U.S. House of Representatives U.S. House of Representatives
Rep. Jennifer McClellan recounts her 2014 NICU trauma, where $70,000/day bills left her separated from newborn Samantha for weeks, exposing the ACA’s enhanced tax credits—set to expire December 1st—as a lifeline for families earning up to $62,600/year. Colleagues like Yvette Clarke and Hank Johnson warn of catastrophic premium spikes (e.g., $50→$1,260/month for Vivian in Georgia) threatening millions, including 340,000 Georgians at risk of losing coverage entirely. With Republicans blocking extensions despite knowing since January 20th, survivors like Lucy McBath and Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick argue this isn’t policy but a matter of survival, forcing choices between medicine, mortgages, or care for loved ones—like Maria in Florida, who’d abandon her son’s asthma treatment without subsidies. The expiration could destabilize 1.5M Georgians, including a $82K-earning family facing $7K/year premiums, proving health care access remains a partisan crisis with dire human costs. [Automatically generated summary]
I rise in support of H.R. 4423, the No New Funds for Burma Act.
This bill would suspend disbursements and financing from the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development to Burma until Treasury Secretary identifies a meaningful change in regime and a restoration of democratic values.
In February 2021, the Democratically elected members of Burma's government were disposed by the military junta.
As we approach almost five years since the military's unlawful seizure of power, chaos has overtaken Burma.
Since the coup, more than 6,000 people have been killed, 20,000 detained, and more than 3.5 million displaced from their homes.
This humanitarian crisis, caused directly by the Burmese military junta, makes one thing very clear.
The regime cannot be trusted to responsibly store funds from international financial institutions or deliver aid to the communities most in need.
I want to thank Representative Williams of Georgia for allowing me to co-lead the No New Funds for Burma Act.
And I urge my colleagues to join us in condemning the ongoing violence in Burma and supporting this legislation.
Thank you, and I yield back.
unidentified
The gentleman from Ohio Reserves, the gentlewoman from California is recognized.
Given the human rights violations committed by Kerman-Burmese leadership, we must ensure that no new funds are disbursed to the government.
In line with long-standing U.S. policy, America should urge multilateral institutions like the World Bank to avoid rewarding those who breach international laws and who also and the norms that they should be respecting.
I again urge my colleagues to support this bill and yield back the balance of my time.
unidentified
The gentleman from California Reserves, the gentleman from Ohio yields.
Union Calendar number 169, H.R. 3716, a bill to amend the Federal Deposit Insurance Act to require reports on the use of systemic risk authority applicable to winding up a failed insured depository institution and for other purposes.
unidentified
Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from Ohio, Mr. Davidson, and the gentlewoman from California, Ms. Waters, each will control 20 minutes.
Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all members may have five legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and exclude extraneous material on this bill.
Without objection, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
And I thank the ranking member for allowing me to carry and present the Systemic Risk Authority Transparency Act.
Mr. Speaker, following the failures of Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank in 2023, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation invoked the systemic risk exception to guarantee uninsured deposits at those banks.
Before 2023, the systemic risk exception was invoked but five times, all occurring between September 2008 and March 2009.
It's important to note at this point, Mr. Speaker, the importance of knowledge of what has occurred in Congress.
We call it institutional knowledge.
Institutional knowledge is important because this legislation gives us the opportunity to explain why institutional knowledge can make a difference.
It is because the Honorable Maxine Waters was president in 2008 and saw what occurred when banks were afraid to lend to each other, that she was able to give the necessary input when we had the Silicon Valley and signature bank failures, the necessary input to prevent a further run on banks in this country.
Institutional knowledge should never be undervalued.
We must maintain, we must keep our institutional knowledge.
To prevent further panic in the financial system following the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank, the FDIC chose not to follow the typical resolution process for failed banks in which a failed bank is immediately sold to a competitor.
The Systemic Risk Transparency Act would continue this practice, requiring that for any use of a systemic risk exception, the Government Accountability Office would have to produce the same post-failure report within 60 days of invocation of a systemic risk exception and a more comprehensive report in 180 days.
We deserve transparency.
We the members of Congress.
But the people in this country deserve transparency also.
It is this transparency that helps people to have the confidence in the system necessary to prevent runs on banks.
Again, I would want people to understand that institutional knowledge is a supreme exemplar of what can occur when we have these circumstances that require bold action.
But you can't have bold action without bold people.
I thank the ranking member for her bold action, and I yield back.
unidentified
The gentlewoman from California Reserves, the gentleman from Ohio is recognized.
Again, I thank my friend and colleague, Ranking Member Green, for his good work on this bill.
H.R. 3716 will ensure that if we have another banking emergency, as we did two years ago with several regional banks, and regulators respond by using systemic risk tools, that Congress and the American people promptly receive detailed information from GAO and others on what went wrong and what should be done to properly fix it.
This bill is supported by Americans for Financial Reform and public citizen.
I urge my colleagues to support this bill and I will yield back the balance of my time.
H.R. 4429, a bill to require the Securities and Exchange Commission to revise the definition of a qualifying investment for purposes of the exemption from registration for venture capital fund advisors under the Investment Advisors Act of 1940 to include an equity security issued by a qualifying portfolio company and to include an investment in another venture capital fund and for other purposes.
unidentified
Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from Ohio, Mr. Davidson, and the gentleman from California, Ms. Waters, will control 20 minutes.
Mr. Speaker, I ask your unanimous consent that all members may have five legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on this bill.
I thank you, Speaker, and I thank my friend from Ohio for yielding.
Mr. Speaker, I am proud to sponsor H.R. 4429, the Developing and Empowering Our Aspiring Leaders Ordeal Act.
This bill, which passed with almost unanimous support out of the Financial Services Committee, seeks to ensure the United States remains the most entrepreneurial country in the world, where the next great companies are founded and funded.
It is often said that small businesses are the engine of the American economy, and that is an absolute truth.
Small businesses make up 99% of U.S. employers, and they are the driving force behind the creation of a majority of new jobs.
The entrepreneurs leading these companies are building something new, taking real risks, and driving growth in communities across the nation.
But too often, they can't get a fair shot at investment.
Right now, our capital markets suffer from an extreme geographic imbalance.
The data is stark.
Nearly 70% of venture capital flows to just three states, Mr. Speaker, California, New York, and Massachusetts.
This leaves entire regions of the country struggling to access funding.
It leaves communities in the Midwest and the South without the capital they need to build and scale businesses.
Access to capital is not just a coastal issue.
It is a national economic necessity.
This capital divide is why the DEAL Act is so critically important.
This bill is a targeted, forward-looking effort to modernize outdated rules and channel investment to where it is needed the most.
The DEAL Act fundamentally strengthens the ability of capital to reach more founders and more communities.
It achieves this by allowing larger venture funds to invest directly in smaller regional funds, fund to funds investment.
This mechanism is a game changer, Mr. Speaker.
It means more funding for startups, more opportunities for businesses that might otherwise be overlooked, and more innovation happening everywhere, not just in a handful of elite zip codes.
Newer regional venture funds are often best positioned to back the entrepreneurs who are building businesses on Main Street.
The DEAL Act ensures that these funds can expand that important work, giving them the flexibility to partner with larger institutions to reach a wider base of early-stage companies.
H.R. 4429 ensures our policies are helping capital move efficiently and effectively, empowering those taking risks to build something new and helping good ideas grow into great companies.
I want to thank Chairman Hill for his support.
I'd also like to thank Congressman Caston for joining me in co-leading this common sense and bipartisan piece of legislation.
I yield back the balance of my time.
unidentified
The gentleman from Ohio Reserves, the gentlewoman from California, is recognized.
Mr. Speaker, I also rise in support of H.R. 4429, the Developing and Empowering Our Aspiring Leaders Act, or DEAL Act, which is a critical bill to support innovation, entrepreneurship, and capital formation.
So the venture capital industry provides vital funding for early-stage startups at points in their life cycle when they're generally deemed too risky for traditional bank financing or for raising money on the public market, which basically means that if we're going to have a growing and innovative economy, we have to have a healthy venture capital sector.
Historically, venture capital earns investor returns and frees up more capital to recycle into other companies by selling their mature portfolio companies to strategic investors or taking them public on public markets.
Now, for a variety of reasons, including public company reporting obligations, economic uncertainty, and the rise of private equity, U.S. companies today are staying private much longer, which has reduced the opportunities for venture capital firms to recycle their investment dollars.
Some venture capital firms have sought to create new liquidity options through secondary acquisitions and investments in other VC funds.
This is what Congresswoman Wagner was referring to.
But that option right now is constrained by provisions in the Dodd-Frank Act of 2010 that limit venture capital funds' ability to invest in these so-called fund of funds to only 20% of their commitments.
Now, that rule was very well-intentioned when passed, and the intent was to ensure that VC firms remain focused on direct investments in early-stage startups, but it was crafted for a very different financial market than we have today.
I'd also note that that constraint is irrelevant to the larger, more well-known VC funds who have the resources to shoulder the compliance burdens associated with registering with the SEC as registered investment advisors.
So, they can already do this, but they're the big ones, they're the ones based in San Francisco and New York.
That option isn't available for these emerging regional fund managers located in the middle of the country.
And many of those funds increasingly depend on that fund-to-fund model.
So, what the DEAL Act does is just provide greater flexibility to those smaller VC funds while still ensuring that investors are protected and that fund managers continue to prioritize funding direct funding in small businesses.
It does this by revising the existing rules to raise the cap from 20 percent in fund of funds up to 49 percent, but still requiring that the majority of their investments are directly in portfolio companies.
In other words, the deal act supports growth in the startup economy and ensures that capital reaches the communities and innovators who need it most.
I'd like to thank my fellow Midwesterner and friend, Congresswoman Wagner, for her leadership on this.
I'm proud to lead this important legislation.
I urge all my colleagues to support, and I yield back.
unidentified
California Reserves, the gentleman from Ohio is prepared to close.
Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of the time.
Our economy is struggling.
People cannot afford groceries and gas, and every day it seems more and more people are getting laid off.
The American dream is increasingly out of reach.
A core engine of our economy has always been the entrepreneurs that take the risk of starting their own company.
By implementing key changes to the legal definition of a venture capital fund, H.R. 4429 will make it easier for capital to flow into American small businesses.
So I again urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.
H.R. 4431, a bill to amend the Investment Company Act of 1940 with respect to the definition of qualifying venture capital funds and for other purposes.
unidentified
Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from Ohio, Mr. Davidson, and the gentlewoman from California, Ms. Waters, each will control 20 minutes.
Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all members may have five legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous materials on the bill.
Mr. Speaker, I now yield three minutes to the gentleman from South Carolina, Mr. Timmins.
unidentified
The gentleman from South Carolina is recognized.
Thank you.
Mr. Speaker, I rise for my bill, H.R. 4431, the Improving Capital Allocation for Newcomers Act, also known as the ICANN Act.
I am proud to partner with my colleague Representative Brittany Patterson on this bipartisan legislation that expands access to venture capital far beyond our nation's traditional financial hubs.
H.R. 4431 updates the qualifying venture capital fund exemption by raising the capital cap from $10 million to $50 million and by increasing the allowable number of investors from 250 to 500.
These updates allow venture funds to raise more capital from more individuals.
