[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 149 (Thursday, October 6, 2011)]
[House]
[Pages H6656-H6657]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
RAISING A QUESTION OF THE PRIVILEGES OF THE HOUSE
Mr. JACKSON of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I offer the resolution
previously noticed.
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Yoder). The Clerk will report the
resolution.
The Clerk read as follows:
Whereas on October 2, 2011, the Washington Post reported a
story called ``Rick Perry And A Word Set On Stone'';
Whereas upon reading that story the vast majority of people
in the United States were morally outraged;
Whereas most of the facts in this resolution come from that
Washington Post story;
Whereas Governor Rick Perry has described a childhood in
Haskell County in Paint Creek, Texas, as centered on Boy
Scouts, school, and church;
Whereas Texas Governor Rick Perry is from West Texas and
was originally a Southern Democrat--often known as
Dixiecrats--who switched parties in the late 1980s to become
a Republican and is currently a leading Republican
presidential candidate;
Whereas ranchers who once grazed cattle on the 1,070-acre
parcel in Throckmorton County on the Clear Fork of the Brazos
River--near where Governor Perry was raised in Paint Creek,
Texas--it has since become a hunting ground that was called
by the name ``Niggerhead'' well before Governor Perry and his
father, Ray, began hunting there in the early 1980s even
though there is no definitive account of when the rock first
appeared on the property;
Whereas the use of the term ``Niggerhead'' to describe a
hunting retreat is morally offensive;
Whereas Ronnie Brooks, a local resident who guided a few
turkey shoots for Governor Perry between 1985 and 1990, said
he holds Governor Perry ``in the highest esteem'' but said
this of the rock at the camp: ``It kind of offended me,
truthfully'';
Whereas Haskell County Judge David Davis, sitting in his
courtroom and looking at a window there, said the word was
``like those are vertical blinds. It's just what it was
called. There was no significance other than a hunting
deal''--in other words, the judge was morally vacuous;
Whereas the name of this particular parcel did not change
for years and for many remained the same after it became
associated with Rick Perry, first as a private citizen, then
as a State official, and finally as Texas Governor;
Whereas some local residents still call it by the morally
repugnant name ``Niggerhead'';
Whereas as recently as this summer, the slab-like rock--
lying flat, portions of the name still faintly visible
beneath a coat of white paint--remained by the gated entrance
to the camp;
Whereas asked last week about the name, Governor Perry said
the word on the rock is an offensive name that has no place
in the modern world--implying that it may have been okay and
had an appropriate place in that community when he was
growing up;
Whereas Mae Lou Yeldell has lived in Haskell County, Texas,
for 70 years and recalls the racism she faced in the 1950s
and 1960s in West Texas, when being called an offensive
name--like Whites greeting Blacks with ``Morning nigger''--
was ``like a broken record'';
Whereas Throckmorton County, where the hunting camp is
located near Haskell County, was for years considered a
virtual no-go zone for African-Americans because of old
stories told by locals about the lynching of an African-
American man there;
Whereas Haskell County began observing Martin Luther King
Jr. Day just two years ago according to a county commissioner
in Haskell County;
Whereas Governor Perry grew up in a segregated era whose
history has defined and complicated the careers of many
Southern politicians;
Whereas Governor Perry has spoken often about how his
upbringing in this sparsely populated farming community
influenced his conservatism;
Whereas Governor Perry says he mentioned the offensive word
on the rock to his parents shortly after they had signed a
lease and he had visited the property, and they rather
immediately painted over the word during the next July 4
holiday, but seven people interviewed by the Washington Post
said they still saw the word on the rock at various points
during the years that the Perry family was associated with
the property through his father, partners, or his signature
on a lease;
Whereas another local resident who visited the property
with Governor Perry and the legislators he brought there to
go hunting recalled seeing the rock with the name clearly
visible;
Whereas how, when, or whether Governor Perry dealt with it
when he was using the property isn't clear and adds a
dimension to the emerging biography of Governor Perry who
quickly moved into the top tier of Republican presidential
candidates when he entered the race in August; and
Whereas Herman Cain is the only Republican presidential
candidate to criticize Governor Rick Perry for being
``insensitive'' when the word was not immediately condemned,
but we would remind Herman Cain that the word is not only
``insensitive'', but is also ``offensive'': Now, therefore,
be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
(1) calls on Governor Rick Perry to apologize for not
immediately doing away with the rock that contained the word
``Niggerhead'' at the entrance of a ranch he was leasing and
on which he was taking friends, colleagues, and supporters to
hunt;
(2) calls on Governor Rick Perry's presidential rivals, who
have not yet make strong statements of outrage over the rock
that contained the word, to do so;
(3) calls upon Governor Rick Perry to condemn the use of
this word as being totally offensive and inappropriate at
anytime and anyplace in United States history; and
(4) calls upon Governor Rick Perry to list the names of all
lawmakers, friends, and financial supporters he took with him
on his hunting trips at ``Niggerhead''.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Does the gentleman from Illinois wish to
present argument on why the resolution is privileged under rule IX to
take precedence over other questions?
