Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, by direction of the Committee on Rules, I call up House Resolution 992 and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. Speaker, for the purpose of debate only, I yield the customary 30 minutes to the gentlewoman from Pennsylvania (Ms. Scanlon), 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 to revise and extend their remarks.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the bill and the underlying legislation.

Yesterday, the Rules Committee met and produced a rule, House Resolution 992, providing for the House's consideration of a single measure, H.R. 7006, the Financial Services and General Government and National Security, Department of State, and Related Programs Appropriations Act for fiscal year 2026.

The rule provides for consideration of H.R. 7006 under a structured rule, with two amendments made in order. Further, the rule provides 1 hour of general debate equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking member of the Committee on Appropriations, or their respective designees, and one motion to recommit.

Mr. Speaker, following last week's progress in advancing three separate appropriations bills through the committee and on the floor, we have returned this week to continue our work. H.R. 7006 was negotiated in good faith on a bipartisan, bicameral basis.

President Trump's priorities, alongside the priorities of the American people, are interwoven within this important package.

Let me make this abundantly clear, Mr. Speaker: Not only does this legislative package contain no poison pills, but it also cuts foreign aid by 16 percent. That is more than $9 billion.

Further, this package is part of an agreement that keeps fiscal year 2026 spending below the level that has been forecasted under the current continuing resolution.

We are enacting targeted funding to accelerate entrepreneurship and economic prosperity, guard our Nation's national security posture and apparatus, and further cement true, unyielding, American leadership on the international stage.

At the very same time, we are slashing incompatible mandates and provisions that were cooked up during the Biden administration that would have weakened America's trajectory to greatness.

With fiscal restraint and an eye toward paving a new and prosperous path for our Nation, anything--yes, anything--can be possible.

As I said in the committee yesterday afternoon, gone are the days of inflated omnibuses that have bogged down and constrained this legislative body. Indeed, we are moving in a better direction and chucking the Biden budget into the grave where it belongs. Good riddance.

The bipartisan and bicameral underpinnings of this legislative package make a compelling case as to why the House must pass it immediately.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, we are here to debate this appropriations package, not every other issue under the Sun. I urge my colleagues not to lose sight of the legislative package at hand: We have a bipartisan, bicameral appropriations package free of poison pill riders that bring us closer to fulfilling our Article I responsibilities.

My colleague says Republicans are in control, but the very bills we have passed and are passing are bipartisan. We are working across the aisle, which we should do. Our friends can't have it both ways. They can't say we are in control, therefore, everything is our fault, and say at the same time that these are good bills built upon bipartisan support.

There will no doubt be time to debate other matters, but today the matter at hand is an appropriations package containing the Financial Services and General Government bill and the National Security, Department of State, and Related Programs bill.

Might I add that national security is the number one issue in our Federal Government. We need to stay focused and complete the task at hand.

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

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

Again, we should be focused on the issue at hand. Mr. Speaker, we never celebrate the loss of life on our side. We don't celebrate the loss of life in the recent shooting, but we cannot absolve people of the actions they are taking to disrupt ICE's operations.

We certainly shouldn't be looking at ICE agents, condemning ICE agents who are showing up to do their jobs. Democrats have been questioning the authority and jurisdiction of ICE's actions in Minnesota.

Let's shed some light on what ICE has been doing. They arrested a criminal illegal alien from Somalia with a record of multiple counts of credit card fraud, drug possession, controlled substance possession, and drug trafficking. This criminal was issued a final order of removal in 2022.

ICE also arrested a criminal illegal alien from Laos with three prior convictions for selling drugs as well as convictions for assault and contributing to a minor's delinquency. This criminal was issued a final order of removal in 2009, Mr. Speaker.

A criminal illegal alien from Mexico previously arrested for child cruelty and battery was also picked up by ICE. This criminal was issued a final order of removal in 2009.

In addition, there was a criminal illegal alien from Mexico previously arrested for cruelty toward a child, and a criminal illegal alien from Somalia previously arrested for dangerous drugs and possession of narcotics.

We are talking about dangerous people, Mr. Speaker. The list goes on and on. Let's be clear, ICE is targeting criminal rings, and the Trump Administration isn't ignoring fraud as Governor Walz had done for years. They are targeting that criminal ring for immigration violations, just as they have done elsewhere.

