[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 8 (Tuesday, January 15, 2019)]
[House]
[Pages H572-H578]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




            REJECTING WHITE NATIONALISM AND WHITE SUPREMACY

  Mr. NADLER. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to 
the resolution (H. Res. 41) rejecting White nationalism and White 
supremacy.
  The Clerk read the title of the resolution.
  The text of the resolution is as follows:

                               H. Res. 41

       Whereas, on January 10, 2019, Representative Steve King was 
     quoted as asking, ``White nationalist, white supremacist, 
     Western civilization--how did that language become 
     offensive?'';
       Whereas a 2006 Federal Bureau of Intelligence (FBI) 
     assessment defined a White supremacist as follows: ``White 
     supremacists believe that the white race is superior to all 
     other races and was created to rule them. They view non-
     whites as subhuman and usually refer to them in derogatory 
     terms'';
       Whereas the same 2006 FBI intelligence assessment defined a 
     White nationalist as follows: ``To be a white nationalist is 
     to be pro-white. The domestic white nationalist movement 
     seeks to promote, honor, and defend the white race. They 
     believe the white race is under attack from Jewish interests 
     that dominate the government (referred to as the Zionist 
     Occupied Government, or ZOG), the media, banking, and 
     entertainment industries and act to the detriment of the 
     white race. White nationalists view multiculturalism, 
     diversity, and illegal immigration as direct assaults on the 
     white race and race-mixing as akin to white genocide. They 
     hope to appeal to mainstream whites, believing that the 
     majority of white people do not understand the imminent or 
     long-term threat to their race. Many contend that a race war, 
     often referred to as RAHOWA, or Racial Holy War, is a 
     certainty'';
       Whereas White supremacy and White nationalism are contrary 
     to the ideals of the United States of America, which was 
     established according to the principle stated in the 
     Declaration of Independence that all men are created equal, a 
     principle that was updated in 1848 in Seneca Falls, New York, 
     to include all people;
       Whereas while our country has often fallen short of these 
     ideals, patriotic Americans have sought to form a more 
     perfect Union by rejecting White nationalism and White 
     supremacy, embracing inclusive patriotism, and welcoming 
     immigrants from across the globe who have continuously 
     enriched our Nation;
       Whereas Abraham Lincoln in an 1858 speech said of the 
     Founders, ``Wise statesmen as they were, they knew the 
     tendency of prosperity to breed tyrants, and so they 
     established these great self-evident truths, that when in the 
     distant future some man, some faction, some interest, should 
     set up the doctrine that none but rich men, or none but white 
     men, were entitled to life, liberty, and pursuit of 
     happiness, their posterity might look up again to the 
     Declaration of Independence and take courage to renew the 
     battle which their fathers began--so that truth, and justice, 
     and mercy, and all the humane and Christian virtues might not 
     be extinguished from the land; so that no man would hereafter 
     dare to limit and circumscribe the great principles on which 
     the temple of liberty was being built'';
       Whereas Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., while recognizing that 
     ``no other nation can mean to us what our nation means'', 
     condemned ``nationalism perverted into chauvinism and 
     isolationism'' as ``preached by . . . the advocators of white 
     supremacy'' and asked, ``Will we continue to serve the false 
     god of racial prejudice or will we serve the God who made of 
     one blood all men to dwell upon the face of the earth?'';
       Whereas President Reagan observed in a 1988 speech, 
     ``Anyone, from any corner of the Earth, can come to live in 
     America and become an American . . . This, I believe, is one 
     of the most important sources of America's greatness. We lead 
     the world because, unique among nations, we draw our people--
     our strength--from every country and every corner of the 
     world. And by doing so we continuously renew and enrich our 
     nation. While other countries cling to the stale past, here 
     in America we breathe life into dreams. We create the future, 
     and the world follows us into tomorrow. Thanks to each wave 
     of new arrivals to this land of opportunity, we're a nation 
     forever young, forever bursting with energy and new ideas, 
     and always on the cutting edge, always leading the world to 
     the next frontier. This quality is vital to our future as a 
     nation. If we ever closed the door to new Americans, our 
     leadership in the world would soon be lost'';
       Whereas according to FBI statistics, hate crimes nationwide 
     increased in 2015, 2016, and 2017, the three most recent 
     years for which data is available;
       Whereas the perpetrator of the shooting that killed 9 
     African-American worshippers at Emanuel African Methodist 
     Episcopal Church in Charleston, South Carolina, on June 17, 
     2015, was motivated by White supremacy and White nationalism 
     to carry out this act of terrorism, and stated that he would 
     ``be rescued by white nationalists after they took over the 
     government'';
       Whereas the perpetrator of the shooting that killed 11 
     Jewish worshippers at Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh, 
     Pennsylvania, on October 27, 2018, accused Jews of ``waging a 
     propaganda war against Western civilization'' and 
     ``committing genocide'' against Whites by promoting 
     immigration and refugee resettlement, and accused the 
     President of being ``a globalist, not a nationalist'' because 
     of the ``infestation'' of Jews; and
       Whereas Public Law 115-58, a joint resolution signed into 
     law on September 14, 2017, rejects ``white nationalism, white 
     supremacists, the Ku Klux Klan, neo-Nazis, and other hate 
     groups'': Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the House of Representatives once again 
     rejects White nationalism and White supremacy as hateful 
     expressions of intolerance that are contradictory to the 
     values that define the people of the United States.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Ms. Adams). Pursuant to the rule, the 
gentleman from New York (Mr. Nadler) and the gentleman from Georgia 
(Mr. Collins) each will control 20 minutes.

