This is not an official government website.
Copyright © 2026 PLEJ LC. All rights reserved.
Congressional Daily Record
This section captures a floor statement or debate entry. It mentions legislation such as Providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 4922) to limit youth offender status in the District of Columbia to individuals 18 years of age or younger, to direct the Attorney General of the District of Columbia to establish and operate a publicly accessible website containing updated statistics on juvenile crime in the District of Columbia, to amend the District of Columbia Home Rule Act to prohibit the Council of the District of Columbia from enacting changes to existing criminal liability sentences, and for other purposes; providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 5143) to establish standards for law enforcement officers in the District of Columbia to engage in vehicular pursuits of suspects, and for other purposes; providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 5140) to lower the age at which a minor may be tried as an adult for certain criminal offenses in the District of Columbia to 14 years of age; providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 5125) to amend the District of Columbia Home Rule Act to terminate the District of Columbia Judicial Nomination Commission, and for other purposes; providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 1047) to require the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to reform the interconnection queue process for the prioritization and approval of certain projects, and for other purposes; providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 3015) to reestablish the National Coal Council in the Department of Energy to provide advice and recommendations to the Secretary of Energy on matters related to coal and the coal industry, and for other purposes; providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 3062) to establish a more uniform, transparent, and modern process to authorize the construction, connection, operation, and maintenance of international border-crossing facilities for the import and export of oil and natural gas and the transmission of electricity; and for other purposes., committees such as Committee on Rules, members such as Erin Houchin.
Issued
March 25, 2026
house side of the record
People
3
Linked members mentioned in this section
Legislation
3
Bills and resolutions linked from this section
Committees
3
Committees connected to this section
Senate Holds
0
No hold activity linked here
Source Document
Connected Data
People mentioned
Bills and resolutions
Source Control
Reader mode is for comprehension. The linked government PDF is the official published source.
Download official House Record PDFReturn to issue contextPROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF H.R. 8029, PAY OUR HOMELAND DEFENDERS
ACT; PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF H. RES. 1128, EXPRESSING THE SUPPORT OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY; PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF H.R. 5103, MAKE THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA SAFE AND BEAUTIFUL ACT OF 2026; PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF H.R. 7084, DEFENDING AMERICAN PROPERTY ABROAD ACT OF 2026; AND FOR
OTHER PURPOSES
Mrs. HOUCHIN. Mr. Speaker, by direction of the Committee on Rules, I call up House Resolution 1131 and ask for its immediate consideration.
The Clerk read the resolution, as follows:
H. Res. 1131
Resolved, That upon adoption of this resolution it shall be
in order to consider in the House the bill (H.R. 8029) making
appropriations for the Department of Homeland Security for
the fiscal year ending September 30, 2026, and for other
purposes. All points of order against consideration of the
bill are waived. The bill shall be considered as read. All
points of order against provisions in the bill are waived.
The previous question shall be considered as ordered on the
bill and on any amendment thereto to final passage without
intervening motion except: (1) one hour of debate equally
divided and controlled by the chair and ranking minority
member of the Committee on Appropriations or their respective
designees; and (2) one motion to recommit.
Sec. 2. Upon adoption of this resolution it shall be in
order without intervention of any point of order to consider
in the House the resolution (H. Res. 1128) expressing the
support of the House of Representatives for the Department of
Homeland Security. The amendments to the resolution and the
preamble printed in the report of the Committee on Rules
accompanying this resolution shall be considered as adopted.
The resolution, as amended, shall be considered as read. The
previous question shall be considered as ordered on the
resolution and preamble, as amended, to adoption without
intervening motion or demand for division of the question
except one hour of debate equally divided and controlled by
the chair and ranking minority member of the Committee on
Homeland Security or their respective designees.
Sec. 3. Upon adoption of this resolution it shall be in
order to consider in the House the bill (H.R. 5103) to
establish a program to Beautify the District of Columbia and
establish the District of Columbia Safe and Beautiful
Commission. All points of order against consideration of the
bill are waived. The amendment in the nature of a substitute
recommended by the Committee on Oversight and Government
Reform now printed in the bill shall be considered as
adopted. The bill, as amended, shall be considered as read.
All points of order against provisions in the bill, as
amended, are waived. The previous question shall be
considered as ordered on the bill, as amended, and on any
further amendment thereto, to final passage without
intervening motion except: (1) one hour of debate equally
divided and controlled by the chair and ranking minority
member of the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform or
their respective designees; and (2) one motion to recommit.
Sec. 4. Upon adoption of this resolution it shall be in
order to consider in the House the bill (H.R. 7084) to amend
title 46, United States Code, with respect to the types of
vessels that may enter or operate in navigable waters of the
United States or transfer cargo in any port or place under
the jurisdiction of the United States, and for other
purposes. All points of order against consideration of the
bill are waived. The amendment in the nature of a substitute
recommended by the Committee on Transportation and
Infrastructure now printed in the bill shall be considered as
adopted. The bill, as amended, shall be considered as read.
All points of order against provisions in the bill, as
amended, are waived. The previous question shall be
considered as ordered on the bill, as amended, and on any
further amendment thereto, to final passage without
intervening motion except: (1) one hour of debate equally
divided and controlled by the chair and ranking minority
member of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure
or their respective designees; and (2) one motion to
recommit.
Sec. 5. Section 8 of House Resolution 707, agreed to
September 16, 2025, is amended by striking “March 31, 2026”
and inserting “the remainder of the One Hundred Nineteenth
Congress”.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentlewoman from Indiana is recognized for 1 hour.
Mrs. HOUCHIN. Mr. Speaker, for the purpose of debate only, I yield the customary 30 minutes to the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. McGovern), pending which I yield myself such time as I may consume. During consideration of this resolution, all time yielded is for the purpose of debate only.
General Leave
Mrs. HOUCHIN. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the gentlewoman from Indiana?
There was no objection.
{time} 1220
Mrs. HOUCHIN. Mr. Speaker, last night, the Rules Committee met and produced a rule, House Resolution 1131, providing for the House's consideration of four pieces of legislation.
