[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 80 (Thursday, June 16, 2005)]
[House]
[Page H4565]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     ABUSE OF POWER BY REPUBLICANS

  (Ms. LEE asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute.)
  Ms. LEE. Mr. Speaker, how can we spread democracy abroad if it is 
being, quite frankly, abused here in the House?
  The Republican abuse of power appears to no know bounds. Last Friday 
the Republicans literally cut off debate on the renewal of the USA 
PATRIOT Act. Apparently, it was not enough to bar witnesses critical of 
the PATRIOT Act, or to force Democrats to fight to get a critical 
witness in front of the committee, or to schedule that hearing for a 
day when the House was not in session. When dissenting voices started 
to speak, the hearing was abruptly ended, and the microphones were 
turned off.
  Critics of the PATRIOT Act say that it represents the threat of 
unaccountable, undemocratic government, and the behavior of its 
Republican supporters here only serves to prove that point and is proof 
of that.
  Hubert Humphrey once said that ``Freedom is hammered out on the anvil 
of discussion, dissent, and debate.''
  I hope that this Republican abuse of power will be ended before it is 
allowed to undermine our freedom.
  Once again, how can we spread democracy abroad when it is being 
abused right here at home in the House of Representatives?

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