Mr. JACKSON of Illinois. Very quickly, Mr. Speaker, just before you
do rule, the House of Representatives does have a history of passing
resolutions that have been privileged in the past on questions that are
offensive and morally repugnant to many Americans.
There was a minister on the south side of Chicago, for example, for
which this House took up a particular resolution and denounced that
minister for language that he used on numerous occasions against
minorities in the United States.
Consistent with the language with this resolution that I have
offered, the House has taken a position in the past that allows Members
of Congress to express their consciences and their sentiments about the
matters that are in front of us.
Now, as a Member of Congress and a member of this institution, my
final argument is that each one of these Presidential candidates,
whether they are on the Democratic side or on the Republican side,
stands the chance to stand in front of us and provide us with a state
of the Union address--a state of our country's fiscal health, its
social health, its mental health, its physical health--and protect us
from enemies both foreign and domestic.
If my motion for someone who might stand in front of me as a Member
of Congress and share with me their vision potentially of the United
States fails today, it simply suggests that the Congress of the United
States is painting over a profound problem that exists in this Nation.
I know that my time has expired for making my argument; but I
personally would be offended that the Congress of the United States
would not understand the gravity of this resolution by granting Members
an opportunity to vote on the specific arguments laid out by The
Washington Post for which they've offered their story.
Mr. Speaker, ``nigger'' is offensive.
``Niggerhead'' is offensive.
And for a Governor of one of the great States of our Nation to hunt
at Niggerhead Ranch, it's offensive; and I think that I am expressing
the moral outrage of all Americans.
I thank the gentleman for allowing me to make my argument.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair is prepared to rule.
The resolution offered by the gentleman from Illinois makes several
assertions about the Governor of a State
[[Page H6657]]
and proposes that the House call upon the Governor and others to take
certain actions with regard to these assertions.
In order to qualify as a question of the privileges of the House
under rule IX, the resolution must address ``the rights of the House
collectively, its safety, dignity, or the integrity of its
proceedings.'' The resolution seeks to express the position of the
House toward the actions of others outside of the House without any
tangible connection to the House or its proceedings.
A resolution merely asserting the position of the House with regard
to an external issue cannot be the basis of a question of privilege. As
articulated by the Chair most recently on September 23, 2010, according
privilege to such a resolution would allow any Member to place before
the House at any time whatever topic he or she might deem advisable. In
such an environment, anything could be privileged, so nothing would
enjoy true privilege.
The Chair finds that the resolution does not affect ``the rights of
the House collectively, its safety, dignity, or the integrity of its
proceedings'' within the meaning of clause 1 of rule IX and, therefore,
does not qualify as a question of the privileges of the House.
Mr. JACKSON of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, with all due respect, I appeal
the ruling of the Chair, and I would hope that my colleagues would
support my appeal.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is, Shall the decision of the
Chair stand as the judgment of the House?
Motion to Table
Mr. WHITFIELD. Mr. Speaker, I move to table the gentleman's motion to
appeal the ruling of the Chair.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion to lay the
appeal on the table.
