Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I thank Representative Hayes so very much for organizing and for giving me this time, because I am here on behalf of my good friend and the ranking member of the Rules Committee, Jim McGovern, who Republicans silenced today for simply telling the truth about a criminal trial.

Imagine that, on this House floor, we cannot state a fact about a trial. Here is another fact about the former President that represents a policy choice Democrats oppose. President Trump supported cutting SNAP by nearly 30 percent within 10 years.

Mr. McGovern stands for the opposite. He stands up every week on this House floor with his poster ``end hunger now.'' If Republicans hadn't silenced him, he would have spoken tonight against the farm bill because of its impact on farmers. If Republicans hadn't silenced him, he would have spoken up for families who do not have enough food to eat.

Similar to me, Mr. McGovern represents a district that includes thousands of farms and farmers who benefit from SNAP because they sell their produce to the program, but also farmers need to use SNAP because they don't make enough money. We are starving the people who are raising the food for us.

In my district, one in five New Mexicans receive SNAP benefits, the highest of any State. This Republican majority silenced him, so I am here to read the remarks that the Republican majority might not want to hear from Mr. McGovern. These are his remarks:

Mr. Speaker, Republicans are advancing a bill that cuts SNAP, our Nation's first line of defense against hunger, by an astounding $30 billion.

He would have probably raised his hands and said: You can't make this up.

MAGA Republicans included a provision in their extremely partisan farm bill that will prevent SNAP benefits from ever being increased, even if a scientific review says they should be.

The last reevaluation, in 2021, which was the first update in 50 years, gave families an extra--wait for it--$1.40 per person per day to purchase food. That extra help has meant families can access more nutritious food. It has meant fewer skipped meals. It has meant better food security.

Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to oppose this MAGA Republican farm bill which would cut future benefits and increase hunger for kids, seniors, people with disabilities, and other vulnerable adults.

Those are Jim McGovern's remarks. While House Republicans silenced him today, they will never silence the truth that he speaks. We must end hunger now. We must answer the call: ``When I was hungry you gave me to eat; when I was thirsty you gave me to drink.''

I thank Representative Jahana Hayes for her advocacy in bringing us together to heed this call.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the Santa Fe International Literary Festival. Humans have painted stories on cavern walls, etched them into clay tablets, and recounted them around the dinner table. Puebloans in New Mexico celebrate their storytellers in beautiful sculptures.

The invention of the printing press in 1440 allowed readers across the world to access literature and begin to understand cultures and lives different from their own.

Sadly, some fearful politicians want to limit our curiosity and knowledge. They are now banning books.

In contrast, the Santa Fe International Literary Festival brings together the best literary minds from across the world to move us forward. Every participating author is exceptional and has included powerful authors whose award-winning books have been banned, like N. Scott Momaday, Margaret Atwood, and Julia Alvarez.

At the festival, writers will take us around the world and back through history, like Doug Preston, Hampton Sides, and Diana Gabaldon, who will share their vision and their craft.

Memorialists like Javier Zamora will take us on a 9-year-old's perilous journey of migration to the United States, hopefully increasing our empathy along the way.

I congratulate to the festival on another year of spreading the joy of stories. Felicidades to the authors.

National Police Week

Mr. Speaker, this National Police Week, I rise to give thanks to the officers who keep us safe every day everywhere. Police have families who love them and miss them when long hours keep them on the road and on duty. My gratitude extends to their families, as well.

My gratitude must include getting them the Federal resources to do their job to solve crimes and to keep us safe. My community projects have funded mobile command units in rural counties, virtual training gear so they are prepared before they face the worst, and squad cars to get them to where they need to go.

In my district, we have many small rural police forces who are grateful for the FBI help with forensics and Federal COPS and Byrne JAG grants, which help their police officers do their jobs.

Federal law enforcement investigates and prevents crime in Indian Country.

Sadly, Republican bills and proposals seek to cut these important Federal funds and defund the FBI. This year alone, Democrats have sent almost double the amount of funding than Republicans to local law enforcement.

I will fight to keep these Federal funds flowing so my rural and Tribal police forces have access to these important Federal grants and to an FBI that can be their partner when the worst happens.

Recognizing New Mexico State Representative Jim Trujillo

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the loss of one of New Mexico's most accomplished and best-loved public servants, former New Mexico State Representative Jim Trujillo. He demonstrated what it means to answer the call to public service and that public service is an act of love.

I am grateful for the love Representative Trujillo gave to the people of his district and our State.

His legacy now lives on in countless lives he touched in our beautiful State through both his important career as a financial professional and his broad public service in the New Mexico Human Services Department, 6 years in the New Mexico National Guard, and his outstanding 17 years in the New Mexico legislature.

I met with Representative Trujillo numerous times when I was working on voting rights and Tribal intergovernmental matters. He always listened with deep attention and gave clear direction and support.

He was a man of his word. His tireless dedication to the people of New Mexico proved how much we can accomplish when we work together for our beloved communities.

I carry his inspiration with me as I continue my own service in the beautifully diverse Third District of New Mexico.

Mr. Speaker, I offer my deepest condolences to his wife, Virginia, their children, and the entire extended Trujillo family.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the loss of one of New Mexico's most accomplished and best-loved public servants, former New Mexico State Representative Jim Trujillo. He demonstrated what it means to answer the call to public service and that public service is an act of love. I am grateful for the love Rep. Trujillo gave to the people of his district and our state. He also truly embodied what it means to be a loving husband, father, and grandfather.

His legacy now lives on in countless lives he touched in our beautiful state through both his important career as a financial professional and his broad public service in the New Mexico Human Services Department, six years in the New Mexico National Guard, and his outstanding 17 years in the New Mexico Legislature. I met with Rep. Trujillo numerous times when I was working on voting rights and tribal intergovernmental matters. He always listened with deep attention and gave clear directions and support. He was a man of his word. His tireless dedication to the people of New Mexico proves to all of us how much we can accomplish together for our beloved communities.

I offer my deepest condolences to his wife Virginia, their children, and the entire extended Trujillo family. I carry his inspiration with me as I continue my own service in the beautifully diverse Third District of New Mexico.

Madam Speaker, last week, House Republicans tried to pass H.R. 2925 to make it easier for the biggest mining corporations to take our public lands and mineral resources without giving the American people a dime.

I filed a motion to send the bill back to the committee to consider my amendment, which would have prevented companies owned or controlled by our adversaries from taking our gold, copper, and precious rare earth minerals to use against us in the market or in national security.

