Agoa Extension Act

Floor Speech

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Ms. McCOLLUM. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this continuing resolution, and I thank the chair and the ranking member for bringing it to the floor for us to have a vote on.

Congress knows that CRs are not the way to fund the Federal Government. They are ineffective. They are inefficient in so many ways. Yet, we must keep the Federal Government operating because Americans deserve the certainty that the government services they rely on will be there for them.

I also wish to state that I am very proud that this bill for the CR does not have any funding that the President requested in his supplemental for the war in Iran, which was his war of choice. There is no money in this that the President had been requesting in supplementals.

President Trump's disastrous tariffs on allies like Canada, his unlawful war in Iran, they are all driving up the costs for Americans, and the President fails to address the rising cost of living.

When the President fails to do so, Congress cannot. Congress cannot let a government shutdown happen, too. It puts more burden on our families. Our constituents simply cannot afford it. They deserve so much better.

Senate Republicans also let the American people down by failing to release any of their 12 appropriations bills for next year. I am proud that the House moved forward in its work.

As I said, the House has done its job. It has advanced all 12 appropriations bills through the committee. I might not agree with the bills in their totality, but it was a framework to get to conference and to get the job done on time.

Again, I thank the chair and ranking member for working together to make that happen.

As I urge my Senate colleagues to complete their work, to get it done. Let's get to the negotiation table. I encourage my colleagues to vote for the CR so we can have a bipartisan funding package that truly invests in the needs of the American people.

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