[[Page H573]]

  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from New York.


                             General Leave

  Mr. NADLER. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include 
extraneous materials on the measure under consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from New York?
  There was no objection.

                              {time}  1400

  Mr. NADLER. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Madam Speaker, this resolution stands for one very simple 
proposition: White nationalism and white supremacy are hateful 
expressions of intolerance that have no place in the United States of 
America.
  Unfortunately, what should be an obvious statement in 2019 has been 
challenged in recent days, and not for the first time, by one of our 
own colleagues. As those elected to represent all of America, Members 
of Congress should be the first to condemn white nationalism and white 
supremacy, which are the source of so much violence, so much hatred, 
and so much divisiveness throughout our Nation's history. These hateful 
ideologies are diametrically opposed to what America is supposed to be.
  But, as the New York Times reported last week, Mr. King of Iowa was 
quoted as saying:
  ``White nationalist, white supremacist, Western civilization--how did 
that language become offensive?''
  Well, I will tell him, and anyone else who may be confused.
  This language has always been offensive. We fought a civil war to 
establish that. But this language and the philosophy it represents 
persisted. It motivated the Ku Klux Klan to terrorize African 
Americans; it sparked Jim Crow laws that oppressed African Americans 
through institutionalized racism; it inspired the murder of nine Black 
congregants in a Charleston, South Carolina, church; and the murder of 
11 Jewish worshippers in a Pittsburgh synagogue; and it inspired 
racists, anti-Semites, and other assorted bigots at the Unite the Right 
rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, that spread fear, hatred, and, 
ultimately, violence in celebration of white supremacy.
  These hateful ideologies are dangerous, not because they too often 
lead to violence. These noxious views can also infect the policies that 
govern our Nation, sowing more division, and leading to more injustice 
in our society. When we establish Muslim bans; when we try to build 
walls to keep out those who do not look like us; and when we reverse a 
half century of progress on voting rights and civil rights, we are 
putting these hateful views into action.
  I thank the distinguished majority whip, the gentleman from South 
Carolina (Mr. Clyburn), for bringing this resolution forward. He knows 
from his experience--both as a leader in the civil rights movement, and 
as a Member of Congress whose own constituents were recently targeted 
in a vicious attack motivated by white supremacy--that when we see 
bigotry and hatred expressed in any form, we must condemn it, loudly 
and forcefully.
  We can pretend that these sentiments do not exist in our country, in 
this Congress, or in the White House. We can try to sweep them under 
the rug, and to convince ourselves that we have moved past our shameful 
history on race. But we ignore white supremacy at our peril. If we do 
not speak out now, collectively as a Congress, clearly and without 
reservation, we will send the message that these views are acceptable, 
and they will continue to fester in communities across the country, 
generating more hatred, more repression, and more violence, in their 
wake.
  Madam Speaker, I call upon all of my colleagues--Republican and 
Democrat alike--to reject the hateful ideology of white nationalism and 
white supremacy, the policies that flow from such hatred, and anyone 
who would espouse those views. Vote ``yes'' on this important 
resolution.
  Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. COLLINS of Georgia. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I 
may consume.
  Madam Speaker, this resolution resolves that ``the House of 
Representatives once again rejects white nationalism and white 
supremacy as hateful expressions of intolerance that are contradictory 
to the values that define the people of the United States,'' and with 
that I agree.
  As the ranking member of the Judiciary Committee, I would like to use 
my time to consider with my colleagues how firmly America has stood, 
and continues to stand, against white supremacy. It is a basic human 
flaw that our eyes open to truth too slowly and close on wickedness too 
quickly. Today, we have the opportunity to renew our gaze at the truth 
about our fellow men and women, and that each of them is created with 
untold dignity and worth.
  As a result, we recognize that white supremacy and white nationalism 
peddle lies about our brothers and sisters in dignity. We reject these 
lies, and we stand on the shoulders of Americans who have gone before 
us in rejecting white supremacy and racism.
  As Martin Luther King, Jr., observed, ``When the architects of our 
Republic wrote the magnificent words of the Constitution and the 
Declaration of Independence, they were signing a promissory note to 
which every American was to fall heir. This note was a promise that all 
men''--yes, Black men as well as White men--``would be guaranteed the 
inalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.'' 
Dr. King's words are historical fact rooted in universal truth.
  America's Founders gave us an incredible inheritance in the 
Declaration of Independence, in which they said ``all men are created 
equal.'' This declaration helped the Founders and all Americans who 
have lived after them identify the many ways that we dishonor that 
equality, recognize and rectify it, and set a more just path forward.
  In 1807, President Thomas Jefferson--himself a slave owner--publicly 
supported the abolition of the slave trade, imploring Congress to 
``withdraw the citizens of the United States from all further 
participation in those violations of human rights which have been so 
long continued on the unoffending inhabitants of Africa.''
  George Washington said, ``There is not a man living who wishes more 
sincerely than I do to see a plan adopted for the abolition of 
slavery.''
  John Adams wrote that ``Every measure of prudence, therefore, ought 
to be assumed for the eventual tota extirpation of slavery from the 
United States . . . `' and ``I have, through my whole life, held the 
practice of slavery in . . . abhorrence.''

