Prime Minister Golda Meir Commemorative Coin Act

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from New York (Mr. Langworthy) for yielding the customary 30 minutes.

Mr. Speaker, Republicans called us into an emergency meeting to consider today's rules several weeks ago.

Several weeks ago, it is an emergency. Actually, America does have some emergencies that need to be addressed.

Our national security is at risk. Putin, the dictator, may win his war against our ally if we don't surge aid to Ukraine.

Putin wants World War III, and Putin-protecting Republicans don't want to address that emergency. Remember, Putin's war caused our energy crisis to rise.

I call on responsible Republicans to address our national security emergency. I call on them to address the overwhelmingly bipartisan bill that passed the Senate.

America has another emergency. In 5 legislative days--count them. It is a single hand. In 5 legislative days, our Federal Government won't have money to pay its workers, to pay its contracts, to do our jobs.

Today should be a day to govern, a day to address America's emergencies. Instead, we are taking up one of the most precious resources we have in Congress, and that is floor time, for an election ploy to help certain New York Republicans win their next election.

Last night, New Yorkers told America they were tired of Republicans' failure to govern, didn't they? Now Republicans are using floor time to save the fragile reelection campaigns of some other New York Republicans, but don't let them fool you.

H.R. 7160 is simply a Band-Aid for a problem that the twice- impeached, four times-indicted former President Trump and Republican congressional folks caused in the first place.

They created this problem that they now want to put a Band-Aid on. They capped the SALT deduction in their tax bill to give tax breaks to the wealthiest corporations and CEOs.

As we know, Republicans and Trump seem to care more about the richest Americans. There are real emergencies that all Americans want this Congress to address.

The Federal Government could shut down in just 2 weeks, an absolute disaster that these bills don't even mention. That should be our priority.

Yet, we have another week of chaos and dysfunction, of dealing with things that are not priorities for the American people.

It is another week that Republicans allow small sections of their party to dictate what we see on the floor, based on their reelection priorities.

It is another week that extreme MAGA Republicans push partisan political stunts. The other bill in this rule is another one of those stunts.

H. Res. 987 is a nonbinding, politically motivated resolution that does nothing, nada, nothing, to lower energy costs or provide effective energy solutions.

Like so much of what Republicans do in the House, it is a distraction from the real bipartisan work Congress must do.

From the first paragraph, it is wrong. Just yesterday, we got a new Consumer Price Index report which shows energy prices fell last month. They have fallen 4.6 percent in the last year.

The United States is producing more oil than ever before, more than any time during the Trump administration.

More importantly, energy is not just oil and gas. The Inflation Reduction Act that Democrats passed and President Biden signed into law last Congress created more than 170,000 clean energy jobs in the U.S. so far.

Wind, solar, geothermal--these are important elements of our American energy portfolio. The Inflation Reduction Act provided $369 billion in investments for clean energy and for reducing greenhouse gas pollution.

This resolution that does nothing is just wrong. It is a do-nothing Congress. It is yet another day in our do-nothing Congress.

Let's not take our word for it. In the first session of the 117th Congress, 81 bills were enacted into law; in the first session of the Republican-led 118th Congress, 34 bills. That is all--just 34 bills.

It is one of the most unproductive Congresses in modern history. The American people deserve more. They want more. They want us to do our work.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote ``no'' on the rule, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, let's go back to who caused this problem in the first place. It was those Republicans with their Republican tax cut.

The Trump tax cut is the one that caused this problem. Let's not forget why we are facing this. Let's not forget, and, hopefully, New Yorkers won't forget as to why they are facing this problem in the first place.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Crow), my esteemed colleague.

Mr. Speaker, I remind everybody here that Democrats offered an amendment in the Rules Committee so that we could have fixed the SALT problem not just for tax year 2023, which is when you pay your taxes now in 2024, but fixed it for 2 years. If Republicans were really interested in solving this problem, they would have made sure that it got fixed for the 2 years.

