At today's House Rules Committee hearing on the GOP budget reconciliation bill, Rep. Teresa Leger Fernandez (D-NM) put forward an amendment to help put to a vote a repeal of President Trump's tariffs.
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NewsTranscript
00:00Madam Chair, I have an amendment to the rule, I move the committee strike section two of the rule, which presents the House from voting on legislation to repeal President Trump's reckless recent tariffs issued on April 2nd, 2025.
00:24Madam Chair, as we've had in the debate today, Trump ran on the idea that he would reduce costs for Americans.
00:39And what we are seeing with the tariff wars that he has started and that Republicans are supporting with this rule is that it is a disaster for Americans, for farmers, for manufacturing, for families, for the world order.
01:07There is a threat of a recession, and this is all impacting everyday Americans in a way that is disastrous.
01:20Republicans, through this rule, are refusing to follow the Constitution, which says that Congress shall have the power to regulate commerce with foreign nations.
01:34And we only need four Republicans, only four Republicans, to vote with Democrats to review the tariffs and stop this madness.
01:45But Republicans think that they can stop time, can stop debate, and in that way, avoid actually voting on the tariffs, actually debating on the tariffs, which is our job, the same way that we have debated now.
02:06We need a debate on the tariffs that are throwing our economy into a recession, do you support tariffs that are hurting our families?
02:15And if you believe it is good for farmers and ranchers, then say it, then get up on the floor and debate that.
02:21But don't prevent us from having that debate.
02:25We only need four Republicans to vote with Democrats to stop this madness.
02:34And so I move to strike that portion.
02:39And I know I need to remind everybody that when you vote against this motion, you are voting in favor of the tariffs.
02:48You were voting to say that Republican leadership and as a whole supports these tariffs, despite the fact that your constituents are suffering from the harm from these tariffs.
03:06With that, Madam Chair, I yield back.
03:08Is there further discussion?
03:10Madam Chair?
03:12Mr. McGovern, you're recognized?
03:13I just want to point, support the General Lady's Amendment.
03:16But President Trump has started a needless trade war that will result in Americans paying higher prices for things that they need to survive, like food.
03:24Like food.
03:25And every American with a retirement account is worried because they're watching their savings evaporate before their eyes due to the turmoil in the markets that were unleashed by this unnecessary trade war.
03:37Farmers are wondering if they're going to be able to continue to farm their land.
03:40And a little pain, as the President warned, may be okay for Trump and Musk and their billionaire buddies, but it will hurt the rest of America who don't vacation at Mar-a-Lago.
03:50Republicans are doing everything they can, bringing the rules and rewriting time itself to avoid a vote on these tariffs.
03:56You know how deeply unpopular they are.
03:58So here's a chance for Republicans on this committee to stand up for the regular people in your districts who cannot afford to pay higher grocery bills.
04:07And I hope the General Lady's Amendment will be made in order.
04:12Ms. Scanlon, you're recognized.
04:15I also want to speak in support of this amendment.
04:19I mean, to be clear, Congress gives – I'm sorry, the Constitution gives Congress, not the President, the authority to impose tariffs.
04:27And in certain circumstances, Congress has allowed the President to do that, but Congress retains the power to end those tariffs.
04:34So, right now, the Speaker and House Republicans want to have a rule to prevent the House from rescinding Trump's tariffs.
04:45The Senate has already voted to rescind some of the tariffs, but House Republicans are blocking Congress from doing a constitutional duty, which is to rescind tariffs.
04:57So, Ms. Ledger-Fernandez, am I clear that a vote against your amendment is a vote to keep Trump's tariffs?
05:05That is exactly what that vote would be.
05:09It would be a vote for the tariffs.
05:11And in essence, this committee is voting on behalf of all of their Republicans so that we can never discuss and debate the tariffs on the floor of the House.
05:23It's almost as though our Republican colleagues are trying to hide from a debate about the wisdom and the impact of Trump's tariffs.
05:31If they want to debate the tariffs, we've heard some of our colleagues say they think it's a good thing, but we should then be able to debate that on the floor of the House and decide.