  Benjamin Franklin believed ``Slavery is . . . an atrocious debasement 
of human nature.''
  Alexander Hamilton cited racial prejudice as something that ``makes 
us fancy many things that are founded neither in reason nor 
experience.''
  And James Madison wrote that ``We have seen the mere distinction of 
color made in the most enlightened period of time, a ground of the most 
oppressive dominion ever exercised by man over man.''
  The words of our Founders indict anyone who would believe that white 
supremacy or actions born out of that world view is in any way 
defensible.
  It does all Americans good to revisit our path out of darkness that 
feeds racial injustice so that we never find ourselves slipping back, 
but rather move forward knowing that we are all created equal and all 
are created in God's image.
  At the beginning of the American Revolution, slavery existed in all 
the 13 original States, and the slave trade with Africa was carried on 
unconstrained. Official actions to abolish slavery began in 1774, 
before independence was even declared, and this moral movement gained 
substantial ground over the next 35 years.
  Delegates to the First Continental Congress in 1774 pledged to stop 
the importation of slaves into America, and by 1798 every State had 
outlawed slave importation. During the founding era, eight States 
proceeded to abolish slavery, either gradually or immediately. Were 
these good steps? Yes. Were they enough? Certainly not.
  Congress passed the Northwest Ordinance in 1787, forbidding slavery 
in the territory where the future States of Ohio, Indiana, Michigan, 
Illinois, and Wisconsin would be established. This law proved to be 
decisive in ending

[[Page H574]]

slavery in America. In the 1850s, Abraham Lincoln cited the Northwest 
Ordinance frequently to show that the Founders opposed the expansion of 
slavery. And, in the 1860s, these States, along with a number of their 
fellow States, formed the coalition that elected Lincoln President, won 
the Civil War, and abolished slavery nationwide.
  The principle that all men are created equal and have a fundamental 
right to liberty gave the emancipation movement its foundation.
  As James Madison wrote in the Federalist Papers, defending the 
ratification of the Constitution, the Constitution was grounded on 
``the fundamental principles of the revolution,'' namely, ``the 
transcendent laws of nature and of nature's God'' and ``the rights of 
humanity announced in the Declaration of Independence.''
  Our first Republican President, Lincoln, understood this well. When 
Lincoln was a young man, he said the Founders established ``political 
institutions, conducing more essentially to the ends of civil and 
religious liberty, than any of which the history of former times tell 
us.''
  In the Gettysburg Address, President Lincoln explained that America 
was ``conceived in liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all 
men are created equal.'' As Lincoln argued to his opponent, Stephen 
Douglas, this equality applies to all human beings, regardless of race.
  When President Lincoln spoke of America's earlier days, he said, ``I 
will remind Judge Douglas and this audience, that while Mr. Jefferson 
was the owner of slaves, as undoubtedly he was, in speaking upon this 
very subject, he used the strong language that he trembled for his 
Nation when he remembered that God was just.''
  Mr. Speaker, from my faith background, I will tell you, God is just, 
and I do tremble when I consider his justice. I tremble when any 
person, in any way, pretends that white supremacy has any affinity with 
the Christian faith or its heritage, and, frankly, am very offended 
when that is brought up. The Bible is clear on the equality of all 
people. White people are entitled to no special privilege on this 
Earth, and they will have no unique standing in heaven. In fact, my 
Bible tells me we will all give account for what we do. Heaven is a 
place where every person there is united in bowing before the God who 
made us equal.
  Knowing this, we understand that we should use this life to honor our 
brothers and sisters without exception. As James tells us, ``If you 
really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, `You shall 
love your neighbor as yourself,' you are doing well. But if you show 
partiality, you are committing sin.''
  Partiality is unacceptable in God's economy, and racial prejudice 
finds no shelter among American values. Favoritism rooted in racism is 
evil in all its forms, including white supremacy and white nationalism.
  Today, Madam Speaker, is a day like many others. Today, like every 
day, the world is watching America to see if we still believe in 
equality, if we still elevate human dignity at every turn, and if we 
will reject hypocrisy whenever it tries to take root among us. Today, 
our fellow citizens are watching to see their leaders live out the 
American principles alongside them.
  Today, I stand here with colleagues to reaffirm these values and 
reject white supremacy as both dangerous and foolish. Its tenets are as 
ridiculous as America's democracy is remarkable.
  Today, Madam Speaker, our message is, as it ever was, that every 
person is created equal in value, and that the hill of equality is one 
Americans will stand tall to defend, and, yes, even die to defend.
  We are all, Madam Speaker, created in God's wonderful image. He made 
us and he breathed life into us. We are the very essence of his beloved 
creation. There is not a person you will find today, Madam Speaker, no 
one--I challenge you from the depths of any prison, to the sidewalks of 
any major city, anywhere in this country, White, Black, any color 
imaginable, any race imaginable, any place that they come from, male or 
female--there is not one person you will find today that, when you look 
into their eyes, they are not deeply beloved by their God who created 
them, and how can we choose any different. Any ideology that comes in 
face-to-face confrontation with God's creation is an abomination, and 
that is exactly what this ideology is.

  Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. NADLER. Madam Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from 
South Carolina (Mr. Clyburn), the distinguished majority whip.
  Mr. CLYBURN. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me the 
time.
  Madam Speaker, I want to say to my colleague, Mr. Collins, that I 
wish to associate myself with the sentiments that he expressed here 
today. However, I also rise today to speak of how the tale of two Kings 
has brought us to this moment in history.
  If he had been allowed to live, today would have been the 90th 
birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr. Today, this august body stands 
ready to vote to disapprove of Representative   Steve King's recent 
comments and condemn the evil concepts of white nationalism and white 
supremacy.
  White supremacy and white nationalism are evils, they are insidious, 
and are clear and present dangers to our great Republic. Reported hate 
crimes rose 17 percent last year, which was the third consecutive year 
that we have seen an increase in this insidiousness. This is appalling 
and unacceptable.
  When elected representatives give cover and comfort to those who 
spread racial divisiveness, we embolden those on the fringes of our 
society, and we have seen some of the results: the massacre of nine 
parishioners in historic Charleston's Emanuel AME Church at the hands 
of a young man who believed he would be, in his words, ``rescued by 
white nationalists after they took over the government;'' the murder of 
11 Jewish worshippers at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh by a 
gunman who believed the Jews were, in his words, ``waging a propaganda 
war against Western civilization.''
  The other term used by Mr. King in his comments to the New York 
Times; and we saw in Charlottesville, Virginia, at the white 
nationalists' Unite the Right rally, where they chanted the Nazi 
phrase, ``blood and soil.''