Fortunately, last week, a bipartisan majority, including six Republicans, passed my motion. We stood up together for our national security. However, the Republican leadership ignored last week's bipartisan vote, and here we are again.

What is worse, the Rules Committee Republicans rejected Chairman Moolenaar's amendment to ban foreign entities of concern from conducting mining operations on our public lands.

Let me remind everybody, Chairman Moolenaar heads the Select Committee on the Strategic Competition Between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party. It is his job to know how dangerous China's mining of our precious minerals is to our economy and national security.

The Republicans blocked their own Republican chair's amendment. I believe in bipartisanship, so when I see an amendment I like and recognize is good, I support it.

Madam Speaker, at the appropriate time, I will offer a motion to recommit this bill back to committee once again. If House rules permitted, I would offer the motion with Chairman Moolenaar's amendment, which would block foreign entities of concern from mining our public lands.

When Republicans block even consideration of an amendment which would ban China from taking away the precious metals that belong to the American people, Republicans are putting the interests of wealthy foreign corporations over the American people.

I hope the six Republicans who were courageous enough to stand up for American security interests last week stand for America today.

Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to insert the text of my amendment in the Record immediately prior to the vote on the motion to recommit.

Madam Speaker, I urge support for my motion so that the Natural Resources Committee can consider this amendment, this time in good faith.

Madam Speaker, I have a motion to recommit at the desk.

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

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, we are here today because Republicans think appliances have more rights than people and because they think that creating and perpetuating nonsense culture war issues will win them votes.

Today, we have a bill titled Hands Off Our Home Appliances Act. Republicans say it is government overreach to regulate appliances, but Republicans will regulate women's personal healthcare decisions. Republicans will protect appliances but let women suffer and die from pregnancy complications.

Republicans want freedom for refrigerators but will take away women's freedom to choose an abortion based on her own faith in consultation with her own doctor and loved ones.

Republicans will take away women's freedom to choose an abortion after rape or incest, but they will go to bat for your gas stove.

They care about freezers but could care less about affordable childcare. Instead of helping women with childcare costs, which would help families with the high cost of living, Republicans would rather force these access costs on consumers.

Yesterday, I introduced an amendment to the rule from Representative Chu and me which changes the title of the bill to the Hands Off Our Bodies Act and strikes the text and replaces it with the Women's Health Protection Act.

Mr. Speaker, 65 percent of Americans oppose the overturning of Roe v. Wade. They want us to protect women. However, this amendment didn't pass.

This bill is part of a quartet of bills coming out of the Energy and Commerce Committee with titles like the Liberty in Laundry Act, the Refrigerator Freedom Act, and the Affordable Air Conditioning Act.

These titles turn the cry for reproductive healthcare rights on their head. Not only are they insulting to women who are fighting for their rights, they are demeaning to women who will remember in November.

Do my colleagues on the other side of the aisle think the American women will vote Republican based on these misnamed appliance bills? Women are not so gullible. We will remember.

We will remember that 184 House Republicans have cosponsored bills that threaten IVF access nationwide. We will remember that Republican legislators are putting women's lives at risk when my colleagues criminalize abortion.

The majority is robbing States of the healthcare they need as obstetricians and gynecologists are fleeing those repressive States. Republicans are forcing women who undergo pregnancy complications to sit until they are near death in hospital parking lots.

Women will remember that Democrats believe women can, should, and must make their own decisions about their bodies. Republicans think appliances have more rights than people. However, I call on Republicans to prioritize women over appliances and reject this rule.

Mr. Speaker, we are also here today to debate Republicans' terrible mining rule, which would open millions of acres of public lands to foreign-owned mining companies.

I find it ridiculous that we are here today because, just last week, this House voted in favor of my motion to recommit, and that motion to recommit said: Let's send this back to committee. Let's send it back to committee to consider my amendment, which would have banned foreign adversaries, like China, from being able

to take our public lands and resources for free.

Unfortunately, almost every Republican said: It is all right for Chinese corporations to mine our data for TikTok, but the majority said: No. We want them to be able to take our gold, our silver, our copper, our resources, for free, to China.

Thankfully, six Republicans voted in favor of the MTR; but instead of going back to committee to consider it, we are back here again because the Rules Committee put the bill back on the floor without that amendment. If my colleagues believe that American resources belong with American corporations, Members should vote against this rule.

Mr. Speaker, happy Small Business Week. Today, I rise to recognize the Small Business Administration's support and advocacy for businesses and communities as they sustain and strengthen the backbone of the American economy.

I especially thank SBA New Mexico District Director John Garcia. Through financing, information, and guidance, our small-business community benefits daily from the resources and support that Mr. Garcia and his team provide.

Last year, SBA marked its 70th anniversary. Nationally, there are 30 million small businesses. In New Mexico, 95 percent of our businesses are small businesses--162,000 strong. Our small businesses employ 340,000 individuals, and we are growing at a rapid rate, with 7,270 new businesses opening during the March 2021-2022 period.

From green chili farmers to independent bookstores to small manufacturing plants, our small businesses line our Main Streets and bring economic vitality to our communities.

This Small Business Week, I recognize SBA's storied past and the even stronger future we will create.

Mr. Speaker, America was blessed by our creator with natural beauty and an abundance of natural resources, from grazing to farmlands to minerals, fossil fuels, solar, and wind so we could feed our families and fuel our progress.

We owe the American people, and, most importantly, our children and grandchildren, a duty to protect those resources so they are available for future generations and Americans are not left with public lands that have been degraded, mines that have been depleted, and profits sent off to foreign corporations. Yes, there are profits sent to China because they own some of those mines.

H.R. 2925 would make it harder to protect the lands that make this country beautiful. Worst of all, it favors the biggest mining corporations and even allows foreign corporations to take American resources for free.

There is a long history of bad actors exploiting, misusing, and abusing their mining claims, especially those corporations with ties to foreign adversarial nations.

H.R. 2925 would give away our Federal lands to these bad actors. Why would Republicans work on a bipartisan basis to ban China from mining American data with TikTok but then be okay with China mining American natural resources for free? Why?

Under the Republicans' proposal, Chinese corporations with the money could put four sticks in the ground, pay a fee, and then claim that land for mining without even proving the existence of these important minerals.

I also point out, in response to my esteemed colleague, that there is mining going on. As noted earlier, we have the Chino mine in New Mexico. It produces copper. It has been producing copper for generations, in fact, for hundreds of years.

Guess what. It is an American company. Freeport-McMoRan is an American company. It is international, but it is American.