Do you know what the Republican vote was? Unanimous. Every single one of my Republican colleagues on the Rules Committee said, no, we don't want a fix that would actually fix it for 2 years. We just want to get past this next election. We want to make sure that when people file their taxes now, as April 15 is coming up, that this is fixed. One year--they could have had it for 2. Every single one of them, even our New York colleague, voted ``no.''

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Pascrell).

Mr. Speaker, I yield an additional 15 seconds to the gentleman from New Jersey.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, Mr. Pascrell made a really important point, and that is that this problem arose and impacted middle-class Americans. That happened because Republicans and the Trump tax cuts didn't really much care about middle-class Americans. They didn't much care about working- class Americans.

In fact, as we know, the Trump tax cuts mostly benefited the wealthy. The Trump tax cuts highlight the priorities that we see in this Chamber between Republicans and Democrats because they imposed the SALT deduction cap for a reason.

They wanted to make sure that they could pass these tax cuts that, as you can see, benefited the richest Americans so much more than they did middle-class Americans. The magnitude is astounding.

Their goal of what they tried to do and what they did do back then worked. The top 0.1 percent had an average tax cut of $193,000. What kind of cut did middle-income Americans receive? A paltry $930. If you earned $3 million or more a year, you got to keep an extra $193,000. People who earned $1 billion got to keep even more.

Do those millionaires and billionaires really need that help? Do you know who really needed that help? The middle class, which got $930, that is barely $77 a month.

These were their priorities. These remain their priorities, except for the fact that there are some election problems happening over there in New York, and they acknowledged it. A few of the New York Republicans helped them get their majority, so this is

what they are getting back for 1 year and 1 year only because they didn't want to vote for a 2-year fix.

Imagine what a middle-class family would have been able to do if they had gotten thousands of dollars of tax cuts. They would have been able to do some of the things we are talking about: buy a house, send their kids to college, go on a vacation, make sure that they didn't have to worry about the bills. Mr. Speaker, they could have bought 20 years' worth of groceries if we just allowed them to get what the rich got. But that didn't happen.

Democrat priorities are that we are always standing with the working class and not the wealthiest corporations and CEOs. We want to lower costs and grow the middle class.

H.R. 7160, you know, it is not solving the problem. It is not a permanent fix. It is not even a 2-year fix. When you guys get up and complain that this should not be a problem for us, we wanted to fix it for 2 years. You said no.

They just don't want to let us vote on things that are important. They don't want to let us vote on a 2-year fix. They don't want to let us vote on Ukraine funding, on emergency security issues that are about protecting our troops.

Let us vote on these issues. Let the House Members have a say.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

We have seen the Republicans kill a lot of their own rules. A record number of Republican rules have been killed on the floor of the House. I think it is a little too early to crow about getting this done when you don't know if you are going to get your Republican colleagues to vote for your own rule.

There is something else that is in this rule, and that is H. Res. 987. My colleagues like complaining a lot. They have a politics of grievance, but they don't actually solve the problem. They go on and on about various issues, like energy, immigration, other things, but they do not solve the problems. They don't actually pass laws. They don't take up the bills that actually would solve the problem.

That is what we are seeing today in H. Res. 987. It is just a bill of complaint. It is also not very accurate. They are complaining about President Biden's energy policies. Let's look at those energy policies.

The United States is producing a record 13.2 million barrels of crude oil per day, more than Russia or Saudi Arabia, more than any time during the Trump administration. We are also producing record amounts of natural gas.

H.R. 987 itself even notes that the U.S. became a global leader in LNG exports for the first time in 2023, which was under President Biden.

Moreover, oil and gas companies are reaping the benefits. In the last 2 years, we have seen record profits, $196 billion one year and $123 billion the next.

What we see a lot in this other resolution is complaining but not a good recitation of facts on the ground. The resolution also complains that there isn't enough domestic production of reliable and affordable energy.

Let's talk about affordable energy. When Democrats were in control last Congress, we and President Biden took historic action to spur clean energy development right here at home.

