[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 35 (Monday, March 2, 2015)]
[House]
[Pages H1512-H1518]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
BRIDGING THE DIVIDE: OBSERVATIONS ON RACE AND JUSTICE IN AMERICA
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Carter of Georgia). Under the Speaker's
announced policy of January 6, 2015, the gentlewoman from Illinois (Ms.
Kelly) is recognized for 60 minutes as the designee of the minority
leader.
Ms. KELLY of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, this evening, the Congressional
Black Caucus will take a moment to discuss our strong support for the
confirmation of U.S. Attorney Loretta Lynch as the next Attorney
General of the United States, and we will examine the larger issue of
justice in America.
Tonight's CBC hour is entitled ``Bridging the Divide: Observations on
Race and Justice in America.'' As we reflect on the 50th anniversary of
the Selma marches, the events of Bloody Sunday, and the progress that
has been achieved in the years since, we must remember that the Voting
Rights Act was achieved not only because of those who marched, it
succeeded because of those who cared enough to get involved, a Congress
that became engaged, and an active Department of Justice that was
diligent about enforcing the Voting Rights Act.
Loretta Lynch is exactly the type of active, educated, and principled
character we need as our next Attorney General. Last week, the Senate
Judiciary Committee voted to confirm her as the next AG, paving the way
for her confirmation by the full Senate. This confirmation must come
soon and cannot be held up for partisan political purposes.
With experience as a frontline prosecutor, a U.S. attorney, and as
someone with a strong record of service over several decades, Ms. Lynch
is more than qualified to sit at the helm of the Department of Justice
and protect the rights of our American democracy.
On the issue of justice, there is so much more we can discuss
tonight, but right now, it is most appropriate for us to examine a few
topics that so many citizens in the districts we represent want to look
at.
In addition to Ms. Lynch and the Department of Justice, we would like
to take time to explore the value of black lives in America and the
fact that they do really matter, perceptions in minority communities
regarding police treatment, the impact of black incarceration on
communities, and voting rights and disenfranchisement.
I want to thank the distinguished gentleman from the Garden State, my
good friend and anchor for this hour of action, Representative Donald
Payne. Congressman Payne has been a forceful advocate for justice
issues in America and a leader in the true sense of the word.
I yield to Congressman Payne.
Mr. PAYNE. Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the gentlelady from
Illinois who has demonstrated her leadership throughout her time here
in Congress, and I am just delighted to also be working with her.
Mr. Speaker, we want to thank the Congresswoman, once again, for
opening tonight's Congressional Black Caucus Special Order hour. It is
an honor to join with her and the other members of this caucus to speak
directly to the American people and keep them up to date on our
efforts.
{time} 1915
We are here tonight to talk about the urgent need to ensure the
nomination of Loretta Lynch as the next Attorney General of the United
States of America.
Ms. Lynch has a distinguished legal career in private and public
service, earning the respect of her colleagues and establishing herself
as a topnotch lawyer and Federal prosecutor in the Eastern District of
New York.
She has successfully prosecuted cases on far-ranging issues,
including public corruption, violent crime, and terrorism. They have
included a number of high-profile cases, such as United States v.
Volpe. In that case, Ms. Lynch was part of the trial team that
convicted several New York police officers involved in the torture of
Haitian immigrant Abner Louima in 1997. She also prosecuted the
Bangladeshi man convicted of attempting to blow up the Federal Reserve
Bank of New York in 2012.
Mr. Speaker, Ms. Lynch's professional credentials are matched by her
[[Page H1513]]
strength of character. Throughout her career, Ms. Lynch has
demonstrated unparalleled strength of character, integrity, and
independence. She has displayed an unwavering commitment to the rule of
law, to public service, and to this Nation. She has proven time and
time again that she is a highly capable, independent leader who
carefully considers all sides of an issue and does not cave to outside
influences.
These are the characteristics we look for, characteristics we should
and do demand when considering nominees for U.S. Attorney General.
Ms. Lynch's professional background and outstanding character suggest
she would be capable of using her position to address a number of
issues that are important to achieving true equality and justice for
African American communities. These include perceptions of police
treatment, voting rights, and sentencing disparities, which undermine
the foundations of African American communities.
There is every indication that Ms. Lynch would make an outstanding
U.S. Attorney General, and it is the hope of this caucus that she can
quickly be confirmed by the Senate.
General Leave
Ms. KELLY of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all
Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their
remarks and include extraneous material on the subject of my Special
Order.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentlewoman from Illinois?
There was no objection.
Ms. KELLY of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, it is my honor to yield to the
gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Butterfield), the chair of the
Congressional Black Caucus.
Mr. BUTTERFIELD. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank Ms. Kelly for her
leadership and for yielding me this time as a representative of the 46
men and women comprising the Congressional Black Caucus.