We want to do that. We want to make sure that American companies are the ones mining American resources. These are public resources.

For this reason, at the appropriate time, I will offer a motion to recommit this bill back to committee. If the House rules permitted, I would have offered the motion with an important amendment to this bill.

My amendment would bar companies from adversarial nations, including China, from conducting mining activities on our public lands. They shouldn't be allowed to exploit American resources and pollute our public lands and to take those resources back to China for free.

Let's make sure the profits stay here, the resources stay here, and the innovation stays here. Why wouldn't my Republican colleagues support that kind of amendment?

I ask unanimous consent to insert in the Record the text of this amendment immediately prior to the motion to recommit.

Mr. Speaker, I hope my colleagues will join me in pushing back against China owning our resources and voting for this and making sure American companies are the ones owning our resources. I hope they will vote for the motion to recommit.

Mr. Speaker, I have a motion to recommit at the desk.

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

Madam Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from Minnesota for the customary 30 minutes, and I yield myself such time as I may consume.

America was blessed by our creator with natural beauty and an abundance of natural resources--from grazing to farmlands, to minerals, fossil fuels, solar and wind--so we could feed our families and fuel our progress.

We owe the American people, and most importantly, our children and grandchildren a duty to protect those resources so they are available for future generations and Americans are not left with public lands that have been degraded, mines that have been depleted, and profits shipped off to foreign corporations.

We owe a duty to those who love the forests and rivers in Minnesota or the rangeland in the Southwest to protect it and allow its use for recreation, grazing, and extraction.

The Natural Resources bills that Republicans have made in order with this rule fail to protect America's blessed creation for future generations. The bills would eliminate environmental protections and increase mining corporations' ability to take public lands from the American people for free.

Let me repeat that because Americans may not know that right now mining corporations--those big, profitable mining corporations--do not pay a dime in royalties when they take Americans' gold, silver, copper, or other precious minerals.

That takes me to H.R. 2925, the Mining Regulatory Clarity Act. The 1872 mining law that we operate under now is old. It needs updating. It gives away our public resources for free. In the arid West, it allows mining companies to use as much precious water as they want and doesn't require those big corporations to fully clean up after themselves.

Last week, I visited the Pecos Watershed, a vital resource for northern New Mexico communities and a river that flows to Texas. In that watershed, a foreign company had mined, polluted, and abandoned the people and the river that I visited.

We need to protect this type of land with these kinds of water resources, but H.R. 2925 would actually make it harder to protect this and other watersheds. It favors the biggest mining corporations and, even worse, favors foreign corporations.

We all know there is a long history of bad actors exploiting, misusing, and abusing their mining claims. H.R. 2925 would give away our Federal lands to these bad actors. Under the Republicans' proposal, corporations with the money could put four sticks in the ground, pay a fee, and then claim that land for mining without even proving the existence of minerals. The Republican proposal would also loosen restrictions so these corporations, even those based in countries like China or Russia, could more easily exploit American natural resources for free.

Why would Republicans work on a bipartisan basis to ban China from mining American data with TikTok but then be okay with China mining American natural resources for free?

In the Rules Committee, I introduced an amendment to prohibit our adversaries, like China, from taking our public lands and minerals. Sadly, every Republican on the Rules Committee voted against making in order these amendments to prevent foreign adversaries from accessing these valuable American resources.

I also introduced an amendment that would require mining corporations to make sure our waterways are not contaminated. Republicans blocked that, too.

Our current 150-year-old mining laws are not equipped for today's environmental challenges, but Republicans' response is to make it easier, not harder, for these greedy mining corporations to take what they want and leave their messes behind.

As if that weren't enough, this rule also makes in order what we should call the no public use on public lands act. This bill would overturn a new Bureau of Land Management rule that finally recognizes conservation and public land management as a value on par with other uses.

The BLM rule does not change their existing land management processes. BLM will continue to allow grazing, drilling, and other extraction on managed lands. What it does do is allow BLM to also include the important goal of conservation of the public lands as they consider new applications for Americans' public lands.

I might remind my Republican colleagues that they are turning their back on a great legacy, a great Republican legacy, from the Clean Water Act, the EPA, and the words of that great Republican President, Teddy Roosevelt, who said: ``Conservation is a great moral issue, for it involves the patriotic duty of ensuring the safety and continuance of the Nation.''

This patriotic goal of conservation and preservation is vital so our grandchildren can one day see the beauty that the West holds, and farmers and ranchers agree. They and other stewards of our land actively engaged with the Biden administration in the development of this rule. Congress should listen to the science and the stewards of this land on this issue instead of trying to dictate what is best for the West from D.C.

We should also continue President Biden's policy of ensuring our energy independence and security, all while growing American industry. I must also point out that the Biden BLM rule explicitly prevents foreign entities from holding conservation or mitigation leases, something that I might remember and remind our Republicans they were unwilling to do with regards to mining.

The rule also allows a bill that ignores science and would prevent regulation of lead-based tackle and ammunition. Didn't we learn our lesson with leaded gasoline and its harmful effects on people and the environment? Apparently not. Lead is poison.

We all have heard of and sometimes seen the death of bald eagles and other magnificent birds who have consumed even the smallest amount of lead buckshot or fragmented lead ammo. Lead finds its way onto hunters' and anglers' tables, too. One study found that there were lead fragments in 34 percent of ground venison burgers. Do you want your children to consume lead?

Every year, I make tamales for Christmas, and as my family has done for generations, we use wild game--deer, elk, and antelope--that has been hunted in New Mexico. We are grateful for lead-free ammunition because we don't want to poison ourselves or our environment.

This rule also makes in order a bill to undo the Biden administration's work to protect one of the world's most fragile and significant ecosystems, the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.

In recent years we have seen record amounts of oil and gas production in the United States. We are the top producer of oil in the world right now. We can do that while also preserving the beautiful lands that make ``America the Beautiful'' the right song to sing.

Finally, Madam Speaker, I want to address the issue of anti-Semitism not just on college campuses but also across the country since October 7. Let me be clear: Anti-Semitism and hate in any form is simply unacceptable anywhere in our country. This rise in hatred across the United States should be a wake-up call for our democracy.

However, last fall, House Republicans proposed a 25 percent budget cut to the office that is actively investigating incidents of anti- Semitism on campuses. If you care about anti-Semitism, why do you take away the resources from the office that is prosecuting those kinds of claims?

