[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 107 (Tuesday, June 25, 2019)]
[House]
[Pages H5079-H5080]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                           SIGN ON TO IMPEACH

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Texas (Mr. Green) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, and still I rise because I love my 
country, and I rise now knowing that we are some 69 days since the 
Mueller report, which means that we are some 69 days with the President 
being above the law since the Mueller report was made public.
  I rise today with a special message. This message has to do with 
leadership. I rise today with this message, and I would like to harken 
back, if I may, to April 16 of 1963. I have my mnemonic notes in front 
of me. April 16 of 1963 is when Dr. King wrote his letter from the 
Birmingham City Jail.
  Dr. King did not wake up one morning and decide: I think I will go 
down to Birmingham and get arrested, and I will write a letter from the 
Birmingham Jail. That was hardly the case.
  Dr. King was responding to a letter from some of the leading citizens 
in Birmingham. These were persons who were cloaked with the robe of the 
clergy. These are people who had moral positions. They took firm, 
hardcore positions when it came to morality.
  These were the persons who would set the standards, if you will, and 
maintain the standards for morality. There were eight of them. They 
decided to write a letter to Dr. King, explaining to him why he should 
not do what he was about to do in Birmingham.
  By the way, they were also aided and abetted by some of the leading 
Negro citizens. In fact, in their letter, they mentioned that we 
should--meaning them at that time--allow persons to meet with our 
leading Negro citizens--they didn't say ``leading'' but ``our 
Negroes''--and let's try to work this out with dialogue.
  I marveled at how persons in positions of great leadership with great 
responsibility can be so wrong on some of the crucial issues of our 
time.
  Dear brothers and sisters--I say ``brothers and sisters'' because I 
believe that there is but one race, and that is the human race. I think 
that all persons are created equal. As Dr. King put it, on God's 
keyboard, we are created equal, from a bass black to a treble white. I 
think that we are all created equal, and I call you brothers and 
sisters.
  Dear brothers and sisters, this issue concerning these babies at the 
border, I just thank God that the media has finally discovered this 
issue and is taking it and bringing it to the forefront, to the extent 
that they are. I thank C-SPAN for the opportunity to be heard, C-SPAN 
and all the outlets that allow this opinion to be voiced.
  I am pleased that this is being taken up now by the major media 
because what is happening to these babies at the border is 
unconscionable.
  Some months ago, after visiting the border, I indicated that the 
ASPCA would not allow animals to be housed in the conditions that we 
see at the border currently. This is a tragedy not in the making but a 
tragedy that continues to exist because of inaction and because of 
actions that have been taken by the Chief Executive Officer of the 
United States of America in an attempt to deter people from coming to 
this country.
  How heartless can someone be to use babies as a means of deterring 
people from coming to the country?
  I am here today because I love my country. I believe that we cannot 
allow this to continue. Some 69 days above the law for this President, 
he knows that we are not going to do anything. This is why he behaves 
the way that he does. He knows that he can do this without guardrails 
because, back when he fired Mr. Comey and it was called to our 
attention that this was obstruction, we did nothing.
  I thank God that Members are signing on now and understand the 
importance of it. The question is no longer: Who is going to be among 
the first to sign on to impeach? The question is: Who will be the last 
to sign on to impeach?
  I beg all who have not to please give serious consideration to this 
notion that you can be a part of this impeachment because we cannot 
allow this injustice to continue.
  Finally, I am working on a manuscript, a book, if you will. The title 
of it is ``You Can't Walk Back History.''

[[Page H5080]]

You can walk back your comments, but you can't walk back history.
  The history associated with this time will be: How did we vote when 
we were given the opportunity to vote on impeachable bigotry emanating 
from the policy of the Presidency?
  There will be more to say and more to come.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Members are reminded to refrain from 
engaging in personalities toward the President.

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