This will support the growth of startups located outside Silicon Valley and other major financial centers.
Today, nearly half of the United States venture funding goes into companies in California alone, and more than 70 percent is concentrated in only four states.
Meanwhile, many entrepreneurs in other regions struggle to secure critical Series A funding, which limits their ability to grow and attract later stage investments.
Mr. Speaker, an entrepreneur in Spartanburg, South Carolina deserves the same access to capital as an entrepreneur in Silicon Valley.
This bill democratizes venture capital by enabling more Americans to invest in their own communities, to drive innovation and to create good-paying jobs.
It is about expanding opportunity and fostering economic growth in regions that are much in need.
I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to support this legislation and to help ensure that investors and entrepreneurs in every one of our districts have fair and level playing field.
I rise in support of H.R. 4431, the Improving Capital Allocation for Newcomers, or ICANN, Act of 2025, offered by Mr. Timmons and Ms. Petterson.
Like the Deal Act, the ICAN Act also amends the definition of venture capital fund under the Investment Company Act.
Currently, in order to qualify as a venture capital fund, under this act, a private fund must hold $12 million or less in assets and have no more than 250 investors.
This bill adjusts those figures upwards, raising the cap to $50 million and the investor limit to $500 million.
It also requires the SEC to conduct a study five years after enactment to determine the bill's impact, how capital is being allocated to companies owned by these venture funds.
Based on the results of the study, the SEC could further adjust the $50,500 beneficial owner limit upwards or downwards.
The ICAN Act should have venture funds more widely invest in small and growing businesses.
So I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.
unidentified
The gentleman from California Reserves, the gentleman from Ohio, is recognized.
I urge all colleagues to support H.R. 4431 to make it easier for capital to flow to startups and small businesses.
This bill does so by increasing the dollar sign and number of investors for venture funds.
Additionally, it requires the SEC to conduct a study that examines how funds are invested across several metrics, including veteran status of a company's founders, geographical location, and industry sector, size, and state of development.
Based on the results of this study, the SEC would be authorized to adjust the bill's limits upwards or downwards by a tailored amount if needed.
I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.
unidentified
The gentlewoman from California yields the gentleman from Ohio is recognized.
Union calendar number 204, H.R. 4430, a bill to lower the aggregate market value of voting and non-voting common equity necessary for an issuer to qualify as a well-known season issuer.
unidentified
Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from Ohio, Mr. Davidson, and the gentlewoman from California, Ms. Waters, each will control 20 minutes.
Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all members may have five legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material in this bill.
I thank my colleague, Mr. Davidson, for his broad work in the capital market space and for leading us here on the floor today.
I rise to urge my colleagues to support the expanding WICSI's Eligibility Act.
I want to thank my co-leads, Mr. Fields, as well as Chairman Hill and Ranking Member Waters for their support.
We have far too many regulations in the United States, and this bill is about right-sizing our regulations in support of investments and jobs.
Common Sense Bill will help more well-run companies responsibly raise money in the public markets.
It right-sizes regulatory burdens and frees up more resources for companies to invest in American jobs and in American innovation.
Well-known seasoned issuers, also known as WICSIS, the status was first implemented around 20 years ago.
It allows qualified public companies in good standing to use automatic shelf registrations.
This reduced costs and complexity of a public offering allows companies to be more responsive to market conditions.
The WICSI construct has a track record of success in expanding access to public markets while protecting investors.
According to Joel Trotter, one of the authors of the Jobs Act, he said, quote, decades of successful experience shows that well-known season issuer category is long overdue for expansion, end quote.
I couldn't agree more, and this bill does exactly that.
It lowers the size threshold for WICSI qualification while maintaining all the existing good governance requirements.
In other words, more small and mid-sized American public companies will be able to benefit from the privileges that already exist to larger businesses with similar compliance records.
The Expanding Wixie Eligibility Act also includes a helpful reporting requirement for the Securities and Exchange Commission.
This report will provide Congress and the public with a better understanding of how many previously ineligible companies are trying to regain their WICSI status.
In doing so, we'll have will gain the insight needed to make future legislative adjustments.
The Expanding Wixie Eligibility Act is a tailored regulatory improvement that will support small and mid-sized businesses, job creators, and investments.
I ask my colleagues to support this legislation, and I yield back.
unidentified
The gentleman from Ohio Reserves, the gentleman from California, is recognized.
I rise today in support of H.R. 4430, which expands the number of public companies that can qualify as well-known season issuer or WICSI.
This designation is a special status conferred on companies that frequently raise money by issuing securities from the public.
Think of whiskey status like having frequent flyer privileges.
It allows companies that are well known to regulators and the public to raise money without needing permission.
These companies are widely followed in the markets, so there are a lot of eyes, so to speak, watching what they're doing.
The main requirement for a company to meet a WICSI status is that it has previously issued $700 million or more insecurities.
The current bill would lower that threshold to $400 million.
By reducing the current WICSI threshold, the bill allows an additional 400 companies to qualify on top of the 2,000 or so companies that qualify today.
One final thing this bill does is provide transparency around companies that have been disqualified from operating as WICSIs.
Notably, a company can lose its WICSI status if it has been convicted of a securities-related felony or a misdemeanor or has violated the anti-fraud provisions of the securities laws.
Notable examples include UBS and Bank of America, which each previously lost their WSCI status due to fraud violations.
However, even if a company loses their status or such violations, it can ask the SEC for a waiver to continue operating as a whiskey and Bank of America both sought.
UBS and Bank of America both sought and received such waivers.
Importantly, though, waivers are rarely formally denied because SEC staff normally gives the company a heads up that their waiver is likely to be denied.
So many companies simply withdraw their waiver requests.
The final provision of this bill provides investors on an annual basis a view into the number of waiver requests that have been withdrawn.
So, Mr. Speaker, I support this bill and urge all members to do the same.
For the reasons I explained earlier, I urge my colleagues to support this bill and I yield back.
unidentified
The gentleman yields.
The question is: Will the House suspend the rules and pass the bill H.R. 4430 as amended?
Those in favor say aye.
Those opposed, no.
In the opinion of the chair, two-thirds being in the affirmative, the rules are suspended.
The bill is passed, and without objection, the motion reconsidered is laid on the table.
Proceedings will resume on motions to suspend the rules previously postponed.
Votes will be taken in the following order: H.R. 5348 and H.R. 4423.
The first electronic vote will be conducted as a 15-minute vote.
Pursuant to clause 9 of Rule 20, remaining electronic votes will be conducted as five-minute votes.
Pursuant to clause 8 of Rule 20, the unfinished business is the vote on the motion of the gentleman from Missouri, Mr. Smith, to suspend the rules and pass H.R. 5348 as amended, on which the yays and nays are ordered.
Union calendar number 282, H.R. 5348, a bill to amend Title II of the Social Security Act to provide for the reissuance of Social Security account numbers to young children in cases where confidentiality has been compromised.
unidentified
The question is: Will the House suspend the rules and pass the bill as amended?
As amended, members will record their votes by electronic device.
This is a 15-minute vote.
Republicans' Health Care Crisis Silence00:15:22
unidentified
Today, House lawmakers are considering a number of his suspension bills, including legislation banning those who were involved in the October 7th terror attack on Israel from entering the United States.
Right now, they're voting on a bill that would require the Social Security Administration to issue a new Social Security number to a child under the age of 14 when the child's parent or guardian provides sufficient evidence that the child's social security card was lost or stolen while being transmitted to the child.
While lawmakers vote, we'll take you to a news conference with House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries.
The clock is ticking on the expiration of the Affordable Care Act tax credits in just 30 days.
Tens of millions of Americans are about to experience dramatically increased health care costs because of the Republican refusal to extend the Affordable Care Act tax credits.
From the very beginning of this presidency, Republican control of the House and the Senate, as well as the administration, has been a disaster for the American people.
These extremists promised all last year that costs were going to go down on day one.
Costs haven't gone down in America.
Costs have gone up.
The Trump tariffs are increasing expenses on everyday Americans by thousands of dollars per year.
Housing costs are out of control.
Grocery costs are out of control.
Child care costs are out of control.
Electricity bills are through the roof.
And now Republicans refuse to do a thing to prevent health care costs from dramatically increasing in a way that will deprive tens of millions of Americans of the ability to go see a doctor when they need one.
Republicans have done nothing over the last several months to address the health care crisis that they have created.
And they continue to refuse to take yes for an answer.
Democrats have an active discharge petition.
And all we need are a handful of House Republicans to join us.
And we can trigger an up or down vote on a three-year extension of the Affordable Care Act tax credits to save the health care of the American people in every single state in this country and protect the health care of people who these so-called Republican members allegedly represent,
but who have failed to do a single thing to make their life better.
Questions?
unidentified
Leader Jeffries, your Senate Democrat colleagues, they've previously expressed openness to reforming the credits, working through differences.
They have done nothing over the last 60 days but stumble, fumble, and bumble as it relates to addressing the health care crisis that they've created.
Understand that this year, House Republicans enacted the largest cut to Medicaid in American history.
These extremists have thrown 14 million people off of Medicaid.
At the same period of time, hospitals, nursing homes, and community-based health centers are closing all throughout the country, including in rural America, because of what Republicans have done in their one big ugly bill.
They've launched an unprecedented assault on the Centers for Disease Control and the National Institute of Health, jeopardizing the well-being of the American people.
Vaccines are increasingly unavailable in the United States of America.
Children are getting sick unnecessarily all across the country.
And now on top of all of that, that parade of horribles, Republicans refuse to extend the Affordable Care Act tax credits, which are going to expire this month.
Time has run out on Republicans playing partisan games.
We have a discharge petition that if it received an up or down vote in the House of Representatives, we are confident will pass.
But obviously, Mike Johnson has zero interest in protecting the health care of the American people.
Instead, these extremists are gutting the health care of the people that they represent, including in the state of Louisiana.
unidentified
Senate Democrats next week will be able to put up a vote for the ACA subsidies.
Do you think there's any plan that Republicans would actually get on board with to have a bipartisan bill?
And if not, what should Democrats put up on the floor in the Senate?
There are Republicans in the House and the Senate who, during the Trump Republican shutdown, consistently said that once the shutdown ends that they caused, that they'd be willing to address the health care crisis that they've created most immediately by extending the Affordable Care Act tax credits.
Now, we had nothing but crickets from them.
It even appears that the Trump administration was ready to put forth a plan that would at least have been worthy of consideration and that Mike Johnson tanked it.
So now Mike Johnson wants to act like he's the Speaker of the House.
Really, when it comes to the health care of the American people and possibly doing something bipartisan, he wants to act like he's in control when the reality is he's done nothing but bend the knee to Donald Trump since January 20th.
I mean, House Republicans have been nothing but a rubber stand for Donald Trump's extreme agenda since January 20th.
And when it appears that Donald Trump actually might be willing to enter into a good faith, bipartisan negotiation to extend the Affordable Care Act tax credits, House Republicans detonate the agreement.
These people aren't serious about anything other than providing massive tax breaks to their billionaire donors.
That's not a hypothetical statement.
That's not hype.
That's not hyperbole.
It happened.
They enacted the largest cut to Medicaid in American history.
They ripped food out of the mouths of hungry children and seniors and veterans this year in their one big ugly bill.
$186 billion cut to snap.
