[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 10 (Wednesday, February 11, 1998)]
[House]
[Page H388]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




            VERIFYING CITIZENSHIP BEFORE VOTING IN CONGRESS

  (Mr. GUTIERREZ asked and was given permission to address the House 
for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. GUTIERREZ. Mr. Speaker, Republicans are proposing to 
disenfranchise, degrade and demonize millions of American citizens. 
Under their legislation, H.R. 1488, certain voters will be singled out, 
purged from the voting rolls, and forced to prove that they are truly 
citizens.
  I believe Members of Congress should go through the same humiliating 
exercise. After all, using the Republicans' own logic, we must assume 
that any votes cast in this body could be tainted until we check the 
status of those who vote here.
  Therefore, I am urging that any further congressional votes be 
suspended until we verify the citizenship of every single Member of the 
U.S. House. I ask that the Sergeant at Arms revoke the voting card of 
any Member of Congress who cannot immediately produce an Immigration 
Service or Social Security document proving that he or she is indeed a 
citizen of the United States.
  If the Republicans want to protect the integrity of the voting 
process in precincts around the country, we should start with the 
voting process here in Congress. It does not seem to bother the GOP 
when the rights of millions of American voters are at stake. Maybe they 
will think differently if their rights are at stake, at risk, and their 
character under attack.

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