Pelosi Floor Speech on Rule Providing for Consideration of Five Major Bills Defending Americans’ Health, Security and Freedom

Washington, D.C. – Speaker Nancy Pelosi delivered remarks on the Floor of the House of Representatives in support of H.Res. 1224, a rule providing for the consideration of five major bills: H.R. 6538, the Active Shooter Alert Act; S. 3373, the Honoring Our PACT Act; H.R. 7900, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023; H.R. 8296, the Women's Health Protection Act of 2022; and H.R. 8297, the Ensuring Women's Right to Reproductive Freedom Act. Below are the Speaker's remarks:

Speaker Pelosi. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

I thank the gentleman for yielding. I thank him for his leadership on the very important elements of the rule that will be brought to the Floor today. I thank him. I thank all the Members of the Rules Committee. I particularly want to acknowledge the leadership of Chairman Jim McGovern for his leadership in bringing so much policy to bear in this one rule as we proceed with the week's legislation.

I rise today in what is a momentous week for our House Democratic Majority, as we carry on our work to defend America's health, security and freedom. The rule includes five pieces of landmark legislation, which the gentleman, Mr. Morelle, has very clearly explained. I thank him and Mr. McGovern, again, for their skilled leadership in assembling this rule and steering this crucial legislation to the Floor.

First, this week, we'll have our version of the NDAA, which he explained. It supports our nation's servicemen and women, it strengthens our national security and promotes national leadership on the global arena.

Our Majority is delivering new pay raises for heroic men and women in uniform while securing more investments in the next generation of defense technology to keep us strong and qualitatively superior. We're strengthening the security of DoD's supply chains while advancing new and fundamental research in HBCUs and MSIs.

And we are further supporting the Ukrainian people, the Ukrainian people, in their fight for Democracy with $1 billion additional in security assistance. Let us salute the Chair, Adam Smith, and the Armed Services Committee for their persistent, patriotic leadership in assembling this legislation, which will help [ensure] that Americans are safe and that our Democracy is secure.

And next – again, when we're talking about our security, we have to talk about our veterans. And as you said, we promised them: when they fight for us, we will protect them when they come home. This bill, the PACT Act, takes another monumental step to care for our brave men and women in unform who risked their lives to fight the enemy, but now face deadly threat of exposure to dangerous toxins. The bipartisan legislation – and this bill, I believe, will be strongly bipartisan – will deliver access to VA health care to millions of veterans suffering from dangerous diseases caused by their exposures.

Thank you to Chairman Mark Takano for making addressing toxic exposure a top priority in the Congress. The PACT Act.

The Active Shooter Alert – that the gentleman from New York, Mr. – which you very clearly spelled out. [We] will pass the Active Shooter Alert Act. Mr. Morelle described it very well, and I agree with you. It is a step, and we must have what you said you support, and I do too: the ban on assault weapons and other lethality.

This vital legislation that we're doing today will quickly warn communities when a gunman opens fire: a common-sense, life-saving measure widely supported by law enforcement. Let us recognize Congressman David Cicilline, a long time champion in the fight against gun violence, for spearheading this legislation and also being the author of the assault weapons ban.

The fourth and fifth bills that our Democratic Majority will pass this week have strong – to defend women's health and freedom.

Our Caucus has been hard at work assembling a robust and resolute legislative response to the Supreme Court's assault on reproductive rights. We passed this legislation before – the WHPA, the Women's Health Protection Act, which we will enshrine – will enshrine the essential protections of Roe v. Wade as the law of the land.

And with our Ensuring Women's [Right to] Reproductive Freedom Act, we will reaffirm the Constitutional right to travel and have access to the abortion bill – abortion pill.

Let us salute Congresswoman Judy Chu for her leadership. We passed this bill in the fall, we need to pass it again. Congresswoman Fletcher, Strickland and Congressman Raskin, for their tireless, determined leadership on the Ensuring Women's [Right to] Reproductive Freedom Act.

Madam Speaker, this legislation that the House Democrats will pass this week is the latest in our work to defend America's health, security and our freedom. Our Majority will never relent in this fight, now or in the future. I urge a strong yes vote on the rule today and yes votes on the five bills that we will be considering in the days ahead.

With that, again, I urge a yes vote and yield back the balance of my time. Thank you, Mr. Morelle.