First, the rule provides for H.R. 8029, the Pay Our Homeland Defenders Act, to be considered under a closed rule. It provides 1 hour of debate equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking minority member of the Committee on Appropriations or their respective designees, and provides for one motion to recommit.
Second, the rule provides for H. Res. 1128, expressing support of the House of Representatives for the Department of Homeland Security, to be considered under a closed rule. It provides for 1 hour of debate equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking minority member of the Committee on Homeland Security or their respective designees.
Third, the rule provides for H.R. 7084, the Defending American Property Abroad Act to be considered under a closed rule. It also provides for 1 hour of debate equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking minority member of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, or their designees, and provides for one motion to recommit.
Last, the rule provides for consideration of H.R. 5103, the Make the District of Columbia Safe and Beautiful Act of 2026, under a closed rule. It provides 1 hour of debate equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking minority member of the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, or their designees, and provides for one motion to recommit.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this rule and in support of the underlying legislation.
responsibilities: maintaining public safety at home, defending American interests abroad, and ensuring the continuity of essential national security operations.
The underlying bills represent a consistent theme: America First. This White House and Republicans in Congress have never wavered from that ideal.
Let me begin with the Department of Homeland Security funding bill. We are now more than 1 month into the Democrats' shutdown of one of the most critical Departments in the Federal Government, the second longest shutdown in history. The consequences are real, and they are growing.
Members of Congress to stand if they support the principle that the first duty of American Government is to protect American citizens, not illegal aliens. The majority of Democrats remained seated.
American people. It means Democrats are putting the interests of illegal aliens over our own citizens, and they, unbelievably, do this again and again. It is clear their policies are wildly unpopular, with not even 66 percent support from Democratic voters. It is no wonder they want illegal aliens to count in the Census and vote.
against funding DHS, and already the shutdown has resulted in $2.5 billion in economic losses.
duty without pay. These individuals are responsible for airport security, disaster response, cybersecurity, and a range of other missions that affect public safety. At the same time, other employees have been furloughed, delaying important work and placing additional strain on those who remain on the job.
airports, Coast Guard personnel, and FEMA staff, have been directly impacted by the Democrats' shutdown. That is roughly $1 billion in unpaid wages every month, and thousands of DHS personnel who, thanks to the Democrats, have worked with no pay for 49 percent of this fiscal year.
The ripple effects extend far beyond the workforce itself. Travelers are encountering longer and longer wait times, with some airports reporting 4- to 6-hour lines to clear security. Staffing shortages are becoming more and more pronounced. Experienced personnel are leaving, including 450 TSA agents, and replacing them is neither quick nor easy.
forced to scale back planning and recovery efforts. All of this is happening while uncertainty continues, with no clear resolution in sight.
employees and the American public. That is not how critical national security functions should be managed.
understanding that maintaining the operations of agencies responsible for protecting this country is essential. That includes our border security and our ICE agents. Delays and disruptions of these functions carry real risks—risks to efficiency, to morale, and, most importantly, to safety.
It is irresponsible and easily reversed. Democrats should vote to fully fund DHS when they have the opportunity to do so for the eighth time this week.
support for the Department of Homeland Security, led by my good friend from Pennsylvania, Congressman Ryan Mackenzie.
out the mission of DHS. While our military is engaged abroad, Democrats have shut down the agency responsible for securing the homeland, and Americans are less safe because of it. Ending this shutdown and passing this resolution makes clear we stand with those who protect this country, not the politics that undermine them.
I turn now to the Defending American Property Abroad Act. For generations, the United States has stood for the principle based in liberty that individuals and businesses should be able to invest, operate, and compete under the protection of clear and predictable rules. Respect for private property is essential to that system. It is what allows markets to function, innovation to thrive, and economic relationships to grow. However, those principles are not always honored beyond our borders.
their assets seized or undermined in ways that are inconsistent with international commitments. When that happens without consequence, it doesn't just harm a single business. It sends a signal that these agreements can be ignored. When there are no meaningful consequences, the problem grows.
Representative Pfluger for his work on it. It creates a more structured and timely way for the United States to respond when American-owned property is treated unfairly abroad. It strengthens our ability to deter such actions before they happen and to respond more effectively when they do.
economic engagement with the United States comes with responsibilities. If foreign actors expect to participate in our markets, then they must also respect the rules that govern fair treatment of American businesses.
stability. It undermines it. This bill represents a measured and necessary step toward protecting American interests and reinforcing the integrity of the global economic system.
Lastly, Mr. Speaker, I want to turn to the Make the District of Columbia Safe and Beautiful Act. Washington, D.C., is where Americans come to connect with their history, where visitors from around the world come to understand our values, and where we, as elected Representatives, carry out the work of the people.
just to those who live there, but to the country as a whole. Yet, for too long, too many people have experienced a different reality when they visit Washington. Concerns about public safety, disorder in public spaces, and the condition of key landmarks became more and more visible and pressing.
see results. After President Trump deployed the National Guard, crime dropped significantly. In the first 30 days alone, total crime fell by roughly 18 percent compared to the same period the year before. Violent crime dropped by nearly 50 percent. Carjackings fell by more than 80 percent.
Those trends have continued. This year, thanks to President Trump, violent crime is down more than 30 percent; robberies have been cut by more than one-half; and homicides are down sharply compared to last year. That is what happens when we support law enforcement and restore order.
Addressing these challenges requires more than temporary measures. It requires a sustained, coordinated effort that brings together relevant agencies and ensures that responsibility doesn't fall through the cracks.
That is what this bill is intended to do.
Public safety should not be a partisan issue. The majority of Americans want safer streets, cleaner public spaces, and a Capital that reflects the strength and beauty of this country, especially on her 250th birthday.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support the rule and the underlying bills, and I reserve the balance of my time.
{time} 1230
Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from Indiana for yielding me the customary 30 minutes, and I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Oh, my God, Mr. Speaker, it is pretty unbelievable that this is what House Republicans are spending time on right now. Wow. I mean, every time I think they can't do any worse, my Republican friends always defy expectations.
People are standing in long lines at airports. Flights are delayed. Travelers are confused, and they are frustrated. TSA officers are stretched thin, exhausted, being jerked around because Republicans cannot govern responsibly even though they control everything.
