[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 60 (Thursday, April 23, 2009)]
[House]
[Page H4692]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  AMERICANS HAVE THE RIGHT TO PROTEST

  (Mr. FLEMING asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. FLEMING. Mr. Speaker, last week I joined thousands of citizens in 
my district to protest the reckless disregard Washington has shown for 
the taxpayers of this Nation and their hard-earned dollars.
  People are angry, they are frustrated, and they feel that Washington 
is not listening, so they came together to protest in the same manner 
as our forefathers. Their message was simple. Stop spending our money, 
taxing our families and borrowing against the future of our children.
  How did the media and our Democrat leaders here in Washington 
respond? They were dismissive.
  The Speaker of the House, in fact, referred to this grassroots effort 
as Astroturf.
  At the same time, Homeland Security released a report labeling 
political opponents of the administration as potential terrorists. The 
right of citizens to speak out against their party in power is at the 
heart of our democracy.
  For a party that carps about bipartisanship and freedom of speech, 
the Democrat leadership should back their words with actions.

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