[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 142 (Tuesday, September 9, 2008)]
[House]
[Page H7859]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                            LOYAL OPPOSITION

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from 
Texas (Ms. Jackson-Lee) for 5 minutes.
  Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. It's an important time in American history 
in the opportunities for Americans, and in re-stating the value of our 
Constitution, and our respect for democracy. Through the long history 
of America, we've come to know the terms ``majority'' and ``minority'' 
and the words that sometimes fall to our early history and to our 
relationship with Great Britain--England. We know the words ``loyal 
opposition.'' This morning, I want to share with my friends in this 
House how sometimes the loyal opposition can be loyal to a fault.
  There are always ways of saying what you would have and should have 
done, but as I watch the slow process and progress in Iraq, I want to 
remind my friends on the other side of the aisle, the Republicans, of 
the lockstep commitment that they made to the administration on a war 
that, of course, was misdirected. We're all united behind our soldiers, 
but 4,000 are dead, and of course, it was the important opposition of 
the Democrats who persisted and said that Afghanistan has to be the 
focus. That was the genesis of 
9/11. That was where the terrorists were. That was where the Taliban 
was. We insisted day after day after day that to go into Iraq, to 
create the destabilization, to, in essence, create the havoc of death, 
to move the Baathists out of Iraq created the years of devastation and 
the loss of life--4,000-plus dead Americans and tens and tens of 
thousands of Iraqis.
  Of course, I applaud the changes that have been made now. Of course, 
I recognize the great valor of our soldiers and of the Iraqi soldiers 
who have managed to overcome through great hardship, but isn't it 
interesting: As we have the soldiers announced to come home from Iraq, 
what happens? What the Democrats said should happen. More soldiers are 
going to Afghanistan. Bloody fights are taking place on the Pakistani 
and Afghan border. Again, Republicans, loyal to a fault.
  Of course, now there is great discussion about drilling. I practice 
oil and gas law. I come from Texas. I'm not afraid of drilling, but I 
recognize the American people are smart enough to know that we must 
have a seamless energy policy. We are like a fruit basket. The fruit 
basket has a multiple of fruit--some you like, some you don't--but we 
enjoy it, the seamless energy policy, unlike the loyal opposition that 
is on one song and one refrain over and over again. There must be 
alternatives--biofuel. There must be the look-see at what we can do 
with clean coal. There must be, as T. Boone Pickens has indicated, wind 
and solar, and yes, you must find a way to organize a drilling program 
that, in essence, allows States to opt in. Floridians may have a 
different perspective, New Yorkers and Californians as opposed to 
Midwesterners. We know that we must become energy independent, but the 
loyal opposition has one song, one dance, and it won't work.
  Then, of course, when you talk about how much affection we have for 
our veterans, it's the Democrats who fought and fought and fought to 
get the first GI bill of rights since World War II to give the 
opportunity to our returning Iraqi veterans more than the yellow 
ribbons. We want to give them an opportunity for education and home-
buying. We want to give them a leg up. I have legislation to declare a 
national day of honor so that people don't come home when the lights 
are off, that we welcome our returning soldiers home with a day of 
honor and celebration in every Hamlet City and everywhere in America. 
That's what Democrats are thinking out of the box. That's why we want 
to make a difference, not just the loyal opposition to a fault.
  Then, of course, we hear talk of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. It so 
happens that the collapse came under this administration, and my fear 
is that, as the government seizes it in the dark of night on the 
weekend when Members of Congress are not here, what special contractors 
will get the deal? Who is going to benefit from seizing it? Of course I 
want to stabilize the housing market. Of course I want the hardworking 
real estate persons across America to work, but let me say that the 
Democrats are standing up and are being counted on behalf of the 
American people on health care, education, energy, and otherwise, our 
loyalty is to them.

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