Now, let me set the record straight from the outset. Democrats are ready
to fund the people and agencies that actually protect the public: TSA, FEMA, and the Coast Guard. We agree they need full funding, and I think there are more than a few Republicans who would join with us in that.
including the gentlewoman from Indiana, voted with Democrats on a motion to fund the TSA. I thank her for doing that, but that vote failed because Republicans voted against making it in order. Clearly, there has to be some bipartisan appetite to try to get this thing resolved.
Republican who offered a deal to fund the Department outside of ICE which, by the way, already has years of funding due to the Republicans' big, ugly bill. You know the big, ugly bill, the bill that gave millionaires and billionaires tax cuts, that cut SNAP by $200 billion, that cut Medicaid by a trillion dollars. They actually snuck in more funding for ICE and CBP in that.
deal was shot down by Trump who said, in Republican Senator John Kennedy's words: “No deals with the Democrats.” He continued: “It would have worked. We could have had TSA paid by the end of the week, but the President said, `no deal'.”
What is wrong with him? What is going on here? Let's be clear about what happened over the past few days. The Republican President tanked a deal offered by the Republican Senate Majority Leader to get us out of this crisis. This is the worst kind of politics, and it is why people are sick and tired of this Republican Congress.
continue to go without funding, all because President Trump decided to throw another temper tantrum. But Democrats are not in charge. Republicans control the House. I wish they didn't, but they do. Republicans control the Senate. I wish they didn't, but they do. Republicans control the White House. It is a disaster for America that a Republican controls the White House, but it is the reality.
If they wanted to solve this, they could solve it.
Now Trump is causing further chaos by sending ICE into airports. ICE agents are not trained to do TSA's job. Sending immigration agents into airports does not fix a staffing crisis. It makes things more chaotic, more intimidating, more ridiculous.
waste of time. Now, there is a clear solution to this crisis, but it means my Republican colleagues need to stand up to Trump for once in their lives.
this rule does a whole lot of nothing when it comes to helping regular people. It includes a nonbinding resolution to say that Congress supports DHS. Boy, that is just what TSA agents want, a nonbinding resolution to say: Hi, how you doing? I mean, that will pay the bills. Give me a break.
bill about graffiti in D.C. I mean, are you kidding me? Are they serious when they bring this stuff to the floor? I hate to tell you, but costs are up and anxiety is up. The country is in trouble, and the President's recklessness abroad is making an already difficult economic picture even more dangerous for working families here at home.
war in the Middle East, and there is no doubt about it, working people are going to pay the price. Gas prices are already up $1 a gallon because of this nonsense. For what? For what?
Yesterday, Trump was bragging that we “won.” We won what? Reuters reported at the same time that his administration was preparing to send thousands more U.S. troops into the region. I mean, that is not a strategy. That is not strength. That is a President pretending the war is over while taking steps to drag us in deeper.
Let's not forget the dishonesty here. Last Friday, Trump acted like further bombing might be held off because substantial talks were happening. Talks with whom? Iran has denied there were direct negotiations. They say talks hadn't even begun.
want to hear, whatever it thinks the public wants to hear, and the truth comes later, if it comes at all.
That is what is so infuriating about all of this. These guys, they don't care that regular people are hurting. They don't care that families are barely keeping their heads above water. They don't care that parents are worried about prices or that military families are worried about where their sons and daughters are being sent and why. These guys don't care that TSA officers have been left hanging while Republicans play games with basic funding.
Let me say this as clearly as I possibly can: Republicans own this. They own this. They have the power of agenda-setting. They could fix this in a nanosecond. If they put a bill on the floor today to fund TSA or FEMA or any of the law-abiding agencies, it would pass the House and it would pass the Senate. But that is not what the House leadership is doing. It is a choice, and Republicans own it.
I do want to just say one other thing, Mr. Speaker. I mean, when the gentlewoman and other Republicans talk about how much they care about our Federal workforce, I have got to tell you, it rings hollow. Where on Earth have Republicans been for the past year and a half when Donald Trump has repeatedly gone after hardworking Federal employees? Where have they been?
Trump has said Federal workers are “destroying this country.” He called them “crooked” and “dishonest.” Russell Vought, Trump's own Director of Management and Budget, said he wanted Federal workers “to be traumatically affected. When they wake up in the morning, we want them to not want to go to work, because they are increasingly viewed as the villains.” That is this administration.
Where have my Republicans been defending Federal workers? These are hardworking Americans, Mr. Speaker. They help ensure that we have clean water. They help our veterans get healthcare. They help older adults access the Social Security benefits that they have earned. They help small businesses thrive. They have been treated like garbage by this administration, and nobody on the other side bothers to stand up for these Federal workers.
their plan to tear apart our Federal workforce. They went on a witch hunt, carrying out mass terminations across government and cruelly forcing longtime, upstanding Federal employees out of their jobs.
harm to everyday Americans, people that they represented. Where was everybody? Where the hell were they all?
Noem said she was going to get rid of FEMA, abolish FEMA? They are on the floor today saying we have got to pay our FEMA workers. Where were they when Kristi Noem was saying we should abolish the entire agency? How about when Trump abruptly fired 400 DHS employees at the beginning of 2025? Where were they all? Where have they been as Trump is tearing apart the U.S. Department of Agriculture, shuttering offices, forcing longtime staff out of their jobs to the detriment of our farmers, hungry families, and food supply?
{time} 1240
Let me be clear: I want TSA workers to get their paychecks. I want FEMA fully operational. That is why I have been on record for weeks trying to reopen these agencies. That is why Democrats have continuously forced votes on reopening all of these lawful agencies and departments.
of Federal workers. Trump has made their lives unbearable through the chaos he has inflicted upon them, and Republicans in this Chamber haven't done a damn thing to stop him.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Weber of Texas). Members are reminded to refrain from engaging in personalities toward the President.
Mrs. HOUCHIN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I will remind my colleague that they can stop all of this pain at our airports by voting this week for our bill, the Pay Our Homeland Defenders Act.
times against funding TSA. Seven times they have had an opportunity to fund TSA, and seven times they have voted against funding TSA.