Mr. Payne, I want to thank you for all you do for our caucus and what
you mean to not only the State of New Jersey, but also what you mean to
all of us.
Mr. Speaker, I am pleased that we have set aside this hour to remark
about the confirmation process for Loretta Lynch. President Obama
should be commended for choosing an Attorney General nominee who is
well qualified in every respect. Though she lives in New York City, she
is a native of Greensboro and Durham, North Carolina. She is a North
Carolinian for sure.
Her father, the Reverend Leonzo Lynch, whom I have known for most of
my life, is a native of Martin County, North Carolina, from the town of
Oak City, which is right in the heart of my congressional district. The
Lynch family has deep roots in eastern North Carolina.
Ms. Lynch has a 30-year career, distinguished legal career. She is a
well-respected lawyer and Federal prosecutor in the Eastern District of
New York, which serves 8 million people throughout Brooklyn, Queens,
Staten Island, and Long Island. Loretta Lynch is consistently
recognized among her peers as a tough, fair and independent lawyer who
has twice headed one of the most active and effective U.S. Attorney's
Offices in the country.
Ms. Lynch has a proven record of prosecuting hate crimes and cracking
down on public corruption without regard to political party or
affiliation. She has a reputation for being committed to protecting
human rights and ensuring equal opportunity for all Americans. Ms.
Lynch possesses high moral character and integrity. She has the perfect
set of professional credentials to lead the U.S. Department of Justice.
She remains steadfast and unflappable when facing the court of public
opinion and upholds the letter of the law in all circumstances, even
when it is unpopular.
Throughout Ms. Lynch's confirmation process, Senators in both parties
have lauded her qualifications and her sterling career. However, Ms.
Lynch has waited longer for a confirmation vote than any U.S. Attorney
General in modern history. Her nomination has been pending for more
than 100 days. The politics that Republicans have played with Ms.
Lynch's nomination are deplorable, and opposition to her nomination is
nothing more than, in my opinion, a political ploy to once again use
any means necessary to show their disdain for the President.
I am deeply disappointed, as I am sure many other North Carolinians
are, at Senator Thom Tillis' vote last week in the Senate Judiciary
Committee against the nomination of one of North Carolina's own.
Senator Tillis had an opportunity to be on the right side of history in
supporting her nomination, but he did not.
If confirmed, Ms. Lynch would make history as the first African
American woman to serve in the role as United States Attorney General.
She is an outstanding nominee and an excellent choice. The Senate
should move swiftly to confirm Loretta Lynch as Attorney General for
the United States of America.
Ms. KELLY of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate Congressman
Butterfield's remarks.
It is now my pleasure to yield to the gentlewoman from Ohio (Ms.
Fudge), past chairperson of the Congressional Black Caucus and
Congressperson extraordinaire.
Ms. FUDGE. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my good friend for yielding.
I want to thank my colleagues, Payne and Kelly, for leading the
Congressional Black Caucus Special Order hour. You are our message
team. You are the people who let all of the world, all of America know
what the CBC is dealing with on a daily basis, and I thank you for your
work.
Last week, Loretta Lynch's nomination to serve as the next U.S.
Attorney General was finally passed out of the Senate Judiciary
Committee by a vote of 12-8. I use the word ``finally'' because there
has been a significant delay with her confirmation. Why her
confirmation has taken so long confounds me. I mean, what exactly is
the Senate majority waiting for? What is the delay?
The fact that it took over 100 days to just get her to a committee
vote is particularly troubling when one considers how long it took to
actually confirm former Attorneys General: Janet Reno, 29 days; John
Ashcroft, 42 days; Michael Mukasey, 53 days; and Alberto Gonzales, who
had to resign as Attorney General, 86 days.
Clearly, Attorney Lynch's confirmation has been singled out for
delay. Ash Carter's confirmation moved expeditiously, and he is now the
Secretary of Defense. His hearing took place on February 4. He was
voted out of committee on February 11, and ultimately confirmed on the
Senate floor on February 12.
When testifying before the Senate Judiciary Committee, Attorney Lynch
showed grace under pressure while enduring long hours of vigorous
questioning. Later, she provided answers to hundreds of questions, all
on the record, resulting in more than 200 pages of testimony. Her
professionalism and responsiveness are well documented.
Further, Senators in both parties have lauded Attorney Lynch's
qualifications. Her record speaks for itself. Senator Hatch, one of the
three Republicans--shamefully, three Republicans--who recently voted in
favor of Attorney Lynch's nomination in committee, stated:
I have concluded that Ms. Lynch's full record, including
but hardly limited to her hearing testimony, shows that she
is qualified to serve as Attorney General.
That is all that they are trying to show to the American public. All
they need to say is that she is qualified. If they had the President
and the White House, they would pick who they want. But they don't have
the President and the White House, so they have to deal with who he
picks. And she is qualified.