                              {time}  1415

  Some have questioned the timing of this resolution. Why now? they 
ask.
  My guidance, Madam Speaker, comes from Dr. King, who wrote in his 
letter from the Birmingham jail: ``Time itself is neutral; it can be 
used either destructively or constructively. More and more I feel,'' 
continued Dr. King, ``that the people of ill will have used time much 
more effectively than have the people of good will.''
  Then he closed his thought with these words: ``We must use time 
creatively, in the knowledge that the time is always ripe to do 
right.''
  Now is the time to do right. We have reached a tipping point. Racial 
divisiveness is a fault line that is ripping our Nation apart. This 
body must speak out against this evil. The time has come to condemn 
those of ill will and say that no part in our great Nation can be had 
by them.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The time of the gentleman has expired.
  Mr. NADLER. Madam Speaker, I yield an additional 1 minute to the 
gentleman from South Carolina.
  Mr. CLYBURN. Madam Speaker, when the French historian Alexis de 
Tocqueville came to this country, he observed its greatness and set out 
to find the genius that made it so. He wrote in his book ``Democracy in 
America'' that: ``The greatness of America lies not in being more 
enlightened than any other Nation, but rather in her ability to repair 
her faults.''
  White supremacy and white nationalism are faults that cannot be 
repaired but must be removed.
  White supremacy and white nationalism should be condemned by this 
body, and I call upon my colleagues to join me in doing so.
  Mr. COLLINS of Georgia. Madam Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the 
gentleman from Iowa (Mr. King).
  Mr. KING of Iowa. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Georgia 
for yielding me time to address this issue.
  I understand and recognize the gravity of this issue that is before 
us. I can hear it from the voice of the gentleman from Georgia. I can 
hear it from Mr. Clyburn. And I can hear it from Mr. Nadler.
  I know all of you, and I think I know all of you well. I thought you 
all knew

[[Page H575]]

me well. But I began to read this resolution, Madam Speaker, and I 
started with the first ``whereas,'' and I am going to read it as it is 
here: ``Whereas, on January 10, 2019, Representative Steve King was 
quoted as asking, `White nationalist, white supremacist, Western 
civilization' ''--there is a dash in there, a pause--`` `how did that 
language become offensive?' ''
  I understand how you interpreted my words when you read them this 
way. There is no tape for this interview that I did. It was 56 minutes 
long. There are some notes on the other end, but there is no tape. 
There is no way to go back and listen. But I can tell you this: That 
ideology never shows up in my head. I don't know how it could possibly 
come out of my mouth.
  So I am going to tell you that the words are likely what I said, but 
I want to read it to you the way I believe I said it. And that is this: 
``White nationalist, white supremacist, Western civilization--how did 
that language become offensive? Why did I sit in classes teaching me 
about the merits of our history and civilization''--that is the end of 
the quote--just to watch ``Western civilization'' become a derogatory 
term in political discourse today? That is what I believe happened.
  And it is 13 words, ironically, that has caused this firestorm. And, 
again, I regret that we are in this place. I read all of the rest of 
the resolutions that are here.
  Number two, I reject the ideology. The statement is true, Mr. 
Clyburn.
  Number three, same story. I reject the ideology that is noted in 
here. Your statement is true.
  As I read these so far down, number four, number five, all the way 
through all of these resolutions, all of the ``whereases'' that are 
here in this resolution, I agree with all of them.
  I agree with every word that you have put in this. It is an honest 
and a direct resolution put together to address a subject that has been 
too long before the public dialogue in this country.
  And when I look down at the ``resolved''--that is usually the meat of 
these--it says: ``Resolved, That the House of Representatives once 
again rejects white nationalism and white supremacy as hateful 
expressions of intolerance that are contradictory to the values that 
define the people of the United States.'' Well, I agree with that.
  Just a couple of weeks ago, I stood on this floor with a Bible in my 
hand, and I took an oath to support and defend the Constitution of the 
United States. That Bible wasn't just a regular Bible picked up 
somewhere. That was a shirt-pocket-sized leather Bible that my Great 
Uncle John Richardson carried in his shirt pocket for 3 years in the 
Civil War.
  I come from a family of abolitionists. Maybe I would have some 
artifacts from his cousin, my five times great-grandfather, if he 
hadn't been killed in that conflict.
  This means something to me, the abolitionism that goes clear back 
into my family, and they paid a price with their lives to make sure 
that all men, and now all women, are created equal, and we are endowed 
by our Creator with certain unalienable rights. Those rights are life, 
liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
  I absolutely believe in that. It is in my heart and my soul, and in 
my works. By their fruits you shall know them.
  But The New York Times has a different version of this. They make a 
habit of attacking the President, as a matter of fact. And I look at 
this language that is here, this resolution that the House of 
Representatives once again rejects white nationalism, white supremacy, 
and hateful expressions of intolerance that are contradictory to the 
values that define the people of the United States. I agree with that 
language, as I have said. But I would add to it the language that I 
used on this floor, this very place, last Friday afternoon, when I said 
I would strengthen it by adding my previous statements, which not only 
correctly reject white nationalism and white supremacy as evil 
ideologies, but also condemn anyone that supports this evil and bigoted 
ideology that saw in its ultimate expression the systematic murder of 6 
million innocent Jewish lives.