We know that clean energy helps stabilize prices because we are not subject to international price fluctuations. As we talked about earlier, as Representative Crow mentioned, one of the reasons we saw the surge in gas prices was because of Putin's war, yet we are not taking up the bipartisan security package that passed overwhelmingly in the Senate. If we want to look at ways of making sure that our international markets don't go crazy, let's address Putin's war.

They don't want to do that.

What we are doing at home is looking at that renewable energy because when we produce renewable energy here at home, we are not dependent on Saudi Arabia, and we are not dependent on Russia.

President Biden knows the importance of energy independence, and we are creating independence by weaning ourselves off of those international markets.

Let me tell you, we are doing that in New Mexico, because when we build in New Mexico, we bring down costs.

What are we doing in New Mexico? Last year, the Inflation Reduction Act created more than 170,000 clean energy jobs and provided $369 billion in investments. Some of that went to New Mexico. I am going to give you a couple of examples from my own beautiful State.

It spurred $1.4 billion in funding for clean energy projects to create at least 2,105 jobs.

In New Mexico, these clean energy jobs are also bringing to our State manufacturing jobs, like in Belen where we will be building wind towers. For the first time, we are creating manufacturing jobs in the United States.

Wind power and solar power are actually the cheapest electricity we can invest in. Our big companies know that, and they are investing in wind and solar.

Indeed, I recently met with Chevron representatives, and they told me excitedly about the plans they have to invest in clean energy, to invest in wind and solar.

Rather than pass a resolution that doesn't do anything but complain, I invite my Republican colleagues to work with Democrats to pass bills that bring down our energy costs while we invest in America's clean energy future here at home.

Help us build on progress we made last Congress so that we can grow the

middle class and lower costs for the American people. We can achieve both goals when you put people over politics.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Give me a break, really. Republicans caused this problem. When Republicans were in complete control, they created the problem that that chart just highlighted. Everybody is paying for that. They created a problem where the middle class--I don't use that kind of language, but you know what I would have said--where the middle class really did not benefit, because they were prioritizing the rich. Now they are scolding us? You have to be kidding.

In 2019, when Democrats took control of the House, what did they do? They passed a fix to the SALT problem. It went over to the Senate, and Mitch McConnell killed it. The Senate, remember, was 50/50, so we needed 10 Republican votes to get things across. We needed 9 Republican votes. We needed Republican votes to get things over. Republicans were not willing to fix things over there.

Our priorities have always been the middle class. Their priorities were the rich, and that is why we have this problem in the first place.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to include in the Record a 2023 Center for American Progress report titled: ``Biden Tax Proposals Would Correct Inequities Created by Trump Tax Cuts and Raise Additional Revenues.''

Mr. Speaker, this report details the massive tax breaks that the Trump and Republican 2018 tax bill primarily benefited the wealthiest Americans, and we constantly hear them want to make it permanent. We constantly hear them say: Oh, those were the greatest things, except for when they need to have a couple of their Members get reelected. We are looking for a repeat of what we saw yesterday.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, the Republicans' fix needs a fix. Really. They are proposing that instead of actually fixing the SALT problem, they keep trying to say: Oh, it is all right for us to do just a teeny, tiny, little bit just as long as we can get reelected, because if they really wanted to fix it, then they would have at least taken it up and raised it in committee, had a good debate, and brought it to the floor with a robust fix that actually makes a difference not just for an election year.

I might remind everybody, again, that in the Rules Committee, Joe Neguse, a member of the Rules Committee, proposed that this SALT fix actually go for 2 years so that it would be consistent with the other tax cuts that Trump did. They didn't want that.

The other thing that the amendment does was strike $20,000 and half $30,000. They didn't want that either. Every single Republican voted against it. Every single Republican voted against having this goal for 2 years.

Why?

It was because that wasn't part of the deal. They don't need it after November, I guess. They only need it for this November.

Is that it?

Once November goes by, their constituents don't need another year of tax relief with regard to this deduction?

Why would they vote against that?