This causes the second longest shutdown in history. 100,000 DHS workers are going without pay, 450 TSA agents have quit, and 49 percent of the fiscal year 2026 TSA agents have worked without pay. Seven times the Democrats have voted against funding TSA. They have an eighth opportunity to fund it this week. I hope they will vote in favor of the Pay Our Homeland Defenders Act.
Mr. HARIDOPOLOS. Mr. Speaker, I like that recent quote I heard on the floor just a few minutes ago: Let us not forget the dishonesty here. That is a very rich comment. I see the ranking member of the Appropriations Committee is here. They worked out a deal in order to fund DHS, not part of it but all of it, and the one part they keep leaving out is the idea about ICE.
ICE is somewhat important. Ten million people entered this country illegally and so many of them—as we have seen on the website, wow.dhs.gov, which has outlined clearly the crimes that were committed. You need ICE agents to actually go after people who committed the crime, not just of coming here, but crimes committed once here.
Many of these are violent crimes. We can go through name after name of tragedies, destroyed lives. They want to play politics with this.
reason: They won't fully fund DHS, all of it. The reality is, right now, not just 10 million people have entered this country, but we are in a conflict overseas. We have seen twice in Michigan, once in Texas, and once in Virginia that the homeland is under attack, and they play politics. As a person who has been here since 1996, the rules are pretty simple. We all know them. You need 60 votes in the Senate to pass anything, and they play this game like we didn't take a history class.
right way instead of playing games. More importantly, let's actually fund the homeland so that we can keep our people safe because there are people in harm's way and we need ICE agents, not just playing whack-a- mole with different agencies.
Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I feel like my head is about to explode with all this nonsense that is being thrown out here.
of the big, ugly bill, tens of billions of dollars that they put in that bill, again, the bill that gave millionaires and billionaires tax cuts and that screwed over poor people by cutting SNAP by $200 billion. They cut Medicaid by a trillion dollars in that bill where they snuck in tens of billions of dollars.
The gentleman doesn't respond. He left. That is fine. I get it, but that is just the reality. I don't know what the hell he is talking about.
outrageous or terrible or awful, but we do. We do, our constituents do, and I know your constituents do.
Mr. Speaker, if we defeat the previous question, I will offer an amendment to the rule to bring up H.R. 7481, the Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act of 2026, sponsored by Ranking Member DeLauro, a bill which only funds law-abiding agencies under the Department of Homeland Security and not the unlawful actions of ICE and CBP.
Mr. Speaker, the entire mess at DHS is caused by one man, Donald Trump, the guy they are all afraid of, who said that he would rather leave TSA agents unpaid than negotiate with Democrats.
the agency that Kristi Noem, Trump's head of the DHS, wanted to eliminate and Republicans didn't say anything about. But we want to fund FEMA, the Coast Guard, CISA, and all the agencies acting lawfully.
bar. President Trump's ICE and CBP are out of control. According to the Chief Judge of the U.S. District Court in Minnesota, ICE has violated 96 court orders in 74 different cases in 2026 alone, likely more violations than “some Federal agencies have violated in their entire existence.”
American citizens have been murdered. This is the root of Democratic opposition. These lawless agencies need to be reined in before they receive any further funding. Yes, that is what Republicans want. They want further funding.
again, these lawless agencies sadly were given plenty of money in the big, ugly bill. Even the chairman of the Appropriations Committee, Tom Cole, admitted last night in the Rules Committee that ICE and CBP are “substantially funded.”
with even more money until real reforms, not BS reforms but real reforms, are put into place to protect American citizens. These are commonsense reforms.
Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to insert the text of my amendment into the Record, along with any extraneous material, immediately prior to the vote on the previous question.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the gentleman from Massachusetts?
There was no objection.
Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, to discuss our proposal, I yield 2\1/2\ minutes to the gentlewoman from Connecticut (Ms. DeLauro), the ranking member of the Appropriations Committee and the sponsor of this bill.
Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, I thank the ranking member for yielding.
Mr. Speaker, the bill at issue in this rule today is not a serious legislative effort. It is, once again, political theater. It is a bill that has already been brought up several times and has gone nowhere.
This would be the third time, and the third time is not a charm. If I take a look at the definition of insanity, it is doing the same thing over and over again with the same outcome. This is madness, what we are engaged in here, and, yes, a waste of time.
that was introduced before the shutdown that actually has a good chance of becoming law if only Republican leadership would stop blocking it from receiving a vote.
They keep saying no to paying TSA employees. Understand this: 85 percent of ICE and CBP agents are already being paid, so what is the administration doing? They are picking and choosing whom they want to pay. They are holding these other employees hostage for political gain. They view it as a political strategy. They want to continue to fund lawless and rogue agencies.
cybersecurity, Secret Service, and other parts of the Department of Homeland Security, on which there was broad agreement.
Mr. Speaker, I have to just say, please, spare me your concern over Federal employees. Where were my Republican colleagues when this administration proposed eliminating FEMA entirely? Not a peep. Where were they when the President proposed cutting cybersecurity by $500 million? Not a peep. Where were they when the President unilaterally eliminated the collective bargaining rights for the TSA workers? They were silent. Where were they when Kristi Noem spent $20,000 to rent a horse so she could sit on the saddle of this horse for her political ads that were sanctioned by the President
of the United States? Where were they when she spent $200 million of Coast Guard money for two luxury airlines?
Give me a break. They care not a whit about what is happening to Federal employees. Yes, they don't have a paycheck. Maybe if we didn't have a paycheck, we would treat this differently.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The time of the gentlewoman has expired.
Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, I yield an additional 1 minute to the gentlewoman from Connecticut.
{time} 1250
Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, they think our constituents are going to forget that it has been 2 months removed since the murder of Alex Pretti. This administration hopes we are going to forget about the harassment, the violence, the chaos, simply because it is not much in the news anymore. Wrong.
These are our constituents, our communities. These protections are essential, but the Republican leadership is so opposed to any protection that they refuse to pay Federal workers.
rule to bring up my bill, H.R. 7481, so that Members can vote to fund the parts of DHS we all agree on without any of the controversial components we do not agree on.
vote. I encourage my Republican colleagues to sign on. I know some of my Republican colleagues in the rank and file do not agree with what their leadership is doing. They hear from Federal workers, TSA agents, and constituents. They know there is no practical need to condition funding for TSA on funding for ICE. They understand we can continue to negotiate on immigration enforcement reform.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentlewoman's time has again expired.
