[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 67 (Thursday, May 13, 2004)]
[House]
[Page H2999]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         PRISON INVESTIGATIONS

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson-Lee) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, the gentleman has presented an 
opportunity for us to have a vigorous debate next week on the issue 
dealing with health care for all of us who are in need of health care, 
and my challenge on the question of separating out individuals who are 
called illegal immigrants yet paying taxes and hard working is that any 
failure in the health care system in our communities impacts all of us. 
So I know we will have a vigorous debate on that question.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today because we have had a momentous week; and I 
think it is appropriate as we conclude our week here, as we head home 
to our districts, to pay honor to the many men and women on the front 
lines of law enforcement; and I work with the law enforcement in my 
community on a regular basis. We pay tribute to those who have lost 
their lives defending us domestically and the families of those, the 
survivors of those who lost their lives. Let me first of all conclude 
this week by acknowledging that this is the week that we honor law 
enforcement across the Nation.
  I want to thank them for their service, including, of course, the 
Capitol Police and police that guard this city, and also those who work 
throughout the Nation.
  The week is momentous because for some reason or other when we try to 
do our duty here in this Congress, we hear the ire and the voices of 
politicalization, partisanship and accusations. Some begin to go off of 
the margin and talk about campaign contributions, things that I myself 
would chastise and suggest is not the basic crux of why we have asked 
for extensive investigations on the last week's activities.
  It also pains me to note that a Member of the other body would even 
participate in a hearing to begin to suggest that he is overwhelmed, if 
you will, with the constant statements of outrage about the abuse of 
prisoners because he wants to equate the idea of terrorism and what has 
happened in battle and it is no worse than the fact that Americans are 
there trying to do good, and of course citing terrible incidents that 
have occurred against American citizens and wanting to downplay what 
has now occurred and what the world has now seen as to the abuse of 
prisoners in Iraq.
  I say to that individual that you are not contributing to what 
America is all about, and that is although we hear many voices and the 
talk shows are raging, fueling the fires of course of dissent, I know 
that the bulk of Americans agree that what happened in Iraq in that 
prison was not American, it was not in compliance with the Geneva 
Conventions, it was not moral, it was not spiritual, it was not kind, 
it was not befitting of how America has come to be known in this world. 
We are promoters of life over death, and we are promoters of peace over 
war.
  So, Mr. Speaker, I come today to be able to clarify, if I might, what 
we should be doing. I certainly cannot comment as to the credibility of 
the visit of Secretary Rumsfeld to Iraq because I have not yet been 
briefed; but if it is to provide a rally, cheerleader-type atmosphere, 
then it is inappropriate. If it is to reaffirm good soldiers, certainly 
we must do that because I applaud them as well. But I believe Secretary 
Rumsfeld needs to come home, and I have already expressed my opinion of 
his need to resign or be terminated.
  But I believe the administration has a duty to go forward with a full 
investigation into the matter dealing with the prisoner.
  Lastly, we must have a complete investigation into the use of women 
in combat and the sexual promiscuity that is going on, the increased 
incidence of rape of female combat persons in Iraq, and the question of 
whether or not nudity and other sexual abuse is proliferating 
throughout the United States military. I want a full investigation, and 
I believe we can do no less than to undo what has been done to ruin the 
reputation of Americans and others.

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