Steny Hoyer: “The chairman has indicated he supports this en bloc amendment, and I support that, as well. I do not support the bill. I…”

“The chairman has indicated he supports this en bloc amendment, and I support that, as well. I do not support the bill. I want to speak on the bill, and I rise today to speak against the majority's inability or unwillingness to govern--take your pick. Republicans have had 9 months to pass all their spending bills. They passed one. Now they are struggling to pass the rest 96 hours before the government shuts down. It is the theater of the absurd. They did not merely sit on their hands, they actively slowed down this process with manufactured debt- limit crises, an illegitimate impeachment inquiry, and the meaningless messaging bills that will never become law. Wasting our time with these pointless proposals is not just inept, irresponsible, and idiotic, it is dangerous. It is costly. It is unwarranted. This bill is supposed to be about Homeland Security. We can have a legitimate debate about that. Instead, however, this bill, this entire process makes our Nation less secure and for what? A laundry list of far-right poison pills that prevent Congress from addressing the challenges at hand. How much time is spent on these pointless, negative, and unacceptable provisions of these bills, other than what these bills actually are supposed to do? Do we want to pad the ego of some extreme rightwing Members or pay the border agents and servicemembers who protect America? Do we indulge in petulant tantrums or uphold our oath of office?…”