Mr. McGOVERN. I yield 30 seconds to the gentlewoman from Connecticut (Ms. DeLauro).
Ms. DeLAURO. I invite my colleagues to join me. We can fund TSA, we can pay these workers, and we can do it today. We can end the long lines at airport security. We can continue to negotiate on ICE and CBP to find common ground on reforms that the vast majority of the American people support.
Mrs. HOUCHIN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I will remind my colleagues on the other side of the aisle that they, too, can vote to fully fund DHS. They have an eighth opportunity to do that today. They have declined funding DHS seven previous times.
were negotiated with the other side: reforms including mandates for body cameras and de-escalation training for Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection personnel. They are asking us to not fund ICE and to not fund CBP. That is just not something that we are going to do.
piecemeal funding for DHS, but we are just not going to do that. It is a critical time and public safety is a factor, but also so is protecting our American citizens from violent criminal aliens and removing them from the country after Joe Biden and the Democrats let them in with a wide-open southern border.
Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Edwards).
Mr. EDWARDS. Mr. Speaker, western North Carolina is still recovering from Hurricane Helene. Families are rebuilding homes, small businesses are getting back on their feet, and our communities are repairing critical infrastructure.
disaster recovery efforts in my district. Each day that the Department of Homeland Security goes unfunded, funding in the Disaster Relief Fund is drained, putting recovery efforts at risk. Once that money is gone, recovery comes to a halt, leaving families and communities waiting even longer just as they are trying to get back on their feet.
We can't let politics get in the way of disaster recovery. Every day that DHS is shut down is another day that families, schools, and roads in western North Carolina are left waiting.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues, please, fund DHS now. Let's help ensure western North Carolina communities can continue to rebuild. We simply cannot wait.
Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
administration were leading the effort to actually eliminate FEMA and get rid of everybody? I mean, where were you?
CBP to protect American citizens? I mean, are you kidding me? I mean, was that real? I can't believe I heard that.
ICE has gassed schools. It has detained off-duty police officers. It shot and murdered two American citizens. I mean, that is your idea of protecting the American people?
world's militaries spend in a year. I will say that one more time: ICE already has more money in their bank account than most of the world's militaries spend in a year. Yet, they are asking that we give them more.
The reforms that the gentlewoman talks about, give me a break. I mean, we have raised issues about masks. We believe that you ought to have judicial warrants before you break down somebody's door. We believe that ICE agents ought to identify themselves and the agencies that they are with. We don't believe you should be able to deport U.S. citizens. We want those written into the law. I don't think any of those ideas are radical.
Yet, the gentlewoman talks about reforms? I mean, come on.
agencies. Your beloved ICE and CBP unfortunately still have tens of billions of dollars that you guys gave them in the big, ugly bill. They still have money.
and FEMA, the Coast Guard, and everybody that we believe we all say we want to help. We can do that right this second, and, yet, that is not happening.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mrs. HOUCHIN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, apparently the only people the Democrats want to mandate that they not wear masks is ICE and CBP.
Massachusetts said it himself: We have already funded ICE and CBP in the One Big, Beautiful Bill Act, which makes their vote against fully funding DHS as an entire Department entirely performative. They are not standing on anything. This is political theater, and the American people are suffering from it.
Mr. Speaker, I would remind my colleagues again they will have an eighth opportunity to vote in favor of funding our TSA agents, FEMA, Coast Guard, and cybersecurity. They will have an eighth opportunity to do that this week. I hope they will vote in favor of the Pay Our Homeland Defenders Act when it comes to the floor.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.
Mr. Speaker, the gentlewoman just admitted the sad reality that ICE and CBP have billions of dollars already. I guess it doesn't bother her that two Americans were killed and murdered or that we have seen the excesses of ICE and CBP time and time again breaking into people's homes without judicial warrants. I am sorry that the gentlewoman feels that it is somehow a radical idea to ask somebody who may detain you who they are and who they are with. I don't know why that is such a radical idea.
What we are saying is: Why do you want to give them billions of dollars more? ICE already has more money than most countries spend on their militaries in a year, and you want to give them more money?
Here is the deal. What we are doing here in the House is a joke. I mean, it is embarrassing. I am embarrassed for this House and for this institution because my friends know full well that this is not going to pass in the Senate.
They know how we get to “yes,” and that is to exempt ICE and CBP from this bill. Everything else gets funded. If you want Democratic votes, that is what you need to do.
{time} 1300
Mr. Speaker, Republicans control everything. They control the House, the Senate, and the White House. I love it. They are in control of everything, and they blame everything on Democrats, on somebody else. They take no responsibility.
yet in her speech, which my Republican friends always do. I think they will go back to Bill Clinton in the not-too-distant future because they always find people to blame, but they take no responsibility.
agenda but also to lead. That is what the American people are asking for: some leadership, some truth, and some honesty. We are not getting any of that.
Mr. Speaker, I will talk about something different right now. I realize that I may sound like a broken record talking each week about the dysfunction of this Republican-led Congress, but, unfortunately, for you and for my colleagues across the aisle and for the American people, it just seems to be getting worse and worse as this Republican majority keeps setting one terrible precedent after another.
Mr. Speaker, this rule that we are talking about right now blocks privileged floor consideration of resolutions of inquiry for the rest of the Congress. Why? It is because they don't want Democrats to have any tools to shine the light on the corruption of this lawless administration.
I know one thing. I don't want to hear any complaining from Republicans the next time we are in charge if this privilege that they are killing today never comes back.
in American history. This week, they have managed to give us the second longest lapse, as well. What an accomplishment.
first session of Congress in decades. Republicans wonder why nearly 70 percent of the American people don't trust Congress. Give me a break. This place is not working for them.
gentlewoman from Indiana (Mrs. Houchin), to pay the TSA. While she supported my motion, her Republican colleagues voted that motion down. We can't even debate or vote on that on the floor today.
think, is yet another piece of evidence that rank-and-file Republicans have given up all of their power. This rule contains another four closed rules, which means no amendments can be offered, bringing their total to a new all-time record of 125 closed rules this Congress.
