James P. McGovern · TranslatePolitics.com

House of Representatives

Providing for Consideration of (H.R. 139) Sunshine Protection Act of 2025; Providing for Consideration of (H.R. 8595) National Security, Department of State, and Related Programs Appropriations Act...

2026-07-14

“I say Republicans are wrong about veterans. I say Republicans are bad. I say Republicans should be ashamed. I say Republicans are lying. I say Republicans are cutting benefits. I say VFW says Republicans are wrong. I say VFW opposes Republican bill. I say Republicans don't really care about veterans.”

“I think the bill is bad. I want to talk about part of the bill about daylight saving time. I think the bill is being rushed without enough talk. I want to say that we tried the same thing in the past and it was bad. I want to say that children had to go to school in the dark. I want to say that children died because of it. I want to say that I think we are making the same mistake again. I want to say that we are not talking to doctors about how it might be bad for people's health. I want to say that it can be bad for people's sleep and health. I want to say that a woman proposed to talk about it more but she was not allowed. I want to say that I think we should vote no on the rule.”

Official Congressional Record

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I ask that we defeat the previous question. If we defeat the previous question, I will offer an amendment to allow the House to take an up-or-down vote on an amendment to H.R. 8595, sponsored by Representative Schrier, which would reverse the cuts to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that were imposed by the Trump administration that could have prevented the ongoing outbreak of cyclospora, a parasite that has already infected thousands of Americans. Last year, the Trump administration began illegally defunding Federal health and science agencies, firing scientists and researchers, and cutting programs that keep us healthy and safe. One of the programs that Trump cut was called FoodNet, and it helped Federal and State public officials monitor and prevent outbreaks for eight different foodborne illnesses, including cyclospora. Yet, after Trump and his DOGE goons got their hands on this lifesaving program, the government stopped monitoring cyclospora. That was stupid. It was dumb. Our country is now experiencing a full- blown outbreak of, you guessed it, cyclospora. For the sake of everyone's health, I urge my colleagues to defeat the previous question so we can reverse these dangerous cuts. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to insert the text of my amendment into the Record along with any extraneous material immediately prior to the vote on the previous question. The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Rulli). Is there objection to the request of the gentleman from Massachusetts? There was no objection.

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“I don't like the bill. I want people to think the bill is bad. I want to say the bill takes money from some veterans and gives it to other veterans. I want people to think that is bad. I want to say that Republicans don't care about spending for other things. I want people to think Republicans only care about money for wars and rich people. I want people to think Republicans don't really care about veterans. I want people to be mad about the bill. I want people to contact us and say they don't like the bill. I want everyone to vote no on the bill.”

Official Congressional Record

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, let me just respond to the gentleman by saying that whatever good is in this veterans bill is offset by the bad. Basically, they are saying we are providing veterans' benefits by cutting other veterans' benefits. I mean, this is a shell game. That is why the VFW is furious, why they are pissed over this bill, why they have told their membership to contact Members of Congress, Democrats and Republicans, to oppose it. If this were a tax cut for billionaires, my Republican friends don't care about an offset. If it is an illegal war in Iran, they don't care about offsets. When it comes to providing veterans' benefits, all of a sudden, we have to find offsets. Those offsets that they have found to pay for this are by cutting other veterans' benefits. That is unconscionable. That is wrong, and everybody should vote ``no'' on that bill. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Pennsylvania (Ms. Dean).

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“I want to talk about how bad the other side is. They cause chaos. They fight each other. I don't like their bills. I don't think they help. I want you to know the other side is not helping. I want you to blame them. I don't like that some people talk about cutting money for veterans. I want you to think the other side does not care about veterans. I want to say that people who speak against the other side are being attacked. I want you to think the other side is against free speech. I want you to know life is hard for many people. I want you to blame the other side for high costs. I want you to think the President cares more about power than helping people. I want you to think the other side does not do their job. I want a different party in control. I think things would be better if my party was in control.”