  That is where I stand. That is what I believe.
  So I want to compliment the gentleman from South Carolina for 
bringing this resolution. I have carefully studied every word in this 
resolution, and even though I would add some more that are stronger 
language, I agree with the language in it.
  So I want to ask my colleagues on both sides of the aisle, let's vote 
for this resolution. I am putting up a ``yes'' on the board here 
because what you state here is right, and it is true, and it is just, 
and so is what I have stated here on the floor of the House of 
Representatives.
  Mr. NADLER. Madam Speaker, how much time do I have remaining?
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman from New York has 11\1/2\ 
minutes remaining.
  Mr. NADLER. Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from 
Texas (Ms. Jackson Lee).
  Ms. JACKSON LEE. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman. I beg to 
differ with my good friend from Iowa. I do believe that we are all 
created equal with certain inalienable rights. What I would say to him 
is that Western civilization is what we all are. There is no 
denigrating of Western civilization. It is what America is.
  We are the greatest leader of Western civilization. We are the 
greatest leader of the free world. But what we are speaking about is, 
of course, the words ``white nationalism'' and ``white supremacy,'' for 
it is clear that the FBI makes a direct point between dehumanizing and 
derogatory comments, which come from white nationalists and white 
supremacists, to the idea that it generates, as you have heard here on 
the floor of the House. It generates the death of Dr. Martin Luther 
King. It generates Charlottesville. It generates Charleston, South 
Carolina. It generates hateful acts that result in death.
  This is the kind of tolerating of this that we cannot suffer and the 
intolerance that we cannot suffer. Because the idea of white 
nationalism, as superior to others, and white supremacy indicates that 
somebody else might die.
  This resolution is an important resolution to affirm to this Congress 
and this Nation that we believe that we all are created equal and, as 
Dr. King said, that, ``We shall overcome.'' And, some day, we shall 
overcome.
  Mr. COLLINS of Georgia. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the 
gentlewoman from West Virginia (Mrs. Miller).
  Mrs. MILLER. Madam Speaker, I rise today to speak out against white 
supremacy. As a Christian, I live my life by the guidance and teachings 
of Jesus Christ and by the many great lessons in the Bible.
  Matthew 7:12 tells us: ``So whatever you wish that others would do to 
you, do also to them.''
  This is the golden rule, that we treat every person as we wish to be 
treated. This is why I stand here today to say that there is no place 
for white supremacy, anti-Semitism, racism, or bigotry of any kind in 
Congress.
  Mr. NADLER. Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from 
Tennessee (Mr. Cohen), a distinguished member of the Judiciary 
Committee.
  Mr. COHEN. Madam Speaker, I thank Mr. Nadler for yielding me the 
time.
  Madam Speaker, I want to thank Mr. Clyburn for bringing this 
resolution, and I want to thank the Republican leadership, Mr. McCarthy 
and company, who have condemned white supremacist and white nationalist 
language.
  It is important that we come together and condemn this language 
because, unfortunately, in Charlottesville, Virginia, we had Ku Klux 
Klan people and neo-Nazis marching and saying: ``Jews will not replace 
us in blood and soil.'' Our President said there were fine people on 
both sides.
  We must condemn bigotry, racial superiority, and hate whenever it 
raises its ugly head so that it will not come back to bite us once 
again.
  So today, hopefully, in the House, we have done that. I commend my 
Republican colleagues and Mr. Collins, and I hope that when hatred and 
bigotry once against surface, raises its head, which it will, that we 
will stand together as Americans to condemn it and not see fine people 
on both sides.
  Mr. COLLINS of Georgia. Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the 
gentleman from Utah (Mr. Stewart).
  Mr. STEWART. Madam Speaker, I thank the chairman for yielding. I rise

[[Page H576]]

in support of this resolution, which, again, rejects white nationalism 
and white supremacy as hateful expressions of intolerance that are 
contradictory to our values that define the people of the United 
States.
  I call on my colleagues, both Republicans and Democrats, to denounce 
racial and religious bigotry of all stripes.
  Like many, I do have some personal insight into this problem. It 
doesn't come as a surprise to many that, being from Utah, I am a 
Mormon. And my church, as many know, was founded in New York in the 
early 1800s. We were driven further and further west as members of my 
church were targeted, harassed, and killed for their sincerely held 
religious beliefs, culminating in the murder of our founder and 
subsequent decision to relocate to Utah.
  My own ancestors were targeted in this bigotry. They lost their 
possessions. They lost their lands. They lost their freedom. And in 
some cases, they lost their lives. Unfortunately, such hatred still 
exists today.
  Three years ago, we witnessed the tragedy in Charleston, where a 
deranged individual motivated by white supremacy shot and killed nine 
Black worshipers and injured many others.
  We remember the riots in Charlottesville, where a white nationalist 
struck and killed a White woman who was protesting, once again, white 
supremacy.