And why did they do all of that?
So they could reward their billionaire donors with massive tax breaks.
And so the extremists are just showing the American people who they are.
And as a result, the only viable path forward, it appears, in the House and in the Senate, is a straight extension of the Affordable Care Act tax credits.
Let's see what Senate Democrats put on the floor next week, and we'll continue to press our case on our side of the Capitol.
I just wanted to ask if there has been any kind of formal or informal back channeling with Republicans who might be supportive of the discharge petition going on at all.
Well, you had 13 Republicans a few weeks ago indicate in a letter that they wrote to Deputy Speaker Mike Johnson that as soon as their shutdown was over, they wanted to address the Affordable Care Act tax credits.
But now it's nothing but silence from these people because they're not serious about helping the American people, the hardworking American taxpayers that they purport to represent.
This has become painfully obvious to the American people, which is why Republicans are getting wiped out electorally all across the country, as we saw last month.
Literally in every single state in the union, destroyed up and down the ballot across the country.
Statewide races to local races and everything in between.
Because the American people are done with these people.
They've been a disaster.
They lied about fighting to lower the high cost of living.
Instead, they've just jammed their extreme right-wing policies down the throats of the American people who are being hurt as a result.
And, you know, our view about the situation, as we've repeatedly said, is that we're open to finding a bipartisan path forward.
But the extremists continue to refuse to take yes for an answer.
They had an opportunity, right, to accept a very reasonable proposal that Leader Schumer put on the table a few weeks ago, which was a straight one-year extension of the Affordable Care Act tax credits and then a bipartisan commission to discuss improvements to the health care of the American people over a multi-year period of time.
What was objectionable about that?
Well, Republican extremists rejected it because they have no interest in doing anything to make life better for working class Americans, everyday Americans, and hardworking American taxpayers.
And that's a shame.
Thank you, Mr. Weird.
unidentified
On the discharge petition, is it your expectation that all House Democrats will sign as of today, I believe, 212 of 213 have signed?
Is it your expectation that all members of your caucus will sign it?
unidentified
And following up on the question about back-channel conversations, is it your position that the fact that the subsidies expire in 30 days, the urgency that you say the moment requires, is that enough for Republicans to sign on, or will it require some proactive conversations on the part of House Democrats to get them to break ranks with leadership and sign on to this effort?
Well, there certainly haven't been any leadership conversations because Mike Johnson has zero interest in protecting the health care of the American people, and he's repeatedly made that clear.
Now, in terms of whether there are conversations member to member between the House Democratic Caucus and members of the House Republican Conference, there certainly have been some informal conversations led by folks like Tom Swazi, who has floated a two-year proposal with some modest reforms that we'd have to take a look at.
But there's no indication that even that proposal has support from House Republican leadership.
These people have zero interest in making life better for everyday Americans.
And they repeatedly make that clear.
They're in the face of the American people about it.
Meanwhile, you got Donald Trump issuing reckless pardons, destroying half of the White House, bailing out Argentina, posting erratically on Thanksgiving.
Like this guy can't even give us a break on Thanksgiving when we're with our families.
And the American people have had enough of it.
These people have gone way too far.
They've broken every single promise that they've had.
And so I guess we can always hope that there are a handful of Republicans who will actually do what they said that they would do once their shutdown ended, which is to work with Democrats to find a path forward.
But that path right now is an extension of the Affordable Care Act tax credits.
I think our discharge petition in record time is now up to about 212, 213.
It is my expectation that we will have complete and total unity amongst House Democrats.
Thanks.
unidentified
Thanks, Cecilia.
You just mentioned how Republicans are getting wiped out across the country.
We've seen that in past elections.
What's your expectation tomorrow in Tennessee?
Do you think that the Democrat there could potentially pull it off given the polling that we have seen in recent weeks?
Seems to me that it's going to be an unexpectedly close election, a single-digit election.
That's shocking.
In deep red Tennessee, Mark Green's district.
By the way, this is a district, literally, that Donald Trump just won by 22 points last November.
This is not a district that anyone believes should be competitive.
No rational person believes this district should be competitive.
And yet, it's apparently very competitive.
It's going to be a much closer than expected race.
Republicans have already lost.
The fact that they are spending millions of dollars to hold a seat that Donald Trump just won by 22 points is extraordinary and more evidence that Republican extremists are completely and totally on the run because they have failed the American people.
And it's Democrats who are making the case all over the country that we are actually the ones fighting to lower the high cost of living, fighting to fix our broken health care system, and fighting to clean up the type of corruption that has the American people disgusted.
What I understand is that Republicans keep doubling and tripling down on their extremism, and it ain't working.
They are losing all over the place.
Donald Trump's approval rating in the most recent Gallup poll is 36%.
60% of the American people just approve of this guy.
He's a disaster.
And now the President and Mike Johnson are holding a rally tonight in Mark Green's district that Trump just won by 22 points because they're scared to death about what could happen.
If these people, these extremists, were actually rational, instead of doubling and tripling down on their extremism, continuing to lie to the American people, why don't they just change direction and actually partner with Democrats to solve problems on behalf of the American people?
When the Congress convened at the start of the year, we made very clear we'll work with anyone, anytime, any place, new administration, other side of the aisle, to make life better for the American people.
But Republicans have refused.
They've gone down this my way or the highway approach.
And we basically, we're not down with that because we're not going to go along to get along when their policies are hurting the American people.
unidentified
Peter, I wanted to talk to you a little bit about Trump's immigration plan to ban third world citizens.
I mean, a lot of them are trying to come here to be able to make a better life and have your thoughts on that, sir.
Yeah, our view is that, one, of course, we support the notion of having strong border security.
No one ever disputes that.
We have a broken immigration system.
We need to fix it.
But it should be fixed in a comprehensive and bipartisan way.
But at the same period of time, we are going to stand up for law-abiding immigrant families and communities who have been under assault by Donald Trump and the so-called Secretary of Homeland Security.
They're a disgrace.
We're going to stand up for dreamers.
We're going to stand up for farm workers and for farmers who have been crushed by Donald Trump's extreme policies.
And in this country, it shouldn't be that complicated that we are both a nation anchored in the rule of law and a nation of immigrants, a gorgeous mosaic of people from all across the world.
It's why we're the envy of the world because that is one of the ingredients in American exceptionalism.
And the American people actually don't want us to lose it, which is why even Donald Trump's immigration policies right now are deeply unpopular and underwater.
unidentified
Mr. The White House is denying that Secretary Hegseth had anything to do with the double-tap strikes on alleged Venezuelan drug votes in the Caribbean.
A, do you believe that?
And B, if he or any other administration officials are found to have been culpable for any war crimes, do you think that Democrats will take any sort of punitive legislative action against them?
The White House is lying, but that's no surprise because they lie for a living, and the American people know it.
It's my understanding that Pete Heckseth, the so-called Secretary of Defense, was absolutely involved.
I think he may have even recently acknowledged that because the facts are incapable of being disputed.
And so the question in front of us, and I believe there will be bipartisan investigations in both the House and in the Senate in order to determine whether war crimes were committed and either U.S. law or international law or both were violated.
It's already been crystal clear that Pete Hegseth is the most unqualified Secretary of Defense in American history.
I called for him to be terminated months ago when the Signalgate scandal first broke out.
Everybody on Capitol Hill knows he should have never been confirmed.
It's a shame.
It's because these Senate Republicans, just like House Republicans, are nothing more than puppets for Donald Trump's extreme policies.
That's why they put Pete Heckseth into that position when they knew he was woefully unqualified.
And now we have real evidence that extrajudicial killings are taking place.
That's the stain on America's leadership in the free world, which is why our international standing is plummeting.
And of course, the standing of the Republican Party is a complete and total disaster here in the United States of America.
Following up on immigration, one of the more controversial policies President Trump announced in recent days is his intent to potentially strip citizenship away from anybody he feels isn't a benefit to the United States.
Yeah, it's not clear to me that the legislation introduced by Chip Roy is actually going to make it out of the Republican-run committee, yet alone on the House floor because Mike Johnson and Steve Scalise and Republicans oppose the legislation.
These people have zero interest in cleaning up the corruption that is benefiting members of their party in real time.
We know that's the case because Donald Trump and his administration is the most corrupt administration in American history.
It's not even close.
Richard Nixon is way down in the distance.
It's wild, the corruption that we're seeing in real time.
And we don't hear a peep from Mike Johnson, Steve Scalise, or any of them about the corruption that's taking place in the administration, in the Supreme Court, or in the Congress.
House Democrats have made clear we overwhelmingly support a ban on congressional stock trading.
And as soon as we can bring a bipartisan bill to the floor, and that may have to wait until we take the gavels back after November of 2026, we plan to do it.
Thanks.
Kevin?
unidentified
When it comes to the HEGSAP and 386, the nays are zero.
One recorded as present.
Two-thirds being in the affirmative, the rules are suspended.
The bill is passed, and without objection, the motion to reconsider is laid on the table.
Pursuant to Clause 8 of Rule 20, the unfinished business is the vote on the motion of the gentleman from Ohio, Mr. Davidson, to suspend the rules and pass H.R. 4423 as amended, on which the yeas and nays are ordered.
Union calendar number 202, H.R. 4423, a bill to continue the pause on disbursements and new financing commitments to the government of Burma.
unidentified
The question is, will the House suspend the rules and pass the bill as amended?
Members will record their vote by electronic device.
This is a five-minute vote.
Today, lawmakers are considering a number of suspension bills, including legislation banning those who were involved in the October 7th terror attack on Israel from entering the U.S. Right now, they're voting on a bill that would require the U.S. Executive Director at the World Bank to advocate for a continued pause on disbursements and new financing commitments to the government of Burma.
While lawmakers vote, we'll take you to White House Press Secretary Caroline Levitt's press conference.
I'll begin this week with some scheduling announcements for President Trump's very busy week ahead.
Tomorrow, President Trump will host his ninth cabinet meeting of the year alongside his incredible cabinet, who continue to deliver for the American people at a record pace.
Later in the afternoon tomorrow, the President will make an announcement in the Oval Office on his initiative to create Trump accounts to give the next generation of Americans a jumpstart on savings.
It will be a very exciting announcement indeed, especially for all of the parents across the country with young children and babies.
On Thursday, President Trump will host the presidents of the Republic of Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo to sign the historic peace and economic agreement that he brokered.
On Thursday night, the President and the First Lady will celebrate one of America's greatest traditions, the lighting of the national Christmas tree on the ellipse.
And on Friday, President Trump will attend the FIFA World Cup final draw at the Kennedy Center.
You all will be seeing and hearing from the President every day this week, so you have me today and then he will take on the rest of the week himself.
Next, I would like to address the horrific tragedy that took place in our nation's capital last week.
A foreign terrorist that the Biden administration failed to properly vet ambushed two members of the West Virginia National Guard who were honorably serving here to keep their residents and visitors of Washington, D.C. safe.
U.S. Air Force Staff Sergeant Andrew Wolf was severely wounded in the attack and remains hospitalized while he continues to fight for his life.
Tragically, U.S. Army Specialist Sarah Beckstrom died of her wounds.
She was just 20 years old.
President Trump and the entire White House are praying for Andrew's full recovery at the request of his parents and their personal phone call with the President over the weekend.
