James P. McGovern

“Republicans control the government, and life has gotten harder for everyday Americans. Prices for gas, rent, groceries, and medicine are higher because of Republican policies like tariffs and tax cuts for the rich. They started an expensive war in Iran and cut health care for millions of people. These bills do nothing to lower costs for regular families, and they will add to the national debt.”

“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, this Congress is an absolute mess. The gentlewoman from North Carolina says that our rhetoric doesn’t carry a bit of substance. But let me begin by asking a question of the American people, a very simple question: Are you better off today than you were 1\1/2\ years ago? It has been 18 months since Donald Trump returned to the White House. Republicans have controlled every lever of power in Washington for over 1\1/2\ years. They control the House. They control the Senate. They control the White House. They even control the Supreme Court. That is the one simple question to me that matters more than anything else that we will debate today. In fact, it is the only thing that matters, really. Is it easier to fill up your gas tank? Are your rent bills more affordable? Are your groceries cheaper? Have your prescription medicine costs gone down? Does your paycheck go further? In short, Mr. Speaker, has life gotten easier for anybody over these last 18 months, or has it gotten harder? I think most people, including most Republicans, if they are being honest with themselves, know the answer. They don’t need a politician or a fancy economics degree to say that things are not better. They are not better. In fact, they will tell you that things are worse--much, much worse. They see it every time they tap their credit card at the gas station. They see it every time they check out at a grocery store. They see it every month when their rent is due, when their electric bill comes in, and when the pharmacist says that their kids’ medicine is more expensive. They see it when their paycheck just doesn’t go as far as it used to. This is the Republican economy. These are their prices, and it is their policies that have failed America miserably. Donald Trump and Republicans promised they would use their power to lower costs on day one. Well, it is year two, and costs are not lower, which by any definition would make that a broken promise. Mr. Speaker, why are prices up? Why is life harder? Why are things worse off now? The reason is simple: It is because instead of working with Democrats to fight for everyday people, Republicans have made one decision after another to help the rich and the powerful and, basically, hurt everybody else. I have example after example. Are things better off because of Trump’s tariffs, Mr. Speaker? The tariffs the New York Federal Reserve says are almost exclusively paid by American consumers, American farmers, American manufacturers, and American companies, does that make anybody better off? I don’t think most people would say that tariffs have made their lives better. I would say that the tariffs have made their lives worse, more expensive, more difficult. What about the war in Iran--a new, endless, illegal war, another one of Donald Trump’s broken promises? Does anyone think that has made life better for the American people? Maybe it has made life better for defense contractors. Maybe it has for the crazy neocon warmongers who get a kick out of another war, but not for everyday people. We have spent probably well over $100 billion on this illegal and reckless war. That is $100 billion. That is not helping make sure that Americans don’t go hungry. That is not lowering healthcare costs, lowering people’s rents, or lowering gas prices. It is on this crazy war, a war of choice that the President had no plan for. He doesn’t know what the hell he is going to do next. This is nuts. In fact, we are now 5 months into a war that these guys said would only last a couple of weeks. They have declared victory like six times, yet the Strait of Hormuz is still closed. More American troops, sadly, were killed this weekend. Gas prices are back above $4 a gallon. Inflation continues to skyrocket. Does anybody think that has made life better for most Americans? There has been 5 months of war in the Middle East. I can go right down the line. Republicans promised better healthcare. Instead, they passed a law that takes hundreds of billions of dollars out of Medicaid and leaves millions more people uninsured. How the hell does that make anybody’s life better? Republicans promised lower taxes, except they chose another tax giveaway for those at the very top, and they pat themselves on the back for the pennies they gave to everyone else. Has that made life better for people? After 18 months of higher costs, more inflation, new wars, costly tariffs, and stunning, stunning corruption, now they are bringing us a continuing resolution that kicks the can down the road. They are bringing us a pathetic excuse of a stock trading ban that fails to address the much larger culture of corruption and self-dealing coming out of the White House, and they are bringing us a budget framework authorizing $73 billion for Trump’s illegal Iran war, $12 billion as a Band-Aid to help farmers that their policies continue to hurt, and another $10 billion to rig the November elections. That is nearly $100 billion in new spending with no offsets, meaning this bill could very well increase the debt by over $100 billion. Whatever happened to the old-fashioned Republicans who wanted to pay for things, who didn’t want to increase the deficit or the debt? I guess that is a thing of the past. Not one thing in this reconciliation bill, by the way--not a single damned thing--will be about affordability. Not one thing will lower prices. That is called being out of touch, Mr. Speaker. There will be time to debate their crummy bills on the floor this week, but this hour is about priorities, and Republicans have their priorities all out of whack. Their agenda has only made things better for those at the top, for the Mar-a-Lago members and CEOs with private jets, the donor class and the corporate special interests. Things are better for them, but for the rest of America, their agenda has been a disaster. The policies of this Republican Congress are a dumpster fire for everyday people, a total disaster. Their tariffs are crushing people. Their war is driving up costs. Their toxic environmental policies are filling our air with smoke and our food with parasites, and Americans are dying in the Middle East for their war. Again, Mr. Speaker, when I go back home and I ask people if they are better off than they were 18 months ago, they don’t even answer. They laugh because it is such a ridiculous question. It is so obvious that all of us are worse off because of this Republican majority and because of this administration, which cares only about not hurting the President’s fragile feelings and delicate ego. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.”

