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▶ 0:04:14good afternoon the committee will come to order without objection the chair is authorized to declare recess at any time today the rules committee is convening to consider hr1 1968 HR 1156 and HJ res 25 first on the docket is hr1 1968 the full year continuing Appropriations and extensions act 2025 this legislation helps avoid the government shutting
▶ 0:04:44down and allows us to continue our work in service to the American people the house must act to avoid a needless shutdown that serves no purpose by doing so this body can put its focus and attention on the next process our work must continue next we'll turn to HR 1156 the pandemic unemployment fraud Enforcement Act and must pass piece of legislation that Congress has a duty
▶ 0:05:15to address here and now HR 1156 establishes a 10-year statute of limitations for criminal prosecution and civil enforcement actions pardon me Rel related to fraudulent unemployment claims funded by federal pandemic unemployment programs that were created via the cares act the unprecedented expansion of unemployment insurance during the covid era opened the floodgates to fraud
▶ 0:05:45and we have a duty to hold the perpetrators of that fraud accountable American taxpayers are counting on us to do the right thing and write this wrong that has gone unconfronted for many years I invite our Democrat colleagues to join us in doing the right thing for the right reason and pass this legislation and to put aside whatever grievances they may Harbor towards an Administration that the American people entrusted to be their voice it's a worthwhile
▶ 0:06:15opportunity and one that you do not want to miss finally we'll turn to HJ res25 a congressional review act resolution that overturns another imprudent midnight rule issued by the body Administration that targets decentralized Finance Brokers and threatens the viability of the digital ecosystem this rule was issued a mere two days after Christmas a belated and unwelcome gift that absolutely nobody
▶ 0:06:46asked for or wanted it is akin to a decaying and outdated tin of fruit cake in addition to being strident unconstitutional this rule is in direct violation of the administrative procedure act and yields excessive latitude to the IRS to exceed its Authority as usual and when the Senate passed a similar version of this bill last week 18 Democrats joined Republicans in voting for it it is a truly bipartisan
▶ 0:07:16piece of legislation with that I look forward to today's discussion and I now yield to the ranking member Mr McGovern for any comments he wishes to make well thank you madam chair um you know we stand stand Just 4 days away from a government shutdown so let's be crystal clear about who's running the show here because some of my Republican colleagues seem confused Republicans run the House Republicans run the Senate and the White House is a republican run circus led by
▶ 0:07:46Elon Musk and Donald Trump you guys talk about winning by a landslide you talk about having a mandate well that makes this very simple if the government shuts down there is no mystery about who's to no excuses no spin it will be because Republican dysfunction and Republican extremism got in the way and if we are being really honest here Republicans have been trying to shut the government down since Trump took over Trump's Office of
▶ 0:08:16Management and budget tried to do that last month by unilaterally freezing all federal spending when the American people push backed Republicans realized uh they had shut it down they they needed that Republicans realized they had to shut it down more covertly that's when Trump gave Elon Musk and Doge unprecedented power to sabotage the federal government letting them hack into agencies and dismiss thousands of critical federal workers and now it seems like you all
▶ 0:08:46just want to shut the government down the oldfashioned way by not doing your job and failing to fully fund it the continuing resolution in front of us today is just more of the same you're trying to gut programs people rely on so you can give more handouts to billionaires I mean this CR goes after support for our veterans we know veterans have been fired through Do's purges and we know that Republicans want to fire some 880,000 people who helped take care of veterans
▶ 0:09:17now Republicans are using this CR to gut funds for veterans exposed to burn pits agent orange and other toxic substances another big middle finger to Veterans Republicans of already fired Social Security Administration workers this CR would make it easier to fire more of them meaning that when seniors call for help with their social security check they're going to have to wait even longer to get a real person on the other end to help them out and I can't believe it but this bill defunds police
▶ 0:09:48this bill takes away from law enforcement firefighters and EMTs in DC wild coming from the party that couldn't resist meddling in DC's local laws last Congress under the guise of concern for Public Safety and homelessness in the city you know the way Republicans treat the district uh is not only disrespectful um it's just plain rotten and we'll be talking more about that uh on some of the things in this bill are
▶ 0:10:18just so stupid and irresponsible giving Trump the tools to dismantle Noah right before we head into another hurricane season I mean that's really smart there at least 22 instances where this bill sets program funding to zero so please don't insult people's intelligence by calling this a clean CR there's nothing clean about this it's 99 Pages for God's sake this is a sham and it's the same sham Republicans
▶ 0:10:48have been pulling from day one stealing from America to enrich themselves and their billionaire donors looting from hardworking people to pad the pockets of ultrarich 1% weirdos like Elon Musk again this CR is not a clean CR it is a hurtful bill that will impact everyday Americans but that that is a Republican's choice to make you run the house you run the Senate you run the executive uh Republicans are in charge
▶ 0:11:19and this is their CR and if they shut down the government it will be crystal clear for all to see who is to blame no doubt in anyone's mind if we shut down it will be a republican shut down I you back thank you Mr McGovern without that objection any prepared statements that our Witnesses may have will be included in the record I now welcome our first panel chairman of the former chairman of the rules committee and
▶ 0:11:49now chairman of the Appropriations Committee Mr Cole and ranking member dorao from the committee on Appropriations your full statement will be submitted for the record we ask you summarize your statement in 5 minutes chairman Cole I welcome you on behalf of the whole committee to the rules committee again well thank you very much Sharon Fox it's great to be with you again and ranking member of M govern certainly great to be with you as well and certainly with all of my colleagues and uh as
▶ 0:12:19a former member of this committee it's a great pleasure for me to get the opportunity to come back I thank you for your warm welcome and I thank you for the invitation to testify today I appear before you today on the full year continuing Appropriations and extensions act for 2025 today's measure presents a stark choice for members of this body before us are two roads one that leads to a government shutdown and another better road that keeps the government open and operating as we move toward
▶ 0:12:49a vote on the house floor on this bill members must ask themselves which road they wish to take do they want to vote to keep the government open and operating for their constituents or do they want to affirmatively vote to shut the government down this is the choice which faces us today over the past year the Appropriations Committee has worked diligently to complete our work on fiscal year 2025 we initially had a late start due to Prior constraints but that didn't stop us from taking
▶ 0:13:20quick action our markup process successfully delivered all 12 regular Appropriations bills out of committee in a timely fashion and before before the end of the summer this chamber passed five bills across the floor representing nearly 71% of all overall discretionary spending since our last funding extension we've worked diligently to reach a bipartisan and bamal deal on a full year spend on full year spending bills for fy2 unfortunately
▶ 0:13:50although we were close on the numbers the minority is made additional demands on the legitimate exercise of executive Authority in the Appropriations process these are demands that the minority would never accept for a Democratic president nor uh are they Provisions that President Trump would or should ever sign into law this brings us to today despite our best efforts and despite the fact that Republicans never walked away from the negotiating table we're now out of time the house must
▶ 0:14:20move forward with a year-long continuing resolution this outcome is not one that I wanted however painful as it is it's better than the alternative which is a government shutdown Congress has an obligation to our constituents and to the nation to keep the government open and operating with today's measure we achieve just that today's bill will fund the government through September 30th uh the end of fiscal year 2025 it maintains the status quo
▶ 0:14:50providing flat funding for the government and including only legitimate anomalies we've accomplished these goals while also increasing money for with the Department of Defense fully funding the single largest pay raise for junior enlisted personnel in over 40 years importantly today's Bill also does not contain a single poison pill riter it's a clean CR fully funding our government this includes our military and defense needs support for our veterans and critical services
▶ 0:15:20for our constituents like roads Parks Child Care water projects infrastructure Improvement scientific research job training training and countless others despite the fear mongering there are no changes to the important Trifecta of Social Security Medicare and Medicaid quite the opposite in fact since this bill prevents the government shutdown um let me make that point more clear there are no substantive changes in policy between this bill and the CR that we passed
▶ 0:15:50in December both are clean CRS that accomplish the overriding goal of keeping the government open nothing more for those who supported the December CR you should have no concern with today's measure both December's bill and today's Bill maintain the status quo and both ensure that the government stays open voting for today's bill is no different than voting for the CR in December I believe that those who voted for the CR in December and will now vote against today's
▶ 0:16:21Bill are succumbing to the temptation of a political temper tantrum the outcome of the FY 2025 appropriation process is not the one I wanted uh but at the end of the day today's Bill achieves what's most important keeping the government open and operating to the end of the fiscal year I want to thank each of you for your time and with that Madam chair I yield back or excuse me you made a change we switch we switched chairs on you thank you Mr chairman
▶ 0:16:51now recognize uh ranking member of the Appropriations Committee representative delaro you are now recognized for your time thank you very much um Mr chairman and I recognize chairman Fox as well and ranking member McGovern members of the committee uh I'm opposed to this one-year continuing resolution this is not a clean CR this is this bill is a blank check it's a blank check for Elon Musk and president Trump and as the White House has said it creates more flexibility for this Administration to steal
▶ 0:17:21from the middle class from Seniors veterans working people small businesses and Farmers to pay for tax breaks for billionaires since January 20th this Administration has been undermining article one of our Constitution and countless spending laws by stealing promised investments from American families from children and businesses unlawfully dissolving and dismantling agencies and arbitrarily firing civil servants and cancelling Union
▶ 0:17:52contracts I know our colleagues across the aisle have gone home to their districts and witnessed the rage from their their constituents at these actions they've been advised by their political Consultants not to do Town Halls to stop listening to their constituents it really you know as President Truman said if you can't stand the heat get out of the kitchen and then getting out of the kitchen and maybe just should be getting out of of of being in charge now what should we do the answer should not be a
▶ 0:18:22full year continuing resolution that cuts non-defense Investments by $15 billion and defense by $3 billion compared to the fiscal responsibility act agreement 2025 which is reaffirmed by uh uh leader Schumer and speaker Johnson a ful year CR transfers more power to the executive branch to shut off and repurpose funding as they see fit the will of the Congress and people ignored
▶ 0:18:52we are watching Elon Musk and president Trump meddle in congress's jurisdiction already with this full year CR the guard rails are off it fails to lower cost for the American people hurts the middle class Elon Musk and president Trump would be able to fire thousands of employees at the Social Security Administration resulting in office closures longer wait times unacceptable backlogs for Americans who are trying to access their earned benefits Army Corps of Engineers
▶ 0:19:22construction Pro projects would be cut by $1.4 billion 44% and president Trump not Congress would determine all Project funding levels and who gets the funding instead of helping our communities address housing costs the bill Cuts rent subsidies by more than $700 million leaving landlords to foot the bill or evict more than 32,000 households High among the severe shortcomings of this bill are the broken promises to Veterans
▶ 0:19:52House Republicans wisely proposed $23 billion in advanced funding for the toxic exposures fund to care for veterans exposed to burn pits agent orange and other toxic substances in their own bill last summer we do this with Advanced funding because we do not want to subject veterans Health Care to shutdown threats or to political whims that $23 billion in advanced funding for toxic exposures
▶ 0:20:23has disappeared this bill is also bad for our military there is a reason the Department of Defense has never operated for an entire fiscal year under a CR trying that experiment now amidst the Russian invasion of Ukraine the rising influence of China would undermine the US's military Effectiveness and Readiness the decisions about the Investments we make cannot be entrusted in are controlled by one single office holder government spending decisions must be
▶ 0:20:53the result of broad compromise among the people's that has been the historical past of the Appropriations Committee and its work and that's for good reason our positions in this body are temporary we are but stewards of our system of government and that stewardship requires preserving the separation of powers and co-equal branches of government as designed by the framers
▶ 0:21:24of the Constitution defined by the Supreme Court where Antonin Scalia opined on this the president does not have inherent authority over the amount of money that is appropriated by the Congress all we need to do here is to follow the law and make sure that they are executive is not tampering with the decisions made by the Congress I work to uphold and defend our power of the purse even when that meant going against a Democratic president
▶ 0:21:54I implore my colleagues to join me stand up for our constituents against an unelected billionaire Elon Musk who was stealing taxpayers dollars from American families from our children and from businesses we cannot forfeit our authorities over Government funding as laid out in the Constitution to an unelected unchecked billionaire the consequences felt by all our constituents are too severe we cannot allow government of the People by the people for the
▶ 0:22:24people to become the government of billionaires by billionaires and for billionaires the first step in doing so is to oppose this bill so that we can pass a short-term Bill to give chairman Cole and I time to finish regular bills we were very close and still are very close to getting this done where we would have yearlong bills in the regular order I think that we can all agree
▶ 0:22:54that that would be an improvement over a continuing resolution I thank you and I back gentle lady yields back I now recognize Miss fishbach for her time for questions thank you Mr chair and first I'd like to thank Mr Cole and Mr deloro for being here um and I appreciate you putting together Mr Cole the continuing resolution the bill that um that we have in front of us and I just wanted to ask a couple of things because I know there's a lot of rhetoric a lot of kind of accusations
▶ 0:23:24from the other sides of things that are going on in this bill that um you know we talk about uh they talk about zeroing out the uh toxic exposure fund but my understanding and you can true or false on page 72 um they're fully committed to supporting the supporting our veterans and as a matter of fact it includes a $6 billion increase in the toxic exposure fund is that that's correct uh and uh you know we will deal with the needs
▶ 0:23:55for 26 in the 26 Bill uh so so all the needs currently are fully funded and uh matter of fact we use6 billion dollar from the toxic exposure fund to do that and again we're committed to continue to meet those obligations the appropriate place for that would be in the 26 Bill 426 so certainly nothing in this bill Cuts anything that veterans are receiving today perfect and uh and what about maybe some of the um the accusations
▶ 0:24:25that were cutting police and uh the community oriented pleasing the cops program is um it maintains its consistent level is my understanding correct the only thing that really gets cut here are congressional projects quite frankly th those are eliminated we don't normally do them in CRS there's some confusion some said some people were wondering if we like zeroed out stuff from 24 we did not we just you know if you put it in the 24 Bill the 25 Bill if you don't take it out you'd build like two Bridges
▶ 0:24:55the same places that's that's it and um matter of fact we took some of that money and used that for defense uh to pay for pay raise it's not uh it's basically about the same amount of money put a little bit extra money for housing to hopefully avoid anybody being P because we all know that's an inflationary Bill we put uh extra money on the border where we've had frankly a lot of success in this Administration but overall the bill spends about $7 billion less than uh the 24 bills
▶ 0:25:25but again those are all congressional projects they're not substantive cuts and important programs well and and I just wanted to counteract some of the rhetoric that comes from the other side because the you know they're extreme talking about cutting police officers you know not taking care of veterans and and in reality what you you said about this bill is it's an anti it helps uh reain in run away inflation um but we are still investing in critical areas and it it helps us it gives us the opportunity to work on those priorities with the administration
