September 29, 2023 – Speaker Kevin McCarthy: Speaker McCarthy – Secure the Border, Keep Government Open
Today, Speaker Kevin McCarthy (CA-20), along with Rep. Mark Green (TN-07), Rep. Monica De La Cruz (TX-15), and Rep. Anthony D’Esposito (NY-04), held a press conference to call out President Biden and Senate Democrats for their refusal to work with House Republicans to secure the border and pass the necessary appropriations bills to fund the government.
“I don’t have a degree in journalism. But…you asked me last week, ‘What do you expect to do when all your appropriation bills fail?’ Why do you assume—when the Senate has done nothing and the House continues to act—that I should do what the Senate does? Why, if we are a separate body that represents America, why can’t we stand for America?”
Here are the appropriations bills already passed by the House, accounting for 70% of the federal government’s discretionary spending:
- Military Construction and Veteran Affairs
- Defense
- Homeland Security
- State-Foreign Operations
And here are the appropriation bills passed by the Senate.
- [none]
Remarks as delivered or you may watch online here.
“Moments ago the flags over the Capitol were lowered in memory of Senator Dianne Feinstein.
“As California’s longest serving senator, Senator Feinstein broke barriers and blazed a trail for women.
“Her career was by any standards historic.
“Speaking personally, I worked with the Senator for quite some time, together on many different bills, but the one that I think stands out was our water legislation.
“It was historic.
“It was the first time in California history then more than 25 years that we were able to pass water into the WINN Act.
“And I remember the hours and the nights that we would have to work to try to work through and the challenges, we come from different parties.
We have different philosophies, but we put our state first.
At the same time Barbara Boxer opposed it. It was one of the last votes in the Senate, and more than 70 votes at the time.
“I believe at the end of the day the trailblazing of the first woman-elected mayor, even coming from a different party, inspired women from both sides of the aisle to seek elected office and to have their voices heard.
“My deepest condolences to her family, her colleagues and to her staff.
“Last night, the House did something none of you sitting here thought we can do.
“The number of questions I could take from the number of weeks about doing appropriation bills.
“I told you don’t give up on us because we’re not giving up on the American people.
“We passed three appropriation bills Defense, State and Foreign Ops, and Homeland Security.
“My biggest question is: I don’t understand why the Democrats voted against funding the government.
“And all we have four appropriation bills done. There’s 12 overall to get done.
“It’s the discretionary spending every year that government is supposed to do.
“We have now in the House passed more than 70% of discretionary spending on Appropriations.
“Need I remind you how much has the Senate passed?
“Zero, not one appropriation bill has passed the Senate.
“We’ve done what many have said was impossible.
“When I became Speaker, I said we’re going to change Washington.
“And we did that by keeping our commitment to restoring regular order.
“Bills that pass committee in June and July have been open for amendments for months.
“I struggled with a number of Members who wouldn’t allow it to become up, but I never gave up.
“440 amendments were considered on the floor this week.
“And for those who are historians, we are the first Republican majority to pass the State and Foreign Ops bill through regular order since 2006.
“My entire political career as a Member of Congress, Republicans have never been able to do what they just did last night.
“As we continue to get conservative wins and return to regular order, we actually need a stop gap measure to allow the House to continue to finish its work to make sure our military gets paid to make sure our border agents get paid as we finish the job they were supposed to do.
“Another reason for the stop gap is to address President Biden’s historic failure on the southern border.
“This is how bad things have gotten under President Biden’s watch.
In five days, there’s been more than 50,000 illegal border crossings.
“Put that in perspective: in just five days.
“That’s more than twice as much as the average for the entire month in the last administration.
“A wide open policy hurts America.
“We’ve heard it from Democrat leaders across the country.
“But despite the chaos, the President still won’t go to the border, setting new records every day, fentanyl, and an all-time high killing Americans and he refuses to go to the border.
“He’s been one time in 50 years.
“One time in 60 years.
“He’s had more dinners with Hunter Biden’s foreign business partners than he has going to the border
“Think about that for one minute, something he said he’s never done.
“He’s done more than he’s ever been to the border in 50 years.
“As an elected official, he was less than 200 miles from the border this week in Arizona.
“Less than 200 miles, and he couldn’t even stop by for an 87 second photo op.
“Really makes you believe that President Biden is deliberately letting this happen and trying to continue to ignore it.
“If Biden won’t visit the border, why won’t he at least listen to the Democratic leaders that are elected across this nation.
“Mayor of New York City says Biden’s border policy will literally destroy the city of New York.
“Governor of New York says illegal immigrants should go somewhere else.
“The governor of Massachusetts declared a state of emergency.
“The Mayor of El Paso says the city is at a breaking point.
“The Mayor of Eagle Pass, Texas says President Biden has abandoned them.
“Not one of these individuals is a Republican.
“Why does President Biden and congressional Democrats continue to ignore the border and ignore their own leaders?
“That is why I’m putting on the floor a stopgap measure that will fund the government and secure the border.
“No longer can the President ignore a problem he created that kills Americans every single day, destroys some of our greatest cities, and puts states in a state of emergency.”
“Every member will have to go on record of where they stand.
“Are they willing to secure the border?
“Or do they side with President Biden on an open border and vote against a measure to keep government open?
“House Republicans are working through an impeachment inquiry to hold this administration accountable.
“Yesterday we heard from expert witnesses who said that there is enough evidence for an impeachment inquiry.
“Jonathan Turley, he said and I quote, ‘I do believe that the House passed the threshold for an impeachment inquiry into the conduct of Joe Biden.’
“Bruce Dubinsky, the forensic accountant, as a fraud investigator, ‘when I see smoke, I immediately look for the fire. Why were members of the Biden family and close business associates receiving millions of dollars of payments from foreign entities and individuals.’
“Republicans have been covering the Biden family culture of corruption, and we will follow the facts wherever they lead.
“Again, remember, as the President ran for office, he told us he’s never talked to his son about any of the business.
“We now know that’s a lie.
“Not only did he make phone calls in, he had meetings, there were benefits for those dinners.
“A new Porsche.
“More than $3 million from a Russian oligarch travels to nine family members.
“As Chairman Comer announced we are moving forward with subpoenas for Hunter and James Biden’s personal and business bank records, the American people deserve to know the truth.
“And that’s exactly what we’re doing.
“This is not impeachment.
“This empowers the House to get the facts to answer the questions the American people were wondering.”
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