[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 71 (Tuesday, May 2, 1995)]
[House]
[Pages H4487-H4488]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                       THE OKLAHOMA CITY DISASTER

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Maryland [Mr. Wynn] is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. WYNN. Mr. Speaker, I come this evening to condemn the senseless 
and cowardly bombing of the Federal building in Oklahoma City. I join 
with my colleagues and all of us here in America in expressing our 
condolences and sympathies to the families of the victims.
  On occasions such as this words are certainly inadequate to express 
both our concern and their pain, so we can only say that we feel the 
pain, we try to share the pain, but in the final analysis they must 
bear the pain. And that is very regretful.
  [[Page H4488]] But I also come to commend the rescue workers who 
worked tirelessly, sometimes around the clock, in a rescue attempt to 
reduce the pain and suffering and to bring out of the rubble the loved 
ones in Oklahoma City. I want to take a moment to specifically commend 
a group of rescue workers from my own district in Montgomery County who 
went down to Oklahoma, as did many other rescue workers from around the 
country, to lend a hand. In the truest American spirit they did a 
wonderful job, and I want to thank them one and all.
  I also want to join with what I believe is a rising chorus speaking 
on behalf of Federal workers.
  Now I know this is a somewhat sensitive issue, and let me be clear 
that I am not here to suggest that conservative speech, antigovernment 
speech, disagreement with Government policy or disagreement with 
Government bureaucracy was the cause of the bombing in Oklahoma City. 
That is not my argument. But I rather hope that, if there is any legacy 
to the people who lost their lives in Oklahoma City, it will be a 
legacy of respect for Federal employees.
  I say to my colleagues, ``If you go down the rollcall, you see the 
employees from all agencies, from Housing and Urban Development, from 
the Department of Transportation, from Veterans Affairs, from Social 
Security, from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, from 
General Services Administration which were all in that building. These 
are some of the same Federal employees who have been showered with 
contempt, who have been described as the worst, as Government vultures, 
as lazy bureaucrats, as worthless Federal employees. These are the same 
Federal employees whom we have attempted to cut benefits for, the same 
Federal employees whom we have increased pensions costs on, at least 
attempted to increase pension costs on, and it seems to me there is a 
general attitude of hostility toward Federal employees.''
  Legitimate criticism, of course, is intrinsic to this body; contempt 
for hardworking Federal employees is not. I would certainly caution my 
colleagues of both sides of the aisle who may have occasion to be 
contemptuous of Federal employees and their performance to keep in mind 
that they do not make the laws. We do. They only try to execute to the 
best of their ability the laws that we make, and, yes, some do not do 
as good a job as we would like, and some merit criticism, but certainly 
the kind of contempt and condemnation that I have heard on the floor of 
this body is not deserving. These people, as we now know, have 
families, and young children, and dreams and desires, many of which 
were snuffed out in Oklahoma City. They are people just like us. Now is 
not a time for finger pointing. Now is the time for sympathy, for 
condolences, for words of encouragement.
  But I hope there will be a legacy out of all this, a legacy of 
tolerance for Federal employees, support for Federal employees, a 
legacy of restraint on the part of Members of this House and on the 
part of certain Members of the media when addressing the issue of 
Federal employees because, while these words did not cause the bombing 
in Oklahoma City, they certainly showed a contempt for Federal 
employees which they do not deserve. Let us leave the victims of 
Oklahoma City with a better legacy in the future.


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