▶ 0:25:56and look at those critical areas and gives us some opportunity to um you know really work in a meaningful way to get rid of the waste the bloat the the fraud that's going on and so I just maybe um just with my final question maybe you could talk about some of those priorities um that were included in in this bill well absolutely and and again to be fair the statement of the Democratic Leadership against the bill was issued before the bill was actually available unpublished so I think the minds
▶ 0:26:26have been made up regardless of what's in the bill and I think that's probably the reason for some of the overheated rhetoric that we saw out of Democratic Leadership uh the reality is here again we take care of business uh uh these are we the anomalies we have you know very few people that I'm aware of are complaining about U you know we promised in the last year's Bill we'd give military people a pay raise they're getting that pay rate uh we know we've had great success on the border with the change
▶ 0:26:56in president uh takes a little bit more money to when you're finally removing people from the country that need to be removed uh we put extra money in for Wick at the administration's request about 500 million dollar that brings us up to about 7.6 if I remember correctly uh so we certainly do some things that are good in this bill would we be better off with a negotiated bipartisan product sure but we didn't get there and that wasn't our fault I don't blame my friends on the other side either we were
▶ 0:27:27negotiating that my friend the ranking member was absolutely right about that but you get to the point where if you don't get this done now uh then we'll go through uh a shutdown and frankly if you try to do it in bits and pieces you'll trigger a 1% across the board cut it's better to build the safety net if you will all the way to the end of the fiscal year and get us out of this cycle of having to vote for CRS every two to four weeks Congress does have other things to do it's got a lot
▶ 0:27:57on its plate this year obviously with the reconciliation package uh you know you have other items that you're considering here that are pretty important like being able to extend the time that we can prosecute people for fraud none of those things happen if we don't get out of this sort of you know knee-jerk every few week consideration so this one slightly lowers overall spending takes care of everything has reasonable anomalies in in there uh I mean you know for instance
▶ 0:28:27last year Bill funded the inauguration well why would we leave funding the inauguration in this year's bill there's a lot of changes like that that you just have to make or you'd be literally flushing money down the toilet well thank you Mr colon I just I appreciate and I'm just going to say it again we we fund the toxic exposure for the veterans women infants and children that's that is that's additional money and um in the in the cops grants and um so those are the things I appreciate that you put together a a solid bill
▶ 0:28:58and um and that we'll have the opportunity to work on the full budget as we go into it one point just because again there's obvious confusion here uh look if numbers come down because you take out Congressional add-ons that's not programmatic funding that's not actually year-to-year funding that's for a specific project and we just don't normally do those in CRS so that was the appropriate thing to do so some things that look like they're Cuts it's just money being backed
▶ 0:29:28out for Congressional projects that otherwise would have been there that's it it doesn't affect the Baseline operation of the U you know of the particular agency in question and and Mr Cole I appreciate that explanation because uh we know that you have put together a strong Bill and that you know what you're doing um and so you aren't cutting things that shouldn't be cut so thank you and I yield back Jen lady yields back now recognize the ranking member of the rules committee Mr McGovern for his uh time question questioning and
▶ 0:29:58note that the Gent lady used about 6 minutes and 45 seconds uh do we have time limits now in this committee well what we were trying to do is the chairwoman has indicated that she's trying to get folks a lot closer to the five minutes those inst that goes against the longstanding tradition in committee and so I and and and and when I was and I recall and I'm I'll save this when the gentle lady gets here but when uh I remember presiding over a Rules Committee hearing where she went on for over an hour uh and uh many members
▶ 0:30:28on the other side uh go on for quite some time um and I'd rather stick needles in my eyeballs than have to listen to them but nonetheless this is a place where where uh where debate is preserved right um that's what makes this committee unique and so I want to say right now that I object to any move to try to stifle debate in this committee gentleman's objection is noted okay all right um and um and let me just say to the the gentan who who just Gan who just spoke please forgive us
▶ 0:30:59if our constituents are a little weary of your assurances that Veterans for example don't have to worry um I don't know if you're doing town halls in your District uh but I will tell you that uh there there are L layoffs occurring in the VA as we speak um and veterans are quite concerned about that not not not to mention the number of public servants who don't work in the Veterans Administration who are veterans who are being laid off as we speak speak uh it's a terrible terrible
▶ 0:31:29thing to do to public servants these people have families got to be some decency in the approach to how you reevaluate um how you want to run these agencies but there's no consideration given to them uh and um ranking member deloro aren't C CRS typically worked out in a bipartisan way really that is what the most frustrating piece of this is all about first of all let me make one comment 6,000 veterans have been fired there is in
▶ 0:32:00memo that has emerged saying that another 880,000 were going to be fired so veterans are wearing but one of the things that maybe some folks on this committee may not know about people may not know about is about Advanced funding and what we did with the veterans is to ensure that veterans healthc care because we all passed the pact act all veterans exposed
▶ 0:32:30to toxic uh chemicals Burns Etc you're going to get you're going to get treated for that and specifically in the bill we said that the money would come out of mandatory funding and I won't go into the deliberations but we had a struggle to get the $6 billion in mandatory funding and so we do Advance funding so that the veterans are not at the whim of either side
▶ 0:33:00of of the aisle here we do the similar Advanced funding for Indian Health Services we do that and so why in the bill that the House Republicans put together at the outset had the $23 billion for veterans to guarantee it and now it doesn't have it so I had to really need to make that clear by partisanship has been the Hallmark and I Cate that to my friend from Oklahoma for years we could not get a labor HHS
▶ 0:33:32passed we worked together and we got it done we got it done for the first time in several years we know how to hammer out the differences and that is historic it's not just about chairman Cole and ranking member deloro but in times past we have seen people work through the process process that you come up with the top line and we were
▶ 0:34:02that close to the Top Line and so that the money can be allocated to the subcommittees where then we hammer out and you give some you lose some that is the name of the compromise of the bill and how it works and it has worked we were that close and I will just say this if the rug had not been pulled out from under because Elon Musk
▶ 0:34:32the president and Russ vote head of OMB want a oneyear continuing resolution why because it transfers the power of the spending where it's directed how it is directed what the benefits are what are the consequences if it doesn't go to the people that we represent they they want to control that process and for one as an appropriator
▶ 0:35:03I don't want to see us I want to see us determined members both sides Democrats Republicans because the Appropriations Bill cannot pass without House and Senate Democrats and Republicans saying yes we we make that determination the president signs it and it becomes the law of the land that is Appropriations let us not eviscerate the Appropriations process in this building because the human consequences
▶ 0:35:34to our our our constituents will suffer so I take that to mean that you we not part of drafting this no right okay U chairman Cole can you can you explain um what your bill does with respect to the district of Columbia's local funds with yeah mostly it's flat funding the lower mostly things like uh the inauguration which obviously we wouldn't normally fund the next year so there's not substantive changes at all terms of what DC gets but your own CR
▶ 0:36:05told DC that it was okay to spend at the levels proposed in their FY 2025 budget when you introduced it in September and I understand from ranking member deloro that including the anomaly was non-controversial in the fall uh you continued this Authority in your second si in December until March 14th so why are we turning around today and revoking this Authority when we're halfway through the year well you know it's time to move on and again we've not taken anything out of there the subbly
▶ 0:36:35that affects the day-to-day operation of of Municipal Services here again this is mostly things like we don't have an inauguration again well I I I think it's about more than the inauguration and I mean there are plenty of other anomalies in in the short-term CR here more than 50 of them and it looks like somebody made sure to include full year Provisions to include those partial year decisions I I I see full year Provisions that extend ship building authorities you started in cr1 Provisions that include Road building authorities
▶ 0:37:05in Arlington that you started in cr1 uh and even an anomaly to take care of a study at the Department of Labor that you started in September yet when it comes to DC this bill kind of pulls the rug from under them after they did exactly what the first two CRS allowed them to do and so I guess the question is like why again I as I just answered we took things out that we thought we were done with again we when you write those earlier CRS you thought we would have a deal by
▶ 0:37:35then we didn't and now we're trying just to make sure the government is more or less flat funded minor reductions um redistribution of some of the existing money to cover previous obligations but we just don't see it the way you do that so this is somehow some big hit we just don't think it is r m do you agree that this is just basic basically um making an adjustment to deal with inauguration funds no it is it it is not because the result of what I believe is a 1.1
▶ 0:38:06billion doll uh a cut uh this is really for the district I think it it is the numbers I have DC police will be cut by $67 million police officers will be fired DC's human services will be cut by 28 um million that hinders the district from dealing with the homelessness um uh issues firefighters EMS teachers and other District employees um will
▶ 0:38:37have to go they will be fired right that means that the services that a government entity as providing us no longer has the resources to be able to do that and as you pointed out this was uh this didn't happen with other with other and and again it's an awful lot of money um and this is where we get into the issue of What will what will be sacrificed and that's where we talk about police officers and firefighters and other
▶ 0:39:07essential services to DC I just I just want to say one thing because I think it's worth saying and then I'll I'll close look at DC residents pay an awful lot of taxes uh in fact more per capita than any other state uh many serve in the military they are American uh citizens and they don't even have voting representation in Congress uh it is rotten how they are treated and this bill I see as something that just kind of piles on um
▶ 0:39:37DC passed a budget for this fiscal year a Balan budget I might add but now Republicans are blowing up their budget with no warning and I think it will it will impact safety cops firefighters teachers uh and I think it's shameful and regrettable and I think if we had a truly bipartisan collaboration on this C I mean I really and I and I I don't believe Mr Cole because I know you very well that you would have done this on your own actually if I may we invited Democrats to
▶ 0:40:08participate in the anomalies process and they chose not to do that I mean I said publicly and privately and we were told look we've been told not to participate yeah so I can't control if somebody won't show up no no no no one told us not to participate that is that's what I no well I don't know I was told didn't hear okay but certainly not we did offer to you know and and the decision was made not to do that so
▶ 0:40:38it's it's hard to be accused of take not taking into consideration well when you're looking at a one-year continuing resolution what result is to provide a blank check a blank check to the um uh Elon Musk and to president Trump is and to remove and eviscerate the authority of the Appropriations
▶ 0:41:08Committee and I don't again look that's that's inhouse and why any appropriator would want to turn over responsibility to the executive certainly I don't and will not so why would I be complicit in an effort that would do just that no and I I hear you I just again say that I think if we had a bipartisan process here a lot of the stuff we talking about regular a lot of this stuff
▶ 0:41:38with regard to DC and some of the other issues that I mentioned in my opening statement I think would have been resolved I I because I I believe we could have resolved them and I yield back gentleman yields back and now recognize Mr Roy for his time for questions thank the chairman thank the witnesses for appearing um just to clarify here so the American people kind of know what we're dealing with my colleagues as well as we head into this and and and established the rule for the debate tomorrow overall spending is basically
▶ 0:42:08Frozen is that right it's basically billion but that's out of 1.6 65 trillion dollar you know kind of total so yeah it's down a little bit but not a lot and effectively statistically speaking it's flat or Frozen it's down 7 billion is that a fair characterization a fair characterization um number two defense spending is up slightly like half billion and half billion about 1.7 of that is pay raises that had already been committed to okay and then the
▶ 0:42:38ndd portion is down but that is reflective portion I'm sorry non-defense discretionary is down but that is reflective mostly of what I would call ear marks yeah what you call ear marks politically correct I would call Community projects right um then number so and those so those uh you know directed spending or whatever the politically correct term is for ear marks those are not a part of this so that number is down um this is not a multi-page
▶ 0:43:08Omnibus Bill at the last minute this is a 99 page continuation we we had U I want to be careful here I don't want to step on any of our authorizers toes we certainly had lots of requests to put stuff on and I as I told my friends Don't You Remember December there was only 130 pages in that CR and that disaster relief bill they put a lot of other stuff on we didn't allow that to happen so it's it is fewer than 100 pages about 99 I think it's 99 and it is a full
▶ 0:43:39year if you will uh continuing resolution full fiscal year to take us through September 30th which at this point is basically a six-month and change extension correct it is a um it is also true right that we will have we had the full 72 hours to review this text Saturday before we vote um it is also true that the veteran spending goes up correct correct there's additional funding for veterans correct it is also true that there's about a half a
▶ 0:44:09billion dollars a little less than in additional support for ice is that correct that's correct uh and that is critically important at this moment while the president is trying to clean up what was a dis disastrous open border situation um it is also correct that air traffic control funding is up is that correct correct it is also true that crop insurance is extended is that correct correct in in most categories yes it is also true that as um Doge
▶ 0:44:39through Elon and those working with with with Elon that they are identifying um a uh waste Fraud and Abuse and concerns in the spending process whether it's duplicat Social Security numbers whether it's uh extraordinary expenditures expenditures under usaid such as a 3 $22,000 transgender comic book in Peru or a play in uh I think Ireland or whatever good down the list of all these expenditures that they're identifying these things and then to the extent they have power through the executive
▶ 0:45:10branch limiting those expenditures or if you're for example the Secretary of State ending certain contracts under usaid while they review that spending and to to the point of the ranking member that all of this input that we're getting from that review through the algorithms looking at the expenditures through treasury will be able to report it back to Cong will be able to take that into account in the Appropriations process for FY 26 which we have now 6 months to complete that's that's correct you know we thought it would be too soon to do anything like that you haven't had a chance to verify or
▶ 0:45:40hear and so the appropriate place would be the FY 26 bills Andor a recision package if if that was the approach that the administration in Congress chose to you know use and is it not true that we are well into that window uh in which we need to be moving to achieve Appropriations for FY 26 with the with the chairman of the Appropriations Committee agree that we're at that point where we need to be getting the budget uh from the from the administration um operating under our budget
▶ 0:46:10and executing with the levels that you need to have in place for the Appropriations process so that we can move to get uh to the best of our ability the 12 bills passed uh do you agree we should be moving on that with dispatch I absolutely do I would add and I'd say this and I said this this uh with President Biden any new Administration has a long hard time meeting the deadline to submit a budget which is actually middle of February so we're still waiting and we have to have that but we're waiting we wait on every Administration they don't have
▶ 0:46:40an OM director at that point they don't have a Secretary of Treasury the President should have been able to count on full funding through September 30th of this year and not worry about that uh but you know he didn't get that he didn't get it in 2017 either and I'm not casting St but that's a congressional bipartisan failure in my view if we'd had gotten our work done last year when we should have we wouldn't be having this meeting here today we'd had a budget that was already running through so and I can I can Heap
▶ 0:47:10lots of blame I will tell you our committee did its work it got all of its bills out in a timely fashion we could have voted on all 12 we voted on I think seven five of them passed most of the money got through uh but Congress needs to get it act together and and and I'm very critical of Congress on that on both sides the committee didn't fail the product was ready to go to the floor we just couldn't get them all to the floor uh and couldn't get them across the floor quite frankly and you know as