                              {time}  1430

  But the problem is more widespread than just these individuals who 
advocate for white supremacy. We also need to condemn anti-Semitism, 
anti-Zionism, and those who enable it.
  Last October, a perpetrator shot and killed 11 Jewish worshippers at 
the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh, which we all remember.
  All of these should be condemned by all of us here in this body: 
Black, White, rich, poor, Muslim, Christian, or Jewish. We are all, I 
believe, children of the same God.
  I hope that the majority is sincere in ushering in this resolution to 
the floor not as just an opportunity to shame one party as irredeemably 
racist, but as a united statement against bigotry.
  When bigotry goes unchallenged, it festers and rears its ugly head in 
ways that test our Nation's greatest triumphs in shedding these 
shameful practices of slavery and other types of racial and religious 
intolerance. This is something that must unite this body. I hope that 
it does, and I believe that it will.
  Mr. NADLER. Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the distinguished 
gentleman from Rhode Island (Mr. Cicilline).
  Mr. CICILLINE. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of Mr. 
Clyburn's resolution condemning white supremacy and white nationalism.
  Congressman   Steve King's recent comments asserting that terms like 
``white supremacist'' should be acceptable have rightly drawn strong 
condemnation from both sides of the aisle in this Chamber. Sadly, these 
comments are part of a well-documented history of embracing the far 
right and making racist and anti-immigrant remarks for more than a 
decade.
  As all of us know, more and more people are feeling emboldened today 
to publicly voice bigoted and evil views like these. We have seen it in 
discussions around Charlottesville, the current debate on immigration, 
and in criticism of football players silently and peacefully protesting 
police brutality.
  These views are contrary to our country's founding values of fairness 
and equality. America was founded on the simple but powerful idea that 
all are created equal and are worthy of dignity and respect.
  White nationalism and white supremacy are a vile assault on that 
magnificent ideal. These views belong on the ash heap of history. That 
is exactly where this resolution will put them.
  Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes.''
  Mr. COLLINS of Georgia. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the 
gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Reschenthaler), who is a freshman.
  Mr. RESCHENTHALER. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Res. 
41, a resolution rejecting white nationalism and white supremacy.
  As a lifelong resident of southwestern Pennsylvania, I was devastated 
by the shooting that killed 11 Jewish worshippers and wounded six 
others at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on 
October 27, 2018. This despicable act of domestic terrorism reminded us 
that evil is alive in this world and must be confronted in a spirit of 
courage.
  The day after this cowardly act of violence, I stood in solidarity 
with Americans of all religions, all races, and all ethnicities at a 
vigil honoring the victims of this heinous crime. There is no place for 
this kind of thinking in our country.
  When the rights of any community are under attack, all of our rights 
are under attack. We must come together as a nation to stand up against 
hatred, white nationalism, and bigotry in our country.
  I commend the leadership of my party for their strong response to any 
comments that divide our country, and I thank my colleague from South 
Carolina for introducing this important resolution.
  Mr. NADLER. Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the distinguished 
gentlewoman from Florida (Mrs. Demings).
  Mrs. DEMINGS. Madam Speaker, it is surely a shame that it is 
necessary in the year 2019 for the U.S. Congress to denounce white 
nationalism in Congress.
  As a police officer, I worked white supremacist rallies. The words 
alone hurt enough, but as a police officer, I also saw vicious acts of 
violence by those inspired by those hateful words.
  Words do have consequences, and if you promote hateful, ignorant 
beliefs, then you will be held accountable. Certainly, Congress should 
lead the way.
  This week, the ignorance of white nationalism was defended by one of 
my colleagues. Today, as we recognize Dr. King's birthday, I am 
reminded that Dr. King called on all Americans to enlist in a crusade 
finally to end the race question and make it an ugly relic of a dark 
past. But still we know hate crimes are on the rise. We understand why.
  Madam Speaker, if we are who we say we are, a great nation, one 
nation with liberty and justice for all, then we all must exercise our 
power and take a stand so strong that even the white supremacists 
cannot ignore it.
  Mr. COLLINS of Georgia. Madam Speaker, I continue to reserve the 
balance of my time.
  Mr. NADLER. Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the distinguished 
gentlewoman from Washington (Ms. Jayapal).
  Ms. JAYAPAL. Madam Speaker, it has been an open secret for too long 
that Representative   Steve King of Iowa has made his trade in saying 
and pushing fundamentally racist and unacceptable ideas. While I am 
glad that my colleagues on the other side are speaking out and have 
taken this important act of stripping Mr. King of his committees, let 
us be very clear that those of us who have served with Mr. King on the 
Judiciary Committee, those of us who are African American, Latino, 
immigrant, those of us who are Caucasian and steeped in our country's 
history of slavery and racism, we all know that the record of these 
kinds of comments is long.
  In 2013, Mr. King said that, for every Dreamer who is a 
valedictorian, there are another 100 undocumented immigrants who have 
calves the size of cantaloupes because they are hauling 75 pounds of 
drugs across the border.

  In 2017, he said that we couldn't restore civilization with 
``somebody else's babies.'' Madam Speaker, how dare he. I was born in 
India. I am somebody else's baby, and I am a proud American.
  Just last year, Mr. King met with a Nazi-linked party in Austria. He 
is a Member of Congress who continuously makes these comments that 
cause the deepest of harm to real people, physical harm in the form of 
hate crimes, and psychological harm.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The time of the gentlewoman has expired.
  Mr. NADLER. Madam Speaker, I yield the gentlewoman from Washington an 
additional 30 seconds.
  Ms. JAYAPAL. Madam Speaker, all of us, whether African American, 
people of color, immigrants, we are not other categories of people. We 
are not somebody else. We are America, all of us.
  The terrible truth is that racism and xenophobia escalates when 
racism and white supremacy are permitted here in

[[Page H577]]