Not long ago, ICE agents arrested more than 150 illegal alien sex offenders during a major enforcement surge across the State of Florida. ICE is focusing on rings of criminality, and they will pursue them wherever they might be, political correctness be damned. Americans are better off under this approach.

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

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

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

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

Mr. Speaker, this majority continues to roll up its sleeves and advance the core priorities of the American people and President Trump. We are absolutely exercising our Article I responsibilities by passing appropriations bills.

With our unifying vision and some elbow grease, we are making significant headway that benefits the American people and our entire Nation. The legislative package contained under this rule is yet another commitment that we are seeing through to completion. Its provisions and intent confirm this through and through.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on the previous question, ``yes'' on the rule, and ``yes'' on the underlying bill.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise with a heavy heart to pay tribute to the life of Tense Franklin Banks, who passed away this week at 75.

Tense was a gifted writer and recognized for contributions to preserving the history of Linville Falls and Avery County of the North Carolina Society of Historians.

Tense is remembered by many as someone who had an impeccable memory and who believed that the preservation of local history was critical to pass on to future generations.

Tense was a friend and someone I admired greatly for her talents and warmth. She, along with the entire Banks family, has a special place in my heart.

Mr. Speaker, may God continue to provide comfort and care to the Banks family during this difficult time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to include in the Record a copy of the article, ``Ghostbusting ACA Fraud: Millions Who Don't Use Their Health Insurance Expose Abuse in the Program'' and a document from the Committee on Ways and Means entitled ``Watchdog Report Uncovers Widespread Fraud in Obamacare.''

[From Paragon Health Institute, Oct. 1, 2025]

Ghostbusting ACA Fraud: Millions Who Don't Use Their Health Insurance

Expose Abuse in the Program

(By Niklas Kleinworth, Liam Sigaud, and John R. Graham)

Individual coverage exchange plans created by the

Affordable Care Act (ACA) have a glaring problem: nearly 12

million enrollees, or 35 percent of all exchange enrollees in

2024, do not use their benefits at all. For these enrollees,

known as zero-claim enrollees, health coverage did not

translate to health care. Many zero-claim enrollees are known

as ``phantoms''--people who are enrolled but not practically

in the market because they are enrolled in other coverage or

are unaware of their exchange plan coverage. Large insurers

benefit greatly from phantom enrollment, as they collect

billions of dollars in taxpayer funds to cover individuals

who cost them nothing.

Our analysis shows that these enrollees are not just

healthy enrollees with no need for care. They are part of a

larger story about how Biden COVID credits are driving

perverse incentives. Insurers and middlemen are responding to

these incentives, and unscrupulous brokers are enrolling

anyone they can. Evidence shows millions of Americans fell

victim to enrollment in fully subsidized plans without their

knowledge or consent. This fraud harms patients who lose

their health coverage or face penalties at tax time. It also

harms taxpayers who foot the bill for these schemes.

This policy brief presents a state-by-state analysis

describing how zero-claim enrollment corroborates much of

Paragon's previous work on improper enrollment and fraud in

the ACA exchanges. We also debunk claims that young, healthy

enrollees without claims are serving to diversify the risk

pool and improve the market.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the vice chair of the committee for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, the unaffordable care act was born as a lie and continues to be promoted in terms that are lies.

Mr. Speaker, do you remember these promises?

If you like your doctor, you can keep your doctor. If you like your health insurance, you can keep your insurance. Americans will save over $2,500 per year.

All of those were lies, and now those who continue to support the unaffordable care act are misleading Americans about its current situation.

When the law was first debated, Democrats insisted that only 50 million Americans couldn't afford health insurance. That was exposed as a lie. Many Americans proved simply to be forgoing insurance in many instances. Democrats used this as an excuse to rewrite the entire framework of the individual healthcare insurance marketplace, forcing people onto plans that had their premiums rise by 129 percent since 2014. Indeed, the very first year ObamaCare went into effect, premiums skyrocketed by 47 percent. This is the true record of the unaffordable care act.

Despite the lies that continue to be told in the media to this day, Republicans have always proposed alternatives to the failed unaffordable care act framework that Democrats continue to force onto Americans. We are doing it again with this bill.

