[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 16 (Tuesday, January 31, 2017)]
[House]
[Page H803]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




     IMMIGRATION EXECUTIVE ORDER AND CONFLICT OF BUSINESS INTEREST

  (Ms. KAPTUR asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute.)
  Ms. KAPTUR. Madam Speaker, I rise to focus on President Trump's 
curious executive action to deny U.S. entry of certain refugees and 
travelers who were cleared and properly vetted. The arbitrary and 
discriminatory nature of his order is odd in that he only identified 
seven countries to be included.
  One must ask: Why were other nations excluded? Yes, excluded from the 
executive order are several Middle Eastern, African, and other nations 
where The Trump Organization has business interests, including Turkey, 
the United Arab Emirates, Azerbaijan, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia, where 
the majority of 9/11 terrorists originated.
  We know Mr. Trump has failed to divest from his company, as ethics 
experts have duly noted. Every American should wonder whether he 
designed this executive order with his own business interests, at 
least, partly in mind. This is the purpose of divestiture, to eliminate 
any possible question of doubt or possible mal intent.
  Without divesting from management and ownership, President Trump's 
circumstance threatens the basic tenet of the rule of law that the 
government and all of its actors will discharge duties in the best 
interest of the American people, not their self-interest or the 
interests of their cronies or the interest of their brand.

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