▶ 0:47:41disappointed as I am there I will point out on the other side we don't get to do things by ourselves in the house there is a United States Senate they didn't pass one of one Appropriations Bill last year uh and matter of fact they had passed one we actually could have had a conference and could have opened up and dealt with all of them on that basis but the didn't kick out a single Appropriations and just to underscore that this is really important the house passed five Appropriations bills in this cycle FY 25
▶ 0:48:11last year correct correct uh the previous year we passed seven is that correct and the Senate uh under Democrat leadership uh under each of those times now obviously this this fiscal year is now transitioned to Republican leadership but we're only a mere what six weeks eight you know whatever eight weeks into that so to be clear for the American people we passed five bills and had and do we have all 12 out of committee yes we had all 12 out of committee five off the floor we had all 12 out of committee the previous year all 12 before the August break too right and
▶ 0:48:41we had all 12 the previous year including seven off the floor correct correct and did the Democrat controlled senate pass one single Appropriations bill either time you know I can't remember the first if they passed one or not I know they didn't last year okay but I don't I don't think they did but I can't remember for well I think that's right and I know I'm pushing up on time I appreciate it I think um I think this is a responsible step forward and I know look I've got some on my kind of more moderate flank and my conservative flank that have concerns um and a lot
▶ 0:49:11of people have said well you know we're moving a a full year funding continuing resolution that's not how we should do business well I think that the chairman of Appropriations would agree absolutely I would agree right that's not we would like to have 12 Appropriations bills but we didn't get it done and we didn't get it done in significant part because the Senate refused to pass a single Appropriations bill so here we are and we're trying to clean up that mess and now we can move forward with this bill hold spending roughly flat be able to advance the ca for our defense be able to advance the ca to be able to move the Appropriations bills for
▶ 0:49:41this year fundings up for veterans funding we've got the extension in for crop insurance uh we don't have any ear marks in there for better or worse some of us think that's a good thing some less so um and we've got a reduction at the best of my understanding in some of the IRS expansion a lot of things that are priorities I think this is a a big step forward and we should now focus on FY 26 and get the Appropriations bill and I I appreciate the testimony the JN I would add if I may y uh we don't do this it shuts down you tell me how that's better whatever your individual concerns
▶ 0:50:11are here or there in the bill fair enough but you tell me how a government shut down for no purpose at all to achieve no objective that I can see is better for the American people I just think it's not and to that end I would like ENT ins certaint into the record uh article on the hill Democrats Step Up talk about using shutdown as leverage against Trump with respect to Elon and Doge uh another article uh quoting one of our colleagues Democrat from New York quote if the Senate Democrats don't have the gumption to do what is necessary
▶ 0:50:42at this moment I believe the house Democrats will in the same context of the same article another article talking about the importance of uh uh using shutdown to try to force change among uh Elon without objection areio back document sor admitted the gentleman yields back and now recognize Miss scandin for her time to question thank you and I'll yield some time to Mr mcover I think maybe you guys need get a take a refresher course in arithmetic uh last time I checked you have the majority in the house
▶ 0:51:12and in the Senate and you control the White House the idea that somehow Democrats have the responsibility to pass a a CR or any Bill quite frankly where we don't have any input on um I think is is ridiculous I mean you you run around bragging about this big mandate well put on your mandate pants and pass whatever whatever you want to do and I and I and I think you probably will have the votes because even the so-called principled conservatives who don't like CRS I think they're suffering from a case of Victoria spart syndrome
▶ 0:51:43where on Monday they're are hard no uh and then on Tuesday they're are hard yes uh they'll cave so but the idea that somehow being in charge means that you don't have to take the responsibility of running this place is absurd uh and I thank the general lady for yielding thank you um look for the past year and a half House Republicans have struggled to pass any Appropriations bills rather than negotiating with Democrats and independents and reaching an agreement in
▶ 0:52:13the Middle where most Americans are House Republicans have repeatedly chosen to negotiate only with their most radical colleagues those who are intent upon imposing their own extremist views on the American public and as a result most of this year's Appropriations bills failed to pass the house and none passed the Senate so here we are almost halfway through fiscal year 2025 and Republicans have now given up on trying to pass the
▶ 0:52:432025 appropriation bills at all and instead they're trying to kick the can down the road yet again but once again they failed to do the difficult bipartisan work necessary to produce a budget that works for all of the American people they've refused to negotiate with Democrats to craft bills that can gain votes from across the political spectrum and serve the American people as a whole instead they are seeking to avert a funding crisis
▶ 0:53:14of their own making with a bill which they are deceptively calling A continuing resolution a true clean continuing resolution would continue spending at current levels not not reduce non-defense spending by$ 13 billion a truly clean CR could pass today probably with 350 members voting yes but the bill before us is not a clean continuing resolution this is a partisan Republican
▶ 0:53:44spending Bill drafted Behind Closed Doors by Republicans and only made public on Saturday just days before the government runs out of money this partisan Republican bill makes drastic cuts and reallocations to important Federal programs including health care benefits for veterans um who've been exposed to burn pits or angent orange low-income housing food and agricultural inspections funding for election security and critical government services in our nation's capital
▶ 0:54:15and it gives president Trump and his unelected billionaire buddies free reign to gut or privatize or siphon money from important government services that Americans rely upon like Social Security or the FAA with no oversight or input from Congress that's our article one duty so no this is far from a clean continuing resolution Republicans are trying to force through what is essentially a republican FY
▶ 0:54:452025 Appropriations Bill filled with cuts and policy changes while abandoning congress's responsibility to decide how and why to spend taxpayer dollars Republicans made no attempt to discuss this bill with Democrats and they refused to negotiate its contents if Republicans want our votes they have to negotiate to address our priorities not just their donor's wish lists this bill is filled with policies that would harm our constituents and
▶ 0:55:15if Republicans aren't going to negotiate with us if they're going to jam through this destructive partis bill at the 11th hour then they'd better be prepared to own it and pass it with their own votes so ranking member delaro can you walk us through some of the cuts in this bill that we've heard about already I I think there's been mischaracterization about the funding for the toxic exposure fund which provides additional care to Veterans who suffer from service related conditions what do these Cuts mean for veterans who are supposed
▶ 0:55:45to receive benefits under the pack dech I'm I'm H happy to do that let me make one comment um you said something in your remarks a a funding um of their own making and in defense of the Appropriations process Democrats and Republicans my colleague from Oklahoma my colleagues uh in the in in the Senate from Washington State and from Maine we were prepared to deal with all of this
▶ 0:56:17December in December where we could have come to a conclusion and I don't want to cast aspersions on the appropriators because I know they've consistently been able to come up with a deal it's after those bills have left Appropriations that they become it was the Republican Speaker of the House who would not let us go forward and get it done in
▶ 0:56:47December and pushed it to March 14th and quite frankly maybe some understood there's a wonderful Yiddish word that is mishas that we are really engaged in at the moment here where we are watching and by the way in December if you will recall house senate Democrats Republicans speaker White House came up with a
▶ 0:57:17bill it was in the the last hours that the unchecked billionaire the 00 PB gorilla here parachuted in and said to our Republican colleagues do not vote for bill and we had done all the Appropriations work there and just disrupted that process we we we got through that we
▶ 0:57:48moved to this March 14th date and here we are very close to having someplace and then again because people view this oneyear CR as license and to my colleague Mr Roy I believe said at some point today that this CR would encourage this Administration to keep impounding and you know what impounding is it is stealing the money taxpayers dollars from our constituents taxpayers dollars
▶ 0:58:18that have already been appropriated and signed into law by the president of the United States there may be some people who need to get that little booklet that we give our kids that says how a bill becomes law it's not just a suggestion it is a law and we're flying in in the face of that uh of that effort some of the things that really that I've talked about let me just talk about um uh look fails to lower the cost of housing
▶ 0:58:48we've talked about social security and we're also always we're talking about 7,000 people being let go uh from uh from from Social Security the Army Corps of Engineers again construction projects would be cut by $1.4 billion 44% and again the the president not the Congress would determine all the Project funding levels and who gets the funding housing as I mentioned Cuts rent subsidies by more than $700 million leaving landlords
▶ 0:59:19to foot the bill evict more than 32,000 households um uh we've talked we've talked all about about veterans and you know the defense if you talk to the defense Community they have their hair on fire as a result of looking at a one-year long continuing re uh resolution and let me mention defense for a moment you know the facts are that we went into
▶ 0:59:49negotiations in looking at defense and non-defense and saying the Top Line had to really measure what the agreement was in the fiscal responsibility act as reaffirmed and voted on by the speaker of the house and the um uh and the leader in in the Senate if you look at that 1% in terms of the 2025 negotiations it winds up being a
▶ 1:00:1915 billion doll cut to non-defense and a$3 billion cut defense it's because you have to you have to look at it in J the position against the negotiations that we went into on on this effort 1% 1% that's what the fiscal responsibility act told us to do this body and the leadership of this body reaffirmed that and that
▶ 1:00:49is been pulled back so in fact there is a cut to non-defense and in fact there is a cut to defense as well and there are many others I've got a five-page document that goes through chapter and verse of every area that has been cut short including the NIH including food programs uh including disaster relief my I got disaster relief we supposed to give them 10 billion dollar in December which we didn't do and now
▶ 1:01:19we've already started having floods and hurricanes and the money isn't going to be there for people people who lost their homes or lost their business businesses I won't go through the entire list I don't have time to do that nor will I'd be given the time to do thankk you thank you ranking member you you addressed many of the the cuts that uh my constituents have expressed concern about including cutting 700 million in housing assistance um the failure to fund the toxic exposure fund the
▶ 1:01:49um cuts to employees at the VA and the cuts of 1.4 billion from the Army Corp of Engineers um and and you did mention um that impounding money uh violates um the terms of how bills are passed it also violates the constition Constitution I mean that is we have the power of the purse we pass the laws we determine how the taxpayer funding is to be spent and it may be easier to let musk and the president
▶ 1:02:20um decide unilaterally to cut that but that's not their job and it is unconstitutional you know there a $4 billion really for the the FAA provides a blank check to the E Federal Aviation Administration the amount of4 billion which would enable Elon Musk to direct contracts to starlink and SpaceX these are companies that he owns and it's when it's un the programs are unvetted unchecked
▶ 1:02:50SpaceX employees have borrowed there's no transparency there's no competition or Congressional approval conflict of interest after conflict of interest we of course it's a concern when you have the person who's uh directing all of this activity with direct conflicts of interests and expressing interest in diverting more Federal funding to his own pocket so again that's why the concerns about transparency and lack of congressional oversight and participation
▶ 1:03:21are so serious at this point thank you I yield thank you Miss scan Mr Langworthy you're recognized well thank you very much uh Madame chair chairman Cole welcome back to the rules committee want to also thank the ranking rizzler for joining us here um I want to salute you for your work on this I know you wanted the um Appropriations process to work the way it was intended but the CR um I think is a very sound one uh it's not where I think we all wanted to get to
▶ 1:03:51but uh it will keep the government open and functional um but uh I I wanted to just get your Insight here the CR among keeping almost all funding level also includes important increases in funding for critical areas such as VA Health Care defense and other core Assistance programs is that correct that's correct that is correct uh just there's a lot of misinformation about VA funding you know could you jump into a little more detail on how we
▶ 1:04:21have topped up uh VA funding yeah we've uh given everything that was asked asked for obviously the toxic exposure fund $6 billion dollar there and what we said is we'll deal with 26 in the 26 Bill uh you know um so that seems to be a matter of some contention here but that's what we'll do I don't think uh anybody could be very critical of Republicans Or democrats quite frankly on funding VA I think we've been pretty robust in that over the last
▶ 1:04:51several years gen genuinely bipartisan this bill doesn't stray from that just says let's deal with the 26 problems in the 26 Bill very good well thank you very much chairman Cole I really appreciate the work of the Appropriations Committee and appreciate your time here today and I will yield back thank you very much Mr Langworthy Mr Scott you recognized thank you madam uh chairman Cole this is the fiscal budget
▶ 1:05:22which starts in calendar 24 October the 1st of 2024 is that correct that's correct okay who who was the president then uh President Biden who was in control of the Senate uh Democratic party Chuck Schuman was the majority leader so and and that's I mean when we started this meeting the first words out of the democrat's mouth were this is your fault because you're in control of everything but just factually speaking the Democrats
▶ 1:05:52had the White House and the when this budget should have been done correct that's correct and the only body that moved anything across the floor was this body that's right which moved over 70% of all spending across the floor that's right and you know at some point and uh I make this if one if one house is not functional it affects the other house and what it can do and I promise you the inability
▶ 1:06:23of Democrats to pass a single a single Appropriations Bill last year impacts what we do at some point your own members begin saying well why are we doing all this work why are we voting on all these bills uh they're not moving anything over there you're not going to have a normal conference we're going to get down to one big you know Omnibus spending bill again both Chambers and I say this an institutionalist not as a Republican or Democrat both of them have to do their work and we didn't get all our work done but we
▶ 1:06:53came a lot closer than anybody else involved in the process and the president's not an insignificant player in this I mean nothing's going to become law unless he's overridden on a veto and I think what's happened over the course of time is the Democrats have learned that all they have to do is nothing and then there is a government shutdown and then Republicans historically get the blame for the shutdown whether it's our fault or not and so when we send this bill across the floor tomorrow it will be Schumer shutdown 2.0 if he decides for it
▶ 1:07:23to be because it will be him that uh has decided to shut the government down just as he did in the last Trump Administration so just just one final thing I want to make and I you know uh DC has a balanced budget the state of Georgia has a balanced budget every state in the country has a balanced budget is that correct Mr Cole um I think all but one is required to Yeah by Constitution by Constitution
▶ 1:07:53and that is why why many of us believe that block grants are a better solution because the states Democrats and Republicans have to work together to balance the budget and those decisions are made closer to the people that they affect and so um I think the fact that that that balanced budget amendment is there is all the more reason in the world that we should continue to pursue block grants instead of federal agencies micromanaging
▶ 1:08:24uh the programs at the state can better manage and deliver the services at a lower cost to the people and with that Mr Cole I'll I'll yield the remainder of my time Madam chair thank you Mr Scott Mr Griffith you recognize I have no question well it appears that um we have completed the I'm sorry Ralph I apologize Mr Norman you're recognized thank you Mr Cole glad to have you back in your old
▶ 1:08:54stomping ground Mr Lael while I don't agree with you I admire your your your passion for what you do um and you did a good job explaining it Saturday too in a precise way you know when I I keep hearing bipartisanship why that's not happening and it's not going to happen with some of the outlandish things that y'all are wanting like to take Elon Musk off the job you keep saying I think Mr laia that stealing
▶ 1:09:24I don't think he needs to steal I think he's okay financially he's the richest and I think he made it at the he made a product he wasn't on the government do I think um the fact that you want to one of the things that you want to him to to be limited in what he discovers you make this argument to the American people you make the argument that uh 20 million that he found in US Aid 20 million