Well, yesterday we got an answer why. My Republican Rules Committee colleague, Representative Massie, was very honest describing what this bill really is about when he said: ``Everybody has introduced almost at this point a bill to deal with something along these lines since October 7. None of them actually get to anything real. I think it is a political ping-pong game, of course. We''--meaning Republicans--``get to serve every time, and a lot of these''--meaning resolutions like this--``are just political traps. I call them sticky traps designed to split the Democratic Party and get them stuck in the sticky trap.''

I thank Mr. Massie for his refreshing honesty and candor, but if we wanted to actually do something real, we could. Rather than doing a sticky trap, we could take up my colleague Congresswoman Manning's bipartisan bill, H.R. 7921, the Countering Anti-Semitism Act, which would designate a senior official at the Department of Education to counter anti-Semitism on college campuses, among many other solutions that are also based on Biden's policy regarding attacking anti- Semitism. If we want to deal with anti-Semitism on college campuses, I suggest a bill with real solutions is a good place to start.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

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

Madam Speaker, how dare the party of Donald Trump and Marjorie Taylor Greene come down here and lecture Democrats about anti-Semitism. Remember, the leader of the Republican Party, Donald Trump, dines with Holocaust deniers and said there were ``fine people on both sides'' at a rally where white supremacists chanted: ``Jews will not replace us.'' Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene appeared on stage at a white nationalist rally alongside a Holocaust denier. She tweeted anti- Semitic videos and talks about Jewish space lasers.

Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to include in the Record an article from Politico titled: ``Donald Trump dined with white nationalist, Holocaust denier Nick Fuentes.''

Madam Speaker, I also ask unanimous consent to include in the Record an article from The Atlantic titled: ``Trump Defends White-Nationalist Protesters: `Some Very Fine People on Both Sides.' ''

Madam Speaker, I would like to enter into the record, actually, my objection to this absurd attack on Democrats for pointing out that this bill has in the title ``anti-Semitism,'' but there are problems with it.

We need to address anti-Semitism and look at the root causes. Instead, what are we doing? We are debating codifying a definition that numerous Jewish organizations, including Jewish Action, the Jewish Council for Public Affairs, and the New Israel Fund, among others, oppose.

The reason these organizations oppose it is because we cannot equate criticism of Israeli policies with anti-Semitism. They are two very different things.

We need to remember that we are constitutionally bound to protect free speech, even, and more importantly, when it is speech with which we do not agree.

Yesterday, for example, in the Rules Committee hearing for this bill, Representative Fry called Prime Minister Netanyahu's work in Gaza remarkable. He praised it. I personally don't think it is remarkable that over 35,000 people, most of them children and women, are dead. I don't think it is remarkable that over 130 hostages are still not home.

Netanyahu is being protested in his own country for these and many other things. I don't think it is remarkable that 27 kids have already died of malnutrition and that famine is imminent for 1.1 million Gazans.

Saying none of this is anti-Semitic.

I am Catholic with Sephardi heritage, and I think that my love that comes from the teaching and my spirituality calls upon me to talk about these things. That is not anti-Semitic.

That is the worry that these Jewish organizations, ACLU, and others talk about today. If we really want to move forward on combating anti- Semitism, let's fund the office that investigates and takes action against those colleges that fail to protect their students. Let's move forward with Congresswoman Manning's bipartisan bill, H.R. 7921, the Countering Antisemitism Act.

We should investigate how these issues continue to seep into our schools and communities.

We could do real work to address these root causes. Instead, we're debating a definition that numerous Jewish organizations, including Jewish Action, The Jewish Council for Public affairs, and the New Israel Fund, oppose.

The reason these organizations oppose it is because we cannot equate criticism of Israeli policies with Antisemitism. That is free speech.

Yesterday, in the Rules Committee Hearing for this very bill, Representative Fry called Prime Minister Netanyahu's work during this war ``remarkable.''

I don't think it's remarkable that over 35,000 people are dead.

I don't think it's remarkable that over 130 hostages are still not back home today.

I don't think it's remarkable that 27 kids died of malnutrition or that Famine is imminent for 1.1 million Gazans

Saying all of this could be construed as antisemitic if we adopt the definition we're debating today.

That is not helping us move forward or address the scourge of antisemitism that's hurting our students and their families.

To move us forward in the fight against antisemitism, we could consider Congresswoman Manning's bipartisan bill H.R. 7921, the Countering Antisemitism Act.

This bill would designate a senior official at the Department of Education to counter antisemitism on college campuses, among other solutions.

We could increase funding at the Office for Civil Rights so the office has the resources to actually investigate and address antisemitism on college campuses.

If we want to deal with antisemitism on college campuses then I would suggest that these are good places to start.

Madam Speaker, if we defeat the previous question, I will offer an amendment to the rule to bring up H.R. 17, a bill to help with pay disparities for women in the workforce and strengthen our economy.

Madam Speaker, rising costs are affecting American families and the American worker, but instead of helping families put more money in their pockets to save for retirement, to send their kids to college, or to simply put food on the table, House Republicans are focused on helping Big Oil and Big Mining corporations.

My colleagues constantly talk about the economic hardship Americans face, but instead of bringing legislation to actually address that, nearly every bill in this rule would create a corporate giveaway at the expense of our public lands.

We see where their real priorities are--with the biggest corporations, foreign corporations, even Chinese corporations--but House Democrats are focused on the American people.

That is why we must bring up H.R. 17, the Paycheck Fairness Act, to address the wage gap for women of this country and make sure families aren't cheated out of dollars and paychecks that they deserve.

Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to insert the text of my amendment in the Record, along with any extraneous material, immediately prior to the vote on the previous question.

Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from Connecticut (Ms. DeLauro), the ranking member of the Appropriations Committee, to discuss our proposal.

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

I just want to make the record clear. Democrats and President Biden have repeatedly and constantly, and not just since October 7, condemned anti-Semitism and taken actual actions to actually address it, and that is the problem with what we are hearing.

As their own Rules Committee member has said it, these are about sticky bills. They are not about getting solutions.

We must remember that most of the bills in the rule today are actually talking about our natural resources and how Republicans want to turn the clock back on the progress that Americans have been demanding for decades to protect our natural beauty but also to protect our natural resources for Americans.

I want to talk a little bit about mining reform, a 1872 mining law that says it all. That law is way too old and needs fixing. Well, how do we make sure we go about fixing it?

The Republicans' proposal is to just give more of it away. It makes it easier for foreign corporations and for big, greedy corporations to take that land, to take those natural resources.