And we are keeping Sarah's family and friends in our prayers during this unimaginably difficult time.
Sarah and Andrew represent the very best of America, two young patriots who were willing to put on the uniform and risk their lives in defense of their fellow Americans.
Both of them truly embody the profound words spoken by Jesus Christ in the gospel.
Greater love has no one than this, to lay down one's life for one's friends.
Sarah and Andrew are heroes, and we will never forget their sacrifice.
That means ensuring the monster responsible for this atrocity is prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law and faces the most severe punishment possible.
It also means reckoning with why this atrocity was allowed to happen in the first place so that it may never occur again.
Here are the facts.
The terrorist who was gunned down, who gunned down American soldiers blocks away from the White House in an ambush was an Afghan national who was flown into our country by Joe Biden's administration in September 2021 in the chaotic wake of their botched withdrawal from Afghanistan, one of the most embarrassing moments in the history of our great country.
Joe Biden's historic failure in Afghanistan continues to haunt this country and our men and women in uniform.
Not only did this surrender lead to a suicide bombing that killed 13 American heroes in Kabul, but now National Guard troops were shot on U.S. soil by the same kind of enemy.
We continue to live with the deadly consequences of Joe Biden's horrific leadership.
Nearly 100,000 Afghans were recklessly released into the United States with little to no vetting.
There was no regard for the disorder and violence that this would unleash on American communities and American culture.
Reportedly, thousands of these strangers and unknown individuals were flagged to the Biden administration for national security, public safety, and fraud concerns.
But the terrifying truth is that the Afghanistan debacle is just a small part of Democrats' complete and total betrayal of the American people during the Biden years.
The tragedy that we just witnessed the day before Thanksgiving is a reminder that untold thousands of terrorists, gang members, and criminals were invited into our country and remain here to this very day.
The border is now secure, thanks to President Trump, but the threat in our interior remains real and urgent.
These public safety threats are already inside our land.
And President Trump was elected on a promise to find and remove them.
And he has already taken significant steps and made significant progress towards fulfilling this promise.
But there is more work to be done because President Trump believes that he has a sacred obligation to reverse the calamity of mass unchecked migration into our country.
As a result, the Trump administration is now actively re-examining all of the Afghans imported into the country by Joe Biden.
Any individual who threatens our national security or our citizenry will be subject to removal.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the unanimous appointment of Matt Harris as President and Chief Executive Officer of the Northwest Georgia Joint Development Authority.
Mr. Harris brings a strong track record of innovation and leadership in education and community development.
Previously, he served as principal and coordinator of innovation for Walker County Schools, where he led Gilbert Elementary to national recognition by establishing Georgia's first public school forest kindergarten and earning U.S. Department of Education green ribbon status.
Beyond his work in public education, Mr. Harris has private sector experience as a business owner and operator.
In his new position, Mr. Harris is charged with advancing business recruitment, strengthening site and infrastructure readiness, and fostering prosperity across Northwest Georgia.
The Board of Directors noted his professionalism and commitment as key reasons for his selection.
Please join me in congratulating Matt Harris on this important appointment and thanking him for his service to our region.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and I yield back.
unidentified
All right, for what purpose does a gentlewoman from Oregon seek recognition?
Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to address the House for one minute and to advise the standard parts.
Without objection, the gentlewoman is recognized for one minute.
Mr. Speaker, Mr. Speaker, Mr. Speaker, this weekend marked the 50th anniversary of the passage of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.
And at the time, that was a landmark piece of legislation that made sure our children with disabilities have what they need to succeed in the classroom.
But the IDEA hasn't been fully funded for decades, meaning these kids aren't receiving all the support that they need.
On top of that, President Trump is dismantling the Department of Education and threatening programs that protect civil rights and expand opportunity for our kids.
And I will not stand for that.
Mr. Speaker, Mr. Speaker, Mr. Speaker, my North Star is America's children, and that is why earlier this Congress I introduced the IDEA Full Funding Act to help our students with disabilities.
I'll continue fighting in Congress to ensure that our children and our children's children and our children's children's children have access to the education they deserve.
I yield back.
For what purpose does the gentlewoman from Alabama seek recognition?
Mr. Speaker, I rise to commemorate the historic arrest of Rosa Parks, which took place in Montgomery, Alabama, exactly 70 years ago today.
Rosa Parks' legacy is one of remarkable bravery and moral fortitude.
By refusing to give up her seat on the segregated bus, she took a stand for the values that this nation holds dear.
Her quiet dignity, courage set the stage for the historic Montgomery bus boycott and galvanized a movement that changed our nation.
That's why I am proud to be leading legislation to designate December 1st as a national federal holiday commemorating her historic arrests.
This bill is critical given the attacks by the Trump administration on our history.
In times like these, it's especially important for us to tell our stories and to recognize the contributions of amazing African-American leaders like Rosa Parks.
Her legacy is proud Alabama history, proud American history, and it should always be that way.
As Alabama's first black congresswoman, I know that I stand on the shoulders of amazing freedom fighters like Rosa Parks, who were unafraid to challenge the status quo.
I can think of no one more befitting to honor with a new federal holiday than Rosa Parks.
And I ask my colleagues to join me.
unidentified
Thank you.
The House will be in order.
For what purpose does the gentleman from New York seek recognition?
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and legacy of Rafael Bueno, a devoted public servant and pillar of the village of Havestra.
Rafael dedicated more than 20 years to the community he loved.
First elected in 2003, he made history as the first Dominican councilman in Havistraw.
He quickly became a steady, trusted voice on the village board, helping guide decisions on infrastructure, public safety, and community services with the real understanding of what local families needed.
But Rafael's connection to Havestra started long before he entered public service.
A barber by trade, he was someone generations of residents knew, respected, and relied on.
His leadership extended to the fire department as well, where he served as fire commissioner and strengthened emergency response and protection efforts.
A proud Rockland Community College graduate, Rafael never stopped giving back to the place he called home.
Those who knew him speak of his humility, his constant presence, and his willingness to help anyone who needed it.
May his memory be a blessing for his family, his friends, and the Havestraw community he so loved.
I yield back.
unidentified
For what purpose does the gentlewoman from Ohio seek recognition?
Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to address the House and to extend my remarks against this.
Without objection, the gentlewoman is recognized for one minute.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Rosa Parks, an American hero.
Mr. Speaker, it was 70 years ago today in Montgomery, Alabama, that Rosa Parks was arrested for not surrendering her bus seat to a white man, igniting a 381-day bus boycott.
On December 5th, more than 500 community leaders and guests will join me and Congressman James Clyburn, the president of The Ohio State University and the president and CEO of the Central Transit Authority Center.
20 years ago, Mr. Speaker, I wrote the legislation for Ohio to become the first state in the nation to designate December 1st as Rosa Parks Day.
And lastly, as America approaches its 250th birthday, we must also honor the mothers of our democracy and carry forward her courageous, courageous, courageous example.
unidentified
Thank you, and I yield back.
For what purpose does the gentleman from New York seek recognition?
Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to address the House for one minute to revise and extend my remarks.
Without objection, the gentleman is recognized for one minute.
Want to recognize an important faith institution in the city of White Plains celebrating its 90th year of worship and service, Calvary Baptist Church.
The leadership and congregants have been a bedrock for worship and values since its founding in the 1930s.
Its involvement in the community has been impactful and significant.
The pastor for the last 13 years, Reverend Erwin Lee Trollinger, has been a true leader for the people of faith both inside and outside the church family.
Calvary Baptist sponsors weekly worship services, Bible study, Sunday school, and external outreach to assist the needy of the community.
Pastor Trollinger and his team of ministers work tirelessly to bring a message of love and service to all.
He is the latest in a long line of dynamic Calvary pastors who played a role in social justice efforts in the city of White Plains and in Westchester County.
90 years young and still growing in membership and in love, we salute Calvary Baptist Church for its important role in the life of our community.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and I yield back.
unidentified
For what purpose does the gentlewoman from Vermont seek recognition?
Mr. Speaker, last Friday, President Trump said he'd give a full and complete pardon to Juan Orlando Hernandez, the corrupt former president of Honduras.
It's disgusting.
Trump's going to erase a major drug trafficking conviction against Hernandez, who's serving 45 years, 45 years in federal prison for his crimes.
He was convicted by an American jury for working with drug cartels to move 400 tons of cocaine through Honduras to the United States.
He got millions of dollars in kickbacks and bribes.
What the hell is the President of the United States doing giving this thug a full pardon?
A man who helped bring deadly drugs into our communities.
Trump is literally rewarding a narco-terrorist.
What will it take for my Republican colleagues to speak up?
There is no way to spin this.
He's literally standing with a drug trafficker and against us.
I yield back.
unidentified
For what purpose does the gentleman from North Carolina seek recognition?
Without objection, the gentleman is recognized for one minute.
Mr. Speaker, members of my team and I have recently traveled to all 22 counties in North Carolina's first congressional district, all on the same day in what we call pies of thanks.
At each stop, we delivered pecan, apple, and pumpkin pies to law enforcement officers, firefighters, EMS professionals, and our 911 telecommunicators.
These dedicated public servants are the backbone of safety and emergency care in our communities.
They work long hours, often on weekends and holidays, answering the call during some of the most difficult times for families.
Thanksgiving offered us a moment to pause and to honor these heroes.
A simple pie, maybe small, but it carries a heartfelt message.
To all of our first responders, the people of East North Kelana see you, appreciate you, and we're grateful for you.
I yield back.
unidentified
For what purpose does the gentlewoman from Ohio seek recognition?
Without objection, the gentlewoman is recognized for one minute.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to share a story of renewal of history and heritage rediscovered and of deep respect for heritage in the American heartland.
For 167 years, one of the world's greatest collections of coins, doubloons, silver dollars, and denari, that tell the story of civilization and economic progress itself sat largely unseen in vaults in Manhattan, New York.
Coins that crossed oceans, witnessed empires rise and fall, and marked the turning points of human history rested largely unseen.
In New York, this priceless collection had few visitors, little space, and no real home.
But now these treasures are coming to Northwest Ohio, to the world-class Toledo Museum of Art.
The American Numismatic Society has chosen Toledo, located on beautiful Lake Erie, as the place where its future can flourish.
We are so grateful.
The society saw what we know so well, a community that opens its doors wide to history and also a world-class museum that inspires.
Mr. Speaker, children will be able to learn about heritage in this great location, and I will thank and congratulate Adam Levine, the director of the museum and the inspired board of the Toledo Museum of Art.
We give you a salute.
Thank you.
Congratulations.
unidentified
For what purpose does the gentlewoman from Oregon seek recognition?
I rise today to share how my office has been hard at work for the people of Oregon's 3rd Congressional District.
Since coming to Congress, our office has helped constituents recover more than half a million dollars owed to them by the federal government through our casework services.
That is half a million dollars returned to veterans waiting for care, to families caught in bureaucratic limbo, to seniors who depend on their social security checks to live with dignity.
If you need help navigating a federal agency, my team is here for you.
Visit dexter.house.gov or call 503-231-2300.
I certainly cannot reverse every agency's decision, but I can ask questions, I can press for answers, and work to move stalled cases forward.
We do that every day for veterans seeking care, for seniors needing their benefits, for families waiting for tax refunds, and for neighbors who simply need someone in their corner.