Further, Senators in both parties understand how important it is to
fill the position of Attorney General. Yet she continues to be
penalized by many members of the majority party for President Obama's
immigration policies and a general disdain for Attorney General Holder.
Here we are stopping the Attorney General nomination because of
immigration, we won't fund the Department of Homeland Security because
of immigration--there is a problem in the Congress of the United
States. In fact, she is being judged for the actions of others, and we
know that. This is nothing more than political gamesmanship.
I call on my colleagues in the other Chamber to stop the charade and
get
[[Page H1514]]
on with the confirmation. I urge the Senate to put Attorney Lynch's
nomination on the floor immediately. Judge Attorney Lynch on her record
and her merit, and do it now.
Ms. KELLY of Illinois. I thank Congresswoman Fudge for her very, very
pertinent remarks.
It is now my honor to yield to the freshman gentlewoman from the
Virgin Islands (Ms. Plaskett).
Ms. PLASKETT. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for the
opportunity to speak. I want to thank Ms. Kelly from the great State of
Illinois, as well as Mr. Payne from the great State of New Jersey for
yielding me this time. I want to extend my support for the confirmation
of Ms. Loretta Lynch for the position of Attorney General.
As a New Yorker, indeed a Brooklynite, a former Bronx district
attorney, as well as having worked at the Justice Department, I have
the utmost respect for Ms. Lynch, who has served the people of New
York, and indeed this great country, is eminently qualified to be the
Attorney General and should be confirmed.
Territorial Voting Rights
Ms. PLASKETT. I additionally, Mr. Speaker, would like to discuss
another issue that is of grave importance to the people of the
territories, and that is territorial voting rights.
As we commend the 50th anniversary of the March on Selma this week,
and the subsequent passage of the Voting Rights Act, I want to once
again call to the attention of my colleagues here in Congress that
there are still American citizens today who do not have equal voting
rights. While we may discuss the irrational and truly illogical
mechanism which has excluded those who have been convicted of felonies
from society for voting, I want to discuss another group which has been
disenfranchised, that is some 4 million people to be exact. These are
citizens of America's island territories--the U.S. Virgin Islands,
Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Northern Marianas--American citizens who
willingly risk life and limb in defense of a great nation for which
they do not have a vote. American citizens who, in their great
patriotism, have paid the ultimate sacrifice, the sacrifice of their
lives, and in this last conflict in Iraq and Iran, have died at a rate
of seven times the national average.
Citizens of the current U.S. territories have bravely fought in every
American conflict, indeed, including the American Revolution, when we
gave our own person in Alexander Hamilton from the Virgin Islands to
fight in that war. Some have even been awarded the Medal of Honor,
which is the Nation's highest military honor. Yet, these citizens who
have contributed and sacrificed so much still cannot vote for their
Commander in Chief.
This inability to vote has a direct correlation to the poverty and
disenfranchisement in so many areas that the people of these island
territories experience. Poverty in the 21st century is a shameful
reality in our great Nation, and for decades it has been a serious and
persistent problem in the Virgin Islands. Child poverty for us in the
territories is a heartbreaking reality.
A recent report from the Community Foundation of the Virgin Islands
and Kids Count says 31 percent of the children in the Virgin Islands
are living in poverty. To further underscore this troubling statistic,
Virgin Islands families are struggling with a very high cost-of-living,
driven by the fact that much of our food supplies must be imported,
along with the very high cost of electricity. We pay some of the
highest prices in the Nation. And while, thankfully, the American
economy is on the rebound and reports of job growth are very good news,
unemployment on the islands on which I live is 15 percent or more.
{time} 1930
The benign neglect of this great Nation to the territories has got to
end. Each island was bought for military purposes, and now that it is
believed by the country that the physical geopolitical need is not
there, the people have been forgotten. Indeed, some have even
questioned whether the people were ever remembered on these islands,
that the lands and the resources were what this Nation wanted, not the
people. But we have contributed much, and we deserve better. Not tying
citizenship and the right to vote to the soil--the sovereign soil--on
which an individual is born controverts the most basic English and,
thus, American law.
Mr. Speaker, Virgin Islanders, who are proud people dedicated to
their families, committed to their faith, and are so very willing to
work hard for a better and brighter future for themselves, their
children, and, indeed, this country, deserve the right to vote.
Ms. KELLY of Illinois. Thank you, Congresswoman Plaskett, for
educating our public on the challenges people on the Islands face. Your
words are so pertinent as we go to Selma to remember the events of 50
years ago.