▶ 1:09:54went to Sesame Street show in Iraq you make the argument uh 1.22 million for sex change and LGBT activism in Guatemala you defend that uh six 2.5 million to promote inclusion in Vietnam uh 16.8 million for a separate inclusion group in in Vietnam um 20 million for a group
▶ 1:10:25related to a key player in the Russian impeachment hoax 1.1 million to an American LGBT group 500,000 to Politico you make that argument the American people are going to be the final judge of what he's finding and what thank God we've got somebody that's willing to do that now Mr McGovern mentioned there was a mandate there was a mandate uh 77 million people voted to end the four-year misery that your already
▶ 1:10:56had uh 77 million people voted with their with their went to the polls you kept saying you know you can have your own opinions but you can't have your own facts no I got facts the military is being funded an additional $6 billion dollars I think in it CH that's for veterans that's a short two and a half billion so if that's the case if uh the veterans are so upset why is the enrollment uh up
▶ 1:11:26astronomically from what Joe Biden did to this country uh with veterans they were demoralized why uh you talking about bipar was it bipar when he opened the gates to let everybody from every country end and I'll say this uh it was Despicable what happened on the house floor in the state of the union for y'all not to stand for a a cancer patient of a child you not to stand for a uh mother whose child was raped and and killed that that
▶ 1:11:56defies logic and the American people got a front and center stage view of what the Democrat Party has become and it's really sad to be honest with you Mr Norman may I just very quickly respond no filibuster no I would just say to you that I believe that U I think you'd have to agree that uh uh Elon Musk has and I just know one7 billion tied up in China for Tesla he's got millions
▶ 1:12:26of contracts with with China and in other places and listen but it is the fo over these just no no I I'm just saying I look you can differ we can differ on that why would any of us want a unelected individual with serious conflicts of interest with it with the federal government RIT large Starling I'm reclaiming my time we got well you don't want to listen to the made you made your point
▶ 1:12:57he's not taking a salary he's not stealing cuz he doesn't need to steal taiming my time Mr I'll let you talk I'll let you talk let you know but I'm not going to let you I get your thank you Norman said he was reclaiming timea and no one hears when we're talking over each other I gave you time but I'm not letting you filibuster but all I'm saying is uh Americans have had a front row to the damage you did for this country and they they
▶ 1:13:27made their case known and they went to the poll they went on cost of living cost of Liv my time Mr La you can't just interrupt and um chairman Cole this and does this in any way cut medic Medicaid no uh Mr laio mentioned Social Security does it cut Social Security no so it's just deal with those things in Appropriations other than their administrative units it's just wrong they say we're going well maybe it was uh Miss scandin I don't know who said it
▶ 1:13:58but uh the IRS agents that you're bid presidency was going to hire 87,000 he cut it by 20 million dollar that went there 20 billion that uh went to I guess take away the IRS agents were so um you know it's sad we can't have bipartisanship but until until it changes with with what's happened to you is there any way this and I don't like CRS
▶ 1:14:28but this is a conservative CR at the right time at the right place and with what doge is identifying and let you know who's going to be the judge the American people um they are to to stop the momentum now I don't think is is the right thing to do this will pass with only Republican vote votes I think and I just want to commend you for your work done on it and um look forward to uh debating this on the floor and bringing it up for a vote a y back thank you very much Miss Leisure Fernandez
▶ 1:14:58your recognized thank you very much and uh I noted that our uh a good colleague uh was reciting much of what we heard at the State of Union I I need to remember that uh the president started the joint address with a statement that he was the most successful president ever with George Washington coming in second so when a president starts a statement with that then you can sort of guess as to how accurate the rest
▶ 1:15:28of the speech will be uh and I thought that that was uh very interesting I mean he even complained about the transgenic mice as a problem and we need to remember the transgenic mice is how we investigate cancers and other kind of research so the failure to understand the science between some of the long lists that uh was also repeated here I think is interesting to know but we are on this budget and I'm going to give you some
▶ 1:15:58time uh uh representative delore to respond to what uh uh you were not able to speak to with regards to some of this budget and then I'll have a few questions for you thank you I I would just repeat that we have um we're all elected here uh our constituents make a determination of whether or not they think we're doing the right thing or the wrong thing they
▶ 1:16:29they uh they just say okay we're going to elect you or we're going to find someone else and they give you their trust to work on their behalf that's now Elon Musk has not been elected he has no this do G is no Department it's a construct that people have
▶ 1:16:59come up with to give him full Reign to trample the federal government mention Social Security no we don't deal with Social Security we do deal with the administration of Social 7,000 people are going to be let go from the Social Security Administration I hope Congressman Norman that they do not close a
▶ 1:17:29social security office in your District or that there are no weight lines in your District or in anybody's District that no I'm I I've got this no you would not let me please I would love to you have been responding that is and offices and Social Security offices are going to be closed all across this country and I happen to know that individual members are writing to the administration saying oo don't close my social security
▶ 1:17:59office I don't want any wait times I don't want any backlogs make sure that it doesn't happen in my backyard that's happening all over this government and a lot of Republicans are doing that because they're fearful and I would just say this election I you know what I support election results I am not an election denier as so many people on
▶ 1:18:29the other side of the aisle have been deniers but this election was fought over the cost of living people's ability to be able to pay their mortgages put food on the table and do all and and take care of their kids make sure that they they could pay their healthare bills right there hasn't been one one policy that has been put forward by this current Administration that
▶ 1:19:00deals with the cost of living for the American public I apologize to my colle Tak thank you ranking member and I think it really is important to focus on the fact that musk and Trump and this dodgy committee have been trampling on congress's power as well you know the firing of the federal workers the you know firing of the social security officers who have to process the checks it takes people to do this work the firing of the firefighters the closing of the Head Start across our
▶ 1:19:30districts people are mad in fact there's so mad in Republican 6,000 veterans fired the firing of the veterans they're so mad that Republicans have been told don't hold Town Halls because your voters are too mad and the courts are agreeing that it is congress's power not musk who's never been approved by the Senate who's never had we have never had in our history Congress seeming to roll over and give to an unelected billionaire
▶ 1:20:00this kind of power we've never had it no senatorial approval it's not even he's not even been submitted and what's scary is we have these 40 decisions so far courts all over the country Republican nominated judges say no musk can't do this Trump can't do that it's congress's role to decide the power of the purse and it's right here chair Cole I know you know know this really well because you you believe in the process of Appropriations you and I have had these conversations
▶ 1:20:31it's right here all legislative powers here in granted shall be vested in a Congress of the United States and it includes in here further on that is the Congress who shall decide the funding the Levering of taxes the revenue how do we fund the general re re welfare but what we've had is that musk and Trump are doing it and what a CR does as I understand it and this is what you've been trying
▶ 1:21:01to explain to everybody is it gives up congress's control because when you say 99 pages is great what it means is it's only 99 pages and you're not containing the instructions that con Congress always does a long bill is not bad because it explains what congresses wants and we're not doing that now you're giving away congress's power for a whole year and on the veterans
▶ 1:21:31I think it is a problem when we don't Advance fund the pack deck because we did this with IHS because VA Advanced funds because it's not right to have a veteran show up on November 1st and say oh well wait a minute Congress couldn't get its act together they didn't fund us you have that doctor's appointment you deserve to be Advanced funded and that's what's not included and you know why I'm so concerned about not including that $ 22.6 billion for the veterans
▶ 1:22:02is because the Trump Administration keeps insulting our veterans how dare his administration say that our veterans are not fit to serve which is what they've said right and so they don't give us any kind of confidence that they will do it ranking member Doro do you agree that failing to fund the do the advanced funding is indeed a cut from the bipartisan tradition of funding the VA in
▶ 1:22:32advance I would put it this way it reneges on the promise to our veterans because we specifically and again voted in a bipartisan way on that packed act and we specifically said that it was going to be mandatory funding and we dealt with Advanced funding because for whatever the political reason as you pointed out out that veteran may not be able to be helped because we can't agree with and let me just say this to you and I think the chair would agree we
▶ 1:23:02we came to a conclusion because we understood it was the right thing to do we had difficulty in the negotiation because the six billion dollars they wanted have to take it out of non-defense and it was rather than mandatory and we finally got there because reasonable people can come to a conclusion but the 23 billion is not there but what is important is it that was in the Republican bill the
▶ 1:23:32house Republican bill that 23 billion what was there and now it was taken out here and if you think it was tough getting six billion to deal with funds for veterans try getting $23 billion come the next year unless we have agreed to do that now to protect our veterans 6,000 have been fired already let's not lose track of that yeah and and and I want to go to the issue of uh chairman Cole I know that we've talked about many things and I know you love
▶ 1:24:03your beautiful Oklahoma those big Plains uh and you know that you love that land um and I think you'd agree that the federal government was essential to recover following the Dust Bowl correct correct right and so we have been funding the soil conservation service which is now the national natural natural resource conservation service and so I'm concerned because you know I spend time in my rural areas and my farmers
▶ 1:24:33can understand why they're freezing the cryp funds why nrcs is is attacked and we are $30 million from the natural resources conservation service has been rescinded and we're not restoring that no those were programs that were Congressional mandated those were congression Comm no excuse me Community projects those were the monies that were sended not the base budget of the agency uh well I have
▶ 1:25:03here section 784 of the unobligated for project money after project money taken out because otherwise you're paying for the same thing again yeah those are congressional projects that aren't there now so I think that there is two different ways in which the nrcs has been uh the funded have been gone as I understand there's the nrcs the failure of recisions in the community project what but what they are is by not doing those Community projects by not investing in the projects
▶ 1:25:33that the com that the Congress people we are the closest to the people and when we don't do those programs We are failing in Our obligation to Our member to our voters I would to direct funding prefer to negotiate a deal but we're four days away from a shutdown that's going to be a lot worse than any particular item you might disagree with in this if you want to vote to shut down the government feel free you're going to have that opportunity come
▶ 1:26:03tomorrow I'm going to vote to keep the government open that's really the binary choice in front of us right now so again we can and my friend is right we can we leave us to negotiate we generally can get there but this has gone on a long time and my friends brought up a lot of things uh that would restrict Presidential Power that we were not going to accept we told you we were not going to accept it we said that repeatedly and we didn't so but at some point you have to act this is the time to
▶ 1:26:33act you want to shut down a government you have the opportunity to do it I just don't think that's a smart thing to do I I think that the Republicans are in charge of the house senate and the White House so this is their job to keep the the the government open but I'm going to turn it over to disree with that but we'll wait and see what the Senate does because there has to be Democratic participation there saying we control the Senate as long as there's a filibuster saying either side has complete control in the way that you do in the house just not the case so let's wait and see what happens but again a vote
▶ 1:27:04against this bill is a vote to shut down in four days so so I'll let ranking member of the law I would just say is that that that's very that's that's that's you know you know a political statement but the fact of the matter is right now when there was the opportunity to get to that conclusion and we know that we were almost almost there almost there and the fact that then the decision made by the speaker by musk and by Trump was Wo and Russ
▶ 1:27:34vote who is you know a chief imp pounder of them all here has said oh no let's we do better we do better with being able to direct and redirect money if we do a one-year long CR we could have we we we we could have you know we could get there we could do if left us in a very short order get that Top Line deal with that have a short-term CR and finish it up
▶ 1:28:04and do oneye bills which what they do I I I'll speak frankly yeah they put guard rails on the spending we tell we say this is how the money is going to be spent because with the Appropriations Committee and we've hammered it out based on everybody's priorities we hammer it out in those priorities but that then now is being turned over to people who feel that they can uh that they can move forward uh
▶ 1:28:35in a way that is unfettered and I might add again we could have concluded this in December it was a political decision by the speaker of the house to push it to March 14th and this is now where we are and we can do this we can still do it I don't ever give up hope of getting to dealing with one the a yearlong bill that represents the priorities of each and every member of this
▶ 1:29:05body of all 433 34 if it's 35 thank you thank you and I know uh I I I I just want to say in closing it sounds like when we talk about God ways we're actually talking about complying with the Constitution where Congress is saying how we should spend the money and just also in conclusion if this election was about lowering the cost is there anything in this bill that lowers the cost of housing thank you and with that I yield back there
▶ 1:29:35is nothing in this bill that lowers the cost of housing thank you Miss leiser fernandis Mr Jack who recognized thank you madam chairwoman and uh Mr chairman it's good to see you back at the rules committee I I'll start on a lighter note asking if you you miss serving on this distinguished committee I do miss this U I miss my colleague I miss that Splendid unused smoking room right next door but yeah now it's great committee and you're all privileged to be part of it I'm I'm very happy I had the privilege
▶ 1:30:05of doing that well I'd like to First associate myself with your comments as a result to the vote tomorrow it is truly a binary choice we're either funding the government or we're shutting it down we all 432 of us given some of the vacancies have that opportunity tomorrow so very much associate yourself with those comments and your framing but if I could in your opening comments you mentioned that this continuing resolution is very similar to the CR passed 3 months ago in December is that a fair statement that is a fair statement and to the best of your recollection
▶ 1:30:35did any Democrats vote against the CR in December no I think every single Democrat in both Chambers voted for it so to your point just for the record 196 Democrats voted for the CR in December one voted present zero voted against it so if I can ask you chairman Cole why do you sense there's such fierce resistance now well I look I I'm not here to question anybody's motives but uh I think a lot of this is political U I think a lot of it is a reaction
▶ 1:31:06in December to be fair president Trump wasn't president uh so I think a lot of this is directed at him and disagreements they have with what I would consider legitimate exercise of executive Authority U but doesn't change the consequences here I vote you know no vote on a bill shuts down the government pretty simple and whatever your concerns are I think What flows out of that for the American people or whether our soldiers get paid in the field our border control
▶ 1:31:36people get paid our veterans get well we're Advanced funded so we should be okay there but the reality is U you know shutting down the government is not a good tactic not a good thing and uh I just hope members will think about that before they cast their votes tomorrow well I'll just close with a a note put a question I happen to proudly represent more airline pilots than anybody else in our uh country I'm very close to the Atlanta airport my district extends down to Columbus Georgia um so one of the Democrat attacks on this CR that's
▶ 1:32:06certainly frustrated me is that this CR would would result in less safe air travel and I'd love to give you an opportunity Mr chairman to address that false that's a stretch uh when we actually put more money in the FAA and uh look we're very proud and Oklahoma it's not a my districts immediately outside it U all Air Traffic Control is are trained in Mike morone Center there U secretary Duffy just went out there said what a great job they're doing uh and uh
