Steny Hoyer

That is the only reason we passed sequester, and nobody intended sequester to go into effect. It was always a backup. Because we have failed to come to an agreement on a fiscally responsible, sustainable path, we have repaired to this…

Instead, let us work together in a bipartisan way to replace the unrealistic and ill-conceived--not my words but Hal Rogers' words--and, I would add, completely unworkable sequester caps with an alternative that enables Congress to invest…

I thank the gentleman for his comments. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time. ____________________

I know that you don't want to anticipate, but, obviously, our Members are concerned about what they ought to be considering and planning for and making themselves aware of the facts about. Does the gentleman expect a reconciliation…

So the gentleman contemplates going beyond reconciliation instructions on the Affordable Care Act to other matters? For instance, in the House budget, we replace seniors' Medicare guarantee with a premium support voucher. Would the…

I thank the gentleman. Mr. Speaker, I think what I hear is we are not going to reach bipartisan agreement on that, and that is unfortunate. The cybersecurity bill, as the gentleman mentioned, will we consider the two cybersecurity-related…

I would hope the gentleman would make it very, very clear he is not making an analogy between the two instances that he cited for firing, on which I would agree with him, and a Federal employee, for whatever reason, says: Mr. Meadows may…

What other employee in America is subject to being fired because they don't pay taxes? Does the gentleman want to include either Members of Congress in this bill or all private sector employees?

I thank the gentleman. I wish he would go back to the drawing board. And I will tell my friend, I will participate with you. Nobody believes, I think, that sequester is going to ultimately rule the day in our appropriation bills because it…

The Rules Committee is going to meet tonight at 9:30 tonight, is that the--8:00. Somebody said 8 o'clock over here--a member of the Rules Committee. Was it at 8:00 or at 9:30? Mr. McCARTHY. I think it was--where is our Rules Committee…

Can the majority leader tell us, in light of fact that is less than 24 hours from now, what we might be considering with respect to keeping the Department of Homeland Security operating on a permanent basis through September 30? Mr…

What can we expect to be on the floor tomorrow, Mr. Leader? Mr. McCARTHY. Well, Mr. Whip, I expect that we will deal with the current schedule that we have before us, plus dealing with DHS.

No, I have done longer when I had the minute, believe me. I want to tell the gentleman, in all sincerity, I look forward to being able to support a bill that is comprehensive, paid for, and gives our citizens and individual taxpayers the…

America's businesses and families deserve the certainty that comes from tax reform, not partisan piecemeal reform bills that undermine--undermine--tax reform. That is what Roy Blunt was talking about. Roy Blunt has already been quoted, so…

But when you talk about fighting hunger, don't cut food stamps $40 billion. Don't suggest the way we pay for this tax cut is to cut $125 billion from food stamps over the next 10 years, as the chairman did. I disagree with that policy, and…

Reclaiming my time, Mr. Speaker, I used to have a magic 1 minute. I don't have that now. I would be glad to participate in debate. We have had bad policy, I tell my friend.

I don't have much time, but maybe we can get some more. I yield to the gentleman.

I thank the gentleman. Just so that the American people are clear on the record, Mr. Speaker, Ronald Reagan, about whom the gentleman spoke, didn't get to 5.6 percent unemployment until his eighth year as President of the United States…

In the two packages. I know that it is usually the practice in both bodies, or in both parties, not to have open to amendment. Is that your expectation, that neither of the packages will be open to an amendment? I yield to my friend. Mr…

I thank the gentleman for that comment and the information. There are six or seven bills. Does that mean we will consider each one of those individually? I yield to my friend. Mr. McCARTHY. No, they will be in the two packages.

I thank the gentleman. Is the gentleman prepared to bring a comprehensive immigration bill to the floor? I yield to my friend. Mr. McCARTHY. I thank the gentleman for yielding. And if you looked at our committees, we are working on it…

I thank the gentleman--I don't know the answer, but I thank the gentleman for his observation. I would observe, though, he mentioned a heroes bill. That was obviously overwhelmingly a bipartisan bill. You didn't hear me complain about that…

I am sorry, Mr. Speaker. I am not sure I heard. Do you think it is going to come up on a closed rule or a structured rule? I am sorry. Did you mention that? Mr. McCARTHY. If the gentleman will yield?

I thank the gentleman for his information. The last bill he says will be on the floor, I presume that it will be on the floor on Wednesday. Is that accurate? I yield to the gentleman. Mr. McCARTHY. Yes, that is accurate.

I thank the gentleman. And I hope that we can, as we did in the first iteration of the McCaul bill, have a unanimous bipartisan agreement because all of us want to make sure the border is, in fact, secure again, as we want to see that the…