Washington, DC – Representative Gregory W. Meeks, Ranking Member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, today gave remarks on the House floor during the rules debate on the budget Continuing Resolution (CR), criticizing Speaker Johnson for adding language to the rule which seeks to prevent a vote on President Trump’s Mexico and Canada tariffs.  

Last week, Ranking Member Meeks introduced Resolutions terminating Trump’s fabricated national emergency, in accordance with the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) and the National Emergency Act. A privileged Resolution to terminate the national emergency would need to be brought to the House within 15 calendar days or marked up in Committee.  

Republican leadership on Monday added language to the budget CR rule that would make “Each day for the remainder of the first session of the 119th Congress... not constitute a calendar day... with respect to a joint resolution termination a national emergency declared by the President”, preventing a vote on whether to keep Trump’s tariffs. 

Ranking Member Meeks’ full remarks on the House Floor – as prepared – can be found below: 

“Mr/Madam Speaker, 

Donald Trump’s policies are collapsing our economy. Unemployment is rising. The Nasdaq had its worst day since the Covid Crash. Millions of dollars in retirement savings have been wiped out in weeks.  And the reason is clear. The Trump Administration’s reckless tariffs on allies. 

To impose these tariffs, Trump declared a made-up national emergency under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, or IEEPA. But that law has a safeguard, any Member can force a vote to terminate the emergency. 

But Speaker Johnson doesn’t want a vote. Why? Because it would force Republicans to go on the record about Trump’s tariffs.   

So instead, Speaker Johnson has rewritten the law in real time. Here’s what his rule says:  QUOTE: “Each day for the remainder of the first session of the 119th Congress shall not constitute a calendar day.”   

If you don’t think that makes any sense, neither do I. House Republicans are declaring that days are no longer days. Time has stopped! 

The Speaker is petrified that Members of this House will actually have to take a vote on lowering costs on the American people. This is what the American people elected us to do. 

But now, because it’s Donald Trump’s tariffs and Republicans would have to take a tough vote, Speaker Johnson is stopping us from voting. If Congress can’t act to?lower prices, protect retirement savings, and hold the President accountable — what are we even doing here? 

A YES vote on this rule is a vote for Trump’s tariffs. 
A YES vote is a vote?to keep prices high for American families. 
A YES vote is a vote?to block Congress from doing its job to lower costs. 

If you actually care about lowering costs, you should vote no on this rule.  

I yield the balance of my time.”