That is what representation looks like.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
unidentified
I yield back.
The chair lays before the House the following personal request.
Leave of absence requested for Mr. Davis of Illinois for today.
unidentified
Without objection, the request is granted.
Under the Speaker's announced policy of January 3rd, 2025, the gentlewoman from Virginia, Ms. McClellan, is recognized for 60 minutes as the designee of the minority leader.
At midnight in 30 days, at least 5 million Americans could lose access to their health insurance.
22 million Americans who benefit from enhanced premium tax credits under the Affordable Care Act as they began open enrollment a month ago started to see their health insurance premiums spike.
Last week, in honor of Prematurity Awareness Month, I stood on this floor to talk about how the Affordable Care Act expanded insurance to millions of Americans,
how Medicaid expansion expanded insurance to millions of Americans, and how critically important to a full-term birth with a non-fatal outcome for mother and child, how critically important that health insurance coverage is.
In the middle of the week, with several other mothers of Premis, I talked about my story, my birth story.
Ten years ago, when I woke up one morning and my placenta ruptured, and after almost bleeding to death, my daughter, Samantha, was born by emergency C-section.
It was the scariest moment of my life.
And the hardest moment was the fact that I could not hold her, see her, or touch her for 24 hours as she was in the NICU.
And then the moment when I walked out of the hospital and had to leave her in the NICU for six more weeks, I don't remember how much that NICU bill was because I was one of the lucky ones who had health insurance cover that stay.
But on average, a NICU stay is $70,000 a day.
That is more than a single person who qualifies for the enhanced premium tax credits under the Affordable Care Act at the maximum rate of 400% of the federal poverty line makes in a year.
That person makes $62,600.
The average NICU stay is $70,000.
Now I was lucky not only because I was able to take my daughter home six weeks later, but that entire six weeks, I didn't have to worry about how I was going to pay that bill.
All I had to worry about was her and my recovery.
There are a lot of people that aren't that lucky.
There are a lot of people trying to decide right now whether to start a family.
There are people right now who are in the process of starting a family who wonder if they will be able to afford their health insurance come January 1st.
And they're having to make really tough decisions now as they are in the middle of open enrollment as to whether or not they can continue to afford health insurance.
Tonight, members of the Congressional Black Caucus will bring you stories from our constituents, from the states that we represent, of people who will be priced out of the insurance market,
who will be one illness or accident away from economic devastation if Congress does not act to extend the enhanced premium tax credits beyond December 1st.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to yield first to our chairwoman, the representative from New York's 9th District, Yvette Clark, to tell some stories.
I thank the gentlelady from Virginia for her steadfast leadership and for hosting our special order hour this evening.
Mr. Speaker, good evening.
I am Representative Yvette D. Clark, chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, proudly representing New York's 9th Congressional District, located in Brooklyn, New York.
I want to thank my colleague, Congresswoman Jennifer McClellan, for anchoring this Congressional Black Caucus special order hour.
I rise tonight with my colleagues of the Congressional Black Caucus to bring awareness to the fast-approaching ACA tax credit funding deadline 30 days to go and to give voice to everyday Americans who will be harmed by the Republican-led health care crisis.
The enhanced ACA tax credits are set to expire on December 31st, unless congressional Republicans join Democrats to extend them.
Without an extension of the ACA tax credits, tens of millions of individuals and families can expect to pay significantly higher health insurance premiums for marketplace plans.
Without these tax credits, Americans will see their health care costs skyrocket, increase by hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars per month, which will force families who are already struggling with the cost of living to face unaffordable premium spikes or lose coverage altogether.
The ACA tax credits have ensured that families, seniors, young adults, and workers in every CBC district could afford quality health care.
In our districts, we've heard from countless constituents who received their health care on the ACA marketplace, who are now worried about the cost of their health care going up.
One of my constituents, Layla Wilson, a small business owner who depends on the ACA marketplace, said, My heart dropped when I got an email earlier this month stating that I might lose my insurance benefits.
I already struggle to afford the city that I have grown up in and contributed to as a small business owner, end quote.
She continued, quote, shopping for health insurance through the marketplace created by the Affordable Care Act was the first time that I had any assurance of affordable, good insurance.
We must protect this program.
It's a matter of survival, end quote.
At every turn, Republicans have turned their backs on the American people.
President Trump and Congressional Republicans promised the American people that they would take swift action on day one to address our nation's affordability crisis by lowering the high cost of living.
Well, instead, they unleashed the most aggressive assault on our nation's health care in history, and the damage has been devastating.
Across the country, we are already seeing hospitals, nursing homes, and clinics that serve our communities closing their doors.
And now Republicans' refusal to extend ACA premium tax credits is driving up costs and pushing coverage out of the reach for many in our communities.
The CBC and House Democrats stood united for more than 40 days to prevent exactly this outcome, while Republicans refused to negotiate and left working families to bear the consequences.
We are calling on our Republican colleagues to join us in putting the well-being of the American people above partisanship, to put people over politics.
This is not an abstract policy debate.
It's about real lives.
It's about parents deciding whether to fill a prescription or pay the rent.
It's about seniors choosing between a doctor's visit and groceries.
It's about young adults, gig workers, caregivers, and small business owners who depend on the ACA marketplace for the coverage that keeps them healthy and financially secure.
And I was so excited to begin telling these stories that I forgot to ask unanimous consent that all members have five legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include any extraneous material on the subject of this special order.
Thank you, Representative McClellan, for running point on this special order hour for the CBC.
You are a legislative champion, both in the State House and in the Federal House.
And so it's good to be with you tonight, and I thank you for recognizing me.
I also want to give a shout out to our beloved leader of the CBC, Representative Yvette Clark, who's doing a fine job leading us through these difficult times.
And these are difficult times for us.
We here in Congress having difficult time.
You know, you see it, but the difficulties that we face are nothing compared to what you face out there.
You are the ones who are struggling to put food on the table.
You are the ones that are struggling to keep a roof over your head and the head of your family.
You are the ones struggling to work eight hours a day for an honest day's wage, only to come up short and having to work second and third jobs in order to make ends meet.
While you see others living lavishly, surrounded by gold ornaments on everything that they can touch, building ballrooms for the rich and wealthy after knocking down the historic east wing of the White House and doing it without anybody's consent, just deciding, waking up and deciding I'm going to do this.
We live in a democracy, not someplace where a king is in charge.
And that king is playing politics with the people.
The other day, he floated the idea that he wanted to extend the affordable care tax credits, Obamacare tax credits.
He floated that idea, but got some pushback from a few representatives on the Republican side of the aisle, and so he snatched it back.
He doesn't realize that real people are depending on those tax credits in order to make insurance affordable for them.
People like Vivian in my district, who I had a phone conversation with recently about the rising cost of her health care premiums due to the Republicans' cruel refusal to extend Obamacare tax subsidies.
She told me, quote, that's just an amount I simply cannot afford.
Representative McClellan and Madam Mr. Speaker, her premiums are going from $50 a month all the way up to $1,260 a month, from $50 a month to $1,260 a month.
There's no way that she can afford that.
Vivian has suffered from psoriac arthritis since she was 27, and she now has vision problems in one eye.
She relies on specialty medications to deal with her conditions.
And while Vivian faces skyrocketing health care costs, her husband is dealing with cancer.
Luckily, he's on Medicare and is receiving the care that he needs.
But if Vivian is cut off from her access to care, there's no way that she can keep going and taking care of him at the same time.
Without the Obamacare subsidies, she said, my quality of life will be non-existent.
Vivian told me that without health care and access to her medications, she would lose vision in one eye.
And because the medications help keep her arthritis at bay, it allows her to do seemingly simple things just to tie her shoes or walk without pain.
Obamacare subsidies, she said, have saved my life.
I don't know what I'll do without it.
People are people.
Access to quality, affordable care shouldn't be a partisan issue, she said.
And I agree.
Americans like Vivian, who are out there, those are the people that Democrats are fighting for.
In the wealthiest country in the world, no one should have to worry about affording medical care.
That's why I will work with anybody in Congress, including Marjorie Taylor Greene, who believes that access to quality health care is a human right and not a privilege reserved only for those who can afford it.
Mr. Speaker, I've got a number of other testimonials from people in my district, the 4th District of Georgia, who have written and emailed what their situations are all about.
They are many, and they are excruciatingly painful to listen to.
Over 1.5 million Georgians are in the health exchange in the marketplace, and 340,000 of those, or about a third or a fourth, will lose their coverage if we don't do something about these expiring tax credits.
A family of four earning $82,000 a year will see their annual premiums double to around $7,000 per year.
It's just unsustainable for people to have to go through this month after month.
And so we need to do something.
I appreciate our caucus for hosting this special order hour.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak out on the rising cost of health care, which are putting undue burdens on the American people.
And I want to thank my colleague, Representative Jennifer McClellan, for consistently continuing to elevate the voices of the Congressional Black Caucus members as we talk about the stories of our communities and the stories of our people and those that we represent, highlighting the needs of those in our nation that are suffering right now.
I want to thank our chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, Yvette Clark, for her earnest continued work to also make sure that the Congressional Black Caucus is standing on the front lines, trying to each and every day to make sure that we are defending people's right to exist in this country freely and fairly without these undue burdens.
Earlier this year, we watched as this Republican congressional leadership reached historic new lows in their inability to work in a bipartisan fashion to meet the needs of the people that we were elected to serve.
For 43 days, Speaker Johnson refused to come to the table and extend the health care subsidies, which will prevent premiums from skyrocketing for the millions of Americans who get their insurance from the Affordable Care Act marketplace.
And that's about more than 70,000 people, constituents, in my district alone.
And during that same time, we watched President Trump and his administration play politics with federal food assistance, jeopardizing benefits for hungry families.
I heard a story in my district in Georgia from Rich about the impacts that these costs increases would have on his livelihood.
And I've heard many stories, but this one really struck me.
He writes, and I quote, I am the self-employed sole provider for a family of four, where two of us have pre-existing conditions.
If the Republicans get their way and remove the subsidies, my very basic catastrophe plan, style HMO, will literally increase tenfold.
I'm currently spending 39% of my income on health care, including the subsidized ACA policy.
Removing subsidies will ultimately lead me to financial bankruptcy.
End quote.
And there are more stories just like this.
And they're a window into how the chaos and unpredictability of this administration is making it harder on working families to succeed and thrive.
Since January, we have dealt with the uncertainty and the chaos that has been brought by this second Trump administration.
From the unpredictability of the tariffs, the rising costs of health care, and the increasingly unattainable goal of home ownership, what is going on in Washington should concern every single American in this country.
Congress and the Trump administration should be doing more to lower costs and improve outcomes for our hardworking families.
As I have continued to do since I first came to Congress, I have been committed to addressing the concerns of the families who I'm very honored to represent.
No family in this country should ever be forced to choose between paying their insurance premiums or for prescription drugs over paying their mortgage.
That is unconscionable and that is most definitely un-American.
We must identify solutions to put the dream of home ownership back into reality for young Americans.
And we must make it less expensive for Americans to get the skills necessary to provide a decent life for themselves and for their families.
But they can't do that if they're sick.
They can't do that if they can't go to work.
They can't do that if they can't pay their bills, their hospital bills, their medical bills.
