[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 125 (Thursday, September 18, 1997)]
[House]
[Page H7580]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    AGAINST THE MENENDEZ RESOLUTION

  (Mr. SOLOMON asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute.)
  Mr. SOLOMON. Mr. Speaker, I hesitate to get up here and speak today, 
but I am sitting here listening to these comments about a great 
American named Bob Dornan.
  Back in the 1970's, this country was drifting toward socialism and 
communism; it was spreading itself all over Central America; it was 
spreading itself all over Europe and Asia. And Bob Dornan, a man named 
Ronald Reagan, and Jerry Solomon, and others stood up to those on the 
other side of the aisle who were sending out ``Dear Commandante'' 
letters siding with the socialist movement in this country. Bob Dornan, 
among all of the others, had the temerity, the guts, to stand up here 
and fight communism to its bitter end.
  I just hesitate to speak, but when Members say that he came on this 
floor and he was assaulting or abusing other Members, we all know Bob 
Dornan. He has served here for many, many, many years. Dornan is 
Dornan. He would never do anything to be disrespectful of another 
Member intentionally. You all know that, so why do you not stop this 
business?
  Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues, including those on the other side 
of the aisle, does anyone really believe Bob Dornan would assault 
anyone, let alone a Member of Congress on or off the floor?
  We have more important things to do than take up time to attack the 
reputation of a true American patriot.
  Back in the 1970's and 1980's, it appeared that communism was 
triumphant everywhere, and the wave of the future. Before Ronald Reagan 
threw his vision and leadership on to the scales and tipped the balance 
toward freedom all over the world, there were few soldiers in the 
trench with us. Bob Dornan was there from the beginning.
  Bob Dornan was there to object when Members of this body, some of the 
people attacking him today, wrote the infamous ``Dear Commandante'' 
letter supporting the marxist dictators of Nicaragua against the 
Central American policies of President Reagan.
  That was Bob Dornan, always there to stand up and fight against his 
country's enemies.
  And in spirit of Bob Dornan, I'm going to ``tell it like it is.'' 
This is nothing more than an attempt to distract this House and the 
American people, not only from the growing scandals surrounding the 
White House, but from Bob Dornan's legitimate demand that the scandal 
surrounding his alleged defeat last November be investigated.
  I ask my colleagues on the other side of the aisle to drop this 
privileged motion and get back to work on issues that really matter to 
the American people.

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