewoman is reminded to direct her comments to the chair.
My colleagues are reminded.
My colleagues are reminded to yield the floor to the gentlewoman from Florida.
Furthermore, Mr. Speaker, the former bill had items in it to include random pandemic policies, biocontaminant research that were not in the best interest of the American people.
So the deal on the table is as is.
You either vote for or you vote for the shutdown, but it will be not on the Republican Party, but on Democrats as it stands.
Mr. Speaker, I yield my time.
Gentlewoman yields.
My colleagues, the chair acknowledges the emotion and passion behind all arguments.
Please, the House will be in order.
The gentleman from Oklahoma Reserves, the gentleman from Oklahoma Reserves, the gentlewoman from Connecticut is recognized.
A deal is a deal.
I yield three minutes to the gentleman from New Jersey, the distinguished ranking member of the Energy and Commerce Committee, Mr. Pallone.
The gentleman is recognized.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Have the Republicans forgotten that they're in the majority?
The deal, the bill that was supposed to come up was posted and negotiated by the Republican speaker.
He posted it.
He negotiated it.
And you know.
You know that the bill that you're bringing up instead tonight will not pass.
We will leave here tonight.
This bill will not pass.
And so you are the ones that are creating the shutdown.
You have the power to decide what bills come to the floor.
You are putting a bill on this floor that you know will not pass and will lead to a Republican shutdown.
It's on you because you have the majority.
I want to talk about this other bill that was supposed to come up and that you refused to bring up.
This bill was negotiated because we realized, for one, in our committee, the Energy and Commerce Committee, that people were suffering, right?
They were suffering from high drug prices because of pharmaceutical benefit plans, PBMs, right?
And so we put in the bill on a bipartisan basis a way of trying to bring prices down with PBM reform.
We knew that consumers are being screwed all over the place, right?
With shady things on website when they buy things, junk fees, all kinds of deceptive practices.