I'm a two-time breast cancer survivor myself and not a day goes by that I don't think about how egregious not extending these ACA tax subsidies is to the American people.
I am a lucky person.
I'm very grateful that I had the ability to have private insurance, group insurance, where I could pay for all of my health care and I didn't have to sit there and worry about how I was paying the bills while I was getting healthy and well.
But there are people all over this country that if they ever get sick, that is the absolute demise of their ability to be able to live in this country and care for their families.
And that is un-American.
I'm so grateful to Chairwoman Clark and my fellow CBC member, Representative McClellan, for convening us again tonight as we look ahead to the year of 2026.
I truly look forward to working with every single one of my colleagues to build a better life for the hardworking families that we are privileged to represent.
But I honestly pray every single day that everyone here, every one of us in this chamber, truly is committed to the same ideals.
Thank you so much, Representative McClellan, for hosting this tonight.
And thank you, Mr. Speaker, for hearing the cries of our district and what they're suffering and the political anxiety that they're living in, just thinking that their health care for them and their families will be stripped from them.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today for a woman named Maria.
Maria lives in Broward County.
She's a home health aide who works full-time raising two children and still cannot afford health insurance without the tax credit from the Affordable Care Act.
Because of those credits, Maria can take her blood pressure medication and her son can see a specialist for his asthma.
These are not extras.
These are basic human survival and dignity matters.
But if these credits expire, Maria's premiums will more than double.
She will be forced to choose which child sees a doctor and which child stays home and waits to get better.
Mr. Speaker, that is not a choice any mother should have to face.
That is not freedom.
That is freer.
And Maria is not alone.
In Florida's 20th District, more than 20,000 people depend on these tax credits, and many are already dealing with serious gaps in their health care.
This is not a policy debate.
This is not a question of who we choose to value.
This is a question of dignity for all Americans and their right to survive.
I'm calling on every member in this House to look beyond party politics, party games, and trying to get the limelight and actually put human beings' lives front and center.
The shutdown may be over, but our responsibility to protect the health and dignity of the American people is not.
If we do not pass the ACA tax credits, we will be guilty of political malpractice for each person who goes without health care and who has an unfortunate demise.
Once again, I stress every member in this body to make sure we retain health care and dignity of all the Americans in this country and their right to have health care and survive like anyone else.
I thank my colleague from Virginia for yielding to me now and for putting this together.
I appreciate the fact that you took the leadership and the initiative to bring this forward.
And I want to thank my colleagues in the Congressional Black Caucus as well for taking a stand on this issue and the House Democratic Caucus overall.
This is the issue we fought about with respect to the government shutdown.
This is the issue that has not gone away.
I suppose the White House and my Republican colleagues were hoping that it would, but it's worse now than it was even then.
In fact, the Republicans knew this problem was coming all the way back on January 20th when Mr. Trump first took office to much fanfare and they began moving forward with his legislative agenda, the Big Beautiful Bill, and other pieces of legislation.
And I don't even know how many executive orders they put together and put out, undermining the government from the standpoint of government employees and making damaging impacts across the board.
But they failed to address this particular issue.
In fact, I'll come back to that in a moment.
But not only did they not address extending the tax credits for the Affordable Care Act, they made the problem even worse.
In the big, ugly bill that they passed, that included a $1 trillion cut to Medicaid.
So the health care safety net in this country, because it is a safety net, was damaged terribly by what they've done.
And it's about to get infinitely worse when these tax credits expire at the end of the month.
Now, I know my Republican colleagues have been fighting against Obamacare for years now.
I can remember back when it was first passed 15 years ago.
In this chamber, there were over 60 votes to repeal and replace the Obamacare piece of legislation.
And they kept going year after year after year.
But somewhere along the way, about five years in, they figured out, you know, the American people actually like Obamacare.
They don't call it Obamacare.
They might call it the Affordable Care Act, but they kind of liked not being treated as, having pregnancy treated as a pre-existing condition.
And they kind of liked having the ability to have their kids stay on their family insurance plans until they turn 26.
So the efforts to repeal it not only failed, but this has gotten stronger over the years because people have come to realize that without it, they might not be able to afford health care at all.
And so I've decided to bring in a couple comments from people in my district.
There are too many to read all of them, but this one is from Beth, who lives in Greenbelt, Maryland, which is in my district.
She's looking at her premiums going up $9,372 this year.
And she has major health conditions that require ongoing health care that she can't avoid.
And this was brought on by major surgery that she underwent several years ago.
And her case isn't unique.
In the state of Maryland, the impact that's estimated on 14,000 or so members of my district, a 60-year-old couple, $82,000 income, is looking at a 168% increase if these affordable care tax credits are allowed to expire.
A family of four, ages 45, 45, 15, and 10, they're looking at a 200% increase in their monthly premiums.
Obviously, most families can't sustain that.
Now, I'm going to pick one.
I read an article in the Washington Post a little while ago.
This is from a gentleman in Altoona, Pennsylvania.
That's not my district, obviously.
That's the District of Congressman Joyce.
But his name was Matt Hornberger.
He's 61 years old in Altoona, Pennsylvania.
His monthly payments for him and his wife will rise from $670 to $2,054, monthly payments.
And he said this, between the high deductible and $25,000 in premiums, this is 40% of our income.
I'm just trying to live a life here and be able to go to the doctor when you need to go to the doctor.
He ought to be able to do that.
In fact, every American ought to be able to do that.
So what have we gotten from our Republican colleagues in the nine months or so since they took over the White House, the House, and the Senate?
Well, not much.
I remember the president saying in the debate that he didn't have a plan.
He had a concept of a plan.
I'm not sure we've gotten much past the concept point nine months later.
But he did say, what about HSAs?
What about that?
Well, you know, I was looking at that and doing a little research, and an economist, Doug Holtz Eakin, who works for the American Action Forum, a conservative think tank, said this.
There's a place for health savings accounts to augment insurance and fill things out around the edges, but it can't be the core insurance product.
And the reason for that is because it's not designed to be the core insurance product.
Matter of fact, we've got HSAs in place now, but 66% of these or so only have $1,000 or less in the account.
Now, as you heard from my colleague in Virginia, $1,000 doesn't go a long way in our health care system.
$70,000 a day for the NICU system.
I remember I'm a kidney cancer survivor.
$1,000 sure wouldn't have covered my insurance for the surgery that I underwent.
Matter of fact, it wouldn't even have covered the MRI that allowed us to find it, fortunately, very early on.
Now, what's the path forward?
I'll say this.
I've got to complain a bit because we've been talking about this issue the whole time.
This reminds me, I'm a father, I've got six kids.
And this reminds me a little bit of one of them.
He came home from school one day and he looked at his mom and he said, looked at his mom, of course, and said, Mom, will you help me with this project I've got?
And she said, honey, I'm a little tied up right now.
Can I help you out later?
And he said, well, we can't really wait on this.
And she said, why not?
And he said, it's because it's a big part of my grade.
It's a huge part of my grade.
And he said, and she said, okay, well, I'll help you out with it, but when's it due?
He said, tomorrow.
And she said, when did you know about this project?
And it turned out he knew he had this assignment months ago, but he hadn't done anything to get ready for it.
He hadn't let us know that he needed the help to work on it.
And he certainly hadn't done any work to prepare the project.
That's what our Republican colleagues are doing right now.
They came in office on January 20th, knowing that these ACA tax credits were going to expire, didn't do anything to address it.
And not only that, we brought it to their attention when this bill was moving through the big ugly bill and tried to address it then, but they refused to extend the tax credits then.
We tried to offer amendments at the committee level.
I'm on the Appropriations Committee.
We offered four of those, four of those to try and amend this piece just to extend it.
We can try and fix it.
If you got other things you want to do with it, let's extend it now so it doesn't expire.
They refused to do it, voted it down four times on a party line vote, over and over and over again, just like they had done over the previous 15 years when they were trying to get rid of it.
Maybe this is death by a thousand cuts in their minds.
But something strange happened along the way.
The American people started getting these notices in the mail that their premiums were about to double or triple.
And the American people, millions of them across the country, started realizing that there is no way I can afford to pay that.
I'm going to be forced into the choice of either dropping the insurance or taking out some other drastic measure, selling my house.
One lady said she might have to pull her kid out of college to pay for this health care coverage.
It's absolutely outrageous, but the failure to do something until the 11th hour is a total abdication of their responsibility of leadership, not just in the House, not just in the Senate, not just in the White House, but entirely across the board.
The Republican Party didn't wake up to this until the American people started screaming in their ears.
Well, now here we are.
What's the path forward?
Well, Senator Schumer, this is back during the government shutdown piece.
At the end of it, he said, well, tell you what, why don't we just extend it for a year, put a task force together to try and work out differences, because I understand my Republicans don't agree with everything.
Let's take a year and extend it and try and work it out.
Not only did the Republicans in the Senate reject that, they actually called him, said, this is stupid.
I can't believe he would propose this.
Those were the types of comments that he got from his Senate colleagues for proposing a one-year extension.
Right now, there's a three-year discharge petition that would extend the tax credits for three years.
I don't know that there are any Republicans who've signed on to that.
But I tell you what, I think we've got about nine legislative days left.
Like my kids, at least my kids were only in early teens.
But if they want to do the big fixes they've been talking about with respect to health care, they're not going to be able to do it in nine days.
Now I know they're going to try and do something to save face, but at the end of the day, the extension is really the only realistic way we have to go here.
And I got to say this.
You know, if they don't do the extension, it's going to be devastating for families across the country, millions of them.
We were talking a little bit about how much these things could cost.
You know, the HSA is a $1,000 average.
You look at this average cost for, let's say it's a heart surgery, just the surgery, not even the stay, between $30,000 and $200,000 just for the procedure.
I don't even know how much my cancer surgery costs because I had health insurance.
I didn't have to check it like that.
We had to pay some deductible, but nothing dramatic.
But we wouldn't have been able to afford it.
I wouldn't have gotten the surgery because I wouldn't even have known I had cancer because we wouldn't have gotten the MRI.
That's where we're putting the American people right now.
Well, actually, not we.
The Republicans are putting the American people right now.
It's time to end this.
The clock is running out.
The calendar says the time has come to do something, put some kind of proposal on the table.
Before I give, I got to say this too, on the proposal piece.
When the Speaker passed the bill, that was, I think it's July 25th, if I recall correctly, and left town.
Oh, I'm sorry.
July 25th, left town for the August recess, came back, passed the bill, and then left town again.
So there was a stretch there where I think we had been in session between July 25th and when the government finally reopened, I think it was 12 legislative days.
And to my friends out there in the country, how many of you could only work 12 days in July, August, September, and October and still have a job and still get paid while you're out?
That's what they did.
So the time has come to get this done, finally, to make some kind of an effort to reach a bipartisan solution and resolve this crisis that was created entirely by my Republican colleagues that was totally avoidable, but they decided to run into the fire anyway.
So let's fix this.
Let's protect the American people.
Let's allow them to go at least one year, maybe three, so we can extend this so they can make sure that they continue to have health care coverage while we're working on this bill.
You and I served together in the state legislature there, where we were able to find common ground across the aisle a little more easily than we're able to do in Congress.
But in Virginia, about 350,000 people benefit from the Affordable Care Act premium tax credits, enhanced premium tax credits, 30,000 in my district, the fourth.
