Hoyer: There is a Sharp Contrast Between House Republicans' Record of Obstruction & Democrats' Agenda to Jumpstart the Middle Class

WASHINGTON, DC - House Democratic Whip Steny H. Hoyer (MD) spoke on the House Floor this morning to contrast House Republicans' record of obstruction and partisanship with House Democrats’ agenda that puts the middle class first. Below is a transcript of his remarks and a link to the video:

Click here for the video.

“Madam Speaker, sadly the Majority is pressing forward later this week with two partisan messaging bills cloaked in the rhetoric of creating jobs and expanding opportunity – bills that actually do neither.

“We will, today and tomorrow for the most part, I think, proceed on a bipartisan fashion, where we'll have views on both sides of the aisle that agree and that disagree with the actions we will take on the Continuing Resolution and the amendment that will be considered to give authority to the President of the United States to train and equip those who are confronting ISIL. However, after we consider that, we will proceed again on the partisan messaging bills of which I spoke. This unfortunately, has been the pattern throughout the 112th and the 113th – this Congress.

“The American people are rightfully disgusted, in some cases despaired, and certainly tired of the partisan games that lead only to gridlock, that have made this Congress the most unproductive Congress in which I have served. This is my 17th Congress. The American people are tired of watching the Republican Majority walk away from their responsibilities to govern in a bipartisan way. They are tired of Republicans walking away from our middle class when they refused to raise the minimum wage, which has a majority of votes on this Floor for passage. The minimum wage today, if it was in 2014 dollars and 1968 levels, would be $10.77. That means those at the lowest ranks of earners in America have seen their buying power degraded by over 40% since 1968. And yet we won't even bring it to the Floor – when I say we, the Republican Majority – won't even bring it to the Floor for a vote. And it has a majority of votes, in my opinion.

“They won't bring a bill to the Floor that ensures equal pay for equal work. Every woman in this House and every man in this House, except for the leadership, are paid exactly the same thing, irrespective of their gender. Americans believe that's the right thing to do. We can't get a bill to the Floor.

“We need to make higher education more affordable.  Student loans have the ability to be refinanced, just as mortgages could be refinanced. We can't get such a bill to the Floor.

“[The American people] are tired of Republicans' obsession with undoing the patient protections and cost savings of health care reform. [Republicans] spent four years pretending that we were going to repeal it, as opposed to fixing that which could be made better on behalf of the American people.

“[The American people] are tired of watching Republicans walk away from every opportunity to get our fiscal House in order, as they did with the Biden talks, the Boehner-Obama negotiations, the Supercommittee composed of an equal number of Republicans and Democrats. [House Republicans] walked away from averting the sequester, shut down the government, and several missed opportunities to pursue fiscal stability.

“The American people are, as I said, distressed, dismayed, and, indeed, angry at the Congress. All of us – because they see the Board of Directors of the greatest country on the face of the Earth not working. They are tired of Republicans' failure to move forward with bipartisan, comprehensive immigration reform. That again has the votes on this Floor to pass, but they don't bring it to the Floor.

“The Republican Congress has made it clear that their message to America is: ‘you're on your own.’ You're not earning enough minimum wage, you're on your own. You lost your unemployment insurance, you're on your own.  Sandy comes and visits – the Atlantic Katrina visited – and what did [they] do on Sandy, [they] said you're on your own. The majority of Republicans, the overwhelming majority of Republicans, voted against helping those who were struck by Sandy.

“Export-Import Bank – you have a business that's trying to export goods, you're getting a little help. You're being competitive with the rest of the world, and what does this Congress say? You're on your own. Yes, we are going to extend it for a short period of time, but there are a majority of votes on this Floor to extend it for a number of years, which will give confidence to the economy and to the exporters and lenders that it will be in place. But what have [Republicans] said? You're on your own. 

“Want to buy a home? Well, the Chairman of the Financial Services Committee wants to eliminate Fannie and Freddie and say: ‘yes, you're on your own.’ Need terrorism risk insurance to build and get a loan, commercial construction? It's not on the Floor. You're on your own.

“The American people are upset with us, and rightfully so. I'm upset with us. This Republican Congress has made it clear that it's about political messaging and nothing else. That's what they said to women when they voted against the Violence Against Women Act, an act which had passed overwhelmingly in a bipartisan fashion when it was adopted and when it was reauthorized. But this Congress could not get a majority of the Republicans to vote for it. It passed after eight months of delay because Democrats voted overwhelmingly for it.

“[You’re on your own] is what they said to small business owners, when they voted against that Sandy relief, and it's what they told unemployed workers when they voted not to extend emergency unemployment.

“While House Republicans are using September to continue partisan messaging to the American people,  House Democrats are talking about lifting up the middle class, giving a jump-start to the middle class. This month will be one of sharp contrast. And, yes, next month. And, yes, November. There are choices to be made – sharp contrast. 

“The overwhelming majority of the American people are for every one of the issues that I just mentioned. Poll after poll after poll shows them to be so. There will be a contrast between obstruction and progress. Between Republicans who have said their number one priority is winning an election, and Democrats who want to win the battle for economic equality and economic opportunity for the American people.

“The American people deserve a Congress that is on their side, and House Democrats are doing what is needed to jump-start our middle class, create good jobs, and open doors of opportunity for all Americans. Jump-starting the middle class means helping more of our businesses make it in America and create jobs that pay well.

“We, by the way, passed yesterday Make It In America legislation, good legislation, bipartisan legislation. It was done on a voice vote. The reason it was done on a voice vote is because there was some concern that a large number of Republicans might vote against it. That would have been a bad vote for them, so we passed it on a voice vote.

“[Jumpstarting the middle class] means equal pay for equal work and greater access to affordable childcare. It means access to higher education, expanding job training and opportunity. It means enabling more Americans to own a home, save for retirement, and know with certainty their children will be better off than we are and than they were. That, Madam Speaker, is what the American people expect us to do. 

“It's so sad that we haven't been doing it. It's so that we cannot have the House work its will, which is, of course, what the Republicans said in their Pledge to America. That's what the ‘Young Guns’ told us they were going to do. We've had more closed rules than any Congress in which I’ve served. That means that ideas can't be put forward.

“Madam Speaker, the American public will have a choice between a stark contrast of who's on their side.  Let's hope the next Congress is a Congress of which the American people can be proud.”