▶ 1:32:37you know again I know he's uh very serious about improving things but there's nothing in here that makes things more difficult there's actually something in here that puts additional resources toward that problem in the interim and then I hope longer term Congress will do more in this area actually we begin began to do that two years ago uh when I had it up though we actually put pretty major increases in the air traffic control system but it takes many years to get us upward but it's actually a step in the right direction
▶ 1:33:07certainly doesn't what will make uh what will make uh air traffic much more dangerous is shutting down the government then you've got air traffic controllers who are not getting paid uh you're you're you're stopping progress so again you can have individual agreement but this is you know you either keep the government open or you don't and uh you know I hope most people will vote to keep it open I agree wholeheartedly will G yield for a moment sure sure thank you very very much I I just want to point out
▶ 1:33:37and I don't know obviously was not present but all of the the news reports have said that there was a very heated conversation between secretary Duffy and uh Elon Musk where he said you are firing my air traffic controllers and I have air uh uh uh crashes and so forth I can't deal with it so the fact is that this the secretary is concerned about the what is going on and somebody
▶ 1:34:07making decisions about the firing wholesale firing of firing of air traffic controllers so the system is not safe because an individual who is unfettered can make a determination to fire air traffic controllers uh in a very difficult period of time thank you well if I may ask ranking member does this CR increase FAA spending from the the last fiscal year what what the this what this does with the FAA
▶ 1:34:38is provide it with a blank check A4 billion blank check that allows musk I don't know if you heard me say this before to direct contracts he can direct the contracts to starlink to SpaceX uh without any requirement for any kind of of transparency causing major disruptions to air travelers all across the country across Florida of commercial airlines forcing the airlines to divert air travel for thousands of Travelers costing thousands and lost Revenue
▶ 1:35:08so it it is a a serious issue with regard to the what we need in terms of a safe uh of uh airs safe airspace and the the Personnel to be able to deliver that thank you than thank you madam chair i y back thank you very much Mr Deo you recognize thank you madam chair thank you ranking member chairman Cole for being here for your testimony appreciate it I will just say
▶ 1:35:38neither here nor there but I I think it's a bit Rich for folks to lecture us about votes on the CR when I don't know 30 40 members of your caucus voted against the CR in December including a near majority of the Republicans in the rules committee um I understand people have different you know intellectual rationals and reasons for their votes on these bills but it's a little Rich to be endure
▶ 1:36:09the elure like we just endured from U one of our new colleagues um who perhaps wasn't aware I don't know if he was here in December but uh wasn't aware that so many of his own colleagues on his side of the aisle voted against the CR but I digress I want to ask you Mr chairman a couple of questions and I missed the debate earlier so just want to kind of level set that I'm understanding this CR correctly the CR increases def defense spending by $6 billion
▶ 1:36:39that's right no it increases by about two and a half two and a half billion correct okay and it cuts funding for non-defense programs and services by 13 not for programs for actually by you know all the cuts are largely uh and I I do not enjoy saying this because I I believe in them but they're Congressional projects they're not programmatic funding I yeah and I I'm not just trying to do a level set I'm trying to understand I think Forks pay
▶ 1:37:09where the cuts were coming from so how whatever you want to call it non-defense programs non-defense correct spending is cut by roughly $13 billion correct the CR does not include 22.8 8 billion in FY 26 Advanced funding for the toxic exposure fund that's correct we think that should be dealt with in the 26 bill got it but it's not included in this bill that's correct okay you mentioned in your cqu with my colleague
▶ 1:37:40uh on the Republican side what's changed since December I think he posed that question to you what what makes the CR different than the last and we've gone through a couple of ways in which it is materially different but of course what also has changed as you well know are the serious concerns that members on my side of the aisle and I believe if I'm not mistaken some members on your side of the aisle regarding the dismantling of federal agencies that the Trump Administration has been engaged in and the The Purge of the federal Workforce and
▶ 1:38:10I take it you are concerned about some of that is that fair to say no I'm not concerned not in this bill when I have concerns I express my concerns are you concerned about doa's activities more broadly for I'm sorry are you concerned about Do's activities more broadly no I'm really not you're not concerned if I can answer the question sure uh no I mean because I think most of these things will be reviewed by cabinet agencies
▶ 1:38:40and will be looked at and I think a lot of this needed to be uh honestly a light shown I think Mr Norman actually listed a number of things that here's why I ask here's why I ask just simply okay you were singing a very different tune a few days ago when Doge announced that they apparently were shutting down multiple Federal installations in your District correct shutting down the office of Social Security shutting down the National Weather Service shutting down the Indian tribal Health Service
▶ 1:39:11not in my district but immediately outside in the state of Oklahoma correct and you were apparently very concerned about doa's activities in that regard so concerned that you according to what you tweeted out earlier this week that you engaged the administration I did with your concerns that sounds very different than what you said a moment ago that you have no concerns that that you're just this is just a spotlight and that doge is doing important work but of course that doesn't apply when they're trying to shut down the Social Security office in your District right correct if I think they're
▶ 1:39:41right look when I was chairman of Labor H we shut down a job core Center in my district sure I'm the chairman so which Social Security off pry easily stop that which sociality offic answer sure uh in that case I thought it was the right thing to do got it I didn't like it I'm a job core supporter I appreciate that but that had underperformed for a lot of years now at the end of the day again I think members you know free to advocate for what they believe free to intervene free to point
▶ 1:40:11out when somebody's wrong so I I'm I'm those I thought they were wrong and I thought I was doing my jobed for you Mr chairman and the people of Oklahoma that you convinced Elon Musk to not shut down the Social Security office in your District Which social security offices should be shut down because apparently they've they published a list Mr Mr let me finish I the courtesy I'll give you the courtesy I'll I'll let me finish my statement they have published a list at least as of last week of 47 different offices Social Security offices
▶ 1:40:41across the country that they intended to shut down you have succeeded and I I look forward to uh hearing more about your advocacy in this Regard in Saving uh the Social Security office in your district and I'm just simply asking should that same courtesy extend to your colleagues from Indiana and from Georgia and from Texas who sit on the dis why why is that office any better than my colleagues on the Republican colleagues on this committee who have offices in their districts if you contact and make your case
▶ 1:41:11then it shouldn't who did you contact I contacted the relevant departments actually did you talk to Mr musk did you who did you talk to at we visited with Doge Representatives as well did that include Mr musk I'm just curious no no not one-on-one what does that mean not one-on-one no I did not talk to him I'm to the staff over there I mean maybe we can publish a guide for every member of Congress about what 24 yearold Doge staffer members should call
▶ 1:41:42to save the Social Security office in their District the way that chairman Cole did that might be something that would be of benefit I think to millions of Americans and their elected representatives here in Washington I you get my point Mr Cole this is no way to run a federal government in my view it should not be simply by virtue of your stature and your position in the Republican party that you're able to convince these folks that your office this division should be saved within your district
▶ 1:42:12and Americans in all these other states the National Weather Center there's only one of them it's not hard to save it because its mission is pretty critical there are plenty of installations there are plenty of facilities across the country that are either one or two or three that are not we're not talking about wide swaths that ultimately are on the chopping block and I'm just simply suggesting to you and I I I I find it hard to believe you don't wouldn't agree with me on this point that that this is no way to run the federal government that essentially we should allow the administration
▶ 1:42:43to unilaterally dismantle different agencies Mass closures Mass purges and then leave it to Republican members of Congress to ultimately call in and and ask for a favor ask for a waiver and uh and and hopefully pull it off for their constitu I made my case well in any event I I if that is the new way in which the federal government will operate I fear for the precedent here during a Brack process or something like that that happens all the time
▶ 1:43:13things get closed people agree or disagree I'm going to I know the ranking member sounded like she wanted to expound upon that I don't know if she would care to respond but talk about that we didn't do with police in the District of Columbia we did that is clear that there is1 Police Services Etc I was just fascinated all all of a sudden that um uh one satellite weather service I believe if you
▶ 1:43:43take a look at project 2025 it calls for the elimination of Noah and the fact is they're moving to the elimination of Noah which it gives us the information that comes from uh the weather satellite so that we know what to do I just want to make this you know uh this point it's it's true people it well I I said earlier and and Mr nushu we're not here and I I'll I'll deal with the um uh uh Army Corp projects
▶ 1:44:13cut by 1.1 1.4 billion and now with this oneyear CR we put those projects where they go how much funding they get into the hands of musk and Trump president Trump I said I don't want to be disrespectful and uh vote what funding is there so if you happen to be high in the pecking order you can call and say whoa my project needs to get
▶ 1:44:44done my project needs to get done this one needs to get done depending on where you are in the pecking order of this body or this institution okay however it's then the it's no longer in the prerogative of all of us making a determination Democrats and Republicans House and Senate making the determination of that level of funding and which projects get funded it's in our hands and that's what we're talking
▶ 1:45:14about is giving all of that up giving that up why I don't get it one more final comment look at I say to my Republican com colle if you want to send legislative proposals to the Congress for deliberation go ahead then members can vote whether they want to shutter offices or they want to cut funding it is really unlawful to do this unilaterally and that is what is happening here
▶ 1:45:44that is what musk and president Trump are doing it is unilateral we should be so strong to stand up and say no no and in terms of shutting the government down if you don't want to negotiate if the speaker says no it's it's this way or the highway then that makes it where the shutdown decision is made not on the other side of the aisle I I couldn't agree more uh with the ranking member
▶ 1:46:15and I would just simply say we live in a constitutional republic in which the American people elect represent representatives to this body to make decisions with respect to funding the government and the notion that now members are left to petition unnamed new special government employees in a new Department of governmental efficiency to decide whether or not a social security office is going to stay open
▶ 1:46:45in their District to decide whether or not the National Weather Service which has a facility in my district whether Noah which has a large facility in my district will be on the chopping block that is not in my view consistent with of course past president but fundamentally the spirit of the Constitution and the separation of powers and I I think it's unfortunate and deeply disheartening that so many of my colleagues on the other side of the aisle I think have taken
▶ 1:47:16what is very clearly a short-sighted view and this assumption that their majorities and uh you know the the political being what they are that that will last forever and there won't come a day in which there is a Democratic president in a democratic house or Senate and you will be living under the precedent that you have tragically created there's still time in my view to back the time for doing that would be now but in the meantime I know there
▶ 1:47:46are a few offices uh I was just reading this a moment ago in looks like in Elizabeth City Franklin green Greenville and uh ronic Rapids North Carolina four Social Security offices closing so you know maybe chairman Cole you can give us the the 20-year-old do staffer that you talk to give us their contact information so perhaps the chairwoman can call them and petition president Trump to to save those four offices among the other 47 Social Security offices that are being dismantled across the country I yield
▶ 1:48:16back thank you Mr nus Miss howchin you're recognized thank you madam chair I'd like to yield uh some time to the gentleman uh from Texas Mr Roy I I think my friend from Indiana and I just quickly U chairman Cole to be very clear there are about to the best of your knowledge about 1,200 social security officers across the country does that sound about right to you it sounds about right and and so the those various field offices and so forth and so there's recommendation here to uh potentially I don't know the full report yet of
▶ 1:48:47you know relocate or shut down or move or transition to other places 40 or 50 of those offices um your point if I take it put words in your mouth is that any member of Congress in our elected capacity can go engage with the executive branch to say what we think the administration the government should look like and and have some input as to whether something's impacting our district correct is that what happened correct and so to the extent that they're trying to figure out whether or not there's efficiency to be made is the gentleman um aware and can he share and shed light on the fact that Social Security is
▶ 1:49:17slated to be bankrupt 2032 I certainly can I mean uh s sadly um and this is something probably my ranking member and I do agree on uh most people think we're The Big Spenders around here you know we have in 1981 when our mutual colleague the dean of the house Hal Rogers arrived here the Appropriations Committee appropriated 45% of the budget 99.8% of the gross national product today we appropriate 26% of the budget and
▶ 1:49:486.4% so we've actually lowered our share of spending on discretionary items uh it's really the uh growth of entitlement programs which is driving spending and Social Security currently will be underwater come 2032 if we don't take action is that correct I think uh I think the interest rates have extended it to 2033 33 so and then La last question on this point I think it merits a a a focus and consideration is the president of the United States is in fact the chief
▶ 1:50:18executive correct yes Congress appropriates funds which effectively means it's a ceiling right that's kind of the Core Essence of the anti- deficiencies act so forth that you can't allow them to be able to go forth so corporations are saying look here are the dollars but to the extent like the the without getting into the Weeds on on concepts of empowerment and otherwise which refer another conversation it is not new right it dates back to founding days Jefferson for example on impoundment it is not new for the president United States
▶ 1:50:48to make decisions about how best to carry out the Appropriations that we appropriate the chief executive has latitude to make determinations about that um to the extent not very specifically prohibited otherwise that be General characterization no that that's look there's constitutional implication here that I expect will be figured out in the courts but to say that you don't have authority look we we Grant routinely any executive reprogramming Authority right move
▶ 1:51:19money from here to there it's done all the time so if the the executive comes back and says either conditions are changed or you may not have known about this we look at it and say yes or no so and and we Grant some of that Authority unilaterally but you know it's again U I don't think saving money is a bad thing to do I think that's probably one of the responsibilities I think the chairman I'll yeld back to thank you uh Madam chair um I don't I don't necessarily have any questions at this
▶ 1:51:49time but I just want to make something clear house Republic ANS are leading trying to keep the government funded um what we continue to hear from the other side is fear-mongering and grandstanding it's really rich one of my colleagues said it's Rich that we had Republicans vote against a CR and that we're lecturing them I think it's Rich that the Democrats think they are the only ones allowed to give lectures around this building um we've also heard that this is no way to run the the government
▶ 1:52:19I I argue that that it's not a way to run theed federal government driving us $36 trillion in debt and we've got to start to turn the fiscal trajectory around and part of that is eliminating waste Fraud and Abuse that's not going to do uh the entire 36 trillion but if we can save uh and stop wasting uh and fraudulently spending and abusively spending tax dollars I think that we should try to do that I don't think we should continue to fund a bloated bureaucracy
▶ 1:52:50um I think it's clear that the Democrats don't don't like President Trump they don't like Doge uh they don't like Republicans they don't like being out of power um so I fully support the continuing resolution I want to commend chairman Cole for his leadership and advancing the legislation despite the Democrats attempts to sew chaos and dysfunction this CR is about governing responsibly by keeping the government open ensuring our military remains fully funded our border security
▶ 1:53:20efforts continue and hard earn taxpayer dollars are spent wisely Democrats uh spread fear and obsess over Doge this legislation continues funding and investments in roads Parks water projects infrastructure research and countless other core Services it includes fully funding the largest Junior enlisted pay raise in over 40 years the most significant increase since Ronald Reagan it resends $20 billion in funding provided to the IRS under the inflation reduction act and nearly 10
