Legislative Program
Floor Speech
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Mr. HOYER. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Louisiana for yielding.
Madam Speaker, I will say that on Monday, the House will meet at 9 a.m. for morning-hour debate and 10 a.m. for legislative business, with votes expected to occur, Madam Speaker, approximately 12 p.m.
On Tuesday, the House will not be in session as we pay respect to Congressman John Lewis while he lies in state.
On Wednesday, the House will meet at 9 a.m. for morning-hour debate and 10 a.m. for legislative business.
On Thursday, the House will meet at 9 a.m. for morning-hour debate and 10 a.m. for legislative business. Members are advised that votes on Thursday will be postponed until 6:30 p.m.
I know that all Members would like to attend the funeral on Thursday of our brother and great Member and great American John Lewis, however, COVID-19 makes a small-group-only possible. And we will be returning, which is why votes will be delayed until the 6:30 hour.
On Friday, the House will meet at 9 a.m. for legislative business. Members are advised that last votes could occur later than 3 p.m.
We got out earlier today, and I want to congratulate our floor director, Shuwanza Goff, who got us a schedule that is working very, very well.
The suspension bills will be announced by the close of business today.
The House will consider two childcare bills. H.R. 7027 would create a $50 billion Child Care Stabilization Fund within the existing Child Care and Development Block Grant. This would immediately address the problems childcare providers are having in staying open and covering their increased operating costs with limited revenue during this pandemic.
The House will also consider H.R. 7327, Child Care for Economic Recovery Act. This bill would expand the availability of childcare by providing tax relief to families, providers, and employees, significantly increasing funds for the Child Care Entitlement to States programs, providing funds to improve childcare safety and infrastructure and ensure dependent care for essential workers during the pandemic and recognizing all childcare workers are essential.
These two bills are obviously a response to the extraordinary challenge to childcare providers and those who need childcare services.
In addition, Madam Speaker, the House will consider H.R. 7617, the Defense, Commerce, Justice, Science, Energy and Water Development, Financial Services and General Government, Homeland Security, Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, Transportation, Housing and Urban Development Appropriations Act, Fiscal Year 2021 appropriations bill.
With that, we will have passed most--almost 97 percent, maybe 98 percent, of the spending requirements of the Nation for the year to come.
Members are advised that additional legislative items are possible, which we will be discussing with the minority as well.
Lastly, Members are further advised that conversations are ongoing regarding additional coronavirus relief legislation.
Members should keep their schedules flexible for the week of August 3. Let me remind Members that are listening, and on the floor, the week of August 3 was scheduled to be a week where we would begin the August work period. However, the Senate is not beginning its August work period until August 8. It is very likely, therefore, that we may not reach an agreement on COVID-19 until that week.
I want to tell all Members that it is the intention of the Speaker and myself not to go on a work period until such time as we have passed legislation, hopefully, in a bipartisan way, and sent it to the President and the President signs it, which will help the American people, American businesses, and our country meet the ever-growing, quickly metastasizing crisis that we are confronting.
Further information regarding the timing of a coronavirus relief bill will be announced as soon as possible.
I would simply add that I will make a determination, along with discussions with others, including the minority, next week at some point in time as to exactly how we should schedule. I think it will depend upon where we are in the negotiations and how quickly we can reach an agreement on COVID-19 legislation.
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Mr. HOYER. I have spoken a lot about John. I spoke this morning about John and about his extraordinary chief of staff, Michael Collins, who was such a positive part of his life and who exhibits so many of the traits that made John Lewis a wonderful, good, decent person who loved all of his brothers and sisters, whoever they were, whatever color they had, whatever religion they pursued. John Lewis was the best of us, and we will honor him appropriately.
He will be one of the few Americans who is laid in state in the rotunda, in the center of our democracy, in the symbol of a free people. John Lewis deserves that honor. He enhances that honor by being so honored.
And I thank the gentleman for his comments.
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Mr. HOYER. Will the gentleman yield?
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Mr. HOYER. I thank the gentleman for his comments.
As the gentleman knows, we passed a bill on May 15th that included within that bill $100 billion for specific assistance--not from the State's excess funds, but specifically for educational institutions to accommodate the expenditures necessary to provide for safe schooling.
I will tell you, I represent five counties. We only have 23 counties in Maryland. We have relatively few political jurisdictions in our State, unlike some, who have many, many and are smaller. All five of the counties that I represent, including one of the largest school districts in the country, Prince George's County, have decided through their elected school boards to open up virtually. And they are following the medical advice and the advice of scientists as to how that can be done.
I think all of us hope that our children can go back to school as quickly as possible. I will tell the gentleman, I have three great- grandchildren, all of them in school. My granddaughter is extraordinarily happy with how the teachers of those three students-- one is in pre-K, one is in third grade, and one is in seventh grade-- how well the teachers have responded to the parents and to the children. But everybody wants to go back to school.
I will tell you, I received a text from my granddaughter shortly after the President spoke about, well, you have to go back to school, and she said: ``He-pop,'' which is what she calls me--``He-pop, I am terrified about sending our kids back to school.''