“Nearly one in three young people in Gen Z has faced hunger, and 50 million Americans do not have enough food. Young leaders came to Congress to talk about this problem. Congress and the administration need to listen to them and work to end hunger.”

“Mr. Speaker, last week I spoke with 160 incredible anti-hunger advocates as part of the fourth Gen Z Food and Hunger Summit. Shocking research from Purdue University shows that nearly one in three members of Gen Z have experienced food insecurity--one in three. Let that sink in. In fact, many of the young people I met experienced hunger firsthand. Congress ought to listen to them. I will continue to amplify and uplift their voices. Gen Z leaders at the summit came together to strategize, holding over 150 congressional meetings to highlight their generation’s struggle to afford food. Mr. Speaker, I am so glad the next generation of Americans is impatient and unwilling to wait for a hunger-free future. There is a lot to be discouraged by these days, but the young people I met at the Gen Z Food and Hunger Summit give me hope. I am grateful for their energy, and I am grateful for their passion and our shared work to end hunger. Mr. Speaker, I urge my Republican colleagues and members of this administration to pay attention to them. We live in the richest country in the history of the world, and we have 50 million Americans who are hungry and food insecure. It is unconscionable. It is shameful, and we can do something about it.”

“I want Congress to pass my bill to end the trade embargo on Cuba. Our trade limits hurt ordinary Cuban people and cut off their food and medicine. Decades of these harsh policies have failed, and military threats will only make things worse. We need to use diplomacy and trade instead.”

“Mr. Speaker, I rise today to talk about United States policy toward Cuba, or rather our lack of a coherent policy and our decades-long failure to help the people of Cuba. Cuba is our neighbor. We have lived side by side for centuries. Our histories are intertwined. Our futures are, too. Almost 10 million people live on the island of Cuba. They go to school and work, raise families and go about their lives, and crave freedom and justice, but the people of Cuba struggle to realize their aspirations. The Cuban Government deprives the people from enjoying their civil and political rights. Freedom of expression and assembly are severely curtailed. The recent release of 2,000 prisoners was welcome, as is the recent release of Luis Manuel Otero Alcantara, a political prisoner in the Defending Freedoms Project of the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission, but over 700 prisoners of conscience remain behind bars, according to Human Rights Watch. Yet, for all the abuse of the Cuban people by the Cuban Government, so too has the United States deprived the Cuban people of enjoying their economic and social rights. The crushing U.S. embargo has stunted their economic development and caused immense hardship. These U.S. policies are human rights violations. America’s cruel and illegal blockade is creating a severe humanitarian crisis, denying energy imports, which the Cuban people depend on for their healthcare, food distribution, and livelihood. Cubans recently experienced the eighth collapse of their power grid since October 2024. Some 3 million Cubans experience water shortages every single day, and the U.N. reports that infant mortality has doubled to 9.9 per 1,000 births. Childhood cancer survival rates have fallen from 85 to 65 percent. Supplies of essential medicines are only 30 percent of normal. What we are witnessing in Cuba, as some have characterized it, is basically Gaza in slow motion: man-made starvation with the help and complicity of the United States of America. Meanwhile, arrogant politicians in Washington tell Cubans on the island that they must suffer violations of their economic and social rights as the only way to restore their civil and political rights. This is an insult to their dignity, and it is wrong. The six-decade embargo has been a miserable failure. Over and over we see that it does not work. It only emboldens hard-liners and makes things worse for regular people. Now, we hear that the administration is plotting military action against Cuba. This would be horrible, wasteful, inhumane, and illegal. Cuba is not doing anything that would legitimize a war. Congress has approved no declaration of war, no Authorization for Use of Military Force. Military action against Cuba would make America a rogue State, aligning us with Russia, China, Iran, and others that believe that international rules don’t matter. If we want to know why invading Cuba would be such a disaster, look no further than Venezuela. Meet the new boss; same as the old boss. The Venezuelan people still have no democracy or human rights, while listening to Marco Rubio lecture them with empty promises about freedom and self-determination. Their economy was still in shambles even before the earthquake. Trump and Rubio are pals with the new President. The U.S. has immense leverage, but we are not using it to restore democracy, improve human rights, or fight hunger. The security apparatus remains in place. Political prisoners remain in jail. Oil revenues go to the elites. The people of Venezuela deserve better, and the people of Cuba do not deserve to be screwed over in the same undignified and illegal manner. Cubans deserve to shape their own future, not have it selected for them by arrogant politicians in Washington. There is a better way. Ten years ago, the U.S. tried a better approach. We tried diplomacy. We tried engagement. We tried talking to each other, working through our differences, and guess what. It started working. American tourists went to Cuba. We dropped barriers. We opened up relations. Things started getting better for the Cuban people, and there was hope that some day they could shape their own future. My U.S.-Cuba Trade Act, H.R. 7521, would reverse our decades of failed policies toward Cuba. It would repeal the statutory basis of the embargo. It would give us tools to work with the Cuban people on economic and political progress. It would ensure that Americans and Cubans can be good neighbors. We must chart a shared path to the future, built not on fear and threats or marked by invasion and blockade. The future we must build is one of good will and diplomacy, reinforced by trade and exchange. Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to consider a new approach to Cuba. It is time for a new path forward. The Trump administration has damaged our Nation’s standing in the world. They have totally screwed up the Middle East by ignoring human rights and embracing war. I urge my colleagues to stand with me in demanding that they not repeat the same cruel mistakes in Cuba.”