▶ 1:53:50billion in funding from the Department of commerce's non-recurring expenses fund it includes 6 billion in mandatory funding for the toxic exposure fund to fully meet veterans Health Care needs it provides $425 million for the commodity supplemental food program to deliver food packages to low-income senior adults and $7.6 billion do for the supplemental nutrition program for women infants and children as requested by the administration this continuing resolution provides the Department of Defense with additional
▶ 1:54:20resources and tools necessary to counter International Terror threats by increasing defense discretionary spending by $6 billion while cutting non-defense discretionary spending by $1 13 billion additionally Republicans are providing certainty to American patients and health care providers by extending expiring healthare programs until the end of fiscal year through this legislation uh if Democrats choose to vote for a government shutdown out of their contempt for president Trump they are readying to hurt millions of Americans
▶ 1:54:51it's a battle they previously lost to to the American people but they're refusing to accept under President Trump's leadership we're restoring law in order economic strength and National Security uh Democrats would rather push fear tactics and than and shut down threats than support this measure that prioritizes the American people House Republicans continue to support president Trump's agenda and are delivering results not chaos I urge my colleagues to support the resolution and continue
▶ 1:55:21the fight that 77 million of millions of Americans voted for I want to thank chairman Cole again for his work I will close by just asking the chairman if he'd like to add anything uh that we haven't asked you here today thank you very much but no it's been a long hearing I think you probably heard enough from me so I'm more than happy to leave when you're ready to excuse me thank you madam chair I y'll back thank you Miss howchin uh I don't want to prolong this meeting too much uh but I want to
▶ 1:55:52associate myself with the comments from Miss hin and from my colleagues who have already spoken I think fear-mongering is really um uh a tame word to say what has gone on here today um from our colleagues across the aisle it's it's worse than fear-monger and I hope nobody I'm glad we're not being uh um shown on on C-Span because anybody wants to learn something about
▶ 1:56:23Civics in this country and the laws in this country sure we get a distorted picture of it um I I do want to um to make to ask um to make one quick um sort of uh affirmation of one thing Miss howchin said um it we're when we present facts we are not lecturing we are bringing the facts out and I think that that's what we've done
▶ 1:56:53I do want to ask the chairman a question um a lot has been T made of the fact that um the in the veterans toxic exposure fund you've mentioned that money for FY 26 was not included in this continuing resolution as evidently it has been in others is that correct that's correct and is there any money for FY
▶ 1:57:2326 in any of the other line items here uh boy you're asking a big question uh it's not as a rule yeah no it's unusual when we do these things but uh again certainly not unprecedented no by and large this is money for 25 okay and and that's what we should be putting out in this to be appropriate correct in in my view yes but
▶ 1:57:53look I also put stock in the argument that my friends have made at certain critical Services usually you like to forward funds so they're not at risk Indian Health Services do well I worked hard to get that I know but I'm saying but Indian Health Services in advance some other V programs are Advanced F I hear you to answer and I may be incorrectness think the rest of veterans is forward funded this is a kind of moving Target it's a you we're having a hard time getting our
▶ 1:58:24hands around exactly how severe this problem is did we get a rush of of uh cases that uh at the beginning because there's relatively new benefit but again that's that's an appropriate thing for the Appropriations Department of work look I I voted for the pack act so I certainly want to make sure it's well funded and we will over the course of our normal deliberations and and I think again it's important to talk about on March 9th 2024
▶ 1:58:54President Biden signed into law HR 4366 Consolidated Appropriations act 2024 then on March 23rd 2024 another Bill signed by the president um and then uh that got us through December 20th and then on December 20th we passed HR U to take us through uh March
▶ 1:59:25those were not unlawful things that were done this has been categorized as an unlawful act by the House of Representatives by our colleagues so were all of these continuing resolutions unlawful Mr chairman no they're lawful they're certainly within the authority of Congress they're not the preferred method preferred method which I think we all would agree on is 12 bills done in full on time our committee produced that product uh out of
▶ 1:59:55the committee before the August Break um and you know and we you I'm not saying we did a great job in the house but we did a better job in the Senate which didn't pass a single bill got them across so it's something clearly we need to work on and and some you know we ought to think about that again my colleague and I agree on this I wish we' got this done before President Trump became president uh you know he shouldn't have had to be worried about this
▶ 2:00:25he shouldn't I mean we should have been funded through September 30th we didn't get that done I would like to stay within five minutes if I could and I want to point out that section seven oh let me make sure I'm in the right um I'm in the right place of article one section 7 this is where the the issue of we have the power of the purse comes up all the time and I think sometimes
▶ 2:00:55people have to be reminded of exactly what this says it says all bills for raising revenue shall originate in the House of Representatives but the Senate May propose or concur with amendments as on other bills every bill which should have passed the House of Representatives and the Senate shall before it become law be presented to the president of the United States so there's Mis Mis is representation of the
▶ 2:01:26role of the house in some people wanting to say we have total control over how the money is spent that is not true that is just like every other Bill the bills have to go to the Senate and then be signed by the president so I want to thank I want to thank the chairman and the ranking member would being here today and I yield back my time can please read Anon Scalia on the power of the purse
▶ 2:01:56where it goes judge Scalia was not actually a liberal flaming liberal activist he opined on this we thank the panel for being here and you're excuse thank you who god let's misread the Constitution as well is my
▶ 2:03:20e e
▶ 2:04:01and now welcome our second panel representative Carrie and representative Davis who's a long suffering set through the other hearing from the committee on ways and means your full statement will be submitted for the record and we ask you summarize your statement in five minutes representative Cary I welcome your testimony thank you chairwoman uh Fox and ranking member McGovern for considering HR 1156 the
▶ 2:04:31pandemic unemployment fraud Enforcement Act um an HG an HJ resolution 25 my joint resolution disp disproving and of also repealing the last minute defi broker Rule Last Congress the Ways and Means Committee held a series of hearings to examine fraud in Co era unemployment insurance programs what we actually discovered was shocking instead of going to support workers
▶ 2:05:01and their families during the crisis this money was being stolen by organized crime groups including street gangs foreign-backed International scammers using large scale sophisticated identity theft schemes we also learned that some of these same groups are continuing to perpetrate UI fraud targeting disaster unemployment assistance fraudsters are also filing claims on behalf of individuals impacted by the California
▶ 2:05:32fires and the North Carolina floods when then using the money for their criminal activity according to the government estimates between 100 and 135 billion of UI benefits were stolen during the pandemic outside estimates range as high as 400 so far the government has only recovered about 5 billion as we sit here there are over a 157,000
▶ 2:06:02open fraud UI hotline complaints and more than 1,600 ongoing fraud investigation this is a must-pass bill the statute of limitations expires in 17 days on March 27th if we do not extend it the criminals who stole money from the pockets of tax taxpayers will get away with it and continue to Target American citizens and Rob our programs uh this legislation was W widely supported by federal law enforcement agencies
▶ 2:06:33um across the States including the pandemic response accountability committee the Department of Justice and the National Association of State Workforce agencies I ask that you join them in supporting this legislation whether there is still time so that we can show American people that Congress is serious about protecting their hard-earned tax dollars I'd also go on to um the crypto CR rules I want to say thank you again to the chairwoman and the ranking member for considering my joy resolution
▶ 2:07:03disproving of and repealing the last minute defy broker rule this Common Sense resolution has broad bipartisan support and I say that because as evidenced the Senate last week there were 51 Republicans and 18 Democrats and one independent who voted for it the the the defi broker rule is not only unfair to American digital asset holders and entities but is also unworkable given the structure of the
▶ 2:07:34exchanges if allowed to go into effect the defi broker rule will place a massive burden on the approximate one in four Americans today who actually own cryptocurrency and on the IRS which will be responsible for processing billions of new tax filings the IRS also does not have the authority to issue this rule while the rules stem from Specific Instructions in the 2021 infrastructure law nowhere in that law did Congress give the IRS the power to
▶ 2:08:04set invasive reporting standards for individual digital asset holders and software platforms that support defi digital asset transactions yet that's exactly what the IRS did the laws Congress passed should be interpreted and implemented fairly not used as to prevent uh gain more control over taxpayers in the economy not only is it unfair to the American workers and companies but it's also just doesn't work as mentioned defi Brokers don't collect
▶ 2:08:34the information from the users needed to implement the rule and even if it were possible to comply with the regulations defi exchanges would need to spend billions of dollars to alter their business models and to meet the IRS reporting requirements essentially destroying the industry so by all appearance this rule is a solution in search of a problem it dos Americans Competitive Edge in the cryptocurrency and digital asset markets and it
▶ 2:09:04places a significant burden on taxpayers and the platform providers that would ultimately the digital asset industry I appreciate your consideration for this bipartison resolution for a vote on the house floor and I look forward to answering any questions thank you Mr Cary Mr Davis recognized thank you very much chair Fox ranking member of MCG govern and members of the rofes committee I speak today in opposition to the two bills
▶ 2:09:35as reported by the committee on Ways and Means HR 11156 and hjr 25 I also speak in support of my amendment to HR 1156 with regard to HR 1156 Democrats have fought to give the Department of Labor Inspector General roig all the tools it needs to prosecute criminals who stole
▶ 2:10:05from our unemployment insurance system during the pandemic both resources and time to investigate and prosecute that's why I am so disappointed by the majority CH to to advance a partisan bill that could put both fraud fighting and our constituents at risk instead of working with us on a bipartisan basis this bill would
▶ 2:10:35give the oig five additional years to file charges for alleged fraud whether the charges are against a criminal mastermind who use stolen data to steal millions of dollars all against a struggling parent who accidentally overpaid by an overworked worker State Employment system on January 24 president Trump illegally fired Larry
▶ 2:11:05Turner who had L the oig and securing convictions and over $1 billion in code restitution his firing opens the risk that the powerful tool could be abused to enable four years of harassment for our constituents by people like billionaire Elon Musk who has been aggressively snooping in our most
▶ 2:11:35confidential databases and making unsubstantiated allegations of fraud against Social Security recipients and American workers in addition to the risk of mus harassment this bill would cut a small but important source of anti- fraud funding at the Department of Labor Democrats have offered several compromises to support fraud prosecution
▶ 2:12:06while uring it is not abused Mr Thompson offered an amendment to strike the fraud fighting cut Miss Chu and M delbin offered an amendment to extend the stue of limitations for 6 months but make the remaining exension contingent on having a senate confirmed Inspector General I've filed an amendment with Representatives Chu Moore Evans and
▶ 2:12:36Gomez to limit the extension to cases with an expected recovery of at least $100,000 which is the standard the IG and prosecutors have been using as a safeguard against abuse under new leadership adoption of these amendments would make HR 11156 a bill that I and other Democrats could support
▶ 2:13:06I hope my colleagues will reconsider their insistence on a partisan path for this bill regarding house joint resolution 25 all taxpayers are required to pay tax when they s Securities at a gain when Congress passed its infrastructure bill 2022 it included as a payall bill that required IRS reporting for
▶ 2:13:38transactions this type of reporting is essential to ensuring that taxpayers voluntarily comply to meet their tax obligations hjr 25 would remove the portion of the Biden regulations that pertain to decentralized exchanges to do so would leave a huge gap in these reporting requirements in fact The Joint Committee on taxation
▶ 2:14:08estimated that the US Treasury will lose $4 billion as a result of this bill as I look at this bill I believe that it weakens the Internal Revenue Services is ability to detect and reduce cheating and by bolstering decentralized exchanges which are far less regulated than other exchanges I believe that it has the potential to Aid nefarious criminal activity
▶ 2:14:39such as sales of fenal and human trafficking in short this is an unpaid for $4 billion giveaway to wealthy crypto Traders with the potential for side effects that are much worse for these reasons I do not support this Bill thank you madam chairman and back um thank you very much Mr Davis um
▶ 2:15:10representative Carrie um I begin by turning to the CRA before us as you know the irs's rule is being challenged because it expands Beyond The Authority that Congress granted it in the largely partisan infrastructure law passed by Congress in 2021 and you said that in your opening comments but despite what our Democrat colleagues might say this isn't a binary issue is it if we repeal the rule couldn't congress come back to the table on this
▶ 2:15:40issue on a bipartisan basis and work to find a solution to addressing tax avoidance in this digital space you you're correct the CR the CRA uh just does not um give the Trump Administration the authority to address tax avoidance in the digital space digital assets space at all okay it simply nullifies the last minute Biden rule however by repealing
▶ 2:16:11the defi broker rule the Trump administ Administration could attempt to issue new rules to address tax avoidance in the digital asset space right and it would really focus on what needs to be focused on here so the intent of the provision of law that authorize this rulemaking was supposed to be a revenue generator is that correct that's correct but in fact we expect the burden placed upon the IRS to eat much of the 10 billion tax Gap
▶ 2:16:41that this rule is trying to close is that correct that is correct and this comes on tops of billions of dollars projected for industry compliance as that correct that's correct and now I'll turn to HR 1156 I'm honestly a bit shocked to see this legislation to come to this committee on a partisan basis I'd expect Democrats to be supportive of this ongoing effort to recover funds from outright fraud but here we are can
▶ 2:17:11you tell us about the universe of ongoing fraud cases and why this extension of statute of limitations is so desperately needed Madam m chair um as we sit here the Department of Labor and I said in my opening statement has over 157,000 UI fraud hotline complaints in the Department of Justice reports more 1,648 of them are open and uncharged criminal matters it's pretty big numbers
▶ 2:17:41um so uh the IG didn't seem to do a very good job of getting to this money that had been taken illegally correct that that's correct I mean these are sophisticated fraud schemes involving gangs Russian Mobsters China Chinese government link Hackers from Nigeria really all the American taxpayer expense um and um we've had the devastation of hurricane Helen
▶ 2:18:12and um we know that people have applied for disaster unemployment through FEMA and the Department of Justice in North Carolina disaster information have warned of potential scams how much do we know about continuing fraud in these programs well we know that this is still happening as you just pointed out and it's the same with the fraud STS that are committing the UI fraud during the same pandemic um particularly in North Carolina flood victims to claim disaster unemployment assistance as Witnesses at one
▶ 2:18:42of our hearings in February actually told us directly it is the same groups that are doing the same things using the same Playbook this bill would provide more time to prosecute criminals and stop the cycle of fraud uh thank you Mr Carrie uh Mr McGuffin Mr Davis did you want to add anything well the only thing that I would say U is that Democrats are unequivocally and without a doubt interested in waste Fraud
▶ 2:19:12and Abuse and collecting every penny that is due the federal government from tax pay payers however we're not interested in individuals small taxpayers who may have been overpaid or may have filled out a incorrectly and the bill that we're really talking about is based upon the recommendation
▶ 2:19:43from the fired Inspector General and while you can always do better but 1,400 convictions 1,400 convictions is not a bad record and and and you can always do more but you can do more with more and if we continue to Fire and get rid of the individuals who can do the job then
▶ 2:20:13of course we know that you're not going to collect as much and you're not going to be as effective well I think you're a m are are reasonable and I'm surprised that uh my Republican friends didn't jump at the opportunity to actually be bipartisan but I think we see a pattern that is developed here uh that if they could avoid bipartisanship at all costs they do uh and I think that's what is happening with the Contin resolution which we shouldn't call a continu resolution because it's not a continu resolution
