[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 190 (Thursday, November 30, 1995)]
[House]
[Pages H13808-H13809]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                            ELISA IZQUIERDO

  (Ms. VELAZQUEZ asked and was given permission to address the House 
for 1 minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Ms. VELAZQUEZ. Mr. Speaker, last week, when we were all giving 
thanks, 6-year-old Elisa Izquierdo was beaten to death. Her death has 
been added to the brutal slaying of Debra Evans as the latest ploy for 
attacking assistance to the needy. This type of outrageous opportunism 
that takes tragedies and twists them for political gain is shameful and 
immoral.
  Many have claimed that the welfare system is to blame for these 
deaths. Instead of getting to the heart of the 

[[Page H13809]]
problem we have engaged in mindless fingerpointing that blames 
adversity on the system.
  This rhetoric of blaming the victim and the poor must stop. Death's 
like these have occurred because of the systematic destruction of 
America's social safety net.
  We must invest in our fellow human beings instead of turning our 
backs on them. If we fail to do this, there will be thousands more like 
Elisa and Debra.
  It should not take these heinous crimes to serve as a wakeup call 
that we must change our course. Stop making excuses and start funding 
change.

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