mr. hoyer: i'm prepared to close. mr. speaker, number one on this issue it is pending before the supreme court. the supreme court can decide whether it's constitutional or not. we can't decide whether something is constitutional or not. ultimately the supreme court decides that. we pass laws. we certainly hope and expect them to be constitutional. i would, again, reiterate my opposition to the gentleman's amendment on this bill. mr. speaker, in closing let me say this bill underfunds the most important aspect of the federal government and that is collecting the revenues to run it in a balanced way. it undermines that effort. i urge opposition to the bill. the chair: the gentleman's time has expired. the gentleman from arkansas. mr. womack: thank you, mr. chairman. let me just say as i started in the opening. great respect for my friend, mr. hoyer, from maryland. and his team over there. they do their work in accordance with what they feel are the emerging issues facing our country. we do the same on our side. suffice it t

mr. hoyer: yes, thank you. mr. chairman, the gentleman indicates that he came from the private sector. i'm sure he was very successful in the private sector as he's been in public life. in the private sector one of the things that we admire is their ability to innovate. the ability to adjust. the ability to make changes when those are demanded by the market. this amendment undermines the ability of the small business administration to do exactly that. to innovate and reach more small businesses by taking away the agency's pilot loan authority. pilot loan authority essentially, again, the gentleman is the chairman of the committee and knows better than i, but pilot loan authority is the flexibility to assess the market, assess the need, and take action. if they don't have that authority, as some have argued in numerous amendments here, the congress ought to take that responsibility. congress has not taken responsibility very well, mr. chairman. we are not doing things we ought to do. and if the private sector or the

mr. hoyer: i thank the gentleman for his comments. would the gentleman yield? the irony, as i pointed out, mr. leader, is that in the pay-for that you have used, c.b.o. scores that as $12.5 billion increase in the debt, not a decrease. and the reason for that is, it cuts $28 million that we would otherwise collect and we spend 14 of that, so there is a net $12 billion-plus remaining to add to the deficit. i agree with the gentleman. the debt is important and we need to deal with it and i agree that our defense officials see that as a clear and present danger to our country but i suggest respectfully to the gentleman his offset -- not hist accomplish that objective and i thank you for yielding. mr. scalise: obviously, if you look at the history of c.b.o., the referee, the score keeper that has to be used, they have been wrong but never in doubt. when they are wrong they are wrong to the detriment of taxpayers. only in washington where eliminating government positions, they count as something that's going to cost the deficit, getting rid of the size of government

mr. hoyer: mr. speaker, we have less than three weeks scheduled to the remainder of this year for us to act. we have less than three weeks to secure aid for israel and ukraine. before we return to our districts in december. they cannot afford that time. each day we wait, winter grows colder in. each day we idle our allies sacrifice for lives in their fight against tyranny and terror. each day we fail to a. america's reputation as the world's greatest defender of freedom and democracy decays. inaction suggests to our friends and foes alike that our congress chooses doubt over determination, reluctance over resolve, and contention over conviction. reembolden those assaulting democracy in israel, ukraine, and elsewhere. to set their sights on the rest of the free world, including our own shores. we must not project uncertainty. in our willingness to oppose despots and international terrorists. securing this supplemental aid without condition and without delay needs to be this house's priority. i have s

mr. hoyer: i thank the gentleman for his comments. would the gentleman yield? the irony, as i pointed out, mr. leader, is that in the pay-for that you have used, c.b.o. scores that as $12.5 billion increase in the debt, not a decrease. and the reason for that is, it cuts $28 million that we would otherwise collect and we spend 14 of that, so there is a net $12 billion-plus remaining to add to the deficit. i agree with the gentleman. the debt is important and we need to deal with it and i agree that our defense officials see that as a clear and present danger to our country but i suggest respectfully to the gentleman his offset -- not his offset, but the offset does not accomplish that objective and i thank you for yielding. mr. scalise: obviously, if you look at the history of c.b.o., the referee, the score keeper that has to be used, they have been wrong but never in doubt. when they are wrong they are wrong to the detriment of taxpayers. only in washington where eliminating government positions, they count as something that's going to cost the deficit, getting

mr. hoyer: the gentleman's interpretation that i adopted the gentleman's premise. i disagree with him. mr. gaetz: i appreciate that clarification, i don't think anyone would confuse your views with mine as it relates to the f.b.i. mr. hoyer: thank god for that. let me say in the concept of what we're doing this is necessary. forgetting about any of the other issues. i understand what you're saying. i disagree with you but i appreciate your position and why you're saying it. but to be so, in my opinion, short sighted that we delay further -- this building has been delayed, the first request for new facilities was 2009. so we're now talking a decade and a half essentially. so that was my point. but i don't want to be confused that i adopt your premise on the f.b.i. activities. mr. gaetz: i appreciate the distinction. i am grateful that there are a number of democrats like ms. lofgren and mr. nadler who are working closely with republicans to try to reform these authorities so that people's fourth amendment rights are violated, doing that alongside creating some new $

quigley: i yield to mr. hoyer of the subcommittee. the chair: the gentleman is recognized. mr. hoyer: i thank the gentleman for yielding. this is america's subway. this is america's metro. are millions of people come here and enjoy the convenience of seeing their national capitol and visiting all of us. that's why it's important to the congress and it's america's subway and why bill lehman years ago referred to it as america's subway and why the federal government would invest in its operations. so i rise in strong opposition to this amendment. obviously a lot of people from my district ride metro, and they come to work for the federal government. and thousands of federal employees rely on it to get to their work serving the american people. metro is especially crucial when many workers are returning to the office after the pandemic which we heard in the rules committee we want them to do and i agree with that. indeed, in just the last two months, federal employee ridership reached the highest point since the pandemic began. so this is not just a local subway, this is the subway

mr. hoyer: i thank the gentlelady for yielding. this bill, perhaps won't pass this house.t certainly will not pass the senate. and it will not see the light of day in the president's desk. so we spend our time here arguing a bill that violates the agreement made by 314 of us in this body. 165 democrats, 149 republicans. a majority of both parties said we are going to have a funding level otherwise known in our jargon as a 302-a number, and we will mark to that number. and the senate will mark to that number. and we'll be able to get a bill. . bill. we've not done that and nor is there any intention to do it because compromise is out of the question and we have other plans. i rise because i just came from a rally. it was a rally on behalf of israel and behalf of the people of israel, and in opposition to terror, murder, genocide, and the willingness of some to claim the destruction of israel and its people are their objective. and yet what do we do here in the house of representatives, we sound an uncertain trumpet. if the speaker, speaker johnson, who spoke at the rally to

mr. hoyer: mr. speaker, this is a time of sadness. of wrenching pain. of anger. and of determination. it is my solemn duty, mr. speaker, to speak on this floor today about a courageous, ta talented, and generous young man. etai. his family is in the gallery. i had the opportunity to speak to them just a few minutes ago. as any family knowing that their child is at great risk and not knowing his present welfare, they are grieving but determined. he is an american-israeli dual citizen bravely serving his nation in the i.d.f. that's probably incorrect. this is his nation. i.d.f. is the land of his forebearers. and ancestors. and a land that offers sanctuary and safety to the jewish people who have been savaged, hated, killed, maligned for millennia. on october 7, eti was taken hostage during hamas' brutal, criminal, and savage attack on israel and on innocent civilians in the land that is not contested by anybody. eti is only 19 years old. mr. speaker, i have not met him. though i hope to do so in person in the near future. but i have met with his father, ruby, who