Rule Statement on H.R. 1474, the "Check Clearing for the 21st Century Act"

U.S. Rep. Jim McGovern
House Floor Statement
June 4, 2003

Mr. Speaker. I thank the gentleman from Texas for yielding the customary 30 minutes, and I yield myself such time as I may consume.

We are here to consider the rule for H.R. 1474, the Check Clearing for the 21st Century Act. I urge my colleagues to look at this resolution very closely, to study it, because it's a very very rare specimen.

We all know some of the more famous endangered species - including the Virginia Big-Eared Bat; the Buff-Headed Marmoset; and the Yellow-footed Rock Wallaby.

Just as rare is the House Open Rule. Don't make any sudden moves, because you might startle it.

So far this year the House has considered a total of 38 Rules. So far exactly 4 of them have been open. 4 for 38. That's a batting average of 105, which would get you kicked off of my son's T-ball team.

This is what passes for democracy around here.

Which brings us to the rule for H.R. 1474, the Check Clearing for the 21st Century Act. This is an open rule for a non-controversial bill. The issue for me, Mr. Speaker, is not the rule or the bill, but the fact that this open and fair process is almost never used in this body.

Whenever an issue is the least bit contentious, whenever there is even a hint of disagreement about a bill, the Majority clamps down on its members, chokes debate and forces a closed rule through the House. It's a lousy way to run a legislature, Mr. Speaker.

In the meantime, the Check Clearing for the 21st Century Act, also known as "Check 21," is a bipartisan bill that will modernize the nation's check payment system for the 21st Century. This legislation will help consumers, businesses, and banks by guaranteeing that check processing and payment will be quicker and, more importantly, lead to more efficient banking.

As many of us remember, the days and weeks following the tragic events of September 11th were filled with confusion in the banking industry. Because many of our planes were grounded, checks were held up around the country. Similar delays occurred during the anthrax crisis. With the passage of Check 21, Congress and the banking industry will harness the innovations of the 21st Century so that our banking system is not crippled as a result of terrorism, natural disasters, or transportation problems.

In my district, I proudly represent the largest credit union in New England, Digital Credit Union.

According to Mary Ann Clancy, Senior Vice President and General Counsel of the Massachusetts Credit Union League, "Digital has been able to make cleared checks available to members in a more timely, secure and efficient manner ranging from weeks to immediate access. It also helps keep members' information confidential and saves them time searching through piles of checks to balance their checking accounts."

Mr. Speaker, Democrats have no objection to this bill. Check 21 was reported unanimously out of the Financial Services Committee. Chairman Oxley, Ranking Member Frank, and the Members of the Committee should be commended for working in a bipartisan way, something the leadership of this House cannot seem to do.

Which brings us to the Child Tax Credit. As most people know, during their late-night, back-room negotiations on the tax bill, the Republican leadership deliberately dropped a provision that would have helped nearly 12 million children and their families to get the child tax credit.

Their attack on American workers, on those in the middle, and on those trying to get into the middle, continues.

Governing is about choices, Mr. Speaker. The Republican leadership CHOSE to keep the tax breaks for millionaires, and they CHOSE to scrap the help for low-income working families.

So at the end of this debate on the rule, I will ask my colleagues to vote 'no' on the previous question. If the previous question is defeated, I will offer an amendment to provide for the consideration of the Rangel/Davis/DeLauro bill to help the people the Republicans would rather leave behind.

In Massachusetts, for example, 225,000 children would benefit from the Democratic bill. Our proposal provides REAL relief for the people who need it most; not another giveaway for those who need it least.

And we actually pay for our tax relief, by closing some of the corporate tax-shelter scams that some greedy companies like to use. I'm not sure if any of my Republican colleagues remember, but they used to think that burdening our children and our grandchildren with huge debt was a bad thing.

I know my Republican colleagues would rather not talk about this. I know they would have been happier if their secret agreements had remained secret. But I will put them on notice.

We are going to keep discussing this issue until you do the right thing. We are going to be here today and tomorrow and next week and next month. And we are going to fight for the people who deserve a helping hand.

The Majority Leader made it quite clear the other day what the Republican priorities are. When asked whether he would consider granting relief to those who had been dropped by the leadership in their secret negotiations, he said, "There are a lot of other things that are more important."

If anyone on the other side of the aisle could name one, I'd love to hear it.

I reserve the balance of time.