I have no idea why they would not let the Members on the floor of the House decide whether this bill should go for 2 years.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, we just have to keep saying it over and over again: How dare the majority scold us for not fixing a problem that they created. How dare they scold us, and how dare they actually even think about it when they don't want to fix the problem.

The majority's fix needs fixing. Let's move on.

I was flabbergasted when I heard my colleagues say that the Trump tax cuts, which benefited the wealthy, the superwealthy, the millionaires, and the billionaires, were the greatest stimulus ever. They were actually not.

Mr. Speaker, I call Members' attention to a report titled: ``The Biden Tax Proposals Would Correct Inequities Created By Trump Tax Cuts and Raise Additional Revenues.''

Mr. Speaker, what this report shows is that it wasn't the greatest stimulus, indeed, that with the Trump tax cuts, revenue plummeted from the expected.

Those Trump tax cuts are the reason we have the deficits, which is what they always usually complain about.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time to close.

Mr. Speaker, it is clear that today's legislative calendar highlights the very distinct differences in priorities and values between Democrats and Republicans.

Democrats are committed to putting people over politics. We are dedicated to lowering costs for everyday Americans, to raising the middle class, to growing that middle class, and to investing in our communities.

On the other hand, the Republicans don't have much of an agenda other than chaos and trying to win the next election.

The SALT Marriage Penalty Elimination Act is a Band-Aid on a wound Republicans inflicted on the American people when they passed the Trump tax cuts. It is not the kind of emergency that should be taking up our time when we don't have a budget, when we can't pay our bills in a couple of weeks, and when we have Putin possibly winning the war in Ukraine.

Be that as it may, here we are taking that up and taking up a nonbinding resolution about the President's energy policies that ignore how much we have invested in clean energy, how many jobs we have created in the energy sector, and how we are lowering prices.

That is putting people and our planet first.

Their nonbinding resolution does nothing. Republicans keep taking up our time doing nothing on this House floor. We should be on the House floor this week talking about funding the government.

The American people deserve more than the political stunts and the partisan gridlock that comes out of this wonderful, beautiful people's House. It was in this people's House last Congress that we got so much done.

We invested in our infrastructure, we invested in our communities, and we saved America from the economic catastrophe that we were facing coming out of a pandemic. We did so much then, and we have done so little now. What a contrast.

Be that as it may, in the face of chaos and dysfunction, I and everybody in my Democratic Caucus remain steadfast in our commitment to progress and prosperity for all Americans.

The bills that we will be taking up if this rule passes--if this rule passes, they keep defeating their rules--they won't be doing that. This is a teeny, tiny, little Band-Aid on a big, open wound. This rule is all about politics and not about people.

Let's reject the rule and put people over politics.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to oppose the previous question and the rule, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. Speaker, by direction of the Committee on Rules, I call up House Resolution 994 and ask for its immediate consideration.

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

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

House Resolution 994 provides for consideration of two measures, H.R. 7160 and H. Res. 987. The rule provides for H.R. 7160 to be considered under a closed rule, with 1 hour of debate equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking minority member of the Committee on Ways and Means or their respective designees and provides for one motion to recommit.

The rule further provides for consideration of H. Res. 987 under a closed rule, with 1 hour of debate equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking minority member of the Committee on Energy and Commerce or their respective designees.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this rule and in support of the underlying legislation. H.R. 7160, the SALT Marriage Penalty Elimination Act, would bring much-needed relief to hardworking Americans in high-tax States that make the cost of living unbearable.

This legislation is an important fix to our Nation's tax code that will raise the cap for joint income filers, married couples, to $20,000. This legislation makes right a provision in our tax code that is clearly unfair and penalizes middle-class families in many States across our Nation.

Mr. Speaker, President Biden's reckless spending of hard-earned taxpayer dollars means that American families are already saddled with high inflation. Add to that the exorbitant taxes paid by those who live in States like I do that are run by Democrats who want to take and spend even more of their money.

Many of my colleagues have argued that raising the cap for the State and local tax deductions is just bailing out blue States for their reckless spending and failed policies. However, New York, as is the case with many of our higher tax States, pays far more into the Federal Government than it receives in return, and that money that New York State pays into the Federal Government is invested in States across this great Nation for things like infrastructure, law enforcement, and other essential services.