05:41Instead, what they are doing is they are actually stopping time.
05:44They are saying that there are no days.
05:58You have stopped time.
06:00Republicans cannot stop time.
06:03The damages from the tariffs are happening every day.
06:09The damages from the tariffs are happening every hour.
06:13Or look at the stock market gyrations.
06:15Look at what's happened to the bond market.
06:18Look at what's happening.
06:19Do not believe you can stop time because the real world, the clock, is proceeding.
06:25It's not stop time.
06:28Well, I want to thank my colleague for bringing this amendment.
06:31I think it is important.
06:32I'd urge a yes vote from everyone so that Congress can exercise its constitutional authority and not hide from the impact of what's going on.
06:44And with that, I would yield back.
06:50Well, as you know, we keep good records here in the Rules Committee, as you've pointed out today.
06:58And while it's well within the minority's right to cry foul on this rule tolling the days on the latest national emergency announced by President Trump,
07:08they should really tread carefully on their arguments.
07:11I'd like to repeat some of my statements from the floor yesterday and a reminder about those who live in glasshouses.
07:20This is a tool utilized by both Democrat and Republican majorities now.
07:25Once again, during the consideration of the 117th Rules Package, H-Res 8, which was supported by every member of the minority in this committee,
07:40also, quote, stopped time, end quote, for both legislative and calendar days regarding a myriad of processes, as I detailed yesterday.
07:51These manipulations were put in place with no plan to sunset and maintained for 18 months in subsequent rules with continued support by our counterparts in this committee.
08:07You heard that right.
08:09Under your own rules, one day lasted 18 months, in your view.
08:18Talk about time travel.
08:20Additionally, the then-Democrat majority twice blocked debating and voting on resolutions terminating the COVID national emergency as filed by Mr. Gosar.
08:36The language here today is not indefinite and has a clear end date, sun setting after the end of September.
08:44Unlike the blanket prohibitions on COVID-19, NEA resolutions.
08:53Mr. McGovern?
08:54We just believe these tariffs are hurting our constituents.
08:59Increasing costs for groceries and everything else are not what our constituents want or what they can deal with.
09:06So that's why we're supporting this amendment.
09:09I yield back.
09:09And Mr. McGovern, we not only believed at the time that the COVID restrictions were hurting the American people,
09:19they've been proven to have done that.
09:22So we generally work with proof as opposed to speculation.
09:27So, hearing none of the questions on the amendment, all those in favor signify by saying aye.
09:36Aye.
09:37Those opposed say no.
09:39No.
09:40In the opinion, Chair, the no's have it.
09:43The amendment is not agreed to.
09:49Ms. Leisure-Fernandez requests a vote.
09:52The clerk will call the roll.
09:53Mrs. Fishbach?
09:56No.
09:57Mrs. Fishbach, no.
09:58Mr. Norman?
09:58No.
09:59Mr. Norman, no.
10:00Mrs. Houchen?
10:01No.
10:02Mrs. Houchen, no.
10:04Mr. Langworthy?
10:05No.
10:06Mr. Langworthy, no.
10:07Mr. Scott?
10:08No.
10:09Mr. Scott, no.
10:10Mr. Griffith?
10:11No.
10:11Mr. Griffith, no.
10:13Mr. Jack?
10:14No.
10:14Mr. Jack, no.
10:15Mr. McGovern?
10:18Aye.
10:18Mr. McGovern, aye.
10:20Ms. Scanlon?
10:21Aye.
10:21Mr. McGovern, aye.
10:23Mr. Newgoose?
10:26Ms. Leisure-Fernandez?
10:28Aye.
10:28Ms. Leisure-Fernandez, aye.
10:33Mr. Roy?
10:40Madam Chair?
10:41No.
10:43Madam Chair, no.
10:44The clerk will report the total.
10:51Three yays, eight nays.
10:58The no's have it.
10:59The amendment is not agreed to.
11:01Are there other amendments for discussion?
11:04Madam Chair.
11:05Ms. Leisure-Fernandez, you're recognized.
11:07Thank you, Madam Chair.
11:08I have an amendment.
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