Congress and all the way up to the White House to be issues with both 
sides. There are no both sides when it comes to white supremacy.
  So, Madam Speaker, I hope that this is just the start of a definitive 
partywide turn away from racism for all of us on both sides.
  Mr. COLLINS of Georgia. Madam Speaker, I continue to reserve the 
balance of my time.
  Mr. NADLER. Madam Speaker, how much time do I have remaining?
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman from New York has 6 minutes 
remaining.
  Mr. NADLER. Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to distinguished 
gentleman from California (Mr. Swalwell).
  Mr. SWALWELL of California. Madam Speaker, I rise to reject white 
nationalism, to reject white supremacy, and to reject anyone who 
supports these immoral ideas.
  I reject   Steve King. So does America.
  Do you know what? So do the people of Iowa's Fourth Congressional 
District.
  How do I know that? Because I was born there to a police officer as a 
father and a mom who raised four boys. The way that they raised us is 
the way that every family in cities like Ames, Algona, and Sac City 
raised their kids: to love each other, to love God, to work together, 
and to believe that, in a community, we come together and that love 
always conquers. They reject the bigotry that they hear day after day 
from their Representative.
  I want to make sure that every person in the United States knows that 
what was expressed by our colleague is an exception and does not define 
the hardworking people of western Iowa.
  Mr. COLLINS of Georgia. Madam Speaker, may I inquire of the time 
remaining in the debate.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman from Georgia has 3 minutes 
remaining. The gentleman from New York has 5 minutes remaining.
  Mr. COLLINS of Georgia. Madam Speaker, I continue to reserve the 
balance of my time.
  Mr. NADLER. Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to distinguished 
gentlewoman from California (Ms. Lee).
  Ms. LEE of California. Madam Speaker, I thank Chairman Nadler for 
yielding, and I also want to thank Majority Whip Clyburn for his 
leadership in putting this resolution together.
  Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of this resolution, which 
sends a clear message that we will not accept hate or bigotry within 
this House.
  Let me be clear: While Congressman King's comments condoning white 
supremacy were abhorrent, they were not a surprise to many of us. In 
years past, Congressman King has implied that Dreamers are drug 
dealers; he has endorsed far right, authoritarian, and neo-Nazis 
sympathizers; and he has repeatedly reiterated the belief that 
multicultural communities are a threat to our society. These racist 
beliefs should not be espoused by anyone, let alone a United States 
Congressman.
  I grew up in the Jim Crow South, Madam Speaker. I know that racism 
and discrimination don't just cause pain. When these beliefs become 
policies, which Congressman King votes on and writes, they 
institutionalize a vicious system that people of color have to deal 
with as it relates to being denied equal rights and equal respect. 
These are the consequences of white supremacy.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The time of the gentlewoman has expired.
  Mr. NADLER. Madam Speaker, I yield the gentlewoman an additional 30 
seconds.
  Ms. LEE of California. Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues in both 
parties to vote today, on what would have been Dr. King's 90th 
birthday, to condemn white nationalism and white supremacy.
  Madam Speaker, I urge a ``yes'' vote on this resolution.
  Mr. COLLINS of Georgia. Madam Speaker, I continue to reserve the 
balance of my time.
  Mr. NADLER. Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the distinguished 
gentlewoman from California (Ms. Judy Chu).
  Ms. JUDY CHU of California. Madam Speaker, as chair of the 
Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, I rise to reject white 
nationalism and white supremacy. These philosophies divide us, teach 
fear, and lead to violence. They are to blame for the worst of American 
history, from slavery and Jim Crow to the fatal shooting of Sikhs at an 
Oak Creek gurdwara and Jews at the Tree of Life synagogue.
  White nationalism led to the passage of the Chinese Exclusion Act, 
forcing Chinese immigrants like my grandfather to be condemned to life 
as a second-class citizen. But today, his granddaughter stands here as 
the first Chinese American woman in Congress.
  I am not alone. This is the most diverse and representative Congress 
in our history.
  The message is clear: diversity has a place in Congress, prejudice 
does not.
  But white nationalism is finding a home in politics once again 
through racist rhetoric and xenophobic misinformation aimed at 
immigrants and others. Any attempt by politicians at any level to 
encourage fear of those who look different must be rejected.

  Madam Speaker, I urge support for this resolution.
  Mr. COLLINS of Georgia. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my 
time.
  Mr. NADLER. Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the distinguished 
gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. Cunningham.)
  Mr. CUNNINGHAM. Madam Speaker, I rise to support H. Res. 41 rejecting 
white nationalism and white supremacy.
  Today, on what would have been Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s 90th 
birthday, I am honored to join Majority Whip Clyburn in denouncing the 
racist remarks of Representative Steve King and condemning white 
supremacy and white nationalism in all forms. Hatred and bigotry should 
have no home in America, and certainly not one in the Halls of 
Congress.
  Dr. King was one of the finest citizens this country has produced: a 
champion for justice and a fearless crusader for equality. Today and 
every day, we must honor the life and legacy of Dr. King, while also 
acknowledging the work which remains. We must strongly condemn hateful 
expressions of intolerance wherever and whenever we see them.
  America is strongest when we stand together. From the Lowcountry to 
the heartland, I believe that today is a promising start.
  Mr. COLLINS of Georgia. Madam Speaker, I continue to reserve the 
balance of my time.
  Mr. NADLER. Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the distinguished 
gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Ryan).
  Mr. RYAN. Madam Speaker, I rise in support of this resolution, but I 
also believe that the House of Representatives should go one step 
further, and I believe we should institute a censure for Mr. King to 
signal to this country and to our children that this behavior is 
unacceptable.
  The underlying premise is that we have had leaders at the highest 
levels down the street from here condone and continue to perpetuate 
race-baiting and white supremacist language that is not good for this 
country. We need to come together. We are a weaker country today 
because we are so divided.
  What this is all about is whether the United States is going to move 
forward saying that we are a united country, that we respect 
diversity--and not only respect it, but recognize that our diversity in 
this country is our greatest strength. It is our greatest cultural 
strength, and it is our greatest economic strength. This House needs to 
take this resolution one step further.