“Vote no on this rule. Republicans control Congress, but they are wasting time arguing and ignoring the high cost of living. Changing the clocks or passing voter rules will not lower the cost of rent, food, or healthcare. If Democrats were in charge, we would focus on making life more affordable for regular people.”

“Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. Mr. Speaker, this debate has made one thing very clear. Republicans are not the victims of this chaos. They are the perpetrators of this chaos. There is only one party that controls this floor and all three branches of government. Republicans set the agenda. Republicans write these awful rules. Republicans control the schedule, and Republicans have chosen to spend week after week fighting with one another while regular working people are getting squeezed. News flash to my Republican colleagues: The American people know the difference between working and pretending to work. They know that passing the same voter suppression bill again and again will not lower their rent. They know that stapling the SAVE Act onto yet another piece of legislation will not bring down the price of groceries. They know that threatening the VFW will not improve veterans’ care. They know that changing or not changing the clocks will not change what is in their bank account. Mr. Speaker, if Democrats were in the majority, we would begin every day with one simple question: How do we make life more affordable for working people in this country? We would work to build more housing. We would work to lower rents and stop giant Wall Street firms from bidding families out of the market. We would take on corporate consolidation and price gouging that are driving up the cost of food. We would lower health insurance premiums and prescription drug prices instead of ripping coverage away to pay for more billionaire tax breaks. We would make childcare more affordable. We would lower utility bills and end these stupid tariff taxes that show up in the price of nearly everything that people buy. In addition, we would stay here and we would keep working until the job was done. Now, I am not saying that every problem would be solved overnight, but we would put real solutions on this floor. We would allow debate. I mean, we don’t debate anything anymore. Most of the bills that come to this floor are completely closed, where nobody can offer an amendment, take it or leave it. I mean, you know, and when something did not pass, we would keep trying. We would keep trying until we got it right, until we helped people in this country. I mean, that is our job. That’s what we are supposed to do. When it comes to veterans, Democrats would fund the benefits that these veterans earned. We would not pit one generation of disabled veterans against another, and that is what my Republican colleagues are doing. It is really not only frustrating; it is unconscionable. That should not be a partisan statement, by the way, in terms of helping our veterans. That is basic decency. The American people deserve a Congress that is focused on affordability, not on Donald Trump’s long list of petty grievances and attempts to rehash old conspiracy theories from 6 years ago. They deserve a majority that understands that power is not about controlling the floor. It is about using the floor to help people, to improve the quality of life for the people that we represent. Republicans have had their chance. They blew it. They have wasted it. I urge my colleagues, vote ``no’’ on the previous question. Vote ``no’’ on this rule. Let us end the chaos and get back to work for the American people. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.”

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“Millions of American children go hungry when school is out for the summer. We must reject cuts to food programs and spend more money to feed these kids.”

“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.”