Instead of simply enabling the current fraud, waste, and abuse exposed in the unaffordable care act subsidy scheme that Democrats are addicted to, we are offering transformative policies that will root out hidden costs, attack inflationary programs, and increase competition throughout the entire healthcare insurance marketplace, lowering premiums for all Americans.

However, Mr. Speaker, even when all the evidence is presented to them on how rancid of a healthcare scheme the unaffordable care act really is, Democrats leap to their feet and become entirely apoplectic. They do not tell the truth about the current situation or what we are doing.

This is why: They fused themselves to the unaffordable care act to such a point that they outright refuse to seek reasonable reforms that help Americans afford healthcare. They won't do it.

Look at how they have superglued themselves to their temporary COVID subsidies that they themselves concocted and stamped an end date on, as my colleague has said.

I suppose all they know how to do is prop up a failed program that is littered with waste, fraud, and abuse, like cancerous lesions.

Don't take my word for it. Just look at the GAO report: Its estimates show millions of improper enrollments, costing American taxpayers up to $27 billion annually. One Social Security number used for 26,000 days of coverage, and more than 58,000 deceased people receiving tax credits.

All in all, it is a massive, fraudulent boondoggle for the American people. Meanwhile, Republicans remain committed to rooting out waste, fraud, and abuse in all corners of the Federal Government.

The CBO already confirmed that our efforts to root out waste, fraud, and abuse in the unaffordable care act, by way of H.R. 1, lowered healthcare premiums for enrollees. Imagine that, attacking waste and fraud lowers costs. Yet, Democrats want to embrace the opposite and cement a system of inflation.

Here is the kicker, Mr. Speaker: Only 7 percent of Americans enrolled in an unaffordable care act plan would see a paltry 4 percent decrease in their premiums if these subsidies were extended.

Republicans are advancing real reforms in healthcare. Unlike Democrats, we are not attempting to place a Band-Aid on a ruptured artery and call it a day.

Mr. Speaker, the Lower Health Care Premiums for All Americans Act is our solution. It is the solution that the American people deserve.

It would lower healthcare premiums by 11 percent for all Americans, increase healthcare access, expand choice in healthcare, and bring about greater transparency to the healthcare system in the United States.

Republicans are offering a clear, responsible, and straightforward solution so that all Americans have access to healthcare that is affordable and meets their respective needs.

If our colleagues were serious about making healthcare more affordable for Americans, they would support this bill alongside Republicans. Let's see what they choose to do.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize a real hero in our midst and a dear friend of mine, Donna Autry.

Donna was a first grade teacher for over 30 years. Like most teachers, she was committed to doing one of the most important jobs in our Nation, but she has never sought the limelight. She simply did her job quietly and effectively.

Donna is also an artist who creates beautiful quilts and paintings that she gives to others. She is extremely generous with her time and talent. She also has a passion for dogs and volunteers with the Avery County Humane Society.

Mr. Speaker, we ought to recognize more people like Donna who live quiet lives and, at the same time, contribute so much to the world around them. We need more Donna Autrys in our world. They make a positive impact that deserves to be highlighted and praised.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Donna for being such a wonderful person.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize the Siamese Twins Museum, dedicated to Eng and Chang Bunker, located in Mount Airy, North Carolina.

Born in Thailand in 1811, which was then referred to as ``Siam,'' Eng and Chang were the first documented Siamese twins. Early in their adult lives, they traveled around the entire world working in show business, but decided to settle in the United States.

After becoming naturalized American citizens and following a short stint in Wilkesboro, North Carolina, Eng and Chang, along with their wives and children, made the decision to move to Mount Airy in 1854.

They settled on Mount Airy because they sought better farmland and believed that the area presented many educational opportunities for their children. They each had 13 children. Soon after moving to Mount Airy, the two brothers became very successful in farming and were regarded as upstanding members of their community. Their many descendants have become very successful and prominent citizens also.

Mr. Speaker, the Siamese Twins Museum tells their story and does an excellent job of highlighting their lives through artifacts and interactive displays. Not only does Mount Airy house this museum but also the Andy Griffith Playhouse and Museum. Of course, Mount Airy is the prototype for the famous Mayberry series starring Andy Griffith.

Mr. Speaker, Mount Airy is a wonderful place to visit, and I encourage everyone to do so.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague Mr. Schweikert for yielding to me.