We need to get an agreement. We passed a bill over 2 months ago through this House, and unfortunately, our friends in the United States Senate have not passed a bill, so we don't have anything to go to conference with.
Unfortunately, yesterday, we learned that the Senate can't agree with itself on the Republican side of the aisle and has not got an agreement with the administration. So at this point in time, as the gentleman knows, we have no alternative, frankly, to discuss. But we are hopeful that that will happen soon. We are hopeful that at least the Senate Republicans will come to an agreement on an alternative they want to suggest, and then we can discuss that.
Frankly, in order for the Senate to pass something, it has to be bipartisan, and there has been no bipartisan agreement reached at this point either. So, we will wait. Hopefully, there will be an alternative, and hopefully, we can move forward quickly.
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Mr. HOYER. Madam Speaker, let me respond to my friend.
Obviously, if there is money that we have already appropriated that is not needed and not disbursed, I think the gentleman is right that we can reallocate that and repurpose that money. So, that can be part of it. But we sort of need to get to some parameters that the other side, meaning the Senate, can put forward.
Secondly, let me say, I did, in fact, say when we were out for some period of time that I would give 72 hours' notice. I can't promise that today. The reason I can't promise it today is because we are going to have literally millions of people who are without help after the 31st of this month.
As you know, the unemployment insurance goes out. In the HEROES bill, of course, we extended that unemployment insurance until January 31 of next year, as you know.
What I can say and what I have told my Members is that if in fact we can't get an agreement, and it doesn't appear that we can come to the floor Monday or Tuesday, I think that is the 3rd or the 4th of August-- I think the 1st and 2nd of August are Saturday and Sunday. So, the 3rd and 4th or 5th, if we can't get an agreement before then, there is no point in having Members sitting in their offices, twiddling their thumbs. I agree with that.
I will have discussions with you and with Leader McCarthy. We will certainly not want to keep your Members here just waiting while negotiations are going on.
I certainly will assure every Member that they will have 24 hours' notice. But the need for action is so great and the consequences of inaction so harmful, that I think we need to act as soon as we possibly can. And that 48 hours difference may make a difference to a lot of people. So, I will give an assurance that there will be 24 hours' notice, but I cannot give a 72-hour notice assurance.
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Mr. HOYER. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman for his question and his comments. Let me say this. I think we have a different perspective on where we are in this country. In point of fact, I think there is reason for great, great, grave concern about what we see as an explosion, not just of testing. If it were just testing--but it is of hospitalizations and of deaths.
We have seen a geometric increase in the number of sick people, not just because they were tested, but because of a very heightened number of sick people. There are some areas of the country which, frankly, leadership was very vigorous in imposing what some felt were draconian requirements, but which did, in fact, apparently make a significant difference in the transmittal of the disease one to another.
So we see the situation as more dire. We certainly agree with you that we are hopeful to accelerate--we have made big investments in not only a vaccine but therapeutics. There are some therapeutics that seem to be working in some respects. The sooner we can get there, the more confidence there will be in the American people that they can reengage, that we can restart and not only see one another, but do business with one another, and commerce can be pursued vigorously.
We are not heartened by the figures. I know our President talks about things getting better, but we don't see it that way. We don't think the figures confirm that, which is sad for our country. Therefore, we need to continue to take the precautions we need. But having said that, let me speak to the proxy voting.
I know your side has been very concerned about the proxy voting. A, I don't think the proxy voting has made any difference in the outcomes of the decisions we have made in this House. B, a relatively small number--I know the last time we met, there were some 30. I am not sure this time, I think it is less this time.
Let me say, I agree with the gentleman. I have talked to some Members. It is not for when you have another thing to do. It is not for doing something you would rather do. I can name a number of Members--I won't--on your side and my side who have significant health problems and challenges, either themselves or in their families, and, therefore, they are concerned about not so much getting together on this floor, but we don't live on this floor. We have places that we live and eat, and we go to the cleaners.
So, it is not just on this floor where we have wipes and sanitizer and a way to keep us healthy, and we do wear masks, most people wear masks. Unfortunately, all of us don't wear masks, and I think that is not good judgment.
But the proxy voting has really not made any difference in whether this House has been able to act.
How long will it go on? Right now, we are seeing an explosion of cases, an explosion of infections. Certainly, during that explosion, it is no time to say to people--and, again, I almost want to mention names because you will know the folks. They are not feigning it. Most of them are somewhere around my age who are very concerned about their health, the health of their families, and the health of those to whom they will go home from here if they come here.
I think the gentleman is absolutely right. Speaker Pelosi, myself, Leader McCarthy, Leader McConnell, and I think Senator Schumer, have all said, as you have just said, it is better for us to be here together, to interchange with one another, discuss with one another, to make suggestions to one another, to have that personal engagement that I think makes for a healthier legislative environment.
But until we can do that with safety and ensure Members that if they come here that they will not be a danger for themselves or for others-- and the doctors advise us that the pandemic is still a danger to us-- then we will continue to follow this rule.
But I want to assure you that I make it very clear to Members: The rule contemplates a danger to health to individuals or others, and that is why the proxy is available to them.
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