What do Democrats propose? We propose responsible mining reform that allows for critical minerals to be extracted without destroying our environment.

My good friend and ranking member, the former chair of the House Natural Resources Committee, introduced the Clean Energy Minerals Reform Act, of which I am a cosponsor.

That kind of bill would require annual rental payments for claimed public lands, treating mine operators the same way we treat oil and gas or any other ones. Let's make them pay for our resources. They belong to us.

Imagine if the $300 billion in profits that is going to those foreign corporations went to Americans instead.

We would set a royalty rate of not less than 5 percent and not greater than 8 percent, based on gross income.

We would make sure that there would be a reclamation fund, so when the mining companies go in there and make their mess that there would be a way for us to clean it up.

I can tell you, New Mexico is littered. In Colorado, all the intermountain areas are left with these abandoned mines that leach acid into our rivers and streams and make it so that we cannot hike and camp on those lands.

I have picked up those rocks that when they are exposed to air and water create sulfuric acid, and they leave piles of them.

Those are the things that we must be doing. We must give the Secretary of the Interior the right to protect our public lands, to protect the waters of Minnesota, right, and to protect the waters of this great country.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

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

The natural resources bills that we are dealing with here today, as I pointed out, are a great gift to big mining corporations and overturn decades of work by local organizations and by the public in these areas who want to see their lands protected.

What is interesting is Republicans are putting forward these bills, even though the American public and their own constituents are not interested in seeing what they are doing.

While Republicans are helping out the big mining corporation fans, their constituents want the opposite.

I ask unanimous consent to include in the Record the article titled: ``Analysis: Public Comments Overwhelmingly Support BLM Public Lands Rule.''

Madam Speaker, that analysis found that the Biden administration's Public Lands Rule received 92 percent of support in public comments.

Madam Speaker, 92 percent of the 150,000 Americans who commented on this rule agreed that the BLM is moving in the right direction by protecting our public lands.

Many of them were farmers, ranchers, and stewards of the land. In fact, one farmer said to me: I recognize how important it is to allow our land to recover so that we can use it in the future for grazing.

I ask unanimous consent to include in the Record the following article titled: ``The 2023 Conservation in the West Poll from Colorado College.''

Madam Speaker, the article can be found here: https://www.coloradocollege.edu/other/stateoftherockies/ conservationinthewest/2023.html

This survey found that 82 percent of voters across 8 Western States support the conservation of our public lands and waters. Let's listen to the people on the ground.

While Republicans want to mine the beautiful forests of Minnesota, constituents actually want to protect the area from sulfite or copper mining.

I ask unanimous consent to include in the Record the article titled: ``The Campaign to Save the Boundary Waters 2022 Post-Election Poll.''

Madam Speaker, the article can be found here: Https://www.savetheboundary waters.org/sites/default/files/resource- file/Campaign%20To%20 Save%20The%20Boundary%20

Waters%20__%202022%20Post-Election%20Poll%20Results.pdf

Madam Speaker, the poll found over 70 percent of Minnesotans support proposed legislation to permanently protect the boundary waters from risks associated with sulfite or copper mining.

The boundary waters are one of the most visited national recreational areas in the United States. I look forward to going and looking at those lakes and those rivers and those forests and how they are intertwined and how those canoes glide along their surfaces.

Minnesotans know what that beauty looks like, and they want to make sure that the mining that is proposed by the Trump administration--and I might remind people that the Trump administration overturned actions by Obama, so they could give two leases to a Chilean billionaire--a Chilean billionaire, who it so happens, was a landlord of the President's daughter.

These kinds of dealings with foreign corporations, we must say ``no'' to. Why would Minnesotans want to take their precious natural resources and have them leased so a Chilean billionaire can make even more money?

We are urging our Republican colleagues to listen to their constituents, to listen to the people who are speaking on these issues, to vote against these rules, and to vote against these bills.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

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

Madam Speaker, the bills my Republican colleagues have proposed today threaten to overturn regulations put in place to make sure that we are responsible in our use of natural resources.

The Biden administration has worked to reverse many of the Trump-era policies that just help the rich get richer.

For too long, what we have seen in America is the rich keep getting richer, and it appears that Republicans, certain Republicans, but most definitely former President Trump favored the richest corporations.

In turn, I ask my colleagues to think about what our role is here in Congress. I remind my colleagues of these powerful words from the Conference of Bishops.

``We show our respect for the creator by our stewardship of creation. Care for the Earth is not just an Earth Day slogan, it is a requirement of our faith. We are called to protect people and the planet, living our faith in relationship with all of God's creation.''

It is possible to protect the planet and still be a leader in energy. In the last 3 years, the Biden administration has invested over $18 billion toward Federal, State, local, and Tribal land conservation efforts in all 50 States. Contrary to what my colleagues claim, the U.S. has had record oil and gas production under the Biden administration. We produced an average of 12.9 million barrels of crude oil, millions more than are coming out of Russia and Saudi Arabia.

Regulations are important. They prevent catastrophic environmental disasters, like the 137 oil spills that occurred during the second year of the Trump administration.

Remember, there will be no more elk to hunt, no more breathtaking lakes reflecting the sunlight to hike to, and no more oil and minerals to drill for if we do not listen to the experts about protecting our lands and waters. Wildlife protections and mining regulations are in place to make sure future generations of Americans can enjoy the same beautiful landscapes and profit off of America's resources.

Finally, I need to remind everybody, we all condemned October 7. We all have condemned Hamas. It is a terrorist organization. However, we have taken up these resolutions over and over again.

Once again, our Republican colleague has spoken the truth when he has said that these are sticky resolutions simply intended to divide the Democrats. Let's not work on division. Let's come together in love and a belief in each of our individual strengths to push back against the hatred that we see and to do it in a manner that is not partisan, that uplifts our morality, that uplifts our empathy for all, and that addresses all the forms of hatred that we see.

Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Mr. Speaker, I demand a recorded vote.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Larry Foster of the Navajo Nation for his induction into the North American Indigenous Athletics Hall of Fame. This honor demonstrates the outstanding leadership and athletic achievement of Mr. Foster. It is a hallmark of his commitment and dedication.

Foster was a student at Window Rock High School in Arizona where he earned All State and All Conference Honors in baseball, football, and basketball from 1966 to 1969. Upon graduating high school, he continued to play baseball at Bacone Juniors College in Muskogee, Oklahoma and later Adam State College in Alamosa, Colorado. He was named as the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Batting Champion in 1971 with a batting average of .442.