For a family of four that earns $129,800 a year, they're looking at premiums that will increase by $4,675.
A family of four earning $64,000 a year will see their annual premiums increase $2,571,000.
A 60-year-old couple earning $82,800 a year will see their annual premiums increase $11,968.
That is a 174% increase.
That's what Virginians are facing if we can't find common ground to solve this problem, even temporarily.
Our former colleagues in the General Assembly have predicted that at least 60,000 Virginians would end up canceling their insurance coverage due to affordability if they lose access to the enhanced premium tax credits.
Let's put some faces and names.
Last week, Cardinal News, which covers Southwest and Southside Virginia, both of us represent portions of that part of the Commonwealth told several stories.
One from Reagan Fisher Weisbroad from Salem, a husband who is self-employed, and his wife.
They have two children.
Weisbroad works three part-time jobs to help support the family while keeping the flexibility needed for her children.
She spends some days as a substitute teacher and is a business manager for a library association.
She does some bookkeeping on the side.
None of these jobs offer benefits.
She has a bachelor's degree in psychology, roughly two decades of experience in health insurance and accounting, and she's willing to take almost any job that will offer benefits.
She said, even if that means working at McDonald's, because she doesn't want to let her children go without health care.
Her projected monthly premium increase is $400, which would raise her monthly out-of-pocket costs to $1,900.
And on top of that, her long-time doctor has moved out of network.
It's astonishing, she said.
She spent three weeks coming through plans and eventually found one that would save the family about $100 a month.
Bringing their premium down to $1,800 allows her to keep her doctor, but it has a higher deductible.
She said the worst case scenario is her out-of-pocket cost would be $20,000 on top of the monthly premium.
Ultimately, it came down to: I don't go to the doctor that often, my kids don't go to the doctor that often, and so we'll just roll the dice.
She said, we'll wrap some bubble wrap around us, I guess.
I don't think bubble wrap is going to help if they get in a car accident.
Victoria Cassells, an accountant in Roanoke, worries about her adult daughter who lives in Richmond, who is a self-employed graphic designer with an autoimmune disease.
Her condition limits how much work she can take on, and she depends on marketplace coverage.
Her monthly premium rose by $400, about three times higher than it was last year.
Cassell is going to do what she can to help her daughter cover the costs if she can't take on enough work to meet this new expense.
Cassells prepares taxes for individuals and small businesses and says more of her younger clients are talking about dropping health insurance altogether because they just can't afford it.
In the last few years, she's had a slew of clients in their 20s and 30s who have started their own businesses, just getting started in life.
They don't have the savings to afford the increasing costs of health insurance.
Without health insurance, it's going to be very difficult for them to start a family.
Ben Pierman, a financial advisor from Bent Mountain in Roanoke.
He runs his own business, which is well established, and he has a steady income, but higher monthly costs has led him to reconsider his options.
As a single man in his 50s, he pays for his own health plan, and next year, his monthly premium will jump from $724 to $935.
He can absorb the higher costs, but is considering switching to concierge care, a model in which the patients will pay a flat monthly pee, but that would leave him without insurance if an accident happens.
Linda Bartlett, 64, in her semi-retirement last year, and now works part-time at Roanoke's Mass General Store.
She turned to the marketplace until she qualifies for Medicare.
Her premium is about to double, bringing her monthly payment to $1,200, which is nearly all of her Social Security check.
Mr. Speaker, I'd like to yield now to the gentlewoman from Illinois' 2nd District, Congresswoman Robin Kelly.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today as the chair of the Congressional Black Caucus Health Brain Trust to urge my colleagues across the aisle to extend the ACA tax credits.
As you know, they're set to expire at the end of the year and will cause monthly health bills to skyrocket for millions of Americans.
The rising cost of health care goes beyond the individual.
It affects black small business owners.
A business owner in my district owns several coffee shops and worries about her employees being able to afford health care.
She feels responsible for her employees, but health care is a large expense for a small business.
The ACA premium tax credits provide affordable care to her employees, allowing her coffee shop and her employees to thrive.
Another business owner in my district runs a wine production business that sells nationwide.
Despite her success, she has to rely on her husband's job for health care.
These are two small business owners who have created their own success and through their businesses created jobs for other people.
Republicans love to say they support our economy.
It's time to actually support the health care of small business owners who are the backbone of our economy.
Republicans also love to say the best option for health care is a job.
My constituents have a job.
They also provide jobs for more people.
But they all receive affordable health care through the ACA.
Without the ACA tax credits, their employees may have no other option but to go uninsured or find another job.
If they decide to leave, my constituents' businesses won't be able to run.
It's simple.
We all do better when we all do better.
We're all healthier when we're all healthier.
Let's extend the ACA premium tax credits.
Let's make health care more affordable and accessible.
I was in the state legislature when the Affordable Care Act passed.
It wasn't perfect.
Our health care system has never been perfect.
But what it did between the marketplace and expanding Medicaid is it got the number of uninsured to record lows, at least in Virginia.
I can't speak to nationwide, but in Virginia, we saw our uninsured rate go to record lows.
We were able to expand Medicaid on a bipartisan basis because it didn't just benefit urban cores, but suburban centers and rural communities.
Rural communities that had high numbers of uninsured who were worried about how their health care centers, their hospitals, were going to have the volumes to stay open.
So we expanded Medicaid, and during the, I call it the big ugly bill, we put millions of Americans at risk of losing their health insurance through cuts to Medicaid.
We saw a list of over 300 hospitals in rural areas identified as being at risk of closing.
And during the August recess, I traveled all over Virginia, not just to talk to my constituents, but as one of only two members of the Energy and Commerce Committee to talk to a wide cross-section of Virginians.
I visited a dental clinic in Abingdon.
80% Of their patients are covered by Medicaid, 80%.
The other 20% uninsured.
Before that clinic opened, that community got dental services once a year when a mobile dental clinic showed up and the line was incredibly long to get one day of dental service a year.
When I visited this clinic, I didn't come in with any talking points.
I just came to tour and I asked, what keeps you up at night?
And the director says, I don't know how we're going to keep our doors open with these Medicaid cuts.
Two TV stations were there who were there when the clinic opened because they understood what a big deal this clinic was, not just for Abingdon, but the entire southwest corner of the Commonwealth.
And my colleague who represents that area in response to that visit said, Democrats are just fear-mongering.
Well, lo and behold, less than a month later, three rural clinics closed, citing Medicaid cuts in HR1.
A hospital in Farmville closed its labor and delivery unit.
I ran for office because I grew up listening to my parents tell stories when they grew up in the segregated South during the Depression.
They saw the best of government and they saw the worst of government.
And the best of government is when people came together to solve problems, to help people who were hurting through no fault of their own, who were working day in and day out and couldn't afford to put food on the table, couldn't afford health care when they got sick, couldn't afford a roof over their head.
Worst of government is when we sit here and focus more on how can I score political points or how can I benefit the wealthiest 1% on the backs of every other working American.
And I'm going to tell you, as I traveled around Virginia in August, in October, in the 54 days that we weren't doing our job here in Washington, not having committee hearings, not voting on the House floor, what I heard was people losing faith that our government knows how to be at its best.
But we got to get back to that.
Because I'm going to tell you what, our system is not perfect.
That's why in the Constitution it says our government was formed in order to form a more perfect union, not a perfect union, a more perfect union.
And the beauty of our form of government is when we listen to the people, when we see they're hurting, and we have an opportunity to do something to stop that hurting,
when we have an opportunity to feed the hungry, when we have an opportunity to house the homeless, when we have an opportunity to care for the sick, when we have an opportunity to welcome the stranger, when we have the opportunity to visit the incarcerated, when we do for the least of these, We're at our best.
We've gotten away from that, Mr. Speaker.
We better get back to it because the American people are losing faith that this body, Congress, will do its job.
We better do it.
They're depending on us too.
They've told us they're worried.
You've heard stories tonight.
This is just one thing people are worried about.
We need to get back to our better nature.
Come together, find common ground, and help people who are wondering, come January 1, how am I going to afford this health insurance?
What am I going to do when my kid burns their hand, ends up in a burn unit with a $15,000 bill that I can't afford to pay?
Under the Speaker's announced policy of January 3rd, 2025, the gentleman from Georgia, Mr. Carter, is recognized for 60 minutes as the designated majority leader.
Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all members may have five legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the topic of this special order.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the decades of service from Eric Brian Williams.
Chief Warrant Officer 5 Eric Brian Williams is a distinguished MH-60 Black Hawk flight leader within the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment.
Williams was born on October 17, 1975, and is a native of Duluth, Georgia.
He first enlisted in June of 1993 as a combat medic, later being selected for appointment to Warrant Officer Candidate School.
He conducted deployments to Iraq, Afghanistan, Djibouti, Yemen, and Somalia.
Throughout his service, Williams went through a variety of training and earned a number of accolades, the highest of which being the Distinguished Flying Cross.
On December the 12th, 2025, Chief Warrant Officer Williams is scheduled to retire, concluding 32 years of honorable and dedicated service to the United States Army.
His exemplary career within the prestigious 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment reflects a commitment to excellence and unwavering dedication to the defense of our nation.
We thank him for his service.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commend Sergeant Bobby Stewart of the Chatham County Police Department for his outstanding act of bravery that earned him the Medal of Merit.
On a critical day in Savannah, Sergeant Stewart disarmed a suicidal individual who was armed with a firearm and prevented what could have become a tragic outcome.
His calm demeanor, compassion, and quick thinking not only safeguarded the life of the individual involved, but allowed that person to receive the help and care they needed.
According to his supervisors, Sergeant Stewart's actions exhibited extraordinary kindness, courage, and unwavering service to the public.
In recognizing Sergeant Stewart, we honor more than just a singular act.
We uphold the standards of leadership and humanity that define public service.
Please join me in thanking Sergeant Bobby Stewart for his courageous efforts and in acknowledging the many officers who keep our community safe every day.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Bryan County Firefighter Medics Kimberly Royer and Derek Wilson, who were recognized by the 200 Club of the Coastal Empire for their remarkable courage and service.
Roy and Wilson negotiated with the armed suspect for over an hour.
After convincing him they were unarmed, they entered the house at great personal risk, reached a wounded woman, and carried her to safety for life-saving treatment.
For their bravery, Royer and Wilson received the 2025 Valor Award at the 200s Club ceremony in Savannah.
Their actions reflect the high standards of public service and the courage that defines first responders across Georgia.
Today, we thank Kimberly Royer and Derek Wilson for their valor, for their compassion, and steadfast commitment to saving lives.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commend Chatham County Tax Commissioner Sonia L. Jackson, who recently received the Presidential Award from the Savannah Branch NAACP at their 2025 gala.
This award recognizes individuals whose leadership and service strengthen our communities through integrity, innovation, and impact.
Commissioner Jackson earned this honor for her unwavering commitment to public education, exceptional customer service, and operational excellence in one of Chatham County's most vital government offices.
Since assuming office, Commissioner Jackson has led efforts to make tax service more accessible and efficient for all residents.
Her Tax Commissioner University initiative empowers citizens with the knowledge and confidence to navigate local government processes, building trust and transparency in government operations.