Mr. Speaker, it is now my distinct honor to call to the podium the
gentleman from New York, Congressman Hakeem Jeffries,
Mr. JEFFRIES. I thank the distinguished gentlewoman from Illinois for
yielding, and of course I want to thank Congresswoman Kelly and
Congressman Payne for their wonderful leadership in creating this
opportunity for members of the Congressional Black Caucus to speak
directly to the American people on an issue of great significance, the
justice system generally, but specifically, the urgent need to confirm
Loretta Lynch as our next Attorney General.
Let me say parenthetically that it feels good to be in the presence
of my two classmates, R. Kelly and D. Payne. I feel like I am in the
midst of celebrity. Certainly, they have done a tremendous job in
calling us all together.
We have got a serious issue that we need this Capitol to confront. In
the midst of terrorists who are all across the world who want to strike
at our homeland, not only are we dealing with a dynamic where some in
the House of Representatives refuse to fully fund the Department of
Homeland Security because of an unnecessary obsession with the
President's executive action on immigration--let me note, of course,
though individuals may differ on its legality, every President since
Dwight Eisenhower has taken executive action on immigration. It has
occurred 39 times since the 1950s.
President Eisenhower did it; President Nixon did it. President Ford
did it; President Reagan did it; President George Herbert Walker Bush
did it; and President George W. Bush did it. Every President since
Eisenhower has taken executive action to provide some form of
immigration relief. But, of course, when President Obama steps forward
to deal with our Nation's current problems, a constitutional crisis has
been provoked.
What also seems to be interesting, Mr. Speaker, is that the effort to
address the issues that some may have with President Obama's executive
action has crossed over into trying to stop, delay, and obstruct
Loretta Lynch from becoming our Nation's next Attorney General. Some
over on the Senate side have even said as such: Well, we are concerned
that she has got a supportive attitude as it relates to President
Obama's executive action.
Well, many of my good friends on the other side of the aisle are so-
called strict constructionists. They believe in the sanctity of
original intent as it relates to the Constitution. Well, the
Constitution had an article I legislative branch, an article II
executive branch, and an article III judicial branch. And the Founders
suggested that if there are issues that need to be worked out, it is
the court's job to do it. So there is a lawsuit right now pending in
Texas challenging the legality and the constitutionality of the
President's executive action on immigration. Let the courts do their
job. Stop holding hostage our Nation's safety and security, and stop
holding hostage the confirmation of Loretta Lynch.
If you take a look at her resume, no reasonable person could argue
that she is not exquisitely qualified. Her resume reads like the
American Dream: a Southern girl born in North Carolina, raised by a
school librarian mother and a Baptist preacher father. She excelled in
her elementary and high school studies so much so that she went off to
college at Harvard University and then got a law degree from that same
institution, one of the best law schools in the world.
She then joined a high-powered litigation law firm in New York,
excelled there, but then after several years
[[Page H1515]]
took, I believe, what was a 75 percent cut in salary and left the
private sector so she could go work as a Federal prosecutor and do some
good. In that office, she quickly rose through the ranks, tried high-
profile cases in the rough and tumble of New York City with grace and
with dignity, always making sure that she was guided by the law and the
facts--not politics, drama, and hyperbole.
Loretta Lynch was confirmed twice, I believe, by the United States
Senate unanimously. The American people recognize that this is a
Congress that can't agree on basic things, yet unanimously Loretta
Lynch has been confirmed twice as the lead prosecutor in the Eastern
District of New York.
By the way, she is a proud Brooklyn resident now, and I had the honor
and privilege of representing Ms. Lynch when I was in the State
legislature. She has excelled as the consummate law enforcement
professional. She is fair, she is equitable, she is tough, and she is
just.
So we are here today simply to say it is time to confirm her. The
President has made the observation: You can't stand Eric Holder. The
easiest way to get rid of him is to confirm Loretta Lynch.
What is the hold up? Allow her to take the helm over these final 20
or so months so that we have some stability at the all-important
Department of Justice. We need all hands on deck right now as it
relates to the war on terror. We need the FBI, the CIA, the NSA, and
the Department of Homeland Security. We have got to be correct 100
percent of the time. Terrorists only have to be right once. It seems to
me that if you have a confirmation pending of a clearly qualified
individual to head the Department of Justice, the responsible thing to
do is to act, and to act now.
Mr. Speaker, I just want to thank my good friends R. Kelly and D.
Payne for giving me this opportunity to spend a few moments on behalf
of a tremendous Brooklynite, by way of North Carolina, who is clearly
qualified to be our Nation's next Attorney General. It is time to bring
the confirmation to the floor and to allow her to serve the American
people.
Ms. KELLY of Illinois. Thank you kindly to the gentleman from New
York, Congressman Hakeem Jeffries, a man of much wisdom and truth.
Congressman Payne, we have heard from a number of Members why Loretta
Lynch would be a great Attorney General. Hopefully, we can move on this
and she will be confirmed very soon.
