[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 145 (Monday, October 14, 2013)]
[House]
[Page H6573]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




     THE NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE MUST DISABUSE ITSELF OF THE NAME 
                              ``REDSKINS''

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
American Samoa (Mr. Faleomavaega) for 5 minutes.
  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 4 years in high school, 
again and again, Mr. Speaker, this issue will not go away; and 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 get 
rid of this derogatory word or racial slur, ``redskin,'' which 
currently describes the Washington football franchise.
  Mr. Speaker, the National Football League cannot just casually pass 
the responsibility to Mr. Dan Snyder, owner of the Washington team. The 
Washington football franchise is about a $1.3 billion business, rated 
third in the NFL, but the NFL is also a beneficiary and, I'm sure, gets 
a fair percentage of the proceeds from television broadcasts and 
concessions for selling clothing and sports souvenirs by these 32 club 
owners.
  Mr. Speaker, I want to thank President Barack Obama for weighing in 
on this issue just 2 weeks ago, and I hope NFL Commissioner Goodell 
will seriously pursue this matter. If Commissioner Goodell feels that 
if we are offending one person that we should listen, then listen to 
the leaders of the National Congress of American Indians, the oldest 
and the largest Native American organization, which represents the vast 
majority of some 5.2 million Native American Indians today. And when I 
say ``majority,'' Mr. Speaker, I'm talking about 2.6 million Native 
Americans who do have an issue to pull with the NFL using this racial 
and derogatory slur's name.
  I also want to thank Mr. Ray Halbritter, leader of the Oneida Indian 
Nation, for taking the initiative to get this to the American people so 
that they will better understand and appreciate why this word is so 
offensive to the Native American community.
  Again, Mr. Speaker, it is time for the NFL commissioner, Roger 
Goodell, and the NFL to do the right thing. Change the name 
``Redskins.'' It is a racial slur and a derogatory term for the 
American Indians.

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