[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 44 (Thursday, April 14, 2005)]
[House]
[Page H1972]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




             CLARIFICATION ON COMMENTS ON JUDICIARY NEEDED

  (Mr. INSLEE asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. INSLEE. Mr. Speaker, some time ago the majority leader of the 
House, in response to the Schiavo decision, said, ``The time will come 
for the men responsible for this to answer for their behavior.'' The 
majority leader yesterday rightfully apologized for those comments, and 
I think that we should respect that apology, because we are all capable 
of saying something that we regret that was misunderstood.
  But it is most troubling that at the same time the majority leader 
again threatened the independence of the judiciary. He threatened them 
with taking away their jurisdiction, he threatened them with breaking 
up their districts, and he basically threatened this organ of our 
government that is responsible for our freedoms, for protecting our 
freedom of religion and protecting our freedom of speech. We have what 
Russia did not have, an independent judiciary; and I am most troubled 
that the majority leader, when it comes to their independence and our 
freedoms and the importance of both of those things, just does not get 
it.
  Mr. Speaker, I am hopeful that he will reconsider his comments 
yesterday and follow his first apology, if not with a second, with at 
least a clarification.

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