Mr. Speaker, at this time, I would like to introduce one of my
freshman colleagues, the woman from the great State of Ohio,
Congresswoman extraordinaire Joyce Beatty.
Mrs. BEATTY. Mr. Speaker, I thank my classmate and colleagues for
hosting us this evening for the Congressional Black Caucus Special
Order hour.
Mr. Speaker, during the past month, we honored the great achievements
and rich history of African Americans and the African American
community. We reflected on an unfortunate journey through slavery and
segregation, prejudices and discrimination. Though we bring Black
History Month to a close, the Congressional Black Caucus will continue
to fight for justice. Tonight our Special Order hour is Bridging the
Divide: Observations on Race and Justice in America.
Our attention to the divides in our society, however, does not end
because we entered a new month. We must remain focused on how we can
bridge the divides in our society and how we can bring our Nation
closer together. The divides are striking, and we know them all too
well: the school-to-prison pipeline, education disparities, health
disparities, the injustices in our justice system.
It is well established in fact that students of color face harsher
punishments in schools than their White peers, leading to a higher
number of youth of color in detention, suspension, and, yes, expelled.
Mr. Speaker, African American students are arrested far more often than
their White classmates. Black and Hispanic students represent more than
70 percent of those involved in school-related arrests or referrals to
law enforcement. Currently, African Americans make up two-fifths and
Hispanics one-fifth of confined youth today.
Disparities are found not only in how we punish behavior in schools,
but also how we fund education. Mr. Speaker, this is true in K-12. It
is also true in higher education. And we know that a college degree is
a path to a middle class life. As African American students graduate
with more debt than their White classmates, the cuts to Pell grants are
threatening African American access to a better education. Without the
Pell grant program, hundreds of thousands of young African Americans
would not be able to afford college.
The disparities in access to health coverage are startling. The
infant mortality rate among African Americans is 2.3 times that of non-
Hispanic Whites, and African American infants are four times more
likely than non-Hispanic White infants to die, mostly due to
complications related to birth weight.
Mr. Speaker, we must confront these prejudices and these injustices
in our Nation head-on. The Congressional Black Caucus is committed to
resolving these challenges. The Congressional Black Caucus has fought
to ensure funding the Pell grant. Pell grants are contained in each
year's appropriations bills. We have worked hard to make sure that the
maternity and newborn care are part of health care plans under the
Affordable Care Act. Over 390,000 African American women in the
individual market alone are projected to gain maternity coverage
thanks--yes, thanks--to the Affordable Care Act. Our task force on the
elimination of sentencing disparities is moving the ball on how Black
men and women are treated in the judicial system.
As we have been working here in Congress, our partners, the Deltas,
my sorority, Delta Sigma Theta sorority, held their annual Delta Days
in the Nation's Capital today with thousands of women from across this
Nation gathering and advocating for these same disparities and
injustices.
As Deltas were uniting in their efforts today in our Nation's
Capital, my sorors and I were also uniting for one of our very own--
nominee Loretta Lynch. Last week, the Senate Judiciary Committee voted
12-8 to approve the confirmation of Loretta Lynch as the next United
States Attorney General, bringing her confirmation to the full Senate
for consideration.
I remember it all too well a couple weeks before that when we were in
that hearing room. It looked like a sea of red as Deltas marched in and
lined up one after another wearing our colors, crimson and cream.
Deltas lined the outside of the hearing room. Mr. Speaker, we did that
because, prior to entering that room, media and some of my colleagues
on the other side had tried to make it a bad thing that she organized
and was a founder of her college chapter of Delta Sigma Theta sorority.
{time} 1945
What we were able to do was to show them when we work together,
whether that is Democrats and Republicans or sorority members or
nonsorority members, when it is the right thing to do, we can make a
difference.
I was so proud last week to sit there on the front row with my other
colleagues--with our chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus,
Congressman G.K. Butterfield; with the 100th woman sworn into the
United States Congress, Congresswoman Alma Adams; to be there with the
21st national president of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Congresswoman
Marcia Fudge.
We sat there next to Loretta Lynch's father, Reverend Lorenzo Lynch
of North Carolina, while the Judiciary Committee favorably reported the
nomination on a vote that was closer than it needed to be.
Ms. Lynch's nomination is well deserved and historic. Ms. Lynch
testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee for nearly 8 hours, and
she responded to nearly 900 written questions, which is unprecedented.
Many of the written questions, Mr. Speaker, were from Senators who had
already declared their opposition to her nomination.
Ms. Lynch's nomination has now been pending far longer than any
recent Attorney General's nomination which, in my opinion, Mr. Speaker,
is shameful. She deserves to be voted our next Attorney General. If
Senators have a reason to vote against her nomination, they should make
their case
[[Page H1516]]
public. Yes, hiding behind procedural tactics does not help our Nation.