Mr. Speaker, that is more than 85 percent of all rules brought to the House floor: no amendments, no debate, no real democracy. In fact, Rules Committee Republicans have not allowed a single amendment to be debated on the House floor in more than 2 months, but rank-and-file Republicans keep voting for the rules that block their own amendments. I don't get that, but anyway.
Republicans have not allowed a single Democratic amendment in 3\1/2\ months, and it has been more than 6 months since the last bipartisan amendment was debated on the floor.
certainly not functioning like the people's House. Republicans are ruining this Chamber, turning it into a rubberstamp for whatever Donald Trump wants whenever he wants it. Their vision for this body is the Russian Duma, a legislative body in name only. That is disgraceful. That is dangerous. Frankly, it is a threat to our democracy.
Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to include in the Record an article from MS NOW titled: “It's already a record-setting Congress— for all the wrong reasons.”
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Moore of North Carolina). Is there objection to the request of the gentleman from Massachusetts?
There was no objection.
From MS NOW, Mar. 23, 2026
It's Already a Record-Setting Congress—for all the Wrong Reasons
(By Kevin Frey)
Congress already set one record last fall with a 43-day
government shutdown: the longest government funding lapse in
U.S. history. Now, with the ongoing shutdown at the
Department of Homeland Security surpassing the 35-day
shutdown of President Donald Trump's first term, lawmakers in
this Congress can claim another distinction: the second-
longest funding lapse in modern history.
By multiple measures, this Congress is breaking records—
largely for dysfunction.
For instance, in the first year of the 119th Congress, the
House held the fewest number of roll-call votes in the first
session in decades—362, according to congressional records.
The next two lowest on the list? The first year of the 102nd
Congress, which held 439 roll-call votes throughout 1991, and
the 117th Congress, which held 449 throughout 2021.
(Democrats controlled the chamber both of those years.)
By comparison, during the 118th Congress—when the GOP also
controlled the House—the chamber cast 724 roll-call votes in
the first year, ranking among the busier first sessions of
the past few decades.
Some of the roll-call disparity—undoubtedly—is driven by
the House GOP's strategy during last fall's shutdown, when
House Republican leaders opted to keep their caucus out of
Washington for weeks rather than work on other legislation or
cast additional votes, as Senate lawmakers worked to land a
shutdown-ending deal.
But congressional data also shows that in the first year of
the 119th Congress, the second-fewest number of bills became
law since at least the 1970s: 45. That is surpassed only by
the 29 in the 118th Congress, when the GOP led the House and
Democrats controlled the Senate and White House. (In the
1970s, some Congresses saw upwards of 200 bills become law in
the first year alone.)
Rep. Jim McGovern, D-Mass., who serves as the top Democrat
on the House Rules Committee, argues that these data points
demonstrate the GOP's “poor leadership” of the chamber.
Of course, Republicans argue that this is not a fair
metric, noting the number of disparate measures they swept up
into their massive single reconciliation bill, which included
an extension of tax cuts, significant reductions to Medicaid
and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, and
increased funding for immigration enforcement.
Republicans were proud of the legislation, arguing that its
passage would “spark massive economic growth, wage
increases, and take-home pay.” In the short term, though,
that has not happened. Less than two weeks ago, the Bureau of
Economic Analysis revised its estimate of economic growth in
the fourth quarter of 2025, calculating that the economy grew
at an anemic 0.7%—down from 4.4% in the third quarter, when
the bill was passed. Nominal wages also didn't go up much,
despite lawmakers and the president enacting a bill that will
cost $3.4 trillion over the next decade.
But lawmakers have also earned other ignominious merits
during this Congress—particularly when it comes to
legislating and not following the will of the majority.
The House has already set a record for the successful
deployment of a rarely used, last-ditch parliamentary
maneuver called a discharge petition—a tool that allows
House lawmakers to go around leaders to force votes on
legislation that has majority support.
So far in this Congress, four pieces of legislation have
clinched the 218 signatures needed to force floor action in
the House—more than any Congress going back decades.
Notably, because of the composition of the House, reaching
218 signatures meant that a handful of Republicans had to
buck their own party's leadership and join Democrats in
signing on to the petitions.
The bills that got sufficient support included legislation
by Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., to release the Epstein files
and a bill by House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries of New
York to extend expired enhanced Affordable Care Act subsidies
for three years.
Jeffries—who aims to become speaker during the next
Congress—has touted this metric, arguing that it's proof
Republican leaders have lost control and that Democrats “are
governing in the minority on behalf of the American people as
if we're in the majority.”
A spokesperson for House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La.,
declined to comment for this article.
But Johnson's desire to avoid votes on proposals that have
the backing of the majority has also forced him to deploy a
more closed legislative process than ever before.
Although steeped in parliamentary procedure and largely
overlooked by the public, the House Rules Committee holds a
great deal of power on Capitol Hill—serving as a gatekeeper
for legislation before it is considered on the House floor by
the entire chamber.
The members of the panel determine what amendments get—or
don't get—a vote, thereby shaping the contours of the debate
on major pieces of legislation.
Democrats on the Rules Committee, however, argue that
Republicans have effectively stymied the opportunity for
amendments—breaking yet another record in the process.
A report compiled by committee Democrats shows that the GOP
made zero amendments in order for 95 separate pieces of
legislation throughout the first year of the 119th Congress—
setting, they argue, a record for so-called closed rules in
the first year of any Congress ever.
The report also finds that roughly 80% of amendments
offered have been blocked—“up from 61% in the 115th
Congress and nearly 70% in the 118th Congress during the
previous two Republican majorities.”
McGovern, the top Democrat on the panel, argued that these
records are the result of the GOP being afraid to cross the
president—and demonstrate that Congress has essentially
turned into a rubber stamp for the president's wishes.
“Speaker Johnson is scared of the White House,” McGovern
told MS NOW. “He's afraid that bills could be—might be—
amended in a way that gets broad bipartisan support.”
Of course, Johnson became speaker in part by promising to
return the chamber to “regular order”—“member-driven”
and committee-led—rather than implementing a “top-down”
approach.
So how does this reliance on “closed rules” comport with
those promises?
Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas—one of the most outspoken defenders
of “regular order” in the House—declined to directly
answer when asked if he believed the speaker was standing by
his promise. Instead, he defended the speaker, saying it's
“a tough circumstance with a two-seat majority.”
“It just is what it is,” he added. “I try to give a
whole lot of grace on how you manage through this process and
complex environment.”
Republicans on the Rules Committee, for their part, say the
Democratic data is at best lacking in nuance.
A spokesperson for the Republicans on the panel noted that
only a portion of the rules was reported out as “closed” at
the discretion of the committee itself.
For instance, the spokesperson said, of the 95 pieces of
legislation the Democrats invoke, 25 were Congressional
Review Act measures, which are not amendable. (The CRA allows
Congress to overturn federal agency regulations.)
Members also never offered amendments for 20 of the bills
in question.
“There's a lot of nuance here,” Rules Committee
Chairwoman Virginia Foxx, R-N.C., told MS NOW.
As for McGovern's accusation that Republicans are merely
shutting down debate at the behest of the president, Foxx
said “both parties do that.”
“Don't live in a glass house and throw stones,” Foxx
said.
To be sure, the suggestion that Congress is not living up
to its Article 1 constitutional mandate is nothing new. For
years, observers have written about a branch that is
increasingly less interested in legislating and more
interested in partisan messaging.
Former Rep. Fred Upton, a Republican who represented
Michigan in the House for 36 years, recently bemoaned to The
Washington Post that, despite learning in ninth grade that
there are three branches of government, “right now, the
Congress is not one of them.”
“It abdicated everything to the White House,” Upton said.
In Congress' lawmaking absence, presidents have turned to
executive orders—and Trump's record-breaking 2025 only
serves to underscore the point. Throughout his first year
back in office, Trump signed 225 executive orders, according
to the Federal Register.
That towers over the 77 executive orders Joe Biden signed
in his first year and the 55 Trump signed back in 2017—the
first year of his first term.
But there are other, qualitative indications that the 119th
Congress is one that's less interested in legislating than
previous Congresses.
For the better part of a year, the House GOP used a
procedural trick to block any votes to renege the president's
global tariffs—despite the economic pressures back home.
And a majority of Republicans have repeatedly voted against
placing restrictions on Trump's military authority. That, in
particular, has been proof for at least one GOP lawmaker that
something has changed with the legislative branch.
“This is a Congress without ambition,” Sen. Rand Paul, R-
Ky., told reporters as the Senate voted down a war powers
resolution on Iran. “This is a Congress without a belief
structure in defending legislative prerogative. They just are
a rubber stamp for whatever a president tells them to do.”
Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, the final thing I am going to say before I reserve is that the amendment that Ms. DeLauro just talked about was blocked in the Rules Committee last night, as well.
support a bill that funds only the lawful agencies within DHS, that is fine. They can vote “no” on it, but they won't even allow it to be brought up as an amendment. They won't even allow us to have a debate and to deliberate on it. They blocked it.
allow other points of view to be brought to the floor. That is what this place is supposed to be about. We are supposed to be a deliberative body, and my Republican colleagues are ruining that. They are ruining that.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mrs. HOUCHIN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I will clarify a few things. The gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. McGovern) made a claim about ICE raids in schools. Contrary to fear-mongering by the media and sanctuary politicians, ICE does not target schools or children. Media is force-feeding the public stories, causing people to be scared, but there are no raids occurring at schools and no raids targeting schools.
for resolutions of inquiry, but when the roles were reversed, they seemed completely content with then-Speaker Pelosi's iron grip on floor procedure. For over 600 days in the 116th and 117th Congresses, resolutions of inquiry were blocked from coming to the floor by the Democratic majority.
extend such provisions, despite protests from Republicans. While they may contend that this was during the COVID pandemic, the reality is that committees were working and operating for quite some time. We have operated this Congress without the use of resolutions of inquiry, and it has had no impact on the minority's ability to conduct oversight of the administration.
What is good for the goose is good for the gander. As was done under the Democratic majority, we will utilize this tool as necessary.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.
Mr. Speaker, I know that I have a little bit of a Massachusetts accent, and so sometimes I may be hard to understand for the gentlewoman. I didn't say that ICE agents raided schools. I said that they gassed students. They gassed schools.
Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to include in the Record a news story titled: “Witnesses say agents arrest Minneapolis school staff, tear gas students; DHS claims no tear gas was used.”
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the gentleman from Massachusetts?
There was no objection.
From KARE 11, Jan. 8, 2026
Witnesses say agents arrest Minneapolis school staff, tear gas
students; DHS claims no tear gas was used
(By Lydia Morrell, David Griswold)
Minneapolis—Federal agents descended on Roosevelt High
School in Minneapolis on Wednesday, just hours after an ICE
agent shot and killed a woman near Powderhorn Park.
The Department of Human Services (DHS) said Border Patrol
agents were in the school zone after a five-mile pursuit
while they were conducting an immigration enforcement
operation. In a statement, DHS said that a U.S. citizen was
“actively trying to impede operations” and claimed that it
escalated to the individual ramming their vehicle into a
government vehicle.
A chase ensued until the driver stopped in the school zone.
DHS said a person who identified themself as a teacher
“proceeded to assault a border patrol agent,” and a crowd
began to form. DHS said people began throwing objects and
spraying paint on officers and their vehicles.
DHS said no tear-gas was used, but witnesses told KARE 11
that tear gas was indeed used, and some staff and students
may have been taken into custody. Minneapolis Public Schools
canceled classes for Thursday and Friday, citing “safety
concerns.”
A video shows agents spraying an individual with a backpack
who threw a snowball with a chemical irritant. KARE has
followed up to ask what irritant was used.
Daniel, who asked that his first name only be used, is a
senior at the school and captured a video that has been
shared widely online. He says the person in the video
throwing the snowball was a student.
“Sad, shocked, I don't know, scared for other students and
my whole family,” said Daniel.
DHS shared on X on Thursday that more law enforcement would
be coming to Minnesota and ICE operations will be
“accelerating.”
Evan Johnson was walking his dog near the school around
3:30 p.m. when he heard sirens and what sounded like a car
crash. He said dozens of ICE agents gathered in front of the
school, and “skirmishes” between agents, students and staff
began to occur.