                              {time}  1445

  Mr. COLLINS of Georgia. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my 
time.
  Mr. NADLER. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. 
Allred) for a unanimous consent request.
  (Mr. ALLRED asked and was given permission to revise and extend his 
remarks.)
  Mr. ALLRED. Madam Speaker, I rise to support the resolution against 
white nationalism and against white supremacy.
  Mr. COLLINS of Georgia. Madam Speaker, may I inquire the time I have 
left.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman from Georgia has 3 minutes 
remaining.

[[Page H578]]

  

  Mr. COLLINS of Georgia. Madam Speaker, I yield myself the balance of 
my time.
  Madam Speaker, we have heard from many here today, and I think we 
have all come to a common theme, and the common theme goes back to the 
simple rule that most of us would have learned growing up--and we have 
heard it referenced here today, but it may be as simple as in 
kindergarten--you hold hands; you look after each other; you treat 
people with respect no matter where they come from, what they look 
like, what the color of their skin is, what their gender may be, or 
what religion they may practice.
  What is true on the floor today and what should be true in the hearts 
of every American--and, frankly, not just every American, but those 
around the world--is that we realize that we have been given a gift by 
God, that we have been given the strength by God, and we have been 
given the hope by God to treat each other with dignity, respect, and 
love. When we understand that, then it takes away.
  But we also, Madam Speaker, today have realized that, when we as 
Members speak, people pay attention and people hold us accountable. We 
have talked about that in many ways, and that cannot continue in the 
way that we have seen it.
  White supremacy is wrong. White nationalism is wrong. Anti-Semitism 
is wrong.
  When we divide ourselves and we classify ourselves against each 
other, we bring ourselves down, not those whom we go after.
  As long as we ever have anyone in this country who believes that they 
can climb to the top on the backs of others because they make fun of 
their race, their gender, their ethnicity, or any other thing, then we 
devalue the very breath that God gives us.
  Madam Speaker, as I said earlier when I opened this up, there is not 
anyone we face today, anyone we come in contact with today who is not 
inherently and deeply loved by God. And it is pretty simple; He 
breathed life into them. I believe it with all that I am here.
  And if I can believe that God created each and every person I see and 
everything we see around us, how can I not value that creation? How can 
I not stand against anyone who would tear that down, especially if 
there was ever a thought in this country from anybody, anywhere, to 
take and say this is a Christian value? Then I challenge them and say 
there will be a judgment. It is already written down that no man stands 
that way.
  So today it is pretty simple. Place a ``yes'' vote on the floor. We 
support this resolution because it is not an American value; it is not 
what we stand for.
  Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. NADLER. Madam Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the 
gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Krishnamoorthi) to close the debate on our 
side.
  Mr. KRISHNAMOORTHI. Madam Speaker, I rise on Martin Luther King, 
Jr.'s birthday to urge passage of H. Res. 41 and to reject white 
nationalism and supremacy in all its forms.
  I applaud both sides for taking up this resolution in support of 
rejecting white nationalism.
  But today, Madam Speaker, I ask one question: Where does President 
Trump stand on this resolution? Will President Trump do as we are doing 
and reject white supremacy in all its forms?
  So far, we have heard nothing but silence. I ask him to act and do 
the same: reject white supremacy and white nationalism, today.
  Mr. NADLER. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

  Mr. RUSH. Madam Speaker, while I strongly condemn white supremacy and 
white nationalism, my position remains unchanged. Anything short of 
censure is shallow. Steve King has made a career of making racist 
statements. That is the only thing he is known for and this pattern of 
rabid racism must be confronted head on by the House of 
Representatives. This resolution just restates the obvious. It does not 
address Steve King's violent, vitriolic, and rabid racism. This 
Democratic resolution is an insult to the legacy of Martin Luther King, 
Jr. as we recognize his birthday. We must proceed with a vote to 
censure him with the same zeal that the House used when censuring 
Charlie Rangel. Yesterday, the notice I provided of my privileged 
resolution to formally censure the Member from Iowa, started the clock 
for a floor vote to punish him for his bigotry and racism. We need to 
be clear to the American people that we use condemnation to express our 
disapproval of those not in the House. We use censure for those in the 
House, Steve King is a sitting member.
  Ms. JOHNSON of Texas. Madam Speaker, I rise today to support the 
gentleman from South Carolina's resolution condemning the recent 
remarks of our colleague Steven King.
  As we celebrate the 90th birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., he 
indicated that ``there comes a time when one must take a position that 
is neither safe, nor politic, nor popular, but he must take it because 
conscience tells him that it is right.''
  Unfortunately, the recent rhetoric of Mr. King not only highlights 
the wrongs of our nation's dark past, but it promotes a spirit of 
division, bitterness and fear.
  At a time when our nation is looking to its leaders to bring 
confidence and security, we must take the steps toward unity and seek 
out understanding and denounce thoughts that are divisive.
  There is no room for such rhetoric in the most diverse Congress ever 
and I stand with my colleagues to censure Congressman Steven King.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from New York (Mr. Nadler) that the House suspend the rules 
and agree to the resolution, H. Res. 41.
  The question was taken.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds 
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
  Mr. NADLER. Madam Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
  The yeas and nays were ordered.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, further 
proceedings on this motion will be postponed.

                          ____________________