What James A. Himes said, and what was done

“Mr. Speaker, I want to start by thanking Chairman French Hill and Ranking Member Maxine Waters for doing a remarkable thing. In this polarized and angry Congress, we are actually getting something done, and we are getting something done that is really important.”

“Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend, the gentleman from Maryland for yielding. I rise very sadly tonight in opposition to this legislation. I have spent hundreds of hours negotiating this, including with the ranking member of the Judiciary Committee, my friends on the Republican side, reauthorization after reauthorization.”

“Mr. Speaker, here we are again, debating something that is not debatable. It is in the Constitution that every single one of us pledges to uphold. You can read it.”

“Sir, the definition of ``imminent''--and you can look it up--is that they are about to attack us. I can tell you, as the ranking member of the Intelligence Committee who did not leave, that they were not about to attack us.”

“Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the 40th anniversary of Au Pair in America (APIA), a program of the American Institute For Foreign Study (AIFS). A pioneering cultural exchange program, it has strengthened families, expanded educational opportunity, and advanced people-to-people diplomacy between the United States and nations around the world.”

“Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of the indelible Carolyn Vermont of Bridgeport, Connecticut. As Members of Congress, we spend every day representing constituents to the best of our ability, attempting to balance competing interests, voices, and opinions.”

“Mr. Speaker, not much surprises me anymore, but to sit here and to listen to the storied House Foreign Affairs Committee, chaired by somebody who calls the opposition stupid, to hear our motivations as we stand up for a fundamental constitutional prerogative mocked through ad hominem attacks, shame, sir.”

“Mr. Speaker, I thank the ranking member for the time. Mr. Speaker, I came down here to debate something that this Chamber has been debating for generations, which is the push and pull between the Congress and the Chief Executive on the use of our military.”

“Mr. Speaker, I thank Ms. Waters for the time, although I must say that I am a little bit confused. I am not going to frame this as a parliamentary inquiry, but I am very confused.”

“If the definition of socialism is political control over the means of production, welcome to the great socialist state of the United States of America. The other definition, by the way, has to do with command and control.”

“Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Maryland. Mr. Speaker, I am not going to speak today about Jeffrey Epstein or January 6. I am going to confine my remarks to two things that I know about.”

“Mr. Speaker, I rise today to welcome His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew to the United States. His first visit since 2021, he joins us on his eighth Apostolic trip to our country during which he will receive the prestigious Templeton Prize for his environmental advocacy.”

“Mr. Speaker, I offer a big thank you to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Waters), the ranking member, and to the gentleman from Arkansas (Mr. Hill), my good friend, for their support of this bill.”

“Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from California for this opportunity to speak because this is one of the most ignorant things I have seen this House produce in a very long time.”

“Mr. Speaker, for all the rah-rah patriotism, think about this. Again, I will acknowledge that we don't know if this is a good idea or a bad idea, and we ought to find out.”

“Mr. Speaker, on this consequential day, when this body is likely to make law and debate critical things, it has already been a good and blessed day because our day was opened with a prayer by Reverend Dr.”

“Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and service of Corporal Edmund ``Ed'' Burke of Wilton, Connecticut who will celebrate his 100th birthday next week. Born and raised in the Bronx, he attended Fordham Prep High School and was drafted into the U.S.”

“Mr. Speaker, in this Chamber, as early as today, we may be passing legislation that is explicitly designed to maintain historically low tax rates on the Nation's wealthiest people.”

“Mr. Speaker, the list is unbelievable: Executive Assistant Director Tim Dunham, 22 years of service; EAD Bobby Wells, 21 years of service; EAD Mike Nordwall, 22 years of dedicated service; Jackie Maguire, 24 years of dedicated service; Ryan Young--I could go on for my full 5 minutes of senior people who have been told that they must either resign from the FBI or be fired.”

“Mr. Speaker, here we are on the final legislative day of inauguration week. As a Democrat, this was a week of mixed feelings for me and for my colleagues on this side of the aisle.”

“Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from Vermont for her words as we close this up. As is so often true in this Chamber, we heard lots of words, and I think they were powerful words, honoring those who protected us and honoring the truth, but what can we do?”