OFFICE OF THE MAJORITY LEADER

TRANSCRIPT

Hoyer Statement on Republican Failures
September 8, 2008

FOR WHAT PURPOSE DOES THE DISTINGUISHED MAJORITY LEADER FROM THE STATE OF MARYLAND RISE? MR. HOYER: I ASK UNANIMOUS CONSENT TO ADDRESS THE HOUSE FOR ONE MINUTE AND REVISE AND EXTEND MY REMARKS. THE SPEAKER PRO TEMPORE: THE MAJORITY LEADER IS RECOGNIZED WITHOUT OBJECTION. MR. HOYER: THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MR. SPEAKER. MR. SPEAKER, SENATOR MOYNIHAN ONCE SAID, YOU'RE ENTITLED TO YOUR OWN OPINIONS, BUT YOU ARE NOT ENTITLED TO YOUR OWN FACTS. THE DOMINANT POLITICAL FACT OF THE LAST EIGHT YEARS HAS BEEN REPUBLICAN FAILURE, SERIAL GOVERNING MALPRACTICE. THIS MONTH WE WILL BE HOLDING THEM TO ACCOUNT. THERE OUGHT TO BE A HEAVY COST FOR 2.5 MILLION LOST JOBS, FOR FIVE MILLION MORE OF OUR FELLOW CITIZENS THRUST INTO POVERTY, FOR STAGNATING WAGES IF SKYROCKETING COSTS OF ESSENTIALS, FOR 8.6 MILLION MORE AMERICANS UNINSURED, FOR SURPLUSES TURNED INTO RECORD DEFICITS, FOR AN AMERICA WHOSE RESPECT HAS BEEN REDUCED AROUND THE WORLD, FOR FOREIGN BORROWING THAT HAS EXCEEDED THE TOTAL RACKED UP UNDER THE FIRST 42 PRESIDENTS. ALL OF THAT HAPPENED UNDER THE GRIP OF REPUBLICAN IDEOLOGY. EIGHT YEARS IN THE WHITE HOUSE, SIX YEARS WITH ALL THE LEVERS POFF POWER. -- LEVERS OF POWER. AFTER THAT ALL, THAT SUGGEST MORE OF THE SAME. EVERY TIME THEY TRY TO CHANGE THE SUBJECT, EVERY TIME THEY PRETEND TO BE AGENTS OF CHANGE, WE WILL ANSWER WITH THE SIMPLE FACTS OF FAILURE. WE HAVE FAITH IN THE FACTS, WE WILL STAKE AN ELECTION ON THAT FAITH, AND WHEN WE WIN, WE WILL GOVERN SECURE IN THAT FAITH. I YIELD BACK THE BALANCE OF MY TIME. THE SPEAKER PRO TEMPORE: FOR WHAT PURPOSE DOES THE GENTLEMAN FROM TEXAS RISE? >> REQUEST PERMISSION TO ADDRESS THE HOUSE FOR ONE MINUTE. THE SPEAKER PRO TEMPORE: WITHOUT OBJECTION, THE GENTLEMAN IS RECOGNIZED FOR ONE MINUTE. MR. POE: MR. SPEAKER, WE'RE BACK. AFTER A FIVE-WEEK BREAK, CONGRESS HAS RETURNED TO DO THE PEOPLE'S BUSINESS. THE NUMBER ONE CONCERN AMONG AMERICANS IS THE HIGH COST OF ENERGY, ESPECIALLY GASOLINE. AMERICANS WANT CONGRESS TO COME UP WITH AN ENERGY PLAN TO MAKE OUR NATION INDEPENDENT FROM ENERGY CONTROL OF FOREIGN POWERS. WE SEND MILLIONS OF DOLLARS A DAY OVERSEAS TO COUNTRIES THAT DON'T LIKE US AND HOLD US HOSTAGE UNTIL WE PAY THE RANSOM FOR THAT CRUDE OIL. BUT CONGRESS IS NOT GOING TO DEAL WITH ENERGY LEGISLATION TODAY. IN FACT, OUR FIRST PRIORITY, OUR VERY FIRST ORDER OF BUSINESS, AFTER THIS LONG RECESS IS TO NAME A NEW FEDERAL BUILDING IN VIRGINIA. AND THE SECOND THING WE'RE GOING TO DO IS NAME A NEW FEDERAL BUILDING IN NEW YORK. SO NO VOTES TODAY ON OFFSHORE DRILL, NO VOTES ON DRILLING IN ANWR, DEVELOPING CLEAN COAL TECHNOLOGY, BUILDING NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS OR ANYTHING ELSE REGARDING ENERGY. FOR FIVE WEEKS, THE LIGHTS WERE OFF IN THE HOUSE OF CONGRESS AND WHEN WE WERE GONE, THEY STAYED OFF. WE MIGHT AS WELL LEAVE THEM OFF NOW BECAUSE CONGRESS IS STILL IN THE DARK ABOUT ENERGY INDEPENDENCE. AND THAT'S JUST THE WAY IT IS. THE SPEAKER PRO TEMPORE: THE GENTLEMAN FROM TEXAS' TIME HAS EXPIRED. FOR WHAT PURPOSE DOES THE GENTLELADY FROM TEXAS RISE? >> TO ADDRESS THE HOUSE FOR ONE MINUTE. THE SPEAKER PRO TEMPORE: THE GENTLELADY IS RECOGNIZED FOR ONE MINUTE. MS. JACKSON LEE: I'M DELIGHTED TO RETURN TO THE CONGRESS THAT HAS ADDRESSED THE PLIGHT OF SOLDIERS, EDUCATION BENEFITS AND HEALTH CARE AND THE CONGRESS THAT IS GOING TO SOLVE THE ENERGY CRISIS, THE WORKING CONGRESS. THAT'S WHY I STAND HERE TODAY, I'D LIKE US TO CONTINUE TO WORK, TO HELP THE AUTOMOBILE DEALERS IN DETROIT AND HELP THE HOMEOWNERS WHO NEED MORTGAGE REPAIR AND MORTGAGE REFINANCE AND GIVE THEM AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THE AMERICAN DREAM. I'M SADDENED BY THE CONFLICT BETWEEN GEORGIA AND RUSSIA, NOT GEORGIA IN THE UNITED STATES, BUT THAT IS A NATO ISSUE, I'D ASK THAT WE NOT GIVE $1 BILLION TO REPAIR GEORGIA, BUT WE SHOULD GIVE $1 BILLION TO REPAIR OUR AUTO INDUSTRY AND OUR MORTGAGE CRISIS. IT IS TIME NOW TO REINVEST AT HOME. GIVE THEM A CONTRIBUTION, ALONG WITH THE NATO EFFORTS. GIVE THEM THE ABILITY TO STAND STRONG. PROVIDE FOR THEM THE OPPORTUNITY ENGAGE IN CONFLICT RESOLUTION BETWEEN RUSSIA AND GEORGIA. BUT IT IS TIME NOW NOT TO GIVE EXCESSIVE FUNDS TO ENSURE THAT THEY STAND UP, WE NEED TO STAND UP HERE IN AMERICA. I ASK MY COLLEAGUES TO REFLECT ON THIS SO WE CAN DO SOMETHING FOR AMERICA IN THIS DO-SOMETHING CONGRESS. THE SPEAKER PRO TEMPORE: FOR WHAT PURPOSE DOES THE GENTLEMAN FROM GEORGIA RISE? >> TO ADDRESS THE HOUSE FOR ONE MINUTE. THE SPEAKER PRO TEMPORE: THE GENTLEMAN IS RECOGNIZED FOR ONE ...