I can assure my colleagues here today that millions of New Yorkers, including those living in my own district, are painfully aware and routinely against the fiscal insanity perpetuated by Governor Kathy Hochul of New York, just as millions of Californians are deeply opposed to the reckless tax-and-spend policies of Governor Gavin Newsom and Democrats in Sacramento. That is why this legislation before us today is not a bailout for harmful State policies. It is a lifeline to Americans who are feeling the pain of this out-of-control taxation firsthand.

Mr. Speaker, it is common to hear from those opposed to the SALT deduction that this deduction only benefits the very rich. I encourage them to talk to police officers and firefighters living on Long Island in Nassau or Suffolk County or middle-class families living in southern California trying to pay their bills, put food on the table, and

ensure their children have a good life. I think you will find that these are the Americans who are in most need of and will benefit the most from this urgent and necessary relief.

Additionally, the rule before us provides for consideration of H. Res. 987, a resolution denouncing the harmful anti-American energy policies of the Biden administration.

On January 6, 2024, President Joe Biden chose to serve his political interests and the interests of the radical environmentalists over the interests and the needs of the American people. His decision to halt the export of American liquefied natural gas only further undermines our economy and further jeopardizes the security of our great Nation.

Liquefied natural gas, or LNG, has played a crucial role in fostering our Nation's economic growth and energy independence. By putting a sudden stop to its export, President Biden is jeopardizing the livelihoods of countless Americans who depend on the energy sector for their jobs.

Let me be clear: This move by President Biden is nothing more than a stab in the back to the very people who fuel our Nation and who have been world leaders in energy technology innovation that makes our country great.

President Biden's action also emboldens our adversaries like Russia and hangs our allies in Europe, who import 68 percent of U.S. LNG exports, out to dry. The bottom line is this: If we are to ensure our secure future of affordable and reliable energy where the United States and our allies are not dependent on foreign adversaries for our energy needs, then we need to ensure that this Nation remains a leading exporter of LNG.

The President's asinine choice to prioritize the shortsighted goals of radical environmentalists and score political points from the woke mob is being made at the expense of long-term stability and compromising our Nation's economic strength. It is our responsibility here as Members of Congress in this House of Representatives to condemn this profoundly un-American action that is in clear contravention of American interests.

Mr. Speaker, I therefore strongly urge my colleagues to support this rule, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Lawler), my good friend and colleague in the New York delegation.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Kean), my friend and colleague.

Mr. Speaker, I yield an additional 15 seconds to the gentleman from New Jersey.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from California (Mrs. Kim).

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from New York (Mr. D'Esposito), my good friend and colleague.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from New York (Mr. LaLota).

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Molinaro).

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Harris).

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I am prepared to close, and I yield myself the balance of my time.

Today, we have heard plenty of arguments and weak accusations pushing back on a necessary piece of legislation that provides relief for hardworking, middle-class Americans crushed by an economy racked with inflation and gouged by the failed tax-and-spend policies of State governments like my own State of New York.

These aren't the richest of Americans we are talking about here, these are everyday families who just want to achieve the American Dream in an economy ravaged by skyrocketing costs and State and local governments that play to the whims of the radical left. Congress has an opportunity today to make a straightforward, reasonable fix that will make an enormous difference in the finances and futures of these hardworking Americans in States across this great country.

Mr. Speaker, we also have the opportunity to send a powerful message from this Chamber today to the Biden administration and to the world that Congress does not endorse and, in fact, condemns the President's decision to bring our Nation's LNG exports to a screeching halt.

Mr. Speaker, I strongly urge the passage of this rule.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time, and I move the previous question on the resolution.

Mr. Speaker, in a time when middle-class families are increasingly squeezed by the rising cost of living, providing real tax relief is imperative.

That is why I introduced the SALT Marriage Penalty Elimination Act, which is designed to correct an inequity that has burdened married couples across New York and the United States since 2017.