▶ 2:20:44U it's a very partisan uh Bill uh that uh is 99 pages long not a continuation of just what we had going before but in any event um I will will'll offer your amendment in in the rules committee and um and uh but again I I think this place will work a lot better if there's um if there was a commitment to bipartisanship U and not just take it or leave it but anyway thank you very much we always hold out hope there's still time
▶ 2:21:14and there's still possibility and so we hope that we can do by part worked and that's what we attempt to do as much as possible so we still have hope that it could happen you back thank you Mr M M fish thank you and I just want to say thank you to you both for being here tonight and um and thank you in particular Mr Cary for bringing um in particular HR 11 what is it 1156 forward because I do think it it's an important
▶ 2:21:44part of the work that we do protecting taxpayer dollars but as we are looking forward um we are trying to make sure that we get at the waste Fraud and Abuse and so it's incredibly important and um don't have any questions but thank you both and thank you again I yield back thank you Miss gandin you're recognized thank you madam chair you know first I I expect that everyone sitting on this dasis against fraud waste or abuse in the federal government and we should do everything that we can to go after folks who abuse
▶ 2:22:15the pandemic Assistance programs to take money that was meant for people actually in need but you know in the last two months president Trump has fired nearly all of the top civil servants tasked with identifying that waste and fraud if our our Republican colleagues were serious about going after fraud waste and abuse they wouldn't remain silent while Trump fires the government's inspectors General including the Inspector General whose job it was to go after fraud in the pandemic
▶ 2:22:45uninsurance uh unemployment insurance program as well as those who had written reports exposing abuse and misconduct by Elon Musk companies and the Trump Administration and if Republicans were sincere about going after fraud they wouldn't have cut funding for the Department of Labor's office of Inspector General which led to layoffs of the civil servants whose jobs it was to bring cases against people who defrauded the pandemic unemployment insurance program he can't go on TV and
▶ 2:23:15say you're against fraud but not also be against politically motivated fire ings of the people who are responsible for policing that fraud you can't have it both ways so by the same token I am deeply skeptical of the Republicans Congressional review act resolution that would nullify rules that help ensure that crypto investors pay the taxes that they owe I agree with the chairwoman's suggestion that Congress should regulate this space we can and should
▶ 2:23:45debate the proper regulatory scheme for stable coins and crypto assets we should debate the right amount of taxes to collect we should debate the rates for the capital gains tax and the corporate profits tax and when we've determined the proper regulatory scheme we can repeal this oversight tool if it's no longer useful but until then we shouldn't make it easier for people to break the law defraud Americans and evade their tax obligations nullifying this rule will make it easier for crypto
▶ 2:24:15investors who of course famously include the president and Elon Musk to skip on their tax bills and there's a mountain of evidence that crypto assets are explicitly being used to evade taxes and in many cases to launder the proceeds from illegal activity we should be scrutinizing crypto exchanges more not less especially when we see story after Story linking these exchanges to the laundering of funds used by organized crime and Drug traffickers the CRA is bad
▶ 2:24:46policy I hope we can redirect our Focus to bipartisan reforms to promote Innovation and counter illegal uses of crypto assets I yield back gin Mr Roy you recognized a y thank you Miss leiser Fernandez you know I would just note that Republicans keep saying we need to cut spending for
▶ 2:25:16Farmers hungry kids veterans all all kinds of important programs especially programs that impact Rural America they said we have to cut all this funding so we can cut the deficit but I just want to note for the record that the so-called party of fiscal responsibility is going to overturn a regulation and in doing so would increase the deficit by an estimated billion so they're going to help out
▶ 2:25:47the boys and in doing so cost the taxpayers billion uh and they're going to do so saying Oh but you know we can't really help those hungry kids we can't really help those people on Medicaid uh you know that Health Care from veterans well that's too expensive but helping out the crypto Bros who I might know gave million in donations
▶ 2:26:17to Trump's Inaugural Committee cuz with this Administration you really always just have to follow the money who will profit who gave Trump money and who is in charge and that's who it appears Republicans stand with the hipocrisy is just out is just I mean it leaves me speechless sometimes but representative Davis is there anything you'd like to add
▶ 2:26:47about the bills we are seeing here um thank you I think the important aspects of the bill and I think we reinforce the idea and the fact that we do want to punish those individuals who are attempting and making effort to defraud the federal government to take away resources
▶ 2:27:18that ought to be available for individuals in need and that there is no doubt we don't want anybody to think that we don't but we also don't want to see individuals harassed because of Errors having been overpaid they had nothing to do with it and they get charged with criminal activity so we just want a balanced approach to it thank you
▶ 2:27:48very much for your question and yes thank you representative Davison with regards to describing the regulations uh uh regarding the reporting by Brokers that regularly provide services effectually digital asset sales uh they these were a long time incoming um they uh August 29th 2023 uh you know was uh one of the initial Publications and so these were regulations that
▶ 2:28:18had been under consideration that receiv received input that were intended to make sure that we collected all the taxes that are owed due and to now overturn a regulation so that it's not going to be as easy and it's going to be difficult to collect those taxes is I think irresponsible and with that I yield back thank you Miss Leisure Fernandez Mr Griffith you're recognized
▶ 2:28:49thank you Mr Griffith uh let me see Mr Norman you're recognized you miss howchin gentlemen that there are no further questions from the panel and with that we will excuse you thank you very much for being here thank you
▶ 2:29:26okay okay
▶ 2:29:59moand um you're recognized I believe you will have a colleague joining you in the um I'm not sure where she is go ahead Mr Marin you're recognized thank you madam chair um want to thank the committee for allowing me to testify today on the continuing resolution of funding the general government is not only an obligation but one of Congress core constitutional responsibilities this CR accomplishes
▶ 2:30:29that responsibility and has core funding increases to support National Security our veterans and provides additional half billion for the wick program this is good and it also increases Department of Defense spending would fully fund the pay raise for our Junior enlisted service members which I proudly supported in last Congress and the 2025 ndaa this ensures that our service members can focus on protecting our country
▶ 2:30:59rather than worrying about paying rent or putting food on the table again these are all good and a key portion of the defense spending is increases our supports and supports the infrastructure for Guam our most western soil in the indopacom area of the United States this CR moves forward funding for roadway repairs which will replace Bridges repaved roads and underground power lines there's also funding to repair
▶ 2:31:30the glass break water which is one typhoon away from being destroyed by including the 600 a million of additional Congressional funding to protect our Harbor and commerce also of concern the increase in missile defense funding I've worked so hard to be moving forward so now the CR also supports our veterans by fully funding veterans health care
▶ 2:32:00and include 6 billion for toxic exposure fund this assists veterans with service related exposures and reaffirms our contract with our veterans to provide health care and compensation for injuries related to service this is good again however the build does not secure funding for cpf which members on both sides of the aisle count on for communities across our nation
▶ 2:32:31projects under doj burn grant program like x-ray scanners for Guam's customs and quarantine agency and funds for additional police vehicles for Guam Police Department are not included in this measure now this is a problem and these projects are critical for ensuring that we put America First investing in our communities promotes our national interest and shows the federal government's
▶ 2:33:01commitment to local groups and agencies that are the backbone of our country projects for our Public Safety officers protects Guam's Public Safety and assist and counternarcotics operations and secure our shures likewise the CR would decrease construction funding for Army Corps of engineer projects these
▶ 2:33:31projects authorized Under the Water Resource development act last Congress may also negatively impact us projects that have and have a distinct overlap with National Security ensuring our communities are protected against disasters both natural and man-made so I respectfully ask the committee and urge the committee to support my amendments
▶ 2:34:01that ensure construction projects authorized under Warda and the doj ojp burn grants remain funded under CR I thank you madam chairman thank you very much Mr moand um we appreciate your appearing before today oh excuse me is any member have a question I'll start
▶ 2:34:32with M Miss Fishback is not here Mr Roy Mr Langworthy miss scandin Mr Scott Mr Griffith Miss leer Fernandez okay thank you very very much
▶ 2:35:03okay without objection the committee stands in recess until 15 minutes after the close of the last vote thank you very much we will be in
▶ 3:24:15e e
▶ 3:24:48the committee will reconvene is there anyone else seeking to testify in hjr 25 HR 1156 or hr1 1968 seeing none this closes the hearing portion of our meeting the chair will be in receipt of a motion from the Joan woman from Minnesota Miss fishbach thank you madam chair Madam chair I move the committee Grant hjr 25 providing for Congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of Title
▶ 3:25:185 United States codes of the rule submitted by the Internal Revenue Service relating to the gross proceeds reporting by Brokers that regularly provide services effectuating digital asset sales a CL a closed rule the rule waves All Points of order against consideration of the joint resolution the rule provides that the joint resolution shall be considered as red the rule waves All Points of order against the provisions in the joint resolution the rule provides one hour of General debate equally divided and controlled
▶ 3:25:49by the chair and ranking minority member of the committee on Ways and Means or the respective designes the rules provides one motion to recommit the rule further provides for consideration of HR 1156 the pandemic unemployment fraud Enforcement Act under a closed rule the rule waves All Points of orders against the consideration of the bill the rule provides that the amendment in the nature of a substitute recommended by the committee on ways and means now printed in the shall be considered as adopted and the
▶ 3:26:19bill as amended shall be considered as read the rule waves All Points of orders against the provisions in the bill as amended the rule provides one hour of General debate equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking minority member of the committee on Ways and Means or their respective designate the rule provides one motion to recommit the rule further provides for consideration of HR 1968 the full year continuing Appropriations and extensions act 2025 on under a closed rule the rule waves All Points of orders
▶ 3:26:49against the against consideration of the bill the rule provides that the amendment printed in the rules committee report shall be considered as adopted and the bill as amended shall be considered as read the rule waves All Points of order against the provisions in the bill as amended the rule provides one hour of General debate equally divided and controlled by the chair ranking minority member of the Appropriations uh committee on Appropriations or the respective designet the rule provides one motion to recommit finally the rule provides that each day
▶ 3:27:19for the remainder of the first session of the 119th Congress shall not constitute a calendar day for purposes of section 202 of the national emergencies act with respect to a joint resolution terminating a National Emergency declared by the president on February 1 2025 thank you very much you've now heard the motion is there any discussion or an amendment to the rule yes M mam chair Mr McGovern you recognized
▶ 3:27:50three completely closed rules um how Russian um but I'd like to ask unanimous I I request unanimous consent to insert written testimony from congresswoman Elanor Holmes Norton and support of amendment number two to HR 1968 uh amendment number two would allow the District of Columbia to continue to spend under fiscal year 2025 local budget enacted by DC and exempt DC from a federal govern government shutdown of fiscal year 2026 without objection uh I have
▶ 3:28:20an amendment uh to the rule I move the committee make an order amendment number one uh to hr1 1968 offered by delegate Norton which allows the District of Columbia to continue to spend under the fiscal year 2025 local budget uh enacted by DC and exempts DC from a federal government shutdown in fiscal year 2026 Madame chairwoman DC passed a budget for fiscal year 2025 the September CR introduced by chairman
▶ 3:28:50Cole allowed DC to spend at the levels of their proposed fiscal year 2025 budget the December CR introduced by chairman Cole allowed DC to spend at those same levels now after telling DC their spending at these levels has been fine for six months this Republican CR is telling them to go back to fiscal year 2020 four spending levels this will result in a cut to the
▶ 3:29:20district spending by more than $940 million close to a billion dollars law enforcement cops and safety will be cut by nearly $240 million education by nearly $400 million these Cuts will be devastating and through no fault of the district and let me remind you that this is DC's money it's not federally funded it's not Congressional funded it's funded by DC businesses and residents
▶ 3:29:51residents who do not have a vote in the Congress I might add so I hope my colleagues would at least vote to allow this amendment to be brought to the floor to be debated and voted on is there any further discussion on amendment hearing none the questions on the amendment all those in favor signify by saying I I those opposed no no in the opinion Cher the NOS have it the amendment is not agreed to I ask for a roll call the clerk will call the
▶ 3:30:21role Mrs fishbach no Mrs fishbach no Mr Norman no Mr Norman no Mr Roy no Mr Roy no Mrs hin Mrs hin no Mr Langworthy no Mr Lang you no Mr Scott Mr Scott no Mr Griffith Mr Griffith no Mr Jack no Mr Jack no Mr McGovern hi Mr MCG govern I miss ganin hi Miss ganin I Mr nus Miss leer Fernandez hi Miss leer Fernandez I Madam chair CH no Adam chair no the clerk will report the total
▶ 3:30:51Three A's nine Nays the NOS have it the amendment is not agreed to M chair I have another amendment to the rule gentleman's recognized I move the committee strike section four of the resolution which prevents the House of Representatives from voting on Trump's tariffs Madam chair the president has gone after two of our allies who happen to be our closest neighbors and it's the American people who are going to suffer most the president's tariffs will
▶ 3:31:22cost families an extra $1,200 a year the S&P S&P 500 fell 3.1% this week its largest decline since September Ontario is hitting us with a 25% elect electricity search charge one that affects the gentleman from New York Mr Langworthy home state these tariffs are devastating for businesses and for families that's why ranking member Meeks and house Democrats introduced resolutions
▶ 3:31:52to actually let the House vote on these tariffs but guess what in this rule Republicans are shutting those off why are they sneaking this unrelated provision into this rule I'll tell you why because they're scared to vote on it they want no floor vote no Republicans on record and no way to stop these devastate devastating price hikes that's why I'm offering this motion to Simply allow us to have a vote
▶ 3:32:22on President Trump's Authority and these tariffs if this amendment is not adopted Madam chair then a yes vote on the rule vote tomorrow will be a yes vote to ratify these tariffs and I think all of my Republican friends who vote Yes you are voting to support these tariffs so let us be clear uh and with that I yield I recognize myself president Trump is using every tool at
▶ 3:32:53his disposal to protect Americans in this case the administration found that the extraordinary threat posed by illegal aliens and drugs including deadly fentanyl constitutes a National Emergency under the international emergency economic Powers Act iepa if you listen to Democrats in Congress they refuse to debate the exact issue of illegal immigration and drugs constituting a National Emergency they want only to
▶ 3:33:23debate Trump's enforcement president Trump's enforcement mechanism tariffs but let's look at the democrat's record of not using every tool to protect Americans leading to a border emergency that has truly become a National Emergency the goal is not to have teror for tariff sake but to solve these border related problems we must give them a chance what would be truly unprecedented is Congress upending tariff policy to secure to score
▶ 3:33:53political points when it has never gotten involved in this level of executive branch micromanagement before we need to provide certainty to the administration as it negotiates with foreign powers president Trump's record with tariffs is one of unbal success terrorist resolved security concerns in Colombia ushered in historic bilateral agreements with China and secured the border with Mexico again we cannot have Congress micromanaged trade
▶ 3:34:23policy and Rob the president of the negotiating power he is using to secure our interest Madam chair Mr mcguy yeah I'm sure that the families who see their electricity bills going up by 25% are comforted by that statement but the reality is uh people are being hurt by these tariffs the cost for people are going through the roof as we speak and look at all of us here believe that fentol is a problem but
▶ 3:34:53I'm going to tell you to say that Canada is the problem for fentol when we know most fentol enters this country through legal ports of entry in the United States but we're hitting Canada with this um I mean I I again I I I don't I don't I I don't quite understand it but the bottom line is again I mean we we have this ability I mean to be able to ask for a vote on this it is now being taken away from us at the same time
