[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 145 (Monday, October 14, 2013)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1505-E1506]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




     END THE USE OF THE DEROGATORY NAME ``REDSKIN'' AS THE NAME OF 
                       WASHINGTON'S NFL FRANCHISE

                                 ______
                                 

                      HON. ENI F. H. FALEOMAVAEGA

                           of american samoa

                    in the house of representatives

                        Monday, October 14, 2013

  Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. Mr. Speaker, I submit to my colleagues and some 181 
million sports fans all over America who love the game of football just 
as much as I do having played football for four years in high school, 
that the time has come to end the use of the derogatory name 
``redskin'' as the name of Washington's NFL franchise.
  Again and again, Mr. Speaker this issue has arisen and it will not go 
away. With all due respect Mr. Speaker, I call upon the 32 football 
club owners of the National Football League and NFL Commissioner Roger 
Goodell, to end the use of the derogatory word ``redskin'' as the name 
of Washington's football franchise. Mr. Speaker, the National Football 
League and Commissioner Goodell cannot just casually pass the 
responsibility to Mr. Dan Snyder, the owner of the Washington 
franchise. The Washington Football franchise is worth about $1.6 
billion dollars, the third most valuable franchise in the NFL. The NFL 
has a responsibility to take steps to address the derogatory name 
because the NFL is also a beneficiary and receives a fair percentage of 
the proceeds from television broadcasts and merchandise sales from all 
32 NFL franchises.

[[Page E1506]]

  I want to thank President Barack Obama for weighing in on this issue 
just last week and I hope NFL Commissioner Goodell will seriously 
pursue this matter. If Commissioner Goodell feels that if the name were 
offending one person, we should listen, listen to the leaders of the 
National Congress of American Indians the oldest and largest 
organization which Native American Indians that represents the vast 
majority of some 5.2 million Native American Indians today.
  I also want to thank Mr. Ray Halbritter, leader of the Oneida Indian 
Nation, Ms. Suzan Harjo a member of the Cheyenne and Hodugee Muscogee 
tribes, Ms. Amanda Blackhorse from the Navajo Nation, former U.S. 
Senator Ben Nighthorse Campbell and members of our Native American 
Congressional Caucus for raising this issue of not using this 
derogatory racial slur the word ``redskin''.
  Again, it is time for NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and the NFL to 
do the right thing and take steps to end the use of a derogatory name 
for the NFL franchise in our nation's capital.

                          ____________________