After college Foster played semi-pro baseball and was a nine-time All Tournament outfield and batting champion and continued to play in All Indian baseball tournaments from 1964 to 1976.

Foster now resides in Gallup, New Mexico with his wife Mattie Foster. He continues to be an active member of his community, including being a local sportswriter Na b// hozh0 (Congratulations), Mr. Foster. We are grateful for his contribution to sports in New Mexico.

Mr. Speaker, today, after months of delay that cost the loss of the Ukrainian military advantage, that cost children's lives and access to food and aid, that allowed China to threaten the Indo-Pacific, Congress will finally vote. Congress is finally going to vote to fund the fight against the tyranny of Russia, Iran, and China, the fight for democracy and peace.

Why did it take us this long?

Yesterday in Rules, the Republican chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee noted that every Republican President since the Soviet Union era has stood on the right side of history and stood up to Russia. Presidents from Eisenhower to Reagan, George Bush, Sr., and George Bush, Jr., they all knew that Russia's desire to reassert its empire by bombing and invading its neighbor also harms America and American interests--every Republican President, that is, until Donald Trump.

In contrast to every President before him, Trump praised Putin, tried to do business in Russia, allowed Putin to gain the upper hand, and eventually denied Ukraine military aid that Congress had approved unless Ukraine gave him dirt on Biden. Donald Trump became the pied piper for Putin.

Some of Trump's most ardent followers in this House became Putin- protecting Republicans and denied the Members of Congress this vote until now.

Now is the moment history has its eyes on this Chamber as Democrats and Republicans stand up and stand together for what we love-- democracy. Democracy is the very reason we get to sit here together today and debate in the people's House. Democracy is the best answer to tyranny, aggression, and depravity.

It is our shared bipartisan love for democracy that best unites us with our allies around the world, allies that are once again united in our fight against the war in China and Russia thanks to the leadership of President Biden, who repaired the damage Trump inflicted on our international relationships.

I hope that shared love of a world where democracy is defended will also unite us in this Chamber. I remind my colleagues, Republicans and Democrats, that bipartisanship is a good thing. It is how America expects us to govern, and it is how we move one step closer to defeating the cruel regimes that seek to take the world backward.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Larry Foster of the Navajo Nation for his induction into the North American Indigenous Athletics Hall of Fame. This honor demonstrates the outstanding leadership and athletic achievement of Mr. Foster. It is a hallmark of his commitment and dedication.

Foster was a student at Window Rock High School in Arizona where he earned All State and All Conference Honors in baseball, football, and basketball from 1966 to 1969. Upon graduating high school, he continued to play baseball at Bacone Juniors College in Muskogee, Oklahoma and later Adam State College in Alamosa, Colorado. He was named as the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Batting Champion in 1971 with a batting average of .442.

After college, Foster played semi-pro baseball and was a nine-time All Tournament outfield and batting champion and continued to play in All Indian baseball tournaments from 1964 to 1976.

Foster now resides in Gallup, New Mexico with his wife Mattie Foster. He continues to be an active member of his community, including being a local sportswriter. Na b// hozh0 to Mr. Foster. We are grateful for his contribution to sports in New Mexico.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the ranking member for pointing out the importance of the moment we are in and the fact that there are people dying. There are children dying of hunger. How is it that we do not cry for that, and that we do not cry for solutions?

Mr. Speaker, I, like all of my colleagues here today, strongly condemn Iran's heinous and unprecedented drone and missile attack on Israel over the weekend. We should all be proud of how President Biden, the United States military, and our allies struck down hundreds of drones to minimize the casualties and the damage from the attack.

This is the mark of a strong President, bringing our allies together to combat the threat to democracies around the world. The United States should lead because we are the strongest when we lead coalitions of democratic nations.

When the Republican majority scrapped this week's meaningless agenda of protecting the freedom of refrigerators, we thought this would be the moment when the Republican House leadership would finally rise to the challenge of funding the fight against tyranny. This rule, however, is a disappointment. It is incremental bills with titles condemning Iran, but the bills themselves, where it counts, the text of the legislation, does little. Lots of talk in the title but no real solutions in the bills.

It is especially sad because we have a bipartisan bill that would provide the bullets that Ukraine needs to defeat Russia, that would provide the humanitarian assistance that the starving children in Gaza need to stay alive, that would provide more assistance to Israel, and that would combat China's increased aggression in the Indo-Pacific.

I know the vast majority of my Republican colleagues want to do the right thing for Ukraine, but when extreme Putin-protecting Republicans fail to curb Russia's aggression, they support Iran.

We cannot see these global threats in isolation. Iran's attack on Israel is tied to the efforts of Russia, Iran, and China to reassert themselves against the West, against America, and against democracy.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to include in the Record the March 2024 Breaking Defense article titled: ``'Extremely Concerned': American generals raise alarm over Iran's tightening ties with Russia, China.''

Mr. Speaker, in the article, the U.S. Central Command head, General Michael

Kurilla, says: ``I am very concerned about this renewed relationship between Russia, China, and Iran. What we are seeing is Iran is reliant on China and Russia is reliant on Iran.''

We cannot waste another day of precious floor time instead of getting directly to passing the bipartisan security bill that would actually hurt Iran. The Senate sent us the security bill 63 days ago. Twenty-two Senate Republicans voted for that bill. That is as bipartisan as you will ever get in the Senate.

Instead, we are in a holding pattern, waiting for Republicans to publicly share the text of bills they promise will provide humanitarian assistance and support Ukraine, the Indo-Pacific, and Israel.

Why should we be waiting? The Senate bill has been available for review by every office for 63 days.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my Republican colleagues to put real solutions up for a vote, and I urge all of my colleagues to vote ``no'' on this rule.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the inspiring life of Tonya Sanchez.

Tonya was the director of the Presbyterian Health Services Community Clinic in Cuba, New Mexico, who passed away in February.

She implemented programs and activities to connect with her community. From toy drives to Halloween carnivals and art competitions, Tonya strived to make everyone feel welcome. She encouraged them to take pride in their home as rural Latino Americanos and as Nuevomexicanos.

Tonya had recently launched her campaign for village council. Even after her passing, she won more votes than others who ran.

She was eager to listen and to build with her community. Through her immense care and compassion, Tonya created an unrivaled impact on everyone she met.

Tonya spearheaded one of my congressionally supported community projects for rural workforce housing for the Presbyterian Medical Center in Cuba. I will cherish the photos of the event celebrating the project with Tonya.

