On the recordNovember 17, 2014
I thank the gentleman for yielding. I want to thank my colleagues Jeffries and Horsford for leading the Congressional Black Caucus Hour. It is an issue that, I think, is important to this entire country, and it should be a priority for all Members, not just members of the Congressional Black Caucus--a discussion on where Congress goes from here in pursuit of a more perfect Union. Mr. Speaker, even before the final ballots were counted from the midterm elections, conservatives began sharing their priorities for the upcoming Congress. Instead of promising to improve our health care system, my colleagues on the other side of the aisle began promising to renew their campaign to repeal the Affordable Care Act--a campaign that has wasted millions in taxpayer dollars, with 53 unsuccessful votes. Instead of searching for common ground, they are still committed to finding a way to impeach President Barack Obama. Instead of using the next Congress to create more opportunities for the American people, the decision has already been made to continue efforts to obstruct and undermine the President. None of these actions will move our Nation forward or do what is best for the country. We must do something more than advance a partisan, political agenda. It is irresponsible, Mr. Speaker, and is an insult to the very public that gave us this awesome responsibility in the first place. We were elected to represent the American people--all of the American people.…