The question was taken; and the Speaker pro tempore announced that
the ayes appeared to have it.
Mr. JACKSON of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and
nays.
The yeas and nays were ordered.
The vote was taken by electronic device, and there were--yeas 231,
nays 173, not voting 29, as follows:
[Roll No. 765]
YEAS--231
Adams
Aderholt
Akin
Alexander
Amash
Amodei
Austria
Bachus
Barletta
Bartlett
Barton (TX)
Benishek
Berg
Biggert
Bilbray
Bilirakis
Bishop (UT)
Black
Blackburn
Bono Mack
Boustany
Brady (TX)
Brooks
Broun (GA)
Buchanan
Bucshon
Buerkle
Burgess
Burton (IN)
Camp
Canseco
Cantor
Capito
Carter
Cassidy
Chabot
Chaffetz
Coffman (CO)
Cole
Conaway
Cravaack
Crawford
Crenshaw
Cuellar
Culberson
Davis (KY)
Denham
Dent
DesJarlais
Diaz-Balart
Dreier
Duffy
Duncan (SC)
Duncan (TN)
Ellmers
Emerson
Farenthold
Fincher
Fitzpatrick
Flake
Fleischmann
Fleming
Flores
Forbes
Fortenberry
Foxx
Franks (AZ)
Frelinghuysen
Gallegly
Gardner
Garrett
Gerlach
Gibbs
Gibson
Gingrey (GA)
Gohmert
Goodlatte
Gosar
Granger
Graves (GA)
Graves (MO)
Griffin (AR)
Griffith (VA)
Grimm
Guinta
Guthrie
Hall
Hanna
Harper
Harris
Hartzler
Hastings (WA)
Hayworth
Heck
Hensarling
Herger
Herrera Beutler
Huelskamp
Huizenga (MI)
Hultgren
Hunter
Hurt
Issa
Jenkins
Johnson (IL)
Johnson (OH)
Johnson, Sam
Jones
Jordan
Kelly
King (IA)
King (NY)
Kingston
Kinzinger (IL)
Kline
Labrador
Lamborn
Lance
Landry
Lankford
Latham
LaTourette
Latta
Lewis (CA)
LoBiondo
Long
Lucas
Luetkemeyer
Lummis
Lungren, Daniel E.
Mack
Manzullo
Marchant
Marino
McCarthy (CA)
McCaul
McClintock
McCotter
McHenry
McKeon
McKinley
McMorris Rodgers
Meehan
Mica
Miller (FL)
Miller (MI)
Miller, Gary
Mulvaney
Murphy (PA)
Myrick
Neugebauer
Noem
Nugent
Nunes
Nunnelee
Palazzo
Paul
Pearce
Pence
Petri
Pitts
Platts
Pompeo
Posey
Price (GA)
Quayle
Reed
Rehberg
Reichert
Renacci
Ribble
Rigell
Rivera
Roby
Roe (TN)
Rogers (AL)
Rogers (KY)
Rogers (MI)
Rohrabacher
Rokita
Rooney
Ros-Lehtinen
Roskam
Ross (FL)
Royce
Runyan
Ryan (WI)
Scalise
Schilling
Schmidt
Schock
Schweikert
Scott (SC)
Scott, Austin
Sensenbrenner
Sessions
Shimkus
Shuster
Simpson
Smith (NE)
Smith (NJ)
Smith (TX)
Southerland
Stearns
Stivers
Stutzman
Sullivan
Terry
Thompson (PA)
Thornberry
Tiberi
Tipton
Turner (NY)
Turner (OH)
Upton
Walberg
Walden
Walsh (IL)
Webster
West
Westmoreland
Whitfield
Wilson (SC)
Wittman
Wolf
Womack
Woodall
Yoder
Young (AK)
Young (FL)
Young (IN)
NAYS--173
Ackerman
Altmire
Andrews
Baca
Baldwin
Barrow
Bass (CA)
Becerra
Berkley
Berman
Bishop (GA)
Bishop (NY)
Boswell
Brady (PA)
Braley (IA)
Brown (FL)
Butterfield
Capps
Capuano
Cardoza
Carnahan
Carney
Carson (IN)
Castor (FL)
Chandler
Chu
Cicilline
Clarke (MI)
Clarke (NY)
Clay
Cleaver
Clyburn
Cohen
Connolly (VA)
Conyers
Cooper
Costello
Courtney
Critz
Cummings
Davis (CA)
Davis (IL)
DeFazio
DeGette
DeLauro
Deutch
Dicks
Dingell
Doggett
Donnelly (IN)
Doyle
Edwards
Ellison
Engel
Eshoo
Farr
Fattah
Filner
Frank (MA)
Fudge
Garamendi
Gonzalez
Green, Al
Green, Gene
Grijalva
Gutierrez
Hahn
Hanabusa
Hastings (FL)
Heinrich
Higgins
Himes
Hinchey
Hinojosa
Hirono
Hochul
Holt
Honda
Inslee
Israel
Jackson (IL)
Jackson Lee (TX)
Johnson (GA)
Johnson, E. B.
