WASHINGTON, D.C. – Democratic Whip Katherine Clark (D-MA) spoke on the House Floor today, posing questions to Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-LA) and denouncing House Republicans’ extreme agenda in the first colloquy of the 118th Congress. Below are excerpts of her remarks.

On The House GOP Agenda Prioritizing Politics Over People:

“I have to express my dismay that – once again – the House Republican Majority is putting forward an agenda designed to score points rather than address the very real challenges facing American families. 

“Next week, President Biden will return to this Chamber for the State of the Union address. And under his leadership, House Democrats have lowered everyday costs, created great paying, union jobs, and we have made communities safer.

“We spurred a period of renewed opportunity: 10.7 million new jobs, the lowest unemployment rate in half a century, and wage growth that is outpacing inflation.

“But that work has seemed to have ground to a halt. Here’s what we’ve seen from the Majority over the last month: the first bill of the 118th Congress was a bill that helps billionaires dodge their taxes and added $114 billion to the deficit, they continued their assault on reproductive freedom, and are threatening economic disaster in order to cut Social Security and Medicare, and filling our schedule with hollow, symbolic stunts.  

“The American people are in the GOP’s rear view mirror. It’s politics over people – plain and simple. 

“Our constituents and the American people are seeing this. A recent national poll found that 73 percent of Americans say House Republicans haven’t paid enough attention to the country’s most important problems. The American people don’t see themselves in the Republican agenda.”

On House GOP Holding Our Economy Hostage: 

“The Majority seems more than ready to hold our economy hostage. To risk a global recession. To risk the full faith and credit of the United States. To gut those very programs, Social Security and Medicare. And to put more money in the pockets of the rich.

“They are using this debt ceiling as a smokescreen. So, let's get the facts straight. This is not about new spending. This is about money that we already owe.

“And if we want to go back to a place where Donald Trump really excelled, it was in driving up our deficit. $8 trillion in four years under the Trump administration. That is a quarter of our entire debt. And again, when Donald Trump was in office spiking our debt, the deficit, the debt ceiling was raised three times without fanfare.

“Who benefits from that borrowing? The rich, the very rich, and the ultra rich.

“Who do you think – if we don’t pay this debt ceiling – is going to take over the payments? Apparently, you think it should be our seniors on Social Security and Medicare, families who are looking for affordable housing, our veterans, our children, our planet? 

“You don’t have to take it from me. The Majority has made their position perfectly clear. One Republican Member said the debt ceiling is ‘an obvious leverage point.’ Another said the focus of budget cuts has ‘got to be on entitlements.' The Republicans’ Budget Committee Chair has called for ‘eligibility reforms’ to Social Security and Medicare. The Republican Study Committee has openly proposed: raising the retirement age to 70, handing Social Security accounts over to Wall Street, transitioning Medicare to a voucher system.” 

To watch the full colloquy, click HERE. 

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