As the Senate has an opportunity to unite behind a well-qualified
nominee for a critical position, Congress Members will have an
opportunity to be united this weekend when Democrats and Republicans
will travel to Alabama to march to celebrate the 50th anniversary of
the Selma marches.
Fifty years ago, people marched for equal voting rights. Out of those
marches, we got the Voting Rights Act. However, disparities remain, and
the Voting Rights Act has been eroded.
We can end this divide, Mr. Speaker, of who votes if my Republican
colleagues would bring up the Voting Rights Amendment Act, H.R. 885.
Let me say that again, Mr. Speaker. We can end the divide of who can
vote if my Republican colleagues would bring up the Voting Rights
Amendment Act, H.R. 885.
How long will it take? How long must we wait to have equal rights and
justice? It is well past time that we deliver to all Americans what
they deserve.
Like we did 50 years ago in Selma, we must do so again today and
stand united arm in arm, as my Congressional Black Caucus colleagues
and I did recently in Ferguson and as we will do tomorrow and tomorrow
and tomorrow.
Together, united, we can bring an end to the disparities that hold
our hardworking families back from achieving the middle class dreams
and the dreams of all Americans: that we should be equal.
Ms. KELLY of Illinois. Thank you to the gentlewoman from the great
State of Ohio. You have done a great job describing the challenges and
sharing the progress that has been made thus far for our constituents
of color. You have given us a call to action.
Mr. Speaker, once confirmed, Loretta Lynch will replace Eric Holder
as Attorney General. In that role, she will be in charge of managing
and directing the policies of our Nation's law enforcement officers.
Ms. Lynch, as we have heard, is uniquely fitted to serve that role
for our Nation, especially at this critical point in our national
discourse. As U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of New York, Ms.
Lynch currently serves as the chief Federal prosecutor for Brooklyn,
Queens, Staten Island, and Long Island.
The death of Eric Garner this past July occurred on Staten Island,
within Ms. Lynch's jurisdiction. Eric Garner's death--followed by the
death of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, this past August--stirred
a national discussion on use of force by police. Unfortunately, this
discussion has produced increased animosity and distrust between law
enforcement officers and the communities they serve. This is especially
true in communities of color.
This is not the right approach, Mr. Speaker. This is not the way to
move our country forward. We cannot afford distrust between law
enforcement and the communities they are tasked with protecting. What
we need is increased compassion, increased understanding, and increased
trust between police and communities, and Loretta Lynch understands
this.
In her opening statement before the Senate Judiciary Committee last
month, Ms. Lynch stated:
Few things have pained me more than reported tensions and
division between law enforcement and the communities we
serve. If confirmed as Attorney General, one of my key
priorities will be to work to strengthen the vital
relationships of courageous law enforcement personnel in the
communities we serve.
My family members have served and do serve in law enforcement. I have
many friends in law enforcement. I have been fortunate enough to have
many positive experiences with the law enforcement community. I
understand just how courageous and brave the men and women who dedicate
their lives to keeping us safe truly are.
However, I also understand the fear many citizens in communities of
color have toward law enforcement following these tragic events. Nobody
should live in fear of the institutions put in place to protect them.
To move forward, we must change the conversation from law enforcement
versus community to law enforcement and community.
Essential to advancing this cooperative and mutually beneficial
relationship is the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services, or
COPS office, within the Department of Justice. COPS is tasked with
building trust and mutual respect between police and their communities.
Increasing trust is essential to advancing public safety. A citizen
who trusts their local police office and understands their mission is
less likely to engage in antisocial and unlawful behavior; and a police
officer who can empathize with the fears, sensibilities, and concerns
of community members will be less likely to take rash, unwarranted, or
disproportionate responses to those unlawful actions.
These focused efforts allow for law enforcement agencies and
communities to work together and, instead of simply addressing
immediate concerns, address systemic issues plaguing communities, many
of which serve as the root cause of the violence and crime that occurs.
The COPS program's motto is: ``Building Relationships, Solving
Problems.'' For the past 20 years, COPS has done just that. COPS grants
have given billions of dollars to State and local law enforcement
agencies to hire police officers, provide technical assistance, and
conduct training programs teaching collaboration skills, increasing
shared understanding, and advancing sensitivity training.
Mr. Speaker, I can think of no better person to lead our Justice
Department and further advance the efforts of the COPS program than
Loretta Lynch. Ms. Lynch is exactly right in her desired focus of
prioritizing improving relationships between law enforcement and
communities. Her vision is exactly what the Justice Department and the
COPS program, in particular, need at this critical point in time.
I fully understand the frustration, anger, and deep concern felt in
communities across the country; however, it is simply unsustainable to
have a dynamic where police fear communities and communities fear the
police.
In order to ensure that all State and local law enforcement agencies
and the entire justice system treat all Americans fairly and value all
American lives equally, we must hold law enforcement to high
professional standards and provide them with necessary training to
effectively protect and police diverse communities.