Kaptur
Keating
Kildee
Kind
Kissell
Kucinich
Langevin
Larsen (WA)
Larson (CT)
Lee (CA)
Levin
Lewis (GA)
Lipinski
Loebsack
Lofgren, Zoe
Lowey
Lujan
Lynch
Maloney
Markey
Matheson
Matsui
McCarthy (NY)
McCollum
McDermott
McGovern
McIntyre
McNerney
Meeks
Miller (NC)
Miller, George
Moore
Moran
Murphy (CT)
Nadler
Napolitano
Neal
Owens
Pallone
Pascrell
Pastor (AZ)
Payne
Perlmutter
Peters
Peterson
Pingree (ME)
Price (NC)
Rahall
Rangel
Reyes
Richardson
Richmond
Ross (AR)
Rothman (NJ)
Roybal-Allard
Ruppersberger
Rush
Ryan (OH)
Sanchez, Loretta
Sarbanes
Schakowsky
Schiff
Schrader
Schwartz
Scott (VA)
Serrano
Sewell
Sherman
Sires
Slaughter
Speier
Stark
Sutton
Thompson (CA)
Thompson (MS)
Tierney
Tonko
Towns
Tsongas
Van Hollen
Velazquez
Visclosky
Walz (MN)
Waters
Watt
Waxman
Welch
Woolsey
Yarmuth
NOT VOTING--29
Bachmann
Bass (NH)
Blumenauer
Bonner
Boren
Calvert
Campbell
Coble
Costa
Crowley
Dold
Giffords
Gowdy
Holden
Hoyer
Michaud
Olson
Olver
Paulsen
Pelosi
Poe (TX)
Polis
Quigley
Sanchez, Linda T.
Scott, David
Shuler
Smith (WA)
Wasserman Schultz
Wilson (FL)
{time} 1416
Messrs. NEAL, HIGGINS, AL GREEN of Texas, Ms. EDWARDS, Ms. BERKLEY,
Ms. SPEIER, and Ms. SCHWARTZ changed their vote from ``yea'' to
``nay.''
Messrs. STIVERS, HUNTER, MANZULLO, GINGREY of Georgia, DUFFY, KELLY,
and Mrs. LUMMIS changed their vote from ``nay'' to ``yea.''
So the motion was agreed to.
The result of the vote was announced as above recorded.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
Stated for:
Mr. DOLD. Madam Speaker, on rollcall No. 765 I was unavoidably
detained in Committee with Secretary Geithner. Had I been present, I
would have voted ``yea.''
Stated against:
Ms. PELOSI, Madam Speaker, on rollcall No. 765 I was detained at an
official event. Had I been present, I would have voted ``nay.''
Mr. SCOTT of Georgia. Madam Speaker, on rollcall vote 765, I was
unavoidably detained by a conflicting vote and questioning occurring at
the same time in the Financial Services Committee meeting. Had I been
present, I would have voted ``nay.''
____________________