Mr. Speaker, this past weekend, I had the wonderful opportunity to stop in at Top of the Mountain Farms in Ashe County and support a local small business selling Christmas trees and wreaths.

Becky and Bill Fairchild, the owners of this Christmas tree farm, were very welcoming. I was fortunate to meet their three daughters-- Bailey, Brooke, and Blair--along with other members of the family during my visit.

Western North Carolina for many years has produced impeccable Christmas trees that have been featured at the White House and are the most beautifully grown anywhere. The Fraser fir, the true Cadillac of Christmas trees, is what our area is known for producing.

Christmas tree farms play such an important role in the economy of North Carolina, and I want to highlight them especially during the Christmas season.

The beautiful tree that I picked up that day is now in my living room, and I will be enjoying it until January.

I thank the Fairchild family for such an enjoyable visit and for helping me pick out a tree of my own. I look forward to stopping in again to see all of them in the future. May God continue to bless them and may He bless our country with a very happy and joyous Christmas season.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize Valencia Abbott, of Rockingham Early College High School, who was recently named the 2025 National History Teacher of the Year.

This is a monumental accomplishment and one that speaks volumes to Ms. Abbott's passion for education and her dedication to the students she serves.

Not only is Ms. Abbott the 2025 National History Teacher of the Year, but she is also the 2025 North Carolina History Teacher of the Year.

Mr. Speaker, it is clear to me and to countless others that Ms. Abbott represents the best that Rockingham County Schools and North Carolina have to offer.

Mr. Speaker, I congratulate Ms. Abbott on her well-deserved recognition, and I thank her for her continued dedication to educating Rockingham County's future leaders.

Recognizing Vance Dalton Upon His Retirement

Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize Vance Dalton, who recently retired from AgSouth Farm Credit after three decades of unwavering, passionate service.

I have been very fortunate to call Vance a friend for many years. He is a salt-of-the-earth person who is loyal, caring, and pleasant to everyone he meets. He has a deep faith that stands him in good stead.

During his time at Farm Credit, he built long-lasting friendships and relationships with the people Farm Credit is proud to serve, and he created long-lasting value every step of the way.

Mr. Speaker, everyone who is fortunate enough to have worked alongside Vance, to know him, or to even call him a friend agrees with this sentiment.

Mr. Speaker, I congratulate Vance on a well-earned retirement. May God continue to bless him and his family as he enters a new and exciting chapter in his life.

Recognizing Scottie Cook

Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize Mr. Scottie Cook, a career and technical education teacher in the Alexander County School System.

In September, Mr. Cook was recognized as a winner of the Harbor Freight Tools for Schools Prize for teaching excellence. Mr. Cook was 1 of only 25 winners throughout the entire Nation and the only teacher in North Carolina to receive the award in 2025, a remarkable accomplishment, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Cook's passion and service with a career in technical education have left an indelible mark on the lives of his students. There is no question about it.

Mr. Speaker, I congratulate Mr. Cook on this well-deserved recognition.

Mr. Speaker, by direction of the Republican Conference, I offer a privileged resolution and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. Speaker, by direction of the Committee on Rules, I call up

House Resolution 879 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.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the rule and the underlying legislation.

Yesterday, the Rules Committee met and produced a rule, H. Res. 879, providing for the House's consideration of eight separate measures.

The rule provides closed rules for consideration of S.J. Res. 80, H.J. Res. 130, H.J. Res. 131 with 1 hour of debate equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking minority member of the Committee on Natural Resources, or their respective designees, for each joint resolution. The rule provides each such joint resolution one motion to recommit.

Further, the rule provides closed rules for the consideration of H.R. 1949 and H.R. 3109 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, for each bill. The rule provides each bill with a motion to recommit.

Additionally, the rule provides for consideration of H. Con. Res. 58 under a closed rule with 1 hour of debate equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking minority member of the Committee on Financial Services, or their respective designees.

The rule also provides for consideration of H.R. 5214 and H.R. 5107 under closed rules with 1 hour of debate equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking minority member of the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, or their respective designees, on each bill. The rule provides for one motion to recommit for each bill.

Finally, the rule tables H. Res. 581 upon the transmission of a message to the Senate that the House has passed H.R. 4405.