I am heartbroken that such an amazing person was taken before her life could shine even brighter. I am proud to have met her, and I hope to carry on the work that she started in our home State and in her beautiful village.

Her legacy will live on through her children, the countless lives that she touched, and the beautiful workforce housing that she made possible in Cuba, New Mexico.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Roy) for the customary 30 minutes. I yield myself such time as I may consume.

(Ms. LEGER FERNANDEZ asked and was given permission to revise and extend her remarks.)

Mr. Speaker, we just returned from 2 marvelous weeks in our beautiful districts. I was invited to visit a food bank to highlight food insecurity and the need to provide families with nutritious and available meals. I talked with Tribal leaders and law enforcement about how we must work together to solve the many issues facing Native American communities from the missing and murdered indigenous women crisis to the need for greater economic development to the need for protection of sacred sites from desecration. We gathered healthcare providers from across New Mexico for a Congressional Hispanic Caucus on the road event to talk about Latino access to rural healthcare.

That event was standing room only because our constituents want us to address healthcare access and continue Democrats' work to bring down the cost of prescription drugs and healthcare costs, the work we began last year with the Inflation Reduction Act.

These are really important things. Our constituents want us to work on

really important things that make a difference in their lives every day.

So what are we doing today? Three of these bills don't really address anything. We have more resolutions that just express things but don't have any solutions. We are spending another valuable week on nonbinding resolutions and bills that Republicans have already failed to pass.

This is the third time we will vote on a resolution complaining about an immigration system that has been broken for years, and it is Congress' fault that we have not fixed it.

Republicans want to just talk about blame, but do they offer any solutions? That is not how governing works. It is not about coming down here and passing press releases on the floor of the House. If you want to engage in a problem and offer solutions, you engage in bipartisan negotiations to pass a law that fixes the problem. Instead, Republicans do the opposite. They block bipartisan immigration deals and complain that nothing is happening.

Well, something is happening. Republicans are making the problem worse. Six months ago, the President sent Congress a supplemental border security request. That request would have bolstered border security and slowed the flow of refugees by addressing the root cause of migration.

For 6 months, Republicans, who control this House, have refused to take up the President's supplemental border security funding request.

In the Senate, a bipartisan group led by a Republican Senator and Democrats worked for 4 months. They worked hard on a bipartisan border security deal. Before we could even discuss the merits of it in this House to say what we liked or didn't like, Trump told them to kill the bill.

Following Trump's orders, as always, House Republican leadership declared it dead on arrival in the House. Why? They want to preserve immigration as a political weapon, not something that Americans are asking us to fix.

Americans would like to see comprehensive immigration reform. How about if we do something like taking up the bipartisan Dream and Promise Act or the bipartisan Farm Work Modernization Act, which passed with bipartisan support out of this Congress because we need more agrarian workers to help pick the food we need to place on our tables.

What is especially shameful is that instead of offering solutions, Republicans are creating a dangerous environment in America. Rhetoric from the twice impeached and four times-indicted former President Trump that suggest immigrants are poisoning the blood of America is dangerous and disgraceful.

Trump's language echoes, almost verbatim, the propaganda and hate used by Hitler and other Nazi leaders. America is not Nazi Germany. We will push back against such a scary road to tyranny and bigotry.

Trump forgets but America remembers that immigrants are vitally important to the economic vibrancy and future of our Nation. While securing the border is an important policy objective, there is no reason to demonize our parents, grandparents, coworkers, friends, and neighbors in the process.

This rule also makes in order H. Res. 1117, yet another nonbinding resolution, a press release. It has been just 1 week since seven World Central Kitchen volunteers were killed in Gaza, killed while trying to bring food to starving Gazans, who are on the brink of famine. More than 200 aid workers have been killed in Gaza over the last 6 months.

Over 13,000 children and 9,000 women have died in the war. So far, 27 kids have died of malnutrition. Do you know how horrible it is to die of starvation? Twenty-seven children. Famine is imminent for 1.1 million Gazans.

There are still over 130 Israeli hostages who, without a cease-fire, cannot go home to their grieving families, their worried families. Tens of thousands of Israelis are marching in the streets to bring the hostages home.

This resolution that we are hearing today fails to acknowledge the sad reality I have just discussed. It also fails to support President Biden's efforts to bring lasting peace to this region, which should be our goal. President Biden is right: A cease-fire is needed to bring over 130 Israeli hostages home and to prevent the deaths of innocent Gazans. Too many people have died already.

President Biden's calls to Netanyahu for a cease-fire, to bring the hostages home, and to reverse the humanitarian crisis should be welcomed by everyone with a caring heart. If you care for the hostages and their worried families, a cease-fire is needed. If you care for the women and children who are dying and starving, a cease-fire is needed. If you care for a future where peace can come to this region, a cease- fire is needed.

Next, the House will consider H.R. 7888, the Reforming Intelligence and Securing America Act. The bill reauthorizes FISA for 5 years and implements minor changes to the program. The Republicans have waited until the last minute to bring this reauthorization to the floor.

I will say, they tried once before back in February. We had a hearing in the Rules Committee on Valentine's Day. It was great. We saw amazing bipartisan agreement from the Judiciary Committee, but we never did get to hear from the Intelligence Committee.

Instead, Republicans waited until the last minute. It expires in 9 days. That is not a way to govern. This is an important bill that needs conversation and debate. Members need to hear from the two committees with jurisdiction over FISA to determine how they will vote and the important balance between protecting constitutional rights of citizens and protecting our national security.

Next, this rule makes in order H.R. 529, the Extending Limits of U.S. Customs Waters Act. While this bill is a bipartisan bill, which I will point out received unanimous support in committee and will probably receive almost near-unanimous support on this floor, this is the kind of bill that usually doesn't go through Rules. It is the type of bill that would normally pass under suspension.

Why wasn't it put under suspension? Is it because House Republicans needed something that could finally pass the Rules Committee, come to the floor, and maybe make it into law? The last bill to pass the Rules Committee and become law was almost a year ago. It is almost a year ago since we did the people's business on this floor where we actually got a bill, sent it out of Rules, sent it to the Senate, and it made it onto the President's desk.

Republicans have presided over the most ineffective sessions of Congress in history. Despite the pressing challenges facing our Nation, they have repeatedly chosen to prioritize silly censures, sham impeachments, and do-nothing messaging bills.

That is no way to run the House. That is no way to run the people's House and address the people's business.