▶ 3:35:24Elon Musk and this Administration is infringing on the authority of the United States House of Representatives and nobody around here want to defend institution I mean I I I'm just I mean if if if this were Joe Biden doing what Donald Trump and Elon Muska doing uh you guys would you know wouldn't be able to control yourselves but as we speak there were thousands of people who were being laid off um and I believe illegally and I think courts are now uh coming to uh
▶ 3:35:54to that uh conclusion as well all we're asking for is to have a debate and a vote on this um and to shut this little procedure off in this rule on the Contin on the continuing resolution I think is wrong and I hope that we can have a vote on this I'll recognize myself again to be clear offering a resolution to nullify the National Emergency is what would be offered it wouldn't be to preclude terrorists from the equation it would be to turn off the National
▶ 3:36:26entirely is that really your position that fentol and related illegal immigration aren't constituting a national emergency at a time when most Americans are dying from fentanyl overdoses every year than was them were lost during the entirety of the war in Vietnam for Americans ages 18 to 45 it's the leading cause of death if you want to remove tariffs as an enforcement mechanism then go ahead and
▶ 3:36:56offer a bill to amend the international emergency economic Powers Act you have the power to attack the use of tariffs by legislating effectively but I'm for granting the Trump Administration the appropriate negotiating power the president needs to build upon his successful use of tariffs well Madam chair I would just respond very quickly by simply saying that um one suggestion uh to this Administration is don't
▶ 3:37:26pardon people who receive life sentences uh for bringing fentol into this country number one number two don't be cutting off health care benefits going up to Medicaid uh if we during this uh unprecedented fentol crisis um and thirdly um you know if you think that um that this is a bad thing to do then you can vote no on it on the house floor um but this is supposed to be the House of Representatives and we're supposed to be able to debate issues uh and not just sweep everything under
▶ 3:37:56the rug because you know the fearless leader um doesn't want to have any discussion on any of this stuff so again I would urge a yes vote on my Amendment Madam chair Mr Roy as the chair knows uh we have been dealing with the crisis in Texas as a direct consequence of the failure of the abide Administration to secure the Border but worse yet to purposefully exploit the border for partisan political purposes endangering the people that I represent leading directly to the deaths of the people that I represent and people throughout the state of Texas in this country fentel being
▶ 3:38:26a core part of that the record is replete but the flow of fentel from China through Mexico and Canada into our country and what we have done here and by the way at our request in the house that the that the uh extension of this um uh I guess waiver or whatever on being able to bring the the build of the floor uh would only be through the end of this session through the end of December and not for the entirety of the Congress but to allow the president the time to be able to use his authority to be able to go and invol engage in diplomacy
▶ 3:38:56to pressure and push on Mexico and Canada and China to uphold their end of the bargain to stop flowing fentel into our communities that is a reasonable position for us to take to give the president the authority as the commander-in-chief and as the chief executive to be able to do that that is what this does uh it is for extension of just over nine months uh to be able to allow the uh decision by the president to uh declare a national emergency and use the tools at his disposal which includes tariffs for diplomacy P purposes uh to be able to try to
▶ 3:39:27stop the flow of this dangerous product into our communities and kill Americans uh that's what's at stake here I Y back well M back I'm glad that the gentleman believes that you guys should decide for the entire house uh what we should do on this issue uh and again U with all due respect uh uh most of I I don't recall Canada being the focus of all this talk on fentanyl um in the past so but here's the deal I mean if you guys want these tariffs you can vote for them and you will have that opportunity in
▶ 3:39:57the rules committee Madam chair Miss SC I do think that this is an issue on which we should have debate because we have another National Emergency Brewing as imposing tariffs on our closest allies is now causing our stock market to have the worst day yet this year we're here hearing alarm signals about recession um and we as the ranking member mentioned um the amount of fentanyl that's coming into this country from Canada uh is far out of proportion
▶ 3:40:27to the economic uh disruption that the president has has uh imposed on all of us and yield back Goman yields back is there any further discussion Madam chair Miss leure Fernandez Madam chair I'm just uh astounded by the manner in which this committee and indeed the Republican house leadership and apparently if they all vote for this tomorrow all of the Republicans have decided to give away all of their power to the presidency
▶ 3:40:58and to musk and we're this rule does that uh with the funding and then with this provision every single Republican who votes for this is indeed voting for a continuation of the tariffs and you can say it's about fenel but the reality even president Trump keeps changes his mind about why is he imposing these tariffs and it's like a temper tantrum War
▶ 3:41:29right it's the Trump's temper tantrum with regards to terrorists the only problem is when he does that he sends our stock market crashing he doesn't seem to care about an impending recession and I need to tell you I often speak for women and their issues and we cannot afford Trump and his tariffs he is causing our grocery bills to sore he will cause our gasoline prices especially in the
▶ 3:41:59middle part of the country where many of you represent to go up and by and nobody wants these the American public are not supportive of tariffs but you will all be voting to support these taror by this interesting little section four here and we will call you upon it because you were voting for tariffs that are increasing costs on American
▶ 3:42:29families and our grocery bills are going to go up because of you with that Madam chair I yield back Goman yields back any further discussion on amendment hearing n the questions on the amendment all those in favor signify by saying I I I all those opposed say no no in the opinion chair the NOS have it the amendment is not roll call vote the clerk will call the rooll Mrs fishbach no Mrs fishbach no Mr Norman no Mr Norman no Mr Roy
▶ 3:43:00no Mr Roy no Mrs hin Mrs hin no Mr Langworthy Mr Langworthy no Mr Scott Mr Scott no Mr Griffith Mr Griffith no Mr Jack no Mr Jack no Mr McGovern I Mr McGovern I miss ganlin I Miss ganin I Mr nus Miss lger Fernandez I miss lger Fernandez I Madame chair no madame chair no clerk will will report the total Three A's nine Nays the NOS have it the amendment is not agreed to
▶ 3:43:30Is there further discussion yes Madam chair I have an amendment Miss Canin I move the committee making order amendment number 10 to hr1 1968 offered by representative fredman which expresses the sense of Congress affirming the constitutional authorities and duties of Congress and the president in appropriating and dispersing funds as enacted into law Madam chairwoman the first two months of the Trump Administration have seen chaos confusion and litigation and as the president and
▶ 3:44:00Elon Musk have attempted to gut or dismantle large swaths of the federal government they've fired federal workers who are in charge of preventing the spread of ab Ebola or Avan flu and guarding our nuclear weapons only to be forced to rehire them they've accidentally disclosed the identities and locations of CIA assets they've attempted to freeze all federal funding and fire huge numbers of civil servants on illegal pretexts including exemplary employees who were just
▶ 3:44:31promoted they pretended that they have the power of the purse and that they can repeal federal laws unilaterally ruling without the hassle of democracy but under our democracy uh cutting Corners isn't just frowned upon it's actually unconstitutional so this amendment is simple it simply re reiterates that the Constitutional role of Congress to appropriate government funds and that the executive's role is to disperse those funds
▶ 3:45:01as the law requires and as the Supreme Court has held and Congress has legislated in the past so why not allow an up or down vote on this amendment unless you don't want your members to go on record stating the simple constitutional fact that it is Congress and not the administration that has the power of the purse I yield back is there any further discussion on the amendment hearing none the questions on the amendment all those in favor signify by saying I I I those opposed
▶ 3:45:31say no no in the opinion chair the NOS have it the I would ask for a roll call vote thank you Miss gandin request a roll call the clerk will call the rooll Mrs fishbach no Mrs fishbach no Mr Norman no Mr Norman no Mr Mr Roy no Mr Roy no Mrs hin Mrs hin no Mr Langworthy no Mr Langworthy no Mr Scott no Mr Scott no Mr Griffith no Mr Griffith no Mr Jack no Mr Jack no Mr McGovern I Mr McGovern I miss ganin I miss ganin I Mr nuse Miss lger
▶ 3:46:01Fernandez Miss lger Fernandez I Madam chair no Madam chair no the clerk will report the total Three A's nine Nays and the NOS have it the amendment is not agreed to this pleasure Fernandez uh Madam chair I have an amendment to the rule I move the committee make an order amendment number 24 to HR 1968 offered by representative Nadler to include Advanced funding for fiscal year 26 for the cost of War toxic exposures
▶ 3:46:32fund many of us know this as the burn pits Madame chairman our veterans who earned their health care through their sacrifices on the battlefield are are worried and they should be they're been fired by the Thousand by musk and Doge their private information is being accessed accessed by Doge and now with this bill you fail to include the 22 billion in fiscal year 2026
▶ 3:47:02Advance Appropriations that will be needed for the veterans toxic exposure fund the House Republicans included this money in their bill last year you included it last year so forgive us for worrying about your intentions after it's been intentionally pulled from this bill you know Congress is giving musk and Doge the authority to cut any programs
▶ 3:47:33at the agencies that they wish with this bill musk and Doge simply do not honor or respect our veterans as demonstrated by the way in which they've been treated in the last 7 weeks our veterans deserve more this amendment would guarantee our veterans they will have their health care after November 1st and this is
▶ 3:48:03a tradition of what we've done with VA so don't say it's nothing it is a deviation from a practice that we have instituted in Congress so we ask ask you stand with our veterans and not with musk and with that I urge support of my Amendment and I yield back is there any further discussion on amendment hearing n questions on the amendment all those in favor signify by saying I I I those
▶ 3:48:33opposed say no no in the opinion the CH those have it the Amendments not agreed to the clerk will call the RO Mrs fishbach no Mrs fishbach no Mr Norman Mr Norman no Mr Roy no Mr Roy no Mrs hin Mrs hin no Mr Langworthy no Mr Langworthy no Mr Scott no Mr Scott no Mr Griffith no Mr Griffith no Mr Jack no Mr Jack no Mr McGovern I Mr McGovern I miss ganin I miss ganin I Mr nus Miss lger Fernandez
▶ 3:49:04Miss lger Fernandez I Madam chair no Madam chair no the clerk will report the total Three A's nine Nays the NOS have it the am amendment is not agreed to hey Madam chair I just I have one final Amendment um about something that just came to my attention in the manager's Amendment um and I the amendment uh I have an amendment to the rule I move the committee strike the portion of the of the rule self-executing and not even a vote on this amendment but self-executing the manager's Amendment
▶ 3:49:34which strips language from the bill that would have increased the number of visas available for our Afghan allies in the special immigrant Visa program Madam chair woman I maybe you can explain to me what the hell this manager's amendment is I I don't because it seems to me that what you all are doing here is turning your backs on Afghan Nationals who helped us during the war and whose lives are at risk because of it and the Afghan special immigrant Visa program was established to provide a life-saving
▶ 3:50:05path to safety for Afghan Nationals who face serious danger as a result of helping the United States I signed a bipartisan letter it was a bipartisan letter December led by representative Crow asking for an increase in visas from 50,500 to 70,500 and to extend the program to December of 2027 I was pleased I was pleased to see that this language was included in this CR now at the last
▶ 3:50:35minute the majority has dropped a manager's amendment to strip the language and why um I I know you're going to say oh this is fine it's like your toxic exposure funding excuse we'll deal with it later and we know how good Congress is at dealing with things later well this was this was dealing with it the language was in there and now I'm reading that Trump may include Afghanistan and a brand new travel ban what a coincidence so you're turning your backs on our Afghan
▶ 3:51:05allies in in in in service of whom um whose whose Service uh was into our country and the Trump Administration um and another one of its offensive travel bans is is uh may be responsible for this but I think this is truly unbelievable I I I think all of us no matter what our politics may be thought that it was important to make sure we we were there for the people who were there for us during
▶ 3:51:36that terrible war and so I again I would urge my colleagues to to support uh my Amendment Madam chair yeah I have I need to speak in support of this amendment I worked on behalf of these folks who were promised um safe passage and green cards to our country when they volunteered to be drivers and interpreters for our troops during that conflict and it takes
▶ 3:52:06an awful lot of work and it takes years to get them vetted and get them here we saw with the first days of the Trump Administration they canel um flights they prevented people who had been fully vetted and should have been allowed entry to this country so these people need need our help more now than ever and so I would support this amendment is there any further discussion on the amendment Mr Madam chair I I just I want to read for the committee exactly what general McKenzie
▶ 3:52:38testified I'll give you my honest opinion my honest opinion and view shaped of my recommendations to the president then President Biden I recommended that we maintain 2500 troops in Afghanistan and I also recommended earlier in the fall of 2020 that we maintain 4,500 at that time I also have a view that the withdrawal of those forces would lead inevitably to the collapse of the Afghan military forces and eventually the Afghan government the reason we're having this discussion is because then President Joe Biden ignored the advice of his military commanders would that I yield m m
▶ 3:53:08chair even even if that is true even if that's true it has nothing at all to do it we're talking about here right now you had in this CR language that would protect these refugees and it's been removed it was in the CR it's been removed in the manager's Amendment so I appreciate you know your rhetoric but the reality has nothing to do with what we're talking about that that's a that's that's Democrat word for the truth right
▶ 3:53:38when we tell the truth you call it rhetoric and that's why you're in the minority now what what does it have to do with this you blame Biden for what this amendment all right good then vote for this amendment and blame Biden that's fine but this has not but we I want to know why this was removed Madam chair I'm sorry Mr Roy um one of the reasons that we have concerns about um the SIV visas is for example chairman Mark
▶ 3:54:09green um in a u letter um Ed the committee is seeking information about the recent reported arrest of two Afghan Nationals living in Oklahoma City who allegedly plotted an Isis Inspire terrorist attack for election day according to unsealed criminal complaint uh Nasir Ahmad tati and Afghan National entered the United States on a special immigrant visa on September 9th 20121 202 2021 days after the Biden Harris administration's catastrophic us withdrawal from Afghanistan in some significant part uh we need
▶ 3:54:39this Administration to go through and ensure that the proper vetting is being done uh and to get the job done correctly I you back Madam chair excuse me I'm I'm going to trust Trump to do the vet vetting on this there's nothing about here that says you can't do vetting there's nothing about here that says this is an automatic um you know with this basically it extended the program to give more time for vetting um and allowed more people to come in because a lot of people helped us during that war the pr program remains
▶ 3:55:09and now and now it's being removed and we don't have the we don't even have the benefit of a vote or debate on the floor the program is being extended in the the amendment the authorization continues the cap is just not raised the language would have extended it to 2027 Mr Roy so that's what this bill would do this this extends it through 20 20 through the end of this fisc year yeah no this was through 2027 right so so I'm just saying it's extended through the rest of25 it's like it's like the burn pit stuff thank you I
▶ 3:55:41back any further discussion on the amendment hearing none the questions on the amendment all those in favor signify by saying I I those opposed say no no Almighty in the opinion the chair of the nose have it I ask for a roll call Madam chair the clerk will call the role Mrs fishbach no Mrs fishbach no Mr Norman Mr Norman no Mr Roy no Mr Roy no Mrs hin Mrs hin no Mr Langworthy no Mr Langworthy no Mr Scott no Mr Scott no Mr Griffith
▶ 3:56:12Mr Griffith no Mr Jack no mrck ja no Mr McGovern I Mr McGovern I miss ganin I miss ganin I Mr nus Miss leer Fernandez I miss leer Fernandez I Madam chair no Madam chair no the clerk will report the total 3 A's nine nay the NOS have it the amendment is not agreed to is there any further discussion on the um rule hearing none
▶ 3:56:42question hearing no further disc discussion the question is on the motion from the joman from Minnesota all those in favor signify by saying I I those opposed say no no in the opinion of chair the eyes have it the motion is roll call Madam chair a recorded vote has been requested the clerk will call the rooll Mrs fishbach I Mrs fishbach I Mr Norman I Mr Norman I Mr Roy I Mr Roy I Mrs hin I Mrs hin I Mr Langworthy I Mr Langworthy I Mr Scott Mr
▶ 3:57:12Scott I Mr Griffith I Mr Griffith I Mr Jack I Mr Jack I Mr McGovern no Mr McGovern no Miss ganin no Miss ganin no Mr nus Miss leer Fernandez Miss leer Fernandez no Madam chair I Madam chair I the clerk will report the total nine yay three Nays the eyes haveit the motion to report is agreed to accordingly Miss fishbach will be managing the rule for the majority and I will handle it for the minority without
▶ 3:57:42objection the commit is
▶ 3:58:13adjourned e