“All of a sudden, a few high school-age kids came running
and looking scared and maybe even tearful,” Johnson said.
“And—there was a woman right next to me, who was going to
head over and start filming herself. And she told this little
boy to get into her car—she asked him first if he was afraid
of what's going on. And he just said, `ICE is here.' ”
“At no point was a school, students, or staff targeted,
and agents would not have been near this location if not for
the dangerous actions of this individual,” DHS said in a
statement.
Minnesota Public Radio reported ICE agents handcuffed two
staff members.
One student, who asked to go by Braeden, identified the man
who seemed to be tackled by agents as a teacher of the
school.
Protestors gathered outside the school, blowing whistles
and raising signs, Johnson said. As for the sound of the car
crash, Johnson said he saw four ICE SUVs surrounding a car
that appeared as if it had been T-boned on the passenger
side. Johnson said the crashed car looked like a civilian
car, not like the SUVs that ICE agents were driving.
Minneapolis Public Schools provided this statement on
Wednesday's events:
“Minneapolis Public Schools (MPS) is aware of an incident
that happened after school yesterday, outside of Roosevelt
High School. This incident involved federal law enforcement
agents and is currently under investigation. We are working
with our partners including the City of Minneapolis and
others to support the individuals directly impacted.
Minneapolis Public Schools is committed to maintaining a safe
and welcoming learning environment for all of our students.
All MPS schools are closed today, January 8 and tomorrow,
January 9 out of an abundance of caution.”
Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, may I inquire as to how much time is remaining.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman from Massachusetts has 2 minutes remaining.
Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, at the end of the day, this is what it comes down to: The American people need help, and this Republican majority has nothing to offer them.
People are worried about affording groceries. They are worried about gas prices. They are worried about what this war means for their family budgets, their jobs, their kids, and their future.
one of the toughest jobs in public service. Even Republican Senator John Kennedy admitted on FOX News that we could have TSA paid by the end of the week, but President Donald Trump has said no deal.
Instead of fixing problems, Republicans waste time. They recycle the same old bills. They posture. They distract. They try to change the subject, and, yes, cruelty is part of it, too. When people are hurting, and leaders see the pain and still choose chaos and still choose stunts like this, still choose political games over actually helping anybody, that is not just incompetence. It is callousness, and it is cruelty.
One day, Trump says one thing. The next day, his administration does the opposite—more troops, more escalation, more confusion—and regular people are left to absorb the consequences.
higher. They don't care that supply chains are getting hit. They don't care that their farmers are getting screwed over. They do not care that working families are one more price spike away from disaster. The American people want to stop being jerked around.
The reality is that Republicans do not care. If they cared, we would be debating bills to lower costs; we would be demanding answers about this war; we would make sure that we paid people who keep this country safe; and they would be acting with urgency and seriousness.
That is not what we are getting. Instead, we are getting a Republican majority that is deeply incompetent, deeply unserious, and far too comfortable with making ordinary people pay the price for its failures.
Republicans are working overtime to make it harder for people to vote before November. I understand the SAVE Act because the State legislative district that includes Mar-a-Lago flipped blue last night.
The American people are sick of this. They are not going to put up with this.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote “no” on the previous question and on this rule. I yield back the balance of my time.
{time} 1310
Mrs. HOUCHIN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.
Mr. Speaker, I note that the Department of Homeland Security is composed of several agencies, not just TSA, not just FEMA, not just the Coast Guard, and not just ICE and CBP.
to fund the Department of Homeland Security, they are refusing to fund the agency in its entirety, which includes U.S. Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Transportation Security Administration, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency protecting our critical infrastructure from cyber and physical threats, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, U.S. Secret Service, Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers, and the Federal Protective Service to protect our Federal buildings and our employees.
Security. Yes, Mr. Speaker, it is true, we don't want to partially fund the Department of Homeland Security. We want to fully fund every part of it. That is why we are not going to do this in piecemeal. The people who are working at the Department of Homeland Security, whether they are working for ICE to try to rid this country of criminal illegal aliens, or they are working for TSA to protect our airports, or they are engaging in protections for the cybersecurity of our homeland, they deserve to be paid for their work.
this week, have the opportunity to vote an eighth time to fully fund DHS, and I hope they will join us on behalf of all of the Federal workers that work under that agency.
Mr. Speaker, these four bills that we are going to consider in the rule have a common thread. They protect Americans at home and abroad. They stand behind the personnel who keep this country safe. They enforce agreements we have made and defend the values we have built. They reflect a simple principle: the United States Government exists to serve the American people.
I ask my colleagues to join me in voting “yes” on the previous question and “yes” on the rule.
The material previously referred to by Mr. McGovern is as follows:
An Amendment To H. Res. 1131 Offered By Mr. McGOVERN of Massachusetts
After the resolved clause strike the first section, insert
the following, and renumber the subsequent sections
accordingly:
That immediately upon adoption of this resolution, the
House shall proceed to the consideration in the House of the
bill (H.R. 8029) making appropriations for the Department of
Homeland Security for the fiscal year ending September 30,
2026, and for other purposes. All points of order against
consideration of the bill are waived. An amendment in the
nature of a substitute consisting of the text of H.R. 7481,
as introduced, shall be considered as adopted. The bill, as
amended, shall be considered as read. All points of order
against provisions in the bill, as amended, are waived. The
previous question shall be considered as ordered on the bill,
as amended, and on any further amendment thereto, to final
passage without intervening motion except: (1) one hour of
debate equally divided and controlled by the chair and
ranking minority member of the Committee on Appropriations or
their respective designees; and (2) one motion to recommit.
Sec. 2. Clause 1(c) of rule XIX and clause 8 of rule XX
shall not apply to the consideration of H.R. 8029.
Sec. 3. The Clerk shall transmit to the Senate a message
that the House has passed H.R. 8029 no later than three
calendar days passage.
Mrs. HOUCHIN. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time, and I move the previous question on the resolution.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on ordering the previous question on the resolution.
The question was taken; and the Speaker pro tempore announced that the ayes appeared to have it.
Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
The yeas and nays were ordered.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, further proceedings on this question will be postponed.