[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 124 (Tuesday, July 24, 2018)]
[House]
[Page H7089]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  NEW LEADERSHIP IS NEEDED IN CONGRESS

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Oregon (Mr. Blumenauer) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. BLUMENAUER. Mr. Speaker, it seems every morning we are greeted by 
another outrage from the Trump administration. Today, we find that the 
Department of the Interior deliberately manipulated the information 
surrounding the decision to amend the boundaries of national monuments. 
They withheld information about the benefits of the monument 
designation, benefits for Native Americans, for wildlife, for the local 
economy, and for the environment.
  The only way we found out about this manipulation is because they 
inadvertently disclosed the entire memorandum, exposed for everybody to 
see how they blatantly manipulated the process. But this is just 
another example.
  This last week, we have seen attacks on our long-time friends and 
allies in Europe, undermining the NATO alliance, questioning the 
integrity of our American intelligence service, and assaulting American 
business and consumers with this ill-advised trade war and the tariffs, 
which are just taxes on American families. This is, in part, due to the 
fact that we are not getting any pushback on these outrages from most 
Republicans in Congress, not standing up to Trump for America and for 
our values.
  It appears that most of my Republican friends are held hostage to the 
most extreme elements in their districts. They are given enhanced 
influence because of the practice of partisan gerrymandering, drawing 
boundaries to enhance the power of the Republican majority, so you only 
have to worry about voters in the primary.
  I have long supported independent commissions to draw these 
boundaries, have proposed legislation federally. Although there appears 
to be little appetite in Congress, luckily, people out in the States 
are taking matters into their own hands. We are watching citizen 
initiatives in Michigan, in Utah, and in Colorado. Voters, this year, 
will have a chance to vote on fair and honest redistricting if the U.S. 
Chamber and the Republican Party are not able to block it from being 
voted on, as they are trying to do in Michigan.
  When voters, again, pick the politicians instead of politicians 
picking the voters, it is much more likely that Congress will do its 
job. Mr. Speaker, until we get fair districts, we will have to rely on 
renewed, energized voter engagement to elect a Congress that will do 
its job.
  The good news is that the evidence all across America is that people 
are responding to a new generation of political leadership. They are 
getting involved in unprecedented numbers--more voters, more activism. 
They are going to elect, as leaders, new Members who will provide the 
accountability to hold in check this reckless administration.
  It is too bad it looks like we will have to wait for the election for 
the next Congress to do its job.

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