Official Congressional Record

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from North Carolina for yielding me the customary time, and I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, to all my friends on the other side who have held this floor hostage for weeks on end, let me save them the suspense: Nothing changes with this rule. There is nothing in this rule that forces the Senate to take up the awful SAVE America Act. Nothing. The majority is simply attaching the SAVE America Act on to an unrelated State Department funding bill and sending it across the Capitol. The Senate can and will strip it right back out. Everybody here knows that. The fact of the matter is that the SAVE Act is never going to become law because even Republicans know it is a disaster that will make it more difficult, if not impossible, for American citizens to vote. What Republicans are doing here with this procedural move is not some master strategy. It is merely political theater, designed to settle another Republican family feud. If that is enough to flip Members who have held up business for weeks, boy, they are cheap dates. What this rule does is bring to the floor four bills. The first would make daylight saving time permanent. Look, everybody has an opinion about changing the clocks. I actually support this bill, but for folks getting crushed by rent, groceries, utility bills, and healthcare costs, is this really the best the majority can do? Is this really the most pressing issue before the American people at this moment? Then, there are three bills Republicans tried to bring up weeks ago, before their own chaos brought the House to a standstill. One is the Department of State funding bill that cuts funding for American diplomacy and foreign assistance. Another would block the use of a merchant code for gun stores, making it harder to flag suspicious purchasing patterns. Then, there is the so-called Take Care of America's Veterans Act. That title is doing a lot of work. That bill expands some benefits by putting the disability compensation of future veterans on the chopping block, particularly veterans suffering from tinnitus and sleep apnea. In other words--get this--Republicans want disabled veterans to pick up the tab for other veterans' benefits. That is just plain wrong. How hard is it to understand that we shouldn't rob Private Peter to pay Sergeant Paul? The Veterans of Foreign Wars agrees. They were in the Committee on Rules last night. The VFW strongly opposes this bill on behalf of the veterans it represents, and it published a political cartoon to protest the cuts. What did the Republican chairman of the Committee on Veterans' Affairs do? He and other Republican Members sent a letter to the Department of Veterans Affairs, asking the agency to review the VFW's accreditation. That accreditation is what allows the VFW to represent veterans before the VA and help them navigate the benefits system. Disagree with the cartoon, fine, say so, but do not use the Federal Government to threaten the VFW's ability to help hundreds of thousands of vets. That sure as hell looks like retaliation to me. Veterans fought for the right to speak their minds. They should not be threatened by their own government for exercising it, but this is what happens when a majority becomes completely consumed by its own dysfunction. Meanwhile, Americans are working hard. They are doing everything they have been told that they are supposed to do. Yet, somehow, they can't get ahead. What is this Republican majority doing about any of it? Next to nothing. One of the bipartisan things that we actually did do to try and bring down housing costs, Donald Trump refused to sign it. He let it become law without his signature because he was angry that the Senate had not passed his voter suppression bill. I mean, imagine that. Think about how screwed up all of that is. Families cannot afford to buy a home, rents keep climbing, and the President of the United States used a bipartisan housing bill as leverage in his fight over election lies. That tells us everything we need to know about this party's priorities. They will move heaven and Earth to protect Donald Trump's political power, but when it comes to making life more affordable for regular people, suddenly, they can't find the time. They can't be bothered. Republicans control the House. They control the Senate. They control the White House. They control the Supreme Court. They still can barely keep the House floor open long enough to do the people's work. Mr. Speaker, the American people deserve a hell of a lot better than this chaos, and I reserve the balance of my time.

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House of Representatives

End Hunger Now

2026-07-14

“I want to praise a government program. It spends money to give food to children. They get meals when school is closed. I visited some sites in my district. I talked with children. I want this program to keep getting money. The other party wants to cut spending. Many children need food. Our country is rich. We should spend more money on this program.”

Official Congressional Record

Mr. Speaker, when schools are closed for the summer, far too many kids in America go hungry because they don't have access to nutritious breakfasts or lunches. That is where the incredible Summer Eats program comes in. Funded by USDA and in partnership with States, local schools, and community organizations, Summer Eats provides free, nutritious summer meals to kids across the country. Last week, I joined Project Bread on a visit to Summer Eats programs in Leominster and Turners Falls, two communities in my district. I was able to talk with young children and teens who told me they loved the meals and enjoyed the ability to spend time with their friends while school was out of session. I thank the Spanish American Center and the Gill-Montague School District for sponsoring these successful sites. Mr. Speaker, even with important programs like Summer Eats, 14 million kids in the United States of America, the richest country in the history of the world, are food insecure. We have to reject Republican cuts to nutrition programs and invest more in programs like Summer Eats, which help to improve health and end hunger now.

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