[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 137 (Monday, October 6, 1997)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1936]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




       SUBPOENA ENFORCEMENT IN THE CASE OF DORNAN VERSUS SANCHEZ

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                               speech of

                        HON. MATTHEW G. MARTINEZ

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                      Tuesday, September 30, 1997

  Mr. MARTINEZ. Mr. Speaker, I hear over and over again that we are 
concerned about the integrity of our election process, and I agree with 
that, not only for the 46th congressional district but for all over the 
United States.
  This is not the only place where voter fraud has occurred. But I hear 
interjected into the debate the reference to the number of fraudulent 
votes in the 46th district. Then our friend from Texas gets up and 
states that the Hermandad is the crookedest organization around and 
guilty of all kinds of wrongdoing.
  The problem I have with that is an investigating committee trying to 
investigate someone who has already made up his mind lends itself to 
the idea that since they have already made up their mind, their 
investigation is going to conclude with the conclusions they have 
already made.
  Let me say in the same breath that the gentleman speaks about the 
high level of debate that began this debate. He rushes in to chastise 
one of our Members for pulling a race card. What greater race card was 
there pulled when on that side of the aisle they chose as their closing 
speaker someone of Hispanic descent?
  Finally, Mr. Speaker, Republicans have an 8-year history in southern 
California of intimidating Latino voters at the polls. The Republican 
Party paid $600,000 to settle two voting intimidation cases, one 
stemming from 1988 and one from 1989, in which the Orange County 
Republican Party placed security guards and signs at the voting polls 
designed to scare Latino voters.
  Mr. Speaker, Hispanic-Americans have served in every branch of our 
military. They have fought and died in our wars, defending the 
cherished principles of freedom and democracy. Hispanic-Americans have 
earned the right to vote without being intimidated at the polls. It may 
come as a surprise to some of my friends on the other side of the 
aisle, but there are millions of Americans of Hispanic origin, many 
with surnames like de la Garza, Gonzalez, Torres, Rodriguez, Menendez, 
Becerra, and even Martinez who voted, and voted legally, in the last 
election.

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