Mr. Speaker, this month, we recognize the 50th anniversary of the
March on Selma, Alabama. The brave men and women who marched across the
Edmund Pettus Bridge that day and the countless others through the Jim
Crow South were on the receiving end of horrendous and unspeakable
actions of police brutality.
We have come a long way over the 50 years, Mr. Speaker; however, much
work remains. I can think of no better person to lead that charge than
Loretta Lynch. I look forward to her service as our Nation's Attorney
General and the robust COPS program she will advance.
I yield to my great partner from the great State of New Jersey.
Mr. PAYNE. Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the gentlewoman from
Illinois for her concise assessment of the nomination of an outstanding
prosecutor, outstanding attorney, and outstanding American.
As it was stated by one of my colleagues, Ms. Lynch has followed and
been a part of the American Dream, coming from meager beginnings,
having a mother and father who cared for her and nurtured her, allowed
her to get a good education and move on to--as it was stated--one of
the best schools in our Nation and in the world and also to get her law
degree from that same school.
Now, it appears to me, based on the hearings that I saw, Ms. Lynch
has one problem. Is it her qualifications? No. Is it her demeanor? No.
Has she done everything that she has been asked to do as a prosecutor
in the Eastern District of New York? Yes.
Well, why is she not qualified? Well, no one is saying that she is
not qualified. There is a political issue in the way, and that
political issue is that she is the nominee of President Barack Obama,
and that is her only issue, as I see it.
She has done everything that a good American should do: played by the
rules all her life, pulled herself up by her bootstraps, got a good
education, went into the private sector and then
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decided, Do you know what, I am going to go be a Federal prosecutor at
a 75 percent decrease in salary.
Now, if that is not an American committed to this Nation, I don't
know what is, so her only violation is that she was nominated by this
President. Immigration continues to be the issue that is the rub. That
is why we don't have funding for the Department of Homeland Security:
because of immigration, because my colleagues on the other side don't
agree with what the President did.
This is outrageous, this is absolutely outrageous, that a person that
has done everything that they are supposed to do gets to this point and
was confirmed twice by the Senate--now, I don't know if President Obama
nominated her either one of those times, but now that he is nominating
her for this position, well, she just doesn't cut it, there are issues.
They are not her issues. They are issues with my colleagues on the
other side of the aisle and their disdain for their President at times,
absolute disdain. It is a matter of you are better off not saying that
you are involved with the President the way it is going around here. It
makes no sense. It absolutely makes no sense.
Now, here is a woman that has allowed herself to go through this
process and knew it was going to be rigorous, knew there were going to
be challenges, knew she would be challenged, and came through the
committee 12-8. But people initially that were going to support her,
Mr. Speaker, had decided, Well, now, there is something wrong.
I mean, what happened? What happened in 2 weeks, in the space of 3
weeks, that has made you anti-Loretta Lynch?
{time} 2000
We have issues all over this Nation, Mr. Speaker, that we need to be
dealing with, and the Department of Homeland Security is one of them.
We need to fund the Department of Homeland Security. It is interesting.
I hear my colleagues' interest and concern about immigration and people
coming across the border.
If you don't fund the Department of Homeland Security, how do you
think that work continues? If you think it is bad now, don't fund the
Department. You have people listening--the terrorists. You don't think
terrorists are listening to this? You don't think this is a great
opportunity for them to decide to maybe go rogue, to come out of their
lone wolf status and do what they need to do because they know no one
is minding the store because we decided to furlough people? You are
concerned about this Nation and its security? It doesn't make sense to
me.
We have many issues in the African American community, and we are
here every other Monday night to express them--criminal justice, the
issue around ``Black lives matter,'' and the perceptions of police
treatment in the African American community. I can tell you a personal
story about my interaction, as a youngster, with a member of the police
force back in my home in Newark, New Jersey.
It was a horrendous, horrendous episode in my life, but I got a break
because the officer realized that my father was a member of the city
council of that town. Prior to seeing my name on my driver's license
and learning that, he told me that, if I didn't produce the papers that
he wanted, they would throw me so far under the jail that they would
never find me. But once I produced this document that said that I was
all of a sudden somebody--I am a person; I am relevant--then he became
nurturing. He said: Don't you know that making a U-turn is dangerous?
and became paternal, but prior to that, it was that they would throw me
so far under the jail that they would never find me.
So I stand here, Mr. Speaker, on behalf of all of the people who
wouldn't have gotten that break. It is my obligation to make sure that
the playing field is level, not because you are related to someone, not
because you know someone, not because you have connections. Every
American should be afforded the opportunity I was afforded that day.
