[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 157 (Thursday, December 8, 2005)]
[House]
[Page H11226]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   POLITICAL CRONIES IGNORE THE LAW TO INCREASE REPUBLICAN POWER IN 
                               WASHINGTON

  (Mr. McDERMOTT asked and was given permission to address the House 
for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. McDERMOTT. Mr. Speaker, the Bush administration is scaling new 
heights in political cronyism. Not long ago, America cringed watching 
on TV as a presidential buddy could only manage to create a disaster, 
not respond to one in the Gulf Coast. But now we are finding out that 
political cronies ignored the voting rights of African Americans and 
Hispanic Americans in Texas.
  The Washington Post uncovered a 73-page report that says that the 
Texas redistricting plan illegally diluted black and Hispanic voting in 
two of the State's congressional districts. The report received the 
unanimous support of eight Justice Department career employees, but the 
Republican political cronies ignored it.
  One Justice Department attorney told the Post it was ``highly 
unusual'' for political appointees to overrule the unanimous findings 
such as this. But this is business as usual for the President's 
political appointees. Just ask the people of Louisiana, Mississippi, 
and now Texas.
  It is time for the Republican cronies to go and let the people's 
votes count.

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