[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 15 (Monday, January 30, 2017)]
[House]
[Page H707]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         THIS IS NOT WHO WE ARE

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Michigan (Mr. Kildee) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. KILDEE. Madam Speaker, this is not who we are. The executive 
order that the President is executing does not reflect our American 
values. It is not consistent with a clear statement in our Constitution 
that we do not discriminate on the basis of national origin, that we do 
not discriminate on the basis of religion. Read the executive order. It 
does those precise things.
  But there are other foundational documents that contradict what the 
President is executing. Matthew 25: ``I was a stranger, and you invited 
me in. . . . '' This policy is morally bankrupt. It is an attempt to 
pander to narrow voices to which this President promised a Muslim ban. 
He went to Rudy Giuliani and asked how to do a Muslim ban, and this is 
what they came up with.
  Make no mistake. This is not who we are. Not only is it morally 
wrong--against everything we have been taught about who we are as a 
country--but this administration has been dangerously incompetent in 
how it is even implementing this misguided policy--secretive. I saw a 
White House spokesman this morning admit that they kept this secret 
from the very people who are going to be asked to implement this wrong-
headed policy. It is morally wrong, and it is being administered in a 
dangerously incompetent way.
  Most importantly, this policy will not make us safe. This 
unconstitutional executive order will make us less safe. What is the 
message we are trying to send--that we are an intolerant Nation? that, 
if you happen to have different beliefs, you are not welcome here? 
People who are literally being handcuffed are people who have a legal 
right to be in the United States of America.
  We cannot normalize this. We cannot accept this as simply a 
difference of opinion over how to secure our borders. It makes us less 
secure to send a message to the world that we are this narrow and--
yes--bigoted Nation. We are not that. Even for many of those people who 
supported this President, this is not what they voted for. I ask my 
colleagues to, for God's sake, speak up.
  Join the faith leaders who are speaking up against this terrible, 
unconstitutional policy. Join the business leaders who are saying this 
is wrong. Join your own Republican colleagues--many in an increasing 
number--who are having the courage to stand up against the President of 
their own party and say ``no.'' This is not who we are. This does not 
reflect who we are. This is morally wrong. This is constitutionally 
wrong, and this is dangerous.

  History will judge where people who sit in this House stood on this 
day on this question.
  Stand with your fellow Americans. Stand with the Constitution. Stand 
with those who are willing to speak up and speak truth to power and say 
this is wrong, that this is not America. This must end now. Add your 
voice to that chorus. Be on the right side of history.

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