In closing, I would just like to thank the gentlewoman, Robin Kelly,
for her leadership in leading tonight's Congressional Black Caucus
hour. These Special Orders give us the opportunity to speak directly to
the American people about the work on their behalf and the issues that
we care about. This is something that we do, and we are honored to be
able to do it.
I would also like to thank the people at home who have tuned in
tonight. It is our point to engage in an ongoing and meaningful
dialogue, and I hope that they will continue to join us on Monday
nights.
We began by discussing the nomination of Loretta Lynch as the next
U.S. Attorney General. Ms. Lynch's nomination has been slow-walked by
the Republicans, who would rather make it more about the President's
immigration policy than about Ms. Lynch's qualifications and strength
of character. Ms. Lynch has earned a number of outside endorsements,
including from the International Association of Chiefs of Police, and
her record is impeccable. It is the hope of this caucus that the full
Senate comes to realize the urgency of her nomination and confirms her
immediately.
Ms. Lynch's professional record suggests that she will embrace the
vision of the Department of Justice, whose mission is to advance the
cause of justice and equality for all Americans.
This is absolutely critical to the African American community, whose
needs are not currently being met by our criminal justice system.
Today, we see a criminal justice system that does not treat all Black
lives as though they matter. From Staten Island to Ferguson, unarmed
Black men have been the victims of excessive, deadly force by law
enforcement. This creates and perpetuates a distrust in our
communities, and it makes it increasingly difficult to have a
meaningful dialogue between law enforcement and the communities they
are charged with protecting.
These negative perceptions of police treatment are compounded by a
number of other factors, including the disturbing gaps in incarceration
rates. African Americans are incarcerated at a rate that is seven times
higher than that of our White counterparts. These individuals are
removed from the workforce often for drug-related crimes during their
prime working years. They struggle to reenter society, having
difficulty finding jobs and becoming productive members of their
communities. Instead of immediately incarcerating those who commit
drug-related, nonviolent crimes, more effort should be devoted to
rehabilitation.
At the same time, we need to reevaluate the effectiveness of the war
on drugs, a war that disproportionately affects African Americans and
devastates African American and minority communities. When ex-felons
reenter society, we need to ensure that our criminal justice system
avoids purely punitive measures against them, including ex-felon
disenfranchisement.
Finally, there is the reforming of our criminal justice system so as
to eliminate disparities in sentences. According to the National Urban
League, mandatory minimums and disparities in crack cocaine sentencing
incarcerated countless numbers of African Americans for an inhumane
length of time and had the U.S. as the world leader in prison
population. This has created a modern-day caste system in America. When
we address these issues, we will make significant progress toward a
criminal justice system that reflects our values of full equality for
all Americans.
Ms. KELLY of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my
time.
Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise today along
with my colleagues, Congressman Donald Payne, Jr. and Congresswoman
Robin Kelly, in support of the CBC Special Order Hour entitled:
``Bridging The Divide: Observations on Race and Justice in America.''
And as I reflect on some of the issues affecting the intersection of
race and justice that still plague this country, I am deeply saddened.
Just on the other side of the Capitol, the Republican-led Senate has
delayed the confirmation of Loretta Lynch as our next Attorney,
General, forcing her to wait for a vote longer than any other attorney
general nominee in the last three decades. Despite this long delay, the
Senate was able to quickly confirm the nomination of our new Defense
Secretary Ashton Carter. Critics in the Senate have called into
question Ms. Lynch's qualifications, dismissing her as ``just another
Eric Holder,'' choosing to ignore her exceptional academic record and
impressive career accomplishments.
[[Page H1518]]
In the past few months, this nation has been rocked by the deaths of
black men at the hands of police, and the fiery nationwide protests in
response. The lost lives of Tamir Rice, Eric Garnet, Mike Brown, and so
many others have only contributed to the painful perception that black
life is devalued in America. Many pundits have observed these tragedies
and the various responses to them as proof that race relations in this
country have regressed.
There are currently more black men behind bars in 2015 than there
were enslaved in 1850, and these sentencing disparities have far
reaching consequences. Among democratic nations, the United States
enforces some of the world's most restrictive disenfranchisement laws
for felons, keeping millions of men and women from ever being able to
fulfill their civic duty. We ask them to pay their debt to society, we
require them to re-enter society as productive adults, yet we strip
them of such a basic democratic freedom. Without question, these laws
disproportionately affect African Americans, and Mr. Speaker, it is
time for a change.
While the picture I have briefly painted may seem bleak, I remain
encouraged by the resolve of so many Americans around the country
Nationwide protests by people of all backgrounds have forced local
lawmakers to confront their policies and make sure that they reflect
the communities they govern. But as we all know, there is a long road
ahead. And as the conscious of the Congress, it is the responsibility
of the Congressional Black Caucus, to ensure that this august chamber
addresses these issues essential to the quality of life for all
Americans.
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