The current tax code unfairly caps State and local tax deductions, otherwise known as SALT, at $10,000 for married couples filing jointly, essentially penalizing them for their marital status and depriving them of the full $20,000 deduction they would rightly deserve.

This arbitrary threshold does not reflect the economic realities faced by dual-income households, especially in high-cost areas like New York's 17th District. It is an issue that transcends tax policy. It is about fairness and supporting the backbone of our communities--our families.

The implications of the SALT cap are significant. Since its implementation, we have witnessed a dramatic decline in taxpayers claiming the SALT deduction, a drop from nearly 50 percent in my district to 19, or nationwide, from 31 percent to 9.

This stark decrease has disproportionately impacted high-cost States like New York where the cost of living far exceeds the national average.

In my district alone, the percentage of filers itemizing taxes have halved since the cap's introduction, underscoring the urgent need for reform.

The SALT Marriage Penalty Elimination Act, my first bill introduced in the House, seeks to address this issue head-on by eliminating the marriage penalty and reinstating a fair deduction limit.

During the Rules Committee hearing, there was some insinuation that this legislation was hurried and rushed in the dead of night.

I am here to tell you that this legislation has been available for people to review for over 13 months and is less than 2 pages long.

This isn't some thousand-page omnibus deal. It is something that we have worked on with Republican leadership and our Democrat colleagues to address for over a year.

Passage of the SALT Marriage Penalty Implementation Act would represent a significant step toward alleviating the financial burden faced by countless families in my district and across the country, offering relief from the double taxation that has unjustly impacted them.

Additionally, with housing costs reaching near record highs and inflation continuing to erode purchasing power, the need for this bill is all the more necessary.

For instance, in Rockland and Westchester Counties in my district, the monthly cost of a mortgage surged by $1,000 in the past year alone, thanks to rate increases brought about by the trillions in new spending from this administration and the prior Congress.

These spikes in housing costs, coupled with rising grocery prices, are unsustainable for the average family, making tax relief essential.

This House Republican majority was built by the contributions of New Yorkers, and this legislation would help those same New Yorkers see immediate tax relief.

Some critics might balk at the cost of this measure. The fact is that relief provided to families across the country would spur additional economic growth that would outpace the minor cost.

This bill is a compromise that fixes an unfair penalty and stands to revitalize communities, stimulate economic activity, and most importantly, support the hardworking families who are the lifeblood of our Nation. It provides immediate tax relief.

SALT is expected to expire in 2025, but these families can't wait that long. I urge all of my colleagues to support this profamily measure that corrects this unfair penalty, and I encourage my Democratic colleagues to support it, as well.

They talk a good game, but when they had complete control in the prior Congress, they failed to provide a fix.

They failed to enact legislation that would provide immediate tax relief. Governor Hochul, Senator Schumer, Senator Gillibrand, and Leader Jeffries have been silent.

They should embrace this. They should be championing it. They should be supporting our efforts. This is about providing real, tangible support to those who need it.

As we move forward, I am hopeful that this can be a moment of unity amongst my colleagues on both sides of the aisle, reflecting the bipartisan understanding that when it comes to supporting our families, fairness is critical.

Together, we can ensure that unfair tax policies that penalize families are a thing of the past, putting the well-being of American families above all.

Mr. Speaker, let's add some honesty to the SALT conversation. I am from a blue State, and I am willing to concede to my red State colleagues especially that an increase in the SALT cap benefits blue States more than red States. There; I said it.

After all, it is the blue States with the highest State income taxes, sales taxes, and property taxes. At 10.9 percent, my State, New York, has the dubious distinction of having the highest taxes in this great Nation of ours.

As bloated and out of control as my State's spending and taxes are under one-party Democrat rule, it cannot be said truthfully that red States are subsidizing the blue States. The data demonstrates the opposite actually, that blue States like mine are giving far more to Washington than we get back. The opposite is true, that many red States get far more from Washington than they give.