Meanwhile, Democrats have kept our focus on delivering for the American people and implementing the incredible laws we passed last Congress when Democrats controlled this House, which was, by the way, the most successful and most productive in recent memory. We have carried the vote to make sure the U.S. didn't default on its debt last year. Democrats carried bills to fund the government, keep it running, and protect against draconian spending cuts.

Democrats always stand ready to work across the aisle to tackle important issues. This includes coming together to work on a bipartisan solution, a comprehensive solution to fix the border, to secure the border, to lower costs. We hope that our colleagues will work with us.

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. McGovern), the distinguished ranking member of the Committee on Rules and a mentor.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman very much for his words. I think they are very inspiring as to the wonderful leadership that we have had with Chairman Cole, and also, we are going to miss Eric.

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

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

I appreciate that the rule makes in order several amendments for the Reforming Intelligence and Securing America Act. These are amendments that we heard about that both the members of the Judiciary and Intelligence Committees have proposed, but we also heard last night in the Rules Committee that there are many important amendments the Committee blocked and that the full House won't get to consider.

The process on this could indeed have been better.

What I wonder now is do we even have the votes to pass this rule? We need to be able to get to a point where we are taking up on the floor of the House rules that are going to get the votes.

As we know, they have already defeated six of their own rules. These are important matters, and I think it is important that we get to do the work.

Mr. Speaker, may I inquire how much time I have remaining.

The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. D'Esposito). The gentlewoman has 13\1/4\ minutes remaining.

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

Mr. Speaker, as we can see, there is strong consideration on some of the issues with regard to FISA, but we have also seen that we are so close to its expiration, and I really wonder whether the rule will pass.

I haven't heard them talk about whether they think this rule will pass. As I noted, six rules have been killed on the Republican side. There was also a tweet that was recently issued by the presumptive Presidential nominee in all caps. It says--and I am quoting this; I am not making any observations. It says in all caps--and I can't yell that loud--but it says: ``Kill FISA, it was illegally used against me, and many others. They spied on my campaign.''

I wonder whether this House will continue to move forward on the business that must be done or whether tweets will indeed lead to what action we are taking here today. Hopefully, we will take action that leads us to move forward.

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

Mr. Speaker, I, too, like many more, take sacred the oath that we have taken to preserve the Constitution. I hope that as elections come up and as we think about how we make sure that we preserve our democracy, that those words continue to ring throughout all of my colleagues' memories of what has happened on the floor of this House.

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

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

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

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

Mr. Speaker, it is really important that the American people know that we are debating a rule today, and that rule has the FISA bill, which we have heard much, but it also has other bills.

Mr. Speaker, half the bills, half the legislation that are on the floor today do nothing. They do absolutely nothing. In fact, it is not surprising that Republicans, my colleagues, worry about the do-nothing Congress.

Mr. Speaker, I request ask unanimous consent to include in the Record an article from NBC NEWS titled: `` `It is embarrassing': Republicans worry they have no achievements to run on in 2024.''

Mr. Speaker, I would say that some of the quotes--and I am saying quotes--say: ``I hope there is enough adults in the room that are willing to focus on progress rather than purity.''

Mr. Speaker, that means when you don't have bipartisan legislation to work on some of the issues my constituents have talked about, the resolutions that nobody on the other side wants to talk about, because they do nothing.

I would also point to another quote: `` `I want my Republican colleagues to give me one thing--one--that I can go campaign on and say we did. One.' '' Roy yelled. ``Anybody sitting in the complex, if you want to come down to the floor and come explain to me one material, meaningful, significant thing the Republican majority has done besides: Well, I guess it is not as bad as Democrats.''

I think that is a really important thing that Americans need to know.

Mr. Speaker, when we were in charge of this House, we looked on making sure that we brought down the cost of prescription drugs. We made sure that we addressed the needs of the American people.

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

Mr. Speaker, if we defeat the previous question, which I hope we will, I will offer an amendment to the rule to bring up H.R. 12, a bill that would protect access to reproductive and abortion healthcare for the millions of Americans who need it.

Make no mistake, Mr. Speaker, the far-right and MAGA Republicans will stop at nothing short of a full abortion ban. As of this month, over a dozen States have restricted access to that critical healthcare with some extreme States eliminating access entirely.

Just yesterday, an Arizona Supreme Court upheld a 160-year-old law, making it a felony to perform or induce an abortion at almost any time. This is inhumane.

Mr. Speaker, do you think Republicans will stop at 15 States, 20 States? On the contrary, they won't stop until every single woman in this country is deprived of her right to make her own healthcare decisions in conversation with her faith, her family, and her doctors without government interference.

Mr. Speaker, that is why House Democrats are fighting to protect women, protect doctors, and protect patients who simply want access to needed care.

H.R. 12, the Women's Health Protection Act, will prevent States from trampling on Americans' constitutional rights and keep fundamental healthcare services available across the country.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to insert the text of my amendment in the Record along with any extraneous material immediately prior to the vote on the previous question.

Mr. Speaker, to discuss our proposal, I yield 2\1/2\ minutes to the gentlewoman from Washington (Ms. Schrier).

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time for closing.

I want to give everyone at home a behind-the-scenes look at what we just did here today. Republicans needed filler this week because they have no real agenda to work on. Of the four bills, three of them are do-nothing bills that attack the President, a customs bill that has broad support and didn't need a rule, and a FISA reauthorization which we don't even know will pass.

I think Americans want to know what we are not doing here. They want to know that we are not taking up the important legislation that Americans are worried about, like security assistance for Ukraine, which the Senate voted overwhelmingly to pass. The crucial aid to Ukraine would be critical to fight for democracy, but we are not even taking it up.

We are not taking up the need to pass a farm bill. Everywhere I go in my district, my rural area, I am asked: What is happening with the farm bill?

We are not taking it up. We are not taking up legislation to protect a woman's access to healthcare, so that if she has a miscarriage she is welcomed with assistance from her doctors and not handcuffs.

We have pointed out that the last bill to pass the Rules Committee and become law was almost a year ago, because Republicans in this Congress have been trying but failing over and over to govern. Democrats, in contrast, are willing to work across the aisle on bipartisan issues, to attack the important issues our constituents know we need to get done. We cannot continue to have the kind of infighting that stops legislative action for us to get the work done we need to get done.

Mr. Speaker, because of all the important issues that were raised and we need to take up, for women and people who love the women, who want to make sure they have the healthcare they deserve, vote ``no'' on the previous question. Let's take up the Women's Health Protection Act. Let's move on things that in every State, election after election, we know we need to get done.

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.