Mr. Speaker, after over 40 days of the Democrat government shutdown, the House has returned to regular order, and this majority is continuing to push forward with the America First agenda, the American people's agenda.

All of these pieces of legislation we are considering today are in alignment with the American people's demand and President Trump's executive orders that we maintain a robust posture of American energy dominance.

You know, Mr. Speaker, our Democrat colleagues have developed a strong proclivity to thumb their noses at the development of energy that comes from American soil. One must wonder why they choose to do that. They pay lipservice to environmental protections and reducing greenhouse gas emissions, but it is just a fact that American oil and American natural gas are cleaner and more environmentally friendly than any from our global competitors.

Why would they cede our dominance on the global stage in favor of hostile actors who lack even the most basic environmental protections?

We are blessed as a nation to have vast repositories of natural resources that we can draw from and utilize accordingly. When we ignore the opportunities to harness these resources for our benefit, we deny ourselves the opportunity to grow more self-sufficient.

H.R. 5214 and H.R. 5107, two measures reported from the Oversight and Government Reform Committee, focus on restoring law and order in our Nation's Capital City, a city that ought to be a model for the rest of the Nation to follow.

H.R. 5214 would revoke cashless bail in the District of Columbia and would require mandatory pretrial and postconviction detention for crimes of violence and other dangerous crimes.

H.R. 5107 would repeal the Comprehensive Policing and Justice Reform Amendment Act of 2022 enacted by the District of Columbia Council. This act targeted police officers in D.C. for simply doing their duties, and it led to over 1,600 officers being removed from the city's force.

Thanks to President Trump's efforts, the streets in D.C. are safer, and we have the opportunity through these two measures to add to that progress.

Finally, Mr. Speaker, we have H. Con. Res. 58, a resolution denouncing the horrors of socialism. Most of us here in this body recognize how dangerous the plague of socialism really is. We understand its history of failure and oppression. Throughout history, this ideology has collapsed into the most brutal of dictatorships, communist regimes, and outright totalitarian rule.

Many are quick to avert their eyes and cover their ears when presented with facts about the horrors of socialism, how many individuals across the world have suffered and died because of it. This resolution will put everyone in this body on record. The American people will see who espouses this caustic ideology and those who reject it.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, while it is true there have been 80 closed measures, this number needs context. Twelve of the closed rules were in the rules package, which passed 2 weeks before the 119th Rules Committee even organized to begin meeting. Additionally, 25 measures were CRAs. They don't allow for an amendment. Sixteen were bills that received no amendments, meaning 41 measures were closed by definition. It is also important that four of the closed rules are duplicates from a previous failed rule. In reality, only 27 measures have been closed by discretion of the Committee.

Additionally, the Rules Committee under Republican control has simply been more productive, producing more total rules than our colleagues ever did. For example, during the most recent Democratic-controlled Congresses, the Rules Committee produced 127 total rules in the 116th Congress and 163 in the 117th Congress. Contrast this to the 200 total rules in the Republican-led 118th Congress. For the 119th, we are on pace to once again produce nearly 200 rules for the Congress.

Mr. Speaker, we are doing our job. We are not closing out debate. We are having plenty of debate. There are plenty of opportunities for our colleagues to offer amendments. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from Utah (Mr. Owens).

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

Mr. Speaker, let's be clear: Republicans don't oppose the full transparency of the Epstein files. We embrace the Oversight Committee's task of doing just that. We embrace Representative Massie's legislation here today by putting it up for a vote under suspension. I will be voting for it.

We already have a House investigation that carries the full force of law, and there is no opposition to respecting the majority's wishes to get this codified into law. Let's get to it. Let's get to the vote and end these false debates, straw man arguments, and non sequiturs.

We tried to pass this bill last week, but Democrats wouldn't agree to doing so. Let's vote now. Democrats should stop, listen, and take yes for an answer.

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

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

At the top of this page, I have written: ``Democrat hypocrisy on Epstein.'' Mr. Speaker, that is what we are hearing today.

Mr. Speaker, I am proud to be a member of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee. I am proud to have supported the full investigation into the Epstein files on that committee.

Furthermore, I am proud to have supported formalizing that investigation by taking the decisive step in directing that investigation by a special rule provided by the Rules Committee. This gave the Oversight Committee's investigation the full weight of the House of Representatives behind the committee's existing subpoena power. It is very important in this debate.