As you can see from this chart, the home States of many of my Republican colleagues shown in red, who say SALT is a subsidy to blue States, are, in fact, the States that get much more from Washington than they give, Mr. Speaker.

Here in this chart, you can see that New York gets one of the worst returns on investment of our Federal dollars. It is the blue line down there. Yet, many red States are at the top of this list whose taxpayers are getting much more from Washington than they are giving.

Mr. Speaker, States like New York are not asking for a bailout. We are simply asking to break even. Many of my colleagues are correct to say a large part of the problem starts in Albany. Sadly, I live in that reality, and I know better than to rely on Albany Democrats to try and improve the lives of the average New Yorker. Why do you think so many are fleeing my State for States like Texas and Florida? It is not just for the weather, Mr. Speaker.

Second, I want to address some serious intellectual dishonesty and rewriting of history by my Democrat colleagues.

Mr. Speaker, Democrats had complete control of Washington for 2 years, the House, the Senate, and the White House, yet they have never signed any SALT relief into law, even though they passed several massive omnibus and reconciliation bills. They failed their constituents and mine and embarrassed themselves and are now trying to blame blue State Republicans, even though we are clearly fighting tooth and nail to deliver some sort of relief.

When they had majorities and the White House, why didn't Speaker Pelosi and New York's own Leader Schumer take action to deal with this issue?

Mr. Speaker, this is a political talking point for Democrats but a serious policy item for me and my fellow New York Republicans. Restoring the SALT deduction is not just a matter of tax policy for Long Island families. It is a crucial step toward ensuring economic fairness, supporting the middle class, and sustaining vibrant communities. The lack of a meaningful SALT deduction hurts my constituents, and we must address this injustice.

Since so many of my Democrat colleagues have been so passionate about this issue, I am sure they will have no issue, Mr. Speaker, voting to advance this legislation and voting in favor of the rule.

Mr. Speaker, I urge all my colleagues from both sides of the aisle to support the combined rule.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to implore House Republicans to bring the bipartisan national security supplemental to the floor for a vote. All we want is a vote.

I just returned from Ukraine with a bipartisan group where we met with Ukrainians, and I can tell you that these folks are fighting and dying, not just for their own freedom and their own democracy but for freedom and democracy around the globe because Vladimir Putin and Russia will not stop at Ukraine. They will continue marching if they are not stopped here.

This national security supplemental bill, this is not charity. We are not doing this simply out of the goodness of our hearts. This is in the best interests of Americans and American national security.

Let's break this down. By providing this support, we will be able to stop Russian from its march anyplace else in Europe.

We will be able to protect the 100,000 servicemen and -women, Americans and their families who live in Europe and work with our allies and who would be at great risk if Putin is not stopped here.

We also protect our largest trading partner in Europe and our largest security partner. Our economy and our businesses rely on a stable and prosperous Europe.

We would also be protecting the world's food supply and food prices, keeping food prices lower and making sure that food supplies are not interrupted. That is all the things that this bill will do.

Let's also talk about how this bill is structured and how it provides that support. It provides that support by spending over half of the money right here in the United States in U.S. businesses and on U.S. workers, from places like Texas and North Carolina and Pennsylvania and Colorado, all throughout this Nation who will be building the equipment and supplies that we will be sending to our military, because that is another part of this.

Our military sends our old equipment to Ukraine, and Ukraine uses it with great effect on the battlefield, then the new stuff is kept by our military.

Let's break this down. We are supporting our economy. We are protecting our 100,000 troops. We are ensuring a stable and prosperous Europe. We are defeating the Russian military. We are ensuring food supplies. We are updating our own military stocks. We are infusing money in the U.S. defense industrial base and into our own workers and businesses. We are doing all of this for less than 5 percent of our annual defense budget.

That is a great deal for the American taxpayer. It is a great deal for the American people. We would be remiss if we didn't act now and take this up.

There are moments in history that will judge people and determine the course of the world. We are at one of those moments now.

I implore you. Bring this for a vote so we can ensure a stable and prosperous world and make sure it is one that our children and grandchildren want to grow up in.