At a recent House Rules Committee meeting, Ranking Member Jim McGovern (D-MA) criticized the legislative priorities of the Republican majority, marking one year since Republicans gained unified control of Congress and the White House.
McGovern addressed Chairwoman Virginia Foxx and said, “On today’s Republican agenda: control women, reward special interests, and prioritize the powerful while doing nothing to help regular people.”
He highlighted two bills on the week’s agenda. According to McGovern, H.R. 6359 would require colleges to present anti-abortion information to pregnant students. He also described H.R. 6945 as redirecting resources from low-income families to crisis pregnancy centers that he claims do not provide real medical care but instead promote a political agenda.
McGovern shared an incident from his district in Worcester where a woman reportedly received misleading advice at such a center, resulting in serious health consequences. He argued that if Republicans wanted to support families, they would focus on expanding childcare, lowering prescription drug costs, protecting Medicaid, raising wages, investing in SNAP benefits, and building affordable housing.
He also criticized another measure under consideration that would remove environmental protections in northern Minnesota for mining projects. McGovern claimed this bill favors large corporations at the expense of local communities and public lands.
Turning to foreign policy concerns, McGovern referenced recent communications from former President Donald Trump directed at Norway’s Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre regarding the Nobel Peace Prize and comments about Greenland’s security. McGovern quoted Trump: “Dear Jonas, Considering your Country decided not to give me the Nobel Peace Prize for having stopped 8 Wars PLUS, I no longer feel an obligation to think purely of Peace.” Trump further wrote: “Denmark cannot protect that land from Russia or China, and why do they have a ‘right of ownership’ anyway?” The letter concluded with: “The World is not secure unless we have Complete and Total Control of Greenland. Thank you! President DJT.”
McGovern expressed concern over Trump’s social media post stating NATO—not Russia or China—is now considered by him as a primary threat. He questioned whether this reflects current Republican views on international alliances.
He pointed out that Denmark has increased its military presence in Greenland due to perceived threats from the United States and noted Canada’s warning that any invasion could trigger NATO’s Article 5 mutual defense clause.
According to McGovern, these tensions are affecting global markets as investors react negatively amid rising geopolitical uncertainty.
Reflecting on domestic issues after one year of Republican leadership across government branches, McGovern asked whether Americans are better off than before. He argued that policies have prioritized corporate interests over ordinary citizens’ needs like healthcare and affordable living costs.
McGovern accused Republicans of turning Congress into what he called “an all-you-can-eat buffet of favors for the rich and powerful,” referencing significant financial gains by wealthy individuals during Trump’s administration.
He also criticized what he referred to as the “Big Ugly Bill,” claiming it shifted resources away from working families toward tax breaks for corporations while increasing funding for ICE at the expense of healthcare programs.
Concluding his remarks after one year under unified Republican control, McGovern stated: “After 365 days…Republicans have been in charge for a year. Prices are up, consumer confidence is down, our allies don’t trust us…and our country is more divided than ever before.” He characterized Congressional performance over this period as “a complete, total embarrassing failure on all counts.”