Mr. Speaker, let's get things straight here. In just a matter of hours, we will vote on the Massie bill. That won't preclude the existing House Oversight and Government Reform Committee's investigation in any way. That is a great thing because that investigation is yielding results.

We now know that one of Jeffrey Epstein's closest confidantes was apparently Larry Summers, a Cabinet member in the Clinton administration. We now know that a Democrat Member in this body, Stacey Plaskett, was colluding with Jeffrey Epstein in real time during a hearing. The subject matter was how to take down President Trump. We can't make this stuff up.

We now know that Epstein himself hated President Trump. It is in black and white. We now know that one of the chief Epstein victims stated that President Trump never acted inappropriately.

Don't forget that oversight investigations specifically subpoenaed Bill and Hillary Clinton for their ties to Jeffrey Epstein. They haven't been quick to step into the breach and exonerate themselves, have they?

The truth will continue to come out, as it has, because of Republicans and a current Republican-led House Oversight and Government Reform Committee investigation, one that already carries the full force of law. Let's see where that leads.

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, we need to get facts straight here. President Trump's Department of Justice in his first term arrested and prosecuted Jeffrey Epstein. We, on our side, want justice to prevail in this case and in every case.

Speaker Johnson has always been clear that if the discharge petition reached the necessary signatures, then the House would consider the legislation, and that is what we are providing for in our rule today.

In fact, as soon as the petition hit 218 votes last Wednesday, House Republicans offered a unanimous consent request to pass the legislation then.

However, the Democratic leader would not give consent to do that last week.

Why?

It is because they are not really interested in this. They are interested in some other things.

Mr. Speaker, I have to correct the Record.

Mr. Massie did not request time from me. I am the person who controls the time on the Republican side. He did not request time from me. I would have given him time.

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

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

Our colleagues want Americans to believe that this discharge petition and underlying legislation are the be-all and end-all in this investigation. However, it is House Republicans who have worked tirelessly to achieve true justice for victims.

To date, the significant information that has come out has come from the Oversight and Government Reform Committee as a result of it issuing 13 subpoenas. We have released 65,000 pages of documents from the Department of Justice; the Epstein estate, which was not mentioned in the underlying legislation; the former U.S. attorney; and others.

Let me say it again. The unanimous-consent request to pass the legislation immediately last week was blocked by the minority leader, full stop. If Democrats truly cared about finding justice immediately for victims, this legislation would have been passed last week. Instead, they want political theater to capitalize on.

House Republicans, on the other hand, remain focused on truth, accountability, and delivering real justice for Epstein's victims, not political points.

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

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

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

Mr. Speaker, those of us who did not sign the discharge petition are just as concerned about the victims or, as some are calling them, survivors as our colleagues who signed the discharge petition.

We share contempt for anyone who abused anyone else. I have stood on this floor many times, Mr. Speaker, to speak out for victims and survivors of people who have been abused and against anyone who breaks the law or takes advantage of an innocent person.

We will not be characterized as insensitive to that, but House Republicans

who didn't sign the discharge petition remain focused on truth, accountability, and delivering real justice for Epstein victims.

Again, I will point out that it was under President Trump's Department of Justice that Jeffrey Epstein was arrested and tried. We have not tried to avoid this situation. We want things done the right way. We want maximum justice for these victims and survivors.

Our rule today simply expedites consideration of the Massie-Khanna legislation. As I said, we would have liked to have seen it pass last week when we gave an opportunity for it, but it was blocked by the Democratic minority leader.

Mr. Speaker, I ask for support for this rule and the underlying legislation. I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on the previous question and ``yes'' on the rule.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, psychologists have a word for the things the Democrats accuse us of: ``projection.''

Mr. Speaker, I sure hope you did not watch all 7 hours of the Democrat group therapy session last night in the Rules Committee, but if you did, you saw what a clown show it was.

It was a crisp 40 degrees outside when we adjourned at around 1:30 a.m. this morning, but with the amount of hot air being spewed by Democrats in the committee room for 7 straight hours, you would have thought we were in the dead of summer.