Her leadership exemplifies how public service can strengthen the bonds between government and community.
Today, we celebrate Commissioner Jackson's significant contributions and offer our gratitude for her dedication to improving the lives of Chatham County residents.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Dr. Deshaun McGee, Assistant Principal at Bradwell Institute in Hinesville, for being named Georgia's Assistant Principal of the Year by the Georgia Association of Secondary School Principals.
Dr. McGee stood out among more than 140 applicants thanks to her servant leadership, tireless energy, and heartfelt commitment to students.
She is known for being present in the lunchroom, in the hallways, and among the facility, among the faculty building relationships, offering guidance and making a tangible difference every day.
Serving the students at Bradwell Institute and the wider Liberty County system, Dr. McGee leads with integrity, with compassion, and a clear vision for educational success.
Her work elevates this school, supports his colleagues, and strengthens his community.
Please join me in recognizing Dr. Deshaun McGee for this well-earned degree, this well-earned honor, and in thanking him for his outstanding contribution in education in the state of Georgia.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Marchese Construction, LLC, a Savannah-based company that has been named one of America's top 100 small businesses by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce in a small business platform, CEO.
Out of more than 12,500 applicants nationwide, Marchese Construction earned this distinction as part of the 2025 CO100, which highlights exceptional innovation, leadership, and community impact.
For years, Marchese Construction has played a vital role in building not only structures, but also opportunities across our region.
Their commitment to excellence and their dedication to local partnerships have strengthened the Savannah's economy and showcased the entrepreneurial spirit that drives small business success throughout Georgia.
This recognition is a testament to their hard work and the values they bring to every project.
We are proud to see a business from Georgia's 1st District receive national recognition for excellence and community leadership.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commemorate the 37th annual Georgia Peanut Tour.
The 37th tour began in Valdosta, Georgia, right around the onset of harvest season, making it the perfect time to showcase some peanuts.
This year's preeminent stop was at Swoeley Farms in which the Swieley family have been tilling the land for over 100 years.
Danny Swiller continues to honor his family legacy, operating alongside his two brothers and his father.
The Georgia Peanut Tour contacted Sweeley and other local farmers, allowing them to showcase their farms and support the industry.
The tour forges relationships, providing these businesses with the opportunity to connect with their customer base.
Tourists can gain insight into the peanut harvesting process, infrastructure, production, handling, and processing and utilization.
I want to congratulate the Swooley family for highlighting their stories in the peanut industry from digging to managing disease that can ruin the harvest.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize an extraordinary public servant, Pooler Fire Rescue Chief Wade Simmons, who recently celebrated 36 years of dedicated service as a career firefighter.
Chief Simmons began his journey in 1989 with the Southside Fire Department, later joining the Savannah Fire in 1998 before bringing his leadership to Pooler in 2008.
Under his direction, Pooler Fire Rescue has grown from a small two-station department to a five-station organization operating six companies and a daily shift commander.
Throughout his career, Chief Simmons has been a pillar in the fire service community, known for his mentorship, professionalism, and unwavering commitment to excellence.
He has strengthened departments across Georgia through training, consultation, and collaboration, earning the respect of firefighters statewide.
For 36 years, Chief Simmons has dedicated his life to protecting others and preparing the next generation of first responders.
His service is an inspiration to us all.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate excellence that extends far beyond the football field.
Joe Fussel, a Georgia Tech student, Richmond Hill High School alum, and civil engineering major, has been named a semifinalist for the 2025 William V. Campbell Trophy.
Known as college football's premier scholar athlete award, the Campbell Trophy honors the absolute best for combined success in academics, athletics, and leadership.
This year, the National Football Foundation announced 177 semifinalists across all of college football.
The average GPA among them is an extraordinary 3.6, with more than half already holding degrees.
To be nominated, a player must be a senior or graduate student, carry at least a 3.2 GPA, excel on the field, and demonstrate strong character and citizenship.
Participating in the Uplifting Athletes Organization, a group that raises awareness for individuals with rare disease, Mr. Fusil exemplifies what it means to be a true Georgia Tech student-athlean off and on the field.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of Randall Cato.
A native of Hawaii, Randall carried his island warmth all the way to Georgia, where he became legendary for his dedication to surfing.
He made the daily drive from Hinesville to Tybee Island just to greet the waves and his friends.
Cato was not only the first one in the water and the last one out, but also a devoted father, friend, and mentor, uplifting everyone he met with his kindness and wisdom.
Those who were lucky enough to know him saw him as a role model with a peaceful spirit and positive outlook on life.
Cato fed off the energy from surfing, forming a physical and mental connection with and a respect for nature.
Even in the face of trials, he taught by example that peace and resilience would carry you through.
Let us honor his legacy and celebrate the life of a true legend.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate an important leadership appointment for the University of Georgia.
Go Dawgs!
Mr. Blake Rawlison has been named the University of Georgia's next vice president for government relations, a position he has earned through his dedication and results for the university.
Rawlison has spent the last four years representing UGA, first as Director of State Government Relations, and most recently as Associate Vice President.
His leadership has been pivotal in securing support for the university's capital priorities, including $50 million in state matching funds for the new School of Medicine.
President Jerry Moorhead praised Blake's decade of experience and ability to deliver results for the university.
Rawlison's career spans service to Lieutenant Governor Casey Cagle, Senator David Perdue, Georgia Farm Bureau, and Governor Brian Kemp.
He succeeds Kevin Abernathy and will oversee UGA's government relations strategy with state, federal, and local partners.
We welcome Blake Rolison's leadership as UGA continues advancing academic excellence for the great state of Georgia.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the College of Coastal Georgia Public College in Brunswick.
The college earned its fourth consecutive semester win of the Chancellor's Cup from the University System of Georgia.
This achievement reflects the college's continued momentum and enrollment growth and its commitment to student success.
The Chancellor's Cup is awarded to institutions that have demonstrated the highest increase in full-time enrollment within their sector.
Coastal Georgia has consistently led the state colleges sector, enrolling 12% more students than this summer than the year before.
After the Challengers Cup win, the college began the 2024-2025 academic year with its highest first aid numbers and broke last year's dual enrollment record.
As Coastal Georgia continues to expand its reach and academic offerings, the Chancellor's Cup serves as both recognition and motivation.
Coastal Georgia is a place where students thrive, and that's a legacy to keep building on.
Congratulations.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate three former University of Georgia athletes on their induction into the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame.
As an avid sports fan, it's great to see these impressive athletes recognized for their powers.
Leah Brown is a 14-time All-American gymnast who rose to the national number one in the all-around vault and floor in 1997.
She was the first to record a 10.0 in her collegiate debut.
John Casey was a four-year letterman from 1987 to 1990 on the football team.
He earned second-team All-SEC and third-team All-American honors in his senior season before a career in the NFL.
Bunny Fuller-Harris was a star at Taylor County High School, leading her basketball team to four state titles and 100 straight wins while averaging 22 points per game.
She became the leading scorer during the Georgia Lady Bulldogs' first winning season.
I congratulate these athletes on their recognition of a lifetime.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate a true jewel of Georgia's cultural heritage, the Ritz Theater in historic Brunswick, marking its 125th anniversary this year.
Since its opening in 1899 as the Grand Opera House, the Ritz has entertained generations through silent films, live theater, and modern performances.
Despite years of challenge, including a roof collapse and threat of demolition, the city and the community rallied, secured the theater, and restored it to its former glory.
For more than a century, the Ritz has been a gathering place where art, music, and shared stories bring communities together and embodies resilience, creativity, and faith in the power of culture to unite us.
On this milestone, we honor everyone who preserved this landmark, past leaders, art advocates, volunteers, and citizens of Brunswick.
May the next 125 years see the Ritz grow stronger, welcome new audiences, and continue to light up hearts across our state.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and the legacy of Dr. Mark Van Stewart of St. Mary's, Georgia, who passed away peacefully on September 25, 2025.
Dr. Stewart was a devoted husband, father, brother, and friend whose life was marked by faith, service, and kindness.
A proud graduate of the University of Georgia, he went on to earn advanced degrees from Valdosta State University and the University of Sarasota.
For over 30 years, Dr. Seward served Cabin County Schools as a teacher, as a coach, administrator, and assistant superintendent, later continuing his work with Coastal Plains High School.
Throughout his leadership, he touched countless lives and shaped the future of education in his community.
Beyond the classroom, he was a man of faith who loved the Lord, his family, golf, and the Georgia Bulldogs.
His generosity, quiet strength, and compassion left a lasting impact on all who knew him.
We honor his life and celebrate his legacy of faith and service.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Don Baker, a news anchor from WTOC-TV in Savannah.
She was inducted into the Georgia Association of Broadcasters' 2026 Hall of Fame class.
The GAB Hall of Fame requires that one spend at least 20 years in broadcasting and have a meaningful connection to Georgia, significant contributions to Georgia broadcasting, and a strong record of achievement.
Don joined WTOC as a reporter in 1989 and has been elevating the station standards ever since.
She is a strong leader in the newsroom, guiding hundreds of young journalists in her time as WTOC.
She believes the best part of being a reporter is having the chance to help.
Her involvement and dedication to the community is second to none, making her very deserving of this honor.
The 2026 Hall of Fame class reflects a true spirit of Georgia Broadcasting.
Their contributions have strengthened local journalism, inspired future broadcasters, and enriched our state.
Congratulations, Don.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Dr. Deshaun McGee, Assistant Principal at Bradwell High School, Bradwell Institute in Hinesville, for being named Georgia's Assistant Principal of the Year by the Georgia Association of Secondary School Principals.
Dr. McGee stood out among more than 140 applicants thanked to his servant leadership, tireless energy, and heartfelt commitment to students.
He is known for being present in the lunchroom, in the hallways, and among the faculty, building relationships, offering guidance, and making a tangible difference every day.
Serving the students at Bradwell Institute and the wider Liberty County system, Dr. McGee leads with integrity, with compassion, and a clear vision for educational success.
His work elevates his school, supports his colleagues, and strengthens his community.
Please join me in recognizing Dr. Deshaun McGee for this well-earned honor and in thanking him for his outstanding contribution to education in the state of Georgia.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commemorate the 37th annual Georgia Peanut Tour.
The 37th tour began in Valdosta, Georgia, right around the onset of harvest season, making it the perfect time to showcase some peanuts.
This year's preeminent stop was at Sweeley Farms, in which the Sweeley family has been tilling the land for over 100 years.
Danny Sweeley continues to honor his family legacy, operating alongside his two brothers and his father.
The Georgia Peanut Tour contacted Sweeley and other local farmers, allowing them to showcase their form and support the industry.
The tour forges relationships, providing these businesses with the opportunity to connect with their customer base.
Tourists can gain insight into the peanut harvesting process, infrastructure production, handling, and processing and utilization.
I want to congratulate the Sweeley family for highlighting their stories in the peanut industry, from digging to managing diseases that can ruin the harvest.
The courthouse stands adjourned until 10 a.m. tomorrow for morning hour debate.
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Today, the U.S. House is considering a number of suspension bills, including legislation that would ban those who are involved in the October 7th terrorist attack on Israel from entering the United States.
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Also, this week, lawmakers will consider a bill to address how college athletes are paid by setting national standards for charging for the use of their name, image, and likeness, or NIL.
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