Mr. Speaker, at this point, I don't think Democrats really agree on anything. Last night and into the early hours of this morning, they showed everyone that they couldn't even agree on what they were angry about. They went off on so many tangents that it would have been a miracle if they arrived at a single, coherent thought at any point during our meeting.

The American people will see the exact same thing play out from them during this debate and during general debate on the floor later today.

Apparently, the only thing Democrats can agree on is that the government needs to stay shut down and that the American people need to suffer even more than they have already made them suffer.

We heard from Democrats repeatedly about the millions of people they believe are going to be affected when their own temporary COVID credits sunset at the end of this year--their own temporary COVID credits.

Did we hear anything about the millions of Americans who got walloped by Democrats when they shut the government down?

Did we hear an apology from Democrats to the American people for deliberately misleading them over 40 days?

Did we hear an admission that the only reason they shut down the government is to cover up for a catastrophic policy failure that they concocted and set an end date on?

No, we didn't hear one of those things, not one.

Mr. Speaker, I am not surprised. This is the kind of behavior that Americans have come to expect from Democrats. Has anyone ever noticed how Democrats have developed such a visceral reaction when confronted about their abdication of responsibility?

They shut the government down, and the moment you call attention to their own actions, all they do is obfuscate and start shrieking about unrelated things.

Scientists should study this at length and try to come up with a cure. It is a serious affliction, as was evidenced numerous times over in our Rules Committee meeting.

It is well past time to reopen the government and end the Democrat- concocted nightmare that Americans have been living through for over 40 straight days.

The CR before us will end that nightmare. It will get this legislative body and the entire Nation moving once more.

Democrats should grow a spine and accept responsibility for their own failures. I urge a ``yes'' vote on the rule.

Mr. Speaker, the Rules Committee report (H. Rept. 119-299) to accompany House Resolution 722 should have included in its waivers of all points of order against consideration of H.R. 5371 a disclosure of the following violations:

Section 303 of the Congressional Budget, which prohibits consideration of legislation providing new budget authority, a change in revenues, or a change in the public debt limit, for

a fiscal year until the budget resolution for that year has been agreed to.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, Charlie Kirk stood for the open exchange of ideas, our God-given freedoms, and spirited debate that challenged people to view the issues of the day in a different light. He reminded us to remain rooted in our faith and to seek God's wisdom every day.

Civil society lost one of its most vocal defenders, there is no question about it. Let me say this: Charlie Kirk's work and impact are far from over. Everyday men and women are rallying to carry on the mantle that he once carried. Mr. Speaker, that is a powerful testament to his impact upon the world.

I pray that God gives his wife, Erika, his children, and his family continued comfort.

I support the resolution before us today and urge my colleagues to do the same.

Madam Speaker, I rise to recognize a dear friend and former colleague, Patrick McHenry.

This week, the United States Capitol Historical Society is recognizing Patrick as a recipient of the Freedom Award.

The award serves to recognize and honor individuals and organizations that have advanced greater public understanding and appreciation for freedom as represented by the U.S. Capitol and Congress.

Madam Speaker, there is no question in my mind that Patrick McHenry deserves this award and continued praise for his service to the Nation and to North Carolina.

I congratulate Patrick on this recognition for his patriotism, for being a wonderful role model, and for his overall service to the Nation.

May God continue to bless Patrick, and may He continue to bless his wonderful family.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, Congress is charged with upholding the solemn constitutional mandate of providing for the common defense of the Nation. We must guarantee that the men and women of the Armed Forces are equipped with the capabilities and resources to remain the most resilient and lethal fighting force on the planet. If we do not make good upon that guarantee, our Nation's warfighters and defense apparatus will be ill-equipped to confront all manner of threats to the homeland.

The bipartisan FY26 NDAA is our answer, and it contains the necessary provisions needed to ensure that the Armed Forces can carry out their mission unimpeded.

From pay raises for servicemembers to furthering innovation, slashing bureaucratic red tape to doubling down on President Trump's America First posture by authorizing the collection of funds to offset the cost of U.S. forces in Eastern Europe, this legislation meets the mark and then some.

It also makes ironclad commitments to deter aggression from foreign adversaries that pose a serious threat to America's national security and our way of life.

Ensuring the safety and security of the homeland will always be the top priority of Republicans in Congress.

Mr. Speaker, I support the rule, the underlying legislation, and I urge my colleagues to do the same.